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Memorial Day Gratitude
By Mark D. Roberts | Monday, May 28, 2007
(It is my Memorial Day tradition to put up something that suits the day. This post is similar to one I posted in 2005.)
When I was young, Memorial Day was wonderful because it signified the beginning of summer. Even though I always had a few more days of school after the holiday, nevertheless, Memorial Day meant that summer was upon us.
Now that I’m not so young, Memorial Day still signifies the beginning of summer. My pastoral work year tends to align itself with the school calendar, so Memorial Day means that I’m about ready to enjoy a break from work. Though I love being a pastor, I find myself overdue for some time of renewal and refreshment.
But Memorial Day means more to me now than it once did because I think about its deeper meaning. Why? It first happened in 1991, in the aftermath of Desert Storm (the first Gulf War). I did not know anyone who was killed in that war, but my brother-in-law did see active duty in Bahrain as a member of an Air Force military unit. Though he was mostly far away from direct combat, he was on the ground in Bahrain when Iraq fired some Scud missiles in his general direction. Of course now we know that the Scuds weren’t all that worrisome. But at the time we feared that they might contain biological or chemical materials. So there were some tense moments in 1991 as I wondered if my brother-in-law would survive.
(Photo above: A memorial day celebration in Grafton, West Virginia)
Before that time, I confess that I’d never really thought about the fact that men and women were putting their lives on the line for the sake of my freedom. And, honestly, I didn’t feel all that grateful for those who had actually sacrificed their lives in defense of my liberty. But, with my brother-in-law in the line of fire, my appreciation for the courage and sacrifice of people in the armed forces grew a hundred fold. I began to realize how much it cost for me to be free, and I became truly thankful for those who paid the price for my freedom.
Yes, I’m well aware that these people didn’t die for me personally. No doubt they died for our country in the broad sense, and specifically for their own families and friends. But I am a beneficiary of their sacrifice. It impacts me personally. And for this I find myself more and more grateful each year.
So on this Memorial Day, as I gather with friends for a swim party, I will remember those who sacrifice has made this possible. I will be grateful for the freedom to get together with any friends I chose, for the freedom from worry about being attacked, and for the economic blessings that result from our freedom, blessings that allow me to sit around a wonderful pool with my friends. I will say a prayer of thanks for those who have given their lives to gain and protect my freedom. I will pray for surviving families for whom Memorial Day must be filled with both grief and pride. And I will pray for those who continue to put their lives on the line for my sake and the sake of our nation.
Thanksgiving is still six months away. But today I am very thankful.
Topics: Holidays | No Comments »
Sunday Inspiration from Pray the Gospels
By Mark D. Roberts | Sunday, May 27, 2007
Excerpt
“And see, I am sending upon you what my Father promised; so stay here in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.”
Luke 24:49
Click here to read all of Luke 24:44-49
Prayer
Dear Lord, on this Pentecost Sunday, we thank You for “power from on high.”
We thank You for the Spirit of Conviction, who draws us to You, convicting us of our sin and opening our hearts to receive the gospel.
We thank You for the Spirit of Comfort who teaches us, encourages us, and blesses us with Your peace.
We thank You for the Spirit of Community, who baptizes us into the body of Christ and who helps us to love one another.
We thank You for the Spirit of transformation, who grows godly fruit in our lives.
We thank You for the Spirit of Pentecost who empowers us for ministry, giving gifts so that we might do Your work in Your power.
We thank You for the Spirit of Age to Come, in whom we begin to experience the life of the future.
On this day we thank and praise You, Reigning Lord Jesus, for the precious and powerful gift of Your Spirit.
Postscript
By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
Galatians 5:22-23
Jean Restout II, “Pentecost,” 1732
Topics: Sunday Inspiration | No Comments »
Week in Review: May 20-25, 2007
By Mark D. Roberts | Saturday, May 26, 2007
My Recent Blogging
Sunday, May 20: Inspiration from Pray the Gospels
Monday, May 21: Getting Older . . . What Goes Around Comes Around
Tuesday, May 22: Mission Impossible?
Wednesday, May 23: The Mission of God in the Old Testament
Thursday, May 24: The Mission of Jesus, Part 1
Friday, May 25: The Mission of Jesus, Part 2
Links to Other Sites
Ephesus Guide. Next month I’m going to be visiting Ephesus, the historical site in Turkey. Whether you’re planning on going to this ancient city or not, the Ephesus Guide website is filled with helpful information and photos.
Personal and Ministry Accountability. Influential pastor and writer John Piper and the other pastors at his church fill out a form each week to increase their accountability in a variety of crucial areas. Quite interesting, I think. What do you think? (HT: Smart Christian)
goodwordediting.com. Marcus Goodyear, of The High Calling, has a blog that examines various features of writing and blogging from creative perspectives. If you’re a blogger (or thinking of becoming one), I highly recommend this fascinating site.
No Whining!
Last night was Open House at my daughter’s school. If you’ve been a parent of an elementary school student, you know the drill: posters, artwork, files of assignments, meeting the teacher, etc. etc. As I examined the walls of my daughter’s classroom, my eyes beheld a wonderful sight. It was a large “No Whining” badge. How great! I wish I had a few of these, both to wear and to hand out to others. Yes, sometimes even I need to be reminded not to whine.
