Your Church (11/05/2009)

Warren Sentinel Weekly Pulpit

By my count there are over 50 church buildings in Warren County. Some are made of brick or stone; some of wood; some have steeples or bell towers; some are fit for postcards or calendars; some look like warehouses or office buildings; some are old, some are new; and the list goes on.

So how many churches are there in Warren County? The answer depends on how “church” is defined. Most people equate “church” with a building. Remember the rhyme that involved folding your hands and saying “Here is the church, here is the steeple, open the door, see all the people?” By that definition there are at least 50.

But for others, the word “church” refers to a particular institution or denomination. These people might say, “I belong to the _______ Church.” They might attend church at a particular building, but their ties are to the larger body of which their local church is a part. So maybe there are less than 50?

Still others attend “house” churches. These churches do not own buildings or rent space from others. These churches consist of believers who gather regularly for worship – they just happen to gather in homes rather than in church buildings. What does this do to our count?

Albert Einstein once said, “Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted.” I repeat this quote not to imply that some churches in our community don't count, but rather to highlight the fact that not all of the Church can be easily counted.

So why even count? What if instead of focusing on all the different churches around our county (the different styles and sizes of buildings, the different denominational affiliations, the different worship styles, etc.) we were to focus on what we hold in common? Might we find that we are, in fact, just ONE CHURCH? What if we were to focus on what unites us rather than what divides us? Indeed, isn't this what Jesus prayed for when he said, “that they may be one” (John 17)?

It is exciting to see an ever increasing number of Christians seeking to build bridges between churches in our community. Yes, there are differences – even important ones – between churches. But what we hold in common far outweighs our differences. I pray that we can find ways to together serve God and our neighbors. I believe that we can do this without ignoring or minimizing our differences and that we might even find ways to celebrate them.

In an effort to help build these bridges, I will begin hosting a radio program called “YOUR CHURCH.” It will air Sunday mornings beginning November 29th at 9:05AM on WFTR AM 1450. Each week I hope to feature a different church. Be sure to tune in to learn more about the Church in Warren County. And let me know if you would like your church featured.

A Different 10/40 Window

According to www.1040Window.org, "The 10/40 Window is an area of the world that contains the largest population of non-Christians in the world. The area extends from 10 degrees to 40 degrees North of the equator, and stretches from North Africa across to China."

According to www.joshuaproject.net, "The 10/40 Window is the rectangular area of North Africa, the Middle East and Asia between 10 degrees north and 40 degrees north latitude. The 10/40 Window is often called "The Resistant Belt" and includes the majority of the world's Muslims, Hindus, and Buddhists. An estimated 4.08 billion individuals residing in approximately 7,029 distinct people groups are in the 10/40 Window. The 10/40 Window is home to some of the largest unreached people groups in the world ..."

For a number of years now the strategic focus of some mission organizations and churches has been directed at this particular 10/40 Window. Many good things have resulted because of this and will result from this.

But I wonder whether such a focus may take our eyes and hearts off of another important window. We have our own "10/40 Window" in our own back yards, in our own towns, and in our own cities. I'm not thinking here of the people from the 10/40 Window described above who now live nearby. Instead, I'm thinking about the 10 to 40 year-olds that live right around us.

Arguably, 10-40 year-olds are the largest un-churched and de-churched population group in the United States. They are also (depending on your definition) the largest un-christian or not-yet-christian population group in our country.

Most churches do a pretty good job at ministering to younger children and to older adults, but far too often the 10-40 year-olds fall through the cracks. Effective ministry to tweens and teens, Gen-Y'ers (Millenials/Bridgers), and Gen-X'ers (Busters) -- whether or not they are in the church, whether or not they consider themselves Christians -- is often lacking or weak.

What if churches began to also focus on this "generational" 10/40 Window? I'm not suggesting that churches do this at the exclusion or expense of their efforts for the "geographic" 10/40 Window. But what if we were just as passionate about shining the light of Christ through the generational window as the geographic window?

Crash Helmet Christianity (09/02/2009)

Warren Sentinel Weekly Pulpit

All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. (Acts 2:44-47, TNIV)

In writing about Christians and the Church in “Teaching a Stone to Talk,” author Annie Dillard writes, “Does anyone have the foggiest idea what sort of power we so blithely invoke? Or, as I suspect, does no one believe a word of it? The churches are children playing on the floor with their chemistry sets, mixing up a batch of TNT to kill a Sunday morning. It is madness to wear ladies' straw hats and velvet hats to church; we should all be wearing crash helmets. Ushers should issue life preservers and signal flares; they should lash us to our pews."

Ms. Dillard prophetically and poetically reminds Christians that we are called not to complacency, but to compassionate action; not to comfort and security, but to trusting God for our provision as we seek to help meet the needs of others; and not to caution, but to boldly living out the gospel (good news) that we claim to hold so dear.

As the leaves begin to turn to their brilliant autumn colors we face the possibility that we may suffer the scourge of a potentially deadly flu pandemic. I wonder what the response of Christian churches and of individual Christians will be. I wonder what my own response will be.

