Resources for Growing Christians

What if?

2012-01-03T13:25:00.001-05:00

Over the Christmas and New Year's holidays I read a fun historical book called What Ifs? of American History.

Published in 2003, the book contains chapters by some of America's premier historians who imagine what might have happened if episodes in America's history had been different. Chapters include topics such as:

- if the Mayflower had reached a different destination

- if William Pitt the Elder had been able to stop British policies that led to the American revolution

- if George Washington had not been able to evacuate his troops from the battle of Brooklyn Heights

- if Robert E. Lee's Lost Order had not been lost and the South had won the battle of Gettysburg

- if John Wilkes Booth and his conspirators had been able to kill not only the President but also the Vice President (causing a constitutional crisis)

- if there had been no attack on Pearl Harbor

.....and other counterfactual historical scenarios.

It was a very enjoyable read....not just thinking about the possible scenarios, but learning more about the actual events themselves.

The book was also interesting to read from a Christian perspective. As someone trained in Reformed theology, I hold the view that God brings everything to pass for His own glory and the good of His people. Thus, the study of history not only reveals much about the participants in the events, it can also reveal more about God and His will.

After reading the chapters in the What If book --in particular the account of the potential "doomsday" scenario with the Soviet Union during the Cuban Missile Crisis--I was reminded again of God's grace to all people. Theologians call it God's "common grace"--His kindness and blessing to all the world. Even though each of us are deserving of God's judgment, God has chosen to be loving and kind (even though this love and kindness is undeserved and unearned).

Because God restrains His wrath, the world has not degenerated into chaos and there is a level of political harmony and peace.

Interesting things to consider as we read about current events and those of long ago.

-d.

Family Worship

2012-01-02T12:40:00.003-05:00

Several years ago we started something in our family that we called "Sunday Night Prayer." During this time we gather as a family and read from the Bible, discuss what we've read and then pray for each other. It has been an important part of my spiritual life and a highlight for me to get to talk and laugh about life and matters of faith with Sue and the boys.

Dr. Joel Beeke has written a resource on Family Worship - explaining why this practice is important and the types of things that could be done during a time of worship together.

Here's a link to a lecture that he gave in 2011 on the topic: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0EHJVkzybQs

I found it to be really encouraging.

Blessings,
-d.

It is finished

2011-12-04T18:32:00.015-05:00

Some of you know that I've been finishing up my theology degree at Reformed Theological Seminary.

I spent this past Friday on the RTS campus in Charlotte, North Carolina defending my thesis and I'm glad to say that I passed. I am done!

The virtual program at RTS has been outstanding - with lectures from some great professors on topics from Christian theology, to apologetics and Church history. The staff, as well, have been great to work with. When I have some time, I'll try to write a description of some of the things I've learned.

I've mentioned before that the school posts many of its lectures free of charge on iTunes U and I would highly recommend a listen.

I'll also post a link to my thesis when I have a chance.

Special thanks to John Arns for proctoring many of my exams and Malcolm McLellan for serving as a mentor for my classes. I'm also grateful to the many people who have encouraged me over these years as I've worked to complete my degree - in particular my parents. Thank you!

Blessings,
-Dave

Update on Advent Resource

2011-12-04T15:13:00.003-05:00

Last week I wrote about a great resource for Advent from All Saints Church in North Carolina.

At the time, I just had the link to Week #1 of their Advent devotional.

They have now posted the devotional for each day in Advent.

Here is the link: http://www.allsaints-chd.org/site-images/AD2011(2).pdf

Blessings,
-Dave

Scripture and Authority

2011-11-29T21:34:00.006-05:00

Last week I finished J.I. Packer's 1996 book called Truth and Power: The Place of Scripture in the Christian Life. It is such a good resource, I’m going to devote a few posts to the content.

Chapter 1 in the book is called God’s Freedom Trail and covers the Christian belief that the Bible is authoritative. Early in the chapter, Dr. Packer notes that holding this view can be difficult for those who have had negative experiences with people who have misused their authority. Packer explains that this can “leave a bad taste and prompt skepticism about authority in all its forms.” Yet the Bible being authoritative, Dr. Packer argues “is not necessarily authoritarian." Dr. Packer explains,

“When Christians affirm the authority of the Bible, meaning that biblical teaching reveals God’s will and is the instrument his rule over our lives, part of what they are claiming is that Scripture sets before us the factual and moral nature of things.” (pg. 15)

He explains that Christians do not hold this view for some arbitrary or random reason, but rather it is rooted in our view of God’s character:

“When historic Christianity receives the Bible as an absolute authority for creed and conduct, it does so on the basis that since God is a God of truth and righteousness, the instruction that he lays before us in writing must have the same qualities.” (pg. 14)

Dr. Packer also explains that this belief in the Bible's authority is also rooted in our belief in Christ - who we believe has been given all authority in heaven and earth. Jesus Christ, we believe, is "God incarnate, the risen, reigning Son of God to whom all authority has been given."

Thus, he explains that the only authority-principle which imparts the blessings of God that brings "satisfaction and salvation", "is the personal divine authority of ‘the man Christ Jesus’ (I Tim. 2:5), mediated by the Holy Spirit in and through the Bible.” (pg. 25).

Dr. Packer next addresses the issue of human freedom, explaining that Christ is both the source and the model for freedom. According to Dr. Packer, because of Christ, Christians can experience "real" freedom. He explains that, “real freedom is freedom from sin, which brings with it a place in God’s family, which is the place of permanent external security. Jesus tells them that only those whom he himself has freed…are free in this full sense. If you read the whole passage (John 8:31-36) you will see this at once.” (pg. 24)

This freedom Dr. Packer explains comes not from ourselves, but from God, “We cannot have the freedom we want until we receive it on God’s terms, that is, by giving up our rebellious independence and letting God be God to us. Real freedom is only ever found under authority – God’s authority in Christ, authority which reaches us via God’s written word.” (pg. 26)

His other point in this first section of his book is that Scripture is unique. It is not merely a book that bears a textual witness to God and His works, but it is also an instrument that God will use, to help us discern His will. Thus Scripture, “is not just a witness to Christ’s universal reign but is actually the instrument of it so far as humankind are concerned.” (p. 25)

"How is this possible?" You might wonder. "How can a book be an instrument of God?" It is possible, as Dr. Packer explains, through the work of the Holy Spirit. It is the Holy Spirit who, “opens and applies Scripture to our hearts that we discern Christ’s will and are enabled to do it.”

....a helpful perspective on the authority of Scripture and its importance in a Christian's life.

-d.

Advent Resource

2011-11-26T22:31:00.004-05:00

Tomorrow, Sunday (11/27/11) we began the season of Advent (which is celebrated by the Church during the four weeks prior to Christmas).

The word Advent comes from the Latin word adventus which means "arrival" or "coming". During this time, the Church focuses on waiting on the Lord and preparing ones' hearts for Christ as we remember those who waited for Jesus' arrival 2000+ years ago.

As they've done for several years, All Saints Church in North Carolina has produced a devotional resource for the advent season.

Here is a link to an overview of Advent: http://www.allsaints-chd.org/connect/news/advent-is-coming-a-short-message-from-rector-steve-breedlove/

And here is the link to Week 1 of the Advent resource: http://www.allsaints-chd.org/site-images/AD2011week1.pdf

I've found these devotionals helpful during this time for preparing our hearts. I appreciate the commitment that All Saints Church has made to create these resources.

Blessings during this season,
Dave+

Truth and Power: The Place of Scripture in the Christian Life

2011-11-23T16:21:00.004-05:00

This week I finished reading a book by J.I. Packer called Truth & Power: The Place of Scripture in the Christian Life.

Dr. Packer's books have played an important role in my life. Reading his book Knowing God during my college years was an important introduction to God's character and attributes and very helpful for my spiritual growth.

Then, when I was 24, I read his book called A Quest for Godliness - a great book that provides a wonderfully detailed description on the theology of the Puritans. In more recent years I read his books Keep in Step with the Spirit (a book on the Holy Spirit) and God's Words: Studies of Key Bible Themes.

Over the years I've found it helpful to re-read these books, reminding me again and again of God's faithful through His Son, Jesus Christ.

Recently, I heard Rev. Ligon Duncan recommend Dr. Packer's Truth & Power at a workshop hosted by the Gospel Coalition. The context for his recommendation was for pastors to clearly understand the role of preaching and teaching in the local church. Interestingly, not only does Dr. Packer cover this topic in detail in the book, but also covers a number of other helpful issues as well.

I'll plan on posting a summary of the book's chapters in future posts.

-d.

Alan Jacobs on Reading in an Age of Distraction

2011-11-21T20:10:00.003-05:00

I've mentioned before that I am a big fan of the audio series called the Mars Hills Audio Journal, a bi-monthly resource hosted by Ken Myers.

One of my favorite contributors to the journal is Alan Jacobs, professor of English at Wheaton College.

He recently delivered a lecture on the "pleasures of reading in an age of distraction." Here's the link: http://vimeo.com/25156793

Enjoy,
-d.

Ministry Resources - Handouts for Seven Steps Groups

2011-09-30T18:07:00.008-04:00

In my last several posts, I've explained that I uploaded the resources that I've written to our website. Here's the link to these free ministry resources: http://www.cincyanglican.org/library.html

The third resource listed on the site is a file for handouts for a group called "Seven Steps to Growth and Healing." Here's a link just to that document: http://www.cincyanglican.org/Seven_Steps_SG.pdf

As I mentioned in my previous post, I've been able to lead three or so groups through the "Seven Steps" materials, while my friend Gary Spears has also led two or three groups through the material as well. The results were very positive as people learned more about important Biblical truths, including the person of Jesus Christ, His work and the importance of His work in their lives.

Why use the handouts?
While planning to lead my first group that went through these concepts, I had initially planned to simply distribute the Seven Steps booklet. Here's a link to the booklet: http://www.cincyanglican.org/Seven_Steps.pdf

As I was thinking about the format and my plan to distribute the entire booklet at once, I soon realized that we would not have time to read through an entire chapter of the booklet during each week's group. In addition, I really wanted people to focus on each week's topic without jumping ahead.

Thus, I put together the handouts. They contain the Scripture passages, major concepts and discussion questions for each chapter in the booklet, but avoid the stories and some additional materials that I'd included in the booklet.

A few notes on logistics....
When leading this material in a group setting, I found it helpful to meet over seven consecutive weeks.

As I noted above, I have also found it helpful to wait to distribute the entire Seven Steps booklet until the final week - as people are likely to skip topics if they have the booklet with them in their small group. Instead, I provide copies of the handouts for participants to use - but only distribute one week at a time.

At the end of the seven weeks I distribute the entire booklet for participants to read on their own for further spiritual growth.

Some final thoughts about the Seven Steps...
My prayer is that you will find the Seven Steps booklet not only a helpful resource for those in your group, but also for you personally. Each time I review these I find areas where I need to grow deeper in my understanding of God and His purposes.

-DS

Ministry Resources - Seven Steps of Growth and Healing

2011-09-29T00:09:00.012-04:00

In my last post I mentioned that I have uploaded all of my resources to our website. Here is the link to these free ministry resources: http://www.cincyanglican.org/library.html

The second resource listed on the site is a booklet that I wrote in May, 2007 called "Seven Steps to Growth and Healing: A Guide to Recovery and Wholeness." Here's a link just to that booklet: http://www.cincyanglican.org/Seven_Steps.pdf

The Seven Steps booklet is designed for either individual or small group study.

Over the years, I've wondered if I should change the title because of the questions I've received from some people when they've seen the title. Some, when they see the word "healing" immediately assume that I have written something about physical healing (which I haven't). Others, when they see the words "seven steps" assume that I've written some demanding kind of self-help book that doesn't rely on God's grace....I haven't tried to do that either.

Origins of the booklet
To understand what is in the booklet, let me first explain its origin.

The writing came about after having helped out with several recovery oriented groups at the Vineyard Community Church in Cincinnati, OH. My wife, Sue, is an assistant director in the ministry, and over the years she's asked me to fill in from time to time.

As I was interacting with the group members, the thought struck me to put into writing the recommendations that I was giving to people to encourage their relationship with God.

As I began to write the booklet, I was stuck with the thought that each of the seven Biblical truths that I identified have a corresponding lie or myth that many people believe. These "lies" are so commonplace that as I began to talk to people about them in small groups, it was evident that people were struggling with one or more of them on a very frequent basis.

What's in the "Seven Steps" booklet?

After a brief introduction, Chapter 1 encourages readers to "look for God's presence in your life", noting that the Bible explains that God is actively involved in our lives as our creator and sustainer and is very interested in each of us.

Chapter 2 of the booklet examines the myth of "I can do this on my own" and encourages readers to accept God's offer of salvation for the forgiveness of sins by trusting in His Son, Jesus Christ.

Contrasting the myth "I'll never change", Chapter 3 of the booklet explores the mystery of new life in Christ, looking at the blessings of knowing God, bearing "the fruit" of being connected with Him, being free from the bonds of sin, being incorporated into the body of Christ and being filled with the Holy Spirit.

Next, Chapter 4 encourages an exploration of the broken places in our lives (such as our fears, feelings, our actions and our history) by asking God to help us recognize these areas...instead of denying that we have no problems.

Chapter 5 encourages readers (or group members) to turn these broken areas over to God. In so doing, we seek His truth and healing touch, acknowledging that He is faithful and good.

