Worship Songs that Have Reached Their Best-Before Date

At the risk of putting words into peoples’ mouths, this morning after church one of the worship leaders was speaking with me about chord structure, and the she started say, “There’s only 7 notes in the scale…” and then we got interrupted. I think I know where she was going with this. It’s the argument that all the possible songs have been written.

While I disagree with that premise, I think it’s more accurate that God is writing new songs on the hearts of people that have a style that is unique to these times. There is a certain freshness about them, and congregations recognize this and their response is often gratitude for the worship atmosphere that can be created by using new songs.

Personally, the songs I would want to sing, and the songs I would want to teach to your congregation if I were there, are the type of songs which rose to prominence in the wake of the Asbury Revival in the Spring of 2023. My own outlook on the type of song I gravitate to, and the type of song which resonates with me personally, have that feel to them.

But today, I want to talk about how we can tell when the opposite is happening; when a particular song chosen is just plain old. The example I’m thinking of is Heaven Came Down and Glory Filled My Soul.

While it’s treated as a hymn by many, it is of recent enough vintage (1961) that it is a precursor to our modern age of choruses (albeit with a verse/chorus structure) which kicks in more fully around 1970. The point is that it’s now 63 years, but modern enough that Hymnary.org can’t include the lyrics because of strict copyright enforcement. (That’s a subject for another discussion, okay?)

There are three ways this hymn is problematic in today’s worship environment: Musically, lyrically and theologically.

Musically — Simply, it’s written in 6/8 time; which is a variant on 3/4 time or  ‘waltz time.’ This immediately dates the song. It sounds old. There are some we sing today, like In Christ Alone, and Jesus Paid it All, but the former belongs to the Modern Hymns movement, and the latter, in its current version, is simply a derivative of an old hymn. (Derivatives are a whole other discussion.) The best exception is Be Unto Your Name by Robin Mark (although he is also very closely connected to where today’s Mod. Hymns movement began.)

Lyrically — I’m not referring to the idea that this is a song of testimony while most of our songs today are vertical worship. Not for a minute. I think we’ve spent a long time in vertical worship and we need to get back to proclamation and testimony. (If you want to use the “all the songs have been written” line, you’d get more sympathy from me on this issue!) Rather, look at the line, “Riches eternal and blessings super’nal…”. That last word –the intended word is “supernatural”– uses a contraction quite common in 19th Century and early 20th Century poetry that we just don’t use anymore. (The intended word is “supernatural.”) It dates the piece.

Theological — Here my particular focus is the line, “And the transaction so quickly was made.” The idea relates to soteriology, a branch of theology that studies the salvation process. While there is a transactional element — an invisible transaction at that — it invokes only one of five or six models of atonement theory which describe more fully the totality of all that takes place on the cross, to cleanse us from sin, to be part of the completed work of Christ when he says “It is finished,” to deliver us from the penalty of death, and to point us to living a new life in a new way in which we will live eternally. In the present theological climate, there is push-back against seeing our moment of salvation as strictly transactional. We can teach our children a simplified salvation model, but we need to see beyond something that is just contractual. Our worship should better express something that is more covenantal and something which we can sing collectively rather than focus too much on any individual experience; something that goes past what He did for me and fixes our goal on how I will live for Him.

…It is for these reasons, I would see the song in question as dated. It has reached it’s best-before date, or for you in the UK, it’s sell-by date. That doesn’t mean we never can call it back for a particular usage, but we need to consider our audience, and consider its theological limits.

How might this type of rigorous examination apply to songs which are on constant repeat where you worship?

 

Parents are robbing their children of a faith heritage

If you’re like me, you grew up with two Sunday services (or ‘big church’) plus Sunday school. There was possibly a mid-week club or youth group included in the mix.

While the Sunday evening service is now a relic in most places, weekend worship is otherwise still available as are weeknight options for kids and youth. For most of us, that weekend day is Sunday, and it’s the centerpiece of local church life.

The problem is, some families simply never returned after the pandemic.

And it’s their kids who are being shortchanged.

Sadly, many parents didn’t send the message, by example, to their children that church attendance is important. And it’s true that nowhere does it say, in so few words, ‘You must attend church each week.’ (Roman Catholics excepted.) However, without substituting a solid in-home Christian Education component, without family prayer times (separate from saying a blessing at meals), without the model of a parent sitting in a chair reading the Bible; families have lessened the importance of God in everyday life, and relationship with Him through His son Jesus. Their kids are entering adulthood without a basic knowledge of the scriptures or an elementary understanding of basic Christian doctrine. The kids are facing adulthood with it ingrained that spiritual life is just not that important.

I’m currently reading The Great De-Churching, and the numbers are staggering. But long before starting the book, I knew from many conversations that many families were not making the effort to return to congregational life. And I knew that many of these had children and teenagers.

From my image files: The interior of an abandoned church is seen on September 5, 2013 in Detroit, Michigan. From the Huffington Post.

The middle of next month — long before we even get to Easter — will mark four years since the lockdown of March, 2020.  As soon as it was possible to regather, many churches did. Told by the local Health Unit there couldn’t be congregational singing, my wife Ruth taught her church how to worship in sign language!  Where there’s a will…

But the numbers who returned were much fewer than those who had gathered before; and churches have waited and waited for the return and it never happened. Many churches have closed altogether.

From my perspective, this is compounded by lack of interest in Christian resources on parenting, and books to aid Christian parents in the journey. The Christian bookstore where I hang out a couple of days a week offers a half-price sales in its parenting section, and even that isn’t enough to interest parents in browsing the shelves. Yes, we do sell Bibles for kids, but even there, the interest is not what it was.

Does a child or teenager in your sphere of influence own an age-appropriate Bible?

This isn’t about keeping the church doors open. This is about an entire cohort of kids who are slipping away, and further, when they become parents, they won’t have the disciplines of corporate worship and service to guide them in teaching their children the same.

This is about a generation on a collision course with a life and a world without God.

The above is taken from a Wall Street Journal article about European Cathedrals being sold off, this one, the Roman Catholic Church of St. Joseph in Holland was re-purposed as a skateboard park. Is this our future as well?

