Apologies To Eutychus

A Word Of Thanks From St. Paul

2011-11-25T10:07:00.001-06:00

Mark this, the one who plants sparingly will have a spare harvest, and the one who plants bountifully will have a bountiful harvest. Each person should give as they purpose in their heart, not grudgingly or because of duty, for God takes special delight in a hilarious giver. God has power to make all grace abound for you, so that in every way at all times God will give you all you need so that you may overflow in every good work. As it is written,
   In many places
   he gave to the poor,
   his righteousness endures forever.

Moreover, the one who supplies seed to the planter and bread for the eater will supply and multiply your seed so that he may increase the harvest of your righteousness, in every way being enriched for all liberality which produces through us thanksgiving to God. For the service of this worship not only completely supplies the needs of God's people, but also overflows in many thanksgivings to God. People will glorify God because of the proof of your service, which consists of your obedience to your confession of the Good News of Jesus Christ and the your generosity of fellowship toward them and everyone else.  This will result in great regard for you, and people will pray for you because of the overflowing grace of God through you. Thanks be to God for his indescrible gift!

II Corinthians 9:6-15

Poor Fork-legged Animal

2011-09-26T23:24:00.017-05:00

Preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ is such a bizarre "twilight zone" endeavor. Imagine how ludicrous it is for some mere human laden with cultural blind spots, physical frailties, and mental misperceptions --- all mixed together with a good dose of blinding arrogance --- to try to communicate the essential nature of the Creator of all to other similarly constituted humans. Then, to top it all off, such a person dares to declare that we can know what this Creator desires for us and from us, that we can truly know the "mind" of God! Absolutely preposterous!

Yet, this is exactly the claim of the Christian faith, that through preaching the Word of God is communicated, comprehended, apprehended, and inculcated by mere human beings. Indeed, we are simply "poor fork-legged animals," as Frederick Buechner describes us (who, in good preacher fashion, is borrowing a phrase from someone else, in this case Shakespeare). It is beyond incredible that the great Creator of all should condescend to such a faulty and fleshly means to be understood by such faulty and fleshly creatures such as ourselves. No wonder the apostle Paul calls this medium "foolishness," for that is how it appears to anyone who gives it much thought.

Yet again, many of us preachers know that there is so much more than mere mental processes and chemical reactions happening when we preach. This is on my mind right now because of my experience this last week preparing and delivering the sermon for September 25 at little Calvin Sinclair Church. All week I wrestled with the text, Exodus 17:1-7. I was intrigued with the "Is the Lord among us?" issue in the desert travails of the Israelites, but for some reason I wasn't coming up with anything very interesting (at least, not to me) for making a sermon out of this. Though I squeezed out a passable few decent points, I went to sleep Saturday night feeling very dissatisfied.

In my dreams, I continued to work on this text and trying to come up with a better sermon. By the time I woke up, I had a whole new approach with much more relevant illustrations than when I went to sleep. Then, as I delivered the sermon Sunday morning, there were a number of people who seemed very intent as they listened. Afterwards, many of these people commented on how my sermon sections derived from my "dream work" (which they did not know about) were particularly relevant to what is happening in their lives at this time.

So, how are we to understand all this? It is apparent that there is so much more going on during a sermon than the cleverness of the preacher or the relevant use of word studies. Truly, the Holy Spirit is active, and no amount of work with the original languages, cultural and geographic settings, literary analysis, sitz im leben, or weltanschauung speculation can ever eliminate the need for God's direct intervention to make meaningful the words of one "poor fork-legged animal" trying to convey the eternal truths of the Divine to the mundane lives of other "poor fork-legged animals."

Quite literally, thank God!

Now, where is my Greek verb parsing guide? (Sorry, Dr. Storey, my Greek isn't as good as it once was.)

500 - 1000 - Maybe Even 2000 Years Of Schism!

2011-09-15T10:38:00.012-05:00

(It has been pointed out to me that this posting is a bit abrupt and polemical, using broad brushed labels such as liberal and evangelical. While I must admit this tendency here, probably due to the fact that I wrote this quickly, without time to make my statements more nuanced, I believe the major points I am making are clear and along the lines of what I intend to communicate. Yes, I love "liberals" (especially those who drink Guinness) and some of my best friends are such, but my sentiments in this posting are along the lines of St. Paul's declaration (Ephesians 6:12) that "...our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.")

Okay, I'm getting a little "fed up" (as my dad used to say) with the claim by the liberals in the PCUSA that we evangelicals are now the schismatics because we believe that WHAT a person believes is important. (Sorry, I don't have time right now to make that last sentence into something more erudite.) Since the "how-can-you-evil-evangelicals-dare-exclude-anyone-just-because-they-do-not-believe-the Bible-is-God's-Word-or-that-Jesus-is-God-incarnate liberals" finally have cleared the way for getting what they want in this denomination, I have been reading their comments that we should all seek the unity of the church, and that if anyone does not agree with their views on Bible, sin, Jesus, gays, church government, and God, then such a person (eg: any orthodox evangelical) is resisting the leading of the Holy Spirit and fracturing this cherished unity. It is funny that these same people did not see things this way when they were being "prophetic" as they spoke and acted against the Book of Order and majority policies up until this year.

If their assertion that the evangelicals are being schismatic by forming new structures (eg: Fellowship of Presbyterians, Evangelical Presbyterian Church, etc) for living out our discipleship as followers of Jesus is true, then I hate to break it to the PCUSA liberals that this would make them schismatics as well. In fact, we all need to go back to the Pope and confess our sin of schism, since the very nature of being a Protestant means schism from the Roman Catholic Church! After all, that's why we are called "Protestants," for crying out loud!

I remember being in a gathering of Catholics, Protestants, and Orthodox, where one of the Roman Catholic persons said something about the nature of being a Protestant. An Orthodox monk then quipped, "To me, you all are Protestants." That's right, even the Roman Church is schismatic from the point of view of the Orthodox Church. So, what are we talking about here: 500! - 1000! - maybe even 2000 years of schism?

As long as we view unity of the church as consisting of only the institutional and organisational forms, then yes, we evangelicals in the PCUSA are being schismatic! It would not be difficult to extend the liberal understanding of unity in the church to include persons who are not even Christian in any sense. Why not ordain a Buddhist monk to be a PCUSA minister? After all, such a person may be exemplary in lifestyle, compassionate, and possessing many gifts to be shared with others. And they probably have some kind of sense of a "Christ-consciousness" that could pass as acceptable in most of our presbyteries.

If, however, the faith of the church is organic, relational, and spiritual; rooted in a common understanding and experience of who Jesus is, and if this faith is flourishing through the shared and communicated witness of those who have encountered Jesus during the last two thousand years (and even longer for Reformed thinkers), then there is a great unity of the church that transcends all our little polity scrabbles. In all the cultural, political, economic, and even theological diversity of Christians in all times and places, there is a core identifiable "like-mindedness" that one follower of Jesus can recognize and honor in another follower of Jesus.

As the Apostle Paul writes in his letter to the Ephesians (Ephesians 4:3-6): "Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all." There is a unity that the Spirit makes between all those who follow Jesus, and this unity consist of both content and experience that can be recognized and communicated. This is evidenced in the various ecumenical creeds that all Christians can affirm because of a "like-mindedness" created not by human organisational ingenuity, but only by the Spirit of God.

The liberals in the PCUSA place far too much emphasis on the institutional forms, while ignoring the heart of faith. And they cannot align themselves with the heart of the faith because they cannot subject themselves to the authority of the Word, since the Word imparts corrective content upon our own ideas, assumptions, and preferences. Therefore, they mistake unity for an organisational haven where human intuitions can thrive without the illuminating light of the Scriptures, the Church Universal, or the healing guidance of "like-minded" Christian fellowship. This may be unity, but it is unity in darkness void of understanding.

Well, that's what I've been thinking, for what its worth. Now, what channel is ETWN on?

Challenging Time For Seth

2011-08-30T09:16:00.004-05:00

The last couple of months have been very challenging for Seth and the rest of the family. Due to the development of two pressure sores, particularly the one on his lower back, Seth has not been able to keep up with his exercises, which in turn has led to some loss of the progress we had been making. Instead, Seth has been dealing with the back sore, which finally resulted in his hospitalization last week. Unfortunately this also coincided with the beginning of his 6th grade school year.

The good news is that we finally got the medical people to take these sores seriously, and since then they have aggressively tended to Seth's healing. With the added focus from the medical team, we were able to track the source for these sores to Seth's wheel chair. While Seth has grown over the last two years, his wheel chair has not, which was causing him to be "compressed" in the way he was sitting, resulting in some high pressure contact with the seat cushion and other parts of the chair. After readjusting (or as the equipment people call it, "mapping") his wheel chair to accomodate his growth, his is sitting and riding much better. All this has been a big reminder for us that we are the ones who must educate ourselves on what is needed for Seth, and then to advocate strongly on his behalf.

As I mentioned before, in the last few months Seth has lost some of the advances he had made before. This, along with our lack of funds, has caused us to put on hold our next trip to Project Walk. Many of you have been very generous, and we are so thankful for the first Project Walk trip and the acquiring of the rehabilitation-grade Total Gym for the home exercise program. Yet, I know that life goes on, and that it is difficult to ask people to maintain a high level of interest in Seth's recovery. Nevertheless, we continue to ask for your thoughts, prayers, and support as we continue to seek the greatest possible recovery for Seth, while also seeking God's intervention for the impossible --- seeing Seth walk again.

As always, we seek your prayers for Seth and for our family. Pray that God would open the way for us to be in a much better place for employment, finances, and resources. This would allow us to do so much more to further Seth's recovery than we can do in our present situation.

Again, thank you all for your thoughts, prayers, and support. Without you, we would certainly not have the courage and hope that comes from knowing you care and that you desire the best for Seth. Keep on praying....

Blessings!

A Short Seth Update

2011-07-02T17:20:00.002-05:00

Here is a (sort of) short Seth update. I know it has been some time since the last one, but I want you all to know how much we appreciate your prayers, interest, and support for Seth as he seeks to recover from his paralysis.

Progress is still very slow, and advances are small, but each one keeps proving that movement can be recovered, and keeps alive our hope for a complete recovery. About a month ago, while laying down on his back, Seth was able to move his left foot to an upright position. He has done this again several times, but it seems to come and go. Plus, he claims that there is a distinct tingling sensation in his left foot, but he still has yet to sense any touch to his feet or lower legs. So, after about 1 and half years since attending Project Walk in California, he has recovered hip movement and sensation, can tell if he is being touched from his thighs down (but cannot tell exactly where or how much pressure is being applied), and can move each leg outward when he is laying down (but still cannot yet move them back). This journey is excruciatingly slow, but we keep plodding on.

We were able finally to obtain a special (especially in price!) rehabilitation model of the Total Gym. This allows us to do many more load-bearing exercises with his legs, as well as do a lot more with his core muscles in his abdomen and chest. This, along with some other useful equipment, helps immensely with Seth's home exercise program, but has left our funds for other recovery resources and a return trip to Project Walk very depleted. Many of you have been very generous, and we are so appreciative. We know that we cannot presume upon your generosity indefinitely, but for those who are so inclined I again list the address for those who want to give to the Seth Fund at River of Life Ministries. Our primary request is that you all keep praying and hoping for Seth and our family as we seek his healing and recovery.

The Seth Jackson Fund (2CMiracle Fund)
River of Life Ministries
3801 Blairs Ferry Rd NE
Cedar Rapids, IA 52402-1763

Thank you all again for your prayers, support, and encouragement. As Seth enters 6th grade later this year, we are hoping for some significant progress in the coming months, and it is still a hope that we may someday do a second trip to Project Walk in California.

Blessings!

I Ain't No Prophet

2011-05-11T23:11:00.000-05:00

In many ways, I have always been a misfit in the PCUSA, but I always sensed that theologically I was "at home," in that the major tenets of evangelical and orthodox Christianity were subscribed to by at least a slim majority of my fellow denominational participants.  And even if they were not, I could point to our strong evangelical and orthodox statements in our official documents, especially the Book of Order and the Confessions. Well, with the passage of Amendment 10-A by the presbyteries, I now must face and deal with the reality that I am well out-of-sync with my denomination, that the major Reformed theological views I hold to are in the minority, and are even disparaged by many as backward, uninformed, and unworthy of respectful dialogue. I am denominationally adrift, and theologically marginalized.

Does this mean I am going to jump ship at this point? Take my Bible and seek a more accommodating climate for my evangelical soul? No, I am not going to react blindly or self-servingly. I need to think through my new situation, and pray about it. I've always told the congregations I've served that we need first to seek to do what God wants --- regardless of whatever we may personally think or feel. This has always involved prayer and reflection, so these are going to be my primary means for discerning, and then doing, whatever God wants regarding my place or role in the PCUSA.

In many ways, the passage of Amendment 10-A is a very good thing. It has been the reality of our denomination that people who are sexually active beyond and outside of marriage are already serving as pastors and leaders. This just makes official what was already the case. Our orthodoxy was a paper orthodoxy, nothing more. Now we are openly what we have really been for some time. As National Capital Presbytery executive Wilson Gunn stated, "It's not a secret that has to be kept." He was referring specifically to the Presbytery being able to accept marriage between persons of the same sex. The interesting thing will be seeing how "open" we will be in this new reality . Will those who are in a "partnership" of more than two find sanction and acceptance as they seek to serve as PCUSA pastors, or will this be "too open?" What about other behaviours, such as practicing another religion? After all, what is the standard we are using to decide?  Scripture is only a guide, not the Word to be obeyed, and no behaviour can be dealt with in a categorical manner, but only in a case-by-case basis.   Right now, our standards are derived only from our own sense of justice and whoever's sense has the most support in a presbytery vote. God's standards have already been "categorically" rejected.

Finally, I must commend my liberal and progressive colleagues on their victory. The Presbyterian Church USA as a denomination is theirs. They have won through political savvy and patient persuasiveness, areas where my evangelical cohorts have shown themselves to be wanting. Of course, having won the denomination does not mean that all hearts and minds are now marching to the progressive drumbeat. In fact, it doesn't even mean that all the congregations and presbyteries are yielding anything to the victors. There still remains considerable resistance to joining this parade, and the triumph may yet prove to be a hollow one. The disparities in ministry standards among the presbyteries are likely to lead to a "balkanization" of the PCUSA, in which conclaves of liberal, evangelical, and whatever else are carved out in fractious maneuverings in many presbyteries. With the prospect of most of the largest and financially able congregations moving at this moment to form a "fellowship" that effectively removes them from substantive involvement in the PCUSA, along with the energized exodus of members from many other congregations, this denomination likely will be in a couple of years only a shadow of what it is now (as it is now a shadow of what once was). The liberal victory today may turn out to be like winning a season ticket to a pro football team's games, only to have the season cancelled due to a player's strike.

So, I will be doing what many are doing in the aftermath of Amendment 10-A: praying, thinking, studying, discussing, reading, and deciding. No one at this point really knows how all this is going to shake out. The only thing any of us can do is struggle to understand what it means in this new context to be faithful to Jesus, obedient to the Word, led by the Spirit, and glorifying to God.   I am no prophet, and I cannot tell what is going to happen.  However, both the Word and the Spirit are pretty clear right now that there is a tumultuous time of judgement and purging ahead of us as a denomination. Again, I am no prophet, but I can still be like Jeremiah, pleading to God on behalf of the people --- people loved and called by God.

What Does It Mean To Be A Pastor?

2011-04-26T03:19:00.002-05:00

I was just thinking (again), and here are some semi-random thoughts on being a pastor.

Love

First and foremost, being a pastor of a church means unconditionally loving every person in the congregation with the love of Jesus Christ. While all followers of Jesus are called to express love for others and to have a servant attitude, pastors are to be living models of what this actually looks like. This does not mean a pastor is always doing this well (as we are all “simultaneously saint and sinner,” as Luther says), but it does mean that I as a pastor am transparent in my own struggles to be a loving and authentic follower of Jesus.

It is the love of God experienced in the body of Christ that truly marks Christians as truly unique (holy). It is the wonder of a group of persons who find acceptance with one another despite their differences, shortcomings, and failures that truly marks the church as different from other groups of people in this world. So, we are “holy,” that is, set apart, not by anything that makes us better or superior to anyone else. Rather, we are “holy,” because we are literally carriers (vessels) of the love of God, called to share this “treasure” (as St. Paul calls it) with everyone.

In the openness of authentic community such as this, people can experience the transforming work of the Holy Spirit, and then and only then will participation in the life of the church become blessing rather than bother, desire rather than duty. In this atmosphere of authentic relationships, people will find personal fulfillment in discovering their Spirit-given gifts, exploring the nature of their particular call to do the ministry of Christ, and then become involved in an expression of mission that serves others.

Vision Carrier

The pastor is responsible for clarifying and promoting the overall vision of a congregation, and for leading the congregation in the implementation of that vision. The guiding vision of a congregation is the product of all the fellowship as each one prays, struggles, learns, disciples, serves, worships, ministers, follows, and leads. All vision and call is the result of earnest and seeking prayer, and is the created and guided by the Word. Pastors do not come up with their own visions, but are the carriers and interpreters of God's vision as understood in the Scriptures. It is the cultivation of prayer in the life of the people and the openness to the Holy Spirit that determine how well we hear what God is saying to us as a fellowship, and will determine how well we listen and do what God says. It is the pastor's role to emphasize leadership and decisions through prayer, and for making sure that prayer is both a regular practice of the fellowship and a special focus in extraordinary times.

Equipper

The pastor is the one who leads in equipping the people for their works of service and mission in the name of Jesus. This can be done directly through discipling or mentoring emerging leaders. Generally speaking, though, the pastor leads and equips the leaders of a congregation, who in turn equip leaders under their care. It is important that in the equipping ministry of the pastor and other leaders, the guiding vision of the congregation be used to inspire the personal visions of each individual believer.

In a fellowship with a healthy equipping ministry, there is a relational emphasis that flavors every aspect of the congregation. There are no programs to attract people, only mission that arises out of the Spirit-led interaction of the people with each other. Thus, the life of the people is what attracts, or to use the more accurate word, “invites” people into the congregation. When people who desire to live earnest and authentic lives see a group of believers in Christ living out active lives of mission service and doing this in a genuine spirit of Christ-likeness, they come and invest themselves unreservedly.

Communicator

Good pastors take the lead in developing effective communication structures that nurture the health of the congregation. It is critical for a fellowship to be open and authentic in addressing concerns and issues in above-board and honest ways. Biblically healthy congregations do not participate in private alliances to challenge or subvert the vision and goals that have been arrived at through open discussion and prayerful discernment.

In order for openness to everyone’s concerns and issues to work well, the leadership of the congregation must have a clear grasp of a shared vision and core values. This understanding of the fellowship’s identity will enable the leadership to provide biblical and encouraging rationale for both positive and negative responses to people and their concerns. The pastor, however, is the one responsible for providing the essential support for all the leaders of the congregation as they seek to communicate and implement clearly defined ministry values and goals.

Preacher And Teacher

Preaching is not just verbal proclamation of the Gospel, but also the lifestyle and ministries of the church’s participants. So a member who talks to someone at their job about Jesus and the member who goes on the mission trip are both part of the “preaching” activity. Everything about a missional church will be geared to presenting the Gospel of Jesus Christ as a great invitation to know and experience God through truth, love, and grace. It is the pastor who inspires and equips others through the biblical and relevant proclaiming of the Word.

Teaching is the discipling process, and is absolutely critical for creating an atmosphere of spiritual growth into Christ-likeness. This should take several forms, from one to one mentoring to conferences, workshops, and retreats. While everyone in a church should be able to identify and explain the process their church uses to “make disciples,” the pastor bears the primary responsibility for making sure there is a clear and working discipling process in a congregation. Pastors are called to encourage an atmosphere of discovery where people are free to explore the frontiers of faith and to have their understanding of themselves and God be continually transformed by the Word.

Healer

Every church body has a number of persons who are gifted by the Holy Spirit to be in the “healing” ministries of the church, which would include intercessory prayer, care-giving in illness and distress, counseling, spiritual direction, and church discipline. While it is important for a congregation to identify and deploy these people for service to others, it is the pastor who is called to be the catalyst in leading, overseeing, supporting, and encouraging them in their ministries.

The Word of God makes clear that the healing power of pastoral care (which includes discipline) is experienced in the relationships formed in community with one another, as evidenced in the scriptural call to “Let us not give up meeting together, but let us encourage one another...” (Hebrews 10:25) and James’ exhortation to “confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed (James 5:16). For a church to be alive and interesting to anyone (especially to God), people must experience the presence of the Holy Spirit in healing ways that transform their lives. Jesus reached out to people (us) at the point of their (our) needs, which is the quintessential missional action.

Anyway, I was just thinking (again) ....

Is The Reformation Dead?

2011-04-04T02:29:00.005-05:00

Is it possible that we are witnessing the end of the classic expressions of the Reformation in American society? Now, I know that the Reformation itself was over a few hundred years ago, but the American churches that can claim to be direct descendants of Luther, Calvin, and Zwingli's teachings may well be nearing their final days (and in some cases, like the Episcopal Church and the UCC, are already buried in their fine ecclesiastical coffins). With the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America having officially renounced the Word of God last year by opening the way for ordaining practicing gays, and the Presbyterian Church (USA) about to do the same thing by adopting the new form of government and/or opening the way for presbyteries to ordain persons who reject the authority of God's Word and the reign of Christ in their lives (on a "case-by-case" basis, of course), the result will be the self-elimination of two primary Reformation streams from the apostolic, orthodox, and catholic expressions of Christianity.

O yes, there are still other groups that can claim to be carrying on the banner of the Reformation, such as the Baptists, Mennonites, and other assorted groups that can trace their origins back to the ecclesiastical upheavals of the 16th century. But these groups identify more with the Radical Reformation, and were never the major expressions of the church resulting from the major protestant efforts to reform the Roman Catholic Church rather than reject it. After all, it was the refusal of the Roman Church to respond positively that forced the emergence of the "separated brethren" of the Lutheran and Reformed traditions, as Luther, Calvin, and even Zwingli had hopes of "reforming" the Roman Church. As for the Methodists, Disciples, and Assemblies of God, they have an even less direct lineage to the Reformers.

Then, there are the "other" Lutheran and Reformed expressions, such as the Missouri Synod Lutherans and the assorted smaller Reformed bodies. It remains to be seen, however, if any of these can grow and assume the mantle of maintaining or expanding the influence and presence of a Reformation-oriented fellowship in the growing secular society in America. The Reformed Church in America did this in the early days of this country, but it rapidly became a sectional church for the New England and upper Midwest areas as time went by and America expanded. If the RCA and the Christian Reformed churches can become more established throughout the country and grow substantially in numbers, they may emerge someday as the new heralds of the Reformation in American society, but this is clearly not an impending reality today.

Then, there are the Evangelical Presbyterian Church and the Presbyterian Church in America, both of which are growing, and showing some significant energy, but, being rather new to the scene, they are still fairly introspective denominations seeking their true identities. Plus, neither denomination has the infrastructure to do mission and ministry on the scale that the Presbyterian Church (USA) has done (though what both do with their resources is very impressive). The Lutheran Church Missouri Synod is perhaps the one denomination that is best poised to carry the Reformation banner. Yet, despite its size, longevity, and organizational capabilities, it has been a rather insular church and therefore not very adept at being a presence and influence in today's American society. So, if the ELCA and the PCUSA abdicate their places as the major Reformation expressions in the United States, there is really no one able or ready to assume this role at this time.

So, from where I stand, it looks like the churches that have carried the heritage and promise of the Reformation in American society are abdicating their theological birthrights. They are trading them for a very bad stew prepared by "the world, the flesh, and the devil." Thank God for the vibrancy of the Reformed, Lutheran, and Anglican churches in the world outside of the United States and Europe. Thank God that the words and actions of Luther, Calvin, Zwingli, Bucer, Melancthon, Knox, and Beza are inspiring anew the theologies and lives of Christians in the other three corners of the globe (especially Asia and Africa), where most of the church of Jesus Christ resides today. The message and mission of the Reformers will continue strong and unabated in these faithful followers of Jesus Christ. And maybe, just maybe, someday their faithfulness will return the truth of the Word and faith in Christ to American hearts --- rekindling a new and greater presence of the message and mission of the Reformation.

