I need to thank God again.
I'm thankful for my church family.
I'm thankful for the other churches that I visit.
I'm thankful that I have a team for Children's Church prep now and not just me.
Thank God for God.
Thankful for friends of friends.
Thankful for disagreements though they are painful. They help lead to solutions.
Still very much thankful for my cats. I moved their litter box to the bathroom and keep the door open and they still stay upstairs and love on me.
I'll be more thankful when they discover that the litter box is not in that corner anymore, but till then, I'm thankful my friend suggested some kind of mat. Let's see if the newspaper works.
Thankful for my brother's caretaker and my housemate Mary. She helps so much and keeps me informed on the goings-on in my church.
Saturday, May 19, 2012
Friday, May 18, 2012
The Hiddenness of God
The other day I was on Ligonier and I read about The Hiddeness of God. I thought it was a really encouraging article and fairly non-controversial about how Christians should not be discouraged when the world hates them, but to find security in your identity in Christ. I posted it on Facebook
So commenters thought I was obviously meaning that we should keep our Gospel a secret and not reach out to the world. Or to not love as Christ loved. Those arguments have nothing to do with the article. But if you try to explain, words fail.
But then, I think, I don't mean to brag, but a majority of my week is spend reaching out to the community through both Refuge Pregnancy Center and now Project Renewal. Oh, and Shepherd's Staff even though I'm more a spectator there.
But the pregnancy counseling is proof that you can tell people what they need to do until you are blue in the face, and they will still come in again, pregnant again, and even having had an abortion. Do I hate these people? No. My heart aches for them. But unless the Holy Spirit moves, you can't change the people. You must not let that discourage you.
This goes for the rest of life, too. You just keep doing things for people and rely on the Lord to change hearts and if you don't see results, rest knowing that you obeyed God and that you have your identity in him.
So commenters thought I was obviously meaning that we should keep our Gospel a secret and not reach out to the world. Or to not love as Christ loved. Those arguments have nothing to do with the article. But if you try to explain, words fail.
But then, I think, I don't mean to brag, but a majority of my week is spend reaching out to the community through both Refuge Pregnancy Center and now Project Renewal. Oh, and Shepherd's Staff even though I'm more a spectator there.
But the pregnancy counseling is proof that you can tell people what they need to do until you are blue in the face, and they will still come in again, pregnant again, and even having had an abortion. Do I hate these people? No. My heart aches for them. But unless the Holy Spirit moves, you can't change the people. You must not let that discourage you.
This goes for the rest of life, too. You just keep doing things for people and rely on the Lord to change hearts and if you don't see results, rest knowing that you obeyed God and that you have your identity in him.
Thursday, May 17, 2012
Tabletalk gleanings
This post won't be long. I'm still rejoicing over last week's interpretation of communion doctrine. Jesus really is inside us during communion, but he brings us to him.
This week, they mused over Christ's return and session at the right hand of God. This means that when Jesus ascended to heaven, he began his rule of the world immediately. He's not waiting for the right moment to build a Jewish kingdom on earth. We Christians are the completed Israel and he rules over us now.
I'm just ready for him to come back and completely erase evil.
This week, they mused over Christ's return and session at the right hand of God. This means that when Jesus ascended to heaven, he began his rule of the world immediately. He's not waiting for the right moment to build a Jewish kingdom on earth. We Christians are the completed Israel and he rules over us now.
I'm just ready for him to come back and completely erase evil.
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
The Dogwood
I sat staring at a dogwood.
It was in the monastery abbey, their Easter display, and it looked like it was suspended in mid-air.
Later I looked and it was simply wedged between a column's crease.
If you were Moses, you would probably get up to look at it. It's not on fire but it's hanging from what looks like nothing.
As I kept looking, God reminded me that Moses was 80 years old when God called him to lead Israel. That was relatively young back then, but it's still a long time.
Then there's Paul. Jesus saved him on the road to Damascus, and he then trained for 3 years and spent some time in Arabia. It was 15 YEARS before Paul started his first missionary journey.
This is encouraging for young ministers who still live at home, see really slow progress in their students' learning, and sometimes don't even really feel like they run the youth program.
Moses was 80, and Paul waited 15 years before he started doing something major. If you feel like your ministry is at a snail's pace, just think of those guys and praise the Lord that you don't drink from a fire hose.
It was in the monastery abbey, their Easter display, and it looked like it was suspended in mid-air.
Later I looked and it was simply wedged between a column's crease.
If you were Moses, you would probably get up to look at it. It's not on fire but it's hanging from what looks like nothing.
As I kept looking, God reminded me that Moses was 80 years old when God called him to lead Israel. That was relatively young back then, but it's still a long time.
Then there's Paul. Jesus saved him on the road to Damascus, and he then trained for 3 years and spent some time in Arabia. It was 15 YEARS before Paul started his first missionary journey.
This is encouraging for young ministers who still live at home, see really slow progress in their students' learning, and sometimes don't even really feel like they run the youth program.
