Jacob's Well

The web site of some of our new labors and calling just went live this week.  Jump on over to www.JacobsWellNJ.org - I would love get your feedback.

Many thanks to: 

• To my wife for being patient as I developed the site content in the wee hours of many mornings.
• To Matt Combs, Matt Eldredge and Paul Morris for their outstanding work on the video.  Expertise and time graciously donated and done with high excellence. 
  
• To Tim Challies for helping me implement the site design.
  
• To Weylon Smith for designing us a great logo
  
• To Megan Miller for designing a fantastic brochure (not on the site)
  
• To Jesus - for saving my butt in 1992 and giving us work to do.  Humbled by his grace and passion.

Exciting times...prayerful times. Now the journey continues...Pray for all the needed provisions to come in - we hope to move in about a year.

Pray for my cousin Joe

I wanted to ask those who read here and are the praying types to remember my family.  I have a cousin who is really bad shape in the ICU from complications with an immune deficiency disease.  He may not make it.  Pray for him, his Mom and brothers, and our family during this time.  He was the older cousin when we were growing up - always was very good to us (we call him "bo-bo" because one of us couldn't quite say Joe).

Thanks 

The Unbearable Slowness of Blog...

Some of you may be wondering - why the slowdown on the POCBlog.  To be honest, I really enjoy writing and being away from the blog here shows that to me quite a bit.  Summer has been a bit of a full flow with some additional things hitting the plate. 

First, I have enjoyed doing four weddings in recent months.  It is a joy and pleasure to walk with God and young couples into the marriage covenant.  Second, I am neck deep in seminary work.  I just returned from a long week of classes - 8-6 every day.  I am now working on a very large project to complete the class.  Third, though I have not broke this publicly here on the site, I am working very hard on a future church plant in the Northeast.  We are hoping to shove our ship off into that ocean in about a year.  For now I can say a coming post here at POC is imminent outlining some of our plans.  We have just finished a brochure (the designer did a sweet job), almost finished with a video (the video dudes, did a SWEET job), and web site (the web designers did great - one of them was me, but at least the other guy did a sweet job).  Fourth, I continue to use some summer time to meet with some young dudes for whom I did their weddings last summer.  I met with one yesterday who is doing well and see another friend tomorrow. Fifth, I have this wonderful family God has given me.  I have spent some fun days at the pool with two little girls who are fast becoming mermaids and enjoyed a good date with Kasey on Saturday night.  July will have us out on the road for some needed vacation and some more seminary for me.  Then we'll exhale in August before launching our fall with all my friends at Inversion. 

Speaking of which, we have been hard at work on shaping the vision for Inversion in the fall as God has placed us on a cool track for our teaching at our Thursday night gatherings...Oh yeah, I am cranking on a re-vamp of the Inversion Fellowship web site; and since I have already overused the word - I just have to say that it is sweet :).  Props to the peoples at Church Plant Media with whom I am working on that project. By God's grace, keep your eye out for that in mid-July.

So if you were wondering - has Reid gone to sleep on the blog here?  Well, I do need more sleep, but still love the POCBlog.  I have a fun entry on weddings if they were done from a purely secular/naturalistic view - Richard Dawkins as the officiant.  Should be fun.

Your prayers are appreciated. That I would rest, get good time in Scripture, not give way to fear, and press on in confident humility.

Blessings to all my POC friends out there. 

Please Pray

Hey everyone, I really wanted to ask those our there who read POCBlog and who are the praying kind of people to lift my good friend Garrett Kell up in prayer.

Yesterday he was helping a woman in his church with some yard work when there was an accident when lighting some brush that needed to be burned.  Garrett was burned by a flash fire on the right side of his face and arms.  The burns are 2nd degree and he has been taken to the burn unit at a Dallas hospital.  I just spoke with him by phone.  He is in some pain (especially his right arm/hand) and most the skin is gone from the right side of his face.

His fiance has set up a site to give updates when she can. Here is the link to this site.

Many thanks

Reid 

Inversion Fellowship

Over the last 2 1/2 years we have had the privilege of starting a young adult ministry here in Nashville at Fellowship Bible Church.  The following is a little peak into that reality we call Inversion.  It has been a joy to help build the foundations for this and watch God grow that seed into a passionate gospel centered group of young adults.

Inversion peeps - blessings, my friends.  Much love from the Monaghan clan

Spiritual Leadership

Reading a bit today on Spiritual Leadership.  Came across this section in John Piper's The Mark's of a Spiritual Leader.

Lazy people cannot be leaders. Spiritual leaders "redeem the time" (Eph. 5:16). They work while it is day, because they know that night comes when no man can work (John 9:4). They "do not grow weary in well doing" for they know that in due season they shall reap if they do not lose heart (Gal. 6:9). They are "steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord their labor is not in vain" (1 Cor. 15:58). But they do not take credit for this great energy or boast in their efforts because they say with the apostle Paul, "I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I but the grace of God which was with me" (1 Cor. 15:10). And: "For this I toil, striving with all the energy which He mightily inspires within me" (Col. 1:29). The world is run by tired men, someone has said. A leader must learn to live with pressure. None of us accomplishes very much without deadlines and deadlines always create a sense of pressure. A leader does not see the pressure of work as a curse but as a glory. He does not desire to fritter away his life in excess leisure. He loves to be productive. And he copes with the pressure and prevents it from becoming worrisome with promises like Matthew 11:27, 28 and Philippians 4:7, 8 and Isaiah 64:4.

Very good - sometimes in the Christian community the concern is only for "boundaries" and not "burning out."  It is good to read that some men still like to work.  I do not advocate neglect of relationships, family and children - but the obsession with leisure, me time, and living the good life prevents us from moving forward in the urgent task before us.

Isaac Watts on Self-Discipline

Kairos Journal has a great little ditty on self-discipline by Issac Watts. Watts is know most a great hymn writer (for greats like:When I Survey the Wondrous Cross) , but he was also quite the scholar and thinker.  One of my oldest books is an original Logic text written by Watts given to me by a good friend in Virginia.   If you are in ministry and have not subscribed to Kairos Journal, it is a great resource.

The following is from His Discourse on the Education of Children and Youth, published in 1752:

The Importance of Self-Discipline—Isaac Watts (1674 – 1748)

Children should be instructed in the art of self-government. They should be taught, as far as possible, to govern their thoughts; to use their will to be determined by the light of their understandings, and not by headstrong and foolish humour;1 they should learn to keep the lower powers of nature under the command of their reason; they should be instructed to regulate their senses, their imagination, their appetites, and their passions . . .

Many children have such wild fluttering fancies, that they will not be easily confined to fix upon one object for any considerable time; every flying feather, every motion of any person or thing that is near them, every sound, or noise, or shadow, calls them away from their duty. When they should employ their eyes on their book or their work, they will be gazing at every thing besides their task; they must rise often to the window to see what passes abroad, when their business lies within . . .

Children should be also instructed to govern their inclinations and wishes, and to determine their wills and their choice of things, not by humour and wild fancy, but by the dictates of reason. Some persons, even in their mature years, can give no other account why they choose and determine to do this or that, but because they have a fancy for it, and they will do it. I will, because I will, serves instead of all other reasons. And in the same manner they manage their refusal or dislike of any thing. I hate to do this thing; I will not go to this place, nor do that work; I am resolved against it; and all from mere humour. This is a conduct very unbecoming a reasonable creature; and this folly should be corrected betimes, in our early parts of life, since God has given us understanding and reason to be the guide of our resolutions, and to direct our choice and all our actions . . .

The passions or affections are the last thing which I shall mention: these appear very early in children to want a regulation and government. They love and hate too rashly, and with too much vehemence; they grieve and rejoice too violently, and on the sudden, and that for mere trifles; their hopes and fear, their desires and their aversions, and presently raised to too high a pitch, and upon very slight and insufficient grounds. It becomes a wise parent to watch over these young emotions of their souls, and put in a word of prudent caution as often as they observe these irregularities . . . Shew them how unreasonable and unmanly a thing it is to take fire at every little provocation: how honourable and glorious to forgive an injury . . .

