GCI pastor Neil Earle recently wrote the following short article for his congregation’s website. We thought you’d enjoy reading it.
With the news media having a lot of tragedy to feast upon in recent weeks – the apparent slaughter of the innocents in Afghanistan, the ugly controversies swirling in Florida – there was one quiet, almost unreported, moment that can be seen as redemptive for the whole nation. A Christian lady stood in a courtroom in Jackson, Mississippi, and forgave the three killers of her brother, a man they had brutally murdered in June 2011.
Three young drunken toughs ran over and beat to death 48-year-old James Craig Anderson in an incredibly premeditated and despicable hate crime that seemed to come screaming out of the crypts of Mississippi’s darkest past. “Things have changed in this country,” offered one social justice activist, “but they haven’t changed as much as people think.”
This ugly reminder in Jackson was mitigated somewhat – indeed some say overwhelmed by – the merciful, Christian attitudes expressed by James Anderson’s family through the words of his sister, Barbara Anderson Young (pictured, left). After publicly thanking God for the peace and strength that he had granted James’ family in the past eight months, she opened with the astonishing words:
We ask that you not seek the death penalty for anyone involved in James’ murder…Our opposition to the death penalty is deeply rooted in our religious faith, a faith that was central in James’ life as well. [48-year old James worked for Nissan and sang in his church choir.] We also oppose the death penalty because it historically has been used in Mississippi and the South primarily against people of color for killing whites.
Then she added:
Those responsible for James’ death wantonly ended the life of a talented and wonderful man. They also caused our family unspeakable pain and grief. But our loss will not be lessened by the state taking another man’s life.
Ms. Young also added that her family was praying for peace in the family of the condemned killer and for “racial conciliation” in the South and the whole country.
It was quite a dramatic moment, a showcase without intending to be so of the best Christian virtues on public display in an ugly time for all of us. What a shame the media did not make this their lead story last Thursday.
In our Statement of Beliefs, in the section concerning the Bible, we say this:
The Holy Scriptures are by God’s grace sanctified to serve as his inspired Word and faithful witness to Jesus Christ and the gospel. They are the fully reliable record of God’s revelation to humanity culminating in his self-revelation in the incarnate Son. As such, the Holy Scriptures are foundational to the church and infallible in all matters of faith and salvation.
This is a carefully worded statement, and we took a lot of time to formulate it. It is important in what it does not say as much as in what it does. You see, although as Christians we must take the Bible very seriously, it is also possible to get into trouble by regarding it as more than what it is. It seems that we know that the Bible is not equal to God even when we sometimes mistakenly behave or speak as if this were the case. No one prays to their Bible or believes the Bible will forgive their sin or raise them from the dead. But there have been some well-intended theologians who have regarded the words of the Bible as the highest or most direct revelation from God – in effect worshipping Father, Son and Holy Scriptures. This error even has its own name – bibliolatry.
This was the problem the religious leaders of Jesus’ time had. Jesus told them, “You search the scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that testify on my behalf. Yet you refuse to come to me to have life” (John 5:39-40).
Notice that Jesus did not say that the written scriptures give life. Regarding the scriptures, of themselves, in this way, misses the point. Scripture testifies to the truth and reality of God’s Word becoming incarnate in the person of Jesus Christ. The scriptures point to Jesus who is himself the resurrection and the life. This truth was something the religious leaders refused to accept, and so their whole understanding went awry, leading them to reject Jesus as their Messiah. Like many people today, they didn’t comprehend the distinction between the Bible as the written revelation that prepares us for and directs us to Jesus himself, who alone is the personal self-revelation of God.
I realize that statement may raise eyebrows in some circles. Some may worry that it downplays the importance of the Bible. But it does nothing of the kind. Rather, it properly relates the two different forms of revelation. I have tried to explain it in sermons by saying that Jesus is the Living Word and the Bible is the written word. The written word conveys life to us only because its author (the Living Word) is personally present by the Spirit and speaks again to our very spirits when we read and listen to it.
In the Bible, the Living Word is revealed using human language, expressed in multiple literary genres (poetry, prose, etc.), from within various historical and cultural contexts. The Bible tells the story of how God has worked in human history, most especially in ancient Israel, preparing them (and us) to recognize and receive in faith the salvation accomplished on earth by God’s Son, the Living Word.
