Thursday, April 30, 2009

Interview, pt. 2

Yesterday, I began the first of three posts that share a recent interview I had with a member of our church who was completing a school project. I found some of the questions very interesting and since the whole interview dealt with leadership and pastoral ministry, I thought I would share my responses this week in a series of three posts. Here's part two...

3. Do you lead in humility

a. What do you do during the day that helps you maintain a spirit of humility?

Pride is a daily battle. No, hourly is probably more accurate. It’s so easy to feel smarter, more important, more influential, more irreplaceable than I actually am. This is one reason Paul warned against young Christians becoming pastors, because they can easily “become conceited and fall into the condemnation incurred by the devil” (1 Tim. 3:6). The public spotlight of pastor can seem glamorous at first and is especially dangerous for our pride. But Christ reminded His disciples that true greatness is servant leadership (Matt. 18:4).

Spending time with the Lord in His Word and in prayer helps keep me humble. Watching, learning, and listening to my wife helps me identify my own sin, selfishness, and lack of wisdom. Also, as much as possible, I try to stay realistic, “not thinking more highly of myself than I ought to think” (Rom. 12:3), but recognizing my own limitations. I try to share authority and responsibility with others and realize that everyone in the Body of Christ has been uniquely gifted by God.

b. Do you have a servant’s heart or do you sometimes let your position/power as a Pastor get in the way?

As much as possible, I seek to lead and live with a servant’s heart. I never want to think myself above the people I shepherd, or above certain tasks. I am merely a clay pot carrying a priceless treasure (2 Cor. 4:7).

It is important to remember that authority does not equal importance. For the sake of order, God may give greater authority to a husband over a wife, a pastor over his flock, and a boss over his employee, but this does not mean they are more important or more special in God’s eyes. There is no spiritual hierarchy. As Christians, we are all equally created in God’s image, equal as sinners, equally deserving of death, equally debtors to the grace of God, and equal as members of the one true Body of Christ (Gal. 3:28). When I remember our equality in Christ, all reason for pride is swept away.

4. Are you leading others to the “Greatness of God”?

a. Do you help others pursue the vision God has for them or the will God has for them?

Much of God’s will is clearly revealed in the Scriptures (Ps. 40:8; 1 Thess. 4:3; 1 Pet. 2:15). As I preach and counsel from His Word, I am instructing people in His will, “transforming them by the renewing of their minds, so they will be able to prove what the will of God is” (Rom. 12:2).

When it comes to specific decisions in life, I seek to be a friend, a mentor, a source of wisdom, and a prayer support to people as they seek to honor God. I desire to bring God’s word to bear on every area of their lives and perhaps help them thing through an issue or explore an opportunity they otherwise would not have considered.

Just recently, I had the privilege of meeting and praying regularly with a young man who was interested in a particular career. I spent much time talking with him, asking questions, giving advice, and connecting him with people who would be more competent in helping him pursue God’s will.

b. Do you seek the potential out in others that you don’t see in yourself?

I try to recognize my own limitations and identify the potential of others. God usually blesses a church with a diversity of gifts and personalities so they will complement each other. That diversity can become a source of competition and conflict, but it shouldn’t. It was intended by God to strengthen the church. So, I might be strong in leadership and teaching, but someone else might be stronger in listening and identifying needs. I might be strong in organization, but someone else might be stronger in spontaneity and creativity. I might be strong in doctrine, but someone else might be stronger in mercy. I need them to use those gifts, and need to view their strengths and differences as an asset, not a threat.

One challenge in regard to potential is to keep Christians challenged and growing, constantly moving beyond their comfort zones, but not pushing them too much or too fast. Jesus spent three years with His disciples, and even then, said “I have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth” (John 16:12-13). I want people to see the work God is doing in their lives, and be encouraged by the progress they have made, but not overwhelm them with too many challenges and too many changes too quickly. Potential is a matter of stewardship. If a person in the church is faithful in the small things, they will increasingly be given greater time, attention, and responsibility.

You can check back tomorrow for part three of this interview.

