On the borderlands of death

Michael Flynn, author of one of my favorite blogs (and books!) became quite sick recently and suffered, among other things, septic shock. Only he could turn such an event into a way to highlight Easter's triumph over death.

"However, when the Son of Man returns, will he find faith on earth?" Luke 18.8

Indeed he will and may we all have such faith. Please keep his recovery in your prayers.

You can read his account here

Christmas Eve

For my first Christmas Eve sermon I did a narrative sermon. The story was based on the perspective of the shepherds who witnessed the angels joyful celebration over the birth of the Son of God. The sermon was well received and I have decided to share it the text of it here.

The inspiration for this style came primarily from the Rev. Steve Norden. During Advent, he usually (maybe always?) does a first person narrative sermon. This sermon, as you will soon read, is not from the first person perspective but it is a narrative sermon.

Focus Text is Luke 2.8-20

Baruch leaned closer to the hot coals and gave them a slow, steady breath of air. He watched as the pale embers turned a bright, crimson red. Suddenly, the dry kindling piled above the embers flared to life and Baruch sat back on his haunches, satisfied. “Ahh, brother, as our friend Isaiah has said, ‘The people shepherding in darkness have seen a great light.’” He looked around at his companion, Itzhak, and smiled.

Itzhak turned his stare from the sheep grazing around them and considered his brother Baruch. Baruch was the oldest of the three brothers. As was common among shepherds, family relied upon one another for assistance. Their father had been a shepherd and had raised all three boys to follow him into the fields. But their father had long since gone down to sheol. Baruch was the oldest and most boisterous. Usually, being the eldest brings with it responsibility and somberness but Baruch was continually in a joyful mood. His bright mood contrasted with his dark, cracked skin and black, full beard. His teeth flashed white as he smiled and by the light of the growing fire Itzhak could see the ornery light gleaming in his eyes.

“You would be wise to not make light of the prophets, Baruch.” Reuben’s voice reached them before he was visible. Shortly afterwards he emerged from the darkness and stood there by the fire. Reuben was the youngest, but he was as tall as Saul and continually reciting to himself the words of the prophets and Moses. He lived for the great stories of his Jewish father. Though the youngest, Reuben towered over all of them, and fittingly was usually out amidst their flock standing guard. His rod hung from a loop on his belt and he held his shepherd’s crook as though it was the Rod of Aaron.

Itzhak, the middle child, was left with the burden of keeping the peace and keeping everyone focused on the task at hand. He sighed, “Reuben, who is protecting the sheep? Your watch is not yet finished. Baruch will fetch you when it is your time.”

Reuben was quiet a moment before responding. “I have gathered the bramble together. The pen is secure; the sheep are safe for the moment. The God of our Fathers, blessed be his name, is the great shepherd. And I brought you dinner.” As he finished saying this he tossed a dead rabbit which landed beside Itzhak and disturbed the dry ground.

Baruch smiled and started to thank him but was silenced by a fit of coughing from the dust. Itzhak stood. “Thank you Reuben. Now go; Baruch will fetch you when your watch is complete.”

Reuben turned to go when suddenly white light flashed. All three brothers cried out in pain as the light blinded them. The intensity of the light died down and they were able to see again, but as their vision came into focus it seemed to the three brothers that it was noon and not dusk. As they looked around in stunned silence, trying to figure out the source of the light, a man appeared in their midst.

He was extremely tall: taller even than Reuben. The light seemed to be emanating from his very skin. Fear gripped their hearts; Baruch cried out and cowered on the ground and Itzhak turned to run. Only Reuben, with the courage of a shepherd, raised his foreboding rod with the intention of clubbing the intruder.

But then the stranger spoke: “Fear not.” His voice was filled with power. The ground seemed to tremble and all the earth go quiet, as if holding its breath. The steady bleating of the lambs could no longer be heard. Even the gentle breeze seemed to have stopped. Reuben lowered his rod, Itzhak turned back and even Baruch looked curiously at the stranger. “For behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.” The stranger paused and starred intently at each shepherd for several moments. As his gaze lingered they could feel their fear disappearing and being replaced by pure joy. “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ, the Lord.” At this announcement Reuben let out a cry of joy, “Blessed be the Lord of Israel who is faithful!” The glowing stranger continued: And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.”

Immediately, the light surrounding the three shepherds was eclipsed by an even brighter light shining down from the heavens. The stars were no longer visible, instead replaced with thousands upon thousands of luminous beings, their bodies emitting a pure white light. The most beautiful sound the shepherds had ever heard reached their ears, it was as though the perfect tune had been matched with the perfect words and the resulting song was the epitome of musical achievement.

