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From the Padre’s Keyboard: 22 July
2008 If God is for us, who can be against us? --Romans 8:31b (NKJV) Being well connected can be very advantageous. This is especially true when the
connection is Divine.
In the modern church, we are often tempted to fear a number of
things, including political persecution, demonic oppression, decline in
public morality, and plummeting church attendance. Really, the list could go on and
on. In reaction to our fear,
instead of being the salt of the earth, the light of the
world, and the ground and
pillar of truth, we become annoying political pundits, superstitious
shamans, petty moralists, and little more than clowns performing
on a stage, among other less than flattering descriptions. Paul gives us quite a different
perspective, a perspective completely and utterly void of fear. He declares without hesitation,
without pause, without reservation, his informed, inspired persuasion:
“Neither death nor life, neither angels nor principalities nor powers, nor
things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other
created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is
in Christ Jesus our Lord” (vs. 38-39, NKJV). Pastor
Calm your expectations; reduce them to a lowly standard. Something real, cool, and solid, lies before you; something unromantic as Monday morning, when all who have work wake with the consciousness that they must rise and betake themselves thereto. --Charlotte Bronte (from the Introduction to Shirley) I find the simile employed by Bronte above thoroughly fascinating, not so much for its place within the introduction of her story, but for the sheer imagery. The verbiage is beautiful and elegant, yet it is almost physically painful. Any working person knows that gnawing feeling in their stomach, that filmy taste in their mouth, that fleeting thought of dread which accompanies our awakening to the Monday dawn. Of course, there are some who adore their work and cannot wait to begin the week, but such are few and far between in our modern, alienated society. Notice also how the author contrasts the adjectives "real" and "solid" with the romantic. At the same time, she asks us to assume the lowly standard of reality before proceeding. Yes, the real, the solid, truly is not very exciting in the final analysis. Life, we must admit, is not very romantic. It is often cool, often mundane, often hard. In fact, the great preacher of Ecclesiastes lets us in on an ancient secret of profound wisdom, one which we probably would rather not hear and certainly not heed. He spent much of his life pursuing pleasure, the exciting, the luxurious, the extraordinary. The world was his oyster, and he swallowed it whole; life was his elixir and he drank it to the full. Yet, he concludes that it is all vanity, a chasing after the wind. The sun rises and sets, yet it sees nothing new under its rays. As if that were not disturbing enough, he also concludes that the best we can do is have food for the mouth and work for the hands. He counsels us to obey the commandments of God and love the wife of our youth. This is not exactly juicy stuff. Indeed, such will rarely make for good novel or HBO series fodder. But, that is really the point after all. The insightful philosopher of the ancient text is telling us that wisdom is found not in pursuing the phantasms of extraordinary fantasy but in enjoying the mundane things of everyday life. Nevertheless, alas, we do not listen. We crave excitement; we lust for the illusive pleasures of the world, even as our souls pine for something more, something deeper, something lasting, something real. Like the old U2 song, we have climbed the highest mountain, we have scaled the city wall, we have felt the burning desire, we have held the hand of the devil, but we are still running. We still haven't found what we're looking for. We don't know what we're looking for exactly, we just know we haven't found it yet. Perhaps what we are looking for is already before us, already at our fingertips, and in our possession. Perhaps a roof over our head, a meal on the table surrounded by our family, a good glass of scotch, the conversation of intelligent company, and a gentle kiss from the wife of our youth is the point of arrival, the most we can expect from this life, the most we should expect. No, it isn't very romantic, but it is real. It is solid. It is true. It is, quite simply, beautiful in every respect, even if severely underappreciated. (Originally written January 2007) Pastor
