Why I Worship On Sunday

A number of months ago I received an email from a friend who recommended a blog that he has begun reading http://cole-slaw.blogspot.com by Neil Cole. Neil is one of the leaders of the organic church movement and in one of his blogs he asks if attending Sunday services is really all that important. He uses scripture and so called history to prove his point that it is not. You can read Mr. Cole’s specific blog at http://cole-slaw.blogspot.com/2008/12/biblical-support.html

I agree with many of the things that Mr. Cole says about abuses that we see in our Sunday worship some 200 centuries since the founding of the Church, but I also disagree with some of his conclusions.

First we must consider what the climate was like for the first century church and what would happen to the church in 3 short centuries of time. Yes, Mr. Cole is correct that many of the gatherings were in homes. And you can read the description of what one of their meetings was like if you pick up a copy of “Going To Church In The First Century” by Robert Banks. In this book Banks accurately describes what a normal worship event was like in many towns and cities throughout the Roman Empire.

But we also know that many believers also met in larger buildings when they were not being persecuted. In the beginning chapters of the book of Acts we find over 100 people together in an upper room holding a prayer meeting. In fact at one time over 500 people witnessed Jesus after His resurrection (see 1 Cor.). We don’t know if this was an open air event or held in a building.

We also see that the Jerusalem church had many people coming together for common meals. When the problem arose regarding the care of the Grecian widows during the meal times 7 men were chosen to act as waiters at the tables to ensure that everyone received their portion of the meal. (We did something similar during our Christmas Breakfast here at Grace. We were concerned about some of the young children in the front of the line taking more then they could eat and there being nothing left for those who were at the end.) So we limited the portions one could take the first time through the line.

The second issue and perhaps the more important issue is: “Should a church meet on the first day of the week?

To this I again would look to the fact that the early believers meet throughout the week as recorded in the Acts of the Apostles. But I would also point out that special emphasis is placed on meeting on the first day of the week, primarily to commemorate and celebrate Christ’s resurrection from the dead on the first day of the week. (Matthew 28:1) I would further point out that Mr. Cole is correct that the passage in 1 Corinthians 16:2 is speaking about the church collecting an offering for the Jerusalem believers who were suffering a drought and many were impoverished. While the passage does not say that believers gathered for worship on the first day, it has to be implied in the passage. Otherwise we have people who have worked a long day coming together to simply drop off their offering and nothing more. (Un)common sense would suggest that this time could and would make perfect sense for a worship service to happen. Also in Acts 20:7 it is recorded that the disciples in Europe gathered together to break bread (code word for communion) and to hear Paul speak. This seemed the natural thing to do. In my thinking it becomes obvious the Sunday worship was a common occurance.

Another thoughts regarding the Gospels is that all four Gospels indicate that the Resurrection was discovered early in the morning on the first day of the week (Matt. 28:1; Mark 16:2; Luke 24:1; John 20:1). Six of the eight appearances of Christ to his followers after the Resurrection took place on the first day: to Mary Magdalene (John 20:1–18), to the women bringing spices to anoint Jesus’ body (Matt. 28:7–10), to two disciples on the Emmaus road (Luke 24:13–33), to Simon Peter (Luke 24:34), to the ten disciples when Thomas was absent (John 20:19–23; cf. Luke 24:36–49), and possibly (although the text uses the phrase “after eight days”) to the eleven disciples when Thomas was present (John 20:24–29). These appearances of Christ on the first day were sufficient to set it apart as a day of particular significance. If the crucifixion of Jesus took place on the sixth day of the week (Friday), as is traditionally held, then the day of Pentecost that year was also on the first day of the week, since it falls fifty days after Passover (which would have coincided with the Sabbath). If so, the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the apostles also occurred on the Lord’s Day (Acts 2:1–4).[1]

A couple of final thoughts on the subject, this one also taken from the ancient church. Justin Martyr (c. 100–165) explains that the church chose this day for worship because it was both the first day of Creation and the day of the resurrection of Christ. Thus the Lord’s Day contrasts with the Sabbath in a second respect closely related to the Resurrection. Whereas the Sabbath, or seventh day, marked God’s resting from his creative activity (Gen. 2:1–2), the Lord’s Day is a day of “new creation.” By worshiping on the first day of the week, the Christian church is making a statement about the new beginning God has made in Jesus Christ and the people of the new covenant (2 Cor. 5:17; Rev. 21:1–5).[2]