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Related — From the Archives:

August 3, 2018: Secularism: Coming Soon to a Continent Near You

August 4, 2018: Secularization in Europe: Where it Begins

March 3, 2020: What’s Your Bible Memory Score?

March 19. 2023: Table Topics – Devotional at C201

 

Digging a Little Deeper From the creator of Thinking Out Loud, check out Christianity 201. Guaranteed distraction-free faith blogging with fresh posts every day since April 1st, 2010. www.Christianity201.wordpress.com

Church Through the Lens of People of Other Faiths

This morning I shared this story with the author of a recent piece in Christianity Today on the subject of Church technology and lighting. I was going to just copy and paste it from the blog, and realized that I’d only mentioned it here in passing, and that was over ten years ago. It’s a chapter in the life of our family that has stuck with Ruth and I, so since I was writing it out anyway, here it is for your consideration…

Several years ago our family was visiting a megachurch located on the western edge of Greater Toronto. It wasn’t our first time. They had good music and preaching. The worship was augmented by a system of LED spotlights and rope lights running the length of the auditorium, all color coordinated.

A family of five sat down in front of us. Toronto is ethnically diverse and religiously pluralistic, so I’m safe in saying that their religious background was possibly Hindu, and it was their first time in this type of Evangelical church. Even though I was visiting, I decided I would speak to them afterward, in case no one else did.

Gathering our things after the benediction I noticed they were making their way to the aisle and getting away faster than I hoped, but instead of walking to the exit, they were walking forward. Fortunately, a volunteer leader (with name tag) from the church was also aware and went over to greet them. I hovered for just a few seconds, long enough to hear the following exchange.

What do you think his first question was?

“What do the colors mean?”

Wow! I think the volunteer was caught off guard a bit, but he laughed and said, “Well, nothing really, just aesthetics.”

But that was their question.

From their religious perspective, that was the unanswered mystery of first importance.

It got me thinking about the things we do in church, and how they might be perceived, and the question of lighting in general. What secondary messages are we sending, and what things do we do, that seem intentional, but serve no purpose, and reach their destination like the proverbial blank email?

 

 

Theology and MAiD

In our part of the world MAiD or MAID refers to “Medical Assistance in Dying.” It possibly goes by a different name where you live.

Over the past few years I’ve been increasingly sharing my blog platform here, and especially at our sister blog with Ruth who is now an ordained pastor in a longstanding Canadian denomination. When she told me about this project, I offered to make it available to our audience here as well. Note that this is much longer than regular articles that appear on this site.

by Ruth Wilkinson

I have a friend who works at a hospice — a medical facility dedicated to the care of people who are dying. The hospice also provides support to people who choose to take this journey in their homes, with visitation, equipment, nursing, counselling. The purpose of palliative work is to allow people to die with as little suffering as possible, with the support they and their families need, and according to their own choice.

It can be argued that the purpose of MAiD is the same–support, dignity, the reduction of suffering. These two options (hospice and MAiD) lie before many of us as we age, or when we receive a diagnosis of terminal illness. As a pastor, if I am called to walk with people through their end-of-life decisions (insofar as they allow me), it is something I want to do well. And something I want to help them to do well.

Traditionally, the Church has condemned actions that end life before nature has taken its course. Intervention that speeds the process has been decried. Culturally, we’ve invested tremendous resources in extending life through treatment, medication, and equipment.

For many people, MAiD seems counter-intuitive. For some it just seems wrong. For those of us working through the question, I’ve put together this paper on the most common (in my experience) concerns and objections. These are questions that, I suggest, we would be wise to think through for ourselves, and to answer in community. I will include some quotes from other people, edited for anonymity.

These thoughts are not intended to answer the question, “Should I?” I hope instead to provide some resources for those trying to answer the question for themselves, or to engage well in conversation with others. This writing is neither prescriptive nor definitive. It is simply a tool for informing the conversation.

1. Is MAiD suicide? Is it murder?

• “Does the Bible say we are not to take a life and our body is the temple of God?”
• “I think I believe it’s taking a life, which is ultimately murder. But it’s a tough one because I’ve seen patients that suffer so brutally…”
• “Only God has the power of life and death. When you choose to end your life, you’re breaking the Sixth Commandment “Thou shalt not kill.””
• “I’m ok with ‘pulling the plug’ but it seems different from MAiD.”
• “Does anywhere in the Bible tell us that this is wrong? I don’t consider it murder or suicide, it is a medical decision.”
• “Even the victims of crucifixion had their legs broken to speed death.”

Suicide and murder are strong language that evokes strong emotions.

If we define ‘suicide’ as “the act of killing oneself intentionally,” then it applies to MAiD. As the Canadian process stands at this writing, it is an option that can only be chosen by an individual for themselves. No one can choose MAiD for someone else. There are restrictions on who may assist the applicant in filling out the forms (an attempt at preventing conflict-of-interest, or undue influence). More than one medical confirmation of untreatable illness must be obtained. And the applicant must be (unless they specify the exception in legal documents) conscious at the time of administration, and therefore able to change their mind at the last minute. MAiD is not eugenics or non-voluntary euthanasia. It is a choice one makes for oneself to speed an acute and terminal illness to its end.

If we define ‘murder’ as “the crime of intentionally killing a person,” then legally MAiD is not murder, because it is not a crime. But crime and sin are not synonymous. Some things that are morally wrong are not illegal (for example, adultery). For doctors and nurses involved in administering MAiD, the act is seen as a medical treatment, chosen by the patient. One hopes that, from their perspective, the system is designed to prevent them from being pressured into unwillingly taking part. But medical professionals have, historically, often spoken out for the right of patients to make end-of-life choices, especially in cases of untreatable degenerative or terminal illness. One may legitimately ask whether it constitutes murder if it has been clearly, calmly, and unwaveringly requested by the recipient. For the one administering the treatment, the choice must be made according to conscience.

