A long-time friend from childhood, Peter Dusan, now serves with his family as campus missionaries in Texas — to and with college students. In the short video below he encapsulates what it means to work with the next generation, as they explore identity, meaning, truth, intimacy, pleasure and truth (and so much more).

May Christ captivate them as the fountain of all pleasure, and the source of their significance.

We ended the Advent season by considering The Incarnation of the Son God — the Word dwelt among us (John 1:1-18). Briefly seeking to establish the infinite worth and amazing creativity of Jesus as the One true Creator, I pointed the students to some images from outer space (see here ).

The Word — the One who displays God to us and is God’s final and loudest word to His people — created all of that. In an instant.

But He didn’t leave His creation alone afterward. In the fullness of time God entered His world, motivated by love.

Truly, this One is the Creator God worth worshiping.

Missional is missionary used as an adverb — an adjective-verb. I believe it aims to connote the what, why and how of being the Church in our culture. (I like the word, although I don’t want to overuse it. Much like "love," we want to be wise with our words, for we should not "love" a hamburger as much as our child. Although, come to think of it, enjoying Burgerville with my son makes us both happy.) (grin)

The Scriptures are replete with God’s commands and enablements to be His sent people in His world, for the sake of show His worth, work, and ways. Open up a passage and if you read it in context, you will find the concept of being missional there. If not in our being sent at least in God sending Himself, the great Initiator and Lover of His people. God is the Hero of every text, revealing His promises and promise-keeping nature.

The mission of God (Missio Dei ) centers on Jesus Christ. He is not only the Example of how and what to be, He is the One who alone is able to show us God breaking into our world. All things will be put together in God-glorifying ways in Christ (Eph. 1:7-10; Eph 3:8-12). He is the Word, the Light, and of His fullness we have receive, grace and truth, grace upon grace (John 1:1-16 ). We will never exhaust exploring His worth, in this life or the ages to come. He is the fullness of God’s aims in the universe, and under Him all things will be brought together in the vastness of their expression.

Considering this great truth takes up much of my mental capacities, and while I won’t be able to blog for at least the next week (it’s finals in seminary), I’ll leave you with a some missional thoughts to ponder.

At our church we focus on "loving God, loving people and serving the world." We aim to be known as a caring community that embodies those three simple directions.

The first is vertical, the second two are horizontal, and while in mathematics the x- (horiz) and y- (vert) axis are each considered independent, in the real world our love for God is incomplete (in not absent) if do not love others (see 1 John for a healthy dose of this reality). We cannot claim to have the vertical without being diligent on the horizontal.

We are to be God-centered, Gospel-driven and people-directed. Those hyphens mean something significant, and figuring how the connecting in those coupled-words is now my life’s work.

1. To love God He must be first in our affections (which does not happen by default);
2. To love people we must relate to others on the basis of the Gospel, which involves being candid about our own weakness and shortcomings;
3. To serve the world our God-centeredness and Gospel-drivenness will take shape in intentional service and sacrificial giving (of our talents, treasure and time), directed towards meeting needs and redeeming circumstances. (In short, to merely talk about God and the Gospel is not enough.)

Are we doing this perfectly? No. Are we on a trajectory towards uniting these three? I believe so. This involves moving outside our comfort zones, relating to God on the basis of Christ’s work alone (always, continually), and adapting ministry by taking risks. In my first up-front interaction with our people I noted that I will probably sound like a broken record to some, because I will emphasize these core things over and over. We do not need to know and do everything. Rather, we must know a few things so deeply that we are gripped by them, send by God into action. I hope we sense a willingness to risk much (and probably fail a thousand different ways) rather than be content to "succeed" in things that don’t matter.

What I mean is that in ten days I will be finished with this semester’s course work, and able to delve more deeply into the life of our new church community as Associate Pastor. This has been my life calling and this first month has been an incredible new adventure. Last night I sat down with our Elders over a meal and then conversed back and forth about the dreams and hopes and even obstacles to the vision we share in our community and beyond. God is over-the-top good.

I sense I revival in the small chalk circle around me. Seminary is great for mind, illuminating to the soul, and deeply affects my heart. As I’m not graduating (just taking a break), that experience will continue for a few more years. Yet, with my bandwidth limited as a finite human being, there are books and people and projects I’ve been putting off attending to. Soon some of those will be within touch. And thus I am praying for God to so overwhelm my heart, as He has been, that His passion and drive and zeal and wisdom overflow into this new adventure with our new church. It already has, just that I’ve had to temper myself with some time boundaries that will expand once this semester’s classes are over. Ten days; finish well, my soul.

Perhaps you can join me in this single-minded passion:

"Him [JESUS] we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ."

What an ambition! How can we work towards this end? Paul reminds us of the One power:

"For this I toil, struggling with all His energy that He powerfully works within me." ( Colossians 1:28-29 )

Thankful to be commissioned with that charge, and able to serve full-time in the Gospel. Yet, with a packed schedule, I haven’t yet been able to devote these energies completely toward this end. That’s because as a mere man I can only devote myself so much to various responsibilities. Being a husband and father are at the top of this man’s list, behind (and in no way competing with) being a child and servant of the King, the Creator God Almighty. Those two roles are my most beloved, and without doing them well I would be disqualified from much of any other roles I enjoy. My other two primary roles in life are Associate Pastor and as a seminary student. (Full-time for each those hats mentioned.) So, something has had to give. Late nights and early mornings (as today) have helped keep this learner focused and working towards accomplishing what is on this plate. (Plus this A-student has realized that a few B’s are in God’s will during this season!)

