April 19, 2009

• an "ici" good-bye | a lesson in warm catholicity

  Just over three weeks ago my friend died of cancer. And a couple days ago I heard my friend Dave (the artist f.k.a icicle84 - no the link won't work anymore) would be shutting down his Xanga.

  So there's been another goodbye of sorts. No, no one has died. And no, I've never even met Dave in person. I "met" him in cyberspace initially on Revelife. He had an interesting post up there about Christian perfection. Anytime there's good talk about theology, I like to be in on it...

  So it's goodbye to Dave. For how long, who knows? He may come back to Xanga sometime. Perhaps he and I may meet up again somewhere in cyberspace or in person yet on this side; but if not in these bodies, then we will meet again with glorified bodies after Jesus returns.

  I don't like goodbyes but they're part of our life here while we're on earth. In Ecclesiastes 3, Solomon reminds us

  For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:
  a time to be born, and a time to die;
  a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;
  a time to kill, and a time to heal;
  a time to break down, and a time to build up;
  a time to weep, and a time to laugh;
  a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
  a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together;
  a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
  a time to seek, and a time to lose;
  a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
  a time to tear, and a time to sew;
  a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
  a time to love, and a time to hate;
  a time for war, and a time for peace.

  I don't like goodbyes. I often end up like Paul and the Ephesian elders: weeping on the seashore. I like Paul. So many people make Paul out to tough and dogmatic, which indeed he was, if by dogmatic you mean insisting on guarding the apostolic doctrine he received, yeah, he was dogmatic. (As we know Paul himself wasn't perfect.) We see that Paul called people out when they were straying. That's because Paul was passionate for Christ and the Gospel.  Paul was so captured by the love of Christ, he embraced the Gospel of grace and therefore he had a passionate love for his people. He shepherded his flock as our Good Shepherd shepherds us. Paul not only guarded the Gospel, but he guarded his flock. For him, the two went hand in hand. His orthodoxy went well past written words on a page or head knowledge. Paul was passionate for people as well as His Lord and the Gospel. Paul spoke the truth, but he did so in love. He rejoiced and wept with his flock. I love that passage in Acts 20 when he's getting ready to leave the Ephesian elders: these grown men are there kneeling, praying and weeping. That's the picture of the Christian minister. When some people talk about "ministry," they tell you you need to be able to remain objective and removed. I don't get that. That wasn't Paul. That wasn't Jesus. That's isn't Jesus. I'm not that way. I enter into people's lives. That's me. So goodbyes are tough.

  So when I heard that ici, a.k.a. Dave, was shutting down, I was sad. I'll miss him. Sure, my Xanga inbox will be a bit less crowded (more than a bit?!) , but Xanga won't be quite the same without him.   He was kinda quirky (more than kinda?!). One minute we might get some deep theology, the next thing a pulse (Xanga's equivalent to twitter) about Cadbury eggs. Actually, come to think about it, Dave's blog and pulse were kinda like a box of chocolates...Yet, aren't we all, really–aren't we all like a box of chocolates?

  You do know that each person we've met plays a divinely ordained role in our lives, and our heavenly Father has a sovereign purpose for each and every one? And once those people have entered into our lives, even if it's only for a short time, there's a void of sorts. I don't even know how long I've known Dave, except to say it's been less than a year. Funny how time flies, isn't it?

  Dave & I certainly do have our differences.

  He's a country music fan. He's Red Sox fan. He's a southerner. He's young enough to be my son. He's an Arminian.

  I'm not a country music fan. I'm a Yankees fan. I'm a northerner. I'm old enough to be his mom. I'm a Calvinist.

  We both do like Crowder, yes, but there is something more important we have in common:

  our faith in Jesus Christ.

  We are of one Lord, one faith, one baptism, there is one God and Father of us both.

  And because of that we were able to overlook all those other differences and love one another.

  Oh, yes, we took our little theological jabs at each other, but then we were able to take off the gloves and were able to agree to disagree and seek God's best for one another and love one another with the love God has loved us and welcome each other to the glory of God. (I will say here I don't really like the terms "Arminian" and "Calvinist" for in the end if we are Christ's, we don't follow Arminius and we don't follow Calvin. We follow Christ.)

