Aug
21
Learning the language of lament
Filed Under Music, Psalms, Worship | Leave a Comment
From depths of woe I raise to thee the voice of lamentation…[Psalm 130]
My God, O my God, have you left me alone? Why have you forsaken me, deaf to my groan? [Psalm 22]
If you have worshipped at FPC Kosciusko during the 2006, you may have sung those words. Have you ever sung like that in public, gathered worship? Have you ever sung or prayed that way in your own prayers? Dr. Carl Trueman wrote an article in Themelios 25.2 entitled, ‘What Do Miserable Christians Sing?’. He gives a profound answer (though not the only answer) to the question of why we include Psalm-singing in our worship services. A large percentage of the Psalms deal with feeling bad–heart-break, sadness, anger, torment, brokenness, and the like. But contemporary Christianity and its traditional Southern Protestant grandmother has little room for these; after all, when I love Jesus, ‘Now I am happy all the day,’ right? “Every day with Jesus is sweeter than the day before,’ right? What do the saints sing when they are broken-hearted, depressed, lonely or despairing? Frankly, the standard diet of hymns and contemporary worship music has no language of lament–and this is not a good thing!
Dr. Trueman writes, ‘In the psalms, God has given the church a language which allows it to express even the deepest agonies of the human soul in the context of worship. Does the absence of such cries from contemporary worship indicate that the comfortable values of consumerism have silently infiltrated the church, making us consider them irrelevant, embarrassing, and signs of abject failure?’
Worship brings us into the presence of God, to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering. It is indeed something glorious and triumphant. But it is also the gathering of the church militant–those who fight on against the world, the flesh and the devil. The focal point of our worship is the Lord Jesus Christ, the Suffering Servant, who had nowhere to lay his head, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief, and who was obedient to death–a death foretold and expressed beforehand in the Psalms. We need God’s resources to cope with periods of suffering, despair and heartbreak. We need to learn the biblical language of lamentation. Learning to lament also helps speak credibly and compassionately to shattered and broken people to whom we may be called as witnesses of God’s mercy and grace. Many of them have already written Christianity off as shallow and unrealistic. Have we given them reason to think so?
It’s OK not to be ‘OK’. We strip our worship of its honesty and its gospel beauty and power when we take the minor key of lament out of our worship.
Why do I mourn and toil within when it is mine to hope in God? I shall again sing praise to him; he is my help, he is my God. [Psalm 42]
Aug
17
The Call-Revisited
Filed Under Music, Uncategorized | 1 Comment
Yes, we’ll even talk about rock music from time to time…Through the wonder of internet music technology, I have been reacquainting myself with one of the best, though least-remembered, bands of the 1980’s–The Call. They came on the scene in northern California in the early ’80s with a sound and ethos influenced by U2 and Simple Minds–emotion-laden lyrics, post-punk/anti-war angst, and an out-front spirituality shaped by Christian themes. Lead vocalist and bass player Michael Been describes himself as a Christian, although he is quick to add that he does not subscribe to the way he sees Christianity being practiced by many of its adherents–and, sadly, he has a point there. Few singers convey as much emotion and sincerity in their craft as Been does.
Their best work was their 1986 release Reconciled. However, the 1997 (and re-released in 2005) ’The Best of the Call’ compilation is a must-listen. The single ‘Let the Day Begin’ may strike a chord of remembrance in you political junkies out there. In 2000 the Al Gore presidential campaign used it as the anthem for various rallies. Interestingly, The Call was not asked for permission to use the song, but, like most musicians, they didn’t mind the free publicity.
Click on the cover art images below to go the Amazon site featuring samples.
Aug
16
Youth Director’s Debut
Filed Under Youth Ministry | Leave a Comment
This is my first of many blogs (I hope). Today, I want to express my thanks for you hospitality and give you an update on the status of our ministries to the youth and children. First, Camille and I cannot tell you enough how thankful we are to be here, living and working among you. We know that we are loved because of your commitment to pray for us and your gracious hospitality. We thank God for you, and we are praying for you as well.
Second, I have throughly enjoyed getting to know the youth over the last month. They are a great bunch who are genuinely excited about participating in the life of the church. On Wednesday nights, we have just concluded a study on the book of James. During our Youth Fellowship, on Sunday nights, we take time to review and discuss the Sunday evening sermon. My hope is that our youth will learn how to listen to sermons better, and, therefore, appreciate the preaching of God’s Word even more.
Our trip to Memphis was a success. The 26 students and four chaperones had a great time. The BBQ was wonderful, the Zoo was fun, and the Redbirds were victorious. Trips like this one help to grow the bonds of friendship among the youth and help me to know them better. Thank you, FPC, for giving us the opportunity to go.
