Holy Week Blogosphere Reflections
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Here are three blog posts worth sharing during Holy Week. Christ lived, Christ died, Christ rose again — We Enjoy So Great a Salvation!!!

J.I. Packer on the 6 Things You Should Tell Yourself Every Day

  1. I am a child of God.

  2. God is my Father.

  3. Heaven is my home.

  4. Every day is one day nearer.

  5. My Savior is my brother.

  6. Every Christian is my brother too.

J.I. Packer suggests that if we want to focus the New Testament message in three words, he would choose ADOPTION THROUGH PROPITIATION.

Kevin DeYoung’s post on Salvation by Propitiation

We are always in desperate need to more fully understand the depth of our salvation in Christ.

Kevin DeYoung: There are many biblical ways to describe Christian salvation.

Salvation can be understood ritually as a sacrifice, as the expiation of guilt through the death of Christ on the cross.

Salvation can be understood commercially as redemption, as a payment made through the blood of Christ for the debt we owe because of sin.

Salvation can be understood relationally as reconciliation, as the coming together of estranged parties by means of Christ’s at-one-ment.

Salvation can be understood legally as justification, as the declaration that sins have been forgiven and that the sinner stands blameless before God because of the imputation of Christ’s righteousness.

3 Reasons I changed My Mind about Penal Substitution

Penal substitution cannot be tossed out as simplistic. Modern-day rants against the cross being a “form of cosmic child abuse” from a vengeful Father against an innocent Son cannot be sustained by a careful exegesis of scripture nor bear the weight of Trinitarian theology nor reflect the church’s historic witness of what truly transpired on Good Friday. So YES — we still glorify God during Holy Week because Christ lived the life I could never live and died the death that I deserved.

Daniel Hames: Yet as I began to read Scripture more deeply, I came to see these texts in the light of Scripture’s great themes and typologies. I could see no other way to interpret them—the animal skins in Genesis 3, the ram in Genesis 22, the Passover lamb and the firstborn sons, the darkness of judgment the night of the exodus from Egypt and the darkness that fell as Jesus died, all the undeniable language of propitiation and the blood on the mercy seat, and so much more.

Actually reading the Scriptures in their cohesive entirety, and seeing the Old Testament repeatedly preview the gospel, showed me that Jesus bearing our sin and its penalty is central—not peripheral, and not artificially imposed—to the story’s vast sweep.

Jason Carter
Salt & Light at TWC
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Trinity Wellsprings Church,

Almost every week, I hear of risk-taking missional advances our church family is taking as we endeavor to become a true “Community Overflowing”.  I’ve heard of a new attender opening her home for a “Soup Night” (after getting the idea from a sermon illustration) while another family decided that “Taco Night” better suited their barrio/neighborhood.  We already have 18 sign-ups of Covenant Partners who will host Neighborhood Easter Egg Hunts.  Bravo!

One Covenant Partner shared with staff that “Kingdom Meals with neighbors has resulted in a small home Bible Study at our house”. 

As a Session, we were talking again about our short-term vision in 2019 of being “Salt & Light” by practicing Radical Hospitality and sharing Gospel Encounters.

To give you a reminder, here’s the vision again: 

Radical Hospitality – What is a Kingdom Meal?  Hosting or eating a meal with folks who do not (yet!) have a church family. 

  • Goal for 2019:  Every Covenant Partner of TWC hosts two “Kingdom Meals” this calendar year to practice Radical Hospitality.

  • What to doPut a “Salt and Light stake” in the ground outside the main doors of the sanctuary. 

Gospel Encounter – What are Gospel Encounters?  Intentionally speaking the Good News of the Gospel, inviting people to serve our community with us, or inviting neighbors/friends we love to our church campus. 

  • Goal for 2019:  Every covenant Partner endeavors to have three “Gospel Encounters” for people in our community.

  • What to do:  Place a Gospel Encounter sticker on the wave display in the main lobby.

As a church family, we want to begin to share what is happening on the “Salt & Light” front in different pockets of our church family with the entire congregation! To that end, let me encourage you to fill out the Salt & Light testimonial card that appears in the pew backs this week or even drop me an email.

Remember: The Father loves you.  He’s crazy about you.  Now go get ‘em!

Pastor Jason Carter

Jason Carter
Blog Tidbits
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Every once in a while, I link to a few blog posts worth reading from the blog-o-sphere. Enjoy!!

6 Surprises Every Premarital Counselor Should Cover

These surprises are worth thinking about for all marriages:

  • The Sin Surprise

  • The Conflict Surprise

  • The “Slow-Change” Surprise

  • The Sex Surprise

  • The Parents/In-Laws Surprise

  • The “Forgiveness is Costly” Surprise

How Do Churches End Up with Domineering Bullies for Pastors?