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

The next-best thing to being in Chicago

For those of us who weren't able to make it to Chicago last week for The Gospel Coalition conference, we can still listen and benefit from all the plenary and breakout sessions. Here's the full list with audio links:

SEMINARS
WORKSHOPS

Two workshops are available in video (as well as audio):
The rest of the sessions are available in audio only:
Three of the sessions are not available yet because of corrupt audio files:
  • Michael Bullmore, "The Functional Centrality of the Gospel"
  • Tim Savage, "Power in Weakness: The Heart of Gospel Ministry"
  • Scotty Smith, "A Biblical Theology of Worship: On Preference and Other Matters"
Well, that should fill up my MP3 player for a while.

HT: Justin Taylor

Interview, pt. 1

I was recently interviewed by a church member for a school project she had to complete. I found some of the questions very interesting and since the whole interview dealt with leadership and pastoral ministry, I thought I would share my responses this week in a series of three posts. Here's part one...

1. Are you leading with “Confidence in God’s call” (on your life)?


a. Are you solely relying on Christ in your teaching?

As I study and preach each week, I’m often reminded of Christ’s words in John 15:5: “I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.” I know that Christ alone is the source of truth, and that He alone is the one who can open the eyes of the listeners to understand and obey the truth. I am sometimes tempted to rely on my own knowledge and abilities, but by God’s grace, I do my best to trust in God. As Paul said, we can plant and water, but God must cause the growth (1 Cor. 3:6). This is one reason prayer is such an important part of ministry – because it teaches us to stop working in our own strength and depend more fully upon God.

b. Are you being yourself in the way you teach or are you mimicking someone else’s style of teaching?

I think this is sort of a “both-and.” I do try to “be myself” in front of other people, speaking authentically and preaching from the heart. I don’t want to be fake, because people will see right through that. At the same time, I know that my own style is constantly evolving and hopefully growing steadily more effective. Part of sermon delivery is to experiment, try new things, and learn what is most effective for me as a speaker and to my specific audience. All of us are influenced by certain mentors who we either consciously or unconsciously emulate. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with this. After all, “A disciple, when he is fully trained, will be like his teacher” (Luke 6:40).

I know I have been influenced and probably reflect the style of my father, Dr. John MacArthur, R. Kent Hughes, and my former pastor Scott Ardavanis, to name a few. At the same time, I try to combine those styles and add my own personality into something that is uniquely “Stephen Jones.” When you listen to preachers on the radio, you will notice that no two speakers are alike. I think this is a beautiful example of the diversity of the Body of Christ, and how God uses many different people with different styles in his church.

c. Are you confident in where God has you at this time?

I am confident the Lord has called me to full-time ministry in a local church. There’s nothing I would rather be doing. I love teaching and preaching, love serving and shepherding God’s people, and love making an eternal impact for the glory of God and the spread of His kingdom. Sure, there are days when you grow discouraged and long for more visible fruit, but a big part of ministry is acting in faith and being diligent in the work God has called you to do.

2. Are you leading by “Equipping other Leaders”?

a. Are you formally or informally training? (Formally: long term, ex: Jesus and disciples; Informally: short term, casual, when convenient)

I am striving to do both. After all, this is the main duty of a pastor, to “equip the saints for the work of the ministry” (Ephesians 4:12). The very mission statement of our church is to “make disciples of Jesus Christ by reaching and teaching everyone.” Once a person has accepted Christ, I feel my duty is to help them grow in their Christian walk and move toward greater maturity in Christ. This is a life-long process of teaching or “discipleship”.

My primary area of formal training is studying and preaching each week. This is how I can reach the most people and make the biggest impact. The purpose of preaching is to teach God’s Word, instruct in sound doctrine, develop discernment, and help people learn how to study and apply God’s truth in their own lives. I also desire to move each member along our discipleship process, from evangelism, to early Christian follow-up, to ongoing nurture, to training in ministry (where they are actually being trained to help others). I have a formal discipleship group called SaLT (Servant-Leadership Training) where I meet with several men each month to take them through a systematic program and equip them for ministry in the church. I would eventually like to do more practical, hands-on training as well.

Despite these more formal aspects of training, much of my ministry is quite informal in nature. Talking with people after church, visiting them at home or in the hospital during the week, making phone calls, sending notes, and having people over to the house are all ways I seek to build relationships and informally train and model Christian living to my flock.

b. Do you have leaders trained up for when the church grows and you won’t be able to handle as much, such as youth group, Sunday school classes, etc?