After seeking God's provision with our difficulties, Chapter 6 encourages readers (or group members) to "respond to God's direction". These responses, as explained in Scripture, are specific actions that God desires (based on our circumstances) such as confession/repentance, forgiveness, waiting, trusting, renewing our mind and taking other steps toward health.

Finally, Chapter 7 looks at "giving away what you have learned"...in contrast to the myth that "nobody is interested" or could benefit from what you have learned.

After writing the booklet in 2007, I had a chance to lead several groups through this material....the results were very positive, as people explored truths about Christianity, learned more about the person and work of Christ and His leading in their lives.

My friend Gary Spears also led a few groups with this material and saw some positive results...in my next post I'll share a few things about what we learned and give a few tips for leading groups through the "Seven Steps".

-d.

Ministry Resources - Life's Ups and Downs

2011-08-30T16:56:00.006-04:00

In my last post, I noted that I had recently uploaded all of my Christian resources to our website. Here's the link: http://www.cincyanglican.org/library.html

The first resource listed is a Bible Study I wrote during the summer of 2010, called "Life's Ups and Downs: Charting God's Truth for Your Life."

Here's the link to just that document: http://www.cincyanglican.org/Lifes_Ups_and_Downs.pdf

The study uses a number of charts and graphs to help understand the Christian faith and a Christian's "life in Christ". The content comes from thoughts and reflections from some seminary classes I was taking at the time.

Here's a chapter outline:

Part One
Ch. 1 - Life's Circumstances
Ch. 2 - Life as we want it to be

Part Two
Ch. 3 - The Lord of Life
Ch. 4 - Our Authority in Life
Ch. 5 - An Eternally Living God
Ch. 6 - A Living God in Three Persons
Ch. 7 - Life as it deserves to be
Ch. 8 - The Life and Work of Christ

Part Three
Ch. 9 - Life in Christ
Ch. 10 - Life in the Kingdom
Ch. 11 - A Life of Rest
Ch. 12 - A Life of Becoming

You may notice that all of the chapters have the word "life" in the title....that wasn't by mistake. Jesus' favorite word to describe salvation was "life." (Read John 10:10, 14:6 and 17:3 to see some examples).

Whether you are new to Christianity or a seasoned believer, I hope you find some encouragement in this resource.

-d.

Ministry Resources

2011-06-30T21:18:00.005-04:00

This week I uploaded the Christian resources that I've written to our website.

I'll plan on doing a few additional blog posts on each of the resources to explain them in more detail, but in general there are materials on:

- the essentials of the Christian faith
- Christian leadership
- prayer

...and a few other topics.

Here's the link: http://www.cincyanglican.org/library.html

Hope you find something helpful!

-d.

Some really good news...

2011-04-03T15:36:00.002-04:00

Some of you know that I've been travelling alot for work during the past six months....which has not been the easiest thing for the family. This week I accepted a new job with another software consulting firm and the work will be local! I'm looking forward to spending more time with Sue and the boys. -d.

March Lectionary Readings

2011-03-21T15:47:00.000-04:00

Here are the Lectionary readings for March:

http://www.allsaints-chd.org/assets/LCMarch2011.pdf

-d.

Quick Update

2011-03-08T18:21:00.006-05:00

Haven't blogged for awhile....I've been writing my master's thesis for Reformed Theological Seminary.

Last night I turned in the final draft. Writing it has been one of the most challenging things I have done, so I'm quite relieved that it is finished. Completing it has definitely been an answer to prayer.

I'll post a link as soon as I can.

-d.

Francis Schaeffer Lectures

2011-01-14T01:29:00.006-05:00

I discovered this week that Wheaton College has posted a number of lectures delivered by Francis Schaeffer.

Here's a link to a list of some of lectures compiled by Justin Taylor at the Gospel Coaliton.

http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/justintaylor/2010/12/28/francis-schaeffer-lectures/

Enjoy,

-D.

Advent

2010-12-01T22:22:00.005-05:00

Last Sunday began the season of Advent (which is celebrated by the Church during the four weeks prior to Christmas).

The word Advent comes from the Latin word adventus which means "arrival" or "coming".

During this time, the Church focuses on waiting on the Lord and preparing ones' hearts for Christ. We remember those who waited for Jesus' arrival 2000 years ago and we're encouraged to prepare our hearts and wait upon the Lord during this season.

This year (as they've done for several years), the folks at All Saints Church in Chapel Hill/Durham, NC have created a helpful Advent Devotional.

This free booklet contains daily scripture reading, prayers and thoughts for reflection. I pray that you find it a helpful resource during this time of spiritual reflection and preparation.

Here's the link:http://www.allsaints-chd.org/assets/AdventDevotional2010Online.pdf

-d.

November Lectionary Reading

2010-11-16T00:07:00.001-05:00

Here's the Lectionary readings for Novemeber.

http://www.allsaints-chd.org/assets/LCNovember2010.pdf

Blessings,
-d.

October Lectionary Reading Schedule

2010-10-08T00:36:00.001-04:00

Here is a link to the lectionary readings for October...

http://www.cechome.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/october-bookmark-2010.pdf

Blessings,

-d.

Some old Vineyard worship songs....

2010-10-02T23:06:00.008-04:00

This afternoon I recorded some old Vineyard worship songs.

Click here for a link to the lyrics.

Here's a link to the music.

I first heard these songs on my first visit to the Cincinnati Vineyard in August of 1987. The church met in the cafeteria of Scarlet Oaks Vocational school and after singing for forty minutes or so, visitors were asked to raise their hands and ushers distributed a cassette tape of worship music.

In today's recording I've tried to include the songs that were on the "Welcome Tape" that I received in 1987.

There are a couple of things that are of interest about these songs...

The first thing is their simplicity. Many of the songs simply say "I love you Lord" or repeat the words Hosanna, Alleluia, or Hallelujah.

(The word Hosanna can be translated as "We praise you" while Alleluia/Hallelujah can be translated as "Praise the Lord".)

The second thing of interest is that in addition to using many popular worship songs of that period, there are a number of songs that were written by musicians in the worship band...including Dave Workman, Kelly Wiseman and Jim Hitchcock. (A few years later, the worship band did a live recording of their own songs called "Homegrown Hosanna").

A final note of interest about these songs is their ability to instruct. I'm convinced that God used these songs to help me learn more about Him...especially His incredible grace and mercy...and to help me respond back to Him in worship. I found these songs so helpful that I literally wore out my "Welcome Tape" by playing it so much on the cassette player in my small red Chevette.

There were others who liked the "Welcome Tape" as well. When I visited my first small group sponsored by the Vineyard Cincinnati in North College Hill, the leader played the entire "Welcome Tape" for the group to sing along to (we even had to pause to flip the cassette tape to play the second side). Later, in a small group in Oxford (that was led John and Pam Bertram) we sang many of these same songs while John led us on his acoustic guitar.

Shortly after I received my "Welcome Tape" I gave a bunch of the "Welcome Tapes" to friends, figuring that they would like it as much as I did. Interestingly, nine years later I was talking to a friend in Michigan and she told me, "Do you remember that tape you gave me a long time ago? I still get it out and play it when I need to focus my thoughts on the Lord."

One big difference, as you'll hear, is that I've recorded these songs in my home office with just my own vocals and guitar - the songs on the "Welcome Tape" were recorded with a full band and with several great singers...so feel free to add your own harmony as you sing along.

So, for my friend Kevin (who celebrated his birthday this week) and for my friends at the Cincinnati Vineyard who are celebrating their 25th anniversary tomorrow...here are some worship songs from 1987.

Enjoy,

-DS

Something to Contemplate

2010-09-30T21:15:00.004-04:00

This week I'm reading Eugene Peterson's "The Contemplative Pastor".

If I only had one word to describe the book I would say: WOW. This book is soooo good...I'll post a few quotes from the book this week.

Thanks to Fr. Joe Boysel in Hudson, Ohio for recommending this great book.

-DS

It is finished....almost

2010-09-15T17:33:00.004-04:00

Received confirmation today that I've finished all of my coursework at Reformed Theological Seminary.

I have found the classes quite helpful in learning more about Christian theology, apologetics and Church history.

As I have mentioned in previous posts, the school posts many of their lectures free of charge at iTunes U. Let me know if you have any issues accessing the lectures, they are quite helpful.

Next up for me...writing my thesis.

Thanks all for your prayers and support. Special thanks to John Arns for proctoring my exams and Malcom McLellan for serving as a mentor for my classes.

-d.

The Land Between

2010-09-14T17:47:00.001-04:00

This week I've been reading a great book called "The Land Between: Finding God in Difficult Transitions" by Jeff Manion.

I highly recommend this book if you are dealing with difficulty, discouragement, grief or loss.

Rev. Manion vividly retells the indirect journey of the Hebrew people who went from Egypt to the Promised Land...enduring a generation in the Sinai desert, which he calls "the Land Between."

There are many things that I like about this book...including his inclusion of a U2 song and the funniest paraphrase I've read in quite awhile (of what God says to Elijah):

"Dude, you could use some lunch. You must be so tired and discouraged." (pg. 75)

Through his retelling of the Exodus account (and several other Biblical accounts of difficulty and despair), Rev. Manion explores how God will uses these times in "the Land Between" to teach us more about Himself and transform our lives.

Again, a highly recommended book...

-d.

Helpful Lectionary Resource

2010-09-09T15:47:00.003-04:00

I've written recently about how helpful the daily Lectionary readings can be (for the past several weeks I've been gripped by the readings from Job).

I ran across this helpful resource that I thought I'd share with you. It's the daily lectionary reading in a bookmark format (from our friends in the Charismatic Episcopal Church).

Here's the link: http://www.cechome.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/september-bookmark-2010.pdf

Enjoy,
-Dave

Ordination as Deacon

2010-08-25T14:12:00.012-04:00

In the midst of this busy spring and summer, I failed to note that a highlight for me was being ordained as a Deacon in the Anglican Church this spring.

My ordination was held on April 30th at Apostles Anglican Church in Lexington, Kentucky where I was ordained by the Rt. Rev. David "Doc" Loomis.

Pictured above (from left to right): Fr. Peter Matthews, Rt. Rev. Doc Loomis, Fr. Matt Purmort (who was ordained as a priest at the service) and myself.

I was glad that Sue, the kids and my parents could join me. Several friends from Cincinnati also made drive as well.

The role of a deacon varies among denominations, but in the Anglican Church it is associated with a role of a servant. A deacon typically assists with the Sunday liturgy in the ministry of the Word (i.e. reading the Gospel and proclaiming the Good News about Christ) and service to the poor.

Blessings,
Rev. Deacon David Stiles

Latest Bible Study - Dealing with Life's Ups and Downs

2010-08-24T13:19:00.008-04:00

I recently finished writing a new Bible Study this summer called "Dealing with Life's Ups and Downs".

Here's the link (the .pdf version is available for free):

http://www.cincyanglican.org/Lifes_Ups_and_Downs.pdf

The study uses many charts and graphs to explain the concepts - and has a number of questions to help the reader/participant reflect on their views.

I'm hoping it's a helpful resource for people who are either new to the Christian faith or seasoned Christians -- to help in understanding more about the fundamentals of Christianity and our incredible Lord of life.

The content comes from thoughts and reflections from my recent seminary classes.

Here are the chapter titles:

Part One
Ch. 1 - Life's Circumstances
Ch. 2 - Life as we want it to be

Part Two
Ch. 3 - The Lord of Life
Ch. 4 - Our Authority in Life
Ch. 5 - An Eternally Living God
Ch. 6 - A Living God in Three Persons
Ch. 7 - Life as it deserves to be
Ch. 8 - The Life and Work of Christ

Part Three
Ch. 9 - Life in Christ
Ch. 10 - Life in the Kingdom
Ch. 11 - A Life of Rest
Ch. 12 - A Life of Becoming

Blessings,
-D.

Today's Lectionary Readings

2010-08-23T09:44:00.015-04:00

...I realized that I haven't updated this blog site in a few months - so my apologies to the few readers of this site - I'll try to post an update of what I've been up to soon.

I wanted to write a quick note to say that I found today's lectionary readings to be really encouraging. I've been dealing with some feelings of discouragement lately, and found the Old Testament passages incredibly helpful.

Part of the first reading was from Psalm 3 - here's a portion of that passage:

"Many are saying of me, "God will not deliver him." But you are a shield around me, O LORD; you bestow glory on me and lift up my head. To the LORD I cry aloud, and he answers me from his holy hill. I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the LORD sustains me. I will not fear the tens of thousands drawn up against me on every side." (Psalm 3:2-6)

Here's a portion of the second reading from Job 5:

"Blessed is the man whom God corrects; so do not despise the discipline of the Almighty. For he wounds, but he also binds up; he injures, but his hands also heal. From six calamities he will rescue you; in seven no harm will befall you. In famine he will ransom you from death, and in battle from the stroke of the sword. You will be protected from the lash of the tongue, and need not fear when destruction comes. You will come to the grave in full vigor, like sheaves gathered in season. "We have examined this, and it is true. So hear it and apply it to yourself." (Job 5:17-21, 26-27)

If you're not familiar with the Lectionary, it is a daily calendar of Scripture readings consisting of:

- one (or more) Psalms

- another Old Testament reading

- a New Testament reading (from something other than the Gospels - such as from Acts or portions of the New Testament letters, which are called the epistles)

- and a reading from the Gospels

This morning for example, the readings were:
-Psalm 1, Psalm 2, Psalm 3
-Job 4:1, 5:1-11, 17-21, 26-27
-Acts 9:19-31
-John 6:52-59

Here's a link to the Lectionary readings. The easiest thing to do on this website is to scroll down to the calendar view and pick the current month then the date.

http://satucket.com/lectionary/

I hope you'll find this helpful...

