Merry Christmas friends! I hope you and yours had an amazing advent and Christmas Day. We are now living the Christmas season in anticipation of Epiphany.
I don't know about you but after Christmas, I always feel a renewed sense of passion and a drive to be better, serve more, be more of who God has called me to be. You know, New Years Resolutions and all.
I hope that you will join me as I try to live out Howard Thurman's words, below. Thurman was an author, theologian and leader/mentor of the Civil Rights Movement.
“Now the Work of Christmas Begins” by Howard Thurman
When the song of the angels is stilled,
when the star in the sky is gone,
when the kings and princes are home,
when the shepherds are back with their flocks,
the work of Christmas begins:
to find the lost,
to heal the broken,
to feed the hungry,
to release the prisoner,
to rebuild the nations,
to bring peace among the people,
to make music in the heart.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Years my friends. May God bless you all abundantly in 2017!
Rev. Michelle
Saturday, December 31, 2016
Thursday, December 15, 2016
Above all - Give Thanks!
We just finished Thanksgiving - a time of gathering with loved ones and consuming (way too much) delicious food. It is also the time that we set aside to give thanks. This year at our family dinner my six (and 3/4 she will tell you) year old daughter wanted to go around and say what we are thankful for. Although some of the twenty-somethings groaned, everyone joined in. There were laughs when my three year old said "Santa" and when my cousin went on and on and on... but above all the answers reminded us of why the holiday is great. One cousin said he is thankful for our family who has been close for generations, and another for family that is there for you in the good and hard times.
I don't know about you, but I can get caught up in the here and now. I can run from one task to the next, consistently thinking of the on-going to do list. However, on Thanksgiving night, we all took a moment to stop. To look at each other. To be grateful. In those moments, when we take a deep breath and exhale, we revel in the blessings we have been given. It doesn't remove the hard stuff but we can look to God with gratefulness for just how abundantly He has showered us with His love. It is how we can live into God's command to give thanks always - even when times are tough. We know that no matter what, at the end of the day, this home is not our own. This place is not the end. This time will pass and one day we will feast together at the Heavenly banquet. And as Julian of Norwich tells us all shall be well, in all manner of things, all shall be well.
May God bless you abundantly as you seek His face!
Rev. Michelle
I don't know about you, but I can get caught up in the here and now. I can run from one task to the next, consistently thinking of the on-going to do list. However, on Thanksgiving night, we all took a moment to stop. To look at each other. To be grateful. In those moments, when we take a deep breath and exhale, we revel in the blessings we have been given. It doesn't remove the hard stuff but we can look to God with gratefulness for just how abundantly He has showered us with His love. It is how we can live into God's command to give thanks always - even when times are tough. We know that no matter what, at the end of the day, this home is not our own. This place is not the end. This time will pass and one day we will feast together at the Heavenly banquet. And as Julian of Norwich tells us all shall be well, in all manner of things, all shall be well.
May God bless you abundantly as you seek His face!
Rev. Michelle
Wednesday, November 30, 2016
Be Patient
Be patient, therefore,
beloved, until the coming
of the Lord. The farmer waits for the precious crop from the earth, being
patient with it until it receives the early and the late rains. You also must be patient.
Strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near.
James 5 (NRSV)
Today’s advent words are ‘patiently
waiting’. It’s hard for any of us at any age
to be patient. It’s especially hard at Christmas. Remember how difficult it was
when you were small to wait to see what wonderful gifts Santa would bring? Did
you peek in closets trying to get an advanced view?
James
used the Old Testament prophets as an example of patience. “Brothers and
sisters,” he writes, “as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take
the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.” One of the prophets he surely had in mind was
the prophet Isaiah. Isaiah refused to
give in to the despair of his time. Isaiah still managed to hope in God. And
under the leadership of God’s Holy Spirit Isaiah was able to write, “A
shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit. The
Spirit of the Lord will rest on him the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding,
the Spirit of counsel and of might, the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the
Lord and he will delight in the fear of the Lord.
“He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes, or decide by what he hears with his ears; but with righteousness he will judge the needy, with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth . . .” He may not say it, but in there you can still hear “BE PATIENT.”
No
matter what else you think Christmas is about, it is also about patiently
waiting. It is not just about a house so
lit up you can see it from space, or about giving or receiving the biggest and
best gift money can buy. It isn’t about
eating ham or turkey. It’s not simply
about spending time with family-- as precious as that may be. It isn’t even about celebrating an infant’s
birth in a manger.
