verse4today: As the Lord said to Moses may he speak to us: "I have seen..., I have heard..., and I have come to rescue you.... (Exodus 3:7-8).
Posted on 2012-02-01 via Twitter
Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE This past Sunday Living Hope Church heard the next in a series of messages on the life of Moses. In particular, we spent time reflecting on God's call of Moses to lead God's people from slavery in Egypt to freedom in the "Promised Land." In the process, we affirmed that the experience of receiving a call from God is not limited to prophets; every believer has the … Read More …
The self-centered pursuit of God's will. Seems like a contradiction doesn't it? But time after time, Scripture reveals individuals, just like you and me, who choose God's will over their relationship with God. Living Hope Church has been traveling with Moses through the "Land Between" (borrowing words from pastor and author Jeff Manion). In the process, we stopped to watch the forty-year old Moses transition from a life of luxury in Egypt to a life in … Read More …
The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) ran a commercial during our most recent Advent-Christmas season. It featured Sarah McLachlan, a pop vocal performer with several Grammy Awards on her shelf, discussing the unfortunate plight of abandoned dogs and cats. During the first half of the commercial viewers read a message on the screen and witnessed close-up photos of several dogs and cats whose eyes shouted "help me," (unlike the eyes of … Read More …
Mention the word "prayer" in a small group of people and you will witness a variety of responses. Even among a group of Christians, we will find those who readily admit that they would like to establish a more consistent prayer life and those who will testify to a pretty diligent prayer life. We will also find some pretty confused about the purpose of prayer and others who aren't always sure God really answers prayer. Here … Read More …
Have you ever been pushed out of your comfort zone? Let me tell you about an unforgettable time when I was pushed out of my comfort zone. I was raised by loving parents in a manner similar to many of you. I was raised a Sabbatarian, that is, I was taught to treat Sunday, the Lord's Day, like the Sabbath Day of the Old Testament. Sunday was a day to attend worship services, both morning and … Read More …
Since September 11, 2001, we have heard the words "terrorist" or "terrorism" more times than we can count. And, since that infamous date, those words have become so emotionally and politically charged that they have been used to provoke fear in the hearts and minds of those who hear them. So, by referring to someone as a "terrorist" or a policy or action as "terrorism," we incite the fear the words were meant to describe.Narrowly understood, … Read More …
God blessed me and my wife, Debbie, with a tremendous Labor Day weekend, one that involved three gatherings with our children and grandchildren. The finale took place at our home and involved a great post-dinner discussion about life, church, and ministry. This discussion even included a critique of some forms of American Evangelicalism. I shared my conviction that some American Evangelicals seem to function as binitarians, not Trinitarians. In other words, they don't seem to afford … Read More …
My first blog exploring the life of a Reformed Charismatic was picked up by The Network, where I received some great suggestions for continued study (like Sovereign Grace Ministries and James K.A. Smith's Thinking in Tongues: Pentecostal Contributions to Christian Philosophy) and some excellent comments which helped me refine my thinking a bit. In particular, I was encouraged to add a few points to my original list. Here they are. 6. As a Reformed Charismatic, I … Read More …
We just wrapped up a series of messages with the people of Living Hope Church titled "The Life of a Disciple." Throughout this summer series of about 10 sermons, we leaned heavily on the imagery of sheep and shepherd. We did not, however, look at the disciple and his or her cross. This omission came to my attention this morning while reading a reflection by Andre' Louf, an abbot of the Cistercian monastery of Mont-des-Cats, France. … Read More …
I would like to think that I am a Reformed Charismatic but I wonder what that means. So, here’s one attempt to clarify the convictions of a Christ-follower who believes that the Holy Spirit is alive and well and that John Calvin had a pretty good understanding of the apostle Paul. What is a Reformed Charismatic? First and foremost, a Reformed Charismatic is that person who seeks to harmonize the dominant convictions of the Reformed faith, as … Read More …
Parker Palmore, in his book Courage to Teach, writes that “the hallmark of the community of truth is not psychological intimacy or political civility or pragmatic accountability, though it does not exclude these virtues. ... The hallmark of the community of truth is a web of communal relationships and we can know reality only by being in community with it.” (95) As I read those words, I wondered if something similar could be said about the … Read More …
