“In the heavens God has pitched a tent for the sun.
It is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber,
like a champion rejoicing to run his course.
It rises at one end of the heavens
and makes its circuit to the other;
nothing is deprived of its warmth.” (Psalm 19:5,6 NIV)
Isaac Watts, who penned many of our best-loved hymns, wrote, “Jesus shall reign where’er the sun does his successive journeys run; His kingdom stretch from shore to shore, till moons shall wax and wane no more.” As the sun travels across the heavens spreading its warmth from east to west, so the gospel spreads throughout the earth and people from every nation come to feel the warmth of its light.
The Baptist movement (as well as the early church!) began with a great zeal for world missions; it is at the heart of who we are. At a time when we have so many needs in our own country, I see less interest in missions abroad. While I am also eager to take care of our own here at home, I also believe that the pure teachings of Christ, unadulterated by our particular cultural biases, are the path of life and blessing for people everywhere. As Isaac Watts wrote in his hymn,
“Blessings abound where’er He reigns;
The prisoner leaps to lose his chains;
The weary find eternal rest,
And all the sons of want are blessed.
Where He displays His healing power,
Death and the curse are known no more:
In Him the tribes of Adam boast
More blessings than their father lost.”
My hope and prayer is that we can care for the work of the gospel at home while also recapturing a vibrant commitment to world missions! I have come to bask in the love of Christ; I want no one to be deprived of his warmth.
Thursday, March 8, 2012
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Ash Wednesday: Outward Sign, Inward Grace
Ash Wednesday is a day of repentance for many Christians throughout the world, including Anglicans, some Baptists, Catholics, Lutherans, Methodists, and Presbyterians. It marks the beginning of Lent, a forty-day period of prayer and fasting in preparation for Good Friday and Easter.
Whether or not we receive the outward sign of repentance on this day – the ashes – we are all called to inner repentance of the heart. Whether or not we fast from certain foods, or spend certain days without food at all, we are called to examine our hearts and confess our sins with faith in Christ. Whatever we practice outwardly to show our faith, God wants us to draw near to him with our hearts.
Making a public sign of our faith carries with it a certain obligation. I’ve seen many cars on the highway over the years with bumper stickers that proclaim the owner’s faith. If my car sported a bumper sticker like that, I’d want to make very sure my driving was a good example to others. Likewise, receiving ashes is a very public display of faith and repentance. It carries with it the obligation to match that outward display with inner repentance.
The Lord said through the prophet Joel, “Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the LORD your God, for he is gracious and compassionate.” (Joel 2:13) In the ancient world, tearing the garments was another sign of repentance or grief. The Lord is more interested in the condition of our heart. It is from our heart that our thoughts, words, and behaviors flow. When the heart is right with God, everything else falls into place.
Fasting can also be an outward sign of sorrow for sin and a desire to repent. Jesus taught us that when we fast we should do so quietly, in a manner that doesn’t draw attention. Those who eat together as a family or in a common dining hall, however, can hardly hide the fact that they are skipping a meal, or perhaps not eating meat that day. So fasting, while very personal, also becomes an outward sign, and carries with it the obligation of an inward reality.
In the time of Isaiah the Lord spoke to the Israelites and chided them for fasting and yet forsaking his commands. They gave every appearance of seeking God, while at the same time exploiting their workers, quarreling and fighting, accusing each other, and speaking unkindly of others. In God’s eyes, this made their fasting meaningless. He said,
" Is this the kind of fast I have chosen, only a day for people to humble themselves? Is it only for bowing one’s head like a reed and for lying in sackcloth and ashes? Is that what you call a fast, a day acceptable to the LORD? (Isaiah 58:5 NIV)
When our hearts are right with God, our actions toward others will be right, as well. When we truly know God’s Son, Jesus, by faith, we begin to live out his life in the world. God wants true repentance of the heart that leads to real changes in the way we live. When our hearts are transformed by God's Spirit, we bear the fruit of love, and that flows forth in compassion. That means treating others the way we would like to be treated, living generous, compassionate lives. It means sharing our wealth with others instead of exploiting them. It means seeking peace rather than doing violence. It means using the gift of speech not to accuse, criticize, and judge, but to encourage and build up one another. These are the fruits of a changed heart, and that is what God desires.
The Lord promised his people through Isaiah that if they did these things,
“Then you will call, and the LORD will answer; you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.
If you do away with the yoke of oppression, with the pointing finger and malicious talk, and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday. The LORD will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.” (Isaiah 58:9-11 NIV)
However you express your faith in Christ today, I pray that he will grant each of us the grace of true repentance of the heart. For,
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” (I John 1:9 NIV)
Monday, February 20, 2012
Alone with Jesus
“After six days Jesus took Peter, James and John with him and led them up a high mountain, where they were all alone.”