The distinction from “pulling the plug” should be considered, as well. If a patient is being kept breathing by a machine, removing them from the machine allows their body to exercise its own agency: to decide whether to keep going or not. In that case, often the greater question is whether we should be put on the machines in the first place. For families who have to decide to “pull the plug,” the choice is made on behalf of someone other than themselves, which brings its own challenges and trauma including dealing with disagreement between siblings, spouse, or children. But according to our definitions, it constitutes neither suicide nor murder.

(As an aside, I think it interesting to ask why we are more comfortable with scheduling the beginning of a lifetime (eg, C-sections and inductions) than with scheduling an ending? If God has power over life and death, I wonder whether that is an inconsistency.)

2. What does the Bible say about suicide?

There is no simple, clear commandment that says, “Thou shalt not…” on this question. We look instead for the examples of people written about in the Bible. There are several who committed suicide. In chronological order:

Samson (Judges 16) – Samson was a judge in Israel, and filled with the Holy Spirit from his youth. He died by collapsing a building on himself and the enemies of God. Samson’s death was a complex act of humility, of repentance, and of hatred. As I understand it, in his self-sacrifice he sought to fulfill his calling and to seek atonement for his lack of faithfulness.

Abimelech (Judges 9) – Abimelech was one of Gideon’s many sons. He wanted to rule Israel, and tried to achieve this by killing his brothers. In the resulting civil war, Abimelech was fatally wounded, but commanded a servant finish him off so that “…they can’t say, “A woman killed [me].”” As I understand it, Abimelech’s choice was one fuelled by arrogance and made necessary by his own bad choices.

Saul, and his armour bearer (1 Sam 31) – King Saul chose death over defeat. His army was defeated by the Philistines, and Saul, critically wounded, fell on his own sword rather than be captured and tortured. His armour bearer, seeing Saul dead, did the same. In the former case, Saul died to avoid further suffering. In the latter, the man killed himself because all hope was lost. As I understand it, Saul’s capture might, arguably, have made things worse for Israel. A dead king is bad enough, but a tortured and humiliated king is different. His motives may have been mixed. The armour-bearer, who would have been with Saul in every battle and unquestioningly loyal, followed his king into the inevitable.

Ahitophel (2 Sam 17) – Ahitophel was a traitor against King David, supporting the insurgency of Absalom. When Ahitophel realized that his cause was lost and that David would regain the throne, he “saddled his donkey and set out for his house in his hometown. He put his affairs in order and hanged himself.” Ahitophel decided that his life was over, took the time to organize, and then killed himself. As I understand it, Ahitophel had gambled for power, and lost. In a game where the winner takes all and has the hold of life and death over the loser, he chose the manner in which he would pay the price. He didn’t see the possibility that David might forgive him, as he did another betrayer, Shimei.

Zimri (1 Kings 16) – Zimri was a short-lived king of Israel, having taken the throne by assassination. The people rejected his rule, naming Omri King instead. Zimri was besieged by the Israelite army and, rather than surrendering, he burned down the citadel of the royal palace with himself inside. As I understand it, Zimri’s death was a (perhaps accidental) consequence of his own evil actions and pride.

Judas (Matt 27) – Judas’ death is, I think, the most sad. Having betrayed Jesus to the authorities and seeing that the end result was likely to be Jesus’ death, Judas tried to atone by returning the money and declaring Jesus’ innocence. When his gesture was rejected, he hanged himself. Judas’ suicide was (like Ahitophel’s) premature. Neither considered the possibility of grace (Jesus forgave Peter, who had also betrayed Him). Like Samson’s death, Judas’ motives were mixed but coloured by repentance. As I understand it, Judas’ death was a tragic error.

We are created in the image of God. That imbues us with undeniable value. We are treasured by the one who created us, and who is the “giver of all good things.” A significant portion of Scripture is filled with lament and the reality of human suffering. God’s inspiration of the writers, and of those who compiled the authoritative body of the Bible, does not shy away from honesty around physical and mental suffering. But the examples of people in Scripture who took their own lives centre on questionable motives and a failure of hope.

From another perspective, one might consider the deaths of people like Paul and Peter, who chose death over the denial of their faith in Christ. For many, there are things more important than the next breath. For some people, that includes sparing their loved ones the sight of their suffering, or the roller-coaster ride of medical crises. Choosing to die is, I think, never easy. But for some it is the lesser of evils.

3. If I choose MAiD, will I go to hell?

• “Growing up in a mostly Catholic culture, we were taught that suicide was a particularly heinous sin. People weren’t even buried in consecrated ground, because they died unshriven and guilty of the worst act–self-murder. Even though now I can’t find anything in the Bible to support that, I can’t shake the feeling that suicide might keep me out of Heaven.”
• “As [a friend receiving MAiD] said to me, “There’s no light at the end of this tunnel. I miss my wife and want to be in Heaven with her now.””

Many of us have, consciously or not, an uncertain understanding of how to “get into Heaven.”

Many believe that they will go to Heaven if they have lived a good life: one of more good done than bad. Of more innocence than guilt.

For one who, like myself, holds to a largely Evangelical theology, going to Heaven after death is instead a continuation of the relationship begun with Christ in this life.

Believers in other branches of Christianity have a theory of salvation that sees some sins as worse than others. Among the worst is the ending of life, and they might be concerned that if the last thing they do in this life is to end a life, there will be dire consequences.

But does sin keep us out of Heaven? Yes and no.

The sinfulness with which we are all born is a barrier to relationship with God. Whether one accepts the idea of ‘orginal sin’ (ie a congenital state of alienation from God) or not, there is little argument that human beings are incapable of living this life without breaking God’s moral or spiritual law. We are not capable of living a life that is pure. That sinfulness–that condition–if not dealt with through engaging with Christ’s forgiving work of dying on the cross to pay the cost, will keep us ‘out of Heaven.’

For the believer in Christ–the follower of Jesus–the cost of our sinfulness has been paid. Our relationship with God has been assured. If we, for example, tell a lie while talking on the phone crossing the street and get hit by a bus, that lie will not keep us ‘out of Heaven.’ God takes lying very seriously. Liars are included in the list of people who will not inherit eternal life, along with “the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters” (Revelation 21:8). But our relationship status carries greater weight than any one act of sinfulness.

