Category Archives: Pastoring

LOVE: What kind of tolerance are we aiming for?

Posted on by

In part three of the series The Difficulty of Sharing Our Faith, on GospelCenteredDiscipleship.com, Jonathan Dodson writes on Tolerance. (Parts 1 & 2 dealt with not wanting to be “preachy,” or think sharing our faith must wait until we have a deeper relationship with someone.) Dodson begins part 3:

It can be difficult to share our faith. Sometimes when opportunities arise to share our faith, we shrink back because we don’t want to be intolerant. We don’t want to come across as demeaning of other’s beliefs or exclusivist in our own beliefs. This can be very positive concern, though it has some shortcomings too.

Tolerance as Christian Love

Tolerance can be either an expression of Christian love or intellectual and relational carelessness. How do you know if your tolerance is loving or careless? It depends on what we mean by tolerance. In The Intolerance of Tolerance, D. A. Carson helpfully clarifies the meaning of tolerance. He points out that there are two types of tolerance: old and new.

The old tolerance is the belief that other opinions have a right to exist. This is a very Christian notion. Jesus taught us to love our neighbor, and even our enemy. The Christian ethic of love should compel disciples to tolerate other beliefs and religions. We ought to grant others the right to believe whatever they desire to believe. After all, what people believe is a deeply personal and profound matter. It isn’t like picking out a ripe banana at the supermarket. Our beliefs require much more thought and investment. Love values people and respects the things they hold dear. Since Christians are to love God, neighbor and even enemy, tolerance (believing that people have the right to hold different opinions) can be very loving and respectful. Christianity shouldn’t be coercive or proselytizing; it should be loving and tolerant.

Christianity shouldn’t be coercive or proselytizing; it should be loving and tolerant.

Continue reading →

 

Audio: Good Friday — Thy Will Be Done

Posted on by

On Friday night, April 6th many followers of Jesus gathered at Willamette Christian Church to remember the sacrifice of His life, the perfect Man who was crucified in our place.

Here’s the audio and service order of the Good Friday service, which includes three meditations [times in brackets]:

Good Friday Meditation — Thy Will Be Done [ 1:01:49 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Call to Worship/Prayer

Beautiful Scandalous Night [1:30]

Reading: Matthew 26:36-50 [4:54]

THE GARDEN (Pastor Chris Nye) [6:52]

How Deep the Father’s Love [12:59]

Reading: Mark 14:53-65; 15:1-15 [16:23]

THE TRIALS (Pastor Andrew Martin) [19:50]

Around My Neck [27:19]

Reading: Matthew 27:32-56 [32:04]

THE CROSS (Pastor Jeff Patterson) [34:30]

Lead Me to the Cross [51:25]

Behold the Lamb of God (written by Aaron Sternke) [56:22]

20120405-083056.jpgAs the essence of sin is our substituting ourselves for God, the essence of salvation is God substituting Himself for us.

(A special thank you to everyone who contributed to that night, especially Aaron Sternke in leading worship, and Matt Hellems in overseeing all technical aspects of sound, lighting and visuals. A truly unified team effort.)

 

Walking in newness of life, for we’re no longer dead.

Posted on by

1 What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it?  3Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.
5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. 6 We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. 7 For one who has died has been set free from sin. 8 Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. 9 We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. 10 For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. 11 So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.
—Romans 6:1-11 (ESV)

What does it mean we “died to sin”?
The moment we become Christians, we are no longer under the “reign” or
“ruling power” of sin. This is the same as saying (6:14) that sin does not have the “mastery” over us because we are “under grace!” This is the same as saying (6:12) that we no longer have to obey sin, and thus it no longer reigns. “Let not sin reign…that you obey its evil desires.” Paul has just said in 5:21 that, “Sin reigned… so also grace might reign.” In other words, sin still has power, but it no longer can force its dictates on you. In 1:18-32 Paul says that outside of Christ we are “given up” to our sinful desires. Previously, those sinful desires so reigned and ruled over us that we could not see them as sinful, and thus we could not resist them. We were completely under their control. Now however, sin no longer can domineer us. We have the ability now to resist and rebel against their dictates.

