by Michiana Covenant | Aug 22, 2013 | Building
The building expansion continues!
Melito of Sardis, in his sermon, “On Pascha,” describes this well.
35. Beloved, no speech or event takes place without a pattern or design; every event and speech
involves a pattern–that which is spoken, a pattern, and that which happens, a prefiguration–in order that
as the event is disclosed through the prefiguration, so also the speech may be brought to expression
through its outline.
36. Without the model, no work of art arises. Is not that which is to come into existence seen through
the model which typifies it? For this reason a pattern of that which is to be is made either out of wax, or
out of clay, or out of wood, in order that by the smallness of the model, destined to be destroyed, might
be seen that thing which is to arise from it–higher than it in size, and mightier than it in power, and
more beautiful than it in appearance, and more elaborate than it in ornamentation.
37. So whenever the thing arises for which the model was made, then that which carried the image of
that future thing is destroyed as no longer of use, since it has transmitted its resemblance to that which
is by nature true. Therefore, that which once was valuable, is now without value because that which is
truly valuable has appeared.
38. For each thing has its own time: there is a distinct time for the type, there is a distinct time for the
material, and there is a distinct time for the truth. You construct the model. You want this, because you
see in it the image of the future work. You procure the material for the model. You want this, on
account of that which is going to arise because of it. You complete the work and cherish it alone, for
only in it do you see both type and the truth.
As we see our construction plans taking shape, we are reminded that even so, God’s construction plans for his church are taking shape in our lives as he builds us into a holy dwelling place, fit for him!
The back porch:
The pulpit platform is taking shape…
And the new pews have arrived (perhaps we’ll have an outdoor service on Sunday?!!)
Thanks to all who have devoted so much and time and labor to the expansion of the building! May God also grant such fruit in the expansion of the church!
by Michiana Covenant | Jul 10, 2013 | Building
Right in the middle of that dirt pile is the location of the new pulpit. From that patch of dirt, may a man of dust proclaim the glory of the man from heaven until he returns!
Day 1 of MCPC’s Building Expansion program
by Michiana Covenant | Jul 9, 2013 | Building
This morning the excavators began work on the building expansion project. Shortly after the end of the Men’s Discipleship Study I had the opportunity to witness them take the first scoop of grass out of the lawn.
We will be adding 640 square feet to the sanctuary as well as a 528 square foot addition to the fellowship hall which will have a movable partition, which will provide additional classroom space as well.
Watch this space for further updates!
by Michiana Covenant | May 11, 2013 | Breckinridge, MCPC
The Cross of Christ and the Kingdom of Christ are at the heart of the Christian faith and life.
Jesus, like John the Baptist, came proclaiming, “Repent, for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (Matthew 4:17) Likewise, Paul said to the Corinthians, “I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.” (1 Corinthians 2:2)
“The Cross and Kingdom of Jesus Christ” was one of the first titles written by Robert Jefferson Breckinridge (1800-1871). It consisted of two sermons, the first, “The Cross of Christ,” was his sermon for licensure in the Presbytery of West Lexington in April of 1832. The second, “The Kingdom of Christ,” was his sermon for ordination in the Presbytery of Baltimore in November of 1832.
I have chosen this as the title for my blog because I think Breckinridge was right: the Cross and the Kingdom of Christ should be at the heart of every pastor’s ministry — indeed, at the heart of every Christian’s life.
[hr]
Cross
The cross, which is the focus of this design and the power of the new covenant, give our viewer a familiar symbol of Christ’s sacrifice and resurrection.
Broken bread
In the new testament the worship of the early church is at times called “gathering together to break bread” (Acts 20:7), which included both the preaching of the word and the celebration of the covenant meal.
[hr]
Upside down kingdom
The crown, a symbol of worldly kingdoms, is turned upside down, thus referencing the upside down kingdom of our LORD.
Crown of Thorns
Our King wore a crown of thorns, representing his sacrifice and our call to die to self and live unto Christ.
Divided parts
Like the animal pieces and the broken bread, the LORD’S covenant is visualized by divided parts.
Upside down kingdom and Crown of Thorns
Separating the crown of thorns from the upside down crown represents the tension we feel living in this kingdom but looking towards the one to come.
[hr]
Mosaic
Our community aims to be all things to all people. The mosaic visualizes the bringing together of varied shapes, colors and sizes. We are one in brokenness. Our worship participates together with the church of all ages.
Out and up
This design moves out and up, symbolizing the resurrection of our Lord.
Texture
The texture represents the approachable, friendly and real nature of our church.
