Daniel Darling's Blog, page 56

Champions for Life In Every Generation

I had the chance to write some reflections on my time at the March for Life in Washington, D.C. for OnFaith. Here’s a snippet of my column:

As I think about the fight for life, I’m struck by the fact that this is a cause every generation of Christ followers must embrace. Every age, until the full consummation of the kingdom, will be beset by brokenness and feature incursions on the Imago Dei.

When Roe v. Wade is overturned (and we pray earnestly for that day), it will not end the prolife movement. Other threats will emerge and require the same Spirit-fueled fortitude I saw at the March for Life. If every human trafficker were brought to justice, there would still be attempts to treat human life as a commodity. If every immigrant were welcomed, if our communities were perfectly integrated, still you’d see attempts to value one ethnic group over another.

This reality is not cause for despair, but a source of hope, for in our mission as followers of Christ we find distant echoes of the kingdom to come. Because the march for life is not just a once a year protest, but a daily way of life. Because the march for life doesn’t end on the steps of the Capital or the Supreme Court, but in that city whose builder and maker is God. When we march for life, we’re marching to Zion.

You can read the rest here:

The Way Home – Episode 3 featuring Joe Rigney and Joseph Williams

Listen to this week’s episode of The Way Home

On today’s show, I speak with Joe Rigney, Assistant Professor of Theology and Christian Worldview and Institutional Writer at Bethlehem College and Seminary about his new book, The Things of Earth: Treasuring God by Enjoying His Gifts. We talk about these questions: Can a Christian enjoy the things of this earth and still glorify God? When does enjoyment of things become idolatry?

Then I discuss religious liberty issues with Joseph Williams, associate counsel at American Center for Law and Justice and ERLC Research Fellow. Why Christians should care about religious liberty? Why Christians should care about religious liberty for other religions, such as Islam?

Show Notes:
Joe Rigney (Starts at 3:28)

Book:  The Things of Earth: Treasuring God by Enjoying His Gifts
Twitter: @joe_rigney
Bio: bethlehemcollegeandseminary.org/index.php/academics/faculty/joseph-rigney

Joseph Williams (Starts at 17:24)

Canon & Culture article: Applying the Religious Freedom Restoration Act in Different Scenarios
Twitter: @jjosephwilliams
Website: thewiseguise.com

 To learn more about the 2015 ERLC Leadership Summit on “The Gospel and Racial Reconciliation,” go to erlc.com/summit2015. When registering use coupon code: WAYHOME for a 15% discount. This event will be held in Nashville on March 26-27, 2015.

Addressing Cultural Issues in the Pulpit

How do pastors preach on contemporary cultural issues? Or should they? This is a question every pastor faces as he contemplates both the spiritual needs of his congregation, the questions swirling in society, and the weighty commission to preach the Word of God. When I pastored, I constantly wrestled with when to address certain topics, how to address them, and in what format. I’ve also observed and watched pastors of large and small churches organize their preaching. Here are a few ways I’ve seen pastors address contemporary cultural issues:

1) Textual: Personally I feel the most healthy way for pastors to structure their sermons is through the systematic preaching of Bible books. Expository preaching guides a pastor along, presenting to him every Sunday the text he is to preach, not the text he wants to preach. It helps avoid the kind of cut and paste approach we often take to favorite verses and help the hearer soak in the cultural background, the context, and the biblical author’s original intent. There is a richness to studying an entire book. What’s more, it prevents us from skipping over texts that are difficult or controversial. So how does this kind of preaching lend itself to addressing contemporary cultural issues? It simply forces us to address what the text addresses. It’s nearly impossible to preach through a book of the Bible and not hit on a contemporary cultural problem. The key for application is to not just apply the text in ways the congregation is already assuming, but in ways they are not. We shouldn’t just aim for amens from people who already agree, but to find ways in which they will be provoked to think differently. So, for instance, preaching on the Great Commission in Matthew forces us to think through what it means to “make disciples of all nations.” How does this affect our view of different people groups, of immigrants? Preaching through Genesis forces us to think through our views of the sanctity of human life. James confronts our attitudes toward the poor. Peter counsels us in our posture as counter-cultural “exiles” representing the Kingdom of Christ.

