Beware of the Me Monster
This is my favorite piece of stand-up comedy. It comes from Brian Regan. It’s brilliant commentary on our human condition: we love to talk about ourselves.
If you don’t know the comedian Brian Regan, I’d love to introduce you to him now. I’ve been a fan of his for the last ten years, though he’s been doing stand-up comedy for much longer than that.
For my birthday last Sunday, my wife and I were given tickets to see Regan perform. What a gift! It was the first and only time that I’ve seen him live. He did not disappoint. Almost all of his material was brand new.
My all-time favorite bit, however, is called, “Beware of the Me Monster,” which you can watch below or click here to see. A “Me Monster” is someone who always has a better story, a better joke, a better experience. They tend to dominate social settings.
It seems to me that it is one role of poets, prophets, and preachers to cause us to reflect deeply on human nature, especially to do so in fresh ways. The best comedians assume this mantle, too. Sure, they want us to laugh, but sometimes it’s an awkward, uncomfortable, guilty laugh. At one point in the clip, Regan even asks rhetorically, “What is it about the human condition that we get something out of [topping another person’s story]?”
I’ve often wanted to show this clip when I train small group Bible study leaders. Small group leaders have to deal with so many different personalities and levels of maturity. There are new Christians and long-time Christians; there are those comfortable praying out loud and those who are not; and there are those who don’t talk enough and those who are . . . Me Monsters.
And by the way, if you don’t know who the Me Monster is in your group of friends, uh-oh, it might be you!
[Picture from Comedy Central]
Why We Sing What We Sing, Part II of II
Recently, our director of music, Ben Bechtel, put together a “map” to help our church choose worship songs. I thought it was so helpful, that I asked him if he would let me share it on my blog. Hope you like it too. This is Part II of II.
Last week, Ben Bechtel, the director of music and youth at Community Evangelical Free Church, shared Part I of how he chooses worship songs for our church, which you can read here.
Below is the second half of his post.
* * *
Why We Sing What We Sing, Part II of II
By Ben Bechtel
6. Diversity
At our church, we desire to have a repertoire of songs that give voice to the full range of human emotion and experience, and simultaneously honor all the aspects of God and His work in the world. We don’t want all of our songs to focus on the love of God or the grace of God, although those are central characteristics of God. We don’t want all of our songs to be happy in tone, although we should rejoice for what God has done in Christ.
There are certain topics or emotions not commonly evoked in modern worship music. Thus, as we add new music to our library, whether a new song or an old song rediscovered, we want to have an eye on enriching and diversifying the various songs we sing.
Good Example: “Speak O Lord” by Keith Getty and Stuart Townend (Spotify, YouTube). This song blew me away the first time I heard it. It is a prayer asking for God to speak to His people through His Word. The content of this song, coupled with its emotional and prayerful tone, makes it a heavyweight. As far as I am aware, there truly is no other song like it.
Bad Example: Adding a mediocre new song about God’s love when we have a plethora of incredibly written songs about the love of God.
P.S. This is where the Psalms and particularly poetic songs come in handy. The Psalms contain poems of joy, praise, sadness, lament, despair, longing, fear, and all human emotions by people seeking to love God in all of life. Whether read or sung, this book is invaluable to our corporate worship because it puts inspired words in our mouth to pray and sing to God in all times of life. As well, poetic songs have a tendency to say old things in fresh, vivid ways. For instance, we recently played the old hymn “The Love of God”, which contains beautiful, poetic language describing God’s love. Consider this stanza:
Could we with ink the ocean fill,
And were the skies of parchment made,
Were every stalk on earth a quill,
And every man a scribe by trade;
To write the love of God above
Would drain the ocean dry;
Nor could the scroll contain the whole,
Though stretched from sky to sky
This song, and songs like it, has a way of stirring the affections towards characteristics of God that may have become stale to us because the ordinary way of speaking about them sounds, well, ordinary.
7. Past and Present
I believe there is a great need in worship music to have balance between old and new songs. This is not motivated by a desire to please young people with contemporary music and elderly people with hymns.
In the midst of a modern worship culture, we need to remember that the music we sing, and the church for that matter, didn’t start 20 years ago when Chris Tomlin and Matt Redman stepped on the scene (although we owe a great deal to them!). Ever since creation, God has placed songs of praise in the mouths of his people. Singing lines from the Psalter and old hymns that date back to the Reformation, and even before, reminds us of the rich tradition we have as the people of God and helps keep us connected to the history of Christianity.
Good Example: For our church, a good example of this is when our set on a given Sunday contains both contextualized hymns and contemporary songs. Our goal is to have both in every service.
Bad Example: I think the worst example for us would be a one-dimensional service where we play either all contemporary songs or all hymns.
8. Symmetry with Sermon Themes
One thing we stress very heavily in planning the liturgy is that our songs and Scripture readings should accentuate the content and themes of the sermon. Hearing from God’s word is the most important part of the weekly gathering. Therefore, we believe that the songs we sing should help to highlight that endeavor.
A carefully crafted worship service with the same biblical themes brought out in all its various aspects allows us not only to hear truths about God but also to praise him for those truths. Thematic song selection drives the Word of God deeper into the hearts of the people we are leading in worship and produces a greater joy and gladness in God as a result.
Good Example: A service that centers all the elements of the liturgy on several themes from the passage being expounded. For example, our church just recently went through a short series on the book of Titus. The first sermon of the series was on Paul’s greeting to Titus at the beginning of the letter. Although there are numerous themes brought out in this letter, we sang songs such as “Christ is Risen” by Matt Maher (Spotify, YouTube) and “How Great Thou Art” (Spotify, YouTube) to capture the themes of resurrection life and the greatness of God and His plans. Then, immediately before the sermon, we sang the song “Grace and Peace” by Sovereign Grace (Spotify, YouTube) which explicitly picks up on the “grace and peace” greeting from many of Paul’s letters and expounds it. This is just one small example of how we structure the service at our church to bring out sermon themes.
Bad Example: There are two errors of which to beware. The obvious error is to pay no attention to sermon theme when selecting music. However, another error is to try to select every song around one specific theme in the passage. For instance, if the sermon is on God’s faithfulness, you don’t need to sing five songs on God’s faithfulness (although I’m sure you could!). Rather, a better approach would be strategically placing two or three songs that highlight God’s faithfulness while interspersing a few other songs that highlight other themes in the passage or that simply complement the songs about the specific theme.
9. Reflects and Projects
The songs that we sing, much like the sermons we preach, need to reflect the DNA of a church. As well, the songs that we sing should forecast and project where we want to be and where we are headed.
In selecting songs, it is important to know which songs have been particularly impactful in the past. There are certain songs that a church holds dear because of a specific time in the life of the church, and that is great! Songs have a way of defining communities, and I believe this should be celebrated and encouraged with good Gospel-centered “regulars” in the song catalogs of a church.
I also think that, just like preaching, singing needs to address issues that will arise among the congregation in the future. In selecting songs, it is important to be mindful of the vision the elders have for the future of the church. The hope in doing this is that the songs along with the preaching can forge a pathway for the future of the church by the Spirit of God.
Good Example: Currently our church is seeking to plant a church as well as grow in certain key areas. As I am selecting music, I need to keep an eye on choosing songs that address what we hope to be as the people of God in our local context moving forward while still maintaining who we are currently.
Bad Example: Selecting songs without careful attention to the people in the congregation and the leadership of the church.
10. Best of the Best
Finally, if a song meets all of these criteria, I want to ask, is this song great? Will this be a song worth singing for the next ten years? With the abundance of worship music being written in our day, it is important to be selective. We want to sing only the best of what’s out there. There are only so many songs you can introduce without overwhelming people. Ultimately, I want to introduce the best songs, both musically and lyrically, with the goal of helping the people of the church glorify God through musical worship.
[To read Part I, click here.]
BEN BECHTEL is the director of music and youth ministries at Community Evangelical Free Church in Harrisburg, PA. Ben earned a bachelor’s degree in biblical studies from Liberty University where he met his wife Whitley. In the spring of 2017, he will begin a masters of divinity program. You can follow him on Twitter.