[M]en can hardly ever get so successful a victory over themselves, unless they begin when they are children

Here is the link to the article 

Virginia Tech - Our Home for Six Years

I have waited many hours before even beginning to write down my thoughts and feelings regarding yesterday's atrocious murders on the campus of Virginia Tech.  Yesterday was a very odd day for me.  I was personally laid up in bed with illness, unable to do much of anything.  I prayed quite a bit, fielding phone calls from friends, listened to voice messages from many more, and refreshed my web browser often to see the latest news.  Many of you may not know that Kasey and I spent some six years in Blacksburg, a place that we still consider in many ways "our home."  We had several miscarriages there, had our first two children there, connected deeply with the local church there, ministered there, loved there, and some ways left a part of our souls in that little Southwestern Virginia town. 

Watching the images on TV and on the net for us was more than surreal - it was very real.  West AJ, the site of the first two murders, was on my normal route from athletic facilities, to Cochrane dorm where many athletes lived, to the West End dining facility where I ate many a meal with students.  I can still see in my mind the doors of West Ambler Johnson from the windows of West End.  The hokie stone buildings, the green grass of the drill field, all echoed the joys of work with human beings on that campus.  It is all to real for me.  Norris Hall is a stone's throw from the philosophy classes I took on campus, where I experienced September 11th with a group of students in class that cold Tuesday morning in 2001.  So many good, right, and true things took place in my soul on that campus, and in the lives of many students there.  God is at work there - then, and now, but in such a different way on this Tuesday morning. It is all too real to me.

Yesterday, evil visited the campus at Virginia Tech.  Yes, I am sure the normal tripe about the shooter being crazy, insane etc. will be offered.  We like insanity and sickness for our own much better than we like evil and depravity.  The fact that 33 young people died of gun shot is no stranger to the inner city hospitals of America, but this is different for enlightened civilized western culture.  Here the shootings were not in the ghetto, but on the campus.  Here the shootings were among the elite, educated, the height of the civilized world - the university.  Our view of ourselves as moderns cannot bear the weight of such inhumanity happening amidst the halls of learning.  Our schools should be safe, this should not happen and so we are shocked that it did.  So now the normal media circus and blame game has begun in typical fashion while no one seems to be stopping to examine our own souls.  The worldview of Scripture is much different than that of mainstream western culture.  We see ourselves as good, pure, civilized with only the bad apples of ignorance, poverty, and lack of education letting us down.  Yet are we that good?  Or are we in need of grace, forgiveness, transformation?  Something is afoul in the heart of the human race, though we numb ourselves with entertainment and material possessions to not have to face this any more.  The reality is that a human being murdered 33 of his fellow souls yesterday, even his own life.  What are we to do?  Many will blame God, many will go to him, many perhaps might hear the voice of Jesus through it all, most will blame others, weep, and wonder what is happening in this thing called life.

What did Jesus say in the midst of tragedy? It is both shocking and liberating  to read.  It is not as kind as you may hear from a grief counselor, nor as crass as you will hear from the talking heads pointing their fingers.  But in his words we see reality - the world indeed is fallen, and those in it depraved.  But in his own suffering of violence we can be changed, redeemed yet the cost is high to humanity.  It requires looking in the mirror, being honest about our sin, and coming needy to God.  I will let him speak for himself:

There were some present at that very time who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. 2 And he answered them, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered in this way? 3 No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. 4 Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them: do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others who lived in Jerusalem? 5 No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.”

Luke 13:1-5 

Our paths ahead are no doubt lingered with atrocities, our own mortality, and  the call of the gospel receive grace from God.  How do we make sense of wickedness? We do not.  Evil is to life as a contradiction is to reason - it simply is out of place, twisted, and grotesque.  Yet until we acknowledge the verity of Jesus' words “There is nothing outside a person that by going into him can defile him, but the things that come out of a person are what defile him...For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person” we are no further along than we imagine ourselves to be.  This is a moment not for pessimism, but for hope - but hope not that we humanity will save itself and we shall never have to see the face of darkness again on the earth.   No, our solace, hope, and triumph must come from our maker - the one who can transform and redeem our darkened hearts...even during the days that threaten to crush the soul and lead us to despair.  Yet repentance and faith are humiliating to us when we would rather blame others and exalt ourselves.  We would make the world better you see - if it were not for THEM, the world would be a better place.  So we remain self-deceived in the midst of our pain and confusion. 

When God visited this world in flesh, it is not surprising where he went and what he had to undergo.  His blood was spilled and splattered on ancient soil so that the blood of the living might be redeemed. Let not this time pass in vain.

Please pray for our friends in Blacksburg, there are many burdens to bear and move love to give, grief and mourning to be shared...in just such a time as this.  Friends on the ground in Montgomery county, Kasey and I are praying for you and love you very deeply.  We are deeply sorrowful and ache with all of you.

Testimony...

Telling one's sort of life story on your blog...a bunch of Christian bloggers are doing so this week so I figured I would throw my hat in as well.  Here is a short vignette of how I became a follower of Jesus and where his paths have taken my life.

I grew up in a home of good values and stability, but God, Jesus, or the Bible were not a topic of discussion or practice. As I got a bit older I was the type of person who would try to disprove the existence of God and thought Jesus was just a crazy religious leader or some sort of political revolutionary. I thought these things about Jesus without really knowing anything about him. Growing up I did really well in sports, school and leading what most would call a pretty sweet life. I was quarterback of my high school football team, state champion and High School All American in wrestling, and was quite successful academically. The end of my senior year in high school I stood atop a victory stand as one of the best wrestlers in the state of Virginia. I stood there with all these accomplishments yet I really didn’t know what I was doing in life. I was living what Socrates called an unexamined life.

I received a scholarship to go to the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, and went off to pursue a degree in Physics. During my freshman year in college I continued to do pretty well. I made the starting lineup on my college wrestling team and maintained a 3.2 grade point average in my studies. This was a miracle on our wrestling team. Then I met some Jesus people and began to wonder why they believed in what they did. I met a guy named Mike Echstenkamper, the director of UNC’s Athletes in Action, the athletic division of Campus Crusade for Christ. Mike asked me a strange question, “where does God fit into your life?” I told him I didn't really care too much about God but my curiosity allowed me to agree to talk with him further. I had the idea I would confuse him during our discussions with intellectual arguments, hoping to discourage him about his personal beliefs and convictions. Throw out inflationary big bang theory and quantum indeterminacy and mess with the preacher guy. This is when I felt God came to me in the place I was vulnerable and hit me in the gut. He knew I would attempt to logically deny what Mike was saying so he enabled my heart to hear what he was saying. Mike talked about sin; I knew I was not perfect; I had lots of proof for that. He explained how God had sent Jesus to the earth to pay the penalty I deserved for my sin so I could be forgiven and consequently become part of the family of God. God had created me and loved me enough to allow his Son to die in my place. I understood what he was saying and a week or so later I bowed a knee to follow Jesus. School soon ended and I went home, back to the homestead where I didn't know any Christians or anyone I could talk with about the stuff going down in my life spiritually. When I went home I lived the way I had in the past; I drank quite a bit, got in bunch of fights (undefeated) and partied.

The end of the summer came and I headed back to school and the party continued. Then I hit bottom. I was arrested after some fisticuffs outside of a bar in Chapel Hill and it seemed as my life was rapidly unraveling. My coach talked to me, verbally chewed me up and spit me out. He threatened to kick me off the team and told me to come back to practice two hours later after he made his decision about my future. Those hours were the longest of my life. I called a close friend on the team...he was not home. I called home; my mom who was always home, was not there. I felt more alone than I ever had, and then God spoke to me and comforted me with the fact that I wasn't alone at all; Jesus was with me and had not left me and never would: God spoke into my soul what I later found out accords with Hebrews 13:5--God has said "Never will I leave you never will I forsake you" I knew that I wanted to stop playing around, give the whole game to Jesus, my lord and God. I began to learn the Scriptures and how to follow him.  As a guy studying the hard sciences with a bunch of skeptical friends, I had a bunch of questions and wore out both people and books with them. My outlook on life totally changed. God had given me a passion I knew a call to ministry very early after my conversion and will hit that next.