For those still with me, the first thought of this post was aimed at mentioning a two-part interview Tim Keller had with Darryl Dash. Check it out: parts one and two . The topic is effective ministry in a changing culture. And as he does in most things, Tim Keller writes and speaks like a prophet to the church and to culture, not being afraid to disrupt our little Evangelical bubble. Curiously, he is able to do one of the things I love (making people feel a bit uncomfortable) by helping them not realize they are uncomfortable at the moment. Such it is with the gospel of grace, how it reveals the truth of how awful we are while be oh so compellingly awesome and beautiful. Enjoy the tension, and appreciate the Jesus-centered vision he and others speak of.

Back to the revival theme. In part one of the interview Keller talks about what it takes for true revival to take place, and what its fruit becomes. In rightly focusing on a full-throttle emphasis on the gospel of grace , he notes:

When revival breaks out through a recovery of the gospel, three things happen:

1. nominal church members realize they’d never been converted;
2. sleepy, lethargic Christians are energized and renewed;
3. outsider non-Christians are attracted into the beautified worship, community and lives of the converted and renewed church members.

That’s how it works. We need it.

Well said. Read the rest, starting here .

Here are the top five lessons I (think I) have learned over this past 50 month journey and beyond. All are interconnected:

1. People are more important that what they do. Personalizing it: I am not what I do . That is, my identity is rooted in Christ, not my performance. I work from significance in Christ, not for it, as the Gospel would have it. (Repeat that last sentence with me! This message never grows old, and must be the cornerstone of a daily life. We must preach that application of the Christ’s glorious grace to ourselves every day.) In this season, I had to learn to do a few things well. To be fine with not being a perfectionist (okay, I am a recovering one). To release myself from forming a tiny view of life, all centered on me and what I am doing. I was a chronic do-er five years ago, and will never be that again, by the grace of God. Reality is, I work harder now, more efficiently, and am more content to simply BE, motivated by the Gospel.
2. Life is meant to have rhythm. Walking in step with the Spirit is a relationship worth fighting like heaven to keep vital. He is the One working in me to fulfill God’s ultimate purposes. Some people like to refer to life as being in "balance," and I probably should like that word as an engineer-type. It sounds so mathematical. Yet, it fails to see life in proper perspective, for we are not weighing things against one another (the definition of balance), but seeing them come together in harmony. Some like to pit propositional statements of faith against the story of faith. Jesus against Paul. The Bible against the Spirit. Truth versus experience. That’s utter foolishness. They are not against one another, but serve one another in love. Inexplicably connected. For example, in the Gospel rhythms, my job does not compete with my family.They are interwoven in a beautiful work of art by the Father, Son and Spirit.
3. GOD is the Gospel ( tag | search ). If there is one message I hope to bring to the local church, it is this one (along with the view that the Gospel is for all of life, even for Christians). I read the book by that title in 2006 while on hiatus from seminary (Kari was pregnant, I focused on working to provide for us). Lightning struck my soul. It is essentially 180 pages of meditation on two primary verses: 2 Corinthians 4:4,6 . Wow. All things exist and move towards the public display of God’s infinite worth (His glory). Since God Himself is the great good of the Gospel, entering into relationship like Him is like diving into a pool, not just off a diving board. As God is meant to permeate all of life, the Gospel is meant for all of life (like a living room, as opposed to simply the doorway to new life).
4. All of life is preparation. God will, as a loving Father, use every means possible shape us into the image of His Son ( Romans 8:28-30 , Hebrews 12 ). This process of sanctification (purifying) is deep and lasting, and cannot happen without pain, tragedy, relationships (including conflict and resolution) triumphs, and dependence. As a single man I began to see the need for Lamentations 3:25-33 and Habakkuk 3:17-19 become reality in my own life, asking God to shape me into the kind of man who praises Him no matter the circumstance. Doing that deep work requires preparation, which requires suffering. From a broken vertebrae that remains today, to relational brokenness, to physical pain in my feet, to disappoints of various sorts, there is no end to the design of God’s good for us through these experiences.
5. My life is meant to be wrapped about God’s story, not Him around mine. This couples with the others, and specifically #4, as God’s story is simply bigger than teeny, tiny me. That is because the Gospel is not merely good advice. It is the Good News — check that — the best news possible, that Jesus Christ, the Righteous One, died for our sins and rose again, eternally triumphant over all His enemies, so that there is now no condemnation for those who believe in Him, but only everlasting joy in God. Thus, God and His Word are the ultimate reality. I don’t apply the Bible to my life, I rather press my life into His Word, applying my life to Him. This is more than semantics, for each of us is prone to by default live for the glory of ourselves, to seek to further our own kingdom. I am a servant of King Jesus. I am part of His Kingdom. He holds the keys to the future, and I gladly submit to His leading, whatever that entails. As all good story feature conflict and resolution, the Grand Story of the Bible being played out in the universe by the Triune God is the best possible mixture of both.
6. (Just like yesterday there are six. Forgive me.) Faithfulness is our part, fruitfulness is God’s. Actually, our faithfulness is enabled by His ( Phil. 2:12-13; 1 John 5:3 ). Kari and I remind one another weekly that our home and family is the first ministry. Being faithful starts here. For whatever "success" I find in vocation, in being a pastor, in whatever, it is worthless if I fail as a faithful husband and loving father. That is the definition of success.

