Author: Chris Luzio

The current issue of Christianity Today has a most unusual front cover. It declares, “The Most Astonishing Easter Miracle: and it’s not the empty tomb.” Obviously I had to read the article.

The article noted that during the 40 days after the resurrection Jesus only made ten appearances. Those appearances changed history and demonstrated that Jesus was truly alive again, but during that time He was absent much more than He was physically present. The author also noted that Jesus doesn’t seem to put too much stock in His resurrection body, telling Mary not to hold on to Him, and telling Thomas that those who would believe in Him without seeing Him would be even more blessed than he. The author then goes on to write:

“The bodily resurrection is not first and foremost intended to dazzle. It’s not a spiritual spectacular designed to knock our spiritual socks off. It clearly doesn’t do that, as the Gospel writers note. When Jesus appears to the 11 to give the Great Commission, for example, Matthew notes that while some worshiped him, some still doubted. And Luke notes that Jesus had to give ‘many convincing proofs that he was alive.’ His resurrection appearances were not a slam dunk for faith.”

After noting the crucial importance of the resurrection, he continues: “Still, why does Jesus seemingly downplay or relativize his bodily resurrection? Because he knew that what was coming was more miraculous and astonishing still. He was not satisfied to be a mere object of wonder and worship, someone we observe and marvel at from afar. Someone we could merely touch, see, and hear as someone separate from us. He did not want to establish a religion that memorialized this miracle, set it in lifeless stone.

“No, the great miracle that the gospel proclaims is not merely that Christ lived bodily after the Crucifixion but that he lives dynamically in us today. The Resurrection is one with the Ascension and Pentecost— we cannot grasp the meaning of the Resurrection in isolation, because these two other events display an even greater miracle: Christ in us, the hope of glory (Col. 1:27).”

God Bless, Rick

It all started with the ark. The carpet needed to be replaced, and Jeff Thompson agreed to play Noah. Once he got the ark apart he panicked a bit, as Noah must have done when faced with a task he had never experienced before. There are a lot of intimidating angles in the ark, but Jeff persevered and got it done. Thanks, Jeff, for getting the ark kid worthy again.

As the ark was being readied, work was beginning in the nursery bathroom as well. Cory Moore was the first to volunteer, so he got the job. (Thanks go to Reed Morris and Will Bartels for also volunteering.) Cory took out the old cabinet and sink, patched the hole that had been covered by grillwork behind the toilet, scraped up the old tile, (a job that would have tested the patience of Job), and put on a fresh coat of paint. Next will come new tile on the floor, and a new vanity with drawers and a molded countertop; which may be delayed a bit since I just got an email from the salesman indicating that he couldn’t remember which side to put the sink on!

Since we didn’t want any rooms in the nursery complex left behind, paint was purchased for all of them. Jack Stucki has volunteered to give up several sabbath days to paint the walls, and Julie is going to touch up the mural behind the ark.

Then, just as grass appeared over all the earth after the flood, new carpet should be seen springing up in the hallways, classrooms, and fellowship hall. Yes, your faithful stewardship is going to make it possible for the carpeting to finally be replaced, and for new cove base to be installed. We are now in the process of getting bids for carpet tiles and tear out and install, but not to worry, you’ll still be given a chance to get on board. Help will be needed to take up the baseboards, which may not be made of gopher wood but certainly look as if they have been gnawed on by gophers, and to move everything as the carpet flows from room to room.

Be watching for signs that the day is drawing near, and be ready to respond when the call goes out that it’s time.

God Bless, Rick

“I’d like to ask you to tell about your 40+ year ministry at Chatham in five minutes.” I know it sounds like a “Mission Impossible”, but that’s the charge I’ve been given for the Minister’s Conference this Thursday at the Oil Belt Christian Service Camp in Flora.

Mark and I attended the conference last year, and not only was the conference informative and inspiring, it gave me a chance to renew several ministerial acquaintances. Shortly after the conference I received a note from the host of the conference, a classmate of mine from the sixties at Lincoln. Ron was still ministering at the church he had begun serving while in school, and wondered if I’d be interested in serving on a panel with himself and another classmate of ours who also was in a 40+ year ministry at the same church. He said he had received numerous requests for a session at the conference on how ministers stay put in a ministry for the long haul. I quickly agreed, and plans were made for us to each sum up the focus of our ministries, and what we feel made possible such long ministries, in five minutes. Then we’ll open up for questions. I’m really looking forward to it, even though I’m not sure what I’m going to say or what questions will be asked.

