Wine and Prophets, Beer and Brotherhood

Summer Announcements

  1. Fellowship: Over the summer, we are going to provide a couple fellowship groups, designed so that you can drop in and out anytime you are in town.

    1. Women: Join us for wine and a study of the minor prophets, Wednesday at 715 at Elizabeth Rick's house (98 Coffee Pointe Drive). Text her for the gate code (843-540-2653) when you get there

    2. Men: Beer and brotherhood. Bring your own beverage and lawn chair, and meet in Harrison Key's driveway on Thursday. A local music phenomenon will be playing from 7-8 in the garage. If bleeding ears is your cup of tea, join then; otherwise, come hang out from 8-10.

  2. Worship: I'll send out an email later this week when we have a worship location nailed down for Sunday. We will meet at 10 am.

Every Nation Under Heaven

Every Nation Under Heaven

Two weeks in the news. Two images. Two racial and/or national relationships characterized by endless war, suffering, domination, oppression, subjugation. Two radically different outcomes. How do we get from here to here? Pentecost shows us an image of two radically different kings. Submit your questions about the intersection of race, nationality, and Christianity, then join CTK this Sunday (5. 31.20) as we start a short series on being a truly Christian, post-Pentecost community.

Sunday Worship (5.24.20)

When Yuri Gagarin went into space, he looked around and didn’t see God. When Buzz Aldrin went into space, he took communion? What accounts for the difference? Who are you more like?

On this Ascension Sunday, we remember that God is not in the business of justifying himself to us… he doesn’t submit to our rules, or offer all the explanations that we want. We submit to him- and that gives us the opportunity to respond to these difficult times with humility, courage, and compassion. Join us for digital worship by clicking here. Here is a link to the order of service to follow along.

Sunday Worship (5.17.20)

Quarantine is a strange time to think about joining a new church. Who knows what the future will bring? And yet… maybe that’s exactly the reason to think about doing it! What if this pandemic is an opportunity to recognize anew the truth of Jesus’ words: that we must “build our house on the rock.” How does worship train us to love God, love neighbor, and love our city? How do you remain faithful to ancient traditions while still speaking to contemporary culture? How do you become a close-knit family, but remain friendly to the neighborhood? Check the image below to check out a worship service at Christ the King! Click here for the order of service to follow along.

Relax! You Aren't That Important.

Readings

  1. Old Testament: Leviticus 16:20-34

  2. Psalm 62

  3. Gospel: Matt. 6:7-15

  4. New Testament: 1 Thess. 5:1-11

Devotional
In strange times like this, it is totally understandable that people would talk about the end of the world. Things are so new, different, scary, uncertain... there is a sense in which it is the end of A world, at least for awhile. Our old worlds have shrunk considerably, to the house we live in and the people we live with. And we start to realize that even that house, even those people and our relationships with them, only really fit together in the context of a world where we didn't have to be there all the time. So I understand the suspicion that its the end of the world. 

You are important to God, and he loves you and knows you better than you know yourself. But. But. But part of the reason we move from "my life is changing dramatically" to "its the end of the world" is because we overestimate our importance to the world, and to God's actions within it. And we are inclined to think then that God's care for us is only expressed in the circumstances of this world. 

So many of our readings today encourage us to take a deep breath and relax: because we are just not that important. God's plans and purposes are accomplished in history despite the constant "ending of the world." His care and concern for you is not contingent on this iteration of the world lasting forever (Psalm 62:2). Being oppressed in this world doesn't change his love for you (62:10); riches have nothing to do with it. "People of low degree are just a breath, and men of high degree are a lie. They are together lighter than a breath." (WOW).

So we do what 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11 encourages us to do. We keep calm, and live sober, steadfast, holy lives. Because God cares for us and loves us... His World is not ending, even when this version of it seems like it is.

Hymn
A Mighty Fortress is Our God

Prayer
Pray Psalm 61 aloud.

Jesus: An Actual King?

Margaret Wilson, A Wigtown Martyr

Margaret Wilson, A Wigtown Martyr

Readings

  1. Old Testament: Leviticus 16:1-19

  2. Psalm 57

  3. Gospel: Matt. 6:1-6

  4. New Testament: 1 Thess. 4:13-18

Devotional
Leviticus 16, at first glance, could hardly seem less relevant to the modern church. Blood sacrifices, empty thrones, burning incense... weird, amirite? Until we consider the fact that what is being described in the Tent of Meeting is just that- the place on Earth where God came down to meet with his people as their king. To sit on his throne, the throne of mercy. To rule his nation, his people. We think of Christianity as a philosophy (something to think) or a moral code (something to do). And Christianity certainly provides those things. But to be a Christian isn't to think something or do something... its to be a citizen of a different kingdom. Kingdoms have Kings, and Jesus is ours. And sometimes in modern life, this insight is lost. We think of ourselves as citizens of America, in which we are Christians. But most Christians throughout history have reversed that order: they thought of themselves as citizens of the Kingdom, incidentally living wherever they are. 

