Men at Work

This post and some of the following are not specific to small churches, but to all churches. I would like to address the state of Men's ministry within the local body.

When I was looking for men's ministry curriculum last year, I had several men I respect provide me with suggestions. These men were from conservative, 'evangelical' churches, so I assumed that the books would be along those lines.

I must admit, I was shocked by the books recommended -- they sounded more like secular counseling books on reclaiming your manhood (in a secular sense) than they did Christian books on how to be a godly man.

Men do not need to be told how to be MEN, that comes naturally to most, it is much more difficult to instruct them on being godly. Sitting in a sweat shack with a bunch of other guys talking about football might be a good idea if you were trying to make men who were confident in their manhood, but I want to make men who are confident in Christ, and that is a vastly different thing.

I read through these books (which will remain nameless) and was surprised at the lack of Biblical grounding they had -- most of them simply wanted men to 'let go of mommy's apron strings' and step up to being a man in a generic sense.

I even met one of the men who has propagated this type of instruction in the men's ministry 'industry'. One of his tape series had two steel balls on the cover -- what do you think he was trying to convey? And how does that makes us men of God? I have worked in men's ministry for a long while now, and rarely do I find men who need to be taught how to be a man -- it is much more likely that they have no concept of being godly men.

We should not be asking the question -- "What does it take to be a man?", rather it should be "What does it take to be a godly leader in your home, a loving and self-sacrificing husband, a compassionate representative of Christ in your life?"

More on this later....

Catechize!

As anyone who has read this blog for any length of time knows, a good percentage of our church has never attended church before (I like that, we are not doing a lot of 'sheep-stealing').

With that make-up comes a wonderful opportunity -- to teach these young/new believers the foundational principles of our faith without having to fight through a lot of bad teaching. (I do not think that we have all the answers, but some who have attended had come from environments where Bible preaching, or explanation of the gospel had never occurred).

When a new believer is taught the foundations right out of the chute, they can spot bad doctrine a mile away.

I was pleasantly surprised recently when a relatively new convert related to me how she had been required to explain -- to much more 'mature' Christians in her college class -- that the Bible was actually the Word of God, and clearly addressed a discussion they were having -- (they were discussing how one knew the Bible's stance on several social issues).

She said --"why is it that these people who have attended church for much longer than I have were unaware of the Bible's position?". Sadly, I had to tell her that in quite a few churches in the area they do not use the Bible on Sundays. her answer was priceless -- "Well, what do they talk about then?"

Out of the mouth of babes!

Anyway, we have begun a new believers class, taught by a wonderful, mature, man of God. He is using as his 'new believers curriculum', the Westminster Catechism, and I have been pleasantly surprised by the way the folks are taking to it! I know that this is not news to many out there, but I had felt in the past that this might be too much too quick.... I WAS WRONG! As Voddie Baucham says -- Catechize, Catechize, Catechize!

So, to many who are just developing a 'New Believers' Curriculum, I would highly suggest this Westminster Catechism.

We have been blessed by this, and I have learned a valuable lesson -- Do not underestimate (sad to say that I had) the power of God's Word!

Green-Eyed Lady

Don't let the title throw you off -- this will be a post about ENVY, not a woman, or a song by Sugarloaf! :-)

As a small church pastor, this is one of the most difficult struggles I have faced. It is also profoundly unchristian. The Church in Corinth was developing a congregation of envious people, and Paul deals with it -- 1st Corinthians 1:11 - 17 -- For it has been reported to me by Chloe's people that there is quarreling among you, my brothers. What I mean is that each one of you says, "I follow Paul," or "I follow Apollos," or "I follow Cephas," or "I follow Christ." Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius, so that no one may say that you were baptized in my name. (I did baptize also the household of Stephanas. Beyond that, I do not know whether I baptized anyone else.) For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.

It is not much different today, and nowhere do you feel this pinch more, than at a small church. You look down the street and see the another pastor, not near as smart as you, (in your opinion), whose church is growing like a weed. They have even purchased land while you languish in a small storefront. Your envy burns green and hot; now, of course you don't call it envy, you say things like -- "Well, he doesn't preach the gospel as properly as I do", or you may take this tact "Well, after all they are using the Purpose-Driven Model".

Truth be told, we are not called to be competitive, as Paul says clearly in the aforementioned Corinthian passage. We are to be about the business of Christ. When we spend out time focused on what the 'other guy' is doing to be successful, we empty the cross of its power. We preach growth, success (in a numbers sense), and any number of other criterion ABOVE preaching the cross of Christ!

This should not be, as Paul says -- whether we have 1 or 1001 attending our church, our task is to preach the gospel. Our task is one with eternal import -- let us never forget that! We are talking of the souls of men and women!

So, small church pastor -- As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. 2nd Timothy 4:5. I know the pain of trying to grow at the unreasonable pace that the modern church expects, but I also know the reward of staying the course, doing your job, and watching the small number of people within your church grow more and more into the likeness of Christ. I know the joy of baptizing people who, at one time, told me off and cursed at me. I know the joy of deeply caring about the flock that God has entrusted to me, and taking my eyes off the churches around me and placing them squarely on the author and finisher of our faith, Jesus Christ.

If you are a small church pastor, I would encourage you: If you are staying faithful to the Word of God, proclaiming Christ in your church, loving the people of the church, and living what you preach, then you have nothing to be ashamed of, or envious about.

Yes, there will always be that 'amazing' church nearby that grows by 300 every week, and yes, you will lose some of your folks to them. But we are not here to have the largest, most lavish church in our area. We are here to proclaim Christ and Him crucified!

And finally, a warning -- if you are petty and envious, guess what your congregation will be? Yep, petty and envious! Don't do that to them -- tell them of the great joys of knowing Christ, preach the Word, love the people and above all love Christ.

Get it Together

For small church pastors, I recommend that you put together your thoughts on worship, gender-based ministries, etc. It took us years to pull together our thoughts in these vital areas, and the congregation suffered for it. As pastor, you need to be about the business of setting the tone for the church -- be it in your prayer life, your study of God's Word, or your thoughts on worship, and other ministries. This is not done in a despotic vacuum, but as a family, but as the pastor it is your responsibility to be pointing people to Christ in their songs, thoughts, prayers etc.

I am going to pull together some of our thoughts and post them here and maybe they will help someone else to begin thinking about organizing their church, or I may receive some good input on mine.

Regarding Worship Music -- far too often we feel that worship music 'just happens', and we do not need to think too much about it. Just pick out a few Maranatha songs, and maybe a Vineyard or two, and away we go; some solid musicians complete the picture! Worse yet -- "Hey, I like these thirty songs; worship team, please cycle through these!" (I have attended churches where the songs we sang were exclusively the pastor's favorites!)

Sadly, this hit and miss style was my method for far too long. And it was painful for a faithful worship team built of my dear friends -- they were constantly trying to track with me as I grew and matured regarding worship.

I am in the process of putting together our collective thoughts on many areas of church life, but a post by my good friend JD spurred me to post the document regarding our Worship. Notice that worship is not just singing or music -- it involves all aspects of the service, and all should be addressed.

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Why a ‘Theology of Worship’?

All worship is driven by a theology, even if unconsciously. If one’s worship is consumed with songs that exclusively focus on the creature instead of creator, sermons that are structured around the felt needs of the congregation in lieu of a Christ-centered focus, a low view of the ordinances, and prayers that are little more than requests in nature, then inevitably one will be drawn to a theology that is man-centered.

By the same token, if one’s worship is dominated by songs that are Biblical, focusing on the attributes and glories of God, sermons which maintain a Christ-centered perspective, a proper view of the ordinances and a prayer life which gives equal attention to the confessional, thanksgiving, supplication and adoration portions of prayer, the theology that is developed and promoted in that environment will be God-centered and God honoring.

Our prayer is that Covenant Fellowship’s Theology of Worship will be one which brings honor and glory to our Triune God. (1)

In order to bring about worship that is honoring to God, we must pay particular attention to the songs that are sung, the prayers that are offered, the creeds which are recited, the ordinances performed, and the sermons which are preached. It is vital that the leadership of Covenant Fellowship maintain vigilance in their responsibility regarding the worship that takes place in the confines of our assembly; assuring that Covenant Fellowship maintains proper focus and a sense of adoration and awe towards God.

The first question in both the Longer and Shorter Westminster Catechisms is: “What is the chief end of man?” The answer that follows is: “Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever.” This should be the overriding focus of our worship. The question remains; how do we go about worship that reflects this?

What is the Focus of Our Worship?

