faith@work the magazine of glenrothes baptist church
august 2014
[1] Contents
page
A Pastor’s Pages—Deep Church 1
The Cowans at Large 3
Treasurer’s Report 5
Baptisms 6
Sharing the Love of Jesus 16
‘Do-It-Yourself’ 17
Musing on the Music 21
‘Blessed Assurance’ 26
Connected by Grace—John Thornton (1) 28
Picture Quiz—We Have a Winner! 36
Seeking with All My Heart 37
[2] A Pastor’s Pages
In recent weeks, on Sunday mornings, the pastor has been preaching on the nature of the church—a ‘called out’ people—the bride of Christ—the family of God— the body of Christ. To give Jacob a rest (!) for this issue of the magazine, we are pleased to present this reflection by Lewis Allen, pastor of Hope Church, Huddersfield, Yorkshire, on a complementary theme.
Deep Church . S. Lewis was once asked about his churchmanship. ‘Churchmanship,’ Cthat now almost-forgotten word, means whether you are High Church (favour formality and ritual) or Low Church (like to keep things informal and non-ritualised). Lewis replied that he was neither, but that he was in favour of Deep Church. Deep Church. That’s a great label, isn’t it? Something in it resonates with us straightaway. We want church to be meaningful. We want our experience of the gospel in community to be one which makes us think, helps us change, and develops genuine relationships. We want to be part of a living body, where we contribute, receive, and commit to building something lasting for God’s glory. We were made for depth. The gospel community, the local church, should surely be that place where we can help and be helped and encouraged to know God deeply and be deeply satisfied in him and committed to him together. Shallow Church, though, can be equally alluring. Of course, there’s something perverse in each of us. We all have those impulses for easy, quick-fix sermons. We often long for a church which just glides along, which we can duck in and out of with little commitment, savouring the delicacies of tasty, pre-prepared ministries just right for us. We shy away from the costliness of true relationships. We are scared of exposing who we really are to others, and sometimes equally scared of finding out just what sins and struggles others have. All too often we want to skim the surface.
Bible, relationships, commitment: Deep Church is true community No. Let’s go deeper. Let’s protest against shallow ministry, easy answers
[1] to the incredibly complicated demands of being a Christian. Let’s fight the temptation to keep friendships shallow. I wonder, could you look at these two lists? Could you check yourself alongside the descriptions, and be honest about where you see yourself? Let’s try it: In Shallow Church — We are commitment-shy. We prioritise attending meetings against building friendships. We seldom open our homes to others. We’re content to live as polite strangers with each other. We come together to affirm what we already know about the gospel. In Deep Church — We increase our involvement in church, not because of what we can get, but because of what we can give. We come to meetings purposefully looking out for others to encourage. We treasure others enough to invite them into our homes and lives. We count deepening relationships as the focus of growth in Christ, and as a sign of his Spirit’s work. We gather in order to learn, be shaped by and encouraged in the gospel, so that we can live it out more fully. The difference between Shallow Church and Deep Church is as big as the Universe. There’s a world of difference between reluctant attendance and wholehearted commitment. Our calling—in the midst of life’s tears and storms—is to be a community with such a love for Christ that seeking him and sharing are our controlling desire. Deep still calls to deep, as seekers discover and celebrate (Psa. 42:7). ••
Lewis Allen describes himself as a ‘Christian, lover of the Reformed Faith, and all- round enthusiast for life in Jesus Christ.’ Formerly pastor of Gunnersbury Baptist Church in London, he was called to plant Hope Church, Huddersfield, Yorkshire, in 2010. He is a Board Member of the London Theological Seminary, and the Assistant Director of the Christian Ministry Training Course. This article was posted on his ‘Reclaimed’ blog in February 2014, and is used with his kind permission. www.lewisallen.org www.hopechurchhd.org
[2] THE COWANS AT LARGE
uring July, The Grain Game led two weeks of ‘Friendship Camp’ in DSistarovat, Romania. The first week was spent with children from very poor backgrounds and children from a local orphanage, while the second week was spent with children who were there with their church. As well as doing our normal Grain Game programme, at night and in the morning in our small groups we were focusing on our theme verse of Micah 6:8, ‘He has showed you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?’ The pictures are of ourselves with our small groups from the second week.
Alex with the ‘Samurai’
At the time of writing, we are back in Glenrothes, preparing for Grain Game Scotland, which Alex will be leading, 13-15 August. Our work in Africa will begin later in August. There are lots of details and logistics still needing to be resolved over the coming weeks so this will also take up a lot of time.
[3] Mary Beth with the ‘Musketeers’
How you can pray for us • Pray for God to lead us in the camp in Scotland and that God will use this time with the children of Glenrothes to plant a seed in their hearts. • Pray that all our plans for Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, and Rwanda will come to completion in God’s complete sovereignty. • Pray for Alex, as we are still working towards gaining a visa for the States, and there has been no end of trouble. Pray that from now on the process will be smooth and will come to a speedy resolution.
Because they haven’t heard,
Alex and Mary Beth Cowan
[4] from the Treasurer ust to update everyone on the finances of the church, Jhere is a list of the average offerings from April to July. Gift Aid returns for January to March were £3458.75 and for April to June, £2825.75. As you can see we only reached budget for one month in this period; however, the Gift Aid returns have made a huge difference to the overall figures. Month Average weekly offering (£) April ’14 1753.23 May 1796.70 June 1486.29 July 1718.49
Budget £1754 per week
Well done to everyone who gave towards the Anniversary Thanksgiving Offering, which was to help toward the new heating system that we would hope to install before winter. One of our largest costs is for oil for the heating. We hoped to get £4000, and including the Gift Aid returns we have £5064.40. Apart from our usual costs over the last four months we have given gifts to Bethany Christian Trust and UCCF. We had another work party to do some of the repairs required to the building, and bought a set of scaffolding to allow us to change the projector bulbs instead of getting a company in to do it. We have bought a new photocopier as the old one was obsolete. As we own 22% of the manse we have paid 22% of the costs towards a new bathroom for Jacob and the family. We also helped with the costs for Jacob to go on a ministry trip to Romania, which he did as part of his annual holidays. We have had the accountants to pay (the Accounts for 2012/13 have been approved by OSCR). And we have had costs for the Sunday School prize-giving, and towards the Baptist Assembly. Helen Clarkson
[5] BAPTISMS
Marlyn Murphy 13 April 2014
With Rev Jim Turrent (Central Baptist Church, Dundee), our Anniversary preacher ‘My salvation did not come from any of my works but from the amaz- ing grace of God I now know and love. My life is now in his hands as I have confessed with my mouth and I believe in my heart. Today I take up my cross and follow Jesus.’
