U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia 1936-2016

“The Israelites grieved for Moses in the plains of Moab thirty days, until the time of weeping and mourning was over.” – Deuteronomy 34:8

“[There is] a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance.” – Ecclesiastes 3:4

I might add: “A time for politics and a time to lay off politics!”

Soon after the death of Justice Antonin Scalia…

The news of Justice Scalia’s unexpected death was less than three hours old when the politicking began.

• President Obama spoke words of tribute elegant in content, chilly in delivery, and announcing his intention to fill the vacancy.
• Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said the selection of a successor to Justice Scalia should wait until after the 2016 presidential election.
• Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid issued what CNN News called a “scathing statement”:

“The President can and should send the Senate a nominee right away. With so many important issues pending before the Supreme Court, the Senate has a responsibility to fill vacancies as soon as possible. It would be unprecedented in recent history for the Supreme Court to go a year with a vacant seat. Failing to fill this vacancy would be a shameful abdication of one of the Senate’s most essential Constitutional responsibilities.”

A time out, a time for mourning, is in order please! Mourning serves a role in the grief process and in the body politic. If the government continues “politics as usual” after such a significant passing, then flags at half-mast are but empty gestures.

After this appropriate time out, politics can resume—perhaps made better by the reflection and gratitude, patriotism and a little self-chastening.

In 1960 (an election year—the last year of the Eisenhower administration), the Democrat-controlled U.S. Senate passed Resolution 334, “Expressing the sense of the Senate that the [Republican] president should not make recess appointments to the Supreme Court…” Republicans objected, insisting the Supreme Court should always have a full complement of justices. (Source: David Bernstein, The Volokh Conspiracy, February 14, 2016)

Then-Senator Joe Biden argued in 1992 against filling court vacancies in that election year. The arguments are the opposite today, reinforcing the old maxim, “It depends on whose ox is being gored.”

Quiz Time! – Match the Candidate to the Commenta

#1 – “Two Corinthians 3:17, that’s the whole ballgame. ‘Where the Spirit of the Lord is, right? Where the spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.’”

#2 –“Until [Jesus] comes again, . . . President-to-be [name], we decree and declare from the crown of your head to the soles of your feet that the favor of the Lord will surround you like a shield, in Jesus’ name.”

#3 –”Without vision, the people will perish.”

#4 –“For people of faith, who care about religious liberty, life and marriage, it’s time for us to rally around [name].”

#5 – “…we move into the more disturbing category of Republicans we might charitably diagnose as ‘faith-deranged’ – in other words, as likely to do fine among the unwashed ‘crazies’ in the red-state primaries, but whose religious beliefs would (or should) render them unfit for civilized company anywhere else. Among the faith-deranged, [name] stands out.”

#6 – How many of the above accounts violate the “separation of church and state”? (a) all of them, (b) #2, (c) #4, (d) none of them

Answers
#1 – Candidate DONALD TRUMP speaking at Liberty University, quoting
2 Corinthians 3:17 wildly out of context.
#2 – Candidate HILLARY CLINTON receiving a blessing (practically an anointing) from 100 clergy in South Carolina.
#3 – Candidate BERNIE SANDERS speaking at a prayer breakfast before the South Carolina primary (and giving Proverbs 29:18 a totally wrong twist).
#4 – Dr. James Dobson, endorsing candidate TED CRUZ via robocalls paid for by Courageous Conservatives PAC.
#5 – Rant in Salon against “God-fearing clowns and faith-mongering nitwits groveling before Evangelicals” levels attack on candidate MARCO RUBIO.
#6 – Correct answer: (d) none of them, although #2 will come close if these clergy speak of their candidate this way in front of their congregations.

In Thankful Memory of John Heideman(1953-2016) Director of Music at Grace Community Church of Seal Beach, CA

“By mistake” John Heideman, his family and his dear friends came to Grace Community Church that February Sunday morning in 1988. I say “by mistake” because they had intended to visit a different church and ended up at the church where I was pastor. They came, they worshipped, they liked, they stayed.

But it was not “by mistake” – it was in the Providence of God. We needed his ministry. John and his wife, Peggy, and their friends, Vince and Elena Grana, were quite a quartet of singers in those days, and this new talent blessed our congregation. John sang his first solo on the Sunday he joined our church.

He quickly got involved in the audio ministry, so vital to worship services, and in other ministries. Then, in 1991, he became our Director of Music, leading our choir weekly. He co-directed the Community Messiah Choir that performed Handel’s “The Messiah” for 10 years. He directed “The G-Kids”, our children’s choir. He loved leading the crowds in Christmas carols as our choir participated in Seal Beach’s Christmas parade. He and I sang the National Anthem at Seal Beach’s 5/10K charity races.

For 25 years I was privileged to serve with my brother and friend in leading worship. John fulfilled my requests, shared his skills and insights, put up with my fussiness over worship details—and did it all well. This meant getting late Saturday phone calls from me to hear a last-minute idea I had—and doing it. And we loved singing duets together.

In the fall of 2011 he told me he had cancer. On Easter Sunday, 2013 he told my wife and me that the cancer had spread. Our church board asked me to be his confidant during the last couple years of his life, which was a special honor.

He was a beloved, excellent teacher at Mira Costa High School for 28 years, retiring just last spring. The students gave him an unforgettable royal send-off.

John passed on January 18. I thank God for the privilege of serving with him so long.Over the years I discussed worship topicswith John more than anyone else. In tribute to his contributions to my thinking, here again is my call for “A Renewed Paradigm for Worship.”

With special gratitude to God for John Heideman . . .

A Renewed Paradigm for Worship [revised]

I’ve been an enthusiastic worshipper since I was a toddler (my mother told me I sang really loud). I began planning and leading worship when I was 17. So my heart is really into this subject.

The church is never beyond the need for renewal, and I think renewal of our worship is especially needed now.

In the points below I try to be creative but make no claim to originality.In fact, I hope most ideas are quite old and enduring.

A Truly Worshipping Congregation

Give worship back to the congregation. Stop the stage-centered professionalism. Get the congregation singing, not just standing—engaged and not mere passive onlookers. Lower the volume, if necessary, so that people can joyfully hear themselves sing. Make the congregation active participants in worship “with heart and soul and voices” (“Now Thank We All Our God” by Martin Rinkart, 1636). Worship can be high quality without being so orchestrated.

In Touch with Our Christian Heritage

Renew worship connection with our rich Christian heritage even as we also sing good current compositions. Put the people in touch with the saints of the past—their struggles, suffering, spirituality, successes and songs. The Holy Spirit didn’t first arrive with “Jesus Music” in the 1960’s!

The Word of God in Worship

Integrate the Word of the Lord into worship more thoroughly. People need to hear the Scriptures read. If we Evangelical Protestants consider ourselves “People of the Word”, why is there more reading of Scripture in a Roman Catholic Mass than in the typical Evangelical service?

The Word Proclaimed and The Word Explained(Example: Acts 2:14-42)

We must see the distinction between Proclamation of the Word to non-believersand Instruction in the Word to believers—both necessary and complementary. As you plan the worship experience, remember that its primary purpose is to instruct and build up of believers in faith and life. While non-Christians should be invited and, when present, not made to feel like awkward strangers, the worship hour should be distinguished from other occasions that have as their primary purpose drawing non-believers to hear the Word of Salvation and confess Jesus as Lord.