[Picture by William Iven / Unsplash]
Why We Sing What We Sing, Part I of II
Recently, our director of music, Ben Bechtel, put together a “map” to help our church choose worship songs. I thought it was so helpful, that I asked him if he would let me share it on my blog. Hope you like it too. This is Part I of II.
For the last year, Ben Bechtel has been the director of music at our church (Community Evangelical Free Church in Harrisburg, PA). Recently, he put together a “map” to help our church choose worship songs. I thought it was so helpful, that I asked him if he would let me share it on my blog. Hope you like it too.
* * *
Why We Sing What We Sing, Part I of II
By Ben Bechtel
Selecting what songs to sing on Sunday morning is a lot like walking through a wooded forest with tons of different trails—while a crowd of people shouts at you which path they think you should take. [1]
Christians ought to love music and be passionate about the songs we sing on Sunday mornings. But we don’t all agree on what makes for a good song. Some want fast songs; others want slow songs. Some want hymns; others want the songs played on Christian radio. Still others want “hipster worship songs,” songs you’ve probably never even heard of.
It doesn’t take long to get lost in this massive maze of musical possibility.
Let’s look at it by the numbers. If you sing five songs per week, that is around 260 songs per year. Now consider that many of those songs are repeated. This leaves only 75-125 unique songs. This may sound like a lot of variety but consider the thousands of songs that have been written over the history of the church. As a director of music in a local church, this feels overwhelming.
To find a way forward, I knew I needed to create a map to help navigate this maze. The following is my attempt to sketch this map. I’ve drawn it for my particular local church but I hope you’ll find it helpful too . . . even if, in the end, you choose more hymns or hipster songs than we do.
1. Gospel-Centered and God-Centered
We sing songs on Sunday morning to ascribe glory and honor to God. Our primary factor for determining a song to sing is whether or not it focuses on God and His action in history to redeem sinners. They should be songs inspired by and based on the Word of God, which always presents God in his rightful place—the main character of the biblical story and our lives.
Songs that have their primary focus on what we are going to do for God or those mainly about human feelings, are not helpful because they have a tendency to take our focus off God and place the focus on us.
The kinds of songs we want to sing in corporate worship, are those that primarily have a Godward focus, emphasizing who He is and what He has done.
Good Example: “Before the Throne of God Above” by Vikki Cook (Spotify, YouTube). This song is filled with gospel-rich content that talks about how Jesus, as our great high priest, makes intercession for us before the Father.[2]
Bad Example: “One Thing” by Hillsong (Spotify, YouTube). When I listen to this song, I love the first verse. It is a confession of how all things other than God fail to satisfy our desires. Amen! And yet I think the rest of the song focuses more on us in terms of our actions of obedience and desire for God instead of shifting our attention from our sin and idolatry to what God has done for us in the Gospel. I don’t think this song is necessarily wrong, but I do think the focus is misplaced.
2. Theological Accuracy
We desire to sing songs that accurately speak about God as He has revealed Himself in His Word. Just like we would not value a biography of Abraham Lincoln that contained details about him that weren’t true, so we do not value songs that do not speak accurately about our God as He has revealed Himself in the Bible.
This point does not come from a desire to dictate which songs are in our specific “theological tribe” and which aren’t. Rather, it’s an attempt to help our local congregation think about which artists—from a theological perspective—are making the most helpful music.
Good Example: “When My Heart Is Torn Asunder” by Phil Wickham (Spotify, YouTube) . This song addresses an issue that is not normally sung about in worship music (suffering), and it does so with language and truths drawn from the Bible. It’s a great example of a modern song written with theological accuracy about a hard topic, all the while being done in a contextual and relevant way.
Bad Example: “Great I Am” by Jared Anderson (Spotify, YouTube). Although there are certain aspects of this song that I like a lot, I think there is a certain line that makes it unusable for congregational singing. The first two lines of the song read, “I want to be close, close to your side / so heaven is real and death is a lie.”
At best, this line is just imprecise and careless, but at worst, it undermines the work of Jesus. Death is not a lie. Death is incredibly real. It’s so much a part of reality in this fallen world that God the Father sent his Son to come and die a terrible death to reverse the curse of death.
P.S. I’m not advocating theological nitpicking, but I am saying that we must be sure that what we are singing lines up with the truth about God.
3. Theological Clarity
The phrase “theological clarity” simply means that the song not only doesn’t teach heresy, but it goes a step further in that the song must also be theologically precise. Songs that talk about concepts of God in vague, unclear, and clichéd categories are unhelpful to corporate worship.
We want our songs to be filled with truth about God that is presented in a fresh and creative manner, but not at the sacrifice of theological clarity and coherence.
Good Example: “Rejoice” by The Modern Post (Spotify, YouTube). This song talks about many biblical-theological themes such as adoption, reconciliation, suffering, and holiness—all with precise and creative language.
Bad Example: “Holy Spirit” by Bryan and Katie Torwalt (Spotify, YouTube). This song is wildly popular right now and is one of the five most commonly used songs on CCLI.[3] However, this song is a prominent example of how theological ambiguity is unhelpful.
The song talks a lot about the Holy Spirit and His presence. Although the song doesn’t come out and say it, it assumes two big things. First, this song assumes that the Holy Spirit’s presence is manifested most in times of corporate worship (singing). Second, it assumes that the way His presence is manifested is through a subjective feeling.
In a song titled Holy Spirit, you would expect to hear some clear thoughts about the Holy Spirit. Instead, there is only a plea for the Holy Spirit to come and fill a space where corporate singing is taking place.
In its ambiguity, this song teaches that the main way we experience the presence of the Spirit is in singing corporately. The Bible, however, teaches that the Holy Spirit is with us always—not only in the corporate gathering of believers. He is with us—empowering us to be His people—in the mundane, every day stuff of life. He is with us at 3:00 PM during our workday just as much as on Sunday morning at 10:00 AM. Due to its lack of clarity, this song subliminally teaches a theology of the Holy Spirit that is problematic.
4. Sing-ability
We should not just be selective about the lyrical content of the songs we sing as a congregation but also the music itself. There are few things more distracting from the worship of God in a time of singing than a melody that is overly complex and difficult to sing. The only thing more distracting would be a two-minute Van Halen-esque guitar solo in the middle of a song.
Congregational singing is not a concert or a recital. We take great care to select songs that are able to be sung and followed by all.
Good Examples: “No Longer Slaves” by Bethel Music (Spotify, YouTube) and “This Is Amazing Grace” by Phil Wickham (Spotify, YouTube). Both of these songs have anthem-like melodies that lend themselves very easily to congregational singing. These songs don’t have huge interval jumps or cover multiple octaves. They both have simple, singable, and memorable melodies.
Bad Example: “The Power of the Cross” by Keith Getty and Stuart Townend (Spotify, YouTube). While the lyrical content of this song is spot on and helpful, the melody of the song itself drags it down. The musical intervals of the melody are hard to follow and jump around a lot. This song, although it teaches great theology, is not easy to sing and, thus, isn’t a good fit for congregational singing in our particular church.
5. Coherence
We desire that the songs we sing in corporate worship center around one or several main themes and have lyrics that develop and build upon these themes. We do not want to sing songs that are filled with random, generic Christian lingo. Rather, we want to sing songs that flesh out themes from the biblical text in a cohesive yet creative fashion and display them to the church.
Good Example: “Behold Our God” by Sovereign Grace Music (Spotify, YouTube). This is a wonderful song about God as Lord over all creation. The song builds by asking questions of man framed by biblical passages, designed to focus our attention on God as King and covenant Lord over all His creation including ourselves. It then builds to a climax in verse 3 where it speaks of Jesus being God the Lord incarnate who has died, risen, and ascended into heaven where He now sits on His throne. This is one of the best modern examples of beautifully, logically, and coherently building the lyrics of a song.