I would agree with the statement above, as long as the truth is relevant and tactfully communicated. For instance, it is true that Maria Teresa Mestre y Batista is the wife of the Grand Duke of Luxembourg. Nevertheless, depending on the subject of discussion at a given time, this bit of data may not be particularly pertinent. Thus, the communication of a fact, just because it is a fact, may not necessarily have anything to do with love. However, as soon as the fact becomes pertinent, carrying attendant ramifications, things change. If a friend of mine were to see Maria Teresa incognito on the street while touring Luxembourg, and, finding her attractive, he decided to ask her out for a beer, it would not be very charitable for me to withhold the information I possess regarding the true identity and marital status of the fair duchess. However, even relevant truth need not be spewed forth as from a fire hose. Wisdom may require premeditation and planning as to the proper moment, manner, and circumstances in which to communicate relevant truth. As the Scriptures say, “If a man loudly blesses his neighbor early in the morning, it will be taken as a curse” (Proverbs 27:14, NIV). In other words, timing and delivery really do matter. Of course, Bishop Ryle’s candid statement occurs in the context of a discussion over the most relevant and pertinent truth of all—the unique Lordship of Jesus Christ, the uncompromised, biblical fact that He is the only way of salvation, the only font of eternal life. After all, if there really is a heaven, and there really is a hell, then nothing is more relevant than how we gain the former and escape the latter. Contrary to our rather confused and foundationless notions of tolerance, it is far from loving and kind to encourage someone to believe a lie, especially when that lie might have eternal negative ramifications. Jesus is Lord. He is the way, the truth, and the life, and no one comes to the Father but by Him. This is a simple, unchangeable fact. Indeed, in all godly charity, let us commit ourselves to remind our friends and loved ones of its relevance, although let us not do so loudly early in the morning. Fr. Andrew McIntyre + Pastor
When we think of the 4th of July, we immediately call to mind fireworks, barbequed beef, and good times with friends and family. However, to use Aristotelian language, these are the accidents of the holiday, but they are not of the essence. That is, these are things we do in association with the observance, but they are not the reason or purpose itself. I wonder how often we consider that in celebrating Independence Day as Americans we are actually fulfilling a divine commandment, namely the Fifth Commandment quoted above. When our forefathers courageously pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor in order to form a nation founded on the principles of natural law, liberty, and justice, they were not simply engaging in a rhetorical flourish of empty promises. Those who have gone before us planted the seed of the nation with their literal blood, sweat, and tears. They fought the wars that have won and maintained our freedom, they established the rule of law, they tilled the soil, they tamed the land, they built the institutions that form us as a culture, as a people. They sacrificed everything they had and everything they were for the sake of their posterity, for us. Were they perfect? Of course not, for the sons and daughters of Adam are sinners of a fallen race. Yet, we are commanded to honor them, to honor their good qualities and accomplishments, and to forgive them of their sins. So, as we enjoy the fireworks, eat our tender morsels, and laugh with our loved ones, let us not forget the solid foundation of the sacred honor of our fathers, upon which our privileges and prosperity are erected. Let us not lose the forest for the trees. Let us not forget to honor their memory. Finally, let us not forget true observance of the holiday includes an honest commitment to labor continuously to form this nation into what our fathers and mothers envisioned, a just nation, a nation where every man may pursue life, liberty, and happiness, a nation where every man possesses the rights endowed by His Creator unimpeded and unthreatened by the tyranny and oppression of an uncontrolled state and an uncontrolled populace. Let us honor them by keeping the vision alive. Fr. Andrew McIntyre + Pastor A faithful man will abound with blessings,
The people of God in all times and in all places serve
the Lord who is ever faithful to His holy covenant, whose loving kindness
endures from everlasting to everlasting. In response, we must be faithful,
even when, perhaps especially when, faithfulness does not produce the
dramatic, instant results we desire in the manner we envision. As St. Paul exhorts the
