Yom Teruah

Rosh HaShanah, the next Feast in our mosaic of the Moedim, begins on 1 Tishri -- the seventh month in the liturgical calendar, but the first month in the civil calendar.

This Feast is never actually addressed by that title in the Bible. It has several names, Zikhron Teruah - Memorial of Blowing Trumpets; and/or Yom Teruah - Day of the Blowing of the Trumpets.

Thirty days before Rosh HaShanah, beginning on 1 Ellul, the Jewish people begin their time of preparation for the High Holy Days. This time of preparation culminates on Yom Kippur, the Great Day of Atonement. The forty days between 1 Ellul and Yom Kippur (10 Tishri) are a time of great reflection for the Jewish people, as they prepare.

Yom Kippur is a day without precedent in the Christian calendar. Observant Jews will contact the people in their lives and apologize for anything that they might have done improper over the past year. This is a time of ‘getting right’ with those around them, as they attempt to 'get good enough' to be written in the Book of Life for another year! We will cover Yom Kippur in an upcoming post.

The essential mitzvah (command) of Rosh HaShana is to hear the sounding of the shofar. The shofar soundings represent three distinct themes;

1. The first sounding -- a long, straight blast is known as the Tekiah; it is the sound of a King’s coronation. This represents the Kingship of God (Reverence).

2. The second sounding -- three medium, wailing sounds, known as the Shevarim, are representative of the sobbing of a Jewish heart. As we reflect on the year gone by, we know deep down that we've failed to live up to our full potential, (Remembrance). In Messianic hearts [Jews and Gentiles], this should also be the sober realization that, while we have failed, we are under the blood of the unblemished Lamb of God, who was sacrificed that we may have eternal life with Him!

3. The third sounding -- 9 quick blasts in short succession, known as Teruah is an alarm clock, arousing us from our spiritual slumber. (Return).

Let us deal with each one of these themes briefly:

REVERANCE - THE KINGSHIP OF THE LORD

In this day and age of Jesus being your ‘buddy’, it is almost unheard of to bring up His Kingship. The sounding of the shofar is recognition of the Kingship of our Messiah. When a King was installed in Israel, the trumps would blow to initiate the coronation celebration. The sounding of the shofar should be a call to your heart to re-establish the Messiah in His proper place, on the throne of your Heart. In case there is any doubt about the Kingship of Messiah, and whether or not He is God and King of all, let’s take a look at Isaiah 45:21 – 23; Tell and bring forth your case; Yes, let them take counsel together. Who has declared this from ancient time? Who has told it from that time? Have not I, the LORD? And there is no other God besides Me, A just God and a Savior; There is none besides Me. "Look to Me, and be saved, All you ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other. I have sworn by Myself; The word has gone out of My mouth in righteousness, And shall not return, That to Me every knee shall bow, Every tongue shall take an oath.

And then take a look at Philippians 2:9 – 11; Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

There are many places where we read of God’s infinite power and handiwork, for example in Psalm 19:1-6 we find these words; To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David. The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament shows His handiwork. Day unto day utters speech, And night unto night reveals knowledge. There is no speech nor language Where their voice is not heard. Their line has gone out through all the earth, And their words to the end of the world. In them He has set a tabernacle for the sun, Which is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, And rejoices like a strong man to run its race. Its rising is from one end of heaven, And its circuit to the other end; And there is nothing hidden from its heat.

This is the King of Kings that we serve! If you think that He is your personal insurance agent, then you will be casual in your relationship with Him, However if you believe that He is who He says He is, then you will be broken before Him! During the time of Yom Teruah we, (again), reflect on His Kingship and realize our need for a Savior…

REMEMBRANCE

In 2001, one week before Yom Teruah, America was struck a blow that cast the entire nation into a spiritual search for meaning. I imagine that everyone can remember exactly where they were and what they were doing on September 11th, 2001. How many of those folks in the towers knew it would be the last day of their lives? How did they leave the situation with their relatives and friends, did they leave arguments unsettled, did they forget to kiss their spouse goodbye in the morning because of a morning spat? Did they have a heated argument with a friend, which still smoldered under the surface? My friends, we live at the will of our Maker, and we do not pick the time of our departure. How often do we allow anger and contempt to separate the Body?

During Yom Teruah -- we remember: The second blast of the Shofar is the sobbing of the Jewish heart, but I say that it should be the sobbing of ALL of our hearts as we look back and see how we have treated our loved ones and friends. Husbands, do you love and cherish your wife? Does she know that? Are you more occupied with reaching the lost than with reaching across the sofa to clasp your wife’s hand? Are you spending time in prayer with her, or do you spend more time in prayer and companionship with your buddies? What about your children, are they more used to talking to you on the phone than being lifted in your arms? Wives, are you so busy that you never take the time to notice how lonely your husband looks at times as you speed off to another meeting, or prayer time, or coffee clatch? What about your friends? As I mentioned at the beginning of this, during the forty days of Teshuvah, the Jewish people are contacting friends and family and making right that which was made wrong.

The Christian community would do well to learn from this. We rarely, if ever, feel the compulsion to seek out our brothers and sisters and ask their forgiveness. Our solution, all too often, is to move to another church!

Messiah says it this way in Matthew 5:23, 24 -- So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.

RETURN

Finally, the shofar is sounded during this feast as a wake-up call. We are called to be ready. In Jewish thought, this is the day when God opens the Book of Judgments, but we know that this day could occur for any of us at any time. We have no guarantee on our lives. This might be the last post I ever make, or this might be your last week. We must be prepared to meet God. The readiness of God’s people is discussed in many places in the Old and New Testaments.

Paul in writing to the Romans (Romans 13:11-14) says this -- And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.

And again in his letter to the Ephesians he says; (5:8-14) -- For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), finding out what is acceptable to the Lord. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret. But all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light, for whatever makes manifest is light. Therefore He says: "Awake, you who sleep, Arise from the dead, And Christ will give you light."

Keith Green had a song called ‘Asleep in the Light’, and in it, he says that Jesus rose from the dead, and we can’t even get out of our bed, we are asleep in the light… Let us not only be ready and eager for the return of our Lord and Savior, but let us work while it is still light to do the Father’s business!

There is much more to say about Yom Teruah -- but I fear that I have written a much too long post already! We may revisit this one day again soon, and speak of Tashlich, and other items.

Am I Really Wrong?

Before I begin this post, let me state very clearly that I admire Dr. Albert Mohler very much. He has been a voice of reason in a community that often lacks a clear, and succinct voice. I heard him speak several years ago at a Basics conference, and thought he was fantastic.

I say all this so that you will understand that I am not going off half-cocked regarding his latest post.

Let me state up front that I DO NOT think the 'Lohasians' spiritual goulash is correct, I think that this type of syncretism is exactly what is killing the church in the USA.

However, Dr. Mohler seems to equate one who is ecology-minded, or purchases organic produce, with one of these pagans. This is not the first time I have heard him lump a more sustainable lifestyle in with pagan practices. It is as if one who wants to be a proper steward of the earth has suddenly become a pantheist.

Now, Dr. Mohler MAY NOT mean to lump these two perspectives together, but since I have heard it twice from him, I would just like to say -- I eat organic produce, I drive a more fuel-efficient car (and a motorcycle), I also buy recycled paper products, AND I am a pastor. Not the pastor of some fringe-element, pantheistic, dog-worshipping church, but a pastor who believes in the Doctrines of Grace!

Why is it that so many believe that once one becomes a Christian, this means that we should IGNORE our responsibility to be good stewards? I have never figured out how that thinking got started, unless it is in knee-jerk reaction to the more fringe elements, such as the 'lohasians'.

Contrast this with the discussion going on over at Dan's Place. While I may question the implementation of Dan's ideas (primarily because I truly want to understand how we would implement the ideas that he so eloquently expresses), at least he is thinking about how we become more proper stewards of the earth and it's provision.

Now, I have no allusions of grandeur; as if something I write in this little corner of the blogsphere, would actually catch the attention, much less the interest, of Dr. Mohler. He has much bigger fish to fry, and is doing an admirable job at that, but I did want to voice my concern, and see if I am missing something here...

So, Dr. Mohler, I salute the job you are doing, but please stop lumping all people who want to eat and live more naturally into the same pagan bucket!

Shavuot

Apologies for the length of time between posts, I had no idea how long it would take me to catch up...

Anyway, we have now entered into a period, (we are currently in this period as I type), called 'Counting the Omer'. This is the period of time between Yom HaBikkurim and Shavuot -- aka Pentecost. During this period the Jewish community would be numbering the days between the firstfruits of the barley harvest and the firstfruits of the wheat harvest.

Israel, being an agrarian community, would have been focused on the harvest periods, as this was a life and death situation. Famine was not defeated by a quick trip to Wal*Mart, but instead spelled national tragedy; therefore the harvest Feasts were significant as they were tangible events which illustrated God's provision for His people. In our day and age, we have little knowledge, or understanding of the import of these Feasts to the life of the nation of Israel.

Fifty days earlier, on Yom HaBikkurim, God had not only shown provision for His people in a physical way, but our Messiah was raised on that day -- illustrating the SPIRITUAL provision which God had made for His people. Yeshua, the bread of life, was raised on that day, the absolute and complete provision for all who hunger and thirst!

Now, fifty days later -- when all of Israel would have been gathered for the latter harvest celebration, we see something amazing happening. However, there is another aspect, besides the latter harvest, which was/is celebrated during this time, and it plays a large part in the significance of Shavuot: It was at Shavuot that God gave the Israelites the tablets of stone on Mount Sinai; writing His law on stone tablets and hearts, and separating His people from those around them by the giving of the Law.