But now I’ve got to stop blogging and get back to finishing my sermon for this weekend. I always have to do a sermon. My church maaaakes me. It isn’t fair. Nobody else at church has to do a serrrmon. And they want a good one too. Every week. Waaaaaaaaaaaaah!
Topics: Week in Review | 3 Comments »
The Mission of Jesus, Part 2
By Mark D. Roberts | Friday, May 25, 2007
Part 4 of series: The Mission of God and the Missional Church
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Yesterday I began to summarize the mission of Jesus in light of the mission of God in the Old Testament. I based my discussion on a passage from chapter 4 of Luke’s gospel. Here’s that passage, once again:
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for he has appointed me to preach Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the downtrodden will be freed from their oppressors, and that the time of the Lord’s favor has come (Luke 4:18-19).
On the basis of this text, which is a citation from Isaiah 61, I explained that:
1. Jesus was sent by God in the power of the Holy Spirit.
2. Jesus was sent to proclaim the good news.
Today I’ll continue where I left off yesterday.
Third, Jesus was sent to enact the good news. Jesus practiced what He preached. As a part of His announcement of God’s coming kingdom, Jesus proclaimed release for the captives, seeing for the blind, and freedom for the oppressed. He backed up His audacious proclamations with compelling demonstrations. Those in bondage to demonic powers were set free (Luke 4:33-35). The sick were made well and the blind given sight (Luke 7:21-22). Jesus liberated those who were bound by social injustice and prejudice (Mark 7:24-30; Luke 5:12-15; 7:36-50; 8:43-48; 10:38-42; 19:1-10). Even as he called his followers to love their neighbors and their enemies (Luke 6:35; 10:27), Jesus also loved with exemplary compassion (Matt 9:36; Mark 10:21; Luke 7:13). He not only spoke of God’s reign, but also embodied that reign in His own person and ministry. Where Jesus was, there was the kingdom of God (Luke 17:21). His enactment of the kingdom demonstrated the validity of His preaching, and drew thousands to hear His good news. It showed that the coming of the kingdom was focused in Him, His proclamation, His ministry, and His person. (Picture: El Greco, “Christ Healing the Blind,” c. 1567)
Fourth, Jesus was sent to form a community of the good news. Although not explicitly stated in Luke 4:18-19, when the poor, the blind, and the captives received the good news of God’s kingdom, they also had the opportunity to join the community of kingdom people, who, once reconciled to God, experienced reconciliation with each other as well. In Luke 5 Jesus called a few fishermen to form the core of His disciples, promising that they would now fish for people (Luke 5:1-11; 6:12-16). The community of Jesus’s followers live under God’s reign, demonstrating love and justice as servants of God and of each other (Mark 10:43-44; Luke 11:42; John 13:34-35). Even during the earthly life of Jesus, His followers were empowered to join in His ministry, proclaiming the good news of God’s reign and demonstrating that good news through works of healing and liberation (Luke 9:1-2; 10:1-17). Their sharing in the ministry of Jesus foreshadowed an even greater work to come.
So, even as in the Old Testament God’s mission involved forming a people through whom to restore His kingdom on earth, Jesus’s mission was not simply about getting individuals right with God. He was also in the business of forming a people to proclaim and live out the reality of God’s kingdom. This is perhaps one of the major oversights in much of American Christianity, which has allowed the individualism of American culture to obscure the essentially communal nature of Jesus’s mission. Yes, He came to secure individual salvation and to call individuals as His disciples. But full salvation includes restoration as God’s people. True discipleship is always a shared endeavor. There are no “lone ranger” disciples in the kingdom of God (or at least there shouldn’t be).
Fifth, Jesus was sent to consummate the good news through His death and resurrection. Though He embodied and inaugurated God’s reign on earth, human response to Jesus was still limited by sin. Without experiencing the most profound kind of liberation – from sin, our rebellion against God – we cannot be reconciled to God. Until we are cleansed from our sin, we can long for God’s kingdom, but we cannot fully enter it. Jesus was sent not only to proclaim and to demonstrate the good news of God’s reign, but also to consummate that good news by overcoming the barrier of sin. He came, “not to be served but to serve others, and to give [His] life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45). He was sent to fulfill the mission of Isaiah’s suffering Servant of God, the one who would be “wounded and crushed for our sins,” upon whom “the Lord laid . . . the guilt and sins of us all” (Isa 53:5-6). Because God’s rightful reign over us was shattered by sin, the shattering of sin by the death and resurrection of Jesus enables us to be reconciled to God. Once reconciled, then we can live in full fellowship with him as citizens of His kingdom. The cross of Christ invites us into the kingdom of God and restores us into intimate fellowship with Him as God’s subjects, servants, and beloved children.
In my next post I’ll show how this kingdom-centered mission of Jesus has been passed on to us.
