A fellow in one of the churches I served years ago didn’t like us singing “the Battle Hymn of the Republic”. He was originally from Georgia; he thought it was too hard on the south with its violent imagery. I remember him citing a line from it: “He is trampling down the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored.” He asked me, “Where does that stuff come from?”
As a matter of fact, that very graphic image derives from the last book of the Bible: the book of Revelation. It’s in Revelation 14:17-20, to be specific. Revelation is famous for its graphic images of judgment, sin, the forces of evil, destruction, and damnation. Some people don’t like all this and they don’t want anything to do with it. This is why it’s important to see how the book of Revelation begins – which reminds me of an expression: “You get only one chance to make a good first impression.” Revelation doesn’t begin with a harsh, graphic word of judgment and damnation, but with a word of blessing. Revelation 1:3 is the first of seven beatitudes in Revelation. (The others are in 14:13, 16:15, 19:9, 20:6, 22:7, and 22:14). They’re not as famous as Jesus’ beatitudes in the Sermon on the Mount (in Matthew 5:3-12) because they’re not all bunched together. But they’re just as important; all scripture comes from God. And the first one sets the tone for the whole book by identifying one set of blessings that God sends.
One part of my routine with the church newsletter has been to ask for deadlines. Deadlines are a great motivator. If I know it’s coming, I can make sure to get my things in on time. The same thing is true with the Christian life, but in a different sense. Jesus could return at any moment – and what’s more, none of us knows our time. Occasionally people say to me “I hope you can do my funeral when I pass.” It’s an honor to be asked, but I always feel obligated to clarify something: You may have the chance to come to my funeral before I get the chance to do yours. None of our time is guaranteed on this side of eternity. So we live faithfully, knowing that at any moment we could meet our maker. And the word of God shapes our course, and there’s great blessing to be found in it. God bless you, Andrew McHenry, Pastor First Congregational Church of Oroville
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Back in the summer of 2015 I traveled and visited all the county Courthouses in the county-seat towns of Kansas. There are 105 counties in Kansas, so this made for quite a jog. I was impressed with the older buildings that are built like temples. They are often prominently positioned in the center of town. Some of them have big clocks, statues on display, castle-like limestone exteriors, marble floors with pillars, and domed rooftops. They are magnificent historic buildings.
But not all of them are like that. I had the sense that back in the 1960s or so some community leaders started thinking: “Let’s tear down our historic old courthouse and replace it with a generic modern building. Wouldn’t that be a great idea?” That’s a bad idea. I’m one who laments the loss of the great old historic buildings. Some of the modern buildings are just plain ugly – though I did get a better perspective from a woman in my church. She said the newer buildings may not look as nice but they are a lot better to work in. It also struck me that there’s more religious decorum surrounding the judicial functions than any other part of our government. Besides all the temple features on the courthouses, judges typically wear black robes. Everyone rises when they enter the room. The judge sits in an elevated seat. No other branch has these kinds of features to the same degree. Even the President just wears a suit and tie. I thought of all this as I was studying Psalm 50:1-6, where God is introduced with this kind of grandeur: “Our God comes and does not keep silent; before him is a devouring fire and a mighty tempest all around him.” The psalm emphasizes divine judgment, and calls the people to renew their covenant with God. The references to the covenant vows in Psalm 50:5 and 50:16 hearken back to Exodus 24:3-8, where the people pledged to obey the divine commands brought down from Mount Sinai by Moses. Think of the times