Will I be complacent? Will I seek to preserve my own comfort and security? Will I choose caution over boldly living out the very gospel I preach weekly and seek to live out daily? Or will I trust God with my very life as I seek to minister to those who may fall ill? Will I place my own well-being (and that of those dearest to me) above the Christian calling to love our neighbors as we love ourselves?

The Rule of St. Benedict states that the “Care of the sick must rank above and before all else, so that they may truly be served as Christ, for he said: 'I was sick and you visited me' (Matt 25:36), and, 'What you did for one of these least brothers you did for me' (Matt 25:40).”

The Church in its infancy understood this rule even before it was penned by St. Benedict. The early Church was not complacent, comfortable, or cautious. And though the early church was just as unfamiliar with crash helmets as it was with pews, it understood that to live out the gospel was a dangerous and risky thing that it was called to do.

Today's churches exist, at least in part, due to the legacy of these early crash-helmet-Christians. What sort of legacy will we pass on to the Church of tomorrow? What sort of difference will we make in the world around us today?

What if the Left Brain Right Brain Theory is a Myth?

I was at a conference recently and one of the speakers based a lot of one of his presentations on the "Left Brain Right Brain" theory. As he spoke, I recalled a documentary I saw recently on television that called this theory into question. In fact, it went as far as to say that this theory has largely been discredited and that it is no longer accepted in the scientific community even though it still has broad acceptance in society. Unfortuantely, I can't remember the name of the documentary (is that a left, right, or whole brain problem?).

In any case, I've decided to do some reading on this theory as so many people refer to it and base their teaching (and preaching) methods upon it. What if the theory isn't actually correct? Should we still be basing what we do on it?

I've ordered a book that has what looks to be an interesting article about this topic. The book is titled Tall Tales about the Mind and Brain: Separating Fact from Fiction.

If you know anything else about this topic I'd love to hear what you know. If I learn anything interesting as I go, I'll try to post it here.

Marriage: A God-Sort-Of-Love (06/18/09)

Warren Sentinel "Weekly Pulpit" (06/18/09)

It was a picture perfect Spring evening. The bride was beautiful; the groom looked dashing; the bridal party was dressed to the nines; and even the minister looked pretty sharp! The horse and carriage, and more importantly the bride, arrived without incident. The bagpiper played on the hillside beyond the pond. None of the bridal party fell off the dock that extended out into said pond. And even the ring survived being passed from the best man to the minister to the groom and was ultimately placed safely onto the bride's finger.

Everything went smoothly until it came time for me to share some words of encouragement with the bride and groom. I read 1 Corinthians 13:4-8, “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.”

I began by asking everyone whether they had heard a sermon recently at a wedding. Almost everyone raised their hands. I asked if anyone remembered anything from those sermons. All hands went down. I went on to note that Jesus had been invited to a wedding and that he either hadn't been asked to preach a sermon or, if he had been asked, it either wasn't remembered or recorded. But Jesus did use the occasion to perform his first miracle (according to the Gospel of John).

When they ran out of wine at that wedding, Jesus turned water into wine. I, for better or for worse, am incapable of performing such miracles. Performing a wedding may be as close to performing a miracle as I'll ever get. Weddings are pretty miraculous! But here's the thing, as I shared these thoughts, I suddenly became very nervous.

I wasn't nervous because I was speaking in public, I was nervous because I was officiating a wedding. I was putting the Church's and the State's seal of approval, if you will, on a miracle! The miracle of two lives becoming one. I did my best to steady my nerves and continue. What I then tried to share with the bride and groom is that love, and by implication marriage, is a “God-thing.” Don't believe me? 1 John 4 twice says that “God is love.” Still don't believe me? Go back to 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 and substitute the word “God” for the word “love” everywhere it appears (ie., God is patient, God is kind …. God never fails.).

The sort of love that binds us together in marriage should be a God-sort-of-love! Maybe this is why the New Testament describes the Church as the bride of Christ. So as I struggled with my own emotions and the awesomeness of the moment, I hope I conveyed to Matt and Meral (and to anyone listening in) that we are called to love each other in marriage with the God-sort-of-love that is patient, kind, … and which never fails.

Beyond Belief (05//07/09)

Warren Sentinel "Weekly Pulpit" (05/07/2009)

Instead of asking the question, “If you were to die tonight, do you know where you will spend eternity?” What if we were to ask the question, “What if you knew you were going to live tomorrow?”

The problem with focusing on the first question is that it often has the tendency of making it seem like this life (this life that God gave us, by the way) doesn't really matter all that much; that as long as we believe—or say that we believe—we can live however we want. But most of us will, in fact, live tomorrow … and hopefully for many more tomorrows.

How we live actually matters. It matters, in great part, because how we live—what we do with our lives—reveals what we truly believe. In Christianity Beyond Belief: Following Jesus for the Sake of Others, Todd Hunter writes, "I used to think that eternal life was what we got after we died. (Today, I know better—new life, a different kind of life, starts at conversion and it never ends.)"

