I was listening to one of the excellent "Table Talk" podcasts from Theology Network this evening. (Yes, this is one of the things I do for fun, and it helps pass time while I'm cleaning the basement.) The subject was "Christianity and World Religions" with Dr. Dan Strange. In the course of the study, Dr. Strange talked about his view that world religions devolved from the high monotheism of Judaism and its antecedents. I am also a partisan of that viewpoint, so I found his discussion quite intriguing. (Perhaps someday I'll devote a post to some of the arguments for that position. Until then, I recommend going to the Theology Network and listening to "Table Talk 18." There's a link to TN on my list.)
Dr. Strange has coined a term for the elements of truth that remain in a devolved religion: "remnantal revelation." This term states that remnants of God's truth through His revelation remain in those religions. Thus, there are elements of truth in any religion, or any philosophy for that matter, but as time passes the portion of truth will become less and less as other teachings are added to it. This doesn't only affect non-Christian religions; Christians can also watch their beliefs devolve as they move away from God's revelation.
While this may have its main application in theology, I think we also see a devolution in the popular theology or philosophy of Western society. Most people still claim some faith in God, but the God they worship is generally far removed from the God revealed in the Bible, or even the God revealed in nature and conscience (what theologians call "natural revelation"). There is some understanding of God as a loving being who helps us, but an almost total loss of a majestic God to whom our devotion is due. People talk about good and evil, but most in our society (including many in our churches) define good and evil by their own standards. Our culture rejects any notion of an absolute truth that applies to all people.
The positive side of this view is that all people have some knowledge of the truth, no matter how small. This enables us to speak to anyone with at least a little bit of common ground. God does not leave Himself without a witness; everyone has the opportunity to know God in some way. Truth isn't always comfortable. (In fact, I'd argue that if your belief system is comfortable, there's probably something wrong with it!) Even more, in our culture truth isn't popular. If you claim to have truth you'll be called intolerant, narrow-minded, bigoted, and arrogant. The problem isn't with personal belief, but with stating that there is a truth that applies to everyone.
Our goal as Christians should be first of all to ensure that our beliefs haven't become "remnantal." We don't just go to church or recite creeds because it's a habit, but because we believe we are in touch with the God of all truth. Then we should stand for the truth, and help others find the truth of God and His revelation in their own lives, building from what they already have.
Ever since the earliest days of the church, those who oppose Christianity have understood that if they could prevent Christians from reading, studying, and meditating of the Bible they could wipe out the Christian faith. Even today, anti-Christian governments and organizations try to keep the Bible away from their people. The truth is powerful, however, and standing for God's truth and for God's revelation enables us to shine His light into our society.
Monday, September 30, 2013
Sunday, September 29, 2013
A foundation for life
My pastor preached on the Bible today at church. Not just from the Bible, but about the Bible. In a society that values "spirituality" over faith and commitment, the Bible is often pushed aside when discussing Christian belief. People like Jesus, and are willing to think about Him on their own terms, but many do not want to confront what the Bible has to say about Him, about God, and about the way God designed us to live.
This may be the result of something far more fundamental to our modern Western culture. If you ask people what they believe, they'll probably rattle off a dozen or so "statements of faith" from whatever religion or philosophy they have learned. (As a side note, it's unfortunate that so few people actually have exposure to philosophy as part of their education!) If you then ask them WHY they believe those things, you'll probably get some hemming and hawing as they try to dig down to their reasons for their faith. In my experience, there aren't a whole lot of people, including those in churches, who know why they believe what they do.
Christians historically have found the foundation for what they believe in the Bible. We believe that it is God's Word, written by human authors under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, and teaches us what God wants us to know about Him, about us, and about our world. By studying the Bible, we learn how we relate to God through Jesus Christ and how we should live as children of God. As we come to a greater understanding of God's Word, we are able to develop a greater faith and greater ministry on the basis of that understanding.
The biggest misconception many have about studying the Bible is that the purpose of Bible study is to learn more facts, more dates, more memory verses, and just plain more stuff about what the Bible says. All of that is of course important (I"m a Christian education director, after all), but if that's all we learn we fail at the most basic level to truly understand the Word of God. All of those facts teach us important truths about God, and important truths about the way we were created to live. If we don't see our lives changing as a result of our exposure to the Bible, then we are studying it wrong.
