Living In The 3rd Culture: 2019

Waiting in Faith and Hope

One of the most familiar passages of Old Testament Scripture quoted at Christmas is Isaiah 9:6-7

⁶ For to us a child is born,

to us a son is given;

and the government shall be upon his shoulder,

and his name shall be called

Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,

Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

⁷Of the increase of his government and of peace

there will be no end,

on the throne of David and over his kingdom,

to establish it and to uphold it

with justice and with righteousness

from this time forth and forevermore.

The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.

These verses come at the end of section where Isaiah brings the bad of a coming siege by the barbaric Assyrians. The regions of Zebulan and Naphali (9:1) would be the first to be invaded and begin a period of great darkness. Despite the bad news, Isaiah promises the good news of a day when “there will be no more gloom,” a time when the “deep darkness” will be inundated with “great light” (9:2). At time of rejoicing and joy (9:3) when God’s people are free from the heavy hand of oppression (9:4), and a time where there will be no more war (9:5). “How does the victorious, covenant-fulfilling work of God come about? By what way do the Lord’s people enter a non-contributory salvation? By mere fact of the King’s birth. The emphasis rests not on us but on a child is born. Child: his human decent. Son his maleness and dignity in the royal line. Born of human parentage but also given by the Lord. His people’s shoulders are delivered when his shoulders accept the burden of rule. He will be called: literally ‘one will call his name.’ In its highest sense ‘name’ sums up character; it declares the person. The perfection of this King is seen in his qualification for ruling (Wonderful Counsellor), his person and power (Mighty God), his relations to his subjects (Everlasting Father) and the society he creates (Prince of Peace).”[1]

This King’s birth is what we are to celebrate all year round, but what we give special attention during Advent. Unfortunately, in celebration of the King’s birth, He often only receives a brief acknowledgment. In other words, the emphasis falls on “us” and not “a child has been born.” That may be part of the reason so many of us experience a depressive let down once Christmas has passed.

Waiting in faith and hope are a central theme of the Believers life and the heart of what we celebrate at Advent. It is time when despite the darkness, sadness, and oppression we may face, we know that the King is going to return and fulfill the promises given to us by Isaiah. As Michael Green aptly wrote; “It is by allowing his mind to dwell on the return of Christ that the Christian will regain a sense of balance and proportion, however difficult his present circumstances, and the peace which passes understanding will take root deeply in his heart.”[2]

[1] J. Alec Motyer, Isaiah, An Introduction & Commentary.

[2] Michael Green, The Second Epistle of Peter and the Epistle of Jude; An Introduction and Commentary.

Grandma Lena's Kitchen

Over the summer I have thought a lot about those who have been part of our church but for some reason or another no longer attend. Of course, there are many who have relocated out of the area and others who have found another church more suitable to their taste. But my concern is for those who no longer worship at any church; many who have walked away from the faith altogether, angry, hurt, and disillusioned. The problem is not unique to our church as statistics show there are a lot of young men and women who have given up on the church. An infamous example of this is Josh Harris, pastor and author of I Kissed Dating Goodbye which sold almost a million copies and had a profound influence on many Christian families. In July he announced that he was no longer a Christian.

Josh is not unique, just more well-known. He is not the only one who has come up through a system that seems like it should have prevented something like this. In Josh’s case, he grew up in a Christian family, was home-schooled, part of a solid church, it seems like the perfect formula! I recently interacted with someone who like Josh grew up in a Christian home, went to a Christian school, and faithfully attended Sunday school, was involved in the youth group, went on missions’ trips. They feel like they were “brain washed” and now want nothing to do with the church.

I am not done with my inquiry on the matter because it is far too important to ignore, but what I have discovered so far is that many of these young people simply did not feel like the church was a safe place to struggle with issues of life. They felt alone in their doubts and did not find people who would simply listen, grieve, or walk with them through the challenges of life. They didn’t find people who would admit they also struggle and have doubts too. Far too often they found judgement rather than grace.

I wish they could have met my grandma Lena. Her husband R.J. was a tall and distinguished preacher while she was half his height stooped over by osteoporosis. My favorite picture of grandma is her sitting at a table in her old kitchen with her hand on her well-worn Bible. She didn’t pose for it, that was her! Over the years there were many broken people who sat grandma’s kitchen table and poured out their heart out to her. There was young man thrown out of his house for struggling with same-sex attraction, unwed pregnant girls, a washed up one hit singer who in his forties never couldn’t move on in life, and of course a grandson who later would become a preacher. Lena let people struggle, doubt and confess, but always pointed them back to Jesus.