He goes on to write, "As 1 Peter 1 says, Christianity is about a 'brand-new life.' This new life does indeed have an unspeakably marvelous future. But that future starts now. ... that is exactly what Christianity is about: a certain kind of life—eternal life. It is about living in alliance with the gospel Jesus announced concerning the kingdom of God. Or as Peter says, it is a 'way of life shaped by God's life.' Christianity is a journey: following Jesus' model of life in the kingdom through the power of the Holy Spirit in the actual events of our lives."

According to Hunter, "The clearest statement in the Scripture regarding eternal life shows it is fundamentally about a type of life. In John 17:3, Jesus says that eternal life is knowledge of God and his Son. As important as good thinking is, the knowledge Jesus refers to is not merely thinking about or mental agreement with a certain set of doctrines. Eternal life is the quality life derived from and lived within the kingdom of God. It is personal, intimate community with the Trinity. It is the kind of life, which was lost due to sin, that God always intended for humanity. In fact, sin is the counterintention of humans to live outside of God's story, outside of a new kind of life."

The author of 1 John, for example, makes it clear that both orthodoxy (right doctrine: what we believe) and orthopraxy (right practice: how we live) matter. And they aren't mutually exclusive. In fact, they depend upon one another. How we live—how we put our belief into practice—demonstrates what we actually believe. And can we really believe something if we aren't living out that belief? The author of 1 John writes, "This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did." (1 John 2:5b-6)

Katelynn on the 4th of July

Katelynn & Jonathan @ 4th of July Concert

Jonathan Baptized in Shenandoah

Katelynn Baptized in Shenandoah

Grandpa, Dad, & Bobby on Slip'n'Slide

Bobby All Ready for a Business Meeting

Loving Jonathan

My Kids and Baby Camel

My Boys and a Baby Camel

My Boys @ Zoo

Zebra Stripes & Chain Link

Jonathan in Fall!

Jonathan on a Wintery Golf Course

Bobby in the Fall

Our New House

God and Wachovia willing, this will be our new house on Friday, March 13th.

Some of our New Neighbors!

The welcome committee was a little skittish at first ... but after a brief visit they were eating right out of my hands.

View from our Back Yard

Here's our view, looking Southwest, of Massanutten.

Sinners in the Hands of God (03/19/2009)

Warren Sentinel "Weekly Pulpit" (03/19/2009)

In 1741 Jonathan Edwards preached one of the most famous/infamous sermons ever preached, “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God.” I refer to it simply to illustrate one of the great divides that exists within Christianity. On one side are those who think of God as the “Angry God,” and on the other side are those who think of God as the “Loving God.”

Those in the “Angry God Camp” tend to focus more on God's righteousness and wrath. Those in the “Loving God Camp” tend to focus more on God's mercy and forgiveness. Both tend to look down on the other and even call the other unChristian.

This, sadly, is true of many who affirm the statement that “Jesus … will come to judge the living (quick) and the dead.” That Jesus will be our judge is, I believe, a hopeful – hope-filled – statement that God is both loving and just. Though sin offends and angers God, God is not defined by that anger. God, scripture teaches is love.

Many have been taught that humanity is separated from God by sin. This I agree with. And that since God can not be in the presence of sin (often illustrated by a chasm between humanity and God) that the only way to be in God's presence (to be saved) is by the atoning death of Jesus (often illustrated by bridging the chasm with a cross). This I agree with and disagree with.

God CAN be in the presence of sin and sinners if God CHOOSES to be. One need only turn to the third chapter of Genesis to see this. In the midst of their disobedience, God seeks Adam and Eve out and gives them an opportunity to come out from hiding and to admit their failure. One need only look at the history of the Israelites to see that God dwells in their midst even as they remain a far from sinless people. The incarnation itself (the full divinity and humanity of Jesus) is also proof positive that God can and does choose to be in the presence of sin and sinful people.

God is love and God is just. While this may seem like a paradox, it is not. I think theologian Justo Gonzalez puts it well in “The Apostles' Creed for Today” when he writes,

“Clearly, such love and justice are so far above our own love and our own justice that we cannot comprehend them. Hence, the endless arguments among Christians, some contending that God's love demands that all be forgiven, and some insisting that God's justice must be fulfilled and that therefore there must be eternal punishment. On this score, perhaps all we can say is that our limited understanding of love does not permit us to understand how God's love can be fulfilled in conjunction with infinite justice, and that our limited understanding of justice does not allow us to understand how God's justice can be fulfilled in conjunction with infinite love. … Ours is a God of such love that is perfect justice, and of such justice that it is perfect love.”

Invocation Given at the 50th Anniversary of Integration in Warren County, VA

"God of our weary years, God of our silent tears, thou who has brought us thus far along the way, thou who has by thy might led us into the light, keep us forever in the path, we pray, lest our feet stray from the places, our God, where we met thee, lest our hearts, drunk with the wine of the world, we forget thee. Shadowed beneath thy hand may we forever stand -- true to thee, O God, and true to our native land."