Did
you catch that? Christmas isn’t even ultimately about celebrating an infant’s
birth in a manger. Christmas is about the fulfillment of God’s redemptive plan
of salvation. IOW;
God
has a plan for our world.
A plan that extends from
creation
Through the
manger
through
the cross
and
the empty tomb
to
eternity.
God
is at work bringing in a perfect world a world where all people will live in
harmony and dignity together as children of God a world where that which is
broken will be made whole a world of peace, joy and love. Sure, the babe in the
manger is an important part of that plan, and it is right and good that we
celebrate his birth. But Christmas is only a part of the entire Christ event.
It is not only about the coming of Christ, but it is also about the coming of
God’s Kingdom when Christ shall reign as King of Kings and Lord of Lords
forever and ever.
Pastor Jim
Pastor Jim
Tuesday, November 15, 2016
Happy Reformation Day
PJ’s Blog
In honor of the 499th reformation Sunday (just past) and looking forward to the 500th Anniversary of the Reformation (October 31, 2017), I am turning over this space today to one of my colleagues and most respected reformed scholars, Pul Tambrino, Ed.D, Ph.D. This is from a column he writes entitled “Ask Augustine”.
Pastor Jim
October 31, 2017 will mark it’s 500th. Anniversary. Is that because today there is very little difference between Roman Catholicism and Evangelical Protestantism? But if not, what are the major differences between Roman Catholicism and Evangelical Protestantism?
While it is true in recent years we have rightly seen evangelicals and Catholics come together on an unprecedented scale in common opposition to abortion and issues of moral relativism and theological pluralism as well as, in defense of our love and worship of the same Lord. In this regard evangelicals and Catholics are bound together contending against all that opposes Christ and His cause. Still, theologically what divided Protestants from Rome on October 31, 1517 still divides us today.
As to what it is that still divides us, most people would point to the different views Roman Catholics and Protestants have concerning the papacy, Mary, the saints, purgatory or the sacraments. However, these distinctive differences all stem from the doctrinal dispute over justification. At the time of the Reformation, Luther maintained that the Reformed doctrine of justification was the article upon which the church stands or falls and Calvin held that it was the hinge of salvation. This was countered by Rome's Tridentine conclusion that the Reformation doctrine of justification was worthy of the anathema of the church.
Admittedly the debate over justification suffers from a crass caricature by which the Protestant position is incompletely characterized only as “justification by faith” and the Roman Catholic position is incompletely characterized as only “justification by works.” Popular sentiment falsely concludes that Protestants are not concerned about works and that Rome is not concerned with faith.
Roman Catholicism has always given an important and necessary place to faith in so far as justification is concerned. Moreover, Protestantism has always held that saving faith necessarily, inevitably and immediately yields the fruit of works. The difference in the two views is that in Roman Catholicism, “Faith plus Works yields Justification” while in Protestantism, “Faith yields Justification plus Works.” That is, in Roman Catholicism “Works” is a necessary precondition for justification. In Protestantism, “Works” is a necessary fruit or result of justification.
Protestantism holds to the vicarious atonement of Christ. It is vicarious because it is accomplished by imputation (transfer), actually a double imputation (transfer). Christ willingly bore for His people their sins that are imputed or transferred to Him. Christ is the sin-bearer for His people (the Lamb of God) who takes away (expiates) their sin and satisfies (propitiates) the demands of God’s justice.
The cross alone, however, does not justify. There is also a need for positive righteousness. Protestantism maintains that one is not justified only by the death of Christ but also by the life of Christ. His perfect righteousness is also imputed to those whom He redeems. Hence there is a double imputation. The sins of the redeemed are imputed to Christ on the cross, and Christ’s perfect righteousness is imputed to the redeemed. Evidence of such imputed justification is then seen in the works performed by those justified.
Roman Catholicism rejects this concept of imputation and maintains that God does not consider someone righteous on the basis of some alien (Christ’s) righteousness (a righteousness outside of oneself). Rome’s view presupposes that the only true justness or righteousness is inherent righteousness. Hence, there is a need for a person to become righteous in him or herself first before God declares one righteous. Although Rome teaches that a person cannot become righteous without infused grace, a person is deemed righteous only when he or she has become (through works and the sacraments) righteous.
Given the Protestant doctrine of justification, it would be impossible to ascribe to the Roman Catholic doctrines the papacy, Mary, the saints, purgatory or the sacraments. Only under a system of justification whereby righteousness was something that was initially infused by God into the believer and then increased when the believer cooperated by specific works could such doctrines exist.
