Hour of Power

When I was a kid I remember watching a television program called "The Hour of Power."  It was a religious broadcast of the services from the Crystal Cathedral, pastored by Robert Schuller, and for a time was the most watched church service in the world.  The show usually consisted of a testimony of some well know professed Christian, a special music number, and a brief meditation by Schuller.  In time, Schuller went off the theological rails, embracing a form of universalism, and the Crystal Cathedral closed in 2010, about five years before Schuller died.

While Schuller's ministry and the Crystal Cathedral eventually met their demise, the title of the television broadcast is worth considering.  The "Hour of Power" referred to the length of the church service at the Cathedral, and it seems to me that an "hour or power" is a powerfully accurate way to describe what happens on Sunday mornings at Bible believing churches all around the world.  I'd refer to Riverview's service as an "hour of power," but our services usually last about 75 minutes, and "An Hour and Fifteen Minutes of Power" just isn't as catchy.

Nevertheless, I would argue that perhaps the greatest act of power that a Christian can enact is simply to attend a worship service at a local church on a regular basis.  There is unquantifiable power that is part of a church service, and Christians can tap into that power every time they gather for worship.

Just consider all that takes place within a worship service: dozens, scores, and even hundreds of voices unite in song, declaring truths about who God is and what he has done.  These truths serve to bind up the broken-hearted, give confidence and courage to those who are weak, drive out fear, and inspire hope.

Moreover, when churches come together in prayer those same dozens and hundreds unite their hearts in petitioning the Lord of the universe, who answers them when they call.  Indeed, cities, nations, and the hearts of rulers are changed and affected by the joined prayers of God's people in worship.  Consider that: God's people have more power in prayer than do the mightiest of rulers.

When we read the word of God together, we remember his mighty works, the wonders he has performed, and the miracles he has done.  And we remember that God has promised that same power is available to those who believer.

When the word of God is preached it does not return void.  That is, it accomplishes all that God purposes to accomplish through it, either to soften hearts to his truth, or to harden them.  Either way, the word of God is powerful, and when it is declared faithfully, authoritatively, and prophetically it likewise has the power to build up, tear down, transform stony hearts into hearts of flesh, and make the dead come alive.

When we gather around the communion table, we "declare the Lord's death until he comes."  This, too, is an act of great power.  Participation in communion is described by Paul as equivalent to a declaration of what Jesus has done.  And not only that, but also a declaration of what he will do (when he comes).  It is a symbolic and powerful act that declares the power of Christ in conquering death and sin and providing victory over the same through his death and resurrection.  When we proclaim the Lord's death, we are literally tapping into resurrection power.

Furthermore, when we gather together as a community, we have the power to encourage one another, to provide divine support, confession, service, correction, and to intercede for one another through prayer.  All of this comes from spiritual power provided by God.  Were it not for him, we would have no such power to minister to one another.

But there's more.  In fact, the church itself is a sign of the power that is ours.  The church is a band of disparate sinners who have all rallied under the banner of Christ.  This is no small feat, considering the multitude of differences that exist between us, and that would otherwise serve to divide us.  But in Christ, we have the power to overcome those differences and unite under our common allegiance to our Savior.  Through Christ we have the power to overlook our differences (or, probably more accurately, to see our differences for what they are in light of our unity in Christ).  Our unity in Christ is an action of God-fueled power.

And we are also empowered to serve God and one another through the miraculous, supernatural gifts given to us by the Spirit of God.  All believers, regardless of their "natural" abilities, have been given supernatural gifts by God for the benefit of serving the church and reaching out t the world.  These gifts are not common, but are Spirit-empowered.  When we use the gifts God has given to us through his Spirit, we are enacting a great amount of divine power.

Too often we think of attending church as something rather common, or perhaps more unfortunately, something that has become rote, or that we take for granted.  May it never be!  Instead, going to church to gather with the body of Christ is a supernatural act of power.  May we see it as such, and may we tap into this unending source of power.  But in order to do so, you have to actually go to church.  Better yet, you should join a church - better even still, become a member at Riverview!  The local church is the context that God has chosen to display his miracle working power.  Come, and be a part of it.

No Wolves Allowed

Since becoming the Senior Pastor at Riverview Baptist Church a little more than a year ago, I have had three unique experiences wherein I was approached by people who wanted to attend Riverview as their home church.  This is a common occurrence in my position, as many people want to meet and talk to the pastor and introduce themselves before committing to attend a local church.  But these three instances were unique in that each one involved a person or people who were blatantly engaged in sinful behavior.  The specific details of each situation were unique, but it was clear that these three groups of people were living lifestyles that were not conducive to biblical truth.  In each instance, the inquiring party wanted to know from me if their chosen lifestyle would be problematic in regards to them attending our church.

In each instance, my response to their question was something like this: "All people are welcome to come to Riverview to hear the gospel preached.  At this church we call all people to continually turn from their sin and toward Christ so that they might grow in holiness and righteousness and become more like him.  And this includes you - you will likewise be called to turn from the sin in which you are living and turn to Christ, because we do not believe that the Bible condones your lifestyle.  We believe that it is sinful, and that you need to turn from it and turn to Christ.  So, yes!  You are welcome to come to Riverview and hear that message."

The church is called to be a beacon of light and hope to an unbelieving world drowning in sin.  And it is a place where sinners in search of redemption can come and find the healing that the gospel provides.  For this reason, those who are lost in sin are welcome to come to our church to hear the glorious, life-giving message of the gospel.  Indeed, all are welcome!  In the end, however, none of the three groups of people I spoke to decided to come to Riverview as a regular attender.

But as we affirm that all sinners are welcome at our church to hear the message of the gospel, in the next breath we must also affirm that those who would seek to lead us away from the truth of God's word are most definitely not welcome at our church.  For instance, those who are living sinful lifestyles are welcome to come to our church, but they are not welcome to promote or propagate their sinful lifestyle or thinking among those in our congregation.  Nor can they promote or teach any thinking or doctrine that would lead our people away from the truth of God's word.  There is a difference between sinners seeking redemption and wolves in sheep's clothing, sneaking into the fold to devour the sheep.  We welcome lost sheep with open arms, but to allow wolves into the fold would be foolish and negligent.

This was John's instruction to the church which he was writing in 2 John.  They were a struggling church, in which there were many false teachers who were in the church and drawing people away from the truth.  John's instruction to that church was to have nothing to do with those who would lead the sheep astray.  2 John 1.10-11 says: "If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house or give him any greeting, for whoever greets him takes part in his wicked works."

The house that John describes in these verses is most likely not anyone's actual house, but probably refers to the "house" of God, or the church.  So when John instructs them not to take any false teachers into their "house" he probably means not to let them into the church.  Furthermore, John instructs them to not give a false teacher any greeting.  The reason for these restrictions is a matter of appearances.  John doesn't want the true believers of this church to give the impression that they condone or approve of the false teachings or teachers that were threatening the church in his day.  To give such an impression could cause genuine believers to become confused, to doubt what they had been taught, or for some to even fall away from sound teaching.  In other words, to give quarter and welcome to false teachers is to give the impression of approval of or agreement with, or at the very least, indifference to false teachings and teachers.  The results of this impression are disastrous, no matter how you slice it.  In fact, this is why John says that to give the impression that false teachers and teachings are approved is to "take part in his wicked works."

John wants clear, distinct lines to be drawn between the true and the false - both in matters of doctrine and in true believers and false believers.  If the lines in either case are blurred, it creates questions and doubts among many in the church, and can cause them to fall away.  For this reason, there needs to be a clear delineation between true doctrine and false doctrine, and true believers and false believers.  And those who are found to be false must not be given a platform for their teachings, nor should they be made to be seen as being a part of the church, as such appearances can have serious consequences.

As a shepherd, one of my highest priorities is the health and well-being of the sheep, and I take my job seriously.  These principles have guided my interactions with unbelievers who have desired to be regular attenders at Riverview.  By all means, we want all who will, to come and hear the glorious gospel.  But we must guard the purity of the church, and we will not sacrifice or endanger the Christian walk and growth of those who are in Christ in any way.  We will give no greeting to those who would seek to lead others astray, and they are not welcome in this house.

