I Met Austin Walking the Streets of Grants Pass

A man in his late 20s spoke openly with me about the Trinity

I saw his license plate was gold and blue letters—he was from Alaska.

I approached him, “So, are you from Ft. Rich or Elmendorf?”

He shot back, “I live closest to Rt. Rich.” An Army base right outside of Anchorage.

“Yeah,” we were starting to grin and what not, and I asked, “Whereabouts near Ft. Rich?”

He admitted, “Well, actually, I live out in the Valley.”

“You’re kidding me, right?...You’re kidding me?” I queried.

OK…fast forward the conversation about 20 minutes in…

I tried to open the conversation a little, “Austin, you’re an articulate man…I mean that…you obviously have done quite a bit of thinking about the Bible and what it teaches. But I want to try to get something out to you…and I don’t know if I can express it very clearly…so hang in here with me.”

I continued, “OK. Here goes. We, who are Protestants and profess the faith of Christianity that’s been believed down through the centuries, have always tried to leave faith as part of the Christian life. God is God. Man is man. The doctrine or the teaching point of the Trinity, that is, 1+1+1=1 requires faith…we are finite creatures.”

Austin jumped in, “Now wait a minute…the Bible tells us we can have accurate knowledge…we can know God, we can know Him, after all, we’re His children.”

“You’re right, Austin….I don’t mean to come across by saying that God is unknowable,” I said.

I went on, “There’s mystery. We have to leave some things to God…like….uh…like, OK, here’s one: like the Bible. Who wrote the Bible—God or man? Somehow God so worked in man that God used man….how…exactly how did God use man to write the Bible? I do not know…I leave room for mystery about that.”

I gave another example, “God is over all things—He’s made everything—and He, at the same time, is all around us.” I then said it this way, “God is up and God is down.”

Then I asked him, “How do we explain that God is both above us and right here with us at the exact same time?” I answered, “We trust Him by faith; we believe what He has said about His own existence—He’s King, who is over us (Austin liked that title for God, “King”), and at the same time, is right here active and in control of all things.”

Austin assessed things and said, “The Trinity doesn’t make sense.”

He went on, “What do you think of the baptism of Jesus…He’s a man…He talked to Jehovah (that’s the name we use)…. And…..what about the other times where the Son talked to God—you tell me, Mark: How does God talk to God?” He summarized, “We’re talking about two separate distinct beings—separate, different, individual.”

The sun was blaring down. He was standing beside his pick-up and was having to go. I was starting to get a little tied up in emotional knots.

I offered one more thing: “Austin, I realize that this is going to sound pretty high minded and philosophical and all, but let me give it shot….here goes: do you know that for us to have this conversation we are both having to assume the reality of the Bible’s teaching on the Christian doctrine of the Trinity? I know that sounds kind of out there. But it’s true. We are working at this conversation, right now, and we are able to have this conversation right now, because we are working with two assumptions. 1) We are two distinct, separate and individual persons. 2) We are one and the same in that we share humanity as God’s creatures, as men made in His image—we come from One Father and God of all.”

I asked him, “Austin, do you follow that?”

Austin kind of smiled.

I mentioned to him, “Think of it…. God is One and God is Three.”

I did not attempt to explain the co-existence, co-sharing of the co-eternal being of the Godhead—the equality of existence of the oneness of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

I attempted one more time. “Austin, your particular existence, your separate existence allows you to speak with me. And my distinct, separate existence allows me to think of things to say and then say them to you….Also, the only reason we can speak to one another and carry on a conversation is because we share aspects of sameness—we’re both creatures, we’re both seeking to communicate, we’re both dependent image-bearers of God, Who is the One from Whom we originate and live… We must make use of the doctrine of the Trinity for life to make sense, for us to be able to have this conversation…we are borrowing from the reality of God Who exists as One and Three—Unity and Diversity, Oneness and Particularity.”

We shook hands to wrap up the conversation—it was a good firm Alaskan handshake—he remains a Jehovah Witness. He listened well. He was patient. He was gracious. But Austin believes that Jesus Christ is a creature, a perfect man.

G. Mark Sumpter

Dan Savage and Youth Ministry

Youth Ministry can learn from Savage

The words and works of Seattle sex advice columnist Dan Savage are no different than the other times and activities that have been influential on the rising generation. Fred MacMurray had his Follow Me, Boys!, Hitler stirred his 100,000+ youths in the late 1920s and early 30s, Billy Graham challenged youths at the rallies in Chicago and beyond, and Henrietta Mears influenced 1000s through Forest Home Christian Conference Center—and on and on it goes. Before we move on, let’s not forget about the dad wearing his red cardigan buttoned sweater in the 60s sitting next to his wife on the living room sofa—she’s wearing silver horned-rim glasses and her hair is in a bun—and he’s combing through the Luther League catechism at the family altar after the evening meal. Bessie, Jimmy and Butch are sitting at his feet. We can hear the recitation going on: Do you hope to be saved? Yes, that is my hope. In whom then do you trust? In my dear Lord Jesus Christ. Youth ministry and all, here, flourishes too. Influence happens. The elder shall serve the younger. Dan Savage knows youth ministry is inescapable.

We read of Savage gone savage in Seattle recently and we get upset. He’s been given a venue to practice in a concentrated way what Francis Schaeffer said in the opening paragraphs of How Should We Then Live? that theology comes out of our fingertips. Savage’s theology oozes—a non-Christian one, we know.

But what can we learn about youth ministry from Dan Savage?

1. Church Youth Ministry that tries to mimic his vulgarity and sensationalism shouldn’t. Our vulgarity cannot compete with Savage’s. Ours is too Christian. We’ll only spin our wheels in mimicry. We’ll get fame for 3 weeks, hear from our parents and church elders about it, and that will be that. Vulgarity is attractive to youth pastors. Don’t go there. The same goes for sensationalism. Sensationalism seems fun, but it is like spiritual Listerine—it puckers your lips and must be spit out. Dads, youth pastors, retreat speakers, stay with your strengths: tell stories. Tell them calmly, without the sensationalism of the bizarre and ooh; and without the cheek-grimacing, eye-squinting looks due to the gore—and please, retreat speakers, forgo for the umpteenth time some story about throwing up. A good story about a slice of your life about what you learned will go miles for discussion fodder with young people. Savage wants to light up the scoreboard. Take your cues from Joshua—tell stories about the memorial stones stacked up next to the Jordan.

2. Church Youth Ministry that practices one-person, one-direction influence, like Savage’s, loses. You, dad, in the cardigan sweater can outdo Savage. Youth pastor or small group leader on Wednesday nights, you can own Savage. He speaks from a distance. He’s at a microphone—he stands on a platform at that. Also, as a columnist, he writes at a keyboard. His ministry is one of d-i-s-t-a-n-c-e. Unlike Savage, dad and mom, you live with your sons and daughters. Elders and pastors, you live around the 20-somethings in your congregation. Savage doesn’t. He won’t win because of his distance. He can speak. But he cannot model. His practical theology is absent of Trinitarianism. Not yours. Be with your students. Speak to them, live with them. Teach them, and model alongside of them. Trinitarianism wins. Not Unitarianism—not the one person, one way, influence. No way. Savage loses. Youth Ministry which practices Trinitarian life with connectionalism with life-to-life discipleship, with multiple persons and varied persons, wins. Savage is transcendent, but his immanence is wanting.

3. Church Youth Ministry that lacks the biblically informed practice of circular reasoning will fail with respect to defending truth on the street. Savage does circular reasoning. In his apologetics, he uses an authority to defend authority. We can learn some things from him. Apologetics in Youth Ministry has been popular for decades. Evidence That Demands a Verdict blew wind in our sails for 35 years—and it’s still blowing. It’s been the Youth Ministry Apologetics Thing. Watch Savage. Believe it or not—he appeals to the Bible. There’s nothing new here; many people do. But Youth Pastor, take a cue from Savage. The Seattle Times writes of the recent speech that he gave, “In the speech, Savage, citing Sam Harris’ ‘Letter to a Christian Nation,’ said the Bible gave instructions about how to treat slaves. If the Bible erred ‘on the easiest moral question that humanity has ever faced ... What are the odds that the Bible got something as complicated as human sexuality wrong? 100 percent,’ said Savage. Students are heard cheering and clapping.” Savage, like Sam Harris, has standards. In this case, interestingly, it’s his use of the Bible. Two questions come to mind—1) How do I know the Bible is true? 2) How can I make proper use of it? On the first, the Bible says it is true. The Bible is the cement upon which knowledge rests. Can we really use the Bible to prove the Bible? You bet. How is Savage proving his points about questions in life? He’s proving his answers with the Bible. Good, Mr. Savage, I say. He knows that no argument proves itself; there must be a starting point. Good for him. For many of us as Christians, sadly, our starting point might be experience. Feelings. Medicine. A parent. Archaeology. The number of extant NT manuscripts. But wait. What happened to using the Bible? Savage does. Why don’t we? If we use something other than the Bible as an ultimate authority then we haven’t proven it to be ultimate authority. We used something outside of and apart from the Bible. Youth Ministry, make your starting point the Word. Second question: How can I make proper use of it? This is where Savage goes savage. He’s dead wrong on this one. He imports feelings or science or statistical information into his interpretation; rather, instead, the Bible should interpret itself. Mr. Savage, let the Bible teach us. You appeal to it, use it—properly. Dad, mom, elder, Sunday school teacher, the Bible has 66 Books. It is one voice with multiple authors within its cover. The voice of the Old Testament is heard in the New. The New speaks and echoes the Old. Scripture, our authority, interprets Scripture. Only God testifies about Himself. Equally biblical, only God is to explain His teaching about slavery, sexuality, marriage, personhood, work, family, calling and more. We must go to the Bible as our final authority, and we must use the Bible properly to prove and interpret ethics for everyday living. On one hand, we take a cue from Savage—we are to prove our points by God’s Book; on the other hand, we must become students of the Word to use it well. Savage gets our attention about these things. When Youth Ministry recovers a practical apologetics, biblically informed about its circular reasoning, just as Savage shows us, we’ll begin to properly equip our students in our churches.

In thinking about tolerance or no—with respect to Mr. Savage and his ways, and in addressing the matter of straight bashing or no, and bullying or no, Youth Ministry is cooking in Seattle. We all get our shot at this. The Savage train is right on schedule. Toot. Toot. Youth Ministry, get aboard.

G. Mark Sumpter

As the Election Year Takes Shape

The Westminster Confession of Faith

CHAPTER 23   Of the Civil Magistrate


1. God, the supreme Lord and King of all the world, hath ordained civil magistrates, to be, under him, over the people, for his own glory, and the public good: and, to this end, hath armed them with the power of the sword, for the defense and encouragement of them that are good, and for the punishment of evildoers.

2. It is lawful for Christians to accept and execute the office of a magistrate, when called thereunto: in the managing whereof, as they ought especially to maintain piety, justice, and peace, according to the wholesome laws of each commonwealth; so, for that end, they may lawfully, now under the new testament, wage war, upon just and necessary occasion.

3. Civil magistrates may not assume to themselves the administration of the Word and sacraments; or the power of the keys of the kingdom of heaven; or, in the least, interfere in matters of faith. Yet, as nursing fathers, it is the duty of civil magistrates to protect the church of our common Lord, without giving the preference to any denomination of Christians above the rest, in such a manner that all ecclesiastical persons whatever shall enjoy the full, free, and unquestioned liberty of discharging every part of their sacred functions, without violence or danger. And, as Jesus Christ hath appointed a regular government and discipline in his church, no law of any commonwealth should interfere with, let, or hinder, the due exercise thereof, among the voluntary members of any denomination of Christians, according to their own profession and belief. It is the duty of civil magistrates to protect the person and good name of all their people, in such an effectual manner as that no person be suffered, either upon pretense of religion or of infidelity, to offer any indignity, violence, abuse, or injury to any other person whatsoever: and to take order, that all religious and ecclesiastical assemblies be held without molestation or disturbance.

