Bishops of the US Episcopal Church met this week and again debated whether they should approve of gay bishops. Unfortunately they fell short again of banning the practice. How long can a “Church” survive when it is clearly violating the Word of God?
James 4:4 (HCSB) Adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? So whoever wants to be the world’s friend becomes God’s enemy.
http://www.csmonitor.com/2007/0927/p02s01-ussc.html
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Church Planters Letter
Here's a letter in this week's Baptist Courier that echoes an earlier blog of mine concerning church planters [splitters?]
http://www.baptistcourier.com/1911.article
My sentiments exactly!
http://www.baptistcourier.com/1911.article
My sentiments exactly!
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Three Basic, Quiet Acts
This is challenging:
The pastors of America have metamorphosed into a company of shopkeepers, and the shops they keep are churches. They are preoccupied with shopkeepers' concerns--how to keep the customers happy, how to lure customers away from competitors down the street . . . Three pastoral acts are so basic, so critical, that they determine the shape of everything else. The acts are praying, reading Scripture, and giving spiritual direction. Besides being basic, these acts are quiet. They do not call attention to themselves and are not often attended to. In the clamorous world of pastoral work nobody yells at us to engage in these acts [Eugene Peterson].
How true a statement this is. I've never had somebody say, "Please study more," or, "Please pray more." I've had many say, "Why weren't you there when Mrs. So and So had her this or that."
The pastors of America have metamorphosed into a company of shopkeepers, and the shops they keep are churches. They are preoccupied with shopkeepers' concerns--how to keep the customers happy, how to lure customers away from competitors down the street . . . Three pastoral acts are so basic, so critical, that they determine the shape of everything else. The acts are praying, reading Scripture, and giving spiritual direction. Besides being basic, these acts are quiet. They do not call attention to themselves and are not often attended to. In the clamorous world of pastoral work nobody yells at us to engage in these acts [Eugene Peterson].
How true a statement this is. I've never had somebody say, "Please study more," or, "Please pray more." I've had many say, "Why weren't you there when Mrs. So and So had her this or that."
Friday, September 07, 2007
1 Corinthians 13
I am studying this week 1 Corinthians 13 in preparation for Sunday's sermon. In v. 6, Paul wrote: "(Love) does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth." I ran across this extended quote from Gordon Fee in his commentary on this verse. It is outstanding.
"The person full of Christ’s love joins in rejoicing on the side of behavior that reflects the gospel—for every victory gained, every forgiveness offered, every act of kindness. Such a person refuses to take delight in evil, either in its more global forms—war, the suppression of the poor—or in those close to home—the fall of a brother or sister, a child’s misdeed. Love absolutely rejects the most pernicious form of rejoicing over evil, gossiping about the misdeeds of others; it is not gladdened when someone else falls. Love stands on the side of the gospel and looks for mercy and justice for all, including those with whom one disagrees" [Fee, The First Epistle to the Corinthians, 639.]
No more true comment has been made on this verse. It is an understatement to say that it is challenging.
By the way, in vv. 4-7, the 15 present tense verbs that depict love in action all remind us of God's love for us. We are to go and do likewise.
"The person full of Christ’s love joins in rejoicing on the side of behavior that reflects the gospel—for every victory gained, every forgiveness offered, every act of kindness. Such a person refuses to take delight in evil, either in its more global forms—war, the suppression of the poor—or in those close to home—the fall of a brother or sister, a child’s misdeed. Love absolutely rejects the most pernicious form of rejoicing over evil, gossiping about the misdeeds of others; it is not gladdened when someone else falls. Love stands on the side of the gospel and looks for mercy and justice for all, including those with whom one disagrees" [Fee, The First Epistle to the Corinthians, 639.]
No more true comment has been made on this verse. It is an understatement to say that it is challenging.
By the way, in vv. 4-7, the 15 present tense verbs that depict love in action all remind us of God's love for us. We are to go and do likewise.
Memorizing James
This was on the Southwestern bloggers site. Thanks to Dave Black for leading me to this one. It really doesn't take that much to memorize Scripture.
Monday, September 03, 2007
Church Planters
I've been concerned for some time with a problem I've seen now in every place I've ministered for the last 15 years. It is the problem of splitting a church to start a new one. A couple of weeks ago I attended a meeting with the new Executive/Treasurer of the South Carolina Convention, Dr. Jim Austin. The meeting was sort of a listening session; one of several he is having around the state. Church planting became the primary topic of discussion. One church planter shared some of his story. He felt led to start a church in the town he was in. When he told the church he served, he was let go. He just didn't understand why his church was so reluctant to support the church start.
Here's the problem. Established churches are tired of staffers "feeling led" to start a new church and do so by pulling out, going down the street or across town, and taking several members [perhaps several hundred] of the church with them. You can't blame established churches for feeling betrayed by the staffers and the members who leave.
There seems to be two kinds of "church planters" today. There are men who are called by the Lord to start churches. If a man feels led by the Lord to become a church planter, the best thing to do in my opinion is to leave the area in which he is currently ministering and start a new church elsewhere. That man will find support from sister churches. There are other men who become frustrated with the church they are in, wish to see changes, and those changes are coming too slowly. He then leaves, takes people with him, and starts a new church more to his liking. If a man is frustrated with the traditional church he's in, let him be patient for the changes he wants to make or let him go somewhere else and serve a church more in line with his minister philosophy.
Church starts should not be done to the detriment of established churches. A man should not split a church to start a new one. Surely there is a better way.
Just musing.
Here's the problem. Established churches are tired of staffers "feeling led" to start a new church and do so by pulling out, going down the street or across town, and taking several members [perhaps several hundred] of the church with them. You can't blame established churches for feeling betrayed by the staffers and the members who leave.
There seems to be two kinds of "church planters" today. There are men who are called by the Lord to start churches. If a man feels led by the Lord to become a church planter, the best thing to do in my opinion is to leave the area in which he is currently ministering and start a new church elsewhere. That man will find support from sister churches. There are other men who become frustrated with the church they are in, wish to see changes, and those changes are coming too slowly. He then leaves, takes people with him, and starts a new church more to his liking. If a man is frustrated with the traditional church he's in, let him be patient for the changes he wants to make or let him go somewhere else and serve a church more in line with his minister philosophy.
Church starts should not be done to the detriment of established churches. A man should not split a church to start a new one. Surely there is a better way.
Just musing.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)