Bad Example: “You Make Me Brave” by Bethel Music (Spotify, YouTube). When you read the title and hear the bridge of this song, which is the main tagline, it seems as if the main theme of this song is that God casts out fear. Great! That is 100% true.
However, as you listen to the rest of the song, it seems like a random assortment of clichéd phrases bundled together that do not build up to that conclusion. There are neither specific lyrics that lead us to the conclusion that God makes us brave nor any lyrics that explain why we have nothing to fear in life or death. Rather, there are overdone ocean/water imagery and stream of consciousness-like statements about God’s love.
Next week, we’ll post #6-10 in Part II of “Why We Sing What We Sing.”
Footnotes
1. Much of this content was inspired by Zac Hicks’s article, “How I choose Songs for Corporate Worship.” I’m borrowing from his ideas and applying it to my church context.
2. This idea of good and bad examples also comes from Hicks’s article.
3. Christian Copyright Licensing International, as of April 2016.
BEN BECHTEL is the director of music and youth ministries at Community Evangelical Free Church in Harrisburg, PA. Ben earned a bachelor’s degree in biblical studies from Liberty University where he met his wife Whitley. In the spring of 2017, he will begin a masters of divinity program. You can follow him on Twitter.
[Picture by William Iven / Unsplash]
Consumer v. Covenant Relationships
Talking about the difference between “consumer” and “covenant” relationships is a helpful way to get at the deeper meaning of marriage, that is, the gospel.
There’s a lot of pressure on engaged couples to have the perfect wedding. I recently wrote about this in an article called, “The Problem with the Pinterest Dream Wedding.”
After the article was published, an author, Catherine Parks, reached out to me. Parks co-authored a book with her mother about this very topic. It’s called, A Christ-Centered Wedding: Rejoicing in the Gospel on Your Big Day. I just finished reading it last week.
If you’re engaged or if you have a friend or family member who is, this book would make a great gift. It’s full of sturdy, gospel-centered advice to counter the pressures to have the perfect wedding and keep the focus where it ought to be. Catherine Parks and her co-author, Linda Strode, write in the introduction,
Don’t get us wrong—we aren’t saying ... you shouldn’t ever look at Pinterest or magazines [to help create the perfect wedding]. We have just seen so many couples suffer through planning their weddings, weighed down by all the pressure to make them unique and perfect. (p. 2)
This has been my experience working with couples, too.
But this pressure to have a “dream wedding” sometimes spills over to the pastor who officiates the wedding, at least I know it does to me. In my article for Desiring God, I wrote,
There’s something in me, something ugly, that longs to preach Ephesians 5 better than it’s ever been preached: a sermon that engages the un-churched, dazzles the mature Christian, and rescues the estranged couple off the cliff of divorce.
Each time I share a message in a wedding, it’s a little different. That’s because every couple is different. Below is the most recent message I shared at a friend’s wedding. In it, I talk about the difference between “consumer” and “covenant” relationships. I find this distinction to be a helpful way to explain the greater meaning of marriage.
It’s possible that Timothy Keller has said something about this, perhaps in a message I heard him preach on Proverbs or maybe in his book The Meaning of Marriage; it all runs together for me. (If you know where he does this, let me know.)
Anyway, the below message takes me about 8-10 minutes to share. I’m not sure it’s a “Pinterest dream wedding sermon,” but it’s what I’ve got for now.
[Note, I changed the names of the bride and groom. Also, these reflections followed a reading of Ephesians 5:22-31 done by family members.]
* * *
At this time, I’m going to share a few comments about marriage and about the gospel. These comments are for all of us, but I would especially like to share them with you, John and Jessica.
I will say, though, that if you are here and you are not a Christian—perhaps you haven’t been to a church in a long time, or ever—you may be thinking, “I knew it; here it comes.” If that’s you, that’s okay. If I were you, I might feel that same way.
However, I would encourage you to listen in because so often I find that what people think Christianity is all about, is really not what it’s about at all. And discussing for a few moments the deeper meaning of marriage might be a wonderful way for you to consider what it is that Christians actually believe, at least at the core of our faith.
Marriage is, according to the Bible, more than a lifelong commitment to each other; it’s at least this, but it’s also more. Marriage is a reflection of what the Bible calls “the gospel.” And what I’d like to explain, just briefly, is how your marriage—and all marriages—are to reflect the relationship that God has with his people and God’s people have with him.
A good way to do this is to talk about two types of relationships. I want to talk about “consumer” and “covenant” relationships.
Just so that I’m not misunderstood, both types of relationships—consumer and covenant—have a proper place. Both can be very appropriate and healthy. A problem occurs, however, when we mistake a covenant relationship for a consumer one. To be more specific, the problem is when we mistake the covenant of marriage for a consumer relationship.
But let me back up. When we talk about consumer relationships, what do we mean? They are one-sided relationships where, as long as the other person keeps doing his or her part, then we will do our part. We have these relationships all the time. For example, many times in the last two years, when John and I would meet to talk about life and pray for each other, we would go to either Starbucks or our favorite local coffee shop, Little Amps. These are different types of coffee shops, I know, but I like them both. But I’m in a consumer relationship with them both. If one of them stops “delivering the goods,” well, eventually, I’m going to stop going.
The hallmark of a consumer relationship is that as long as they—the other person—holds up their end of the bargain, then I’ll hold up mine. If they change their product quality or if something happens, well, I’m free to do what I want; it’s my money.
I was talking with my father last year, and he told me how recently, yet reluctantly, he changed his home and car insurance carrier after over thirty some years with the same company. There was an incident that made him change, which I won’t go into. But I bring this up because my father is the most brand-loyal guy I know. When he finds something he likes, he sticks with it. But even for him, even in his loyalty, his relationship with an insurance company is still a consumer relationship.
And there is nothing wrong with that. Again, the problem comes when we bring this consumer view of relationships into marriage, which is to be a covenant relationship.
A covenant relationship is not focused on whether or not the other person delivers the goods. No, a covenant relationship is one based on a solemn vow to hold up your own end of the agreement regardless of whether the other person does. This is the most beautiful of all relationships because it means that you can be truly known—known in all of your glory, but also known in all of your depravity and shame and failures and insecurities—and not only known, but still loved. This is the meaning of unconditional love: truly known and dearly loved.
It’s God’s intention that marriage would be this type of relationship—one not based on what the other person does, but rather, through “better and worse, sickness and health, richer and poorer,” the marriage holds.
Those statements, which are so often included in wedding ceremonies, wouldn’t make any sense in a consumer relationship. If the baristas at Starbucks start spitting in my coffee, well, they are not going to be getting my $2.23 for a grande dark roast, which, by the way, I get with no room for cream or sugar. (Just mentioning that in case anyone ever wants to get me one.)
So, what does this have to do with anything? Let me come back to where I started. John and Jessica, your relationship in marriage is a covenant relationship. It’s to be a place where you truly know each other and deeply love one another—unconditionally.
And the reason that God has designed marriage to work this way is because it displays to the world the way God loves people in the gospel. This is the heart of Christianity. Christians do not believe that God loves us because we have done good; that would be a consumer relationship. Rather, at the heart of Christianity is the covenant love of God.
The sad truth is that all of us, according to the Bible, are more like a faithless bride than a faithful one. Or to put it another way, we have spit in God’s coffee. And the gospel is the good news that, in Jesus, God has undertaken a rescue mission to win back his bride. It’s the good news that God sent his Son, Jesus, to do what we could not, would not, did not do.
The Bible teaches that Jesus lived a perfect life; he was utterly faithful to God the Father, and loved him supremely. And then out of love for God, Jesus went to a cross and died, suffering the ultimate punishment for sin.
Marriage is to display this. Specifically, you John, as a husband and based on the passage of Scripture just read (Ephesians 5:22-31), are to love Jessica as Jesus loves you: sacrificially and unconditionally. This is a high and honorable calling.
And Jessica, your beautiful part is to represent the Church—the part of a loving, responsive, committed Church. Jessica, as an equal in person and value, you are to be John’s best friend and his most devoted helper, that together, you may accomplish the purposes of God, and in doing this, you will display to the world the beauty and blessing that it is for us, the Church, to follow God. You also have a high and beautiful calling.
