A Saturday Night Ritual Begun

This blog is for me…and you. I planned on journaling this tonight for myself, but felt pressed (by the Holy Spirit?) to share it with you via blog.

Saturday nights have started to get away from me. I’m in bed by a decent hour, but not necessarily in a decent frame of soul. I hurry into bed, get up early to pray briefly, run over my sermon and then I’m out the door for a full day. And I mean a full day!

I’m at Crew until 1pm and then it’s connection, counseling, or leadership development until 8 or 9pm.

So, I decided that before what could be easily my most influential day of the week, I better spend some serious time with God on Saturday nights. I prayed and I’m on my way to read the Bible, but in between I felt I needed to be preached to. I thought about listening to a podcast. Piper? Mahaney? It didn’t feel right.

So at 10pm I pulled off my shelf a book by Charles Spurgeon called Lectures to my Students. I first read it in September 2002. It’s been awhile since I’ve read Spurgeon, other than quotes. Probably since 2002.

But this will be my teacher, other than Scripture, on Saturday nights. I just read the first chapter on the need for the pastor to care for his soul if he is to care for others’ souls. How fitting.

Anyway, that’s it. I’d love to hear from you if you’re interested in joining me on this discipline and delight. We’ll quiet our minds, hearts, and souls before coming together for worship on Sundays. It’s an encounter with God I’ve gotten away from and one I’m really looking forward to renewing.

Happy 5th Birthday Jack of Hearts!

 

Crew Q & A

The only question I punted on yesterday in our Q & A times was:  What does the phrase “makes his door high” mean in Proverbs 17:19?

Whoever loves transgression loves strife; he who makes his door high seeks destruction.

We looked at that verse and applied it to how husbands sometimes try to stir up arguments with their wives. The first part of the verse (couplet) was the main point I was trying to teach.

Here’s the short answer to the question, but I’ll use this platform to teach a little.

The short answer is that a guy who makes his door high is building a door past the functional use of a door and is building a door for looks. In the context of wisdom, it is destruction to waste your time and money for the sole purpose of showing off. An application would be that this is the guy who has to have a house, car, yard, clothes, mailbox, Christmas lights or whatever that is better than everyone else on his street in order to show his superiority to them.

What does this have to do with what I mentioned in the first part of the verse? Very little.

This might be a good time to teach how Proverbs work. Proverbs are witty, vivid, and memorable ways to pass on truth. In this case timeless truth. There are more than 3, but there are about 3 main types of Proverbs used in the Book of Proverbs.

1. Contrastive Proverbs. Many times use the word “but”:

A wise son accepts his father’s discipline, but a scoffer does not listen to rebuke. (Prov. 13:1)

This has the theme of a son following the instruction of his father. But it teaches it with positive and negative examples. Each line could stand alone if needed, but is underlined or magnified through contrast.

2. Completive Proverbs. Many times use the word “and” or “so”:

The heart knows its own bitterness, and a stranger does not share its joy. (Prov. 14:10)

This Proverb says the same thing in the 2nd line as the first, but it gives a more complete or fuller picture.

3. Compartive Proverbs. Many times use the word “better/than” or “like/so”:

Better is a little with the fear of the Lord, than great treasure and turmoil with it. Better is a dish of vegetables where love is, than a fattened ox and hatred with it. (Prov. 15:16-17)

This device compares which is better through comparing situations.

Proverbs 17:19 is neither of these in the classic sense. The one who loves strife in 17:19a and the one who makes his door high in 17:19b are guilty of different sins. One loves to argue, the other is arrogant and shows off through a high door. But the result for the both is the same. Transgression and destruction.

So 17:19b had nothing to do with our point from yesterday. However there is a view that this is a completive proverb and that the strife created in 17:19a is actually strife over who is greater and comes through bragging and showing off. But either way this had nothing to do with my point from yesterday. Hope this helps.

Peace. And keep the questions coming.

Gender Roles Video from the Today Show

"Today Show video: Women gaining power, study says"

Crew Q & A: What's Going on in 1 Cor. 14:34-35?

If you’re following our blog and/or podcasts, then you know that we're doing Q & A sessions after the sermons during our series on biblical manhood and womanhood. A question from this past week was going to be too lengthy to answer on Sunday, so I decided to respond here.

