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Joe Thorn tagged me, with the following rules:
1) Grab the book closest to you.
2) Open to page 123; go down to the fourth sentence.
3) Post the text of the following three sentences.
4) Name the author and book title.
5) Tag three people to do the same.

I’ll pass on step 5. Sitting at my desk piled with various books both behind and in front of me (and some in the floor around me!), it’s a toss up on which is closest. So, to connect with the purpose of this blog, I reached for the closest one expressly on pastoral ministry, Charles Bridges’ classic, The Christian Ministry. Sure enough Bridges delivers with a powerful statement on the disastrous effect of the fear of man on pastors.

“Thus a minister under this deteriorating influence [the fear of man] chiefly deals in general truths devoid of particular application- more in what is pleasing than what is direct and useful. Many other subjects may be equally necessary, or indeed more important; but these are more conciliating. There is thus a continual conflict between conscience and the world- ‘I ought to speak for conscience sake; but I dare not speak for fear of the world.’ The offensive truth must be smoothed, disguised,
intermixed, until it is attenuated into an insipid, pointless, and inoperative statement.”

Swallowing the Golden Stone

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Swallowing the Golden Stone: Stories and Essays, Walter Wangerin, Jr.
(Augsburg Fortress, 2001), hb. 183 pp.

I have only dabbled in this book so far, but I bought it because CBD has it on sale for 50 cents– for a hardback! At this price it’s worth picking up even if it only has a few good items, especially if you are already placing another order. It contains stories for kids as well as essays on writing. I wanted to go ahead and mention this, even though I can’t give an opinion yet, so you can take advantage of the deal. If you have read this book I’d be interested to hear from you.

Pastoral Plagiarism Update

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I have been meaning for months now to post an update on this topic. After the WSJ article came out in the Fall, Steve Sjogren responded on his blog. He basically said that those who take issue with his suggestion of using others sermons are not really interested in evangelism. The language in his blog post is now significantly changed from its original. In response to criticism, he softened that statement while keeping his basic position. Tim Ellsworth covered the story very well in this post.

Since that time Dr. Mohler of Southern Seminary devoted his radio show one day to this topic. He and guest, Dr. Hershael York, did a great job covering the topic.

Various newspapers around the country continue to pick up the story- apparently from the WSJ story- and comment on it. Typically the reporters see the problem clearly in spite of the spin given by proponents of the practice. However, The Christian Index, paper of the Georgia Baptist Convention, ran a story which in essence defends the practice of sermon “borrowing.” The story was entitled, “Plagiarism: Whose Message is it?” It seems to have generated some response. This response is particularly well worth reading. Here are some excerpts from this layman’s response:

The College Dictionary defines plagiarism as “to use and pass off as one’s own writing or ideas from another.” Of course we know this meaning, but reading the article in your publication it seems as though this must not apply to pastors. Over a dozen pastors hopped, skipped, and jumped around the facts like a grasshopper on a hot grill. The answer is simple; anyone using another’s writings or ideas is a cheat! It seems simple enough to me…. If pastors spent more time in the Greek and Hebrew to exegete the scriptures they wouldn’t need to plagiarize others works.  Just about every pastor I have been under has spoken of Zacchaeus up a sycamore tree at least two or three times a year. Hey, we know that story. How about some meat of the doctrine? We have had an over abundance of milk.

One of the ridiculous statements in your article read something like this: “pastors who document the origin of their sources into fine detail usually deliver cold and impersonal messages.” This is a smokescreen to cover-up the fact that they wish credit for something they did not originate…. In closing, just get into the Word and forget about making impressions on the congregation. We have minds of our own and can think without fancy utterances.”

Well said!

If Thou But Suffer God to Guide Thee

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I came across this hymn this week (found it here), and it has ministered to me much. It seems to me that I grew up hearing far more “life is getting better & better” songs and not enough “persevering” kind of songs. These honest hymns that point us to rest in the sovereignty and goodness of God are so helpful. I am really blessed by the fact that our church uses many songs like this. The sentiment is similar to the poem, “Do The Next Thing,” which I mentioned previously.

