It's time to fall back! Don't forget to move your clocks back one hour on Sunday, November 1st!
Of course, unless you plan to set an alarm for the wee hours of the morn, you should probably just do it on Saturday.
If you live in Arizona, you may ignore this.
by Brian Phillips
(Originally delivered as an exhortation at Holy Trinity as part of the continued observation of All Saints’ Day, Lives of the Saints in Two Minutes is an attempt to quickly introduce some of our too-frequently forgotten brothers and sisters.)
Constantine is a controversial figure in Church history. He won the power struggle that came after the death of Diocletian and, by 324, he ruled control the whole Roman Empire. He strengthened the absolute power of the emperor and stripped the senate of its authority. Additionally, Constantine built the military to 500,000 troops, and undertook huge building projects (palaces, amphitheaters), even though it put great financial strain on the empire.
At the same time, Christianity was becoming more organized and, therefore, able to spread effectively. Bishops oversaw large territories, caring for the churches within their territory. Because of this, many found the Church to be more stable than the Empire, which was struggling to maintain unity and protect its borders.
Constantine became the first Christian emperor. Before a crucial battle, he saw a vision of the cross with the message “In this sign, you will conquer.” His soldiers painted red crosses on their shields and the “Chi-Rho” symbol (the first two letters of “Christ” in Greek) was used as well.
After winning the battle, he made Christianity an accepted religion of the Empire and put an end to all official persecution of Christians. This was done in the Edict of Milan of 313. The Edict also granted the return of all confiscated Christian property, and rebuilt destroyed churches at government expense. When he was crowned as emperor, Constantine broke with the Roman tradition and refused to offer sacrifice to Jupiter upon being crowned. He freed Christians who had been imprisoned for their faith and made Sunday a legal holiday. The emperor even exempted church property from taxation, and appointed Christians to places of influence in the government.
When the heresies of Arius created a boiling conflict, Constantine called a Church council – the Nicene council (which led to the creation of the Nicene Creed). The emperor also attended the Council and contributed to the discussion, having arrived in his royal robes, with all of the attending bishops and church leaders standing at his arrival. He also used his power to appoint and dismiss bishops, even exiling men who did not follow his instructions (including Athanasius).
Constantine drives us to question the relationship between Church and State. For example, was it appropriate for the emperor to appoint bishops or take part in Church councils? For the sake of this exhortation, however, and for the sake of enduring the upcoming election season, let us remember two principles. First, no human leader is perfect. Constantine made mistakes and did great things too, but no ruler is perfect.
This leads to the second truth: there is only one Savior. Constantine helped the Church, but also may have hindered the Church in some ways. As we endure election season, do not allow yourself to lose perspective. We are people of the One, True King – and His name is not Constantine, or Trump, or Biden.
by Brian Phillips
(Originally delivered as an exhortation at Holy Trinity as part of the continued observation of All Saints’ Day, Lives of the Saints in Two Minutes is an attempt to quickly introduce some of our too-frequently forgotten brothers and sisters.)
When he was about 10 years old (around 306 A.D.), Athanasius was playing with a group of his friends on the beach, pretending to baptize one another, taking turns playing the part of the minister. When Athanasius took his turn, he so accurately recited sections of the baptismal service, bishop Alexander (walking along the beach at the time) approached Athanasius to talk about his faith.
While the Church at the time was relatively free of persecution, she greatly struggled with internal conflict and heresy. Athanasius served the Church at one of the most theologically dangerous times in history. While Athanasius served as Bishop Alexander’s assistant, a priest named Arius began openly teaching that Christ was created by the Father, and therefore, was not as divine as God the Father. He also claimed that “there was a time when the Son was not.”
A meeting of church leaders in the region condemned Arius’ teachings and ordered him to stop teaching it – but Arius refused. Eventually, Emperor Constantine called for a full Church council (Nicea in 325). In the end, the council sided with Athanasius, ordering Arius not to teach his beliefs any more. They wrote out the Nicene Creed as the official response to Arius, but he and his followers refused to sign it or obey it. They were excommunicated from the Church.
Instead, Arius and his followers went to Constantine and apologized for their wrongs – but they did not change their beliefs. They wanted to be restored to the Church and to their leadership positions. Without consulting the bishops, Constantine agreed, even sending out a letter to Athanasius, telling him that if he did not welcome Arius and his followers back into the Church, he would be exiled. Athanasius refused.
Some records indicate that Athanasius was banished five separate times, but, he never gave up – continuing to preach and write the truth about who Christ is. The result was what still stands as his greatest work, On the Incarnation. Because of him, many of those who had been deceived by Arius returned to the truth and, to this day, churches around the world recite the Nicene Creed, but far fewer know who Arius was.
While we can learn many things from the life of St. Athanasius, let us remember at least these few. First, the creeds of the Church were hard won. They were written in the midst of battles, struggles for the truth, and were handed down as protection to the Church. While they are not to be held on the same level as Scripture, no Christian should hold them lightly. Second, at the risk of sounding like a motivational poster, St. Athanasius teaches us that if something is true, it is true whether it’s easy to hold to it or not. Doing what is right is not always easy, and doing what is easy is not always right.
Excerpt from Sunday Mornings: An Introduction to Biblical Worship by Pastor Brian Phillips
For Part 1, visit here. For Part 2, visit here.
Conclusion
The subject of music is so large that we need to now focus our attention more specifically on how all this affects music in worship. What do we do with these principles and statements from Scripture?
We must sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. This one is simple because it is a blatant command. We should and must learn to sing the Psalms and sing them well. No other type of music has such a heavy emphasis in Scripture. We ought to take delight in learning them because we are being given the opportunity to sing God’s Word back to Him. 2nd Chronicles 29:30 also says that the “words of David and Asaph” – the two main authors of the Psalms - were sung in worship as a part of putting the house of the Lord in order.
One caveat to this is that we must make sure we are singing the Psalms beautifully. We should put effort into our singing and we should select the most beautiful arrangements to sing. I honestly think some Christians and congregations shy away from the Psalms because they have been poorly done. We must sing Psalms, but shouldn’t sing them in a way that is ugly just to accomplish that goal. We can do both well.
We must also not fall into the “exclusive Psalm” trap. The Bible does call us to sing hymns and spiritual songs which are beautiful and doctrinally rich. Be Thou My Vision, And Can It Be?, and many others are part of a rich and beautiful heritage of hymns. Service music like the Gloria Patri and the Doxology are important because they are beautiful, simple “spiritual songs” that are appropriate congregational responses in worship. We need all of these elements and types.
We should sing what is beautiful. Because music is not subjective, we can’t pretend that one thing is just as good as another thing when it isn’t. Let’s face it – contemporary Christian choruses and praise songs are not typically good music. Exceptions exist, certainly, but I am speaking in generalities.
Classic hymns last for centuries, while “praise and worship” songs last for weeks, and there are reasons for this. When any 14-year-old with an acoustic guitar can play nearly the entire genre with the same 3 chords, something is wrong. It is not beautiful and, usually, it is not well done.
