by Adam Barnes
Most people easily recognize the “Hallelujah” chorus of Handel’s Oratorio “The Messiah.” It has been used in countless television and radio commercials to advertise everything from fast food to luxury automobiles. Those anthemic acclamations of praise are often heard in the soundtrack of films to announce an attractive person’s entrance to a scene or when all hope seems lost, but “miraculously” a key twist in the plot rights things for the protagonist. That climactic melody is very effective in eliciting certain emotions of hope and joy from the listener. (Also, it’s use is public domain so no one has to pay royalties). However, if the average person (likely even the average church-goer) heard any other excerpt from Handel’s work, it is doubtful that they could readily identify it. Like many things in popular culture, it has become an icon out of context.
George Frideric Handel composed the music for “The Messiah” with a scriptural text compiled by Charles Jennens from the King James Bible and from the Psalms included with the Book of Common Prayer in 1741. It was first performed in Dublin in 1742 and received its London premiere nearly a year later. After an initially modest public reception, the oratorio gained in popularity, eventually becoming one of the best-known and most frequently performed choral works in Western Music. Although its structure resembles that of opera, it is not in dramatic form; there are no impersonations of characters and very little direct speech. Instead, Jennens’s text is an extended reflection on Jesus Christ as Messiah. There are 3 parts, all declarations. It begins with the prophecies of The Old Testament, foretelling of Christ’s coming, and affirming man’s need for a savior. Part 2 tells the Gospel, from the Angels declaring to shepherds of the Messiah’s arrival to the Passion week and Crucifixion. Part 3 tells of Resurrection and Glorification. Throughout the text is a common theme proclaimed by a chorus, just as all of scripture points to one God and His plan for salvation. Here is where the “Hallelujah Chorus” proclaims God’s Glory in a fitting context.
Handel wrote Messiah for modest vocal and instrumental arrangements with optional settings for many of the individual numbers. Usually with only 20-30 choral members and a small string ensemble, with brass being reserved for only the climaxes of movements. In the years after his death, the work was adapted for performance on a much larger scale, with giant orchestras and choirs. In other efforts to update it, its orchestration was revised and amplified by (among others) Mozart. In the late 20th and early 21st centuries, the trend has been towards reproducing a greater fidelity to Handel’s original intentions. A remnant of scholars who “get it” have sought to find the greater meaning in this composition.
Similar to Holy Scripture itself, when taken out of context, the power and meaning is lost. There can be no Hallelujah without realizing the depths of our own depravity and the need for a Messiah. As much of our culture encourages us to download and subtract, taking in only sound bites and single mp3s, let us slow down. Read the whole book, listen to the whole album, find time and space to acknowledge the enormity of the Universe and that its Creator reached out to find you. In the most humble of ways, He sent a baby who became a man and died so that we might live. Hallelujah!
Monday, December 16, 2013
Wednesday, December 11, 2013
Centering Others on Christ
How can we carry Christ’s love to others this Christmas? What approach should we take?
You may remember the story of the gay community boycotting Chick-Fil-A because they are a Christian organization that stands up against homosexuality. You may not be aware of how Chick-Fil-A responded to this attack on their business.
The following are the words from Shane Windmeyer, a gay man who launched the boycott against Chick-Fil-A. Notice how Dan Cathy’s (the COO of Chick-Fil-A) response impacted him.
I spent New Year’s Eve at the red-blooded, all-American epicenter of college football: at the Chick-fil-A Bowl, next to Dan Cathy, as his personal guest. It was among the most unexpected moments of my life.
Yes, after months of personal phone calls, text messages and in-person meetings, I am coming out in a new way, as a friend of Chick-fil-A’s president and COO, Dan Cathy, and I am nervous about it. I have come to know him and Chick-fil-A in ways that I would not have thought possible when I first started hearing from LGBT students about their concerns over the chicken chain’s giving practices.
For many this news of friendship might be shocking. After all, I am an out, 40-year-old gay man and a lifelong activist for equality. I am also the founder and executive director of Campus Pride, the leading national organization for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT) and ally college students. Just seven months ago our organization advanced a national campaign against Chick-fil-A for the millions of dollars it donated to anti-LGBT organizations and divisive political groups that work each day to harm hardworking LGBT young people, adults and our families. I have spent quite some time being angry at and deeply distrustful of Dan Cathy and Chick-fil-A. If he had his way, my husband of 18 years and I would never be legally married.
Why was I now standing next to him at one of the most popular football showdowns? How could I dare think to have a relationship with a man and a company that have advocated against who I am; who would take apart my family in the name of “traditional marriage”; whose voice and views represented exactly the opposite of those of the students for whom I advocate every day? Dan is the problem, and Chick-fil-A is the enemy, right?
Like most LGBT people, I was provoked by Dan’s public opposition to marriage equality and his company’s problematic giving history. I had the background and history on him, so I thought, and had my own preconceived notions about who he was. I knew this character. No way did he know me. That was my view. But it was flawed.
For nearly a decade now, my organization, Campus Pride, has been on the ground with student leaders protesting Chick-fil-A at campuses across the country. I had researched Chick-fil-A’s nearly $5 million in funding, given since 2003, to anti-LGBT groups. And the whole nation was aware that Dan was “guilty as charged” in his support of a “biblical definition” of marriage. What more was there to know?
On Aug. 10, 2012, in the heat of the controversy, I got a surprise call from Dan Cathy. He had gotten my cell phone number from a mutual business contact serving campus groups. I took the call with great caution. He was going to tear me apart, right? Give me a piece of his mind? Turn his lawyers on me?
The first call lasted over an hour, and the private conversation led to more calls the next week and the week after. Dan Cathy knew how to text, and he would reach out to me as new questions came to his mind. This was not going to be a typical turn of events.
His questions and a series of deeper conversations ultimately led to a number of in-person meetings with Dan and representatives from Chick-fil-A. He had never before had such dialogue with any member of the LGBT community. It was awkward at times but always genuine and kind.
It is not often that people with deeply held and completely opposing viewpoints actually risk sitting down and listening to one another. We see this failure to listen and learn in our government, in our communities and in our own families. Dan Cathy and I would, together, try to do better than each of us had experienced before.
Never once did Dan or anyone from Chick-fil-A ask for Campus Pride to stop protesting Chick-fil-A. On the contrary, Dan listened intently to our concerns and the real-life accounts from youth about the negative impact that Chick-fil-A was having on campus climate and safety at colleges across the country. He was concerned about an incident last fall where a fraternity was tabling next to the Chick-fil-A restaurant on campus. Whenever an out gay student on campus would walk past the table, the fraternity would chant, “We love Chick-fil-A,” and then shout anti-gay slurs at the student. Dan sought first to understand, not to be understood. He confessed that he had been naïve to the issues at hand and the unintended impact of his company’s actions.
Chick-fil-A also provided access to internal documents related to the funding of anti-LGBT groups and asked questions about our concerns related to this funding. An internal document, titled “Who We Are,” expressed Chick-fil-A’s values, which included their commitment “to treat every person with honor, dignity and respect,” including LGBT people. Dan and his family members had personally drafted, refined and approved the document.
Through all this, Dan and I shared respectful, enduring communication and built trust. His demeanor has always been one of kindness and openness. Even when I continued to directly question his public actions and the funding decisions, Dan embraced the opportunity to have dialogue and hear my perspective. He and I were committed to a better understanding of one another. Our mutual hope was to find common ground if possible, and to build respect no matter what. We learned about each other as people with opposing views, not as opposing people.
During our meetings I came to see that the Chick-fil-A brand was being used by both sides of the political debate around gay marriage. The repercussion of this was a deep division and polarization that was fueling feelings of hate on all sides. As a result, we agreed to keep the ongoing nature of our meetings private for the time being. The fire needed no more fuel.
Throughout the conversations Dan expressed a sincere interest in my life, wanting to get to know me on a personal level. He wanted to know about where I grew up, my faith, my family, even my husband, Tommy. In return, I learned about his wife and kids and gained an appreciation for his devout belief in Jesus Christ and his commitment to being “a follower of Christ” more than a “Christian.” Dan expressed regret and genuine sadness when he heard of people being treated unkindly in the name of Chick-fil-a -- but he offered no apologies for his genuine beliefs about marriage.
And in that we had great commonality: We were each entirely ourselves. We both wanted to be respected and for others to understand our views. Neither of us could -- or would -- change. It was not possible. We were different but in dialogue. That was progress.
In many ways, getting to know Dan better has reminded me of my relationship with my uncle, who is a pastor at a Pentecostal church. When I came out as openly gay in college, I was aware that his religious views were not supportive of homosexuality. But my personal relationship with my uncle reassured me of his love for me -- and that love extends to my husband. My uncle would never want to see any harm come to me or Tommy. His beliefs prevented him from fully reconciling what he understood as the immorality of homosexuality with the morality of loving and supporting me and my life. It was, and remains, an unsolvable riddle for him, hating the sin and loving the sinner.
My relationship with Dan is the same, though he is not my family. Dan, in his heart, is driven by his desire to minister to others and had to choose to continue our relationship throughout this controversy. He had to both hold to his beliefs and welcome me into them. He had to face the issue of respecting my viewpoints and life even while not being able to reconcile them with his belief system. He defined this to me as “the blessing of growth.” He expanded his world without abandoning it. I did, as well.
As Dan and I grew through mutual dialogue and respect, he invited me to be his personal guest on New Year’s Eve at the Chick-fil-A Bowl. This was an event that Campus Pride and others had planned to protest. Had I been played? Seduced into his billionaire’s life? No. It was Dan who took a great risk in inviting me: He stood to face the ire of his conservative base (and a potential boycott) by being seen or photographed with an LGBT activist. He could have been portrayed as “caving to the gay agenda” by welcoming me.
Instead, he stood next to me most of the night, putting respect ahead of fear. There we were on the sidelines, Dan, his wife, his family and friends and I, all enjoying the game. And that is why building a relationship with someone I thought I would never understand mattered. Our worlds, different as they can be, could coexist peacefully. The millions of college football fans watching the game never could have imagined what was playing out right in front of them. Gay and straight, liberal and conservative, activist and evangelist -- we could stand together in our difference and in our respect. How much better would our world be if more could do the same?
This past week Chick-fil-A shared with me the 2011 IRS Form 990, filed in November for the WinShape Foundation, along with 2012 financials. The IRS has not released the 990 to the public yet, but the financials affirm Chick-fil-A’s values a year prior to the controversy this past July. The nearly $6 million in outside grant funding focuses on youth, education, marriage enrichment and local communities. The funding reflects Chick-fil-A’s promised commitment not to engage in “political or social debates,” and the most divisive anti-LGBT groups are no longer listed.
Even as Campus Pride and so many in the community protested Chick-fil-A and its funding of groups like Family Research Council, Eagle Forum and Exodus International, the funding of these groups had already stopped. Dan Cathy and Chick-fil-A could have noted this publicly earlier. Instead, they chose to be patient, to engage in private dialogue, to reach understanding,and to share proof with me when it was official. There was no “caving”; there were no “concessions.” There was, in my view, conscience.
This is why, after discussions with Dan and Chick-fil-A, Campus Pride suspended our campaign. Like Dan, we had faith. It took time to be proven publicly.
Now it is all about the future, one defined, let’s hope, by continued mutual respect. I will not change my views, and Dan will likely not change his, but we can continue to listen, learn and appreciate “the blessing of growth” that happens when we know each other better. I hope that our nation’s political leaders and campus leaders might do the same.
In the end, it is not about eating (or eating a certain chicken sandwich). It is about sitting down at a table together and sharing our views as human beings, engaged in real, respectful, civil dialogue. Dan would probably call this act the biblical definition of hospitality. I would call it human decency. So long as we are all at the same table and talking, does it matter what we call it or what we eat?
Following the example of Dan Cathy can go a long way to helping us carry Christ’s love to others this Christmas.
You may remember the story of the gay community boycotting Chick-Fil-A because they are a Christian organization that stands up against homosexuality. You may not be aware of how Chick-Fil-A responded to this attack on their business.
The following are the words from Shane Windmeyer, a gay man who launched the boycott against Chick-Fil-A. Notice how Dan Cathy’s (the COO of Chick-Fil-A) response impacted him.
I spent New Year’s Eve at the red-blooded, all-American epicenter of college football: at the Chick-fil-A Bowl, next to Dan Cathy, as his personal guest. It was among the most unexpected moments of my life.
Yes, after months of personal phone calls, text messages and in-person meetings, I am coming out in a new way, as a friend of Chick-fil-A’s president and COO, Dan Cathy, and I am nervous about it. I have come to know him and Chick-fil-A in ways that I would not have thought possible when I first started hearing from LGBT students about their concerns over the chicken chain’s giving practices.
For many this news of friendship might be shocking. After all, I am an out, 40-year-old gay man and a lifelong activist for equality. I am also the founder and executive director of Campus Pride, the leading national organization for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT) and ally college students. Just seven months ago our organization advanced a national campaign against Chick-fil-A for the millions of dollars it donated to anti-LGBT organizations and divisive political groups that work each day to harm hardworking LGBT young people, adults and our families. I have spent quite some time being angry at and deeply distrustful of Dan Cathy and Chick-fil-A. If he had his way, my husband of 18 years and I would never be legally married.
Why was I now standing next to him at one of the most popular football showdowns? How could I dare think to have a relationship with a man and a company that have advocated against who I am; who would take apart my family in the name of “traditional marriage”; whose voice and views represented exactly the opposite of those of the students for whom I advocate every day? Dan is the problem, and Chick-fil-A is the enemy, right?
Like most LGBT people, I was provoked by Dan’s public opposition to marriage equality and his company’s problematic giving history. I had the background and history on him, so I thought, and had my own preconceived notions about who he was. I knew this character. No way did he know me. That was my view. But it was flawed.
For nearly a decade now, my organization, Campus Pride, has been on the ground with student leaders protesting Chick-fil-A at campuses across the country. I had researched Chick-fil-A’s nearly $5 million in funding, given since 2003, to anti-LGBT groups. And the whole nation was aware that Dan was “guilty as charged” in his support of a “biblical definition” of marriage. What more was there to know?
On Aug. 10, 2012, in the heat of the controversy, I got a surprise call from Dan Cathy. He had gotten my cell phone number from a mutual business contact serving campus groups. I took the call with great caution. He was going to tear me apart, right? Give me a piece of his mind? Turn his lawyers on me?
The first call lasted over an hour, and the private conversation led to more calls the next week and the week after. Dan Cathy knew how to text, and he would reach out to me as new questions came to his mind. This was not going to be a typical turn of events.
His questions and a series of deeper conversations ultimately led to a number of in-person meetings with Dan and representatives from Chick-fil-A. He had never before had such dialogue with any member of the LGBT community. It was awkward at times but always genuine and kind.
It is not often that people with deeply held and completely opposing viewpoints actually risk sitting down and listening to one another. We see this failure to listen and learn in our government, in our communities and in our own families. Dan Cathy and I would, together, try to do better than each of us had experienced before.
Never once did Dan or anyone from Chick-fil-A ask for Campus Pride to stop protesting Chick-fil-A. On the contrary, Dan listened intently to our concerns and the real-life accounts from youth about the negative impact that Chick-fil-A was having on campus climate and safety at colleges across the country. He was concerned about an incident last fall where a fraternity was tabling next to the Chick-fil-A restaurant on campus. Whenever an out gay student on campus would walk past the table, the fraternity would chant, “We love Chick-fil-A,” and then shout anti-gay slurs at the student. Dan sought first to understand, not to be understood. He confessed that he had been naïve to the issues at hand and the unintended impact of his company’s actions.
Chick-fil-A also provided access to internal documents related to the funding of anti-LGBT groups and asked questions about our concerns related to this funding. An internal document, titled “Who We Are,” expressed Chick-fil-A’s values, which included their commitment “to treat every person with honor, dignity and respect,” including LGBT people. Dan and his family members had personally drafted, refined and approved the document.
Through all this, Dan and I shared respectful, enduring communication and built trust. His demeanor has always been one of kindness and openness. Even when I continued to directly question his public actions and the funding decisions, Dan embraced the opportunity to have dialogue and hear my perspective. He and I were committed to a better understanding of one another. Our mutual hope was to find common ground if possible, and to build respect no matter what. We learned about each other as people with opposing views, not as opposing people.
During our meetings I came to see that the Chick-fil-A brand was being used by both sides of the political debate around gay marriage. The repercussion of this was a deep division and polarization that was fueling feelings of hate on all sides. As a result, we agreed to keep the ongoing nature of our meetings private for the time being. The fire needed no more fuel.
