What Paul Might Say To Christians About Wearing Masks

It is very disheartening to hear what people have been saying. It is very discouraging to see what people have posted. Have we lost sight of who we are as believers? Have we lost sight of what Scripture says? Have we lost sight of how Jesus treated others? Why does it seem like sheep are hurting other sheep so much in the church over this issue of wearing masks?

What Paul Says About Christian Freedom

Romans 14 is the fundamental chapter in the Bible about Christian freedom and winsome love towards fellow Christians even when (especially when!) they disagree with you. Paul was writing to a group of people who were divided over non-essential issues. He was writing to a group of people who were dividing over things that could tear the church apart if they were not careful.

How does this affect us today with mask-wearing? There are some who think that masks represent political views. There are some who think that masks represents your view towards science. Others think that masks is about asserting your right. So…what might Paul say about this issue if he was pastoring our churches today?

What follows is a word for word reprint of the ESV translation of Romans 14 but phrases such as “eating”, “observing days”, and “drinking” are replaced with “mask-wearing”.

As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions (such as whether to wear masks or not). One person believes he may not wear a mask, while the other person only wears the mask. Let not the one who does not wear masks despise the one who wears masks, and let not the one who wears masks pass judgment on the one who does not wear masks, for God has welcomed him. Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand.

One person esteems wearing masks as better than not wearing masks, while another esteems not wearing masks as legitimate. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. The one who wears masks, wears it in honor of the Lord. The one who does not wear a mask, should go about it in honor of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God, while the one who wears masks, should wear it in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God. For none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself. For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord's. For to this end Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living.

Why do you pass judgment on your brother for wearing a mask? Or you, why do you despise your brother for not wearing a mask? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God; for it is written,

“As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me,
    and every tongue shall confess to God.”

So then each of us will give an account of himself to God.

Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother. I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that neither view is unclean in itself, but it is unclean for anyone who thinks it unclean. For if your brother is grieved by you not wearing a mask, you are no longer walking in love. By you not wearing a mask, do not destroy the one for whom Christ died. So do not let what you regard as good be spoken of as evil. For the kingdom of God is not a matter of wearing masks or not wearing masks but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Whoever thus serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men. So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding.

Do not, for the sake of wearing or not wearing masks, destroy the work of God. Everything is indeed clean, but it is wrong for anyone to make another stumble by what how he views wearing masks. It is good to wear a mask so that your brother does not stumble. The faith that you have, keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the one who has no reason to pass judgment on himself for what he approves. But whoever has doubts is condemned if he does not wear a mask, because the not wearing a mask is not from faith. For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin.

Key Verses

Listen to these key verses again:

v1 “but not to quarrel over opinions”

v4 “Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another?”

v10 “Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother?”

v12 “So then each of us will give an account of himself to God.”

v13 “Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother.”

v15 “For if your brother is grieved [by your view of masks] you are no longer walking in love.”

v19 “So let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding.”

The Problem

How many of us have seen Christians assert their right to not wear a mask in such a way that it hurts other Christians? How many of us have heard others make comments about those who do not wear masks as if they may not be Christian at all? We are using our freedom to beat people over the head. We are using our convictions to shame others who don’t agree. Brothers and sisters, this should not be!

If we are not careful, we will see this build-up into strife and division. Where are the servants in the church? Where are those who want to use their Christian freedom to build others up? Where are those who won’t impose their beliefs on someone else? Where is the grace-hunting? Where is the encouragement? Where is Jesus being seen through us?

The Solution

The only way to come together as the body of Christ is to press further into the gospel. We don’t need less gospel; we need more gospel. We can’t assume the gospel or even just throw the word gospel around. We need the explicit gospel. We need to know that the Son of God humbled Himself to voluntarily take on human flesh to be thrown into the thick of temptation, sin, and sinful culture. We need to know that He remained sinless and perfectly loving and compassionate while pursuing utmost holiness. We need to know that He went to the rugged cross where He absorbed an eternity’s worth of hell for a countless yet definite number of people on their behalf. We need to know that He died a death’s death and when He died He put death to death. We need to know that He rose from the dead and crushed the head of the Serpent with His first step of resurrected life. We need to know that He ascended into Heaven where He reigns and rules with utmost love, sovereignty, compassion, power, justice, and grace. We need to know that we can be saved by grace through faith in Christ alone according to what the Scriptures alone declare to God’s glory. We need to know that He is coming again to judge the righteous and the wicked and that an eternity’s worth of hell or heaven awaits all people who have ever lived.