Moses was 80, and Paul waited 15 years before he started doing something major. If you feel like your ministry is at a snail's pace, just think of those guys and praise the Lord that you don't drink from a fire hose.
Monday, May 14, 2012
The Resurrection and the Life
Teen Sunday School went good. I was the only teacher yesterday, and I had my two kids and taught them about Lazarus.
We read the first 11 verses of chapter 11, and I was taken aback by how Jesus acted. It was quite odd. If your best friend was sick and you had the power to heal him, what would you do? You'd probably go heal him. But Jesus waited two more days and even told his disciples, "I'm glad I was not there." (v 15)
It's one of my favorite passages in the Bible, but I'm still in awe of God's methods. The disciples didn't know what he was doing, but Jesus had a plan that would lead to his greater glory. How about us? What if something happens that really makes us mad at God? Do we get mad and give up? Do we doubt? I have doubted, but Mary and Martha and all the disciples did the right thing. They still followed Jesus, even if it meant death, and they took their frustrations to him for him to sort out.
Things have happened in my life, and Jesus still hasn't raised anybody that I know is dead, but I could not sleep at night not knowing that God has a greater plan around all that happens and that he knew every action I'd take before he created the world. He will work it out somehow. He is the Resurrection and the Life.
We read the first 11 verses of chapter 11, and I was taken aback by how Jesus acted. It was quite odd. If your best friend was sick and you had the power to heal him, what would you do? You'd probably go heal him. But Jesus waited two more days and even told his disciples, "I'm glad I was not there." (v 15)
It's one of my favorite passages in the Bible, but I'm still in awe of God's methods. The disciples didn't know what he was doing, but Jesus had a plan that would lead to his greater glory. How about us? What if something happens that really makes us mad at God? Do we get mad and give up? Do we doubt? I have doubted, but Mary and Martha and all the disciples did the right thing. They still followed Jesus, even if it meant death, and they took their frustrations to him for him to sort out.
Things have happened in my life, and Jesus still hasn't raised anybody that I know is dead, but I could not sleep at night not knowing that God has a greater plan around all that happens and that he knew every action I'd take before he created the world. He will work it out somehow. He is the Resurrection and the Life.
Thursday, May 10, 2012
The Mystical Union
I get more and more amazed at the theology behind the Holy Eucharist. I knew a little of the Real Presence, that like the Catholics, the Presbyterians believe that Christ really is present in the sacraments.
Now I have read Calvin's theology on it as told by R.C. Sproul.
First, I will cite Romans 10:5-8
Moses describes in this way the righteousness that is by the law: “The man who does these things will live by them.” 6 But the righteousness that is by faith says: “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’” (that is, to bring Christ down) 7 “or ‘Who will descend into the deep?’” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). 8 But what does it say? “The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,” that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming.
From quoting Deuteronomy, Paul notes that we cannot bring Christ down to our level. We cannot raise him from the dead either. Christ does all that on his own initiative.
Monday's Tabletalk discussed how Christ is in heaven yet all around us. "According to the hypostatic union, Christ is both truly human and truly divine."
Then, people got confused about how he can be both. So they had the Council of Chalcedon. They discovered that "In the one person of Jesus, these two natures are perfectly united without mixture, confusion, separation, or division and each nature retains its own peculiar properties."
So Jesus the human had a body that was a real human body. It could only be in one place at one time. Jesus as God the Son is divine and can be in all places at once. If his body is one place, his divine nature can be everywhere. "Jesus's divine nature makes him always present with us...Thurs we can commune with him wherever we are."
This is in discussing the ascension. Jesus had been with his disciples 40 days and then he rose to heaven in sight of all his disciples. Therefore, his body is in heaven and stays on the throne in one place where he rules the world. Here is the Coram Deo from Monday, "Since Jesus has a human body with all its limitations, it does not become omnipresent and distributed around the world in the elements. Instead, as John Calvin explained, we are raised to heaven, where we feed on the whole Christ in his humanity and in his deity."
So, the way Calvin has it systematized, in communion, Christ's body is not coming down in the bread and wine for us to taste. Instead, he transports the souls of the true believers up to heaven where we can feast on both his body and his spirit. This is mind boggling, and I am so glad I finally understand where Presbyterians stand on Real Presence. It's so much better because Christ is completely alive, we are with him, and we are enjoying a kiss with him while still on earth. We Protestants really do fail when we don't celebrate communion every week. We don't get the full weekly dose of heaven. Again, I'm so glad that God overrides our folly.
Now I have read Calvin's theology on it as told by R.C. Sproul.
First, I will cite Romans 10:5-8
Moses describes in this way the righteousness that is by the law: “The man who does these things will live by them.” 6 But the righteousness that is by faith says: “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’” (that is, to bring Christ down) 7 “or ‘Who will descend into the deep?’” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). 8 But what does it say? “The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,” that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming.
From quoting Deuteronomy, Paul notes that we cannot bring Christ down to our level. We cannot raise him from the dead either. Christ does all that on his own initiative.
