At the Speed of Thought: The New Thinktop Essay

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Annulment

Less than a month ago, I officiated at a wedding. The couple (not so young) are devout Christians - not Presbyterian, but their Baptist pastor refused to marry them because they had both been divorced. They were divorced because of infidelity on their respective spouses' parts. So yesterday, I got an e-mail from the husband, asking me to call him. I did, and left a message on his voice mail.
This morning, I got another e-mail, thanking me for returning his call, and telling me that they wanted their marriage annuled. What???? I haven't called him back, because I just don't know what to say to him.
I have a call in to my Clerk of Presbytery (who is likely at General Assembly) beause I need some guidance.
Have any of you ever been faced with a situation like this?
I am praying for them, and for the situation, but some practical advice would be nice, too.
Thanks, and God bless.

Pastor Devotions: Shifting Shadows - James 1v17

James 1:17     Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.

The good folks at the church I serve have almost finished building my new office. Only a few minor details need to be completed and when the bookcases arrive in 2-3 weeks time, I think I’ll have an “Open Day” to celebrate.

The most amazing parts of the new office for me are the new ceiling lights. They illuminate my space with an artificial daylight. Instead of the old yellow light, there’s a great brightness across the whole room and my eyes are not as easily tired when reading books, writing memos, or keyboarding my messages. In fact, it is so bright in the office that there are hardly any shadows in the whole area. I know it sounds silly, but honestly, the daylight brightness of the lamps diminishes the shadows.

I like what James had to write about God’s good and perfect gifts. It seems to me as if there’s a brightness attached to them which extinguishes any shadows of doubt, fear, or anxiety. God is constantly loving, patient, and benevolent. His compassion and grace are neither impulsive nor capricious. He does not change like shifting shadows. He is utterly faithful and entirely reliable, even although the Church, church people, and society as a whole may be constantly changing and shifting, reforming and transforming.

Prayer:                        Lord God, people and things keep changing around us. What is acceptable and relevant today maybe challenged and changed tomorrow. We live in a society that is constantly moving and sometimes we just want stop the world in order to catch up. Thank You Father, for being the Almighty Constant in our lives. In Christ’s Name, we pray. Amen.

John Stuart is currently the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment or ask questions of today’s message, please send him an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.

Today’s drawing is one of John’s latest wildlife pictures. It’s called “Rambling Raccoon” and features a young raccoon climbing a tree in the Smoky Mountains. If you would like to view a larger version of this drawing, please click on the following link:

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2329/5734684067_db83df0c29_b.jpg

Pastor Devotions: Love and Hardship - 2 Timothy 2

2 Timothy 2: 3 Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus.

There’s a new book out that I’m reading which has created a lot of controversy in the Christian media. It’s written by Rob Bell and is called “Love Wins.”  I must admit, I had never heard of Rob Bell until I saw his name appear on some Christian websites and blogs that I read on a regular basis. The writers were very scathing about this pastor and were condemning him for being a universalist (someone who believes that everyone gets into heaven, no matter what they do or believe).

Rather than rush into a decision, which was hard for me, I decided to read the book. I downloaded it to my Kindle and started it last week. Sadly, right from the very start, Pastor Bell seems to be going in the wrong direction. I guess I’ll only know where he ends up once I complete the book.

One of the problems that Bell’s book raises for me is that old issue of “I’m OK; you’re OK.” I’ve come across this several times in different books like Eckhart Tolle’s New Earth and William Young’s “The Shack.” Hardship and conflict are to be avoided by respecting everybody’s beliefs and not criticizing their understanding of God. We are all meant to get on together, loving one another unconditionally and creating harmony by not upsetting one another. Unfortunately, this is a cultural denial of what actually exists and a path which leads to spiritual oblivion. As Jesus Himself put it so succinctly – it’s a case of the blind leading the blind into a ditch.

Christianity is a hardship when it’s lived out properly. There are no short cuts to peace nor avoidance of conflicting issues. In fact, Christ’s teaching did not bring about harmony for Himself, but ended up putting Him on a painful and shameful Cross.

As we continue our journey though Lent, we should become aware of the fact that truly following Jesus will bring us into conflict with our culture, society, and civilization many times. The challenging questions for us today are these: which side of the conflict am I on? How much hardship am I willing to accept? Am I ready to surrender myself to Christ, or am I only too willing to appease my peers?

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, being one of Your followers is never easy. The path to heaven is littered with many false trails and dead ends. Only You are the True Way to salvation. Only You have the right and the power and the authority to forgive our mistakes and restore us to God’s Love. Keep us focused upon Your Teachings and help us to endure the hardship of being unpopular to the rest of the world. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

John Stuart is currently the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment or ask questions of today’s message, please send him an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.

Today’s image is another of John’s digital glass representations of the Psalms. It’s based upon a verse from Psalm 105. If you would like to view a larger version, please visit the following link: http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5019/5539089558_b31c75e062_b.jpg

Pastor Blog: 3 Church Killers

This is a great posting on Churchleaders.com about 3 things that close new churches. The list could be applied to any church, new or old.