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The Mission of Jesus, Part 1
By Mark D. Roberts | Thursday, May 24, 2007
Part 3 of series: The Mission of God and the Missional Church
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If you were to ask the average Christian, “What was the mission of Jesus?” you’d no doubt hear that Jesus came to die on the cross for our sins, so that we might have eternal life. I believe this is true, profoundly and wonderfully. But I also believe it’s not the full story. The mission of Jesus, though ultimately centered in the cross and though leading to life after death, was far more inclusive than many of us have been led to believe. In this post and the next I’ll give a quick overview of the mission of Jesus as seen from the perspective of the Old Testament mission of God.
Hundreds of years after the Hebrew prophet Isaiah delivered the message of the coming kingdom of God, another man recognized as a Jewish prophet emerged on the scene, bringing a message reminiscent of Isaiah’s. In a nutshell, he proclaimed: “At last the time has come! The Kingdom of God is near! Turn from your sins and believe this Good News!” (Mark 1:15). Could this man, Jesus son of Joseph from Nazareth, be the one whom God sent to “bring good news of peace and salvation, the news that the God of Israel reigns” (Isa 52:7)?
One sabbath day Jesus went to the religious gathering place in his hometown. He was given the scroll containing the prophecies of Isaiah. Turning to the 61st chapter, He read:
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for he has appointed me to preach Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the downtrodden will be freed from their oppressors, and that the time of the Lord’s favor has come (Luke 4:18-19).
There was nothing particularly unusual about the fact that Jesus read this text. It was well-known and beloved among the Jews of Jesus’s day, who hoped for God’s kingdom. But then Jesus did a most exceptional thing. As those who had gathered stared at Him, he said: “This Scripture has come true today before your very eyes!” (Luke 4:21). With this simple sentence Jesus made an audacious claim. In effect, He said, “I am the one appointed by the Holy Spirit to fulfill this prophecy of Isaiah. I am the long-expected Redeemer of Israel, the Servant of God who will bear the sin of humanity. I have come to complete God’s mission of reconciliation.” (Picture above: The great Isaiah Scroll from Qumran, one of the first Dead Sea Scrolls to be discovered in 1947. It is an almost complete copy of Isaiah, and dates to the second-century BC.)
The passage from Isaiah 61 which Jesus applied to Himself highlights several essential features of his mission. First of all, He was sent by God in the power of the Holy Spirit (Luke 4:18). Even though Jesus was the divine Son of God, He was empowered by the Holy Spirit for His ministry. Even though His birth was a miracle of the Spirit, at His baptism by John in the Jordan River, Jesus received the Spirit in a dramatic way (Luke 3:21-22). From that time onward He was guided by the Spirit (Luke 4:1).
Second, Jesus was sent to proclaim the good news (Luke 4:18). At the core of His earthly ministry was the proclamation of God’s reign. The Gospel of Mark provides a concise summary of Jesus’s message: “At last the time has come! The Kingdom of God is near! Turn from your sins and believe this Good News!” (Mark 1:15). Notice that Jesus’s own preaching was not primarily about Himself, but about the coming of the long-awaited kingdom of God, that which the prophets had promised and for which the Jewish people prayed every day.
What is this kingdom of God? In the Old Testament, the kingdom of God was not somewhere up in the sky, or something we experience only after death. Rather, it was God’s reign or rule on earth, a reign that would continue into eternity. The establishment of God’s kingdom on earth brings reconciliation between people and God, and extends that reconciliation throughout the world. Hatred and injustice are replaced by the love and justice of God. Sickness and death are consumed by God’s wholeness and eternal life. Human rebellion against God’s reign is replaced by loving obedience. (For much more on Jesus’s preaching of the kingdom of God, see my series: What Was the Message of Jesus?)
Tomorrow I’ll continue my quick overview of the ministry of Jesus.
Topics: Mission | 7 Comments »
The Mission of God in the Old Testament
By Mark D. Roberts | Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Part 2 of series: The Mission of God and the Missional Church
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God created human beings so that we might have fellowship with Him and serve as faithful managers of His creation (Gen 1-2). God was to be the King who reigned over heaven and earth, and we were to be his royal family, those through whom He would implement His reign. (Picture to the right: “Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden” by Jan Brueghel, 1610.)
Yet we sinned against God, disobeying Him because of our prideful desire to equal to Him. We were not satisfied with fellowship with the King as His prince and princess. We wanted to be king and queen ourselves. Our sin was not some minor peccadillo, something a holy God could simply ignore, but rather outright rebellion against His reign. The result of sin was pervasive brokenness, in our relationship with God and with each other and in creation itself (Gen 3). We shattered the gift of divine fellowship and the perfection of God’s world.
From the moment of the first sin, human beings have tried to evade its implications. We have made excuses. We have tried to earn our way back into God’s favor. But no human scheme ever works. Only God can mend that which we have broken. And that is exactly the mission He graciously adopts: to reconcile us to Himself, to one another, and to bring reconciliation to creation. Reconciliation, therefore, is the means by which God will restore the fellowship that was broken through sin. Even though we have rebelled against Him, God still wants us to have fellowship with Him and to serve as stewards of His renewed creation.