From these lessons I formed the chief objective of my life: To help everyone breathing know the one and only Triune God, in Christ, better than they know anyone or anything else, and to love and enjoy Him together more than anyone or anything else in all the world.

Ever a life-long learner (through all eternity), swimming in the depths of the Gospel and seeing how necessary these truths are, and looking for more to discover.

• Tomorrow I’ll share 5 lessons learned over these last 50 months . For now, here are five signposts along the journey to being a pastor (stretching back before these last 4+ years).

In 1998 I first sensed Christ’s call to enter the ministry. My heart and mind was electrified as a sophomore at OSU, an engineering student, and oh so fed up with how far behind I was spiritually. In that day, specifically Super Bowl weekend in late January, He ignited in me a spark that grew larger and larger, coupled with an insatiable desire for God’s Word. Those college years and serving in the local church and on the OSU campus were invaluable experiences. Many lessons learned, lots of failure. More grace. The relational connections made still remain firmly intact. The Gospel was our chief unifying reality. I have been blessed to see fellow students, and then my own students from Real Life and the School of Ministry forge ahead in their part of God’s grand story.

In 2003 I was graciously enabled to marry the woman of my dreams. Kari, I l. No matter what "success" I achieve as a pastor, my first duty is to be a faithful husband and loving father. Before God, let all these other things serve to reinforce that trajectory, not divert from it. Without you, Dutch, and now Heidi, this journey would not be worth taking.

Fifty months ago (2004) Kari and I took the plunge and moved to another state for the sake of my becoming a pastor in the official sense for the first time. Until then I had been "pastoring" in many ways, and while I knew the title would not add an inch to my stature, it was to be a significant jump in responsibility before God and men. And boy was it. Nothing like we imagined, and I never did became a "pastor" in the official sense. We felt "shelved." But God broke me, and rebuilt me again to be the kind of man who loves Him more than a title and is willing to suffer for the Gospel. People became real to me. The Gospel went deeper. Christ became huge, more than adequate and satisfying. We look back fondly on that season now with the vantage point of having come through it. Warren Wiersbe in On Being a Servant of God reminds us to not ask God to get us out of our trials, but to ask Him, "What do You want me to get out of this trial?" God had a whole different plan for us, a crucible of what seemed like an endless string of disappointments. Our character needed it. I thank Him for it — without reservation — and would not for a million dollars trade any of those experiences. Please don’t sign me up for it again, our good Father, but I would not go back and chart a different course.

In 2005 we came back to Oregon, continuing in a career of construction management  in construction for my good friend Ben was the sweet spot of God’s will for us at the time. As were were a growing company, and I needed to gain credibility with the crew, I took to being the lowest grunt of the lot, moving aluminum shoring and pipes, and finally getting some good callouses from hands fully engaged in some good manual labor. Installing sewer lines 8 feet below the ground surface and mortoring up manholes was a crucible for learning. I remember the guys often asking me during lunch, "They didn’t teach you that in college, eh, Mr. Civil Engineer!?" I thank them for it. During the process I learned that nothing is secular, the construction workers need the Gospel just like I do, and that all circumstances are "sacred" in that they are meant to be used for worshipping God. Without those "silent years" we would not be here (positionally, and certainly not ready in our character). I learned to practice God’s joy in all of life, especially the mundane things. That is why I plead with people to find their identity in Christ alone and not in what they do. Funny to thing back how my move into the office became official when on the eve of Thanksgiving I ran over my left foot with the Jeep Wrangler. (Yeah, it really hurt, and I walk with a slight limp today.)

Also in 2005 we also became students again. A couple years earlier we had wanted to go to seminary (in Chicago, we thought), but Christ had some pre-graduate school preparation for us (see above). Now, we were able to do this together , both as students, and those Friday-only classes and one night course during that first year at Multnomah was a unique experience. Not sure how we managed the 90 minute commute both ways (fuel was much cheaper), but that time did serve to be like mini "dates" for Kari and I. We entered seminary as a young married couple, and when Kari graduates this year she will have given birth to two children while a student. (She’s incredible, by the way…)

So much more could be said. Dutch was born around Christmas 2006, and our lives have been changed for the better because of him. Last year we lived with Kari’s parents, on purpose, and it was a tremendous experience for Dutch. For us, it showed us how much we love family, need them, and love to live on our own again Without it, we would have had to quit seminary. The last year of interning with Foothills Community Church has been mightily used of God. He reprogrammed me in many ways, especially relationally, bringing out lessons and things from our experiences through Pastor Dale’s care and mentoring. Again, without them, we would not be who and where we are today.

Some may be thinking — are they done with seminary? Not exactly. Kari will finish her last class in December and then graduate in May with a MA in Pastoral Studies with a concentration in Women’s Ministry. I will close out this semester, take a bit off, and then (probably, open to revision, as the above story proves!) take one class at a time when possible. Since pastoring (again, a verb) and serving the local church was and is the "end goal," seminary has served that purpose in part, and I hope to see it continue towards an MDiv (at least 2/3 complete now). We wouldn’t be here without Multnomah , in more ways than one. We love our professors, the staff, fellow students, and alums!

