Author: W. Keith Brenton

Good Answer

/ W. Keith Brenton / 11 Comments

I am grateful to God for my elders.

I was especially grateful for them as represented by the one who got up before the assembly this morning to read some announcements and deliver a shepherd’s prayer. The worship hour was already going long, but after two announcements that were vital for our church family to know, he said (approximate quote):

“From time to time, I get people asking me where scripture authorizes a baby blessing service like the one we’re having tonight. Of course, these people worship in unauthorized church buildings, listen to an unauthorized full-time minister and many other things … but I’d like for us to see exactly what scripture says on the subject.”

Then he read Mark 10:13-16 …

People were bringing little children to Jesus to have him touch them, but the disciples rebuked them.

When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.”

And he took the children in his arms, put his hands on them and blessed them.

He concluded, “Let’s be the hands of Jesus in blessing the babies of 2007 together here tonight.”

Then he prayed a shepherd’s prayer.

I said an especially heartfelt “Amen!”

Do-er’s and Stoppers

/ W. Keith Brenton / 7 Comments

You can find them in nearly any group of people, including every church:

The ones who go and do.

And the ones who are determined to stop them.

Nehemiah was a get-‘er-done-er. Unlike his contemporary Ezra (whose name does not appear in his work for the first 6 chapters, and who was sent by a foreign king to rebuild Jerusalem’s temple), Nehemiah takes the initiative – at some personal risk – to go and rebuild the walls. As nearly as we can tell, God doesn’t tell him to do it; doesn’t set up a king through prophecy to order him to it; doesn’t even “put it on his heart.” It is Nehemiah’s idea when he hears of how badly the wall has fallen into disrepair.

So he begins in prayer, takes action in faith, and goes to get-‘er-done.

By chapter 2 of the book bearing his name, he has run into the cease-and-desisters: Sanballat, Tobiah the Ammonite and Geshem, three ambitious stoppers. The rest of the book they ridicule, plot, scheme, and try to distract him by offering to “help” so they can further sabotage his ministry:

I answered them by saying, “The God of heaven will give us success. We his servants will start rebuilding, but as for you, you have no share in Jerusalem or any claim or historic right to it.” – Nehemiah 2:20

I love that answer. “Buzz off,” Nehemiah tells them. “It ain’t your hive.”

He didn’t quote it, but he had scripture to back him up. (See Deuteronomy 23:3.) It was the same message that the priests and leaders with whom Ezra served gave to the enemies of Israel:

But Zerubbabel, Jeshua and the rest of the heads of the families of Israel answered, “You have no part with us in building a temple to our God. We alone will build it for the LORD, the God of Israel, as King Cyrus, the king of Persia, commanded us.” – Ezra 4:3

I maintain that it’s a scriptural answer for the busy to give to busybodies:

“Buzz off. It ain’t your hive.”

New Testament scripture?

Sure; I’ve got one:

“Teacher,” said John, “we saw a man driving out demons in your name and we told him to stop, because he was not one of us.” “Do not stop him,” Jesus said. “No one who does a miracle in my name can in the next moment say anything bad about me, for whoever is not against us is for us. I tell you the truth, anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to Christ will certainly not lose his reward.

Jesus puts a gentle backspin on the answer. “You’ve got your ministry, John,” He says. “They’ve got theirs. Stick to yours. Leave theirs alone. It’s not a competition. Even the lowliest ministry has its place in My service.”

His teaching is clear. It’s not to go into all the world and stop every ministry you don’t agree with, or are jealous of, or that you’re convinced is too innovative and/or successful to be scripturally authorized.

It’s to go into all the world and tell His Story.

Find the way God has gifted you to do it best. Pray. Act in faith. Go do it. Become busy with it. Get-‘er-done.

And quit pestering the folks doing it the way He has gifted them.

Doing Good v. Knowing All The Right Answers

/ W. Keith Brenton / 8 Comments

It’s important to know the right answers to the right questions, granted: Who is Jesus? What did He teach? What must I do to be saved?

But knowing all the right answers on all the issues and to all the questions about what must be right and wrong in any given situation is far from enough. Doing what’s good – without judging others; just judging for one’s self – is at least as important (and maybe far more important) to the person who wants to live a life pleasing to God.

How can I say that?

“To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life.” – Romans 2:7

“Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up.” – 1 Corinthians 8:1b

“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” – Galatians 6:9

Because Paul said so.

“Our people must learn to devote themselves to doing what is good, in order that they may provide for daily necessities and not live unproductive lives.” – Titus 3:14

Because Paul’s letter to Titus said so. (Four times in a very short letter.)

“You know what has happened throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached— how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him.” – Acts 10:37-38

“Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us. … For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish men.” – 1 Peter 2:12, 15

Because Peter said so.

“Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn’t do it, sins.” – James 4:17

Because James said so.

“Do to others as you would have them do to you.” – Luke 6:31

Jesus replied, “And you experts in the law, woe to you, because you load people down with burdens they can hardly carry, and you yourselves will not lift one finger to help them.” – Luke 11:46

“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ ” – Matthew 25:34-36

Because Jesus said so.

“And the LORD God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die.” – Genesis 2:16-17

Because God said so.

Scripture approves of study and knowledge of God’s will and His heart. Scripture disapproves of false teaching and heresy.

Yet nothing in scripture says or implies that our acumen in logic nor our ability to research Biblical languages nor our propensity to create issues nor our so-called wisdom in knowing all the right answers to all the wrong questions has anything to do with a life that is transformed by the love (and into the image) of Christ.

It should go without saying you can’t know without doing.

I Am Too Comfortable

/ W. Keith Brenton / 6 Comments

I write. My degree is in journalism. So I guess there is something inherently journalistic in what I do: journaling my spiritual journey in this blog as if it were a free-distribution newspaper. More than a hundred years ago, Finley Peter Dunn said, “The job of the newspaper is to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable.”

I think there is something inherently Christlike in the practice of comforting and afflicting, too – which is one of the reasons I pursue it.

And one of the areas in which the Lord and His early followers were consistent and persistent in comforting and afflicting was talking about giving to the poor – then actually doing it.

I know, I know. I’ve heard all the rationalizations: “if you give to the poor, they’ll take and never earn.” “Charity is the best way to promote poverty.” “The poor you always have with you.” (As if that’s an excuse to ignore them. Jesus’ quote here was to emphasize His shrinking longevity with His friends; not to provide an excuse not to give to those in need.)

Look how very different the view from century one was from that of century twenty-one:

“The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor.” – Luke 4:18a

Looking at his disciples, he said: “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.” – Luke 6:20 (not ‘poor in spirit’ here; just ‘poor.’)

“But give what is inside the dish to the poor, and everything will be clean for you.” – Luke 11:41.

“Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys.” – Luke 12:33

“But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.” – Luke 14:13-14

But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.” – Luke 19:8

“I tell you the truth,” he said, “this poor widow has put in more than all the others.” – Luke 21:3

Since Judas had charge of the money, some thought Jesus was telling him to buy what was needed for the Feast, or to give something to the poor. – John 13:29

“Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need.” – Acts 2:45

In Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (which, when translated, is Dorcas), who was always doing good and helping the poor. – Acts 9:36

Cornelius answered: “Four days ago I was in my house praying at this hour, at three in the afternoon. Suddenly a man in shining clothes stood before me and said, ‘Cornelius, God has heard your prayer and remembered your gifts to the poor.’ ” – Acts 10:30-31

(Paul before Felix): “After an absence of several years, I came to Jerusalem to bring my people gifts for the poor and to present offerings.” – Acts 24:17

“For Macedonia and Achaia were pleased to make a contribution for the poor among the saints in Jerusalem.” – Romans 15:26

As it is written: “He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor; his righteousness endures forever.” – 2 Corinthians 9:9

“All they asked was that we should continue to remember the poor, the very thing I was eager to do.” – Galatians 2:10

“Listen, my dear brothers: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him? But you have insulted the poor. Is it not the rich who are exploiting you? Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court?” – James 2:5-6

Helping the poor in century one was so vitally important that it became a cornerstone of living worship and service among the loyal followers of Jesus. They didn’t argue about what was authorized in worship; they knew. Giving to the poor was authorized. And it was a sore-thumb-obvious sign of apostasy from that paradigm when they gobbled down a fellowship meal before the poor had arrived, or relegated them to lower-class seating when the church assembled.

It was a signal that something had gone terribly wrong when wealthy Christians were uncomfortable around the less-blessed.

I am so comfortable in my life that reading these verses and writing this post makes me extremely uncomfortable.

What did they know back then that we don’t know now?

Or, perhaps the question is, Whom?

Joy and Anger

/ W. Keith Brenton / 5 Comments

Quick BibleGateway.com search of the New International Version:

I find the word “joy” or some form of it in the New Testament 68 times. It is pretty much universally recommended.

I find the word “anger” or “angry” in the New Testament 33 times. As a general rule, it is not mentioned in an approving way. (Though I do find the word “wrath” an additional 31 times, it is used exclusively in connection with God or Christ.)

Do you find yourself drawn closer to God through Christ through the company of angry Christians, or joyful Christians?

What are angry Christians so ticked off about?

What do they have a right to be ticked off about?

Hasn’t God provided everything needed by human beings in order to yield joy in their lives?

