Looks like somebody forgot to tell him that he's running for the presidency of the USA, not the SBC.
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Monday, June 9, 2008
Ever Had a Habakkuk Moment?
I must confess, I’ve been having one this morning. For those of you who are unfamiliar, Habakkuk was a prophet in the final days of the kingdom of Judah before its destruction in 586 BC. His book is simultaneously devastating and immensely encouraging to me. Habakkuk saw his country collapsing into evil. He watched God’s name profaned and despised. He watched the wicked swindle and cheat the righteous out of their livelihood. And amidst it all he cried out to God for justice and salvation. Yet he saw no response from on high. This prompted him to write the following words…
Habakkuk came to that point that we all seem to come to at one time or another – the time when we can’t help but look to the heavens and yell “why?” The justice that our hearts seem hard-wired to crave doesn’t exist. Terrible tragedy befalls people for seemingly no reason. All the while, we can’t fathom how an all-powerful and good God can stand by and do nothing.
Yesterday, my pastor preached a great sermon on the opening verses of Daniel about God’s sovereign hand being very much present even when the bottom seems to fall out of life. He read that opening passage from Habakkuk, which has it at the forefront of my mind today as I’ve waded through several instances of heart-wrenching news. A friend from church broke both elbows in a horrible accident Saturday afternoon and is faced with months of rehab. Denny Burk blogged last Friday about the horrible atrocities of African warlord Joseph Kony, who makes Mahmoud Ahmadinejad look like a compassionate leader. Then, this morning, I read an absolutely heartbreaking article on MSNBC.com about late-term abortion. I’m staunchly anti-abortion, and I view it as the defining social injustice of our generation – but let me say that any conservative pro-lifer who heartlessly demonizes every woman who has an abortion needs to read this article (However, I wish greatly that I hadn’t read the article while my wife is in the final week of her pregnancy. This article was hard enough to read as it is, and given my current frame of mind it’s been absolutely crippling to my emotions this morning. If you’re in a similar situation, consider this fair warning…). The decisions faced by the couples in this article are absolutely unfathomable to me. I still wouldn’t condone partial-birth abortion as the answer, but the situations themselves have no good answer and left me feeling very much like Habakkuk.
Yet notice that I said earlier that Habakkuk is not only devastating but encouraging. One reason for that is that it demonstrates that not even the great prophets of old were immune to the pain that so often permeates our existence. We tend to view Biblical figures as unassailable ivory towers of faith, but Habakkuk was a man at the end of his rope. Watching an author of Scripture cry out to God in desperation gives hope that the same God who heard Habakkuk hears me as well. The greater reason for hope, though, is how God answers Habakkuk. What he reveals is that he is very much aware of the state of his creation, and that he is not asleep at the wheel. He is preparing to come in judgment of his people (which eventually prompts more questions from Habakkuk), but he patiently waits in his great mercy. He tells Habakkuk that he will accomplish his perfect plan, and his wisdom is present in all his decrees, even when we cannot understand why. The end result for Habakkuk? Much like Job, he doesn’t get exactly the answers he wants, but he comes out the other side with a much deeper trust in the God who does all things well. He closes with these words…
O Lord, how long shall I cry for help,
and you will not hear?
Or cry to you “Violence!”
and you will not save?
Why do you make me see iniquity,
and why do you idly look at wrong?
Destruction and violence are before me;
strife and contention arise.
So the law is paralyzed,and
justice never goes forth.
For the wicked surround the righteous;
so justice goes forth perverted. – Habakkuk 1:1-4
Habakkuk came to that point that we all seem to come to at one time or another – the time when we can’t help but look to the heavens and yell “why?” The justice that our hearts seem hard-wired to crave doesn’t exist. Terrible tragedy befalls people for seemingly no reason. All the while, we can’t fathom how an all-powerful and good God can stand by and do nothing.
