Three Tasks and Some Applications

This past Sunday, the sermon focused on the theme of “working in God’s vineyard,” based on the parable in Matthew 21:23-32 about how two sons of a landowner responded to his request that they work in his vineyard.  I thought it might be helpful to summarize a few of the points from this message so you can have them in “hard copy” form.

What does “working in God’s vineyard” look like?  What tasks are involved?  To what do we need to attend?  I see three general tasks that we as the people of God face:

  1. Personal spiritual growth.  Each of us is responsible for our own growth and development in Christ.  We must choose to follow him, to repent of our sins, to be baptized, to give up sinful patterns of behavior, and to invest ourselves in the life-long process of becoming more like Christ.  Since this process is life-long, we must always work towards intentionality about spiritual disciplines such as prayer, Bible study, regular church attendance, and so forth.
  2. Corporate spiritual growth.  Each of us is responsible for the growth and development of our brothers and sisters in Christ, especially those in our own local congregation.  We do not live as “islands” of Christian faith; instead, we share life with each other, we support each other, we challenge each other, and we walk alongside each other through good times and difficult times.  The New Testament reveals that we in the church belong to each other and cannot live apart from each other.  Therefore, strengthening our corporate spiritual life is a high priority.
  3. Spreading the message of Christ.  Each of us is responsible to tend to the soil which has not yet produced a growing plant.  By this, I mean we are charged with the task of building relationships with people outside the Christian faith in order to share Christ with them, that they too might come to know the fullness of life which can be found in him.  We might till the soil, plant a seed, spread some fertilizer, water the ground – any of these agricultural activities can describe our work in sharing Christ’s love with those around us.

These three tasks are a beginning point to understanding what working in God’s vineyard looks like.  Certainly more tasks could be added to this list, such as working in society toward the goals of justice and fairness, striving to engender peace in our homes and cities and nations, and so on.  But I believe these three are a good starting point for us.

How, then, do we get to work on these tasks?  I see four applications at the present time for our congregation:

  1. Dealing with grief and hardship.  Many folks in our congregation are struggling right now; we have had more than our fair share of losses and crises in the past month.  Certainly the second task (corporate spiritual growth) is a high priority these days while we rally around those who are in distress.  However, there’s another level of application:  even though we grieve, mourn, and endure hardship, we are still called to work in God’s vineyard – we aren’t off the hook!  It might even be the case that our work will be more fruitful because of our reliance on the Lord in times of crisis.
  2. Sunday school curriculum.  We are experimenting with a standardized curriculum for our Sunday school classes this quarter.  I have heard mixed reviews at this early stage in our experiment; some people like the structure and content, but other people do not.  Remember that this is just an experiment, and the curriculum is only a tool to help us in our task of working in God’s vineyard.  Whether you like the curriculum or not, the tasks of personal and corporate spiritual growth are still on the table.  Let’s make the best of it!
  3. Youth group opportunities.  Pastor Jerry will soon be asking you (if he hasn’t already) to participate in our youth group ministry in more intentional ways.  For instance, he hopes to have adults in our church volunteer to bring in snacks for the youth group’s Sunday evening meetings.  He and Connie have several other ideas, as well – but I’ll let them reveal those to you!  Let’s become actively involved in ministering to our young people.  They really are an exciting bunch!
  4. Local Ministry of the Quarter.  I want this congregation to become more actively involved in partnering with local Christian ministries, of which there are many in our community.  Every three months, we will focus our energies on an individual ministry, which we will support with our finances, our resources, and/or our time and energy.  For instance, in the final three months of this year, we will support the Pregnancy Resource Center with a “baby bottle drive” – more info will come soon!

Let’s continue the process of learning how to work in God’s vineyard.  I’m looking forward to continuing this journey with you!

–Pastor David

Blackberry Season

As I mentioned last week, we are in the midst of blackberry season here at the parsonage.  Every couple of days, I head out to the edge of the woods and pick another quart or so of berries.  (We’re always up for sharing, these, by the way – if you’d like some, just let us know!)  This summer, I’ve taken the opportunity to watch these plants and the growth and development of their fruit.  I’ve learned a lot, and you probably won’t be surprised to hear that I see some connections between this blackberry business and our walk as disciples of Christ.

When picking berries, you have to watch out for thorns.  These plants have a natural defense system that can be a bit painful for the careless berry picker.  The thorns often dig into my jeans and my shirt, and I’m glad to take the time to pull them away from my clothing because I realize I don’t have to pull them out of my skin.  Patience, persistence, and careful attention to the task at hand are some of the benefits of practicing this discipline.  How often do we as followers of Christ need to learn these things?  While we work to harvest good crops (that means other people) for the Lord, we may be stuck by thorns, but the harvest still awaits!