Throughout the conversations Dan expressed a sincere interest in my life, wanting to get to know me on a personal level. He wanted to know about where I grew up, my faith, my family, even my husband, Tommy. In return, I learned about his wife and kids and gained an appreciation for his devout belief in Jesus Christ and his commitment to being “a follower of Christ” more than a “Christian.” Dan expressed regret and genuine sadness when he heard of people being treated unkindly in the name of Chick-fil-a -- but he offered no apologies for his genuine beliefs about marriage.
And in that we had great commonality: We were each entirely ourselves. We both wanted to be respected and for others to understand our views. Neither of us could -- or would -- change. It was not possible. We were different but in dialogue. That was progress.
In many ways, getting to know Dan better has reminded me of my relationship with my uncle, who is a pastor at a Pentecostal church. When I came out as openly gay in college, I was aware that his religious views were not supportive of homosexuality. But my personal relationship with my uncle reassured me of his love for me -- and that love extends to my husband. My uncle would never want to see any harm come to me or Tommy. His beliefs prevented him from fully reconciling what he understood as the immorality of homosexuality with the morality of loving and supporting me and my life. It was, and remains, an unsolvable riddle for him, hating the sin and loving the sinner.
My relationship with Dan is the same, though he is not my family. Dan, in his heart, is driven by his desire to minister to others and had to choose to continue our relationship throughout this controversy. He had to both hold to his beliefs and welcome me into them. He had to face the issue of respecting my viewpoints and life even while not being able to reconcile them with his belief system. He defined this to me as “the blessing of growth.” He expanded his world without abandoning it. I did, as well.
As Dan and I grew through mutual dialogue and respect, he invited me to be his personal guest on New Year’s Eve at the Chick-fil-A Bowl. This was an event that Campus Pride and others had planned to protest. Had I been played? Seduced into his billionaire’s life? No. It was Dan who took a great risk in inviting me: He stood to face the ire of his conservative base (and a potential boycott) by being seen or photographed with an LGBT activist. He could have been portrayed as “caving to the gay agenda” by welcoming me.
Instead, he stood next to me most of the night, putting respect ahead of fear. There we were on the sidelines, Dan, his wife, his family and friends and I, all enjoying the game. And that is why building a relationship with someone I thought I would never understand mattered. Our worlds, different as they can be, could coexist peacefully. The millions of college football fans watching the game never could have imagined what was playing out right in front of them. Gay and straight, liberal and conservative, activist and evangelist -- we could stand together in our difference and in our respect. How much better would our world be if more could do the same?
This past week Chick-fil-A shared with me the 2011 IRS Form 990, filed in November for the WinShape Foundation, along with 2012 financials. The IRS has not released the 990 to the public yet, but the financials affirm Chick-fil-A’s values a year prior to the controversy this past July. The nearly $6 million in outside grant funding focuses on youth, education, marriage enrichment and local communities. The funding reflects Chick-fil-A’s promised commitment not to engage in “political or social debates,” and the most divisive anti-LGBT groups are no longer listed.
Even as Campus Pride and so many in the community protested Chick-fil-A and its funding of groups like Family Research Council, Eagle Forum and Exodus International, the funding of these groups had already stopped. Dan Cathy and Chick-fil-A could have noted this publicly earlier. Instead, they chose to be patient, to engage in private dialogue, to reach understanding,and to share proof with me when it was official. There was no “caving”; there were no “concessions.” There was, in my view, conscience.
This is why, after discussions with Dan and Chick-fil-A, Campus Pride suspended our campaign. Like Dan, we had faith. It took time to be proven publicly.
Now it is all about the future, one defined, let’s hope, by continued mutual respect. I will not change my views, and Dan will likely not change his, but we can continue to listen, learn and appreciate “the blessing of growth” that happens when we know each other better. I hope that our nation’s political leaders and campus leaders might do the same.
In the end, it is not about eating (or eating a certain chicken sandwich). It is about sitting down at a table together and sharing our views as human beings, engaged in real, respectful, civil dialogue. Dan would probably call this act the biblical definition of hospitality. I would call it human decency. So long as we are all at the same table and talking, does it matter what we call it or what we eat?
Following the example of Dan Cathy can go a long way to helping us carry Christ’s love to others this Christmas.
Thursday, December 5, 2013
He is >
During the month of December, Waxahachie Bible Church is participating with about 30 other churches in the area in a collaborative effort around the Messianic theme, Heis>. For months, participating churches have been brain-storming, collecting ideas and combining resources and putting together worship elements to make this a community-wide expression of the magnificent gift of God’s Son who we celebrate at Christmas. While churches will each have their own unique way of presenting the themes, participating churches will all focus on the same five biblical texts during the Christmas season. Participating churches are across denominational lines and include congregations in Waxahachie, Ennis, Midlothian, Maypearl, Rice, DeSoto, Red Oak and Corsicana.
Thousands upon thousands of t-shirts have been printed and distributed at area churches during November and are asked to be worn as often as possible throughout the area during the weeks of the series. We hope the shirts will spark questions and encourage conversations about the uniqueness of Jesus Christ as people see the shirts at school and businesses across the area. As conversations are initiated, we pray that many will present the gospel message of Jesus Christ and invite others to attend WBC church during the Christmas season. We hope that many newcomers will come to WBC during the month of December. Do your part in inviting people who have no church home of regular attendance to come and be with us.
An accompanying Heis> website was also launched on Black Friday at www.Heisgreater.com. This web address is on the back of the t-shirts, and the website contains a listing of all the participating churches, locations and worship schedule times by city, as well as a family resource Heis> devotional guide. Also on the website is a “Twelve Days of Christmas Kindness” guide to encourage believers across the participating churches to creatively express their faith in tangible ways to others.
This is the most extensive collaborative, cross-denominational cooperative expression in Ellis County for some time and centers around the central character of Christmas, Jesus Christ.
“JESUS has an impressive resume. Being born of a virgin and living a sinless life is impressive. We’ve all seen impressive resumes and we try to write impressive resumes. But any employer who’s ever hired anyone knows a great resume isn’t good enough. The resume is a start but it doesn’t tell the whole story. At a glance, the resume can show where someone went to school, how much job experience they have, and what skills they have. However, references can give another piece of the picture. They tell an employer what other people think of the applicant. An employer wants to know not only what’s on the resume but also what other people have to say. They want to check and see if what is on the resume is actually true. In addition to checking references, an employer will request an interview. This gives an opportunity for the employer and applicant to meet face-to-face. Jesus has a great resume and there are plenty of people who can even testify and give Him a reference. However, the best kind of information comes from personally having an interview and being able to say that He’s everything He declares Himself to be based on experience. Having a personal relationship with Jesus is to know for oneself that He is real.” - Dr. Tony Evans
“During a break from our TV interview on Larry King Live in March of 2006, Larry surprised Jerry Jenkins and me with this statement: “I am not a believer, but I have the utmost respect for Jesus Christ. I believe He was the most influential person who ever lived.” Why would Larry King make such a statement? Because it’s true. Of the estimated more than thirteen billion people who have lived on the earth since the dawn of recorded history, why does the one named Jesus Christ draw so much attention—more attention without question than any other person? The world has always been, is now, and will forever be fascinated by Jesus. But why? Before we attempt to answer that question, let’s consider the facts: He has served as the inspiration for more literature, more music, and more works of art than any other person in history. Millions of churches throughout the world have been built in His honor. Our calendar has been set according to His birth. The two biggest holidays celebrated worldwide each year, Christmas and Easter, commemorate His birth and His resurrection. Nearly everyone who has lived on this planet during the last two millennia has heard of Him. Is there any other person who comes to mind for which the same can be said? Amazingly, His influence in the world has not diminished over the course of the succeeding centuries. Despite ever-evolving cultural changes and notwithstanding media reports to the contrary, Jesus is just as relevant to this generation as He was when He walked the shores of Galilee. Throughout the ages, people inspired by His teachings have taken the initiative to build the majority of the world’s hospitals, instigate the formation of most of our colleges and universities, and launch countless humanitarian programs in nearly every part of the globe.” - Dr. Tim LaHaye
The late Dr. D. James Kennedy, in his book “What If Jesus Had Never Been Born?” wrote about a man named Charles Bradlaugh, a nineteenth-century atheist who challenged Hugh Price Hughes, an active Christian evangelist working among the poor in the slums of London, to a debate on the validity of Christianity. Hughes told Bradlaugh he would agree to the debate on one condition: He said, “I propose to you that we each bring some concrete evidences of the validity of our belief in the form of men and women who have been redeemed from the lives of sin and shame by the influence of our teaching. I will bring one hundred such men and women, and I challenge you to do the same.” Hughes then said that if Bradlaugh couldn’t bring one hundred, then he could bring fifty; if he couldn’t bring fifty, then he could bring twenty. He finally whittled the number down to one. All Bradlaugh had to do was to find one person whose life was improved by atheism and Hughes—who would bring one hundred people improved by Christ—would agree to debate him. Bradlaugh eventually withdrew.
Thousands upon thousands of t-shirts have been printed and distributed at area churches during November and are asked to be worn as often as possible throughout the area during the weeks of the series. We hope the shirts will spark questions and encourage conversations about the uniqueness of Jesus Christ as people see the shirts at school and businesses across the area. As conversations are initiated, we pray that many will present the gospel message of Jesus Christ and invite others to attend WBC church during the Christmas season. We hope that many newcomers will come to WBC during the month of December. Do your part in inviting people who have no church home of regular attendance to come and be with us.
An accompanying Heis> website was also launched on Black Friday at www.Heisgreater.com. This web address is on the back of the t-shirts, and the website contains a listing of all the participating churches, locations and worship schedule times by city, as well as a family resource Heis> devotional guide. Also on the website is a “Twelve Days of Christmas Kindness” guide to encourage believers across the participating churches to creatively express their faith in tangible ways to others.
This is the most extensive collaborative, cross-denominational cooperative expression in Ellis County for some time and centers around the central character of Christmas, Jesus Christ.
“JESUS has an impressive resume. Being born of a virgin and living a sinless life is impressive. We’ve all seen impressive resumes and we try to write impressive resumes. But any employer who’s ever hired anyone knows a great resume isn’t good enough. The resume is a start but it doesn’t tell the whole story. At a glance, the resume can show where someone went to school, how much job experience they have, and what skills they have. However, references can give another piece of the picture. They tell an employer what other people think of the applicant. An employer wants to know not only what’s on the resume but also what other people have to say. They want to check and see if what is on the resume is actually true. In addition to checking references, an employer will request an interview. This gives an opportunity for the employer and applicant to meet face-to-face. Jesus has a great resume and there are plenty of people who can even testify and give Him a reference. However, the best kind of information comes from personally having an interview and being able to say that He’s everything He declares Himself to be based on experience. Having a personal relationship with Jesus is to know for oneself that He is real.” - Dr. Tony Evans
“During a break from our TV interview on Larry King Live in March of 2006, Larry surprised Jerry Jenkins and me with this statement: “I am not a believer, but I have the utmost respect for Jesus Christ. I believe He was the most influential person who ever lived.” Why would Larry King make such a statement? Because it’s true. Of the estimated more than thirteen billion people who have lived on the earth since the dawn of recorded history, why does the one named Jesus Christ draw so much attention—more attention without question than any other person? The world has always been, is now, and will forever be fascinated by Jesus. But why? Before we attempt to answer that question, let’s consider the facts: He has served as the inspiration for more literature, more music, and more works of art than any other person in history. Millions of churches throughout the world have been built in His honor. Our calendar has been set according to His birth. The two biggest holidays celebrated worldwide each year, Christmas and Easter, commemorate His birth and His resurrection. Nearly everyone who has lived on this planet during the last two millennia has heard of Him. Is there any other person who comes to mind for which the same can be said? Amazingly, His influence in the world has not diminished over the course of the succeeding centuries. Despite ever-evolving cultural changes and notwithstanding media reports to the contrary, Jesus is just as relevant to this generation as He was when He walked the shores of Galilee. Throughout the ages, people inspired by His teachings have taken the initiative to build the majority of the world’s hospitals, instigate the formation of most of our colleges and universities, and launch countless humanitarian programs in nearly every part of the globe.” - Dr. Tim LaHaye
The late Dr. D. James Kennedy, in his book “What If Jesus Had Never Been Born?” wrote about a man named Charles Bradlaugh, a nineteenth-century atheist who challenged Hugh Price Hughes, an active Christian evangelist working among the poor in the slums of London, to a debate on the validity of Christianity. Hughes told Bradlaugh he would agree to the debate on one condition: He said, “I propose to you that we each bring some concrete evidences of the validity of our belief in the form of men and women who have been redeemed from the lives of sin and shame by the influence of our teaching. I will bring one hundred such men and women, and I challenge you to do the same.” Hughes then said that if Bradlaugh couldn’t bring one hundred, then he could bring fifty; if he couldn’t bring fifty, then he could bring twenty. He finally whittled the number down to one. All Bradlaugh had to do was to find one person whose life was improved by atheism and Hughes—who would bring one hundred people improved by Christ—would agree to debate him. Bradlaugh eventually withdrew.
Tuesday, December 3, 2013
Christ-Centered Resources
Each year we hand out a book that can help you center your life around Christ during the Advent and Christmas season. It is called Draw Near, and you can pick up your copy from the magazine racks throughout the building.
This year we will hand out a booklet each week called He is > @ Home. This will also help you center your life around Christ during this season and will correspond with the sermon passages each week. You can pick up your copy from the magazine racks throughout the building or at the Welcome Desk.
The Nativity Story DVD - This is a great resource to help center your family around Christ at Christmas time. Set some time apart to watch this film about the true meaning of Christmas.
Sunday, December 1, 2013
This Month's Focus
It's hard to believe that it’s time for Christmas again this year. What do you think about when you think of Christmas? Hopefully you seek to center Christmas around Jesus. This month at WBC, we would like to point you to some ways that you can center your life around Christ. As we begin, please read Chapter 2 of Luke and notice how Jesus is the center of the story.
1 Now in those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus to register all the empire for taxes. 2 This was the first registration, taken when Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3 Everyone went to his own town to be registered. 4 So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family line of David. 5 He went to be registered with Mary, who was promised in marriage to him, and who was expecting a child. 6 While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. 7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.
The Shepherds’ Visit
8 Now there were shepherds nearby living out in the field, keeping guard over their flock at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were absolutely terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid! Listen carefully, for I proclaim to you good news that brings great joy to all the people: 11 Today your Savior is born in the city of David. He is Christ the Lord. 12 This will be a sign for you: You will find a baby wrapped in strips of cloth and lying in a manger.” 13 Suddenly a vast, heavenly army appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
14 “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among people with whom he is pleased!”
15 When the angels left them and went back to heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, that the Lord has made known to us.” 16 So they hurried off and located Mary and Joseph, and found the baby lying in a manger. 17 When they saw him, they related what they had been told about this child, 18 and all who heard it were astonished at what the shepherds said. 19 But Mary treasured up all these words, pondering in her heart what they might mean. 20 So the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen; everything was just as they had been told.
21 At the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was named Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.
1 Now in those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus to register all the empire for taxes. 2 This was the first registration, taken when Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3 Everyone went to his own town to be registered. 4 So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family line of David. 5 He went to be registered with Mary, who was promised in marriage to him, and who was expecting a child. 6 While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. 7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.
The Shepherds’ Visit
8 Now there were shepherds nearby living out in the field, keeping guard over their flock at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were absolutely terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid! Listen carefully, for I proclaim to you good news that brings great joy to all the people: 11 Today your Savior is born in the city of David. He is Christ the Lord. 12 This will be a sign for you: You will find a baby wrapped in strips of cloth and lying in a manger.” 13 Suddenly a vast, heavenly army appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
14 “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among people with whom he is pleased!”
15 When the angels left them and went back to heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, that the Lord has made known to us.” 16 So they hurried off and located Mary and Joseph, and found the baby lying in a manger. 17 When they saw him, they related what they had been told about this child, 18 and all who heard it were astonished at what the shepherds said. 19 But Mary treasured up all these words, pondering in her heart what they might mean. 20 So the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen; everything was just as they had been told.
21 At the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was named Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.
Friday, November 22, 2013
Christ-Centered Resources
Gungor’s DVD: Let There Be
Review by Adam Barnes
From the opening of Let There Be, as Lisa Gungor sings “This Is My Father’s World” in a seaside cave with only the sounds of the tide rolling in to accompany her, we can clearly see the focus of this documentary/live music film. We come alongside Michael and Lisa Gungor as well as a collective of musicians on a global journey through God’s creation in many venues to experience Christ-centered culture and art. Gungor has made an incredible work that deliberately chooses to reveal that God is everywhere. Blending footage from live performances across a year’s tour, film maker Andy Catarisano weaves a story of the sacred that is all around.