Yesterday, my pastor preached a great sermon on the opening verses of Daniel about God’s sovereign hand being very much present even when the bottom seems to fall out of life. He read that opening passage from Habakkuk, which has it at the forefront of my mind today as I’ve waded through several instances of heart-wrenching news. A friend from church broke both elbows in a horrible accident Saturday afternoon and is faced with months of rehab. Denny Burk blogged last Friday about the horrible atrocities of African warlord Joseph Kony, who makes Mahmoud Ahmadinejad look like a compassionate leader. Then, this morning, I read an absolutely heartbreaking article on MSNBC.com about late-term abortion. I’m staunchly anti-abortion, and I view it as the defining social injustice of our generation – but let me say that any conservative pro-lifer who heartlessly demonizes every woman who has an abortion needs to read this article (However, I wish greatly that I hadn’t read the article while my wife is in the final week of her pregnancy. This article was hard enough to read as it is, and given my current frame of mind it’s been absolutely crippling to my emotions this morning. If you’re in a similar situation, consider this fair warning…). The decisions faced by the couples in this article are absolutely unfathomable to me. I still wouldn’t condone partial-birth abortion as the answer, but the situations themselves have no good answer and left me feeling very much like Habakkuk.
Yet notice that I said earlier that Habakkuk is not only devastating but encouraging. One reason for that is that it demonstrates that not even the great prophets of old were immune to the pain that so often permeates our existence. We tend to view Biblical figures as unassailable ivory towers of faith, but Habakkuk was a man at the end of his rope. Watching an author of Scripture cry out to God in desperation gives hope that the same God who heard Habakkuk hears me as well. The greater reason for hope, though, is how God answers Habakkuk. What he reveals is that he is very much aware of the state of his creation, and that he is not asleep at the wheel. He is preparing to come in judgment of his people (which eventually prompts more questions from Habakkuk), but he patiently waits in his great mercy. He tells Habakkuk that he will accomplish his perfect plan, and his wisdom is present in all his decrees, even when we cannot understand why. The end result for Habakkuk? Much like Job, he doesn’t get exactly the answers he wants, but he comes out the other side with a much deeper trust in the God who does all things well. He closes with these words…
Though the fig tree should not blossom,I don’t know what the future holds. I don’t understand a lot of what’s happening now. I’m prone to worry, anxiety, and bewilderment. But I know the God who is over it all, and that is enough. I will take joy in the God of my salvation.
nor fruit be on the vines,
the produce of the olive fail
and the fields yield no food,
the flock be cut off from the fold
and there be no herd in the stalls,
yet I will rejoice in the Lord;
I will take joy in the God of my salvation.
God, the Lord, is my strength;
he makes my feet like the deer's;
he makes me tread on my high places. – Habakkuk 3:17-19
Friday, June 6, 2008
Friday's Featured Film - 6/6/08
New movies are usually released to theaters every Friday, but who’s got 10 bucks these days to drop on a movie that may well be a load of crap? Given those odds, each Friday I offer an alternative on DVD that you can rent at your local video store (or in some cases, avoid at all costs). Some will be new releases, others you may have to hunt for, but all of them are available to light up your small screen should it be a lazy Friday night.Hero
I enjoy movies for a myriad of different reasons. How else could you explain the presence of both A Beautiful Mind and Pirates of the Caribbean (the first one, not the sequels) on my DVD shelf? Sometimes I want to see something profound and meaningful, sometimes I want to see pretty colors flash across the screen at a high rate of speed. Rare is the film that can satisfy both desires simultaneously. So, when I say that Hero is perhaps the most beautiful movie I have ever seen on both a visual and emotional level, I hope you catch the level of admiration I have for this film. Last year, Heather and I went on a wuxia film binge, catching up on several of the Chinese films that became popular in America following the success of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. Of them all, Hero stood out as a true masterpiece – an exhilarating and moving tribute to the true nature of a hero.