I find these passages especially illuminating about this matter:

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” – Galatians 5:22-23

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” – Romans 15:13

“And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.” – Acts 13:52

In perhaps at least this one way, the Holy Spirit is like any person: Who wants to hang around with a grump?

I was a grump about greed a few posts back, and I apologize. I hope it was not characteristic of me to be such a grouch. I appreciate your responses, especially the ones that recommended that I “shake it off” and let God deal with it.

You are absolutely right.

He is much better equipped to judge than I will ever be.

And at least the translators of the NIV agree that “wrath” is His rightful possession solely.

The Church at the Edge of the World

/ W. Keith Brenton / 6 Comments

It’s another one of those phrases that I just woke up having in my head: “The Church at the Edge of the World.”

And with it, I had a mental picture of a little off-the-road country church built on the precipice of a cliff with a long, deep drop-off and a stunning, enticing view beyond it.

Behind the little church, and almost as far as you could see in either direction, a split-rail fence lined the edge of that cliff, winding as it did up and downhill, in and out as the road wound on.

Then the fence stopped.

That was as far as the protection went.

Somehow, in my mind, I had a feeling that where that fence ended, someone was supposed to build another little country church on down the road that would be responsible for building a split rail fence that would extend protection from the fatal fall beguiled by the rough landscape – first in one direction of the winding road, then in the other. Then another, and another, and another ….

But there was just the one little church, and the one hand-made fence that only went so far.

I’m not sure I was fully awake when all of that came to my mind.

Maybe it was a dream.

Maybe it means something.

See You at Pepperdine!

/ W. Keith Brenton / 10 Comments

Yeah, it’s true! Angi and I will be presenting a class at the Lectureship this spring about using Darryl Tippens’ Pilgrim Heart and our Group Guide for it in several different learning situations.

Our church’s 30+ LIFE Groups will have an opportunity to use these materials in a study of spiritual formation beginning next month (the LIFE Group we’re a part of did so last spring), so we’ll be picking up pointers all the way until the day we leave, I imagine.

If you come, expect Angi to do the heavy lifting, just as she did in writing the Group Guide. She is, after all, the college professor between us; the one with the Ph.D. – and my B.A. and I simply provide the occasional moment of comedy relief. Folks, I knew I was marrying way above my caste, years ago! It’d be one thing if I were qualified to hold up the domestic end of the partnership, but most people don’t survive my cooking.

Hey, if she did nothing but spend the class time sharing some of her audacious recipes and provided samples, I guarantee it would be a spiritually forming experience for all present.

So come join us out on the Granola Coast if you can!

But don’t expect recipe samples.

Nehemiah and the One-Liner Prayers

/ W. Keith Brenton / 10 Comments

I haven’t been one of the regular teachers in my Sunday morning Bible class – which has been studying Ezra and Nehemiah for the past quarter-year – but agreed last week to lead the summary of that study this morning.

It was too much territory to cover the way I had hoped to do so, and at the end, I tried to settle for making (what I considered) the most important points.

One of them was that Nehemiah prayed unusual prayers, gutsy prayers, long prayers and short prayers. (Nine of them, in all.) And, in the final chapter, four funny prayers.

Funny, as in “odd.” And very short. As funny prayers go, I said, these are one-liners:

Remember me for this, O my God, and do not blot out what I have so faithfully done for the house of my God and its services. (13:14)

Remember me for this also, O my God, and show mercy to me according to your great love. (13:22b)

Remember them, O my God, because they defiled the priestly office and the covenant of the priesthood and of the Levites. (13:29)

Remember me with favor, O my God. (13:31b)

“Remember, O my God?” As if He would forget?

But as I pondered these one-liner prayers while preparing for class, it occurred to me that part of prayer’s purpose is to draw us closer to God by conforming our will to His. Three of these prayers ask God to remember that Nehemiah was trying his best to do what he believed God wanted done. One asks God to remember those who defied Him.

Maybe they are a way of saying, “I know I have messed up in the past, and I will doubtless mess up again in the future. But right now, God; right now I want my will to be the same as yours.” Perhaps they’re even a way of saying, “I know you’ll remember me, God; help me remember that I am loved in Your sight – no matter what else is going on around me; no matter what else tries to pull me away from You.”

Job prayed it twice in his extreme pain, humiliation and grief. (10:9 and 14:13)

The phrase is found in a prayer Psalm. (106:4)

Jeremiah prayed it. (15:15)

Samson prayed a similar prayer before he brought the house down. (Judges 16:28)

Jesus prayed “Your will be done” as the house of Israel collapsed in fury on His holiness. (Matthew 26:42; Luke 22:42)

And a thief on a cross would make a request of Him that was more than just a dying man could give; it was a prayer to God to be a part of His house. (Luke 23:42)

Maybe – just maybe – amid all of our praise and thanksgivings and petitions today, we should make time for the occasional prayer, “Remember us, o God; for we want what You want.”

