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Category: 4 Amarillo (Page 8 of 9)

Thanksgiving 4 Sunday

November 22, 2013 / / 0 Comments

“I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one.” ~John 17:22

We’ve been given a profound intimacy with the Father and Son that changes all of human life. It’s a unity that encompasses the Father with the Son, all disciples with them both, and all disciples, in turn, with one another. This is the gift of Jesus’ prayer. It’s not what we have to do or maintain; it’s what God through Christ has already given us and continues to maintain through the power of his Holy Spirit. It’s just a matter of whether we recognize it or not.

This Sunday, we are set to gather in gratitude to give thanksgiving to our God for the gracious gift of this unity. We will acknowledge the fellowship we share with the other Christian congregations in downtown Amarillo on this day of worship and praise and thanksgiving. Together.

Our guest preacher here at Central on Sunday is Howard Griffin, my good friend and the senior pastor at First Presbyterian Church. As has become our custom on the Sunday before Thanksgiving, we will share a special time of communion around several tables in the worship center piled high with a wide assortment of breads, representing the divinely-ordained diversity in Christ’s Body, his Church. Then at 6:00 Sunday evening, all four churches are meeting at First Baptist for the first ever “4 Amarillo” Thanksgiving service.

As God’s children, unity is our nature. This is who we are: One with Christ and one with his followers everywhere. What that means is that there is very little, if anything, outside of denying Jesus as Lord in word or deed that can separate us. If that’s the case — and it is! — then our diversity and our differences are not just tolerated, they’re embraced and appreciated. Even celebrated. Thanksgiving seems like a perfect time for just such a celebration.

Peace,

Allan

Pray for First Presbyterian

October 23, 2013 / / 1 Comment

Howard Griffin, the straight-laced, forward-thinking, super-organized, community-minded pastor at First Presbyterian Church in downtown Amarillo, is a Puckett neighbor and a good friend of mine. First Pres is one of the 4 Amarillo churches with which we’ve partnered this year in a variety of service and worship projects. Howard and his congregation are involved in a terribly messy situation with their presbytery and denomination. And I’m asking you to pray for them today.

It’s a complicated matter, of course. It involves much more than I can understand and certainly more than I can describe here. In a nutshell, the denomination (PCUSA) over the course of the past seven or eight years has taken steps to ordain openly gay clergy and lay officers, including adding permissive language in their by-laws and openly pushing the practice for its churches. PCUSA has also redefined marriage to include those of the same sex. And they’ve acted to officially “receive” and implement gender-inclusive or gender-neutral terms for the Trinity. Instead of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, PCUSA is now using language in its papers and prayers, its liturgies and services, such as “Mother, Child, and Womb” and “Rock, Redeemer, and Friend.” They’ve even used “Rainbow of Promise, Ark of Salvation, and Dove of Peace” in place of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

As the denomination continues to move in ways that are increasingly out of step with the beliefs and practices of this local Presbyterian congregation, the tension has led to several moves that have positioned First Pres to pull out of the regional Palo Duro Presbytery and leave the denomination. Of course, there are money and property issues to negotiate, along with dozens of different opinions on how to respond, and more than a few hurt feelings. But it’s all come down to a pivotal vote this evening at First Pres. Tonight at 7:00 they will vote on whether or not to leave the denomination.

In an effort to avoid a civil lawsuit that would result in all kinds of headlines and press that wouldn’t necessarily reflect the glory of our God, lawyers for First Pres and the presbytery are meeting right now, hoping to agree on a settlement, kind of like an exit fee. If that doesn’t work — there are dozens of reasons to believe it won’t — then tonight’s vote will happen. It looks like they’re going to leave the denomination and then have to fight to keep their property and buildings.