If Thou But Suffer God to Guide Thee

If thou but suffer God to guide thee,
And hope in him through all thy ways,
He’ll give thee strength, whate’er betide thee,
And bear thee through the evil days;
Who trusts in God’s unchanging love
Builds on the rock that nought can move.

What can these anxious cares avail thee,
These never-ceasing moans and sighs?
What can it help if thou bewail thee
O’er each dark moment as it flies?
Our cross and trials do but press
The heavier for our bitterness.

Only be still and wait his leisure
In cheerful hope, with heart content
To take whate’er thy Father’s pleasure
And all-discerning love have sent;
Nor doubt our inmost wants are known
To him who chose us for his own.

Sing, pray and keep his ways unswerving;
So do thine own part faithfully,
And trust his Word – though undeserving,
Thou yet shalt find it true for thee;
God never yet forsook at need
The soul that trusted him indeed.

Georg Neumark, 1621-1681
(you can hear the tune here)

Persecuted Pastor

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Over the holidays I was challenged and encouraged by an account that came from my friend, Phil Eyster, President of EPI, an international church planting mission. I have obtained his permission to post some of his correspondence with a pastor friend from a country in Southeast Asia. Phil had gotten word that this pastor had been imprisoned and sentenced to two years of hard labor. We had begun praying for “Brother Michael”, and then unexpectedly Phil received an email from “Brother Michael”! It basically said that the authorities had decided to allow him to go home each night after the work and then report back each morning. You can imagine what a blessing this was! I have pasted here some of Brother Michael’s comments because his perspective is amazing and challenging to me. May this be a reminder of the freedom we have, the courage and strength of our brothers and sisters around the world, and our need to pray for them.

“Thanks for your emails of encouragement and love….  I don’t even feel myself sometime that I am still at the jail and looking at the wall hoping to go out. I feel joy at being able to have fellowship and worship together with my friends in the jail.”

“I preached over five times in the prison and have conducted communion services with the prisoners. I think this is one of the reasons they did not want me in the jail at night anymore. All of this has happened because of your prayers.”

“Life in jail is not easy. The jail workers treat the prisoners like animals. Everyone is very crowded in the cells, but I praise the Lord that I was still able to preach the gospel. As far as I know this is the first time this has happened in a ——- jail. Many of the prisoners have come to know Christ, but they have to keep it a secret or the officials will put them in chains and move them to another building with no windows. Someone dies in jail everyday, through rough treatment or lack of medical care.”

“Thank you for your concern for funds for the orphanage and bible school here. It is true that while I have been in prison the funds have been very low and we are in great need at this time.”

“—— is a holiday in ——–, and traditionally they have released prisoners on this day. Please pray that I may be released for good and be able to return to ——– and the work of the ministry there.”

For more you can visit EPI’s blog. (scroll down just a bit for this story)

The True Story of Noah’s Ark

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The True Story of Noah’s Ark, Tom Dooley
Illustrated by Bill Looney
(Master Books, 2003), hb., 73 pp.

This is a nicely done, beautifully illustrated book. There are so many, very poorly done children’s books on Noah’s Ark. This one seeks to help you understand the setting, what life would have been like at the time in addition providing an apologetic for the historicity of the event. This is all done in such a way that this is a good one for families to read together. The illustrations really helped my boys to get an idea of the immensity of the ark. The book led to some good discussions of what it would have been like to really be there during this time.

Dooley uses more complex vocabulary sometimes which would make this more difficult with younger children or for children to read on their own. You can read it to your children though explaining as you go. The one part I thought was a reach was the suggestion that the pre-flood civilization may have achieved sophisticated technology. The page had a picture of a city with skyscrapers and a futuristic look. That was a small issue overall, however.We really enjoyed this book.

Douglas Bond Continues the M’Kethe Story!