“I can’t be in two places at one time!” This is the lament of many a leader. We want to be there for the people in our lives, and at the same time we have physical limitations. We want to impact people by being personally involved in so many ministries, and still we have only so much time and energy. We look for ways to maximize and multiply our influence given that we can only be in one place at one time. Our high-tech world provides some wonderful opportunities (like blogging) to broaden our reach. These new technologies have not and cannot replace, however the most important and effective way that we multiply our influence. It is the way Jesus chose.
Jesus, in his incarnation, could minister to only so many people at one time, as well. He took on our physical limitations. While he traveled throughout the land and ministered to many large crowds, he also chose twelve who would be his closest disciples. He allowed them to share in his ministry, training them to do the works he did. Through them he would multiply his presence in the world. He knew that if he could impact a few people in a great way, they in turn would impact a few more, who would impact still more. We see how quickly this plan worked on and after the day of Pentecost.
In Mark 9:2, we find Jesus with only Peter, James, and John. He took these followers who were closest to him, a small, intimate group, away from the rest of the twelve. He took them away from the many other followers who gathered to hear him daily, and away from the press of the crowds who brought their sick to be healed. He brought them, for a brief time, away from the world.
This has important application for leaders and for every follower of Christ. As leaders, we can give ourselves permission to focus our discipleship efforts on a few who are most eager to learn and feel called to service. This doesn’t necessarily mean a new class or program for disciples; we can simply include them intentionally in the things we’re already doing, helping them become involved in whatever ways they can. The most important thing is that we take the time to involve them in our lives and our ministries, so that they can experience what God is doing in and through us. Rather than a formal classroom setting, the extra discipleship time we take will probably be informal, one-on-one or in small conversation groups, working through tough questions with these eager learners. As they grow, they will do many of the things we are doing, and through them we can effectively multiply our impact for Christ on the world.
Jesus’ choice to come apart with a few also has application for every disciple. Regular time alone with the Lord is vital to our spiritual growth. While a daily, brief quiet time can help maintain our relationship with Christ, we can also benefit from larger blocks of time to come apart and be alone with him. If you want to know Jesus more fully, to learn of him more deeply, come apart with him alone for a longer time. "Alone" could be a personal retreat day, or it could be a weekend away with Christian friends focused on prayer and the word. Even an hour sitting beside a quiet stream in the Word and prayer, thinking about Jesus and your relationship with him, can be a small retreat in itself. These are refreshing, spiritually revitalizing, and inspiring times that equip us for our daily lives in the world. They help prepare us, as well, to have a positive spiritual impact on others.
This week, when will you set aside time to be alone with God? Is there another Christian, eager to learn, with whom you can share your walk?
“I can’t be in two places at one time!” This is the lament of many a leader. We want to be there for the people in our lives, and at the same time we have physical limitations. We want to impact people by being personally involved in so many ministries, and still we have only so much time and energy. We look for ways to maximize and multiply our influence given that we can only be in one place at one time. Our high-tech world provides some wonderful opportunities (like blogging) to broaden our reach. These new technologies have not and cannot replace, however the most important and effective way that we multiply our influence. It is the way Jesus chose.
Jesus, in his incarnation, could minister to only so many people at one time, as well. He took on our physical limitations. While he traveled throughout the land and ministered to many large crowds, he also chose twelve who would be his closest disciples. He allowed them to share in his ministry, training them to do the works he did. Through them he would multiply his presence in the world. He knew that if he could impact a few people in a great way, they in turn would impact a few more, who would impact still more. We see how quickly this plan worked on and after the day of Pentecost.
In Mark 9:2, we find Jesus with only Peter, James, and John. He took these followers who were closest to him, a small, intimate group, away from the rest of the twelve. He took them away from the many other followers who gathered to hear him daily, and away from the press of the crowds who brought their sick to be healed. He brought them, for a brief time, away from the world.
This has important application for leaders and for every follower of Christ. As leaders, we can give ourselves permission to focus our discipleship efforts on a few who are most eager to learn and feel called to service. This doesn’t necessarily mean a new class or program for disciples; we can simply include them intentionally in the things we’re already doing, helping them become involved in whatever ways they can. The most important thing is that we take the time to involve them in our lives and our ministries, so that they can experience what God is doing in and through us. Rather than a formal classroom setting, the extra discipleship time we take will probably be informal, one-on-one or in small conversation groups, working through tough questions with these eager learners. As they grow, they will do many of the things we are doing, and through them we can effectively multiply our impact for Christ on the world.
Jesus’ choice to come apart with a few also has application for every disciple. Regular time alone with the Lord is vital to our spiritual growth. While a daily, brief quiet time can help maintain our relationship with Christ, we can also benefit from larger blocks of time to come apart and be alone with him. If you want to know Jesus more fully, to learn of him more deeply, come apart with him alone for a longer time. "Alone" could be a personal retreat day, or it could be a weekend away with Christian friends focused on prayer and the word. Even an hour sitting beside a quiet stream in the Word and prayer, thinking about Jesus and your relationship with him, can be a small retreat in itself. These are refreshing, spiritually revitalizing, and inspiring times that equip us for our daily lives in the world. They help prepare us, as well, to have a positive spiritual impact on others.