Seeking God's Face

2011-03-15T11:27:00.003-05:00

It is the love of God experienced in the body of Christ that truly marks Christians as truly unique. It is the wonder of a group of persons who find acceptance with one another despite their differences, shortcomings, and failures that truly marks the church as different from other groups of people in this world. So, we are “holy,” that is, set apart, not by anything that makes us better or superior to anyone else. Rather, we are “holy,” because we are literally carriers (vessels) of the love of God, called to share this “treasure” (as St. Paul calls it) with everyone.

However, we can only carry God’s love to others when we ourselves are in a love relationship with God. Yet, our hearts are indeed restless (as St. Augustine reminds us), and they are prone to wane in passion for God as we wrestle with our affections for the attractions of this world. So it is clear that we need brand new hearts, hearts that can “rest” in God. The prophet Ezekiel states this picturesquely when he proclaims, “I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh” (Ezekiel 11:19). Only God can give us the kind of love needed to desire God, and here this kind of love is described as an “undivided heart” and as a “heart of flesh.” This is not any kind of human love. It is the work of God in us. It is God’s doing entirely!

So this is why St. Augustine says, “our hearts are restless, O Lord, until they find their rest in You.” All other objects of our affection are for the satisfaction of our own desires, so they just make our hearts “harder” and more “divided,” like crushed stone. When God is our desire, our hearts are transformed into something real, something living, something whole — something from God. This is why only with our hearts can we believe, because a heart in love with God is God’s gift of being made right with Him. As the Apostle Paul proclaims in his letter to the Romans, “…with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness…(Romans 10:10).

How, then, do we love God with a steadfast love, an “undivided heart,” a “heart of flesh?” Do we strive in Herculean spiritual effort to produce this love? Do we immerse ourselves in deep theological studies? Do we give ourselves in great sacrificial service to others? No, we cast ourselves upon God’s Word, trusting God with our lives. “The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart” (Deuteronomy 30:14). God’s promises are sure, and it is through trusting God’s Word that we “may love Him with all your heart and with all your soul, and live” (Deuteronomy 30:6)!

In Christ’s Peace,

Will

Aymer's Mirror

2011-02-15T11:19:00.012-06:00

As usual, I am a "Johnny-come-lately" to the many observations regarding Margaret Aymer's response to the now infamous "Letter to the PCUSA." Many have written well about her main points and the various nuances of her rather remarkable response, so there is little need for me to get too deep into deciphering what she wrote (especially since it is very likely that no one will be reading this anyway). I commend her on her insights and her ability to get a good discussion going, even though I pretty much disagree with her on most everything she said.

There is only one thing that I would like to point out that no one else seems to have noted. According to Ms. Aymer, a major flaw that infects the writers of the "Letter" is their contextual parochialism. They are allowing themselves to be subject to their historical, cultural, and geographical settings, which means they think only within the "northern, US-based, European-American ideals of the 19th century and early 20th century." This, then, causes them to view their concerns and solutions without due attentivenessand considerations for the views of people in the rest of the world, or in other ages and times, especially in the church. The result, says Ms. Aymer, is "...a call back (or forward) to modernist values of separation upon disagreement and radical individualism, and pre-modernist/fundamentalist elevations of all aspects of religion, regardless of changing cultural norms (e.g. slaves obey your masters)." (With language like this, no wonder most of the world considers our intra-church squabbles irrelevant! We are at the least quite unintelligible.)

Okay, so much for that. What is interesting to me is that Ms. Aymer herself employs the same neglect of the views and norms of the rest of the world and ages that she accuses the writers of the "Letter." Most of the church of the past and the present views the Bible as a revelatory book that is inspired by the Holy Spirit, and thus warranting obedience and reverance. She sees this as a outdated idea that should be rejected, but she makes this judgement as a North American 21st century post-modern liberal who is part of a very, very miniscule theologically esoteric "club" in a declining and culturally "out-of-touch" American protestant denomination. She trumps the teachings and views of most Christians of all time and places with her own opinions without providing due justification for doing so.

She mirrors in her own actions the following accusation she makes against the "Letter" writers. Ms. Aymer declares, "What is clear is that their ecclesiology parallels exactly the cultural norms of 21st-century neo-imperialism, neo-colonialism and neo-liberal globalism which purport to bring the Western ideal to the rest of the world without first determining whether that ideal is in fact ideal for (italics hers) the rest of the world or asking what the rest of the world might consider to be ideal." Does she herself follow the rest of the world's views on women's leadership, gay rights, and religious freedom? Does she dare ask the rest of the world what is considered "ideal," especially regarding her own "post-modern liberationist" views? (It seems to me that I hear echos of a Marxist voice in her critique, so that is why I use the term "liberationist.") Of course not. As Christians are more aware than most, the world in its myriad of cultures is still wrong about some important things. Christians of all times and ages have had to contend with a disconnect between obedience to the eternal Word of God and the constantly shifting demands of culture.

Then there is Ms. Aymer's sacred allegiance to the PCUSA as somehow being an entity that embodies all the aspects of the church universal. She audaciously writes, "Instead, with God's help, I will remain in the Presbyterian Church, USA, and with my denomination I will follow the Christ whose followers dwindled from 5000 to zero over the course of three years, yet who calls us still to follow; who has been demonstrated a capable healer of the deathly ill and has revealed himself to be the resurrection and the life." (Of course, whether or not the PCUSA is following Christ is pretty much the question at hand, isn't it?)

What is she talking about here? When did Christ's followers dwindle "from 5000 to zero over the course of three years," and why is this named as her "denomination." I think she is talking about Jesus followers before the Crucifixion, but his followers did not go down to zero ever, and there was a big event called the Resurrection, which enabled the followers of Jesus to explode in numbers throughout the world for over two thousand years! Maybe she missed this because this universal witness of the Church may be more at odds with her views than they are with those she is dismissing with her entertaining sophistry.

THE PCUSA IS NOT THE FULL EMBODIMENT OF THE CHURCH, IT IS ONLY ONE UTILITARIAN STRUCTURAL FORM OF ONE PART OF THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST FOR A CERTAIN TIME IN CERTAIN PLACES FOR CERTAIN PURPOSES, ALL OF WHICH ARE SUBJECT TO THE WORD AND THE SPIRIT, WHO ALONE DETERMINE ITS VALUE AND RELEVANCE IN SERVICE TO JESUS CHRIST.

Anyway, this is my story, and I'm sticking to it.

Hope For The Irrelevant

2011-02-05T12:46:00.011-06:00

I am perhaps the most irrelevant pastor in a very irrelevant denomination adding more irrelevant comments to the latest emerging "water-cooler" conversation in the ole' PCUSA. (For those of you who have innocently stumbled upon my blog because your search engine has gone berserk, PCUSA is the acronym for a once great protestant denomination called the Presbyterian Church USA.) I haven't been pastoring (or "pestering," as the case may be) a church for awhile, and I sprang for early retired status for no other reason than to meet my monthly mortgage. Most of my preaching and church involvements in the last couple of years have been in non-PCUSA churches, every PCUSA church I've applied to since leaving my last church has decided not to call me (except for one bizarre "twilight zone" case which is grist for another posting), and lately my primary venue for sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ has been to young people and drug addicts (sometimes one in the same). So, my credentials for irrelevancy are quite formidable and beyond question.

Yet, my irrelevance does not dissuade me from being very intrigued and encouraged by the Letter to the PCUSA penned by the "scandalous" all male gathering in "blissful" Scottsdale, Arizona. (Actually, I would think meeting in Scottsdale would be looked upon favorably by the very relevant Robert Kopp of the Kopp Disclosure, as the location has a Harley-Davidson ring to it --- at least it does to me.) The criticism this letter is now receiving is disappointing, although the responses of some groups and persons reveal the ingrained habit they have nurtured in their hearts and minds for being points of contention rather than points of construction.

Yes the early signers are all males, and yes they are mostly well known names, and yes most of them are from big churches. (Would this letter be receiving the same notice if it were formulated by thirty or so male and female small church pastors meeting at the I-70 Inn in Colby, Kansas? I don't think so!) While these are things one can complain about with a good deal of self-righteousness, such complaining only bolsters one's own ego, and does nothing to bridge the conversation with the fruitful exchange of ideas and understandings. As I learned long ago in my marriage, I can press the point when I'm right (a fairly rare occurrence) when arguing with my wife, but winning the argument can make for a less than joyful relationship. Sometimes holding on to a sacred point of correctness can mean missing the opportunity for improving a relationship with love and understanding.

Anyway, about ten years ago when I was more relevant as a PCUSA missionary in Croatia, I had several occasions to work with pastors and congregants from several of the largest and most influential churches in the PCUSA. I don't remember the exact crisis our denomination was facing in 2001 (pre-9/11), but as usual there was something (in all likelihood connected to extolling homosexual conduct and ordination) that was forcing congregations to re-evaluate their place in our constantly contending denomination. It was then I said to several of these pastors that regardless of what controversies the PCUSA faces, nothing will ever really change for the better until most of the bigger churches form an alliance with one another and take the lead in forging a biblically faithful and missionally focused future that the PCUSA official leadership cannot stop with its organisational machinery. This alliance must be clear in its goals, ardently orthodox, passionately missional, trans-denominational in vision, and must be committed to being an umbrella of protection for the smaller churches and less prominent ministers who would follow their lead while being more vulnerable to the heavy handed actions of the liberal presbyteries and the ever vigilant PCUSA bureaucrats.

Of all the congregants in the PCUSA, there are only about 900,000 truly active members (these are my guesstimates based on my research when I was an almost relevant pastor). Of these 900,000 members, over 700,000 are in evangelical and orthodox churches, which virtually makes the PCUSA in its substance and active expressions an evangelical/conservative denomination. However, so little of this reality is ever noted or acknowledged in many of the upper structures of the PCUSA, especially at the General Assembly level.

Therefore, the ideas and sentiments in the Letter to the PCUSA are very hopeful to me. It's a beginning, and I pray that these pastors and others will have the wisdom and resolve to not shrink from the task before them. The journey has begun, and many will follow if those taking the first steps keep their feet from turning into clay. As Mark Brewer of Bel Air Church once told me (yes, I used to talk with Mark Brewer, although I doubt that Mark even remembers me now), "You can't lead if no one is following." A corollary to this is true also, "Don't stop leading when so many are following."

The criticisms being slung (yes, "slung" is the past tense of "sling") at this group of faithful (albeit prestigious) pioneers is mostly out of blindness, ignorance, or just plain demonic spite! In the churches represented on this list of signees are some of most truly diverse, gender affirming (orthodox biblical Christianity truly affirms what it means to be male and female while the liberal humanistic understandings obliterate any true and distinctive affirmation of gender), culturally engaged, missionally innovative, globally involved, socially active, multi-ethnic, youth reaching, and theologically-inclusive (yes, it is possible to be clearly orthodox, evangelical, and Reformed in theology while being open and accepting of other truly catholic theological positions) ministries not only in the PCUSA, but in the whole world-wide church! After all, when Presbyterian churches have their engines biblically tuned, they are the Corvettes of the ecclesiastical world (or the Ferrari's for those of you with a European bent). As the leaders in this journey, all these realities will emerge and be clear distinctives of this ecclesiastical reform.

My prayer is that they just have the guts to keep on going despite the obstacles and the criticisms. After all, the devil does not want a bunch of effective, relevant, God-bearing, heart transforming, society changing, Gospel proclaiming, Christ loving, outcast accepting, Word upheld, Spirit empowered, joyful worshipping Presbyterians to be let loose on this world of deceit and despair. So, with all the dunamis and exousia my one little irrelevant voice can muster, let's get going!

I'm not worth a hoot in effecting these kinds of movements, and no one is going to complain about the unfair advantage my support lends to the Letter to the PCUSA, but I can follow and encourage those who do have the relevance needed to get these things done. After all, in the end it is all about how relevant and effective we are according to the final Arbiter of all relevance and effectiveness, Jesus Christ.

Sharing Messiah's Work

2011-01-31T11:10:00.001-06:00

During worship yesterday it was announced that my good friend, John Dieter, had suddenly and unexpectedly passed away the night before. John was an extraordinary person who had overcome much in his life through his walk with Christ. For those interested in knowing more about his life and work, this is detailed in the book, The Gift Of Encouragement. There are also many video clips posted on YouTube of him speaking at various conferences .

While most of us are satisfied volunteering in the church or even helping in special outreach events, John was compelled by his faith to be a help and comfort for thousands of persecuted Jews throughout the world. His work has been recognized and honored by the governments of Israel and the United States. This work has taken him into very precarious situations in many countries, and he has met with many heads of states in order to promote his mission to assist Jews in their immigrating to Israel.

However, for me there will always be the cherished memories of how passionate John was in praying for and encouraging my family when my son, Seth, was paralyzed in a surgical accident. His "righteous anger" at the surgeons for showing so little care for what they had inflicted upon a ten year old boy was clear and present. Yet, at the same time, he was just as expressive regarding his desire for God to bring healing to Seth, and to use this "accident" in ways that will help Seth grow in Christ and bring glory to God.

I invite any who may read this little note to pray for John Dieter's family, especially his wife who lives in the Ukraine. Pray also for the continuing work of assisting persecuted Jewish persons through out the world.

So long, John. It seems far too early for you to leave us, but we know that even death will not keep you from sharing the Messiah's work.

A Thanksgiving Faith

2010-11-25T12:09:00.004-06:00

I had prepared for what certainly would have been an incredibly profound and moving (for those who do not know me, I'm kidding) lesson for a Thanksgiving service. However, as is wont to happen in Iowa this time of year, weather intervened and the service was cancelled. Still, let me state the main point of my punditry here as a commemoration of this Thanksgiving Day 2010.

In St. Paul's second letter to the Corinthian Christians, he makes a clear and certain statement that thanksgiving is not just something we do ourselves, but it is the result of our deeds of service to others. In fact, Paul goes so far as to say that it is our "obedience that accompanies" our "confession of the gospel of Christ" that causes others to praise God and give thanks.

This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of the Lord’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, others will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else. (II Corinthians 9:12-13)

This is right down the line with what James declares in the canonized sermon that bears his name, "faith without deeds is dead." (James 2:26) Of course, Jesus said it first and best in his Sermon on the Mount, "In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven." (Matthew 5:26)

So on this day of Thanksgiving in which Americans take time to thank God for all the blessings and opportunities bestowed so graciously upon this great nation, it is important for all followers of Jesus to remember that our influence and effect upon our families, our friends, our neighbors, and our country are all based on a faith in Christ that expresses itself in tangible and sacrificial acts of service.

When our faith is a reflection of God's mission to us in Jesus Christ, then we and others can proclaim with St. Paul (in II Corinthians 9:15), "Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!"

Fire In The Bones

2010-11-19T10:24:00.001-06:00

I shocked myself yesterday!

I had interviewed for a job several months ago that I thought I wanted. The job would have demanded a huge amount of time and a commitment that would have effectively kept me from ever serving as a pastor in a church again. It also would have meant a substantial increase in my income, which, of course, is very attractive right now.

Well, after not hearing from the interviewer for many months, and naturally assuming the opportunity was gone, I received a phone call yesterday asking me if I was still interested in this position. This call came a few days after I had been eliminated from consideration for a pastor position at a congregation I deeply desired to serve. It also came at the greatest point of discouragement in my search for a new pastoral call after over two years of seeking. And this came at a time that finances are getting tighter, and family needs are getting greater.

Of course, I would take this position. Right? Well, I shocked myself by immediately saying, "No, I am no longer interested." When I disconnected the phone, I thought, "What did I just do?" Even more mysterious, "Why did I just do what I just did?"

Then it hit me --- I did not want to put myself in a position where I cannot find a new call to serve as a pastor! Despite everything, this call still is strong, even an overwhelming priority. As Jeremiah so graphically paints it (in Jeremiah 20:9):
       His word is in my heart like a fire,
       a fire shut up in my bones.
       I am weary of holding it in;
       indeed, I cannot.

This is my call. The "staff is still in my hand." This is what I must seek to do, as long as God so wills. So, my search continues for a congregation with which I can share this "fire."

Lamenting The PCUSA Search Process

2010-11-15T02:07:00.003-06:00

I have never really been a fan of the process used by most churches in the Presbyterian Church USA for selecting new pastors. It is long, generally impersonal, given to mis-impressions, overly analytical, not prayer oriented enough, too secretive, and in the end not very effective. Most congregations are not satisfied with the pastor they have chosen, and most pastors are not particularly thrilled with their congregation. While the 2000 plus ministers seeking a new call partly indicates this, I am very aware that most pastors when they gather without their parishioners present commence to complain about their charges. Rarely in almost 30 years of ministry have I heard a minister speak about their church with fondness and respect. When I have, it has stood out clearly and refreshingly. I resolved years ago to not kvetch about the people I serve, even if there was good justification (as I saw things) for doing so.

Anyway, the PCUSA selection process is geared to the candidate who can present the best appearance in a limited, short-term process --- kind of like going on a date and then deciding whether or not to get married! O yes there are references, which, while helpful, are obviously going to be favorable since they were selected by the candidate. The weekend interview is very illuminating, but only the few on the pastor nominating committee get to meet with the potential new leader of their congregation, and most any minister can muster a pleasant personality and decent sermon for one 2 to 3 day encounter.

Personally, I'm getting tired of the PCUSA selection process. Of course, I've been stuck in these ecclesiastical doldrums for nigh on to 2 years now, so my inability to escape this process has certainly colored my perspective. But after interview after interview, conversation after conversation, phone call after phone call, and being told for the umpteenth time that I was the next choice after the one who was called, I'm ready for a whole new approach to selecting a pastor in the PCUSA. Here are my suggestions for a new approach that I think would make for better matches and more lively ministries. Of course, I know no one will take any of these seriously, but permit me to indulge this cathartic rant.

First, get rid of the matching services of the PCUSA offices in Louisville. Let pastors freely contact pastor nominating committees and pastor nominating committees freely contact pastors --- even those pastors who are not actively seeking another call. Most of the churches I have been matched with are far from what I am seeking and I am usually far from what they are seeking. In fact, I, an ardent biblical conservative who makes my evangelical orientation very clear in my Personal Information Form, have been matched at times with liberal More Light congregations! Let's save the waste of paper when these congregations send out their "Dear Pastor" letters to all the matched candidates who they would never consider in this age or the age to come.

Second, ban phone interviews! They are useless, and no one can really get a read on another person just through listening to a person speak to the air from miles away. All interviews should be face-to-face. Computers make it very easy to set up face-to-face encounters, and if possible, do an interview in person. Give each candidate the opportunity to come and meet the pastor nominating committee in person. Since those who do this would do so at their own expense, the committee would get an idea of how sincere the candidate's interest really is. So what if this gives an advantage to local candidates. It all evens out because it is also far easier for the committee to do more in depth research on a local candidate's ministry and character.

Third, take away the secrecy. Yeah, yeah, yeah, this will create complications for candidates who currently are serving churches. But what is so bad about a minister being open and honest about the possibility that they may be moving on? This can be a great opportunity for a pastor and their church to deal with issues, understand one another better, and maybe even make the need to move unnecessary. And what if it does still happen? At least then the congregation losing a pastor can be more prepared, and will have dealt with the leaving in some fashion directly with the departing pastor, thus lessening the grief issues in the interim period. Genuineness and authenticity among ministers and churches --- what a concept!

Fourth, make the on site interview at least a week long with the involvement of the whole congregation. Have the candidate start the week on Sunday with a sermon, and then meet with people throughout the week in a variety of situations, from question and answer meetings to one-on-one conversations. Make sure the candidate does a teaching series during the week, maybe even a "revival" week. When the next Sunday comes around, do the worship service according to the ideas of the candidate, thus revealing the emphases and preferences this minister would bring to the church if they were called to be the "permanent" pastor.

After this week, the people would have a far more authentic and reliable experience of the style, personality, skills, and character of the candidate. Sure, there may be some disagreement among the people regarding which candidate would be best, but at least the disagreements would be based on a truer and more complete knowledge rather than just illusionary impressions. Plus, this kind of disagreement happens anyway in the present "neutral pulpit" process, except that there isn't any opportunity to process the disagreements in reconciling, maturing ways that increase the spiritual health of the congregation.

Fifth, never ever under any circumstances even begin to entertain the slightest possibility of interviewing a candidate who has not personally shared the Gospel of Jesus Christ with at least 5 people in the last 3 months! And give priority consideration to those who have actually led someone to Christ in these same months! Our PCUSA congregations are literally held back by the ineptitude of pastors who either don't or won't do personal evangelism. If a pastor doesn't share the Gospel on a regular basis, there is no way on God's earth that this same pastor can lead a church in healthy spiritual growth!

And sixth, don't ever continue considering a pastor who doesn't pray with the search team. I don't mean some mealy mouthed recitation of some nice platitudes, but the heartfelt passion that comes from a soul who is in constant and intense communion with God as friend, lover, and sovereign Master! We are talking "deep calling to deep" kind of praying. If a pastor is not a person who "walks with the Lord in the cool of the evening," then they are not the kind of pastor who will be able to walk with a parishioner or a whole congregation in their time of trial. As the prospective pastor prays, the nominating committee members need to ask themselves if this sounds like a professional clergy person who is seeking a hired position, or a loving shepherd who will serve the sheep with a servant's heart!

Well, there it is. I feel a little better. Now, back to preparing for this evening's phone interview....

God's Politics (abbreviated version)

2010-11-02T20:34:00.004-05:00

As we all engage today in that great American privilege of voting, we do so amidst a cacophony of voices that are accusatory and condemning of those who disagree. Sure, this is not the case with every person involved in the American political process, but clearly there is little humility or grace exhibited in the political conversation in our nation this day. With great discredit to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, many in the Christian community are vociferously making their ideology supreme over their theology. Those on the ideological "Right" accuse those on the "Left" of everything from being uncaring to conspiring maliciously to destroy the United States. And there are the incredible attacks those on the "Left" make on the "Right." From vicious ad hominem ridicule (as in the case of Sarah Palin) to attacking conservatives as the "enemy," as our own President Obama did when speaking to a Latino group recently.

Now, I'm not trying to be cute here. I am politically conservative, and I believe in the superiority of capitalism over socialism, and of a free society over a managed society. However, I am also quite aware that I have brothers and sisters in Christ who sympathize and support "left-of-center " political causes and candidates. As I read the Bible, being the simple Kansas farm boy that I am, it seems pretty clear that my relationship as a fellow disciple of Jesus Christ is far above and far more permanent than anything in the political realm. God wants my theology always to trump my ideology! The Apostle Paul drives this truth home in his letter to the Romans (who, appropriate to this discussion, were very much like us Americans in so many ways).

If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. ...You, then, why do you judge your brother or sister? ...For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat. ...Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. ...For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.... (Romans 14:8a, 10ac, 13a, 17)

God's Politics (full version)

2010-11-02T00:58:00.009-05:00

There was a time in my life that I was an ardent reader of Sojourners Magazine, a publication of the Sojourners community based in Washington, D.C. Their ideas and experience in doing Christian community and ministry were very illuminating to me, and influenced me greatly in my own passion for solidarity with the outcasts and marginalized of society. From around 1985 to 1992, I could hardly wait until the next edition of this cutting edge magazine came out.

This all began to change in 1991 when I was talking with a friend of mine who was a member of the Bruderhof Community, an "all-things-in-common" Anabaptist communion that emphasizes biblical justice. When I referred to a recent Sojourners article, naively assuming he of all people would be conversant with this magazine and the community behind it, he shocked me with his retort, "I don't read Sojourners." "What? Why don't you read Sojourners?"  I stammered. "Because they are guided by their ideology, not the Bible," he calmly stated.

I couldn't believe it. But the damage was done to my unquestioning acceptance of Sojourners being radically biblical in their opinions and positions. I began to read the magazine with both eyes open, and, lo and behold, it became clear to me that the Sojourners ideology trumped the Bible almost every time they came into conflict.   Still, I kept attempting to rationalize this tendency (after all, no one likes admitting that they were so wrong with so much passion). But finally, the truth became too obvious even for me when this community and their writers claimed that Christians could not be sure what the Scriptures taught concerning homosexuality. This from the same people who could categorically declare with absolute certainty a biblical mandate for the United States unilaterally disarming itself and capitalism being intrinsically evil. Along with this hubris, the Sojourners pointed their fingers at evangelical Christians and accused them of being the accommodating accomplices of a dominant culture led by shallow right wing leaders like Reagan and Bush.

