We enjoyed a full Fellowship Hall last evening for the opening session of our Midweek Winter Series: “The Gospel and Gender Ideology.” For those of you who are unable to attend, I will publish a summary of each session today and for the next five weeks, so the blog will be posted on Thursday (instead of Wednesday) for the duration of this series.

My primary goal last night was to outline a solid Biblical and theological framework for our study. When we as Christ followers approach a subject as critical as this in our contemporary culture, it’s vitally important that we do so with the humility to which we have been called. The world doesn’t need any more judgmental finger-pointing, so (to quote from Kyle Dunbar’s closing prayer): “God, please help us remove the log from our own eye.”

Specifically, we discussed the similarities and differences between “sex” and “gender,” just to get us all on the same page in terms of terminology and approach. Then we explored the Bible’s earliest and most foundational teaching on gender from the Creation account in Genesis 1 and 2.

And I’ll share with you here the “starting points” which I shared with the attendees, which spring from my heart’s desire to simply let you know why I believe that all of this truly matters …

1. The message that young people need to stay pure until marriage, and then after that to enjoy the gift of sex “‘til death do us part” – but not really talk about it on church property – is a woefully inadequate view of sexuality from which we must repent. We, as the body of Christ, can do much better than that.

2. As long as sexuality remains a taboo subject in the church, we can’t expect people to understand the deceptions – and outright lies – surrounding it. And there are many. Especially in our contemporary culture, silence is deadly.

3. The void that we create because of topics which we prefer to shy away from, other forces will be happy to fill. Where we as the church fail to disciple, others will gladly do it for us. When the church begins to speak honestly and truthfully about these issues, we’re not reacting to “the world” – we’re embracing what always belonged to God.

4. Because it is intrinsically connected to our personhood, sexuality is linked to spirituality. As our understanding of sexuality is blurred, so will be our understanding of God. So, our goal is to develop a vision of sexuality that is as close to THE truth as possible. Thus, the Bible – God’s Word – will be our highest source of authority for this series (as in all matters of faith and practice).

5. Sexual desires are ultimately a desire for closeness and acceptance. Sexual intimacy is a physical experience that God uses to show us that we have a longing for closeness that only He can fill. This makes all issues which fall under the umbrella of sexuality, ultimately, nothing less than gospel issues. (See Ephesians 5:32.)

6. We are all broken, sexually and otherwise. As sinners one and all, we all stand in need of a perfect Savior.

7. The Cross is the only place in the universe where wholeness can be found. As such, the gospel always lies at the center of our conversation.

8. Jesus died and rose again to make us whole in every way. This includes our sexual wholeness. Christ is deeply invested in this journey, in fact more than we could ever imagine.

9. Both the single and the married are, by nature, sexual creatures. This is a reflection of the image of God which has been imprinted upon us. We share a deep longing for intimacy: to be truly known and yet truly loved.

10. Our sexual wholeness will not be one and done, but will be a continual and gracious work of the Holy Spirit in us.

11. All of my deepest desires were never meant to be met in another person. As I am awakened to the supremacy of the Lord Jesus Christ as the greatest joy I can ever know, I realize that the delights of sexual intimacy are lesser pleasures pointing me heavenward. Sex was never designed to be ultimate end.

12. Two guardrails will aid us on the way: 1) that we seek to be “full of grace and truth”; and 2) that we speak the truth in love.

I explained last evening that I intentionally changed the pronouns from plural to singular as we moved from #10 to #11, as I want each one of us to deeply personalize “the main thing,” and the main thing is always knowing God. All in all, it was a wonderful night. Thanks to all of you who prayed fervently to that end.

If you’re in the Nashville area, you are most welcome to join us for any or all of the remaining sessions. Dinner and childcare will be provided each Wednesday night. I’m finding that Green Hills Community Church offers the sweetest fellowship around, and I don’t want any of you to miss the great things that the Lord is doing in our midst.

May Jesus Christ be praised!

Pastor Charles

Yesterday it took me twenty minutes to drive less than a mile on Hillsboro Pike. That might sound like a complaint, but it’s certainly not. I enjoyed every minute – taking in all the hustle and bustle of a city on the move. That is Nashville, and that is Green Hills, right now!