Instead of transforming culture, churches are often a reflection of culture, prioritizing a results-oriented approach to ministry which requires a CEO or General instead of a pastor. The author lets 1 Peter 5:3 be the antidote: “Not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock”. The sexual and financial scandals of pastors often get the publicity, but when models of pastoral ministry are basically a reflection of business leadership practices, there often develops a short-term, results-oriented, toxic culture around pastoral ministry. This is plaguing the North American church and, I think, has been particularly toxic in Presbyterian circles (perhaps because Presbyterians have the richest per capita church membership on the planet and thus are more accustomed to dealing with — and accomodating — toxic leadership practices in the secular realm because of the bottom line financial results which sometimes accompanies these companies). In Africa, pastoral leadership culture often mirrored the “Big Man” politician. In North America, it’s often business leadership practices — sans theological reflection — that wags the tail of church leadership.

  • “Being domineering is catastrophic for a flock. It seems effective in the short term—it gets things done!—but it is disastrous in the long term.”

  • “There is obviously much to be learned from both successful CEOs and also great generals, but both models can quickly become toxic. When either becomes the primary model for Christian leadership, is it any wonder that domineering pastors result? The pastor-as-CEO approach might foster entrepreneurialism and risk-taking, but it easily becomes results-oriented. The pastor-as-general approach might foster perseverance and grit, but it easily becomes task-oriented. One produces swagger: Their word is law because they’re economically indispensable to the church. The other produces presumption: Orders must be followed because the general ‘knows’ what is best for every person. In each case we either tolerate or fail to see traits of bullying, because ministry ends justify ministry means.”

How to Form a Christian Mind in a Digital World

These are great questions for parents, and even adults, to wrestle with:

  • “Will new readers develop the more time-demanding cognitive processes nurtured by print-based mediums as they absorb and acquire new cognitive capacities emphasized by digital media?”

  • “Will our youth develop such a passive response to knowledge that eventually the store of what they know and their ability to connect it through analogy and inference will be depleted?”

  • “Will the combination of reading on digital formats and daily immersion in a variety of digital experiences . . . impede the formation of the slower cognitive processes such as critical thinking, personal reflection, imagination, and empathy that are part of deep reading?”

How To Sabotage a Bible Study

If you lead a Bible study or participate in a Bible study, these are some challenging thoughts.

Jason Carter
Read THE BOOK & Read a Book (or two) in 2019
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Recently, I observed that it takes, on average, a person only 70 hours to read the Bible from cover to cover.  Amazing.  I gave four different plans to read the Book in 2019.  Those plans just might represent the “70 Most Crucial Hours of 2019” for your life.

In addition to the Bible, let me encourage you to pick up a book (or two or a few) in 2019:

If you want to read along with the current sermon series The Art of Neighboring, let me suggest you pick up The Simplest Way to Change the World: Biblical Hospitality as a Way of Life which is brimming with practical ideas of how to implement biblical hospitality in your everyday life.

If you want to read along with the next sermon series GO! Becoming a Great Commission Church, I would suggest you pick up Let the Nations Be Glad by John Piper to find out what it means to follow Jesus’ instruction to go into all the world and make disciples of all the nations (Mt. 28).

For reading the Bible with kids, let me suggest four books: (1) The Jesus Storybook Bible, (2) The Ology: Ancient Truths Ever New, (3) The Action Bible, and (4) The Biggest Story: How the Snake Crusher Brings Us Back to the Garden.

If you plan on going to the Marriage Retreat, we will be challenging couples to read Paul Tripp’s What Did You Expect: Redeeming the Realities of MarriageMake it a goal to read one book on marriage this year with your spouse.  Larry Crabb’s Marriage Builder would also be worth your time and investment in your marriage this year. 

If you are new to the Christian faith or find yourself on the fence, let me suggest the simple but profound book (and a very quick read) What is the Gospel? by Greg Gilbert or The Case for Faith: A Journalist Investigates the Toughest Objections to Christianity by Lee Strobel. 

For moms who are stressed out and busy, pick up Present Over Perfect: Leaving Behind Frantic for a Simpler, More Soulful Way of LivingFor men who are wanting to deepen their walk with God in all areas of their lives, let me recommend Disciplines of a Godly Man

If you’ve never read C.S. Lewis or Henri Nouwen, two classic 20th century authors, you could start with either C.S. Lewis’ Mere Christianity or The Screwtape Letters or Henri Nouwen’s Return of the Prodigal Son. All three books are a feast for your soul. 

If you are struggling with prayer or simply want to be more effective at prayer, you would be encouraged and challenged by Richard Foster’s Prayer: Finding the Heart’s True Home.

If you want to deepen your theology with some accessible works, let me recommend Saved by Grace by Anthony Hoekema or The Cross of Christ by John Stott.  Both works would deepen your appreciation and understanding of the Lenten season leading up to Easter.

