My friend started a new site: New Testament Ministries
A friend of mine started a new website called “New Testament Ministries.” His first post is “Starting from scratch… all over again.”
(After I wrote this, I realized that I never asked permission to use my friend’s name, and his name is not on the site. So, I’m not going to mention his name here either.)
I met him a couple of years ago online, then we met in person a couple of time: once while we were traveling through his city and again at a workshop in a nearby city. We’ve had some wonderful, encouraging conversations then and through email.
Here is a brief excerpt from his first post:
I had the opportunity to watch a group of about 25 Christians come together and break out into a spontaneous (but ordered) rendition of what you just read above. It was so refreshing. There were no bulletins, no sitting in rows looking at the back of each others’ heads for an hour while listening to a sermon, but it was interactive and participatory. Anyone with something edifying to say (or sing) could do so at virtually anytime. However, what struck me most was two things (1) simplicity, and (2) the obvious, deep love that these people had for Christ and each other. The second point struck me the most. I walked away almost speechless thinking, “this is what I’ve been missing for so long.”
I’m looking forward to reading more from my friend. I hope you’ll decide to follow his site also.
Singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs
Over the last few days, Eric at “A Pilgrim’s Progress” has been writing about hymns. He told his us “Top Ten Favorite Hymns” (many of mine are on his list), he discussed hymns as “A Gift from God to His People,” he encouraged “A Great Variety” in singing, and he says that hymns and house church are “Not a Simple Fit.”
Each of the posts were very good, but I especially appreciate the last one (even though I’m not part of a “house church.”)
For example, consider this part of his post:
If you have grown up in relatively large churches, you may have certain expectations as far as hymn singing is concerned. The performance-aspect of singing hymns in the home may at first seem lacking. However, the community side of hymn singing, at least in my opinion, more than makes up for this. I love to watch people’s faces up close when they sing deep theology. I take joy in viewing others take joy in Christ in song.
Yes, I also enjoy the “community side” of singing, even with people who “couldn’t carry a tune in a bucket” (which includes me). I especially enjoy it when someone asks to sing a song, then explains why that song is on their heart.
To me, there’s a big difference between one person bringing all the songs and “each one has a song.”
So, when you gather with other believers, and when you sing, how do you (the group) choose the songs?
A warning to guard against copying other Christians
Jeremy at “Till He Comes” has written a very good post called “Stop Christian Cloning.” His post is not about DNA, or gene splicing, or Star Wars, or lambs named Dolly.
Instead, Jeremy is writing about one Christian copying what another Christian does or, more particularly, one church copying what another church does.
At one point, he writes:
As we seek to gain the wise counsel and guidance from other Christians, we must be on guard against copying other Christians.
It sometimes seems that Christians and churches spend more time and energy following certain church leaders and churches than they do in actually following Jesus. While Jesus will lead many of us down similar roads, He will also lead different people and different church down completely unique and diverse roads that have never before been travelled.
I agree with Jeremy, and I can also see that this kind of “copying” has caused problems, both on the personal and group levels.
But, we do have to consider Paul’s exhortation, “Be imitators of me as I am of Christ.” (1 Corinthians 11:1) Also, consider 1 Corinthians 4:16, Philippians 3:17, 1 Thessalonians 1:6, 1 Thessalonians 2:14, 2 Thessalonians 3:7-9, Hebrews 6:12, Hebrews 13:7, and 3 John 11.
So, what’s the difference between “cloning Christians” (per Jeremy’s warning) and imitating others as referred to by the authors of Scripture?
Listening to different voices among the church
This last weekend was a whirlwind of activity – all good – but all tiring. So, last night, when we finally returned home, and I began perusing the latest posts in my Google Reader, I was excited to see one by Arthur at “The Voice of One Crying Out in Suburbia” called “Anabaptism is not the answer.”
Now, please don’t misunderstand the title of Arthur’s post. This is not a post trashing Anabaptists. In fact, Arthur says that he appreciates much about Anabaptists – as do I.
The point of the post is to point us outside the cloisters (inbreeding?) of our own pet traditions. In fact, in the post, Arthur writes more about the Reformed tradition than about the Anabaptist tradition.
As good as the rest of the post is, I especially liked the last paragraph:
The church would be a lot healthier if we would all look outside of our pet faith tradition and humbled ourselves to learn from those we might disagree with. One thing I have especially been blessed by over the last couple of years is exposure to authors and ideas that I would have recoiled from as not being “Reformed” a few years ago. As I have moved away from the idea that being “Reformed” is the pinnacle of the Christian experience, I have actually come to cherish the very real contributions of Reformed writers even more, in spite of their flaws.
So, if you are going to read, then read widely. Read books written by people from other faith traditions. And, don’t read them so that you can point out areas of disagreement. Read them to understand your brothers and sisters in Christ, and you just might find that you also begin to understand God better.