Between songs, Michael Gungor lays out a narrative that addresses our place in God’s creation, our sinful nature, and our insatiable need for God in our lives. It’s plainly clear that we need Christ’s offering, but atonement is not the only thing we are seeking. Purpose and life are found there, and we are meant to partake with others in this process. Let There Be is a work that was made possible by the contributions of fans, people who were able to become a part of the project. By raising money through a Kickstarter, the band was able to closely mirror how we come alongside God in joining with His process.
God’s Creation is centered on Christ and testifies the Lord’s Redemptive work (Colossians 1:15-20). Like a father working a garden, He desires for us, His children, to know the joy of working with Him and seeing the work bloom and grow. The Lord’s work is all around, in skies vast and oceans deep, in cathedrals as well as subway stations. There was once a Rabbi who blurred the lines of sacred and profane and taught that loving God and loving people was the highest law. His work continues in those who choose to follow after Him.
Gungor’s work in Let There Be illuminates the wonder of God’s creation and allows us all to come and worship Christ in His presence. Take some time to check out this wonderful work of art. If you would like, you can borrow my copy.
Review by Adam Barnes
From the opening of Let There Be, as Lisa Gungor sings “This Is My Father’s World” in a seaside cave with only the sounds of the tide rolling in to accompany her, we can clearly see the focus of this documentary/live music film. We come alongside Michael and Lisa Gungor as well as a collective of musicians on a global journey through God’s creation in many venues to experience Christ-centered culture and art. Gungor has made an incredible work that deliberately chooses to reveal that God is everywhere. Blending footage from live performances across a year’s tour, film maker Andy Catarisano weaves a story of the sacred that is all around.
Between songs, Michael Gungor lays out a narrative that addresses our place in God’s creation, our sinful nature, and our insatiable need for God in our lives. It’s plainly clear that we need Christ’s offering, but atonement is not the only thing we are seeking. Purpose and life are found there, and we are meant to partake with others in this process. Let There Be is a work that was made possible by the contributions of fans, people who were able to become a part of the project. By raising money through a Kickstarter, the band was able to closely mirror how we come alongside God in joining with His process.
God’s Creation is centered on Christ and testifies the Lord’s Redemptive work (Colossians 1:15-20). Like a father working a garden, He desires for us, His children, to know the joy of working with Him and seeing the work bloom and grow. The Lord’s work is all around, in skies vast and oceans deep, in cathedrals as well as subway stations. There was once a Rabbi who blurred the lines of sacred and profane and taught that loving God and loving people was the highest law. His work continues in those who choose to follow after Him.
Gungor’s work in Let There Be illuminates the wonder of God’s creation and allows us all to come and worship Christ in His presence. Take some time to check out this wonderful work of art. If you would like, you can borrow my copy.
Wednesday, November 20, 2013
20 Christianese Phrases We Really Need to Stop Saying
by Jon Acuff
I don’t want a hedge of protection around me.
If you’re praying for me, feel free to not install one of those on the landscape of my life.
Don’t get me wrong, I think hedges are adorable, but they’re highly ineffective. I mean, how hard is it to step over a hedge?
Have you ever seen a bush and thought, “If there’s only one thing standing between me and the devil, I hope it’s a bush of that girth.”
Of course not. Nobody is afraid of bushes.
And yet, every day, thousands of Christians ask for a hedge of protection with little or no regard to the implication that you’re leaving your life in the hands of shrubbery. I say it’s time to retire that phrase. In fact, it’s time to say farewell to a number of well-known Christianese words and phrases.
.................................................................................
“I covet your prayers”
When did this become OK? Did we get a vote? I would like a recount, please. This one is kind of gross. Every time I hear someone say that, I feel like they are saying “I lust after your prayers.” Throughout the Bible we’re told not to covet and yet, here we are “redeeming” this phrase. Quit it. You might as well say, “I idolize your prayers.”
“Just sayin”
With a list this long, you’ll probably disagree with a few of my choices. Or you’ll feel that I left some out. I’ll pray a hedge of protection around you because I’m pretty sure you’re on a slippery slope. I might go as far as loving on you through this season. Just sayin’.
I don’t want a hedge of protection around me.
If you’re praying for me, feel free to not install one of those on the landscape of my life.
Don’t get me wrong, I think hedges are adorable, but they’re highly ineffective. I mean, how hard is it to step over a hedge?
Have you ever seen a bush and thought, “If there’s only one thing standing between me and the devil, I hope it’s a bush of that girth.”
Of course not. Nobody is afraid of bushes.
And yet, every day, thousands of Christians ask for a hedge of protection with little or no regard to the implication that you’re leaving your life in the hands of shrubbery. I say it’s time to retire that phrase. In fact, it’s time to say farewell to a number of well-known Christianese words and phrases.
.................................................................................
“I covet your prayers”
When did this become OK? Did we get a vote? I would like a recount, please. This one is kind of gross. Every time I hear someone say that, I feel like they are saying “I lust after your prayers.” Throughout the Bible we’re told not to covet and yet, here we are “redeeming” this phrase. Quit it. You might as well say, “I idolize your prayers.”
“Just sayin”
Christians use this phrase as a “Get out of jerk free” card. We write the most vile, bitter statement on Facebook and then punctuate it with “just sayin’,” as if that makes the rest of it invisible. It didn’t, we still saw what you wrote. You know who would have loved this phrase in the Bible? The Pharisees. Can’t you see them saying to Jesus, “Whoa, Jesus, you healed a guy. That’s great. Healing is awesome. It is the Sabbath though. Just sayin’.” If we only retire one phrase on this list, I hope it is this one.
“Blessed with the gift of singleness”
Don’t have a husband or wife? Not in a serious relationship with a Proverbs 31 woman? Not learning and living the love languages? Maybe you were given a special gift to remain alone forever. Maybe that one was dropped off on the doorstep of your heart this year. The next time someone says you got the gift of singleness, give them the gift of a leg sweep. Karate Kid style.
“Transparent” or “Authentic”
Oh, you’re just honest? Yikes. I’ll pray for you. Probably even lift you up in some fashion. I’m not only honest; I’m transparent, like an empty Ziploc bag. I’m authentic, like hipster jeans handmade in the U.S. of A. Honest is old news.
“Love on”
This one makes me want to “puke on.” Why we felt the need to add the word “on” to a perfectly good verb will forever confuse me. Love is enough. I dare say, “all we need is love.”
“Love offering,” “praise offering” or “clap offering”
Next time you’re at a restaurant, try to leave the waiter a “clap offering.” Let me know how that works out for you. And yet, we throw this phrase around at church. If I participate in any of these types of offerings, I feel it’s only appropriate I get a free pass on the actual offering later on in the service.
“Wrecked”
We don’t say “I enjoyed that.” We don’t say, “I liked that.” Instead, Christians are constantly getting “wrecked.”
“Blessed with the gift of singleness”
Don’t have a husband or wife? Not in a serious relationship with a Proverbs 31 woman? Not learning and living the love languages? Maybe you were given a special gift to remain alone forever. Maybe that one was dropped off on the doorstep of your heart this year. The next time someone says you got the gift of singleness, give them the gift of a leg sweep. Karate Kid style.
“Transparent” or “Authentic”
Oh, you’re just honest? Yikes. I’ll pray for you. Probably even lift you up in some fashion. I’m not only honest; I’m transparent, like an empty Ziploc bag. I’m authentic, like hipster jeans handmade in the U.S. of A. Honest is old news.
“Love on”
This one makes me want to “puke on.” Why we felt the need to add the word “on” to a perfectly good verb will forever confuse me. Love is enough. I dare say, “all we need is love.”
“Love offering,” “praise offering” or “clap offering”
Next time you’re at a restaurant, try to leave the waiter a “clap offering.” Let me know how that works out for you. And yet, we throw this phrase around at church. If I participate in any of these types of offerings, I feel it’s only appropriate I get a free pass on the actual offering later on in the service.
“Wrecked”
We don’t say “I enjoyed that.” We don’t say, “I liked that.” Instead, Christians are constantly getting “wrecked.”
“That sermon wrecked me.”
“That song wrecked me.”
“That dramatic skit to Michael Jackson’s Man in the Mirror wrecked me.”
There’s a whole lot of wrecking going on in Christianity right now.
“The unspoken prayer request”
I won’t lie, in some situations, this can be honest. You have something you don’t want to tell a prayer circle about, so you throw out an “unspoken prayer request.” Maybe it’s a personal issue you are not ready to broadcast. Fair enough, but just know this: When you say this, everyone will assume some very dark things about you.
Putting Satan “on notice”
I’m assuming this is done via telegram or pony express, but the premise is simple. You pray about a cookout you’re having and as a bonus to the prayer, you say, “And Satan, we’re putting you on notice. You stay away from this cookout, devil!” Prior to that notice, I am almost positive he was going to show up and give someone food poisoning via the potato salad. Satan hates being put on notice.
“Bless her heart”
This phrase is mostly in the South, but so am I, so I hear it a lot. This is the phrase Christians use to gossip but still look holy. Here’s an example: “That girl is horrible. Very trampy. Very bad morals. Bless her heart!” I once heard this phrase called “vinegar pie.” It looks like pie on the outside, but inside it’s disgusting. You will often hear this in public prayer circles.
“Just”
This is just the most commonly overused word in public prayer. And I have just ruined you. I apologize. The next time you hear someone pray, it will be impossible to not hear them say, “Lord just hear us, just know us, just, just, just, just, just!” This word is like salt we sprinkle on prayers.
“Doing life together”
Someone pointed out that this phrase sounds like you’re talking about your cellmate, but that’s not what it means. Technically, it means you went to dinner with someone. Or you talked with your neighbor at the mailbox. Or you waved at someone in traffic. This is “fellowshipping” on steroids, which is another word that could have made this list.
All the new names for Sunday School
At some point, we decided the phrase “Sunday school” was too old fashioned. It made people think of fire and brimstone and fundamentalism and the scene in Footloose when they weren’t allowed to dance. So we retired it, and instead, we tell our 4-year-olds that they are now in a “community group.” I don’t know that eating glue and bootleg Oreos and trying not to bite one another really counts as a “community group.”
“First world problems”
Nothing changes someone’s personal beliefs and issues like when you respond to them on Twitter with #FirstWorldProblems. The irony of someone on a Mac laptop in Starbucks taking notes in a Moleskine notebook while wearing an unnecessary scarf judging someone else for having a first world problem makes my teeth hurt.
Using “I’ll pray about it” as a synonym for “no”
If someone asks you to pick up bulletins at the end of church, you probably don’t need to say, “I’ll pray about it.” You can just pick up the bulletins. I’m not sure that’s something you have to approach the throne with.
“In Christian Love”
This is a cousin phrase of “Bless her heart.” This is the phrase you drop in right before you verbally punch someone in the face. Allow me to demonstrate: “Jon, I hope you can hear this in Christian love, because that’s how I mean it. Your books are horrible. They are really poorly written and I hope no one buys them. In Christian love.”
“Baby Christian”
This is one we use to encourage young Christians not to become Christians. Instead of saying “new Christian” we say “baby” so your position is clearly noted. It means you’re probably not as smart, holy or wise as me. I’m not a baby Christian. I’m an adult Christian. I’m loving on people, which you probably wouldn’t even understand.
“Going through a season”
Fall, winter, spring and summer aren’t enough seasons for Christians. We demand more seasons out of our lives. We are constantly creating our own extra seasons to go through. Got a flat tire on the way to work? That’s a season. Got dumped after one awkward date at Olive Garden? That’s a season. Depressed because you blew through a whole season of TV on Netflix in one night? That’s a season. It’s all seasons, man.
“I love Jesus but not religion”
That’s a real shame because you know who was really religious? A guy named Jesus. You should see all the old-school laws he followed in his time here. I completely understand the need to separate yourself from some of the negativity associated with Christianity, but wordplay rarely changes someone’s life. I’ve never met a single person who said, “I started a lifelong relationship with Christ after your dissertation on why you love Jesus but not Christianity or religion. That had a huge impact in opening my eyes to my need for the forgiving blood of Christ.” (The one exception to this rule is the guy who did the spoken word video on this very topic. He’s a great guy and made a great video.)
Echoing things
You know who repeats things or seconds them? Sinners. Not us Christians. We echo. We have become one big echo chamber. We echo prayers. We echo hopes. We echo thoughts. We echo. Like a cave. Like a cave. Like a cave.
“That song wrecked me.”
“That dramatic skit to Michael Jackson’s Man in the Mirror wrecked me.”
There’s a whole lot of wrecking going on in Christianity right now.
“The unspoken prayer request”
I won’t lie, in some situations, this can be honest. You have something you don’t want to tell a prayer circle about, so you throw out an “unspoken prayer request.” Maybe it’s a personal issue you are not ready to broadcast. Fair enough, but just know this: When you say this, everyone will assume some very dark things about you.
Putting Satan “on notice”
I’m assuming this is done via telegram or pony express, but the premise is simple. You pray about a cookout you’re having and as a bonus to the prayer, you say, “And Satan, we’re putting you on notice. You stay away from this cookout, devil!” Prior to that notice, I am almost positive he was going to show up and give someone food poisoning via the potato salad. Satan hates being put on notice.
“Bless her heart”
This phrase is mostly in the South, but so am I, so I hear it a lot. This is the phrase Christians use to gossip but still look holy. Here’s an example: “That girl is horrible. Very trampy. Very bad morals. Bless her heart!” I once heard this phrase called “vinegar pie.” It looks like pie on the outside, but inside it’s disgusting. You will often hear this in public prayer circles.
“Just”
This is just the most commonly overused word in public prayer. And I have just ruined you. I apologize. The next time you hear someone pray, it will be impossible to not hear them say, “Lord just hear us, just know us, just, just, just, just, just!” This word is like salt we sprinkle on prayers.
“Doing life together”
Someone pointed out that this phrase sounds like you’re talking about your cellmate, but that’s not what it means. Technically, it means you went to dinner with someone. Or you talked with your neighbor at the mailbox. Or you waved at someone in traffic. This is “fellowshipping” on steroids, which is another word that could have made this list.
All the new names for Sunday School
At some point, we decided the phrase “Sunday school” was too old fashioned. It made people think of fire and brimstone and fundamentalism and the scene in Footloose when they weren’t allowed to dance. So we retired it, and instead, we tell our 4-year-olds that they are now in a “community group.” I don’t know that eating glue and bootleg Oreos and trying not to bite one another really counts as a “community group.”
“First world problems”
Nothing changes someone’s personal beliefs and issues like when you respond to them on Twitter with #FirstWorldProblems. The irony of someone on a Mac laptop in Starbucks taking notes in a Moleskine notebook while wearing an unnecessary scarf judging someone else for having a first world problem makes my teeth hurt.
Using “I’ll pray about it” as a synonym for “no”
If someone asks you to pick up bulletins at the end of church, you probably don’t need to say, “I’ll pray about it.” You can just pick up the bulletins. I’m not sure that’s something you have to approach the throne with.
“In Christian Love”
This is a cousin phrase of “Bless her heart.” This is the phrase you drop in right before you verbally punch someone in the face. Allow me to demonstrate: “Jon, I hope you can hear this in Christian love, because that’s how I mean it. Your books are horrible. They are really poorly written and I hope no one buys them. In Christian love.”
“Baby Christian”
This is one we use to encourage young Christians not to become Christians. Instead of saying “new Christian” we say “baby” so your position is clearly noted. It means you’re probably not as smart, holy or wise as me. I’m not a baby Christian. I’m an adult Christian. I’m loving on people, which you probably wouldn’t even understand.
“Going through a season”
Fall, winter, spring and summer aren’t enough seasons for Christians. We demand more seasons out of our lives. We are constantly creating our own extra seasons to go through. Got a flat tire on the way to work? That’s a season. Got dumped after one awkward date at Olive Garden? That’s a season. Depressed because you blew through a whole season of TV on Netflix in one night? That’s a season. It’s all seasons, man.
“I love Jesus but not religion”
That’s a real shame because you know who was really religious? A guy named Jesus. You should see all the old-school laws he followed in his time here. I completely understand the need to separate yourself from some of the negativity associated with Christianity, but wordplay rarely changes someone’s life. I’ve never met a single person who said, “I started a lifelong relationship with Christ after your dissertation on why you love Jesus but not Christianity or religion. That had a huge impact in opening my eyes to my need for the forgiving blood of Christ.” (The one exception to this rule is the guy who did the spoken word video on this very topic. He’s a great guy and made a great video.)
Echoing things
You know who repeats things or seconds them? Sinners. Not us Christians. We echo. We have become one big echo chamber. We echo prayers. We echo hopes. We echo thoughts. We echo. Like a cave. Like a cave. Like a cave.
With a list this long, you’ll probably disagree with a few of my choices. Or you’ll feel that I left some out. I’ll pray a hedge of protection around you because I’m pretty sure you’re on a slippery slope. I might go as far as loving on you through this season. Just sayin’.