-DS

Understanding the Resurrection

2010-04-05T14:28:00.004-04:00

For Christians, Easter means celebrating the resurrection of Christ.

Here's a helpful article from "Christianity Today" on why the resurrection matters. Here's the link: http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2010/april/10.37.html

Enjoy,
-d.

Happy Easter 2010

2010-04-04T13:43:00.011-04:00

Happy Easter 2010....

I hope today has been a great day for you in celebration of Christ's resurrection.

For me, I've spent a lazy afternoon at home with Sue and the kids.

One bonus...Ken Myers (one of my favorite commentators on culture) was on C-SPAN.

Here's the link:
http://www.c-spanarchives.org/program/id/219467

His lecture starts at about 40 min. into the video.

Blessings,
-d.

Systematic Theology

2010-03-13T15:06:00.004-05:00

Some of you know that I'm finishing up my seminary degree at Reformed Theology Seminary. This week I finished my last Systematic Theology class (there are three).

I've learned so much in these three classes about the person and work of God. I wish I would have had time to write more about what I've learned...maybe some day.

RTS has posted a number of the lectures online (and free) on iTunes. I'd highly recommend a listen.

-d.

Videos

2010-03-01T17:15:00.002-05:00

To be honest, I really don't like videos used in worship services.

I do make a few exceptions, however. Here's an excellent video created last week called "Respond to This", created from audio clips from a sermon.

Here's the link: http://worthilymagnify.com/2010/02/28/%E2%80%9Crespond-to-this%E2%80%9D/

-d.

Church Signs

2010-02-26T23:34:00.014-05:00

Every now and then I see some really bad church signs. In fact, the church down the street from us has a large gate in front of their building and driveway with large "No Parking" signs...it's not too inviting.

Two weeks ago I worked in the city of Woonsocket, Rhode Island, a small city located in the northern part of the state just south of the Massachusetts border.

While there I ate most of my meals at the Patriot's Diner (a small diner, with lots of chrome and Valentine's Day balloons). And there, I enjoyed hearing the wonderful Rhode Island accents of the waitresses asking me if I wanted cawfee, sweetened tea, etc.

Driving around Woonsocket, I drove into the Massachusetts town of Blackstone. There, at St. Theresa's Catholic Church I saw one of my favorite Church signs, it said simply:

The Mystery of Faith
Christ has died
Christ has risen
Christ will come again

A perfect sign for any church.
-d.

Free Journey - Week #1

2010-02-25T11:37:00.006-05:00

I taught this past Sunday at the Mason Vineyard to kick off a new series on freedom in Christ.

My message was about the "Foundations of Freedom" - how freedom in Christ is rooted in the message of the Gospel.

Their website is http://www.mason-vineyard.com if you want to take a listen.

-d.

A dragonslaying friend

2010-02-18T22:29:00.006-05:00

One person I had a chance to meet at the Anglican Mission Winter Conference in January and then again this week in Indianapolis is Fr. Tom Tirman.

Fr. Tom helps to lead seven Anglican fellowships in central Indiana.

The umbrella church and ministry that they have started is called Saint Michael the Archangel Anglican Church. Here is the church's website: http://www.indianaanglican.com

Fr.Tom's blogsite called "Tales of a Faithful Dragonslayer" is located here: http://frtirman.blogspot.com

I'm not sure what's all involved in "dragonslaying" but I'm hoping that Fr. Tom can teach me.

-d.

Seven Words for Spiritual Leaders

2010-01-30T12:52:00.009-05:00

As I mentioned in my last post I spent part of last week at the Anglican Mission's annual Winter Conference.

On Day One (on Wednesday), we heard from Rwandan Archbishop Emmanuel Kolini (who as the Primate of Rwanda has oversight for AMiA).

David Virtue had this quote from Archbishop Kolini, "We thank God for protecting the baby (AMiA). We also celebrate a child to grow. The Anglican Mission is 10 years old it wasn’t easy getting here. It needed resources. We were often stubborn, often rebels, but we learn from our mistakes. We celebrate the challenge. Many of you paid a price but thank God the baby (AMiA) survived. Our hope was not in ourselves but in the Lord."

Although he had many things to say, I was most impressed by how he began his talk,"We love you and pray for you."

Those seven words resonated with me as a great expression of Christ-like leadership.

The words "We love you and pray for you" are seven great words that every spiritual leader should take to heart...and remember for those that they are leading.

-d.

Anglican Mission Winter Conference

2010-01-29T19:43:00.004-05:00

Had a great time this week in Greensboro, NC at the Anglican Mission's annual Winter Conference.

In the next few days, I'll blog more about what I learned.

If you are not familiar with the Anglican Mission in the Americas (AMiA), here's the website: http://www.theamia.org

-d.

Interview with J.I. Packer

2010-01-18T17:15:00.001-05:00

Here's a helpful interview with Dr. J.I. Packer on matters of faith...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/25/AR2009122501711.html?wprss=rss_religion

-d.

Helpful Resources on Faith, Vocation and Culture

2010-01-04T19:01:00.008-05:00

Recently I've been reading some helpful resources from The Washington Institute, a Christian organization that creates helpful resources on faith, vocation and culture.

Here's the link to their website: http://www.washingtoninst.org

Here's how they describe the reasons for Christians to carefully reflect upon the areas of faith, vocation and culture:

The Need: In our work we continue to discover the deep, personal, sometimes aching need of people in all walks of life for wholeness in Christ. Instead, what so many find as they enter their callings and live in their communities is that there is fragmentation, a depersonalizing experience, where daily work and daily relationships have become disconnected from faith. Sunday and Monday do not talk to each other nor do they speak the same language if they do converse.

This gap is most often due to the theology people have come to understand whether it is from their church experience, from their personal reading of Scripture, or simply the daily drag of an info glut culture and its secularizing tendencies. The opportunity that we have experienced to impact individuals, local churches, organizations and seminaries in our work since our founding in 2005 is extensive simply because of the hunger to live such that all of life is to be redeemed be it work, worship, families or souls. People resonate with the understanding that vocation is integral, not incidental to the Mission Dei. Somewhere in the flow of modernity that centuries old connection has been obscured. The ancient word for living such a whole and coherent life is wisdom. Imparting wisdom and helping each other engage in wisdom—this is at the heart of the mission of The Washington Institute for Faith, Vocation & Culture.

I think you'll find their articles quite helpful,
-d.

Worship Resources

2010-01-02T21:45:00.002-05:00

Here's a helpful blog/website from Jamie Brown who is the Associate Director of worship at The Falls Church - an Anglican Church in Northern Virginia.

http://worthilymagnify.com/

-d.

Ten Years Ago

2009-12-31T08:04:00.003-05:00

Today marks the end of the decade of 2000's....the "aughts" as my grandfathers might have called it (at least that's what they called the first decade of the previous century).

Things have changed for us in the past ten years.

Ten years ago, Sue and I celebrated New Year's Eve as guests at an officer's club at an Air Force base...a base that today is regularly sending troops into combat.

Ten years ago, our three boys were quite small...4, 1 and our third only a few weeks old. Now the oldest is taller than Sue and the "little guys" are not so little any more.

Here's how I described life ten years ago...

December 4, 1999

"Dooby, doo doop doo wop bop deeda da. Dooby doo doop doo wop bop deeda da."

"Grant." I yell to him in the kitchen. "Pipe down."

I am sitting on our couch feeding Wilster (our new guy) having just turned off the TV news, resigning myself to the fact that I will know nothing about the world while parenting three children under the age of five.

Our one and a half year old, Zackie, is in the middle of the living room playing with Matchbox cars and a small red wagon. He puts a few cars into the wagon then drags the wagon across the living room floor. The top of his shirt is wet (he's getting more teeth and has been drooling all day).

Suddenly he stops and looks at the baby.

"Ah oh." He says.

Zach has a three phrase vocabulary right now. His words are "Hi", "Da" (meaning uncertain) and "Ah oh" (which means I need to kiss the baby right now and you better get out of my way).

He interrupts his play to kiss the seven week old baby sometimes as often as every three to five minutes.

He quickly moves from the wagon to the couch. Then, he opens his mouth as wide as he can and puts it on the baby's head.

"Ah." He says and moves back to the wagon.

I wipe the spit off of the baby's bald head.

"Dooby doo doop doo wop bop deeda da." I hear again from the kitchen.

Zackie, meanwhile decides to stand on the wagon with one foot.

"Hey be careful." I say while still feeding the baby.

"Jingle bells, jingle bells." Grant sings as he comes into the living room and goes to the toy box.

He grabs a plastic golf club.

"Hey Dad, hey Dad."

"Yeah, guy?"

"You know what this is?" he asks.

"A golf club." I reply.

"No, it's what Indians use, it's a homatawk."

"Oh really?" I say not correcting him. "A what?"

It's a homatawk Dad, and I'm an Indian."

Grant starts making whooping noises while patting him mouth.

Zackie then does the same from the red wagon.

Grant then starts running around the room and Zack begins chasing him. When Grant turns to chase Zack, Zackie runs quickly to me in order to get away.

After a few laps around the living room, dining room and kitchen, Grant returns to the toy box and pulls out a super soaker gun.

"Hey Dad, hey Dad."

"Yeah guy?"

"You know who I am?"

"Who?"

"I'm Luke Skywalker."

"Oh really?"

"Yeah, and I'm after Stormtroopers. Bam, bam." He says as he blasts away at the fictitious people.

"Hey Dad."

"What guy?"

"Zack can be Han Solo, and Will can be Chewbacca."

"Sounds good."

He blasts away some more.

Meanwhile, Zackie has found the book "Yertle the Turtle" and brings it to me. With the baby on my left arm, I pull Zack up on the couch with my right and open the book.

I've learned that you can't really read a book slowly to Zack...he turns the pages too quickly.

I read the book, but the story has a few "holes" in it without reading every page.

Zackie then moves to the side of the couch and stands up. He's our resident daredevil.

"Take a seat." I say with a smile and push him down.

He laughs as he tumbles down on the pillows and the cushions on the couch.

In the process of reading and playing with Zackie I notice that the bottle of milk is not in Will's mouth anymore but instead is now running down his cheek and into his ear.

I grab a paper towel and wipe it off.

Sue has come down from our bedroom.

She's beautiful.

"Who wants a horsey ride?" she asks.

"I do. I do." Grant yells.

-d.

The Passing of a Friend

2009-12-09T01:29:00.000-05:00

I was saddened to learn this week of the recent death of Tricia Lyn Salerno Elson, a friend of mine from my college years.

Trish was my supervisor at a waterpark in New Jersey, and when I first met her I was amazed at her energy, spunk and confidence. She would dance around the pools, spend hours talking to me and my fellow lifeguards, play Billy Joel and James Taylor music over the loudspeakers and greet others with a "Yo baby!"

She and her family were very gracious and helpful to me during a difficult time in my life, and to this day, I am grateful for their help.

Trish was a person who was full of faith in Jesus Christ. She encouraged me on a number of occasions to remember Paul's words in Romans 8:28: "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."

She was a person who modeled Christ's forgiveness as well. A number of years ago I called her to ask her for forgiveness, and like the Father to his Prodigal Son, she quickly said, "Oh my gosh, I've forgiven you of that years ago!" and she proceeded to update me on her life.

I know that her great faith and joy, humor and love have influenced the lives of many people. Our prayers and condolences go out to her family and many friends.

Tricia's obituary can be found here: http://www.theoaklandpress.com/articles/2009/11/22/obituaries/1520809.txt

-DS

Helpful Advent Resource

2009-12-05T00:47:00.003-05:00

Last Sunday began the season of Advent (which is celebrated by the Church during the four weeks prior to Christmas).

The word Advent comes from the Latin word adventus which means "arrival" or "coming". During this time, the Church focuses on waiting on the Lord and preparing ones' hearts for Christ. We remember those who waited for Jesus' arrival 2000 years ago and we're encouraged to prepare our hearts and wait upon the Lord during this season.

I've attached a link to a really helpful Advent Devotional Guide from All Saints Church in Chapel Hill/Durham, NC. This free booklet contains daily scripture reading, prayers and questions for reflection. I think you'll find it a really helpful resource during this time of spiritual reflection and preparation. Here's the link:

http://www.allsaints-chd.org/assets/AdventDevotional2009.pdf
-d.

Outline of "The Institutes"

2009-10-06T17:58:00.001-04:00

..as I mentioned in my last post, I'll be reading most of John Calvin's "Institutes for Christian Religion" this fall and winter.

Here's a helpful outline from Timothy George's book called "The Theology of the Reformers":

Book 1: The Knowledge of God the Creator
-twofold knowledge of God
-Scripture
-Trinity
-Creation
-providence

Book 2: The Knowledge of God the Redeemer
-the fall, human sinfulness
-the Law
-Old and New Testaments
-Christ the Mediator: His Person (Prophet, Priest, King) and work (atonement)

Book 3: The Way in Which We Receive the Grace of Christ, Its Benefits and Effects
-faith and regeneration
-repentance
-Christian life
-justification
-predestination
-the final resurrection

Book 4: The External Means by Which God Invites Us into the Society of Christ
-church
-sacraments
-civil government

-d.