[6] Marlyn’s testimony (extract) was first baptised when I was 6 years old on Sunday 13th April I1980—exactly 34 years ago to this day. I had one older sister, Michelle. We learned about God from our par- ents. At that time I knew about God, but I did not know God. I never thought I could ever have a personal relationship with God. I didn’t understand that Jesus died for my sins. I married young. I was 20 years old and then had my daughter Nyomi. I truly believed I would be married for life, so it broke my heart to end my marriage in divorce after 8 years. I was then a single parent truly seeking for healing and love in all the wrong places. The years of my early 30s found me looking for answers and hope from reading my own tarot cards—using crystals and gem stones— contacting psychics for readings—visiting spiritualist churches. I was led into Reiki [palm-healing, originally a Buddhist practice] which I believed was a way of finding healing. I wanted to learn Reiki so then I could bring others healing as well as myself. I did meditations almost on a daily basis . . . I really did not know what doors I was opening and what I was getting involved in. My life also led me into wrong relationships. It was after a relation- ship in 2009 that I knew I had to cut all ties with all spiritual things to do with psychics, Reiki and crystals. I did not realise exactly what a battle it would be over the years to come. All I thought I had needed to help me was leading me on a journey of destruction—a dark path that made me so ill and unwell I didn’t know if I would ever get out of that darkness. I did turn to God then, and I knew I needed God. For a while it seemed like my life was going good again, but I was trying to do things in my own strength. When I was vulnerable that stronghold tempted me and pulled me back. I truly believe it was part of God’s plan that brought me to Glen- rothes Baptist Church in August 2012. I still remember the sermon that morning. It was Corinthians 13:4-7, a most famous scripture in the Bible about love, and as I now know in my heart, God is love.
[7] After that day I went back to carry on with life as normal. Everyone at the Baptist Church made me feel so welcome. I was able to speak to Jacob about the spiritual events in my past and the struggles I went through in 2009. The problem was it was now 2012 and the inner feel- ing I had wasn’t a good one about what was to come. I made it to a few sessions of Christianity Explored, and learned how God so loved the world that he sent his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him shall never perish, but have eternal life. I understood that my sin had separated me from God; that we have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Jesus came and walked a life without sin. Jesus came into this world knowing his purpose was to be crucified. He took my place on the cross, and died for my sins so that I could be reconciled with God. Although I understood more than I ever had before, my life took a downward spiral. I wanted to go to church but it was like being in a battle, just as described in Ephesians 6:12. It was like a fight I knew I wasn’t strong enough to win. I was too tired and too weak. The months of December 2012 to April 2013 were the worst of my life. I felt like a broken person in my mind, heart, spirit, and soul. I started anti-depressants and tablets that petrified me to take. I was suf- fering from deep depression and anxiety. The fear I had to try to sleep each night I cannot describe. I had started a new job and it was the worst possible time—to physically get to work and mentally do my job became like climbing a mountain every day. I kept praying to God and asked for his forgiveness. My life had gone back to the basics of survival and was in no way like a life. I have never felt so broken before. I knew God was the only one that could save me. I prayed to God from my heart, as it says in the Bible, ‘You will seek me, and find me, when you seek me with all your heart’ (Jeremiah 29:13). In April 2013 I came to the Easter service and all I remember from that day is that God truly poured his love on me and took me in his arms and welcomed me home. I have never felt such pure love and peace in my entire life. Grace is not a word I have ever really used and
[8] understood, but I know it was the power and by the grace of God that my life was saved. Since that day in April 2013 I have been to almost every Sunday service. Going to church has a completely different meaning to me. God has changed my whole perspective on this world and my entire life. I come to church to be together in fellowship with my brothers and sisters in Christ. Together we are a church of God and a church so full of love. For me going to church is for praise—to thank and praise God for my salvation, for giving me spiritual eyes to see and understand the entire journey of my life. God has shown me that even through the hardest, lowest, broken times when I felt so alone he had his sovereign hand on my life. God had a plan to turn all my greatest struggles around for his glory. Even before I chose him whilst I was still a sinner he chose me (Ephesians 1:11-14). To read God’s Word speaks to my spirit and within me I know it is the truth. Yes, there are many questions that nobody can answer about the Bible and about Scripture. Some things we will never be able to fathom. But do you believe you are a spirit in a physical body? Do you believe in heaven and hell? Do you believe there is a real purpose to us being in this life? Have you asked that question we all have in our hearts—what really is this life all about? I am being baptised again today as it is the will of God that I am. Scripture says in Colossians 2:12 — Having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead. It is with God’s strength and presence that I have been able to stand here and share my testimony with you all today. My salvation did not come from any of my works but from the amaz- ing grace of God I now know and love. My life is now in his hands as I have confessed with my mouth and I believe in my heart. Today I take up my cross and follow Jesus.
[9] Aidan Kirkwood 20 April 2014
‘Jesus is amazing and because he died for me I am going to trust and follow him.’
[10] This testimony has been redacted for the web edition of faith@work at the request of the candidate, October 2020
[11] This testimony has been redacted for the web edition of faith@work at the request of the candidate, October 2020
[12] Katie Ross 11 May 2014
‘I have had to learn that Jesus forgave, so I must try to do it too . . . we are never beyond the love of Jesus.’