Why do I recount this intellectual shift in my perspectives? Because as we all engage today in that great American privilege of voting, we do so amidst a cacophony of voices that are accusatory and condemning of those who disagree. Sure, this is not the case with every person involved in the American political process, but clearly there is little humility or grace exhibited in the political conversation in our nation this day. With great discredit to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, many in the Christian community are vociferously making their ideology supreme over their theology. Those on the ideological "Right" accuse those on the "Left" of everything from being uncaring to conspiring maliciously to destroy the United States. And there are the incredible attacks those on the "Left" make on the "Right." From vicious ad hominem ridicule (as in the case of Sarah Palin) to attacking conservatives as the "enemy," as our own President Obama did when speaking to a Latino group recently.

Now, I'm not trying to be cute here. I am politically conservative, and I believe in the superiority of capitalism over socialism, and of a free society over a managed society. However, I am also quite aware that I have brothers and sisters in Christ who sympathize and support "left-of-center " political causes and candidates. As I read the Bible, being the simple Kansas farm boy that I am, it seems pretty clear that my relationship as a fellow disciple of Jesus Christ is far above and far more permanent than anything in the political realm.   God wants my theology always to trump my ideology! The Apostle Paul drives this truth home in his letter to the Romans (who, appropriate to this discussion, were very much like us Americans in so many ways).

If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. ...You, then, why do you judge your brother or sister? Or why do you treat them with contempt? For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat. It is written: “‘As surely as I live,’ says the Lord, ‘every knee will bow before me; every tongue will acknowledge God.’” Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in the way of a brother or sister. ...For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and receives human approval. (Romans 14:8, 10-13, 17-18)

Plus, again as I read the Bible, I am to support and pray for my political leaders regardless of their ideology, politics, and even their personal beliefs. In fact, not only am I to pray for my leaders in my society, but I am to view them with the eyes of God: as humans for whom Christ died and who God loves regardless of their faults and shortcomings. So, I am not to view my leaders, my fellow citizens, and my fellow Christians through political lenses, but through the lens of the Cross, which makes us all fellow sinners in need of a non-partisan Saviour!

Over and over again, the Scriptures warn us all to not regard one another according to governance or politics. "Do not put your trust in princes, in human beings, who cannot save," says the Psalmist in 146:3. Yet we are to pray, seek, and desire the best for our governing leaders. "Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities," the Apostle Paul declares in Romans 13:1. Of course, God opposes any leader (such as is the case in North Korea and Myanmar) who would usurp the place of God in the affairs of human life, as evidenced in God's actions against prideful rulers from Genesis to Revelation. This is stated so well in the Barmen Declaration (written during the time of Nazi Germany): "We reject the false doctrine, as though the State, over and beyond its special commission, should and could become the single and totalitarian order of human life, thus fulfilling the Church's vocation as well."

Still, there is apparently a rightful place for government in God's view, and this view does not seem to prefer one kind of government over another. God relates to people who live under a loose confederation, as in the book of Judges; who live under limited monarchy, as under the kings of Israel and Judah; who live under despotic tyrants, as in the book of Daniel; and who live in law-based empires, as the early Christians did in the Roman Empire. The only mention of a preference by God is when the Israelites decided to choose a king for themselves, and God preferred that they not have any king but God. Yet, God permitted and even sanctioned the growing monarchial institutions of Israel.

It seems God works with whatever political systems are in play in any society of people. All economic and governmental systems tend toward corruption, since human sinfulness is inherent in all systems no matter how well planned or how well intended. This does not mean that God is (or that we should be) totally neutral about politics and governing institutions. Clearly, occultic racist Nazism and soulless Marxism are to be deplored and fought against, while democratic and egalitarian practices in governing are to be rightly preferred. The more a political system works against the significance and dignity of humans as made in the image of God, the more it is to be opposed. The more a system affirms these basic realities of humans, the more we should embrace it. This is a biblical view that Christians of all cultures, politics, and countries can affirm together.

Yet, sinfulness in our hearts is always at work to undermine the most noble of political arrangements, even our own cherished American experiment.   Lassiez faire capitalism in theory provides the greatest promise of creating and sharing wealth in fair and just manners. Yet, left unchecked, lasseiz faire capitalism gives rise to the domination of heartless monopolies that corral wealth for a few and deny opportunity for the many.   Socialism sounds like it would be the ideal way to prevent the pitfalls of free market capitalism, but this apparent solution is plagued with a tendency to become a "Big Brother" government that denies the dignity of the individual and the value of human ingenuity.

So what I am trying to say is that Christians more than any other people need to approach one another in humility and love regardless of differing political opinions and preferences for governing structures. Capitalism and democracy are not the kingdom of God, just as socialism and monarchies are not. Two of my wife's and my best friends are citizens of a country that esteems socialism as the best of all political systems. One of these friends is absolutely horrified by most Americans (which includes me) disdain for socialism. She is mystified by our emphasis on individualism and free market economics, believing it to be fraught with dangers. Yet, she and her husband and my wife and I are able to regard each other in love and grace because our allegiance is not ultimately to a country or a political philosophy. Both shall perish with our deaths, but the "righteousness, peace, and joy of the Holy Spirit" are eternal realities we share here and now!

I will vote today for those candidates that I believe will help the most in keeping the United States a nation of free men and women who can enjoy economic opportunity with the least government interference. Yet, the Christian writer who impresses me as one of the most insightful followers of Jesus Christ I know of is Jacque Ellul, who while espousing an "anarchist approach," was a very passionate and active French socialist.   Clearly, there are things in my life that are far more important than who I vote for and what kind of government I want. Quite literally, thank God for that. What a bleak existence it would be if my highest aspirations and most meaningful actions were merely political.

As we exercise our rights today and vote for what we believe are the best candidates for our society and government, I pray that those of us who count ourselves as followers of Jesus Christ will remember who we really are, Who really makes our lives worthwhile, and what kingdom we are really committed to. In so doing, we will be able to see our political adversaries first and foremost as persons who we love and pray for because of Christ and his sacrifice for us all. Hopefully, we can pray with love for those we vote against, and pray with humility for those we vote with.   Let the world see something that transcends the fury and ferociousness of human-centered politics. Let the world see a God-centered people, and in wonder see again the work of God described in Acts 4:32, "All the believers were one in heart and mind."

A Fierce Goodness

2010-10-23T02:53:00.005-05:00

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit;
a broken and contrite heart,
O God, you will not despise.
(Psalm 51:17)

I had a rather unexpected experience recently where God impressed upon me how --- shall we say --- "fierce" his goodness is in the midst of overwhelming difficulties. The occasion was a gathering of pastors and Christian leaders in the city I live in, and it seemed like it was going to be a better-than-average-but-not-necessarily-outstanding meeting. At least, it felt this way to me until the presiding speaker asked us all to form a circle of chairs and give thanks to God in prayer. This was all find and good, except he started the prayer time with a prayer about a friend of his who had just lost his 4 year old daughter in a car accident, yet was still declaring the goodness of God in his life. This triggered in me the deep pain I carry yet manage regarding the paralysis of my 12 year old son, Seth, from a "surgical accident" about a year and a half ago. I thought about how good God is, but at the same time how hard God is --- hard to understand, hard to follow at times, hard to deal with, hard to accept his ways. Yet, God's goodness has been incredible in these last few years, as the more broken I've become, the more I've been able to receive and appreciate God's goodness to my family and me.

Sitting in this circle of pastors and leaders, I thought about how many of them had been the instruments of God's goodness in my life, how incredibly supportive and encouraging they had been in the many trials I've faced. So, I started to pray a prayer of thanksgiving for their presence in my life and for how God has used them to help me. It was going to be a wonderfully articulate prayer, but three or four words into the prayer, both grief and gratefulness washed over me like a flood. I could barely speak, and through only great effort I blurted out some tearful exclamation of thanks to God for each of these people who have walked some very dark valleys with me. I was severely humbled --- and somewhat embarrassed --- but very, very humbled.

This got me to thinking how God has worked in the events of the past few years. God has brought me to a place where I am willing to acknowledge how weak I am, yet at the same time able to be more confident in God's goodness than ever before. Like Paul in Colossians, I can say from deep within my soul those paradoxical words, "For when I am weak, then I am strong." (II Corinthians 12:10)

In the past four years, I resigned from a very difficult head of staff position after trying to lead a church from a conventional member-centered minstry to a missional God-centered ministry. Then, after having been well esteemed and respected in my denomination and having had a reputation as an excellent minister and consultant who could "turn churches around," I entered a time of being ignored by my denominational peers as irrelevant and ineffective. I found myself unable to secure gainful employment, leading my family and I in mid-2008 to enter the foreboding world of being behind on our mortgage, garnished with all the humiliations of threatened foreclosure courtesy of our mortgage holder.

Along with this, the Great Flood of 2008 hit Cedar Rapids, and I saw people's lives and livelihoods literally washed away. Then my wife and I found work as menial laborers at a local cereal factory, doing the grunt work that the much higher paid employees didn't have to do.   After getting decent but low paying jobs which enabled us to get back on our financial feet, our ten year old son was paralyzed in the aforementioned "surgical accident." With that devastation, my wife and I entered into a time of great stress on our relationship, and we very much felt the weight of financial, emotional, and spiritual oppression in our lives.

Yet, and this a really giant "yet," in this same time period we have seen the goodness of God in ways far beyond anything we could have ever imagined. Friends have step forward to encourage us, not only with words, but with deeds of help and kindness. Pastors have worked together not only to pray for my family and me, but have been present with us in the darkest hours of our trials. We've seen God work financial miracles to keep us from losing our home and enabling us to provide well for our children. And God has shown his goodness as both Christians and non-Christian friends have walked with us through our difficulties, and have expressed not just their care, but their love for us.

While severely humbling, as we have had to open our hearts to receiving people's love rather than just giving it to others, it has revealed to us a view of God that only the hurting and the despairing can see --- a vision of God who makes the words "saviour" and "deliverer" so much more than mere titles we glibly attribute to a God who is so beautifully powerful, yet so fierce in His goodness. The Psalmist well describes this view and experience in the opening words of Psalm 27.
                           The LORD is my light and my salvation—
                                 whom shall I fear?
                          The LORD is the stronghold of my life—
                                 of whom shall I be afraid?

This is why I choked up when trying to pray a simple prayer of thanksgiving at the meeting mentioned above. I was surrounded by persons who had helped me out financially, had given me a job when I had to have one or lose my home, had laid hands on and prayed for the healing of my son, had spent hours crying with my wife and me, had given me the Word of God that I needed most at just the right times, had helped raise funds so my paralyzed son could participate in a program to help him walk again, who had helped lead my older son to commit his life to Christ, had helped my wife and I overcome the stress of dealing with tragedy, who had turned our mourning into dancing so many times. In the face of so many good gifts from the Father of all good gifts, I can only barely speak in awe of the kindness of God and the sheer joy of being part of the loving family of God.

Ironically, these humbling experiences of the last four years which have made me into a person and minister who is better able to serve a congregation are the very same factors that make me less attractive to a congregation. In my denomination, pastor search committees look for the pastor who can boast of his or her accomplishments and successes in recent years, who can show the tangible results of a "growing" ministry, who can promise institutional advancement with self-confidence, and who can articulate their command of the latest church growth and management techniques. It is hard for a typical search committee to find someone attractive who has spent the last four years being humbled by God's goodness, who has suffered tragedy, and who has had to lower themselves to do work that is consider menial in order to survive financially. After all, not many congregations are going to be impressed with a new pastor being presented to them whose last "ministry" included cleaning toilets and mopping floors, yet is a humble servant of the Lord Jesus Christ, is focused on prayer and who is promising to lead not from strength, but from brokenness!

Still, as difficult and challenging the last four years have been, they have been the years in which I have began to follow Christ in Spirit and Truth. My ministries before, which appear "successful" and are the kind that search committees find attractive, were really just superficial efforts geared to assuaging my desire for esteem and credibility. Yes, God worked through me still, but not until my "heart" was made "contrite" and my "spirit broken" could I ever hope to do ministry that God "will not despise."

I remember one of my seminary professors, Will Willimon, telling me about an experience Thomas Aquinas had shortly before his death, in which he had some kind of vision of God's goodness. After this happened, he said, "Everything I have done before is just straw." I think I understand what he was talking about now, as that is how I feel about my "successful" ministries before. After having descended into the valleys of darkness, I now know in my experience the truth of not fearing harm because I know now (like I've never known before) the comfort of God walking with me --- a God who is fierce in protecting me and at the same time good in nurturing me. (Psalm 23:4)

So, after 29 years of being a minister of the Word and Sacrament, and well into my fifties, I am finally ready to live life and do ministry God's way. As Paul the Apostle says, "I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me." (II Corinthians 12:9b)

I'm Confused (Not Really)!

2010-10-17T22:30:00.002-05:00

I'm confused, (but not really)! In the last few days I have read comments by former Presbyterian Church USA moderator Bruce Reyes-Chow about how Presbyterian "progressives" need to be sensitive to those of us who disagree about homosexuality. He said in an interview with fellow progressive, Janet Edwards, that "We are all searching for God as our lives unfold. In the midst of our differences, we share a conviction that our relationship is built on God and our faith in Christ. I acknowledge that God is playing a role in the other person’s life.” I would love for this to be true, that progressives would acknowledge the presence and activity of God in the lives of those with whom they disagree.

This idea of respect for one another despite differing views on how God views the practice of homosexuality is also being expressed by another prominent progressive, Professor Mark Achtemeier. He is scheduled to do a debate on the issue, and supposedly Professor Achtemeier will be civil and respectful to those who hold to a biblical understanding (which is clearly not supportive of the acceptance of homosexual practice as God's intention for any person).

This is where I become confused (but not really). Has Bruce Reyes-Chow softened his hardline rejection of conservative and evangelical views, which he slammed a short while ago when he decried "those Biblical literalists who have poisoned our understanding of marriage, sexuality and love." (Of course. the term "literalists" is a perjorative way to describe anyone who believes the Scriptures are the Word of God written, since there really are no true literalists, especially in the Presbyterian Church USA). And there is the gauntlet angrily thrown down by Professor Achtemeier shortly after his eyes were "illuminated" by the liberal light of "inclusion" when he states this about those with whom he disagrees: "...I can no longer close my eyes to the spiritual and psychological damage that flow from this well-intended but tragically misguided teaching."

While I do not doubt the sincerity and veracity of Mr. Reyes-Chow and Prof. Achtemeier, I also do not believe that there is a growing sense among Presbyterian progressives that the evangelical beliefs regarding homosexuality are seriously to be respected and engaged. I am still convinced that they look down on those who disagree with them, and that they still believe their understanding is superior, justified, and most enlightened intellectually. I no longer hope or trust that there is any intention on their part to give any credence to any notion that there is anything in the slightest wrong, immoral, or unbiblical about homosexual expression.

So much for seeking common ground, or participating in any honest dialogue.

Latest Seth Update

2010-09-10T11:39:00.012-05:00

Greetings All,

It has been a little while since we have sent you any news on how Seth is doing. First of all, his spirits are still very good, as he tackles every day with hope and optimism. Secondly, the rest of the family is doing fairly well, as each of us seems to be dealing better with what has happened to Seth. We appreciate your thoughts, support, and prayers more than you will ever know.

Seth turned 12 on September 4th, and we had a nice family birthday celebration for him. He is continuing his activities in scouts, and is doing well in school (especially in math).

As far as progress in his physical condition, we are learning that it is a long, long journey marked by small, but significant, victories. Because of God and the exercises, Seth continues to have good muscle tone in his legs. His flexing of his hip and thigh muscles continues to be strong, but he still hasn't been able to move anything on his own, EXCEPT that as of last week he can now move his left leg outward totally unassisted when he is setting on the floor. Though he cannot move it back, it is the first obvious movement we have seen since we began the Project Walk exercise program last November. We are so thankful to see some progress (as I, Will, was becoming a little discouraged). It's not much, but it is also a lot, as this shows that Seth really can recover movement.

Keep praying for Seth and us. We still struggle with keeping a consistent exercise schedule, as doing this at home is a constant battle with school and work schedules. Our funds from the 2CMiracle Account (otherwise known as "The Seth Jackson Fund') are depleted, so if any of you are so able and inclined, contributions would be greatly appreciated (address below). We still have major equipment needs for the exercise program Seth is on. The right equipment will enable us to add important exercises to his workouts, and thus advance his recovery even faster.

Again, thank you all for your support and prayers. And many thanks to God, who "crowns you with love and compassion." (Psalm 103:4)

Blessings,

Will and Jackie Jackson

For giving to "The Seth Jackson Fund," send to:
River of Life Ministries
3801 Blairs Ferry Rd NE
Cedar Rapids, IA 52402
(Phone:319-393-3709)

KEEP THE CELEBRATION GOING!

Don't Fret!

2010-08-26T00:29:00.007-05:00

In the past couple of weeks I have been reminded what things really count in life, and how things that seem important are really way down on the "gotta have" list. For years now I (and others) have been praying for my son, Chris, to develop a real desire and passion to know and follow Christ. He has always believed Christ and the spiritual dimension of life are important, but he has had difficulty seeing how all this made any real difference in his life, the church, and the world. He saw the church as mostly people putting on a religious front, and that for most people it didn't seem to matter or make much difference that Christ "...for us and for our salvation, came down from heaven..." (as the Nicene Creed states).

Well, that all changed about three weeks ago when he encountered a very traumatic situation in one of his closest relationships. The pain of this event caused him to realise his need for God's help, his powerlessness in the face of tragedy, and that without Christ he cannot truly offer his suffering friends any real help or hope. He suddenly could see how much God loved him, how empty life is when lived for self alone, and how full life can be when lived as a follower of Jesus. It is only a short time, I know, but the change in my son is thorough-going and dramatic. Though the pain of his trauma continues, he has discovered the joy of the Lord as one who is thankful to God for all that is good in his life. His gratefulness for God and God's goodness keeps him going and growing each day, and he is even sharing this hope with his friends.

So, for me, while I ache for the pain he is going through, I am extremely glad to have Chris seeking after God in his life. My heart is full of joy when he says to me, "Let's pray together about this, Dad." I can very much identify with the verse in the Book of Proverbs that says,
           My son, if your heart is wise,
              then my heart will be glad;
           my inmost being will rejoice
              when your lips speak what is right.

This gladness in what is happening with Chris was challenged to the limit when I received a message two days ago that, if it had been true, would have meant the end of my service as minister in the PCUSA, and, due to the character damaging nature of the news, could easily have meant the end of my service as a minister anywhere. It is not appropriate to divulge the content of this message, but as it stood it would have been dealing with heartbreaking betrayal of trusted colleagues, and would have opened up some very demoralizing old wounds from a past disappointment in ministry. Plus, the blow to my ability to provide for my family at a time when the needs are critical (daughter's college bills, son's paralysis, etc) would have lined us up for great disaster and loss.

However, despite the dark prospects of what I had been told, I wasn't worried. I wasn't afraid. Oh, yes I was shaken, and, yes I was dreading the future implications of the bad news. Yet it faded in importance compared to the joy of having a son who is seeking the heart of God, who is passionate about Jesus and desires to follow Him faithfully.  A crisis in career and livelihood can never rate above a son whose "heart is wise."

As I was seeking to verify the accuracy of the gloomy message I had received, God brought to my mind several of the encouraging words of Psalm 37. The Psalmist describes how easy it is to get upset about the evil that people do, to focus on wrong and to become angry in reaction to what appears to be people's hateful intentions. Over and over, this scripture says, "Don't fret!" Don't over react, don't even worry about what people can do to you. Rather, the Spirit through this scripture urges me to "Trust in the Lord and do good." I am told to "delight yourself in the Lord," "be still," "wait patiently," and "to commit your way to the Lord." With these actions God promises to give us "the desires of your heart." God will "make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun." All we are asked to do is "don't fret."

As things turned out, I found out that the very foreboding word I had received was indeed an error. A mix up in information coupled with an even more twisted misunderstanding of conversations between Presbyterian officials gave birth to a most malicious falsehood about me and about my work as a minister. If a sincere and thoughtful person in a presbytery far, far away hadn't been willing to call me and let me know what was being said about me in error, who knows how much damage could have been done. Through his action, the mistake was caught, and the committees and officials involved able to rectify the situation.

The interesting thing for me was that I did trust in the Lord and did commit my way to God in the face of what sounded and seemed like a very ominous threat to my personal and professional welfare. I was able to do this because my heart is not made glad by my reputation or career accomplishments, but by a son whose "lips speak what is right." That is what is really important! That is what is truly worthwhile! Indeed, as the 39th verse of Psalm 37 clearly declares:
          The salvation of the righteous comes from the Lord;
          He is their stronghold in time of trouble.

Even More About Brett

2010-07-10T23:17:00.004-05:00

In a long ago blog post (More About Brett, July 12, 2007), I wrote about one of the giants amongst today's Presbyterian missionaries, Brett McMichael. Brett would be the last to use such language to describe himself, but as far as having Christ's heart to serve and a keen capacity for effectiveness in how he serves, few will ever surpass this amazing man.

In the past couple of years, Brett was forced to leave his work with children and hospitals in Croatia. Years of kidney disease and other ailments were finally becoming too much to overcome, and he returned to the United States. He was blessed to have finally received a new kidney last year, which has released him from the confines of the dialysis machine and given him new physical resources he hasn't had in years. So, what does Brett do with his new found energy and freedom? He heads straight back to Croatia to work with and participate in one of his favorite projects he developed during his years as a missionary there: camps for children dealing with various diseases. The most recent was a camp for children dealing with cancer, and the post below is just a miniscule glimpse of the joy this man has brought to children and their families over years and years of unsung and unselfish labor in Romania, Croatia, Bosnia, Kosovo, and other such places.

I met Brett amost 10 years ago while I was serving in Croatia, and my wife and I were privileged to have been there to see the birth of these remarkable camps. His vision and drive for not only these camps, but much of his incredible ministry in transforming how hospitals in Croatia and Bosnia treat children and their families, comes from his own woundedness in how he was mistreated and maligned by medical institutions while growing up in the eastern USA. His life was gleaned through the intervention of compassionate adults who could see past the slapped-on diagnoses that could have easily destined Brett to a life of dismissive institutionalization. Instead their providential intervention gave him a full and meaningful life. What could have been a life relegated to loss and bitterness is now one resounding with love and bring hope to many throughout the world. Through his blessing many more are blessed.

Yes, sometimes giants can walk among us, and yet we don't see them. Brett is one such giant. He is a servant to others, so he does not seek the glory for himself, nor does he point to himself. Nevertheless, when you notice him, and get to know more about him, it becomes clear that here is one of the most extraordiary people alive in the world today, and here is a life whose story is most worth the telling. So, let me point out to you Brett McMichael, a giant among us.

Fuzine Camp at ROM

No Greater Joy

2010-06-02T10:33:00.002-05:00

In August of 2006, I hugged my daughter, Jennifer, and drove away from the Biola University campus, leaving her to be "on her own" for the first time. The tears flowed from LA to Las Vegas, as I tried to deal with all the emotions a father has when realizing he is "losing" his little girl to adulthood. I wondered how she would do in college, how she would handle finances, how she would deal with boyfriends, and how she would do in her relationship with Christ.

Well, four years and ten months later, I watched her (via computer as I couldn't get time away from my present job) walk across the dais and receive her Bachelor of Arts. She is now a confident young woman who has grown in wisdom and beauty. As the diploma was placed in her hands, her many friends, mother, oldest brother, and God-parents cheered with enthusiasm.

Again, I found myself wiping away the tears. Thankfully I didn't have to drive anywhere, but this time I wasn't crying because I had "lost" my little girl, but because now my daughter is a devoted servant of the Living God who has a heart for those who are hurt and lost in this world. This is a great gain for God - and all the rest of us!

Now I know firsthand the deep sense of satisfaction expressed in the words the Apostle John wrote in his letter to Gaius (III John 1:4), "I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth." Way to go, Jennifer!

Global Mission And Personal Evangelism: Inseparable Yet Distinct

2010-05-15T07:58:00.004-05:00

I was just thinking....

Any congregation that is truly faithful to Christ and biblical in nature will be heavily involved both relationally and financially with global missions. This involvement will flow out of the passion of each member’s heart for their neighbors, family, and friends who have yet to give their lives to Jesus. These two emphases are just different sides of the same coin, as they say. They are irreducibly connected, as indicated in Jesus’ wording in John 3:16.