In Ezekiel 11 we find this passage -- "And I will give them one heart, and a new spirit I will put within them. I will remove the heart of stone from their flesh and give them a heart of flesh, that they may walk in my statutes and keep my rules and obey them. And they shall be my people, and I will be their God..."

And this is also alluded to in 2nd Corinthians 3 "And you show that you are a letter from Christ delivered by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts...

We see in these passages the very real fact that the Law, given at Shavuot, was written on hearts and tablets of stone, but God, in His grace, now writes His law on hearts of flesh. This became a reality when the Holy Spirit came to indwell His people ON THE SAME DAY that, thousands of years before, His law had been codified on stony hearts!

What an amazing God -- His promises throughout the Old Testament, found in Joel, quoted in Acts 2, in Ezekiel and other places, come true on this very special day! Coincidence? I think not! :-)

And finally, we will celebrate the culmination of Shavuot when our Lord and Savior returns -- 1st Corinthians 15:20-23 -- "But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ..."

Oh what a day that final Shavuot will be, as the latter harvest is raised to incorruptible bodies, to rest forever in the Messiah!

Hag Hamatzot and Yom HaBikkurim

I am finally able to return to my posting -- I thank the many, many friends that have been praying for my healing. My eye is getting better everyday, and I thank you.

Now, on to the Feasts -- We left off at Pesach, or Passover, as it is better known. I provided a few insights into the Seder, and there are many others, but I am just providing a glimpse into the Feasts, truth be told, each one has many sermons/teachings in it. My goal is to familiarize you with the feasts.

Anyway, as most Christians know, Messiah was crucified during the Passover season, but what they may fail to realize is that it is a Passover SEASON - with several feasts thrown into the timeframe.

The first Feast that eventually became mixed into the Passover celebration is Hag HaMatzot, or the Feast of Unleavened Bread -- Passover was on 14 Nisan, Hag HaMatzot started on 15 Nisan running seven days , and Yom HaBikkurim, or Early First Fruits was on 16 Nisan. To miss these is to miss the beauty of God's plan for redemption in all of it's subtlety.

The Feast of Unleavened Bread is found in Exodus 12:17, and Deuteronomy 16:3. This Feast is identified with the period of Messiah in the tomb. Unleavened Bread represents sinlessness, which was displayed by Messiah, and also, unleavened bread does not spoil (unlike bread made with leaven, which, in that day, soured quickly), illustrating another portion of Scripture -- Psalm 16:10 -- "For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol, or let your holy one see corruption". The Messiah, the sinless one of the Father, unleavened and pure, did not sour/decay in the tomb, precisely because He WAS unleavened (without sin)!!

The next day, (Resurrection Day), would have been Yom HaBikkurim, the Feast of Firstfruits (Barley). This feast was quite a site -- they had special barley fields set aside, which were watched closely to insure that no artificial growing mediums, i.e. fertilizer, or anything else was added to the barley. It was to be completely grown depending on God's provision. This barley would have been marked off, with red line, or something else that would have set it apart.

The night before the Feast, the priests would go out to the field with a gathering of people and would ask a set of questions, all of which would be answered by the group, and at that point they would cut the barley, and bring it into the Temple. They had a very elaborate sifting ritual that ensured that the barley was exceptionally clean, and pure before being mixed with oil and offered up to the Lord. This FirstFruit was God's possession alone.

Our Messiah's resurrection is alluded to in 1st Corinthians 15 by using the language of Yom HaBikkurim -- 1st Corinthians 15:20 - 23 -- "But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ."

Just as the priests would set aside a special section of field and observe it to ensure that it was pure and undefiled by man's works, so we can see that the Father set aside His Son, marking Him off as a special sacrifice to the Father, being undefiled and pure. This blessed sheaf, the Messiah, was cut down and sifted, before being lifted up and offered as a sacrifice to the Father.

The FirstFruits of Messiah were realized as He walked out of the tomb -- the Firstfruits of those who would never die, but live forever in the presence of the Father!

Update

Not to be narcissistic, but I wanted to update everyone on the eye situation... Specifically because I know that some of you are praying for me....

I go back to the doctor this week, but at this point I have fair vision in my left eye, and can sit at the computer, albeit briefly... Sometimes the progress is hard to remember when you are stuck at home, and in bed for long periods of time... However, I feel that my strength gets better everyday, and my ability to see is constantly improving...

Very soon (Bugs), I will be back at it... :-)

God Bless, and thanks for your prayers...

Ray

Eyes

As some of you may know -- I recently experienced a retinal detachment in my eye. It has been quite an experience, and has forced me to spend some serious time with the Lord before the Passover Season.

I will get back to the feasts as soon as I have more eye strength -- but for now I wanted to thank everyone for their encouragement, and prayers and post a few notes on the situation.

The retinal detachment was complete, and it appears that it was due to my severe nearsightedness for many years. As my eye doctor said -- "Its life"... :-) However, I had an excellent surgeon perform the surgery on me, putting in place a scleral buckle to hold everything together. Improvement was dramatic initially, but now it is incremental, and interesting. For example, two days ago I saw color and was overjoyed, and today I can see writing, albeit very faintly. Everyday a small improvement occurs, sometimes the improvement is almost imperceptible.

As I have meditated on what all this means to me, and what the Lord has pointed out to me, I have found myself comparing this recovery period to our Christian walk.

First -- we are blind, much as I was several days ago. Messiah speaks of spiritual blindness in John 9:39 -- Jesus said, "For judgment I came into this world, that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind."

In my case it took a skilled physician to bring about sight, and again we see in Scripture that it speaks of Messiah in Luke 4 -- "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor."

Then once the 'surgery' has been done -- the first thing you notice is that suddenly you have light reception -- When the Spirit regenerates you, then you have light coming into your life. For a while, the light is all that you think about, it permeates your being. But, over time we can become so used to the light that it no longer has meaning.

Now, this is where it gets interesting -- Everyday there is small, almost imperceptible changes, as I noted. If I did not remember where I had been the day before, I could get discouraged, thinking there was no progress. But I always determine where I am (from a sight perspective), and the next day I check to see if there has been change.

In our Christian lives we can be overjoyed at the initial event of light pouring into our lives, but grow discouraged as the work of the Spirit takes place in our life in many small ways that we don't notice. Without examining our lives, we have no idea as to the work going on in us. If I did not examine my eyesight everyday, I could be convinced that NOTHING is going on, and I am not getting any better, but because I have determined to examine myself, I can see the small changes that eventually make up big changes.

And, we take for granted some of the more beautiful things that go on in our lives because of the work of the Spirit. Let me give you an example -- when I first saw color a few days ago, it was incredibly vibrant! What was I looking at? A rose, a simple rose that I would have, a few weeks ago, walked right by without even taking a second look. But NOW! The color of the rose is amazing, and I am still fascinated by the colors. Yet, I know that as time goes on, the color will fade again unless I make it a point to notice the rose and enjoy its color.

The same is true in our lives -- when we first notice a wonderful change that the Spirit has wrought in our life, we are overjoyed, but over time we become jaded to that change, and forget. We MUST contemplate the great work that the Lord has done in our life, if we become jaded, then our faith becomes nothing more than a rote ritual, much like noticing flowers along a roadside, or the color of a blue sky.

And everyday, I make small improvements. In much the same way -- everyday in our Christian life we find small changes that are almost unnoticed.

Galatians 5:22 - 26: But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 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 walk by the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.

In my life, I remember the initial joy of light pouring into my soul. I also remember noticing changes in my relationship with my wife and others, but over time I became somewhat oblivious to the continuing work of the Spirit in my life. I became self-centered, and consumed with me. But if I look back on my life over time, I see that the Lord has been doing a work that I never realized; I had forgotten about the beauty that He had injected into my life. How the fruits of the Spirit, not perfectly, and not completely, but over a period of time, have come to blossom in my life.

I don't want to go on and on, but this period of 'blindness' had opened my eyes to many other things as I have meditated on the Word of God and spent time in prayer with our Lord.

Thanks for listening; and I would suggest that you take stock of your life; examine where the Lord has made changes in you that have brought glory to Him.

Checking In

Folks,

I have not fallen off the face of the earth -- I have been working way too many hours lately... :-)

And I am currently struggling with some vision impairment, which I hope will be rectified soon... I will continue my posting (hopefully) today... Thanks for all the encouragement!

Ray

Passover II - The Cups

In my last post I examined the role of leaven in the Passover Feast. I will now continue to work through the seder and attempt to bring to light certain aspects of the seder that may be new to some folks.

First, we must understand that each and every person who partakes in the Passover should partake AS IF they were actually part of the nation when it was released from slavery. In other words, we are to reflect and remember our slavery and then as we progress through the seder, to rejoice in our freedom. As a matter of fact, it is brought out in the Seder that we now eat reclining, which is the way free men and women ate in that day, lying back on pillows and enjoying their dinner.

We first light the Passover candles,and say a br'kah, or blessing. We then reflect on the fact that , during the seder, we drink four cups of wine. Each cup has a significance: Cup of Sanctification, Cup of Judgement, Cup of Redemption, and Cup of Praise.

The first cup -- the cup of sanctification, represents the first 'I Will' of God; the promise to bring the people out from under the harsh salvery of the Egyptians. Imagine the Messiah in that Upper Room -- lifting the cup and bringing to remembrance the promise of God the Father to deliver the nation of Israel from slavery. Every mind in the room would have been focused on that time so long ago, recorded in Exodus, when God freed His people, just as He promised.