This has nothing to do with what we “like” or what we listen to in the car. Such concerns are irrelevant to whether or not we should offer it to God in worship. Radio air time and record sales should not determine what is to be offered up in worship.
We ought to sing arrangements of Psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, and even play instrumentals that have stood the test of time and are well done. The music a church uses and the songs a church sings are a reflection of their view of God. Does the music reflect the majesty, goodness, holiness, sovereignty, and goodness of God, or does it reveal that we see God as a college buddy that we hang out with on weekends?
We must sing that which is doctrinally rich. Again, because music teaches us, we must be cognizant of what we are learning through our singing. Are we learning the character of God and His Word? Is our music deepening our understanding of God, or has our repetition of this chorus so deeply implanted it into our subconscious that we won’t be able to forget it no matter how much hypnotherapy we go through? Are we learning, through extreme repetition, that which is trite, repetitive, and sappy?
Because we are basing the decision on what is objectively good and true, we can come to some conclusions. Holy, Holy, Holy is a better choice than The Days of Elijah, and it’s not a better choice because I like one better than the other, but because one is better than the other in content, music, and presentation.
Music teaches and we should be teaching and learning the right things. If you listen to what is being passed along as fitting worship music, it is obvious that the evangelical church is receiving an incomplete education.
We must sing from the right motivation. We sing as an act of worship to God, not for our own entertainment. Therefore, we should sing what is acceptable to God, not necessarily to ourselves (though it should be both).
The worship service is not designed for our emotional experience, though emotion in worship is not a problem. Music is emotional, but we do not sing so that we may have a certain emotional experience. Music is not to be used as a tool of emotional manipulation, but it often is. I would argue that there is a connection between this emotional manipulation and the resistance of some men to the contemporary evangelical church. It smacks of emotional manipulation – quick, peppy songs to get you going and then slow songs to produce some tears.
But, we are to sing with the emotion commanded, not in order to produce the emotion. Music produces emotion, but we shouldn’t get the cart before the horse. We are to sing “with grace in our hearts to the Lord” (Col. 3:16), with “joy” (Psalm 95, 98, 100, etc.), and with “gladness” (2nd Chr. 29:30), but we don’t sing in order to feel that way. We sing and play for God and His glory, and by doing that, He gives us the other – joy, gladness, and grace for doing what He has commanded.
Excerpt from Sunday Mornings: An Introduction to Biblical Worship by Pastor Brian Phillips
For Part 1, visit here
Music is an integral part of worship and Scripture consistently commands us to sing to the Lord. It is a part of the life of the body. And, because singing and music are integral parts of worship, God has given us precepts and principles to follow for what we offer. As with every other detail of worship, God protects us from ourselves and gives us direction for what we should sing and how we should sing it.
Biblical Principles for Music
As sad as this may be, music is at the center of the “worship wars” in the evangelical church. When we boil all the debate down, we find that what people really get riled up about is music. And, because both traditionalists and “contemporary” music advocates are often guilty of relying upon personal preference, we should remember that all decisions about worship music must be based on biblical principle. So, here are some of the principles we must remember.
God determines what is acceptable. It is sad, but true, that discussions about worship music often never acknowledge this. We do not get to decide what God wants; He does. Our personal preferences, while near and dear to our hearts, don’t amount to much when it comes to what is acceptable for worship. The disregard of this principle is most clearly seen in how psalms are neglected. The overwhelming majority of churches do not sing psalms, despite the explicit commands throughout the Bible, in both Old and New Testaments. This is inexcusable.
Music teaches. What we sing and even what is played teaches us. The Psalms are a treasury of theological instruction. We can learn more about the character and actions of God from the Psalms than any other single book in the Bible. The hymns of the early church that we find in the New Testament are rich and valuable in what they teach us about Christ as well.
What we sing affects our understanding of God, ourselves, worship, and everything else. Music teaches us and we must, therefore, be intentional about what we select to sing. Every kind of music teaches something through its words, its notes and chords, and through its presentation. So, we must think through what we are being taught in each of those aspects - words, notes, and presentation.
Different music is appropriate at different times. David played the harp to calm Saul, the Jews (and all civilizations) have songs that tell their story, and children learn songs to help them learn. Music serves different purposes and not all of them are directly related to worship.
What you listen to in your car doesn’t have to be the same as what we sing in worship. In the same way, what we sing in worship you doesn’t have to be what you listen to in your car. This is a major part of the current music issues in the Church. People like a kind of music and so they expect the Church to respond by singing that kind of music. But, this misses the important discipline of propriety and appropriateness.
Music is not subjective. This is easily the most controversial of all the statements I will make on the subject. “Good music” is not ultimately determined by whether or not you or I “like” it. I am always amazed at how easily we retreat into subjectivism when something we “like” is challenged. It’s one thing to say that good art isn’t relative; it’s another thing to tell someone to take a painting down because it is quite ugly.
All forms of art, including music, have an objective beauty by which they are to be judged. Now, it is true that different styles of music are intended to accomplish different things, but they are still held to objective standards of beauty, complexity, and precision. Because this is true, we can say that the works of Leonardo da Vinci was better than Jackson Pollack’s; that Bach’s music was better than Schoenberg’s; that King David is better than Hillsong.
Let’s not be foolish enough to think that something is the best simply because we like it. We may not like admitting things like this, but perhaps we simply need to “man-up” and admit that our taste is not always as good as it should be. Liking something does not make it good in any objective or ultimately meaningful sense.
Excerpt from Sunday Mornings: An Introduction to Biblical Worship by Pastor Brian Phillips
In Colossians 3, Paul addresses the Colossians with practical instruction about what it means to live as the Church, as a congregation of believers. He tells them to “put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering” (v.12); to “bear with one another…forgive one another” as Christ forgave us (v. 13). Summing all of this up, Paul says believers must “put on love, which is the bond of perfection” (v. 14). Believers are to be ruled by the peace of God, be thankful, and to live as one body (v. 15).
The life of the body is expressed and found in what it values. So, in verse 16, Paul says that the body, the Church, is to love and value the Word and music. The Church is to let “the word of Christ dwell in (them) richly” (verse 16), resulting in rich “wisdom, teaching and admonishing.”
But how are members of the body to teach and admonish one another? We do that by “singing” (v. 16). Not all members of the body preach, not all lead, but all sing and, in singing, they admonish and teach the body. All of us know that music is a teacher, a very powerful teacher. We learn what we sing. We learn from the music used in our singing.
And, the last part of verse 16 tells us about what the body is to sing together – “psalms and hymns and spiritual songs…” Now, before we go into the specific terms used there, we should note that Paul is giving a command to the whole congregation. The pronouns “you” and “your” are plural pronouns and are referring to the whole congregation that received this letter. So the congregation, the collected body, is to sing “psalms and hymns and spiritual songs.” Three terms that are similar, but do refer to different kinds of songs.