you have made your great formal commitments: marriage vows, membership vows in the church, boy scout pledges, an oath of office, etc. We all have made commitments like this. But all of us, if we’re honest, can also think of ways where we’ve compromised on these promises. This is where we need divine grace. Grace follows repentance, which comes through conviction given by the Holy Spirit. And while there’s divine judgment in the final sense – as in the time when we will all meet our maker (described in Matthew 25:31-46 and in Revelation 20:11-15) – there’s also divine judgment in the broad, everyday sense. We apply this to our lives all the time, and it’s not something to be scared of if you’re not afraid to let God shape your soul and chart your course. With this in mind, there are two problems that God judged in this psalm:
- Anne Lamott “The problem is, many of the people in need of saving are in churches, and at least part of what they need saving from is the idea that God sees the world the same way they do.” - Barbara Brown Taylor So in His judgment, God comes in part to clear His name. Many times we have prayed the Lord’s Prayer: “Hallowed be thy name.” Surely we know that God will answer this prayer. God is not defined by all the excesses that people tend to project onto Him. I think of how Jesus responded (in Luke 9:51-56) when two of His disciples wanted to call fire down from heaven on the Samaritan village that refused them hospitality. He rebuked them. Their anger was not God’s anger, and it was important for them to know the difference. God bless you. Andrew McHenry, Pastor - First Congregational Church of Oroville Juneteenth is the newest official holiday on our calendar. It’s always on June 19th, which this year falls on a Sunday. Ultimately it goes back to President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation, enacted on New Year’s Day of 1863 as a Civil War strategy. Though it officially freed every enslaved person in the Confederate States at the time, not a lot changed when it was enacted. Its impact wasn’t clear immediately. And so a celebration erupted much later – on June 19, 1865, when group of slaves heard the Union General Gordon Granger read the military order officially announcing their freedom in Galveston, Texas. It’s a significant event in U.S. history, and it’s well-deserving of a holiday.
Whenever I study the Bible, it’s interesting to me how Israelite history runs parallel to U.S. history. A lot of major events for both nations evolved around slavery. A Bible text that’s been called “the Emancipation Proclamation of the Old Testament” is the Edict of Cyrus, which is in Ezra 1:1-4. (There’s also a similar version right before it in II Chronicles 36:22-23, and slightly more-detailed version in Ezra 6:2-5.) It’s landmark document from Bible history that allowed the Israelites who were enslaved in Babylon (now Iraq) to return to Jerusalem. It came when Cyrus, the Persian emperor, assumed control over Babylon in 539 B.C. This was nearly five decades after the Israelites had first been taken captive when their exile began in 587 B.C. This edict is important not just for ancient history but for our history as well. There are at least three things we can think about for our Christian life today…
One other thing interested me: Cyrus’ edict appears twice, back-to-back in the Bible, in two different books. II Chronicles 36:22-23 (the very end of one book) is nearly identical to Ezra 1:1-4 (which is the beginning of another). This tells us something important: Every ending is also a beginning. You don’t have to be a freed slave to know what I’m talking about here. The cross of Jesus signified His death, but it also pointed a way forward to His resurrection, and to His ascension, and then to the first Pentecost with the ongoing experience of the Holy Spirit. This is something that persists in the work of the church today. God bless you, Andrew McHenry, Pastor First Congregational Church of Oroville Words are powerful. They can impart life and encouragement, or they can stun and wound. People sometimes downplay their significance with phrases like “Talk is cheap,” or “Words can never hurt me,” – but all of us know that words can have a huge impact.