The question was: Some NT passages are seen as constricting for women (I'm specifically thinking of 1 Cor. 14:34-35. Can you explain the context for these verses and how are they applicable to Christian women today?

A good question. A common question. The other NT passage that is also usually seen as constricting is 1 Tim. 2:8-15. I won’t dive into that one too much other than to say that it also needs to be considered when discussing 1 Cor. 14:34-35. So get out your Bible. Or open it up on your compy 2000. We'll use it.

(Click here to view all passages on BibleGateway.com - Will open in a new window)

The first thing I want to say, not only about this passage but about any passage that we read and study, is that we MUST have context if we’re going to understand what’s going on. To just jerk a verse out and read it is to set ourselves up for confusion and misunderstanding. You recognized this in the question. So, way to be!

Let’s do some observation on who’s involved and why:

WHO?

• The apostle Paul is writing (1:1)
• A church in Corinth, which Paul planted and is around 3-5 years old is the recipient (1:2)

WHY DID PAUL WRITE?

• He heard there was division in the church (1:10-11)
• He heard there was immorality in the church (5:1)
• He received a letter from them asking him questions about theology and practical application (7:1)

So the result is the letter of 1 Corinthians. If you read the letter you discover that this is an extremely immature church that was cliquish, involved in incest and prostitution, suing one another in court, passive in church discipline, a free for all in worship, and doubting the resurrection of the body. It was a mess. So Paul is responding and correcting a church gone wild.

The passage we’re thinking through (1 Cor. 14) falls into the part of the letter where he is responding to their questions about spiritual gifts and their use in the local church (12:1). Look at what Paul has already said about spiritual gifts:

• They are gifts from the Holy Spirit to exalt Jesus (12:1-3)
• The church needs and has a variety of gifts, yet is united by the same Spirit (12:4-31)
• The use of the gifts is to be done in love (1 Cor. 13)
• Our gifts need to be used with wisdom and intelligence (14:1-25)

Ok, having looked at the broad context of the letter, let’s look at the immediate context of 1 Cor. 14:26-40.

Paul is correcting a misuse of spiritual gifts in the worship gatherings. He describes the free for all that happens when they get together (14:26). The result is confusion and everyone talking at the same time and error being communicated and believed. So Paul corrects that by telling several different people to be silent.

• He tells the church to only permit 2-3 people to speak in tongues. And they are to remain silent while the other spoke. Also others gifted in tongues would have to remain silent during that gathering if they weren’t in the 2 or 3.
• If there is a gathering with no interpreter, then all Christians with the gift of tongues must stay silent.
• The same goes for prophets. Only one prophet at a time could speak. The other was to remain silent.
• What was the result of all of this order and mutual submission to remain silent until appropriate times? Everyone learned and was encouraged. Truth was weighed by those with authority to weigh it. And God’s peace prevailed rather confusion (14:32-33)

It’s important to note here that Paul has just said that the 2-3 prophecies that are spoken in worship are to be weighed by prophets and that those prophecies are subject to the decision of the prophets. So if something is wrong in the prophecy in light of the authority of the Scriptures the prophets can correct it and say that its error.

It’s also important to note that Paul has also written that although a husband is the head of the wife due to creation design (11:3), a woman is allowed to pray and prophesy in worship gatherings (11:4). So a woman is allowed to speak.

So, the relevant context to our question is:

• A husband is the head of the wife because of creation design
• A woman can pray and prophesy in church gatherings and thus speak.
• Silence is appropriate for men and women throughout a gathering
• Prophesies are subject to leaders in the church

Now the verses: As in all the churches of the saints, the women should keep silent in the churches. For they are not permitted to speak, but should be in submission, as the Law also says. If there is anything they desire to learn, let them ask their husbands at home. For it is shameful for a woman to speak in church.

So in light of the context, we can now read those verses very clearly saying that women are to be silent in this weighing of prophesies. To speak in this way would violate the command that woman aren’t to teach or have authority over men (1 Tim. 2:12). And depending on the situation a wife could potentially be in authority over her husband. Paul not only depends on his own authority but refers to the authority of the Law, the OT. Most likely referring to Gen. 2. He does that in 1 Cor. 11 and 1 Tim. 2:13. If wife has a question or problem with the prophecy they need to discuss that with their husbands who could bring it up in the public gathering.