“Our ‘old man’ is the old self or ego, the unregenerate man in his entirety in contrast with the new man as the regenerate man in his entirety.” —John Murray

 

Jumping up & down. (He is risen!)

Posted on by

(Kari writes: Today, I pray we have no expectations except that Christ is Risen & we are undeserving recipients of extravagant grace.)

We conclude Holy Week by celebrating the resurrection of Jesus on Sunday.

He is risen!

The historical evidence for the resurrection of Jesus is very good. There are at least three points on which virtually all scholars agree (even critical scholars):

  1. EMPTY TOMB: The tomb in which Jesus was buried was discovered empty by a group of women on the Sunday following the crucifixion.
  2. CHANGED DISCIPLES: Jesus’ disciples had real experiences with one whom they believed was the risen Christ.
  3. ORIGINS OF THE CHURCH: As a result of the preaching of these disciples, which had the resurrection at its center, the Christian church was established and grew.
Now, the Scripture text…

Continue reading →

 

Wrapped up & laid down for the Sabbath.

Posted on by

(Kari has a Saturday reflection here: The Quiet Wait.)

When the crucifixion of Jesus was complete, His body was lifeless. The Sabbath (Saturday) was about to begin, so as to not defile the body nor the earth, friends asked permission to bury Him.

48-49All who had come around as spectators to watch the show, when they saw what actually happened, were overcome with grief and headed home. Those who knew Jesus well, along with the women who had followed him from Galilee, stood at a respectful distance and kept vigil.

The Burial of Jesus by Gustave Doré

50-54There was a man by the name of Joseph, a member of the Jewish High Council, a man of good heart and good character. He had not gone along with the plans and actions of the council. His hometown was the Jewish village of Arimathea. He lived in alert expectation of the kingdom of God. He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Taking him down, he wrapped him in a linen shroud and placed him in a tomb chiseled into the rock, a tomb never yet used. It was the day before Sabbath, the Sabbath just about to begin.

55-56The women who had been companions of Jesus from Galilee followed along. They saw the tomb where Jesus’ body was placed. Then they went back to prepare burial spices and perfumes. They rested quietly on the Sabbath, as commanded.

—Luke 23:48-56 (The Message)

The Sabbath Day now represents the eternal spiritual rest that comes through faith in Christ (Hebrews 4:11).

But it also represented something else — namely, the means by which Jesus won that rest for us.

For the Sabbath day (Saturday) is the one full day that Jesus’ body lay in the grave. He died on Friday and rose on Sunday, but on Saturday there was no activity. His body lay lifeless in the tomb all day.

That’s one of the core meanings of the Old Testament Sabbath, and how Christ fulfills it. The Sabbath day represented the day Jesus’ body would lay lifeless in the tomb, to be raised the next day for our eternal salvation and rest in him.

(Thoughts on the Sabbath adapted from Matt Perman.)

 

Friday of Holy Week: It is finished.

Posted on by

Kari continues writing meditations for each day of Holy Week…

Friday’s Reading: Matthew 26:47-27:51, Mark 14:43-15:38, Luke 22:47-23:49, John 18:3-19:37

“It is finished.”

—Jesus (John 19:30)

I clicked “send”, made sure it went through, then closed my laptop and exhaled in relief: Ahh…It’s finished. I’d been working on it night and day, and when I wasn’t working on it I was thinking about working on it. Ever been there? It’s not so much the time you spend working on something but the time you spend thinking about working on it. My mind and energies were depleted. As soon as the kids were settled for the afternoon, I crawled into my bed and took a nap, the first time I’d really rested that week.

I couldn’t rest until it was finished.

And as soon as it was, my whole body knew it. The sleep that had evaded me swept back all at once as I slept soundly despite the bright afternoon sun. The rest of knowing it is finished.