Expository Sermons as a Work of Art

The Message should unfold and apply the meaning of Scripture to the people so they can see what was there all along. While the expository pastor has training and tools available that the rest of us don’t have, sermons should not create an unhealthy dependence on the speaker to know what God is saying. Sermons should usually be under 30 minutes—it takes more work to create a tight sermon than an extended one, but it will be a better sermon. Organize the sermon as if it were a work of art, and then maybe it will become one!

“Less” is often “More”(Ecclesiastes 5:1-2; Habakkuk 2:20)

Musical instrumentation in all its variety is marvelous in worship. But don’t forget places for silence, softness and quality a cappella singing. Spoken words are not always necessary and, when they are, few are better than many.

Giving in Worship

Don’t forget the giving opportunity within the worship service. Other avenues for giving (payroll deductions, on-line giving, etc.) have a growing place, but must not supersede a time to give in the worship service.

Technology in Worship—Dine with a Long Spoon

Technology must always be the servant of worship, never its lord. People should leave worship thinking, “I’ve met God today!” Not,“Wow!” Ask these questions when using technology: “Does this feature really enhance worship? Does it point us straight to Jesus? Or does it detract and distract from him?”

Humor Has a Place—Keep It There!(Ask those “tech” questions again!)

Lightheartedness and laughter have their place in worship, when done with purpose. But the service must never get frivolous and must always lift us above ourselves to God. Humor is one thing, trying to be funny another.

A Real, Live Pastor

John 3:16 doesn’t say God in love sent down images of his son!

The pastor who speaks should be there in flesh and blood, not electronically delivered like a hologram. Pastors, we should not think more highly of ourselves than we ought to think. We aren’t indispensible celebrities! The people need true interaction with the pastor during and after the sermon, not an impersonal non-encounter with someone who isn’t there.

And no fleeing out the side door for privacy right after the benediction! I preached three sermons on Sunday mornings for fifteen years, and I know a pastor can guard his energy without avoiding personal time with the people.

Worship Aesthetics

Worship settings don’t need to be extravagant, but they shouldn’t be bland and utilitarian either. The place of worship is sacred space, removed from the “common settings” of the rest of the week. It’s not another “Home Depot”! Worship is a vestibule to the Celestial. In “The Gathering”, we are a holy temple of God, a dwelling place for God’s Spirit.

The visible word should tastefully and purposefully surround worshippers in the worship location through artistic display and symbols, and (yes, an old idea) even in the windows.

The Eucharist in Worship

The Communion (the Eucharist) should be a regular feature of renewed worship—even weekly. Communion isn’t “fast food”. Enough time must be given to ponder the Cross, God’s grace and our need for repentance. In the Communion time pastors should declare the good news of forgiveness.

Shepherding the Flock in Worship

Pastors should actively lead their people into worship, within worship, and out of worship. This means a pastoral role for the Call to Worship, the Pastoral Prayer, and the Benediction. The people should be led in petitionary and intercessory prayer. Appropriate prayer and anointing of the sick with oil should be provided by the pastors and elders of the church.

I’ve offered these pointers because I want to keep worship ministries moving in a positive, biblical and God-honoring direction. This will mean moving away from some recent trends in Evangelicalism. It will be well worth it ifwe become better and more biblical worshippers. © 2014, 2016 Donald P. Shoemaker

Don’s Upcoming Ministries

March 5 – Share a pastor’s perspective on “end of life issues” at Grace Community Church’s Men’s Fellowship Breakfast (8:30 a.m. at Malarkey’s Grill in Long Beach)

March 20 – Speak at Grace Community Church of Seal Beach in Sunday Morning Worship Services (8:00, 9:30, 11:00)

April 1 – Give Keynote Address at New Life Beginnings banquet, St. Mary Medical Center in Long Beach (6:00 p.m.)

April 9 – Sing the National Anthem prior to Seal Beach’s 5/10K race.

Opening Words of the Homily by the Rev. Paul Scalia at the funeral for his father Justice Antonin Scalia February 20, 2016

We are gathered here because of one man—
a man known personally to many of us;
known only by reputation to even more.

A man loved by many; scorned by others.
A man known for great controversy and for great compassion.

That man, of course, is Jesus of Nazareth.
It is he whom we proclaim.

Jesus Christ, Son of the Father, born of the Virgin Mary.
Crucified, buried, risen, seated at the right hand of the Father.

It is because of him, because of his life, death and resurrection,
that we do not mourn as those who have no hope.
But in confidence we commend Antonin Scalia to the mercy of God.

The Rev. Scalia truly lived out the words of a letter from his fatherin 1998:
“Perhaps the clergymen who conduct relatively secular services are moved by a desire not to offend the nonbelievers in attendance — whose numbers tend to increase in proportion to the prominence of the deceased. What a great mistake. Weddings and funerals (but especially funerals) are the principal occasions left in modern America when you can preach the Good News not just to the faithful, but to those who have never really heard it.”

www.donaldshoemakerministries.com

Wise Words from an Iconic Political Liberal

“If I were back in the U.S. Senate or in the White House, I would ask a lot of questions before I voted for any more burdens on the thousands of struggling businesses across the nation.

“For example, I would ask whether specific legislation exacts a managerial price exceeding any overall benefit it might produce. What are the real economic and social gains of the legislation when compared with the costs and competitive handicaps it imposes on business people?”
– The late Senator and Presidential Candidate George McGovern (1993)

Religious Liberty Vigilance –

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof, or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”
– 1st Amendment

January 16 – Religious Freedom Day in America

Since 2008 I have addressed the Long Beach City Council each year on the topic of Religious Liberty. My idea was, I would prepare a Proclamation on Religious Freedom Day. It would get edited each year by someone in city government, but its essence would be the same and it would be acknowledged before the City Council.

This year’s Proclamation is on the next page. My spoken words before the city council, the audience there, and anyone listening on cable TV are on the page after that.

I want this idea to spread! My prayer and wish is that citizens—pastors and church-goers and non-church-goers—would so see the importance of religious liberty that they would bring this topic before their communities each year at the appropriate time.

I then want this topic to be part of annual civics lessons in our public schools. I want it featured and discussed in our churches. I want civic organizations to devote time to it and debate the issues it raises.

Would you do this in your community next year?

Proclamation

Presented for

Religious Freedom Day

WHEREAS the Virginia Statute of Religious Freedom our country’s first legal safeguard for religious liberty, was adopted on January 16, 1786; and

WHEREAS since 1993 the President of the United States has issued a proclamation on the importance of religious liberty, which designates January 16 as Religious Freedom Day; and

WHEREAS our nation’s founders recognized the importance of religious freedom and secured this liberty in the words of the First Amendment, declaring that “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof”; and

WHEREAS the United Nation’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights (Article 18) declares, “Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion” including the right “to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance” and, regardless of this, religious freedom continues to face challenges, persecution and coercion, violent and non-violent, around the world; and

WHEREAS our country has embraced a unique tradition of religious liberty that has prevented religious domination, conflict and persecution and nurtured an environment where religion has flourished and where people have been left free to choose which faith they shall follow or none at all; now, therefore, be it

Resolved, I, Mayor Robert Garcia, on behalf of the people of the City of Long Beach do hereby declares January 16, 2016 to be “Religious Freedom Day” in our community, and encourage city government, community groups, schools and places of worship to reaffirm their devotion to the principles of religious freedom and educate and reflect on the importance of religious liberty so it may continue secure as part of our nation’s fabric, and I encourage residents and government to be mindful of the principles of religious liberty in their decisions, attitudes and actions.