I’ve been surprised by some plants that have been broken or damaged in the past.  Even though a plant is weakened and literally bends at a 90 degree angle, it can still produce good fruit.  Sometimes the fruit is of lower quality than the completely healthy plants, but sometimes the fruit is perfect.  Who among us is without breaks or cracks in our personal histories?  If God can cause a broken blackberry plant to produce good fruit (even though the break is obvious to everyone), then he surely can help a broken person to walk in faith and produce good fruit as well.

Finally, our blackberry plants have to compete with a few other plants for space, nutrients, and sunlight.  One vine in particular is very good at wrapping itself around other plants and growing very quickly.  I’ve had to pull out some of these vines in order to get to the good plants.  Several weeks ago, I commented in our Sunday morning service that I couldn’t tell weed from good plant – but now I certainly can!  Once the fruit appears, it’s very easy to know which plant is which.  That reminds me of some words of Jesus:

“Watch out for false prophets.  They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.  By their fruit you will recognize them.  Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?  Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.  A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit.  Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.  Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.” (Matthew 7:15-20 NIV)

Friends, bear good fruit for the Lord.  Watch out for worldly influences that do not reflect Christ’s character.  Allow the Lord to form, shape, prune, and cultivate you so that his harvest will be great.

–Pastor David

Finding Answers

Lately, I’ve been asking a lot of questions.  Our current sermon series asks a number of questions that have proven to be obstacles to faith for many people.  The past couple of website articles (like this one) have posed questions, as well – sometimes introspective, sometimes relating to our world.  And I’ve even invited folks at church to ask questions of God and to let me know what those questions are.  Thanks to those of you who have taken up that challenge – it’s been quite illuminating for me to hear from you!

With all of these questions, you might start to wonder if and when we’ll find any answers.  So today I’d like to take a few moments to describe where I find answers to big questions of faith, and perhaps this can be useful for you, too.

Scripture.  As disciples of Christ, our first and most important source of answers is the God-inspired book which introduces us to Christ.  Whenever any issue arises, whether it involves relationships at home, management of time and resources, the meaning of life, or anything else, our first course of action is to look to the Bible to glean from its harvest of wisdom.  This does not mean, however, that we simply find one or two verses to support the position we already feel is true.  On the contrary, we read scripture holistically, from cover to cover, so that we can discover God’s real intention for our lives and his real answers to our questions.

Tradition.  In the two thousand years since the New Testament was written – and more since the Old Testament was written – many, many people of faith have lived, died, and struggled with real-life issues in between.  We do ourselves a great disservice when we imagine that we’re the first people to struggle with specific questions of faith.  Are we struggling to make ends meet and afraid that our resources will soon run out?  Let’s see what St. Francis of Assisi believed about material possessions.  Are we concerned about the existence of evil in the world?  Let’s read recent authors such as C.S. Lewis and Dietrich Bonhoeffer, and let’s read ancient writers like St. Augustine and Thomas Aquinas.  We have much to learn from how those who came before us handled the issues we face today.

Reason.  The answers to our deepest questions must, in the end, make sense to us.  One complaint I’ve heard from people outside the faith is that in order to be a good Christian, you have to “check your brain at the door.”  To some extent, I see what they mean:  it’s awfully difficult to believe in a God who is one and yet three, to believe that Jesus is fully human and fully divine, to believe that one man’s public execution 2,000 years ago has any bearing whatsoever on our eternal destiny.  Yet these and all other issues of faith must be filtered through the brains God gave us.  Our questions must find answers that involve our abilities to reason and make sense of the world around us.

Experience.  As we search for answers to our deepest questions, we do so as people who have already experienced God’s grace in our lives on many occasions.  Are you wondering if God really loves you right now?  Think back, if you can, to a moment when you were sure that he did love you.  Are you struggling through a difficult situation and unsure how it will be resolved?  Think back, if you can, to another difficult period in your life, and remember how God helped to bring you through it.  Our experiences can be rich resources for realizing how involved in our lives the Lord truly is.  Our experiences can confirm the truths and answers we find in scripture.

May the Lord continue to bless us as we continue to wrestle with questions of faith.  Rest assured that there are answers, that God determines those answers, and that he has given us plenty of tools to discover those answers – even though they may take a lifetime to find.

–Pastor David

Murder in Midland?

As you may have heard in the local news, a man was murdered outside the Burger King near the Midland Mall this week.  Is this an anomaly, or is this to be expected in today’s world?  Are we comfortable thinking this kind of thing happens in Saginaw but not in Midland?  Should we avoid that restaurant for the time being for our own safety, or should we continue going about our everyday lives?