When you have no foundation for your beliefs, you will tend to find your beliefs changing with every new fad that comes along. You can't build a coherent and satisfying life based on a hodgepodge of what everyone else believes or what fits what you want to be true without giving it any further thought. That goes just as much for Christians as for anyone who is outside the church. There are many who are Christians because their parents were Christians, or they just happen to go a certain church, or they think Jesus is cool and loving, but who have never examined why they hold their beliefs.
I find the Bible to be a strong foundation for my life. I'd like to say I understand it fully, but there are many passages I still need to study deeply. Even more, I'd like to say I always consistently follow the teachings of the Bible, but as a sinner saved by grace I have my failings. I firmly stand on the Bible, however, and seek to grow in my understanding and practice of what it teaches. I invite you to join me on this lifelong quest/
This may be the result of something far more fundamental to our modern Western culture. If you ask people what they believe, they'll probably rattle off a dozen or so "statements of faith" from whatever religion or philosophy they have learned. (As a side note, it's unfortunate that so few people actually have exposure to philosophy as part of their education!) If you then ask them WHY they believe those things, you'll probably get some hemming and hawing as they try to dig down to their reasons for their faith. In my experience, there aren't a whole lot of people, including those in churches, who know why they believe what they do.
Christians historically have found the foundation for what they believe in the Bible. We believe that it is God's Word, written by human authors under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, and teaches us what God wants us to know about Him, about us, and about our world. By studying the Bible, we learn how we relate to God through Jesus Christ and how we should live as children of God. As we come to a greater understanding of God's Word, we are able to develop a greater faith and greater ministry on the basis of that understanding.
The biggest misconception many have about studying the Bible is that the purpose of Bible study is to learn more facts, more dates, more memory verses, and just plain more stuff about what the Bible says. All of that is of course important (I"m a Christian education director, after all), but if that's all we learn we fail at the most basic level to truly understand the Word of God. All of those facts teach us important truths about God, and important truths about the way we were created to live. If we don't see our lives changing as a result of our exposure to the Bible, then we are studying it wrong.
When you have no foundation for your beliefs, you will tend to find your beliefs changing with every new fad that comes along. You can't build a coherent and satisfying life based on a hodgepodge of what everyone else believes or what fits what you want to be true without giving it any further thought. That goes just as much for Christians as for anyone who is outside the church. There are many who are Christians because their parents were Christians, or they just happen to go a certain church, or they think Jesus is cool and loving, but who have never examined why they hold their beliefs.
I find the Bible to be a strong foundation for my life. I'd like to say I understand it fully, but there are many passages I still need to study deeply. Even more, I'd like to say I always consistently follow the teachings of the Bible, but as a sinner saved by grace I have my failings. I firmly stand on the Bible, however, and seek to grow in my understanding and practice of what it teaches. I invite you to join me on this lifelong quest/
Thursday, September 26, 2013
The Two Ways
In early Christian teaching, one prominent theme of instruction was that of the "Two Ways." This appears in such early Christian writings as the Epistle of Barnabas and the Didache (both written somewhere around AD 100, give or take a few decades). The Two Ways are the way of life and the way of death, and a very strong contrast is made between them. The way of life begins with love for God and for our neighbor, and is often followed by teaching on the commandments of God (especially the Ten Commandments). The way of death is the way of sin, and often involves listing many sins that the Christian should avoid.
What I find intriguing about this is that it differs greatly form the way many of churches teach about the Christian walk. Too many teachers focus on the individual Christian and how he or she benefits from following Jesus. Much is made of our privileges as the children of God (sometimes far too much, as when we're told we can have everything we want if only we have enough faith!), and the focus is generally on the individual. If you don't believe this, go to a Christian bookstore or web site and look at the bestselling books about the Christian life.
The early church was a suffering church. Even when there wasn't persecution, life was hard for most in the Roman world, and particularly for those who refused to acknowledge Caesar as their lord. Becoming a Christian wasn't a step taken lightly. Yet the early church didn't promise a grand release from trials in this world or success measured in earthly terms . Instead, the church taught new believers about their responsibilities toward God.
Those responsibilities included love, faith, and obedience. Love and faith remain popular in our time (as they are in almost every age of Christianity), but obedience is definitely a harder sell in our culture. We like to do things our own way, and often bristle at any restrictions placed on us. Much of our political discourse centers around getting what people want for themselves, without thought for others. And if the law stands in the way of our desires, we seek to change the law, or simply ignore it.