[13] Katie’s testimony came to the Lord two or three years ago. Before then I didn’t believe Iin him at all; in fact I thought Christianity was rubbish! Anyway, I didn’t think it had anything to do with me. I was brought up in a non-Christian home where Christianity and religion was never talked about. Yes, as a child, I did learn who Jesus was and I do remember watching the usual Jesus films on the TV—usu- ally with my dad. However I was totally against anyone telling me how to lead my life—I hated all the power and rules telling me what I could or could not do. Also, I used to think that though I love Kevin the idea of marrying him (a Christian) is going to bore me to pieces. When I met Kevin he openly shared his faith with me and what Jesus meant to him. He told me about Jesus and what he had done for all of us and all about heaven and hell—but I didn’t agree with him, and often these discussions would end with us arguing all the time. To be honest, though, I slowly did like hearing about it, and did want to become closer to Jesus. Then in 2010 I was actually suffering from a severe bout of depres- sion. I explained to everyone how I was feeling, but no-one really, really listened—it felt like no-one cared, that no-one really understood. I felt that I was on my own and that I had to deal with it. To be honest I felt that I didn’t want to be here any more—that was how depressed and low I felt. At this point I screamed and prayed to Jesus, and at that stage I poured my heart out to him. After I had accepted Jesus into my life I felt a great relief. Then when I heard about the American pastor, Jacob preaching at the church I wanted to hear what his sermons were like and really see if there was something there for me—and there was; it was amaz- ing. Through Jacob’s sermons God really opened up my heart to Jesus. Before I became a Christian I thought church was extremely boring— now I really look forward to going. Also I have met an amazing group of people—especially Dan- ielle and Stephanie and Stephen and Rebecca. What a brilliant girl Rebecca is! She has been really, really kind to me. I just want to thank
[14] this marvellous group of people for sharing with me their love of Jesus—it’s amazing. I want to take this opportunity to share with you my love of Jesus. If you accept Jesus your path in this life will be so much happier and joyful. Its hard to explain if you have never been there before, but it’s a different kind of joy! Before I became a Christian, yes, I was happy— even now I still get my down days but now I know that Jesus is there and will help me through it—all I have to do is ask. Some people say that they don’t believe that bit—but till you have been there and felt what I have felt—you never will understand. The fact is Jesus died on the cross for us. This is the hard bit—when Kevin first told me this I used to say ‘What do you mean? I don’t understand.’ He died on the cross for me? He died so that we can have this great life—so that we should try to lead our lives with the same love and compassion he showed us. Yes, I still lose my temper and get upset. And it’s hard to forgive when someone does you wrong. But I have had to learn that Jesus forgave, so I must try to do it too. Instead of falling out with other people you should look for the good in them—even if it’s only a tiny crumb it makes you feel so much better. Now I just like meeting people and sharing the gospel with them and everything to do with the gospel. When we have sin in our lives and ask Jesus for forgiveness—he forgives us. He is always there no matter how good or bad we have behaved. We have to realise that no matter how badly we have behaved in this life we are never beyond the love of Jesus—all we have to do is ask.
Spurgeon recalling his baptism e wish that all other believers were led to make a serious point of Wcommencing their visible connection with the church by the ordi- nance which symbolizes death to the world, burial with Christ, and resur- rection to newness of life . . . The outward sign has served to bring vividly before mind and heart the spiritual meaning, and therefore is it dearly loved, for his sake who both ordained the ordinance and himself submitted to it. — C. H. Spurgeon, The Sword and the Trowel, 1878, p. 362.
[15] sharing the love of jesus
‘But who do you say that I am?’ — Matthew 16:15 razil has been much on our screens in recent weeks, but not so long Bago there was a special centennial celebration of the gospel presence among native indigenous people in that country. And this question was asked of the representatives of the thirty tribes who gathered. Edilson Freitas, Vice President, Ministry Operations for the Ibero-American and Caribbean Region of Radio Bible Class (Europe) Trust, writes:
Many replies were given through stage plays, music and declarations of love to Jesus, but I will never forget the answer of a young man from an Amazon tribe: Finding Jesus is like finding something on a hunt! When you get something while hunting, you go back to the tribe with it and celebrate. You feed yourself and your family and share it with all the others. The same happens with Jesus. When he comes into our lives, we cannot keep him to ourselves. We need to bring him to our home, feed ourselves with his Word and share his love with our family and friends and the people around us who don’t know him yet. When Jesus asked his disciples the question above, Peter replied: ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God’ (Matt. 16:16). It’s true. Jesus is God’s anointed One, the King. And yet he willingly humbled himself to come and pay the price for our sin so that we could experience his love and have a personal relationship with him. Now we must share this love of God with others. At the celebration, 4,000 copies of Our Daily Bread centennial commemorative edition booklets were distributed, made possible through the gifts received. Contributed by Betty Hanna
[16] DO-IT-YOURSELF
An extract from Chapter 4 of From the Mouth of God: Trusting, Reading, and Applying the Bible, by Sinclair B. Ferguson (Banner of Truth, 2014)—which might be of help to Home Bible Fellowship groups!
he invitation card to the meeting for young Tpeople announced the title of the talk: ‘The Scarlet Cord.’ I was intrigued. The cord in question turned out to be the one given by the Israelite spies to Rahab, the lady of doubtful reputation who made her home in Jericho at the time of Joshua (Josh. 2:1-21; Heb. 11:31). She was to hang it from the window of her house (which was built into the city walls) as a sign to the invading forces. Their orders were to save those who lived in the house from which the cord was hanging (Josh. 6:15-25). This much I already knew as the speaker introduced the theme of his talk. But his main message was this: the real meaning of Joshua chapters 2 and 6 is that the scarlet cord represents the blood of Christ shed for our sins on the cross. Only those who are protected by the blood of Christ can be saved.
Scarlet cord turns red The talk stuck in my mind through my teenage years. Something about it niggled with me. How did the speaker get from the scarlet cord to the blood of Christ? Was the ‘real meaning’ of Joshua 2 actually a ‘hidden meaning,’ a kind of code language (for ‘scarlet’ read ‘red,’ for ‘cord’ read ‘blood,’ for ‘city walls of Jericho’ read ‘walls of the city of Jerusalem,’ and for ‘hanging’ read ‘crucified’)? Or was the scarlet cord no more and no less than . . . a cord that was easily seen because it was scarlet? Would it have made any difference if it had been a cord of a different colour? Was the scarlet cord a prophecy of the blood of Christ? Or was it just a scarlet cord?