The church practiced something called the 8th day of the week. The counting of the survivors of the flood with attention to the fact that there were “eight” (i.e., Noah and his wife, his three sons and their wives, Gen 7:13) is attested elsewhere in early Christian literature (cf. 2 Pet 2:5; Theophilus, AdAutol 3.19; Sib. Or. 1.280–81), where “eight” was sometimes given a symbolic significance (e.g., representing Sunday, “the eighth day,” in which Christ rose from the dead: Justin, Dial. 138.1–2; cf. also Barn. 15.9)[3] They believed that the 1st day of the week was the beginning of creation and that like the first creation the new creation began on the 1st day of the week with the resurrection of the Lord. Additionally they saw the first day of the new creation or the 8th day of the week to be the culmination of God’s creation by the new creation that begins to set right the fall of the first creation because of our parents Adam & Eve.

In the early church the number eight held special significance in the understanding of numbers. Just as the number 3 = equaled God (ie trinity) and 4 = creation then 3 + 4 = 7 = completion. The number 8 = resurrection and recreation or new creation. For examples of the number eight and how it means recreation see 1 Peter 3:20 and 2 Peter 2:5.

I firmly believe that we honor not only our Lord’s resurrection but His recreation of a fallen world by worshiping on Sunday the first day of the week!

A part of the re-created order, I’m

Pastor Val

[1]Robert Webber, The Biblical Foundations of Christian Worship, 1st ed. (Nashville, Tenn.: Star Song Pub. Group, 1993), 196.
[2]Robert Webber, The Biblical Foundations of Christian Worship, 1st ed. (Nashville, Tenn.: Star Song Pub. Group, 1993), 196.
i.e. id est, that is
cf. confer, compare
Sib. Or. Sibylline Oracles
e.g. exempli gratia, for example
Dial. Dialogue with Trypho
Barn. Barnabas
[3]J. Ramsey Michaels, vol. 49, Word Biblical Commentary : 1 Peter, Word Biblical Commentary (Dallas: Word, Incorporated, 2002), 212.

The Bank Account

The Bank Account

I read an article on line today about a New Zeeland couple who went to the bank to negotiate a line of credit. They were asking for NZ $10,000 and through a series of human errors they were given NZ $10,000,000 about the equivalent of $6.8 million dollars US.

As you can imagine when the “lucky” couple realized the mistake they made use of the credit and transferred the funds to a bank account out of the country. They are now on the run and there is a massive manhunt underway trying to track them down. Needless to say the bank was quite upset about this turn of events and they are trying to recoup their mistaken largess. So far they have recouped about 2.8 million dollars US and are frantically searching transactions around the world looking for their money.

I got to thinking about how we are beggars who have asked the King for help with our financial needs only to discover that He has offered to adopt us. We find out that we have access to an unlimited the bank account and we don’t have to pay it back!

The Bible tells us that we are joint heirs with the Father’s natural Son and we have been given a bank account full of good things that are there for our use if we only ask for them.

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. Ephesians 1:3 (NIV)
for every animal of the forest is mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills. Psalm 50:10 (NIV)
Now if we are children, then we are heirs--heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory. Romans 8:17 (NIV)
Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession--to the praise of his glory. Ephesians 1:13b-14 (NIV)
So what are you going to do with your new found wealth? Horde it or share it?

I’m trying to share it with those who need what we have and are anxious to receive it!

It seems that the more I give it away the greater my return on my investment!

Giving it away!

Pastor Val

How To Survive Groupies and Critics

How to survive groupies and critics

Have you ever wondered about why we agonize over criticism? Have you ever wondered is there truth to the voice of the critics. Or have you wondered about the praise of your fans, your groupies? Is there truth in their praises? Each of these two groups want something from you. The questions you need to ask yourself is what is it do they want? And what do I want from them?

Every leader or speaker has them critics and groupies. Each has a unique need and a unique way of responding. Our job is to seek for the underlying truth in their words and concerns.

I ran across a blog today that addressed this issue and I think had some helpful insights in dealing with groupies and critics.

I offer it to you below and have provided the link if you would like to explore Seth’s blog for yourself.

