Blog Archives - ALL SOULS REFORMED CHURCH

A Useful Insight from Mr. Chesterton on His Birthday

5/29/2015

G.K. Chesterton (May 29, 1874 - June 14, 1936)

Personal Note:
G.K. Chesterton has done more to shape my worldview than any other Christian writer. Had I never stumbled across his books Orthodoxy and The Everlasting Man I never would have learned that the Christian faith is a thing of great depth - a thing for thinking men and women to wrestle with and devote their minds to. Yes, I believe that the Christian faith is also a thing that even a small child to grasp. Nevertheless, its seeming simplicity is not an excuse for Christians who would remain simpletons.

Since Chesterton was a Roman Catholic there was/is much that he and I would disagree on, nevertheless, the way in which he explains the superiority of the Christian worldview over against all other world views is something for Protestants and Catholics alike to ponder and delight in.

Happy Birthday Mr. Chesterton. I look forward to meeting you in heaven... we have much to discuss.

Todays useful insight comes from:
G.K. Chesterton
English writer, theologian, poet, philosopher,orator, literary and art critic, apologist, and Christian.

In this installment of 100% TRUE HISTORY....

5/27/2015

100% True History From the Annals of the Church salutes Pope Stephen (Steve) V, the only pope to accidently declare himself to be a fake pope by using papal power he never had according to his own shortsighted declaration. It is almost as if we can hear his voice echoing down the long corridor of history: “Hooray! I’m irrelevant!”

"Hooray!!! I'm Irrelevant!!!!"

Pope Stephen V (died September 14, 891 AD). Known to his friends as Steve, Pope Stephen V is yet another example of why the Protestant Reformation was/is a good thing.

It was the 9th century. The Church was increasingly a political power to be reckoned with in Europe and it was led by one unusually knuckleheaded man called pope Stephen V.
When Steve became pope in September of 885 he had a largish bee in his tiny bonnet concerning a previous pontiff named Formosus – a man who was more or less Stephen V’s chief political rival. According to Stephen there were very troubling questions about the character, qualities, and qualifications Formosus - so much so that with vigilante enthusiasm Stephen V determined to have these questions answered by Formosus himself. The only slight hitch in the plan (as Stephen well knew) was that Formosus was dead and buried.

Did this deter Steven V?

No way!

In a show of single-mindedness that demonstrated both laudable commitment to the cause and laughable consternation Pope Steve ordered Formous’ body to be dug up, dressed up, and set upon a courtroom chair for questioning. That’s right! The corpse of Formosus was subpoenaed and – with a little help from his friends – arrived in court on time. However, as one might expect, the accused had little to say in his defense.

When the trial finally came to an end Stephen V saw to it that Formosus was found guilty of many things, including violations of canon law and perjury. But most importantly for our purposes Stephen V saw to it that Formosus was declared a complete and utter fraud who had wormed his way into the Church. According to Stephen V, Formosus had been a false bishop and therefore he had also been a false pope. Because of these facts, it was declared that all of the acts undertaken during Formosus’ time as pope should no longer be considered valid. Thus it was made official and Stephen V smiled in satisfaction. He had accomplished his goal and in one fell swoop he had managed to undo the entire legacy of his hated rival Formosus… or so he thought....

(This is where the story gets really good!)

There was only one little detail that Steve had forgotten about but when it came to light the pope quickly realized that in addition to undoing the legacy of his rival he had also managed to cement his own legacy as a nincompoop, dimwit, birdbrain, and a complete fathead.

            Why?

            Here’s why.

            Steve had gone to great lengths to declare ALL of Formosus’ acts invalid and he had accomplished his goal apparently forgetting that it had been Formosus who had ordained Steve many years earlier. This meant that Steve had accidentally declared his own ordination invalid, which meant that like Formosus, Steve was not a valid pope… But the plot thickens… Shortly thereafter the Church realized that if Stephen’s ordination was illegitimate making him an illegitimate pope then nothing that Stephen declared as pope should be considered valid or binding including the trial and conviction of Formosus whose reputation and legacy were returned to him. For Steve however, the damage was done and the big pointy hat and popemobile were passed to another.