[17] Lame interpretation? G. Campbell Morgan gives another illustration of the same approach to reading the Bible. He describes a particular preacher who . . . preached on this text: ‘So Mephibosheth dwelt in Jerusalem; for he did eat continually at the king’s table; and was lame on both his feet.’ It is a beautiful story about David and his love for Jonathan. He (the preacher) made his divisions in this way: ‘My brethren, we see here tonight, first, the doctrine of human depravity—Mephibosheth was lame. Second, the doctrine of total depravity—he was lame on both his feet. Thirdly, the doctrine of justification—he dwelt in Jerusalem. Fourthly, the doctrine of adoption—he sat at the king’s table. Fifthly, the doctrine of the perseverance of the saints—he did eat at the king’s table continually.’1 What are we to make of this approach to interpreting Scripture? It certainly does not lack ingenuity! But that is part of the problem. In neither case do these interpretations explain the original meaning of the passage. Instead they see statements about historical events as symbols and codes containing either prophecies or doctrines. The ‘meanings’ suggested here do in fact express biblical truth, but it is not the truth which these texts contain. In reading Scripture this approach bypasses the basic meaning of the text for a ‘higher’ or ‘hidden’ meaning, usually one which teaches us about salvation. The danger, of course, is that by applying such principles of interpretation we make the Bible say almost anything we want. We may read into it what cannot be read out of it. To use more technical language, our interpretation will be eisegesis (reading into the text) rather than exegesis (reading out of the text what it actually says within both its narrower and broader contexts). This may seem overly critical. But imagine yourself sitting in a group Bible study on 2 Samuel 9 (the passage in which Mephibosheth appears). The leader asks (as leaders often do): ‘What does this passage say to you?’
1 G. Campbell Morgan, Preaching (London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1937), pp. 115- 116.
[18] Mrs Smith has been reading a book that suggested the interpretation above. ‘Well, clearly, it’s about how we are totally depraved in our sinfulness, but God justifies and adopts us. More than that, it teaches “once saved always saved” because the text says that “Mephibosheth ate continually from the king’s table”.’ Mr Jones then says, ‘Are you sure this teaches total depravity . . . after all, he was lame only in his legs. Surely that leaves room for a fair amount of free will in salvation?’ Mr White then pitches in: ‘Yes! But surely “dwelling in Jerusalem” is more about the Christian abiding in Christ, not just about justification and adoption?’ Mrs White (who always sides with her husband, but usually goes one better!) now adds, ‘Yes, that’s right, Jim; but there’s more—you see “dwelling in Jerusalem” and “eating at the king’s table”—surely that’s really a reference to the church and the Lord’s Supper?’ Mr Clark, who doesn’t speak often, or at any length, but always weighs his words carefully, then says, ‘You know, I think this passage is just about the fact that Mephibosheth was actually lame in both feet. David showed faithfulness and kindness to him. Surely that shows us that the Spirit of the Lord was already at work in the Old Testament saints and they expressed what Paul calls “the fruit of the Spirit” in Galatians 5:22?’ The others look at him as though his reading of the passage seems far too obvious. Mrs White chips in: ‘Surely there must be a deeper meaning than that?’ Mr Clark is a wise old Christian however, and says, ‘Well, that’s quite deep enough for me. I wish I showed more of the fruit of the Spirit like this! And, after all, isn’t what the author actually wrote, guided by the Holy Spirit, quite deep enough for us?’ The cord in the story of Rahab? It was a cord. She was not saved because the cord was scarlet, or because it represented the blood of Christ, but because she placed her destiny in the hands of the covenant God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and threw in her lot with his covenant people. He is indeed the God who promised to send Christ and to bless the nations of the earth through the seed of Eve
[19] and Abraham. But had the cord been green, or even black, it would have made no difference to its ‘meaning.’ But because it is scarlet, by association of ideas it has come to be understood as symbolic of the blood of Christ. Colour association is, however, an unreliable principle of interpretation. Similarly, we are not meant to see in Mephibosheth’s double lameness a potted systematic theology, but to admire the care and mercy of God flowing through his servant David, and the importance of remaining faithful to one’s vows and promises. Ultimately that does lead us to Christ, David’s greater Son. But we get to him by seeing this passage in its broader redemptive context, not by reading the passage as though it were a metaphor for something else. I recall hearing of a Professor of Old Testament Studies who, in the course of a lecture on Exodus 38, asked his students what they thought was the ‘meaning’ of the various pegs or pins God commanded to be made for the tabernacle. His eager students sought to outdo each other in deep spiritual explanations. Eventually the shrewd Professor said, ‘Ah, yes, of course. But could it just possibly be, gentlemen, that some of these tent pegs were there to hold up the tent?’! Over the centuries, both in private and public interpretation of the Bible, this approach has been commonplace, and at times it has been dominant. Many Christians simply inherit it in the context in which they are spiritually nurtured. That is one reason it is so important for us to give some attention to how we approach understanding the Bible. Paul laid down an important axiom for Timothy: ‘Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth’ (2 Tim. 2:15). We are to work at Bible study. And therefore we need to learn to know how to interpret the Bible properly.
