Backstage in Bancroft presents “Arsenic and old Lace”
By Nathan Countryman, Assistant Editor
BANCROFT—The classic play “Arsenic and Old Lace” will be presented on Thursday, August 18, Friday, August 19 and Sunday, August 21 at Main Street Pub and Grill.
“This play isn’t about sex or love,” said director Rev. Glenn Wilson. “It’s about murder.”
Recently, members of the cast took a chance to introduce their characters to those in attendance of the Party in the Park.
Rev. Robert Wolfert is playing the character of Teddy Brewster. He is convinced he is the president of the United States, Teddy Roosevelt, and is digging the locks of the Panama Canal in the basement of the Brewster house.
Rev. Dr. Glenn Wilson portrays Jonathan Brewster, who has received a bad plastic surgery job. The role was originally played by Boris Karloff, the actor made famous for playing Frankenstein and the Mummy.
Aunt Abby is played by Kate Thompson.
“My favorite line is ‘there is one gentleman in the basement that isn’t ours. The other 12 are our gentlemen,” Thompson said.
Victoria Koestler, co-president of Backstage in Bancroft, plays Dr. Witherspoon, the superintendent of the Happy Dale Sanitarium.
“All conventional households have secrets,” Koestler said.
Rev. Wayne Garman is portraying Mortimer Brewster, the titular character of the Mortimer household. He is a drama critic.
“Playwrights have no imagination and are killing theater,” Garman said was one of his favorite lines from the play.
Aunt Martha is played by Diane Wilson, a woman who loves to cook and mix up great things like elderberry wine.
“I take one gallon of elderberry wine and mix one teaspoon of arsenic, a half teaspoon of strychnine and a pinch of arsenic,” Diane said.
Director Glenn Wilson has had fun with working on the new theater start-up in Bancroft.
“Everything is new and takes building from the ground up many things that other theater groups have already done,” Glenn said. “We have a great cast, many of which have been acting for the first time.”
Glenn also praised Joseph Kesserling’s script as a drama that even new audiences could enjoy.
“Kesserling’s script holds up really well,” Glenn said. “He pokes fun at newspaper drama critics, and the script is a lot of fun.”
Tickets are currently on sale for the dinner theater of “Arsenic and Old Lace” to be shown on Thursday, August 18, Friday, August 19 and Sunday, August 21. Thursday and Friday’s shows begin at 6 p.m., and Sunday’s show begins at 4 p.m. A social time begins at %;30 before the dinner on Thursday and Friday, ON Sunday the meal follows the show.
The cost of the tickets is $30, with $20 going towards the four star meal meal.
“The staff of Main Street Pub and Grill will be serving chicken cordon bleu, salad, potatoes and dessert,” Glenn said.
The other $10 goes to helping the new not for profit theater company starting up.
Advance tickets for the chicken cordon bleu meal need to be purchased by Friday, August 12.
The show has drawn talent from across Kossuth County for the production, including five different pastors in the roles of cast and crew.
“We’ve drawn talent from Algona, Burt, Titonka, Bancroft and Woden,” Glenn said.
Glenn also said that without Koestler and Charlie Kennedy’s work and vision, the creation of Backstage in Bancroft wouldn’t have been possible. Special thanks is also due John and Jan Hellman, owners of the host restaurant, the Main Street Pub and Grill in Bancroft.
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Tuesday, August 09, 2011
A Great Tree Has Fallen
A wonderful man, the patriarch of a proud family, the kindly grandfather and great grandfather to many children has left us. Joseph DiPietro died this week, and the world is less because of his leaving. He was a man of principle and integrity, a leader in his career, a supportive member of his church, and he was active in service to his community. He was also my father-in-law. He will be greatly missed by all who knew him.
In Southeastern Alaska, where my wife Diane and I once ministered, the Tlingit leaders had a saying for when a leader had passed on the glory. "A great tree has fallen, and the forest is crying." Joseph DiPietro was a great tree in our midst. He touched the hearts of his family and he made a strong, positive mark in this world.
Joe, as friends called him, served his country honorably as a soldier in World War II, and then continued to serve the nation and fellow soldiers in a distinguished career as an administrator of Veteran's Administration hospitals. He supervised the start-up of a number of key hospital facilities and had a key role in shaping the agency that has helped millions of veterans with their health concerns. He helped this nation keep its commitment to its troops, and the nation is better because of his careful leadership.
Joe was a no-nonsense leader -- he could cut through situations like a knife through butter to get to the root of a problem. Then he worked with his team to find the solution to the problem and implement that solution. The country could us more of his problem solving, pragmatic leadership today.
Joe lived a remarkable, abundant life. He was 95 years old when he died, but it still came as somewhat of a surprise. He had been so strong, so vibrant, so active for so long, that many in his family suspected he might outlive us all. But the time came for even Joe to go home to be with the Lord, and in his typical way, Joe exited the stage with little fanfare. He became ill and in a short time he was gone. But he lives here in the hearts of a large great family, his dear wife Elizabeth, and the dear memories of them and his many friends.
Joe would not want us to focus on his death, which for such a committed Christian as he was and is, is just a transition, a spiritual passage to a better realm. No, his legacy is how lived -- how he did live his life to its fullness.
In Southeastern Alaska, where my wife Diane and I once ministered, the Tlingit leaders had a saying for when a leader had passed on the glory. "A great tree has fallen, and the forest is crying." Joseph DiPietro was a great tree in our midst. He touched the hearts of his family and he made a strong, positive mark in this world.
Joe, as friends called him, served his country honorably as a soldier in World War II, and then continued to serve the nation and fellow soldiers in a distinguished career as an administrator of Veteran's Administration hospitals. He supervised the start-up of a number of key hospital facilities and had a key role in shaping the agency that has helped millions of veterans with their health concerns. He helped this nation keep its commitment to its troops, and the nation is better because of his careful leadership.
Joe was a no-nonsense leader -- he could cut through situations like a knife through butter to get to the root of a problem. Then he worked with his team to find the solution to the problem and implement that solution. The country could us more of his problem solving, pragmatic leadership today.
