June 3, 2002
I have more this week from Stevenson. First however, let me repeat last weks introduction. "A man named J. W. Stevenson, in his first pastorate, came to a church in the Scots Highlands. As a result of his experiences there he wrote a book entitled ‘God In My Unbelief.’ I presume the title comes from the gripping story in Mark 9 where Jesus, coming down from the mountaintop of transfiguration encountered a family in need that the disciples had been unable to help. Presumably an epileptic, Jesus’ response to the need was to say to the father (vs 23,) ‘All things can be done for the one who believes,’ and the father responds, ‘I believe; help my unbelief!’"
In his moving book Stevenson speaks further about what the church ought to be. "Not a place of mere tolerance, the adjustment of one personality to another. It was a place where evil could come out and hurt, and be brought by everyone together to Christ for his overcoming, where shame would not be driven underground to fester. It is in the family of the church that we should endure the humiliation, the hurt, the shame until we are all cleansed; that we should be one in this sense, one in our disunity, our conflicts, our differences, that the world may believe." He goes on, "the church should be—not a company of good people, earnest in support of the right causes, but a people troubled because they bear the treasure of the kingdom in earthen vessels of human sinfulness, perplexed because they do not see clearly of themselves what they are to do, cast down because they long to see the church glorious and triumphant, persecuted because men, even Christian men, will often hate what judges and rebukes them—YET NOT DISTRESSED, NOT IN DESPAIR, NOT FORSAKEN, NOT DESTROYED." Because of the existence of the love of God as revealed in Jesus, which bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things and endures all things. (1st Corinthians 13:7)
These are difficult yet exciting concepts. Help us to probe their depths and grow in His and for His glory.
FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH
201 Oak St.
Mauston, WI 53948-1333 608-8474555
Past Weeks Thoughts: