Trust. But then again . . . .

I enjoyed this classic good-bye letter from a Baptist Pastor.  You'll miss the irony unless you read to the bitter end, where I've added a picture to help . . .

Well, it is time to say goodbye. Twenty-one months ago I changed from being an outside consultant to your interim pastor. The different role has been good for me and for the congregation. 

There is a quality of relationship between pastor and people that is like no other.  It is one of affection, trust, shared spirituality, common faith, and mutual work and service. It takes time to cultivate and a lifetime to enjoy. . . 
 

You will read this after my last Sunday has passed and our formal goodbyes have been said. I will have returned the shepherd’s staff and the keys of the congregation. They will be waiting for a short time to be received by the pastor who comes after me. May you welcome him with grace and warmth. . . . 

Faithfully,
David

NOTE: Please return any books you have borrowed from me.
 

Faithfully,

Waiting

Waiting.

It has to be the most miserable way to live a life?  Stuck in the terminal.

We should live in this evil world with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God, while we look forward with hope to that wonderful day when the glory of our great God and Saviour, Jesus Christ, will be revealed.

Last evening we thought about these words.  If we only have one life in this world why do Christians waste it waiting?  What good is it to believe mainly in the future?  Why would anyone want to lay up treasures in heaven when they've never seen heaven?  Why not just live life to the full and to hell (whoops . . .) with the consequences?

The Terminal shows that just because someone is waiting, doesn't mean life is meaningless.  To the contrary, Viktor ends up with some better relationships that the people rushing past him. 

Sure, this world could be a better place to wait in.  But the fact I am waiting for Another Place does not make my life useless - just a great deal more hopeful! 

Yippee!

Here's one of the most spectacularly encouraging news items I have ever read - male death rates have fallen by a quarter!

I confess I was sceptically thinking the rate had remained stubbornly at 100% with a couple of notable exceptions . . .

Mathematics

Nothing like a nice simple picture, eh?

Except that there is a plus on the left and none on the right.

In between there is an equals sign, but plainly that is wrong.  On the left there is a mathematical symbol as well as two carrots.  The three pictures don't equal the two pictures.  Unless you look mathematically.

This is helpful in studying the relationship between Natural Science and Religion.

The carrots are genetic, physical and observable but mathematics never has been and never can be.

The argument that all that is real and true must be sensorially perceived would mean that belief in a creator God who is invisible cannot be real.  Nor can mathematics.

So, if you find a mathematical sum that is real and true in the picture take heart.  There might be Someone else true too, Someone who lies behind all carrots!  Or possibly you just see some pixelian pictures of carrots and symbols that don't add up.

That way a lot of things won't add up either . . .

Building

Christians have every reason to be thankful for the work of Peter Brierley and Christian Research.  I hope that he'll excuse me picking some holes - some important holes, I think - in his recently-reported research reported to the Pentecost Festival.  Peter's strong point has always been collecting data and delivering it in understandable ways.  Interpreting it is tougher.

Let's take just one glaring statistic because I think it teaches alot more than it appears to teach: in 1990, there were (allegedly) 120,000 conversions and (definitely) 60,000 deaths, in 2009 there were (apparently) only 80,000 conversions and (definitely) 120,000 deaths of Church attendees.

Does this, as Peter deduced, show a lack of evangelism?

A conversion is only a conversion for sure when the pilgrim reaches the end of the journey.  Be faithful to the point of death and I will give you a crown of life.  Professions, not conversions then.  But are they even professions?  Aren't there still here the formal additions of automated confirmations, of aspirational declarations for other purposes such as getting the kids into the local faith school?  Ironically the deaths - those who have died in the body of believers - are more accurately described as converted.

And who does what here?  Instinctively we feel that the Church does conversions and God does deaths.  Yet with modern medicine we can hold death off quite significantly.  We cannot by our knowledge add a single soul by conversion.  Are these statistics a picture of what we are doing or of what God is doing?  If God is doing less converting do we do more evangelism or do we do more praying?   Is our hurt about numerical decline of the visible church more about gospel passion or our own pride and influence?

The Church is a building.  That's all it is.  A building, never a declining.  Added to, never subtracted from.  Every new believer one new living stone that will never die, not an inadequate shoring up of a wall that once had many more stones in. 

We are too earthbound.  Biblically, eternally, heaven-perspectively we belong to a number that cannot be counted but every day is added to until every last one of God's children is home and everyone left outside has to confess they never wanted in.

It is not the Church that is declining.

The statistics show that what is declining is the spiritual state of the country and the culture.

Medicine

On the verge of the World Cup Final between the Netherlands and Spain it seems only fitting to think Dutch.

Herman Boerhaave was a great physician nearly 500 years ago. 

When he died he left in his will a book to be auctioned.  It came with his highest commendation for he had written it himself and he was one of Europe's most respected physicians.

The auction proceeded to a substantial sum.

The book, however, was not what it seemed. Page after page was blank!  Right at the end Doctor Boerhaave had written:

Keep your head cool, keep your feet warm and you will leave doctors poor.

I sometimes wonder if there are not too many books (and blogs and twitters) and not enough wisdom.

Confession

David Powlison has written this interesting article on personal confession.

Among the great things he writes is the too-easily-forgotten certainty; God welcomes all who are weary with sin.

If I find sin an enemy, I can be sure of a very powerful and wonderful Ally.