It’s true that even within our new identity within Christ’s family, we still do things that are wrong. But “… a person is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no one will be justified” (Galatians 2:16). The principle Paul is teaching here is that we cannot earn our way to Heaven. Nor can we earn our way to Hell. Our identity in Christ–His forgiving work–is what matters. (Suicide is not the “unforgiveable sin.” That phrase comes from Mark 3:29: “…whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; they are guilty of an eternal sin.”)

I would suggest that dying by MAiD does not decide one’s eternal destiny. That decision is not made by one act (either of personal atonement or of sin), but by one’s relationship to Christ — ”I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20). “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For in Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set you free from the law of sin and death” (Romans 8:1-2). Jesus said, “Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life” (John 5:24).

4. Does the Bible speak to the question of MAiD as it is currently practiced in Canada?

• “I want to learn more about God’s Word so that I could defend my belief that MAiD is not sinning (or find sufficient evidence that it is).”
• “I don’t think there is any advantage to this kind of (prolonged) suffering.”
• “As Evangelical Christians, we have always valued the dignity of life. But, how does the dignity of choice fit into that?”
• “If it’s ok for me to end my dog’s suffering and have her euthanized, then why should a human not have the same courtesy? I feel that although medical discoveries can prolong lives, sometimes it’s not the best thing.”
• “In the church we have ideas as to what it means to say “it is appointed unto man to die,” or “our lives are in God’s hands.” It is as though these statements preempt the action under discussion.”
• “But if we truly believe that God can perform miracles and is in control, then it wouldn’t make sense.”

As I’ve said above… no. The Bible doesn’t speak of suicide specifically. But there are a few passages that are quoted in discussions around MAiD.

I’ll look at some of those here:

Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honour God with your bodies. (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)

The context of this passage is sexual purity. The broader New Testament perspective on our physicality is that it matters. We are not just ‘spirits in bodies.’ Our physical, earthly existence was created by God to be a blessing to the rest of Creation as we worked to multiply His image and His holiness on the planet of which we are a part. When we defile our bodies, we defile His image–the image that dwells in His temple. This passage reminds us of our individual, unique physicalness and the responsibility we have for wearing it well.

So… it could be argued that there is a principle here, of “honouring God with our bodies” that would preclude harming them or ending life.

But… for the believer in Christ there is the hope that these bodies will, like Christ’s own, be made new and incorruptible in eternity. That might suggest that, when this body has failed irretrievably, choosing to lay it to rest is not the worst thing we can do.

At the same time, the decisions we make about our bodies impact other people. “You are not your own” is here reminding us of Christ’s work, but in other passages, we’re reminded of our responsibility to each other. Principles like, “…do not think of yourself more highly than you ought” (Romans 12:3), “…in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests, but each of you to the interests of the others” (Philippians 2:3-4), “…submit to one another out of reverence for Christ” (Ephesians 5:21). Even the Beatitudes (Blessed are the poor in spirit… Blessed are the meek (Matthew 5:3ff)) challenge us to consider the impact of our decisions on the people in our lives.

Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person; for God’s temple is sacred, and you together are that temple. (1 Corinthians 3:16-17)

This passage may seem very similar to the one above, but the context is quite different. Here, Paul is talking about unity and divisiveness in the Church. The “you” he is talking to is the collective of all of us. We are, all together, God’s temple and dwelling place. The temple we are to preserve is the Church. As a small part of a larger ‘body,’ our actions impact the other parts. Our examples speak to our sisters and brothers. The values we embody inform the faith journey of those who surround and come after us. How we live and die speak of what we believe, and who we believe in.

Just as people are destined (some translations: appointed) to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him. (Hebrews 9:27-28)

The context here is the completeness of Christ’s work on the cross. The language of being “appointed” to die does not carry the suggestion of a set time of meeting. It refers to the inevitability of death, and the fact that our earthly bodies can die only once.

Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. (Psalm 139:16)

The context here is the completeness of God’s knowledge. He knows beforehand all of days we will live, and that are recorded or formed for us. The writer reflects on the fact that there will be an end to our days. The text doesn’t require that the duration of those days be dictated by God, but reminds us that He is intimately and lovingly aware of our experience.

Into Your hands I commit my spirit; You have redeemed me, O LORD, God of truth…

But I trust in You, O LORD; I say, “You are my God.” My times are in Your hands; deliver me from my enemies and from those who pursue me. Psalm 31:5, 14-15

The context here is one’s trust in God for deliverance from enemies. The writer is calling God’s people to have courage, and to trust Him. Illness and dying are, indeed, enemies. 

5. If someone in my family or my church chooses MAiD, how should I respond?

• “Christians are compassionate (or should be) about neglect, poverty, homelessness, war, etc. Why would they not be compassionate about this kind of suffering too?”
• “It must be hard knowing the hour! I think it is a courageous choice to leave life well.”
• “I have seen the indignities that people suffer because our culture believes that quantity > quality.”
• “I have traditionally been against MAiD of any kind, for any reason. However, as I’ve been journeying with and learning from people (Christ-followers and not) who have navigated this in their families, I am left with less certainty.”
• “People are living and wrestling with huge decisions in the tension. How we care well for people, respect people, and love people with compassion matters.”
• “[Name] died yesterday with the help of MAiD. They had been diagnosed a few months ago as having maximum six months to a year before dying ‘naturally’ after suffering through the decay of their quality of life.”
• “I don’t think any of us can know what is in the dying person’s heart and head during their journey to MAiD. I don’t believe there is anything Biblical either affirming or precluding MAiD.”
• “Of course if someone accesses MAiD, there will be issues following for the network of family and friends to come to terms with, even if they have been part of the journey.”

“In everything, then, do to others as you would have them do to you. For this is the essence of the Law and the Prophets.” (Matthew 7:12) Jesus’ command to us is to respond to others in a spirit of humility and empathy.

