Church of the Resurrection : June 9, 2006

09.06.06

June 9, 2006

Dear Resurrection Family,

As promised, I'll send you weekly reports from my sabbatical and study leave. This first two weeks away is my annual planning retreat, outlining sermons for the next twenty-four months.

In this week's e-mail:

1. Sermons for this Fall
2. Brainstorming Sermons for 2007-2008
3. Off to Houston this Weekend
4. Alaska Cruise Update
5. Don't Miss This. . .
6. Your Questions. . .My Answers

1. Sermons for this Fall
For this fall, I'll preach a series on maturing in the Christian life, followed by a six-week series on The Parables of Jesus, in which we'll consider some of the best loved and most important of Jesus' parables. We'll then end the year with a study of the Book of Revelation and the Second Coming of Christ in a series called, The Return of the King. I'll do more research on these sermons next week.

2. Brainstorming Sermons for 2007-2008
I spent yesterday on the back porch of my home praying about and brainstorming sermon ideas for 2007 and 2008. I began by writing down the ideas I have felt some conviction about, including the tentative plans I laid out last summer for the spring of 2007. Then I read over the ideas and suggestions submitted by our staff, whose input I solicited several weeks ago. Finally, I spent two hours reading over the ideas that our congregation members submitted in response to my invitation in this congregational e-mail several weeks ago. There were enough sermon ideas sent in to keep me busy for at least 40 years!

After praying, studying and reflecting upon the various suggestions I began to outline possible sermon series. As of yesterday I had 45 ideas for sermon series I felt excited about preaching - that's about six years worth of sermon series. My task today, as you are reading this, is to narrow that list down to 20, and to put a bit more flesh on these twenty. I'll take these with me to Houston tomorrow where members of our worship team will join me for a planning retreat. We'll narrow these 20 down to 14 series for 2007 and 2008.

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3. Off to Houston this Weekend
Four members of our worship planning team, representing traditional music, contemporary music and our video ministry will travel with me to Houston tomorrow morning. We will spend most of our time praying over, brainstorming and discussing the sermon ideas for the next two years. But we're doing this in Houston as a benchmarking trip to allow us to worship together at three large congregations and to spend time discussing what we learned from this experience. Our aim is to look for new ideas and ways of improving our worship at the church. I'll tell you more about these churches, and even post some photos, in my e-mail next week. Please keep us in your prayers.

4. Alaska Cruise Update
I've also been working this week on the details for an Alaskan Cruise LaVon and I will lead next summer on the theme of Making Love Last a Lifetime. We are finalizing the plans and will announce dates, costs and all specifics in next week's e-mail. We'll plan two informational meetings later this month with the opportunity for people to sign-up at that time. We currently have over 500 people who have expressed interest in this trip.

5. Don't Miss This. . .
Last weekend I invited you to consider being a part of the Leadership Summit hosted via satellite at the Church of the Resurrection this August 10-12. This event, coming to us live via satellite and big screen from Willow Creek Community Church in Chicago, is going to be an awesome and inspiring event. I am asking all of our leaders at the church to join me for this. Every committee member, all of our leaders in every ministry area - if at all possible, I'd like you to join me in attending. The cost for those outside our church is $235. Because we're hosting this event our folks can attend for only $65, but you must register by July 14 to receive this rate. Here is the weblink, www.cor.org. Once there, enter the password, summithost to receive the discounted rate. You'll be inspired, challenged and equipped for leadership. I am personally looking forward to this as part of my continuing education for the year.

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6. Your Questions. . .My Answers
Reading over all of the questions and sermon ideas you sent me last month, some are not necessarily questions I would address in a sermon series, but I might offer answers here in my pastor's e-mail. So, each week this summer I'll try to answer a couple of the questions submitted by congregation members. In today's e-mail I'll cover a nuts and bolts question and a theological question:

Question 1: Pastor Hamilton, what versions of the Bible do you recommend?

The answer to this question has two parts: 1. What translation of the Bible do I recommend and, 2. Is there a particular study Bible I would recommend?