2) Topical: Though I favor expository preaching as the majority of preaching content during regular worship, I do believe there are occasions for topical messages on cultural issues, particularly during times of heightened awareness, such as dominant news story or special Sundays (Sanctity of Life Sunday, etc). I think this can be done in a well-thought out way. Sometimes this kind of message is called for if it is a time of crisis and this particular subject is all people are thinking about. There are ways to do this well, I think. First, I think even topical messages should be grounded in a specific text, if at all possible, to prevent proof texting. Some issues are easier to do this on than others. With some topical sermons on cultural issues, it’s helpful to walk through the development of an idea as it moves through the canon of Scripture. I’ve also seen pastors do a topical series on cultural topics. This can be done well also, but we should guard against picking topics that conform to our own political positions or topics that we know will automatically get amens from our audience. We should be holistic and address topics that the Bible clearly addresses, regardless of how they might be perceived in the audience. I think it’s also important, during a series like this, to ensure the congregation that the choice of cultural issues to be discussed is not exhaustive and that the Word of God is driving the messages, not a set of talking points from a political party or movement. Pastors also need to work especially hard at separating their personal political opinions from what God has declared in Scripture. What God’s people need from the pulpit is not a copy of what they get from cable news or talk radio. They need to hear the Word of God.

3) Shoehorn: A shoehorn is a hybrid between a textual message and a topical message and it’s something I was often tempted to do as a pastor. It goes something like this: You have your preaching calendar worked out for the entire year but something big comes up and you want to address it so you find a clever way to make the text you are assigned to preach speak to the current cultural moment. I don’t advise this. People can always tell when you’ve shoehorned something into the text that isn’t there, making the text say something that it doesn’t say. Better to do one of two things: a) if you deem the current cultural moment important enough to address on Sunday morning, offer a 5-10 minute intro before your sermon where you stop and say something like, “We are going to continue through our current series, but I felt it important to address this . . . .” b) schedule a special time for a talk on the subject or c) send an email or post a blog with your thoughts on the subject. d) if it’s really, really important, change your Sunday morning message and adjust your schedule. I think this option should be used sparingly, otherwise, you become a slave to the news cycle rather than a servant of the text of Scripture.

Other ways to address cultural issues: 

There are other ways to address cultural issues than the Sunday morning worship time. For instance, churches could schedule a series of classes or talks on specific issues. Tim Keller has done this with great success at Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York, building an event around a particular topic. Matt Chandler has also done this at Village Church in the Dallas Fort Worth area with forums on weeknights. I’ve seen other churches do similar things. I kind of like this format. It allows the church to go deep on particular issues in a way that may not fit for a Sunday morning series. It might also allow the church to leverage expertise from the congregation or from outside the church, giving people the opportunity to hear important perspectives from issue experts.

The church may also see fit to partner with other evangelical churches in the area to host a conference on a particularly important cultural issue or point their people to conferences hosted by other Christian organizations (like ERLC, for instance!). Other ways to educate and inform people is through targeted teaching in small group sessions, book studies, and the use of the church’s online media (blogs, videos, podcasts).

Bottom line: Pastors should not ignore cultural issues, but should shepherd their people well by helping them think through issues biblically. There are ways to do this through faithful application of the text of Scripture.

Enjoying God’s Good Gifts

Is it okay for a Christian to, gulp, enjoy a nice steak, the laughter of good friends, or, even a football game between two good teams? Joe Rigney says yes. He’s not a new book out, Things of Earth, Treasuring God by Enjoying His Gifts. Last Friday I had the chance to interview him about this:

It seems much of Christian teaching is about a choice between loving God and loving the world he has made. But you’re saying that it doesn’t have to be this way?

Well, the Bible certainly does present the dichotomy that way sometimes. John says “Don’t love the world or the things in the world,” by which he means that we shouldn’t delight in that which God has forbidden. Elsewhere Paul tells us that he counts everything as rubbish compared to knowing Christ. So it’s certainly legitimate to put creation on one side of the scale and God on the other, provided that we find God to be infinitely more precious and delightful than the world he’s made. That’s why the psalmist says, “On earth there is nothingI desire besides you.”

