The Difference Between
Abolishing
the Law
and
Fulfilling
It
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Northminster Family,
Most weeks when I write sermons, by the second or third draft I find that some of what I've written just doesn't fit. It might be good or make sense as a sermon of its own, but it just doesn't serve
this
sermon like I need it to. When this happens, I must do what Stephen King calls "Killing your darlings." For me, rather than killing it outright, I typically create a separate document which I title: PURGATORY, then I copy and paste my section there on the off chance I'll need it again in the future. I rarely do... but it makes me feel better!
This week, however, there was a section that was particularly difficult to cut. It wound up in purgatory, but rather than let it fade into oblivion, I thought it might be better suited to go here, in the newsletter. You might see why it didn't exactly fit, but I include it here in the hope that it's helpful for those of us "ex-vangelicals" still struggling to call the Bible our own.
_______
FROM PURGATORY:
Now, of course, Jesus did not advocate for doing away with rules. “I have not come to abolish the law,” he said, “but to fulfill it.” There are times when the law is necessary. Plenty of people just aren’t ready to do their spiritual work, and we have to protect ourselves and others. It makes sense, for instance, on a national level to set the rule: “Thou shalt not kill. Period.” The mistake, however, is when we leave it there. With that protection in place, it’s then we’re free to start the work of becoming transparent to the Spirit behind the law - how to be kind to one another so that, hopefully, killing is off the table.
It's also true that you sometimes need the logic of lawmaking on a personal level, as many of you will know if you’ve ever had to set healthy boundaries for family members or friends. Sometimes, like in the case of emotional or physical abuse, to protect yourself and others you have got to deal in hard rules:
“You will not talk to my children about this,”
or
“You need to give me space. Let’s check back in three weeks.”
These boundaries are necessary until everyone is ready to do that deeper, harder work of reconciliation. That’s why, in Galatians 3, Paul, who has a great respect for the law, refers to it as a “disciplinarian” or a “steward,” a placeholder to keep us from causing too much pain until we could discover the freedom of the Spirit for ourselves.
Another caveat: It feels very important to say, especially in this place, there are also times when the commandments, inspired by the Spirit in a particular place at a particular time, don’t really mean the same thing in a
different
place or
different
time. Think about it this way: My rule about staying in the booster seat? That won’t make any sense when James is 16. At least… I hope it won’t. Jesus’ life shows us that fulfilling the law can, at times, mean transcending it.
There were laws against touching certain people, meant to keep Israel safe and set apart, but as Jesus’ learned about the experiences of the oppressed and ostracized, Jesus fulfilled the Spirit of the law by touching them anyway. He did the same thing with laws about picking grain on the Sabbath, as Paul did with laws about circumcision and eating kosher. We do the same thing today when we advocate for women in ministry or LGBTQ+ inclusion. Fulfilling the law means tuning in to what the Spirit is writing on our hearts today, not just what she wrote on tablets thousands of years ago.
_______
May we find strength in one another to let go of ourselves and trust the Spirit.
As always, if you'd like to talk more about this, I'd love to buy you coffee or lunch.
Peace,
Zach
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Prayers of the People
An opportunity to celebrate and pray alongside siblings in our community.
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We pray alongside...
Ellen Yeldell,
who continues to mourn the loss of her mother last week.
Samuel Boateng
, who continues to mourn the loss of his father in Ghana.
John and Ingrid Gray
, who are still in Houston while John is receiving treatment at MD Anderson. Ingrid fell this week and hurt her knee, but is still in good spirits. They are receiving a lot of support from one of Ingrid's cousins who lives in the area, and they plan to move in with her in the next few days. She says they have good community and good care and hope to return home in early March
Josh Evans
, whose back surgery last week did not help in the way he hoped it would. He is still dealing with back pain.
Welton Gaddy
, who left on Sunday for Geneva, Switzerland to attend an international, invitation-only meeting at the United Nations Office located there. The conference is being convened to explore the theme "Initiatives for Protecting the Youth from Extremist and Violent Ideologies: Implementation Measures." After reticently agreeing an invitation to speak to the gathering, he will be addressing "National Identity and Its Role in Building Intellectual Security."
Welton writes: I would be most grateful for the support that comes from your prayers for this meeting and my participation in it and message to it. The support of the Northminster community has always been a vital part of my ministry. I am confident that the conversations in Geneva will be of interest to all of us who regularly worship together.
We celebrate alongside...