Do we really know this gospel? Or, do we just assume it? Are we ok with having a short and quick definition of the gospel or is it the very life we live by? Are we ok with hearing sermons that merely mention the word “gospel” or do we long to see the ins and outs of the “heavenly dynamite” (Rom. 1:16) that God has given to us? Is the gospel merely what we embrace to be converted or do we see that it is God’s plan for the entirety of our salvation and the main theme of an eternity’s worth of heaven? Do we just throw the word “gospel” around like it’s a filler word in our Christian sentences or do we cherish the thought of the fact that Jesus is now ours and we are His?

What Now?

Our rivalry over this issue shows that there is a gap between head and heart for the Church (not merely POPC). This is not something that non-PCA churches only need to think about. This is about us. This is about all who call themselves Christians and walk in our doors each week. This is about everyone who looks at what we post and hear what we say.

Brothers and sisters, we must be thoughtful with our posts on social media. We must be compassionate and gracious with our words towards each other. We must stop asserting our rights at the expense of loving another person.

You might ask:

• At what point do we assert our right?

• At what point do we stand for our viewpoint?

• At what point do we stop “giving in”?

• When will it ever end?

• What’s going to be the next burdensome step we’ll have to take?

• Isn’t this just a government issue?

There are thousands of ways to come to the conclusion of those questions but there is one question that weighs more.

The most important question is this: What do you think about Jesus?

That’s it.

To be clear, thoughtful Christians will have different opinions about this issue. And you know what? That’s fine if stays in the realm of a non-essential non-divisive conversation. We should have these conversations.

We will disagree with each other but that should never sever our love for each other.

That’s the most important question. Is Jesus so lovely to you that you would do anything to show Him to others? Where are the Hudson Taylors who wanted to love the people in China so much that he laid down his own “rights”. Where are the John Patons who went to minister to cannibals in the New Hebrides rather than forcing them to become Scottish just like him? Where are those who feel so strongly over a non-essential issue and yet (even if it bugs them internally) will take an act of love for those who might not feel the same?

Yes, there is a point where we must stand in our Christian freedom. Yes, there is a time when we should not let people determine how we live. But my friends, we are a long way from there. There are churches in China who are doing all that they can to merely meet together to worship without being arrested and we are over here arguing with each other about our view of mask wearing.

“But this is a bigger issue than just wearing masks. This is about [science, politics, the future of our country, the health of others, etc.].” There are holy men and women who take both sides to this. Let us not let this non-essential matter divide us. If wearing a mask is better for your more sensitive neighbor then wear a mask. If not wearing a mask (in a more private setting) around someone who is absolutely against wearing masks is more advantageous (and yes, you can keep yourself and others you come in contact with safe) then maybe it’s better to not wear a mask. Whatever we do, let’s do it out of intelligent love.

What we are really seeing right now is what our idols are.

***IF I CAN TAKE A BRIEF PAUSE. THIS IS WHY WE ARE DOING A SUNDAY NIGHT SERIES ON THE IDOLS OF THE HEART. WE NEED THE HOLY SPIRIT TO SHOW US OUR IDOLS SO THAT WE CAN GROW VERTICALLY AND HORIZONTALLY. FOR THE SERMONS, CLICK HERE.***

Who Needs To Respond?

It doesn’t matter if you’re more conservative or liberal politically. It doesn’t matter what your ethnicity is. It doesn’t matter if you’re rich or poor. It doesn’t matter if you’re in medicine or if you’re not. It doesn’t matter if you think this is a hoax or if this is the next Black Plague. What matters is this: What do you think about Jesus?

Paul rooted this doctrine of Christian freedom in the gospel. Jesus didn’t assert His right. He gave it up. He wanted to love us in the way we needed to be loved (be very careful with saying that your “not wearing a mask” stance is the way in which you are loving people in the way they need to be loved). The fundamental issue is showing Christlike love.