I could have chosen so many photographs to share with you of major developments within a stone’s throw of our church campus, but I picked the soon-to-open Eden House. It’s a 16-story building offering 111 luxury condos for sale, along with a creative mix of retail space. Apparently it will be similar to the Vertis next door. If you’re like me and think in terms of restaurants, think Char!

Then there’s the new hi-tech transit center in front of the high school, aimed at promoting mass transit to and from the mall area. And Hillsboro Pike itself is being transformed. Intersections are being redesigned. CVS just hopped across the street and that sidestreet will soon plow through what used to be CVS. New businesses are sprouting up on both sides of the throughway. I’m sure you’ve noticed the massive construction project next to the Bluebird Cafe. There is every indication that something gargantuan will soon tower over those few remaining businesses that have held on to their properties through the last couple of decades of growth and transition.

And I’ve barely scratched the surface. There are so many cranes operating downtown that you can’t even count them while sitting at a red light – because you run out of time.

The God of this city has called us here. All of us. That’s why we’re here. He has work for us to do, right here. And it’s a great adventure to be stationed at this post, here and now. You and I should embrace the moment with gusto.

I’m proposing that we pray together over our lovely community. Here are some ideas …

1. Let’s pray for the spiritual prosperity of our city. That we would hear and respond to the call of God in Jeremiah 29:7, and that God’s Word would give each one of us the heart perspective which we need: “Seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you … and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.”

2. Let’s pray for those who are new to the Nashville area, and who are adjusting to the transition. Maybe there are language barriers, or financial hardships, or emotional struggles related to leaving their previous home (or homeland). That God would use this moment to reveal Christ as only He can.

3. Let’s pray for those neighbors who don’t know Christ. That God will open their hearts to the gospel, and that He will use us in that exciting enterprise.

4. Let’s pray that our part of Tennessee would be protected from racial strife. That the love of Jesus would prevail and bring diverse people together, as God’s people lead the way in exhibiting the fruit of the Holy Spirit.

5. Let’s pray for our neighbor churches. Each one faces its share of spiritual warfare, and each one has the potential to make a powerful kingdom impact. That the Lord would grant true gospel unity and mission to each and every congregation where Christ is exalted.

6. Let’s pray that churches could serve together in sharing Christ and meeting human needs. That pride and self-sufficiency would not prevent any of us from being able to lock arms with a brother or sister in Christ with whom we might minister effectively.

7. Let’s pray for our own church family, our very special family of faith at GHCC. That we would reflect the goodness of our Lord and Savior at every turn, with everyone, and with each other. That we would truly (and literally) be a light on a hill.

8. Let’s pray for singles in our area, including older adults who are single, and for the unique challenges that singles face. That God would build great friendships here in our city, and that He would minister to those who are lonely (and use us in such gracious ministry).

9. Let’s pray for the marriages and families all around us. That God would grant tremendous wisdom as people try to navigate these confusing cultural headwinds which seek to undermine family life. And that God would bring His peace and joy to every home.

10. Let’s pray that the Spirit of God will promote a culture where all human life is valued and protected. That God would use us to speak such words of life and light, with humility and winsomeness, within our local spheres of influence (including our own families).

11. Let’s pray for our government leaders and for all who are in authority over us. That God would grant divine wisdom to all who lead, and that His ultimate authority would be recognized and honored by all.

12. Let’s pray for a great spiritual awakening that extends well beyond Green Hills Community Church and Nashville! Everywhere, people need hope. Everywhere, people need Jesus.

The world is moving to Nashville. Are we ready? We should be … because you and I have the best news in the world!

Pastor Charles

If you’re in the Nashville area, I want to invite you to Green Hills Community Church for our Midweek Winter Series: THE GOSPEL AND GENDER IDEOLOGY. We’ll meet from 5:30 until 7:00 p.m. for six weeks starting January 25. Dinner and childcare will be provided. Our primary goal will be to make sense of Scripture, history, and our current cultural crisis surrounding the issue of gender.

I’m putting this together as we speak, but here are some of my plans as of this blog posting …

1. We’ll talk about Creation, and how early Genesis informs our understanding of gender.

2. We’ll seek to understand the key Biblical texts which ought to shape a Christian understanding of sexuality.

3. We’ll take a look at the inherently subjective nature of transgenderism, and the problems created by such fluidity.

4. We’ll trace some of the key historical landmarks which have contributed to our present cultural confusion. 

5. We’ll explore critical sociological and philosophical underpinnings, like fatherlessness and moral relativism (and even transhumanism). 

