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What to do with death?

/ sweetpeacardco

This week’s People’s Choice blog responds to a question on death, particularly the intermediate state between one’s death and the Resurrection, Judgement and the eternal state. What happens to the body and soul?

The easiest way to proceed is to respond by a series of questions and statements which will be backed up by a relevant passage from the Bible. Let’s begin with some background teaching on death.

Why does death exist in the first place?

Death was not originally part of God’s plan for creation but came as a result of the Fall.

Ro 6:23a (ESV)- “For the wages of sin is death” and this is both physical and spiritual.

Is death then a punishment for Christians?

No, death is not a punishment for Christians for Christians no longer stand condemned (Ro 8:1 (ESV)- “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”)

If Christians have been saved from both sin and death why then do Christians still die?

Death does not come because of our sins but as a result of living in a fallen world. Paul states that “the last enemy to be destroyed is death” (1 Cor 15:26 ESV). The benefits of salvation are being progressively applied to believers. However, when Christ returns these words shall come to pass:

“Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your sting? O death, where is your victory?” (1 Cor 15:54-55 ESV).

Until that time Christians and non-Christians will experience death, illness, injuries and natural disasters for this “last enemy” has not yet been destroyed.

What purpose does God hope to accomplish in believers facing death?

It appears that through suffering God can a) discipline us in love (Heb 12:6, 10-11) but rather b) that he uses such experiences as part of our sanctification whereby we come to trust Christ more and rely on his grace and power, by sharing in His experience of suffering and death.

Phil 3:10 (ESV)-“that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and may share His sufferings, becoming like Him in His death.”

While this positive sanctification accompanies aging it must be remembered that death is not natural and is still the enemy.

Should we seek then to preserve our life?

The world teaches that preserving one’s life is the highest goal (make-up, exercise, dieting, etc). While some of these things are certainly positive, seeking the preservation of life should never compromise our obedience to Christ.

Rev 2:10 (ESV)- “be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.” (cf. Acts 5:29, Acts 21:13, 20:24; Heb 11:35; Rev 12:11).

How should I view my own death?

While unbelievers have no assurance in death, Christians know that they have been made right with God and therefore have nothing to fear in death.

Ro 6:23b (ESV) continues…” but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

How then are we to view the death of a fellow Christian?

When Christians die we will experience genuine sorrow, but this will be sorrow mixed with joy. We read in Acts 8:2 (ESV) that, “devout men buried Stephen and made great lamentation over him.” There are numerous other examples of this in the NT. However, such grief will be different than that of unbelievers who have no hope.

1 Thes 4:13 (ESV)- “[we] do not grieve as others do who have no hope.”

Indeed there is an element of hope and joy intermingled with grief when a believer dies. It is bitter sweet.

When an unbeliever dies it is truly a tragic event, in which while we can have joy in our salvation we cannot share in the joy of assurance with that person and thus must lament.

Paul declared, “I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh” [his fellow unconverted Jews] (Ro 9:1-3 ESV).

This should spur us on to share the life-saving Gospel with other people.

To be continued…coming next the more specific answer to the intermediate state…

An Indispensable Diet

/ sweetpeacardco

Some have suggested in these post-Christian times that preaching is a waste of time. “I don’t remember half the sermons I wheathave heard,” proponents declare, “but I remember the people.” Preaching is clearly useless then and people focused ministries are clearly superior. But before we starve the Church of truth let’s back the grain buggy up.

It is when the Bible is preached, studied and revered that we find spiritual revival, nourishment, and vitality. When the Bible is ignored, scoffed at, or downplayed the opposite is true.[1] Charles Hodge reminds us that through Church history authentic Christianity has only flourished “just in proportion to the degree in which the Bible is known, and its truths diffused among the people,” and the people “where the Bible is unknown sit in darkness.”

It should come as no surprise then that this is exactly what the Bible says. Psalm 119:103 (ESV) says, “how sweet are your words to my taste,” and Jesus—the eternal Word and bread of life— said, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.” (Matt 4:4 ESV). Clearly God’s word plays a primary role in drawing us to the Lord.

You may have heard the story that goes something like this:

A man complained as to the futility of listening to sermons week by week in church. “I’ve gone for 30 years now,’ he snorted “and in that time I have heard something like 3,000 sermons. But for the life of me, I can’t remember a single one of them. So, I think I’m wasting my time and the pastor is wasting his by giving sermons at all.”