[20] musing on the music
Extracts from an interview given by Stuart Townend to Jonathan Langley, BMS World Mission features writer, for Engage magazine (Winter 2012/13).
tuart Townend has given the world many Swonderful worship songs. With his song- writing partner, Keith Getty, Stuart has shaped the understanding and worship of God for countless Christians. Q. These days, many people get their theology more from the songs they sing than from teaching in church. Does that put a lot of pressure on you? A. Yes, it does make me feel a sense of responsibility both in terms of the writing of songs and what songs I choose if I’m standing in front of a congregation. Am I really narrowing people’s understanding of who God is by always singing about a very narrow series of themes, or am I, in my worship-leading at my local church, presenting a broad picture of who God is? Am I not only talking about his love and faithfulness, but am I talking about his mercy, his justice, his compassion and his heart for the world? I think it’s important for all of us who are involved in church music to be thinking through those things and thinking: am I presenting a fully-formed picture of who God is? Q. Do you think congregational worship music is too narrow in theological or musical terms? A. I think on both counts we could be broader. In terms of content, I love what has happened in terms of the outpouring of new songs over the last 30 years or so. There are probably more Christian songs being written right now as we speak than have ever been written in the history of the church. And I think it’s wonderful. But I do think, in
[21] terms of content, we can get quite narrow. Certain musical styles and certain themes can dominate. For example, I think there are a huge number of songs being written that are very much along the lines of ‘here I stand in your presence, Lord,’ very much focusing on the immediacy of the experience of worshipping. And I think that’s good and I think that’s valid. But we also need songs that focus our attention completely away from us, that attempt to describe what God is like, rather than just my experience of him. I think we need more songs that tell the story of the Christian faith, tell the story of what Jesus said and did and what’s in the Bible. Because, actually, our faith is not based on some vague concept of what God might be like; it’s based on human history, on things that actually happened on planet earth. So, I think things like that are important: certain themes that need to challenge us.
•• Extracts from Silent Witnesses: Lessons on theology, life, and the church, from Christians of the past, by Garry J. Williams (Banner of Truth, 2013), pp. 166-8. Garry Williams is the Director of the John Owen Centre at London Theological Seminary, and an elder at ChristChurch, Harpenden, Hertfordshire. Sometimes we follow too closely the casual culture of our day and end up being flippant and silly in public worship . . . We think that our music can simply ape the music of our culture, as if musical styles are entirely indifferent theologically . . . But this is very hard to sustain. To think that we can safely fit biblical words to any musical style we would have to hold that the music is itself meaningless and has no effect. Is it not obvious that musical style is not neutral? Is there really no meaningful difference between Bach and Blur? Can the sound of Metallica possibly have the
[22] same meaning and effect as the sound of Mozart? I do not here argue that one is a better model for worship than the other; my point is simply that their styles are obviously different in significant ways . . . And yet! Did you read the previous paragraph and nod vigorously, agreeing with every word against the terrible compromising worldliness of today’s church? If you did, it is quite possible that you have the same problem yourself but in a more subtle form. The same temptation awaits us in two directions, not just one. For every church that is too casual in its public worship there is another that seems like it is frozen in the formalities of the 1950s. Many churches in Britain are dying because they are impenetrable for the un-churched young people of today, and because their elders and members have isolated themselves from their communities. To be brutally frank, the wagons have been circled to provide an enclave of comfortable nostalgia for an aging group of members who feel threatened by the cultural changes around them. They have embalmed a way of speaking, dressing, and behaving that was normal fifty years ago but is now found almost nowhere else. The gospel is preached, but it is hidden behind a culture that is so off-putting to people outside that they never get near enough to hear it. Younger people who do somehow join often adopt modes of dress and speech that are utterly inappropriate to them. This has the effect of isolating them from their own natural communities and disengaging them from the very people to whom they might be the most available witness for Christ. Strange as it may seem, the church that is frozen in the past like this is making exactly the same mistake as the church that has sold out to the present. Both alike are placing one particular cultural form above the Bible. They have chosen different pages of the calendar, but 2012 and 1950 are alike moments of human fashion. Allowing either to control our corporate life is subordinating the Bible to culture. Stubbornly repeating the culture of yesterday with all of its trappings is not reformation, it is stagnation, and it will lead ultimately to tragic death for churches as their members age and go to be with Christ, leaving none behind them . . .
[23] Augustine [a.d. 354–430] lived in a time when singing was increasingly popular in churches . . . and he reflected on the practice using his understanding of the nature of worship. Consider how much we might learn from reflecting on even just this passing comment in his Confessions: I am more led to put forward the opinion (not as an irrevocable view) that the custom of singing in Church is to be approved, so that through the delights of the ear the weaker mind may rise up towards the devotion of worship. Yet when it happens to me that the music moves me more than the subject of the song, I confess myself to commit a sin deserving punishment, and then I would prefer not to have heard the singer. •• Extracts from an article by Derek Begg in Evangelicals Now, August 2014. Derek Begg is a member and former elder of Christ Church, Haywards Heath, Sussex. ‘Music is a gift of God . . . After theology I accord to music the highest place and greatest honour.’ So said Martin Luther, who composed chorales to be sung by all the people, not just the clergy as in the Roman Catholic Church of his day. It is largely to him that we owe today’s opportunities for congregational singing . . . Is musical style merely a matter of personal taste? No. To some extent it mirrors the spirit of the age. As H.R. Rookmaaker said in Modern Art and the Death of a Culture, ‘there is nothing neutral.’ Like other aspects of culture, music should be judged by the standards of God’s Word and by the effect it produces. Music can soothe a troubled spirit (1 Samuel 16:23), but it can also whip people into a frenzy . . . Since music invariably creates a certain atmosphere, we ought to ask what kind of atmosphere we generate through the music in our Sunday
[24] services and Christian conventions. John Bell of the Iona Community thinks we have swapped the model of the Victorian schoolroom for that of the theatre. Is this true? Has today’s pervasive pop culture influenced our music in any way? Does a Christian gathering in which music features strongly ever feel like a pop festival? Like all God’s gifts, music can be used in a self-centred fashion or in a way that exalts God himself. Do our songs reflect the truth of God’s Word and promote godly living? If singing is to glorify God, we need to remove any obstacles that might hinder us. The questions below will draw attention to several possible hindrances. To what extent are our minds engaged when we sing? Do we sing with both spirit and mind (1 Corinthians 114:15)? Do some songs claim too much? If I sing ‘My love just keeps on growing’, am I displaying an indefensible self-confidence rather than a humble spirit? How are tunes to be judged? Is it stating the obvious to say that they should be easy to follow? Sadly, there is an increasing number of tunes which are too complicated, making it difficult for the congregation to keep in step with the musicians and hampering concentration on the words. The main reason for this trend seems to be that most Christian songs today are written not for congregational singing but for performance before a listening audience. Is this a commendable development? . . . Whatever our personal tastes may be, we must never forget that any sinful attitudes in the musical arena can easily undermine that unity which Paul urges us to maintain in Ephesians 4:3. Our final question must therefore be: Are we applying this teaching of God’s Word and thereby exhibiting musical godliness?
