The years and years of debate between the seemingly polar-opposite doctrines of election and free will can now come to an end. Free coffee and donuts for all.
I submit to you two words:
Divine Ireconcilibility.
You’re welcome.
Category Archives: Christian Unity
Let’s End the Election vs Free Will Debate
Filed under Bible Study, Christian Unity, Christianity, God, Theology, Uncategorized
Different, Yet the Same
South Soddy
Yesterday (Sunday) I was blessed to be able to preach at two different churches, one in the morning, the other in the evening.
Yesterday morning I was the guest speaker at South Soddy Baptist Church. The congregation there was warm and friendly and very receptive to the message I delivered. Below it a picture I took inside the auditorium (sanctuary).
Notice, South Soddy Baptist was constructed back in 1946. It is small, simple building by today’s standards.
Mile Straight
Last night I was very privileged to be invited to speak at Mile Straight Baptist Church. Mile Straight is a much more modern building (it’s been remodeled, too) with plenty of up-to-date technology. Click HERE to visit their website – it’s pretty cool.
Notice, even though Mile Straight has a more modern layout than South Soddy, something about the two are very similar. Can you tell what that is?
Neither have big choir lofts.
I first noticed this at South Soddy yesterday morning. I noticed how in the old design of this church the focus was never supposed be on the choir. Instead of an entertainment-like model many Christians have come to expect, this old church was set up so that the congregation would do all the singing and “worshiping,” not simply be entertained by the choir.
When I got to Mile Straight I saw the same thing. Oh, Mile Straight used to have a choir, but not so much anymore (I think). No, more focus is place on congregational singing than choirs. Even though they do have more of a “praise team,” the idea is to lead the congregation in worship rather than just sit and listen to others do it.
Honestly, I have no problem with wonderful, trained choirs. Friday night I got to hear my daughter Katie sing a solo in her college choir, and it was chillingly glorious! But that was a true performance…we paid to go see that. Church services should never be about entertaining the crowd; they should be about corporate worship. So, have a choir if you want, but encourage the congregation to be more than just consumers.
Two very different church congregations and buildings, yet still very alike in at least one important way.
Filed under baptist, Christian Unity, Church, worship
Resigning to Trust My Shepherd
Most of the time I can enter the title of a post before I begin to write it. In this case I don’t know what to call it. All I know to to do is start writing and let things fall into place.
That’s sort of where I am in life, right now; I don’t know where I am going, but I had to get going to find out.
Old News
By the time you read this post, someone in my former congregation will have read aloud my formal resignation as Pastor of Riverside Baptist Church – at least I hope they read it…all of it. It took me a couple of hours to craft it, all 1,026 words worth, and some of the words were painful to write. However, it had to be done.
Themes
In my resignation letter I focused on two main themes. First, it was important to note that the Church, including the local body of believers I pastored, did not belong to any of us; it belongs to Jesus Christ. Secondly, I stressed the importance of effective leadership: both the need to have it, and the willingness to accept it.
If either one is dysfunctional with either party (the pastor or the congregation), tension will grow…even worse, the power of the Holy Spirit will fade.
Feels like…
Therefore, based on several reasons, I had to accept the fact that my leadership was no longer effective, thereby necessitating a change, however painful and scary it may be. Unfortunately, it feels like a divorce (even though I’ve never experienced one). Maybe I could say it feels like a death, but that’s not really true – I have experience that kind of loss many times.
What it does feel like, however, is a missed opportunity…an “Oh, well” moment. I guess that’s why it’s called a “resignation.”
More to Do
Nevertheless, I will share with you the closing words of my resignation letter, for they express something that is more important than anything else – God is still sovereign! He’s got this! None of this caught Him by surprise, for He already has been working to make things new.
If you will remember, the Mission Statement of Riverside is as follows:
“Reach the Lost, Rescue the Perishing, and Restore the Wounded for the Glory of God.”
Continue to reach the lost… We will. Endeavor to rescue the perishing… We will. And especially today, seek to restore the wounded, heal divisions, and move forward with grace and forgiveness… We will.
Pray for Us
Please, please, pray for my family and me as we seek to follow God to the next field of service, wherever that may be. Please pray for my former flock that they will find a more suitable shepherd and follow his leading.