6. We’ll consider some of the relevant medical issues, such as gender dysphoria and puberty blockers.

7. We’ll highlight a few of the larger legal issues currently in play, and specifically address the applicability of civil rights legislation to sexual orientation.

8. We’ll wade into the waters of “cancel culture” and free speech, as they relate to the topic at hand.

9. We’ll examine some of the resources currently being used to promote transgenderism in elementary schools.

10. We’ll discuss the unique problem of powerful ideological agendas in American higher education.

11. We’ll formulate a plan for ourselves as the body of Christ: how to live (and speak) graciously, winsomely, and with kingdom efficacy in the public square.

12. We’ll commit to humble ministry in Christ’s name, in a world of sexual brokenness, and we’ll affirm our calling to love those who are struggling with pain, confusion, and rejection.

Why do these things matter, friends? Because the gospel touches every sphere of our lives. In the words of Abraham Kuyper, Prime Minister of the Netherlands from 1901 to 1905: “There is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is Sovereign over all, does not cry, ‘Mine!'”

I hope that many of you will be able to attend most of these sessions. It’s always a treat to enjoy splendid fellowship with the people of God. And it is always my privilege and joy to serve as the senior pastor of Green Hills Community Church, a congregation firmly committed to the timeless good news of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Pastor Charles

For many years I’ve participated in the annual March for Life in Washington, D.C., and have found the experience to be exhilarating for my soul. This year I may be unable to attend because of family illness, but January always brings the issue of the sanctity of human life to the forefront of my thinking.

I must admit that I often doubted that Roe v. Wade would ever be overturned in my lifetime, though I knew that the landmark SCOTUS ruling was plagued by multiple reasons to collapse under its own weight. It was a terrible decision on multiple levels, but Roe enshrined a so-called constitutional right to abortion that I knew would be a difficult course correction for many Americans. Sure enough, I think that the last midterm elections signaled that substantial numbers of voters are concerned about abortion rights.

So how should we as the church proceed from here? How do we love our politically diverse neighbors while working diligently to create and preserve an ethic of life? How do we approach the issue of abortion in a post-Roe climate, and do so in a manner that is as effective and winsome as possible? Here are a few of my thoughts.

1. We can’t assume that legal or legislative wins change hearts. I’m in no way saying that we ought not strive for both, but I believe that the intensely more difficult part of the pro-life battle may be ahead of us instead of behind us. In fact, we’re already witnessing an amping up of pro-abortion momentum and energy, tragically. (See Tuesday’s “breaking news” on abortion pills in The New York Times.)

2. We can assume that people don’t really understand the issues. Most don’t. One thing the midterm exit polls clearly demonstrated is that voters had little understanding of Roe. Most had bought into sensationalized and misleading media soundbites, which is sadly no new national phenomenon.

3. We must broaden our understanding of the pro-life culture which we’re seeking to create. In our desire to see people truly embrace the value of human life, within a gospel-positive context, we must learn to love as our Savior loves. He loves the whole person. He loves the wayward rebel. He loves people who don’t love Him back. We ought to open our arms to embrace single moms and fatherless kids and older adults struggling with loneliness. We ought to be first in line to serve those who are suffering through divorce and substance abuse. As a local expression of the body of Christ, we ought to be a safe place for those enduring every shade of grief. We are extended a little more credibility to speak into the abortion issue when people see that we are ministers of grace among those who are hurting.

4. We must not lose heart (Galatians 6:9). Whenever we live as channels of positive change on this fallen planet, we can expect serious opposition. But the greatest threat to our real-life ministry as agents of salt and light is not hostile politics, or moral relativism, or the lack of widespread public approval. The greatest danger we face is losing our resolve to press on in the face of all of those realities. Today I simply want to urge you, beloved friends, to press on.

Life matters. Love matters. When I think about the woman at the well, I imagine her exclaiming to her friends: “He wasn’t really coming after water. He was coming after me!” As always, you and I need the wisdom and passion of Jesus.

