The wedding was beautiful. The reception that followed was relaxed elegance. Following the wedding, Elizabeth, and her husband, Seth, traveled to New York where they would set sail for a honeymoon cruise to Bermuda. As they sailed out of the New York harbor on the morning of September 9, they stood on the top deck, looking at the skyline. They were going to take some pictures but decided to wait until they returned. That return trip never happened—at least not to New York. Following their cruise, they were directed a week later to the harbor in Philadelphia. They would not return to New York as a result of September 11, and they would not return to the same world from which they had departed as newlyweds. They were beginning their married life in a world that changed overnight. 

Prior to September 11, the world seemed to function with certain predictable rules and outcomes. There was a certain routine to life that many found comfortable and secure. Since that time, life seems less familiar and secure. 

Although unrelated to September 11, this is not a great deal different from what is going on within the Church today. The Church of the 50’s and the 60’s existed in an environment that was friendly and familiar. The church was accepted and influential within society. 

The times have changed. It did not happen overnight, but it has and is changing fast. When I first came out of seminary, one out of four couples lived together before marriage. Now it is closer to three out of four. Instead of referring to “families,” it is more accurate to refer to “households” because of so many different blends of relationships living under one roof. The traditional family is almost the exception rather than the norm. Lately we hear of courtroom battles challenging “one nation under God '' in the pledge of allegiance and “In God We Trust '' on currency. The battle for defining marriage intensifies over questions that were almost unthinkable just fifty years ago. For those of you who are old enough, do you remember Elvis and how on the Ed Sullivan Show the camera would not scan down to show his shaking hips on television? The times have changed. 

In all of this, the Church, for the most part, has not changed. In many ways, that is good. The teaching based on God’s unchanging truth is the same. The Cross is central. Christ is Lord. In other ways, though, it is not good. The church is perceived as not struggling with the issues of the world. In fact, there are many who would view the Church as being immoral, because they do not see the Church as wrestling with the serious issues of abortion, poverty, homosexuality, or Aids, to mention a few. When I first heard this, I was offended and insulted. I thought, “How dare they.” The more I thought about it, though, I began to wonder. Does the world see the Church as issuing moral judgments with no serious dialogue going on among people? When was the last time I encouraged serious conversation to occur over these issues? Don’t get me wrong. I stand with the Church on these issues. However, how can we engage in a meaningful conversation with those who are increasingly viewing the Church as being irrelevant and disconnected with the real issues of life? 

It is important to struggle with this question, because the world is spiritually very hungry and thirsty. There is a spiritual revival going on in America. It is just not happening within the Church. When I was growing up, Billy Graham was viewed as America’s pastor. Today, I believe that Oprah Winfrey would be identified more in that role. 

Many churches today find themselves struggling to hold their own with rising finances and decreasing attendance. Meanwhile, there is the Wal-Mart mindset that creeps into the church. People’s expectations as to what the church should do for them continually increase . 

It all sounds depressing, doesn’t it? In one way, it is. Yet, in another way, it is not. There is a bright and hopeful future for the Church— not for the church as we’ve known it; I believe those days and that church are of the past. The Church, however, of my faith’s confession is alive and well throughout the world today. In the Nicene Creed, we confess, “I believe in one holy Christian and apostolic Church.” 

The word apostle means “one who is sent out or away.” When we confess our faith in the “apostolic Church,” we are not only saying that our church is rooted in the apostles’ teachings but that we, like they, are sent out. In other words, everyone within the local church is a missionary. Each person is sent out. Could you imagine the two men who walked with Jesus to Emmaus staying there with what they learned? Could you imagine them sitting at the table saying, “Let’s wait until the rest come to us, and we will tell them who we met along the road”? No, they immediately got up and hoofed it back to Jerusalem to tell the others, “It is really true—He is alive!” 