So, let’s pray together about this today. Pray for tonight’s meeting, that the truth will be spoken in love. Pray that our brothers and sisters at First Pres will present their opinions with grace, that all in attendance will express the mercy and peace of Christ, and that God’s holy will be done in order to bring him glory. Pray for wisdom and discernment for their leaders, for courage and boldness for this church, and for God’s gracious gifts of leadership for Howard. Pray that God will lead this congregation through this difficult time in a way that will testify to his love and glory and be a witness to his grace and strength.

Peace,

Allan

Drawing a Line in the Sand

August 23, 2013 / / 0 Comments

Among the many texts and emails I’ve received from my brothers and sisters here at Central following that sermon on Christian unity I preached two weeks ago, this one stood out:

“Hands down best CofC sermon I have ever heard in my 56 years of life on this earth!!! Two thumbs up!!!”

“You need to get out more often. Just kidding. I appreciate those kind words. The response has been tremendous. Now we’ve got to put it into action.”

“I’ve heard others try to preach that sermon and they’ve done pretty good at it but could never simplify it down and just spell it out like you did where there was no doubt left in anyone’s mind that grace covers all believers! Even the Methodists, Baptists, and Presbyterians!”

“Thanks, sister. You’re a blessing to me.”

“I’m glad you have gotten good response because, realistically, you drew a line in the sand for us as CofC people. You are right, we can enjoy that sermon, but now comes the hard part…living it.”

A line in the sand, huh? The intent of the build up to that sermon and that day and us as a church going forward is to erase the lines, to eradicate the barriers between Christian denominations. Of course, I know what this dear lady means. Drawing the line means we’ve said very clearly and very forcefully now that we understand our Lord’s holy will is for his people to worship and serve together, to fellowship with each other, to show love and esteem for one another in order to evangelize the world. And we intend to practice it. We intend to make it a part of who we are and how we think and behave.

From another email written by a Central member: “Thank you for that sermon this past Sunday. The term ‘sermon’ and ‘thank you’ seem so inadequate for such a powerful message. That is a message we should all hear. And often. Ever since our family moved to Central it has felt like a rock lifted off my shoulders in the sense that I was free of the baggage of years of animosity toward and from the Churches of Christ. I didn’t realize however that there was still a fair bit of baggage on my shoulders until I felt it being lifted Sunday morning. That fact that we can recognize and then work with other churches and Christians is such an unreal feeling… maybe a little like we’ll all feel together in heaven. I have said that I have never heard John 10:16 (at least the way I understand it) preached at a Church of Christ. Well, I have now! Grace for 14th and Monroe as well as those down the street? Hallelujah, preach on, brother!”

That email is just one of several I’ve received that express a sense of the powerful words of Jesus’ prayer lifting a weight from their shoulders. A lot of it seems to do with their own personal feelings and beliefs, which have been at odds with their understanding of traditional CofC beliefs and practices, being validated and encouraged from the pulpit on a Sunday morning by their elders and ministers. And, again, if some line in some sand was drawn, it’s about visibly and emphatically renouncing the long-time perception that we think we’re the only ones going to heaven.

Our elders are also receiving emails, of which this is a sample: “Thank you for having the courage in your leadership to take a position that embraces neighbor churches. You set the tone. You foster the culture and the atmosphere that allows and promotes a message like the one we heard Sunday. What a great feeling it is to look past our differences and work together with other Christians. I have told you before that I cannot express my appreciation enough for the impact Central and its staff has had on my family. Now, I want to thank you for the impact Central and its staff has had on me.”

I think the message from John 17 is liberating. I think it frees us to truly be the new people we were created to be at our baptisms. We are full of God’s Holy Spirit, we are re-created to experience all of life in brand new ways, we are united with all of God’s children and all followers of the Christ. Now, we’ve given our people permission — a mandate, even — to act like it. That’s why it feels so good, I think. Because we’re doing what we were created to do. We’re actually pursuing, for a change, what God really wants. That’s why it feels good.

