Several members of GCI congregations in Baton Rouge and Lafayette, LA were severely impacted by the recent flooding in Southern Louisiana and Mississippi, which has displaced about 40,000 residents and has killed at least 13. Following is an update from Anthony Rice who pastors the two GCI congregations most heavily impacted (flooding has also been reported in the Hammond, LA church area where Mike Horchak is pastor, but apparently no members have sustained damage). Following Anthony’s report are videos of the devastation, and a note from GCI Treasurer Mat Morgan on how GCI congregations can assist. Here is Anthony’s report:
Anthony Rice
It’s hard to believe what has happened in Southern Louisiana! The area affected is about ten times the area impacted by Hurricane Katrina, though because the area impacted this time is largely rural, not as many people have been affected.
Leonard and Mattie Tillotson
About 20 GCI families in Baton Rouge and Lafayette have been significantly impacted. As far as I know, there was no loss of life or serious injury among our members. However, there was significant property damage with several homes flooded (including the home of Leonard and Mattie Tillotson who pastor our church in Natchez, MS), some lost cars, and several had to be rescued by boat or National Guard.
The flood water is starting to recede on the northern end of the area, though the southern end is being impacted as the flood water heads south (see map below). The water was as much as 16′ above flood stage near where I live. My family is OK but still boxed in by the water.
Thanks for your prayers for us. I’ll keep in touch with the members here, then with our Home Office concerning needs for financial or other forms of assistance.
Here’s how you can help
This message is from Mat Morgan, GCI Treasurer.
From time to time we’re contacted about helping members impacted by major disasters like the recent flooding in Southern Louisiana. If your congregation has a heart to help members impacted by disasters, probably the best way to do so is to donate to our GCI Disaster Relief Fund. The Fund was established to help provide members in disaster areas with emergency needs such as food, water, medicine, clothing, temporary housing, home and/or church hall repair, temporary local pastoral salary expenses and other emergency needs. Monies received into the Fund that are not immediately needed will remain in the Fund to be allocated in future disasters.
In previous years, the Fund has helped members recover from Hurricane Katrina, flooding in Bangladesh, a tsunami in the Solomon Islands, typhoons in the Philippines and an earthquake in Haiti. On behalf of those helped by the Fund, I express sincere appreciation to the congregations and individuals who have generously donated to the Fund.
If your congregation would like to donate to the Fund, your treasurer can set up a one-time or monthly donation through the GCI Online system (http://online.gci.org) by logging in and selecting Church Giving under the Treasurer tab. If your congregation prefers to send a check, make it out to Grace Communion International, indicating on the memo line that the donation is for the GCI Disaster Relief Fund. Send donations to:
GCI Disaster Relief Fund Grace Communion International P.O Box 5005 Glendora, California 91740
GCI-UK elder Anthony Dady and his wife Alison are pleased to announce the birth of their daughter, Tabitha Miriam Dady. She was born at 9:17pm on July 12, weighing 7-1/2 pounds and measuring 18 inches. Everyone is well, despite the lack of sleep!
Here’s an important question for us to ponder: How do we view nonbelievers?
Chuck Colson, founder of Prison Fellowship and the Breakpoint radio program, once answered that question using an analogy: If a blind man stepped on your foot or spilled hot coffee on your shirt, would you be angry with him? Chuck’s answer was that you wouldn’t. Why? Because a blind person is unable to see what is right in front of them.
Holy Spirit by Bernini (public domain)
Now consider that people who have not awakened to the faith of Christ are unable to see the truth that is right in front of them. By virtue of the fall they are spiritually blind (2 Corinthians 4:3-4). But at just the right time, the Spirit moves to open their spiritual eyes so they might see (Ephesians 1:18). The church fathers called this the miracle of illumination, and when it occurs, the opportunity is presented to receive in faith (to believe) what they have now been given eyes to see.