During my last year of college I remember spending some down time in the track stadium at Fetzer Field at UNC. I had finished a run and was waiting on the guy who was discipling me. I remember laying down and was in prayer and sensed that God had significant plans for my life and that I needed to beg him for humility every day. I knew he was calling me to gospel ministry but I wasn’t sure where. After college I knew a few things. I loved the college sports scene; I loved the gospel and lost knuckleheads. So it only made sense to go in to ministry in the world. I feel God desires to have bold people who will speak and live for the glory of his Kingdom in strategic areas on earth; I felt sports was one of those areas. I have been an athlete for almost my entire life and realize the impact which athletes have on the world. I also feel the burden for a lost world confused in its own intellectualism; so I wanted to begin my ministry on the college campus where future leaders could be found. Given a boldness to stand firm for the faith once for all entrusted to the saints and an eagerness to preach the gospel, my wife and I went into ministry with Athletes in Action in 1996.

We spent 2 years in training at the University of Kentucky – sort of like purgatory for a UNC graduate – where we helped start a new ministry. My main team was soccer players. I hated men’s soccer (my wife was an All American women’s player so that was cool) at the time and thought God was messing with me, but he ended up saving about half the team that year. It was fun and I now like men’s soccer quite a bit. After our training we wanted to open up an AIA ministry where there was nothing going on, a place where my wife and I could also coach in our sports. We ended up moving to Virginia Tech in 1998 and had a great six years there. God did some really great stuff during our time and our ministry grew to one of the largest AIA gigs in the US. I also became a regional director in that season and served nationally in several capacities. We also started a summer project in the Czech Republic to engage atheists with the gospel and train students to engage people and culture with the gospel of Jesus Christ.

After spending eight fruitful years with Athletes in Action I received a phone call in January 04 from a guy at Fellowship Bible Church in Nashville, TN. He was a friend of a few of my buddies who had planted a church in 1996. He was looking for a college/singles pastor. I laughed at him because I thought singles ministries were silly get-a-date clubs which I wasn’t interested in. He said that it was more an opportunity to build a young adult community in the gospel and lead them on mission. We also talked about my long term dreams to engage our cultural moment with robust Christian thought and apologetics. In spring of that year I resigned my position with AIA to move to the Nashville area to join the team at the church. I had been growing in ecclesiological conviction away from the parachurch and the move felt right for that reason as well. Yet the main reason I made the move was to be mentored by a church planter and work under a slightly older guy, who was a go get it type, who could mentor me and be a friend. To make a very long story short, things did not go real well with that plan.  Many things happened  which were a bit unexpected and I never seemed to fit in with the culture here...but I prayed to be faithful. The ministry I was called to start (Inversion) has gone well and I dearly love the people.  I also have some other minor roles at the church. I have done a little Sunday morning preaching, taught theology/apologetics, encouraged towards ministry with the poor etc.  Yet it has been tough being here. I prayed about moving to finish my seminary degree in Louisville and then move forward in God’s call on my life. I was pretty convinced we needed to move again to go to seminary, knock it out, and then plant churches. But God kept us here for another season. The passion for church planting began to arise over the course of my 2.5 years at Fellowship. I had always been doing start-ups, loved leading and the idea of integrating some divergent passions. I love being with diverse people, teaching at both street level and academic, and building things. So now we are praying to move into church planting in the future. We are sure there are many hills called “difficulty” ahead of us, but we know God’s calling and ministry will move forward as he sees fit…

The Great City of Seattle

I am spending this week out in the great city of Seattle.  The home of major operations of Boeing, Microsoft, Starbucks, and my very favorite little friend which feeds my habits - Amazon.com. I am out here connecting with some old friends, making some new, and attending a couple of conferences.

The first conference was a boot camp training (love that they call it boot camp) for church planters put on by the Acts 29 Network.  It was good to hear from guys who are doing it around the country and receive some training about things we are praying about for the future.  The second conference is one that the Resurgence is putting on entitled - The Hands of God and the Hands of Men - Many Modes of Divine Providence.  That is one sweet title for a conference.  The speaker is Bruce Ware, one of my profs and theological mentors at Southern Seminary.  The audio and video from the conference will be posted free at the Resurgence sometime next week.  There were three messages: 1) Providence in Process and Open Theism 2) Providence in Classical Arminianism 3) Providence in the Reformed Tradition.  Very helpful stuff...

All this jazz is being hosted by Mars Hill Church in Seattle - which is a cool place to hang.  It has been fun being out in Seattle, a different place than Nashville, TN.  You think?

Some of the interesting things I have seen:

• The Erotic Bakery - I passed this on my way in to the church here.  God only knows what sorts of things are inside - I am staying away.
  
• The High Maintenance Bitch - From the looks of the shop, I am guessing this is a store/boutique for women who have stylish tastes.
• A huge Statue of Lenin (yes, the Russian communist dude, not John Lenin) right in the middle of a section of town.  To read the story of this wonderful tribute, see the following for history and pictures.
  

Some Seattle Trivia 

• USA Today - It seems some Seattle dudes are taking their wives last names - how sweet of them. Here is a great quote where a guy is explaining why he took his wives last name: "because I'm a big ole granola liberal and I wanted to tweak the tradition while showing my wife I love her."  I'll say it again...how sweet of the boys to do that.
  
• Seattle people love books and have a big freakin library
• As any town on the water, Seattle has some good seafood joints.  I did partake a couple of nights ago...very nice.
  

The city is really cool, right on the Puget sound, a great waterfront and good food.  Also, they Seattle Seahawks and their cool new stadium live right in the downtown area.  It is no wonder the city is a growing place where many young adults are moving in.  Lots of culture, lots of fun stuff, lots of beauty of God's creation, and lots of Starbucks coffee.

More than anything there is a huge, immense, need for the preaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ.  Pray for our good friends at Mars Hill Seattle and other brothers and sisters in this great city. 

I am thinking much about the great unreached urban centers of America with the words of God to job on my mind:

11 And should not I pity Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than 120,000 persons who do not know their right hand from their left, and also much cattle?”

Yes, there are many people in this city who need the gospel of Jesus and the grace of following him in our earthly sojourn to his heavenly kingdom.

Slowness of the Blog and Grace Abounding

The blog has again slowed as of late and if it were not for my good friend Tim Dees and some facts of the days it would have been a bit boring around here.  I have just finished up a pretty crazy but very rewarding week.  Grace was abounding and we have watched God work.

Thursday Night's African Connection Night - We had a benefit concert at Inversion to launch our Mocha Club - an initiative from African Leadership Ministries.  A mocha club is a cool idea for friends to get together, pool their resources, to make a big dent in ministry in Africa.  The concept is that for the price of 2 mochas (7 bucks) we can do a lot of good together.  We are partnered with a mission in Sudan.  So, all you POCblog readers - go here now, and sign up for the "Inversion" club to kick in a measly 7 bucks a month.  Who can't do that?  I know you can, so if you are still reading...go here now and do it. 

Friday/Saturday - Inversion Men's Overnight - On Friday the some young men from Inversion headed out to hang some together and look at manhood through the tripartite offices of Jesus as Prophet, Priest in King.  A little fun theology for today.  In the Old Testament there are three offices which were anointed with oil into the service of God.  The prophet, the priest and the king.  These offices are types which were fulfilled in the life and ministry of Jesus, "the Christ = the anointed one" as our great prophet, priest and king.  John Calvin describes it well:

Moreover, it is to be observed, that the name Christ refers to those three offices: for we know that under the law, prophets as well as priests and kings were anointed with holy oil. Whence, also, the celebrated name of Messiah was given to the promised Mediator.