Published in Relevant Magazine
Monday, November 18, 2013
Mimicking the Mainstream
by Tim Willard
“The scandal of the evangelical mind is that there is not much of an evangelical mind,” historian Mark Noll keenly observed of the current state of evangelicalism (The Scandal of the Evangelical Mind). However, it was not always this way. Evangelicalism has become a juggernaut of sorts in the present age, but possibly at the expense of its mind. The sub-culture that is evangelicalism has successfully morphed into a dominant political combatant, as well as a multi-billion dollar publishing (multimedia) empire. One must ask the questions, however: have Christians sacrificed scholarship and intellect for relevance? Have Christians truly become anti-intellectual?
If to lead is to influence, what evidence is there that evangelicals lead out in culture with their excellence or with their spiritual acts of worship? Evangelicals put great importance on leading but instead of creating culture they are content to create a sub-culture, mimicking the mainstream.
J. Gresham Machen was a well-known Christian Scholar at Princeton at the turn of the 20th century. His words may be over one hundred years old, but they still ring true: “Christianity must pervade not merely all nations, but also all human thought… instead of obliterating the distinction between the Kingdom and the world, or on the other hand, withdrawing from the world into a sort of modernized intellectual monasticism, let us go forth joyfully, enthusiastically to make the world subject to God” (Christianity & Liberalism).
With mega-churches growing like Jack’s beanstalk, the new American mind-set of evangelism is, “Get’em into the church building, put on a good show, don’t offend them, give them some Starbucks, and BAM! They’ll get saved.” After all, we must be “all things to all men.” But what happens when we become everything to the world? Christians become everything and nothing.
What is the fruit produced from this faux-finished faith known as evangelicalism? We have huge churches catering to the lowest common denominators of culture. We have a lack of theological integrity because we don’t want to offend anyone with our doctrine. We have turned the body of Christ into something that feels and runs more like a corporation than an intimate community where families actually care about each other. We measure success like a business; if our numbers are growing then everything is good.
The only problem with this mindset is that discipleship cannot be measured in this way. Making a disciple of Christ takes time. It is hard. It is not something that takes place at a huge conference or outreach event. It is life on life.
The fruit of discipleship surfaces a few years down the line when those young people in the youth group have graduated and come back to the church not to be entertained but to plug into someone.
The church has forgotten what it means to equip the Christian mind. It is more concerned with putting on productions than putting out disciples. The end result is a bunch of whiney adults who don’t like the way the power-point presentation looked last week, or complain that the coffee bar needs to have more flavors to choose from. We have successfully dumbed down the Word of God. Intimacy with the Almighty is not something we strive for anymore. We scream “Relevance!” and sacrifice the minds Christ has given us.
I work with a group of young adults who are thirsty for an authentic Christian experience. They want to grow in their spiritual lives. They desire what Paul desired more than anything: to know God.
Relevance does not come from looking cool, a great church production, or using hip lingo. It comes from loving others. Wade Clark Roof of the University of California comments on the Gnostic experience and how it “celebrates experience rather than doctrine; the personal rather than the institutional; the mythic and dreamlike over the cognitive; people’s religion over official religion.” Has our faith morphed into something close to Gnosticism? Is it possible to find balance between the doctrine and experience?
The Christian culture tends to swing like the pendulum to one extreme, stay there for a while and then swing back to the other side. Do I believe we need to have experience in our faith journeys? Yes. Do we need to be more people oriented and less self-serving? Absolutely! However, I think the Church takes its cues from culture rather than creating culture. Our faith demands our hearts and our minds.
The Christian landscape heaves with shallow people, content to live out their faith in the plush sanctuaries of the American church. We are training young Christians not to think about God or reflect on His glory. I have been told on more than one occasion to teach or write in a way that does not threaten someone’s mind (bring the cookies down to the bottom shelf). The interesting thing is when I took a survey of high school seniors who sat in our group discussions they loved the fact that I did not teach down to them. They loved being challenged in their minds and hearts. They said they were tired of the hollowness of their faith. We are hollow Christians. The deep well of intimacy with God is missing from our faith.
Brothers and sisters, look around you. The Christian life is deeper than your iPod play list, it is more intense than Gran Turismo, and it is more than somebody’s idea of saving the world. At some point we will realize that our culture is looking for leaders not mimickers. It is time to create culture … heart, soul, and mind.
“The scandal of the evangelical mind is that there is not much of an evangelical mind,” historian Mark Noll keenly observed of the current state of evangelicalism (The Scandal of the Evangelical Mind). However, it was not always this way. Evangelicalism has become a juggernaut of sorts in the present age, but possibly at the expense of its mind. The sub-culture that is evangelicalism has successfully morphed into a dominant political combatant, as well as a multi-billion dollar publishing (multimedia) empire. One must ask the questions, however: have Christians sacrificed scholarship and intellect for relevance? Have Christians truly become anti-intellectual?
If to lead is to influence, what evidence is there that evangelicals lead out in culture with their excellence or with their spiritual acts of worship? Evangelicals put great importance on leading but instead of creating culture they are content to create a sub-culture, mimicking the mainstream.
J. Gresham Machen was a well-known Christian Scholar at Princeton at the turn of the 20th century. His words may be over one hundred years old, but they still ring true: “Christianity must pervade not merely all nations, but also all human thought… instead of obliterating the distinction between the Kingdom and the world, or on the other hand, withdrawing from the world into a sort of modernized intellectual monasticism, let us go forth joyfully, enthusiastically to make the world subject to God” (Christianity & Liberalism).
With mega-churches growing like Jack’s beanstalk, the new American mind-set of evangelism is, “Get’em into the church building, put on a good show, don’t offend them, give them some Starbucks, and BAM! They’ll get saved.” After all, we must be “all things to all men.” But what happens when we become everything to the world? Christians become everything and nothing.
What is the fruit produced from this faux-finished faith known as evangelicalism? We have huge churches catering to the lowest common denominators of culture. We have a lack of theological integrity because we don’t want to offend anyone with our doctrine. We have turned the body of Christ into something that feels and runs more like a corporation than an intimate community where families actually care about each other. We measure success like a business; if our numbers are growing then everything is good.
The only problem with this mindset is that discipleship cannot be measured in this way. Making a disciple of Christ takes time. It is hard. It is not something that takes place at a huge conference or outreach event. It is life on life.
The fruit of discipleship surfaces a few years down the line when those young people in the youth group have graduated and come back to the church not to be entertained but to plug into someone.
The church has forgotten what it means to equip the Christian mind. It is more concerned with putting on productions than putting out disciples. The end result is a bunch of whiney adults who don’t like the way the power-point presentation looked last week, or complain that the coffee bar needs to have more flavors to choose from. We have successfully dumbed down the Word of God. Intimacy with the Almighty is not something we strive for anymore. We scream “Relevance!” and sacrifice the minds Christ has given us.
I work with a group of young adults who are thirsty for an authentic Christian experience. They want to grow in their spiritual lives. They desire what Paul desired more than anything: to know God.
Relevance does not come from looking cool, a great church production, or using hip lingo. It comes from loving others. Wade Clark Roof of the University of California comments on the Gnostic experience and how it “celebrates experience rather than doctrine; the personal rather than the institutional; the mythic and dreamlike over the cognitive; people’s religion over official religion.” Has our faith morphed into something close to Gnosticism? Is it possible to find balance between the doctrine and experience?
The Christian culture tends to swing like the pendulum to one extreme, stay there for a while and then swing back to the other side. Do I believe we need to have experience in our faith journeys? Yes. Do we need to be more people oriented and less self-serving? Absolutely! However, I think the Church takes its cues from culture rather than creating culture. Our faith demands our hearts and our minds.
The Christian landscape heaves with shallow people, content to live out their faith in the plush sanctuaries of the American church. We are training young Christians not to think about God or reflect on His glory. I have been told on more than one occasion to teach or write in a way that does not threaten someone’s mind (bring the cookies down to the bottom shelf). The interesting thing is when I took a survey of high school seniors who sat in our group discussions they loved the fact that I did not teach down to them. They loved being challenged in their minds and hearts. They said they were tired of the hollowness of their faith. We are hollow Christians. The deep well of intimacy with God is missing from our faith.
Brothers and sisters, look around you. The Christian life is deeper than your iPod play list, it is more intense than Gran Turismo, and it is more than somebody’s idea of saving the world. At some point we will realize that our culture is looking for leaders not mimickers. It is time to create culture … heart, soul, and mind.
Thursday, November 14, 2013
Christ @ the Center of Worship: The Difference Between Congregational Worship and a Concert
Is there a difference? Yes. There are several things to consider when it comes to congregational worship. One big thing is that, biblically and historically speaking, worship is centered on Jesus Christ in both form and content. In concerts, this is not the case. Some concerts may have songs that are centered on Christ, but the event itself is centered on the artist. You can buy their music and their T-shirt and listen to them talk and sing about their life with Christ, but the form of the event is not centered on Christ. This is not a bad thing. Concerts exist to help promote artists and music, and these things make a difference for Christ. A problem happens when we borrow the concert mentality and seek to implement it in church worship. Practically speaking, there are several things we can highlight that can help us keep Christ at the center of church worship and not borrow from the methods of concerts.
John Piper points out that when they tried to determine what the worship at the church where he pastors would look like, they concluded, “If Bethlehem is not ‘singing and making melody to the Lord with [our] heart,’ (Ephesians 5:19), it’s all over. We close up shop. This is no small commitment.”
James K. A. Smith made a similar point along with some more helpful insight:
1. If we, the congregation, can’t hear ourselves, it’s not worship. Christian worship is not a concert. In a concert (a particular “form of performance”), we often expect to be overwhelmed by sound, particularly in certain styles of music. In a concert, we come to expect that weird sort of sensory deprivation that happens from sensory overload, when the pounding of the bass on our chest and the wash of music over the crowd leaves us with the rush of a certain aural vertigo. And there’s nothing wrong with concerts! It’s just that Christian worship is not a concert. Christian worship is a collective, communal, congregational practice – and the gathered sound and harmony of a congregation singing as one is integral to the practice of worship. It is a way of “performing” the reality that, in Christ, we are one body. But that requires that we actually be able to hear ourselves, and hear our sisters and brothers singing alongside us. When the amped sound of the praise band overwhelms congregational voices, we can’t hear ourselves sing – so we lose that communal aspect of the congregation and are encouraged to effectively become “private,” passive worshipers.
2. If we, the congregation, can’t sing along, it’s not worship. In other forms of musical performance, musicians and bands will want to improvise and “be creative,” offering new renditions and exhibiting their virtuosity with all sorts of different trills and pauses and improvisations on the received tune. Again, that can be a delightful aspect of a concert, but in Christian worship it just means that we, the congregation, can’t sing along. And so your virtuosity gives rise to our passivity; your creativity simply encourages our silence. And while you may be worshiping with your creativity, the same creativity actually shuts down congregational song.
3. If the praise band, are the center of attention, it’s not worship. I know it’s generally not the fault of the praise band that we’ve put them at the front of the church. And I know worship leaders want to model worship for us to imitate. But because we’ve encouraged our leaders to basically import forms of performance from the concert venue into the sanctuary, we might not realize that we’ve also unwittingly encouraged a sense that worship leaders are the center of attention. And when the band’s performance becomes a display of their virtuosity—even with the best of intentions—it’s difficult to counter the temptation to make the praise band the focus of our attention. When the praise band goes into long riffs that they might intend as “offerings to God,” we the congregation become utterly passive, and because we’ve adopted habits of relating to music from the Grammys and the concert venue, we unwittingly make the band the center of attention. I wonder if there might be some intentional reflection on placement (to the side? leading from behind?) and performance that might help us counter these habits we bring with us to worship.
Refusing to look at our praise and worship leaders as celebrities or gifted high priests can put us on the right path for approaching church worship. Keeping the body of Christ singing in the context of the story of the gospel is also key to keeping Christ @ the center of worship.
John Piper points out that when they tried to determine what the worship at the church where he pastors would look like, they concluded, “If Bethlehem is not ‘singing and making melody to the Lord with [our] heart,’ (Ephesians 5:19), it’s all over. We close up shop. This is no small commitment.”
James K. A. Smith made a similar point along with some more helpful insight:
1. If we, the congregation, can’t hear ourselves, it’s not worship. Christian worship is not a concert. In a concert (a particular “form of performance”), we often expect to be overwhelmed by sound, particularly in certain styles of music. In a concert, we come to expect that weird sort of sensory deprivation that happens from sensory overload, when the pounding of the bass on our chest and the wash of music over the crowd leaves us with the rush of a certain aural vertigo. And there’s nothing wrong with concerts! It’s just that Christian worship is not a concert. Christian worship is a collective, communal, congregational practice – and the gathered sound and harmony of a congregation singing as one is integral to the practice of worship. It is a way of “performing” the reality that, in Christ, we are one body. But that requires that we actually be able to hear ourselves, and hear our sisters and brothers singing alongside us. When the amped sound of the praise band overwhelms congregational voices, we can’t hear ourselves sing – so we lose that communal aspect of the congregation and are encouraged to effectively become “private,” passive worshipers.
2. If we, the congregation, can’t sing along, it’s not worship. In other forms of musical performance, musicians and bands will want to improvise and “be creative,” offering new renditions and exhibiting their virtuosity with all sorts of different trills and pauses and improvisations on the received tune. Again, that can be a delightful aspect of a concert, but in Christian worship it just means that we, the congregation, can’t sing along. And so your virtuosity gives rise to our passivity; your creativity simply encourages our silence. And while you may be worshiping with your creativity, the same creativity actually shuts down congregational song.
3. If the praise band, are the center of attention, it’s not worship. I know it’s generally not the fault of the praise band that we’ve put them at the front of the church. And I know worship leaders want to model worship for us to imitate. But because we’ve encouraged our leaders to basically import forms of performance from the concert venue into the sanctuary, we might not realize that we’ve also unwittingly encouraged a sense that worship leaders are the center of attention. And when the band’s performance becomes a display of their virtuosity—even with the best of intentions—it’s difficult to counter the temptation to make the praise band the focus of our attention. When the praise band goes into long riffs that they might intend as “offerings to God,” we the congregation become utterly passive, and because we’ve adopted habits of relating to music from the Grammys and the concert venue, we unwittingly make the band the center of attention. I wonder if there might be some intentional reflection on placement (to the side? leading from behind?) and performance that might help us counter these habits we bring with us to worship.
Refusing to look at our praise and worship leaders as celebrities or gifted high priests can put us on the right path for approaching church worship. Keeping the body of Christ singing in the context of the story of the gospel is also key to keeping Christ @ the center of worship.
Tuesday, November 12, 2013
This Month's Focus
Fall has arrived and cooler weather is here. As the weather changes, we are reminded that Christ does not. He is the only constant solid ground that we can count on. This month at WBC, we want to once again highlight how we can center ourselves on Christ instead of the ever-changing culture around us. As we seek to center ourselves on Christ, we do not want to become a subculture that has pushed away from the world so far that we live in a bubble. The goal is to create a Christ-centered culture for us and the world around us. This month, you will read some thoughts on how we can better create Christ-centered culture. As the book of Colossians says, Christ is to become first place in everything, and this includes our culture. It is up to us, the body of Christ, to allow Christ to dwell in us through the power of the Holy Spirit to impact our lives and the world around us.
"Jesus Christ is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation, for all things in heaven and on earth were created in him—all things, whether visible or invisible, whether thrones or dominions, whether principalities or powers—all things were created through him and for him. He himself is before all things and all things are held together in him. He is the head of the body, the church, as well as the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he himself may become first in all things.
For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in the Son and through him to reconcile all things to himself by making peace through the blood of his cross—through him, whether things on earth or things in heaven.
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and exhorting one another with all wisdom, singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, all with grace in your hearts to God. And whatever you do in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him."
"Jesus Christ is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation, for all things in heaven and on earth were created in him—all things, whether visible or invisible, whether thrones or dominions, whether principalities or powers—all things were created through him and for him. He himself is before all things and all things are held together in him. He is the head of the body, the church, as well as the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he himself may become first in all things.
For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in the Son and through him to reconcile all things to himself by making peace through the blood of his cross—through him, whether things on earth or things in heaven.
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and exhorting one another with all wisdom, singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, all with grace in your hearts to God. And whatever you do in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him."
- Colossians 1:15-20 and 3:16-17
Thursday, November 7, 2013
Ministry Partner of the Month: The Newports
Prayer Requests:
1. Our transition and adjustment to Greece amidst the extremes of the Greek world right now.
2. New good friends for Abigail and Rebekah here in Athens.Huge request!!
3. Provision for the needs of our college students in the states (Kaziah and Jonah) + Josiah now married & working.
4. Syrian refugee population rising rapidly here. Government officials are expecting close to a million possible soon ... Hellenic Ministry is expending their work to the Syrians but the needs are massive.
