Of First Importance

This fall I’m looking at how we are anchored in Christ, and how that helps us in our heightened political situation. If we properly understand that Christ is central to Scripture and all of history, it will help us navigate the many difficult political and social situations of today. I believe that many of the more divisive political arguments among Christians flare up because Christ is not central in our thoughts. 

To be anchored in Christ means nothing we do can be done or thought apart from him. Consider 1 Corinthians 15:3-5, where Paul writes,

For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve.

This verse provides a helpful corrective to our always-on news cycles, where everything that trends on Twitter claims to be of ‘first importance.’ This reminds us that what was of first importance in the first century has remained of first importance every year since: Christ died for our sins and was raised on the third day. 

Today I see Christians slowly replacing what is truly of first importance with other things. With all the fear over what this election will bring, we forget that Christ has already been raised as king over creation. When political candidates propose things we think will be bad for our country, we forget that in Christ we have an untouchable inheritance in heaven. When we are troubled over the future of our nation, we forget that, because of Christ, we are exiles and sojourners in this land and citizens of a better one. 

When Paul says that he passed on what was of first importance, it means there are other relevant and true things that are less weighty. We must realize that when we make all doctrines equally significant, none of them are significant. I believe in the importance of what C.S. Lewis called Mere Christianity, those teachings that have held steady throughout history and across denominations. This is one of the reasons we often recite the historic creeds in our worship service.

In our discussions, we need to be careful of putting political policies or ideas in that position of first importance. Even if we have an airtight case for why a particular policy is biblical, we must acknowledge that it didn’t make Paul’s list. We need to work hard to keep lesser things from breaking Christian relationships. Further, we need to have the humility to realize that because many political views are not of first importance, Scripture isn’t as clear on them as we might think; it’s easy for us to be wrong. In this turbulent season, let’s strive to be united with the things that Scripture says are of first importance, and let’s seek to learn from each other in everything else. 

I realize this doesn’t help us answer questions about tax or border policy, but it does give us perspective. It doesn’t even mean those things are not important; the fate and health of our country have a significant impact on our lives and even more of one on the lives of our children and grandchildren. But we must remember they are not the most important things. Christ’s kingdom will not be hindered whether this country lasts another 100 years or not. 

If we are anchored in Christ, the turbulence of our political situation becomes less threatening. All people look for something to anchor their life in; if it’s not in Christ, then country or tribe will be the likely alternative. When these things are under attack and shifting beneath your feet, it’s no surprise when anger and vitriol come pouring out. Do you find yourself getting unduly angry over the latest political news? Do you feel your anxiety rising the closer we get to November? Do potential election outcomes outweigh your comfort in knowing Christ is currently on his throne? If so, then perhaps your anchor has slowly drifted away from Christ and towards other things. 

I’m not saying that our country doesn’t matter, or even that it’s wrong to love your country, whether that’s the US or somewhere else. But that can’t be your first love. Only Christ can hold that position–he must be of first importance. 

In Christ,
Pastor Jon

Christ Our Anchor in Times of Trouble

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you know we are living in a time of turmoil. It has felt that way for a while, but with war, rumors of wars, and political unrest, things feel increasingly unstable. I think many of us feel nervous about the future of our country and world. 

This is a time to remember that Christ is our anchor in times of trouble. His rule and reign will outlast any political turmoil. We only need to read the book of Revelation to be reminded that, though these times are hard and will likely get harder, they should not be a surprise. Scripture makes clear that in the time between Christ’s ascension into heaven and his return, Christians will endure many tribulations. As we approach the election I plan to find ways to remind us of this and encourage us to find greater trust in Christ. 

But in this (and, Lord willing) future newsletters, I want to consider Christ as our anchor from a different perspective. He must be our anchor as we think through the cultural and political conversations that are at the forefront today, both in our culture and in the church. The debates around immigration, global involvement, DEI policy, and more have Christians lining up on both sides arguing why their position is not just correct, but biblical. 

While there are loud voices on each side, I think many Christians are somewhere in the middle trying to figure out what they believe. I often feel like I’m in a fog of uncertainty as I see valid points on both sides and struggle to know how to make sense of it all. 

One thing that has struck me as I read Christians on both sides of each issue is that they are both using Scripture to make their points, but don’t use all of Scripture. Take the immigration debate. One side points to the commands in Scripture to welcome and show kindness to the foreigner. The other side points to the biblical principles of caring for those closest to us; they are our neighbors more than those who come from far away. Both are correct, and it’s hard to harmonize them and even harder to understand how to turn those principles into political policies.

While looking at all of Scripture is important, it isn’t the primary way we should consider the issues. Instead, Christ must anchor our understanding of all of Scripture; that includes how we think about immigration policy, global involvement, etc. Christ is not just the center of Scripture, but the center of history. Paul writes in Ephesians 1:10 that God’s master plan is to “​​bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.” Don’t just quote Scripture to justify your position; that’s part of the reason Christians are just as divided as the rest of society. Instead, we need to approach issues with Christ as the lens through which we understand Scripture in the first place. When Christ remains our anchor, not just select verses, I believe that will help us develop biblical positions.  

What does this look like? I’m still trying to figure that out! But over the next couple of newsletters I want to work through this. I’m learning as much as you, so please let me know your thoughts or give feedback where you think I’m wrong. 

I don’t expect to solve all our issues. But I do feel a particular burden as your pastor to keep our congregation from the division we see in the rest of the American church. My hope is that these newsletters help us think through these topics in a more Christ-centered way. I worry that we are getting discipled by the loudest voices online, which aren’t always biblical. When Christ is our anchor we can continue to show Chrisitan unity, even when our convictions differ. I believe we face deep challenges that threaten to divide us, but our Anchor is deeper still. 

If there are specific questions you have or issues you’d like me to cover, please let me know. 

In Christ,
Pastor Jon

Identity

This month's newsletter is the last of the series written by one of our elder candidates as they develop their ministry to the church.

by Paul Stoddard

When someone asks you who you are, how do you respond?

I usually mention that I work in finance and live in Utah, which usually includes something about mountains, skiing, camping or some other outdoor activity to make myself sound cooler than I really am. Most of us generally mention what we do for a living, perhaps a hobby or two, and where we are from. How we respond is a reflection of who we are.

We have been discussing the challenging but necessary topic of sexuality and gender identity in our community groups. One of the key issues that we explored was “How has the question of one’s identity become more prevalent with each generation?” Do you identify as an outdoor enthusiast? Perhaps you call yourself a car junkie or a crunchy mom. Identity delves deeper when we drill into what values we uphold; conservative or liberal, Christian or non-religious.

The centrality of identity has grown as the sources of our “selves” shifted in the last century. This source used to be something external, usually religion or a commitment to our community or governmental institutions. These external sources would shape our identities and create a sense of calling, morality, and authenticity. However, in the 20th century, the source of the Self (our identity) shifted from external sources to internal. Existentialist philosophers advocated for meaning and ethics to be developed internally – we are the only ones who create our identity, morality, and authentic self. But at the turn of the 21st century, Canadian philosopher Charles Taylor questioned the logic of internally developed identity and instead promoted a return to an external source. He argued that authentic identity requires a connection to something greater than ourselves – a logical argument that a newsletter does not have the space to fully engage with!

Taylor argues that human beings long for authenticity. He suggests that in our struggle to find our authentic selves, we mistakenly form our identity using what’s internal (e.g. our feelings or preferences). Not only do we find our identity in what’s not external but also in what’s noteternal(e.g., our jobs or titles). Not focusing on the eternal, we find that our sense of self is impermanent, precarious, and unreliable.

In our democratic society, we have a world of options to connect our identities to – even if only to a shallow degree. Many of us find it in our careers. As I mentioned before, I work at a well-known financial firm. I confess that I am often wrapped up in my firm’s status, my progression, and, unfortunately, my competition with my colleagues. I become consumed by my perceived status and fail to love my coworkers, or I work just a bit longer and miss the quality time with my wife she deserves (and that I want!).

But there are other pitfalls in this search for identity. Politics is turning into religious fanaticism, morphing into tribalism rather than seeking the good of the people. Tragically, all factions have become so enmeshed with their tribe and with scoring political points that they cannot love dissenters. When we stake our identity on conservatism or liberalism, we fail to reflect what we are called to do in Christ.

