For Our Saturday Night Readers

As you prepare your heart to worship as the Body of Christ tomorrow morning, the bible text we will consider together is 1 Corinthians 5. The question I have been asking as I read the text is this: Is the church primarily an organization or an organism? I think our consideration of chapter 5 will go a long way towards sorting that out.

Tomorrow morning we will be led in song by Jesse and members of our team who make up 'By Faith', the band we will be sending to Namibia this coming summer. On the list are a few of the songs they will play in Africa and favorites of ours at Christ's Church. We'll sing of the Lamb of God in Agnus Dei; we'll make a 'Joyful Noise; we'll be in wonder and awe of our 'Indescribable' God; and we'll sing of the efficacy of His blood and be amazed at His grace.

I look forward to worshipping the Lord together in the morning.

‘Twas The Night Before The Draft!

‘Twas The Night Before The Draft!

This is like Christmas Eve for the Guru (and the true NFL fan). The Gridiron Guru has been quietly watching the wire, keeping an eye on all the news and player movement, and preparing to tell you what to watch for in tomorrow’s draft. First, a couple of ‘told-you-so’ gloats:

1) The Guru told you before the 2005 season began that Brett Favre would be back for the 2006 season. If only Brett and Deanna would have read my articles last year they would have saved themselves 6 months of toiling over the decision. Tune in this August and I’ll tell you whether 2006 will be Brett’s swan song (here’s a hint: don’t bet on it).
2) The Guru told you that the Chargers would not go into 2006 with both Drew Brees and Philip Rivers at QB. I was right! What not even the Guru could have predicted the recently lobotomized Charger brain-trust would show Brees the door and go with Rivers as their franchise passer. What are they smoking? I have one thing to say: 2005 Buffalo Bills! (as in they showed Drew Bledsoe the door and suffered miserably with J.P. Losman). And as a post-script: The SAINTS? Drew Brees what were you thinking? That’s where QB’s go to die! Fire the agent, Drew. He’s sold your soul.

Now, on to the draft. Who should your team take? Which of the ‘Big Three’ QB’s will go first and which will slide? Who will be the guy in New York sitting on camera nervously through pick after pick waiting to hear his name? Well, let me tell you.

Texans – USC RB Reggie Bush
Saints – VA OT D’Brickashaw Ferguson
Titans – USC QB Matt Linert
Jets – NC DE Mario Williams
Packers – OSU LB A.J. Hawk
49ers – OR DT Haloti Ngata
Raiders – TEX QB Vince Young
Bills – MD TE Vernon Davis
Lions – TEX DB Michael Huff
Cardinals – VAND QB Jay Cutler
Rams – VT DB Jimmy Williams
Browns – NCS LB Manny Lawson
Ravens – USC OT Winston Justice
Eagles – UF WR Chad Jackson
Broncos – USC RB Lendale White
Dolphins – CLEM DB Tye Hill
Vikings – FSU DT Broderick Bunkley
Cowboys – FSU LB Kamerion Wimbley
Chargers – FSU DB Antonio Cromartie
Chiefs – SC DB Jonathan Joseph
Patriots – FSU LB Ernie Sims
49ers – OSU LB Bobby Carpenter
Buccaneers – UM WR Sinorice Moss
Bengals – ALA LB DeMeco Ryans
Giants – UM OT Eric Winston
Bears – OSU DB Ashton Youboty
Panthers – MEM RB DeAngelo Williams
Jaguars – UT DB Jason Allen
Jets – MINN RB Laurence Maroney
Colts – OK OG Davin Joseph
Seahawks – OSU DB Donte Whitner
Steelers – OSU WR Santonio Holmes

A couple Guru Gimmes to take to the bank. There is no Ryan Leaf among the Big Three, however, there is no Peyton Manning among them either. The best bet of the three is actually the one who will be taken last of the three, Vandy’s Jay Cutler. I think Dennis Green will be the one to snatch him up. The Jet’s blow it by not grabbing him with their early pick (would that surprise anyone?). Best pick of the first round: Patriots and Ernie Sims (or whoever gets Ernie Sims). This guy will be the next Derrick Brooks. The biggest reach of the first round will be anyone who reaches for USC underclassman Lendale White. I bet Denver will be the team to do it. Last year they reached for Maurice Clarett and busted on him. They will want to redeem themselves by taking another project, only this time seeing it work out.

Picking the draft isn’t a science, as one or two surprises will change everything on down the line. But this should give you a good marker on the top 32 players. The Guru hath spoken! See you Monday to review the first round.

Darin-isms (1 Corinthians 4 pt.2)

Continuing where we left off…

1 Corinthians 4:14-21

Paul brings the argument home to the believers in Corinth with a personal plea and some specific direction for them.

v. 14 Referring to the bitter irony of the previous section (v. 8-13 particularly), Paul assures that his intention was not to shame his readers, but to warn them. If his words didn’t shame them they must not have been listening. His goal, however, wasn’t to leave them ashamed but to bring about a change in them. His motivation was like that of a father; the verse ends ‘as my dear children’.

v. 15 Many ministers would serve to advise or instruct the church at Corinth, but Paul was the only one who had brought them the gospel. He assures them that more than any guardian, he has their interests at heart.

v. 16 Paul makes this plea: ‘Therefore I urge you to imitate me’. As a father I realize how important it is to set a consistent example before my children’s watching eyes. I also realize how often I blow it, and they see an inconsistent example. For Paul (and for any minister or parent) to be able to say, ‘Just do what I do and you’ll be on the right track’ is an invaluable ‘moral authority’. (See also Phil. 4:9)

v. 17 There is a young man who has done just that – having followed Paul’s example – the young man Timothy. Paul tells the church at Corinth that Timothy has been dispatched to Corinth and he urges them to watch him, for he will remind them of what life ought to look like for stewards of the gospel.
v. 18-21 Paul seems to anticipate that some of the Corinthians might not be moved by his pleas. He hints at a time when he will directly confront any there who are arrogant and who oppose these teachings.

Carry On My Wayward Son

Some of you, perhaps, have heard the story of the 70's rock-n-roll super group Kansas. Told by group founder and leader Kerry Livgren in his 1980 autobiography entitled 'Seeds of Change' (and his debut solo album by the same name), the story is one of God's amazing work in the lives of a few of the members of Kansas and the resulting tensions with other band members who resented the religious overtones showing up in much of their music.

Well today there is news of another Kansas alum. I found this article on bassist Dave Hope. God is good! I'd love to meet the Rev. Dave some day.

An End To The Mystery

Okay, great comments so far on the mysterious 11 point statement posted a few days ago. It's time to unveil the mystery.

The 11 points were given by Doug Pagitt, author and pastor of Solomon's Porch in Minneapolis, in a radio address, as an outline of the 'emerging church'. I've been convinced for the longest time that the emerging church movement couldn't accurately be defined, because so many different people refer to themselves or others as 'emergent' and 'emerging' for different reasons - so much confusion! In these 11 statements I think Doug Pagitt has set some discernible characteristics to the emerging church. So now the question is, are we one? Should we be? Should we be very concerned about the emerging church as many are?