We rest because we know that it is finished.

Today, Good Friday, we meditate on Christ’s final words, His victorious cry from the cross of Calvary, the sacred words that fill my eyes with tears:

“It is finished.” (John 19:30)

From eternity past Jesus had a project. Nothing surprises God, and it was not Plan B that Jesus had to die in our place. He knew all along, and Jesus knew all along that this was His project. In a divine sort of way, Jesus never rested. Until then.

Then He finished.

In one final surrendering act Jesus “gave up His spirit” and the full wrath of God was poured out on His sinless perfect lamb. All the punishment for my selfishness, my pride, my greed. All the punishment for the rapists and robbers, swindlers and sex-traffickers. The most heinous of crimes, He took the punishment. He laid down His spirit. Died.

But of course Sunday’s coming.

But here’s where I get excited. Do you know what Jesus did after He rose from the dead? After he appeared, bodily, to more than 500 people? After he gave the great commission and then ascended into heaven? Do you know what He did after that?

He sat down.

Why? Because it was finished.

“But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, He sat down at the right hand of God.” (Hebrews 10:12)

I took a nap. Jesus sat down at the right hand of God. His work was done. Finished. But here’s the beautiful part.
Continue reading →

 

Looking ahead to Good Friday (April 6th @ 7 PM)

Posted on by

On Friday night, April 6th at 7:00 PM, many followers of Jesus will gather at Willamette Christian Church to remember the sacrifice of His life, the perfect Man who was crucified in our place. As we did last year and the year before, we will meditate on the cross of Jesus, the one God-in-a-bod, who came to live and then die in our place. Preaching a brief meditation on that night remains one of the highlights of the year for me. You are welcome to join us.

Before we get to the joy of Easter Sunday, we linger in the pain of Good Friday.

There on the cross Jesus proves God’s love, the sacrifice He is willing to give to rescue rebellious people who have all turned away. As the essence of sin is our substituting ourselves for God, the essence of salvation is God substituting Himself for us.

In Jesus God is righting all the wrongs done to us, and the wrongs we have done to others. Oh how wonderful it is to respond to the Creator God who does not stand aloof, who refuses to give us merely a philosophical answer to our suffering and the problem of all this horrific evil in the world. Jesus dove right into the deepest suffering, the worst evil. As He entered the fray, endured the pain, and defeated all His enemies (and ours) to rescue us, there was a pure joy set before Him (Hebrews 12:1-3).

20120405-083056.jpgOur Scripture readings and meditations will focus on three movements:

  1. Jesus in the Garden, then arrested (Matthew 26:36-50)
  2. Enduring Trials (Mark 14:53-65; 15:1-15)
  3. Jesus on the Cross (Matthew 27:32-56)

In the Garden of Gethsemane we hear Jesus crying to the Father — to let this cup of wrath pass from Him — then resolving to align Their wills as one. “Nevertheless, let Your will be done.” As we see Jesus endure a the betrayal of close friends, arrested at night, then accused, beaten, mocked, scorned, and jeered, each step to the cross confirms God’s plan. Jesus is answering His own prayer. Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

 

 

Thursday of Holy Week: one last day, the final hours.

Posted on by

Kari continues writing meditations for each day of Holy Week…

Thursday’s Reading: Matthew 26:17-46, Mark 14:12-42, Luke 22:7-46, John 13-17

“I glorified You on earth, having accomplished the work that You gave Me to do.”

—Jesus, to the Father (John 17:4)

On Thursday we find Jesus sending the disciples into Jerusalem to prepare for the Passover meal. That evening they ate the Passover meal in an upper room where Jesus predicted both Judas’ betrayal and Peter’s denial. Late into the night Jesus gives the disciples His final instructions and prays for them. The day closes in the garden of Gethsemane, where Jesus prays, “Not my will but Yours be done.” In just a few moments Judas will come on the scene…

This week Women’s Bible study started back up. Despite my planning and early mornings I still found myself cramming in all the last minute things that needed to be accomplished. (Fifteen minutes before study started I was at Safeway getting all the refreshments.) It seems like this whenever we go on vacation as well. We plan ahead, but there are still a hundred last-minute things to be done before we can leave. It’s always a little hectic at the last minute.