I want to end with this. Yes, you have your roles to play and yes, you ought to do them well, just as we all ought to do them, but you must remember something in the process: God loves you, both of you, John and Jessica. And though you will both inadequately display the gospel in your marriage, remember that you are not saved because you do right, but because God loved you even while you were at your worst, and he continues to love you. May this gospel of the covenant love of God be the centerpiece of your life together.
[Photo by Josh Felise / Unsplash]
What Holds You Captive?
Over the years, I’ve attended a number of men’s retreats, even helping to organize a few of them. But I’ve never been asked to be the main speaker for one—until now. Recently, my former church asked me to speak at their retreat. It’s coming up the first weekend in August.
Over the years, I’ve attended a number of men’s retreats, even helping to organize a few of them. But I’ve never been asked to be the main speaker for one—until now. Recently, my former church asked me to speak at their retreat. It’s coming up the first weekend in August.
The theme was set by the church, though I was encouraged to massage it some. We’ll be talking about the things that tend to imprison men. For a number of reasons, this seemed like a great chance to spend a weekend in the book of Judges, a book packed with men who were imprisoned by their sin, men who “did what is right in their own eyes” (Judges 17:6; 21:25).
The handout for the retreat is still in the “draft” stage, but if you like, you can see it here. And below is my welcome letter to the guys, as well as the outline for my four talks. Also, online registration is here.
I’m very excited. I hope they are, too.
* * *
Welcome Letter
Men of New Life Bible Fellowship:
Thank you for asking me to speak at your retreat. I’m coming to this retreat to have fun, to laugh, to “get away,” and to see old friends and make some new ones. I hope you are, too.
But if these are the only reasons we’ve come, then we are wasting our time—and not only our time but our families’ time, our churches’ time, and most especially God’s time.
This retreat is strategic. It’s for more than fun, more than laughter. It’s a time for us to get away from distractions so that we can listen to God and ask him to make us into the men he calls us to be, that is, men who are not enslaved to sin but set free to serve and love Christ. Across the weekend, as we look at the Old Testament book of Judges, we’ll discuss 12 issues that have (and continue to) “imprison men.” But we’ll also see how the gospel of Jesus Christ sets us free.
And to that end I ask you to fully commit, to not hold anything back, to be transparent, thoughtful, and repentant. I ask that you labor to come back home changed by the gospel. If we do this, our time will not be wasted, our families will thank us, and God will be honored.
Grace and peace,
Benjamin Vrbicek
Session 1, Friday PM
Upon Further Review
Judges 2:6–3:6
Summary: As men, we are prone to give superficial assessment of our failures: “The sun was in my eyes,” or “I’m too old to change.” But the Bible, specifically this passage in Judges, doesn’t let us do that. And that’s a good thing! A superficial understanding of sin only allows for superficial freedom. God, however, wants to give you true freedom (John 8:32).
Key Verse: “And all that generation also were gathered to their fathers. And there arose another generation after them who did not know the Lord or the work that he had done for Israel” (Judges 2:10).
Themes: Superficial assessment and excuses; no gospel-relationship with God; failure to pass on the faith to the next generation
Outline: I. Why the conquest failed. II. What God was going to do about it.
Session 2, Saturday AM
The Purpose of Privilege
Judges 13:24–16:31
Summary: When we think about what it means to be “privileged,” we often think of it as something that belongs to someone else. “Look at that guy; he’s got it all; he’s privileged.” But everyone of us, in our own ways, has been privileged. The question that hangs over Samson’s life, and for that matter our lives, is this: How will we use our privilege? Will we squander our privilege on ourselves or leverage it for the good of others?
Key Verse: “Samson said to his father, ‘Get her for me, for she is right in my eyes’” (Judges 14:3).
Themes: Abuse of power; sexual sin; doing what’s right in your own eyes
Outline: I. Privilege: its abuse. II. Privilege: its proper use.
Session 3, Saturday PM
Feasting in Freedom
Judges 17:1–18:31
Summary: There’s nothing wrong with hard work and getting ahead, even being a shrewd entrepreneur. But what happens when we take a “good thing” and make it an “ultimate thing”? What happens when we exalt work—or hobbies, or family, or safety, or money, or sex, or anything—to the place of god? When we do this, idolatry happens; slavery happens. Yet, how are we to overcome this idolatry? The Christian answer is that we must feast on the gospel. As Jesus said, “My flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink” (John 6:55).
Key Verse: “You take my gods that I made and the priest, and go away, and what have I left? How then do you ask me, ‘What is the matter with you?’” (Judges 18:24).
Themes: Worldly ambition; making “good things” into “ultimate things”; replacing one idol for another idol
Outline: I. Setting the table. II. An empty table.
Session 4, Sunday AM
Finish Strong
Judges 6:1–10:5
Summary: What matters in the Christian life is finishing strong. But not everyone does this. Have you ever wondered why? In Judges 7–10, we see that Gideon didn’t finish well. Yes, God used him to lead his people in a great victory, but sadly then came pride and isolation. Men, let’s reject pride and remain accountable to each other and to God. Let’s finish strong.
Key Verse: “And Gideon made an ephod of it and put it in his city, in Ophrah. And all Israel whored after it there, and it became a snare to Gideon and to his family” (Judges 8:27).
Themes: Pride; lack of gospel-friendships and gospel-accountability; hero worship
Outline: I. Running right. II. Finishing wrong.
[Photo by Joshua Earle / Unsplash]
Opening a Church Bookstore
If you’ve been to a Christian bookstore recently, then you might have been overwhelmed by the amount of stuff there. That’s why two weeks ago our church launched our own bookstore. We filled it with 25-30 Christian books that were handpicked by our elders and staff. Here’s our list.
In Ephesians 4, when describing the many good gifts that Jesus Christ gives to his church, one of the gifts listed is the gift of “teachers” (v. 11). Some of these teachers are the godly women and men who teach primarily in the context of their local church. Others, through their speaking and writing, have a wider ministry. Regardless of the breath of a particular teacher’s ministry, what I’ve always thought is that if God gives his church teachers (which he has certainly done), than I want to be a learner.
And one of the great ways for us to be learners is through books.
But if you’ve been to a Christian bookstore recently, then you might have been overwhelmed by the amount of stuff there, especially because there is often a small portion of the store filled with . . . how shall I say this . . . junk—religious paraphernalia and authors with suspect doctrine.
Of course, among the garbage there is also gold. But I sympathize with those who find it hard to tell the difference. On first glance, it’s often hard for me to tell.
That’s why two weeks ago our church launched a bookstore. I don’t think, however, we’ll be putting our local Lifeway (a national chain of good Christian bookstores) out of business anytime soon. Our bookstore is really just a bookshelf that sits in the café. We filled it with 25-30 Christian books that were handpicked by our elders and staff. We are selling each book a little below cost (i.e., we’re not trying to make money!) at $10 each, except of course for Grudem’s Systematic Theology which is actually $20, but that’s because it’s the size of four books!
We organized the books by favorite authors and category. Our three favorite authors, in no particular order, are Timothy Keller, John Piper, and Kevin DeYoung. And our four categories are (1) Bible & Theology, (2) Marriage & Family, (3), Christian Living & Miscellaneous and (4) Apologetics & Evangelism.
Please scroll through our list below, and in the comments section, let me know what books we missed!
[Also, CLICK each book cover for more information.]
* * *
FAVORITE AUTHORS
Timothy Keller
John Piper
Kevin DeYoung
BY CATEGORY
Bible & Theology
Christian Living & Miscellaneous
Marriage & Family
Apologetics & Evangelism
[Photo by kazuend / Unsplash]
Thank You Salem Church
While in seminary, my family and I attended Salem Evangelical Free Church in St. Louis, MO. In a few days, as I complete my first five years of ministry, thankfulness for their investment in me is bubbling over. Here’s a copy of a letter I recently wrote to them.