The center of all Christian worship is Jesus Christ. It is Jesus Christ who fulfilled the Law and the Prophets, establishing a New Covenant with the Father through His death, burial, resurrection and ascension. It is Jesus Christ who sent us his Spirit to guide and comfort us. We are the Body of Christ, united with Him and seated in the heavenlies. He is our High Priest, and our praises to God the Father are pleasing because of Christ’s finished work. (2)

Therefore our worship is to be formed by our relationship with God the Father through God the Son, as led by God the Holy Spirit. All worship should be Trinitarian in nature, addressing the work of our blessed Three-In-One God. “God is the One who graciously invites our worship and then hears our response. God is the One who perfects and mediates our praise and petitions. God is also the One who helps us comprehend what we hear and prompts us to respond." (3)

How are we to Worship?

We have now explored why we should have a theology of worship, and what the focus of our worship should be. Now we get to more pragmatic aspects of a Theology of Worship; i.e. HOW are we to worship.

Many will make the claim that proper worship only contains hymns, or all services must progress in a strict and regulated order. Some believe that the sacraments (known to us as ordinances) are to be offered each week; some believe that once per quarter is sufficient. This is often confusing the means with the end. As we stated in the above, worship is to have Christ as its center, being inherently Trinitarian in nature. But how do we go about ensuring that we are maintaining our focus? This section of the document will examine the area of methods in more detail.

First and foremost, our worship methods must be Biblical. This should go without saying, but in a day and age when anything goes, we must reiterate this fact.

What exactly does this mean?

Scripture Reading

Since the Bible is God’s revelation of Himself to the world, including His plan of redemption in His Son, Jesus Christ; our worship should contain prominent readings from Scripture. There should be an opening Scripture reading in our services, as well as sermons based upon the Word of God, followed by a closing reading that prepares the people to go into the world, witnessing to the lost and bringing the good news of the Gospel to all. The passages selected should illustrate God’s character, and actions.

Singing

The songs which are sung should likewise focus on God’s character, being, and actions. Songs which contain, or are written from Scripture are the best for expressing this properly. Songs which focus on feelings, or are centered on the creature should be the minority of the songs which the church sings. Feelings are expressed within the Bible, and there is nothing incorrect about them, however when the church comes together to worship God, our singing should be focused on the object of our worship.

Songs, prayers and sermons should be theologically rich, enabling the congregation to experience the beauty and depth of our faith. Hymns, both modern and ancient, should comprise a good portion of the singing. All songs should be selected carefully, ensuring that proper focus, and biblical truths are expressed.
Some thoughts regarding our worship music (4):

Music is a gift of God and part of the created order. From its inception, "when the morning stars sang together and all the heavenly beings shouted for joy" (Job 38:7), to its consummation, when "every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them" will sing to the Lamb on the throne (Rev. 5:13), creation is musical.

Of all the musical instruments that may be employed in the praise of God, the human voice has priority. Other instruments are to be used primarily in the service of the singing of God's people. The Christian church sings.

Singing is a ministry that belongs to all the people of God. The congregation is always the primary choir. The role of professional or volunteer choirs and musicians is to aid the whole people of God in their worship. While anthems or vocal and instrumental solos may be offered, they do not have to be. Congregational singing, however, is essential. While it is possible to be actively engaged in worship and in prayer while listening to an anthem or solo, a diet of worship which does not regularly include ample opportunity for all the members of the congregation to join in song will be impoverished worship, and the life of the church and the faith of its people will suffer.

Of all the art forms that may be employed in worship, singing is especially corporate. Different voices, different instruments, different parts are blended to offer a single, living, and unified work of beauty. John Calvin recognized the power of congregational singing and unison prayer in helping the church express and experience the unity of the body of Christ. Asserting that the human tongue was especially created to proclaim the praise of God, both through singing and speaking, he noted that "the chief use of the tongue is in public prayers, which are offered in the assembly of the believers, by which it comes about that with one common voice, and as it were, with the same mouth, we all glorify God together, worshiping him with one spirit and the same faith."(5)

The church's ministry of song is for the glory of God. The principal direction of congregational singing is to the Lord (Ps. 96:1). Music is made first of all to the Lord and only secondarily to each other. Music should communicate and express a sense of awe and wonder in the presence of God; it should lead our thoughts toward God rather than toward ourselves. God can be glorified by beautiful sounds and spirits may be uplifted by a pleasing melody, but it is primarily the joining of the tune to a text that gives meaning to Christians' songs. Not only should both text and tune glorify God and be consistent with each other, but the tune must serve the text. Music is always the servant of the Word. (6)

The church's ministry of song is for the edification of God's people. Through congregational singing Christian faith is not only expressed; to a very real degree it is formed. Since people tend to remember the theology they sing more than the theology that is preached. A congregation's repertoire of hymnody is often of critical importance in shaping the faith of its people. Here again, it is the meaning of the text that is of primary importance. It is through the sense of the words that God s people learn of the nature and character of God and of the Christian life.

Through congregational song God's people learn their language about God; God's people learn how to speak with God. Songs of worship shape faith. It is, therefore, very important that a congregation have a rich "vocabulary of praise." Simple, repetitive music such as praise choruses are very appropriate in worship and can be very effective in moving individuals to prayer and to praise. But it is also important for the congregation to know some of the great hymns of faith in order to have a sense that the Christian faith is both relevant and enduring, and to be enriched by the faith of the "great cloud of witnesses." Hymns, both ancient and modern, which stretch minds, increase vocabulary, rehearse the biblical story, and teach of the nature and the mighty acts of God are essential for the congregation to growth in faith.

The emotional power of music, rightly employed, is a vital and moving aid to worship. Music, quite apart from an associated text, is capable of evoking powerful emotions. Hearts are stirred and feet set to tapping by a rousing Sousa march, while another melody may move people to tears. It is, therefore, important that the emotional mood of a particular tune be commensurate with the sense of the text. It is also important that the emotional power of music in worship be evocative rather than manipulative, honest rather than manufactured, and that the congregation’s singing allow for the full range of emotions in worship.

With the above in mind, here are some questions we should ask ourselves as we prepare songs for worship each week are (4):

* What theology is expressed in our congregational singing? Is it biblical? Is the range of what we sing representative of the "whole counsel of God?" What do our songs and hymns say or imply about the sovereignty and grace of God? About the life, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ? About the work of the Holy Spirit, the nature and mission of the church, the ordinances, and the Christian life?

* Is there sufficient pastoral breadth in our music ministry? Do we sing songs that are appropriate to the many and variable life situations in which believers find themselves? Does our congregational singing include the many moods and types of prayer, including praise, thanksgiving, confession, lament, intercession, and dedication? A congregation which sings only "upbeat" praise choruses and hymns, for example, will have a diminished and restricted understanding of prayer.

* Is there sufficient historical, cultural, and generational breadth? Does our congregational singing express belief in the communion of saints? Are all the saints present encouraged to join in singing, and do our songs also express our belief that we sing with saints throughout the ages and around the world? Do the hymns and songs include contributions from other cultures, languages, and eras? Are songs included which allow for the full participation of children? For those beginning the journey of faith as well as for more mature Christians?

* Are we providing our congregation with a sufficient vocabulary of praise? Marva Dawn suggests that a hymn text "is great in proportion to what we can learn from it."(7) What do we learn about God and the Christian faith from what we sing?

* Does the music serve the text? "A tune is excellent only as it is subservient to the words, undergirds the thought, and captures the dominant mood."(8) Does the tune help us to recall the words by bringing forward appropriate features of the text, or does the tune call attention to itself and contradict or stand in the way of the words?

* Does our music encourage corporate worship? Does the music encourage congregational singing or is it designed for the solo artist or does it come across as entertainment? Are soloists and choir effectively leading and supporting the congregation in its worship or are they merely displaying their virtuosity? Do the hymns and choruses we sing express the faith of the gathered community or do they tend toward individual and private expressions of faith?

* Is the music appropriate to the ability of the congregation? Do our musical selections respect the past practice of congregation? Do we include enough familiar hymns?

* Do the hymns and choruses we sing assume and encourage growth in discipleship? Is continuing congregational education in music and worship a part of our ministry? Do we take the time and effort to learn new hymns and challenging hymns? Worship is a "living sacrifice," and therefore our gifts to God should represent some cost to us. Learning more difficult music and coming to understand and appreciate richer theology may be difficult work, but it can also be a source of spiritual renewal and growth.