Dr. Robert Garcia
Mayor

January 5, 2016

Comments by Donald Shoemaker at City Council Long Beach, California on January 5, 2016

Our country stands unique in the world, as a republic where religious freedom was embraced and enshrined long ago in many of our founding documents, and where differences over religion have been allowed and protected.

January 16 has been designated “Religious Freedom Day” because on January 16, 1786 the Virginia Statute of Religious Freedom, our nation’s first safeguard of religious liberty, was adopted. It was written by Thomas Jefferson, who thought it so important that it is mentioned on his tombstone.

Jefferson said, “It does me no injury for my neighbor to say there are twenty gods or no God. It neither picks my pocket nor breaks my leg.”

And Jefferson spoke of freedom of conscience, saying, “No provision in our constitution ought to be dearer to man, than that which protects the rights of conscience against the enterprises of the civil authority.”

Religious Liberty is facing many challenges today. For examples:

• Some groups in our world want to impose one religious viewpoint on others by force, including death.
• Some countries don’t honor religious liberty, for example they forbid conversion from one faith to another.
• In our country, we need to debate how religious liberty interfaces with other rights, but in so doing we must not forget religious freedom is the “first freedom” in our nation’s Bill of Rights.

Finally, I want to emphasize that religious conviction was at the root of the activism of Dr. Martin Luther King, whose birthday we celebrate on January 15. I have read most of his writings including his splendid autobiography, and this point is clear.

I would personally wish that on his birthday, instead of giving students a holiday to do whatever they want, the schools would devote the day to teaching civics and the Constitution and talk about Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King.

Quotations (with comments) from the Virginia Statute for Religious Liberty

“Whereas Almighty God hath created the mind free; that all attempts to influence it by temporal punishments or burthens, or by civil incapacitations, tend only to beget habits of hypocrisy and meanness, and are a departure from the plan of the Holy author of our religion, who being Lord both of body and mind, yet chose not to propagate it by coercions on either, as it was in his Almighty power to do…”

Here Jefferson’s understanding of religious liberty rests on a theological precept—a concept of God, if you please.If God is, liberty is.

Almighty God had the power to coerce our minds and behavior—to make the world one giant North Korea—but he did not do so. Instead he created our minds free (with freedom of will and decision). Arguing from the greater to the lesser, Jefferson’s statute insists that if God didn’t coerce the mind, the state must not do so either. The state cannot coerce faith or compel financial support of religion.

“…to compel a man to furnish contributions of money for the propagation of opinions which he disbelieves, is sinful and tyrannical…”

Could the day come when the state itself would compel monetary support specifically for what a citizen deems a violation of faith? Could this have relevance in the case of religious organizations and people fighting legally to avoid support of the contraception mandate? Yes.

“…to suffer the civil magistrate to intrude his powers into the field of opinion, and to restrain the profession or propagation of principles on supposition of their ill tendency, is a dangerous fallacy, which at once destroys all religious liberty…”

Speech control on public campuses comes to mind as I read this statement. The government entity (such as a campus committee) determines that certain words have “ill tendency” (such as micro-aggressions) and bans them or disparages them. This not only attacks religious liberty but other First Amendment liberties as well.
“…all men shall be free to profess, and by argument to maintain, their opinion in matters of religion, and that the same shall in no wise diminish enlarge, or affect their civil capacities.

The U.S. Constitution banned religious tests for federal offices (VI, 3) and thus reflects this religious neutrality.

Neutrality cannot mean hostility, and nobody’s quest for political office should be impeded by his or her religious beliefs. When Christian fundamentalists frowned on Mitt Romney’s Mormonism or John F. Kennedy’s Roman Catholicism, when secular liberals poke fun at or discredit an evangelical candidate because of his beliefs, when eyebrows were raised over Ronald Reagan’s hesitancy to embrace evolution—all these run contrary to the spirit of religious neutrality.

I also notehere the mockery and animus directed against “Intelligent Design” as an explanation for origins. (“ID” argues that certain features of the universe and of living things are best explained by an intelligent cause, not an undirected process such as natural selection.) I suspect Jefferson would basically agree with ID arguments.

By this statement, the Statute protects not only religious expression by Christians, but also all religious expression or an expression of non-religion. An attempt to have an opening reference to “Jesus Christ, the holy author of our religion” was rejected by most of the delegates who ultimately adopted the Statute.

Don’s Upcoming Ministries

February 10 – Lead Ash Wednesday Communion Service at Grace Community Church of Seal Beach (7:00 p.m.)

March 20 – Speak at Grace Community Church of Seal Beach

April 1 – Give Keynote Address at New Life Beginnings banquet, St. Mary Medical Center in Long Beach.

Message of the Month – “Spiritual Freedom— The Most Important Freedom of All”

Many teachers of the Bible believe that the spiritual freedom taught in the Bible has become a basis, by way of extension, for the social and political freedoms we embrace. Not the other way around. As I have indicated, Jefferson’s belief that God created our minds free rather than coerced led him to advocate a state that does the same.

How should I, as a Christian, understand “Spiritual Freedom”?

1. We are freed from our efforts to save ourselves.

We are saved by grace, not by struggle. Good works result from a saving relationship with God. They are not the cause of it (Ephesians 2:8-10).

Nor do we start by grace and advance by struggle. Christians seem to enjoy promoting teachings that load us up with man-made burdens on how to grow spiritually, etc., etc. But instead, the same grace that saves us leads us forward. Galatians 3:3 is the answer to all these rules and formulas and methods: “After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort?” Of course not!

2. We are freed from the legal and ceremonial details of Moses’ Law.

I accept the Reformation’s distinctions between the moral, ceremonial and civil aspects of God’s Law as found in the Law of Moses. (The subject itself is way too big for this newsletter!)

Moses’ civil law governed Israel as a theocracy (sample: Exodus 21-22). We do not live under a theocracy. Yet, the civil lawoften reflects deeper moral principles. We look for these gems set in the ring of the civil law.

Moses’ ceremonial law governed the religious affairs of the people (sample: Leviticus 1-4). We do not practice the ceremonies. Yet, we learn much about how we ought to worship God from these teachings, and we see the fulfillment of the ceremonies in the New Testament.
Moses’ moral law (such as in the 10 Commandments) reflects God’s abiding will for the world—enduring moral principles. Respecting life, parents, property, marriage, truthfulness—these we should always do.

3. We are freed from the judgment of others as we live out our own lives guided by the life of Jesus and God’s commands.

Judgmentalism, whether in the form of unhealthy church authority (churches seem to love laying behavior rules on their people)or the narrow opinions and raised eyebrows of other Christians who appoint themselves inspectors of your life—such judgmentalism is contrary to the forgiving grace and spiritual freedom God provides (sample: Romans 14:1-13a).