5. Brad will join the work among the Syrians next week (as many know French too). Pray for the refugees’ time in the Bible Studies and hearing the Word proclaimed.
6. Friday night the 20th we are hosting another Syrian night with a big meal and activities at our refugee center in order to bless them and proclaim the gospel as they find themselves in a very difficult place.
7. Pray as Jamie, Abby & Beka volunteer at the women and children’s refugee center each Friday working directly with the women & many children!
8. Jamie will also run the homeschooling for Abby & Beka during the week.
9. Pray for Isaiah as he works very hard to complete his senior year in the French national school here in Athens.
10. Pray for all the Afgani, Iranian, Iraqi, Algerian, Syrian men, women & children here. Pray that their hearts would be receptive to Word of God. That the Spirit would lead them to faith. That they would then be scattered to all Europe to build the kingdom & make disciples.
11. We too are here illegally but under advisement from both missions to do so (long story - such is the case for all new missionaries here in Greece). Pray that we can maneuver rightly through the Greek world as daily there is often a requirement to visit the police station or government office etc.
12. Tuition for Isaiah’s next two semesters. Ask for provision (1660 Euros each).
13. Hellenic Ministries recently brought on a believing Syrian/Greek couple who have the hearts of disciple-makers to help connect us all to the Syrian world growing rapidly here. They need additional support - pray for this to come quickly (Brad will be working directly with this couple in their work among the S. refugees).
14. Our monthly support. We are at 88% of our budget pledged. Ask for both individuals and churches to become new partners.
15. We have several other needs beyond our budget we are trusting the Lord for. Thank you for praying for us! We need to find cheap, beat-up used car, find funding to pay for the girls to learn Greek, Isaiah’s next 2 tuition bills etc ...
Monday, November 4, 2013
Honduras: Short Term Mission Trip Update by Bruce Zimmerman
I had the privilege of going on a mission trip to Honduras this last summer. It was the second time I have been to Honduras on a missions trip to spread the gospel. While some of the 16 on the mission team were on their first mission trip ever, it was great to have along veteran mission trippers, like Eddie and Rebecca Martinez who were on their 9th trip to Honduras. Members of this team represented 6 different churches from Ennis, Gordon, Waxahachie, and Lubbock.
The flight to San Pedro Sula, Honduras takes just a few hours. Once arriving in Honduras we rented 4-wheel drive pick-up trucks and headed down the Honduran highway southward for another 3.5 hours to the city of Gracias where we found our hotel for the week of ministry. The hotel would serve as our base for the week. The hotel is a compound of cottages surrounding a beautiful courtyard of tropical flowers and plants. Each of the cottages has its own porch with a hammock swing. We were served delicious breakfasts and dinners every day at the hotel.
The mission trip combined both evangelism and construction work as we worked under the direction of the local missionary, Shannon. Each morning we would take a 1.5 hour ride up mountainous roads to get to a small city — San Isidro and work alongside pastor Manuel in reaching his mountain city for Christ. The construction project consisted of putting a skin of concrete on the inside of the church building to help it last longer. The church building is made out of mud bricks, and a skin of concrete on the outside and inside of the building not only makes it look better, but makes the building last longer.
While some of the North American team worked on pastor Manuel’s church building, others would go out visiting door-to-door sharing the gospel message of Jesus with others. The people of San Isidro are coffee farmers who live off of the land and what they can grow for themselves. They raise chickens, grow bananas, squash, beans, corn and coffee. They were supposed to be in the “rainy season” of this rain forest habitat, but they had not had any rain for two months. They live in mud brick homes with dirt floors, without any running water or electricity. We went each day in the mornings and afternoons learning about their lives, sharing our testimonies of what God had done in our lives through the gospel and praying for their needs. Though the Hondurans have very little in possessions, they are rich in hospitality. Not a single time did someone turn us away from their doors, but instead would welcome us into their homes, and we would begin conversations with them through translators. At each home we would invite the Lenca Indians to come to an evening worship service at pastor Manuel’s church.
Most nights the building was packed to standing room only. Two of the nights, all of the North Americans had to leave the church building to make room for Hondurans who were anxious to come and worship God and hear from the North Americans who had come to their village. Eddie and Rebecca led the worship time each night with the guitar. The believers are enthusiastic in their worship of the Lord.
Most nights the preaching was done by Bert Sigala, a nephew of the Martinez’s who pastors a Hispanic congregation in Ennis. He connected beautifully with the people as he preached from Hosea and the gospels. It was obvious to see their interest in the things he was preaching about from the Word. Each night many decisions were made and people were coming forward for prayer. Many are sick and without medical care. We prayed for many who were sick.
Each night the service had a time for people to share testimonies of the Lord’s working in their lives. The testimony time gave opportunities for our team members to tell their story of conversion and God’s help in them through difficult times. The Hondurans would also share testimonies of salvation and of healing. Many had testimonies of God’s gracious healing upon them.
One woman brought her baby boy up after the Wednesday evening service, asking people to pray for the baby. The baby had been sick for two weeks with high fever from pneumonia. Team members gathered around the baby and mother and asked for a miraculous healing. The very next night the mother came to the service to give praise to the Lord. The baby, who had been very “hot” the night before and lethargic, was raised up in her arms smiling at the congregation. The mother praised God for healing her baby of the high fever the night before.
One of the things that stood out to me was their grateful hearts. When they prayed, I could not understand them, but one thing I could hear over and over from their mouths was, “Gracias Padre!” (Thank you Father!) They had so little of the possessions and amenities of life, yet they were filled with gratitude in their worship of the Lord.
On Saturday there was some time for shopping in the local markets and then back up the mountain to another house church in which to minister. I was privileged to preach that night through a translator as people packed out the room once again and filled it to overflowing!
Thanks for your prayers for this trip. We sensed God at work throughout the week. Plans are to return next year to another village and spread the good news of the gospel with Hondurans again. Would you like to go on next year’s trip? We would like to take at least 10 people from WBC for the trip. Contact Eddie Martinez (edmart458@yahoo.com) for more information and to stay informed of the necessary steps to make the trip. We had teenagers singles, married couples, and families on this trip.
The flight to San Pedro Sula, Honduras takes just a few hours. Once arriving in Honduras we rented 4-wheel drive pick-up trucks and headed down the Honduran highway southward for another 3.5 hours to the city of Gracias where we found our hotel for the week of ministry. The hotel would serve as our base for the week. The hotel is a compound of cottages surrounding a beautiful courtyard of tropical flowers and plants. Each of the cottages has its own porch with a hammock swing. We were served delicious breakfasts and dinners every day at the hotel.
The mission trip combined both evangelism and construction work as we worked under the direction of the local missionary, Shannon. Each morning we would take a 1.5 hour ride up mountainous roads to get to a small city — San Isidro and work alongside pastor Manuel in reaching his mountain city for Christ. The construction project consisted of putting a skin of concrete on the inside of the church building to help it last longer. The church building is made out of mud bricks, and a skin of concrete on the outside and inside of the building not only makes it look better, but makes the building last longer.
While some of the North American team worked on pastor Manuel’s church building, others would go out visiting door-to-door sharing the gospel message of Jesus with others. The people of San Isidro are coffee farmers who live off of the land and what they can grow for themselves. They raise chickens, grow bananas, squash, beans, corn and coffee. They were supposed to be in the “rainy season” of this rain forest habitat, but they had not had any rain for two months. They live in mud brick homes with dirt floors, without any running water or electricity. We went each day in the mornings and afternoons learning about their lives, sharing our testimonies of what God had done in our lives through the gospel and praying for their needs. Though the Hondurans have very little in possessions, they are rich in hospitality. Not a single time did someone turn us away from their doors, but instead would welcome us into their homes, and we would begin conversations with them through translators. At each home we would invite the Lenca Indians to come to an evening worship service at pastor Manuel’s church.
Most nights the building was packed to standing room only. Two of the nights, all of the North Americans had to leave the church building to make room for Hondurans who were anxious to come and worship God and hear from the North Americans who had come to their village. Eddie and Rebecca led the worship time each night with the guitar. The believers are enthusiastic in their worship of the Lord.
Most nights the preaching was done by Bert Sigala, a nephew of the Martinez’s who pastors a Hispanic congregation in Ennis. He connected beautifully with the people as he preached from Hosea and the gospels. It was obvious to see their interest in the things he was preaching about from the Word. Each night many decisions were made and people were coming forward for prayer. Many are sick and without medical care. We prayed for many who were sick.
Each night the service had a time for people to share testimonies of the Lord’s working in their lives. The testimony time gave opportunities for our team members to tell their story of conversion and God’s help in them through difficult times. The Hondurans would also share testimonies of salvation and of healing. Many had testimonies of God’s gracious healing upon them.
One woman brought her baby boy up after the Wednesday evening service, asking people to pray for the baby. The baby had been sick for two weeks with high fever from pneumonia. Team members gathered around the baby and mother and asked for a miraculous healing. The very next night the mother came to the service to give praise to the Lord. The baby, who had been very “hot” the night before and lethargic, was raised up in her arms smiling at the congregation. The mother praised God for healing her baby of the high fever the night before.
One of the things that stood out to me was their grateful hearts. When they prayed, I could not understand them, but one thing I could hear over and over from their mouths was, “Gracias Padre!” (Thank you Father!) They had so little of the possessions and amenities of life, yet they were filled with gratitude in their worship of the Lord.
On Saturday there was some time for shopping in the local markets and then back up the mountain to another house church in which to minister. I was privileged to preach that night through a translator as people packed out the room once again and filled it to overflowing!
Thanks for your prayers for this trip. We sensed God at work throughout the week. Plans are to return next year to another village and spread the good news of the gospel with Hondurans again. Would you like to go on next year’s trip? We would like to take at least 10 people from WBC for the trip. Contact Eddie Martinez (edmart458@yahoo.com) for more information and to stay informed of the necessary steps to make the trip. We had teenagers singles, married couples, and families on this trip.
Shades of Gray
How much is too much when it comes to consuming culture?
by Brett McCracken
Published in Relevant Magazine
Two Christians walk into a bar. One of them passes out tracts with hopes of saving some heathens from hell-bound paths to certain ruin. The other sits at the bar and orders a beer, with hopes of drinking the night—and a week full of sorrows—away. The former believes “secular” culture (bars, movies, basically anything that can’t be purchased at Hobby Lobby) is evil and to be avoided. The latter doesn’t believe in the “sacred/secular” distinction at all, seeing everything in culture as fair game for the Christian (as much as it is for anyone else).
When it comes to how we engage and consume culture, Christians far too often have defaulted to one of these two extreme approaches. You’re likely familiar with both of them.
The Legalists are the Christians who see culture mostly in terms of liability: how it can damage us, taint our witness, lead us down a slippery slope. This mentality leads to the boycotting of Spongebob Squarepants, the picketing of Martin Scorsese films, the ritual burning of Led Zeppelin records at youth camp (the horror!). It’s the approach that claims Harry Potter is Wiccan propaganda, Million Dollar Baby is a defense of euthanasia and P.O.D.’s version of “Bullet the Blue Sky” is OK for Christian radio but U2’s version is not. It’s a philosophy of strict separation, wherein “Christian” labeled alternatives (Amish romance novels) are harmless but everything else (non-Amish romance novels) is worldly and dangerous.
The Libertines are the Christians who were either raised by Legalists or used to be one, and thus are now pushing as far away from that attitude as they can, often in as conspicuous a manner as possible. They are the Christians who intentionally subvert “evangelical morals” by holding Bible studies in brewery taprooms or dropping the F-word frequently on their Christian college campus. They smoke (cloves, hookah, pipes, cigars, Parliaments, even pot), drink (usually craft beer), and celebrate the TV-MA shock value of shows like Girls and Game of Thrones. Theirs is a philosophy of no separation. They have purged their vocabulary of words like “worldliness,” “holiness” or “secular,” opting to approach the realm of culture with an arms-wide-open acceptance of anything and everything that brings pleasure or entertainment.
Among the many things the divergent paths of the Legalists and Libertines demonstrate is this unfortunate fact: Christians have a hard time with nuance. Gray areas are not our strong suit. This is unfortunate because while there are some clear-cut do’s and don’ts in Scripture, there are many areas where it’s just not very black and white.
Culture, and what we partake or abstain from within culture, is one such gray area. There aren’t easy answers in the Bible about whether this or that HBO show is OK to watch or whether it’s appropriate for Christians to enjoy the music of Tyler, the Creator. Scripture contains no comprehensive list of acceptable films, books or websites. Contrary to what some Christians maintain, the Bible neither endorses nor forbids many things that we wish it were more clear about.
But the ambiguity of a “Christian” approach to culture should not lead us to throw up our hands and default to the easier, black-and-white positions described above. Rather, it should beckon us to go deeper, to ask questions, to truly wrestle with what it means to be a Christian consumer of culture.
Five Questions for the Discerning Consumer
For Christians interested in consuming culture in the thoughtful, edifying and ultimately God-glorifying middle ground between extreme legalism and extreme libertinism, the following questions may help. Before you buy a new album, movie ticket, magazine or any other of the thousands of cultural items we regularly consume, consider asking yourself these questions:
1. Does it point me toward God? Every moment of our lives should be an opportunity to worship God. In whatever we eat, drink, watch, play or listen to, we should strive to do it to the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31). It doesn’t have to be “churchy” to be worship and it doesn’t have to be a praise song to be God-honoring, but given all the things we could spend our time enjoying or consuming, why not choose that which points us toward God? Often, this simply requires a shift in our thinking—to start approaching cultural consumption actively rather than passively, seeking out the goodness and truth within it rather than taking it at face value. When we start looking at culture in a deeper way, the bounds of what can facilitate our worship are greatly expanded.
2. Would Jesus consume it? OK, I know the WWJD thing is overplayed, but if, as Christians, we are called to follow after Christ and “be imitators” (Ephesians 5:1) of Him, then it’s an appropriate question to ask. And it’s not just about whether we can envision Jesus putting on headphones and enjoying the music of Radiohead (though I think He might), as much as whether we would feel ashamed if Jesus took a gander at our iTunes libraries. After all, our ears, eyes and bodies are not our own. They were bought at a price. They belong to Jesus. We are called to be “living sacrifices, holy and acceptable to God,” not conformed to this world but transformed by the renewing of our minds (Romans 12:1–2). Would Jesus recognize that transformation in the media we choose to consume?
3. What would my community say? Discernment in our cultural habits should include a consideration of those around us. We don’t want to offend them with things we are free to consume, but which might befrustrating stumbling blocks to them. Also, it’s just a wise thing to consider the counsel of others rather than relying solely on one’s own judgment. As Proverbs 18:2 says, “Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions.” We shouldn’t isolate ourselves and privilege our own opinions about things. If others around us have thoughts about why something is or is not appropriate, maybe we should listen.
4. Is it good quality? If we’re going to be spending money, time and energy listening to music, watching a movie or consuming some other item in culture, why not focus on the highest quality we can find? Sure, there’s a time and a place for “escapist” fare, but a diet of 100 percent Katy Perry and Jerry Bruckheimer does not do a body good. A key aspect of a healthy Christian consumption is the ability to recognize and then support the most excellent and creative content we can find, however subjective such determinations might be. Discernment is not just about avoiding too many F-words or overly nihilistic themes. It’s also about avoiding the trite, cheap and clichéd and instead seeking out the best.
5. Is it edifying? This sounds like something Focus on the Family might ask. But it’s a solid question. Paul tells Christians to rid themselves of “anger, rage, malice, slander and filthy language from your lips” (Colossians 3:8), which isn’t to say we should avoid any media that depicts such things, just that we should beware of such influences tarnishing our character and eroding our witness as God’s chosen people. We are to set our hearts and minds “on things above, not on earthly things” (Colossians 3:1–2), and to dwell on whatever is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent or praiseworthy (Philippians 4:8). If we can’t find any of those redeemable attributes in the culture we are consuming, we should question whether it’s worthwhile.
You Are What You Consume
Ultimately, the question of what you consume in culture, and how you go about it, says a lot about what you value and the type of person you want to be. Do you want to be the person who is always pushing the boundaries, consuming culture recklessly and rebelliously without ever engaging it on a deep level? Do you want to be the person who legalistically avoids all culture out of fear or apathy, refusing to dig into the trenches of discernment and, as a result, misses out on the goodness, truth and beauty that can be found? Or, do you want to be someone who is caught up in the desire to be more Christ-like, to know Him more, to testify to His glory through the manner in which you engage the culture in His world?