Joe lived a remarkable, abundant life. He was 95 years old when he died, but it still came as somewhat of a surprise. He had been so strong, so vibrant, so active for so long, that many in his family suspected he might outlive us all. But the time came for even Joe to go home to be with the Lord, and in his typical way, Joe exited the stage with little fanfare. He became ill and in a short time he was gone. But he lives here in the hearts of a large great family, his dear wife Elizabeth, and the dear memories of them and his many friends.
Joe would not want us to focus on his death, which for such a committed Christian as he was and is, is just a transition, a spiritual passage to a better realm. No, his legacy is how lived -- how he did live his life to its fullness.
Saturday, November 06, 2010
Christian Lessons from the Life of the Great Theologian Dr. Martin Luther
In 1501, at the age of nineteen, he entered the University of Erfurt — which he later described as a beerhouse and whorehouse.[14] The schedule called for waking at four every morning for what has been described as "a day of rote learning and often wearying spiritual exercises."[14] He received his master's degree in 1505.[15]
In accordance with his father's wishes, Luther enrolled in law school at the same university that year but dropped out almost immediately, believing that law represented uncertainty.Luther sought assurances about life and was drawn to theology and philosophy, expressing particular interest in Aristotle, William of Ockham, and Gabriel Biel. Philosophy proved to be unsatisfying, offering assurance about the use of reason but none about loving God, which to Luther was more important. Reason could not lead men to God, he felt, and he thereafter developed a love-hate relationship with Aristotle over the latter's emphasis on reason.
For Luther, reason could be used to question men and institutions, but not God. Human beings could learn about God only through divine revelation, he believed, and Scripture therefore became increasingly important to him.
He later attributed his decision to an event: on 2 July 1505, he was on horseback during a thunderstorm and a lightning bolt struck near him as he was returning to university after a trip home. Later telling his father he was terrified of death and divine judgment, he cried out, "Help! Saint Anna, I will become a monk!"
He came to view his cry for help as a vow he could never break. He left law school, sold his books, and entered a closed Augustinian friary in Erfurt on 17 July 1505. One friend blamed the decision on Luther's sadness over the deaths of two friends. Luther himself seemed saddened by the move.
Luther dedicated himself to monastic life, devoting himself to fasting, long hours in prayer, pilgrimage, and frequent confession. He would later remark, "If anyone could have gained heaven as a monk, then I would indeed have been among them." Luther described this period of his life as one of deep spiritual despair. He said, "I lost touch with Christ the Savior and Comforter, and made of him the jailer and hangman of my poor soul."
Johann von Staupitz, his superior, concluded that Luther needed more work to distract him from excessive introspection and ordered him to pursue an academic career. In 1507, he was ordained to the priesthood, and in 1508 began teaching theology at the University of Wittenberg.
He received a Bachelor's degree in Biblical studies on 9 March 1508, and another Bachelor's degree in the Sentences by Peter Lombard in 1509. On 19 October 1512, he was awarded his Doctor of Theology and, on 21 October 1512, was received into the senate of the theological faculty of the University of Wittenberg, having been called to the position of Doctor in Bible.
In 1516–17, Johann Tetzel, a Dominican friar and papal commissioner for indulgences, was sent to Germany by the Roman Catholic Church to raise money to rebuild St Peter's Basilica in Rome.[1] Roman Catholic theology stated that faith alone, whether fiduciary or dogmatic, cannot justify man;[2] and that only such faith as is active in charity and good works (fides caritate formata) can justify man.[3] The benefits of good works could be obtained by donating money to the church.
On 31 October 1517, Martin Luther wrote to Albrecht, Archbishop of Mainz and Magdeburg, protesting the sale of indulgences. He enclosed in his letter a copy of his "Disputation of Martin Luther on the Power and Efficacy of Indulgences," which came to be known as The 95 Theses.
Hans Hillerbrand writes that Luther had no intention of confronting the church, but saw his disputation as a scholarly objection to church practices, and the tone of the writing is accordingly "searching, rather than doctrinaire." Hillerbrand writes that there is nevertheless an undercurrent of challenge in several of the theses, particularly in Thesis 86, which asks: "Why does the pope, whose wealth today is greater than the wealth of the richest Crassus, build the basilica of St. Peter with the money of poor believers rather than with his own money?"
Luther objected to a saying attributed to Johann Tetzel that "As soon as the coin in the coffer rings, the soul from purgatory [also attested as 'into heaven'] springs." He insisted that, since forgiveness was God's alone to grant, those who claimed that indulgences absolved buyers from all punishments and granted them salvation were in error. Christians, he said, must not slacken in following Christ on account of such false assurances. He saw no Scriptural basis for the sale of indulgences. He began the back to the Bible movement that was the Reformation.
The 95 Theses were posted on the door of the local church and then were quickly translated from Latin into German, printed, and widely copied, making the controversy one of the first in history to be aided by the printing press.[9] Within two weeks, copies of the theses had spread throughout Germany; within two months throughout Europe.
Luther began the movement that ended up shaping of ideals of freedom and liberty that lie at the heart of the 21st century.
Martin Luther stands as a hero, the man who built the bridge between the two halves of the last millennium, the Medieval and the Modern. Martin Luther was born into a world dominated by the Catholic Church. For the keenly spiritual Luther, the Church's promise of salvation is irresistible - caught in a thunderstorm, terrified by the possibility of imminent death, he vows to become a monk.
Luther wrote: The first and chief article is this: Jesus Christ, our God and Lord, died for our sins and was raised again for our justification (Romans 3:24-25). He alone is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world (John 1:29), and God has laid on Him the iniquity of us all (Isaiah 53:6). All have sinned and are justified freely, without their own works and merits, by His grace, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, in His blood (Romans 3:23-25). This is necessary to believe. This cannot be otherwise acquired or grasped by any work, law, or merit. Therefore, it is clear and certain that this faith alone justifies us...Nothing of this article can be yielded or surrendered, even though heaven and earth and everything else falls (Mark 13:31).
Luther with resounding forcefulness in 1545, the year before he died, "Let the man who would hear God speak, read Holy Scripture" (see note 5). Earlier he had said in his lectures on Genesis, "The Holy Spirit himself and God, the Creator of all things, is the Author of this book"
The Word of God that saves and sanctifies, from generation to generation, is preserved in a Book. The central part of our work is to wrestle God's meaning from a Book, and proclaim it in the power of the Holy Spirit.