If someone chooses MAiD, our responsibility is to respond to them as we would to someone who is in pain and fear, and who is grieving for all they have lost. People who have reached the threshold of making the MAiD decision are dealing with some of the worst that life can hand us.

Respond with sensitivity and love. Go as far with them on the journey as they invite you, and as far as you are comfortable. Death impacts those of us left behind as well as those of us departing.

Be kind to yourself. Not everyone is comfortable being in the room at the moment of death. That’s ok. Seek the support you, as an ally or griever, need. Be aware that the passing of someone you love, or even just know, is a source of trauma, and different people are impacted differently in those experiences. Permission is granted to say ‘no’ if you need to. But say it graciously.

Conclusion:

We can all hope to die as David did–peacefully of old age, having given his blessing and final words to his family, and having kept his promises and served God faithfully by ruling Israel for forty years (1 Kings 2). When that is not our experience, we may have a decision to make.

In making that decision, we need to consider among other things:

• Our relationship with God in Christ.
• Our view on miraculous healing.
• The perspective of those who love us.
• Our motivation for either ending our suffering, or for enduring through it.

Our trust in God to catch us when we stumble across the line, whether or not of our own volition.

Brant Hansen’s Unique Audience

Review: Life is Hard. God is Good. Let’s Dance. by Brant Hansen

The elephant in the room is that I am at an age, and have tracked enough years in Christian life and service where I should be reading and reviewing serious authors, right?

I’ll own that. Looking back over the books reviewed here, which occupy seven shelves of an Ikea bookshelf, there are things that, working in Christian book marketing as I did, seemed so important and relevant then and seem completely frivolous and unimportant now. And there are also places on those bookshelves that I wish were occupied with other more philosophical or analytical authors.

But long after reaching that conclusion, I found myself requesting a review copy of Brant Hansen’s new book, Life is Hard…  I think I’m only missing one of his titles on that shelf and I doubt any of them will ever be on the reading list for a seminary course, but I knew that interesting content was guaranteed.

I’m not a fan of the title. Or the cover. It’s pure Brant, but I don’t know how well it will score at the box office, so speak. Especially if they hope to attract new readers. But they say you can’t judge a book by its mirror ball.

What I would normally do here is give you an overview of the book, perhaps even an short excerpt or two. But that wasn’t how I read it. Instead, I found myself thinking over and over about the unique voice that God has given Brant Hansen, and the unique audience to which he gets to speak.

Brant is a Christian radio guy. Not a pastor. Not a theologian. Not a Christian academic. He’s an example of the people God can use, and the fact you “don’t have to be a ______” for God to work through you. But Brant’s not even a normal Christian radio guy. He’s a person on the spectrum who has to constantly remind his podcast and radio listeners to give it time if they find the humor too dry or too quirky.

The ones who make the investment eventually get rewarded. If it’s been more than a week, and I need something to put a smile on my face, I look up the podcast, which consists of liners sent out to radio stations to use between songs. Thought pieces. Stream-of-consciousness rambling with Sherry Lynn, his producer.

That’s right. There isn’t a definitive example of The Brant Hansen Show. In some markets it might be the usual Christian hit fare; in others it might lean more to alternative Christian music; and perhaps there’s a station where it’s a mix of Christian and mainstream music. In most markets local announcers often have to break in for traffic, weather or contests. But nothing I just said really describes The Brant Hansen Show, so take 2 minutes to watch this.

You see? Different. But at some point I need to satisfy Brant’s publisher — Thomas Nelson — that I did in fact read the book they sent. Which I did. Every chapter. So let’s do that.

Life is Hard… continues a now well-established pattern in Brant’s books. He finds spiritual illustrations in the everyday — and the not so commonplace — but also shares a significant number of hope-filled illustrations from his travels around the world on behalf of CURE International, where Brant’s official position is “storyteller.”

And that mirror ball? Brant says that

God has a modus operandi, a style, which He uses all the time. He uses the humble. He uses the little things, the seemingly unimpressive, overlooked things to do the marvelous. He enjoys it. He loves real parties with real hospitality, where outsiders are treated like insiders. So I’m honestly trying, in my own halting fashion, to make his style my style. 

Life is Hard… goes on sale today in North America in paperback. 

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• Also, for Brant Hansen fans who enjoyed his book The Men We Need, a student edition, The (Young) Men We Need, aimed at boys 14 and over, goes on sale in March.

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A copy of Life is Hard… was provided by HarperCollins Christian Products Canada. Thanks as always to Dave and Mark for keeping me in the loop!

Catching Up with Readers

Has it really been eight weeks since I posted anything here? I thought you might like a short personal update.

First of all, even though I don’t post much here anymore, I’m delighted — and somewhat amazed — to report that last weekend our affiliate blog, Christianity 201 marked 5,000 consecutive daily posts; some of which I wrote, and others of which were begged, borrowed or… (well, you know how that phrase ends). That includes weekends, holidays, and… (okay, now I run the risk of boasting).

What I greatly appreciate about having this body of devotionals is that now I can do topical searches or scripture reference searches and find material right at my own blog. 

It has now surpassed Thinking Out Loud by at least 80 posts at the time this is being written. While I don’t know how long I’ll keep C201 going, I am grateful to God for being able to take it this far.

You can catch the obligatory self-congratulatory post at this link.

The other news — and if your doctrine is complementarian, feel free to skip this part — is that my wife, Ruth Wilkinson graduated in the spring with a MTS (Master of Theological Studies) degree from Tyndale Seminary in Toronto in May, and then in September was hired by a local church as their interim pastor, and was ordained in November by the Canadian Baptists of Ontario and Quebec (CBOQ) denomination.

She also continues he advocacy for the homeless, which is now part of the broader, nightly news landscape as encampments in our two towns — our lives encompass two adjacent communities — and the larger city to the north of us become the object of daily reporting.

You can catch her writing at C201.

Finally, for very longtime readers here, Kid One and Kid Too are doing fine, now 32 and 29 respectively and serving the purposes of God in their generation.

Consider this my Christmas letter to you!

