After 17 years of ministry at our church, our Pastor Ken is going on his first sabbatical coming up this month. I have gotten the impression that this is not fully understood by everyone; people haven't been saying anything particular that I've heard, but one person expressed that she had wanted to hear what the speaker from our denomination came to say (though he barely touched on the matter of sabbaticals--their purpose and what we were to expect to have happen through them). I asked Pastor whether people had supported or opposed it. He said they hadn't said much either way, which I think he supposed meant they didn't know what to think of it. I am supporting it entirely, because I've had the benefit of reading one of Eugene Peterson's books, The Contemplative Pastor, where he described the healing and focus and restoration that came from his church sending him on sabbatical. His lasted a year; Pastor Ken will be gone three months.
I think that people tend to think that such an amount of time "off work" is automatically time that is expected to be filled with travel and entertainment to whatever extent a person can afford it. However, that is not the general goal of a sabbatical, and Pastor Ken has resisted the idea of a trip when it was suggested--he is staying fairly closeby and intentionally not traveling during the time. It is a foreign idea to most of us, but a travel time would add its share of strain and distraction, disallowing the intended time to be spent in reflection, study, and prayer.
Pastor will have just returned from a missions trip that was productive but in all ways strenuous, and he was sick and tired even before he left. I don't expect that he will come back at all rested--probably all the more exhausted. He really needed the sabbatical for months before the missions trip happened. He is the one worker who is almost always physically present at our little church, and though we have another pastor (who works in construction part-time), and we also have capable elders, I get the impression that the bulk of the ministry falls on Pastor Ken--he does most of the sermons and pretty much sees about the running of the church, ministering to the people, and I think he tries to do more than he should be called upon to do because at times there aren't others doing all that needs to be done.
Because the church is small, I think people suppose that the pastor's job is small. If you contrast a small church with a large one, though, a large one has a staff of workers all through the week along with many volunteers and probably more funds for those things that the congregation can't do. Our small church has one full-time pastor, a part-time pastor and an elder board, and then a small congregation. There isn't the staff and there aren't so many people to do or fund the surrounding work. There aren't as many observers who notice the details of the things that need to be done. By the time you subtract the older and crippled folk, the moms who have lots of children that they homeschool, the men who work full-time, and the young people who are overwhelmed with just starting out in life, there are few left who have the time and focus to do the remaining work. The pastor walks in and out of his study and the things to do stare him in the face week after week unless someone does them. A person calls and the pastor answers the phone, rather than a receptionist. No one screens the calls. Someone knocks on the door, and the pastor goes to answer it. His job is probably enormously bigger than that of the pastor in a large church. I think the reason I notice this is because I've been a member of many larger churches, this is the first smaller church I've seen, and I know that the contrast would be staggering to the person experiencing it. It's ironic that the small-church pastor with so much on his shoulders realizes less recognition than the one with the huge support system around him.
Pastor says he needs to get away to re-evaluate, to hear what God has to say, to line his ministry up with God's priorities. I think that he gets pulled in a variety of directions, more than any person should. I am amazed that his temperament stays as calm and quiet and gentle as it does. I think mine would go ballistic in short order with all the daily demands that he faces!
Not only will a sabbatical be good for Pastor Ken, but it will be good for the church. If nothing else, it will help us just to see how big a hole is left when he leaves. I don't think it will be like the picture of removing a boat from the water, where the space the boat took is immediately displaced by water such that it leaves no impact. It will be more like having a huge tractor remove a tree from its soil--it will leave a gaping hole where all the roots, big and small, had become accustomed to the tunnels they had made in their surroundings, winding around rocks and clinging to anything stable. We will keep expecting the tree to be there, and keep falling into the hole. After a little while, we'll learn to bring a bucket of dirt to help fill in the hole. Perhaps by the time Pastor returns, the hole will be filled--there won't be another tree there, but the gap will be such that we're no longer getting hurt by falling into the hole he left. He'll be welcome back, of course, but perhaps in part because of our filling that hole, he'll be able to stand a little taller, digging his roots into some fresh soil. And we'll see him in the new light that comes with the refreshment of his time away and new perspective.