For God so loved the world
that he gave his one and only Son,
so that whoever believes in him shall not perish
but have eternal life.

In this one well known sentence, God’s mission to the world (τον κοσμον), which was motivated by God’s unconditional love, is realized in each individual’s trust (ο πιστευων) in Jesus as God’s only Son. The Greek word used here, ho pisteuon, is an active participle in the present tense and singular number. This magnifies the emphasis on God’s incredible act of redemption for the world being fulfilled when individuals actively and continually give their trust to Jesus. Therefore, global mission, from God’s perspective, can only be realized in personal evangelism, and personal evangelism is the primary tool of global mission.

This organic intertwining of these two great ends of the church of Jesus Christ is again reiterated by Jesus in His Great Commission, which is quoted in Matthew 28:18-20.

All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations,
baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.
And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.

In one audacious phrase, Jesus ties our mission to go out into the world with the task of making disciples, which is done one individual at a time. He even gives us a discipling protocol, which consists of baptizing and teaching to obey, again actions reflecting the response of individuals (the “believing ones” cited in John 3:16). However, the actions of baptizing in the name of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and teaching people to obey Jesus’ commands place each individual disciple into the communal context of living in God’s kingdom, where Christ’s authority reigns through His people in this world, and His presence is experienced by individual believers in a shared (dare I say “accountable”) life together.

It is clear by now, given these little exe-snippets of Scripture, that any church that is not geared to both global mission and personal evangelism is a seriously deficient church, and as such cannot claim to be fulfilling God’s will or advancing God’s purposes. These emphases are central to what God is about in this world, and therefore must be reflected in the identity and actions of any truly biblical congregation. In adoration of and obedience to Jesus Christ who has obliterated our sins and made us truly alive, we are impelled to bring this “Good News” of Jesus to our neighbors both nearby and far away.

Anyway, I was just thinking....

Quick-eyed Love

2010-04-28T18:28:00.003-05:00

This is a homily I shared at a Maundy Thursday celebration at River of Life Ministries in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Come Rest Ministries (a validated mission of River of Life that emphasizes the love of God in Christ, healing, spiritual direction, and social outreach) provided the leadership for this service, and I was honored to be invited by Come Rest director, Richard Speight, to speak on the Great Command of Jesus: that we love one another as Jesus has loved us.

I am posting this primarily for those pastor search committees who desire to see a video of me "preaching." While this gives some idea of my preaching style, it is important to remember that the setting is more meditative and subdued than perhaps most Sunday services. Regardless, whoever feels impelled for whatever reason to watch me preach may do so here. Blessings!

(And yes, I am aware that I am quite "chubby!")

Part 1 ( Preliminary remarks and first half of "Quick-eyed Love.")

Part 2 (Second half and conclusion of "Quick-eyed Love.")

Part 3 (Repeat of conclusion, communion prayer, and the Bread and Cup)

Seth Update: A Persevering Pattern

2010-04-19T10:11:00.002-05:00

I realize that it has been awhile since the last Seth update, so here is the latest.

There has not been any significant improvement to speak of since the last update. Seth continues to be able to flex his hip and thigh muscles, though he still is unable to feel this flexing. We are in what I would call a "persevering pattern:" where we just keep doing the home exercises designed by Project Walk and keep praying for healing. When he is finally able to do some kind of movement on his own power, we will then return to Project Walk for further evaluation and adjustment of the exercise program.
Of course, Seth's attitude is great. He stills sees all this a great adventure. There are times he gets very frustrated, but though these are intense, they are few.

We are about to acquire a Total Gym exercise system (something like what you see on TV, but a much more expensive model made for rehabilitation), which will greatly expand and improve our ability to work on leg movements. A local church is adding another $1000 to the Seth Fund at River of Life Ministries, so that will help a lot in covering the purchase.

Keep on praying for healing, and keep on praying for significant improvement while doing the exercises. We have given some thought about moving closer to a Project Walk Recovery Center, but there are a whole host of difficulties in doing this, as you might expect. Just keep praying that we will make the best decisions and have the resources needed for giving Seth the best opportunity to recover.

Blessings!

Will and Jacquelyn Jackson

Why Don't They Like Me?

2010-04-06T17:34:00.004-05:00

Author and speaker Brian McLaren asks in an article on the Huffington Post, "Why do evangelicals dislike me so much?"

In this article he goes on to compare evangelicals to mind-numbed zombies who are like the people in the old Milgram experiment which indicated that people will submerge their fragile consciences to blind and extreme obedience to authoritarian leaders who order them to do ludicrous, and even evil, acts of harm toward others. He goes on to liken the evangelical mentality to the horrifically cruel Inquisitors of the 16th and 17th centuries. He even intimates that since evangelicals are willing to cruelly punish fellow Christians for any disagreement, then Muslims, gays, and certain poor animals are potential targets for much more lethal actions.

Golly gee! Such a mystery?
What's not to like?

May God spare me or any evangelical from ever being on the receiving end of an electrical shock being administered by Mr. McLaren. He is already pressing the button as hard and as much as he can!

Why The World Does Not Believe

2010-04-03T07:26:00.005-05:00

"Anyone who wants a perfect church clearly wants no church at all!" These words by the great reformer Martin Luther spoken five centuries ago have always been true. Christians are creatures of their times, cultures, politics, and physical processes. So, as such, we will always carry with us the sinfulness of the world we live in. "Simul justus et peccator!" (We are simultaneously saints and sinners!) Yet, it is important to also emphasize that while we carry in our flesh the imperfect realities of living in an imperfect world, we also carry around "in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body." (II Corinthians 4:10 NIV)

This is what St. Paul refers to as the "treasure" in "jars of clay" that makes it clear that despite our earthy realities, God is doing a work through us that shows everyone that God's power is real, and that through the Holy Spirit we can be so much more than the sum collection of our foibles, and that our sinful natures do not have to hold sway over our words and our living. Indeed, our lives can be a positive influence in this world, leading to transformation not only of ourselves but of those around us. This is "...because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you in his presence. All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God." (II Corinthians 4:14-15 NIV)

While most Christians understand the paradox of being sinful people who are filled and used by the Spirit of a perfect God, it seems to be a recurring temptation for some Christians to use this as a pretext for denouncing other Christians with whom they disagree over such mundane matters as politics, economics, or even non-essentials in theology. I am becoming more and more concerned with a very concerted effort by so-called "progressive Christians" to discredit and "dis-grace" evangelical Christians. It isn't necessary to name names, but it seems there are dozens of well known speakers and writers who highlight the fact that evangelicals are tainted with Republican views (terminology that says a great deal about "progressives" political blinders), homophobic impulses, narrow-minded opinions, simple minded understandings of the Bible as a reliable source for discerning the mind and will of the Almighty, and who, according to Carol Howard Merritt, "demonized" health care and "glorified" wars.

People like Pat Robertson, James Dobson, Mike Huckabee, and other involved Christians on the political Right are criticized mercilessly by "progressive Christians," while anyone who is involved in support of the Left's favored issues are hailed as those who have finally removed the scales from their eyes and are truly in tune with God's kingdom. For some reason, political involvement on the Right is a bastardization of true Christianity and can inflame the radical passions of the populace, whereas political involvement on the Left is a faithful expression of enlightened discipleship that is free of the fetters of simple-minded reading of the Bible and narrow-minded allegiance to the demagogues who are leaders in the shallowness of America's mega-churches.

Now, I am not defending all the statements and actions of Pat Robertson, James Dobson, or any Christian leader, or for that matter, of any human leader. Rev. Robertson has had to eat his words on several occasions, as have most of us. I am objecting to what amounts to a campaign by "progressive Christians" to demonize evangelicals. First of all, it is bearing false witness against one's neighbor, so just from a Ten Commandments angle it is an offence against God. But the far greater harm is that it perpetuates the primary reason why the world around us does not accept the witness of Christians regarding the message of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus.

Jesus really gave Christians only one real command, and it is that we love one another.

"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." (John 13:34-35 NIV)

It is the disunity among Christians that has been a scandal to the name of Jesus the Christ for most of the last 2000 years. We are given freedom to serve God, one another, and the world around us, but when we seek to stake out our positions of correctness and dominance over those of other Christians, we discredit the claim that we are disciples of Jesus Christ. As St. Paul admonishes us, "...do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love."

Yes, we all bear the imperfections of being sinful humans in a fallen world. Evangelicals in all their stripes are not the completion of God's work and will for this world, but neither are the so-called progressive Christians. It is certainly true that evangelicals may smell of intolerance at times, but progressives bear the stench of millions upon millions of children murdered in the womb. Evangelicals have erred in being too arrogant and heavy-handed in applying the Word of God to agonizing human issues and in so doing have driven people from God's kingdom, but progressives have erred by denying the clear Word of God in order to proclaim their own words of understanding for human issues, and in so doing have denied people the transforming grace of God.

As creatures of this world, we can always find platforms from which to look down on other disciples of Christ. All this does is give the unbelievers a legitimate reason for being not believing, and discredit is brought to the claims of Christ. Our call as disciples of Jesus is higher than this, and within our bodies of clay is the treasure of Jesus Christ, who lives in us through the Holy Spirit. We do not have to be so subject to our own imperfections that we cannot extol "in our bodies," or that is, in the reality of our lives now, the perfection of Jesus.

Christians are the only ones who have a real choice regarding how to live. Unbelievers are entirely subject to this world, whereas we have been given new life (and therefore new possibilities) in Christ. We do not have to divide ourselves according to the temporary and fleeting provinces of this world. Rather, we can be the one body of Christ, united in the one Holy Spirit as we serve one another in obedience to Jesus. It is by this that all people will believe we are disciples of Jesus, that the Gospel is true, that the kingdom of God is in our midst, and that someday "at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." (Philippians 2:10-11 NIV)

Christians And Obama-Care

2010-03-24T23:22:00.005-05:00

While I have been personally opposed to the federal health care laws which were enacted by congress last weekend, I have been able to carry on civil discussions with my friends who support this legislation. Though the disagreements are sharp, and the perspective widely divergent, I never sensed anyone with whom I was talking to be mean-spirited or personally upset with me, and I believe I've respected those who disagree with me.

At least, that was the case until this Monday, the day after the bill passed the House of Representatives. I was shocked and dismayed to have someone I counted as a friend and brother in the Lord write to me that my views discounted me from being a faithful Christian. He proclaimed with a viciousness that I had never seen him exhibit before that he could not understand how anyone could oppose "Obama-care." "How anyone calling themselves a Christian could (oppose this bill) is beyond me" is just one statement among many making it clear that one's status before God was directly indicated by embracing and espousing support for the provisions of this so-called "medical reform." Then, I began to notice others who have supported this legislation expressing similar attitudes: questioning the intelligence of their opponents, indicating that those opposed are uncaring, and that opposition arguments have been intentional lies. This was all topped off with the profane declaration of victory by Vice-President Biden at the bill signing ceremony. His words were a vulgar act of disdain for both respectful opposition and civil propriety.

So, what gives? Why is my friend now willing to be so arrogant and dismissive to those who have disagreed with him on this issue, even to the point of claiming his views are the only ones a "true" Christian would have? Why are the media and high profile promoters of this medical reform bill being openly accusatory toward those who challenged many of the points (at least those anyone could know about ahead of time) in this bill, as if the problems were simply the audacity to oppose this bill rather than questioning its purpose and effectiveness? Why are those who have achieved what they wanted not filled with joy for their cause rather than focusing virulently upon those who do not share their cause for celebration?

I could speculate on some of the reasons, but what concerns me the most is the spirit of accusation that is festering among Christians. This is natural for those who are oriented to the harsh competitiveness of the world, who see ideology being more important than living, breathing people. But for those who claim to be followers of Jesus Christ, who seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, our eternal status as children of God should take clear and deliberate precedence over something as temporary and fleeting as the approach to health care in the USA. I am not saying we are not to care about our beliefs and positions on this subject, or that robust discussion is not appropriate. However, I am saying that Christians more than anyone else should honor and respect one another even in the face of strong political differences. This is indeed part of our witness to the world that we serve one Lord together, and that our relationships are based on eternal realities, not the passing issue of the day.

It is perhaps not coincidental that I have been asked to say a few words during worship this coming Maundy Thursday, and that this means reflecting on the command of Jesus that his followers "love one another." Jesus says:
"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you,
so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are
my disciples, if you love one another." (John 13:34-35)
It is apparent from this passage, where Jesus has just washed the disciples feet and taken the form of a servant to them, that it is in Christians serving each other that our love for each other is demonstrated as real, and that this is the way the world around us sees this as a truth-in-action rather than just a pious ideal. Obviously, we Christians have missed opportunity after opportunity to show that our love for one another is something more than just nice feelings. We have let everything from slight theological differences to mundane political orientations divide us and lead us to demand surrender rather than us giving ourselves in service to one another.

So, are we going to blow it again? Are we in the church going to bicker and blame like our politically driven representatives in Washington, D.C., or are we going to show the world that we serve a living Lord who calls us to unity in the Holy Spirit despite our differences in politics, culture, race, economics, abilities, and whatever human differences that so easily divide people from each other. The key is to seek to serve one another, regardless! So, I resolve to find a way to serve my brothers and sisters who support the provisions of the Obama-care bill, especially if they are feeling angry and put out at those who do not see things as they do. My sinful nature wants to defend myself and strike back, but the Spirit of God in me can give me the strength to serve in love, thus showing the world that there is indeed one Body of Christ, one faith, one Lord, all bound together in the unity of the Spirit.

Latest On Seth

2010-01-03T07:19:00.002-06:00

I was recently reminded that it has been a little while since I let you all know how Seth is doing. I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving and a great Christmas in the meantime.

Seth continues to have a great attitude, though it is evident that his frustration level with not walking is rising. While this makes for some difficult behavior at times, we view it as a good thing. As he becomes more frustrated with his present limitations, we are hoping this will make him more motivated to do the work necessary to improve. The trainers at Project Walk have told us that motivation is the main issue for children as they do their workouts for walking again. Physically they are set to heal quickly, but mentally they are not as ready since they tend to accept their condition easier.

Seth came back from Project Walk on November 14 with feeling about an inch further down into his pelvic area. He has regained being able to shift his hips, though he can't feel them yet. He continues to have great circulation, and his bowel and bladder functions are better than before. We've learned to minimize the use of his wheelchair, so he scoots on the floor a lot and we set him on regular chairs for eating and homework. The Project Walk people have found that much of the posture and balance problems experienced by paralyzed people are due to extended time in the wheelchair.

Our main challenge right now is setting up a regular exercise routine for Seth in our home. It has been very difficult to work in 9 to 12 hours of exercise with Seth along with everyone else's schedules. With two other small children and Jackie and I both having to work to get by financially, it is not easy. (Pray that a good church will want a "seasoned" guy like me for a pastor!) Obviously, we must do this, but we ask your prayers in helping us carve out the time for this. Plus, the costs of the trip out to Project Walk in San Diego were significantly higher than we anticipated. This, along with the continuing costs of trying to provide what is needed for Seth while he is paralyzed, add a whole other dimension of stress on our family that affects everything else. So, we seek your prayers regarding our financial challenges at this time. (Again, a great big thank you to all who are contributing to Seth's Fund at River of Life Ministries.)

As Walter Cronkite used to say, that's the way it is on this 27th day of December, 2009. I look forward to being able to share more good news of improvement as time goes on, but please remember to keep seeking God for Seth's healing. God is showing us the way, but all healing in any form is from God, and Seth continues to work on what God has asked of him, which is to "ask Me, trust Me, and work with Me."

Thank you all for your support and your friendship. May you all have a blessed and happy New Year!

Blessings!

Will

Albany Wisdom

2009-12-16T07:59:00.006-06:00

I heard yesterday that Albany Presbytery had decided to close Jermain Memorial Presbyterian Church after some research done by an administrative commission. Now, I don't know whether Jermain Church should or shouldn't be closed, but it was curious to read one of the primary reasons for this action. According to Executive Presbyter Cass Shaw, Jermain Church members were “rude to one another and to their... minister.” Wow! If this is truly a substantial reason for closing a church, then there are a whole lot of congregations that need to start packing things up! No presbytery I've been in has ever backed me to the extent that I could threaten closing the church if the elders didn't treat me nice! Maybe I need to go to Albany Presbytery!

EP Shaw went on to say that “attempts by the commission to change the church’s culture and climate of conflict were not fruitful. The church has not functioned in a healthy way in a long time. The commission believes this is not the kind of witness that should continue, and I agree with its decision.” All I can say here is can we apply this principle for closing churches to some very large churches as well. I've certainly experienced a few good sized churches which are extremely "toxic" to the Gospel message, but then again, large churches have the money, power and prestige to impress Presbytery officials despite being embarrasments to Christ. Plus, what if we applied EP Shaw's criteria to our denomination, which has certainly "not functioned in a healthy way in a long time." I don't think the PCUSA would fare much better with this standard for closing up shop. Or do we give ourselves grace and patience as a denomination in the face of our "climate of conflict," but squash the heck out of small churches who act the same?

Finally EP Shaw explained that the powers that be in Albany Presbytery had “tried to help Jermain’s leaders understand that the church is more than a building, and it does not exist only for itself.” The key question the presbytery sought to raise, she says, is “what does it mean to be a church?” So I say okay, let's shut down all churches that exist primarily for themselves and do not have a good understanding of what it means to be a church! Since even the best churches wrestle with this self-centered focus from time to time, there won't be many churches left. I am reminded of the words of Martin Luther, "He who wants a perfect church clearly wants no church at all."

And while we are on this kick that the church is more than a building and does not exist for itself, is Albany Presbytery going to claim ownership of the building, sell it, and keep the proceeds for itself? If it does, then the Presbytery understanding of church isn't much different than what it accuses Jermain Church members of having. How about giving the proceeds away, say to Habitat for Humanity, or maybe give a generous gift to a church in the same neighborhood that is doing effective ministry? Somehow, I think the building will end up as much (or even more) a focus for the Presbytery as it is for the Jermain congregation.

So, after these comments, it is probably safe to say that I should not pursue any ministry opportunities in Albany Presbytery any time soon. You think?!

USA: A Country With A Call

2009-11-25T23:57:00.004-06:00

As we celebrate God's pouring of grace upon this great country, we are reminded by this Day of Thanksgiving of the great potential for the United States to be the great "city on a hill" that has been cited by so many since the colonial days. That first Thanksgiving with the Plymouth pilgrims and native Americans was an incredible and prophetic example of what America is called to be. Just think of what could have been if the humble thankfulness of the pilgrims and the generous hearts of the native Americans had become the normal pattern for the social development of this new experiment in human experience! What a shining light there would have been for all to see!

Of course, America has at different times dared to approach God's call to be a land of hope and promise like no other in the history of the world. So, at times and in places it has shone forth as a lighthouse for freedom and opportunity. But, oh, what could have been! Think about the opportunity this great nation had after it had enjoyed God's providence in throwing off the yoke of English tyranny, as the founders wrestled with writing a guiding constitution for a new and different kind of republic. They as much as any up until their time knew the value and worth of every human individual in the sight of an Almighty and merciful God, yet they blinked when facing the issue of slavery. What if they had applied the full force of all the "self-evident" truths, "that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness." What could have been!

Again, God has given our great country opportunity after opportunity to be the great "city on a hill." In the rise of the evangelical Awakenings, in the great economic power of capitalism, in the challenges of expansion and world wars, America has always had a call from God to be different and shining in how we handle things. In many ways we have been that shining light, and in many ways we have missed it. However, it is clear that America is at its best and most likely to fulfill its God-ordained potential when it clearly and humbly submits itself as a people to God through its governance, institutions, families, and individuals. We miss the mark the most when we stray from attributing our blessings and giftedness to God.

This Thanksgiving Day 2009 we are again poised as a nation to choose to fulfill God's great call for our country by humbly pointing to God as the One who gives us what we have, makes us who we are, and guides us to what we can be. Again, there are those voices that point us away from our Creator and claim that we are on our own as a nation, that we must fight each other for our rights, and that our destiny is no more special or unique than any other people or nation. But think of what can be! Think of the opportunity we have again to follow God's call and become a shining beacon of hope and promise for all through this world.

If we will acknowledge God as the source for our freedom and the Giver of our rights, we can be a model for all the world as a nation that is blessed and guided by God. We can still be that shining "city on a hill" for all to see.

The New Samaritans

2009-11-19T10:22:00.008-06:00

As I was sitting in a meeting of evangelical church leaders last week, it occurred to me that the group most antagonistic toward evangelicals may not be liberals, secularists, or even denominational leaders. Rather, it may be those who see themselves as "emerging" or "recovering evangelicals," and as such seek to warn the unsuspecting world about the embarrassingly simplistic tenets of evangelical Christianity. As we were being lectured by a well-known (and I believe sincere) speaker on the great failures of the evangelical segment of the church (which are real and many), it dawned on me that those who are former or "progressive" evangelicals would likely be the first ones to turn me over to the authorities should my evangelical faith ever be deemed too intolerant to be tolerated in a tolerant society.

The person speaking during my epiphanous occasion is a well known author who was very careful to tout his own "evangelical credentials." The problem was that his only pejorative words were reserved for describing evangelicals and no one else. He identified himself with Brian McLaren, whose books I enjoy reading and who provokes a lot of good thought. However, Mr. McLaren's writings are marked with a ferocious antipathy toward his "fellow" evangelicals, who he sees as shallow Christians who seek convenience in their faith commitments and who do not wrestle with difficult social/political issues. Mr. McLaren, like Sojourner's Jim Wallis and Solomon Porch's Doug Pagitt, all claim to have been once shackled by the burdensome chains of simplistic views of God, Bible, faith, and grace that kept them from seeing the activity of the Spirit in others beyond their faith circle. Now that they have jettisoned dogmatic belief for a more open and relative view of truth, they can now see the dangers of their former evangelical worldview (or any such faith, Christian or otherwise, that claims to have real objective content and real objective articles of belief). Of course, it goes hand in hand that if the evangelical worldview is dangerous, so are those who carry this infection, that is, evangelical Christians.

With the recent scuttlebutt regarding Presbyterian professor Mark Achtemeier's embracing a liberal position regarding gay, lesbian, etc. orientations, it became clear that Professor Achtemeier has also adopted the idea that evangelicals are not just misled buffoons, but are actually dangerous in their beliefs. As he states, "...I can no longer close my eyes to the spiritual and psychological damage that flow from this well-intended but tragically misguided teaching." No finer gauntlet has ever been tossed, and it is this divisive impasse that is helping to lay the foundation for going beyond critical words to active deeds of opposition and prevention.

These actions presently may be expressed in the simple subjugating of evangelicals in so-called tasks forces, the ostracizing of evangelicals in denominational hierarchies, and even outright ridicule in societal venues like politics. However, as laws are on the verge of being enacted in federal legislation that may actually prohibit the expression of some evangelical views, such as support for the traditional family or the call to pray public prayers in Christ's name, punishments could become as severe as court pronounced fines and, in worst case scenarios, imprisonment. I think now I realize that it will be my "fellow" evangelicals who have gone on to more enlightened views who will be willingly and enthusiastically pointing me out to the those appointed by whatever authority there may be to curb and contain unsanctioned thinking and belief.

In the United States and Europe, evangelicals are becoming the present day "Samaritans." Like the Samaritans of old whose culture and beliefs were disdained by the Jewish people as bastardized forms of true belief and proper religious practice, so are the evangelicals viewed by liberals and "progressive evangelicals" as backward and unenlightened in their "less than generous" expressions of Christian faith and life. Yet, like the Samaritan in Jesus' parable about who is my neighbor, it is the evangelicals who are engaged in actively seeking to live out Christ's life in the world. Organizations like Samaritan's Purse, World Vision, Compassion International, Every Home For Christ, and many more are filled with people who are primarily populated by evangelicals. Much of the outreach in local missions throughout our cities are supported and staffed by evangelicals, and the majority of missionaries in the PCUSA and other protestant denominations are motivated by their evangelical zeal to see people come into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Ecumenically, it is the evangelicals who enjoy many points of mutual faith and mission with the Roman Catholic and Orthodox expressions of Christianity.