Instead, each Christian is free to live his or her own life before God. We must do what God commands; we must not do what God forbids. But in the middle is a broad range of activity where you and I are free to do or not do this or that and we are “in the will of God” either way. There are some principles that guide us (such as, don’t use your freedom in a way that sets back the spiritual progress of a new Christian), but the broad principle of freedom of choice in how we live remains.

Look at Christian decision-making this way: we live our Christian lives on a big, flat table. Around the table is a protective edge to keep us from falling off. This edge is God’s commandments. But we are free to walk anywhere on that table and make our own decisions as we walk.

4. We are freed from an enslaving “self comes first” view of life so we canbecome true servants of Jesus and others.

Martin Luther’s great statement was: “A Christian is the most free lord of all, and subject to none; a Christian is the most dutiful servant of all, and subject to everyone” (“On Christian Freedom” – 1520).

The same Jesus who declared spiritual freedom washed his disciples’ feet. The same Apostle Paul who declared himself spiritually free put that freedom in the service of others (1 Corinthians 9:19-23).

www.donaldshoemakerministries.com

Addenda

Donald Trump’s “2 Corinthians” Comment My Letter to the Editor

Enough already of criticizing Donald Trump for saying “Two Corinthians” instead of “Second Corinthians.”

My modern Bible versions say “2 Corinthians” at the top of the pages of this New Testament letter. Older versions typically used the Roman numeral II. Neither one automatically suggests “Second Corinthians.” Sometimes a military person may say “One February” instead of “February first.”

Mr. Trump is merely unacquainted with religious vernacular. More important is Mr. Trump’s misuse of 2 Corinthians 3:17, “Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom (liberty).” Whoever provided him this Bible quotation did not do him good service, even if the speech was at Liberty University.

Donald Trump seeks to be the nation’s chief executive, not its chief chaplain or official theologian. Critics and the news media should heed this and stop.

Table of Contents for all Newsletters in 2015
(These are all available at my Website, or you may email me and request a specific Newsletter: donaldshoemakerministries@verizon.net)

December 2015
Evil in the Christmas Story
Good in the Christmas Story
Song in the Christmas Story
Tribute to Officer Garrett Swazey, Colorado Springs

November 2015
“God’s Saving Grace and God’s Common Grace” (recent article)
Ohio is Football Country–a semi-humorous incident
Good Government-Don’t Be Cynical
(a recent miscommunication from my congressman)

October 2015
The original “Saint Francis” and his great hymn on God’s creation
Scripture gives light on these “Heaven and back” experiences
Recent thoughts on County Clerk Kim Davis—
Her stance on same-sex marriage; her religion

September 2015
An unexpected great experience while visiting Ellis Island at The Statue of Liberty
Should our faith be in science, or do we need something else?
How one invention serves God and people.
Test your Bible knowledge! Can you name the prophet who spoke profound words?
Message of the Month: “A Bad King, A Bold Prophet, and A Prime Piece of Property”

July-August, 2015
Two Great Commemorations: The Magna Carta (800th Anniversary),
The Declaration of Independence
After the Killings in Charleston SC – Should We Forgive?
Church on the Move – What One Indiana Congregation Did in Iraq
US Supreme Court Decision on Same-Sex Marriage – Two Initial Responses

June 2015
Religious Liberty Vigilance – My Apache Friend, Eagle Feathers
and the Federal Government
America’s Great Need: Responsible Fathers
Bible Insight – Key Texts on the Death Penalty

May 2015
What Happened in Indiana? Religious Freedom Needed, and More Civility Too
Bible Insight – God’s Providential Care

April 2015
Easter Message: Suffering and Hope
Bible Insight: “Forgive us our sins”
Religious Liberty Vigilance: Threat to San Francisco Archdiocese’s
Religious Freedom

March 2015
Religious Liberty Vigilance: Atlanta Fire Chief Terminated over Religious Views on Sexual Behavior
Seven Principles to help you understand The Ten Commandments
Tribute to Pro-life Leader Dr. John Willke

February 2015
Thoughts on the Ethics of Abortion 42 Years after Roe v Wade
Bible Insight: Sticks and Stones May Break My Bones,
but Words Can REALLY Hurt Me!
What Our President Should Tell Raul Castro

January 2015
Louis Zamperini–The Rest of the Story
Resolution–A New Paradigm for Worship (It’s time to “change” and “restore”)
Death in Ferguson and New York City (lessons)

Evil in the Christmas Story

Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, became furious, and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had ascertained from the wise men. Then was fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah:

A voice was heard in Ramah,
weeping and loud lamentation,
Rachel weeping for her children;
she refused to be comforted, because they are no more.
– Matthew 2:16-18 New International Version)

Tears, sorrow, anger, hatred, retribution—these and more fill my heart upon learning of the Paris massacre. Such tragic and evil loss of innocent human life. Before then the attack in Beirut; later the attack in Bamako, Mali. Forgiveness can wait for another day.

Callous disregard of human life for the sake of power is not lost in the Christmas story. The magi asked King Herod where the King of the Jews was born (Matthew 2:1-6). Herod—cunning, ruthless, paranoid—would not take a challenge to his control lightly.

Herod had a reputation for ruthlessness. Caesar Augustus reportedly once said it was better to be his pig (assuming Herod didn’t eat pork and the pig would thus be safe) than his son—Herod killed his sons. In light of Herod’s known cruelty and Bethlehem’s small population of boys under three, the biblical account seems quite genuine. Mary and Joseph and Jesus had already departed the city, having been warned by an angel.

Today’s savage cruelties remind us of Herod time. Many try to flee to a safe country—as did Joseph and his family. Others remain to suffer. And their cries rise up to God.

Human government is ordained by God to punish evil (Romans 13:4) and is divinely empowered with the “sword” to do so. We are enjoined to pray for all in authority that we might live peaceful and quiet lives (1 Timothy 2:1-2).

In the United States, our constitution’s preamble sets forth the governmental duties to “…provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity…” Thus, protecting our citizenry at home and abroad through just diplomatic and military efforts is a foremost responsibility of our federal government. To use a seasonal metaphor, keeping our national tree strong and firmly protected may mean that some of the expensive optional decorations on the tree need to be curtailed at least for a while.

“The Ways of God” – what he ordains, what he permits and withholds – are unknown and many philosophical questions surrounding them are insoluble, in my opinion. The Bible struggles often with evil and tragedy and asks the question “Why?” (Psalm 10).

What we do have are the promised comfort of God and frequent reminders of our own responsibilities to open our hearts and bind up the wounded, care for the afflicted, spend our resources on their needs, and serve the cause of justice the best we can. And we have the promise of God’s intervention and just judgment on the Last Day.

Remember these key themes of Christmas in the face of stark human evil.

Good in the Christmas Story

Behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.” And he rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed to Egypt and remained there until the death of Herod.
– Matthew 2:13-15

Joseph exemplifies the responsible husband and father who honors, provides for and protects his wife and children.

Human trafficking, sex slavery, abuse and subjugation of women—all these evils are in sharp contrast to the dignified actions of Joseph. Of special sorrow right now is a news report of the spousal abuse committed by Saeed Abedini, a pastor in Iranian custody whose imprisonment has been widely reported and his release widely sought by Christians internationally.