[25] ‘blessed assurance’
Donald Roworth (the Editor’s cousin) contributes a series on ‘Favourite Hymns’ to the Cathedral News of Peel Cathedral on the Isle of Man. We thank him for permission to publish in faith@work as well.
‘And we desire each one of you to show the same earnestness to have the full assurance of hope until the end’ (Heb. 6:11)
rom time to time we might ponder why some hymns, of whatever Fgenre, are continuing favourites, but others soon get consigned to the dusty cupboards of history. It doesn’t take long to flip through any hymn-book to find both popular hymns and forgotten hymns. There are plenty of supposedly ‘serious, theologically sound’ hymns with well- composed tunes that have disappeared, but also many that continue in regular use (‘Dear Lord and Father of mankind’ came 4th in the ‘Big Sing’ poll last year); and at the same time there are more lightweight songs that have stayed the course (‘I, the Lord of sea and sky’ was voted 5th). A review of Complete Mission Praise or The Source (each running to well over 1000 hymns) soon reveals just how many relatively recent compositions have already faded into obscurity. This time we look at a hymn that could be categorised as lightweight in both words and music, and yet is of enduring popularity. ‘Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine’ is a 19th-century composition that survives in the 21st century—why? The hymn-book tells us that the words were penned by ‘Fanny Crosby’, one of the pseudonyms of Mrs Frances Jane van Alstyne (1820–1915). An American, she was blind from early infancy, and at the age of 14 was sent to the first special school for the blind set up in New York. She soon showed a talent for poetry, her first book of verse being published when she was 24. At that stage her poetry was secular, but later, after she became an
[26] evangelical Christian through a Damascene experience in which God used an Isaac Watts hymn to stir her soul during a Methodist service, she became a prolific writer of Christian verse under several pen-names. Many of Fanny Crosby’s hymns were set to music by the composer Ira Sankey (of ‘Moody and Sankey’ fame), who became a personal friend, but the tune for ‘Blessed Assurance’ was composed by Mrs Phoebe Knapp (1839–1908). The story is told that Mrs Knapp played the tune to Fanny on a visit in 1873. ‘What does this tune say?’ she asked, whereupon Fanny immediately came out with the words of the hymn. Whether or not this is strictly how it happened, it can be argued that in some intangible way the tune and the words seem made for one another; this is perhaps one of the defining features for a sacred song to stand the test of time. Another requirement for popularity is that the hymn has to have caught the public’s ear in the first place. ‘Blessed Assurance’ came particularly to prominence through the evangelical activities of the Billy Graham movement; it was the theme song for his ‘Hour of Decision’ broadcasts in the USA, and subsequently for the London Haringey Crusade in 1954 that was attended by well over a million people. That Crusade was where I first came across this hymn. What of the spiritual sentiments of ‘Blessed Assurance’? In essence it is a song of testimony, telling of the continuing peace and joy of the one who sings, through knowing the forgiveness of God because of what Jesus Christ did on our behalf. This—the essence of our Christian faith—is not set out in Fanny Crosby’s hymn in a progressive way that uses a strong theological argument; rather, the hymn lists the personal experiences of one who has found new life in Christ: ‘Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine’; ‘gives me a foretaste of glory divine’; and leads to ‘perfect delight’ and ‘visions of rapture.’ But first there has to be ‘perfect submission,’ underlining that becoming a Christian is an entirely personal thing; we can be persuaded by the Bible, inspired by a great hymn or a great preacher or a church service through which the Holy Spirit is able to act, but our relationship with Christ is, in the final analysis, one-to-one. And so Fanny Crosby writes, and we sing, ‘this is my story, this is my song.’
Don Roworth
[27] CONNECTED BY GRACE
Part 5: John Thornton (1720-1790) I. Setting the Scene
To the Editor’s dismay he finds that it is over two years since the previous article in this series appeared.1 Stories of others ‘connected by grace’ to his great, great, great grandfather, William Roworth of Nottingham (1789–1886), were promised but never delivered, which omission he hopes to rectify. Because of the hiatus, perhaps it would be helpful to briefly recap where we have been. We began with the obituary of that ‘Christian gentleman,’ William Roworth, one-time Sheriff and Mayor of Nottingham, and we have been following some of the ‘connections’ arising from the places and people mentioned in it, noting the remarkable providences of God in the lives of his people: Ruth Bryan—diarist and letter-writer (still in print)—to whom William and his wife Sarah were ‘devotedly attached’; Lady Lucy Smith—daughter of Viscount Balgonie—whom William assisted in obtaining pulpit supply for Sion Chapel in Nottingham, where the Roworths worshipped; J. C. Philpot—‘the seceder’ from the Church of England and long-time editor of The Gospel Standard magazine—who preached at Sion Chapel. We now turn to less direct connections to William Roworth himself, connections which can be traced through Lady Lucy. First, we turn to her grandfather on her mother’s side, John Thornton of Clapham, London.
