God Redeems This World
photo by Brett Jordan

Today I’d like to share with you a paragraph from a commentary on Mark’s Gospel.  This was written in 1974 by William L. Lane, and it deals with the reason Jesus taught in parables to describe the Kingdom of God.  Although this paragraph is full of academic-sounding language, I promise it will be worth reading:

Basic to parabolic utterance is the recognition of the two strata of creation: the natural and the redemptive. Through parables Jesus called attention to what had previously been hidden in the redemptive order. The realism of his parables arises from the certainty that no mere analogy exists between the natural and redemptive order, but an inner affinity, because both strata originate in the purpose of God. That is why the Kingdom of God is intrinsically like the daily natural order and the life of men. The createdness of the natural order thus becomes the vehicle for the tenor of the redemptive. A contemplation of the one order can reveal or illumine truths of the other, because both reflect God’s intention.

Wow!  Allow me to try to unpack this paragraph.

Jesus taught in parables because he knew there is a connection between the world as it is (“the natural”) and the world as God intends it to be (“the redemptive”).  Surely God wants to redeem his creation, including sinful people like us.  In order to do that, God chose to reveal, through Jesus, what this redeemed life looks like.  When Jesus used parables to teach his disciples and the crowds, he was using a form of speech that they could connect with.  But that’s exactly the point:  God’s kingdom is not going to replace this world.  Instead, God intends to redeem this world (“the natural order”) by transforming it – and people in it, like us – so that it will be pleasing to him.

So we can reflect on the world around us and learn something about how God intends to bring his kingdom in its fullness.  This is how Jesus taught: through parables that use our everyday lives to convey deep, meaningful truths about the Kingdom of God.  For instance, as we’ll see this Sunday, the Kingdom of God is like a small, humble seed that grows mysteriously into a large, important plant.

On the other hand, we can reflect on God’s work of redemption through Jesus’s death and resurrection, and through that reflection we can discover truths about this created world.  For example, God has brought about salvation through Jesus Christ and is bringing his kingdom into this world; therefore, this created world fundamentally matters to God and should matter to us as well.

In the end, to quote William Lane once again, “both strata originate in the purpose of God.”  That is, both the created world and the work of redemption through Christ are part of God’s ultimate plan for the universe.  They are intimately connected to each other because God uses both for the best purpose possible:  to bring himself glory and honor.

–Pastor David

Missionary David Beam
from news.bbs.co.uk

Yesterday we had the privilege of hearing from David and Damaris Beam, missionaries to Guatemala.  Since the late 1970s, David has worked as a missionary in Guatemala City, where he met his wife Damaris.  A large portion of their work is to build cement block homes for families in a very poor district of the city.  To help with this task, many church groups have traveled to Guatemala in recent years.  Our youth pastor Jerry Graham and his wife Connie have gone on several of these mission trips, most recently this past February.

It’s exciting for me to announce that Mt. Haley Church of God will be partnering with a neighboring church, Meridian Church of God, to sponsor and to help build a cement block home in Guatemala City in February 2013!  Our share of the construction expenses is $2500, and there are two ways that we will begin to raise funds for this project:

  • Our “Mission Jug” is back!  You know how quickly loose change will collect in your pockets and purses.  Why not bring your change to church, drop it in the Mission Jug, and watch the funds for our Guatemala house grow?
  • On Father’s Day (June 17), we will give a special love offering toward this project.  That’s because we understand the importance of fatherhood, faith, family life, and affordable housing.  By helping a family have a stable house structure – and by communicating the love of Jesus Christ to this family in person next February – we will help the family have a more stable home life.

This is an exciting time of involvement in missions for our congregation.  I hope you’re looking forward to this as much as I am!

–Pastor David

Leadership Transition

Our congregation is associated with the Christian group formally known as the Church of God Reformation Movement.  We balk at calling ourselves a denomination, but in the grand scheme of things, that’s what we are.  And for the past several years, this denomination has been guided along its course by our current General Director, a man named Dr. Ron Duncan.

Dr. Duncan is an excellent leader with a pastor’s heart and a servant’s attitude.  I have had a few conversations with him over the past few years, and I have always walked away grateful that he is providing such good leadership for this movement.  Yet his retirement is just around the corner, and the necessary questions are being asked now:  what kind of person do we want as our next General Director?

This is extremely significant for us as a movement, because the General Director gives voice to our collective vision.  He or she works with other leaders in our movement to strengthen congregations and to help us move forward in our mission, which is to spread the message of Jesus Christ throughout the world in a way that resonates with our theological emphases on personal holiness and the unity of all believers.  The next General Director will shape the course of this movement for years to come.