Pastor Charles

I’ve always been a fan of the airline industry, despite my own fair share of flight disruptions over the years. I still find the jet-age enterprise of connecting people and places to be an invigorating and critical dimension of life in the 21st century.

That being said, what we’ve just observed over the holiday has been shocking. I don’t mean to pick on Southwest Airlines, but I think it’s safe to say that they fumbled the ball in egregious proportions. What happened here in Nashville alone, in terms of unexplained cancellations and abhorrent customer service, was apparently just the tip of the iceberg. Winter weather was a contributing factor, no doubt, but certainly that explanation falls far short of justifying a nationwide debacle that will be felt for weeks to come.

What’s happening in America? We seem to be failing in numerous key areas that include both sophisticated technological systems and basic people skills. Such widespread and public disasters do nothing to boost consumer confidence on any level. Our citizens are expressing a general lack of trust in everything from transportation to health care to social media, and perhaps with very good reason.

I’m not a social scientist, but I am a student of history, so I’d like to share four simple observations that may or may not be helpful. I share these from the conviction that we, as Christ followers, ought to do our best to understand the times in which we live (1 Chronicles 12:32; Matthew 16:3).

We’re losing our commitment to the common good. We’ve known affluence for generations, but now the preoccupations of selfishness and vanity seem to be replacing at a steady clip the virtues of sacrifice and duty. We seem to have bought into the foolish notion that we can worship ourselves while somehow thriving as a society. It simply doesn’t work, and I think we’re seeing evidence of that in nearly every sphere of our culture right now.

We’re losing our commitment to hard work. Our age of information seems to be drawing us away from the value of a job well done. I would submit to you that large numbers of people with cell phones, but without jobs, can’t be sustainable for very long. We can entertain ourselves into a stupor, and even steadily consume the latest data on the subject of our choice, but all of that leaves a deep void at the end of the day. You and I were made to work, and to reflect the goodness of our Creator by doing every job as unto Him. (It’s another blog posting for another day, but I contend that we desperately need a restoration of the Protestant work ethic in American life.)

We’re losing our commitment to integrity. The deeper our cultural commitments to the tenets of evolution, for example, the more poorly we tend to treat one another. Is it not the image of the Lord God in every person which motivates us to honor others? This is much of the discomfort that we now feel on the streets, as a lack of trust in nearly every institution translates into a low-grade angst and anger.

We’re losing our commitment to the truth. In an obsession not to offend anyone with unwelcome words, we end up inflicting incredible harm on each other through systemic misinformation. Said another way, the more that we muddle moral clarity in our generation, the more that we annihilate logical cogency as a bedrock of our civilization. I believe that it is this very tension that is ultimately frustrating and unnerving to so many people right now: “I know that you know why my flight is canceled, and if I can’t trust you to tell me the truth about that, can I trust you with more important things like my personal safety?” Excellent question indeed. Last time I checked the Scriptures, “everyone did what was right in his own eyes” proved to be a recipe for inevitable disaster.

I don’t mean to be a downer in your life this week, friends, but I share this with you in the hope that we will pray diligently for a monumental gospel advance in our day. God can do it! Christ is able! Hard times for a nation can prove to be good times for the gospel. We should have known it all along, but the good news of Jesus is our only hope. Christ is the only hope of a needy church, and of a desperate world.

So, if we have to be grounded, let’s stay grounded in Him.

Pastor Charles

I’m a mess, y’all.

You see, I want to be a spiritual giant, known for maturity of faith and unparalleled Biblical insights … but I recognize on a regular basis that I’m just a simple pilgrim making his way through the ups and downs of life.

Thanks to all of you who’ve been praying for my mother. From her hospital room, she’s battling both COVID and flu. That’s no easy path at her age (she wants you to know she’s 64). In just a few days I witnessed a month-long decline in Mom’s physical strength bottom out in a place of absolute can’t-take-another-step exhaustion. It’s been hard to watch.

Of the human suffering which is part and parcel of the Christian experience, A.W. Tozer once wrote: “You will feel and understand the ministry of the night; its power to purify, to detach, to humble, to destroy the fear of death and, what is more important to you in the moment, the fear of life.” As you have prayed for Mom and for us, I have sensed the Lord’s love being poured out even in my fears of the night.