Recently his wife stopped speaking out for his release and reported a long pattern of abuse.

Naghmeh Abedini canceled all public appearances after telling supporters by email that her husband had abused her physically, emotionally and sexually…
…Since her husband’s detention in 2012 *, Naghmeh Abedini has been publicly advocating for his freedom, winning the support of top evangelical leaders and meeting privately with President Obama, which is why her accusations of spousal abuse came as shock. But those accusations also raise the question: Why do evangelical women wait so long before reporting abuse?
“Many who suffer domestic abuse feel lots of shame, are blamed by others, and do not tell anyone,” said Justin Holcomb, a Florida Episcopal priest and seminary professor who co-authored with his wife Lindsey “Is It My Fault? Hope and Healing for Those Suffering Domestic Violence.”
“Christian women, in particular, stay far longer in abusive situations and in more severe abuse than their non-Christian counterparts,” he added.
[CHARISMANEWS, November 23, 2015]

How does Joseph’s life and conduct contrast with these evils?

First, in keeping with the will of God, he wholeheartedly assumed his responsibilities as a husband and (soon to be) father of an adopted son (Matthew 1:24).

Second, Joseph honored Mary’s virginity (Matthew 1:25).

Third, he protected his family from dangers (Matthew 2:13-15, 19-22).

Fourth, with Mary his wife, he raised Jesus in accordance with the Law of God. Jesus was circumcised according to the Law (Luke 2:21), and presented for consecration in the temple according to the Law (Luke 2:22-24). His parents nurtured good spiritual habits. Annually they brought him (not “sent him”!) to Jerusalem for the Passover Feast.

Jesus grew up poor and in the backwater community of Nazareth. Still, he grew to be a strong child, submissive to his parents, full of wisdom and grace, pleasing to God and to those who knew him (Luke 2:39-40, 51-52).

Mary’s own Song (the “Magnificat”) proclaimed God’s judgment on abusers of power and his gracious uplifting of the oppressed (Luke 1:46-55).

His mercy extends to those who fear him…
He has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.
He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble.
He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty.

So especially in the Christmas season we remember the active goodness of Joseph and the liberating word of Mary. We prayerfully work to uplift the abused and downtrodden. We may need to confess how often we put them out of heart and mind. And consider a donation this season to fight human trafficking and sex slavery.

* It is important to note that Mr. Abedini’s eight-year prison sentence has nothing to do with the abuse accusation, but is because of his involvement with Iran’s growing house-church movement. He is a convert from Islam to evangelical Christianity.

Song in the Christmas Story

A great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.
– Luke 2:13-14

Christmas is the sing-iest season of the year!

Churches will “raise the rafters” this month singing “Angels We Have Heard on High”. Singing Christmas carols is a cultural tradition. For people who take the Christmas story to heart, singing is a joyful celebration of its message.
It both expresses the message and internalizes it. It motivates the singer to live out the meaning of “Christ the Savior is born!”

Churches will be singing churches if they are truly biblical, Holy Spirit-filled churches. I don’t mean rehearsed singing by a few before passive crowds, but robust singing by congregants. I don’t mean just singing by fine choirs, though I enjoy that and it is certainly appropriate, but singing worshippers. The smartest churches realize most people, including visitors, love to sing traditional Christmas carols.

Keith Getty, author of the immensely popular praise chorus “In Christ Alone”, makes this sobering observation:

Each week, upwards of 100 million people in America make it a point to attend church, listen responsively to the sermons, and pray sincerely. But when it comes time to sing the hymns, the level of engagement drops hugely and seems to be continuing in its decline, quite dramatically.

I’d like to see this trend reversed in December, as I’m sure Keith Getty would. We can do our part by heartily singing the great Christmas carols. “Hark, The Herald Angels Sing!” is the best! And there are many, many more.

I also encourage family singing in addition to worship at church gatherings. One way to do this is by setting up the “Advent Wreath” with its five candles. Each week before Christmas one candle is lit. Then Christmas Eve the fifth and center candle. Scripture reading, prayer and singing can fill the home each time.

Officer Garrett Swasey loved Law Enforcement, his Family, his Church, his God

End of Watch-Nov. 27, 2015

The Denver Post (Nov. 28) reported: “The police officer slain in a shooting spree at a Planned Parenthood branch here was an evangelical church elder who was the married father of two children.
Garrett Swasey, 44, a six-year veteran of the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs Police force, was described as an avid teacher of scripture who played guitar and loved his work in law enforcement.”

As a pastor and police chaplain, I sent a condolence email to his church, Hope Chapel.
I said: “I suspect that Officer Swasey’s personal convictions were not at all supportive of Planned Parenthood. Yet, he fulfilled his sworn oath to protect others and uphold the law. And he lived out the commandment to love his neighbor as himself.”

This Christmas season, as we celebrate beside many we love, let’s be sure to pray for the loved ones and coworkers of Officer Swasey and others who have given their lives in the service of law enforcement. According to the “Officer Down Memorial Page” 115 have died in the line of duty to-date in 2015.

Don’s Upcoming Ministries

December 24 – Sing “O Holy Night” (duet) in Christmas Eve Services (5:00 and 6:30 p.m.) at Grace Community Church of Seal Beach.

April 1 – Give Keynote Address at New Life Beginnings banquet, St. Mary Medical Center in Long Beach.

Hear My Message: “Healthy Churches Live Out the Meaning of Christian Baptism”
(November 8 at Grace Community Church of Seal Beach)

http://gracesealbeach.org/media.php?pageID=28

Good News from Grace

www.gracesealbeach.org

Upcoming Special Christmas Programs at Grace Community Church of Seal Beach

December 6 at 8:00, 9:30 & 11:00 worship services—Children’s Christmas musical program by “The G-Kids”

Christmas Eve Services at 5:00 & 6:30

A Very Merry Christmas to All!

www.donaldshoemakerministries.com

On “All Saints Day” (November 1) we remember saints of the past—their faith and struggles, victories and failures, lives and deaths, examples and teachings. Here is one:

John Newton
(1725-­1807)

Slave Trader Convert to Christianity
Author of “Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me…”
Abolitionist

God’s grace is his unearned, undeserved, unobligated favor.

This Thanksgiving be thankful for –

God’s Saving Grace and
God’s Common Grace
By Donald P. Shoemaker
Published in GraceConnect (Fall, 2015)

I was finishing some yard work in front of my home on a recent Saturday morning when I saw them coming—a group of eight Jehovah’s Witnesses. I went to my porch and read the front page of the morning paper and then fiddled in the yard until they reached me. The two who talked to me spoke of the importance of good fathers. So did an article on the front page of my newspaper. In both cases, I rejoice in the grace of God that was revealed!
More about that experience later.

“Grace” is God’s unearned, undeserved, unobligated favor.

Christians are well acquainted with God’s “saving grace”. We usually have this in mind when we speak the word “grace”. But there is another important dimension to God’s grace—his “common grace” to all humanity.

We’ll explore both dimensions of God’s grace. But I will emphasize common grace for it is the dimension we tend to overlook.

God’s Saving Grace

God’s saving grace operates as we are brought into the sphere of faith and forgiveness. Grace is seen in Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross so our sins may be forgiven (Ephesians 1:7) and God can declare us righteous (Romans 3:24). By grace we are saved through faith, which itself is a gift of grace (Ephesians 2:8-9).