As noted in my last blog post, while on my most recent vacation I read the new, 500 plus page biography of Dietrich Bonhoeffer by Eric Metaxas. It is a masterpiece. I have still not yet compiled a list of takeaways from the book for it would take some time and be quite long, but I remain most impressed with Bonhoeffer's view of the Bible. For him the Bible was and remains the living Word of God to his people. Hence, he read the … Read More …
While on vacation I read the new, 500 plus page biography of Dietrich Bonhoeffer by Eric Metaxas. It is a masterpiece. Not only does the book include splendid writing but it also tells the story of one of the greatest Christians of the twentieth-century. I found the book so inspiring that as soon as I finished it I began reading it again. Having said that, I won't surprise you by recommending it to you. I have … Read More …
As disciples we may be compared to sheep of a flock following a shepherd. But how do we live as sheep in the flock? What does our life together look like? Those familiar with the life and work of Dietrich Bonhoeffer may seek an answer to those questions in his excellent book titled Life Together. It is a must read for the contemporary Christian.But we can also look at the apostle Paul’s teaching in this area … Read More …
In his masterful teaching describing our lives as disciples, Jesus compares us to sheep and assures us that he is the Great Shepherd (John 10). While we may be offended temporarily by the comparison to silly sheep, we receive encouragement from the promise that Christ is our Shepherd. Like the Psalmist, we testify that the Lord is our shepherd and, therefore, we shall not be in want. However, we often overlook an essential piece of Jesus’ … Read More …
The Holy Spirit, the third person of the Trinity, is wonderful, powerful, delightful, and astonishing, as well as a source of life and hope for each Christian. As believers we can try, but never really live without the aid, assistance, encouragement, presence, and prayers of the Spirit. Yet, when it comes to understanding the Holy Spirit, I am a novice. Perhaps that's why I resonated with the following description of the work of the Holy Spirit. It is by the late Luis M. … Read More …
"Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen." (Ephesians 3:20-21) I love those words but still can't wrap my mind around them. Paul seems to be saying that if we can imagine it, we have limited God for He … Read More …
Dear Friends,As the apostle Paul wrote, I thank the Lord every time I think of you. In particular, I thank the Lord for your love for Him and His Church. I also thank the Lord for the privilege of gathering with you each week as part of Living Hope Church. By God’s grace, for nearly three years, we have enjoyed passionate worship, relevant teaching, and authentic community. We have even shared the privilege of partnering … Read More …
“What do you do for yourself?” he asked. While it was the kind of question I expect from a friend, I wasn’t sure how to answer it. I love to work and I love to serve. In fact, most every waking moment of every day I am serving someone or something, hence, the reason for my friend’s question. As I stumbled about for an answer, he rephrased the question, “How do you take care of yourself?” I … Read More …
It's difficult to keep up with the discussion of what it means to be missional, but I do know this much: it has something to do with Jesus. And, I am thinking it is a pretty safe bet to guess that Jesus is the original missional man. I will venture one more bet and guess that those who claim to be missional must share Jesus' response to the people he encountered during his three-year ministry on … Read More …
Lipscomb University (Nashville, TN) lost a great leader and friend on Tuesday, March 1, with the passing of former dean and vice president Dr. Mack Wayne Craig (pictured). A well-known preacher, educator, storyteller and historian, Craig, 85, played a vital role in the life and history of Lipscomb University, first as a student and then as an administrator. In 1957, Dr. Craig was appointed academic dean at Lipscomb where he earned the nickname of the “lean … Read More …
It was a beautiful day for ice fishing. So, a couple Sundays ago, when Peter suggested we walk the "hard water," Mike and I both said "Let's go." A few hours later we were sitting on one of the many little lakes in the wonderful Cook County Forest Preserve system jigging wax worms with the hope of catching a few "gills." That afternoon we didn't catch many fish. In fact, the number of holes we cut through the … Read More …
I have heard all the quips about worry and anxiety, but they don’t seem to sink in. Worry is like a rocking chair; it will give you something to do but it won't get you anywhere. You can't change the past, but you can ruin a perfectly good present by worrying about the future. Half of the things we worry about never happen, and the other half will happen anyway—so why worry? Worry reminds me of a … Read More …
