In our idiom, “asking for a friend,” is a euphemism for our own concerns. But when it comes to Christian prayer we are called to ask boldly for others through the ministry of intercession. Listen to “Asking for Friend” as we consider Psalm 122 which calls us to pray for the sake of our brothers and to intercede for the church, the world, and our neighbors.
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Asking for a Friend?
English is a hard language to learn. It plays fast and loose with its own rules of grammar. And it refuses to conform to the basics of linguistics shared by virtually every other language — basics such as gender, case, and predictable syntax. No doubt, this is a consequence of the long and storied history of English-speaking peoples. As J. R. R. Tolkien noted, there is no such thing as a language without a history. As English-speakers ventured out across the globe during the Age of Exploration, they imported bits and pieces of language and expression from a myriad of other cultures into the warp and woof of the mother tongue. Consequently, the irregularity of the grammar and, especially, the pervasive use of idiom makes English one giant inside joke.
One, not so subtle, example is the phrase, “asking for a friend?” Nothing is more disingenuous than this qualifier. We tack it on to uncomfortable or embarrassing questions. Questions that, if actually from us, would surely reveal what we want to conceal. But like the Emperor with new clothes, everyone knows the game, but no one will admit it. We all know who is really asking the question. “Asking for a friend” does not conceal anything – quite the contrary. Yet we all play the game. And the asker is allowed to lay all censure for shocking questions upon some imaginary friend. The question is depersonalized allowing us to broach delicate concerns in third person rather than first or second. Asking for a friend makes questions academic, not biographical. Or so we think.
But there is a remarkable exception to this ruse – a time when “asking for a friend” is just that. And that is intercessory prayer. Typically, our chief concern in prayer is typically ourselves, asking for the things we want or need. And, indeed, there is nothing wrong with this. Scripture calls this dimension of prayer supplication, which is another way of saying “to ask.” The Bible encourages us to ask God for what we need. Jesus instructed his disciples and by extension us.
And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”
Luke 11:9-13
And in another place, Jesus promised, “Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you.”(John 16:23) Jesus’ brother, James, wrote, “you do not have, because you do not ask.” But then goes on to warn “you ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.”(James 2:4) We are instructed to ask boldly. The author of the Hebrews reminds us of this. “Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”(Hebrews 4:16)
But James warning should give us pause. What should we ask for? What types of things? And how do we ask? Interestingly, most of the instruction in Scripture regarding involves praying for others. While we are certainly to ask for our own needs, the bulk of our asking is to be for others through intercessory prayer. And like most other aspects of our prayer, the prayer of the gathered church should model the trajectory for our private prayer. The Apostle Paul, in giving instruction to Timothy regarding worship in the Ephesian Church wrote.
First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
1 Timothy 2:1-4
The church has always understood this to mean that in public worship we are to pray for others – for those responsible for government, for the peace purity and prosperity of the church, for the general welfare of society and for the spread of the gospel among all peoples. Christian worship puts a strong emphasis on intercessory prayer, particularly in public worship. John Calvin noted that intercessory prayer exhibited the church’s core value.
“It has pleased God to work with human beings through human beings. We are creatures of need. We need God and we need each other. It is therefore through the ministry of other people that God in his wisdom has chosen to bless us. It is in our intercession for each other that we realize what it is to be the Church.”
Just as Jesus’ prayer was characterized by intercession, so must ours be. We are to “ask for a friend.” We are to be bold askers at the throne of grace and mercy. But much, if not most, of our asking is for others. When we gather in church and pray alone in our closet, how much of our asking is “asking for a friend?”
In our idiom, “asking for a friend,” is a euphemism for our own concerns. But when it comes to Christian prayer we are called to ask boldly for others through the ministry of intercession. Join us this Lord’s Day, May 31 as we gather for worship both in person and by live-stream and consider Psalm 122 which calls us to pray for the sake of our brothers and to intercede for the church, the world, and our neighbors.
