• Because of our commitment to keep families together in worship, we recognize there will be more commotion in the sanctuary during the service. We accept this. At the same time, we encourage you to be mindful of when your child may be making it difficult for others to worship, due to either commotion or noise level. The options we offer, depending on age, are the nursery, the back pew along the curved wall, the cry room or, for total melt-downs, the fire-side room (the service is broadcast on the sound system out there). The key is to not hinder the worship of others — “ in humility, count others more significant than yourselves” (Php 2:3).
• Most of you know by now that Jason Stellman, pastor of Exile Presbyterian in Woodinville, has resigned due to his shift in views toward Roman Catholicism. Exile was a plant from our church, Covenant Presbyterian, about 7 years ago. A central question that led to Jason’s shift in views was the authority of Scripture relative to the authority of the Church. That was a big deal in the Reformation, of course, and led to our doctrine of *sola Scriptura*. But here’s the catch — I bet hardly anyone now knows what *sola Scriptura* really meant to the Reformers themselves.
• So I encourage you to read the article linked here. It will take some work, but it’s worthwhile — and less work than scrubbing tile, changing the oil in your car, or feeding a disinterested 10-month-old. Paul said he taught, “that we may present everyone mature in Christ. For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me” (Col 1:28b-29). Toil and struggle for the sake of maturity are not contrary to the grace of God, as long as it is “his energy” that is at work in you.
• My many conversations with Jason over the last few months have forced me to rethink my own views. I’ll share more in the future, but one important component of my Protestantism is Paul’s understanding of the grace of God — an understanding that leaves him open to the charge of being morally and ethically reckless. So in Romans 3:8 and 6:1 he says, in effect, “if God’s response to sin is more grace, why not just keep sinning?” Paul knows that if the answer to sin is not our own redoubled efforts, but the grace of God, then he could be opening a Pandora’s Box — people are theoretically free to do anything.
• What’s so important about this question is it would NEVER be asked at all if the real answer to indwelling sin in believers were the Catholic doctrine of penance, which is described as “works of reparation.” No longer would it be true that “one man’s obedience [made many righteous]” (Rom 5:19). Instead, righteousness would come through our own works of reparation. The fact is, the true Gospel does not try to leverage those who are in Christ and yet still sin. It simply says — this is Paul’s actual answer to the question — “…you must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God” (6:11). The answer is who we are in Christ, not the works we perform in His name. More to come!