Preaching

Preaching should be predominately expository in nature, with the pastor working through books of the Bible. Topical preaching has its place and fills a portion of the preaching schedule; however the preaching of a book in an expository manner provides the congregation with the richest food upon which to feast.

The following is adapted from an article by Mark Bullmore (9):

What is expositional preaching? A sermon is expositional if its content and intent are controlled by the content and intent of a particular passage of Scripture. The preacher says what the passage says, and he intends for his sermon to accomplish in his listeners exactly what God is seeking to accomplish through the chosen passage of his Word… The biblical case for expositional preaching starts with the connection between the gift the ascended Christ has given to the church in pastor-teachers (Eph 4:11) and the biblical injunction for pastors-teachers to "preach the word" (2 Tim 4:2). Those who preach should preach their Bibles… In the pulpit, [this] will look like the picture we see in Nehemiah 8:8: "They read from the book . . . clearly, and they gave the sense, so that the people understood the reading." God has both purposed and promised to use this kind of preaching to accomplish one of his great aims—the gathering and building up of his people.

Praying

The pastor should also ensure that his prayers, whether extemporaneous or written, are God-honoring, God-focused and Biblically correct. Likewise, all leaders involved in the prayer life of the corporate body should ensure that they have active and rich private prayer lives; this will flow over into their corporate prayers.

Recitation of Creeds

Christianity is creedal. One of the earliest creeds is found in 1 Corinthians 15:3-8:

“I told you the most important part of the message exactly as it was told to me. That part is: Christ died for our sins, as the Scriptures say. He was buried, and three days later he was raised to life, as the Scriptures say. Christ appeared to Peter, then to the twelve. After this, he appeared to more than five hundred other followers. Most of them are still alive, but some have died. He also appeared to James, and then to all of the apostles. Finally, he appeared to me, even though I am like someone who was born at the wrong time”

This creed states all of the pertinent aspects of the churches faith – Jesus Christ was crucified for our sins, buried and three days later He was raised. Likewise, the Apostle’s Creed, the Athanasius Creed, the Nicene Creed all state the great truths of our faith in a succinct and memorable manner. Therefore, Covenant Fellowship shall undertake to recite from the creeds weekly, instilling in our congregation an understanding of the great truths in such a manner as the youngest member to the elder statesmen/women of the church will have an understanding of our foundations.

Ordinances

The ordinance of the Lord’s Supper will be observed regularly within the worship services of Covenant Fellowship. During this time, emphasis will be placed upon the covenantal aspect of our relationship with God the Father, through God the Son. The congregation should be reminded that only those who are within the Body of Christ and not living in sin are to partake. While the communion at Covenant Fellowship is not closed, we are duty-bound to remind and exhort those members who are in rebellion against God, and those outside the Body of Christ that this is a sacred celebration, to be enjoyed only by the faithful.

The ordinance of baptism must be explained and offered to any who have come to Christ. The ordinance should be offered at the first practical time possible. Before any are baptized at Covenant Fellowship, the elders will conduct an interview with the person(s) being baptized to ensure their proper understanding of the significance of the ordinance.

All aspects of our worship should be “a lavish outpouring of our love and praise to our God who has created and redeemed us.” (1) With that in mind, all of our worship should be excellent. The songs we sing, the sermons we preach, the prayers we offer should all be done to the best of our ability. Our offering should be the firstfruits of our lives, not the leftovers from a busy week.

Conclusion

Covenant Fellowship services will be a lavish outpouring of excellent worship to our triune God, involving prayers, preaching, Scripture reading, and recitation of creeds, singing and the practice of the ordinances of the church. All of these will be done to the Glory of God, centering on the finished work of our Savior Jesus Christ who bought us.

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Footnotes:

1. Romans 11:36 - For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.

Jude 24, 25 - Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen. (ESV)

2. Colossians 1:15-20 - He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities--all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross. (ESV)

3. The Worship Sourcebook – published by the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship

4. Adapted from the Commission on Worship, Reformed Church in America, 1996

5. John Calvin, The Institutes of the Christian Religion, III. 20, #31.

6. Howard Hageman, "Can Music Be Reformed?" Reformed Review, 1960.

7. Marva Dawn, Reaching Out without Dumbing Down: A Theology of Worship for the Turn-of-the-Century Culture (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1995), p. 201.

8. Austin Lovelace and William C. Rice, Music and Worship in the Church (Nashville: Abingdon, 1976), p. 20.

9 Marks website May/June 2007 9Marks


Covenant Fellowship
A Theology of Worship
May 2007

Evangelism in the Small Church

I will be the first to admit that our church is somewhat eclectic, so the following post may not fit all churches, but I think some of the principles are valid for any church.

When we started our church, we planted it in a part of town that is less than desirable, i.e. between a bar and a Mexican restaurant. The bar was a well-known drug emporium (it has since changed owners and has cleaned up, but it is still a bar).

We felt led to bring a church into this area that was focused on people that had 'fallen through the cracks' in the system; aka people habitually out of work, with low skill sets, and/or drug/prison issues. Now, I will state clearly that not all or even the majority of our people are folks that fit that category, however we do have our share.

This presented us with an issue: How could a small group with only a few mature Christians reach a community that was hurting with the good news of the Gospel? After all, many would say that you need a 'program' for Evangelism, and this requires money (we have very little), and a team (we had a small group). We prayed about this and discussed it, looking into the Bible for our model as opposed to some of the more tried and true modern methods.

I am not saying that these modern methods are wrong, or even unBiblical, but some of them do tend to give the impression that you need more than you actually do to accomplish evangelism. So what did we find?

First and foremost -- we had to evangelize our church! I pastor a church in the Bible Belt, and you would be surprised (if not from here) at the number of unsaved people INSIDE churches -- having attended church their entire life, there are some people who cannot even present the Gospel! So, we started by teaching our folks the full Gospel, (not leaving out the more painful parts, such as God's wrath is upon us until we are drawn to Christ), and then teaching that it is EVERY Christian's responsibility to share their faith.

We created a church of evangelists -- we no longer needed a big team, or money to start a program -- people naturally shared their faith, and therefore we have a church that is actively involved in the community as a whole, not in sporadic programs, or with a 'special' evangelistic team.

Our little church, as Daniel who stops by here periodically will attest, is pretty active in outreach, I believe that we are active beyond our size limitations. This is not something I can toot my horn about, it is solely the providence and grace of God that has put us in this position, by first placing in our hearts the desire to plant the church in this location, and secondly, by gently and patiently guiding us to evangelize our church.

A small warning -- you will be greeted with a variety of attitudes when you attempt to teach the church how to share the gospel -- everything from eagerness to downright derision that you would be arrogant enough to think that "I" need to be taught the Gospel. Be prepared to gently, but firmly, stay the course.

Everyone in your church should be able to share the full gospel as naturally as if they were discussing the weather! I am not discussing the new guy who just walked in last week, but your core should be Gospel-preaching, Gospel-living, Gospel-sharing folks. A small church cannot have pew-warmers.

I'm Back

I apologize for being gone for a bit -- I was on vacation visiting family, and just arrived home!

My next post may be about evangelism from a small church pastor perspective. I have written about this before, but thought I would revisit it.

Should I Stay or Should I Go?

I rarely involve myself in discussions taking place around the blogsphere, preferring to do small series’ on observations that I have made in my life. However, every once in a while I will post about something I have read, and this post is one of those.

I would first like to say a few things: (1) I am not going to link to the post that I am addressing, partly because it is a widely read and popular blog and I simply do not have the ‘blog-power’ to spend time in argumentation with the readers of that blog (not so worried about the author, I think he will understand this post should he stumble onto it). I work a secular job and pastor a church, and therefore I have limited keystrokes to spend on the blog. (2) I respect the author of the post, and have for quite some time now. Just because we may disagree (if we even do), regarding this subject, I am in no way disparaging him. And (3), I believe that, if I read it right, the thrust of his post is correct.

First – the post had to do with ‘When is it proper to leave your local church?’. The author then proceeds to make the argument that it is never proper to leave your local church, and although I do not think he meant this, he seems to be saying; there are no conditions which would warrant that.

Now, I believe that the primary thrust of his post may have started out with the thought that people should not simply leave their church because they have a disagreement with the leadership. I heartily agree – being a pastor, I have seen plenty of people leave our church because of simple miscommunication, or a moment of anger. I understand and applaud this portion of the post.

But then he continues to a few things which I believe are incorrect. The first is that he uses 1st Corinthians to show that Paul instructed the believers in Corinth to stick with it, and not leave. He is entirely correct in the reading, but the applications he draws from this may be suspect. I think that the hermeneutical cart is before the horse here. We must look at not only who Paul was writing to, but when and why.