My mother reminded me of “that passage about wings like eagles,” so I pulled out Isaiah 40 and read it aloud by her bed. Even George Frideric Handel was drawn to that great text when he composed the Christmas portion of Messiah: “Comfort ye, comfort ye My people!” And there are so many beautiful comforts in that chapter. The Incarnation means that Jerusalem, despite her abundance of sins, can celebrate the work of redemption that Christ has come to accomplish on her behalf.

It’s a humbling chapter. You and I, the frail and flawed humans that we are, are like the “withering grass” and the “fading flower.” That’s meant to sting a bit, I imagine. Yet the chapter is also our song of victory in Christ: “the Word of our God will stand forever!”

“The Lord God comes with might!” No one will prevail against Him. While the nations of the earth prove themselves to be nothing but “a drop from a bucket,” our God is coming to shepherd us like “the lambs in His arms.” The Mighty God is also our gentle Shepherd.

Sadly, my flesh is like your flesh: it seeks something worldly for ultimate security. But God loves us so much that He is setting us free from all those empty promises and vain idols … and He is planting us firmly on the only solid Rock.

Is that not the wonder of Christmas? God will use an unknown couple … in an obscure village … through the most unbelievable circumstances mirroring both the depth of human depravity and the miracle of grace … to turn the world upside down. The manger will give way to the cross, and the cross will give way to the empty tomb! And then we discover that our upside down is God’s right-side up. Only Jesus!

You and I are the “weary fainters.” We’re the ones who “fall exhausted.” But right now the living Christ seeks to come underneath us with His wings … to fill us with His strength … to carry us safely across His finish line … and, even while we wait, to surprise us with His unexplainable joy!Watching my sweet mother suffer such debilitating weakness broke my heart. At the same time, friends, my soul whispered: “Comfort, comfort My people.” And I realized all over again that Jesus is more than enough.

So, just in time for Christmas, I bring you tidings of comfort and joy.

Pastor Charles

The wording of the Gospel of Luke arrests me, Mary’s words: “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.”

Every Christmas season I get intrigued by all the fuss over the song written by Mark Lowry for a church Christmas play. “Did Mary know?” “Did Mary not know?” “Mary must have known.” “Mary could not have known.” And every possible combination thereof. Holly Scheer, a Lutheran who writes for The Federalist, has contended that the song is pure doctrinal error, labeling it “the most biblically illiterate Christmas tune.” She went on to explain that “the biblical account of Christ’s conception and birth shouldn’t need to ask if Mary knew because the Bible plainly tells us she did.”

I’m not so sure about that. Isn’t it possible to know and to not know at the same time? By that I mean simply that our walk of faith includes the things of which we are certain, but it also includes the parts of our experience that still contain some unknown … some mystery … some holy waiting on God to sort it out for us – if and when He ever decides that a sorting out is what we most need. This morning I learned that my friend Fernando died of ALS. Maybe you have more faith than I do, but I can’t get through today without putting at least a part of Fernando’s story in my “I don’t understand” file. I put it there in my imaginary file because, quite frankly, I don’t understand. I just don’t. Fernando leaves behind children, including a teenage son who still desperately needs a dad. I don’t understand the disease or the suffering. I don’t understand the timing. I don’t understand the sadness. I just don’t understand.

I think the song from 1991 is asking a rhetorical question, and a question worth asking. In that sense, it’s more a question for us than for Mary. Mary’s song of praise, also in Luke and often referred to as The Magnificat, makes it clear that Mary did understand quite a few critical things about this miraculous birth. I’m not denying that. But she has not yet seen any of Christ’s miracles (those that will validate His earthly ministry) … or heard Him preach like no one has ever preached before or since … or peered into His empty tomb!

For Mary, there had to be moments of wondering, and even of doubt. I would go as far as saying that some of this, for Mary, must have been downright terrifying at times. Think back to when she first received the news from Gabriel. Now an unmarried virgin has to explain this to Joseph? Now she has to deal with the very real punishment of death if nobody believes her? Now she has to live under a cloud of scandal and shame? It’s obvious that Mary knows that God is with her. And that’s wonderful. But that doesn’t mean that there weren’t moments of thinking, “A stable, really? This is not playing out exactly like I expected. God, why are You not yet intervening? Why is this still not making any sense to me?”