They say the whole purpose of ministry is to work yourself out of a job. I’m seeking to do just that. As much as possible, I am praying for, training, modeling, and equipping other men to share the load and eventually take over the reins. None of us are here forever, so we are always trying to invest in the next generation, training up faithful men so they will be able to teach others also (2 Tim. 2:2). We are blessed at our church to already have several godly deacons who share responsibilities with me, and through ministries like SaLT and Young Adults Bible Study, I am working to train up others who will hopefully become future leaders in the church.

(Check back in tomorrow for part two)

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Church in the spotlight

Our church has been featured this month as "Church in the Spotlight" by the Inland Empire Southern Baptist Association. Pictures and a brief church history have been published in their Clarion newsletter and are available on their website.

We praise God for the prayers and support of our local association, and how the Lord is using them to strengthen local churches like ours.

Doing the word

We all know God’s command in James 1 to “prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves.” But often, doing the word is not as easy as it sounds. It’s so easy for me to “look myself in the mirror” as James says, but then walk away, forgetting what I’ve seen. Collectively, it’s easy for us to hear God’s Word on Sundays, nod our heads in agreement, close our Bibles, go our separate ways, start another busy week, forget what we heard, and never take any specific course of action.

I would like to do a better job of providing tools for our church to apply God’s Word in our lives. Michael Fabarez, in his book, Preaching That Changes Lives, says to pastors, “We must do all that we can to assist our people in acting upon the truth we dispense. Therefore, it behooves us to design and supply tools that will assist them in this process. Providing your congregation with a few useful aids for application is well worth your time and effort” (p. 175).

So, today I've begun my attempt to help us better act on the truth. I will be writing a weekly note called “Doing the Word," which I will either hand out on Sunday or email out early in the week. I will try to briefly summarize Sunday’s message and then offer a few practical application questions. These questions could be discussed as a family or used in private reflection and prayer. I hope you find them edifying.

===============

On Sunday, we studied John 17:13-19, asking what is the Christians’ relationship to this world, and discovering the crucial role of the Word of God. There were three points:
  1. We are SEPARATE from the world (vv. 14, 16)
  2. We are SENT into the world (v. 18)
  3. We are SANCTIFIED by the Word (vv. 17-19)

Here are some thought and discussion questions, which I shared during the sermon:

  • Am I being increasingly sanctified from the world by the Word? How is progress evident in my life?
  • Which “wrong approach” to the world do I tend to take? Withdrawing myself from it? Conforming to it? Trying to moralize it?
  • Am I taking my commission to the world seriously? Who has God specifically brought into my life to reach?
  • Do I see the dangers of the world? Where am I most susceptible to worldly influences?
  • Since God’s Word is true, am I truly devoting myself to it in my personal walk? My family? The church? How could I do better?

(Sunday’s sermon has been uploaded to our podcast site and is now available for free download or to listen online.)

May God help us apply His Word this week in our hearts, in our words, and in our actions.

Friday, April 24, 2009

In wrath remember mercy

Last Sunday night I had the privilege of preaching at First Baptist Church of San Jacinto. I chose to speak on faith in times of crisis from Habakkuk 3:16-19. It's a reminder we all need in this world so full of sorrow and disappointment.

As I explained the historical background of Habakkuk, I was reminded afresh of the severe judgment God sent upon Judah because of their sin. First, he raised up the dreadful Babylonians. Then, He controlled the weather patterns to bring devastating famine. It was a two-front war. God does not play around with sin. He abhors it, and judges it seriously.

But even in the darkest moment, as he trembled at the thought of judgment, the prophet Habakkuk trusted the Lord, and rejoiced in the God of His salvation (Hab. 3:18).

