Jeremiah and Frodo

"I am not made for perilous quests," cried Frodo. "I wish I had never seen the Ring! Why did it come to me? Why was I chosen?"
"Such questions cannot be answered," said Gandalf. "You may be sure that it was not for any merit that others do not possess; not for power or wisdom at any rate. But you have been chosen and you must therefore use such strength and heart and wits as you have."
~J.R.R. Tolkien

Jeremiah 1:6 But I said, "Hold it, Master God. Look at me. I don’t know anything. I am only a boy!"

Living a life of faith is an adventure. Just like Frodo, sometimes we wonder why we have been chosen. Sometimes, like Jeremiah, we don’t feel adequate. In reality if we have been asked to do something we can’t do, it is irresponsible to do it. So what makes us say yes when God asks us to do something. I think it is a couple of convictions. The first conviction is that God is alive real and personal. Having this conviction about God is the first thing that allows us to follow God where He leads us.

The second is a conviction that what is happening right now in history is critical to our lives and the lives of those around us. The conviction that we are a part of a bigger story and we need to play out part in that story. I love the epic trilogy by Tolkien, because it reminds us again and again to do the right thing even when we don’t think it matters. Tolkien allows us to see the big picture that players in the story cannot see. We know that if one player fails or gives up, the mission fails and the world ends even when the characters don’t realize that their actions have any significance.

Most of life is about getting up tomorrow and doing the right and simple things again. It is about taking the next step; it is about the little things. Frodo reminds me of that too. My favorite scene in the movie version is at the end of the adventure when he sits with his friends and they look at each other knowing that they will continue to do the right things at home in ways that may not seem as significant but are.

Jeremiah - Sermon Series

We began a sermon series this week on the book of Jeremiah. In the life of Jeremiah I am struck by the pervasive authenticity of a man trying to follow God. Somehow, in real life, Jeremiah pursues God with all that he has. I'm thinking the title of the series will be titled, "Running with Horses." If you aren't sure about that allusion, you can find it in the book of Jeremiah or wait for the series.

Today we saw how God knew Jeremiah, chose Jeremiah, and gave him a task to do, and promised to be with him. We were also reminded that God chose each of us, gave us a task to do, and promised to be with us. He didn’t promise it would be easy, in fact He said He would rescue us. Rescuing would imply that things will be tough enough that we will need to be rescued.

We are going to look at the biographical aspects of Jeremiah’s life that are revealed to us in the book of Jeremiah. I want to credit Eugene Peterson whose outline on Jeremiah’s life I am using. You might recognize Peterson’s name – he translated the Message version of the Bible. I enjoy the Message, but Peterson’s other work is most inspiring to me. His work on Jeremiah has been most helpful to me.

God has a lot to teach us through the prophet Jeremiah and I am excited about what the next several weeks will hold.

It takes a lot of time, extra effort, and planning to put together a sermon series. But I think it is worth it for several reasons.

1. A series helps tie together several sermons with a central theme.

2. A series helps us better learn and retain material we have learned because we review it weekly in our minds as we move through the next sermon.

3. A series is a great opportunity to invite new people to church. "Hey our pastor is starting a new sermon series on Jeremiah. You should come."

4. A series can help us see the big picture of a large portion of scripture.

5. Sermon series are interesting and hopefully fun to find ourselves emerged in.

Pastor's Code of Ethics and Covenant Final Entry

For my blog I have been examining the Pastor’s Code of Ethics and Covenant. Every profession has some ethical standards, but those of a pastor are necessarily different. We have examined the preamble and the first eight covenants. You can see them by clicking one of the links listed on the right side of this page.

After taking a couple weeks off for Christmas it is a good time to finish the Pastor’s Code of Ethics and Covenant. You can look at previous blogs to read more about the Code of Ethics and Covenant. Below are the final two covenants

• I will not proselytize from other Christian churches.

This is a great part of the Code of Ethics and Covenant. And it is important. There is a real temptation for pastors to proselytize from other Christian churches. One of the things I am most proud of in our church is that many of the people who are coming haven’t been part of another church. When we think about church growth we should think about kingdom growth. If someone transfers from one church to another, there is no kingdom growth. In fact, there is probably some loss in that kind of a transfer. But when someone starts coming to church and they have not been coming before, that is kingdom growth. It is my prayer that we will continue to see more of that kind of growth in our church.

• I will show my personal love for God as revealed in Jesus Christ in my life and ministry as I strive together with my colleagues to preserve the dignity, maintain the discipline, and promote the integrity of the vocation to which we have been called.

I like being a pastor. I have known many good preachers and they have had a positive influence on my life. I am proud of this profession. I know some pastors have done things that have hurt our profession ultimately the name of Christ. It is my commitment to do all that I can to help those around me know a pastor as someone who they can trust.