We meet on the square in Pottsville, right next to historic Potts’ Inn at 10:30 am for worship. Get directions here or contact us for more info. Or join us on Facebook Live @PottsvilleARP
05/24/2020 | “Grace and Gratitude” | Psalm 107
Is your life characterized by thanksgiving, or better yet, thanks-living? Have you learned to receive everything – the good and the bad, the joyful and the sorrowful – with thanksgiving? Our redemption is manifest chiefly in a grateful heart. What does your life declare of thankfulness to God? Listen as we examine Psalm 107 and consider the promptings, the pattern, and the practice of giving thanks and living thankfully.
Welcome Back!
We resumed “in-person” worship as of May 31, 2020. But our gatherings will are a little different as we exercise love and care for one another through social distancing. So, we wanted to let you know what to expect as we resume.
Please note that we will begin worship at 10:30 am. This is earlier than our 10:45 am start time before we moved to live stream only. Announcements will start at 10:20 am and the service will begin at 10:30 am. We will NOT meet for Bible Study before worship until at least September 2020.
Some of you expressed through our survey that you are not comfortable resuming. For some this was because of restrictions related to your work. For others it was due to your own health vulnerabilities or those of loved ones to whom you provide care. The Session wants to stress that, while gathering with others for worship is fundamental to Christian discipleship, there are times when this must be balanced by our duties and responsibilities to others.
If you need more time before returning due to your concerns and/or commitments, continue to join us by live stream and plan to return as soon as practicable. We have invested in the technology necessary to continue live streaming from now on. Going forward, this will be an option for those unable to attend in-person.
Let me say the same thing for those who have been sick. If you have had a fever within the last 48 hours, or have had symptoms of any respiratory illness, or have had contact with someone COVID-19 positive within the last two weeks, please stay home and join us via live stream. Furthermore, if you have experienced any type of contagious illness and have been recently symptomatic, please stay home.
Just as those who must stay home are exercising caution and concern for others, those who return must also exercise caution and concern for others. As we gather, we will practice social distancing and we must not express judgment toward others. Just as we are warned in regards to the Lord’s Table to examine ourselves, let us restrict our examination regarding resuming and social distancing to ourselves as well.
Below are a few things you need to know about social distancing for those who resume.
- As you arrive, please enter in an orderly and distanced fashion. Parents take care to keep your children with you as you enter and exit and as you find a seat. Someone will be at the door to greet you and assist you with a low-touch entry.
- We will have hand-sanitizer available at every entry and in the restrooms.
- If you feel comfortable wearing a mask, please do so. The use of cloth masks is a courtesy and benefit to others. While they may not protect you from illness, they will protect others from illnesses you may have, even if you are not showing symptoms. Most of you indicated that wearing a mask was an important factor in your comfort in returning. So, let me encourage you to wear a mask as much as you are able.
- We will not be able to provide masks. If you do not have a mask, please contact me and I will find one for you.
- We ask that families to sit together.
- Please try to maintain a distance of 6 ft between family groups. This can be accomplished by keeping one row of seating between you and others.
- Orders of service, containing everything you need to participate in the liturgy, will be placed on each end of alternating rows of seats in order to limit “touch.” These will also continue to be available online.
- You may continue to give your tithes and offerings by mail or online. We will also have a secure offering box by the door as you enter and exit. Thank you for your faithful giving.
- Our service will include singing, but it will be more limited than usual. Each service will include two hymns and we will conclude the service with the doxology. Admittedly, it is difficult to sing in a mask, but singing produces the greatest risk to airbourne exposure. You are not required to wear a mask. But if you are unable to wear a mask while singing, please sit so that no one is closer than 16 feet directly in front of you.
- Pastor Wheeler will wear a mask while outside of the pulpit, but will not wear it while leading the service. For this reason, everyone will be asked to sit at least 16 feet from the pulpit.