The corpse of Formosus on trial

God's thoughts on riches

5/21/2015

(look for more "useful insights from unexpected sources" coming soon...)

Todays useful insight comes from:
Alexander Pope

(May 21, 1688-May 30, 1744) English poet, translator, satirist, and Christian.

What's Your Destiny?

5/20/2015

"The Hidden Line"

Here's a little food for thought....

by Joseph Addison Alexander (1809-1860)

There is a time, we know not when,
A point we know not where,
That marks the destiny of men
To glory or despair.

There is a line by us unseen,
That crosses every path;
The hidden boundary between
God’s patience and his wrath.

To pass that limit is to die–
To die as if by stealth;
It does not quench the beaming eye
Or pale the glow of health.

The conscience may be still at ease,
The spirit lithe and gay;
That which pleases still may please,
And care be thrust away

But on that forehead God has set,
Indelibly a mark
Unseen by men, for men as yet
Are blind and in the dark

And yet doomed man’s path below
May bloom as Eden bloomed;
He did not, does not, will not know,
Or feel that he is doomed

He knows, he feels that all is well,
And every fear is calmed;
He lives, he dies, he wakes in hell,
Not only doomed, but damned.

Oh, where is this mysterious bourn
By which our path is crossed;
Beyond which God himself hath sworn,
That he who goes is lost.

How far may we go on in sin?
How long will God forbear?
Where does hope end, and where begin
The confines of despair?

An answer from the skies is sent,
"Ye that from God depart,
While it is called today, repent,
And harden not your heart."
- Joseph Addison Alexander -

Rev. Joseph Addison Alexander, (April 24, 1809 - January 28, 1860) was a Presbyterian minister, biblical scholar, theological professor, author, and poet.

Since "the praise of the praiseworthy is above all rewards" (as J.R.R. Tolkien aptly put it in one of his books) let's note what Alexander's well-known colleague, Charles Hodge, had to say about him:

"I regard Dr. Joseph Addison Alexander as incomparably the greatest man I ever knew - as incomparably the greatest man our church has ever produced. His thorough orthodoxy, his fervent piety, humility, faithfulness in the discharge of his duties, and reverence for the Word of God, consecrated all his other gifts. He glorified the Word of God in the sight of his pupils beyond what any man I ever saw had the power of doing."

Using chicken to grow the kingdom

5/19/2015

Todays useful insight comes from:

Colonel Harland Sanders
(September 9, 1890-December 16, 1980) American icon, businessman, founder of KFC and follower of Jesus Christ.

(look for more "useful insights from unexpected sources" coming soon....)

Introducing an all NEW Feature on "North of the Clerical Collar"

5/14/2015

"Baptism and Happy Hour Do NOT Mix"

Our History Lesson for Today:

In 13th century Norway there was something of a crisis brewing. For some reason or other there was very little water available and many were fearful that they would run out altogether. It seems, however, that what these Norwegians lacked in water they more than made up for in beer. Barrel upon barrel of the stuff seemed to be everywhere – so much so that the local clergy promptly decided to put this surplus supply of suds to work for the Kingdom of God.

“Water is scarce,” they reasoned. “Beer is not…. Why not baptize people with beer?”

Amazingly this thickheaded idea caught on and the practice spread from one parish to another until eventually Pope Gregory IX caught wind of these brown bottle baptisms. He found them difficult to swallow. What followed was a spirited letter to the Archbishop of Trondhjem. The letter was less than friendly, in fact it was a cold one. In it Gregory stated his belief that baptism by brewski was baseless and therefore any such alcoholic ablutions were not authentic.

To quote from Gregory IX’s letter:

“Since according to the Gospel teaching, a man must be born again of water and the Holy Ghost, those are not to be considered validly baptized who have been baptized with beer.”

Thus the laver and the lager were forever separated. Even today Pope Gregory IX’s edict is observed by both Roman Catholics and Protestants with a good deal of sobriety.

Look for more installments of 100% True History From The Annals of the Church to be posted periodically.