Some of us can think of things that were said to us years ago, (and it’s been years!) and they still stick around in our heads. On the other hand, the right words of encouragement at the right time can make a huge difference. Praise the Lord for those who speak to us in this way. The Bible is cognizant of the power of words. In Genesis 1:1-31, God spoke the world into existence. God said “Let there be light,” and it happened. Most of us have to turn on the light switch, but not so with God. And the same was true with the other parts of creation: the birds of the air, fish and sea creatures, humanity and all the animals – God spoke them into existence and He said it was all good. In the New Testament, John had all this sequence in mind when He introduced Jesus (in John 1:1-3) as the Word. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God; all things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made.” It helps us to see Christ as being with God from the start, and being instrumental in the created order. Jesus, after all, is so much more than just a significant historical religious leader. This links up to John’s teaching about His incarnation which says, “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:14). I thought of this while studying the resurrection account where Jesus appeared before His disciples in John 20:19-20. It says, “Now when it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and when the doors were shut where the disciples were together due to fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst, and said to them, ‘Peace be to you.’ And when He had said this, He showed them both His hands and His side. The disciples then rejoiced when they saw the Lord” (emphasis mine). Notice the progression from fear to joy. The disciples had shut the doors out of fear – knowing of all the violence on the outside – and being stuck in their disappointment in Jesus. He was supposed to be the Messiah; He was supposed to subdue the evil powers of the world, instead of being conquered by them (cf. Luke 24:21). Yet all this seemed like a false hope, until the resurrection came. Part of what instilled the new resurrection reality was that Jesus spoke peace to them: “Peace be unto you,” He said twice (in John 20:19 and 21). This fit the pattern of how Jesus had spoken to His disciples before – including in some famous passages (e.g. John 14:27, 16:33). In His resurrection, Jesus’ words of peace set the course for the experience of joy. The fact that He next showed them His hands and side (in 20:20) doubled-down on the effect. It made it clear that the resurrection was much more than a ghost appearance (cf. Luke 24:39). Ghost stories can be quite common in older towns with lots of historic buildings. As with many things in life, there’s a lot we can’t explain – but one thing the Bible authors wanted to be clear about was that Jesus’ resurrection was much more than a ghost story. Ghost stories tend to bring out eerie feelings; the resurrection brings out joy. What happened in the resurrection should empower our use of words today. We proclaim the truth of Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit brings conviction (John 16:8-11). When people come to a point of Christian confession, it happens by the Holy Spirit (I Corinthians 12:3). Likewise, when we pray to the Lord, somehow the words summon divine power in a way that brings about a blessing. It’s amazing to think of all the prayers that have been answered through the years. God bless you, Andrew McHenry, Pastor First Congregational Church We can best learn what Jesus would pray by looking at what He did pray. Of course the best-known of His prayers is the Lord’s Prayer, which we pray each Sunday in worship. (It’s in Matthew 6:9-13, and Luke 11:2-4 in a more abbreviated form). But then there’s also His longest recorded prayer: It’s sometimes called his “high priestly prayer” in John 17:1-26. There Jesus prays for Himself, for the church, and for all believers in every age – including you and me. We can understand this prayer better if we look at what He petitions for when He prays. There are essentially four things…
God bless you. Andrew McHenry, Pastor First Congregational Church of Oroville International Women’s Day was March the 8th. It came to mind as I was studying the book of Proverbs in the Old Testament. King Solomon and the other wisdom writers had a lot to say about women.
Of course there are limits to it: Proverbs, in its origin, was a collection written by men for other men. But since all scripture is inspired by God, we can learn from it along with the other parts of the Bible – partly because the wisdom and the warnings about women can apply equally to men as well. To that end, there are three types of women described in Proverbs…
All these passages came to mind when I was studying Proverbs 19:13-14 recently – which says, “A stupid child is ruin to a father, and a wife’s quarreling is a continual dripping of rain. House and wealth are inherited from parents, but a prudent wife is from the Lord.” Solomon is teaching about family chaos, and here he juxtaposes the quarrelsome wife with one who is “prudent”. The latter is emphasized as a gift from God – something more valuable than a nice home or a big inheritance. And all this points us to the value of gratitude. We can and we should thank God for the helpful people that He puts around us. Solomon is the most commonly-ascribed author of Proverbs. He was the Israelite king from 973 to 933 B.C. His name is given at the head of several of the various collections that make up the book (e.g. 1:1, 10:1, 25:1). It’s widely known that Solomon had a huge number of wives and concubines. (See I Kings 11:1-8.) So when I read these passages about angry wives it makes me want to ask some questions: “So you have an angry wife. I wonder why that is? You have several hundred of them. Why do you think they’re getting mad? What are you doing to contribute to this problem?” Old Testament-era polygamy was a setup for trouble, but my larger point here is that we shouldn’t just treat women’s anger as if it was just somebody else’s problem – especially when there are underlying conditions. Granted, we can’t fix other people’s problems for them. But we can always follow Jesus’ example – and there were lots of ways that He pushed aside popular scorn and discriminatory practices in order to make way for good ministry (e.g. John 12:1-8, Luke 10:38-42, John 4:1-30). Women responded well to this; they supported His ministry financially (Luke 8:1-3), and a few of them were with Him all the way up to His death, and even and beyond (Luke 23:55-24:11). We can thank God for that. God bless you. Andrew McHenry, Pastor First Congregational Church of Oroville Desire without knowledge is not good, and one who moves too hurriedly misses the way. – Proverbs 19:2
