On Snowflakes

We live in a culture that likes to believe that snowflakes don't melt.

Snowflakes happen when the impossible becomes a reality. Water gets colder than cold – colder even than freezing – yet remains in a gaseous state, a vapor. Then the air with which this super-cold gaseous water is mixed begins to stir, causing these little bits of fog to collide, forming a mass. Here, surface tension, or the inherent stickiness of water, takes over (the stickiness of water! Wrap your brain around that for a minute), and the mass of ice-like substance begins to act more like sugar and salt, attracting similarly-sticky molecules to form, of all things, crystals.

We see them all the time, and sometimes more of them than we might like. But when it happens so often, and seemingly so easily, we sometimes fail to recognize that snowflakes are a collusion of the impossible. They simply should not be.

Yet, here they are. And in large quantities. So much so that we take them for granted. So much so, that our society wants to pretend that snowflakes last forever.

The universe, however, has other ideas. Snowflakes may be beautiful and perfect, but they are often gone too soon. Writer Isabel Allende believes that the key to writing a best-selling book is to create a manual. People, she believes, are always looking for shortcuts, ways to make seemingly-impossible perfections endure despite the laws of thermodynamics, chaos, and decay. We want more than anything to escape any form of unpleasantness – physical ugliness, poverty, illness, or failure of any sort.

In fact, we've become so accustomed to success and prosperity, we see even the melting of a snowflake as some kind of cruel injustice. It was beautiful. It was perfect. How could God take it away from us just as it was bringing happiness?

Thoughts like these are often condemned as doubting, or lacking in faith somehow. Really, they're the opposite. For it is in the recognition of the beauty of God's gifts, and the desire to keep them with us for as long as possible, that we begin to appreciate them for what they are – manifestations of His love for us.

And when they go away, as all things physical must, we miss them as much for what they mean to us as for what they really are.

James warns us about taking too much for granted, holding on too tightly, thinking too highly of our ability to control time and space and life and the universe and everything. “Your life is a vapor,” he says in 4:14. “You are a mist that appears for a little while, then is gone.”

All snowflakes melt. Every one of them is eventually reduced to its component molecules, ripped apart stem to stern and washed away. They are transitory, temporary confluences of the impossible. But while they are here, they are beautiful, evidence of the handiwork of a loving God.

That same God loves you. That same God has given His Son so that His relationship with you doesn't have to depend on vapor crystals holding together. The universe can do its worst, but it cannot take God away from you, or you away from Him, without your permission.

And that same God has put you in somebody else's life to be their snowflake, to show them that God loves them. And as temporary as you might be, and as many of your own flaws as you might perceive, there is somebody in whose eyes you are a blessing, a perfect storm of impossible circumstances conspiring to make something beautiful. And when you go away, as you eventually will, you will be missed as much for what you mean to others as for who you really are.

So the invitation tonight is an invitation to come. Knowing that you won't last forever, make sure that your relationship with God is what it ought to be today. And if we can help with that in any way, we'd like to.

But at the same time, the invitation is to go. Go show off God's handiwork. Go be that blessing in somebody's life, confidently proclaiming the love of God and not just showing up and hoping they notice. Go be beautiful, before melting time comes.

That You Might Believe 12-26-10

Click to Play

John 20:19-31

Corpus Christi

Click to Play

Test Results

OK, that logo thing is too big. It's supposed to be a "thumbnail," and I was imagining something the size of a Twitter icon.

No worries, though. Next week we'll just post without the thumbnail. Or manually change the size if I can figure out how.

Off to play.


ETA: OK, that's better. Or at least less ridiculous. Hope that helps.

Resurrection: What's In It For Me

Click to Play

Pleasant Grove Church of Christ Sunday Morning December 19, 2010

Testing, and The Moment

Trying out a new hosting site for sermons. Hopefully this will make them ITunes compatible. Stay tuned.

UPDATE: The Twitter feed worked. We'll see what comes up here in a bit.

Also, for those who wanted to see it, here is the story I read Wednesday night:

The Moment -- by Ben Wiles

The most remarkable basketball-related Moment in my life was noteworthy only in how mundane it was.

The play itself was as nondescript as it gets. Jacob Arnett dribbles to the right wing and passes to a curling Josh Slater at the top of the arc. Slater fires, draining a 3-pointer with four seconds to go before halftime and cutting Mercer's lead over Lipscomb to 36-32. The shot accounted for three of Slater's twelve points that night, the assist one of Arnett's three.

And yes, I had to go back and look at the stat sheet on the Lipscomb website a few minutes ago to get all the details right.

For Erica, that extra step would not have been necessary. She just knows.

If you saw the game on #pixelvision, you might have seen Erica. She is the little girl in the yellow sweatshirt and purple pants about 15 rows up from the Mercer bench. You might not have noticed her much, though, because for the first twenty minutes of the game she sat almost perfectly still.

That's right. She's seven years old, and she Did. Not. Move.

