Just Another Dirty Forehead

 Drive By Ash Wednesday Blessing

Be sure not to value symbolism over substance.  Ashes on the forehead without repentance in the heart is just a dirty forehead.  "I gave up chocolate for Lent." What, exactly, does that get you?  I see much popular sentiment as an extension of New Year's Resolutions: often a nice idea, with somewhat less nice follow up or commitment. 

Repentance is a turning away from sin, disobedience, or rebellion and a turning back to God.  It is an act of turning around and going in the opposite direction.  In Luke 5:32 Jesus says, "I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance."  What does He mean here?  Who are the righteous?  Why can't they repent?

The righteous in this context are those who choose symbolism over substance.  They prefer to look righteous on the outside.  They have the Law without the Spirit.

The basic fact about people is that we are sinners! 

Repentance is a "godly sorrow" for sin, specifically and generally, and personally.  This leads to a profound "substantive" reality.  This leads to a fundamental change in a person's relationship to God. 

In the preaching of the New Testament Gospel, we hear John the Baptist say in Matthew 3:2, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."  But in v.8 he also says, "Bring forth fruits worthy of repentance." Don't imagine that there is some other way to become righteous in God's sight, John says, by ethnicity or by culture.  Rather, one has to repent and then prove it. 

You see, the good news of salvation and repentance are inextricably linked.  Jesus preached the same way as John, as in Matthew 4:17 he says, "Repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand."  In Jesus' message we realize that repentance and faith are "two sides of the same coin."  Repentance is turning away from sin, faith is turning towards God. 

So this is it: repentance + faith = conversion = salvation. 

If you go to receive the ashes tomorrow (drive-by or otherwise!), be sure to carry the desire for true repentance with you.  That way you can have both the substance and the symbolism, and you'll end up with more than just a dirty forehead!

Recollecting Challenger

Recollecting the Challenger Tragedy

The Challenger tragedy is yet another marker in our lives that says, “Trust God.”

I served (!) my freshman year in college at the newly-minted Liberty University, home of Jerry Falwell. (Apparently I was determined in those days to go into debt for little return on the investment.) Early in the Spring semester I enjoyed sitting at the huge tables just inside the big double doors of the library (often studying for my upcoming multiple-choice tests).  I liked being able to spread out my accounting workbook and other papers. (To this day I like a large, empty horizontal surface, but I never see any.) Out in the common area of the DeMoss building there were clusters of TVs and plenty of seating.  

Suddenly someone burst into the double doors saying something about an “explosion.” The library was noisier than usual as conversations began. For some reason I was already standing up, and many of us made our way into the common area to the TVs. There I saw a replay of what had happened moments before.

All us young folk were pretty much in shock, and I remember feeling slightly sick. I also recall how I continued to think, “They might be OK.” I hoped, in some vague way, that the Challenger Astronauts, along with Christa McAuliffe, survived in a capsule or something. Surely they didn't just die. I carried this idea for hours, listening for surprising news of their rescue and condition.

A air of dread settled over us that morning, and it continued back into the top hall of Dorm 26. Anyone who had a TV in their room had it on (this may have been only the Resident Assistants) and a crowd gathered around them. As I remember it the man on the screen was Dan Rather. 

Through exposure to this event, many young people at LU learned a little more about the life we were living.  It was somewhat less than the Christian Utopian ideal we were fed there. We saw in living color that here is ultimately little control in the drive for progress fueled by risk.

There are moments that can't be gotten back. But today we ask for “do-overs.”

There are decisions that seem small that result in grave consequences. But we are often too lazy to decide at all. (If you choose not to decide you still have made a choice.)  

I am reminded of this by one of the most important aspects of the Challenger tragedy; the leadership tragedy that caused the explosion.  Never forget that at least two engineers literally warned the leaders of the Shuttle Program that Challenger would blow up because it was too cold to launch and very important O rings would not be closed enough to make a critical seal.  But ultimately their expert warning wasn't heeded.  See and hear the story here:

http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/01/28/464744781/30-years-after-disaster-challenger-engineer-still-blames-himself

What are warnings to which we turn a deaf ear?  Who is speaking the truth in love, trying to prevent the catastrophe? 

