Here are fresh footprints below by which all should follow. My own interpretation of my background and training was pretty much, Me and Jesus or maybe, Jesus and Me. I have thought for so long that the high ground against 1) spiritual dryness, 2) heresy and 3) want of fruitfulness in discipleship was personal, individualistic Christianity. I heard one of my fellow volunteer hospital chaplains say, "our patients need the church, they really need the church." I nodded in agreement; 8, 10, 15 years ago, I would have shaken my head in disagreement.
At the seminary bookstore, I used to sell this author--he was fairly popular from the IVP book rack.
The gospel call is a call to something, and that something is more than a doctrine or an experience or a heavenly juridicial transaction or the exercise of faith or even, exclusively, Jesus Christ. The gospel intends to call persons to the body of Christ, that is, the community of believers with Jesus Christ as its essential and sovereign head.
Howard Snyder, in his The Community of the King, IVP, 1977.
Lord, help me grow in my practice of the affirmation that when You save, You save Your people; it is Your church--the professing believers and their children--that is the divinely ordained context of Your saving power. Give me Jesus, Give me Jesus that I might stand alongside of others, within His body.
G. Mark Sumpter
"There is a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God." --Psalm 46:4
- Mark Sumpter
- Serving God with His people at Faith OPC has been a great joy and blessing. When I grow up, I want to umpire Little League Baseball. I will revel on that day when I can say to a 10-year-old boy after four pitched balls, "Take a walk in the sunshine." My wife of 30+ years, Peggy, consistently demonstrates the love of Christ and remains my very best friend. Our six children, our four lovely, sweetie-pie daughters-in-law, and our four grandchildren serve as resident theologians.
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