ev Henry Venn (1724-1797), the evangelical Anglican, and Rrespectively curate of Clapham, vicar of Huddersfield and rector in Yelling (Huntingdonshire), wrote, on hearing of the death of his ‘affectionate friend,’ John Thornton in 1790:
[28] Few of the followers of the Lamb . . . have ever done more to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, and help all that suffer adversity, and to spread the savour of the knowledge of Christ Crucified!2 That is not a bad eulogy for a Christian! And Venn was not alone in his sentiments at this time. Another close friend, William Bull the Dissenting minister at Newport Pagnell, wrote to Thornton’s eldest son, Samuel, ‘What makes your heart bleed will make angels shout for joy . . . I never knew a person that lived so near to God.’3 And Thornton’s obituary in The Gentleman’s Magazine, included these words: Perhaps there never lived a man more deserving of public regard, a pattern in every virtue that could promote the welfare, and improve the interests of mankind: the fondest husband, most benevolent father, devoted Christian, and sincerest friend. His charities, which almost transcend belief, were rather felt than known, and reached to the remotest part of the habitable globe.4
Would I be right in thinking that you have probably never heard of this remarkable Christian and philanthropist? You would not be alone. The old Dictionary of National Biography ignored him, although he does have an entry in the new (2004) edition. Professor Milton Klein’s difficult-to-obtain book, An Amazing Grace, appears to be the only extant biography, although it is more of a ‘short sketch’ of his life, to use the author’s own words.5 I hope that by the time you have read his story, you John Thornton by Thomas Gainsborough will, with so many of John Thornton’s contemporaries, give thanks to God for such a Christian, for whom ‘doing good was the great business of his life,’ and ‘the love of Christ the great centrepiece of his existence.’6
[29] Early years John Thornton was born on 1 April 1720 in an old stone house in the countryside beside Clapham Common—then a wealthy village amongst marshy grazing land about four miles outside London. He was the only son of Robert and Hannah (née Swyncocke) Thornton. The family was wealthy, having made their money in the Russian trade, and Robert was a director of the Bank of England as well as a merchant. John did not attend university and soon got involved in his father’s business, including a residency of two years in Riga from the age of twenty-one.
On his return, he became a member (1743), then consul (1746), then assistant (1752) of the Russia Company.7 In 1748 his father died, and John inherited the Clapham estate and about £100,000—a vast sum in those days, but an amount he was to increase greatly through his trading activities.8
Marriage and conversion On 28 November, 1753, John Thornton married Lucy Watson of Hull, the daughter of a one-time partner of the Thorntons and their relations, the Wilberforces.9 Described as ‘a spiritual woman’10 and ‘deeply religious,’11 Lucy Watson at first refused Thornton on the grounds of religious differences. It is possible that this was partly due to the fact that the Watsons were Dissenters, while the Thorntons belonged to the Church of England. However, it seems more probable that Lucy
[30] was deterred because of John’s somewhat lukewarm attitude to religion at this time—he ‘simply did not yet take God seriously enough’ for her.12 Nevertheless, she did eventually accept him after repeated proposals. Writing in 1790 after Thornton’s death, his friend Henry Venn refers to ‘an intimacy of thirty-six years, from his first receiving Christ, till he took his departure . . . to see Him who so long had been all his salvation and all his desire.’13 This would place Lucy Thornton in 1755 Thornton’s conversion in the first by Arthur Devis (National Trust) year of his marriage, and Venn himself, then the new 29-year-old curate of Holy Trinity, Clapham, seems to have had a hand—under God—in it. So, no doubt, did ‘the sustained example and exhortations’ of Lucy,14 who was dangerously ill for some months during that year. Another clergyman, Martin Madan, the young chaplain of the Lock Hospital at Hyde Park Corner, is also believed to have influenced Thornton towards true evangelical faith. Lucy was truly a help-meet for her husband. In his brief profile of her accompanying some of John Newton’s letters to her in later years, Josiah Bull wrote: She was known for her benevolence, while the poor generally were the objects of her kind and thoughtful care. These good works were the fruits of a true piety. Mrs. Thornton was a woman of devout spirit, a diligent student of the Scriptures, and much given to the important duty of self-examination . . . Another very observable trait in Mrs. Thornton’s character was her great regard for the ministry of the word.15
[31] Family connections John and Lucy had seven children, three of whom died young. The surviving children were Samuel (1754–1838), Jane (1757–1818), Robert (1759–1826), and Henry (1760–1815). The three men were all to be elected to Parliament, but were principally businessmen or bankers. It was Henry who, with William Wilberforce and the Cornish MP Edward Eliot, would be the founding members of the so-called ‘Clapham Sect’ of evangelical social reformers. Jane Thornton married Alexander, Viscount Balgonie, the eldest son of the Earl of Leven and Melville, on 12 August, 1784. They resided at Balgonie Castle near Markinch in Fife, and also in Edinburgh.
Balgonie Castle
Thornton provided the somewhat impecunious Balgonie with a dowry of £10,000, but added the proviso that none of the money could be spent by his Lordship without the consent of his wife!16 Named after her grandmother, Lucy Leslie-Melville—to become Lady Lucy Smith—was their eldest daughter, born 26 January 1794 (so she never knew her grandfather). It was she with whom William Roworth would one day ‘co-operate . . . in obtaining supplies for Sion Chapel [Nottingham], while without a pastor.’
[32] In context Before we go on to look at John Thornton’s generosity, particularly that towards evangelical causes and individuals, it is important to place all of this in the context of the times. By the time Thornton was converted (1754), the evangelical revival which had begun in the American colonies in 1735 under the ministry of Jonathan Edwards, had also affected thousands in Britain under the preaching of men such as George Whitefield and John Wesley in England, and Howell Harris and Daniel Rowland in Wales. Scotland
George Whitefield preaching in London (Note the distractions!) had witnessed the remarkable scenes in Cambuslang and Kilsyth in 1742: in June of that year, George Whitefield visited Cambuslang to assist at the communion season: On Sabbath day, scarce ever was such a sight seen in Scotland. There were undoubtedly upwards of twenty thousand people . . . All night in different companies, you might have heard persons praying to, and praising God.17
[33] And the land was ripe for such a revival. In spite of great material advancement, the eighteenth century was a period of great moral and spiritual decay. The Church of England had almost destroyed itself when it had removed 2000 Puritan ministers from their pulpits and charges in 1662 under the Act of Uniformity (the ‘Great Ejection’).18 It was a common opinion that Christianity was ‘no longer a subject of enquiry, but that it is now at length discovered to be fictitious,’19 and had become ‘a solemn play-thing for the amusement of weak minds.’20 Thornton himself estimated that even in 1763 there was not a single evangelical priest in the Church of England in any large city except London, and there were only two or three there. ‘Respectability, rather than spirituality, seemed to be the end and aim of organized religion.’21 This is not the place to recount a history of the revival,22 but the fact that a great movement of the Spirit of God was taking place at this time is relevant to Thornton’s own experience and what he was able to achieve.
[Next time we will look at why and how John Thornton gave away so much of his wealth through his philanthropic activities, and if there are any lessons we can learn from his life.]
