Final 52 Weeks Blog

This is the final blog of the 52 weeks Bible study sermon series.  It has been a year.  We have shared a walk through Scripture that I hope has been fruitful.  Remembering that we started with Genesis it is important to reflect upon the condition of the world in that first book.  God had spoken all that exists into being and His words were "It was very good!."  Very good that people walked in relationship with God.  Very good that sin had not yet come into the picture.  Very good that God's clear purpose for people was to glorify God and be a blessing to one another.  As we approach 2012 we will begin with the ending to our study.  Our first 6-7 weeks will be a look at Revelation ... the last book in the New Testament.  Some look at this book and (astonishingly) have some idea that God is taking people back into the time of the Torah and the Law.  This is not only a misreading of Scripture but is in total denial of the tenor of the New Testament.  If you read Revelation to the end you will not find the Torah, the temple and a need for the intersession of priests.  There is no temple, only God.  There is no need for the Law which Paul said held its power in death, for there is no death.  There is no sin ... no need for sun and moon (the light of Christ is plenty).  And God has restored people, the creation and has brought it all down to a new earth in which He is in charge.  I think God will look out on this new creation (which has redeemed all eternal things (Heb. 12)) and say, "It is very good."  Hope to see you there (in January and in the Kingdom) and hope to take a few weeks unfolding God's hope unveiled for the people who have chosen to believe in Him and bear the fruit He has commanded.  Come Sunday, for the table is made ready!  Pastor Randy

Pietism vs Cruciformity

Michael Frost takes on the topic of pietism in his book "The Road to Missional."  In the book he examines pietism and makes the following observations (paraphraised):
1. Pietism (one manifestation is the idea that I can achieve righteousness through methods such as withdrawal from the world, observing the law, judging others [who are obviously more broken that I], self-improvement, etc.) often seems to remove itself from a world it believes is below it's own standards.
2. It seeks to make itself aloft from those 'others' (the very ones Christ went toward) who are evil and victimize the pietists.
3. The above victimization and perceived persecution causes fear and, what Michael Frost believes, laziness.
Pietists seem to hang their hat on the cliches of the faith, using easy one liners, the 'rules' and a huge list of things not to do.  Why engage a person in meaningful discussion when you can hand them a religious tract.  Why engage the world with the light of Christ when you can cut off conversation with an "I just follow the Bible."  Frost says the problem is not that the pietist is too righteous, but is unrighteous.  He/she has missed the idea that Jesus calls us to exceed (not mimic) the righteousness of the Pharisees.  So ... how can this be done?
How about this.  Stay alert to the work of the Holy Spirit.  Discern how Jesus would deal with a situation, engaging incarnationally with our neighborhood, God's people, and our neighbors.  Remember, the cruciform love of Jesus is not always pretty and easy (like those Lifetime movies).  Instead, it is struggle, dirty, bloody and often done with the reward of real persecution.  To understand the universal reign of Jesus you must be willing to submit all things, even false piety, to the God who can redeem even this world.  Let Him use you, lead you and love through you.  You may begin to grasp the humility and the true reign of God in your act of submitting.  Try it ... it is what Jesus did!  Pastor Randy

The Poem of Your Life

Life is a song we must sing with our days ,A poem with meaning more than words can say
A painting with colors no rainbow can tell ,A lyric that rhymes either heaven or hell
We are living letters that doubt desecrates ,We're the notes of the song of the chorus of faith
God shapes every second of our little lives, And minds every minute as the universe waits by
The pain and the longing The joy and the moments of light
Are the rhythm and rhyme The free verse of the poem of life
So look in the mirror and pray for the grace, To tear off the mask, see the art of your face
Open your ear lids to hear the sweet song ,Of each moment that passes and pray to prolong
Your time in the ball of the dance of your days,Your canvas of colors of moments ablaze
With all that is holy,With the joy and the strife
With the rhythm and rhyme of the poem of your life
With the rhythm and rhyme of the poem of your life            Lyrics by Michael Card
Thought these lyrics were appropriate as we have an all music service Sunday.  The choir sings at first service and the children will sing at second service.  As we listen to the songs, ask yourself ... does the poem of your life rhyme heaven?  If not, see me and we will talk.  Pastor Randy