Jean Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion

Jesus then flows his ministry into the church through his offices.  Through the preached Word of God flows his prophetic ministry.  Through the sacraments of baptism and communion he mediates the new covenant and his priestly ministry, and through the rightly established authority of elders he exercises his rule as King.  As men I encouraged them to see these roles of Jesus, and his ministry, extended to their homes.  Men should take seriously the study of God's Word, his call to mission and repentance, to keep families together on mission - a prophet's life is marked by prayer and the Word.  The worship of God is to be facilitating in the home by Fathers who follow Jesus in priestly role, empowering and leading family worship.  JI Packer recounts the following in the Puritan view of the family:

It was the husband’s responsibility to take them to church on the Lord’s Day, and oversee the sanctifying of that entire day in the home, to catechize the children, and teach them the faith; to examine the whole family after each sermon, to see how much had been retained and understood, and to fill any gaps in understanding that might remain; to lead the family in worship daily, ideally twice a day; and to set an example of sober godliness at all times and in all matters.  To this end he must be willing to take time out to learn the faith that he is charged to teach.

JI Packer, The Quest of Godliness, The Puritan Vision of the Christian Life (Wheaton: Crossway, 1990) 370.

A forward thinking vision for these mostly single men to prepare their lives for the days ahead.  We gave many practical examples of leading a family in  the home in the worship of God and raising of children.  Finally, we spoke of the leadership role in relation to all things practical.  Finances, vision, developing/shepherding our wives and kids...it was just a great weekend.  We had a 4.5 hour teach in on all these things. 

Sunday Morning - Faith...I preached three services at Fellowship Bible Church expositing Hebrews 11:1-6.  It was a fun morning and God challenged me greatly to continue to live by faith.  For without faith it is impossible to please God.  A quick little thought for the road:

By faith in Christ we are accepted and forgiven by God, by works of faith in Christ we please the heart of God

Wow - Calvin and Packer are so much smarter than me. 

The message is viewable here and the audio can be downloaded here.

This week - I just finished cranking out an application to the Acts 29 church planting network.  We turned the whole thing around in 2.5 days.  Many  quick-turnaround thanks to my references (Doug, Jeff, Jeff, and Maridus) and to the A29 staff for helping me get er done.  We head to Seattle tomorrow for church planter's training and then a theology conference hosted by the Resurgence.  The conference is hosting Bruce Ware for a look at the modes of Divine Providnece.  It was a privilege to connect a friend, Gary Shavey who directs The Resurgence, with Dr. Ware and seeing the conference taking place.  Should be a fun week with some R&R as well.

Many thanks to my beloved wife Kasey for being so steadfast and encouraging in these days.  I can't wait to get away with you this summer...no kids, no e-mail, nothing but you and me.   

Out for today. 

Hours, Days, and the Glory of God

Over the last several days our lives have been a bit crazy.  It started with a few crazy hours in my wife's life on Thursday.  During the course of 90 minutes Kasey was bombarded with tough news.  First, we found out that one of our good friends' babies has a large amount of fluid on the brain at 20 weeks into the pregnancy.  The prognosis was not good.  We are praying.  Then she got word that her maternal grandmother had a catastrophic stroke and it looked like a severe situation.  Next, Kasey helped paramedics assist our next door neighbor who himself had a stroke - this turned out to be minor. Hours have now turned to days. 

Over the weekend I traveled to Virginia to preach and teach four messages with a group of college athletes from the Mid Atlantic region.  It was a great weekend extending the hope of the gospel - the imminence of eternity fresh on my mind.  Kasey remained with our kids and in close contact with her family who were closely monitoring her grandmother's condition.  Over the course of the last three days, her condition has shown extreme damage to the brain and it looks like she will not recover.  We are now waiting for news of her grandmother's passing.  Tomorrow I will put my wife and Tommy on a plane and take the mantle of leading our girls for a few days. Kasey will spend time with her parents and other family to be there when her grandmother dies.  We are so thankful that Mamaw's deepest trust is in Christ her savior who will shortly escort her home. 

I believe death makes all people pause and think about what is going on under the sun.  It is a shrill breaking into the everyday where we go about our business as if life will rotate on forever for us.  Mortality beckons and speaks to us to wrestle with life, turn the soul towards God, hope towards the future, and remember the urgency of the mission to which we have been called. There is nothing as normal as death - while at the same time there is nothing as foreign to life.  It indeed is a great enemy, an abnormal encroacher on what we know to be good - life.  The final enemy has been defeated - even the sting of death is different for those who have fallen asleep in Jesus.  So tonight I am ever convinced of the importance of the gospel - and our call to extend it into our worlds. 

I would not have desired to be doing anything other than what I was able to do this weekend.  Share the majestic living Christ with the coming generation - and now there is no other place I would rather be than home.  To love my family and send Kasey out to her loved ones.  And I pray that we all join Mamaw some day in that celestial city - which one day will come down when the earth is recreated anew.  The day when the Kingdom invades this earth with fullness and finality.  Then creation will be set free from this bondage to sin, death and decay and will will revel and bask in the glory of our great King.

Fun Pop Cultural Nostalgia

Music shapes so much of our lives, as does film in our days. This semester we just began a teaching series entitled "Lessons from the Old School: The Prophecy of Habakkuk" - To have a bit of fun with the "Old School" we tracked through TV/Film/Music of the last 30-40 years.  For those of you who were born in the seventies and grew up in the eighties, this is a fun 1 min trip down memory lane. Here is the video from YouTube.

Now for all of you Indie rockers don't complain that this is all mainstream music - we wanted the stuff from previous decades to be recognizable to all...but if you must you can watch it and then go rage against "labels" and "the man" 

Daddy's girls - Stand for your Princesses!

I just finished reading a great review for a new book by Meg Meeker entitled Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters: 10 Secrets Every Father Should Know (Hardcover, Regnery Publishing).  In short the review encourages men, well, to be men.  Not passive, girly men, but men for the sake of their daughters. 

For one, I have two little girls, ages 5 and almost 3. I love those little girls with all my heart and want them to know, see, observe what a man is and what a knucklehead boy is.  I pray they see me love their mother passionately, walk with conviction, have both the tender hand of grace, and the firm hand of discipline.  More than anything, I want them to see my life and not think my prayers and exhortations of them towards our heavenly father are groundless.  Even writing these words humbles me to no end.

Basically the review communicates the reality that Dad's are essential to their little girls destiny.  A few interesting excerpts.

Reality on the ground: 

Simply put, children need their fathers as well as their mothers. This may sound like common sense, but it’s common sense that’s increasingly ignored. Today, more than one-third of American children are born out of wedlock. More than half of teenagers live in homes without married biological parents. Reversing this trend is critical to our society’s long-term health. Policymakers have taken notice, as they grapple with proposals and initiatives aimed at encouraging men to become more actively involved in their children’s lives.

On the need for our daughters to see manhood and masculinity:

Dr. Meeker’s advice to fathers is both reassuring and challenging. She urges men to spend time with their daughters, to listen intently to them, and to realize that they will set their daughters’ expectations for future relationships with men. It’s up to dad to show his daughter what a responsible, humble, courageous, and good man really is. 

Perhaps most encouraging, there is a great exhortation on men being, strong, courageous, men who lead, not just males who are hanging around like extra family furniture.

Dr. Meeker emphasizes that dads don’t have to give up being men to nurture their daughters — in fact, their maleness is their strength:

Most of you out there are good men as well, but you are good men who have been derided by a culture that does not care for you, that, in terms of the family, has ridiculed your authority, denied your importance, and tried to fill you with confusion about your role. But I can tell you that fathers change lives… You are natural leaders, and your family looks to you for qualities that only fathers have. You were made a man for a reason, and your daughter is looking to you for guidance than she cannot get from her mother.