Brian Evans
(21st),
Steve Davidson
(22nd), and
Zachary Ingram
(23rd),
as they celebrate their birthdays.
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If you have concerns and celebrations you would like us to add to the newsletter, please call the church office or email
office@northmin.org.
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The Work of the People
How we are responding to the Spirit of Love
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February Movie Night: BlacKkKlansman
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Thank you everyone who voted for our February Movie Night. With 14 votes,
BlacKkKlansman was our clear winner, and
Sunday, February 23rd was our winning date!
Please join us on
Sunday night at 5pm to engage this Academy Award winning true story about a Black police officer infiltrating the KKK. We'll talk about the story, the way it was told, how it makes us feel, and where we believe we are in the story.
Need a date night? Childcare
will
be available!
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The season of Lent is meant to be uncomfortable.
It is uncomfortable because it is a season of looking at those things upon which we’d rather not look: the ways we’ve contributed to the world’s suffering as well as our own.
We look deeply into these things for the sake of letting go and allowing healing to take place so that we might continue moving in our journey towards Christlikeness - incarnating love and transforming suffering.
One particular area where the church has suffered and contributed to the suffering of the world is in the arena of sexuality. The revelations of the past few years, whether through the #ChurchToo movement, the findings of the Houston Chronicle, the cultural conversations on toxic masculinity, rape and consent, and LGBTQ+ rights, has shone a light on the destructive role church has played in all of these conversations. This is why sexuality is at the center of this year's Lenten conversation of awareness and repentance.
It is our hope that by focusing on sexuality in this season, the Northminster community may work through some of our individual and collective fear and shame, become more aware of the destructive stories we’ve inherited, and together discover a new, healthy, redeeming story to live into going forward.
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Shrove Tuesday: Pancake Supper
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"The Feast Before the Fast!" It is a very old tradition for Christian communities to come together to use up all of the baking ingredients in their home that will go bad over Lent. What does that mean? Pancakes!
On the 25th at 6pm, come together for a time of fellowship, celebration, and preparation.
We need folks willing to bring their griddles and flip pancakes! If you're willing to help, please
email Zach.
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On the 26th at 6pm, we will have our Ash Wednesday service. To begin the Lenten season, this is a reflective service where we remember with humility and with the mark of an ash on our forehead, that we are made of dust, and to the dust of the earth we shall return.
“The atoms of our bodies are traceable to stars that manufactured them in their cores and exploded these enriched ingredients across our galaxy, billions of years ago.
For this reason, we are biologically connected to every other living thing in the world.
We are chemically connected to all molecules on Earth.
And we are atomically connected to all atoms in the universe.
We are not figuratively, but literally stardust.”
- Neil deGrasse Tyson
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New Wednesday Night Book Study Starting March 4th
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Last year, Lutheran Pastor Nadia Boltz-Weber released her latest work,
Shameless
.
The summary reads:
Christians are obsessed with sex. But not in a good way. For nearly two thousand years, this obsession has often turned destructive, inflicting pain, suffering, and guilt on countless people of all persuasions and backgrounds.
In Shameless, Bolz-Weber calls for a reformation. To make her case, she offers experiences from her own life and stories from her parishioners alongside biblical theology to explore what the church has taught, and the harm those teachings have caused.
We'll be reading
Shameless
over 5 weeks:
- March 4 – Invocation and Chapter 1
- March 11 – Chapters 2-4
- March 18 – Chapters 5-7
- March 25 – Chapters 8-10
- April 1 – Chapters 11-12 and Benediction
As one summary says:
If you’ve been mistreated, confused, angered, and/or wounded by shaming sexual messages, this one is for you.
Please keep in mind that Rev. Boltz-Weber's writing style is painfully honest and at times crass. Her language is a tool she wields well to get her point across, but may be a stumbling block to some readers in our context. Be advised!
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Alliance of Baptists: Anybody Up for a Road Trip?
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The annual Alliance of Baptists gathering will be held this year in Ft. Worth, which is the closest it's been to Monroe in some years. If you are planning on attending and would be interested in a carpool with other Northminster folks, contact the office. We'll keep a list and help connect you.
We'd love to have a great group of folks to represent Northminster and to experience the welcome of this incredible group of likeminded churches! If you'd like more information, please contact the main office.
The gathering is
Friday, April 24 - Sunday, April 26!