- Please avoid all physical contact with others. You can greet each other with smiles and warm words, but not with a hug or a handshake.
- You may enjoy in person fellowship outside before and after the gathering. But even outside please limit contact and maintain distancing.
- Refreshments and fellowship meals will not resume at present for our corporate gatherings.
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact us.
Grace and Gratitude
Nothing reveals the vulnerabilities in the supply chain like a robust pandemic. We think we can anticipate what will be in short supply – gas, water, generators, basic food stuffs – but herd instinct offers surprises. While some shortages, such as toilet paper, have been widely reported, you may not have heard about shortages of bikes, audio-visual hardware, and seeds.
Avid gardeners are meticulous planners. They order seeds like clockwork according to their climate zones and carefully scripted calendars. Yet this pandemic has thrown their plans into disarray. An invasive species has appeared – the victory gardener! Indeed, this is a good thing. But it has created shortages for seed companies and nurseries.
For too long people have labored under the notion that food comes from a supercenter. Panic has led many to realize that maybe, just maybe, food comes from somewhere else – their yard. Finding and eating food is one of the most basic parts of our lives, yet most of us have lost touch with its basic mechanics – its heart and soul, its deeper importance. The author and poet, Wendell Berry, laments this in his essay, “Eating and Pleasure.”
The industrial eater is, in fact, one who does not know that eating is an agricultural act, who no longer knows or imagines the connections between eating and the land, and who is therefore necessarily passive and uncritical – in short, a victim…. Both eater and eaten are in exile from biological reality…. Eating with the fullest pleasure – pleasure, that is, that does not depend upon ignorance – is perhaps the profoundest enactment of our connection with the world. In this pleasure we experience and celebrate our dependence and gratitude, for we are living from mystery, from creatures we did not make and from powers we cannot comprehend.
Wendell Berry
Nothing is more time-consuming, day in and day out, than finding and eating food. Yet, in all that planning, finding, preparing, and eating, how often do we “experience and celebrate our dependence and gratitude.” Sure we “say the blessing” before the meal, but do we realize how deep that thanks should go? This failure of thanks-living, this systemic ingratitude, goes much deeper than our eating – it extends to all other areas of life. Nothing highlights our fallenness more than ingratitude. Paul’s ringing indictment of our fallen nature in Romans 1 crescendos in our ungratefulness.
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.
Romans 1:18-21
Ungrateful hearts and lives are futile hearts and lives. Gratitude is our primary response to God’s graciousness toward us. Our worship seeks to glorify God through proclaiming His grace in the gospel and by expressing our gratitude to Him in prayer, praise, and thanksgiving. Worship is a gracious and thankful conversation between God and His people. To be ungrateful is the hallmark of practical atheism. Thanksgiving is a sanctifying agency in our lives. Elsewhere Paul, in writing to his friend, Timothy, remarked.
For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, for it is made holy by the word of God and prayer.
1 Timothy 4:4-5
Is your life characterized by thanksgiving, or better yet, thanks-living? Have you learned to receive everything – the good and the bad, the joyful and the sorrowful – with thanksgiving? Have you chosen to pursue every moment, every action, every aspiration to celebrate your dependence and gratitude toward the gracious God revealed to us in Christ Jesus? Our redemption is manifest chiefly in a grateful heart. In Psalm 107, the Psalmist exhorts us.
Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,
Psalm 107:1-2
for his steadfast love endures forever!
Let the redeemed of the Lord say so,
whom he has redeemed from trouble.
Let the redeemed of the Lord say so. What does your life declare of thankfulness to God? The inspired author goes on to speak about the promptings, the praise, and the practice of giving thanks and living thankfully. Join us this Lord’s Day, May 24, on Facebook Live at 10:30 am as we examine Psalm 107 consider the power of experiencing and celebrating our dependence and gratitude toward our Gracious God.