In pondering the matter of the sabbatical, today I googled "pastor sabbatical" and came up first with an article from Christianity Today called Give 'Em a Break--and I think it does a good job at presenting from a first-person description what the benefits are. It also adds some compiled suggestions for providing the money to pay for a sabbatical. Believe me, if our little church can do it, probably any church can!
A Review of the Video: Why You Should Give Your Pastor a Sabbatical, Roy Oswald, Senior Consultant with the Alban Institute quotes its presenter, Oswald, as saying, “90% of what a pastor does is invisible to 90% of the people 90% of the time.” For those who doubt the necessity of this sabbatical, I think perhaps this explains why they would wonder--the work isn't like building a visible brick wall; it's spiritual work. Eugene Peterson describes pastoral work as being like the angles of a triangle: time in prayer, time studying the Scriptures, and time working among the flock; he says that these aren't things that observers can evaluate as to whether they are being done or not. The time these things consume depends on the conscientiousness of the pastor. It's not much wonder that we might not appreciate this work fully, when we can't really see or evaluate the actuality of it.
Not only does the pastor need to do those three main things, but you can imagine how the natural earthly demands of a church, such as the maintenance of the building, might tend to worm their way into this triangle of responsibility and weaken the structure and focus of the pastor's work; every member of the congregation might have their unique opinions, requests, confusions, demands...and if (considering Oswald's quote) they don't see that the pastor has much work to do, they might be surprised and disappointed if he doesn't respond according to their expectations. This video review article is good also, in that it presents what a sabbatical requires of the congregation, and a list of its benefits.
Nine Marks (a website for equipping pastors) has an article about it too, Caring for the Pastor: The Sabbatical. This has good advice for the church, recommending constraints that make the most of the sabbatical time.
I hope that our church will discover all the benefits that comes from this sabbatical. I hope that they will consider providing one every few years from this point on. I hope and expect also that this sabbatical is just what is needed to restore Pastor Ken to a new energy and enthusiasm. I've never seen a pastor who deserved it more.
Today (4/6) Pastor was talking to us about his upcoming sabbatical. I thought of my closing sentence here when in reference to the sabbatical he said something to this effect: "I don't deserve anything. I don't deserve this sabbatical. I have never really felt right taking a paycheck from you." I've never heard this kind of talk from a pastor before--and he receives less pay even now for all he does than any other pastor of ours ever did, even the one 20 years ago who was having dinner at our house and complaining about his low pay--which wasn't all that low, to be quite honest; and that one didn't even really preach from the Bible, and he had a secretary besides.
Monday, March 31, 2008
The Attitude of Grumbling vs. Gratitude
I have to say lately I have not been in an appreciative mode. I've been pondering things that I see as needing improvement in my life, and complaining in my mind about them. This morning I woke up realizing just how bad it had become, and there's a big need for a turnaround. As if God has not blessed me! As if others don't have it much worse! (Even most others. Even people across the street. Even people with more money. Even people with...well, I'd hardly trade places with almost anyone. Probably anyone, if I knew all the facts.)
There aren't very many things I remember about my dad, and the things that I do recall are very random. For example, I remember that he used to say that if you envy someone, remember that you'd have to take everything about their life, not just the one aspect of which you are jealous. He wasn't a believer, but he realized the ugliness of envy and discontent. The other day, Tim was talking about a neighbor across the street, whose father works for an airline--and I'm not sure that Tim was discontent or envying particularly, but he was observing their ability to travel. The family goes on frequent trips to Hawaii and the like. Still, the mother works outside the home, the father commutes to the airport (about an hour one-way), I find the father quite disagreeable, and I wouldn't trade my kids for theirs with a billion dollars thrown in. Just the idea of the mother working was enough to put it in perspective for Tim, and that made me realize all the more how much I'm thankful for being an at-home mom. I don't stay home because we're so rich and can afford it (sometimes we really can't, but we do anyway); I stay home because we've seen first-hand how my working wrought havoc in our lives, and that was just at the beginning of raising kids. My being home has become a priority, and I hope that it will continue.
There are times when I've caught myself being grumbly and started listing in my mind the things for which I have to be thankful. They are many!
1. Jesus Christ saved me. Hallelujah! (This alone trumps any complaint I might have.)
2. I have a kind and loving husband, two children who I think are progressing well, a home, and too many trappings of American life. I suffer from over-abundance, if anything.
