ZZPuck

NPC, Richard Dreyfuss and Providence

Sat, 1 Mar 2008 19:36:03 -0500

What a blast I had at the National Pastors Convention in San Diego this past week. One of the reasons for this enjoyable experience was getting to spend time with my long time friend, Ronnie Norman of the First Colony Church in Sugarland, Texas. Ronnie has served this same church for 23 years.

I had an omen that the week was going to start off with a bang when I got to baggage claim in San Diego. As I looked around I noticed a gentleman that I thought looked a lot like Richard Dreyfuss. I edged up to the area near him and just as I did a limo driver said, “I will be back with your car, Mr. Dreyfuss.” But still I was a bit skeptical–those of you that know me well know that skepticism is a bit out of character for me. As I listen in on his conversation with a young guy who evidently was traveling with him, I heard his distinctive voice. As I stood beside the young guy, I asked him, “Is that who I think it is?” His reply was, “Yes.”

Turns out we were the last ones to get our bags and as I turned to go, the young guy said, “Don’t you want to meet him?” Well, that’s an understatement. So he introduces me to him and I shake his hand and all I could think to say in my awe stricken state was, “Thank you for Mr. Holland’s Opus and all your movies.” Why couldn’t I have thought of something cute from his movie “Jaws” like: “Mr, Hooper tie me a sheepshank knot.”

The next morning as I was reading from The Mystery of Providence I came across this statement: “Beware you do lose your God in the crowd and hurry of earthly business.”  This conviction struck me: “How often have I had this awe stricken feeling in God’s presence?” I felt a bit ashamed that I had more “reverence” for this famous human being than I had for God that day.

The conviction of the week continued with challenging messages from N. T. Wright,Calvin MIller, Gordon Fee, Jeff Lucas and Brenda Salter McNeil.

When is the last time the Holy Spirit hit you between the eyes with such a conviction?

Peace.

A Year of Reading Dead People

Sun, 10 Feb 2008 20:30:13 -0500

This year I have been participating in the Puritan Challenge which means I am reading several books by people long dead. However, these people being dead yet speak.

January’s book is the The Bruise Reed by Richard Sibbes. What a wonderful read this book is!

A bruised reed, Sibbes states, is a person in some misery. Misery brings this person to see sin as the cause of it, and he sees no help in himself. Therefore he seeks relief elsewhere, and he mourns and hopes for mercy. Sibbes says this bruising is necessary before we can be saved, for it allows the Spirit to make way for himself, brings low all proud thoughts, and brings us to understand what we are by nature — that is, that we are sinners. Bruising also makes us set a high price on Christ. This allows the gospel to truly be the gospel, which makes us more thankful, more fruitful, and more firmly sets us in God’s ways. Bruising further reminds us that we are reeds, not oaks; that is, we are small and weak, not large and mighty. We live by the mercy of God alone. As such, Sibbes contends we must not be too hard on ourselves or others when we experience bruising, for by this bruising we are being conformed to Christ, who was “bruised for us (Isaiah 53:5).”

Some of my favorite quotes:

“Nothing in this world is of so good use as the least grain of grace.”

“The Holy Ghost is content to dwell in smoky, offensive souls. Oh, that the Spirit would breathe in to our spirits the same merciful disposition.”

“They seek for heaven in hell that seek for spiritual love in an unchanged heart.”
“Thus the desperate madness of men is laid open, that they would rather be under the guidance of their own lusts, and in consequence of Satan himself, to their endless destruction, than put their feet into Christ’s fetters and their necks under his yoke; though, indeed, Christ’s service is the only true liberty.”
Peace.

Trading Stone Altars for Coffee Bars

Wed, 17 Oct 2007 08:50:58 -0400

“Evangelical churches are more likely to boast a state-of-the-art sound system than a handcrafted altar.”

“I like a latte as much as the next person does. Coffee bars have their place–but they are problematic at the back of the sanctuary, especially when there is no Lord’s table in the front. That’s because the coffee bar and the Lord’s Table are symbolic: both are symbols that communicate powerfully their use of ‘sacred space’. The coffee bar connotes pleasure and leisure (good things in their own right), whereas the Lord’s Table always connotes joy through suffering: the bloody grapes of wrath have become a river of life. Like coffee bars with their sweetly flavored lattes, many churches (subliminally) suggest that church will provide those who attend with the very things the world does – everything involved in self-fulfillment. Christ on the other hand, drank from a very different cup, one that was bittersweet, in order to bring meaning, purpose, and life.”

These quotes come from Paul Louis Metzger’s book, Consuming Jesus: Beyond Race and Class Divisions in a Consumer Church. In this book, Metzger shares his personal struggle as an American Evangelical trying to cope with consumer religion and its impact on race and class divisions in the American Evangelical church. He says, “The culture wars and the consumer culture that Christians have internalized and that have restructured us have made efforts to spread the love of Jesus increasingly difficult, which becomes clear to me when I speak to students on university campuses and meet with religious leaders and their followers from non-Christian faith traditions. Whether we evangelicals mean to or not, we appear mean-spirited and interested only in a privileged few – upwardly mobile, white, Anglo-Saxon, Protestant, heterosexual males and their families (and, oh yes, perhaps those minority counterparts who make it to our economic and social level) – and in keeping others out.”