First, Paul calls for the singing of “psalms.” This is a reference to the Old Testament Psalms, and Scripture everywhere commands the singing of Psalms (1st Chronicles 16:9; Psalms 33:2, 57:8, 71:22, 81:2, 92:3, 95:2, 105:2, 108:2, 144:9, 150:3; Ephesians 5:19; James 5:13; many verses in 1st & 2nd Chronicles, Nehemiah 12:27; 2nd Samuel 6:5; 1st Kings 10:12).
The Bible commands the singing of Psalms. This is why the Westminster Confession of Faith says, “The singing of psalms with grace in the heart (is a part) of the ordinary religious worship of God” (XXI.5). There are numerous arrangements of the Psalms, compiled in a variety of forms throughout the ages. It’s not an option, but it is a privilege to sing God’s Word, His Psalms, back to Him.
Next, Paul says we are to sing “hymns.” Hymns are simply songs of praise to God. There are sections of the New Testament that are actually believed to be early hymns – Philippians 2:6-11, Colossians 1:15-20, Ephesians 5:14, and 1st Timothy 3:16 are among them. Upon reading through all of those passages, what stands out most starkly is the deep doctrinal emphasis. They added these “hymns” to the Psalms because they taught specifically about Christ. The hymns offered in worship ought also to be doctrinally rich and pure. The great church hymns have never been “fluff” songs designed merely to evoke emotional responses. They taught biblical truth through music, a wonderful tool for worship and memory.
Finally, Paul mentions “spiritual songs.” Now, some of our brethren have insisted that this refers to songs that the Holy Spirit inspires you to sing directly – your own personal theme music from God! But, the word “spiritual” here literally means “non-carnal” or regenerate. In other words, “spiritual songs” are songs that are appropriate for worship and it is intentionally a general term. Because of the general nature of the term, a decent case for concluding that songs like the doxologies, the Gloria Patri, and perhaps instrumentals are covered here. These spiritual songs, however, were congregational in nature, included under the commands given to the Colossian church.
Music is an integral part of worship and Scripture consistently commands us to sing to the Lord. It is a part of the life of the body. And, because singing and music are integral parts of worship, God has given us precepts and principles to follow for what we offer. As with every other detail of worship, God protects us from ourselves and gives us direction for what we should sing and how we should sing it.
by Pastor Brian Phillips
Originally delivered as an exhortation during worship at Holy Trinity
In his book of essays called What’s Wrong with the World, G.K. Chesterton wrote that “The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting; it has been found difficult and left untried.” In other words, people largely reject Christianity, not because it falls short of philosophical or logical analysis, but because it is hard and people don’t want to do what it requires of them.
The epistle reading and the Gospel readings for today share similar ideas. In Romans 12, the Apostle Paul calls us to “present our bodies as living sacrifices” to God, to lay ourselves down and die, to put our own will aside, be transformed in our minds so that we may discern and do the “will of God.” As Christians, we are to be living dead things – alive to God, dead to self, obedient to God’s will, dead to our own will. To fallen man, none of that makes sense.
In the Gospel reading, from Matthew 16, Jesus plainly tells the disciples that He was going to go to Jerusalem “and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised” (v. 21). Peter rebuked Jesus, saying, “’Far be it from you, Lord! This shall never happen to you.’ But he turned and said to Peter, ‘Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.’”
The disciples couldn’t comprehend it because they were thinking like men. And in the rest of the Gospel reading, Jesus goes on to give even more examples of the vast difference between the thoughts and ways of man and the thoughts and ways of God. Jesus says, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it” (vv. 24-25).
Christ calls us to a different way of living, a different way of thinking, a different set of priorities. As we confess our sins today, may the Holy Spirit show us those areas in which we have been thinking like mere men instead of new men.
by Pastor Brian Phillips
Originally delivered as an exhortation during worship at Holy Trinity
Jonah 2:1-10 & Matthew 14:22-33
There is a fascinating intersection between today’s Old Testament reading from Jonah 2 and the Gospel reading from Matthew 14. In Jonah 2, the prophet has run away, having refused to go and preach to the city of Nineveh because he wants them to be judged. In order to get away from the Creator of land and sea, Jonah gets on a boat (sin makes us foolish). God sent a storm and Jonah ended up in the sea, then in the belly of a great fish which the Lord had also sent to swallow up Jonah (1:17). Chapter 2 is Jonah’s prayer from the belly of the fish, which ends with the words, “Salvation belongs to the Lord!” (2:9).
In Matthew 14, the disciples get into a boat to cross the Sea of Galilee while Jesus dismisses the crowds and goes up to the mountain to pray alone. Sometime between 3am-6am, a terrible storm ravages the sea. And it is in that storm that Jesus walks out to the disciples on the water. At first, the disciples are frightened, but Jesus reveals Himself.
“And Peter answered him, ‘Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.’ He said, ‘Come.’ So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, ‘Lord, save me.’ Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, ‘O you of little faith, why did you doubt?’ And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased.”
Unlike Jonah, Peter steps out in obedience to the Lord. His problem comes when he takes his eyes off Jesus and starts to pay more attention to the storm. But, also like Jonah, Peter’s story ends with salvation. He cries out, as he is sinking, “Lord, save me,” and Jesus does. He pulls Peter up from the waves and, when they get into the boat, the wind stops.
Have you ever wondered why Jesus didn’t stop the wind and waves earlier? Why not when Peter walked out on the water? The same reason the Lord brought about the storm that landed Jonah in the water. The same reason the fish was prepared by the Lord to swallow Jonah up. That is, the Lord used the storm to teach both of these men what they needed to learn – Jonah and Peter both needed to remember that the Lord is God.
It is true that Jonah’s problem was rebellious disobedience, and Peter’s was fear and lack of faith, but in both cases, the Lord taught them through storms. Storms are great teachers. What is the Lord teaching you through the storms? Let us confess our sins…
Originally posted for The CiRCE Institute in 2021. Reprinted with permission.
Boys are not quite right.
“Normal” boys do inexplicable things – from swinging on vines over dry, rocky creek beds to sword-fighting with trees. When he was only 4, my nephew would crouch into a three-point stance, say “hut-hut” and charge into furniture and walls while pretending to play football. My son, Ian, and his friend, Jaxson, make a game of running into one another to see which one falls; each round punctuated by thunderous laughter. Only on occasion do we waste our breath with a call to “be careful, boys!” or “watch that table!”
Recently, I heard the story of a little boy who passed out in line at school because he was trying to win a game of “who can hold his breath longest?” When his mother was notified, she softly replied, “Well, I guess he won.”
To many of us, such stories fit our description of what boys are and do. Boys are often naturally aggressive and physical; delighting in things that confuse girls and scare moms. There are still many parents and teachers who resist the pull of modern “helicopter” parenting.
Sadly, however, much of the world appears to have lined up against boys. Physical activity and contact sports are labeled too “dangerous” or “violent” and, in some extreme cases, boyhood behavior has been criminalized. A 6-year-old California boy was accused of “inappropriate touching” of another student because they were playing tag. Another boy in Texas was arrested and ordered to appear in court for throwing paper airplanes in class. Louisa May Alcott observed that freedom is the “sauce best loved by the boyish soul.”