05/17/2020 | “The Next Step” | Psalm 130
It is God’s kindness in Christ that invites us to confess and find forgiveness and release from the Gordian knot of guilt. Have you learned to confess? Is confession a regular feature of your prayer life? Or have you tried to find every other way to rid your self of that one dark blot, that no soap or good works can wash away? Listen as we examine Psalm 130 and consider the next steps in our fellowship with God expressed through confession of our sin.
Good for the Soul
Visits to my Nana’s house were always an adventure. After lunch, the adults spent their time “porch sitting.” Their stories of the good old days riveted us for a while. But eventually the stolid heat and humidity of Georgia summer and the quiet of spent storytelling drove the children indoors in search of more lively entertainment. Nana’s house was always dark and mysterious. Filled with curios from bygone ages and places. There was always something to explore. As an older home, with no AC, her windows were always open. And during the summer time, the old wood and linoleum floors were gritty to our bare feet. When I think of summer in Georgia I think of that humid, grittiness. A kind of pervasive, latent oppression Southerners learn to live with.
Any good Southern author knows that conveying this grittiness is a mark of regional authenticity. The short stories of Faulkner are a good example. They always evoke for me a feeling of grittiness. But perhaps nothing I have read has made me feel more gritty, than the Russian novel, Crime and Punishment.
Crime and Punishment unfolds the mental anguish and moral dilemmas of Rodion Raskolnikov, an impoverished ex-student in St. Petersburg who murders an unscrupulous old pawnbroker for her money. Before the killing, Raskolnikov believes the money will liberate him from poverty and change his life for the better. Afterwards, however, he finds himself consumed with paranoia and self-loathing. All his justifications unravel as he struggles with guilt and horror and confronts the consequences of his crime. Dostoevsky’s work is a brutal character study in “urge to confess” and of the overwhelming power of guilt.
“The urge to confess” is a common theme in crime stories. Guilt is powerful, controlling, and irrepressible. We can rationalize it, conceal it, run from it, and attempt to mitigate it, but we cannot escape it. Guilt clings with the tenacity of an ant and is a “thorn in the flesh” that no self-help strategy can eradicate. As wise mentor once told me, “when people express guilt, don’t tell them they should not feel that way or that they are not guilty, but instruct them to confess.” The old saying, “confession is good for the soul” is very true. Solomon wisely instructed his sons, and successors, and us.
Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper,
Proverbs 28:13-14
but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy.
Blessed is the one who fears the Lord always,
but whoever hardens his heart will fall into calamity.
While confession is never easy, nor comfortable, the comfort it brings is powerful. Confession is the only way to deal with our guilt – because it depends upon another, alone, who has the power to release us through forgiveness. The ancient word for forgiveness, has at its root, to untie, or release. Like the Gordian knot, only confession, repentance, and forgiveness can untie the knots that sin and guilt tie in our lives. This is why confession is an essential part of worship.
Just as the Psalms form the “anatomy of all parts of the soul,” instructing us in the liturgy of prayer and worship, corporate worship sets before us the pattern of life with God and with others. Central to that pattern is the act of corporate confession and assurance of pardon. In confession we “agree with” God about the truth of our condition, unmasked as men of unclean lips, hands, and hearts among a people of unclean lips, hands, and hearts before a Holy God.
Every person in Scripture who came face to face with God through prophetic vision or theophany, was terrified. When Moses asked to see God’s glory, he was hidden in the cleft of the rock and only allowed to see God’s back. When Job demanded an audience with God, God confronted him out of a EF5 tornado. To enter God’s presence as a sinner is to invite death and terror. Unless, there is one who can cover us and mediate for us.
Job’s fear was that “there is no arbiter between [God and I], who might lay his hand on us both. Let him take his rod away from me, and let not dread of him terrify me.” But the good news is that we do have a mediator in Christ. One who can lay his hand upon us both. One who has stood in the gap. One who has become sin for us that we might be accounted righteous in Him.