Martin Has Been Kidnapped

About a month ago, on a Sunday morning, a member of our worship team at Riverview showed up at the church around 8:00 AM for rehearsal.  In the parking lot of the church, laying uncased and unprotected in the parking lot, was a worn down, beat up guitar.  The worship team member collected the guitar and brought it in the church for further examination.  It was in rough shape.  The back of the guitar was separated from the ribbing in places, and someone had put two large pieces of plastic in place where the saddle and the nut should be (the saddle and nut elevate the strings off the fretboard to make the guitar playable).  Put simply, this guitar had seen much better days.  We all marveled at the DIY repairs that had been done, and then one of the team members put it in his car to use it for spare parts.

Cut to nine days later - the following Monday.  A member of our church showed up in the late afternoon to do some painting in one of the rooms at the church that needed to be done.  As he arrived at the church, he noticed a man sitting on the steps in front of the church.  When he asked if there was anything the man needed help with, he replied that he needed entry into the church in order to get his guitar.  Not knowing the man or the validity of his story, the Riverview member denied him access and went about his business of painting.

The following day, Tuesday, the same Riverview member arrived back at the church to complete the painting job that he had started on Monday.  When he arrived in the parking lot, he noticed the same man he had seen the day before, walking through a wooded area across the street from the church with a guitar case in hand.  Thinking nothing of it, he went back to his task of painting.

The day after that, Wednesday, I went to prepare for leading our Family Night Worship Service at Riverview.  In doing so, I set up a lectern, put out the bulletins for the service, and get my guitar ready to lead the singing.  As I went to retrieve my guitar from the back room, I couldn't find it.  This, however, did not alarm me, as it is not uncommon for my guitar to be moved to a different room or to be used by someone else without my knowledge.  Also, a crew of guys from the church had been working in the room where my guitar was stored, tearing out and replacing carpeting, so it seemed natural that one of them had moved it in the process.  Again, without much alarm, I retrieved a backup guitar that I store on the premises and used it during the service.

Once the service had concluded I began to ask around to see if anyone might know where my missing guitar had ended up, but nobody had any idea where it might be.  The guys who had been working in the room denied that they had moved the guitar in the course of their work, and even denied seeing it in the back room.  After some more asking around, I learned about the man who had been to the church on Monday and Tuesday of that week, and how he had been spotted carrying a guitar case early Tuesday evening through the woods across the street, and the pieces began to fall into place.

About a week later, due to some technical difficulties, I was finally able to access the security camera footage at Riverview.  We have security cameras placed at each of the entrances to the church, and in some of the hallways.  What I saw on the video was the man pictured at left.  On Tuesday, April 26, he and a female accomplice entered the building during business hours (so the church was unlocked). They spent about 20 minutes exploring the church, walking down the hallways, perusing the food shelf and library, and ultimately winding their way back to the music room where my guitar was stored.  After taking the guitar, he departed on foot and went directly to the wooded area across the street where he was observed by the volunteer painter described earlier.

After seeing this all unfold on our security camera footage, and considering the crystal clear images we had of his face, I contacted the West St. Paul police and filed a report.  I was happy to see that one of the reporting officers was one that I had met previously through my involvement in the police chaplaincy program.  The officers were very pleased that we had visual evidence of the crime, and they assured me that they would hand the case over to their investigators.  So far, I'm not sure how much progress has been made on apprehending the thief or retrieving my property, but I remain optimistic.

But it doesn't end there.

On Tuesday afternoon of this week I began to feel ill.  Stomach cramps on Tuesday made way to diarrhea on Wednesday, which knocked me out of leading the Family Night Worship Service this week (which I am bummed about, considering it was our last service of the year).  About 7:00 that evening I received a call from someone who was at the church and who had seen the above photo of the burglar.  He told me that the burglar had returned to the scene of the crime and was at the church at that very moment.  I quickly slipped out of my bathrobe (remember, I was sick) and into some clothes and went over to the church.  By the time I had arrived, I was told that the man left on foot.  I went out into the parking lot and saw someone duck into the same woods across the street that the man had been reported in previously.  I called the police and told them about the incident.

But the interesting thing is how the man interacted with others when he returned to the church last Wednesday evening.  As he came into the building, he immediately began to shake hands of all he came into contact with, and introduced himself to each one as Jesus Christ.  That's right: he claimed to be God in the flesh.  Clearly this man is not in his right mind, which makes this even more sad.

The guitar that was stolen was a Martin (I can't remember the model number).  I bought it second-hand from a friend, who was offloading his gear to help cover the costs of one of his kids' weddings (the sacrifices we guitarists make!).  The guitar is unique in that the body is made of an entirely composite material.  In other words, it's not made of wood.  The only wood on the whole guitar is the neck and fretboard.  The rest is essentially plastic.  Regardless of this fact, the guitar plays like a dream.  In fact, it was easily my best playing guitar.  I have another Martin (DCX1E) that is my best sounding guitar, but it doesn't match the playability of the one that was stolen.  To be sure, Martin guitars are very nice, and most players aspire to own one.  I owned two, and I still have one.  I am a very blessed, fortunate person - even in light of having been robbed.

If possible, I hope I can get my guitar back, as it was my "go-to" guitar - the one that I played in most circumstances as it was accessible, easy to play, and pretty much the right instrument for any occasion.  I have no desire to press charges or see the man who stole it prosecuted for the offense - I'd just like my guitar back!  I even have the one that he left in the parking lot - the old beat up junker.  I'd be happy to make the trade.

Why We Do Baby Dedications

Three families from Riverview brought
their children to be dedicated on 4.24.16.

This past Sunday at Riverview, three families from our congregation brought their newly-born children to be dedicated in front of our church.  To me, this is a serious, yet joyful, celebration that acknowledges the sovereignty of God over the lives of parents and children, and affords parents an opportunity to publicly dedicate themselves to raising their children in the fear and discipline of the Lord.  I think it is a great practice, and it is one that we will continue to observe at Riverview for the foreseeable future.

This week, however, I providentially read an article by Andrew Wilson entitled "The Problem with Baby Dedications."  In this article, Wilson lightheartedly outlines what he perceives as four potential problems with the practice of baby dedication ceremonies in evangelical churches (it should be noted that while Wilson finds the practice of child dedication problematic, he readily admits that both of his children have been dedicated, and he has performed dedication ceremonies as well).  I find myself partially in agreement with him, but mostly not.  In large part, Wilson's main point of contention seems to be the use of the word "dedication," in that he believes it is a misunderstood term.  This may be, and perhaps it would be wise to change our terminology in what we are actually doing in a baby dedication (more on that below).  In light of this article and the fact that we just dedicated three babies at Riverview this past Sunday, I figured now would be as good a time as any to think publicly about why we do baby dedications at our church.  In what follows, I hope to respond to some of Wilson's concerns, and make an argument for why baby dedication ceremonies are a good practice for the church.

1. Wilson asserts that there is no biblical precedent for baby dedications, and he cites Jesus' dedication at the temple after his birth as an instance that is not parallel to our present-day baby dedications.  This may be true, but there are several practices, traditions, and symbols within the church today that do not find their source from the pages of scripture.  The church is free to institute practices and traditions that are God-honoring, edifying, and in accordance with the principles of scripture.  In other words, the lack of biblical precedence for baby dedication ceremonies does not forbid their presence in the modern church.

2. Moreover, there is precedent of people bring their children to others in order to receive a verbal blessing.  Sometimes these blessings had a prophetic element to them (see Genesis 48-49, for example), and we would not have that as our intention in the dedication of children.  Rather, we would have the same intention for our children that Jesus had in Mark 10.13-16: that of prayer and verbal blessing for children.  These verses describe parents who brought their children to Jesus so that he might pray for them and offer them a verbal blessing, and that is a noble and right process for the church (as representatives of Christ) to duplicate with children in our day.  There is power and significance in verbal blessings and the church is free to follow Jesus in his example in blessing children. (David Michael has argued well for the benefit and power of verbal blessing in this book.  Also, the power of a verbal blessing is important enough for the church to incorporate a benediction - blessing - at the conclusion of its service.)  It is in this sense that perhaps the term "baby dedication" is unhelpful if what we are doing is praying for and blessing children and parents.