I never wanted to be one of those guys, one of the guys people look at it and say “There’s a Christian!” You know what I am talking about. I am willing to bet that once in your life you looked at a person walking down the street and you said, “There’s a Mormon!” So it felt good to come face to face with Jesus’ teaching about public displays of piety. In his “Sermon on the … Read More …
This past Sunday Living Hope Church followed Jesus from his baptism in the Jordan River to the desert where he fasted for forty days before being tempted by Satan. After reviewing the historical data of that confrontation, we asked “How does Jesus’ experience speak to us today?” The obvious answer to that question is that as Satan tempted Jesus, so he tempts us. Moreover, we discovered that, more often than not, Satan builds his temptations about the good stuff … Read More …
Last month I attended the midnight Christmas service at the Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Church in Palos Hills, Illinois. I had always wanted to attend such a service, but had never been able to until this past holiday season when my schedule allowed. Last week, at the invitation of my son, I attended the Saturday afternoon service of Parkview Christian Church in Orland Park, Illinois; we were drawn there by the presence of Josh and Kate … Read More …
This past Sunday I preached on Jesus' flight to Egypt and the slaughter of the two-year-old and younger boys of Bethlehem. For more three decades of preaching, I have stayed away—intentionally or unintentionally, I am not sure—from that tragic story, but this year there was no getting around it. I had chosen—I trust by the leading of the Spirit—to begin the new year with a series of sermons from the Gospel of Matthew. I labeled the … Read More …
A few Easters ago, following the example of many preachers, I offered a sermon in which I asked “Are you a Good Friday Christian or an Easter Christian?.” The premise of the message was that, from time to time, we live as if Christ were still in the grave, instead of living as followers of him who walked out of the tomb and ascended to heaven from which he reigns as King of Kings and Lord … Read More …
Each Advent Debbie and I not only put up our Christmas tree and the decorations that have been amassed over the years, but we also pull out our growing collection of Christmas books, movies and music. Included in that special collection is Preparing for Jesus a collection of meditations on the “coming of Christ, Advent, Christmas, and the Kingdom” written by Walter Wangerin Jr. It's a lovely little book with devotions for each day of Advent, … Read More …
My worlds are converging. As pastor of the Living Hope Church, I have been searching for Advent meditations to share with my congregation. Last night, in my Church History class at Northern Seminary, I offered a brief introduction to German mysticism of the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. This morning my daily reading brought me to an Advent meditation by a German mystic named Joannes Tauler, a fourteenth-century Dominican priest. Those three streams converged leading me to reprint a portion of … Read More …
When envisioning the shape of the weekly gathering of Living Hope Church, I thought that at least once a month individuals should be encouraged to share testimonies of how God has worked in their lives. Over the years I have heard several individuals share testimonies during Sunday morning gatherings and, with a few exceptions, found them to be personally encouraging and God glorifying. Plus, I had a hunch that people would benefit from hearing that the … Read More …
You may remember that Xerses, the king of Persia, began a search for a new queen to replace the old one who had embarrassed him in public and had been banished from the palace. As part of the search process, the king's ambassadors gathered the beautiful virgins of the empire to the palace for an audition. One of those young women was a Jewish girl named Hadassah, or Esther, the stepdaughter of Mordecai. She was eventually chosen … Read More …
Today is a guide for daily devotions published by Back to God Ministries. I grew up on Today, though during the years of my youth it appeared under a different title. My parents used it as a tool for table devotions. Each devotion includes a verse from scripture, a brief meditation, and a prayer. The distinct parts make it easy to share the responsibility of leadership. One child can read the scripture, another the meditation, and another the prayer. The format hasn't changed … Read More …
My message for Living Hope Church this Sunday is entitled, "Dare to be a Daniel." Many of you will recognize immediately that I have lifted my title from an old scripture song. Perhaps you sang it as a childn in Sunday School. I wound up in the Old Testament book of Daniel this week because I decided (I hope by the leading of the Spirit) to launch a five week series entitled "Living in Exile." By that title I … Read More …