Reading John Calvin

2009-09-11T01:05:00.001-04:00

I'm looking forward to the theology classes that I've registered for this fall at Reformed Theological Seminary.

In looking at my syllabus, it looks like I'll be spending a lot of time reading John Calvin's "Institutes of Christian Religion."

A number of years ago I read all of Book One and most of Book Four of the "Institutes"...and found it very helpful. I'm looking forward to digging into it again this fall.

I'll write more to keep you up to date on my reading....

-d.

Interview with Todd Hunter

2009-09-02T22:01:00.008-04:00

Here's the link to Christianity Today's interview with Todd Hunter.

http://www.ctlibrary.com/ct/2009/september/11.66.html

Todd and I have crossed paths a few times over the past 20 years, and I'm looking forward to working with him in the future.

In the early 1980s, Todd was instrumental in helping to get a Vineyard church started in Cincinnati (at the time he was pastoring in Wheeling, WV and traveling to Cincinnati to meet with a small group. Later he encouraged Steve and Janie Sjogren to move to Ohio to pastor the group). The Vineyard Community Church, that eventually grew from that small group, is where I worked for several years and where my wife currently works.

I met Todd a few years after that (now nearly 20 years ago) when he led a few Vineyard seminars and workshops that I attended.

Now, Todd has joined the same Anglican group that I am affiliated with...the Anglican Mission in the Americas (AMiA). Later this month, he will be ordained an Anglican bishop.

Joining Todd in the consecration to the office of Bishop will be Rev. Silas Tak Yin Ng (of Toronto, Canada) and Rev. Canon David "Doc" Loomis (of Hudson, Ohio).

Doc currently serves as Canon Missioner for AMiA and oversees a regional network of Anglican churches. Last August, Doc commissioned me as a Lay Catechist in the Anglican Church.

Here are two links to learn more about the Anglican Mission in the Americas (AMiA) and our local network of Anglican churches:

http://www.theamia.org/

http://www.honanetwork.com/

-d.

It adds up to: 441

2009-09-02T17:26:00.002-04:00

Spending some time this week on music from the eighties (the nineteen eighties that is)....

Anyway, I ran across a site from another favorite Christian band from the 80s, a band called 441.

I've found it difficult in years past to find the band's website, as search engines seemed to give me all kinds of information with the number "441" except for info. about the band. But I was able to find them this week!

Here's the link to their site: http://www.441online.com/

At the bottom of the main page on their website they have a control that you can click to listen to many of their songs for free. (The songs start with a recent live concert but you can scroll down to listen to older studio recordings).

The band's first album was the self-titled "441", released in 1984. A year later the band released "Mourning into Dancing", and in 1988 the band released their third (and seemingly final album) called "Sacrifice".

Over the years, I've enjoyed all three albums, but their first album is probably my favorite (which I think I first purchased in 1985).

Their "break out" hit from that album is the song "Break Out" (which reminds me a lot of the music by the Violent Femmes and the song "Rock this Town" by Brian Setzler and the Stray Cats).

The song speaks of conformity and breaking free from the negative influences of others:

Everybody tells you just what to do
Try this buy that
white teeth get you a girl
You always wonder how clothes make a man
All Jesus wants is you to take a stand
Break out! Break free, it’s your responsibility
(from the song Break Out)

Another song which is a sentimental favorite of mine is called, "Mom and Dad" which expresses a thankfulness and love for one's parents.

Another favorite from the album is the song, "In His Presence", which describes facing difficulty and living with the uncertainty of God's will and purposes:

When I find myself in times like these
I know I can be close to Him
But it’s a while before I can see
Why He’s got me in the state I’m in"
(from the song "In His Presence")

The song then reminds the listener that regardless of circumstances we are living in the presence of God:

In a while I’ll be through this
I’m waiting and I’m watching
And I’m going through a trail time
In His presence I am
In His presence I am
In His presence I am
(from the song "In His Presence")

The album ends with the wonderful song, "Looking at You", which describes the theological idea of sanctification - the process of growing in God's grace and being conformed more and more into the image of Christ. The song uses these words:

I can’t believe it when I look at you I see myself

(from the song Looking at You)

If you haven't heard of the band 441, I'd encourage you to give them a listen.

-d.

Sounds Like...Adam Again

2009-08-31T20:11:00.004-04:00

For my birthday a few weeks ago I downloaded some old songs by a band called "Adam Again".

The cost was $7.90 for all of the songs from their first album, here's the link:
http://www.thechoirdownloads.com/artist.aspx?artistid=11

If you've never heard of "Adam Again" (which is likely) you're missing out on one of the best Christian bands from the eighties.

My two favorite albums are their first and second: "In a New World of Time" (released in 1986) and "Ten Songs" (released in 1988).

When I purchased their first album in 1987, I was absolutely amazed at their music...hearing an incredible mix of rock, soul and funk.

The group's sound featured electric guitarist Greg Lawless playing an excellent "Chenka guitar", with the rhythms of Paul Valdez on bass and Jon Knox on drums (although I think the first album may have used a drum machine for some songs).

The band's vocals were led Gene Eugene (Gene Andrusco), who was the group's founder, with his wife Riki Michele who sang a soulful backup.

Listening to Gene's singing now, I am reminded of how much he sounds like the vocalists of Counting Crows and REM.

(I bought their first album, even before I heard their music because their album cover was a painting by Howard Finster, which was similar to one he had done a year earlier for the Talking Heads' album "Little Creatures").

In addition to the music, I found the lyrics of Adam Again to be particularly poignant...a recurring theme in their first album "In a New World Of Time" is the goodness of God:

"When I think of the things I do
I need nothing more from you
Just to be forgiven is enough for me"
(from the song, Life in the First Degree)

"He was God and nothing less
He came to fill your emptiness
His love has stood the test of time
Now it can stand the test of your mind"
(You Can Fall in Love)

"Two thousand years of signs and wonders
All for you to see"
(Miracles)

There's also a heavy focus on loss and longing for something more (with a heavy emphasis on crying):

"I looked for a way for years
Alone in my bitter tears"
(Life in the First Degree)

"She says she'll never go home
But tonight she'll cry herself to sleep"
(She's Run)

"Late at night she cries in her bedroom
Wonders if anyone would care if she took her life"
(God Can Change Your World)

In addition, the album has a great focus on giving thanks to God:

"So I'll sing in the streets and dance in the aisles and celebrate what will be"
(Life in the First Degree)

"I try to find the words but I can't even speak except to say Hallelujah"
(Morning Song)

The album ends with a plea to accept God's forgiveness, with the words,

"Won't you listen to the Voice of God, as it whispers your forgiveness."

(Reason With Me)

...again a wonderful album.

In the summer of 1988 (a little over a year after their first album was released) I took a road trip with my buddy Billy to see Adam Again in concert at a Christian music festival in Kitchener, Ontario. Gene was on hand working the sound booth for a number of artists at the music festival called "The Freedom Festival".

A few hours before Adam Again was scheduled to play, a huge thunderstorm came through the area, and the band was forced to move inside to a nearby roller skating rink. It was a strange moment as the band warmed up, with a few fans hudled near the stage and skaters circling the rink.

The next day Billy and I had a chance to meet the band. They were all very friendly. I asked Gene about the bands next album.

As I recall he told me, "We're going to call it Sounds like Adam Again."

Gene went on to make a total of five albums with Adam Again and recorded countless other songs as a producer, engineer and musician with other bands in his Green Room Studio in Los Angeles. He died unexpectedly in 2000.

-d.

The Chief End of Man

2009-08-25T17:27:00.002-04:00

This week I've been reading a book of lectures by Karl Barth called "The Theology of John Calvin". Barth delivered the lectures in 1922 at the University of Gottingen (in Germany) while he served at the university's Professor of Reformed Theology.

In this passage, Barth explains Calvin's beliefs about our purpose of life. He writes that in the in the Geneva Catechism, Calvin explains that,

"God created us and put us in the world in order to be glorified by us. Since he is the origin of our life, it is right that we should place this life in the service of his glory. That this should take place is our supreme good. Should it not, we are in sorrier state than animals. Nothing worse can happen to us than not living our lives for God. And here again we have true knowledge of God in which we know him and come to awareness of the honor we owe him. But the way in which we pay this honor that we owe is fourfold, (1) by putting our whole trust in him, (2) by seeking to serve him with our whole lives and doing his will, (3) by calling upon him in need and seeking salvation and every good thing in him, and finally (4) by recognizing him with heart and mind as the 'sole author' of all good. These four points are the basis for Calvin's presentation of Christianity."
(p. 76-77)

Interesting thoughts,
-d.

The Future of Anglicanism

2009-08-24T00:24:00.005-04:00

Here's a helpful audio interview at "The Whitehorse Inn" with host Dr. Michael Horton and Dr. David Virtue and retired Episcopal bishop C. FitzSimons Allison.

They discuss new missions in Anglicanism and the important doctrines of justification and imputation.

http://www.oneplace.com/ministries/The_White_Horse_Inn/archives.asp?bcd=2009-8-23

Enjoy,

-d.

Two Ways to Live

2009-08-21T17:19:00.008-04:00

Here's a great resource about the Gospel called "Two Ways to Live":

http://twowaystolive.com/

The author, Dean Phillip Jensen, explains the concepts in more detail in a video at:

http://www.sydneyanglicans.net/media/video/two_ways_to_live/

(Note: You'll have to scroll down to the middle of the page to see the video).

Enjoy,

-d.

Going Luther's Way

2009-08-02T15:59:00.001-04:00

The Washington Post had an interesting article and photo gallery this weekend by James Reston Jr. called "Going His Way". The reporter, who recently completed a book on the Protestant Reformation, writes about his journey of retracing Luther's steps.

Here's the article: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/story/2009/07/31/ST2009073102890.html?sid=ST2009073102890

-d.

What is the Church?

2009-07-30T23:23:00.001-04:00

A friend recently told me about Steve Fuller's "Church Experiment" blog that describes his visits to 52 places of worship in 52 weeks.

[This new style of writing is becoming more and more popular - with writers explaining their own unique personal experiences, as AJ Jacobs did in the 2004 book "The Know-It-All" - a book that described his reading of the entire Encyclopedia Britannica. I must confess that it's a style that I've used as well in my little booklet called, "Go Eat Popcorn" that describes my experiences reading four of Paul's New Testament letters. Here's a link to the first 200 pages: http://www.dstiles.com/GoEatPopcorn.pdf ]

Steve Fuller's posts are interesting and sometimes humorous. He writes about what he's heard from Pentecostal preachers and his experiences of going to different places of worship (although I would not identify some of the places as "churches" as he does -- like the local Hindu Temple and the Muslim Mosque.)

Reading his blog reminded me of my struggles over the years of trying to find answers to the question of "what is the Church"?

Even though I've been a professing Christian since my youth, the issue of ecclesiology has been one that I've wrestled with over the years.

I guess this struggle can be seen in my own "church experiences" too. I was raised in a very liturgical United Methodist church, discovered a Vineyard "seeker friendly" church in college and worked there part-time for a few years after I graduated. Now I enjoy the beauty of historic liturgical prayer combined with contemporary worship music in an Anglican fellowship.

For me the most helpful answers to the question of "What is the Church?" have come from the writers who lived during the Protestant Reformation. This attempt to reform the church, is generally identified to have begun on October 31, 1517 when Martin Luther (a Catholic monk and teacher) posted Ninety-Five Thesis on a church door in Wittenburg (which is now in Germany).

In the midst of the great turmoil that followed, the leading Protestant theologians of the Reformation (like Luther in Germany and Huldrych Zwingli, and John Calvin in Switzerland) were forced to address the important question of "What is the Church?"

In looking at Scripture they explained that there were two important attributes (that they called "marks") that described a true Church.

These two marks were (1) the preaching of God's Word and (2) the proper administration of the Sacraments.

Preaching, for the Reformers, was one of the two essential marks of the Church. They frequently quoted St. Paul who wrote, "Faith comes by hearing and hearing the Word of God". They sought to follow Paul's advice to "preach Christ crucified" (I Cor. 1:23) and to "preach the Word, in and out of season." (2 Tim. 4:2)

Essential to their preaching was an explanation of the Good News, which the New Testament writers called the Gospel.

Huldrych Zwingli (who lived from 1484-1531) summarized the Gospel with these words:

"The summary of the gospel is that our Lord Christ, true Son of God, has made known to us the will of his Heavenly Father and has redeemed us from death and reconciled us with God by his guiltlessness. Therefore, Christ is the only way to salvation of all who were, are now, or shall be."

According to the Reformers, the task of preaching is to share the Good News that God rescued us from our sin through His Son Jesus.

The second "mark" or attribute of the true Church was the proper administration of the Sacraments. During the Reformation there was much debate between Christians over what was a Sacrament and what was not.

The word Sacrament comes from the Latin word sacramentum meaning something sacred. This concept was used earlier by Greek writers who used the word mysterion to mean something sacred, unknown or mysterious.

For the Reformers, the Sacraments were an outward sign of an inward grace. The items that they identified as Sacraments were baptism and communion (also called "The Lord's Supper" or the Eucharist).