Obedience, however, is a crucial part of our Christian experience. It is through obedience that we learn to be like Jesus, who was Himself obedient to the Father while here on earth. Obedience also teaches us discipline and self-control. Through obedience, we learn to do what God our Father has called us to do and to be the people He created us to be. When we live for self, we become what our stunted vision tells us we ought to be; when we obey God, we become what His omniscient plan says we ought to be. Which do you think will be more fulfilling?
What I find intriguing about this is that it differs greatly form the way many of churches teach about the Christian walk. Too many teachers focus on the individual Christian and how he or she benefits from following Jesus. Much is made of our privileges as the children of God (sometimes far too much, as when we're told we can have everything we want if only we have enough faith!), and the focus is generally on the individual. If you don't believe this, go to a Christian bookstore or web site and look at the bestselling books about the Christian life.
The early church was a suffering church. Even when there wasn't persecution, life was hard for most in the Roman world, and particularly for those who refused to acknowledge Caesar as their lord. Becoming a Christian wasn't a step taken lightly. Yet the early church didn't promise a grand release from trials in this world or success measured in earthly terms . Instead, the church taught new believers about their responsibilities toward God.
Those responsibilities included love, faith, and obedience. Love and faith remain popular in our time (as they are in almost every age of Christianity), but obedience is definitely a harder sell in our culture. We like to do things our own way, and often bristle at any restrictions placed on us. Much of our political discourse centers around getting what people want for themselves, without thought for others. And if the law stands in the way of our desires, we seek to change the law, or simply ignore it.
Obedience, however, is a crucial part of our Christian experience. It is through obedience that we learn to be like Jesus, who was Himself obedient to the Father while here on earth. Obedience also teaches us discipline and self-control. Through obedience, we learn to do what God our Father has called us to do and to be the people He created us to be. When we live for self, we become what our stunted vision tells us we ought to be; when we obey God, we become what His omniscient plan says we ought to be. Which do you think will be more fulfilling?
Wednesday, September 25, 2013
A child shows the way
As a parent, I see the difficulty that so many children of all ages are having growing up in our American society today. There are pressures that I couldn't have imagined when I was in that age group years ago. Media influences, peer pressure, social media. political correctness, and other outside pressures put them under a microscope that didn't exist when I was a child.
So how do we teach our children to respond to all this pressure? I think that a vignette from the gospel of Luke shows us a beginning. Luke tells the story of Jesus' trip to the Temple with His parents. They went for the annual celebration of the Passover, as required by the Law. Since Jesus was 12 years old, this would have been the first year He was required to make the trip as a man, although He probably had done it before. They probably stayed for the week of the Festival of Unleavened Bread, then began to travel back to their home.
His parents had traveled for a day before they realized Jesus wasn't with them. This sounds shocking to us, but Luke tells us they thought Jesus was with some of their relatives and friends, which would have been a fairly common practice of that time. Maybe someone else had offered to look after Jesus, or to have Him travel with other children His own age. We don't know who was supposed to be watching out for Him, but in the end it was His mother and father who made the trip back, frantically looking for their son.
They found Him in the Temple, sitting among the teachers of the Law, listening and asking them questions. He was also providing them with some astonishingly insightful answers. When questioned by Mary, He simply replied, "Didn't you know I had to be in My Father's house?" (Luke 2:49). Jesus as a child wanted to learn more about His Father and about the Word of God.
How does this apply to children today? I don't think any of us think our child is the moral and spiritual equivalent of Jesus. (I don't think any of us think we ourselves are either, for that matter.) Still, the interest Jesus showed in learning from the Word and in understanding how He should live in the presence of HIs Father is something we should seek to instill in our children. The best way to avoid the pressures of the world is to understand the truth of God's Word and to apply that truth to our lives.
I recently sat in on a class with some children who spoke of how they were picked on at school. I could tell from their words and expressions that this was an unpleasant part of their lives. When asked how they dealt with it, they responded with some typical answers like punching the person or insulting them back, only to say then that while that's what they would like to do, they knew that they shouldn't respond that way. I think those children have started to really take in and live out the teaching of the Word.