This little-known proverb gives a good warning that applies to many things in life: e.g. impulse purchases, predatory get-rich-quick schemes, getting married too soon, etc. It’s like someone who’s in such a rush that they miss their exit. God has a way for us to go in; Proverbs 3:6 famously promises that the Lord will make our paths straight when we trust in Him. But when we’re too impulsive to listen and absorb the relevant knowledge, then it’s easy to get into something that we don’t understand, and we suffer for it. This is part of the reason for Proverbs 19:8, which says, “To get wisdom is to love oneself; to keep understanding is to prosper.” Learning by getting the right wisdom is a form of self-care. Likewise, to refuse it is to bring danger upon yourself. Proverbs 19:16, then, gives a warning about heedlessness: “Those who keep the commandment will live; those who are heedless of their ways will die.” Some translations and interpretations apply this to commands that come from God – and it certainly would include those, but it shouldn’t be limited to them. This proverb can apply to any guideline from any legitimate authority. It made me think of my prison training, where the policies and procedures served as a protection for staff: As long as you’re following them, you’re given immunity from inmate lawsuits – because if the state violates the inmates’ rights, that’s on them. But if you go off and do your own thing, then you can be held personally responsible. This is relevant in an age when people are careless about public safety guidelines. Some of us are old enough to remember Sammy Hagar singing “I Can’t Drive 55”. Yes, 55 MPH seems kind of slow, but even now when the speed limit is quite a bit higher, people still pass you like you’re standing still. And then there are car accident fatalities. One of the hardest things I’ve had to do as a minister is officiate funerals for people who died in car wrecks. The contemporary tragedy of COVID, likewise, has been exacerbated because people haven’t been following health guidelines. Some of us don’t like wearing masks because it’s inconvenient. Some people don’t want to get vaccinated because they don’t want to listen to their doctors. And so people suffer in hospitals and many have died needlessly. But Jesus came that we might have life, not death (cf. John 10:10). In John 11:25 He says that He is the resurrection and the life. In John 14:6 He says He is the way, the truth, and the life. Jesus embodied that life in His incarnation and His resurrection, being the firstborn for all of us. And He doesn’t leave us up a creek without a paddle. He directs us on the path of life. This is something that helps us understand the whole of the Bible. Proverbs 19:20 says, “Listen to advice and accept instruction, that you may gain wisdom for the future.” The way forward is by listening. We listen to learn the facts, instead of just going forward with quick-driven impulses. If I could give my younger self advice, invariably it would be to listen more and talk less. And notice that it says it’s “for the future.” Future-driven wisdom is counter-cultural in a world that demands quick results and instant gratification. Sometimes this places a burden on preachers; people want to be inspired right away. It’s easy to lose sight of the fact that a lot of learning is done reflectively. With God’s wisdom the fruits may not yield immediate results. In fact (if you’re like me) you may push back against the wisdom initially. But we’re not just living for the present. We’re laying foundations for the long haul. Along these lines Proverbs 19:21 says, “The human mind may devise many plans, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will be established.” This puts the value of endurance in perspective. I think of all the “plans” that I’ve had through the years. Some of them were good; some weren’t. They came and went. Similarly, lots of businesses have come and gone since 1857 when our church was founded. Lots of things have changed in this world since then. We’ve been through the Civil War, two world wars, the Great Depression, and now all this chaos with the pandemic, inflation, and Russia invading Ukraine. Who knows what will come next? But here we are: still a gathering band of faithful disciples of Jesus, still learning each week from the Word of God, still praying for the sick, still feeding the hungry, still trusting in the Lord to make our paths straight. We don’t know the future, but we can be sure that God’s not done with us yet. God bless you. Andrew McHenry, Pastor First Congregational Church of Oroville There’s an elected official who sends out a regular newsletter to his constituents, as most politicians do. The title of it includes the geographic area he’s from, followed by the words “Common Sense”. He serves in a governing body that is collectively unpopular, while the individual office-holders are each popular within their own districts. So this is a good rhetorical move. Effectively he’s saying, “I’m here representing your common sense. Whatever you think of them on the whole, know that you have a voice and a place at the table.” And it works for him; he’s a very popular incumbent.