It surely is tragic when one person takes another person’s life.  The ramifications of such an action are very broad, affecting more than just the two people involved.  In this case, there are two school-aged children who will grow up with their mother in prison.  The Burger King employees who were present at the time will remember this event forever.  Lives are changed tremendously when one person kills another.

What should our response be as Christians who live in this community?  I believe situations like this are opportunities for us to serve as community leaders who bring order, meaning, comfort, and peace to those affected by tragedy.  As ambassadors for Christ, we can share the blessings of a relationship with the Lord with those who are hurting.  In the next few weeks, if you find yourself near the Midland Mall around lunchtime or dinnertime, I encourage you to eat at the Burger King and say something encouraging or compassionate to the people who are working there.  If you hear someone talking about this story in the grocery store, strike up a conversation and be an agent of peace and reconciliation.

Remember that most murders involve people who know each other; random acts of violence are much less common.  We do not need to fear other people in our town because a murder has taken place in a public location.  On the contrary, this event is more reason for us to be involved in community, to bring the message of forgiveness and salvation and healing through Christ to a world that is desperately in need.

Friends, remember that we belong to the Lord and that this life is fleeting – especially when compared to the eternal relationship with the Lord which is promised to us who believe in him.  Do not be afraid; use every opportunity to draw closer to the Lord and to help others to do the same.

–Pastor David

Vacation Bible School

What a week of VBS we have had! If you didn’t participate or visit, our Fellowship Hall was completely transformed into a busy marketplace in first-century Nazareth. (They probably didn’t have pop-up tents back then, but that’s all right!) I was very impressed by the work ethic and the pleasantness of everyone involved. This was a good week of seed-planting and sharing healthy Christian relationships with young people. Our children’s attendance increased every night, with an average of around two dozen on any given evening. And our total of thirty-three youth and adult volunteers is very encouraging!

Vacation Bible School is a fascinating church event because, in some ways, it is more beneficial for youth and adults than it is for children. I can hear you asking now: “How can this be, Pastor? Isn’t VBS a program for kids?” Of course it is, and we should not neglect or ignore the growth in our children that takes place through VBS. After all, Proverbs 22:6 tells us to “start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it” (NIV). We plant seeds in children’s lives that may sprout immediately or may take many years to develop and mature, and we do so out of obedience to our Lord.

At the same time, though, VBS gives many opportunities for adults to grow, as well. We meet day after day, spend many hours together, communicate with each other, work with each other – all with the expressed purpose of ministering to children. But the time we spend together can very easily turn into ministry to each other, as well! Our frequent meetings and conversations form an intense arena in which we practice healthy Christian relationships with each other. By loving each other during VBS, we show our children the love of Christ, and we are that much more prepared to show the love of Christ to the world at large.

Another benefit coming out of VBS is the opportunity we have as youth and adults to rehearse the stories of our faith. What do we believe? Why do we believe it? Where do those beliefs come from? How do they connect to our everyday lives? These are the kinds of questions that children need to have answered, and we adults are the people who get to share our answers with them. This is the constant call of Christ: to make disciples of all nations by teaching people what Jesus has taught us. VBS is a safe environment for us to rehearse sharing the message of Christ so that we can be more prepared to share that message with others outside of the week of VBS.

I was very impressed by some of our leaders, especially some of our youth, who really took up the challenge of sharing the truth about Jesus with children this week. As they visited me in the “Synagogue School,” they encountered a Jewish rabbi who looked a lot like me but didn’t believe in Jesus. Speaking the truth about Jesus is something each of us should be ready to do at any moment, both in and out of season (2 Timothy 4:2). Thank you for your work – and keep it up through the rest of the summer!

–Pastor David

Truth and Narratives

Lately, I’ve been thinking frequently about narratives – stories that inform our lives, that give our lives meaning and direction, that help us to view the world in a particular way. A narrative can be something simple like “I like how I look,” or it can take a form as complex as your family history. Narratives can be true (“my work is valuable”) or false (“no one loves me”). They can be helpful or harmful, and that is a different quality than being true or false. These stories orient us to the world in specific ways, often in ways that we do not fully understand.

For Christians, the primary narrative of our lives should be the gospel of Jesus Christ. The meaning of our Savior’s life, ministry, death, and resurrection should shape everything that we do and even how we think about the world. We should see ourselves as sinners who have been redeemed at great cost and who have been given a great commission to spread this message of redemption and new life to people of all nations. Our obedience to the Lord is a natural outworking of this narrative; because we belong to Christ, we obey him at every opportunity – or at least that is our goal.

However, this Christ-centered perspective on the world is challenged by other narratives, many of which are false and unnecessary. The world presents us with alternate stories to adopt: the value of my life is determined by my health, safety, possessions, money, and so forth; what others think of me is more important than what God thinks of me; my success in life depends on how much power I can accumulate. Many similar perspectives can distract us from the truth of our human existence.