3. We have good health. Okay, I'm rather plump and have a weird little bump on my shoulder that's been there for years, and foot problems, but we don't have any big problems in regard to our health. And it's not because we deserve it--we aren't so incredibly fitness and nutrition minded.
4. We live in a beautiful part of a free country.
5. We have an amazing community of believing friends and belong to the most wonderful church around.
I don't think I'll go on. It might sound like I'm gloating or bragging, and I'm not. But slap me if I complain, would you? Any complaint of mine is just stupid and it's because of God's grace that I haven't been hit with a lightning bolt in recent times. God is great...but then I knew that. Really, I did. Okay, one more.
6. God is great! And...you knew that, didn't you? Now go make your list of things for which you are thankful, will you?
There aren't very many things I remember about my dad, and the things that I do recall are very random. For example, I remember that he used to say that if you envy someone, remember that you'd have to take everything about their life, not just the one aspect of which you are jealous. He wasn't a believer, but he realized the ugliness of envy and discontent. The other day, Tim was talking about a neighbor across the street, whose father works for an airline--and I'm not sure that Tim was discontent or envying particularly, but he was observing their ability to travel. The family goes on frequent trips to Hawaii and the like. Still, the mother works outside the home, the father commutes to the airport (about an hour one-way), I find the father quite disagreeable, and I wouldn't trade my kids for theirs with a billion dollars thrown in. Just the idea of the mother working was enough to put it in perspective for Tim, and that made me realize all the more how much I'm thankful for being an at-home mom. I don't stay home because we're so rich and can afford it (sometimes we really can't, but we do anyway); I stay home because we've seen first-hand how my working wrought havoc in our lives, and that was just at the beginning of raising kids. My being home has become a priority, and I hope that it will continue.
There are times when I've caught myself being grumbly and started listing in my mind the things for which I have to be thankful. They are many!
1. Jesus Christ saved me. Hallelujah! (This alone trumps any complaint I might have.)
2. I have a kind and loving husband, two children who I think are progressing well, a home, and too many trappings of American life. I suffer from over-abundance, if anything.
3. We have good health. Okay, I'm rather plump and have a weird little bump on my shoulder that's been there for years, and foot problems, but we don't have any big problems in regard to our health. And it's not because we deserve it--we aren't so incredibly fitness and nutrition minded.
4. We live in a beautiful part of a free country.
5. We have an amazing community of believing friends and belong to the most wonderful church around.
I don't think I'll go on. It might sound like I'm gloating or bragging, and I'm not. But slap me if I complain, would you? Any complaint of mine is just stupid and it's because of God's grace that I haven't been hit with a lightning bolt in recent times. God is great...but then I knew that. Really, I did. Okay, one more.
6. God is great! And...you knew that, didn't you? Now go make your list of things for which you are thankful, will you?
Sunday, March 30, 2008
My Travels on the Internet
I love having internet access. I was thinking today how much it enables me to get so much done, to investigate things, to learn and enjoy. I'm sure every user of it has a different collection of favorite websites that they visit, and who knows just how much more we could get done if we availed ourselves of all that was there for our particular needs, but we just don't know the resources that we have at our fingertips.
Years ago, when the internet first came out, I had it already condemned in my mind as a place of evil, that there was so much filth available that I didn't want access to it in our home. So for years we went without. Then we attended a Missions conference in Vancouver, BC, and at one of the missions exhibits, a man spoke with me about its usefulness in just being able to communicate with people the world over by e-mail at a touch of a button. He described the internet as being like a big city--there are streets you know are safe, and there are streets you don't go down because of the dangers that lurk there. So we signed up for it, and since then we've been hooked. I thought I'd share a smidgen of the ways I use the internet, and hope that this listing might make your internet use a bit more useful.
I blog, as you obviously know. Go to blogger.com and start your own blog! I recommend it. Studying the Bible, as I often need to look up a verse for my blogging or for other purposes, I go to biblegateway.com. Blueletterbible.com is probably more excellent in the surrounding aspects of Bible study. If I need to know the meaning of a word, I go to dictionary.com, and there are various aspects of word study that I can do there. For an antique dictionary that contains biblical reference, I go to cbtministries.org/resources/webster1828.htm.