Actually, when one thinks about it for awhile, it is really an honor to be part of the "new Samaritans." Jesus told us in his ironic words (Matthew 5:11), "Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me." It's not the part of following Jesus that we (or should I just say "I") enthusiastically embrace, but it is crucial in molding us into Christ-like persons who live out God's truth in humility. We know the certainty of this divine reality when our hearts impell us to stop and become neighbor to all who have fallen along the road.

Mark's Off The Mark (abbreviated)

2009-11-10T18:46:00.006-06:00

Like many, I was very saddened to read about Mark Achtemeier's talk at the current Covenant Network conference. Clearly, he is quite "off the mark." It is sad to see one who was apparently so well grounded theologically and scripturally capitulate to those who claim the supreme authority duet of subjective experience and relativistic post-modern truth. I trust that he is sincere, and that this position he has taken with those who eschew Bible, Christ, and Tao (see Abolition of Man by C.S. Lewis) is one of heartfelt and heartrending reflection. Nevertheless, it is important to note two major points that should give anyone serious pause before following Professor Achtemeier into the bright land of amoral enlightenment.

The first is to look at who is rejoicing when a prominent figure embraces the "anything goes as long as we really love each other" approach to human sexual relationships. It should cause us to reexamine our thinking when those who have rebelled against nature and the God of nature find us amenable to their lifestyles. Many in these circles are now openly promoting multiple partner "unions," and the acceptance of incest among consenting persons. One may say there are no views such as these among the Covenant Network folk, but so far they have shown little resolve in resisting societal pressures to step in line with whatever is deemed "progressive," which currently includes advocates for these sexual practices. Society and science hold more authority for this circle of ecclesiastics than Bible or even church tradition, and for them Christianity is merely a religion to make more relevant according to their own personal understandings than the faithful community of a risen Lord whose eternal Word transforms us and the world.

Of course it is understood that there is no valid rationale for condemning and avoiding such people with their perspectives. Christ calls us to stand and walk in their midst as fellow sinners who have been reclaimed through the blood of Jesus Christ from our sin. We are compelled by the Lord of all servants to seek both the welfare and the redemption of all people, not just the ones we are compatible with personally in culture, religion, race, orientation, politics, or philosophy (although there may be an exception regarding Iowa State University supporters). But when those who disagree and denigrate God's revealed viewpoints find our viewpoints to their liking, then that should be enough of a signal to us that we have moved away from God's truth and have accommodated ourselves in some way to serious and potentially damning error (and believe me, I am no stranger to this predicament).

The second observation is to note the incredible arrogance in the language of those who have opted out of the "traditional view" of marriage and have embraced the gay, lesbian, transgendered, bisexual, and endless other qualifications approach to marriage and sexual relationships. In his talk to the Covenant Network, Professor Achtemeier indicates several times that his former position against gay partnerships and marriage was due to his lack of personal experience with good, committed Christian gays, and that his understanding of scripture was due to sheltering himself from the insights and opinions of others who disagreed with his "traditionalist" position (one can only wonder how he managed to remain this "sheltered" in both experience and education while attending Harvard and Duke). However, he then projects his personal journey as being the experience of the typical evangelical. This again is incredulously arrogant and self-serving..

I am an evangelical Presbyterian minister (albeit a very low profile, relatively irrelevant one) who has read a pretty good share of the books both pro and con on sexual orientation issues. I've even studied much of the secular research. Plus, throughout my life, even from high school days, I have known gays in committed relationships and gays in ongoing multiple relationships. (As Professor Achtemeier should know, there are a number of diverse and even opposing viewpoints among gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered persons on what forms their relationships should take.) During my years (long, long ago and in a galaxy far, far away) at Princeton Seminary, I so frequently sat at the "gay table" in the commons that many people assumed that I was gay, too. Plus, at Princeton and Duke (and even my pedestrian undergrad school, Wichita State), I had excellent liberal and evangelical professors who pushed me hard to wrestle with the foundations of my beliefs. Yet, I am confident in my approach to the scriptures and the moral positions I believe the Spirit and the scriptures instruct me to take. I've just always believed that these same scriptures and Spirit also called me into personal and loving involvement with those who I may be at odds with in both faith and life.

What then to make of this speech and Mark Achtemeier's new perspective? Yes, it gives ammunition to the liberal camps in the ongoing ecclesiastical wars in the mainline denominations. Of course, this doesn't really matter since the victory of some liberal church people will have no bearing on the catholic witness of Christ's church in all its authentic forms. It certainly will not cause the biblical interpretations of the orthodox, catholic, and evangelical to crumble into ashes because Professor Achtemeier's apology for his new view is so overwhelmingly persuasive. And, of course, God is not going to "repent" of God's clear intention (according to Jesus) in creating humans, sex, and marriage (although God may "repent" of having created the PCUSA, which raises a whole host of other issues to ponder).

The clear and obvious answer is to pray for Mark Achtemeier. As a fellow disciple of Jesus, I am confident that he would appreciate this, even if he thinks the motivation for the prayers is misinformed. I know I appreciate the prayers of my liberal friends who think I am out to lunch on my positions. In a more serious vein, however, I believe if Professor Achtemeier is truly seeking to be faithful to his God (and I believe he is), and is not simply rationalizing to deal with personal pressures to conform to this world, then he will be willing to open himself to his trusted evangelical friends and colleagues who take issue with his new position. If he is sincere, let him test his view in the fires of personal discourse with his friends, such as Robert Gagnon and others. This, along with the sweet incense of the prayers of the saints, will help him hear and follow the voice of his Shepherd who is certainly calling out to him. Again, Mark Achtemeier can be "on the mark!"

Mark's Off The Mark (expanded)

2009-11-07T11:40:00.024-06:00

Like many, I was very saddened to read about Mark Achtemeier's talk at the current Covenant Network conference. Clearly, he is quite "off the mark." I am not surprised, since there have been many indications over the past few years that he was drifting away from a trust in the revelatory authority of the scriptures. Still, it is sad to see one who was apparently so well grounded theologically and scripturally capitulate to those who claim the supreme authority duet of subjective experience and relativistic post-modern truth. (I know this crowd usually says they utilize the guidance of tradition and scripture, but this is almost always lip service for the sake of the unwashed evangelicals, catholics, and orthodox.)

I am not wanting to examine Professor Achtemeier's motives or intentions, since obviously these are both properly and personally beyond my rightful concerns. I trust him enough to believe that he is sincere, and that this position he has taken with those who eschew Bible, Christ, and Tao (see Abolition of Man by C.S. Lewis) is one of heartfelt and heartrending reflection. Rather, I am only commenting on two macro observations that should give anyone serious pause before following Professor Achtemeier into the bright land of amoral enlightenment (which by implication is also "a-divine," since if there are no ethical nuances to how and with whom we have sex, then there is no divine authority or source whose viewpoint matters).

The first is to look at who is rejoicing when a prominent figure embraces the "anything goes as long as we really love each other" approach to human sexual relationships. It should give us pause when those who have rebelled against nature and the God of nature find us amenable to their lifestyles. Many in these circles are now openly promoting multiple partner "unions," the acceptance of incest among consenting persons, and there is even a growing voice for the "sexual rights" of children. One may say there are no views such as these among the Covenant Network folk, but so far they have shown little resolve in resisting societal pressures to step in line with whatever is deemed "progressive," which currently includes advocates for these sexual practices.

I am not saying that those who are part of the Covenant Network and similar groups are evil, malicious people. I know several of the leaders, and have worked with many more in various ministry situations. This only means I am quite certain when I state that this is not a group of people who are overly concerned with this historic witness of the church or the faith once given to the saints. They reject the revelatory authority of the scriptures, and consider it to be provincial arrogance on the part of anyone who asserts that Jesus is the unique Son of God through whom alone we must be reconciled to God the Father through the regenerative power of the Holy Spirit. Society and science hold more authority for this circle of ecclesiastics than Bible or even church tradition, and for them Christianity is merely a religion to make more relevant according to their own personal understandings than the faithful community of a risen Lord whose eternal Word transforms us and the world.

Now obviously, evangelical, catholic, and orthodox Christians have no place to condemn and should not stay away from such people or avoid engaging their perspectives. Christ calls us to stand and walk in their midst as fellow sinners who have been reclaimed through the blood of Jesus Christ from our sin. We are compelled by the Lord of all servants to seek both the welfare and the redemption of all people, not just the ones we are compatible with personally in culture, religion, race, orientation, politics, or philosophy (although there may be an exception regarding Iowa State University supporters). But when those who disagree and denigrate God's revealed viewpoints find our viewpoints to their liking, that should be enough of a signal to us that we have moved away from God's truth and have accommodated ourselves in some way to serious and potentially damning error (and believe me, I am no stranger to this predicament).

The second observation is to note the incredible arrogance in the language of those who have opted out of the "traditional view" of marriage and have embraced gay, lesbian, transgendered, bisexual, and endless other qualifications approach to marriage and sexual relationships. An earlier convert from the evangelical to the progressive, Professor Jack Rogers, was particularly vicious in his personal skewering of the philistine evangelicals who had held him captive for years with their hermeneutical spells. While Professor Achtemeier isn't showing such vitriol yet, he is still showing this same arrogance. This is also seen in some leaders of the so-called "emergent church," who view evangelicals as spiritual troglodytes holding unsuspecting Christians from true freedom by insisting that there is some actual content to faith.

In his talk to the Covenant Network, Professor Achtemeier indicates many times that his former position against gay partnerships and marriage was due to his lack of personal experience with good, committed Christian gays, and that his understanding of scripture was due to sheltering himself from the insights and opinions of others who disagreed with his "traditionalist" position (one can only wonder how he managed to remain this "sheltered" in both experience and education while attending Harvard and Duke). He even says that now that he has changed his view, there are many evangelicals who secretly agree with him but who are yet too fearful to express this openly. So, we evangelicals who hold to the "traditionalist" position on sexuality and marriage are sheltered, scholarly self-indulgent, trapped in our views by fear, and wrestle with an innate sense of being hypocritical regarding our actual experience with gays. Well, I guess that sets the table for open, respectful dialogue, doesn't it! Whatever I or another similar advocate says, our point and positions have already been dismissed as borne out of ignorance and fear.

Of course, Professor Achtemeier can declare his new viewpoint to be buttressed and capped by his high regard for the authority of scripture and the Lordship of Jesus Christ. But wait a minute, doesn't he say that this was a weakness he had in his old view because it was just a way to cover up his gnawing insecurities. Doesn't he indicate that evangelicals claim the high biblical ground as a way of avoiding the issues he has now so bravely faced? We evangelicals are in the conundrum where the professor can dismiss us for using the very same point he now uses to reinforce his own view. Seriously, I think his claim to hold his new position and a high view of biblical authority together simply makes him less honest and forthright than other advocates of alternative sexual lifestyles. Give me a good, honest liberal progressive who believes the scriptures are just plain wrong regarding the modern issues of sexual orientation, and then we can have a far more respectful and honest dialogue. Agreement is highly unlikely, but respect and regard for one another in both position and person are very likely.

Mark Achtemeier's straw man portrait of the fearful and sheltered evangelical is typical of progressive comments on this subject (one wonders how a person who was so recently an evangelical leader can now display such a shallow understanding of evangelicals and their beliefs). However, he indicates in his Covenant Network speech that this fits his own personal journey, which he then projects as the experience of the typical evangelical. This again is arrogant and errant. I am an evangelical Presbyterian minister (albeit a very low profile, relatively irrelevant one) who has read a pretty good share of the books both pro and con these issues. I've even studied much of the secular research into sexual orientation. Plus, throughout my life, even from high school days, I have had good and respectful personal friendships with gays and gay lifestyle supporters (and I also include other orientations such as transgendered and bisexual). I know and have known gays in committed relationships and gays in ongoing multiple relationships. (As Professor Achtemeier should know, there are a number of diverse and even opposing viewpoints among gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered persons on what forms their relationships should take.)

My children have been around my wife's and my gay (and heterosexually errant) friends (though we have never thought it necessary to discuss with our children the sexual practices of any of our friends regardless of their persuasions). During my years (long, long ago and in a galaxy far, far away) at Princeton Seminary, I so frequently sat at the "gay table" in the commons that many people assumed that I was gay, too. Plus, at Princeton and Duke (and even my pedestrian undergrad school, Wichita State), I had excellent liberal and evangelical professors who pushed me hard to wrestle with the foundations of my beliefs. Yet, I am confident in my approach to the scriptures and the moral positions I believe the Spirit and the scriptures instruct me to take. I've just always believed that these same scriptures and Spirit also called me into personal and loving involvement with those who I may be at odds with in both faith and life. To paraphrase the words of an old evangelist I heard once, I want to be stationed at the last outpost before hell so I can reach those who most desperately need the Gospel.

What then to make of this speech and Mark Achtemeier's new perspective? Yes, it gives ammunition to the liberal camps in the ongoing ecclesiastical wars in the mainline denominations. Of course, this doesn't really matter since the victory of some liberal church people will have no bearing on the catholic witness of Christ's church in all its authentic forms. It certainly will not cause the biblical interpretations of the orthodox, catholic, and evangelical to crumble into ashes because Professor Achtemeier's apology for his new view is so overwhelmingly persuasive. And, of course, God is not going to "repent" of God's clear intention (according to Jesus) in creating humans, sex, and marriage (although God may "repent" of having created the PCUSA, which raises a whole host of other issues to ponder).

The clear and obvious answer is to pray for Mark Achtemeier. As a fellow disciple of Jesus, I am confident that he would appreciate this, even if he thinks the motivation for the prayers is misinformed. I know I appreciate the prayers of my liberal friends who think I am out to lunch on my positions. In a more serious vein, however, I believe if Professor Achtemeier is truly seeking to be faithful to his God (and I believe he is), and is not simply rationalizing to deal with personal pressures to conform to this world, then he will be willing to open himself to his trusted evangelical friends and colleagues who take issue with his new position. If he is sincere, let him test his view in the fires of personal discourse with his friends, such as Robert Gagnon and others. This, along with the sweet incense of the prayers of the saints, will help him hear and follow the voice of his Shepherd who is certainly calling out to him. Again, Mark Achtemeier can be "on the mark!"

The Way To Walking

2009-11-05T09:38:00.000-06:00

Seth is doing GREAT in his first week at the Project Walk Spinal Cord Injury Center near San Diego. I was with him through Wednesday, and now Jackie is there through November 14. Our 19 year old son, Chris, will be there November 4-11.

The very first day his trainer found that Seth has "deep touch" sensation in his thighs, and that when Seth tries to make his legs move his muscles in his hips try to initiate movement. Of course, no one knew this before because Seth can't feel it and doctors don't check for it since they don't believe there is any reason to.

The trainers at Project Walk are all very dedicated and encouraging people, and there is a very positive atmosphere since they typically see improvement in their clients. They are especially hopeful for Seth, since they usually have very good success with children in regaining the ability to walk.

This is just the beginning, of course, but it looks very, very good at this point. God has brought Seth to the right place for his physical situation, and for this we are very thankful to all of you who have prayed, worked, hoped, and contributed financially to help this come about.

Seth picked verses 14 and 15 in Psalm 50 for his time at Project Walk. They are sort of a theme for him to use for encouragement.
Sacrifice thank offerings to God,
fulfill your vows to the Most High,
and call upon me in the day of trouble;
I will deliver you, and you will honor me.

Seth considers his vows to be what God is asking him to do, which consists of "Ask Me, trust Me, and work with Me!" I can hardly imagine what it must be like for an eleven year old boy to be called to such a difficult challenge. Seth has always been an exceptional person, but the incredible character he is demonstrating in all this is breathtaking.
Keep on praying!

Blessings!

Will Jackson

Exciting News!

2009-10-03T18:43:00.000-05:00

Exciting News! Exciting News Indeed!

Some churches in the Cedar Rapids community have partnered together to make sure that we will have the $10,000 needed to begin Seth's recovery program in October at Project Walk's Spinal Cord Injury Center near San Diego. This, along with what others have already given, gets us on our way with Seth's recovery program. So many people are involved in helping to bring this about, and we give thanks to the Lord who is the One working through all the various persons, groups, organizations, and churches.

We can now begin the tasks involved in setting up the three weeks in California for Seth's initial training at Project Walk's recovery center. We are very excited about finally getting this started, and we are looking forward to seeing how far Seth can improve through this very promising and proven exercise program.

I wanted to get this uplifting news out to all of you who are so supportive of Seth in his ongoing quest to walk again. This is just the beginning, so keep praying, praying, and praying. There are still more expenses to deal with after the three weeks at Project Walk, but this initial $10,000 gets us on our way!

The Apostle Paul urges us to give thanks to God in everything, regardless of the difficulties we are facing. We are learning this powerful truth, but I am so glad God remembers that we need encouraging things to happen to help us remain thankful when the tough times come. I am so glad that this day I can share something that is so wonderfully encouraging.

In Christ's Peace,

Will

Too Doggone Busy

2009-08-20T20:26:00.000-05:00

I haven't blogged for awhile because I'm too doggone busy. When school starts next week for my kids, then the masked Blogger will be back. Actually there is no point in being a masked blogger, since no one can see the mask. Of course, it could be intriguing to wear a mask just for wearing a mask. But again, there isn't any point to it, just like this blog post.

Harrowers Of Hell

2009-07-11T04:42:00.000-05:00

I remember as a small boy enduring the service in a very conservative Baptist church and looking at a very strange painting on the wall depicting Christ's harrowing of hell, which refers to Christ's activity during the time between his crucifixion and his being raised from the dead. I'm sure many of the congregants did not realize what it was, and I only learned about this decidedly non-Baptist doctrine years later under the guidance of a high church Methodist minister. As a boy, though, it did grab my imagination as I saw a magnificent and heroic Christ rescuing tormented souls and sending devils and demons cowering in terror. It certainly didn't fit with the general impression otherwise given by my boyhood congregation, that of a rather meek and mild Jesus who was too pitiful to intimidate anyone, let alone anything so ferocious as a devil.

I don't know if many Christians really believe in this old concept anymore. There are a few biblical references that can be worked a little bit to support the idea, but they are admittedly pretty weak. I Peter 3:19–20 says that Jesus "went and made a proclamation to the spirits in prison, who in former times did not obey, when God waited patiently in the days of Noah…." Not many can really tell with much authority what this really means unless they are willing to drag unsuspecting students into the maze of inter-testamental literature (such as I Enoch and the like). Then there is Ephesians 4:8-10, which talks about Christ descending to the "lower, earthly regions" (εἰς τὰ κατώτερα τῆς γῆς). But again, this doesn't really lead one to think in terms of Christ being some kind of divine Viking raiding the ill-equipped and defensively weak guardians of hell.

Still, I am beginning to think that the idea of Christ harrowing, or attacking, hell is a very useful image. For one thing, God did do this very thing in Christ when God became flesh and lived among us. This was a pretty daring invasion of enemy territory where evil is so dominant. Then, even if Christ did not actually descend to hell after his crucifixion, his dying on the cross for our sins was a devastating blow to all the forces of evil who were stripped bare by Christ's death and revealed as weak, pathetic powers who only have authority over us when we choose to allow it. So, in many ways all of Christ's work is a harrowing of hell, since this world is, as Martin Luther so well stated, "with devils filled."

By now, if you are among the hearty who have persevered in reading this blog, you may be asking me where I'm heading with this. It seems to me that as followers of Christ, we are all called to carry on the mission of Christ to unmask the powers of this world as pretenders and deceivers. We are all to be "harrowing hell" in whatever place and situation we have been placed by God. We are to be revealing the power of Christ over whatever challenges and obstacles we are facing? Many of you know that recently my ten year old son underwent a surgery that left him paralyzed from the waist down. This is a hellish experience that threatens my son and my family with devastation in many ways. Yet, here the power of Christ to rob evil of its prey is revealed, and despite the threat of despair, God is glorified as we allow ourselves as a family to be used by God to demonstrate the triumph of God's grace. Instead of disintegration and loss, the power of God to sustain and provide for us is shown to be real in the midst of such great difficulty.

Whatever our circumstances, we are to be agents of God's grace and power, challenging the very things that seek to oppose God and keep people from God. In our professions, whether it be pursuing political office or surviving in a menial job, we can be God's agents to bring hope to those who are "in prison," first of all by our own freedom in Christ and then by sharing with those in our circle of life that Christ can set them free as well. It is just as much a harrowing of hell when a low paid temporary worker doing menial work at a factory does so with an attitude of hope in Christ as when a high profile politician dares to approach the responsibilities of their office with an attitude of Christ-likeness and an integration of their faith with their politics.

In our life situations, whether we are relatively healthy and comfortable or burdened with physical problems and facing societal oppression, we can show that our trust is not in the protection of princes or conformity to social pressures. Rather, we can show our neighbors the peace that comes only with trusting the One who reigns over all and who fills all who thirst for righteousness. The powers of hell will not like this, and will demand the withdrawal of hope and faith from their domain. After all, they are being "harried." But when we press our advantage in Christ over these evil forces, others will see how weak and powerless they really are, and hell will lose even more "prisoners" as they realize they can through Christ simply choose to be free.

So, in the face of a world that seems suspiciously like hell, I like the idea that Christ invaded the domain of evil, and heroically began to spring people from the grip and influence of satan. I like the idea that the devil is being harassed and harried by the constant attacks of Christ through his followers. Obviously, when we challenge satan and his power we do so with humility in the name of Jesus the Christ, but isn't that what our lives are to be -- a constant and excruciating pain in the rear for all that is vile and evil in this world.

I like the image that we are fighters --- indeed, dare I say, soldiers --- who are following the bravery of our Commander who leads us in a battle to reclaim and restore this world to God's vision for it. It's the kind of image my Viking ancestors could relate to, it's the kind of image I find invigorating, and it is the kind of Saviour all the "prisoners" of this world desperately need to see in everyone who claims to follow the Harrower of hell. As Martin Luther made so clear so many years ago...

And though this world, with devils filled,
should threaten to undo us,
we will not fear, for God hath willed
his truth to triumph through us.

In Christ's Peace,

Will

The Walk To Moriah

2009-04-24T10:26:00.000-05:00

(Recently I was given the question, "How has God been working in your life recently?" The origin and context for this question is unrelated to what has happened with my son, Seth, but the answer I gave is all about that. Here it is with a little editing for the blogging setup.)

The answer to this question is like a dagger to my soul, and painful beyond description as I write these words. Clearly I am wrestling with both God’s bountiful generosity and God’s heart-wrenching inaction regarding my ten year old son’s accidental paralysis. Seth could walk fine with no problems, but it was feared that the spastic nerves in his legs due to a slight case of cerebral palsy would become more interfering as he grew older. It was thought that a surgical procedure called a rhizotomy would prevent this by isolating and removing the effects of any spastic nerves in his legs. The procedure was considered to have very few risks, with potential paralysis not even a consideration. Nevertheless, in what is now the only known case to ever occur, Seth experienced complete paralysis from the waist down about five hours after surgery. Blood pressure inexplicably built up around the spinal cord and began to starve the cells of oxygen. No one knows why or how this happened, but it is all too obvious that it did, and this condition has continued without improvement until this moment thirty days later.

In the meantime, I have descended into the depths of hell itself, desperately seeking God’s mercy for my son. Nothing I have ever experienced before begins to compare with the heartbreak I feel for what is happening to Seth, and never before have I been so desperate before my Lord. I am driven to trust God like I’ve never trusted before, yet at the same time being overwhelmed with anguish of God’s apparent inaction. Why has God let this happen to Seth? Why is God so slow in responding to the prayers of so many?

I am not in a so-called “crisis of faith,” as, like Peter, where else can I go to find the words of eternal life! God is God if there is a God! The clear mercy and compassion of the Lord is daily flowing forth in the amazing ways my family and I have been cared for by so many, and in the provisions for us all, even for Seth. These signs and wonders are many, but still so far no healing for my son is among them.

In this crushing wait for God's glory, I have walked the terrible path that Abraham walked with his son, Isaac, as they approached the mountain of sacrifice in Moriah (Genesis 22:1-14). I have had to lay my son, Seth, on that altar in faith that somehow “God will provide.” In an obedience that shreds my soul I have had to give up my son as I place my faith in a God I can in no way comprehend who is asking me to do something I can in no way reason through. I must obey this stark, sheer Word of God, trusting that somehow God’s promise will be fulfilled despite the apparent unreasonableness and injustice of the present situation. Yes, I know the anguish in Abraham’s heart as he drew his dagger to slay his only son, Isaac. It is the anguish of obedience to the Word while trusting the One who spoke the Word to keep His promise. God will provide for His promise! This I am believing, this I am standing on! God who calls me to obey will also provide!

