A list and a poem that were cut for time from the sermon Life Together and the Long View.
Lately (May 2023) - Tim Keller Edition
Lately (March 2023)
We’ll see how long the trend of “lately” lasts… It’s the end of March, and I’ve had this blog in mind, keeping a note in my phone to track down some of those things for sharing.
It’s all random and not connected…Or is it?
We recently went down to Phoenix and went to the McDowell Sonoran Preserve (pictured) and wowie…This is going to be at least an annual winter pilgrimage. All the flowers and blooms. Worth checking out from December to March.
Lately, I’ve been getting ready for Easter and Galatians, and the first 5 verses have me hooked and excited for our upcoming series. There’s a lot of richness is a small section
“Paul, an apostle—not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead—and all the brothers and sisters who are with me,
To the churches of Galatia:
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.”
I have a few weekly emails that I look forward to every week: (see the buttons below for links)
Jon Tyson is a pastor in New York City and has a weekly email called “Primal Path” geared toward men and fathers. It’s encouraging and helpful.
Travelzoo sends out a “Weekly Top 20” travel deals that I’ve been getting for about 17 years (shoutout to Ethan Stover for the original recommendation all those years ago) - It may not be helpful in that it stokes a bit of wanderlust…But there’s a lot of world to see.
James Clear is the author of “Atomic Habits” and has a weekly email called “3-2-1” that is short, pithy, and helpful in thinking through life, work, and habits.
I’ve been listening to Citizen’s new album “I Can’t Find the Edges of You” on repeat.
You can here it on YouTube below or click here if you’re a Spotify person
Finally, for fun - Anthony and Beth recently shared a wonderful video:
“British Highschoolers Try Biscuits and Gravy for the First Time”
Lately (February 2023)
It’s a snowy Wednesday and I had an idea:
From time to time I’ll collect some random things floating in my mind and ask others to contribute, and share them all with you. Notes, verses, podcasts, videos, books, etc.
They say sharing is caring.
Without further adieu, our first edition of “Lately” - February 2023
You know when a verse just “sticks” and you can’t shake it? In teaching through the letters to the seven churches of Revelation, Paul’s prayer for the Ephesians has been frequently meditated on and prayed for the Union Church family…It’s haunting me in the best kind of way.
“For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.”
Maybe that’s a little long for you. Another random thought bouncing in my brain about prayer is this:
“If you only have 3 words, all you need to pray is “Help, Thanks, Wow.””
Samuel James wrote a thought provoking article about tossing out beliefs when they don’t spark joy.
Here’s an excerpt:
“This is crucial to understand. What we believe about God, the Bible, salvation, and our world matters not primarily because it might make us happier or better at what we do but because of God. There are right and wrong answers to the biggest questions in the universe because there is a real God who really is sovereign and really has revealed himself and his truth. We need to know what he has said.”
A song I’ve been enjoying:
”Hymn of the Ages” by Maverick City Music
A book I’m thrilled to have started: Timothy Keller - His Spiritual and Intellectual Formation by Collin Hansen
If you’ve been around Union Church for any amount of time, you know we’ve been helped and influenced by Tim Keller. This book released last week and gives a glimpse into the life of one of our current spiritual mentors. Click below to check it out.
Finally, for fun - “A Baby Hippo Raised by Rhinos” - Who knew hippos could sunburn?!
Top Five (six) Books - 2022 Edition
In keeping with tradition, here’s a collection of books I enjoyed and/or found helpful this year. Here’s some of the “uniquely portable magic” that I experienced in 2022.
(For the 2020 list, click here, 2021 here.)
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!
This book was recommended by Beth Moore via Twitter, and if you hang with the different writing style, (no chapters, different prose) it will captivate you. Daniel Nayeri shares the story of his mother’s conversion to Christianity and their plight as refugees that resulted. Keep some Kleenex close by.
This short story should come with a warning label on the cover, “The reader will be impacted, haunted, and likely changed.” The novella is based in the 80’s in Ireland and asks some deep questions about life, faith, love, and doing the right thing at the right time.
If Tim writes it, I want to read it and have yet to regret it. This book covers the resurrection of Jesus and its implications, with good news for today. The book is a great distillation of many bigger works like “Resurrection of the Son of God” by NT Wright. Keller writes through his own journey of cancer and how he personally has found hope through suffering.
Kate Bowler shares reflections from her life after a diagnosis of stage 4 cancer. With humor, candor, and theological reflection she shares her story of treatment and wrestling with the ultimate questions from it. It isn’t only memoir, there is a lot of help in how to walk well through life, pain, and suffering for ourselves and alongside others.
Recommended by my sister, this book didn’t disappoint. The Grand Canyon is a happy place for me and this detailed history of the journey down the Colorado River was packed with adventure and so many fascinating details.
I just finished listening to this book and it’s worthy of a re-read and further consideration. From the book page, “Many Christians live a faith that is "nowhen." They are disconnected from the past or imagine they are somehow "above" the flux of history, immune to it, as if self-starters from clean slates in every generation. They lack an awareness of time and the effects of history--both personal and collective--and thus are naive about current issues, prone to nostalgia, and fixated on the end times.” I found it to help root and reorient to living in the present.
Honorable Mentions:
East of Eden - John Steinbeck - Quite possibly my favorite book ever from one of my top authors. I revisited Steinbeck’s magnum opus and it didn’t disappoint. He understands people, and writes in a way that cultivates thought and cuts to the soul.
Ruthless Trust - Brennan Manning - This book was recommended to me by my counselor a few years ago, and it was calling my name again this year. Manning writes in such a compelling and refreshing way. How do we trust God and live out of that in life? This work helps immensely.
Reading Black Books - Claude Atcho - A fellow pastor and personal friend, Claude’s first release is a book about books. He explores a selection of African-American works that can helps us all in our journeys of being more whole and just.
This Hallelujah Banquet - Eugene Peterson - A posthumous release from the beloved pastor, Eugene gives a shepherding perspective on the book of Revelation. Some of this book is the inspiration for our upcoming series through the seven churches in Revelation.
Romans Class
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.