on the walk

We cannot underestimate the central authority of the Bible.

I often find myself out of step in many conversations about difficult decisions.   Other people seem much more impressed with the wisdom that can be found in experience or in experts.  Or they are very confident in the wisdom they will gain from the subjective experience they will have as a result of prayer. I am not.  They may be right and I may be wrong, but for me the only authority that carries much weight is the Bible.

This is why I devote so much of my energy to learning how to wisely and faithfully interpret the Bible and apply it to our lives.  As the old line goes, it is our only rule for faith and practice.  That doesn’t merely mean that it is the best one, it means what it says, it is the only one.

Consequently although I am not a biblicist, the Bible is where I will start for any major investigation of what the church is called to believe and how the church is called to live.  So long before I consider what we can know about God through the post-biblical language of the trinity, I am going to consider what we can learn about God from scripture. And long before I consider what I can learn from the traditions of church worship and programming that I have inherited in my life of faith, I want to return to scripture, to ask, “What is the church doing?”

So I am not a biblicist.  I know that God has continued to guide the church and we must learn from the wisdom of all of church history.

But as my rule for faith and practice there is one source.  The Bible.

So that is where we will turn for our foundation of the core events of the church.

on the walk

-Ethan

Consequently I believe that while the Bible is the sufficient rule for faith and practice it is not exhaustive.  The Spirit still speaks.  Christians have had lots of good ideas since the Bible was written and I am please to benefit from those ideas.

There are some Christian circles in which this is not a radical suggestion, but I grew up in a tradition and I minister in a tradition in which biblicism is easy to find.  In fact a major family of this movement of churches goes by the name acapella Churches of Christ.  They will not use instruments in worship.  This is because in the new Testament there is no record of instruments being used in a worship service.  Some other Christians insist that women where head coverings. This is biblicism.  This view holds that every post-biblical innovation is an innapropriate Christian practice.

If this view had a motto it would be “If it is not in the Bible, I won’t do it.”

You may be thinking to yourself, “that sounds like a great motto.”  I agree.  It does sound like a great motto, but believe me, it isn’t.   It turns out that Christians have thought of lots of good things that aren’t in the Bible.  Now of course because they are not in the Bible that means that we can’t pretend they are essential, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t good things.

Here are a few things that are not in the bible,(or at least not in the same way we have them today.)

• Church Buildings
• Offering Trays
• Projectors
• Christmas
• Easter
• Sunday School
• Seminaries
• Heated Baptisteries
• “Quiet Time”
• Church Calendar
• Daily Office
• The Trinity
• Alter calls
• and lots of other stuff why don’t you help me add to my list.

See that is all good stuff.  I wish that it was as easy as being a biblicist.  INstead we have to ask the much more difficult question.  Is this practice or teaching that is not in scripture still faithful to scripture.  Does it exprtess what scripture teaches without going further than scritpure does?

That takes discernment and the wisdom of the whole church guided by the Spirit and that is why I am not a biblicist.

(tune in to my next post for the big BUT…)

And this matters for our conversation about church events.  It won’t be as simple as asking what are the 3 or ten or fifty types of events that the church in Acts had.  Just because they had an event doesn’t mean that we must and just because they didn’t doesn’t mean we shouldn’t.  As we ponder the core evens of the church we will need submit fully to the authority of scripture but to do that we must do more than just copy the church in Jerusalem or Phillipi or Corinth (please don’t copy the church in Corinth).
on the walk

-Ethan

I have been wondering lately what are the core events of the life of the church.  What kinds of events ought we expect from every church in all times and what kinds of events are more tied to the form of the church or the culture it inhabits.

Is a weekly “worship service” necessary?  What should Christian worship look like anyway?

Are outreach events considered core events?  (Certainly outreach is, but what about big events designed for outreach?)

Are teaching events something that every church should have? (Again, I am not asking if teaching should happen, I am asking if its should happen in events.)

Of course churches will have lots of good programming that is beyond core programming but since programming decisions always involve hard choices with limited resources of time and money, it is worth asking what kinds of events lie at the core of the church and what are occasional (even if important) expressions of its mission at a particular cultural moment.
I am choosing the word “core” carefully.  I am not trying to come with a list of essentials.  I don’t want to say that every church will have these events and if a given church licks these events they are less than ideal.  On the other hand it would not surprise me if we could discern a rough handful of events that are so deeply tied to the mission and purpose of God church that they are core events.

I am also choosing the word events with some care.  I don’t mean to pretend that the forms of these events will be static.  On the contrary, I would specifically expect that they forms of these events would need to be redeveloped at least every other generation if not more frequently.

