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On May 11, 2023 By In Church

26 Weaknesses of the Evangelical Church

The evangelical view of the church–my piece of the ecclesiastical pie–is weak on a number of levels. After 43 years on this planet, and growing up in an evangelical home, and as someone who is deeply invested in the success of Gospel churches, I have seen much.

These weaknesses, in my estimation, lead to lesser and lesser influence in the modern world and dysfunctional ecclesiology. Here are at least 26 weaknesses to be followed by another post with their strengths:

a) it views church worship as a funeral procession for Jesus rather than a triumphant resurrection procession,

b) it disincentivizes male participation,

c) it makes the Bible secondary and human creativity primary,

d) it views Jesus’ authority over the world in similar categories to Satans’ (a misunderstanding of II Cor. 4:4), which means it minimizes the power of the resurrection in changing the world in the first century (I Cor. 15:26),

e) it treats the themes of worship as preferential rather than objective (see letter c),

f) it belittles the sacraments,

g) it is not future-oriented, so it’s bound to do theology only for the present,

h) it is content to keep Christians at a basic level of growth, which means it diminishes rigorous theological dialogue

i) it forgets its origins, thus minimizing the lessons of history,

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On May 9, 2023 By In Church

From Liturgy to Hospitality

We need to begin moving our liturgical efforts into the realm of hospitality. What I mean by this may appear obvious, but it is quite complicated on a large scale. Some congregations may desire to move into that arena but find themselves paralyzed by self-inflicted wounds. They are more interested in showing their distinctness than in proving their distinctives by tangible actions.

We have a saying we use in our inquirer’s class that goes something like this, “We need to bathe our weirdness with a deep sense of commonness.” Internally and behind the scenes, we don’t view ourselves as weird, but we are quite aware that the perception exists in a thoroughly de-liturgized culture.

This came across in an observation from a mother who raised her daughter in a Reformed context and saw her daughter go into a different tradition altogether. Now, mind you, the daughter was not antagonistic towards Reformed Theology, but she found the practices of this largely evangelical environment more friendly and more inviting. For the record, I am the last person to give much credence to an impressionable young adult. Still, I do want to take the opportunity to offer some general thoughts on the art of commonness and why black coffee Calvinists like myself think our churches need more than mere liturgism.

The first observation is that our Reformational theology/liturgy should be inviting. However it is communicated–paraments or stripped tables–it must carry on the gravitas of joy from beginning to end. We live in a culture that craves the normalcy of joy. If we are inviting younger generations to taste and see Geneva’s God, we also need to make sure that we don’t portray Geneva as some ogre attempting to tyrannize conscience. Geneva needs to show up with smiles and greetings, not five points of inquiry.

The second note is that the sweetness of worship ought to give folks a sense of the holy. We need liturgical worship that brings people to see the sovereignty of God resting in every element of worship from beginning to end, in every line and every response.

One time we had a visitor who told one of our congregants that it was one of the most joyful experiences they’ve had, even though much of what happened was foreign to him. But even if the impression is viscerally oppositional–and it has happened–we should still communicate a culture where the holy is a common ritual of the people. You cannot control reactions, but you can control interactions. You can control a sweet disposition towards a visitor. You can sit next to them when they walk in alone, and you can guide them through the order of worship.

Third, and finally, if the liturgy really is a living liturgy–contrary to modernistic ritualization experiences in mainline churches with alternating “Mother God” lines–then that liturgy must breathe life into the home. It needs to be perpetuated with food and drink for those strangers who visit. If they are not invited to see your lived-out liturgy, it is unlikely they will find pleasure in your acted-out liturgy on Sunday mornings. It will continue to be strange and foreign rather than warm and inviting.

Out liturgical efforts must move into hospitable efforts. In fact, I wish to argue that liturgy necessarily moves into homes. Ultimately, we may still appear to be strange, and our songs may still give a Victorian vibe, but at the very least, we will have given visitors a sense of the holy and an invitation to joy. Our Reformed churches should contemplate that model in our day.

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On May 1, 2023 By In Church

Music and Mood in Church Life

I want to say a few words about music and mood in the culture of church life. Whether for good or ill, what you sing establishes the tone/mood of worship. But we cannot act as if our mood is independent; we don’t advocate for a wild west of moods.