4. It is the duty of people to pray for magistrates, to honor their persons, to pay them tribute or other dues, to obey their lawful commands, and to be subject to their authority, for conscience' sake. Infidelity, or difference in religion, doth not make void the magistrates' just and legal authority, nor free the people from their due obedience to them: from which ecclesiastical persons are not exempted, much less hath the pope any power and jurisdiction over them in their dominions, or over any of their people; and, least of all, to deprive them of their dominions, or lives, if he shall judge them to be heretics, or upon any other pretense whatsoever.

G. Mark Sumpter

Discipleship 101

All of life and all of the world called to follow Christ's authority

2 Timothy 1:9-10 “…who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our  works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began, but has now been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who has abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel…”

“On two separate occasions Peter received the call ‘Follow me.’ It was the first and the last word Jesus spoke to his disciple (Mark 1:17; John 21:22). A whole life lies between these two calls. The first occasion was by the lake of Gennesareth, when Peter lest his nets and his craft and followed Jesus at his word. The second occasion is when the Risen Lord finds him back at his old trade. Once again it is by the lake of Gennesareth, and once again the call is, “Follow me.’” The Cost of Discipleship, pp. 45-46.

My inclination and disposition does not fit with Christ’s call to service. Bonhoeffer, remember with regard to discipleship, says Christ summons a man to come and die. I don’t die well. Jesus commands followership that is one’s life in toto. The same for the world—all things are under Him.

When Paul speaks of God who has “saved us and called us with a holy calling,” I am reminded that He had to shake up my life. He had to invade and subdue my life. Otherwise I would continue to live in rebellion. Today I preached on the working of God’s exceeding greatness toward us who believe (Eph. 1:19). My main goal centered on God’s provision of His Son to overcome death and hell and to place Him as the One and Only who is seated at the right of God and reigning over all. “…He put all things under His feet…”

At Christ’s resurrection the whole world came under His dominion. We get the on-set of the entire world being subdued—all things which He made, all things in providence under His authority, all things under God with their various functions and uses. The whole world and everything in it must follow in discipleship.

All things: my self-centered attitudes and ways, my past, present and future, the skeleton and muscles of my body, my parents and siblings, my wife and children, the neighborhood, city, county and state, the church where I serve, the nation with her election year, education and economics, ladybugs and laser surgery, galaxies and germs, and property taxes and verb tenses.

The whole of my life—very similar to Jesus’ call to Peter—is to be for the Lord. The whole world, as well, is in discipleship to the Lord. He tells me, and He tells the world, “Come and follow.”

G. Mark Sumpter

Cultured

Abstractions Needful, But There’s More

I first started to learn something about being cultured, as we would call it, around the Sumpter dinner table; this is what I remember as a young kid.

My folks would talk about being cultured. They aimed very practically by speaking, for example, of the pleasure and blessing of the Japanese violin players who were downstairs in our home; these young men were housed with us, the members of a Japanese symphony orchestra. This happened in Anchorage maybe at some point back in 1969, maybe ’70. Cultured—it’s having an interest in classical music, even more, supporting it with your presence at performances. That meant going to the West High auditorium to listen to the rapid saw-work of the bow on the strings. It was OK. For my folks, it was culture.

Later my experience—again speaking practically with an example—involved eating at a dinner table. I’m thinking of remembering and heeding that flatware, fairly finely arranged spoke of being cultured. The forks set on the left, spoon and knife on the right, and so on. I was scared at the home of Dick Stites, my coming, future father-in-law. The forks were noticeably on the left. I thought—but when do I pick it up? Do I use my knife to help get the peas in place? As a high school boy, I was scared because my home resembled 60-70% of the time the dinner table in the movie Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. It was be a hog or get hogged—I was reared with three other big, knuckles-dragging-to-the-floor older brothers. We were nasty boys and squeaky fat.

So I was scared when I was invited to the Stites home. Likely, as I remember, it was not on the very first dinner with the Stites family, that I boo-booed a biggie by keeping the Pork Chops serving fork at my plate. Bad move and embarrassing—and not cultured. I showed irresponsibility around the table, an absence of table mindedness. My wife remembers. Yes, now a family joke; but I remember it as a want of art.

How does a kid growing up in this experience interpret the world around him? Fear it. Resist it. Resent it. Make fun of it. Harden myself against it. Decide that it’s for sissies.

