Living the Christian life involves approaching God through prayer, praise and worship. On this site, we can find different ways people have and can enter into his presence.
Here's a new devotion that I wrote. You can find a recording of this devotion at the bottom of the page.
Matthew 21:23-32
When he entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him as he was teaching, and said, "By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?" Jesus said to them, "I will also ask you one question; if you tell me the answer, then I will also tell you by what authority I do these things. Did the baptism of John come from heaven, or was it of human origin?" And they argued with one another, "If we say, 'From heaven,' he will say to us, 'Why then did you not believe him?' But if we say, 'Of human origin,' we are afraid of the crowd; for all regard John as a prophet." So they answered Jesus, "We do not know." And he said to them, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.
"What do you think? A man had two sons; he went to the first and said, 'Son, go and work in the vineyard today.' He answered, 'I will not'; but later he changed his mind and went. The father went to the second and said the same; and he answered, 'I go, sir'; but he did not go. Which of the two did the will of his father?" They said, "The first." Jesus said to them, "Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are going into the kingdom of God ahead of you. For John came to you in the way of righteousness and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him; and even after you saw it, you did not change your minds and believe him.
Words, Words, Words
In the musical My Fair Lady, after Freddy expresses his love with great eloquence and verbosity, Eliza Dolittle, the object of his affection, responds by saying, “Words, words, words; I’m so sick of words.” You see, rather than having him talk about what and how he feels, Eliza wants Freddy to show her and to show her now.
And I’ve got to tell you, I understand how Eliza feels. I mean, as I listen to our leaders, I’m tired of hearing about all the wonderful things that they’ve done and all the stuff the folks on the other side of the aisle have left undone. And as I listen to my brothers and sisters in Christ, I’m tired of hearing great expressions of faith and incredibly harsh judgments directed toward those who may disagree. And as I look at myself, I’m tired and frustrated that I spend a lot of time talking about what we should and shouldn’t be doing. You see, it’s all about using demeaning names and spiritual jargon and eloquent expressions but not about actually showing much compassion and understanding and love. I think we may have come to a point in our society where we talk a big game, but when it’s time to actually go and work in the vineyard, we’re remarkably still. And even though I believe the same one who loved the tax collectors and the prostitutes loves us, I just wonder whether Jesus Christ is also sick of our words, words, words.
A brief thought based on Psalm 138:8 - You, Lord, will always treat me with kindness. Your love never fails. You have made us what we are. Don't give up on us now!
On Monday, June 29, I officiated the wedding of Brian Fletcher and Johanna Coffield at their home in Weirton, West Virginia. If you're planning your wedding and need an officiant, please give me a call at 304-479-3402.
On Sunday, June 28, I officiated the rededication of Travis Amon and Marie Amon in Riverside Park, Marietta, Pennsylvania. If you're planning your wedding and need an officiant, please give me a call at 304-479-3402.
We can offer specific daily prayers for our community, nation and world. Between Monday, June 29 and Sunday, July 5, we'll lay before God the needs listed below.
Monday- That companies and unions in America would flourish with new creativity and practice honorable work ethics.
Tuesday - That workers be provided a safe workplace and paid a living wage.
Wednesday - That American textbooks would honor and reflect the godly heritage of our country and the contributions made by all the different groups within our country.
Thursday - That artists and entertainers avoid debauchery, pornography, perversion, and drunkenness in their craft.
Friday - That the racial, ethnic, religious, and political divisions within the United States be healed.
Saturday - That Americans reject the politics of division and hatred and join together as we work to solve the problems we face.
Below is the service I led at Cove Presbyterian Church on June 11, 2017. During the summer of 2017, I preached a series of sermons entitled "Living by the Spirit." Although God has called us and filled us with the Spirit, often our lives don’t actually reflect his presence. Of course, that doesn’t stop us from talking about it and claiming to understand how to get it and even judging whether or not others have got it. This we do often and well. What we’re not so good at doing is living it, in other words, living by the Holy Spirit. And that’s what we’re going to talk about this summer, how we might demonstrate the presence of God through our lives. Using Galatians 5:22-26, we’ll consider the following topics: ✙Those who live by the Spirit... ✙Those who live by the Spirit demonstrate love. ✙Those who live by the Spirit feel joy. ✙Those who live by the Spirit work for peace. ✙Those who live by the Spirit have patience. ✙Those who live by the Spirit show kindness. ✙Those who live by the Spirit practice generosity. ✙Those who live by the Spirit understand faithfulness. ✙Those who live by the Spirit exhibit gentleness. ✙Those who live by the Spirit have self-control.
As with all our services, worship is intended to be a free expression of our love for God and the joy we feel when we accept that love. Of course, there are many ways for us to express that love and joy.
We started the service with the announcements. As the Bible entered, we sang "This is the Day that the Lord Has Made.” Instrumental and vocal music are important to our worship. Songs give us the chance to praise God and to help focus our attention on the theme of the service. During the service, we have the opportunity to sing songs that reflect different musical styles. Since God has called into his church as individuals with a variety of tastes, this offers us the chance to display our sensitivity for our fellow worshipers and to grow in our knowledge of how we might praise God. Our first song was “Let There Be Peace on Earth.”
