Kevin DeYoung's Blog, page 28
February 16, 2017
Contentment in a Discontented World
Guest Blogger: Jason Helopoulos
Discontentment may be the greatest trap in our culture. It may be greater than lust, greed, and even lying, because discontentment leads to all these other sins. It tends to be a well-spring of iniquity. I have yet to meet an individual who engaged in an affair without first suffering from discontentment. I have yet to speak with a drunkard, gossiper, liar, or idolater of body or rest or recreation without them alluding to discontentment. And it feels like the entire world is colluding to stir up discontentment within us. Every billboard, every commercial, every brochure tends to communicate, “You deserve and need more.”
Contentment is a slippery thing. As soon as we think we are content it wiggles away, due to something we see on television, some stray thought, or a small comment another person makes. Is contentment even possible?
Paul asserts that it is. In fact, he says that he has learned to be content in whatever situation (Philippians 4:11). He goes on to tell us the secret to contentment: “I can do all things through him who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13). Paul isn’t saying he can do all things in Christ as a kind of blanket statement. He doesn’t think he can fly, become Emperor of Rome, or create a rainbow in the sky. Too many yank this verse out of context. Rather, Paul is asserting that in all circumstances he can be content in Christ who strengthens him. This is the secret! It is not ignoring circumstances, it is not rising above them, and it is not resigning one’s self to them—it is rather living in them in Christ.
Paul’s statement is an echo of an earlier statement in the book where he comments, “For to me to live is Christ” (Philippians 1:21). How is this helpful? Because he knows that in Christ he possesses everything. This allows him to be content. The Christian finds Christ to be sufficient. We are the richest and most secure people in the universe; so the storms may beat the walls of our lives and yet contentment can lie safe within. It isn’t touched, because it is wrapped up in Him, who is our All in all.
Name it Christian and you have it in Christ. Whatever it is you desire; the answer is found in Christ. The boat you long for, what is it but a desire for freedom and rest? Which is ultimately found in Christ (Matthew 11:28-30; Romans 8:2). That promotion? At its root, it is simply security and respect (Psalm 62:6-8). Ultimately, these are found in Christ. Friendship? What a friend we have in Jesus, one who never abandons or forsakes (Deuteronomy 31:6; Matthew 28:20). Family? We have an older brother who leads the way (Hebrews 2:11) and unites us to a Father, who ever loves us (Galatians 4:4-7). Justice? He is a Judge who forever upholds righteousness (2 Timothy 4:8). Comfort? We have a priest who forever intercedes (Hebrews 7:25). Wisdom? We have a prophet who always proclaims (Hebrews 3:3), a counselor who is ever ready with comfort (Matthew 11:28-30), a provider who ever supplies (Philippians 4:19), a Savior who pays the price for our sins (Hebrews 10:12), a defender who will guard and keep us (Psalm 23).
If we desire love, it is found in His spread arms on the cross (Romans 8; Ephesians 3). If we want hope, it is found in his resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:19). If we seek peace, it is found in his blood shed for us (Colossians 1:20). If we seek joy, it is given in His Spirit (Galatians 5). Happiness? It is found in knowing what awaits us (Revelation 21). Power? You will rule with Him forever (Revelation 3:20-21).
Are you hungry? He is the bread of life (John 6:3). Thirsty? He is the living water (John 7:37). Naked? He covers you with His righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:21). Health? He is the Great Physician (Psalm 147:3). Wisdom? He is the fount (Colossians 2:3). Knowledge? He holds it in His hand (Colossians 2:3). Rest? He says come to me all you who are weary and heavy laden and I will give your rest (Matthew 11:28-30). Compassion? It flows from Him (James 5:11). Comfort? He never crushes a bruised reed (Isaiah 42:3). Riches? We are made co-heirs with Him (Galatians 3:29).
We can be content, because life’s circumstances do not dictate to us. We live in Him. Christian contentment is based upon dependence not independence. Paul is no Stoic. He is not acting as though he is above his circumstances which have no effect upon him. Rather, in the midst of the difficult circumstances, he is trusting in God and looking to Christ in whom He has all things. He is not independent; he is Christ-dependent. For me to live is Christ. It is not being self-satisfied or self-fulfilled; it is being Christ-satisfied and Christ-fulfilled. And this makes contentment possible.
February 14, 2017
When Assurance of Salvation Is Fleeting
Guest Blogger: Jason Helopoulos
In a world filled with sin, the flesh, and the Devil, assurance of salvation is the soft feather bed on which the Christian rests. Assurance proves to be one of the greatest benefits of the Christian faith and the rightful inheritance of the child of God. In its enjoyment is found peace, hope, and joy unsurpassed in this fallen world.