Then a wiser brother rebuked the man with this clincher that was an irrefutable reply. He said, “I’ve been married for 30 years now. In that time my wife has cooked some 32,000 meals. But, for the life of me, I cannot recall the entire menu for a single one of those meals. But I do know this… They all nourished me and gave me the strength I needed to do my work. If my wife had not given me these meals, I would be physically dead today. Likewise, if I had not sat under God’s Word for nourishment, I would be spiritually dead today!”

Jesus said, “I am the bread of life, whoever comes to me shall not hunger” (Jn 6:35b ESV) and “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for they shall be satisfied” (Matt 5:6 ESV).

Preaching and the study of God’s word are some of the primary means of grace in which the Lord uses to bless His Church. We don’t need less of the Bible we need more. Join with me in giving us a hearty “amen” and let us turn and open our Bibles!

[1] For a parody that touches upon this read one of my friend’s great articles here.

If God can speak through an Ass…

/ sweetpeacardco

If God can speak through an Ass…Balaam

That is how an Irish-Canadian, retired police officer, immigrated to Canada, turned pastor opened a key note address at a preaching conference I was attending when I was a teenager. He was of course speaking of a donkey and alluding to the story of Balaam (cf. Num 22:22-35) and his emphasis was not on the preacher but the hearer.

As only someone with a non-Canadian accent could perhaps get away with he proceeded, “if God can speak through an Ass then when people are preaching the Word of God we need to sit down, shut up and listen! [expecting that the Lord will speak]” His advice that day has stayed with me ever since and has proven to be of great worth.

He wasn’t apologizing for poor preaching methods or encouraging apostasy when preaching; rather he was encouraging the duty on the part of the listener to be attentive to how the Holy Spirit will indeed speak as the Word of God is proclaimed, even when the message is less than dynamic. Preachers have a duty to seek to be as winsome as possible in their delivery while being true to who they are and to the Scriptures. However, if someone, even who possesses great oratory skills, speaks against this word do not receive it (Isa 8:20b- if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them). In that case you have the dilemma as to whether to be polite or to walk out; in either case you should respectfully approach the individual or the leadership of the church with your concern. However, if they are a god fearing man, but perhaps simple or border lining on dull, it is still our Christian duty to respect them and to listen for what the Spirit might be saying to the Church.

Sadly, sometimes instead of being focused, attentive, or expectative during a sermon, we are drawn to think about what is for dinner, or the outfit we plan to wear to such and such an event rather than to devote our undivided attention to the spoken word of God. Sometimes listening to dry, dull, and boring sermons can be painstakingly rough. But would we be willing to be attentive, regardless of how we are feeling, or whether the homiletical style of the preacher is difficult?

The teaching of the Scriptures is a means of grace[1] given for the Church and so we can expect that when it is faithfully preached the Holy Spirit it will indeed use it!

Talk of dull (yet godly) preaching reminds me of Charles Haddon Spurgeon, that great preacher of the nineteenth-century. One would have thought that he would have been converted under a master orator, himself going on to earn the title the “prince of preachers,” but such was not the case. “For years he remained under deep conviction of sin until one Sunday morning in January 1850 a snow storm forced him to cut short his intended journey and turn in to a Primitive Methodist chapel in Colchester. ‘The minister did not come that morning; he was snowed up, I suppose. At last, a very thin looking man, a shoemaker, or tailor, or something of that sort, went up into the pulpit to preach. . . . He was obliged to stick to his text, for the simple reason that he had little else to say. The text was, ‘Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth.’ When he had managed to spin out ten minutes or so, he was at the end of his tether. Then he looked at me under the gallery, and I daresay, with so few present, he knew me to be a stranger. Just fixing his eyes on me, as if he knew all my heart, he said, ‘Young man, you look very miserable.” Spurgeon was not accustomed to being spoken to in a meeting but the man’s simple words struck home. “He continued, ‘and you always will be miserable—miserable in life, and miserable in death—if you don’t obey my text; but if you obey now, this moment, you will be saved.’ Then, lifting up his hands, he shouted, as only a Primitive Methodist could do, ‘Young man, look to Jesus Christ. Look! Look! Look! You have nothin’ to do but to look and live.’ I saw at once the way of salvation . . .”[2]

So the next time you hear a sermon that is less than pleasurable or engaging, so long as it is truthful, listen, and I can assure you that you will be blessed.

The Lord’s Sweetest Blessings,

Pastor Chris

PS– Local chapels also have a duty to seek to put forward the best preachers to nurture the saints and lead sinners to Christ. Indeed we are ever seeking to invite preachers of a high calibre to the chapel, and I myself who preach half the messages, seek to handle and present the Scriptures with great prayer and care, remembering that as a teacher I will be judged more strictly (Jas 3:1).

[1] The entire Christian life, from salvation to sanctification, provision and beyond are solely of grace (God’s undeserved favour), but there are certain means that give additional blessing to the Church and the believer. Examples of means of grace would include Baptism and the Lord’s Supper, preaching, worship, the Lord’s day, spiritual disciplines, etc. The preaching of God’s word, Scripture says, is “able to instruct you for salvation through faith in Jesus Christ” (2 Tim 3:15) and “build you up” in the faith (Acts 20:32).

[2] <http://www.spurgeon.org/heathbio.htm&gt;.

End Things

/ sweetpeacardco

Over the summer my blog posts will consist of spin offs from our summer sermon series—People’s Choice—where folks have contributed questions and passages to form the basis of my sermons. Sadly, not all submissions could be worked into the preaching schedule so I am addressing those here.

Today we want to examine the Bible’s teaching (doctrine) on the end things (known as eschatology), as a number of our questions focused in this direction. Specifically this post will focus on the millennium.

Central to Christianity is the Biblical teaching that Jesus Christ will return. Eschatology largely centres around this. But before we get to that let’s affirm that indeed, as the Apostle’s Creed puts it, Jesus Christ “will come again to judge the living and the dead.” Jesus second coming is in fact the second central hope of the New Testament aside from salvation in Jesus. Scripture teaches that history is moving toward a climax where Jesus will return, judge the living and the dead, the righteous to their eternal reward and the guilty to their eternal punishment, and inaugurate the New Heavens and New Earth (NHNE- 2 Pet 3:13, Rev 21:1) in which all with be complete, perfect, and free from sin and where believers will live with our God as we were intended to before sin entered the world.

Those are the basics on which all Christians must agree. Then there is the question of what the millennial age is and how this fits into things (millennium-meaning one thousand years). In Revelation 20:1-10 (ESV) we read:

Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding in his hand the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain. 2 And he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, 3 and threw him into the pit, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he might not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were ended. After that he must be released for a little while.

4 Then I saw thrones, and seated on them were those to whom the authority to judge was committed. Also I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. 5 The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended. This is the first resurrection. 6 Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years.

7 And when the thousand years are ended, Satan will be released from his prison 8 and will come out to deceive the nations that are at the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them for battle; their number is like the sand of the sea. 9 And they marched up over the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, but fire came down from heaven and consumed them, 10 and the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.

11 Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. 12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. 13 And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done.

The challenge with the book of Revelation is that it is a blend of numerous Biblical genres and some sections are allegorical while others are literal; some are present to the 1st century while others are in the future, etc. So what is intended by these “1000 years?” Again, let’s begin with the basics where all Christians might agree and must agree (these are the primary issues, whereas the conversation, though important, would represent secondary issues). Let’s look at Jesus’ words from the parable of the ten virgins in Matthew 25:1-13. Here, at a very basic level, we might draw 3 basic conclusion of what we might term pan-millennialism (we trust it will all pan out in the end):

  1. Jesus will come again (v. 6)
  2. We do not know when that will be (v. 13)
  3. We ought to live our lives as if His return is imminent (v. 10)

These are the types of things that are non-negotiables and if you hold to these (at least) you will do no wrong. Building upon these basics throughout the history of the Church there have been 3 main views. I include a brief overview along with a chart to help better comprehend them:

  1. Amillenialism. This is the simplest view. Accordingly there is no future millennium (hence “a” which is Greek for no) for the millenium describes the Church age where Satan’s influence over the world has been reduced so the gospel may be preached. Christ’s reign is not bodily but heavenly (He ascended to heaven and is seat at the right hand of the Father and He will come again…, cf. Matt 28:18). The thousand years is taken figuratively (Ps 90:4; 2 Pet 3:8), which can also be the case with the other views. The Church or millennial age will continue until Jesus returns. When this happens the Resurrection will take place followed by the judgement and the inauguration of the NHNE.amillenialism
  2. Postmillenialism. “Post” means after. With this view Jesus will return after the millennium. Essentially the Gospel will progress and the Church will grow until it has such influence in the world that righteousness largely reigns. The growth of the Church will usher in the return of Christ, afterwhich there will be the Resurrection, judgement, and the NHNE. This view is very optimistic and has often been held in Church history when the Church is on top and things appear to be going well. Many Christians held this view prior to WWI, when the horrors of war largely dashed their triumphant hopes. postmillennialism
  3. Classic Premillenialism (also another form known as Dispensational Premillenialism). “Pre” means before. In this view Jesus returns before the millennial age. Before Jesus comes there will be a time of tribulation. When Jesus returns believers will be raised from the dead and given their glorified bodies and will reign with Christ for a 1000 years. Satan will be bound for a time and Jesus will physically reign on earth and peace and righteousness will prevail (many unbelievers will turn to Christ but those that do not will pretend as if they are believers). At the end of the 1000 years Satan will be loosed and will be joined by those unbelievers who pretended to be Christian. There will be a decisive battle. Jesus will then raise the unbelieving dead from history, judgement will ensure and then the NHNE. This viewed has prevailed in history when Christians have been persecuted. It is a rather intricate view. Within it is another view known as Dispensationalism (that God works in dispensations, or eras of history).classicpremil
    1. Dispensationalism. This view largely follows its parent above but has a number of distinguishing features.
      1. Found especially in the United States
      2. Christ’s return will be pre-trib, mid-trib or post-trib (that is Jesus will secretly come and catch up believers either before or during the great tribulation which will last 7 years).
      3. Many Jews will turn to Jesus as their Messiah and then Christ will return with the Church and reign for a 1000 years until a great rebellion is defeated. Dispensationalists tend to favour the State of Israel and Jews and believe that the Church has not replaced Israel and that the promises to the Jews will be fulfilled in a special dispensation after the Church is taken away.
      4. This view tends to interpret Biblical prophecies literally where possible.
      5. *This view is very complex and I have only touched upon the surface of it!

pretribpremil

Have a ponder! See which position you feel best fits into the Biblical account? (If you are interested in reading more I can recommend some helpful resources).

If this is all too much to take in, focus on the mere basics and you will not go wrong. Also remember that God has been faithful in the past and present, and has given us enough knowledge of the future to trust Him in it. Rest in this truth.

Fathering God’s Way

/ sweetpeacardco

Father’s day is just around the corner. It is an important day, though it is odd how we create these special days as more important than the rest when every day should be a day we appreciate and show we value our fathers and our mothers (Ex 20:12). But that is beside the point. Father’s day is on Sunday and I wanted to offer a challenge to our fathers to be the men of God the Lord desires them to be. Since fathering is a daunting task in and of itself in today’s age, it’ll be accompanied by a promise from God’s word.

“Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. (Deuteronomy 6:4-9 ESV)

Two questions: whose responsibility is it to look after the spiritual welfare of your children and is it an important goal for you? Is it the local church, perhaps a Christian school, summer camp, a mentor, or grandparents? No, the God given duty to instruct children in the Faith is given to parents (of which fathers play a central role) and it is a primary duty that cannot be pawned off to others without the gravest of consequences (notice the stress placed on you and your above). It is to be done diligently, continuously and visibly. In our reading for this week’s Bible study lesson Wilberforce asks the question whether your child’s education, sports, clothing, and other extra-curricular activities are what you deem most important for their development (measured perhaps by the time and money invested) or is it investing in their relationship with the Lord, in something that will positively shape every other dimension of their life and have an eternal reward? Deuteronomy reminds fathers that discipleship is their responsibility, is to be conducted within the home first and foremost and is of primary importance.