 We are not to sit back. We are sent out with the saving message that God loves the world. He shows that love by giving us His only Son. It is His Son, Jesus, who takes our punishment upon Himself, so that we can now call God “Father.” Enjoy and appreciate the rich and precious gift that is yours to call God “Father.” We had lost that right in the rebellion and disobedience of our sin. Not everyone born is a child of God. A creation of God? Yes. A child of God? No. Only those who know Jesus as their Savior and brother are able to call God their Father. This is a message that is unique to the world. No other religion lays claim to this. While the Islamic faith rejects outright any thought of God as Father, a recent survey of six hundred former Muslims who had become Christians reveals that one of the factors in their conversion was the emphasis on the love of God and the intimacy that we have with Him as our heavenly Father (Sproul, p. 33). 

 We are the “sent ones” into a world that is hungry to hear the Good News. This is not some new thought or fad. This is the prayer of Jesus. As He faced His own brutal death, most on His mind and heart was the future of the Church. He prayed, 

“My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world" (John 17:16-18).  

Jesus understood that the disciples would have to be sent. The world was not about to come to them. They would be engaging the world on its home turf. Back in the 50’s and 60’s, the world surrounding the church, at least in America, was familiar. The church was playing on its own home field. In sports, home field advantage is key. The crowd is friendly. The playing field is known. In the life of the church, we have lost the home field advantage. Today, we are not living in a churched culture. That does not cause me to despair. It does, however, cause me to say with even greater boldness, “I believe in one holy Christian and apostolic Church.” 

Elizabeth and Seth’s ship had come back to a different harbor and to a different country than the one they left seven days earlier. As a result, now more than ever, we need to see that the vessel of “one holy Christian and apostolic Church” is not a cruise ship for the comfort of its passengers, but a rescue ship sent out with a life-saving mission. Ships are safe in the harbor, but that is not what ships are built for. The vessel of the Church has been sent out to sail into the waters of a changing world with an unchangeable message of God’s love in Christ Jesus.
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Helping people live life with Jesus everyday,

Rev. Dr. Brent L Parrish

If rocks could talk, what a story they would tell! The rock upon which Jacob slept (Genesis 28:11) could testify of a God who gives second chances to people who have fallen, cheated and schemed like Jacob. The stone that provided water for Moses and the Israelites (Exodus 17:6) would remind us of a God who provides for our needs in the wilderness of life. The stone upon which the Law of God had been written (Exodus 31: 18) could talk about the love of a God who sought through words written in His own hand to provide His people with an opportunity to respond to His loving act of deliverance. Upon that stone, God was establishing the basis for our relationship with Him throughout the rest of Scripture (i.e., Because I have done this for you, therefore I ask you now to do this in response). Then in 1 Samuel 17: 40, little pebbles that fit into the hand of a shepherd boy could remind us of our God who defeats the giants in our life, no matter how imposing and impossible they seem at first. In the life of Jesus, there are any number of rocks and stones. What would the stones that Satan used to tempt Jesus to turn them into bread (Matthew 4:3) have to say to us? What testimony could they offer as to how Satan tempts us so precisely to the desires of our heart? Yet, in Jesus we see the Word of God giving the strength to resist and not buckle beneath temptation. Then in John 8:7, what story of love and mercy could be told by that one stone held in the hand of Jesus? An angry and self-righteous mob stood ready to throw stones at the head of the adulterous woman. Jesus holds up one stone. “Let him who is without sin, cast the first stone.” One by one they leave until only Jesus and the woman are left. Of what would the stone at Lazarus’ grave testify (John 11:38-44)? 

Then there are the rocks of Palm Sunday. If these rocks could talk, they would remind us that we were created for the praise of God. 

 “‘I tell you,’ he replied, ‘If they keep quiet, the stones will cry out’” (Luke 19:40). 

 The religious leaders wanted Jesus to quiet the crowd. Jesus sternly reminds them that the praise of God is not something that can be stilled. You and I were created to praise God and to bring glory to His name. 

“For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure to the praise of his glorious grace” (Ephesians 1:4-6)
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Helping people live life with Jesus everyday,

Rev. Dr. Brent L Parrish

Telling someone what you have learned about God’s forgiveness is one thing. Telling God’s forgiveness is one thing. Telling someone who has hurt you, “I forgive you” is another story altogether. 