Typically, that kind of rapt attention is reserved for Star Wars and Fetch with Ruff Ruffman. And, apparently, Lipscomb basketball. Otherwise, she is your typical, active, loud little girl. She likes to run around, play with her sister, tell stories, and when she's not reading books generally make as much noise as she can for as long as she can.

It wasn't until later that I realized how big an impact that shot had on that little girl. You see, I was in Allen Arena to watch Lipscomb win a championship. Jacksonville had lost earlier that day, meaning Lipscomb would win the A-Sun regular-season title with a win. And at halftime, Lipscomb was down 4 to a Mercer squad missing its all-everything big man. If James Florence woke up in the second half, or if Adnan Hodzic didn't, the Bisons were in trouble.

I was worried about the outcome. Erica was enjoying The Moment.

But one random Thursday morning in late March, I walked into the kitchen and overheard Erica talking to her twin sister Katie around the breakfast table. “And then Jacob Arnett looked up and saw Josh Slater coming around and he passed it and Josh Slater shot it and it went in and Mercer was only ahead by 4!”

Since it was morning, I have no idea what the context of that sentence was. I did remember the game, since it was one of the two we got to attend last year. I remembered that Adnan went off in the second half (upon further review, 21 and 11 after Slater's shot). I remembered Lipscomb cutting down the nets after the game. I also remembered the conference tournament loss to Kennesaw State and the not getting invited to the NIT and the fact that Lipscomb only wins 27% of the time when both teams lead in the last 4 minutes.

But for a second there, in our kitchen, Erica and I had a Moment.

The fact that the Moment revolved around a basketball team that had ultimately disappointed me didn't matter. Because our Moment wasn't about me being a fan, but a Dad. Our Moment was a memory my little girl could carry with her a month later, and I was there when it happened, enjoying it right alongside her. Our Moment may look to outsiders like just another shot in just another game, but that's okay. What's important is not what makes up the Moment, but the fact that it is Ours.

The big life lesson? What my children need from me is not a storehouse of objects, a privileged position in the world, or a lifetime of ease, comfort, and safety. It's a Moment. Then another. Then another one after that.

And if basketball can help make that happen, then so much the better.

Sermon Up

Apparently, the file name format is shifting the newest lessons down of the main screen. Today's lesson is "Corpus Christi," where we look at the remarkable circumstances surrounding the burial of Jesus. They're filed by date and not by title, so it shouldn't be that hard to find.

Joy in the Journey, Part 1

Tonight we started a study of the book of Acts in our adult class. The focus is on how Christians find joy and encouragement in different circumstances.

The discussion was both lively and uplifting.

I know.

The central question we talked about had to do with living in a society that likes to think of itself as Christian because we (generally) live by the Golden Rule, give people second chances (a la prodigal son) and help the needy (a la good Samaritan). We observed that there are folks who are content to function in such a society without ever giving a second thought as to whether the person who gave us these principles really did rise from the dead. After all, the principles work, so why worry about where they come from?

In a nutshell, what added value is there in knowing Jesus rose from the dead? How does knowing what happened then, and what will happen eventually, help us live faithful lives here and now?

Comments welcome.

Today at Pleasant Grove

"It's In Your Hands Now" -- Luke 23:44-49.

Premise: The strongest being who ever walked the face of the earth found that, when faced with His most important task, His strength was actually counterproductive. So instead He became weak, and in weakness did what could never have been done through strength.

And I'm still on crutches for another day at least. I'm not sure if what I felt this morning was progress or just the pain killers taking longer than usual to wear off. The knee brace and crutches have definitely helped prevent new pain. How much they have helped heal the old pain remains to be seen.

Sermon Up

"That the Scripture Might Be Fulfilled" -- John 19:28-30

Premise -- You don't get to customize Jesus to meet your expectations. The Jesus you have is the Jesus you get. You change for Him; He doesn't change for you.

Help Wanted

Blogosphere, we need your help.

We'd like to do a service project for the families of deployed soldiers this Christmas. What we need help with is compiling our list. We have the capacity to serve 20-30 families, so if you go to church with someone in this situation please e-mail us a name and address.

Also, we're making some progress getting our "E-Vangelism" program up and running. For this, we need both social butterflies and dorks, preferably if there are two who can work together as a team. Over the next few weeks I'll be putting together some basic messages we can send to folks just to keep in touch and provide basic information about the church. If you've got a talent for writing or editing, we can use your help, too.

E-mail pleasantgrove.ky@gmail.com if you can help us out.

Thanks.

Sermon Up

Today's sermon -- "You Will Be With Me." Click on "List View" on the menu box; it'll be the fifth one down.

The invitation song is tacked onto the end, but only because I'm moving a bit slowly.

Thanks to Bryce & Justin for getting everything set up this morning.

Sunday Sermon, Plus Stuff

"Have You Forsaken Me?" -- Mark 15.

Premise: Jesus sang the first line of His generation's "Just As I Am" on the cross.

Tonight we have Trunk or Treat and a sermon about Josiah.