Because of God’s saving grace, we sing “Amazing grace…that saved a wretch like me.” No matter how great our sin, God’s grace is greater (Romans 5:20).

God’s saving grace continues actively in us as we walk our Christian pathway “through many dangers, toils and snares.” We are not passive under grace—we must continue and grow in this grace (Acts 13:43; 2 Peter 3:18).

God’s grace especially sees us through our weaknesses, low points, and when prayer isn’t answered our way (2 Corinthians 12:9). It makes us strong and steadfast when we suffer for Christ (1 Peter 5:10).

By God’s grace, spiritual leaders are called to their positions and believers have spiritual gifts (“charismata”—works of grace) bestowed on them for service (Ephesians 4:7, Romans 12:6).

Saving grace is never without good morals. Grace “teaches us to say ‘No’ to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives” (Titus 2:11-12 New International Version). Like a sleek train designed to speed on carefully laid rails, God designs us to do the good works he has already set before us (Ephesians 2:10)!

And on the great day when Jesus appears, saving “grace will lead me home” (1 Peter 1:13).

God’s Common Grace

Common grace is a different dimension of God’s grace. The term is an umbrella we give to a number of biblical thoughts we pull together. Wayne Grudem (Systematic Theology, 657) defines it as “the grace of God by which he gives people innumerable blessings that are not part of salvation.” * People benefit from this grace whether they love God, believe in God, obey God or not.

One obvious common grace is the vast blessing God gives humanity through his abundant creation. “He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous” (Matthew 5:45). “He has shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons; he provides you with plenty of food and fills your hearts with joy” (Acts 14:17). God “makes grass grow for the cattle, and plants for man to cultivate—bringing forth food from the earth, wine that gladdens the heart of man, oil to make his face shine, and bread that sustains his heart” (Psalm 104:14-15). And you know? God enjoys every minute of it (Psalm 104:31)!

God’s many ways of keeping our humanity humane are works of common grace. Fundamental to this is the value and dignity that flow from our being made in the image and likeness of God. Because we are all made in God’s image, human life at all stages is precious and must not be taken except as God requires or permits. **

We must treat others respectfully, especially in our words. We can’t bless our Creator and then curse people made in God’s likeness (James 3:9-10).

God has also bestowed to everyone a basic sense of right and wrong. When the Protestant reformers talked about our “total depravity” they nonetheless spoke of this universal sense of morality. The Canons of Dort *** (1619), which articulated the Calvinist doctrine of depravity, also said, “Unbelievers retain glimmerings of natural light that provide some knowledge of God, of natural things, and the difference between good and evil.”

Parenting and family structure show God’s grace. Even unrighteous people want what is good for their children (Matthew 7:9-11). When God permits this grace to be lifted, we see the resulting family and societal chaos.

Human intelligence, creativity, artistry, achievements (cultural and scientific), and wholesome enjoyments are all by God’s grace. All can be corrupted, of course, but this does not change the fact that they are capabilities bestowed by God’s gracious providence.

Another common grace is how God uses human authority to promote justice, punish evil, encourage good, and secure peace (Romans 13:1-7; 1 Peter 2:13-17). No government is perfect—certainly not the Roman government of Paul and Peter’s time. But God works his grace through this instrument of clay and calls his children to honor it, though this doesn’t at all mean that we shouldn’t address the injustices of the state when they occur.

Last, we note God’s restraint of evil, lest the world become even more intolerable and ungovernable. God may restrain individuals (Genesis 20:6) or the whole of humanity (2 Thessalonians 2:7). We don’t know how much God does this, and we must acknowledge much mystery because we see so many instances of ruthless depravity in history and the present.

Should we cooperate with God’s common grace? Absolutely!

• Encourage good stewardship of God’s creation.
• Bless others—just or unjust—with good, as our Father in Heaven does.
• Reason with non-Christians about good and evil, faith and unbelief, and ultimate issues—God is the author of logic.
• Strive for points of commonality with opponents to enhance peace in a diverse society.
• Cooperate with non-Christians for the good of the culture.
• Encourage and participate in wholesome deeds (Reformation thought recognizes the “civic good” unbelievers may perform, though such deeds do not merit salvation).
• Commend good and oppose evil in society.
• Work to diminish grief and suffering.
• Participate in government at all levels.

Finally, remember that if we emphasize either saving grace or common grace and minimize the other, we easily fall into error. Minimize common grace and you may fall into cultural withdrawal, abandoning all efforts in the world except evangelism. Minimize saving grace and become fulfilled in what you accomplish with your non-Christian colleagues and you may fail to tell them the way of salvation.

Now back to the story of my morning newspaper and Jehovah’s Witnesses who came by. Whether from a secular source (the newspaper) or from a religious source not at all orthodox ****, truth came forth. Families hurt and society suffers when fatherhood fails. Where fatherhood is uplifted and strong, people thrive. This truth overflows all secular and religious borders. Strong fatherhood, wherever it blossoms, is God’s common grace at work!

Reprinted with permission from GraceConnect (Fall, 2015), published by the Brethren Missionary Herald Company. The material below is not part of the article.

“God’s Saving Grace and God’s Common Grace”
Bible Quotations and Notes

“In [Christ] we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of Gods grace.” – Ephesians 1:7 (all Bible quotes are from the New International Version)

“[All] are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”
– Romans 3:24

“By grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works…” – Ephesians 2:8-9

“Where sin increased, grace increased all the more.” – Romans 5:20

“Paul and Barnabas…urged them to continue in the grace of God.” – Acts 13:43

“Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” – 2 Peter 3:18

“[The Lord] said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’”
– 2 Corinthians 12:9

“The God of all grace, …after you have suffered for a while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.” – 1 Peter 5:10

“To each of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it.” – Ephesians 4:7

“We have different gifts, according to the grace given us.” – Romans 12:6

“We are God’s workman- ship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” – Ephesians 2:10

“Set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed.” – 1 Peter 1:13

* Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1994).
Chapter 31 – “Common Grace” (657-68)

“May the Lord rejoice in his works.” – Psalm 104:31

** “Image of God” – “man is like God and represents God” (Grudem, 442)
See: Genesis 1:26-27 and Genesis 9:6

“With the tongue we praise our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be.”
– James 3:9-10

*** Canons of Dort: www.rca.org/canons

“If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!” – Matthew 7:11

“The authorities that exist have been established by God… [The authority] is God’s servant to do you good…an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer.” – Romans 13:1, 4

“[Authorities] are sent by [God] to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right.”
– 1 Peter 2:14

Example of addressing injustice—the prophet Daniel to the Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar:
“Renounce your sins by doing what is right, and your wickedness by being kind to the oppressed. It may be then that your prosperity will continue.” – Daniel 4:27
(see also Acts 16:35-39 and Acts 22:22-29)

“Then God said to him in a dream, ‘Yes, I know you did this with a clear conscience, and so I have kept you from sinning against me.” – Genesis 20:6

“The secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now holds it back will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way.” – 2 Thessalonians 2:7

**** Jehovah’s Witnesses are outside historical Christian orthodoxy in many ways, major and minor. This group denies the equality Jesus shares with God the Father (John 1:1; John 5:18; Philippians 2:6-11). It rather bizarrely uses the words of Revelation 7:1-8 about “the 144,000” as a regulatory principle for explaining much of the New Testament, such as inviting to partake of Communion only those who sense they are part of the 144,000 (but the Book of Revelation hadn’t even been written at the time these other NT passages were written and first taught). They forbid blood transfusions based on a strange expansion of the prohibition against drinking blood in Leviticus 17:10-12. They refuse to vote or serve in the military, yet they have used the court system to protect their religious rights.

