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Winter 2010
Notes from Paul
December 30
Here's to 2010!
We called last year 09. What do we call this one? 010? Just 10?
I say we call it new and ripe with opportunity and faith-building chances.
So Sunday, a bit different. "State of the church." What is the state of the church? Healthy. Forward thinking. Prayerfully optimistic. Biblically sound and culturally engaged. Strong, historically and built for the future. State of the church? Stick around and listen and participate.
Members' meeting? What's that? A meeting where church members gather :-). Actually a necessary time for the ratification of new leaders, trustees and deacons. Faithful men and women who will serve in important ways. Also a time to thank God for our fiduciary health and integrity.
2010? Worship--look for new venues, first in Green then in Akron. Our partnership with Valleyview in Wadsworth will play a significant role in our church site strategy.
Community--Galatians groups! First Aid for High School growth through serving opportunities! And kids. 1.10.10.
Mission--global, local, personal. Taking the love and redemption of Christ wherever we go this year.
Here's to 2010! May the year be filled with joy and challenges and spiritual growth and Christ. See you in the trenches.
January 7
Pop Quiz
1. Rules can never make us holy or good. T F
2. A guilt-ridden, rule-obsessed faith is the
essence of Christianity. T F
3. Our freedom in Christ has social implications. T F
4. Pastor Paul is preaching in Valleyview this morning. T F
5. At least three exciting new things are starting this week. T F
6. We were created to do life alone. T F
7. The Chapel, like all churches, must dwell on money. T F
ANSWERS
1. True. Rules are good to maintain outward order and conformity but can never produce inward goodness.
2. Totally false. We just learned about that from some really bad examples and role models.
3. True. Galatians tells us that in Christ there is neither slave or free, Jew or Gentile, male or female.
4. True (gotcha!). As part our “engagement,” they are watching last week’s “State of the Church/Vision 2010.”
5. True again. Kids:1.10.10, Youth: First Aid, Galatians Groups.
6. False. A church is meant to be a series of lives connected together. That’s why we have Community groups.
7. False. We dwell on God. And along with many other things, depend on the generosity of the many to make church happen.
January 14
Freedom and Fences?
Okay, so I get it. The theme for now is “freedom.” So, what’s with the chain-link fences?
They represent the fences we so readily erect that bind us and keep us from experiencing the freedom and joy that comes from embracing Christ.
Yeah, but they’re kind of ugly.
Yes they are. So are the arbitrary rules we create to measure holiness and judge others.
Isn’t this whole freedom subject a little bit risky? I mean, before you know it, we’ll have Christians running around doing whatever they please in the name of freedom.
Maybe so. But that sure wouldn’t be what the Bible calls freedom.
It’s not? Then what do you mean by freedom? You can be kind of confusing sometimes, you know.
No need to get personal or testy. Freedom begins with a relationship with God.
What’s so free about that?
It is being free from the curse and guilt of the Law. That relationship, that guilt-free(dom) comes by way of redemption through Christ.
That sounds good, but how does that work?
We are told that by dying on the cross, Christ took our curse and guilt upon himself. He thus frees us “from this present evil age.” All the addictions and junk that enslaves us—we no longer bear the shame of and can even be freed from.
So does this freedom actually affect the way we live, or am I just putting up another fence?
No fence at all. Freedom becomes a work of the Holy Spirit in the life of the Christ-follower. From the inside out God enables us to live the way we were created to—virtuously, reflecting his character of love, joy, peace, patience and kindness.
In other words, freedom is not some kind of self-discovery or doing whatever I want. But it really is living in Christ through the Holy Spirit.
Exactly! Now what do you think of those fences?
What fences?
January 21
Christian Love
Lest we misunderstand, good works of Christian love and charity are always appropriate and a vital expression of a true and sincere faith. It is the difference between doing good works and following religious “law” in order to be accepted by God and because one is accepted by God.
We ought to be doing good and right things out of gratitude that we are in the family, not so we may qualify to be in the family.
And there are numerous examples of such appropriate actions of love all around us.
Just to name a few:
- The outpouring of generous gifts for the Haitian earthquake victims through World Relief is indeed the right Christian response. And the desire of some to go and help medically and otherwise is good and just.
- The natural assisting and mentoring by so many of our high school students among
our younger children is such a beautiful Christian family picture. - The work of our deacons and deaconesses, men and women who give of their time
and hearts visiting those in homes and hospitals, acting on behalf of their Father and their Lord Jesus.
Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.
(James 1:27)
January 28
I Am, You Are, We Are ...
If you are a guest at The Chapel or fairly new to Sunday mornings, we hope you recieve a warm and hearty welcome. You may be wondering about things we consider important. I would if I were new to a church.
I was in a restaurant in Cincinnati the other day and I noticed that all the employees were wearing “I am Haiti too” t-shirts. Haiti, especially the present dilemma, is very important to them and the restaurant’s owners. They totally identify with the needs and pain of the Haitians and are doing what they can to help.
