Hearing the Music

Breaking Ground

So much is going on in our world right now. The Dodgers have won the World Series, Covid-19 seems to be finding its way in West Michigan, and, oh yeah, there is an election coming up next week. I enjoyed our special sermon discussion the other week following the exposition of Romans 13:1-7. In it, our brother Philip Bom reminded us that voting is actually the third part of our civic responsibilities. The first part of our civic responsibility is being educated: knowing the issues, staying informed thru watching news and reading papers and magazines. The second part of our civic responsibility is to be involved in the polis. That could mean participation in local, county, state, or national governments (e.g. run for public office or serve on committees). It could mean participation in non-governmental civic organizations (e.g. League of Women Voters; Right to Life). It could mean participation in agencies working with refugees, foster care, poverty alleviation, creation care, etc… Finally, and in third place, our civic responsibility is to vote. All this is to say everything feels hinged on this election, but there is so much to do, so many ways to stay involved in the issues that the Lord has placed on your heart. So many ways exist to influence the world around you for the Gospel. And above it all sits the King enthroned on high. So let the nations rage and the people plot vain things. The one who sits enthroned in the heavens laughs, having set his throne on Zion's hill (Psalm 2).

This Sunday finds us stopping in Romans 14, where we will look at issues of the weak and the strong. We will also spend some time in prayer dedicating our upcoming building expansion to the Lord and his work. We have worked this time of prayer into our liturgy and will be completing it when we go outside. So be sure to bundle up and come prepared to break some ground.

_{Photo by Andres Siimon on Unsplash}

Whose Terms?

Maybe you have heard it said by an individual that “they want to live life on their own terms.” Maybe you have even said that your self? If you don’t live on your terms, whose terms do you live by? Your family, your boss, and the culture around you all have something to say about how we live. However, for the Jesus follower it is His word and His Spirit that sets the terms for our life.

Living by Jesus’ terms is the theme that Paul continues to expound in Romans 13:8-14, our passage for this week. Here he continues to press home the shape of life for the individual believer, both within the community of believers and the life surrounded by the empire. Here he lays the groundwork for the kind of counter cultural life that brings joy to our neighbors and seditiously challenges the very foundations of the empire.

Dallas Willard in his classic Renovation of the Heart puts it like this, “the rare individual who exemplifies ... – genuine purity and humility, death to selfishness, freedom from rage and depression, and so on – will stand out in the group with all the obtrusiveness of a sore thumb. He or she will be a constant hindrance in group processes and will be personally conflicted by those processes, for he or she will not be living on the same terms as others.” 

In many ways living a life that stands out from the crowd is scary. But frankly, it is more exhausting to try to live life on our own terms. What a relief to have Jesus enfold his followers and give us the strength to carry on!

_{Photo by Andrej Nihil on Unsplash}

Heavenly Civics

This past week Senator Ben Sasse of Nebraska took a few minutes to clarify the difference between civics and politics. According to Mr. Sasse, civics are the organizing structures and principles by which we operate our governmental system in America. Civics are the fundamental truths that lie behind our executive, legislative and judicial branches of government. Civics is the stuff that we should all agree on regardless of our party affiliation. Politics, on the other hand, are the different approaches and beliefs that we advocate as we operate within the civic structure. Laws and policies are written to be enforced by governmental authorities and judicial systems and come about as a result of political approach. These are the areas in which different parties disagree about how things should be handled. 

In Romans 13:1-7 Paul lays out a heavenly civics lesson for believers. Here, he doesn’t so much delve into politics but gives the church in Rome a framework for understanding the authority structures of the universe, from heaven on down. This was timely for a 1st century church operating within the Pax Romana and it remains timely for a 21st century church operating in a Western Republic. As we seek to navigate things from judicial confirmation hearings to a looming presidential election, it is important for us to place these events in a broader framework and understand how we hold our faith in such a time as this. 

Pastorally I know that politics has many of us in knots right now. Anxiety levels for both the left and the right are high. This Sunday offers a chance for a cup of cool water to refresh weary travelers, as we are reminded that behind all the principalities and powers, both seen and unseen, there is a hierarchy that brings us into the throne room of our true King. Because this is such a front-burner topic, I want to invite you to a special sermon discussion on Wednesday at 6PM followed by a time of prayer for us, for our country, and for the Church from 7PM-8PM. Both of these will be in the sanctuary at church. What better way to engage present political challenges than by looking at the Word and spending time in prayer!

_{Photo by Joshua Sukoff on Unsplash}