(Okay, this is six…) Today Christ has more of me than He did back then. Some like to talk about returning to their first love (see Rev. 2 ). For me, returning to that teeny, tiny love would be going backwards, for my vision of Christ and seeing as the ultimate cause, reason, object and satisfaction of my life is far greater today than it was then. Truly, all of life is preparation .

Helping others know, love and enjoy God above all else,

JP

I’ve been reading the book and am challenged on a number of levels. My soul and mind resonate with the subtitle: “A radical reshaping around Gospel and community.” 

A helpful quote from Chester:

One of our catchphrases is “ordinary people living ordinary life with gospel intentionality.” It means doing the chores, having meals, watching sports, and so on with an intention to talk about Jesus, to pastor one another with the gospel, and to share that gospel with unbelievers.

May God allow us to serve in the church with this trajectory.

But changing methodologies and adapting to culture is in the open hand. (It can change.)

Keeping that in mind will be helpful when giving younger leaders are given opportunities to lead in the church.

Mark Driscoll briefly discussed this in preparation to the 2006 DesiringGod conference. He makes a point that if younger men feel stifled and are not able to venture out and lead in creative ways, well, they will probably leave.

[HT: Carey @ Paul+Timothy ]

Be a Paul and raise up a Timothy, pouring out your life into him, and knowing that he will probably do things a bit differently.

Asked to give a little synopsis for the church bulletin, this is what I wrote:

We have natural bent towards religion. That is, we tend to find our identity by what we do, rather than in Who God is. It is easy to think we have done so much on our own, for our "gains" are clearly seen by looking at our own religious resumes and feeble good works — especially by comparison with others. Yet, in the Gospel, the ground has become level for everyone, from the talented and motivated to the least gifted. The common thread is God’s grace in Christ, and our response in humility (looking out to Him, not into ourselves).

The Gospel of God’s glorious grace is the only means God has designed to set us free from empty religion. We no longer come to our Creator as ones holding our great accomplishments in our hands. Instead, we along with the Apostle Paul, can rightly say, "whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ" ( Phil. 3:7 ). Our empty doing is traded for priceless knowing. We now can know, love and enjoy Jesus our Savior as the supreme object of our affections and the true desire of our hearts. Does that describe your trajectory?

Knowing I would be speaking to (almost?) all Christians, I was quick to remind us that the Gospel is for Christians to. We never outgrow our need for Christ, and the good news of His glorious grace. Aimed at helping us all discover grace-renewal in the God of all grace, and be people who "worship in the Spirit" (  Phil. 3:3 ), I wanted us to see that knowing, loving and enjoying our Savior above all else is the goal of God in the Gospel.

We can truly say to Jesus, "Nothing compares to the greatness of knowing You."

Listen below [or download]:

1. The God of Disappointment, Identifying Expectations (Friday night)
2. Processing Pain, Identifying Fear (Saturday morning)
3. True Hope, Unearthing Expectancy (Saturday mid-day)
4. Enjoying Fulfillment, Worshiping God (Saturday night)

Her notes are close to 40 pages single-spaced, and I look forward to going through them at the same time she teaches many miles away. They will provide specifics to pray for and about. She will probably have some reflections to blog about when she gets home and rested again.

On this end, I’ll be flying solo with the Dutcher (with family help), and having good discussions with our boy about how wonderful his Mommy is. Privileged again for the opportunity to preach in Wilsonville another time at Canyon Creek Church . This time the text is Philippians 3:1-11 , and the title will be "Worthless Doing and Priceless Knowing ."

It is amazing how difficult it is to distill a whole message on a couple paragraphs down to that length, just a paragraph or two. I was asked to give a little synopsis for the church bulletin; this is what I wrote:

We have natural bent towards religion. That is, we tend to find our identity by what we do, rather than in Who God is. It is easy to think we have done so much on our own, for our "gains" are clearly seen by looking at our own religious resumes and feeble good works — especially by comparison with others. Yet, in the Gospel, the ground has become level for everyone, from the talented and motivated to the least gifted. The common thread is God’s grace in Christ, and our response in humility (looking out to Him, not into ourselves).

The Gospel of God’s glorious grace is the only means God has designed to set us free from empty religion. We no longer come to our Creator as ones holding our great accomplishments in our hands. Instead, we along with the Apostle Paul, can rightly say, "whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ" ( Phil. 3:7 ). Our empty doing is traded for priceless knowing. We now can know, love and enjoy Jesus our Savior as the supreme object of our affections and the true desire of our hearts. Does that describe your trajectory?

Hoping to help us all discover grace-renewal in the God of all grace, and be people who "worship in the Spirit" ( Phil. 3:3 ), knowing, loving and enjoying our Savior above all else.

Pray for us, and for our hearers.

A couple excerpts:

"Every church has a ’size culture’ that goes with its size that has to be accepted. Most people probably have a size-culture that they prefer. However, many people ‘moralize’ their favorite size culture and treat other size-categories as spiritually and morally inferior. They may insist that the only Biblical way to do church is to practice a differ size-culture despite the fact that the church itself is much bigger or smaller than they desire it to be."

"Generally, in small churches, policy is decided by many and ministry is done by a few while in the large church, ministry is done by many, and policy is decided by a few."