I'll close with some great advice for parents.  Some I personally took to heart:

Many parents make the mistake of trying to stay in the background. Parents fear being too controlling or overprotective. We don’t want to embarrass our daughters… Every model for Playboy is someone’s daughter. Don’t let it be yours. Protect her beautiful body as only you can. She may hate it in the short term, but when she is an adult she will thank you. … Stay in the battle.

Yes indeed, men, battle for your girls.  Make them Daddy's girls, stand for your princesses.  Pray for each other and strengthen one another to this end.  Those little ones are precious gems to our Heavenly Father, let us model his love, strength, and sacrificial servant-leadership in our homes.

Good Counsel

With yet another scandalized church leader in the news, I think we are afforded an opportunity to reflect upon our own lives. I have found Mark Driscoll's and John Piper's exhortations to be both strong and helpful in thinking about such things.   

When doctors, lawyers, truck drivers, nurses, janitors, stock brokers sin...the repercussions for families, lives, and homes are severe.  Yet the scope of people affected by a ministers failure extend even more broadly into many lives.  

Years ago a pastor friend of mine game me a little quote about ministry: Your sins will affect people differently, there is a greater hypocrisy in them.  Pastors are just men, no more, no less.  But their calling is one that requires a particular vigilance and prayer. 

Read the links above yet then take courage and walk forward in his mission...

Quotations...

A few quotes I ran across today which I wanted to share: 

Lord Jesus Christ, I admit that I am weaker and more sinful than I ever before believed, but, through you, I am more loved and accepted than I ever dared hope. I thank you for paying my debt, bearing my punishment and offering forgiveness. I turn from my sin and receive you as Savior. Amen.

- Timothy Keller

Observed Duties maintain our credit but secret duties maintain our life

Flavels Touchstone of Sincerity, Works Vol V, p 520. - quoted in Jonathan Edwards, The Religious Affections, Banner of Truth Edition (Carlisle:PA, Banner of Truth Trust, 2001) 65.

The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting. It has been found difficult; and left untried.

G.K. Chesterton, "What's Wrong with the World?” (Dodd, Mead and Company, 1910. Reprinted, San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 1994), 37.

Love

A friend showed me great kindness today in sharing with me so poetry through e-mail.  Man, this is some fantastic stuff: 

Love bade me welcome, yet my soul drew back,
Guilty of dust and sin.
But quick-ey'd Love, observing me grow slack
From my first entrance in,
Drew nearer to me, sweetly questioning
If I lack'd anything.

"A guest," I answer'd, "worthy to be here";
Love said, "You shall be he."
"I, the unkind, the ungrateful? ah my dear,
I cannot look on thee."
Love took my hand and smiling did reply,
"Who made the eyes but I?"

"Truth, Lord, but I have marr'd them; let my shame
Go where it doth deserve."
"And know you not," says Love, "who bore the blame?"
"My dear, then I will serve."
"You must sit down," says Love, "and taste my meat."
So I did sit and eat

Love (III) - by George Herbert 1593-1633

I highly recommend reading some of the metaphysical poets of 17th century England to found on this site - there is much to sit down and eat. 

Thanks Tim Dees for showing me some poetical love. 

Halloween anyone

It is that time of year again.  The fundamentalists will scream and rail about the Devil, mainstream America will fork out mad piles of cash on crap and candy, and evangelicals will be somewhere on both teams. 

Are you participating with demons, druids and false religion by playing tricks and gathering treats?  Is it a great way for Christian people to meet their neighbors and show some love to the parents and kids around us?  Should there be Halloween alternatives for the kiddos so they do not feel deprived of the American right to have fun?  

I don't have time today to write out all my thoughts on All Saints Day, All Hallows Eve, or Reformation Day...but James Harleman has a pretty good post which went up yesterday.

Here is the link - Gimme some sugar baby - the holy, hellish hodgepodge history of Halloween.

One thing is sure.  If you are a parent, you have to at least be intentional about what your family will and will not do.  Amidst cultural pressures this is tough.  Last year we did trick or treat - probably will again this year.  But I tell you that many think I am the anti-Christ for not doing the whole Santa thing.  Please no spam if you like the fat guy in the red suit taking up the full view of Christmas.  I love my Santa celebrating Christian friends - we just don't do that in our house...but we will discuss the glorious, unbelievable reality found in the doctrine of the incarnation.  God become man...to die for sinners.  Merry Christmas.

Get er done!

Some folks out there have linked to this interview over at Homiletics online.  It is a great discussion with David Allen, author of the best selling book "Getting Things Done - The Art of Stress Free Productivity" - A good read and quite helpful.

Here is the link to the interview.

(HT - Cawley) 

On the Spiritual Disciplines

Redeeming the D-word in our Time

A Complete PDF of this paper is available

 

Discipline – why bother?

Discipline. What to make of it? We know its value, but seldom like to submit to her rule. The cyclist who wins multiple titles in the Tour de France knows her well. The artist who has taken years to develop his craft is a sure acquaintance. Whether a Lance Armstrong or a Leonardo Da Vinci, discipline is the constant companion of human progress wherever it is found. Yet there is a mood in our generation which despises the mere mention of the word discipline. We are a “me-centered”, get it now, don’t want to wait, self-obsessed, hope it all comes real easy sort of people. This is the cultural air we breathe and the water in which we swim. Some of you reading this may think this essay is too long to read; you may become lazy and quit a few paragraphs in. Don’t. For a lack of discipline creeps into our spiritual lives as followers of Jesus and the result is a dead and boring faith. Knowledge and relationship with the infinite God and just bored; well that just sort of sucks, so please keep on reading.

It may be a little obnoxious to say, but it is real easy to forget that the word discipline and disciple are very close relatives. They actually both come from the Latin word disciplina which means teaching or learning. To be disciplined means to be dedicated to learning and a disciple is a learner, a follower, one who believes his teacher knows what the heck he is talking about and then gets in line accordingly. To follow Jesus, to follow our teacher, to be his disciple, requires what we sometimes would rather avoid – it requires discipline. To say yes to him, to love him, to choose him daily, to not be swept away by the currents of the world is a pretty big mountain facing us. In fact, without his power in us, we dare not start the ascent. Jesus wasn’t kidding when he said “Follow me” or “If you love me you will keep my commandments” or “He who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is not fit for service in the Kingdom of God.” This requires us to be disciplined followers.

Paul, an early Christian leader, once told Timothy, a young man he was mentoring, that he was to train himself for godliness (1 Timothy 4:7,8). Training requires discipline. It involves following Jesus; it requires walking the paths God has given us which lead towards his purpose for our lives. Why? God really desires to transform our lives, to change us for the better. He really does. Christian philosopher Dallas Willard articulates this well.

It is we who are in danger: in danger of missing the fullness of life offered to us. Can we seriously believe that God would establish a plan for us that essentially bypasses the awesome needs of present human life and leaves human character untouched? Would he leave us even temporarily marooned with no help in our kind of world, with our kind of problems: psychological, emotional, social, and global? Can we believe the essence of Christian Faith and salvation covers nothing but death and after? Can we believe that being saved really has nothing whatever to do with the kind of persons we are? In order for us to change, we must enter his school of training; yes, our joy depends on it.

Dallas Willard, The Divine Conspiracy : Rediscovering Our Hidden Life in God, 1st ed. (San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco, 1998), 38.

Training to be like Jesus

Christians are people that through faith in Jesus and his death on the cross have come to know God. One would guess that such an encounter with someone like…GOD, would change us. And such is reality; he really does a work in and through us. We know that God’s purpose with us is to transform us to be more like Jesus. To make us more like him in character, more like him in what we love, more like him in the way we go about our business here on the earth. Yet many just want to say a prayer, have an experience, get a spiritual buzz and “poof” – we become instant, mature, spiritual people. No sweat, no work, no struggle. After a while we find out that this just doesn’t work. The Christian faith is not a magic trick; it is daily discipleship to our Lord.

