Confessions About My Emotional Hard Drive

Lacking Emotion About Those in Pain?

I’ve had to work at keeping fresh emotionally about the plight of the Haitians and their trauma following the January 12 earthquake, and then the aftershock quake. Our family has prayed, my wife and I have prayed, and we prayed in earnest, but I am concerned—has the fact of hearing of another catastrophic event of overwhelming tragedy badly affected me? How many fires, hurricanes and tsunamis, and how many stories from Iraq, Afghanistan and Ft. Hood, Texas can the hard drive of human emotion take? I’m a pastor; I’m supposed to have a second hand nature of a spongy heart.

Do I have SND? Shocking News Dysfunction.

I have gone to web sties to view the Port au Prince pictures, and I’ve listened to the radio catching the stories of the raw circumstances and the ones about hope. Christian missionary reports abound too.

Why at times the difficulty of entering the world’s pain?

I cite a few possible answers about this difficulty. Sumpter, watch your doctrine and your life on this stuff, do not be deceived:

●Love includes emotions, but it is more than an emotion. Your ability to enter into the Haitian pain or the house-fire family devastation in Mississippi with deep, heart-felt emotional empathy is not the dominant standard by which to measure love. Love is a four letter word: G-I-V-E. Sometimes love is known apart from heart-tugs and compassion-vibrations. Sometimes. You don’t have to be on an emotional float in the parade to show love, to show care. Practice giving. Practice that kind of care right now, right here in Grants Pass. Emotions come and go; they are not the sure-trust, unfailing way to know and practice love.

●Enter into the usefulness of prayer. Has your callous spirit, Sumpter, overtaken you because you think you’re helpless? Are you lacking emotional sensitivity because you think, I can’t do anything about the situation anyway, so move on; don’t concern yourself with what’s happened 4,000-5,000 miles away. You are not helpless; you are not without an ability to help. How? Get on your knees and pray. That’s the most important help you can demonstrate. Man may feel helpless by distance; God is not hindered by distance. Psalm 139. He is there! The apostle Paul asked for prayer from the Colossians, in Asia Minor, while he’s miles and miles away in Rome or Caesarea in prison.

●Don’t neglect the practical acts of care today. Don’t neglect people. Are you so tuned into protecting your projects, driving on ahead to get to your own destination that you walk on the other side of the road of those stranded and in the ditch of life? Yesterday, I was heading out of the local hospital. I was heading out, going home. A very typical Southern Oregon man—ball cap, facial hair, probably 7 hunting magazines on his truck dashboard—looked at me a little longer than usual. I knew he wanted to talk. I didn’t know him from Adam. Yes, sure enough, he wanted to talk. His girlfriend is likely faced with serious issues. I was heading out; he needed a pair of human ears at that moment. Stopping to listen was the mandate. There were no spiritual hoochies and feelgoods at that moment. I need to practice entering into human pain today. People always, always need encouragement.

I have the tendency to get gushy and sentimental. I am still learning to grow up. I want emotion, yes; but I also want to be a Christian about tragedy, pain and real-to-life people faced with real-to-life devastation.

G. Mark Sumpter

Biblical Studies on Homosexuality. 1

Getting a Start on the Positions of Homosexual Exegesis

Ed Welch begins his booklet with opening questions intended to set out a biblical approach in taking up discussion with the homosexual community.

He says:

Because of our unity with the Christian church as a whole, there are corporate sins in which we share. Has the church been, at times, self-righteous toward the homosexuals? Is there homophobia in some of our congregations, fear, or even hatred? Do we tend to think of homosexuality as worse than the gossip and private idolatries that are rampant in the church? Has the church been unwelcoming to spiritually searching homosexuals? The answer to these questions is certainly, Yes, we have sinned.

On the basis of self-examination before God and the Word, then and only then, do we take up talks and discussions with homosexuals. It seems like Matthew 7:5 guides us at this point: “...first remove the plank from you own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.” Self-examination is key; also, just because we about self-examination, it does not mean that Scripture is in error about it's message to homosexuals. Welch cautions us that we shouldn't apologize for Scriptural truth, and we shouldn't shrink back from the Bible's authority. We're to own up to our own sin, and all the while stand on the firm ground of truth as we engage in conversation with homosexuals. In sum, this is Welch's starting point: godly self-examination and standing on the Word.

Right alongside of self-examination, Welch is successful at helping us to take up a right approach on doing faithful Bible study with respect to the homosexual positions. He first asks us to clear away some older approaches.