Lord, we thank you for giving courage and strength

• to those who marched and were martyred to bring us to this day
  
• to those who suffered at the hands of the angry, the ignorant, and the fearful
  
• to those who were accused, abused, attacked, and assaulted
  
• to those who stood alongside, supported, and interceded
  
• to all those who worked together to loose the chains of injustice and oppression
  

Lord, we have come so far and yet we have so far still to go

Give us, we pray, our daily bread

• the same measure of courage and strength you gave those who have gone before us and forgive us even as we forgive others
• give us love, mercy, and compassion for those still filled with hate and fear

and lead us not into temptation

• but give us the strength, faith, and steadfastness needed to march on
  

and deliver us from evil, for evil abounds

• give us patience and perseverance when the day is long
• give us encouragement and hope when the night never ends

for yours is the kingdom, the power, and the glory forever

• give us humility, we pray, for the battle belongs to You, O Lord
• our yesterdays, our todays, and our tomorrows are in your hands

In the prayerful words of Mary McLeod Bethune,

Father, we call Thee Father because we love Thee. We are glad to be called Thy children, and to dedicate our lives to the service that extends through willing hearts and hands to the betterment of all mankind. We send a cry of Thanksgiving for people of all races, creeds, classes, and colors the world over, and pray that through the instrumentality of our lives the spirit of peace, joy, fellowship, and brotherhood shall circle the world. We know that this world is filled with discordant notes, but help us, Father, to so unite our efforts that we may all join in one harmonious symphony for peace and brotherhood, justice, and equality of opportunity for all men (and women). The tasks performed today with forgiveness for all our errors, we dedicate, dear Lord, to Thee. Grant us strength and courage and faith and humility sufficient for the tasks assigned to us.

I ask Lord, that your blessing be upon each person gathered here today.  And that you will bless this time of remembrance and celebration.

Amen

Where were our churches!?

I felt very honored to be asked to give the invocation a few days ago at the 50th Anniversary Commemoration of School Integration in Warren County, VA.  I'll post the invocation I gave as a separate blog as a number of people have requested a copy.

The 2-plus hour service was absolutely wonderful.  It was held in the state-of-the-art auditorium at Skyline High School.  There were only 350 people in attendance.  I say "only" because given the importance of the occassion and the incredible program that was put together, it should have been standing room only.  But the 350 people that were there had a chance to experience a moment or racial reconciliation and healing that is still so needed in our county.

It also turned out to be the most amazing worship service I have been to in recent memory.  The choir of Warren County Middle School, the combined choirs of Warren County High School and Skyline High School, the Annointed Voices community choir, and a particulary moving solo by Bo Flynn contained so much Gospel -- Good News -- that I could but worship as I listened.

A local Sociologist/Historian gave a restrospective of the events that took place 50 years ago and gave a hopefull mesage for the future.  And the keynote speaker, Mr. Jack Gravely, spoke Truth to all who were there to listen.  He didn't preach but he preached!  I pray for the day that I might have an ounce of his ability to communicate Truth.

A number of the first 23 African American children to be integrated into Warren County High School were also present.  Rev. James Kilby, the organizer of the event and the son of the late James Kilby, Sr. -- who led the efforts to bring integration to Warren County, at great personal sacrifice -- was accompanied by his sister, Betty Kilby, who also was one of the first 23.  They each shared some of their personal experiences and reflects.  They and the others that marched up the hill to Warren County High School fifty years ago are true heroes.

It was a wonderful afternoon.  But there was one thing that saddened me greatly.  There were very few churches in our area that participated in the service and even fewer pastors.  It struck me that this would have been a perfect opportunity for churches to come together in the sort of unity that Jesus himself prayed that we would have (John 17).  But where were the pastors and churches that decry that God, prayer, and the Bible are being excluded from our Public Schools? And where were the pastors and churches that decry that those other churches and pastors aren't doing enough to impact the world around them?

God's Word was proclaimed in word, in prayer, in song, and in deed this last Saturday afternoon at Skyline High School.  It was Church, but where were our churches and pastors!?

Repent and Believe (02/13/08)

Warren Sentinel "Weekly Pulpit" (02/13/08)

“The time is fulfilled and the kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the gospel!”  Mark 1:15 

With these words, according to the Gospel of Mark, Jesus launched his earthly ministry. 

Repentance may be a strange theme to discuss the day before Valentines Day,  but today, the day I'm sitting at my desk writing these lines, is actually Shrove Tuesday – also known as Mardis Gras or Fat Tuesday.  At best, this day is known as a day of preparation and repentance.  At worst, it is known as a day of anything butpreparation and repentance. 

So what is repentance?  Repentance isn't just feeling bad about our actions or intentions.  Repentance is not just saying “sorry” or “my bad.”   Repentance may start with this, but it doesn't stop there. True repentance requires action.  Repentance, as described throughout the Bible, involves turning from our wrongdoing toward “rightdoing.” Repentance implies a change of heart, a change of mind, and a change of action. 

Jesus said, “Repent and believe the gospel.” He didn't say, “Repent or believe the gospel.” You see, truly believing the gospel (the Good News of Jesus) implies that our lives are being transformed by that News.  Believing something isn't just having head knowledge about it.  Many people know what Jesus said –they have heard the gospel– but their lives haven't been transformed by his words. 

