Do not be anxious about anything...

... but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God." (Php 4:6). Ever since, a few weeks ago, I preached on anxiety (from Luke 12:22-34) I have asked several people what makes them anxious. just about everyone has an answer to that! In our small group last night we talked about it again--what are you anxious about? Had a good conversation about it, and prayed together about it.
We perhaps do not like to think that anxiety is a sin--but it is. It is an emotion, and a sinful one at that. Anxiety arises where God is not believed as the One who is both sovereign and good, so that whatever falls out does so according to his all-wise purpose--and that "underneath are the everlasting arms."
It might seem harsh to call anxiety a sin. However, if it is a sin, it has a gospel remedy. Anxiety may be aggravated by physiology--another way the fall has affected us!--and as such there is sometimes a medical way to alleviate the intensity of the emotional experience of anxiety. But anxiety is also a heart-condition (in the biblical sense of the heart as the core of human personality and will). It is one that I am very well "trained" in--inasmuch as I feel anxious about many things.
Because anxiety is a sin, as I said, it has a gospel remedy. My anxiety (as a sin) was borne on the cross by my Savior. There is the grace of repentance for anxiety--a Spirit-driven learning to hate being anxious, to turn from it, and to endeavor no longer to submit and be bound by it. The fruit of repenting of anxiety must include prayer for what we are anxious for--prayer which includes mentally and emotionally surrendering what we are anxious about to God the Father Almighty for disposal as he deems right in his infinite wisdom.

Read something different...

It's been a while since I've written anything--life overtakes blogging sometimes! But I wanted to pass along a good piece of commentary found here. (Registration required; in the spirit of the article, if you aren't registered with the New York Times, you should be. Read the article to find out why!). Also in the spirit of the article, Nicholas Kristof (the writer) is the author of some excellent stuff on China (he was NY Times corrsepondent in China in the 90's and his wife is Chinese), and he has been a strong advocate for Christians and other persecuted in the Sudan. So--in the spirit of the article--he's a liberal you might do well to read. Not that you'll always agree with him.

Spring Training Covetousness

I've been studying the parable of the rich fool (Luke 12:13-21), and along comes an excellent article by Doug Glanville (former Phillie) about coventousness in baseball. Thought you might like to read it. Here it is.

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.

Kate Kelly's blog

While I was thinking about Garrett and Kristen, I was reminded that Kate Kelly also has a blog. Kate is in Dublin, Ireland. Like Garrett and Kristen, we at Covenant have a lot invested in her, and want to follow that up by praying for her. Now Kate has not updated her blog in a while, so you might find her on Facebook and remind her.... Or you might try her other blog.
Did you know that if you sign in you can receive updates from all these blogs? If you don't know how, ask someone who does--they are all around church (mostly under 30, but also some old-timers like myself).

Garrett and Kristen's blog

In case you hadn't seen it, just a reminder--Garrett and Kristen have a blog where they report on their lives in the Ukraine. At Covenant we have invested a lot in them--financially but also in many other ways. Let us also invest in prayer for them. Take a moment to look at it and pray for them.

I believe in God the Father... Maker of heaven and earth

We say that in the Apostle's Creed. What do we mean by that? Especially as those who know God not only as the sovereign Creator, but also as their Redeemer? Here is another section from John Calvin that helps us understand that:
"To conclude once for all, whenever we call God the Creator of heaven and earth, let us at the same time bear in mind that the dispensation of all those things which he has made is in his own hand and power and that we are indeed his children, whom he has received into his faithful protection to nourish and educate. We are therefore to await the fullness of all good things from him alone and to trust completely that he will never leave us destitute of what we need for salvation, and to hang our hopes on none but him! We are therefore, also, to petition him for whatever we desire; and we are to recognize as a blessing from him, and thankfully to acknowledge, every benefit that falls to our share. So, invited by the great sweetness of his beneficence and goodness, let us study to love and serve him with all our heart." (Institutes, Book I, Chapter 14, Section 22)

Is Christianity Good for the World?

As I write this I am listening to the debate between Christopher Hitchens and Doug Wilson, which was held at Westminster Seminary some time ago. The topic is, "Is Christianity Good for the World?" If you have an hour to spend (you can skip the first ten minutes of introduction, if you prefer), you can watch it here.