The Tonsured Servant - the bald truth

A Christian’s Reflection on the Anniversary of 9/11/2001

2011-09-10T07:02:00.001-07:00

What is an appropriate way for a Christian to reflect upon the attacks of September 11, 2001, now that we are ten years hence? There are many remembrances taking place which are largely empty gestures of sentimentality devoid of real meaning, designed not to offend more than anything. Such is our upside-down, twisted world apart from Christ. But how should we who are followers of Christ respond, for truly it is a time in our nation that calls for thoughtful reflection.

Ten years? Has it truly been that long? Those under 18 are largely unaware that their normal is abnormal. Adults who stood around in frozen horror as we watched on TV what initially seemed an accident and then quickly and clearly manifested itself as terrorism happening in America – we who grumble about taking our shoes off or worse at the airport, but who for the most part have suffered very little directly – we now find ourselves living in a scaled back version of what Israelis and even Europeans have been living for years. Our false sense of security evaporated that day like the fog burning off to leave us under the searing heat of the sun. For Christians, have we learned to place our security in Christ and Him alone, and not in circumstance or American insularity? I’d like to think we have, but I suspect that is untrue for most.

Much is being spoken about the victims of that horrific day – and the stories are often heartrending. Young children snuffed out before their promise could blossom. Parents cut off forever from their surviving kids. The rescuers who ended up with cancer and other awful illnesses after breathing in the dust of death at Ground Zero. But I ask this, especially given the inclination of the press to beatify the dead in a secular roll of honor: are the victims of 9/11 saints? First, let us as Christians be clear that the only true definition of a saint is one who has placed his or her faith in Jesus Christ and thus found salvation for their sins. That is, all who truly believe in Him are saints; there are no superheroes in the Church that we elevate as the Roman Catholics mistakenly do.

What we can say with certainty about the victims is that they were in death what they were in life. If they were Christians when September 11, 2001 dawned, they were with the Lord in glory the moment they died their awful deaths. If they began that day as unbelievers still evading the Lord who loved them, loving instead their sin, then in their deaths they went from one horror to a far more unspeakable and eternal horror of hell itself. Dying in a terrorist attack does not atone for the sins of the wicked. Only faith in the atoning work of Christ on the cross can do that, period. We must not under any circumstance pray for the dead – their fate has long been sealed. We can pray for survivors and their families that they would find their hope and solace in Christ if they have not already.

What then of Muslims? Have we not all found ourselves having a strong sense of anger well up within us when we see a Muslim in public? These people whom we once only saw on the news or in big cities now work in stores in our small towns and shop in our malls like the rest of us. American Christians will have to come to terms with how to relate to them, as they cannot be looked at as some distant, foreign problem. As Christians it is right for us to want justice – not revenge, but justice – for those who caused the deaths of Americans and others on 9/11. And many of those people have died in the subsequent war on terror. But Christians must be careful not to hate Muslims any more than we hate any other unbelievers. We hate the lies and darkness that keep them from seeing the truth of the gospel. We hate any actions of theirs that harm others. Yet we must seek to win them for Christ like anyone else, and that means loving our enemies, which never comes easily. Islam is not the religion of peace, Christianity is when lived as Scripture teaches.

In sum, I would urge us who follow Christ not to glorify those who ought not be glorified, and not to hate those who ought to be loved. We need not live in fear but in the confidence of Christ. We are assured of His providential care over us and all things for it is rooted in His omnipotence. We trust in His love for His children, whether we live to be ninety-nine and die in our sleep, or whether we die of cancer, a car accident, or a terror attack at a younger age. Let us reflect more on Christ on this day of remembrance, and pray for our nation and those from other nations to find their peace in Christ. He is the resurrection and the life, and that is no idle and meaningless thing to remember.

Rev. Kenneth McMullen

Book review: New Life in the Wasteland by Dr. Douglas Kelly

2011-06-02T07:49:00.000-07:00

New Life in the Wasteland: 2 Corinthians on the cost of Christian ministry
by Dr. Douglas Kelly (Fearn, Ross-shire: Christian Focus, 2003.)

Reviewed by Rev. Kenneth McMullen, June 2011

This small book by Doug Kelly was published in 2003, but has not received nearly the attention that it deserves, perhaps due to the smaller publisher. This is one book on pastoral ministry though that every pastor ought to have, much along the lines of William Still’s The Work of the Pastor (Rev. Still was an influence on Dr. Kelly and is one of three men mentioned in the dedication).