Sometimes, though, people see themselves as having more common sense than is actually the case. For those of us who are Christians it raises the question: What does the Bible say about common sense? There’s quite a bit on it in the book of Proverbs. In recent years I’ve been drawn to Proverbs 19:11, which begins by saying, “Those with good sense are slow to anger…” Think about that: In the Bible a mark of common sense is to be slow to anger. In the original Hebrew this makes for a deliberate contrast with someone who’s quick-tempered. Speed is communicated in the language. Common sense means to slow down and be deliberate. Those who are lacking common sense may be impulsive, or thoughtlessly aggressive in what they say or what they do. The speaks well to an era like ours when lots of people are really angry. Political figures, among others, have learned that rage can be a motivating force. If I can get people to be mad at somebody and to think that I’m the best bet to stop them, then I can entice them into action. I can get them to send me money. I can get them to vote for the people I want. I might even be able to get them to act out in violence. Violence is a real danger in this stage of history. Lacking in all of this is the measure of grace that it takes to sustain a shared life, nationally or otherwise. So Proverbs 19:11 continues: “…and it is their glory to overlook an offense.” The key is to be focused on God’s mission. You can overlook the stupid stuff because your eyes are focused on Jesus. Yeah, there are problems, but you’re not going to let them distract you. The Christian life together requires this in all sorts of ways when we live with each other’s faults. “Ol’ Joe sure has a temper; he snaps occasionally.” “Edith is territorial about the church kitchen.” “Frank doesn’t manage his money well, so he’s always stressed out.” “Judy talks way too much and annoys people, but it’s because she’s lonely.” But then there’s always the bigger compelling truth: “We love them. They’re a part of the family. Sure, they have their faults. You’ve got yours and I’ve got mine too.” So we overlook their faults. To be sure, there are times and places where the problems can no longer be ignored. Jesus gave specific instructions for when this happens (in Matthew 18:15-17). It begins by going directly to the person with the problem. There’s no sense in talking behind people’s backs if something needs to be addressed. But more often that’s not the case. And it’s interesting to me how the Bible describes “overlook[ing] an offense” in glowing terms. This is different from how the world thinks: “You’re going to let them get away with that? Where’s your sense of honor? You need to put them in their place!” Some people perceive it as a sign of weakness if you’re just leaving something alone. But it’s better to recognize that we all have our faults, and so to extend to others the same grace that we need for ourselves. Ultimately this is how Jesus has regarded our sins. The “Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world” is “passing over our transgressions” (John 1:29, Micah 7:18). God bless you, Andrew McHenry, Pastor – First Congregational Church of Oroville Think with me of a contrast:
1) What is something that really gets on your nerves? 2) What is something that brings you delight? Here’s an example of the first: I had a cat once who got annoyed anytime I sang or played my harmonica. She would come out and loudly meow at me, as if to say, “Stop it! It’s bad!” If I didn’t stop she would sharpen her claws on my pants legs. She made it clear I was getting on her nerves. For an example of the second, I’ve seen grandparents take extreme delight in their grandchildren. I remember visiting a Sunday school class when I was in college. A longtime member of that class had pictures of her newest granddaughter who had just been born. She was beaming as she was passing them around. I remember her saying, with only a little bit of sarcasm: “You all have grandchildren too, but this one is special.” I suppose that’s the inherent bias of all grandparents: It’s of perspective of delight. Keeping all this in mind, it’s interesting to see how the Bible challenges us to think of ways that we get on God’s nerves, and how it helps us to see God’s delight as well. In Malachi 2:17 (in the last book of the Old Testament) the prophet was inspired by God to tell the people that they were getting on God’s nerves: “You have wearied the Lord with your words.” This leads to the question of which words, so Malachi clarified: “By saying, ‘All who do evil are good in the sight of the Lord, and he delights in them.’ Or by asking, ‘Where is the God of justice?’” So it was moral confusion and functional atheism – i.e. living as if God didn’t really matter. The preacher’s job is safe if all you say is that you’re for God and against sin. It becomes more dangerous when you start to name specific sins that people are doing. Malachi didn’t play it safe. In Malachi 3:5 he got into specifics. These are sins that get on God’s nerves…
