Internet Monk Radio Podcast #165
November 15, 2009 by iMonk
This week: Lessons from Chess. Get Over it. Gospel Cowards
Support the IM sponsors: Restoring the Soul.com. Real help for restoring the pastor’s soul. New Reformation Press. Reformation theology for everyone. Rockbridge Seminary. Family, ministry and online seminary all coming together. Alan Creech Rosaries (or aids to prayer. You decide) The Ministry to Children blog is “information central” for children’s ministry on the net. The Theology Program is your best non-seminary educational option. Sign up for classes or buy the whole program.
ADVERTISERS: I’m the #6 blog in the Christian blogosphere, with over 700,000 unique visitors and over 40 million page views this year. Rates are reasonable and you have several options. Icon design available. Contact me for more information
Want to support what I do? Use the Paypal button to make a donation or visit the Amazon Wish List.
Gambit: The NYT Chess Blog
Gospel Cowards
Get Over It
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
My pastor gave a great sermon on the parable of the talents, emphasizing that what the worthless servant lacked was faith in his master. Because he didn’t trust him, he didn’t dare take any risks. Eugene Peterson seems to strike that same chord in “The Message”. I think this is at the heart of gospel-cowardice. We believe in the ideals of the gospel, but it is hard to walk and work in it. Maybe Luther didn’t push it far enough, but I think he really plumbed the depths with his “Be a sinner and sin boldly, but believe and rejoice in Christ even more boldly.” He probably ticked off more people with that one statement than anything else that he wrote or taught. But I can’t say enough about it. No matter how much we talk gospel, we can’t stop feeling like God is looking over our shoulder to see if we goofed up. It paralyzes us from true service. It’s a throw-back to the old school life under the law and the pharisees. In that economy, the worthless servant was right: just bury the talent and give it back when the master returns. But grace frees us to be gracious. God’s grace is reckless; so should ours – toward others and ourselves.
For me (someone who has left the paid ministry) I think there is a personal journey we should all take. It took me a year and 8 months to be put in a place where I could even hear from God or even believe that their was a God…
Now I am refreshed and renewed for what I have been called to do…to plant redemptive communities throughout Houston, TX.
No one pays me…no one is building walls…no one as of yet is even meeting at any time to “worship” in a traditional since.
We just group in teams of five or so and go out and meet needs and tell people about Christ…those who are redeemed through the salvation of our Lord we bring in and disciple them to go out and do the same…after about 2-3 months we release them to go forth and follow God in the redemptive community that God has allowed them to build.
BUT…that is what i am called too…
I suppose I just got tired of talking about it…and people asking me what we are to do about it…I now have my own solution…stop complaining and talking and just go out and do what God has called you to do