These passages today are Jesus’ final moments. Thursday is the last day He spends with His disciples before being arrested around midnight. And He’s not just leaving on vacation, He’s leaving earth! This, the rescue plan of the world, is coming to a close in a few short hours. Is Jesus frantic? Rushing around trying to finish things? Making a few quick rounds to do a few healings? No. He does stay up late giving the disciples His final words then praying His way through the night, but there is no sense of panic or rush. He walked His 33 years on earth with ordered, measured steps, and now, at the close of His time on earth, He can quietly and confidently say to His Father, “I glorified You on earth, having accomplished the work that You gave me to do.”

Isn’t that what we all long to be able to say on our deathbed someday? I know I do. My greatest heart’s desire is to be able to say, with my final breath,

“I glorified You on earth, having accomplished the work You gave me to do.”

Is there anything better? Right now I’m writing the Sacred Mundane chapter on time, and it’s challenging me in beautiful ways. It’s amazing to see Jesus in His final hours, neither rushed nor frantic. Never in a hurry. He walked calmly through this life, completing all the work God gave Him to do and only the work God gave Him to do. Nothing more, nothing less.

Continue reading →

 

Wednesday of Holy Week: wasting time with Him.

Posted on by

Kari continues writing meditations for each day of Holy Week…

Wednesday’s Reading: Matthew 26:3-19, Mark 14:1-11, Luke 21:37-22:6, John 12:1-8

“For she has done a beautiful thing to me.”

—Jesus (Matthew 26:10)

Today we see the religious leaders gathering at the palace of the high priest to discuss how they can secretly arrest and kill Jesus. We see Judas agreeing to betray Jesus. We see Jesus continuing to teach in the temple. And we see Mary break her alabaster flask and pour out her expensive ointment, anointing Jesus with worship, with love.  I know we just looked at this recently, but in case you need to consider it again today. (I know I do.)  Remember this beautiful waste … Mary tiptoed into the room, quietly knelt, and broke her alabaster flask, anointing Jesus’ feet … (the rest here)

~

Perhaps the application for today is simply to waste some time at Jesus’ feet? 

Could you do that today?

Martha was busy in the kitchen, busy serving:

  • Perhaps she was dyeing Easter eggs or sewing her daughter’s pastel dress.
  • Perhaps she had to have the house perfect before the guests arrived.
  • Perhaps she was fixing an elaborate Easter meal which consumed her thoughts and energy for the week.
  • Perhaps she had Easter crafts up to her eyeballs.
  • Perhaps she was trying to figure out what to wear to church on Sunday.
  • Perhaps she was searching Pinterest to find all the best Easter ideas.

None of these things are bad. But today, let’s waste some time at Jesus’ feet.

Can we agree to do that today?
Continue reading →

 

Tuesday of Holy Week: not to question, just to bow.

Posted on by

Tuesday’s Reading: Matthew 21:23-26:3, Mark 11:27-13:37, Luke 20:1-21:36 (today’s are longer than the rest, perhaps break up into two sittings…)

Each day this week, Holy Week, we’ll follow Jesus with a meditation by Kari. Jesus entered Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, returned on Monday to cleanse the temple, and now was being tested by the religious leaders.

“Then the Pharisees went and plotted how to entangle Him in His talk.”

Matthew 22:15

As you read through these passages you see Tuesday’s common thread: The religious leaders were testing Jesus. They challenged His authority, they “plotted how to entangle Him in His talk,” they came up with complicated scenarios regarding Old Testament law in order to test His knowledge. Over and over and over in these passages the Scribes, Pharisees, chief priests and Sadducees approached Him with “questions.” But their questions had nothing to do with wanting to gain knowledge, wisdom or understanding, their questions were challenges of authority.