On this day in history, 1685, an 18 year old woman named Margaret Wilson was tied to a stake in a tidal river in Wigtown Scotland and drowned when the tide came in. Her crime? She was a Covenanter- someone who swore that they would accept no king over the church except Jesus Christ himself. You can read more about the Covenanters (who are in our heritage) here. We would not agree with everything a Scottish Covenanter believed. But their refusal to accept earthly kingship over the church led them to positions which (at the time) were extremely countercultural, but in retrospect were... holy. Covenanters opposed slavery on biblical grounds, for instance, from the time they came to America. They marched to a quirky rhythm, and endured persecution for it, because they were convinced that Jesus was their political authority, and they were determined to bring that it into physical existence. 

It is difficult to imagine this sort of conviction today. And we aren't often sure how to apply it. But the martyrdom of Margaret Wilson invites us to at least ask the question- what does it mean, really mean, for us to have Jesus as King- not just over our interior lives, or our ethics... but over our world?

Hymn
The Lord is King

Prayer
Almighty God, whom truly to know is everlasting life: Grant
us so perfectly to know your Son Jesus Christ to be the way,
the truth, and the life, that we may steadfastly follow his
steps in the way that leads to eternal life; through Jesus Christ
your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity
of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Anger, Sadness, Hope and Race

Readings

  1. Old Testament: Exodus 34: 18-35

  2. Psalm 40

  3. Gospel: Matt. 5: 27-37

  4. New Testament: 1 Thess. 3:1-13

Devotional
If your Newsfeed is anything like mine, then the seemingly impossible has happened: something has replaced coronavirus as the most-talked about thing on the Internet. I'm referring, of course, to news of the killing of Ahmaud Arbery, whose death at the hands of two white men in Brunswick has reignited our national conversation about race and racism

I don't know about you, but the emotions I have experienced watching the Arbery story unfold have swung from shock, to exhaustion, to despair, to cynicism, to anger, to sadness (with many steps and regressions in between). "This happened again? Another one of these killings in 2020?" And to rescue us from our uncertainty, here come all the old arguments again: systems vs. individuals, race vs. class, reactions vs. "wait for the evidence"... and to top it off, the feeling that this story requires something, some action from me. And so will the one after that, after that, after that... on into infinity. And somehow, there is the sense that most actions I can take are really performative for the sake of the Internet and building my power and following there, and that nothing I can do will really change things, will ever really matter. It feels like the Internet is a billion people banging our collective heads against the wall going "Its 2020, how can this sort of thing happen?" every three or four days... and yet racial strife remains.

The Bible will not let us sit out conversations about race. From the promise of Abraham in Genesis 12 to the redemption of the nations in Revelation 21-22, God is passionately committed to seeing all mankind united in harmony under His rule. The question is this: how is He going to do it? And what does it look like for us to participate? 

Psalm 40 brings us answers, as God's News intersects with our news. It calls us to honesty, participation, humility, and hope.

The Situation: The Psalmist is in a pit, a hole of despair (v. 1). We don't know why for the Psalmist, but the past few days have demonstrated that we know what that feels like, even today. Apparently human nature doesn't change, regardless of the year. 

The Response: The first thing the Psalmist does is cry (v. 1). This might seem pointless, but truly grieving what we have lost frees us from desperate attempts to get back what is gone forever. Some of us avoid grief by arguing and anger; some of us avoid it by despair. The Psalmist does neither. He cries. Have you allowed yourself to feel anything? Have you listened to others who feel deeply?

The Remembering: The Psalmist remembers the ways in which the Lord has saved in the past (2-6). This remembering frees the writer from the despair of the present. The Newsfeed isn't forever; God's mercy is. How has God sustained you and us as a people thus far?

The Reaction: But this remembering also compels faithful action in the present (7-11). It does not minimize the pain of the present, but empowers us to move into the pain of the present with hope. If God has not been faithful to sustain us in the past, then the best we can hope for is to gain safety by our own power in the present. This is the ethic of despair. But if God has been faithful to us, then we move into the present fearing neither man as individual nor men as system. Instead, we will do justice and love mercy and walk humbly with God. We will be righteous, come what may. Do you take your cues for response from God's Word?