I was privileged to participate in a focus group yesterday regarding this very issue.  Several friends and colleagues of mine – we were called “young theologians” by the organizers of this group – had a 90-minute conference call with the team that will eventually search for a new General Director.  We were asked to give our thoughts on the current state of the Church of God, the challenges facing the next General Director, and the opportunities facing the next General Director.

This was an incredibly encouraging phone conversation for me!  I appreciated being reminded that there are many leaders in the Church of God who are concerned that this movement actually move somewhere, that we clearly express our vision for ministry in the present-day world.  Many individuals commented on the importance of understanding and articulating our identity in a way that drives us to service and ministry in our local communities in the name of social holiness.  Several mentioned the need for Christians to partner with other believers across denominational lines to do the work of the kingdom of God in our local communities in the name of Christian unity.

The Church of God won’t have a new General Director for another eighteen months or so.  The search process is very involved!  But rest assured that the Church of God currently has many young leaders who are committed to seeing this movement fulfill God’s purposes in the present generation.

–Pastor David

Old friends
photo by E>mar

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to catch up with an “old friend.”  Now, before you stop me and say, “Pastor David, how could you have an old friend?  You’re not old enough!” – maybe you can just grant me this one.  Ashley and I were good friends in college, from which we graduated ten whole years ago.  Now that we are both married and that she and her husband have just had their first child, I appreciated the opportunity to catch up with them while they were in the area.

There is something refreshing about old friendships.  People who have known us for a significant period of time, have seen us change and grow, and have watched us make important life decisions:  these people can provide a stabilizing presence in our lives.  When I spend time with Ashley, I am reminded that I have been on a journey of faith for a long time, and my life experiences form one cohesive unit.  I am one person, although I have had many different kinds of experiences.  The presence of a long-term friend helps me remember this truth.

God, like old friends, has been present in our lives for quite some time.  Unlike old friends, God has been present since the very beginning – and even before that.  If our lives are to make any sense at all, perhaps we should find meaning for our lives in our relationship with the one who has known us from our earliest days.

For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. (Psalm 139:13 NIV)

Perhaps your relationship with God is very old, from your perspective.  Maybe you have known the Lord for most, if not all, of your life.  Give thanks for this great saving friendship that you have with the Creator of the universe!

One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. (Proverbs 18:24 NIV)

Or perhaps this talk of friendship with God seems new, strange, or altogether foreign to you.  Take a moment to think about the value and meaning that could be added to your life through an intimate friendship with the one who formed you in your mother’s womb.  It’s certainly possible to go through life without such a friendship – just as it is possible to go through life without old human friendships.  But why not trust in the one who makes sense of an otherwise confusing existence?

And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. (Jesus, in Matthew 28:20b)

–Pastor David

A Working Vacation
photo by SurvivalWoman

When was your last vacation? When was the last time you “got away from it all,” even for a short period of time?  Do you make a habit of taking time away from your regular responsibilities so that you can be refreshed and renewed?

Tara and I spent last week in Indianapolis making improvements to our house – mostly kitchen upgrades and yard work, although we hired a local contractor to work on other parts of the house for us.  This was a new experience for me; I’ve never done a kitchen remodel project before.  But I learned a lot, and thankfully we completed the project before we came back north – except for a small drip in the kitchen sink’s plumbing.  (Don’t worry; we’re getting that fixed by a skilled friend soon.)

That’s what I did on my vacation.  Some vacation, huh?!  Honestly, though, it was refreshing for me to work on this project with my father and my father-in-law.  You might think that we came home exhausted from the work, and to some extent that is true.  But truthfully I took that week as an opportunity to relax my mind and my spirit, to enjoy the manual labor, and to see a dream take shape before my eyes.

How important it is for us to find rest for our souls in the Lord!  Our lives can be full of pain and hardship; some of us know that more clearly than others.  Yet God asks us to rest in him in all circumstances.  He invites us to trust his ability to strengthen us for the tasks to which he calls us.  He promises to walk alongside us and to provide meaning and hope in the situations which we feel are most meaningless and hopeless.

Psalm 90, the only psalm attributed to Moses, speaks about how the Lord is our dwelling place and is so powerful, just, and righteous that we cannot stand before him in our own strength.  This psalm concludes with these words:

Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days. Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us, for as many years as we have seen trouble. May your deeds be shown to your servants, your splendor to their children. May the favor of the Lord our God rest upon us; establish the work of our hands for us— yes, establish the work of our hands. (Psalm 90:14-17 NIV)

When was your last vacation?  Have you recently stepped away from the daily grind and asked God to bless the work of your hands?

Why not do that right now?

–Pastor David

The Hard Times
photo by Kalexanderson

Automobile accidents can be very tragic events.  We have been reminded of that truth with the recent death of Julie Kurrle and her son Timmy, part of a missionary family in Paraguay, in just such a collision.  Many congregations around the country and, indeed, around the world are mourning the loss of this young woman and her very young son.  Please continue to remember Norberto Kurrle (Julie’s husband) and their daughter Anahi as they rebuild the pieces of their lives, a process which will take a very long time.