While in seminary, my family and I attended Salem Evangelical Free Church in St. Louis, MO. In a few days, as I complete my first five years of ministry, thankfulness for their investment in me is bubbling over. Here’s a copy of a letter I recently wrote to them.
* * *
May 26, 2015
Salem Evangelical Free Church
2490 Pohlman Road,
Florissant, MO 63033
Dear Salem Evangelical Free Church:
“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” (2 Timothy 4:7). Those words are from the Apostle Paul. He wrote them, not after 5 years of ministry, but a lifetime. I can’t say what he said. But I can say that I’ve finished a certain milestone. And I’m writing to you, Salem Evangelical Free Church, to tell you thank you so much for helping me get there.
AMELIA AND JEFF SCHULTZ WITH BROOKE AND I THE NIGHT OF MY baccalaureate FROM SEMINARY.
My wife, Brooke, and I were at Salem while I attended Covenant Theological Seminary. Five years ago, when we left Salem for my first job as a pastor in Tucson, AZ, we had 3 children: Noah, Hudson, and Eden. Now, we live in Harrisburg, PA where I’m a teaching pastor at Community Evangelical Free Church, and we have 2 more children than we when left: Izzy and Judah.
While at Salem, you graciously gave me a scholarship, so that (along with the help of others) we were able to finish seminary without debt. I can’t thank you enough for that.
Graduation Night with my friend Marc.
And not only did you help us financially, we also received support in many other ways. There was encouragement and discipleship from Pastor Jeff. There was friendship with Tom, Brycen, and Marc (and Brooke with Kacey, Amelia, Megan, Esther, and Paula). There were young adults to share small group Bible studies with, people such as Andréa, Brycen and Kacey, Megan and Allen, Marc and Esther, and Sarah and Trafford. Then there was the men’s ministry, who listened to my occasional lesson. And of course, there were plenty of trees to drop leaves so that I could work on my “leaf raking skills” each fall!
I was also blessed by my opportunities to preach. Do you remember the time I preached Judges 19-20 during Advent? Yikes. Who lets a seminary student do that? And then there was the time I led a three-week Sunday school class on the Bible, homosexuality, and culture. If I remember right, in the class there were a few people in their 80s, and at one point, I had us looking at lyrics to a Lady Gaga song.
Picture with some friends from seminary (Todd, Bryan, Rick, [my son hudson], Nathan, and me)
You also taught us about the importance of membership in the local church. In fact, I remember when we pursued membership, Pastor Jeff and Joe Fey came to our house for the interview and they listened to how the gospel message had changed, and was continuing to change, us. To this day, when Brooke and I think about what it means for the local church to be the “body of Christ,” we think about the time when our son Hudson was born. To say the least, things didn’t go well. But you, Salem, were there: ready to help, ready to serve.
And do you remember the time you threw us a going away party? We thought we were going to our last small group meeting, and as we rounded the corner in the church basement, my young daughter was so surprised to see the whole church that she dropped the bowl of chopped pineapples we had brought! For the party you even bought us ice cream cakes from Doozles, our favorite! And then there was your attendance at our annual Christmas party and cookie decorating competition (which, by the way, continues in it’s 11th year).
Brycen at our Annual Christmas party. Notice the shirt he made for the Night!
You’re commitment to us continues to bear fruit. In the last 5 years, I’ve helped launch 40 small groups and preached 55 sermons; I’ve officiated the premarital counseling and weddings for 9 couples (with 4 more to go this year); I’ve written 107 blog posts, 3 poems, 2 short books (with 1 more to come soon), and 1 worship song; and I’ve cried countless tears—some were tears of joy, others were not.
A seasoned pastor once told me that he wants to write a letter to everyone who listened to his first 100 sermons to say “thank you for tolerating them.” I have 45 to go, but even now, I understand what he’s talking about. It takes faith in God to allow opportunities for a young pastor to grow and faith in God to be gracious to him when he messes up. Thank you for having this faith in God.
First Day of Work on June 1, 2011 in Tucson, AZ at new Life Bible Fellowship Church.
Finally, I want to make sure I specifically thank Tom Reidy. Tom, in your message to me at my “sending service,” you prayed that there would be those in my life who would hold up my arms when I was too exhausted to hold them up myself (even as Moses needed this in Exodus 17). Church, you should know how faithfully Tom has done this for me. He has continued to read everything I write, listen to every sermon I preach, and, almost without exception, send me a note of encouragement once a month. Oh, and a few times a year, I get a book in the mail from one of my favorite authors. What a friend; what a brother! I loved the times we spent together before work at the “golden arches”—and not just because, for some reason, Tom always said it was “his turn” to pay.
In truth, I don’t remember most of the specifics of the scholarship you gave me. But I do remember one stipulation, namely, that I had to continue in ministry for at least 5 years, and if not, I had to pay it back. On Wednesday morning June 1, 2011, I started my first day of fulltime, vocational ministry in a local church. In just a few days, it will be June 1, 2016. I’m sticking this letter in the mail a bit early so that it gets there on time. I hope you’ll forgive my presumption!
Again, I am so thankful for all you have done and continue to do.
Grace and Peace,
Benjamin Vrbicek
[Family photo, Marti Aiken Photography]
How Taking Out the Trash Teaches us about the Lord’s Supper
What does it mean to “remember?” This may feel like a silly question, but it’s not. If we understand what it means, biblically speaking, "to remember," then we’ll be able to better understand the Lord’s Supper.
I’ve been reading through the book of Judges. It’s a sad book. The refrain in the book is that God’s people “do what is right in their own eyes” (Judges 17:6; 21:25; cf. 14:3).
This morning I finished the book before church. As I finished, what struck me is how scary the ending of the book is. It’s scary in this way: the book is full of activity by God’s people—full of commotion, even some apparent piety—but God is missing. God is either an afterthought or a casual mention before the people do what they really want to do, namely, that which seems right in their own eyes. So they make plans; they attempt to correct sin; they fight a war; they “solve” a tribal problem—but they don’t remember God. They mention God, of course, but they don’t really remember him. And that’s scary. Lots of activity, little remembering of God.
What Does it Mean to “Remember?”
But “remember” is a funny word, isn’t it? What does it mean? What does it, biblically speaking, mean to “fully remember”?
Consider this. If you are at my house on a Tuesday morning at 7:30 AM, as we sit at the kitchen table and eat breakfast, from down the street, you’ll be able to hear the noise of a huge machine getting closer.
And closer.
And closer.
The machine is coming up the south side of the street, the side my house is on.
When you hear the noise, you might then also hear my wife ask me, “Honey, did you remember to take out the trash?” What’s my wife really asking? What does she mean by “remember”?
If I say, “Yes, last night I remembered that I was supposed to take out the trash. However, I did not actually take out the trash.” Is that remembering? Well, not really.
To remember to take out the trash is to remember in such a way that it produces a response—the appropriate response. Consider also what it means to remember to lock the door or bring your passport to the airport. No, remembering—in its full biblical meaning and often its full cultural connotation as well—does not mean to simply and briefly recall something to mind so that you can then do all the other things you want to do with your day—and your life.
True remembering is remembering in such a way that it produces a response. This is how Paul uses the word remember in Galatians 2:10 when he speaks of being eager to “remember the poor.” Surely, this is not merely calling to mind that poor people exist but rather an action that produces care and generosity for them.
Do This in Remembrance of Me
In the gospel of Luke, when Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper, he told his disciples, “Do this in remembrance of me” (Luke 22:19; cf. 1 Corinthians 11:24). In fact, we have this statement carved on the wooden table that we use for the Lord’s Supper.
There are several views on what takes place in the Lord’s Supper, and the view that we hold, one that many Protestants hold, is called “memorialism.” The idea of a memorial is that we remember someone or something. And a memorialist view of the Lord’s Supper focuses on remembering what Jesus has done for us in the gospel.