As a people charged with the task of being salt and light (Matthew 5:13–16), a “royal priesthood” called out of darkness and into light (1 Peter 2:9), Christians must consider how our consumer choices contribute or detract from this vocation. What is communicated about our identity and values via our consumer behavior? If a Christian is seen at church one minute and seen throwing money away at a casino or guzzling cheap beer at a kegger the next, what does that communicate?
On the other hand, if we consume culture in a thoughtful, healthy manner, we both reflect the grandeur of God’s creation back to Him in worship and to the world around us as witness.
The manner in which Christians engage culture is too important to get wrong. It’s lamentable that throughout so much of Christian history, we haveapproached it so simplistically, and often in reaction to whatever end of the spectrum the previous generation favored.
When God created culture, He said it was “very good.” Yet the fall of man complicated things, making culture a realm that is as full of the bad, false and ugly as it is of the good, true and beautiful. Still, there are vestiges of “very good” everywhere, and it behooves Christians to work to discern, discover and champion it whenever they can.
I once heard the Eastern Orthodox bishop Kallistos Ware define the Christian as “the one who, wherever he looks, sees Christ everywhere.” I don’t think he meant the Christian sees Jesus’ face on tortillas. Rather, I think the bishop was getting at the same thing C.S. Lewis was expressing when he famously said “I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen, not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else.” It’s what Abraham Kuyper was getting at when he said “there is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is Sovereign over all, does not cry: ‘Mine!’” It’s the idea that Christ illuminates and animates all things; that our enjoyment of culture is both justified and amplified by His Incarnation.
It’s the reason there is so much at stake in this question of how we consume culture. It’s a way for us to seek and honor our Creator, even while we enjoy His creation. It’s a statement to the world that yes, Christians care about culture. We care about it so much, in fact, that we’re not going to just consume it recklessly or indiscriminately, or to prove a point.Rather, we will consume culture carefully, thoughtfully, joyfully and worshipfully. Which is to say: Christianly.
by Brett McCracken
Published in Relevant Magazine
Two Christians walk into a bar. One of them passes out tracts with hopes of saving some heathens from hell-bound paths to certain ruin. The other sits at the bar and orders a beer, with hopes of drinking the night—and a week full of sorrows—away. The former believes “secular” culture (bars, movies, basically anything that can’t be purchased at Hobby Lobby) is evil and to be avoided. The latter doesn’t believe in the “sacred/secular” distinction at all, seeing everything in culture as fair game for the Christian (as much as it is for anyone else).
When it comes to how we engage and consume culture, Christians far too often have defaulted to one of these two extreme approaches. You’re likely familiar with both of them.
The Legalists are the Christians who see culture mostly in terms of liability: how it can damage us, taint our witness, lead us down a slippery slope. This mentality leads to the boycotting of Spongebob Squarepants, the picketing of Martin Scorsese films, the ritual burning of Led Zeppelin records at youth camp (the horror!). It’s the approach that claims Harry Potter is Wiccan propaganda, Million Dollar Baby is a defense of euthanasia and P.O.D.’s version of “Bullet the Blue Sky” is OK for Christian radio but U2’s version is not. It’s a philosophy of strict separation, wherein “Christian” labeled alternatives (Amish romance novels) are harmless but everything else (non-Amish romance novels) is worldly and dangerous.
The Libertines are the Christians who were either raised by Legalists or used to be one, and thus are now pushing as far away from that attitude as they can, often in as conspicuous a manner as possible. They are the Christians who intentionally subvert “evangelical morals” by holding Bible studies in brewery taprooms or dropping the F-word frequently on their Christian college campus. They smoke (cloves, hookah, pipes, cigars, Parliaments, even pot), drink (usually craft beer), and celebrate the TV-MA shock value of shows like Girls and Game of Thrones. Theirs is a philosophy of no separation. They have purged their vocabulary of words like “worldliness,” “holiness” or “secular,” opting to approach the realm of culture with an arms-wide-open acceptance of anything and everything that brings pleasure or entertainment.
Among the many things the divergent paths of the Legalists and Libertines demonstrate is this unfortunate fact: Christians have a hard time with nuance. Gray areas are not our strong suit. This is unfortunate because while there are some clear-cut do’s and don’ts in Scripture, there are many areas where it’s just not very black and white.
Culture, and what we partake or abstain from within culture, is one such gray area. There aren’t easy answers in the Bible about whether this or that HBO show is OK to watch or whether it’s appropriate for Christians to enjoy the music of Tyler, the Creator. Scripture contains no comprehensive list of acceptable films, books or websites. Contrary to what some Christians maintain, the Bible neither endorses nor forbids many things that we wish it were more clear about.
But the ambiguity of a “Christian” approach to culture should not lead us to throw up our hands and default to the easier, black-and-white positions described above. Rather, it should beckon us to go deeper, to ask questions, to truly wrestle with what it means to be a Christian consumer of culture.
Five Questions for the Discerning Consumer
For Christians interested in consuming culture in the thoughtful, edifying and ultimately God-glorifying middle ground between extreme legalism and extreme libertinism, the following questions may help. Before you buy a new album, movie ticket, magazine or any other of the thousands of cultural items we regularly consume, consider asking yourself these questions:
1. Does it point me toward God? Every moment of our lives should be an opportunity to worship God. In whatever we eat, drink, watch, play or listen to, we should strive to do it to the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31). It doesn’t have to be “churchy” to be worship and it doesn’t have to be a praise song to be God-honoring, but given all the things we could spend our time enjoying or consuming, why not choose that which points us toward God? Often, this simply requires a shift in our thinking—to start approaching cultural consumption actively rather than passively, seeking out the goodness and truth within it rather than taking it at face value. When we start looking at culture in a deeper way, the bounds of what can facilitate our worship are greatly expanded.
2. Would Jesus consume it? OK, I know the WWJD thing is overplayed, but if, as Christians, we are called to follow after Christ and “be imitators” (Ephesians 5:1) of Him, then it’s an appropriate question to ask. And it’s not just about whether we can envision Jesus putting on headphones and enjoying the music of Radiohead (though I think He might), as much as whether we would feel ashamed if Jesus took a gander at our iTunes libraries. After all, our ears, eyes and bodies are not our own. They were bought at a price. They belong to Jesus. We are called to be “living sacrifices, holy and acceptable to God,” not conformed to this world but transformed by the renewing of our minds (Romans 12:1–2). Would Jesus recognize that transformation in the media we choose to consume?
3. What would my community say? Discernment in our cultural habits should include a consideration of those around us. We don’t want to offend them with things we are free to consume, but which might befrustrating stumbling blocks to them. Also, it’s just a wise thing to consider the counsel of others rather than relying solely on one’s own judgment. As Proverbs 18:2 says, “Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions.” We shouldn’t isolate ourselves and privilege our own opinions about things. If others around us have thoughts about why something is or is not appropriate, maybe we should listen.
4. Is it good quality? If we’re going to be spending money, time and energy listening to music, watching a movie or consuming some other item in culture, why not focus on the highest quality we can find? Sure, there’s a time and a place for “escapist” fare, but a diet of 100 percent Katy Perry and Jerry Bruckheimer does not do a body good. A key aspect of a healthy Christian consumption is the ability to recognize and then support the most excellent and creative content we can find, however subjective such determinations might be. Discernment is not just about avoiding too many F-words or overly nihilistic themes. It’s also about avoiding the trite, cheap and clichéd and instead seeking out the best.
5. Is it edifying? This sounds like something Focus on the Family might ask. But it’s a solid question. Paul tells Christians to rid themselves of “anger, rage, malice, slander and filthy language from your lips” (Colossians 3:8), which isn’t to say we should avoid any media that depicts such things, just that we should beware of such influences tarnishing our character and eroding our witness as God’s chosen people. We are to set our hearts and minds “on things above, not on earthly things” (Colossians 3:1–2), and to dwell on whatever is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent or praiseworthy (Philippians 4:8). If we can’t find any of those redeemable attributes in the culture we are consuming, we should question whether it’s worthwhile.
You Are What You Consume
Ultimately, the question of what you consume in culture, and how you go about it, says a lot about what you value and the type of person you want to be. Do you want to be the person who is always pushing the boundaries, consuming culture recklessly and rebelliously without ever engaging it on a deep level? Do you want to be the person who legalistically avoids all culture out of fear or apathy, refusing to dig into the trenches of discernment and, as a result, misses out on the goodness, truth and beauty that can be found? Or, do you want to be someone who is caught up in the desire to be more Christ-like, to know Him more, to testify to His glory through the manner in which you engage the culture in His world?
As a people charged with the task of being salt and light (Matthew 5:13–16), a “royal priesthood” called out of darkness and into light (1 Peter 2:9), Christians must consider how our consumer choices contribute or detract from this vocation. What is communicated about our identity and values via our consumer behavior? If a Christian is seen at church one minute and seen throwing money away at a casino or guzzling cheap beer at a kegger the next, what does that communicate?
On the other hand, if we consume culture in a thoughtful, healthy manner, we both reflect the grandeur of God’s creation back to Him in worship and to the world around us as witness.
The manner in which Christians engage culture is too important to get wrong. It’s lamentable that throughout so much of Christian history, we haveapproached it so simplistically, and often in reaction to whatever end of the spectrum the previous generation favored.
When God created culture, He said it was “very good.” Yet the fall of man complicated things, making culture a realm that is as full of the bad, false and ugly as it is of the good, true and beautiful. Still, there are vestiges of “very good” everywhere, and it behooves Christians to work to discern, discover and champion it whenever they can.
I once heard the Eastern Orthodox bishop Kallistos Ware define the Christian as “the one who, wherever he looks, sees Christ everywhere.” I don’t think he meant the Christian sees Jesus’ face on tortillas. Rather, I think the bishop was getting at the same thing C.S. Lewis was expressing when he famously said “I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen, not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else.” It’s what Abraham Kuyper was getting at when he said “there is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is Sovereign over all, does not cry: ‘Mine!’” It’s the idea that Christ illuminates and animates all things; that our enjoyment of culture is both justified and amplified by His Incarnation.
It’s the reason there is so much at stake in this question of how we consume culture. It’s a way for us to seek and honor our Creator, even while we enjoy His creation. It’s a statement to the world that yes, Christians care about culture. We care about it so much, in fact, that we’re not going to just consume it recklessly or indiscriminately, or to prove a point.Rather, we will consume culture carefully, thoughtfully, joyfully and worshipfully. Which is to say: Christianly.
Monday, October 14, 2013
Christ at the Center of Worship
The Church at Clarendon is a 104-year-old Baptist congregation in the Washington, D.C. area. In 1959, the congregation had a membership of 1,660; in 2002 its membership stood at 477, and it had no pastoral staff. The next year, the church added a contemporary worship service.
Last Sunday, they tried something even newer: this service was led by a “disc jockey.” DJ Hans Solo is an active leader in Andy Stanley’s Northpoint Church and a musician and producer in the Atlanta area. He led what Clarendon called “Church Remixed,” as his technology replaced the church’s usual eight-piece band and singers. The one-time event made the Washington Post.
Reaction was mixed. According to the Post, many of the church’s members are under 30 and “seemed excited by seeing something new.” A 23-year-old who teaches preschool at the church said, “It was much more upbeat,” and called the service “awesome.” An 81-year-old member said she’s not comfortable with clapping after songs, since it felt too much like a performance. But she did tell the reporter, “I like the music more than I did last year.”
Richard Niebuhr’s classic Christ and Culture describes five ways Christians relate to society:
• “Christ against culture” (no engagement with each other)
• “Christ of culture” (the church adopts what the culture embraces)
• “Christ above culture” (following Jesus on Sunday and cultural norms on Monday)
• “Christ and culture in paradox” (using culture to advance the church)
• “Christ transforming culture” (leading culture to adopt holistic biblical values)
Reaction was mixed. According to the Post, many of the church’s members are under 30 and “seemed excited by seeing something new.” A 23-year-old who teaches preschool at the church said, “It was much more upbeat,” and called the service “awesome.” An 81-year-old member said she’s not comfortable with clapping after songs, since it felt too much like a performance. But she did tell the reporter, “I like the music more than I did last year.”
Richard Niebuhr’s classic Christ and Culture describes five ways Christians relate to society:
• “Christ against culture” (no engagement with each other)
• “Christ of culture” (the church adopts what the culture embraces)
• “Christ above culture” (following Jesus on Sunday and cultural norms on Monday)
• “Christ and culture in paradox” (using culture to advance the church)
• “Christ transforming culture” (leading culture to adopt holistic biblical values)
The last is consistent with Jesus’ assertion that Christians are the “salt of the earth” and the “light of the world” (Matthew 5:13-16) — both seek to change what they contact. So we must engage the culture to transform the culture. But how much is too much?
Did the Church at Clarendon remove distractions to worship or create them? Does contemporary music and technology enable people to encounter God, or does it draw them from Him? Can traditional worship with its choirs, solos and instrumental music elevate performance over personal worship as well?
Here at WBC, the style of the music is less important that whether or not the order of worship is centered on Jesus Christ. The style of the music is secondary. First of all, the order of worship should be centered on the gospel story of Jesus. This means that we actually go through the story of the gospel in the order in which we worship. Music styles are then funneled through this order of worship. We choose the styles of music that will be the most edifying for our current congregation. We also consider those who we may want to reach out to in our worship music but sense the primary goal of worship is edification and not evangelism (1 Corinthians 14); this is a much lower priority. In all the creative approaches to worship and the heated debates of worship styles, one very important thing to remember is to keep Christ at the center.
Did the Church at Clarendon remove distractions to worship or create them? Does contemporary music and technology enable people to encounter God, or does it draw them from Him? Can traditional worship with its choirs, solos and instrumental music elevate performance over personal worship as well?
Here at WBC, the style of the music is less important that whether or not the order of worship is centered on Jesus Christ. The style of the music is secondary. First of all, the order of worship should be centered on the gospel story of Jesus. This means that we actually go through the story of the gospel in the order in which we worship. Music styles are then funneled through this order of worship. We choose the styles of music that will be the most edifying for our current congregation. We also consider those who we may want to reach out to in our worship music but sense the primary goal of worship is edification and not evangelism (1 Corinthians 14); this is a much lower priority. In all the creative approaches to worship and the heated debates of worship styles, one very important thing to remember is to keep Christ at the center.
Sunday, October 6, 2013
This Month's Focus
School is back in session, and your fall schedule is probably going strong. As you go from place to place this fall, we thought it would be a good idea to provide you with some wisdom for creating a Christ-centered culture for your life. We hope you live each day of your life with Christ at the center of your day and the activities you do. We also hope that you seek to carry Christ’s love in the life you live so that others may join you in living with Christ.
You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. - Matthew 5:13-14
You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. - Matthew 5:13-14
Wednesday, October 2, 2013
Ministry Partner of the Month: Kate Van Wynan
1. Pray for Jordan Roberts and Kate as they prepare for their upcoming wedding. Pray for God’s wisdom and the Holy Spirit’s inspiration in planning a wedding that honors Christ, shows and speaks the Gospel.
2. Pray for a good transition into our marriage, a strong beginning, firmly founded in the Word, setting good patterns for our life together.
3. Pray for safe travels after the wedding for a honeymoon out West and visit to Kate’s family.
4. Pray for the right place to live in the Philadelphia area, as we move to be close to Westminster Theological Seminary (WTS), where Jordan will begin full-time studies in January. We hope to move right into a place in that region after we are married.
5. Pray for the right jobs - full-time for Kate, part-time for Jordan in the Philadelphia area. We need work that ‘pays the bills,’ but Kate would love work that she loves, as well!
6. Pray for God’s guidance regarding church life, friendships, family relationships, work schedules, how often to travel back and forth to the Bronx (a 2-hour drive)... how we should ‘set up’ our life together at this time.
7. Pray for faith that God will provide, and joy in our salvation and our Savior. Pray for hearts submitted to God’s will and God’s way.
8. Pray for Kate’s New York City employers, for whom she has done childcare work for several years now – that they would meet other Christians and that God would call them to Himself.
9. Pray for the ESL classes that will continue in The Bronx, and for the several women who are new members of our church who will be taking Kate’s place! Pray for them as they enter a new realm of ministry. Pray for Kate as she ‘passes the baton.’
10. Pray for our ESL students - pray for more to come, if God wills, and pray for those who continue with us and see our class as a second family. Pray for God’s work in every heart.
11. Pray for the Dhaurali family, the Nepali family with whom Kate has been close in the Bronx. Pray for their salvation, and ongoing contact.
12. Pray for studies and scholarships: Pray for Jordan as he begins studies toward an M.Div. degree at Westminster Theological Seminary. Pray for perseverance, dedication, joy, God’s Spirit to empower and encourage him.