To be a disciple of Jesus requires that we learn not only what he taught, but that we do what Jesus did.  Most of us have been shaped by a Western worldview which teaches that “knowledge is power” and that “we are what we know.” In contrast, the Jewish worldview of Jesus' time taught that “we are what we do.” In other words, to really believe something is to live it out. 

When a rabbi took on disciples, he fully expected them to live and act as he did. According to pastor and author Rob Bell, an ancient Jewish sage once said to disciples, “Cover yourself with the dust of your rabbi's feet.” You see, a good disciple would follow his rabbi so closely, going everywhere the rabbi went, and doing everything the rabbi did, that by the end of the day he would be –quite literally– covered with the dust of the rabbi's feet.  (For more on this, see Bell's book, Velvit Elvis.) 

To say that we are Christians –to say that we are disciples of Jesus– should mean that we have both learned the words of Jesus, and that we actually live them out.  Sadly, according to pollster David Kinnaman, many people (and, especially, most younger people) in our country today “think Christians no longer represent what Jesus had in mind, that Christianity in our society is not what it was meant to be ...” (For more on this, see Kinnaman's book, unchristian.) So should it surprise us that church attendance is dropping?! 

Jesus calls us to repent and believe the gospel.  He calls us to turn from wrongdoing to rightdoing.  He calls us to not only read the gospel, but to live it!  These are words, not of judgment and condemnation, but words of promise and hope.   Imagine what our churches, what our nation, and what our world would be like if we all took these words to heart and lived them out! 

Disbelieving Didymus (04/04/08)

Warren Sentinel "Weekly Pulpit" (04/0408)

This past Sunday countless sermons focused on one of Jesus' disciples, a guy we frequently refer to as “Doubting Thomas”.   Such is this poor guy's reputation that even people who have never opened a Bible say things like, “Don't be such a Doubting Thomas!”  You can read the full account of Jesus' post resurrection appearance to Thomas and the other disciples in chapter 20 of the Gospel of John.

Here's my quick summary:  Thomas hadn't been with the other disciples when Jesus appeared to them following his resurrection.  When they told Thomas about Jesus' visit, he told them that he would not believe unless he saw Jesus' wounds and touched them for himself.  Seven days later, Jesus appeared once again to his disciples and when he did, he told Thomas to look at his wounded hands and to touch the wound on his side so that he would stop disbelieving and begin believing. The Bible doesn't tell us if Thomas actually did either of these things or whether he just immediately responded to Jesus' presence and words with his proclamation of faith, “My Lord and my God!”

You see, this story is not about doubt, but about transformation. Thomas was transformed from someone who didn't believe in the resurrection of Jesus to someone who proclaimed Jesus to be his “Lord and God.”  Disbelieving was transformed into believing. Although many of our English translations quote Jesus as saying “Stop doubting and believe”, a more accurate translation actually is “Stop unbelieving and believe.” It wasn't that Didymus was a “Doubting Thomas” it was that he didn't believe!

But this story also isn't primarily about Thomas.  By focusing on Thomas we risk taking our eyes off of the most important person in this story, Jesus.  Jesus was aware of Thomas' disbelief.  Jesus didn't chastise or punish Thomas for his disbelief.  Jesus didn't shun or reject Thomas for his disbelief.  And Jesus didn't mock or in any way belittle Thomas for his disbelief.  Instead, Jesus met Thomas right where he was at and gave him exactly what he needed to believe. And Thomas believed.

Those of us who join Thomas in declaring Jesus to be “our Lord and our God” have a wonderful opportunity to do as Jesus did when it comes to dealing with doubt and disbelief.  Like Jesus we have an opportunity to incarnate (flesh out) the Gospel so that those who doubt and disbelieve can see and touch it and be touched by it in meaningful ways.  In so doing, and by God's grace, their doubting and disbelieving may, like Thomas', be transformed into believing.

I encourage you seek out opportunities to live out the Gospel in very tangible, life-giving ways.  Talk to the pastor in your local church about opportunities to do this. Or visit the website of the Front Royal Warren County Ministerial Association (www.frwcma.org) for additional information about local organizations (such as C-CAP, House of Hope, and St. Luke's Clinic) who are actively serving our community.

Disciples Disciple or Disciple is a Verb (05/21/08)

Warren Sentinel "Weekly Pulpit" (05/21/08)

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. Matthew 28:19-20 (ESV)

Over the years I have had opportunities to worship in a wide range of churches. Some were very informal and everyone (including the pastor) wore shorts and t-shirts. Others were very formal and everyone dressed to the nines. In some an organist played hymns and at others there was a band that included electric guitars and drums. Some had sermons that lasted more than 45 minutes and some were finished in 15 minutes flat.

Here's the amazing thing: despite all their differences (and the ones I have listed are among the most superficial), each of these churches and the traditions and denominations they represent are part of the "body of Christ." And they all, despite their differences in doctrine and practice, gather on Sundays (or some other day of the week) to worship God.