Another way we empowered our congregation was by giving them an argument against those who disapprove fellowshipping other churches and Christians. Immediately following the sermon, one of our oldest members walked down front and confessed to me, “Allan, I’ve been struggling for the past several weeks with this partnership with these other churches because of baptism. My concern has always been about fellowshipping people who are baptized differently than us and for different reasons. You answered it for me. It’s God’s grace. The same grace he has for me, he has for all Christians.”

God’s grace covers all Christians. It covers practice and doctrine. It covers behavior and belief. How does anyone read the Scriptures and come to any other conclusion?

A couple of days ago I received a text from a good friend of mine in Fort Worth: “You are not thinking big enough with “4 Amarillo.” Your reach is much bigger than you think. Make it easy for people to donate who read the blog and get excited, yet aren’t in Amarillo.”

“But it’s a local thing. People who read the blog and get excited about it should pursue a similar path with their own churches, right?”

“In a more perfect world they would. There might be people who will write a check instead of work. While you may prefer they do it locally, if they want to give money to a very good cause, let them.”

One of our plans is to build several Habitat for Humanity houses together next summer. At some point, we may have to organize more officially in order to keep up with the money and other necessary things that go with big projects. So, yeah, there may be a way to donate to “4 Amarillo” later. For now, if you don’t live in our city, I urge you to begin laying the groundwork for similar demonstrations of Christian unity in your own place. Pray about it. Study it. Consider the evangelistic implications for the Kingdom of God. And then do it. It feels good, because it’s right.

If it will help, here’s a link to the audio of the sermon we preached on August 11. It’s called “The Time Has Come: That the World May Believe.” Click here to listen or to download.

One last email: “We’ve had 4+ inches of rain this past week. When I heard a group of farmers this morning wonder why we are getting so much now all of a sudden, I told them it’s because the Church of Christ, the Presbyterians, the Baptists, and the Methodists are finally working together!”

Peace,

Allan

The Appetizer

August 21, 2013 / / 2 Comments

What a marvelous gathering Thursday night at Polk Street Methodist as about a hundred of us from all four of the downtown churches combined and packed our school supplies for delivery this week to our four downtown area elementary schools. It was the first official project in our “4 Amarillo” efforts. And, by any measure, it was a tremendous success.

I’m very, very proud of my Central church family for their enthusiastic embrace of this initiative. I’m so grateful for the leadership in our church family that has fostered a culture in which this kind of Christian unity can be explored and expressed. And I feel so blessed by our God to be right in the middle of something that is an answer to the prayers of Christ Jesus. Our Lord asked God to make all his future followers one body, united in spirit and truth, so that the world may believe. And we are taking that request seriously, jumping in with everything we’ve got to put aside our differences for the sake of the city.

We delivered our school supplies and catered a breakfast for all the teachers at Bivins Elementary yesterday. The other three churches are delivering their supplies today. The Amarillo Globe-News ran not one, but two, front page stories, above the fold about our ecumenical efforts. And everywhere I’ve gone this week, it seems that a lot of people in our city are talking about what’s going on with the downtown churches. You can click here to read the AGN story about the night we packed the school supplies. Click here to see a short video the newspaper put together with us four downtown pastors that night. And click here to read the other AGN story about how “4 Amarillo” began. I love the line Howie Batson, the long-time pastor at First Baptist, used to describe our dreams as four churches from different denominations coming together to serve others. He said this school supply drive is just the appetizer, it’s not the main course.

I’m still fairly floored by the response of our own Central Church of Christ family. Even today, I’m still hearing third and fourth hand from folks who are still talking about that John 17 sermon of a couple of weeks ago. I’m still hearing stories this week from those who’ve heard other people talking about that lesson on Christian unity. The emails and texts are still trickling in, even this morning, about that sermon, about that day, when we proclaimed together that the matchless grace of God trumps and covers all of our denominational differences.

I’m still processing a lot of it. I’m still in conversation with others about why that one lesson, why that one day, impacted so many of our people in such profound ways. I had my theories even as soon as lunch at Ruby Tequila’s that afternoon. And they haven’t changed much since then.