When our feet stand within the gates of Jerusalem—a symbol of the Church—that means that our mood is determined for us by God. Let me put this bluntly: it doesn’t matter if you had a whirlwind of a drive to Church, if words were foolishly spoken to one another, or if your coffee wasn’t strong enough. That is irrelevant to God. He says to come into his courts with praise and his gates with thanksgiving.

God is infinitely wise for many reasons, but one clear reason is that he didn’t give you the liberty to choose your mood on Sunday mornings. Instead, he determines it for you so you will know what is expected when you come into his holy place.

We can simply take the two initial categories of Psalm 100–praise and thanksgiving. The Psalmist begins by identifying the nature of praise and thanksgiving in the context of joy (Ps. 100:1). Now, unless you define these words differently, I can assure you that they do not give a dour and sour vibe! Instead, it should directly impact how we sing, whether your degree is from the Juilliard School of Music or your karaoke machine.

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On April 29, 2023 By In Church, Culture

The Times are A-Changin’ and the Response of the Church

It wasn’t Bob Dylan who first said the times they are a-changin’! It was a plentiful band of prophets ranging from Samuel to Solomon who saw times changing for God’s people. It was a group of time masters from the line of Issachar who saw the world changing and adapted to the changing world by the power of the unchanging God. When the gods are multiplying, we take more thoughts captive to the obedience of Jesus Christ.

The times are a-changin,’ but the problems don’t change; there are just methodological adjustments we must make to face the times. Humanity has been plagued by the same liturgical and sociological sins for the last 6,000 years. We are beset by scoundrels within and without who despise God’s laws. But the Church unites around a common time.

The times are changing for all of us. The wicked may have different strategies than in the 1950s; they appear more committed to overthrowing the kingdom of light. Our response is not idle repose but active time-reading exercises, which means the saints must see the design of the wicked and act appropriately to the challenges of our day.

Probably very few of us even contemplated 20 years ago the ethics of attending a gay wedding or how to deal with visitors considering sexual transitions. But the times they are a-changin’! And Christians will need to see the times and apply the Word of God to the proliferation of evil in our society which is much more explicit because of our technology and media.

Unsurprisingly, the answer to these changing methods and aggressive strategies of evildoers is worship—and within worship, intimate communities, more singing and food, and more faithfulness to our calling. Of course, this means we need men leading their homes and lives. It means our young men must come out to play more and leave the basement behind. It means children in worship. It means homilies of praise and songs of adoration all around. But any list will crumble if we are not gathering to do the first thing God calls us to do—to worship.

So, let’s not fear the changing times but apply the worship of all ages to the pervasive evil of our day gathering with our communities on the Lord’s Day to adore Father, Son, and Spirit. Come, let us worship the Triune God with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.

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On April 24, 2023 By In Church, Family and Children

The Coddling of American Sons

Raising boys is an adventure toward maturity. It’s a contact sport, including physical affection and discipline. It is the glory of kings to search things out and the role of little princes to enter into that discovery with them. But kings must draw their princes into that curious endeavor.

This does not take place unless the environment is suitable for discoveries. A young son cannot see his dad pondering whether he should search things out. He must see dad hungering and actively getting his hands dirty by seeking the concealed things hidden by God’s happy providences.

The young men I have seen excel in his vision and continue in the curiosity degrees have fathers who refuse to coddle them. For that matter, he also has a mother who refuses to coddle him. And speaking of the coddling of the American sons, we need a magna carta contra coddling young boys. Fathers and mothers must be equally committed to the task of being firm and loving but never hindering boys from the task of moving from glory to glory.

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On March 17, 2023 By In Church, Culture

SOFT WHITE UNDERBELLY: A Brief Reflection on a Pentecostal Snake Handler

The following reflection is based upon this fascinating and heartbreaking video by Mark Latia.

Never have I felt so conflicted about a man’s faith as when I listened to Pastor Wolford talk about his trust in God while handling venomous snakes.

On the one hand, the sheer simplicity of his unwavering trust hails from some impressive quadrant of childlike obedience, the likes of which may very well make a mockery of my own reliance upon God. On the other hand, the sheer unsophistication of his backwoods approach combines into what can only be described as a deadly foolish ignorance.