Faith May Include Assurance
The Scriptures clearly articulate a child of God may and should possess a true sense of inner peace and confidence regarding personal salvation. Faith is trusting in Christ as Savior, so the seeds of assurance inherently lie within faith itself. Though the gift of assurance regularly accompanies saving faith, many Christians find it elusive or even non-existent in their own experience. As John Calvin said, “We cannot imagine any certainty that is not tinged with doubt, or any assurance that is not assailed by some anxiety. . . . Believers are in perpetual conflict with their own unbelief” (Calvin, Institutes, 3.2.18). Every Christian knows this experience. Yet this lack of assurance leads some Christians to assume they are counted among the lost. Such an error devastates—breeding inner turmoil and even despair.
Faith Doesn’t Equal Assurance
The Westminster Confession helpfully addresses the underlying error when it states “infallible assurance doth not so belong to the essence of faith, but that a true believer may wait long, and conflict with many difficulties, before he be a partaker of it” (WCF 18:3). The Westminster divines rightly understood that one may possess saving faith, yet not possess the assurance that often accompanies that faith. In fact, the Westminster Assembly chose to address saving faith and assurance in separate chapters of the Confession (WCF 14 and 18, respectively), because it recognized that the doctrines were not so inextricably linked that if one possessed saving faith they must also enjoy assurance. The Scriptures and Christian experience bear witness to this stark reality.
“I believe; help my unbelief,” said the father of the demon possessed child (Mark 9:24). Few men have uttered more honest words, and few honest words have benefited more men. Here is the cry of a man with faith, who also recognizes his faith remains weak, stumbling, and frail. Faith is present, but remains mixed with doubt. Yet, Christ clearly recognizes this father’s faith. An ounce of saving faith is a faith that saves. Our Lord boldly proclaimed, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die” (John 11:25-26).
Where Our Assurance Lies
Dear Christian, it is not the degree, quality, nor abundance of our faith that saves. Rather, it is the object of our faith that saves. Faith does not look to itself. It looks to another. And in Christ, the object of our faith, salvation lies (John 14:5). Therefore, it is also in Christ that our assurance lies. This father understood the necessary thing. As Calvin stated, “He who, struggling with his own weakness, presses toward faith in his moments of anxiety is already in large part victorious” (Calvin, Institutes, 3.2.18).
In those moments when assurance escapes us, let us look to Christ in faith. Assurance is nurtured as we grow in our understanding of grace, especially in our union with Christ as it relates to our justification and adoption. How do we grow in this grace? The Westminster Confession proves helpful once again. It proclaims that one may “without extraordinary revelation, in the right use of ordinary means attain thereunto. And therefore it is the duty of everyone to give all diligence to make his calling and election sure . . . ” (WCF 18:3). The Confession rightly points us to Christ by the very means he has given to his people for their growth, including growth in assurance (i.e. The Word, sacraments, and prayer).
Pastoral Issue
Before we turn our attention to these means of grace, I want to note a pastoral issue that often emerges in this realm. Over the course of my pastoral ministry, I have found many struggle with assurance because they direct their eyes within rather than without. Make no mistake, introspection serves its purpose in the Christian life. We are to examine ourselves to see whether we are in the faith (2 Corinthians 13:5). This is necessary and good. Yet, I find many Christians suffer from overzealous introspection. Like a Medieval inquisitor, we lay our souls upon the rack and inflict torture with constant accusatory questions: Do I bear enough of the fruit of the Spirit? Is my faith solid enough? Have I confessed and repented sufficiently? Have I tricked myself into thinking I am a believer? And all the while, we forget to look to our Savior in faith. The Great Shepherd’s promise, “Come to me all you who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest” (Matt. 11:28), seems too foreign to too many of His sheep.
Dear struggling Christian, if our gaze is always within, assurance will remain fleeting. No doubt, we need to examine our lives and test the fruit, but true assurance, lasting assurance, secure assurance comes from looking to Christ and our union with him. We want to see evidence of Christ’s grace in our lives, but we realize these evidences not by seeking after them, but by gaining a greater grasp on Christ. How do we gain this greater grasp of the King of Glory? How do we look to him more? God has granted his means of grace to the struggling Christian for this very purpose.
God’s Means of Encouraging Assurance
Into this dark world God sent the light of his Word. This Word, which is living and active (Heb. 4:12), works in the hearts and minds of his people. We hear the true gracious voice of our heavenly Father. As we sit under the preached Word, read it in our prayer closets, meditate upon it on our beds (Psalm 63:6), and talk of it on the way (Deut. 6:7) the Spirit attends to the Word and it does not return void (Isaiah 55:11). The truth of Christ occupies our minds, the promises of Christ comfort our souls, the beauty of Christ stirs our affections, and the commands of Christ move our spirits. As we attend to this means of grace, he encourages and affirms assurance within us. Too often the voice of our adversary sounds loud in our ears, “You are no child of God. Would God allow a wretched sinner like you into his family?” Our flesh joins in as a ready accomplice and the struggle can be great. However, such indictments cannot stand in the light of God’s Word. His Word pierces such darkness and resounds louder than any accusations adversaries can hurl at the sons of God.
