The Battle of Life

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My poem of the week this week is “The Battle of Life,” by Elizabeth Prentiss. It is a good reminder to me of the call to press on beyond my comforts in obedience to the work the Lord calls me to. It is so easy to shift to pursuing my comfort rather than seeking first His kingdom. I thought it an appropriate word in the final week of the semester.

The wintry storm was raging loud without,
And to and fro,
The angry winds flung carelessly about,
The falling snow.

Luxuriously before the ruddy fire
I sat at ease,
The only object of my heart’s desire
Myself to please.

A voice aroused me from my idle dreams,
“Rise, rise, my child!
Shake thyself loose from these unfruitful schemes,
These fancies wild.

Come forth with me, and buffet wind and storm
And icy cold;
Come as thou art, nor stay thy shrinking form
Thus to enfold!”

It was the Master’s voice. I could but yield
To its behest,
While dread repugnance lay but ill concealed
Within my breast.

Behind me closed my sheltering door; I faced
The tempest rude;
Wild, savage winds my shrinking form embraced
While thus I stood

Upon the threshold, casting longing eyes
Back to my home,
Reluctant from my childhood’s Paradise
Enforced to roam.

Then plunging onward towards th’ appointed way,
I madly went,
And night and day, yea, many a night and day,
My figure bent

Beneath the blast. Assailed with shuddering dire,
My fears oppressed,
Despairing, hopeless, stript of all desire,
I onward pressed.

Until I heard above the thunder’s roll
The Master’s voice
Arise once more. It cried, “Oh, faithless soul,
Behold thy choice!

A life-long childhood, basking idly on
The lap of ease,
Or manhood’s strength by long endurance won
In toils like these.

Whether to gird thyself to walk with Me
Mid conflict dread,
Or back effeminate to ease to flee-
Living-yet dead.”

Already by my labors stronger grown,
I stood and cried:
“Master and Lord! With Thee, with Thee alone,
let me abide.

Let me but know I buffet wind and storm,
With Thee, with Thee!
Upon my path Thine own divinest form
But let me see!”

Thus in the hour of battle choice was made!
Choice of unrest!
Thus Christian manhood seeking, undismayed
The storm I breast.

No leisure now, no dreams, no idle time;
I wrestle on;
Beat, icy winds, oppose, oh adverse clime,
Till victory’s won.

For I shall win! I shall come forth at last
Not lost, but found!
A Christian warrior whom each stormy blast
Hath victor crowned!

Narnia & Living in Forgiveness

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I am now reading back through the Chronicles of Narnia with my younger children. No matter how many times I re-read these stories it is a gospel-rich joy. It is fun to share the wonder with my children to whom it is new and to be caught up in the stories again.

Recently we read the section where the White Witch lays her claim on Edmund’s life because he is a traitor. It becomes clear to everyone that she has a real claim, and this eventually leads to much fear and worry. However, C. S. Lewis’s description of Edmund at this moment is a powerful portrayal of gospel security. While the Witch is talking about her claim on a traitor and everyone is thinking of Edmund, Lewis writes:

“But Edmund had got past thinking about himself after all he’d been through and after the talk he’d had that morning. He just went on looking at Aslan. It didn’t seem to matter what the Witch said.”

The accuser is there making it clear she has a right to execute him, but Edmund is unperturbed because he keeps his eyes fixed on Aslan. Of course, ‘the talk he’d had that morning’ was with Aslan, where he had repented and Aslan had restored him. With the knowledge that Aslan had restored and accepted him, the Witches words, no matter how frightening, mattered not all.

If you’ve read the stories you know Alsan is a picture of Jesus and the Witch represents Satan, our accuser. We need to learn the lesson Edmund learned. So often, when the enemy brings his accusations against us we are flustered and try to defend ourselves. We know that ultimately we are guilty. Our hope lies not in our righteousness but in the work of our Advocate. We must quiet ourselves and let Him speak. If we will set our eyes on Him, then it will not seem to matter what the Accuser says. As we sing:

“When Satan tempts me to despair,
And tells me of the guilt within
Upward I look and see Him there
Who made an end to all my sin.”