[hr]
I will conclude by quoting from Breckinridge’s sermons — which are as appropriate today as they were in 1832:
“Alas! How long has the universal dominion of this kingdom of righteousness been delayed; and what revolutions are yet to occur in all human affairs before this throne of glory shall be established in the affections of all the creatures of God! Generation sweeps after generation, all toiling as vigorously for the poor baubles of this world, as if the experience of every one did not teach all the rest that they perished in the using.” (35)
“And we, in our turn, and the dying worms around us…rush forward in the pursuit of the worthless vanities which surround us, with a zeal which seems to burn the more intensely, as the objects on which it is wasted, are valueless or hurtful in the judgment of the Most High.” (35-36)
Breckinridge concludes by stating well what we wish to remember in our day:
“Oh! that the day were come when every disciple of Jesus Christ would habitually remember that every impenitent sinner is indeed his brother according to the flesh, and has immeasurably higher claims on him than he has on God; and that every fellow disciple is a member of the same household of faith, and while he is a joint heir of the same inheritance in heaven, sustains also a joint obligation to labour for the conversion of the same ruined world. Then indeed would the light of Zion have risen upon her; then would she arise and shine.” (58)
by Michiana Covenant | Feb 17, 2013 | Catechesis, Pastor Peter Wallace, Pastoral Notes, Pastoral Practice, Psalmody, Sabbath
Jamie Stoltzfus linked to this article on Facebook (though it was Jacob’s comment, “Trying to picture Peter Wallace in plaid and skinny jeans” that called my attention to it and convinced me to read it!):
http://marc5solas.wordpress.com/2013/02/08/top-10-reasons-our-kids-leave-church/
It is a good reminder of why we are doing what we do — and a challenge to work on doing it even better!
1) Why do the catechism quiz every week (10:10 a.m.)? Because we are working on instilling within ourselves (and our children) the basic grammar of Christian doctrine. Don’t assume that this is only for children. I never memorized the catechism until we started doing it at MCPC, but I find that the repetition is really helping me to get it stuck in my head and heart (especially as we have added the scripture memory verses). And for those who may say, “Yeah, I did that once,” — I would ask, “Do you still know it?” If not, come back, let’s do it again — and again — and again! Is it perfect? No, but if we wait for perfection we’ll never do anything!
2) Sing. Paul says, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.” (Colossians 3:16). Notice that in Colossians 3, Paul isn’t talking about what we do in public worship — he’s talking about what we do in daily life! Do you know these songs well enough to sing them in your daily life? Do you incorporate them into your daily life? These are the sorts of customs and practices that sink deep into a person’s soul. If the only place you ever encounter this is on Sunday morning, then don’t expect it to get any further than one day a week in your life!
But Sunday morning is still a good place to start. Come and sing at 10 a.m. We generally sing through the most challenging piece of music that we’ll be singing in the morning service and work on it part by part. And as your children get older, bring them along to work on parts as well (and for those without kids, find a kid — or an adult who wants to learn how to sing — and take them under your wing to help them along). If you want to know how to sing better, stand next to [or in front of] someone who sings well.
And yes, we are planning on making sure that we have enough copies of the new psalter that you can have copies at home!
3) Talk with others about the sermon. Go deeper. Think together about what the scripture says about who Jesus is and what he has done. Let his story become the center of your conversation (it is, after all, the center of everything else!). Use the order of service throughout the week to encourage your daily prayers at home and with others. I include it here in the pastoral notes so that you can make use of it. Obviously, if you already have a thriving family worship time, then there is no need to alter it for this — but if you are looking for a place to start, it may help.
4) Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. The point of the Sabbath has to do with how we think about time. God said to work for six days and rest on the seventh. Do we set aside our labors for a whole day? God did. This was the pattern of creation. No, we don’t keep the same Sabbath as Israel (and we shouldn’t think about the Sabbath in terms of the whole Mosaic code — any more than we should think about theft in the same way as the whole Mosaic code!), but how do we use time? In the same way that we give to God the first of our produce, we should give to God the first of our time. Are we calling the Sabbath a delight? Or are we so focused on our own agendas that we squeeze God’s time out? Again — these sorts of practices and customs are crucial for shaping our life together before God.
Obviously, if these practices and customs do not really touch the core of our lives, then the children will see it — and will decry it as the hypocrisy that it is. But if they see the joy of the Spirit in us — if they see our thankful obedience reflected in our grace-filled walk, then perhaps by God’s grace they, too, will walk with us in the way of Christ.
by Michiana Covenant | Feb 10, 2013 | Pastor Peter Wallace, Pastoral Notes, Pastoral Practice, Psalmody, Worship
What shapes us? What forms us? What is it that makes us “who we are”? Are we shaped mostly by ideas (our intellectual beliefs) or by our practices and customs?
