Educational Overhaul Part 1 - Introduction

Preface

I have thoughts on education. I have these thoughts because I have been in the educational world for a majority of my life. Besides going to school myself, I have been a math teacher for 19 years, being a math department head at two different schools for some of that time. After a short stint as an instructional coach, I have been a disciplinary dean for the last 2 and a half years. Across this educational career, I have taught in both public and private schools in three different states. I am not, by any means, saying that my time in education has made me an expert, but it has left me with some thoughts on the issues facing education, and possible solutions to those problems. 

When Church is Done Right #2: You Gotta Go To Church

I've gone to church my whole life, at least as long as I can remember. I've been involved in several different local churches at a variety of levels, but most recently (for the last 8 years) as the Senior Pastor of Edgewood Baptist Church in Danville, IL.  Over the course of these years I have been forced, by reason of necessity, to consider what the scriptures say about how church ought to be. A week or so ago I posted some of my first thoughts on this topic in When Church Is Done Right: It Is Like Family. In this post I want to discuss a topic that I have had mixed feelings and varied beliefs over the years. The topic is Church Attendance.... So, here we go:

Open Doors (Image Source)

I want to begin with why I have had mixed feelings on this topic. You see, I grew up with the idea that "every time the church doors were opened, we were there." This usually meant Sunday School, Sunday Morning Service, Sunday Night Service, and Wednesday Night Service. When I was really young, I vaguely remember it also included Thursday Night "Calling". There was additionally the occasional week-long Evangelistic services that included the Saturday before when church members began canvasing local neighborhoods.

The older I grew the more I began to reject this idea because of what I sensed were legalistic undertones. In my mind, many were going to church every time that the doors opened simply because they believed that they had to... or possibly that they believed they were more righteous because they had gone. I suppose I might have been right, as far as some were concerned. I know that, at least for myself, this was partially true. Somewhere, in the deep recesses of my mind, if I had read my Bible and attended church... God was just a little bit happier with me. This bad theology would rear it's ugly head when I would feel the urge to pray for something, but then would think about the fact that I had skipped a service or failed to do my devotions... How in the world could I ask God for anything when I had not been doing everything for him?

I don't think that I was alone in this thought process. There are many in my generation that have moved from "I Gotta Go To Church" to "I Oughta Go To Church." I think that the heart motive here may be in the right place. Many are going for a genuineness of church attendance. I understand the reasoning here. If their heart is just "not into it", they believe that they shouldn't go. Some have even, maybe in part because of disappointments with church, decided that they were better off away from it.

Church attendance then moved from, " I Oughta Go To Church" to "I Coulda Gone To Church."  For so many people, now in the second generation of thought, have completely disconnected actual sit-in-a-pew-church-attendance to anything to do with their spiritual life. Now it is, "I Woulda Gone To Church, But..."

As a Pastor, I see this from a different perspective now. In a generation of "I Woulda Gone To Church, But..." Christians, everything trumps church. Traveling youth football/basketball/soccer games, work, vacations, dance recitals, overtime opportunities, needing extra sleep after a hard week, catching up on housework, work opportunity that might lead to promotion, needing more time with family, sports events on TV, sports events at a stadium, etc., etc., etc.

I think that these hearts seeking after authenticity have, in all actuality, led to hearts of apathy.  We have become satisfied with unfulfilling things and non-eternal ideas.

So, if you would stay with me for one more minute, I'd like to Biblically share with you why you should and can believe within yourself, "I Gotta Go To Church."

Reason #1- It is commanded.
We all know the passage in Hebrews that tells us this. Our Grandma probably quoted it to us when we didn't want to go to church.

Hebrews 10:25 - NAS – "not forsaking our own assembling together as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near"

That first phrase literally means, don't abandon getting together in one place. It has become customary for some to do just such a thing. Don't miss the fact that this is actually in the Bible.

Reason #2 - It is needed.
If you look in this same verse, there is a little phrase that is used throughout the New Testament: "One Another".  Over and over again you will see the New Testament authors using this phrase: help one another, love one another, bear one another's burdens, be kind to one another, encourage one another... And without a doubt, this is referring to a local group of believers when they are together. Sure, there are plenty of scriptures that tell us to love the people of this world that are not Christians. We are to even love our enemies. But we are uniquely commanded over and over again to love and care for one another.