Let me list those 11 characteristics again and add my comments to them a few at a time. Today, the first three:
1. Embodies a Kingdom of God focus... joining in where God is evident. I read this as a statement the entire church should embrace - the fact that we are all smaller (local) parts of a larger (global) whole - the body of Christ. I think that Christ's Church embodies a kingdom focus.
2. Pursues faithfulness to God through new practices, structures and understandings. This one made a few who left comments nervous. I take a step back (farther away from specifics to general, if you will) and think this makes very good sense. Jesus cautioned the folly of trying to put new wine in old wine skins. We live in a newmillenniumm. That is not to say that we throw out truth or that we abandon all our heritage. It is to say that we need to re-evaluate some of the vehicles (wine skins) that we have used successfully in the past for their relevance today. At Christ's Church, for instance, Missions is a great example. We have been learning a new manner of viewing Missions - relationships over tasks - that has caused us to change our perspective and our practice. I think Christ's Church pursues faithfulness to God in new ways relative to our times.
3. Tends to have a hopeful and positive view of God's engagement in the world... again, joining in where God is evident. - This one is one of the more ambiguous points to me. Is it abouoptimismsm? I am a 'cup half full' guy. Or is it about more, a life lived in the very real expectation that God wins, and therefore lived in awe of His every move? I think that way too. In any case, I don't 'disagree' with this characteristic. I frankly view it as a breath of fresh air in contrast with a church that has, for my entire lifetime, been extremely negative on all things. What I mean by that is that the church has forever (again, in my lifetime) been defined by what she disapproves of. How wonderful it is when the church emphasizes putting out those things that are good and praiseworthy more so than simply pointing out all of those things that are evil. I think of it like this: guys like Chris Tomlin and Dave Crowder putting out great art or fundamentalists pointing out the evils in the arts... hmmm.

What do you think now that you know where the statements came from? What are your thoughts on my comments on the first few characteristics of the emerging church?

Mark Driscoll's New Book

Mark Driscoll's new book 'Confessions of a Reformission Rev' is out. I haven't bought it yet but plan on it when pay-day rolls around. I did read the first chapter which Zondervan made available online here. It looks like a good read on the mission of the church.

Here are some of the chapter titles ~ you have to love Mark's wit:

Jesus, Our Offering Was $137 and I Want to Use it to Buy Bullets
Jesus, If Anyone Else Calls My House, I May Be Seeing You Real Soon
Jesus, Satan Showed Up and I Can't Find my Cup
Jesus, Could You Please Rapture the Charismaniac Lady Who Brings Her Tambourine to Church?
Jesus, Why Am I Getting Fatter and Meaner?
Jesus, Today We Voted to Take a Jackhammer to Your Big Church
Jesus, We're Loading Our Squirt Guns to Charge Hell Again

Along The Way (25/Apr/2006)

Today... Shari's birthday. Happy Birthday sweetheart! It's her birthday but I get a gift: a chance to take the girl of my dreams out for supper.

Coke Blak... I tried the new 'carbonated Fusion Beverage' this morning that looks to be a mixture of Coke and Coffee. I enjoyed it. I'm not sure, however, if I would become a regular consumer - the jury is still out. My initial thought was that while I like both Coke and Coffee, when I want a cup of coffee I'd opt for the real thing and when I have a taste for a Coke I'd reach for the Real Thing. It's hard for me to imagine choosing that combination. I'll give them a few more tries to see if it grows on me. Oh, go ahead and try one yourself. At least it's not a Pepsi!

Awaiting Rejection... Well, I've finally done it. After years of joking around (and much encouragement from friends), I've finally composed a query package for publishers on my Big Buts of the Bible book idea. Now, everything I read tells me to prepare for a wave of rejection letters, but not to let that get me down. Great! So, I'm psyching myself up. It will be awesome to receive lots of letters saying 'we think your idea is terrible'. I can't wait! You can help. When you see me the next few weeks just place your fingers in the shape of an 'L' on your forehead and mumble 'Loser' as you walk past. I'll keep my chin up. Those publishers don't know what a gold mine this is.

100 Hours... We're less than 100 hours away from the NFL draft (that little fix in the middle of the offseason for football junkies like me). Yes, the Guru will weigh in with a draft preview on Friday and tell you who your team should pick, and who teams should avoid.

Darin-isms (1 Corinthians 4)

Picking up where the Sunday morning text left off…

1 Corinthians 4:8-13

Paul assesses the scene in the church at Corinth and compares that to his own experience as a steward of the secret things of God (v.1-2).

v. 8 They, the believers in Corinth, thought that they had all they want. They should have been thirsting for more in the way of intimacy with Christ, righteousness, holiness, etc. They considered themselves rich, and to be kings – the truth is that they were a king like the naked emperor in the children’s story The Emperor’s New Clothes.

v. 9 Paul’s perspective is, that as followers of Christ, suffering should be the norm. But by contrast, these believers in Corinth had found their place comfortably in the stands to watch the spectacle unfold. Paul’s perspective: Life will become no easier and life no kinder to the follower of Christ.

v. 9-13 This passage should be considered in chorus with that statement of Paul in 1 Cor. 15:19 – “If our hope in Christ is only for this life than we should be pitied” that we considered last week on Easter Sunday.

v. 10 In contrast, Paul recognizes that he is considered foolish for Christ, while they bask in self-assurances that they are wise; Paul realizes himself to be weak and needing of Christ, whereas the Corinthian believers count themselves self-sufficient.

v. 11-13 Paul lists a number of conditions that he experiences as the ‘norm’ being a steward of the gospel, contrasting that with the relative comfort and affluence the church in Corinth boasts: poverty, need, a necessity to work, a willingness to suffer and forgive, etc.

What Do You Think?

Give these 11 characteristics a read and let me know if you think they describe you, me, Christ’s Church, some other church, a desirable church, a denomination, a cult, or something else. After we get a few opinions then I’ll tell you where the list actually comes from and is intended to describe.

1. Embodies a Kingdom of God focus – joining in where God is evident.
2. Pursues faithfulness to God through new practices, structures and understandings.
3. Tends to have a hopeful and positive view of God's engagement in the world – again, joining in where God is evident.
4. Committed to loving God, neighbor and even loving enemies in real ways in this world.
5. Deeply connected to the story of God and the Bible.
6. Living in the guidance of the Holy Spirit - not culture or understandings.
7. Theologically active - thinking deeply about these practices.
8. Openness to the "other" - outsider, foreigner, doesn't get freaked out.
9. Wants the good news of God to change the world and be good news for all creation.
10. Understands community to be an essential part of the Christian life.
11. More interested in the future than fighting the battles of the past - people who are trying to live the story of Jesus in our world in ways consistent to where we have come from.

