Another one...

Here is another great quote from Andrew Purves in his amazing book, Reconstructing Pastoral Theology: A Christological Foundation:

". . . the whole of Christian faith and life, everything in discipleship and ministry, is the explication of Jesus Christ and faith in him, which means a sharing in his life.  He is not one 'doctrine' among others; all other doctrines are expression of or elements in the one faith in Jesus Christ.  Thus in all aspects of Christian life and ministry, in everything that is said and done, Jesus Christ in his living personhood is the principal actor, the 'thing itself,' in whom we live and whose ministry we share.  He is not a point of reference, or even the most religious of all ideas, as though that which is  Christian is somehow at a distance from him.  Neither is he a principle for action derived from his life, a kind of timeless ethical directive to be followed.  Everything is the 'speaking' of God's own Word and Truth who is Jesus Christ in his actuality, and as such, he is inherently and irreducibly a practical and personal Truth.  Whatever else pastoral work is about, if it would be Christian it concerns directly Jesus CHrist as the living and personal Word of God.  Pastoral work has no other basis or validation than Jesus Christ, he alone is its self-sufficient basis."

Wow...

He alone...

I love this statement by pastoral theologian Andrew Purves:


"The incarnation of Jesus Christ discloses the only path to God, and he is thus alone our human destiny. John 14:6 has been taken very seriously by the church in its reflection of the meditation of Christ: 'No one comes to the Father except through me.' This is both an absolute claim and a singular statement of authority and access. In the face of today's religious pluralism this affirmation may seem offensive. We should certainly respect all religious viewpoints and treat all person of whatever creed with dignity. But Christian faith as expressed through the creeds and confessions of the church makes a singular claim for Jesus Christ that cannot be compromised without undoing the gospel itself - Because of who he is. Here we must speak of truth. He alone is the mediator between the Creator and the creation, between God and a sinful humanity; he reveals the Father and does God's work for us and among us; and at the last he brings us home to communion with the Father in union with himself through the Holy Spirit. All other paths to God, no matter how apparently pious, are inadequate, are ultimately not saving, and, indeed, are ultimately deadly, leading to judgment. This singular claim is not made on behalf of the church, or any theological school, or system of doctrine, but is made by the New Testament on behalf of Jesus Christ, who makes it for himself" (Andrew Purves).

A Lesson From Baseball

Someone once said, "Faith without risk is a contradiction."
Steve Lyons will be remembered as the player who dropped his pants.
He could be remembered as an outstanding infielder ... as the player who played every position for the Chicago White Sox ... as the guy who always dove into first base ... as a favorite of the fans who high fived the guy who caught the foul ball in the bleachers. He could be remembered as an above-average player who made it with an average ability.
But he won't. He'll be remembered as the player who dropped his pants on July 16, 1990.
The White Sox were playing the Tigers in Detroit. Lyons bunted and raced down the first-base line. He knew it was going to be tight, so he dove at the bag. Safe! The Tiger's pitcher disagreed. He and the umpire got into a shouting match, and Lyons stepped in to voice his opinion.
Absorbed in the game and the debate, Lyons felt dirt trickling down the inside of his pants. Without missing a beat he dropped his britches, wiped away the dirt, and ... uh oh ...twenty thousand jaws hit the bleachers' floor.
And, as you can imagine, the jokes began. Women behind the White Sox dugout waved dollar bills when he came onto the field. "No one," wrote one columnist, "had ever dropped his drawers on the field. Not Wally Moon. Not Blue Moon Odom. Not even Heinie Manush." Within twenty-four hours of the "exposure," he received more exposure than he'd gotten his entire career; seven live television and approximately twenty radio interviews.
"We've got this pitcher, Melido Perex, who earlier this month pitched a no-hitter," Lyons stated, "and I'll guarantee you he didn't do two live television shots afterwards. I pull my pants down, and I do seven. Something's pretty skewed toward the zany in this game."
Fortunately, for Steve, he was wearing sliding pants under his baseball pants. Otherwise the game would be rated "R" instead of "PG-13."
Now, I don't know Steve Lyons. I'm not a White Sox fan. Nor am I normally appreciative of men who drop their pants in public. But I think Steve Lyons deserves a salute.
I think anybody who dives into first base deserves a salute. How many guys do you see roaring down the baseline of life more concerned about getting a job done than they are about saving their necks? How often do you see people diving headfirst into anything?
Too seldom, right? But when we do ... when we see a gutsy human throwing caution to the wind and taking a few risks ... ah, now that's a person worthy of a pat on the ... back.
So here's to all the Steve Lyons in the world.
Max Lucado, In the Eye of the Storm, Word Publishing, 1991 pp. 247-248. (Available at: http://sermonillustrations.com/a-z/a/abandon.htm).

Quote of the day

The world honors success.

God honors faithfulness.

Quote of the Day

It's not what you know. It's what you can make people think you know.

Quote of the Day

"The person with whom I have the biggest problem will always be me." A very wise and understanding pastor told me that today.