Our prayers represent our communication with God. Of course, as Paul wrote, the Holy Spirit “...intercedes for us with groans too deep for words”; therefore, God already knows our needs. Still it’s important that we put them into words, as well as the regret we feel for our sins and our thanks for all God has done for us.
During the Our Congregational Prayer, we confessed our sins and hear the assurance that we're forgiven. We also lifted our concerns and needs to God. We closed this prayer with The Lord’s Prayer. After we collected the offering, we praised and thanked God for his presence in our church and within our lives. During the offering, the choir sang “My Country Tis Of Thee.”
God’s word is at the core of the worship service. It’s often reflected in the songs we sing and the prayers we pray. But it’s most clearly present when we read a passage from the Bible, and it’s applied to our daily living in the sermon.
This morning, the messages in this series, Living by the Spirit, are based on Galatians 5:16-26:
Live by the Spirit, I say, and do not gratify the desires of the flesh. For what the flesh desires is opposed to the Spirit, and what the Spirit desires is opposed to the flesh; for these are opposed to each other, to prevent you from doing what you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not subject to the law. Now the works of the flesh are obvious: fornication, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, anger, quarrels, dissensions, factions, envy, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these. I am warning you, as I warned you before: those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also be guided by the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, competing against one another, envying one another.
The title of the sermon is “The Eagle on the U.S. Presidential Seal.”
Our service ended with the congregation singing "America, the Beautiful." Below is the podcast of the service.
I want to thank the following persons who were involved in the service:
Choir Director: Ray Seifert Organist: Janice Torrance Bell Choir Director: Sue Willson Video Technician: Peggy Baldt
During the summer of 2017, I preached a series of sermons entitled "Living by the Spirit." Although God has called us and filled us with the Spirit, often our lives don’t actually reflect his presence. Of course, that doesn’t stop us from talking about it and claiming to understand how to get it and even judging whether or not others have got it. This we do often and well. What we’re not so good at doing is living it, in other words, living by the Holy Spirit. And that’s what we’re going to talk about this summer, how we might demonstrate the presence of God through our lives. Using Galatians 5:22-26, we’ll consider the following topics: ✙Those who live by the Spirit... ✙Those who live by the Spirit demonstrate love. ✙Those who live by the Spirit feel joy. ✙Those who live by the Spirit work for peace. ✙Those who live by the Spirit have patience. ✙Those who live by the Spirit show kindness. ✙Those who live by the Spirit practice generosity. ✙Those who live by the Spirit understand faithfulness. ✙Those who live by the Spirit exhibit gentleness. ✙Those who live by the Spirit have self-control. Below is a copy of the fourth message in this series sermon. Well, here we are on week four of a summer series that uses what Paul wrote to the Galatians to understand how we might better live by the Holy Spirit. And I thought, given the fact that we’re on the edge of Independence Day, I thought some symbol of America would be right for the bulletin cover. But the reason I picked this one, well, I’ll get to that in a minute. Now, like I said, this is the fourth message in this series; therefore, before getting into anything new, I think it’s a good idea to touch base with where we’ve been. For example, in the first week, we looked at what we shouldn’t be doing, something Paul called the desires of the flesh. And then in week two, we talked about how love is both a decision and an obligation. And last week, we considered how joy is grounded in faith, strengthens the suffering, and is shared among Christians. Now, in a nutshell, that’s where we’ve been.
And this morning, we’re going to look at the third fruit of the Spirit, namely peace. And as I was thinking about how to introduce this on the Sunday before the Fourth, I thought about something I heard a couple of years ago about the eagle on the presidential seal. Now I don’t remember where I heard it, but it had to do with how the direction the eagle faces changes when the country goes to war. You see, when everything is peaceful, the eagle faces the olive branch, a universal symbol of peace. Now this means it looks in the same direction as the eagle on the Great Seal of the United States. But when the country is at war, the eagle on the presidential seal turns and faces the arrows. Of course, this only happens during times of conflict, at least, that’s what I heard. And as I thought about it, I think that’s sort of how we see peace, and I don’t care what kind of peace about which you’re talking. I mean, when things are calm and serene and tranquil, then we can focus our attention on the olive branch and the dove and that groovy symbol from the ‘60s, and I’m not talking about my birthday. Now that’s the direction we face, and we think about all the things that are possible when everything is chill. But of course, that’s only one side of the coin. When things are all stirred up and there’s a lot of anger and hostility in the room and we’ve read tweets calling us psychos or dumb as rocks or having a bleeding facelift (which I’ve got to tell you, I know is an insult but I really don’t understand), my gosh, when that kind of thing happens, well, war has been declared and it’s all hands on deck and I’ve just got to tweet something about how Cheerios are made for small hands. (As a country, I think we’re in real big trouble.) You see, when this kind of stuff happens, the head of the eagle has turned and peace just isn’t an option anymore. Now that sure seems to be the way it is in our world. I mean, peace may be fine, but sometimes you’ve got to knock a few heads together. Of course, that’s what our world, you know, our society tells us, but that just doesn’t seem to be the case in the Bible, certainly not in the way Paul used the word “peace” in his letters. I mean, not only did he offer it without an asterisk or qualification in his list of spiritual fruits, he wrote that peace must be a part of Christian living, you know, life in the Spirit. And I’ll tell you, when we look at what he had to say, he described three areas in which we might need to work a little peace into our character.