Monologue to Dialogue

This morning we studied 1 Corinthians 4:1-7. What did you think? Did anything particular in the text catch your attention? Agree, disagree or have anything to add to my thoughts? You can find my notes on the message here or in the right hand menu under 4/23. You can find the audio file of the message here or in the menu. Click 'comments' and help turn monologue into dialogue!

For Our Saturday Night Readers

In contrast to last Sunday's Easter celebration, I imagine it will be a little quieter tomorrow at Christ's Church. At least there won't be any cannons going off.

As we consider the word together we will return to 1 Corinthians 4. We will consider verses 1-17 in the morning, but the whole chapter is only a few verses longer. As I've been reading verses 8-17 this week I've been reminded of Paul's words that we read last Sunday in 15:19. You might be blessed to give that verse a little consideration in light of the argument Paul makes here in chapter 4.

We will unite our hearts and voices in song and in prayer - everything from old standards to new favorites. I look forward to uniting my voice with yours and worshipping our God together in the morning.

Darin-isms (1 Cor. 15 pt.2)

Picking up where the last section of comments leave off…

1 Corinthians 15:35-58

Paul moves his primary focus from Christ’s resurrection to our resurrection – and Paul speaks to misunderstandings concerning the body in which the believers will be resurrected.

v. 35 A very interesting thought to consider. If a husband dies in the prime of his life and his widow lives a very long life, will one have a young and fit body in heaven while the other old and wrinkled? If a very young child dies, will they inhabit heaven in the body of a child? These were the sort of thoughts on people’s minds concerning the resurrection of the body.

v. 36-38 Paul uses an agricultural picture to begin his answer: seeds planted do not grow up to look just like what is planted. Rather, there is a fruitful and purposed end to the planting of the seed. See John 12:24 for an interesting parallel from the lips of Jesus.

v. 38 ‘But God’ – the hard contrast with the natural process of planting and harvest, Paul asserts God is in control of all of this.

v. 39-41 Paul continues his answer by pointing out another very well known truth: flesh of different animals differ as to the environment in which they live, move and have their being. Thus, a bird’s body needs to be different from that of a fish, and so on. Continuing the point, Paul then moves the illustration out globally, that there are bodies fit for life on earth, and bodies fit for life beyond earth.

Paul continues, the glory of these bodies differs. This is all by God’s design.

This reminds me of the supposed comments of an atheist Russian Cosmonaut who, orbiting the earth, donned a space suit and completed several hours of ‘space walk’ outside his spacecraft. When he returned to earth the quotation attributed to him was, “I’ve walked in the heavens and seen no God.” The story goes that a Christian reporter in the room quipped in reply, “Had he slipped out of that space suit he would have met God!”

v. 42 You can see that Paul is about to make his point based upon the previous verses of ‘set-up’: ‘So also…’

v. 42-44 These verses answer the examples given in verses 39-41. The body that is sown is perishable. It will be raised imperishable. It is dishonorable. It will be raised in glory. It is weak but it will be raised in power. It was sown as a natural body but it will be raised a spiritual body. There is a body fit for life in this world; and there is a body fit for life in the next.

v. 45-50 Paul calls the reader back to the very beginning, reminding that with Adam the human race began – God breathed life into a body made of dust. Now, in Christ, God breathes the life of His Spirit into us. Once again, reassuring, this is God’s plan and He’s controlling it.

v. 51-54 Paul answers the question, ‘What happens to someone who doesn’t die before the Lord comes back?’ It is indeed the case that not all will die before Christ returns. So Paul assures that they too, those who are alive when He comes, will need to be changed – for their perishable bodies can no more inherit heaven than anyone else’s.

Paul speaks of Christ’s return, ‘the last trumpet’, and the resurrection of the dead and the translation of those who are alive into eternity. He continues, the corruptible must be changed to incorruptible and the mortal clothed in immortality – thus death is ‘swallowed up in victory’.

v. 54-55 Paul quotes the prophets Isaiah and Hosea (25:8 & 13:14 respectively), once again demonstrating this to be God’s plan all along.

v. 56 It is by sin that death gets a hold on man. It is by the law that sin is revealed.

v. 57 Another very big ‘but’: God gives victory through Jesus Christ (refer back to 15:1-3, that message that is proclaimed and received, that good news, that Christ died for our sins; was buried; and rose again).

v. 58 ‘Therefore’ – a conclusion: based on all of this, now live in accordance. You know that your life here and your enduring in the faith, is not in vain.

What's On My Mind?

Can prove very scary to know what I'm thinking!
Sunday. I am really looking forward to our worship services this weekend. I'm actually looking forward to a return to normal after all the festivities leading up to and celebrating Easter.

Age. I turned 39 yesterday. I hear about people who are bothered by these things - I am not bothered in the least. 40? 50? Really doesn't seem to matter much to me. I'll always be 18 between my ears!

Idiots. I read an article about some guy they arrested for pretending he was a doctor, walking door to door in his neigborhood offering women free breast exams. Here's the page. Anyhow, I think they ought to lock the guy up, but for my thinking, the women that said "Why, sure, come on in, Doc" ought to be tried too, for stupidity! Did these ladies never hear the lesson from their parents 'Don't talk to strangers'? Oh, but he didn't want to talk...

I Saw The Light. Ever since last Sunday, I can't get that tune out of my head. "When death takes me down and I breath here no more, my anthem will sound on that eternal shore, when I join with angels in heaven on high, singing, praise the Lord, I saw the light!"

Cough. I really am tired of the cold/allergies that have plagued me this week. I would appreciate your prayers!

Family. Last day or two to spend with Jim, Erica and their kids before they head home. Off I go to enjoy a little family time.

Darin-isms (1 Corinthians 15)

Greetings folks... remember that we jumped ahead to chapter 15 to time it with our Resurrection Sunday service. We will return to chapter 4 this coming Sunday. Click 'comments' and join the study with your thoughts.
Picking up where the Sermon notes for 4/16 leave off…

1 Corinthians 15:20-34

As everyone at Christ’s Church knows, I am convinced that the little conjunction ‘but’ can be considered a great tool in Bible Study, for almost everywhere that it appears it identifies an important truth by making a sharp contrast or comparison in the text. Check the one that starts this passage, for instance.

v. 20 ‘But Christ’ – in the verses preceding this passage Paul has been making the argument that if there is no resurrection than Jesus was not resurrected either; and if Jesus was not resurrected than our faith is in vain. ‘But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead’.

The metaphor ‘firstfruits’ refers to the Old Testament principles wherein the people were to bring the first sheaves of their harvest to the Lord. Such an offering demonstrates an individual’s acknowledgement that the whole harvest belongs to the Lord. Paul ties our hope for a resurrection directly to Christ in this verse.

v. 21-22 By virtue of our humanity we are connected to the first man, Adam in this present existence, in sin and in death. By virtue of faith we are connected to Christ in spiritual existence, in resurrection and life.

v. 23 Paul sets things into order chronologically: the first resurrected was Christ, then, when Jesus returns, those who have ‘fallen asleep’ (see verse 6), or those that ‘belong to Him’, will be with Him.

v. 24-28 Continuing his timeline, Paul demonstrates that this resurrection was not some event isolated in time, but rather that it is an integral part of God’s plan over all of history. Redemption will not be complete until He has ‘put all enemies under His feet’ and until ‘the last enemy, death, is destroyed’.

v. 29 This is one of the more controversial verses in all of Paul’s writings. Is Paul advocating that people should be baptized for the dead? The Mormon Church, for instance, teaches baptism on behalf of the dead. Does this verse legitimize that practice?

