The week in Richmond was great! Not only was the Thanksgiving holiday full of thanksgiving, it also was full of fun, family and friends!
We headed to Fredricksburg for Thanksgiving day and to Williamsburg the day after. I was able to attend two different churches with Olivia and Drew, take a couple of walks in the warm Richmond sunshine, go to Bible study with Olivia, do some shopping, and get some work done on a grant as well. It was productive, peaceful and encouraging to be with them and to see their growth as a married couple and as individual believers. I had to smile as they described the last few months of establishing a new home in Richmond and all that entails for a newly married couple, as "character revealing", "character building", "marriage building", and "hard work". So, I am confident that they are doing well and on the right road, spiritually, personally and professionally.
The subject of faith came up more than once. I had the opportunity to see two very different churches on their list of "possible" church homes. The natural compare and contrast of the two very different churches lead to and interesting conversation about how a pastor can use his sermon to help his congregation better live the Christian life. Sometimes, you walk away from worship service scratching your head. You wonder if maybe you just didn't get it. Or, perhaps you did but you don't know what to do with it, how to practically apply the truth taught to your life. Then sometimes you walk away from a worship service with truth in crystalized form. It is sharp and solid; you have something you can hold on to. You know what to do with it; you know how to put it into action in your life. What's present in one worship service or missing in another? What is required for crystalized truth that is practically applicable to your life this week? Is it the person; is it the message? Perhaps it is just style or preference of the hearer? Lots of questions with few definitive answers.
We didn't come up with a wonderful formula for "best sermon and application points ever", but we did reiterate to each other that it is, as it has always been, by grace through faith. Faith in the right person is sufficient to save us and this faith is, therefore, sufficient to help us walk the life of progressive sanctification successfully. Drew's post speaks of these issues, the fact that the gospel must always be presented; without it there is no hope and no power, not for salvation or for sanctification.
This article on Tim Keller presents the same truth in another way, through the application of the gospel to real life. In this case it is the real life of New Yorkers'. Enjoy! It's an excellent read!
4 comments:
Yes, I think it's God's working and sometimes I'm just hungry and more open- of course all a part of God's working to be sure. But the inspiration of the Spirit needs to be within the pastor's preparation and sharing as well. However that all works out, and I agree, it's hard to pin down, it most certainly is a "God-thing", but something we can have if we want God and his will in our lives more than anything else. Does seem like the older I get the less I have it pinned down as to what any ideal community of believers or church should be like in doctrine and practice. I'm reminded again of Bonhoeffer's "Life Together." I really doubt that there's any real ideal out there among denominations or churches. The basics and God's working and what unites us in Jesus are all precisely the same, even though we see or emphasize different aspects of them. Though I'd prefer that certain theological and theopraxis elements would be present.
Drew always has good posts. And Tim Keller is top notch. I really love what he does in New York City with important help from his wife, Kathy (as a recent CT article pointed out).
I really like, and enjoy, Tim Keller's teachings, and his "giftedness" in the Lord.
Nice post.
I truly believe if you find a local church with a genuine pastor after God's own heart, then you shall be fed in your soul with spiritual food. if the pastor is not one of the Lord's, then it will be human wisdom, which can seem good.
It's a shallow vs deep thing.
May the Lord fill us with His joy and peace, so that we can shine for our Father, and glorify Him. Amen.
Have a terrific Lord's Day!
Susan - there is a Sovereign Grace church in Richmond...not sure if it fits with what your daughter and husband are looking for but it may be worth checking out.
Thanks ESI - I've forwarded your comment to them?
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