The luminous beings praised God and sang in a harmonious round, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” The song continued for several minutes as the shepherds stood, transfixed, with their faces turned heavenward watching the angels sing praises to God to celebrate the birth of the Messiah.

As quickly as it had begun it was over. The illuminated choir was replaced with thousands of stars and a dark sky. The shepherds were once more standing around a small fire. They stood in silence for several minutes, digesting the news they had just received and waiting for their eyes to adjust to the sudden return of darkness. Silence enveloped their world. Reuben was the first to break the quiet: “Brothers, let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us!” He was already reaching for his sack that contained all of his worldly goods.

Baruch was in complete agreement. “The prophet Isaiah was right!” He said, sounding both surprised and embarrassed at the same time. “We must see this child who will free us from the Romans and restore the kingdom!”

“Wait!” Itzhak’s voice, hard as stone, broke into their reverie. Years of automatic submission to Itzhak’s leadership kicked in and both Baruch and Reuben stopped and waited. Itzhak turned back to consider the lambs in the field and the sheep dogs moving among them. He had worked hard to nearly triple the size of the flock his father had left them. Years of sacrifice and dedication had resulted in a flock that was nearly large enough for Itzhak and his brothers to hire help and stop spending their nights sleeping under the stars or inside of their tent when the weather was unbearable. Within a few years, the flocks would be in good enough shape that the Temple might even purchase them. Between robbers and predators Itzhak knew that to go, at night to Bethlehem, would certainly result in disaster for the flock. All of the hard work, all of those years, would be thrown away.

“My brothers, we have our responsibilities here. The heavenly messenger did not instruct us to go and see the Messiah—he was just informing us of his birth.”

Reuben stepped forward and exclaimed, “We have seen the glory of God! We must go and see this child!”

“No,” Itzhak firmly replied. “We must stay here.” He gestured out at the lambs. “We must watch over them and protect them. This is the shepherd’s life. We live a selfless life—what you are suggesting is selfishness. We are not loved by our brethren, what makes you think the parents of a newborn will be happy to see dirty shepherds? Besides, you saw the multitude of angels in the heavens—everyone around here did too—surely that message was not merely for us. There will be numerous people searching for this…baby in a manger. When morning comes, if you still have a desire to see a new baby, then you can go. But not tonight.”

Reuben looked between his two brothers for a moment. There are times in life where lines must be crossed; where decisions must be made that will have far ranging consequences for how one will live their life. Reuben realized that he was facing just one of those moments. All of his life he had lived outside in the harsh elements in the countryside around Bethlehem. He had fought off wild beasts and robbers and slept on the stony ground in front of the bramble gate countless nights.

But that had not been his true life. While his body was present, going through the rhythmic actions of a shepherd’s life, his mind and heart had always been consumed with the stories of his people. As he would gaze at the flocks he would think about Jacob and Laban and the way Jacob had tricked Laban into giving him the choicest of his flock. And he would think about Jacob wrestling God in the Jabbok River and gaining that magnificent blessing. He often thought of Jacob and his relationship with his son, Reuben, and wondered if their relationship had been as distant as the one he had experienced with his father.

As he wandered the lonely, stony hills he thought of the young shepherd David who had slayed the great Goliath with a smooth stone from his sling. Reuben had never been very adept with the sling: he was all brute force and relied upon his strength and close range combat. David though, David was the source of legend. He thought of David’s rise from shepherd to the greatest king Israel had ever known.

But most of all, during the times of long solitude among the flocks Reuben thought about God. He thought about this God who had chosen Israel. He thought about this God who obviously was in control of the universe and yet seemingly did so little to right the wrongs Reuben saw daily: pain and suffering, tears, illness, the savage cruelties of nature and death. He often wondered where God was in the midst of such a cruel world. Perhaps that was why Reuben lived in the stories of his people so enthusiastically. In the words of the Prophets he was continually reminded of a God who agreed with him: all was not right with the world and one day God would make things right.

Reuben thought about how this God who so often seemed to be absent would suddenly appear, either directly or through his heavenly messengers, to make announcements and promises that evoked a sense of awe. He thought about God appearing to Abraham and promising a blessing of incomparable wealth; he thought of that same God appearing to Moses and the subsequent Exodus; of the angels who aided Daniel when he was in the fire; of the encouragement Samuel received to anoint David and the promise made to David about his future son. Through events such as that Reuben had been comforted with the knowledge that though God seemed absent he was steadily working towards something beautiful.

Now, Reuben realized, his years of living in these stories were coming to their climax that very evening. Today, the Angel had said, today in the city of David the long awaited Messiah had been born. The angel had also said he was Lord! Was this not the purpose of his life?