Heaven: Reconsidering What We’ve Been Taught

Review: What if Jesus was Serious about Heaven by Skye Jethani

Having reviewed two previous books in this series here and here, I’m no stranger to the format, and perhaps that is why I found the use of short 3-page chapters and “napkin doodle” illustrations especially effective in this fourth book in the series.

For those of us who grew up in church, Heaven is something we were told about, but as our capacities for theological understanding grew with age, we often had to unlearn some aspects of things and go through a process of relearning. The game changer for me was the 530-page book Heaven by Randy Alcorn, or perhaps I should confess, the 310-page abridgement of it, 50 Days of Heaven.

In his new book, Skye Jethani is inviting readers to take those very first baby steps toward renovating their ideas about what awaits Christ followers when this life has ended, though surprisingly Alcorn wasn’t listed anywhere in the footnotes.

Really, all four books in this series are primers for the topics covered, but there is just enough edginess as to challenge more seasoned readers, especially with the last title (about the church) and this one. This does make me wish that Skye had, along with each title, issued a ‘Notes Edition,’ or a ‘Director’s Cut’ describing the underlying theological study which is definitely there, but lurking in the background.

The book is divided into five sections which look at the reality of eternity which has already begun; the use of parables in Christ’s teaching about eternity; the already-present nature of Christ’s kingdom in contrast to our own; the cross as the means of entry into his Kingdom; and the physical and spiritual characteristics of the new earth.

It’s important to say that for all that the 40-plus short chapters here have to teach us, there is an equal or greater number of things about heaven not covered.

In contrast to the previous three books, I think this time the enormity of the topic demanded greater depth than the series format affords. In other words, in the absence of the aforementioned “director’s cut,” I felt this treatment to be too limited to either (a) do justice to the topic, or (b) allow sufficient space for people to reconsider long-held opinions on the topic.

Then there is the problem of writing about heaven in general. For many, the urgent question is, ‘What happens when I die?’ The question may involve theological speculation, or might reflect a genuine concern for what happens next. The book’s wide swaths on various aspects of heaven might not satisfy some people’s desire for a road map to the next life.

Some of those concerns are dismissed as irrelevant or resulting from a misreading or mis-translation of scripture texts, but even the book’s viewpoint has to allow for some transitional stages between the world as we know it and a future world.

Then there is the question of what some scholars call “ECT” for “eternal conscious torment.” The book envisions the day when weeping and crying are no more, and earthly kingdoms have become the kingdom of Christ. So does the author discount a belief in “hell” as it’s often been taught? That’s implied where it might have been directly stated.

Ditto the rapture. Like many others I believe that teaching about rapture doctrine is going to eventually — if the world continues that long — be regarded as a tiny blip on the timeline of Evangelical history. I think Skye Jethani believes this as well, but it’s more implied than declared. I wonder if the publishers felt that an overt statement might be too shocking for their Evangelical base. The presentation here, an eschatology sans-rapture was something I found hinted at more in the introduction than the body of the book itself.

Finally, the book cries out for a concluding chapter, something slightly longer written in the same spirit as the introduction. Instead, the book ends extremely abruptly; I would suspect far too abruptly for some readers, who might have found long-held beliefs shaken to the core, and are simply cast adrift at the end of chapter 41.

But it’s that very reason I think the book is worthy of consideration. Through his visibility with The Holy Post Podcast and his previous writing with Christianity Today, Skye Jethani has a following, and this book could be a significant turning point in lifelong convictions about heaven, hell and the afterlife in general.

If one slightly re-tweaks the title as What if Jesus was Serious about The Kingdom of God, or What if Jesus was Serious about The Kingdom of Heaven then it also could form the basis of an excellent small group study, where the focus is kingdom, and the afterlife is a secondary topic along for the ride.

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Thanks to our friends at Graf-Martin Communications for a review copy of WIJWSAH, and for keeping people in Canada aware of new titles from Baker Book Group (Baker, Brazos, Bethany House, Chosen and Revell).

Brazos Press | 192 pages, paperback | 9781587436192

Characteristics of the Neo-Reformed Community

About three years ago, the church where my wife was working graciously decided to rent their auditorium to another church. From the outset, one of the glaring differences was that this other church was complementarian, and the church employing her was egalitarian. But her church had always held — rightly or wrongly — to an 11:00 AM start time, and the other church was willing to meet at 8:55. So the relationship began.

I should also add that both of the churches use the term “Baptist” in their name, or did until the other church underwent a name change a few weeks ago. (To make matters worse, another church sprang up in our small town which also used the same appellation, with a doctrinal perspective entirely unique from the other two.) The other church would be part of the Neo Reformed movement which, I would argue, owes much of its growth to the internet, and really took root in the mid-2000s, but also includes some churches, leaders, authors and key organizations which existed prior.

For our family — as for many readers here — the differences were quite clear, but for others in our town there was confusion between the two. The differences were many, and wasn’t the usual Calvinism vs. Arminianism discussion. (I settled that, eloquently, in this post.) It went beyond that, and often sprang from a great degree of arrogance from those in this new sect.  I realized I had never written down all the various topics that came up during dinner at our house, so earlier this week I grabbed a page in my notebook and started making a list.

I wanted to get past the superficial. Everyone knows the Neo Reformed movement has a crush on the English Standard Version (ESV) and prefers the modern hymns of The Gettys, City Alight, etc. to things from Bethel or Elevation; but those are hardly doctrinal distinctives; rather they form part of the vibe which further defines (or isolates) them from the rest of Evangelicalism.

The Neo Reformed people also have a love of words. I don’t mean individual words, like their love affair with the word “Gospel,” but rather publishing and (at the outset) blogging in general. Just look at the pile of books which are given away each year at the Together for the Gospel (T4G) conference, or the proliferation of books published by Crossway (one of their favorite publishers) and you get the idea. Or check the rate at which local church pastors re-post everything that appears on the Desiring God website.

There could be different reasons for this. I often asked people, ‘Why don’t Salvation Army leaders have blogs?’ My answer was, ‘While everyone else is writing about theology, they’re out in the streets doing theology.’ Perhaps I exaggerated. Perhaps not.