Ignore your critics
If you find 100 comments on a blog post or 100 reviews of a new book or 100 tweets about you...
and two of them are negative, while 98 are positive...
which ones are you going to read first?
If you're a human being and you're telling the truth, the answer is pretty obvious: you want to know which misguided losers had nasty things to say and you want to know what they said. In fact, if we're being totally truthful, it's likely you're going to take what the critics had to say to heart.
That's a shame. The critics are never going to be happy with you, that's why they're critics. You might bore them by doing what they say... but that won't turn them into fans, it will merely encourage them to go criticize someone else.
It doesn't matter what Groucho or Elvis or Britney or any other one-name performer does or did... the critics won't be placated. Changing your act to make them happy is a fool's game.
Here's a surprising thought, though. You should ignore your fans as well.
Your fans don't want you to change, your fans want you to maintain the essence of what you bring them but add a laundry list of features. You fans want lower prices and more contributions, bigger portions and more frequent deliveries.
So, who should you listen to?
Your sneezers.
You should listen to the people who tell the most people about you. Listen to the people who thrive on sharing your good works with others. If you delight these people, you grow.
Seth

You can check it out a the link provided below

http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2009/03/ignore-your-critics.html

Sneezers are anyone who virally spreads the things that advance the Kingdom. People have to come into close contact with a sneezer for the virus to spread.

A final thought or two or maybe even three.

Always accept praise and criticism with a grain of salt.

Always take both before Father and ask Him, His opinion

Always listen to His voice and you will never go wrong

Grace 2 U

Pastor Val

Interruptions

I was recently reading (unfortunately, I can’t remember what or where I was reading, something that is happening from time to time) about Jesus and the many miracles He performed. This author pointed out that many perhaps most of Jesus miracles were performed were as a result of interruptions to the task or purpose He was involved with at that moment in time.

Jesus is at a wedding enjoying the party and His mother interrupts him with a request for help with the wine. After delivering the greatest sermon of all time Jesus is interrupted by a leprous man asking for healing. He is confronted by demonic men on His way to minister to a town. Jesus is teaching about cloths and wine skins and a synagogue ruler interrupts asking for help with his sick daughter. Jesus is on His way to heal a sick girl and He is interrupted by a woman in the crowd who has a blood disease. Jesus is traveling on His way to a destination and a blind man interrupts Him with a request to be healed. After a long day of teaching Jesus is sleeping during a boat ride to the other side of the lake and His sleep is interrupted due tot eh fear of the disciples of a sudden storm. Jesus is teaching and a message comes telling Him his friend Lazarus is dead.

Was Jesus bothered by the interruptions? My only clue to the answer to this question is that Jesus occasionally slipped off either by himself or sometimes with His disciples in order to rest and recharge, so even Christ needed time to recharge His batteries. But on at least one occasion the crowd followed Him and Jesus gave up his rest to minister to their needs.

I could go on with more but I think you get the idea. Ministry is often about the interruptions. This is something I’m learning as a new senior pastor. While I encountered it some as an associate I really have had to come to grips with this reality with my change in position.

Each day I have a list of things I want to get accomplished and each day my success rate varies with the number of things I have checked off my “to do list.” But what I am noticing is that when I am open to the Spirit He chooses to often interrupt my day with more important issues and people with needs and hurts. I am given the opportunity to serve because of the interruptions not in spite of them!

God bless the interruptions and bless you, God, for allowing me to serve

Pastor Val

Presidential Do Over

Like many Americans and perhaps a lot of people around the world I tuned into the Inauguration Tuesday to watch Barack Obama become the 44th President of the United States. It was with some amusement that I watched the first presidential blunder of our new president when Chief Justice Roberts misspoke the oath of office and President Obama stopped midsentence and stumbled over his lines.

After flubbing the oath of office for the President of the United States President Obama and Chief Justice Roberts repeated the oath a second time in front of a few reporters the next day (not because it was necessary but do to an overriding “abundance of caution” by White House counsel. History indicates that this is not the first time that a President has had to have a do over of the oath of office because of flubbing their lines, Calvin Coolidge and Chester A. Arthur both were given “do overs.”

While some people might find the concepts of “do overs” wrong, the Bible is full of “do overs” Abraham had a habit of lying about his relationship with his wife and yet God allowed him back into fellowship. David certainly was allowed a do over when his relationship was restored after committing adultery and murder.