My prayer is that our church would become like grandma Lena’s kitchen. A place where you just don’t hear the gospel but experience it. A place where God’s people are committed to living out the teachings of Scripture in an authentic community marked by sacrifice, honesty, and forgiveness. A place where it is safe to talk about our struggles and know that we will be loved rather than shamed, we will be prayed for rather than talked about, and cared for rather than shunned. A place where we laugh a lot, and celebrate what God is doing in each other’s lives and of course since we have new kitchen, share a lot of meals together! I don’t know about you but that sounds like a great place to hang out.

Healthy Confession

“Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective” - James 5:16 (NIV).

One of our core values here at Covenant Presbyterian Church is Gospel Community. That means we are committed to living out the teachings of Scripture in an authentic community marked by sacrifice, honesty, and forgiveness. We want to be a place where it is safe to talk about our struggles and know that we will be loved rather than shamed, we will be prayed for rather than talked about, and cared for rather than shunned: A community where we “Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you can live together whole and healed.”^{^[1]}

Regarding this verse, well-known Welsh minster Matthew Henry’s (1662-1714) comments, “Christians are directed to confess their faults one to another, and so to join in their prayers with and for one another... the confession here required is that of Christians to one another, and not, as the papists would have it, to a priest. Where persons have injured one another, acts of injustice must be confessed to those against whom they have been committed. Where persons have tempted one another to sin or have consented in the same evil actions, there they ought mutually to blame themselves and excite each other to repentance. Where crimes are of a public nature, and have done any public mischief, there they ought to be more publicly confessed, so as may best reach to all who are concerned. And sometimes it may be well to confess our faults to some prudent minister or praying friend, that he may help us to plead with God for mercy and pardon. But then we are not to think that James puts us upon telling everything that we are conscious is amiss in ourselves or in one another; but so far as confession is necessary to our reconciliation with such as are at variance with us, or for gaining information in any point of conscience and making our own spirits quiet and easy, so far we should be ready to confess our faults. And sometimes also it may be of good use to Christians to disclose their peculiar weaknesses and infirmities to one another, where there are great intimacies and friendships, and where they may help each other by their prayers to obtain pardon of their sins and power against them. Those who make confession of their faults one to another should thereupon pray with and for one another.”^{^[2]}

What God is asking us to do in in this verse is not easy to do at first, but being vulnerable enough to confess our sins to one another not only lifts the burdens of a heavy heart but provides the opportunity for another to remind you of God’s grace and bring encouragement and hope through prayer. Will you make Gospel Community a value in your personal life? Though it may feel risky the reward is great.

^{^[1]} Peterson, E. H. (2005). The Message: the Bible in contemporary language (Jas 5:16). Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress.

^{^[2]} Henry, M. (1994). Matthew Henry’s commentary on the whole Bible: complete and unabridged in one volume (p. 2420). Peabody: Hendrickson.

“Your Word is lamp unto my feet, and a light to my path” (Psalm 119:105)

The more years I spend on this earth the more I have come to appreciate the value of regular and consistent times in God’s Word. By this I don’t mean a verse-a-day, or a quick glimpse at a selection of verses, but times of meditative reading allowing your mind and heart to marinate in God’s grace. The value of being in Scripture cannot be minimized. The Westminster Confession of Faith reminds us that although God reveals himself in nature and the works of creation, they alone are “not sufficient to give that knowledge of God, and of his will, which is necessary unto salvation. Therefore, it pleased the Lord, at sundry times, and in divers manners to reveal himself, and to declare his will unto his church; and afterwards, for the better preserving and propagating of the truth, and for the more sure establishment and comfort of the church against the corruption of the flesh, and the malice of Satan and of the world, to commit the same wholly unto writing: which maketh the Holy Scripture to be most necessary…” (1:1).

The authors of the Confession understand that not only was Scripture necessary to understand God’s will, but an essential means of grace in our fight against the sin of the world, the sin within us, and the schemes of our “adversary the devil [who] prowls around like a lion, seeking someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8). When we neglect personal time in God’s Word we are setting ourselves up for an attack. It is like staggering down a dark path in heart of the Serengeti with no light. The light not only reveals, but it protects.

