Fan the Flame

Pastoral Perspective -- In the Cold Winter Snow & Ice
17 January 2008


Burnin’ Love, Warmin’ Up Again
SPECIAL POINTS OF INTEREST:
· Love on the line
· Runnin’ out of time
· Longer, stronger
· Care about, don’t doubt
· Know today, hug and pray
· Celebrate each other
in love
· Comin’ down, still around
INSIDE THIS ISSUE:
In Paradise
Cold as ice
Go out
Find a flame
Warm it up again
Fan into flame
The Gift of
God in you


Find and Fan the Flame

Recently, in the cold mid-winter snow and ice, as I was driving from pastoral visit to hospital visits and going from prayer meeting to pastoral meetings, I took some time to listen to some mp3 files of a few old songs from back in the late 1980’s and early 1990’s. One in particular tugged at my heart as it reminded me of the verse in the apostle Paul’s second letter to Timothy that, translated in the NIV, contains the phrase “fan into flame.”

The refrain from the song sung by one of my favorite recording artists, Al Jarreau in the track entitled “Trouble in Paradise” kept reverberating in my soul:

When it looks like trouble in paradise, and you’re burnin’ love that’s cold as ice… Go out and find the flame so you can warm it up again.

The Lord was impressing upon me in that moment of listening in the Spirit singing through the song with the gifted voice of talent in one such as Al Jarreau

For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God which is in you…
—2 Timothy 1:6a

something that had already been resonating more and more in my soul of late.

• 
  
  I continue to have a deep desire and need for intimate times of communion with the Lord, hungering and thirsting after God in my personal devotions.


• 
  
  I so long to live increasingly into the love of the Lord among God’s people here in our fellowship of faith at First Presbyterian Church in New Castle, Indiana.


• 
  
  I yearn to experience the greater depths of love and grace in God’s gift of a soul mate to and for me in my spouse.


• 
  
  I anticipate with joy and excitement (and trepidation) the blossoming of our children into the blessings God intends them to be for the blessing of others in the world.

These are a few foundational desires of my heart that resound in song through the depths of my being, soul, and spirit. The Psalmist David’s words come to mind… Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart. Beloved, give your heart’s desires over to God Who delights in us as His children. When it looks like “trouble in paradise”, fan into flame the gift of God in you and warm up your love again! P. Rex

Of the Gift of God in you

TROUBLE IN PARADISE
(Al Jarreau)

When it appears
your love is finally on the line
And you can't hold it back much longer
And when it seems as though
you're runnin' out of time
That's the time you should be stronger
Well, if you care about her
Don't you ever doubt her love
Would you turn around and
throw it all away?
Just let her know today

That it looks like trouble in paradise
And you're burnin' love that's cold as ice
Go out and find a flame
So you can warm it up again
When it looks like trouble in paradise
And you're burnin' love that's cold as ice
Go out and find a flame
So you can warm it up again…

May you always have
somebody to depend on
And may your days be celebrations
And may there always be
an angel on your shoulder
To help the awkward situations
And if you love each other
You'll never need another love
When the whole wide world has
finally got you down,
She'll still be around

When it looks like trouble in paradise
When you're burnin' love that's cold as ice
Go out and find a flame
So you can warm it up again
When it looks like trouble in paradise
And you're burnin' love that's cold as ice
Go out and find the flame
So you can warm it up again...

The Advent of Time for Self-Examination: Abiding in God's Renewing Presence through the Now and the Not Yet

The season of Advent gives us pause for reflection in preparation to wait on the Lord in the presence of the Holy Spirit among us....

December 14 — When early Christianity spoke of the return of the Lord Jesus, they thought of a great day of judgment. Even though this thought may appear to us to be so unlike Christmas, it is original Christianity and to be taken extremely seriously. When we hear Jesus knocking, our conscience first of all pricks us: Are we rightly prepared? Is our heart capable of becoming God’s dwelling place? Thus Advent becomes a time of self-examination. — Dietrich Bonhoeffer

http://www.pcusa.org/pastorselders/dailyquote.htm#december14

For Such A Time As This.... Why Stay in the PC(USA)? -- PFR Article Two: Is There a Witness in the Church? [excerpt(s)/ed]

[It] is important for us to realize at this moment in our history.... among members [in] the Presbyterian Church (USA) there has never been a better time to be a true evangelical—a bearer of the Great News of the gospel.

The Presbyterian Church (USA) is not a lost cause. It is not a fraternity of faithless people or a hotbed of heresy. It is merely a reflection of our own spiritual neediness and our own Great Commission complacency.