I always had a hunch that a failure to heed these words was a partial culprit for the decline of Christianity in much of the West. A recent article I read confirmed this.[1] Prior to the nineteenth-century evangelical Christians, drawing from their Puritan roots, seriously heeded our passage in question. While they viewed the chapel and the preaching of God’s word and his worship on the Lord’s Day as vital and significant, the home and family worship was considered essential to discipleship, piety and holiness. As the nineteenth-century wore on the Sunday School replaced the home as being the primary engine to achieve spiritual aims, this was then superseded by Christian groups meeting in chapels (think YMCA or Scouts) to where we find many churches today, empty of youth and empty of the generations that were not nurtured by family devotion and the promotion of godliness. Many homes have missed the mark set for us by our forbearers in the Faith and the principle truths found in this passage. Even in his day Samuel Slater (Presbyterian minister in London) wrote a tract in 1694 in favour of family worship in which he also offered this lament:

There is so little done for God in the houses of many who call themselves Christians, that one would take them not for Christians, but Atheists, and conclude them without God in the world, yea ,and that altogether; for there is no praying in their families, no reading of the Scriptures, no singing of psalms, no repeating of sermons, no catechizing of young ones, who would not take these for heathens, if they did not call themselves something else?

The home is one of the primary bodies in which the Lord wills to mould us into Christ’s likeness. Is it any wonder then that when the family is attacked or family worship is neglected it affects not only the health of the family but of the Church and society at large?

Godly fathering is one of the most blessed and challenging callings in life. It requires intentionality, diligence, grace, truth, wisdom, love, patience and prayer. It also does not mean for certain a child will follow the Lord but it does increase the probability. It appears like an enormous endeavour—and it is—but in every command of God is a promise for those who trust Him in it, that His grace will be sufficient to enable you to undertake the task.

Perhaps you have not been loving the Lord yourself. How can you expect your children to do so if you do not first set the example for them? Take this Father’s day as an opportunity to turn to your heavenly Father to ask forgiveness in Jesus name for your sin of ignoring Him and begin to lead your family in following Him.

Perhaps you already love the Lord, but the children have left home long ago or are already teenagers, and you haven’t fulfilled this fatherly calling and you have regret. Ask for forgiveness and for the Lord to give you opportunities to do now what you didn’t do then. It is never too late to begin to honour the Lord.

Perhaps you (like me) don’t have children yet; then along with your wife build a home that honours the Lord (Jos 24:15) and establish spiritual disciplines so you may be ready to welcome children when they come. And so your love of the Lord as a family will be evident to all. Perhaps you are a man who is not married yet, then step up to the plate of loving the Lord so your godliness may be evident, so you will be mature in Christ for your future wife and family. Or perhaps you are single, then for your own sake and the families and children you will encounter in life, live a holy life that glorifies God in in your singleness.

To love the LORD our God; what a delightful thing! May such cultivation be the foremost aim upon our hearts this Father’s day and every day and may we praise God for the abundant fruit this will produce to His glory. Amen.

The Lord’s Sweetest Blessings,

Pastor Chris

[1] Smith, Karen. “Nonconformists, Home and Family Life,” in the T&T Clark Companion to Nonconformity. (London: Bloomsbury, 2013), 285-304.

A Vicar at Cromhall Chapel?

/ sweetpeacardco

I must admit to being called something I have never been called before in my life (and I have been called many things), the vicar. I have been called “Father” by Catholics and Anglicans in Canada but perhaps because the term vicar is no longer in vogue across the pond it took me my non-conformist roots by surprise. While I would beg to differ as to the appropriateness of this term, in my case I took it as a compliment coming from someone who meant well by it and didn’t know any different. But this got me digging a little more deeply where the term came from and what the Bible, especially the New Testament, instructs us to call our Christian leaders.

A vicar refers to the priest of a local Church of England parish. It is originally a Latin word vicarious and means someone who is a representative of a higher authority. While that higher authority could be taken to mean Jesus, it actually refers to the bishop and the hierarchy of the church. The Archbishop appoints Bishops who in turn appoint local priests who represent his ecclesiastical authority in the local parish. BTW (by the way), a rector was historically the vicar of a wealthier parish that was entitled to receiving a portion of the tithes from local church lands (easily seen by looking at the often modest size of a vicarage and the likely grandeur of a rectory).

More commonly, however, those more accustomed to Christian culture would recognize three likely titles to be associated with a Christian leader: priest [vicar], minister and pastor.