In baptism, according to Martin Luther (1483-1546), it is not the minister or the one being baptized who exerts the religious effort but God. As one historian explained Luther's view:

"God is the Doer in baptism, the minister merely God's agent. In baptism God announces His gracious acceptance of the sinner, for those who receive baptism in faith are none other than those who have been bathed and cleansed in the blood of Christ." (Timothy George, "Theology of the Reformers", pg. 94)

For the Reformers, there was also much debate over the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper.

Some (like Zwingli in his early years, in response to the Roman Catholic doctrine of transubstantiation) explained that the taking of the bread and wine was only a memorial. Because Scripture taught that Jesus is "seated at the right hand of the Father", Zwingli in his early years could not accept a belief that communion could be anything more than a memorial. After all, Christ had said, "Eat this in remembrance of me" (Luke 22:19).

Others, like Luther and Calvin (and Zwingli later in life), believed that communion certainly was a memorial, but also something more...something where Christ was present.

Luther referred to Christ's words in Luke 22:19, "this is my body given for you" and Christ's words in the next verse, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you." It is interesting to observe that Christ did not say this is like my body or like my blood. Rather, Christ said, "this is my body" and "this is my blood". Luther explained that Christ was present, "in, with and under" the Sacrament of the bread and the wine.

John Calvin (1509-1564) in affirming the real presence of Christ in the Sacrament, explained that the "mystery of the Supper" is that "Christ is truly shown to us through the symbols of bread and wine, his very body and blood, in which he fulfilled all obedience to gain righteousness." (Inst. 4.17.11)

Calvin explained that the Sacrament involves a "true participation with Christ Himself." In the Lord's Supper, Christians "grow into one body" with Christ and become "partakers of his substance, that we may also feel the power in partaking of all his benefits." (Inst. 4.17.11)

We might ask, "How does this happen? How does Christ unite Himself with His followers in the Sacraments of baptism and communion?"

The answer, for Calvin is that it is the work of the Holy Spirit:

"Even though it seems unbelievable that Christ’s flesh, separated from us by such great distance, penetrates to us, so that it becomes our food, let us remember how far the secret power of the Holy Spirit towers above all our senses, and how foolish it is to wish to measure his immeasurableness by our measure. What our mind does not comprehend, let faith conceive: that the Spirit truly unites things separated in space." (Inst. 4.17.10)

May we have faith to believe the things we do not comprehend and be united with Christ in the power of His Spirit,

-D.

Sir Henry Neville = Shakespeare?

2009-07-28T21:46:00.004-04:00

...a fun site to view these apparent decryptions of clues to the true author of Shakespeare's plays and sonnets.

http://www.leylandandgoding.com/the_decryption

Once you go to the site, click on the powerpoint files to see how the text was decoded.

-d.

Summer Reading

2009-07-28T21:13:00.004-04:00

I've been reading a very interesting book this week called, "The Truth Will Out: Unmasking the Real Shakespeare" by Brenda James and William Rubinstein.

The authors make the case that Sir Henry Neville (1562-1615) was the author of what we now know as the poems and plays of William Shakespeare. Among many things, they point out that Sir Henry was fluent in many European languages, had visited many of the the places where the plays take place (including Italy and Scotland), had a deep knowledge of the law and the royal court.

They also write about Sir Henry's growing Protestantism after being sent to the Tower of London by Queen Elizabeth before her death. This, they argue can be seen in the "problem plays" (like Hamlet) which were written after 1601.

He kept his authorship a secret, they argue, because of his high position in Parliament.

An interesting additional fact...Sir Henry played a role in the founding of America - he was an investor in the London Virginia Company, which sent an English expedition headed by Captain John Smith to North America. They founded the colony at Jamestown, Virginia in May 1607.

If you have an interest in Shakespeare or like a good mystery, I recommend this book.

-d.

Calvin at 500

2009-07-15T14:25:00.001-04:00

Last Friday marked the 500th anniversary of John Calvin's birth (who was born on July 10, 1509).

I've been reading a lot of Calvin recently for my classes at "Reformed Theological Seminary", and hope to add some posts here about Calvin's "Institutes for Christian Religion" (sometime in the future).

There have been a number of conferences this summer celebrating the birth of Calvin. For a brief biography and a list of resources, this site will be helpful: http://www.calvin500.com/

Another resource that I would recommend is last week's interview of Dr. W. Robert Godfrey by Dr. Michael Horton of the White Horse Inn. Dr. Godfrey has a new book out called, "Calvin: Pilgrim and Pastor". Here's the link: http://www.oneplace.com/ministries/The_White_Horse_Inn/archives.asp?bcd=2009-7-5

Enjoy,
-d.

Leadership Challenges

2009-06-28T23:59:00.002-04:00

In response to the news this week of another Christian leader admitting to an extra-marital affair, Rev. Gary Sweeten reposted an article called "The Crisis of Leadership".

Dr. Sweeten has some good advice on recognizing symptoms of a leader's crisis, things that won't work, and things that do.

I also appreciated his words around our need to develop intimacy with God and His Spirit.

Here's the link: http://www.sweetenlife.com/page1135033.aspx

-d.

First Chapter

2009-06-23T01:04:00.002-04:00

I just finished editing the first Chapter of my modern edition of "A Method for Prayer" by Matthew Henry.

Here is the link:

http://www.cincyanglican.org/A_Method_for_Prayer.pdf

It is still in a draft form, but I hope you find it a helpful resource.

-d.

First 25 Pages of "A Method for Prayer"

2009-06-17T01:03:00.003-04:00

Here's the link to the first 25 pages of my modern edition of "A Method for Prayer" by Matthew Henry:

http://www.cincyanglican.org/A_Method_for_Prayer.pdf

It is still in a draft form, as I haven't done much editing, but I hope you find it a helpful resource.

-d.

A Modern Method for Prayer

2009-06-14T22:54:00.005-04:00

I worked tonight on writing and editing a modern edition of Matthew Henry's "A Method for Prayer".

Henry, who lived from 1662 - 1714, first published his "Method for Prayer" in 1712, which utilized Scripture as a means for prayer.

I've found it to be a helpful resource as for my devotional life. I'll post a link to the draft of the text as soon as I finish Chapter 1.

-D.

Ordination Exams

2009-06-13T01:51:00.001-04:00

I finished the written part of the ordination exams for the Anglican Church this week...should get the results back in a week or so.

-D.

A Summary of Christian Doctrine

2009-04-27T00:23:00.005-04:00

Last week I finished a wonderful and concise book called "A Summary of Christian Doctrine" by Louis Berkhof.

Berkhof was a professor of theology for many years at Calvin Theological Seminary who died in 1957.

His book has some great information about Christian beliefs, and a number of suggestions for further study of these beliefs in Scripture. His chapters on the attributes of God, the doctrine of the person and work of Christ and the Church and the means of grace are terrific.

Enjoy,
-D.

Palm Sunday Sermon

2009-04-25T01:12:00.004-04:00

Christ Reformed Church has posted their Holy Week audio files.

Here's Pastor Kim Riddlebarger's Palm Sunday sermon from April 5th:

http://links.christreformed.org/realaudio/KR20090405-Easter.mp3

-D.

Maundy Thursday

2009-04-09T23:45:00.001-04:00

Today Christians celebrate Maundy Thursday, here's how the day is described on the website http://www.churchyear.net/holythursday.html

Jesus shared the final meal with his disciples, called the Last Supper, on the night before he was crucified. The institution of the Holy Eucharist occurred during this meal, as indicated from the gospel excerpt below:

Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed, and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, "Take, eat; this is my body." And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, "Drink of it, all of you; for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you I shall not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom" (Matthew 26:26-29 RSV)

Since Scripture and Tradition tell us that Jesus was crucified on a Friday, Jesus shared the important Last Supper with his apostles on a Thursday. The synoptic gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke) seem to suggest that the Last Supper was a passover Meal. However, John suggests that Jesus was crucified before the Passover Meal, on the Day of Preparation. Perhaps the Last Supper was done in anticipation of the Passover Meal, or was a Kiddush or some other religious meal. The gospel of John does not record the Institution of the Eucharist at the Last Supper, while the synoptic gospels do. However, John's gospel records Jesus washing the disciples' feet. Holy Thursday traditions are derived from all four gospels.

Thus Holy Thursday, also known as Maundy Thursday, is the Thursday of Holy Week, commemorating the Institution of the Holy Eucharist and the Sacrament of Ordination. Holy Thursday also celebrates the agony of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, and the betrayal of Jesus by Judas Iscariot, events that took place on the night before Jesus' crucifixion. The Evening Mass of the Lord's Supper on Holy Thursday begins the Triduum, which is the three-day celebration of the heart of the Christian faith: Christ's death and resurrection. The Paschal Triduum begins on the evening of Holy Thursday and concludes with the Evening Prayer (Vespers) of Easter. Thus the Triduum includes Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday, and reaches it high point at the Great Easter Vigil. The name "Maundy" comes from the Latin antiphon Mandatum Novum, i.e. "a new mandate." This new mandate from Jesus is taken from John 13:34: love one another as I have loved you.
Grace and peace,
-Dave

Palm Sunday

2009-04-05T21:53:00.002-04:00

We're visiting family this week, and I was able to spend Palm Sunday today with the folks at the Church of the Good Shepherd in Davidson, North Carolina.

Rev. Kyle Wallace had a helpful message today about the significance of Palm Sunday, Jesus' cleansing of the Temple and His desire for fruit of the Spirit.

Here's the church's website if you're in the Charlotte/Davidson area:
http://www.tcotgs.org

Blessings,
-Dave

Reading Jonathan Edwards - Part 1

2009-03-25T01:51:00.001-04:00

Last week I read a book called "The Selected Writings of Jonathan Edwards" for a course I'm taking at Reformed Theological Seminary.

Edwards, who lived from 1703-1758, was a pastor, theologian and briefly served as president of Princeton University.

I had read Edwards's famous sermon "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" in several English classes in High School and college, and so was expecting quite a lot of harsh language in his collected works. (I'll get to that famous sermon in another post or two).

What was surprising to me, however, about Jonathan Edwards' writing were his numerous works about his enjoyment of God.

While walking in his father's pasture he explains, "as I was walking there, and looking up on the sky and clouds, there came into my mind so sweet a sense of the glorious majesty and grace of God, that I know not how to express."

In another passage he writes, "My mind was very much taken up with contemplations on heaven and the enjoyments there...Heaven appeared exceedingly delightful, as a world of love; and that all happiness consisted of living in pure, humble, heavenly, divine love."

In yet another passage he tells his readers: "I very frequently used to retire into a solitary place, on the banks of Hudson's river, at some distance from the city, for contemplation on divine things, and secret converse with God; and had many sweet hours there."

Interesting thoughts on contemplation and reflection from Jonathan.

-D.

Reading Jonathan Edwards

2009-03-08T00:46:00.002-05:00

This week I'm reading selections of writings and sermons by Jonathan Edwards for a class at Reformed Theological Seminary....I'll include posts this week on what I learn.

Best,
-Dave

Embracing Bankruptcy

2009-03-02T21:45:00.003-05:00

I was surprised to see this post on the New York Times opinion page today:
http://fish.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/03/01/faith-and-deficits/?ref=opinion

Dr. Stanley Fish writes about embracing bankruptcy...moral and spiritual that is.

Enjoy,
-D.

Ash Wednesday

2009-02-25T22:07:00.002-05:00

Today is Ash Wednesday, which occurs forty days (not counting Sundays) before Easter.

Here's the wikipedia link to an overview of the holiday: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ash_Wednesday

Grace and peace,
-Dave

Luther's Legacy

2009-02-23T17:10:00.004-05:00

Nobody's perfect...I was reminded of that fact last week with the celebration of Abraham Lincoln's 200th birthday. In the midst of celebrating the "Great Emancipator" we were reminded from several sources that Lincoln had some very bad things to say about African Americans and their fate (for many years he wanted to deport them to Liberia).

Pastor John Piper wrote last week as well about Lincoln's failures and the fact that all earthly heroes will fail us. You can read the article here.

I was reminded of that truth again this week as I finished reading Roland H. Bainton's biography of Martin Luther, called "Here I Stand: A Life of Martin Luther".

Luther's legacy is truly staggering...leader of the Protestant Reformation, translator of the Bible into German, proponent of justification by faith....yet there was also a negative side to Luther as well. Unlike Lincoln who had some progression in his thinking of others, Luther's screeds became worse as he aged. Regarding the Pope, Luther was quite quick to call him the Anti-Christ. Regarding Jews, Luther had some very negative opinions. Bainton, Luther's biographer, notes that he wished Luther would have died earlier so that his anti-Semitic views would not have been known.

Regarding his positive contributions, Luther is unequaled. Here's how Bainton describes the work of Luther and his influence on Germans:

"The most profound impact of Luther on his people was in their religion. His sermons were read to the congregations, his liturgy was sung, his catechism was rehearsed by the father with the household, his Bible cheered the fainthearted and consoled the dying."

Compared to the Protestant Reformation in England, Bainton notes that there was not a similar character:

"The Bible translation in England was the work of Tyndale, the prayer book of Cranmer, the catechism of the Westminster divines. The sermonic style stemmed from Latimer; the hymnbook came from Watts. And not all of these lived in one century. Luther did the work of more than five men. And for sheer richness and exuberance of vocabulary and mastery of style he is to be compared only with Shakespeare."

