This past week I had the unique privilege of being in a meeting of pastors, specifically, a Lutheran, an Episcopalian, a Methodist, a Presbyterian, and me. The meeting began with a discussion centered around donuts which had been purchased for the gathering. Somehow, (don’t ask me to explain how we got there), but we spent the bulk of our time in a considerably deep theological conversation unrelated to surplus sweets. (Sue was in attendance, too, valiantly trying to take notes). As I ponder it now, I’m taken back to Psalm 133:1: “How good and pleasant it is when brothers and sisters live together in peace/harmony/sweet unity.” Voice/NLT/TPT. During the morning, there was only respectful interaction, and it felt like all the above descriptors. I see that time as gifted grace. We arrived as friends and departed as friends.
This, in contrast to the harsh, accusatory, blame game to which we are constantly subjected in our culture. This sad reality takes me to Jesus’ response to the followers of John the Baptist where he describes ‘this generation’ rejecting John as crazy or possessed by a demon because he fasted and ate strange food. But they equally rejected Jesus, thinking him a glutton, a drunkard and a party animal! He concludes his response with this: Well, Wisdom will be vindicated by her actions – not by your opinions. Matthew 11:16-19, VOICE). Amen!
Opinions were to be heard in abundance in Jesus’ day. He was navigating a Jewish culture legalistically bound up in its traditions and hierarchies and taboos. His first loyalty, though, was to his Father and to the Kingdom whose in-breaking he had initiated at his coming. This regularly put him at odds with the prevailing Jewish powers, and made him a hero to the nobodies, the down-trodden, the poor and the hopeless. As his acclaim grew, so, too, grew the anger of the religious authorities, and finally their plot to have him killed. Through all this turmoil, Jesus showed grace under pressure, compassion and mercy to the crowds, reserving harsh warnings for those who refused to listen.
As Jesus’ followers, we are the surprised and grateful recipients of his gentleness, his grace and mercy, his healing, his salvation. Looking forward to seeing all you blessed loved ones tomorrow, 10 AM, 2 PM UK, 3 PM ES. PD
Don graduated from Regent University in 1988 and moved to France for seven years, coming back to the US briefly to marry Sue in 1990. The work in France included working in a Christian School and helping plant a church before returning in 1995. He’s been pastor of Peninsula Vineyard since 1999. He enjoys counseling, especially married couples, traveling back to France (with Sue), reading, doing Sudoku puzzles and sleuthing out good, dark chocolate. Don serves as the senior pastor of the Vineyard Church Peninsula, in Newport News, Virginia.