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October 20, 2009 |
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Written by The Rev. Charlie Vensel+
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Friends,
I’m still reading Crabb’s Real Church…Does it Exist? Can I find it?. It is not a particularly long and complicated book, so why is it taking me so long to complete it?
Well, I must confess, I’m not a natural reader…I have always had to force myself to do it, and at 43, I’m still trying to cultivate the discipline. I wish I could just give you that excuse as to why I’m so slow in finishing this one, but there is more. It would be too easy to skim through it and toss it on my shelf as read and not remember anything other than it was a good book.
It is certainly a good book, but I’m really getting caught up in Crabb’s struggle; I identify with him all too well. He says it like this: “I’m fighting a battle for my life that most churches don’t help me fight. And yet it is a battle that Christ’s resurrection tells me I can win.”
I’m confronted with that often. I know my Bible better than many. I had a stellar GPA in a great seminary. I know all the right answers; I can pass the written test. Yet, there is always this huge gap between where I am emotionally and spiritually, and what God’s Word declares is available to us. And to add insult to injury, I preach God’s Word to you good people, knowing all too well that I need to hear what I say as loudly and as deeply as anyone else, and Scripture warns that not many of us should desire to be teachers, for we come under a double judgment…ouch!
Why the gap? Why almost always, the gap? I’m easily distracted. I’m easily amused. I’m skilled in self-deception. I’m very quick, as most of us are, to be self-deceived enough to believe that my addiction to self is actually an addiction to God…and at that point, I could easily launch into a sermon on taking the Lord’s name in vain; my will in His name?
Why am I so ready to get up and go to the Home Depot, but I have to force myself to seek God’s presence? Why am I so easily entertained by the television and my iPod that I would avoid self-examination? Why am I not drawn to God with as much passion as I’m drawn to a Gator game?
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October 7, 2009 |
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Written by The Rev. Charlie Vensel+
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Dear Friends,
Last time I wrote, I offered that I would continue to interact with Crabb's latest book, Real Church...Does it exist? Can I find it?. He sees so well what so many are feeling but have yet to express. As I continue to read, I'm confronted and unsettled. Like I said last time, that is a good thing. I again encourage you to read this book with me. It forces a response.
Many of you have heard me comment, in private at least, that I believe the Gospel in so many places has become reduced to a benefit and a set of rules. In other words, the Gospel is about getting your ticket to heaven and living a moral life. A former professor of mine said it this way, "Be good...don't go to hell."
Now surely the offer of salvation, rightly received in faith, delivers us from our just penalty of hell. And, if indeed that salvation was rightly received, in time, we will live more moral lives. But, being good never got anyone into heaven, and as the Bible says, none is righteous, no not one, who could be good enough anyway? The beauty of the Gospel is that Christ's goodness is ascribed to our account when we come to faith. Many of us, grasping that, feel like all is settled and now we have to clean up our act. Now, with God's help, we should desire that and make some progress in it.
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September 23, 2009 |
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Written by The Rev. Charlie Vensel+
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Dear Friends,
Greetings in Christ Jesus!
I've always been a Larry Crabb fan. He's the kind of guy that has the ability to cut to the chase. He writes through experience and soul searching. His most recent book, Real Church...Does it exist? Can I find it?, is one that compels me. At times, it unsettles me, but that's a good thing. I encourage the congregation to read it.
Crabb has found himself at sixty-something years old, after a lifetime of Christian service, wondering why he no longer finds going to church as it exists in so many places today, fulfilling in his walk with Christ. I assure you, Crabb is not alone. I'm all the time bumping into people, of all ages (usually over 25) that share his sentiment, though they haven't really been able to articulate it as well as Crabb. I've found, even after a few years in professional ministry, having some of these thoughts in the deep recesses of my own soul at times.
I think it also no coincidence that so many "house churches" have popped up in recent years. There is, in the evangelical wing of Christianity, a silent frustration with what we've come to know as the church experience. Many are asking of their faith and their churches, "Is this all? Is there more?"
I have a friend who is planting a church up north with one of his main target groups of people being what we would call "frustrated evangelicals." They are just burned out from jumping through all the hoops, reading all the books, knowing their Bibles backwards and forwards, making sure all the programs are in place, doing anything and everything they can to get people into the church, and sacrificing not just time and money, but lifestyle for the sake of pleasing Christ. At the end of it all, they've asked, "Is this all? Is there more?"
I recently met with another church planter in the Spartanburg area, of a different denomination, that is planting his second church. He's bound and determined to do it differently this second time. He shared with me that in ten years of serving the church, he's not seen one life "transformed", but only behaviors modified, and he's asking, "Is that all? Is there more?"
There is a common theme running through all of these, Crabb, my friend up north, a church planter here in Spartanburg, myself, and a host of frustrated evangelicals. We are all asking, "Is this all? Is there something more? Does real church exist? Can we find it?"
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September 9, 2009 |
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Written by The Rev. Charlie Vensel+
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Dear Friends,
Grace and peace to you in the name of our Lord, Jesus Christ.
Your Council and I continue to meet regularly to discern the Lord's will for our church for the rest of this year, into 2010, and beyond. It is at times, slow hard work, but it is also very valuable and necessary work. None of us believes that God speaks through one person alone, but through community. We've had great meetings in that light and are pleased with where we are going.
Already, we've identified some key ministry areas that need to be rebuilt. Volunteers are answering our calls for assistance and leaders are making themselves known. Through the rest of this year, we will be working hard to develop these ministries both in terms of function and in depth. We deeply appreciate your willingness to serve All Saints in these capacities. We've labeled this first season together, "getting our house in order." We see it as a time for us to make sure the house looks great before the guests come for a fine meal.
We've had a tremendous amount of visitors lately and many are desiring to become members. We will be offering a luncheon in my home on September 27th, after the service, for anyone who is interested in joining the church. It will be a great time to get to know one another and meet others that are new to All Saints.
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