truth in love…in action

Too often the church is limited in the scope of what it considers ministry. We fall into the trap of thinking that the “ministries of the church” are what we do together at the place where the church meets or, at least, in the homes of the church members. Now, of course, those things are a part of the ministry of the church. But the ministries of the church should be so much more than that.

Point 1: The followers of the Lord Jesus Christ are the church. All followers of all time are the universal church. Those in a particular area who have committed themselves to the Lord and one another are a local church. Those are the only kinds of churches the Bible mentions. But…again…the church is THE PEOPLE.

Point 2: Wherever the church is it ought to be salt and light in the world.

Matt. 5:13 “You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet.
14 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.
15 Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house.
16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

That is, every member of the church, wherever he/she is touching the community/world, ought to be “letting the light of Christ shine through them” into the darkness of the world. Our mindset ought to be that we are THE church ministering “justice and mercy and faithfulness” everywhere we go.

Matt. 23:23 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others.

Mic. 6:8 He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?

We are the church. We are the church of the living Lord Jesus Christ. When we leave the “meeting place” we are still the church. He has chosen us and saved us and filled us with power from on high to go into the world and shine as light in the world so that the world will see our “justice and mercy and faithfulness” and give glory to our Father who is in heaven.

A Prayer for All Nations, Especially Our Own

Psalm 8:3-4 When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars, which you have set in place,
what is man that you are mindful of him,
and the son of man that you care for him?

Psalm 9:20 Put them in fear, O Lord!
Let the nations know that they are but men! (ESV)

As I read these words this morning just after reading the morning newspaper, I was struck with a profound awareness of the arrogance of humanity, especially those who are public figures of any stripe. Without naming names or pointing fingers at individuals (which would be unfair because of all those who would be left out), it is safe to say this is a chronic human malady. And, so that you will know, without question I am including myself and others who are “religious leaders.”

Stark Humility (Psalm 8): David considers only God’s creation, not even moving into the vast, infinite regions of all that God is in and of Himself. And with that limited view of only the heavens he is awestruck that the Creator of these things would give one nanosecond of thought to us little humans. And yet, he goes on to point out the place of high honor that the Creator God has given to us.

Demolishing Arrogance (Psalm 9:20): What could be more instructive and rehabilitating than for us all to become fully aware that we are humans. However, that this is exactly what we are and all that we are and all that we ever will be. Yes, nations, there is One Who is infinitely other than us. He is the Eternal, Creator God, before Whom we are mere men.

Selah: Pause & think!

A Prayer for President Obama

In praying for our new President, following the model of my friend Al Mohler would be good: A Prayer for President Obama.

Christians of the USA, if there is anything we ought to be able to unite about in relation to our nation, this is certainly one. Let's commit ourselves to praying for Barack Obama and his family. The Christians in early Rome prayed for the Caesars ("kings and all in authority"). How could we do less?

Bishop Robinson's Prayer

Opening Inaugural Activities

Washington, D.C.

January 18, 2009

Episcopal Bishop Gene Robinson prayed:

"O God of our many understandings, we pray that you will…

Bless us with tears – for a world in which over a billion people exist on less than a dollar a day, where young women from many lands are beaten and raped for wanting an education, and thousands die daily from malnutrition, malaria, and AIDS.

Bless us with anger – at discrimination, at home and abroad, against refugees and immigrants, women, people of color, gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people.

Bless us with discomfort – at the easy, simplistic “answers” we’ve preferred to hear from our politicians, instead of the truth, about ourselves and the world, which we need to face if we are going to rise to the challenges of the future.

Bless us with patience – and the knowledge that none of what ails us will be “fixed” anytime soon, and the understanding that our new president is a human being, not a messiah.

Bless us with humility – open to understanding that our own needs must always be balanced with those of the world.

Bless us with freedom from mere tolerance – replacing it with a genuine respect and warm embrace of our differences, and an understanding that in our diversity, we are stronger.

Bless us with compassion and generosity – remembering that every religion’s God judges us by the way we care for the most vulnerable in the human community, whether across town or across the world.

And God, we give you thanks for your child Barack, as he assumes the office of President of the United States.