This week, as I reflected on the passage, I was reminded of an earlier statement in Habakkuk's prayer. In chapter 3 verse 2, the prophet pleaded, "In wrath remember mercy." And amazingly, that is exactly what God did. Even in the moment of wrath, God showed mercy to His people. How? Jeremiah 29 tells us.
  • God sent His people into captivity. This whole chapter is written to "all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon" (Jer. 29:4). God did not obliterate the Jews, but rather sent them to a faraway land. He remained faithful to His covenant with Abraham to make a great name and a great people (Gen. 15:1-3).
  • God made their lives comfortable. In Jeremiah 29:6-7, God instructed His people to build houses, take wives, and seek the welfare of the cities where they dwelled. In Babylon, the Jews did not endure slavery like they had in Egypt. Their lives were actually quite comfortable. I'm not saying they lived in the Ritz-Carlton, but they did enjoy a remarkable level of freedom and prosperity.
  • God limited their captivity. In Jeremiah 29:10, God promised that the Jews would be allowed to return to their homeland after 70 years. When this interval of time had passed, Daniel interceded, and God answered (see Daniel 9).
  • God made Himself available to them. God did not abandon the Jews, but said that when they repented and prayed to Him, He would listen (Jer. 29:12). When they sought Him, He would be found by them. He was standing by ready and waiting, like the father of the prodigal son, to reconcile and restore His wayward people.
How thankful we can be that God does not always give us what we deserve. He often shows mercy even in the midst of wrath. Truly, our God is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth! (Exodus 34:6)

Thursday, April 23, 2009

The passion of the Christ

Someone recently asked me if I had ever seen Mel Gibson's movie The Passion of the Christ, and if I would recommend it. Below was my response:
Actually, I have not seen it yet. Somebody at church bought it for us, but you sort of have to be in the right mood to sit down and watch something like that. I don't know if Natalie will want to watch it with me or not. I'm sure you know the violence is very graphic.

Last Easter Sunday, I was seated at breakfast with another pastor and some Christians who saw the movie and they said it was very good. It brought many people to silence or to tears, and really gave them a new appreciation for Christ's loving sacrifice.

I do want to be careful that my love for Christ comes from Scripture and not a Catholic-influenced movie. Some have also criticized the movie for showing so much brutality without explaining the theology behind it.

But that being said, I do plan to watch it someday as I think it is a good tool to depict the scene of the cross -- something which has become far too soft and cuddly and glamorized in our culture instead of what it really was - a horrific torture device.
How about you? Did you ever see the movie? What did you think?

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

A tribute to true beauty

Cal Thomas analyzes the Susan Boyle YouTube phenomenon and what it teaches us about our culture. Here's an excerpt:
Slowly, the gorgeous Amanda Holden rises to applaud and the contrast could not be starker. Two women are standing, one the incarnation of all we define as beautiful, the other exuding a depth of beauty that Holden and the entire audience wishes it possessed. The faux beauty is paying tribute to the reality.
You can read the whole thing here.

Proverbs puts it this way: "Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the LORD, she shall be praised" (Prov. 31:30).

Are you pursuing a beauty that is only skin-deep? Do you invest more time attending to your body than attending to your soul? Do you assume whatever looks good or feels good must be beneficial? Are you chiefly concerned about the external appearance and frame of your body, your family, your church? Let us remember, "man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart" (1 Sam. 16:7)

Jesus Himself chose inner beauty above external beauty. "He had no stately form or majesty that we should look upon Him, nor appearance that we should be attracted to Him" (Isaiah 53:2). Yet Christ was the perfect Son of God, having no spot or blemish in character. Because of this, He alone was qualified to pay our debt of sin and take our punishment upon the cross.

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Homebound newsletter

After my April 1 post about ministering to the homebound and elderly, I did some more thought and research and concluded that CD and DVD technology is just too much of a barrier to help reach our homebound.

So, I'm deferring to the good ol' printing press. Starting this month, I plan to write a monthly newsletter called "Family News" for all our homebound and hospitalized church members (about 20 of them). This may take a little of my time away from blogging, but it will be well worth it, because it will reach a totally different demographic in our church.

I may still invest someday in a simple MP3 player for hospitalized folks. But I think a simple, two-page newsletter will be the most effective way for our homebound seniors to receive updates, hear praises, learn how to pray, and get a regular dose of Scripture. I have tried to make the layout sharp and professional, so it will be an encouragement to our members and also a good witness to others in the community who may see it lying around in a hospital room or nursing facility.

You can view the entire first edition here.

Friday, April 17, 2009

A strategy for the SBC

I simply must break my blogging "vow of silence" to share this.

Yesterday, Danny Akin, president of Southeastern Seminary, delivered a chapel message called "Axioms for a Great Commission Resurgence." He shared twelve points that define what we must be and do as Southern Baptists in the 21st century if our convention is to survive and if our King is to be glorified:

I. We must commit ourselves to the total and absolute Lordship of Jesus Christ in every area of our lives (Col 3:16, 17, 23-24).