When we begin to ask some questions: How do we change? How does God train us, transform us, and make our lives different? The end of the journey we know is to love Jesus, be in relationship with Jesus, worship Jesus and end up becoming like Jesus. It is joy in a relationship, a dynamic love affair with the living God that we are after. Yet the path to that end is often not known, at the very least it is a road less traveled. So in this paper I am going to recommend something very old, very simple, which has been around for a long stinking time. That God not only ordains the end for our lives, becoming like Jesus, but he also has designed the means to that end. He has designed the very paths which we walk towards that reality.

If we neglect these paths we will be robbed of joy, robbed of God while looking for him in all the wrong places. It is easy to see that you don’t go out into the dessert to go surfing, you don’t drink light beer to quench your thirst, you don’t go to the NASCAR race to hear a reading of poetry, and you don’t go looking for God in a choose your own adventure book version of spirituality. You can bang your head into a brick wall thinking you will become spiritual; you’ll just go home with a headache and a little uglier than you were before. So just what are the paths marked out for us to train to be like Jesus? Historically, people have used different descriptions. Some have chosen to call them the means of grace, others the spiritual disciplines. Either way, they are the biblical patterns of life by which God moves upon believers to transform them into the image of Christ. They are the aqueducts by which the water of the Spirit flows into our lives. And it is to those disciplines we now turn.

The Spiritual Disciplines

Much could be written about the different ways God has designed for us to grow; many are so simple, so well known, that to some it may sound like an oversimplification of things. Yet God has not made knowing him and pursuing him to be exceedingly complex. It is not an easy path to walk; but it is not like trying to solve some obscure puzzle. Yet unless the Spirit of God himself moves you, empowers you, gives you a love for Jesus, even these disciplines can become a dead work leaving you empty. But when God grabs you by the neck, lovingly embraces you, smacks you around a bit so you come to your senses, puts your feet on a rock and puts you in a new race, you’ll find that these disciplines will place you in the direct flood of the work of God. There is no better place to be. Yet just before we check out a few of the disciplines, let me first comment on the nature of the disciplines. Are these disciplines for the individual, FOR ME, or are these paths to be for the corporate body, FOR US?

Our culture is overly individualistic; we focus on self at times almost exclusively. We are concerned with self-worth, self-esteem, self-image, self-actualization, self-help, blah, blah, blah. Yet in the Scriptures we see that God works in and through a people, a community, not simply individuals. Yet we cannot throw out babies with our cultural bath water. God has indeed made us unique, distinct, individual souls. Designed for community, yes, but we are created as individuals no less. God neither wants us to exalt our individuality at the expense of others, nor to obliterate it into some blobish oneness of being where no one is valued as unique. So it is no surprise that God has marked out some disciplines for the individual, for me, and others for the community, for us. Let us a look at a few of each. Some of these rightly overlap; others more often to happen in the solitude of your soul before our God.

Disciplines of the Soul

The psalmist once echoed a cry uttered by followers of Jesus throughout history. When can I go and appear before God! (Psalm 42:2) God calls his people to an audience with him. We are called into a relationship with our maker; where God speaks to us in his Word and calls us to interact with him in the place of prayer. Many of the spiritual disciplines are given by God as means to be fed by him, spiritually commune with him, to come to have the soul fixed upon God in worship amidst the rat races of the world around us. Some of these are simple; but their practice often left undone. The Holy Scriptures Much can be said about the Bible, the Word of God, and the importance it has in our lives as followers of Jesus. Author Donald Whitney is blunt and to the point in stating:

No Spiritual Discipline is more important than the intake of God’s Word. Nothing can substitute for it. There is simply no healthy Christian life apart from a diet of the milk and meat of Scripture. The reasons for this are obvious. In the Bible God tells us about Himself, and especially about Jesus Christ, the incarnation of God. The Bible unfolds the Law of God to us and shows us how we’ve all broken it. There we learn how Christ died as a sinless, willing Substitute for breakers of God’s Law and how we must repent and believe in him to be right with God. In the Bible we learn the ways and will of the Lord.

Donald S. Whitney, Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life (Colorado Springs, Colo.: NavPress, 1991). 

Jesus tells us the importance of the Bible in quoting Deuteronomy 8:3 – “Man shall not live on bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.” The Psalmist eloquently tells us about the treasure of the Word of God:

7 The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple; 8 the precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes; 9 the fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; the rules of the Lord are true, and righteous altogether. 10 More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb.

Psalm 19:7-10 ESV

The most desirable possession we have been given are the very words of God. The Bible is the solid food for our lives which align us with the heart of God. He speaks through the Scriptures, which the author of Hebrews describes as “living and active sharper than any double edged sword” (Hebrews 4:12) Paul told Timothy that the inspired Scriptures are useful for “teaching, reproof, correction and training in righteousness” to prepare our lives for everything God will call us to do. The importance of the Bible cannot be overstated. If we love God, we will love his Word; we will realize that without a word from God we would wither away spiritually and die.

The believer therefore will desire to be intimately involved with the Bible. She will want to hear it taught and preached regularly. She will want to memorize it, hiding it in her heart. She will want to meditate, think deeply upon, and ponder the wisdom of the Word of God. She will want to read it daily for encouragement and study it deeply so to grasp its truth. She will want to know the Word in order to know God and thereby be able to lead others to the same fountains to drink. The Word is foundational in the life of the believer and is intimately connected to other discipline and paths God has for us. In God’s Word he speaks to us, in our time in prayer we enter an intimate conversation with the Almighty. To prayer we turn our thoughts

A Life of Prayer

Perhaps the greatest privilege you have as a believer is that of prayer. The fact is the creator of the universe desires for you to intimately communicate with him each day. Prayer can be viewed as simply talking with God, sharing with him your thoughts, concerns, and desire to walk closely with him. In prayer we can find help, guidance, and strength to face life’s many tough challenges. In prayer we also find that the very one who made all things desires an audience with you; for you to worship him, to confess your sins to him, to thank him for all things, and to petition him with your needs.

But to be honest, most of us get too spazzed out in life to have any real prayer life. The cell phones ring, TVs buzz, instant messenger, e-mails, reading blogs, etc. make us a rather distracted people. I know I personally struggle to carve out time to pray during the day. Peter reminds us of a very important aspect for a life of prayer when he writes, “The end of all things is at hand; therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers” (1 Peter 4:7). We must be self-controlled, mindful of eternal realities, and focused on the coming of Jesus. This is precisely why we so need to sit our butts down to be alone and pray. How it dries up the soul to run around all the time without quiet, peace, and the company of God. In prayer we can find the mercy and help we need in every struggle (Hebrews 4:16), we see God align our wills to his own (Matthew 6:9-13), we find grace and forgiveness for sin, and we enjoy the presence and nearness of God. Oh how we all need to make time for prayer.

Finally, there may be times when you just don’t feel like praying. In these times I have found an acrostic from John Piper to be greatly helpful. First, we ask God to “Incline” our heart towards Him (Psalm 119:36,37), then to “Open” our eyes to his truth (Psalm 119:18), to “Unite” our passions and desires in Him (Psalm 86:11), and to “Satisfy” our hearts with good things (Psalm 90:14, Psalm 107:9). Beginning prayer with these I.O.U.S. can kick-start your conversation with God. (I found this helpful acronym in John Piper, When I Don't Desire God - How to Fight for Joy (Wheaton: Crossway, 2004), 151-153.)

One final note on prayer; it is amazing how many Americans know the Lord’s Prayer. I knew it growing up, not from the Bible, but because our public High School football team used to say it before going to battle on Friday nights. Right before we would scream “Lets kick their $#^@&#*!” we would bow the knee for the “Our Father” prayer. What we seldom realize is that Jesus gave us this prayer in answer to a request from his guys. It was a simple request: Lord, teach us to pray. If we want to know how to pray, we need look no further than the life of Jesus. In his prayer habits, in his words captured in the Lord’s Prayer, we find a modeling of the heart and posture of prayer for us…for all time.