The second cup -- the cup of judgement is filled and then we dip a finger into the cup, allowing a drop of liquid to fall onto our saucer ten times, reducing the fullness of our cup of joy this night. Why? Because our redemption cost! What did it cost in the first Passover -- the ten plagues that afflicvted Egypt. What did it cost in the fulfillment of Passover? The death of Messiah! Again, let your mind go back to the Upper Room -- imagine the emotion as Messiah dipped his finger in the cup and allowed a drop to spill onto the table... Within hours, his blood would spill onto the ground of Calvary.

We drink the second cup only after we have gone through a section of the seder whereby we recognize that it was God who affected the salvation of the people of Israel and no one else!

The third cup -- the cup of redemption is filled after the supper. This is the one that Messiah lifted and said "This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood." How do we know that this is the cup? It is stated in several places that it was the cup after the supper, which is the cup of redemption. As we drink this cup we reflect on Isaiah 59:16 - "He saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no one to intercede; then his own arm brought him salvation, and his righteousness upheld him."

So imagine this -- first He fills the cup of sanctification and the disciples reflect on God's selection of His people, and their deliverance from slavery -- then the second cup comes around, and the disciples again reflect on the terrible cost at which the nation of Israel was given it's freedom. Now, Messiah breaks into the normal seder with the injection that it is HIS BLOOD which will bring ultimate redemption. WHAT A SHOCK to the system of the disciples. In our day and age no one thinks it strange (in the Christian community) that we speak of the redemption bought with the blood of Messiah, but in that Upper Room the tension was probably so thick you could cut it with a knife!

And the final cup -- the one that Messiah said He would not drink until that day when He will drink it new in the kingdom of God. This is the cup of Praise! I can imagine that, at the wedding feast of the Lamb, Messiah will lift this fourth cup and complete the seder that begun over two thousand years ago in that small room in Israel!

Passover I

Passover is a story of miraculous transitions – from slavery to freedom, from despair to hope, from darkness to light. Its greatness is the greatness of God. Its timelessness comes from the eternal truth of his involvement with His people. As God cared for the children of Israel in ancient times, He cares for all who are His today.

One of Messiah's last earthly acts was the celebration of the Passover. Gathering His disciples in a small room in Jerusalem, he led them in the Seder. "I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer." (Luke 22:15). He passed the foods among them, and it was there, in the context of the Passover celebration that Yeshua (Jesus) revealed to them the mystery of God's plan of redemption. He spoke to them of His body and blood. He explained to them that He would have to die.

It was no coincidence that Messiah chose the Passover for the setting of what is now celebrated as communion, the Lord's Supper. For in the story of the Passover lamb, Yeshua (Jesus) could best communicate the course He would be taking over the confusing hours that were to follow. As we participate together in the Passover Seder, we experience once again God's great redemption.

OK, first the basics, a definition of terms:

1. Haggadah - Order of Service - a book which leads us through the order of the service.
2. Pesach - This is actually the name of the feast.
3. Seder - The Passover meal
4. The Seder Plate, which consists of: (a) Shank Bone – This is representative of the Paschal Lamb. As believers in Yeshua Ha-Mashiach, Jesus the Messiah, we know that our Paschal Lamb stated 'It is Finished' at his sacrifice. We now have this on the plate as a reminder; (b) Maror – Bitter Herbs represent the bitterness of slavery that the Israelites experienced in Egypt. We, like the Israelites were once in bondage. Karpas – The parsley represents the hyssop used to put the blood over the lintel and doorposts of the Israelites. Yeshua Ha-Mashiach, when He was hanging upon the cross was also given drink from a hyssop branch. Kharoset – This is a mixture made from apples, honey, nuts and juice. It represents the brick and clay with which the Israelites built the cities of Pharaoh. We eat this with the maror, showing that no matter how bitter the circumstances, they can be sweetened by God. Likewise, Yeshua Ha-Mashiach promised the disciples tribulation, but also told them to be of good cheer as He had overcome the world! (John 16:33) Egg – This, like the shank bone, represents the sacrifice at the temple. The egg represents the burned offering that was offered up the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread. Saltwater – We dip the karpas in this to symbolize the salt of the Red Sea where the Egyptians met their end, as well as the tears of the Israelites while in slavery. As stated above, Yeshua Ha-Mashiach was given drink from a stalk of hyssop, and we can only imagine the tears He shed for us! The Cup of Elijah – This is the cup that is poured for the prophet Elijah. Each year, in a traditional service, we await the return of the prophet Elijah, going so far as to have one of the children open the outside door to check and see if he has arrived! Matzoh – This is the unleavened bread, or 'bread of affliction', that is eaten during the Passover, and the Feast of Unleavened Bread.

In the days leading up to Passover, leavened items are removed from the home. These include all bread and cakes that contain yeast. Preparation for Passover includes a thorough cleansing, of the entire home, culminating in a ceremonial search for leaven, called bedikat khameytz. Tradition teaches that in each generation, we must consider ourselves as having been personally freed from Egypt. As we prepare for the experience of personal redemption, we put far from us the leaven of sin hidden within our hearts.

Even though our house has been thoroughly cleansed because of the approaching Feast of Passover, all rooms of the house must be clear of chametz (leaven). The master of the house, according to Jewish tradition, must personally inspect the house to be sure that all chametz is removed and none remains in his possession. On the eve before erev Pesach, the evening of Passover, the master of the house gathers his family about him and with the light of a wax candle goes from room to room searching for leaven. With a large feather, the father collects in a wooden spoon or other receptacle those crumbs of bread previously placed where they might easily be found, in corners and on windowsills. This search has to be made following Ma-Ariv prayer immediately after nightfall and before the commencement of any work. The master of the house washes his hands and makes the following blessing before beginning the search, "Blessed are you, O Lord our God, King of the Universe, who sanctified us by your commandments and commanded us to remove the leaven."

On erev Pesach (the evening of Passover), all chametz found during the search, and the chametz that was left over from any meals, is wrapped together with the wooden spoon and burned. The following prayer is recited:

"All manner of leaven which is in my possession, that which I have seen as well as that which I have not seen, that which I have removed as well as that which I have not removed, is hereby annulled and accounted as the dust of the earth."

Typically in the Bible, leaven is a symbol for sin. With the destruction of the temple, the unleavened bread became a substitute for the Passover Lamb, which was to be perfect, without spot or blemish. Our Messiah, Yeshua (Jesus), made the unleavened bread a symbol of His own sacrifice for our sins.

There is much more to be said about this; I will leave you with these thoughts for part I, I hope to do several parts laying out the complete seder celebration...

Purim

As we approach Purim (next week), I thought I would briefly post on this holiday. Yes, it is not a 'feast', but there is still much to be learned from Purim.

First and foremost, this holiday allows us to read a little book that is often overlooked by many Christians (Esther); then there is the sheer joy of this holiday. We do many things during Purim -- dress up, put on skits about Esther and Haman, laugh and enjoy. Some might find this a bit disconcerting, to be so 'glib' about something so profound. However that would be missing one of the most important points of Purim; we are enjoying PRECISELY because it is such a profound story, one that continues to this day: that is the attempted destruction of God's People by the enemy. Again and again, he has tried to destroy God's people, and again and again, the faithful One has thwarted his plans!

Francis Shaeffer wrote a book called 'The God Who Is There' -- and that is precisely what we find in the book of Esther; the God who is there. Esther has not always been universally accepted in historic Christianity, partly because of the fact that God is not explicitly mentioned anywhere in the book, but there is a tremendous comfort to Purim, and the book of Esther.

While God is not specifically mentioned, His fingerprints are all over the story. It is exciting every year to read the book of Esther aloud during the service, and feel the excitement mount as we read about the king that was unable to sleep during a key night in the life of the Jewish nation, and how he had his servants bring out the book of records and read them aloud to him during that uneasy night. As they read, they come across a record about a Jew named Mordecai, who had once saved the life of the king. Just as they read this record, the evil Haman approaches the court and well.... I will let you read the rest on your own...

As we read, we boo Haman; cheer Mordecai, and gush over Queen Esther. Every person in the church gets involved in the story, reliving the faithfulness of God to His people.

Yes, Purim is not the solemn assembly that some of the other celebrations are, but it is one of joy and laughter -- one that reminds us all again, that we serve a God who is THERE!

This year, read through the book of Esther for Purim -- read it aloud to your children, getting them involved in the story by having them boo Haman, and cheer Mordecai, and of course "AHHHHH" over Queen Esther. Prepare some hamantashen for the kids, give some gifts (traditionally fruit or some goodies) to friends and family, and give a special gift to the less fortunate in your town. Make this lesser known holiday a time of joy and laughter in your family by reminding them again of God's faithfulness to his people.

Chanukah

Well, I finally got around to my first post in the series regarding the Feasts. I will be spotty in my posting over the next few weeks -- starting a new job, and traveling, so bear with me...

Anyway, I thought I would start with Chanukah -- a celebration that is outside the Feasts established in the Pentateuch, but one that Messiah celebrated. I want to provide some basic background and then some thoughts about the celebration of Chanukah.

What exactly is Chanukah? Is it just a Jewish Christmas? NO! It is not; we did not 'invent' this holiday to compete for retail dollars. Chanukah celebrates a military victory that occurred in the inter-testamental period.

