Bringing it back Baby...

In honor of that great preacher I think it's time we bring back ye 'ol tradition of quoting him regularly. Today is just the right day to start it up again.

I know in the past I have mentioned discussion that I have with friends. Today is no different. Recently we've been talking about the structure of the church, and issues of polity and church governance. For a brief stint the comments have moved to discussion of pastoral accountability. Who is the pastor accountable to, and is a board of elders the best way to hold the man accountable? All of these are worthy questions, for sure.

On a similar note, you've heard of conduct unbecoming of a soldier but what about conduct unbecoming of a pastor. What type of "shennanigans" must we not tolerate in the pulpit. Spurgeon has some things to say about it. Thanks to Dr. Ascol for finding this great quote. It's a good one.

"Natural humor may possibly be consecrated and made to wear the yoke of Christ, but he who apes it is no true man. If you find us a man who has any object in this world in what he says but the glory of God, and the winning of souls, he is the man who is out of center, and into his secret may we never come. And furthermore, if you discover a preacher who is indelicate, and causes the cheek of modesty to tingle, let him be cast out of the pulpit, and the door locked against him. We have known men of the Slop-dash order who would have been nothing if they had not been outrageous, and of these it may be said that they were worse than nothing when they followed their own style. There was nothing in their absurdities to excuse them, for they were not carried away by zeal, nor did the excellence of their matter make up for the ridiculousness of their manner. Of such men we will neither be defender nor judge."

-Quote taken from Eccentric Preachers

The Dark Heart of Man and the Light of the World

I recently watched the laughable movie version of Dan Brown's The Davinci Code with some friends. It was laughable for several reasons, most of them having to do with the story and acting. I can easily see why critics did not like this movie. Poor Tom Hanks for appearing in it, poor Ron Howard for directing it. My condolences to both of you.

However, there was something within the movie that struck a cord with me and had me thinking for quite some time. At one point, Tom Hanks's character is searching through a museum in order to uncover clues about a murder that has taken place. One of the clues made a reference to the "fact" that the church had covered up the truth about Jesus. The movie/book claim that the Church covered up the fact that Jesus was not divine, as well as hiding the fact that he was married to Mary Magdalene and had a child by her. Those things were not what stuck out to me. It was the clue itself. When Tom's character shines the special light over the clue he sees these words; so dark the con of man.

Now, this is appropriate for several reasons. The first being that Dan Brown's novel and the theories that it is based on are cons themselves. They attempt to shroud the real Jesus from us and put forth some sort of sub-par Jesus. It is also appropriate because it is evident from Scripture and history that man has the nasty little habit of deceiving himself. The case is no different here. What God has made clear to men, through both His written Word and the Word made flesh, we have clouded and diluted to be something else, something different.

Our hearts, rather my heart, is exceedingly dark. At this point in the year, when we are surrounded by lights and holiday cheer it is so easy to get cloudy about what is really important here. The commercialized Christmas can keep us from the real reason that believers all over the world celebrate. It is in this season that I need to remember just how dark my own heart is, while also remembering just how bright the light of Christ shines through eternity. The Word of God was made manifest in a baby, grew to be a man, and died to be our Savior. What light, what glory we partake in when we submit to the great story.

So dark the con of man, indeed, thinking that we don't need this Great Light, this amazing grace, this great salvation. We deceive ourselves when we diminish the greatness of the Christ-child, and what it is he came to do. I pray that God keep you focused on Christ this Christmas and that you and I would be used to spread the Light of lights to a dark world full of dark hearts and blind eyes that have never seen light. Here are some words of a Hymn to encourage you today:

O Word of God Incarnate, William How

O Word of God incarnate,
O wisdom from on high,
O truth unchanged, unchanging,
O light of our dark sky;
We praise Thee for the radiance
That from the hallowed page,
A lantern to our footsteps,
Shines on from age to age.

The church from her dear Master,
Received the gift divine,
And still the light she lifteth,
O'er all the earth to shine.
It is the golden casket
Where gems of truth are stored;
It is the heav'n-drawn picture
Of Christ, the living Word.

It floateth like a banner
Before God's host unfurled;
It shineth like a beacon
Above the darkling world.
It is the chart and compass
That o'er life's surging sea,
'Mid mists and rocks and quick sands,
Still guides, O Christ, to Thee.

O make Thy church, dear Savior,
A lamp of purest gold,
To bear before the nations
Thy true light as of old.
O teach Thy wand'ring pilgrims
By this their path to trace,
'Til, clouds and darkness ended,
They see Thee face to face.