Corinthians, we must remain steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the
work of the Lord, knowing that our labor is not in vain. Pastor
I have learnt to love you late, Beauty at once so ancient and so
new! Pastor
St. Paul reminds us that faith includes a conviction that God is
living and active in this world, that He is good and just, delighting in
His people and working all things together for their advancement in the
faith. Paul reminds us that
faith sees purpose in all things, even tragedy. In Look Homeward, Angel, Thomas Wolfe
gives us quite a different perspective. The following
is the character Eliza’s response to the untimely death of her kind and
quiet son. “‘If I had known. If I
had known,’ said Eliza. And
then: ‘I’m sorry.’ But he knew
that her sorrow at that moment was not for him or for herself, or even
for the boy whom idiot chance had thrust in the way of pestilence, but that,
with a sudden inner flaming of her clairvoyant Scotch soul, she had looked
cleanly, without pretense for the first time, upon the inexorable tides of
Necessity, and that she was sorry for all who had lived, were living, or
would live, fanning with her prayers the useless altar flames, suppliant
with their hopes to an unwitting spirit, casting the tiny rockets of their
belief against remote eternity, and hoping for grace, guidance, and
delivery upon the spinning and forgotten cinder of this earth. O
lost.” There simply could not be a greater contrast between St. Paul’s
view of the world and that expressed here by Wolfe. One is a perspective of hope, the
other of despair. One is a
perception of purpose, the other of blind, idiotic chance. One sees man as sincerely regarded
by the Divine, the other sees man as forgotten and lost. One is faith, the other is
void. Pastor
Suddenly I did them, and they came to pass.
Because I knew that you were obstinate,
And your neck was an iron sinew, Before it came to pass I proclaimed it to you,
Lest you should say, ‘My idol has done them,
And my carved image and my molded image
Have commanded
them.’ --Isaiah 48:3-5
(NKJV) Unlike ancient times, perhaps, we do not often worship carved and
molded images anymore, but, alas, we are still obstinate, our neck is
still as an iron sinew, and our brow is still as bronze. Human nature has not really
changed over the forgotten centuries since the great prophet Isaiah first
penned these words. When bad
things happen, we inevitably blame God, and we shake our fists defiantly
toward heaven. As a formed
pot, we say to the potter, “Why have you made me thus?” When good things happen, we may
not turn to our carved idol, but we pat ourselves on the back and
exalt in our cleverness, our intelligence, and our resourcefulness. We do not bother with idols anymore, for
we find ourselves far more worthy of honor. After all, we
think, “I am the master of my fate. I am the captain of my soul.” Yet, it is the sovereign Lord who
has declared the former things from the beginning. It is He who has decreed all that
was, all that is, and all that will be. He declares the end from the
beginning, from ancient times things that are not yet accomplished. His counsel shall stand, and He
shall do all His pleasure. Pastor
Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the earth and
the world, from everlasting to
everlasting you are God. --Psalm 90:1-2
(NIV) God is God from everlasting to everlasting. Man may rebel, he may kick against
the goads, he may conspire to break the divine chains and throw off the
heavenly fetters, but God is God from everlasting to everlasting. Men are but dust, for we are here
today and gone tomorrow, like a vapor dissipated in the wind, we are swept
away and are no more. Yet,
this does not keep us from proudly attempting to amend the eternal decree,
alter the unchangeable Word of God, and correct the perfect wisdom of the
Deity. After all, we think,
God really has not done well keeping up with the times. Maybe we used to care about
doctrine, morality, and other such quaint, backward things, but that was
then and this is now.
This is a brave, new world we have formed, a world which we have
spoken forth into existence according to our own good pleasure. Sure, God is welcome, but he must
follow or get out of the way, for we are in the lead. God is welcome if he is willing to
make us feel good from time to time or stand on the sidelines cheering us
on in our sin and folly.
There are even entire theological constructs erected to
justify the concept of a changing God, a God who is becoming,
emerging, learning...suspiciously very much like a man. Imagine the spectacle from the
perspective of eternity.