I believe that so many of our people have felt for a long time that our exclusive stance and sectarian practices were wrong. It’s been very difficult for most of us to believe that Churches of Christ are the only true church and that we alone have the entire truth of God’s Word and will for his people. It never made sense to most of us. It just didn’t add up. So a lot of us have been practicing unity with other believers, even though we never used the word “ecumenical” and didn’t even realize we were doing anything revolutionary. Most of us have studied the Bible in groups with Christians from other streams. Most of us have worshiped at funerals and weddings with Christians from other denominations. We’ve joined hands in service projects, we’ve raised hands at Christian concerts, and we’ve clasped hands in prayer at hospitals. Getting along with other Christians, putting aside our differences in some beliefs and practices in order to worship and serve together isn’t new for most of us. A lot of us have been doing things like this for years.

But two Sundays ago, it was the very first time that any of our church family had ever heard it publicly stated in an official worship assembly by the official preacher, commissioned by the official church elders, as an official church policy that we would pursue such unity among all Christian disciples in our city. I think it validated what most of our church practices outside our worship gatherings. I think it sanctioned what they were already doing. I think it liberated everyone to continue to explore and express Christian unity in their own ways. And I believe it addressed and removed the stigma we still bear in many circles that we believe we’re the only ones who are right. There was an almost audible congregational sigh of relief during and after that sermon that is still being expressed today. Not only is it OK to fellowship and worship and serve with other Christians outside the Churches of Christ, it’s expected by our Lord and it’s actually a great tool for evangelism. Not only is it OK, for many reasons it’s preferred!

More than that, even, I believe the overwhelmingly positive response is because we gave our church a clear argument for Christian unity that maybe they’ve never heard. I believe our people have always known that fellowshipping other Christians was OK, they just never really knew how to articulate the reasons. They didn’t know how to answer the staunch separatists among us who criticize any kind of ecumenical programs or gatherings. The argument on grace that I presented that day and posted here  in this space last week is air tight. In my view, it’s indisputable. How in the world can God’s grace cover me and us in our imperfections and not cover other Christians? How can an honest man or woman do or believe any more than they know? We must admit that we don’t have everything perfectly figured out and that God’s grace covers our misinterpretations, our misunderstandings, our honest but misguided beliefs and practices, and even the things we’ve innocently but royally messed up in massive ways. Doesn’t the same matchless grace we sing about cover all Christians of every stripe of the same shortcomings? If we believe God’s grace is only for us because we’re trying harder or because we’re more sincere, then we are guilty of a shameful arrogance and pride.

I’m not sure too many of our folks have ever heard it in those specific terms or have thought about it in that particular way. And they were liberated! They were freed to recognize all followers of Jesus as brothers and sisters, united by the blood of our common Savior! They’ve been given an inarguable response to the critics. They’ve been equipped with an apologetic to the way they’ve always felt in their hearts. And they can’t stop talking about it.

Before this week is over, I’ll share a couple of the emails and texts I’ve received about this, process this whole thing a little bit more, and then move on. There are other things to write about here and I’ve spent maybe too much time on this. One more post, maybe Friday.

In the meantime, keep praying about “4 Amarillo.” Keep praying for the hearts of our city and for the Christian ministries of God’s people here. And keep asking God to use our attempts at unity for his eternal glory and praise.

Peace,

Allan

Pray 4 Amarillo

August 15, 2013 / / 1 Comment

At 5:00 this afternoon there will be about 40 of us at Polk Street Methodist packing up 500 bags of supplies for our four downtown elementary schools. We’ll be working alongside another 120 or so Christians from the other three “4 Amarillo” churches in our first official service project in this partnership.

And I would really like for you to pray. Would you, in fact, stop what you’re doing just for a moment and lift up this evening’s event to our Father? Even if you don’t live in Amarillo, even if you and I have never met, would you please pray?

Ask our God to continue his powerful work of breaking down the denominational barriers that divide us so we can be brought together in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Ask our God to use our efforts to bless the needy school children in our area and their families with his love and grace.