You will also find, when you dig a little deeper, that the majority of commands in the New Testament are written to you (plural). In other words, the majority of commands in the New Testament are written to the Church. Go ahead, pick up your Bible, if you are reading in Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, Romans, etc. (all letters written to churches) and you read a command... if you look at the Greek language it was originally written in, you will find that it is most likely written in the plural. This means that it is a command to a church: to a group of believers that are connected together in a relationship.

I would go so far as to say that the majority of the New Testament commands cannot be obeyed if you are not a connected member of a local church. So, being there becomes a necessity to obedience.

Reason #3 - It is beneficial. 
Because of all of these "one another" commands, being at church becomes hugely beneficial. Now you go to church and you will be loved, your burdens will be shared, you will be cared for, you will be treated with kindness and compassion, you will be encouraged and confronted when necessary. There is great benefit to being a part of a church that is seeking to be obedient to scripture.

Also consider that the Spiritual Gifts that are mentioned in the the Bible are all Gifts to the Church (I Corinthians 12-14). Consider especially that God has given to the Church Pastors and Teachers (Ephesians 4). You want to understand the Bible better? You want to learn about what God wants for you? Then yes, read your Bible!  But also go to church!

Reason #4 - It is unique.
The Church is the Body of Christ (I Corinthians 12:12-31, Colossians 1:24, Ephesians 1:22-23, Ephesians 4:12, Ephesians 5:30). There is not other institution among men that is ordained by God the Father and headed by Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit. To be a part of a church is to be a participant in the Trinitarian work of God. It is truly unique.

You gotta go to church. Not because you need to make yourself righteous... you can't do that anyway... but because He is righteous.

Striking a Deep, Resonating Chord

I just started reading Charles Spurgeon: Preaching through Adversity by John Piper. I am going to share on this blog a portion of the introduction to this book because it struck such a deep, resonating chord with me.

If you know me in real life, you know that I have been really showing the wear and tear of trying to be a full-time pastor, a full-time teacher, a husband, a father... and everything else... a home-owner, a mechanic, a handy-man, after-school program, etc. etc. etc. I have been busy before, but I have never felt quite like I currently do.

So, when I read this introduction, I felt like I was taking a peek into my own soul. Therefore, I share this introduction to give you a peek...

"I smoke my pipe and worship God."

Whene'er I take my pipe and stuff it
And smoke to pass the time away,
My thoughts, as I sit and puff it,
Dwell on a picture sad and grey.
It teaches me that very like
Am I myself unto my pipe. 

Like me, this pipe so fragrant burning
Is made of naught but earth and clay;
To earth I too shall be returning,
It falls and, ere I'd think to say,
It breaks in two before my eyes,
In store for me a like fate lies. 

No stain the pipe's hue yet doth darken;
It remains white. Thus do I know
That when to death's call I must hearken
My body, too, all pale wilt grow.
To black beneath the sod 'twill turn,
Likewise, the pipe, if oft it burn.
Or when the pipe is fairly glowing,
Behold then instantaneously,
The smoke off into thin air going,
Till naught but ash is left to see.
Man's frame likewise will burn
And unto dust his body turn. 

How oft it happens when one's smoking:
The stopper's missing from its shelf,
And one goes with one's finger poking
Into the bowl and burns oneself.
If in the pipe such pain doth dwell,
How hot must be the pains of Hell. 

Thus o'er my pipe, in contemplation
Of such things, I can constantly
Indulge in fruitful meditation,
And so, puffing contentedly,
On land, on sea, at home, abroad,
I smoke my pipe and worship God.

~Johann Sebastian Bach
(as quoted in Drinking With Calvin and Luther!: A History of Alcohol in the Church by Jim West)

The Reason for God DVD: Session 1

Image via Amazon.com

I recently purchase The Reason for God DVD series by Timothy Keller for use at my church.  If you are not familiar with the book and the DVD click here.

I was interested in showing these sessions and working through the accompanying discussions because I believe that this is an area of great importance when it comes to sharing the gospel.  As Christians, we need to be able to handle... in a reasonable way... doubts and questions.