...the Acts of the Apostles, and the dynamic witness of the contemporary Church throughout the developing world should remind us that the power of the Holy Spirit, unleashed in lives obedient to Christ, can redeem cities, and nations, and even denominations without breaking a sweat.

Read more... "Why Stay?" Article Two: "Is There a Witness in the Church?"

Written by Paul Detterman

Friday, 15 June 2007

Toward accurate interpretation of the PCUSA's positions, central convictions

FYI - In the interest of providing material(s) toward assisting those seeking to interpret accurately particular positions from central convictions of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in matters of faith and life, the Office of Theology and Worship has made the following resource available.

The Church’s One Foundation is Jesus Christ Her Lord

Prepared by the Office of Theology and Worship, General Assembly Council

The New Wineskins Association of Churches has raised significant questions about the faith and mission of the church that every Presbyterian should take seriously. NWAC has presented its case in "A Time for Every Purpose Under Heaven: Report of the Strategy Team of the New Wineskins Association of Churches." Unfortunately, in advancing their case New Wineskins has presented the positions of the PC(USA) inaccurately. As they consider the analysis of NWAC, all Presbyterians deserve to know the defined positions of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). Download this report.

http://www.pcusa.org/theologyandworship

http://www.pcusa.org/mgbconnect/pubs/wineskins-letter-brief.pdf

Reasons to Stay in the PC(USA)

"Why Stay? Twelve Reasons"

Written by PFR Issues Ministry

Monday, 23 April 2007

“All power in heaven and earth is given to Jesus Christ by Almighty God. Christ calls the Church into being, giving it all that is necessary for mission in the world….for the establishment and extension of his Kingdom.” “In affirming with the earliest Christians that Jesus is Lord, the Church confesses that he is its hope and that the Church, as Christ’s body, is bound to his authority and thus free to live in the lively, joyous reality of the grace of God.” These words are from the opening page of our Book of Order—unaffected by the will of any dissident or the action of any General Assembly. This is who we are ordained to be as members of the Body of Christ within the PC(USA). Some are questioning staying in the PC(USA). We do not minimize the problems in the denomination, and therefore we understand why some consider leaving for “greener pastures.” Even so, PFR finds compelling reasons to continue gospel ministry within the PC(USA) based on Scripture, present reality, and our hope in Jesus Christ. Twelve of these reasons are offered here. No attempt has been made to list them in order of importance. We invite you to weigh these before the Lord. God has placed an evangelical witness within our denomination. If you are considering leaving, remember there are many like-minded and evangelical people with you still in the PC(USA). If you leave, you are abandoning them and weakening the evangelical witness that remains. This is a good time to be an evangelical in the PC(USA). The Peace, Unity, and Purity Task Force report invites and provokes an evangelical witness through intentional presbytery participation, careful and thorough examination of candidates, and the exercise of the Bible’s call to speak the truth in love. We are not here by accident. We need to faithfully labor where we’ve been called and sent. In many different ways, God has called each of us to be part of the PC(USA). Is God now calling you to leave? Do you have God’s permission to leave your present post and go to another? Only you can answer this through fellowship with Christ in prayer. Theological and moral problems are not new. See the Apostle Paul’s letters and Revelation 2-3. Yet, I Corinthians, as an example, is addressed, “To the church of God that is in Corinth.” Though Paul urges the exercise of discipline, he never suggests that some should leave a flawed church. Church history instructs us that some of the greatest and most important controversies over theological and moral issues took time to be resolved. We are called to maintain our convictions with patience and with hopeful endurance, trusting God to bring resolution in his time. Sessions still control all finances of the local congregation (including per capita) and are free under our constitution to exercise faithful stewardship. The PC(USA) affirms and encourages women in leadership and in all forms of ministry, affirming this as nothing less than God’s intent for the growth and well-being of the church and our witness to the whole gospel. Networks of support and nurture for smaller congregations are a reality in the PC(USA). Further, there are many opportunities for smaller congregations to work together in mission and witness, and God is using these for renewal. The PC(USA) is itself a mission field, and the fields are ripe for harvest. When our eyes are on Jesus Christ and our lives are focused on proclaiming him, there is excitement in being on the front line for the Kingdom of God. Why would we leave a mission field, especially one we know quite well? A fresh missional focus is growing in the PC(USA) as can be seen in the Presbyterian Global Fellowship, in the work of PC(USA) mission organizations, and in thriving congregations which reach out locally and globally. God is at work in our midst and there is excitement in being part of that work! Fresh winds are blowing in our seminaries, including new models of training offered by evangelical scholars, pastors, and congregations. These hold great promise for the future, both immediate and long-range. We remain free to preach and teach Jesus Christ, his atoning sacrifice, the reality of the Resurrection, and the truth and authority of the whole Word of God. On that first Easter morning, some of the disciples, forgetting the teachings of Jesus, left Jerusalem in despair too soon. (Luke 24:13ff.) But all was not lost. Their greatest hope was about to be fulfilled beyond their wildest dreams! We pray that no one will leave the PC(USA) too soon. If you are considering leaving the PC(USA) now, please consider these questions: Through prayer and discernment, do you sense God calling you to leave? Are you being restricted from preaching Jesus Christ and fulfilling the ministry the Lord has given you? Will you experience greater gospel freedom through different affiliation? Why? Can you envision that God wants to use you in the redemptive and transforming work of Jesus Christ in the PC(USA)? It is our hope that these reflections will help you as you prayerfully consider the way forward in God’s call and in God’s love. Our website (www.pfrenewal.org) will carry further elaborations of these and related issues throughout the coming weeks and months. The PFR Issues Ministry Elder Jim Cahalan (Edmond, OK), Rev. Paul Detterman (Louisville, KY), Rev. Kevin Ford (Cambridge, MA) Rev. Henry Greene (Merced, CA), Rev. Hurmon Hamilton (Roxbury, MA )Rev. James Harper (Houston, TX), Elder Camille Josey (Atlanta, GA), Rev. Mike Loudon (Lakeland, FL), Elder Nancy Maffett (Colorado Springs, CO), Rev. Donna Marsh (Bethesda, MD), Elder Nabeel Saoud (Canoga Park., CA), Rev. Tracie Stewart (Statesville, NC), Rev. Bill Teng (Alexandria, VA), Rev. Chris Yim (Germantown, MD) Presbyterians for Renewal w 8134 New LaGrange Rd., #227 w Louisville, KY 40222 w 502.425.4630 w www.pfrenewal.org