(HT: Jonathan Dodson + Steve McCoy ).

Not sure what the statistics are on reading habits after high school but I doubt they are very encouraging in our society. People do many things enthusiastically, but not many people are readers as they get older. The exact opposite happened to me. I read a handful of books to get through high school, and then Christ arrested my heart and I quickly developed a voracious appetite for reading. (Still slowly though.)

At least 4/5 homes in America have a Bible, yet a small fraction of people actually dust off one of their many copies and read it. Why? We prioritize what we value. True knowledge of God is not valued. We tend to enamored with the latest and greatest fad, looking for a quick fix, while God’s timeless truth would bring the satisfaction and depth our souls crave (and were created to enjoy). We must fight, swim upstream, and with Him develop a love of Christ and His Word.

Last night our class kicked off — Enjoying the Bible for All Its Worth . I was deeply encouraged by the appetite of the 50 or so adults who came. They ate it up; we covered everything I hoped, and had more interaction than expected. It was a thoroughly enjoyable time for me as their teacher.

In fact, joy was the first thing we discussed: Enjoyment is not optional . Enjoying God. Enjoying the Bible. These are commands sustained by God’s good pleasure in fulfilling them in us. All of the Scripture points us to see Jesus the Christ as the most compelling and worthy Person in all the Universe — to value Him through delight. And it makes sense, since He created us to do just that.

At the start of the second hour I opened the floor, asking "What challenges do we face in reading and understanding the Bible?" Some candid answers from the class:

• not knowing where to start
• no pictures! (actually, most words in the original languages are in fact word pictures!)
• how does it all fit together — why is it not organized chronologically (specifically the OT)?
• pronouncing names (genealogies) and dealing with strange geography
• I fall asleep face down in my Bible at night
• psyche up myself to commit to reading, only to fail in consistency
• it’s boring

I added a few of my own:

• we don’t understand it
• the Bible says things we don’t like
• it takes time + work — we’re lazy!

Then I kindly pronounced all of these bogus . That is, each can be overcome, and God wills that we work with Him in valuing Him and His Word above all else. Have you specifically asked Him to conquer these tiny obstacles in you?

Speaking of joy, their assignment for next Tuesday night is to read Philippians (a letter all about joy) and first seek to grasp the "big idea" of Paul’s inspired epistle. We talked about how this course will help us develop in us the science and art of understanding Scripture and bringing it into our daily lives. It is hard work. We must sit and think and pray. But doesn’t anything worth doing take hard work? We are not alone in the process. God’s Spirit meets with us, shining the light of truth and significance on the passage.

So, fear not, we can make some early mistakes in our hermeneutics, seeking to correct one another gently. We can learn by diligence and humility how to rightly find out what the texts says and means, and how it applies to us today. That way we will all enjoy the Bible together, for all its worth.

For God’s glory and our joy, we get to work at erasing biblical aliteracy one God-loving believer at a time. Fifty of us are catching on.

The life of one of my heroes, the late Robert Murray McCheyne, was cut short at only 29 years. (Well, he’s more alive than any of us these days, in the presence of Jesus.) At my age, I think about him and others like Henry Scougal quite a bit (he died at 28 years young). They accomplished so much for Christ in such a little time, yet did not find their identity in what they did. Here’s one of McCheyne’s most classic quotes:

"I trust you will have a pleasant and profitable time in Germany. I know you will apply hard to German; but do not forget the culture of the inner man — I mean of the heart . How diligently the cavalry officer keeps his sabre clean and sharp; every stain he rubs off with the greatest care. Remember you are God’s sword, His instrument — I trust a chosen vessel unto Him to bear His name. In a great measure, according to the purity and perfections of the instrument, will be the success. It is not great talents God blesses so much as great likeness to Jesus. A holy minister is an awful weapon in the hand of God. "
– Robert Murray McCheyne, letter to Rev. Dan Edwards on holiness and success, October 2, 1840. Memoirs of McCheyne , edited by Andrew A. Bonar (Chicago: Moody, 1947), p. 95. (Many thanks to my pastor friend Gene who gave me this treasured book four years ago for my birthday.)

He also had some advice for seminary students like me:

"Do get on with your studies. Remember you are now forming the character of your future ministry in great measure, if God spare you. If you acquire slovenly or sleepy habits of study now, you will never get the better of it. Do everything in its own time. Do everything in earnest; if it is worth doing, then do it with all your might. Above all, keep much in the presence of God. Never see the face of man until you have seen His face who is our light, our all . Pray for others; pray for your teachers and fellow students." (Letter from 1840, Memoirs of McCheyne , p. xvi)

We’ll take that to heart. Thank you Jesus for thirty years of earthly faithfulness to me, and an eternal relationship, unconditional, unchanging, which cannot be broken.

• While we can talk in a hurry, we cannot listen in a hurry.

• "Do not give direct report leadership to more people than you can listen to." — John Ortberg

One fellow student, a dear friend of ours, Adam Poole received the John G. Mitchell Award, given to the student who best embodies the grace and truth of the gospel (the specific description was a bit longer). While none of us ‘deserves’ anything, Adam is about as close as you can get to deserving recognition. Lets give honor where honor is due.

