Mission to Families

When I first got my car, it came with a free 1-year subscription to satellite radio.  This just happened to be the same summer that I was driving across the country from my home in Houston to a new chapter in life in Gig Harbor, WA.  All throughout my drive, I was thrilled to have satellite radio in my car because I could listen to any game, any time, for any team.

Somewhere on the drive, I caught a broadcast from the Los Angeles Dodgers' home announcer: the legendary Vin Scully.  If you've never listened to him call a ballgame, it's a tremendous experience.  Scully doesn't just call the game and give you the plays; he tells the story of each player, the managers, the strategies, and everything else on the field without for a moment becoming dull.  He knows how to do this so well because he's been calling Dodgers games for 65 years, and he just announced that he'll be back for a 66th year.  I'd go so far as to say that listening to Vin Scully call a game is better than watching it on TV, and only second to seeing it in-person.

Vin Scully is a masterful storyteller.  Ministry to children and students (and their families) is all about telling God's story in faithful, innovative ways.  Our children's ministry tells kids over and over again: God keeps His promises.  Our students are learning to tell the story of their lives with Jesus as the hero.  We do this through a variety of ministries, events, small groups, and mission opportunities.

This Sunday at 4pm, Brad, Janet, and their teams will host a fall kick-off here at FPC.  We'll have desserts and games, as well as the opportunity to learn more about the upcoming year and our ministry to students, kids, and families.  You won't want to miss it!

See you Sunday,

Travis

Millenials, The Church, and Goodwill Sweaters

A few weeks ago, you may have seen a blog post via CNN.com with the following (intriguing) headline: Why Millenials Are Leaving the Church.  The link is below.

http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2013/07/27/why-millennials-are-leaving-the-church/

The author, Rachel Held Evans, is an author and regular contributor to the ongoing discussion about faith and gaps between generations.  I've heard her name in different conversations, but this is the most high-profile piece of her material that I've encountered.

While I appreciate her critique of the church, after reading her post, I felt like something was left unsaid.  Of course, that's always the case - especially in the world of blogging, instant-messaging, and Twitter-feuds.  I wouldn't characterize her language or approach as 'feudal,' but it did garner a lot of attention, particularly from millenial Christians (full disclosure: techincally, I straddle both Generation X and the Millenial generation, but I'm not proud of that or anything... :) ) in my Facebook news feed.

A pastor I know personally and also respect deeply is Richard Dahlstrom, senior pastor of Bethany Community Church in Seattle.  He taught my final seminary class on preaching, and I've been deeply impacted by his approach to preaching and ministry.  He wrote a blog in response to Evans' blog, which is linked below.

http://bodysoulspiritlife.com/2013/07/29/rearranging-the-chairs-a-response-to-rachel-held-evans/

Because he published his response a few days after her post, Richard (in a sense) 'gets the last word.'  Regardless, I think his critiques and affirmations are valid.  [Sidebar: It's interesting to see this kind of conversation develop online, and I feel a little bit of my skeptical heart melting toward the importance of having these dialogues happen in an e-format and still be effective.]

Hope you enjoy both perspectives.

Solo Dei gloria,

Travis

Danish Postage

Hearing someone's name thrown around - especially in fields that interest us - usually means we should check out that person's work.  A lot of my theological and pastoral 'heroes' mention Danish philosopher/theologian/psychologist Soren Kierkegaard in their writing or speaking.  So, I picked up a slender volume from the library called An Introduction to Kierkegaard by Peter Vardy and started working through it.

In a word, it's brilliant.  Or rather - Vandy's summary of Kierkegaard's life and ministry is fascinating, and he makes it easier to understand a mind steeped in such difficult (and often seemingly-conflicting) subjects such as theology, philosophy, and psychology.

Here's a small sample of what Kierkegaard brought to the discussion about faith and reason - a tension we continue to live in today:

"1.  The truth that is revealed in Jesus' life is not like that of Ghandi or Socrates - Jesus, as God, can reveal Eternal Truths...which cannot be revealed in other ways.

2.  The incarnation, in which God became human, is a decisive event in human history.  It is not merely a matter of another baby being born who affected the world in a major way.  If Jesus is God, then Jesus' birth is the moment when God decisively intervenes in creation.

3.  If this is true, then for an individual to come to accept the message of Jesus is not like acquiring one more piece of information.  It will have a decisive impact on the individual which will affect the whole of his or her life.