I'm not saying that this is easy for children, or even for adults. What I am saying is that this is where we have to start. We cannot resist the call of the world if we don't hear the call of Christ louder. We can't hear Christ call if we don't spend time taking in His Word, through reading, meditation, and teaching. Jesus had to spend that time when He was here on earth; why would we think we don't? Let's help our children learn that lesson, and continue to take it in for ourselves.
Sunday, September 22, 2013
Taking the church outside
One of the characteristics of my home church is a stated desire to "take church outside these four walls." Over the years I have been a member, we have done this in a variety of ways. My pastor likes to describe us as "Colts Neck Community Church-where community is our middle name." I have been in a number of churches in my days (which is getting to be an increasingly large number!), and I think I can say without too much prejudice that our church is making a very good effort at taking the message of the love of Christ out to where people are.
This morning we took "taking the church outside" quite literally, and had our service out in the front yard right by the road. This wan't just a gimmick; our goal was to attract people to something a little different when they might not be inclined just to go to a "church service" in a building. Members of the church invited friends to come, and we had a large number of visitors. The most significant moment came when two people were baptized, professing their faith in Jesus Christ. (We set up a small pool outside; an outdoor baptism is a serious thing for Baptists!) After the service, we engaged in the sacred ritual of "lunch" while a worship band played. It was a meaningful and exciting day for the church.
I'm sharing this because I think that what we did today was representative of what we believe the church should be about. I've been part of too many churches that engage in serving those on the inside of the church and building programs to satisfy the needs of the existing congregation. That is certainly something that every church needs to do, but it isn't the sum total of what Jesus wants us to be. The Great Commission tells us to "go into all the world," and the verb go implies that we need to move out. I believe that every church, as a group of people who believe that Jesus is the only way to the Father and who want to show His love to others, needs to be involved in the community in which they have been placed.
When I served as an interim pastor, I often encouraged the members of the churches I served by reminding them that they were not where they were by accident. God has each church in its time and place to accomplish His purpose in their location. Each member of the church is not there by accident, either; we are all placed by the Lord in the place He wants us to be to carry out our mission with that congregation. Our goal should be to understand the purpose and mission which God has for us, and to carry out that purpose and that mission for the glory of Jesus Christ.
Your church may never go outside for a service, but I would encourage you to go outside for mission for Jesus Christ.
This morning we took "taking the church outside" quite literally, and had our service out in the front yard right by the road. This wan't just a gimmick; our goal was to attract people to something a little different when they might not be inclined just to go to a "church service" in a building. Members of the church invited friends to come, and we had a large number of visitors. The most significant moment came when two people were baptized, professing their faith in Jesus Christ. (We set up a small pool outside; an outdoor baptism is a serious thing for Baptists!) After the service, we engaged in the sacred ritual of "lunch" while a worship band played. It was a meaningful and exciting day for the church.
I'm sharing this because I think that what we did today was representative of what we believe the church should be about. I've been part of too many churches that engage in serving those on the inside of the church and building programs to satisfy the needs of the existing congregation. That is certainly something that every church needs to do, but it isn't the sum total of what Jesus wants us to be. The Great Commission tells us to "go into all the world," and the verb go implies that we need to move out. I believe that every church, as a group of people who believe that Jesus is the only way to the Father and who want to show His love to others, needs to be involved in the community in which they have been placed.
When I served as an interim pastor, I often encouraged the members of the churches I served by reminding them that they were not where they were by accident. God has each church in its time and place to accomplish His purpose in their location. Each member of the church is not there by accident, either; we are all placed by the Lord in the place He wants us to be to carry out our mission with that congregation. Our goal should be to understand the purpose and mission which God has for us, and to carry out that purpose and that mission for the glory of Jesus Christ.
Your church may never go outside for a service, but I would encourage you to go outside for mission for Jesus Christ.
Saturday, September 21, 2013
Doing what Jesus does
One of the inscriptions you can find on Christian items is the acronym "WWJD?" This, of course, is short for "What would Jesus do?" This question was posed in Charles Sheldon's novel In His Steps many years ago. While it has become a bit of cliche, it really isn't a bad question to ask. The point made in the book is that you aren't asking what Jesus would do if He were here on earth today, but what would He do if He were in your situation.
However, there is one example in the Bible of something we can do that is what Jesus is doing now. We studied 1 Timothy 2:1-5 this past Wednesday at our church, and I was struck by the juxtaposition of Paul's urging that Christians should intercede for others with the description of Jesus in verse 5 as the "one mediator between God and man." In several NT passages, Jesus is said to be interceding for us before His Father. He is a "go-between" on our behalf, as the One who paid the price that gave us access to the Father's throne.