I want to suggest that the Bible speaks in other ways about the relationship between loving God and loving his gifts. For example, “Eat honey, because it’s good” is a biblical exhortation. “The heavens declare the glory of God.” Not just the heavens, but everything else. The visible world was made to reveal the invisible God, and so there must be a way of enjoying it that also enhances and increases our enjoyment of him. I wrote the book to flesh out what exactly that type of God-centered delight in created things looks like.

You can read the rest of the interview here:

The Way Home – Episode 2 featuring Bethany Goodman and Dean Inserra

Listen to this week’s episode of The Way Home

Welcome to the second episode of my podcast The Way Home. Today’s episode features Bethany Goodman, assistant director at March for Life Education and Defense Fund, and my friend Dean Inserra, pastor of City Church in Tallahassee, Fla.

Show notes:

Bethany Goodman segment starts at 2:24 

Twitter: @beth1027
Website: bornwithabeautifulpurpose.com

Dean Inserra segment starts at 17:51

Twitter: @deaninserra
Website: deaninserra.com

Drive-By Discipleship

A couple weeks ago our small group studied the first few verses of Colossians 2. We are currently going, a few verses at a time, through this beautiful letter written by Paul and inspired by the Spirit of God. I was struck by the opening words of the second chapter:

For I want you to know how great a struggle I have for you and for those at Laodicea and for all who have not seen me face to face, that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God’s mystery, which is Christ, (Colossians 2:1-2 ESV)

At first glance, it seems Paul is either whining or bragging on himself. “I want you to know how much I struggle for you.” What does Paul mean here? As we studied this passage, it became that what Paul didn’t mean was, “C’mon guys, can’t you see how hard I’m working for you here? A little credit would be nice.”

No, not at all. What Paul is something different and, sadly, a little foreign to the way we think of discipleship today. I think when most of us think of discipleship, we think of it in this process: first: evangelize, second: meet regularly and go through a curriculum for spiritual growth. Both of these things are important. Evangelism–actually opening our mouths and sharing the good news of what Christ has done–this is our mission. And systematic study is vital for spiritual growth new converts.

But if we look at what Paul is saying here, we find that discipleship is so much more than we think. Paul is communicating to these people how much he is invested in them, how much he is for them. Imagine, for a moment, how encouraging this much feel. Paul cared deeply for their spiritual lives. He loved them. He spent long nights praying and thinking of their spiritual welfare. This is what true brotherly love and discipleship look like.

I fear that much our discipleship is didactic in nature. We’re trying to make a point. So we think that discipleship means writing another blog or sending another tweet to people we barely know.  But real discipleship happens off-screen, in private conversations, over a period of many years. It springs from natural friendships.

Paul had earned the right to speak into the lives of the believers at Colossae.  Not because he had a PhD from a seminary. Not because he was on the NYT bestsellers list. Not because he had 100K followers on Twitter. Those things can all be leveraged for influential good. But the real spiritual growth transfer happens in deep and caring relationships. This Church and these people would listen to what Paul had to say because Paul had been invested deeply in their lives.

I wonder if we put enough premium on this kind of relationship today. It seems there is a lot of drive-by discipleship today. It’s so easy to think that because we’re posting pithy quotes online that we’re doing God’s work. It’s easy to think rebuke and discernment are at-replying a famous Christian on twitter with whom we disagree. But is this really how people grow?

Pastors and church leaders would do well to model Paul’s investment in their people. Pastors who deeply care for their people, who actually know them well, will see a much better response to their preaching. But pastors who are only present on Sunday to deliver content–God uses this preaching to change lives–but it won’t be as effective as faithful, person-to-person ministry over a long season.

Parents would also do well to model Paul’s life. Our kids have to know that we are for them. So when we discipline and rebuke, they know it’s out of love, not out of frustration or anger. Are we present with them?

Even when we write, email, tweet, text: does the intended audience feel that we care about them? That we are invested in them? That even if we must sharply disagree, contend, proclaim–we’re doing it with a heart broken by love for the people God loves?

