Why We Will Not Be Participating in a “Virtual Lord’s Supper”

(In these challenging times, I know it is not beneficial to challenge or second-guess the decisions of leaders of other churches as they guide their specific congregations through this time in their specific context.  This article is not intended to do that.  It is simply a piece of pastoral guidance for the church I serve, First Baptist Church of Many, and an opportunity for me to think through this issue by writing my thoughts.  For that reason, I have intentionally not published this until after the past week’s celebration of Christ’s death and resurrection, as I knew that many were planning to observe this ordinance as part of their worship this past weekend during Maundy Thursday activities, Good Friday worship, or Resurrection celebrations.)

Not many of my congregants and church members have asked, but some may.  And it is always my desire to have a well-developed and articulated response to their questions.  And that means that sometimes I have to tell them that I will have to answer their question at a later time.  It may because we do not have enough time in that setting to address the issue, but more often than not, it is because I need to research the topic thoroughly and carefully.  I know my first response may not be the best reply, and I am willing to put forth the effort to provide a well-researched, well-developed response, even if sometimes I may lack in the delivery of that response.  Often, I can articulate that response better through writing, though after reading this post you may disagree.

The question is “Will we observe the Lord’s Supper while we are not meeting in person during this period of social distancing?”  My answer is a qualified “No.”  This response is nuanced because I want us to understand the practical, theological, ecclesiological reasons we will abstain from participating in the ordinance until we gather again in worship.

Before I begin, though, allow me to explain that this decision was made before other pastors and congregations began this on-line, or virtual, observance of the ordinance.  Our church has the custom of observing the Lord’s Supper once every three months on the first Sunday of the month.  We were scheduled to gather for this ordinance at the end of worship on Palm Sunday.  That was the third Sunday we did not meet on campus for worship.  We also knew from the first week of social distancing and shelter-in-place recommendations that we would not meet on campus that week.  The decision was made then to wait to observe the Lord’s Supper until we would gather again, even with hopes that we would be gathering for celebration of our Savior’s resurrection.  So, the question is, “Why wait?”

First, practically it is difficult to fence the table.  That means it is hard to help participants refrain from partaking of the elements in “an unworthy manner” (1 Corinthians 11:27).  While we are excited that people who do not often attend our worship gatherings are watching or listening to our worship services, we also recognize that many may be seekers.  We are delighted that they are hearing the Gospel, but we do not want to confuse them with the observance of an ordinance in which we declare our faith and hope in the broken body and spilled blood of Christ, even before they have made that confession of faith.  We also do not want those believers who are not participating in a local congregation, either because they are under church discipline or because they have chosen to distance themselves from the community of faith, to receive one of the benefits of participating in a local church.

Also, of a practical concern are the elements of the supper.  I have observed some tremendous efforts by some church leaders to deliver the elements of the supper, unleavened bread and juice, to their church members.  Some have ordered specialized packaging of the elements and delivered those packages or made them available for pick-up, others have provided guidance for those that could go to the store and those who could not, while some have even made cooking videos or provided recipes.  All of these are good.  But I have also seen the not so good, including the suggestion to use soft-drinks and chips or milk and cookies.  The elements have meaning, not sacramentally and not in that we must match the chemical formulas of the food and drink of the first Passover or the Last Supper, but we should attempt to make the elements relevant and similar to what Jesus did.  If one were to use milk and cookies to represent the body and blood of Christ, he is essentially declaring that if Jesus had Nestle™ tollhouse cookies and Fairlife™ chocolate milk, he would have told His disciples about the significance of His death during dessert, not at the moments He did, with all the history and significance at that moment.