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On February 23, 2023 By In Church, Worship

Embodying Lent

“If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed, rather than having two hands, to go to hell…” – Mark 9:43a

The Lenten season is all about repentance. During this season we look inward to examine our lives and root out sin no matter the cost. Our Lenten practices tend to be personal in nature. We read the Scriptures, pray, and fast in the closet. While this is all good practice, Lent can often be a time of too much ‘me’. What are our prayers, fasting, and repentance for? Of course, they are offered up as spiritual sacrifices to God from whom we receive the forgiveness of sins. But our prayers, fasting, and repentance are also for one another.

I remember preaching on Mark 9:42-50 about two years ago. As I prepared to preach on this well-known passage, I had sermons rolling through my head that I had heard throughout the years. They all focused on the personal nature of repentance and avoiding temptation. “If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off! Do whatever it takes! If your T.V. causes you to lust, throw it away!” But this is a misreading of the passage. The context of this passage is social, not individualistic. Of course, applied consistently, it does speak to personal struggles and living holy lives, but it is primarily about church discipline and removing sin amid the Church. “But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble…” (v. 42a).

There is a social dimension to repentance within the Church. The Church must purge herself of those who wish to divide and hurt the flock or cause her little ones to stumble. But if we were to work this idea positively, our personal repentance is for the health of the whole. It strengthens the faith and love of our brothers and sisters within the body of Christ. Personal repentance is our spiritual antibody, and repentance done together with the rest of the Church is our corporate antibody.

The Lenten season is a time for the Church to practice this corporate inspection. In our personal devotions, we are to examine ourselves in relationship to the whole Church. We are not isolated individuals that just happen to have something in common. We are united by the same Spirit, knit together into one body, and all serve the same Father in heaven.

Lent is not just the practice of individualistic prayer, but fervent prayer for one another – for healing, faith, needs, and comfort. It is not just the practice of fasting, but the giving up of something so that we might give more to each other – our time, help, food, and clothing. It is not just the practice of personal repentance but solving disputes, restoring relationships, asking others for forgiveness, and extending that forgiveness freely. Lent is not so much about giving up but giving more.

This is because Lent is preparation for resurrection life. We not only prune ourselves but prune each other so that we might grow in the faith and life of our Lord Jesus. Repentance is a death, it is a cutting off, but it is a cutting off so that the life of the body may be preserved. Your personal devotions this season should be toward those ends, not just for your health but the health of your brother and sister. Your practices of prayer, fasting, and repentance should be used like food for others. They should strengthen, nourish, and give joy to the body. May you season the sacrificial body of the Church with the salt of faith and repentance so that we all might be conformed more and more into the image of our resurrected Lord and have peace with one another.

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On February 21, 2023 By In Church

What is Shrove Tuesday?

Shrove Tuesday is a day of feasting. It marks the conclusion of the Epiphany Season. On this day, the Church feasts before she enters into a more solemn and penitential season called Lent, which is referred to as a Season of Confession.

Shrove Tuesday is celebrated with a pancake dinner, which is accompanied by eggs and syrup (bacon can be added–and it should!).

This day allows the Church to celebrate once again the abundance of the Gospel in our lives and the world. The glory of the Epiphany season is that Jesus has given us life and life more abundantly (Jn.10:10).

Following the rich feasting tradition of our Hebrew forefathers, the English-speaking Church has broadly practiced Shrove Tuesday for over 800 years.

What’s the Importance of this day?

Individuals or churches are not bound by such traditions since it is not an explicit imperative in the Bible. However, if churches do practice this, it is vital for members to join in this festive occasion. It gives the Church another healthy excuse to fellowship and form greater bonds through a delightful and bountiful meal.

On the day before we enter into the Lenten story, Christians prepare rightly by celebrating God’s gifts to us so that we can rightly meditate, fast, pray, confess, and repent by remembering the sufferings of Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith (Heb. 12:2).

What if my Church does not do Shrove Tuesday?

Assuming the congregation is silent on the issue and has not taken any theological position on the matter, then as a family, you are also free to celebrate Shrove Tuesday. You may also want to invite friends over to enjoy a pancake dinner and sing hymns of praise.

To Shrive

Traditionally, Shrove Tuesday is the day before the first day of Lent. Wednesday marks the beginning of the 40 days of Lent (Sundays are excluded from this number). Shrove Tuesday celebrates the Christ who has given us all things, including His own body for our sakes (I Pet. 2:24).