While it is true that some who have had their eyes opened choose not to believe, it is my conviction that at some point most will respond positively to the strong call of God in their life. I pray they do so sooner rather than later so they can experience, even now, the peace and joy of knowing God and making him known.
As we know, nonbelievers hold wrong beliefs about God. Some of those beliefs are the result of poor examples from Christians. Others come from years of being taught illogical and purely speculative ideas about God. These wrong beliefs work to reinforce spiritual blindness. But what is our reaction to their unbelief? Unfortunately, many Christians set up walls of self-protection and even hatred. In erecting these walls, they overlook the reality that nonbelievers are just as important to God as believers. They forget that the Son of God did not come to earth for believers alone.
When Jesus began his ministry, there were no Christians—most everyone was a nonbeliever, including the Jews of that day. But, thankfully, Jesus was a friend of sinners—an advocate for nonbelievers. He knew that, “it is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick” (Matthew 9:12). Jesus was committed to seeking lost sinners in order that they might receive him and the salvation he has for them. So he spent great amounts of time with people others viewed as unworthy and unlovable. As a result, the religious separatists labeled Jesus “a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners” (Luke 7:34).
The truth of the gospel is that the Son of God became incarnate, lived, died and ascended to heaven for all people. As Scripture tells us, God loves “the world” (John 3:16), and it would seem that most of these people are nonbelievers. The same God calls us as believers to join Jesus in loving all people. To do that we must view them as who they are in Christ—those who belong to him, those for whom Jesus died and was raised. But many Christians struggle with that. There seems to be no lack of Christians who are willing to condemn others despite the Son having told us that he came not to condemn the world but to save it (John 3:17). Sadly, some Christians are so busy condemning nonbelievers they fail to see them as God the Father does—his beloved for whom he sent his Son to die, even though they do not (yet) know or love him. We might see them as nonbelievers or unbelievers, but God sees them as not-yet believers.
Drink and Never Thirst by Liz Lemon Swindle (used with permission)
Before the Holy Spirit opens a nonbeliever’s eyes, they are trapped by the blindness of unbelief—caught up in theological deceits concerning God’s identity and love. It is in this condition that we must love them, not shun or reject them. Part of doing so is praying for the time when, by the Spirit, they will be enabled to see (understand) the good news of God’s forgiving grace and receive (believe) that truth, taking up the new life that is theirs under God’s rule and reign, enabling them to experience the freedom that is theirs as children of God.
As we consider nonbelievers, let’s remember Jesus’ command: “love each other,” he said, “as I have loved you” (John 15:12). And how does Jesus love? By including us in his love and life. He does not set up walls that divide believers and nonbelievers. The Gospels tell us that Jesus loved and included tax-collectors, women caught in adultery, the demon-possessed and lepers. He loved and included women of ill repute, soldiers who mocked and beat him, and criminals crucified at his side. With all these people in mind, Jesus, hanging on the cross, prayed: “Father forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34). Jesus loves and includes all so that all might receive his forgiveness as their Savior and Lord, and by his Spirit live in fellowship and communion with their heavenly Father.
As we share in Jesus’ love for nonbelievers, we will view them as people belonging to God by virtue of creation and redemption despite the fact that they do not (yet) know the One who loves them. When we hold this perspective, our attitude and behavior toward nonbelievers will change. With open arms of compassion, we will embrace them as orphaned or estranged children who need to know their true Father; as lost brothers and sisters who aren’t aware they are related to us through Christ. We will seek to share God’s love with nonbelievers so they too might welcome God’s grace into their lives.
Sharing the Triune God’s love for not-yet believers, Joseph Tkach
PS: For a related article by Gary Deddo titled Jesus’ Acceptance, click here.