Thinking along these lines, German theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote, “We must read this book of books with all human methods. But through the fragile and broken Bible, God meets us in the voice of the Risen One” (Reflections on the Bible). Indeed, the Bible is the only ancient book you can read where the author is still alive and with you, opening and guiding you to faithful understanding and holy communion with him.
This is the glorious purpose for the Bible and we err in trying to make it serve other ends. But we also err by not receiving it in faith for all that it is, namely, a God-inspired gift given to reveal a perfect God (and his perfect plan) even while using a limited, human media.
The apostle Paul, who knew the scriptures inside out, spent much time in his letters explaining how what we call the Old Testament needed to be interpreted in the light of Jesus, even if that meant jettisoning some “carved in stone” ideas that people held about Scripture. Ironically, many today still approach the Bible without giving due consideration to the nature of language, the importance of historical context and the particular reason the various authors wrote what they did.
We should not demand that the Bible serve purposes and function in ways that it does not claim for itself. We do not thereby honor Scripture even if we assert that by doing so we are giving it some kind of greater “perfection.” Examples of this kind of mistake would be turning the Bible into a textbook of science or history, or regarding it as a handbook of instruction about every aspect of human existence.
Let us value the Bible for what it is – a unique, reliable and authoritative guide that, as Paul wrote to Timothy, can make us “wise unto salvation” (2 Tim. 3:15). How marvelous that God can use human language, with all its limitations, to give us an authentic revelation of his Son! Without the risen Lord, the Bible would be just another ancient book and could not lead us to eternal life. But since this written word belongs to and faithfully serves the Living Word, as we hear it proclaimed we are led to the Savior in whom we put our faith, hope and love.
Carla Sethna, a member of the GenMin Mission Event Resource Team has announced that Freedom Church, one of GCI’s congregations in the Atlanta, GA area, is offering to other GCI congregations training in conducting a Vacation Bible School (VBS). The training will involve joining with Freedom Church’s staff in conducting their annual VBS (this will be their seventh time) on June 8-10.
The VBS will use Group Publishing’s Rocky Point Lighthouse – Shine God’s Lightcurriculum. It has a strongly missional emphasis, involving the kids in a community service project. To maximize the outreach focus, the VBS will be held over a weekend, beginning with Friday evening dinner and concluding with a Sunday afternoon barbecue that will involve the kids’ families and other guests.
The VBS will be for children ages 3-10. There will be a strong cross-generational emphasis, with Freedom Church’s middle schoolers serving as counselors and with adults of all ages from the congregation participating in various ways.
Anyone who comes for this VBS training will leave prepared to conduct one of their own. They will be given decorations and other materials to take home with them. Free lodging can be arranged for out-of-town guests.
If you are interested in participating, email Carla at cpsethna@comcast.net
The following update is from GCI pastor and U.S. district leader Heber Ticas concerning the new church he and his congregation recently started in Los Angeles, CA (for a previous Update report on this church plant see https://update.gci.org/2011/11/new-church-launched-in-l-a/).
Blessing families
We give God thanks that our new satellite church plant is prospering. Attendance is steady with an average of about 80 (including the church plant team). Because we’ve reached critical mass, it is no longer necessary to have families attending from the mother church.
Recently, we held a community outreach event where we blessed families and encouraged family unity. In February we celebrated our first Lord’s Supper. Ministry is falling into place from all angles!
Communion service
Now we are gearing up for additional community outreach events. We hope to see attendance increase to over 100 people. Planned events include special outreach services on Easter and Mothers’ Day and a community fair in June.
The ministry team in this new plant is doing a wonderful job! My primary responsibilities are to cast vision, mentor and preach. Recently, we commissioned Enoch Palacios to serve as campus pastor and my associate pastor. I am thankful to the Lord for Enoch – he is a gifted speaker and passionate for the community. Enoch and the rest of the team are now covering the day-to-day responsibilities of this church: cell group meetings, personal visitation, gathering for prayer and continuous evangelism. Their active involvement has allowed me to redirect my time back to pastoring the mother church.
Leading in worship
We are progressing well in helping people travel our discipleship pathway (connect to Christ, connect to one another, connect to Christ’s mission). New people are taking our discipleship course taught by Enoch. About 15 people have expressed interest in being baptized in June.
Please join us in prayer about these developments, as we continue to ask the Lord to give us the ability to discern where the Holy Spirit is working so that we might join him there.
John Nelson was ordained last month as an elder and commissioned as a member of the Grace Fellowship pastoral team. Grace Fellowship is the GCI congregation in Pikeville, KY.