Luther knew, that some would stumble over the sheer conservatism of this simple, unchangeable fact. God's Word is in a book, and as we study it the Holy Spirit in us giving life and light.
Luther was a great lover of the Holy Spirit. In 1533 he said, "The Word of God is the greatest, most necessary, and most important thing in Christendom" Cherishing the Book implied to Luther that the Holy Spirit is a beautiful person to be known and loved, not a buzz to be felt.
Prayer was the root of Luther's approach to studying God's word. Prayer is the echo of the freedom and sufficiency of God in the heart of powerless man. It is the way he conceived of his theology and the way he pursued his studies. And it is the way he died.
At 3:00 a.m. on February 18, 1546, Luther died. His last recorded words were, "We are beggars. This is true" (see note 72). God is free—utterly free—in his grace. And we are beggars—pray-ers. That is how we live, and that is how we study, so that God gets the glory and we get the grace.
FAMOUS SAYINGS OF DOCTOR MARTIN LUTHER:
All which happens in the whole world happens through hope. No husbandman would sow a grain of corn if he did not hope it would spring up and bring forth the ear. How much more are we helped on by hope in the way to eternal life!
Anyone who is to find Christ must first find the church. How could anyone know where Christ is and what faith is in him unless he knew where his believers are?
Every man must do two things alone; he must do his own believing and his own dying.
Everything that is done in the world is done by hope.
Faith is a living, daring confidence in God's grace, so sure and certain that a man could stake his life on it a thousand times.
Faith is permitting ourselves to be seized by the things we do not see.
Christian life consists of faith, love and charity.
Faith, like light, should ever be simple and unbending; while love, like warmth, should beam forth on every side, and bend to every necessity of our brethren
God writes the gospel, not in the Bible alone, but on trees and flowers and clouds and stars.
For in the true nature of things, if we rightly consider, every green tree is far more glorious than if it were made of gold and silver.
If you are not allowed to laugh in heaven, I don't want to go there.
If you young fellows were wise, the devil couldn't do anything to you, but since you aren't wise, you need us who are old.
Nothing good ever comes of violence.
Our Lord has written the promise of resurrection, not in books alone, but in every leaf in springtime.
A wicked tyrant is better than a wicked war.
War is the greatest plague that can afflict humanity, it destroys religion, it destroys states, it destroys families. Any scourge is preferable to it.
Whatever your heart clings to and confides in, that is really your God.
In accordance with his father's wishes, Luther enrolled in law school at the same university that year but dropped out almost immediately, believing that law represented uncertainty.Luther sought assurances about life and was drawn to theology and philosophy, expressing particular interest in Aristotle, William of Ockham, and Gabriel Biel. Philosophy proved to be unsatisfying, offering assurance about the use of reason but none about loving God, which to Luther was more important. Reason could not lead men to God, he felt, and he thereafter developed a love-hate relationship with Aristotle over the latter's emphasis on reason.
For Luther, reason could be used to question men and institutions, but not God. Human beings could learn about God only through divine revelation, he believed, and Scripture therefore became increasingly important to him.
He later attributed his decision to an event: on 2 July 1505, he was on horseback during a thunderstorm and a lightning bolt struck near him as he was returning to university after a trip home. Later telling his father he was terrified of death and divine judgment, he cried out, "Help! Saint Anna, I will become a monk!"
He came to view his cry for help as a vow he could never break. He left law school, sold his books, and entered a closed Augustinian friary in Erfurt on 17 July 1505. One friend blamed the decision on Luther's sadness over the deaths of two friends. Luther himself seemed saddened by the move.
Luther dedicated himself to monastic life, devoting himself to fasting, long hours in prayer, pilgrimage, and frequent confession. He would later remark, "If anyone could have gained heaven as a monk, then I would indeed have been among them." Luther described this period of his life as one of deep spiritual despair. He said, "I lost touch with Christ the Savior and Comforter, and made of him the jailer and hangman of my poor soul."
Johann von Staupitz, his superior, concluded that Luther needed more work to distract him from excessive introspection and ordered him to pursue an academic career. In 1507, he was ordained to the priesthood, and in 1508 began teaching theology at the University of Wittenberg.
He received a Bachelor's degree in Biblical studies on 9 March 1508, and another Bachelor's degree in the Sentences by Peter Lombard in 1509. On 19 October 1512, he was awarded his Doctor of Theology and, on 21 October 1512, was received into the senate of the theological faculty of the University of Wittenberg, having been called to the position of Doctor in Bible.
In 1516–17, Johann Tetzel, a Dominican friar and papal commissioner for indulgences, was sent to Germany by the Roman Catholic Church to raise money to rebuild St Peter's Basilica in Rome.[1] Roman Catholic theology stated that faith alone, whether fiduciary or dogmatic, cannot justify man;[2] and that only such faith as is active in charity and good works (fides caritate formata) can justify man.[3] The benefits of good works could be obtained by donating money to the church.
On 31 October 1517, Martin Luther wrote to Albrecht, Archbishop of Mainz and Magdeburg, protesting the sale of indulgences. He enclosed in his letter a copy of his "Disputation of Martin Luther on the Power and Efficacy of Indulgences," which came to be known as The 95 Theses.
Hans Hillerbrand writes that Luther had no intention of confronting the church, but saw his disputation as a scholarly objection to church practices, and the tone of the writing is accordingly "searching, rather than doctrinaire." Hillerbrand writes that there is nevertheless an undercurrent of challenge in several of the theses, particularly in Thesis 86, which asks: "Why does the pope, whose wealth today is greater than the wealth of the richest Crassus, build the basilica of St. Peter with the money of poor believers rather than with his own money?"
Luther objected to a saying attributed to Johann Tetzel that "As soon as the coin in the coffer rings, the soul from purgatory [also attested as 'into heaven'] springs." He insisted that, since forgiveness was God's alone to grant, those who claimed that indulgences absolved buyers from all punishments and granted them salvation were in error. Christians, he said, must not slacken in following Christ on account of such false assurances. He saw no Scriptural basis for the sale of indulgences. He began the back to the Bible movement that was the Reformation.