Set against the unification wars which ultimately led to the Chinese dynasties, the film focuses on a man known simply as Nameless (Jet Li), a humble warrior who has just slain three notorious assassins – Broken Sword (Tony Leung), Flying Snow (Maggie Cheung), and Sky (Donnie Yen) - who were plotting the death of the King of Quin (Chen Daoming). In his quest to unify China, the king has made many enemies, and after barely surviving a previous assassination attempt he lives a reclusive life – removing all decorum from his royal halls to leave nowhere to hide, wearing body armor 24-7, and allowing no one within 100 paces of the throne. After defeating the king’s enemies, Nameless is summoned to appear before the king to receive his reward and recount the tale of his heroic victory. As the tale is told, we watch in flashback the story of Nameless’ journey and the motivation that has defined his heroic acts.
I'm going to have to fight hard to keep from overusing the word "beautiful" in this review, because I truly think that if I had to sum up the experience of Hero in one word that would be it. On a visual level, the film is simply stunning. Cinematographer Christopher Doyle uses color to tell the story in and of itself, with the palette of each scene subtly communicating its mood and emotion. The action choreography resembles dance more than swordplay, and the actors’ expressiveness ensures that the subtitles (the DVD does include English dubbing, but I highly recommend watching it in Chinese) don’t act as a barrier to keep the audience from connecting emotionally with the characters. The script is expertly constructed – nobody’s a cardboard cut-out, but each character has a depth of motivation that is revealed over the course of the film. Tan Dun’s score is gorgeously haunting – this was the rare movie where Heather and I sat quietly on the couch as the credits rolled and the theme played, a great testament to the enchanting impact of not only the score but the film as a whole. The themes of honor and the true measure of a warrior resonate deeply in our troubled times. Director Zhang Yimou (House of Flying Daggers) weaves all these elements together with a presence that is noticeable but never overbearing. The film carries you along, taking you on a journey that is often unexpected but never contrived, often emotional but never melodramatic, and arriving at a conclusion far more profound than you expect from the outset. Just talking about the movie has me wanting to experience it again, so I may well watch my own Friday’s Featured Film this evening. If you’ve got an aversion to foreign-language films, martial arts films, or period pieces, throw it out the window and experience a film you will not soon forget. - **** (out of 4)
Hero is rated PG-13 for stylized martial arts violence and a scene of sensuality.
I enjoy movies for a myriad of different reasons. How else could you explain the presence of both A Beautiful Mind and Pirates of the Caribbean (the first one, not the sequels) on my DVD shelf? Sometimes I want to see something profound and meaningful, sometimes I want to see pretty colors flash across the screen at a high rate of speed. Rare is the film that can satisfy both desires simultaneously. So, when I say that Hero is perhaps the most beautiful movie I have ever seen on both a visual and emotional level, I hope you catch the level of admiration I have for this film. Last year, Heather and I went on a wuxia film binge, catching up on several of the Chinese films that became popular in America following the success of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. Of them all, Hero stood out as a true masterpiece – an exhilarating and moving tribute to the true nature of a hero.
Set against the unification wars which ultimately led to the Chinese dynasties, the film focuses on a man known simply as Nameless (Jet Li), a humble warrior who has just slain three notorious assassins – Broken Sword (Tony Leung), Flying Snow (Maggie Cheung), and Sky (Donnie Yen) - who were plotting the death of the King of Quin (Chen Daoming). In his quest to unify China, the king has made many enemies, and after barely surviving a previous assassination attempt he lives a reclusive life – removing all decorum from his royal halls to leave nowhere to hide, wearing body armor 24-7, and allowing no one within 100 paces of the throne. After defeating the king’s enemies, Nameless is summoned to appear before the king to receive his reward and recount the tale of his heroic victory. As the tale is told, we watch in flashback the story of Nameless’ journey and the motivation that has defined his heroic acts.