For example, first, for Paul, God has called us to live in peace with ourselves, and I’m talking about within ourselves as followers of Jesus Christ. You see, for him, peace just seems to be the way it’s supposed to be, you know, the normal state of things. And I think that’s what he was suggesting when he wrote this to Corinthians, and in this passage, he was talking about how worship shouldn’t be a free-for-all. He wrote, “Let only one person speak at a time, then all of you will learn something and be encouraged. A prophet should be willing to stop and let someone else speak. God wants everything to be done peacefully and in order.” [1 Corinthians 14:31-33a] You see, God is a God of peace, not confusion and chaos. And for people, as they look into their own lives, that should be even more clear for those of us who believe, you know, who trust in Christ. I’ll tell you, for Paul, knowing that we’ll be saved through Jesus should offer an inner peace that we didn’t have before we decided to believe him. For instance, just listen to what he wrote to the Philippians: “Finally, my friends, keep your minds on whatever is true, pure, right, holy, friendly, and proper. Don’t ever stop thinking about what is truly worthwhile and worthy of praise. You know the teachings I gave you, and you know what you heard me say and saw me do. So follow my example. And God, who gives peace, will be with you.” [Philippians 4:8-9] And to the Colossians, he wrote, “Each one of you is part of the body of Christ, and you were chosen to live together in peace. So let the peace that comes from Christ control your thoughts. And be grateful. Let the message about Christ completely fill your lives, while you use all your wisdom to teach and instruct each other. With thankful hearts, sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God. Whatever you say or do should be done in the name of the Lord Jesus, as you give thanks to God the Father because of him.” [Colossians 3:15-17] You see, for Paul, it’s God’s intention that we know peace, and I’ll tell you, this is really no different from what Luke wrote that the heavenly host said after the birth of Christ was announced to the shepherds: “Suddenly many other angels came down from heaven and joined in praising God. They said: ‘Praise God in heaven! Peace on earth to everyone who pleases God.’” [Luke 14:13-14] That we experience an inner peace, an inner serenity, an inner tranquility, that’s the will of God. And I’ll tell you, I think that’s really good news for us, and I’ll tell you why. There’s a whole lot of stuff that’s happening in our world and in our country, in our community and in our congregation, my gosh, in our families and in our own lives that causes us to feel anything but peaceful. I’ll tell you, I think we run into all kinds of things that keep us stirred up all the time. And yet, when we tap into that spirit of peace that God has planted within our lives and when we consider that not only are we in his hands but that entire creation is under his control, I believe all that will calm us down a little bit. But more than that, it can keep us focused on how we might better conform ourselves to his will and his work. You see, God has created us to be at peace with ourselves. And that’s the first area of peace we can know.
And second, I think God has also called us to live in peace with himself. In other words, we’ve been given the ability and opportunity to live in a state of serenity and tranquility with God. And I believe that’s what Paul was driving at when he wrote this to the Ephesians: “Christ has made peace between Jews and Gentiles, and he has united us by breaking down the wall of hatred that separated us. Christ gave his own body to destroy the Law of Moses with all its rules and commands. He even brought Jews and Gentiles together as though we were only one person, when he united us in peace. On the cross Christ did away with our hatred for each other. He also made peace between us and God by uniting Jews and Gentiles in one body. Christ came and preached peace to you Gentiles, who were far from God, and peace to us Jews, who were near God. And because of Christ, all of us can come to the Father by the same Spirit.” [Ephesians 2:14-17] You see, for Paul, it was the Law that caused all kinds of trouble, you know, separating Jews from Gentiles and people from God. Now that’s the way it was, but when Jesus died on the cross, he abolished the weight and power of the Law. And without the Law telling us what to do and separating those who do from those who don’t, now we can have peace not only with one another but also with God. Living is not longer about dotting “i”s and crossing “t”s. It’s about living within the love and mercy and grace of our heavenly Father. It’s like he wrote to the Romans: “By faith we have been made acceptable to God. And now, because of our Lord Jesus Christ, we live at peace with God. ...Christ died for us at a time when we were helpless and sinful. No one is really willing to die for an honest person, though someone might be willing to die for a truly good person. But God showed how much he loved us by having Christ die for us, even though we were sinful. But there is more! Now that God has accepted us because Christ sacrificed his life’s blood, we will also be kept safe from God’s anger. Even when we were God’s enemies, he made peace with us, because his Son died for us. Yet something even greater than friendship is ours. Now that we are at peace with God, we will be saved by his Son’s life. And in addition to everything else, we are happy because God sent our Lord Jesus Christ to make peace with us.” [Romans 5:9-11] You see, it’s also God’s will that we live in peace with him. And I’ve got to tell you, that’s another message I think we really need to hear, because a lot of very sincere and dedicated Christians seem to believe that peace with God has to be earned and deserved. And so they buy into a lot of rules and regulations, in other words a new Law, to make themselves right and acceptable. You see, that becomes both their focus and their fear. But when we accept that peace with God is his gift to us and whether we accept it or not affects us but not him nor his relationship with us, all of a sudden a lot of the pressure eases, and we can enter the world with a new sense of confidence and hope. Why? Because God has already given us the ability to live in peace with him. And that’s the second area of peace we can know.
