Resources on Forgiveness
On Church Gatherings
During Sunday’s sermon from Paul’s letter to Titus, I gave a brief excursus on why our church calls what we do on Sundays “gatherings” as opposed to “services.” I’ll admit some of my sentiment comes as a reactionary pendulum swing from the church culture I was raised in. At the same time there are some key convictions against what has developed in American life that I hope to further explain here.
Words matter because they shape our understanding and engagement. In our context today, when many think of Sunday church services/gatherings/meetings, or whatever you prefer to call it, our thinking and approach can often be shaped by a consumer mindset.
What’s the style of worship or preaching?
What’s the vibe of the building, people and approach to everything?
What’s the quality of offerings like kids ministry, coffee, and everything that we experience?
The church is the conduit through which we consume a religious or personal experience.
All the above deeply matters, but at Union Church, we don’t see Sunday mornings as a conveyor belt for religious goods, services and self help. We see it as a gathering of the family of forgiven sinners learning the grace of Christ together. I believe the word “gathering” better communicates that reality over “service.”
Eugene Peterson has been influential for me when it comes to church life and pastoral ministry. He says:
“The vocation of pastor(s) has been replaced by the strategies of religious entrepreneurs with business plans…My job is not to solve people's problems or make them happy, but to help them see the grace operating in their lives…Congregations are composed of people, who, upon entering a church, leave behind what people on the street name or call them. A church can never be reduced to a place where goods and services are exchanged. It must never be a place where a person is labeled. It can never be a place where gossip is perpetuated. Before anything else, it is a place where a person is named and greeted, whether implicitly or explicitly, in Jesus’s name. A place where dignity is conferred.”
When we gather we attempt to be intentional in what we do and why we do it.
Our liturgy follows a similar order week to week.
We begin with reading God’s word together in our call to worship. Starting this way is meant to collectively reorient our focus and attention toward the truth of who God is, what He’s done, and what the appropriate response is. Worship.
We then sing some songs. This can be one of the more hotly contested and opinionated aspects of church life. We all have personal preferences that play into this. At Union Church, we see our singing and worship ministry as discipleship through song. We attempt to be consistent in choosing songs that are theologically sound (based on truth), relationally vibrant (speak of our real, living Union with Christ and one another,) and are centered on Jesus (it really is all about Him.)
Even though I’m not a fan of “announcements” - They play a role to update those assembled about how to connect, what’s going on in the life of the church, talk about finances and so on. It can be rote (forgive me) - but is necessary for the family to have communication and understanding around what’s happening. Thanks for bearing with them.
Someone from the church then reads from God’s word. We prioritize having a family member read scripture before every sermon. We desire our sermons to be doctrinally sound, rooted in truth and helpful for life, but the most important thing is the word of God, read to the people of God, read without commentary or interruption.
Once the sermon is finished, we then respond through giving, prayer, and communion.
Giving together is an act of worship and sacrifice. “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
We have a time and people available to pray with and for one another in an effort to “bear one another’s burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ.” This also gives an opportunity for us to respond to the good news of Jesus with greater surrender and dependency.
We take communion, because the eucharist meal has always been a central rhythm, reminder, and sacrament for followers of Jesus. “As often as you eat the bread and drink of the cup, do so in remembrance of me.” (Jesus said)
After singing again, we close in a corporate prayer together. We always craft this prayer to be Trinitarian, to encourage thanks, confession, and vocalize our need for God’s help as we are sent into the world.
I hope you see that our gatherings aren’t built on a pastor, personality, or personal experience but look to encourage community participation, formation, discipleship, and right response as we then scatter out into the world.
How to Help Ukraine
How does a Christian engage with a war taking place on the other side of the world?
In times of crisis, followers of Jesus are called to pray, to give, and to hope.
We’ve curated some resources and found a few organizations that are providing tangible help with the invasion of Ukraine.
Prayer:
The scriptures give us a clear call to be a people of prayer through lament and intercession.
In lament we recognize the evil, suffering, and pain of the world and bring it all to God. One of the most used cries of lament in the Psalms is “Oh Lord, how long?”