And to answer a question Lenny asked in Bible class this morning, I only have the minimum five lessons to teach this week. Six is closer to average, as some weeks I have as many as nine.

Sermon Up, Plus a Couple of Other Things

This morning's sermon is up. "Honor Your Father and Mother", from John 19:23-25. It's about maintaining the balance between achieving our major goals and meeting our more mundane responsibilities.

I counted 58 at church this morning. That's two weeks in a row where we've broken 55, after a long run of struggling to hit 50. I'd like to see us keep the consumer base this high, but what I'd like more is to see the growth in our investor base we'll need to support the consumers long-term.

To that end, I'm putting together a program I'm calling "E-Vangelism." (The name's not original with me, but the domain name isn't registered, so maybe I can claim it.) The idea is for Pleasant Grove to use the fact that our preacher is a dork to our advantage. The premise is that everybody is open to an invitation to church at some point in their lives. But knowing when that point is can be tricky. So instead of trying to be at the right place at the right time, through the Internet we can be in the right place ALL the time.

The idea is to get permission to enter into a conversation with somebody. Then every so often, we'll send them a message. Maybe a Twitter post about an event, a Facebook ad, or even an e-mail a couple of times a month. We can also provide information on topics of interest and/or significance on a website. Then, when their lives change in a way that makes them aware of a deeper need for God, we're there to help.

This way, even if a person isn't open to the gospel now, they'll know who to turn to when they are. And we'll be ready, because we'll have been in conversation with them over time.

I'll be working on this over the next two months, with a formal launch planned for January. In the mean time, if you even the least bit dorky, I'd welcome any input on the development process.

Sermon Upload Complete

Sunday's sermon is up. Finally.

"For They Know Not What They Do" -- on why it's a good thing the justice of God isn't an "equal and opposite reaction" to our sinfulness.

Or something like that. I hope.

Welcome to 2010, People

After two days in NerdVana, there are a bunch of new technologies we're going to start using -- primarily for outreach and information spreading.

Don't worry, nothing snazzy and expensive in the auditorium. Hopefully, the only detectable change in our worship services and Bible classes will be that there are a bunch more people attending them.

For starters, you can get occasional reminders, news, and such sent to your phone as a text message. To subscribe, send a message reading "Follow PleasantGroveKY" to 40404.

As I learn how to use some of the other stuff, I'll keep you updated.

ETA: Remember that Pleasant Grove also has a Facebook Group page, if you're into that sort of thing.

News & Notes

I'll will be out of town for two days this week. The Ministry Geek PowWow in Spring Hill, TN will talk about ways to use technology to advance the cause of Christ. I'll be there Monday and Tuesday and be back in the office Wednesday morning.

The Todd County Christian magazine will go out late this week or early next week. Watch your mailboxes.

This morning's sermon is up. 10-10-10 (w00t! for the date!) "Don't Cry for Me."

This month's youth devotional will be at the Trenton Gym, either on a Friday or Saturday. when we have a date secured, we'll let you know.

The Myth of Personal Sprirutality

Some more supporting arguments for my contention that what is commonly called "personal spirituality" is really neither:

Steve Higgenbotham, "What is Spiritual"

So I ran a little long today . . .

The file hosting service we use has a 25-minute limit on file size. Not good for podcasts, but good for sermons.

Unless, of course, the preacher runs 27 talking about raising kids to be faithful Christians. I hope it was worth it.

Here is the link: 10-03-10 Simon of Cyrene.

Back from Vacation

So, we're back.

Nothing new to report, really. Vacation was really nice.

Thanks to Danny Bowman for filling in Sunday.

Sermon Posting

Today's sermon is called "He Wanted to See a Miracle," based on Luke 23:5-12. It's about chasing squirrels. Seriously. Click to listen.

Chewbacca Sermon

The sermon is called "Life Debt," and it's uploading now.

Enjoy.

Song in My Head -- O Sacred Head

The lyricist is Bernard of Clairveaux, one of the bright lights in theology in the recently-completed millennium. The music is an adaption of a section of Bach's St. Matthew's Passion, arranged for choral singing by Felix Mendellsohn.

And unlike most of what Hollywood is putting out these days, this highly-talented cast delivers an awe-inspiring performance. In church we typically only sing the first and sixth verses, but here's the whole thing.

Just digest this. Spiritual meat cooked tender and juicy.

O sacred Head, now wounded, with grief and shame weighed down,
Now scornfully surrounded with thorns, Thine only crown;
How pale Thou art with anguish, with sore abuse and scorn!
How does that visage languish, which once was bright as morn!

What Thou, my Lord, hast suffered, was all for sinners’ gain;
Mine, mine was the transgression, but Thine the deadly pain.
Lo, here I fall, my Savior! ’Tis I deserve Thy place;
Look on me with Thy favor, vouchsafe to me Thy grace.

Men mock and taunt and jeer Thee, Thou noble countenance,
Though mighty worlds shall fear Thee and flee before Thy glance.
How art thou pale with anguish, with sore abuse and scorn!
How doth Thy visage languish that once was bright as morn!