And third, God has most definitely made us to live in peace with one another. In other words, regardless of what we think or feel, there’s no spiritual reason for us to feel hostility toward others, much less animus and hatred. And I think that was a point Paul wanted the Christians in Rome to understand. You see, back in the day, the church was splitting over an issue that the Roman believers thought was really important. Some members thought Christians should only eat vegetables and others disagreed. Now I know that may sound like small potatoes to us, but it was a big deal in the Roman church. In fact, for them just as big, as all the mess that continues to divide the modern church. And these Christians began doing what Christians have always done. They started fighting and scrapping and calling one another names, and so Paul wrote: “We must stop judging others. We must also make up our minds not to upset anyone’s faith. The Lord Jesus has made it clear to me that God considers all foods fit to eat. But if you think some foods are unfit to eat, then for you they are not fit. If you are hurting others by the foods you eat, you are not guided by love. Don’t let your appetite destroy someone Christ died for. Don’t let your right to eat bring shame to Christ. God’s kingdom isn’t about eating and drinking. It is about pleasing God, about living in peace, and about true happiness. All this comes from the Holy Spirit. If you serve Christ in this way, you will please God and be respected by people. We should try to live at peace and help each other have a strong faith.” [Romans 14:15-19] And he wrote to the Ephesians, “Always be humble and gentle. Patiently put up with each other and love each other. Try your best to let God’s Spirit keep your hearts united. Do this by living at peace. All of you are part of the same body. There is only one Spirit of God, just as you were given one hope when you were chosen to be God’s people.” [Ephesians 4:2-4] And remember, the peace we have from God abolished the hostility that existed between Jews and Gentiles. God wants us to live in peace with others. And again, that’s something we need to remember, especially today. Now, I don’t know about y’all, but I can’t remember a time when there was so much hostility and hatred within our country, and I think it’s filtering into the rest of our society. I guess in a nutshell, we really don’t treat one another very well. And we assume that we don’t need to listen to people who say things different from what we already believe; they’re all liars and fakes. And regardless of the issue, every disagreement should be seen as a personal attack. And in keeping with the result of these assumptions, we blame them, not ourselves, but them for the hostility that surrounds us. No wonder that, beyond name-calling, nothing constructive gets done. But of course, regardless of who’s at fault, the hostility and the hatred, the divisions and the conflict, man, they’re all contrary to God’s will for his children. And it’s up to us, as Christians saved by grace, to recognize that through God those walls we use to divide have been abolished. And with that clearly in mind, we need to do what’s necessary to come together in an atmosphere of trust and then to roll up our sleeves and do the work God has given us to do. I’ll tell you, even though it may demand that we smash some of our own idols, God intends that we live in peace with one another. And that’s the third area of peace we can know. And I’m going to tell you, that’s actually in keeping with the eagle on the presidential seal. You see, even though Woodrow Wilson had the head turned toward the arrows in 1916, since 1945 it’s pointed in the same direction. And when President Truman issued the executive order that permanently turned the eagle’s head, he said, “This new flag faces the eagle toward the staff, which is looking to the front all the time when you are on the march, and also has him looking at the olive branch for peace, instead of the arrows for war...” In other words, President Truman wanted the eagle’s gaze to be seen as symbolic of a nation both on the march and dedicated to peace. And so it’s been for over 70 years. And I’ll tell you, that also applies to us. You see, as we move forward as Christians living by the Spirit, God has called us to live in peace with ourselves and with him and with others. And brother and sisters, that’s true regardless of the eagle on the Presidential Seal.
Here's a new devotion that I wrote. You can find a recording of this devotion at the bottom of the page. Romans 6:1-11
What then are we to say? Should we continue in sin in order that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin go on living in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? Therefore we have been buried with him by baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.
For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. We know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be destroyed, and we might no longer be enslaved to sin. For whoever has died is freed from sin. But if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. The death he died, he died to sin, once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.