To understand the significance of Chanukah, we must first go through a short history lesson:

Alexander the Great was a brilliant general and leader who conquered most of the known world hundreds of years before Christ. When he was 32 years old he contracted a fever and died and the Diadochi divided his kingdom up. There were many generals and advisors who wanted a piece of this vast kingdom. In the end the kingdom was divided up amongst four generals, Ptolemy, Seleucus, Lysimachus, and Cassander. Ptolemy ended up with the Southern Kingdom, which included Egypt. Seleucus ended up with the Eastern Kingdom, which included Babylon and Syria. Lysimachus took the Northern Kingdom, which is now known as Turkey and Cassander the Western Kingdom that included Greece. The Ptolemic and Seleucid kings were continuously battling over Judea, with the Seleucid kingdom finally taking over the vast majority of the territory.

About 167 BC the Seleucid king, Antiochus IV, decided to force Hellenism on to the Jewish people. He outlawed such things as the reading of the Torah, and circumcision, and anyone found to be disobeying Antiochus' edicts were put to death immediately. Babies were hung around their mother's necks, and women were thrown off the walls of the city.. It was also during this period that the position of High Priest in Jerusalem became a political appointment, and greedy, self-centered men were able to bribe their way into the position, some even selling items from the temple to pay bribes!

Antiochus strode into Jerusalem and desecrated the temple; sacrificing a pig on the holy altar and putting up a statue of Zeus. He sprinkled the blood of the pig in the Holy of Holies, and poured the broth from the pig over the Torah scrolls before cutting them into pieces and burning them! He also began to call himself Antiochus Epiphanes, which means 'The Manifestation of God.' The Jews took to calling him Antiochus Epimanes, which means 'Crazyman!'

During this time, Antiochus sent his troops into the countryside of Israel forcing everyone in all of the towns and villages to worship at pagan shrines. This all came to a screeching halt in a little town called Modi'in. The priest of this town was an elderly man named Mattathias. When the Syrian troops attempted to force him to perform a pagan ritual, he and his five sons revolted, killing the troops and taking to the hills with a small band of supporters. Eventually his eldest son, Judah, became the leader of the revolution, and earned the nickname The Maccabee (the Hammer). The revolt came to be known as the Maccabean Revolt.

Against all odds, the band of guerrillas outfought the troops of Antiochus, eventually retaking Jerusalem and the Temple. They set about repairing the damage and reconsecrating the temple. However, (as the legend goes), when it came to the Menorah, which symbolized God's Light in the Temple, they found that they only had enough oil to keep the Menorah burning for one day. It is supposed to be kept continuously burning. The oil that was prepared for the lamp was consecrated oil that took eight days to properly prepare. The people decided to light the Menorah anyway. Miraculously, the lamp stayed lit for eight days until the oil was ready to refill the lampstand.

Now, while the legend of the oil burning for eight days is somewhat apocryphal, the rest of the story is the recognized history of Chanukah. Why eight days? Well, many think that this was due to the fact that the Jews had been unable to celebrate sukkot, being at war. So, they took the seven days of sukkot and an additional day for Shemini Atzeret and celebrated Chanukah.

Why do we celebrate it? Well, first off, you will find Messiah celebrating it: (John 10:22f). Now, this does not mean that we are REQUIRED to celebrate it, but I like to bring out the significance of this holiday for the people that attend our church.

First -- In John 10:22 we find that Jesus was walking in the Temple area at Chanukah. The people asked "How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly." Jesus said, "I did tell you, but you do not believe. The miracles I do in my Father's name speak of me...I and the Father are one."

The people were looking for a deliverer to free them from Rome, much like Judas Maccabee had done under the Seleucid rule. This would have been heavily on people's minds during Hanukkah. They would have been celebrating the rededication of the Temple, with massive lights illuminating the Temple area. How tragic it is that they did not even realize that God was walking on Solomon's portico!

They did not realize that a greater deliverance was coming. That God himself was in their midst, and His agenda for Israel's salvation was infinitely greater than liberation from Rome. Isaiah prophesied: "...in the future he will honor Galilee of the Gentiles, by the way of the sea, along the Jordan — The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned...For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace" (9:1,2 & 6).

God sent His light into a world of spiritual darkness, first, to be seen in Galilee, where Jesus began his earthly ministry. Jesus said, "I am the light of the world; he who follows me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life" (John 8:12). He came as the servant light or "shamash", (the candle which lights the other eight in the Chanukkiah), in order to give his light to us. Messiah cleanses us and dedicates us to God so that we can be His spiritual Temple.

Second -- The celebration of Chanukah might well be when Messiah was conceived. Without going into GREAT detail -- this post is already fairly long -- There is much evidence that Messiah was born during the Feast of Tabernacles (sukkot), which would put conception nine months back -- VERY near Chanukah. It seems that God would use some clear makers, i.e. the Feasts, to bring His plan about. Now what makes this very interesting is that, if this is the case, John the Baptist would have been born on Passover!

Well, there you have a brief overview of the celebration of Chanukah. I am not sure that this helps at all, but I believe as I progress through the celebrations, we will begin to see the tie of all of these festivals into God's plan.

Bugs -- I hope that some of this may help...

Of Synagogues and Churches

I apologize for my delay in posting. I have had some personal items that have kept me busy. However, I wanted to briefly post on something that we were discussing.

I wanted to make a few more observations regarding church structure, and then I will shut up about it.

There are many ongoing discussions regarding home church, and I think Steve has really opened my eyes to the difference between 'simple' church and 'home' churches. While a simple church may well be a home church, it is not required to be a home church. Simple church is church without the accretion of liturgy, traditions, etc (correct me if I am wrong, Steve). While I happen to think some traditions and/or liturgies are beautiful, I believe that the simple church is striving to bring back the relational aspects of the Body of Christ that have been lost in the 'institutional' church, and I am all for that.

As I have stated, I think there is a definitive place for didactic teaching in the church, however, I feel that church has become SO institutionalized that people are reduced to observers in their own faith. This is where I believe I have a point of agreement with my friends in the simple church movement. Far too many people attend church, sit in the pew, get their self-affirming message, and then go home to an unchanged life. This is NOT the message of the Bible!

I brought up the model of the synagogue in another discussion, therefore I thought that I would return to some synagogue thoughts regarding structure:

The synagogue was the place for relational study of the Scriptures, while the Temple was for corporate/national worship. In the synagogue you would find the Torah read, the points of Scripture expounded upon and discussion. The Temple would be the place for sacrifice, and for corporate liturgical worship. In our modern day church, some would equate 'small groups' with synagogue style worship, however I believe that one needs to understand that synagogues were not simply places where everyone got together and expounded upon what the Scripture 'meant to them'.

Far too often that is what a small group becomes, with people going down endless rabbit trails, or worse, as Ded has referenced; a Christian coffee klatch. In synagogue a teacher would expound on the Scriptures, and then discussion would occur. Where small groups can come up short is in the area of leadership -- somehow egalitarian expression seems to be the fad, with EVERYONE'S ideas carrying equal weight. There needs to be some Biblical perspective to this -- I have been in groups where everything from Jesus was an alien to New Age mysticism was given equal time with the Scriptures.

Now, with that being said -- I do not believe that one is required to have a seminary education, but I believe that one who is called to lead -- be it institutional, simple, or a home church -- should STUDY to show themselves approved. And they should be cognizant of the cultural, historical, and biblical perspectives of the material being taught. Someone needs to be the voice of Biblical reasoning, and it is vital that all church expressions have that.

So, I guess I have come to understand the concerns of my friends in the simple church movement, and agree. But I would like to put in place some caveats: there needs to be leadership within all of the structures -- however that leadership should not be a stifling, spirit-killing style of leadership that is often associated with the cult of personality type of churches that are out there. Also, the body needs to be able express its gifts and discuss their faith in an interactive setting that allows for true growth, not simple parroting of the leaders ideas.

Recently a well-known leader within the evangelical community was defrocked, and one of the charges against him was spiritual abuse of his congregants, the exact type of spirit-killing leadership style that I am discussing. This should open the eyes of those who feel that leadership should be exercised, rather than modeled.


I am not sure that I have covered all the bases, I just wanted to put some closure around this discussion. Bugs -- I hope to start with feasts soon! Probably going to start with Chanukkah/Hanukkah...

IC, HC, or SC?

I am writing this post in response to a discussion that has been taking place over at Theological Musings. We have been having a great discussion regarding the Institutional Church (hereafter known as IC), and the Simple Church (hereafter known as SC). I have truly enjoyed the give and take, but finally my responses were simply no longer comment-length, and to relieve Steve of my ovetaking the comment section, I decided to do a full on post. So, here go some thoughts:

First, a brief reference: We were discussing the synagogue teaching methods versus IC didactic preaching, and I had made a comment that synagogues used didactic teaching methods; this caused Steve to question my statement – and I must admit that my statement requires modification (thanks for the diligence in reading my LONG comments, Steve). In synagogues you would have found both interactive and didactic teaching. When the Word was proclaimed, that would be in a didactic manner, and afterwards there could be a time of interactive discussion. This was not always true, but could be.

As we have discussed SC, I have used the parallel of the synagogue as have others, but really upon further contemplation I believe that this is a false parallel. We cannot compare the IC of today with the synagogue as we must understand that the synagogue was really the ‘cell group’ of the Jewish faith, and true corporate worship took place at the Temple. So therefore, I think we have created a false dichotomy between the IC and the synagogue. I want to examine that a bit further in a future post, but first I wanted to get some things out on the table, so that people will understand my perspective a bit more.

I admit that I am an IC pastor, so I may look at things a bit differently from some of the folks in this discussion. When we established the church we had come from a situation where a pastor had done some significant damage due to an abuse of power, therefore as the church solidified, I knew that I did not want to be the potentate of this gathering of believers, (I am under no allusions as to my fallibility). We made it clear in our constitution that there was a plurality of leadership, with no one person more important than another within the realm of elders. This has served us well in many situations. We did not intend on doing anything different, or making a statement against the traditional church, but as we developed, we found that there were far too many trappings involved in starting a traditional church, i.e. liturgy, tradition, etc., and we therefore chose to start simply, and add things that we found to work as time goes on, rejecting a lot of other things that many people believe are required to be considered a true church.