One in particular stands out, because it’s so sharply contrasted with another story in this same passage. The chief priests and scribes ask Jesus about paying taxes, crafting their question in a way that might easily entangle a lesser man than Christ. But Jesus cuts to the heart of the issue:

“Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and to God the things that are God’s.”

Done. The response: “Marveling at his answer, they became silent.” 

Our world is full of people who are “questioning” the faith. I have little patience for these “questions” which are really nothing more than an attempt to be let “off the hook” of worshiping Christ and bowing before Him in humble obedience. Do you know what I mean? There is a place for humble, honest, sincere questions—but we are wise to recognize when our “questioning” is nothing more than an attempt to slip away from surrender. 

Continue reading →

 

Monday of Holy Week: when everything inside is overturned.

Posted on by

Each day this week, Holy Week, we’ll follow Jesus with a meditation by Kari. Jesus entered Jerusalem on Palm Sunday; He returned on Monday to cleanse the temple.

Monday’s Reading: Matthew 21:12-22, Mark 11:12-19, Luke 19:45-46, Luke 21:37-38

Jesus entered the temple.

Matthew 21:12

Jesus arrived in Jerusalem and entered the temple. It is not a sweet and peaceful scene. Contrary to popular belief, Jesus is not “nice.” He’s ferociously loving. He’s viciously jealous. And in this scene He’s enraged, overturning tables and chairs, driving out the peddlers, refusing to let anyone carry anything through the temple. Why? Because, as He said, “My house shall be called a house of prayer, but you make it a den of robbers.” God intended the temple to be a place where man and God commune. Where they interact. Jesus is quoting from Isaiah 56:7 where the prophet speaks for God and says,

“I will … make [my people] joyful in my house of prayer; their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples.”

Do remember Leviticus 6 and the altar always burning? The temple was the physical place where that always-burning altar would be kept. This “house of prayer” would house their burnt offerings and sacrifices, would house all that was laid upon the altar. The purpose of the temple was to provide a place to offer the continual sacrifices and interact with God.

Our bodies now provide this place.

Since the once-and-for-all sacrifice was paid by Christ we now live the continual sacrifice, the living sacrifice. And what exactly are we to give to God as our living sacrifice? Romans 12:1 says,

“Present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.”

Your body is the holy temple and the holy sacrifice. A sacred space to worship and commune with God. Continue reading →

 

Holy Week: an invitation to focus. [Palm Sunday]

Posted on by

Each day this week, Holy Week, we’ll highlight with a meditation by Kari. We begin with Palm Sunday.

This week He’s sitting quietly among the Peeps and pastels. Can you see Him? We have to really focus, don’t we? My life is cluttered too. It’s busy. The kids are always talking–it’s 6:28am and one just crawled into my bed as I typed that sentence–the needs are never-ending. When do we really focus? 

I’m inviting you to focus this week. To slow. This week let’s simply read through the short passages in the gospels that correspond with Christ’s activity for each of the days of Passion Week. I’ll do the same. We’ll focus each day on Jesus Christ, His journey to the grave—then to glory—and what it means for us. Will you join me?

~

Sunday’s reading: Matthew 21:1-9, Mark 11:1-11, Luke 19:29-38, John 12:12-15.

~

Hosanna simply means “Save now!” 

The disciples and the multitudes were expecting Jesus to establish an earthly reign.  They wanted an earthly Kingdom. They wanted freedom from the oppression of the Romans. They wanted Jesus to forcefully seize control of the political realm and establish an earthly reign in Jerusalem.  And this kick-off event of the Passion Week reveals their anticipation that Jesus would indeed be their new king.  They wave the branches and lay down their clothes, getting ready for Jesus to take over and reign.

But then He goes and dies instead.  Continue reading →