Last week I blogged on The Unlikely Disciple: A Sinner's Semester at America's Holiest University by Kevin Roose. In this book Roose tells about his one-semester experiment as a Liberty University student. The book is filled with remarkable insights, including this one on the local church (page 232): "If I had to guess, I'd say the meaning of church is changing for me. I used to define church as a series of events - the sermon, the worship music, the collection, … Read More …
It has been a long time since I read a book that I couldn't put down until I finished it, but that happened to me while reading The Unlikely Disciple: A Sinner's Semester at America's Holiest University, by a remarkable young author named Kevin Roose. In this book, written while Roose was a student at Brown University, the author tells about his one-semester experiment as a Liberty University student. The book is filled with remarkable insights, humorous stories, and illuminating conversations. I … Read More …
As the church moves from the hands of one generation to another we observe changes both in the context within which the church lives and works, as well as in the manner in which we do church. The healthy congregations find ways, with the help of God, to navigate these changes. One change that has already come upon us is in the area of leadership. The AARP generation, more often than not, has affirmed a solo leadership model. They … Read More …
One of the benefits of a One Year Bible is that it leads me to very interesting stories in Scripture that I might otherwise overlook. Today I experienced that benefit in the story of Joash the king and Jehoida the priest (II Chronicles 24-25). Here are a few excerpts: "Joash was seven years old when he become king, and he reigned in Jerusalem forty years... He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord all … Read More …
"Spies who had been facing years of incarceration in the US and Russia came in from the cold (this past Friday) as they traveled in opposite directions around the globe.” Ten headed eastward to Moscow and four, who had been in detention in Russia, began journeys to new lives in the West. “The extraordinary exchange unfolded... after all 10 spies, whose deep-cover ring had been blown open by US authorities nearly two weeks ago, pled guilty in … Read More …
Not sure why, but this past Sunday I cut a page out of my sermon. Perhaps I wanted to leave time for the testimonies which followed, even though all but one were NOT planned. Perhaps I was afraid to drive the point home, afraid to offend someone. Whatever the reason, I thought the blog would provide a venue to deliver that which I failed to deliver this past Sunday. Here it is: Friends, Pentecost was the greatest … Read More …
Trinity Christian College student, Julianne Woodroof, recently wrote a poem entitled "Roots." She read it during Living Hope's May 16 gathering. You may listen to is by clicking here, and you may also read it: she is beautiful branches dripping with glossy leaves boasting blooming flowers bowed low with the weight of her beauty serene and still, glowing softly in morning springtime sun no hint of the rot that lies beneath, creeping even … Read More …
A bunch of books have been written and sermons preached about discipleship, but Joshua offers a description that may be as good as any other. One day he called out the Reubenites, the Gadites, and but half of the tribe of Manasseh. Once assembled, he encouraged them to follow the Lord with these words: "Love the Lord your God, walk in all his ways, obey his commands, hold fast to him, and serve him with all your heart and all … Read More …
In today's reading from the One Year Bible, Joshua discovers that Achan violated the covenant of the Lord. He offers Achan the opportunity to confess his sins with these words: "Give glory to the Lord, the God of Israel, and give him praise. Tell me what you have done; do not hide it from me" (Joshua 7:19). Then Achan confesses his sin and endures his punishment. My reading of that verse follows a conversation I shared … Read More …
Who names a son "Judas"? The answer is clear: No one! Yet, who names a son "Peter"? The answer is just as clear: a whole lot of people. Why would we never name a son "Judas," but choose to name a son "Peter"? Both men were apostles of Jesus Christ. Both men left all to follow Christ. Both men held positions of influence among the apostles. Both men witnessed wondrous miracles and heard amazing teachings. Furthermore, … Read More …
The One Year Bible recently brought me to the book of Deuteronomy (a book I would seldom, if ever, read without the encouragement of the One Year Bible). In Deuteronomy 5:23-27 I found these words of Moses to God's people, words by which he describes the reception of the Ten Commandments: "When you heard the voice out of the darkness, while the mountain was ablaze with fire, all the leading men of your tribes and elders came … Read More …