This past Sunday (May 18^th) was observed by many churches as Trinity Sunday. On Trinity Sunday we are reminded that God isn't just an abstract notion of the Divine. God is not just a concept or just some supernatural power that we simply agree to refer to as "God." On the contrary, God is real and God is relational. Indeed, the doctrine of the Trinity reflects the understanding that God (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) exists in perfect community with God's self. And God desires to be in community with us too!

The verses above are part of what is often called the "Great Commission" and are often used to encourage missions and evangelism. Sadly, some of us were taught that these words were meant only for Jesus' earliest disciples or for a select few today who have the "gift of evangelism" or who have been "called" to be ministers or missionaries.

That's not how I understand these verses. One of the things that most Christians share is that we have been baptized (or plan to be baptized) in the "name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." Sure some of us were baptized as infants and some of us were baptized later in life and some of us were sprinkled and some of us were dunked. But we all are baptized in the same name.

And with these words Jesus commanded his disciples to disciple, baptize, and teach others to obey everything he commanded them. Did you catch that? Jesus' command was/is self-replicating: disciple, baptize, and teach others to disciple, baptize, and teach! Put quite simply, being a disciple of Jesus (a Christian) entails discipling, baptizing, and teaching others. And being a disciple entails remembering that Jesus will always be with us as we do this, even to the very end of the age!

The Shack: Where Tragedy Confronts Eternity (07/02/08)

Warren Sentinel "Weekly Pulpit" (07/02/08)

And Jesus said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment.” (Matthew 22:37-38 ESV) 

“What if God isn't easy to love?” This was one of the hardest questions I was asked this week by one of the kids in our Confirmation and Baptism Class as we considered the Ten Commandments and Jesus' summary of them in Matthew 22. 

Even kids can see that not all is right with the world. In fact, very little seems to be. We hear about wars, floods, earthquakes, famines, and murder when we watch the news or even glimpse newspaper headlines. We see gasoline and food prices rising and housing and stock prices falling. We hear of more and more people losing their jobs and homes. We see and experience broken relationships and marriages. We lose friends to accidents, disease, and depression. If God is so loving and if God wants to be so loved, why does God allow all this terrible stuff to happen? 

Theologians use the term “theodicy” or the phrase “the problem of Evil” to describe the issue that these questions address.  If God is all loving and all powerful and all knowing and ever present–if God is really in control– why does God permit such horrific suffering and injustice? Even a fifth grader is smart enough to ask such questions! And such questions usually only increase as we grow older. Are we just meant to suffer in this life only to cling to the hope that somehow everything will be made right in Heaven? 

A recent article in the June 9^th edition of the New Yorker, Holiday in Hellmouth, provides a less than hopeful response and concludes only with questions. In contrast,The Shack, written by William P. Young, offers one of the most hopeful responses I have ever read outside of the Gospel itself. The Shack is currently number 5 on Amazon's best seller list and with 680 reviews has received 4.5 stars from readers like you and me. It also has received some very negative reviews (with some calling it outright heresy). 

It certainly isn't a perfect book, and as any book written by a human author, may contain more than a few flaws. But Young communicates so much truth and hope through this allegorical story of loving God in the midst of overwhelming pain and suffering, that I think it is a “must read.” Like me, you may find it to be incredibly healing and hopeful. Before you do, you may want to take a look at some recent YouTube videos about it (pilgrimprog, brianjdixon, mhcseattle, and official700club), or google “The Shack” to read even more reviews.   But I urge you to read The Shack and to discuss it and maybe even share it with others.  I think you will find that it will do much to strengthen your understanding of, love for, and trust in God. 

In the Midst (08/28/2008)

Warren Sentinel "Weekly Pulpit" (08/28/2008) 

Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground.  And as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.” And once more he bent down and wrote on the ground.  John 8:6b-8 (ESV) 

These verses are found in one of the most contested, and yet one of the most beautiful and powerful, accounts in the entire Bible (John 7:53-8:11).  This passage is often referred to as “The Woman Caught in Adultery.”  

Theologians have long debated what Jesus might have written on the ground that day.  But the best they can do is speculate.  But more importantly than what he wrote may be the fact that he bent down to write. Not just once, but twice. 

Jesus had been teaching a crowd of people who had gathered in the temple courts.  Teachers of that day  generally sat down in the midst of the group they were teaching. And when the woman was dragged in, we read that she was placed “in the midst” of those gathered there. 

The scribes and the Pharisees had dragged this woman in hoping to trick Jesus into saying something that they could use against him.  They knew the Law of Moses well and they knew that Jesus knew it well.  And they thought they could use this situation to trap him. 

But Jesus knew their hearts and their minds and he did something absolutely astonishing.  He bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground.  Singer/songwriter Michael Card beautifully describes what Jesus did with the lines, “It was silence, it was music / It was art, it was absurd / He stooped and shouted volumes / Without saying a single word.” 

When Jesus bent down to write he was, I believe, acknowledging that he understood that it was he that they really sought to punish and not just this woman.  He was making it clear to them that he was willing to receive not only the words that they hurled at him, but the stones that could soon follow. 

Jesus was willing to die – to be stoned – right alongside this woman.  And so Jesus knelt down next to her, right there in the midst of the crowd, and was willing to die an undeserved death right then and there.  But the woman's accusers, now also Jesus' accusers, all immediately departed convicted of their own sinfulness by Jesus' words and actions. 