God begins to fulfill His mission by forming a special people – Israel – with whom He will have intimate relationship and through whom He will bless all nations (Gen 12:1-3; Exod 19:3-6). He reveals His gracious nature to the Israelites and rules over them as their king (Exod 34:4-7; Judg 8:23). But they repeatedly rebel, rejecting God as king and preferring to serve idols (1 Sam 10:19; Ezek 20:16).
What seems like an irreparable setback in God’s plan, however, in fact prepares the way for the crucial step in Hiw reconciling program. God uses the occasion of Israel’s rebellion to make promises of His future reconciliation. “Someday,” the Lord says through his prophets, “I will restore my chosen nation and, in the process, reach out to all nations on earth.” God will save His chosen people from their distress through a unique individual who will extend divine salvation to the ends of the earth (Isa 49:6). This unequaled Savior will be the suffering Servant of God, who bears the sin of all humanity, offering His life for us so that we might be made whole as we are reconciled to God (Isa 53). Centuries before God’s Redeemer comes, the Jewish prophet Isaiah speaks words that will one day fill His mouth:
The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is upon me, because the Lord has appointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to comfort the brokenhearted and to announce that captives will be released and prisoners will be freed. He has sent me to tell those who mourn that the time of the Lord’s favor has come (Isa 61:1-2).
In that time of favor, God will remove the plague of sin and restore His rightful reign upon the earth. That which has been damaged because of sin will be mended, as God reconciles people to Himself and to each other. It will be a day of great rejoicing, as Isaiah acknowledges:
How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news of peace and salvation, the news that the God of Israel reigns! The watchmen shout and sing for joy, for before their very eyes they see the Lord bringing his people home to Jerusalem. Let the ruins of Jerusalem break into joyful song, for the Lord has comforted his people. He has redeemed Jerusalem. The Lord will demonstrate his holy power before the eyes of all the nations. The ends of the earth will see the salvation of our God (Isa 52:7-10).
Someday God will reign! God’s people will be comforted and reconciled to their Creator. God’s salvation will reach even to the ends of the earth.
In my next post I’ll connect this Old Testament mission of God to the ministry of Jesus.
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Mission Impossible?
By Mark D. Roberts | Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Part 1 of series: The Mission of God and the Missional Church
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In my early teenage years, nothing captured my imagination like the television classic, Mission: Impossible. Intricate plots, dire situations, ingenious devices, split-second timing – all of these combined to keep me on the edge of my seat for 60 anxious minutes. If you’re too young to remember the original television series, the recent Mission: Impossible films help to remedy your deprivation. But there are only three movies; there were 168 original episodes on TV.
As the show began, Jim Phelps would play a tape that outlined some enemy plot crying out immediate attention. Only Mr. Phelps and his organization, the Impossible Mission Force (IMF), could remedy the desperate situation. Their assignment was perilous in the extreme. Failure would be disastrous, both for the world and for the IMF. If a member of the IMF were to be caught or killed, “the Secretary will disavow any knowledge of your actions.” The taped voice gave Mr. Phelps the opportunity to accept or to reject the impossible assignment. Then it concluded with those famous words: “This tape will self-destruct in five seconds.” Its smoky demise led straightaway into the show’s memorable theme music. (To hear the famous song and see the opening for Season 3, click here. The picture to the right is the album of the Mission Impossible music.)
For the sake of high TV ratings, Mr. Phelps always accepted the assignment, gathered his team of experts, and with unequaled skill managed to defeat the forces of evil, usually situated in some rogue nation. The impossible mission turned out to be possible for the IMF, but just by the skin of their teeth. Chalk up another one for human ingenuity and technological sophistication!
As human beings we also face an impossible mission, but one that is truly beyond our potential. The problem: human sin and its results. The mission: to undo the dire effects of sin, to bring reconciliation between us and God, and to extend that reconciliation to all creation. In the quotable phrase of N.T. Wright, it’s the mission of “putting the world back to rights.” This mission’s degree of difficulty? Utterly impossible. No amount of human cleverness, no collection of spiritual gizmos and disguises, will mend the breach between us and God, and heal all that is wrong with the world.
For limited and sinful creatures like us, overcoming sin and its results is indeed an impossible mission. “But with God everything is possible” (Matt 19:26). God alone can fix what we have broken. God alone can restore what is beyond our power. God alone can reconcile us to himself, and, as a result, bring reconciliation to a shattered world.
But, amazingly, God has chosen to use us for His mission. He has chosen us as members of His Impossible Mission Force. More accurately, we are part of God’s Possible Mission Force. As believers in Jesus Christ, we have been drafted into the unique mission of God. To be sure, we cannot make reconciliation with God occur. That’s God’s job and he has accomplished it marvelously. Yet He has chosen us to be his agents of reconciliation who share in his mission of healing all creation (2 Cor 5:18-21). Because we experience intimate fellowship with God through Christ, we are also partners with him in his mission in the world.
What is God’s mission? How does God accomplish that which is impossible for us? What should we do as members of God’s mission force? How do we execute our assignment in the world? These questions are answered throughout the Scripture, which, thank God, does not self-destruct five seconds after we hear it!
Before I lay out our mission as God’s people, I want to place that mission in a broad biblical context. We will best understand our task when we see it as an extension of God’s mission in the Old Testament, that which is culminated in Jesus Christ.