The Lord not only gifted us his written Word, but also his visible Word. The Lord, as an act of magnanimous grace, condescends to give us something we can see, touch, and taste. As corporeal beings, he knows we naturally gravitate towards the visible. So in the sacraments he blesses his children with outward signs that confirm to our senses what the ear has heard and the eye has read. Dear struggling Christian, partake of the Lord’s Table and be reminded that not only did Christ die for sinners, but Christ died for you. Not only did Christ shed his blood for sinners, but he shed it for you. Not only can sinners be united to Christ, but he is united to you. As real as the cup you hold, so as real is Christ’s love for you. As surely as you taste the bread and wine, so as surely should you taste Christ’s peace. As the bread and cup sustain your body physically, so Christ’s grace promises to sustain you spiritually. All the promises of Christ are not only true, but are truly yours. Baptism serves the Christian in the same way. As the water flowed over your head, so as surely are you washed in the blood of the Lamb. As you entered the waters of baptism, so as surely are you united with Christ in his life, death, and resurrection (Rom. 6). The sacraments not only signify this truth to the struggling Christian, but seals it upon their soul.
Finally, the Lord blesses his people with the gift of prayer. What a relief this means of grace provides for the limping Christian. He grants to us the privilege and solace of crying out to him; a cry granted only to his children. And as we plead with him, it does not fall on deaf ears (Psalm 18:6). It ascends into the very throne room of God. We speak into his ear and may do so with boldness (Heb. 4:16). James says, “You do not have because you do not ask” (James 4:2). Let the Christian struggling with assurance cry out with the Psalmist, “How long O Lord?” (Psalm 13:1). A child of God’s desperate cries to her heavenly Father never fall on deaf ears. He loves to give good gifts to his children (Matthew 7:11). Let us cry out with the father of the tormented child, “I believe; help my unbelief” (Mark 9:24).
Don’t you know dear sinner that the same Jesus who recognized the faith of the father is the same Jesus who sits enthroned above, hears our prayers, and says to the Father, “these are mine, the price has been paid, the Law has been fulfilled, the blood has been shed, my righteousness belongs to them? Mercy has been purchased. Forgiveness is theirs.” If you have even the least little bit of faith in Christ, all the blessings of salvation belong to you—including assurance. You may, as the Westminster Confession says, wait “long” for it and it may only come through many struggles, but it is yours. Seek after it. And if we would hope to enjoy this grace more and more, let us seek Christ by the means he gifted more and more. As children of God, assurance is our rightful inheritance.
This article first appeared in Table Talk.
February 8, 2017
Book Briefs
What have I been reading? Here’s some of the books since the first of the year.
Thomas S. Kidd, American Colonial History: Clashing Cultures and Faiths (Yale University Press, 2016). It’s amazing how many quality books Kidd can produce in so short a time. It goes to show what you can do once you really master a subject and a century. Kidd structures this volume around the two themes of religion and conflict as it played out among Europeans, Native Americans, and Africans. The primary source material makes the book especially valuable as a colonial history textbook.
Aaron Clay Denlinger, ed., Reformed Orthodoxy in Scotland: Essays on Scottish Theology 1560-1775 (Bloomsbury T&T Clark, 2015). More for the specialists than the general reader, still seminary students and pastors will benefit from this in-depth look at Scottish theology. I found the Burton’s and Goudriaan’s chapters on Samuel Rutherford to be particularly instructive, Gootjes’s chapter on Scotland and Samur the most helpful, and Guy Richard’s chapter on the Song of Songs in Scotland the most fascinating.
Stephen G. Myers, Scottish Federalism and Covenantalism in Transition: The Theology of Ebenezer Erskine (Pickwick, 2015). As one of the leading Marrow Men and the key leader in the secession church (later the Associate Presbytery), Erskine is one of the more important Presbyterians many of us know nothing about. I appreciated Myers handling of the Erskine-Whitefield rift and the Marrow Controversy (in particular the point that the opponents of the Marrow were not all legalists or proto-Moderates).
Allan Chapple, True Devotion: In Search of Authentic Spirituality (Latimer Trust, 2014). I read this book on the enthusiastic recommendation of William Taylor (of St Helen’s in London). Our staff went through the book last semester and it did not disappoint. Chapple, an Anglican who has pastored in Australia and in England, makes a sustained (and persuasive) case for a responsive spirituality rooted in the Scriptures and in the Reformation tradition rather than an eclectic mystical spirituality that can be found in much of contemporary evangelicalism.