Reuben looked Itzhak in the eye. “Stay if you like Itzhak. There are times and places where God calls us to remember that he is more precious than all treasures. You may remain here if you want and watch over your sheep or you can make the decision to come and see this child who is Christ the Lord. As for me, I must see this child.”

Baruch spoke up, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them.

But Itzhak remained behind. Shortly after his brothers left he took a burning log and carried it to the gate of their pen and built a new fire. Then he lay down with his body across the opening, his back to his sheep and stared out into the great darkness beyond the flames. For a time he mulled over the events of the evening wondering, “Had it even really happened?” Itzhak had been given the privilege of witnessing the greatest miracle in the history of the world but was unwilling to make a journey in faith to Bethlehem, for fear of losing what he had already gained in this world. He looked back at his sheep again, hoping that his future would remain secure throughout the night.

Years later, that baby born in Bethlehem would say, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.

Tonight, we await a celebration of materialism. Tonight, we await a celebration of our salvation through Jesus Christ. On this night, of all nights, let us do not get lost in the pursuit of worldly possessions and pleasures; but instead let go of that which is holding you down or keeping you from joining in with the shepherds and going in haste to see this child, who is Christ the Lord.

Two Great Articles

I received this month's Christianity Today in the mail yesterday and there are two great articles that I I thought were worth sharing.

The first article is by Mark Moring and is about the upcoming ABC show, GCB. Mark does a great job of using the premise of the show, gossip in the church, to encourage everyone to ask the question, "Do I ever do that? Am I guilty of gossip?" This article is so well written, and also eye opening to how greatly the major sin of gossip can make the church look like hypocrites to the outside world, that I am now considering watching the show even though I had previously not had any desire to see it. You can read the article in its entirety by clicking here.


The second article is by my favorite contributing author to Christianity Today: Leslie Leyland Fields. Leslie takes a humorous look at the small, controlled, portion sizes of the communion and wonders if we haven't become legalists in following Paul's instructions to the Corinthians and thereby have missed the fact that the first Lord's Supper was just that, a meal. That article is found by clicking here.

Pastoral Theology II: Not the Messiah!

Last week I caught some sort of nasty sinus/cold bug/virus circulating in the area. I got pretty sick, pretty quickly, and was down hard. My inability to do anything church related got me thinking about the high turnover rate in ministry.

In seminary you learn about burn-out in ministry and how "85% of seminary graduates entering the ministry leave within 5 years and 90% of of all pastors will not stay until retirement." Those are pretty astounding statistics! So one of the main thrusts of my seminary education was to insist that ministers make sure they take plenty of "me" time away from their church. I have separate issues with that approach which I will deal with in another entry.

But I realized something while I was sick and an awareness of it can only be helpful in the fight to stay alive in ministry. The pastor is not the Messiah!

As I laid there on the couch, going mad because I was missing programs and unable to be a part of the ministry of the church I finally realized, "This church has been here for hundreds of years before you and will continue you to be here long after you are gone (provided this doesn't happen). You are not their Messiah."

I think often times the problems that occur for pastors and for churches arise from a false understanding of the role of the pastor. The pastor is not the Messiah; their job is not to save the church from low attendance or financial difficulties or "stuck in the rut" programs and definitely not to save them from their sins. These are all things that only God can do. Now he can do them through the minister, but it is still God at work. So what does the pastor do?

Three Stories, One Theme

At my ordination ceremony, Pastor Peter Nenadov* preached my ordination sermon. In that sermon he said something that I have clung to during times of anxiety thus far in my ministry experience. He said "Nathan, you have nothing to prove, only something to proclaim." Many times I have reminded myself that I "have nothing to prove but something to proclaim."

The Rev. Kevin Neal moderated my first session meeting, in which I was really only an observer. In his devotions he read from 1st Timothy 4.11-16. He reminded the session, and myself, that my role was to preach and teach the gospel and to do so with boldness, despite my youth. The kerygmatic theme reappears: the pastor proclaims the gospel of Jesus Christ--that is the pastor's job.

Finally, at my installation service the Rev. Jefferson Ellis preached a sermon on John 3.1-21 with special focus on verses 14-15. My role, Jefferson stressed again and again, was to point people to the cross. My role was to point people to the one and only one who could save them from their sins.

Maybe seminary education should focus more on what the role of the pastor is instead of focusing on "self-care." If we better understand exactly what it is we are called to do, then pastors are in the position to say "yes" and "no" much more effectively and decisively. So many problems arise for pastors and the church when the pastor says "yes" to far too many things which have nothing to do with the proclamation of Christ. The proclamation then gets watered down, distorted or minimized and their energy goes by the wayside.