(Note: this series, like my last one on Sainthood, Service, and Suffering, is based on part of my out-of-print book, After “I Believe.” What you’ll be reading is a greatly expanded and edited version of one chapter in that book.)
Topics: Mission | 4 Comments »
Getting Older . . . What Goes Around Comes Around
By Mark D. Roberts | Monday, May 21, 2007
In my last two posts I’ve shared some occasions on which I had to deal with the fact of my getting older, at least in appearance. When I was much younger I used to think of this as cool. I remember, for example, when I went to the movies with my friends during my high school years. We all asked for student rates. My friends got their discounts without question. The ticket salesperson made me show my student ID because she thought I was well beyond high school age. Back then, this was great. But now, well, it’s a little different.
I’ve always been careful as a pastor not to insult people in my flock. (Good plan!) Once, and only once, did I ask a member of my flock when her baby was due, only to hear that she was not pregnant. Now I don’t mention pregnancy to a woman unless she’s fully in labor.
One of my most awkward moments as a pastor came many years ago with a woman I’ll call Shirley. I didn’t know how old she was, but I figured she must have been around the same age as her husband Charles. They both looked to be about 65, as near as I could tell, although Charles might have been a couple of years younger.
One time I was talking with Shirley about her experiences in college. I asked, “Did you meet Charles while in college?”
“Yes,” I did she answered.
“Oh,” I continued, innocently enough, “were you and he in the same class at school?”
Shirley’s eyes darkened and the edges of her mouth dropped ominously. “No, we were not!” she said with an angry tone. “Charles is fifteen years older than I am!”
You know, there’s just not much that can be said at this point. Less is better, I think. I apologized without further explanation. I avoided obvious gaffs like, “Oh, you and he look to be the same age.” But there was no escaping the fact that I had stuck my foot into my mouth and chomped down hard.
By God’s grace, Shirley never held my misjudgment against me, at least as far as I know. She remained a good friend. And I learned never to say anything that suggests to any human being how old he or she might be, unless I’m talking to kids, when I always over-estimate their ages because they seem to like it.
I’ve wondered sometimes if having McDonald’s employees give me the senior discount is retribution for my insult to Shirley. You know, what does around comes around.
Am I going to put up a picture of Shirley and Charles? To quote Javert, “You must think me mad!” But their situation reminds me of one of the most famous of American paintings, American Gothic by Grant Wood. I had always thought that this painting was meant to represent a husband and wife who, obviously, have quite a large age spread between them. I learned, however, that Wood intended the characters in the picture to be a farmer and his unmarried daughter. In fact, those who posed for the painting were Wood’s dentist (62 years old) and sister (30 years old).
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Sunday Inspiration from Pray the Gospels
By Mark D. Roberts | Sunday, May 20, 2007
Excerpt
“Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”
Matthew 11:29
Click here to read all of Matthew 11:25-30
Prayer
O Lord, how much do I need to set down the yoke I’m carrying and pick up Your yoke! I can get so weighed down with the burdens I’m carrying by myself. Yet You offer me a better way, the easy yoke and the light burden of true discipleship.
In order to pick up Your yoke, however, I must first put down my own. And, no matter how much I find my solitary yoke burdensome, at least it is familiar . . . and it’s mine. Often I feel reticent to let go of what I can control and take up Your yoke, even with the promise of its lightness. Forgive me.
And help me, Lord. Help me to trust You. Help me to lay my burdens down before You. Help me to pick up Your yoke with confidence.
Postscript
“Cast Thy Burden On the Lord”
by Rowland Hill, 1783.
Cast thy burden on the Lord,
Only lean upon His Word;
Thou wilt soon have cause to bless
His eternal faithfulness.
He sustains thee by His hand,
He enables thee to stand;
Those whom Jesus once hath loved
From His grace are never moved.
Human counsels come to naught;
That shall stand which God hath wrought;
His compassion, love, and power,
Are the same forevermore.
Heav’n and earth may pass away,
God’s free grace shall not decay;
He hath promised to fulfill
All the pleasure of His will.
Jesus, Guardian of Thy flock,
Be Thyself our constant Rock;
Make us, by Thy powerful hand,
Strong as Zion’s mountain stand.
Pray the Gospels
Pray the Gospels is one of my devotional websites. The other is Pray the Psalms.
Topics: Sunday Inspiration | No Comments »
Week in Review: May 13-18, 2007
By Mark D. Roberts | Saturday, May 19, 2007
My Recent Blogging
Sunday, May 13: Inspiration from Pray the Gospels
Monday, May 14: Hope in the Midst of Struggle and Suffering
Tuesday, May 15: How to Begin Life as a Saint
Wednesday, May 16: Getting Older . . .
Thursday, May 17: Getting Older . . . Even at 38
Friday, May 18: Getting Older . . . What Goes Around Comes Around
Links to Other Sites
Good Grief! How Should Christians Grieve? Some sage biblical and pastoral counsel from Ben Witherington, a top New Testament scholar.
Preaching at Virginia Tech. Dr. Richard Mouw, President of Fuller Theological Seminary, reviews a fascinating series of responses to the Virginia Tech tragedy. Telling, indeed.