Depending on what study you read, anywhere from 50-80% of new churches close their doors within the first five years.  And while 4,000 new churches are started every year, about 3,800 other churches close their doors.  So for all the church planting that’s going on, we’ve got way more opportunity for improvement.  As I reflect back on my own five-year journey as a church planter and pastor, here are three reasons I believe many churches don’t make it.

Read the rest of the article here:
http://tinyurl.com/4qfdt6f

Pastor devotions: The Gifts of Women

1 Timothy 2:12 I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she must be silent.

Usually I agree with what Paul has to write, but this is one area where we both part company. And before anyone says that I’m re-interpreting what Paul has been inspired to write, let me make it clear: Paul is stating his opinion here which is why he prefixes his statement with ‘this is what I want’. He is making a clear distinction between what God wants for the church and what Paul demands. 

I disagree with Paul because women have played important roles in the history of our faith and in the establishment of the Church itself. If we take time to read the Book of Acts and some more of Paul’s letters, we’ll come across the fact that the first churches met in houses and that the host was usually a woman of faith. I also remember every Easter that the women remained faithful to Christ as He died upon the Cross and they were the first to receive the Good News of His Resurrection. Since those women were the first recipients of the fullness of the Gospel, then they were blessed as being the first preachers and teachers of the New Testament. Paul may have preferred women to be silent and be given no authority, but it seems as though Christ didn’t make this distinction.

So how do we treat this part of Paul’s teaching from everything else that he writes? I think we do it candidly and receive it as his opinion, but not as dogma. Without women in the church, the Church would never have survived across the centuries. Without their leadership and authority today, we would not be open to the works and ways of the Holy Spirit. Therefore today, let’s give thanks to God for the spiritual women leaders in our churches.

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, thank You for the women who lead our churches, who preach the Word, teach the Gospel, and continue Your mission. Thank You for the gifts of the Spirit which are not exclusive to one gender and for the authority of leadership that is not the sole dominion of one group. Continue to bless us with the gifts and the grace that women bring to Your Church throughout the world. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

John Stuart is currently the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment or ask questions of today’s message, please send him an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.

Today’s image is one of John’s Holy Week images called “Washed with Tears.” It depicts the woman who washed Christ’s feet with her hair and tears. If you would like to view a larger version of this drawing, please click on the following link: http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4053/4446465179_9742859bc5_b.jpg

Pastor Devotion: Fresh Fish!

2 Thessalonians 1:4 Therefore, among God's churches we boast about your perseverance and faith in all the persecutions and trials you are enduring.

It was one of the worst days of my ministerial career. I was sitting in the Presbytery’s Clerk’s home and blubbering like a baby. I had only been in the parish ministry for three years, but I was ready to give it all up. I was at my wits’ end and thought that I would no longer be able to remain in the parish. I was absolutely gutted and inconsolable.

What had caused this? Two elders. Two elders who constantly attacked, confronted and belittled everything I was trying to accomplish at the churches I served. Every time I put forward a new proposal to grow the church, strengthen the faith, and expand the mission, these two elders would put up stumbling blocks immediately and sometimes vindictively. I was trying to do my best not just for God, but for the survival of the church itself. These two men wanted the church to remain in the comfort zone that they had created. They thought that I had too many new ideas and ambitions that might have worked in the big city, but this was a town and country charge; they didn’t go in for that sort of thing.

They were wrong and I knew it both instinctively and spiritually; but they were beating me down remorselessly. And so I ended up crying into my teacup at the Presbytery Clerk’s home.

He was a very wise man. He was practically blind, but he could see the truth in all situations. He talked to me gently about the hardships of ministry and he knew the whole history of the church I served. He promised to support me and above all he reminded me that God had called me to serve that particular church. He finished up with that great passage from Romans 8 and recounted to me how the Presbyterian Reformers of the past had relied upon Paul’s words: “If God be for us, who or what can be against us?”

I went back to the parish determined to do the work that God had called me to accomplish.

Today, I’m reliving that experience because I’ve just heard of another young minister giving up the parish after less than two years. The statistics are appalling: 80% of first time ministers give up in the first five years.

I don’t know what the answer to the problem is, but this I do know – young ministers are amongst the greatest gifts that God gives to the church. If we keep burning them out in the first five years, we’re not going to have any real leaders for the next generation of Christians.

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, forgive us when our churches fail to support our youngest leaders. Grant us the patience to be more open to their opinions, ideas, and innovations. Remind us that they have been initially called by You, and that we, who are older, should treat them as equals, as visionaries, and as ambassadors of Your Kingdom. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment or ask questions about this message, please send him an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.

Today’s image is one John’s latest images of Christ. It’s called “Christ Icon” and is based upon the famous Sinai Icon of Christ. If you would like to view a larger image, please click on the following link:

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5255/5457191479_6bdca8084f_b.jpg