Also, please pray that I will be able to put in to practice the lessons I have learned over the last eight years, thereby being able to replace the “missed opportunity” feeling with assurance that all things work together for good, to them that love God and are called according to His purpose.
After all, there are still plenty of lost, perishing, and wounded out there.
Now I know how to title this post 🙂
Filed under baptist, Christian Maturity, Christian Unity, Church, Future, Life Lessons, ministry, Preaching, the future
10 Things Christian Bloggers Wished the Rest of the Universe Could Understand
This list first appeared back in May of this year, but I thought it was worth re-posting… sorta like “the best of The Recovering Legalist.” Bloggers unite 😉
The Audience
If you are reading this – evidently you are – it is probably because you are on some form of social media, like Facebook or Twitter. it is also possible you received an email notification as a subscriber, or you were forwarded a message from a friend who said, “You’ve GOT to read this!”
On the other hand, you may be a blogger who was surfing recent posts from followed sites or “suggestions”form WordPress (or some other inferior blogging platform). Those of you in this group – the bloggers – will understand what I’m about to write; the rest need help.
The following list will be less of a shocker than an affirmation of what Christian (and some pagan) bloggers already believe about themselves or others within their “community.” Therefore, the following list is meant more for the casual Facebook reader, the neglected child with a school project due, and the wife or husband whose eyes roll more often than a bowling ball.
10 Things Christian Bloggers Wished the Rest of the Universe Could Understand
1. The ability to write is a gift from God; the ability to write well takes work. Every post, if it’s worth posting, should be well-written. A poorly-written post is a poor reflection on the message we have to share. Therefore, don’t get upset if we spend 3 hours crafting a 500-word work of art.
2. Blogging is a form of worship. I know, it may sound crazy, but blogging can be a very legitimate means of giving praise and honor to God. Christian bloggers regularly speak of the goodness of God, praise Him in the midst of struggles, and challenge others to trust Jesus. Christian bloggers LOVE to praise God through computer screens all over the world!
3. Christian bloggers are internet missionaries! You don’t have to travel the world to teach people with the Good News; you can do it from your kitchen! That’s right with a simple blog piece one person can instantly share relevant Truth in over 100 countries! Last time I counted, I’ve had readers in 126.
4. Everything is fodder for a blog post. That’s right, everything from one’s recent trip to the mall to one’s battle with cancer – it’s all worth writing about, especially to the one who sees God’s hand working everywhere.
5. Household chores will take care of themselves. Families of bloggers are usually the most stressed of housekeepers, but this need not be. Worse come to worse, dirty dishes, un-walked pets, and un-made meals can be used as writing topics (see point 4).
6. Blogging is reporting. All bloggers wish the world would give us more respect. I mean, seriously, we deserve Press credentials! If you write a well-written blog you should be allowed into all political events, meetings, and all concerts for free. As for me, I think every blogger is a potential food and restaurant critic – we should eat for free.
7. Christian bloggers don’t have selective hearing; we have selected focus. When I’m at the computer, don’t assume I hear anything you say. When I’m writing I’m in the “zone,” so voices outside the “zone” are muted. If you want my attention, offer food or show legitimate interest in what I’m writing. Otherwise, don’t assume I heard you tell me to pay that bill.
8. Donations are always welcome. Just because we Christian bloggers love doing what we do, that doesn’t mean we wouldn’t accept money. Money buys better computers, custom themes, and comfortable desk chairs.
9. The Christian blogging “community” is a real thing with real people. Honestly, some of my best friends are bloggers I’ve met online. Several of us have met in person, prayed with each other, and shared in genuine Christian fellowship and worship. Bloggers love bloggers 🙂
10. Christian bloggers come in all virtual shapes and sizes. Not every Christian is alike, and neither are our blogs. We are all unique and bring our own perspectives to the discussion of life. Don’t read just one.
So, what are your thoughts? Any points you’d like to share with the universe?
Kicked out of the house and in need of wifi, the Christian blogger will do anything to maintain his habit: changing the world one post at a time.
Filed under blogging, Christian Unity, Christianity, Humor
You Love Jesus, but You Hate Church? Really?
First, the Body of Christ (the Church) is not a building, but a blood-bought people, the Bride of Christ. Got it.