I grew up Baptist — but I became Reformed because I was convinced by the *ideas.* Did that make me Reformed? Sort of. I was a Reformed Christian *intellectually* — but as my friends noticed at the time, I was still fundamentally a Baptist in my ways of living, as one friend told me as I was grumbling about the problems of individualism in American church culture: “Peter, you’re the biggest individualist I know!”
Looking back, if I had continued to be an *ideas* person, who knows where I’d be today. What was it that formed me as a Reformed pastor?
1) Every Sunday morning and evening for more than two years I sat under the preaching of Lendall Smith at Bethel Orthodox Presbyterian Church in Wheaton, participating in their well-crafted liturgy — and coming to the Lord’s Supper (as I began to grasp intellectually what the Lord’s Supper really was, and trembling as I partook of Christ’s body and blood, as I realized that Paul’s warning really meant something!). And then I spent many Sunday afternoons — and other times — with the Larsons, the Brinks, the DeJongs, and other families — learning and watching their practice of being a Reformed family.
2) Every month for nearly five years (two at Wheaton and three at Westminster) I gathered with other students at the home of Darryl and Ann Hart to talk about what it means to be Reformed. Yes, there was deep theological discussion — but it was embodied in the lived practice of a community.
3) At Westminster I was frequently in the Powlison home (usually on the third floor with David and Sharon Covington). Again, the intellectual found its context in a vibrant fellowship of life together. For two years I lived with Steve and Lynn Igo — and their bouncing boys — participating in their family life and worship (our family worship bears considerable resemblance to theirs!), learning to put into practice the counseling paradigm that we were taught in our relationships with each other.
4) My first year at Notre Dame, I gathered with the Deliyannides and Devlins practically every Sunday in the Allison’s tiny 525 square foot apartment — where we always sang a half dozen Psalms. I had been convinced intellectually for years that we should sing more Psalms — but I had never done it! Ben Allison made sure that it happened. The rituals and practices of those few short months shaped me in ways that my ideas never had.
5) As I was licensed and ordained in the Orthodox Presbyterian Church, I was enculturated into a particular way of being Reformed — the boundaries and norms of the Midwest Presbytery shaped me both in explicit and implicit ways — some of which were significantly challenged when Glenn Jerrell walked into my life and gave me another way of being an OPC pastor. Two years of sitting under his ministry at Walkerton reshaped me in many ways (some of which I probably do not even realize!).
6) Plainly the content of what I learned and read has been crucial — but also who I learned it from! When you have learned Union with Christ from Dick Gaffin, Judges from Al Groves, Genesis from Doug Green, and when you have heard Sinclair Ferguson pray his lectures every day before he preaches them, you will never be the same again.
But all of this runs into another way of being and knowing and doing — one that is well-articulated by Matthew Vos’s article on the Super Bowl.
http://www.cardus.ca/comment/article/3864/prizes-and-consumables-the-super-bowl-as-a-theology-of-women/
[Thanks to Mark Hanson for the link — and to be fair, I should note that I watched most of the Super Bowl.]
Vos points out that the customs and practices encouraged by the Super Bowl embody a fundamentally idolatrous way of being human (an Ezekiel 16 sort of culture — for those who weren’t at MCPC a couple years ago, Ezekiel 16 could be summarized as, ‘Cinderella becomes a porn star’).
So much of the church today is trying to make Christianity more palatable to our culture by trying to put the content of Christianity into the forms and customs of our culture (see Vos’s comments on this). I once spoke to a young man from Muncie, Indiana, who said he was looking for a church down there. I asked him, “What are you looking for in a church?” He answered, “I just want to be entertained.”
I was dumbfounded at his honesty (so I didn’t quite know what to say!), but it got me thinking. There are two things that I do not want to do:
1) I do not want simply to entertain him (it would only cheapen the good news of what Jesus has done);
2) I do not want to bore him (that would also cheapen the good news of what Jesus has done!).
Rather, I want him to see that there is something so much more grand and glorious that God has done in Jesus! And that’s where the customs and practices of our life together are so essential. If what we do on Sunday morning is disconnected from what we do the rest of the week, then yes, it will feel jarring (and so if that young man would ever come to MCPC, I don’t doubt that he will find it strange — but by the Spirit of God he should see a strange and beautiful power revealed there!). But if what we do on Sunday morning begins to shape what we do the rest of the week, then we will begin to find the practices of our culture to be strange and jarring.
The ideas are relevant to all this — but disembodied ideas are a mere fantasy!