Well, Haiti is very important to The Chapel also. In a sense, we are Haiti too. We are sending money and people down there to assist. You can help if you like.
Not just Haitians, but all people are important to us. Not all are needy like those presently in Haiti. But we are all needy, aren’t we?
People are important to us at The Chapel because we believe that all of us were made by God and are therefore very special. And we also believe that all of us, even the person next to you right now, are in one degree of need or another.
We could have shirts that even say, “I am human too.” Because we are not here to ignore or judge or gawk at the human need but rather to identify with it.
That’s what God did, you know. He saw the human dilemma and wanted to so identify with it that he became a man. That would be Jesus, who paid the ultimate price to make things right for us needy ones.
So welcome to The Chapel where we sing the praises of Jesus Christ who wears a shirt that says, “I am human too.” And then does what he can to ease our pain. And then calls us to come along and join him in the relief effort.
February 4
On My Mind and On Our Plate
The engagement with Valleyview Chapel in Wadsworth is proceeding well. Our own Pastor Zac Derr was in the pulpit last week and next week it will be Dave Smith. Sunday I will be preaching there via video. They are studying Galatians along with us. They have a Chapel-led Galatians Group also. Chapel staff member Debi Hullinger is acting as a liaison between the two churches. Also our various department heads are working with Valleyview’s. As things progress, we will be looking for a “marriage” before the fall. Thanks for your prayers and interest here.
Resonate has been going so wonderfully in Akron that we are planning on duplicating that worship venue in Green in the soon-to-be-renovated High School Room. Look for an Easter start-up date.
Speaking of Easter and the “Holy Days” that lead up to it, we will be observing Ash Wednesday on both campuses on February 17 at 7:45pm. Heading closer to the Holy Week, we will be celebrating Maundy Thursday with Arlington Church of God. Then on Good Friday, we will have services at noon at both campuses and in the evening at Akron. I will be with the Valleyview congregation leading them in remembrance of Jesus’ death that Friday evening. And then on Easter Sunday we will add an early service to each campus at 7:30am.
It is great to serve the Lord with you. A huge goal of mine is that we learn and choose to love Jesus more and more all the time!
February 11
The Greatest of These ...
Did you know that there is a bit of mystery surrounding the exact identity of St. Valentine? Most likely, it is a reference to Valentinus, a bold Christian of the third century who was guilty of marrying Christian couples and otherwise aiding Christians who were being persecuted by Claudius in Rome. He was arrested and imprisoned; his loving spirit made even Emperor Claudius like him. He met his demise for loving the emperor so much he dared to share Christ with Claudius, desiring he convert.
Did you know that the distinguishing mark of Christ-followers to an unbelieving world ought to be love? “All men will know you are my disciples by your love for each other,” Jesus said.
Did you know that the description of love in 1 Corinthians (“Love is patient, love is kind …”) is quite similar to the description of the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5? Implication(s): the primary “fruit” of the Holy Spirit is love (“the fruit of the Spirit is love...”). And real Christian love is not something we muster up entirely on our own, it is something that the Lord produces in us and through us.
Did you know that if you haven’t bought something for your loved one for Valentine’s Day, it’s not too late to stop at the store? :-)
Did you know that The Chapel’s staff truly love you, our friends and “flock,” and prayerfully work hard desiring that the beauty of Christ be formed in your lives and character?
Did you know that of the trinity of virtues—peace, hope, and love—“the greatest of these is love”?
Happy Valentine’s Day!
February 18
Welcome Home
Those are the words that I express as several of us discuss the “freedom” issues of our present Galatians series. During the Lenten season, the decisions to pray, to meditate on Scripture, to journal, to actively “listen” to God and so on, are all meant to foster a deeper walk with Christ, not to earn one. To follow Christ on the Easter journey is not an attempt to earn brownie points from the One walking with the cross for me.
That said, I would strongly urge all of us to take 15 minutes a day over the next five weeks and do something new and different spiritually. Choose one of the following:
- Start a prayer journal. Write out your prayers of wonder and bewilderment, prayers for yourself and others.
- Choose from the Lenten reading list (see website or sheet).
- Memorize the “fruit of the Spirit” of Galatians 5:22-23. Better yet, actively pray that the Lord will begin producing those in your life big time!
- Lead some friends or family each night with a reading from the Gospels leading up to the crucifixion and resurrection of our Lord.
One of my favorite Bible stories is the return of the Prodigal Son. We learn that the Father accepts the returning son not because he was perfectly repentant but because the Father unconditionally and totally loves his child. The disciplines of Lent are not meant to earn God’s love but to make us realize his welcoming grace.
Like the prodigal may we hear our Father say, “Welcome home dear one. It’s good to have you back.” May your soul find rest and Christ this season.
February 25
Prepare for Worship
I spent the better part of Saturday with 40 or so men who gave up their day to pray. Yup—you read that right. Mostly in solitude, a handful of men spent the day silently listening to God, praying to their Lord. One tool that most of them used is “Be Still,” a comprehensive guide that I wrote a number of years ago to aid those in their journey of silence.