Pastoral theology insight #2: The Pastor is not the Messiah. The role of the pastor is to proclaim the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ and point people to the true Messiah. The role of the pastor is to teach about Christ and what he has done and not prove oneself. If pastors focus on their role as teacher and preacher more, and churches focused their expectations more on God and less on the pastor, we might be able to lower that turnover rate in ministry to below 50% while simultaneously leading people into a deeper, fuller and more meaningful relationship with the true Messiah, Jesus of Nazareth.

"Therefore, let all the people of Israel understand beyond a doubt that God made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah!"Acts 2.36 ISV



*I never reference something anyone said or use anyone's name without first obtaining permission from that individual.

Prayers are always appreciated

Short entry this time...that is because sometimes someone says it far better than I ever could. Actually, that is probably always the case I'm just simultaneously naive and egotistical. All of that aside...read this article and please always remember me in your prayers.

http://www.theblazingcenter.com/2012/02/the-best-thing-you-can-do-for-your-pastor.html

Pastoral Theology I: The Biggest Loser

When I created this blog one of my main intentions was to write regularly on my findings about pastoral theology. I'm new to ministry (consider I have not even been a pastor for 7 months) so I am learning as I go. For me, one of the best ways I can learn is to be reflective and that reflection usually takes the form of writing. This will be the first, of hopefully, many entries on what I'm learning. Points I make in the future may be different or even at odds with earlier ones: but that is to be expected when you are learning and (hopefully) growing.

This past Monday night I had trouble sleeping and as I lay there my mind turned towards Bob Harper, the Biggest Loser, and Pastoral Theology. So that is what I will talk about today.

Our move to Pennsylvania was a difficult transition for me. I grew up very close to my parents and very close to friends (some of whom I've known since I was 9!) and never really lived for an extended period of time far from home. I grew up in a city where I was used to side walks and large stores close by. Obviously, this is different from my current living situation. I'm not complaining, far from it, just setting the context for my move.

Add with that the fact that for the very first two weeks, and then six more weeks a month later, my wife lived in Columbus so I was living here on my own, while I struggled to learn how to be a minister, on my own. Ministry is a lonely call, I've known that all along, so that too was not a surprise nor a complaint.

To throw one more ingredient into the mix is my firm belief that a pastor can never be friends with members of his congregation. He can be friendly towards them, certainly should be loving at all times, but friends is another matter altogether. Friendship can get in the way of successful ministry. Dr. Jaco Hamman really drove that point home for me during seminary. I agree with him, and it is something I have carried with me into my first call. Yes, it heightens the feeling of isolation at times but since I expected that from the beginning I was prepared.

While my wife was away during those many weeks I watched a lot more TV than I am accustomed too. (There is only so much one can read in the evening after a lot of mentally taxing work during the day). One of the shows I started to watch was The Biggest Loser. The premise of the Biggest Loser is that overweight contestants compete to lose the most weight. They are divided into teams and each team is led by a professional trainer. By far, the most popular trainer is Bob Harper.

Bob Harper is known for being tough and for having contestants who produce results. One evening while watching the show, Bob told a contestant (paraphrased): "I'm not your friend and I'm not interested in being your friend. I'm interested in helping you lose weight so that you can be healthy and live." Immediately I thought, "What a great definition for a pastor."

Pastor's aren't in ministry to make friends with their parishioners, they are in ministry to see their parishioner believe in Jesus and successfully follow Jesus so that they can be "healthy" and live.

When the Apostle Paul wrote to the church in Galatia he wrote what is arguably his most passionate letter. At the outset, presumably because he knew the things he was about to say would be harsh, Paul set the Galatians straight on something very important: he was not trying to please them or make them happy. After expressing his "astonishment" that they have turned their back on the gospel to believe, what is in essence, nothing at all Paul says, "Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ." (Galatians 1.10 NIV)

Pastoral theology insight #1: Pastor's are not people pleasers. Our call is not to make people happy. Our call is to proclaim the gospel of Christ (1st Timothy 1.3-7). Being a people pleaser is not synonymous with making friends, but it is closely related in that you want your friends to be happy. I want people to be happy, but I don't care if they are not. I do care if they know Christ and the power of his resurrection and share in his sufferings so that they are, ever more and ever more, becoming like him in his death and somehow attaining to the resurrection from the dead. (Phil 3.10-11). That is what I care about. And that really is not very different from the attitude Bob Harper has about the contestants on the biggest loser--only the consequences for the training sessions I lead are related to eternal life and not a happy retirement.

