I’ve been reading a book recently entitled Souls in Transition. The author is Christian Smith, a professor of Sociology and Director of the Center for the Study of Religion and Society at the University of Notre Dame. This book is the result of a series of interviews with young adults as they enter adulthood. While there are some very encouraging things about the future of the church that I read in this book, there are also some rather troubling things as well.

There is a decreasing percentage of young adults who believe the full teaching of the Bible. More and more, young adults are taking the parts they like and leaving the hard parts or simply reducing the Christian faith to a simple moral lifestyle. It is, as a recent Tennessean article calls it: “believe in Jesus and be nice” theology.

What are we as part of the church of Jesus to do with this growing development? In the past few months, I’ve read of two rather distinct approaches to this.

Last summer I studied the “Emerging Church Movement,” which reflects one approach to this. This movement encourages people, particularly young people, to question and challenge everything they have been taught before and come up with their own composite set of whatever they want to believe. While I strongly disagree with this approach, the emphasis in this is to let people think what they want. If they want to make up their own set of teachings on what they believe the Bible teaches, that is fine. Such people believe that if young leaders want to lead the church in that direction, let them go. It often results in a rather wholesale disposing of the previous 2,000 years of church history or ignoring what God has been doing in His church over the past 2,000 years.

The other approach is reflected in an article in the newspaper which I read recently. Some churches are taking this shift very seriously and are starting to work very hard at teaching the youth and young adults to really know and understand the Bible. The emphasis is moving away from providing fun activities for young people to serious engaging with God’s Word and the teaching of Scripture.

As I reflect again on the things I read about and learned from last summer, this seems to be the only course that a true follower of Jesus can take. Not that I am against having fun or doing fun things! The Christian life should be filled with fun and joyful things! Yet we must be teaching the truths of the Bible and wrestling with those things that are difficult and wrestling with the demands that Scripture places on us as far as our lives and beliefs are.

Why do I mention this at this point? At a recent Council meeting we were discussing our work here in Faith Church and what it will look like in the next 5-10 years. I proposed to them at that time that we begin a very concerted effort in “handing the reigns” over to the younger generation. Many of those who have been leading so faithfully over the past 20-30 years are nearing retirement and while I don’t believe that God ever encourages us (perhaps never allows) a person to retire into a state of inactivity, it is time to let younger members assume more and more of a role in leadership. It is their church already now just as much as anyone. It will be their church even more in the next several years.

The Council is in the beginning stages of planning an all church retreat where these things can be discussed and worked through more intentionally. I would ask for you to pray for this retreat and the plans that will entail this transition. We are all “souls in transition.” We are all at different stages in our lives. At this point, it is important that we face this transition as a church so that future generations may continue to worship and serve our Lord faithfully in this community.

Pastor Jerry September 2010

A Hole in the Rock

I think I have a sinkhole in my backyard. I’m not a geologist or anything close to that, but I know that there is a hole there that slowly keeps growing. Each spring I fill the hole with dirt and last year’s mulched leaves, but whatever I put in that hole slowly disappears. It used to be only about two feet long and one foot across. and now it’s three feet long and two feet wide. And in the past two years, there is a new sink hole starting. It isn’t as deep as the first but it’s longer and just as wide.

Fortunately, these two holes are well away from our house and driveway, but still it is a bit unnerving. If the sinkholes continue to grow and spread they could eventually come close to the driveway or our house and things will start caving in. These holes have the potential for taking over my yard and my house.

In an attempt to stop them from spreading, I’ve placed good sized rocks in the holes and covered them but the holes keep growing. I’ve thought about putting concrete over it and putting a dome over the holes, but I have a feeling that would eventually sink down as well. What I really want to be able to do is to look underground and see exactly what is going on. I don’t know if I would be able to fix it or stop it, but at least I would be able to understand it.

I mention this because this month we think about another hole in a rock. This one too was very perplexing to the ones who first saw it. However, in this case, they could see into the hole. In fact, they could walk right in and see what was in the hole. What perplexed them was that it was empty… almost. There were burial clothes neatly laying there on the shelf carved in the rock, but that was it. The dead body that they knew had been placed there two days before was gone!