Pray Psalm 13 with Ukraine in mind:
1 How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever?
How long will you hide your face from me?
2 How long must I take counsel in my soul
and have sorrow in my heart all the day?
How long shall my enemy be exalted over me?3 Consider and answer me, O Lord my God;
light up my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death,
4 lest my enemy say, “I have prevailed over him,”
lest my foes rejoice because I am shaken.5 But I have trusted in your steadfast love;
my heart shall rejoice in your salvation.
6 I will sing to the Lord,
because he has dealt bountifully with me.
Intercession is the act of praying on behalf of another. An example is below from David Cassidy on Twitter:
Though it may feel futile, we must remember the promise that God works through the prayers of His people. Don’t lose heart. Here’s an encouragement from Beth Moore:
Giving:
There are many organizations on the ground directly meeting the needs of people in Ukraine, and refugees that are fleeing. Here are a few reputable agencies:
Mountain Seed Foundation - They work directly to meet needs of children and families affected through providing water, basic supplies, housing, and transportation. 100% of PayPal donations go directly to Ukrainian families.
International Medical Corp - They’re working to provide medical, mental health, and protection services inside Ukraine.
World Central Kitchen - Led by Chef José Andrés, they are working to feed thousands of people every day both in Ukraine, and on the borders.
We also have connections with a few individuals who are personally driving to Ukraine and/or working on the borders in Hungary and Poland to assist refugees … if someone is looking for a smaller scale, but more personal way to help contact Jon here.
Hope:
While there is devastation in abundance, there are seeds of hope sprouting through the chaos. While we ultimately hope in the peace and justice of God to reign finally and fully, we celebrate stories of resilience and renewal through the tragic war that’s unfolding.
Christianity Today wrote an article of churches persevering and praying for peace.. You can read it here.
Below you can see worship in a church basement in one of the harder hit cities of Mariupol.
Church, together let’s continue to pray, give, and hope as we look to Jesus in all of life.
Top Five Books - 2021 Edition
Stephen King said, “Books are a uniquely portable magic.” There is a gift God has given us in an inexhaustible resource of good books that can shape us, form us, and help us through every season of life. In what is becoming a bit of a tradition, I’d like to share some of more meaningful books I read this year. (For the 2020 list, click here.) These are in no particular order.
A few caveats:
Because I enjoyed a book does not mean that I fully endorse any of the authors or books. By telling you about a book means I found it helpful, thought provoking, or interesting in some way.
All the links shared (click the picture of the book) go to Amazon. If you purchase from Amazon, I recommend you also support a local non profit like Gospel Rescue Mission, or Agape house through the Amazon Smile program. Or perhaps even better, support a local bookstore like Peregrine Book Company, or the wonderful people at Hearts and Minds books in Pennsylvania.
You can always check the local library. Some of the titles are available in Yavapai County!
Winn Collier gifts us a biography on the pastor/theologian behind The Message translation of the Bible. The story of Eugene Peterson is remarkable. This book is written carefully and beautifully. There is plenty to learn from the life, family, and ministry of Eugene Peterson.
In her second book, Tish Harrison Warren writes on suffering, grief, and the God who meets us there. The chapters are structured around an Anglican prayer of compline (nighttime prayer) and offer precious and helpful truth to meet our sorrows, struggles, and pain in a non-cliched way.
A book that takes the art of violin making and uses it as a metaphor for life with God? Yes please. This book is dense and rich, but is worth the work to uncover the gold. The author is a world renowned luthier and uses his craft with the truth of scripture to carve us a path toward seeing the beauty of God in the contours of life.
Dr. Diane Langberg is global leader in understanding trauma and abuse. She speaks to our present cultural moment by addressing how the church should follow Jesus when it comes to power and authority. Dr. Langberg gives a sober assessment of the way things really are, with a hopeful vision of how the church, shaped by the gospel, can bring healing and new life today.
I believe this was the right book at the right time for me personally. I started reading this while with a friend in the mountains of Colorado longing for fresh wonder and refreshment, and holy smokes, Eugene Peterson delivered. His approach to the final book of the Bible is pastoral and poetic. He shows how Revelation was meant to work both for the 1st Century church and God’s people today. It was refreshing, convicting, and helpful.