So, what happens to a boy’s soul when the world is wrapped in Nerf foam? What happens to a boy’s soul when playgrounds are made too “safe” to be any fun? What happens to a boy’s soul when outlets for their natural aggression are ruled “off limits” or “inappropriate”?
While some boys fall to effeminacy, many others stray into harmful outlets – violent video games, actual violence, and false masculinity. The use of such harmful outlets further perpetuates the idea that “masculinity” is dangerous, resulting in a greater push to restrict boyhood, even in its good forms. The vicious cycle continues, and the boyish soul is caught in the middle. Boys are left, to quote Wodehouse, disgruntled or at least “far from being gruntled.”
It seems to me that we have forgotten how to make distinctions – healthy aggression from violence, real safety from hovering. Boys can be naturally aggressive and they must be allowed to demonstrate it in appropriate ways – running, climbing, falling, getting muddy, and playing rough games. When they are encouraged to do so, the likelihood of them turning violent slims considerably. They learn how to be rough and aggressive, but they are also learning how to distinguish that from actual violence. Brett McKay, founder of the popular Art of Manliness site, wrote:
“The problem is that research actually shows the opposite outcome: children who engage in frequent roughhousing are almost always more socially and emotionally adept than kids who don’t. Dr. Stuart Brown, an expert on play (Yeah, you can be an expert on play. Who knew?) says that the ‘lack of experience with rough-and-tumble play hampers the normal give-and-take necessary for social mastery and has been linked with poor control of violent impulses later in life’…
“Roughhousing builds social intelligence in several ways. First, when kids roughhouse they learn to tell the difference between play and actual aggression. Dr. Pellegrini found in a survey among school-aged children that the ones who could tell the difference between play and real aggression were more well-liked compared to kids who had a hard time separating the two. The kids who mistook play for aggression often ended up returning their classmates good-natured overtures with a real punch in the kisser. The ability to differentiate between play and aggression translates into other social skills that require people to read and interpret social cues.”
So, allow me to end this trilogy of articles with a few of suggestions and principles.
Let boys be rough, but instruct and guide them in chivalry and gentleness. If they are to grow into men, they must learn to do both.
Learn to distinguish between legitimate safety issues and “nannying.” There is a vast difference between playing tackle football (where a boy could bump his head) and sticking a paper clip in an outlet (where a boy could be electrocuted).
Encourage boyhood. Get them outside. Let them play with toy swords and guns. For goodness’ sake, let them fall down, and don’t hyperventilate when they do so. Teach them to see the skinned knee as a badge of honor.
Originally posted for The CiRCE Institute in 2021. Reprinted with permission.
“Of all the animals, the boy is the most unmanageable.” – Plato
For the third time that day, William slowly walked down the long stone hallway, past the statue of Michael the archangel, to the principal’s office. After two bouts of “horseplay” ended with a good talking to and one paddling, he dared to pull Emily’s pigtails. Now, as we all knew, the funeral dirge had begun. His father would be called and William would soon wish for the comparative gentleness of the principal’s paddle. Even Mrs. Walters, our fifth grade teacher, and little Emily seemed to empathize.
After eternity passed, William returned, still sniffling slightly – spirit intact, but will submissive. He was strangely angelic for the remainder of the day.
Fast forward a couple of decades. The wind leaves my lungs and my back pain is sharp, but I blame myself. You never turn your back on the ocean or little boys at play. I was the dragon and Ian was the “brave knight.” Having saved the princess (his sister, Temperance) and cut off my head, I assumed his mission complete. I assumed wrongly and, coming around to confirm the dragon’s death, he plowed knees-first onto my back. Despite my soreness, which I am ashamed to admit followed me to the next morning, I would have it no other way.
Plato was right. Boys are quite “unmanageable.” In fact, many of the symptoms of boyhood match those of ADHD. And, sadly, both are treated as equally undesirable conditions. Extreme feminism and the egalitarianism of our day make easy scapegoats, and perhaps they deserve the lion’s share (lioness’s?) of the blame for the war on boyhood, but they are far from the only culprits.
In fact, it could be argued that, were it not for the machismo that also saturates our society, the extreme feminist and egalitarian movements would have little to work with. As always, it is difficult to tell which came first, the stereotype or those who live it out; but the macho “thug” has done great harm to true masculinity.
The thug responds to everything in violence and anger. Known for his skills in scratching, grunting, and cursing, the thug tests his manhood primarily through fighting and sexual exploits. Any challenge is perceived as a challenge to his masculinity.
A thug possesses only selective skills of manhood and even those are used for terrible ends. For example, a thug may carry a gun, but he does so to intimidate rather than defend. He fights to show he’s “tough”, not because he seeks to protect the weak. He may even hunt, but he does so to kill “trophies”, not to provide food or enjoy and preserve creation. He treats women in much the same way, merely as objects, because he knows nothing of chivalry.
He also knows nothing of protection, nothing of honor, and (most of all) nothing of self-control. Machismo, as with all counterfeits, bears only the initial appearance of manhood, while lacking all the reality.
Theodore Roosevelt, truly a man’s man, once said, “I want to see you game, boys, I want to see you brave and manly, and I also want to see you gentle and tender.” Machismo loses both. While ignoring gentleness and tenderness, they create a perverted masculinity that is nothing more than thinly veiled weakness.
True manhood arises from true boyhood which means that, if we desire our boys to be true men, we must disciple them away from both effeminization and false masculinity. The answer is not simply allowing them to be rough, get dirty, and play with toy guns. That is a start, but it must be coupled with instruction in chivalry, gentleness, and kindness. Read to them tales of such heroes and teach them simple skills of gentlemanliness – opening doors, pulling out chairs, using respectful titles for adults, and treating his sister(s) with consideration. These are not the “end,” but they are valuable steps.
Treat your boys as squires that they may become knights.
To be continued…
Originally posted for The CiRCE Institute in 2021. Reprinted with permission.
By Brian Phillips
I lay on my back, starring at the sky with my feet above me on the hill. My bike flew overhead - that much I knew - but where it landed was a mystery. The ditch crept up on me, as tends to happen on unfamiliar roads, while I was trying my best to keep up with my friend Michael. He knew the curve like the back of his hand, but I approached it way too fast and hit the embankment, flipped over my handlebars, and landed with a considerable thud.
All of this happened in a flash, but I remember it in slow-motion. Michael, at first unaware of my “encounter” with the ditch, finally made his way to me on the hill, where I still lay somewhat motionless.
“Brian, are you alright?”
A smile crept over my face and I laughed. With my bike retrieved, off we went to the pool, as planned, with nothing more than temporary battle scars to show and war stories to tell.