It is only when the accusers had left that Jesus stood back up.  Jesus, the Son of the Living God, was born into the midst of humanity.  And Jesus lived and died in our midst.  And as Jesus' disciples, I believe that we too are called to live (and even die) in the midst.  As disciples of Jesus we are called to live out the gospel – the good news of Jesus – in tangible, life changing ways right in the midst. 

Streaker Bees: Forgetting What is Behind, Straining Towards What is Ahead (10/08/08)

Warren Sentinel "Weekly Pulpit" (10/08/2008)

Have you ever wondered how a swarm of bees is able to navigate from its old nest site to its new nest site? Its a minor miracle that several thousand swarming insects can stick together as they fly from one site to another, with relatively few of them even knowing where they're going. This past week scientists announced that they had made an important discovery about how swarms of bees navigate from one nest site to another.

It turns out that there are bees described as "streaker bees." The streaker bees are scouts who have a very strong sense of where the swarm needs to go. They don't fly at the very front of the swarm leading the way. Instead, they streak through the top portion of the swarm in a straight line, pointing the way that the swarm should head. Once they reach the front of the swarm, they make their way to the back and streak through again and again. Although streaker bees represent less than 5% of the hive's population, the seemingly random swarm follows their lead.

It seems to me that we all need some streaker bees in our lives. We need positive examples of lives that are headed in the right direction that we can emulate. And if this is true of us as individuals, it is certainly true for our churches. Now all analogies break down and I don't want to put too much weight on how bees navigate as a swarm, but I do think some lessons can be learned from them.

This past week the Lectionary Epistle reading came from Philippians 3. In verses 13-14 the Apostle Paul writes, "Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."

The Apostle Paul explained something very relevant to many of our churches in this chapter and that is this: We need to forget what is behind and strain toward what is ahead. Sometimes we, as individuals and as churches, cherish our pasts more than our futures. This is particularly tempting in churches who have seen attendance and active involvement in the life of the church dwindle. It can be very tempting to long for the good old days of yesteryear.

But I believe that our best days are, in fact, ahead of us. Not our easiest days, but our best days. God isn't finished with us yet. He isn't finished transforming our lives and he isn't finished transforming our churches and our communities. Even though church attendance may be declining across our country, more people are actively seeking meaningful spirituality than ever before. Times of change and uncertainty tend to do this.

What our churches and our communities need are a few good streaker bees! We need people who are guided by prayer and the Word of God who are willing to "fly harder and straighter" to help us press on together.

Do Not Be Anxious About Anything ... Really (11/26/08)

Warren Sentinel "Weekly Pulpit" Article -- Published November 26, 2008

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-7)

How in the world can we not be anxious when there seems to be so much bad news every day? In fact, it seems like most days there's almost nothing but bad news.

Wall Street is tumbling and Main Street isn't far behind. U.S. automakers are on the brink of bankruptcy. Banks aren't lending, housing prices are plummeting, and there seems to be no end of foreclosures. Companies, big and small, are laying off more and more employees every day and the unemployment rate is rising. Sure, gasoline prices are half what they were just a few months ago, but other energy prices are barely budging and an increasing number of people are having difficulties heating their homes as winter quickly sets in.

I find myself avoiding newspapers, television, and even the radio. I've successfully put off opening my most recent retirement account statement for another few weeks knowing I wouldn't like what I'd see. In the midst of the mess that we find ourselves in, it is hard – seemingly impossible – not to be anxious.

We all know that "worrying gets you nowhere," but wouldn't you agree that it seems to be getting ever harder to NOT worry? The problem with worry and anxiety isn't just that they're unproductive, but that they can take a serious toll on you, body, mind, soul, and spirit.

Paul's words in Philippians remind us that we have a powerful alternative to worry and anxiety. In the midst of all the uncertainty that surrounds us, we can choose to pray and to cling to the hope and certainty that we have in God in and through Christ Jesus.

He doesn't promise that the economy will recover any time soon, or that stock prices will surge, or that our personal and national economic woes will be quickly resolved. Instead, Paul promises that if we bring our fears and concerns to God in prayer, that the peace of God will guard our hearts and minds. Paul is not advocating defeatism or inaction. Instead, he is calling on us to recognize our outright dependence on God, the sole Giver and Sustainer of life.

That being said, even as we bring our fears and needs before God, we must also recognize our dependence on one another. In the coming months, and possibly years, there will be no lack of opportunities for us to help one another. I strongly encourage you, dear reader, to pray for and to contribute in whatever way you can to the Salvation Army, C-CAP, St. Luke Community Clinic, Warren County Council on Domestic Violence, House of Hope, area food pantries, churches, and other organizations in our area that are on the front line of meeting the growing needs of our community.

A Prayer for Our (New) President (01/21/09)

The following is an article I wrote (I was limited to 500 words, which is really tough for me) for the Warren County Sentinel's "Weekly Pulpit."  It will be published on January 21, the day after Inauguration Day.