But we should not misunderstand this memorialist view. When we ascribe to this view, we mean the full connotation of “remember”—to remember in such a way that it actually produces something within believers when they participate by faith. That’s why our own denomination, The Evangelical Free Church of America, states that
the Lord’s Supper [and baptism] . . . visibly and tangibly express the gospel. Though they are not the means of salvation, when celebrated by the church in genuine faith, these ordinances confirm and nourish the believer (EFCA Statement of Faith, Article 9).
Your Response?
My aim this morning is to help us remember the saving death of Jesus Christ as neither an afterthought nor a pretense of piety. Rather, let us remember the death of Jesus in such a way that it produces a response.
As we pass the elements, what response do you need to make this morning? Is there a sin that you need to forsake? Is there a good activity that you need to reinstate? Is there joy in the gospel message that needs to be revived?
I’m so thankful for the Lord’s Supper. It’s God’s periodic invitation to forgetful people to remember the good news: the good news that God loves us and through his death and resurrection he has expensively purchased for us everything we need for life and godliness.
Two Quick Things
Just two more quick things. First, this is a meal for Christians. If you are not a Christian, we are so glad that you are here with us. However, we ask that you not participate because by participating you would be saying something untrue of yourself, namely, that you are a Christian who has been changed by the gospel. We would never want to put you in a place where you felt pressured to do that. Perhaps you can use this time to think about what it might mean to begin to follow Jesus and to experience his love for you.
Second, as we pass the elements. We will be passing the bread and the cup at the same time. By this I mean that both are in one tray; we’ve put two cups together, one on top of the other. So as the tray comes by you, please make sure you take both of them. And then please hold them until we have all been served.
[Communion is served while a song is played . . . ]
The Bible records that on the night that Jesus was betrayed, as they were eating, and when he had given thanks, Jesus took the bread and broke it. And he said, “This is my body which is broken for you. Do this in remembrance of me” (Luke 22:19).
[While holding up the bread . . . ] “The body of Christ, broken for you. Take in faith.”
In the same way, after they had eaten, he took the cup saying, “this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins” (Matthew 26:28; cf. Luke 22:20).
[While holding up the cup. . . ] “The blood of Christ, poured out for you. Take in faith.”
Let’s pray . . .
RELATED POSTS
A Response to "Why Men Should Not Be Pastors"
Last week, Sojourners released a short video that explains “7 Reasons Men Should Not Be Pastors.” Perhaps you are one of the millions of people who watched the video in your Facebook feed, maybe even one of the 32k people who shared the post or the 16k who hit “like.” This is my response to the video.
Last week, Sojourners released a short video that explains “7 Reasons Men Should Not Be Pastors" (watch here). Perhaps you are one of the millions of people who watched the video in your Facebook feed, maybe even one of the 32k people who shared the post or the 16k who hit “like.”
I didn’t hit “like,” but I did watch it a dozen times.
Here are the seven reasons, according to Sojourners, why men shouldn’t be pastors.
Men don’t need to be ordained to help in the church; they can always help in children’s ministry.
(Some) men are too handsome to be pastors; their good looks will distract.
Men are too emotional—have you seen March Madness!?
Men who have children will be sidetracked from pastoring by their family responsibilities.
Men can’t be trusted to lead because Jesus was betrayed by a man.
Men, about once a month, get really cranky.
Men, again, don’t have to be pastors to help in the church; they can help in other stereotypical male ways, such as leading worship on Father’s Day and fixing the church roof.
You see what they are doing, right? The video isn’t about why men shouldn’t be pastors. It’s about all the silly and sexist reasons that people tell women that they shouldn’t be pastors.
And with this, I agree. It’s wrong, even sinful, to fabricate arbitrary and sexist reasons why women shouldn’t be pastors. It’s been done, and I hate it. I’m sure all thoughtful Christians, especially ministry-minded women, must hate it, too. God hates it.
But who are we kidding? This isn’t the only message, nor even the main message of the video. The main message is not that women shouldn’t be excluded from the pastorate for silly and sexist reasons, but rather that women shouldn’t be excluded from the pastorate for any reason—come on, it’s 2016, people! Moreover, anyone who has any reasons for excluding women—including reasons based in Scripture—is likewise silly . . . or something worse (insert words here like “social dinosaur” or “patriarchal misogynist.”)
Complementarism v. Egalitarianism
In the history of the church, there are two main theological positions on men’s and women’s roles. They go by the names of “complementarianism” and “egalitarianism.” It will be helpful to briefly explain these views, specifically what both of these views affirm, and then mention how they differ.
Both views affirm that men and women are created equally in the image of God, and consequently have equal dignity, value, and worth. Also, both views believe that women and men can, and should, participate significantly in Christian ministry.
And yet, there are differences in the two positions. Egalitarians believe that there should be no distinctions in roles in the home and the church that are based upon the innate qualities of gender. Rather, egalitarians believe that any and all roles should be decided only on the basis of competency. In other words, if you are good at something, regardless of your gender, then you should be able to do it. If you can preach—preach it, sister.
Complementarians don’t believe this. They believe that manhood, in distinction from womanhood, means something—something beautiful. And complementarians believe that womanhood, in distinction from manhood, means something—something beautiful. Complementarians believe that roles are not determined only by competency but also, even mainly, by the good, enduring design of the Creator. In short, maleness and femaleness has meaning beyond “plumbing”; at our soul-level we are not androgynous but irrevocably and invaluably gendered.
Are There Bible-Reasons Why Pastors Should Only Be Men?
I don’t think I am a patriarchal misogynist, but I’m sure I sound that way to some. Regardless, I do think there are biblical reasons that men, and only men, should be elders in a local church. [1]
Because this is such a controversial point, allow me to mention seven of the biblical reasons for this view.
First, God gives Adam responsibilities of leadership before the fall, that is, Adam’s responsibility to lead is not a result of sin after Genesis 3. For example, before the fall, God creates Adam first and then Eve as a “helper fit for him” (2:18). Also, God gives Adam the responsibility of naming the animals, and then later Eve (2:19-20; 3:20). Additionally, God instructs Adam regarding which tree he should and should not eat from (2:15-17). This instruction took place before Eve was created. The expectation, then, is that Adam was to teach God’s moral instruction to Eve, thus implying a role of spiritual leadership.
Second, although Eve also sinned (even sinned first), God does not charge Eve with the responsibility of plunging the human race into sin and enmity with God. Rather, this is Adam’s responsibility, as taught in places like Romans 5:12-21.
Third, the way that Satan chooses to approach the woman in Genesis 3, also hints that Satan knew that God had placed Adam in a leadership role, and he deliberately chose to assault it. To use an analogy, if two nations are at war and one side chooses to deliberately bypass the President during negotiations, instead choosing to speak only with the Vice President, an insult is delivered. Satan insults the created order in bypassing Adam to speak with Eve.
Fourth, throughout both the Old Testament and New Testament there is a pattern of spiritual leadership being placed mainly among men (e.g., priests in the OT and the apostles and 12 disciples in the NT). This is not to say that at times women didn’t lead, but the primary pattern of male leadership is undeniable.
Fifth, there are many parallels between male leadership in the church and the headship of men in the home. This is taught in places like Ephesians 5, Colossians 3, and Titus 2.
Sixth, there is no explicit mention of women pastor-elders in the New Testament. If Jesus or his authorized representatives in the early church had desired women to be pastors, they didn’t make it clear. [3]
Finally, it would seem that specific passages, like 1 Timothy 2:8-3:7 and Titus 1:5-9, actually require elders to be males.
Why is This So Hard to Accept?
There are probably many reasons this view is unpopular. For one, the abuses of sinful men who treat headship like a right and privilege. This should not be the case, but sadly, it happens. Spiritual leadership is not a right or privilege, but a responsibility to be carried out humbly and sacrificially, the way Jesus carried it out (Ephesians 5:2, 25).
But there is likely another reason we chafe against this, one often not mentioned, namely, that complementarism assaults a certain cultural idol. It’s commonly held today that you can’t have differing roles without also having differing intrinsic worth. If someone does a different role, even especially if one is prevented from doing a role, then they must, according to the culture, be inferior. Thus, if women shouldn’t be pastors then women are by extension inferior.