Ask our God to show people through our partnership that Jesus really is the Prince of Peace and that he really has the will and the power to reconcile all people to himself and to one another; that people will be drawn to Christ when they see the love we have for one another.

Ask our God to do great things through this project that will result in all glory and honor being given directly to him.

There will be many more opportunities for worship and service with the “4 Amarillo” churches. This is the first one. This one sets the tone. This one breaks the mold. I was telling a production engineer from a local TV station yesterday about this partnership between our four churches and his eyes got wide and his mouth dropped open. “Has this ever happened before? he asked.

I answered, “Not in my lifetime. Not in my experience.”

He said, “It sounds big.”

“It is,” I replied. “It’s really big. And I have no idea what our God is going to do with it. But we’re committed to it and committed to trusting God to do with it what he wants.”

Would you please pray about it right now? God bless you. God bless our city. And may his will be done here just as it is in heaven.

Peace,

Allan

Let’s Astonish the World

August 14, 2013 / / 0 Comments

What a tremendous response! What a terrific reaction to what our God revealed to us at Central this past Sunday! And, my, how it continues even now into the middle of the week! The emails and texts that began pouring in during lunchtime Sunday are still being received today in a fairly steady stream. There’s an enthusiasm over what we’ve discovered together as a church family. There’s an overwhelming resolve to jump wholeheartedly into what our God has put in front of us. There’s a continual hum, a buzz, a current of Holy Spirit energy that’s tangible in this place. It’s real. You can feel it. We’ve tapped in to something here. Maybe… God’s holy will?

Allow me to share with you in this space today the heart of the message we heard together Sunday from God’s Word. Tomorrow, my plan is to share some of the response to the message in an effort to further process what happened Sunday.

The lesson Sunday came from the last part of Jesus’ prayer in John 17, his plea for unity among all future believers. It served as the culmination of our sermon series on this powerful prayer. And it provided the theological base for our “4 Amarillo” partnership with First Baptist, First Presbyterian, and Polk Street Methodist.

My prayer, Jesus says, is that all of them may be one. May they be brought to complete unity. It’s this unity, this uncompromising love and acceptance we have for all baptized Christian believers that will prove to the world Jesus really is who he says he is and who we say he is. Our unflinching dedication to love and defend all Christians, to worship and serve with all Christians, will astonish the world.

Well, Allan, not all people who’ve been baptized, right? I mean, a lot of people are baptized in different ways than we are, and for different reasons. We can’t worship with and have fellowship with all Christians.

That’s why the church is not astonishing the world.

Christ’s prayer is for unity. Christ’s will is for complete unity among all his followers today. So, let’s go there.

If God accepts someone, I must also accept them, too, right? I can’t be a sterner judge than the perfect judge, can I? Nobody would say, “Well, I know that God accepts this woman as a full child of his, I know she’s probably saved, but she doesn’t meet all of my standards in the things she believes and the way she worships, so I’m not going to accept her.” Nobody would say that. We must fellowship everyone who has fellowship with God. We must fellowship everyone who is saved. All the saved.

So… who are the saved?

There was a time when we would say everyone who hears, believes, repents, confesses, and is baptized is saved. OK, for the sake of this discussion, let’s go with that. The next question is, “He who hears what?”

“The Gospel!”

“She who believes what?”

“The Gospel!”

“Whoever repents and confesses and is baptized by what or through what or into what?”

“The Gospel!”

Right. That means the next question is… what is the Gospel?

That Jesus Christ is the Son of the living God, that he alone is Lord, and that we are saved by faith in him. You might check out 1 Corinthians 15:1-8 or several other places in Scripture where Paul sums up the Gospel. It seems pretty clear that it’s about declaring Jesus as Lord and as the only way to the Father and submitting to his lordship in baptism and in a new way of life. We’ve never required anything else. The Church has never asked for another confession. We’ve never asked anybody their position on women’s roles or children’s worship before they’re baptized. We don’t put a teenager in the water and catalog all his views and opinions on instrumental worship before he’s saved. (Unfortunately, some of us do that about a month later.) That stuff is not Gospel. Paul says it’s nothing but Christ and him crucified.