I remember as I was putting “Be Still” together that I got really frustrated and wanted to just chuck the whole project. This is too hard, too nebulous—who’s ever heard of a silent retreat guide anyway? No one will care if this goes unwritten. My mind was pretty made up. I’m done.
In my prayers over my prayer guide project, I sensed God urging me not to quit on this. I was reminded that God longs for his people to spend time with him. That his heart aches by our ignoring him. That the Almighty invites us to be still and know that he is God! That he is saddened when we don’t approach him and that he promises to be near when we draw near to him. Our idolatry of busyness and practicalities pain him as they steal away our dependence on him. He really misses us when we pursue other things.
In humility, I learned that God could use “Be Still” to welcome his children back into his presence. And indeed he has. So many have spoken of the special times they have spent in their Father’s lap, silently in solitude and in prayer.
All that to say, we gather together on the Lord’s Day. And our God still longs for our sincere worship, to know we haven’t forgotten him. So as we prepare for our worship service, let us remember Christ truly invites us into his presence. He really does! We come not because it’s the religious thing to do. We come because we are invited to come. With open arms and open heart, the God of the universe longs to welcome us into the warmth of his presence. With nothing to offer him but our genuine desire to be known by him, he beckons us with words of grace, intimacy, and recognition.
So as we come into worship, we come near to the heart of God. We come to actively listen with our hearts. We come with few words or written lyrics of praise. We come feeling a bit cold or maybe tired or we come feeling loved and joyful. But we come because God has invited us through his Son Christ. And so we draw near to God in worship because he is worthy of such and because he grieves when we don’t.
Pray this quietly if you will, to prepare for worship:
Lord, I accept your invitation to come into your presence.
Let me sense your loving arms as I listen for your tender heart.
Please help my mind focus on you as my spirit experiences your peace.
I rest in your grace and worship your Son.
Amen
March 4
Pardon Me
Forgiveness—a word, a feeling, an action, an experience, a habit … Something given, something received … Something divine, something human. Something missing in our squabbles and family experiences, missing in our friendships and divorce proceedings, missing in our relationships with each other and in our relationship with God.
Forgiveness—it’s what Jesus spoke so much about. It’s what his death accomplished. It’s where that adult child needs to get to. It’s what that enraged couple refuse to offer. It’s what we are celebrating every Sunday. And then we come back next week for more. As we receive the bread and the cup during Communion, may the forgiveness that Christ secured be a real reality, a true truth experienced in our souls and minds.
Forgiveness—it never goes out of style. It seems to be always in great demand and short supply (at least in the human warehouse).
As forgiveness is both a divine command and a rare commodity, we will be talking about it and wrestling through it at length on a Friday and Saturday. The Forgiveness Symposium will take place on March 26 and 27, with Dr. Don Lichi of Emerge Counseling Ministries, Debbie Morris, author of Forgiving the Dead Man Walking, Father Norm Douglas of Heart to Heart Ministries and me. This is something you really shouldn’t miss. And this an event that the one who won’t come to church on Sunday will be very grateful they came to. Invite them. Register here.
“Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.”
March 11
Set Free in Christ
Should you have that extra piece of coconut cream pie? It’s so tempting! With its perfectly flaked crust, lathered in way too much whipped cream, or is it meringue? It’s calling out to you so sweetly and sensuously. You really shouldn’t, but how can you say no?
“Live by the Spirit and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh” (Galatians 5:16).
What? Are you telling me that if I just rely on the Holy Spirit I won’t go off my diet?
Well, not exactly. The pie embellishment was sort of a metaphor. As humans we are all plagued with inner moral conflicts. We are born with something called a conscience. Informed by moral education and cultural norms, our inner voices more or less try to nag us into being “good.” The influences and instructions that make up our moral fiber can be described as “moral law.” Since it is our human nature to eat the extra piece of pie, our fate is to suffer under a weight of guilt while alternately desiring and not desiring the dessert.
“If you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law” (Galatians 5:18).
There you go mentioning the Holy Spirit again.
Right. Christ-followers not only have the moral governor of their conscience, we also have someone much stronger in our souls. The Holy Spirit, stronger not just in wagging his finger at us when we choose poorly, empowers us to will and do the right thing. Something the law and our consciences couldn’t really do.
Okay, so how do we pull off this power and right choices? Enough of this theoretical freedom, how can I truly be set free by Christ?
Glad you asked. First, be sure of your commitment to Christ: “Those who belong to Christ have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires” (5:24). Have you made a decisive break with your sinful past and stopped flirting with your tempting habits? If not, why not decide today? Second, consistently align yourself with the Spirit: “Keep in step with the Spirit” (5:25). Like a good and wise friend, our direction, our walk should align with God’s, in focus, in thought, in love. Believe he is with you and helping you live rightly from the inside out. And thirdly, are you in community? Are you looking out for someone? And others for you? (Read 6:1-2 for next week.) We were never meant to do this alone!
How’s that pie looking now?
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