Today, Tara and I sang in a choral concert at Memorial Presbyterian Church in Midland. The concert featured a 45-minute piece of music entitled “Requiem,” written by the 20th Century French composer Maurice Durufle. It’s a beautiful piece that is very familiar to me, since I sang it with a different choir a decade ago. Singing along with a hundred other singers, a small orchestra, and a recently installed pipe organ was a tremendous experience. There’s something about religious choral music that speaks to my heart in powerful ways.
On a Journey
As we move forward in the Christian season of Lent (called “Focus 40” in the Church of God), I find myself captivated by the theme of journeying. Several of my friends in ministry, who are scattered around the country and the world, are going through different kinds of “wandering” in their own lives. Some are anticipating a move to a new ministry location, some are expecting a baby for the first time, and some are embarking on new and intimidating adventures in their current locations.
When I think about the people of Mt. Haley Church of God in this context, I realize that we too are in transition; we too are on a journey. This church is settling down into a rhythm with our current pastoral staff. We have experienced a tremendous mission trip to Guatemala and are continuing to reflect on the impact of that journey. We are learning the importance of active growth in our own personal faith, and we are seeing the joys of ministering with our youth and children – even though that too is a call to active involvement in ministry.
Everywhere we look, we see signs that the life of faith is a journey. This is especially on our minds in this season of Lent, in which Christians of all nationalities are journeying toward the cross. In a deliberate, careful manner, faithful believers just like us are considering their need for a Savior, for redemption, for hope, for Christ in their lives.
In this we are not alone. Our biblical ancestors in the faith were wanderers, most notably when the Israelites wandered through the wilderness for forty years on their way to the Promised Land. Later in their history, Israel and Judah each were taken away into exile because of their sinfulness and betrayal of their relationship with God. Even in the beginning, when God called Abram to leave his home and follow him, we see a clear example of wandering in faithfulness to God. As the Israelites repeated for generations afterward, “my father [Abraham] was a wandering Aramean” (see Deuteronomy 26) – and that defines us and gives meaning to our own periods of wandering.
Wherever you find yourself on the journey of faith, remember that you are not alone. Take full advantage of the remainder of Lent (which this year lasts all the way through March) to focus on how God is calling you to draw closer to him and to his church. Know that I am praying for you and that I am always available to walk with you, wherever you are!
–Pastor David
Already and Not Yet
As people of faith in Christ Jesus, we celebrate this current season with special fervor and religious anticipation. The Christmas season, while maddeningly materialistic and terribly self-centered in our American culture, still holds special meaning for Christians. We want to encourage people in our community to “keep Christ in Christmas” – yet at the same time, we should remember why we celebrate this season and what it means for the faith.
We are people who believe in an “already and not yet” kingdom of God. God’s reign over the universe broke into this world in personal, tangible form through the person of Jesus Christ. This was the content of Jesus’s preaching (see Mark 1:14-15), and this was the reason that Jesus was born into the world (see John 18:33-38). He reigns in our hearts in the present tense. He conquers sin in our lives in the present tense. His rule is already secure because of his nature, his work on the cross, and his empty tomb.
And yet the kingdom of God is not yet completely fulfilled. We await Jesus’s return at the end of the age, at which point his kingdom will come in its completeness and perfection (see Revelation 22:6-21). There will be no more suffering in the future tense. The presence of God will fill us with heavenly light in the future tense. We yearn for Christ to return even within our lifetimes so that we might witness his reign being made complete.
We are “already and not yet” Christians. We believe in an “already and not yet” Lord, one who has already atoned for our sins but has not yet brought about the ultimate fullness of his kingdom.
This ties into our observance of the season of Advent, the season in which we celebrate the “coming” (“advent”) of Jesus Christ: both his birth into the world and his second coming at the end of the age. We are “already and not yet” Christians who celebrate an “already and not yet” Lord!
We tend to focus on the past tense story of Christmas, the birth of Jesus as a baby in Bethlehem, during this season. Let us always remember, though, that our faith points us toward a future tense story of Advent, which is the return of Christ in final victory and triumph. Even as Jesus came to earth in the form of a tiny, humble baby, so he will return again as ultimate, undisputed, unmistakable King.
Who needs Black Friday sales, Cyber Monday advertisements, nonstop secular Christmas songs, and stereotypical American indebtedness to celebrate this season? Let’s celebrate Advent, in word and in deed, as people of true faith.
–Pastor David
Old friends
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
The Hard Times
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
Remembering September 11, 2001
In just a few days, our nation will pause to observe the 10th anniversary of the terrorist attacks that affected all of us and changed our lives dramatically, some more than others. If you’ve been watching the news on TV at all, you’ve surely seen a good bit of coverage on this event. It seems that we all are corporately engaging in a bit of public remembrance, perhaps to soothe the wounds that still ache in our nation. Ten years is a long time, and much ground has been covered in the past decade. But moments like these seem as if they took place just yesterday.
I was a senior in college in the fall of 2001. I remember that we held a special chapel service in the afternoon of September 11 for the purposes of prayer, worship, and catharsis. The dean of the chapel was our worship leader, and I remember vividly how he led us from the piano in singing the hymn “A Mighty Fortress is our God.” He explained how we should rely on the Lord, who never changes or abandons us, when we experience tumultuous events. One of the faculty members stood up from his seat among the students and called out for a song of lament instead of the dean’s selection. A brief conversation between the two men ensued, but the dean’s choice eventually carried the day, and we sang of our faith in God. (Laments – expressions of grief – surely followed in the rest of the service.)
In every circumstance, we face the same two choices: either to reiterate our faith in God or to give voice to our emotions and desires. Both are valuable, and each is appropriate in its own time. However, I see one major difference between these two acts: our emotions and desires fade over time, but our faith in God must remain consistent.
Ten years after the terrorist attacks of 2001, we do not experience the same emotions as we did on that day. Some of us are young enough to not even remember that day. But as I reflect on our cultural remembrances, I think those of us in the church – and remember, the church is not the same as our culture – those of us in the church would do well to reiterate our faith in God, who will remain God in good times and in bad. No matter what happens, he will care for us. Whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s. And perhaps – just perhaps – at times like these, when people’s hearts are turned toward emotionally challenging memories, our message of salvation, wholeness, and hope in Christ might be able to take root in the lives of those around us.
Life is not about sorrow, anger, retribution, justice, prevention, or any of these things. Life is about a living relationship with the creator of the universe, the one who died and conquered death that we might know him, be set free from sin, and live eternally with him. On Christ the solid rock we stand; all other ground is sinking sand!
–Pastor David