In Ohio, You Are Indeed in Football Country!!!

My wife and I were in Ohio in mid-­‐October—about 70 miles north of Columbus, where The Ohio State University plays football. And when they do, it’s an all-­‐state event! On football evening our hotel was filled with those who attended the game 70 miles away.

This reminded me of an incident a few years ago, not far from Columbus.

A mega-­‐church known for its flair for things dramatic had erected a giant statue of Jesus along a busy interstate highway. Remember, now, this is football country. So when motorists saw the way Jesus’ arms and hands were lifted, the statue was quickly dubbed “Touchdown Jesus”!

Well, “Touchdown Jesus” was destroyed by lightning one stormy night in 2010. A few weeks later I saw the metal skeleton when I drove by. I even stopped at the church and took pictures. And I wrote this little poem…

The church put up a statue—the likeness of her King. She looked for the attention this mighty work would bring.
But the Lord looked down and frowned—burned the statue to the ground, Leaving us to try to say why things in life turn out this way.

Good Government?
Don’t be cynical—in spite of the facts!

In the article on God’s grace (above), I said this about government: “No government is perfect—certainly not the Roman government of Paul and Peter’s time. But God works his grace through this instrument of clay and calls his children to honor it…”

But why do government leaders do so much to make it hard to honor the system?

I wrote to my congressman in October to show my support for the school voucher program in the District of Columbia. It was coming up for a renewal vote in Congress. I wrote this (all emphases are mine):

I encourage you to SUPPORT the voucher program for the DC schools, to help a large number of students get better education. The voucher program provides funding for children, not direct assistance to any particular school, so I do not believe there are any significant church-­‐state issues and the program easily passes the scrutiny of such programs set up by the Supreme Court.

Thank you. Donald Shoemaker

My congressman wrote back:

Thank you for contacting me to express YOUR OPPOSITION to federal funding for private schools. I appreciate hearing from you and welcome the opportunity to respond to your comments.

LIKE YOU, I AM OPPOSED to legislation that would increase federal funding for private school vouchers.

Go figure. No wonder we get cynical about government. We wonder if anyone is really listening to us and why we should bother getting involved!

But don’t give up!

Don’s Upcoming Ministries

November 8 – Speak in morning worship services (8:00, 9:30, 11:00) at Grace Community Church of Seal Beach

“Healthy Churches Live Out the Meaning of Christian Baptism” (1 Corinthians 10)

A Most Important Thanksgiving Prayer

“I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and
quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior.”
– 1 Timothy 2:1-­‐3 (English Standard Version)

www.donaldshoemakerministries.com

The Pope in Cuba

Pope Francis was welcomed to Cuba by President Raul Castro last month. Let’s revisit TIME Magazine’s commentary on the visit of Pope John Paul II to Cuba in 1998:

“A 100-year-old ideology that proposed a collective paradise of social justice and economic equality on earth will confront a 2,000-year-old belief in the eternal power of devotion to the divine and reverence for human dignity.”

“The Pope‘s goal is nothing less than the global establishment of a completely Christian alternative to the once alluring Marxist philosophies of this age. Yet even after communism imploded in virtually every other corner of the planet, Fidel Castro remains faithful, a true believer in a god that failed. ‘History will absolve me,’ he proclaimed at the start of his revolution, and he believes it will absolve him still.

“John Paul II is equally certain that his religion will one day soon sweep away even this last vestige of godless communism.”

The Original Saint Francis

The Original St. Francis lived c. 1182-1226. His love of and service to God’s Creation has so impressed me that we bought a “St. Francis” fountain for our front yard!

If you are privileged to belong to a church that still benefits from the richness of Christian hymnody, you likely will sing his 800-year-old hymn, “All Creatures of Our God and King.” * I share here two outstanding verses:

Dear mother earth, who day by day
unfoldest blessings on our way,
Alleluia! Alleluia!
The flowers and fruits that in thee grow,
let them God’s glory also show!
O praise ye! O praise ye!
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!

All ye who are of tender heart,
forgiving others, take your part,
O praise ye! Alleluia!
Ye who long pain and sorrow bear,
praise God and on him cast your care!
O praise ye! O praise ye!
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!

The hymn is in the spirit of Psalm 148, which calls all of creation to praise God—angels, sun and moon, stars, sea creatures, storms, mountains, animals large and small, birds. Then it summons kings, princes, people old and young, men and women, all the saints, and ultimately Israel (“the people close to his heart”) to praise.

“Let them praise the name of the Lord, for his name alone is exalted;
his splendor is above the earth and the heavens.” (Psalm 148:13)

The hymn and psalm both perform the valuable service of calling us to cherish God’s creation while never making the mistake of turning it, itself, into a god.

* This hymn was sung and played magnificently at the September 25 Mass celebrated by Pope Francis in Madison Square Garden.

Message of the Month—“To Heaven and Back?”

Doc Brown: “I just sent you back to the future!”
Marty McFly: “But I’m back! I’m back from the future!”
– “Back to the Future II”

Once again a movie has emerged about a person who went to heaven and came back to tell the story.

I’m not going to argue, “it happened” or “it didn’t happen.” I simply will set forth two scriptures that rise to relevance in light of claims like this. First:

I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven. Whether it was in the body or out of the body I do not know—God knows. And I know that this man—whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, but God knows— was caught up to paradise and heard inexpressible things, things that no one is permitted to tell. – 2 Corinthians 12:2-4 (New International Version)

Commentators generally believe that the Apostle Paul speaks of his own experience, putting it in the third person for rhetorical reasons. Be that as it may, here are some thoughts from the verses:
1. The man with the heavenly experience didn’t know whether this was an “in the body experience” or an “out of the body experience.” Whichever it was, only God knew—it didn’t matter to the man who experienced it! With modern claimants, it matters a great deal.
2. Next to nothing is said about what this person saw or experienced. “Heaven” and “paradise” are the only words used. Drawing doctrinal conclusions from experiences that go beyond what is said in Scripture is always a risky thing to do.
3. The person of 2 Corinthians 12 heard “inexpressible things” and he is emphatic that no one is permitted to repeat what was heard. This man will not be writing any books, giving talks, or making a movie!
This scripture downplays the very things that are important to those who make the modern claims. And there’s one more scripture to ponder…

Jesus told the story of “the rich man and Lazarus” (Luke 16:19-31). In death, the closed-hearted rich man was punished but Lazarus was at peace. The rich man argued for Lazarus to be sent back from the dead to warn his brothers, “You don’t want to come where I am!” He was certain that a visitor from the dead would bring them to a change of heart.

But he was told, “If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead” (verse 31).