I'm going to have to fight hard to keep from overusing the word "beautiful" in this review, because I truly think that if I had to sum up the experience of Hero in one word that would be it. On a visual level, the film is simply stunning. Cinematographer Christopher Doyle uses color to tell the story in and of itself, with the palette of each scene subtly communicating its mood and emotion. The action choreography resembles dance more than swordplay, and the actors’ expressiveness ensures that the subtitles (the DVD does include English dubbing, but I highly recommend watching it in Chinese) don’t act as a barrier to keep the audience from connecting emotionally with the characters. The script is expertly constructed – nobody’s a cardboard cut-out, but each character has a depth of motivation that is revealed over the course of the film. Tan Dun’s score is gorgeously haunting – this was the rare movie where Heather and I sat quietly on the couch as the credits rolled and the theme played, a great testament to the enchanting impact of not only the score but the film as a whole. The themes of honor and the true measure of a warrior resonate deeply in our troubled times. Director Zhang Yimou (House of Flying Daggers) weaves all these elements together with a presence that is noticeable but never overbearing. The film carries you along, taking you on a journey that is often unexpected but never contrived, often emotional but never melodramatic, and arriving at a conclusion far more profound than you expect from the outset. Just talking about the movie has me wanting to experience it again, so I may well watch my own Friday’s Featured Film this evening. If you’ve got an aversion to foreign-language films, martial arts films, or period pieces, throw it out the window and experience a film you will not soon forget. - **** (out of 4)
Hero is rated PG-13 for stylized martial arts violence and a scene of sensuality.
You Know You've Thought the Same Thing...
Hilarious quote from ESPN columnist Bill Simmons (if you're not an NBA fan and don't get it, click on the included link)...
"By the way, we're going to have our hands full with lump-in-the-throat ABC halftime pieces during the Finals, between Fisher's daughter bravely battling cancer, Doc Rivers losing his father a few months ago, Bill Russell remembering the late Red Auerbach, P.J. Brown helping a post-Katrina New Orleans, and the 25th anniversary of Sam Cassell's spaceship landing on Earth."
Thursday, June 5, 2008
Sola5 Wednesday Recap - 6/4/08
This weekly topic is an effort to recap the Wednesday night Bible study I teach at Sola5, my youth group. I hope it serves to help us all in contemplating the ceaseless riches of God’s grace as revealed through the Scriptures.
Last night, we began our “You Asked For It” summer series by tackling the question, “Do You Have to Be Baptized to Be Saved?” We began the evening by introducing the three views of baptism that are common in protestant circles…
Believer’s Baptism (or credobaptism) – The belief that baptism is an outward symbolic demonstration of faith in Christ. Thus, only those who have expressed faith in Christ should be baptized. View held by Baptists, Methodists, Pentecostals, and yours truly.
Infant Baptism (or paedobaptism) – The belief that baptism is a continuation of circumcision as a sign of God’s covenant blessings. Thus, just as children in the OT were circumcised and became part of the covenant community, so Christian parents today should have their infants baptized as a sign that they are part of the church, the NT covenant community. They do not, however, believe that this baptism is in any way a guarantee of salvation. This view is held mainly by Presbyterians, with variations in the Episcopal Church as well (Catholic infant baptism is something completely different, and outside the scope of our discussion)
Baptismal Regeneration – Much like believer’s baptism, except with the belief that baptism is necessary for salvation, that it actually plays a part in our justification. This view is held by the Church of Christ.
While a discussion of infant baptism could be good, we focused on our belief in believer’s baptism and how to answer one who would say that it is a necessary part of salvation. In fact, this issue cuts right to the core of our faith, since one of our foundational beliefs at Sola5 is that salvation comes sola fide – through faith alone. If baptism is a necessary part of receiving salvation, than sola fide, frankly, is a lie. This means that this issue demands our careful attention and consideration.
To discuss why we don’t believe that baptism saves a person, we actually went straight to one of the passages of Scripture often trumpeted to prove baptismal regeneration, 1 Peter 3:18-22. After all, verse 21 does say, “Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you.” Sounds pretty straightforward, right? Well, it does until you examine the verse in context, which is necessary when the passage as read seems to contradict some very plain assertions of Scripture, such as that of Romans 3:28. So, what is 1 Peter 3 really saying?