And the song writer is simply expressing the truths of the book of Hebrews from passages like this one:

since we have a great high priest over the house of God,  let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed in pure water (Heb 10:21-22).

Our evil conscience cooperates with the Devil accusing us, saying, “Who are you to draw near to God? I know your sin! I’ve seen your rebellion. You are a worm!” We dare not point to ourselves in defense. Instead, we acknowledge, “I am a worm. But behold the worm’s God!” We must fix our eyes on Jesus trusting in his work and giving no heed to the Accuser.

Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. (Rom 8:33-34)

Yes, I need to remember the lesson of Edmund and keep my eyes fixed on Jesus (Heb 12:1).

Trueman, “Tragic Worship”

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Carl Trueman’s First Things article, “Tragic Worship,” is wonderful reminder of our need for addressing the tragic realities of life and death in our worship. Drawing from our understanding of tragedy in drama, Trueman critiques our preference for distraction.

This is what much of modern worship amounts to: distraction and diversion. Praise bands and songs of triumph seem designed in form and content to distract worshipers from life’s more difficult realities.

In contrast, historically Christian worship has faced squarely and regularly the reality of death and suffering. The result is not morose worship, but true edification as we see our deepest issues are addressed by the gospel.

Of all places, the Church should surely be the most realistic. The Church knows how far humanity has fallen, understands the cost of that fall in both the incarnate death of Christ and the inevitable death of every single believer. In the psalms of lament, the Church has a poetic language for giving expression to the deepest longings of a humanity looking to find rest not in this world but the next. In the great liturgies of the Church, death casts a long, creative, cathartic shadow. Our worship should reflect the realities of a life that must face death before experiencing resurrection.

…

The psalms as the staple of Christian worship, with their elements of lament, confusion, and the intrusion of death into life, have been too often replaced not by songs that capture the same sensibilities as the many great hymns of the past did so well but by those that assert triumph over death while never really giving death its due. The tomb is certainly empty; but we are not sure why it would ever have been occupied in the first place.

Only the dead can be resurrected. As the second thief on the cross saw so clearly, Christ’s kingdom is entered through death, not by escape from it.

This is a very helpful essay we ought to consider as we think about how to lead the people of God in worship.

The Pastoral Heart of the Reformation

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Last week my article, “The Care of Souls: The Heart of the Reformation,” was published in the latest issue of Themelios. The article is my attempt to highlight the pastoral impulse behind this pivotal moment in history.  Amidst the important theological and political issues which were involved in this historic movement and which continue to be discussed today, my aim was to remind us that it all sprang from the earnest desire to help real people know God. Here is a paragraph from the opening of the article.

The Reformation was a diverse movement. But at its center was a pulsing, yearning concern for the well-being of souls. Its leaders were pastors at pains to lead their flock—and others from around the world—to forgiveness before God and the resultant living hope, the knowledge of God’s care and presence in the real hardships of this world and the certain hope of resurrection.

In spite of some stereotypes, the Reformation leaders labored to see souls saved and disciple in the grace of God. I have tried to illustrate these concerns with extracts from the writings of several of the leading Reformers.

May our ministries also be marked by such “a pulsing, yearning concern for the well-being of souls.”

 

Pastor of a Church vs. Just a Preacher

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earnest ministry“He who can only generalize in the pulpit, but has not ability to individualize out of it; who cannot in some measure meet the varieties of religious perplexity, and deal with the various modifications of awakened solicitude; who finds himself disinclined or disabled to guide the troubled conscience through the labyrinths which sometimes meet the sinner in the first stage of his pilgrimage to the skies, may be a popular preacher, but he is little fitted to be the pastor of a Christian church.” (John Angell James, An Earnest Ministry, 151)

President-elect Oliver’s First Sermon in Jackson

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duboliver275I was privileged to be in attendance last Sunday when Dr. Dub Oliver, President-elect of Union University, preached at First Baptist Church in Jackson TN. Dr. Oliver noted that this was his first time to preach in Jackson, and he preached a moving message on Matthew 14:13-21, the feeding of the 5,000.