This fits perfectly with Paul’s correction of this church’s tendency to buck the practices of biblically led churches everywhere and the Scriptures.

So that’s what’s going on there. I know I’ve opened up questions about things like prophecy, tongues, head coverings, etc. But that will have to be for now. Comment away.

Oh, and a lot better mind than myself has a great discussion of this. You can read D.A. Carson here: http://www.leaderu.com/orgs/cbmw/rbmw/chapter6.html

Crewbucks Softball

Hey party peoples! The Crew men have teamed up with the Starbucks team for Fall Softball. You should come out and show our fellas how awesome we think they are!

http://ghprd.org/fall_mensC.html

Carolyn Mahaney Teaches Titus 2

Hey guys. Here's a link to download free teaching by Carolyn Mahaney on Titus 2. I haven't listened to it yet. But I'm expecting very good things since I respect her and her husband C.J. very much.

http://theologica.blogspot.com/2008/09/carolyn-mahaney-to-teach-what-is-good.html

Loving Our City Through Particpating In Public Forum

Hey guys, just wanted to let you know about an awesome opportunity coming up to not only support our wonderful city but to have a say in the future of Huntington.



A new civic group called Create Huntington is hosting a community forum to put together a long-term plan for the city and all are invited to attend and to give input. From a recent article in the Herald-Dispatch, “Create Huntington wants to take ideas from different segments of the Huntington community -- Marshall University, business, government, nonprofits and residents -- and create a development plan. It wants to facilitate development, as well as coordinate efforts already under way in the community so the right hand knows what the left is doing.”

This sounds like a great idea and is something that has needed to happen for a long time. Given that one of the main focuses at Crew is loving our city, I think it is vital that we be involved in forums such as this to help provide a different kingdom perspective into the direction we think Huntington needs to go. Also, if we are to have the greatest impact on our city and to allow God the most opportunity to use us, we have to connect with others in this city. We cannot help fix the problems here on our own and our church was not meant to be an island in the city but rather a vital part of it.

I challenge each member of Crew to ask themselves if the vitality of Huntington is something that you feel strongly about. If it is, then I encourage you to attend this meeting along with myself and others from our church. Begin thinking of ways that Huntington can be improved such as the suggestion of starting a non-voting council position for a Marshall student to allow for better communication between our city and one of it's most important institutions. Identify areas that could use a little sprucing up and begin putting together a plan of the best way to do so. If we can bring these ideas before people who have a way of making them happen, our possibilities are endless.

Ironically, this forum takes place from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Monday, Sept. 29. For those of you paying attention, this is the day after our service project at St. Clouds. That will definitely bring some weight to our ideas if we can show those at this meeting that we are already a physical part of restoring Huntington and not only have we put some thought into it, but we are turning those ideas in actions! I hope you will consider joining me at this meeting to help restore Huntington and to make sure that God is glorified in doing so!

Tim Bailey, City Team Leader

Manhood/Womanhood Debate on CNN

Hey guys. I'm going to post a little segment from CNN this week that I think will be helpful for us to hear.

It's an mini interview with Voddie Bauchum a baptist pastor from Texas. I've listened to some of his podcasts in the past years and he knows his Bible and he knows Jesus. The other is an "evangelical speaker" (not sure what that is) from Alaska that I know very little about.

I want to give a little disclaimer before you watch however. This interview is in the context of should Sarah Palin be a vice president in light of evangelical teaching on manhood and womanhood. That is not why I'm posting this interview. THIS IS NOT A POLITICAL BLOG OR POLITICAL COMMENTARY AND I DON'T CAMPAIGN OR EVEN COMMENT ABOUT THIS STUFF FROM THE PULPIT OF CREW. So, keep the comments about that out please.

I'm posting to demonstrate how this teaching about manhood and womanhood is received by popular culture and how the view of popular culture is seeping into the "evangelical" church. Notice how Voddie is labeled. Notice how Voddie uses Scripture and how the popular culture uses Scripture. Notice how he views the Bible and the gospel as opposed to popular culture. Worth your time to watch. The first bit is more news then interview so hang in there. It's good.



From Dennyburk.com.