I did not even know that we were all that different from most other churches until people pointed it out; I confess that this was not intentional (I would love to claim credit as a visionary!) However, I wanted to instill the things that I had grown to love within the context of my Jewish background such as; relationships being a vital component of our gatherings, the celebration of the Feasts, gathering as a family on other occasions OUTSIDE of Sunday mornings, etc. I also wanted to be as much a part of the church as possible, not treated in a way that separated me from others. These deeply felt convictions were not only the result of my background, but also a reaction to some of the abuses that I had seen in the past. We had been previously attended a church whose ecclesiology placed the pastor in the role of sole arbiter of the spiritual direction and guidance of the church. This was not a ‘one-off’ church, but a denomination that had, as one of their distinctives, this pastoral role. The damage that can be caused by this type of leadership is obvious to the most casual observer, and we lived through a horror story that I do not want to relate here as it will not serve to edify regarding my position. Suffice it to say, I found that type of pastoral role unacceptable.

Also, I will admit that I have made many, many mistakes in leading of this body of believers, and still make mistakes. However, we have learned through the mistakes AS A FAMILY! I emphasize that because it is something that I say regularly to the people within the congregation – we are family, not a bunch of people that simply get together on Sunday mornings and worship together. While Sunday mornings are a part of our body life, it is only a part.

You cannot function in the manner that Paul discusses by only meeting on Sunday morning. You also cannot function that way by subdividing the body into age, sex, and/or marital status groups. I see this nowhere in the Bible. To truly function as the body, we must have a VESTED interest in those around us, not a passing interest. When one weeps we should all weep, and when one rejoices, we should all rejoice. How can we hold one another accountable if we meet on Sunday only?

I am going to end this post for now, and next time post some additional thoughts. I do not wish to overstate what we are doing at my church. I am not sure how unique we are, and I am also uncomfortable thinking that we are somehow doing things better than other churches…

Truly, the Lord has blessed us, it was not my business or ecclesiastical acumen that put us where we are, but only His favor and grace. I pray that I am not being prideful in my discussions, but I am very proud of what the Lord has done in the people that worship with me.

Missions?

This past weekend we held a prayer walk around the city where our church is located. It was a great opportunity to get out and walk ALL of the town... Our town is one that is heavily marked by alcoholism and drugs. Literally a liquor store on every corner, and even our church is located between several bars (including one that shares a wall with us!).

We were intentional in our placement of the church. This town, we felt, was in need of a church in our location. This is not to say that there are no other churches in town -- there are several very good churches, however we wanted to be part of the outreach to this community.

We have been in our location for four years, and it has been anything but dull. We jokingly call our church the 'Island of Misfit Toys'. We run the gamut from homeless folks to blue-collar families, bikers, metalheads, and just your normal folks in normal homes. It is quite humbling to stand behind the pulpit and look at all of these people coming to hear the Word of the Lord, sitting together, praying together etc.

We run on a budget that is razor-thin, and meet in a commercial strip mall, as I mentioned, that is located between bars. Yet, with all of the difficult, and often frustrating, work, I have to say that there is nowhere else I would rather be most Sundays. The people in the church love one another intentionally, and look out for one another -- we almost always have one unemployed person struggling, and it is not uncommon for them to find 'gifts' left at their front door, often by unnamed people who have as little as they have!

This past weekend we were able to provide one of our church members with a car. No, it was not a brand-new car; it had many miles on it, but we all got together and contributed money and surprised him on Sunday morning (he NEVER saw it coming)!

Where am I going with this? Well, first off, I just wanted to brag, (yes, I KNOW its a sin), about my congregation. This is a group of people who do not get bragged about a lot, and don't expect to have accolades written about them. They are just people living out their lives as Christians in some very difficult situations. And secondly, I wanted to make an observation.

Fairly near our area are several huge churches, one is within fairly close proximity. Now, my goal is not to vilify them, but to simply wonder aloud. When I look at the attendees at these churches, I am disappointed to see that most of their congregants come in from OUTSIDE the community in which they are located. It is interesting to see a line of upscale cars driving through a neighborhood that is unused to seeing them, and then heading into a valet-assisted parking lot, to attend church. Many of these people would be horrified to have to walk through the surrounding neighborhood to attend church!

I wonder -- do these people SEE those in the community around them? Or, are they simply enamored with attending a 'name' church? Maybe the church does things in the community, but for the life of me, I can't think of any things that they have been with us on. One example -- We asked them to join us in putting together a Hurricane Katrina Relief event. They ignored our request and went so far as to instruct their folks to ONLY give to church-approved groups! It seems that when they do things it is not with small, local churches but either alone with their name prominently displayed, or with a collection of other monster churches. And everything has a fee attached. I know, probably better than pastor X, that things cost money, but many of their events are placed outside the price-range of the people living in the very shadow of the monolithic buildings that dominate the area.

I feel that there is something wrong when a church is in a community, yet knows next to nothing about the community. I know, many would say that I am a small church pastor with building envy. I don't know, maybe I am, but I am not lusting over the size of these churches, I am wondering why they don't find a small church to partner with in their local community. We have several churches in our town which could use some assistance in reaching the surrounding community.

Why is it that we see, or hear about HUGE campaigns in these churches to 'reach the lost' in, say, Tanzania, or Madagascar, with the requisite advertising campaign and poster placements, yet they have no outreach to the crack mom down the street, or the shut-in older man who is a prisoner in his home? Is it because this is not a 'sexy' ministry? Or is it because they feel it is the duty of churches like ours to do that? I don't know, and I am not here to make the claim that I do.

I will be the first to tell you that an outreach church is a pain! You have to deal with a lot, people are damaged, and it is, at times, VERY difficult to minister to them. Maybe that is why the pastor at the monster church doesn't do a lot with the surrounding community. In all honesty, I understand; it is hard work, and I will not deny that. However, I think that Western Christianity is far too often a religion of convenience -- it is easier to give a big check to ministries in Tanzania than it is to go out and have a meth head scream obscenities at you as you deliver a case of food.

What I think would be helpful is this -- One of these churches pony up with a small local church and give them a hand up. Send volunteers out to help us distribute food, or reach some of the bleaker portions of our community. One of their tithe collections is probably more than a year of mine, so put a portion of a single collection towards working with a local church.

Now, with that being said -- there are several of us smaller churches who have begun to work together tightly. We have discussed preaching from each others pulpits, bringing in our worship teams and providing worship on some Sundays and sharing costs in several areas. The other pastors are wonderful men of God who are also passionate about reaching our community, and we are all very different, each of us come from a different cultural background, but all are focused on one thing -- preaching the Kingdom of God, and reaching the surrounding community.

I am in discussion with my friend Steve, and others over at Steve's Place regarding church structure. In many ways I agree with their assessment of church life as it stands today. Far too many churches have become institutions unto themselves and have become completely insular organizations. We may not agree on everything (who does?), but I hear the concerns they have, and even share many of them.

I do not have all the answers, I am not even sure I have ANY of the answers, but I do know that there is a growing need in our increasingly post-Christian world, for outreach right outside of our doorposts.

Myopic Consumerism

Please forgive this screed -- you may want to just move on if you want something truly edifying, I just wanted to make a brief comment about the hypocrisy of boycotts.

I have heard MANY comments about "Brokeback Mountain', 'End of the Spear', and the TV show 'The Book of Daniel', none of which I have seen; however I read a very good review of 'End of the Spear' by John Ferguson here.

People are up in arms about the fact that a homosexual was hired to portray Nate Saint, and that Daniel portrays Christians in the worst possible light. I have no doubt that there is validity to these complaints. Daniel has been cancelled, I believe, but I have heard that EotS is doing well... Brokeback Mountain -- well, we know what it is about, so why go see it?

Anyway, the problem I have is that groups such as the AFA, and the Moral Majority, are FULL of boycotts and protests; everything from Kraft Foods to Reader's Digest, from Ford Motor Company to Movie Gallery, but they never decry some of the more blatant issues.

Why? Because, it is about an agenda -- that is, we are going to ensure that we wield power over these godless heathen's who would dare do something we dislike. These folks (AFA) do SOME good, I am sure, but I am always amazed at how myopic their perspective is. The BIG BOX stores are well-known for their importing of goods made from forced labor, yet I know many AFA/MM members/supporters who happily march to the Wal*Mart beat and think nothing of buying something made in China (as an example) that has been made by forced labor. Nor, do Christians think about their spending habits when it comes to items developed and produced overseas due to the toxic nature of their production.

To me, this is hypocrisy on par with the PETA group's decrying of animal research, all the while they live off the benefits of animal research (one of their leaders is diabetic, as am I, and the insulin she injects is made with animal research).

Why is it that the Christian community boycotts some things, and not others? I have a theory -- If it won't impact my life, I will boycott it; for example -- who cares about boycotting Movie Gallery? BUT, if it impacts me financially, then forget it. I will shop at the Big Box because I save money -- why boycott cheap slippers, and DVD's? After all, Wal*Mart is a FAMILY store! They don't have any of those AFA-boycotted products, they are FAMILY-FRIENDLY (unless that family happens to live in, say, Indonesia, or China, or any of the other places we have exported our livelihood to.).