My favorite search engine is google.com, which I think might be because it's so catchy and easy to type, but whatever, I like it.
If Tim wants to watch a movie, I look it up on christianitytoday.com/movies or christiananswers.net to find a Christian review before he watches it. It has spared us a lot of grief in watching nasty movies. If I want secular information on a movie, I go to imdb.com (internet movie database).
I listen to Christian radio shows any time of the day or night, even if they're not on local radio, by going to oneplace.com--and I can download them to my mp3 player. I also go directly to our local Christian radio station websites and can play them live from our computer--which means I could access any station the world over. I read magazine articles without purchasing magazines (I hardly ever buy one) by going to their websites. If I want to check some books out of our library, I go to their website (for us it's sno-isle.org) and browse through their online listing of books or videos, reserving any I want. Then when I go in, all that are available are on a shelf waiting for me. It's so nifty, I love it!
I find recipes by going to allrecipes.com. I find ways to fix things at diynetwork.com. I find medical advice by going to mayoclinic.com. If I want to know where an item is cheapest in our area, I go to pricingcentral.com, mysimon.com, bizrate.com...(found them on google). If I want to know the hours or location of a store, I can look online.
If I need an address, I go either to whitepages.com or yellowpages.com. I can find how to get to someone's house or other destination, or how many miles it is to someplace, by going to mapquest.com. If I want airline tickets, I can go directly to the airline without needing a travel agent. If I want to know what the weather is likely to be, I go to weather.com, and I can even get an hour-by-hour and a 10-day forecast there...and not just for where I am, but most cities with which I might have any connection. If I want to know how our time zone compares with another, I go to timeanddate.com and it clarifies what can be a rather confusing subject. For outdoor websites, such as for hiking and outings, a google search will turn up parks.wa.gov and various related sites. I remember when we were looking for the church we attend now, I found the map and phone number for it online too.
For job search, we've used monster.com, careerbuilder.com, hotjobs.com, medzilla.com...also found specific companies and recruiters by using google. We also go to specific corporations and check out their employment links. Gary has an e-mail that is devoted to his job search, because he gets a lot of junk mail and besides, it's easier to keep things sorted out away from family e-mail. It works well to do it this way.
I like looking at real estate websites, and my favorite is realtor.com though I also like zillow.com, redfin.com, and trulia.com. I look at hgtv.com for ideas on how to fix up our house, and will be looking closer at all their articles on how to make a house more appealing when it comes time to sell--and then again at articles regarding being a smart homebuyer as well.
Back when we thought we were going to move to Colorado (before we found the church that again anchored us into the area), I did a lot of research regarding what that area's like, even finding that it and our current location are almost the exact same distance from Katie's college. I looked at the real estate websites, and also the tourism ones. I still think it would be fun to investigate Colorado. I don't think we'll move there, though.
If I want to research a bill going through the state legislature, or give input to my state legislators, I can go to leg.wa.gov. For federal legislation, go to thomas.loc.gov. These also have other helpful related links. Focus on the Family has citizenlink.com, a website connected with its magazine regarding legislative and other community issues, and Family Research Council, at frc.org, is a reputable Christian organization with the same focus. Sometimes also I've gone directly to a corporate website to give them input regarding objectionable commercials. Just today I found out that the President's Council on Physical Fitness is putting on the First National President's Challenge, encouraging Americans to be more physically active--and their website is presidentschallenge.org--sign up by April 3. (It's not that I'm so athletically minded--I hope to get inspired there.) At MSN's money website (found it on google) I found out today on a life expectancy calculator that I am expected to live to age 84. Sounds alright to me, I think, but maybe I can be healthier for those years, or live longer, if I walk more.
So there you have a little picture into how much can be done online. It's good for rounding out (or slimming down?) or simplifying a person's life. Of course, you probably already knew that, or you wouldn't have found my blog. Ha. Well, may God bless you in all of it anyway. And of course, stay on the safe streets, will you?
Years ago, when the internet first came out, I had it already condemned in my mind as a place of evil, that there was so much filth available that I didn't want access to it in our home. So for years we went without. Then we attended a Missions conference in Vancouver, BC, and at one of the missions exhibits, a man spoke with me about its usefulness in just being able to communicate with people the world over by e-mail at a touch of a button. He described the internet as being like a big city--there are streets you know are safe, and there are streets you don't go down because of the dangers that lurk there. So we signed up for it, and since then we've been hooked. I thought I'd share a smidgen of the ways I use the internet, and hope that this listing might make your internet use a bit more useful.