The 95 Theses were posted on the door of the local church and then were quickly translated from Latin into German, printed, and widely copied, making the controversy one of the first in history to be aided by the printing press.[9] Within two weeks, copies of the theses had spread throughout Germany; within two months throughout Europe.
Luther began the movement that ended up shaping of ideals of freedom and liberty that lie at the heart of the 21st century.
Martin Luther stands as a hero, the man who built the bridge between the two halves of the last millennium, the Medieval and the Modern. Martin Luther was born into a world dominated by the Catholic Church. For the keenly spiritual Luther, the Church's promise of salvation is irresistible - caught in a thunderstorm, terrified by the possibility of imminent death, he vows to become a monk.
Luther wrote: The first and chief article is this: Jesus Christ, our God and Lord, died for our sins and was raised again for our justification (Romans 3:24-25). He alone is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world (John 1:29), and God has laid on Him the iniquity of us all (Isaiah 53:6). All have sinned and are justified freely, without their own works and merits, by His grace, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, in His blood (Romans 3:23-25). This is necessary to believe. This cannot be otherwise acquired or grasped by any work, law, or merit. Therefore, it is clear and certain that this faith alone justifies us...Nothing of this article can be yielded or surrendered, even though heaven and earth and everything else falls (Mark 13:31).
Luther with resounding forcefulness in 1545, the year before he died, "Let the man who would hear God speak, read Holy Scripture" (see note 5). Earlier he had said in his lectures on Genesis, "The Holy Spirit himself and God, the Creator of all things, is the Author of this book"
The Word of God that saves and sanctifies, from generation to generation, is preserved in a Book. The central part of our work is to wrestle God's meaning from a Book, and proclaim it in the power of the Holy Spirit.
Luther knew, that some would stumble over the sheer conservatism of this simple, unchangeable fact. God's Word is in a book, and as we study it the Holy Spirit in us giving life and light.
Luther was a great lover of the Holy Spirit. In 1533 he said, "The Word of God is the greatest, most necessary, and most important thing in Christendom" Cherishing the Book implied to Luther that the Holy Spirit is a beautiful person to be known and loved, not a buzz to be felt.
Prayer was the root of Luther's approach to studying God's word. Prayer is the echo of the freedom and sufficiency of God in the heart of powerless man. It is the way he conceived of his theology and the way he pursued his studies. And it is the way he died.
At 3:00 a.m. on February 18, 1546, Luther died. His last recorded words were, "We are beggars. This is true" (see note 72). God is free—utterly free—in his grace. And we are beggars—pray-ers. That is how we live, and that is how we study, so that God gets the glory and we get the grace.
FAMOUS SAYINGS OF DOCTOR MARTIN LUTHER:
All which happens in the whole world happens through hope. No husbandman would sow a grain of corn if he did not hope it would spring up and bring forth the ear. How much more are we helped on by hope in the way to eternal life!
Anyone who is to find Christ must first find the church. How could anyone know where Christ is and what faith is in him unless he knew where his believers are?
Every man must do two things alone; he must do his own believing and his own dying.
Everything that is done in the world is done by hope.
Faith is a living, daring confidence in God's grace, so sure and certain that a man could stake his life on it a thousand times.
Faith is permitting ourselves to be seized by the things we do not see.
Christian life consists of faith, love and charity.
Faith, like light, should ever be simple and unbending; while love, like warmth, should beam forth on every side, and bend to every necessity of our brethren
God writes the gospel, not in the Bible alone, but on trees and flowers and clouds and stars.
For in the true nature of things, if we rightly consider, every green tree is far more glorious than if it were made of gold and silver.
If you are not allowed to laugh in heaven, I don't want to go there.
If you young fellows were wise, the devil couldn't do anything to you, but since you aren't wise, you need us who are old.
Nothing good ever comes of violence.
Our Lord has written the promise of resurrection, not in books alone, but in every leaf in springtime.
A wicked tyrant is better than a wicked war.
War is the greatest plague that can afflict humanity, it destroys religion, it destroys states, it destroys families. Any scourge is preferable to it.
Whatever your heart clings to and confides in, that is really your God.
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Becoming a Fully Realized Acts 16:5 Church
As we work toward becoming a fully realized Christian church, which we call an Acts 16:5 church. we seek God;s guidance to those goals that God may have in mind for our congregation as we seek to become one with a dynamic vision. Dr. Stan Ott, our adviser for our presbytery, stresses developing discipleship, a missional focus, and an insight about friendliness and hospitality that is critical. Ott makes a distinction between friendliness and hospitality: "friendship is warm, sociable and pleasant" while hospitality invites people into our lives in meaningful ways. Hospitality is the key to keeping new attendees and making them a part of the congregation.
Ott urges us to look at making worship responsive to many needs and explore the importance of small-group ministry. Ott also advocates shared ministry between the pastor, the leaders, and the members of the congregation.
Ott offers seven signs of a vital congregation and six principles for going about the practice of vital ministry. Ott is practical and inspiring, hopeful, and confident that God is at work in every congregation. Ott urges us to use scriptural references that support the ongoing message he preaches to us about mission, vision, and God's presence in the church.
The practices of discipleship Ott lists are the "Seven Habits of the Burning Heart." These are spiritual practices that support and sustain the growth of disciples. Ott's habits are concerned with relationships, both with God and with others; well-being--spiritual, physical, and emotional; stewardship; and ministry and work. He reminds us that these tools of discipleship are the work of God's Spirit among us that forms Christ within us.
Ott recognizes that the church is in a time of transition today but reminds us that this is not a new state, that the church is always in some state of transition. Ott offers a very positive definition of transition. He writes, "But I want to offer a new definition of the transitional congregation--a church in transition to a positive, future-embracing vision that says, 'We have not yet experienced this congregation's greatest ministry. Let us bless what God has done among us and add the ministry we believe will touch another circle of people'"
Ott urges us to look at making worship responsive to many needs and explore the importance of small-group ministry. Ott also advocates shared ministry between the pastor, the leaders, and the members of the congregation.
Ott offers seven signs of a vital congregation and six principles for going about the practice of vital ministry. Ott is practical and inspiring, hopeful, and confident that God is at work in every congregation. Ott urges us to use scriptural references that support the ongoing message he preaches to us about mission, vision, and God's presence in the church.