Discouragement Gaining Ground

2009-04-20T20:49:00.000-05:00

One of the surgeons involved with Seth's surgery stopped by today to check on how his incision was healing. He showed me where the injured part of the spinal cord would be, and explained that what we see now is essentially what will be. Seth still has no feeling below his waist, and the doctor said if there was to be improvement we would see it by now. Still, I insisted on doing another MRI in order to assess the actual damage to the spinal cord. I'm not sure why this is so important to me, but somehow knowing for sure instead of assuming seems the right thing to do. So, this talk today was very discouraging.

I've been at the hospital today learning how to do some of the basic things that must be done to help Seth get through each day. The indignities Seth, and all who are have paralysis like this, must accept as normal everyday living are extremely disturbing to me. He seems to take it all in stride, but how my heart breaks that he has to endure these daily invasions of his body and person. That he must deal with this is extremely discouraging.

My wife had an experience last night that hopefully means something good. Whether she was awake or dreaming, she doesn't know, but she was praying for Seth when suddenly her spine felt like it was on fire. The feeling went up to the midpoint of her back, which is the same location the surgeon pointed to today when he showed me where the injury was located. I am growing weary of "signs" at this stage of drama, but I'll take it. It is encouraging, but my heart is so discouraged that it is hard to hold on to anything hopeful.

Discouragement 2, Encouragement 1/2. Discouragement is closing the gap, but God makes the score heavily in favor of encouragement. Still, discouragement definitely gained some ground today.

Encouragement Wins The Day

2009-04-08T00:35:00.000-05:00

A good friend, Dick Speight, went with me today to pray for Seth at the hospital in St. Paul, Minnesota. He prayed for both healing of the dead cells in his spine and the miraculous recovery of those cells that are injured. After he finished praying, another friend called from Cedar Rapids who informed us that at the time Dick was praying his prayers for healing and miracles, a large number of Cedar Rapids pastors had gathered together and were praying for Seth. This demonstration of care and love was very encouraging.

At a team meeting regarding Seth's condition, one of the doctors expressed his pessimism regarding Seth's prospects for recovery. He said that there should be some signs of improvement by now, and there are none. Seth still has no feeling from his waist down, and this hasn't changed for over a week now. He was not trying to be negative, he just was trying to be straight with us. My wife and I said that we believe God is a healing God, and that our hope remains in what God can do. Nevertheless, this meeting was very discouraging.

Later today, just before Dick, my wife, and I left the hospital, a doctor stopped by to see how Seth was doing. He had treated Seth in the intensive care unit, and had been praying for him. This doctor told us that on the very floor where Seth is staying are several patients who have had recoveries and healings that are impossible according to medical understanding. He said God can certainly do this with Seth as well. This believing doctor was very encouraging.

So, encouragement 2, discouragement 1. Encouragement wins today. Now comes tomorrow. Keep praying!

In Christ's Peace,

Will

Seth Update

2009-03-31T13:14:00.000-05:00

Greetings All,

The latest on Seth is that as of this morning, the latest MRI shows no change, which means there is still swelling around the Coccyx, which is as I understand it the lowest part of the spine. More importantly, there is still no feeling in his legs. The doctors have yet to discuss with us anything specific about the present condition of the spine.
So, please keep remembering Seth and praying for him. I know it is different for us, Seth's family. For us the intensity is naturally constant and consuming. But as much as you all can, we appreciate you keeping the prayers for Seth rising like incense before the Father's throne. I know God hears.
For those of you who were sent information about the Caring Bridge, it is now accessible for everyone. There seems to be a problem with the signing in requirements, so when we get that working properly, we will let you all know the password stuff. As of right now, though, you can go to http://www.caringbridge.org/, type in sethandrewjackson, and that will take you to Seth's website. It has just been started, so there isn't much on it right now, but you can leave comments and encouragements for Seth.
Please also pray for me as I travel up to the hospital tomorrow. First of all that God gives me wisdom in talking with Seth as he is now asking when are his legs going to get feeling again. Also, for safety, as on our way home to Cedar Rapids last Sunday we hit a deer (or more accurately the deer hit us). Thank God no one (except for the deer) was hurt and the van is still drivable. Our Windstar just has a more interesting driver's side which looks like someone kept running into it with one of those little "Smart" cars. Oh well, we now have no problem identifying our van from all the other ones in the Walmart parking lot.
Also, please pray for Jackie and I to find some more work. Jackie's employer (a security agency) wasn't happy about her staying longer at the hospital last week, so she was forced to resign Monday when she went back to work. She still has a part time cafeteria job at the Toyota Center here in Cedar Rapids, but obviously she and/or I need to find something to replace the income before serious problems happen financially. (This would be a real good time for a good church to get real interested in me becoming their pastor, or maybe God is telling me it is time to get on with starting a new church. In the present circumstances, the only thing that seems clearly ruled out is returning to mission in Croatia. Oprostite, Hrvatski prijatejli.)
Again, thank you all for your prayers. So many people who we do not even know have let us know they and their circles of friends are praying. What a great big wonderful family of God! While it is in times like ours that this unity of the Holy Spirit is cherished, it is a real unity that exists all the time, everywhere, and forever.
In Christ's Peace,
Will and Jackie Jackson

My Little Boy

2009-03-27T22:49:00.000-05:00

Here I sit typing this blog entry in a contorted attempt to deal with my devastated heart. My ten year old son lies in a hospital bed in the intensive care unit of Gillette Children's hospital because of a very hopeful surgery having gone so terribly wrong. In what was to have been the final installment in a series of surgeries to enable Seth to walk as well as everyone else, instead it looks as though all ability to walk has been robbed from him.

The surgeon has no idea what went wrong. The surgery went perfect, he says. Everything was ideal. Yet, for some totally terrible reason unknown to anyone but God, feeling has not returned to his legs as it should have a few hours after surgery. It is now going on 72 hours without any feeling returning, and the surgeon is now speaking the unspeakable, that we should begin treating this as a permanent condition. Instead of a spinal cord correction, we now are dealing with a spinal cord "injury."

Oh the flood of feelings right now. Do I claim a strong faith that God will intervene and restore feeling to Seth's legs, that the doctors are wrong in their assessments? I've pounded the wall of the shower as my tears ran down with the water, crying out to God, "No! No! No!" Is this denial of the inevitable, or a plea that God hears and answers. A bruised reed God will not break, Isaiah says. What about a bruised ten year boy whose only mistake was to trust that his parents and doctors were doing something good for him?

I am overwhelmed with grief, grief for my son, for my wife, for myself. Yet, do I dare believe the miraculous can happen? I believe God can, but do I dare believe God will actually do something amazing here. Obviously, I desperately want God to give my son feeling in his legs and the ability to walk again. I don't know what to hope for, what to claim in faith for my son. Is what I want something God will honor, or must I again submit to the mystery of God's will? Perhaps the best I can do is humbly submit to what God wants, but at least approach God with open hands ready to receive a desperately desired gift.

I know God will do something marvelous - ultimately! I know that somehow out of this will come great glory for God. Of these things I am sure. But how and in what way I don't know. Right now, all I know is that my little boy is hurt real bad, and that he trusted me for the best when he went into this surgery. Right now, all I know is that I can only cry out to God in anguish, as so many other parents have in similar situations. All those "Bible stories" about fathers and mothers coming to Jesus and crying out to Him to heal their children are so much more than interesting lessons with nuanced meanings in Greek and Aramaic. They are raw human reality slashing through my heart like a double-edged sword. They are the fire of the Holy Spirit searing my innermost soul. I too come to Jesus in sheer desperation and cast myself down at His feet to plead for my son to rise up and walk.

God have mercy. Christ have mercy. God have mercy on my little boy!

A Ministry Fondly Remembered (And Lessons Learned)

2009-03-18T14:18:00.000-05:00

Perhaps this is a sign of aging, but lately I have been recalling some of my more enjoyable times of service as a pastor. A ministry I am especially fond of is the Cortland-Chenango Rural Services, a community self-development organization for the poor residents of a predominantly rural area about 60 miles southeast of Syracuse, New York. This grew out of an outreach initiative of the United Presbyterian Church of Cincinnatus, New York in 1987.
When I came in the spring of 1986 to serve as the pastor of this thriving little church in a breath-taking picturesque Appalachian valley, I was quite unprepared for the abject poverty afflicting so many people in this area. We are not just talking about low income! We’re talking about people with dirt floors in drafty shacks, little knowledge of basic health issues, pervasive tooth decay, undernourished infants, little or no reading ability making it impossible to fill out a job application, and no reliable transportation to get to a job. Most of this population eked out a living by cutting, selling, and using firewood. I even met people in their late 90’s who had never been further than a few miles outside the valley.
I really never had a plan for developing the Cortland-Chenango Rural Services. It was a ministry opportunity that was obvious and demanded my response. I discussed this problem with people in my congregation who knew the area far better than me. They and the local school officials were helpful in developing an understanding of the obstacles involved. I also networked with as many community leaders (both informal and official) as possible. After a year of getting to know the people, area, and culture, I asked several concerned individuals to sponsor a “Business Forum,” to be held as the outreach segment of a renewal week planned at the Presbyterian church. At this gathering I simply focused on the local poverty issues and opened discussion for sharing ideas on what we could do to make life better for the severely impoverished in our valley.
My wife, Jackie, and I were able to add to the discussion our personal relationships and experiences with this population. Most of the local pastors, including me, had some of severely poor in their congregations. In my case, I had become good friends with some of the “backwoods” men, which was significant because these men considered male ministers to be “sissy” and believed church was primarily for women. Jackie knew poor families through going into their homes to help people work on getting their GED and assisting young mothers in the basic care for their babies and young children.
To telescope the process, the “Business Forum” led to a series of community discussions which grew to include all the churches (even the local fundamentalist Baptist church) and community leaders. Ideas were developed for addressing basic parenting needs, educational help, personal skills development, and marketing native crafts. A local funeral director and his wife were able to communicate the exciting possibilities of this ministry opportunity to their regional church leaders, which led to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Binghamton, New York giving us a grant for the first three years of operation. The most significant contribution, however, was the willingness of three sisters of the order of St. Joseph to come live in the valley and develop this ministry to the rural poor, which late 1987 became known as the Cortland-Chenango Rural Services.
The ministry continued to be ecumenical and community-based, with the headquarters located initially in the Catholic church building. Within three years we expanded to two buildings where a number of ministries were offered: family counseling, basic skills development, reading classes, marketing workshops for local products such as maple syrup, crafts, and firewood. A twentyfive acre field was donated, which was divided into parcels for local poor families to grow gardens. It became known as “the field of dreams.”
I led and spearheaded this ministry until the three sisters felt they knew the area well enough, and a strong community board had been formed. Naturally, as pastor of the Presbyterian church I had encouraged people in the congregation to find places of ministry and leadership, which included some working with the Rural Services. The particular issues (which are related) the Presbyterian church became particularly involved with was addictions and families in crisis. We developed a strong AA group (led by members of the church who were just beginning to face their own alcoholism), and our Christian growth small groups typically had a few members who were wrestling with drug addiction. Our announcements in worship included such things as “Brian has been clean from cocaine for three months now” with applause following. The local fundamentalist Baptist pastor even started sending his “troubled” members to the Presbyterian church, telling them “They fix broken people at that church.” Certainly, this remains one of the best compliments to any ministry of which I have been a part.
In the fall of 1987 I was invited to participate in a group advising then Governour Mario Cuomo on rural issues in New York state. While this was a nice honor, and was fun to get free trips to Albany, the closest I ever got to the governour was almost crashing into him when we were leaving one of our “advisory” meetings (where he did 98 percent of the talking).
Not everything I’ve tried to do has come together as nicely, worked as well, and been as long lasting as the Cortland-Chenango Rural Services. Just ask Rev. Michael Romero (now executive pastor at Desert Son Community Church in Tucson, AZ) about our attempt (in Denver, Colorado) to develop “GraceTech,” a ministry to help people have access to low cost training for computer careers. We tried to do too much too soon with too little support (although we still had lots of fun even in failure). However, my basic premises in how to approach any ministry are similar. I seek God’s call to a situation, trust God’s leading, come into the situation being open to the Spirit’s guidance, assess the needs, set my objectives, learn the culture, network like crazy, find and encourage emerging leaders, develop equipping structures to reinforce present ministries and promote the development of new ones.
One thing I have learned both through doing it right sometimes and wrong other times, is to concentrate on two basic resources before attempting or continuing a ministry. The first is to have the core group of people who are called and passionate about the endeavor before them. It is critical to find this group and do adequate preparatory work on the relationships before engaging in the challenges and stresses of developing the ministry, whatever it may be. The second resource comes out of the first, the finances and skills needed to accomplish the goals of the ministry. These are obtained through a number of ways, but primary to their effectiveness is the work of the people who are committed to the ministry. It is their diligence, passion, and risks that inspire others to give to a ministry project, sometimes even inspiring others to give themselves to the project (as God so leads, of course).

A Sister's Heart

2009-01-08T16:24:00.000-06:00

(The following is a letter written by my 20 year old daughter, Jennifer, for her 3 year old sister, Leah. It was part of an assignment for a psychology class Jennifer was taking at Biola University. Along with the nice affection expressed by a big sister for her little sister, this touches on the challenge of being a woman in a world that works against God's intention for women. Of course, my daughter is able to express this in a much more authentic way than I ever could.)

Dear beautiful girl,

If you could only grasp this idea and reality of your beauty, you would never think for a second that you are not enough. What can I say to remind you that you are stunning? That the angels stand in awe and wonder when they see your shining face and hear your priceless laughter? How God has fashioned a reflection of Himself in you that will never be manifested in any other woman in all of time? When I heard the news that you would be born, I could not begin to understand what a miracle it was that God decided to make you.

Who am I to be your sister? Even though the same blood does not run through us, I have a sister's heart for you and I am just beginning to understand the weight of my privilege and honor in having it. I am supposed to know the answers to the questions you will one day ask, and it breaks my heart that you will ever ask them. But I know every woman second guesses her beauty and Satan will scream at her that she is ugly and worthless and the only way to be of worth is to please lustful appetites. I know those days will come, but if I had my way you would never have to hear any of those lies.

Is there any way to preserve your innocence forever? Is there anything I could say that would convince you that you are the most beautiful little girl I have ever known? Will I ever be ready to see you lose your innocence? When you realize that there is a fork in the road-- I can only pray that you take the road of self-assurance and worth. What can I do to make sure that you take that path instead of the other path that leads to a pit of emptiness? We are lured into the pit with promises of wholeness and love, and once we take the bait we find ourselves to have everything but those things.

All we want is what we were made to have, to be. Instead we are too much, not enough, too skinny, too fat, too clingy, too withdrawn, too loud, too quiet, too smart, too ditsy, too intimidating, not spiritual enough. We are never what we should be. All I can do is tell you now and always that you have changed this world with your existence. You will grow and become a woman--the zenith of creation. You can only find your worth and beauty in the One who made you; He is the only one capable enough to tell you who you are. All those other stupid voices, shut them out. Who are they to think they have any idea how much you are worth? If you hear them, and you will, hold your head up high. Walk with dignity and rest assured in what you know, that you are a daughter of the King. Clothe yourself in dignity and love. If you do that, everything else will fall into place. You won't feel the need to expose yourself, since you won't be starved and looking for cheap love.

You already have the very richest of love and it can fill you completely. I still can't believe that I have the honor of helping you walk into this way of living. I hope that I will be a woman who can model this to you when the time comes; I hope I will be ready. I love you.

Your sister,

Jenny

Year Of The Great Porcelain Flushing Device

2008-12-27T09:28:00.001-06:00

I figure it is incumbent upon even an erstwhile blogger such as myself to do at least one more post before this year vanishes. Of course, it is natural to look back at this year and do a few ruminations as to its place in one's overall life experience. For me, while this year has its ups, like growing in Christ, learning to trust God more, enjoying a wonderful family, and deepening friendships, it will be remembered by me primarily for its downs. Thus, the thought expressed in the title. I don't want to be totally negative by saying this was "The Year Of The Crapper," hence my attempt at a positive spin --- "The Year Of The Great Porcelain Flushing Device."
There are two primary steams that have merged to make a mighty flush this year.

The Economic Stream

In June, after having left a cushy job as pastor of a church due to a difference in principles, it finally became clear that God was not as concerned about maintaining my credit score as I was. Or maybe it is better to say that God had a much different agenda in mind than I had. Anyway, in June my wife and I missed our first mortgage payment ever. And that is when I learned that a certain large banking company operates its business using a second grade understanding of math.

We went through this bank's "counseling" service with the assurance that a catchup plan would be offered in order to help us get current again in our mortgage. After working on this for about a month, an official from the bank called to tell us that they had figured out the problem in our finances and they had a plan to fix it. The problem, they announced like a child who has discovered their thumb, is that "You don't have enough money to pay your mortgage." Wow! Was that ever a shocking surprise to my wife and me. And their solution was even more stunning in its insightfulness. "All you need to do is pay your past due amount and that will make you current in your mortgage." Again, to encounter such wisdom is wilting, like coming out of the dark into the bright sun.

Leaving my sarcasm to make a more salient point, I now know firsthand how mortgage companies can be so condescending and unhelpful when you are a customer in financial trouble. Part of the crisis is the inane behaviour of the banks themselves as they actually force people toward foreclosure. As Federal Reserve chair Ben Bernanke has pointed out, if banks would work with their troubled clients rather than simply pressuring them, the banks could recover many of their at-risk mortgages. When people are able to stay in their homes, the mortgages get paid. When they are forced out, everyone gets stuck with the bill.

On the miraculous side, just when we needed more income desperately (as my wife and I had only been able to find short, temporary jobs since our exiting Hus Church), God set in motion a series of extraordinary events which led to us having regular work at the local General Mills cereal factory. Although this was through a temporary job agency, the crew leader at General Mills appreciated our positive attitude and desire to do our work well. This gave us the first substantial income since leaving Hus Church, and was a bridge to the more stable income we have now with my wife and me working so-called "permanent" jobs. We are still struggling to just survive each month (which we will till either I find another ministry position and/or sell our house), but God has been so gracious in giving us at least a stabilized financial situation for the time being.

The Career Stream

I've never really viewed my calling to be a pastor as a career. If I did, I would have never taken the risks I have over the years, like leaving a church that was vital and growing (and wanted me to stay) to explore a call to intentional Christian community, or dragging my family to Croatia to strengthen existing ministries and develop new ones. My willingness to set aside what is prudent career-wise for what I believed God wanted me to do was the key factor in my taking the pastor position at Hus Presbyterian Church.

When I first arrived at Hus Church I found a formality-encrusted congregation with deep rifts of resentment toward one another due to past church crises. During my five plus years of faithful service there were many miraculous changes in its atmosphere and ministry. As I tried to emphasize and practice trust and openness, this congregation that was basically invisible in its own neighborhood became known throughout the Cedar Rapids area as an "old well with fresh new spring water flowing forth." The service became an uplifting experience where the presence of Christ was sensed and the Spirit of God moved in the hearts of many. Many longtime members encountered Christ as their Lord and Saviour for the first time in their lives, and despite some very critical opposition from some who wanted a church with no expectations and a Christ who made no claims, the church made incredible strides toward becoming a biblical, Spirit-led, Gospel-proclaiming, outreaching, missional church. God confirmed our direction by blessing this church with incredible miracles, such as healings, new believers, and a doubling of funding for ministry. However, in my fifth year I was brutally reminded that people who are intent on destruction are ever waiting, ever vigilant, for their opportunities. As it became clear that the detractors were being given influence, and that key leaders were now intent on retreating from the demands of being a missional ministry, I began the work of leaving this ministry and seeking a new one.

After a year and half of seeking a new ministry, it has become clear to me that my career (at least as much of a career as I ever had) is probably in the great bathroom flushing device. I can hardly count the times I've had pastor search committees tell me how much they are attracted to me, but they are reticent to present to their congregation someone who "didn't stick with" their previous ministry. Plus, there has been an undercurrent that I'm becoming more aware of as time goes on, and that is the reluctance of search committees to consider someone of my "age." Apparently, only those who are younger than fifty are considered truly able to be good ministers. When "having to leave" a previous ministry and being over 50 years old are combined, it apparently adds up to "we are attracted to you BUT we really can't consider you." Never mind that I am better equipped now through years of training, experience, and spiritual growth than I ever was in my forties, never mind that I have children younger than most people in their thirties, and never mind that I have at least twenty prime ministry years ahead of me.

Yet, I have seen God's leading in this career wreck. Both my wife and I believe that one reason God sent us to Hus Presbyterian Church was for our own disciplining. (I'm talking about discipline in a positive sense of training, teaching, and perfecting.) Looking back, we now believe that instead of leaving our work in Croatia to come home for the medical needs of our middle son (who has cerebral palsy), we should have stayed and trusted God to provide. Instead of letting God receive the glory by guiding us to answers for our son's needs there, we took matters into our own hands and in effect said through our actions that "God isn't going to provide in this case, so it's up to us." This was after God had performed miracle after miracle in getting us to Croatia and then taking care of us in absolutely incredible ways. So after coming back to the United States, God sent us to a church with an eastern European heritage similar to Croatia. But in this case it was all the negative aspects of eastern European culture without any of the enjoyable positives. And it is not just coincidence that during my last six months at Hus Church I kept hearing several leaders say over and over that "We can't expect any more miracles here at Hus." Shocking words to hear expressed openly, but what my wife and I had in effect said with our actions 6 years earlier. While there are many other reasons with far greater positives for God sending me to Hus Church, disciplining my wife and I was certainly foremost among them.

Then there is the incredible blessing of our two youngest children, who we adopted during our time here in Cedar Rapids. This is definitely one of the "rewards" for our obedience in serving at Hus Church. My wife has always sought to help children, and foster care has been one of the ways for doing this. Our 5 year old son and our 3 year old daughter both came to us through this route, and they are definitely worth all that we have gone and are going through. Since both are African-American, we definitely get some strange looks at the grocery store, not to mention the scolding looks my wife used to get from some of the stodgy people at Hus Church. These two, along with our 10 year old middle son, keep my wife and I motivated to keep on keeping on. With three young children and two others in college, it is so important to stay positive and continue to look forward; seeking God's will and hoping for something better.

This brings me to the end of this blog and the end of the Year of the Great Porcelain Flushing Device. God be praised for this year, and God be praised this year is ending. Now after this cathartic exorcising of the downs of 2008, I am looking forward to new and better things in 2009. Hopefully, this year God will lead me to a new ministry that is exciting, promising, and joyful. For any and all who for whatever reason are still reading at this point, my prayer for you is that 2009 will be an up year for you as you seek to serve God with all your heart, mind, and soul.

In Christ's Peace,

Will

Leaning Into Hope

2008-11-25T22:10:00.000-06:00

Do you ever have those times when all the concerns of family, life, finances, job, friends, schedules, school, appointments, and physical needs seem to pile up on you? If this ever happens to you, how do you feel? Tired, agitated, angry, anxious, and fearful? Most of us have very busy lives, but every now and then, I think most of us also have those moments when we get a good glimpse of all the different concerns we are juggling at the same time, and we wonder how in the world we can keep managing it all!

Lately, those of us in the United States are becoming much more familiar with the meaning of "apocalyptic." With the economic meltdown, the uncertain direction of American political power, and resurgence of the threat of a terrorist attack in this country, we find ourselves able to relate to phrases like "the sun being darkened" and "the moon turning to blood." Whatever can be shaken is being shaken, and Americans who are used to being secure and confident in everything from money to government are being shaken in ways they never imagined to be possible.

Panic in the face of an overwhelming reality is a danger for everyone, and Jesus points out that this can cause us to lose focus on God and what God is doing for us. When we lose this focus, we lose hope. And hope is what makes us able to meet all the challenges in our lives, to face all the difficulties, and to handle all the problems. In speaking to His disciples about the importance of hope in an apocalyptic world, He said: “Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with dissipation, drunkenness, and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you unexpectedly like a trap.” (Luke 21:34)

Now, we don’t think of ourselves as people who are necessarily into “dissipation” or “drunkenness,” but what about the “anxieties of life?” How many of us find ourselves in an all too familiar relationship with these? If we focus on our anxieties without looking at the promises we have in Christ, then our lives can start looking pretty bleak. This is how important hope is! Hope that is real and not just wishful thinking comes through knowing Jesus as our Lord and Saviour. It is trusting Him not only with our problems, but the problems of the entire world. This is what gives us the strength to live above our circumstances rather than under them, and to not be overcome by the “anxieties of life.”