II. We must be gospel centered in all our endeavors for the glory of God (Rom 1:16).

III. We must take our stand on the firm foundation of the inerrant and infallible Word of God affirming it’s sufficiency in all matters (Matt 5:17-18; John 10:35; 17:17; 2 Tim 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:20-21).

IV. We must devote ourselves to a radical pursuit of the Great Commission in the context of obeying the Great Commandments (Matt 28:16-20; 22:37-40).

V. We must affirm the Baptist Faith and Message 2000 as a healthy and sufficient guide for building a theological consensus for partnership in the gospel, refusing to be sidetracked by theological agendas that distract us from our Lord’s Commission (1 Tim 6:3-4).

VI. We must dedicate ourselves to a passionate pursuit of the Great Commission of the Lord Jesus across our nation and to all nations answering the call to go, disciple, baptize and teach all that the Lord commanded (Matt 28:16-20; Acts 1:8; Rom 1:5; 15:20).

VII. We must covenant to build gospel saturated homes that see children as a gift from God and as our first and primary mission field (Deut 6:1-9; Psalm 127; 128; Eph 6:4).

VIII. We must recognize the need to rethink our Convention structure and identity so that we maximize our energy and resources for the fulfilling of the Great Commission (1 Cor 10:31).

IX. We must see the necessity for pastors to be faithful Bible preachers who teach us both the content of the Scriptures and the theology embedded in the Scriptures (2 Tim 4:1-5).

X. We must encourage pastors to see themselves as the head of a gospel missions agency who will lead the way in calling out the called for international assignments but also equip and train all their people to see themselves as missionaries for Jesus regardless of where they live (Eph 4:11-16).

XI. We must pledge ourselves to a renewed cooperation that is gospel centered and built around a biblical and theological core and not methodological consensus or agreement (Phil 2:1-5; 4:2-9).

XII. We must accept our constant need to humble ourselves and repent of pride, arrogance, jealousy, hatred, contentions, lying, selfish ambitions, laziness, complacency, idolatries and other sins of the flesh; pleading with our Lord to do what only He can do in us and through us and all for His glory (Gal 5:22-26; James 4:1-10).

Amen and amen. You can read the whole transcript here.

This may be a watershed moment in our Southern Baptist Convention. Dr. Alvin Reid has already called this moment a "tipping point."

I, for one, want to do whatever I can as a local pastor to support the cause of Christ, the spread of His kingdom, and the health of our churches by supporting Dr. Akin's twelve-fold call to action.

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Quiet

Things may be quiet around here for a while. My mom is visiting us for another five days and all of us are fighting off colds. Ministry is keeping me very busy right now, and blogging just wouldn't be the best use of my time. In addition to shepherding the flock and preparing for weekly sermons, I've been working a lot on summer VBS and an outreach booth we're going to have at the Grubstake Days fair in May. I'm also getting ready for a young adults retreat I'll be leading in June.

The more I look at my calendar, the more I feel overwhelmed and in need of God's grace. I hope to blog again soon!

Thursday, April 9, 2009

Book review: Living the Cross-Centered Life

How often do you think about and really dwell upon the cross? Once a week? Perhaps monthly at the communion table? Or once a year, on Good Friday?

C. J. Mahaney, in his book Living the Cross Centered Life, shows us that the cross should remain at the very center of our lives:
In the mist of our various responsibilities and many possible areas of service in the kingdom of God, one overarching truth should motivate all our work and affect every part of who we are: Christ died for our sins...

This, Paul says, is the main thing. Nothing else - not even things that are biblical and honorable - are of equal or greater importance than this: God sent His Son to the cross to bear His wrath for sinners like you and me.

If there's anything in life we should be passionate about, it's the gospel...That's why our attention must continually be drawn back to what John Stott calls "the great and most glorious of all subjects - the cross of Christ." (pp. 14-15)
To use a building metaphor, the cross is not merely the foundation of our faith. It is also in the walls, the ceiling, the floor, and the furnishings. It is all-pervasive.

Do you consider the cross to be "the great and most glorious of all subjects"? Do your thoughts and affections confirm this? I must confess that too often, mine do not. Hours and days go by when the cross has become stale, unappreciated, or overshadowed by more exciting topics or more pressing concerns. And that is why Mahaney's book is so desperately needed.