The practices of discipleship Ott lists are the "Seven Habits of the Burning Heart." These are spiritual practices that support and sustain the growth of disciples. Ott's habits are concerned with relationships, both with God and with others; well-being--spiritual, physical, and emotional; stewardship; and ministry and work. He reminds us that these tools of discipleship are the work of God's Spirit among us that forms Christ within us.
Ott recognizes that the church is in a time of transition today but reminds us that this is not a new state, that the church is always in some state of transition. Ott offers a very positive definition of transition. He writes, "But I want to offer a new definition of the transitional congregation--a church in transition to a positive, future-embracing vision that says, 'We have not yet experienced this congregation's greatest ministry. Let us bless what God has done among us and add the ministry we believe will touch another circle of people'"
Friday, October 22, 2010
Heaven is Our True Home -- What a Day of Rejoicing That Will Be!
Heaven in our destination when we believe in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior!In John 14 Jesus tells us He is going to prepare a place for us in His Father's abode, where there are many mansions. In John 14:6 He tells us how to get there -- THROUGH HIM!
The Bible is the most beautiful book ever written. It tells us some things about heaven and all are awe-inspiring. What a day of rejoicing that will be!
The Bible does not say a lot about heaven. Reinhold Niebuhr once said, "The Bible tells us very little about the temperature of hell, or the furniture of heaven."
But it tells us enough to get us excited. In John 14 Jesus says He is going to prepare a place for us. And LET ME EMPHASIZE THIS FACT -- In John 14:6 He tells us how to get there -- through HIM! There is no way that human language can capture the majesty and the grandeur of heaven.
The Bible does tell us though, everything you and I need to know. We can see great insight into the very heart and the essence of what heaven is really all about. Turn with me to Paul's letter to the Philippians, the third chapter; and let's take a look this morning at verses 17-21. This is the Word of God. Paul writes to those early Christians in Philippi:
Join with others in following my example, brothers, and take note of those who live according to the pattern we gave you. For, as I have often told you before and now say again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their destiny is destruction, their God is their physical being, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on early things. But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.
There is a story about the two guys who were dying to know if there would be baseball in heaven. They made a pact with each other. The first one to die, he would try to come back and communicate to the other person whether or not there was baseball in heaven. Well, one of them dies; and sure enough the remaining friend one night hears a familiar voice, "Jim! It's Fred! I've come back to tell you whether or not there is baseball in heaven. I have some good news and some bad news for you. The good news, there is baseball in heaven. The bad news, you are the starting pitcher tomorrow night."
What is heaven like? Probably a better place to begin is to ask ourselves the question, "Will we be ready for what heaven is like?" In the third chapter of Philippians, Paul has spent a lot of time talking with those early Christians about what eternal life in Christ is like. In verses 17-19 of our text, he hones in on the fact that the reality of heaven ought to impact the way you and I live in the world as Christians. In fact, he urges those early Philippian Christians to model their lives after him, and after other Christians who are living godly lives.
Then he warns the Philippians, 'Don't model your life after some Christians inside the church, who call themselves Christians,' but who in reality Paul says, 'are enemies of the cross.' These are men and women within the church but they are enemies of the cross; not because they deny the existence of heaven; but because they have been perpetrating a myth. The myth that there are other ways to heaven other than through the cross of Jesus Christ.
Friends, let us be clear here this morning. There is no other way to heaven than through Jesus Christ and his once and for all sufficient, perfect, sacrificial death on the cross. Not Ron Scates, not the Presbyterian Church, but Jesus says, 'I am the way. I am the road. No one comes to the Father, but by me.'
But there in that Philippian church, and in the church right here, there are those Christians who in reality are masquerading as Christians, who are enemies of the cross. 'Oh, there are all kinds of ways other than Christ to get to heaven.'
Paul says, their destiny is not heaven but destruction. Their god is their gut. And Paul says they have fallen into what we might call the Jerry Springer Syndrome: They glory in their shame.
If there is a just criticism of some Christians that they are so heavenly-minded that they are not earthly good, then just the opposite is true for these folks. Their minds are totally focused on this world. They have forgotten, or they have lost that transcendent vision of a godly, Christ-centered life.
Now remember that Paul is writing to Christians here. He is not saying that the way you and I live determines whether we merit heaven. No, not at all. You and I are saved solely, totally by grace alone, through faith in Christ. But what I think Paul is saying here when he urges them to model their lives after him and after other godly Christians, is that the way you and I live our lives here on earth, has an impact on us as we make the transition into heaven.
Think about it. If you are going to spend eternity with a God that you do not passionately love right now; if you are going to spend eternity subject to a God who in this life, you continually refuse to surrender all of your life to; then at best heaven is going to be somewhat of a wearisome place, if not a miserable place. Our lives lived here on earth are to be lived in preparation for life in heaven. We are to seek out men and women of integrity, and authenticity, and compassion, and courage, and faithfulness; and then pattern our lives after them. Seeking to live in ways here and now that glorify God through eternity. So ask yourself a question. Who or what is your life modeled on?
Let's get back to the original question. What is heaven? In verses 20 and 21 of our text, Paul gives us some great insights into what heaven is really all about. In verse 20, the first thing he tells us, he reminds us to check our spiritual passports as Christians. He says, 'Our citizenship, is not in this world. Our true citizenship is in heaven.' This earth is not our real home.
If you are a Christian, ask yourself this, 'Am I a pioneer, or am I a homesteader?' A pioneer is never settled. They are always moving on. They know that wherever they are is not their home. They are always heading toward a final destination. They are just passing through. But so many Christians have, in relationship to this world, become homesteaders. They have circled the wagons. They have sunk down roots. They invest themselves so much in this world, that they have almost totally forgotten where their true home is.
Where is your true home? It is not here. If you are a Christian, you are at best a resident alien. You are a sojourner. You and I need to remember that this world is not all there is.
In September when Anne and I are in Scotland, I don't think we are going to be confused about Scotland being our home. At every turn we are going to be reminded that we are tourists. We are just passing through. We are just resident aliens there, and we will only be there for a short time.
Let me confess, I like this world. I am in no rush to get to heaven. I need to be reminded that I am a resident alien. I am a sojourner. I am just passing through. This is not my home.