When we put our identity in the wrong source, we supplant Christ as our ultimate identity formation. We no longer reflect His Image; our souls wither. As Jeremiah wrote,

Cursed is the one who trusts in man,
    who draws strength from mere flesh
    and whose heart turns away from the LORD.
That person will be like a bush in the wastelands;
    they will not see prosperity when it comes.
They will dwell in the parched places of the desert,
    in a salt land where no one lives. (Jeremiah 17:5-6)

Jeremiah goes on, naming the external source Taylor was unwilling to state,

But blessed is the one who trusts in the LORD,
    whose confidence is in him.
They will be like a tree planted by the water
    that sends out its roots by the stream.
It does not fear when heat comes;
    its leaves are always green.
It has no worries in a year of drought
    and never fails to bear fruit. (17:7-8)

As Christians, we are in union with Christ, and therefore we identify in and with him. Paul declares that we share with Christ in his life, death, and resurrection; this transforms who we are. Paul writes in Galatians 2:20, “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me,” and in Colossians 3:1-3, “If you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on the earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.” Christ is that external force that radically transforms our selves when we find our identities in Him. Everything that we are—our jobs, our relationships, even our thoughts—falls under the transformative union and identity with and in Christ.

So, the next time someone asks you who you are, how do you think you will respond?

Changing Minds and Right Perspectives

Over the next months our newsletters will be written by one of our elder candidates as a way for him to develop his ministry to the church.

by Matt Olson

Sometimes in Scripture we read passages that make us question whether or not God changes His mind. One example comes from the book of Jonah. In chapter three, Jonah (finally) began to prophesy regarding Nineveh’s destruction; when the king of Nineveh heard about it, he issued a decree that every man and beast should fast and be covered in sackcloth and call out mightily to God. In verse ten, after God saw how Nineveh turned from their evil way, God relented. If God’s intent was to destroy Nineveh, does this mean God changed His mind?

To answer this question we need to understand some things about God and about our perspective. We should always be cautious when discerning God’s intentions. As created beings who are tainted by sin in every aspect, we will never completely grasp or understand our Creator.

Scripture tells us that God is all knowing and that He declares the end from the beginning. We also read that His ways are not our ways and that His purposes are not thwarted. God is a just God. If He were to let sin go unpunished, He would not be just. God is also a loving and compassionate God and desires repentance. God loved us enough to send His one and only Son to pay the price for our sins by His death on the cross therefore fulfilling God‘s requirement for justice. This is why God can show us grace and mercy without being unjust.

From our point of view, we make decisions based on desires and information we have at any given moment. If at any time in the future we discover new information that wasn’t considered previously, we may change our mind. For instance, if our family decided to go out for gelato, and on the way there we realized that the shop was closed, we might decide to have ice cream instead. We changed our mind. The changes that God appears to make are never based on new information that was previously unknown to Him.

Back to the question at hand, did God change his mind? No. If God chooses justice as a divine judgment against some people, He is right. If God chooses to show compassion and mercy instead of justice, as he did in this case with Nineveh, He is right. If He chooses to show grace, as He has done through Christ, He is right. If we don’t understand why He works the way He does, it’s understandable. More than that, it’s okay! We, as finite beings, struggle to comprehend the infinite. Plus, if we could truly comprehend everything about God, in a way that every mysterious aspect is answered, would he really be worthy of our worship?

At home, we have many kids’ books with the story of Jonah. One thing that is always conspicuously missing is the biblical ending. The kid’s versions never end with Jonah sitting in the hot desert, baking in the scorching sun, sitting next to a dead plant, stewing in his anger while telling God to end his life. Maybe I can see why... maybe not. If we consider God’s perspective (as much as that’s possible), His compassion, and His love of His people, it’s not beyond God to orchestrate this entire event to work in the life of Jonah. God reveals to Jonah that he needs the mercy and grace of God every bit as much as the Ninevites do and that man’s sin cannot thwart the plans of God—all while saving potentially 120,000 people! What are we to make of the fact that Nineveh was destroyed at a later date? I think it’s fair to say that God chose to delay his judgment in order that more might be saved (2 Peter 3:9).

If God’s intent was to bring Nineveh to repentance, it was accomplished. If God’s intent was to bring about change in Jonah, we can presume it was accomplished. Keeping things in perspective can help us to remember that we are sinners in need of a Savior. It’s okay for us to change our minds in light of God’s mercy and grace. It’s okay that we don’t understand how God is at work in hard situations. We can trust that God is good and that in all things, God works for the good of those who love him. Our God is an awesome God!

Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!
How unsearchable his judgments,
and his paths beyond tracing out!
“Who has known the mind of the Lord?
Or who has been his counselor?”
“Who has ever given to God,
that God should repay them?”
For from him and through him and for him are all things.
To him be the glory forever! Amen.
— Romans 11:33-36

Doxology

Over the next months our newsletters will be written by one of our elder candidates as a way for him to develop his ministry to the church.

by Jonathan Mauney

If you have attended JVC for any length of time you will have noticed that our order of worship (liturgy) from Sunday to Sunday is very orderly and standardized. There is a call to worship, corporate reading, prayer for the people, sermon, confession, assurance of pardon, communion, benediction, and then we finish with the Doxology. These elements that make up the liturgy are extremely edifying; however, one of the most exciting times for me in the service is when we corporately sing back to God the glory due his name using the Doxology. 

Praise God from whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, ye heavenly host;
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
Amen.
– Thomas Ken

Every Sunday as we approach this last part of the worship service you may have asked yourself, “What exactly is doxology?” I have wondered the same thing before. Understanding what doxology is may deepen your appreciation for what is actually happening during this corporate response—or at least give it more meaning than just the last part before lunch! 

What is doxology? 

Simply put, doxology is nothing more than a statement or a declaration of praise. The word itself comes from two Greek words,doxa(“glory”) andlogia(“speech” or “statement”). If we put these two words together we can say that doxology is “glory speech.” It is language that gives God the glory due His holy name. In Scripture we see doxologies pop up in both the Old and New Testaments. One of my favorite doxologies in scripture comes at the end of Jude, verses 24 & 25: 

Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.

We often think of Paul as the great writer of theological truth; however, if you pay close attention you will notice that Paul’s true purpose in expounding good theology is to lead himself and God’s people to doxology – glory speech. Good theology should push towards good and right worship. You see this clearly at the end of the book of Romans (16:35-27), but also in Romans 11. Paul pauses a weighty discourse on corporate election to give proper doxology to God:

Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!

“For who has known the mind of the Lord,
    or who has been his counselor?”
“Or who has given a gift to him
    that he might be repaid?”

For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.

Right thinking, right theology should always lead us to the right praise of God: doxology.

What is the Doxology? 

Every Lord’s Day we end our corporate worship by singing a particular glory speech we call the Doxology. The words that we sing are actually part of a greater work written by the great 17th Century Anglican hymnodist, Thomas Ken. Thomas Ken taught at Winchester College and wrote three hymns to help students orient their days: Morning Hymn, Evening Hymn, and Midnight Hymn. Each of these comprised 14 verses and ended with the same doxology verse that we know today. Typically—and in our case—, this verse is set to the old Genevan tune the Old Hundredth. There are many others congregations may sing for a liturgical doxology, for instance “Gloria Patri” and “To God be the Glory.” 

Encouragement

Every Sunday as we approach the Doxology at the end of our time of worship, it is important to look back on the truths that you heard during the preaching of the Word and the realities that we celebrate at the Lord’s table. Just like Paul as he scales the mountain of theology, he finds can go no further so he bows and gives praise, honor, and glory to God; we too end our time of worship standing in awe of the great God who saves and we must do nothing but give glory, praise, and honor. So this Sunday as we approach the singing of doxology, stand boldly with your head up and hands raised high and sing those praises of glory to our great God!

A New Year on Our Journey to Know Christ

The beginning of the new year often brings new diet and exercise goals, financial goals, and relational goals. But what about spiritual goals? Your elders would like to encourage you in this new year to consider setting some SMART spiritual goals, and we’d like to help!

For those who aren’t familiar with SMART goals, it’s about setting goals that are:

• Specific - don’t be too general (i.e. I want to be a better Christian)

• Measurable - be able to gauge your progress (time, frequency, quantity)

• Attainable - don’t set too lofty a goal (i.e. I want to be the best Christian)

• Realistic - consider your situational limitations (will you have the time/energy?)

• Timely - set an end date for your goal (i.e. read the Bible by the end of 2024)

If you’re like me, sometimes goal-setting is an intimidating exercise. What if I fail? What if my goal is too hard or too easy? What if my goal isn’t the right one? Do I really want to do this? Setting a spiritual goal is meant to help your growth in Christ, so if it’s not helping you, it’s better not to pursue it. But don’t give up on goal-setting too quickly!

As a way for you to assess your spiritual growth, we’ve provided this anonymous online survey. It follows the Landmarks and the Supplies* of JVC in service of two purposes:

1. To help the elders get a sense of how the church as a whole has grown on our journey to know Christ.

2. To help you consider areas in your spiritual life where you would like to grow and then set a goal to pursue that growth with God’s help.