But this is not what the Bible teaches, most especially demonstrated in the Triune relations between the Father, Son, and Spirit. Is the Son of God less than God the Father because the Son does his Father’s will (John 6:38)? Is the Holy Spirit less than God because he is called “helper” (John 14:26)? Orthodox Christianity has always said, no. Differing roles among the members of the Trinity do not necessitate a difference in value. Actually, quite the opposite is true.
At our church, as you might have guessed by now, we do not have women pastors. But we do, however, try our best to not over apply this.
For example, last Sunday at our worship services a woman read the closing benediction of Scripture. As well as, several women led songs during the worship service—and no, it wasn’t Mother’s Day. And at our church, the current head of the Finance Team is a woman (and the whole team, by the way, is made up of two women and two men). Just yesterday, in fact, I sent her an email asking if she could help direct me and the other elders about how to use certain funds—not a small or insignificant role. Of course, there are many other important ways women lead at our church; these are just a few. [4]
Making a distinction between men’s and women’s roles is especially controversial in our day. But this is nothing new. Throughout history, it’s often been the case. We see this even in New Testament times. We shouldn’t have a romantic view of the early church. They too needed to work through the issues, just as we do. Thankfully, God did not leave the early church to fend for themselves. Even though some considered it foolishness, God gave them his wisdom, just as he has given it to us (cf. 1 Corinthians 1:18-25; 2:14-16).
The final line in the Soujourners’ video asks viewers to “support women in the church.” I couldn’t agree more. I, however, think we do this best by not asking women to fill a role that God didn’t intend them to fill. “And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good” (Genesis 1:31).
* * *
[1] Of course, not just “any man” can be an elder, but only those men who fit the qualifications for elders as described in places like 1 Timothy 3:1-7, Titus 1:5-9, and 1 Peter 5:1-5. Also, throughout this post I’m using pastor and elder interchangeably because the Bible does.
[2] The decision we interpreters must make is whether this pattern is merely a product of their cultural norms or something with trans-cultural purpose (i.e., a God-given design for all time). I favor the latter. Male spiritual leadership existed in 116 AD and continues to exist in 2016, not because of cultural norms (sinful or otherwise) but divine design.
[3] And no, I don’t think Galatians 3:26-28 actually flattens all distinctions, though it does reinforce what is taught in many places, namely, that neither ethnicity nor gender can keep people from full status as children of God.
[4] And on a personal level, just this last week, I’ve been reading a detailed history of the prosperity gospel, which is written by a very gifted historian who also happens to be a woman. I thank God for her scholarship and I’m praying her book benefits many people.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:
No Longer Slaves
“No Longer Slaves” is a popular Christian worship song. I often hear it on the radio, and we occasionally sing it at our church. Here are five reasons I love this song.
In the spring, we introduced our church to the song “No Longer Slaves” by Bethel Music. If you haven’t heard the song before, you need to. You can watch the video here, see the lyrics at Bethelmusic.com, and you can buy the song (and album) on iTunes.
But before I leap into this post, let me acknowledge one thing. Apparently, there are some theological issues worthy of discussion around Bethel Church and their understanding of apostleship and authority, as well as their practice of spiritual gifts.* While these are important topics, they won’t take us in the direction I want to pursue in this post.
Here, I only want to share five reasons why I love this song.
1. I love when ‘singing themes’ overlap with ‘preaching themes.’
In our church, we try to sing songs that share themes with the sermon. In other words, we try to sing what we preach and preach what we sing. This tends to help us, I believe, live what we preach.
Coordination between music and preaching doesn’t always work out, nor should it have to, but it is the ideal. And this spring, as we were teaching through Galatians, it was the perfect time to introduce “No Longer Slaves” since the song comes primarily from Galatians 4:4-7, 31 (and also Romans 8:12-16).
2. I love the powerful, gospel imagery.
Slavery. Bondage. Deliverance. These are explosive themes in our culture, like firecrackers dipped in gasoline and rolled in magnesium.
Consider the acclaim of a movie like “12 Years a Slave.” As a friend pointed out to me, the movie was nominated for 323 movie awards and won 164 of them, including three Academy Awards, a Golden Globe, and a Screen Actors Guild. Additionally, the movie has a 96% “fresh” score on Rotten Tomatoes despite being a very difficult movie to watch. It’s tough to find any movie with such a high score on RT.
It’s not just a cultural issue, either. Themes of slavery, bondage, and deliverance are supercharged biblical motifs, as well, motifs which reach their apex in the gospel message of Jesus Christ.
The gospel is the announcement that Messiah has come, and through his costly death and victorious resurrection, he’s delivered his people from slavery to sin, bringing them into the freedom of relationship with God.
Or, in short, the gospel is the announcement of how orphans become children and slaves become heirs.
And that’s something to sing about.
3. I love the line “All my fears were drowned in perfect love.”
I had missed it so many times, but on one morning as we sang it in church, I finally noticed it. The first two lines from the bridge go like this:
You split the sea, so I could walk right through it
All my fears were drowned in perfect love
Obviously, the imagery in the first line is from Exodus (“you split the sea…”), but finally, after listening to the song maybe 20 times, I noticed the same Exodus imagery in the second line as well: “All my fears were drowned in perfect love.”
In the Exodus, God splits the Red Sea; the Israelites walk through it; and then, the perfect and protecting love of God that parted the Sea for his people, then un-parts the Sea—drowning all the enemies of God’s people (“All my fears were drowned in perfect love”).
4. I love the warmth.
I love the line, “You surround me, with songs of deliverance, until all my fears are gone.” It reminds me that God, in all of his terrifying power, is my salvation.
We see similar reflection on God’s power and love in Psalm 136:10-17. In this passage, the “steadfast love” of God is repeatedly juxtaposed with God’s crushing power on display in Exodus. Just think, the mighty arms that drowned Pharaoh’s chariots are the same arms that embrace us in Jesus Christ.
5. I love the raw emotion.
Finally, I just love the raw emotion. Have you listened to the whole song? Have you heard the ending?
One of the volunteer music leaders at our church pointed this out to me. He told me that singing as Jonathan David Helser does near the end of the song, is not good for your vocal cords—not good at all. Apparently, it puts them under duress. (You can jump to this part in the song here.)
I’m certainly not musically trained, but I’m sure that’s probably true.
But he sure sounds passionate, doesn’t he?
_______________
[I want to say a special “thank you” to Ben Bechtel and David Barreca for reviewing this post and their musical leadership at our church. And thanks to everyone at Community Evangelical Free Church who serves in our music ministry. You help us encounter and live the gospel.]
* For an interesting podcast that discusses these issues, listen to the first hour of Greg Koukl’s interview with Doug Geivett on Stand to Reason. Bethel Church is named around 46:30, but you’ll need to listen earlier if you want to understand the context.
How to Leave a Church Well
We spend lots of time talking about how to start church membership well, but we should also be discussing how to leave a church well. Here’s an excerpt from the Epilogue to the church membership book I wrote called, EACH PART WORKING PROPERLY.
An excerpt from the Epilogue to the church membership book I wrote called, Each Part Working Properly.
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We’ve just spent three weeks talking about what it means to join a church generally and specifically to join our church. We’ve talked about what we believe about all sorts of theological doctrines, from the Gospel, to the EFCA statement of faith, and we even touched on premillennialism, Reformed theology and complementarianism. We’ve talked about where our denomination has been, how our church was planted, and how, in the future, we’d also like to plant churches. We’ve talked about the importance of being practically connected to God’s body, the local church, and we have talked about the story God has given you to share. As I said at the start, this was our attempt to love you well. You need to know what you are getting into when you join a church. It’s not a small decision.
But we’re not done yet; there is one more thing to cover.
We live in transient times. People can so quickly change cell phone numbers, email addresses, and even houses, jobs, and careers. In today’s culture, there are simply not many things that have permanence, even from a human perspective, and this includes loyalty to a local church.