13. Pray for wisdom for Kate as she hopes to take a class or two in Biblical Counseling through WTS.
14. Pray for the Bronx Household of Faith (www.bhof.org), our church, for inspections and certificates in order to be able to move into our new church building and pray for God’s timing in this as we also are part of the legal battle to keep churches able to rent space in public schools on weekends. Pray for victory in that case!
15. Pray for Hope Academy of the Bronx (www.bhof.org/hopeacademy), the small, innovative school for struggling students that our church desires to start in our new building. Pray for the right teachers and for funds from consistent, caring donors.
16. Pray for God’s vision to be our vision, for our lives and for our church family.
Tuesday, September 24, 2013
Worship at WBC: Where We Are Going
Where are we going? For some us when we read these words we may get nervous and think that there is a big change coming on the horizon of worship at WBC. That is not the case. The things in these last few posts have been a part of the foundation of our worship for more than a decade, and there is no plan to change things. The one thing that we do hope to do differently is teach more about why we worship the way we do. We are coming to you in love to help shepherd you in the area of worship.
Our last post concluded by looking at how we seek to center the order of our worship services around the gospel story of Jesus Christ. We turn now to look at why we seek to order our services this way.
Why do we follow the story of the gospel in our order? The simple answer is that’s how we are best edified and formed in Christ. To help explain this we need to look at a brief description of how the human mind and body work.
As we said in the introductory post, God created us to worship and everyone worships something even if they do not worship God. They may worship their self, someone, or something. But the reality is that we were all created to worship. At WBC we seek to lead you to worship Jesus Christ. We hope that everyone reading this has seen their need for a savior and are following Christ by faith and seeking to trust in Him alone to save us from our imperfect condition.
Since we were created to worship, we are primarily people of desire and imagination, not just creatures of intellectual thought. Certainly thought and intellect are a huge part of who we are, but at the heart of us is a desire to be loved and to love. The way we work out these desires is in our imagination not just in facts or information. Our imagination allows us to put facts and information into action. This is how we process content.
It is very important that we get our content right by having it be biblical and centered on Christ. But it is just as important that we relate to our biblical content in ways that are solidly centered on Christ. For example, studies have shown that people who have suffered an injury and experienced brain damage have often lost the ability to form their imagination. It has been proven that they understand all the facts and information of things, but because the part of their brain that allows them to imagine (how they would put facts into motion) has been damaged, they have lost their ability to control their motor skills and in most cases cannot walk or talk.
The part of the brain that is often damaged in these case studies is key to us in this discussion on worship. This part of the brain is called the corpus callosum. It is a bundle of fibers that runs along the center of the brain, connecting its right and left hemispheres. Most of us probably know that the left side of the brain likes order and words and deals in logic. The right side is non-verbal and sends our body signals to make expressions and emotional feelings. The corpus callosum is the part of the brain that makes the left and right hemispheres communicate with each other and work in integrated harmony. For us as followers of Christ, this is the part of the brain that will allow us to put the information of our beliefs into practice. The corpus callosum works best through imagination, and as Christians we don’t just need to know information we need to have our imagination formed so that we can do more than just believe facts. Forming our imagination includes forming our perception, motor skills, intellect, passions, affections, and our desires. If we can form our imagination with the gospel, our body can then walk in Christ-centered attitudes, habits, and actions that exhibit the fruits of the Holy Spirit. (Peace, love, joy, kindness, patience, self control and long-suffering).
Our last post concluded by looking at how we seek to center the order of our worship services around the gospel story of Jesus Christ. We turn now to look at why we seek to order our services this way.
Why do we follow the story of the gospel in our order? The simple answer is that’s how we are best edified and formed in Christ. To help explain this we need to look at a brief description of how the human mind and body work.
As we said in the introductory post, God created us to worship and everyone worships something even if they do not worship God. They may worship their self, someone, or something. But the reality is that we were all created to worship. At WBC we seek to lead you to worship Jesus Christ. We hope that everyone reading this has seen their need for a savior and are following Christ by faith and seeking to trust in Him alone to save us from our imperfect condition.
Since we were created to worship, we are primarily people of desire and imagination, not just creatures of intellectual thought. Certainly thought and intellect are a huge part of who we are, but at the heart of us is a desire to be loved and to love. The way we work out these desires is in our imagination not just in facts or information. Our imagination allows us to put facts and information into action. This is how we process content.
It is very important that we get our content right by having it be biblical and centered on Christ. But it is just as important that we relate to our biblical content in ways that are solidly centered on Christ. For example, studies have shown that people who have suffered an injury and experienced brain damage have often lost the ability to form their imagination. It has been proven that they understand all the facts and information of things, but because the part of their brain that allows them to imagine (how they would put facts into motion) has been damaged, they have lost their ability to control their motor skills and in most cases cannot walk or talk.
The part of the brain that is often damaged in these case studies is key to us in this discussion on worship. This part of the brain is called the corpus callosum. It is a bundle of fibers that runs along the center of the brain, connecting its right and left hemispheres. Most of us probably know that the left side of the brain likes order and words and deals in logic. The right side is non-verbal and sends our body signals to make expressions and emotional feelings. The corpus callosum is the part of the brain that makes the left and right hemispheres communicate with each other and work in integrated harmony. For us as followers of Christ, this is the part of the brain that will allow us to put the information of our beliefs into practice. The corpus callosum works best through imagination, and as Christians we don’t just need to know information we need to have our imagination formed so that we can do more than just believe facts. Forming our imagination includes forming our perception, motor skills, intellect, passions, affections, and our desires. If we can form our imagination with the gospel, our body can then walk in Christ-centered attitudes, habits, and actions that exhibit the fruits of the Holy Spirit. (Peace, love, joy, kindness, patience, self control and long-suffering).
This may be a new idea in the church, but it is a reality that the world understands better than we do.
For example, marketing strategies of the world seek to target our imagination, not just give us information. They understand that we primarily desire to be loved and to love others, so they tell us a story about what they want us to love or what makes us feel loved. They may put up a picture of a new piece of clothing that looks good to the eyes so we imagine ourself in it, and we feel better about who we are, or we imagine that if we have it, someone else will love us more. This kind of marketing prevails almost endlessly in every industry, and the content is not really the issue. The things they are selling might be biblically good or worldly bad, but for the sake of this discussion, the point is that marketing targets our imagination, and it works. Social media is also a big player in this discussion. Many of us religiously interact with our smart phones and tablets and, whether we think about it or not, this is forming our imagination. This media tells us stories that we pursue or reject. Again, it’s not that the media is bad, but the fact that formation is happening. For example, if you follow some of your friends on Facebook while they are on vacation, you imagine yourself there with them on vacation. We do this without even thinking about it. Because of the creativity of Facebook, you are placed into their story, and as you follow them your desires are being formed by your imagination. This is true whether you want to admit it or not. It’s likely that you could then find yourself actually planning and going on a vacation. There are many other illustrations that can be used here, but we need to move on.
This idea of forming our imagination is also a biblical one. The bible is constantly talking about loving God with our heart. There is an exhaustive list of passages that we do not have space to list here, but it is a very common idea in the scriptures for us to have the “desires of our heart” or the “meditations of our heart” centered on God. In the culture of biblical times the word “heart” had a different meaning than it does for us in our time. When we think of the word “heart,” we most likely think about the organ in our body that pumps our blood. In the bible, the word “heart” means, “the hidden center of one’s being,” the place that we fix our eyes on. The things we pursue. In our time, this “hidden center of our being” is called as our imagination.
How do you form the human imagination? As you can probably see from some of the illustrations above, the best way to form our imagination is to use story.
What does all of this have to do with worship?
The world is full of stories and media forms that seek to tell you what is true and good to pursue as a vision of the good life. Several years ago, MTV started reality TV, and now most networks have embraced this and seek to give a story that forms you of what they want to call the “real world.” But there is only one real story for this world to follow and that is the gospel story of Jesus Christ. The church needs to embrace the story of Jesus in worship so that we are all edified away from the wrong stories and formed by the one true story of the gospel. This is not to say that the gospel is the only good story, but it is certainly the foundational story that serves as a compass to gage all other stories.
We not only need to be restor(y)ed so that our imagination is centered on Christ, we also need to repeat the story of the gospel from week to week.
Studies have shown that children often need stories to be repeated in order to help them form their mind in integrated ways. If a child is throwing a tantrum in reaction to a upsetting event, they are showing that there is confusion in the balance of their corpus callosum. The most effective proven way to deal with this is to retell the story of the upsetting event over and over again until the story forms their imagination in way that allows them to process their body into the right behavior. Certainly this is good information for parents, but this is also key for all of us who are children of God. We all have struggles in our life of faith with Christ. Even as adults we are faced with upsetting events and a constant thrust of the wrong stories that need a consistent washing of the imagination with the story of the gospel.
All of these ideas are not just scientific or conspiracy theory. This idea of retelling the gospel story in worship is also a biblical one. Allof the passages in the bible that talk about the worship in the temple show us that they were centered on telling the story of the gospel of Jesus. For example, in 1 Kings chapter 8 we see that the sacrifices of the temple were focused on the worshipper coming to worship and seeking atonement for their sins that was represented by the blood of bulls and goats. This blood was a foreshadowing of the blood of Christ. Once the sin offering was made, there was an offering of praise (or ascension) as well as a peace offering. The praise offering assured the worshipper of the grace of the gospel, and the peace offering involved a meal that celebrated the gospel of Christ which is a foreshadowing of the Lord’s Supper. There is not space here to develop this further, but these sacrifices were all a picture of the gospel that were repeated every time worship happened in the temple. Other passages to consider here are Leviticus 7:16-21, 9, Nehemiah 8, Isaiah 6, Deuteronomy 5, 2 Chronicles 5-7, Joshua 24, Romans 11-15, 1 Corinthians 11-15, and Revelation 4-21.
What does all of this have to do with where we are going in worship?
We hope to create a culture in our congregation that considers, understands, and embraces the ideas that have been unpacked in this post and in the last few posts as a whole. We hope to be people who are worshipping God in ways that are centered on the traditions of Christ and not the traditions of man, as well as people who understand that forming our imagination with the gospel of Christ is key to our spiritual formation and how we become mature disciples.
Consider these words from James Smith, a Christian professor:
“We have wrongly assumed that Christianity is primarily a ‘message' and is only defined by content. Along with this comes the assumption that forms are basically neutral containers for the message, selected on the basis of taste, preference, or cultural relevance. When this happens we begin to approach Christian worship as an event for disseminating the message and look for forms that are fresh and relevant. For example, we might distill the ‘message’ in a ‘mall container,’ a ‘coffee shop container,’ or a ‘rock concert container.’ Such strategies are inherently ‘intellectualist,’ because they reduce the gospel to a propositional ‘message’ and they miss the formative power of the forms themselves. The forms of the mall or coffee shop are not just benign containers that carry any content. These forms are already ‘aimed and loaded’ with complex rituals and practices that carry a vision of the good life. So we might think that we are making Jesus relevant, in fact we are unwittingly teaching worshippers and seekers to treat Jesus like any other commodity they encounter in the mall, because the formation of the mall unconsciously trains us to relate to the world as consumers. Unfortunately, because the church remains fixated on content and ‘messages,’ it fails to see what’s really at stake: our imaginations. The world understands this and the power of story to form our imaginations. Why should the devil get all the best stories?”
For example, marketing strategies of the world seek to target our imagination, not just give us information. They understand that we primarily desire to be loved and to love others, so they tell us a story about what they want us to love or what makes us feel loved. They may put up a picture of a new piece of clothing that looks good to the eyes so we imagine ourself in it, and we feel better about who we are, or we imagine that if we have it, someone else will love us more. This kind of marketing prevails almost endlessly in every industry, and the content is not really the issue. The things they are selling might be biblically good or worldly bad, but for the sake of this discussion, the point is that marketing targets our imagination, and it works. Social media is also a big player in this discussion. Many of us religiously interact with our smart phones and tablets and, whether we think about it or not, this is forming our imagination. This media tells us stories that we pursue or reject. Again, it’s not that the media is bad, but the fact that formation is happening. For example, if you follow some of your friends on Facebook while they are on vacation, you imagine yourself there with them on vacation. We do this without even thinking about it. Because of the creativity of Facebook, you are placed into their story, and as you follow them your desires are being formed by your imagination. This is true whether you want to admit it or not. It’s likely that you could then find yourself actually planning and going on a vacation. There are many other illustrations that can be used here, but we need to move on.
This idea of forming our imagination is also a biblical one. The bible is constantly talking about loving God with our heart. There is an exhaustive list of passages that we do not have space to list here, but it is a very common idea in the scriptures for us to have the “desires of our heart” or the “meditations of our heart” centered on God. In the culture of biblical times the word “heart” had a different meaning than it does for us in our time. When we think of the word “heart,” we most likely think about the organ in our body that pumps our blood. In the bible, the word “heart” means, “the hidden center of one’s being,” the place that we fix our eyes on. The things we pursue. In our time, this “hidden center of our being” is called as our imagination.
How do you form the human imagination? As you can probably see from some of the illustrations above, the best way to form our imagination is to use story.
What does all of this have to do with worship?
The world is full of stories and media forms that seek to tell you what is true and good to pursue as a vision of the good life. Several years ago, MTV started reality TV, and now most networks have embraced this and seek to give a story that forms you of what they want to call the “real world.” But there is only one real story for this world to follow and that is the gospel story of Jesus Christ. The church needs to embrace the story of Jesus in worship so that we are all edified away from the wrong stories and formed by the one true story of the gospel. This is not to say that the gospel is the only good story, but it is certainly the foundational story that serves as a compass to gage all other stories.
We not only need to be restor(y)ed so that our imagination is centered on Christ, we also need to repeat the story of the gospel from week to week.
Studies have shown that children often need stories to be repeated in order to help them form their mind in integrated ways. If a child is throwing a tantrum in reaction to a upsetting event, they are showing that there is confusion in the balance of their corpus callosum. The most effective proven way to deal with this is to retell the story of the upsetting event over and over again until the story forms their imagination in way that allows them to process their body into the right behavior. Certainly this is good information for parents, but this is also key for all of us who are children of God. We all have struggles in our life of faith with Christ. Even as adults we are faced with upsetting events and a constant thrust of the wrong stories that need a consistent washing of the imagination with the story of the gospel.
All of these ideas are not just scientific or conspiracy theory. This idea of retelling the gospel story in worship is also a biblical one. Allof the passages in the bible that talk about the worship in the temple show us that they were centered on telling the story of the gospel of Jesus. For example, in 1 Kings chapter 8 we see that the sacrifices of the temple were focused on the worshipper coming to worship and seeking atonement for their sins that was represented by the blood of bulls and goats. This blood was a foreshadowing of the blood of Christ. Once the sin offering was made, there was an offering of praise (or ascension) as well as a peace offering. The praise offering assured the worshipper of the grace of the gospel, and the peace offering involved a meal that celebrated the gospel of Christ which is a foreshadowing of the Lord’s Supper. There is not space here to develop this further, but these sacrifices were all a picture of the gospel that were repeated every time worship happened in the temple. Other passages to consider here are Leviticus 7:16-21, 9, Nehemiah 8, Isaiah 6, Deuteronomy 5, 2 Chronicles 5-7, Joshua 24, Romans 11-15, 1 Corinthians 11-15, and Revelation 4-21.
What does all of this have to do with where we are going in worship?
We hope to create a culture in our congregation that considers, understands, and embraces the ideas that have been unpacked in this post and in the last few posts as a whole. We hope to be people who are worshipping God in ways that are centered on the traditions of Christ and not the traditions of man, as well as people who understand that forming our imagination with the gospel of Christ is key to our spiritual formation and how we become mature disciples.
Consider these words from James Smith, a Christian professor:
“We have wrongly assumed that Christianity is primarily a ‘message' and is only defined by content. Along with this comes the assumption that forms are basically neutral containers for the message, selected on the basis of taste, preference, or cultural relevance. When this happens we begin to approach Christian worship as an event for disseminating the message and look for forms that are fresh and relevant. For example, we might distill the ‘message’ in a ‘mall container,’ a ‘coffee shop container,’ or a ‘rock concert container.’ Such strategies are inherently ‘intellectualist,’ because they reduce the gospel to a propositional ‘message’ and they miss the formative power of the forms themselves. The forms of the mall or coffee shop are not just benign containers that carry any content. These forms are already ‘aimed and loaded’ with complex rituals and practices that carry a vision of the good life. So we might think that we are making Jesus relevant, in fact we are unwittingly teaching worshippers and seekers to treat Jesus like any other commodity they encounter in the mall, because the formation of the mall unconsciously trains us to relate to the world as consumers. Unfortunately, because the church remains fixated on content and ‘messages,’ it fails to see what’s really at stake: our imaginations. The world understands this and the power of story to form our imaginations. Why should the devil get all the best stories?”