Next, we should examine the theological rationale.  When Paul addresses the observance of the Lord’s Supper to believers in Corinth, which is the passage I almost exclusively quote during our observance of the Lord’s table, he uses the term translated “come together” at least five times (1 Corinthians 11:17-34).  This indicates the observance of the Lord’s Supper is something we do together as a church, not as any sub-group.  As Baptists, we do not participate in “Private Communion,” nor is our observance of the other ordinance, Baptism, done outside of a local body of believers.  This does not mean that the ordinances are only to be performed and observed within a church building; rather, it means that when we observe the ordinance, we provide opportunities for the entire congregation to participate.  Sunday School classes, youth groups, and even deacons, elders, and ministry staff, do not have private times of observing the Lord’s Supper away from the congregation.  During these times when we cannot physically come together, I feel like we would further isolate some who are unable to gather the elements, give others the opportunity to think they can participate in the Lord’s Table without participation in a local body, and make the ordinance more important than our gathering with the silent, unspoken resolve that this should be observed even in the absence of meeting.

Finally, I want to address the ecclesiological rationale.  In 1 Corinthians 11, Paul shares with his readers that the observance of this ordinance builds a sense of anticipation—that :as often as eat the bread and drink the cup, we proclaim the Lord’s death until He returns.”  That means we long for the day when we no longer come to the Lord’s Table here on earth, but we gather around the banquet table of the Lamb.  At the Last Supper, Jesus told His disciples that He would not participate in the meal again until they were with Him in His Father’s Kingdom (Matthew 26:29).  And we long for the day of His return more than we desire to eat a small wafer of unleavened bread and drink an ounce of grape juice.

In a similar way, I want our church family to long for the day that we can gather again for worship on our campus.  On that day, when we come together, we will once again sing together, pray together, give of our tithes together, hear the word proclaimed together, and come to the Lord’s Table together.  May we, together, long for that Sunday similar to, but only slightly less than, how we long for the return of Christ.  “Amen! Come Lord Jesus!” (Revelation 22:20)

Question: How to get more out of your Personal Bible Study

Drew tells me I can use a lot of words to express an idea which doesn't need as much explanation as I provide.  So I'll try to be brief, but thorough.

First, reading the Bible is a good thing to do.  Even if you aren't doing in depth study and reading it as you might read a novel (devotionally), that is a very good and  important method of reading the Scriptures.  I like to read the Bible through over a year or two because it helps remind me of "the big picture."  The Bible app by YouVersion that is available for smartphones and tablets has a several helpful plans to do just that.  One is a Chronological Plan that has you read the Bible in the order that the events happened (so it may have readings from several books on the same day).  There are others that just go from Genesis to Revelation.  Again, this is good to get the "whole story."

Another way to study that is very helpful is to take one book at a time and read through paragraph by paragraph.  The headings above the passage in your Bible help break it into units for study.  After reading each section (possibly one a day), you can do a couple of exercises that will help you get more out of your study (these come from a Bible Study workbook by Priscilla Shirer, Can We Talk, [LifeWay, 2008]): 

1. Pore & Paraphrase: Read & Reread the paragraph, then paraphrase or summarize the passage.  Answer the questions like a news reporter: Who? What? When? Where? Why? How? (Not that every passage will need an answer to each question.) 
2. Pull-Out: Determine the main point of the passage.  Ask "So what?" "Why did God include this in the Bible?" "What is He revealing about Himself?"
3. Pose: Ask yourself if you are living the principles gleaned above.  "Does my life reflect what these verses teach?" and/or "How can I apply the main point of this passage?"
4. Plan: Determine actions you can take to apply the lessons of these verses.

When studying the Bible, it is good to have the right translation.  I have started using the Holman Christian Standard Bible for preaching.  Most translations that include "standard" in the name are literal translations, which means it is closer to being word for word from the original Hebrew & Greek texts.  The HCSB is a newer translation so it is easier to read also.  I would recommend a more literal translation for Bible Study.

A study Bible is good to have also because it can provide introductions to the book and notes to help give the context and the meaning of hard to understand words or ideas.  If you are having a difficult time choosing one of these, I can recommend a Study Bible also.

They are now making a "Journaling Bible" that has an area for notes in the margin.  Drew and I each have one of these and they are nice to make notes, write thoughts, or even doodle during study.