Finally, if you are struggling, you’d find a fellow struggler who lost his mother, wife, and daughter all in one day in a car accident in A Grace Disguised by Jerry Sittser. 

The TWC bookstore sells all of these books at amazon prices (or better).

Be a reader in 2019 – both of THE book and of good Christians books that help you grow in your faith. Remember, a growing Christian is a reading Christian.

Be encouraged,

Jason Carter

 

 

Jason Carter
Adaptation of C.S. Lewis' The Screwtape Letters (On the Intersection of Being Missional & Practicing Radical Hospitality)
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In the tradition of C.S. Lewis’ classic The Screwtape Letters where an older demon (Screwtape) counseled his nephew & younger protege demon (named Wormwood), I offer the following counsel from Screwtape about the “perils” of Christians being missional by practicing radical hospitality:

My dearest Nephew Wormwood,

The Enemy’s Son came eating and drinking (Luke 7:34).  Luckily for us, we have learned over the years to twist this profoundly social occasion where life, relationship, and the Enemy’s Word may be shared into a singularly private affair. Yes, I commend you over the years for convincing your subject of many simple but profoundly effective lies against carrying out the Enemy’s mission on earth.

Though your subject has recently begun going to church, all is not lost. During the sermon precisely when the Enemy loves to ignite faithful lives that are profoundly others-centered, you know what to do:  Help them crave funny stories.  Help them long for individualistic applications.  You, of course, will want to do your best to convince your subject that following the Enemy is primarily a private affair.  Our Cause is never so much endangered as when the subject begins to ask questions about his mission and witness in the world.

A budding fire for the Enemy’s mission is easily quenched by reminding your subject of several lies which – though boring to you by now – have proven so effective over the centuries.

Whisper repeatedly in your subject’s ear:  who are you?  Make them profoundly insecure.  Remind them of their lack of a seminary degree. Assure them repeatedly that it’s their pastor’s job to reach the community. Playing on the insecurities of their own lack of knowledge and widening the gap between clergy and laity has often proven to be a most effective weapon at stopping the Enemy’s foolish intention to include everyone in his Mission. 

Yet even when they believe adamantly in the Enemy’s mission, all is not lost.  Work to convince them at all costs that the mission of our Enemy is mostly a church program and not a way of life.  If you can convince your subject that working all day is a secular pursuit and worshiping for one hour is their spiritual pursuit, then you have won the day.  At all costs, never allow them to consider that their work life or their home life can be leveraged for the Enemy’s Kingdom.  This would put our Cause in a most perilous state.   

Remember what happened when the Enemy’s Son came on our turf.  We thought he was keeping busy eating and drinking and suddenly lives were being changed.  And so, if your subject ever hears about the hospitality that the Enemy practiced while on earth, do your best to confuse the categories and blur the lines between hospitality and entertaining.  Convince your subject that hospitality is really about nice china, white dollies and Victorian-era conversations.  That their house isn’t nice enough, their house isn’t big enough, and that their food isn’t good enough.  In short, make it all about them. This is, of course, one of their biggest weakness even while residing in the Enemy’s camp.  Never allow them to recognize that hospitality is really about others, about relationships, and about their mission in the world.  Remember, keep reminding them that the Enemy’s mission is a church program and not an everyday practice and your subject will forever only skim the surface of what he’s capable of accomplishing for the Enemy. 

And on the very unlikely occasion – Hell help me – that your subject begins to tinker with the idea of inviting those to his home to practice hospitality in the way of the Enemy, rest assured that there are still several tactics you can employ.

First, tell your subject repeatedly:  This is a good idea.  And be sure to do it “when things settle down someday”.  Even ideas that come straight from the Enemy’s playbook can be forever postponed with this simple reminder. “Things will settle down someday. Do it then.”  Of course, we know that this a lie.  And that we work over the culture day and night to assure that their lives never settle down.  But if we can convince them – that their particular stage in life, whatever it may be – is always most unconducive for them to practice the Enemy’s mission, we will have won the day. 

Second, remind your subject of his busyness with this line:  “Everybody lives like this.”  Make your subject constantly believe that being overly busy is simply a way of life.  “Everyone’s doing it” is a line that works not only on teenagers but for entire sorry lot of them.  Of course, we know that this is a lie:  that there are thousands of people in the Enemy’s camp who live healthy lives.  Yet if your subject believes that “Everyone lives like this” – his own busyness and distraction will not only prohibit spiritual growth, but Wormwood – the great news is – that he will have no time for the Enemy’s mission. As you know, it’s one thing for your subject to believe in the idea of the Enemy’s mission but another thing entirely to live it out. 

