With One Voice

Announcement of website

2006-05-09T16:58:00.000-05:00

Dear Friends,

Renowned web designer Tim Challies has created a website which will now contain this blog in addition to reviews of summaries of my writings, along with audio files from speaking engagements and interviews.

Check it out!

Alex

Discount Copies Available

2006-04-19T21:21:00.000-05:00

UPDATE: I have lowered the prices from what was originally posted. I will give you the lower price even if you previously ordered (and reimburse you the difference when I ship your books).

I will have a limited number of discounted copies from the publisher. If you would like one or more, I would be glad to pass along the savings to you. If you live nearby, we can hand off the book(s) at church or wherever and save on postage.

You can send payment via cash, check, or PayPal (no credit cards, please):

PayPal address: alex.chediak@gmail.com
US mail: 928 Oakwood Heights Circle, Eagan, MN 55123

Price per book (shipping included):
For 1-4 copies: $8.50/copy
For 5 or more copies: $8.00/copy

Price per book (if no shipping required):
For 1-4 copies: $8.00/copy
For 5 or more copies: $7.00/copy

I will not have my inventory until late May, but you will still probably get the books faster (and definitely cheaper) through me.

Offer good through: MAY 31, 2006

Cover of With One Voice

2006-03-30T17:01:00.000-06:00

Endorsements for With One Voice

2006-03-30T14:23:00.000-06:00

Courtship, dating, and marriage have become flashpoints of debate among young evangelicals--and this is a controversy worth our attention. Alex and Marni Chediak offer sound biblical advice and a clear Christian framework for working through the maze of confusions surrounding modern marriage. Against the stream of our postmodern culture committed to personal autonomy, this couple points Christians to a higher standard--the glory of God. Christians young and old, single and married, will find help in this concise book.

R. Albert Mohler, Jr., President
The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

If only courtship and marriage were so simple that all we needed was a manual to figure them out! The Chediak’s give us something better: a compass and a travel guide for the serious pilgrim. True north is the glory of God – get that straight and everything else will fall in place, miss it and nothing works. The rest is details, matters of topography and climate/local customs. That too the Chediak’s provide with warmth, wisdom and the good humor of those who know the road and some of its potholes!

Ben Patterson
College Pastor
Westmont College

Dating books have been avalanching off the press in recent years. Few, however, approach the subject theologically, and even fewer accent how the critical biblical foundations of manhood and womanhood are related. That is what makes With One Voice unique. This book boldly and clearly connects the Bible’s undeniable teaching about manhood and womanhood to how Christians should think about singleness, dating, and marriage. Parents, married couples, and singles need this book more than they know!

Richard L. Holland, D.Min.
Pastor, College & Student Ministries - Grace Community Church
Director of D.Min. Studies - The Master's Seminary
13248 Roscoe Blvd
Sun Valley, CA 91352

Summary of With One Voice

2006-03-30T11:41:00.000-06:00

The ritual of courtship in America has depreciated to the degree that the path to marriage, once enriched by established cultural patterns, gender role expectations, and a sense of the normalcy of marriage, has become a bewildering maze. A century ago, young people looked forward to marriage and child rearing as both marks of adulthood and economic necessities. Today, the fruits of the sexual revolution, feminism, careerism, a growing youth culture, and a modern economy that values individuals over families have all contributed to the divorce of sexual expression from long-term commitment. Though not all of the social forces of the last century are intrinsically sinful, we must soberly admit that, to many, marriage is no longer an economic, social, or sexual necessity. Instead, it is at best just one more option for individual self-fulfillment and at worst a distraction from education, career, and sexual exploration. Such views have resulted in the increasing acceptance of a rise in the age of marriage, the debasement of women, the normalcy of divorce, and the general immaturity of young adults, particularly men. Against this backdrop, our youth and singles must recover a sense that marriage and childrearing (with their many associated joys and responsibilities) are not only precious milestones that provide direction and stability in life, but are biblical norms that mark the successful transition to adulthood.

In light of the world’s frightening trend toward a disconnection of commitment and intimacy, many western Christians have assumed that if the “good old days” could be resurrected, modern troubles such as promiscuity and detachment might go away. Though well-intentioned and sometimes producing good results, this approach can discourage Christians who lack a biblical family model in their own upbringing, and may therefore feel sentenced to a second-class marriage. Alternatively, it can (ironically) promote the delay of marriage by causing young people or their parents to set unattainable ideals for a spouse. Rather, we need to freshly communicate and impart timeless biblical principles in our rapidly changing world—transforming our culture, rather than being conformed to it. Such principles include a respect for mature biblical masculinity and femininity. Young men need to cultivate a sense of leadership, the assumption of responsibility, personal maturity sufficient to lead a wife and family, and a willingness to expend their God-given strength for the good of others. Young women should develop emotional security in Christ, relational wisdom, a discerning yet nurturing disposition, and modesty. These characteristics are in short supply in our day, given contemporary culture’s promotion of passivity, the prolonging of adolescence, and an emphasis on finding worth through good looks and popularity.

In a romantic context, young adults should embrace the Scriptural norm of marriage and its associated God-assigned responsibilities. Such interactions will display godly restraint, communication, wisdom, joy, and, in the proper time, decisiveness. In seeking to practice such premarital relationships, young people ought to emphasize their own spiritual, emotional, educational, and financial development toward adulthood, as well as cultivate an ability to recognize and affirm mature masculinity and femininity in potential partners. In the process of choosing a spouse, young adults should avoid the extremes of exclusively considering either objective criteria (how long she’s been a Christian, the quality of his family) or subjective criteria (physical attraction, enjoyment of his companionship). Friendships should blossom in community and family settings to the degree possible and progress with caution as interactions and conversations become more substantive. When proper, a man ought to declare his intentions without excessive delay and tenderly lead a particular woman into a committed relationship that is marriage-directed. She ought to honor his masculinity and her own femininity in the process by responding to and affirming his leadership, without either undue caution or prematurely surrendering her heart. Ultimately, With One Voice challenges both men and women to both become and to recognize a godly life partner, glorifying God and honoring others in the process. It is also a resource for parents and pastors seeking to raise a generation who will value the favor of God more than life itself, and who will love their husbands and wives out of the overflow of their love for God.