Tried With Fire

This is one of the saddest true-life stories I have ever read - Japan's Rent-a-Family Industry .  People may quibble at the word "broken," but this article shows how broken we are when it comes to human relationships. It's tragic that people have become so disconnected that they would pay a stranger to act a part to fill that void. Ironically one of the reasons for the rental is conforming to society's expectations. If everyone took of their masks, who would be even close to the ideal? But that is the power of culture, you are loyal to the ideal even if it is out of reach and the exception, not the norm. Another related article is this one -  Japan's Prisons Are a Haven for Elderly Women . This breaks my heart that the elderly would find a better community in prison because their families have rejected them and they are friendless. This may be Japan, but it is worth taking note. America is getting grayer and grayer too. After I read these stories, a few th...

(In light of the #MeToo hashtag and October being domestic violence awareness month, this is an update of a post from 2 years ago with a few edits and additions.) So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.  Genesis 1:27 If you asked me to define the sanctity of life, here it is: Since all human beings are made in the image of God, all human beings should receive dignity, respect, and the right to life. This applies to the born and unborn. This applies to male and female. This applies to all people regardless of their race or ethnicity. The sanctity of life is not based on the ability to function independently or even the value with which a person contributes to society at large. The sanctity of life is an issue of  personhood  because identity is individual and never subsumed by another person regardless of the relationship. I think this definition covers what most evangelical Chr...

I have been reading Unashamed by Heather Nelson with a group of women in the church. The last chapter we covered was on social shame. If you've never experienced it, please tell me, what is it like to not be socially awkward? For the rest of us, we know that sinking feeling of wondering how  and even if we fit in. Thoughts go through our heads such as - "I don't know what to say. I don't know who to talk to. Will I be accepted?" It's especially hard when it is a group where there should be strong sense of belonging such as the church. During our discussion, I threw out the question of whether men or women were more accepting of differences. There was no hesitation. The unanimous answer was "Men." Very interesting. I had suspected this as well, but I still wanted to understand the "why" behind it. So I started reading  Disunity in Christ . The author, Christena Cleveland, has a PhD in social psychology, so her book draws from research...

The true Church of Christ is tenderly cared for by all the three persons of the blessed Trinity. In the economy of redemption, beyond all doubt, God the Father chooses, and God the Holy Spirit sanctifies, every member of Christ's mystical body. God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, three Persons and one God, cooperate for the salvation of every saved soul. This is truth, which ought never to be forgotten. Nevertheless, there is a peculiar sense in which the help of the Church is laid on the Lord Jesus Christ. He is peculiarly and preeminently the Redeemer and the Saviour. Therefore it is, that we find Him saying in our text, "I will build: the work of building is my special work." It is Christ who calls the members of the Church in due time. They are "the called of Jesus Christ." (Romans 1:6). It is Christ who gives them life. "The Son quickeneth whom He will." (John 5:21). It is Christ who washes away their sins. He "has...

So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. Genesis 1:27 If you asked me to define the sanctity of life, here it is: Since all human beings are made in the image of God, all human beings should receive dignity, respect, and the right to life. This applies to the born and unborn. This applies to male and female. This applies to all people regardless of their race or ethnicity. The sanctity of life is not based on the ability to function independently or even the value with which a person contributes to society at large. The sanctity of life is an issue of personhood  because identity is individual and never subsumed by another person regardless of the relationship. I think this definition covers what most evangelical Christians believe especially when it comes to defending the rights of the unborn. The gruesome videos exposing the horrific practices of Planned Parenthood only emphasize the fact tha...

You had to be living under a rock to not know about the tragic killings in Charleston last week. You had to be made of rock to not be repulsed by this evil act and not be moved by the response of the grieving family. That a young white man presumably targeted African Americans has raised the ugly specter of racism in America yet again. Much has been written about this, and numerous opinions have been expressed in the media. I've read some of the pieces, but deep down I feel like an outsider. I am not white. I am not black. I am also a first-generation American. It's not that I don't have prejudice lurking in my heart; we all do, if we are honest. But I have not had to bear the burden of history on my shoulders that has weighed down generation after generation. There is a deep wound in the psyche of this country, and layers and layers of painful scar tissue have built up over time as there have been attempts at healing only to have the injury inflicted again. I try t...