First off, Peter begins by reminding us of the grounds of our salvation. He says that our grounds are on Christ’s sufferings. Speaking of us passing from spiritual death to life, he reminds us that Christ suffered once for sins to bring us to God. Also notice that the emphasis here is not on our actions. In fact, every verb in verse 18 has God and Christ as active and us as passive – we have been brought to God just as a dead man cannot move himself but must be picked up and taken anywhere he goes. After reading verse 18, it’s very clear that Peter is going to great lengths to stress that our salvation is absolutely dependant on Christ and not at all on us. This seems to indicate that verse 21 may not actually mean what baptismal regeneration proponents say it means. So what does it mean?
I think the answer becomes clearer when we see verses 19-21 as pictures of salvation. Peter gives us two illustrations of our salvation – Noah’s flood and our baptism. Notice that he links them together in his explanation - “Baptism, which corresponds to this…” Peter is telling us that baptism is a picture of our salvation just like the flood was. Now, Noah wasn’t saved by the flood – he was saved (Hebrews 11 tells us explicitly) by his faith in God – a fact that was expressed both by his obedience and by God subsequently bringing him through the flood. Just as surely, we are not saved by baptism, but it is a sign of the faith that God has given us in our hearts – an outward expression of an inward reality. It’s almost as if Peter anticipated misunderstanding, because he immediately qualifies his statement – “Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you – not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.” Peter says that the physical act of baptism isn’t what saves, it’s the inward reality that baptism reflects – the appeal to God for a good conscience, a pure heart, new life – which can only come from faith given by God. Just to make himself clear, Peter concludes in verse 22 by focusing our security in salvation not on baptism, but on Christ, who rules at the Father’s right hand having all authority in heaven and on earth.
So, is baptism necessary for salvation? I can answer an emphatic no – we find peace with God by grace through faith in Christ alone, and not due to any accomplishments on our part. However, does that mean that baptism is insignificant? Of course not! Are good works required for salvation? Are we justified in any way by our works? No! Does that mean that good works are insignificant? No – a life that follows Christ’s commands is the outward sign that we have true faith in him. As James said, “Faith without works is dead.” It is much the same with baptism – it is not the basis of our standing with God, but it is a public expression of our faith (and one that is commanded by Christ, no less). It doesn’t save us, but to treat it as mere option is a disservice as well. We ended with some good discussion last night, and actually went about 10 minutes over. If there are any Sola5 members dropping by (or anyone, for that matter) and you want to discuss this question more, feel free to drop me a comment. I’m excited about the weeks to come and pray that God would use these questions to give us a fuller understanding of his glory and grace.
Last night, we began our “You Asked For It” summer series by tackling the question, “Do You Have to Be Baptized to Be Saved?” We began the evening by introducing the three views of baptism that are common in protestant circles…
Believer’s Baptism (or credobaptism) – The belief that baptism is an outward symbolic demonstration of faith in Christ. Thus, only those who have expressed faith in Christ should be baptized. View held by Baptists, Methodists, Pentecostals, and yours truly.
Infant Baptism (or paedobaptism) – The belief that baptism is a continuation of circumcision as a sign of God’s covenant blessings. Thus, just as children in the OT were circumcised and became part of the covenant community, so Christian parents today should have their infants baptized as a sign that they are part of the church, the NT covenant community. They do not, however, believe that this baptism is in any way a guarantee of salvation. This view is held mainly by Presbyterians, with variations in the Episcopal Church as well (Catholic infant baptism is something completely different, and outside the scope of our discussion)
Baptismal Regeneration – Much like believer’s baptism, except with the belief that baptism is necessary for salvation, that it actually plays a part in our justification. This view is held by the Church of Christ.
While a discussion of infant baptism could be good, we focused on our belief in believer’s baptism and how to answer one who would say that it is a necessary part of salvation. In fact, this issue cuts right to the core of our faith, since one of our foundational beliefs at Sola5 is that salvation comes sola fide – through faith alone. If baptism is a necessary part of receiving salvation, than sola fide, frankly, is a lie. This means that this issue demands our careful attention and consideration.