Or are we doing drive-by discipleship? This is a good question to ask ourselves.

Pastors Who Press On

Discouragement: it maybe the leading cause of failure in pastoral ministry. How do pastors keep from growing weary in their work? I had the chance to talk to an experienced ministry practitioner, Travis Collins. Travis has held a variety of ministry roles and is the author of a new book: For Ministers About to Start or About to Give Up. The first question I asked him was:

You’ve served in various roles in ministry positions, from pastoring to coaching to consulting. In your view, what is the single greatest challenge facing contemporary pastors?

The greatest challenge I find among vocational ministers is disappointment with the church. So many ministers envisioned far more that what they are experiencing.

They are disappointed by the way people have treated them (and no hurt church likes church hurt). They are disappointed that they have to do so much busy work merely to keep the machine running. They are disappointed that so much of their work seems so futile (at least on the surface).

That deep disappointment is a big reason for the epidemic of burnout, and perhaps is somehow behind some of the bad behavior exhibited by so many pastors.

Read more here:

The Way Home – Episode 1 featuring Karen Swallow Prior and Matt Chandler

Listen to This Week’s Episode of The Way Home

Welcome to the first episode of my brand-new podcast: The Way Home. My hope with this podcast is twofold: to give you some compelling conversations with pastors, church leaders, authors, and influencers. This first episode features my friend, Karen Swallow Prior, a fantastic voice. She’s an English professor at Liberty University and her work appears in places like The Atlantic, Hermeneutics, and others places. She’s also an ERLC Research Fellow.

Matt Chandler needs no introduction. He’s the pastor of Village Church in the Dallas Fort Worth area and a popular conference speaker. His sermon podcast is one of the most downloaded on iTunes. Most of all, he is a faithful preacher of the Bible and a man who loves Jesus.

You can listen by clicking on the link above and can subscribe by clicking on the RSS link above. We’re still working on iTunes and Stitcher approval. For now you can click on the RSS link (from your iPhone or Mac or iPad) and it will engage iTunes and allow you to subscribe. Or you can copy the RSS link into your favorite podcast app.

Show Notes:

Karen Swallow Prior segment starts at 4:33

Book: Fierce Convictions: The Extraordinary Life of Hannah More – Poet, Reformer, Abolitionist
Twitter: @lovelifelitgod
Website: works.bepress.com/karen_swallow_prior

Matt Chandler segment starts at 27:03

Book: The Mingling of Souls: God’s Design for Love, Marriage, Sex, and Redemption
Twitter: @mattchandler74
Website: thevillagechurch.net

To learn more about the 2015 ERLC Leadership Summit on “The Gospel and Racial Reconciliation,” go to erlc.com/summit2015. When registering use coupon code: WAYHOME. This event will be held in Nashville on March 26-27, 2015.

Alzheimer’s and the Imago Dei

Alzheimer’s may be the most feared disease of any in our culture because of the slow and painful way it sucks the life of out of people we love and the burden it places on caregivers. How should Christians think about this disease in a way that’s unique from the rest of the culture? How does the Christian concept of imago dei force us to consider the dignity of those held by the grip of Alzheimers? This is a question I posed to Dr. Benjamin Mast, Associate Professor in the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences and an Associate Clinical Professor in Geriatric Medicine at the University of Louisville. He’s the author of a brand new book, Second Forgetting, Remembering the Power of the Gospel in Alzheimer’s. 

What is unique about the biblical ethic of the imago dei that changes that way we think about Alzheimer’s patients?

We live in a hyper cognitive society where our personhood and value are often closely tied to intellectual ability and achievement, and in this context people with Alzheimer’s are often seen and treated as less than full persons. If we are only the sum of our cognitive capacities then Alzheimer’s would indeed take away our personhood. The Biblical understanding of the person was never tied to intelligence or even to our ability to contribute something to society. Our identity is deeply rooted in our status as image bearers of God. Even in our broken cognitive state, we are nonetheless fully redeemed, fully known and fully loved by God. Not even Alzheimer’s can separate us from the love of God or remove us from his sustaining care.

