Faithful Creativity
While the Bible makes it clear that there are several things a church should do (such as worship, prayer, fellowship, preaching, baptism, and communion), it allows incredible freedom in how some of these things can be done.
For instance, the Bible does not say that communion must be taken in a church building with dim lighting and soft, peaceful music. It does say however, that we must examine ourselves and take it in reverence and remembrance. Because we are currently meeting in a brand new auditorium, we were forced to be creative about how we take communion since food and drink are not allowed. It was a cool change this past Sunday to try a “self-serve” approach as we gathered to celebrate communion together in the school atrium at the close of the service. I was expecting it to be really awkward, but it turned out to be incredibly refreshing.
I think God did not prescribe certain ways of doing church so that we wouldn’t become devoted to a certain time period or style, but rather to him. God knew that one day his followers would worship in various places, times, and cultures and he has given us a lot of room for creativity while still remaining faithful to Scripture.
All New Foundations Course
Whether you’ve been following Jesus for 20 years or 20 days, you are invited to attend the Foundations Course. Foundations is designed to help you take your faith to the next level. This 6-week course explores practical Christian living, basic biblical doctrine, and an inside look at the vision and ministry of the church.
If you are ready to take the next step in your walk with God, we invite you to join us on Wednesday evenings at 7:00 beginning June 3 for coffee, fellowship, and teaching. This course has never been offered before and the material is completely new. Foundations is also necessary for anyone desiring to be a member or hold a position of leadership at Bridgeway. Sign up to attend at the Guest Center.
When: 7:00pm Wednesdays, June 3-July 8
Where: Bridgeway Ministry Center- Fellowship Hall. 424 Duss Ave.
Weekend in Review
This weekend was incredible! First off, I had the amazing privilege of being the best man in my brother David’s wedding on Saturday. It was an amazing ceremony. He and Emily are going to change the world for God! Also great to see so many family from out of state (Chicago, Kansas City, St. Louis, Houston)!
On the trip back from the wedding we found out that our dog ran away (this part of our weekend was not incredible, but the incredible part is coming). She had been missing for 8 1/2 hours when we got the news. It was getting dark by the time we were nearing home and… BY A MIRACLE OF GOD Jessica spotted our puppy walking along the side of a two-lane highway about a half mile from our house! So, praise God, our puppy once was lost but now is found!
Lastly, really enjoyed preaching Sunday from James 1:2-4 on how to face trials. We can allow trials in life to either strengthen us or devastate us. If Christ is the center of our life, he will carry us through anything. While he may or may not deliver us from the pain of all trials, he will always be present with us to strengthen us and prepare us for our ultimate home with him.
Introduction to James
On Sunday we began our summer series on the book of James. As with any biblical study, background and historical context is vitally important for gaining an accurate understanding. Here are some details from my notes:
James 1:1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes in the Dispersion: Greetings.
1. Authorship- James who?
- James the brother of the Lord (a.k.a. James the Just)
- Half-brother of Jesus born to Joseph and Mary
- Did not believe in Jesus during his earthly ministry
- Came to believe in Jesus presumably after his resurrection- 1 Cor. 15:7; Acts 12:17
- Views his role as being “a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ”
- This is an amazing testament to Jesus truly being the Son of God and rising from the dead. Imagine how much it would take for you to worship your brother as God!
- Leader of the Jerusalem church- Acts 15
- What we would call the lead pastor of the Jerusalem church.
- Wrote his letter in approx. 40-45 AD making it most likely the first NT book to be written- just 7-10 years after the death and resurrection of Jesus. Galatians, Paul’s earliest letter was not written until approx. 48 AD. Mark, the earliest Gospel writer did not write until approx. 53-55 AD.
- Martyred in 62 AD. Tradition says that because he refused to recant his belief in Jesus, he was thrown off the pinnacle of the temple by order of the Sadducean high priest Ananus. When he did not die from the fall, he was stoned to death
2. Purpose and nature
- A compilation of James pastoral wisdom
- He has been shaped by the teachings of Jesus and has become a teacher in his own right
- James wrote “To the twelve tribes in the Dispersion: Greetings.” This most likely refers to Jewish Christians living outside of Jerusalem. It could also refer to those of the Jerusalem church who were scattered because of the martyrdom of Stephen in Acts 11. This would then be a letter written to his former congregation members no longer living in Palestine.
- An encyclical letter
- Unlike many of Paul’s letters, James is not written to a specific person or church or to address a certain situation. It is a general or open letter meant to be circulated for large groups of people in various locations and is therefore very applicable to people in different locations and different circumstances.
- James is essentially practical in nature. He is concerned with helping his readers to live out their faith.
3. Main Themes
- How to handle trials- 1:2-4,12; 5:7-12
- Writes in a time of economic recession in the 1st century. According to Acts 11:28, there was a severe famine in Palestine around 46 AD. Initial rumblings of the Jewish-Roman war to begin in 66 AD.
- Overcoming sin and temptation- 1:13-15; 2:1-13; 3:1-12; 4:1-12
- Practical Christian living- 1:19-26; 4:13-17
- The relationship of faith and works- 2:14-26
- The power of prayer- 5:13-18
Really excited to dig into James this summer!
The Word and the Spirit
At Bridgeway Church we aim to be a people of the Word and a people of the Spirit. I believe healthy churches are a balance of the two. Oftentimes churches are heavy on one or the other.
Those that are off-balance in the Word direction often have right doctrine and right thinking regarding truth, but can be devoid of any passion. Some major pitfalls here are legalism, judgmentalism, and traditionalism.
Churches off-balance in the Spirit direction often have vibrant and lively worship and are full of passion and enthusiasm, but can end up in theological error if the Word is neglected. Some major pitfalls here are manipulation, sensationalism, and false doctrine.
In Scripture, an example of the former kind might be the believers in Acts 19:1-6. They literally said to Paul, “We have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.” An example of the latter could be 1 Corinthians 12-14. The Corinthian church was zealous for spiritual gifts, but were chaotic in their expression of them. Paul wrote not to squelch their zeal, but to instruct them in the proper usage of spiritual gifts so that the church could be edified.
Our experience of the Spirit is accurate insofar as it is in line with the Word. In this way, the two are not mutually exclusive, but rather complementary. Our knowledge of the Word deepens, enriches, and gives definition to our experience of the Spirit. Also, our experience of the Spirit give us greater passion to dig into the Word. The key here is balance. May we be a people of both the Word and Spirit!
