Here in the days of COVID-19, with many churches are not yet able to gather, Christians are finding themselves increasingly adjusting to the isolation. After all, there are perks to being able to livestream a service and not have to leave the comfort of your home. Yet virtual relationships are hardly conducive to deep relationships. And podcasts and livestream services are no substitute for accountability and discipleship. As we need to be reminded again and again, this cannot be the new normal. Christians have always needed to be connected in meaningful relationships with other believers in the church. A good reminder of this is found in John Bunyan’s The Pilgrim’s Progress.
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Church Covenants, not Baby Dedications: A Lesson From Baptist History
Who doesn’t love a baby dedication service? Cute babies wiggle, cry, and coo while their parents self-consciously attempt to maintain a level of decorum. After the parents utter a brief vow filled with biblical language, they all scurry back to the nursery. Though mom and dad appreciate the communal recognition, most parents would confess that the blue Bibles, pink flowers, and paper certificates that mark the day lacked transformational power. So why do Baptists do the dedications?
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Alcohol and Christian Liberty: Pastoral Lessons from C. H. Spurgeon
Starting in America in 1826 and quickly exported to England, the temperance movement began as a reaction against alcohol excesses. In the coming decades, two camps emerged. The moderates advocated for responsible drinking, while the teetotalers called for complete abstinence. In 1855, public perception moved from the moderates to the teetotalers, because Anglican priests shifted from backing the former to the latter. Moreover, supporters began the Band of Hope in 1846 to convince juveniles to abstain from alcohol for life. By 1887, the youth societies grew to a million members.
In this context, Spurgeon navigated the controversial waters between the moderate and teetotaler camps, both of whom sought relief from the societal ills caused by drunkenness. As pastors, we can glean four lessons from how Spurgeon reacted to the debates on Christian liberty and alcohol consumption.
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Reflections from W. B. Hinson during the Cancelation of Services at East Side Baptist Church
During the fall of 1918, church services throughout Portland, OR were canceled in response to restrictions placed by the city on large gatherings because of the Spanish flu epidemic. Beginning on October 13, 1918, East Side Baptist Church was unable to gather together for worship. This timing was particularly difficult because the church had just purchased a new building on the corner of SE 20th & Salmon and gathered for worship in it for the first time on October 6. Not allowed to meet with his congregation, Pastor W. B. Hinson agreed to preach at a church in Hillsboro on October 13. But still, he longed to be with his congregation. In the following weeks, Hinson would send out weekly bulletins at his own expense in order to remain in contact with his people and encourage them in the faith.
In the bulletin for October 20, Hinson shared the following comments. Here was an opportunity for them to stop and reflect on the privilege and responsibility of worshiping as a church.
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Martin Luther’s “Table Talks” In Relation to His Theology of Discipleship
At its core, discipleship is one life impacting another for the glory of God. Martin Luther understood this concept well. For Luther, as it should be for all believers, the goal of every relationship was increased Christlikeness. Luther also recognized the critical link between hospitality and discipleship, and lived out his theology daily. He and Katie opened their home to relatives, renowned visitors, and his students.
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"Dear Friend"
In 1999, theologian and evangelical statesman Carl F. H. Henry contributed a brief essay to Lessons in Leadership: Fifty Respected Evangelical Leaders Share Their Wisdom on Ministry. It is Henry at his best: warm, insightful, taking his gospel seriously and himself lightly. Young people in general and young ministers in particular will find it to be a helpful and penetrating essay. Further, as it was written when Henry was 86 years old (four years before his death), it also provides a remarkable reflection upon a life well lived for the evangel and for evangelicalism.
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