I met with a few pastor friends this week, and we were discussing among ourselves The Shack, a recent best-selling book about a man who comes to faith after experiencing terrible tragedy in his family life. If you haven’t read this book and are interested, just let me know – you may borrow my copy! Without spoiling too much of the story, I will say this much: the main character has a vision (of sorts) in which he interacts with God and wrestles with the meaning of his suffering. One of the pastors in my meeting this week suggested something fascinating about this vision: what if this vision of God was no mere vision but actual reality?

My reaction to his suggestion was to scoff and say, “of course not – that’s just a vision.” But as we discussed this idea, I came to realize that this reveals part of my own personal narratives. Specifically, I approach the world as if I am the one who gets to determine what is real and what is imaginary. A vision cannot be real because it’s just a dream! Do you ever function in the same way?

How would we think, feel, and behave differently if we acknowledged that God determines reality? What if we adopted his perspective on the world, on other people, and on ourselves? Jesus Christ has the transformative power to reshape our false, broken narratives into stories that reflect ultimate truth, which necessarily comes from his perspective. The journey of the follower of Christ requires laying down our perspectives on life and picking up those that belong to the Lord. If we see the world through his eyes, then we will better understand how to minister to a world that is in need.

–Pastor David

Surprise Snow

I still have enough “Indiana” in me that I don’t think of March as a month for snow. March is a month for basketball, budding flowers and trees, chirping birds, and a fair bit of rain. Imagine my surprise when we woke up to half a foot of snow this morning! Yes, the weather forecast told me this would happen ahead of time, but it still caught me a bit off guard.

It strikes me that surprise is a very human experience. Some people enjoy surprise birthday parties; some like movies or books with surprise endings. Other people dislike any kind of surprise because of their emotional or physical reactions to surprises. So the ability to be surprised is a pretty common human characteristic. But what about surprise in the life of the Christian? What do our scriptures say about surprises?

In the Old Testament, we read that we should not be surprised when we see injustice in the world, because that’s just the way the world works (Ecclesiastes 5:8). In the teachings of Jesus, we read that we should not be surprised by his call for us to be “born again” (John 3:7). And in several New Testament letters, we read that we should not be surprised by various trials or by the return of the Lord (1 Thessalonians 5:1-4, 1 Peter 4:12-16, 1 John 3:13).

As human beings, we will always be surprised by one thing or another. However, when it comes to matters of faith, we are to have confidence in our Lord: in his faithfulness to us, in his promised return, in his strength that enables us to withstand any trial. And this confidence extends to our mission, as well. We are called by the Lord to meet the needs of those who are in need in our community, so we should face that call, those needs, and the people who are involved with confidence rather than with surprise. The Bible and the course of human history teach us that injustice, poverty, abuse, and all kinds of social ills will always exist in our world – and every generation needs to hear the message of salvation in Jesus Christ. Our work is ongoing!

The difference between surprise and anticipation is the difference between being caught off guard and being prepared. In time, I will learn to anticipate snowfall in March (and April? and May?!). In the life of the church, the difference between surprise and anticipation is as great as night and day. I believe that moving toward an attitude of anticipation is part of the process of becoming more like Christ, who always seemed to anticipate the next step rather than to express surprise at a new development in his life. What would our fellowship look like if we lived in constant anticipation of the Lord’s return? What would it look like if we anticipated the needs of our community, both physical and spiritual, before we learned about specific problems facing specific people? I think these attitudes can transform our relationships with each other and with the Lord. What do you think?

–Pastor David

Retreat of the Soldiers

So, today I’d like to let you in on a little secret:  I’m losing my hair.  That probably comes as no surprise to you, especially if you’ve seen me in person lately.  And it’s no surprise to me – my barber told me about my thinning hair when I was sixteen years old.  But it’s on my mind again this week.  I call my receding hairline “The Retreat of the Soldiers.”

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Celebrating Birthdays

‘Tis the season… to celebrate birthdays.  We are in the season of Advent, in which we celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ.  As if that were not enough reason for me to celebrate, today (which will have passed by the time you read this) happens to be my thirty-first birthday.  If you will humor me, then, I will try not to draw too strong of a comparison between the two birthday boys.
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Time Changes

This past weekend, we experienced our annual blessing of an extra hour – perhaps for sleep! – as we turned our clocks back because of the end of Daylight Saving Time.  It’s the yearly payback for that less pleasurable experience in the spring, when we set our clocks ahead and consequently show up an hour late for church on Sunday!  But have you ever stopped to think about the significance of this time change?

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