Cornelis Van Dam, The Deacon: Biblical Foundations for Today’s Ministry of Mercy (Reformation Heritage Books). As a pastor, I’m always on the look out for good books about being a deacon and being an elder. Van Dam has books on both. (I haven’t gotten to the elder one yet, but this one on the diaconate is excellent.) Solid exegesis, excellent historical investigation, good practical advice, and helpful summaries at the end of each chapter. Many readers will be especially interested in the two chapters on women and the diaconate. Van Dam argues that women should not hold church office and should not be ordained, but they should be encouraged and equipped to fulfill diaconal functions in the church.
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February 6, 2017
Black History Month: John Chavis (1763-1838)
John Chavis was born in 1763 (or possibly 1762) in Granville County, North Carolina—a sparsely populated area north of Raleigh bordering Mecklenburg County, Virginia. While the details surrounding his early life and ancestry can be hazy, we know that members of the Chavis family were, along with one other family (the Harrises), the first people of African descent to be recognized as free persons in Granville County. John Chavis—whose lineage was a mix of African, American Indian, and Caucasian—came from a distinguished line of free Blacks who owned property and were committed to educating themselves as best they could. A descendant of Chavis later recalled, “My grandmother, mother, and great grandmother were all free people and Presbyterians.”
As a young man, Chavis received an excellent education, likely under the tutelage of the Rev. Henry Pattillo, who would have instructed him in Greek and Latin. Around 1780, Chavis enlisted in the Fifth Virginia Regiment, fighting for the Patriot cause, as many of his relatives did, in the Revolutionary War. In 1792, as an older “non-traditional” student, Chavis was admitted to Princeton using scholarship money from something called the Leslie Fund. In order to be admitted to Princeton, a student had to be tested in English grammar, orthography, punctuation, composition, geography, United States history, Latin grammar, Greek grammar, and mathematics. Chavis was well educated and a quick learner. While at Princeton, he received private instruction from John Witherspoon (which is why I first became interested in Chavis). In 1793 or 1794 Chavis left Princeton (because of Witherspoon’s death?) and later finished his academic studies at Washington College (Virginia) in 1802.
While in Virginia, Chavis was picked out as a suitable candidate for the ministry. In particular, many Southern whites were eager to see Chavis evangelize other Blacks. On October 19, 1799, Chavis was received under the care of Lexington Presbytery. A year later, one of the elders of the presbytery argued that the work of evangelization was too important to prolong Chavis’s trials any further. After a unanimous vote to sustain his exams, Chavis was granted a license to preach. By some accounts, he was the first Black in America ordained by the Presbyterian Church, though technically he only received his licensure, never final ordination.
Chavis was commissioned as a “riding missionary under the direction of the General Assembly,” first under Lexington Presbytery, then Hanover Presbytery, and finally Orange Presbytery. Although his mission was to preach to other Blacks, records indicate that he preached to more whites, up to 800 at a time. Chavis desired to preach to “his own people,” but slaves were often not allowed to worship in white churches. Chavis’s missionary trips were mostly preaching tours, but he also assisted with the Lord’s Supper and performed some pastoral duties.
In addition to a well-received preaching ministry, Chavis was an exceptionally gifted educator, opening a classical school in Raleigh in 1805. At first, the school was integrated, but later white parents insisted that Chavis instruct Blacks and whites separately. At full strength—Chavis was often sick and suffered from debilitating arthritis—the school in Raleigh was home to many of North Carolina’s leading families. Chavis taught a future governor, future lawyers, future pastors, and was especially close throughout his life to the future U.S. Senator Willie Mangum.
After three decades of successful teaching and preaching—and, it seems, a measure of prosperity from dabbling in real estate—Chavis saw his ministry (and his money) dry up in the 1830s. In 1832, in response to Nat Turner’s Rebellion of August 1831, the North Carolina legislature made it unlawful for any free person of color to preach or exhort in public or to officiate as a preacher. Chavis pleaded with the Presbytery for financial support, but the collection they took was little more than $50. In an effort to pay his bills and provide for his wife and children (about whom we know next to nothing), he requested in 1832 that the Presbytery publish his Letter Upon the Doctrine of the Extent of the Atonement of Christ. The Presbytery denied the request, arguing that the subject had already been dealt with by others and there was little chance the short pamphlet would produce much income. No doubt, the Presbytery also demurred because Chavis had drifted from confessional Reformed orthodoxy. In the Letter, Chavis argued that the free offer of the gospel was inconsistent with limited atonement and that the eternal decrees of God were based on “nothing more nor less than his foreknowledge.” Judging by his Letter, Chavis was a passionate gospel preacher who aligned with the New School wing of the Presbyterian controversies of the 1830s.