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Quite a stir was caused at breakfast this morning when I told my boys of an email I had just received from Justin Taylor alerting me that Douglas Bond has written a new book about the M’Kethe family! The M’Kethe’s, whom we followed through the Crown & Covenant Series, have become almost dear friends to us! So we were delighted to hear that we would be able to read more of them. Bond’s new book, Guns of Thunder, is the first volume of his Faith & Freedom trilogy and picks up with Malcolm as a grandfather in pre-Revolutionary War America. Guns of Thunder was scheduled for release this month, but had some art related delays and is now expected for February. Since we are now moving into the 1700’s in history, we are looking forward to getting this book and reading it soon! You can pre-order the book at Amazon. You can see more about forthcoming books by Bond at his site.

ESV Childrens’ Bible

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ESV Children’s Bible
(Crossway, 2005), hb. 1632 pp.

I have been meaning for some time to write something about the ESV Children’s Bible. I have had it listed in the recommended resources on there left. The picture above is of our boys on Christmas Day when their main gift was a copy of this Bible for each one. We have had one copy to share among them previously.

This is our pick of Bibles for children. It has the regular ESV text, which we use at church so they can follow along. It also contains nicely done pictures by Allen Parry, pictures that illustrate well without being cheesy or intrusive. Before the biblical text there is some good introductory material. “The Bible, God’s Message to Us” provides a good introduction to what the Bible is (focusing on what it teaches us about God) and how to read and respond to it (pray, meditate, apply). Then there is a list of verses on what the Bible says about itself, some information about how this Bible is arranged.

After the biblical text there is an additional 80 pages of material including an overview of key doctrines, a gospel overview, help for memorizing verses, a Bible reading plan, a section entitled “Learning to Pray” and a good dictionary.

These are very useful tools that can be used at different levels. A child may not use all the tools when he or she first gets the Bible. As the child grows, then, more of the tools may become of interest and use. This is a great resource.

Twila Paris, “Bedtime Prayers: Lullabies & Peaceful Worship”

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My wife and I are long time Twila Paris fans so it is no surprise that we liked this CD as well. We like having peaceful music to play as we put little ones (bed baby stage) to bed. This is a really nice one. Twila Paris writes in the album cover:

“This is a lullaby album, but my goal is not just to help children go to sleep.
Hopefully the music will do that and will simply minister peace during quieter
waking moments of the day. However, as I wrote these lyrics, I felt that my
ultimate purpose was to gently instill foundational truths in young vulnerable
minds…”

I think she succeeds well in writing lyrics for such a goal. These are good songs of faith. Her song, “More Than I Can Say,” is moving to me because after she makes the point that God placed you in a family to learn of his love she goes on to other verses for children who have no family or are lacking a parent. She points to how God has promised to fill up what is lacking.

Her song, “Your Whole Life Long,” puts in words some of what I pray for my children.
“I pray…
That He will always comfort you
And make you brave and strong
I pray that you will follow him
Your whole life long
I pray that you will grow up
To be good and wise and true
I pray that you will please the Lord
In everything you do”

This is a wonderful CD.

Miller Challenges “Bigger is Better” Mentality

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Here are some more quotes from Calvin Miller’s O Shepherd Where Art Thou, this time related to the question of church growth. Of course we want to see more people saved, but Miller rightly criticizes the idea that amassing more and more believers in one place is the goal. Wit and wisdom are a good combination. I started to comment on them, but they stand alone well, I think.

…it seems to me in the era of megachurch we have opted to tell smaller truths to ever-bigger crowds. (p 26)

Sam knew his church wasn’t growing either, but at least he was doing his part in trying to please God by feeling neurotic about it. (p. 29) 🙂

Greatness of size may, in the end, prove the smallest of virtues. (p. 30)

“Well, there you go. We’re equal. You see, Ambrose, if every church was like yours, the Christian faith wouldn’t be here in fifty years.”
“And if every church was like yours, it wouldn’t be historically Christian in fifty years. No one would be left to who can even define the word Christian. The faith would die of secular syncretism.” (pg. 35)

“You wanted to know many I had in church, last Sunday, Biff. I’ll tell you how many. All I can take care of.” (pg. 39)

Most often when people do leave the church they are leaving because they feel the church failed to minister to them in a time of need. Yet pastors are often more stimulated to make their church grow than to take care of its members in their needy times. No one ever gets his or her picture in an evangelical magazine simply because they visited the sick. (pg. 42)