I am just bothered by the activism of Mr. and Mrs. Cleaver when it comes to something that really does not affect them, but the absolute silence on items where they would be in any discomfort. Now, this is a generalization, but I have found through sleuthing a bit that this is far more the case than people want to admit.

Well, there you have it -- Don't boycott Ford until you have checked out your favorite store and seen their business practices. Now, in this day and age, it is impossible to not have something in your house that was produced in a questionable manner, but we should be much more discerning than we are. It seems that if it involves SEX then boycotts are coming, but if it is about quality of life in a NON-USA/Western country, many Christians seem to turn a blind eye to it...

End of screed! We now return you to your regularly scheduled program...

'Authentic' Christianity

What is 'authentic' Christianity? I have been spurred to post regarding this by a couple of recent discussions I have been involved in.

I am a Messianic Jew,. Now before someone gets up in arms about that statement, I am NOT trying to make a delineation between me and everyone else. I just want to put this forward intially to provide some perspective. I also co-pastored a home church for two years, and had a wonderful time in the intimate setting. I now pastor a church slighter larger than a home church, and we meet in a building. As this will come into play in this post.

As a Messianic Jew I have been acosted by many who want to return to the 'authentic' Christianity that was found in the early church. These folks are often disappointed that I am not more 'authentic' in my presentation of the gospel; they want me to 'do church like the apostles did'... I assume that they want me to be beat by rods, and thrown into Roman jails, and then they can go into hiding and pray for my safe return? I mean, what does this mean -- 'Authentic' Christianity?

Truth is, it means something different to everyone, but the reality is that we don't live in the 1st century, so it is foolish to assume that we can 'get back' to authentic Christianity as if it were a ritual, method, or model that can be bottled, marketed, and sold like some cheap perfume.

I have friends in the home church movement who say that 'authentic' Christianity is home churches. Well, that misses a couple of points in the Bible; one being, if Paul had a better reception in the synagogue, he would not have met in homes, the synagogue would have been the place. So, it is not home churches that 'make' Christianity authentic.

Some say that observing all of the feasts is the way to authentic Christianity, well I disagree, and I say that as a Jew. Keeping the feasts did not make the Pharisees MORE authentic than, say Lydia, did it? Do I love the feasts? Absolutely, and our church observes them, but this does not make me more 'authentic' in my practice of Christianity than the Baptists down the street!

And we always have my dear Reformed friends who say that the 'regulative' method of Worship is the way to be, and provides a setting that is conducive to 'Authentic' Worship. Now, not all of the Reformed guys that I hang out with have completely bought into every aspect of the 'regulative' method of worship, but there are those... The regulative method DOES prevent excesses from occurring, but let us not think that the regulative, or 'Biblical' style is all about 'What the Bible says' -- For example, not only the Reformed folks, but the some of the Church of Christ friends I have say that they ONLY practice Christianity that is 'authentic' because it is 'what the Bible says and nothing more'.(I have a very, very bright friend who is a CoC Pastor (Charles) who is an exception to what I am saying here. He is a good friend who may chime in on this)

[BUZZER], I am sorry, that is the wrong answer: For example, I don't know many Presbyterian churches that have sold all that they have and give to each as his need. And I am unaware of any CoC churches that greet one another with a Holy Kiss! (maybe some Mennonnites, and Amish, but certainly not the guys I know).

Now, I am not condemning these folks for not doing that, we don't do it either. What I am trying to say is that 'authentic' Christianity is not a method, a plan, a box of instructions, it is authentic Christians living out their faith. That traverses denominational boundaries, and worship styles.

Don't you think, all of my home church buddies, that Paul would have loved to have met in a building, so that more people could hear the gospel? You bet he would have! He would have met at the Temple if the opportunity afforded itself.

For my Messianic friends -- Go and read what Paul had to say about days and times, and about making Gentiles become Jewish in order to experience the grace that is found in our Savior. He was staunch about his stance.. If you don't know where to start I recommend Romans, Ephesians, Galatians...

All those who think that they have captured authentic Christianity because of the way they worship, or the type of songs they sing have missed the boat, IMHO. I know a REFORMED, REFORMED Presbyterian!! (I KNOW, I KNOW), who is a wonderful man of God and loves the Lord with all his heart, but he truly believes that his church has it all figured out, and is authentic because they ONLY sing Psalms, and then, only accappella!

I know folks that say that it is ONLY proper to have the Lord's Supper once a month, some annually, and some INSIST that it is to be weekly. I am just glad that they think it should be celebrated at all! Some churches have even given up this ordinance (sacrament for you sacerdotal types).

Truth be told -- many of those that are searching for 'authentic' Christianity, are only looking for the novelty of it, not the lifestyle. They want to participate in 'authentic' Christianity the same way that they want to participate in 'authentic' Scottish Highland games (wouldn't Robert the Bruce be surprised by the 'authentic' highland games? Wouldn't Paul be surprised by 'authentic' Christianity?).

So, to finish off; I am not writing this from the storied Ivory Towers of Academia; my perspective is a simple country hamlet. I am not a scholar, I am a practicing pastor at a small church of people attempting to practice 'authentic' Christianity with other 'authentic' Christians, be they in a home church, a building, or even a Messianic synagogue. I am sure that there are things that I might have glossed over, or omitted -- this is not a doctorate thesis, this is an observation.

I also want to make the disclaimer that I am not saying ALL forms of worship, no matter how heretical, or non-glorifying to God are acceptable. We must guard against heresy and blasphemous practices, no doubt about that, but to say that one church model is more 'authentic' than another misses the whole point of the church being made up of living stones!

Let me provide this story -- Polycarp and Anicetus had a disagreement about Easter, (the Easter Controversy), wherein Polycarp, representing the Eastern Church celebrated the resurrection of Messiah on Passover (14th of Nisan), and Anicetus insisted that it was to be on a Sunday which was designated by the Western Church. They came together and agreed, after much discussion, to disagree. Now, Polycarp had every right to throw out the 'authentic' Christianity barb, and say we are right and you are wrong, because John the Apostle taught me this! However, while he did make reference to that fact, those two men of God sat down, and took communion together in a symbolic act of fellowship. They disagreed on something they both felt passionate about, but when it came to breaking fellowship they declined to do that. It was later that this boiled over, under the leadership of less mature, less Christ-centered leaders. Polycarp and Anicetus understood (IMHO) that 'authentic' Christianity is not defined by a 'style' or 'method'.

What is an authentic Christian? -- Go read 1st John, go read the Gospels, go read the Pauline epistles which touched upon Body life more than almost any other subject. What do they say? You tell me, but one of the things ringing in my head, from our Lord and Savior, is this -- "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, and strength, and Love your neighbor as yourself". I think that is a great beginning to 'authentic' Christianity!

A Mind is A Terrible Thing To Waste

I have, for a long time, been adamant about people loving the Lord with all their HEART, MIND and STRENGTH, but it seems, at times, that people just don't want to do that...

Now, that is quite a statement out of the gate, isn't it? What I mean by that statement is that it seems today that everyone wants to love the Lord with all their HEART... Notice anything missing? Yeah, it would be the aspect of loving Him with our mind and strength... I am constantly amazed by otherwise sane human beings, who place their brains on a shelf when they begin to read, and/or discuss the Bible.

I have previously discussed 'worship' songs that are more like pimply-faced, erotic, and emotive but doctrinally empty, love songs that have sprouted from the quills of some modern-day songwriters. And I have addressed pieces of this throughout some of my other posts, but today I wanted to address something head-on: That is, the tendency in our culture for 'free interpretation' of the Bible.

How many of us have been to a Bible study where the teacher/pastor/leader provides a teaching on a section of Scripture, only to be interrupted by three or four people with heavily marked up Bibles, and a Strong's nearby, who proceed to 'correct' the teacher by providing their interpretation! These are the folks who are the first to inform you that you don't understand the difference between zoe and psuche. Sound familiar to anyone?

First, let me dispel one common myth -- We do not all possess the same amount of knowledge as regards the Bible -- some people have given their lives to studying the Word, and have MORE knowledge than others (I am not referring to myself here, but to many great teachers out there). Just because you heard a pastor speak on the difference between zoe and psuche, don't assume that you now have it all figured out. Also, don't assume that because you read all of the meanings in Strong's and inserted your favorite meaning into a particular passage, that you are naturally correct. Tools are good, but they are only as good as those who know how to use them. Just because you have a forklift at the house does not mean that you know how to load a 44' trailer!

We need to learn from people who have given their lives to studying the Bible in all of its facets. I spend most of my waking, and non-working moments ensuring that, as Paul says in 2nd Timothy, I am rightly handling the Word of God. However, I still have a lot to learn and will not get dogmatic (usually), about something that I do not have a grasp on. The egalitarian mindset, that everyone should be able to foist their 'opinion' on everyone else in a study, is simply not correct. I have seen many new believers led astray by people speaking on things they know NOTHING about, but speak as if they are an expert.

Second, the Bible does NOT mean what you want it to mean! I have heard plenty of people say, "Well, what this passage means to me...[you fill in the blanks]". Now, the Bible does have application in our lives, but first and foremost we need to figure out what the passage is SAYING, NOT what we THINK it might mean. Many times the passage in question is a narrative, in other words it has clear context and clear meaning which must be discerned before we begin applying it's meaning to our lives!

Let me provide an example: when teaching through Acts one may constantly be 'corrected' by a person who is providing their interpretation of Paul's travels in Acts 13 in some SUPER-spiritualized, and almost inevitably wrong-headed manner. Now, don't get me wrong, many of these people are absolutely wonderful and love the Lord. I don't think that it is their intent is to take a study down a rabbit trail, they have just bought into the bad teaching that everyone's interpretation is equally true to the text because the 'Holy Spirit told me' (hard to argue with that, huh?).