If you’d like to share your goal with someone you trust, the accountability can be quite helpful. Consider sharing with your community group, your study group, your friend, or one of your elders. We hope you will benefit from this exercise as we press on together in our journey to know Christ. Take a moment to consider the words of Paul in Philippians 3:7-14:

But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Sincerely,
Pastor Wes

* See JVC’s Vision Statement

How Much of Our Giving Should Go to the Church?

I want to begin by saying how grateful we are for how much people have given over the past couple of months. We’re thankful that so many of you responded to our call to give.

This is the last in our series on giving, which we started because we think this is an area we need to grow in as a church. I don’t know what individual people give; however, given the average household income of West Jordan, it appears JVC members donate roughly 3-4% of their income. I don’t believe the tithe is required of Christians (see the last newsletter), but I do believe that most Christians should set a goal to give away at least 10% of their income. 

In this last newsletter, I want to show why we should prioritize giving specifically to our local church. This doesn't mean we should only give to our local church, but that it should hold the most importance for us.

The primary reason for this comes from Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 9:7-9a:

Who serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat its grapes? Who tends a flock and does not drink the milk? Do I say this merely on human authority? Doesn’t the Law say the same thing? For it is written in the Law of Moses: “Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain.” 

In other words, those who work in ministry should receive support from their congregations. Imagine an army recruiter finishing his pitch with, “Not only must you be willing to give your life; you’ll also need to cover your own salary and equipment.” Or imagine a farmer who labors over his crops but is not allowed to eat any of them.

Paul then quotes Deuteronomy 25:4: “Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain.” You should let the ox eat from the grain he is threshing. It is inhumane to keep a person or animal from benefiting from their own work.

Some commentators have argued the ox in question would have been rented or borrowed. Given that the owner would already have a vested interest in keeping his livestock well-fed, it makes more sense that this command is for someone borrowing an animal. It might be tempting to muzzle the ox so he doesn’t eat your own grain, thus requiring the owner to feed the hungry ox when you return him. This is like borrowing a friend's car and returning the gas tank empty. 

In verses 9b-12b, 13-14, Paul continues:

Is it about oxen that God is concerned? Surely he says this for us, doesn’t he? Yes, this was written for us, because whoever plows and threshes should be able to do so in the hope of sharing in the harvest. If we have sown spiritual seed among you, is it too much if we reap a material harvest from you? If others have this right of support from you, shouldn’t we have it all the more?

Don’t you know that those who serve in the temple get their food from the temple, and that those who serve at the altar share in what is offered on the altar? In the same way, the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should receive their living from the gospel.

In a surprising twist, Paul applies this passage to those who are laboring in Gospel ministry: Those who benefit from the pastor’s work should use their own resources to support him. If you are receiving ministry from a pastor, you should contribute something in return. Paul is more explicit in verse 14: “those who preach the gospel should receive their living from the gospel.” Congregations should support their pastors. 

Paul cites the same command in 1 Timothy 5:17-18:

The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching. For Scripture says, “Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain,” and “The worker deserves his wages.”

Most commentators agree that the “double honor” refers to financial compensation. Again, Paul says, ministers deserve payment for their work. 

Now that we’ve established the scriptural foundation, let’s apply this to our situation. The bulk of the budget for most churches is salary. This isn’t just pay; it includes insurance, retirement, taxes and more. Many of you receive a brochure from your employer each year showing the total value of the salary and benefits you received. Often it’s tens of thousands of dollars more than what showed up in your bank account. In the same way, the cost of supporting a pastor is more than we often realize. 

Paul’s point is that pastors have earned that pay, and it’s primarily the responsibility of the local congregation to shoulder that. A pastor may hold another job that provides or supplements his income (this is similar to what Paul did). Sometimes a local congregation is unable to fully support their pastor for a time and needs outside help. But the normal expectation is that the members of the congregation pay the pastor's salary. In other words, congregations ought to ensure the church’s budget is met. If 30% of your giving is going to the local church, and 70% is going to outside organizations, I’d argue that you aren’t following the intent of God’s command. You are in essence receiving the benefits of a full-time pastor but not giving in response to what you are receiving. It’s like continually borrowing a friend's car and returning it with less gas. 

Another reason supporting the local church is important is that it is boring; it has no immediate, visible payoff. It’s an exercise in giving to God out of faith. It’s more rewarding to give to a friend who just lost their job or a family who is struggling with a cancer diagnosis. It feels good to give to campus ministries or to those that bring Christianity to unreached people. I want to be clear, these are important and good things. But these types of gifts are more gratifying for the giver, while the local church’s money goes into a mundane pot to water the grass, keep the lights on, and feed your pastor. 

This kind of giving resembles a significant portion of Old Testament giving, the offerings at the temple, which, other than the portions given to the priests, literally went up in smoke as they were burnt on the altar. The benefits were mostly spiritual (to demonstrate love or thanksgiving to God or to express contrition). Similarly, giving to your local church focuses your heart on God. If you only give to causes where you can see the immediate impact of your gifts, thanksgiving to God may not even be part of your motivation. But to GodAnd yet this is one of the key parts of giving.  

While our priority should be the local church, we also see a strong scriptural precedent for other types, whether that is to other churches or individuals or humanitarian causes. Our family gives about 10% of our income to Jordan Valley Church and another 5% to other things. This allows us to prioritize giving to our church while also supporting a number of other individuals and organizations we care about. Don’t take our percentages as a rule, but they could be a good starting point as you figure out what is right for you. 

Lately, we’ve talked much more about money than we typically do, and there is always a danger of becoming legalistic; the church can unduly pressure its people to give more, or individuals can begin to think more giving means more favor with God. But I’ve realized there is a spiritual danger in not talking about it. In community groups, we recently looked at Philippians 4:17-18, and I was struck by how Paul encouraged their giving; it wasn’t because of the help it provided him, but because of the spiritual benefits they received through giving. I long for all of us to know the grace and joy found in loving God with our money. 

Again, if you have any questions on this please reach out to me or any of the other pastors/elders. 

In Christ,
Pastor Jon

Should We Tithe?

The past several months we’ve been talking about giving in our newsletters. The most practical reason for this is that last year’s giving didn’t cover our expenses; this is all more pressing because in September we started to cover 60% of Pastor Wes’s salary. (We covered 40% of it last year.)

But we also believe that giving is an area we need to grow in as a church. If each household gave just 5% of their income (based on the average household income in West Jordan) we wouldn’t just cover our budget for this year; we would have enough to pay 100% of Pastor Wes’s salary, something we weren’t planning to do for another 2 years!

I do want to thank you for the ways so many have responded. Though we had a significant deficit a few months ago, our funds are almost back to where they were a year ago. Through your generosity, we essentially erased our deficit!

When it comes to this topic, the question people ask most is how much should I give? I've intentionally waited to address this. It’s important to first build a foundation on the principles in Scripture. To jump straight to, “But how much?” bypasses the heart work that God wants. If we go straight to a dollar amount, we’ve missed out on the part of giving that God cares most about: our heart.

But in the end you do need to make a decision on how much you should give. In the Old Testament there was something called the tithe, where you would give 10% of your income to God. Some churches today encourage a tithe, but not everyone agrees on whether this is still binding for Christians today. Our government and church operate much differently from Old Testament Israel. Let’s briefly examine what the tithe was, whether it is still applicable today, and what we can use to help determine how much to give.

The idea of a tithe first shows up in Genesis 14:20 when Abraham gives Melchizedek, a high Priest of God, a tenth of everything. As Israel grew into a nation the tithe (which generally meant 10%) was required of everything that came from the land, including grain, fruit and livestock.

These tithes supported the Levites, essentially acting as their income and retirement benefit (Num 18:21). It also went into storehouses to provide for the poor (Deut 14:28-9). When all the various tithes and offerings were added together you might be surprised that it almost certainly ended up being more than 10% for an Israelite household. Thomas Schriener writes, “In fact, the number was probably somewhere around 20 percent per year.”

People were also encouraged to give above the minimum with freewill offerings. This might help finance the building of the temple, or it could just be a way to give thanks to God for his blessings.

Is a Tithe Required of New Testament Believers?

Personally, I’m inclined to say that the tithe isn't binding in the same way it was for the Israelites, but that we are still called to show generosity—often greater generosity.

The strongest case for Christians to tithe today is found in Luke 11:42. Jesus says, “Woe to you Pharisees, because you give God a tenth of your mint, rue and all other kinds of garden herbs, but you neglect justice and the love of God. You should have practiced the latter without leaving the former undone.” Jesus is condemning the Pharisees for taking care to tithe from their herb gardens while ignoring the more important aspects of following God. Notice what he says they should have done: not only should they tithe from their herb gardens, but they should also attend to the justice and love of God. So here in a New Testament context Jesus does command a tithe.