Clearly a vast theological gulf separates Roman Catholic and Protestant theology on the doctrine of justification. Unless Protestant theology rejects the principles of the Reformation, or Roman Catholic theology abandons much of the canons and decrees of the Council of Trent (especially canons 9, 10, and 11), the doctrine of justification will remain a fundamental source of division between Roman Catholicism and the Evangelical Protestant faith.
In honor of the 499th reformation Sunday (just past) and looking forward to the 500th Anniversary of the Reformation (October 31, 2017), I am turning over this space today to one of my colleagues and most respected reformed scholars, Pul Tambrino, Ed.D, Ph.D. This is from a column he writes entitled “Ask Augustine”.
Pastor Jim
October 31, 2017 will mark it’s 500th. Anniversary. Is that because today there is very little difference between Roman Catholicism and Evangelical Protestantism? But if not, what are the major differences between Roman Catholicism and Evangelical Protestantism?
While it is true in recent years we have rightly seen evangelicals and Catholics come together on an unprecedented scale in common opposition to abortion and issues of moral relativism and theological pluralism as well as, in defense of our love and worship of the same Lord. In this regard evangelicals and Catholics are bound together contending against all that opposes Christ and His cause. Still, theologically what divided Protestants from Rome on October 31, 1517 still divides us today.
As to what it is that still divides us, most people would point to the different views Roman Catholics and Protestants have concerning the papacy, Mary, the saints, purgatory or the sacraments. However, these distinctive differences all stem from the doctrinal dispute over justification. At the time of the Reformation, Luther maintained that the Reformed doctrine of justification was the article upon which the church stands or falls and Calvin held that it was the hinge of salvation. This was countered by Rome's Tridentine conclusion that the Reformation doctrine of justification was worthy of the anathema of the church.
Admittedly the debate over justification suffers from a crass caricature by which the Protestant position is incompletely characterized only as “justification by faith” and the Roman Catholic position is incompletely characterized as only “justification by works.” Popular sentiment falsely concludes that Protestants are not concerned about works and that Rome is not concerned with faith.
Roman Catholicism has always given an important and necessary place to faith in so far as justification is concerned. Moreover, Protestantism has always held that saving faith necessarily, inevitably and immediately yields the fruit of works. The difference in the two views is that in Roman Catholicism, “Faith plus Works yields Justification” while in Protestantism, “Faith yields Justification plus Works.” That is, in Roman Catholicism “Works” is a necessary precondition for justification. In Protestantism, “Works” is a necessary fruit or result of justification.
Protestantism holds to the vicarious atonement of Christ. It is vicarious because it is accomplished by imputation (transfer), actually a double imputation (transfer). Christ willingly bore for His people their sins that are imputed or transferred to Him. Christ is the sin-bearer for His people (the Lamb of God) who takes away (expiates) their sin and satisfies (propitiates) the demands of God’s justice.
The cross alone, however, does not justify. There is also a need for positive righteousness. Protestantism maintains that one is not justified only by the death of Christ but also by the life of Christ. His perfect righteousness is also imputed to those whom He redeems. Hence there is a double imputation. The sins of the redeemed are imputed to Christ on the cross, and Christ’s perfect righteousness is imputed to the redeemed. Evidence of such imputed justification is then seen in the works performed by those justified.
Roman Catholicism rejects this concept of imputation and maintains that God does not consider someone righteous on the basis of some alien (Christ’s) righteousness (a righteousness outside of oneself). Rome’s view presupposes that the only true justness or righteousness is inherent righteousness. Hence, there is a need for a person to become righteous in him or herself first before God declares one righteous. Although Rome teaches that a person cannot become righteous without infused grace, a person is deemed righteous only when he or she has become (through works and the sacraments) righteous.
Given the Protestant doctrine of justification, it would be impossible to ascribe to the Roman Catholic doctrines the papacy, Mary, the saints, purgatory or the sacraments. Only under a system of justification whereby righteousness was something that was initially infused by God into the believer and then increased when the believer cooperated by specific works could such doctrines exist.
Clearly a vast theological gulf separates Roman Catholic and Protestant theology on the doctrine of justification. Unless Protestant theology rejects the principles of the Reformation, or Roman Catholic theology abandons much of the canons and decrees of the Council of Trent (especially canons 9, 10, and 11), the doctrine of justification will remain a fundamental source of division between Roman Catholicism and the Evangelical Protestant faith.