After stressing the importance of the cross (Intro - ch. 2), Mahaney explains its meaning (chs. 3-5), revisits its most poignant scenes (chs. 6-8), and shows how it is incredibly practical for us today. He teaches that only the cross can give meaning and hope to our suffering (ch. 9), offer assurance and joy (ch. 10), freedom from the law (ch. 11), and a clean conscience (ch. 12). The book closes with some practical suggestions on how to cultivate a more cross-centered mindset (ch. 13) and a final plea to keep the gospel the main thing (ch. 14).

Those who have seen or heard C. J. Mahaney know this is not mere theoretical information. It is intensely practical, fiery truth that has been impressed upon his own heart. I believe the same could be said of Mahaney that was once said of the Apostle Paul: that he has "determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified" (1 Cor. 2:2). And for that reason, I believe Mahaney is uniquely qualified to write this book.

Living the Cross-Centered Life has helped me see all of Scripture, and interpret all of life, through the lens of the gospel. On this day and every day, may we never leave the foot of the cross.

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

A ransom for many

Why do Christians spend so much time remembering Christ's death? Here's a short video with the clear answer.

THAT'S EASTER Life to Death from St Helen’s Church on Vimeo.

HT: Justin Taylor

Tuesday, April 7, 2009

New promo video

I just made a short promo video for our church using a service called Animoto. You just upload the photos and select the audio track, and it does the rest. They have longer videos available for a cost, but the 30-second short videos are free. This should be a nice addition to our church website homepage...

Logos March Madness tournament

Logos Bible Software just finished a creative promotion based on the NCAA March Madness theme. They started with 64 digital books or collections, and asked users to vote on which titles should receive the greatest discounts.

The tournament champion was The Complete Works of Francis Schaeffer. You can see the entire list of winners here, along with several good discounts. Schaeffer's works are on sale for a whopping 75% off, while the Final Four are 45% off, and the Elite Eight are 40% off.

Monday, April 6, 2009

Heidi is walking

I'm re-posting this video via YouTube. The Facebook video player was not very reliable.

This video of Heidi was recorded on Tuesday, March 17. The night before, she had taken three steps, but this was her longest walk ever. It's amazing how much more sure-footed she has become just in the last three weeks!

Friday, April 3, 2009

Palm Sunday - a turning point in history

The first Palm Sunday was a real turning point in history. On that day, at the Triumphal Entry, Jesus publicly presented Himself to the Jewish people as their king.

Here's an article I recently wrote about the holiday that appeared in our local newspaper, the Hi Desert Star:
A king rides on a donkey. Crowds cheer and wave palm branches. Children shout “Hosanna to the Son of David!” Have you ever wondered what Palm Sunday is all about?

Next Sunday, April 5, churches across the world will celebrate the Christian holiday known as Palm Sunday. It’s the day that commemorates Jesus’ “Triumphal Entry” into Jerusalem almost two thousand years ago. When Jesus rode a donkey into the capital city, He was presenting Himself as King to the Jewish people. This humble man from the village of Nazareth was showing everyone, “Yes, I am the descendant of King David. I do have royal blood. I am the rightful heir to the throne.” And the people were clearly excited about this.

As Jesus passed by, thousands cheered and waved branches. These palm branches were a Jewish symbol of hope and patriotism, much like we would wave the American flag in a parade today. In fact, this probably felt like Independence Day to the Jews. They thought that with the arrival of King Jesus, they would finally be free from Roman tyranny and heavy taxation without representation.

But then something tragic happened. Just five days later, Jesus was arrested and nailed to a cross to die as a criminal. Though He had done nothing wrong, He was falsely accused, tortured, then killed. Why? Because the human race had a much bigger problem that Jesus came to this earth to deal with.

Jesus did not come just to bring political freedom. He came to bring spiritual freedom. When Jesus died on Good Friday, He willingly set aside His royal glory to pay the heavy price for our sin and take God’s punishment that we each deserved. Three days later, He finished the work, rising from the dead on Easter morning so that all who believe in Him can be saved. All hail King Jesus!

