Thoughts from Tomorrow's Sermon, Luke 5:1-11.

Straight AheadWilliam Carey said: "Attempt great things for God; expect great things from God." The trouble with today's church is that we neither attempt nor expect very much. What are we willing to risk for the cause of Christ? How much are we willing to change our lives in order to be faithful to His call? Do we place a higher priority on serving Jesus or on convenience for ourselves and our families? Is Jesus Christ first, or isn't He? These are difficult questions. When I ask them, I challenge myself as well as others who may hear or read these comments. Of course, not everyone is called to adopt a full-time Christian vocation; but all Christians are called to place a high priority on their walk with Christ. Biblical evidence suggests that Peter might have once followed Jesus, and then gone back to fishing. After this episode in Luke 5, however, Peter was transformed and truly left everything to follow Christ. That didn't mean that he never sinned again, or that he was "the perfect disciple." But his life was rearranged by Jesus. Have our lives truly been reordered, rearranged, by the Son of Man, the One who was called, in a popular song of a few years ago, the "man from Galilee?" Half-hearted discipleship is no discipleship! Either Christ is Lord of our lives, or He isn't. I sometimes wish it weren't quite that stark and clear-cut; but it is, my friend. It is!

Common Sense Along the Coast:

Straight AheadSeveral major insurance companies have been announcing plans to reduce or eliminate their coverage for home-owners who live along the Gulf Coast. The latest was State Farm, who made an announcement today. Whether you view this from an environmental or a business standpoint, it looks as though common sense may finally prevail along the coast. Property owners who live within 1000ft. of the Atlantic Ocean of the Gulf of Mexico should expect, after all, that eventually, their property will be destroyed by a hurricane. Insurance companies realize this, too, and cannot continue to pay out hundreds of millions of dollars in claims and expect to stay in business, or keep doing business in high-risk areas. Insurance premiums will have to rise. In some cases, the cost will be prohibitive for property owners. In many cases, it simply will not make sense to insure these high-risk properties. Environmentalists have been concerned for years about the implications of "over-building" along the coast. Weather forecasters have been warming that there is a strong probability of an impending catastrophic loss of life, just waiting to happen along our heavily populated Atlantic and Gulf coasts. I'm not an avid environmentalist. Even less am I a weather expert. You don't have to be either, however, to realize the risks that people are taking to live on a beach--especially in the middle of hurricane season. An added factor is that sometimes, these property owners expect the tax-payers to bail them out by fixing up their beaches, repairing the few public amenities that may exist, and rebuilding their roads. Being mad at the insurance companies for wanting to remain financially stable doesn't make much sense. This reminds me of the lady who was present at a clergy meeting I attended a few years ago. She was unhappy that a grocery store chain had closed one of its stores in a neighborhood of predominantly poor and elderly residents, even though the chain was losing money on that particular store! Wonder what that lady would do if she were in the insurance business!

Human Pity, God's Love:

Remember in Genesis 50, when Joseph is talking to his brothers and says, in essence, "You meant it for evil, but God meant it for good?" )Genesis 50:20.)    That's such an important passage for us to keep in mind in various situations!

 

If we are handicapped or grieving, or struggling in any difficult situation, we may say that we don't want pity.  We may even resent the way some people treat us.  Many times, someone may do something for us, but give the impression that it's really an inconvenience.  People are in such a hurry today that they sometimes act like they really don't want to be bothered, even though they may be performing a kindness. This is not a good attitude; and obviously, people should perform their acts of helpfulness  joyfully and in a spirit of good will. 

 

Consider this, though. God loves His children.  Sometimes, His children need help; and God sends it--even when in the form of others whose assistance may not be given with wholehearted good cheer.  When we are in difficulty, when we feel alone in the world, we want and need the love that other human beings have to offer; but God is giving us something else--possibly even something more instructive.  He's showing us the love of a heavenly Father!  

 

It may even be that the person who starts out helping us through pity may learn how to show the love of Christ.  The person who first gives assistance to us grudgingly or hurriedly may come to appreciate the role they fill in the lives of those they help.  If not, we have the comfort of knowing that God is still making provision for our needs.

 

So the next time you feel all alone and people have made you feel like an inconvenience or a burden, the next time someone has come to your aid only reluctantly  or belatedly, at least you can take comfort in this:  That person may have meant it in pity, but God meant it in love.  I think if more of us who are disabled, lonely, grieving, or who need any kind of assistance from others could keep this in mind, we would probably be much happier--and that attitude of seeing God at work would radiate in our dealings with some of God's difficult people.

  

Implications of Changing Theology

I am speaking here as a Presbyterian minister; but many of the same types of changes and difficulties are afflicting most of the other mainline denominations; so if you are Methodist, Lutheran, UCC, or a member of the Episcopal Church, or some other mainline denomination,  these reflections may be of interest to you. As new Christians come into our fellowship, or as congregations and ministers depart the major bodies in the United States, it is interesting to reflect on why some are drawn to our congregations and why so many others are leaving.

 

First, consider the change that has taken place in our view of Scripture in the PC(USA.)  In previous decades, we affirmed that the Bible is "the word of God, the only infallible rule of faith and practice."  Today, we can only muster the confidence to say that it is "the unique and authoritative witness" to Jesus Christ.  The Westminster Confession of Faith asserted that "God is the author" of Scripture, that the Bible is "the final authority" in church controversies, and that the best rule for interpreting the Bible is to let Scripture interpret Scripture wherever possible.  In the Confession of '67, however, we are warned that although the Bible is a "witness without parallel," and given under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, it is, "nevertheless the words of men" conditioned by various factors.  Why and how did this change take place?