Endnotes: 1. Previous articles, from issues of faith@work between March 2010 and April 2012, can be obtained from the Editor by those who wish to ‘catch up.’ 2. Letters of Henry Venn (1835, reprinted Edinburgh: Banner of Truth, 1993), p. 489. 3. Quoted by Milton M. Klein, An Amazing Grace: John Thornton and the Clapham Sect (New Orleans: University Press of the South, 2004), p. 124. 4. Ibid., p. 126. 5. ‘Thornton certainly deserves [a complete biography], and I hope this short sketch of his life will encourage someone to do it.’ (Ibid., p. xii.) 6. From Thomas Scott’s 59-page eulogy of Thornton, published in 1791, quoted in An Amazing Grace, p. 130. 7. The Russia Company was founded in the sixteenth century and initially had a monopoly of the English-Russian trade. By Thornton’s time it was effectively a trade association, allowed to trade directly, duty free, importing and exporting through
[34] ‘factories’ in places such as St. Petersburg, Riga, and Odessa. The Company was run by a governor, several ‘consuls’, and a court of ‘assistants’, meeting monthly. (An Amazing Grace, pp. 21-23.) 8. Edwin Welch, ‘Thornton, John (1720-1790),’ Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (Oxford University Press, 2004). www.oxforddnb.com/view/ article/27358, accessed 7 July 2012. 9. William Wilberforce, the slave-trade abolitionist, was a nephew of John Thornton’s half-sister, Hannah Wilberforce—yet another ‘connection by grace’ (as well as by blood), but we shall not pursue it in this series! See Stephen Tomkins, The Clapham Sect: How Wilberforce’s Circle Transformed Britain (Oxford: Lion Hudson, 2010), p. 43. 10. The Clapham Sect, p. 17. 11. An Amazing Grace, p. 17. 12. The Clapham Sect, p. 17. 13. Letters of Henry Venn, p. 489. 14. The Clapham Sect, p. 18. 15. Letters of John Newton, ed. Josiah Bull (grandson of William Bull) (1869, reprinted Edinburgh: Banner of Truth, 2007), p. 272. 16. The Gentleman’s Magazine, LX (November 1790), 1056; quoted by Klein in An Amazing Grace, p. 19. 17. George Whitefield’s Works, Vol. 1, pp. 409-10; quoted in Iain H. Murray, The Puritan Hope: Revival and the Interpretation of Prophecy (London: Banner of Truth, 1971), p. 119. 18. See, for example, Gary Brady, The Great Ejection (Darlington: Evangelical Press, 2012). 19. Bishop Butler, 1736; quoted in Murray, The Puritan Hope, p. 109. 20. John Newton, quoted in An Amazing Grace, p. 3. 21. An Amazing Grace, pp. 3, 6. 22. On Whitefield and Wesley in particular, see, for example, Arnold A. Dallimore, George Whitefield, 2 vols. (Edinburgh: Banner of Truth, 1970, 1980), and Iain H. Murray, Wesley and Men Who Followed (Edinburgh: Banner of Truth, 2003). Murray’s The Puritan Hope (op. cit.) includes a good summary chapter on the eighteenth-century awakening.
Colin Roworth
[35] picture quiz - we have a winner!
e asked: In what way(s) is this Edinburgh tram like a Christian? WHere is the winning answer: ‘Ten ways in which the Edinburgh tram is like a Christian:- 1. It is a “new creation.” Old trams have passed away; all trams have become new. 2. It is “fearfully and wonderfully made.” 3. It has been delivered at great cost! (Ask the Edinburgh taxpayers.) 4. It was planned and predestined for service. 5. Its “lines have fallen in pleasant places”; eg., Princes Street. 6. It displays openly its ownership. 7. Its destination will always be apparent. 8. It is empowered from above, but if it loses contact with its source of power it becomes a hindrance and a hazard to those who follow and to other travellers. 9. It is efficient only when under the complete control of a competent master who keeps it firmly on track in the right direction, slows its progress, speeds it up, or stops it safely as required. 10. It is not a one-off; it is part of a network which does its best service when tasks and timetables are in harmony.’ We are impressed! The winner (who wishes to remain anonymous) will receive a copy of Dr Sinclair Ferguson’s new book, From the Mouth of God: Trusting, Reading, and Applying the Bible (see page 17).
[36] seeking with all my heart
My inspiration now comes From seeking in God’s truth My eyes are wide open now to the present Not going back to those days I was seeking in my youth I was searching for the answers Searching for the clues Never realised how the truth can be so manipulated, abused I would flip over tarot cards trying to find my destiny I know now that dark road leads only to destruction With no uncertainty The devil’s wicked way Has such sugar coated lies And I was sucked in like a fool With the counterfeits in their disguise But the Lord set me free from the devil’s curse I know how on my knees I pleaded Because before me life could truly get no worse I was well and truly lost in a deep dark scary place I sought God with my whole heart And found such forgiving love and grace Don’t be tempted, don’t be misled I turned away from all I once believed in And look to the glory of God now For all my answers instead
By Marlyn Lee Murphy
[You can read Marlyn’s testimony on pages 7-9]
[37] David and Eileen Balfour celebrated their Golden Wedding Anniversary with the help of a magnificent cake (featuring a favourite hymn) shared with the congregation, and by going on a Baltic cruise. They were married on 27 June 1964 in Leslie Baptist Church.
GLENROTHES BAPTIST CHURCH, CHURCH STREET, GLENROTHES KY7 5ND “to glorify God through worship and witness” Sunday worship at 11:00 am and 6:15 pm. Pastor: Rev Jacob Brothers Tel. 01592 566784 [email protected] Administrator: Loma Robertson Tel. 01592 569921 [email protected] Thank you to everyone who contributed to this issue of faith@work. The Editor can be contacted at [email protected] or on 01592 755773 or 07977 234046.
Front Cover: Cowans and Marshalls in Romania (see page 3) Left to right: Mary Beth, Alex, Lorraine, Annabelle, Matthew, Elijah
www.glenrothesbaptistchurch.org.uk[38]