Irony? It's like goldy but made of iron...
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Am I the only one who can spot the delicious irony in this story? Poland has passed a law banning all symbols of totalitarian regimes.....geddit?
ELT Baptist Church
Several people have asked me what our "new" church building looks like - so here's a photo I've just taken in the East End sun.
1950's Free Church Cathedral anybody....?
Why hard work matters....
Last weekend I preached Romans 14.1-12 (available online soon). In the passage there's a tricky question of what is going on in Rome. Clearly there is a problem with meat eating which is making some (those Paul calls "weak in faith", i.e. not fully liberated) turn to vegetarianism. The two obvious explanations are:
- this is Jewish converts who are still very sensitive about food laws. The word Paul uses for "unclean" is an "almost technical term" (says one commentator). In this case then the weak in faith are those who have imported old rules into the new way, as opposed to those who come from a Gentile background and are unphased by Jewish food laws.
- this is Gentile converts who are sensitive about food that has been offered to idols as part of the slaughter process. However, Paul does not mention this as a problem anywhere in Romans (compared to, say, 1 Corinthians). On the flip side, vegetarianism is an obvious antidote to this problem, whereas vegetarianism is a rather extreme answer to Jewish food laws (in fact, an "illegal" one, as Jewish law proscribes the eating of the Passover Lamb). So, in this case, the weak in faith are probably Gentile converts who know how the food is slaughtered and are sensitive about its source. The Jewish converts know that idols are all false and are simply not bothered.
This is where the hard work of thinking through these issues matters. Each leads you down a slightly different path of application. On the one hand you have those who have been brought up in a strict (perhaps Christian) background who cannot shake off the nagging doubts about certain activities that their parents thought were worldly, e.g. cinema going. In other words the weak in faith are plagued by legalism.
On the other hand you have those who come from a non Christian background who are so keen to move away from their old way of life that they develop a false kind of asceticism which makes them more law bound than their other brothers - in other words the weak in faith are plagued by worries about worldliness and cut themselves off from everything to do with their old life.
So the hard work does matter. Preachers need to ponder and think through these things. For what it's worth I'm with James Dunn (which I'm not always!) who suggests that the hyperbole that Paul embraces might suggest that he is tackling both using general descriptions.
Making friends...gospel style
Moving to a new area/church and new job necessitates making new friends. The joy of being in Christ is that this is something that comes naturally. We've been in the church a couple of months now and just starting to get to know one or two guys well - and what a joy it's been. Similarly yesterday, spent a thoroughly wonderful couple of hours with a new friend (over curry!). What becomes clear right away is that the gospel that has transformed us and is at work in us means that we think the same, are motivated by the same things (or Thing, I should say), love the same things. Of course there are always different interests - but the things that really matter are always, by definition, the same. So friendships come, at one level, relatively easily. Of course trust and depth take time, but for so many people in the world forging friendships there is hard work to be done before getting off first base. For Christians, Christ has already done this hard work.
Joy!
Shock and awe
Warning: some readers may find some of the following material uncomfortable or even offensive; but it comes from the Bible....
Go read Ezekiel 16. It's a shocking and graphic picture of the way God took a young orphan girl (Israel) from an awful background and made her into his beautiful bride. That's not the shocking bit of course (though Israel may not have enjoyed having her parentage so roundly judged - Ezek 16.3). The shock is that she quickly descends into prostitution - although prostitution is hardly the word to describe what she does - she pays others to have sex with her (Ezek 16.34). On the way God describes his errant bride with the most graphic language found in the Bible:
- Ezek 16.25, Israel "offers herself" (ESV) to other nations, but more literally she "spreads her legs for them." In other words, she invites them provocatively.
- Ezek 16.36, Israel pours out "her lust" for other nations, but more literally her "sexual lubrication" flows for others - in other words, prostitution is not her job, it is her joy!
- Ezek 16.37, though she was once naked and God covered her, she nows displays her "nakedness" or, more literally, "pudenda" for all to see. She is brazen in her rejection of her covenant husband YHWH offering her sex for all who want it.
And who can say it is undeserved?