The chapters of the book were originally thirteen lectures from 2 Corinthians given all across Scotland to pastors, and meant to encourage and instruct them for ministry. Most of the book of 2 Corinthians is covered, though not all (chapters 6, 7, 9, and 11 are skipped). While most chapters of the book deal with half or all of a chapter, chapter 11 of the book deals only with 2 Cor. 8:9, which indeed a pastor could meditate on for a lifetime and still not fully mine all of its implications for ministry.

Do not read this thinking it will be a commentary, for that was not its design, but neither think it to be along the lines of the trendy fluff-books on ministry that clutter so many Christian bookstores. Dr. Kelly’s scholarship is combined with his years of ministry experience in a way that students will recognize from his classroom immediately, for it truly is the distillation of a pastor-scholar’s heart.

On just the second page, the reader’s attention is grabbed when he says, “Often when the church seems buried and things seem most discouraging, God is working profoundly beneath the surface; I do not doubt that is happening in our culture in more respects than we may know today. …we need to consider the duties and possibilities of Christian ministry in what so many people call the ‘post-Christian culture.’” (10) He goes on to concisely but ably define the challenges of ministry in current Western culture.

Dr. Kelly does not minimize the cost of the calling of ministry, for the scriptures certainly do not do so. In fact, he points to several benefits of suffering for Christ, such as “suffering with and for Christ has a way of killing our self-centered thinking and leaving room for us to trust God who raises the dead.” (29). He goes on to deal with a pastor’s responsibility, integrity, and proper handling of the Word, as well as how to handle criticism.

If you are a pastor, you absolutely need this book on your shelves. This is one that demands more than one reading as well, and I do not often say that about books. It would certainly be beneficial to the elders of the church as well, but it’s main audience is currently serving pastors. Pastoral ministry books that are truly rooted in Scripture and sound theology are rare. This is gold that has been refined, and you will be blessed and encouraged by it.

The Stakes are High

2010-11-01T10:26:00.001-07:00

Our church currently worships in a funeral home chapel on the Lord’s Day since we are awaiting the building of our own new facilities. Yes, it seems odd to many people, but on the other hand, it has brought some interesting reminders that are jarring. The first Sunday we met there a couple years ago was also the first Sunday of the month, and thus time for us to celebrate the Lord’s Supper in worship. The table we use for the sacrament was set up right in front of the pulpit – right where the casket normally sits during a funeral service. I knew everyone in the congregation, already feeling disconcerted with being there the first time, also recognized this situation. So rather than ignore the elephant in the room, I purposely mentioned the joyous contrast of Christ’s sacrifice which brings life to those heading otherwise for eternal death. It was a powerful moment for me if for no one else.

This past Lord’s Day was also interesting – October 31, both Halloween on the secular calendar and Reformation Sunday for the church. It also happened that I had come in my series on Galatians to chapter 3:10-14, “For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, ‘Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them.’ Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for ‘The righteous shall live by faith’…(ESV).” To discuss our deliverance from the curse of sin on a day in which the world almost revels in evil was a tremendous privilege. The other aspect of the day though was probably unknown to most of those there. Two people were in closed off rooms of the funeral home waiting their funeral service. One was a teenage girl who had overdosed on drugs. Another was a man in his early 20s who had committed suicide. When I heard about those two sad individuals, it was like a sucker punch to the stomach. It’s not just that our own daughters are of the same age range as they were. Death coming to the young is always a tragedy, but when it is avoidable as both of these were, it is even more horrible.

We in the church often become more and more insulated and removed from the wickedness of the world over time. Part of this is a natural result of our sanctification, as we grow to develop more ties to our brethren and spend time with them. But as I thought of those two individuals, the words from Matthew 9 came to mind, “When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.’(ESV)” Have we lost sight of how desperate the situation is for the lost in our world? Are we so insulated in our habits and associations that we’ve removed ourselves from the mess and chaos of sin? Please understand, I ask these questions first of myself; I have no pious delusions of doing any better in this than any of my brethren, and probably count myself as doing worse than most. When we read of these things in a sanitized news report, it is comfortably distant. When the results of sin’s assault on humanity lie on the other side of the wall from where you worship, it’s a little harder to ignore. May the Lord remind us of what is at stake as we go through the week, for when death closes the door on sinners without Christ, it is closed forever.