To get started, I will turn to the New Testament.  Let’s wander through it together and see what kinds of events are described on its pages.  That list may not be the whole answer (as I will soon discuss) but it certainly is an important part of the answer.

I hope that many who care about the church and the programming of the church might join me in this conversation. I’ll start with a comment about the dangers of biblicism and then we will get rolling with the first few chapters of Acts.

on the walk

-Ethan

I recently ran out of gas.  This is my first time.  It was rather un dramatic.  The car stopped running as I was driving home.  I was about a mile and a half away from my house.  I coasted toward my home and parked on the side of the road less than a half mile from home.  Consequently I was back to my car with a can of gas in about 20 minutes.

The few days before the incident were rather uneventful as well.  Life was busy, (perhaps even a tiny bit busier than usual) but not frantic.  I knew I was low on gas because I had a little light, so I saw the whole thing coming and knew exactly what was happening when it happened.  The light came on three days before I ran out.  At first I wasn’t worried because I can still drive quite a ways after the light comes on.  After a day I knew I needed to deal with the situation but then I was a bit late for a meeting so I put it off. And then I just wanted to get home so I put it off, and then I was running behind getting the kids to school and so I would stop on the way home.  And then it slipped my mind because I was on the phone.  And then I remembered at work and was going to leave early to get gas on my way to get the kids but I had to run an errand first which took longer than I had planned and so I had to go straight to get the kids and they were cranky so I wanted to take them right home so they could play before it got dark.  While they were playing I had to back to work for something quick and didn’t want to be gone long so I could play with them and we could all go Christmas shopping. And then on the way back home, I ran out of gas.

It was all so mundane.  I never made a radical choice. I didn’t ingore the little light and the gas gauge, I just kept making it my second priority.  And something that is always the second priority never happens.

That is the metaphor.

I’ll let you tell me what you learn from this.

on the walk

-Ethan

I haven’t posted for a long time.  I have missed it but I haven’t had either the time or the creative energy needed to write.  However I am eager to be back for the new year.  I hope that those who were reading will wander back and that many will begin to comment so that this can become a conversation.

Happy New Year.

on the walk

-Ethan

I often disagree with Piper.  But I admire his grounding in scripture and his commitment to faithful proclaim God’s word.  Here is a fine example of his teaching about a scriptural perspective on voting.  It is well worth your time:

 Let Christians Vote as if not Voting

on the walk

-Ethan

Yesterday was a great day at Mountain.  If you missed it, you can catch up to the sermon here.  The whole service directed us to the sovereignty of God and the lordship of Jesus Christ (which means Gods-anointed-prophet-priest-king).  In particular we considered the implications of Christ’s Lordship as we face the election season.

My favorite thing about the day is that it was a day when the gospel was declared.  It is easy for a sermon about politics to become a divisive laundry list.  But instead it was the gospel, “Jesus is Lord.”  I don’t remember all of his points but here are a few that have stuck with me.

Because Jesus is Lord, Christians serve in this present world but we are part of a new kingdom and that is where our true allegiance lies.

Because Jesus is Lord, we find our unity in our agreement and submission to Christ even when we disagree on how we should vote.

Because Jesus is Lord, we need not be overly fearful or overly joyful about any election.  Elections are not the source of true change and real power anyway.

Because Jesus is Lord, we are not satisfied to vote our conscience but instead we live out our service to our Lord in the midst of a broken world.  We hope that our vote might do some good, but we are not satisfied with only voting.

It was a gospel filled day.

I will confess that there was something in me that wanted to say, “But really it pretty clear how we must vote, isn’t it?  There are some issues that are so grave and so urgent and so opposed to God’s will.  We must act.”

But I know better.  Because I know godly, wise, Bible-reading, Jesus-loving Christians who also care about those issues but disagree with me about how to address them and consequently are voting differently.  I have heard Christians ask me, “How can a person be a Christian and vote for a Republican?”  I have heard others ask, “How can a person be a Christian and vote for a Democrat?”  If one of those questions stumps you, I actually know the answer to both questions.

I have been doing a lot of reading this year on how Christians are facing the election.   I am pleased at the improved level of dialogue.   I feel like this year I find real wrestling in places where in years past there was only simple assumptions made.  [There have been plenty to be sad about as well.  Apparently “bearing false witness” doesn’t apply during the election season.]  But in general the state of the dialogue has improved.  For those who want to read some insightful thoughts, here is a fine article you way want to check out..

John Stackhouse offers a review of a handful of new books on evangelicals and politics.

For those who don’t want to read but may want to discuss.