I think of it as “leaning into hope.” I may be weak and tired, but I can lean on God’s promises in Jesus Christ, and they will hold me up. I may feel like quitting and giving in, but God’s promises call me to move forward, so I “lean into” what God has for me in the road ahead. Hope is a vision of the future that gives us strength for the present, and God gives us this vision when we know Jesus, and keep getting to know Him better through prayer and meditation on the Word. As we live our lives in the security and confidence that comes only through knowing Christ, the world can see clearly what Christ can mean for those who follow Him. It is in times like these that Christ followers have a special opportunity to display the life-giving, hope-giving grace of God in ways that are attractive to people who are drowning in the world.

Many studies have shown that people tend to become depressed and “weighed down” more during the Christmas season than any other time of the year. Perhaps that is why so many people tend to increase their “dissipation” and “drunkenness” through partying and excessive shopping. It is an attempt to fill that emptiness of soul that only hope in Christ can fill. I believe the Spirit of God is calling us all to make this Advent and Christmas season truly filled with joy, peace, and love by not relying on our own strength to meet all life’s challenges, but instead to receive the abundant strength of Jesus Christ.

Let’s all “lean into hope.”

Recapitulation (with apologies to Irenaeus)

2008-11-18T02:45:00.000-06:00

Well, it has been about six months since the Presbyterian Church USA General Assembly. My post-Assembly depression has subsided and I have moved on to a kind of "hopeful indifference." Basically, it seems to me that the best path forward is a combination of what the Presbyterian Global Fellowship and the New Wineskins congregations are doing. That is, each congregation that desires to be faithful to God, the Bible, and the Christian faith must essentially set aside denominational concerns and network directly with other congregations that are evangelical, orthodox, and catholic.

This does not mean ignoring the PCUSA, nor does it mean ceasing to win this denomination back to its call to be faithful to God. But it does mean that when it comes to doing the mission of God in this world, we can no longer view the structures of the PCUSA as allies in this venture. For the most part, our denominational structures are more intent on gate keeping than ever before. Witness the responses of most presbytery officials to those churches seeking to be dismissed to the Evangelical Presbyterian Church. They have been ruthless, heavy-handed, and so bureaucratically minded that they have brought nothing but shame upon all of us in the PCUSA. Plus, since the General Assembly six months ago, it seems the animosity of liberals toward evangelicals has become even more virulent than it has ever been. In my experience, the attitude of the liberals is approaching fascism. There is a desire to squelch all dissent from the liberal agendas by any means, even if the means are hate-filled and vicious.

So, why remain in such a hostile and toxic denominational environment? In a major way, I am saying we should opt out of this environment, but not by leaving the denomination but by becoming focused on mission with other like-minded congregations across the denominational spectrum. In a sense, I am advocating a more authentic connectionalism with the true body of Christ, which is ecumenical without ideology and far beyond the frontiers of mere denominations. This is a spiritually healthy and invigorating (dare I say --- joyful!) working reality with other faithful Christ followers.

So, why not just leave the denomination totally behind and shed ourselves of its dysfunctional restraints and obsolete structures? No, we stay because this is where Satan and evil are assaulting the Christ and His reign. And as Martin Luther so dramatically stated, we are to stand our ground precisely at the point where the devil is most forceful in his attack. This is where we are faithful to Christ, and this is where the Word of God is to be wielded as a sword against evil.

Some may object to my characterisation of those who reject God's Word and wish to worship at the altar of human experience as agents of the devil and evil. To be more precise, I am not saying they are themselves evil or Satan's missionaries, for the evil I see in others is but a reflection of the evil I harbor within myself. However, I will say that many of the liberals of the PCUSA have allowed themselves to descend into the domain of Satan, where in this darkness they are open to the influences and objectives of evil. How else can anyone so blatantly seek the destruction of marriage as instituted by God, be so indifferent to the slaughter of millions in the womb, be so offended when the Gospel is proclaimed to bring non-Christians to faith in Christ, enthusiastically align themselves with despotic purveyors of injustice who exploit vast populations, and discount the Word of God as the final and highest measure for all beliefs and actions.

I seek to be faithful to my vows as a minister in the Presbyterian Church USA. After all, I made these vows before God, not just a presbytery. However, my ultimate allegiance is not to a denomination which is but an artificial construct of human ingenuity. Rather, it is Christ who is my Lord, and it is Christ who is head of the Church, and the Church is the body of Christ as it exist within and through the many denominations and traditions of this historic Christian faith. It is with this Church that I will engage in faith and mission, and it is with this Church that I will worship God for eternity.

Blame It On Tillich

2008-10-14T09:21:00.000-05:00

Occasionally and with much regret, I ponder the times in my past when I was incredibly foolish in buying into sophisticated rationalizations for acting in very ungodly and self-centered ways. In other words, it is very painful to see how I have been so adept at justifying sin in my life.

There have been several periods in my younger years in which I indulged in things that were clearly wrong, but in each instance I had convinced myself that what I was doing was okay and even sanctioned by God in some form or another. Then there have been sinful desires that I nurtured even into my beginning years as a pastor by deeming them as "natural" and "human affirming," like viewing sexy movies as "artistically expressive" or promoting sustained anger as a just response to whatever I perceived to be injustice. Like Eve in the third chapter of Genesis, I could not just directly disobey God by eating the fruit of the tree of knowing good and evil. First, it was important to find some "good" reason for eating the fruit, something that would justify the action as right and worthy. In this way, I was able to fool myself, and even like Eve was able to openly defy the clear Word of God while convincing myself that I was acting in a righteous - albeit self-righteous - manner.

The problem for me has always been my fear of missing out on all of what life has to offer. I have this voracious appetite for living life to the fullest. This is what attracted me to following Jesus in the first place. When I walked down that sawdust trail to give my life to Christ, it was in response to a sermon emphasizing that in Christ we can have life that is abundant and full. This is something I desperately desired, and still do. However, I've since discovered Satan has my number on this, and has used it to lure me into his dark domain where he can then influence my thinking and my living. After all, Satan can not tempt or torment any follower of Jesus unless we willfully choose to descend into darkness, for only there is Satan's power wielded with effectiveness against God's people.

Obviously, if I had been more diligent at studying the Word and immersing myself in prayer, there would have been less opportunity for me to be led astray, but where I became most open to yielding myself to evil's influence came not through the blatant attractions of defiance and immorality, but through my thorough and prolific study of philosophy and theology. In fact, I can even pinpoint the theologian and writing that most equipped me for justifying my sin, and that was Paul Tillich and his little book, Love, Power, and Justice. While I read Tillich primarily to "know how the enemy thinks," the subtleties of his reasoning were (dare I say) "beautiful." His use of existentialism in constructing a reality that ennobles all human desires in a struggle with the "void of non-being" profoundly resonated with my fear of missing out on living life to the fullest. Even though my copy of this little book is marked up with very negative comments that I wrote in the margins, his sophisticated reasoning captured something deep within me.

I thought I had mastered an understanding of Tillich, his thought had instead mastered me, thus now enabling me perniciously to justify my own sinful desires as being intrinsically "human" desires that need to be expressed in order to live fully. I began to see life as a Promethean struggle against all that would negate or demean the goodness and worthiness of basic human instincts. In this way, even the most vile desire of the flesh can be made to be a noble quest for discovering meaning. And like most who embrace this path for human potential or self-authentication, the wounds incurred become scars of honor for one's courage to go into the forbidden areas of life. This is a major theme in writers like Hemingway, Henry James, Balzac, Joyce, and Sartre. What is clearly revealed as sin in the light of the Word of God becomes rationalized as a courageous path for becoming fully human. In one sense, this lie of evil is sadly very truthful as one does discover what is fully human, but human in the sense of our deep alienation from God and the nightmare of regret-filled despair.

So, do I blame it all on Tillich? No, for it was the evil in my own heart that simply seized on Tillich's brilliant reasoning as a tool for justifying doing sinful things. Thankfully, the light of God's Word and the prayers of many faithful fellow disciples enabled me to recognize the darkness as the domain of Satan, and lifted me up into the life of the Spirit of God. Thankfully, it is only in God's Word that a remedy is found for being "fully human" in the sinful sense. Only in the Christ is there the healing grace of God that enables me to overcome the despair of my sin with the hope of God. Only when we can be lifted into the presence of God and find acceptance despite our unworthiness is the fullness of life truly discovered as God the Creator of life meant it to be.

As Irenaeus wrote so long ago - in a manner similar to Tillich's but infused with the light of God's Word - "the glory of God is man fully alive." But this is not mere life seeking to make its own meaning out of human existence; no, this is life that is from God, of God, by God, and for God. Homo adorans, human life that glorifies God, not justifying our sinfulness.

The Summer Of Survival

2008-09-14T02:05:00.000-05:00

Any of you stumbling upon this blog can plainly see that my last posting was some time ago. It isn't because I haven't had any ideas since late June, but after then I entered into a very intense time of plain old survival. After almost a year of not making the income I had in previous years, and spending much of June dealing with local flood issues in Cedar Rapids rather than keeping my finances in shape, my bank account was looking like Old Mother Hubbard's cupboard --- quite bare! With bills and a rather demanding mortgage facing me, my wife and I had to turn all of our attention to finding ways to survive not only financially, but emotionally as well.

So, since late June I have been spending a lot of my time working a temporary job at the local General Mills cereal plant, doing preaching for vacationing pastors, and negotiating pay schedules with various creditors who have this crazy desire to get paid promptly. It has been a real eye opener as I have experienced first-hand what many people deal with on a regular basis as they scrape each month just to get by as best they can. This normal day-to-day survival that is normal living for millions of people has proven for me to be very intense and, in many ways, debilitating. I've discovered that when one struggles financially a gulf is created between those who are doing well and those who are not. It seems that financial struggle is considered by some to be a sign of laziness, incompetency, lack of intelligence, or even in some cases, a sign of spiritual weakness. At the same time, my wife and I have found that there is a special bond of mutual encouragement and support with others who are facing hard and difficult times of whatever kind - financial or otherwise.

While this summer has had a hard edge for me, it has given me a greater depth of understanding when I talk with someone who has lost a job, is overwhelmed by medical bills, or is facing a mortgage crisis, or is just laboring to keep from going under. I know now the fear and stress that for so many has become just a part of ordinary living. However, I also have come to know in deeper and more visceral way the amazing grace of God that is just as real in the most difficult points of life as it is in the more stable times. I've learned how to pray with a real connection for people in all kinds of crises, and to empathize more truly with those who dealing with serious and emotionally-draining issues. As my friend Dick Speight of Come Rest Ministries says and writes about, I've become much better at "resting in God's love."

Yes, it may have been a tough summer of surviving, but it has been a wonderful summer of becoming more trusting of God, of really believing in God's goodness, and of experiencing the realities of God's grace in the midst of sending my zillionth box of Cheerios down the packing line at work. I've also been privileged to see the great respect I enjoy from my ministerial colleagues in Cedar Rapids as they have expressed care and concern through out this last year, with some pastors and churches even extending their generosity to helping out financially. (Sadly, my fellow pastors in the Presbytery of East Iowa have not exhibited such an uplifting Spirit.) I've met some very noble people who do menial work to scratch out a living, and they do it with incredible grace and a sense of purpose that puts me to shame (and repentance) for my condescending attitude and unthankful heart.

If God so chooses to lead me back into a ministry as a pastor in a church (and believe me, it will definitely have to be God's leading), my sense of compassion and empathy as a pastor for what people go through will be a thousand fold what it was before this year began. So, I have to say that for me the major emphasis of the church I presently attend has happened --- that is, I have become more Christ-like. And after all, isn't that the mark of a truly successful life!

In Christ's Peace,

Will

Post-Assembly Depression

2008-06-28T09:39:00.000-05:00

As this year's General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church USA closes, I am again confronted with a very sobering and depressing reality. I must again face the fact that I am a minister in a denomination that is woefully unfaithful to Christ and the Scriptures, and that is led by false leaders (which is generally what God sends a group of people in consequence of their persistent disobedience to God.)

However, this time I am more depressed than in previous General Assembly years. The patent absurdities and blatant God-rejecting actions of this Assembly are beyond anything I have ever seen before (and I was a commissioner at the Syracuse Assembly (209th) in 1997, and that was pretty weird). For the first time in my 27 years as a PCUSA minister, I believe I must seriously start looking at what it means to live life as a disciple of Jesus who is affiliated with a group other than the PCUSA.

Has the PCUSA become so self-negating in relevancy and theological integrity that it has "broken covenant" with all Christians who are seeking to live faithful lives as disciples of Jesus Christ?

There are lots of things I could refer to and write about from this last week, but I will highlight two key and, perhaps for me, decisive actions that reveal the absurdity of this "no thought" assembly. First of all is the action to "investigate" the alleged practice of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church in "persuading" PCUSA congregations to leave for the EPC. Only the most unthinking and unaware minds could ever miss the obvious reasons why churches are leaving the PCUSA, but apparently there was a large gathering of these minds in the San Jose Assembly. They were apparently willing to drink the "Louisville kool aid" which asserts that churches must be "drawn away" from the PCUSA in order to leave. This means being blind to all the reasons within the PCUSA itself which almost compel churches to leave. Let's not face our own faults, but instead blame them on a handy scapegoat, and what scapegoat is more handy than a member of our own Reformed family!

But the part where this action really becomes absurd is when we considered the background of other actions (see reference 1 below) by this assembly seeking to dialogue and improve relationships with Muslim, Episcopal, and Roman Catholic communities. Apparently, we are more desiring of working with groups such as Muslims who consider us to be lower than dogs and at the best, depraved infidels (though in this case I beginning to think the Muslims may have a point) than we are with a sister Reformed fellowship that just happens to be staying more true to our mission goals than we are. Again, we are apparently more concerned to please and placate our standing with the Anglican churches, who consider our lack of bishops an insurmountable flaw in our ecclesiology, than another Reformed body that has done a wonderful job of practicing the biblical mandate for equality between "clergy" and "laity." And one more time, we are more anxious to seek dialogue with the Roman Catholic Church, who in official declarations have declared us to be "defective separatist" who are outside the main succession of the Apostles' teaching and authority, than we are with another Reformed church that freely recognizes as part of the whole church any Christian group where the Spirit is present and active. But no, we are going to accuse and persecute the Evangelical Presbyterians who are our closest family members while we seek friendship with those who think we are very deficient Christians at best or who loathe and detest us at worst.

(Let me be clear that I am for open dialogue with any group, fellow Christian or otherwise. I just think it is absurd to say we are seeking this with other groups when we are not extending the same courtesy to the EPC. This make us stink like the hypocrisy attacked by Jesus, where we are "white washed tombs" filled with "dead men's bones." Matthew 23:27-28)

Then there is the second key thing that has really got my Calvinistic goat, and that is the incredible absurdity of the actions regarding "retranslating" the Heidelberg Catechism. Of course, this is all to get rid of the word "homosexuality" in a negative wording in the text. This has nothing at all to do with anything to do with historical integrity or a search for the truth. In my learning about the Presbyterian Book of Confessions, it was always emphasized in my congregational experience and in my seminary training that the confessions guide us in part by being snapshots of the church at a certain time and place, and by showing us how different Christian communities have responded to the issues of their day in seeking to be faithful. In this way, some of the less noble aspects of our confessions were still instructive because they served as honest examples of how previous Christians sought to live out their faith. In the confessions we see both successes and failures in doing this, and thus the confessions teach us and guide us in our faithfulness today through their historical integrity.

Now, we find a new expectation being applied, which, if logically followed, would mandate the constant rewriting of all the confessions. Now, we are told, the Heidelberg Catechism must be "retranslated" to reflect where we are at as a church today at this time and place. Apparently, all the confessions should reflect who we are now. If this is so, we need to gut the Scots Confession to get rid of all the negative slams on the Roman Catholic Church. We need to rewrite the Barmen Declaration because it is very tied to the rising threat of National Socialism in Germany. Certainly, we are no longer in the same place politically anymore. And God knows not many of us PCUSA'ers relate well to the Trinitarian language in the Apostles' and Nicene Creeds. Certainly, those demand some extensive revision to reflect "who we are today."

And why is it that a true reflection of who we are as a church just happens to be politically and theologically liberal? I guess I missed the declaration made by some authoritative body somewhere that "we" are all theological "progressives." So much for any evangelical, orthodox, or conservative's (that is to say, my) "freedom of conscience." Apparently, such freedom is the province of the liberal mind alone.

Anyway, this is what I'm thinking today as I work through my post-Assembly depression. Sometimes I think the PCUSA could do very well if we could eliminate General Assemblies altogether. They seldom ever help the rank and file in the churches, and more often than not bring us grief and torment. I've been able to keep most of the work of past assemblies, both positive and negative, in a hopeful and tolerant perspective, but this assembly has me wondering for the first time if the end has finally come to the PCUSA, or at least, maybe the end of the PCUSA has come for me!

Reference 1: Actions of GA relating to EPC and other groups.
[07-01]
On Calling for Tolerance and Peaceful Relations Between the Christian and Muslim Communities
[07-02]
On Response to an Invitation to Interfaith Dialogue. (Baltimore)
[07-07]
On Peaceful Relations Between the Christian and Muslim Communities. (Chicago)
[07-08]
Mutual Recognition of Baptism with the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (Committee on Ecumenical Relations)
[07-11]
Episcopal Presbyterian Agreement. (Com. on Ecumenical relations)
[07-03]
On Investigating the Actions and Conduct of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church. (Peace River Presbytery)

Falling Among The Charismatics: Living In A Pentecostal Reality

2008-05-15T00:34:00.000-05:00

I haven’t really had any marked changes in my theology during the past few years, but I have had to reconsider my personal feelings and comfort level with Christians who worship and live according to a Pentecostal or charismatic expression of Christianity. Charismatic Christianity is rapidly becoming the most prevalent form of self-understanding in Protestantism today. It is the overwhelming form of Christian expression in South America, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia (including China). According to some Christian prognosticators, charismatic forms of Christian belief and practice will be “normal” Christianity by 2050, and will include Roman Catholic, Orthodox, and whatever is left of the Protestant traditions. So, all of us in one way or another must decide what our personal approach will be to those who call themselves charismatic or Pentecostal, since this is most like the future of most our congregations.

In my time in Cedar Rapids, I have been a leader in building inter-denominational coalitions for serving and reaching this community. In doing this, I have become very close to many of the Pentecostal and charismatic leaders. After finishing my time at Hus Presbyterian Church, my wife and I have become regular worshippers with a local but world renowned charismatic ministry, River of Life Ministries. My close friendship with a local charismatic Methodist pastor has led me to work with him in his "prophetic" retreat ministry which helps people enter into a deeper walk with Jesus through basic spiritual disciplines. While I have never been opposed to the more “Spirit-led” expressions of Christianity, it is only recently that I have been challenged to think through my own beliefs regarding this phenomenon due to my own proximity to those who are part of it.

Therefore, I have learned that the traditional Pentecostal/charismatic groups have matured in their use of Scripture for understanding the work of the Spirit. Most charismatic denominations, such as Assemblies of God, emphasize the biblical maxim that “manifestations of the Spirit” must be for the common good of the church’s ministry of demonstrating the power and presence of Christ. Speaking in tongues is to empower prayer for not only the person praying but for the work of the whole church (which is actually a very ancient emphasis in Christian experience). Being “slain in the Spirit” (again a known occurrence in Christian experience over the ages and in many forms) is to provide for a special work of grace in a person’s life to overcome a problem or perform a special ministry. As Larry Sohn of the Assemblies of God says, “It isn’t what happens when you fall on the floor that matters. It’s what you do when you rise up and face the world.” Francis Frangipane, a major charismatic leader and good friend of mine, points out that the most important manifestation of the Spirit is not speaking in tongues or performing healings, but becoming a Christ-like person whose life bears the “fruits of the Spirit,” such as love, joy, peace, humility, and patience.

I have experienced the manifestation of God’s Spirit primarily in my giftedness as a preacher and teacher who awakens others to the adventure and excitement of following Jesus. To see people respond and discover the call of God in their lives is exhilarating to me. I have never spoken in tongues, but I have had the Spirit speak to me in visions when I particularly needed encouragement and hope. These make for interesting stories, but in each case God was enabling me or preparing me to be faithful in a challenging situation. Recently, in the Grand Canyon, God revealed more clearly than ever before my abject sinfulness and incapability to seek God in my own strength. This wasn’t through voices or visions, but through the use of the geophysical characteristics of the Canyon in the light of the Scriptures I was meditating on (and this includes one beaucoup incredible lightning storm incident).

I am usually around people who have very amazing and affirming experiences of God’s Spirit. This, I believe, is one way God speaks to His people when the Word and the Spirit are allowed to form the church community according to God’s desires. The principle, that Word and Spirit must be together, is critical in understanding the various manifestations of the Spirit; otherwise churches can become so focused on the spectacular that they even begin to “tempt” God, such as when Satan dared Jesus to throw himself down from the Temple to gain people’s allegiance. Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s warning in his book, Life Together, is to be heeded.
It is, therefore, not good for us to take too seriously the many
untoward experiences we have with ourselves in meditation. It is here that
our old vanity and our illicit claims upon God may creep in by a pious
detour,
as if it were our right to have nothing but elevating and fruitful
experiences,
and as if the discovery of our own inner poverty were quite
below our dignity.

Every church I have ministered in has had very trustworthy people who humbly say they have had amazing and miraculous things happen in their lives. Yet, this has never been about elevating the importance of dramatic or spectacular events, but affirming the greatest manifestation of all: the presence of the risen Christ with us His people. The most dramatic spiritual experience any of us can have is to realize that we carry “this treasure in earthen vessels,” (II Cor. 4:7) that Christ’s mission continues through us!

Tag! You're It

2008-03-25T10:02:00.000-05:00

I guess this is something started by Bruce Reyes-Chow, who apparently is "emerging" as the next moderator of PCUSA. I think I've got the rules down, but here goes whatever. You who I tagged now answer these questions and tag five others. At least this little exercise got me to do another blog post after some time.

What is your earliest memory of being distinctly Presbyterian?
For me that would be in high school when I became involved in some street ministries led by several Presbyterian churches in Wichita, Kansas. As I talked with some of the church leaders, it dawned on me that these were theological views and outreach emphases that I shared.

On what issue/question should the PC(USA) spend LESS energy and time?
We waste so much time on so many things that this is hard to choose. I would say almost anything that focuses attention and power on Louisville is something we should spend less energy and time on. In fact, if we could scale down Louisville to be nothing much more than a small support office without any programming interests, that would be great. Even things that Louisville claims only they can do, like administrate national and international missions, could be done much better and more creatively through natural networks formed by Presbyterian churches. Yes, liberal churches would probably form liberal networks and evangelical churches evangelical networks, but then cooperation would be a natural outcome of shared interests rather than every group trying to coerce the other into some kind of awkward and forced partnership. Plus, dialog between networks would be voluntary, genuine, and productive.

On what issue/question should the PC(USA) spend MORE energy and time?
We need to be spending much more time on discipling the people in our churches and then sending them forth to do innovative mission outreach. The institutional membership mindset is what is killing us. I find it incredible the various projects and expenditures made by many presbyteries while neglecting the reality of the spiritual apathy in many of our churches. Presbyteries need to lead churches to develop clear and effective discipling approaches, and then allow people in the churches to be daring and creative in doing outreach ministries in their communities. Right now, many presbyteries still act as gatekeepers and obstacle courses to be overcome (or many times even sidestepped) by mission minded Presbyterians.

If you could have the PC(USA) focus on one passage of scripture for a entire year, what would it be? Matthew 11:28-30
"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."
I, like many, am tired of all the striving in the PCUSA. There are too many of us pushing and carrying our own agendas rather than just resting in God's love and receiving what God has for us in Jesus.