Does God abandon us?

2010-09-11T06:12:00.000-07:00

Psalm 74:2 - "Remember your congregation, which you have purchased of old, which you have redeemed to be the tribe of your heritage! Remember Mount Zion, where you have dwelt."

This is a psalm of a heartfelt cry from a child of God in exile, of the distress of a people who had witnessed the destruction of the Temple of God in Jerusalem, gloriously constructed by Solomon, and now destroyed, felled like a common tree by the godless enemies of Israel. How could there be any hope, and confidence left for the Jews? Most were now in a far away captivity with only a prophetic promise of return, but not in their lifetime.

So it is no surprise that they feared God had forgotten them - "why do you cast us off forever? Why does your anger smoke against the sheep of your pasture?" (v.1) The psalmist then pleads, "Remember your congregation..." - remember us! remember that we belong to you! He continues, "...which you have purchased of old." Is there any doubt that God has always been the Great Initiator in our salvation? We have not purchased ourselves, nor have we merited His purchase of us, for it was a transaction that occurred "of old," long ago in eternity past. Anything, anyone who is purchased is a passive, helpless member in the transaction.

Asaph, the psalmist, says this is the congregation "which you have redeemed to be the tribe of your heritage." Some like to argue a salvation based on some sort of foreknowledge, with the implication being that God looks into the future and somehow sees some who merit salvation more than others. But why then would the congregation need to be redeemed? It is the slave which needs redemption, a purchasing out of bondage, particularly here the bondage of sin. It is this redemption that makes us God's tribe, His covenant people, adopted for eternity.

The final plea of this verse is that God would "Remember Mount Zion, where you have dwelt." Jerusalem, and especially the Temple, were special, not for their own sake, but because God chose to be particularly present there. We are reminded that God sought out Israel. He sought out Abraham in a foreign land and called him as His child. Ever since Adam brought sin into the garden of Eden, God has been seeking out sinners. Many in history and today object to the doctrine of predestination, imagining it to be some cold, calculated contrivance. But what is it other than a just but gracious Father seeking out those whom He would deliver from sin and darkness? He is the God of immanence, the God who wants to dwell with a redeemed congregation which He Himself has not only purchased, but also has become the purchase price in Jesus Christ, the seeking God incarnate.

God never forgets His children, though our sinful waywardness perhaps strains that fellowship at times. Our Father may then send chastisements into our lives to remind us of His love and break our love of sinning. Make no mistake though, if we find ourselves in the midst of such chastising, that our God will not cast aside His redeemed, those He purchased of old, for He is the One who has sought us, and we are the inheritors of eternal life in Jesus Christ, our Redeemer and Guarantee, forever.

What makes a college attractive to a Christian student?

2010-05-04T06:48:00.000-07:00

As we once again go through the process of deciding on a college destination for one of our kids, there are several things that can quickly turn us *off* to an institution from our standpoint as Christians wanting the best for our student. We are firm believers in a liberal-arts program, but that is not the sole consideration. We want an environment where she can grow and develop not merely in knowledge but in applying her Christian faith to all areas of life – in other words developing her Christian worldview further.

I am amazed that some people honestly believe that developing Christian character means going to school and seeing just how far one can deviate from the Word of God in their moral behavior and still rationalize it as being acceptable to God. Any school that fosters that sort of approach to student life and still tries to claim to be Christian is a farce. We, as parents, are not looking for a school that forces all the students to dress a certain way and that tracks their whereabouts by implanting a microchip in their ear like some people do to their dogs (though as I type this, the thought occurs to me that it would be an incredibly interesting study…I’M KIDDING…relax and get a sense of humor, people). I am though hoping for a Christian institution that actually acts consistently with its stated mission and purpose instead of giving mere lip service. For someone to say that the way to encourage growth in Christian faith is to encourage students to explore the realms of debauchery is a tortured logic that is most certainly not born of a true Christian faith. I’d rather see her attend a pagan university if it came to that, as at least they are unabashedly and consistently wicked, and thus she would know from day one what she was up against. Christian character is developed by the challenging study of God’s Word wherein we approach it in faith, not skepticism and cynicism.