I encourage you to listen to the message. Dr. Oliver focused on v. 17 and on how God uses the little we have to accomplish great things for His kingdom. In what one friend called a “Haddon Robinson-esque” way, Dr. Oliver illustrated this central point with an amazing story about the time President George W. Bush visited the little church he was pastoring in Texas. What a story!

I was personally edified by the message and by what it revealed about Dr. Oliver. His reverence for scripture, evangelistic concern, love for people and genuine devotion to Christ were evident. If you are wanting to get to know our new President-elect, this sermon is a great place to start.

Praying for a New Pastor in Light of the Lord’s Prayer

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This was originally published in our state Baptist paper back in 2005. I’m currently discussing Martin Luther’s booklet, A Simple Way to Pray, with some colleagues and the discussion of praying through the Lord’s Prayer reminded me of this.

One of the most important decisions a church makes is the calling of a new pastor.  The ramifications of this decision are large and the task is arduous- seeking capable candidates often by sifting through piles of resumes, trying to ascertain the character, calling and giftedness of a man from a piece of paper.  As anyone who has ever served on a pastor search committee can attest, this is hard, draining, often soul-wrenching work.  In this situation, we are reminded of our need to pray for God’s direction.  As I have worked with churches in this process I have turned to our Lord’s model prayer (Matt 6:9-13) for guidance for a church in praying for a new pastor.  There are many things to pray, but Jesus gave us this prayer to help us pray in line with biblical values.  What follows are some meditations on how we can pray each petition of the Lord’s Prayer in the specific circumstance of searching for a new pastor. I offer them in hope that they may be of benefit to those in this situation.

Our Father

  • We come to a God who is our father.  Thus, He bids us ask believing that He will meet our need (Matt 7:7-11)
  •  God desires to give you a good pastor.
  • Since God is sovereign He has a man for you.
  • So we must come seeking to discern His will.

Hallowed Be Thy Name (May Your Name be regarded as holy)

  • Give us a man who will hold before us the holiness of God.
  • Give us a man who is concerned with the glory of God, who yearns for others to encounter and reckon with the awesomeness of God.
  •  Deliver us from any man who has small thoughts of God.
  • Give us a God-centered, God-saturated man.  Not someone who will simply entertain us with cute stories, self-help sessions and other drivel; but someone who from the depths of his own wonderment will point us to the glory, majesty and awesomeness of God!

Thy Kingdom Come

  • Give us a kingdom man- a man who is zealously committed to the advancement of God’s kingdom but has no interest in the building of a personal kingdom, a man who will see this pastorate as his outpost in the kingdom not a stepping stone in a career.
  • Give us a man whose ambition, like Paul’s, is to be pleasing to God, to seek first the kingdom of God without a care about whether it is noticed by denominational offices or the media.
  • Give us a man who submits himself to the reign of God, and, then, shows us how to live in submission to the King in our various vocations.
  • In our search process help us not to be concerned with prestige or the opinions of man but only the advancement of your kingdom.

Thy Will Be Done

  • We lay aside our presuppositions, plans and desires and seek to take up a Biblical view of what we need and what a pastor should be.
  • Direct our committee in their searching and the candidate and the congregation as we make decisions.  Guide us and then intervene in whatever way necessary to keep us on track.

Give us this Day Our Daily Bread

  • We need the bread of life, the spiritual nourishment of your word preached.
  • Meet our needs by giving us a man of God who will break open the word of life and feed our souls.