Let’s look at the Biblical validity for each of those titles:

1. Priest. This term most obviously draws from the OT usage where the priests represented God amongst the Israelites. It is commonly used by Catholics, Orthodox, Lutherans and Anglicans. While that is an honourable title capturing an aspect of the Christian leaders role the priesthood had another function which is not consistent with leadership in the Church, to be the mediator between God and man (Ex 28:1 and various other verses in the Old Testament). The priest was to represent God, instruct the people, but also to make sacrifices on behalf of the people, to perform holy acts that the common folks could not. Thus, the people could only come to God through the priests. On this last point Hebrews makes it very clear that this is no longer the case:

Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. (Hebrews 4:14-16 ESV).

If Jesus is our high priest, and every believer has equal access to God because of what Jesus has done (known as the doctrine of the priesthood of all believers) then “priest” is not the most accurate title for a Christian leader.

2. Minister. This term is quite common amongst Protestantism. It can actually refer to a political or religious minister, someone who serves on behalf of (thus where we derive both the political and religious term: ministry). Thus, in a formal Christian context it refers to a man who is authorized to perform religious functions on behalf of a church. Thus in 2 Cor 3:6 Paul refers to “ministers of the New Covenant” (cf. Eph 3:7, Ro 15:16). This is a noble sense of the word which I am okay with. Yet the term is often used in a general sense and not in the formal sense of a title or office. It can likewise cloud the waters by giving the impression that only Ministers minister and tricking other Christians into the false belief that they can kick back, relax, and be pew warmers. The one value of the term, however, highlights that ministers are different. They have a unique calling, they have been set apart for service. Thus the applying the title Reverend X or Pastor Y is an appropriate formal distinction that doesn’t mean the shepherd is better than the sheep but acknowledges their unique God given role.

3. Pastor. In Ephesians 4:11-12 it is clear that the ascended Lord Jesus, “gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ.” Here pastor (Latin for shepherd) is used in the sense of an office within the Church to fulfil various pastoral roles. But in the NT we also find another important office, that of an elder. We often take the word elder or overseer to be synonymous with this position of priest or minister but the local church has elders (plural). Paul’s letters affirm this when he instructs elders to be appointed in the churches (Tit 1:5) or writes to the elders in a church (Acts 20:17). From such passages we see the New Testament pattern for senior church leadership is not of one priest, or minister, but a plurality of elders, among whom there is often a pastor who is also an elder, who acts as a first among equals.

This is why at Cromhall Chapel my official title is “pastoral-elder” and along with the rest of the eldership shepherd and tend to the flock (1 Pet 5:1-5) entrusted to our care under Jesus who alone is head of His Church (Col 1:18).

So is there is not a new vicar in Cromhall and certainly not at the Chapel, although after saying all this I do still take it as a compliment. I hope this background has been instructive, clarifying and thought provoking on a subject we may naturally not give much though to.

 

The Lord’s Sweetest Blessings,

Pastor Chris

 

Christmas in June

/ sweetpeacardco

Well, not quite. But it does have a link to answering the question why my wife and I decided to move to the area.

My wife and I had been living in Bristol at a College house. It was near to College, Rebekah’s workplace, the conveniences of a big city and even some green space, so why would we uproot and move to out to the sticks, to Cromhall!?

Well technically, we didn’t as we now live between Cromhall and Tortworth, but you get the point. Why did we want to be local to where I was pastoring, to our Christian community? Lots of clergy don’t after all. They parachute into their communities for one reason or another (some valid and others not) vs. becoming a part of it. So why did we choose to uproot and resettle, other than to enjoy the English countryside and return to our rural roots?

It has to do with Christmas. In John 1:14, the Christmas story from John’s gospel, we read:

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. (ESV)

At Christmas we remember Jesus dwelt among us. He exchanged the glory of heaven to come and live among us to teach us, lead us by his example but ultimately to die on a cross to save sinners who would believe in Him. The original word for “dwelt” is actually taken from imagery of the Old Testament and could be literally translated “tabernacled” or “made His home”:

Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.

(Exodus 40:34 ESV, cf. 1 Kings 8:10-11)

At Christmas we remember that Jesus tablernacled amongst us. In Christian speak we would call it His incarnational ministry or to put it another way, the “be with principle.” So what’s that to do with us moving? Sounds like a big leap doesn’t it?

Not at all. Consider what Peter tells elders within the Church:

shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock.

