Icy Driving



Vermont Ice Storm 2013 
Photo by blog.heathertimagery.com

One of those rare occurrences happened last week; we had an ice storm.  Not just some ice on the windshield in the morning or a little glazing on the stairs.  This was an ICE STORM in capital letters.  We already had some snow on the ground, but when we woke up on Saturday we had about a half inch of ice on most everything.  Trees were bent over into our driveway, limbs were cracking under the weight, people in surrounding towns lost power due to ice on the power lines.  Accidents were happening on the roads.  A close friend and his wife were in a major car accident on Saturday morning when an SUV heading in the opposite direction lost control and hit them head on.  Praise the Lord, they walked away with bruising (although the wife found out several days later that she had actually broken a bone in her wrist).  The man in the SUV had to be cut out of his vehicle through the roof.

To make matters more interesting the forecast for Saturday afternoon and night, through Sunday noon was for more of the same.  Upon learning of our friends car accident and seeing the weather reports we immediately canceled church for the next day, December 22, despite the fact that we were supposed to have our Christmas Cantata.  The safety of our people was paramount and took precedence over any other concerns.

 

Snow, despite reports to the contrary from the south, is not very hard to drive on.  Ice while similar, on the other hand, is more treacherous than snow.  One wrong move on your part, or on "the other guys" part and you can end up in trouble.  It occurred to me that churches are much the same. 

Every church is moving in some direction.  The question is whether or not it is moving in the right direction.  Most of the time you are alright in directing a church, but sometimes it can be a bit icy under the surface.  Follow a few rules and you can avoid many common problems.

 

First, there is a tendency for both cars and churches to have a bit of inertia.  Apply brakes slowly to avoid sliding.  If you know there is a turn coming, start applying the brakes slowly. 

 

Second, every action should be thought out and considered.  No sudden moves or you could lose control.  Look ahead and see what the conditions and other company on the road is doing.

 

Third, turns themselves can be slippery.  Bridges between sections of road can be more hazardous than the surround road, too.  Pay attention in these areas.

 

Fourth, weather conditions around you can result in a change in road conditions.  A sudden snow squall can reduce forward visibility, or a temperature dip in a valley can change a wet road surface to black ice. 

 

Fifth, always prepare for the worst that can happen, then pray for the best.  Carry extra supplies in your car, a full gas tank, an ice scraper, a snow brush, shovel, extra windshield spray, cell phone charger, a blanket, hat, coat and gloves.   Maybe you will never have to use these things, but do you really want to be in a ditch in a snowstorm with no hat, gloves and coat?  If you make plans for the worst, then you can handle anything that comes along.  In a church, if the church board in a period of transition figuratively 'slides off the road', what is your back-up plan?

 

Any analogy can be carried too far, and this one has gone far enough for now.  Remember, a church can be like a heavy car in a snow storm.  Use caution, watch the road ahead and make changes slowly. 

"...guard what has been entrusted to your care."  1 Tim 6:20 (NIV)

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Apologetic Debates

Recently our church has been going through spiritual warfare of epic dimensions.  One of the issues that has come up has been a relative of one of our people who has come back from seminary in Texas, enthusiastic about planting a new church in our area.  Being a churchplanter at heart and in practice I applaud the effort to bring people to Christ.  The big issue for us is that he and his wife have been pressuring this couple from our church to be part of his new house church.  A churchplanting principle I learned long ago was that you never ask someone to be part of your work who is already going to another church without first passing it by their pastor.  Which brings up the second point...this newly minted pastor is associated with a denomination that regards pretty much any other denomination as being non-Christian.  If you do not do things the way they do, then you are not following Christ in the right way, and your faith is without effect.

Years ago I discovered that I liked the subject of apologetics, which is the art and science of defending your faith and theology.  I had many discussion with people which helped me learn about my own faith, helped me memorize scripture and gave me lots to think about.  It also gave me lots of heartburn!  After many years of ministry I have learned a few things which are not usually taught at seminary.  One of those is that apologetics is wonderful for helping you to define your faith, but it is generally not productive in changing people's minds.  It is not a "mind" thing anyway, it has to do more with your "heart", and God the Holy Spirit is the only one who can do that.  we take on the responsibility, but it is not ours to take on.  All we get is heartburn.

Does this mean that I think apologetics is fruitless?  No.  But I do think that we have to focus on things which really make us think about the important issues, not on the fine details and niceties of theology.  Over many years I have come to recognize that if you can repeat and believe the Apostle's Creed and the Nicean Creed, then I should accept you as a Christian brother or sister.  There may be other things you believe along with those that I do not, but that is something between you and God.  Your church can be fancy or plain, you can incorporate some ritual or other, you can pray standing or sitting or prostrate, but to me you are a brother or sister.  If you negate something in the Creeds, or redefine them from what the early Christians understood...then no matter how orthodox you sound you are not a Christian, period.

Along with that comes another understanding.  I may look at a person whom I regard as a brother or sister in the faith, and they may add some detail to the Creeds which makes them regard me as an unbeliever.  This is not an easy truth, but one which I have come to accept.  The fact that I believe in free will, that I believe in entire sanctification, that I don't believe that baptism is a ritual that completes salvation (rather than being symbolic), use a different translation of the Bible than they do or that I don't do communion on some set schedule may cause someone to reject my claim to Christianity and to call me a "false teacher".    My claim is based on the historical Creeds of the faith, nothing more or less, but someone else may not have come to the same conclusion I have.

All that said, I stand with the Apostle Paul when he says, "It is true that some preach Christ out of envy and rivalry, but others out of goodwill.  The latter do so out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel.  The former preach Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing that they can stir up trouble for me while I am in chains.  But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice." (Phil 1:15-18 NIV)  If Christ is being preached, then I am satisfied.

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