I blog, as you obviously know. Go to blogger.com and start your own blog! I recommend it. Studying the Bible, as I often need to look up a verse for my blogging or for other purposes, I go to biblegateway.com. Blueletterbible.com is probably more excellent in the surrounding aspects of Bible study. If I need to know the meaning of a word, I go to dictionary.com, and there are various aspects of word study that I can do there. For an antique dictionary that contains biblical reference, I go to cbtministries.org/resources/webster1828.htm.
My favorite search engine is google.com, which I think might be because it's so catchy and easy to type, but whatever, I like it.
If Tim wants to watch a movie, I look it up on christianitytoday.com/movies or christiananswers.net to find a Christian review before he watches it. It has spared us a lot of grief in watching nasty movies. If I want secular information on a movie, I go to imdb.com (internet movie database).
I listen to Christian radio shows any time of the day or night, even if they're not on local radio, by going to oneplace.com--and I can download them to my mp3 player. I also go directly to our local Christian radio station websites and can play them live from our computer--which means I could access any station the world over. I read magazine articles without purchasing magazines (I hardly ever buy one) by going to their websites. If I want to check some books out of our library, I go to their website (for us it's sno-isle.org) and browse through their online listing of books or videos, reserving any I want. Then when I go in, all that are available are on a shelf waiting for me. It's so nifty, I love it!
I find recipes by going to allrecipes.com. I find ways to fix things at diynetwork.com. I find medical advice by going to mayoclinic.com. If I want to know where an item is cheapest in our area, I go to pricingcentral.com, mysimon.com, bizrate.com...(found them on google). If I want to know the hours or location of a store, I can look online.
If I need an address, I go either to whitepages.com or yellowpages.com. I can find how to get to someone's house or other destination, or how many miles it is to someplace, by going to mapquest.com. If I want airline tickets, I can go directly to the airline without needing a travel agent. If I want to know what the weather is likely to be, I go to weather.com, and I can even get an hour-by-hour and a 10-day forecast there...and not just for where I am, but most cities with which I might have any connection. If I want to know how our time zone compares with another, I go to timeanddate.com and it clarifies what can be a rather confusing subject. For outdoor websites, such as for hiking and outings, a google search will turn up parks.wa.gov and various related sites. I remember when we were looking for the church we attend now, I found the map and phone number for it online too.
For job search, we've used monster.com, careerbuilder.com, hotjobs.com, medzilla.com...also found specific companies and recruiters by using google. We also go to specific corporations and check out their employment links. Gary has an e-mail that is devoted to his job search, because he gets a lot of junk mail and besides, it's easier to keep things sorted out away from family e-mail. It works well to do it this way.
I like looking at real estate websites, and my favorite is realtor.com though I also like zillow.com, redfin.com, and trulia.com. I look at hgtv.com for ideas on how to fix up our house, and will be looking closer at all their articles on how to make a house more appealing when it comes time to sell--and then again at articles regarding being a smart homebuyer as well.
Back when we thought we were going to move to Colorado (before we found the church that again anchored us into the area), I did a lot of research regarding what that area's like, even finding that it and our current location are almost the exact same distance from Katie's college. I looked at the real estate websites, and also the tourism ones. I still think it would be fun to investigate Colorado. I don't think we'll move there, though.
If I want to research a bill going through the state legislature, or give input to my state legislators, I can go to leg.wa.gov. For federal legislation, go to thomas.loc.gov. These also have other helpful related links. Focus on the Family has citizenlink.com, a website connected with its magazine regarding legislative and other community issues, and Family Research Council, at frc.org, is a reputable Christian organization with the same focus. Sometimes also I've gone directly to a corporate website to give them input regarding objectionable commercials. Just today I found out that the President's Council on Physical Fitness is putting on the First National President's Challenge, encouraging Americans to be more physically active--and their website is presidentschallenge.org--sign up by April 3. (It's not that I'm so athletically minded--I hope to get inspired there.) At MSN's money website (found it on google) I found out today on a life expectancy calculator that I am expected to live to age 84. Sounds alright to me, I think, but maybe I can be healthier for those years, or live longer, if I walk more.