I hesitate to say this requires New Testament believers to tithe because the Gospels are in something of a transitional zone between the Old Testament Church (Israel) and the New Testament Church. Some aspects of the New Testament church are present (the 12 Apostles) while other parts have not been instituted yet (baptism).

But this is where another applicable verse comes in. 2 Corinthians 9:6-7 says, “Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”

It’s hard to reconcile what Paul says about not giving under compulsion with the requirement to tithe as we see in the Old Testament, where God required a specific amount. But compare our position to that of Old Testament believers. We now know the fullness of the Gospel in Christ and can see more clearly how generous God has been with us—he sent his only son!. And consider our material blessings compared to people who lived thousands of years ago. It’s hard to say that we should be less generous now. This is why I believe we should all have a goal to give away more than 10% of our income, especially if the Israelites were actually giving 10-20% in total.

In short, I believe all Christians should be giving something, and we should work to be able to give more than 10% away, especially as we earn more money. There may be seasons when you give less, but I don’t think there is a situation when we should never give anything. Even if we can just give $2 a month, that can still show our gratitude to God. But for most of us with steady jobs and income we should ask God to help us give beyond a ten percent. It may take a few years to work up to this, but it’s a good goal.

Not all of that money needs to go to your local church, but I believe that, in general, the bulk of it should. In the next newsletter I’ll explain why.

In Christ,
Pastor Jon

Stewardship

Wes Holmes

“The end of all things is at hand; therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers. Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. Show hospitality to one another without grumbling. As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.” – 1 Peter 4:7-11

Brothers and sisters, we are stewards. To be a steward means someone has entrusted you with authority to represent their will and purpose in the world. It means that nothing entrusted to you is actually yours. A steward’s job is only to serve the will of his master. Christians, you and I are stewards of God’s grace.

The passage above deals with exercising spiritual gifts, but it also applies to how we think about money. Indeed, what you do with your money is a spiritual decision. How you use your money shows what you value, what you love, what you worship. And if we have received our money from God as His gift to us, then we are to steward it “in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ.”

“But, I worked hard for my money!” True. And who gave you the knowledge, the ability, the skill, and everything you need to do that hard work (Daniel 1:17)? God did.

“But, bills are high and finances are tight!” Perhaps. And who promises to provide all you need even when it looks like there’s no chance in the world (Matthew 6:33)? God does.

“But, it’s my money and I can do with it whatever I want!” Is it? Who grants you every good and perfect thing (James 1:17), apart from whom you can do nothing (John 15:5)? God.

We are to be stewards of God’s gifts. Part of what that means is that we use our money in a way that furthers His purpose and will in the world. Our wealth is not simply for our comforts, desires, and pleasures. These are not bad things. But do you realize that nothing that you have ultimately belongs to you? You have received everything you have as a gift of God’s grace. Yet, how easy is it to live as if we are the masters and God is the servant?

The amazing thing is that our Lord and Master has served us; he sent His Son to bear the awful burden of our sin and perfectly fulfill His Law so that we might be the recipients of a tremendous grace: the eternal riches of a heavenly inheritance (Titus 3:7). If God Himself has so cared for us, how can we help but serve Him even if we only have a little to offer?

We are stewards. We don’t give anything to God that isn’t already His. So if He calls us to be cheerful givers (2 Corinthians 9:7), let us give generously to Him for the purpose of His kingdom with joy and gratitude for all that we have in Christ. “The end of all things is at hand,” and we’re not taking anything with us.

For JVC’s 2022-2023 budget year we have a standing deficit of $26,966. I would encourage you to work toward giving at least 6% of your monthly income even as we aim for 10% and beyond. However, this last month our giving was $30,009, nearly double our average for the last 10 months.

It’s so encouraging to see that many of you have responded to our need and even given gifts above and beyond your normal giving! Thank you for your willingness to trust the Lord with your resources and be stewards of what He has given you. May He be praised in and through us as we shine the light of His Gospel together in the Salt Lake Valley.

Ways to give:

• The easiest way to give is online.

• You may drop a check or cash in the offering boxes in the sanctuary.

• You can also mail a check to the church or drop one in the offering box.

We’re praying for you all as you seek to grow in this grace, living as stewards of our gracious God.

In Christ,
Pastor Wes

The Heart of Giving

First, I want to thank everyone who gave this past month; we received $17,443, about $5,000 more than we did the month before. I particularly want to thank those who gave for this first time. We are still a bit short of the $19,471 we need each month to meet our budget, but this is a great start. Additionally, if anyone feels led to make a one-time contribution to help us make up some of the current budget deficit, we would be grateful.

As I mentioned last month, I want to take the next couple of newsletters to talk about some biblical principles for giving. I believe God has given us an opportunity to grow in this grace. Another part of the reason we want to spend time teaching on this is because, if every family gave just 6% of their income (based on the average West Jordan household), we would more than cover our budget.

The heart is the most important aspect of our giving. We see this at the beginning of the Bible, in the story of Cain and Abel. Genesis 4:3-4 says,

In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the LORD. And Abel also brought an offering—fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The LORD looked with favor on Abel and his offering, but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast.

The key difference between these offerings is not their content; both grain (fruits of the soil) and the fat portions of an animal were acceptable offerings to God. Instead, the key difference is in the words some and firstborn. Cain brought just some of his harvest; Abel gave fat from the firstborn.

Why does this matter? The fat from the firstborn looks no different than the fat from the third born. The grain of the first harvest isn’t substantially different from the grain of the last of the harvest. So why does God look at one with favor while rejecting the other?

It’s because the key component of an offering isn’t the amount, but the heart behind it. What we give to God is a window into our hearts. Abel’s offering shows genuine gratitude and love for God–I’m going to give to God the first of what I’ve been given. Cain’s offering is a mere token–I’ll give so others see, so I check that box, but let me grab whatever leftover grain I have.

None of us makes a living as farmers or ranchers, so let’s update the scenario. What’s the difference between committing to give a certain amount versus giving after you’ve made room for everything else? One shows a priority for God: God, thank you for this money, thank you for giving me a job, and I trust that you will continue to provide. I show that trust by not keeping the first of my paycheck for myself, but giving it back to you. Waiting till the end shows you are the priority, not God: Let me take care of all my bills and other expenses and what is left I’ll give to God.

The amounts could well be the same (though I suspect they often aren’t); the key difference is in the heart of the one giving. Again giving is a window into the heart. We see this in Cain’s reaction. When God doesn't look with favor, what is his immediate reaction? Anger, self-righteousness, contempt. Cain chose some of his crops to give for the external appearances. His heart was wrapped up in himself, not in God.

This principle is repeated again and again in Scripture. Consider 2 Corinthians 9:6-7, “Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”

We can see how the story of Cain and Abel is an illustration of this principle. God loves a cheerful giver, one who gives out of thanksgiving and love, not self-righteous show. This means that giving is an act of worship, a theme we will look at in our next newsletter.

Here are some questions to help you explore your own heart towards giving:

1. Would you describe your financial offering to the church as coming from the firstfruits of what you make? Why or why not?

2. What does the priority of your giving say about your attitude towards God? What does it say about your trust in God?

3. What are some steps you could take to start giving God your firstfruits? (I’ve discovered that often when we take that step, even if our heart isn’t fully convinced, that this small act of faithfulness reveals a heart that is open to God, even if it doesn’t feel that joy. God often responds by developing in us a greater sense of gratitude as we step out in faith.)

If you have any questions please let me know and I’ll try to cover them in future newsletters.

Ways to give:

• The easiest way to give is online.

• You may drop a check or cash in the offering boxes in the sanctuary.

• You can also mail a check to the church or drop one in the offering box.

In Christ,
Pastor Jon

JVC Journey: Christ's Body, Joined Together

by Shaun Murray

Jordan Valley Church,

You are the beautiful bride of Christ. As many of you have heard, we are moving up to West Haven in the coming months. I want each of you to know that I have not taken this decision lightly, especially given my calling to you here at JVC as one of your shepherds. I have spent hours in prayer seeking the Lord on what his will is for my family’s life and none of this has come easily. I recognize that I’ve been called to JVC as an elder and shepherd and need an equal sense of calling to leave that, which I feel the Lord has given me. As of now, I believe the Lord is calling my family to move to the Ogden area so that we can have Éowyn be in a Christian school that has a program specific for her educational needs. This new area will also make it so my parents can move up and find affordable and nice housing next to us and be involved in their grandchildren’s lives. It also provides a means for us to eventually own a home, which is one of our desires. This move, though quick, is not something that I just take lightly, as I have been called to serve JVC. I will continue to serve you all here, Lord willing, through the summer and help provide the smooth transition that you and my fellow elders deserve.