Martin Luther vividly explains it this way, “Satan is by nature such a wicked and poisonous spirit that he cannot tolerate anything that is good. It pains him that even an apple, a cherry, and the like grow. It causes him pain and grief that a single healthy person should live upon the earth and if God would not restrain him, he would hurl everything together in ruin. But to nothing is he a more bitter enemy than to the dear Word; because, while he can conceal himself under all creatures, the Word is the only agency that can disclose him and reveal to everybody how black he is. Since then, you have God’s Word, Peter says, and you cleave by faith to it, you should know beforehand that Satan will be your enemy; and you should know that he is not only a wise, cunning, but also a very wicked, poisonous, and powerful spirit.”[1]

I believe it was D.L. Moody who said, “The Bible will keep you from sin, or sin will keep you from the Bible.” Though I whole heartedly agree with this statement, I would like to modify it slightly with this, “The Bible will keep you from sin, the devil knows it, and wants to keep you from the Bible.” May I encourage you to spend more time in God’s Word? Not only is it the most effective guard against the devil, but as David discovered, storing it in our heart and delighting in it (119:16) has great benefit, including keeping us from sin (119:11), guarding our ways (119:9), giving us life (119:25,107), strengthening us (119:28), being our hope (119:74,81,114, 147), giving understanding (119:130,169), and so much more!

If you are not in God’s Word not only are you setting yourself up to schemes of the devil, but you are missing out on a whole lot of grace.

[1] Martin Luther, Commentary on 1 Peter.

Third Culture Defined

The term “Third Culture” has been used in various ways. One “Third Culture” group “consists of those scientists and other thinkers in the empirical world who, through their work and expository writing, are taking the place of the traditional intellectuals in rendering visible the deeper meanings of our lives, redefining who and what we are.”Another common use of “Third Culture” in fact describes my personal experience. The term was first coined by sociologist Ruth Hill Useem, professor emeritus of sociology and education at Michigan State University. She used the term to describe children growing up outside their citizenship countries because of a parent’s work abroad. A “TCK or Third Culture Kid has since been defined as, “someone who as a child has spent a significant period of time in one or more culture(s) other than his or her own, thus integrating elements of those cultures and their own birth culture, into a third culture" Though I am a TCK, it is my desire to use the term in referring to the people who make up the true Christian Church (Theologically defined as the “Invisible Church”). In other words, the Church is a Third Culture. Scripture teaches us that Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law and the punishment of Hell, and through faith in Him we become citizens of His Kingdom, receiving not only the full benefits of citizenship in His Kingdom, but indeed the right to become sons and daughters of God. The moment, we step into this Kingdome we experience a new and different culture. We are no longer in the kingdom of darkness, but now live in the kingdom of light and that changes everything! At the same time we never went anywhere physically as we continue to work, live, and play with the same people as before, we see the world differently, we no longer truly fit – we are “in the world, but not of it” -- we have a new culture. For most of us this life changing experience occurs within our birth culture and our Christian experience is saturated by those influences. For those who grew up in non-Hispanic White North America, Christianity is uniquely different than those who grew up in an African American context. Our birth culture effects how we live out our faith in the Kingdom of Christ. Yet the Kingdom of Christ requires one more cultural shift and that is away from birth culture and into a culture made up of people of every ethnic and cultural group that has ever existed on the face of the earth. This Kingdom is no more North American than it is Tanzanian or Tibetan. It is a unique or shall we say a “Third Culture” that integrates elements of all cultures into one new and better one, where there is no Jew or Greek, slave nor free, male nor female“You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.” (Gal 3:26-298). In fact Revelation 7:9-10 gives us a description what this will look like one day:“After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice: "Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb." A Third Culture Perspective is one that understands and appreciates that God gathers people from every ethnic and cultural group and brings them into the new culture of His Son Jesus Christ. It is a perspective where birth cultures are appreciated and respected as coming from God, but none are superior. It seeks to have a deeper understanding of the Gospel, pays attention to culture, our own as well as others, and then attempts to bring them together. It is a perspective that “seeks first His Kingdom and His Righteousness” and lovingly and passionately enjoys and glorifies God in all we do. It is a perspective that welcomes immigrants….