During his lifetime, Chavis remained a committed Presbyterian, an ardent Federalist, and a critic of racism and slavery. Though these criticisms were, by necessity, often more private than public, he did not hesitate to implore his friend and one-time student Willie Mangum to stand against the tyrant Andrew Jackson. He also informed Mangum that though the insurrection was abominable, he thought Nat Turner was an innocent man.
On June 15, 1838, John Chavis passed from this world into the next, his obituary noting that “his christian character gave comfort to his friends.” Later that fall, the Orange Presbytery resolved to provide Chavis’s widow with a lifelong pension of $40 a year.
Although I wish his theological thoughts were more in line with the Old School side of things, my greater wish—if that’s the right word—is to wonder how much more his ministry might have been had it not be hampered, and then silenced, by the growing rumbles of racial animus and fear. I doubt many of us have heard of John Chavis, but his impressive learning, his itinerant preaching, and his successful teaching mark him out as an important leader in the Old South, particularly among Presbyterians.
Information for this post was taken from Ernest Trice Thompson, Presbyterians in the South, Volume One (1607-1861), and especially from Helen Chavis Othow, John Chavis: African American Patriot, Preacher, Teacher, and Mentor (1763-1838).
February 5, 2017
February 2, 2017
Of Pastors and Politics
On Tuesday I wrote on seven ways to do political punditry wrong in our polarized world. Let me sharpen the focus a bit and speak directly to pastors.
I am what you would label as “into politics.” I read a lot of political commentary online. I subscribe to politically themed magazines and journals. I studied political science in college and worked with my professors on an American government textbook. I imagine I follow the political happenings in my state and in the country more than most pastors do. All of that is preface for my next statement.
Pastors should be careful not to get swept up in the daily whirlwind of American (or British or Canadian or whatever) politics.
Note the words “pastors” and “careful” in the previous sentence. This is not an absolute command or a blanket condemnation. This is a caution specifically for pastors. Any regular reader of this blog knows I’ve commented on political matters before. I’m not arguing for a neo-quietism that seals off the church from the world and shrugs its shoulders at cultural decay and injustice. What I am arguing for is a firm commitment to the ministerial priorities of preaching, praying, and pastoring the flock entrusted to us.
Again, let me be clear: I’m not against Christians being engaged in the political arena. We need more of that, not less. I’m certainly not against pastors equipping their people to make a difference in the world. I’m not even against pastors speaking directly to certain issues, cases, policies, or pieces of legislation. So what am I concerned about?
I am concerned when I see that a pastor’s online presence is almost entirely filled up with commentary on whatever political item is dominating the 24-hour news cycle. How does a pastor have time to keep up with all the latest twists and turns of a Trump administration, let alone to provide running commentary?
I am concerned when I see pastors dogmatically equate biblical values with policy prescriptions. There are many reasons one might be opposed to Trump’s executive order, but the biblical command to love the sojourner does not by itself establish how many refugees or immigrants a country should let in or from where.
I am concerned when I see pastors throw their weight behind causes that good Christians might disagree on. There are many reasons one might be cheered by Trump’s Supreme Court nominee, but there is nothing in the Bible that says Christians must be originalists when it comes to the Constitution.
I am concerned when I see pastors alienating members of their congregation over political matters that require prudential consideration. I will speak on abortion and marriage and racism because the Bible speaks directly to the value of life in the womb and the definition of marriage and the sin of racism. I may try to dissect current controversies in an effort to help people think carefully and constructively. But I never want to call sin what the Bible does not call sin. Our elders (I hope) would discipline a church member for promoting abortion, for violating a biblical understanding of marriage, or for having racial animus, but we would not (I hope) discipline someone for coming to political conclusions based on empirical and methodological considerations that cannot be be proven (or or disproved) by Scripture.
I am concerned when I see pastors making extravagant, unqualified statements on issues that require some level of nuance and expertise. We should be experts in the Bible and in the care of souls. After that, some pastors may be particularly thoughtful and well read, but let’s be slow to speak in areas we know little about.
I am concerned when I see pastors commenting with great frequency on a neve- ending stream of political controversies. We may say, “This is just what I do on Twitter and Facebook. It takes 30 minutes a day, and the rest of my time I’m leading meetings, visiting people in the hospital, and working on sermons.” That may be true, but to everyone who sees your public face online, it looks as if the animating principle in your life is not the gospel of Jesus Christ, or the exposition of the Scriptures, or the love of the saints, but daily outrage, political punditry, and cultural commentary.
Dear brother pastor, I can’t tell you how much time is too much time to spend on political matters. There is no exact formula. But I know that I have to guard my own heart against misdirected time and emotional energy. We must be careful not to set a precedent that communicates, “You can count on me for up-to-the-minute commentary.” We are heralds of the one who is, who was, and who is to come, not armchair commentators on Whatever Is Happening Now. We do not help our people, or own souls, when we try to swim in the media’s always-churning, never-ceasing maelstrom of breaking news.