So You Want me to be a Monk?

Some disciplines which are in the Scripture simply sound weird to us hustle and bustle people. For instance, when you hear the words fasting, solitude, and meditation, you may get pictures of hooded dudes chanting in Latin or Buddhist guys in orange garb going about with their begging bowls. But we may miss something if we ignore certain Biblical disciplines by dismissing them to the cloister. We’ll just look at these in a really brief way, but these ancient paths, combined with the Word and prayer, lead to a place of intimacy and much glory; even the throne of God.

Fasting

Fasting has long been a part of the lives of the followers of Jesus, but is many times it can be misunderstood or altogether neglected. Put very simply, fasting is the abstention from something for spiritual reasons. Richard Foster has defined it this way: Fasting is the voluntary denial of a normal function for the sake of intense spiritual activity.(Quoted in Whitney, 160) In the Bible people would abstain from food, at times water as well, and married couples from sex for times of prayer (really, see 1 Corinthians 7:1-5). Fasting is a way to express the worth of God over temporal things, to seek him in concentrated prayer, to confess sin and show contrition of heart. Both the Old and New Testament show believers fasting. We’ll take just a quick peek.

In the Old Testament Moses fasted before receiving the law of God (Deut 9:9), the Jewish people fasted for Queen Esther before she went before a king (Esther 4), King David fasts and prays when his son is stricken ill (2 Samuel 12), and the nation of Israel fasts corporately on several occasions to show repentance, consecrate themselves to God and ask his favor (2 Chronicles 20, Joel 2, Nehemiah 9). Additionally every Jew would fast on Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement (Leviticus 16:29-31) as the people went to God for atonement for sin. Even the Ninevites fasted to show repentance at the preaching of Jonah. In the New Testament, Jesus implicitly assumed his followers would fast when he said to them:

“And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. (Matthew 6:16-18, emphasis added).

Jesus expected us to fast in certain seasons for dedicated times of spiritual pursuit, where we say before God, “You are more valuable to me than my normal needs and schedule.” On point of emphasis needs to be made; we should always fast to seek God himself, not as a way to manipulate his hand to give us what we want. It is a declaration that what we desire is in fact our God, not the gifts he may give to our lives…be they food, drink, marital intimacy, or even television.

A good fast in modern times is to give up media (iPod, internet, movies, TV) for a period of time to intentionally seek the Lord. These things can be good thing for our enjoyment, but you would be surprised at how the Lord would speak to you if you set aside time to be alone, in silence, with his word, for prayer. I commend such fasts to you today. Many helpful books have been written recently to assist the church in fasting. I would recommend John Piper’s A Hunger for God: Desiring God Through Fasting. In fact it is available free online.

Solitude

Being alone is a lost art in our culture where we are constantly surrounded by noise and lots of people. But the example of Scripture is clear; women and men need be alone with God in order to focus on him, reflect on our lives, and being silent before him. Many know the injunction to “Be still and know that I am God,” (Psalm 46:10) but it takes intentionality to actually pull away from life. Many examples can be seen in the Bible of people taking the path to be alone with the Father. Moses spends time alone in the wilderness before God called him to service. Elijah is alone on a mountain top in 1 Kings 19:9-13 when God speaks to him in a still small whisper. The apostle Paul spends time alone in Arabia after his conversion; God preparing him for the journey ahead. Jesus is perhaps our greatest example of one who consistently sought solitude with the Father. Even a cursory read of the gospels will see that he consistently pulled away for time alone to pray (Matthew 4, Matthew 14:23; Mark 1:35, Luke 4:42). One final thought on solitude – we do not seek to be completely alone, but alone before God. Before our maker with nothing to hide and without distraction; God is powerfully seen and savored in such moments of solitude and silence.

Meditation

Meditation today is a concept which has almost been completely hijacked by a conception of the word found in Eastern philosophies. Eastern meditation, of the Hindu and Buddhist varieties, is a practice in which a person attempts to empty the mind, even obliterate the self into the oneness of being. It is a looking inward towards nothingness with the mind completely disengaged. Biblical meditation is a completely different sort and it is lacking today in the lives of God’s people.

Meditation of the Biblical species is a contemplation of God and his works. It is a filling of the mind with wonderful thoughts of God; his work in saving us, his works in creation, his works in history and in the world today. It is allowing the Word of God to dwell, to linger, to simmer in our souls deeply. Colossians 3:16 encourages us to Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. The goal of biblical mediation is to arouse the Affections, to still the heart and to set it aflame. Mediation should lead us to prayer; something which meditation will help us find a little easier to do. Here are a few practical suggestions to incorporate Biblical meditation in our lives; I think we will see how the disciplines are beginning to combine together in our times with the Lord.

Practical Suggestions for Meditation

• Find a Place of Solitude and Freedom from Distraction – We should approach meditation with the goal of meeting with God
• We Need to be memorizing the Word of God – Work to memorize larger chunks, as well as individual verses. When you have the word in your heart, it is easier to meditate on.
• You Need Time…Take the time on Sunday afternoons to meditate on a passage of Scripture. Pull out the passage preached in your church to think about how it connects to your life. Take as long as you need.
• Use Good Songs and Hymns as material to provoke meditation. An old school hymnal may even be a great help in provoking meditation.
• Meditate on the Cross – Think upon what Jesus underwent for us, how he lovingly and joyfully endured shame and pain on our behalf to bring us to God forgiven.
• Engage in Soliloquy or Discursive Meditation – That is just some big words for speaking to oneself before God…we see folk in the Psalms do this sort of thing (See Psalm 42 and Psalm 43). Psalm 42:5, 6 is a great example: Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God. Talking to yourself before God does not mean you are nuts, yet it sometimes helps you remember the truth.
• Finally, ask God for Application to your life…

Evangelism – The Great Privilege of Ambassadorship

Evangelism is as neglected a Christian practice as any in our day. Sharing Jesus with others scares the mess out of folks for some reason. Yet, God desires to get our eyes off ourselves so that we might extend his love and grace to others. In fact, being a friend to someone who does not yet know Jesus is a great experience. Being used by God to lead another to the cross of Christ has been one of the highlights of my life. In 2 Corinthians 5, the apostle Paul uses a great term to describe our role in the world. He calls of Christ’s ambassadors, people who make an appeal on his behalf to others. What is our message and ministry? It is to declare that God has reconciled sinners to himself in Christ; to urge others to be reconciled with God. A great book in learning to talk to others about the Savior is Randy Newman’s Questioning Evangelism: Engaging People’s Hearts the Way Jesus Did.

With the Scriptures ever in view, connecting with God in prayer, combined with periodic fasting, getting alone with God in solitude, mediating on God, his word, and his works, with a regular outflow to others in evangelism, we will live in the ways of God and find a great delight in our souls. Jesus is a very personal God who desires to meet with each of you; in fact he has arranged the date. Show up! Yet follow the directions so you end up in the right place. Through the Bible, prayer, fasting, solitude, mediation and evangelism…Show up, he will…and don’t be late.

Connective Disciplines for the Body

As we have looked at some paths for our personal lives, we now will turn briefly to the disciplines of the community. There are many regular paths and patterns which God has given to “us” – to the church, the local community of faith. These practices and disciplines we do together, knitting us in community as the body of Christ, and bringing all of us closer to our God. These are not to be neglected and are given by God for “our” edification, building us up together. Many of these are extensions of the individual disciplines which are now shared in a congregational setting; one is very unique and only can be celebrated as a family. We will begin with the most central of these, that of Holy Communion, the Eucharist, the Lord’s Supper.