Corinth in the 1st Century did not have a church on every corner. Paul was writing to the ‘believing body’ contained within the city of Corinth. Therefore, there was no other church – there was THE church in Corinth. So, Paul would obviously be arguing that the church needed to stay together. He was not saying, ”I know that there is a good, Bible-believing church down the road, but you stick it out there!” There was NO alternative, and therefore these people are being told to work out their differences.

Secondly Paul was the de facto leader of that church; therefore he was trying to return it to orthodox teaching by reprimanding the people attending. Often in the modern church this is not the case – it is the very leadership that is charged with taking care of the flock of Christ which leads people down the rat hole of bad teaching, or even heresy. Paul’s position was different from what is being addressed in the post; therefore this does not actually validate the argument.

So, now that I have said that, where do I stand on this? Well, here it is – there are PLENTY of bad churches out there. I believe that if people WOULD stop attending these churches and start attending solid, evangelical, orthodox churches, we would be better off. Now, I am no Harold Camping – I believe that the author of the post I am addressing was really focused on that mentality. Per people such as HC, we should leave our local church because they have all become corrupt, and meet in homes.

I am not a Camping-ite – As I stated earlier in this (lengthy) post, I believe that one should make every effort to reconcile with the church they are attending. However, when all efforts have failed, then they should probably move to a church where they feel they are being fed.

I have some real-life examples:

A friend came to me long ago and asked about some things he had heard at his church. The pastor had suddenly got a bug about Reformed faith, and was preaching that it was heresy! My friend, who listened to a number of Reformed teachers, approached the pastor and spoke with him about it. The talk was amiable enough, but no change. It got worse until my friend was so uncomfortable with the situation that he asked my advice regarding leaving (BTW, I had initially recommended that he stay and work it out with the pastor). I told him that he should find a church that more closely aligned with his perspective. It got to the point where the pastor intimated that my friend was becoming involved in a cult because of his belief in the Reformed faith. He left that church and is now happily ensconced in a Reformed LOCAL church.

Second example – a friend was involved in a church that, over time, became heavily involved in the health and wealth gospel. He was in leadership, but was beginning to be ostracized by the other leaders. His integrity, faith, and even moral character came under suspicion. He finally left the church and is now going to an orthodox church, and is happily involved once again the fellowship with believers.

Also, I could take the absurd extreme in this argument – Say a person came to me and told me that they were attending the People’s Temple, run by a very charismatic leader, known as Jim Jones, but they had recently begun to suspect there was something amiss at the church. Would I be right in saying, ”Hey, hang in there, it will get better?” Or would it be incumbent upon me, as a pastor, to ascertain exactly what was amiss, assessing whether or not the problem was as bad as the person had stated?

Bottom line – when we use Paul’s teaching to make a blanket case for staying where you are at, I think we are making a hermeneutical error by not taking into consideration the reality of the day and age when he wrote.

Second – I also believe that far too many people bail on churches too early, or for petty reasons. They SHOULD stay and be in conversation with the leadership about their concerns. They may find, as is often the case, that there has simply been miscommunication. I am not an advocate of church-hopping, I see it all to frequently!

And finally – Would God have us stay in a place where heresy is being taught as opposed to going to a place where His Word was being taught?

Alone Again, Naturally....

Continuing with my thoughts from a Small Church Pastor -- this post will address what I consider to be one of the biggest struggles that I have personally faced at one point or another; that is the pervasive feeling of being isolated and alone, especially if one is planting or pastoring a non-denominational church.

In our case, we are a fairly eclectic gathering, and meet next to a bar in a strip mall. This makes us difficult to place within the Body of Christ in the sense of finding an association to join with...

We do work with some wonderful churches who have come alongside us, and this has helped tremendously. But in the early days I often wrestled with the feeling of being alone, believing that every hardship I (we) faced was unique in the annals of Christendom. Maybe you have struggled with this as well.

Let me provide some thoughts on this:

1. Reach out to the established churches around you; be persistant as many churches may want to 'check you out' before they get too involved. Expect this especially if you are non-denominational. Many view that appellation as synonymous with 'unaccountable'. Ask one of the other pastors to be an accountability partner.

2. Join the local pastor's group. This may be the first interaction that you can have with the other pastors in the community. Let them get to know you.

3. DON'T walk around with a chip on your shoulder that says -- "Our church has it all figured out", all the while dissing all of the other churches in the town!

4. Read some good biographies of great Christians that went before -- people such as David Brainerd, or Hudson Taylor. Men who knew what it meant to die to self and live for Christ in the ministry. You would be surprised at how small your isolation will appear when you read about these people.

5. Have good men around you in the church -- DO NOT BE A DESPOT! I cannot stress that enough. Don't think that everything needs your 'special' touch to be valid! I learned this the hard way! As a small church pastor we sometimes believe that 'we' have it all figured out, and so we need to be leading EVERYTHING in the church. Wrong answer -- you will alienate good people, and burn yourself out. I have great men who surround me and provide leadership, guidance, a shoulder to cry on, and sometimes just their presence. I could spend hours telling you about the men in our church who have been so great at holding my arms up when I no longer could! This helps prevent that feeling of loneliness that strikes at every pastor once in a while.

6. Do not believe the lie that you should not have friends in the congregation! That was a piece of advice that I received from one of my old pastors. "Never develop friendships in the congregation, it will only hurt you." Nudge, nudge, wink, wink. Oh, I see; I should distance myself from the flock as much as possible, right? That will lessen my feeling of isolation, and put them at ease!

Now, you may have some who will be jealous of your friendship with others, but you need to have friends in the church. However, when it comes to accountability, all should be treated equally. One way to do this is by the tried and true method of leadership by a group of elders; that way no one person has the 'reins' of power.

Also, do not forget the most important relationship; the one with your wife and children. A small church pastor can be overrun with 'stuff', and give his family nothing but the chaff, whilst spreading all the wheat of his time around the congregation.

7. Finally, never forsake the time of reading the Word and prayer. These are a great comfort in times when the weight of pastoring is overwhelming, as it can sometimes be when you do not have a staff to assist you. Never get too busy to pray or study!

May I say one more thing? Love your congregation. Pastoring is not a job, or in the words of John Piper "Brothers, We are Not Professionals". As a small church pastor we can become cynical, bitter, and angry with our congregation -- the overwhelming number of issues that come up during a church plant, or even at a small church that has been established for a while can simply drive us into the ground if we allow it. If you feel yourself heading that way, be honest with your leadership and tell them you need some time off. Also, read good books on Pastoring. I will place a list of books in my next installment.


This is not exhaustive, but just some thoughts... More to come...

Programs, Programs Everywhere!

I thought I would start this series on Small Church concerns with the issue of programs – i.e. how many, what type, etc. Now, I will be the first to say that each church could have a unique situation and not all ideas fit all churches, however the overarching concern of a small church is often – “How do we put together enough programs to reach the community?”

There used to be only one program – that was the proclamation of the Gospel while building a community of believers accountable to one another and to our Lord and Savior. However, nowadays small church pastors are inundated with junk mail, solicitation calls, and pressure from other ministries telling them that they need to have ‘Vigorous Youth ministry’, complete with special activities, fun-filled trips, and a host of other items – ‘Fun-Filled Children’s Ministry’ replete with scaled-down (or up!) versions of Disneyland/Six Flags – ‘Sensitive and Caring Senior Ministry’, where we can keep the elder portion of our church roped off – PLUS Marriage and Young Singles Ministries.

Many would have us believe that without these ministries we are not even a ‘real’ church!

What I have found in small church settings is that the important thing to do BEFORE ANYTHING ELSE is to ENSURE that your pulpit ministry is built solidly around the Word of God, (actually this is true in churches of any size).

Proclaim the Gospel FIRST AND FOREMOST! If you do that, you will build a core team of people who are at the church NOT for the programs, or the kiddie rides, or even the coffee bar; these people will begin to organically, with the leading of the Holy Spirit, build the ministries you need. And they will do it because they are led to do it as opposed to the method of hiring in ‘professionals’ to teach our children, youth and sundry other segmented groups. (that being said, I am not against hiring completely, but I think we often do too much of it, giving our congregants little opportunity to be engaged and involved.)

Truth be told – many programs are financial drains on a small church. If , for example, you do not have a lot of children, then don’t blow the entire church budget putting together a killer children’s ministry; focus on those that God has brought to your church. If a Children’s Ministry is in the works, people will be drawn who have a calling for that ministry – that has happened at our church where we may not have a lot of children, but have been blessed with incredibly talented children’s ministry folks!

