#1 I carved out a couple of days two weeks ago to finish up my manuscript for Gospel Wakefulness. Then I got sick. Hoping to find another spot in my schedule soon to finish this thing up. I eager to get it to the publisher. If you're so inclined, I'd appreciate your prayers in this regard. I am really hoping this book will be a blessing to many and I am grateful for Crossway's enthusiasm about it.
#2 Scot McKnight asks Gospel Coalition/Together 4 the Gospel -type people if complementarianism is essential to the gospel. It's a good question. He suggests the answer he'd like to hear. I find it interesting that 3 comments in -- and several more thereafter -- somebody's already saying complementarianism is incompatible with the gospel. So I suppose the conversation's kinda going the other way.
#3 Seen on Facebook: Instead of calling ourselves "pro-life," how about "fetal-rights advocates"? I like it.
#4 Forget burning Korans. Let's burn Ikea catalogs and 401K statements.
#5 Here's a really good post from Bob Thune called "Maybe You Shouldn't Plant a Church". Very good words here. Bob himself makes allowance for exceptions, but I would just throw out that just because something is hard, doesn't mean someone's not called. Isaiah said "Here am I; send me!" and got sent to people who didn't care and didn't listen. To some extent, hardship is part of the package. But that's a nuance and a caveat that doesn't take away from Bob's words of wisdom, and certainly it isn't outside the scope of his post in any event.
#6 I'm still receiving emails from my Resurgence piece about New England as mission field. I'm not able to keep up with responding substantively to them all, actually. One difficult spot is having someone say "I'm in. What do I do?", and I don't know what to tell them. There are no jobs up here, so even bivo planters will be scraping up a living unless they have raised good support. Some of the churches up here, mine included, are just now working through how to facilitate plants, support plants, and plant plants, so the infrastructure and resources are not there yet to fund planters or plants. We'll get there, but we need some real pioneers. The ground is hard too; don't forget that.
I am grateful for your heart. I am praying for your will and endurance.
7 comments:
There are many churches in existence already that need faithful congregants and then we can work from there. Take over the already in existence churches that are looking for "good" pastors. Some maybe from denominations that are not what you would think of going to, but what I have found they are looking sometimes for warm loving bodies.
Farming Family, I agree pastors joining already existing churches, whether to continue ongoing mission or to replant/revitalize would be ideal. But I'm unaware of many churches in New England that are, shall we say, amenable to the sort of young men interested in mission in New England. Some are, I'm sure. I am still learning the culture, ecclesiastical and non-, of New England, but the overwhelming tenor of evangelicalism I see up here is traditionalist and moralistic. I am not sure there are many churches waiting with open arms for gospel-driven, missional pastors to take over their leadership.
If you know of some, please email me. I know many men who would love to send their resumes.
Amen and Amen to # 4. As far as your piece on New England Mission, I am thrilled it is sparking much needed interest in the area. We are still praying for the area and praying for God's will.
I think it all depends on what part of the region you are in as to the spiritual climate. Here in So.NH the ground is hard and people are tough, but many churches are at least on the move. I'm sure we've got our strains of 'trad-moralistic' churches and I *know* we've got our liberal Christian-in-name-only churches, but it's not like many other areas in the region.
God help anyone who lives in VT. I mean, when you could live in NH why would you choose otherwise... ;)
#4 is Fight Club-ish. "I flipped through catalogs and wondered: What kind of dining set defines me as a person?"
@ Jared There is a Converge church in Westboro MA Looking possibly for a Pastor. http://www.chapelofthecross.com/home.html
They at this point I believe do not have a Senior Pastor. They need a reformed to the core Man of God to Guide and teach the Hearts.
I'm praying for all of the United States as there is hard soil in many states. They will know we are Christian by our love--if Christians love each other maybe the hardened toward Christ will be drawn to Him.
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