Plaid and Sin
Back in the early ‘80s, Steve Martin starred in a movie call, Dead Men Don’t Wear Plaid. It was a comedy tribute to all the film noir movies of the ‘40s and ‘50s. But I’ll tell you, it’s the basic assertion in the title that I find fascinating. And when you think about it, I guess it’s true; dead men don’t generally wear plaid. You see, even if they did, they probably left that aspect of life behind when they left this mortal toil.
But I’ll tell you, if we believe what Paul wrote to the Romans, there’s something else that dead men don’t do. You see, they don’t sin. In other words, dead men and women don’t run around sinning anymore. I guess you could say their sinning days are over. As a matter of fact, death may actually be seen as the way sin’s power is broken. And for Paul, that’s what makes the death of Jesus so important. You see, when he died on the cross, we died too. We were baptized into his death; therefore, with respect to sin, we are like dead men walking. And it’s power over us has been broken. Put another way, we’re no longer enslaved to sin; we are now free, free to live for God. Of course, that freedom means nothing unless we decide to use it, something we can do when we make the decision to love others rather than self.
by William P. Brown, William Marcellus McPheeters Professor of Old Testament, Columbia Theological Seminary
In the rush to reopen the economy, epidemiologists are warning of a second wave of the COVID19 infections that may be more severe.
Time will tell.
Meanwhile, angry white protesters, preferring guns over facemasks, have been expressing their outrage over constraints on their individual freedom of movement.
As I look at pictures of such protests, I’m half expecting to see a sign that reads: “You will not fear the pestilence that stalks in darkness or the destruction that wastes at noonday.” Or “A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you.”
Perhaps these Bible verses from Psalm 91 contain too many words for a single sign.
But my guess is that many Christians caught up in these protests regard Psalm 91 as the biblical license to forego all social restrictions and venture out with care-free confidence like “warriors.” Psalm 91 seems to guarantee protection from all “pestilence” and “plague” (vv. 6, 10) and any other kind of danger: “For [God] will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways.
On their hands they will bear you up so that you will not dash your foot against a stone” (vv. 11-12) and, one could perhaps add, “get COVID-toes.”
However, such protection does not come automatically.
Refuge
“Refuge,” according to the psalm, is for those who “love” God and “trust” in God (vv. 2b, 14a).
It is for those who have “made the LORD [their] refuge” (v. 9a), an act of fidelity that acknowledges God alone, rather than wealth or power (Ps 52:7), as the true source of one’s refuge.
In the Psalms, “refuge” in God is the opposite of idolatry.
One wonders whether the rush to ease social restrictions is more an idolatrous testimony to American individualism (“Live free or die!”) than a commitment to the country’s well-being.
In the face of COVID-19, “live free and die” is the greater possibility.
Reading Psalm 91 through the lens of American rugged individualism is a recipe for disaster.
Instead, let’s read Psalm 91 through the lens of the New Testament.
In the wilderness, Satan invites Jesus to throw himself from the top of the temple by quoting Psalm 91:11-12.
Jesus flatly refuses, citing Deuteronomy 6:16. “Do not put the Lord your God to the test” (Matt 4:7).
The Deuteronomic text adds, “as you tested [the LORD] at Massah.”
“Massah” (Hebrew for “Test”) was a place in the wilderness where the people complained and tested God, questioning whether God was “among” them and yearning to return to Egypt (Exod 17:2-7).
In biblical tradition, the wilderness was a place that was particularly prone to plagues.
Today, we know that pandemics typically begin when wildlife is disturbed by human encroachment. COVID-19 is no exception.
Lessons
For the wandering Israelites, there were many lessons to be learned in the wilderness.
Foremost was patience.
After Moses informed the people that they would have to remain in the wilderness for an extended period of time, the people decided in their grief to take some of the promised land right then and there, despite warnings to the contrary.
They tried, they failed, and they were decimated (Num 14:39-45).
They could not wait and paid for their impatience (cf. Ps 106:13).
Another lesson from the wilderness was: Take only what you need (Exod 16:16-21).
No hoarding.
This admonition applied to manna then and today applies to . . . (fill in the blank).
There is also the enigmatic story of the poisonous serpents that attacked the people because they “became impatient on the way” (Num 21:4).
Moses made a bronze serpent (nĕḥaš nĕḥōšet) and mounted it upon a pole for everyone to look at and thereby live (v. 9).
That image of a serpent on a pole, not coincidentally, prefigures the “Rod of Asclepius,” the Greek god of healing and medicine, widely used today as a symbol of the medical profession.
The lesson?
Follow the science to determine how to be safe. (OK, I admit that was a hermeneutical stretch).
Perhaps the most important lesson from the wilderness for the church is this: Be creative.
In this COVID wilderness, church leaders are hard-pressed to sustain the “ties that bind” their communities together, calling forth new forms of leadership and technology.
Is it any wonder that the greatest “technological” achievement in the Bible occurs in the wilderness?
The tabernacle, the means by which a people found a way to remain connected to God amid their wanderings, required the best artistic minds and the full support of the people (Exod 31:2-5; 36:1-7).