In a more limited sense, we are told in this passage to be a "go-between" for others in prayer. We obviously are not the ones who provide the answers for those prayers (although God may use us as His agents to affect those answers!), but we do have a responsibility to pray for others. Whether it is those in authority, those who need to know Jesus Christ, or those who are suffering, we have the remarkable privilege of sharing in a very small part of the ministry of intercession practiced by Jesus.
Today maybe we need to ask ourselves not "What would Jesus do?" but "What is Jesus doing?" Then we can let that thought spur us on to engaging in prayer for those who need our intercession, and learn to appreciate what our Lord is doing for us.
However, there is one example in the Bible of something we can do that is what Jesus is doing now. We studied 1 Timothy 2:1-5 this past Wednesday at our church, and I was struck by the juxtaposition of Paul's urging that Christians should intercede for others with the description of Jesus in verse 5 as the "one mediator between God and man." In several NT passages, Jesus is said to be interceding for us before His Father. He is a "go-between" on our behalf, as the One who paid the price that gave us access to the Father's throne.
In a more limited sense, we are told in this passage to be a "go-between" for others in prayer. We obviously are not the ones who provide the answers for those prayers (although God may use us as His agents to affect those answers!), but we do have a responsibility to pray for others. Whether it is those in authority, those who need to know Jesus Christ, or those who are suffering, we have the remarkable privilege of sharing in a very small part of the ministry of intercession practiced by Jesus.
Today maybe we need to ask ourselves not "What would Jesus do?" but "What is Jesus doing?" Then we can let that thought spur us on to engaging in prayer for those who need our intercession, and learn to appreciate what our Lord is doing for us.
Wednesday, September 18, 2013
Memories...
In cleaning up after myself on my computer, I found the link to this blog. I had forgotten I even HAD a blog! I considered deleting it, but then I saw that there are actually people still reading it. The best option seems to be to pick up and start writing here again.
A few things have changed since I last posted here. I finished my time at Central Hunterdon Baptist, and have returned to Colts Neck Community Church. (Guess I need to fix their order on my links sidebar!) I now serve as the Christian Education Director for CNCC. I still have my "day job" working with special needs students, and my family situation hasn't changed much, except for having another kid in college.
Since I'm not preaching regularly at present, the "Sunday sermon" isn't appropriate anymore. I'll probably start delving into subjects I'm studying on my own, material I'm teaching, and some excursuses (yes, that is the proper plural) on discipleship and Christian education in general. I'll also provide my take on certain current events and issues as they arise.
One of my takeaways from my time at CHBC was learning sign language through the Deaf ministry of the church. I'll be adding some ASL links to my sidebar as well. I can't sign on the blog, and with my limited vocabulary it wouldn't be very interesting anyway, but perhaps it can give some insight into working with a population that has a specific need that we as the church don't often meet.
I'm not promising a steady stream of posts, but I do hope to become more active than I have been over the past year or so (which is hardly setting the bar too high). I hope those of you who have read my posts in the past will continue to join me for the ride.
A few things have changed since I last posted here. I finished my time at Central Hunterdon Baptist, and have returned to Colts Neck Community Church. (Guess I need to fix their order on my links sidebar!) I now serve as the Christian Education Director for CNCC. I still have my "day job" working with special needs students, and my family situation hasn't changed much, except for having another kid in college.
Since I'm not preaching regularly at present, the "Sunday sermon" isn't appropriate anymore. I'll probably start delving into subjects I'm studying on my own, material I'm teaching, and some excursuses (yes, that is the proper plural) on discipleship and Christian education in general. I'll also provide my take on certain current events and issues as they arise.
One of my takeaways from my time at CHBC was learning sign language through the Deaf ministry of the church. I'll be adding some ASL links to my sidebar as well. I can't sign on the blog, and with my limited vocabulary it wouldn't be very interesting anyway, but perhaps it can give some insight into working with a population that has a specific need that we as the church don't often meet.
I'm not promising a steady stream of posts, but I do hope to become more active than I have been over the past year or so (which is hardly setting the bar too high). I hope those of you who have read my posts in the past will continue to join me for the ride.
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