Here are some things to consider. First, nowhere else in Scripture is this practice mentioned. Even here it is not mentioned in a way of commending the practice to the church, but rather as a part of an argument to make the point – the resurrection of Christ is central to the Christian faith. Secondly, nowhere in history is there evidence that the church performed baptisms for the dead. This statement really stands as an oddity. Most scholars have concluded, that perhaps there was someone teaching this erroneous doctrine in Corinth but that the error was widely known, and therefore the teaching didn’t survive. If that be the case, then Paul’s mention here is a fitting example in his overall argument – the point again: the resurrection is crucial to our faith.

Note that Paul concludes this thought by returning to his argument, as if to say, ‘if there is not a resurrection, what hope would any of us have for a reunion with departed loves ones?’

v. 30 Paul turns to his own life as another example. He lives life as if there is an afterlife. If he wasn’t absolutely sure of that fact he would have to choose to live much more cautious and reserved a life – because then it ends.

v. 31 He lives every day in the expectation of an eternity with Christ.

v. 32 The ‘beasts’ he refers to are likely those who so strongly opposed him in Ephesus (see 2 Corinthians 1:8 where Paul describes this experience using the words ‘we even despaired of life’). The point here is that in facing such hardships, it was Paul’s confidence in the resurrection; his own expectation of eternity with Christ, that carried him through.

The end of this verse Paul contrasts again: if there is no resurrection hope, and this life is all we have in Christ (see verse 19), then we may as well ‘eat, drink’ and be merry.

v. 33 Paul quotes a very well known work of Menander (342-292BC) in saying ‘Bad company corrupts good character’. Again, in making the case for the resurrection Paul is relaying that listening to false teachers will corrupt.

An interesting aside for me: Paul quotes a well known ‘secular’ comedy in making his point. He connects, via pop culture, if you will, in making his point. Much debate goes on to this day about cultural relevance and when and to what degree it is acceptable for a preacher or teacher to utilize popular references in illustration. For instance, if a preacher today were to take a very well know movie line from a popular film in our day, or utilize a verse from a well known poet who is not a believer (as you see Paul do in Acts 17:28 before the Areopagus), many of more fundamental heritage would feel a line of appropriateness had been breeched.

v. 34 Paul urges the believers in Corinth to return; return from the false teachings and false teachers; return from the arrogance of supposed wisdom (recall chapters 1-3 where Paul set God’s wisdom at direct odds with the world’s wisdom), which is actually ‘ignorance of God’. This body of believers ought to be growing.

Let's Talk Sabbath... Again

Okay folks, a week ago I posted an article inviting your thoughts on the Sabbath. We had a good number of comments, and we started out pretty well concentrating on the Sabbath and what an application of 'keeping the Sabbath' might look like. From there we trailed off to needing a 'sabbatical from our children'. Not exactly what I was hoping for here.

Leanne mentioned in a comment that she needed time away from the culture in which she ministers and gathers that time once a week, and that it's a very refreshing time spiritually. Do you think this is what a Sabbath observance might include - time set apart from the ministry environment? Or, we could view her day away not as much about culture as just her regular work routine. Do you think this is what a Sabbath observance might include - a different type of day than the other six?

Do you, or do you not take such a time in your week? If not, and you'd like to, what hinders you? For instance, how would you view a situation where someone needed to work seven days a week to keep their employer from terminating them? Someone who needed to work seven days for the income? Someone who chose to work on Sunday as it is time and a half? Etc. And lastly, what do you think about Sunday? Is it to be a Sabbath for Christians?

In a comment Lisa mentioned that Sundays are not so ideal a day away for those involved in the ministry of a local church. Is serving in ministry on Sunday a Sabbath observance? An obstacle to Sabbath observance? (By the way, this preacher will give you an opinion on that later that may surprise you.)

So chime in again, let's dig deeper into this matter of the Sabbath. It would be a great time for us to dig into our bibles too. Any verses you want to share?

Parson to Person

#24 ~ An ongoing 'imaginative/non-fictional' series.
The weeks following Christmas were a strange mix for me. The Gerrys had been attending church each Sunday since they first visited on Christmas Eve. Their children were very excited about the children’s programs, and Jesse had started coming to my Wednesday morning men’s group. God was certainly at work in him. He had developed an incredible appetite for spiritual conversation and was asking very good questions.

Things were looking very good for Robin too. Her doctor concluded she was cancer free at her follow-up appointment. She had come by the house to tell Sarah, and we wound up inviting her to stay for supper. During the course of the evening it became clear that she had grown in her faith through it all.

Dani was spending more time with Renaldo. The Santiagos visited our church every other week or so, and Dani had attended a couple more of the services at St. Boniface. I discovered that two of the devotional writers that I very much admired, Henri Nouwen and Thomas Merton were Catholics. I read them, it seemed, with a little different perspective since we had begun our friendship with Hector and Lucienne. I was surprised that the Santiagos hadn’t heard of either of them.

But then there was the growing storm surrounding my future at Covenant. I arrived at the conclusion that this wasn’t simply going to pass, and that these folks had one outcome in view – my removal. The ‘pack’, as Sarah referred to them, now included two more. In addition to Jay and Evelyn Dukes and Earnest and Sylvia Wright, now a very dear old widow named Rose Gould and a man who I barely recalled attending the church, Stuart, had joined the fun.

As I prayed about it all – mostly that my attitude would be God honoring – I realized that my Board had not been as verbal in my defense as I would have expected. One of the Board Members shared that his hopes were to ‘see this process through’ so that maybe the Dukes and the Wrights would return to Covenant. I didn’t share his hope. From my vantage point it seemed so clear that God was doing amazing things all around us and then there was this thorn in my side – this one issue that if it would go away, life and ministry would be tremendous.

So as I looked over my notes preparing, that is how I prayed, “Lord, three hours from this great committee meeting… will you take this thorn away?”

Your Turn To Talk Resurrection

Let's take the Resurrection Sunday study from monologue to dialogue. You can see my sermon notes here or find them in the right hand menu. You can listen to the audio file here or find it in the menu. What are your thoughts on 1 Corinthians 15:1-20? Click 'comments' and join the conversation.

Bad Bunny!

Just to be sure that stupidity is an equal opportunity offender, I follow up December's 'Bad Santa' article with this gem out of Florida. Seems the Easter Bunny snapped and threw down with some mother in a Naples area mall. In the article the husband is quoted, "The Easter Bunny jumped on top of my wife and started punching her."

"See children, Daddy told you, bunnies can be very dangerous!"