The following week John underwent surgery to remove a brain tumor. Though he is making good progress, his recovery is slow.
John wants to get back to work and we need our team member. Please join with the Pikeville congregation in praying for John’s quick and complete recovery.
Cards of encouragement may be sent to:
John & Shirley Nelson 165 Cecil Hills Drive Pikeville, KY 41501
In service to GCI churches, Generations Ministries (GenMin) sponsors both camps and mission events (including mission trips). In support of these services, GenMin director Anthony Mullins recently appointed a GenMin Mission Event Resource Team. The team’s primary responsibility is to resource GenMin mission events. Secondarily, it resources GenMin camps and, as requested, GCI congregations – providing these ministries and churches ready access to tools that help them participate actively in the mission of God both locally and globally.
Standing (left to right): Janet Morrison, Lee Berger, Barbara Solari, Charles Fleming, Steve Solari, Anthony Mullins, Joel Clevenger, David Botha, Lynne Botha, Ted Johnston, Wane Creager. Seated (left to right): Carrie Smith, Carla Pearson-Sethna, Mychelle Fleming, Annie Fleming.
Here is what the Mission Events Resource Team will be providing:
Resources to be used by GenMin’s mission events and camps – helping them become fully missional
Assistance to GCI pastors in conducting local mission events that engage all age groups including mission-minded GenMin campers
Assistance to GCI pastors in developing these youth into mission-minded emerging church leaders
An online mission event resource catalog, ranging from starter kits on how to conduct a Vacation Bible School, to instructions on hosting one-day domestic mission events, to instructions concerning sponsoring a team on an international short-term mission trip
Communication to the church – telling the stories of how the Holy Spirit is leading GCI churches, ministries and members in missional outreach
For further developments see genmin.gci.org/missionministries.htm. Though the resource team’s emphasis is on assisting GenMin events, it also assists pastors and ministry leaders of congregations interested in conducting local mission/outreach events. To inquire about this assistance, email Ted.Johnston@gci.org.
Though we don’t always know of all ordinations around the world, here are some that we’ve heard of. These individuals have been ordained as elders within Grace Communion International in the last couple of years. Congratulations to all! If you know of others, please send an email to church.administration@gci.org.
Mattie Tillotson (1/15/12) Baton Rouge, LA
Camilo Umlas (1/22/12) San Fernando, Pampanga PHILIPPINES
Mary Bacheller (1/22/12) Queens, NY
Onofre Lopez (5/16/10) San Carlos City PHILIPPINES
The following report is from Tim Maguire, GCI mission developer in Southern Africa.
Click on map to enlarge
My sincere thanks to GCI Canada for funding my recent visit to Namibia. GCI South Africa has been walking alongside a group of churches in Namibia since late 2010. This was my third trip to visit with their pastor Lascan Sikhosi.
A brief history
In 2006, a German missionary planted a small church in Katimo Mulilo in the Caprivi Strip in northeastern Namibia (see map at right). The missionary returned to Germany in 2008, leaving the new church without a support structure and suggesting that they find a mother church to associate with.
Unsure what to do, Lascan searched the internet and found the GCI South Africa website and started corresponding with me by email. I forwarded him a lot of our literature, which he read. He then asked for a visit. My first visit came in late February 2011.
On that first visit I found a group struggling with legalism and unable to understand the freedom we have in Christ. The Seventh-day Adventists are active in the area and had been trying to get the little group to follow them. Their leaders asked me if they should change their day of worship to Saturday. In reply, I explained the distinctions between the old and new covenants and the reality that Jesus is our Sabbath rest.
I returned to Johannesburg and sent them additional reading material as well as CDs dealing with Trinitarian theology. Also, I had hymn books made for them, with their songs in their language, which I delivered to them on my second visit in September 2011. Lascan then traveled to Zimbabwe towards the end of the year to spend some time being mentored by Zimbabwean National GCI Director, Joseph Mpophu. Lascan then attended a Southern African regional conference in Harare, Zimbabwe in February 2012, a week before my latest visit.
The trip
A large bull African Elephant we came across alongside the road
David Linker, a GCI member in Canada, had shown interest in a mission trip to Africa, and so it was arranged for him to accompany me on this trip. He flew in from Canada, and we left Johannesburg at 3:00 a.m. on Friday, February 24 in order to make our first destination (Kasane in Northern Botswana) by nightfall. We tented in a small camping ground at the confluence of the Zambezi and Chobe Rivers. This is a beautiful, remote part of Southern Africa, with wild elephants known to be found wandering through the streets.