 

Consider our view of reformed doctrine.  In former days, ruling and teaching elders in the Presbyterian Church, in assuming their ordination vows, affirmed that the reformed faith, as understood by the Westminster Confession, is "the system of doctrine" taught in Scripture.  Today, the essential tenets of the reformed faith are viewed only as "reliable and authentic."  Many today dismiss altogether the idea of a "system of doctrine" being taught in the Scriptures.  Christ is now assumed to be "above" the Bible as the revelation of truth. 

 

What about Christology?  Our Westminster Confession of Faith affirmed that Christ is "the only mediator" between God and man, as the Scriptures aver.  But today, even those new Christians who profess their faith are not required specifically to affirm that Jesus Christ is the only way of salvation, or that they are dependent on Him alone for eternal life.  No longer do we proclaim that He was born of a virgin.  The Confession of '67, the most recent confession of faith in the PC(USA) Book of Confession states that Christ is "the one sufficient revelation of God."  It speaks of "one universal family," but nowhere affirms that He is the Way, the truth, and the life, as Scripture teaches.

 

Finally, what about today's church in matters of corporate and social witness?  In our Westminster Confession of Faith, which served as the Presbyterian creedal statement for more than 300 years, the church is to be engaged in "no intermeddling" in affairs of state.  In the Confession of '67, however, the church is to be actively involved in issues such as housing, education, poverty, racial discrimination, employment, and a host of other issues by implication or explicit expression.  We are to commend peace, "even at the risk" of national security.  There is no mention of church officers being "subject to your brethren" in the Lord; and there is no requirement that ordained officers inform their governing body if their views have changed since the ordination vows were taken.

 

These are all changes which have taken place in mainline Presbyterianism in my adult lifetime--most of them during my ministry.  It is not difficult to see why most Presbyterians have no idea what Presbyterians believe; and while I am not an advocate of churches leaving mainline Presbyterianism, it should not be hard to understand why many congregations are defecting to the Evangelical Presbyterian Church and other bodies.  Have we taken a moment to consider the implications of our changing theology?

    

 

  

Jeff:

Jeff was my first best and close friend here in Jackson; and in the future, long after we've left here, I think it will be great to be able to look back over the years and through the writing in this blog and remember him.  Why, even on those first days when we were still getting settled, Jeff would walk over the boxes still lying in the front yard and come and talk to me.  Later, when I would be sitting on my front porch, Jeff would come up there with me and enjoy the sunshine. 

 

I guess I should mention that Jeff isn't a person.  He's a black Lab who belongs to the people who live diagonally across the street from us.  We live on Pearl Street on a corner lot;  their house faces Kimball, and is to the left of our house as you're standing in our front yard. 

 

Jeff's humans are the Walkers.  They're very nice people, although we've never gotten to be really good friends for some reason.  But for the first several months we lived here, Jeff would come over to see me whenever I was outside.  And if Lydia saw Jeff out in the yard, she'd tell me, "Jeff's out here," and I'd quit whatever I was doing and come out on the front porch to see if Jeff would come to be petted.  He usually did.

 

I don't see Jeff as much as I used to.  His roaming days are over now.  The "leash laws" around here have been more strictly enforced recently.  He spends most of his time in the Walkers' back yard.  I go over there to see him when his humans are taking him for walks sometimes.  Occasionally, he still gets out on his own somehow; and when he does, I try to make sure to talk to him.  He's always glad to see me, and he always enjoys it when I pet him.  

 

When the weather turns warm again, I'll look forward to those happy occasions when I get to spend a little time with Jeff!

    house faces

1 Corinthians 15:1-11, February 4-10, Year C:

We might wonder why this epistle lesson is found in the lectionary at this particular point in the Christian year, near the end of Epiphany.  This is one instance, however, when I think perhaps the connections between the lessons is actually helpful and rather easy to see.

 

The Old Testament is the vision in Isaiah 6, a second commissioning of Isaiah, if you will, to the prophetic role.  Luke 5:1-11 has Jesus telling Peter that from here on, he will be fishing for men--another preparation for a greater work.  In 1 Corinthians 15:1-11, Paul is rehearsing the actual evidence of grace which came in the form of Jesus Christ.  It is a kind of epiphany passage, a manifestation of the Son.  It is the reality that gives real substance to the shadow or vision in Isaiah 6 and the commissioning in Luke 5.

 

Even most liberal scholars agree that to Paul, the resurrection of Christ was not metaphor.  Paul took this evidence of God's grace quite seriously and quite literally. He understood that belief in the facts and the reality of Christ's resurrection was essential to a proper understanding and presentation of the gospel.  He believed that there were real consequences of Christ's resurrection; so if that resurrection did not occur, those consequences would be null and void. Why do we therefore find ourselves in more of a questioning stance today?  Is not God still God--supernatural, able to do whatsoever He wills?

 

A lot of churches say that their mission is to share the "good news" of God's love, or the "good news" of Jesus Christ.  A pertinent question would be: Just what is the good news you want to share?  Is it real?  Does it bring genuine salvation?  Is it fact or fancy, message or metaphor?