Just over twenty-nine years ago, I preached my second funeral as a pastor. The first was, as pastors like to say, "easy." I led a memorial service for an aged saint who died peacefully and quickly in the Lord. The second was a "tragedy" (the word we use for an untimely death), the funeral of a teenager who died in a snowmobile accident. It was during that memorial service I embraced my identity as a pastor-preacher. Up to … Read More …
The more I think about it, the more remarkable it becomes. My dad never missed a Christmas with his family. As a result, I enjoyed fifty-four Christmas Days with my father. Take a snap shot of each Christmas day in my life and you will find my dad (as well as my mom). He never missed one with me, nor I with him - until this year for my dad passed away on April 26, 2009. A fifty-four … Read More …
This past Sunday my sermon series - His Journey. Your Life. - brought me to Luke 4:14-30, where we find Jesus going home to Nazareth to speak in the synagogue on Sabbath day. All began well enough. Jesus stood, as was the custom when reading scripture, and opened a scroll to Isaiah 61:1-2, where he read these words: "The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent … Read More …
The creation stories in Genesis 1 & 2 of the Bible teach us many basic truths, including this one: we were created to live as communal, not solitary, creatures. Created in the image of a Triune God who enjoys eternal fellowship, we were created to enjoy relationships with other human beings. Toward that end, God has graced our lives with a variety of relationships, including friendships. Years ago author James Sparks, in his book Friendship After Forty, identified … Read More …
Our Father in heaven, what shall we render to You for the Gift of gifts, Your own dear Son, begotten, not created, our Redeemer, Substitute. Herein is wonder of wonders: He came below to raise us above, was born like us that we might become like Him. Herein is love; when we cannot rise to Him, He draws near on wings of grace, to raise us to Himself. O God, take us in spirit to the … Read More …
Many people want God but aren't so sure - or are real sure - that they don't want the local church. That's understandable. Carlo Caretto, the great Italian spiritual writer, spoke for many of us when he wrote these words: "How much I must criticize you, my church and yet how much I love you. How you have made me to suffer and yet how much I owe you. I should like to see you destroyed and yet … Read More …
Why pray? I tried to answer that question in my sermon this past Sunday. In that message I offered five reasons to pray, though given time, I would have added one more to the list. So, here are my six reasons to pray, although I am guessing there may be more: Because prayer is natural for human beings created in the image of a Triune God. As St. Augustine said better than anyone: Our hearts are restless until they … Read More …
I came across The Marks of God's Children by a sixteen-century Dutch Calvinist pastor named Jean Taffin, who wrote during a season of persecution upon Protestant Christians in that part of the world now known as the Netherlands. This book, which reads like a pastor's manual, offers encouragement to believers wrestling with the tough questions of the faith: Why suffering? Where is God in all this? Why hasn't God answered my prayers? How can I be assured that … Read More …
From time to time, I come across writings that prompt fear about preaching, like Jeremiah's words to the prophets kicking around Jerusalem: "I did not send these prophets, yet they have run with their message; I did not speak to them, yet they have prophesied" (Jeremiah 23:21). Then, in words which suggest things haven't changed much over the last 2,500 years, the Lord says through Jeremiah, "I have heard what the preachers say who speak in my name. They say … Read More …
A friend recently pointed me to The Holy Longing: The Search For A Christian Spirituality by Ronald Rolheiser, a contemporary Roman Catholic author who writes for those followers of Jesus who struggle with following Jesus. In this book, Rolheiser, among other things, writes about the current struggle with spirituality, as well as some of its essentials. In the process, he pens a chapter entitled "A Spirituality of Eccesiology." In this chapter, he speaks to my situation as the pastor of … Read More …
Can't seem to get past what seems to be a contradiction between the desire of many pastors to count the number of worshipers each Sunday (coupled with the requirement by many denominational agencies to report attendance) and the story of King David counting his army. In I Chronicles 20:1 we read, "Satan rose up against Israel and incited David to take a census of Israel. So David said to Joab. the commander of the tropps, 'Go and count … Read More …