“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you” (Ephesians 4:32). 

It would be so much easier for me if “kind” and “compassionate” were in reverse order. “Kind” is an action-oriented word. “Compassionate” is a feeling-oriented word. Placing them in that order calls upon me to act kindly toward a person whether the feelings precede those actions or not. I would rather wait until I feel like it. God in His wisdom understands, however, that so often action needs to precede feelings. The first and foremost action is that of forgiveness. 

Now before we go too much further, let’s clarify what forgiveness is because there are many misconceptions. Forgiveness is not a matter of forgetting, almost pretending that something never happened. God certainly forgets. He tells us in Jeremiah 31:34b: 

 “For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.” 

God is able to completely forget and clear out of His thinking or remembrance the wrong that I have done. When I try this, I end up feeling guilty that I must not have forgiven a person when their offense to me keeps rising up in my mind. Forgiveness is as much a process where I must daily die to myself and allow Christ and His love to rise up within me. Joseph of the Old Testament is a great example of one who does not forget. He remembers quite well what his brothers did to him. Through a painstaking process, he works toward reconciliation with his brothers. James R. Bjorge in his book, “Living in the Forgiveness of God,” writes, 

“Forgiveness happens when past resentments are dealt with, not just discarded; are owned, not disowned; are recognized, not repressed; are released, not retained” (p. 60). 

Forgiveness is not forgetting, nor is it excusing. Forgiveness is not a matter of sweeping under the carpet what someone has done to us. Realize that just a few verses before we are told to forgive “just as in Christ God forgave you” (Ephesians 4:32), we are also told, “In your anger do not sin” (vs. 26a). Nor is forgiveness a matter of “time heals all wounds.” Sometimes time will only cause bitterness to take root. God’s Word warns, “Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry” (v. 26b). 

Forgiveness involves in our relationships what it did with Jesus on the Cross—the canceling of the debt we believe someone owes us. This does not mean we leave them off the hook. Rather, it means that we take “the knife” out of our “gut.” In “The Art of Forgiveness,” Lewes Smedes writes: 

“When you forgive a person, this does not mean you are immediately healed. When you forgive a person, this does not mean you are going to be buddy/buddy. When we forgive a person, this does not mean we surrender the right to restitution or justice when appropriate. When we forgive a person, this does not mean that we trust them, yet. When we forgive a person, we are not avoiding pain; we are opening the door to healing. When we forgive, we take the journey at the pace we are able to handle . . . the deeper the hurt, the longer the journey” (pp. 177-178)
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Helping people live life with Jesus everyday,
 

Harold Sherman wrote a book, “How to Turn Failure into Success.” In it, he offers a “Code of Persistence,” listing eight principles for success. These principles may be helpful in some of life’s challenges. The problem I see in them, however, is what happens if you cannot get beyond the first one— # 1: “I will never give up so long as I know I am right.” What happens when you know you are not right? What happens when your sense of personal failure overwhelms you to the point that you cannot move forward? What would this code mean to Peter in light of the events of Good Friday? 

Have you ever wondered what it was like for Peter waking up on that Saturday following the crucifixion? Hours earlier he had been so self-assured, so confident, never believing that he could do such a thing: “Peter declared, ‘Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you’” (Matthew 26:35). 

 Then hours later, he would deny His best friend, his Master, not once but three times. How could he get out of his mind that moment when the eyes of Jesus and his met in the judgment hall? 

 “Peter replied, ‘Man, I don’t know what your’re talking about!’ Just as he was speaking the rooster crowed. The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word the Lord had spoken to him: ‘Before the rooster crows today, you will disown me three times.’ And he went outside and wept bitterly” (Luke 22:60-62). 

 How does one stop the tears? Jesus had warned him. He was too full of himself to listen. Now, how does he undo the damage done? Jesus lies in a grave, dead. What is Peter to do with his guilt? Then comes the news: 

 “But go, tell his disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you’” (Mark 16:7). 