There is one final resource I would recommend.  It is a very helpful book by scholars Gordon Fee & Douglas Stuart, How to Read the Bible for All It's Worth [Zondervan, 2014].  This is the fourth edition of their work and it appears to be considerably expanded from their third edition, which is the version I have read.  They address the differences in Bible translations (and the rationale behind each translation theory) and the interpretive approach to different biblical genres.

Hope this helps and if you have any other questions, don't hesitate to ask via comments or e-mail.

If Love Was A Plane, Would You Get On?

While reading this morning, I overheard the beginning of a talk-show where today’s guests were discussing their “open marriage,” or as they called it “progressive love.” They proceeded to explain their marriage and extramarital relationships, which the host used a chart and pointer to help the audience understand. The wife, who was the most vocal of proponent of the arrangement, stated, “If airplanes failed 55% of the time, would we continue fly?” Her argument was our marriage system is broken and there is one way to fix it—abandon traditional marriage and find an arrangement which permits infidelity instead of punishing it.

The concept sickened me, especially as I’ve been preparing my sermon for Sunday Morning. I’m preaching through Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount and we have come to Matthew 5:28-32, where He provides an interpretation of the seventh commandment. Previously, Jesus has explained to the Disciples that they are members of the Kingdom of Heaven and, as such, they are responsible for living radically different lives. They will serve as “the light to the world,” which will draw others into worship of their God, and they will be “the salt of the earth,” because they will provide purification (redemption) through the message that they share—the message of the Gospel.

Jesus opened this section of the Sermon on the Mount by proclaiming that He did not come to destroy the Law, but to fulfill it. In fact, the Law will remain authoritative, though some parts of it may need to be re-evaluated in light of His coming. The pericope that I will preach this week deals specifically with the commandment: “You shall not commit adultery.” Having been reminded of the importance of the institution of marriage and the faithfulness it should demonstrate to our faithless world, I decided I needed to clear my mind by putting my thoughts into words.

First, the analogy of a plane is not a valid analogy. A plane is a machine and it is designed, manufactured, maintained, and flown by people. It does not operate independently; rather, a flight is orchestrated by people. The better analogy would be, “If a pilot crashed,” “If an airline’s planes,” or “If a manufacturer’s planes” failed 55% of the time, would we continue to let “him fly?” “allow them to operate?” or “buy their planes?”, respectively. Marriage is not a machine, so take the machine out of the analogy and compare the elements that are the same.

Second, if we use the correct analogy, then I think it is reasonable to say, “If these planes are failing/crashing, we need to change something.” The truth is, the plane is manufactured to certain specifications, the airline performs regular maintenance of the aircraft, and the flight crew performs pre-flight inspections to ensure the plane is mechanically sound and the flight systems are functioning. When a plane crash does occur, the first items the investigators check are the maintenance history of the aircraft and pre-flight inspection. The machine, if operating as designed, doesn’t fail—the people do.

So as not to ignore the analogy, if planes are crashing, where should we place the blame? Should it be on the machine or the people that built, maintained, or operated the machine? If marriages are failing at a higher rate than in the past, should we question the institution of marriage that has endured millennia, or should we question the people behind the marriage. It’s obvious that I believe marriages do not fail because of the institution, they fail because of people are not perfect.

There are ways to improve the success rate of marriage. Just as pilots perform a pre-flight inspection, couples should participate in premarital counseling. In fact, couples that seek and complete counseling before they tie-the-knot continually rank as the most successful in terms of longevity and happiness.

But of course, the pre-flight inspection is not all that goes into a successful flight. Each aircraft undergoes routine maintenance and marriages should also. These can be simple, frank discussions over dinner in the privacy of the home. It could also be professional counseling during particularly difficult times. Or, it could simply be a vacation or retreat to allow for a rejuvenated relationship. As you would expect, remembering those special occasions (birthdays, anniversaries, first date, etc.) will help keep the intimacy in the relationship for the long term.

Finally, in the last effort to apply this analogy, maybe the design and construction of the relationship needs to be evaluated. Studies have shown that couples that cohabitate prior to marriage have a higher “failure” rate than those who maintain their own residences. Other factors also impact the success/failure rate of marriage: number of previous intimate partners, intimacy prior to marriage, etc. These need to considered equally important when entering a marriage and should be discussed during premarital counseling.