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Help Cuban Kids Get to Camp
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As you know Northminster has had a partnership relationship with Iglesia Bautista Enmanuel in Ciego de Avila, Cuba for 25 years. This is one of about 30 such partnerships between churches of the Alliance of Baptists in the United States, like ours and the Fraternity of Cuban Baptist Church in Cuba, like Enmanuel. Ten of these partnerships are in eastern Cuba which extends about 400 miles from Ciego de Avila, east to Santiago.
Because of increasingly difficult conditions in Cuba, we are being asked to join with these 9 other Alliance churches to raise $3000 to pay for transportation costs and camp fees so that 80 young people from the eastern part of the island can attend camp this summer. So that’s $300 for Northminster.
If you are interested in helping make this happen please write a check or go on-line and give. In the memo line please put Mission Camp Expenses. Thanks for helping!
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February Mission Trunk:
GO CARE Community Health Center
GO CARE Community Health Center is a non-profit dedicated to comprehensive healthcare for everyone, with an emphasis on individuals who are low-income, medically underserved, and/or LGBTQ+. Needs include office supplies such as letter size copy paper, paper clips, binder clips, letter sized manila envelopes, inexpensive blue ballpoint pins (Bic Sticks), staples, and post-it notes.
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Holy Ideas
How might we respond to the Spirit of Love?
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The following are currently on the Holy Ideas board in the hallway. If you'd like to support an idea and help it become reality, be sure to stop by and sign your name to it. If you have questions, email the sponsor of the idea.
If the idea gets the support it needs (3 signatures) by the expiration date, the supporters will meet with the appropriate commission to clarify and refine the idea into a specific, time-limited plan.
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No submissions at this time.
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No submissions at this time.
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No submissions at this time.
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No submissions at this time.
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For more opportunities to get involved, check the hallway table and bulletin boards.
If you'd like information on getting involved in leadership commissions or Sunday School groups, you can
click here
.
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To support Northminster financially, you can
click here
or scan the QR code below.
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Around Town
How can we be present in our community?
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Temple B’nai Israel will be celebrating Shabbat (the Sabbath), along with synagogues throughout America, on
February 28th at 6 pm
at the Temple, located at 2400 Orell Place, Monroe. This is a time for the community to join us for this special service, to show their support for the Jewish community, in Monroe and around the world, and experience a Shabbat service to better understand the Jewish faith. This is a free event.There will be a reception following the service. RSVP is requested.
For questions or to RSVP, please contact the Temple at 318-387-0730.
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Strauss Theatre Presents:
How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
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"How to Succeed in Business without Really Trying!" brings big laughs and wonderful music in this clever lampoon of life climbing the corporate ladder. Winner of several Tonys and a Pulitzer Prize, this show tells the story of J. Pierepont Finch, who uses a little handbook to help him "succeed."
Patron Night
March 19th @ 7:00 p.m.
Other Show Dates: March 20,21,22,26,27,28
Times:7:00 p.m., Sunday @ 2:00 p.m.
Make your reservations today by calling the Box Office: 318-323-6681
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Note: We are in an exciting season of growth, as groups form and take on new shapes. This is wonderful! It also means we each need to be vigilant about checking in with the church calendar before putting any meetings on the books. Always alert Renee in the church office (office@northmin.org) before confirming any meetings/events that will take place at the church.
Remember the church calendar is always available on our website at
northmin.org/calendar
, or just click the "calendar" tab at the top of the page. For convenience, we'll also start including a button with a link in the "Upcoming" section of the newsletter each week (see below)!
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Sunday 2/23
9am - Choir rehearsal
10am - Sunday School
10:45am - Musical Preludes
11am - Call to Worship
12:30pm - Education Commission meeting
Wednesday 2/26
6:30pm - Choir rehearsal
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Worship This Week
The texts for this week are:
- Exodus 24:12-18
- Matthew 17:1-9
Sunday's sermon will be preached by
Claire Helton.
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February
20th Family Ministries Meeting 5pm
20th Daughters of Eve Rehearsal 5:45pm
23rd Education meeting following worship
23rd Safety meeting at 3:30pm
23rd Sunday Night Movie 5pm
25th Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper 6pm
26th Ash Wednesday Service 6pm
28th
Stamped from the Beginning meeting
29th DeSiard St Shelter Breakfast
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March
7th Northminster Parents Dinner
4th Lent Book Study Begins
13th-14th Daughters of Eve Production Weekend
19th Family Ministries meeting
29th Movie Night: Boy Erased
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Ongoing
Daughters of Eve rehearsals:
Feb. 22, 29
Lent Book Study:
Mar. 4, 11, 18, 25, Apr. 1
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