Were You There?

The old spiritual asked 'Were you there when they crucified my Lord?' After this morning it is my expectation that people will be asking 'Were you there when Christ's Church celebrated Jesus' resurrection?' Wow!

First of all, thank you, Christ's Church family, for another great Easter Sunday celebration! Your spirit of adventure this morning, your singing, your dancing, your celebrating our risen Lord with reckless abandon and extravagance is unparalleled.

Thank you to Steve, Daryl, Charlie, Peter, Rick, Carey and others for your work in getting the breakfast off the ground this morning. You guys are servant leaders!

Thank you Mike and members of the World Famous Christ's Church Worship Band (even more so after this morning's effort) for serving us the way you do with your musical talent and your devotion. Thank you for taking God seriously and yourselves lightly! "Was that a banjo?" Germaine and Todd, thank you for the supreme effort of bringing it all to the screen and the speakers for us. Todd, I speak for all the musicians - awesome to have you back in the booth!

Sandi, Amanda, Katie, Lori, Jillian and Shannon (and your families for the sacrifices this morning), thank you for sharing your talents unto God's glory.

A huge thank you to Jim Chafe - our 'Pastor of Ballistics', for the engineering of our cannon. Be proud, Christ's Church - I am pretty sure we're the only church in New Hampshire that owns one.

So, were you there? Go ahead and click 'comments' and share your thoughts on a great day of celebration as the Body of Christ.

For Our Saturday Night Readers

He is risen! He is risen indeed!

Be ready to shout that greeting tomorrow, as we gather to celebrate our Savior's resurrection. I suppose it might help you prepare to review the account of Christ's death and burial in any of the gospels. I'd encourage you to think about the simple fact that people live and people die. That is the way it is, and we all know it. But, were someone you loved to die, be buried, and then walk out of the grave very much alive - now that is something!

Tomorrow morning we will be led in celebration thru song by Mike and the team. I can tell you there are a few surprises in the works. The music won't be a surprise, however. What would Easter be without 'Christ The Lord Is Risen Today' and what would Easter at Christ's Church be without 'My Redeemer Lives'? Toss in the brand new Chris Tomlin song we learned last week 'Glorious' and a few more favorites - we will indeed celebrate!

Our study in the Scriptures will have us consider passages in 1 Corinthians 15. If you want an advance look, the whole chapter would be good prep, however, we will concentrate mostly on the first 20 verses or so together in the morning.

A group of us watched The Passion of the Christ last night. I'm struck by those final scenes in which Jesus breathed His last. But it doesn't end there.

Remember, just one service at 11AM tomorrow. And don't forget to come early, between 9AM and 10AM to have breakfast together. The Board of Elders will have been hard at work all morning to serve you a fine Easter breakfast! I look forward to celebrating His resurrection with you in the morning!

A Sabbath Like No Other

I allowed my imagination to wander last night and this morning. It must have been a Sabbath like no other for Mary that most dark of days. Her faithful Sabbath keeping kept her and the others from preparing Jesus body for burial - the task they set out to accomplish on that first morning of the week. But what of this Sabbath observance?

It must have been in agony on Friday at sundown that she lit two candles to welcome the Sabbath, "Blessed art Thou, O God, King of the Universe, who has set us apart by Thy commandments, and who commands us to kindle the Sabbath lights." It's very doubtful that she would have been a part of any organized gathering that day at the Temple, for the religious leaders presiding over the services were the very ones who conspired to have Jesus crucified. As the Sabbath came to a close at sundown on Saturday, she would have again lit candles and offered a final prayer, the Havdilah.

To Jesus' followers, the voice of God had to seem dreadfully silent that day. The voice that had led the forefathers, spoken thru prophets, given revelation to men, and called creation into being - silent!

The ears of faith might have recalled Christ's words that day. Read Matthew 16:21, 17:9, 17:22-23, 20:18-19, 26:32, Mark 9:10, Luke 9:22-27, John 2:18-22.

Good Friday?

Mary wasn’t the one who called it ‘good’. She saw the injustice through the eyes of a mother. They stripped Him and beat Him. They laughed at Him. They mocked Him and spit upon Him. He didn’t retaliate and that probably only angered those mocking Him all the more. Mary certainly didn’t call it ‘good’.

Peter didn’t call it ‘good’. Jesus was right – Peter had denied his Lord three times. Jesus was betrayed and carried away to be crucified. What now? Peter certainly isn’t the one who called it ‘good’.

Judas didn’t call it good. He had everything he bargained for yet he found it to be worthless once he beheld it. He held ‘blood money’ – money that would have Christ’s blood spilled on the cross, and that would result in Judas’ blood being spilled. For Judas this Friday was anything but ‘good’.

It was not even the Pharisees or religious leaders who called it good. Sure their plot to see Jesus crucified had succeeded, but now they worried about the statements Jesus made about coming back from the grave. They were on full alert, lest this Jesus be rumored to be alive again and really gain popularity. They didn’t call this day ‘good’.

Jesus didn’t call the day ‘good’ either. The black and white pages of our Bibles cannot begin to communicate the pain and suffering He endured this day. It wasn’t so much the physical suffering as the moment He cried “My God, My God, Why have You forsaken Me?” Jesus didn’t declare this day ‘good’.

Had those been the last words of Christ, the day never could have been called ‘good’. But each of the gospels records a final cry of Jesus as He breathed His last. John’s gospel (written that ‘we might believe’) records the words: “It is finished!” Because He finished the work of redemption, you and I by faith can call this day ‘good’.

Darin-isms (1 Corinthians 3)

Picking up where our text on Sunday left off…

1 Corinthians 3:10-23

Having established that it is God who is at work in the lives of the Corinthians, and that he (Paul) and Apollos are not the cause of what’s happened there, but rather the means through which God has been at work, Paul continues to discuss the ministry process.

v. 10 Paul acknowledges that is a matter of God’s grace that he has been allowed to minister there at all, and at that, given the privilege of ‘laying foundation’. So, the foundation laid was the ‘message of the cross’ (1:18); the matter of Christ, and Christ crucified (2:2).

As Paul wrote, ‘someone else’ was ministering among the believers at Corinth. Whether Paul has Apollos or Cephas (Peter) in view, or someone else, is unknown. But, he speaks what follows as a warning, ‘each one should be careful’.

v. 11 Jesus Christ is THE foundation, the basis for salvation. Paul’s words here are reminiscent of his ‘no other gospel’ rebuke of the Galatians (see Gal. 1:6-9).

v. 12-15 Paul goes on to describe the building work and distinguish between wise and foolish builders and enduring and temporal building materials in illustration. This section and its evaluations should be considered in the overall context alongside Paul’s earlier contrasts between God’s wisdom and mankind’s wisdom (revisit 1:18-2:16 and then see ahead to verse 18).

Some materials are of high cost, others cheap. Some prove durable while others easily succumb to the elements. The point is that the work itself will show forth its strength and the workman’s diligence (or neglect) will be revealed at that point.