Max Lucado tells a story about flying home to San Antonio one evening and as the wheels of the plane hit the runway, he said all through the plane you could hear the unfastening of seatbelts. As the voice came over the intercom saying, 'Please remain seated with your seatbelt fastened until the plane comes to a complete stop,' he said, no one was paying attention. People were already out of their seats, opening the overhead compartments, getting their stuff out. Why? Because they were home. Their final destination was not that plane. They wanted to get off of that plane, and get out, and get home with those they love. He said he didn't see any of the stewardesses having to struggle to pull people out of their seats, with people going, 'Wait a minute. I want to stay on the plane for a few more hours. The food is really good. These seats are so comfy, I want to stay.' No. They were home. They wanted to get off of that plane.
Why then, as Christians, are we so clutching when it comes to this world? This is not our true home. By the way, if you are a Christian when you die, where do you go? You don't go to heaven. When Jesus died He didn't even go to heaven. He went to hell. He went to hell to close the gates of hell for all who place their trust in him. But if you are a believer, when you die you don't go to heaven either. Where do you go?
Paul says that Christ one day will return, and take you and me home to heaven to be with him. If you don't remember anything else about this sermon, remember this. This is the most important thing about heaven: that you and I will be with Christ.
Join me as we pray:
Father we thank you that as we pass through this world as sojourners you are our companion, you are our pioneer and perfecter of our faith. We follow hopefully in your footsteps. Lord, give us a healthy appreciation of the beauty and wonder of this world. May we pour ourselves out, living for you; binding up the wounds of those who are hurting, ministering to the poor. But also may we be so fueled by the reality that this is not the last word. This is not our true home. We are here to do what we can. But our destiny is eternal life with you. Through Jesus Christ our Lord and him alone. Amen.
The Bible is the most beautiful book ever written. It tells us some things about heaven and all are awe-inspiring. What a day of rejoicing that will be!
The Bible does not say a lot about heaven. Reinhold Niebuhr once said, "The Bible tells us very little about the temperature of hell, or the furniture of heaven."
But it tells us enough to get us excited. In John 14 Jesus says He is going to prepare a place for us. And LET ME EMPHASIZE THIS FACT -- In John 14:6 He tells us how to get there -- through HIM! There is no way that human language can capture the majesty and the grandeur of heaven.
The Bible does tell us though, everything you and I need to know. We can see great insight into the very heart and the essence of what heaven is really all about. Turn with me to Paul's letter to the Philippians, the third chapter; and let's take a look this morning at verses 17-21. This is the Word of God. Paul writes to those early Christians in Philippi:
Join with others in following my example, brothers, and take note of those who live according to the pattern we gave you. For, as I have often told you before and now say again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their destiny is destruction, their God is their physical being, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on early things. But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.
There is a story about the two guys who were dying to know if there would be baseball in heaven. They made a pact with each other. The first one to die, he would try to come back and communicate to the other person whether or not there was baseball in heaven. Well, one of them dies; and sure enough the remaining friend one night hears a familiar voice, "Jim! It's Fred! I've come back to tell you whether or not there is baseball in heaven. I have some good news and some bad news for you. The good news, there is baseball in heaven. The bad news, you are the starting pitcher tomorrow night."
What is heaven like? Probably a better place to begin is to ask ourselves the question, "Will we be ready for what heaven is like?" In the third chapter of Philippians, Paul has spent a lot of time talking with those early Christians about what eternal life in Christ is like. In verses 17-19 of our text, he hones in on the fact that the reality of heaven ought to impact the way you and I live in the world as Christians. In fact, he urges those early Philippian Christians to model their lives after him, and after other Christians who are living godly lives.
Then he warns the Philippians, 'Don't model your life after some Christians inside the church, who call themselves Christians,' but who in reality Paul says, 'are enemies of the cross.' These are men and women within the church but they are enemies of the cross; not because they deny the existence of heaven; but because they have been perpetrating a myth. The myth that there are other ways to heaven other than through the cross of Jesus Christ.
Friends, let us be clear here this morning. There is no other way to heaven than through Jesus Christ and his once and for all sufficient, perfect, sacrificial death on the cross. Not Ron Scates, not the Presbyterian Church, but Jesus says, 'I am the way. I am the road. No one comes to the Father, but by me.'
But there in that Philippian church, and in the church right here, there are those Christians who in reality are masquerading as Christians, who are enemies of the cross. 'Oh, there are all kinds of ways other than Christ to get to heaven.'
Paul says, their destiny is not heaven but destruction. Their god is their gut. And Paul says they have fallen into what we might call the Jerry Springer Syndrome: They glory in their shame.
If there is a just criticism of some Christians that they are so heavenly-minded that they are not earthly good, then just the opposite is true for these folks. Their minds are totally focused on this world. They have forgotten, or they have lost that transcendent vision of a godly, Christ-centered life.
Now remember that Paul is writing to Christians here. He is not saying that the way you and I live determines whether we merit heaven. No, not at all. You and I are saved solely, totally by grace alone, through faith in Christ. But what I think Paul is saying here when he urges them to model their lives after him and after other godly Christians, is that the way you and I live our lives here on earth, has an impact on us as we make the transition into heaven.
Think about it. If you are going to spend eternity with a God that you do not passionately love right now; if you are going to spend eternity subject to a God who in this life, you continually refuse to surrender all of your life to; then at best heaven is going to be somewhat of a wearisome place, if not a miserable place. Our lives lived here on earth are to be lived in preparation for life in heaven. We are to seek out men and women of integrity, and authenticity, and compassion, and courage, and faithfulness; and then pattern our lives after them. Seeking to live in ways here and now that glorify God through eternity. So ask yourself a question. Who or what is your life modeled on?
Let's get back to the original question. What is heaven? In verses 20 and 21 of our text, Paul gives us some great insights into what heaven is really all about. In verse 20, the first thing he tells us, he reminds us to check our spiritual passports as Christians. He says, 'Our citizenship, is not in this world. Our true citizenship is in heaven.' This earth is not our real home.
If you are a Christian, ask yourself this, 'Am I a pioneer, or am I a homesteader?' A pioneer is never settled. They are always moving on. They know that wherever they are is not their home. They are always heading toward a final destination. They are just passing through. But so many Christians have, in relationship to this world, become homesteaders. They have circled the wagons. They have sunk down roots. They invest themselves so much in this world, that they have almost totally forgotten where their true home is.