3. Wilson also argues that, theologically speaking, "to dedicate something or someone is to set apart something as holy to the Lord.  To dedicate a baby, then, is to act as if the baby is already holy..." Here I think Wilson potentially misunderstands what it means to "set apart something as holy to the Lord" in the context of infant dedication, both in ancient Israel and in modern evangelicalism.  The dedication of firstborn children and animals was a common - and commanded - practice in ancient Israel, whose primary purpose was - I believe - to symbolically remind the people of their dependence upon God, and how everything they had came from him.  For this reason, they would set apart their firstborn children and animals as "holy to the Lord" (the word "holy" means "separate").  Certainly there were thousands of Israelite children who were dedicated to the Lord, but did not live up to the dedication made for them by their parents on their behalf.  Their dedication didn't make them holy or separate in a spiritual sense, and they proved that by not obeying God.  The same is true with modern baby dedications.  I think it is good and right for parents to make a declaration that they are making their child holy to the Lord (separating them for a specific purpose) in that they intend to raise that child in the fear and admonition of the Lord.  If, as that child grows and departs from the instruction of his parents, that has no bearing on what happened at the dedication in their infancy.

To be fair, Wilson's main point with this argument is to guard against making baby dedications akin to infant baptism, which is a valid concern, and one that I share.  Indeed, I am aware of one family at Riverview who declined to have their children dedicate out of a concern that their children would regard their dedication as a means of grace, or as having accomplished something for them spiritually.  This is certainly not the message we want to send through our baby dedication ceremonies, and it is right to guard against it, and if a father and mother decides against it for that reason, I would be supportive of them (although I wouldn't agree with them).  Rather, the dedication of a child to the Lord is simply, I think, a commitment to set oneself and one's child apart for the service of the Lord in all aspects in life.

4. It is in this sense that, for me, the primary focus of a baby dedication ceremony is not so much the infant, but the parents.  The parents are the ones who must dedicate themselves.  To what?  First, to an acknowledgement of God's sovereignty over the child.  Second, to profess their dependence upon God in the rearing of their children.  Third, to dedicate themselves to do their best, by God's help, to raise the child in the fear and discipline of the Lord (Ephesians 6.4).  Moreover, this dedication of parents to these things is done in front of the church.  In other words, parents have accountability for what they have dedicated themselves to, and the church is there to hold them accountable and love and support them in the process.  I see much value in this, especially in the sense that we are one body, and we love and support each other in all ares, including the rearing of children.  It is in this sense, that perhaps we should change the name of the ceremony to "Parent Dedication" rather than baby dedication!

The Bible is clear that children are a gift from God (Psalm 127.3-5), and there is much to be gained in acknowledging this fact through the dedication of our children to the Lord.  Let us praise God for the wonderful gift that children are, and let us commit ourselves to showing them his glory and worth as often as possible (Deuteronomy 6.7-9)

Questions @ RBC

NOTE: This post originally appeared at my blog site at riverviewbaptist.net.  

Each week we encourage people at Riverview to engage the scripture and sermon by submitting questions via questions@riverviewbaptist.net or on the blue slip.  The sermon this week was on Luke 2.22-40.  Listen to the sermon here.  Questions and answers from this week are below.  

What does verse 23 mean: “Every male who first opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord”?  Is this for Jews only?  Are Gentiles are included?

This command for the first male to “open the womb” to be dedicated to the Lord is one that God gave to his people in the book of Exodus.  “Consecrate to me all the firstborn.  Whatever is the first to open the womb among the people of Israel, both of man and of beast is mine.” (Ex. 13.2, 12, Num. 18.15-16, etc.)  This practice acknowledged God’s sovereignty, ownership, and provision in the lives of his people.  It is not clear what this consecration entailed, and it seems as though it meant different things for different people.  What is clear, is that this consecration specifically set aside the firstborn male to the Lord’s service in some way, shape, or form.  How that played out, however, differed from person to person.  This command was given only to God’s people in the Old Testament who were living in covenant relationship with him (to the Jews – not Gentiles) and applied only to them.  The dedication of the baby Jesus to the Lord is significant because he – unlike all other babies born before him – will be on a mission to completely fulfill the will of the Father for his life.  He will be dedicated to the Lord in a way that only he is able to be dedicated to the Lord as the Son of God.

We at Riverview practice infant dedication of both boys and girls – and not just the firstborn.  In this dedication, parents commit themselves to raising their children in the fear and instruction of the Lord to the best of their ability, and the rest of the church commits to supporting the parents in this endeavor.  While this is a different practice that what was commanded for Israel, it is a significant commitment and one that we take seriously, both as parents and as a body.

Why does it say that Zechariah was “waiting for the consolation of Israel”?  Is this referring to Jesus?

Luke 2.25 says “Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him.”  In a general way, this refers to Simeon’s expectation that God would keep his promises to his people – particularly to save and deliver them spiritually (see Genesis 12.3 for the promise which Simeon undoubtedly had in mind as he was waiting for the “consolation of Israel”).  So as the text says that he was waiting for the consolation of Israel, it is most likely that he has a general idea of God being faithful in view, rather than a specific person.  At the same time, we look with hindsight that informs us that Jesus was indeed the “consolation of Israel,” but Simeon was probably thinking more generally – he was generally looking forward to God keeping his promises.  Christians should have this same general attitude toward God’s promises today, and particularly to the second coming of Christ.  We are looking for consolation – the fulfillment of the promise that Christ will return.

Simeon tells Mary that Jesus will be “a sign that is opposed.”  What does that mean?

As he tells Mary that Jesus will be “appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel…” he also tells her that Jesus will be “a sign that is opposed.”  This phrase is more literally interpreted as “a sign that is spoken against.”  In other words, Jesus will be a sign of God, and people will speak against him.  They will actively oppose him in everything he does.  Jesus is a sign from God – a sign of his love, mercy, goodness, justice, and righteousness – and people will hate him for being that sign from God.  So they will speak and act against him.  Of course, in Jesus’ case, this opposition led to his death.

The Lot In My Lap

Today was the big day: the day the people of Riverview voted whether to extend a call to me to be the next pastor of Riverview or to look elsewhere.  After a spirited business meeting, the vote was taken and the measure passed by a significant margin.  The church's constitution states that a pastor must receive 75% of a congregational vote in order for a call to be extended, and the results came in well over that mark.

The agenda for the meeting allowed for questions and comments from the congregation as to the motion to be voted upon with me being present in the room, and then a second period of questions and comments from the congregation without me being present.  After that, the congregation would vote.

There were several people who spoke, and I was very encouraged by each and every one of them.  Although some of the comments expressed concerns about me becoming the senior pastor, I believe they came from a thoughtful and prayerful attitude, and were generated with my best interests at heart.  To that extent, I am grateful that the people of Riverview thought clearly and considered me in their thinking.  Truly, I am generally grateful for all who expressed concern.

When I recruit people for volunteer ministry positions at Riverview, I generally send them a letter telling them about the need in the church, and how we've arrived upon them as a potential candidate to fill the volunteer position.  I always end the letter by stating that regardless of their decision to volunteer in this capacity or not, we will rejoice what what they decide to do or not do.  Because if a person has come upon a decision prayerfully and with introspection, the decision they come to has been arrived upon through God's guidance.  And any time people are seeking God in their decision making, it's a winning situation.

To this extent, I was fine with whatever decision the congregation made.  Certainly being the senior pastor of Riverview is something that I am desiring to do, and something I think that I am able to do.  But if the people came to the decision that I am not the best fit for Riverview at this time through a well-thought, prayerful process, then I would rejoice in that decision.  That being said, I am glad that the vote came out the way it did!

I was also humbled by all of the people who spoke up in support for me in the position.  By God's grace, I will be able to live up to everything you said about me.  Please pray for me to that end.  Thank you.