Now from Thy cheeks has vanished their color once so fair;
From Thy red lips is banished the splendor that was there.
Grim death, with cruel rigor, hath robbed Thee of Thy life;
Thus Thou hast lost Thy vigor, Thy strength in this sad strife.

My burden in Thy Passion, Lord, Thou hast borne for me,
For it was my transgression which brought this woe on Thee.
I cast me down before Thee, wrath were my rightful lot;
Have mercy, I implore Thee; Redeemer, spurn me not!

What language shall I borrow to thank Thee, dearest friend,
For this Thy dying sorrow, Thy pity without end?
O make me Thine forever, and should I fainting be,
Lord, let me never, never outlive my love to Thee.

My Shepherd, now receive me; my Guardian, own me Thine.
Great blessings Thou didst give me, O source of gifts divine.
Thy lips have often fed me with words of truth and love;
Thy Spirit oft hath led me to heavenly joys above.

Here I will stand beside Thee, from Thee I will not part;
O Savior, do not chide me! When breaks Thy loving heart,
When soul and body languish in death’s cold, cruel grasp,
Then, in Thy deepest anguish, Thee in mine arms I’ll clasp.

The joy can never be spoken, above all joys beside,
When in Thy body broken I thus with safety hide.
O Lord of Life, desiring Thy glory now to see,
Beside Thy cross expiring, I’d breathe my soul to Thee.

My Savior, be Thou near me when death is at my door;
Then let Thy presence cheer me, forsake me nevermore!
When soul and body languish, oh, leave me not alone,
But take away mine anguish by virtue of Thine own!

Be Thou my consolation, my shield when I must die;
Remind me of Thy passion when my last hour draws nigh.
Mine eyes shall then behold Thee, upon Thy cross shall dwell,
My heart by faith enfolds Thee. Who dieth thus dies well.

Sermon Posting

This morning's sermon is being uploaded right now.

See if you can catch where I messed up.

Clean whiff. For once in my life, I'm not the smartest guy in the room. I mean, EVERYBODY in the building was pointing it out to me -- after church, at lunch. Small woodland creatures and inanimate objects were pointing and laughing.

Doofus.

Sad News out of Mankato, MN

A very dear friend lost his son this week.

Barry Ries is the chairman of the Psychology department at Mankato State University. When I was finishing up my Master's degree at Lipscomb, Barry was my field mentor for a practicum project, and advisor for an independent study on adult sibling rivalry.

But in addition to taking time he probably didn't have for somebody he met once at Bible camp -- twice -- he also gave me some profound insights into ministry in the upper Midwest.

Even his coffee cup was inspiring. The Stroup Effect -- named, incidentally, for a psychologist who preached at Pleasant Grove back in the day -- is a cognitive delay caused when a word spelling one color is printed in a different color. Barry's coffee cup demonstrated this effect, and in many ways sparked my own fascination with how the human mind processes information.

This past Sunday, Barry's 15-year-old son Michael passed away suddenly. I remember Michael from Flaming Pine Youth Camp the one year we went up there. Michael was six, or maybe seven, the last time I saw him in the fall of 2002. I remember him as a fun-loving, playful little boy. But that said, it's been eight years since I last saw him. The memories that others have posted indicate that he grew up to be a fine young man, someone whose loss will be felt deeply, and not just by those who knew him best.

The funeral is tomorrow, but the hurting will go on for a while. Please pray for Barry, his wife Leah, daughter Carissa, and the whole family as they struggle through the coming weeks.

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Pulpit

The power went out. Lights, AC, everything just went click and stopped.

Fortunately, I had about 20 minutes of worship service time to do an "emergency re-write" and edit out the parts where I had to read long passages from the Old Testament. The remnants are in the link to the right.

Of course, just as I get all the non-essential reading excised, the power came back on and I could see to read Jonah chapter 2. I think Lenny gave the circuit breaker the "Don't Make Me Come In There" Look and scared it into cooperating.

Song In My Head -- We Shall See the King Someday

Though the way we journey may be often drear,
We shall see the King some day;
On that blessed morning clouds will disappear;
We shall see the King some day.

Refrain

We shall see the King some day,
When the clouds have rolled away;
Gathered ’round the throne,
When He shall call His own,
We shall see the King some day.

After pain and anguish, after toil and care,
We shall see the King some day;
Through the endless ages joy and blessing share,
We shall see the King some day.

Refrain

After foes are conquered, after battles won,
We shall see the King some day;
After strife is over, after set of sun,
We shall see the King some day.

Refrain

There with all the loved ones who have gone before,
We shall see the King some day;
Sorrow past forever, on that peaceful shore,
We shall see the King some day.

Refrain

"For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known." -- 1 Corinthians 13:12. Clouds (or whatever else) stands between us and God and prevents full fellowship will be taken away. And while just being in the presence of God for all eternity reward in and of itself, we get to be together in bliss and happiness.