Where is your true home? It is not here. If you are a Christian, you are at best a resident alien. You are a sojourner. You and I need to remember that this world is not all there is.
In September when Anne and I are in Scotland, I don't think we are going to be confused about Scotland being our home. At every turn we are going to be reminded that we are tourists. We are just passing through. We are just resident aliens there, and we will only be there for a short time.
Let me confess, I like this world. I am in no rush to get to heaven. I need to be reminded that I am a resident alien. I am a sojourner. I am just passing through. This is not my home.
Max Lucado tells a story about flying home to San Antonio one evening and as the wheels of the plane hit the runway, he said all through the plane you could hear the unfastening of seatbelts. As the voice came over the intercom saying, 'Please remain seated with your seatbelt fastened until the plane comes to a complete stop,' he said, no one was paying attention. People were already out of their seats, opening the overhead compartments, getting their stuff out. Why? Because they were home. Their final destination was not that plane. They wanted to get off of that plane, and get out, and get home with those they love. He said he didn't see any of the stewardesses having to struggle to pull people out of their seats, with people going, 'Wait a minute. I want to stay on the plane for a few more hours. The food is really good. These seats are so comfy, I want to stay.' No. They were home. They wanted to get off of that plane.
Why then, as Christians, are we so clutching when it comes to this world? This is not our true home. By the way, if you are a Christian when you die, where do you go? You don't go to heaven. When Jesus died He didn't even go to heaven. He went to hell. He went to hell to close the gates of hell for all who place their trust in him. But if you are a believer, when you die you don't go to heaven either. Where do you go?
Paul says that Christ one day will return, and take you and me home to heaven to be with him. If you don't remember anything else about this sermon, remember this. This is the most important thing about heaven: that you and I will be with Christ.
Join me as we pray:
Father we thank you that as we pass through this world as sojourners you are our companion, you are our pioneer and perfecter of our faith. We follow hopefully in your footsteps. Lord, give us a healthy appreciation of the beauty and wonder of this world. May we pour ourselves out, living for you; binding up the wounds of those who are hurting, ministering to the poor. But also may we be so fueled by the reality that this is not the last word. This is not our true home. We are here to do what we can. But our destiny is eternal life with you. Through Jesus Christ our Lord and him alone. Amen.
Monday, October 11, 2010
There is a Heaven and There is a Hell -- Hell is a Spiritual Reality
Hell is a spiritual reality that can be countered only by the Cross of Christ.
Introduction
• Read Matthew 13:47-51 47"Once again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was let down into the lake and caught all kinds of fish. 48When it was full, the fishermen pulled it up on the shore. Then they sat down and collected the good fish in baskets, but threw the bad away. 49This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous 50and throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
51"Have you understood all these things?" Jesus asked. "Yes," they replied.
• Jesus uses a commercial fishing illustration to teach about the afterlife: (1) there will be judgment for everyone, (2) people will be separated into two groups, and (3) the saved will be destined for heaven and the unsaved for hell.
• Jesus speaks often of hell, and other biblical writers do, too.
• In Scripture, justice demands a hell.
WHY IS HELL NECESSARY?
A. Its necessary for the devil, who it was created for in the first place-Matthew 25:41.
B. Its necessary for those who do not trust Jesus to pay for their sin-Romans 6:23 and II • Thessalonians 1:5-9.
Hell involves emotional anguish.
• Hell is like gehenna, the smoldering trash dump outside Jerusalem, and in hell, people will be consciously aware that they have been deemed trash--worthless, irredeemable, fit for no good purpose.
• Hell involves gnashing of teeth-
•
• Hell is described as fire, flames, furnace-a pain so intense that in the parable in Luke 16, a man begs for a few drops of water.
•
• Preachers of the past thought it was a terrible place to go. An example comes from the great speaker Gharles Spurgeon…
“There is a real fire in hell, as truly as you have a real body, a fire exactly like that which we have on this earth except this: it will not consume you though it will torture you. You have seen asbestos lying amid coals but not consumed. So your body will be prepared by God in such a way that it will burn forever yet without being consumed, with your nerves laid raw by searing flame yet never desensitized for all its raging fury. And with the acrid smoke of the sulfuric fumes searing your lungs and choking your breath you will cry out for the mercy of death, but it shall never, never, no, never come
•
Even Billy Graham is uncertain about the literal nature of hell being on fire.
In Time Magazine on November 15, 1993, he said, “I think that hell essentially is separation from God forever. And that is the worst hell that I can think of. But I think people have a hard time believing God is going to allow people to burn
in literal fire forever.”
A few years before that Billy Graham said in his book, “A Biblical Stand for Evangelists”,1983, pp 45-47….. “When it comes to a literal fire, I don’t preach it because I’m not sure about it.”
•
Introduction
• Read Matthew 13:47-51 47"Once again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was let down into the lake and caught all kinds of fish. 48When it was full, the fishermen pulled it up on the shore. Then they sat down and collected the good fish in baskets, but threw the bad away. 49This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous 50and throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
51"Have you understood all these things?" Jesus asked. "Yes," they replied.
• Jesus uses a commercial fishing illustration to teach about the afterlife: (1) there will be judgment for everyone, (2) people will be separated into two groups, and (3) the saved will be destined for heaven and the unsaved for hell.
• Jesus speaks often of hell, and other biblical writers do, too.
• In Scripture, justice demands a hell.
WHY IS HELL NECESSARY?
A. Its necessary for the devil, who it was created for in the first place-Matthew 25:41.
B. Its necessary for those who do not trust Jesus to pay for their sin-Romans 6:23 and II • Thessalonians 1:5-9.
Hell involves emotional anguish.
• Hell is like gehenna, the smoldering trash dump outside Jerusalem, and in hell, people will be consciously aware that they have been deemed trash--worthless, irredeemable, fit for no good purpose.
• Hell involves gnashing of teeth-
•
• Hell is described as fire, flames, furnace-a pain so intense that in the parable in Luke 16, a man begs for a few drops of water.