  I've been thinking a lot about the unity we have in Jesus Christ as believers and continue to see how often we manage to rip and shred each other apart. I know I've been guilty of it. It grieves me how we focus on nonessentials rather than the Gospel. (See my posts "If you love Me you will love the church" and "my deep concern for the churches.") That's one reason I'm going to the Gospel Coalition Conference in a few days and why I'm excited to be going. A group of people are coming together around the Gospel and putting aside our secondary differences. That unity is so crucial to the Body of Christ being what God intended us to be. And, in fact, the love we have for one another is the mark that shows we have passed from death to life: John tells us that we truly show we love God when love the brethren. We are all born of the same incorruptible seed, of Christ, therefore, we're all in the same family, the family of God, so once we have been born again into God's family, once we have the Spirit of God indwelling us, as we are being transformed more and more into the likeness of Christ, changed from glory to glory, our love for our brothers and sisters should continue to grow and more and more resemble God's perfect love for us. Not saying this will be easy, but through Him it is possible, for we have the love of God shed abroad in our hearts.

  We must never let nonessential matters get in the way of our fellowship with one another or our mission together in the world.

  Here's something from "George Whitefield's Journals" (Monday, Feb. 27, 1738) which reflects Whitefield's passion for the Church, for us, to have a catholic spirit, a Christ-imparted love for the brethren:

  Went to the church, and did as yesterday; and was visited afterwards by two of the Nonconforming Society, who seemed to be Israelites indeed. I exhorted them to love and unity, and not to let a little difference about a few externals occasion any narrow-spiritedness to arise in their hearts. I advised them to come and hear me expound in the church, which they did; and providentially the Lesson was the 4th of the Ephesians, from which whence I took occasion to urge on them the necessity of loving one another with a catholic disinterested love, to be of one heart and one mind, and to join without respect of persons in hastening the Kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ. I hope God gave a blessing to what was said, for I observed they came constantly afterwards, and was told there was a perfect harmony between them. What infinite mischief have needless divisions occasioned in the Christian world! Divide et impera [Divide and conquer], is the Devil's motto.

  Here's Whitefield once more writing in Wales (Wednesday, March 7, 1739–this was on the cusp of revival breaking out there):

  Blessed be God, there seems to be a noble spirit gone out into Wales, and I believe, ere long, there will be more visible fruits of it. What inclines me strongly to think so is, that the partition wall of bigotry and party-zeal is broken down, and ministers and teachers of different communions join with one heart and one mind to carry on the Kingdom of Jesus Christ. The Lord make all the Christian world thus minded! For till this is done, I fear, we must despair of any great reformation in the Church of God.

  And there were more visible fruits of that noble spirit!

  In the same way, as we focus on those essential matters and the centrality of the Gospel, [1] as we have such a noble spirit, as the partition wall of bigotry and party-zeal is broken down, as ministers and teachers of different communions join with one heart and one mind to carry on the Kingdom of Jesus Christ, it is then the Church will grow and thrive and great reformation will come. Only as we rally round the Gospel, only as we make the Gospel central will we see revival and renewal in the Church of God today. And we are so in need of reformation! May the Lord make all of us of one heart and one mind to lift up that glorious Gospel, for the Gospel of Christ is the power of salvation!

  Whitefield was a Calvinist and he did disagree with John Wesley, who was an Arminian, yet the two still remained united in Christ and continued to fight the good fight of faith side by side for the glory of God.

  Wesley not only preached about having a catholic spirit, he possessed a catholic spirit. John Wesley presided over Whitefield's funeral (that was Whitefield's wish) and eulogized Whitefield with these words:

  It was the love of God shed abroad in his heart by the Holy Ghost that was given unto him, filling his soul with tender, disinterested love for every child of man. From this source arose that torrent of eloquence that frequently bore down all before it. From thus came that astonishing force of persuasion which the most hardened sinner could not resist. Can anything but love beget love? This shone in his very face and continually breathed in all his words whether in public or in private.[2]

  As I've been burdened to pray more for revival, once again I've been reflecting more and more on the need for unity in the Body. (At tent of meeting, my other site I've devoted to prayer for revival, I've posted some prayers about that–see here, here and here.) One thing we find across the various revivals in Church history is that people from all parts of the Body of Christ came together and sought God's face together in prayer. The things of this earth (the nonessentials) do become strangely dim when we lift our eyes to heaven and plead for God to revive us again. O, brothers and sisters, may God fill us a catholic spirit, fill us with His Spirit that breaks down barriers we too often erect that ought not be there. Let us attempt to be eager to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

  In Iain Murray's message "Whitefield and Catholicity," Murray read this quote (unnamed source) about Whitefield:

  He had such a sense of the incomparable excellence of the person of Christ that enlarged his heart. In the enlargement of his heart he loved others.