So there you have a little picture into how much can be done online. It's good for rounding out (or slimming down?) or simplifying a person's life. Of course, you probably already knew that, or you wouldn't have found my blog. Ha. Well, may God bless you in all of it anyway. And of course, stay on the safe streets, will you?
Saturday, March 29, 2008
Keeping the Faith, Walking Worthy is Worth the Sacrifice
Today I received a prayer request that referred to a tragic situation in a church, that a pastor had disqualified himself from ministry. How far that reaches in impact among all those who are affected by his wasted testimony, we will never know this side of heaven, but we know that there's nothing on earth that was worth doing so. You can see that Satan had a hand in this, no doubt seeing the far reaches of the man's ministry potential more than we in the human realm could know. Imagine what this man lost in the careless and foolish moment of weakness: Eternity, first and foremost. Well, we can't say for sure that he lost it entirely, but what a better eternity we know he would have experienced, if he had stayed faithful to his calling! Second, God's confidence in the man's work, that he might impact so many more souls in the remaining days that are allotted to him. Third, his relationship with his wife--her trust in him damaged beyond entire repair. Fourth, his relationship with his children and relatives--who see him close-up and know they can't depend on him to point them in the direction of truth, and who know too well what harm he did in all his relationships. Fifth, his church--no small consideration, that every member of the congregation and all their families will be disheartened, affected, weakened by this travesty. Sixth, the community around him--he will never have what he had before in terms of respect, testimony, and ministry potential among those who are watching. People who never would have considered his ministry before will see what he did and ponder it, all from a negative point of view, and Christ will in no way be glorified in it.
There are a number of spiritual aspects that the man had to disregard when he stumbled as well, a few of which include: The love that we should have in response to our God for the many ways that He intervenes in our lives; the greatness of the sacrifice that Jesus made for our sins; the provision of His word and His Holy Spirit who would enable us to stand firm if we avail ourselves; the privilege of belonging to Him and having a ministry that might glorify Him; and the unimagined splendor of our future reward. These things when listed are eternally significant and would seem unforgettable, but I expect that it would be the first work of Satan to short-circuit our remembrance of them.
It could happen to so many seemingly faithful men, as Satan seeks to attack and discredit their ministry. There are so many verses that address holding to one's testimony, to living a faithful life. The first that comes to my mind is that we should "And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength" (Mark 12:30). That surely sums it up, but in case it didn't, there are enough more that they should overcome any temptation.
Back when I was new to the faith, we became involved in a Bible study that involved memorizing a number of basic but equipping Bible verses. The woman who helped with the study had put them to music, which helps me to remember the one they call "Assurance of Victory," referring to victory over temptation: "No temptation has seized you except what is common to man, and God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it." I Corinthians 10:13, Assurance of Victory (the reference and the tag name were part of the song, it's hard to leave it without that nifty little tag). I still remember her voice singing the song when I recall the verse. I've had occasion to apply it, and believe me, the application of it can have amazing and even rewarding results. The victory in itself is a reward, and in eternity is a reward, and I have seen that in our lives here on earth, God at times sovereignly chooses to reward His elect for the sacrifices they make in obedience to Him.
In our study of Ephesians at church, we discussed Satan's temptation of Christ in Matthew 4:1-11, and there were so many applications regarding how Satan works against the Kingdom of God by doing what he can to trip us up! It is a great passage to ponder in any times that we are tempted. Psalm 19 is entirely helpful, especially vv. 8-14:
There are a number of spiritual aspects that the man had to disregard when he stumbled as well, a few of which include: The love that we should have in response to our God for the many ways that He intervenes in our lives; the greatness of the sacrifice that Jesus made for our sins; the provision of His word and His Holy Spirit who would enable us to stand firm if we avail ourselves; the privilege of belonging to Him and having a ministry that might glorify Him; and the unimagined splendor of our future reward. These things when listed are eternally significant and would seem unforgettable, but I expect that it would be the first work of Satan to short-circuit our remembrance of them.
It could happen to so many seemingly faithful men, as Satan seeks to attack and discredit their ministry. There are so many verses that address holding to one's testimony, to living a faithful life. The first that comes to my mind is that we should "And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength" (Mark 12:30). That surely sums it up, but in case it didn't, there are enough more that they should overcome any temptation.