Which brings me to the most shocking part of this chapter. God wants his girl back. "...yet I will remember my covenant with you in the days of your youth and I will establish for you an everlasting covenant" (Ezek 16.60).
Ultimately membership of the covenant is at God's instigation, God's purpose and God's empowering.
Given what we are/were, this is the MOST shocking of all. But also the BEST.
Windy cycling and the joy of fellowship...
Cycling in the rain is a damp experience, but cycling in the wind is really miserable. Put it like this - I normally cycle down the Whitechapel road at about 18-20 mph. I normally cycle up a moderate hill at 12-13 mph. This morning I was struggling into the wind along the Whitechapel Road at the hill speed - it was like doing a long slow climb.
Then I discovered the joys of peloton cycling. Get behind someone else and let him (or her) take the brunt. It really makes a difference - this is why you see the professionals taking the lead for a while and then peeling off and letting someone else do the hard work. Cycling in someone else's slipstream really helped.
Which got be thinking about church, mulling over things as I tend to do as I cycle into my office. One of the great joys of fellowship is standing in someone else's slipstream. None of us is spiritually vibrant all of the time; the reality is that most of us have ups and downs - all of us, in fact. And the joy of real fellowship is allowing ourselves to be pulled along by someone who is stronger; knowing that sometime soon we can take the lead ourselves. This is the kind of thing the writer to the Hebrews is thinking about in chapter 10:
Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.
Wesley Owen/STL/Authentic up for sale
No doubt the way we buy Christian books is changing, and I have sometimes been the first to criticise major chains stocking lists and policies - yet this is still very unwelcome news. Read more at the Christian Bookstore blog.
Lord's Supper. No, it's not.
The Reformers were clear. A church is a place where the word is preached and there is the proper operation of the sacraments. Which puts some churches in a dilemma. I heard about an evangelical Anglican church today which is only offering the bread to people, not the wine - in a response to swine flu worries. A Guardian report here says this is fairly widespread - though in this particular church the pastor says he has been told to do it.
Poppycock. That's not the Lord's Supper. Contrast this with another Anglican church which has gone out and bought individual cups (against canon law) in order to preserve the commemoration. Some things are more important than elf & safety leg.
Disputable matters
The Bible is crystal clear on how to deal with disputable matters - Romans 14.1-15.7 is jam packed of solid, theological, pastoral and practical advice, crying out to be implemented in today's churches. I've got the privilege of preaching on Romans 14.1-12 this weekend, so I've been spending some time with my nose in the text. The million dollar question, though, is this....
What are the disputable matters?
Clearly it is not everything. The physical truth of the resurrection, for example, does not fall under the remit of Romans 14. But where does one draw the line? Given that these are matters of faith (probably not whether you believe, but how you apply your belief), it is probably true that those who are "weak in faith" are less likely to class some of their deeply held convictions are disputable. In other words, at the edges, one man's "secondary" issue can be another man's "primary" one.
This is where a shorter doctrinal basis can be helpful for a church. In it, churches often work out what is at the heart of their message. These things are indisputable. When we only have longer confessions (which I love) or (worse) no confessions, we are making it hard for ourselves to take a stand over these issues.
Of course, by providing two examples, Paul does point us in the right direction; we're not entirely in the dark. So, at least we know the sorts of things we should be talking about....
Hope for the UK.....from Africa
Spent a morning yesterday at an African-majority church leaders gathering where African-majority church leaders were wrestling with how they stop themselves becoming mono-cultural and thereby excluding people who are not from their culture. What a subject! What a joy! Particularly struck by Pastor Joe Kapolyo (see picture) from Edmonton Baptist Church (Joe was previously principal of All Nations). He made a cogent argument that African churches were in danger of repeating the very same cultural mistakes made by Victorian missionaries to Africa..."We pay no attention to the field that is WHITE in the UK" (See, what he is doing there?).
"The church in England may well be saved by the African, Asian, Latin American church which God has placed here, possibly for this very purpose.....and all we're doing is creating barriers and developing our propensity to gather as ourselves. We're saying people need to become African to belong to this church and that is wrong."