Some would say that having a program makes us intentional in reaching certain people, but I would say that if you have 100-150 people, then you SHOULD be intentional in reaching your flock! You should not need a program to do that! Pastor is not simply a title, it is a role – Too many, even in small churches, want to run their church like a business and have a ‘staff’ that handles the ‘sheep’. I disagree – I am not saying that having a youth person, or children’s person is wrong, but if you think that a ‘program’ and ‘staff’ make up for a caring, concerned pastoral ministry, you are mistaken.

More thoughts to follow…

Pictures

Below are pictures from Alistair Begg's Basics_2007 conference:

I am going to get to my series about small church issues, but I was catching up on my reading, and I found a post at Gummby’s site which caused me pause. The reason that it caught my attention is that I recently did a sermon series on the beatitudes as part of our study through the book of Matthew.

After I had put my ideas together, prayed about the series, and began to frame out my thoughts and a structure, I went to read a few other sermons on these subliminal passages. While I found quite a few great sermons, I was shocked to find many sermons using the beatitudes as a checklist of qualifications for a Christian! (It could have been how the sermons came out on paper, I don’t know).

Now, while I agree that a person’s life should bear fruit; the approach whereby one gauges their Christian walk by how well they ‘keep’ the beatitudes is wrong-headed (IMHO). Before you dogpile me, hear what I am saying:

A Christian who has been indwelt by the Holy Spirit WILL display these attitudes in their life. It may not be all at once, and it will always be imperfect as long as we are on this side of the Jordan (to use a colloquialism), but it will occur.

However, to push people to KEEP the beatitudes, (as a type of New Testament Law), as opposed to explaining to them that through God’s grace these will be manifest in their life is, I believe, showing a low view of the grace of God. It becomes an effort worthy of Pelagius – you have many people gritting their teeth and trying to be poor in spirit, or merciful, and you end up with frustrated people!

Truth be told – when Christ has drawn you to the Father, and you have been indwelt by the Holy Spirit, the changes are worked through God’s power and not our own. This is not the ‘Let Go and Let God’ bumper sticker platitudes of modern evangelical thought; there is still a concentrated focus that we apply as well (not in salvation, but in our sanctification), however it is God is working through us (ref. Philippians 2:12, 13). It is by God’s POWER and GRACE that we accomplish, NOT by our working really, really hard and BECOMING a better person through our own efforts.

Now you may be saying; “Ray, what does this have to do with Gummby’s post?”. Well, it struck me as I read through his post that many of these motivational guys are preaching just what I spoke of above – that is, if you try really hard, and read my books, and are good, church-going, clean-cut people, THEN you are on your way to being a Christian. To use a phrase from Gummby’s post, it does not reach people ‘where they are’. This ‘gospel’ does not reach down into the squalor of a person’s sin and lift them on the wings of an eagle into the glorious relationship with God, rather it creates just another striving after the wind in a life often filled with striving. Now the guy who works 80 hours a week can be made to feel guilty because he is not working hard enough at church! And there are many churches that are happy to fill a person’s life with conferences, seminars, classes, book studies; almost anything to make them 'better'; everything except the disciplines of the Christian life – Bible reading, prayer, fellowship…

The beatitudes are not a checklist of requirements on how to become a Christian, rather they are a list of traits that a Christian will naturally display by the power of God at work in their lives.

I'm Back

I had a very blessed time at Alistair Begg’s Basic conference – I have gone six years running, and while I have been blessed and refreshed every year, I believe that this was one of the better conferences. The speakers were great: Voddie Baucham, Edward Lobb, and Derek Thomas (one of my favorite speakers!). The only downer about the conference was that Alistair’s participation was very limited due to his recent surgery.

Keep him in your prayers!

The entire event was blogged by Tim Challies. I was able to meet Tim very briefly at the end of the conference, as well as the rest of the speakers. It was a pleasure meeting all of them.

One of the deacons at the church, Jim, and I then rode our bikes back to Dallas. We hit only one section of rain, which is pretty amazing considering that the trip took us through nine states, most of which were getting tornadoes and thunderstorms!

The stats:

Mileage – 2650 Miles
Days – 6
Hours on the bikes – 46
Attending the conference and passing through nine states – priceless.

Update

I will be visiting the topic of prayer now and again for, as my friend Dave says, it is what drives our church. However, I am going to be starting a new series regarding the problems/issues of small churches and their pastors. We, in the smaller churches, (less than 100), face concerns unique to our size, and even somewhat, to our location.

While there are many who have spoken much more eloquently on this, I wanted to just post a series of observations that I have collected over the years of being involved in, and pastoring small churches. Again, these will probably not be news to anyone, I just wanted to put them up in case some other small church pastor was feeling like he was alone, and facing issues that no one had ever faced before.

I won’t have answers for everything, but I will make some basic observations about most things, and I am sure that some of my friends may be able to add to this. Before I start this series I will be heading to Alistair Begg’s Basics Conference, but wanted to provide a preview to inform everyone that I have not stopped posting, but have been completely consumed the past few weeks.

From the Protestant Church in Smyrna

Got to Neil's place and read this.

There are no words.... All I will say is that I am scheduled to preach on Matthew 5:10-12, and this will be ringing in my head as I prepare.

Where I have been

Midway Museum.

I must admit, I had not set foot on her in 25 years -- it was a very moving experience for me, and I plan on visiting again!

Update

No, I have not fallen off the face of the Earth! I have been on the road, and just have enough time to ost this before getting into another plane... I hope to post next week...

In two weeks I will be out of pocket for Alistair Begg's Basics!

Prayer IV

During my reading last week, I was struck by Colossians 4:12 -- Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ Jesus, greets you, always struggling on your behalf in his prayers, that you may stand mature and fully assured in all the will of God.

After reading this, I asked myself -- "Do I struggle in prayer for the people in my congregation?". Well, I will admit that there are times when I DO struggle in prayer for the church, but the word that struck me in the passage was ALWAYS.

Do we as pastors, lay-leaders, and brothers and sisters, always agonizomai (the word used for struggling) in prayer, for our fellow believers? You can see our word agonize in there, this is a powerful word! It suggests something more than making mention of someone in prayer!

We see a form of this word used again in Colossians 2:1, 2 -- For I want you to know how great a struggle I have for you and for those at Laodicea and for all who have not seen me face to face, that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God's mystery, which is Christ...

If we (pastors), became less enamored with being business leaders, CEOs, polished, professional communicators, and 'positive message' gurus, and spent more time in our study agonizing in prayer over our own condition and the condition of our churches; spending less time in the boardroom directing the commercial 'business' of the church, and more time in the prayer room directing our hearts to God in the true business of the church -- we would find TRUE Church growth in Christians growing ever more in the likeness of Christ!!

The Emotion of Prayer

I wanted to continue with this brief series on prayer by addressing emotion in prayer.

I have seen both extremes -- the first is the perfunctory prayer of the polished professional. He may use majestic language, and metrical precision, but the prayer itself lacks anything that would indicate that the person was addressing a Holy and Transcendent God. His prayer sounds more like a project update to his employer as opposed to communication with God Himself!

On the other extreme you have the person who cannot open their mouth in prayer without going into convulsions of weeping, and moaning. I completely understand that there are times when you may be overcome with emotion; as anyone at our church could tell you, I have been there many times. Rather, I am addressing the guy who cries at exactly 2:01 into his final prayer (coincidently, just before the altar call!). This, all too often, is manipulative and not truly indicative of the heart condition of the pray-er.

Is there a proper place for both emotion and structure in prayer? You bet there is! Especially when a pastor stands before his people praying for them. There is definitely a place for feeling overwhelmed by the emotion of being the under-shepherd of God's people, but there should also be the desire to say something of meaning that will lift the people into God's presence.

Let's briefly look at the prayer of Solomon as he dedicated the Temple in 2nd Chronicles 6. Do you think he was emotional? I would imagine so! His father had desired to build the Temple, but God had chosen Solomon -- that alone is a bit awe-inspiring, isn't it? And then, there was the wish of his father, David, that he complete the structure. There is a lot of emotion if you follow the story through in 2nd Chronicles. Yet, we see here a well-composed and transcendent prayer!

2nd Chronicles 6 -- "O LORD, God of Israel, there is no God like you, in heaven or on earth, keeping covenant and showing steadfast love to your servants who walk before you with all their heart, who have kept with your servant David my father what you declared to him. You spoke with your mouth, and with your hand have fulfilled it this day.