I rejoice in each of you and am so thankful to the Lord for you all. You have truly been our family from the first day we moved to Utah. Those that have had our family over for dinner, our community groups, our times helping others move, and our men’s group have been highlights to me. It has been an honor to lead you all in worship and preach to you throughout the years. I have been thankful for the privilege of praying for you, and for the joy that comes in seeing each of your hearts in your prayer requests. Men, I have enjoyed meeting on Thursday nights and being transparent with you all and you with me. We have friendships that will last a lifetime. You all have been there for my family in the rough years and have encouraged us, week after week, and for that I am eternally grateful.

I now want to spend time in this newsletter encouraging each and everyone of you. The Lord is a good God and worthy of all of our praise, worship, glory and honor. My heart’s desire is that Christ would be formed in you. That you would know the fullness of the love of God, know the height, width, and depth of his love. That you would see Christ is worthy of your whole life’s devotion. That he is worthy to be followed in the good and the bad, in the easy and the difficult, in the trials, the suffering, the persecution, and on and on. Our Lord Jesus Christ is gentle and lowly, there for the least of you to the greatest of you. His heart goes out to each and every one of you, and I feel the same way. I love you all and would gladly jump in front of a bullet for each and every one of you. Whether I have had a deep conversation with you or just said hi in passing, I am thankful for you.

Paul says in Ephesians 4:11-16 that “he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.”

Beloved, this is such a beautiful passage, that we are a whole body joined together, and when working properly we grow and grow. We are to reach maturity, the fullness of Christ and grow up in every way into our Head, the Lord Jesus Christ. Brothers and sisters, this has been my desire to see all of you grow. To see you reach maturity and fullness and I know that God who began a good work in you all will bring it to completion. My call for you all is to pursue Christ your King in all of your life. To be the hands, the feet, the heart, the lungs, and the organs for one another. To build up those that are struggling and weak, to exhort one another while it is called “today” so that each of you may not be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. You have your pastors and shepherds here to do this very thing, and my prayer is that more would be raised up.

Again, I want you all to know that leaving is not something we have taken as an easy thing or quick thing to do. Though it has come abruptly I do feel it is the Lord’s will and will provide a means to give Éowyn the help she needs and our family a place to continue to be built up, renewed, and, Lord willing, able to continue to serve the church and body of Christ up there. I would love to speak to each of you individually after church on Sunday or over coffee and food so that I can share our reasons for moving and also my heart for JVC. Please come up after church to ask any questions that you have and give us the opportunity to share what we feel called to.

With deep love for you all,
Shaun

Come Lord Jesus

I’m sure you have all seen the news regarding the shooting at The Covenant School in Nashville, Tennessee. This school is run by a church in our denomination, making this particular event strike closer to home. As a pastor and as a father of a nine year old daughter I can’t imagine the pain of laying my nine year old in a grave.

We should pray for the victims' families and those who were at the school at the time of the shooting. Their wounds will stay with them the rest of their lives—lives that will never be the same—, and they will likely never have an answer to that simple but bewildering question, “Why?”

So how do we pray when we are at a loss for words? In 1 Corinthians 1:3 Paul calls God “the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort.” When faced with tragedy, I’ve found resting in the character of God to be the best choice. God’s heart is big enough for all our troubles. His records are large enough to record all our tears. When words fail, we can still bring God our tears. God is the God of all comfort. So let's pray that those affected by this tragedy will be able to fall into the arms of the God whose comfort runs deeper than their sorrows.

I first saw this news while I was thinking about Easter. I wonder with all the typical Easter celebrations – photo booths, easter egg hunts, etc. – we can miss the fact that Easter is a celebration that only makes sense in the wake of death. It’s a joy that broke into the tomb. Easter proves that death doesn't have the last word. Let’s pray that all those affected would rediscover true hope this Easter. Easter is God’s solution to the darkness of our world. It’s as if we are living in that time after the cries of the cross and the joy of the resurrection. And so we weep and wait and pray with all the saints, “Come quickly, Lord Jesus.”

In Christ,
Pastor Jon

On a practical note, I thought it might be helpful to let you know that JVC has a life and safety policy that outlines plans and procedures for any event that may occur during a worship service. Part of that plan is the security team present at each Sunday service. This policy was set up with guidance from the West Jordan Police department. The West Jordan Police Chief has made it known that it’s a priority of the department to ensure everyone in our city feels safe at places of worship. While we hope for the best and trust God, we also believe it is good to be prepared for the worst.

Lord's Supper Changes

In the coming weeks we will be making a few minor changes to how we serve the Lord’s Supper, which I wanted to share with you all. With these modifications, we hope our practice of the Lord’s Supper will better reflect Jesus’s intentions and that they help you remember its true significance.

First, we will present the elements to better reflect a first-century meal. Instead of brass cups and tray, we will use simple pottery that is reminiscent of what Jesus would have used during his meal with the disciples. We also will use wooden trays to hold the small cups. We found a woodworker in Ukraine who has made these for us, and they are currently being shipped overseas. As the pastor gives the words of institution, he will pour wine from a small pitcher into a glass as a way of showing Christ’s blood being poured out for you. 

We don’t want the Lord’s Supper to feel like a religious ceremony, but to feel more like a meal where Jesus sat with his disciples. John Calvin, one of the forefathers of our Presbyterian tradition, believed that the main focus of this sacrament was that we were being fed the body of Christ and thus believed it was important for us to preserve aspects of that meal Jesus had with his disciples. We think these changes will help with that. 

The second change we will make is that two elders will hold a plate of bread on either side of the communion table. You will take the wine from the table and a piece of bread from one of the elders. As you take it, he will say, “Remember that Jesus Christ died for you.” We hope these simple words will remind you that Jesus has personally forgiven your sins. We all struggle with believing Jesus really loves us and has completely forgiven us. These words from your church leaders can help root that belief deeper in your heart. We didn’t choose these words arbitrarily, but again looked back to Geneva, where John Calvin ministered, for ideas. In the church there the minister would descend from the pulpit and place a piece of bread in each person’s hand as they came forward, telling them, “Remember that Jesus Christ died for you.” We thought this was a good tradition to bring back. 

Communion is one of the means of grace through which God strengthens our faith. We hope these modifications in the coming weeks will help with that. 

Once our shipment arrives from Ukraine we will let you know what Sunday we will start.

In Christ,
Pastor Jon

Back in the Saddle Again

By the time you read this, I’ll have finished writing my first new sermon in three months. On Monday, I officially ended my preaching sabbatical and found myself climbing back in the saddle of preaching preparation. 

I can honestly say I felt eager to get back on. At the end of breaks like these, it’s easy to feel some pressure to tell others the rest was better than it actually was. And honestly, I was a bit scared that this past Monday would come and I’d immediately wish I had another month off from preaching. But I didn’t. I was ready to start. And God was gracious to me in letting the sermon writing process go really well. (No promises on the sermon delivery though!)

As I reflect on these past three months, “gratitude” is the word that first comes to mind. I’m thankful to be in a church that, by and large, is healthy, and I didn’t have too many worries about stepping away from the pulpit for so long. I’m thankful for all our elders, pastors, and guest speakers who preached for us. I’m thankful that I was fed by their being here as much as anyone else was. 

I’m thankful for how many of you asked how I’m doing and expressed your support for this sabbatical. I’m also thankful that many of you have said you’re eager for me to return to the pulpit!

I’m also thankful for all I got done these past few months. It was a slow start, but by the final month I finally felt like I’d found a good rhythm. You may remember I had three primary goals. First was to submit an article for publication in an Chrisitan academic journal. This article proved to be the hardest part of the sabbatical. It was more work than I anticipated. I’ve finished a draft that I sent out for feedback, which was encouraging but also showed I’ve got a decent bit of work to get it ready for publication. But, even though it’s been a lot of work, I’m thankful for the opportunity to deeply explore a topic. 

My second goal was to make progress on a book on training elders and deacons. I’m happy to say this was easier than I expected. I’d hoped to get about half of the words written. I actually got about 90% of it written; I’m at 42,106 words. It has been a joy to synthesize and flesh out a number of ideas I’ve had. I hope to finish the writing in the next month or so. 

My last goal was to spend some time working on personal and spiritual development. Just having extra time to write out and examine certain weaknesses and flaws in my character was incredibly helpful. I’m not sure I’ve grown a lot, but identifying some areas where I need to grow and thinking about ways to do so was surprisingly beneficial. 