In response to this very interesting quote, consider Luke 19:45-46 where Jesus responds to the people of His day who brought the shopping mall into the temple instead of focusing it on a prayerful telling of His gospel story.
“When Jesus entered the temple courts, he began to drive out those who were selling. ‘It is written,’ he said to them, ‘My house will be a house of prayer’; but you have made it ‘a den of robbers.’”
Hopefully, we can all begin to see the importance of focusing on forming our imagination in worship and the role that story plays in this. We do not want to become people who only relate to God with a bunch of separated facts of information and beliefs that are not put into practice. If we do not use the story of the gospel as the over-arcing way that we worship, then this is exactly the kind of people or order of worship that will form, simply because that is what we are telling people to imagine even if we don’t consciously think about it or say it with our words. We need to recognize this and begin to approach worship with more than discussion about contemporary or traditional preference debates. Such strategies are shaping us into the wrong people. We have to do better than this. Our hearts and the hearts of our children are at stake.
As we think about creating a culture in this church that thinks about worship in this way, we want to include some of the training material that we give our worship team members that highlights the culture we are trying to create in the WBC Worship Arts Ministry team so that these things can spill over into the congregation.
Vision for Our Team: We, as the people of God, gather to tell, receive, and join in the story of the Triune God.
Distinctive: We hope to tell the story of God in rich beauty to inspire the Christian imagination. We develop a collaborative community of humble artists putting the story before the artist. We invite the people to be priests in the story.
Strategy: We seek to develop artists and craftsman to tell the story of God with beauty and imagination. We develop teams of servants, not superstars. Production supports the story; it does not drive it.
Values: We value excellence and not perfection. We value feedback. We are lifelong learners.
In conclusion, we need your help in the area of worship. Please give us feedback so that we can all learn together. One of the ways we would like for you to communicate with us is by participating in a survey on worship. Click here to give us your thoughts. Also, please contact our worship arts pastor Jay Trull at 972.937.9590 or jay.trull@waxahachiebible.org for more information or discussion about worship at WBC.
“When Jesus entered the temple courts, he began to drive out those who were selling. ‘It is written,’ he said to them, ‘My house will be a house of prayer’; but you have made it ‘a den of robbers.’”
Hopefully, we can all begin to see the importance of focusing on forming our imagination in worship and the role that story plays in this. We do not want to become people who only relate to God with a bunch of separated facts of information and beliefs that are not put into practice. If we do not use the story of the gospel as the over-arcing way that we worship, then this is exactly the kind of people or order of worship that will form, simply because that is what we are telling people to imagine even if we don’t consciously think about it or say it with our words. We need to recognize this and begin to approach worship with more than discussion about contemporary or traditional preference debates. Such strategies are shaping us into the wrong people. We have to do better than this. Our hearts and the hearts of our children are at stake.
As we think about creating a culture in this church that thinks about worship in this way, we want to include some of the training material that we give our worship team members that highlights the culture we are trying to create in the WBC Worship Arts Ministry team so that these things can spill over into the congregation.
Vision for Our Team: We, as the people of God, gather to tell, receive, and join in the story of the Triune God.
Distinctive: We hope to tell the story of God in rich beauty to inspire the Christian imagination. We develop a collaborative community of humble artists putting the story before the artist. We invite the people to be priests in the story.
Strategy: We seek to develop artists and craftsman to tell the story of God with beauty and imagination. We develop teams of servants, not superstars. Production supports the story; it does not drive it.
Values: We value excellence and not perfection. We value feedback. We are lifelong learners.
In conclusion, we need your help in the area of worship. Please give us feedback so that we can all learn together. One of the ways we would like for you to communicate with us is by participating in a survey on worship. Click here to give us your thoughts. Also, please contact our worship arts pastor Jay Trull at 972.937.9590 or jay.trull@waxahachiebible.org for more information or discussion about worship at WBC.
Thursday, September 19, 2013
Worship at WBC: Who We Are
So where does this leave us? After tracing how we got to our modern worship tradition in the previous post, entitled “How We Got Here,” we turn now to revisit some of the strengths and weaknesses of the historical approaches to worship. See the chart below for an overview of the strengths and weaknesses of these worship traditions.
Here at WBC we seek to worship in a way that minimizes the weaknesses and maximizes the strengths found on this chart. There is not space here to talk through all of the strengths and weaknesses in detail so we will limit the rest of this article to highlight some of the strengths that we seek to maximize. We believe that doing this will more fully center our worship on the Bible and the person of Jesus Christ.
First of all, probably the most important strength that is listed on this chart is the fact that most of these traditions see worship as being very important to our spiritual formation. The Bible confirms this idea in 1 Corinthians 14:26 that states, “Let all these things be done for the strengthening (edification) of the church.” Paul is addressing a church that had some wrong worship practices. Much attention has been given to the particular errors they were making, like speaking in tongues, but that is not really the focus of the passage. All churches are in danger of having wrong worship practices. The specific errors that we or any church could make will most likely differ from those found in this passage since we are in a different church context with different traditions, but the main timeless truth that Paul points out here is that in your freedom of worshipping God, don’t forget that everything is done for formation. Not expression or evangelism, but edification in Christ and His story of salvation. So, one of the main things that we pursue here at WBC is to promote the primary purpose for worship to be edification in Christ.
Second, you may have noticed from the chart that each of the traditions highlight one area of the human body in the way they worship. Catholic worship promoted physical worship, Reformed worship promoted intellectual worship, Free Church and Revivalism worship highlighted emotional worship. All of these ideas are also biblical.
Deuteronomy 6:5 says, “You must love the Lord your God with your whole mind (Reformers), your whole heart, your whole soul, (Free Church and Revivalists) and all your strength (Catholics).” While each of the historical traditions fulfill one part of this passage, it is our hope to have more of a balance of the way we worship that leads us to love God with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength. This means that, at times, we may use elements of worship that come from all of these traditions of worship instead of just focusing on one of them.
Third, another strength from the chart is worshipping collectively. This means that we are to place an importance on worshipping together with one another. This is found in the scriptures multiple times. Psalm 145 and other Psalms talk about “praising God from one generation to another.” Biblical worship is multigenerational. Here at WBC, we also seek to worship God as a multigenerational family. We do not seek to only target the emerging generation through a niche marketing approach that tends to exclude other age groups. Some have suggested that we need to decide what kind of church we are going to be by picking one group of people and their music preferences to focus on in expense of the other group. It is our belief that we have decided to be a church that focuses on people of all ages coming together to worship God as a family by letting go of our particular preferences of music and worship styles.
In addition to worshipping as a family, we also seek to acknowledge one another in worship. The Bible does not promote for us to get alone with God in worship as a way to reach His throne. Colossians 3:16 tells us that our worship should be about, “teaching and exhorting one another with all wisdom, singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, all with grace in your hearts to God.” Don’t miss the call here to sing to one another and to God with a variety of music.
Fourth, another strength from the chart is a view of art as truth. This truth has been weakened in the church in the last 100 years, but is making a comeback in many churches today. The Bible promotes several styles of music and art forms in worship.(Colossians 3:12-16, Ephesians 5:18-21, Exodus 31, Psalm 20:5, 2 Chronicles 3-5) We seek to use all the arts in worship of God at WBC. This includes music, visual arts, video, drama, and even dance on some occasions.
Fifth, another strength is to empower people to participate and diminish the role of a priest in worship. Hebrews chapters 4-10 develop this idea. Beginning in verse eleven of chapter nine it says, “Christ has come as the high priest of the good things to come. He passed through the greater and more perfect tent not made with hands, that is, not of this creation,” and verse 15 says, “And so he is the mediator of a new covenant,” and finally verses 24 -26 say, “For Christ did not enter a sanctuary made with hands—the representation of the true sanctuary—but into heaven itself, and he appears now in God’s presence for us. And he did not enter to offer himself again and again, the way the high priest enters the sanctuary year after year with blood that is not his own, for then he would have had to suffer again and again since the foundation of the world. But now he has appeared once for all at the consummation of the ages to put away sin by his sacrifice.”
As this passage says, we believe that Jesus Christ is the one and only true worship leader. He is the one who intercedes and leads us. There is no need for a priest or a highly gifted worship person to led us to the throne of God. Jesus Christ has given us access to the throne as our high priest. In light of this truth, we see our singers and musicians as servants in the Body of Christ, who are not so much seeking to spontaneously convey ways of worship between God and the congregation, but they are primarily charged with the important role of pointing our congregation to Jesus Christ in ways that call for all of us to participate and engage in every aspect of the service. There is not a spiritual gift of worship leading found in the Bible. Worship should always be seen as “the work of the people”, and not something to sit back and listen to, or something only a few gifted people can accomplish. One of the ways that we seek to accomplish this is to have the Body of Christ (Team of volunteers) lead the music portion of our services.
Finally, the last strength that we would like to highlight here is a passion to keep the gospel message clear and visible in our worship services. The most recent historical traditions of worship, (Free Church & Revivalism) have made the mistake of limiting the proclamation of the gospel to only the spoken word part of the services and see the rest of the service to be preliminary to that gospel presentation or teaching time. Unfortunately, this has weakened the gospel to a intellectual hearing instead of the deep and rich saturation of having the gospel consume every aspect of the service. This is talked about in the book of Colossians. Verse 16 of chapter 3 tells us to, “let the word of Christ dwell richly in your teaching and singing of psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs.” As this passage says, we believe worship should be centered on the redemptive story and person of Jesus Christ. We seek to unveil and reflect the gospel message both in the content and in the order in which we worship during each of our services. No matter what order of worship a church has, it forms worshippers in both the content and order of its worship.
Here at WBC, we seek to form and edify our church family with the story of the gospel as we come together to practice the rhythms of adoration, confession, assurance, thanksgiving, petition, instruction, charge, and blessing. Some people have rightly been cautious about these rhythms of worship sense they look “liturgical” in the negative sense of the word. While not every church thinks of itself as “liturgical” or self-consciously puts together an order of worship, every church worships in a particular way. In this sense liturgy, like tradition, is inescapable; it’s not whether a church will have a liturgy but how the liturgy it does have will honor God and bless the worshippers. In light of this we do not want to be “liturgical” in the negative sense of the word. We do not want to dig up old ways of worship to get stuck in and just go through the motions, but we do want to hold fast to the gospel of Jesus Christ in our order of worship so that we are more fully formed worshippers of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
You can find more info about the order of our worship by watching a sermon by WBC Worship Arts Pastor Jay Trull at waxahachiebible.org.
Here at WBC we seek to worship in a way that minimizes the weaknesses and maximizes the strengths found on this chart. There is not space here to talk through all of the strengths and weaknesses in detail so we will limit the rest of this article to highlight some of the strengths that we seek to maximize. We believe that doing this will more fully center our worship on the Bible and the person of Jesus Christ.
First of all, probably the most important strength that is listed on this chart is the fact that most of these traditions see worship as being very important to our spiritual formation. The Bible confirms this idea in 1 Corinthians 14:26 that states, “Let all these things be done for the strengthening (edification) of the church.” Paul is addressing a church that had some wrong worship practices. Much attention has been given to the particular errors they were making, like speaking in tongues, but that is not really the focus of the passage. All churches are in danger of having wrong worship practices. The specific errors that we or any church could make will most likely differ from those found in this passage since we are in a different church context with different traditions, but the main timeless truth that Paul points out here is that in your freedom of worshipping God, don’t forget that everything is done for formation. Not expression or evangelism, but edification in Christ and His story of salvation. So, one of the main things that we pursue here at WBC is to promote the primary purpose for worship to be edification in Christ.
Second, you may have noticed from the chart that each of the traditions highlight one area of the human body in the way they worship. Catholic worship promoted physical worship, Reformed worship promoted intellectual worship, Free Church and Revivalism worship highlighted emotional worship. All of these ideas are also biblical.
Deuteronomy 6:5 says, “You must love the Lord your God with your whole mind (Reformers), your whole heart, your whole soul, (Free Church and Revivalists) and all your strength (Catholics).” While each of the historical traditions fulfill one part of this passage, it is our hope to have more of a balance of the way we worship that leads us to love God with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength. This means that, at times, we may use elements of worship that come from all of these traditions of worship instead of just focusing on one of them.
Third, another strength from the chart is worshipping collectively. This means that we are to place an importance on worshipping together with one another. This is found in the scriptures multiple times. Psalm 145 and other Psalms talk about “praising God from one generation to another.” Biblical worship is multigenerational. Here at WBC, we also seek to worship God as a multigenerational family. We do not seek to only target the emerging generation through a niche marketing approach that tends to exclude other age groups. Some have suggested that we need to decide what kind of church we are going to be by picking one group of people and their music preferences to focus on in expense of the other group. It is our belief that we have decided to be a church that focuses on people of all ages coming together to worship God as a family by letting go of our particular preferences of music and worship styles.
In addition to worshipping as a family, we also seek to acknowledge one another in worship. The Bible does not promote for us to get alone with God in worship as a way to reach His throne. Colossians 3:16 tells us that our worship should be about, “teaching and exhorting one another with all wisdom, singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, all with grace in your hearts to God.” Don’t miss the call here to sing to one another and to God with a variety of music.
Fourth, another strength from the chart is a view of art as truth. This truth has been weakened in the church in the last 100 years, but is making a comeback in many churches today. The Bible promotes several styles of music and art forms in worship.(Colossians 3:12-16, Ephesians 5:18-21, Exodus 31, Psalm 20:5, 2 Chronicles 3-5) We seek to use all the arts in worship of God at WBC. This includes music, visual arts, video, drama, and even dance on some occasions.
Fifth, another strength is to empower people to participate and diminish the role of a priest in worship. Hebrews chapters 4-10 develop this idea. Beginning in verse eleven of chapter nine it says, “Christ has come as the high priest of the good things to come. He passed through the greater and more perfect tent not made with hands, that is, not of this creation,” and verse 15 says, “And so he is the mediator of a new covenant,” and finally verses 24 -26 say, “For Christ did not enter a sanctuary made with hands—the representation of the true sanctuary—but into heaven itself, and he appears now in God’s presence for us. And he did not enter to offer himself again and again, the way the high priest enters the sanctuary year after year with blood that is not his own, for then he would have had to suffer again and again since the foundation of the world. But now he has appeared once for all at the consummation of the ages to put away sin by his sacrifice.”
As this passage says, we believe that Jesus Christ is the one and only true worship leader. He is the one who intercedes and leads us. There is no need for a priest or a highly gifted worship person to led us to the throne of God. Jesus Christ has given us access to the throne as our high priest. In light of this truth, we see our singers and musicians as servants in the Body of Christ, who are not so much seeking to spontaneously convey ways of worship between God and the congregation, but they are primarily charged with the important role of pointing our congregation to Jesus Christ in ways that call for all of us to participate and engage in every aspect of the service. There is not a spiritual gift of worship leading found in the Bible. Worship should always be seen as “the work of the people”, and not something to sit back and listen to, or something only a few gifted people can accomplish. One of the ways that we seek to accomplish this is to have the Body of Christ (Team of volunteers) lead the music portion of our services.
Finally, the last strength that we would like to highlight here is a passion to keep the gospel message clear and visible in our worship services. The most recent historical traditions of worship, (Free Church & Revivalism) have made the mistake of limiting the proclamation of the gospel to only the spoken word part of the services and see the rest of the service to be preliminary to that gospel presentation or teaching time. Unfortunately, this has weakened the gospel to a intellectual hearing instead of the deep and rich saturation of having the gospel consume every aspect of the service. This is talked about in the book of Colossians. Verse 16 of chapter 3 tells us to, “let the word of Christ dwell richly in your teaching and singing of psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs.” As this passage says, we believe worship should be centered on the redemptive story and person of Jesus Christ. We seek to unveil and reflect the gospel message both in the content and in the order in which we worship during each of our services. No matter what order of worship a church has, it forms worshippers in both the content and order of its worship.
Here at WBC, we seek to form and edify our church family with the story of the gospel as we come together to practice the rhythms of adoration, confession, assurance, thanksgiving, petition, instruction, charge, and blessing. Some people have rightly been cautious about these rhythms of worship sense they look “liturgical” in the negative sense of the word. While not every church thinks of itself as “liturgical” or self-consciously puts together an order of worship, every church worships in a particular way. In this sense liturgy, like tradition, is inescapable; it’s not whether a church will have a liturgy but how the liturgy it does have will honor God and bless the worshippers. In light of this we do not want to be “liturgical” in the negative sense of the word. We do not want to dig up old ways of worship to get stuck in and just go through the motions, but we do want to hold fast to the gospel of Jesus Christ in our order of worship so that we are more fully formed worshippers of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
You can find more info about the order of our worship by watching a sermon by WBC Worship Arts Pastor Jay Trull at waxahachiebible.org.
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