If we are not careful, we will see people grow bitter towards others because of what some post and say.

Dear Christian, what do you think about Jesus?

Neighbor Love From a Distance

March 30, 2020

How do we fulfill the second great commandment to love our neighbor as we love ourselves during a time when we cannot be physically present with them? It’s a question you’ve likely asked yourself, or a friend, and it’s something that we will have to be thinking about for at least the next month or longer, it appears. Here are a few simple, practical suggestions. This is certainly not a comprehensive list, and I encourage you to share your ideas in the comments section under this post.

1. Make a phone call. Texting is fine and helpful, we’ve become more and more used to communicating to one another in this manner, but in a time when we’re homebound, it’s great to hear someone else’s voice, particularly someone you know and love, and particularly if you live alone and don’t have anyone else to talk all day. God gave us voices, and when we don’t get to use them regularly, technologies that connect us more physically than less physically are a rich blessing. So call your friends, yes. But also call someone you don’t know as well, just to check on how they’re doing. Call someone that you suspect is likely lonely. Call the neighbor down the street that you haven’t seen since the block party last year. And if in God’s providence they are still alive, absolutely, definitely, without a doubt call your mother and father.

2. Make video calls. Whether you use Facetime or Skype or Zoom or whatever your favorite video conferencing platform might be, take advantage of newer technologies that allow us to see one another. Sure, no one loves to see or hear themselves on camera, but at this point, it’s probably just great to see someone other than your family members. I participated in my first Zoom video call this past weekend, and it was so good to catch up with the three other couples on the screen, to share stories from the past two weeks, to laugh together, to pray together. Sure, it was glitchy, and we spoke on top of each other several times. But we finally figured it out.

3. Write letters. Again, texts and emails are fine too, but there’s something about receiving an old-fashioned, hand-written, smudged, signed letter in the mail. A letter can communicate emotion and feeling even better than a text or email. It can be placed on a coffee table or in a book and read again and again. It can be preserved for decades and centuries (“Grandpa, can you show me your letters from the COVID crisis again?”). It doesn’t have to be long - a short note will suffice.

4. Share what’s in your pantry. You may have gotten to the grocery story to stock up on some needed items before the stores ran out. And while it seems that the supply is returning on important products, you may hear of someone who doesn’t have something you have multiple packs/units/items of. Be generous, trusting the Lord to provide for you and your family and you give away what He has already provided for you. Maybe it’s toilet paper. Maybe it’s hamburger meat. Maybe it’s bread. If we panic-shopped, then what isn’t in the stores is in someone’s pantry. So don’t be ashamed to ask around if you’re out of something. Give folks an opportunity to love you. I’m almost certain you’ll have an opportunity to love in return before this is all said and done. (In this category would also fall going shopping or going to the pharmacy for someone who shouldn’t get out due to a higher risk of catching the virus.)

5. Share the gospel. People are going to be asking spiritual questions during this season. They will be more open to talking about God, about death, about eternity, about sin and suffering. Remember the words of Peter: “In your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect” (I Peter 3:15). Jesus’ words could not be more appropriate than they will be in these coming weeks: “Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16). Now is the time to grow in evangelistic zeal and courage, to practice sharing the gospel. Have a basic outline in your head: God, Sin, Christ, Faith. Talk about the sovereignty of God as the basis of our hope in times like these. Talk about the holy justice of God, and how we deserve far worse than we actually receive because of our sin. Talk about the fall of Adam as the source of all misery and suffering. Talk about the death and resurrection of Jesus as the only hope for sinners, and the return of Jesus as the day when all sorrow will be wiped away. Talk about what it means to trust Jesus, to turn from sin, to strive for holiness by grace, to walk by faith and not by sight. Pray for revival, and pray for opportunities to talk about Jesus with your neighbors.

As I said - there are certainly more practical ways we can love our neighbors; please share them with us! You’ve probably already thought of the ones I’ve mentioned. But if not - try them out.

What Should You Do When You Don't "Feel" Loved By God?

