I’ve only been to one Gothic cathedral in my life and it was this one- St. Stephansdom in Vienna, Austria.  I was able to visit it on two separate occasions during overnight layovers on the way home from missions trips to Odessa, Ukraine in 1998 and 2001.

Let the record show that I’m a Reformed Protestant and believe deeply in the Biblical truths recaptured during the Reformation.  Those truths have been summed up in the Latin phrases of “Sola Scriptura” or Scripture alone, “Sola Fide” or Faith alone, “Sola Gratia” or Grace alone, and “Sola Deo Gloria” or For the Glory of God Alone.  That being said, when I walked out of St. Stephansdom I was profoundly impacted with the reality that architecture communicates.  In this case, this massive facility that took hundreds of years to complete spoke volumes about God’s transcendence.

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Not much on this blog in the way of insightful posts, I realize.  Recently all that’s been given are links to stuff I like.  Well, here we go again.  R.C. Sproul is interviewed by Michael Horton for the White Horse Inn.  Check it out:

(HT:  Ligonier Ministries)

Michael Horton (one of my favorite authors and host of “The White Horse Inn”) has a new book coming out with the title Christless Christianity.  Check out this web site that highlights the book and upcoming DVD with a good video clip of Horton speaking to the issue.  Good stuff.

(HT:  The Riddleblog)

Rick Warren hosted the two presidential candidates this past weekend at a forum held at the church he pastors in California, Saddleback Church.  I have not read Warren’s books, nor have I participated in any of his “Days of Purpose” programs.  I don’t have a personal problem with him and I don’t know enough about the “40 Days” to criticize though I’m always a bit leery of something that seems to be viewed as the silver bullet by so many churches.

That being said, I do have a point to make.  I think his hosting of this forum has unfortunate consequences and was ill advised.  Not because he didn’t ask good questions.  Not because he seemed to favor one candidate over another, as did John Hagee.  The problem with this forum, in my opinion, was that it served to highlight the candidates’ desire to capture the “evangelical vote”.  This type of event only reinforced the idea that the Church is nothing more than a special interest group.

First- what Rick Warren did right.  He worked to keep this as non-partisan as possible.  He asked the same questions of both men.  I applaud his effort to remain as neutral as possible and I honestly appreciate his efforts at dialogue with both men.   That being said, what was the problem?

Warren has established himself as a leader in evangelicalism.  Senators Obama and McCain each made a pilgrimage to Saddleback to curry favor with him and those who think like him.  I’ve not watched the debate (we don’t have CNN) but it sure sounds like both men were there to make their best pitch for votes.

What should Warren have done instead?  Preach the gospel faithfully.  I’m not saying that he doesn’t do that now, but that should remain his focus.  Make the main thing the main thing.  Hold up the Scriptures as our only rule of faith and practice.  Speak prophetically to issues- not to parties or candidates.  I’m cringing as I read analysis after analysis speaking of the evangelical vote that was being pursued.  Again- the Church is being relegated to a sub-culture.  Of course, Christians do very little to fight that appearance as it is.

In light of the above, you may think the title should read “Warren and the White HOUSE”- not “Horse”.  That’s not a typo.  Those who know me and who may read this blog know I’m a fan of The White Horse Inn- the radio program of Dr. Michael Scott Horton.  This past week’s broadcast featured an interview with Steven Nichols who authored the book Jesus: Made in America. Nichols looks at the history of Christianity in America and makes some pointed comments about how American culture has shaped our view of Christ, the gospel, and politics.  It’s a thought provoking interview.  Check it out HERE.

As noted in an earlier post the Voice of the Martyrs, a ministry dedicated to raising awareness for the persecuted church, is calling Christians to pray for the Church in China as our attention is drawn there due to the Olympics.  They have been issuing Olympic prayer bands that people can wear as a daily reminder.  President Bush was presented with one.  My wife, Connie, received the following info in an e-mail today:

Pastor Zhang “Bike” Mingxuan, known for traveling across China on a bicycle to evangelize, was arrested by Chinese police just two days before the Olympics began. Pastor Bike was the inspiration for the recent partnership between The Voice of the Martyrs and China Aid Association to create the Olympic Prayer Band.

I’m enjoying the Olympic coverage.  I’ve swallowed the Michael Phelps hype and have been watching eagerly to see if he will break the medal record set by Mark Spitz in ‘72.  I’m enjoying the swimming and look forward to the track and field events to come.