I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone— for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. 1 Timothy 2:1-2 (NIV)

I recently noticed a “Presidential Prayer Team” magnet displayed prominently on a friend's refrigerator. I later saw they also had a bumper sticker declaring they were a “Praying American.” Given what I knew about this person's political preferences, I wondered whether the magnet and bumper sticker would remain in place after Inauguration Day.

Followers of Jesus are called to be a praying people. In his words to Timothy, the Apostle Paul made it clear that we are to pray for “all those in authority.” Paul didn't instruct him to pray for “just those in authority with whom you agree” or “just those in authority who govern well.” Paul instructed him – and all, I believe who read these words – to pray for everyone in authority.

One of my prayers for our new president is that he be the Prayer-in-Chief. I believe it was Martin Luther who said, “If I don’t spend at least three hours in prayer daily, I would never get my work done.” Sadly, I far too often worry that if I spend more than three minutes praying each day that I won't get my work done.

In Abraham Lincoln – Man of God, John Wesley Hill recounts the following story told by a guest in the Lincoln White House.

“I spent three weeks in the White House with Mr. Lincoln as his guest. One night, it was just after the battle of Bull Run, I was restless and could not sleep. … The hour was past midnight; indeed it was getting near dawn, when I heard low tones proceeding from a private room near where the President slept. The door was partly open. I saw the President kneeling beside an open window. … For a moment I was silent, looking in amazement and wonder. Then he cried out in tones pleading and sorrowful: 'Oh, Thou God that heard Solomon in the night when he prayed for wisdom, hear me and save this nation.' [Then, the guest added]: I think from that time the clouds which had long lain threatening over the affairs of our Government began to roll away. The skies were brighter; the smile of heaven was upon our President; God heard his prayer and sent deliverance.”

Elton Trueblood, in Abraham Lincoln; Theologian of American Anguish, described President Lincoln's prayer life in the following way, “The evidence of Abraham Lincoln's own practice of personal prayer is so abundant that no thoughtful person can deny it. He prayed alone, and he called the nation to prayer; he prayed for guidance, and he prayed in gratitude; he prayed in defeat, and he prayed in victory.”

I pray that President Obama will emulate President Lincoln in this and many ways.

Credo: Reading List (Things I'm Reading as I Prepare)

Gonzalez, Justo L. The Apostles' Creed for Today. Louisville: John Knox Press, 2007.

Johnson, Luke Timothy. The Creed: What Christians Believe and Why it Matters. New York: Doubleday, 2003.

Marthaler, Berard. The Creed: The Apostolic Faith in Contemporary Theology. Mystic: Twenty-Third Publications, 2005.

McGrath, Alister. I Believe: Exploring the Apostles' Creed. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1997.

Packer, J.I. Affirming the Apostles' Creed. Wheaton: Crossway Books, 2008.

Pannenberg, Wolfhart. The Apostles' Creed: In Light of Today's Questions. Philadelphia: The Westminster Press, 1975.

Pelikan, Jaroslav. Credo: Historical and Theological Guide to Creeds and Confessions of Faith in the Christian Tradition. New Haven: Yale University Press, 2003.

Credo: Quid Tum? / I Believe: So What?

Rockland Community Church

During the first three months of 2009 we will take a closer look at the Apostles' Creed.  As an inter-denominational church we are composed of individuals from many different Christian backgrounds, traditions, and denominations.  Many of of us grew up reciting the Apostles' Creed or the Nicene Creed on a weekly basis.  But some of us grew up never hearing a creed ... let alone reciting one.

As a "Church of Christian Unity" can we find unity in the truths expressed in the Apostles' Creed?  What can we learn by actually studying the Creed?  Some of us have recited the Creed for years without ever asking ourselves whether we really believe or understand what it says.  Some of us even question the truth of certain phrases in the Creed.  And some of us are just plain uncomfortable with anything called a "Creed."  But can we together come to understand and affirm the Truths contained in the Creed even if we aren't comfortable affirming the Creed itself? 

We will go through the Creed, phrase by phrase, looking at the biblical and historical basis of each statement it affirms.  And, maybe even more importantly, each week we will ask the question, "So what?"  It's relatively easy to recite something that's only about 100 words long ... many of us probably even have it memorized.  And it's relatively easy to explain the basis for each phrase.  But it's much more challenging to come to grips with what the implications of espousing the truths contained in the Creed for our lives as individuals and as a church.

So you believe?  So what?

Yet another attempt

So it is 2009.  Each year I've attempted to become a blogger and each year I've failed.  Maybe this year will be different.  I'm not quite sure what I'll blog ... probably some personal stuff (things going on with the family, etc.) ... probably some ministry stuff (things going on with the church I pastor) ... and maybe even some philosophical/theological stuff (things going on in my mind as I try to make sense of life) ... we'll just have to see what unfolds.  Well, here's to hoping that I'll have better luck at blogging this time.  It seems like anyone who is someone these days is an active blogger ... and I really want to someday be somebody ... so maybe this will help me get somewhere sometime somehow.  (I once wrote a poem titled "Someday Somebody" ... but sadly I lost it.)  Here goes!