They heard an explanation from angels but what they said was so unbelievable that it couldn’t possibly be true: “He is risen??” People don’t just raise up from the dead and walk out of a tomb! And yet, there was that empty hole in the rock. It continued to be most perplexing until Jesus appeared to them and reassured them that He was indeed very much alive and raised from the dead.

That is what we celebrate on Easter. The tomb is empty. Jesus is risen and is living today! Hallelujah! That hole in the rock means the end of sin and it means that we have life fully and completely, both now and for eternity!

My sinkhole is growing and spreading in my back yard, but I don’t know when, or even if, it will be a problem. It is a mystery. What is known without any doubt is that the impact and effect of the empty tomb is spreading slowly but steadily throughout the entire world. More and more knees are bowing and tongues confessing that Jesus Christ is Lord!

And we know that because of that empty tomb, our lives and our future are certain. There may be a lot of things we don’t know about in our lives, but we can be sure of this: God loves us and if He has claimed us as His children through Christ, nothing will ever separate us from that love. We are loved, accepted and redeemed through Jesus. Two, our future, no matter what may happen to us while on earth, is secure. God, in His grace, will see to it.

He is risen! He is risen indeed!

Pastor Jerry
April 2010

Singing the Doxology for Unexpected Blessings

Monday morning, after the recent snow storm, I drove in to church to begin my week. Gene Bratt had warned me that there was a huge ridge of plowed snow and ice blocking the driveway but I had no idea as to the extent of the blockage. As I pulled up to the driveway, I knew there was no way that I, or anyone else for that matter, would be able to drive through the frozen solid ridge without ripping up the front or bottom of their car.
Now I knew that it was supposed to melt in a few days but the Engedi group wanted to meet on Tuesday and other groups as well and the driveway really needed to be opened up. Later that day as I started chiseling away at the 10 foot wide and 8 inch tall ridge of frozen slush, I noticed two private snow plows arrive next door to clear out the condo parking lot. I must admit that I hoped that maybe they might take pity on my plight and come over to blast the icy ridge open with their plows.
They disappeared up around the condo parking lot and I kept chipping away at the ice and snow trying to open up our driveway. My hope was to have enough cleared off so that at least one car could pull in. I had just made one skinny path about a foot wide through the ridge when I saw the snow plow drivers again, stopping at Old Hickory Blvd. Now I have to also admit that I gave a few furtive glances their way and maybe, maybe went a bit slower to highlight my tired labor.
So I was beyond pleased that as the first plow left the condo street, he turned left and then aimed right for our driveway, blowing a path right through the icy ridge! Soon the second plow followed and opened up the driveway even wider. Then they turned around and finished opening up the driveway completely. As the first driver finished up, I approached the second driver and thanked him profusely for helping out. He said, “Well, it looked like you weren’t having a lot of fun and we thought we could help you out a bit.”
He told me that they were from Missouri and were following the storm east, plowing and making money as they went. I don’t know if it was my pathetic form out there or whether they had made enough money to decide to head on back home to Missouri, but I was so thankful that they came over to help me! I only wish that you could have seen their handiwork but by the next time you arrive at the church building it will be long gone.
As I walked back up to the top of the hill carrying that tiny shovel, I was humming the doxology. Usually when I sing “Praise God from whom all blessings flow,” I think of God’s grace or creation or my family or other blessings. However this time, the blessing that flowed from God was in the form of two smoking good ol’ boys from Missouri.
Two weeks ago, I challenged us to look for God in all things. I could easily picture God smiling as I watched those two men from Missouri saving me a bunch of work. “Here’s yet another blessing for you, Jerry… all the way from Missouri.” Isn’t life with a God of grace amazing?

Pastor Jerry
February 2010

Some New Year Reflections

I’ve never been one for New Year’s resolutions. Perhaps it’s because I know myself well enough to know that keeping them might be pretty difficult and remote. I certainly don’t have anything against making them, but it’s not something that was a part of my life as I grew up.