GCI recently published 40 Days of Discipleship, a three-part, self-paced course that leads students through an exploration of Incarnational Trinitarian Theology and the basics of Christian doctrine. It does so by linking relevant articles on the GCI.org website. The course would be helpful to any adult disciple, but has particular applicability for equipping ministers (pastors and ministry leaders) for their teaching and preaching ministries. Here are links to the three parts of the course:
GCI urges its ministers to participate in continuing education. Doing so is an important aspect of growing in effectiveness in Christ’s service. Toward that end, GCI makes available master’s level courses at Grace Communion Seminary, and bachelor’s level courses at Ambassador College of Christian Ministry. The new discipleship course provides a less rigorous, no-cost third alternative.
Prayer is requested for Neil Williams, brother-in-law of GCI South Africa Director Tim Maguire.
Neil and Jane
Neil and his wife Jane are caretakers of the GCI church property in Linga Longa, South Africa. About six months ago, Neil bumped his ankle, but thought nothing of it. However, it got more and more painful and after about a month an open sore appeared. On consulting with the doctor who has dealt with Neil’s diabetes, he was told that the ankle bone had been chipped, causing an internal infection which was now seeping out. After several courses of antibiotics nothing improved and it is now at the stage where the doctors are talking of amputation due to gangrene. Neil is no longer able to walk properly, is in constant pain, and very much in need of God’s miraculous healing. Cards may be sent to:
Niel Williams 274 Cromwell Road Lombardy East 2090 Johannesburg South Africa
Kalengule Kaoma (one of GCI’s Africa mission developers) and Eugene Siboman (the acting National Director for Burundi), recently conducted an ordination service in which seven leaders of congregations in Burundi were ordained as elders. The ceremony took place in Rugombo, where the congregations sent their representatives. About 600 people attended. Congratulations to these new elders (pictured below), our prayers are with you!
From top, L to R: Eric-Eime Niyindengera, Damascene Nyandwi, Samuel Mbanye, Gordien Muhigigwa, Nestor Niyongabo, Andre Nimpagaritse, Fabrice Hagonimana
This update is from Steve Solari, lead pastor at Hope Community Fellowship, GCI’s congregation in The Colony, Texas, (on the north side of the Dallas metro area).
When there is a fifth Sunday in a month, we cancel regular worship services and hold a service project in the community where our church building is located. We’ve helped the city’s Volunteer Assistance Project repair fences and clean yards for disabled veterans or shut-ins. We’ve helped a local non-profit prepare boxes of food for children who need meals while school is out. We also helped a senior resident move into assisted living. This July (when it was too hot for an outdoor project) we hosted a meal honoring the community’s first responders (police and firefighters). When I announced the event to the congregation, there was a spontaneous outburst of applause. Like many in The Colony, our members greatly appreciate what our local heroes do for us. We wanted to show our thanks.
Our members brought food for a meal to which all the police and firefighters in the community were invited. The firefighters came in shifts to ensure coverage for emergencies, and police officers dropped in as time permitted (even though it was his day off, the Chief of Police stopped in). Apparently the community noticed—an anonymous donor (who never came inside) gave a cash donation of over $100 to help fund the event. The response was fantastic, and we’re looking forward to doing this event regularly to show thanks to community servants who often are forgotten.
Registration is now open for GC Next—a gathering of young adults (ages 18-28) sponsored by Generations Ministries. The gathering will be held in Durham, North Carolina on January 13-16, 2017. There are only 38 slots left, so register soon!
It’s an important spiritual discipline, yet many people (Christians included) misunderstand and even fear meditation. Perhaps this is because they have in mind its non-biblical forms, which generally involve disengaging the mind from temporal existence through various practices including repetition of particular words or phrases. In contrast, biblical meditation is about actively engaging one’s mind with a focus on divine revelation.
Scripture teaches the practice of meditation. Note this verse: Tremble, and do not sin; meditate in your heart upon your bed, and be still (Psalms 4:4 NASB). In place of meditate, other translations have search (NIV), ponder (ESV) and commune (KJV). Perhaps these words remind us of times we’ve been deep in thought lying in bed before rising in the morning, or before falling asleep at night. Biblical meditation gives focus to such thoughts by framing them within our life in Christ, considering how we can participate or have participated with our Lord in his life and love.