I suggest that everyone get a book such as Gordon Fee and Douglas Stuart's How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth, and actually read it! Study the types of literature that the Bible contains and understand the difference between a narrative, wisdom literature, and apocalyptic literature. We could dispel a lot of fringe-element eschaton teaching if people understood more about the literature they were reading.

And finally -- lest you think that studying the Word of God in a balanced manner will rob you of your 'joy' (another widely used, but poorly understood word), let me refer you to Paul's doxology in Romans 11:33-36, where, after going through and exegeting Scripture and examining God's plan, Paul is driven to say:

Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! For who has known the mind of the Lord,or who has been his counselor? Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid? For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.

Paul loved the Lord with all of his HEART, MIND!!!, and STRENGTH.

I would recommend that you not only purchase and read Dr. Fee's book, but you also place yourself under the teaching of a solid, Biblical, teacher, and LEARN from him!

Youth And Children Ministries

Before I get into this post, may I say that I have worked with youth for 16 years, and love them dearly, but something smells in Youth Ministry nowadays and I wanted to briefly post my thoughts on it.

First, I would highly recommend a series that Dan Edelen recently posted on the 21st Century church... While you may not agree with everything he has to say, there are some thought-provoking ideas in the series.

In that series Dan did a section that addressed Youth Pastors, and I heartily agree with his assessment.

As I said, I have worked with youth for a while, and I know that everything that has happened in youth ministry is not awful, but there are some trends which do not bode well.

First let me start with the positive things:

1. There have been numerous occasions in our youth ministry where someone has begun to attend church BECAUSE they could attend the Youth Ministry and connect with the others of their age group. In our post-Christian world I think it is naive to say that parents should catechize their children, when the parents as Biblically illiterate as the children. So, if a young person wants to come to church and be ministered too INITIALLY within the framework of a youth ministry, then that is a good thing.

2. I have seen instances where Youth have gone into the Mission Field, or another area of ministry because of the influence of their youth pastor. These youth pastors can be of great, and positive influence, especially in today's society where they might be the ONLY parental influence in a young persons life!

3. Youth Groups can be a place where the gifts of a young person can be examined; i.e. if a young person has a talent on guitar, it is nice to be able to disciple them in a youth setting, enabling them to use their talents at various functions as they mature into a person who could then be placed in a worship team setting.

Now -- what do I see as a problem? Here goes, and I am going to probably miss a few, but bear with me:

1. Youth Groups have become places where adults are unwelcome, becoming so self-centered that there is no longer a focus on the Word of God, and making disciples; but rather on all of the FUN we can have when together. Some of the activities which I have seen are: disgusting rituals akin to Fear Factor, music being promoted that has nothing in it glorifying to God, rather it is simply feeding the flesh, and a frightening 'New Age-like' focus.

2. Too much dependence on groups such as Youth Specialities, and GROUP for lessons and ideas, rather than the Bible being the basis. Some of these groups promote practices which any Christian parent should be uncomfortable with, such as 'centering' exercises etc. This also makes a Youth person lazy, and unchallenged in their own life (been there, done that).

3. An artificial separation of the Body of Christ into specific 'age-appropriate' groups (see my post on elders), which fosters a sense of division within even the same church body; with one group having this event, and another group having that event, and never does the entire body gather for a time of corporate worship. This is exacerbated by the foolishness of 'biblezines' such as Refuel, Revolve, etc. Or maybe these 'zines are the direct result of an unhealthy focus on youth in our churches.

4. Parents see the Youth Pastor as the 'spiritual leader' of their teens, abdicating their responsibility as the leader in their home. I saw this same thing in Awana when I attended a church that sponsored it. They claimed to be reaching the community, but the reality was that we were the dumping ground for children while mom and dad went out and had a nice, quiet dinner. When parents identify the Youth Pastor as the 'spiritual' person in the life of their teens, they have failed in one of their primary roles as a parent -- teaching their children about their faith.

5. And we now see churches FILLED with adults who are as spiritually immature as their teens, because they always attended the Youth Group, but never actually got discipled, and many of these adults never had their faith modeled at home, so we are propagating this mistake into the next generation. As Pastors, I believe one of our primary duties is to teach parents that THEY are to teach their children about their faith, NOT giving that responsibility to someone else!

Finally, I am not trying to make a big comment on the 'Emergent Church', but much of what I have seen from them is 'youth group' like. It seems that many of them are nothing more than large youth groups gone amok. While I do not think that every 'Emergent' church is like that, most of the conversations I have had with friends in the EC and my limited experience with them smacks of people raised in a youth group atmosphere, and never actually GROWING UP (read that -- reaching maturity).

They are big on events/'alternative' worship, and coarse language and the usual things that youth do to shock the system of their elders, and often light on content. Now, before you roast me on a spit; I am sure that this does not define the EC as a whole, but it certainly does touch upon some of the movement. And I believe that many involved in these churches are the product of too much youth group fun and not enough Biblical instruction.

How do we make Youth Groups work again -- read Dan Edelen's article! :-)

Also, how about bringing the youth out of the group and into the Body at large? Make them part of the body, not an appendage hanging out there in the 'fun zone' while the rest of us fall asleep in the pew week after week. And parents -- help out the youth folks, will you? Don't leave the spiritual well-being to them, YOU are supposed to be raising your children up with the understanding of the faith. While we understand that there are many youth who come to church sans parents, and these we have to disciple, the parents who attend church need to be the spiritual leaders for their children. The youth pastor has enough on his hands, don't abdicate your role!

Well, it is Sunday evening, and I am probably rambling -- so I will finish this... I would like to reiterate that I do not think that Youth Groups are AWFUL, but that they have become something they were never intended to be, and that is, a social club rather than a place where we assist parents in developing and discipling young Christians.

Bill Cosby & Content of the Sermon

I wanted to post this; I have been thinking quite a bit about sermon content lately, and had an epiphany (sort of).

Many may not remember Bill Cosby before the Cosby Show, or his recent spate of activism and speeches, but some of us are old enough to remember his fabulous stand-up and album career. What many may not know is that Bill Cosby has a great routinue about sermon content (he probably doesn't even know it!).

It is a routinue that almost perfectly expresses my concern as regards sermons in the modern church. It is the skit about chocolate cake for breakfast, and it goes something like this:

Dad, (Bill Cosby), is assigned the task of preparing breakfast for his children. Well, he knows just enough to be dangerous, i.e. the basic ingredients of what composes a proper breakfast. So, he thinks through the contents of chocolate cake (of which the family has some sitting on the counter), "hmm, eggs, butter, flour... that is basically breakfast food"... So, he proceeds to cut his children large slices of cake which they happily devour, all the while singing this little ditty: "Dad is great, he gave us chocolate cake".... All is blissful until Mrs. Cosby shows up, and well... you know the rest of the story, it isn't good for Bill!

Well, how does this relate to the current spate of soft-soap sermon material that is saturating the church; i.e. sermons devoid of anything resembling the gospel in it's fullness? Well, let's see if I can pull this together --

Bill a.k.a. Dad, is the hapless pastor who knows just enough to be dangerous. He knows the basics, i.e. Eggs=Jesus; Butter=Loves; Flour=You. This he mixes together with cocoa powder=secular and/or pop psychology; and sugar=feel-good, happy messages, and creates what he assumes is a healthy and wholesome breakfast. And of course, the children, a.k.a., the congregation sits around singing his accolades: "Pastor X is great, he gives us chocolate cake!"

All is happy until Mrs. Cosby a.k.a. someone with a clue about the actual gospel message, shows up and disapproves.

What was missing from Bill's breakfast? Didn't it contain some of the correct materials necessary for a healthy breakfast? Yes, it did, but mixed with the wrong ingredients, and dished up in incorrect portions, it becomes an unhealthy meal that will only make obese and toothless children.

What needs to be done? Well, first, DON'T mix the good ingredients in with unhealthy ingredients. Second, put together a COMPLETE breakfast; i.e. with the eggs, butter, and flour, let's add toast=we are children of wrath, and a nice healthy sliced tomato=the Spirit makes us NEW CREATIONS, and all of the makings of a proper breakfast. As with all analogies, this is not perfect, but it does describe the fact that many sermons contain a lot of Jesus loves you, but very little of the other aspects of the gospel, such as atonement, the fact that we are children of wrath, that we are to become new creations and turn from the old ways.

What I have seen is that the pastors preach JUST ENOUGH knowledge of the gospel to produce chocolate cake, but there are fewer who can put together a wholesome meal!

Thanks for humoring me; I had this in my head and wanted to put it down. I am sure that it is missing components, and needs work, but I feel better now that it is down in a post...

Hello

No, I have not quit posting, just quite busy right now.

However, I wanted to say that I am contemplating a post on youth, along the lines of the elders post. I think that there are some things in the youth group movement that need to be addressed.

BTW, I have worked with youth for fifteen years, and while that does not make me an expert, (can anyone be an expert on youth?), I have watched the youth movement change over the years and much of what I have seen has not been for the better.

The youth groups of today tend to be more self-absorbed, and superficial than when I first began working with youth. While I do not want to get deep into this right now, I wanted to at least provide a framework for the upcoming post.

I want to close this post with a statement -- I have a lot more faith in youth themselves than in the youth leaders, and the materials they produce (which, by and large, stink).

Stay tuned!

Elders Part Deux

For those that stop by this outpost in the blogsphere, I apologize for being gone for a while. I had a number of things going on, and it was quite busy around here; I didn't even return phone calls. However, my 2006 is finally off and running, and I have some time to post again!