Imagine this small creature, this collection of dust called
man, with the audacity to call God into question, to summon Him before the
judgment seat. Indeed,
imagine the clown show that is fallen humanity. I suppose that is why the Lord,
enthroned in heaven far above all principalities and powers, just sits and
laughs. When the dust of history settles, when
the rebellion of mankind is ended and lost in eternity, when the
curtains of the stage of our comedy finally fall, God will still be
God from everlasting to everlasting.
Pastor
“Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What
shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the
Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these
things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all
these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow,
for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day
is
its own trouble. --Matthew 6:31-34 (NKJV) The cure for anxiety is not comfort, as if we could ultimately
buffer our lives and create a worry-free environment. The cure is trust. Anxiety is, at its core, a lack of
faith. Fundamentally, it
results from questioning the veracity, goodness, and/or power of the God
who is sovereign over all things.
Jesus Christ, the Anointed One, the One we confess to be God
incarnate, has instructed us not to worry. He has told us to seek first the
Kingdom of God and His righteousness, while resting assured that all the
necessities of life will be provided. Yet, how often do we really cast
all of our cares upon Him? How often do we instead harbor our
anxieties, our worries, our cares, even as they fester in our soul and
churn in our stomach? God is on our side, watching over us, working all
things together for the good of those called in accordance with His will,
yet, alas, we act as if we are alone in this universe and subject to
the mindless cruelties of chance. In fact, all things come not
by chance, but by His fatherly hand, for He is able to care for us, being
Almighty God, and willing also, being a faithful Father. I am convinced this is one
of the most difficult theological truths of the Christian religion, a
truth which we rarely allow to permeate our thick, fallen, and sinful
skulls. Yet, it is the
very place where the rubber of our creed meets the road of life.
Fr. Andrew McIntyre + Pastor
your servants grace, by the confession of a true faith,
to acknowledge the glory of the eternal Trinity, and in
the power of your divine Majesty to worship the Unity:
Keep us steadfast in this faith and worship, and bring us at last
to see you in your one and eternal glory, O Father; who
with the Son and the Holy Spirit live and reign, one God, for
ever and ever.
Amen --Collect for Trinity Sunday
Pastor
"The believing heart never sees God with jealous eye. It does not fear being cast into
hell as it did before the Holy Spirit came, when it was conscious of no
love, no goodness, no faithfulness, on God’s part, but only wrath and
displeasure. But once let the Holy Spirit impress the heart with the fact of
God’s good will and graciousness towards it, and the resulting joy and
confidence will impel it to do and suffer for God’s sake whatever
necessity demands."
Pastor
Pastor good
things as pass man’s understanding: Pour into our hearts
such love toward thee, that we, loving thee in all things
and above all things, may obtain thy promises, which exceed
all that we can desire; through Jesus Christ our
Lord, who
liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for
ever and ever. Amen
Pastor Grant us so perfectly to know thy Son Jesus Christ to be the way, the truth, and the life, that we may steadfastly follow his steps in the way that leadeth unto eternal life; through the same thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
Amen. Of course, this prayer is calling upon the Gospel text of John 14:6, wherein Christ declares that He is Himself the way, the truth, and the life. Besides being one of the boldest possible declarations of divinity and exclusivity, these words immediately strike one as peculiar. Unlike the prophets, Jesus does not merely point to a way, demonstrate a way, or show a way. Jesus is the way. Jesus does not merely teach truth. He is the truth. Jesus does not merely reveal how life can be obtained. He is the life. The way to truth, the truth attained, and the life which flows from that truth are all found not in some sort of arcane epiphany, metaphysical experience, or inner searching. No, they are found in person of Christ. You see, this is precisely why the apex of the Christian experience, that experience to which we all look forward after we shed this mortal coil, is the beatific vision, the vision of Christ, to see Him face to face, to behold Him as He is. It is then that we will know Him perfectly. It is then that we will be changed to be like Him and fully realize the purpose of everlasting life. Fr. Andrew McIntyre + Pastor Fr. Andrew McIntyre +
Soli Deo Gloria |