For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
Hebrews 4:15-16
It is God’s kindness in Christ that invites us to confess and find forgiveness and release from the Gordian knot of guilt. Have you learned to confess? Is confession a regular feature of your prayer life? Or have you tried to find every other way to rid your self of that one dark blot, that no soap or good works can wash away?
Join us this Lord’s Day, May 17, on Facebook Live at 10:30 am as we examine Psalm 130 and consider the next steps in our fellowship with God expressed through confession of our sin.
Plans for Resuming In-Person Gatherings.
Beloved congregation, our Session met this week to consider plans to resume “in person” gatherings for worship. We will resume no sooner than May 31, with the tentative plan of reopening on that date. Between now and then we will be working to thoroughly clean and sanitize our facilities and prepare for livestreaming for those who need to exercise more caution about returning. We will not resume small group Bible study at this time. The Session will meet again on May 26 to confirm this date for resuming “in person” services. With that said, I want to speak to two aspects of our plans to resume.
The first aspect is regarding to those who are torn between concerns for their health or the health of others and the biblical command to gather for worship. A friend and colleague, Rev. Rob Patrick addressed this concern very well in a recent article to his congregation.
Is it essential for Christians to meet together for worship on the Lord’s Day? A global pandemic and resulting restrictions on “mass gatherings” has led to much discussion of that question, and related questions on the authority of the civil government to regulate gatherings for worship. Leaving aside issues of civil liberty and authority, the question of the essentiality of gathering for worship remains important.
A portion of Hebrews 10:19-26 is helpful in examining two aspects of this question. The first aspect is the access Christians have to God’s throne of grace, at any time and in any place. Hebrews 10:19-22 speaks of the intercession of our great high priest, Jesus, in whom Christians have access to God, and are even brought before His throne of grace, whenever and wherever we call out to Him in Jesus’ name! Christ’s blood and righteousness have secured this access. Jesus is at the right hand of His Father, interceding on our behalf. Whether we are at church, at home, in exile, or prison, our prayers and worship are received by Him!
But what about gathering? Hebrews 10:23-25 addresses the second aspect of our question, “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.”
Spiritual access to the presence of God anywhere at anytime through the name, blood, and righteousness of Jesus doesn’t mean Christians no longer need to gather together. The promise of a coming day when we will be glorified together in the presence of God should fill us with desire to gather now, in anticipation of that day. As we gather, there is fellowship in Christ that encourages love and good works among God’s people through our shared ministry.
When it comes to the essentiality of gathering for worship, these verses remind us that God commands our gathering for worship. Unless providentially hindered, there is something spiritually amiss when Christians intentionally absent themselves from public worship. It is for His glory and our common good that we must not neglect the assembly of the saints.
Yet there are occasions of providential hindrance. Sickness, our own or that of those for whom we care, works of necessity and mercy, and imprisonment are among the circumstances that may prevent one from gathering with others for worship. During this pandemic, increased risk of infection for the elderly or those with compromised immune systems are among the factors that may make it imprudent for some to gather for worship. In such circumstances of providential hindrance there is great blessing in knowing that we can still offer prayers and praise to God. In Jesus’ name we can worship in spirit and in truth before His throne, wherever we may be.
Even with the precautions and provisions outlined below for resuming “in person” gatherings for worship, those with good reason to remain home due to circumstances of health should have no crisis of conscience over doing so. We pray that your continued faithful worship at home will only increase longing to gather with the Lord’s people when it is again prudent to do so! May we say with David, “I was glad when they said unto me, let us go to the house of the Lord!”
These words offer a helpful perspective regarding biblical balance in navigating both the command to gather and care for one another. This biblical balance also governs those who return. A faithful expression of corporate worship is one that has concern for the spiritual and physical needs of others. Paul’s introductory statements regarding the Lord’s Supper in 1 Corinthians 11:17ff make this clear.