If the PC(USA) were an animal what would it be and why?
Rather than an animal, I have always thought of the PCUSA being more like an old IROC-Z Camaro I once had (prior to marriage and kids). It was a beautiful piece of machinery that had the capability of working like a marvel, except that it always had something wrong with it. Most of the time, the injection system needed tweeking, or the electrical system had a loose connection somewhere, or the computer was acting up. It took a lot of time and work, but when everything was working together, it could cruise at 90 miles an hour with only the slightest effort. We Presbyterians are sort of like this. We spend a lot time working on ourselves, but every now and then we get in sync. In those times we become a marvel of mission that brings great glory to God.

Extra Credit: Jesus shows up at General Assembly this year, what does he say to the Presbyterian Church (USA)?
Jesus tells us to throw away all the overtures, disband the committees, and spend the whole time in prayer, confession, repentance, and seek each other's forgiveness. Then He tells us to sell our Louisville headquarters, many of our church buildings, cash in many of our investments and give them to the poor, and come follow Him.

Step By Step: A Statement Of Faith

2007-10-04T14:38:00.000-05:00

Stepping off the tram,
my three year old son, Seth, and I
place our feet
on the cobblestones of the old city square.
We stand surrounded by the weathered beauty
of the past thousand eastern European years,
and shadowed by the two towers
of a beautiful twelfth century cathedral
dedicated by St. Francis of Assisi,
who had a penchant for hugging diseased people.

Seth and I begin our walk across the square.

As I hear the click of my steps
on the aged rock surface,
I hear the contrast of my son’s shuffling,
forced by the awkwardness
of two rigid leg braces clashing against each other.
Suddenly I notice Indida, the ten year old Roma girl
who, in good Gypsy tradition,
makes a nuisance of herself
begging from people as they get on and off the trams.
She is standing at the base
of the stairs that ascend
to the vegetable market,
and I begin to plot my course so that she won’t see me.
Sure, friends have told me
that unless she gets a certain amount of money for begging,
her father will beat her at the end of the day.

But that’s not my responsibility.

After all, what can I do
about anything that happens
in a dysfunctional Roma family?
As I make my way past Indida,
the slow pace of my son becomes a real liability.
I worry that the shuffling of his brace-laden feet
will broadcast our presence to her.

Finally, the inevitable happens!

Indida looks over in our direction,
and she starts running toward us.
Now I will have to push her away
when she tries to put her hands on me,
for she knows
Americans are particularly upset
by strangers touching them.
I know she will follow us
until we give her the money she wants.
Just before she gets to Seth and me,
she stops abruptly,
stares directly at Seth’s braces,
and then does the most unexpected thing.
Indida reaches into her pockets,
takes out all the money she has,
and with outstretched hands
offers it all to me.
Looking at Indida’s outstretched hands
revealing her sacrificial offering,
I am overwhelmed
by her spontaneous generosity.
I know what this gift will cost her,
and I no longer see a pesky Roma child.
I am looking at a living picture
of God’s grace
being offered to me
in the outstretched hands of Jesus on the cross.
Quickly, I convey to her my deep appreciation
for her thoughtfulness,
and guide her hands
holding her money back to her pockets.
Her eyes brighten
and she wears the first smile
I have ever seen on her face.
After buying her some ice cream,
Seth and I continue on,
making our way slowly up the steps
to the market.

Now, everything is new!

I am not passing a nuisance to be avoided,
but a light that has scattered my darkness.
My son is no longer burdened
with a handicap that slows him down,
or a father without understanding.
Now I see Seth more clearly than ever
a wonder of God,
precious and deserving
of the best and most I can give him.
Using Indida,
God has reminded me of God’s attitude toward me,
and God’s penchant for hugging diseased people.
God has shown me again
that God’s grace is not limited
to my expectations.
Grace surprises us
when we least expect it.
God conveys God’s gifts to us
using the most unlikely people
in the most unlikely places
at the most unlikely times.

Our Real Moral Crisis

2007-08-22T22:21:00.000-05:00

Recently I was asked what I consider to be the major moral issues facing Christians today. There are many possible ways to answer this question: justice issues, sexual issues, family issues, and the list goes on. But it seemed to me that all these take their place under one over-arching moral crisis, and that is a dual natured crisis of authenticity and credibility. To say this in more theological language, we Christians must become more truly Christ-like if we really want the world around us to take seriously the Gospel we proclaim, or stated even more obviously, we must “practice what we preach.”
Especially in the United States and Europe, there seems to be a kind of Christianity that emphasizes a nebulous belief in some amorphous divine force that is separated from the nuts and bolts of how we actually live our lives. This produces people who use the name Christian in their understanding of who they are, but then live life essentially the same as anyone else in the world. Diettrich Bonhoeffer used the term “cheap grace” to describe this type of thinking, but he had another term that described it even better --- the “church of the World.” This kind of “church” is opposed to the “church of the Word,” and seeks to make itself righteous by offering grace without repentance, proclaiming reconciliation without the Cross, and celebrating hope without holiness.
Prominent pollster George Barna has found that those who claim to be evangelical Christians show no appreciable difference from non-Christians in how they live. They are just as likely, and in some cases more likely, to engage in sinful or questionable behaviour as any non-Christian. If this is true, how can we ever expect those who are not yet believers to have any reason to take seriously the message of Christ’s transforming love expressed in the Cross and the Resurrection? Where’s the evidence in our own lives? Where’s the passion for following Christ and being His faithful disciples?
If we as Christians are to have any hope of countering and overcoming the power of the radical Islamists, we must demonstrate a greater passion and a greater desire than they do to sacrifice our lives for God’s purposes. In our case, our passion and sacrifice as Christ-like people are expressed in awesome acts of love and service for others, even for the Islamists themselves. The world sees the power of the Islamists’ sacrificial dying and cowers in terror. The power of the Christian’s sacrificial living results not in terror, but in peace, hope, and transformation through Christ.
I believe as Christians we must become truly authentic in our passion for God in our life together. This is more than fellowship, this is the healing baptismal spring of koinonia, where faith is shared honestly, deep relationships are formed, and growth in Christ is experienced together according to the truth of the Word and the power of the Holy Spirit. The Scriptures joyfully teach that all Christians are priests. As such, Christ calls us to set aside our own interests and to serve others. In doing this, God weaves us into a gift-giving, gift-receiving community, displaying the splendors of God’s grace to the world. Our life together as brothers and sisters in Christ, then, is more than a casual association for our social convenience. It is the very means by which God empowers us for living out our baptism into Christ. Only when the world sees this transformed reality will they listen to the Message we proclaim.

KEEP THE CELEBRATION GOING!

Gray's Deeply Pernicious Heresy

2007-08-06T09:22:00.000-05:00

While I generally respect Joan Gray the current Moderator of the Presbyterian Church USA, the type of thinking she expressed in her editorial "A Deeply Pernicious Heresy" (see http://www.presbyweb.com/, Saturday, August 4th edition) is a frightenly excellent example of the kind of thinking that has made such a mess of the PCUSA. She divides belief in Christ from obedience to Christ, resulting in a view of salvation and church membership as consisting of only certain creedal or mental affirmations. In this way, it is possible to simply believe in Jesus without actually giving one's life to Jesus.
This is the old "heresy" that Dietrich Bonhoeffer called "cheap grace," which allows people to believe they are okay with God just because the have the right belief. Actually following Christ as a disciple is then divorced from belief, allowing one to live life in actual rebellion against God while holding to "right beliefs." How many churches would admit a person to membership who holds only "right belief" in Jesus while practicing pedophilia, or racism, or drug-dealing, or human trafficking? Would anyone say it is being heretical and unfair to insist that a person's life line up enough with their confession of Christ that they seek to eliminate these practices from their lives?
Yes, we should be compassionate and seek to offer such persons the promise of transformation through the grace of Christ, but few if any would say that simple cognitive affirmation of a few certain beliefs is actual Christian discipleship. This is why the same Paul that Joan Gray appeals to in her editorial instructs the Corinthian church to expell from their fellowship anyone who is "sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a slanderer, a drunkard or a swindler." (I Corinthians 5:11) Even these few behaviours mentioned here would have a radical effect upon the PCUSA if we took them all seriously as reflections of our profession of faith in Christ.
I am not saying we become a legalistic legion in our judgements toward one another. Joan Gray is rightfully warning against this. However, it is critical that we not divorce our lives from our profession of faith. The scriptures do not divide life practice from faith, which according to Paul is belief in our hearts more than our minds (Romans 10:9-10). Even the great reformers Luther and Calvin insisted both that salvation is by faith alone in Christ and this same faith must be evidenced by the good works that follow. Neither reformer could be accused of adding another condition for salvation besides faith in Christ, but their understanding of faith is much more life encompassing than mere mental assent. As Luther said, faith is a complete trusting of one's whole life to God, or more typical of his terminology, "You cast yourself entirely upon the Word."
I think that if Joan Gray and I were having a discussion with each other at the local Starbucks, we would probably find a lot of friendly agreement as we talked through our differing points. But the message of her editorial as it stands alone right now is itself "a deeply pernicious heresy."

KEEP THE CELEBRATION GOING!

MORE ABOUT BRETT

2007-07-12T22:14:00.000-05:00

I was happy to read in Monday’s (July 9, 2007) Presbyweb about my very good friend, Brett McMichael, and the prospect that he may be nearing an end to his search to find a suitable kidney donor. (See Missionary's bid to find kidney may be near end) However, I want to elaborate on few things that are just touched upon in the article. While many of our missionaries have done extraordinary work, I believe Brett is an example of mission work that truly fulfills what Jesus is talking about in Matthew 5:16, “In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.”

My family and I had the privilege of getting to know Brett in 2001 when we were living in Zagreb, Croatia. At first, we were impressed with a man possessed of vision and passion for bringing healing to children in the hospitals of Croatia. But as we got to know more about Brett and his work, it became clear that he is one of those rare individuals who are able to transform reality with their dreams.

The first miracle we became aware of regarding Brett’s work is the effect he has had on Croatian hospitals. He has by his own resolve and risk-taking transformed the approach of Croatian hospitals in how they treat children and how they relate to parents. Before Brett, treatment for children was very impersonal and parents were not permitted to stay with their children in hospitals. Through Brett’s influence and example, he developed and inspired a new atmosphere of personal involvement and interactive treatment for children. He also educated hospital leaders to welcome and encourage parents to stay with their children.

It is important to emphasize that Brett’s work and influence, while centered in Osijek and Zagreb, was a nationwide influence. He was invited to train and assist hospital caregivers throughout all the major medical centers of Croatia. He became one of the very few people who could walk into most any hospital in Croatia and be accepted by the staff as a respected colleague and peer. My wife, Jackie, spent some time working with Brett in Zagreb, and she observed firsthand the complete trust and respect that the doctors, nurses, and hospital administrators placed in Brett and his opinions.

Brett has been the consummate missionary in making sure that his work became multiplied far beyond himself. He was able to leave Croatia having developed entire programs led by Croatians and supported by Croatian society. Perhaps the most renowned of these programs in Croatia is the development of camps for children who have various challenges. Brett started these in 2001. Since then, he has developed camps for children with cancer, diabetes, cystic fibrosis, and others. This is doubly incredible when you consider that this is in a culture where parents are extremely protective of their ailing children, and simply did not let them go off with other people, even if they are trained professionals. Brett overcame this cultural barrier. Since the success of that first camp in 2001, these camps have become a national institution, with involvement and support from all sectors of Croatian society: businesses, entertainers, churches, and politicians.
(Photo of Fuzine, a retreat center in the Croatian Alps, where Brett's camps take place)

When I was visiting Zagreb in the summer of 2006, some mutual friends of Brett and mine told me a most amazing story of how much Croatians support Brett’s work. It seems that in 2004, the largest bank in Croatia had wanted to give a special gift to a humanitarian work that has been most significant in its impact on Croatian society. They chose the group Brett had gathered for putting together the camps for children with illnesses. This gift was worth well into the six figure range in US dollars. And as if this wasn’t amazing enough, in 2005 the same bank, the Croatian national television network, and the Zagreb Dinamo (a major European soccer team) worked together to do a television reality series about men trying out to make a soccer team that would play the Dinamo in a nationally televised game. The proceeds from the game were to go to support the work of Brett McMichael’s summer camps for ailing children.

While all this is impressive, it is important to remember that Brett’s work has had a positive effect on Croatia far beyond just changing how hospitals approach the treatment of children and providing a cause celeb for businesses and entertainers. This has affected a whole society. The change in attitudes in medical circles has been one of many strands of transformation for a country that has struggled to free itself of a communistic mentality in governing, has suffered incredibly to fight a war of independence from the former Yugoslavia, and has courageously fought corruption in its economics and politics.

Sure, Brett did not do this by himself, but he did what all good missionaries should do --- contribute to the overall good and progress of the people he is working with. There is no doubt whatsoever that Croatia is a far better country with a far better approach to treating sick and suffering children because of who Brett McMichael is, what Brett McMichael has done, and the Lord who Brett McMichael so faithfully serves.

KEEP THE CELEBRATION GOING!

A Couple Of Concerns About The EPC

2007-06-27T14:29:00.000-05:00

As we enter the latest round of churches leaving the PCUSA, it seems the Evangelical Presbyterian Church (or in alphabet soup terms, EPC) is the green pasture of choice for those fleeing the soul-sucking skirmishes of the Presbyterian Church (USA). Now, I like the EPC. There are many great congregations in the EPC. In fact, that old standard line is true for me when I say that some of my best friends are members and ministers in the EPC. But (and you all knew there had to be a big “but” here somewhere), I’m not so sure that the EPC is necessarily a better and less problematic place to be than the PCUSA.

Oh sure, it sounds absolutely delirious to think that I could go to a typical presbytery meeting and not have to endure the proclamation and “esteem-ation” of some amorphous deity that oozes from our sentimental pores and that craves the sacrifice of revealed Truth at the altar of left-over Marxist views of justice and developmentally-stunted demands for tolerance “or else.” And of course I feel the siren call of being in a denomination that really does presume the basic, essential, and universally held beliefs regarding Jesus Christ as the Son of God who lived among us, was God’s sacrifice for our sins, and was raised from the dead so we may live the life of God in this world through trust in Him, obedience to the Word, and being empowered by the Holy Spirit. Such basic things can become powerful enticements after wandering in the biblical and theological wastelands of the PCUSA.

However (which is more erudite terminology for a big “but”), despite my occasional day dreams about frolicking in the daisy-filled fields of the EPC, there are two things (actually, three things, but I’ll only address two here) that have kept my dreams just dreams, and have made me reluctant to seek refuge with these evangelical kin.

The first issue is the lack of growth in the EPC. Now, I know no one from the PCUSA (especially me) has any right to critique any church body on a lack of growth, but I can tell you lots of reasons why the PCUSA has members fleeing in terror. But (and this is a really big “but”) the EPC has “evangelical” written right in their name, for crying out loud. So what gives with the lack of substantial growth?

In 1981 or so, when the EPC started (as I understand or misunderstand it, these were mainly old United Presbyterian congregations separating over the issue of the ordination of women, e.g. Kenyon case et al ignotus res), there were around 110 congregations with about 60,000 members throughout the USA “and Argentina” (I’m not sure why they always mention Argentina). After 25 years, they had increased to around 160 congregations and 70,000. I’m glad they at least grew, but I would expect a thoroughly evangelical denomination that had cast off some of the regulatory restraints of an overbearing denominational structure to grow a lot more than this.

Friends of mine in the EPC tell me that they have had their own institutional roadblocks to new church development and reaching out. There have been some theological controversies (even in the EPC) that have taken energy away from some overall visioning for the denomination. Still, this doesn’t really explain it for me. The Presbyterian Church in America also started with a number under 100,000 members in the 1980’s, and the PCA is now over 350,000 and adding 20 to 30 thousand per year. They too have had to work on improving their approach to new church development, and they too have had to deal with some mission-distracting theological controversies, but they still managed to keep on track with reaching new people with the Gospel. If it wasn’t for those who are fleeing the PCUSA, there wouldn’t be any real prospect of growth for the EPC.

The second issue is that while the EPC is more congregationally oriented and supportive, it still has a “gate-keeping” mentality and effect in the leadership and structures of the EPC presbyteries and the General Assembly. I’m not sure why this is so, unless it follows from the fact that those who founded the EPC brought with them the restraining and regulatory mindset of the PCUSA. A friend of mine was forced to start a new congregation outside of the jurisdiction of an EPC presbytery due to the political and regulatory hoops he was facing as an EPC minister. His new congregation quickly zoomed to over 3000 members involved in effective discipling structures and innovative missional outreach. (Ironically, he is now a PCUSA minister. Long story.)

I hope the influx of new congregations in the EPC will yield a new openness to process and mission. I know many of the PCUSA congregations who are switching are looking forward to being able to do innovative mission with presbytery structures and leadership that encourage Spirit-led, biblically-obedient risk and innovation. Maybe this is the way God is opening up the EPC leadership to something new and wonderful that God wants to do with them. I certainly hope this is the case. Otherwise, the former PCUSA congregations may find themselves bound up by the yoke of a new Pharoah in a new Egypt rather than the inspiring visionary leadership of a fiery Joshua in a new Promised Land.

Finally (and yes, there is at long last a “finally”), let me make clear again that I respect and admire the EPC, pray for the EPC, and if God so leads me in the future I may even end up with the EPC. (It could happen, though I’d probably go Orthodox before going EPC.) However, I wonder if the frustrations that we have with the PCUSA are more universal than we realize. Maybe our frustrations with the PCUSA are really frustrations shared by all Christians in all denominations with the very existence of denominations. Maybe denominations are not only anachronistic entities that no longer serve the mission interests of the faithful Christians within them, but maybe they are actually being eliminated by God. Maybe those who are wanting to serve God with energy, imagination, intelligence, and love are not supposed to be comfortable in a denomination, just like we are not supposed to feel comfortable in a old dirty rundown house that has become unlivable, unsalvageable, and inhospitable. That is something we’ll explore in my next blog (whenever that happens).

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Reaching Our Communities For Christ

2007-05-30T12:29:00.000-05:00

I am involved with a venture in Cedar Rapids called "Serve The City." This has been and still is a rather exciting work among around 40 churches of various denominations and fellowships geared to reaching this community through three primary emphases: prayer, care, and share. The kernel of the concept comes from cooperative interchurch outreach ventures in places like Little Rock, AR; Cochella Valley, CA; and El Paso, TX. We spend about a year enlisting people to pray for their families and neighbors, the second year we do tangible actions to demonstrate our care for our families and neighbors, and the third year we work together to provide meaningful and relevant services to our communities. The idea is to reach out to our communities with love in demonstrative ways so that we build credibility. With this credibility, we hope to utilize these connections with our communities as bridges to share the Good News of Jesus with those who do not yet know Him as their Lord and Saviour.
Now, as my own congregation has participated in this endeavor, I have noticed a correlation between the effectiveness of the congregation in reaching out with the kind of leadership each church experiences. This may be one of those "duh" observations, but this cooperative venture has produced some anecdoctal evidence for much of what we read about in today's "missional" literature. So, here are some of my thoughts on what makes ministers and congregations more effective in reaching their communities with the Gospel.
Now, obviously the lead pastor is an important catalyst for leading, teaching, and inspiring a group of believers in living out the Gospel. Yet, effective pastoral leadership must come out of a passion to share an experience of God’s grace in Jesus Christ with as many people as effectively as possible. Any motivation less than this in the pastor will undermine and hamper the efforts of even the best equipped and motivated members of a church body.
So, my first step for leading a congregation in reaching the community is to make sure I am acting and leading from my own place of seeking the grace and presence of God. I must be able to speak of vision and strategy out of my own sense of need for Spirit and Truth, and my own experience of receiving these as undeserved gifts through walking with Jesus. Otherwise, we would end up promoting just ourselves and seeking our own glory rather than acting out of a heart for inviting lost people into the kingdom of God.
Nevertheless, as crucial as good, authentic leadership is for a congregation, reaching our community with the Gospel grows out of our courage and creativity as a covenant body of disciples who care and support one another in service to God. As Mark Brewer of Bel Air Presbyterian Church is fond of saying, "It is hard to lead if no one is following." Who and how we reach in the various communities will depend on the calls that God gives to those in our congregations. We must be reaching those whom God wants our particular church to reach, and God will provide individuals and groups among us with the right passions and the proper gifts for reaching particular peoples (as long as we pray, listen to God’s Word, and follow the Spirit).
Obviously, God wants all people to be reached, but it is God who reaches all people through calling disciples to be passionate about reaching particular groups of people. A recovering and redeemed alcoholic may be gifted to reach fellow alcoholics, or a former gang member may sense an affinity with those lost in that lifestyle, but we don't expect each member of our churches to reach out and relate to everyone with equal effectiveness.
This means ministry that is truly missional and led by the Spirit emerges out of a covenant life together. So each disciple will find and develop with one or more others a team for doing a project or activity that connects with their target group in an engaging and relevant way. Maybe for college students, the team would offer a college-oriented Alpha course in a popular coffee bar. A group called to address poverty issues may form a cooperative to work with poor residents to refurbish their homes, or even have a group from the church take up residence in a low income neighborhood to have a missionary presence (with a satellite worship service there as well).
My role as a missional pastor is to make sure the church body I am leading is providing the structures for equipping people in their ministries. This involves making sure the overseeing elders are enabling and encouraging the leaders of the various ministries under their care. It also means developing an atmosphere of imagination and risk-taking that will give people the sense of courage and freedom to attempt whatever God is calling them to do, while at the same time providing the nurturing structures of accountability that enable people to discern their call in light of the Scriptures, the guidance of the Spirit, and the wisdom of fellow disciples.

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Is There An Exodus From The PCUSA, And How Does One Recognize It?

2007-05-17T12:34:00.000-05:00

I hear from many fellow evangelicals and read in many articles and letters that a major exodus has began, which will result in many congregations leaving the Presbyterian Church USA. Most of those expressing this opinion see most of these departing congregations becoming part of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church denomination. Obviously, this is certainly true to some extent, especially with the New Wineskin congregations who are joining the EPC. And the rationale for leaving provided by some, especially Robert Gagnon, has been especially sobering and persuasive. However, I am not sure if the exodus is as large and as potent as what some are saying.
Oh sure, it is certainly noteworthy when Kirk of the Hills in Tulsa or Memorial Park in Pittsburgh recuse themeselves to the EPC, and such moves certainly gain the attention of all of us who call ourselves evangelical. But at this point, I do not see the grand exodus or realignment that I hear others talking about. No offense intended to churches like Kirk of the Hills, but no church that really carries the weight of evangelical leadership in the PCUSA has indicated that it is leaving. No such church, like Peachtree in Atlanta, Menlo Park in California, First in Colorado Springs, Bel Air in the LA area, or University Place in Seattle, has given the slightest indication that they are seriously entertaining a change of denominational affiliation. Plus, no major evangelical voice has announced his or her "exodus." We have not heard (up to this point) the names of Joe Rightmeyer, Vic Pentz, Mark Brewer, Andrew Purves, Jerry Andrews, Roberta Hestenes, Mary Holder Naegeli, Jim Berkeley, Bill Young, or even Parker Williamson mentioned in any list of those who are seeking refuge by opting out of the PCUSA.
A few weeks ago, I was in a conversation with a friend who is pastor of a PCUSA church in NW Washington state. He is part of a covenant group of pastors from throughout the USA who gather together periodically for fellowship, encouragement, education, and accountability. Out of 12 pastors in his group, three were in churches leaving the PCUSA for the EPC. A significant number --- Yes! But indications of a mass exodus starting --- I'm not so sure.
At this point, it SEEMS TO ME that most of us evangelicals are staying the course in the PCUSA, and it SEEMS TO ME that this perserverance by the evangelicals will yet yield a quite orthodox and missional future for the PCUSA. Oh yes, I think some of the more militant liberals in this ecclesiastical community smell evangelical blood and are making plans for a victory feast as we hear of a theologically conservative church here and there leaving for the EPC. But sometimes the facts do not fit what we are sensing or hearing, and the facts (at this time) overwhelmingly support the continuance and growth of a strong and vital evangelical presence in the PCUSA.

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Let The Blogs Begin

2007-05-15T03:42:00.000-05:00

I am just entering the blogosphere, so I'm still learning my way around. Basically, as one who makes his living through preaching to others, like St. Paul preaching til Eutychus fell out the window after he fell asleep, these blogs will be a feeble attempt on my part to communicate in a less captive and numbing manner. I will mainly comment on issues and topics related to Christ and the Church, but may venture at times into topics and issues far beyond my knowledge and expertise. Fortunately, few will ever see my more foolish ruminations.

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