The Recognition: When racism comes up in America, different groups emphasize different things. As a generalization (and here we go where angels fear to tread!) conservatives and many white people (including myself) are inclined to emphasize the individual nature of racism: it exists in the hearts of individuals. Liberals and many people of color emphasize the way that our systems themselves are racist. The Bible, sitting as it does in judgement over our discourse just like it does over everyone, refuses to submit to this false dichotomy. In the turning point of the Psalm, the Psalmist writes of sinfulness in the heart of individuals IN THE SAME VERSE as he writes about the evils which are so far beyond the scope of individuals that they threaten to overwhelm the writer. They are systemic, and experienced as such (v. 12). To live faithfully is to be at war with both our own hearts and the evil systems in which we exist. There is no sitting it out. And God's salvation must be accomplished both in our own hearts and in the systems in which we exist, or it is no salvation at all. Which of these biblical emphases are you inclined to dismiss or emphasize?

The Religion: If sinfulness is in the hearts AND systems of man, then the Psalmist knows something that we as Americans have forgotten: that our faithfulness will not be enough to transform the world. We need deliverance. The rest of the Psalm (v. 13-17) express the Psalmist's desire that God would deliver his people again. What if the exhaustion we feel at being unable to build a system that doesn't oppress is a sign that human beings cannot build that system? What if our exhaustion and despair could be, in some way, holy? What if our problem is that we haven't yet despaired of our own perfection, and turned to God and waited upon him? What if despairing of our own perfection would free us to care about what we could, and release what we couldn't to God's redemption? What if despair is the antidote to despair?

Summary: Step 1 is lament our tragedy. Step 2 is remember that God has been good: now is not forever. Step 3 is to react in righteousness. Step 4 is to recognize the individual and systemic contexts of sin. Step 5 is to get religion: turn to God for deliverance.

May God grant us peace, zeal, strength, empathy, courage and love for one another and our Lord Jesus Christ, who has bound us in love for him together with one another.

Hymn
The Lord is King

Prayer
Almighty God, whom truly to know is everlasting life: Grant
us so perfectly to know your Son Jesus Christ to be the way,
the truth, and the life, that we may steadfastly follow his
steps in the way that leads to eternal life; through Jesus Christ
your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity
of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Who Am I?

Readings

  1. Old Testament: Exodus 34:1-17

  2. Psalm 60

  3. Gospel: Matt. 5:21-26

  4. New Testament: 1 Thess. 2:13-20

Devotional
“Tell me about yourself.”  It’s a request you’ve answered at some point in your life before.  Maybe on a first date.  Perhaps a job interview.  Maybe a time you arrived in a new city filled with new people.  It’s one thing when people describe who they think you are, but something about the way you describe yourself gets right to the heart of what you think is most important for people to know about you.  It’s a revealing question to answer because it reveals what we find most essential for someone to know who we truly are.

At this point in the book of Exodus, the Israelites have been through a lot.  God has rescued them from the hands of the Egyptians, He has given them the Law, and now they are journeying towards a land God has promised them.  Yet, in spite of God’s faithfulness, Israel has turned away and worshipped through a golden calf.  Moses is so distraught that he smashes the tablets of the law, and he begins to question God.  Why has God brought us out of slavery just for everyone to turn away.  How am I supposed to lead a people that don’t want to be led?  “If I have found favor in your sight, please show me now your ways,” asks Moses to God. 

God’s response is striking, isn’t it?  He would have every right to give up this rebellious group of people to the sinful desires of their hearts, but the first thing He says is literally “I Am who I Am (translated from the Hebrew Yahweh). A God who is merciful, gracious, and slow to anger.”  And the root of this graciousness, He says, is His covenant.  The promise that He made to His people that will never fail. 

Frequently when we approach God, it can be difficult to feel like we really know the God to whom we draw near.  Rather than try to imagine, what if we simply listened to God when He tells us what He is like?  He is merciful.  He is gracious.  He is slow to anger, and He always keeps His covenant love and faithfulness.  He forgives, but He always upholds justice.  God’s introduction was enough to equip Moses to return to lead a stubborn people, and it is enough to sustain you through your own trials.

Hymn
The Lord is King

Prayer
Almighty God, whom truly to know is everlasting life: Grant
us so perfectly to know your Son Jesus Christ to be the way,
the truth, and the life, that we may steadfastly follow his
steps in the way that leads to eternal life; through Jesus Christ
your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity
of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.