Dining with Shamu
Last month my daughter and I visited Sea World in San Diego, California. (If you want to see a short video clip I made of one of the rides at Sea World, check out this YouTube link.) On the recommendation of my sisters, Kara and I enjoyed “Dining with Shamu.” We had lunch only a few feet away from several killer whales. The lunch was a surprisingly tasty buffet. And the best part, in addition to being so close to the whales, was getting to hear the inside scoop from the trainers, who were also willing to answer any questions we might have.
If you’re ever planning a trip to Sea World, I’d encourage you to save your dollars for a “Dining with Shamu” experience. It’s not cheap. The cost per person was around $35. But the quality of the food and service, combined with the chance to see the whales from only a few feet away, made the cost worthwhile. Most importantly, my daughter loved it!
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Getting Older . . . Even at 38
By Mark D. Roberts | Friday, May 18, 2007
In yesterday’s post I told the story of how, on my fiftieth birthday, I had just completed a 4-mile run when a young man complimented me for doing that “at your age.” Sounds pretty bad, doesn’t it? Well, I’ve heard worse things in my life.
In 1998 I was teaching a seminary extension course in Downey, California, a suburb of Los Angeles. During a break I went searching for a cup of coffee, and found myself at the oldest surviving McDonald’s restaurant. The Downey McDonald’s was, in fact, the fourth of the chain, but the three older ones had been torn down. This particular restaurant had obviously been recently redone, with its shiny exterior and classic 50s look. (For more information on this historic site, check out this page from the National Trust for Historic Preservation website. No joke!)
Anyway, I walked up to the outdoor service window and ordered a small coffee. I pulled the required 75 cents from my pocket and waited as a young woman, dressed in a 50s-style uniform, filled the styrofoam cup with steaming coffee. Finally she handed to me and said, “That will be 25 cents, please.”
“25 cents?” I queried, thinking that perhaps I had lucked into a special coffee promotion, “Why is it only 25 cents?”
Without the slightest hesitation, the young woman said kindly, “Because that’s the senior discount price.”
Speechless, I handed her a quarter and walked away, dumbfounded. People used to think I looked a bit older than my 38 years, but nobody had ever suggested that I was 55 before. (Once, when I was 19, I drove on a field trip for my 10-year-old sister’s class. One of the mothers said to me, “Oh, we always like it when the fathers drive.”)
I’ve been back to that fateful McDonald’s several times, and I’m pleased to report that nobody has ever offered me a senior discount. This has happened to me at two other McDonald’s restaurants, however. But, being a glutton for punishment, I keep on going back. They do have the best fast-food coffee around, in my aged opinion.
Topics: Fun | 1 Comment »
Getting Older . . .
By Mark D. Roberts | Thursday, May 17, 2007
Last week I had a momentous birthday. Most people would say that I turned 50. I’ve actually been saying that I just entered my sixth decade. Might as well milk getting older for all it’s worth.
On the day of my birthday, I thought I’d celebrate in the late afternoon by going on a run in one of my favorite locations, Crystal Cove State Park. This park includes three miles of unspoiled beaches, as well as some pristine canyons. I set out on a four-mile run along the beach and back.
It was a beautiful afternoon as I trotted along. I don’t run as often or a quickly as I once did. My knees have their limits, after all. Nevertheless, I felt pretty good about myself for being able to jog at all at 50 years old.
As I got to the end of my run, I slowed to a walk. The older I get, the more I’ve discovered that cooling down after exercise helps minimize pain. While I was ambling along, I stopped to talk with a young man riding in some sort of golf cart. We chatted about the weather and who knows what else. Finally the man asked me, “Say, what have you been doing?”
“Oh, I went on a little run down the beach for a couple of miles and then back,” I answered, feeling slightly smug.
“Wow!” he said, “that’s great for a guy of your age!”
Hey, I wondered to myself, do I now have some invisible sign that reads “Old guy” or something like that. At my age? Nobody’s ever said anything like that to me before.
Well, actually I once had something happen to me that was even worse. Stay tuned . . . .
Topics: Fun | 8 Comments »
Reflections on the Ministry of Jerry Falwell
By Mark D. Roberts | Wednesday, May 16, 2007
I just heard the news that Jerry Falwell has died. My first reaction is one of shock. Though I never met him personally, Rev. Falwell has been a fixture in my world for almost my whole adult life, or so it seems. It’s strange to think of the world without him in it.
My second reaction is sadness for his family and for many who knew him personally and loved him. There were many of these people. If you’ve only known Jerry Falwell through his public persona, you might think that we wasn’t especially kind in person. But when I was at Harvard, one of my liberal professors knew Rev. Falwell well and said that he was quite pleasant. All I knew of Jerry Falwell was what I read in the news and saw on TV. In this mode his kindness was often obscured by his self-righteous bluster. Of course the media tended to play up his flirtations with rudeness, making matters worse for Rev. Falwell.