Even with the best planning, sometimes what seems like a “perfect” marriage fails. When they do, we have to remember that it was not the institution that failed; it was a person or people. This is not intended to place blame or provide a rationale for divorce. However, most divorces are caused when one or both partners become physically, emotionally, and/or verbally abusive or because of infidelity. In the absence of abuse or infidelity, the primary rationale used is “we just don’t love each other anymore,” or another variation, “we fell out of love.”

Some will say “love is never having to say you’re sorry.” I would have to disagree and say love is recognizing your imperfections and asking for forgiveness. But it’s also accepting the shortcomings of your spouse, offering forgiveness and putting forth the effort to grow in the relationship.

In marriage, love is not the destination; rather, it is the journey. Marriages fail when one or both partners abandon the journey. But just because some begin the journey together and then decide not to continue, does not mean the journey is in vain or no one else should embark upon the adventure. Marriage, and the sanctity of the institution of marriage, depends upon couples willing to commit to a journey through life’s ups and downs, joys and struggles and honor each other and their God along the way.

Teach Me to Number My Days

Last Sunday (1/4), my Pastor allowed me to present the Children’s Sermon. As always, I tried to connect the message of that morning’s sermon to the Children’s Sermon. The sermon’s central message was the stewardship of time and the central passage was Psalm 90:12, which reads:

So teach us to number our days,
That we may present to You a heart of wisdom. (NASB)

The subject of stewardship is often difficult for children to grasp—especially since many of them do not have much of anything to manage besides toys. However, my mind quickly jumped to how I could demonstrate to them the concept of managing their time. I (with the help of my parents) gathered pictures depicting typical daily activities (praying, eating breakfast, playing, doing school/home work, etc.) and was going to ask the children to help me put them in order of a normal day. This activity worked as I expected and the children seemed to understand that “we can’t wait until lunch to eat breakfast because we will get really hungry”—there should be some order to the day.

As I studied the Scripture, though, I think I got a giant lesson in God’s Will. While at times it seems like I am just waiting for God to open opportunities for me to be in ministry, God is using this time to prepare me for that ministry. It seems so simple a child could understand, but this was just the message that I needed to hear and in just the way I needed to hear it. The message was: Jonathan, use your time while you are not in vocational ministry to learn and gather knowledge so that when God begins to use you in vocational ministry you may present Him a heart of wisdom by knowing, understanding, and doing His will.

Since this time, I have been asking God what I should do that I could number or order my days to honor Him. What should I be doing during this time while I am working in a secular job that will present Him a heart of wisdom when I become the pastor of a local church? I believe He is showing me how what I am doing now will benefit His kingdom and what I could be doing to grow into the pastor He wants me to become. I believe this lesson and this prayer is great for every believer: “Lord, teach me to order my time so that I may present You a heart of wisdom.”

South Kakalaki Christmas

I spent Christmas this year with my brother, Chris, sister-in-law, Patti, and their son, Cashlin. My parents and I traveled to South Carolina on Christmas Eve and returned this afternoon.

After we arrived on Christmas Eve, we immediately went to eat at Sho-Gun’s, a hibachi restaurant in Spartanburg. Chris and Patti made this their Christmas present to us and it was a good gift because the food lasted a couple of days. After dinner, we went back to Chris and Patti’s house for the evening. After Cashlin went to bed, we assembled some of his “Santa” gifts then went to bed. Christmas morning was good. Everyone awoke when Cashlin walked out of his room and started looking at all the presents. The presents were quickly distributed and opened and everyone had an opportunity to rest before lunch. Chris fried a turkey, made bread pudding, and baked cheesecake. Patti and Mom cooked the side dishes—cornbread dressing, mashed sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce. Shortly after noon and after Patti’s mom (Lisa) arrived, we all had lunch. Then it was off to resting again. Finally, to end the evening, we played a game of Monopoly, which Chris won.