I’ve also enjoyed the coverage given to the history and culture of China .  It’s so foreign that it feels as if the reports are coming from another plant.  All this China emphasis sent me to Wikipedia to read about Chairman Mao whose picture dominates Tienamen Square.  All I could come away with after reading of his barbaric rule was how much the people of China have suffered.  Along with the people of the former Soviet Union, both nations experienced great hardship as millions and millions have died under Communism.  I know one critique of skeptics against Christianity is the charge of persecution by Christians in the Crusades and in the Inquisition.  While there is no defense for such actions, there is NO, repeat NO comparison to the death tolls that have arisen under atheistic communism.  Mao and Stalin starved millions and millions of their own people to death.  Their worldview allowed them to do so with no remorse.  Their people have suffered.  The recent events in the nation of Georgia have underscored the painful past.

The people of China need the gospel.  As we keep hearing, one-fifth of the world’s population lives there.  That’s incredible.  The underground church needs the freedom of worship and ministry.  Let’s keep praying for the church in China.

My wife, Connie, found an intriguing article entitled “Building Christian Community” on the internet (this is not an endorsement of all that is on that site).  The article speaks of the tendency for Christians to build community around affinity groups that they might have outside the church- in the author’s case, the educational environment they have chosen.  Marlin Detweiler writes:

The other ditch is when we begin to substitute the role of the school or our educational environment (such as our homeschool) for the church. Recently, I have heard far too many folks suggesting overtly and sometimes not as consciously or intentionally that the community we seek to build will be or should be centered around the school or homeschool association.

This thinking, subtle or otherwise, is riddled with great problems. Where do childless couples fit? How about empty-nesters?

My involvements in education have been more extensive than I ever dreamed or imagined they would be as recently as 15 years ago. Yet I don’t ever want to presume that this educational world, as close and consuming for a family as it may be, can in any way or at any time supplant the role of the organization given to build Christian community—the Church.

It is by the grace of God and through His ordained means that we find the Church to fill the role of building Christian community. In doing so we find that no age group, no stage in life, no childless couple and no single adult is functionally or otherwise left out of the communities we hope and should seek to build.

Wow.  The author nails it.  The Church is THE God-given means for building relationships and community.  If we’re not careful we end up leaving those that don’t fit our mold outside the loop and left behind.  The Church is to be comprised of all kinds of people, all races, all backgrounds, all marital status- and all need the body of Christ.   It may not be an educational environment, it could be sports teams our kids are on or a myriad of other organizations vying for our time and attention.  Let us not neglect the Church- the God given means for true community centered on the person and work of Jesus Christ.

Our building was without one of two air conditioning units this past Sunday.  We survived though things got a bit stuffy near the close of worship.  My gratitude goes to our people’s patience.  I made the obligatory remarks about hot air emanating from the pulpit.

We just had the AC maintenance guy come by and fix the unit.  The problem?  Ants in the unit were preventing contact in the circuit so that it could not cut on.  Apparently they are drawn by the hum the unit makes.  We have had this happen before with our home AC.  I heard the technician rapidly cutting the unit on and off (the unit in question is right outside my office window).  He told me that was his way of frying the ants and that he “had fun doing it!”.

I think there’s a sermon illustraion in this somewhere but I’m not sure yet where to find it.  Any ideas?  I’m just glad to know we’re back with both units running for this Sunday!

I read a heartwrenching article in the most recent issue of World Magazine (subscription required).  What caught my attention was the author’s quotation and reference throughout from the book of Habakkuk- a book we just recently considered as a sermon series entitled, “When God Doesn’t Make Sense”.  These are very difficult times for the people and for the church in that country under “President” Mugabe who has stolen the recent election and allows thugs to roam free.  God has been so good to us who live in this country.

Robert Norris writes a great article for Tabletalk entitled “Praying for Church Leaders” that you can read HERE. These are sobering words reminding us of the truly spiritual battle that is ministry. Let’s pray for pastors, elders, deacons, and those in ministry leadership. Norris says in the article commenting on Paul’s words in Ephesians 6:19 (..and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, ESV):

[Paul] saw that the work of the Gospel is an essentially spiritual work. [He] knew nothing of being dependent upon technique or program to accomplish his work, and his appeal was for spiritual support because he knew that he was battling spiritual powers that were arrayed against Him and were hostile to God and His purpose. Today it is easy to be seduced by the secular mindset into dismissing the spiritual nature of Christian ministry and fail to see that there is a combating of dark and hostile spiritual forces that can be met only with humble dependence upon God, diligence in the study of His Word, and devotion to the Gospel of Christ.

It is the role of the church leader to keep watch over the souls of God’s people. And to be effective in this role, as in all the other aspects of ministry, he needs the prayers of God’s people.