Loving the Church by John Crotts, Shepherd Press, 2010, 140 pages. If I have a relationship with Jesus, why do I need the church? I get together with other Christians on my own. Isn't that enough? What if I've been hurt by the church? What if it isn't meeting my needs? There are plenty of opportunities to serve God outside the confines of the local church, so is it even necessary? These are common questions and ones which John Crotts answers in Loving the Church: God's People Flourishing in God's Family.  The church is not an option for Christians, but we often don't understand what the Bible teaches about its importance to God and the believer. Without this knowledge, we may end up leaving the local church to our detriment for a wide variety of reasons. Through the conversations of believers wrestling with these issues, Pastor Crotts uses their interaction to expose misconceptions about the church in the light of Scripture. He discusses the value of the ...

(I have a very special guest blogger today, my daughter.  This short essay was a school assignment which s he graciously allowed me to share with you. ) Christians need to be joined to a local church in order to obey many Scriptural commands, build up one another in the Lord, and be fed by the preaching of the Word. First of all, many commands and instructions in Scripture require that believers be church members. In Hebrews 10, we are told not to neglect to meet together (Heb. 10:25). Matthew 18 gives instructions regarding church discipline, an act which cannot be executed without church membership. For example, Paul told the Corinthian church to exclude someone who was unrepentant in immorality. Logically, the church could only exclude him if he had first been included, and therefore inclusion in the church must have had a concrete definition. Hebrews 13:17 tells us to submit to our leaders in the church, because they will have to...

Yesterday, the congregation approved the three elder candidates. We've now moved from one pastor/elder and deacon board to four pastor/elders with deacons for specific areas of service. I praise God for what He has done and will do. I'm praying that the transition will go well and that these brothers will serve well together. I'm praying for grace for their families as this will undoubtedly require sacrifice on their part . I also pray for any members who may be wary of this change and pray they would become "aligned to the text" rather than tradition, however dear it may be.

From R. C. Sproul in December's Tabletalk Magazine: "The New Testament puts a priority on the church's concern for widows and orphans. Widows and orphans are human beings who have suffered broken families not through divorce but through death. Obviously, the church's concern must extend beyond those whose brokenness has been caused by death. Anyone who is involved in a broken family relationship needs the ministry and care of the church... Divorce can no longer be seen simply as an extreme case of marital failure. Since it has reached not only epidemic but pandemic proportions, it cries out for the application of the means of grace to those who suffer as a result of it." Having been through this trial, I can attest to needing the care of the church. I have been blessed by brothers and sisters who did not see me as a charity case, but loved me and ministered the gospel to my family in word and deed. Here are some ways I have been helped, and I share these ho...

Our church has been reaching out to several families over the past few years through a food pantry, free yard sales, and  other events.  This morning we held another new-to-you giveaway.  It was nice to see the same faces again and meet some practical needs in our community. Towards the end, one sister arrived looking for clothing for family who had lost everything when tornados tore through Gloucester.  We loaded her car with everything that was left for her to give to those in need in that community. I'm heading back to the church this afternoon for a rehearsal. The worship team will be leading an evening of worship tomorrow night. The songs will be a tad"livelier" than a typical Sunday morning. This is one of the songs.  I don't know if we will rock out quite as much as the original, but you never know. ;-)  Although my personal listening preference is more towards hymns and Indelible Grace, I like it.  I'll be cranking this in the car (as much ...

Don't injure the pastor or there will be no sermon tomorrow!

There should have been a box of tissues in every pew yesterday.   I'm not a very emotional or sentimental person. As a church, I would say that we're not very emotional either,  after all we're reformed.  But as Jonathan Edwards would say, we were moved in our religious affections for the Lord and for one another. For starters, we celebrated the Lord's supper.  It's always hard for me not to cry during this time.  I was especially struck with what a privilege it is to partake of this remembrance.  I am not an outsider who has no part in Christ's death but one who has been brought near at a great cost.  This is no formal ritual but a very real reminder of our Savior's death. Afterwards the pastor and his wife sang a song about Christ's love for His church.  Their voices blend beautifully together, and it's always a pleasure to hear them sing.  But as lovely as the music was, I got choked up at the words depicting Christ's determination to ...

As a former anti-religion, anti-institutional, anti-doctrinal, anomaly of an unchurched Christian, I recommend  Kevin DeYoung's talk  on the Church from Next 2010.  It will encourage you to love and commit to your local church.  Here are a few quotes: "Loving your church is good for your soul, Biblically responsible, and pleasing to God. And when I say church, I do not mean 3 guys eating breadsticks at Pizza Hut talking about the ending of Lost." "Our generation in particular is prone to radicalism without follow through.  We want to change the world, and we've never changed a diaper.  You want to make a difference for Christ?  Here's where you can start.  This Sunday, volunteer for the nursery." "You want to listen to U2, but you can find better heroes in your local church than Bono." "The church is not incidental to God's plan.  Jesus did not invite people to an anti-religion, anti-institutional, anti-doctrinal bandwagon of lov...