Wednesday Word of the Week

Kaphar (kah-FAR) v. -- To cover

Noun form kopher (KOH-fer) -- Pitch, tar

Derivatives of this word also refer to a walled village and a lion's mane.

Key verse: "Make for yourself an ark of gopher wood; you shall make the ark with rooms, and shall cover it inside and out with pitch" -- Genesis 6:14

Thoughts on Kaphar/kopher:

A kopher is a protective coating. It doesn't change the nature of the object protected. In many contexts it allows the object underneath the kopher to be placed in dangerous environments without being damaged.

This is the analogy God uses to help us understand what happens to us when sin is forgiven. Bare, naked, and exposed, we come to God completely at the mercy of our environment. We have nothing to hold us together, nothing to keep us from simply soaking up the destructive forces around us until we are warped and useless.

God then takes us -- just as we are -- and covers us. His forgiveness shields us not only from his wrath, but also from the power of the world in which we live. Forgiveness by itself does not change who or what we really are; it only affects how we interact with our surroundings.

When we are covered in this way, our sinfulness is concealed not only from the eyes of men, but also from the eyes of God. To be sure, He has the power to see through the covering, but He chooses not to. The fact that we are covered is all God needs to know about us to treat us as though we had never sinned at all.

And if that weren't enough of a miracle, God takes it one step further. We get forgiveness. We get God looking at us and choosing not to see certain parts of our personality and history. Then, He binds us together with other nearly-rotten planks of wood and makes us into something that can float, carrying passengers to safety.

As long as we who are covered stick together, we can walk on water.

Sermon Up

This morning's sermon, "The New Covenant," is up and available for download in the box to your right.

Friday Link-Around

Blog of the Week:

Preaching Help, by Steve Higgenbotham. Steve preached in Glasgow, KY until moving this summer to Knoxville to teach at the school of preaching there. he doesn't post often, but when he does he's really good.

Bible Study Resource of the Week:

E-Sword. An electronic Bible you can search, complete with concordance codes. Original language translations pop up when you roll your mouse over the Strong's number. A handful of translations are free (as are the Greek and Hebrew texts), with more available in the paid version.

On-Line Trivia Game of the Week:

The Summer Hiatus Challenge, written by . . . well . . . me. This is the sixth consecutive year I have provided a daily quiz for Jeopardy fans who don't get to see original material when the show goes away for the summer.

A new round starts every Monday, and all comers are welcome.

Podcast of the Week:

Garage Logic, hosted by Joe Soucheray. Based in Minneapolis, Joe talks about what's going on in the world without having his thoughts based on which side he wants to win an election. KSTP-AM 1500 posts two hours of his show every day, typically on a 24-hour delay.

And no, it's not all about cars.

Word of the Week

ktisis (n). -- Fabrication, creation (as something from something else).

Key verse -- 2 Corinthians 5:17. "Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come."

Thoughts on ktisis -- When you become a Christian, the scars of your old life don't really disappear. There are still consequences of past mistakes to be endured. What happens in conversion is God takes the old parts and makes something new with them. It no longer matters where the parts came from; what matters is how they will be used going forward.

Whether God makes His saints out of gold or dirt, what makes them saints is not the material He uses, but the fact that it's Him who made them.

Song In My Head -- Dear Lord And Father Of Mankind

Dear Lord and Father of mankind,
Forgive our foolish ways;
Reclothe us in our rightful mind,
In purer lives Thy service find,
In deeper reverence, praise.

In simple trust like theirs who heard,
Beside the Syrian sea,
The gracious calling of the Lord,
Let us, like them, without a word,
Rise up and follow Thee.

O Sabbath rest by Galilee,
O calm of hills above,
Where Jesus knelt to share with Thee
The silence of eternity,
Interpreted by love!

With that deep hush subduing all
Our words and works that drown
The tender whisper of Thy call,
As noiseless let Thy blessing fall
As fell Thy manna down.

Drop Thy still dews of quietness,
Till all our strivings cease;
Take from our souls the strain and stress,
And let our ordered lives confess
The beauty of Thy peace.

Breathe through the heats of our desire
Thy coolness and Thy balm;
Let sense be dumb, let flesh retire;
Speak through the earthquake, wind, and fire,
O still, small voice of calm.

Great lines:

Start with the byline. John Greenleaf Whittier. An actual poem written by an actual poet. The literary quality of the entire piece is just wonderful.

Then there's the premise. Whittier wrote the poem in response to the craziness he saw at a Shaker revival meeting. Instead of more emotional fervor, his call is for reverence, purity, and above all sanity. The greatest testimony of the presence of God in a person's life is not how "out of control" they can get, but how ordered and calm their lives are in spite of the craziness of life.

Wednesday Word of the Week

eis (ACE, or possibly ICE) (prep.) -- For, toward, moving in the direction of.

Key verse: Acts 2:38 "Peter said to them, "Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.""