Back when I was new to the faith, we became involved in a Bible study that involved memorizing a number of basic but equipping Bible verses. The woman who helped with the study had put them to music, which helps me to remember the one they call "Assurance of Victory," referring to victory over temptation: "No temptation has seized you except what is common to man, and God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it." I Corinthians 10:13, Assurance of Victory (the reference and the tag name were part of the song, it's hard to leave it without that nifty little tag). I still remember her voice singing the song when I recall the verse. I've had occasion to apply it, and believe me, the application of it can have amazing and even rewarding results. The victory in itself is a reward, and in eternity is a reward, and I have seen that in our lives here on earth, God at times sovereignly chooses to reward His elect for the sacrifices they make in obedience to Him.
In our study of Ephesians at church, we discussed Satan's temptation of Christ in Matthew 4:1-11, and there were so many applications regarding how Satan works against the Kingdom of God by doing what he can to trip us up! It is a great passage to ponder in any times that we are tempted. Psalm 19 is entirely helpful, especially vv. 8-14:
We need to strengthen our spiritual leaders in prayer, encourage them and shelter them from the storms of temptation that would seize them; God's workers are foremost in the battle, and we can follow Paul's example as He prayed for the Thessalonians: "To this end also we pray for you always, that our God will count you worthy of your calling, and fulfill every desire for goodness and the work of faith with power, so that the name of our Lord Jesus will be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ." 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12. The seeming poetry of these words can lull us into thinking it's almost just a benediction, but I trust that Paul prayed every word of this prayer with passion, with a vivid awareness of the spiritual need of these people in fighting the good fight, and so should we. It would seem an easy battle on our part, just getting on our knees, folding our hands, opening the Scriptures and praying. The only things that make it difficult are the distractions that Satan sends our way and our weakness in falling for them. How weak we are when we fail to pray! And how can we expect strength and victory in our spiritual realm if we neglect so simple a calling as just to pray? How great it is that God has chosen to involve us in His Kingdom work in such an easy way, and to have its impact be so potentially great.The precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart;
The commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes.
The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever;
The judgments of the LORD are true; they are righteous altogether.
They are more desirable than gold, yes, than much fine gold;
Sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb.
Moreover, by them Your servant is warned;
In keeping them there is great reward.
Who can discern his errors?
Acquit me of hidden faults.
Also keep back Your servant from presumptuous sins;
Let them not rule over me;
Then I will be blameless,
And I shall be acquitted of great transgression.
Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
Be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD, my rock and my Redeemer.
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Can a Person be a Christian only on Sundays?
A lady I have been getting to know took me very much by surprise today. We were talking about changes in our perceptions regarding church and faith, and at one point, she stopped and said that she was just a Sunday Christian, not all through the week, and indicated that in that way she thought she was different (I believe she thought she meant in attitude alone) than I am...yet I think that comment betrays more than attitude. It took me aback so much that I didn't pursue that comment, and I intend to at my next opportunity. That type of comment would normally cause me to suspect that the woman was not even a Christian at all, but only fancied herself one because she attends church on Sunday.
We had a speaker come to our church a few Sundays ago, visiting from our church denomination's regional office. He pointed out that the building we're in on Sunday mornings is not the church. The church consists of all the believers who come on Sunday and disperse through the week--it even consists of all believers who aren't currently attending. It doesn't consist, on the other hand, of those who attend and don't believe. Because Jesus said that He would never leave us nor forsake us, that He would be with us wherever we go, our faith will impact how we live, think, talk, and walk all through the week. Our church is hardly summarized in our church building, or if it burned down, we would suddenly be faithless--and of course that's a ridiculous picture! We believe at home, we believe at church, and we believe everywhere else we go. Church doesn't stop existing six days per week because we are apart from one another. If that were the case, Christianity would never survive--and I suppose in some cultures, including ours, it may seem to be failing, but throughout the world, there are many vital congregations showing that Christianity is nowhere near extinction.