However, body parts tend to group together, don’t they? Otherwise, those separate parts have a tendency to rot and die. I hope you get it.
So, when we read in the book of Acts where Saul (later Paul) was heading out to track down Christians in order to put them in jail, or worse, what did Jesus say when he appeared on the road to Damascus?
… “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” – Acts 9:4 NKJV
Did you see that?? Jesus so closely identified with the Christians – the Church – that he asked Saul why he was persecuting HIM! Persecuting the Church equated with persecuting Jesus!
Now, with that in mind, what do you think Jesus thinks when you disparage His followers? What do you think He would say if you were to tell him (after falling to your knees under a blinding light), “Jesus, I love you, but I have no desire to meet with others who love you”?
Get it?
Jesus is very fond of gatherings in His name.
Do you love Jesus? Love his Church. Be a part.
Filed under Christian Unity, Church
Another Face-to-Face
Let me think for just a moment… How many bloggers has it been that have come through and visited with my family and me?
Let’s see, there was the cute couple of the century, Daniel and Caitlin Klem, who came through before Christmas a couple of years ago. There’s been James and Lydia Neff who’s been by a few times, which was always an encouragement. The Fry’s (Wally & Heather) and their daughter came through while on vacation last year, and that was fun. And how can I forget Heather, Everette, and Emerson?
Myself and Jessie Jeanine. Photo by: My wife, Valerie.
Well, this last week another long-time blogging friend paid a visit. Last Tuesday Jessie Jeanine decided to swerve through on her cross-country (and half-way back again) search for a place to re-settle (that’s a long story in its own right). She loved it so much here that she stayed over a week! How cool is that?
I will never get over how bloggers can be a part of a community without ever meeting in person. But it is awesome when people who are friends online can meet face-to-face, confirming the reality that there has always been a genuine person on the other side of the computer screen.
Jessie was one of the first bloggers who really encouraged me to keep writing – because she actually replied to my comments and then followed my blog! For a new blogger that was a big deal, especially considering her story (one of horrendous abuse, working with the FBI, and even being a friend to Hollywood stars). To me Jessie Jeanine was a blogging celebrity, and a celebrity I highly respected. That was like 5 or 6 years ago.
However, this past week Jessie ate with us, worshiped with us, and even asked me to work on her car. What’s more, she got to spend enough time with us to see a few of our bad sides. Yet, real friends stay friends even when they are transparent and vulnerable. Real friends being real, that’s all.
We had a great time just hanging out, watching TV, doing dishes, playing board games, talking church, faith and religion, and dealing with a little bit of family drama.
But every good thing must come to an end. My wife and daughters and I will always be grateful for the time we got to spend with her. Needless to say, there were a few tears shed when it came time for her to leave.
May God bless her, protect her, and provide for her needs during this huge cross-country transition in life.
Oh, and eventually we’re all going to pay David Welford a visit in England! Woo Hoo!
So, any more of you guys coming through Chattanooga any time soon? I know a great coffee shop 🙂
Filed under blogging, Christian Unity
Bumper Stickers
The following was first published in November of 2010. I do miss having my own “Ride.”
“The Ride”
My wife will not let me put a bumper sticker of any kind on her car. Even if she was driving a rusty Chevy Vega which desperately needed the qualities of something with adhesive properties to keep her bumper stuck to her car…no bumper stickers. Not so with my Ride. I don’t need no stinkin’ sticky things! Just staples and zip ties, thank you. Really, what I mean to say is that “The Ride” is not too good to advertise TheRecoveringLegalist.com, even though my wife thinks her car is too special. HA!
Bumper stickers are something akin to free advertisement…
…They promote whatever you want other people to know about you and what you think, or for that matter, how well your kids think. Plastered to the back of a rolling billboard, they catch the eye of total strangers who have the random chance to find themselves behind you and I in traffic, or who catch a glimpse in a parking garage. Some people, I have come to realize, are advertizing more than they know, for some bumper stickers betray a hidden (at least to the owner of the car) stupidity.
There are so many bumper stickers that scream “MORON!”
Here is one that I saw. What a profound question. Why do we kill people that kill people? Could it be that we don’t want them to killpeople again? Could it be that they deserve to die for taking an innocent child’s life? Could it be that there are those out there on parole who would love to shoot your stupid…..(calm yourself, Anthony)…..well, they would love to steal your car and leave you beside the road in a ditch, then drive away with your false advertisement on THEIR bumper.