Monday, October 31, 2016
No Matter who is President, Jesus is King
As this is the last post before the election, I thought it would be a good time to get down to basics. At this point we are 12 days away from seeing who are new president will be. This has been a brutal race, that has poured over from the political into the personal. Friendships have been impacted and even ended by who one supports. At the end of the day though, November 9th will come. The rhetoric will change and this election will move into the background. So as we ride through this last two weeks, let us turn our eyes to the future. Let us remember what we love about those who think differently than us, and when we can't understand their point of view let us cling to grace. Because in the times that matter, the times of great joy or great sorrow, we won't see one's political affiliation we will just want our friend.
We are also a people who are set apart. We have a higher calling than civic duty or American patriotism, we belong to the King of kings, and the Lord of lords. Our duty is do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with our God. Our calling is to love the Lord our God with our whole hearts, mind, soul, and strength, and to love our neighbor as ourselves. So let us join together and pray for each other, pray for our country, pray for our president and pray for peace.
Rev. Michelle
We are also a people who are set apart. We have a higher calling than civic duty or American patriotism, we belong to the King of kings, and the Lord of lords. Our duty is do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with our God. Our calling is to love the Lord our God with our whole hearts, mind, soul, and strength, and to love our neighbor as ourselves. So let us join together and pray for each other, pray for our country, pray for our president and pray for peace.
Rev. Michelle
Saturday, October 15, 2016
What about my non-believer friends?
1 Corinthians 1:18-25
For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written:
“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise;
the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate."
Where is the wise person? Where is the teacher of the law? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength. (NRSV)
One of the great problems people have with reformed doctrine is our adherence to particular (or limited) Atonement. This is the doctrine of the faith which says that Jesus died only for the elect. Though Jesus’ sacrifice was sufficient for all, it was not efficacious for all in that Jesus only bore the sins of the elect.
Support for this position is drawn from such scriptures as Matt. 26:28 (where Jesus died for ‘many'); John 10:11, 15 (which says that Jesus died for the sheep -- not the goats, cf Matt. 25:32-33); John 17:9 (where Jesus in prayer interceded for the ones given Him, not those of the entire world); Acts 20:28 and Eph. 5:25-27 (which state that the Church was purchased by Christ, not all people); and Isaiah 53:12 (which is a prophecy of Jesus’ crucifixion where he would bore the sins of many- not all).
The problem that many people have is their deep and honest concern about sincere adherents of non-Christian faiths. At a time when Hindus, Buddhists, Muslims, as well as other non-Christian friends work and live beside us each day, something would be very wrong with us if we did not feel such concern.
However, the Word, exegeted rationally (without reading into it) tells us that the Christian faith is true for everybody, and that all need God’s forgiveness and rescue from the power of sin and Satan. In the New Testament all are called to turn to Jesus Christ and become God’s adopted children. Eternal life comes only to those who do this.
A common argument is: “what if?” What if God, in His infinite mercy, does allow for other ways to come to salvation? The answer to that is simply, He certainly does not reveal that to us in Scripture. This matters because we hold Scripture to be the inspired, inerrant and infallible Word of God. If that “what if” was operant, we would read it in His Word.
Despite that truth, some insist on pursuing unbiblical lines of speculation. Two primary lines come to mind.
First is “universalism.” This is a not uncommon belief that -- regardless of the New Testament witness to the contrary -- God will somehow bring all, even those who die as nonbelievers -- to share the inheritance of those who die living in Christ. Adherents of Universalism cannot explain how this will happen and there is no scriptural support for such a contention. Therefore, universalism raises at least two questions.
Q1: When Jesus and the apostles warned people of eternal loss if they did not repent (Luke 13:3, 5; Acts 26:16-20), were they bluffing?
Q2: Do we know more about God’s purpose of grace than He and they knew?
The second speculation is called “inclusivism.” This position argues the possibility of salvation for sincere devotees of other faiths in which Jesus Christ is either unknown or is rejected as divine Savior simply on the basis of their sincerity. I would remind you that it is quite common to be “sincerely mistaken.” Again, on what biblical basis might this possibility stand? Definitely not on sincerity, or devotion or personal merit. Nor can it be based on any intrinsic effectiveness of unchristian rituals. On what then would such an “inclusive” belief be based?