My neighborhood friends and I never had to be dragged out of the house or sent outside to play. Sometimes, we amused ourselves with bicycle jousting – a simple tournament involving football helmets or catcher’s masks, wiffle ball bats or wooden boards, and our bikes. The rest, I assume, you can figure. Or, we would go to the creek that ran through our neighborhood and “fish” for crawdads with our fingers. Not too bright, but still loads of fun. BB gun wars broke out sporadically as well, with a firm one-pump rule in place, mind you. We wore goggles or glasses every time we didn’t forget.
When our parents found out, peace came to the land with a permanent treaty in place. The great BB gun wars ceased, but we were all permitted to keep our arms, our dignity, and the camaraderie of our band of 10-year-old brothers.
We were boys. We were allowed and encouraged to be boys. And, we survived it. Where I veered into dangerous territory (see BB gun wars above), I was corrected, but never emasculated. My collection of pocketknives grew by the year and, rather than being told to “put them away somewhere,” I was taught how to care for them, sharpen them, and use them in a way that preserved all my digits. I was taught how to build a fire, how to shoot, how to use a bow and arrow, and how to be safe and responsible. I was guided on hunting, fishing, camping, hiking, and whitewater rafting trips; instructed every step of the way.
But, I was also taught to be a gentleman and to love learning, reading, and study. In other words, my boyhood was mentored and nurtured into manhood. My exuberance, energy, and daring were not squashed; they were blended with responsibility, self-control, and chivalry. I dare not claim mastery of those lessons; I remain an imperfect student. But, I recognize now that I was granted what so few are now allowed to have: boyhood.
Plato said, “Of all the animals, the boy is the most unmanageable.” But rather than training our boys to be men – a discipleship task requiring both time and great effort – our culture refuses to let them be boys. And in doing so we do not make “safer” or “kinder” boys; we only ensure that we will eventually have no men. We chop down the saplings and mourn the loss of trees.
While I plan to continue this topic, allow me to leave you with a few questions to ponder…
What is the difference between masculinity and machismo?
What role do fathers play in raising boys to be men? Mothers? Teachers?
How can parents learn to balance legitimate safety concerns while encouraging boys to be boys?
A throwback post from an exhortation by Pastor Brian Phillips
1st John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” There are some promises in Scripture that become so familiar, some verses that become so comfortable, that we forget just how truly astounding they are. If we “confess” our sins to God, He is faithful and just to forgive us? To us, that sometimes seems too easy. Isn’t there something else we must do?
Yet, there it is. A promise.
My children have taught me just how true this is. I can’t speak for your house, but in our house, we have sinners living there. So, rarely does a day go by when one of us does not have to ask forgiveness for something we have done. I am impatient, or inattentive, or short, or I raise my voice – and I have to ask my children or my wife to forgive me.
Mind you, my children have been raised up hearing this verse – 1st John 1:9 – recited to them nearly every time they get “reminders” for some wrong they have done. And those same children, when wronged by me, and I ask their forgiveness, reply, “Of course I forgive you.” Without fail.
Their forgiveness to me is so sure, so faithful, that it has taught me greater trust in God’s forgiveness. If my own children can offer forgiveness so freely, how much more does God forgive me when I confess my sins to Him? Still further, if my children can forgive me so quickly and freely, and if a perfectly holy God can forgive my sins so faithfully, how could I dare withhold forgiveness from those wrong me?
Let us be like little children, who are wise enough to trust and live out the promises of God. Let us forgive and seek forgiveness as they do.
Let us confess our sins to the Lord…
From an exhortation delivered by Pastor Brian Phillips at Holy Trinity Church.
Jeremiah 29 contains a letter written from the prophet Jeremiah to the exiles in Babylon. God allowed His people to be taken into captivity and then told Jeremiah to write instructions to the exiles, offering them instruction and encouragement.
What would you want to hear if you were one of those exiles? I would want news of deliverance; the promise of judgment on our captors; news of help to come. Jeremiah says something far different.
“Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat their produce. Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons, and give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there, and do not decrease. But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.”
In other words, bloom where you are planted. They were in exile, and even that was in God’s plans and hands.
We find ourselves, somewhat, in similar circumstances. As God’s people, we are (culturally) living in a pagan land. So, what counsel does God’s Word give us? Do the next right thing. Obey where you are. Live faithfully where you are. Love the place you are in. Love your people. Get married. Have babies. Teach them to love and serve the Lord. Pray for your people, and your land, for their well-being and blessing.
So, go back to basics. Be faithful to your spouse. Love them. Love your children. Do not raise them in fear, but prepare them for life, marriage, and parenthood. NEVER say, “I wouldn’t want to raise kids in this kind of world.” Love your place – your house, neighbors, neighborhood, town, and so on. Pray and seek the welfare of your land, even if it is in exile.
An exhortation delivery by Pastor Brian Phillips during worship on Sunday, July 21st, 2024.
“The apostles returned to Jesus and told him all that they had done and taught. And he said to them, ‘Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while.’ For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. And they went away in the boat to a desolate place by themselves. Now many saw them going and recognized them, and they ran there on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them.”
- Mark 6:30-33
The setting of this text is important (as always). The disciples had been sent out by Jesus earlier in this chapter and they went to teach, cast out demons, and heal the sick. Now, they come back and they tell Jesus “all that they had done and taught.” And Jesus tells them that their great need is rest – “Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while.”
The needs of others, the demands on the disciples’ time and energy were so great that they did not even have “leisure to eat.”
“When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. And he began to teach them many things. And when it grew late, his disciples came to him and said, ‘This is a desolate place, and the hour is now late. Send them away to go into the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat.’ But he answered them, ‘You give them something to eat.’ And they said to him, ‘Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread and give it to them to eat?’ And he said to them, ‘How many loaves do you have? Go and see.’ And when they had found out, they said, ‘Five, and two fish.’ Then he commanded them all to sit down in groups on the green grass. So they sat down in groups, by hundreds and by fifties. And taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven and said a blessing and broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples to set before the people. And he divided the two fish among them all. And they all ate and were satisfied. And they took up twelve baskets full of broken pieces and of the fish. And those who ate the loaves were five thousand men.”
- Mark 6:34-44
As we see in this part of the passage, the needs and demands did not go away. They were all still waiting, still in need, still in demand. After Jesus teaches them, the needs still don’t go away; they just change. Now the people need physical food. Jesus asks the disciples what they are going to do. What are you going to do for them? What do you have to give? Can you take care of them? The answer is a resounding, “We don’t have enough.” So, as we know, Jesus takes what they have and multiplies it. It becomes more than enough.
We normally think of this passage as an example of the miraculous things Christ can do and a reminder of what we cannot do. That is true, of course, but there is another lesson here that deserves attention. Jesus received the disciples back after their work and gave them rest. And when the needs pressed in on them again, and the disciples did not have enough to give, Jesus took what little they had, blessed it, and multiplied it. So the passage does highlight the miraculous works of Christ, but it also highlights the goodness of our limitations.
The limitations of the disciples were precisely the space in which Christ’s sufficiency was made known. You cannot do everything. You cannot be everything. You cannot give everyone what they want and/or need. You need rest. You need peace, quiet, and time.
