At the Center of the Church Is a Well

Here's another book I have been reading. I was initially especially intrigued because the author was on my floor, over 20 years ago, when I was a Resident Asistant in college--though I'm sure he doesn't remember.
In one of the chapters he gives the image of the church as a ranch. But whereas we often think of the pastures of a ranch surrounded by fences--to keep the cattle in, as well as the neighbor's cattle out--perhaps a giant ranch is more to the point. On huge ranches it is impractical to build fences. Instead, the rancher digs a well. The cattle, if they don't want to die, will naturally stay close to the well.
As I read that, I thought of the woman at the well in John 4. She came to the well becaue that is where there is water. Jesus went to the well, because he had better water than was in the well--and he had it for people who needed it most.
The church, too, has the living water of the gospel. It is for people who need it--including those inside the church, and those outside the church. Those who know the water will stay close, if they are wise. But the well should also draw those who don't know the water yet--like the Samaritan woman. The fences should not be necessary to keep those who know the water in--and should not be in the way of those on the outside who want to come and taste the water.
I found that a different, and helpful, way to look at the church and the gospel the church offers.

Pastors' Summit reflections

Priscilla and I just returned from a weekend with 10 pastors and their wives whom we have gotten to know very, very well over the last 2-3 years. Over the years one theme of our conversations has been the challenge of being true to gospel truth as Christ's church without becoming insular (and thereby sinfully forgetting our mission to the world). That the gospel comes as, from our standpoint, grace, is key. As you pray for Covenant, please pray that this would mark us. That we would not be like the "righteous lost" Pharisees who could not abide Jesus' spending time with the "lost lost" tax collectors and other "sinners" (this has been the theme in Luke that we have been following). That we would take our mission seriously to "incarnate" gospel grace in the places we find ourselves at work, in our neighborhoods, in the community at large. And pray for grace for me to lead our church, by the Spirit through the Word of God, into that more fully.

Institutions vs. Individualism

David Brooks has an excellent article that goes against the grain of what our generation thinks, and is well worth the read. You can find it here. (If it doesn't work, you have to register. Go ahead. It won't kill you to do so. Even if you don't like the NY Times very much.)
As you read it, think of the institutions of your vocation; but you can also think of the church, and how it functions as an institution (we might prefer the word "body"), in contrast with the "tyranny of the individual" by which people find it difficult to attach themselves--and be committed to, and serve--their local church. And yet, it is easy to see that without the church, Christianity fails. Christ promised to build his church (Matt. 16) on the foundation of the apostles and prophets (Eph. 2:20) to be a body made up of parts (Eph. 4:11-16), not a collection of lone rangers.

Weekend with Addison Soltau

This last weekend we had a guest preacher, Dr. Addison Soltau, missionary kid from Korea, later missionary in Japan, and professor of missions at Covenant Seminary, now serving (at an age when many have faded into retirement) as assistant pastor at a church in Florida. It was a delightful time interacting with him, in addition to his preaching on Sunday morning. Sorry not everyone got to spend as much time with him as I did. But let me refer you to someone who knows him longer and better than I do to tell you more about it. Check out Barbaranne's blog by clicking here.