He writes:

Don't rely on your biblical study on homosexuality from a decade ago. Don't assume that being familiar with some of the criticism of recent biological research on homosexuality means that you are prepared. Today new interpretations of Scripture and sophisticated medical studies are challenging us to think more clearly. People smarter than ourselves are becoming persuaded that committed homosexual relationships are biblically permissible. In response, either we must repent and say that we have misinterpreted Scripture or we must offer a position that is compassionate, biblically sound, and able to account for the observations of current research. Also, if we maintain that homosexuality is sin, then we must not only defend that position, but we must develop a strategy where we pursue homosexuals to urge them to repentance.

The booklet offers great insight and practical help. We'll try and offer more help on this soon. Welch has my attention.

G. Mark Sumpter

Miracles 101

Were the Lord's Miracles A Show of Suspending God's Natural Order?

In class with John Frame, I recall being taught that there's a close relationship, maybe almost indistinguishable one, between God's working of providence and His working of miracle.

Professor Frame would set forth a case for providence being considered a mighty work, a glorious-wondrous work. He would cite texts like the Psalms 104, 107, and others. He would defend his position by saying that a faithful reading of the psalms, for example, shows that God's intervention of glorious works were described not as miraculous, but ordinary displays of His governing, upholding providence.

But now, take in and listen to Tim Keller, he's reflecting on the miracle of the resurrection of Jesus:

The most instructive thing about this text, [Matthew 28: 16-20 and the resurrection appearance] is, however, what it says about the purpose of Biblical miracles. They lead not simply to cognitive belief, but to worship, to awe and wonder. Jesus’s miracles in particular were never magic tricks, designed only to impress and coerce. You never see him say something like “see that tree over there? Watch me make it burst into flames!” Instead, he used miraculous power to heal the sick, feed the hungry, and raise the dead. Why? We modern people think of miracles as the suspension of the natural order, but Jesus meant them to be the restoration of the natural order. The Bible tells us that God did not originally make the world to have disease, hunger, and death in it. Jesus has come to redeem where it is wrong and heal the world where it is broken. His miracles are not just proofs that he has power but also wonderful foretastes of what he is going to do with that power. Jesus’s miracles are not just a challenge to our minds, but a promise to our hearts, that the world we all want is coming.

The Reason for God, pp. 95-96 by PCA Pastor Timothy Keller

God's mighty working, with miracles, shows forth the dawn of the age of Christ's turning back sin, death and the devil, and setting forth the great foretaste of heavenly power.

Indeed, by miracles we taste and see the goodness of God's authoritative word and the power of the age to come.

G. Mark Sumpter

Bulimia Matters. 15

Grace Right Alongside of Law--Amen!

From J.G. Machen:

When I come thus to Jesus as a sinner, confessing that I have not obeyed His commands, confessing that I have nothing to offer to Him, but am utterly unworthy and utterly helpless, has He anything to say to me? Does He say merely: You have heard my high commands; that is all that I have to say; that is all the gospel that I have to give you; that is all the doctrine you can have.

No, thank God, that is not all the He has to give me--that cold comfort of a command that I have not kept and cannot keep. He gives me something more than that. He gives Himself. He offers Himself to me in the Bible as my Savior who died for me on the Cross and who now lives as the one whom I can trust. He offers Himself to me in great doctrines of His person and work. If He were some other, He could not save me and I could not trust Him to save me. But because He is very God, He could save me and did save me and I have been united to Him by the Holy Spirit through faith.

Do you not see, my friends? That is the reason why the Christian clings to the doctrine of the deity of Christ.

Meat and potatoes from the New Testament Professor’s, The Christian View of Man, pp. 22-23, from the Banner of Truth, the British edition, 1965.

G. Mark Sumpter

Hearing and Seeing Truth

Life on Life Discipleship Opens the Eye-Gate and Ear-Gate

Our teaching ministries need more and more of the organic climate of the home--everyday life with illustrations, stories and well-lived examples and models. Windows on the blessings in life, and windows on the warts. We need the real-to-life learning perspective of seeing and hearing. This is hard for us who are institutionally-anchored people. Classrooms make it an uphill climb if we're aiming for an organic climate.

A.B. Bruce wrote of the disciples and their day to day living classroom with Jesus, when they would walk together by the way, when they would lie down and rise up.

In the training of the twelve for the work of the apostleship, hearing and seeing the words and works of Christ necessarily occupied an important place. Eye and ear witnessing of the facts of an unparalleled life was indispensable preparation for future witness-bearing. The apostles could secure credence for their wondrous tale only by being able to preface it with the protestation, 'That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you.' None would believe their report, save those who, at the very least, were satisfied that it emanated from men who had been with Jesus.