My favorite translations of the Bible are the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) and the Today's New International Version (TNIV). The TNIV is the latest edition of the New International Version, which I think is the most readable of the popular translations of the Bible. Unfortunately, there is no study Bibles using the TNIV text yet (it will be out next year). For reviews of the TNIV click on this link: www.tniv.com/positive%20reviews/pastorsleaders.htm

Here are my favorite study Bibles: The NIV Study Bible (which will be even better with the TNIV translation - perhaps out in 2008 - until then the NIV Study Bible is excellent). This Bible has excellent introductions to each book of the Bible, and terrific cross-references so you can find other passages that tie into the passage you are reading. The notes at the bottom of the page are generally quite good and the concordance and maps in the back are helpful. This Study Bible is generally a bit more conservative, but still mainstream. The New Interpreters Study Bible comes in the NRSV translation and is a good study Bible, lacking some of the features of the NIV Study Bible, but offering good notes - it is from a more mainstream and slightly left of center perspective (which is why the two of these Bibles balance one another well). A new study Bible I just purchased is the Archaeological Study Bible - NIV. I have not had a chance to read it yet - but it ties in archaeological material with the text - I love archaeology so I look forward to seeing what this Bible offers. It includes a CD ROM with additional material. Finally, two additional study Bibles worth mentioning: the Life Application Bible, which comes in several translations, offers notes at the bottom of each page to help you apply the Bible to your daily life. The other is the HarperCollins Study Bible (NRSV). All of these Bibles are available at the church's bookstore.

Question 2: The second question I'll answer today has to do with the doctrine of "eternal security" or what Calvin called, "the perseverance of the saints." In popular terminology it is known as the doctrine of "once saved, always saved." United Methodists and most non-Calvinists reject this idea. Calvinists like to suggest that those of us who reject this idea believe it is possible to "slip" out of God's hands and we constantly live in fear of "losing" our salvation. This is not the case. We don't believe you can "lose" your salvation like you lose your keys or the remote control to your television. Neither do we believe you can slip out of God's hands. We do believe God will not force you to stay in his hands if you insist on leaving the safety of his grasp. We believe you can reject your salvation, walking away from it at any time if you choose. Why would anyone choose to do this? I believe that few do. But, I do believe it is God's nature not to remove this possibility.

The "perseverance of the saints" was bound up in the idea of election or predestination. If God predestined you to be among his people, you would eventually choose to follow Christ, and, if he chose you to be among his people, it would be impossible for you to ultimately turn away from your salvation. You have no choice in the matter. God chose you and will ensure that you will be saved. Eternal security seems to be a requirement for this view. Bear in mind that, according to those who hold this view, it is possible for someone to appear to be a believer, and later to reject the faith. But in these cases it is said that the individual was never truly among the elect - hence, while it appears they "lost" their salvation, they in fact were never saved to begin with!

What I appreciate about the doctrine of eternal security is the picture of God's grace it paints and the gift of assurance it offers. With Calvin I believe God is merciful. We are going to sin, and God knows that, and God regularly dispenses grace to us. We don't have to be afraid, every time we make a mistake, think a bad thought, say the wrong thing, that our salvation will be stripped from us. "God is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love," the scriptures promise us. And you can rest in the knowledge you belong to God, even if you blow it. God, like the Father of the Prodigal Son, never turns his back on you.

Many Christians cannot go so far as Calvin in saying that no matter what we do we cannot reject our salvation. I believe it is possible to have authentically accepted Christ and then to turn away and to ultimately choose to reject the gift that once was given. Even then I believe God is longing for us to come back home. God will not force us to return to him, nor will he force us to spend eternity in heaven with him when we were not interested in walking with him here on earth. So, yes, our salvation is secure, we do not need to be afraid, and God has us firmly in his grasp - but this does not preclude us from ultimately running away from God, and, if this happens, while God hopes we will come home to him, he will not force us to do so.

Okay, that's my five-minute response to the question of eternal security - admittedly off-the-cuff - but it gives you an idea of how Methodists see this doctrine.