And all of us, “unless we repent, shall all likewise perish.”

As many have noted through the decades, we can honor their sacrifice by listening.

Only Sinners have Faith and Understanding

     "Faith in the New Testament sense is the way by which the past phase of redemptive history becomes effectual for me.  In this connection it is, to be sure, necessary for me to believe that this entire process concerns me personally, me as the individual, as sinner and as redeemed in Christ.  This presupposes that the consciousness of sin and guilt is not only a 'general' thing which applies to 'mankind,' but that it is real, and it is real only when I am conscious of my own sin and my own guilt.
      The faith of Primitive Christianity in the redemptive process presupposes such a consciousness of sin and guilt.  Only on this basis can the redemptive history be related to the individual.  The entire redemptive history, indeed, is intelligible only on the basis of this consciousness of sin; for it is on account of the sin of man that this entire process is necessary.  Here is the reason why redemptive history not only can be related to the individual but must be so related.  Without this relation it cannot be understood at all."

-Oscar Cullmann, Christ and Time (London: SCM Press, 1946) p. 219 

 

Some Thoughts on Hiring Larry Doyle

Look what fell out of my file cabinet!  I would have shared with my church back in the day.

Dated July 15, 2003 (Edited only for typographical errors)

Some Thoughts on Hiring Larry Doyle

On Monday night, I sat and watched Dr. Larry Doyle pour out his heart for what Cooperative/partnership Missions looks like. This is his way of speaking about Associational Missions work, which is what he as a Director of Missions will promote.

His text for the sermon part of his talk was Mark 2, the healing of the Paralytic: (Read Mark 2:1-12).

These four men were on their way somewhere perhaps. Maybe they were going to the meeting to see Jesus speak. They valued the ministry of Jesus, they knew that he healed people and was a person of great power and strength. So first, Dr. Doyle said that they had shared values. Next, these four men, on their way somewhere, saw a person in need. They realize that Jesus could make the man in need walk again. They valued the ministry of Jesus, and this gave rise to their vision that Jesus could make the man walk again. So they had a shared vision.

Next, these four men cooperated. They each cooperated in carrying their share of the burden. What would have happened if one man had decided not to carry his part of the stretcher? So these four men had shared values that led to a shared vision, that caused them to cooperate and share the work.

Next, these men had a problem. What happened? Did they just get to bring the paralytic right in and set him down? No! They could not get to the house. So they moved on to plan B, they overcame an obstacle together. So, they had shared values, that led to a shared vision, that caused them to cooperate and overcome obstacles.

They believed in their vision sufficiently to cooperate and overcome obstacles. But this common vision wasn't imposed on them. It arose naturally because of their shared values. They valued the ministry of Jesus.

One of the most difficult things to do in life is to get different people working together. Consider the following old sayings:

Too many cooks in the kitchen.

Too many chiefs and not enough Indians.

Too many generals and not enough foot soldiers.

It seems that plenty of people want to cooperate, as long as they are the one that is being cooperated with.

It seems to me that Dr. Doyle, if indeed we are allowed to vote tomorrow night and if he is elected as our DOM, will have significant challenges. Why is that? Because it is rare to find a majority of churches and pastors that share their values enough to have a common vision, a common sharing of burdens, a common effort to overcome obstacles.

Why is this? Because everyone says they are concerned about lost people, and believe that the gospel should be taken to the lost through acts of service, love, and the spoken word.

But wait, that sounds like a shared value to me! But too often it is only the surface value. Consider these other values and see if they sound like those ACTUALLY held by pastors and church leaders:

We value our independence; so we don't want to be told what to do by others.

We value our finances; so we don't want to give money unless we get something out of the deal.

We value our reputations; so we don't want to associate too closely with anything unless it is guaranteed to make us look good.

We value our status; so we don't want to be equal partners with those pastors of small churches or Bi vocational pastors. They should be learning from us, we shouldn't be partnering with them.

We value our correctness; so we won't cooperate unless it is proven that other churches or pastors agree with us on virtually everything that we consider to be important.

As you can see, there are some shared values that don't work very well for a shared vision.

So what is the answer? I believe there are two.