When I first knew Gary, whose father was a pastor but was not yet a believer, and Gary and I weren't believers yet either, I told him that it was strange that his dad was basically using Reader's Digest rather than the Bible when we went to his church one Sunday. Gary responded that it didn't matter much, because church was just a social club. I knew in my heart that that couldn't be true; even before I was a believer, I knew that Christianity had to be much more than a social club if it had persisted all these 2,000 years. It probably wouldn't have lasted much more than a year if it were only a Sunday hobby! Christianity has been under attack the world over, persecuted and prosecuted, burned and ravaged, suppressed, discouraged, misguided, counterfeited--yet God's Word and His church have lasted in spite of all odds, because the Holy Spirit has kept passion for truth burning in the hearts of His people.
My friend's comment took me by surprise, but it shouldn't have--I remember two instances where women that I had assumed were well-established in their faith suddenly had a new love for Christ, a salvation status that had not existed before. They both admitted that they had been in church, pretending all those years before, serving, being the nice person, fooling others but not themselves and not God, and without the sweet victory of knowing Jesus personally. I would never have suspected that they had pretended beforehand, but I could not mistake their excitement afterward! We should never assume that a person has a true relationship with Christ without good evidence. We should pray that those who might be pretending in our churches would let themselves be known, so that they might know the one true Christ, the one relationship that makes everything real and worthwhile.
Jesus lived, died and rose again on our behalf, and though we can never repay all that He has done, is doing, and yet will do for us, the least we can do is live out our passion for Him, alive and active every possible moment. I can't imagine going through a week dropping out of my faith-walk, only to pick it up again for one day and repeat that time after time. I hope that my friend meant something a little different than the sound of what she said. If she didn't, I'm still glad she said it. It might open the door to the most meaningful conversation two people can have.
We had a speaker come to our church a few Sundays ago, visiting from our church denomination's regional office. He pointed out that the building we're in on Sunday mornings is not the church. The church consists of all the believers who come on Sunday and disperse through the week--it even consists of all believers who aren't currently attending. It doesn't consist, on the other hand, of those who attend and don't believe. Because Jesus said that He would never leave us nor forsake us, that He would be with us wherever we go, our faith will impact how we live, think, talk, and walk all through the week. Our church is hardly summarized in our church building, or if it burned down, we would suddenly be faithless--and of course that's a ridiculous picture! We believe at home, we believe at church, and we believe everywhere else we go. Church doesn't stop existing six days per week because we are apart from one another. If that were the case, Christianity would never survive--and I suppose in some cultures, including ours, it may seem to be failing, but throughout the world, there are many vital congregations showing that Christianity is nowhere near extinction.
When I first knew Gary, whose father was a pastor but was not yet a believer, and Gary and I weren't believers yet either, I told him that it was strange that his dad was basically using Reader's Digest rather than the Bible when we went to his church one Sunday. Gary responded that it didn't matter much, because church was just a social club. I knew in my heart that that couldn't be true; even before I was a believer, I knew that Christianity had to be much more than a social club if it had persisted all these 2,000 years. It probably wouldn't have lasted much more than a year if it were only a Sunday hobby! Christianity has been under attack the world over, persecuted and prosecuted, burned and ravaged, suppressed, discouraged, misguided, counterfeited--yet God's Word and His church have lasted in spite of all odds, because the Holy Spirit has kept passion for truth burning in the hearts of His people.
My friend's comment took me by surprise, but it shouldn't have--I remember two instances where women that I had assumed were well-established in their faith suddenly had a new love for Christ, a salvation status that had not existed before. They both admitted that they had been in church, pretending all those years before, serving, being the nice person, fooling others but not themselves and not God, and without the sweet victory of knowing Jesus personally. I would never have suspected that they had pretended beforehand, but I could not mistake their excitement afterward! We should never assume that a person has a true relationship with Christ without good evidence. We should pray that those who might be pretending in our churches would let themselves be known, so that they might know the one true Christ, the one relationship that makes everything real and worthwhile.
Jesus lived, died and rose again on our behalf, and though we can never repay all that He has done, is doing, and yet will do for us, the least we can do is live out our passion for Him, alive and active every possible moment. I can't imagine going through a week dropping out of my faith-walk, only to pick it up again for one day and repeat that time after time. I hope that my friend meant something a little different than the sound of what she said. If she didn't, I'm still glad she said it. It might open the door to the most meaningful conversation two people can have.
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