Mary is surrendered to the Lord’s will, and that in and of itself is nothing short of absolutely amazing. I mean to take nothing away from her. She is willing to lay down her own dreams in order to live out the higher plan of the Lord Most High. She is a great example of faith for us.

But it is faith. And what I mean to communicate today is that our walk of faith includes some deep and dark valleys. Times of uncertainty. Times of fear. Times of less-than-stellar confidence, even in the One who is worthy of all our praise. Friends, it is O.K. for us to be human, for that is what we are. It does us no good to pretend to be otherwise. There’s a little Thomas in each one of us. Some days we’re doubting. Other days we’re knocking it out of the park. From “I will never believe” to “My Lord and my God!”

Sometimes loving Jesus hurts. It just hurts. Sometimes loving others in His name hurts too. Sometimes walking by faith leaves us with a profound limp. It’s just that simple. I think C.S. Lewis may have said it best: “To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything and your heart will be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact you must give it to no one, not even an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements. Lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket, safe, dark, motionless, airless, it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable. To love is to be vulnerable.”

After Jesus had been born, and after all the glory of the angels in the night skies over Bethlehem, the Bible records that Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. That can only be a good thing, in my humble and unsolicited opinion, because Mary will have to see her “baby boy” nailed to a cruel cross. There is no convincing me that Mary perfectly understood all of this from the moment that she learned that she was carrying the Son of God in her womb. It will be a journey. It will be a walk of faith. She will learn some things along the way, and – just like us – she will have to relearn a few things. Mary’s life will include seasons of unspeakable joy, and seasons of unspeakable heartache. She will cry both kinds of tears. To me, this is what it means to walk by faith with the living God.

Walking with you,

Pastor Charles

I’m thinking about Pearl Harbor this morning, as are many of you – not to mention the contemporary backdrop of strife both global and local – and it’s easy to get caught up in a feeling of sadness over the condition of the world. Where is the hopeful “peace on earth” promised by the angels, or was that just a holiday jingle?

Our Lord Jesus was born into a part of the world that had experienced a rapid succession of military overthrows by conquering assailants, and into a time when warfare had been rife for millennia. In the year of Christ’s birth, Judea and King Herod were under Roman rule. Herod, always fearful of a rival ruler, attempted to deceive the magi from the East into serving as his personal GPS so that he could get his grimy hands on this newborn king. That effort failed, as you know, and later Herod outrageously decreed death for all boys under age two. That’s why Joseph and Mary fled with Jesus to Egypt. All of this took place during the reign of the Roman emperor Augustus, quite ironically during a period that was known for its “Roman peace.” Just like now, as you probably guessed, such “peace” was quite limited in scope and definition. Yes, the Roman Empire protected and governed individual provinces, such as Judea, but that also translated into Roman laws and Roman taxes and Roman control. Step outside the lines, no more peace for you. The four Gospels and history bear this out.

As long as we inhabit this fallen planet, we know that political (did somebody say, “Georgia runoff”?), religious, philosophical, and other sharp differences will create colossal divides between and among human beings. Until the end of this age, Jesus has promised as much, even in some of our closest interpersonal relationships (Matthew 10:34). On an even broader scale, the signs of Christ’s second advent include – by our Savior’s own testimony – “wars and rumors of wars … nation against nation … kingdom against kingdom” (Matthew 24:6-7). He’s certainly not describing Christmas card material in every chapter of our lives or of human history, as you and I might have naively imagined.

But, come what may, we can have peace with God. That’s the wonder of the season. That’s the foundation of all true and lasting peace. That’s the prerequisite peace for all other peace. In Christ, that peace is ours now. When it comes to the peace that permeates everything, you and I still wait, for we live simultaneously in “the now and the not yet.” So let me say it loud and clear: peace, in all its fullness, is well on its way. I have that on good authority. The Prince of Peace has come, and “He shall reign forever and ever.”