Notice the recognition of God in this opening; Solomon is cognizant of who it is that he is addressing -- a faithful, covenant-keeping God!

Now therefore, O LORD, God of Israel, keep for your servant David my father what you have promised him, saying, 'You shall not lack a man to sit before me on the throne of Israel, if only your sons pay close attention to their way, to walk in my law as you have walked before me.' Now therefore, O LORD, God of Israel, let your word be confirmed, which you have spoken to your servant David.

Here, Solomon 'reminds' God of the promises that He spoke to his father David.

"But will God indeed dwell with man on the earth? Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain you, how much less this house that I have built! Yet have regard to the prayer of your servant and to his plea, O LORD my God, listening to the cry and to the prayer that your servant prays before you, that your eyes may be open day and night toward this house, the place where you have promised to set your name, that you may listen to the prayer that your servant offers toward this place. And listen to the pleas of your servant and of your people Israel, when they pray toward this place. And listen from heaven your dwelling place, and when you hear, forgive. "If a man sins against his neighbor and is made to take an oath and comes and swears his oath before your altar in this house, then hear from heaven and act and judge your servants, repaying the guilty by bringing his conduct on his own head, and vindicating the righteous by rewarding him according to his righteousness. "If your people Israel are defeated before the enemy because they have sinned against you, and they turn again and acknowledge your name and pray and plead with you in this house, then hear from heaven and forgive the sin of your people Israel and bring them again to the land that you gave to them and to their fathers. "When heaven is shut up and there is no rain because they have sinned against you, if they pray toward this place and acknowledge your name and turn from their sin, when you afflict them, then hear in heaven and forgive the sin of your servants, your people Israel, when you teach them the good way in which they should walk, and grant rain upon your land, which you have given to your people as an inheritance. "If there is famine in the land, if there is pestilence or blight or mildew or locust or caterpillar, if their enemies besiege them in the land at their gates, whatever plague, whatever sickness there is, whatever prayer, whatever plea is made by any man or by all your people Israel, each knowing his own affliction and his own sorrow and stretching out his hands toward this house, then hear from heaven your dwelling place and forgive and render to each whose heart you know, according to all his ways, for you, you only, know the hearts of the children of mankind, that they may fear you and walk in your ways all the days that they live in the land that you gave to our fathers. "Likewise, when a foreigner, who is not of your people Israel, comes from a far country for the sake of your great name and your mighty hand and your outstretched arm, when he comes and prays toward this house, hear from heaven your dwelling place and do according to all for which the foreigner calls to you, in order that all the peoples of the earth may know your name and fear you, as do your people Israel, and that they may know that this house that I have built is called by your name. "If your people go out to battle against their enemies, by whatever way you shall send them, and they pray to you toward this city that you have chosen and the house that I have built for your name, then hear from heaven their prayer and their plea, and maintain their cause. "If they sin against you -- for there is no one who does not sin -- and you are angry with them and give them to an enemy, so that they are carried away captive to a land far or near, yet if they turn their heart in the land to which they have been carried captive, and repent and plead with you in the land of their captivity, saying, 'We have sinned and have acted perversely and wickedly,' if they repent with all their mind and with all their heart in the land of their captivity to which they were carried captive, and pray toward their land, which you gave to their fathers, the city that you have chosen and the house that I have built for your name, then hear from heaven your dwelling place their prayer and their pleas, and maintain their cause and forgive your people who have sinned against you.

Here Solomon makes supplication for his people, and seems to cover every possible scenario -- it is apparent that he gave his prayer some thought, yet it does not feel wooden, and rote in any way!

Now, O my God, let your eyes be open and your ears attentive to the prayer of this place. "And now arise, O LORD God, and go to your resting place, you and the ark of your might. Let your priests, O LORD God, be clothed with salvation, and let your saints rejoice in your goodness. O LORD God, do not turn away the face of your anointed one! Remember your steadfast love for David your servant."

And finally he closes with a plea for the Lord to enjoin His people! What a magnificent prayer! There is emotion and there is structure, and what happens out of this?

2nd Chronicles 7:1, 2 -- As soon as Solomon finished his prayer, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the glory of the LORD filled the temple. And the priests could not enter the house of the LORD, because the glory of the LORD filled the LORD's house.

Oh, that our prayers might evoke out of God a like response, that He would come upon us in such a powerful way!

O, Lord, our plea is that we would approach Your throne with boldness, yet with the awe and respect due the Creator of the Universe. Lord, we pray that we would not be tawdry in our emotions, yet let our hearts be broken for the lost, the wayward and the hurting. Let our prayers be respectful and not flippant -- Lord, fill our prayer life with the joy of knowing that through the finished work of our Savior, Jesus Christ, we can come to the Creator of the Universe with our supplications, confessions and petitions and You will hear us! It is in the name of our all-sufficient Savior that we pray. AMEN

Rosie and the Goodness of Man

Caveat – I am not a political commentator, nor do I watch much TV, but lately a lot of noise has been generated around Rosie O’Donnell statements – so much so that the newspapers I read have been carrying it. So please bear with me as I simply post some of my thoughts:

Well, I guess Rosie was right – Here is a quote from ‘The View’ when Rosie was arguing with one of the other hosts on the show:

Rosie O’Donnell: "Faith or fear, that's your choice. You can walk through life believing in the goodness of the world, or walk through life afraid of anyone who thinks different than you and trying to convert them to your way of thinking. And I think that this country–"

Elisabeth Hasselbeck: "Well, I'm a person of faith, so I, but I also believe–"

O’Donnell: "Well, then, get away from the fear. Don't fear the terrorists. They’re mothers and fathers."


I wonder if this ‘father’ felt any remorse as he detonated his explosives-laden truck near a school filled with children?

Truck Bomber Kills Schoolgirls in Kirkuk

Suicide Attack on Police Station in Northern Iraq Leaves 15 Dead, Scores Wounded
By Sudarsan Raghavan
Washington Post Foreign Service
Tuesday, April 3, 2007; Page A14

BAGHDAD, April 2 -- A suicide truck bomber rammed into a police station compound near an elementary school in the northern city of Kirkuk on Monday, killing 15 people, including schoolgirls, and wounding scores of others, witnesses and police reported.
At the main hospital in the city, the courtyard was filled with injured children in bloodstained blue uniforms, a Washington Post special correspondent reported from the scene. Many had their heads and arms wrapped in bandages. Some clutched bloodstained books. A baby girl lay dead in the emergency room from shrapnel that had torn through her body. Doctors and nurses broke into tears because they couldn't save her. Naz Omar Shafiq, a fifth-grader, said she was attending her last class when the explosion rocked the Raheem Awa school, nestled in a majority Kurdish neighborhood, shattering glass and filling classrooms with smoke…

What of these ‘parents’? Do you think they are mourning their actions?

Insurgents using children to foil security

By Kim Gamel
ASSOCIATED PRESS
March 22, 2007

BAGHDAD -- Police said yesterday that children were used in a weekend car bombing in which the driver gained permission to park in a busy shopping area after he pointed out that he was leaving his children in the back seat.

The account appeared to confirm one given Tuesday by a U.S. general speaking to reporters in Washington.

The children were used in a Sunday bombing in northern Baghdad, and U.S. officials labeled it a brutal new tactic put to use by insurgents to battle a five-week-old security crackdown in the capital.

The attack targeted people cooking food at open-air grills in the street as part of a Shi'ite Muslim holiday commemorating the anniversary of the prophet Muhammad's death.
Key details were missing from local police accounts, such as the ages and sexes of the children, whether they were among the victims, and what happened to their bodies.

A senior official in the Shaab neighborhood police department said an investigation was opened after the owner of a shop in the market district said he and other residents initially told a man he could not park his car on the street but relented after seeing the children in the back seat.

The U.S. military has warned that insurgents are finding new ways to bypass stepped-up security to kill as many people as possible and spread panic. A series of bombings using toxic chlorine since Jan. 28 also raised concerns.

Insurgent tactics have evolved since the war started four years ago, and youths often have been among their victims. But the use of children as decoys would signal a new level of ruthlessness in the fight for control of the capital.

Iraqi children have been drawn into the fight in the past, however.

In the deadliest cases, a suicide car bomber sped up to American soldiers distributing candy to children in July 2005 and detonated his explosives, killing about 27 people, including a dozen children and a U.S. soldier.

That occurred about nine months after 35 Iraqi children were killed in a string of bombs that exploded as American troops were handing out candy at a government-sponsored celebration to inaugurate a sewage plant in west Baghdad.