This week, when will you set aside time to be alone with God? Is there another Christian, eager to learn, with whom you can share your walk?
Sunday, August 9, 2009
O Sacred Head, Now Wounded
Almost a thousand years ago in France, a man of God - perhaps Bernard of Clairvaux - penned a poetic meditation in Latin on the suffering of Jesus. The hymn, Salve mundi salutare, had seven sections, each one on a different part of the Lord's body: his feet, knees, hands, side, breast, heart, and face. From the last part of this come the words of the hymn "O Sacred Head, Now Wounded."
It was in the 17th century, some five hundred years after it was written, that Paul Gerhardt translated the last stanzas of the poem into German. For the tune, Gerhardt chose the melody of a love song by Hans Leo Hassler published about fifty years earlier, called "Mein Gmuth ist mir verwiret (loosely translated, "My Head is Spinning.") It had been published in a book of love songs entitles "Lustgarten."
The original song is all but forgotten now, and "O Sacred Head, Now Wounded" has passed into a multitude of hymnals across many denominations. Johann Sebastian Bach arranged the hymn and used it in his St. Matthew's Passion. J.W. Alexander's English translation of 1830 has become the most popular text; of the original eleven verses, only three are now commonly sung:
I've posted on the Prayer Garden website some related resources I enjoyed, including:
*translated by Lisa Albrecht and Kristina Boerger
It was in the 17th century, some five hundred years after it was written, that Paul Gerhardt translated the last stanzas of the poem into German. For the tune, Gerhardt chose the melody of a love song by Hans Leo Hassler published about fifty years earlier, called "Mein Gmuth ist mir verwiret (loosely translated, "My Head is Spinning.") It had been published in a book of love songs entitles "Lustgarten."
My head is spinning.It is not hard to see how Gerhardt made the leap from the secular to the sacred.
A tender maiden has undone me.
I am completely lost.
I am heartsick.
Day and night I have no rest,
an eternity of lamenting.
I constantly sigh and weep,
Lost in deep despair.*
The original song is all but forgotten now, and "O Sacred Head, Now Wounded" has passed into a multitude of hymnals across many denominations. Johann Sebastian Bach arranged the hymn and used it in his St. Matthew's Passion. J.W. Alexander's English translation of 1830 has become the most popular text; of the original eleven verses, only three are now commonly sung:
The last verse in Alexander's translation is worth another look:O sacred Head, now wounded, with grief and shame weighed down,
What Thou, my Lord, hast suffered, was all for sinners’ gain;
Now scornfully surrounded with thorns, Thine only crown;
How pale Thou art with anguish, with sore abuse and scorn!
How does that visage languish, which once was bright as morn!
Mine, mine was the transgression, but Thine the deadly pain.
Lo, here I fall, my Savior! ’Tis I deserve Thy place;
Look on me with Thy favor, vouchsafe to me Thy grace.
What language shall I borrow to thank Thee, dearest friend,
For this Thy dying sorrow, Thy pity without end?
O make me Thine forever, and should I fainting be,
Lord, let me never, never outlive my love to Thee.
Be Thou my consolation, my shield when I must die;The hymn is a beautiful companion to the Scriptures on Christ's suffering, particularly Psalm 22, Isaiah 53, and the Passion accounts in the Gospels.
Remind me of Thy passion when my last hour draws nigh.
Mine eyes shall then behold Thee, upon Thy cross shall dwell,
My heart by faith enfolds Thee. Who dieth thus dies well.
I've posted on the Prayer Garden website some related resources I enjoyed, including:
- The full text of Gerhardt's translation
- Three verses of the original "My Head is Spinning"*
- A translation of "Al Pedes" (To His Feet) from Salve mundi salutare
- A beautiful rendition of "O Sacred Head, Now Wounded," by the Concert Choir of the First Presbyterian Church of Monrovia, CA.
*translated by Lisa Albrecht and Kristina Boerger
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Welcome to Pastor Kevin's Blog
This quote expresses well my thoughts and hopes as I begin this blog, and the potential of our website:
(1) (The New Atlantis: A Journal of Technology and Society, Summer 2008. p. 135)
"Henry David Thoreau wrote in Walden that 'We are in great haste to construct a magnetic telegraph from Maine to Texas; but Maine and Texas, it may be, have nothing important to communicate....We are eager to tunnel under the Atlantic and bring the old world some weeks nearer to the new; but perchance the first news that will leak through into the broad, flapping American ear will be that the Princess Adelaide has the whooping cough.' Critics of the modern mass media culture made possible by the vast network of wires might consider Thoreau’s derisive pessimism prescient, but it is worth remembering that our knit-together world makes possible not just frivolity, but fellowship; not just entertainment, but enlightenment; not just global fear and terror, but peace and good will toward men." (1)My prayer is that here we will be able to share fellowship in Christ, and the enlightenment and fruits of his Spirit.
(1) (The New Atlantis: A Journal of Technology and Society, Summer 2008. p. 135)
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