In my past I have resembled that remark a great deal and still struggle trying to communicate to these privileged few what it means to be in races and classes that have been oppressed (and still suffer from that oppression even though Jim Crowe laws have been long appealed) and haven’t had our privileges.

I have found what Metzger goes on to say to help communicate the proper message, “The wine of the Lord’s Supper was intended from its inception to break down divisions, for everyone was (and is) to drink from the common cup of Christ’s victory amidst victimization. But when the Lord’s altar is missing, replaced by technical wizardry, entertainment, and coffee bars, or when we disconnect the chalice or cup and loaf or wafer from the agape feast, we have lost the symbol. The early Christians often celebrated the Lord’s Supper during the family agape, or love feast, which was a real church potluck.”

I have to say that I am blown away and totally convicted by what Metzger writes. I am asking for God’s direction to help us all understand more fully the table of Christ’s sacrifice and what that table should lead us to be and do.

Peace.

Quotes and Thoughts on Baptism

Wed, 10 Oct 2007 14:57:08 -0400

In a comment on West Cocoa Chat about “Flashing Theology, Greg England recounted this statement made by one of his elders at the Long Beach Church several years when asked about the importance of baptism. “’Baptism is not essential for salvation, neither is it optional for the believer.’ What he meant was God can save whomever God desires to save. But for the believer, it is not optional.” In other words, to believe in Jesus is to be a baptized believer in Jesus.

I also like the way Max Lucado describes baptism, “Baptism separates the tire kickers from the car buyers.” You can download the document where this statement is found or read it here:

http://www.oakhillschurchsa.org/about/beliefs/

F. F. Bruce in his Commentary on the Book of Acts commenting on baptism in Acts 2:38, says, “It would, of course, be a mistake to link the words “unto the remission of sins” with the command “be baptized” to the exclusion of the prior command “Repent ye.” It is against the whole genius of Biblical religion to suppose that the outward rite had any value except in so far as it was accompanied by true repentance within. In a similar passage in the following chapter, the blotting out of the people’s sins is a direct consequence of their repenting and turning to God (Ch. 3:19), nothing is said there about baptism, although it is no doubt implied (the idea of an unbaptized Christian is simply not entertained in NT). So too the reception of the Spirit here is associated not with baptism in itself but with baptism as the visible token of repentance.”

Is baptism a fulfillment of some legalistic requirement? I suppose it could be. Contorting the meaning and purpose of any command of God is possible as Jesus explains very clearly in Mark 2:23-28. But no command of God pictures as clearly what God did to save every believer than the death, burial, and resurrection picture of baptism.

Is baptism important? Is it necessary? Yes and yes. Baptism is as important as every other spirit-enriching and life-enhancing command that God has given us. As we say at my home church, “Never been baptized? Better find you some water and get in it!”

But none of what I have said should be interpreted to mean that God accepts only perfect law or command keepers because none exist on this planet. Scripture clearly teaches that the most accepting being in existence is God himself. The cross of Christ is all the testimony we need to believe this. If any of us got to decide who is “in” and who is “out”, the set of “ins” would be significantly less than God’s set of “ins”.

I am thankful that God is the judge and that he decides who is “in” and who is “out”–eternally. In my most thoughtful moments I realize that if not for God’s grace not a single one of us would be “in”. Baptism saves no one and it saves everyone. Baptism saves no in it’s physical, being dunked in water sense, but baptism saves everyone because of the resurrection of Jesus (1 Peter 3:21).

I don’t know how you picture yourself before God, but I can tell you how I picture it based on the promise of God in Scripture. I see God looking at me and my imperfect life and thinking whether he should let me into his house or not and then I picture Jesus laying one of his nail scarred hands on my shoulder as the face of God softens and he declares: “Come, my blessed; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.”

Peace.

Hands of Frankenstein

Sun, 7 Oct 2007 17:03:29 -0400

What is it with the 50’s? Not the 1950’s, but being 50+ years old. Since I turned 50 in 05 I’ve had kidney stones, hernia surgery and now hand surgery for carpal tunnel and trigger finger–and no I haven’t fired a gun in years–it’s a medical condition that requires surgery.

So on Tuesday I had both problems resolved with hand surgery. I stayed awake and had a local to numb my hands. Nothing like having a conversation with your doctor while he snips a tendon here and there. We talked about golf, baseball, and tennis, but more importantly how I could milk my surgery for extra special treatment at home and at work. Of course at church today I got to explain my surgery about 20 gazillion times, even after explaining it during my sermon, as one person after another stuck out his/her hand to shake hands.

Since Tuesday, I have reflected on how much we take for granted with our body. After my surgery just getting dressed is a whole new pain experience. Any push or pull with either hand gives a painful twinge. But God is good and hopefully in two or three weeks I will be healed and pain free.

Peace.