I encourage you read Luther's biography...even though he was an imperfect man. He was a man who doubted, but a man who also had incredible faith...a faith that allowed him to say before the Emperor: "Here I stand. I cannot do otherwise. God help me. Amen."

Blessings,
-D.

Luther's Lyrics

2009-02-20T01:38:00.010-05:00

This week I've been reading Roland Bainton's book called "Here I Stand: A Life of Martin Luther".

In the 1520's Luther challenged Catholic authorities on their practice of selling indulgences, arguing that it contradicted the Scriptural doctrine of justification - of being made right with God - through faith in Christ alone.

What was interesting to me was that for someone focused so much on faith instead of works, the works that Luther produced in the 1520's are truly staggering. During the course of just a few years Luther:

wrote three major treatises (starting in 1520) on Christian freedom, "the priesthood of all believers", Two Kingdoms and the sacraments

translated the New Testament into German (first published in 1522)

wrote "On the Bondage of the Will" (first published in 1525) on the sovereignty of God and the limitations of humans to choose good and their inability to be right with God on their own strength

wrote the "Large" Catechism (published in 1529), as instructions to parents and teachers

wrote the "Small" Catechism (also published in 1529) for instruction to children

One of the most lasting legacies during this period is his hymn "A Mighty Fortress is Our God" written between 1527 and 1529. Here's a link to the lyrics: http://www.hymnsite.com/lyrics/umh110.txt

After nearly 500 years, the words to the hymn remain poignant and incredibly stirring.

Many Blessings,
-Dave

Luther's Courage

2009-02-19T23:28:00.004-05:00

This week I've been reading Roland Bainton's book called "Here I Stand: A Life of Martin Luther".

What stuck me most over the past few days of reading Luther's biography, was the incredible courage he had when facing certain death in the 1520's for his role in the Protestant Reformation.

It is likely that Luther never intentionally set out to be the leader of the Protestant Reformation. His initial objections to the sale of indulgences were not those of a radical attacking the Church from the outside, but rather, he was an insider...a monk and a scholar within the Church, who posted his Ninety-Five Theses on the door of the Castle Church in Latin, intending his work to be read by a learned audience. He believed that the clerics and the Pope would reconsider the sale of indulgences after reading his reasoned arguments and examining Scripture.

What happened next in quick order was that the authorities did not reconsider their position, but rather viewed Luther as a heretic. The Pope threatened to excommunicate him if he did not recant (in June of 1520) and he was ordered to appear before Emperor Charles V in April 1521.

Luther was aware that he was likely to be found guilty and killed. Here's what he wrote just before appearing before the emperor:

"You ask me what I shall do if I am called by the emperor. I will go even if I am too sick to stand on my feet. If Caesar calls me, God calls me. If violence is used, as well it may be, I commend my cause to God. He lives and reigns who saved the three youths from the fiery furnace of the king of Babylon, and if he will not save me, my head is worth nothing compared to Christ. This is no time to think of safety. I must take care that the gospel is not brought into contempt by our fear to confess and seal our teaching with our blood." (pg. 135)

When he did appear before the Emperor at Worms, his words were equally courageous:

"Unless I am convicted by Scripture and plain reason--I do not accept the authority of popes and councils, for they have contradicted each other--my conscience is captive to the Word of God. I cannot and I will not recant anything, for to go against conscience is neither right nor safe. God help me. Here I stand, I cannot do otherwise." (pg. 144)

The courage that Luther was able to express, in the face of certain death is truly miraculous. Luther was able to rest and have confidence in the Lord...believing that the God who had helped his faithful servants in the Old and New Testament would help him.

May we find the same courage from God, being confident not in our own strength but in His as we continue our life's journey,
-D.

Indulge me for a moment...

2009-02-17T13:05:00.004-05:00

I was interested in reading the following article in our local paper about the revival of the Catholic tradition of indulgences:

http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20090215/NEWS01/902150363/-1/NEWS0109

According to the newspaper article, these indulgences are designed to "hasten" one's "journey to heaven" and "avoid punishment in the afterlife".

I have great respect for the Catholic Church. I am thankful that the Church has stood for the cause of Christianity for so many centuries in the midst of incredible, often difficult, circumstances. Personally, I've found a great number of Catholic authors helpful (especially St. Augustine, Henri Nouwen and Thomas Merton). But this area regarding indulgences is one where we sharply differ.

The issuing of indulgences was a major cause of (what is known today as) The Reformation, which started in the early 1500's and birthed the Protestant Church. The initial leader of the Reformation was a German named Martin Luther, who I've been reading recently for a seminary program.

Luther had initially considered being a lawyer before feeling called by God to become a monk. While living at a monastery and serving as a pastor and teacher in the city of Wittenberg, Luther wrestled with intense feelings of guilt...knowing that he was sinful and constantly falling short of God's standards.

At the same time a man commissioned by Rome, named Johann Tetzel, traveled throughout Germany selling indulgences, to limit the punishment of purgatory for those who purchased them and for their designated recipients who had already died.

Luther eventually did finally find comfort...not in indulgences, or in changing his beliefs about God's standards, but through his study of Scripture, particularly his study of St. Paul's writing (in Romans, to be exact). There he discovered the idea of "justification by faith"...that Christians are made right with God, not by their own works of righteousness but rather through faith in the work of Christ.

If you're struggling with this concept, I'd encourage you to read Romans or Galatians in the New Testament to see Paul's passion around this concept...that it's not our work, but the work of Christ that will remit sin because Christ has taken the punishment for us.

If you're interested in learning more about Luther, I'll be reading his biography this week. The biography I'm reading is by Roland H. Bainton called, "Here I Stand: A Life of Martin Luther". I'll keep you posted with what I learn.

Many blessings,
-Dave

In Celebration of Celebration

2009-02-16T20:57:00.009-05:00

The 30th anniversary of the publishing of Richard Foster's book "The Celebration of Discipline" was recently celebrated.

The book is a wonderful exploration on the subject of Christian growth and covers many topics, including:

the inward disciplines of prayer, fasting and Christian meditation
the outward disciplines of simplicity, solitude and submission
the corporate disciplines of confession, worship and celebration.

Christianity Today has written much about the book in the past few months and recently they've published an article by Richard Foster about his priorities for the next 30 years: http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2009/january/26.29.html

The mark of a good book often for me is that I can't find it....because I've loaned it to several people and can't remember who the last person was to receive it. That's true for "The Celebration of Discipline"...I found it to be a really helpful book when I first read it in 1989 and several times since. (If you have my copy...send it back).

On a final note, another great book by Richard Foster was one published in the 1980s called "Money, Sex and Power"...a terrific look at those topics from a Christian perspective. I think it is now out of print, but if it's been reissued I'll update the post.

Enjoy,
-D.

Lincoln Links

2009-02-12T00:16:00.004-05:00

Today we celebrate Abraham Lincoln's 200th Birthday. A coworker shared with me these helpful Lincoln links:

The Gutenberg Project - has free digital copies of Lincoln's writing (including the Gettysburg Address, his Inaugural Addresses, his complete speeches as President and his collected writing). Here's the link: http://www.gutenberg.org

The Abraham Lincoln Association - has posted the 8 volume "The Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln", which is hosted by the University of Michigan. Here's that link: http://quod.lib.umich.edu/l/lincoln/

The Library of Congress - has posted several photographs of Lincoln and his family that are in its collection. Here's that link: http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/alhtml/dags.html

Enjoy,
-Dave

Reading Lincoln

2009-02-09T00:20:00.004-05:00

On Friday I finished David Herbert Donald's biography, "Lincoln". I found it to be a terrific book.

I found Dr. Donald's description of Lincoln's Presidency to be the most fascinating section of the book. The way in which Lincoln navigated between the many divergent Northern political groups (the "Radical" and "Conservative" Republicans, the "War" Democrats, etc.) was incredibly interesting.

It was interesting to read that many people in these groups considered themselves to be Lincoln's enemies...there were a number of people that said that the Civil War was a "failure" and attacked Lincoln for going too slow/or too fast in regards to emancipation...and for being too lenient/too hard in the area of reconstruction.

In last Sunday's New York Times, William Safire reviewed a number of books published recently about Lincoln. His review can be found here.

In his review he has some very good things to say about Dr. Donald's biography. He writes, "no one-volume life published so far beats David Herbert Donald’s perceptive and lucid work (still selling in trade paperback)."

Mr. Safire also noted that a two volume, 2,000 page, million-word biography of Lincoln by Michael Burlingame called "Lincoln: A Life" will be posted online in the spring. Here's the link: www.knox.edu/lincolnstudies. I can't wait to see that.

I'm sure we'll hear more this week about books and resources on Lincoln as we approach his 2o0th birthday on Thursday the 12th. I'm looking forward to that.

-D.

Comfort in Grief

2009-02-01T23:19:00.004-05:00

On Friday morning I found myself finishing up work on a software project in a Christian hospital in north Georgia. Having some time on my hands at 8:30am, I took a break from my work and attended the hospital's morning chapel service.

I was greeted warmly by Chaplain Dave, who smiled warmly and shook my hand. I joined a group of three others: a maintenance worker, and two women, one of whom cried throughout most of the fifteen minute service. Chaplain Dave began by reading a passage of Scripture then told us about some of his encounters with patients and their families during the week.

He told about an incredible encounter he had earlier in the week with a woman who was in the ICU. She had stopped breathing for almost ten minutes and had been pronounced dead. After he was called in, he prayed for her and miraculously she took a gasp and began breathing again. A few days later she was transferred to a less critical care room. He said that the nurses had told him that they had never seen anything quite like that before.

Chaplain Dave also told of praying with a family earlier that morning who had just lost a young member of their family to death. He told us that the family was very upset and deep in grief at their loss. "Those cases are always so difficult." he said.

Soon we read some written prayer requests from patients and then began praying.

As we prayed, I thought about some reading that I had done earlier in the week.

I thought first about a passage that I had read in David Herbert Donald's book "Lincoln". In the book, Dr. Donald writes about the death of the Lincoln's son Willie, who died in the White House in February 1863 (he was their second son to die in childhood).

Dr. Donald explained:

"Both parents were devastated by grief. When Lincoln looked on the face of his dead son, he could only say brokenly, 'He was too good for this earth...but then we loved him so.' It seemed appropriate that Willie's funeral, which was held at the White House, was accompanied by one of the heaviest wind and rain storms ever to visit Washington. Long after the burial the President repeatedly shut himself in a room so that he could weep alone."

"During this time he increasingly turned to religion for solace. As Mary Lincoln said years later, 'He first thought...about this subject...when Willie died - never before."

Dr. Donald noted that President Lincoln turned to Rev. Phineas D. Gurley, pastor of the New York Avenue Presbyterian Church in Washington, where the Lincoln's rented a pew. Lincoln, we are told, had several long talks with the pastor who comforted Lincoln with the Christian belief that his son lived on in heaven.

During the morning prayer service at the hospital, my thoughts turned also to the recent death of Father Richard John Neuhaus. Fr. Neuhaus was a Catholic priest, the author of several books, a leader in the ecumenical movement and the founder of "First Things", a monthly religious journal that I have found very helpful throughout the years.

Fr. Neuhaus wrote profoundly about his thoughts on death - the article that I read earlier in the week, called "Born Toward Dying" can be found here.

In the article, Fr. Neuhaus explained how he had served as a chaplain at a large hospital where he would see two or three patients die in a 24-hour period. He also wrote about his own near-death experience several years before where he had heard "presences" (i.e. angels) near his hospital bed telling him, "Everything is ready now."

In the article Fr. Neuhaus noted that when a loved-one dies it can lead to wisdom about this life and the life to come:

"The worst thing is not the sorrow or the loss or the heartbreak. Worse is to be encountered by death and not to be changed by the encounter."

Fr. Neuhaus died on January 8th. In his final column for "First Things" he conveyed a hope in eternal life through faith in Christ...a hope that I had heard on Friday morning at the prayer service led by Chaplain Dave...and a hope that the Lincoln's heard in 1863 from Rev. Phineas D. Gurley.

Fr. Neuhaus wrote hopefully:

"Be assured that I neither fear to die nor refuse to live. If it is to die, all that has been is but a slight imitation of what is to be. If it is to live, there is much I hope to do in the interim."

May you be comforted in your grief,
-D.

Lincoln's Leadership Qualifications

2009-01-27T22:42:00.007-05:00

This week I've been enjoying David Herbert Donald's 1995 biography called simply, "Lincoln". (I've been reading it to celebrate Abraham Lincoln's birthday next month).

A passage I read tonight reminded me of the debates and discussions from the 2008 Presidential election over the experience (or lack of experience) of the candidates (specifically Gov. Palin and Sen. Obama).

Here's how Dr. Donald's described Abraham Lincoln's leadership qualifications in 1859 as Lincoln considered running for President:

"To all outward appearances he was less prepared to be President of the United States than any other man who had run for that high office. Without family tradition or wealth, he had received only the briefest of formal schooling. Now fifty years old, he had no administrative experience or any sort; he had never been governor of his state or even mayor of Springfield. A profound student of the Constitution and of the writings of the Founding Fathers, he had limited acquaintance with the government they had established. He had served only a single, less than successful term in the House of Representatives and for the past ten years had held no public office. Though he was one of the founders of the Republican party, he held no close friends and only a few acquaintances in the populous Eastern states, whose votes would be crucial in the election. To be sure, his debates with Douglas had brought him national attention, but he had lost the senatorial election both in 1855 and 1859."