In my last post I touched upon elders and government within the church. I wanted to examine elders in a different light this time. The elders to which I turn my attention are also called: senior citizens, older adults, etc. In other words, the elders in this case are those within our body who have a few years under their belt.

I have been led to write this because I see a disturbing trend within the church. There is a propensity in the modern and 'relevant' church era, to discard or sideline our elder statesmen and women. Whenever I go to a 'hip' church, either via website or actual visit, I notice a definitive lack of age and maturity within the church. I am not necessarily talking about the well-known, and well-dissected megachurches out there; these have been meticulously gone over with a fine-tooth comb by every critic in the world.

No, I am talking about the average church 'down the street', be it AG, Baptist, Presbyterian, whatever the flavor. Here is how it often goes:

Pastor -- "We are going to be relevant to our community"

Translation -- "We are going to throw out everything that smacks of church"

Pastor -- "We are going to bring in the lost"

Translation -- "All those silly things like our tradition, our songs, our sermons, anything that offends the lost, must go"

And on it goes, until the people who kept the church alive and going for many years are so alienated that they finally drift off; either to another church, or they simply stay at home. I am NOT saying that we should continue singing hymns accompanied ONLY by Ethel the pipe organist, and her sister Mabel on piano. Nor am I saying that EVERY tradition is good; some should be done away with. And you ARE going to alienate some within the church anytime you monkey with the mechanisms. However, what I find disturbing is that many churches seem to go out of their way to alienate the older Christians in their mix, throwing out EVERYTHING without any discerning look at what is good and what is simply a hindrance.

What a loss to a church when their elders leave! Some are cranky and a pain, but so are some of the young and hip (actually I have found the young and hip to be much more narcissistic than the older folks). What do we lose? Well, how about someone who has persevered through many years of pain and loss? How many of our elders have suffered through the loss of a spouse, or even a child? How many have suffered through the loss of a parent? And how many have walked faithfully with the Lord for decades?

Young, hip pastors could learn a lot from their elders! When tragedy comes along within the church, wouldn't it be nice to have someone who has lived through the situation to assist us, and/or give perspective? We are FAR too enamored with youth to be of much good when it comes to situations such as "How to cope with THE diagnosis", or "How to survive the loss of a loved one", or "What do we do when we are SO lonely; who do we turn to?". The church seems to be infected with the American disease of "Everybody is beautiful; and those that aren't need to be discarded". Take a look at some churches, it seems everyone that comes to the church is young, beautiful and vibrant -- where are those who have faithfully served the church for 30 years, 40 years, more? We are far more shallow, and superficial without our elder brothers and sisters.

I tell you, I have always found the older Christians to be of great comfort to me when life-defining situations come up. They have been there, and been through it. They bring perspective, love, concern and honesty to situations. Unfortunately, we have far too few in our congregation; I fear we are too non-traditional. That is not something we aspire to, it is simply how we are.

Even pastors have been infected with this young disease; I have seen older, more seasoned, pastors cast aside in favor of the 'cutting edge' pastor. And that selfsame cutting edge pastor, quite frankly, ignoring the sage advice of his predecessor. What a tragedy; we could avoid a lot of mistakes if we would simply heed the advice of great men that have gone before us. And now, the church is divided into so many parts that even if you have elders in your church, you send them to 'Seniors' church, and send your children to 'Children's' church, therefore ensuring that the older and younger never meet!

It is time for us, pastors and leaders within the church, to reach out to our older members. Let them know that not only do they matter, but they have something to contribute, and we value their perspective on life.

We have a wonderful lady at our church, she is 70+ and puts many of the younger people to shame wioth her energy. She NEVER forgets anyone; sending goodies, flowers, or a card to people when they are having a hard time, or to congratulate them. We have placed her in charge of our hospitality ministry; she has a lot to teach me, and the others within our church! I am so grateful that the Lord saw fit to place her within our midst.

How can we reach out to our elders? Well, as I said, we do not have to continue to do things the way we have always done them, but how about we use some discernment when picking and choosing our direction; not everything that the church has done for hundreds of years is wrong! how about giving them some responsibility at church, and not sidelining them to the nether regions of the sanctuary?

Here are some (not exhaustive by any means) things we can do:

1. Don't throw out the great hymns that have carried the Church for many a year! -- If you want to have a bit more of a contemporary sound, then redo the hymns in a more modern approach -- NOT in a way that they are unrecognizable! Simply more updated. Also, pick GOOD hymns -- just because something is a hymn, does not automatically make it good! You can mix modern worship in with hymns, but it seems, all too often, that we are more concerned with how 'rockin' the worship is rather than what it says! Mix it up!

2. Maintain GOOD traditions -- We are iconoclastic in our approach to traditions; throwing everything out without making a judgment call on what is good. I don't care if the younger people don't understand what an invocation or a benediction is -- maybe they should learn. I close with the Aaronic Blessing every week, and one week I missed it. One of our older Christians approached me immediately after the service and told me that the Blessing meant so much to her, and she was concerned that I had thrown it out! I have not missed since!!

3. Don't isolate the Seniors -- Don't give them their own little church so they don't have to mix with the 'others'. It allows pastors to be lazy and only preach to those that they want to, and it brings up walls between the age groups. We younger folks NEED the older folks as much as they need us. Bring them in and make them a part of the body, not an appendage that is only called upon for bake sales (which no one does anymore anyway!).

4. Put seniors in an advisory role -- Why is it that pastors seem to think that they don't need older, wiser, advice? We should consult our elders; they have often been there, done that, and may know something that we have not considered!

There are many other ways to bring the age and wisdom back into our churches. Far too many churches look as if they are run by self-centered adolescents who are now 'getting back' at their parents for making them sit through dull sermons all their life.

BTW -- if you are a senior -- don't blame everything on the pastor. I have seen some who will not mix in with the church and want to be catered to: to the exclusion of everyone else in the church! Also, speak up, a pastor does not read minds -- if something bothers you, say something to the leadership. If you have suggestions, or see the church heading for a train wreck, don't just sit and smugly smile. The elders must make an effort to be part of the church as well....

Let me leave a couple of Scriptures with you: both for the senior and for the younger. Also, do not forget that Moses was 80 before the Lord called him into ministry, and his brother Aaron was even older! --

Psalm 71:17,18: O God, from my youth you have taught me, and I still proclaim your wondrous deeds. So even to old age and gray hairs, O God, do not forsake me, until I proclaim your might to another generation, your power to all those to come.


Leviticus 19:32: You shall stand up before the gray head and honor the face of an old man, and you shall fear your God: I am the Lord.


Proverbs 22:23: Listen to your father who gave you life, and do not despise your mother when she is old.

1st Timothy 5:1,2: Do not rebuke an older man but encourage him as you would a father. Treat younger men like brothers, older women like mothers, younger women like sisters, in all purity.

Titus 2:2,3: Older men are to be sober-minded, dignified, self-controlled, sound in faith, in love, and in steadfastness. Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, 4 and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, 5 to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled.

Elders

I am posting this because of a conversation I recently had concerning elders. I was talking with some folks in a denomination (that denies it is a denomination) that has an ecclesiastical model built around the fact that the pastor is the ruling authority with elders 'reporting' to him.

This group argues (rightly so, in my opinion) against many of the ecclesiastical structures that are in the church, and they make the statement that they have formed their structure in order to prevent the pastor from becoming a 'hireling'.

While, I agree with some of their argumentation, I feel that they have swung the pendulum too far the other way by making the pastor the RULER of the church in which he pastors. Don't misunderstand me; I believe that a pastor is responsible for, and in charge of, caring for the flock. I think my concern is that in the model we are discussing there is far too much RULING in the position.

I am not simply an outside observer either: I came out of one of these churches and it was abused by the pastor, largely because he was the ruler. I was the associate pastor, and my ability to influence and/or change the direction he was heading in was minimal. He also had another elder, who was/is a very Godly, and sincere man. He likewise was stymied in his attempt to 'assist' the pastor in any way.

And since leaving that denomination I have spoken with many others who have had a similar experience to mine. There are many good pastors within this denomination, but the overall structure is (IMHO) unsound. To compound this, the group also has somewhat of a cult of personality regarding the founder, also a dangerous trait.

When planting our current church we (the other elder and I) spent a great deal of time prayerfully going over the government that the church would be guided under. What I am about to write is no news to anyone, but I just want to state it: We opted to go with a plurality of leadership. We found this to be true to the Bible, and we have found over the years that this has prevented me from wandering off into hobby horse theology. My elder firmly, but lovingly, has guided and helped me, and I would like to think that I have done the same for him.

When I say "MY" elder, I sound a bit pretentious, as if I am the ruler, and he is 'my' assistant. I would like to say that this is not the case, I may use that term, but truly we are BOTH elders, I am simply the elder with the pastoral role. When people in our congregation have issues, they feel as comfortable going to him as they do to me, and this keeps a good balance within the authority of the church.

Also, he sharpens me constantly, challenging me,(in a very positive way, and Christian way), and helping me to continue to grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord. I fear that the RULING position of pastor would cause me to get lazy in my growth. I know that many good men are pastors in churches where they have a different structure, and they are simply better men than I am; I know my weaknesses and am sure that without the challenge of a great elder, I would become complacent about some things that need attention. That is not false humility, but, I fear, a sober assessment of my state!

Anyway, I just wanted to put this up on the blog to make a statement about where I feel government within the church should be. I am sure that many may disagree, and that I may have missed some finer points of the methodology of the aforementioned group, but I have found a plurality of leadership has been very good for our church.