When Jerry Falwell founded the Moral Majority in 1979, and when he was the leading spokesman for the religious right, I was about as liberal as they come politically. During those days I couldn’t stand Jerry Falwell, either his ideas or his attidudes, and it really bugged me that he was my brother in Christ because I felt guilty disliking him so much. (In fact, Christians are also not to hate non-Christians, but let’s not get confused with the biblical facts here.)
Years later, when my political views became more centrist (and often more complex and more confused), I wasn’t quite so horrified by some of Rev. Falwell’s ideas, but I found his pompous pundit persona to be a major turn-off. He always seemed to have a tone that suggested those who disagreed with him were complete idiots.
Jerry Falwell did say things that seemed foolish to me. No doubt you’ll recall his infamous gaffe on The 700 Club following 9/11, when he said that God had allowed this tragedy as a punishment for America. Then he proceeded to name those who were morally responsible for 9/11, including: the ACLU, the federal courts, the abortionists, the pagans, the feminists, the gays, the lesbians, and the People for the American way. Curiously enough, Osama bin Laden escaped Rev. Falwell’s tirade unscathed. After mentioning all of bad folk who turned God against the U.S., Rev. Falwell said: “I point the thing in their face and say ‘You helped this happen.’” Later Jerry Falwell apologized. Nevertheless, what he had said didn’t exactly endear him to me or make me glad that he was such a prominent spokesman for the church in America. I say a lot of stupid things too, but I try to keep them to myself.
Given all of this, I must admit that I never got warm fuzzies when I saw the Rev. Falwell on Meet the Press, or even when I happened to catch a moment of The Old Time Gospel Hour, his popular religious broadcast.
With this confession in mind, let me tell you what happened on a Sunday evening a couple of years ago. I was doing some late night channel surfing when I happened upon the broad face of Jerry Falwell. He was preaching, so I thought I’d linger for a moment to see if he was saying anything foolish. (Yes, I know this isn’t a very Christian way to think, but sometimes I don’t think very Christianly.) What I heard, however, was startlingly wise. Rev. Falwell was talking about things he had learned as “a fourth quarter saint,” which I took to mean an experienced, older Christian. There was lots of wisdom here. In fact, some of what Rev. Falwell said about a pastor giving priority to his family actually struck my heart.
So I kept listening to the sermon. As it turns out, it was a message he had delivered at the “SuperConference 2005″ sponsored by the Thomas Road Baptist Church. Rev. Falwell was addressing several thousand people, most of whom seemed to be young adults.
I didn’t agree with everything in this sermon. But I found myself agreeing with more than I would have imagined, and actually feeling personally challenged and encouraged. Given my negative attitude toward Jerry Falwell, you can imagine that this was an unsettling and humbling experience for me.
When the sermon was over, I realized that I needed to repent of some of what I had thought and felt about Jerry Falwell. Though I don’t agree with many things he said in his public ministry, I have to admit that he also said and did many very good things as a pastor. (One of those was to challenge me to spend more time with my wife and children.)
But when the sermon was over, I also felt sad, sad that a preacher with a good chunk of biblical wisdom and a genuinely caring heart had said so many things in his public ministry that were unkind and, in my view, unwise. Now I think Jerry Falwell was right to bring his religious convictions into the socio-political realm. We need Christians of all theological persuasions to extend the kingdom of God into all facets of our world. But I also think Rev. Falwell, as a preacher, overstepped some appropriate bounds, thereby weakening his impact and undermining his message. Honestly, I’m not sure I can define precisely where these appropriate bounds lie, but I think this issue deserves serious attention from any preacher before holding forth in the public arena.
I am not saying that preachers shouldn’t deal with political topics. I don’t think we can truly preach God’s Word without getting into matters political. After all, the Bible has plenty to say about matters of justice. But I do think preachers need to think very carefully about what and how we speak when it is explicitly political and partisan. I think we need to discern what we should say as preachers and what we should say only as private citizens. I also think we need to distinguish carefully between what we can say on the authority of God’s Word, and what we can’t say without lots of input from our personal political, economic, and social philosophy. It’s too easy for us to jump from A (God opposes poverty) to Z (the Congress should vote for or vote against this particular legislation) without realizing that many of the letters from B to Y aren’t taught in Scripture so much as in poli-sci and economics classes.
Finally, we preachers are a talkative lot. Mostly this is good. But it seems to me that preachers, and all Christians, for that matter, should work hard to speak the truth as we perceive it in a Christ-like way. To do otherwise is to contradict the message by the media.
(Note: much of this post once appeared in a series I did on Churches, Elections, and the IRS. There you can find more of my reflections on faith, preaching, and politics.)
Topics: Tributes | 8 Comments »
How to Begin to Live as a Saint
By Mark D. Roberts | Tuesday, May 15, 2007
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As I’ve explained earlier in this series, if you’re a Christian, then you’re a saint, a person set-apart by God for relationship with Him and to serve Him in the world. So how do you begin to live as a saint on a daily basis?
First of all, don’t get all puffed up about receiving the title of “saint.” Remember, it’s not a reward for a godly life, but an invitation to start living one. I wouldn’t recommend that you change your business card by adding the title “Saint” to your name.
