Out to Pasture

I kept warm at last week's Toga Trot

Just a few personal updates:

Several years back, Jeff Bruce gave me a book titled Pastoral Library by Eugene Peterson.  It was actually four books bound together in one volume.  I read quite a bit from that collection and have always had the feeling that I needed to read from it even more.  


4 books in 1

 About a year ago, George Grant recommended Peterson's book titled Eat This Book.  It is about reading the Bible thoughtfully.  Maybe it is a book we should consider reading in a book study.  Just recently, I picked up Peterson's newest work, which is titled The Pastor: A Memoir. I cannot wait to dig into what looks like a wonderful account of Peterson's trials and triumphs in the ministry.

Peterson is a fascinating writer.  He has the literary skill of C.S. Lewis.  At times, one has to read him with a bit of caution.  His views, parts of his theology, and some of his theological guides are a bit shaky.  For example, he is far more at home with Karl Barth than a Presbyterian ought to be. Still, with the caution lights flashing, he is wonderful to read.  (I don't have his popular paraphrase of the Bible, The Message, but I do hope to find one cheap somewhere to have for reference.)

A pastor's war stories

Since I jumped back into the deep end of the pool in June, I have felt compelled to read books pertaining to ministry.  So, during the early summer, I read Gene Getz's Elders and Leaders:  God's Plan for Leading the Church.  Getz has been a leader in the Fellowship Bible movement, but his books on church life and ministry are read by people of all Christian stripes.

A rich and challenging study

 Then, I re-read John R.W. Stott's Between Two Worlds: The Art of Preaching in the Twentieth Century.  Rev. Stott died last summer after a long life and fruitful ministry of preaching and writing.  I first read this book in 1994.  When I was re-reading it, I realized that I should have been reading it every year or two since I became an elder.  (I would have been a good man if I had been reading Stott every minute of my life, to paraphrase Flannery O'Connor.)  And I hope to pick up and read quite a few more Stott books over the next several years.

Even more relevant for the 21st Century

More recently, I read The Elder and His Work by David Dickson, edited by George K. McFarland and Philip Graham Ryken.  Dickson was a Scottish Presbyterian and his book is a classic on the task of an elder.  Dr. Grant had also recommended that book to me.  I would encourage all men who might even remotely consider the office of elder to read it, and others to read it to help evaluate those of us in the office.  And maybe, we need a book study on this book also.

Practical and direct as one would expect from a Scotsman

I wish I could show you before and after pictures from this workout through these 3 books with anticipation of more results from reading Peterson's memoir.  I know I have been helped, but the road to sanctification is uphill. A Sunday sermon can no more feed you for the week than a Sunday meal can.  We all need to be reading from our Bibles and from good Christian books.  And those readings need to be accompanied with prayers, thoughts, and expectations of change in our lives.

In other news, I have four boxes in my office filled with copies of Punic Wars and Culture Wars ready to ship out.  In one case, a copy is going to one of my heroes of the faith in Australia, Dr. Francis Nigel Lee.  Dr. Lee has been a great Christian writer, thinker, and scholar in Reformed circles for decades.  He has asked for a copy, "duly inscribed," to use his words.  A couple of copies are going to a friend in Belfast, Northern Ireland.  His name is Paul David Robinson and he is both a plasterer (sheet rock man) and a Christian philosopher.  (http://paul-david-robinson.com/biography)  I sure wish I could get him over here to visit us, do some plastering work on my house, and teach the students at Veritas about Herman Dooyeweerd.  (We would also enjoy his accent.)

Please pray for the on-going distribution of Punic Wars.  I have sold or given away about 5 boxes of the book this year.  I need to distribute 25 more boxes of it (hopefully profiting the giver and the receivers).  And I need to get some current writing projects finished.

Finally, please notice the announcement about a play to be performed soon:  A Christmas Corral.    (http://veritashumanities.blogspot.com/)   I stole....I mean, I based based the play on Charles Dickens' Christmas Carol.   Our Veritas Humanities class will be performing the play in December.  It is set in the American West of the late 1800s.  (We would appreciate any western wear ot western items we could borrow for use in the play.)

God's blessings. 

