The Rose

Courtesy of Trevin Wax, but from a sermon by the inimitably wonderful Matt Chandler:

Pastor Matt Chandler gave this illustration during his sermon at a recent Desiring God conference. I think this illustration powerfully communicates the difference between moralism and the Christian gospel.

During my freshman year of college, I sat next to a 26-year-old single mother trying to get her degree. We began a dialogue about the grace and mercy of Christ in the cross. Some other guys and I would go over and babysit her child and try to talk with her. A friend of mine was in a band playing in the area and we invited her to hear him. She agreed. She thought it would be a concert. I knew better. It was shady and she agreed to come.

The minister got up and said, “Today I want to talk to you about sex.” And I immediately thought, Uh oh. He took a red rose, smelled it, showed how pretty it was. Then, threw it out in the crowd and told them to smell the rose. “I want you to smell it and touch it and feel the texture in it.” (There were about 1000 people there.) He then began one of the worst, most horrific handlings of what sex is and isn’t that I ever sat through. It was fear-mongering at its best.

I’m thinking, with Kim beside me, What are you doing? As he wrapped up, he asked, “Where’s my rose?”

Some kid brought the rose back and it was broken. The petals were broken. And he lifts it up. And his big crescendo is to lift up that broken rose and say, “Now who would want this?”

Anger welled up within me and I wanted to say, “JESUS WANTS THE ROSE! That’s the point of the gospel! That Jesus wants the rose. That he made him who knew no sin to be sin for us that we might become the righteousness of God. While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

In my classes, when you get it right- just right- I say “That’s What I’m Talkin’ About!”

That’s what he’s talkin’ about.

Chandler’s podcasted sermons will do you a world of good. Catholics: I bought your gear, you can have Chandler for free. Don’t miss him 🙂

My Gear (2)

Just in case you haven’t picked up: this is a chance for readers to comment on things that are meaningful to them in spiritual practice. No one is being told they are a bad Christian if they don’t see Jesus in the toast. Human beings aren’t quite as unattached to matter as some of our gnostic-fundamentalist friends would like us to think. Little things that give our senses a connection to what we believe are meaningful. Just like some of you tear up when you hear a song or see a family Bible or church cemetery.

Top Picture: Pantocrator Jesus icon. From my classroom. Available from Conciliar Press, who really ought to be advertising here. A wonderful icon of Jesus that I try to keep close to me when I’m teaching.

Middle: A very nice Franciscan cross that is in my classroom. It prompts a lot of discussion. I have a poster of a larger one. This cross has a lot of the Gospel witnesses on it as well as other symbolism. It reminds me that God spoke to Francis to “rebuild” from the ruins, not to build a megachurch from scratch.Continue reading “My Gear (2)”

Riffs: 04:02:09: The Episcopal Church Persecutes The Oppressed Muslim-Christian Minority

UPDATE II: Creech has sold over $220 of beads, string and trinkets since I lost my salvation. You people are awesome. His kids may be able to have shoes for Easter.

UPDATE: Humor on board. Beware if not using proper gear.

In a shocking demonstration of intolerance toward those whom God has just made differently, the Episcopal diocese of Rhode Island has defrocked a minister who is both a Muslim and a Christian. You can read the shocking story for yourself .

The Episcopal church continues the persecution of those invisible minorities in its midst; those who find the doors of ministry closed to them simply because they affirm both Allah and the Holy Trinity as being one and the same.

Protests outside TEC headquarters seemed to bring no reaction. The church turned a dull, deaf ear to a pastor who wanted to do nothing more than affirm that both the Nicene Creed and the Koran were her true guides for life.Continue reading “Riffs: 04:02:09: The Episcopal Church Persecutes The Oppressed Muslim-Christian Minority”

The Evangelical Untouchables 2: Seeker Sensitivity

untouchUPDATE: Darrell Young’s post is now included. Read it!

The Evangelical Untouchables are seven diverse evangelicals who will give us a window into what’s happening in evangelicalism today.