The women report that they have seen Jesus. He is alive! He wants to meet with the disciples. Is this good news for Peter and the rest? Or does it add to their terror and fear? If the news is true, how will they face the One they have betrayed and denied? 

 Two words, however, offer comfort and hope: “. . . and Peter.” “Tell His disciples and Peter.” In those two words, the angel of God is signaling Peter that he is loved. The message of the empty tomb is nothing less than that of forgiveness. 

God does not want our sins of the past or our lack of loyalty and love toward Him to keep us distant from Him. “Tell His disciples and Peter.” The compassion and gentle grace of those words are not only for Peter, they are for you and me. Take a pencil and write your name just beneath Peter’s in that verse in your Bible. If you are troubled by past sins or if your heart has wept and wept and nothing undoes the wrong and failure of the past, write your name just below Peter’s. Not all the tears we cry or the good intentions we offer will bridge the gap that our sins have created between us and Jesus. The Good News, however, is that they don’t have to. He bridges that gap. Through His death and resurrection, our sins have been paid for in full. 

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Helping people live life with Jesus everyday,

Rev. Dr. Brent L Parrish

Remember the story of the Sunday School teacher who witnessed to a Boston shoe clerk, Dwight L. Moody? Listen further to an account of that witness: “Kimball found Moody working in the stockroom, wrapping and shelving shoes. Kimball said he spoke with ‘limping words.’ He later said, ‘I never remember just what I did say: something about Christ and His love; that was all.’ He admitted it was a ‘weak appeal.’” (p. 70). 

 The fire that was kindled in the heart of D.L. Moody by a modest Sunday School teacher would kindle a fire of love and hope in the hearts of thousands. 

When I consider the bold acts and witnesses of the early Church, I do not see eloquent men and women. Paul admitted as much: “When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. I came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling. My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on men’s wisdom, but on God’s power”( 1 Corinthians 2:1-5). 

I felt with Margaret what Paul felt with the Corinthians. Have you experienced that too? Boldness in those moments is not defined by what we say. It is the willingness to be God’s vessels, trusting that His Spirit will reveal itself. This is exactly what Jesus asked the disciples to have confidence in. As He was preparing to leave them, they were terrified. In response He said, 

“Whenever you are arrested and brought to trial, do not worry beforehand about what to say. Just say whatever is given you at the time, for it is not you speaking, but the Holy Spirit” (Mark 13:11). 

 We may stumble over the words, but the power of God will not. Tell it boldly. Bold in the power of God. Who in your life have you been burdened over as to where they stand with Jesus? Tell it boldly! Not bold with words necessarily, but bold in the confidence that the Spirit will give you the words to say and will then work with those words long after you have finished. Tell it boldly in the confidence that what you are sharing with them is lifegiving, breathing with hope. 

My prayer is that you will hear in response, “I believe that too.
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Helping people live life with Jesus everyday,

Rev. Dr. Brent L Parrish

What do you know about Andrew? He was one of the twelve disciples. What else comes to your mind when you hear his name? He was Peter’s brother. Time after time when Scripture identifies Andrew, it does so with these words, “Andrew, Peter’s brother.” Do you think that this bothered Andrew to always be known as “Peter’s brother”? 

Andrew was Peter’s brother, but Scripture tells us that he was known for more than that. Andrew brought Peter to Jesus. He is not the only one that Andrew brought to Jesus. We are told that he brought a little boy forward with his bag lunch:

“Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up, ‘Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?’” (John 6:8-9). 

 We are also told that he brought certain Greeks forward who wanted to meet Jesus: 

 “Now there were some Greeks among those who went up to worship at the Feast. They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, with a request. ‘Sir,’ they said, ‘we would like to see Jesus.’ Philip went to tell Andrew; Andrew and Philip in turn told Jesus” (John 12:20-22). 

Andrew did what he had done with others. He opened the door for them to meet Jesus. 

 Andrew may have taken a back seat when it came to his brother Peter, but this did not stop him from telling people about Jesus and bringing them forward to meet Him. 