Transformed thinking
Rather than emptying the mind of thought, biblical meditation involves filling it with the knowledge of God—of who he is, and of our life in him and his presence in us. This focused way of thinking is also about absorbing the life and love of God as we ponder actions we might take in given situations. As we do, the Holy Spirit transforms our thinking, helping us develop more godly responses. As we practice the spiritual discipline of meditation, this pattern of thinking becomes second nature—almost automatic. The more we meditate, the more we’ll find ourselves making right decisions.
Though no analogy is perfect, we can liken biblical meditation to the response of a baseball player at bat. Though the best batters are born with excellent hand-eye coordination and vision, much practice is needed to become highly skilled. A pitch traveling 90 mph takes approximately .4 seconds to reach the batter, giving the batter only about .2 seconds to make a decision before swinging (or letting the ball pass). The batter then has only about .2 seconds to swing. If he or she misreads the speed of the pitch by as little as 1.5 mph, their swing will miss by a foot. Because a bat is at most 2.75 inches thick at its fattest part, missing by only an inch will cause the batter to miss the ball entirely, or at best hit a soft grounder or a weak fly-ball. But with much practice, the batter’s swing becomes more accurate—the timing and adjustment of his or her swing becomes second nature.
Biblical meditation is like that—it’s a form of practice (spiritual discipline) in which the Holy Spirit cultivates within us a God-attuned “timing.” Eventually our “trained” (second-nature, automatic) response will be to more fully experience fellowship with God in our lives.
Two ways of knowing
In “Meditation in a Toolshed,” C. S. Lewis wrote about the different ways we look at things: “You can step outside one experience only by stepping inside another. Therefore, if all inside experiences are misleading, we are always misled.” Though Lewis did not believe that we are always misled in life, he did think that certain ways of knowing are more fundamental and direct than others. He recommended we draw a distinction between looking at the effects created by something or someone (the analytic way of knowing) and looking along something to its source (the participative way of knowing).
The analytic way involves understanding something about the quantitative effects of something on other things apart from ourselves—like studying the wake of a ship that has already passed us. We mostly get to know something about things that way. We can call this the more objective approach, although all knowing involves to one degree or another both objective and subjective elements.
The participative way of knowing involves understanding the object itself and its qualitative effects upon us. In this approach we look directly at the source or object of our knowledge and pay attention to the whole range of effects it has upon us and the responses it draws out of us. This more subjective approach pays much more attention to the affective, internal and personal interaction with the object of knowing. This is knowing something itself, not merely knowing about something.
Lewis used the experience of being in love to make his point. The analytic, more objective way of knowing involves viewing something being experienced by someone else who is said to be in love, analyzing what is seen without reference to any love the observer might have experienced themselves. In this mode, the observer might refer to biological stimuli or to various behavioral reactions.
By way of contrast, the participative way of knowing about love considers the subject’s more direct experience of participating in the relationship and the qualitative effects upon the person. This view takes account of every aspect of the relationship experienced as a whole. Consideration of one’s own experience of love is used to come alongside the person and to interpret their experience of love, accounting for that person’s emotions, thoughts, actions, moral and religious/spiritual considerations, and other responses generated by the love and the short- and long-term effects of the relationship.
Experiencing God and his blessings
Now let’s think about these two ways of knowing in terms of Christian meditation. This form of meditation involves looking at a verse or passage of Scripture from both perspectives. Practicing an analytic way of knowing, we consider the words, grammar and historical-cultural context of the passage to see what it most likely meant to the original audience and the effects upon those who originally received the message. Then we practice a participative way of knowing, considering what the biblical revelation means for us today.
By his Holy Spirit and through his preachers and teachers in the church, God speaks to us both individually and collectively through Holy Scripture. Our God has not stopped communicating, and the primary object of the knowledge he communicates to us through his revelation is who he is and who we are in relationship to him.