After initially telling reporters, "I must, in candor, say I do not think myself fit for the Presidency", Lincoln (as we know now) decided to organize supporters who then helped him successfully gain the office in 1860.

An interesting comment on Lincoln's leadership qualifications,
-D.

The Faith of Lincoln

2009-01-22T00:45:00.011-05:00

Abraham Lincoln has been in the news quite a lot in the past few days. Yesterday at his inauguration, President Obama used the same Bible that Lincoln used when he was sworn in as President. And a few days prior to the inaugural President Obama took a train (as Lincoln did) into Washington, D.C.

Next month, we'll celebrate the 200th birthday of Abraham Lincoln. To remember Lincoln, for the past several weeks, I've been reading David Herbert Donald's biography of Lincoln (written in 1995).

Dr. Donald's access to Lincoln's personal letters provides a number of insights into the history and personality of our 16th president. Of interest to me was his description of Lincoln's religious beliefs.

Dr. Donald notes that Lincoln's parents were members of the Separate Baptist Church "whose members accepted traditional Baptist beliefs, like predestination and opposition to infant baptism, but refused to endorse any formal creed. Adhering to a very strict code of morality, which condemned profanity, intoxication, gossip, horse racing, and dancing, most Separate Baptists were opposed to slavery. Abraham shared his parents' view." (pg. 24)

He notes that as a young man the religious disputes in his community attracted his attention "though, like his father, he was reluctant to accept any creed. His parents' Baptist belief in predestination was deeply ingrained in his mind, though he felt more comfortable in thinking that events were foreordained by immutable natural laws than by a personal deity." (pg. 48)

Later in his life he was accused by political opponents of holding heretical beliefs because of discussions he had as a young man about the veracity of miracles, the accuracy of the Bible and because he never became a member of a Christian Church. He wrote a formal denial of these accusations during his race for Congress in 1846:

"That I am not a member of any Christian Church, is true; but I have never denied the truth of the Scriptures; and I have never spoken with intentional disrespect of religion in general, or of any denomination of Christians in particular." (pg. 49)

Interesting also was the language that Lincoln used in a letter in 1850 to his father Thomas Lincoln, who was on the verge of death:

Abraham Lincoln urged his father "to call upon, and confide in, our great, and good, and merciful Maker; who...notes the fall of a sparrow, and numbers the hairs of our heads."

Interesting words of faith from our sixteenth President.

-d.

The Church and the World lectures

2009-01-21T14:07:00.003-05:00

This week I finished listening and taking notes on the course called "The Church and the World" from Reformed Theological Seminary.

The professor of the course, Dr. W. Andrew Hoffecker, provides a detailed description of the changes in theology from the 18th century to the present.

The best lectures for me were the ones at the end of the course that focused on more recent events and trends: Evangelicalism (2 lectures) and Culture Wars (5 lectures).

The school has also posted these lectures on iTunes U for free. I recommend them.

Blessings,
-d.

Inauguration Day

2009-01-20T09:38:00.004-05:00

Today Barak Obama will be sworn in as the 44th President of the United States. CNN has an interesting interactive site with information (including trivia and speeches) for each of the previous Presidential inaugurals.

Here's the link: http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2009/44.president/inauguration/speechlibrary/index.html

-d.

Ramblings on Theology

2009-01-08T01:52:00.010-05:00

For the last few weeks I've been doing a lot of reading on contemporary theology in my latest class at Reformed Theological Seminary called "The Church and the World".

The reading is at times tedious as I read about the devolution (or evolution, depending on one's perspective) from traditional Christian beliefs found in the traditional teachings of the church to the more contemporary writings of Kant, Schleiermacher, Barth and others.

I find that I don't have a lot of patience for those modern Christian theologians who reject what have historically been the essentials of the Christian faith: the deity of Christ, human sinfulness and the inspiration of Scripture among other things.

I have a hard time understanding why they would even want to describe themselves as a "Christian theologian" if all (or most) of the historic tenets of Christianity are rejected. Just call yourself a "deist" or "pantheist".

As these contemporary theologians have rejected the historical tenets of the Christian faith, they have tried to redefine and reduce Christianity by focusing on one of two things: "feelings" (termed by some as a 'God-consciousness') or ethical behavior (to help others live a righteous life or liberate oneself or our society).

This is unfortunate, because the basic assumption of Christian teaching (taught from the beginning of the Church) is that something really happened in history. Christians have believed for centuries that God revealed Himself in human history in events such as the creation of the world and the Exodus from Egypt and in the person and work of Jesus Christ. Christians have taught throughout the centuries that we can know about God and his work in history because He has revealed Himself in Scripture.

Christians throughout the centuries have believed that individuals have sinned, are under God's wrath and need to be redeemed. They have taught that God in His great mercy, sent His son Jesus to earth. And in His death on the cross, it has been taught, Jesus satisfied God's demand for justice and paid the punishment for the sins of those who believe in Him. Christians throughout the centuries have taught that one can receive that forgiveness by repentance and trust in Christ.

Many contemporary theologians have rejected all or most of these points.

Richard Niebuhr summed up the new brand of "Christianity" that rejects the historic view of Christian faith by explaining that they proclaim:

"A God without without wrath (who) brought men without sin into a kingdom without judgment through the ministrations of Christ without a cross."

That pretty much sums up what I've been reading lately,
-D.

English Puritan Class

2009-01-07T00:21:00.007-05:00

I finished my course on "The English Puritans" this week at Reformed Theological Seminary. The course contains lectures by J.I. Packer and can be listened to for free at iTunes U.

I found the best resource in the course to be Dr. Packer's book "A Quest for Godliness". I read the book in the early 90's and it was great to read it again earlier in the fall. The hero of the book is John Owen.

Owen lived from 1616 -1683 and (as I noted over the summer) much of his work has been reprinted and can also be found online. Here's a link to The Puritan Library which contains is work online: http://www.puritanlibrary.com/

Enjoy,
-D.

Lives Remembered

2008-12-31T20:58:00.005-05:00

As the year 2008 draws to a close, my thoughts turn to those who left this life this past year.

On the national scene, we read about the deaths of actors, explorers and writers: Sydney Pollack, Charlton Heston, William F. Buckley Jr., Roy Scheider, Sir Edmund Hillary, Michael Crichton, and many other notables.

On a personal level, several family friends passed away this year: John Penfield (of Torrington, Wyoming), Reba Penfield (of Lusk, Wyoming), Alice Sheman (of Manville, Wyoming) and several others who knew my parents well.

On Christmas Day, Sue's grandmother Jane Mueller died. She was 93. She lived a rich and good life, and was surrounded by hugging great-grandchildren just a few days before her death. Her funeral service was yesterday and I led the graveside service.

As I prepared for her service, I was struck by a few ideas. The first is the sovereignty of God. I felt that He was not surprised by her passing. I remembered in Scripture that God is our sustainer and our provider:

"I lie down and sleep; I wake again because the Lord sustains me" (Psalm 5:3)

"Even in your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you." (Isaiah 46:3)

The second big idea that I pondered was the incredible hope of eternal life offered by faith in Christ. At the graveside service I read the comforting words of forgiveness and eternal life found in the Anglican Common Worship service:

Hear the words of comfort our Savior Christ says to all who truly turn to him:

“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28)

“God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)

Hear what Saint Paul says:
“This saying is true and worthy of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.” (1 Timothy 1:15)

Hear what Saint John says:
“If anyone sins, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the Righteous One; and he is the propitiation (atoning sacrifice) for our sins.” (1 John 2:1,2)

May God bless those who have passed away in 2008 and comfort their families. May He also richly bless you this coming new year,
-D.

Handel's Messiah

2008-12-23T00:02:00.009-05:00

A Christmastime favorite for many is to listen to Handel's "Messiah".

Here's a link to a live recording of Handel's "Messiah" performed by the Philadelphia Orchestra (the first ten minutes of the two hour broadcast have a good introduction of the work...the famous "Hallelujah Chorus" is at around 1:27:00 in the recording.)

The masterpiece, written in 1741, describes the life of Christ. Part One describes the Advent, Part Two describes Christ's death and resurrection while Part Three describes the events found in Revelation.

The link to the lyrics (called the libretto) can be found here.

Blessings,
-D.

A Detective Story

2008-12-18T16:03:00.001-05:00

Ever since I was a teenager, I've enjoyed detective stories, especially those written by Raymond Chandler. His fast moving thrillers are enjoyable to read. I'm also a big fan of the old black and white film noir movies that are based on his stories.

As I was chatting this week with a friend about Aimee Semple McPherson (a very popular minister in the 1920s and 30s who founded the Foursquare Gospel Church), I remembered that I had written a short story a few years ago inspired by her famous disappearance of 1926.

One day "Sister Aimee" (as she was known) went to the beach for a swim and disappeared (many at the time assumed she had drowned). Thirty-five days after her disappearance she stumbled out of the Mexican desert and into a border town. She reported that she was abducted, but many had doubts and different theories about her disappearance.

In 2005, after reading a brief account of her disappearance, I thought it would be interesting to write a detective story in the style of Raymond Chandler inspired by 1926 event. (As they say in "Law & Order", my story is completely fictional and doesn't attempt to portray any actual events or people).

Here's a link to my detective story.

A word of caution to sensitive eyes...there are a few accounts of violence in the story.

Enjoy,
-Dave

Wednesday Evening Worship & Prayer

2008-12-17T17:41:00.000-05:00

Here the link to this week's Wednesday Evening Worship & Prayer: www.cincyanglican.org/prayer.html

This week we'll spent some time singing worship and praise songs, then pray the Evening Prayer from the "Book of Common Prayer".

The Scriptures we'll be reading tonight seem perfect for the Advent season:
-Psalm 72:11-18
-Jeremiah 23:5-8
-Matthew 1:18-25

The Old Testament passages focus on the glory and redemption of God, the New Testament pasage tells part of the story of Christ's birth.

I hope you find it a helpful resource in your devotional life this week,
-Dave

Happy Bill of Rights Day 2008

2008-12-15T14:46:00.006-05:00

Among the holidays in December is the little known holiday called the "Bill of Rights Day" created by Franklin Roosevelt in 1941.

On this day in 1791 the Bill of Rights can into effect when it was officially ratified by three-fourths of the states. These first ten amendments to the Constitution (called the Bill of Rights) limit the power of the federal government by enumerating individual protections on the freedom of religion, speech, assembly, and petition. Also included is the right to bear arms and prohibitions against cruel and unusual punishment and self-incrimination.

Here's a link to the Wikipedia entry for an explanation of the Bill of Rights.

The National Archives has a transcript of the Bill of Rights here.

For 217 years these basic principles have helped to limit the power of the federal government and protect individual freedom in a number of ways.

Happy Bill of Rights Day,
-Dave

Why December 25th?

2008-12-15T13:56:00.000-05:00

Christianity Today has an interesting article on why we celebrate Christmas on December 25th.

Click here for the article.

Blessings,
-Dave

A Method for Thanksgiving

2008-11-26T21:23:00.008-05:00

During this week’s Wednesday evening worship and prayer, I mentioned a resource by Matthew Henry. Here’s the link to this week’s prayer.

Matthew Henry, who lived from 1662 to 1714, was an English pastor. He is best known today for his commentaries, but I’ve found his smaller work called “A Method for Prayer” to be a very helpful resource in focusing on the attributes of God and in giving thanks to God for who He is and what He has done. In the book, Henry lists the character and attributes of God, followed by corresponding prayers from Scripture. Here’s an example…

"Let us now lift up our hearts, with our eyes and hands unto God in the heavens. Let us stir up ourselves to take hold on God, his face, and to give him the glory due unto his name. Let us now attend upon the Lord without distraction, and let not our hearts be far from him, when we draw nigh unto him with our mouths, and honour him with our lips. Let us now worship God; who is a SPIRIT, in spirit and in truth...

1. We must solemnly address ourselves to that INFINITELY GREAT and GLORIOUS Being with whom we have to do, as those that are possessed with a full belief of his PRESENCE and a holy awe and reverence of his MAJESTY which we may do in such expressions as these:

- HOLY, holy, holy Lord God Almighty, which art, and Wast, and art to come.

- O thou whose name alone is JEHOVAH, and who art the most HIGH over all the earth

- O God, thou art our God, early will we seek thee; our God and we will praise thee ; our father's God and we will exalt thee.

- O thou who art the true God, the living God, the only living and true God, and the everlasting King ! The Lord our God, who is one Lord.

The book is available online for free at Google Books, here.

A version with modern text is also available from Christian Heritage Publishers.

I hope you find it a helpful resource in giving thanks.

Happy Thanksgiving,
-Dave

The Problem of Pain

2008-11-19T00:11:00.001-05:00

In our weekly Wednesday evening prayer this week, we'll remember St. Elizabeth of Hungary. Elizabeth was born in 1207 and spent much of her life caring for the sick and the poor. Even now, a number of hospitals have been named after St. Elizabeth. Here's a link to our online prayer.