Rosie’s words are telling – ‘You can walk through life believing in the goodness of the world’ – Well that is where Rosie and I diverge (one of MANY places, I might add); I DO NOT believe in the goodness of the world, and it is the very brutality of the world which makes Paul’s words ring so true in Romans –

Here is a small snippet describing the world in which we find ourselves – Romans 1:29-31 -- They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless.

However, the truth is not that the US is the Savior of these people; it is only through Christ that any can be saved. We are all ruthless, self-centered and brutal if left to our own devices; it is only through the finished work of Christ on the cross that we find deliverance from the power of sin.

Yes, my sin may not be driving a truck full of explosives into a building, it may be that I am a self-centered, self-absorbed person in open rebellion against God, or I might be a over-paid, under-talented ‘name’ on TV who is speaking of things I have no clue about. But, neither me, nor Rosie O’Donnell are good people, and the only difference between us is that Christ has redeemed me. I am no better than her, and do not profess to be.

As Paul says in another letter – 1st Corinthians 6:9-11 -- Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

Notice clearly that it is NOT the work of Ray that saves him; it is the monergistic work of God that brings me into the kingdom of God!

So, to Rosie and others I would say – I do not walk in fear – I walk in confidence in the Savior who bought me. I do not walk in the faith that the world is good – that is Pollyannaish, and requires one to ignore the reality of the world around them. Rosie O’Donnell is wrong on many fronts, but it is precisely here, where she believes in the goodness of man, that she shows her lack of cognitive thought…

Like so many modern-day prophets of the media, Rosie says 'Peace, peace,' when there is no peace.’

Dave's Prayer

This is a busy week for me (and most pastors), but I wanted to get in at least one post before the week overwhelmed me! We are having our annual Passover on Friday and of course, Resurrection Sunday next week.

I wanted to say that my wonderful friend, Dave, who opens our service on Sundays, opened this Sunday with a prayer that was beautiful and magnificent, properly focusing on God's transcendence as well as His immanence. I was extremely moved by this prayer and I feel it impacted the entire service.

This is not to say that Dave's prayers are not always great -- it just seemed that this week it was exceptional. For a small church pastor, I am blessed beyond belief to be laboring with the most wonderful team of people I have ever known. We have had hard times, and even disagreements, but I would not trade them for a thousand-member church!

I will post again this week, but just felt that this post needed to be put up.

Prayer II

I apologize for going so long without a post -- it has been a fairly hectic week.

As I have been thinking more about prayer lately, I have picked up several prayer books. I am astounded by the depth of many of these prayers -- they are incredibly beautiful!

I began to wonder why we hear prayer such as this so rarely anymore. Most of the great prayers that I have been reading were penned long before the technology-driven world of today. And I don't simply mean the Internet, but before TV, and the myriad technological advancements that have infiltrated our lives in the last 60-100 years.

It dawned on me, after examining my own life, that we really don't meditate on the Word of God like our antecendents did. These people did not have the many interruptions/distractions vying for their attention that we do today. These were people who spent HOURS in the Word and in prayer EVERYDAY! They were truly saturated with the Word of God, and it shows in their prayers!

The Psalmist talks of this in that great and magnificent Psalm: Psalm 119 -- Psalm 119:9-24 -- How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word. With my whole heart I seek you; let me not wander from your commandments! I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you. Blessed are you, O LORD; teach me your statutes! With my lips I declare all the rules of your mouth. In the way of your testimonies I delight as much as in all riches. I will meditate on your precepts and fix my eyes on your ways. I will delight in your statutes; I will not forget your word. Deal bountifully with your servant, that I may live and keep your word. Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law. I am a sojourner on the earth; hide not your commandments from me! My soul is consumed with longing for your rules at all times. You rebuke the insolent, accursed ones, who wander from your commandments. Take away from me scorn and contempt, for I have kept your testimonies. Even though princes sit plotting against me, your servant will meditate on your statutes. Your testimonies are my delight; they are my counselors.

There are many more places in Psalm 119 that discuss this, but we can also turn to Psalm 1, and we find this -- Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers. The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous; for the LORD knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.

Is it any wonder, in this day when many pastors prepare their message by downloading a sermon from a repository of on-line sermons, that our prayer lacks depth? When pastors may not open the Bible all week, instead opting for 'tools' on their computer to do their 'research'? When one may not even pray before reading the Word, instead doing a google on their topic, and then 'cutting and pasting' the information into their sermon?

Am I a Luddite who believes that we should not take advantage of the technology available? No, I use some on-line tools, so that is not what I am saying; however, if the bulk of our study is done via a mouse, then yes, I believe that this is wrong.

Nowadays, pastors don't have time to study the Word, or spend time meditating on it (I have heard some say this), but they are consumed with administrative/CEO type work. Brothers, this should not be! Our task, first and foremost, is to study/teach the Word and be in prayer, NOT be the CEO of our church! I have heard great communicators; men who have very 'successful' churches, but when it comes to their prayer life it is either non-existent, or so insipid as to be useless. When pressed for time, most of us will ensure that the business aspect of our church is taken care of, to the neglect of our prayer life.

I once read an interview with a well-known pastor explaining how he developed sermons, and for 16 pages he described his 'technique' -- how he and his 'team' put together sermons by 'white-boarding' ideas, and thinking up grandiose illustrations to wow the congregation, yet not once did he mention actually opening the Bible or praying. It was so blatant that the interviewer actually asked, "where is the place for prayer and Bible study?" The pastor immediately said this -- "Oh, we pray...." And that was about the extent of his response!

Brothers, we need to put away our white boards, our mice, our laptops, and our multimedia, and get on our knees, read the Word, meditate on it, and then PRAY that the Father empower us with His Spirit. When the pastors' prayer life is vibrant, then the congregations will be!

Prayer I

To start the prayer series, I wanted to address something that I am guilty of; therefore am qualified to address... :-)

I have noticed in my own life as a pastor, and in the ministries of most of the folks I know, that our extemporaneous prayers lack a certain aspect that I believe to be vital. That is, starting prayer with the recognition of who God is.

In my prayer life I used to always open my prayers, both liturgical and extemporaneous, with Barukh atah Adonai, Eloheinu, melekh ha'olam -- "Blessed are you, Lord God, king of the universe". Thereby addressing the King of the Universe with the proper protocol -- yet, I find myself anymore being much more 'casual' and just jumping into 'what I want to say'. So many prayers, by pastors and congregational members, start off by jumping right into what interests/concerns us.

When we look through the Bible and examine the great prayers, we find that these prayers are God-honoring -- i.e. Nehemiah 1:5, 6 -- “O Lord God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, let your ear be attentive and your eyes open, to hear the prayer of your servant that I now pray before you day and night for the people of Israel your servants, confessing the sins of the people of Israel, which we have sinned against you. Even I and my father's house have sinned.",

or Matthew 6:9, 10 -- “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven."

Sadly, I think that our overall lack of understanding, or even recognition of a holy, transcendent God leads to a cavalier and even arrogant approach to the throne. And this is reflected in prayers which lack depth and honor.

Now, do not get me wrong, there are many types of prayers, ranging from prayer as simple as Peter sinking into the water and crying out "Help Lord!" Matthew 14:30, to the fantastic prayers of Solomon, David and others. Prayer can take many forms, but again, I am addressing this as a pastor -- I think that pastoral prayers have become a lost art in so many corners of Christendom, and as I said, I am guilty of this.

I have been reading through several books on prayer and here is a pastoral prayer opening that highlights what I am trying to illustrate:

O Lord, You are our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. You have given to us wisdom and righteousness and sanctification in our Lord Jesus Christ. You have supplied all our needs according to Your riches in glory in Christ Jesus. We can do all things through Your strength.

Do you see the focus there? It starts with God and not with us and our needs/concerns etc. How rarely we pray with a central focus on God anymore.

We need to get back to a proper focus on God in all things; starting with our prayer life!

New Series

I will be starting a series on prayer shortly. I have been praying about the new series. I have been very focused on improving my prayer life, so I feel that this would be a good subject.

This will not be an exhaustive series on prayer -- many others have written on this subject with more eloquence than I will. This is going to be from a pastor's perspective, as he works through his own prayer life.

I hope to have something up within the week.

Hunger & Thirst

This Sunday at church I spoke on Matthew 5:6 - "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied...", and yesterday as I looked through the news, I was again reminded of the truth behind Messiah's statement.