Feelings. Man, they’re weird. Like the winter in Mississippi, they don’t always seem to work the way they should. Dr. Kwasny once told me that feelings are like a car’s “check engine” light. They don’t tell us the whole story but they tell us that a story is there.

Feelings are like a magician. They show us one thing but the entire process remains a mystery. If we’re not careful, we can be fooled like the magic trick. We are tempted to “see” one thing when in reality the result has come about a totally different way.

One of the many different feelings that Christians “get” is when they don’t feel loved by God. As I often hear from young people (youth and college), “I understand it but I don’t really feel it.” Yes and amen to that! I’ve been there with you in this feeling before. There are still times that I don’t feel what I acknowledge to be true. It’s those 18 inches between head and heart that often feel like miles apart.

Head To Heart

The head and the heart have an interesting relationship within us. The heart cannot feel what the head does not know. The way to the heart is through the head. It is theology that fuels doxology. If you want to feel with your heart, you must think with your head. We will never have right affections for God until we are taught the truth about God. This means that truth comes to the head before it gets to the heart. But, the heart often feels like a memorable experience for me.

My mother is tall and, therefore, has long legs. When I was young, and obviously had shorter legs at the time, I would struggle to keep up with my mother when we walked. Not only was she tall, she also walked very fast. This was double trouble for young and short Wilson. One of my biggest memories from my young days is our trip to Disney World. I remember the rides, the food, and the Summer heat. I also remember one quote that was often repeated. “Keep up!” Yup, that was young Wilson’s biggest memory during those days. My mom would walk so fast and young Wilson would desperately try to keep up. Our head and heart are sometimes like my mother and young Wilson. The head often seems to be telling our hearts to “keep up!”

Can We Get Practical?

It’s important that we put our feelings in their proper place in an age that is all about “the feels”. As “indicator lights”, we need to make sure we use our feelings to search our hearts. One of the common feelings that Christians often get is the feeling that they’re not loved by God. We’d never admit that God doesn’t love us out loud but the feeling still lurks within. Our heads (aka our doctrine) tell us that we are loved but our hearts tell us that we’re not. So, why is there that head-heart gap? Why do we get that feeling of not being loved by God?

There are many different reasons that should be explored. This is the reason why we need solid biblical counseling in every season of our lives. There is no replacement for having someone regularly search the dynamics of your heart. But, there are some practical tools that we can use to help us truly know this love of God more.

Three Ways To “Feel” God’s Love More

1. We need to understand the love of God more.
   In my first class at Tulane, our professor took our entire class to a restaurant for us to learn how to make gumbo. Having a father who grew up in Mobile, I grew up having my fair share of good gumbo. I loved gumbo but I had never made gumbo. Our professor separated the class into three teams for a cook-off. It was here that I had to actually learn how to make gumbo. After about two hours of cooking, I finally tasted a bowl. It was amazing!
   Now, here is the question: Was it really the best gumbo that I ever had? Or, did it taste better because I knew more about how to make it? In my most humble moment, I would say the latter. You see, it’s because I understood more about it that I tasted more of it.
   My wife works with John Wiggins and Mark Brown at Trinity Apparel. They work on tailored suits. I like suits but I don’t know the first thing about style. Then, my wife started to explain to me the different parts of the suit and what some look better than others. You want to know what happened after that moment? I began to see everyone’s suit totally different. I still don’t know much at all but even the microscopic knowledge that I do have made me love suits even more.
   In the same way, there are many times that we don’t feel loved because we actually don’t understand enough about God’s love. Your head might be telling you, “You already know that God is love and that God loves you. So, just get with the program buddy!” But in reality, you don’t know enough about God’s love. If God is infinite then the knowledge of God’s love can never be complete. It’s when we see a bigger God than we know a bigger love. The more we understand the doctrine of love the more we understand the majesty of God’s love.
   There is more to this. We need to understand more about who God is and what the gospel tells us. We don’t merely need to study the doctrine of love but we also need to study the entirety of God’s being. We need to see God’s sovereign love and His wise love. We need to see His gracious love, all-powerful love, unchanging love, everywhere-present love, and jealous love. It’s as I grow in my knowledge of who God is that I then can apply it to my knowledge of God’s love.
   Think about it this way. In cajun cooking, the onion is key. But, if you want to understand how awesome an onion is then you need to study how peppers, celery, thyme, and garlic interact with onions. It’s when you understand more about other vegetables and herbs that the wonder of the onion is seen.
   Maybe you don’t feel loved because your understanding of the storyline of the Bible is lacking. Maybe you don’t feel loved because your understanding of love is determined by the world. Maybe you don’t feel loved because your understanding of the Trinity is not correct. Our feelings depend on our knowledge.
   Apply: Find the resources to help you learn more about who God is and what the Bible says. We need to find the most helpful resources that grow us in our knowledge of God. We need more exposure to the Word, not less.