I welcome your loving comments on this complicated issue.

on the walk

-Ethan

Here is a link to today’s text:

John 10:7-10

In Christ we can have abundant life now and forever. We live life on the edge of eternity. We live now with purpose and one day we will live forever in God’s kingdom. They way to live a life so that you can die with no regrets is to live as if you had one month to live. In the world, a long range plan may be 10 , 50 or even 100 years. In Christ, you can have a long range plan of abundant life both today and for all eternity.

Today’s Challenge:

Accept the gift of abundant life that God offers. Are you ready to make a pledge to never settle for a mediocre life of postponement and regrets? Are you ready to Live Passionately, Love Completely, Learn Humbly and Leave Boldly? Don’t take anything less than the eternal abundant life that God wants to give you.

Textual Reflection:

To get a sense for this text, it is probably worth reading the whole chapter to to get the context.  Jesus is trying to explain who he is and what he has come to do.  To do this, he uses a variety of images. He introduces these images through a collection of I AM’s.

With this image of the gate Jesus clarifies two very important claims. First he clarifies any confusion about his claim to centrality.  Jesus claims that he is at the center of what God is planning to do.  This is a claim of sharp particularity and if we are tempted to negate this claim we do so at great risk to the teaching scripture.

Secondly he claims that he comes to secure life for all those who will “enter through him.”  I often need a reminder of what God in Christ  intends for me.  Lies speak in my head to say, “there is a better life than this. That short cut won’t matter.”  Into that lie come the words of Christ.  There is one way to enter the life for God made you and me.  That one way is the through the forgiveness and lordship of Jesus Christ.  That is why Jesus came.  Jesus came to save those who are dead in our sin and to give us life.  And not just any life, but the full life for which we were created.

on the walk

-Ethan

Here is a link to today’s reading:

1 Timothy 1:1-2,12-19

There are a lot of ways to leave a legacy. With enough money you can build a building or start a foundation. But there is no more important way to leave a legacy than to invest in the life of someone else. I Timothy was a letter written from the early church leader Paul to his legacy Timothy. You can hear his passion and concern for this young leader. Paul chose to leave a legacy.

Today’s Challenge:

Are you investing in a legacy of changed lives? Can you identify people that are your children in the faith? What can you do now so that you can leave boldly with a legacy of Christians ready to carry on the service that you are now offering?

Textual Reflection:

This letter is one of the three Pastoral epistles.  This name refers to the three of Paul’s letters that are not written to churches but instead to church leaders who were early associates of the apostle Paul.  The very existence of these letters is a part of Paul’s effort to leave a legacy of leadership. The two recipients (Timothy and Titus) were companions of Paul who were eventually stopped travelling with Paul and stayed in one location to serve and lead the churches there.

As I consider this particular text and these letters in general, I am struck by one thought.  It is the question asked in the devotion, ” Can you identify people that are your children in the faith?”  Paul knew who was going to pick up his work and carry on.  Do I have similar assurance?  Do you?  If not, that must be a top priority for our lives: o raise up not just a successor but a team of people who can carry on the work that God has given to us to do.

on the walk

-Ethan

Here is a link to today’s reading:

1 Corinthians 12:1-7

God has given you skills that are designed to be used for the good of all God’s people. When you withhold your gifts from the church everyone suffers. But when you contribute what you have to offer you help build a legacy of a strong healthy church. Don’t worry that you can’t do everything. No one can. However, you are gifted to serve and the only obstacle is your willingness to offer what you have.

Today’s Challenge:

You can trust that God has gifted you for service to the church. Make a commitment to find out how you have been gifted to serve and then offer those gifts to God. Write down how you will offer your gifts to God’s church.

Textual Reflections:

This the beginning of a long section from Paul on the use(and misuse) of spiritual gifts.  Those who are very interested may want to read on to the end of chapter 14.  But even in this short introduction is found the most fundamental truth about spiritual gifts: Spiritual gifts are given to each of us for the good of others.  The spiritual gift that is given to me is not for me, it is for others even though it was to me.

Consider this illustration.  My four year old is about to go to a birthday party for a friend.  Before he goes, I will (with his ‘help’) purchase a gift, wrap it, label it, and keep track off it until minutes before the party.  As he walks to the door of the party I will hand him his gift. And I will tell him, “Remember this gift is for your friend.  I know you like it, but it isn’t for you it is for him.”

That is the way spiritual gifts work.  If we don’t get that right w have missed everything.  They come from God, to us for others. If you are using your God given abilities for your own glory (even at church) then don’t call it a gift.  That is just stuff that you have.

on the walk

-Ethan