The one that I would have to say gets me the most, maybe because I see it the most, is COEXIST. I just love all the little symbols that are used to make up the happy little plea for love and harmony. Too bad what it tells me is that the owner of the car is a blooming idiot, at the very least, or somehow an ostrich has learned how to drive with his head in the sand. The message behind the little sticker is really, “Hey you Christians! Can you quit being so narrow-minded and hateful? Don’t you know that we all just want to get along, but you keep screwing it up?” All religions are the same, you know, or that’s the idea. We are all worshipping the same god, just by a different name. All paths lead to heaven, it’s just that some choose to take a shortcut by blowing themselves to Allah in the name of Jihad…is that so wrong?
Tell that to the “C”
I like the following verse. Psalm 107:2 says, “Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy…” As Christians, we should be speaking out about the goodness and mercy of our God, not trying to seek favor with false gods by “COEXISTing” in perfect joy and mutual admiration. People in this country have the right to free speech and to freedom of religion, but if you haven’t noticed, we are in a real religious war. The “C” doesn’t like the “T” in that bumper sticker. If you’re going to put something on your bumper, make it something that points people down the narrow road, not the wide one that leads to destruction. Show your intelligence and advertize your faith…just don’t be tacky and weird about it…or then we get back into the looking-like-a-moron thing that my wife so desperately wants to avoid.
Now here’s an idea for the “perfect” bumper sticker!
We Are Family
Friends, all I know to tell you is that I have now had the privilege to meet one glittering jewel of a young blogger. Courtney’s blog is called 1 Timothy 4:12 Girl, and she is certainly “an example of the believers, in word, in conversation…” I’m excited to have her write a guest post for me. And in case you didn’t get it, she’s still a teenager!!
What does it mean to be a family?
Ask ten different people and you’ll get ten different answers.
To some, it’s the parents and siblings that they were raised with. To others, it’s their current family unit that they’ve created for themselves, through marriage and procreation. Still to others, it’s a grandparent or relative who raised them.
Family is a concept that is embedded deep within the human heart. We all long for a place to belong and feel at home.
A place to kick off our shoes after a long day.
A place where we can be fully ourselves—quirks and all.
A place to love and be loved.
Society tells us that family is limited to those related to us through blood or marriage.
The Bible on the other hand, tells a different story. When asked about His brothers and mother in the book of Matthew, Jesus turns previously held assumptions about family upside-down.
“Jesus asked, “Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?” Then he pointed to his disciples and said, “Look, these are my mother and brothers. Anyone who does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother!” (Matthew 12:48-50)
Jesus broadens the definition of family to include every believer who has been washed in the blood of Christ and saved by God’s amazing grace.
You are my brother. I am your sister. We are one giant family connected through the blood of Christ. Whatever your experience with your biological family, you have the guarantee of a family in Christ. This concept is reinforced throughout the New Testament, as familial language is repetitively used (1 Timothy 5:1-2, Hebrews 13:1, Philemon 1:15-16). The Bible even goes into detail about how to live this out, instructing us time and time again to love one and other and walk with fellow believers through times of trouble.
We live in a world that is starving for love. Look no further than the local news station to find that divisions between people are running rampant. This should not be so among believers. If we want to love a broken world, we must start by loving each other. Despite our many differences, we are one in Christ. This point is presented beautifully in Galatians 3:28. “There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”
Imagine how amazing our witness for Christ would be if we truly lived out Jesus’ vision for believers. I have seen the concept of family practiced vividly in the Christian blogging world and pray that this becomes a reality worldwide. No one should ever feel left out in the body of Christ. The first thing that a person should know when the walk through the doors of our churches is that they are loved. When Jesus hung on the cross, His arms were spread wide open, embracing everyone willing to come and follow Him. We are called to live as a reflection of that, and live out God’s radical love here on earth as brothers and sisters in Christ.
Connected as one big, crazy, awesome, beautiful family of believers.
Social Media Done Right
What Happened
Good Monday morning, everyone! I’m glad to be alive, alert, awake, and enthusiastic! How about you?