Kitchen Table Evangelists - Be One (pt.3)

5/13/2015

Recap of Parts 1&2

Over the past few weeks we've been considering an adaptation of a pamphlet I wrote some time ago, entitled "Kitchen Table Evangelists - Be One." In pt. 1 we considered the importance of inviting unbelieving neighbors, friends, or colleagues into our homes to share a meal together. We noted that this was not only a good way to do evangelism but also a very simple way. Moreover, sharing a meal with others was something that the Lord Jesus often did in His earthly ministry. For Christ these meals not only embodied God's generous grace but they also enacted God's mission.

Before wrapping up last time we noted the first of five specifics about what meal-sharing accomplishes. Today we move on to consider the remainder of that list before concluding our consideration of this topic.

Just incase you missed them....
click to read part one
click to read part two

what sharing a meal does - 5 specifics

1. Meals Are The Great Equalizer

We covered this one last time. Want to reread it?

2. Meals Build Community

As we mentioned at the outset of this paper we love to run programs and create projects, but who wants to become someone’s ‘project’? No one! People want friendship. Perhaps another term for friendship is “dependence.” Surely that’s what James Taylor communicated when he sang:

When you're down and troubled and you need a helping hand  and nothing… is going right.  Close your eyes and think of me and soon I will be there to brighten up even your darkest nights.   You just call out my name, and you know where ever I am  I'll come running to see you again.  Winter, spring, summer, or fall, all you have to do is call and I'll be there… you've got a friend. 

James Taylor performs "You've Got A Friend" - a deeply personal song concerning Taylor's brief experience as a Quaker.

A friend is someone we depend on and food helps remind us of just how dependent we are on others - people like farmers, truck-drivers, shopkeepers, cooks, etc. And each time we bow our heads and pray before a meal we are acknowledging that over and above all we are dependent on God. Simply stated, we need to "refuel" or die. Refueling is a great blessing from heaven.

3. Meals Exemplify God's Lavish Grace

Though food is fuel, food is much more than just fuel. Think of all your favorite foods. Think about the great diversity that exists in all things delicious. From chocolate to chops from apples to asparagus, from pumpkin pie to pork roast, from ham and eggs to turkey and gravy – God is wonderfully lavish in His creativity and generosity. It has always been this way, you know. God’s first act after creating humanity was to present us with a menu: the fruit of all the trees in the garden. Every meal is an opportunity to receive God’s good gifts with thankfulness and to acknowledge His grace.

Food is also an opportunity for human creativity and generosity to display the lavish grace of the Creator.

4. Meals Exemplify Our Neediness

Here’s an unpleasant thought that food reminds us of; food is at the heart of our rejection of God. Never forget that the very first act of rebellion was an act of eating. Ever since that time, our relationship with food (and everything else) has gone wrong because our relationship with God has gone wrong. As a result many in our culture look for comfort in food instead of looking for refuge in God. Others avoid food to make themselves appealing, while in other parts of the world many go without food altogether. In light of all of this it's no surprise to find that our brokenness shows up often times in our relationship to food.

Meals remind us that we are needy.

5. Meals Are a Great Gospel Metaphor

It is against the backdrop of food-gone-wrong that we see the Gospel in which God promises a feast. Again and again in the Bible, salvation is pictured as a feast with God. When God leads the Israelites out of Egypt, the leaders of the people are invited up to Mount Sinai to eat and drink with God. Even before this, the rescue from slavery in Egypt was commemorated with a meal, the Passover. Fast forward to the high point of Israelite history, in the reign of Solomon. During this period we are told in I Kings 4:20, ‘the people of Judah and Israel were as numerous as the sand on the seashore; they ate, they drank and they were happy.’ Even when things begin to unravel, God promised in Isaiah 25:6-8 another meal on a mountain, ‘a feast of rich food for all people.’ On this occasion death itself will be on the menu and God will swallow it up whole. This is an eternal feast that no one need ever leave. In the Gospel records we read that Jesus, Himself provided a foretaste of this feast when He feds the five thousand. Here is a feast which need never end. Indeed there’s more food at the end than there was at the beginning. It’s all a foreshadowing of the ultimate fulfillment of God’s promise: that great day when we will feast forever in His presence and be fully satisfied.