I still have some fears. I started Monday with a renewed zeal for my sermon writing, but I know I won't always be so eager. I know there will be days where writing the sermon feels like trying to find water in a desert. But God is faithful, even more so in our weakness. He can bring water out of desert rocks. I’m thankful this is the God we serve. And I’m thankful to be your pastor. There’s no place I’d rather be.

In Christ,
Pastor Jong

Sabbatical Update

I’m two thirds of the way through my preaching sabbatical, and it’s hard to believe how quickly the first eight weeks passed. I’m thankful for another month, but also have a growing eagerness to jump back into preaching. A number of you have asked me how things are going, and I thought I’d share a few things I’ve learned: 

• I’m reminded there is no other place I’d rather worship than Jordan Valley Church. While we’ve only been gone a few Sundays during the sabbatical, I’ve realized the place I most want to be worshiping is with you – whether I’m preaching or not. I love you all; I love worshiping with you all and seeing your faces and talking with you afterwards. There is no other church I’d rather be at. 

• Knowing another Sunday is always coming was more of a burden than I’d realized; these past eight weeks, that weight has been lifted.. I didn’t know before how much sermon writing dominated my schedule and mind. I always knew what day it was based on what work I did on my sermon. I always looked forward to Wednsdays because that was the one workday I didn’t do sermon prep. Sunday mornings I woke up knowing I needed to review the sermon one more time. It has been freeing to be released from the pressure of the next sermon.

• I’ve been reminded of the centrality of preaching and a felt renewed desire to take it seriously. Two weeks ago I attended a short preaching conference, and during the talks I was reminded how much God works through pastors preaching his word. I felt the responsibility to dig into my Bible and wrestle with the text I’ll be preaching. The longer you’ve preached, the easier it is to lose some of that passion. It’s easy to fall back on old ways of saying things instead of saying them in a way that moves your heart today. I’m encouraged because I’m becoming more eager to spend that time studying God’s word and to share it with you.

• I’m encouraged because I’ve felt my preaching tanks slowly filling up. In an earlier newsletter I mentioned how they’d felt closer and closer to empty. I’m thankful because each week I see little ways in which those tanks feel more full. 

• I had two primary writing goals during this time: (1) To finish an academic article on the relationship between special and general revelation. (2) To begin a book on training and leading elders and deacons. I quickly discovered that my writing goals were a bit too optimistic. I let go of some of the pressure I put on myself to get everything done; I wanted to make sure I got some mental and spiritual rest. But I’m happy to say that I’ve finished an early draft of the article. It’s around 10,000 words, and I plan to submit it before my sabbatical is over. I’ve started the book and written around 13,000 words; my goal is 35,000-40,000 words (~125-150 pages). I won’t get this all done during my sabbatical, but I’d like to get to at least 25,000 words. While the process hasn’t always been easy, I’ve really enjoyed the time to learn and dive into topics that interest me. It’s been intellectually refreshing and helped me clarify my own thinking. 

Thank you all for your continued support during this preaching sabbatical. If you remember to pray for me, pray for God to continue to fill my tanks and grow my heart to love him more. I’m praying for all of you and expect to return to the pulpit on December 11th with a renewed vigor and passion to serve you God’s Word. It may not be my best sermon–I’m sure I’ll be a bit rusty–but I’ll give it with joy. 

In Christ,
Pastor Jon

Occupational Hazards of Ministry

Every job has particular occupational hazards. Some are obvious: electrician – electrocution, roofer – falling, stenographer – carpal tunnel syndrome. Most occupational hazards are physical, but there are plenty of mental or emotional ones as well. For many healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic it was burnout, exhaustion and sometimes trauma. Some are more subtle; many become doctors because of a genuine desire to care for others, but ten years in are jaded after spending more time and energy on paperwork and legal worries than on helping the sick.

What do you think are some of the occupational hazards for pastors? While there have probably been a few back injuries from carrying around thick theology books, the occupational hazards for pastors are different. Perhaps you think of moral failures, which have taken a number of pastors out of ministry. But would it surprise you to know one of the top occupational hazards for pastors is spiritual health? 

A few weeks ago, Pastor Wes and I, along with our wives, attended a short retreat in Bear Lake for Utah pastors in our denomination. Jon Medlock, a fellow pastor and the PCA’s Director of Ministerial Relief, led it. He’s leading a research study on how pastors in our denomination are doing. In his study, 70% of pastors stated that the “demands of ministry challenge or considerably inhibit spiritual growth.” For many this is shocking and seemingly backwards. If your job is to study the Bible, how can it inhibit your spiritual growth?

I think a number of things lead to this. Pastors get a front row seat to the suffering and depth of sin in people’s lives. Change is depressingly slow, and sometimes seems nonexistent. This can certainly take a toll on your soul. Like doctors, pastors often experience something of a shock when they discover how much of their time is spent in administration and other activities not related to their training. 

But one more reason, and this is the one I’ve felt the most, is that slowly over time, you become a professional. What I mean is you gain the skills for succeeding in ministry. You know the passages that will help the struggling couple, you’re pretty good at leading a Bible study or teaching a class, and you’ve got sermon writing down to a science. And when you're in this place, it’s so easy for your heart to slip away, or at least take six steps back. To put it crassly, it’s really easy to put on a performance. 

I’m sure many of you have had the experience where you really enjoyed something as a side hobby, but when it became a commitment its joy started to wane. When it’s your job, it’s no longer a life-giving hobby. I’ve found it to be similar in ministry; I remember the joy and nervousness of writing the first sermon in a new place. But after the 300th sermon it’s easy for it to feel more a duty than a delight. 

On one hand, this is nothing unique; it’s really hard–if not impossible–to maintain the delight of starting your dream job six years in. There is a good discipline in continuing to show up, even when you don’t feel like it. And yet, what is unique to ministry is that the work is so connected to your own spiritual health that the impacts of spending too much time in duty instead of delight can have widespread effects. 

This newsletter is my first bit of writing on my preaching sabbatical–I thought it would be good to begin by letting you know how to pray for me (and all our pastors). I didn’t write this as a veiled call for help regarding my own spiritual state, but I did write it because I’ve felt more of this struggle in the past couple years. As I mentioned last month, one of my goals in taking this time off from the weekly demands of preaching is to provide refreshment and reviatalitization to my mind and heart – to help me feel a bit less like a professional preacher. I wrote this to help you better understand some of the particular and unseen challenges of ministry so you can better care for your pastors and elders. 

I’m deeply thankful for all of you, and the support and encouragement you’ve shown me–even in these past few days, a number of you have reached out to say you're praying for me. I’m thankful that God is faithful, even when we are not, and I trust that he will revive the soul of anyone who humbly comes before him.

In Christ,
Pastor Jon

Preaching Sabbatical

On September 12th, I’ll begin a twelve week preaching sabbatical. I’d originally proposed nine weeks, but our session thought twelve weeks would be more helpful. I’m deeply thankful for their care and support of me. It’s another reason why there is no other church I’d rather pastor. In this newsletter I want to share what this sabbatical will look like, my reasons for requesting it and answer some possible questions. 
 

What It Is

The preaching sabbatical is pretty much what it sounds like. I’ll take twelve weeks off from studying, writing and preaching sermons. I’ll keep all my other ministerial duties like pastoral counseling, discipling, hospital visits, funerals, church administration and planning etc. I’ll be available to meet with you or respond to questions as I normally am. We will likely be gone 2-3 Sundays during this time, but otherwise you’ll see me and our family as you normally would. The time I’d normally spend preparing sermons will be used for some writing projects. What are they? You’ll need to keep reading! 

This preaching sabbatical will give you all an opportunity to hear sermons from other pastors. We’ll bring in a number of the people we support through our missions giving, invite  some local pastors, and fill in any remaining slots with our elders.  I know I’m looking forward to listening to sermons for a while instead of giving them; this is one of the great things I miss now that I’m a pastor. 
 

Reasons for Requesting It

I have two primary goals during my twelve weeks off: writing and refreshment. If you’ve been at JVC for more than a few months, you know that I like illustrations from camping and backpacking...  Here's one more! When you go backpacking you need to filter water every day. This involves taking a small pump with a filter to a stream and pumping away till your bottles are filled. When I’ve taken my kids backpacking I’m always reminded how much more water I need to pump (and even though they try to help some) it’s hard enough work that I’ve got to do the majority of it. 

Something I didn’t understand until a number of years in ministry is how much preaching each week is like filtering enough water for a whole troop on a backpacking trip.  It’s a work that you’ll never be done with. Sometimes it feels like the need for water comes faster than you can pump it. You enjoy the rest once you’ve filled all the bottles, but you know you’ll be back at the creek the next day. You’re aware that the more water you must drink to stay hydrated also means the more you’ll need to pump later. 