Give him wisdom beyond his years, and inspire him with Lincoln’s reconciling leadership style, President Kennedy’s ability to enlist our best efforts, and Dr. King’s dream of a nation for ALL the people.

Give him a quiet heart, for our Ship of State needs a steady, calm captain in these times.

Give him stirring words, for we will need to be inspired and motivated to make the personal and common sacrifices necessary to facing the challenges ahead.

Make him color-blind, reminding him of his own words that under his leadership, there will be neither red nor blue states, but the United States.

Help him remember his own oppression as a minority, drawing on that experience of discrimination, that he might seek to change the lives of those who are still its victims.

Give him the strength to find family time and privacy, and help him remember that even though he is president, a father only gets one shot at his daughters’ childhoods.

And please, God, keep him safe. We know we ask too much of our presidents, and we’re asking FAR too much of this one. We know the risk he and his wife are taking for all of us, and we implore you, O good and great God, to keep him safe. Hold him in the palm of your hand – that he might do the work we have called him to do, that he might find joy in this impossible calling, and that in the end, he might lead us as a nation to a place of integrity, prosperity and peace.

AMEN."

Actually, some of what he prays for are things with which all who are truly Christian could agree. My concern is with his addressing the prayer "O God of our many understandings." As a friend of mine said, it's a prayer "To whom it may concern." At least a Muslim would address his prayer to Allah or a Buddhist to Buddha.

I have no problem with Gene Robinson or anyone of other faiths praying to their gods. I think of Elijah on Mt. Carmel. He didn't say to prevent the prophets of Baal from praying to their god. In fact, he encouraged them to "call him louder." Elijah was concerned with neither the prayers nor the gods. We who worship the Lord Jesus Christ today know that prayers offered to God through His Mediator Jesus Christ are the prayers which God receives. We make no apology for thinking that. It is at the core of what we believe.

As I said, some of what the bishop prayed was good. Too bad he wasn't talking to the right Person.

Sanctity Of Life

Today is Sanctity of Human Life Sunday. Hear these words from the heart and pen of a 10th grade student.

The Call of an Aborted Child…

by Kayla Sweeney

Can you hear my voice!?
In the wind a mere breath,
Not a name but a choice,
And I was chosen for death.
Growing and changing,
they said “its not yet alive,”
Forming light,
turned to night
In the womb I was inside.
No chance to see,
No chance to breathe,
No chance to take my heart and sing.
No chance to shout,
No chance to cry,
No chance to scream, to laugh, to sigh.
I merely had the chance to die,
not worth
the birth
or the life to buy.

Can you hear my voice?!
I’m Gods very own,
Before the coming of your choice,
I was still always known,
He knitted me,
and molded me,
and thought of me,
unfolded me, (Psalm 139)
knew in and out the whole of me,
Before the “accident” came to be.

Can you hear my voice?!
Who could I have been??
Without your choice,
If I had the chance to begin,
A Child,
A Student,
A sibling,
A Friend,
The messenger God chose to send,
More than just a breath in the wind.
A Teacher,
A preacher,
A soldier for Christ,
I guess we’ll never know…
You paid the price.

Can you hear my call!?!
I was life to be lived,
Instead killed, murdered, my future hid
I am life!
Do not remain blind,
From the beginning God kept me in his mind.

DO YOU HEAR ME?

I’m shouting,
But it all fades in the distance,
In your mind you're still doubting,
my life or existence.

My scream can’t be heard,
I have no way to call,
My life has been blurred
from the start of it all…
I ask, can you hear me….
I guess you never will,
God brought life to me,
But you chose to kill.

I grieve for the 50,000,000 innocent unborn children in this country who have died since 1973. I am deeply fearful that, having elected a president who wishes to remove any and all restrictions on any kind of abortion, those numbers will grow exponentially in the future. But even if they don't grow, one is still too many.

I am grieved in my heart over the numbers of those who profess to be mature, serious Christians who say we should stop making such a big deal about abortion. When I know the Scripture teaches of God's creation of human life in the womb. When I remember that no society in history which has embraced infanticide has survived, I know that absent the miraculous grace of God in spiritual awakening this country's days are limited—a fate we will have brought on ourselves.

God forgive us. God have mercy on us.