In considering a Christian liberal arts school, we would also hope for a faculty which is not made up largely of educators who basically crossed their fingers behind their backs when they signed any statement of doctrinal belief and adherence. That sort of attitude of course comes from an administration which encourages seeing such statements as a non-binding farce which they must accede to in order to satisfy a sponsoring denomination. If the administration took such statements seriously, the faculty would be forced to as well. It amazes me how frequently faculty members at such institutions protest having to adhere to any kind of doctrinal boundaries in the name of the ever nebulous idea of ‘academic freedom.’ Do you know what I want for my child? I want her to sit under faculty who are less concerned with academic freedom than they are academic integrity. If a faculty member does not like the doctrinal stance of an institution, then they should not accept a position at that school in the first place. Or if the school changes their stance subsequent to that faculty member’s hiring, then the faculty member should have the professional integrity to either submit to those conditions or else seek employment at another institution where they can have their precious ‘freedom.’ Why would I want my child to sit under disingenuous faculty members who think it to be a joke to sign a statement of belief – and who amazingly still claim to hold some form of Christian belief as dear to them after lying in order to gain employment? The institution where I serve as a faculty member has a very clear doctrinal stance to which we must submit – I knew that coming in, and was delighted to have the opportunity to serve here for I am in hearty and full agreement with their doctrinal statement. True academic freedom is found in working for an institution which holds a similar worldview as the people teaching for it. It is a privilege to work for any academic institution, not a ‘right’. If you don’t like what your institution requires of you, man up and find another place to work.

We are looking for a Christian liberal-arts institution that is not afraid to submit all that it does to the Lordship of Christ. I’m not sure why that frightens some people. They seem to think that taking one’s faith seriously is not compatible with higher education, that it is tantamount to mental suicide or such. Perhaps some have not discovered the joys and freedom that come from being a sold-out, wholly submissive (as far as possible by grace) servant of Jesus Christ. “You shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free.” (John 8:32) If our daughter is to attend an institution which claims to be Christ-centered, I don’t want to see them constantly waffling on that and backing away from it when the public are not looking. I don’t want a fresh coat of Jesus painted on your school when prospective students come to visit. I want a Biblical worldview that permeates everything and everyone from the president on down to the janitors. We’ve already seen how frustrating an equivocating mission can be for a Christian student and don’t need that again.

Which brings me to my last point for the moment. If we cannot find a Christian liberal-arts institution that declares a firm dedication to a Biblical worldview and then backs it up in practice, then we’re better off sending our child to a secular institution in-state that has a good campus ministry program to give our daughter a place for encouragement and growth. Why should we as parents go through the pain again of taking out ever sizeable loans so that our child can get a very overpriced education from a private school that is trying to say one thing while being another? We can purchase a Christ-less education from the state much more cheaply and then help our child find a supportive fellowship so she can endure and sift through the secular worldview she will hear in the classroom. The irony is that at some state schools there are professors and administrators who are more sold-out to Christ than many who are employed at the Christian (*wink, wink*) schools.

Obviously there will be other factors in helping our daughter decide on a school such as scholarship money. But I think we’ve pretty much crossed off the list any school that can’t decide whom they will serve, the living God of Scripture or an idolatrous, toned-down god of their own making. That, my friends, would be a waste of four years and a lot of money.

So it begins...

2010-02-10T08:13:00.000-08:00

OK, I've resisted this blogging thing for a long time now, as I truly resent the presumptuousness and self-importance of so many bloggers. In former times when you had to prove yourself worthy of being put into print to an editor somewhere, such drivel was not inflicted on the world. The main reason I am caving to this is to open another avenue of communication to my congregation in Monroe, NC as well as that community in general, and also any students at my institution who are so blindingly bored that they will actually come read something I've posted. So we will see how this goes.

A note on the title - my family heritage in Scotland is from Clan MacMillan, a name which means 'son of the tonsured servant', a reference to former times when clerics shaved their heads except for a ring of hair to mark themselves as priests (see here or here). Those who know me know that my genes are taking care of that without the aid of any razor (it's not a Nazirite thing though).

So if you should read this in the days ahead, I hope I can provide something edifying enough to justify the time you spent reading it. If not, I'm sure I will hear it! Soli deo gloria!