Thoughts on eis: I mentioned a couple of weeks ago how big a fan I am of Isaac Newton. This week's word is a bit controversial, in that there are occasions in the New Testament when the order of the words in the sentence place the effect before the cause. In Matthew 12 and Luke 11, for instance, Jesus says that Nineveh repented "eis" the preaching of Jonah. Then, in Acts 2:38, baptism is "eis" the forgiveness of sins.

So which is it? Does forgiveness come before baptism, or does baptism come first?

The truth is you can't really tell from eis. There is no automatic, universal implication of time moving in a particular direction across the preposition.

What eis does is demonstrate a Newtonian causal link. It explains one state in terms of the other. And there is clearly a causal link between baptism and forgiveness of sins.

Now, which one causes which? Does the forgiveness of sins result in a person being baptized, or does baptism result in forgiveness? Eis doesn't know. Eis doesn't even really care much. The answer to that question has to be found elsewhere (I'd start with Romans 6 and Galatians 3, but that's just me).

But there can be no denying that the causal link exists. Eis says so.

The Power of Context

One of the first social lessons human beings learn is that there are certain actions where whether they are right or wrong is determined by the context in which we do them.

Examples:

Potty training -- Nobody minds if a small child relieves themselves. We just prefer that it happen at a particular time and place. This is typically the first lesson in social context we learn. Biting or hitting the kid next to you is always wrong, but going to the bathroom is fine as long as it's in the bathroom.

Gossip -- The difference between a true and false witness is whether or not the information is factual. But even factual information can be gossip if is deployed a) by the wrong person, b) to the wrong person, c) at the wrong time, or d) for the wrong reason.

There are others, but the point is this: Understanding the will of God involves both knowledge of His word and awareness of your own surroundings.

Sumday Morning Sermon Now Up

Today's sermon is now available for download or listening online.

Friday Link Around

Blog of the Week

Dale Jenkins, minister at Spring Meadows Church of Christ in Spring Hill, TN, has one of the best personal websites I've seen from a preacher. He has two blogs there -- The Blog That Binds about life in ministry and The Scoop Blog which keeps tabs on which preachers are in which pulpits.

Video Clip of the Week

Anita Renfroe sends up Carrie Underwood. Much laughing, there was.



Podcast of the Week

If you don't mind a little "fish and bones" work, check out the Dallas Theologcial Seminary chapel podcast. You probably won't agree with everything they say, but they will make you think. In a good way.

This Week at Pleasant Grove

Sunday AM: "He Who Dipped His Hand" -- Matthew 26:17-25
Sunday PM: "Open His Eyes That He May See" -- 2 Kings 6

Thought for the Week:

"Everybody who sells their soul for thirty pieces of silver eventually gives them back."

Song In My Head -- Near To the Heart of God

There is a place of quiet rest,
near to the heart of God;
a place where sin cannot molest,
near to the heart of God.

Refrain
O Jesus, blest Redeemer,
sent from the heart of God,
hold us who wait before thee
near to the heart of God.

2
There is a place of comfort sweet,
near to the heart of God;
a place where we our Savior meet,
near to the heart of God.

3
There is place a place of full release,
near to the heart of God;
a place where all is joy and peace,
near to the heart of God.

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I'm not typically a fan of songs that sing the same words over and over again, but just this once I'll make an exception. Lately I haven't been sleeping as much or as long as I need to, and it's made me fuzzy-headed. I've never been alcoholically-intoxicated, but I'm told that operating on three hours of sleep for ten straight days can create a reasonable approximation.

And apparently I am a paranoid, angry drunk.

So I need more sleep. The catch is, there are only two ways to get sleep when you need it. You either collapse from exhaustion, or find some place where you know you will be completely safe for an expended period of time.

Lately, I've been very adept at option 1. Go, go, go, go, fall over. Get up a few hours later and repeat.

But real security -- real safety -- is only found near to the heart of God. As the Psalmist says,

"He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the LORD, "My refuge and my fortress, My God, in whom I trust!" For it is He who delivers you from the snare of the trapper and from the deadly pestilence." (Psalm 91:1-3)

Lord, hold us close, so that we can we can know we are safe and rest.

Wednesday Word of the Week

poieo (poi-EH-oh) (v.) -- Work. From the Greek root meaning "make" or "do" or "cause to be." A single act as opposed to a habit (prasso).

Key verse: Ephesians 2:10 -- "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them."

Thoughts on poieo -- God is a creator. By His very nature, He causes things to exist. He is what ontologists call the "Un-caused First Cause."

But God is not an addict. When He creates, He does so intentionally. We -- every single one of us -- are a special work of God. Not only does he cause us to be, He WANTS us. We are His handiwork, His workmanship. We are an expression of His nature, His love, His grace.

His creativity.

God's purpose in Creation is so that what He creates can itself be creative. He causes us to be, so that in turn we can be a cause of other good things. Intentional, purposeful, good.

Every day, we make a choice to do good. God gives us every day as another opportunity to find the good He has laid before us to do. Not out of habit or unconsciously, but as part of an ongoing choice to walk in the light as he is in the light.