To discuss why we don’t believe that baptism saves a person, we actually went straight to one of the passages of Scripture often trumpeted to prove baptismal regeneration, 1 Peter 3:18-22. After all, verse 21 does say, “Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you.” Sounds pretty straightforward, right? Well, it does until you examine the verse in context, which is necessary when the passage as read seems to contradict some very plain assertions of Scripture, such as that of Romans 3:28. So, what is 1 Peter 3 really saying?
First off, Peter begins by reminding us of the grounds of our salvation. He says that our grounds are on Christ’s sufferings. Speaking of us passing from spiritual death to life, he reminds us that Christ suffered once for sins to bring us to God. Also notice that the emphasis here is not on our actions. In fact, every verb in verse 18 has God and Christ as active and us as passive – we have been brought to God just as a dead man cannot move himself but must be picked up and taken anywhere he goes. After reading verse 18, it’s very clear that Peter is going to great lengths to stress that our salvation is absolutely dependant on Christ and not at all on us. This seems to indicate that verse 21 may not actually mean what baptismal regeneration proponents say it means. So what does it mean?
I think the answer becomes clearer when we see verses 19-21 as pictures of salvation. Peter gives us two illustrations of our salvation – Noah’s flood and our baptism. Notice that he links them together in his explanation - “Baptism, which corresponds to this…” Peter is telling us that baptism is a picture of our salvation just like the flood was. Now, Noah wasn’t saved by the flood – he was saved (Hebrews 11 tells us explicitly) by his faith in God – a fact that was expressed both by his obedience and by God subsequently bringing him through the flood. Just as surely, we are not saved by baptism, but it is a sign of the faith that God has given us in our hearts – an outward expression of an inward reality. It’s almost as if Peter anticipated misunderstanding, because he immediately qualifies his statement – “Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you – not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.” Peter says that the physical act of baptism isn’t what saves, it’s the inward reality that baptism reflects – the appeal to God for a good conscience, a pure heart, new life – which can only come from faith given by God. Just to make himself clear, Peter concludes in verse 22 by focusing our security in salvation not on baptism, but on Christ, who rules at the Father’s right hand having all authority in heaven and on earth.
So, is baptism necessary for salvation? I can answer an emphatic no – we find peace with God by grace through faith in Christ alone, and not due to any accomplishments on our part. However, does that mean that baptism is insignificant? Of course not! Are good works required for salvation? Are we justified in any way by our works? No! Does that mean that good works are insignificant? No – a life that follows Christ’s commands is the outward sign that we have true faith in him. As James said, “Faith without works is dead.” It is much the same with baptism – it is not the basis of our standing with God, but it is a public expression of our faith (and one that is commanded by Christ, no less). It doesn’t save us, but to treat it as mere option is a disservice as well. We ended with some good discussion last night, and actually went about 10 minutes over. If there are any Sola5 members dropping by (or anyone, for that matter) and you want to discuss this question more, feel free to drop me a comment. I’m excited about the weeks to come and pray that God would use these questions to give us a fuller understanding of his glory and grace.
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
You Asked For It
I'm pretty excited - tonight I'll start a summer series with my youth called, "You Asked For It," a Q&A driven series of topical studies based on questions they've submitted. We did this a couple years ago and it generated several good discussions. It's a good change-of-pace from our usual expository book studies, and it challenges me to biblically explain some tough questions in understandable ways. Nothing helps you understand a view like having to articulate it. Tonight, we open with "Do you have to be baptized to be saved?" I'll post the usual recap tomorrow.