In today's sermon, Pastor Ryan challenged us to consider what priority the local church has in our lives.   Can we honestly say we love Him and don't love the Bride that He purchased with His own blood?  If so, maybe our love for Him needs to be examined. I was sharply reminded how I used to be of that mindset.  I loved Jesus, but had no use for the church visible since the invisible universal church was more important than any sort of visible manifestation.  We had excuses and what we thought were "spiritual" justifications, but we was in error and disobeying what is clear in Scripture.  Not only was I going astray, but I was indoctrinating my daughter as well.  In the unpacking process, I ran across a children's book on prayer.  I had  crossed out the phrase  "We can pray to God when we go to church on Sunday ." In its place, I wrote "every day."  Yes, we can pray to Him every day but to deliberately omit any reference to the Church?...

Genuine biblical love is not holding a mirror in front of someone and saying, "How great you are." It is holding up the Word of God and saying how great He is. From today's sermon by Ryan Davidson ~ See How They Love One Another, Romans 12:9-21.

It was so good to go to church today. Services were cancelled last week due to the snow, and it just didn't seem normal not being with the saints on Sunday. There was a chance that the roads would be too slippery this morning. Thankfully, the roads were fine. I think the Lord has a sense of humor. For seven years, we were quite content to not meet with any believers, and now here I am missing going to church. I could plead ignorance for that period. It sounded very "spiritual" at the time to go on and on about how the Church is really for the age to come, so God doesn't expect any sort of earthly manifestation now. But the "I love Christ so much that I don't need to be in fellowship with His Bride. And by the way, let me show how much I value Him and His Word by ignoring and disobeying it." is a pretty lame excuse. I am thankful that His grace is greater than ignorance and disobedience, for granting repentance for my attitude about the Church, an...

I listened to John Piper's talk , Brothers We Must Not Mind a Little Suffering , on Charles Simeon yesterday and again today. Charles Simeon (1759-1836) endured decades of hostility from his own church and did not give up. This kind of spiritual backbone seems to be a rare thing today. In the light of that, Piper had some very astute comments about 20th century America. "I think we live in a very emotionally fragile time, and I am a child of my times much more than I wish I were. When I am honest with myself, the things I hate about about my culture, I see evidences of in myself." "By emotionally fragile, I mean that we are easily hurt. We pout easily. We mope easily. When I say we, I mean the American culture today, inside and outside of church. We break easily. Our marriages break easily. Our faith breaks easily. Our happiness breaks easily. Our commitment to the ministry and to the church breaks easily. We are easily disheartened and discouraged. We seem to ha...

It is incredibly sad how sin, the world, and Satan have degraded marriage from God's original intention. What was intended as a lifelong covenant is now, more often than not, a temporary arrangement for self gratification rather than displaying God's glory in covenant keeping. When it ends, the main issues revolve around material possessions and money. In fact, the dissolution of the marriage can be faster than the equitable distribution of stuff and mammon. This evening, after my daughter came home, my husband stayed to get some of the things that were his part of the "division of marital property". Highly awkward to say the least. I wasn't bothered by losing the things that he took. He is more than welcome to them. I don't want them or care about what he took. However, I am grieved that this is all it comes down to for him and the courts. Money and stuff. But we are not those who live without hope. Marriages will fail on earth but the spiritual real...

We've been studying Philemon in our small group. We've discussed what would it mean for a person or a church to receive back someone who has sinned against you, run away, and now repented. What was it like that first Sunday morning after Onesimus came back? How did he feel? How did Philemon and his family feel? But more importantly, if the Gospel is true, what would those brothers and sisters have done in the light of that? Someone wondered what would be a comparable situation in our day. Well, I can easily think of one. What would I do if God grants my husband repentance? What should I do if he seeks reconciliation even if it is impossible for our marriage to be reconciled? (i.e. remarriage) There is part of me that would cry tears of joy at his repentance and restoration, but if I'm honest I will have to deal with overcoming the hurt and the pain as well. This is where the rubber of the Gospel meets the road. This post by Timmy Brister relates a real life incident of a b...