The tabernacle was a community project in which Israel and God found a way to sustain their communion in the wilderness.
In our COVID wilderness, God is finding ways to be present in our virtual gatherings.
The results have been surprising.
Online worship has become decentralized and more creative; our homes have become our new sanctuaries.
I suspect that certain developments in our evolving, adaptive ministries will be sorely missed once it is truly safe to refill our empty buildings and campuses.
Case in point: with inspired teamwork and creativity, Columbia Theological Seminary hosted a commencement this year unlike any other, one that could never be replicated in any physically gathered way. Rather than feeling cheated by COVID-19, our graduating students felt unexpectedly moved and blessed in ways not possible in a traditional setting.
Creativity only comes by trial and error.
We must be patient also with ourselves as we improvise and experiment our way through this wilderness.
Let this liminal time be the occasion to cultivate new ways of ministry without succumbing to nostalgia.
The Israelites never went back to Egypt, despite their yearnings to do so.
God made sure of that.
Through the wilderness of pain and promise, the people discovered new ways of being in community while traveling together, yes, for a very long time.
Being a “refuge” for refugees in the wilderness, both then and now, begins with loving God, just as the psalmist says.
On Wednesday, June 24, I officiated the wedding of Bradley Dorsey and Adele Haynes on Riverside Drive, Ellwood City, Pennsylvania. If you're planning your wedding and need an officiant, please give me a call at 304-479-3402.
Here's a new devotion that I wrote. You can find a recording of this devotion at the bottom of the page. Matthew 20:20-28
The mother of the sons of Zebedee came to him with her sons, and kneeling before him, she asked a favor of him. And he said to her, "What do you want?" She said to him, "Declare that these two sons of mine will sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your kingdom." But Jesus answered, "You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink?" They said to him, "We are able." He said to them, "You will indeed drink my cup, but to sit at my right hand and at my left, this is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father."
When the ten heard it, they were angry with the two brothers. But Jesus called them to him and said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones are tyrants over them. It will not be so among you; but whoever wishes to be great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be your slave; just as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many."
Reclaiming Humility
Since the beginning of Christianity, humility has been considered a virtue. Jesus called the meek blessed, and Paul listed it among the fruits given by the Holy Spirit. As a matter of fact, the heros of the faith were those who were able to recognize that, regardless of their accomplishments, they were still sinners redeemed by Christ. You see, a follower of Jesus was just that, a follower. And as such, that disciple was ready to serve, not be served. And so, it just made sense that, for almost 2,000 years, modesty and humility was valued by Christians.
But sadly, that’s changed. Now many believers seem to revel in arrogance and offer esteem and even respect to the proud. Personal modesty has been swapped for an attitude that’s brash and crude. And self-sacrificial service has been replaced by self-centered aggrandizement. In other words, a lot of Christians have accepted an very unchristlike attitude and applied it to those whom they choose to follow. And as a result, humility has gotten lost in the shuffle.
Still, that doesn’t have to be case, because we can restore the teachings of Christ and recognize the importance of modesty. And we can do it by opening our Bibles and by reading and applying passages like the one we just considered, scripture that reminds us that pride and arrogance were shown by those who opposed Jesus, not those who followed. And if enough of us choose to do that, we just might see our church and society begin to change as we reclaim humility.
On Monday, June 22, I officiated the wedding of Gregory W. McCain and Shipwa Mwale at a riverside park in Charleroi, Pennsylvania. If you're planning your wedding and need an officiant, please give me a call at 304-479-3402.
Here's the podcast of the worship service I led in the First Presbyterian Church of Mingo Junction, Ohio on Sunday, June 21, 2020. Although there were a few people in the sanctuary, this service was streamed online.
Here's the message I offered during the celebration service in the First Presbyterian Church of Mingo Junction, Ohio on Sunday, June 21.
Since it’s Father’s Day, I started the service with a Dad joke. Now just in case you don’t know what that is, let me tell you. It’s a sophisticated, insightful, extremely funny observation that’s loved and appreciated by everyone, except for one small group: those who aren’t fathers. In a nutshell, that’s a Dad Joke, and I’ve got to tell you, I love them. In fact, every morning, at around 6:00, as I’m walking our little dog, I leave A Joke from Dad on Instagram.
And you know, as I’ve explored the genera, I’ve found that some of the best ones focus on a person giving some good news and some bad news. For example, a doctor says to his patient, “I’ve got good news and bad news.” The patient says, “What’s the bad news?” The doctor says, “Because of your condition you’ll have to live on a very strict diet. No chocolate or sweets, no fried stuff, no coffee, no meat, no bread, no fruits, no vegetables, no salt, no spices, no milk and no milk products. In fact, you can eat only unflavored rice cakes. And you’ll have to keep this diet for the rest of your life.” After hearing this, the patient says, “That’s awful! What’s the good news?” And the doctor says, “Because of your condition, you’ll only need to do it for about a month.” Pretty good, right? And how about this, a dad comes up to his son and says, “Son, I’ve got good news and bad news. The good news is that I just found a present I forgot to give you last Christmas. The bad is that it was a puppy.” Now that’s the kind of joke I’m talking about, and I’ll tell you, what makes them funny is that you have news that’s both good and bad. The two kind of go together.