But even rest will not make you enough. To every exhausted mom, overworked dad, anxious teenager, searching young man, I say (in contradiction of our foolish cultural mottos) “You are not enough” – not enough for your calling, for your work, for your spouse or children, for your future spouse and children. You are not enough, but you are not supposed to be.
Our anxiety accomplishes nothing. Our failure to rest accomplishes nothing. Do your duty. Give what you have to Christ. Rest in Him. And He will multiply it to be more than enough. Let us confess our sins...
From the very beginning, God has ordered our days. In the Creation week, He made the sun to rule the day and the moon to rule the night. He rested on the seventh day, giving us a pattern of work and rest to follow in our own lives. Our calendars have, however, become far more numerous and complicated - work calendars, family calendars, and school calendars now direct how we spend our time. Sadly, the Church calendar is rarely the one setting the rhythm of life, even for Christians.
Yet, the Church calendar, with its repetition of fasting and feasting, prepares us and trains us for every season of life – times of suffering (fasting) and times of rejoicing (feasting). It also reminds us that the center of life is Jesus.
One important, but often overlooked (at least by many evangelicals) Church feast is Ascension. Christ ascended into heaven forty days after His resurrection, after appearing to His disciples multiple times. It is significant to note that the Easter season is not one Sunday. Rather, it is a forty-day feast that begins on Easter Sunday and continues through Ascension. There is a day of Easter feasting for every day of Lenten fasting…plus some. Easter’s forty days lead to the feasts of Ascension and Pentecost (ten days after Ascension).
Shortly before Jesus ascended into heaven, the disciples asked Him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” The power they would receive, however, was not political. Jesus answered, “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8). The word “witnesses” is the Greek term for martyr. Rather than earthly, political power, the disciples would be given the power to lay down their lives for Christ.
Through His ascension, Christ is seen as the substance of Old Testament shadows. The accounts of Acts and the Gospel of John give us two specific examples.
Christ’s Ascension & the Ark of the Covenant
“And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, and said, ‘Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven’” (Acts 1:9-11).
When Christ rose from the grave, He first appeared to Mary Magdalene, who returned to the empty tomb after Peter and John had departed. She wept outside the tomb, then stooped to look inside. “And she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet” (John 20:12). The empty tomb is the new Holy of Holies, and place where the body of Jesus had lain is the new Mercy Seat. The angels sat on either side of the tomb because the empty tomb is the true Ark of the Covenant (with angels on either side). Additionally, when Peter and John arrived at the tomb, even though John was the first to arrive, he makes sure we know that Peter was the first to enter the tomb (John 20:4). This is significant because Peter was the High Priest who would deliver the sermon at Pentecost and call the crowds to repent and be baptized. He had to enter the Holy of Holies.
Now, back in Acts 1, as Jesus ascends and the Holy Spirit is to be sent, all the disciples are gathered and, while they stand there looking for Jesus (like Peter and John did), two angels stand by them. The disciples are high priests now, and they are going to minister in the true Holy of Holies – proclaiming the empty tomb and continuing the work of Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit. They can enter the Holy of Holies because Christ tore the veil, that is His flesh, and opened the Holiest Place through His resurrection.
Christ’s Ascension & Elijah
In 2nd Kings 2, Elijah and his apprentice, Elisha, are walking together and, as they arrive at the Jordan River, Elijah takes off his cloak, rolls it up, strikes the water, and the water was parted so they could walk over on dry ground. This should remind us of Moses and the Red Sea, as well as Joshua and the Jordan River (Joshua 3:16).
“When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, ‘Ask what I shall do for you, before I am taken from you.’ And Elisha said, ‘Please let there be a double portion of your spirit on me.’ And he said, ‘You have asked a hard thing; yet, if you see me as I am being taken from you, it shall be so for you, but if you do not see me, it shall not be so.’ And as they still went on and talked, behold, chariots of fire and horses of fire separated the two of them. And Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. And Elisha saw it and he cried, ‘My father, my father! The chariots of Israel and its horsemen!’ And he saw him no more” (2nd Kings 2:9-13).
Elijah is about to be taken up into heaven, and Elisha asks for a double portion of his spirit to come upon him, so he can continue the work of Elijah once Elijah is in heaven. This was not selfishness on Elisha’s part. By asking for a “double portion,” he was not being greedy. He was being humble. Elisha knew that, in order for him to carry on the work of Elijah, he would need a double portion. In the same way, as Jesus prepared to ascend into heaven, He does not leave His disciples helpless or powerless. He leaves them the Holy Spirit to continue to empower them to continue His work. And, just as Elijah went up into heaven with the flaming chariots, so the Holy Spirit would descend as tongues of fire at Pentecost.
When Elijah ascends into heaven, his spirit is given to Elisha and, 2nd Kings 2:13-14 say, “Then he took hold of his own clothes and tore them in two pieces. And he took up the cloak of Elijah that had fallen from him and went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan. Then he took the cloak of Elijah that had fallen from him and struck the water, saying, ‘Where is the Lord, the God of Elijah?’ And when he had struck the water, the water was parted to the one side and to the other, and Elisha went over.” Elisha is able to do what Elijah had done.
In the same way, the Holy Spirit is given to the disciples and to the Church to continue doing what Jesus did – lay down His life for those the Father had given Him. We are called to do the same where God has put us, in the time He has given us, for the people He has given us – for our spouse, our children, our neighbors.
And as we labor on, laying our lives down for the Lord and others, the ascended Christ who sits at the right hand of the Father intercedes for us.
By Brian Phillips
Excerpt from the sermon on April 23rd, 2017 (Second Sunday of Easter)
Also posted by The CiRCE Institute
In John 20, Mary Magdalene goes to Jesus’ tomb twice. The first time, she goes to anoint the body of Jesus (Mark 16:1), only to find the stone rolled back. Assuming that the enemies of Jesus had moved the body as one last insult, Mary ran to find the disciples, bringing Peter and John back with her.
Peter and John ran to the tomb, John arriving first, and there is something to this beyond St. John just wanting to point out his blazing speed. Remember the last time Peter had seen Jesus? It was after denying he even knew Jesus. Upon the third denial, Luke 22:61 says, “And the Lord turned and looked at Peter.” Perhaps those eyes slowed Peter’s feet?
The disciples both entered the tomb and found the folded grave clothes. They believed Mary’s report, but did not yet understand that Jesus had risen, so they went home. Mary, however, went back to the tomb. She “saw Jesus standing, but she did not know it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?’ Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, ‘Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away’” (John 20:14-15).
Mary assumed Jesus was the gardener because He had been buried in a garden. John 19:41-42 says, “Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid. So because of the Jewish day of Preparation, since the tomb was close at hand, they laid Jesus there.” Jesus was crucified, died, and rose again in a garden.
Jesus was also betrayed in a garden. John 18 tells us that Judas betrayed Jesus “across the Kidron Valley, where there was a garden” – the Garden of Gethsemane. Later, in the same chapter, Peter denies that he had been with Jesus “in the garden” (John 18:26).