Ministering with Children and Families in Postmodern Culture

Pastoral Perspective—On Spiritual Formation for Children and Families: Mission and Ministry within Postmodern Generations

Listen my people,
mark each word.
I begin with a story,
I speak of mysteries
welling up from ancient depths,
heard and known from our elders.
We must not hide
this story from our children
but tell the mighty works
and all the wonders of God.[1]
—Psalm 78:1-4

In the introduction to her book, Postmodern Children’s Ministry, Dr. Ivy Beckwith asks questions such as the following:

In what ways does the children’s ministry of the church need to change in order to meet the needs of the emerging culture of the 21st century? What does it mean for a community of faith to take seriously its responsibility to spiritually nurture… children and families?[2]

Are we relying on programs and curriculum to introduce [our] children to God? Or are we instead called to equip and empower families to introduce children to God? Are we more concerned about attracting folks to go to church, or being the church that goes out to be with and come alongside them in mission and ministry with children and families?
These are questions we must wrestle with if we are to be faithful as a missional people of God in the new millennial context of our culture. Dr. Beckwith continues on with her evolving observations in research and analyses in conversations with others in her field of Christian Education and Children’s Ministry….

The church’s ministry to children is broken. …it’s broken when the church tells parents that its programs can spiritually nurture their children better than they can, [thereby allowing] them to abdicate their responsibility to spiritually form their children. A church program can’t spiritually form a child, but a family living in [the context of] an intergenerational community of faith can.[3]

As the Psalmist goes on to say….

Let future generations learn
and let them grow up
to teach their young
to trust in God.[4]
—Psalm 78:6-7a

May the Lord enable us to abound in good works of grace for such as the littlest of these in God’s family.

Pastor Rex


[1] The Psalter (Chicago: Liturgy Training Publications, 1995).
[2] Ivy Beckwith, Postmodern Children’s Ministry, (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2004), p. 12.
[3] Ivy Beckwith, Postmodern Children’s Ministry, (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2004), p. 13-14.
[4] The Psalter (Chicago: Liturgy Training Publications, 1995).


Ivy Beckwith: Postmodern Children's Ministry: Ministry to Children in the 21st Century Church

Called to Worship

Whatever else God calls us to, we are called to worship, to do so together,and to do so in the promised company of Jesus Christ. It is in worship that our lives are expressed before God and informed and converted by God’s Word. It is in worship that through song, prayer, and preaching, our theology is formed, our discipleship encouraged, and our spirits nourished. In worship we reach out to touch the hem of Christ’s garment and find that, instead of touching the hem, we are being offered the grace of God by word of mouth and gift of hand.

From the Book of Common Order of the Church of Scotland, St. Andrew Press, Edinburgh, 1994, p. ix.