Honorable Mentions:
On Reading Well - Karen Swallow Prior - The subtitle is “finding the good life through great books” and in this work, the English professor takes readers through some classic books to see how they cultivate biblical virtues. It felt like catching up on some key books I should have read as a kid, but never did, while showing how Jesus forms his people through many different means.
Bomber Mafia - Malcom Gladwell - From one of my favorite authors comes a book about the invention of precision bombing in World War II. It’s a quick read that is thought provoking and intriguing. It covers a little wrinkle of the war that had great implications on history. The central question is “What if precision bombing could cripple the enemy and make war far less lethal?” I was told the audio book was really well done too.
When Narcissism Comes to Church - Chuck Degroat - This volume is a helpful companion with Diane Langberg’s book mentioned above. My friend Dennae writes a helpful endorsement, “For far too long the evangelical church in America has nurtured and supported narcissism in our leadership. The addiction to platforms, influence, new ideas, as well as unbiblical definitions of leadership, authority, and power has sustained a structure that dehumanizes our leaders and exploits God's people. When Narcissism Comes to Church is an important book in a season when we must ask deeper questions of the very structure, metrics, motivations, and means to the work we set out to do in the name of Christ. Dr. DeGroat does not merely point a finger at narcissistic leaders, but asks us to consider these individuals in our church as fruit of a more fundamental problem in the American church. May we have ears to hear, humility to repent, and courage to respond.”
Boys in the Boat - Daniel James Brown - A story from the 1930’s about an unlikely team of rowers working toward their quest for the gold medal at the Olympics held in Nazi Germany. It is quintessentially American and inspiring.
Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self - Carl Trueman - If you’ve looked at the current situation in our world of identity, sexuality, and how society arrived at some of its conclusions…This book answers those questions. The elders of Union read this book earlier this year, and while dense and difficult reading at times, it is extremely helpful in understanding how we arrived at this particular cultural moment. There is a more concise and accessible version due to come out in early 2022.
Summer and the Senses
Summer is upon us. Every change of season brings with it expectation. We’re leaving some things behind while entering into something new. This June seems unique. Perhaps it’s due to the hope of normalcy returning, travel resuming, and embarking on the next chapter of life after the last year-plus of trudging through what seemed like an endless tunnel?
The questions rattling in my mind the last week or so are these:
Being aware of the transition, what does it look like to grow as a disciple of Jesus this summer? How can I pursue Him well given the above factors?
The answer rising up is this: Follow Christ with all five senses.
Too often, I make apprenticeship with our Lord a mere mental exercise. I need to think some things, believe some things, and tada! I’m good to go. This leads to a truncated faith, which is a shame as God has gifted each one of us as whole persons to seek Him with everything. Here’s how the grace of Jesus can interact with our senses through this season:
Touch - As the air warms, one thing Arizonan’s find refreshment in is WATER. In watering the garden, making some tea or lemonade, or visiting a swimming hole, there is a reminder that in the heat of the summer, refreshment is available. It reminds me of the promise of renewal given through repentance in Peter’s first sermon in the book of Acts:
“Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out, that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus, whom heaven must receive until the time for restoring all the things about which God spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets long ago. “ (Acts 3:19-21)
Taste - Stone fruit is here in abundance and usually on sale. Cherries, peaches, nectarines, apricots—all gifts that remind us that God created taste buds. TASTE BUDS. They don’t have to exist, but they do and they remind us that our God is good and He wants us to enjoy His good creation.
“Taste and see that the Lord is Good, blessed is the one who trusts in Him!” (Psalm 34:8)
Even still, summer isn’t always abundant or refreshing. Drought and dry mouths remind us of our need for God.
“As a deer pants for water, so my soul thirsts for God.” (Psalm 42:1)
Sound - Birds greeting the day with their songs, jazz on the square on Tuesday nights, and, in our household, the sound of legos being raked-through with little fingers, hoping to build the next best creation on school-less days—these gifts meeting our ears can remind us not only that our God is good, but He is also speaking through His word and through stillness and silence if we will listen. I’m reminded of the need to carve out time to hear His voice amidst all the other noise. Hearing the sound of God keeps our hearts soft and our lives safe in the most sacred way.
“Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts.” (Hebrews 3:7) “Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations. I will be exalted in the earth. The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.” (Psalm 46:10-11)
Smell - Barbecue and sunscreen. Fresh cut grass and chlorine from a pool. The first scent of rain (today may be the day!). These fragrances can awaken our minds to simply praise the good God from whom all blessings flow and remind us that our lives give off an odor. In what ways are we giving off the aroma of Christ or of death?
“For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life. Who is sufficient for these things?” (2 Corinthians 2:15-16)
Sight - Arizona in summer is not always the prettiest thing to behold. Come August, we’ll all be wondering “When will Fall arrive?!” In this way, the sights of summer can build hope. As clouds begin to form, with the wondering and longing for Monsoons to green things up, refresh the creeks, fill the lakes, and put out the fires, we long for our Lord to return and make all things new. With John the Revelator, we cry out,
“Come Lord Jesus!”
Is it possible that Jesus is standing at the door and knocking through all these avenues in our lives? Will we be attentive to His voice, His guiding, His provision and His word through these aspects of our being?
Our God is so very good and is inviting us now to experience His grace through all facets and aspects of life.
Let’s follow Him with all five senses.
Jesus and Doubt
In Matthew 11, we see John the Baptist asking questions from jail on whether or not Jesus is Messiah after making the boldest claims about the Son of God. He struggled with doubt as we all do when expectation of God and His work does not match our reality and desired outcomes.
What do we do with doubt?
From that teaching, I had six observations on Jesus and doubt that I hope are helpful as you wade through the waters of your own doubt.
Our doubts don’t discredit Jesus.
Jesus is secure. When we struggle with doubt, it is tempting to think the world is crumbling and all the foundations are cracking and shaking, or that we can’t go to God with them. To the contrary, Jesus is really ok with us coming to Him.
Our doubts don’t drive Jesus away.
Jesus is safe. The doubts of John don’t push the Savior away, but draw Him closer. The Psalms give us the language of lament in our struggles and show that when our doubts are directed to God in prayer, they are heard and safe there. (See Psalms 10, 30, 42, 43, and the entire book of Lamentations!)
Our doubts need a greater story.
Jesus anchors John (and us) in the story of scripture. As he addresses John’s disciples, he doesn’t give them arbitrary info, but re-tells the story of scripture and specifically how the prophets pointed toward what Messiah would be and do, and how the whole thing centers on Him. When the waves of doubt come, the story of scripture with Jesus as center still serves as an anchor for our souls.
The answer to doubt is God. The answer to our questions about tithing, membership, gender roles, politics, sin, and any other aspect in life that gives us pause, is God. The blight of our generation is that we believe we are god. - Lore Ferguson Wilbert
Our doubts need patience, questions, and community.
All these are foreign to the air we breathe today. We want instant. Certainty. Individuality. Yet we know that no man is an island, and we are wired for community. A constant refrain through the Bible is to “wait on the Lord.” It’s been said that we need to “doubt our doubts” and ask what’s underneath them. This isn’t to be done alone, but with trusted community that won’t be alarmed, but patient in the process.
“Feelings are indicators, not dictators. They can indicate where your heart is in the moment, but that doesn't mean they have the right to dictate your behavior and boss you around. You are more than the sum total of your feelings and perfectly capable of that little gift . . . called self-control.” - Lysa TerKeurst
Jesus addresses what’s underneath our doubts.
This can be the most sobering aspect of dealing with doubt. Anne Lamott once said, “Expectations are resentments waiting to happen.” Often doubts reveal where we’ve put our faith, hope, and rest in people or places where they never belonged. Jesus goes to our heart to reveal what’s there and offers us an unshakeable foundation to build our lives upon, rather than circumstances, situations, or particular outcomes. When we place our hearts into His hands, there is strength that can be found there.
“A faith without some doubts is like a human body without any antibodies in it.” - Tim Keller
There’s still blessing and invitation in our doubts.