But you know, I think this good and bad going together is something a lot of folks sort of miss when they think about the Christian life and specifically being a disciple. You see, it seems to me that a whole bunch of believers fall into two groups. They either focus on stuff that’s almost all good, or they dwell on stuff that’s almost all bad. Let me explain.
For example, I think you could call a lot of Christians super optimistic about following Jesus. In other words, they seem to assume that once you believe in Christ, your life right now immediately becomes great. Now I think we see this perspective in a lot of Christian-themed movies and hear it in virtually every testimony. See if this rings any bells. A guy says, “Before I became a Christian my life was horrible. I was stuck in a dead-end job. My marriage was on the rocks. And my kids were running amuck. But since I accepted Jesus, I got a promotion, my marriage is great and my kids appreciate all my Dad Jokes.” Do you see what I mean? After coming to Christ, life is all good, right? That is, until all of a sudden it’s not, because as we’ve all learned from COVID-19, the coronavirus doesn’t care if you’re a Christian or not, and let’s get real, neither do disasters and depression and death. As they say, into every life a little rain must fall. And because of that, the reality of living can really blind-side you, if all you expect are rainbows and flowers. You see, life in the world we’ve got and not the world we want can offer a pretty rude awakening for those super optimistic believers. Now that’s one group.
But I’ll tell you, I think there are just as many, if not more Christians on the other end of the spectrum, you know what I mean, folks who seem hyper-pessimistic. For example, they’re the ones who’ll tell you in a heart beat how bad the world is right now and how worse it’s getting each and every day. In fact, it’s gotten so bad, that any day now, Jesus is going to return and God’s going to tear the whole mess down. You see, for them, we are now in the last days. And while we wait for the end, maybe the best thing we can do is sort of hunker down and read the signs and leave our bunkers only to point out another reason why our world is going to Hell in a handbasket. Now that’s what they expect and so that’s what they look for. And as a guy told me years ago, a pessimist is never disappointed. And neither are they. And so there you have it, some disciples of Jesus Christ who expect only the good while others who expect only the bad.
But you know, I don’t think that’s how Jesus saw it at all. As a matter of fact, in the passage we’re going to talk about this morning, I believe he’s very realist about what his followers should expect out there in the world. In fact, in what he said, there was a remarkable balance of the good and the bad. And I’ll tell you, I think this is something we need to remember, as we go about living our lives. And like I said, it’s something we can find right here in the tenth chapter of Matthew.
But before we look at what he actually said, I believe it’s important to understand that, in this part of the gospel, Jesus was talking to the Twelve Apostles right before he sent them out to “...announce that the kingdom of heaven will soon be here” and to “heal the sick, raise the dead to life, heal people who have leprosy, and force out demons.” [Matthew 10:7b-8a, CEV] Now that was going to be their job. And to prepare them for doing it, Jesus was extremely honest and open about what they should expect, both the bad and the good. And you know, when we listen and accept that this applies to us too, I think it can shape both the assumptions that we carry and the work that we do. Let me show you what I’m talking about.
For example, when he told his disciples what they should expect as they were doing their job, man, Jesus described a pretty harsh world. Just listen to what Jesus said: “I am sending you like lambs into a pack of wolves. So be as wise as snakes and as innocent as doves. Watch out for people who will take you to court and have you beaten in their meeting places. Because of me, you will be dragged before rulers and kings to tell them and the Gentiles about your faith. But when someone arrests you, don’t worry about what you will say or how you will say it. At that time you will be given the words to say. But you will not really be the one speaking. The Spirit from your Father will tell you what to say. Brothers and sisters will betray one another and have each other put to death. Parents will betray their own children, and children will turn against their parents and have them killed. Everyone will hate you because of me. But if you remain faithful until the end, you will be saved. When people mistreat you in one town, hurry to another one. I promise you that before you have gone to all the towns of Israel, the Son of Man will come. Disciples are not better than their teacher, and slaves are not better than their master. It is enough for disciples to be like their teacher and for slaves to be like their master. If people call the head of the family Satan, what will they say about the rest of the family?” [Matthew 10:16-25, CEV] Now that’s what he said.
