These ceremonies are to be observed through all generations as a reminder, in this case a graphic reminder, of the lengths God will go to save His children---his firstborn son, Israel. We see, then, a hint of what becomes clearer almost fifteen hundred years later on a cross near Jerusalem: Life comes from death, or better, life can only come from death. The tenth plague was not a divine temper tantrum where God flexes His muscles before the Egyptians and really lets them have it. It is the necessary implementation of a redemptive pattern, one that requires death as a means to fuller life. The consecration of the firstborn, therefore, is a reminder of the once-for-all substitutionary death of the beloved firstborn son who is to come.
--Peter Enns
Friday, March 11, 2011
Measure for Measure
So thorough and devastating will God's action be that the Egyptians will beg the Israelites to leave. Moreover, they will be favorably disposed toward them, "so that God's people will leave with more than what they came with. Now it will be Egypt's turn to "cry" because of THEIR oppression (echo of Ex 3:7). Among the Israelites, however, not even a barking dog will be heard. The tenth plague is clearly a "measure-for-measure" punishment.
--Peter Enns
--Peter Enns
We are not exactly what we eat
And Jesus answered him, "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone.'"
Luke 4
Luke 4
Wednesday, March 09, 2011
Living and Dying
Lent is about repentance. Valuing Christ and His love so much that we die to sin and live unto righteousness. The Heidelberg Catechism helps.
Q. What is the true repentance or conversion of man?
A. It is the dying of the old nature and the coming to life of the new.[1]
[1] Rom. 6:1-11; I Cor. 5:7; II Cor. 5:17; Eph. 4:22-24; Col. 3:5-10.
89. Q. What is the dying of the old nature?
A. It is to grieve with heartfelt sorrow that we have offended God by our sin, and more and more to hate it and flee from it.[1]
[1] Ps. 51:3, 4, 17; Joel 2:12, 13; Rom. 8:12, 13; II Cor. 7:10.
90. Q. What is the coming to life of the new nature?
A. It is a heartfelt joy in God through Christ,[1] and a love and delight to live according to the will of God in all good works.[2]
[1] Ps. 51:8, 12; Is. 57:15; Rom. 5:1; 14:17. [2] Rom. 6:10, 11; Gal. 2:20.
A. Only those which are done out of true faith,[1] in accordance with the law of God,[2] and to His glory,[3] and not those based on our own opinion or on precepts of men.[4]
[1] Joh. 15:5; Rom. 14:23; Heb. 11:6. [2] Lev. 18:4; I Sam. 15:22; Eph. 2:10. [3] I Cor. 10:31. [4] Deut. 12:32; Is. 29:13; Ezek. 20:18, 19; Matt. 15:7-9.
Frustrating
Rob Bell
Dang it.
Within a 24 hour period I was reading my son an article Bell had written on Advent/Lent/Sabbath-- a very helpful meditation on our human need to have rhythms in our lives.
Then today I stumbled across an internet brouhaha that Bell started by basically denying the realities of Hell.
Two thoughts:
1.) Love is truth and love wins through truth.
Hell is real. Jesus delivers God's people from it. I feel the temptation to deny it--who doesn't. But you just gotta re-write the Bible to get away from the reality of Hell.
2.) I read and learn from many people that I disagree with on key points.
If I only read & quoted people with whom I am in complete agreement with--well, I couldn't read or quote anyone.
Dang it, Rob.
Dang it.
Within a 24 hour period I was reading my son an article Bell had written on Advent/Lent/Sabbath-- a very helpful meditation on our human need to have rhythms in our lives.
Then today I stumbled across an internet brouhaha that Bell started by basically denying the realities of Hell.
Two thoughts:
1.) Love is truth and love wins through truth.
Hell is real. Jesus delivers God's people from it. I feel the temptation to deny it--who doesn't. But you just gotta re-write the Bible to get away from the reality of Hell.
2.) I read and learn from many people that I disagree with on key points.
If I only read & quoted people with whom I am in complete agreement with--well, I couldn't read or quote anyone.
Dang it, Rob.