Now go make something good.

Watch Your Language

How you talk impacts how you think.

True fact: The only Hebrew word in the present tense is the name of God. Everything else is past or future.

If your language has no future tense (a la Sicilian), it becomes harder to think in terms of the future. You tend to be more past- or present-oriented. As such, you have a much harder time planning for the future and delaying gratification.

The languages we speak not only express our thoughts, but shapes the thoughts we wish to express.

Friday Link Around

Blog of the Week:

Escriptorium by my good buddy Mac Ice.

Mac is the smartest church historian I know who is also capable of putting out a quality blog. Sadly, church history knowledge and internet savvy are increasingly exclusive.

Video Clip of the Week:

"Sunday Morning"

"Sunday's Coming" Movie Trailer from North Point Media on Vimeo.

Not particularly moving or insightful, but funny nonetheless.

Podcast of the Week:

Ministry Geek This Week

Michael Hite of the Bear Valley School of Preaching teams up with Dale Jenkins and Caleb O'Hara to discuss the role of technology in ministry. What I love about this podcast is that it deals not just with how to use the tools, but who should and should not use them. Their discussions of PowerPoint and Live Streaming are particularly eye-opening.

This Week at Pleasant Grove:

Sunday AM -- "Preparing for What Lies Ahead" (Matthew 26:1-16)
Sunday PM -- "A Perfectly Good river Back Home" (2 Kings 5)

For more info and to keep in touch, subscribe to our K. I. T. weekly e-mail every Thursday. Drop a line to pleasantgrove.ky@gmail.com.

Thought for the Week:

Is Jesus Christ your personal Savior, or are you willing to share?

Song in My Head -- Beneath the Cross of Jesus

Beneath the cross of Jesus I fain would take my stand,
The shadow of a mighty rock within a weary land;
A home within the wilderness, a rest upon the way,
From the burning of the noontide heat, and the burden of the day.

O safe and happy shelter, O refuge tried and sweet,
O trysting place where Heaven’s love and Heaven’s justice meet!
As to the holy patriarch that wondrous dream was given,
So seems my Savior’s cross to me, a ladder up to heaven.

There lies beneath its shadow but on the further side
The darkness of an awful grave that gapes both deep and wide
And there between us stands the cross two arms outstretched to save
A watchman set to guard the way from that eternal grave.

Upon that cross of Jesus mine eye at times can see
The very dying form of One Who suffered there for me;
And from my stricken heart with tears two wonders I confess;
The wonders of redeeming love and my unworthiness.

I take, O cross, thy shadow for my abiding place;
I ask no other sunshine than the sunshine of His face;
Content to let the world go by to know no gain or loss,
My sinful self my only shame, my glory all the cross.

Great lines: "O trysting-place where heaven's love and heaven's justice meet."
They couldn't be seen together in the light of day, but they can sneak away to meet at the cross. Cool.

"Two wonders I confess, the wonders of redeeming love and my own worthlessness." I love the juxtaposition of just how powerful the love of God is and just how equally powerful is my capacity to deserve its opposite.

The whole third verse. I hadn't seen that before today, and hadn't ever thought in those terms before. The cross is a sentry preventing those who pass by from falling into the abyss that lies beyond for those who ignore the warning.

"My sinful self my only shame. My glory all the cross." The cross of Christ is a place of death, shame, and guilt, but at the same time is a refuge from them. The world can keep whatever it has to offer, because the cross is paradoxically the only true source of life.

Wednesday Word of the Week

Kenegdov (adj.) -- Suitable, corresponding to. From the Hebrew root "neged," meaning "opposite," and the prefix "ke," meaning "like" or "as."

Key verse -- Genesis 2:18. "I will make him a helper suitable for him."

Thoughts on kenegdov -- Isaac Newton had it right. "For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction." In the original, unfallen state, Eve was not Adam's gofer or appointment secretary or personal maidservant. Nor was she his toady or lackey or mere conspirator. Eve was to be Adam's counterpart, his colleague.

What Eve provided to the created order was something none of the animals could -- balance.

God gives us two legs so that one can hold us up while the other moves. God also gives us two arms to both aid in propulsion and provide a counterweight when we walk. Also notice that when we walk, the limbs on opposite sides of our bodies move together. That's called counterbalance. That's what Newton was talking about in his third law of motion.

And that's what Eve was to be for Adam.

Ideally, this is what marriage should be, too. Partnership. Collaboration. A balance of equal and opposite persons simultaneously providing both support and propulsion.

Tangent #1 -- Notice that in the New Testament, neither Jesus nor the apostles nor the Holy Spirit ever asked anybody to do anything mission-related by themselves. Every Paul had his Barnabas or Silas or Timothy or whomever. Every Peter had his John or Thomas. We do what we do together, or not at all. All of us -- even the most fervent missionaries -- need balance.