Romans 15:7 says we are to accept one another as Christ accepted us. We are to receive others by the same standards we were received at our baptisms. You know, your acceptance by God is a gift. That fact that Christ Jesus has accepted you is pure grace. The imperative for us is to extend that same gift, to show that same grace, to all others who have received it from our Lord.

Well, what about the Christian who disagrees with me on divorce and remarriage, or on the age of the earth? What about the Christian who doesn’t see church names or the Lord’s Supper the way I do? What about our discord over steeples or shaped notes?

In Romans 14-15, the issues are eating mean versus vegetables and the observance of holy days. And Paul knows what’s right and wrong. He knows the correct answer. There is a right and wrong on these matters. But Paul says, in Christ Jesus, it doesn’t matter. You don’t believe me? Read Romans 14:1-15:7.

Now, here’s where it gets us. You ready?

Do you believe that you are perfect? Do you believe you have God’s will completely and perfectly figured out? That you are living exactly right, that you believe everything exactly right, that your worship is exactly right according to God’s plans? Do you think you know everything and do everything perfectly? No? That’s what I thought. Then what in the world saves you? What covers you in your innocent mistakes? What saves you in your accidental misunderstandings and your sincere misinterpretations? Why, it’s God’s grace, of course. His matchless grace.

Do you believe that the Churches of Christ are perfect? Do you think that the CofCs  have everything totally figured out? That we are worshiping exactly right, that our leadership structures are completely lined up with God’s intent, that we have all of God’s will entirely mapped out and expressed perfectly? No? That’s what I thought. Then what in the world saves us? What covers us in our innocent mistakes? What saves us in our accidental misunderstandings and our sincere misinterpretations? Why, God’s grace. Yes, his wonderful grace.

You think there’s any chance at all the Methodists might be doing something right according to the will of God that we’re not? You think the Presbyterians might possibly have something figured out that we don’t? What if the Baptists’ understandings of something in the Bible are richer and fuller than ours? What if another group’s practice is more in line with God’s will than ours? Is it even possible? Yes, of course. Then, what covers us in our innocent mistakes and accidental misunderstandings and sincere misinterpretations? Grace. Yeah, I know.

Now, let’s assume that we have it right on the Lord’s Supper and the Methodists have it wrong. Let’s pretend that we’re right about baptism and a plurality of elders and the Presbyterians and Baptists are wrong. Does the grace of God not cover them completely in their innocent mistakes and accidental misunderstandings and sincere misinterpretations? Are they any less saved?

But they’re wrong and we’re right!

So you get God’s grace where you lack understanding but they don’t? You get the grace of God in your misinterpretations of God’s will but they don’t? Why? Because you try harder? Because we’re more sincere? Because, somehow, we deserve it?

Whoa.

The unbelieving world looks at that and says, “No, thanks.” And I don’t blame them. A religion as visibly divided as ours does not reflect the truth. It reflects our fallen world, not the glory of our God.

Our Christian unity will have an eternal impact on our world. But the world has to see it. Our unity, which already exists as a gift from God, must be visible. It must be practiced and experienced. When it is, the world will believe.

A Methodist preacher, a Church of Christ preacher, a Baptist preacher and a Presbyterian preacher all walk in to a bar is the first line of a bad joke. The Methodist church, the Church of Christ, the Baptist and Presbyterian churches all putting aside their differences to worship and serve together for the sake of the city is a serious and everlasting testimony to the love and power of God! Our “4 Amarillo” efforts are a witness to the world that this is for real! That Christ Jesus is our King! That the world really is changing! That hearts are being melted and people are being transformed! That barriers are being destroyed and walls are coming down! That the devil has been defeated and the Kingdom of God is here!

Peace,

Allan

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