From the graveside service
UNTO Almighty God we commend the soul of our brother departed, and we commit his body to the ground;
earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust;
in sure and certain hope of the Resurrection unto eternal life,
through our Lord Jesus Christ, at whose coming in glorious majesty to judge the world,
the earth and the sea shall give up their dead; and the corruptible bodies of those who sleep in him shall be changed,
and made like unto his own glorious body; according to the mighty working whereby he is able to subdue all things unto himself. ---1928 Book of Common Prayer
Sunday We Receive New Members
We are always thrilled to welcome new people to our tribe. Expectantly we hope that the relationship will be mutually beneficial.
-- from Ephesians 4
We are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.
Membership Vows
1. Do you acknowledge yourselves to be sinners in the sight of God, justly deserving His displeasure, and without hope save in [i.e., except for] His sovereign mercy?
2. Do you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ as the Son of God, and Savior of sinners, and do you receive and rest upon Him alone for salvation as He is offered in the gospel?
3. Do you now resolve and promise, in humble reliance upon the grace of the Holy Spirit, that you will endeavor to live as becomes the followers of Christ?
4. Do you promise to support the Church in its worship and work to the best of your ability?
5. Do you submit yourselves to the government and discipline of the Church, and promise to study its purity and peace?
Jesus on Earthy Spirituality
“Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.
2 “Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 3 But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
5 “And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 6 But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
7 “And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. 9 Pray then like this:
14 For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, 15 but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
16 “And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 17 But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, 18 that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
Lay Up Treasures in Heaven
19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust [5] destroy and where thieves break in and steal, 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
22 “The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, 23 but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!
24 “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.
What Every Christian Should Know About Ash Wednesday |
Putting ashes on your forehead in the sign of the cross is not some kind of magic charm. It is simply a visible reminder of our condition and the power of the cross to forever change that condition.
Good brief note ;
genesis 18
Abraham answered and said, "Behold, I have undertaken to speak to the Lord, I who am but dust and ashes."
Joel, 2nd chapter
12 "Yet even now," declares the LORD, "return to me with all your
heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning;
13 and rend your hearts and not your garments." Return to the LORD
your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and
abounding in steadfast love; and he relents over disaster.
heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning;
13 and rend your hearts and not your garments." Return to the LORD
your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and
abounding in steadfast love; and he relents over disaster.
Tuesday, March 08, 2011
THE IMPOSITION OF ASHES
During this time, you are invited to receive ashes on your forehead or the back of your hand. In Scripture, ashes serve both as a symbol of mortality and as a sign of mourning and repentance.
But neither sin nor death are the final word.
We leave today in confidence and gratitude: Christ has conquered death, and nothing can separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus, our Lord.
--from our Ash Wednesday service, which is here:
THE AIM OF ASH WEDNESDAY
6:00am & 6:00pm; half-hour services in the sanctuary
The aim of Ash Wednesday worship is threefold:
~to meditate on our mortality, sinfulness, and need of a savior;
~ to renew our commitment to daily repentance in the Lenten season and in all of life; and
~ to remember with confidence and gratitude that Christ has conquered death and sin.
—The Worship Sourcebook
FREDERICK BUECHNER ON CONFESSION
To confess your sins to God is not to tell Him anything He doesn't already
know. Until you confess them, however, they are the abyss between you.
When you confess them, they become the Golden Gate bridge.
—Frederick Buechner
ASH WEDNESDAY: A DAY FOR NEW BEGINNINGS
Ash Wednesday is a particular time for new beginnings in the faith, a time
for returning to the Lord. On this day we recall our mortality and wait upon
the Lord for a renewing Spirit. This is a time for putting aside the sins and
failures of the past in light of who we are yet to become by the grace of God.
—Handbook of the Christian Year, 106
Israel's Plunder
We are going to be looking at the 1st Passover this Lenten season. Our journey in Exodus has us at the spot where God's people will be spared and freed by the blood of a lamb.
"When it comes to Israel's plunder, what is usually overlooked is what
these gifts reveal about Egypt's spiritual condition. By his mercy God was
turning some of his enemies into friends. Many of the Egyptians had begun
to believe in the existence of the one true God. They acknowledged his power
and honored his prophet. They recognized the importance of treating God's
people with respect and generosity. They were making spiritual progress —
so much progress, in fact, that when the Israelites finally left, some of the
Egyptians actually went with them (cf. Ex 12:38). --Phil Ryken
Exodus 12:37,38
The people of Israel journeyed from Rameses to Succoth, about six hundred thousand men on foot, besides women and children. 38 A mixed multitude also went up with them, and very much livestock, both flocks and herds.