4.  The moment when a person accepts the incarnation and decides to take seriously the Eternal Truth that Jesus brings will be decisive.  It will affect the individual's whole life.  It marks the passage from error [which Kierkegaard equated with sin] into Truth.  If Jesus is God and if the message that Jesus brings is decisive for all human beings, then Jesus is effectively the Teacher as he brings truth that could not be known elsewhere, and the Savior of those who take on board that message as he brings people from error into Truth." - Peter Vardy, p. 12-13

So what does this have to do with faith, or with anything in the real world?  I've found that some of the best works I've been able to encounter - theology and philosophy being my cup of tea - don't immediately branch into my life.  What they provide is fertile soil for thinking about real-world issues.  Or, they provide a more adequate architecture for faith in Christ that is both personal and discuss-able in winsome ways.  

And I also recognize that for some people, this kind of thinking just doesn't make a lot of sense.  Believe me - I don't understand all of it, either.  But it's good to have a variety of insights into what we believe, and it looks like Kierkegaard might become one of those conversation partners for me who - even posthumously - helps me grow in my faith.

May God lead you to someone who helps you grow as well.

Solo Dei gloria,

Travis

PS - If you're a K-12th grade student's parent or grandparent, don't miss the Children's & Student Ministries' Fall Kickoff event next Sunday - August 25 - at 4pm at FPC.  We'll have goodies, games, and plenty of opportunities to connect with the staff and teams behind these vital ministries.  And just for fun, we'll have a slide show of pictures of our leaders from their glory days of high school and beyond.  Three cheers for Big Time 80s hair!  I'll see you there.

The Soul of Wit

I've mentioned a pastor and author named Timothy Keller several times on this blog - the entry right before this one, actually.  Keller is on my list of pastoral 'heroes' because of his laser-focus on the gospel, his thoughtfulness, his scholarship, and his modeling of leadership in Christ.  Although he's also Presbyterian, his tribe - the PCA - has a couple of theological distinctives that I wouldn't share.  I can learn from him even if we disagree on a few issues.  He's a great example for my generation of leaders of how to humbly listen, speak the gospel to power within culture, to cherish what Christ has done for us and to steward the good news for the sake of others.
 
Twitter is a relatively new phenomenon for me.  It's an social-network communication program similar to Facebook, but with one key difference.  Users are only allowed to post their thoughts within the space of 140 characters - the same limitations placed on a regular text message.  The challenge, then, of good communication on Twitter happens within those 140 characters.  Like Shakespeare once wrote, "Brevity is the soul of wit."


Recently, Tim Keller used Twitter to host a live question-and-answer session.  The transcript is below:

http://storify.com/timkellernyc/asktk

It's fascinating to read the questions, Keller's responses, and then to consider his limitations: 140 characters (including spaces) to answer.  I hope his thoughts (and the questions being asked) help us consider how to reach out to our friends and neighbors for the sake of Christ.

Solo Dei gloria,

Travis

Genrous Justice

'Justice' is a difficult term for many of us. If you're a lawyer, it goes hand-in-hand with your work and your education.  If you were raised during the turbulent 1960s and 1970s, it's a word that can carry a lot of baggage and political underpinnings.  Even in the life of the church, 'justice' has often meant a lot of confusion and distress for people who are trying to be faithful to Jesus.

But what does the Bible have to say about justice?  Why is our God a God who is known for his justice?  And why, as Tim Keller's book proclaims, is God's justice a generous justice?  [By the way - if you want to pick up a copy of Keller's book, I'd encourage you to do so and be better prepared for our sermon series and subsequent discussions.]

We'll be studying biblical justice this fall during our upcoming sermon series.  As a helpful resource before we start, I'd encourage you to read/listen/watch the following sermon from John Ortberg, senior pastor at Menlo Park Presbyterian Church in California.

http://mppc.org/series/wgod/john-ortberg/get-fence

Our mission is to follow Christ and share his Word.  Taking on a challenging study of justice is important to our mission, and I hope you'll join me in prayer as we prepare for what God will do to teach and lead us in our study.

Solo Dei gloria,

Travis

Students vs. Adults Football Game!

What: Students vs. Adults Football Game

Who: All students (high school and college) versus adults (non-students).  

Both guys and gals are welcome to play. 

When: Sunday, July 28, 2013 at 6 PM

Where: Long Family Memorial Park-3117 F Road Grand Junction, CO 81504

Bring: Footballs, sack dinners (we'll provide drinks and snacks), friends, family, and your A Game.  

Prizes will be awarded for best costume and best Broncos gear!

Student Adventures

Hiking Mount Uncompahgre.  Climbing Cataract Gulch.  Lunch overlooking the 14,000-foot peaks.  These are just a few of the adventures our staff and leaders will share with 14 high school students later this week.  Please be in prayer for their journey, for good weather and provision, and for continuing opportunities to experience the presence of Christ in the wilderness.

Shalom,

Travis