Two comments in particular stood out to me, and interestingly enough, neither of these comments were particularly positive or negative toward extending a call to me.  One comment I thought was very wise, but perhaps not very Baptistic in the sense that Baptists are known for their congregational government - that is, the congregation is king - they have the final vote.  This commenter said that she had decided to trust the church's leadership.  The Deacons and the Church Council (in addition to the recommendation of the regional minister) had unanimously recommended me as a candidate for the position.  She was choosing to trust that the leadership came to their recommendation thoughtfully and prayerfully, and she was choosing to follow their recommendation.  While I affirm congregational church governance, I think there is wisdom to this thinking.  As Baptists, we elect and approve leaders whom we believe are gifted in such a way as to occupy leadership positions.  It is reasonable (and biblical) to assume that these folks are thinking well and biblically when it comes to decisions and recommendations like these.  I thank God for people who are humbly willing and able to submit to their leaders.

The second comment that I thought was very helpful at the meeting had to do with the encouragement of one member to the congregation to submit themselves to God's decision, whatever that might be.  The encouragement was for the congregation to realize that God is sovereign, and that the outcome of the vote would be an indication of his will, and that we should accept it as his will and submit to it.  This is wisdom, and I was thankful for the admonition to us all to submit ourselves to God's authority.

At the end of the day (which it is, 11:30 PM as I write this) God is sovereign, and he seems to have directed the people of Riverview in a certain way.  If God allows, I will bear this responsibility and have the distinct honor and privilege of leading the people of Riverview as their pastor.  May he strengthen me to that end.

On the Eve of the Vote

Today marks the day before the day of the vote that the people of Riverview will cast to determine whether or not I will be the next senior pastor.  It's been an incredibly long month of waiting, between the time when the announcement was made to the congregation that I would be the first candidate they would consider, until now.  There has been a lot to consider, to ponder, and to think about.  In a very real way, I'll be glad when the vote is over - regardless of the outcome.

One impression I have had over the past month is that I am unworthy of the ministry.  I am such a sinful man, and my own growth in holiness seems so painfully slow at times.  Who am I that I should be called to the ministry?  The answer is, I'm a nobody, and I don't deserve anything, let alone the ministry.  There's nothing about me that's any good or that is inherently useful for being in the ministry.  But I guess that's the point, and it's what I have to keep telling myself.  It's only by God's grace that any of us do anything.  And so I attribute anything about myself that might be useful for gospel ministry to God and his wisdom and grace.

Also over the past month, there have been two verses in particular that I have been meditating on: "The heart of man plans his way, but the LORD establishes his steps." (Proverbs 16.9) and "The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the LORD." (Proverbs 16.33)  In our representative republic we feel like we have so much control over the process of selecting our leaders.  We think we make the decisions, and people do what we say.  But that's not true - God is the one who makes the decisions and determines rulers and kings and leaders.  The same is true of our Baptist polity - we believe the congregation is king - they make the rules, select the leaders, etc.  But the same is true of congregational government: God has the final say.

Whatever happens tomorrow, the decision will be the Lord's, whether the vote comes out positively or negatively.  And since he loves me and is working all things together for my good, I can rejoice in whatever happens.

A People On Mission

In my last post I shared some remarks that I gave to the people of Riverview as they consider me as a candidate for the church's role of Senior Pastor.  That post detailed some of my own personal history with Riverview and with her people.  This post deals with what I see as the most pressing concerns for Riverview's continued ministry.

Riverview is a people on mission: to bring people to faith in Christ, bring Christians to maturity in Christ, worship and live to bring praise to Christ, and to support the work of Christ locally and globally.  This statement of mission - clearly defined by the people of this church and by the word of God - has been our cause and purpose for more than the last 10 years.  By God's grace, it will continue to be our sole and guiding focus as we push on in life and ministry in the future to the extent that we are obedient to the word of God and are empowered by his Spirit.

While the question of what our mission is can be answered rather readily, the question of how we go about achieving it is a different one altogether.  For may years the people of Riverview have sought to be faithful to God's call upon them and achieve its mission by offering their time, energy, finances, creativity, wisdom, and prayers in order to be obedient to the call of God upon their lives.  It is my prayer that as our church moves forward, we will continue this legacy of faithfulness to the mission and to innovate and commit ourselves in whatever way God would deem necessary to partner with him in carrying out his purposes on the earth.

But the primary way that I believe we achieve our mission is by being obedient to God and his word.  Through our obedience we are able to worship God rightly and we are able to partner with him to carry out his purposes on the earth and in our homes and communities.  Through obedience to his word we bring praise and honor to him, we preach the gospel to the lost - both at home and abroad - and we grow in our love for one another and for the Lord.

How do we go about the task of bringing people to faith in Christ, growing believers in maturity, worshipping rightly, and preaching the gospel at home and abroad?  By knowing God, knowing his word, and doing it.  This, too, is how we define our success - not by measuring how many people we win, or by our weekly attendance, or by any other man-made rubric that indicates supposed success or failure - but only by the degree to which we are faithful to what God has told us in his word.

With that understanding in view, as we look together to the future of Riverview's ministry in West St. Paul, there seem to be several areas in which our church has stood strong throughout the years, and it is these areas in which I believe we must continue to stand, resolute and resolved.

Worship - There is no higher calling than worshipping the one true Creator God.  God's glory and our celebration of it in worship should be the focus and goal of all of life and ministry.  Worship is the primary purpose for which God created human beings and is therefore our highest endeavor and greatest fulfillment.  As we go forth, let us be known as a people who give carefully focus and attention to worship, and relate all of our activities to it and to the goal of magnifying the glory of God.

The Supremacy of Scripture - We live in a cultural context that is increasingly hostile to the word of God, and to those who would hold it as being authoritative in matters of life and doctrine, and we will be tempted to marginalize the supremacy that God's word has in our hearts and lives.  Only the Bible, and its message rightly preached and understood can effect lasting personal and cultural change.  In light of this reality, we must be sure that we are motivated in what we say and do by the word of God and through the power of his Spirit.  As a people who uphold the word of God, we have the opportunity to speak prophetically to our culture and to the world.  May we do so with Spirit-empowered love and boldness.

Spiritual Formation - I am grateful that Riverview holds the Bible as supreme when it comes tot he process of spiritual growth.  This is why at our church we endeavor to equip our people to hear, understand, respond to, and apply the word of God in accordance with a biblical worldview.  This happens a variety of ways and in a variety of contexts.  Our desire is to be a people who are humble and teachable before the word of God, always growing in our ability to grasp God's truth and grace, no matter our age or life circumstances.  We hold the Bible as being central for all education nd formation efforts, and seek to know it so that we will not be tossed about by every wind and wave of doctrine.  This process is not taken on individually, but as a community, as we encourage one another and help each other grow in our grasp of biblical truth, wisdom, faith, and love.  As we grow, we show Christ as our ultimate treasure.  Let us continue to be a people who holds the Bible as preeminent, and who push hard toward the appropriation and application of truth so that we might become more and more like Jesus and less and less enslaved to sin.

Prayer - Prayer has been and is an essential part of life at Riverview.  Through it we show our dependence on God's grace and mercy in our church, family, and personal lives.  As we look to the future, may our corporate sense of urgency in prayer mark us as a people who are constantly dependent upon God through our persistent and earnest prayers for the good of others and the glory of God.  May everything we do as a church be soaked in prayer so that all may see it is God's strength that provides the victory, and that his glory is the end of our prayers.

The "One Anothers" - There are more than 40 "one another" commands in the New Testament that mark the relationship that believers are to have with one another.  The ways that Christians love and treat one another is not only a sign that we know and love God, but is an incredible witness to the unbelieving world regarding the supernatural nature of the church.  We are a band of disparate sinners who have been radically transformed through the Holy Spirit, and one of the greatest signs of this transformation is by following the "one anthers."  May the world see us loving one another, an d in so doing see the glory of Christ.