The people of Israel journeyed from Rameses to Succoth, about six hundred thousand men on foot, besides women and children. 38 A mixed multitude also went up with them, and very much livestock, both flocks and herds.
Monday, March 07, 2011
Tuesday 6:30am men, location change
The men's group that normally meets Tuesday 6:30am in the office complex will be meeting at Starbucks in the Town of Tioga.
Ash Wednesday
6:00-6:30am AND 6:00-6:30pm
These two half-hour services will be held in the sanctuary.
Ash Wednesday begins the season known as Lent, which begins forty days prior to Easter and is characterized by a focus on repentance, fasting, prayer, and the needs of others. The purpose is to set aside time for reflection on Jesus—His suffering and His sacrifice, His life, death, burial and resurrection. This first day of Lent reminds Christians of the words of Jesus in Matthew 16:24, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me." The way to Easter is the way of the cross.
As the first step in the Lenten journey the Ash Wednesday service invites us to acknowledge
-- our mortality,
-- our sinfulness and -- our dependence upon the grace of God.
-- our mortality,
-- our sinfulness and -- our dependence upon the grace of God.
We encourage all that are able to fast on Ash Wednesday leading up to the Ash Wednesday service as the Lord's Supper is served.
A unique feature of this service is the marking of the forehead with ashes in the sign of the cross (imposition of ashes). Since the 10th century this practice has been used to symbolize the frailty of our human existence and the 'dust and debris' in our lives (thus the name Ash Wednesday).
We hope you'll join us as we begin the Lenten season looking forward to its culmination on Easter Sunday morning as we worship our risen Savior.
Saturday, March 05, 2011
Prayer Meeting Sunday 6pm
In January the elders decided to seek for God's glory to be known in and through Christ Community. The plan involves monthly prayer meetings that seek this purpose.
Remember the connection between the Exodus and prayer?
The exodus was set in motion by the prayers of God's people: "The Israelites groaned in their slavery and cried
out, and their cry for help because of their slavery went up to God. God heard
their groaning and he remembered his covenant" (Exod. 2:23b, 24a).
Thursday, March 03, 2011
Wise Blood, Lent, and Easter
Haze Motes preaches a "Church without Christ" where nobody sheds
blood, and there's no redemption "'cause there ain't no sin to
redeem," and "what's dead stays that way."
blood, and there's no redemption "'cause there ain't no sin to
redeem," and "what's dead stays that way."
Basically, what Haze took out is that in which we glory. And at no
time more than Lent & Easter.
Sober Awareness
For the seven weeks leading up to Resurrection Sunday, we practice
sober awareness of our frailty, sins and smallness. It starts on Ash
Wednesday when those ashes are traced on our foreheads in the shape of
the cross, a tactile reminder of our origins in the dust. From there
we come, and to there we will go.
sober awareness of our frailty, sins and smallness. It starts on Ash
Wednesday when those ashes are traced on our foreheads in the shape of
the cross, a tactile reminder of our origins in the dust. From there
we come, and to there we will go.
You want to really live, the kind of living that drains the marrow
from every day? Then start by facing your death, your weakness, your
smallness.
We spend seven weeks facing our death and despair and doubt, entering
into it with the fullness of our being—heart, mind, emotions.
--Rob Bell
Ash Wednesday and Lent resources
- Mark Roberts overview article here
- Craig Higgins "Keeping a Holy Lent"
"The Lenten season is the spiritual equivalent of an annual physical exam; it’s a time to take stock of our lives, our hearts." - "Tomorrow is Fat Tuesday" by yours truly
- Ashes of Affirmation, Lent and Our Worldview, by Jim Tonkowich. My favorite line is:
- Devotional for Lent, from City Church of San Francisco
6:00am and 6:00pm in the sanctuary--
We will have a simple half-hour services on Ash Wednesday.
We will have a simple half-hour services on Ash Wednesday.
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