Finally, I want to give an update on recuitment for Children’s ministry activities on Sunday and Wednesday nights. Currently, four of you have expressed an interest in taking part in these ministries. We need six more volunteers to maximize the affectiveness of our children’s ministry programs and to minimize the burden of responsibility on our leaders. Remember, each class needs two leaders to share the load of weekly planning and teaching. Let me know if you are willing to volunteer by calling me at the church or emailing me at carroll@fpckosciusko.org.
Please, continue to pray that our youth and children would “grow in grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18a). Pray that He would use you and me to that end.
Aug
15
Good Works
Filed Under Christian Living | Leave a Comment
I have the privilege of teaching the New Members’ / Communicants’ Class in two weeks on the third question of church membership which reads:
“Do you now resolve and promise, in humble reliance upon the grace of the Holy Spirit, that you will endeavor to live as becomes the followers of Christ?”
This is what I call the “Sanctification Question”. It also brings up the question of where good works fit into the life of the Christian. We are certainly taught by the entirety of Scripture that even our best works cannot merit pardon of sin or eternal life. Pardon of sin and eternal life are only attained through God-wrought faith in Jesus Christ and his atoning work. Then what is to be our view of good works? The Westminster Confession had something to say in answer to this question in chapter 16.6:
Notwithstanding [that our best works merit nothing before God], the persons of believers being accepted through Christ, their good works also are accepted in Him; not as though they were in this life wholly unblameable and unreprovable in God’s sight; but that He, looking upon them in His Son, is pleased to accept and reward that which is sincere, although accompanied with many weaknesses and imperfections.
What shall I say in reflection on this rich Biblical doctrine? First, let me say that Christian good works must be done with the utmost humility. Our works remain tainted with the vilest of clinging sin. In fact, for the Christian, we sin a new sin after our conversion. Before salvation, the unregenerate man cannot taste of the depth of mercy stored up in the gospel of Christ. He cannot fathom what a wonderful thing redemption from sin can be until his eyes are savingly opened by the Holy Spirit. But for the Christian, he has tasted of salvation. He has known redemption, pardon, and freedom. And yet he sins. His works still, in small and large measure, are infiltrated with self-serving idolatry. It should lead the Christian to the utmost humility in Christian service. Secondly, Christian good works must be done with a steadfast gaze on Christ. He is the one to whom the Christian is united like a branch to the vine. Without Christ we can do nothing. It is only “in Christ” that our works can bear even the least bit of approval before our God. But it is also “in Christ” that we bear the most amount of approval being sons and daughters in whom God is well pleased.
Aug
13
Out of the mouths of children
Filed Under Family, Music | Leave a Comment
The story I shared in Sunday’s sermon about the two-year-old’s erroneous yet understandable recasting of the opening line of ‘Holy! Holy! Holy!’ (Holy, holy, holy, Lord God and Mommy…) has started some folk thinking back to some similar family memories.
As for the Palmertrees, our current favorite is four-year-old Rachel’s recitation of Romans 6:23, but the gift of God is a turtle life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Once her sibilings were thrown into convulsive laughter over her ‘interpretation;’ yet she did not appreciate the humor. When Ruth Anne told her, ‘It’s not a turtle life. It’s eternal life!‘ Rachel confidently retorted, ‘It’s a turtle life and it’s not funny!’
As a pastor, I would love a collection of similar stories. If you have some, share them by clicking on the comment link to the left and posting.
Didn’t hear the sermon? That’s a shame. Check fpckosciusko.org later in the week for the download.
Aug
11
I’m so glad that Phillip decided to do a series on the life of Jonathan Edwards during the teaching portion of our Wednesday evening prayer meeting. I have, for some time now, been reading through Murray’s biography of Edwards. I have simply been enthralled by the life of Edwards. I grew up in public education, having only heard of Jonathan Edwards as the epitome of an angry preacher (ie Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God). It wasn’t until seminary, when I began to read him, that I discovered how antithetical my preconceived views were to the actual life, character, and ministry of Reverend Edwards. I look forward with baited breath to the next installments of Phillip’s series.
And now let me explain the title of this post. As I said, I have not finished the biography of Edwards, but yesterday I did finish Religious Affections by Jonathan Edwards. It is a penetrating look into the very heart of what it means to be a Christian. Edwards had seen massive revival in and around his congregation. In the midst of this renewing work by the Holy Spirit, the powers of darkness were also at work creating false conversions and spiritual experiences. The question quickly arose as to how the true religious experience of a converted Christian was to be discerned. Edwards answers this question in Religious Affections in three parts, working primarily from 1 Peter 1:8. His main contention is that true Christian experience is shown in a believer’s affection for God for who He is in and of Himself and that these religious affections are shown most clearly in the holy practice of the believer. This book has been food for my soul as I’ve read it these past few months. If you’ve never read it, make sure you pick up a copy. It isn’t an easy read, but it is a rewarding read.
If you are looking for more information on Edwards you can find excellent resources at the Jonathan Edwards Center at Yale University.