The Gospel has grabbed me by the lapels the past 3-4 years. For some reason, God decided to give me a lesson in art, culture, life and liturgy in a most unusual way. Last month while at the Library of Congress at the Jefferson Building in Washington, D.C., I got a lecture from Shirley MacLain. Let me mention it here.

While doing my tourist thing, waiting my turn for a tour, a library assistant urged me to meander over to the exhibit of Gershwin and Hope—George and Bob, that is. Can you spell c-u-l-t-u-r-e? Spell a-r-t (music)?—expression, rhythm, syncopation, lyrics, meter, mannerisms, an audience and context.

It grabbed me—of all things!—while surveying the pictures of Bob Hope and his dotted history of entertainment. The survey of pictures and memorabilia turned to a theological discourse. It’s Shirley MacLaine’s remark: Politics that are void of the insight of art—its compassion, humor and laughter—are doomed to sterility and abstractions. (1972)

Substitute the words, The people that are void…

Substitute the words, The churches that are void…

Substitute the words, The families that are void…

MacLaine nailed me.

I have been given to abstractions—that is, there in abstractions, there is life, truth, help, hope and meaning. She got me to thinking, “I’ve been a Christian, a pastor, encompassed by the stranglehold of abstractions and it’s been a life of sterility.”

I’ll try to write more on this. But I have learned the Gospel is not about mere abstractions. Just look outside—God invites us to his art room: mountains, plains, rivers, rolling hills, hay fields, checker-board farmlands, ocean deeps—and the constellations, hosts and dancing of the shooting stars. He is the Artist. He is cultured.

Each Sunday, at my home church, we celebrate the Lord’s Supper. It’s dinner time. Flatware, words of welcome, a minster who serves, cup, bread, trays, persons to eat. The Gospel gets down to a shared meal. The abstractions of preaching become taste and see. I am so very thankful for holding, tasting, seeing, smelling, swallowing truth. The head alone can take only so much.

Teach me, Lord, teach me of the necessity of the artforms and culture. I want to be cultured.

G. Mark Sumpter

Encore

A Tilt-A-Whirl of Sorts

“All the towering materialism which dominates the modern mind rests ultimately upon one assumption; a false assumption. It is supposed that if a thing goes on repeating itself it is probably dead; a piece of clockwork. People feel that if the universe was personal it would vary; if the sun were alive it would dance. This is a fallacy even in relation to known fact. For the variation in human affairs is generally brought into them, not by life, but by death; by the dying down or breaking off of their strength or desire. A man varies his movements because of some slight element of failure or fatigue. He gets into an omnibus because he is tired of walking; or he walks because he is tired of sitting still. But if his life and joy were so gigantic that he never tired of going to Islington, he might go to Islington as regularly as the Thames goes to Sheerness. The very speed and ecstacy of his life would have the stillness of death. The sun rises every morning. I do not rise every morning; but the variation is due not to my activity, but to my inaction. Now, to put the matter in a popular phrase, it might be true that the sun rises regularly because he never gets tired of rising. His routine might be due, not to a lifelessness, but to a rush of life. The thing I mean can be seen, for instance, in children, when they find some game or joke that they specially enjoy. A child kicks his legs rhythmically through excess, not absence, of life. Because children have abounding vitality, because they are in spirit fierce and free, therefore they want things repeated and unchanged. They always say, “Do it again”; and the grown-up person does it again until he is nearly dead. For grown-up people are not strong enough to exult in monotony. But perhaps God is strong enough to exult in monotony. It is possible that God says every morning, “Do it again” to the sun; and every evening, “Do it again” to the moon. It may not be automatic necessity that makes all daisies alike; it may be that God makes every daisy separately, but has never got tired of making them. It may be that He has the eternal appetite of infancy; for we have sinned and grown old, and our Father is younger than we. The repetition in Nature may not be a mere recurrence; it may be a theatrical ENCORE. Heaven may ENCORE the bird who laid an egg. If the human being conceives and brings forth a human child instead of bringing forth a fish, or a bat, or a griffin, the reason may not be that we are fixed in an animal fate without life or purpose. It may be that our little tragedy has touched the gods, that they admire it from their starry galleries, and that at the end of every human drama man is called again and again before the curtain. Repetition may go on for millions of years, by mere choice, and at any instant it may stop. Man may stand on the earth generation after generation, and yet each birth be his positively last appearance.” –G.K. Chesterton

G. Mark Sumpter  

What is Theology?