Gardens have particular significance in Scripture. Genesis 2:8 begins, “And the Lord God planted a garden in Eden, in the east, and there he put the man whom he had formed. And out of the ground the Lord God made to spring up every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. A river flowed out of Eden to water the garden, and there it divided and became four rivers…The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it. And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, ‘You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.’”
Adam was given two sets of tasks. As the king over creation, Adam was to subdue and have dominion, bringing the creation into order for the glory and pleasure of God (by naming the animals, for example). As a priest, Adam was to “work” and “keep” the Garden – both words used for priestly service. It was in the Garden that Adam met with God. In other words, the Garden of Eden was a temple, a house of meeting and worship.
But, Adam failed in both his kingly and priestly duties. He failed to keep the Garden, allowing the Tempter to come in, to deceive his wife, and to take part in that deception as well. Rather than working and keeping the Garden, he submitted himself to the Garden’s one forbidden fruit. Rather than serving the God of that temple, he contented himself with the fruit (much like the Pharisees and money-changers who preferred the physical Temple in Jerusalem to Christ the Temple who dwelt among them).
Because Adam failed, he was exiled from the Garden, removed from the temple. In 3:23 – “therefore the Lord God sent him out from the garden of Eden to work the ground from which he was taken. He drove out the man, and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the cherubim and a flaming sword that turned every way to guard the way to the tree of life.” Man could not enter that garden temple again. But, then Christ came. He alone could enter the garden temple, because He was the garden temple.
Adam betrayed God in the Garden, he was sentenced to death in the Garden, he was separated from God in the Garden, and then exiled from the Garden. Jesus was betrayed in a garden, killed in a garden, buried in a garden, but He rose again and left the garden – not in exile as Adam did, but in the triumph of resurrection. The first Adam lost the Garden, but the second Adam kept it and took dominion over it, a faithful King and High Priest.
Almighty God, we pray you graciously to behold this your family, for whom our Lord Jesus Christ was willing to be betrayed, and given into the hands of sinners, and to suffer death upon the cross; who now lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
- Book of Common Prayer, Collect for Good Friday
Join us for worship this Holy Week. In addition to our weekly worship service on Palm Sunday (3/29 at 11:00am), we will also hold services on Maundy Thursday and Good Friday.
When: Maundy Thursday (4/2) and Good Friday (4/3), both at 7:00 p.m.
Where: Holy Trinity Reformed Church
3747 Trinity Church Road
Concord, NC 28027
Reflections on Palm Sunday, Holy Week, & Eternal Rest
Also posted for The CiRCE Institute
By Brian Phillips
Just a few days from now, the Church will celebrate Palm Sunday, the commemoration of Jesus’ Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem, and the beginning of Holy Week – the final days of Christ on earth before His crucifixion. The event is recorded in all four Gospels – Matthew 21:1-11, Mark 11:1-10, Luke 19:29-38, and John 12:12-15 – and the event shares connections and echoes with several other passages as well.
Here is the Triumphal Entry as recorded in Matthew’s Gospel:
Now when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage, to the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, “Go into the village in front of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord needs them,’ and he will send them at once.” This took place to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet, saying, “Say to the daughter of Zion, ‘Behold, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.’”
The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them. They brought the donkey and the colt and put on them their cloaks, and he sat on them. Most of the crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. And the crowds that went before him and that followed him were shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” And when he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred up, saying, “Who is this?” And the crowds said, “This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth of Galilee.”
Mark tells us that the owners asked the disciples just what they were doing with the donkey and colt. Mark 11:5-6 say, “And some of those standing there said to them, ‘What are you doing, untying the colt?’ And they told them what Jesus had said, and they let them go.” This is similar to the response the soldiers gave in John 18. Jesus was about to be arrested, and in order to stop it, Peter tried to kill the high priest’s servant (it seems more likely that Malchus would duck than that Peter would aim for an ear). Yet, even after Peter’s attack, when Jesus told the soldiers to let His disciples go, they did (John 18:8). These are tremendous displays of Christ’s sovereign control over the circumstances.
As Jesus and the disciples prepared to enter Jerusalem for the celebration of Passover, they came near Bethphage (a town not mentioned in any other context) to find a donkey and a colt (which had not been ridden by any other man – Mark 11:2, Luke 19:30).
The disciples spread their cloaks or outer coats over the back of the colt and Jesus rides into Jerusalem as the humble King (Zechariah 9:9). The crowds responded by spreading their cloaks along the road in front of Jesus, while others cut down palm branches and spread them out on the road as well.
These two items – cloaks and palm branches – carry significance. Spreading garments out for someone to walk on was more than an act of chivalry (i.e., spreading your coat over puddle so a lady does not soil her feet). It is connected with Christ’s Triumphal Entry in that it is a show of deference and honor, but spreading garments out before someone was an act of submission paid to royalty.
The only other time this is done in Scripture (that I could find) is in 2nd Kings 9:13 – “Then in haste every man of them took his garment and put it under him on the bare steps, and they blew the trumpet and proclaimed, ‘Jehu is king.’” And, while we initially think of Jehu as a particularly violent king, we dare not miss that it was he who destroyed Jezebel – the wife of Ahab who led Israel astray and tried to kill Elijah. Was not Christ riding into Jerusalem to do the same?
The people also cut down branches to lay before Jesus. Only John specifies that these were “palm branches” (John 12:13), which is interesting given what he writes in Revelation 7:9-10 (a book which I increasingly think was greatly connected with his gospel) – “After this I looked and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, ‘Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!’”
John portrays the Triumphal Entry in Jerusalem as a picture of what happens in the heavenly Jerusalem – with multitudes, palm branches, and shouts to the Lord.
But, the palm branches also call us back to the Feast of Booths – a feast designated to remind Israel of God’s guidance out of Egypt. And, in every observance of the Feast of Booths, the people would “take on the first day the fruit of splendid trees, branches of palm trees and boughs of leafy trees and willows of the brook, and you shall rejoice before the Lord your God seven days” (Leviticus 23:40).
At the Triumphal Entry, Christ was celebrated as the one who would bring His people out of the captivity and slavery of sin (the spiritual Egypt, if you will). Jesus was welcomed by the same sign of palm branches and shouts of rejoicing, and a new Feast of Booths was initiated. This new Feast of Booths also lasted seven days.
Remember that the Jews counted part of a day as a whole. This is why Christ was crucified on Good Friday, rose again on Sunday, yet it is regarded as three days. The new Feast of Booths lasted seven days, from the Triumphal Entry to Saturday – the day after Good Friday. But, what happened on the Eighth Day? In the Feast of Booths, “the eighth day shall be a solemn rest” (Leviticus 23:39). In the new Feast of Booths, Christ rose from the grave, securing eternal rest for His people.