Remember also that your sainthood depends upon what God has done, setting you apart for himself and his service through Christ. If you have trusted Christ for your salvation, then you are a saint. So be what you are! Live like it! As you get up in the morning, remember your primary purpose for the day: To live as a person dedicated to God and God’s work.
It may be that the Holy Spirit has revealed to you an area of your life in need of transformation. Watch out for the natural tendency to rationalize away what God is saying to you! Instead, let the Scripture be that which tells you the truth about your life. Ask the Lord for help in living by his standards, not the standards of the world.
Also, remember that sainthood is not a solitary journey, but a pilgrimage shared with other believers in Jesus. If you try to be different from this world all by yourself, you will surely fail. Commit yourself to a community of Christians who understand that they have been set apart by God for special purposes.
You cannot live a holy life apart from the power of the Holy Spirit. God has given you his Spirit, in part, to help you live in way that is different from the world. The more you spend time in fellowship with God, the more you will be empowered to live distinctively. Bible reading, prayer, and worship contribute mightily to our active holiness. (Photo: Even kids know they need fellowship with other believers to grow in faith.)
One of the ways the world reinforces its godless values is through peer pressure. If “everybody’s doing it,” then why shouldn’t you? That’s especially true if “everybody” includes your close friends or family. We often talk about peer pressure as a problem for teenagers, and indeed it is. But most adults I know work hard to be like those around us and to gain their approval. We just don’t call it peer pressure; we call it “getting along” or “socialization.” If we are going to live in a way that displeases our secular peers, and perhaps even causes them to turn against us, then we need an alternative peer group. We need intimate communion with our brothers and sisters in Christ. Regular support, prayer, encouragement, and accountability will help us to fend off the world’s disapproval, and to delight in God’s approval above all.
Topics: Christianity and the World | 4 Comments »
Hope in the Midst of Struggle and Suffering
By Mark D. Roberts | Monday, May 14, 2007
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In my last post I explained that Christian hope is focused in God and God’s future. It is not believing that everything in our lives will turn out as we’d like it to be. As a pastor I often meet with people before they have major surgery. I listen to their fears and try to encourage them with God’s unfailing love. Sometimes I hear their friends make an effort to be hopeful, saying something like: “Oh, I just know it isn’t cancer. I’m sure everything will turn out just fine.” The intention behind this sort of hope is noble, but it isn’t Christian hope. Wonderful, faithful, God-fearing people get cancer. Sometimes they die unexpectedly in surgery. Although God is present in medical procedures and often heals in marvelous ways, sometimes, for reasons beyond our wisdom, tragedies occur.
For example, some years ago my heart was heavy as a young woman from my congregation was giving birth to her baby, a baby who died several days earlier in her womb. I ached for this dear woman and her husband. Their suffering was real. Yet so was God’s presence with them in their pain. They could have unfailing hope that God would be with them as they “walked through the valley of the shadow of death” (Ps 23:4, KJV). Furthermore, they could be certain that, when someday they stand in the presence of Christ, their pain will have passed and their rejoicing will be complete. They can embrace the sure hope of the future, even as they suffer through the sure suffering of the present.
Hope is elusive in our world today. Oh, to be sure, if the economy is strong people can be hopeful, in a way. Technological advances seem to offer a better life, sort of. Political candidates promise prosperity and peace. But despair always seems to be lurking right around the corner. Dismal financial news sends the stock market plunging. Technology presents us with the ease of e-mail and the scourge of on-line pornography. Hopeful candidates become elected officials who fail to fulfill their promises while claiming glorious success. Terrorism threatens to rip apart the very fabric of civilized, free society. Then you add all of the personal struggles: families falling apart, marriages on their last legs, job insecurities, terminal illnesses, etc. etc. Why have hope? What sense does it make to be hopeful in a world so broken and hurting? How can we have hope in a post 9/11 world?
From a merely human perspective, it makes no sense at all. If there is no God in heaven who cares about us, if Christ has not died for our sins and risen as a sign of what is to come, then hope should be banished as happy-faced poppycock. Postmodern people have peered behind the veil of modernist hope in human achievement and discovered that there’s nothing there. Cynicism is our last defense in a hopeless world.
But Christians are set apart from this world by being people of hope. We know what God has done and we are confident in what God will do. Jesus says, “Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). Jesus has conquered the fallen world and is in the process of finishing up what His death and resurrection began. Not even death, however painful it might be, can steal away our hope. As Paul writes to the Corinthians:
When our perishable earthly bodies have been transformed into heavenly bodies that will never die — then at last the Scriptures will come true:
“Death is swallowed up in victory.
O death, where is your victory?
O death, where is your sting?”For sin is the sting that results in death, and the law gives sin its power. How we thank God, who gives us victory over sin and death through Jesus Christ our Lord! So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and steady, always enthusiastic about the Lord’s work, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless (1 Cor 15:54-58).
Even as we look forward to God’s final victory, we begin now to rejoice in hope. Our hope gives us strength to continue in the Lord’s work, knowing our labors have everlasting value. For us, the world is not only a hostile environment in which we suffer – it is not only a hurting place that will someday be transformed by God’s reign – but it is also the realm in which we serve the Lord.
Topics: Christianity and the World | No Comments »