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| Bono To Instruct God's Church? |
| Wednesday, May 20, 2009 |
 I'm starting to realize how out-of-the-loop I seem to be for "effective" pastoral ministry. Today I was loaned the promo for Willow Creek's 2009 Leadership Summit, and was stunned to discover that one of the headliners who will instruct God's people is going to be rock star and celebrated humanitarian Bono. But, hang on, it gets worse.
As I read through the lineup I found names like David Gergen -- one of CNN's political talking heads; Gary Hamel -- the founder of Stratego, a worldwide financial consulting company; Carly Fiorina -- Fortune magazine's Businesswoman Of The Year in 1998; and others.
Maybe I'm just too old-fashioned, but when exactly did God ask us to take our cues from the world on church matters? I remember the days when headliners at church conferences were great men and women of faith, proven leaders in the Kingdom of God, not the Kingdom of Mammon. Where in the Gospels do we see Jesus bringing in Roman dignitaries and philosophers to instruct His disciples on Kingdom living and evangelism?
Maybe I've misunderstood Willow Creek's intention. Maybe this isn't about instructing the church about leadership at all. Maybe it's an attempt to inject Christian values into the secular world. I'm not altogether sure.
But of this, I am definitely sure: if this conference is primarily to instruct Christian leaders on leadership principles for the 21st century church, then in my humble, perhaps uninformed view this is cultural relevance gone to seed.
Labels: Bono, church |
posted by Alan Harstone @ 1:54 PM   |
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| Why God Lets Us Suffer |
| Tuesday, May 19, 2009 |
I'm 50 now, meaning that most of my earthly life is now behind me. Several events in the past little while have jarred me out of my lingering complacency about death. My wife of 28 years has spent 20 of those years suffering greatly, in and out of hospital. We patiently wait for the Lord to relieve her of her misery and take her home. Last year my father died. This month I have faced my own mortality as I await the results of a biopsy. This, and other creeping problems, remind me that I (we) am not long for this world.
I recently came across a passage on this subject written by John Calvin, the great reformer. I'd like to paraphrase it here. It's a wonderful reminder of why God lets us suffer.
"Whatever affliction we may be facing, we should always keep this end in view --- to make it a habit to have some contempt for this present life so that we might be more excited to meditate on the life which is to come. For the Lord, knowing our strong inclination to love and cherish this world, uses a most excellent method to reclaim our attention so that we won't remain tenaciously attached to our foolish affection. To oppose this great evil, the Lord, by continual lessons of misery, teaches his children the vanity of this present life. So that they may not promise themselves profound and secure peace in it, He permits them to be frequently upset by wars and tumult, robbery, and other injuries. So that they may not aspire too much after the temporary pleasures of this life, He will reduce them to mediocrity or even despair through exile, pestilence, drought, fire, bankruptcy, or many other means. That they won't be too complacently delighted with the hearth and home, He may cause them to be distressed by a difficult spouse, wicked offspring, or want or loss of children. He is quite willing to show them by disease and dangers the unstable and transitory nature of all mortal blessings. We therefore truly derive great advantage from this discipline of carrying our cross only when we learn that this life is, in itself, restless, turbulent, miserable in many instances, and in no respect altogether happy; and that all its reputed blessings are uncertain, transient, vain, and adulterated with a mixture of many evils; and that when we think of a crown we must raise our eyes toward heaven. For it must be admitted, that the mind is never seriously excited to desire and meditate on eternity, without having previously imbibed in a healthy contempt for the present. However, this being said, believers should nevertheless be thankful to God, and not ungrateful, for the many blessings and comforts He has provided in this life. To hate life altogether then, is to indulge in another evil. But to understand that it is quite temporary, and much better lies beyond, is the reason that God lets us suffer."
What great love, then, God has for us in allowing us to suffer. He is weaning us from idolatry and turning our hearts toward home.
Labels: heaven, suffering |
| posted by Alan Harstone @ 9:57 PM |
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| About Me |
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Name: Alan Harstone
Home: Saskatoon, SK, Canada
About Me: Senior Pastor
Saskatoon Evangelical Free Church
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