On December 25, 1864, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882) composed the seven stanzas that became “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day.” Civil War-torn America was months away from Lee’s surrender to Grant, and the lyrics capture our nation’s utter despair. Soon after the war’s first shots were fired, Henry’s dear wife had been fatally burned at Cambridge, Massachusetts, as she tried to melt a bar of sealing wax to preserve some of her young daughter’s curls after a haircut. Attempting to save his wife by smothering the flames with a throw rug, Longfellow so badly injured his face that he was partially disfigured for the remainder of his life. Less than a year later, his son Charles was severely crippled by war wounds. So Longfellow’s words reflect his personal grief, as well as America’s shared grief. But Charles lived, and a poem – and eventually a famous Christmas carol – was born. I’ll include the original words below.

May you and yours be blessed by this old song that does in fact end on a note of peace and Christian triumph! God is here, friends. He has not left us. That is the joy of Christmas: we are never alone. It’s the difference that only Christ could make, and that He has made (Matthew 1:23): “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us).

I heard the bells on Christmas Day, their old familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet, the words repeat, of peace on earth, goodwill to men!

And thought how, as the day had come, the belfries of all Christendom
Had rolled along, the unbroken song, of peace on earth, goodwill to men!

Till, ringing, singing on its way, the world revolved from night to day,
A voice, a chime, a chant sublime, of peace on earth, goodwill to men!

Then from each black accursed mouth, the cannon thundered in the South,
And with the sound, the carols drowned, of peace on earth, goodwill to men!

It was as if an earthquake rent, the hearth-stones of a continent,
And made forlorn the households born, of peace on earth, goodwill to men!

And in despair I bowed my head; “There is no peace on earth,” I said;
“For hate is strong, and mocks the song, of peace on earth, goodwill to men!”

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep: “God is not dead; nor doth he sleep!
The Wrong shall fail, the Right prevail, with peace on earth, goodwill to men!”

By God’s grace, I think that we can hear the bells.

Listening with you,

Pastor Charles

I love the time of year when some of the passages of Scripture which are most familiar to us become rich with meaning again. Today I’m thinking of Matthew 1:22-23, where the apostle simply records: All this took place to fulfill what the Lord has spoken by the prophet: “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us). An angel of the Lord revealed to Joseph the needed specifics regarding Christ’s birth, by means of a miraculous dream. And the “all this” includes the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy (7:14) some seven centuries earlier. Jesus Himself will be that promised sign.

When the “unsinkable” RMS Titanic – the largest and most luxurious ocean liner of its time – crashed into an iceberg on its maiden voyage in 1912, it enjoyed the first on-board swimming pools and even a gym, a squash court, and some of the most elegant furnishings and scrumptious food in the world. But the famous ocean liner ended up dragging more than 1500 of its 2200 passengers to the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean. Two government investigations conducted immediately after the disaster agreed that it was the iceberg, and not any weakness in the ship itself, that had caused the Titanic to sink. Both inquiries wrongfully concluded that the vessel had gone to the ocean floor intact, even though a few survivors had reported seeing the ship come apart. Neither investigation substantiated those reports, however, because that was believed to be an absolute impossibility. So the full blame for the incident fell on the ship’s deceased captain, who was widely condemned for racing at 22 knots through a known ice field in the dark waters off the coast of Newfoundland. And the case of the Titanic was considered closed.

But in 1985, when oceanographer Robert Ballard – after years of diligent searching – finally located the ship’s remains 2.5 miles down on the ocean floor, he discovered that the Titanic had in fact broken in two on the surface before it sank. And this one discovery caused people to wonder, for the first time, if perhaps the Titanic was never as strong a vessel as had been commonly believed. Now we know even more of the truth. When the Titanic struck the iceberg, six of its sixteen watertight compartments were damaged. The ship started taking on seawater in the bow through openings about twenty feet below the water line. And as the liner nosed down, water flooded compartments one after another – as the ship’s stern began rising out of the ocean. But as the stern rose higher and higher, the stress on the vessel was more than it could handle, and the Titanic – just forward of the third funnel – broke completely apart. Days before its first voyage, a White Star Line employee had boasted, “God himself could not sink the ship.” But, in less than four hours, it was all over. The “Ship of Dreams” had become nothing short of a nightmare. Such was the fate of the ocean liner that had everything, except lifeboats.