Quite honestly at this point, I think I shy away from making resolutions because I know I won’t be able to keep them. There may be a few exceptions, of course as I can be taught to do things differently. I have managed to keep my desk relatively clean and clear for much of this past year. That is something I didn’t think was possible. However, I still have a dirty car in spite knowing that I should keep it clean. I probably still buy more books than what I can realistically read. And those are the things I’ll mention in this newsletter article.

I am realistic in looking back on this past year. I know I’ve messed up in a lot of ways. So much so that if I dwelled on it, it might make me more than a little depressed and worried. And if I look back at the last 54 years, well then I might as well just forget it! There have been way too many things that would stack up against me that I have done.

So what keeps me going? It is knowing that no matter what I have done, God has forgiven me. God was often not happy with what I have done, but I am confident that His love for me never wavered because I belong to Jesus.

And I’m confident that this will be true in this coming year as well. I know that I’m going to mess up. I know I’m going to make mistakes and do things that I know I shouldn’t do. I’m not going to be the person God wants me to be. Yet, I also know that God loves me and will always love me. That is not based on how loveable and wonderful I am (which I am not), but because He has adopted me as His child. When someone loves you when you’re not very loveable, that should make a big impression on us. Since God loved me even when I was dead, I am going to try as best as I can to live for Him.

But there is more good news! Whether I’m a really good child of His or struggle mightily, His love will always be there. I don’t have to earn His love by being good. I do want God to be happy with me, but His love will always remain. So it is in that assurance and confidence that I enter the year 2010. I will pray with the Psalmist: “May the favor of the Lord our God rest upon us; establish the work of our hands for us– yes, establish the work of our hands.” (Psalm 90:17) Have a blessed and grace-filled 2010!

Pastor Jerry
January 2010

Sabbatical Report: Visiting Other Churches

Due to my job, going “church shopping” is something that is very unfamiliar to me. In fact, I have never been in a position where I had to look for a church home. Thus my experience this summer of visiting other churches was one that was quite unfamiliar to me. Now I should add that I was not really church shopping. I don’t have plans to leave Faith Church and join another church in Nashville. Nonetheless, I approached visiting other churches in the area with the mind-set of one who was looking for a church home and was thus evaluating the worship services and the overall setting of the church. Based on my experiences of visiting churches this past summer, I came away with the following thoughts and ideas.

1. In the first few minutes of the worship service the focus must be on the fact that God is present and we are here to worship him. It’s not about us; it’s about God. And it’s not about what we have done or doing, it’s about what God has done in his grace.

2. I also would like our music to reflect the diversity we have here at Faith. I’m exploring more ways of doing that with our Worship Team and would welcome any suggestions anyone has regarding music. We want our music and praise to be meaningful and to glorify God above all else.

3. I want to include the children more directly in the worship service. I would like to reintroduce children’s bulletins and have them available on a regular basis. If anyone is willing to help with that, I would greatly appreciate it. I also want to speak more to the children within the setting of the service itself and explain to the children what we are doing and why we do things.

4. I also will be tapping more into the heritage and the deep roots of our faith throughout the centuries. Our church is not just a modern phenomenon by any means. Our roots go deeply into the past and there is so much we can learn from Christians who lived before us. That is why I have started using prayers and responses that reflect our rich Christian heritage through the ages as well.

5. In general I found the preaching to be across the board as far as quality is concerned. Some were little more than popular lectures on how to live as a Christian while others were solid and helpful explanations of what the Bible says. What struck me about a few places was the attempt on the part of the pastor to reach out to a postmodern setting by having the congregation submit questions or the theme of the sermon itself. This is the basis of the “I Have a Question” sermon series which I will be doing next year.

6. On a more practical note, I was also struck by the casual dress of most of the pastors of churches that would be similar to our church. The Council and I discussed this prior to my coming back and that is why I have been dressing less formally. We are not a high church nor are we a “rich” church and I was concerned that a jacket and tie might give a mixed message as to the kind of church we are.