In the final analysis the meals of Jesus represent something bigger than mere lunch-breaks or midnight snacks. They represent the consummation of all things in God’s coming world. But at the same time they give that eternal reality substance in the present moment. Meals are made up of things you put in your mouth, things you taste, things you touch, things you smell, things you see, and things you eat. More than this meals are social occasions that represent friendship, community, welcome and the lavish grace of God. 

conclusion

So, will you do it? Will you become a kitchen table evangelist?

Of course this will cost you something in terms of your time, resources and so forth, but this fact reminds us of something worth remembering as we conclude. Our invitation to the feast of God cost Him something too. One writer summed it up in this way:

"The price of our invitation is the precious blood of Jesus his Son. We are outsiders, we are enemies, we are excluded. But Jesus takes the judgment we deserve. He becomes the ultimate outsider – pushed out of the world onto the cross; forsaken by his Father. As a result we become insiders, friends, included. The invitation goes out to all.   It’s not an accident that at the heart of what it means to be the church is a meal. Jesus told us to remember Him not only in a pattern of words, but in a meal – communion."

Therefore, around the table, whether it is the table of the Lord or the table of our kitchen we can offer friendship and celebrate life with others. Our meals offer a divine moment – an opportunity for people to be persuaded by grace into a better life, a truer life, a more godly human existence.   Jesus ate meals with people. If we routinely share meals with others and if we have a passion for Jesus then we’ll almost certainly end up doing His mission.

Yes, it’s true that meals alone cannot save people, people are saved through the gospel message. But meals create natural opportunities to share that message in a context that resonates powerfully with what we’re saying.   To become more effective in our evangelistic enterprises we don’t need another church-program. We don’t have to be rich, trendy, attractive, or smart – we don’t even have to be able to cook! We just need to be people who eat, people who love Jesus, and people who want to tell others that they are invited to the great feast of God.

John Lennon, Plato, & Jesus

5/8/2015

Some Thoughts About Truth

John Lennon once sang a song, the chorus of which said:

"All I want is the truth!
Just give me some truth!"

Clearly John Lennon was raising a very important issue, namely, if there is truth where can it be found?

 Allow me to offer a twofold answer that is so simple you might be prone to dismiss it:

1) I believe truth exists
2) I believe that the purest of all truth is to be found in God's Word, The Bible.

Why do I believe these things? I believe them because Jesus Christ believed them. In one of His great prayers for his followers Jesus made the following request of God the Father followed by an objective truth-claim about the nature of the Bible:

"Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth"
John 17:17

Perhaps you might respond - but if it's really true then why is the Bible considered so controversial? Why do so many otherwise intelligent and rational people dismiss it as a collection of fairytales from the childhood of our species?

One way to answer this is to make the observation that genuine truth has always been controversial. Even the pagan philosophers of the ancient world realized this - take this quote from Plato for instance:

Did you notice in the above quote how Plato, inadvertently aligns himself with a couple of the constant drumbeats of the Bible? Plato, not only acknowledges that truth exists but that those who believe in the truth and disseminate the truth will encounter mocking opposition.

Let me encourage you to ignore the opposition - whether that opposition comes from outside of you or inside of you. Read the Bible. Pray that the Lord would help you to understand His truth. And as you do so, be encouraged that God's Word declares:

"I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth."

3 John 1:4

The Presence of God - Do You Know Him?

5/7/2015

Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (December 20, 1899 - March 1, 1981)

Dr. Lloyd-Jones, minister of Westminster Chapel in London, England, was arguably the most influential preacher of the 20th century. A Welsh Protestant who initially trained as a medical doctor, Lloyd-Jones became the leading voice in the Reformed wing of the British evangelical movement of the 20th century. Though he died in 1981 the legacy of his ministry remains very influential among Reformed Evangelicals.

This morning I stumbled upon a brief clip of a Lloyd-Jones sermon on Exodus 33. His words could not be more challenging and his critique of the Church could not be more timely.

Do you have 5 minutes to hear what Lloyd-Jones has to say? I promise you, you'll be challenged, strengthened, and blessed if you do.

