A Good Place to Live
A Good Place to Live
Lesli and I have been imagining a place for a long time that might look like this place. We have been trying to create it somehow in the many places we've lived. We've tried to describe such a place to our friends so that they too might catch a vision for the same kind of place. When it seemed apparent that no one around us wanted what we wanted, we decided we were going to find such a place and move there. Bold? Perhaps, but we think it was well worth it considering what we found. And we pray we'll be reaping the dividends from generation to generation.
We were looking for a body of believers with a consistent application of Reformed theology who share our "like precious faith" 2 Peter 1 .1. The Bible is the foundation for God's covenant which needs to be lived out in a deliberate fashion. In practical terms this means fathers lead their families in conforming their lives to the Scripture, while vigorously working to build the kingdom of God, loving each member of the body of Christ, and enjoying the fruits of our labor here on earth. Wives should be keepers at home, and there should be lots of children, God willing, there being kept and trained. The home should be a place of family worship, learning, hospitality and refuge. The community of believers that supports this will be a source of encouragement to each of its members to fulfill their God-ordained roles. Such a community helps its members achieve a purposeful life as they strive to bring glory to God while enjoying Him now and forever.
In our search we learned about St. Peter Presbyterian Church and the Highlands Study Center in the Tn-Cities region of Virginia/lTennessee. We decided to take a road trip from Florida and investigate. When we visited the folks at St. Peter we found a group of diverse families living deliberate lives examining whether or not what they did lined up with the Word of God. We found an absence of complacency. It takes work to be "ever reforming" and those that do it realize it is a lifetime of work. We didn't find anyone who thought that they had already achieved all that God had for them. Rather, we found an enthusiastic group who were diligently looking at the Bible like the Bereans to see if these things were so. (Acts 17.11)
It didn't take long to decide to move and join the St. Peter church family. They were already doing the things we believed Christians should do. We wanted our vision and our church's vision to be the same. I am a pharmacist and there is an abundance of work all over the country. Finding a job was not my first consideration. I have made moves in the past for promotions and advancement. This time it was going to be for things that mattered eternally.
After moving we found that people were happy we came and welcomed us warmly. Families fed us and watched our 5 children who were sick when we arrived so we could house hunt. Pastor Laurence spent days helping us find a house. We finally found a neat old house with lots of "character" in nearby Abingdon, Virginia. There was plenty of help to clean it up and to move our belongings into it. We had families anonymously leave baskets of food staples for us, a tradition they call "pounding." When we were still in boxes on Christmas, families had us in their homes for the holidays. When it finally hit that we had just uprooted our whole life they invited us over and kept us laughing to ease the transition.
As we have lived here we have seen that in our church the men lead their families, serve in the church, cherish their wives, play with their kids, discuss theology, read, love to laugh and occasionally cry. These are real people. No pretenses (well, except for R.C., who keeps pretending to be a chicken farmer.) We learned we were in the company of women that honor their husbands, love and teach their children, offer hospitality, read, discuss the Bible, laugh, and love to shop for dining room tables that will be big enough for crowds. It is a fun place. People have lots of fellowship here. It is a fascinating place.
The parents of St. Peter raise their children with an eye to the future. These folks know that what this generation learns affects the next generation and the next and the next (Ps 48.13). We found parents that expect their children to do better spiritually than they have, who expect their children to exemplify progressive familial sanctification. We found children that are vigorously learning the Scripture and our confessions and catechism. We found people that have a desire to advance God's kingdom and they live this out by developing relationships with the unchurched and those that are in churches and are very confused. Families here take in singles to live with them and teach them the Christian faith on a day-to-day basis. It seems more like the Good Shepherd caring for His sheep (Jn 10.11). It seems more like the God the Psalmist describes when he speaks of the God who cares for the fatherless and the widow in her distress (Ps 146.9) It seems like Abraham's blessing to the families of the earth. (Gen 28.14)
There is a sign over the road as you drive into Bristol, Tennessee that says, "Bristol — A Good Place to Live." As we have lived here we have found it a good place to raise a family. We have found a great church. We have found just what we were looking for. Within eyeshot of all of this are beautiful mountains, long stretches of open fields, and streams that meander down Appalachian trails. We've only been here 3 months, but we see that it is right and good and it is beautiful.