Through Matthew’s gospel, Jesus continually invites those struggling to come to Him for rest, hope, and life. Placing our doubts in the good hands of Christ may not answer all of our questions but it can give us the next step forward in trust and faith. One Psalm closes with this, “I would have lost heart, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord In the land of the living. Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; wait, I say, on the Lord!” (Psalm 27: 13-14, NKJV)
The way of trust is a movement into obscurity, into the undefined, into ambiguity, not into some predetermined, clearly delineated plan for the future. The reality of naked trust is the life of the pilgrim who leaves what is nailed down, obvious, and secure, and walks into the unknown without any rational explanation to justify the decision or guarantee the future. Why? Because God has signaled the movement and offered it his presence and his promise. - Brennan Manning
Our doubts don’t have to drive us to despair and deconstruction, but even if they do, the God of all valleys meets us there with His promise and presence.
Resources on Sabbath
As we travel through Matthew, the controversies around sabbath rise up in Ch. 12. (see the recap here) What is lawful? What is good to do or not do on the sabbath? We have a two thousand years of distance from the Pharisees’ confronting of Jesus and blue laws are (mostly) a thing of the past. Outside of the inconvenience of Chick-Fil-A being closed, what are we to make of it? Are we to still practice and observe the Sabbath?
Two observations:
The Sabbath ultimately points to the true and forever rest that we have in Jesus. The whole law points to the one who would fulfill it. Regardless of whether or not we practice Sabbath, if we don’t see and savor Jesus, we miss the whole point.
Even though the law of Sabbath is fulfilled in Christ, it is still a helpful practice, rooted in creation. God gave us the practice of Sabbath for our good and joy in Him.
We wanted to provide additional resources to help guide you into a deeper understanding and consistent practice of this life giving rhythm given by God.
Resources:
Blog Post: Is It Still Relevant to Keep the Sabbath Today?
Podcasts:
For those who would like to do a deep dive, the wonderful folks at the Bible Project have done a 14 episode(!) series on the sabbath. Find it here.
Authors John Mark Comer and Jeff Bethke discuss the Sabbath on their podcast “Fight Hustle, End Hurry”
Sermon Series
Bridgetown church in Portland, Oregon did an 8 part series on Sabbath. Find it here.
Videos:
Anthony gave a teaching “A Case for the Sabbath” back in September 2020 as part of our Life in the Dessert series. See below. (Teaching starts at 20 minute mark)
Books:
If you have a question on Sabbath history or practice, this book by AJ Swodoba is one of the most exhaustive, yet accessible books on the theme.
With a great chapter on the Sabbath, John Mark Comer's, The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry, is another wonderful book written to help our fast paced hearts to slow down.
Theology For Everyday Life
This series is meant to connect the good news of Jesus to every day life. We are going through our statement of faith asking three guiding questions:
1.Where is this found in scripture?
2. How is this good news?
3. How does this shape us and send us as a community today?
From One Year to the Next
How would you sum up 2020? I think this tweet sums it up well:
I’ve been challenged by a question I recently came across:
“What if 2020 didn’t cause your soul condition, but simply revealed it? This might sound challenging but it is actually a gift.”
In looking to a new year it can be tempting to lean into shame at our failure in the past and overestimate our ability and strength in the future. (hello resolutions!)
Instead, what if we prayerfully reflected on where God has sustained us and strengthened us, and invited His Spirit to reveal what to build on, and what to leave behind?
As you look to the new year, I’d like to offer some questions to ask yourself, or with people in your life to help you close out this year well and enter the next year with the hope and power only the gospel can bring.
- What do you need to "leave behind" from the previous year(s)? What unhealthy patterns and habits need to be turned from? What new practices need development and growth as you follow Jesus?
- How do you plan to pursue Jesus and His community this year?
- If God were to answer your prayers as asked, what would change in your world? What would change in the world as a whole?
If you are looking at a help for the next year, we compiled some resources for reading scripture and prayer that can be found here.
If you are looking to build some resolutions, Donald Whitney gives 31 questions for more Christ-centered living. I love the first question: “What’s one thing you could do this year to increase your enjoyment of God?”
"Seasons" from the Village Church is a helpful intro the the church calendar and helps with family discipleship.