7. Finally, I want to continue to remember and remind each other that it is all about grace! It’s so easy to focus on our responsibilities and duties. They are there without question, but our focus must be on God and His amazing grace!

Overall, I believe that we are doing a good job of worship in Faith Church. I think it’s important to “unpack” and explain a portion of Scripture in a sermon and I will continue to do this. I think it is important that we truly have a sense of being in the presence of God. Even if they have been challenged firmly in their Christian walk, we need to make sure that people leave the service realizing and celebrating that no matter what we did or no matter what we do in the coming week, God’s grace covers us and God loves us. I want us all to live in the joy and freedom of grace.

Pastor Jerry
November 2009

The Church and Our Culture Today

Over the next couple of months, I will be writing about some of the things I learned during my sabbatical this past summer.  This month I will be writing about our world and how we can respond to the world we are living in today.

How is the world different from when you were younger?  Obviously the answer to that question depends how old you are, but I think we would all agree that the world in which we live is changing significantly.  We have been living in a postmodern age and that has shaped a lot of what we do as the church.  What follows is very much a simplification of postmodernism and its thought, but I think it is helpful to understand why things are the way they are today.

Postmodern thought means there are no boundaries and no absolute truth.  What every person experiences is the key.  If something is pleasing and good and enjoyable experience, then it is automatically good.  So you can hold any doctrines you wish, even if they are contradictory.  A postmodern person can believe in Christ and the Bible and also reincarnation and not see any contradiction at all.

Moreover, if you don’t want to believe in something in the Bible, that is ok.  A person’s beliefs are very personal and revolve around whatever form of truth each person wants to have.  If it works for that person, then it is good for that person.  The reality of sin is not a major concern in postmodern thought.  In a postmodern church, you can believe what you want to believe.  If you try to convince anyone of your view, you are viewed as intolerant or simply wrong.

Now you can easily imagine that evangelism has really run into hard times with this kind of cultural mind-set being so prevalent.  What right does anyone have to say that their set of beliefs is the right one and that others should change their views to conform with yours?  A person who holds to certain beliefs may be respected for having such firm beliefs, but the moment he or she tries to convince others, they have stepped way over the line according to postmodern thought.

So how does the church respond and live in such a wildly tolerant and diverse climate?  I believe the solution is a renewed emphasis on orthodox Christianity where doctrine is taught and the Bible’s teachings are strongly upheld.  However, this must be much more than simply teaching the truths of the Bible.  Christians must not only believe it, they must live it out fully and authentically.

Moreover, a postmodern person tends to think globally and in a multi-cultural and multi-generational way.  There is a great deal of admiration and respect for groups that include a variety of ethnicities and in a wide range of generations.  I believe this positions us very well at Faith Church as we respond to our culture.  Our church is clearly representative of various generations and certainly we reflect several cultures.  The simple make up of our church would be appealing to a typical postmodern person.

Thus the best response to postmodernism is to be a confessional, orthodox and diverse church which strongly emphasizes grace and genuine worship.  As we present ourselves, we don’t need to provide doctrinal answers as much as grace lived out and experienced.  The best way to appeal to a postmodernist in sermons is the story of redemption as revealed in Scripture.

We must also focus on witness, proclamation and mission both locally and around the world.  We don’t need to dumb down our worship but should let our service reflect the fullness of worshiping God.  Recent studies have shown that what people want is preaching the word with conviction, especially doctrine of sin and grace.  It is all about sin and grace, not just as doctrine, but lived out in confession and reconciliation with one another.  Our Christian faith must then be lived with integrity and honesty.

The final area that we need to focus our efforts in is in the area of mission.  We are not called to be the body of Christ and do nothing.  We are to be Christ’s hands and feet in this world but we must do this with the full authority of all of Scripture.   That is why I am so eager to get involved in tutoring students in our community.  By doing that we can make a difference for our Lord and have something very positive to say to those who are living in this culture today.

Pastor Jerry

October 2009