Adam has labored for three-and-a-half years towards earning an MDiv, all while serving full-time as director, teacher and pastor in Corvallis with Cornerstone School of Ministry . The real hero behind the man is Grace, the embodiment of her name who works tirelessly raising their four boys. (Funny story is that Kari and Grace were very close friends in college while Adam and I hardly knew each other, and conversed only sparingly. Only in the last 3 years of seminary, even while Kari and I no longer live in Corvallis, Adam and I have come to be extremely close friends — "of one soul," like Paul said of Timothy in Phil. 2:20.)

Theirs has not been an easy journey. More importantly, their marriage is a continual example of reciprocal love, being faithful and true to one another, and available to their kids, leading them well.

Congratulations Adam and Grace . Our prayers are with you. May God’s sweet grace shine brightly on you this Summer and provide opportunities to display the beauty of Jesus in all things.

The Lord’s Supper is not simply an ordinary meal among human beings — it is a fellowship with Christ, in his presence and at his table. We must avoid the idea that any automatic or magical benefit comes from sharing in the Lord’s Supper, whether a person participates in faith or not. But when a person participates in faith, renewing and strengthening his or her own trust in Christ for salvation, and believing that the Holy Spirit will bring spiritual blessing through such participation, then certainly additional blessing may be expected.

We must be careful here to avoid the mistake of overreacting to Roman Catholic teaching and maintaining that the Lord’s Supper is merely symbolic and not a means of grace. Paul says, “The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not a participation (Gk. koinonia , “sharing,” “fellowship”) in the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not a participation [koinonia] in the body of Christ?” (1 Cor. 10:16 ).

Because there is such a sharing in the body and blood of Christ (apparently meaning a
sharing in the benefits of Christ’s body and blood given for us), the unity of believers is beautifully exhibited at the time of the Lord’s Supper. “Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread” (1 Cor. 10:17 ). And since we are participants at “the table of the Lord” (1 Cor. 10:21 ), Paul warns the Corinthians that they cannot participate in the Lord’s table and also participate in idol worship: “You cannot partake in the table of the Lord and the table of demons” (1 Cor. 10:21 ). There is a spiritual union among believers and with the Lord that is strengthened and solidified at the Lord’s Supper, and it is not to be taken lightly.

This is why the Corinthians were experiencing judgment for their abuse of the Lord’s Supper (1 Cor. 11:29-30 ). But if Paul says there will be judgment for wrong participation in
the Lord’s Supper, then certainly we should expect blessing for right participation in the
Lord’s Supper.

When we obey Jesus’ command , “Take, eat” (Matthew 26:26 ), and go through the physical activity of eating and drinking at the Lord’s table, our physical action pictures a corresponding spiritual nourishment, a nourishment of our soul that will occur when we participate in obedience and faith. Jesus says, “For my flesh is food indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him” (John 6:55-56 ).

Certainly Jesus is not speaking of a literal eating of his flesh and blood . But if he is not speaking of a literal eating and drinking, then he must have in mind a spiritual participation in the benefits of the redemption he earns. The spiritual nourishment, so necessary for our souls, is both symbolized and experienced in our participation in the Lord’s Supper.

“God created both soul and body, and the resurrection of Jesus shows that he is going to redeem both the spiritual and the material. Therefore God is concerned not only for the salvation of souls but also for the relief of poverty, hunger, and injustice.

The gospel opens our eyes to the fact that all our wealth (even wealth for which we worked hard) is ultimately an unmerited gift from God. Therefore the person who does not generously give away his or her wealth to others is not merely lacking in compassion, but is unjust.

Christ wins our salvation through losing, achieves power through weakness and service, and comes to wealth through giving all away. Those who receive his salvation are not the strong and accomplished but those who admit they are weak and lost. We cannot look at the poor and the oppressed and callously call them to pull themselves out of their own difficulty. Jesus did not treat us that way.”

- The Gospel Coalition’s “Theological Vision for Ministry” (2007), Section 5e

[HT: Of First Importance ]

I’m looking forward to being able to listen to whole messages I only caught glimpses of parts. Stirring Gospel-centered pastoral stuff.

(All of the audio, video, and perhaps notes, will be available after the conference sometime.)

Monday, February 25, 2008

• 2:00 pm Session 1 – Mark Driscoll – Text & Context: Humble Incarnational Ministry
• 4:00 pm Session 2 – CJ Mahaney – Text & Context: Pastoral Character & Loving People
• 7:00 pm Session 3 – John Piper – Text: Why I Trust the Scriptures

Tuesday, February 26, 2008

• 9:00 am Session 4 – Jim Gilmore – Context: Fear and Trembling in the Experience Economy
• 10:45 am Session 5 – Matt Chandler – Text & Context: Preaching the Gospel in the Center of the Evangelical World
• 1:00 pm Session 6 – John Piper – Text & Context: How My Pastoral Ministry Shapes my Pulpit Ministry
• 7:00 pm Session 9 – John Piper – Text: How Do I Distinguish Between Gospel and False Gospel?
• 9:00 pm Q & A with John Piper

Wednesday, February 27, 2008

• 10:00 am Session 10 – Jim Gilmore – Context: Decoding the Future, the Phoniness, and the Shifting Sands
• 11:20 am Q& A with Jim Gilmore
• 1:00 pm Session 11 – Mark Driscoll – Text & Context: Preaching Jesus Christ To Pagan Culture
• 2:15 pm Q & A with Mark Driscoll

As spiritually minded as Edwards was — and his resolutions attest to that fact — there is much in them that is distinctively practical, such as strictness of diet (he had a weak stomach), the optimal management of time, and care of his soul, particularly in battling pride. Jonathan Edwards was a God-centered man who embodied the Gospel and theological thinking. He was not without his faults (for part of his adult life he employed slaves), yet he was transparent and authentic about his shortcomings in purity of heart and desperate pleas to God to help him become more holy and loving. His life and thought are to be emulated.