I don’t know if I’m preaching to the choir, but I’m certainly preaching to myself. Put down the phone. Close the web browser. Stop trying to change the world one tweet at a time. Let’s make sure we know our Bibles and know our people a thousand times better than we know the ins and outs of the Trump administration. And let’s not be afraid to be social media silent—not always, but often—in a world clamoring for political noise. Just because the internet gives us a microphone, doesn’t mean we have to speak into it.
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January 30, 2017
7 Ways to Do Political Punditry Wrong in a Polarized World
It’s all political. All the time.
At least that’s what it feels like. Whether you voted for Trump or loathe him with every last bit of plasma in every drop of blood in your body, it seems like the promise of “moving past this contentious election season,” is not going to materialize. No doubt, your Twitter feed and your Facebook page are as full as ever with political punditry–much of it well intentioned, only some of it well considered. What are we to do as Christians when there is so much we might want to say, and yet, we’d like to say it in a way that makes a difference instead of just making noise?
Perhaps a look at the negative will point us in a positive direction. Let’s briefly consider seven ways to do political punditry wrong in a polarized world.
(And for the record, I started this post last week, so don’t read the executive order on immigration into every point. This post isn’t about one thing, but about everything that grabs our attention in a social culture built on perpetual outrage.)
1. Always defend your side, no matter what. I have no problem with people who don’t feel the need to comment on every twist and turn of American politics (in fact, may your tribe increase!). But if you are in the habit of making your opinions known, and you never find yourself out of step with your party or your preferred President, then you likely aren’t looking closely enough at the issues–theirs and yours.
We have to be honest with ourselves and ask some hard questions: Is my passion to see the kingdom come and the church grow or is it mainly to see my side win elections? Do I think revival and spiritual renewal come mainly through political victories? Am I blinded by disgust for the bad guys (whether that’s Fox News, MSNBC, The New York Times, National Review, Hollywood, flyover country, or whatever) that I’ll defend to the death whatever they seem to be against?
2. Be quick to demonize opponents on the other side. We don’t have disagreements anymore; we only have devils. This means that nominee we oppose or that Senator standing in the way of our position is not simply mistaken (according to our principles) but some toxic combination of ignorant, conniving, and fiendish–a mortal threat to everything that is decent in this world.
3. Make no distinction between prudence and principle. Christians are not very good at this one. Let’s assume for a moment that most people reading this blog think abortion is wrong, racism is wrong, terrorism is wrong, hating Muslims is wrong, and being cold-hearted toward immigrants and refugees is wrong. Those are principles. The vast majority of conservative Christians will at least pay lip service to all of these things; most actually believe them with sincere earnestness. But what does this mean in terms of policies, executive orders, and legislation? Here there may be honest disagreement–not about what is good and true and beautiful for Christians to do and think, but about what is the best way forward, in light of these convictions, in a constitutional republic of 330 million people.
4. Never acknowledge real world trade-offs. In our virtual worlds, there are always clear-cut decisions with obvious goods and obvious evils. Hence, every political issue is a matter of absolute right and absolute wrong. In the real world–and especially in the real world of governing–there are always trade-offs. We have to judge between competing goods, which means we usually have to give something to gain something. It would go a long way toward a more civilized discourse–and we may actually convince a few people on the other side–if we acknowledged that our views are usually not without some difficulties, even if we consider our “losses” superior to the “losses” we would endure with a different policy or opinion.
5. Only speak and write in the highest rhetorical gear. At some point in the future, you may need the Hitler analogy. Don’t waste it on arcane procedures regarding cloture in the Senate. Not all errors are created equal. Break out the diabolical thesaurus only when the time is right.
6. Don’t bother reading up on complex issues. Most of the problems plaguing our country or our world will not be solved by 90 seconds of reflection. We don’t all have to be experts. Sometimes the knee jerk reaction comes from a place of seasoned wisdom and moral formation. But if there were an easy solution to every problem it would have been tried by now–not because we are all saints striving to love one another, but because we love to be first or would enjoy being famous. Go ahead and read a few articles before posting. Check out the actual statement or text of legislation. And when in doubt, let’s all feel free not to say anything at all (!) about a complicated issue that we’ve been thinking about in between Dude Perfect videos.
7. Go public with your thoughts when you are most hurt and most angry. Be slow to speak, quick to listen, and slow to get angry. That’s still in the Bible (James 1:19), and it still counts, even in the internet age. Waiting is often the better part of wisdom.
January 26, 2017
Praying with the ‘Holy Apostles’
I’m always on the look out for good materials to shape and inform my prayer life. As an individual Christian wanting to pray more effectively, and as one who must lead others in prayer, I’ve benefited from many of the forms and patterns handed down by our fathers in the faith. One example—and one that I’ve used from time to time in our churchwide prayer meetings—comes from the fourth-century work The Constitution of the Holy Apostles.