This past Sunday we watched the first session.  In this session the doubts related to science and the Bible were discussed.  Topics such as whether or not the Bible is simply myth and the idea that science has disproved the Bible.  I find these interesting because, in one version or another, many of the people that I meet outside of church consider these reasonable thoughts.  Embedded in these thoughts is the additional idea that it is OK to believe the Bible, even if it is just myth.  This idea is even supported by one of the members of the discussion group on the DVD.

After we watched the first session, we tackled the first two discussion questions from the guide that comes with the DVD.  I think it went well.  It even prompted some good discussion in our group.

I am hoping and praying for two results from watching these sessions.  First I am hoping that these will help to equip us as we encounter these questions.  Second, and this one might seem a little strange, but I hope that these sessions will build a compassion for those who have these questions and doubts.  Many Christians that I have met have a prideful attitude about their Biblical perspective.  This isn't only wrong, it is counterproductive.  People aren't going to listen to a know-it-all.  There needs to be a humility in what we know.  This can be seen on the DVD at the very end of the first session when one of the people asks the question of Timothy Keller whether or not he would consider changing his beliefs.

The ESV

Just recently, I made the switch to the ESV.  I think that I did a post on it a few weeks ago, but I wanted to mention some more about it.  For those of you who don't already know, the ESV is the English Standard Version of the Bible.

If you are a reader of this blog and you fall into the KJV Only camp... I hate to disappoint, but I am most definitely not in that camp.  In fact, I don't really even visit that camp anymore and I may have even moved myself to the KJV Hardly Ever camp.

I don't mean any offense to the King James Translators.  I really admire what they did and would uphold their translation philosophy.  I would even go as far as to say that by switching to the ESV I am more in line with what the King James translators were trying to do than those people who cling to the King James Version.

From the ESV website I am borrowing this quote which really summarizes what I am trying to say, way better than I am saying it:

"The true heirs of the King James translators are those who continue their task today, not those who declare it to have been definitively concluded in 1611."
—Alister McGrath, In the Beginning

In fact, I would suggest going on to their website and reading their stuff instead of listening to anything else that I have to say.  Here are a couple of links to different pages on their website that I found especially interesting.

Translation Philosophy
How is the ESV different from other Bible translations?
and
From KJV to ESV: A Historical Legacy

Women Worship Leaders

Here is an interesting blog post about Women Worship Leaders. I (personally) hadn't put much thought into the topic. I had some assumed beliefs, but my overall opinion was a little cloudy. This really cleared some things up in my mind.

Does anyone else have any thoughts about Women Worship Leaders? Please comment and let me know what you think/believe.

[HT: Straight Up]

My thoughts on The Passion

I finally watched the movie, The Passion. I had been putting it off for a long time because I didn't know how I felt about it or how I could feel about it after I watched it. My wife and I had mentioned several times that we would like to view this movie, but it just isn't a Friday night with popcorn kind of movie. So, it kept getting bumped back and bumped back until two days ago when we finally watched it.

There are several different topics that I could blog about when approaching this movie, but instead of focusing on the different issues of the movie, I have decided to share with you the thoughts that persisted throughout the course of the movie. I want to do this because I can honestly say that I was deeply moved in the watching of this film. I really don't want to discuss Mel Gibson and his life or the ideas that he was trying to support through the movie. We'll save that for another day.

The first thought that kept coming back to me throughout the movie is one that, if said the wrong way, could seem trivial. I will say it anyway, knowing what I mean by it, and hoping that as you read, you will see as well. I just have to say it: Jesus is my hero. What He did... It is absolutely heroic to me. I walked away from this movie admiring who He is even more.

I will immediately jump into the second persistent thought, because it stems directly from the first persistent thought. Here it is: Jesus never claims the monopoly on suffering. Instead He, over and over again, calls us to follow Him into that suffering! There are so many great passages that support this thought that it deserves a post all to itself, but I don't want to lose any readers with an exceptionally long post, so I will only share this one: In I Peter 2:19, after talking about being submissive to earthly authority, Peter then states, "For it is commendable if a man bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because he is conscious of God." How often do we bear the "pain of unjust suffering"?!? Not often.