I’ve been at JVC for nine years now, and I hadn't realized it till this year, but I’ve been struggling to keep up with all the pumping. I’ve been feeling like I’m barely getting all the water bottles filled, only to have them fully drained by Sunday after the service. 

I mentioned that my main goals during this time are writing and refreshment. In many ways these are interrelated. What I’m hoping to do during these twelve weeks is have some time to pump water without it all getting used on Sunday. I want time to pursue writing projects that will allow deeper study and focus than I can get now. I want the space to wrestle with topics without the pressure of needing to turn my study into a sermon by Sunday. I want to fill up some tanks that have been feeling more and more dry. 
 

Questions

Are you thinking of leaving JVC?
Unfortunately, there does seem to be a correlation between people taking sabbaticals and then leaving for another church after returning from sabbatical. While I can’t fully know where my heart will be when I return, I can say at this time I have no desire to be a pastor anywhere else. I got ordained in this church, and by God's grace, I’d love to retire at this church. It’s my belief that this time will actually allow me to better serve you for the coming years.

What will you be writing?
I have two writing goals. First I want to complete and publish an academic article I started several years back, looking to reframe how we think of special and general revelation. Not sure what that means? My plan is to distill my study here into a series of newsletters that I think you’ll find useful and practical, so stay tuned! 

Secondly, I want to develop an outline and start writing a book on pastoral leadership. I don’t have a clear idea on what exactly this would look like, but more and more I see it is a pressing need. Seminaries don’t focus on this, our denomination does not examine candidates in these areas, and many pastors flounder for years, if not decades, trying to understand how to lead their people. I don’t think I’m an expert, but I do think I’ve got something to offer others. Providentially, a reformed publisher reached out to me this summer about a project around this topic, so I hope my work this fall would eventually be published. 

How can I help?
I realize this may not be a question you were asking, but I do have one thing to ask of you. Please pray for me during this time. Pray for God to give me refreshment. I’m not just looking for some time to write, but I’m also looking for deeper spiritual refreshment and filling. Please pray for God to refresh my soul over these months. I want to be a good pastor to you; more and more I’ve realized I cannot do this unless I’m fully alive in Christ. 

Why just a preaching sabbatical?
Oftentimes pastors will take a sabbatical that removes them from all regular ministerial duties. Last year the elders had a number of discussions around this, and none of us believed this was a best practice. I don’t feel a need for a break from any of the day-to-day aspects of ministry–even the hard parts. Every job has hard things, and I think it’s better to have healthy ways to deal with the hard things regularly than it is to pile all your hopes on a sabbatical every six to seven years. Many fields–whether academics, teaching, writing, or TV production–often run on a schedule that incorporates time away from pressing weekly demands to create space for deeper, more creative and intellectually challenging work that will bear fruit later. I think preaching is this type of work. I didn’t realize it when I started, but it’s the most draining part of my ministry. 

How will this help JVC?
This probably reveals more of my own insecurity than a question you have. I want to be seen as just as hard-working as any of you, and a sabbatical is something few—if any—in our congregation have the luxury of taking. While preaching feels like it takes up a large chunk of my intellectual and spiritual energy, it only takes up about a quarter of my time. In this sense, while you won’t see me in one of the most visible aspects of my ministry, I’ll still be serving, praying and meeting with you all as I usually do. But a church’s health is rarely better than that of its leadership–including the pastor. This preaching break will allow me to experience refreshment and growth, and I believe that will benefit our church in the coming year as I continue to minister to you. If this first sabbatical goes well, it’s something that I’ll likely plan for every six years or so. 

Hopefully that helps answer most of your questions, but feel free to reach out to me or any of the other leaders if you have any additional questions. 

In Christ,
Pastor Jon

Why Christians Should Gather for Worship: Part 2

In the last newsletter we looked primarily at Hebrews 12 to understand why Christians should physically gather for worship each week. This month I want to look at a handful of other reasons for this.

Gathered Worship Is Christ’s Body Made Visible

Much of Christian doctrine feels intangible. We speak of grace, but it’s harder to experience it. We know we are part of Christ’s body, but it’s hard to feel it. At the end of April, I preached on 2 Corinthians 8:1-15 and I was struck by the idea that giving is God’s grace made visible. Grace is like electricity: we can’t see it, but we do experience its effects. A room with a hundred light sockets but no light bulbs will still be dark. It takes screwing in those lightbulbs for electricity to be made tangible.

In a similar way, God’s grace often requires a conduit to be made visible in our world. This conduit can be creation – experiencing the beauty of the mountains – but it can also be believers caring for each other. 

As I thought about this, I realized this is a key reason the church exists. We exist to make the body of Christ visible in the world. It takes Christians physically gathering to show people what Jesus looks like. Why? Because it’s in our gathering that we can observe the grace and love of Christ as we care for each other. When Christians don’t gather for worship, they miss out on an opportunity to make Christ’s body visible to a watching world. We miss out on an opportunity for others to have a tangible experience of Christ on this earth. A church that doesn’t gather is about as effective as a 100 sockets without light bulbs.

Gathered Worship Is Where the Means of Grace Are

Question 88 of the Westminster Shorter Catechism reminds us that the way we grow as Christian is through God’s means of grace, “especially the word, sacraments, and prayer; all of which are made effectual to the elect for salvation.” The only place you receive all three of these means of grace is in gathered worship. The sacraments in particular require a physical gathering; you can’t have communion over the internet. You might wonder, “Can’t each person get their own bread and wine and partake together over Zoom?” But to do this misses out on one of the essentials of the Lord’s Supper. Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 10:17, “Because there is one loaf, we, who are many, are one body, for we all share the one loaf.” One of the ways that we show we are part of the one body of Christ is by eating from the same loaf of bread. He took the bread and broke it and said, “This is my body.” Physically gathering as one is a visible manifestation of us being one in Christ. 

It Shows Christian Unity

While age- and gender-segregated Bible studies have their place, there is something uniquely special about gathering with people who are unlike you; it reflects the diversity of the body of Christ. It shows a watching world that it’s Christ who has brought us together. Paul writes about this unifying effect in Ephesians 2:14, “For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility.” The gathered church is a beautiful picture of the unity that Christ has brought. While none of us at JVC were enemies, we certainly were a group of people that would not naturally have connected. In a world that is rapidly dividing over so many issues, it’s all the more important for the church to demonstrate how Christ brings different people together. 

It Allows You to Use Your Gifts

Paul describes individuals in the church as members of one body (1 Cor 12), and just as a body has different parts for different purposes, so the church has people with a variety of gifts and ways to serve. And, while there are many opportunities to use your gifts Monday - Saturday, there is a particular need for each other's gifts when we gather for worship. There are so many needs during Sunday worship; it couldn’t happen without our volunteers helping with everything from greeting people to praying before the service to operating the sound system. Gathering for worship is one of the easiest ways in which you can make the gifts God has given you visible in the local church. 

It’s a Dress Rehearsal for Heaven

As I said, the gathered church is a primary way the realities of the gospel become visible. One of the most powerful ways this happens is that gathered worship is a dress rehearsal for our gathering in heaven. You just need to read Revelation 7 to see that corporate worship is a central activity in heaven. There is no better way to express our longing for heaven than to come to the dress rehearsal–public worship. 

Moreover, Hebrews 12 contrasts the Israelites’ worship at the base of Mount Sinai with our New Testament worship, saying, “But you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven.” The author is speaking about Christians gathering for worship, yet uses the language of heaven. When we worship together, from God’s perspective, we are actually worshiping in heaven! We are among the angels. Gathered worship is actually more than a dress rehearsal for heaven; in many ways it’s the closest we get to heaven here on earth. 

Worship Shapes Us

Psalm 115 teaches us that we become like what we worship. Just as a teenager’s clothes might imitate their favorite celebrity, so too all humans imitate the things they worship. Advertisers know this. It’s why ads don’t just list facts; they hold up your object of worship and say, “If you want to be that, you only need to buy this.” Thus we can see why gathered worship of God is so essential. If we are to become like God we must righly worship him. And in a world where we are bombarded daily with alternate things to worship, it’s all the more important we carve time out of our schedules to worship the true God to continue being shaped and prepared for heaven. 

It Shows What You Value

Any salesperson knows you can’t count the sale until the money shows up. There is often a gap between what someone says about a product and their willingness to spend money on that product. It’s similar to how we spend our time. You instinctively make time for what you value; it’s hard to honestly say you value God if you don’t make time to worship him with his people as he has commanded. 

My hope in providing you this list isn’t to guilt anyone, but to show you the real benefits of gathering. It is essential to the Christian life, and it’s one of the best reminders of what is ultimately important. 