The Vocational Pastor: an interesting discussion
A couple of weeks ago, in my post “Do pastors have their cake and eat it too?” I linked to a post by Eric (and “A Pilgrim’s Progress“) called “Cake.” In that post, Eric suggested that the work of being a vocational pastor is easy or “cake.”
I’ve followed various posts that have been written in response to Eric’s post, some agreeing with Eric and some disagreeing. (You can find links to those responses in the comments on my post, in the comments on Eric’s post, and in the comments on some of those other posts.)
Now, if you’ve followed my blog for very long, then you probably know that I do not think that Scripture supports the idea of paying someone a salary in order for that person to hold the position of pastor/elder for a church (i.e., a group of believers). However, that does not mean that I believe that all vocational pastors are evil or that they have chosen their position for personal gain or in order to control others.
That said, I have been surprised by the rhetoric involved on both sides (or all sides, I suppose) of this discussion. It has been interesting to notice how intricately people automatically associate being a vocational pastor with many other things. Some automatically associate being a vocational pastor with very positive things, while others automatically associate being a vocational pastor with very negative things.
It seems that it is almost impossible for people to discuss the concept of salaried pastors/elders without venturing into those other topics. (Again, I’ve noticed this on all sides of the discussion/argument.) Granted, we all have a bias in this discussion – and, since I’ve already stated my bias, you know that I’m including myself when I say, “We all have a bias.”
I’ve noticed that automatically associating the concept of vocational pastors with other aspects of our relationship with Christ and with one another often leads to extreme rhetoric. (Yes, I’m sure that I’ve been guilty of this same thing in the past.)
Is it possible for believers to discuss this concept without the rhetoric? I honestly don’t know. I know that it is a very personal issue for people on all sides of the argument.
Over the next few days, I plan to write a series of posts looking at various aspects of this discussion. I do not plan to present my own case. That’s not the purpose. Instead, I want us to look at the state of the discussion itself.
I want to ask you to help me get this discussion started. This is what I’d like for you to do… answer the following questions:
1) Do you believe that Scripture supports the concept of paying a salary to someone in order for that person to be an elder/pastor (or other kind of leader) for a group of believers (i.e., a church)? (Simple a statement of what you do or do not believe concerning this, please.)
2) Why do you think people who agree with you (NOTE: people who AGREE with you) sometimes immediately jump to other issues that are not related to salaries and pastors/elders? (Do not turn this into a defense of your position.)
For this post, I’m asking you to stick to the questions above. There will be other opportunities to discuss other aspects of this question in the later posts. (I will be strict with the comments on this post.)
The difference between sermons and the word of God
Miguel at “God Directed Deviations” has written a thought-provoking post called “Well, we like to elevate the Word of God around here.”
In the post, Miguel is commenting on a couple of quotes related to sermons and the pulpit, and the relationship to those and the fellowship meal (or communion). He makes some interesting statements, many of which line up with what I’ve noticed when comparing Scripture to modern practices and beliefs.
For example, at one point Miguel writes:
I suppose I should make a personal distinction here. I do not necessarily equate the preaching of the word with “sermons” as they are thought of today. I believe we are all to be out preaching the word. “Preach the word of God. Be prepared, whether the time is favorable or not. Patiently correct, rebuke, and encourage your people with good teaching.” 2 Timothy 4:2
Yes, we run into problems when we equate sermons and the pulpit with the Scriptures or with the word of God. As Miguel points out in his post, a group of believers can highly value the Scriptures and encourage one another to listen to and follow the word of God with neither pulpits nor sermons.
Then, of course, there’s the question of the connection between the modern notion of “sermons” and the scriptural exhortation to “preach/proclaim” the gospel or the word of God. The two are not necessarily the same.
What do you think?
Yes, you are sent. Why do you ask?
Scholars, missiologists, ecclesiologists, and other “ologists” continue to argue about the connection between the church and mission. Does the church have a mission, or does the mission have a church?
In reality, God has both a mission and a church, and in Christ we are part of both.
Joe (JR) at “More than Cake” has written an excellent post about our part in God’s mission called “I have already sent you! – A Missional Moment with Jesus.”
The main part of Joe’s post is a commentary on Jesus’ statements in John 4:25-27 and John 4:35-38. (Please jump over to Joe’s post and read his discussion of this passage.)
However, I want to focus on the last part of his post. In the last few sentences, Joe points out that Jesus has sent US (that is, all of us who are in Christ) into a “mission field”:
- Jesus has sent us into our workplaces where people go to earn a living, but do we share with them how God’s riches are far better.
- Jesus has moved us into neighborhoods where people seek shelter, but have we helped them know that God is the only house of refuge.
- Jesus has placed is in earthly families where people long for acceptance, but have we shown them by example that God’s family is the only way to find true love.