Monday's Tabletalk discussed how Christ is in heaven yet all around us. "According to the hypostatic union, Christ is both truly human and truly divine."
Then, people got confused about how he can be both. So they had the Council of Chalcedon. They discovered that "In the one person of Jesus, these two natures are perfectly united without mixture, confusion, separation, or division and each nature retains its own peculiar properties."
So Jesus the human had a body that was a real human body. It could only be in one place at one time. Jesus as God the Son is divine and can be in all places at once. If his body is one place, his divine nature can be everywhere. "Jesus's divine nature makes him always present with us...Thurs we can commune with him wherever we are."
This is in discussing the ascension. Jesus had been with his disciples 40 days and then he rose to heaven in sight of all his disciples. Therefore, his body is in heaven and stays on the throne in one place where he rules the world. Here is the Coram Deo from Monday, "Since Jesus has a human body with all its limitations, it does not become omnipresent and distributed around the world in the elements. Instead, as John Calvin explained, we are raised to heaven, where we feed on the whole Christ in his humanity and in his deity."
So, the way Calvin has it systematized, in communion, Christ's body is not coming down in the bread and wine for us to taste. Instead, he transports the souls of the true believers up to heaven where we can feast on both his body and his spirit. This is mind boggling, and I am so glad I finally understand where Presbyterians stand on Real Presence. It's so much better because Christ is completely alive, we are with him, and we are enjoying a kiss with him while still on earth. We Protestants really do fail when we don't celebrate communion every week. We don't get the full weekly dose of heaven. Again, I'm so glad that God overrides our folly.
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Another Paedo-Baptist Post
I was talking to one of my mothers who I have not talked to in a while. She still goes to my old church even though she is going to see if they decide to leave the PCUSA before she goes somewhere else. And if the current pastor will leave if that happens. We pined over the good ole days when Smyrna actually screened their employees and before they canonized saints. Then I talked about other Reformed Churches in the area. I said, I'm so glad I'm not like other denominations and that I'm Presbyterian, pretending I'm that Pharisee in Jesus's parable.
Then she said, "the only thing I just don't like is infant baptism." She had been Baptist most of her life. She thinks it is more meaningful if kids remember their baptism. I remember neither my baptism nor my conversion. I remember dedicating my life to the Lord in middle school, but there's not a time when I remember not believing in God. However, I do remember confirmation class where Martha taught us the book of John. And I relive my own baptism every time someone else gets baptized. It's like I can feel him or her entering the covenant community that is for both believers and their children.
Folks forget that this is how we baptized people for 1500 years. Families were considered as a unit, not as individuals. If the head of the house believed, then that made the rest of the members holy and they could all be baptized. (1 Corinthians 7:14) The Philippian jailer and his household. Lydia and her household. One bad byproduct of the reformation, besides the visible church falling apart (the invisible church never can fall apart) is people going so far to not be Catholic that they started insisting on individual rights and preferences instead of seeing how God wants all Christians to live as a covenant community on earth where if kids are not baptized they were cut off from God's mark. Just like when kids weren't circumcised in the Old Testament, they weren't considered visible Israel. You need to be in a visible church to be truly a Christian and you need to be marked by baptism, a circumcision without hands, from birth. The Bible says nothing about an age of accountability. Even if there was one, people these days drop the ball by baptizing their kids yet doing nothing to train them in the faith at home. Or sometimes unwed mothers will baptize their kids without showing any repentance. All denominations do the sacraments so wrong these days.
But praise God, he can override our mistakes and keep the invisible church together no matter what they argue over.
Then she said, "the only thing I just don't like is infant baptism." She had been Baptist most of her life. She thinks it is more meaningful if kids remember their baptism. I remember neither my baptism nor my conversion. I remember dedicating my life to the Lord in middle school, but there's not a time when I remember not believing in God. However, I do remember confirmation class where Martha taught us the book of John. And I relive my own baptism every time someone else gets baptized. It's like I can feel him or her entering the covenant community that is for both believers and their children.
Folks forget that this is how we baptized people for 1500 years. Families were considered as a unit, not as individuals. If the head of the house believed, then that made the rest of the members holy and they could all be baptized. (1 Corinthians 7:14) The Philippian jailer and his household. Lydia and her household. One bad byproduct of the reformation, besides the visible church falling apart (the invisible church never can fall apart) is people going so far to not be Catholic that they started insisting on individual rights and preferences instead of seeing how God wants all Christians to live as a covenant community on earth where if kids are not baptized they were cut off from God's mark. Just like when kids weren't circumcised in the Old Testament, they weren't considered visible Israel. You need to be in a visible church to be truly a Christian and you need to be marked by baptism, a circumcision without hands, from birth. The Bible says nothing about an age of accountability. Even if there was one, people these days drop the ball by baptizing their kids yet doing nothing to train them in the faith at home. Or sometimes unwed mothers will baptize their kids without showing any repentance. All denominations do the sacraments so wrong these days.
But praise God, he can override our mistakes and keep the invisible church together no matter what they argue over.
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