Kitchen Table Evangelists - Be One (pt.2)

5/6/2015

Recap of Part 1

Last week we posted the first part of "Kitchen Table Evangelists - Be One," an adaptation of a pamphlet I wrote some time ago. In pt. 1 we considered the importance of inviting unbelieving neighbors, friends, or colleagues into our homes to share a meal together. We noted that this was not only a good way to do evangelism but also a very simple way.

To put it another way, if you are interested in evangelism you can become an evangelist right now! You don't need a church-initiative, a program, or the permission of your church board - all you need is love for others, an understanding of the gospel, and a kitchen table.

Also we saw that gathering around our tables with others is a wonderful way to follow the example of Christ, who in Luke's Gospel is practically always going to or coming from a meal. Having previously considered the "Messiah's Meal Ministry," today move on to consider "What Sharing a Meal Means"

(If you missed part 1 and would like to read it in full please click here.)

what sharing a meal means

Jamaican Chicken Foot Soup

It has been said that meals are a powerful expression of welcome and friendship in every culture. Having eaten meals in various parts of the world I have found this to be true. Though I did not personally care for the boiled bananas and chicken’s foot soup that I once ate in a tiny mountain community in Jamaica, I did appreciate the kindness and generosity of the poverty stricken natives who gave me a seat at their family table.

This perhaps illustrates why Jesus’ meals are so significant – they embody God’s generous grace even as they enact God’s mission. For example, just think of the folks who Jesus often ate with. Jesus ate with tax collectors and sinners. Tax collectors were traitors not only to their nation, but also traitors towards God for they were collaborators with the Gentile occupiers who had, according to Jewish belief “defiled” God’s holy land. Because of this the “kitchen table” companions of Jesus led the Pharisees and other opponents to conclude that Jesus couldn’t really be from God (see Luke 5:30, 7:39, & 15:1,2). This was, of course, a reasonable conclusion for Jesus’ opponents to reach – unless of course the grace of God is so great and so generous that all of our narrowly truncated ideas about it are exploded in a bomb-blast of divine mercy and kindness when we really see grace in action (see Luke 5:27-39). And this is exactly why meals are central to the mission of Jesus, they represent grace in action.... and they still do! What was true in 1st century Palestine is true in 21st century North-Central Ohio. When a Christian extends his or her hospitality to another he or she is putting generous grace into action!

what sharing a meal does - 5 specifics

Bathing Suits- making a laughingstock of nearly all of us since 1870

1. The Great Equalizer

While sitting on a beach in Florida my father once casually voiced his belief that bathing suits are the world’s “great equalizer.” And in terms of the powerful businessman who at that very moment was slowly strolling the beach in front of us in a speedo that accentuated his pear-shaped frame, my father was right. Off of the beach in a 3-piece suit, sitting behind a desk in a penthouse office the man would have commanded respect. In a speedo, on the other hand, he was just another participant in the human freak-show that paraded past us, the sand on his feet, the sun on his back, a large straw hat on his head.

Here’s another thought, greater even than speedos, kitchen tables are the greatest equalizer of all because of what happens when we eat together. We share food as friends. We sit at the same level around the table. We can talk about our shared need of God’s grace. To mix my metaphors, kitchen tables and meals together allow us to freely acknowledge that we are all part of the freak-show. This, very simply, is what sharing a meal does.

To be continued.....

Next time we'll discuss the remaining four things that sharing a meal accomplishes - namely:

-They Build Community
-They Exemplify God's Lavish Grace
- They Exemplify Our Neediness
-They Are A Great Gospel Metaphor

Thanks for reading!

What's Bigger Than Grandma's Hair?

5/5/2015

Only one thing I can think of... The latest episodes of Reformation Roundtable!

If you missed the broadcasts don't worry! You can get the podcast below....