After a 16-hour car journey, we slept well that night and awoke to a beautiful African morning. We then travelled through the Chobe Game Reserve, before entering Namibia on our final leg to Katima. The contrast in living standards as we entered Namibia was obvious. Small, basic rural homes with mud walls and grass roofs were scattered randomly along the main road into town.
We arrived after lunch and Lascan’s excitement was evident. We discussed the following day’s program and went to examine the church building where we were planning to make improvements, which would turn the little mud structure into a more weather-durable church building.
Pastor Lascan welcomes DavidThe church building as we found it
David on guitar
Sunday was a day of rejoicing. Fifty attended the morning church service. David’s musical talent was a hit – he was asked to keep on singing and playing his guitar. I spoke on Christ’s centrality to all things. As an aside, I mentioned that Christ fulfills the Sabbath-day, quoting Hebrews chapter four. Unknown to me, Lascan had invited four senior Seventh-day Adventist leaders to attend the service. One of them came to him after the service and said they had never seen the scriptures quoted in this context, and asked if they might continue attending with the group. Clearly, the Holy Spirit was giving the message that they needed to hear!
My sermon was followed by a joyful ceremony in which Lascan’s four congregations were welcomed into GCI fellowship: Cow Boy (the congregation with the building) with 58 attending, Makalabani with 64, Singalamwe with 18, and Musambo with 24.
Communion service
Near the end of the worship service the group shared the Lord’s Supper – the first Communion service they had ever taken part in! Following the service we all enjoyed a meal together of boiled chicken and ground corn porridge.
We then traveled to share worship services with two outlying small churches pastored by Lascan – one in Katima Mulio town (about 18 attended), and one about 25 kilometers west of town (about 12 attended). Both congregations meet outdoors.
Arranging building materials
On Monday we went to work on the church building – arranging building materials and trying to arrange for contractors to make badly needed repairs to the building.
A couple days later we traveled about 150 kilometers west along the Caprivi Strip to a small San (Bakwena) community where we held church under the trees. The San (previously known as Bushmen), claim to be the original inhabitants of Southern Africa. The greatest problem we face in this community is that the Bible has never been translated into their language. Fortunately, one of the members speaks Afrikaans, a South African derivation of Dutch, and has an Afrikaans Bible, which he translates for them.
On Wednesday we held an evening service back at the church building. At the congregation’s request, we again shared Communion, so touched were they by the experience the previous Sunday. We then said our goodbyes and early Thursday morning headed home.
It is comforting to know that on trips like this, the Holy Spirit leads us to participate in what God is already doing in the region. The greatest comfort of all, however, is knowing that when we depart we do not leave them alone, but in continual communion with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, who guides them into all truth. These GCI churches in Namibia will now be served by GCI South Africa. Lascan will participate in our Pastoral training programs, and our national office will send them our GCI South Africa magazine, Face to Face (www.face2face.org.za) as well as audio CDs and articles.
Lascan has big plans to spread the gospel in Namibia. He is extremely excited by the truth he sees in Trinitarian theology. I’m sure you will hear again from Lascan and GCI Namibia!
We received this prayer request from Ingrid Mandel, wife of retired GCI pastor Willi Mandel.
I would like to ask our members for prayer. I have severe spinal stenosis, arthritis and, since last September, a pinched sciatic nerve on the left side of my spine, resulting in extreme pain all the way down to the foot. I can’t sleep, sit, walk, stand without great pain. I have had every possible treatment without any relief. The doctor has told me that my problem is irreversible and there is nothing they can do for me. Even surgery is not possible. I am taking medication but nothing has helped. Now the doctor is talking about narcotics.
God has healed me many times of back problems and I am looking forward to his healing again.
Mrs. Ingrid S. Mandel 747 Tanner Drive Kingston, ON K7M 9G7 CANADA
With the news media having a lot of tragedy to feast upon in recent weeks – the apparent slaughter of the innocents in Afghanistan, the ugly controversies swirling in Florida – there was one quiet, almost unreported, moment that can be seen as redemptive for the whole nation. A Christian lady stood in a courtroom in Jackson, Mississippi, and forgave the three killers of her brother, a man they had brutally murdered in June 2011.