Peter was allowed a do over after denying Christ three times he confessed his love and loyalty to Christ three times after the resurrection. In fact if you read 1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to purify us from all unrighteousness.

While there are always consequences for our action (just ask a farmer what happens if he gets his seeds mixed up when he plants) it seems that humans are much less forgiving then God is. We don’t care to give mulligans unless it’s involves our own failures. Yet Paul has to remind us that we were all sinners but God gave us a do over when we became followers of Jesus Christ (see 1 Corinthians 6:9-11).

I’m sure glad that we serve a God of “Do Overs!”

Aren’t you?

Pastor Val

It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like … The First Century

It seems that the more of the 21st Century that we experience the more it seems that we are living in the past. Bob Webber author of the ancient-future series used to say that the future is found by traveling through the past. He encouraged his student and readers to recognize that today the western Christianity faces many of the same obstacles that believers did during the first three centuries. The plurality of religions and the duality that has crept into Christianity all point to similar circumstances with the early Christians.

Now to start the New Year comes yet another similarity with the first century. Hamas has legalized crucifixion for enemies of Islam. For centuries this form of execution that been called the most brutal of all capital punishments was outlawed. But that no longer is the case.

This announcement was reported in the Jerusalem Post. You can read the entire article at http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1230111707087&pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull

“On Tuesday, Hamas legislators marked the Christmas season by passing a Shari'a criminal code for the Palestinian Authority. Among other things, it legalizes crucifixion.

Hamas's endorsement of nailing enemies of Islam to crosses came at the same time it renewed its jihad. Here, too, Hamas wanted to make sure that Christians didn't feel neglected as its fighters launched missiles at Jewish day care centers and schools. So on Wednesday, Hamas lobbed a mortar shell at the Erez crossing point into Israel just as a group of Gazan Christians were standing on line waiting to travel to Bethlehem for Christmas.”

Isn’t interesting, we have not heard any news reports outside of the Middle East about the reinstitution of this punishment. I wonder when the first sanctioned crucifixion will be carried out. Will the Western News outlets carry it? It makes you feel like we are slipping back in time as we travel into the future.

Jesus said that in this world we would know persecution and if they hated our master why would we expect to be treated any better?

Enjoy the New Year but never forget that our job is to live out our King’s command to spread his message of shalom to a world that hates our King and fights against the shalom that he offers to all who follow Him

Happy New Year may His shalom live in your heart throughout this coming year!

Grace to you

Pastor Val

Merry Christmas

I had the unique experience this past Sunday of being the pastor of a small church’s Children’s Christmas Pageant. We celebrated the birth of Christ and the worship of the angels, the shepherds, and the wise men of Emmanuel (God With Us).

Christmas has become a time of celebrations and parties. Recently I had some time to “kill” and I went out an average mall in our area of the country. The place was packed and there were people everywhere. The one thing I noticed was that no one seemed to be in a celebratory mood. Worrying over how they were going to pay for their Christmas gifts and concern for their jobs or losing their houses.

I spoke with one lady who’s husband had has hours cut back and was worried about what she was going to get her twin teenage daughters. They wanted the new touch screen ipods even though they owned ipods. Mom was perturbed because they wanted the latest and greatest.

We all fall into this trap of wanting more and more of the same tings we already have. We have been inundated with a culture of materialism. We are not satisfied unless we have a more. I am reminded of the answer J. Paul Getty gave when asked when would he have enough money. He said “When I have just a little more.”

Materialism is like that. We are never happy until we get just a little more! Only to find that we still need just a little more after that and a little more after that… and on and on it goes.

The creator of the universe when he came the first time came in a borrowed stable and had a borrowed manger for a cradle. When He died he was laid in a borrowed tomb. He asks us to follow him and be willing to give up anything that hinders us from doing so.

I wonder, could I give up everything to be obedient in following Him? Would I at least be willing to be willing? And how would I feel if I couldn’t get the latest ipod that I needed to gain “true” happiness?

This year as we celebrate Christmas, let’s not forget who’s birthday we are celebrating and remember to give Him the gift of our life to the one to whom we owe everything!

Jesus incarnated into this world to show us how to gain back a relationship with our Creator. When He left this world we became His horizontal incarnated body (think Church) to show this world what a relationship with the Creator looked like.

How’s that incarnation coming?

Merry Christmas

Pastor Val