By Pastor Brian Phillips
“O Lord, grant me to greet the coming day in peace. Help me in all things to rely upon Your holy will. In every hour of the day reveal Your will to me. Bless my dealings with all who surround me. Teach me to treat all that comes to me throughout the day with peace of soul, and with the firm conviction that Your will governs all. In all my deeds and words guide my thoughts and feelings. In unforeseen events let me not forget that all are sent by You. Teach me to act firmly and wisely, without embittering or embarrassing others. Give me strength to bear the fatigue of this coming day with all that it will bring. Direct my will, teach me to pray, pray You Yourself in me. Amen.”
Notice the line – “teach me to pray, and pray You Yourself in me. Amen.” The prayer, which is a morning prayer from St. Philaret of Moscow, ends with the desire for more prayer, and the request that the Lord would continue teaching us in the art of prayer, that the Lord would pray in us when we do not know what to say or what to ask for.
The disciples, in Luke’s Gospel, echo this desire, saying, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.” And, in answer to that request, Jesus said, “Pray then like this: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.’”
We sing this prayer every Lord’s Day in the liturgy, not because the elders thought it’d be a “nice touch” but because, in it, we have the whole of prayer. In this short prayer, Jesus models for us worship, submission, trust, petition, and confession.
Jesus begins, “Pray then like this: ‘Our Father in heaven…” These opening words, so familiar that we can easily pass them by without much thought, were the subject of great consideration by the Church fathers. Tertullian wrote, “By saying ‘our Father who art in heaven’ we are both adoring God and expressing our faith.” He also noted that “To address God as Father is the privilege of belief in the Son.” That is, prayer of the type Jesus is describing is the special privilege of Christians – not all “prayer” is created equal.
John calls us back to this incredible idea in 1st John 3:1 – “See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God!” We have received “adoption as sons…And because (we) are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, ‘Abba! Father!’” We approach the Lord with reverence, certainly, but also with the joy of a child calling out to his loving Father. There is closeness here, intimacy, affection.
St. Augustine, in commenting on this part of the prayer, said, “Do not think of heaven in simplistic spatial metaphors, as if the birds are nearer to God than we. It is not written that ‘the Lord is closer to tall people.’” Now, Augustine was ministering to those who once held the old Greco-Roman beliefs that the birds were the messengers of the gods because they were nearer to the gods. So, he is trying to rid them of that idea; but it applies to us as well. When we pray, “Our Father who art in heaven,” we must not have the idea that there is a vast expanse between us and the Lord. As the Children’s Catechism teaches: “Where is God? He is everywhere.”
So, we have the honor of praying, “Our Father who art in heaven,” and we continue – “hallowed be your name” or “holy be your name.” Another Church father, Cyprian, made an excellent observation here, saying, “God who is incomparably holy is not made holy by our prayer; rather, we pray that his holy name may daily be made holy in us.” Another way of saying this is “may Your name be kept holy.” We are praying that we, and those around us, would treat the Lord with reverence.
Now, notice how these two complement one another – we call upon Him as His children, yet we do so while keeping His name holy. There is love and reverence, affection and fear.
Jesus continues, telling us to pray, “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” This prayer of submission to the Father foreshadowed and now echoes the prayer of Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane when, even looking ahead to the cross, Jesus submitted Himself to the will of the Father. In heaven, God’s will is done perfectly, continually; just as we pray it will be done here.
We pray, “Give us this day our daily bread” a request loaded with meaning. We are, of course, praying for God’s daily provision for our physical needs; that He would provide us with food. But, in that, we are offering a prayer against worry and anxiety. In fact, the phrase could very easily be translated as “give us our bread for tomorrow.” In other words, it is not our job to worry with the things of tomorrow – our days are in the Lord’s hands (read 6:31-34).
But, there is more to this request than simply asking for bread. Notice that Jesus connects this request for daily bread with “and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.” Now, we will come back to this idea next week when we look at verses 14-15, where Jesus obviously returns to the subject of forgiveness and prayer, but for now let’s note one thing. When Jesus tells us to pray for our “daily bread” and then connects it with forgiveness, He is speaking beyond mere physical bread or the meeting of physical needs. It seems to me that He is teaching us to pray for grace, mercy, and forgiveness ourselves – we are praying for the Bread of Life, not just physical bread. In John 6:51 Jesus said, “I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”
Finally, Jesus tells us to pray, “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil” (or from the evil one). Having prayed that our debts or trespasses would be forgiven, we now pray for God’s help in resisting them in the future. Martin Luther noted – “The devil who besets us is not lazy or careless, and our flesh is too ready and eager to sin and is disinclined to the spirit of prayer.” So, we pray for God’s help to resist temptation, to resist the evil one, and that the Lord would lead us away from temptation to begin with, an acknowledgement of our weakness and our need for God’s strength and grace.
by Pastor Brian Phillips
Jesus’ first explicit mention of prayer in the Sermon on the Mount is in 5:44-45a – “But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven.” Other, less direct instruction in prayer is found in 5:24 and 6:25-34 (particularly when coupled with Philippians 4:6-7), but Christ gives explicit teaching on prayer in 6:5-15 and 7:7-11.
In the former passage, Jesus calls us away from the “hypocrisy” and self-righteousness of the Pharisees and their ilk, commanding us not to “be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.”
Jesus bluntly states there are some who love to stand and pray in the synagogues and street corners and pray with the intent of being seen. They have their reward. Jesus openly calls them “hypocrites” because they miss the true nature of prayer itself. The word “hypocrite” originally referred to an actor. They are merely playing the part of a praying man.
They also give to the poor (6:1-4), not because they care about the poor or the glory of God, but because they want to be seen. They pray, not because they are concerned with conversing with God, but to be seen by others. They are actors.
Instead, Jesus says that our prayers should be offered with God alone as focal point – “go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.” St. John Chrysostom noted that Jesus is concerned with the motive and intent of the heart here, and not with our location when we pray. The locations (standing in the synagogue, on the street corner vs. in your room) are intended to contrast the motives of the hypocrite with the truly prayerful person.
Verses 7-8 say, “And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.” “Empty phrases” actually means to “babble” – probably with the idea of mindlessly repeating ourselves or of praying without giving thought to what we are actually saying. The heathen would use mantras, repeating the same words, hoping to be heard by their false gods (the prophets of Baal crying out all day while Elijah waited).
The Lord doesn’t hear us because of our many words, nor does He hear us because we repeat ourselves. The Lord hears us because we are His. Psalm 65:2 reminds us that the Lord is the One who hears prayer, and He’s not hard of hearing.
In verse 8, Jesus says something that can prove a bit puzzling – “Do not be like them (the heathen or hypocrites), for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.” There is no need for vain repetition, no need to “heap up empty phrases,” no need to babble, because the Lord does not have to be convinced. He already knows what you need “before you ask him.” Yet, we are commanded to ask; commanded to pray. Why? If God already knows, why pray? Because prayer is a gift of grace from the Lord.
God gives us the means to speak with Him, not because, as bumper stickers proclaim, “Prayer changes things,” but because prayer changes us. When we go to the Lord in prayer, we do not (or should not) go so that we may change God’s mind, but so that He can change ours, to help us think His thoughts and change our ideas, motives, and desires. We pray “not my will but Thine be done” for that very reason.