Communion

Jesus established the Lord’s Supper, or communion, for his people as a lasting sacrament and ongoing ordinance of the New Covenant. A covenant is a promise from God; the New Covenant is a promise sealed in Jesus’ own blood. It represents a promise that in Christ, God has purchased his people for himself, forgiven them, reconciled them to himself, and made the right in his sight. In Communion this promise of the gospel is celebrated and displayed in the church. In Communion we do many things together. We remember and celebrate his body and blood which were broken and shed for our sins. We also meet with Jesus is a special way, as he indeed is present with us at his table where he ministers to us by the Spirit. Communion is a time for confession, repentance, and rededicating our lives together before God. It is a time of declaring our allegiance and dependence upon Jesus for all things; it is also a visible picture to the world that the eternal is mingled with our present and that Jesus is still calling people to become his own. It is not to be minimized or sidelined in the churches as it is a central and unique aspect of Christian worship. It marks us as his people and is an intimate time for the bride of Christ before her Lord.

Hearing the Word

Just as the Word is savored in the life of the individual, the Scriptures, the very Word of God, are to be proclaimed, taught, heard and obeyed by the people of God together. The Bible is meant to be read publicly (1 Timothy 4:13) and heard as well as read by people in the church. The Word is living and active (Hebrews 4:12) and will change us as we hear it. A preacher’s duty is not only to bring “how to” seminars to people with spiritual themes, but rather to bring God’s very word to their ears so that they are changed by it. Christians are exhorted to keep getting together regularly (Hebrews 10:24, 25) to gathering as the church. In part, this is for us to participate in the practice of Communion and hearing the Bible read and preached.

Corporate Prayer

Prayer is also something we do together as well as alone. Times of prayer and confession are appropriate for all believers. Life in Christ is full of celebration, but it is also full of trials and many burdens. A church which does not pray is a church that is operating without dependence upon God. Prayer truly declares that we need Jesus, love Jesus, and know that he alone is the source of our life and peace. The church ought to gather to adore God, confess sin, thank God for blessing and suffering, as well as ask him for our needs.

Giving to God

Finally, God has called his children to be stewards, people responsible for the resources he gives us. Giving is a central part of Christian worship by which we joyfully return to God a portion of what he has given us. Christian giving should be regular (1 Corinthians 16:2), in all circumstances (2 Corinthians 8:2), in proportion to our means (2 Corinthians 8:3), generous and patterned after Jesus’ self giving in the incarnation (2 Corinthians 8:9). By giving, a believer says that money/things are not his god. By giving a Christian declares God’s ownership of all things. By giving a Christian helps the poor and those in need. By giving Christians worship and rejoice in the giver of all good things. Giving is not to be done out of guilt, reluctantly, under compulsion, or in order to get something in return; the TV guys begging for money not withstanding. Rather the Bible teaches us that God loves a cheerful giver; one who gives without tension in his soul for he knows that in generosity he is worshipping his Lord. As we close this brief treatment on corporate disciplines, I wanted you to read something from a Justin Martyr, a 2nd (around 150 AD) century writer describing the gathering together of Christians. I do pray you see the family resemblance. We are called together in the same fashion today:

And we afterwards continually remind each other of these things. And the wealthy among us help the needy; and we always keep together; and for all things wherewith we are supplied, we bless the Maker of all through His Son Jesus Christ, and through the Holy Ghost. And on the day called Sunday, all who live in cities or in the country gather together to one place, and the memoirs of the apostles or the writings of the prophets are read, as long as time permits; then, when the reader has ceased, the president verbally instructs, and exhorts to the imitation of these good things. Then we all rise together and pray, and, as we before said, when our prayer is ended, bread and wine and water are brought, and the president in like manner offers prayers and thanksgivings, according to his ability, and the people assent, saying Amen; and there is a distribution to each, and a participation of that over which thanks have been given, and to those who are absent a portion is sent by the deacons. And they who are well to do, and willing, give what each thinks fit; and what is collected is deposited with the president, who succours the orphans and widows and those who, through sickness or any other cause, are in want, and those who are in bonds and the strangers sojourning among us, and in a word takes care of all who are in need. But Sunday is the day on which we all hold our common assembly, because it is the first day on which God, having wrought a change in the darkness and matter, made the world; and Jesus Christ our Saviour on the same day rose from the dead. For He was crucified on the day before that of Saturn (Saturday); and on the day after that of Saturn, which is the day of the Sun, having appeared to His apostles and disciples, He taught them these things, which we have submitted to you also for your consideration.

Justin Martyr, The First Apology, Chapter Lxvii. 

Wait a Minute!!! – I Want to Love God, Not “Disciplines”

As we close I want to answer one objection. Some may say “I want God, I want relationship” I do not want disciplines. To that I say “Amen!!! Me too!” and I would only add one small secret. God desires that we have him, and love him, and be in relationship with him. And he has designed the paths, means, ways, and the disciplines to take us on the journey from our heart to his. These disciplines are great gifts of God to know him, to love him, and commune with him. If we neglect these paths we will not grow in our intimacy and love for God. The following picture is designed to show that there is an unbroken connection between knowing God and the disciplines. You do not have one without the other.

Figure 1: The integral connection of the disciplines with knowing God

There is another great risk that many of us run; that we would turn these disciplines into a “to do” list devoid of life and relationship. We do not need our Christian to-do list, we need God. We do not need a heart that says “just do it” when we read the Bible, but rather a heart which cries out, with full emotion, “I’m looking for Jesus.” We are not looking for gold stars to pin on our shirts to award ourselves for reading the Bible and praying everyday. No, we want nothing of that sort. We only desire to go deep with our Lord and be changed, so we joyfully walk in the disciplines he has given and designed to this end. To know Jesus, that is the point, to become like the one you worship, and to love him more deeply in communion, deeply spiritual communion. And this happens along the paths where God blesses. In summary, we do not know God apart from the disciplines, but the disciplines are only a means to the end of knowing God. They are married forever; God designed it this way. It is true that we can experience God in the every day, in every detail, in everything we do. But we cannot neglect food in life; and God has set the table before us with the Spiritual Disciplines. These paths are the way we waste time with God and find life and satisfaction in Him. (The phrase “Wasting time with God” is taken from the title of Klaus Issler, Wasting Time with God: A Spirituality of Friendship with God (Downers Grove: Intervarsity Press, 2001).)

One Final Comment on Community Groups

These disciplines we live as disciples together in community. As we live the disciplines in community, we might desire to walk more intimately with him individually. As individuals walk in intimacy with God they bring life to their sisters and brothers around them. This is how a body works…each its own individual part, all one unit together. Your time with the Lord will give life to our community; by God’s grace our community will spur you to intimate times alone with the Lord. In our community, we do not wish to slouch towards legalism, but love for one another under the gospel of grace. We reject a works based spirituality by putting ourselves under to flood of God’s Word because we desire Him. We also reject the idols of sloth, self, and egotism for a life of discipline, love of God, and service of others. Your joy depends upon it – don’t be stupid enough to think you will find life by obsessing about “me time.” That is being tried by countless masses of Americans in our day and the therapy bills, broken lives, and constant anxiety alone show that life simply ain’t there. Together, let us choose a different path; let us learn to waste a little time with God.

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Bibliography

Issler, Klaus. Wasting Time with God: A Spirituality of Friendship with God. Downers Grove: Intervarsity Press, 2001.

Martyr, Justin. The First Apology, Chapter Lxvii.

Newman, Randy. Questioning Evangelism: Engaging People’s Hearts the Way Jesus Did. . Grand Rapids: Kregel, 2004.

Piper, John. A Hunger for God: Desiring God through Fasting. Wheaton: Crossway, 1997.

________. When I Don't Desire God - How to Fight for Joy. Wheaton: Crossway, 2004.

Whitney, Donald S. Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life. Colorado Springs, Colo.: NavPress, 1991.

Willard, Dallas. The Divine Conspiracy : Rediscovering Our Hidden Life in God. 1st ed. San Francisco: Harper San Francisco, 1998.