But with all that as introduction, let’s jump in to the actual meat of this discussion and look at some differences.

Chosen/election vs. free will

So first, let’s get a few of the Calvinist distinctions out of the way. There are better articles on this elsewhere, so I’ll leave that with you. Basically, the doctrine of election means that salvation outcomes for every one of us were predetermined before time. In the stronger, double predestination view, the implication is that God created some people for the purpose of destruction. Some people in the movement share that view as well.

Limited vs. unlimited atonement

Did Christ’s sacrifice cover the sin(s) of the entire world, or just the ones who ultimately become one of the chosen? This one is really significant for many and takes up two points in the TULIP acronym, so I felt it should here as well. When asked about this a few days ago, I pointed out that the question of free will is about the individual, while the nature of the atonement — see below — is more about God’s side of the equation.

Hierarchicalist vs. mutalist

This is the question of women in ministry. Can a woman be an elder or deacon? Can a woman be a pastor? Here I am using some excellent alternatives to complementarian and egalitarian which I heard recently in a series of lectures that Tyler Staton did at Bridgetown Church in Portland. (They had never had a formal policy on this and were working on solidifying their position. These are worth tracking down at YouTube; use his name plus the word ‘lecture.’) This is a good a place as any to remind you that this movement is distinct from the classic Reformed movement, or what is sometimes called the Dutch Reformed movement. As an example the CRC church where we live has a woman pastor.

Cessationist vs. Continuationist

To me cessationism seems to be a reverse-engineering of a desire to distance oneself from the charismatic spiritual gifts, especially when the point of cessation is randomly tagged as the end of the apostolic age or the finalization of the canon of scripture. For the record, if someone is sick, and prayer for healing is desired, I would think you want that prayer to be made by someone who believes that God is still in the business of healing. I really think that much of this is part of a larger issue which I would call pneumaphobia or a fear of the Holy Spirit. (Look it up!)

“The Bible Says” vs. “What is the Way of Jesus?”

There simply isn’t a chapter and verse for every subject that arises in the Christian’s journey. Some parts of our spiritual formation simply have to be ‘worked out with fear and trembling.’ And sometimes the fear and trembling isn’t even necessary, the WWJD question is sufficient. The Wesleyan Quadrilateral is helpful here, the idea that  we can learn from reason, tradition, experience and scripture; but the Neo Reformed movement holds to a very literal meaning of Sola Scriptura meaning “the Word of God alone.” (Though all sides of the quadrilateral appear equal when it’s illustrated, the other three must be in agreement with scripture.)

Outward conformity vs. spiritual disciplines

In the Neo Reformed movement you’re more likely to see an emphasis in program participation and the repetition of the party line on various subjects. Holding a unique individual perspective, dressing differently, voting for a different candidate, etc. can leave one ostracized by the group. In contrast, the practice of spiritual disciplines is often unseen, the product of an inner life which is between the believer and God.

Plain reading vs. higher criticism

Making a huge generalization here, but I see the Neo Reformed community leaning towards a plain reading of scripture, but willing to engage in textual criticism where it suits an apologetic for some of their unique positions. Doing the word study, studying the context, and involving comparative passages are always helpful. In balance though, we have to remember that the problem with trying to figure out how a cat works by dissecting it is that you’ll get your answers, but the cat will be dead. Having said that, deeper textual analysis gets us where we need to be when the so-called literal reading is insufficient.

The wrath of God vs. the love of God

You’re simply more likely to encounter the God of wrath in the Neo Reformed community, but that doesn’t mean that those outside the community get a pass on sin and judgement. This isn’t your usual “God of the Old Testament versus God of the New Testament” dichotomy, but the Neo Reformed movement easily develops the picture of the wrathful God from New Testament texts, especially Romans. Which leads naturally to the next item.

Eternal security vs. holiness

I’ve chosen to tag the holiness aspect of Arminianism as eternal security’s opposite for the same reason a conservative driver, seeing a highway speed sign doesn’t bother to check their speedometer because they know they’re driving legally. In a similar way, for most the idea of losing one’s salvation just isn’t at all a personal concern. The lyric “Prone to wander, Lord I feel it, Prone to leave the God I love;” makes no sense to the person who is abiding in Christ. But while the Neo Reformed people emphasize God’s wrath, make no mistake that many outside that movement believe that you can indeed choose to walk away. (You had free will before, and you keep free will after.)

Penal substitutionary atonement vs. other atonement theories

While the cross meets our sin problem, many believe there is much more taking place on Calvary and invoke multiple atonement theories, or lean in to a particular one of a list that includes: Passover model, ransom model, scapegoat model, moral exemplar, Christus Victor model, covenants-focused model, and others. (Some of these have similarities and other names.) The Neo-Reformed movement stresses PSA over and above all others.

Dispensationalism vs. Covenant Theology

Honestly, this one is over my pay grade, but in Neo Reformed circles, dispensationalism is the default solution to understanding God’s dealings with us today versus his dealings with other people at other times. That said, I’m not sure that I agree with writers online who see Covenant theology as dispensationalism’s true opposite. I think another word is needed here.

Doctrinal certainty vs. the realm of mystery

Sometimes the best answer we can give people is ‘I don’t know;’ or ‘We don’t know.’ Anglicans and Roman Catholics have a better understanding of mystery than Evangelicals, but in Neo Reformed circles there is little allowance for it at all.

Defended sovereignty vs. unthreatened sovereignty of God

This came up in a discussion of “open theology” and would appear in other unusual theological takes where there would be instant outcry that such doctrines undermine the sovereignty of God. Outside of the Neo Reformed movement, there is never a worry that the idea of God’s sovereignty is not able to withstand any challenges. Even though most Evangelicals don’t agree with open theology, God’s sovereignty is a basic aspect of his nature that isn’t threatened by such propositions and as such is easily accommodated.

“Watch dogs” vs. “Guide dogs”

In the Neo Reformed movement you are more likely to see individuals or organizations gravitate to the role of what are called discernment ministries. (Even though discernment is one of the nine charismatic gifts mentioned earlier.) There is a rather enormous propensity in the movement to be calling out those with whom it disagrees, which at one time or another, includes everybody else. These attacks on other Evangelicals are usually not done in a gracious or charitable spirit. Better to be training guide dogs than raising watch dogs.