….In the early period of their discipleship hearing and seeing seem to have been the main occupation of the twelve. They were then like children born into a new world, whose first and by no means least important course of lessons consists in their use of their senses in observing the wonderful objects which they were surrounded…

The Training of the Twelve by A.B. Bruce, p. 41.

So what can we do? As teachers, plan ahead for organic slices of life. In what way? Panel discussions, interview parents, tell stories, read stories, object lessons, question and answer sessions, lap boards, story boards, wall-boards, pictures, power point, response sheets, and more.

The life on life work of discipleship teaching showcases a slow-growth methodology that invites the multi-sensory approach to learning. We're often uncomfortable with it, because there's less control in the learning process. But over time with some practice teachers and students can make some positive strides that benefit learning.

G. Mark Sumpter

The Science Calvary Coming Over the Ridge

Caution about Inflated Assessments of Human Abilities

I am dabbling in the Crossway Book, Science and Grace, and it's really, really thought provoking. Here's one meditation point from page 163.

Point of Hope: Because Christianity holds to the doctrine of the transcendence of God, that is, He is our great, exalted Creator-God who made everything, then we may rightly conclude that it is a Christian thing to search out and discover all things for the sake of the increase of our understanding. God is our God, we know Him through faith, and so, bingo--we have hope and purpose about investigating all that He has made. It is good to pursue knowledge of Him and His ways in the earth.

Point of Caution: Although the Christian assumption just above about God gives warrant for the pursuit of scientific inquiry, man has ventured into what this book calls, “inflated assessments of human abilities.” The caution comes as Christians think that really and truly coming to know God--like the glorious attributes of His power, wisdom, knowledge and infinity, for example, is predominantly a scientific endeavor. The authors conclude about this: “While most Christians would reject this role for science, we often find ourselves looking hopefully for validation or fearing the ridicule of the science of the day in ways that belie this rejection.”

Good stuff.

G. Mark Sumpter

Hope for the Haitians

The Church and Its Ministry in Such a Time as This

The Orthodox Presbyterian Church continues to update us regarding specific prayer matters and ministry needs for the Haitians, generally, and our missionaries and other servants, specifically, after the devastation from yesterday's earthquake.

OPC Pastor Steve Igo of Cedar Presbyterian of Hudsonville, MI, along with a team of 2 or 3 others, has been there for the past week or two, and here's an update from him.

Steve writes:

No doubt, tomorrow we will dig people out of the debris and help transport people to places of help. But in the midst of the overwhelming physical work, the most important thing we will do for the people of Haiti is profoundly spiritual. We will pray with them. We will listen to their stories. We will weep when they weep, and rejoice when they rejoice. And we will urge every one we meet to lift up their eyes to the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth. Jesus Christ will be present with us tomorrow, and we fully expect him to make himself known among the people we serve in His name.

May there be the gospel's steadfast hope with encouragement from our Lord's compassion...

Matthew 8:14-17

When Jesus came into Peter's house, he saw Peter's mother-in-law lying in bed with a fever. He touched her hand and the fever left her, and she got up and began to wait on him. When evening came, many who were demon-possessed were brought to him, and he drove out the spirits with a word and healed all the sick. This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah: "He took up our infirmities and carried our diseases."

Let us pray.

G. Mark Sumpter

Clutch Preaching

Application of Texts and Today's Preachers

We might call it clutch preaching. It's when men in the pulpit are driving home textual application to the congregation in today's church and world situations. We're talking about men coming through from the pulpit in the clutch. He's able to deliver today's mail.

From where I stand, such preaching comes up rarely. According to my own background in training and from the days of being under several men in their own pulpit work, it was the exception not the expected.

Here are some examples:

What does the Bible Say about Societal and Social Enemies?

Exploring the Lines of Morality and Practice for the Entertainment World

What's the Fuss Over Phonics and Outcome Based Education?

Tracing Out the Practical Implications of Taxation

Does the Bible Require Christians to Vote?

Marketing Humor and Advertising Hype--What Does the Bible Teach Us?

The Sound Theology and Practice of Martyrdom

Certainly, there can be several other textually-based application areas noted. The chief concern I am pointing out, with an eye on my own pulpit work, is the absence of the breadth of application.

I find myself giving consistent focus to the staple three: health, relationships and finances. I need to realize that even if I am not as well-read in a greater range of topics, I can still explore, when appropriate, the greater range. Yes, I need to be reading more widely; I also need to be anticipating opportunities in texts to explore application points more widely. It doesn't necessarily mean a full sermon on the application subject matter. It does mean being at the ready to make application in areas beyond my staple subjects.

Is breadth for application, diversity of thought and life, on my radar screen when I am preparing the sermon?

G. Mark Sumpter

Is This What Mark McGwire Was Seeing While on Roids?