The take-home lesson is this: the “evidences and apologetics” value of a “death and back” experience is zilch. The power to change lives comes from the divine message found in the books of the Bible.

A Somber Message for Evangelicals as well as Catholics

“The days of acceptable Christianity are over.
The days of comfortable Catholicism are past.”
– Princeton University Professor Robert George

Good News from Grace

www.gracesealbeach.org
www.sealbeach100.com

Grace Community Church of Seal Beach, CA joins its community in October to celebrate the 100th Anniversary of Seal Beach! For over 70 of those 100 years, the church has joyfully served Jesus and the community.

Grace Community Church has its idyllic location one block inland from the pier, on palm-treed 8th Street.

Don’s Upcoming Ministries

October 6 (6:30 p.m.) and October 9 (9:30 a.m.)
Teach on the second chapter of Genesis Women’s Bible Study at Grace Community Church.

2 Sundays – October 4 & 11 at 11:00 a.m.
Speak on “Hi-Speed Social Change: How to Understand and Respond to What’s Happening to our Values” (2-part seminar) 11:00 adult class at Grace Community Church.

November 8 – Speak in morning worship services at Grace Community Church “Healthy Churches Live Out the Meaning of Christian Baptism”.

Religious Liberty Vigilance –

“ No provision in our constitution ought to be dearer to man, than that which protects the rights of conscience against the enterprises of the civil authority.”
– Thomas Jefferson

Recent Thoughts on Kentucky County Clerk Kim Davis’ Refusal to Issue Same-Sex Marriage Licenses

Kim Davis had been in the Rowan County KY clerk’s office for 16 years working under her mother, the elected county clerk. In 2014 Ms. Davis ran as the Democratic candidate and was elected County Clerk in her own right.

As everyone knows, the U.S. Supreme Court validated same-sex marriage in all 50 states this past June. Thus, the conscience issue for Ms. Davis’ is very recent, filling a tiny, tiny proportion of the time she has served. Could this be a hypothetical comparison? Suppose a Muslim has been an outstanding employee of Starbucks since its inception, but very recently refused out of religious conviction to handle alcoholic beverages in a location now introducing them. Should he or she be accommodated? Or should the new requirement lead to firing if the employee refuses to serve alcohol?

The main difference is, Kim Davis is a government official. As a general rule, I would (1) seek accommodation for her to work in accord with her religious convictions, if this can reasonably be accomplished or (2) suggest she resign her position (many conservative commentators have called for just that).
She, on the other hand, may be convinced that the issue is larger than any one employee’s predicament and thus refuses to resign and must be prepared to take the consequences. I understand that, too. But I do not expect her to prevail in the courts on anything.

As of this writing, it appears that an accommodation is in place though the situation remains fluid. Deputy clerks can issue same-sex marriage licenses; her name will not appear on them. In a free society that sometimes has to balance competing rights, a “win/win” situation is often best, even if not always logically coherent and even if, for sure, each side isn’t fully satisfied.

I issue here a call for consistency. A government official is required to uphold the oath of office that was taken, which in one way or another requires the official to follow the state and federal constitutions and the law. If the issue is same-sex marriage, this should apply to either side in the debate.

So here’s a situation that is comparable, in my opinion. But it is more troubling because of the high government position involved. The California Attorney General takes an oath of office that says (emphases mine):

“I, ___________________________, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the State of California against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the State of California; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties upon which I am about to enter.”

Attorney General Kamala Harris took that oath but later she refused to “defend…the Constitution of the State of California”:

SAN FRANCISCO (March 26, 2013) — Attorney General Kamala D. Harris issued the following statement on today’s Proposition 8 arguments before the U.S. Supreme Court:

“I declined to defend Proposition 8 because it violates the Constitution. The Supreme Court has described marriage as a fundamental right 14 times since 1888. The time has come for this right to be afforded to every citizen.”

Now, on June 26, 2015 five justices of the U.S. Supreme Court agreed with her. But her job as Attorney General was not to make that judgment. It was to defend a provision of the California Constitution in court, like it or not.

She refused to do that. Following her refusal to defend the state constitution, the court found in 2013 that the proponents of Proposition 8 lacked standing before the federal courts.

Furthermore, in citing Supreme Court decisions, she should have looked back ten more years to 1878 (Reynolds v. United States), when the court ruled against the Mormons and said bigamy was not a right.

One can be neutral on both cases but still believe that both the Attorney General in California and the County Clerk in Kentucky are placing their personal convictions above their oaths of office, and the consequences for one should be the consequences for the other. How can one be celebrated and the other castigated?

Theology Insight: Kim Davis’ “Apostolic Church”

Kim Davis belongs to Solid Rock Apostolic Church in Morehead, Kentucky. Here are some facts about this church’s denomination*:

• It is a Pentecostal denomination.
• As a very traditional Pentecostal group, its expectations of its members on lifestyle are very strict **. With almost all other Pentecostals and Evangelicals, it would oppose same-sex marriage.
• It is non-Trinitarian—often called “Oneness Pentecostal” or “Jesus-only Pentecostal” ***. Around 1915 a big dispute over the doctrine of the Trinity split the new (1906+) Pentecostal movement. “Oneness” Pentecostals are a sizeable minority within Pentecostalism.
• “Jesus-only Pentecostals” believe that Jesus alone is God—he himself bears the titles Father, Son and Holy Spirit. (This makes the baptism scene of Jesus taught in Matthew 3:13-17 quite awkward—Jesus must be quite a ventriloquist, to have the Father’s voice sound from heaven while he is in the water here on earth!)
• “Jesus-only Pentecostals” baptize “in the name of Jesus Christ,” taking Acts 2:38 as a verbal formula. They do not believe Matthew 28:19 gives a formula when it says, “baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” For, after all, they believe Jesus bears all three titles.
• These groups separate themselves even more with the claim (argued from Acts 2:38) that a person is saved this way: (1) repentance, (2) baptism in the name of Jesus, (3) receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit (which, by Pentecostal understanding, is evidenced by “speaking in tongues”).
• Bottom line, they teach that those baptized by Trinitarian baptism are not truly saved, and those who don’t speak in tongues are not truly saved (or at least haven’t entered into a “complete New Testament experience”, though I have more often encountered the absolutist position). In my mind, this poses quite a problem because it means that Pentecostals who are baptized by Trinitarian baptism and speak in tongues are not truly saved. What, then, is the source of inspiration for the “tongues” they speak?

I’ve had interaction with “Jesus-only Pentecostals” over the years. I’m open to any new information that would cause me to rethink my observations.

* The denomination to which Kim Davis belongs ( www.apostolic-churches.com ) is not to be confused with the Apostolic Christian Church of America, known for its simple, conservative worship and lifestyles. ( www.apostolicchristian.org ).

** The pastor of a church belonging to a similar denomination once told me that roller-skating was wrong because it was “dancing on wheels”!

*** While the dispute around 1915 had to deal with a supposed “revelation” that denied the Trinity, there’s nothing new about “oneness” doctrine. In early Christianity and at times since, the notion of “modalism” (one God manifest in different modes) has been around. Ask some people in a typical evangelical church to explain God, and you will likely get a few modalistic notions (“I think God is like water—it may be in the form of steam or liquid or ice, but it’s all water”)!

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