Third, if – Hell forbid – your subject ever decides to take up the challenge to practice radical hospitality, make sure they practice it like the Romans and the Greeks: that they only invite others who can reciprocate.  Or like the Pharisees who only invited people who lived and believed and acted like them.  Always try to keep hospitality inside the confines of Enemy territory, the church. Once they start invading our territory with hospitality, be on extreme alert.  As you know, this was the way the Enemy won over so many from our side when he walked the earth.  Never let them dwell on the truth that 75% of their neighbors are not in church on any given Sunday[1]; thankfully our communications department has led followers of the Enemy to believe that the statistics are much higher and in their favor.  We always use this to our complete advantage because it diminishes their light if the darkness isn’t recognized. 

Fourth, if your subject – and this would really stink to High Hell – suddenly feels moved by the Spirit of the Enemy to live their life on mission & as a witness to the Enemy, our cause is still not all lost.  Guide your subject to conduct a brief but hard-hitting truth foray into our territory by dropping some “truth bombs” for all their neighbors to see, preferably on social media.  Be sure to stroke the ego of your subject by convincing them that their duty to the Enemy’s Cause has thus been fulfilled by a few Facebook posts.    

After all, we masterminded Facebook to stir up precisely this kind of divisiveness and polarization in today’s age.  If the Enemy’s truth that is shared can be mixed with a divisive political message or watered down with a self-help truism so that these Christians are speaking stronger words than their relationships warrant, so much the better.  As you know, having strong words and a weak relationship with a neighbor often works to our advantage. 

Yet let me warn you, Wormwood, of a few revealing signs that your subject has taken a turn for the worse, especially with regard to the Enemy’s mission:         

By all means, you must always help your Christian subject to avoid at all costs -- practicing hospitality in our territory with the intention of warmly sharing life and truth and their faith in the Enemy in the most natural way possible.  As if their faith were the most natural expression of who they are.  When they begin to digest that the Enemy’s mission is not complicated or complex but can actually be carried out over simple meals both in and outside the home, our dark Cause is prone to suffer by their very presence and lifestyle.  You should be very worried if such a situation would develop, Wormwood.  Very worried.

A second tell-tale sign your subject has taken a turn for the worse is when they recognize that, despite their busyness, and despite their family life, they begin to live with a quiet Intentionality and confidence in the Enemy’s mission.  Suddenly, your subject may realize that it’s not their job to argue someone into the faith, but to share their life and witness and to love deeply their neighbor as a way of communicating the Warm Heart of the Enemy.  At this point, we have big problems on our hands, Wormwood.  Big problems.  And if they communicate the Warm Heart of the Enemy with hospitality and with love and with a genuine interest in other people because their neighbor is made in the Image of the Enemy, we know this is when Heaven begins to invade our territory.

All for now. 

Darkly yours,

Uncle Screwtape

[1] See https://churchleaders.com/pastors/pastor-articles/139575-7-startling-facts-an-up-close-look-at-church-attendance-in-america.html/4

Jason Carter
Christmas Reflections
“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given…” (Isaiah 9:6a)

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given…” (Isaiah 9:6a)

The entire Christmas story is surprising.  Frederick Buechner once described the incarnation as “a kind of vast joke whereby the creator of the ends of the earth comes among us in diapers”.  He concludes, “Until we too have taken the idea of the God-man seriously enough to be scandalized by it, we have not taken it as seriously as it demands to be taken.”

Writing on the post-Christian culture of the West, Frederica Mathewes-Green makes a poignant observation: “We grew up with the Jesus story, until we outgrew it.  The last day we walked out of Sunday School may be the last day we seriously engaged this faith.”  Yet, compared with living a secularized entertain-me now life that is so prevalent amongst suburbia America, the Christian faith requires more intellectual seriousness (not less), more capacity for cultivating wonder and awe in life (not less), more aptitude for joy (not less), and more willingness to live into our full humanity (not less) because of the implications of the incarnation. 

The Christian faith is intellectually rigorous, demanding on the affections, and practically challenging. It requires a response from the head, the heart, and the hands. Do you think that the God who meets us in the manger and the cross, would let us simply coast through life without asking hard questions, without living sacrificially, or without having our hearts deeply stirred by the things of God?  In this way, the claims of Christ are always pushing us to exert more influence on our lives than we are (typically) willing to give.  Pause to consider the manger.  Pause to consider the Son of God in diapers.  And then think about how congruent and consistent the teachings of Jesus really are which call for our total allegiance to his person and cause.  If the Son of God was truly born in a manger, if God has done everything in his power to meet me with love in my broken humanity, then perhaps this is a God worthy of my life and worship. 

As Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote, “We cannot approach the manger of the Christ child in the same way we approach the cradle of another child.  Rather, when we go to his manger, something happens, and we cannot leave it again unless we have been judged or redeemed. Here we must either collapse or know the mercy of God directed to us.”

Such is the immense love and holy awesomeness of the manger.

Merry Christmas!!!

Pastor Jason Carter

 

 

Jason Carter