Friday morning was a bummer, that’s for sure; I was alive, but not enthusiastic. Friday morning I was suffering from some unnerving chest pain. Let me tell you what happened.
Friday morning I was going over some stuff at my computer. Actually, it was some papers outlining what was needed for me to start back to school, this time for an M.Div. at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. To be honest, they stressed me out. As I sat there, the left side of my chest began to hurt worse and worse. The pain continued for nearly half an hour.
Finally, I went to my wife and told her what was going on. I had my doubts what I was experiencing was heart-related, but there was no way for me to be sure, therefore my wife insisted I go to the emergency room at Memorial Hospital here in Chattanooga.
The pain started around 11 a.m., but we didn’t get to the E.R. until around 1:30. Thanks to a lot of people there before me, I was triaged and sent back to the lobby to wait…and wait…and wait. Finally, at 4:40 I was taken back to a bed in the E.R., then admitted to the CDU (Clinical Decision Unit) at 8:08 p.m. For the first time in my adult life I was made to stay in a hospital overnight.
On Saturday morning, after having my blood drawn twice the night before, I was ready for some food. What I was not ready for was the heart-healthy crap they feed you in a hospital. For crying out loud, you’d think a multi-thousand dollar hospital bed would sleep better than it did, but then to feed me bland oatmeal and decaffeinated coffee? Torture, I tell you!
After breakfast I was taken for a nuclear stress test. Between injections, waiting, and treading on the mill till I thought I’d die, that was another 2 1/2 hours. But come around 11 a.m. I was being released – NO heart problems! Hallelujah!
Right before I was released on Saturday morning. Encouraged by prayer notifications and “OK.”
But now my knee hurts from the tread mill. Oh well.
Done Right
Social media, such as Facebook, Twitter, and all our blogs, can be used for a lot of selfish and cynical reasons. But this past weekend, as my inbox will attest, there are times when the internet proves its usefulness.
From the time I first got to the hospital till the time I was checking out, my wife was responsible for sending and checking all the messages. Because of what she wrote others picked up the ball and began to run. Before too long there were people all over the world praying for me, many of which I didn’t even know.
Then, this morning, a fellow blogger showed up right after our morning church service, just to come pray with me. Do you have any idea how much that means?
Folks, I have been tremendously blessed to have friends and family, both in person and over the web, who care enough to intercede for me. It reminds me of the story in the book of Nehemiah, the story where the people were spread out working on the wall, linked together by only a trumpet’s call. But when the enemy struck the trumpet would sound, and that’s where all the people would gather to fight (sorta like what the R.A.F. did during the Battle of Britain).
In the right hands social media became the rallying trumpet, calling those spread far and wide to the aid of one lone wall builder.
The wall still stands; the defenses held.
Thank you for caring and coming to my aid!
Filed under blogging, Christian Unity, Relationships and Family
Blogger’s Bed and Breakfast
Bed & Breakfast
Once again the Blogger’s Bed & Breakfast (well, more like Blogger’s Inflatable & Breakfast) was pleased to entertain guests from far-off lands. As a matter of fact, those who came to visit were from way out in Missouriland, a place up in the northern territory.
Amazingly, our guests had no problem adapting to our civilized ways. They socialized without insulting our genteel sensibilities even once (I mean, you never know how Yankees will react to Southern hospitality)!
Actually, we were pleased to have Everett, Heather, and Emerson Mertens stay with us last night. They were on there way to Florida (Southern Yankee territory) and it just made sense for them to stop here for a spell in Chattanooga.
Me, Everett, Nugget, Valerie (my wife), Heather, Katie (my daughter), Emmy, and Haley (my daughter)
Bloggers
Heather Mertens is a blogger that I met online several years ago, and I had the chance to meet them for lunch when they passed through once before. But what an awesome, fun time it was this time around to have them come have dinner with us, stay overnight, and then eat breakfast before heading back out.
Like I’ve written before, bloggers are real people; it’s wonderful when we can actually meet in person, set aside the keyboards, and talk face-to-face. And in this case, it was our whole families sitting around the table, sharing a couple of meals, and fellowshipping like Christians everywhere should do… over food 😉
There’s always an invitation!
Filed under blogging, Christian Unity, Food, Relationships and Family
The Recovering Legalist 