It goes on to say, "To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in His steps." If you look at the context of I Peter, it really ties it all together. In the next part it says, "Likewise, wives..." Then a little later it says, "Likewise, Husbands..." In other words, just like that... just like the cross... that is how you are to love and submit. It then goes on to address all of us and our submission and love and compassion for each other because of what Christ did for us on the Cross!

He is going to the cross, and He calls us to follow. This, as briefly as possible, is the second persistent thought. Just keep reminding yourself, that when He went to the cross, He didn't stop there.

I am hesitant to share the third, and final persistent thought. It is concerning others who have watched the film and/or those who participated in the making of the film. Just watching what a Roman crucifixion was like... I don't know. I was just thinking to myself, "How can you watch that and walk away without a deeper love for Jesus? ... a deeper appreciation for who He is?" I hesitate sharing that thought, simply because I can't see the heart and I don't want to be judgmental. It persisted in my mind though, and it does make me wonder.

So, there you go, and as short-winded as I can be, these are the three persistent thoughts that I had while watching The Passion. Has anyone else watched it who would like to share your thoughts on the movie? I would love to hear from you.

When the Righteous Suffer

Every once in awhile I will run across a sermon or series of sermons that will change or alter my viewpoint. I had a series from James MacDonald on the Will of God that radically changed my view on determining God's will for my life. Those messages brought me such relief. Recently I listened to a series from Andy Stanley titled, Faith, Hope and Luck that brought a deeper understanding of what exactly Faith is.

The last few days I have been listening to two messages from John Piper about Suffering. I downloaded them from the Desiring God site so that I could listen to them on my Walkman phone. They have been so influential to my thinking that I have felt prompted to post links to them on my blog so that others could listen to them as well. Here is a link to the sermons on the Desiring God site.

Lo and behold, I found them on YouTube. So, I am going to post them directly to this blog so that you won't have to go anywhere else to listen. I would like to encourage you to take the time to listen. I know that I have seen others post things to listen to on their blogs, but I admit that many times I just don't take the time.

Please consider bookmarking these videos, and when you get the chance give them a listen. I promise that you won't regret it. You could also go to the download page and snag the mp3's to listen to later. They are still free.

If you do take the time to listen to them, please, please let me know what you think! I would love to hear from all of you your thoughts on these sermons.

Without any further ado, here are the messages:

Part 1


Part 2

Sacrifice

I have had a few thoughts bouncing around in my head lately. I haven't had time to "flesh them out" but I keep coming back to them. Here is the first thought. Let me know what you think.

Sacrifice is not measured by how much you give, but by how much you have left over.

This one came to me a little while back. It is based in the story of the Widow's offering. Here is that story, found in Mark 12:41-44:

And he sat down opposite the treasury and watched the people putting money into the offering box. Many rich people put in large sums. And a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which make a penny. And he called his disciples to him and said to them, "Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box. For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.
(ESV)

I don't have the time, or the energy, to develop this thought. It is just something that has been on my mind lately.

The Way of the Cross

My wife and I will use this phrase from time to time, "The Way of the Cross..." We will use it in sentences like, "The best way to go is the way of the cross..." or "I have just decided that I am going to go the way of the cross..."

But what are we really saying?

We asked ourselves this question the other day when things weren't turning out quite right in a situation. Was this way of the cross really what we were hoping it would be? Now that we are thinking about it, did the way of the cross end up all that well?

We know that ultimately it does, but what about in the here and now? Doesn't the way of the cross lead to ... a ... well to a cross? Isn't there a certain amount of sacrifice and death associated with His way? Maybe that is why Jesus said, "...take up your cross daily, die to self, and follow me..."

Well, this isn't meant to be a long drawn out post, full of in-depth explanations, so I will get right to it:

Following after Jesus, and doing things His way doesn't always look so pretty and so spiritual. Sometimes it is messy and challenging and sometimes there is a cross there. A cross where you have to die. Loving your enemies requires a little bit of that kind of death. So does showing joy in trials and reigning in your tongue and choosing to overcome your fear with love and working hard as if you were working for the Lord and being meek and humble and...

But. But there is not other way.

And in the end... What a wonderful way it truly is.