Paul speaks of ‘the Day’, a time when Jesus will return, and when all will be revealed and known. Associated with that time Paul speaks warning that our labor will not have been squandered. This should be considered in light of the earlier part of chapter three where Paul contrasts believers who are maturing and those who are still infants in Christ – all believers and therefore ‘saved’ even if only ‘escaping through flames’ of God’s revealing. How much better to have cherished Christ in this life and have grown (and labored) in His wisdom, so that we and our work reflect eternal, not only temporal investment?

v. 16 This verse speaks of the church at Corinth, collectively, as being the dwelling place of the Spirit. Later, in chapter 6f Paul will speak more specifically of God’s indwelling individual believers. Just as in Old Testament times God inhabited the temple by filling it with His glory, so now also He inhabits the church, filling them with His Spirit.

v. 17 A very stern warning for any who would seek to destroy the body, the bride of Christ.

v. 18 The argument comes full circle: this is about God’s wisdom in contrast to human wisdom: looking at these things (unity in the body, building and growing the body, etc) from God’s perspective as opposed to viewing it through the world’s eyes.

v. 19-22 Again, revisit 1:18-2:16 and my earlier notes on those passages. Paul returns to this point here to support his admonition that boasting about human teachers – whether Paul, Apollos, Cephas, or any other, is foolish.

v. 23 How little we appreciate the truth: all of these are given to us, because we are Christ’s.

Let’s Talk Sabbath

“Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work… for in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth… but He rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.” Exodus 20:8-11

When I first became a follower of Christ, a pastor and mentor of mine shared with me his take on Sabbath observance. My older brother shared his Sabbath perspective with me. Then, another pastor and mentor, he from a Jewish upbringing, shared his understanding of the Sabbath with me. All of those early lessons served to shape my perspective on the Sabbath.

Through my years in the church I have met Christians who are all over the board with it – some who keep a strict Sabbath observance, some who at least have regular Sabbath routines setting the day apart from the rest of their week, and folks who practice no visible/discernable Sabbath observance at all. If I were to make an honest appraisal, I suppose I would conclude the majority of church going folks today would fall into that last category – no visible/discernable observance.

So, get out your bibles and concordances. Google up Sabbath. What do you think of the Sabbath? How should Christians observe the Sabbath? How have you or your household observed the Sabbath? Click ‘comments’ and join the discussion. I will post up another bit on this in a day or so with more Scriptures to consider on the topic, and to share more of my thoughts on the matter.

Your Turn

Sunday morning's study was thru 1 Corinthians 3:1-9. My message notes can be found here or in the right hand menu. An audio file of the message can be opened here or from the menu. How has the text challenged you? Help me turn the monologue into dialogue.

A Great Week For A Movie!

Hi folks! I just wanted to alert you to two great opportunities this week for you, your family and friends to take in a movie. First of all, if you're like me, taking the family to see a film can cost an arm and a leg. However, I learned about a Christian Film Festival that is held this week (between Palm and Easter Sunday every year) in Lawrence, MA. It is at the Showcase Cinema and each of their Christian titles are free admission. Among the movies this week that are free is 'End of the Spear' - and you may recall how highly I recommend that movie. The other titles are less familiar to me, but look interesting. There are also several children's movies on the big screen, including a Veggie Tales offering and some others. Here is the link http://www.christianfilmfestival.org/locations/merrimackvalley/index.html to see what's playing and when. Secondly, as I mentioned yesterday, a group from Christ's Church will be traveling to Amherst First Baptist Church on Friday night to view 'The Passion of the Christ'. It will start at 7pm. If you're interested in joining us, please email me at pastor@ccnh.org and let me know of give me a call at the church office 673-8292, so we will know how many to expect. Have a great week!

Along The Way (9/April/2006)

Sunday night... First of all, thank you to Becca, Rachel, Lisa, Kari-Lynn, Peter, Jesse, Dave and Mike for an awesome job this morning. The World Famous Christ's Church Worship Band blesses me to no end each week, and this morning was a double blessing! Just because I love bragging about how good God has been to us in the musicians He's blessed us with, this morning's new song 'Glorious' was a new song indeed - as in the album was only released five days ago, and already the WFCCWB brings the song to us. Thank you all for your hard work in leading us into His presence excellently.

For those of you looking for my sermon notes from today's message, we'll have them up in just a few hours. We had a bit of a schedule snafu today. The audio link is already there in the menu on the right hand side of the page.

I also hope that you'll be planning for the end of the week - Friday night's trip to Amherst First Baptist Church to view The Passion of the Christ (7pm, please let me know if you can make it so we can tell them how many to expect), and then of course, Easter Sunday at Christ's Church (breakfast between 9-10am and then the worship service at 11am).

Thank you Christ's Church family. It is truly a privilege for me to share this journey with you!

For Our Saturday Night Readers

Palm Sunday - that's what the church has traditionally called this Sunday before Easter. As you prepare your hearts for worship in the morning, you may be blessed to consider the account of Jesus 'triumphal entry' into Jerusalem that Palm Sunday commemorates. You'll find the account in all four gospels: Matthew 21, Mark 11, Luke 19, and John 12.

As we 'welcome Him' tomorrow morning we will offer a 'hosanna' of praise in song. I see that there are a couple of Watermark songs, 'Glory of Your Name' and their rendition of the hymn 'Fairest Lord Jesus' on the list. 'You Alone' from David Crowder and a couple of Chris Tomlin songs, 'Indescribable' and a brand new one 'Glorious' will also be a part of our worship in song. A quick note on 'Glorious' - that is a brand new song. The album just came out this past Tuesday. I'm very thankful to our team for bringing it to us so soon.

I'll be continuing our study thru 1 Corinthians in the morning. We'll consider together 1 Corinthians 3:1-9. You might briefly revisit the highlights of the first two chapters as well, to prepare for our study together. Remember that my commentary on 1 Corinthians as we study as well as my message notes are all available on the blogsite for you.

I can't wait to join our hearts and voices in worshipping the Lord together in the morning!

Ask The Pastor

A friend suggested that an 'ask the pastor' column would be a welcome addition to the blogsite. So, here it is! This first set of questions come from a friend desiring to know more about how our Bible came to be. Her questions go on to inquire about Wycliffe and the Latin Vulgate, so we'll take those follow-up questions a little later. Let's start with this two part question:

Was the Bible written down or recorded in the 1st Century? How and when did the Bible that we have now come together?

First, let me introduce the word ‘canon’. The word canon means ‘measuring standard’. As such, when we refer to the ‘canonicity’ of a Biblical book, we are saying that it meets the measuring standards to be considered God’s word, as opposed to an ‘extra-biblical’ writing. Those measuring standards included evidence internal and external of the books themselves; the testimony of history; and eventually the determination of a church council in AD397 (the Council of Carthage) to determine the 66 books we now hold in our hands as being God’s written word.