All of these are things that get on God’s nerves. The list isn’t exhaustive. Can you think of ways you’ve got on God’s nerves? If you can, remember this: There’s grace for those who repent. Jesus died for our sins and offers forgiveness. This is a confidence we hold high when we pray each week: “Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.” (Matthew 6:12). God’s grace draws from His love, which points to His delight in us. A good passage to look at here is Zephaniah 3:14-18a. It’s a larger exhortation that, interestingly, began with a command to sing. It was given in dark times that were conducive to despair (circa 625 B.C. or so). Despair is something that can hold you down, but singing can be a counterforce. It’s an act of protest and rebellion against the despair. This is why Christians and Jews have been singing through the ages when they’ve been suffering. The other command (in Zephaniah 3:16) is to not be afraid. This comes from the sense of trust in God’s power to bring deliverance. Whatever it is we have to go through, however big the obstacle or challenge – we know that we have a bigger God. Our human vulnerability is highlighted (with the phrase “daughter of Zion” in 3:14), along with God’s presence (in 3:15) and His power (in 3:17. It famously says He is “mighty to save” in one popular translation.) God’s power and presence would be intimidating by itself, but God wants us to love Him – not to be scared of Him. So Zephaniah teaches about God’s delight in 3:17-18: “…he will rejoice over you with gladness, he will renew you in his love; he will exult over you with loud singing as on a day of festival.” Clearly God takes a delight in His people, much like most parents do with their children. Maybe this is why Jesus taught His disciples to pray to God as a Father (in Matthew 6:9 and Luke 11:2). We Christians invariably see all of this through the lens of Jesus Christ, who fulfills all the Old Testament promises. It began when He arrived in His first advent – when He was born in Bethlehem and lain in a manger. It will be completed in His second advent when He returns in triumphant glory. This is why Zephaniah’s prophecy about God’s regathering of the whole family together at the end (in Zephaniah 3:18-20) sounds so much like the descriptions Jesus gave of eternal life. It’s like a big feast where everyone’s invited (Luke 14:15-24). So we can imagine a big meal where we all delight in God and the company of each other. Maybe there will even be singing? Maybe it will sound good to the cats that are there too? God bless you, Andrew McHenry, Pastor First Congregational Church of Oroville It can be confusing. There are so many religious voices out there. Sometimes they make contradictory claims about doctrines, politics, science, and other things. With so many of them claiming to speak for God, how can you tell which ones are really from God and which ones aren’t?
Fortunately, Jesus taught us how to discern. At the end of His famous Sermon on the Mount (which goes from Matthew 5:3 to 7:27), Jesus gave three tests to apply (in Matthew 7:13-27). It’s a good finale to the greatest sermon ever. Following a detailed discussion over how to properly interpret the Bible (which He calls “the law and the prophets,” going from Matthew 5:17 to 7:12), Jesus applies three images: the narrow gate, good fruits, and houses. These line up for three tests of authenticity…
I consider myself blessed to be pastoring a church that’s been around since 1857. I don’t think there are any businesses in our area that are that old. Businesses cater to consumer trends, and public moods are always changing. But the church is geared towards something that’s timeless in Jesus Christ – who is the same yesterday, today, and forever. So I always push back when I hear people say that the church is a business. It isn’t: The job of business is to turn a profit, but the job of the church is to do the will of God regardless of the cost – and it cost Jesus quite a bit when He came into this world. God bless you, Andrew McHenry, Pastor First Congregational Church of Oroville |
Andrew McHenryI am a husband, a Congregational pastor, and a native Kansan currently living in Thermalito, California. In the past I have also been a prison chaplain and a youth pastor. Interests include reading, railroads, prog rock, KU, and the KC Royals. Archives
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