It’s no secret that the focus of my ministry in Chatham has been on preaching through the Bible, and on teaching. You would think that would be the universal focus of preachers, but that’s not the case. Young preachers are more often cast into the role of a leader who is expected to lead a congregation to become bigger and more influential. Desiring to grow is obviously not a bad thing, but it can easily degenerate into expectations that measure the success of a ministry by quantifiable results. If a preacher doesn’t produce, he’s expected to leave so someone else can do what he apparently can’t do. Even if the pressure doesn’t come from the congregation, the preacher has been programed to view himself as a failure, at least in that church. The answer is to move on to some place else where he might find success, or to simply get out of the ministry.

Hopefully I can encourage some young ministers to focus on the Word, and see the value in simply being a preacher of the Word who is willing to leave the results of his ministry in the hands of the Lord.

God Bless, Rick

I found it very interesting, perhaps even providential, that as I was reading again The Heart of Paradise: The Godly Hierarchies of Love and Marriage that we are reading and discussing on Sunday nights, I came across a news report about a new book that reveals “a shocking re-examination of Adam and Eve.” The interviewer raised the question, “Are they the original sinners, or the most misunderstood couple in history.” The author of the book answered by suggesting that Eve is the victim of the greatest character assassination in history, and that she was the first independent woman. He further noted that Adam and Eve are the role models we need for modern day relationships.

Diane Woerner, the author of the paper we are reading, certainly wouldn’t agree with his view of Adam and Eve. Both go to the Bible for the story, but one reflects contemporary thinking, and the other strives to reveal the truth, even if it isn’t embraced by modern sensibilities. Here’s some of what she has to say:

“Our enemy was supremely cunning with his enticements. It had never occurred to Eve to be discontent with the plentiful provision she enjoyed. Adam had never had his leadership challenged. In addition, they were both oblivious to the astonishing privilege they had been given in their intimate communion with God. But like the serpent himself, sin slithered into their choices, and creation fell groaning into the chaos in which we still live. And the divine pattern of masculinity and femininity was in some ways chief among the casualties.

“Consider what changed. Humanity failed to honor God’s position of authority, believing that their understanding of what would benefit them was superior to his. Eve became an initiator and Adam ‘heeded’ the voice of his wife— which God specifically identified as the first sin. In the resulting curses, Eve’s daughters would desire to have dominion over their husbands, and Adams’ sons would be compelled to rule rather than lead. Moreover, men would henceforth find their tasks as protectors and providers to be far more challenging, inclining them to shirk these responsibilities.”

I think who has a correct understanding of what happened in Eden is obvious. Join us Sunday at 6:30 if you want to have that belief confirmed.

God Bless, Rick

My Sunday night class was gracious, and allowed me to move from a brief section on purity in our book, to a rather lengthy article written by a homemaker from Tennessee that I discovered last week in Touchstone.

When I find insightful, thought provoking articles that I want to share with you, I often summarize them in this column, and then put copies of the entire article in the hall rack. Apparently my summaries are so good that few, if any, feel a need to read the whole thing. I knew that would be the case with an eleven page article subtitled “The Godly Hierarchies of Love & Marriage.”

Since simply reading a passage from our book, and then discussing it, seems to work best for our Sunday night class, I wondered if I could do the same with this article. And since it dealt with a topic we were discussing anyway, I hoped the class would go along with the idea. They did, and we started it last week. But since we only covered a couple of pages, there is still time for others to join with us.

The article is not an easy read, but it is well worth the time and effort. The author goes back to the nature of God Himself to answer questions about masculinity and femininity, positions of authority, sexual expression, and marriage. Obviously these are hot topics today, and everyone seems to have an opinion about such matters.

To find answers about interpersonal relationships that go beyond mere opinion to foundational truth based on the triune nature of God might seem like something that ought to be left to ivory tower theologians. Today, however, when there is not even a consensus among churches, and what has historically been the Christian position on matters of gender roles and sexuality goes counter to socially accepted and politically correct opinion, it may very well be necessary for Christians in general, and Christian parents in particular, to equip themselves with answers that go beyond the “this is my opinion what’s yours” playing field.

If you want solid answers to some of the most important questions being asked in our day, join us this Sunday at 6:30. I’ve made up even more copies, and we’ll bring you up to speed before we continue reading the article together.

God Bless, Rick