Edwards’ legacy lives on among God-centered theologians, both ‘experts’ and novices like myself who want to see the value of the Triune God’s infinite worth (glory) displayed and known in all the world.  For a primer on Edward’s vision and legacy, see the book A God Entranced Vision of All Things (read it online here or download as a PDF), read or listen to messages on the man at Desiring God, or read Edward’s Memoirs.

Back to his Resolutions … There are 70 resolutions in all, which Edwards regularly reviewed (at least weekly) and strictly kept to the end of his 54 years here on earth. We have much to learn from him and men and women of his character.

Here are the first 21 Resolutions (read all 70 here):

BEING SENSIBLE THAT I AM UNABLE TO DO ANYTHING WITHOUT GOD’ S HELP, I DO HUMBLY ENTREAT HIM BY HIS GRACE TO ENABLE ME TO KEEP THESE RESOLUTIONS, SO FAR AS THEY ARE AGREEABLE TO HIS WILL, FOR CHRIST’S SAKE.

Remember to read over these Resolutions once a week.

(Resolutions 1 through 21 written in one setting in New Haven in 1722)

1. Resolved, that I will do whatsoever I think to be most to God’ s glory, and my own good, profit and pleasure, in the whole of my duration, without any consideration of the time, whether now, or never so many myriads of ages hence. Resolved to do whatever I think to be my duty and most for the good and advantage of mankind in general. Resolved to do this, whatever difficulties I meet with, how many soever, and how great soever.
2. Resolved, to be continually endeavoring to find out some new contrivance and invention to promote the aforementioned things.
3. Resolved, if ever I shall fall and grow dull, so as to neglect to keep any part of these Resolutions, to repent of all I can remember, when I come to myself again.
4. Resolved, never to do any manner of thing, whether in soul or body, less or more, but what tends to the glory of God; norbe, nor suffer it, if I can avoid it.
5. Resolved, never to lose one moment of time; but improve it the most profitable way I possibly can.
6. Resolved, to live with all my might, while I do live.
7. Resolved, never to do anything, which I should be afraid to do, if it were the last hour of my life.
8. Resolved, to act, in all respects, both speaking and doing, as if nobody had been so vile as I, and as if I had committed the same sins, or had the same infirmities or failings as others; and that I will let the knowledge of their failings promote nothing but shame in myself, and prove only an occasion of my confessing my own sins and misery to God. July 30.
9. Resolved, to think much on all occasions of my own dying, and of the common circumstances which attend death.
10. Resolved, when I feel pain, to think of the pains of martyrdom, and of hell.
11. Resolved, when I think of any theorem in divinity to be solved, immediately to do what I can towards solving it, if circumstances do not hinder.
12. Resolved, if I take delight in it as a gratification of pride, or vanity, or on any such account, immediately to throw it by.
13. Resolved, to be endeavoring to find out fit objects of charity and liberality.
14. Resolved, never to do any thing out of revenge.
15. Resolved, never to suffer the least motions of anger towards irrational beings.
16. Resolved, never to speak evil of anyone, so that it shall tend to his dishonor, more or less, upon no account except for some real good.
17. Resolved, that I will live so, as I shall wish I had done when I come to die.
18. Resolved, to live so, at all times, as I think is best in my devout frames, and when I have clearest notions of things of the gospel, and another world.
19. Resolved, never to do any thing, which I should be afraid to do, if I expected it would not be above an hour, before I should hear the last trump.
20. Resolved, to maintain the strictest temperance, in eating and drinking.
21. Resolved, never to do any thing, which if I should see in another, I should count a just occasion to despise him for, or to think any way the more meanly of him.

• Read all 70 Resolutions here
• Read more about Edwards as the resolution maker

“Church” is not an event. It is people–people whom God calls us to love. What is more, it is in a very important sense an involuntary community of people: we don’t choose our brothers and sisters–God does. And sometimes (oftentimes) those people are not terribly compatible with us–not the people we would choose to hang out with. But it is this very incompatibility that is so important, for at least two reasons. First, learning to love the people I don’t like is by far the best way to learn how to love (it’s easy to love people I happen to like). Second, the church is supposed to be a sociological miracle–a demonstration that Jesus has died and risen to create a new humanity composed of all sorts of people. [HT: Tim Challies]

How opposite is that view of church (as people > event) with this list I came across for the reasons they go to church (quoting another person):

1. It is the will of God.
2. I go out of habit.
3. My family needs to be in church.
4. I enjoy the services.
5. I like the fellowship.
6. I go to meet business contacts.
7. It’s required for salvation. Isn’t it?
8. My family or friends would think badly of me if I didn’t go.
9. I help in the nursery.

I think that list gives somewhat the gist of why I went to church when I first became a Christian in college (I realize #7 above was given tongue-in-cheek). But then my heart and mind began to be captivated with God, to be enthralled with Christ, and I could not get enough of Him. And then I began to grow and see the contribution I can make to others in the church.