Forgive us our Sins as we Forgive those who sin against us

  • Forgive our faults in this whole process: the ways in which we limit You and fail to trust you.  Forgive us for feeling that You are as uncertain and confused as we are.  Forgive us for doubting your care and provision.  Forgive us for our impatience.  Forgive us for grasping to our own agendas rather than seeking Your will.  Forgive us for failing to believe that you as Sovereign Lord have this together and are working this out to Your glory and our good.  We believe; help our unbelief.

Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil

  • Protect us from candidates who are doctrinally unsound, who lack the conviction and courage to stand on your word and rebuke us when necessary, from those who lack character and purity.
  • Protect us from any divisiveness in this period

Moving Away from Mega-Church & Multi-Site

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I don’t know John Mark Comer or Solid Rock Church where he pastors. But I resonate with what he says in this interview about their move away from a multi-site mega church model to a family of independent churches. This is what I have been urging so I am heartened to see this being done.

Here is a brief excerpt:

With multi-site models and video-venue preaching, large churches have changed how we’ve done ecclesiology for 2,000 years. That doesn’t necessarily mean it is wrong, but I think there should be more of a conversation about it. People bought into it really fast. Maybe it is the next best thing since the pew and the sound system. But I don’t know. The broader community needs to wrestle and critique it.

What does it mean for a pastor to live in one city and be the primary preacher for people in another state? Should we think about that a little bit before we adopt this model? It might be wise. The model is very American—and not in a good way. In the UK, for example, they don’t have the celebrity thing like we do. They loathe branding. They have much more respect for tradition and homegrown. So if we swallow a cultural hook without thinking about it, is that really going to produce solid ecclesiology?

Indeed.

Congregational Singing Starts with the Pastor

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In the most recent issue of the Baptist & Reflector Justin Wainscott has a wonderful column by this title. Justin rightly notes the importance of congregational singing and the fact that this is too often overlooked by pastors. Justin writes:

Let’s face it. If our churches don’t value congregational singing, it’s likely because we don’t value it. While everyone else is supposed to be singing together, we’re busy fumbling through our notes or looking around at who’s there or not there. Or worse, we just stand there with our arms folded, waiting on ‘our’ turn.

This column is a good challenge for pastors to lead the way by example in the importance of congregational singing. Too many of our members think of singing simply as the “set up” for what really matters, preaching. Of course, preaching is important but the scriptures make clear that congregational singing is important as well. Just this morning I read Psalm 96 which opens with,

Oh sing to the Lord a new song;
sing to the Lord, all the earth!
Sing to the Lord, bless his name;
tell of his salvation from day to day.

Three times in two verses we are explicitly commanded to sing to the Lord, and the context makes it clear that only hearty singing will do. This is of course only one of the many places where this is commanded in Scripture (commonly in the Psalms and also Col 3:16; Eph 5:19). It simply won’t do to say, “I’m just not into singing,” or “I don’t really like to sing.” It has been commanded by our Lord. When people give these responses, I want to reply, “Oh, are you not a Christian?” We may as well say, “I’m just not into obedience,” or “I don’t really like to share the gospel.” And God’s commands are always for our good. We are blessed as we sing the praises of our worthy God.

So, I encourage you to read Justin Wainscott’s column and let’s help our people really engage in congregational singing.

A Poem of Trust

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My poem of the week this week comes from Elizabeth Prentiss, whose poems abut faith in the midst of suffering have for years been a challenge and comfort to me.

“So Be It”

So be it; ’tis Thy plan not mine,
And being Thine is good;
And God, my will shall yield to Thine
Ere it is understood.

So be it; I a child of dust
Will not oppose Thy way,
Move on, mysterious Will, I trust,
I love, and will obey.

So be it; and do Thou, my heart,
No childish questions ask,
Thou in God’s counsels hast no part,
Crave not so hard a task.

So be it; yes, so be it, Lord,
No word have I to say–
O be Thy gracious Name adored–
I love and will obey.

~ Elizabeth Prentiss, from Golden Hours