The Constitutions of the Holy Apostles (or Apostolic Constitutions) is a collection of materials on church life, order, and liturgy. The Apostolic Constitutions comprises eight books, from different times and places, put together in one volume in the fourth century. Books 7 and 8 contain a number of prayers, including a “bidding prayer for the faithful” (what Christians ought to pray for) and a “form of prayer for the faithful” (a liturgical example to be read by one of the church officers).
I’ve taken the “bidding prayer” and divided it into 18 categories. I skipped a few prayers that seemed less pertinent and cleaned up some of the old language. The wording is still close to the original, showing us how many ancient Christians prayed and what they prayed for. The prayers are not literally apostolic (i.e., the book was not authored by the Apostles), but they do give us a sense for the how the church prayed in the centuries following the Apostles. I think you’ll find the list below still remarkably relevant.
A Bidding Prayer for the Faithful
1. Peace and Happiness
Let us pray for the peace and happy settlement of the world, and of the holy churches; that the God of the whole world may afford us His everlasting peace, and such as may not be taken away from us.
2. Worldwide Church
Let us pray for the Church which is spread from one end of the earth to the other; that God would preserve and keep it unshaken, and free from the waves of this life, until the end of the world, as founded upon a rock; and for the holy parish in this place, that the Lord of the whole world may vouchsafe us without failure to follow after His heavenly hope, and without ceasing to pay Him the debt of our prayer.
3. Elders
And let us pray for our elders, that the Lord may deliver them from every unreasonable and wicked action, and afford them an eldership in health and honor.
4. Deacons
Let us pray for all the deacons and servants in Christ, that the Lord may grant them a blameless worthy ministry.
5. The Needy
Let us pray for the widows and orphans.
6. Family Life
Let us pray for those that are in marriage and in child-bearing, that the Lord may have mercy upon them all.
7. Singles
Let us pray for those in a state of singleness that the Lord make grant them purity and piety.
8. Industry and Generosity
Let us pray for those that bear fruit in the holy Church, and give alms to the needy.
9. Young Christians
Let us pray for our brothers and sisters new to the faith, that the Lord may strengthen and confirm them.
10. Sick Christians
Let us pray for our brothers and sisters exercised with sickness, that the Lord may deliver them from every sickness and every disease, and restore them sound into His holy Church.
11. Traveling Mercies
Let us pray for those that travel by water or by land.
12. Prisoners
Let us pray for those that are in prisons, and in danger for the name of the Lord. Let us pray for those that are afflicted with slavery and bitter servitude.
13. Our Enemies
Let us pray for our enemies and those that hate us.
14. Persecution
Let us pray for those that persecute us for the name of the Lord, that the Lord may pacify their anger, and scatter their wrath against us.
15. Conversion
Let us pray for those that are outside the church and those wandering from the way, that the Lord may convert them.
16. Children
Let us be mindful of the infants and children of the Church, that the Lord may perfect them in His fear and bring them to maturity.
17. Deliver Us From the Evil One
Let us pray one for another, that the Lord may keep us and preserve us by His grace to the end, and deliver us from the evil one, and from all the scandals of those that work iniquity, and preserve us unto His heavenly kingdom.
18. Final Dedication
Let us pray for every Christian soul. Save us, and raise us up, O God, by your mercy. Let us rise up, and let us pray earnestly, and dedicate ourselves and one another to the living God, through His Christ.
Save
Save
Praying with the “Holy Apostles”
I’m always on the look out for good materials to shape and inform my prayer life. As an individual Christian wanting to pray more effectively, and as one who must lead others in prayer, I’ve benefited from many of the forms and patterns handed down by our fathers in the faith. One example–and one that I’ve used from time to time in our churchwide prayer meetings–comes from the fourth century work The Constitution of the Holy Apostles.
The Constitutions of the Holy Apostles (or Apostolic Constitutions) is a collection of materials on church life, order, and liturgy. The Apostolic Constitutions is comprised of eight books, from different times and places, put together in one volume in the fourth century. Books 7 and 8 contain a number of prayers, including a “bidding prayer for the faithful” (what Christians ought to pray for) and a “form of prayer for the faithful” (a liturgical example to be read by one of the church officers).
I’ve taken the “bidding prayer” and divided it into 18 categories. I skipped a few prayers that seemed less pertinent and cleaned up some of the old language. The wording is still very close to the original, showing us how many ancient Christians prayed and what they prayed for. The prayers are not literally apostolic (i.e., the book was not authored by the Apostles), but they do give us a sense for the how the church prayed in the centuries following the Apostles. I think you’ll find the list below still remarkably relevant.
A Bidding Prayer for the Faithful
1. Peace and Happiness
Let us pray for the peace and happy settlement of the world, and of the holy churches; that the God of the whole world may afford us His everlasting peace, and such as may not be taken away from us.