November 2011 Calendar of Events

November 2011

A Month of Thanksgiving Celebration

		1All Saints’ Day	2Mid-week Meeting: Meal 5:30 Kids’ Quest & Adult Lesson 6:30	3	4“Do Hard Things” At 6:00pm	5
6 Sunday School: Alan Woll-- Ephesians Sermon: Difficult Discipline of Thanksgiving	7	8	9Mid-week Meeting Meal 5:30 Kids’ Quest & Adult Lesson 6:30 *Film on the Persecuted Church	10	11	12 Packing Party for Operation Christmas Child
13International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church Sunday School: Prayer for Christians Throughout the World Sermon: Paul, an Apostle of Thanksgiving	14	15	16Mid-week Meeting: Meal 5:30 Kids’ Quest & Adult Lesson 6:30 [This is the last week for Wednesday night meetings until January.]	17	18 　“Do Hard Things” At 6:00pm	19
20Sunday School: Alan Woll--Ephesians Sermon: Thanksgiving Sermon	21	22 C. S. Lewis died on this day in 1963	23	24Thanksgiving	25	26
27Sunday School: Alan Woll--Ephesians Sermon: Thanksgiving and the Beginning of Advent	28	29 C.S. Lewis born on this day in 1898	30

An Update from Pastor San Sanych

San Sanych lives in Rivne, which is in the upper left hand side of the map.

Dear Fathers and Brothers!

Greetings from Ukraine, it’s Alexander A. Orlov-Koshchavka sr. (San Sanych).

Thank You for Your prayers and care. I should apologize for attracting so much attention to such insignificant person as me.

My son wrote letter to brother Bogumil with urgent prayer request because of my visit to Kiev institute of neurosurgery, where doctors explain me my urgent need for brain surgery to cure of arteriovenous malformation and it’s in pre stroke condition.  They require my wife to be present due their procedure of angiogram of my brain (doctor must demonstrate to my wife, after this angiogram, that I’m the same person as I was before it, e. g. I recognize who she is, functions of my brain aren’t damage, etc.).  And they want to have her permission for surgery, which they suppose to do, right after inspection of my brain (or whatever I have inside my skull).

My dear wife was so scared about whole that business (doctor said, that success or failure (death or damage of brain functions) are fifty on fifty), but in the morning she came there (it took 6 hours) and we went together through (I mean my dear was near my bed on the wheels and follow wherever medical workers move me) this procedure. Finally, as result of whole inspections, doctors made conclusion, that I have Cavernous angioma (cavernoma) or Arteriovenous angioma of the brain and they don’t want take a risk to open my skull to fix this problem, because it’s deep inside and it’s not bleeding right now (but it did a little bit in the past). Their advice is to “observe my condition in dynamics (whatever it means)”, I’m sorry for all of these medical terms, but my friend, who is doctor in this institute of neurosurgery and who actually arrange fast and qualified help there (for almost free, from usual very high charge), he translate it in normal language. It’s mean, that during the year I should pay attention to my left hand and feet, if I’ll feel they will grow dumb or numb, or I wouldn’t see left side vision full picture (all these symptoms I had long before and right after car hit me).

I must immediately come to institute of neurosurgery to see neurosurgery doctor, who inspected me. But it may burst out and I’ll see my Lord. Also doctors gave me very wise advise to have a life without stress, I shouldn’t get very emotional, stay away from any arguing, be calm, no coffee, no alcohol, no this, no that, and I asked them how I should live then (Francis Schaeffer copyright) and most important why or for what reason? Doctors didn’t answer. After one year gone and if I survive I must have cat scan of brain and come to institute of neurosurgery any way so they can check it again. Last night I came back home and immediately began my new life, according doctors recommendations, but in less, than half hour I failed, because I’m pastor in Ukraine and people call me for some help and ministry.  

Thank You, dear Fathers and Brothers Let our Lord, the Most High God richly bless You all, at all areas of Your life. 

Sincerely,

Your brother in Christ, San Sanych.  

(Alexander A. Orlov-Koshchavka sr.)

Another Fruit of the Reformation--the King James Bible



A great study of history, literature, and theology.

This year, 2011, marks four hundred years since the King James Bible was first published. At this time, when we focus upon the Reformation, we should also remember the blessings of the King James Bible. Although the publication of the King James Bible occurred nearly one hundred years after Luther posted the 95 Theses on the church door at Wittenberg, both events are closely linked.


The greater significance of Luther’s hammer and nails is the chain reaction of events that followed. The Reformation was not a one man show or even a two or four man show. What made the Reformation world-changing and on-going was the many sparks that it ignited across Europe and across time.

The battle for the Bible in English is a rich and tumultuous story. The very fact that James Stuart, who was James I of England and James VI of Scotland, is associated with a faithful translation of the Bible is richly ironic in many ways. Although he was well trained theologically, morally he was degenerate. His leadership style is antithetical to imitation. Otto Scott said that his name being attached to a Bible is a blasphemous joke.