Who are the Evangelical Untouchables?

Michael Patton is the director of Reclaiming the Mind Ministries and is one of the teachers on The Theology Program.
Tony Kummer is on staff at a Southern Baptist Church in the midwest and blogs at SBC Voices.
Ryan Couch is a Calvary Chapel pastor in Oregon, and blogs at Small Town Preacher.
Kirk Cowell pastors a Church of Christ in North Carolina. He blogs at A Soul In Training.
Lindsey Williams is planting a PCA Church in North Carolina, and blogs at From Acorns to Oaks.
Matt Edwards is a small groups pastor in a Non-denominational/Bible church in Washington, and blogs at Awaiting Redemption.
Darrell Young pastors a Christian and Missionary Alliance Church near Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

This episode’s question: “How has the “seeker” emphasis affected your perception of your congregation’s worship services? Are there changes you have made to accommodate and bring back seekers? Are there changes you would never consider, even if it would put more non-Christians in your service?”.Continue reading “The Evangelical Untouchables 2: Seeker Sensitivity”

Thoughts After Doing the Math

I’m not very good at math, and I’m worse at being a Jesus follower, but even a stopped clock is right twice a day.

I starting doing some personal math this morning as I started my day, and I made a discovery.

I could no longer deny that a lot of things add up in my life; they add up to an area where sin has taken a deep root.

The last few months, I keep bumping into the same kind of feedback in my immediate environment from people who know me and observe me. When I first heard it, I was angry and defensive. I should know right away that defensive is a signal all is not well.

That feedback may not have been flawless, but I’m not convinced some of it is true.

A number of relationships changed, and I blamed the other persons. I’m not “unblaming” them entirely now, but I see something I didn’t see before.Continue reading “Thoughts After Doing the Math”

Open Mic at the iMonk Cafe: The Ironies of Evangelicalism

After spending the day learning that my Alan Creech ad has deprived me and thousands of others of their salvation (thanks a lot Alan), I’m rather overwhelmed with the ironies of evangelicals in general and the neo-Reformed in particular. (Yes, Virginia, there are neo-reformed.)

So here today’s somewhat sophisticated open mic question:

What are some of the ironies you see in evangelical life, belief and practice? (If you have to look up irony, that’s OK. Go ahead. We’ll wait.)

iMonk 101: Jesus, Joel and The Hard Parts of the Gospel

From February of 2005. I’ve never reprinted this one and it’s one of the most “Jesus shaped” essays I’ve written. I have renamed it. It was originally called “Read It Again…And Don’t Skip The Hard Parts.”

read.jpgLet’s be honest. A lot of Christians have no idea what to do with the Gospel accounts of Jesus’ ministry. What does it mean? What does it have to do with evangelism, church growth and “having a great life now?”

Many of the readers of Internet Monk are familiar with my interest in the Gospel of Mark. I started seriously studying Mark in 1982, in my second year at seminary. I’ve continued reading and studying Mark ever since, in much greater depth than any other Gospel.

Since I came to where I serve today, I’ve had the opportunity to teach the Gospel of Mark 2-5 times a year for a 9-12 week term for 15 of my 17 years here. The Gospel of Mark has really become a part of my mental furniture, and I know my friends have logged plenty of eye-rolls when I reference the Gospel at every possible opportunity.Continue reading “iMonk 101: Jesus, Joel and The Hard Parts of the Gospel”

How Many Different Kinds of Pastors Are There?

Part II of my thoughts about Gillispie and your pastor. I just got a bit carried away.

(Read in best grumpy old man’s voice.)

Gather round the ol’ Internet Monk, you young whipper snappers.

What the heck have you kids done with the pastor?

No, not where did you tie him up, but what did you do with the name? The job title. What you call it for gosh sake.

When I was a boy, we walked to school backwards in the snow for 16 miles.

But we also called the pastor….”pastor.” Or “Brother” or “Preacher.” That was it.Continue reading “How Many Different Kinds of Pastors Are There?”