This comes at a significant time of the year for me, personally:  six years ago yesterday, a van full of Taylor University students and staff members was struck by an oncoming truck on an Indiana highway.  Four students and one staff member died in that collision, which occurred while I was on Taylor’s faculty as a math teacher.  Recently, the brother of one of these students wrote a good reflection on the aftermath of this difficult event; you can read his thoughts here.

Many inspirational stories can come out of these kinds of tragedies.  For instance, one of the Taylor students who survived the collision was in a coma for some time.  When she finally awoke, everyone began to realize that she was not who they thought she was; there had been a case of mistaken identity at the scene of the crash.  The two families – one who thought they had lost a daughter but found her alive, and one who thought their daughter had survived but realized she was gone – have been drawn together by their common Christian faith.  It’s a beautiful story of healing, sorrow, and the strength of Christian relationships.

More recently, Norberto Kurrle gave a moving speech at the memorial service for his wife and son.  He spoke about searching for God’s plan for his family, trying to make sense of all that has happened, and being grateful for the many blessings of these two lives that God has shared with him.  (You can read all about the memorial service here.)  According to eyewitness accounts, Norberto’s faith in Christ shined through even in this darkest of times.

When Christians struggle with real-life situations, I hear people quote two verses very frequently, almost without fail:  Jeremiah 29:11 and Romans 8:28.  Look up those two verses and read them to yourself, even if you have them memorized.  These verses seem to promise good things to those who trust in the Lord.  So why do tragedies happen?  Are we supposed to look at the hard times of our lives and search for meaning, value, purpose, and good in them?

I don’t know why tragedies happen.  I do know, however, that they happen.  And I do know that God walks with us through the valley of the shadow of death (see Psalm 23).  I know that having faith in Christ is no guarantee that we will avoid trouble, hardship, loss, or tragedy.  In fact, if we truly are following Christ, then we should expect to suffer for the cause of Christ (see Matthew 16:21-28).  And that is not just idle suffering or having bad things happen to us or our families:  it means actively giving witness to our faith in Christ even when the world is falling apart around us.  It means denying our desire for good things (as we might believe Jeremiah 29:11 and Romans 8:28 promise for us) and giving glory to God for his faithfulness to us in all circumstances.

Are we able to exercise our faith in God during the good times and the hard times?  Or are we only fair-weather Christians?

–Pastor David

What are you reading?
photo by Alexandre Dulaunoy

I have a stack of books in my office that I want to read.  These are great books that have been recommended to me by various people.  For my own personal growth and for my continuing education as pastor of this church, I really do want to read through these books.  The only problem is this:

My stack of books to read grows over time – it doesn’t get smaller!

You might think that I would actually make progress in my reading list, but unfortunately there are more books out there than anyone could ever read.  By the time I finish reading one book, three or four more have been recommended to me.  So many good Christian authors, especially in recent years, have written about the life of discipleship, obedience to Christ, faithfulness to God, church-related topics, and so forth.  What are we supposed to do?

It’s at times like these that I remember one particular Bible verse:

Of making many books there is no end, and much study wearies the body.  (Ecclesiastes 12:12b NIV)

This was a favorite verse for me in seminary, because it seemed like all I did was read books in school.  But my seminary friends and I always quoted this verse to each other tongue-in-cheek.  It really is a blessing to have access to so many different perspectives, authors, and ways of thinking about following Jesus Christ.

On my reading list right now are several books.  “You Lost Me” by David Kinnaman explores why young people who have been raised in the church are leaving it now that they are adults.  “Forgotten God” by Francis Chan is a book about our lack of emphasis on the Holy Spirit in our churches and our lives.  “10 People Every Christian Should Know” by Warren Wiersbe summarizes the lives and teachings of ten important Christian leaders from the past three centuries.  And that’s just scratching the surface.

What’s on your reading list?  Do you have a book or two handy (in addition to the Bible) that you are reading to help you along in your walk of discipleship?  Are you sharing your books with your friends and family?

If you don’t have anything to read that will help you grow in your faith, come talk with me!  I would be happy to share my books or the church’s books with you.  We have more than enough for everyone to use and to learn from!

–Pastor David

As long as we love him…
photo by theotherway

Recently, four of our congregation’s children completed their study on baptism.  These were the four who were baptized on Easter Sunday.  What a day of rejoicing that was!  In preparation for their baptisms, each student completed a study book on baptism in which they answered questions about Bible stories and passages relating to baptism.

One of the questions asked the children to read Romans 8:28 and write what it says in their own words.  Here is Romans 8:28 (NIV):

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

And here is one student’s summary of that verse:

As long as we love him, he will call us.