Photo credit: Jonathan & Jill

Thursday, April 2, 2009

400 years of Baptist faith

Last Sunday, our church hosted Dr. Tony Chute, a history professor from Cal Baptist University, to celebrate 400 years of Baptist faith. Did you know the Baptist church turned 400 this year? It was started in 1609 by John Smyth in Holland. Three years later, the first Baptist church in England was planted by Thomas Helwys in 1612. The Southern Baptist Convention, however, did not arrive until two centuries later, in 1845.

David Dockery, in his book Southern Baptist Consensus and Renewal, explains the relevance of Baptist history for today, particularly for Southern Baptists:
[W]e as Southern Baptists in the early years of the twenty-first century are infected with historical amnesia - we do not know our history, we do not know our theological identity, we basically only understand the programmatic expression of what it means to be a Baptist as we related from local church to local church...Today Southern Baptists need to begin to build a new theologically and historically informed consensus that will help us understand our past, our identity, and our beliefs - so that we can move forward to carry the Gospel around the world and "disciplize" the nations in the twenty-first century.
On Sunday, our church took a tiny step to shake off the historical amnesia and improve our knowledge of church history. Through Tony's message, we learned that Baptists have accomplished four main things in the last 400 years. Basically, each century brought one major contribution:
  • In the 1600's, Baptists defended regenerate church membership.
  • In the 1700's, Baptists stressed the importance of religious liberty
  • In the 1800's, Baptists mobilized for global missions
  • In the 1900's, Baptists battled over the inerrancy of the Bible in all areas
I wonder, what will be our greatest contribution in the 21st century? May this be the century we grow in our unity, mature in our doctrine, and increase in our efforts to evangelize every nation, tribe, tongue, and people.

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

Ministering to the homebound and elderly

Every community has its own personality. Ours is a unique blend of retired seniors, military families, independent artists, low-income families, and rural desert-lovers.

One of the joys and challenges we face in ministering to this area is a lot of senior citizens who are beginning to slow down and become increasingly "homebound." As I scan through our church directory, I see at least twenty-one members who are currently hospitalized, ill, or significantly disabled, and who rarely, if ever, make it to church.

It can be an overwhelming task to minister to all these people. Especially since they are a group that loves time and attention, but will rarely be able to "give back" to others in the future. I have also noticed that many of them struggle with reading their Bibles or listening to sermons, sometimes because of physical handicaps, and sometimes because they are tired, unmotivated, and untrained in these disciplines.

How then do we care for the homebound and elderly? Well, nothing replaces the value of a face-to-face encounter. These people need to see their pastor, their deacons, and their church family with an occasional home or hospital visit. They need to feel our touch, hear our laugh, and see our smile. They need to hear us read the precious truths of Scripture to them, and to help fix their eyes on Christ and deal biblically with home and health problems. They need to know they are still loved and not forgotten, neither by God nor by their church. When a personal visit is not possible, a phone call or hand-written card may be an acceptable substitute, but they need as much human contact as possible.

I'm also exploring how new technologies can be used to more effectively minister to our elderly. I realize that most seniors are not tech savvy, nor do they have any desire to be. They have seen many things change during their lifetimes and have learned to adapt remarkably, but they simply do not have the interest in the latest gadgets and gizmos like young people do. Many of them will never read this blog post, nor will they ever check out our church website, my twitter feed or facebook account. Most seniors do not have iPods. Many find it unneccesary, too complicated, or too expensive to have internet or an email address. Some don't even own a DVD player or CD player. If any of these comments shock you, then you are probably too out of touch with the seniors of your church.

How, then, can new technology possibly be used to minister to the elderly? The key word is simplicity. Whatever is done, it must be simple. Incredibly simple. Simple enough for today's 2- or 3-year old to operate. Because that's the technological literacy level of most senior adults.

I don't know for sure how this will work, but I've been talking with someone at church about the idea of recording a monthly audio or video address to send to all our homebound. It would include a short greeting from myself, a few updates of recent highlights and happenings around the church, and then I would read through several chapters of the Bible and make a few comments. For some, this may be the only Bible intake they get. I would close with a few prayer requests for current church needs. The whole thing would last maybe 20-25 minutes. We could burn it to a CD and even buy a cheap CD player for them if they don't have one. Any thoughts??

(Update: my April 21 post shares the final result of this discussion)

New Blog

Today I'm closing up shop and launching a new blog called Pinch of Clay. You can visit it by clicking here . Please stop by and...