Kitchen Table Evangelists - Be One (pt.1)

5/1/2015

Preliminary note:
Over the next few weeks I am going to be posting portions of a pamphlet I wrote sometime ago entitled "Kitchen Table Evangelists - Be One: The Gospel Impact of Eating." Yeah, I know - it's not exactly the catchiest title ever dreamed up... but what it lacks in zip it makes up for in length. It is my prayer that these posts will be helpful to each of you and that the Lord will encourage you to use your kitchen table as a tool in the great work of evangelism.
yours,
-RC
Pastor's Study,
Green Camp, Ohio
May 1, 2015

Kitchen Table Evangelists - Be One
The Gospel Impact of Eating
by Rev. R.A. Crabtree
copyright, 2014

dedication

This work is dedicated to my grandmothers (living and dead), to my American mother (Donna Faye), to my recently deceased Scottish mum (Ann McKay), and to my charming wife (you know who you are), at whose tables there has always been an extra seat.

preface

Christian apologist and theologian Francis Schaeffer once said of evangelization and hospitality: 

Don’t start with a big program.... Start personally and start in your home. I dare you. I dare you in the name of Jesus Christ. Do what I am going to suggest. Begin by opening your home for community … You don’t need a big program. You don’t have to convince your session or board. All you have to do is open your home and begin.

If you are like me you are probably reluctant to accept Schaeffer's challenge. And why? Well... um... it seems too easy... too simplistic... and maybe just a little too disorganized....

Ah-ha! Here's the real reason we're reluctant to accept Schaeffer's dare.

Go ahead and admit it! We are too program oriented for our own good. If there is a hiccup in the financial market we look for our government to implement some new program to resolve it. If there is a bullying epidemic in our schools we want our school systems to implement a strategic initiative to fix it. If there are too many concussions in football we expect the game to be changed to protect player’s brains. And on and on the list goes. Unfortunately, this tendency of ours to implement programs to address perceived problems is not limited to the realms of finance, education, or sports – this is also a mentality that we sometimes bring into the work of evangelism and community building. For example, if a church perceives that people aren’t attending because they don’t like neckties that church might implement a billboard campaign featuring ripped jeans and sandals. If another congregation thinks that the music of the church is perceived as dull and out-of-date they might implement a hipper, trendier, pop-culturally-acceptable genre. And on and on it goes.

Of course programs, initiatives, and strategies are not bad in and of themselves (in so far as they enhance Christian fellowship, encourage Christian growth and promote evangelism) but programs are not necessarily... well... necessary. There is a great deal that Christians can do to advance the Kingdom apart from the “official" programs, ministries, agendas, and/or gimmicks of any given local church.

I contend that all you really need is the example of Jesus, love for others, a kitchen table, and something to eat.

Let's start with the example of Jesus...

the messiah's meal ministry

Question: How did the Son of Man come?

Go ahead... what would your answer be?

You might say that He came preaching, or healing, or teaching, and of course you would be correct. But what was His modus operandi? That's another question entirely.

In Luke 7:34 we find Jesus, Himself providing an answer to this question; ‘the Son of Man came eating and drinking.’ Eating and drinking quite a lot actually! New Testament scholar Robert Karris says: ‘In Luke’s Gospel Jesus is either going to a meal, at a meal, or coming from a meal.’ In fact, Jesus does this so much that His opponents accused Him of being a ‘a glutton and a drunkard’ – someone who eats too much and drinks too much.... hmmm.... these are interesting thoughts about Jesus wouldn't you say? So let's try to sort through them a little bit.

To begin with, whenever we see Jesus referring to Himself as ‘The Son of Man,’ we need to carefully note what He is saying. He is borrowing this title from the Old Testament prophet Daniel who foresaw the coming of a figure called the Son of Man. According to Daniel, this figure would be a representative of both God and God's people. He would come in glory and would receive from God authority over all nations (see Daniel 7). During His earthly ministry the Lord Jesus openly applied this title to Himself, indicating that He was - in fact - the person who Daniel foresaw... none other than the long awaited Son of Man.

Now that this is clear, let's again think through our question very carefully; when the Son of Man came to earth what did He do? The Jews expected him to come with a bang, defeating God’s enemies and vindicating His people. But this is not what He did... He will do these things when He comes the second time, of course.... But when He came the first time, according to Luke.... He came to share a meal. Because He did so there are many applications for His followers today.

To be continued.....
Next time we'll discuss "What Sharing A Meal Means" & "What Sharing A Meal Does."