On Friday, everyone took it easy in the morning. We did not stay awake too late on Christmas day, but it was later than normal for Patti and Cashlin. Around lunch, we decided to venture out on the town! We had lunch at The Beacon Drive-In, which serves more tea than any other single restaurant in the country, then went to Falls Park in Greenville. It was not a great day for walking the park along the Reedy River, but we did it anyway. On our way back to Chris and Patti’s house, we drove through the campus of Furman University—the first Southern Baptist University. The campus was beautiful. We played another game of Monopoly on this evening and this time I won!

Here are some pictures:

Cashlin Tearing In

Browning

The Beacon Drive-In

Dad's Beacon Burger A'plenty

Patti and Cashlin at the Falls

More Christmas Ideas!

I thought I might share a couple of more ideas for Christmas gifts for those who have not already purchases something from my previous list. I intended to put some of these on my initial list, but forgot. Others I just realized the need/desire for the item so decided to put them in this post when I made this edition. So here are some more Christmas ideas:

Carolina Cider—When I took a trip with Chris, Patti, Cashlin, and Lisa to North Carolina we passed a guy on the side of the road selling this cider. I though this guy made the cider in the hills and this was his way of bringing it to market; however, after reading the label, I realized it was made near Charleston, SC. Anyway, I really enjoyed the Peach Cider and the Black Bing Cherry Cider!

A Valet—This is a really cool piece of furniture. It allows a gentleman to set-out his clothes for the next day, as well as store all the items that should be in his pockets before he leaves. It also provides a place for him to put all of those things when he empties is pockets in the evening. This would be really helpful since I started working dress clothes to work instead of scrubs!

Camera Lens—I saw this lens as I was perusing bestbuy.com. It’s a cool—it has the shift and tilt built into a wide-angle lens. It is cool, but it is expensive.

And for the “Anonymous” poster who said I should ask for a wife. Obviously, that individual is more interested in me finding a wife than helping me find one! After all, I did post a description of the kind of girl I’m looking for (it’s like a job description)! Maybe Santa will bring me a wife—just not Mrs. Clause, she seems like she is past childbearing age.

My Christmas Wish List

This is the gift giving season—the time of year you can either (a) tell everyone what you would really like to have by this time next month or (b) not tell them and get a lot of lame gifts, like socks. I have opted for plan (a) and decided that I would use my blog as the forum for expressing my desire for those gifts. I hope there is a gift for all of my friends to give whatever their budget. Hey, I’m looking after you during these difficult economic times.

• Shave Cream—I really like this shave cream from Jack Black. A 7 oz. jar usually last about 6 months, so this gift could last half of next year. Other Jack Black products that I use are the Face Buff and the Post Shave Cooling Gel.

• UL Shirt—I have been trying to purchase one of these at the football games this season but the guys from the bookstore seem to bring every size but the size that I wear (XL). You can purchase on-line or by visiting the bookstore on the University of Louisiana campus (it's item MA17).

• Kevin Harvick Jacket—I am not that big of a NASCAR fan, but I have followed the races this past season after a trip last fall to Daytona, where I visited the Daytona International Speedway. I chose a favorite driver (Kevin Harvick) because he drives a Chevrolet and because Shell is his sponsor—two products with which I identify. Also, because other people I know had already selected other drivers like Dale Jr., Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon, etc.

• Steaks—I gave these steaks from Allen Brothers last year and heard they were great. I’m thinking that I would like to try them also.

• 007 DVD Box Set—I’ve not really tried to watch all of the James Bond movies, but I have thought about it lately. Many of these movies were made before I was born, but I think it would be interesting to watch the movies in order of release and see both the evolution of the plots and characters throughout the series.

• Hat—Every gentleman needs a hat. It completes both his business and casual attire. mrhats.com has an array of hats they sell from a downtown Memphis shop. I have identified this hat as the one I would like to begin my collection. I think I would like it in black and 7 ¾ size.

These are the gifts that I would like. If you want to get me one of these and don’t want others to duplicate your gift, post an anonymous comment and let everyone know that you have decided to get me this gift. Don’t see anything you want to give me here, then get me a tie or some socks.