So, in answer to that first question, no, the scriptures as we have them today were not compiled together as ‘the Bible’ in the first century. It is understood, however, that the majority of what we recognize as the Old Testament was in written form and much of it compiled during the inter-testamental years. The Dead Sea Scrolls, historians Philo and Josephus and other historical sources suggest that much of the OT was in use and circulation during the time between 400BC and the 1st Century AD. This would have been ‘the Bible’ (actually scrolls) our Savior and His disciples, and the religious leaders of Christ’s day had at their disposal.

The books of the New Testament began to come together and be recognized as God’s word as parts were completed and circulated among the early church. The practices of the Apostolic period and historical sources worked together to bring clarity to NT canon.

The earliest compilations of the Bible in its entirety are thought to be the Myratorian Version (around AD170), the Syriac Version (around AD190), and then the first Latin version (around AD200). All of these included all but a few of our present day NT books, and added nothing more.

As mentioned earlier, it was the Council of Carthage in AD397, looking to all the evidence I’ve mentioned here, that determined the 66 books of the OT & NT to be God’s word, as is still recognized today.

What of the Apocrypha? Those books (most dated in that inter-testamental period) first appeared in Augustine’s Bible in the 4th Century AD, although he did not recognize them as being authoritative. They were officially added to the canon by the Roman Catholic Church at the Council of Trent in 1546. The Protestant church does not recognize them as canonical but rather as extra-biblical writings.

If you have a question or questions you would like to 'ASK THE PASTOR' please drop them in an email to pastor@ccnh.org or hand them to me in person. Your identity will be protected. No question is 'taboo'. So, ask away!

Parson to Person

#23 ~ An ongoing 'imaginative/non-fictional' series.
From beginning to end I was impressed, and quite surprised that I felt this way. The Choir sang a number of carols and gave a stirring anthem based on the nativity. Hector informed me that the liturgy was the ‘Mass of the Vigil’ – whatever that means. Several parts of the mass were recited in Latin, but even with my very limited proficiency in Latin, I picked up a few pieces that rang familiar in my ears. The homily centered on the Nativity, and there was accompanying dramatization that was very stirring.

I expected to be a little uncomfortable during the Eucharist (the mass itself) because I wasn’t sure what to do. I certainly would not have minded partaking, but with our uncertainty over what the protocol was for non-Catholics in attendance, Dani and I chose to simply remain in our seats. Hector and his family seemed fine with that. They slipped out of their seats and returned just as quickly. During the Eucharist a fine soloist sang. He was located somewhere behind us in a balcony, I was very tempted to turn to see where he was but I fought the urge.

As we were headed home Dani asked, “So what did you think, Dad?”
I wasn’t sure where to begin. I thought the service was beautiful. I was surprised how much of the experience that I could relate to. At the same time, I was discouraged a bit, certain that the rich symbolism was likely lost on many who attended – those that were simply going through the religious motions they had grown up in. But then, I suppose that happens every bit as often in Protestant Churches too, my own included.
“I enjoyed the service, Dani”, I said. “How about you?”

“Thanks for going with me, Dad. I was just happy to be there with you”, she said. That was an early Christmas gift to my ears!

We talked a bit more about our experience. I mentioned to her my concern over the Catholic doctrine of ‘transubstantiation’. She laughed, “Sounds like something out of Star Trek.” When I gave her an overview of the doctrine, she immediately agreed that it sounded troubling. “I wonder if folks in the congregation even know about that teaching?” she asked. “I mean, how many people at Covenant could explain our view of communion clearly?” Great point.

Darin-isms (1 Corinthians 2)

Picking up the text where last Sunday’s sermon notes (April 2nd) leave off…
Last Sunday's message notes cover 1 Cor. 2:1-5. Notes and audio file of the message are available in the right hand menu.

1 Corinthians 2:6-10
Having contrasted the message of the cross with the wisdom of the day (see 1:18-2:5), Paul now moves on to discuss God’s wisdom and a believer's apprehending of it.

v. 6 Paul speaks of maturity in the sense of Christians who are growing and developing in their faith as contrasted with ‘infants’ (see 3:1). Consider the admonition on the matter of our growing spiritually in Hebrews 5:13-6:3.

Again, Paul is speaking of a wisdom that is different from the wisdom everywhere present in 1st Century Corinth, wisdom that will ‘come to nothing’. This wisdom he speaks about is God’s.

v. 7 He speaks of this as being ‘secret wisdom’ and its having been ‘hidden’. This needs to be understood in context (of chapter 1:18 thru 2:16).

Note the wording, ‘for our glory’ in this verse.

v. 8 It is not that it is an illusive wisdom that can be obtained by continuous and determined effort. Nor is it an ambiguous wisdom that becomes clarified through certain steps. If it were, the rulers and mighty thinkers of the day would have figured it out.

The phrase ‘they would not have crucified the Lord’ makes clear that the crucifixion is integral to God’s plan.

v. 9 Read this verse in context (see especially verses 7 thru 12).

v. 10 A big ‘but’ starts this verse: while no eye or ear can discern God’s blessing of salvation, God, by His Spirit reveals it to believers. The Spirit reveals even the ‘deep things’ of God.

v. 11 Paul illustrates his point by clarifying that no one can fully know the thoughts even of another man, let alone God, and therefore God’s Spirit’s work of revealing is crucial.

v. 12 God’s Spirit comes to all believers (not just some) ‘so that’ God may be revealed to us.

v. 13 This message that Paul proclaims did not originate with man. It came from God.

v. 14 This verse completes the thought begun (in verse 6): this is indeed a message of wisdom that can be received by the ‘maturing’, i.e. those maturing in Christ. It is a wisdom from God, however, not of man. It therefore requires God’s generative work in order for it to be recognized, understood and applied. Otherwise, it will all sound and appear as if its foolishness.

v. 15-16 The man of God can only be judged by God (see 4:3-5). For a carnal mind to try and spiritually judge the believer would be like a deaf critic reviewing a Bach Symphony.

A Follow-Up On McLaren / Driscoll

You may recall that back in January I linked to a back and forth cache of articles written by Brian McLaren and Mark Driscoll concerning a pastor's perspective on homosexuality. This morning I was reading thru Mark's blog and found this apology. Recalling that Mark's comments did not sit well with you (many of the comments posted here questioned Mark's sarcasm and verbal jabs), I thought this apology might be interesting follow-up reading.

Sound Off: Case Study

The Christian faith is not lived in a sterile environment, but in the real world. To that end, lets talk about what faith looks like where rubber meets the road.

Here is the case: A woman visits a church and is invited to attend a midweek Bible study. It becomes known that she lives with her boyfriend during the group time. At the end of the evening she approaches the group leader desiring to become a Christian. The group leader says "No, you cannot become a Christian until you stop living with your boyfriend."

Give this case study a quick read and join the conversation ~ How does it strike you? What would you have felt/said/done if you were in the group/the leader/the woman, etc? Have you ever experienced anything like this? Around what other sins might such a controversy develop? For instance, if the sin wasn't cohabitation but rather obesity, would you expect to hear, "No, you can't become a Christian until lose weight?" What do you think?