Fantastic stuff. Almost. Last talk of the morning was entitled "How Africans can engage with the British culture" by a senior director of a UK umbrella evangelical movement. It was truly awful. Atrocious. If the church's destiny (humanly speaking) is in the hands of Pastor Joe, then there is great hope. This man is thinking clearly. If the future is in the hands of Dr D. then God help us all.
A good biblical phrase to reclaim
"Time, times, and half-a-time" (Daniel 12.7).
We think this is a phrase that is really difficult or really annoying. Calvin says it is "really helpful." And perhaps it is a Bible phrase we need to reclaim in our broken world. Here's a suggestion:
- time = be patient, Daniel
- times = be very patient, Daniel
- half a time = it's not long Daniel
Let's reclaim it!
"Time, times and half a time."
Pick up the phone
Daniel was a man who received extraordinary dreams. They are strange, terrifying, puzzlng, comforting - all at the same time. But was this God's normal method of communication with him? It's doubtful. His great prayer of chapter 9 is prompted by a Jeremiah Bible study - he delights in getting himself into God's word where he sees that the Babylonian exile is almost up (surely he had read this before; it must be that he read it freshly or the Spirit gave him fresh insight as he read it). And the word prompts him to pray one of the greatest prayers of the Old Testament.
Many people are longing for all kinds of glorious and spectacular communications from God - but what we fail to appreciate is that we have a glorious and spectacular communication from God already.
Or, as John Chapman puts it (so characteristically), "If the phone rings, don't put your head in the microwave." H/T Simon Manchester at PT conference.
The Son of Man
In Old Testament terms, "Son of Man" is often a description, not a title (see, for example, Ezekiel 11.15 & Daniel 8.17-18). But it is more than a description. In Daniel 7.13.-14, the Son of Man is
- a person not a beast (compared to the terrible vision that Daniel has received)
- he has come on the clouds (i.e. from heaven, not from the evil sea)
- not seizing the kingdom (it already belongs to him)
- not temporary in his rule, but ruling forever
No wonder that Jesus makes the description into a title. He is truly the Son of Man.
This is the stuff that Simon Manchester is teaching at the Proclamation Trust Autumn Minister's conference going on this week.
The REAL preacher - Micah style
Micah has issues with false prophets. Not only are they endorsing the land barons property grabbing schemes (Micah 2.6), but they are self-justifying and self-satisfying money grabbers (Micah 3.5). They're the ones who are going to experience the darkness of God's terrible judgement (Micah 3.6-7). In contrast, Micah is the man:
"As for me, I am filled with power,
with the Spirit of the Lord,
and with justice and might
to declare to Jacob his transgression
and to Israel his sin" (Micah 3.8).
There you have it: the four qualities of the REAL preacher:
- Ability - for that is probably how best to translate the Hebrew word kowach here translated power. i.e. Micah is up for this, he can do it
- Infilled by the Spirit - not only is he humanly able, he is spiritually enabled
- Justice - this means he can say the right thing, even when it is unpopular (what the false prophets could not do)
- Might - or, better, courage (Heb gabuwra). He's not got a popular message, but the man of God is bold with it
These four qualities are not divisible for Micah, nor for any preacher.
A thought for the 5th of November
Today is Bonfire Night. In my 1760 edition of the Book of Common prayer, these is a service of thanksgiving prescribed for today: "a form of prayer with thanksgiving to be used yearly upon the Fifth of November; for the happy deliverance of King James I and the Three Estates of England from the most traiterous and bloody intended massacre by Gunpowder..."
The main prayer itself, whilst containing some things we might want to quibble with, has the overall sentiment bang on:
"Almighty God, who hast in all ages shewed Thy power and mercy in the miraculous and gracious deliverances of Thy church, and in the protection of righteous and religious Kings and States, professing Thy holy and eternal truth, from the wicked Conspiracies and malicious practices of all the enemies thereof: we yield Thee our unfeigned thanks and praise for the wonderful and mighty Deliverance our our gracious Sovereign, King James the First, the Queen, the Prince and all the Royal Branches, with the Nobility, Clergy and Commons of England, then assembled in England by Popish treachery appointed as sheep to the slaughter in a most barbarous and savage manner, beyond the example of former ages. From this unnatural Conspiracy, not our merit, but Thy mercy; not our foresight but Thy providence delivered us: And therefore not unto us O Lord, not unto us, but unto Thy Name be ascribed all honour and glory in all Churches of the saints from generation to generation, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen."