Repeat After Me: Repetition is Useful

If I was a historian of the church, I may be able to give a detailed account of how we have come to the place where we currently are with worship in the church, but alas, I am not. I know that sometime during the last 5 decades worship has moved into the “contemporary” realm.

Now, in many ways, it is misleading to paint a picture of contemporary being something new. Worship has always been evolving and changing, across culture, across generations. I daresay when Isaac Watt’s hymns became popular it was probably seen as a radical shift from singing the psalms acapella.

So by contemporary I mean much more than just music, but rather the overall structure of the worship service: namely, the move away from structured liturgy. Now, all worship services have a liturgy. That is to say, that all churches follow an agreed upon principle for how the worship should be conducted. Whether or not this includes responsive readings at set times and corporate prayers is besides the point, every church has a liturgy that they follow.

So of course, I must narrow my definition. When I say liturgy, I mean what is commonly understood as the more “traditional” approach to worship: the use of call to worship, votums, reading of psalms, corporate prayers and of course, the Lord’s Prayer.

I understand the arguments in favor of contemporary worship. Throughout the history of the church the body of Christ has found ways to redeem the current music for the greater glory of God. Even the tune for “A Mighty Fortress” is reputedly taken from a tavern drinking song. The music is appropriated for worship because it resonates with the people more easily, thus allowing them to “connect” with God during the act of worship.

It is also popular to move in the direction of a contemporary worship service because it is seen as an evangelical method of bringing in the un-churched or those who have been burned by the church in the past. If the worship service doesn’t resemble church the way people either remember it or have assumed it to be, then they will feel more comfortable and more likely to come again.

Then of course there is the appeal of removing formal liturgies, like a call to worship or the Lord’s Prayer. Stuffy traditions are not popular in a culture that values progressive ideas and always wants the latest, greatest thing. When a nation’s cultural identity is found in a revolution (rebellion from the British perspective) it is only natural that we should, generation after generation, desire to throw off the oppressive shackles of tradition and make it our own.

The desire to create a comfortable environment free of supposed obstacles is admirable. There is much I appreciate about contemporary worship but there are a few components of contemporary worship that I fear are doing a great disservice to future generations of Christians.

“Now Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he finished, one of his disciples said to him, ‘Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.’ And he said to them, ‘When you pray say…’” (Luke 11.1-2A)

Thus begins the introduction to the Lord’s Prayer in Luke’s account of the life and death of Jesus the Messiah. Several things to draw out of this passage: the disciples saw Jesus praying and desired to develop the same type of intimacy they had seen Jesus, John and John’s disciples have with God. The disciples understood that intimacy with God is born out of a healthy prayer life and so they asked to be instructed how to pray.

The result? The Lord’s Prayer. Surely the greatest prayer ever bestowed upon the church. Amazingly, I know that there are contemporary services around the country that do not teach the Lord’s Prayer and do not, if ever, pray it during the worship service.

One of the most common arguments against saying the Lord’s Prayer (or other such liturgical elements) Sunday after Sunday is that it is repetitious to the point of not requiring thought. But therein lies the beauty of repetition! When we are encouraged to make a statement of faith or say the same prayer, Sunday after Sunday, there comes a time when we it seeps into the very fabric of who we are. That it may be stated or prayed without thought is the problem of the individual engaged in the act and not the problem of the church.

I find that I spend a lot of my day time hours in hospital rooms and nursing homes. In the process I have discovered the amazing power of repetition. I can be visiting with an elderly person who does not know what decade it is, where they are or even who I am but when I say, “Let’s pray the Lord’s Prayer together” the words come forth without thought. In a moment, we are praying together the rich words that our Lord imparted to his disciples. Words that generation after generation of saints before us have said in good times and in bad. It is a powerful moment for me, and I trust it is a powerful moment for others as well. To see confusion turned into clarity by the power of prayer is something beautiful. I have also watched an elderly person in a bad state break down into tears as I spoke the old, formal, words of institution over the bread and wine and utter the words, “I love God.”

These moments that are so meaningful for them, would have been meaningless, had it not been for years of repetition in church, Sunday after Sunday. What will pastors have to offer to parishioners 50 years from now when they are visiting them in a nursing home and their memories are fading? The lyrics to a song by Matt Redman or something infinitely richer, like the words of Scripture?

We are faced with a generation who want intimacy with God. They want to “connect” with their Lord through worship. They are looking for someone to teach them to have that same intimate relationship with God the Father that God the Son had. Let’s not deprive them of that but instead let’s teach them to pray, and reinforce that lesson by praying together the Lord’s Prayer on a regular basis.