  Do we have such a sense of the incomparable excellence of the person of Christ so our hearts are enlarged to love others?

  In that same message Murray shared his favorite quotation from Whitefield. (Murray said it was from a sermon Whitefield gave in front of Philadelphia's courthouse.)

  
  Father Abraham, whom have you in heaven? Any Episcopalians there?
  
  No.
  
  Any Presbyterians?
  
  No.
  
  Have you any Independents or Seceders?
  
  No.
  
  Have you any Methodists there?
  
  No, no, no.
  
  Whom have you there?
  
  We don't know those names here. All who are here are Christians, believers in Christ. Men who have overcome by the blood of the Lamb and the word of the testimony.

  Amen.

  * * *

  To close, as I reflect once more on the transience we face in this world, where friends are here today and gone tomorrow, we know that there are no accidental encounters for the children of God. He works all things according to the counsel of His will and that includes His bringing people into our lives and then taking them away. And He intends it all to work for the good of His children, for His glory and for the furtherance of His Gospel.

  In closing, I'm once again pulling out the words my friend Randy sent me earlier this year. (I quoted these same words here the week after my friend died of cancer.)

  I have always treasured the friends whose lives have criss-crossed mine.  As I grow older, I treasure them even more.  But the blessing of knowing more people as the years pass brings with it the melancholy of watching them move away, or not seeing them for years or sometimes ever.  That’s one of the wonderful/terrible mysteries of friendship.

  Dave, ici, icicle84, yeah, I'm sad you've left Xanga...but that's one of the wonderful/terrible mysteries of friendships. Thanks for showing me Jesus. I thank God that He allowed our paths to cross. Ok, enough of that, here's a little Crowder for ya, bro...(play it loud...REAL loud!)

  
  

  
  And finally I'll leave you with Paul's words to the Ephesian elders. Our God is perfectly able to take care of you, even you...and even me!
  
  

  And now I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified. Acts 20:32.
  

  * * *
  

  In speaking to John Wesley (an Arminian), Charles Simeon (a Calvinist) said [3]:

  ...we will cordially unite in those things wherein we agree.

  Amen.

  Might God's Church all cordially unite in those things wherein we agree.

  Grace be with all of them
  of whatever denomination that love our Lord Jesus,
  our common Lord, in sincerity.

  (George Whitefield, as quoted by Murray)

  Amen.

  Might God give us a warm catholic spirit to our brothers and sisters in Him.

  Amen.

  ---

  
  Related posts:
  
  Naphtali News: the Ministry of the Word & Prayer
  Things To Look for in a Church, # 2: A People Rooted in Right Doctrine
  Why not pray for the baptism of the Holy Spirit?
  Lent IV.-"If you love Me you will love the church"
  The Gospel and the Lord's table
  Reflections on Atlanta: The Body of Christ, part 1--Welcoming One Another? and my other posts tagged unity.

  [1] Some notes from Iain Murray's message "Whitefield and Catholicity." Iain Murray defined evangelical unity or a catholic spirit as having a "readiness to embrace all who believe in Jesus Christ." With that, Murray explained that having such evangelical unity or a catholic spirit "doesn't mean treating Christian doctrine as though it's unimportant." The point here is that so long as we agree on the basics, the essentials, the essence of Christianity, we should be embracing one another. Yes, there will be differences, for sure. Murray also said that we won't necessarily ever engage in controversy in secondary truths but we can't allow those differences to divide us. Murray cautions us that we don't treat everyone who professes to be Christian as a Christian because all who profess Christ are not actually Christ's. Finally he added that this concept of a catholic spirit doesn't mean we disregard or deemphasize church or denominational affiliations.

  [2] Iain Murray.

  [3] The Simeon quote is from John Piper's biographical message on Simeon, Brothers, We Must Not Mind a Little Suffering. I'd encourage you to read the whole interchange between Simeon and Wesley.

  Scripture quotations marked "ESV" are taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. Copyright ©2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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