A nice focus on the preservation of the church by God's mercy and sovereignty alone. I like it. Shame that the BCP editors did not. By the time of my 1931 edition, it's disappeared.
The danger of critical analysis
Just studying Micah today - and enjoying (mostly) Leslie Allen's Eerdmans' New International OT commentary. It is interesting though, how he tackles Micah 4.1-5. This is a passage which is also repeated verbatim in Isaiah 2.2-4 (Isaiah was a contemporary of Micah). Allen offers four possible explanations which he then analyses:
- Micah was repeating words already spoken by Isaiah
- Isaiah was repeating words already spoken by Micah
- Both were quoting from an earlier source (this is the one Allen goes for)
- Both were later insertions
Can you see the glaring omission? The four possibles seek to critically identify a rational explanation for the duplication. But it seems to me that one of the most obvious is not even considered. God was speaking through both prophets to his people. Is it beyond the pale to suggest that God might have said the same thing to both prophets...?
Commentaries don't tell you everything... you've still got to think for yourself.
Preaching that changes the heart
Many people know the story of Hezekiah and the Assyrian campaign (2 Kings 18-20 or Isaiah 36-40). But what neither of these accounts relate is what exactly changed Hezekiah's heart? The answer is tucked away in a little read part of Jeremiah - Jer 26.18-20. It was the preaching of Micah the prophet that did the trick. This is true preaching that God uses to change hearts.
The focus of joy
Some Christians struggle to display any joy at all, and when they break through the barrier they are filled with relief. But it's not enough for a Christian to be joyful - the real question is deeper - where does your joy come from? Or, what is its focus?
I was thinking this today as I read a small puritan couplet prayer, "Lord, give me not only joy in forgiveness, but in the one through whom atonement comes."
My trouble is that my joy is often in "forgiveness" - hence why it is so fleeting. Frankly, a joy that is dependent on my own holiness is doomed from the start. But though being forgiven is a great, beautiful and sweet joy, if alone is my joy it is inward and vacuous. As the prayer says, my joy must be in the one through whom atonement comes.
He never changes. He is always constant. And so I can be joyful whatever comes my way! Indeed, his character is such, his nature is such, that if I have truly understood it and received him, joy must follow....
Have you ever....
.....glorified the word of the Lord?
Perish the thought, says the thinking evangelical. Others may have created an unholy trinity of "Father, Son and Holy Bible" but not me, oh no!
"I've never glorified the word of the Lord. I glorify God."
Hmm.
Not read your Bible then?
Go read Acts 13.48 and 2 Thess 3.1.
It's a correct response. It's in the Bible, after all. But what does it mean?
It almost certainly does not mean what the picture purports to show.
As it's his birthday (and the birthday boy always gets to speak), perhaps we should let Jean explain it:
"To glorify the word of God may be expounded two manner of ways, either that they did confess that it was true which was prophesied by Isaiah, or that they embraced the doctrine which was set before them with faith. Assuredly there is a full subscription noted out, because they dispute or doubt no longer, so soon as they saw that Paul had gotten the victory. And surely we do then honor the word of God as we ought, when we submit ourselves obediently to it by faith; as it cannot be more grievously blasphemed than when men refuse to believe it."
Logos and stuff
I see that my more famous namesake, A. Warnock Esq has flagged up the new Logos app for iPhone. I'm on the case, and with a large collection built up over time, it's pretty neat. But Warnock's right - even if you only use the standard included Bibles, it's still a pretty neat app.
Logos still doesn't have as much as a following here as it does in the USA. I guess (or, rather, I know) there is a much bigger market over there. But some of us have been trying to persuade them to do some of their training over here. In fact, a UK pastor is over in Cally-for-nye-ay at the moment trying to twist their arm to do just that. Watch this space then for some possible introductory days or Logos camps in the UK.
By the way, in the meantime, Logos is now shipping at version 4.0. Upgrades can be expensive though - the cheapest upgrade is the cross over package which is $70. Use Adrian's site to get a further discount on packages.
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