H2O: At some time in your academic training you learned that H2O may appear in three different forms: water, ice, or vapor. You also learned that it can only appear in one form at a time; that H2O cannot simultaneously be both ice and water. You also learned that the three aspects of H2O share essential attributes, like hydrogen and oxygen, but also hold distinguishable characteristics that allow us to identify one form of H2O as water and another as ice. THE CHURCH: In the New … Read More …
Pop recording artist, Burt Bacharach, wrote a love song subsequently recorded by Dionne Warwick, Luther Van Dross, and others. It’s title is a play on words with keen insight - "A House Is Not A Home." The words go something like this: "A chair is still a chair even when there is no one sitting there, but a chair is not a house, and a house is not a home." If a house were a home, … Read More …
During the last half of the 20th century in America, the evangelical church became big business and its congregations became supermarkets dispensing religious goods to hungry consumers. Local congregations opened their doors seven days a week, inviting members and guests to participate in any number of programs, from Bible studies to aerobics. The increase in programs required more staff; more staff required more money for salaries; more money for salaries required higher offerings; higher offerings required more people in the pews; more people in … Read More …
If you witnessed the inauguration of Barack Obama as our 44th president, either in person or through the television, you are mostlikely proud to be an American. We live in a country where the peaceful transition of power is expected, and where an outgoing and an incoming president embrace one another with sincere affection. We live in a country with meaningful traditions which link us to the past while we enter the future. We live in a country where people of color … Read More …
A few years back, Stephen Covey published his incredibly popular Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, a self-help book now published in 34 languages. The success of Covey's book has led to copy cats like Seven Habits of Highly Effective Parents or Teens or Freshmen or Consultants or _____________ (you fill in the blank). This past week, while preparing for my "Hope for the Home" series of messages, I ran into an unusual copycat: Seven Habits of Highly … Read More …
“Rejoice with those who rejoice,” wrote the apostle Paul (Romans 12:15). It sounds simple enough, but it not always as easy as it sounds. Sure, if we share a common experience it’s pretty easy. A mother, for example, may easily rejoice with a first-time mother by drawing on the memories of her joy when she gave birth to her first child. And we can even rejoice with those with whom we share a vaguely … Read More …
Interestingly, I did not read those words in a book on contemporary Christian worship. "Don't Mess With The Organ" formed the header of an article in the November 10 issue of the Chicago Tribune, an article about the Chicago Black Hawks, one of the “original six” teams in the National Hockey League. The heart of the article dealt with the sites and sounds of a National Hockey League game at the United Center. One of the sub-titles … Read More …
While some may not take advantage of the opportunity, planting a new congregation allows for careful evaluation of every idea for a new ministry or initiative - BEFORE launching it. As a person who never grows tired of asking "Why," I find this opportunity envigorating. So, when asked about the launching of a particulate ministry, I counter with a simple question - "Why?" Take a ministry as prevalent and popular as Sunday School, which is a relatively modern ministry, … Read More …
Over the last 100 years, nearly every industry has experienced significant change. Take the ice business as an example. My grandfather was an ice man. It was a good job for a dependable man who loved hard work. In the early years of his business, he delivered blocks of ice (like the man in the picture). Early in the morning, he went to the ice house, loaded his truck with 300 pound blocks of ice, and … Read More …
Welcome to the Web site of the Living Hope Church, a new congregation that gathers weekly in the southwest suburbs of Chicago. If you have been thinking that the next chapter in your spiritual journey includes a deeper relationship with Christ’s church, then you may want to check us out. We’re not for everybody, but we may be just right for you. And when you come, we pledge to meet you right where you are at … Read More …
"Faith, hope and love remain, but the greatest of these is love." Perhaps you have heard those words. They come from the pen of the apostle Paul and are recorded in his first letter to the Corinthians (13:13). Recently, I landed on that verse as I was developing a lesson on hope for what matters in life. That verse prompted a simple question in my mind: "How do I distinguish between faith, hope and love?" While … Read More …