I found that we still have the remnants of the Anna Nicole Smith debacle going on, the tour of Michael Jackson through Japan and the death, apparently by his own hand, of Richard Jeni. Not to mention the capture of the baby-snatching young woman in Clovis N.M. Nothing unusual; just the normal news, sad to say.

But, after spending the last week immersed in studying for yesterday's sermon, I find that these four news articles crystallize my thoughts regarding Matthew 5:6.

First, Anna Nicole Smith, quite possibly the most over-exposed news celebrity since anything-Britney! This, to me, is an incredibly sad story. Almost a Horatio Alger story; Anna Nicole Smith a.k.a. Vicky Lynn Hogan came from nowhere in Mexia, Texas to the front page of almost every newspaper in a short 39 year period. She seemed to 'have it all', or at least be in line for it all! She married into money, was a Playboy playmate, had a television show, and was a model for Guess jeans. She had everything that the world touts as important -- money, looks, fame, men, everything but what she really needed -- peace. And she died alone in a hotel room on a Seminole reservation.

Michael Jackson started out as a young star with the Jackson 5. They had a string of hits for Motown, and then Michael broke out on a solo career, and what a career it was! 'Off the Wall', was a big hit for him, but 'Thriller' was the one that put him over the top. Michael Jackson was the unchallenged KING OF POP throughout the eighties, everything he touched seemed to turn to gold. Everything was turning up roses for the man -- he even married Elvis Presley's daughter thereby solidifying his spot amongst the truly greats of POP!

Have you seen him lately -- his face is virtually falling off, his hands are swollen and overall, he is very scary looking. Not to include that he is having legal and financial issues at every turn. Is this man happy?

Richard Jeni was one of the most successful stand-up comics around, and yet, for some reason, it appears that yesterday he took his own life. Again, a successful, well-to-do, respected person (in the world's eyes) apparently driven to the brink. Sadly, many comics, who spend all of their time making others laugh, often have lives that are filled with loneliness, and despair.

And finally, Rayshaun Parson, the woman who snatched a baby from a hospital in Lubbock, Texas. What drives people to do things such as this? Well, there are probably myriad reasons, but many of these incidents have a common thread: A woman desperately wanting a baby to 'complete' her. What a tragic statement -- that someone feels this way.

These people, and so many more, hunger and thirst for the food of the world, wealth, fame, self-esteem, self-centeredness, and they find it empty. And now we have the 'radical' atheists stepping up and promoting the blasphemy challenge to our young folks. These people promise the same food that the world has promised man for millenia, the empty calories of the worldly pleasure.

I was listening to an interview with one of these atheists and they said that they (atheists) are the last group that can be vilified and hated by everyone, from Muslim to Christian to Deist. Well, I have news for that person -- I don't hate them, they are more properly pitied. If my hope was centered in myself, or the world's approval, what a sad life that would be.

Messiah says that those who hunger and thrist for righteousness will be chortazo, which can properly be translated not simply as satified or filled, but filled to abundance. Those who are hungering after the things of this world find them to be a 'mirage' that disappears every time one gets close. I think of Michael Jackson -- he seemed to be on top of the world, yet he is tortured, trying to change his looks, searching for love and acceptance in all the wrong places, seemingly under constant legal scrutiny. This does not seem to be one who has 'made it' in worldly terms. And then, we can even go back to Elvis Presley, a man who likewise found no spiritual sustenance in the things of this world.

And you may think that these are only anomalies, but truth be told, they are more common than not. Think of the litany of people who would fit this mold -- we mentioned Elvis, and Michael, Anna Nicole, and Richard Jeni, but what about Britney, Kurt Cobain, Peter Ham.... The list is endless... Those who seem to have EVERYTHING that the world holds for them are generally unhappy!

Why is that? Because when you store up riches here on Earth, moth and rust attack them and thieves break in and steal them, yet when your treasure is in Heaven, then no one can break in and steal it.

Oh Christian! How our hearts should break for those in pursuit of worldly acceptance, how our prayers should be lifted up to the Lord, asking that He open the eyes of those lost in mire of this world!

Thoughts

The recent spate (and here and again here) of teachers having sex with students is frightening, isn't it?

These are but a handful of the news items. Why is this happening?

Well, I have a theory -- our society has been raising children for several generations now with a "if it feels good, do it" mentality. Nothing is forbidden, nor should it be!!! "Just do it", and "You deserve it" are the holy mantras being played out by advertisers, teachers, and even parents, which in turn create children who are completely self-absorbed.

So, why are we surprised when this is taken to its logical conclusion? I mean, if I train up a child with the notion that nothing is, or should ever be, forbidden to them, am I not creating an environment where they grow into adults who continue to live by that rule?

The culmination of this mindset was personified in a president who felt no pangs of conscience whilst having sex with an intern in the Oval Office; his only regret seems to be that 'he got caught'. The outcome of this 'feel-good' mentality seems to be that one should 'be 'safe' or at least undetected, (I assume that 'safe sex' is the kind where you don't get caught?)

We are currently reaping what we have been sowing for at least forty years -- the concept that nothing should be taboo. And sadly, the church is no better than the world, we now teach people that the Gospel can mean whatever they want it to mean; that sin is relativistic, and that ALL people are going to heaven. When we have this kind of mentality, I am only surprised that we do not have MORE of these news items than we are experiencing!

Pray for the people caught up in these situations; especially for the children who have been damaged or influenced.

2nd Timothy 3:1-5 -- But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people.

The Politics of it all

This will be the final post in this series -- we have discussed many aspects of working with the dispossessed and the needy, but I wanted to cap this off with a final post regarding the church as a force for change in society.

How do we go from where we are today to once again being a force in our society? Some would say that we are a force, like never before in this country. I mean, look at the influence of Joel Osteen and Rick Warren -- does that not speak of the force of the church in the US? Sadly, not at all -- these men and many more like them are feeding the world what they want: a safe Jesus, effectively neutered from saying anything transformational -- He is no longer "the way, the truth and the life...", and He certainly would never say "No one comes to the Father except through me." Now, sad enough, Jesus has become another choice in our pantheon of choices in this society. We, (the church), have become another benevolence society -- a safe, nice, clean place -- but without any power at all!

You may say, "Ray, what does this have to do with the needy?" Much; you see, we may have 'societal' or 'political' clout with the world today, but we do not have GOSPEL clout. This is the clout that the needy require! Some pastors may have grandiose plans for curing AIDS, but without the transforming message of the gospel accompanying the cure, we have confined people to a far worse fate than wasting away with a terminal illness. For, in the end, we will all die, should the Lord tarry, and then comes judgment -- at that point, having a Purpose-Driven Activism will be superfluous.

We, the church, will never be able to navigate the storm-tossed waves of this world alone -- as Paul says -- Ephesians 4:11-14 ...he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.

As long as we depend upon ourselves, and as long as we have cowardly pastors, leaders and speakers who will not edify the saints, nor proclaim the Gospel, we may be a temporal force, providing momentary shifts in the doomed trajectory of this lost and dying world, but we will never be a true force for lasting, eternal change.

This incredible saving, transforming message which we have... in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. This message my friends, is what the dispossessed, the needy, and the poor need more than anything else that we may bring to the table!

We Interrupt This Series....

For most in Christendom this Sunday will be much like any other Sunday, but for our church, we will be celebrating Purim. As some may know, I am Jewish and at our church, we celebrate Purim by reading through the book of Esther every year at this time.

On Sunday we will have all the requisite shouting, booing, and cheering as we read through Esther; I love the book as it so beautifully displays the sovereignty of God. As I read through it this week in preparation, I was reminded that the 'good' Jews had left Babylon by this time, and the remaining ones had voluntarily stayed, bringing into question their devoutness.

Yet, as we read through Esther, we find Mordecai, a devout Jew, who is in the right place at the right time, bringing to Queen Esther's attention the predicament that was created by Haman's edict regarding the Jews within the land of Babylon. We also read of King Ahasuerus' sleepless night and the serendipitous reading of the chronicles which highlighted Mordecai's efforts towards the king. We also see Queen Vashti's impertinence being the catalyst which places Queen Esther into position to be able to affect the outcome of Haman's treachery.

Does this sound like a soap opera? Well, if you have not read through the book of Esther in a while (or ever, for that matter), I highly recommend that you open to it and read through the story; you will find the fingerprints of God all over this story, and it may well bring comfort to you as you face difficulties in your own life.

This was not meant to be an expository sermon on Esther, but simply something to whet your appetite, spurring you to go and read for yourself this fun, and often overlooked, book.