2. Worldwide Church
Let us pray for the Church which is spread from one end of the earth to the other; that God would preserve and keep it unshaken, and free from the waves of this life, until the end of the world, as founded upon a rock; and for the holy parish in this place, that the Lord of the whole world may vouchsafe us without failure to follow after His heavenly hope, and without ceasing to pay Him the debt of our prayer.
3. Elders
And let us pray for our elders, that the Lord may deliver them from every unreasonable and wicked action, and afford them an eldership in health and honor.
4. Deacons
Let us pray for all the deacons and servants in Christ, that the Lord may grant them a blameworthy ministry.
5. The Needy
Let us pray for the widows and orphans.
6. Family Life
Let us pray for those that are in marriage and in child-bearing, that the Lord may have mercy upon them all.
7. Singles
Let us pray for those in a state of singleness that the Lord make grant them purity and piety.
8. Industry and Generosity
Let us pray for those that bear fruit in the holy Church, and give alms to the needy.
9. Young Christians
Let us pray for our brothers and sisters new to the faith, that the Lord may strengthen and confirm them.
10. Sick Christians
Let us pray for our brothers and sisters exercised with sickness, that the Lord may deliver them from every sickness and every disease, and restore them sound into His holy Church.
11. Traveling Mercies
Let us pray for those that travel by water or by land.
12. Prisoners
Let us pray for those that are in prisons, and in danger for the name of the Lord. Let us pray for those that are afflicted with slavery and bitter servitude.
13. Our Enemies
Let us pray for our enemies and those that hate us.
14. Persecution
Let us pray for those that persecute us for the name of the Lord, that the Lord may pacify their anger, and scatter their wrath against us.
15. Conversion
Let us pray for those that are outside the church and those wandering from the way, that the Lord may convert them.
16. Children
Let us be mindful of the infants and children of the Church, that the Lord may perfect them in His fear and bring them to maturity.
17. Deliver us From the Evil One
Let us pray one for another, that the Lord may keep us and preserve us by His grace to the end, and deliver us from the evil one, and from all the scandals of those that work iniquity, and preserve us unto His heavenly kingdom.
18. Final Dedication
Let us pray for every Christian soul. Save us, and raise us up, O God, by your mercy. Let us rise up, and let us pray earnestly, and dedicate ourselves and one another to the living God, through His Christ.
January 24, 2017
The Case for Boredom
I don’t get bored as much as I should. Chances are neither do you. And the chances are exceedingly good that your children aren’t as bored as they should be.
What’s so good about being bored? Nothing intrinsically, but boredom provides the space for creativity, for mental wandering, for musings, ponderings and a lifestyle of prayer.
Remember how boring life used to be. You’d wait in a line and just think, or sit on a plane and stare out the window, or relax on the couch and do nothing at all. I think of how much more my mind used to wander on walks and how I was better able to concentrate on books. I think of how bored I was on long car rides and at meals with adults and, yes, even in church. Of course, some boredom is just boring. But boredom also teaches us the discipline of sitting still and the invaluable lesson of being alone with our thoughts.
I’m no Luddite who rejects technological innovation and longs for the simple life when we walked to school in the snow uphill both ways. But there is no doubt that our phones–let’s be honest, my phone–has made us less attuned to the quiet moments of life.
For many people, they grab their phone first thing in the morning. They look at it last thing before bed. They check it at traffic lights and scroll through social media while waiting in line at the bank. They thumb through Facebook when they have ten minutes to kill. They are tethered to their phone on the plane. They can’t go much more than 15 minutes in a meeting without swiping the screen. They eat with their phones, sleep with their phones, even go to the bathroom with their phones.
Much has been written about the harmful ubiquity of our devices. This post is very late to that party. I’m only commenting on these things now because I now know I’m not immune to the problem. I believe Twitter and Facebook and Instagram have their place. I’m thankful for all the work I can get done on my phone while traveling. I don’t know what I’d do without Google Maps. And yet, it’s hard to imagine scrolling through social media throughout the day and checking email almost constantly have made me wiser, holier, and godlier, let alone a better husband, a better father, a better thinker, and a better Christian.
In the coming months I am making it my goal to be bored more often. I want to force my kids to be bored too. I’m not throwing away my phone. I’m not quitting Twitter or the blogosphere. I just want more space to endure (enjoy?) life’s dull moments.
One of the things I love about running and swimming and cycling is that I never take my phone with me. I never listen to music in the pool or out on the road. I stare at the black line and breathe, or look at the path ahead and let my mind wander. Often I pray. It’s a sweet time. Try out silence in your life this week. Give aloneness a try. In our crazy busy, crazy connected, need-to-know-now! world, we need the sanity and sanctifying power of boredom every once in awhile.