Shrove comes from the word “shrive” meaning “to confess.” As we celebrate, let us not forget that the Christian life is, as Luther stated, a “life of daily repentance.” Confession is not just reserved for Lent, but it is for all seasons. But as we approach the Lenten Season, we receive a particular reminder (through our liturgical readings and singing) that a repentant heart is a clean heart before God (Ps. 51:2).

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On February 16, 2023 By In Church, Culture, Theology, Worship

Transfiguration & Asbury

Jesus took Peter, James, and John with him to the top of a mountain to pray (Lk 9.28). Mountain praying would not be something unusual to the disciples. Throughout history, God met with his people on mountaintops. History begins on a mountain in the land of Eden with a sanctuary at its heart. Abraham meets God on a mountaintop when he sacrifices Isaac. After being delivered from Egypt, the children of Israel worship at Mt Sinai, the same mountain where Moses met with God earlier in the burning bush. The temple is built on a mountain, and, according to Hebrews 12, we still ascend a mountain in our weekly worship. The three disciples had ascended mountains to worship throughout their lives, many times singing the Psalms of Ascent (Pss 120—134) as they went to worship festivals. But on this particular day, God pulled back the veil to reveal to them what happens on the top of the mountain every time they pray … even when they don’t see it.

God spectacularly revealed his glory. Though rare, this was not unique. The children of Israel experienced this at Sinai. Just as Jesus was transfigured before the eyes of the disciples, Moses was transfigured on the mountain. The children of Israel couldn’t look upon his face because of the brightness of glory (Ex 34.29-33). Some believe that this epiphany of Jesus was his divine nature bursting through the veil of his humanity. There is truth to that, but that is not the emphasis. Jesus speaks of himself in this context as the Son of Man. This reference gains layers of meaning throughout history, but its fundamental meaning is “Son of Adam,” the one to whom God gave the blessing and command to be fruitful, multiply, and have dominion. God’s intention for Adam, in the beginning, was that he grow to share his glory. Adam fell short of the glory of God (Rom 3.23). Jesus is the second Adam, the Son of Man, who will obtain this kingly glory. God reveals Jesus’ destiny in his resurrection and ascension and, with that, the destiny of man united with him.

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On February 9, 2023 By In Church, Culture

The Demise of Religious Liberalism

My friend, Dr. Daniel Strand, writes,

“…that Protestant mainline churches used to dominate American life. They ruled the Ivies and produced brilliant and influential public intellectuals. Now we can’t name a single mainline churchman. Oh, how the mighty have fallen.”

I recently addressed this topic and concluded:

“The mainline consisting of PCUSA, ELCA, American Baptists in the USA, United Methodists, etc., have taken trajectories of death throughout. They have sought to bestow power on inclusivism and anointed corrupt priests to lead the way, and to hell, they led.”

This was confirmed just a few hours ago as the Church of England reached a crescendo of filth “approving blessings for gay couples for the first time.” The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, and the Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell, said in a joint statement:

“For the first time, the Church of England will publicly, unreservedly and joyfully welcome same-sex couples in church. The Church continues to have deep differences on these questions which go to the heart of our human identity.”

My exhortation is to fellow conservative pastors: prepare yourselves to absorb thousands of refugees. Conservative ecclesial bodies must invest in catechetical discipleship and build a reservoir of resistance against liberalizing forces without and battle locally and nationally against such forces that seek to crawl their way into the midst of the assembly. People are hungry for ordinary worship, biblical preaching, and a conservative backbone.

But while mainline churches have been precipices of disdain for righteousness, there are additional signs that contemporary conservative bodies are headed toward such ends as well. Forthcoming decisions at ecclesiastical gatherings need to be firm, sustaining the biblical rationale for sexual ethics in all it entails without reservations. There should be no more tolerance for biblical embarrassment among conservative denominations.

The first sign of a failing corpus is the over-explanatory nature by which they undertake to excuse themselves for believing certain principles and affirmations. Therefore, they explain away texts which make them look deranged or unfriendly towards the woke cause. Such signs within these bodies are prequels to well-developed franchises.

The great exodus is already occurring. It’s time to add more chairs to our tables.

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