King James threatened to “harry the Puritans out of the land.” This statement illustrates the several great accomplishments of his troubled reign, all of which came about in opposition to his personal and theological preferences. He helped create a Puritan commonwealth in the New World. He fortified Puritans in England, and he commissioned a Bible to blunt the edge of Puritan theology (by countering the Geneva Bible). One is stunned into seeing the Sovereign God ruling history for His own glory when contemplating England during the time of the Stuart kings. (And such a vision for history should give us some comfort in our own leadership-challenged times.)

Dr. Leland Ryken has written a book that highlights and celebrates the history and influence of the King James Bible. The book is titled The Legacy of the King James Bible: Celebrating 400 Years of the Most Influential English Translation.  This book is published by Crossway Books (one of my favorite publishers).

Continue Reading...

Announcements for the Rest of October

Dear Congregation:

Thank God for the cooler weather of this past week.  We have many things happening at church and about to happen.  We hope to see all of you at church tomorrow.  If you cannot be there and you have special needs (health or otherwise), let us know.

1.  If anyone would like to listen to Zach Ramsey's funeral service, you can do so:  http://feastofbooths.blogspot.com/2011/10/zach-ramseys-funeral-service.html.
Also, Becky is keeping the Caringbridge website open for a remaining time.  While she is staying in Little Rock, you can still leave a message for her on http://www.caringbridge.org/ar/zachramsey/.

2.  The REFORMATION FALL FEST begins this weekend.  We will be having announcements at church tomorrow about this event.  As always, this is an occasion to fellowship, enjoy lots of food, watch our kids play, hear some of our own musical talents, and rejoice in the fruits of Reformation. 

3.  Next Sunday, October 30, we will be having our worship service at King's Pavilion.  The crisp morning air, the still calm of the lake, and the surroundings of trees all combine to enhance our time to praise God in songs, prayers, and the hearing of God's Word and the celebration of Christ's atonement through the Lord's Supper.  (There will be no Sunday School that day.  The service will begin at 10:30.)

4.  On Reformation Sunday, we will be devoting a portion of the service to remembering Christians we know who have gone to be with Christ during the past year.  This is in anticipation of All Saints’ Day on Tuesday, November 1. 
All Saints' Day  is traditionally a time when the Church remembers all who suffered and died for the faith. Following the Reformation, Protestants have affirmed that all believers are saints, and the November commemoration has been used to honor all those who died in the faith of Jesus Christ.
Please tell Ben or fill out the form at church if there is a relative or close friend who you wish to be remembered. The church members who are now with Christ will be remembered for certain.

4.  We are now beginning a new mission work.  Canned foods gathered for the Hero's Pantry was a blessing for us to participate in.  Now, along with many churches and Christians across the country, we will be assembling gift boxes through a program called Samaritan's Purse.  (http://www.samaritanspurse.org/index.php/OCC/Pack_A_Shoe_Box/)

5.  We have information available about church for guiding you in prayers for persecuted Christians and about the plight of a fellow CREC pastor, San Sanych, in Ukraine who continually faces numerous hardships and was recently hit by a drunk driver.  Let us increase our prayers and support for missions.

6.  For our own church family, we will continue with the special offering for the Ramseys.  They have had lots of travel expenses, losses of income due to time off from jobs, and funeral expenses. 

7.  This Wednesday Night:  October 26
Food and Fellowship, 5:30--6:30 ($3 a person or $15 for a family)
Be Sure to Sign Up For The Meal.Kids’ Quest Catechism Club (6:30--7:30)
Adult Study: “Recovering the Beauty of the Arts” part 5,
“Music: The Handmaiden of Theology” by Dr. R.C. Sproul (6:30--7:30)

8.  If you are not receiving church emails, please sign up at the following location:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/GCCTexarkana/join

9.  We are continuing to add to the available books for purchase.  See the table in the hall at church.  See Ben for purchase information.  If you need a book to give to someone, see Ben about that also.

10.  Let us know about any matters needing to be put on the November calendar or any hymns you wish to hear in November.

Christ Becomes the Wild Man of the Gadarenes for Us

The hill country of Gadara

I hope the sermon Sunday on the healing of the demon-possessed man was helpful to you.  Working on it and thinking through the passage was a personal blessing to me.  Sometimes laboring over a sermon is a battle between the Word on the one hand and the world, the flesh, and the devil on the other hand.  On other occasions, the labor is a pure delight.