In Christ,
Pastor Jon

Why Christians Should Gather for Worship: Part 1

One of the benefits of COVID was that it forced us to set up a livestream. This was something we’d talked about, but other things always took priority. In March 2020, those priorities rapidly shifted, and we finally did set up a livestream. I’m thankful for it because God has used that to help those exploring Christianity to get a feel for our church before coming in person.

This raises the question, is a livestream a suitable alternative for gathered worship? Can you be a faithful Christian but only watch the service? In short, the answer is no. In this first newsletter I’m going to look at the command and history behind why Christians gather weekly for worship. Next month I’ll give us a number of practical reasons why we should gather.

First, Some Caveats

I’m incredibly grateful for our congregation because, by and large, everyone has returned in person, but you’ve probably been tempted to simply watch. Or perhaps you’ve wondered why it even matters that we gather.

There are good reasons to use the livestream, and I’m thankful we can offer that. I already mentioned how useful it is for people exploring Christianity but nervous to attend in person. The livestream also helps those who are sick stay connected with what’s happening at church. This is a blessing. Some of our people have weakened immune systems, and this also helps them maintain a connection to the church.

In the end, though, we should see the livestream as a temporary stand-in, not a replacement, for gathered worship. Whether someone is exploring Christinaity or has a weakened immune system, the goal should always be worshiping together in person. The livestream is like instant ramen: quick and convenient, but insufficient for long-term health.

The Expectation To Gather

Hebrews 12:24-25 is most clear that Christians should regularly gather together. It says, “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”

Pair this with other passages in the New Testament where the believers met together on the first day of the week (John 20:19, Acts 20:7, 1 Corinthians 16:2), and we can infer that this Sunday gathering is what the author of Hebrews tells us not to neglect.

You may wonder where the idea of weekly gathering came from; we can trace two streams that lead to its development. First, when God finished his work of creation he established the Sabbath. He commanded us to mirror that cycle: one day out of seven we are to rest from our work. Soon after Jesus' resurrection the New Testament Church began treating Sunday as their Sabbath because it was the day Jesus was raised from the dead. This day became known as the Lord’s Day (Revelation 1:10), indicating that it should be a day devoted to God.

Second, while we don’t see Israelites gathering weekly in the Old Testament, they certainly gathered for public worship a number of times (1 Kings 8:22; 1 Chronicles 15:3; Nehemiah 8:2-9; Ezra 3:11). In fact, the Greek word translated as “church” was often used to describe these assemblies.

During the time between the Old and New Testaments, the synagogue came into existence as a way for the Jews who’d been scattered throughout the Middle East to gather for worship. The word literally means “gathering together.” Anywhere ten male Jews lived, a synagogue could form. These synagogues looked similar to our churches, and the service even resembles our service today. It would include something like a call to worship from Deuteronomy 6:4-9; 11:13-21 or Numbers 15:37-41. There would be several prayers, a Scripture reading, and a sermon on the text. The service would close with a benediction. Any qualified male could read and give the sermon. The synagogue ruler kept everything running smoothly.

By Jesus’ time, synagogues had popped up in many places, both in Palestine and around the Middle East. For instance, in Luke 4:14-21 we read that it was Jesus’ custom to join the gathering in the synagogue on the Sabbath, reading from the Old Testament and giving a short sermon on the passage.

Many of the Apostles participated in synagogue life, even getting to preach to the Jewish congregations. When Paul traveled through Asia Minor he often visited the synagogues, read Scripture, and gave sermons (Acts 9:19-20; 13:14-15; 14:1-2; 17:1-3, 18:19).

With that background, let’s return to Hebrews 10:24-25, “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” Now that we understand some of the historical and cultural context, it’s evident this is a command; Christians must be in the habit of gathering together. This is something that believers have done for more than 2,000 years. With that much history behind it, it’s clearly something we should take seriously. Likely your next question is, “But why?” For an answer to that you’ll have to wait till next month, where I’ll give a number of reasons.

In Christ,
Pastor Jon

God Reveals and Accomplishes His Plan of Redemption

by A. T. Stoddard

Our newsletter this month was written by the second of our two elder candidates as a way for him to develop his ministry to the church.

As we have gone through the book of Exodus, it has been very enlightening to see the many ways this book points forward to the work of Christ. Of course, the big picture is that of God redeeming His people out of slavery in Egypt depicting God’s redemption of His people from the bondage of sin. In Exodus 6:6, God reaffirms His covenant with Abraham to be their God and they will be His people. When the Israelites went to Egypt, they were no more than a large family or clan. When Moses leads them out of Egypt, they have become a nation showing fulfillment of God’s promise to Abraham. Yet when they turn away from God and worship the golden calf, He threatens to destroy them and start over with Moses to build a new nation. Even here, God is faithful in His promise to build a nation of the descendants of Abraham. Moses pleads on behalf of the people acting as their advocate and intercessor, which results in God’s grace and mercy in dealing with the people. As the intercessor for the Israelites, Moses gives us a picture of Christ interceding for His people.

Along a similar vein, I wanted to share some things from a book I have been reading this year by Jonathan Edwards. For those not familiar with Jonathan Edwards, let me give you a brief introduction. He was a pastor in New England in the early 1700s. He is thought by many to be America’s greatest theologian, and R.C. Sproul considers him one of the top five theologians of all time. He may best be known for his part in the Great Awakening. The book that I have been reading is A History of the Work of Redemption. The thesis of this book is that in the Bible, God reveals His plan of redemption and documents His work toward that end.

God reveals His plan of redemption in numerous ways throughout the Old Testament. It begins with the promise in Genesis 3:15 that the seed of the woman will crush the head of the serpent. It is shown in other ways, such as the covenant made with Abraham and the promise of the covenant which is repeated to Isaac, Jacob, Moses, David, Ezekiel, and Jeremiah. The promise of the new covenant to Jeremiah points directly to the incarnation of Christ, His death, and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit for God’s people following the day of Pentecost. There are many things which point directly to Christ and His work. We have the Passover, which points to Christ being our substitute and God’s judgment passing over us. On the Day of Atonement, two goats were chosen: one to sacrifice, one to drive into the wilderness, symbolically carrying the people’s sins; this points to Christ’s work of both removing our sins and being sacrificed for them. God tells us He will remove our sins as far as the east is from the west and gave us an image of that as the goat was removed far from the people.

Isaiah points to the coming of Christ and His work. In Isaiah 9, there is the prophecy of a child to be born and a son given, and the government shall be upon His shoulders. We are given his name as “Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” Isaiah tells us that this will be the fulfillment of the covenant promise to David to establish his kingdom forever. Isaiah also describes Christ as the lamb led to the slaughter.

God also uses the Bible to show us how He accomplishes His work of redemption. The most obvious is the death and resurrection of Christ, but there are many things in the Old Testament which we often overlook as being God’s specific work in His plan of redemption. We have just finished Exodus, where God preserved His people by redeeming them out of Egypt, but that also serves as a picture of the redemption of God’s people from sin. God destroyed His enemies in the flood, but preserved Noah and his family; this serves as a picture of the redemption of Christ, who saves His people from their sin. God preserved Abraham among the wicked inhabitants of Canaan, and He preserved the Israelites in the time of famine by placing Joseph as a ruler in Egypt and ensuring a supply of grain to preserve them. God established a kingdom of the descendants of Abraham with David as king, and through David provided a book of songs for worship. Many of these songs pointed toward the coming of Christ, the Messiah.

God worked out His plan of redemption in less dramatic ways as well, but no less important. He caused Elimelech to travel with his wife Naomi to Moab because of a famine; then Naomi returned with her daughter-in-law Ruth. Boaz married Ruth, and their son was the grandfather of David, in the ancestral line of Christ. God preserved David from wild animals as a shepherd, and when Saul hurled a spear at David, David’s life was preserved. His life was preserved many times before becoming king, and he kept his place in the ancestral line of Christ. God preserved that line through the rest of the Old Testament, even through wars and captivity.

This should encourage us to read the Bible—particularly the Old Testament—with new understanding. As you read the history, the genealogies, or the giving of ceremonial and civil laws, consider how they are part of the history of God revealing and working His plan of redemption. Ask how these things point to the coming of Christ and His work, or how they reveal what God did to accomplish His redemption through Christ in space and time. God’s work is not some abstract story; He has chosen to work through people in the context of history. Rather than seeing Old Testament passages as dull, look for the excitement of God slowly revealing the mystery of His redemption to the point where we now have God dwelling within us through the Holy Spirit. Finally, be encouraged that God continues to work out His plan of redemption through His people, the church.

In Christ,
A. T.