To that end, please find below guidance from our Session regarding how we may faithfully resume “in person” corporate worship while exercising Christian prudence and concern for the spiritual and physical needs of others.
- We will continue to live stream our service for those who need to be more cautious about gathering in person.
- If you are sick or exhibiting symptoms of illness, or have had fever within 24 hours, or have had contact with any Covid-19 positive individuals within 14 days, please remain home and join us for worship through the livestream.
- For those able to resume “in person” gathering:
- We will have hand-sanitizer available at every entry and in the restrooms.
- If you feel comfortable wearing a mask, we encourage you to do so. The use of cloth masks are a courtesy and benefit to others. While they may not protect you from illness, they will protect others from illnesses you may have, even if you are not showing symptoms.
- We encourage families to sit together.
- Please try to maintain a distance of 6 ft between family groups. This can be accomplished by keeping one row of seating between you and others.
- Orders of service, containing everything you need to participate in the liturgy, will be placed on each end of alternating rows of seats in order to limit “touch.” These will continue to be available online before the service as well, and we may be able to project them.
- You may enjoy in person fellowship outside before and after the gathering, but please limit contact and maintain distancing when inside our gathering spaces.
- You may continue to give your tithes and offerings by mail or online. We will also have a secure offering box by the door as you enter and exit. Thank you for faithful giving.
- Refreshments and fellowship meals will not resume at present for our corporate gatherings. The Session will continue to evaluate when this is advisable.
If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact one of the elders.
In Christ, Pastor Wheeler
05/10/2020 | “Into His Presence” | Psalm 113
How do you appear before the Lord in prayer and in worship? We are warned in Scripture not to appear casually or carelessly before our God. God loves to receive his children, but he has established the approach – an approach clearly revealed in Scripture, and especially in the Psalms. Listen to “Into His Presence” from Psalm 113 as we consider how we are to approach our God in worship and in prayer.
Update on Resuming “In-Person” Gatherings.
We will NOT be meeting “in-person” at the church this Lord’s Day, May 10, 2020, but will continue to meet this Lord’s Day, as we have, via Facebook Live at 10:30 am.
Our Session will meet Tuesday, May 12, to review our plans and procedures for resuming in-person gatherings, both for worship and for smaller groups, such as Bible study. Please pray for your elders as we meet.
We will consider what must happen before we reopen, what cleaning must be done, what our procedures will need to be implemented for social distancing, and what aspects of worship will be affected by contact precautions.
Furthermore, we are also working to be technically ready to continue live streaming from the sanctuary, for those who need to be more cautious about returning.
This past Monday, May 4, Arkansas Governor, Asa Hutchinson released “guidance” regarding the resumption of “in-person” gatherings for Houses of Worship and other large venues. This guidance encourages churches resuming “in-person” gatherings, to practice some measure of social distancing. Here is a link to the Governor’s recommendations.
It is important to note, as did the Governor, that this is just guidance. While we are not bound by it, it is reasonable guidance and will not be considered lightly.
Our move to on-line worship was not required by or in response to any directive from our civil magistrates. We, as a Session, elected to do this out of Christian prudence and a responsibility to properly care for one another. (See citation from the ARP Directory of Public Worship below) We will seek to continue to respond in a way that provides the best spiritual and physical care of our congregation.
If you have questions, concerns or comments, please speak to me or one of the elders as we prepare to meet next Tuesday. We are thankful for God’s favor to provide for and protect our congregation during this time. We pray for wisdom as we continue to grow in His grace together.
In Christ, Pastor Wheeler
Certain matters or circumstances concerning worship have not been fixed by a definite rule in the Holy Scriptures, such as the order of worship which is to be followed, the appointed time or place for the gathering of God’s people, …. In such matters or circumstances, the church must be guided by the light of nature and Christian prudence, according to the general rules of the Word, which are always to be observed. The service of worship shall be under the authority of the minister and the session.
ARP Directory for Public Worship, II.3, 5.
Pottsville Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church 