Since Sunday, I have continued to think about the passage from Mark 5.  I have recently been reading sermons by Pator Philip Graham Ryken.  Dr. Ryken was pastor of 10th Street Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia, but is now president of Wheaton. (My interest is his writings has increased of late.)  Dr. Ryken always brings his sermons back to the saving work of Christ.  While I believe that I emphasized just that sort of message Sunday, I want to share a further insight on this passage and the salvation we have through Christ Alone.

As we know, Jesus took our place on the cross.  He became a man and took our sins.  Paul sharpens the language of subsitutionary atonement in 2 Corinthians 5:21 when he says, "For our sake, He made Him to be sin." 

The story of the wild demon possessed man of the Gadarenes is a picture of what Jesus becomes for us.  That man received a "partial" salvation in that story.  The full story of his salvation is the cross.  Jesus Christ took on the wild and savage elements and condition of that man on the cross.

Consider:

1.  The wild man lived in the tombs or cemetary of a barren and hostile land.  Jesus went to the cross on the barren and death-like hill of Golgatha.  Golgatha possibly means "skull," which indicates the harsh and frightening place that it was.

2.  The wild man was bound by chains, which he broke loose from.  Jesus was bound by soldiers and later bound on the cross.  He had the strength to break loose.  Legions of angels were ready to attack. Unlike the wild man who would break the bounds, Jesus submitted to them.

3.  The wild man screamed and cut himself and suffered many agonies.  Christ was tortured before and during the execution on the cross.  He was, in contrast, like a lamb before the slaughter.

4.  The wild man wore no clothes.  Jesus was stripped of His garments when He was crucified.

5.  Judgment fell on the demons in the Bible narrative.  Judgment fell on Christ at the cross. 

6.  The demons entered the herd of pigs who plunged into the sea.  Christ took on the sins of the world and, as we say in the Creed, descended into Hell.

7.  The ordeal ends with the wild man being restored, clothed, and sitting with Jesus.  The cross leds to the resurrection.  Christ is clothed in glory and sits, as we affirm each week, at the right hand of God the Father.

8.  The healed man then goes out to the region proclaiming the salvation.  Jesus Christ, through the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, goes out to the nations.

As I emphasized Sunday, this story from Mark 5 is not merely an account of Jesus reaching a really warped and twisted individual.  This is an account of Jesus reaching us.  Jesus became the wild man of the Gadarenes, in a sense.  He became the sinful people we are.  We gather to worship, robed in His righteousness, and in our right minds only because of what He did for us.

This should fill us with great joy as we gather this Sunday to celebrate the next Sola of the Reformation:  Grace Alone.

Pray for all in our midst who are hurting, struggling, and stumbling.  Encourage one another as you see the day approaching.

Announcements for the Week of October 2-8

 Happenings for the Week

Sunday, Fifteenth Sunday after Trinity, October 2, 2011

Sunday School, 9:30am & Worship, 10:40am

FELLOWSHIP MEAL AFTER THE WORSHIP SERVICE

Officers Meeting will be at 1:30.

All members are invited to attend or to convey concerns to the officers.

Tuesday, October 4

Men’s Bible Study

In the Humanities Room at 7:00 PM.

See Brian Hawthorne for details.

Wednesday, October

Food and Fellowship, 5:30--6:30 ($3 a person or $15 for a family)

Be Sure to Sign Up For The Meal.

Kids’ Quest Catechism Club (6:30--7:30)

Adult Study: “Recovering the Beauty of the Arts” part 3,

“Is Beauty in the Eye of the Beholder?” by Dr. R.C. Sproul (6:30--7:30)

Friday, October 7

Youth Meeting at the Church at 6:00p.m.

“Do Hard Things”

Bring Money for Supper

Servant Hosts for today’s Fellowship Meal are the Pickard Family and the McReynolds Family.

Reformation Fall Fest will be October 28-30

Today’s Communion Hymn, “God is a Stronghold and a Tower,” is Elizabeth Wordsworth’s 1893 translation of “Ein Feste Burg ist Unser Gott” by Martin Luther. We commonly sing the 1853 Frederic Hedge translation. Wordsworth translated many of Luther’s hymns into English. Rest assured that we will be singing our normal version, “A Mighty Fortress,” at least twice in this month. Today, we will be having the more contemporary version (1893) to enjoy the slightly different nuances of the great Reformer’s hymn.