The biblical view of personhood gives us hope. Even when Alzheimer’s robs a person of the ability to speak and we can no longer know their thoughts or heart, God knows them and intercedes with prayers on their behalf. Even the most severely impaired people matter to God and they should matter to us. They deserve honor, respect, and loving care, even when they cannot respond with spoken gratitude. We love our neighbor with Alzheimer’s because God loves us, not because they love us back.

Read the rest of the interview here:

How NOT to Read the News

We live in a time where we are exposed to more news headlines than at any time in human history. In the ancient days of news, anchors checked the AP newswire for stories and reported on them and people in their homes watched or people in their cars listened to radio. Today, everyone, is essentially checking the wire, all day, through social media. We also live in a time when it’s has never been easier to publicly express an opinion. Before the Internet, if something happened, you might have picked up the phone to call someone or perhaps you might discuss it at work, around the water cooler. But today we are all pundits, all with commentary on what is happening right now.

Quite often this new reality is leveraged for good. If a disaster strikes, more people can be informed than in previous generations. Social networks can be good conduits for raising money for important charity, for networking and communicating with wider groups of people. In many ways, the new paradigm has flattened leadership, forcing organizations to be more transparent and less hierarchical. All this is good.

Still, followers of Christ need to think through how they process the news, particularly how we react to the headlines that come across our screens every day. Here are three tips I think that might help:

1) Don’t react to headlines, get the full story. I think James 1:19 is instructive here. If I could paraphrase, I’d say we should be “swift to hear, slow to tweet, slow to outrage.” We often get it backwards. Two things work against us slowing down and getting the story right: confirmation bias and our need to be the first and most clever to speak. First, because we can tailor our news intake (more on that below) to our specific point of view and bias, we tend to gravitate to news headlines that confirm what we already want to believe about people and personalities we might not favor. Secondly, there is a human instinct to want to be the first to comment and to have the most clever reaction (measured in retweets). There is an inherent danger in being so reactive to headlines. If you have not read the full story and, perhaps, ready other stories about the topic, a quick reaction can make you appear foolish. It also works to divide the body of Christ. There is nothing wrong with principled, sharp engagement with news stories. Christians need thoughtful commentary on cultural events, but we need it to be critiquing things that actually happened, not caricatures of things that happened. There’s a difference here. Before you start a brushfire online, before you email your allies with damning information about someone with whom you disagree, before you forward and post negative things, make sure you are actually getting the full story.

2) Don’t consume news from only one point of view. It’s a good habit to follow, on Twitter and in our other consumption of news, people from other “tribes” (though I hate that word now) and from other ideological perspectives. It’s good to have a mix of people in your twitter feed: advocates, opponents, and straight-up journalists. This gives you a much more nuanced view of what is actually going on. It also keeps you from tin-foil hat conspiracy theorists that seem to dominate on all sides of various issues. You should also have an operating principle of not reacting to a story unless you’ve read two or three versions of it from diverse news outlets. In other words, don’t just take the news story that best confirms what you already believe about something or someone. Get the full picture here. I can think of one story in particular that I thought was newsworthy, even worth commissioning an article for ERLC. But then I asked a few folks, read a few more articles, and realized there was more to it.

3) Try to see the human side of the news. This is especially important when news stories involve personalities, whether politicians or preachers. There’s a lot of tabloid journalism out there, both in the larger culture and in the church world (unfortunately). Remember that the person you are about to destroy online with a clever hashtag probably has a family who can google their name. Do you want to be the one who caused their daughter pain? Followers of Christ should operate by different principles. This should have two effects on our public witness: First, when expressing public disagreement, we are to consider every person, even those with whom we viscerally disagree, as people created in God’s image and worthy of respect (James 3:9; 1 Peter 2:17). We’re also supposed to be especially charitable to fellow Christians (Galatians 6:10). Secondly, to knowingly spread false witness about someone by not getting the facts right says to the world that we don’t value some humans like we value others. It’s also sin. All of us are wise to consider our platforms and how we are influencing those who follow us.