Pastor’s Blog

Congratulations to our six new deacons-elect: Keith Akin, Rick Appleton, Matt Chandler, Phil Covington, Mark Filer, and Eric Lahr. Stay tuned for information on their ordination and installation service.

(posted 5/24/10)

In our services we often recite together one of the ancient creeds of the church, usually the Apostles’ Creed or the Nicene Creed. Occasionally we will go through the Westminster Shorter Catechism, and more rarely, we will use a section of the Westminster Confession of Faith.

Why do we do this? What function do these creeds have in the order of worship? Do we say them merely because we have always said them? Not at all. These creeds perform several important uses in our service.

Worship—In them we worship God by declaring his person and works. Psalm 145:4-5 says, One generation shall commend your works to another, and shall declare your mighty acts. On the glorious splendor of your majesty, and on your wondrous works, I will meditate. When we say in the Nicene Creed that Jesus is “God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God,” we are meditating on and declaring the majesty of our Lord. When we say in the Apostles’ Creed, “The third day he rose again from the dead,” we are declaring the mighty acts of God. A significant part of worship involves “magnifying God.” That does not mean to make him bigger; it means to recognize how big and great he is. Reciting the creeds is one way we do that.

Teaching—In them we teach and remind each other of the great doctrines of our faith. How many of our children have had to sit down and consciously memorize the Apostles’ Creed? Not very many of them. Most of them know it because they have heard it so often in church. With virtually no effort, they have memorized a brief statement of the foundational truths of Christianity. How valuable it is for our children to hear these truths week after week! And as adults who know the creeds, how often does a particular statement jump out at us, ministering God’s grace to us in some need we have or some difficulty we are in. You may be struggling with guilt, perhaps. But then, as we are going through the Apostles’ Creed, you find yourself saying, “I believe in…the forgiveness of sins.” And you have to stop and ask yourself, “Do I really believe in the forgiveness of sins? If I don’t, why am I saying this? And if I do (and I do), then I need to preach to my own conscience that Jesus paid for my sins and my heavenly Father loves and accepts me.” In that way a point of doctrine becomes a great blessing to your soul.

Witness—In them we declare to the world what it is we are about. Granted, we say the creeds in our service, not out on the streets. Even so, when a visitor comes in, believer or unbeliever, they hear in the creeds a statement of what we believe. They hear us say together, “These are the truths we hold to. These are the truths that unite us. This is where we stand.” Speaking of the streets, the creeds remind us of what is important when we talk to people about Christ or religious matters. Most unbelievers want to major on the minors (cf. John 4:19-20). The creeds keep us on track; they give us a mental outline of the important truths, the things that are “of first importance” (1 Corinthians 15:3).

As valuable as they are, the creeds can lose their value to us if we mumble through them mindlessly. This wandering of our thoughts is a danger inherent in their frequent use. We can say them with our lips, but our hearts (and minds) are far from them. Do not rob yourself of their benefit in this way! Be intentional when you say them. Say each statement thoughtfully, recognizing the beauty of its truth, uttering it as the conviction of your heart, giving thanks to God for it.

(posted April 30, 2010)

Or at least Mondays. The sun is shining as I write this.

I saw a blog this morning saying that for preachers Monday is often the hardest day of the week. A week of ministry has finished, culminating with the services on Sunday. On Monday, the preacher is tired. Maybe the sermon did not go as he hoped. Maybe attendence was down. Maybe someone hit him with a complaint or criticism. Now, he is at the bottom of the next hill, starting the climb toward Sunday all over again. (This may be why many preachers take Monday off.)

I have not found this description of Mondays to be my experience. I am in the study on Mondays and take off Tuesdays. It started this schedule mainly because our Session and Deacons meetings are on Monday nights. But I have found that I rather enjoy being on the office on Monday.

Being in Monday gives me a chance to process what happened that day before. It means reviewing my sermon notes of the day before and adding to them anything that might have come to mind in the act of preaching (where the mind can often be far more creative than in the relatively sterile confines of the study). Being in on Monday also gives me the chance to follow up on conversations I may have had on Sunday while they are still fresh on my mind.

Something else I like about Monday: It is as far from Sunday as I’m ever going to get. That means I can begin my study of next Sunday’s sermon text with little of the pressure I might feel when Sunday is only a day or two away. (Some preachers begin their study weeks in advance. I find doing that more of a hindrance than a help.) Since my mind is more relaxed, and I do have the whole week before me, I am able to meditate on the text in an unhurried way.

Also, since I am not yet feeling the pressure of Sunday drawing near, I am able to do some other reading apart from that required for sermon preparation. In that respect Monday becomes for me something of a personal retreat day.

So I like Mondays. Mondays are for me like Friday for most people–a little more relaxed, a little less pressure. And if the sermon did not go as well as I hoped the day before (as is usually the case)…well, to paraphrase the old sports cliche, “Wait till next Sunday!” Hope springs eternal that one day–maybe this Sunday–I’ll get it right.

(posted 3/8/10)

Last Sunday marked 15 years for me here at Old Peachtree. It seems like no time and it seems like a lifetime, all in one. Perceptions aside, I have been here for one-third of my life. I am thankful as I reflect on all that our faithful God has done here over the years, and I look forward to what he will do in the future.

A big “Thank You!” to my OPPC family for the many cards and notes. Your words and love encourage me more than you know.

(posted 2/11/10)

The Women in the Church (WIC) ministry held its kickoff event last night, and I had an enjoyable time last night as the token male. Stephanie had invited me to speak about the book they would be using in the two Bible studies: Jerry Bridges’ The Disciplines of Grace: God’s Role and Our Role in the Pursuit of Holiness. Stephanie spoke on the ministry of WIC and its theme for this year, 1 Corinthians 12:27: “Now you are the body of Christ, and each of you is a part of it.” Other women spoke on the various ministries of WIC–providing meals, supper clubs, the annual PCA WIC Love Gift, and others. We had a good turnout, and the desserts were excellent.

(posted 9/2/09)