And given this, I think you’d have to delusional to assume that, as the camp song says, a disciple can expect to be “inright, outright, upright, downright, happy all the time.” No, sir, Jesus knew that wasn’t going to happen, not in the world 2,000 years ago, and trust me, it’s not going to happen today either. Some things just don’t change. And so, if we want do the work we’ve been called to do, and I’m talking about announcing through the words we say but more importantly, through the lives we live in this real world, we really need to be realistic about what we face. In other words, we may need to take off the rose colored glasses and recognize that it’s no longer valid to take a “Field of Dreams” kind of approach to doing ministry, “if we build it, they will come.” Instead, we may need to toughen ourselves up, something I think the Apostle Paul was talking about when he wrote this to the Ephesians: “Be ready! Let the truth be like a belt around your waist, and let God’s justice protect you like armor. Your desire to tell the good news about peace should be like shoes on your feet. Let your faith be like a shield, and you will be able to stop all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Let God’s saving power be like a helmet, and for a sword use God’s message that comes from the Spirit.” [Ephesians 6:14-17, CEV] You see, since the world on the other side of the stained glass is a challenging, maybe even a hostile place, we need to be tough. We also need to be clear and intentional about the message we’re sharing, even if that means learning a language which the folks out there can understand and speaking to issues with which they can identify. Man, we can’t assume they’re going to come to us; we need to go to them. And when we do, not everybody is going to accept us or our message. In other words, we’re going to need a thick skin. As Jesus said a little bit later in chapter ten, “Don’t think that I came to bring peace to the earth! I came to bring trouble, not peace. I came to turn sons against their fathers, daughters against their mothers, and daughters-in-law against their mothers-in-law. Your worst enemies will be in your own family. If you love your father or mother or even your sons and daughters more than me, you are not fit to be my disciples. And unless you are willing to take up your cross and come with me, you are not fit to be my disciples. If you try to save your life, you will lose it. But if you give it up for me, you will surely find it.” [Matthew 10:34-39, CEV] I’m telling you, Jesus didn’t hold any punches in describing the harsh reality of our world. And since that’s the only world we’ve got, that’s bad news for anybody expecting painless discipleship. And you know, if that was it, I mean, if that was all Jesus said, I believe we’ve got every reason to become card-carrying pessimists.
But of course, that’s not all there is, not in what Jesus said to his disciples and not in what he promises to us. I mean, right after telling them to be “wise as snakes and as innocent as doves” and right before saying that he “came to bring trouble, not peace,” this was what Jesus said: “Don’t be afraid of anyone! Everything that is hidden will be found out, and every secret will be known. Whatever I say to you in the dark, you must tell in the light. And you must announce from the housetops whatever I have whispered to you. Don’t be afraid of people. They can kill you, but they cannot harm your soul. Instead, you should fear God who can destroy both your body and your soul in hell. Aren’t two sparrows sold for only a penny? But your Father knows when any one of them falls to the ground. Even the hairs on your head are counted. So don’t be afraid! You are worth much more than many sparrows. If you tell others that you belong to me, I will tell my Father in heaven that you are my followers. But if you reject me, I will tell my Father in heaven that you don’t belong to me.” [Matthew 10:26-33, CEV] Now that’s something else he said.
And I’ll tell you why that’s important, at least to me. Just like we need to be realistic about the world we have, we also need to be clear about the nature of the God we serve. You see, regardless of how bad things appear to be, we never need to worry. Why? Because God is always with us and he’s going to empower us to do the work we’ve been called to do. You know, it’s just like Jesus said in his very last words he said to the disciples: “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth! Go to the people of all nations and make them my disciples. Baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and teach them to do everything I have told you. I will be with you always, even until the end of the world.” [Matthew 28:18b-20, CEV] I’m telling you, he came to be Emmanuel, God with us, and that’s exactly who he was and who he is right now. And for that reason, we can step forward with confidence but not because it’s going to be easy, rather because we’re not doing it alone. In fact, it’s like Paul wrote to the Romans, “What can we say about all this? If God is on our side, can anyone be against us? God did not keep back his own Son, but he gave him for us. If God did this, won’t he freely give us everything else? ...In everything we have won more than a victory because of Christ who loves us. I am sure that nothing can separate us from God’s love—not life or death, not angels or spirits, not the present or the future, and not powers above or powers below. Nothing in all creation can separate us from God’s love for us in Christ Jesus our Lord!” [Romans 8:31-32, 37-39, CEV] I’ll tell you, this is the one we follow. And because of that, this isn’t just good news; it’s the Good News.
A little while ago, I started this message with a “good news, bad news” Dad Joke. And remember, we said that one of reasons these jokes are funny is that both the good and the bad are mentioned. And I’ll tell you, I think the same is true of our lives as Christian disciples. You see, even though a lot of believers tend to be either super-optimistic or hyper-pessimistic, neither reflects what Jesus taught his apostles right before he sent them out. And brothers and sisters, it’s not what he says to us either. You see, he warns us about the harsh reality of the only world that we’ve got but he also tells us about the loving nature of the God whom we serve. In other words, in presenting what we can expect as disciples of Christ, Jesus was honest about both the good news and the bad news. And as we go about sharing and living the gospel, that my friends is no joke.
In the musical My Fair Lady, after Freddy expresses his love with great eloquence and verbosity, Eliza Dolittle, the object of his affection, responds by saying, “Words, words, words; I’m so sick of words.” You see, rather than having him talk about what and how he feels, Eliza wants Freddy to show her and to show her now.