- Jesus has sent us into our local Safeway where they sell, “ingredients for life”, but have we held back from sharing our secret ingredient for Life Eternal?
- Jesus has sent us into the world where we demonstrate compassion by giving food, money and medicine, but have we forgotten about the spiritual need for nourishment and healing in Jesus?
Jesus has already sent you to sow and reap a harvest, did you miss it?
Yes! Exactly! We are all sent by God to proclaim his grace through Jesus Christ and to serve others in his name. Are you “living sent”?
If you won’t gather the way I think you should, then I’ll find a group who will!
The title of this post has been the (sarcastic) point of several of my blog posts, including one of my favorites called “A Cup o’ Joe or a Cup with Joe.” (By the way, if you jump to that post, make sure to read the comments. Those are some of the best comments on my blog… ever.)
Now, Kurt at “church then and now” has written a post on the same topic called “A Holiday Disaster – A Parable.” Kurt not only begins his post with a humorous “parable,” but he also continues by examining the problem of requiring others to be and act the way we think they should.
Here is Kurt’s parable:
It was one of the worst possible family gatherings imaginable. People showed up late. Aunt Mary was supposed to bring the salad but forgot. Uncle Sam was in charge of the meat. It was overdone a tough. Some of the cousins got into a fight with lots of name calling and even a few hard shoves. The dessert…we always have apple pie. This year we had chocolate cake. It just isn’t the same.
I was a bit frustrated, maybe even angry. Everything seemed different. I didn’t like it. Mistakes, change…I don’t like it at all. My first inclination, my knee jerk reaction, was to find another place to go for my next holiday meal. I am having a hard time. I don’t like this a bit.
I heard that a house down the street has nice people, a happy atmosphere, and wonderful food, including apple pie. I think I will go to that house next time.
It sounds funny when it’s a family reunion… but it seems the church is so much like that. We accept one another and fellowship with one another based on our levels of agreement instead of basing everything on our mutual relationship with God in Jesus Christ.
How much different this “family reunion” we call church would be and would appear to others (especially outsiders) if we accepted one another as God has accepted us in Jesus Christ.
Don’t miss the remainder of Kurt’s post. He has some good things to say in regards to accepting one another as God’s family.
What would Matthew 23 look like today?
Matthew 23 is a very powerful chapter of Scripture. In that chapter, Jesus denounces the Jewish leaders of his day.
But, what would that passage look like today?
Dan at “Some Church Stuff” has written one possible account in his post “Matthew 23.” (A word of warning: Dan uses some language that some find offensive. If you think you might be offended by certain words, then just read my excerpt below.)
Note: Dan’s version is not like my “Scripture… As We Live It” remixes. He’s not modifying Scripture to show how we actually live contrary to what is written in Scripture. Instead, he’s wondering what that chapter would look like in a modern context.
This is how his version of Matthew 23 begins:
Pastors want to tell you what the Bible says, and a lot of what they say is true on a level but you couldn’t tell it from their lives because most of the stuff they talk about they don’t actually do. They weigh their followers down with all these insane rules and ridiculous expectations, but they don’t make any effort to help anyone. At the same time they make it look like they are always helping people. They do things like hand out giant checks to charity on the local news like some corporate America PR stunt, and they do all this because they want people to think they are awesome. They want people to look up to them and follow them and recognize them when they are at the grocery store and tell them how awesome they are and what great examples they are and what powerful teachers they are.
How close do you think Dan got with his version?
Do pastors have their cake and eat it too?
Eric at “A Pilgrim’s Progress” is jumping in with both feet (to use an old Southern expression). Check out his latest post “Cake.” What’s the point of his post: “My main point is this: a professional pastor’s job is mostly cake.”
Now, Eric is in the (fairly) unique position to be able to make this statement. He has been a professional, vocational pastor for a church organization/institution. He knows what the job entails. A couple of years ago, he resigned from that vocation, found employment in a “secular job,” yet continued the hard work of helping others follow Jesus Christ.
Here is part of Eric’s post:
In what other job do you get to sit in a coffee shop and study the bible for hours per week? In how many occupations can you literally set your own schedule each day (except Sundays of course)? What occupation outside of pastoring encourages going on missions trips and attending theological conferences while the church pays for it?
Seminaries are partly to blame for this situation. Pastors-to-be repeatedly hear how difficult it is to be a pastor. They are told that there is much suffering involved and that it will be a very difficult task. However, since they are “called to preach,” they must walk down this painful, lonely road.
You should read the rest of Eric’s post, especially the paragraph that starts with “To be fair, there are times when pastoring is difficult.” That paragraph offers another side of what he states above.
I don’t doubt that being a vocational pastor in a church organization is hard work. (I’ve never held that job position before, although I was headed in that direction at one point in my life.) However, I wonder, how much of that “hard work” is caused by someone doing things that God never intended one person to do?