Such knowledge draws out from us the response of worship, expressed through repentance, faith, hope and love. Through Scripture, we come to know not just the words of the Bible, but become personally addressed and engaged in knowing the source and subject of the Bible: God himself! As we look at the Bible and find we can look along it to its Author who speaks again today, we find that we can know and trust him with all we are and all we have.
The Bible is a readily available gift of revelation from God that is designed to help us both objectively and subjectively. We can look at it subjectively because it is the only book in the universe that has the author present with us as we read it. Equally important to reading the Bible and enjoying its narratives is reflecting (meditating) on God’s revelation to us, realizing it is also revelation for us. T. F. Torrance reminds us that thinking about Scripture should be ordered from a Trinitarian theology of revelation: God the Father speaks through the incarnate Son of God and we are given ears to hear and know this Triune God by the ministry of his Holy Spirit in us.
Meditation, like the other spiritual disciplines, is not a self-help tool designed to help us get closer to God so that he will love us more. Rather, it enables us to experience a relational dependence on God’s grace, which he has already fully given to us in Christ. As C. S. Lewis said, “In silence and in meditation on the eternal truths, I hear the voice of God which excites our hearts to greater love.” Though he was not talking about hearing an audible voice, he did have in mind being sensitive to the lead of the Holy Spirit as he shapes our understanding of God and of our responsiveness to God’s Word.
The source of all our knowledge about God is his revelation of himself in Christ through the Holy Spirit. Grasping this Trinitarian relation is our hermeneutical base for how we read the Bible, enabling us to meditate on how we should act in any given situation. As we, through meditation, ponder our response to certain situations (past or future), the Spirit is working to transform us in our approach to God and in how, through thought and action, we participate in the divine nature of our triune God.
When we interpret the Bible relationally, we are able to experience and apprehend God in the reality of his own words and acts. As T. F. Torrance taught, “indwelling God’s Word” is an acquired habit of looking through Scripture and allowing God’s message to be “interiorized” in our minds. As we allow God to retain his own majesty in our knowing him, he will preside in all our judgments of him and of others.
As we conclude using my baseball analogy, we should note that as we surrender to the lead of the Holy Spirit in our lives through meditation, we will experience more “extra base hits” and “home runs” in our lives. And that will be a very great blessing!
Enjoying the extra bases of God’s love and life, Joseph Tkach
_____________
Notes:
The bottom three pictures in this letter are public domain via Wikimedia Commons.
To read an article from the C. S. Lewis Institute on the topic of Biblical meditation, click here.
From time to time we’re contacted about helping members impacted by major disasters like the recent flooding in Southern Louisiana. If your congregation has a heart to help members impacted by disasters, probably the best way to do so is to donate to our GCI Disaster Relief Fund. The Fund was established to help provide members in disaster areas with emergency needs such as food, water, medicine, clothing, temporary housing, home and/or church hall repair, temporary local pastoral salary expenses and other emergency needs. Monies received into the Fund that are not immediately needed will remain in the Fund to be allocated in future disasters.
Though no analogy is perfect, we can liken biblical meditation to the response of a baseball player at bat. Though the best batters are born with excellent hand-eye coordination and vision, much practice is needed to become highly skilled. A pitch traveling 90 mph takes approximately .4 seconds to reach the batter, giving the batter only about .2 seconds to make a decision before swinging (or letting the ball pass). The batter then has only about .2 seconds to swing. If he or she misreads the speed of the pitch by as little as 1.5 mph, their swing will miss by a foot. Because a bat is at most 2.75 inches thick at its fattest part, missing by only an inch will cause the batter to miss the ball entirely, or at best hit a soft grounder or a weak fly-ball. But with much practice, the batter’s swing becomes more accurate—the timing and adjustment of his or her swing becomes second nature.
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