All of this is not necessarily a bad thing, but it does create the need for a conversation about how to leave a church well. In this short epilogue, our purpose is not to delve into all the potential reasons for leaving a church—the good, the bad, and the ugly. But given the fact that, unless you and I die while at Community, at some point in our lives we will all move on to another church for one reason or another.
What we ask is this: when the time does arrive, that you make the necessary effort to leave Community well. What “well” looks like will vary from situation to situation. Perhaps it involves a simple phone call to the church office to let us know. Or perhaps it involves a longer conversation with members of the pastoral staff.
Because we really do care about you, we don’t simply want you to fade away, or worse yet, to leave with feelings of resentment and hurt, or unresolved conflict. Leaving a church poorly is not good for anybody—the person, the particular church from which you leave, and even the next church that you join. In fact, if you didn’t leave well from your previous church, it’s not too late. God wants you to do so, because when we talk about the church, we’re talking about Jesus’s bride.
And as God loves you, we love you. So, if you should decide to become connected to our fellowship, great. But please love us enough in return to leave well, if and when the time comes.
Introduction from EACH PART WORKING PROPERLY
An excerpt from the Introduction to the church membership book I wrote called, EACH PART WORKING PROPERLY.
An excerpt from the Introduction to the church membership book I wrote called, Each Part Working Properly.
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Our membership class used to be on a Sunday after church. It was just an hour or two, but it made for a long day.
In the class, a few pastors would share about our church, and we’d do our best to teach the material and answer some questions. Often, however, the whole thing felt rushed. Often I could tell that someone wanted to ask follow-up questions, but at the same time, he didn’t want to be “that guy”—you know, the one who keeps people at a meeting even longer, a meeting that’s already too long.
And it wasn’t just getting through all of our information that made the class rushed. We, as pastors, also wanted to get to know the people in the class, just as they wanted to get to know us. Yet there just wasn’t much time for this either.
Let me put it like this. It was as though we were all at a restaurant to enjoy a good meal with good company, but then we looked at our watches, realized we were out of time, and we had to go. So together, we scarfed down our food and left—a little unsatisfied.
Now, we have slowed things down.
Now, the membership class lasts four weeks. During the first three weeks, we cover topics that we think would be helpful to you as you consider what it might mean to join our church. We cover topics such as the meaning of the Gospel, our church’s history and structure, and our denomination’s core theological beliefs.
This may not seem very important—but trust me, it is.
Let me tell you why with a little story. I have a brother who started attending a church in the Midwest with his family. At first, things seemed great. They liked the pastor, the worship was engaging, and the people were friendly. And so they stayed. But as time went on, they began to have questions about the theology of the church. After a year and a half at the church, my brother told me, “You know, Benjamin, I don’t think we would have stayed here if we had known upfront what this church was about.” The church wasn’t teaching anything heretical, just off center a bit, at least from my brother’s perspective.
This put them in a place where they had to make a hard decision: stay, continuing to invest with people they now considered family, or leave, following their theological consciences only to start over somewhere else.
We don’t want this to happen to you. We care about you. This membership class, and this book, are expressions of that care. Of course, we believe this is a good church, a good place to worship God; that’s why we’re here. But you’ll need to decide that for yourself, and the best way for you to make that choice, we believe, besides participating in our weekly worship services, is by going through this class.
In addition to your learning about us, throughout the class, we hope to learn about you as well. That’s especially what the last week is about. On Week 4, there is no “material” per se; we dedicate all of the time in class for you to take turns sharing some of what God has done in your life. This will take place among the people that you’ve sat at the same tables with throughout the class. For some, perhaps even you, this sharing about what God has done in your life sounds like a scary thing. But it shouldn’t be; we’ll do our best to prepare you for it.
Finally, in this class we hope that you’ll find a ministry, or several ministries, for you to serve in; that is, we want you to find a place to use the gifts that God has given you. Growing churches can be misleading. Newcomers see all of the activity and think, “There’s no place here for me to serve.”
Wrong.
We may have a lot going on, but we want you—in fact, we need you—just as a healthy family needs all of its members. Because through the power of the Gospel, “when each part is working properly” (Ephesians 4:15), God builds his church in love.
Moldy Bread, Sandy Water, Graphic Sin, and the Meal that Satisfies
In seminary, I remember having classes on the Lord’s Supper. And in those classes, I remember learning that many wonderful things take place when Christians participate in the Lord’s Supper. But as in salvation, during the Lord’s Supper, before grace becomes rich and satisfying, sin must be seen as graphic and unpleasant.
The Invitation
After the people of God had been through a great many trials, even trials that were brought upon them because of their own sins, God began to speak – or perhaps better, continued to speak – to his people through a man named Isaiah.
In Chapter 55, we hear a glorious invitation from God:
Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.
Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy?
Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food. Incline your ear, and come to me; hear, that your soul may live; and I will make with you an everlasting covenant, my steadfast, sure love for David.
In other words, if you are hungry, come eat rich food. If you are thirsty, come drink fine wine. Don’t worry about having the money for it; God knows that you don’t.
Graphic Sin
There are many ways the Bible describes sin. Some of them are fairly unpleasant and others are quite graphic. And rightfully so. Sin is unpleasant and, at times, graphic.
This is how sin is described in Isaiah 55, but not in the usual way we understand the terms “unpleasant” and “graphic.”
Here, Isaiah describes sin as spending money – hard-earned money – on moldy bread. It is described as labor and toil and effort – getting up early, staying up late – only to drink water filled with sand. Sin is guzzling – I mean, liquid-spilling-down-the-sides-of-your-face-and-neck-and-shirt-and-getting-you-all-sticky guzzling – “that which does not satisfy.” Isaiah is talking about faces in the feeding trough of sin.
Rather unpleasant and graphic, right?
The Meal that Satisfies
The solution offered by Isaiah – offered by God – is to feast on real food, rich food. And not just that, but to do so using another person’s expense account.
And that’s what the Lord’s Supper is about.
The Lord’s Supper is the multimedia presentation of the death of the Lord Jesus Christ. It proclaims the way that sinful, undeserving people can have relationship with God. It is an invitation made to people without the ‘moral capital’ to purchase the love of God, but are nonetheless invited to “buy” grace and love and satisfaction through repentance and faith. It is an invitation to feast on a meal purchased with another’s money, a meal that does satisfy.
People often wonder who should participate in this supper, and different churches have different understandings about this, but at the core, we all can say that the meal is not for people who deserve it. That is for sure.
The Lord’s Supper, like salvation, is for those who know the dissatisfaction of their own labors; it’s for people that are tired of moldy bread and sandy water; it’s for people that worship God for his free grace to them through the Son.
Pastors have all sorts of ways to describe the Communion invitation to the congregation, but the best one I know is to say with the prophet Isaiah:
“Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat!”
In other words, guzzle down grace ‘til it spills down your face and gets you sticky.
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I’m Not Just Some Kid Beating on a Drum
When I look at the worship team from the front row, I know that the kid holding the wooden sticks is not just some kid—he’s one of us.
Our church had our annual baptism celebration last weekend (pictures here). Eight people were baptized, all telling their story—The Story, really—of how God had moved in their lives.
As I opened the service, I told everyone that I believed all of us would come to know the grace of God better as we heard how the grace of God had affected the lives of others. I don’t think we were disappointed. I know I wasn’t.
One of my favorite moments came as a young man shared his story. He said,
I’m being baptized today for 2 reasons: First, Jesus has saved me and this is what he commands us to do.
But also, I’m being baptized because I’m showing you that I’m with you [with Christians, with this local church]. I’m not just some kid beating on a drum, somebody just performing on a stage; I’m worshiping with you; I’m one of you.
That’s the twofold meaning of baptism, isn’t it—united to Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection (that is, “Jesus saved me”), and identifying publicly with all the other people who this is also true for (that is, “I’m with you”).
I came to know the grace of God better last Sunday afternoon. And this coming Sunday, when I look at the worship team from the front row, I know that the kid holding the wooden sticks is not just some kid—he’s one of us.
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What is the Church? And why does it matter?