When I review these readings, certain things impress me about Andrew’s character. First, Andrew seemed to be a humble person, whose pride did not get in the way of being a witness for Jesus. As soon as Andrew had met Jesus, he immediately went to his brother: 

 “The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, ‘We have found the Messiah’”(John 1:41). 

 “The first thing.” So excited with the news about Jesus and so devoted to his brother, Andrew goes immediately to tell him. A dominant, older sibling can sometimes cause the younger brother or sister to be filled with resentment or jealousy. There is none of that here. Andrew brought Peter to Jesus. Could he guess that his elder brother would overshadow in this area as well? Probably. Jesus would give Peter a new name, a nickname of sorts: 

 “‘You are Simon, son of John. You will be called Cephas’ (which when translated is Peter [or Rock])” (v. 42). 

 There is no such mention of a nickname for Andrew. It may be that Andrew played “second fi ddle” to his brother. He wasn’t a part of the inner circle even though he was one of the first to be called by Jesus. This did not stop him from placing others first when it came to telling them about Jesus or helping then in their journey. Andrew was willing to give up many things, including his pride, for the sake of bringing people forward to meet Jesus. Who is the Andrew in your life? Who brought you to Jesus? Who has placed you first, not caring if they got acknowledged or even noticed? 

 The mission of the Church is blessed when there are those who are willing to serve as an “Andrew” within the ministry and lives of its people. Who are the Andrews in your congregation—those people willing to sacrifice in order to help other people?

Andrew was one of the first to hear of Jesus, the Lamb of God. He was the first to tell his brother Peter about Jesus. Yet, oftentimes he comes in second as far as recognition in Scripture. He never wrote an Epistle. He is not mentioned in the Book of Acts or any of the Epistles. None of this apparently fazed him in the slightest way. Second in life so often, his passion was to tell others first. Tell them about Jesus. His first priority was to bring them to Jesus so that their hearts could be ablaze with His love as was his own. Can you imagine the impact upon our churches were they to be filled with people with Andrew’s heart—befriending people and introducing them to Him one at a time? The fire of Christ’s love is kindled in the hearts of people one at a time.
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Helping people live life with Jesus everyday,

Rev. Dr. Brent L Parrish

Prayer is at times difficult and hard. While at times we yearn for it, we also hide from it. Prayer is in many ways the battle. Prayer is, however, bathed in grace and love. God hears us not because of our earnest efforts, but because of nail-pierced hands that pray on our behalf. In prayer we are not trying to overcome God’s reluctance; we are taking hold of His willingness. We dare not make prayer about us. It is about Him, not me. 

As a way of illustrating this, take a look at Mark 9:14-32. Jesus has just come down from the Mount of Transfiguration. Immediately, he is faced with a problem. A man is asking His disciples to cast out a demon from his son. The boy is thrashing about and foaming at the mouth. Can you imagine how chaotic this moment must have been? The disciples had been unable to cast out the evil spirit. In regard to that, Jesus is later asked why the disciples could not cast the spirit out. He said, “This kind can come out only by prayer” (v. 29). 

So the boy’s father approaches Jesus and says, “It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us” (v. 22). Listen to what follows: “‘If you can?’ said Jesus. ‘Everything is possible for him who believes.’ Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, ‘I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!’”(vv. 23-24). 

The prayer of the boy’s dad is not what one would call a classic prayer. It is simple. It is honest. It is childlike. “I believe, help me overcome my unbelief!” That sounds like a prayer that I have offered many times. Jesus responded to the man, not because of his great prayer, but because of Jesus’ great love. 

 I have come to believe that just as we are so apt to think that salvation is in some way tied to our efforts, we are also prone to think that prayer is about us getting it down right. Maybe we hide from prayer because of this inner need to have everything just right. We look to get our faith up to a certain level or our life in order before we pray. These things are important, but we are starting from the wrong end. It is about Him, not us. Who is He? What has He promised? 

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Helping people live life with Jesus everyday,

Rev. Dr. Brent L Parrish