Back to Matthew 1. It’s the genealogy of Jesus. At first glance, you might think: “Isn’t that nice! One generation after another preparing the way for the Messiah.” But it would be a crying shame to gloss over the truth like that. Take David, for example. We remember him as “a man after God’s own heart” (1 Samuel 13:14), and he was, but David was also guilty of horrific sin. He committed adultery with Bathsheba, and then conspired to cover his sin with the treacherous murder of her husband. David’s polygamy and his ungodly parenting produced tragic results in his family life. When David’s son Amnon raped his half-sister Tamar, David did nothing about it (2 Samuel13:1-22). That neglect set in motion the events that darkened the final years of his reign: Tamar’s brother Absalom murdered Amnon, usurped David’s throne, and committed public immorality with David’s concubines. Other than that it was a Hallmark movie.

The first period of Christ’s genealogy from Abraham to David was that of the patriarchs, and of Moses, Joshua, and the judges. It included wandering, enslavement, deliverance, covenant-making, lawgiving, conquest, and victory. And in living color there, in spite of God’s faithfulness, we see people doing their own thing and sinning in every possible way. The second period from David to the deportation to Babylon represents the monarchy. David, Jehoshaphat, Hezekiah, and Josiah were the only decent kings – the rest led Israel away from God and into all manner of trouble. That was a period of almost uninterrupted decline, degeneracy, apostasy, and tragedy. There was defeat, conquest, exile, and then the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple. The third period from the deportation to Babylon to the Christ was that of captivity, exile, frustration, and of marking time. It was a period of obscurity and anonymity, Israel’s Dark Ages. I didn’t even mention the sin before Abraham, and the Great Flood, but I’m sure you get my point. We have a checkered past – privately, personally, and corporately. Every one of us has, and we together have, a closet full of skeletons!

Friends, one thing we must not do is think of ourselves as stronger than we really are. Truth is, apart from the Lord Jesus Christ, you and I are on a collision course with unspeakable disaster. This is not merely validated by the Scriptures, but it’s validated by every period of human history. We may have the luxuries and amenities of a grand ocean liner, but we’re not unsinkable. And God’s verdict is: the ship is sinking. We haven’t simply been wounded by sin, but we’ve suffered a death blow because of it. But Matthew offers us the best news in the world: a lifeboat has come for us, and His name is Immanuel!

The eyewitness reports recorded in the Scriptures are not erroneous, incidental, or accidental: Christ is alive! He is here! And He will reign forever as King of kings and Lord of lords! For you and I to be men and women “after God’s own heart” is nothing short of a miracle of grace. And it’s only possible in the lifeboat. But the good news of this wonderful season is that the lifeboat has come for us.

He is Immanuel, God with us.

Pastor Charles

Hello from America’s Hometown! Eileen, Josh, and I are here in Plymouth, Massachusetts, overlooking the historic harbor and Plymouth Rock. We’re visiting our extended family for the holiday, and we send you our warmest Thanksgiving greetings.

We ought to savor the moment, and the privilege of giving thanks. I’ll share with you here just a few sweet sounds from Thomas Newman’s hymn (less than 30 seconds in fact) from a 2019 movie adaptation of Louisa May Alcott’s famous novel, and I urge you to pause and to ponder: https://youtu.be/D97KTfosj7E

We have much for which to be thankful. Not only the blessings of family and friends come to mind today, but also the specific freedoms which we enjoy because of the vision launched in large measure right where we stand. Those brave and faithful Pilgrims pursued a passionate dream to establish a home where God could be worshiped according to the dictates of one’s conscience, and you and I continue to inherit the blessings of such cherished liberties. May the Lord protect and preserve such a costly inheritance.

And, far beyond that, you and I are rich indeed (Ephesians 2:7). In Christ we have received so much more than we can possibly imagine. Jesus, by His own blood, has purchased our redemption and secured for us an inheritance far exceeding even our greatest earthly blessings here and now. Our debt is paid! Our spirits have been made alive forever! Our future is glorious and already titled in our name! The whole package was validated by an empty tomb, and that’s about as certain as certain can be.

As we give thanks this season, we pray for the spirit of humble gratitude which marked those steadfast Pilgrims to also mark each one of us. Stirred by an unshakable faith in Christ, those determined men and women had to prepare seven times more graves than houses … but they made time for a day of THANKS. So should we. The priceless privilege is ours.

After all, the simple fact that we’re traveling the road to heaven makes us pilgrims, one and all.

Pastor Charles