Some say that if non-Christians come to know their guilt and sinfulness and then confess, renounce their sins and ask for mercy from whatever gods there may be, they will receive the forgiveness they seek from the Jesus and then they will know Him. Again there is no scriptural support for this false hope.
The Gospel speaks only of penitents being saved through the grace of God by knowing and coming to trust, the crucified and risen Lord. Scripture nowhere offers hope that sincere worshippers of other religions will be saved by faith in false gods.
So, if you struggle with this, what is YOUR role? That is simple. You and I aree not in the salvation business. That is God in Christ’s role. Your job and my job is the proclamation of Gospel truth by word and deed. We sow the seeds, God brings them to harvest – as He has already determined.
Pastor Jim
For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written:
“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise;
the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate."
Where is the wise person? Where is the teacher of the law? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength. (NRSV)
One of the great problems people have with reformed doctrine is our adherence to particular (or limited) Atonement. This is the doctrine of the faith which says that Jesus died only for the elect. Though Jesus’ sacrifice was sufficient for all, it was not efficacious for all in that Jesus only bore the sins of the elect.
Support for this position is drawn from such scriptures as Matt. 26:28 (where Jesus died for ‘many'); John 10:11, 15 (which says that Jesus died for the sheep -- not the goats, cf Matt. 25:32-33); John 17:9 (where Jesus in prayer interceded for the ones given Him, not those of the entire world); Acts 20:28 and Eph. 5:25-27 (which state that the Church was purchased by Christ, not all people); and Isaiah 53:12 (which is a prophecy of Jesus’ crucifixion where he would bore the sins of many- not all).
The problem that many people have is their deep and honest concern about sincere adherents of non-Christian faiths. At a time when Hindus, Buddhists, Muslims, as well as other non-Christian friends work and live beside us each day, something would be very wrong with us if we did not feel such concern.
However, the Word, exegeted rationally (without reading into it) tells us that the Christian faith is true for everybody, and that all need God’s forgiveness and rescue from the power of sin and Satan. In the New Testament all are called to turn to Jesus Christ and become God’s adopted children. Eternal life comes only to those who do this.
A common argument is: “what if?” What if God, in His infinite mercy, does allow for other ways to come to salvation? The answer to that is simply, He certainly does not reveal that to us in Scripture. This matters because we hold Scripture to be the inspired, inerrant and infallible Word of God. If that “what if” was operant, we would read it in His Word.
Despite that truth, some insist on pursuing unbiblical lines of speculation. Two primary lines come to mind.
First is “universalism.” This is a not uncommon belief that -- regardless of the New Testament witness to the contrary -- God will somehow bring all, even those who die as nonbelievers -- to share the inheritance of those who die living in Christ. Adherents of Universalism cannot explain how this will happen and there is no scriptural support for such a contention. Therefore, universalism raises at least two questions.
Q1: When Jesus and the apostles warned people of eternal loss if they did not repent (Luke 13:3, 5; Acts 26:16-20), were they bluffing?
Q2: Do we know more about God’s purpose of grace than He and they knew?
Some say that if non-Christians come to know their guilt and sinfulness and then confess, renounce their sins and ask for mercy from whatever gods there may be, they will receive the forgiveness they seek from the Jesus and then they will know Him. Again there is no scriptural support for this false hope.
The Gospel speaks only of penitents being saved through the grace of God by knowing and coming to trust, the crucified and risen Lord. Scripture nowhere offers hope that sincere worshippers of other religions will be saved by faith in false gods.
So, if you struggle with this, what is YOUR role? That is simple. You and I aree not in the salvation business. That is God in Christ’s role. Your job and my job is the proclamation of Gospel truth by word and deed. We sow the seeds, God brings them to harvest – as He has already determined.
Pastor Jim
Tuesday, October 11, 2016
How You Can Help Haiti
Update:
Friends, as you know Haiti was once again hit with a devastating act of nature with Hurricane Matthew. Over 800 people were killed by the storm and countless citizens impacted severely. If you are able and willing to help, please consider one of these charities below:
Compassion International
World Vision
Upstream International
Paulos Group
Thank you and God bless,
Rev. Michelle
"But if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him? Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth." 1 John 3:17-18
Friends, as you know Haiti was once again hit with a devastating act of nature with Hurricane Matthew. Over 800 people were killed by the storm and countless citizens impacted severely. If you are able and willing to help, please consider one of these charities below:
Compassion International
World Vision
Upstream International
Paulos Group
Thank you and God bless,
Rev. Michelle
"But if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him? Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth." 1 John 3:17-18
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