Equipping and Training - God commands the church to train up believers int he working of their spiritual gifts for the benefit of the church and the world.  These gifts are given so that believers may grow in their faith and maturity, and to be equipped for ministry in and to the church, and in and to the world so as to fulfill the church's purpose of bringing glory to God through its obedience to him and to be obedient to the Great Commission.  May we be a church who is faithful to equip and train its people to do the work that God has called us to do.

Missions - As John Piper has famously said, "There are only three kinds of Christians: those who send, those who go, and those who are disobedient."  Riverview's heritage of global involvement in missions as both a "sending" and "going" church is strong.  our goal should be to maintain that strength in sending people to preach the gospel among the nations, to submit willingly when God calls us to "go," and to strengthen our resolve to continue doing so in every way possible.

The More Things Change, the More They Stay the Same
Riverview is about to experience one of the most significant changes a church can undergo.  If the Lord allows, I am willing to bear the responsibility and have the honor of serving as the Senior Pastor of this church.  That being said, I don't foresee many changes on the horizon at Riverview, inasmuch as our hearts are in line with the word of God and what he has called us to do.  Indeed, if we need to change, let it be the kind of change that pushes us more toward holiness and obedience.  Otherwise, our history, our legacy, and our current testimony of God's grace in our lives has set our course.  May God grant us the grace of obedience to follow him in all things.  

A Heritage of Faithfulness

Today was a big day.  After our regular church service we held a congregational informational meeting to roll out a plan of succession between Dave Wick, our outgoing pastor, and myself.  The plan would have me taking over as Senior Pastor at Riverview in April of 2015.  The church will vote on the proposal in about a month.

For the meeting, I was asked to share some thoughts about my "vision" for the church if I were to become the Senior Pastor, which I did.  But, I figured, it's hard to talk about the future without first looking at the past.  For me, that's a unique experience, given that I was born into Riverview Baptist Church.  What follows here is the section of my remarks entitled "A Heritage of Faithfulness."  There's another section entitled "A People On Mission" but I'll save that for another post.

Throughout Riverview's history there are ample evidences of the work that God can do through a people dedicated to his word and to partnering with him in ministry to one another and to the world.  This legacy of faithfulness - both of God and the people of Riverview - is one that we can and should fight to preserve.  "Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God." (Hebrews 12.1-2)  The saints who have gone before us have testified to the greatness of our God.  Let us do the same.

Additionally, my life is a testimony to God's grace manifested through the obedience of the people of Riverview.  I was born into this church 33 years ago and have benefited from this community in every way conceivable.  It was the people of Riverview who built in me the foundation of my faith as a young child, teaching me the Bible and calling me to respond in obedience, and then continuing that education as I grew physically and spiritually.  It was the people of Riverview who showed me what a community of faith really was, as I was able to observe them ministering to one another and to my family.  It is the people of Riverview who now live alongside me, as I raise my own family and bring my children up in the fear and admonition of the Lord.  It is the people of Riverview that I see investing in my own children today, as they invested in me so long ago.  It was the people of Riverview who walked alongside me as I grew musically, which has become such a significant part of my adult life.  It was the people of Riverview who encouraged me to seek God's will for my life in using it to serve him in full time vocational ministry.  It was the people of Riverview who financed my seminary education, investing in my theological training and enabling me to be obedient to the call of God upon my life.  And it has been the people of Riverview who have allowed me to serve them vocationally for the past 10 years.  

Unlike many ministers who stand up to preach on a Sunday morning, when I shake hands with people as they leave the sanctuary, I get to shake the hand of my first grade Sunday School teacher; I get to shake the hand of my former pastor; I get to shake the hand of my best friend's mother and father; I get to shake the hand of the man who has been a mentor to me since I was a teenager; I get to shake the hand of the woman who taught me in Vacation Bible School when I was a child; I get to shake the hands of people my own age who grew up alongside me at Riverview.  I get to shake the hands of elderly saints who have watched and prayed for me throughout my journey; I get to shake the hands of people who have invested their own time, energy, and prayers in me since the day I was born.

This is a privilege afforded to a very few ministers, and I am unspeakably blessed for having been a part of the community at Riverview.  Indeed, I would not be the man that I am today were it not for my brothers and sisters at Riverview.  It is my desire to continue to foster the spirit of faithfulness that has been so evident int he overarching history of Riverview, and specifically for the past 33 years of my life, so each of us can serve the Lord to the extent of the measure of the faith that he has given us.  

Choosing Worship Songs Well

As a volunteer worship leader at my church, it’s my job to pick new songs for our worship team to play and for our congregation to learn.  In the past we have set somewhat of a precedent of trying to learn and introduce one song to the congregation per month.  If all goes well, this of course means that we learn and introduce 12 new songs each year.  It doesn’t always go that way, however.  There are some months when the worship schedule is just too busy to be introducing a new song.  There are other months when we do introduce a new song, but it quickly becomes evident that the song will not work with our congregation for whatever reason.

Our worship team is having its usual meeting tonight to look at the schedule for the upcoming summer season, and this is the time when I usually roll out new songs for the team members to be thinking about and listening to, as we will gradually be introducing these songs into our repertoire.  It’s been more of a struggle this season than most for me to find good, quality worship songs for our team to sing/play.  I'm not a huge fan of contemporary Christian radio, so I don't get many ideas from there.  So when I go looking for new worship songs for our church, I usually frequent the CCLI list, songs that are trending on iTunes, and my old stand byes like Sovereign Grace Music.  Usually from these sources I can piece together some songs for us to do.  It's actually quite an involved process and I spend a lot of time on it.  

From time to time people have recommended songs to me that they suggest we sing in the worship service, but when I check them out it seems to me that they would not be conducive for corporate worship at our church.  How do I determine that?  In order for us to introduce a song to our congregation, a worship song has to meet four different standards.  Here they are, in brief:

1. Content.  Is the content of the song good?  Is it biblical?  Does it use the words of scripture as lyrics?  Are the lyrics God-centered?  This is the most important criteria, in my opinion.  If a song has good, theologically solid lyrics, I'm willing to give on the style of it for the sake of communicating the message of the song.  Plus the other elements of the song can be tweaked and changed to fit our congregation more, such as style, rhythm, speed, etc.  If I find a song with good lyrical content, chances are I'm going to try to use it in some way.  Unfortunately, these days in contemporary Christian music, songs with home run quality content are few and far between.  But there are some good exceptions, like this song we recently introduced. and groups like Sovereign Grace Music always make a point of ensuring that their songs have good, biblical, God-focused content.  Kudos to them.  The best words to use in order to sing about God, are God's own words.  The closer we can stick to the message of scripture in our singing, the better.

2. Corporate Appeal.  Does the song lend itself to being sung by 250 people at the same time?  This is important, because in my opinion it's not right for a group of people to be singing songs that were meant to be sung by an individual.  Moreover, there are many worship songs that talk about an individual's (the songwriter's) experiences.  Well, his experiences are not necessarily mine, or that of the other 250 people who attend my church.  I try to look for songs that can be sung meaningfully by the whole body of Christ, not just one member.  Furthermore, there are some songs with intricate melodies that a person could sing by himself or herself, but it would could not be done by a larger group.  I try to avoid these types of songs in corporate settings.  There are some songs with fantastic content, but because of the intricate melody, simply can't be sung by a congregation.  But beyond these reasons, there is a theological reason for choosing songs that can be sung by a congregation, and that is that we are the church.  We join together to sing praise to God and offer him our worship.  Worship leaders should be choosing songs that make singing in large groups as easy as possible so as to accommodate this reality.  

3. Staying Power.  Does the song have the potential to be sung by the church in a hundred years from now?  Think of your most-loved hymn.  Chances are it's at least 100 years old.  We should be looking for songs that we can sing today and a hundred years from now.  This doesn't mean that we never include songs that are more particular to a time or setting, but those are rarities.  Some songs are written in such a way that the time it was written in is very evident.  There's nothing necessarily wrong with this, but when you sing that song it's going to take you back to the time when it was written, such as this song, or this song.  Just something to be aware of.  We want to shoot for songs that we can always be singing and using in worship, no matter the time or setting.  And why do some songs last longer than others?  I would argue it is because the truth they communicate is more clear, biblical, and timeless.  So we should not only be looking for songs that have stylistic staying power, but also songs with content that can stand the test of time (see point 1).