Along The Way (3/April/2006)

Monday... I am looking back over what was a fun weekend; the Two Poor Pastors with dozens of friends at Santos Dumont on Friday night, a dance competition in Lowell with many dance friends and a few Christ's Church friends who dropped in to catch up with the dancers, Sunday morning worship services that I really enjoyed - and finally a good night's sleep for me last night (I've been living the last few days on very little sleep, so it was a welcome day off to let me sleep in a bit).

Another highlight of the weekend for me was that I stopped at MorningStar and picked up the brand new Passion album, Everything Glorious. It's kind of cool because the official release date is tomorrow, but the folks at the bookstore have it already. I'll just tell you that this is, without a doubt, my favorite of the Passion discs. I had it on Saturday while I was reading thru my sermon notes for Sunday and when a couple of the songs came on I just found myself losing my place in my notes, and singing along - I couldn't NOT sing. If you're a fan of Crowder, Tomlin, Hall and Redmon, I recommend you run, not walk, to MorningStar and get the disc.

So, it's a new week. What shall we talk about on the blog? I have a few ideas. I have a few 'Ask the Pastor' questions a friend gave me. Maybe I'll tackle something off that list. I've also been thinking recently on the Sabbath. What does the Sabbath mean to us today? What does God have in view for believers in regard to the Sabbath? I'm also thinking thru a 'case study' idea to sound out our thinking, our upbringing in the faith, and maybe a good disagreement or two (in love, of course). And of course, I will be brining the rest of 1 Corinthians 2 in commentary and maybe a digression or two; a new entry in the Parson to Person series; and my normal compliment of nonsense lest anyone think I've regained my sanity. I also plan to return to my long ago interrupted Namibia 2005 memoirs later this week. So, I hope you'll check in often and add your voice to the conversation.

(By the way... listening to that Passion disc right now - Redmon's 'Never Let Go'... can't stop singing this chorus! 'O no, You never let go, thru the calm and thru the storm, O no You never let go thru every high and every low, O no, You never let go, Lord you never let go of me!')

Well, What Do You Think?

It's your turn to chime in with thoughts, questions or to share any observations you've made in our study of 1 Corinthians 1 (last week) and into the beginning of chapter 2 this morning. Click 'comments' below and let's converse.

You can find my sermon notes from this morning here or in the right hand menu under April 2nd. You can hear an audio file of the sermon here or by clicking on it in the menu.

I look forward to hearing from you this week. I'll be posting my commentary on the rest of chapter 2 as the week goes on.

For Our Saturday Night Readers

We will worship the Lord by observing the Lord's Supper tomorrow morning at both services. Come with your heart prepared to commune with the Lord.

Our study in the Scriptures tomorrow will come from 1 Corinthians 2:1-5. To get a head start you will want to read that short passage and you might want to re-read 1:18-31 as well. Don't forget the series is on the blogsite now with my sermon notes, audio file, and verse by verse commentary available here as we go. Study 1 Corinthians with me. Enter the conversation.

I'm looking forward to worship in song tomorrow, as Mike, Dave and I will be leading an acoustic set. (It's not quite a reprise of the Two Poor Pastors concert the other night, but close.) We've got a few great hymns on the list: My Jesus, I Love Thee, When I Survey The Wondrous Cross and All Creatures Of Our God & King. Of course, that's just the beginning.

Don't forget to set your clocks ahead one hour tonight before you go to sleep. I am looking forward to worshipping with you - so I'd hate for you to be an hour late!

Darin-isms (1 Corinthians 1)

Join the conversation as we study thru 1 Corinthians together. On Sunday March 26th we considered 1 Corinthians 1:1-9. My sermon notes and the audio file for that message can be accessed thru the menu on the right hand side of the page. My commentary on 1 Corinthians 1:10-17 was posted on 3/28/06. Here's the next section.

Picking up the text where left off…

1 Corinthians 1:18-31
The temptation to try and live the Christian life by earthly wisdom confronts us all. In this next section of his letter, Paul contrasts ‘the message of the cross’ with the wisdom of men.

v. 18 First of all, that phrase, ‘the message of the cross’ is worthy of great consideration. The phrase speaks of Christ’s suffering on our behalf and suggests a responsibility on our parts to respond to His sacrifice. Further, the phrase conveys death – our death to ourselves, as we would follow Christ.

This message – with suffering and dying at the heart of it – does indeed seem foolish from a human point of view. This reminds me of the paradoxes we’ve been noting the last several weeks when we compare God’s perspective with that of humanity: to be greatest, become the least; to be first, be willing to be last; to live, be willing to give your life away, etc. This is the point Paul is making. In human wisdom terms, the gospel is foolish.

Speaking of those what ‘are being saved’, Paul refers to that place in life when the gospel moves from seeming foolish to become that great truth that we cling to with all that we have. It becomes the power to save. (See also Paul’s words in Romans 1:16-17.)

v. 19 A reference to Isaiah 29:14 and 2 Kings 18:17-19:37, when Israel had followed human counsel, forming an alliance with other nations for its defense, when only the intervention of God could save them.

v. 20 It shouldn’t be lost upon us that though this is a rhetorical question, were it a literal question, the answer would have been ‘right here in Corinth’. Wisdom teachers, philosophers, theorists and orators of the day were everywhere present in 1st Century Corinth.

v. 21 God’s design is that human wisdom should not lead a man to know Him. (See also Isaiah 55:8-9 and Jesus’ words on this recorded in Luke 10:21.) It is not self assuring knowledge but self-effacing faith that allows one to draw near to God.

v. 22-23 The desire for a seeing or knowing is set in sharp contrast (note the word ‘but’) to faith in that message of the cross.

The gospel is a stumbling block in that it is a great equalizer – it makes men of great intellect as needy as the ignorant; the rich as needy as the beggar, etc. It says, at its core, that man cannot ascend to earn God’s favor, but rather must bow in humility and accept His gift.

v. 24-25 ‘To those whom God has called’ speaks of God’s being that first worker in our salvation. His call to our hearts – His revelation of Himself – draws us to respond. Whether they be Jews, Greeks (Klingons for that matter!), it is God who offers that gift that must be received. And, when it is, it is understood to be the power and wisdom of God to save.

v. 26-28 Paul now brings the teaching into the laps of the church at Corinth. ‘Consider your own experience’, he pleads. It wasn’t that you were somehow a little smarter than everyone else. Note another big ‘but’ in verse 27 demonstrating another sharp contrast. Then, observe the repeated use of the phrase ‘God chose’ in verses 27-28. Why did God so choose?

v. 29-31 ‘So that no man could boast’. Our salvation is a gift from God, totally. There is not a part that we have played in earning it. Consider my comment about the gospel being a ‘stumbling block’ back at verse 22-23 again. Paul closes this thought with a clear picture of the benefits of this message of the cross for those who believe: righteousness, holiness, and redemption. Should a man boast, let him boast in the One who gives this eternal gift!