Double Cool Picture from Pastor Jeff Meyers of St. Louis

Today, Mark McGwire, homerun super champ in 1998, spoke openly about his steroid use during the 1990s. He came clean with MLB and the sports world about what he had been covering up.

I know roids benefits strength, endurance and injury recovery. Surely it doesn't affect one's vision, does it? Check out Busch Stadium of St. Louis here. HT: Pastor Meyers. Go right here to see more of Jeff's great photos.

G. Mark Sumpter

A Jewel of a Servant

Elder Dick Hake of Covenant Church, Burtonsville, MD Well-Remembered

Dick first greeted me at a meeting of the session in May of 1994, there in Burtonsville, MD at Covenant OPC, and asked me about evangelism, it was something like this--"Mark, what would you do to help the church keep it's edge about presenting Jesus Christ to this lost world?" He was taking part in the interview process when I was being considered for the position of Associate Pastor.

He pressed the senior pastor and I a little more at a subsequent meeting, "Are you men seeking to keep evangelism in the fore-front of all that the church is doing?"

Dick was a pastor-shepherd and evangelist wrapped in grace and truth.

My father and brother, Dick Hake, rests in the glory of our Living Savior's presence today! Last evening he departed to be with Christ.

I will always treasure his very candid, yet manifestly humble way of speaking of the Lord Jesus and His claims. He indeed was a witness of the glorious work of Christ in a very contagious and faithful way. It mattered not of the life-station of people--the homeless, single mothers, those of varied tongue, tribe or clan, he practiced the mandate of Jesus: love your neighbor.

What a servant, what an example. I am grateful for the opportunity to have been around him for a good 4-5 years. He served as elder at Covenant Church for about 20 years.

G. Mark Sumpter

Home Schooling Envy

Community or Competition, Salute Other Dads or Sword-Fight With Dads

In what way does our pride figure into rebellious attitudes and actions around other Home Schooling families?

That question came up this morning in a certain living room in Grants Pass.

I confess: My lack of submission to other home schooling Dads; my lack of submission to them to learn from them, to be ministered to by them.

■They’re better at communicating vision to those under their charge. I’m in rebellion due to my envy of them about this.

■They’re better at plodding with the week to week home schooling schedule. I’m in rebellion propping myself up before others with my fits and starts about my duties with respect to home schooling.

■They’re better at specific emphases that are academically related, in the very places where I fall short, and I again, I try to prop up myself to have the appearance of having my academic act together.

As a Home Schooling Dad, I know I am supposed to lead—that’s vision. As a Home Schooling Dad, I know academics require the line upon line mentality, slow growth and seedtime and harvest actions—that’s plodding. As a Home Schooling Dad, I know that I should be faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive, and able to leap tall buildings in a single bound with respect to knowledge—that’s the academic thing.

So I find myself all too competitive with other Home Schooling Dads, and envious, and routinely seeking justification before God and men by the doctrine of comparison. It’s the phony reformation doctrine of Justification By Comparison. I use the standards of men to justify myself. How wrong-headed, how wicked! Home Schooler—heal thyself!

God’s gracious and just reward to us—to me, in Christ Jesus, is His perfect obedience to God’s law. His work is credited to us, so that we stand before God as if we ourselves had kept that law perfectly. Our Lord’s washing us with His atoning sacrifice at the cross is imputed to us, so that we stand before God as if we had atoned for our law-breaking. All is grace. His justification is all that matters!

Lord, bury the Home Schooling-fuel for pride and envy. Teach me to honor Dads, to submit to them, to learn from them. They are my counselors, not my competitors.

G. Mark Sumpter

On Self Denial

Putting Comfort in the Gunny Sack, Getting Rid of Self

Rodney Stark, HT from Bill Hull, in a book called, The Rise of Christianity, says in part:

It is my observation that our consumerism hyper-active impatient church has hijacked the idea of spiritual formation We have a habit of co-opting virtually anything to try and reach our real goals, bigger churches, a growing business, or to maintain control of our dreams and goals. When we walk into the door of a church it seems as though we are in a negotiation mode, “God, how much of my life can I still control but still reap all the benefits of submission?” This has been done with evangelism, prayer, service to the community, and now with developing a stalwart inner person who will be showered with noticeable blessing from God. Is there a way to address the inner life without it being selfish? Is there a way to move the church from predominately consumers focused on self to committed followers who are predominately serving others? I think there is, and it begins with how we define what we call the gospel.

This morning in worship: are we fooling ourselves? Are we about seeing how much of our life we can control and have comfort about, still sowing and reaping a look of submission before men, and all the while really and truly edging out God's call to the whole of life being His?

G. Mark Sumpter