4. Quality.  What is the quality of the songwriting that went into the song?  This criteria is probably the most subjective of the four.  It's quite simple, really: there are some songs that are products of bad, unimaginative, and un-creative songwriting.  How do I know which songs those are?  Well, I guess I'm the judge of that, at least for my church.  I probably have a different standard than you do.  But for instance, I tend to think of songs that are made up of just one verse and one chorus as being bad quality.  Is it too much to ask to put in another verse?  Or if the chorus of a song is the same phrase or words just repeated over and over.  These are what's known as "7-11 Songs."  You sing the same seven words eleven times in a row.  For example, I know two year old children who could write a better chorus than the one in this song.  We can do better.  We can write good and deep songs, and lots of them, because God gave us brains and talents to use in this process.  We do him and ourselves a disservice when we don't engage our God-given talents, abilities, and brains in the process of creating worship music.  

So there you have it, in brief.  Those are the four things I'm looking for when I look at new songs.  And to be fair, songs will meet these criteria to varying degrees.  Some songs are home runs, and some songs are stand-up doubles.

You might notice that none of my criteria include any notes about the style of worship songs.  That's because I don't really care too much about style.  The way I see it, if a song fits these criteria, then we can work with the style.  Plus style is such a fluid thing that changes all the time.  It would be foolish to judge a worship song on its musical style, and a song would never pass the test of having staying power if it were judged by itse musical style.  Plus the body is made up of all different kinds of people with all different kinds of taste.  A change in style is probably for the better most times.  That doesn't mean I'm insensitive to stylistic preferences, but to me it is of secondary importance.

It dawned on me that I don't think I've ever shared this process with anyone before, and there are undoubtedly people wondering how I make decisions about which songs to sing in worship, and even some who think that I'm terrible at selecting worship songs.  Well, for better or for worse, you can at least take comfort in the fact that I'm not just arbitrarily coming up with whatever strikes my fancy.  In fact, a lot of times we're doing songs that absolutely do not strike my fancy, but because I think they would be beneficial to the body of the church, we do them.  After all, it's not about me and what I like.  It's about what God likes.  And whatever I can do to lead the congregation toward pleasing God as a group on Sunday mornings is what I'm going to do.  

Theology of Worship

After having developed a biblical set of guidelines for how Christians should regard dressing for church, the Worship Music and Arts Committee worked on developing a theology of worship that will help guide the church in planning and thinking about worship.  I'm very glad the church has gone this direction - that of finding out what the Bible says about particular topics and then conducting ourselves accordingly.  As I did with the dress code, I'd like to publish the Worship Music and Arts Committee's theology of worship here:

A Theology of Worship for Riverview Baptist Church
1. We believe our worship is reserved solely for God, and God alone (Psalm 29.2, 148.1-13, Romans 11.36, Revelation 19.10, 22.9,).  God is the subject and object of worship – it is about him and for him.  God is the only one worthy of our praise.  As the Creator God, he alone is deserving of the worship of his creation (Psalm 29.3-10, Revelation 4.11).  Therefore, we will focus on praising only the Lord in our worship and will offer up a suitable and appropriate sacrifice of praise to his name.  Our motivation for worship will be his pleasure, resulting in our own fulfillment and enjoyment. 

2. We believe that God’s glory and our celebration of it in worship should be the focus and goal of all life and ministry.  Worship is the primary purpose for which God created human beings and is therefore our highest endeavor and greatest fulfillment (1 Corinthians 10.31, Isaiah 43.6-7, Matthew 22.37, 1 Peter 4.11).  Therefore we will give worship careful focus and attention in the life of this church.  We will relate all of our activities to it and to the goal of magnifying the glory of God.

3. We believe that our worship is acceptable to God in and through Christ our High Priest.  We come to God clothed in his righteousness and by his worthiness (Hebrews 8.1-2, 10.19-22).  Therefore we will exalt Christ in our worship.  Moreover, we will not assume that our worship is made acceptable to God by any other means (such as excellence in worship or style of worship). 

4. We believe our worship is enabled, motivated, and empowered by the Holy Spirit.  As God, the Holy Spirit deserves our adoration and praise as much as the Father and Son, yet he chooses to glorify not himself but rather point us to Christ and thus lead us to the Father in worship.  The Holy Spirit motivates us for worship in assuring us of our standing by grace and filling us for the work of praise (Philippians 3.3, John 16.14, Romans 8.14-17, 1 Corinthians 12.3, Ephesians 5.18-19).  Therefore, we will exalt Christ in our worship by the power of the Holy Spirit, and address our weaknesses by enlisting the Spirit’s help in enabling us to desire, pray to, and worship God.

5. We believe that worship is the privilege of all of God’s people.  Every individual plays a vital role in the corporate worship of the church (Psalm 79.13, 107.32, Romans 12.1, 15.5-6).  Therefore, we will encourage a whole-hearted participation in every way possible: by seeking to enhance the physical environment for worship through the use of artistic, seasonal, and orderly decorations; by carefully selecting music for worship so as to encourage participation while maintaining biblical and theological integrity; by encouraging participation in corporate prayer; by encouraging participation in the Lord’s Supper on a regular basis, etc.

6. We believe that the heart attitude of the worshiper in response to and participation in worship is of more importance than an external response and participation in worship (1 Samuel 16.7, Hosea 6.6, Mark 12.33).  Therefore the elements of our worship will aim at encouraging a response in the heart of the worshiper rather than being concerned with external responses to the form, style, or structure of worship.

7. We believe that worship should promote the unity and edification of the church.  The church is, by divine design, a diverse group of disparate, saved sinners who can be unified in the Spirit (Romans 15.5-6, Ephesians 4.1-6).  Therefore, we will exult in our diversity and seek to learn from one another various expressions of worship.  We will strive to keep the health of the whole body in mind when it comes to innovation or change in worship.  We will not seek to promote personal agendas or preferences in worship, but prayerfully and deliberately seek the good of the body as a whole.  We commit to considering one another’s needs before our own and to look beyond self to our corporate identity in Christ (Romans 12.10, Ephesians 5.19-21, Philippians 2.2-3, Colossians 3.12-17, Hebrews 10.23-25).

8. We believe that the word of God is the best means of knowing and being able to declare truths about God in worship (Psalm 138.2, 2 Peter 1.21).  God has revealed himself and his glorious deeds through inspired scripture (Psalm 56.4).  We respond to God’s self-revelation in his word in worship (Psalm 56.4, 138.2 150.2).  Therefore, we will hold the word of God as central in our worship.  That is, we will read the word publically, pray according to the word, hear the word preached, sing songs according to God’s revelation in scripture, be obedient to the word in the administration of the ordinances of baptism and the Lord’s Supper as acts of worship, be obedient to the word in receiving financial gifts as an act of worship, and allow the word of God to provide the context and motivation for our worship and to enrich and inform our worship.

9. We believe that there is freedom in style in worship.  We believe this for the following reasons: 1) God exists in a triune community – the ultimate expression of unity in diversity (Genesis 1.26, Mark 1.9-11).  2) The church is itself blended – it is composed of people from all races, nationalities, ages, backgrounds and temperaments (Galatians 3.28).  3) God loves diversity – this is seen in his works of creation and in the world of people he has made (Ephesians 5.18-19, Revelation 5.9-10, 7.9-10).  4) The New Testament does not prescribe a particular form or style for worship in the church.  This absence of detailed guidelines suggests that God allows for considerable freedom in worship style (John 4.23).  We further believe, however, that Christians are not to do that which God forbids in the name of worship or freedom (Deuteronomy 12.4, Exodus 20.4-6, 1 Corinthians 10.14-22).  Therefore, we commit to draw from a diversity of stylistic influences from within and outside the church while maintaining obedience to scripture.