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
One For the Ages
If you missed last night's game 5 of the Stanley Cup Finals, then you missed over 100 minutes of fantastic hockey. Up 3-1 in the series and trying to clinch, Detroit put on a ferocious third period push to take the lead and start the countdown to their coronation. Looking panicky and done, Pittsburgh found new life when Max Talbot jammed home a rebound with 30 seconds left, forcing sudden-death overtime. It took 3 overtimes, but the Penguins finally prevailed on Peter Sykora's power play goal and pushed the series to 3-2. The Penguins were as gritty a team as I've ever seen - goalie Marc-Andre Fleury was truly phenomenal, defenseman Sergei Gonchar picked up an assist on the game winning goal after missing the third period and the first two overtimes due to crashing head-first into the boards late in the second period, and winger Ryan Malone played to the end with a battered visage after taking a slap shot to the face (already having suffered a broken nose just a week prior) in the second period. Detroit was the better team last night, but the Penguins refused to go down, which made for thrilling and riveting viewing. Do yourself a favor and catch game 6 Wednesday night.
Monday, June 2, 2008
Boredom, Sarcasm, and a Pathetic Need for Affirmation
In a nutshell, those three things explain the fact that I've made the top 10 of the Crummy Church Signs caption contest for the second time. You'd think that since I've already won the book I'd be above shameless pandering for votes. You'd be wrong.And really - after seeing the sign in question, tell me with a straight face that they didn't have it coming.
How's Your Spiritual Portfolio?
Yesterday, I had the honor of sitting on an ordination council for Jake Pratt, a friend at my church who is preparing to begin PhD studies. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the process, the council is made up of the ordained men of the church, both ministers and deacons, who question the candidate to confirm their calling and competence for ministry. I was ordained a little over two years ago, but this is the first time I’ve had opportunity to be a part of the council for someone else. In reality, my presence was really mildly ridiculous – I’ve not even hit 25 yet and here I sit on a council with a seminary professor and several men who have been humbly serving the Lord twice as long as I’ve been alive, questioning a guy who’s far wiser than me and more than 10 years my senior. Though I did ask one question of Jake, I feel like I came away from the council having taken in far more wisdom than I brought to the table.
One piece of wisdom that has particularly stuck with me was from Jake himself. When asked a question about how he feels discipleship should take place in the local church, Jake responded by talking about the importance of mentorship. The most effective form of discipleship seems clearly to be when a wiser, more mature believer (or family of believers) takes a younger person or family under their wing. Jake talked about the importance of recovering that largely lost art. As we split our churches into age-divided classes ad-infinitum, we shoot ourselves in the foot in a way by making it much more difficult for mentor-mentoree relationships to develop. Jake spoke of the importance of community and of investing our faith in others. Ideally, every believer ought to have a mentor in their life, and also one whom they themselves are mentoring. This process communicates wisdom from generation to generation, and guards against our propensity to build our theology and church practice around merely our own preferences. As you look at your journey of faith, who can you point to as a mentor in your life? Take the time to thank them this week, and also ask yourself, “Who am I investing in?” If your portfolio looks empty, perhaps it’s time to, like the servants of Luke 19:11-27, quit holding in the deposit of faith entrusted to us and look for ways to invest in those around you for the glory and the growth of the kingdom of God.
One piece of wisdom that has particularly stuck with me was from Jake himself. When asked a question about how he feels discipleship should take place in the local church, Jake responded by talking about the importance of mentorship. The most effective form of discipleship seems clearly to be when a wiser, more mature believer (or family of believers) takes a younger person or family under their wing. Jake talked about the importance of recovering that largely lost art. As we split our churches into age-divided classes ad-infinitum, we shoot ourselves in the foot in a way by making it much more difficult for mentor-mentoree relationships to develop. Jake spoke of the importance of community and of investing our faith in others. Ideally, every believer ought to have a mentor in their life, and also one whom they themselves are mentoring. This process communicates wisdom from generation to generation, and guards against our propensity to build our theology and church practice around merely our own preferences. As you look at your journey of faith, who can you point to as a mentor in your life? Take the time to thank them this week, and also ask yourself, “Who am I investing in?” If your portfolio looks empty, perhaps it’s time to, like the servants of Luke 19:11-27, quit holding in the deposit of faith entrusted to us and look for ways to invest in those around you for the glory and the growth of the kingdom of God.
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