Responses to "What the Gospel Isn’t" – and "Is"

/ W. Keith Brenton / 32 Comments

Laymond struggles with me – with all of us – to understand the nature of the Godhead and says, “What I believe is NOT gospel is; that Jesus was sent to earth to elevate himself to the level of God the Father. To make himself equal to the creator.”

Frank responds, “The gospel isn’t a denial of the deity of Jesus the Messiah.”

Tommy says, “One thing that is NOT the gospel is ‘You’re not good enough,’ ‘You’re not worth God’s love or time or effort,’ ‘God is a long way off.’ “

Michael says, “The Pattern is not The Gospel.”

Donna says, “The Gospel is not five clean and easy steps that ends in baptism and earns us a right to be a Christian. The Gospel is not something one group has a better handle on than another. The Gospel should NOT be a point of division.”

Royce agrees, “The gospel is not a relegious system, even if it was concocted by coC folks.”

From a different perspective, Bruce says, “The Gospel is not a new religion.”

PegC says: “… every word in scripture is not gospel. … I can trust God and instead of asking, ‘why me, Lord?’ I can ask, ‘Why not me, Lord?’ “

From a place of extraordinary sympathy for recently-paralyzed brother in Christ, Lacey speaks of the gospel inspiring: “… a trust and a faith that says … ‘Lord, we don’t know why all of this has happened…but we know that we love you.’ It’s that kind of trust and faith that allow us to have that love relationship with the God who is love. And anything else never has been and cannot be the gospel.“

We all come to an understanding of what the gospel is – and isn’t – as the result of a long and ongoing journey. Each step in the journey adds to or subtracts from that understanding.

To me, in simplest form, the gospel begins with the Story of Jesus. It saves us (1 Corinthians 15:2). Yes, I know that many other things are spoken of in scripture as saving us (see By Grace, Through Faith, Expressed in Works? for a short list), and ultimately Jesus saves us (see The Gift of Baptism for steps in my journey to that point).

So, in the end – as so many of you pointed out in your responses to What Is The Gospel? – the good news is also the Story of Jesus and us. We become a part of it.

We see Him instrumental in creation. We are comforted at His incarnation when we fall. We witness His mercy toward those He calls and who are willing to follow. We learn from His laws. We see ourselves distanced from Him when we disobey. We yearn for His presence among us. We follow the star that leads to His manger-crib; follow Him in awe and listen as He teaches and watch as He heals and blesses. We follow and are heartbroken as we gaze at Him on the cross; are astounded when we peer into His empty tomb; are startled when we realize that all He has predicted is coming true. We are compelled to love as He loves; teach as He teaches; bless as He blesses; promote peace as He redeems creation and draws all of us closer to God. And we feel that sense that – even with the gift of His own Spirit inspiring each breath within us – it cannot be close enough until He returns.

What I think most of us agree upon is that the gospel – though long in the unfolding and the scriptural telling – is really very simple. When we are troubled by what seem to be complications in it, I believe it’s because we are demanding too much of the gospel to satisfy our heads, and ungrateful for the sufficiency it has for our hearts. When we focus on any single aspect of it to the exclusion of others, we rob it of its panoramic power. When we zoom in, for instance, on details of law and reason alone, we neglect the big picture that says “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and soul and mind and strength” and “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

That’s what Jesus came to teach us, to show us, exemplify for us, to live out and die to achieve among us.

The Purpose of Prayer

/ W. Keith Brenton / 3 Comments

God already knows what we want and need – the latter, probably far better than we ever will.

He knows Who He is, and how powerful, and how magnificent, generous, kind, just, worthy of praise ….

He is not Tinkerbelle, that He needs our applause to bring Him back from some deathly torpor – for He does not slumber nor sleep.

So what is the purpose of prayer?

My best guess is that its purpose is to help us realize how much we owe Him, how much we need Him, how much He loves us and wants to hear our voices and hearts, and see our downcast or upturned faces – however stained with tears or illuminated with joy – yearning to see Him and hear Him and know His comfort.

Prayer is a gift, you see, that transcends any answer He might give to any request we might pose or any praise we might offer or any thanksgiving we might express. It is our connection with God through His Son, through His very Spirit; our chance to touch God the Father, Creator and King – and for Him to touch us.

A few moments in His lap each day. Or an entire waking lifetime in recognition of His presence.

It’s His gift to us. It’s our gift to Him.

That’s my best guess at the purpose of prayer.

What’s yours?