A (Worshipful) Comedy of Errors

It's been a week since my most recent sermon at Riverview.  Whenever I fill the pulpit I try to write a post about the content of the sermon I preached.  For whatever reason I haven't gotten around to writing that post yet.  Well, I just downloaded the podcast of my sermon from last week, so I thought this would be an opportune time to say a few words.

I need to start off by saying that it's a good thing that God doesn't accept our worship based upon the level of technical perfection it is conducted in, nor does he give demerits for uncontrollable technical glitches.  Thank goodness that Jesus' blood and righteousness are what make our worship acceptable, because if God's standard for acceptable worship were functional microphones and technical perfection, then Riverview Baptist Church would have been up a creek last week!

First of all, it was a crazy service.  There were several technical snafus, not to mention that it was a very full and detail oriented service.  Several things had to go a certain way in order to "work."  To begin with, the Pioneer Girls group was presenting a black light puppet show during the service for the children's story.  This meant that we had to try and black out as much natural light from the sanctuary as possible, which meant quite a bit of work beforehand, plus all of the platform furniture was either moved or removed, and there were plenty of black light decorations all over the stage.

Things went crazy during the service too.  Rich, our multi-media guy, came down right as the service was about to begin and told me the computer had frozen, and it was going to be a solid five minutes before it was back up and running.  This was a bit concerning, considering that a lot of our announcements are fueled by visuals on the screen.  Moreover, we were showing an Operation Christmas Child video during the announcements.  Rich told me I needed to kill some time during the announcements to allow time for the computer to reboot.  I did, but apparently it wasn't enough.  The computer was still hiccuping by the time we were ready to show the video.

After all that, our sound guy, Craig, signaled to me from the sound booth that my microphone wasn't on.  I signaled back that, in fact, it was turned on.  He then signaled back that I had it on "mute mode."  I signaled back again that no, I didn't.  This wouldn't be too much of an issue, had I not been responsible for the corporate prayer that morning, which I was.  This means I had to pray corporately for the church, which is somewhat hard to do without any voice amplification.  During a silent prayer time, Craig snuck down and gave me a new wireless mic, and told me to plug my mic cord into the new receiver.  I couldn't get my cord to plug into the mic!  So, out of desperation, I picked up one of the hand-held mics, which unbeknownst to me, was wrapped around the music stand I was standing in front of.  The mic cord had no slack, and as I drew it to my face, the taut cord pulled the mic from my hand and it bounced loudly off the music stand (did I mention this was during the silent prayer time?).  The foam wind protector on the mic fell off and rolled onto the floor (four feet below the platform).  It turned out that this particular microphone was having problems too, so I ended up just shouting out the corporate prayer for the morning.

After the prayer, I invited the congregation to stand and sing the doxology in preparation for the offering.  As the piano and organ played the introduction to the doxology, out of the corner of my eye, I could see someone ascending the stairs to the platform.  I looked, and was more than surprised to see my three year old daughter coming to greet me on the platform.  She had left her seat, gone and picked up the foam wind protector from the handheld microphone, and brought it to me on the platform.  According to my wife, she was very distressed when I dropped the mic earlier and the foam wind cover fell off, and she felt it was very important to return it to me.  The Mrs. told her to go get it and hand it to me after the prayer.  In the mind of my three year old, this meant to bring it to me on the platform, which she did.  Needless to say, I was quite surprised to see her up there!

After the doxology, and during the offertory, I slipped into the back room (because there was nowhere to sit on the platform.  Craig, the sound guy, was waiting for me, with yet a third wireless mic.  He explained that the cord from my original wireless mic had shorted out, and that's why it wasn't working with any mic he gave me.  But here he was, with a fresh and working mic and cord, which I quickly clipped to my tie.

Then, after coming up with a makeshift children's story to introduce the black light puppet show, the kids came on and did a fantastic job.  Take a look.

After each service, it's traditional for the preaching pastor to meet exiting worshipers at the door for a handshake, which I dutifully did (although I always get out of there as fast as possible - no offense to Riverview folks, but have you ever shook 200 hands in a row?  You tend to want to wash your hands as soon as you can).  This time, one person who was in the service and had heard my sermon simply came up to me and asked me where the book of 2nd Colossians was located in the Bible.  I didn't understand.  That's a strange question to ask.  After all, my sermon was from Colossians 2.

Uh oh.

He said that I had mentioned at the beginning of the sermon that we were "continuing our study of 2nd Colossians."  No.  Not possible, I thought.  I must've said something like, we're "continuing our study of the 2nd chapter of Colossians."  Surely I would never say something as stupid as referring to 2nd Colossians - a book that doesn't even exist.

Although, when I look back on it, it's not too surprising that I would say something like that in a sermon.  Whenever I preach, I tend to get in a zone where all I'm focusing on is the sermon, and what I am saying.  I find that if I don't pretty much know what I'm going to say during a sermon, then it's anybody's guess what is going to come out of my mouth.  Therefore, if you ever hear me preach, you can pretty much know that almost every word I say is prepared before hand.

This zone, however, can tend to tie me down and make me oblivious to what is happening around me, and even to what is coming out of my mouth.  Sometimes I think I can get so concerned about what I am going to say, that I don't realize what I've actually said.  It seemed possible to me  that something like this could have happened here, although I wasn't going to believe it until I heard the recording for myself.

Well, as I said earlier, I just downloaded the podcast.  Here's a transcript of the first 11 words of my sermon from this past week:

"We're continuing on, this morning, in our study of second Colossians..."

Oops.

Oh well.  Like I said: if nothing else, we can rejoice that the acceptable-ness of our worship is not dependent upon us doing it well.  Thank God for that!

How Should We Dress for Church?

The Worship, Music, & Arts Committee at Riverview recently sat down to reevaluate our current dress code for those who serve in worship (note that the code applied to those who serve in worship, and not to those who simply attend services).  The dress code that we had revised and adopted in 2005 seemed out of date, and was based more on what was considered socially acceptable dress at the time (although it actually reached back even further to, I think, 2001).  Basically the old dress code prohibited a lot of styles of dress that have, since that time, become acceptable forms of dress.  In short, the dress code was not realistic.  We decided to revise it yet again.

But this time there was an important twist.  We decided that rather than creating a dress code based on present day styles and trends, that we should be looking to answer the question: what does the Bible say about how we dress?  We found three significant themes in scripture that guided our thoughts on the issue:

1. Modesty (Matthew 5.28, 1 Timothy 2.8-10, 1 Peter 3.3-4, 1 John 2.16)  Scripture teaches that we should not draw attention to ourselves by what we wear, and that our primary concern should be for inner beauty and not outward adornment.  Therefore, we determined that we should not dress so as to attract attention to ourselves or cause others to stumble be wearing revealing or provocative clothes, or clothes that draw specific attention to the one wearing them.

2. Conscience (1 Samuel 16.7, Romans 14.5, 22, 2 Corinthians 9.7)  The Bible explains how many religious attitudes and observances are matters of conscience, and therefore that different Christians can have different understandings about what is, and is not, acceptable apparel) assuming that it meets the requirement for modesty).  Therefore, we encourage all people to determine for themselves what manner of dress is or is not appropriate for them, based upon their own examination of scripture and conscience.

3. Consideration of the sensibilities of our brothers and sisters in Christ (Romans 14.15, 19, 15.1-2, Ephesians 5.21, Philippians 2.3-4)  Scripture teaches us to be constantly looking for ways in which we can submit to one another in love and humility.  Moreover, we are commanded to consider the desires of others before ourselves.  Furthermore, it is our desire to be obedient to scripture by conducting ourselves in ways that lead to peace and not ton incite quarrels or divisions.  Therefore, we believe that the individual's process for determining appropriate dress for worship should take into consideration the sensibilities of our brothers and sisters in Christ.

Notice that these guidelines don't appeal to personal preferences or cultural standards.  Our authority is scripture, and we should appeal to that.  If we simply appeal to trends or preferences, we'll always have disagreements within the church about what is or is not acceptable dress.  That being said, these guidelines don't eliminate all differences of opinion within a congregation, and they certainly won't do so in ours.  The point is, though, that our standards are based on scripture, and not on any individual's or group's man-centered opinions on what is or is not acceptable attire.  I really like this approach.