For my work, I’ve spent nearly the entire Fall doing software training in a number of hospitals -- spending a lot of time in ERs and Intensive Care Units, helping doctors look at radiology images of people suffering from congestive heart failure, brain injuries, breast cancer and a whole host of other problems.

Remembering St. Elizabeth and my work, I've had a chance to think a lot recently about sickness, difficulty, and death.

Not unique to myself, these topics have also been significant issues in the life of the Church. And many, including myself, have asked the question: “If God is good, how can there be suffering in the world?” C.S. Lewis called this “The Problem of Pain”.

As I've sought to have a better understanding to this question, I've come to a few conclusions...

First, it's clear to me that Scripture indicates that the cause of our difficulty is due to our sinful condition (something theologians call "Original Sin"). It’s not that a sick person is more sinful than a healthy person, but rather we learn in Scripture that sin entered into the world with the sin of Adam and Eve, our “First Parents” (as the theologians would call them), resulting in a separation from God which ushered in pain, toil and difficulty into the world.

In understanding this issue of sin and sickness, I've found much insight from writers and teachers in the Reformed Tradition who have looked at this issue of sin from a very different perspective than many moderns. Instead of asking (as moderns might), “How can there be a good God with pain and suffering in the world?” They have said instead, “Isn’t it amazing how good God is -- even though we have sinned. We deserve so much worse. We have been disobedient, we have broken God’s law, we are under God’s wrath. We deserve death. Isn’t it amazing that God the Father sent His Son to mend our relationship with Him and make us His children. Isn't it amazing that God has extended grace to us."

These scholars have also emphasized the sovereignty of God. What this means in a nutshell is that God is God and I am not. I can’t manipulate God to get Him to do what I want. I can't pray a special prayer for healing that He will always answer. If He desires to heal someone who is sick, He will. If He chooses not to heal, He won't. There are no magic formulas that we should rely on…it’s up to Him. I can pray to God for healing, as we see Jesus and the disciples doing in the Bible and I can leave the results to Him, trusting that whatever the outcome, "in all things God works for the good of those who love him" (Romans 8:28).

Another source that I've found helpful is the teaching of George Eldon Ladd. Through the writing of Dr. Ladd, I've been able to see sickness and healing in the context of the Kingdom of God. In his book called "The Presence of the Future" Dr. Ladd explains that "God is the Lord of history; but there are hostile elements, opposing forces that seek to frustrate God's rule." He notes that "Evil is so radical that it can be overcome only by the mighty intervention of God."

Dr. Ladd adds, "History will witness a continuing conflict between God's Kingdom and the realm of evil; and in this conflict, men in general and the disciples of the Kingdom in particular will be called upon to suffer. In fact, they may expect opposition and suffering to be their normal experience."

There are no easy answers when people face difficulty, illness and pain. I'm encouraged though that in Scripture we can see Christ's heart for the hurting. He showed mercy to those who came to him in need. Here's a few examples:

-"When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed the sick." (Matthew 14:14)

-"Jesus called his disciples to him and said, 'I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat. I do not want to send them away hungry, or they may collapse on the way." (Matthew 15:32)

-"Jesus had compassion on them and touched them their eyes. Immediately they recieved their sight and followed him." (Matthew 20:34)

-"When the Lord saw her, He had compassion on her and said 'Do not weep.'" (Luke 7:13)

May we be reminded this week of Christ's mercy...to us and to the world.

Grace & Peace,
-D.

Remembering Charles Simeon

2008-11-13T09:33:00.020-05:00

In last night's online Wednesday Evening Worship & Prayer, we remembered the life of Charles Simeon. Our online prayer can be found here.

Simeon was born in England in 1759 and became a Christian when he was in college.

John Piper, in a sermon he preached in 1989, noted several interesting things in Simeon's life. The sermon can be found here.

Piper noted that Simeon's conversion was remarkable in that it was prompted by his college's compulsory annual partaking of the Lord's Supper. After reading a book on the Lord's Supper, Simeon became convinced of his own sinfulness. He later wrote:

"Accordingly I sought to lay my sins upon the sacred head of Jesus; and on the Wednesday began to have a hope of mercy; on the Thursday that hope increased; on the Friday and Saturday it became more strong; and on the Sunday morning, Easter-day, April 4, I awoke early with those words upon my heart and lips, 'Jesus Christ is risen to-day! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!' From that hour peace flowed in rich abundance into my soul; and at the Lord's Table in our Chapel I had the sweetest access to God through my blessed Saviour."

After finishing his college work he was ordained and appointed to Holy Trinity Church at Cambridge where he remained for fifty-four years until shortly before his death in November 1836.

Simeon faced several trials in ministry.

One significant trial was with his congregation, who, unable to fire him, refused to have him preach any time other than Sunday morning. For a time they locked the doors to their individual pews, refusing to come to church and refusing to allow others to sit in their seats.

With great wisdom, at the age of 71, Simeon wrote to a friend, "My dear brother, we must not mind a little suffering for Christ's sake."

Having a passion for sharing the good news of Christ with others, Charles Simeon had great influence on a number of younger ministry leaders including Henry Martyn, David Brown and William Wilberforce.

Piper contends that the secret to Simeon's perseverance in ministry was his knowledge of his own limitations and sinfulness. He believed that he was made right with God, not by his own work, but by God's mercy in the forgiveness of Christ. Simeon wrote:

"I love simplicity; I love contrition. . . . I love the religion of heaven; to fall on our faces while we adore the Lamb is the kind of religion which my soul affects."

May Charles Simeon serve as an example to us as we seek God in the midst of difficulty, as we work with younger leaders and share the good news of Christ with others.

-D.

Wednesday Evening Worship & Prayer

2008-11-12T00:49:00.003-05:00

Here the link to this week's Wednesday Evening Worship & Prayer:

www.cincyanglican.org/prayer.html

After spending about 15 minutes singing worship songs, we'll pray the Evening Prayer from the Anglican "Book of Common Prayer". Following the liturgical calendar we'll remember the life of Charles Simeon, an Anglican pastor and teacher.

Blessings,
-D.

Prayer and the Anglican Liturgy

2008-11-11T13:50:00.008-05:00

I spent last Saturday morning and afternoon with some Anglican friends.

We met at Grace Anglican Church in Circleville, Ohio, a town south of Columbus. At our meeting Fr. Dale Minor and Dcn. Jack Snyder led us in a training on Liturgics...here's how Webster's defines the word:

Li*tur"gics\, n. The science of worship; history, doctrine, and interpretation of liturgies.

The training began with Fr. Dale and Deacon Jack leading us through the Morning Prayer service in the Anglican "Book of Common Prayer". After we prayed, they shared with us some of their practices around praying the "Daily Office" of Morning Prayer. We learned too that an online version of Morning Prayer can be found at: http://www.missionstclare.com/

After our discussion on prayer, Fr. Dale and Deacon Jack discussed the liturgy of their Sunday worship service. Liturgy, they reminded us, is a word that has its roots in the Greek word "laos" (which means people) and "ergon" (which means work)...thus liturgy is the "work of the people" in public worship. Fr. Dale reminded us that all who join us in worship are participants, not members of an audience. In our worship we have an audience of one...the Lord.

They also shared with us their use of vestments, incense and bells as well as how they conduct eucharist (communion). They also reviewed a document with us about "the drama of worship" which they also have posted on their website here.

I appreciated their helpful teaching.

Thanks,
-Dave

The Creeds Revisited

2008-11-06T12:42:00.001-05:00

The latest edition of "Mars Hill Audio Journal" has an interesting discussion about the use of creeds in worship.

The discussion was between Ken Myers (of Mars Hill Audio) and Stephen J. Nichols (research Professor at Lancaster Bible College). In the interview, Nichols discussed the history of Biblical interpretation and the use of creeds, noting that in the 19th Century there was a move to focus on "Jesus of the Bible" instead of a "Jesus of the Creeds".

He explained that this move initially sounds like a good thing. The problem, he notes is that in taking this approach, we may focus on narrow, particular texts of Scripture (those that we like) while omitting others. He gives the example of only focusing on passages about the love of God, and omitting those that describe Him as a Judge.

When we just look at one passage at a time, he explained, we end up "getting awash in a sea of texts" until landing on the particular text that we like.

Confessions and creeds he said, "help us see the whole picture of Scripture".

We need to be careful too, Nichols noted, of the contemporary Church's focus on personal experience. "It's not that personal experience is bad," Nichols says, but it becomes dangerous when it is all that there is. "When it is loosed from its moorings of a Confessional commitment", Christianity becomes reduced to "my experience", creating our "own personal Jesus" (in the words of Depeche Mode).

Nichols explained that it is easy for us to ignore parts of who Christ is. Not seeing the whole picture, however, gives us "a distorted view of Jesus, a distorted theology and a distorted view of discipleship". As well as a distorted view of the "nature of our salvation" Myers added.

"These creeds," Nichols noted, "were the lifeblood of the Early Church and for much of the history of the Church."

As Americans, we value innovation, things that are new, edgy and unique...the Creeds were written seventeen hundred years ago.

The question for us is, "What role do these traditional, historic Creeds play in our life?"

Here's a link to the Apostle's Creed, one of the important creeds of the Church. The site also contains two articles by James Orr that explains the Apostle's Creed in detail.

Mars Hill Audio's website is: http://www.marshillaudio.org/ They have a number of helpful resources that address Christianity in contemporary culture.

Grace and Peace,
-D.

Wednesday Evening Worship & Prayer

2008-11-05T20:11:00.012-05:00

Here the link to this week's Wednesday Evening Worship & Prayer: www.cincyanglican.org/prayer.html

This week we'll spent about 25 minutes singing worship and praise songs, then pray the Evening Prayer from the "Book of Common Prayer".

I hope you find it a helpful resource in your devotional life,

-Dave

The Apostle's Creed

2008-11-04T08:09:00.003-05:00

In this week's recording for Wednesday Evening Worship & Prayer, I spend a few moments talking about the Apostle's Creed. It's a regular component of our Evening Prayer, here's the text:

"I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.

I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord. He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary.

He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen."

I mentioned in the audio recording that I find the creed helpful because of its succinct summary of the Christian faith. It speaks of the Trinity...God our Father (an almighty, creator), His Son Jesus Christ (his only Son and our Lord) and the Holy Spirit.

It also speaks to the "Grand Miracle" as C.S. Lewis called it, the incarnation...that Christ came to earth, is completely divine and also completely human...enabling Him to live the life we should have lived and died the death we deserve.

I like too how it not only speaks to past events in the history of the world and the Church, but also points to future events...Christ will "come again to judge the living and the dead" as well as the promise of "life everlasting" to those who have trusted in Him for the forgiveness of sins.

I hope you'll find the Apostle's Creed a helpful reminder of our Christian faith.

Blessings,
-D.

Wednesday Evening Worship & Prayer

2008-10-27T21:19:00.000-04:00

I've uploaded the text and audio files for Wednesday Evening Worship & Prayer for a new online group with the Anglican Fellowship of Cincinnati.

The files can be found by clicking here.

We'll spend about twenty minutes singing worship and praise songs, then pray through the Evening Prayer service from the Anglican "Book of Common Prayer".

I hope you find it to be a helpful devotional resource.

Blessings,
-D.

Fireproof

2008-10-17T00:38:00.001-04:00

Last weekend we saw the new movie called "Fireproof", a movie created with the help of 1,200 volunteers from Sherwood Baptist Church in Albany, Georgia.

Here's a link to the preview: http://www.fireproofthemovie.com/

If I could serve as a very bad movie critic for a moment (Gene Shalit eat your heart out), here's my take on it:

"The movie Fireproof stars Kirk Cameron as Captain Caleb Holt who is a firefighter in a troubled marriage. He thinks that his marriage has gone up in smoke. His wife, Catherine (Erin Bethea) thinks the marriage has flamed out too, and her feelings begin to smolder for a hot doctor at work. Just when all seems lost, Caleb's father intervenes and challenges his son not to burn out but to unconditionally love his wife for forty more days. In the process Caleb becomes fired up about his wife and God. This movie is a sizzler. It's scorching hot. Don't miss this blistering performance.

Okay, so I won't quit my day job to write movie reviews. What did I really think....I thought the movie got off to a slow start, but soon was very interesting.

For me, Fireproof was a great reminder of God's unconditional love. I recommend seeing it.

Blessings,
-D.

Remembrance of Things Past

2008-10-09T17:16:00.004-04:00

New Brunswick, NJ – I’m working in New Jersey this week...in the city of New Brunswick, the home of Rutgers University. Yesterday after work, I drove “down the shore” to the Wildwoods and Cape May in southern New Jersey.

I had worked in Wildwood during the summer of 1987, when I was eighteen, so it was enjoyable for me to see the area again and walk along the shore last night.

I was amazed to see the difference that a season makes…during the summertime the streets are filled with traffic and parking is limited. Last night, however, there was almost no traffic on the roads, making it easy for me to drive through the small near-empty towns.

On my drive south and then north again, I listened to music from the eighties and thanked God again for events long past.

Blessings,

-D.

Writing Project - to page 200

2008-10-02T17:19:00.000-04:00

I'm still editing: "Go Eat Popcorn: A personal journey through Paul's letters".

I'm now up to page 200. In the latest section, I look at the "Big Picture" ideas of Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians and Colossians.

Here's the link for pages 1 through 200:

http://www.dstiles.com/GoEatPopcorn.pdf

Blessings,
-D.