•
• Preachers of the past thought it was a terrible place to go. An example comes from the great speaker Gharles Spurgeon…
“There is a real fire in hell, as truly as you have a real body, a fire exactly like that which we have on this earth except this: it will not consume you though it will torture you. You have seen asbestos lying amid coals but not consumed. So your body will be prepared by God in such a way that it will burn forever yet without being consumed, with your nerves laid raw by searing flame yet never desensitized for all its raging fury. And with the acrid smoke of the sulfuric fumes searing your lungs and choking your breath you will cry out for the mercy of death, but it shall never, never, no, never come
•
Even Billy Graham is uncertain about the literal nature of hell being on fire.
In Time Magazine on November 15, 1993, he said, “I think that hell essentially is separation from God forever. And that is the worst hell that I can think of. But I think people have a hard time believing God is going to allow people to burn
in literal fire forever.”
A few years before that Billy Graham said in his book, “A Biblical Stand for Evangelists”,1983, pp 45-47….. “When it comes to a literal fire, I don’t preach it because I’m not sure about it.”
•
Tuesday, October 05, 2010
Be Thou My Vision: Having the Eyes of Christ -- Open My Eyes So That I Might Have "People Eyes"
The Acts 16:5 concept of looking at people as Jesus would see them, with eyes for people and their hearts. We catch His vision for helping and loving and nurturing people. We see people through the eyes of Christ, as people with needs to be met – physical, spiritual, emotional, social, relational – and look for ways to meet those needs in the mission of Jesus Christ in our time and place.
To see people the way Jesus saw them is to look beyond failure to another chance.
In a world in which it’s “three strikes and you’re out,” to see people the way Jesus sawthem is to believe in redemption, really believe in it, not just as a religious idea but as a fact of real life. To see people the way Jesus saw is to put hope back into the equation. Jesus saw people differently. And we, as new creations in Christ, are called to see people the way he saw them.
Jesus would have us look beyond the obvious and the superficial. He would have
us look deeper into the soul and spirit.
What do you see? What do you see when you see an autistic child? What do you
see when you see a homeless man selling newspapers at the intersection? What do you see when you see a poor person in the line at a food pantry? What do you see when you see a black man or Mexican man or an Arabian man? What do you see when you see a senile senior adult, once proud and accomplished but now reduced to repeating over and over, hundreds of times every day,“Please help me. Won’t somebody help me”? What do you see?
Or, more importantly, through whose eyes do you see? Do you see through the
eyes of a society in which worth is based on what one can produce or generate, and
therefore one in which there is no place for the non-productive – senile senior adults, the mentally ill, the unemployed, the poor? Do you see through the eyes of a selfish, greedy society in which hedonism, the belief that the satisfaction of one’s physical and material desires is the highest good, has become so much a part of our lifestyle that we scarcely notice it any more. Do you see through eyes that align with social Darwinism, (the survival of the strongest, the richest, the financially fittest), rather than Christ's law of love?
Or do you see through the eyes of Christ and the eyes a Christian society in which we have a sense of responsibility for one another, for people we don’t even know but who share something important with us, namely that we are all humans,that we are all people with Christ in common. Are you caught up in the radical individualism, or do you follow the teachings of the radical Savior Jesus Christ? Do you see through the eyes of the world or through the eyes of Christ?
The fundamental challenge for us as followers of Jesus Christ is to recognize that
if we do nothing, if we float along through life, we will see through the eyes of the world. To see through the eyes of Christ requires a conscious decision on our part, a choice.
That decision must be followed by a lifetime of being alert to the ways the world has of shaping our vision and a lifetime of perpetual learning what it means to see through the eyes of Christ.
May God call us to that decision today and every day so that the prayer of the
hymn writers might be our prayer:
Be thou my vision, O Lord of my heart...give me the vision you have for my heart!
Open my eyes that I may see,glimpses of truth thou hast for me. Lord, give us eyes to see the way Jesus saw. In his name, Amen.
To see people the way Jesus saw them is to look beyond failure to another chance.
In a world in which it’s “three strikes and you’re out,” to see people the way Jesus sawthem is to believe in redemption, really believe in it, not just as a religious idea but as a fact of real life. To see people the way Jesus saw is to put hope back into the equation. Jesus saw people differently. And we, as new creations in Christ, are called to see people the way he saw them.
Jesus would have us look beyond the obvious and the superficial. He would have
us look deeper into the soul and spirit.
What do you see? What do you see when you see an autistic child? What do you
see when you see a homeless man selling newspapers at the intersection? What do you see when you see a poor person in the line at a food pantry? What do you see when you see a black man or Mexican man or an Arabian man? What do you see when you see a senile senior adult, once proud and accomplished but now reduced to repeating over and over, hundreds of times every day,“Please help me. Won’t somebody help me”? What do you see?
Or, more importantly, through whose eyes do you see? Do you see through the
eyes of a society in which worth is based on what one can produce or generate, and
therefore one in which there is no place for the non-productive – senile senior adults, the mentally ill, the unemployed, the poor? Do you see through the eyes of a selfish, greedy society in which hedonism, the belief that the satisfaction of one’s physical and material desires is the highest good, has become so much a part of our lifestyle that we scarcely notice it any more. Do you see through eyes that align with social Darwinism, (the survival of the strongest, the richest, the financially fittest), rather than Christ's law of love?
Or do you see through the eyes of Christ and the eyes a Christian society in which we have a sense of responsibility for one another, for people we don’t even know but who share something important with us, namely that we are all humans,that we are all people with Christ in common. Are you caught up in the radical individualism, or do you follow the teachings of the radical Savior Jesus Christ? Do you see through the eyes of the world or through the eyes of Christ?
The fundamental challenge for us as followers of Jesus Christ is to recognize that
if we do nothing, if we float along through life, we will see through the eyes of the world. To see through the eyes of Christ requires a conscious decision on our part, a choice.
That decision must be followed by a lifetime of being alert to the ways the world has of shaping our vision and a lifetime of perpetual learning what it means to see through the eyes of Christ.
May God call us to that decision today and every day so that the prayer of the
hymn writers might be our prayer:
Be thou my vision, O Lord of my heart...give me the vision you have for my heart!
Open my eyes that I may see,glimpses of truth thou hast for me. Lord, give us eyes to see the way Jesus saw. In his name, Amen.
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