Another good thing that I like about it is that it encourages people to take into considerations the preferences of their brothers and sisters.  I had the chance to share these guidelines with our worship team last week, and I essentially told them that if they think these guidelines give them freedom to dress however they want, they've missed the point.  We do have freedom to dress however we wish, but not to the extent that it causes quarrels, divisions, or to lead other people to sin.  That being said, those who hold a more conservative view of how people should dress for church likewise need to take the same approach toward doing and saying things that lead to peace.  We all need to realize that we think differently on this issue - and are even convicted differently on this issue - and be willing to extend grace to those with whom we disagree.

If our only standard is what is popular, or is what one group of people prefers over the other, that's a sure recipe for fighting and disagreements. But if we all appeal to scripture, and we realize that people can be convicted in different ways, then we have a grace-filled common ground to start from.  Will there be disagreements?  Yes.  Will some people insist on wearing a three piece suit?  Yes.  Will some people insist on jeans and a T-shirt?  Yes.  The point is, they can all do whatever they want, as long as they've considered the three principles listed above.

My personal position is this: dress however you want, as long as you're not dressing so as to bring attention to yourself, you've thought about the spiritual ramifications of how you dress, and you've considered what your brothers and sisters think.

ByBC Highlights

Here are some video highlights of Riverview's recent 2012 Backyard Bible Club ministry: The Call of God.  Three families from the church hosted clubs in their homes, serving more than 50 children and their families.

Anniversaries

This weekend marks Riverview's 125th anniversary.  In 1887 Riverview Baptist Church began its ministry in West St. Paul.  It's a church whose heritage and ministry run deep in this area, and several families have been a part of the church for generations.  This weekend we are celebrating with a concert by Over and Back, and then a special anniversary worship service on Sunday, including a special anniversary choir (featuring the one and only Josh Tompkins on piano), and a special message from former Riverview pastor Doug Radke, with a lunch to follow.  Invitations have been extended to all people who have been a part of, or impacted by, Riverview's ministry throughout the years.  I expect there will be several people in attendance.

This all got me to thinking about how a person, couple, or organization should celebrate anniversaries.  Throughout Riverview's process of celebrating our 125th I've felt the temptation to slide into a mindset that essentially says "Look at us!  Look at how much we've done for the past 125 years!  Look at what we've accomplished!  Look at how great we are!"  This is absolutely an unhealthy way to remember special days and occasions.  It's totally man-centered and even idolatrous.  It fails to give God his due glory for all of the great things he has done.  I think this holds true with any kind of anniversary - even wedding anniversaries.

This was essentially the problem at the Tower of Babel.  Mankind said, "Look at us!  Look at how great we are!  And we've got this gigantic tower here to prove it!"  Considering all the family connections and heritage in West St. Paul that Riverview enjoys, it would be easy to say, "Look at us!  We've got a great church here, and here's the building to prove it!  And here are some photos of my great, great grandfather laying tile in the sanctuary in 1961.  We wouldn't be here if it weren't for him!" While I certainly won't demean the contributions of those who have gone before us to the ministry of Riverview throughout the years, to focus on ourselves, or even on those precious and God-loving people who have gone before us (even our relatives) would be to miss the point completely.

Riverview Baptist Church is what it is, and it has done what it has done in the community and in the hearts and lives of the people it has impacted over the years, only by the grace of God.  It is his story we are invited to be a part of.  We have not written our own story called "Christianity: The Riverview Years."  No, God is the mover and shaker of our church's history, and he gets all the credit for it.  If we celebrate ourselves, our own efforts, or even those who have gone before us, it is nothing less than idolatry.  To be fair, I'm not suggesting this is the way people at Riverview are marking their 125th birthday, nor am I saying it is wrong to fondly remember those who have gone before us, but I am saying that the trap of idolatry is a very easy one to fall in to, and I think it is something we always need to be on guard against.

So then, how should we regard special days that mark special occasions and anniversaries?  As usual, we look to scripture for the answer, and I think we see some instructive material about how to mark special days and occasions that celebrate the past.

In what has become one of my favorite books of the Bible, the book of Joshua describes the Israelites are entering the Promised Land, and as they do so they must forge the Jordan River.  As the people are about to cross the river, God commands the Levites to take the ark of the covenant and stand in the midst of the river.  As they do so, the water ceases to flow, and the people cross the river and go on into the Promised Land by walking on dry land.  After the event, God tells Joshua to pick 12 men - one from each tribe - to gather one stone apiece from the river where they crossed and place them on the land.  The purpose of the stones?  Education.

When your children ask in time to come, "What do those stones mean to you?" then you shall tell them that the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord.

So what's the purpose of the memorial?  To exalt God; to show his power; to magnify his character and nature; to show his sovereignty and providence.  I like how what the people are to tell their children that the water of the river was "cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord."  The natural follow up question to such a story by a child might be, "How did you do that?"  The obvious answer being, "We didn't.  God did!"  What a testimony to the greatness of God!  This is what memorials and anniversaries are for: to testify to the greatness of God.  Riverview needs to look back on its 125 years of existence and ask, "How did we ever make it this far?"  And then as quickly as we ask, we need to answer ourselves, "We didn't.  God did!"

Another example that we see in scripture is in Exodus 12.  The Israelites find themselves in slavery in Egypt, although they are on the brink of freedom.  God has pronounced his final plague on the Egyptians - the plague of the death of the firstborn.  He has given his people a means of escape, however, by commanding them to paint the blood of a lamb on their doorposts, causing the angel of death to "pass over" their dwelling and spare the firstborn.  This event, of course, becomes an annual tradition (a memorial or anniversary, if you will).  God says:

"This day shall be for you a memorial day, and you shall keep it as a feast to the LORD; throughout your generations, as a statute forever, you shall keep it as a feast."

Why keep this as a "memorial day"?  What's the point?  Why does God want his people to keep the passover?  So they can get together and have a good meal with each other every year, or maybe to congratulate themselves for remembering to paint the lamb's blood on their doorposts?  Nope.  God wants them to remember the passover so they remember his faithfulness and mighty power in delivering them from slavery.  We likewise remember God's faithfulness and mighty power in delivering us from the slavery of sin in sending his Son to die for those who would believe the gospel.

All memorials and anniversaries are primarily about God: his goodness, faithfulness, and power.  To celebrate them in any other way or for any other purpose would be to fail to give him the glory he is due.

Again, does this mean we can't remember those who have gone before us, and the things they have done, and the tile they laid on the sanctuary floor?  No, but I think we need to remember them in the context of what a great and powerful God did through them to accomplish his sovereign purposes.

So then, I hope we can all repent of our tendency to put ourselves and our own accomplishments first, and instead give God the glory he is due for his faithfulness and providence in our lives.  This is my prayer for Riverview as we look back on 125 years of ministry, and as we look forward to the future.

The ABC's of Christmas

Here's a video of the "The ABC's of Christmas" from Riverview's kids Christmas program, which took place tonight:



It's the first time The Ferguson (my son) has been a part of something like this. He originally wasn't going to be in it (he's only 3 after all!), but one of the kids who was originally scheduled to recite a line dropped out, and so we decided to see if he could do it. The issue wasn't whether or not he could memorize the line. He's memorized Bible verses and books before, so that wasn't a problem. The main concern was whether or not he would freak out when he got in front of all those people during the program.

Things weren't looking good when, during the first rehearsal he participated in, it came time for his line. When it was his turn, he smiled, ran to his mom's side, and immediately bawled his eyes out, never saying his line. But after working with him a bit more at home, and trying to calm his nerves, he eventually got so saying the line in front of people was no problem. I still thought it was a toss-up though, as to whether or not he'd be able to do it when push came to shove. For this reason, we had his oldest cousin (who stood right next to him in line), memorize his part as well, just in case he had a melt down when it came to him.

Thankfully he did great. Although there were some technical issues, as his head hit the microphone and it made a few very loud popping noises. He was unflappable, though. He kept right on going.

Proud papa over here!