(1 Peter 5:2-3 ESV)

To be shepherd effectively as a pastoral-elder we believe the Crockers’ need to be near, we need to be present, we must be part of the community.

Would you join us in committing to the Lord’s work here in Cromhall?

The Lord’s Sweetest Blessings,

Pastor Chris

Testimony of Calling

/ sweetpeacardco

At my induction service to the office of pastoral-elder at Cromhall Chapel on March 21, 2015, there was a special place in the service where the chapel shared why they believed God had called us and visa versa. Rebekah shared the following from our perspective and I share it because many have asked and also so folks will know why we came and be inspired by God’s hand at work within our calling:

It is amazing to recount the Lord’s faithfulness as we reflect back upon the last 11 months as we have transitioned from serving the Lord in Canada to now serving Him in the UK.

In late April to early June 2014 we began to step down from our responsibilities in Canada. Chris from serving 3.5 years at the Norwich Baptist Church and 6.5 years as the regimental chaplain of a Canadian army reserve regiment; and myself as curator of our district museum. After a family vacation we packed our life into 6 suitcases and flew from Toronto to Manchester on August 1.

We were graciously welcomed by our brothers and sisters in Christ at Kensington Baptist Church who helped us find our feet in the UK in countless ways. I was able to find work straight away and Chris began studying for his doctorate, however, one critical link was missing. Chris needed to find work for his call to study to be sustainable, especially after our house in Canada had still not (and still has not) sold. More than this, though, Chris desired to pastor while he studied so the two would inform one another, and he would fulfil the age old, two fold church office calling the Lord had placed on his heart to serve as a pastor-scholar.

In the autumn, being out of active ministry for several months, Chris’ passion to serve began to well up inside him in agonizing pain. To quote the prophet Jeremiah:

There is in my heart as it were a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I am weary with holding it in, and I cannot. (Jer 20:9)

The day after this burning had reached its climax in Chris’ heart, quite out of the blue, but providentially, Chris was approached by Cromhall Chapel who was without a pastor. In preparing to come to the UK Chris had been accepted within the FIEC Pastor’s Network. As part of this his name had been put into a pastoral introductions profile for churches looking for pastors, however, we had been under the impression (via email confirmation) that this profile had ended several months before. Apparently God had other plans.

Chris and I both grew up in rural Ontario on the farm, we have always served in this context, and have a burden to serve, lead and equip the rural church, which is often abandoned/ forgotten. Here in Cromhall the Lord led us to a place where we could exercise our gifts, and join the Lord in what He is doing with a small, but incredible group of people. Together we discerned that Chris was the man to come alongside this flock in a time such as this. We look forward to relocating to the village this spring so that we can truly and incarnationally heed Peter’s words, to shepherd the flock that is amongst you (1 Pet 5:2). More than anything else we covet your prayers for the Chapel and village, that the Lord would add to and mightily bless our Gospel work through the outpouring of His Spirit in this place.

Why bother with a pastor’s blog anyway?

/ sweetpeacardco

When the Chapel first launched its website in January 2015 I was of a mind to include a pastor’s blog as one of the pages. While I thought it would be of some value I weighed this in the balance with the time it would take to maintain it and opted out. Then a couple of months ago a visiting speaker challenged me to reconsider. I felt God asking me, through him in that moment, to start a blog. Why, what good would a blog be? I’m not famous, our chapel is not large. So I dug a little deeper into the whys. In my reflections I came across a helpful article that likewise challenged pastors to blog (http://www.desiringgod.org/articles/6-reasons-pastors-should-blog). So here I am, I have yielded.

Further to some of the perhaps obvious reasons to blog and those highlighted in the link above here are some of my hopes for this blog:

  1. To further equip my flock
    1. To challenge, encourage and feed them in ways that go beyond Sunday services, Wednesday Bible studies and one to ones.
  2. To engage with the community
    1. To allow people to discover more about the chapel and most importantly Christianity in a non-threatening way;
    2. To be a wholesome spiritual voice to the village; and
    3. Realizing that in an internet age, people are more apt to check you out on the web before the they check in in person.
  3. As a means of being visible
    1. To put myself out there as a community pastor;
    2. To interact; and
    3. To be known.

So I commit this work to the Almighty praying that He might see fit to use this blog for His glory and purposes!

The Lord’s Sweetest Blessings,

Pastor Chris