First, we can abandon Baptist ideals and go for authoritarianism. We can have a top-down model of cooperation, where Hitler tells us all what to do and we just do it. He says jump, and we say how high.

Second, we can renew our commitment to the real value we profess. Do we really value the ministry of Christ like these four men did?

Do we really appreciate His help in our own lives? Do we realize that He is the first and best of all beings? Do we want to please Him as we should by delighting ourselves in Him above all other things in life?

Do we love Jesus more than we love our independence, our reputation, our finances, our status, our correctness?

When we do, we will have a real foundation for shared vision, cooperation, and kingdom growth.

So join me in praying that we will glorify God by enjoying Him forever.

Dr. Larry Doyle is leaving us as Director of Missions of the Piedmont Baptist Association at the end of this year. He has been an encouragement to many pastors and churches, and has led the PBA through many initiatives and transformations. His ministry work continues with Unleashed by Design at facebook.com/unleashedbydesign 

Devotion

GOD OF MY END,

It is my greatest, noblest pleasure
to be acquainted with thee
and with my rational, immortal soul;

It is sweet and entertaining
to look into my being
when all my powers and passions
are united and engaged in pursuit of thee,
when my soul longs and passionately breathes
after conformity to thee
and the full enjoyment of thee;

No hours pass away with so much pleasure
as those spent in communion with thee
and with my heart.

O how desirable, how profitable to the Christian life
is a spirit of holy watchfulness
and godly jealousy over myself,
when my soul is afraid of nothing
except grieving and offending thee,
the blessed God, my Father and friend,
whom I then love and long to please,
rather than be happy in myself!

Knowing, as I do, that this is the pious temper,
worthy of the highest ambition, and closest
pursuit of intelligent creatures
and holy Christians,
may my joy derive from glorifying and
delighting thee.

I long to fill all my time for thee,
whether at home or in the way;
to place all my concerns in thy hands;
to be entirely at thy disposal,
having no will or interest of my own.

Help me to live to thee for ever,
to make thee my last and only end,
so that I may never more in one instance
love my sinful self.


The Valley of Vision: A Collection of Puritan Prayers and Devotions Aurthur Bennett, ed. (Edinburgh: Banner of Truth Trust, 1975), p. 236-7.

With thanks to Bob Roach, in memory of Jean Roach.

Jesus is the Best Wine

It is no secret, and certainly no scandal, that North Carolina is swimming in craft beer, regional wines, and now even Mayberry Moonshine !  What would Otis think?  These wonders go along with our ever increasing desire for recreation and escape from today's troubles.
The most famous regional wine came from Cana, and was made by Jesus from bathwater.  It was so good that the headwaiter at a potentially disastrous wedding thought it was the best (the best he'd ever tasted?)  This headwaiter fortunately didn't know that it was made from bathwater and served out of one of the nasty stone pots.  He complimented the host for "keeping the best wine until now" when most people with common sense serve the best wine first, so people who are inebriated won't notice the quality of the wine dropping as the feast progresses.
This first sign of Jesus is filled with intent and symbolism, and still speaks to us today if we have ears to hear.
The sign shows us that Jesus' ministry was intentional, not haphazard or some "plan B" situation.  Jesus is giving a semi-private sign that is designed to build faith in the disciples prior to beginning his public ministry.  Jesus' divinity, confirmed by the miraculous wine-making, is the fact that created faith among the disciples, enabling them to later be called Apostles.
The miracle at Cana shows us that Jesus' ministry had a point besides the miracles and miraculous, which was the climactic crucifixion in Jerusalem (the ultimate eschatological event).
Jesus is teaching everyone that He has the power to take their lack, their nothing, their bathwater, and turn it into the greatest things, the most needed things, those things which bring glory to God.  Jesus redeems even impossible situations.  Where something looks hopeless, through our prayers (like the Mother of Jesus asking for his help) He will give us hope and provision.
So how is your bathwater?  Are you drinking the "lesser wines" of this life?  Do you fall for the trendy promotions of merchants offering distraction from the real issue (that the wine has literally run out)?
In the words of Dr. Herman Ridderbos, "Jesus is the good wine, reserved until now."  Drink freely.