Just war vs. heavenly citizenship

I wanted to avoid the Anabaptist use of “pacifism” here, and also avoid stereotypes about gun ownership, since that is almost entirely an American phenomenon. But the Neo Reformer is more likely to engage in civic or federal causes whereas those outside the movement, while also willing to speak or serve in the public square, don’t see the urgency of so engaging. The next section is a good example.

“Seven Mountains” vs. “In…but not of the world”

This is a fairly new distinction, but in many conservative circles, as well as in the Neo Reformed movement (and there can be overlap here) the “seven mountains” phrase refers to exerting greater control over society by placing their members in key positions in governance affecting family, religion, education, media, entertainment, business, and government. While maintaining a voice in these areas is important — see previous section as well — there isn’t the same obsession with other Evangelicals.

…So there you have a rather rushed catalog of the various differences found in two different churches in the same city which, coincidentally, both had ‘Baptist’ in their names.

The Must-Read Book on our Greatest Urban Challenge

While it’s not exactly a new release, the housing crisis has been the hot topic of conversation for this decade, and Kevin Nye has emerged as one of the foremost voices on this issue. I really wanted to read this, but on the day it arrived, I knew Ruth was better qualified reflect on its content…

Review Grace Can Lead Us Home: A Christian Call to End Homelessness by Kevin Nye (Herald Press, 2022)

by Ruth Wilkinson

My personal experience of ministry among unhoused (see note below) people is different in scale from that of Kevin Nye, but identical in many respects. In his book Grace Can Lead Us Home I recognize friends and situations, along with societal and church dynamics that for some readers will be new, or even alien.

For example, in a smaller municipality unsheltered people tend to hide away on the far end of the rocky beach, in the forest along the river, or a friend’s backyard–very different from having a Skid Row neighbourhood, a tent city, or people sleeping on subway grates. But in both settings, these people are as ‘invisible’ as passers-by choose to make them. To be fair, street ministry is not something to which we are all called. I have sat in the sand alone with a friend who I found beaten unconscious, holding his hand and waving the flies away from the blood on his face until the emergency responders could find us. That’s part of my calling. It’s not part of everyone’s, and when people with good intentions dive in over their heads, it doesn’t end well.

But books like Grace Can Lead Us Home can open the eyes–broaden the horizons–of people who are not (maybe not yet) ready to step out into this milieu and to begin the learning of hard lessons that it entails. People who are not yet ready to have their hearts broken. Not yet ready to sit on a tree stump and receive a cup of food-bank instant coffee.

Nye’s overview of the correlation between homelessness and addiction, as well as issues like gender-based violence and discrimination, race, harm reduction, and housing-first models of assistance are informative and challenging. Some readers will dismiss his observations, but in my experience they ring true.

As a pastor and member of a local Christian community, I am sometimes asked by people how they can help when they see a tent in the woods, or when one of our unhoused neighbours comes to a church service on Sunday morning. I do my best to speak into each situation, and I’m deeply glad to hear the question asked. If you are a follower of Jesus, and you have ever asked yourself “how can I help?” this book is a good starting point for understanding the complexity of homelessness and how you might be called to support the people who experience it and/or those who walk alongside them.

**The language to describe this group of very diverse people is somewhat contentious. On one hand, a local service group this past year put on a Christmas dinner for (in one man’s words) “hoboes.” Other people get very upset at hearing the phrase “the homeless,” perceiving it as a slight. My friends who are themselves unhoused use the word “homeless” to describe themselves, but some prefer to be described as “roughing it.”

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Ruth Wilkinson is a pastor in Ontario, Canada who has often found that big-city urban ministry and life in small towns isn’t all that different. Her writing appears frequently on our sister blog, Christianity 201.

Thanks to Herald Press for a review copy of Grace Can Lead us Home.

Visiting Another Church Without Leaving The House

It was getting later into the week and they’d posted the audio for Sunday’s sermon, but there was no sign of the video. ‘They’ in this case is Bridgetown, the Portland church founded by John Mark Comer over two decades ago. It’s been a weekly routine for us since discovering Comer somewhere around 2013.

I knew that current pastor Tyler Staton was away for a couple of weeks, but I also know that their guest speakers are of high caliber. There’s no such thing as ‘an off week.’ Someone named Pete Hughes was speaking and I figured I’d just hang in there and wait for the video to appear. I’d see the guest, plus any slides that appeared on-screen for the in-person audience.

The video was there by the weekend and the teaching did not disappoint. It was a message about Elijah after the victory on Mount Carmel, and the subsequent slump that set in after that spiritual high. And it was good. Or better than good.

At Bridgetown, the introductions of guest speakers don’t always get included in the sermon link. At one point Hughes indicated that his home church was in London, and that is wife’s name was Bee. So when the sermon ended, I fired up my trusty search engine — actually one I’m trusting less and less — and found a link for KXC, which in a previous generation would have been King’s Cross Church, the KX being a district of redeveloped railway lands in the north part of the British capital city.

By now I was having an immersive experience.

I just started clicking every link the page had to offer. I learned the history of the church, downloaded the entire Apprenticeship Year package (even though I’m not 18-30!), listened to an explanation of their one-year reading of the New Testament, learned about their very small (3 people) accountability small groups; but the best part was watching this 9-minute video which really covers everything they’ve been doing over the past ten years.

KXC’s Bee and Pete Hughes

Seriously, watch the video.

It turned out I wasn’t done yet.

The video mentioned some live worship events they’ve done, so it was off to YouTube. I focused on their three top viewed songs, including the one below, Pull Me Through, linked below, which has been on repeat here to the point I’m driving my family nuts; and Jesus, Name Above All Names, which is not the JNAAN that you think you know.

And that’s how I spent nearly two hours immersed in the KXC experience. It was time well spent. If you know someone who wants a church recommendation in London, this one gets mine.