John Frame envelops theology with persons who use the Scriptures

“THEOLOGY is the application of the Word of God by persons to all areas of life… TEACHING is the use of God’s revelation to meet the spiritual needs of people…. By defining theology as application, I am not seeking to disparage the theoretical work of theologians. Theory is one kind of application. It answers certain kinds of questions and meets certain kinds of human needs…I am, however, seeking to discourage the notion that theology is ‘properly’ something theoretical, something academic, as opposed to the practical teaching that goes on in preaching, counseling, and Christian friendship.” John Frame in his, DOCTRINE OF THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD—pp. 81, 84.

Frame’s definition of theology throws the mandate and task of the church of knowing, loving and serving our great God into Trinitarian faith and life. In order to show forth our image after God’s likeness, we are persons bound in relationship to one another—the church, who study, learn and mutually nurture in such a way as to show submission to the Bible’s promises and commands aiming for life-application in the nitty-gritty of every area of thinking and living.

G. Mark Sumpter

After the Lord’s Supper

The part about “to...fulfill their vows…”

Question 175 from the Westminster Larger Catechism


Q. 175. What is the duty of Christians, after they have received the sacrament of the Lord's supper?


A. The duty of Christians, after they have received the sacrament of the Lord's supper, is seriously to consider how they have behaved themselves therein, and with what success; if they find quickening and comfort, to bless God for it, beg the continuance of it, watch against relapses, fulfill their vows, and encourage themselves to a frequent attendance on that ordinance: but if they find no present benefit, more exactly to review their preparation to, and carriage at, the sacrament; in both which, if they can approve themselves to God and their own consciences, they are to wait for the fruit of it in due time: but, if they see they have failed in either, they are to be humbled, and to attend upon it afterwards with more care and diligence.


At Faith Presbyterian, we left worship renewed in the covenant mercies and covenant marching orders of the Lord last week, and there was the stress of fulfilling our vows to one another; after all, we had just heard from the Lord of His renewal with us, now it was time in our own renewal to walk in the vows. So, there was the exhortation: “we’ve just sat at the Table together; we say we enjoy the Table Fellowship, let us go forward and be the family we are in Christ Jesus.”


I like this question: What is the duty of Christians, after they have received the sacrament of the Lord's supper?


G. Mark Sumpter

The Communion of the Saints

“All saints, that are united to Jesus Christ their Head, by His Spirit, and by faith, have fellowship with Him in His grace, sufferings, death, resurrection, and glory: and, being united to one another in love, they communion in each other's gifts and graces...” That's part of Chapter 26 Of the Communion of Saints, found in the Westminster Confession of Faith.

Newer publications on the doctrine of the Trinity have brought about focus to Christian community. God is one God, who exists in three persons, and these three are the same in substance and equal in power and glory. Maybe you remember the spiritually rich, traditional hymn, “Holy, Holy, Holy...God in Three Persons, blessed Trinity.”

Heeding the importance of and good gift of genuinely connected godly relationships cannot be emphasized enough. Too easily we go along in life stringing loose acquaintances together, one after another, like pearls on a string, and we're satisfied with this low-level acquaintance necklace. One specific danger of the loose string of acquaintances is how we're disconnected from one another in our day to day roles. If we're only living at the acquaintance level, then we'll miss the other community aspects of who we are as husband, wife, mother, father, welder, homemaker, grandparent, painter, cab driver, girl scout volunteer, elder, coach, music teacher, student, gardener, coin collector or what have you. Often we're only known in one role. But we have many roles, and those roles overlap. Working at our wider, more thorough connections in life with their multifaceted applications takes effort. We are given to settle for the splintered approach knowing one another in one safe, most-often acknowledged, and self-protected role. We like our freedom. The Trinity shows us both the oneness in being, who God is, and oneness in doing, what He does. For us, being together and doing things together is the work of a lifetime.

G. Mark Sumpter