Take a minute to think about that statement!  As long as we love him, he will call us.  While that thought might not be exactly what Paul intended when he wrote those words, I think it’s a beautiful way of describing the relationship between our love for God and his call on our lives.  I have never thought of this relationship in quite this way, but it really interests me.  It might even help us adults answer some important questions that we face:

How can you tell if God has called you?  Well, if you love him, then he has called you according to his purpose.  It’s as easy as that!

What has God called you to do (or be)?  That’s a tricky question that each of us answers differently based on our talents, skills, interests, and situation in life.  But anything God has called us to do (or be) will be rooted in our relationship of love with him.  That’s the starting point.

Has God’s call on your life run out?  Have you completed your tasks?  Is it time to retire from the service?  No!  Remember, as long as we love him, he will call us.

God is always up to something new.  Sometimes God is making our lives new; at other times, it might be our families or our church or our community that he is calling to become new.  But we can rest assured that for as long as we love the Lord, he will indeed call us according to his purpose.  And we may be comforted to know the truth of the rest of Romans 8:28 – that in order for his purpose to succeed in our lives, God works all things for our good.  (The emphasis is on God’s purpose being fulfilled in us, not in our experience of all things working out.)

Friends, be encouraged by this child-like restatement of a scriptural truth.  Love God, listen for his call, and ready yourself for new avenues of service in his kingdom!

–Pastor David

What do you need for Easter?
photo by tiaragwin

I was listening to the radio this morning while exercising, and I heard a very strange commercial.  A well-known one-stop-shopping center was advertising “everything you need for Easter”:  candy, eggs, dye kits, baskets, gifts, toys, the plastic fake grass that gets everywhere and can never be completely cleaned up.  That commercial was a bit disheartening to me, because one completely commercialized Christian holiday (Christmas) is more than enough, in my opinion.

But then I got to thinking:  what do we really need for Easter?  Certainly we don’t need candy, hard-boiled eggs, gifts, baskets, chocolate bunnies, and so forth.  (Although I admit that I do enjoy a good chocolate bunny.)  Those are all extras, add-ons, unnecessary ways that people spend money in order to observe a holiday.

My first answer to this question was straightforward:  “We just need an empty tomb.”  Without the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, there would be no Easter, no celebration, no Christian religion at all.  The way Jesus conquered the grave gives us ultimate hope for this life and for the life to come.

But then I settled on a second answer:  “We need the cross and an empty tomb.”  Without the cross, there is no tomb to be made empty on the third day.  Jesus’s victory over death means nothing if he has not conquered sin as well.

Brothers and sisters, as we walk through the upcoming week known as “Holy Week,” the most important week of the year, let us remember what we truly need in order to celebrate this season.  Enjoy all the trappings of the secular Easter season.  But make it a point to remember frequently the true stories that make this such a celebration:

Christ has died.  Christ is risen.  Christ will come again.

–Pastor David

Making a Difference
photo by star_trooper

One of our spiritual disciplines as Christians is to care for those who are in need, both within our circle of acquaintances and among strangers.  Different churches and church groups handle this type of ministry in different ways.  At Mt. Haley, we have a benevolence committee which functions as an advisory group for most of our charitable gifts to people in desperate situations.

Over time, in multiple churches, I have heard several people suggest that poverty is such a rampant problem in our society – rich though we all are, by the world’s standards – that we can never eliminate poverty completely.  People will always come asking for help with rent payments, electric bills, empty gas tanks, hungry children, and so forth.  Perhaps, though, we ourselves have asked (or will ask) for help in similar ways!  By helping those who are in need, we are putting into action Jesus’s so-called Golden Rule: “Do to others as you would have them do to you” (Luke 6:31 NIV).

Sometimes, people will cite Jesus’s words in Matthew 26:11 as suggesting that our devotion to him is more important than our care for the needy:  “The poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have me” (NIV).  But I don’t think that’s the best understanding of what Jesus meant.  He often helped the poor himself, particularly through miraculous feedings and healings.  His teachings are perfectly in line with the Old Testament standard, which I recently rediscovered and would like to share with you here.

Take a few minutes to read Deuteronomy 15:1-11, and notice how many times the words “needy” or “poor” appear.  The final verse of this passage says something startling:  “Since there will never cease to be some in need on the earth, I therefore command you, ‘Open your hand to the poor and needy neighbor in your land'” (NRSV).

Precisely because there will always be people in need around us, we should continue to look for ways to serve others.  Our work will never be complete.  Friends, don’t be discouraged by the poverty that surrounds us; instead, look for ways to be a blessing!  And don’t settle for allowing our benevolence committee to handle all our care for people in need; find ways to be benevolent yourself!  Let us each open our hands to our poor and needy neighbors, and in so doing share with them the love of Jesus Christ, which he has graciously given to us.

–Pastor David