And I am not referring to winning the World Series; that's but a dream. I am not referring to the fact that the Cubs sent eight players to Major League Baseball's annual All-Star Game: Geovany Soto, Kosuke Fukudome, Alfonso Soriano, Carlos Zambrano, Kerry Wood, Ryan Dempster, Carolos Marmol, and Aramis Ramirez. I am referring to the fact that those eight players hail from six different countries. There was one Cub each from Puerto Rico, Japan, Venezuala, … Read More …
This past week I heard a great story about an American Christian couple living in Lithuania contemplating adoption. God had blessed this couple with three biological children but, through their volunteer interaction with a local orphanage, the couple wondered if God would have them provide a loving home for one or more additional children. As they prayerfully considered this option, they concluded that they would adopt another child, but, then, they couldn't decide whether to adopt … Read More …
In Engaging with God: A Biblical Theology of Worship, author David Peterson summarizes one message of the Old Testament prophetic books: "These deal with the introduction of pagan ideas and practices into Israelite worship, or the attempt to worship other gods whilst still claiming to serve the Lord...." (pg 45). Reading those words I could not help but think about an experience this past Independence Day week-end while worshiping as a guest in an American Evangelical … Read More …
I bought into it - hook, line and sinker. I am referring to the 7/24 model of church life which proposes that the church, like a gas station, be open for business seven days a week, twenty-four hours a day. In this model, we measure congregational vitality by the number of cars that drive in and out of the church parking lot each week, and also by the number of volunteers corralled to sustain the ministries … Read More …
Can't think of another time when I preached with a child in my arms, but it happened this past week when Olivia made her way to me during the weekly gathering of Living Hope Church. What else could I do? Send her away? And what message would that haven given? So, I picked her up, held her, and continued to speak. Now as I look back, with the benefit of a photo, something about that experience … Read More …
Living Hope Church intends to be a multi-ethnic community of Christ’s followers who develop and enjoy community shaped by Scripture. That dream, however, is a strategy, not a goal. Our goal is to partner with our Triune God who is about creating a people with representatives from every tribe and nation. Toward that goal, we have adopted the strategy of multi-ethnicity, one we believe possible because of our location in an ethnically diverse community, but only … Read More …
While God the Father heard the prayer of God the Son and through God the Spirit graced us with a sevenfold unity (Ephesians 4:4-6), we must still work at maintaining unity. The big question then is "How?" In many settings, the answer to that question is that unity comes through uniformity. In other words, unity comes when everyone acts the same, thinks the same, looks the same. In such a setting, individuals who wish to become … Read More …
The emerging "Living Hope Church" gathered for the third time this past Sunday afternoon when 50 people, representing several "tribes and nations," came together in the dining hall of the Chicago Christian High School (Palos Heights, IL) for a "providential feast" (the calvinist version of "Pot-Luck Dinner"). After a great dinner, we enjoyed a time of worship which culminated with the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper. The evening also included teaching on unity with diversity. Here's … Read More …
It has been observed that Jesus talks about money more than any other subject. I wonder if the apostles write about the communal life of believers more than any other subject. They get at that subject in many ways, such as comparing the human body to the church (I Corinthians 12, Romans 12, Ephesians 4). They also seldom miss an opportunity to call believers to improve their relationships with "one another." In fact, a fun and … Read More …
This past Sunday, 53 pioneers gathered on the campus of Trinity Christian College to pray and think about the emerging Living Hope Church, a suburban, multi-ethnic congregation in the Calvinist tradition with dreams of embodying four specific goals: passionate worship, relevant teaching, authentic community, and dynamic partnership with God. Each one of those goals holds its own set of challenges. In the coming weeks, we will look at each one of them. Last Sunday we … Read More …
Last night I met with 50 people in the Van Namen Recital Hall on the campus of Trinity Christian College in Palos Heights to talk, sing, pray, and dream about a vision for a new kind of church in the southwest suburbs of Chicago. We had a great night. During our time together, which included Pastor Karen Williams (photo) leading us in worship, Pastor Pagel Williams leading us in prayer, Darryl Petty and the band … Read More …