Tangent #2 -- When you think about the design of marriage from an "equal and opposite" perspective, you begin to see just how ridiculous the very idea of "gay marriage" really is. Marriage is a partnership with someone who is fundamentally different from you. Homosexuality, be definition, seeks sameness. "Gay marriage," then, is propulsion without balance.

The fall, of course, changed the relationship between Adam and Eve. When she led the way into sin, the consequence was that from now on Adam was "in charge." But as any person in any position of authority knows, the fewer times you have to "pull rank" the more successful your endeavor.

If we will acknowledge the basic laws of relational physics -- wives realizing the authority their husbands have been given and the responsibility that comes along with it, husbands allowing their wives to be the equal-and-opposite kenegdo they were designed to be -- there's no limit to how high we can fly.

Thoughts on Apollo

A friend asked me today what I was doing 41 years ago tonight, when the whole world watched Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin walk on the moon.

Nothing, as it turns out. My parents didn't even know each other yet; their first date came in February of 1970. I wouldn't come along until four days after Hank Aaron hit home run #715, 16 months after the last manned trip to the moon.

I was born into a world where men had been to the moon enough times that we had moved on to the "next thing." I was born into a world where a black man could get a standing ovation from a largely-white audience in Atlanta. I was born into a world where even Babe Ruth's home run record could be broken.

The atmosphere in which I took my first breath was one where anything was possible.

Unfortunately, this was the 70's. So "anything is possible" quickly devolved into "hey, why not?" See disco, the pet rock, and the filmography of John Travolta.

The world learned a important lesson during the first five years of my life: Just because you can, doesn't necessarily mean you should.

Friday Link Around

Blog of the Week:

Warren Baldwin's Family Fountain

Warren is an author, preacher, and all-around decent human being. He works with a slightly-larger-than-average congregation on the Kansas prairie, and writes about the book of Proverbs.

Video Clip of the Week:



This talks about publishing, but the principles apply to church as well, I think.

Podcast of the Week:

IPreach.

Dale Jenkins and Adam Faughn cover all sorts of topics preachers face. The website has links to ITunes and RSS subscriptions.

If you want to keep in touch with Pleasant Grove by e-mail, send a message to pleasantgrove.ky@gmail.com. We'll send you Wednesday night announcements, Sunday sermon titles, and news about area events.

See you Sunday,
-Ben

Gospel Meeting Closing Credits

We have a long list of thank-yous to those who made this year's Gospel Meeting the huge success it was:

Preaching -- Lamar Russell

Song Leading --- Barry Cohoon

Technical Assistance -- Julia Corder, Bryce Penick
Hand-outs -- Dylan Penick, Spencer Corder, Erica Wiles, Katie Wiles
Children's Bible Hour -- Laura Wiles, Phyllis West, Kathy Conyea, Kelli Penick, Denna Chastain, Mindy Corder

Area Sister Congregations Who Came to Support Our Meeting:

• Allensville
• Westside
• Guthrie
• Keysburg
• Sharon Grove
• Clifty
• Adairville
• Orlinda
• Madison Street
• There are at least two (or maybe 3) more whose names I missed. Post in the comments and we'll add them in.
  

Out of Town Visitors

• Adams Boulevard (Bartlesville, OK)
• West End (Nashville, TN)
• St. Mary's (St Mary's GA)
• Shady Acres (Sikeston, MO)
• Carthage, TN

And then there's the ice cream. The ice cream makers, cookie bakers, lemonade makers, table-and-chair-setter-uppers, all came out in full force.

Well done, everybody.

Ice Cream Night

It's Ice Cream Night.

You have been warned.

Podcast Update

The first two mp3's of Lamar's Gospel Meeting lessons are posted near the top right of the page.

Two things you should know:

1. To listen to the files, you have to download them to your machine. We are using a different file hosting site for the gospel meeting to accommodate the larger file sizes that doesn't include a player. You also have to enter a capcha code at the bottom to prove that you're human and not some malicious gospel-meeting-attending robot bent on planetary domination, or something.

2. The file lengths are not the actual sermon length. The tail end of the worship service files include the invitation song, closing announcements, closing prayer, and a few other things that happened before we could get to the machine and turn it off. The actual sermon is about 5 minutes shorter that the posted time.

The files we have up are mp3's, but if you prefer wma file formats, e-mail me and I'll put them up.

Also, Lamar has provided printed outlines of his lessons. If you want those, drop us an e-mail and I'll get one out to you.

Off to assemble Goliath.

-ben

Trying Something New

We are experimenting with a new way to make sermons available. To the right you'll see a menu of recorded sermons. The newest one is from this past Sunday morning. What we need now is feedback.

1. Would you subscribe to an ITunes and/or RSS feed if one were available?

2. The audio quality is, well, less than nifty. We're working with a PC laptop and the built-in microphone. Can you hear the lessons well enough as it is now, or do we need to upgrade?

3. Should we be recording everything, or just sermons and special events?

4. Do you prefer MP3's, or the WMA file format, or do you get the same results either way?

Thanks and God bless.