We don’t “go to” church or “do” church but rather have been redeemed to be the church, to be the called out one’s (Greek understanding of ekklesia) assembled together at various times (Jewish understanding of ekklesia), organized in various ways to fulfill Christ’s mission for us with Him here on earth. At some time He will call us home to glory, but until then let us not just “go to” church like we are playing church, but rather be the outworking of Christ’s hands and feet in our community, families, homes, and workplaces. All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Him for the very reason (Matthew 28:18-20).

The Life of David Brainerd (Unabridged) by Jonathan Edwards

• Be sure to use the coupon code OCT2007

I cannot recommend this book more highly. In fact, if I ever get my copy back, after someone borrowed it , I will read this book again, and again, and again. For now, I’ll listen to it.

This book was chiefly compiled and expanded from Brainerd’s own daily journal by Jonathan Edwards, who was affected mightily by the young missionary. Although Brainerd died at the young age of 29 — of tuberculosis in Edwards’ house — his passion and deep communion with God has since been contagious for more than two centuries of missionaries. Get to know David Brainerd! (And remember, he isn’t a quick read. Be patient, mull over what he says, and apply it to your heart and soul.)

Another great resource: John Piper biographical message (1990):
Oh, That I May Never Loiter On My Heavenly Journey! Reflections on the Life and Ministry of David Brainerd

Also, a book: The Hidden Smile of God: The Fruit of Affliction in the Lives of John Bunyan, a William Cowper, and David Brainerd (The Swans Are Not Silent, 2)

A few quotes from Brainerd’s journal:

And if you would glorify God, or answer his just expectations from you, and make your own soul happy in this and the coming world, observe these few directions; though not from a father, yet from a brother who is touched with a tender concern for your present and future happiness.

First, Resolve upon, and daily endeavour to practise, a life of seriousness and strict sobriety.

Further, Take heed that you faithfully perform the business you have to do in theworld, from a regard to the commands of God; and not from an ambitious desire of being esteemed better than others.

Once more, Never think that you can live to God by your own power or strength; but always look to and rely on him for assistance, yea, for all strength and grace.

We should always look upon ourselves as God’s servants, placed in God’s world, to do his work; and accordingly labour faithfully for him; not with a design to grow rich and great, but to glorify God, and do all the good we possibly can.

When you cease from labour, fill up your time in reading, meditation, and prayer: and while your hands are labouring, let your heart be employed, as much as possible, in divine thoughts.

Worldly pleasures, such as flow from greatness, riches, honours, and sensual gratifications, are infinitely worse than none.

While we lived in McMinnville at the time, it seemed best after the Fall to return to a more local church there in McMinnville, Calvary Chapel (affiliated with a group of churches we had been on leadership staff with while living in Corvallis, and serving with Real Life and the School of Ministry in Corvallis).

So, fast forward a couple years and here we are now living in Molalla, still progressing towards completion at Multnomah Biblical Seminary, and the need and desire to plug in deeper with the local church.  In fact, our seminary experience has proved to deepen our love and commitment to the power and place of believers gathered to serve Christ and love one another and the community in the local church.

After a disappointing and humbling experience in 2004-05 at a church (not mentioned above) I had a bit of a sour attitude towards the local church, but knew that was not God’s heart, and asked Him to reform my thinking.  In fact, we see now see it is a distant reality in a few years (or longer) to be part of planting a new church someplace here in the Pacific Northwest, to God’s glory.

So here we are, settling down in Molalla, getting to know the people here, seeking to be used by God in people’s lives.  To that end, for the next two years I’ll be a pastoral intern with Foothills, being mentored by Pastor Dale Satrum, which is an experience I have been craving for some years now.  Since graduating from OSU in 2001 (and as students ministry leaders while in college), Kari and I have always busy in ministry, yet I have craved a mentoring relationship of this sort.  I am excited to see and test and hear and be humbled by participating in ministry with feedback, encouragement, evaluation, rebuke, being challenged, and learning and growing.  A Paul-Timothy relationship, which I hope can contribute to as well as receive from.

This Fall, as part of my first ministry function, I will be teaching the Foundations for Life class at Foothills, seeking to communicate some of the essential doctrines of the Christian faith, and instill a love and life application of these truths.

You can pray for me in this endeavor, and how Kari and I as a team fit in the overall scheme and purpose God has for us here in Molalla.

Now, I freely admit that it is impossible to hold a Christian service without an agenda. If order is to be maintained, an order of service must exist somewhere. If two songs are to be sung, someone must know which one is to be sung first, and whether this knowledge is only in someone’s head or has been reduced to paper there is indeed a “program,” however we may dislike to call it that. The point we make here is that in our times the program has been substituted for the Presence. The program rather than the Lord of glory is the center of attraction. So the most popular gospel church in any city is likely to be the one that offers the most interesting program; that is, the church that can present the most and best features for the enjoyment of the public….

We’ll do our churches a lot of good if we each one seek to cultivate the blessed Presence in our services. If we make Christ the supreme and constant object of devotion the program will take its place as a gentle aid to order in the public worship of God. If we fail to do this the program will finally obscure the Light entirely, and no church can afford that.

[A.W. Tozer, The Root of the Righteous, 107-109]