2. We need to compare and contrast the love of God.
   Describe a dog. What would you compare a dog to? What would you use to show the contrast? Imagine trying to explain how a dog is an animal that also lives with us. If you met someone who had never seen a dog, how would you describe one? Those comparisons and contrasts help us better picture what a dog is like.
   It’s when we have better comparisons and contrasts of God’s love that we understand it better. For instance, there are many great comparisons of God’s love in movies, books, and TV shows. Think about the movie The Lion King where we see the love of Mufasa for Simba. Think about the book Harry Potter where we see the love of Lily Potter laying down her life for her son Harry. There are many fascinating examples of substitutionary love.
   It’s when we use these comparisons that we can have a better “picture” of that love. That’s why preachers and teachers use illustrations in sermons, lectures, and lessons. The best preachers have used great illustrations to paint mental pictures in people’s minds. Just read the sermons of Thomas Watson, Jonathan Edwards, Augustine, John Calvin, Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Charles Spurgeon, and Tim Keller.
   Jesus was a master of using illustrations! He knew that it helped us to see comparisons to God’s love. Just think about the Parable of the Prodigal Son. Why didn’t he just say, “Hey guys, God loves you”? God created a physical world and gave us five senses. He created us inside His story. We were made to love stories, illustrations, and pictures.
   But, there are also contrasts. The best love of an earthly father fails to compare totally to our heavenly Father’s love. The best love of a friend laying down his life for another doesn’t totally encapsulate the loveliness of the sacrifice on Calvary. We need to be reminded that the best earthly examples are like the Sun. The Sun is massive! It’s so big and bright that we can see that burning ball from 92 million miles away (sometimes I feel like that’s how far away my heart is from my head). Even though the Sun is that big, we know that outer space is even bigger. Have we measured even half of space? Have we sent a satellite to each solar system? We have such a small view of the universe. God’s love is like outer space and the earthly examples are like the Sun. There is no example (including this one since outer space isn’t infinite!) that can fully contain the knowledge of God.
   Apply: Don’t shy away from comparing and contrasting God’s love with the things, events, and people that you see. Creation is crying out that we take notice. It’s when we find helpful illustrations that we can picture God’s love more. Natural Revelation gives us good pictures of truths in Special Revelation.

3. We need to apply the love of God.
   What does it matter if we do all the studying and paint all the pictures if we never ask “so, what?” There was once a preaching professor who used to sit at the back of each class when his students would preach. He would sit and listen to students explain and illustrate the text. It wasn’t long until the students improved significantly in exposition and delivery but many would still forget to ask “so, what?” When there were 5 minutes left in the sermon, the professor would always hold up a giant sign that said, “So, what?” It was a reminder to the preacher that the people must not only see what the Bible says but they must also see how the Bible changes the way they live, feel, think, and love.
   We need to do the same thing to ourselves. When we study theology, we must do the painstaking work of asking how this truth changes the way we live. We need to spend time thinking about how it changes the way I interact with my micromanaging boss. I need to meditate on how a truth changes the way I respond to kids who pester me with questions whenever we’re on a retreat. I need to think deeply about how God’s love changes the way I respond whenever I’m reminded of how sinful I really am. We need to ask “so, what?”
   I remember one year for Christmas getting a set of plates from my brother and sister-in-law. I had the face of my wife when she was seven years old and she got clothes for Christmas. Let’s just say that she wasn’t happy. Here’s the thing, that was me and I was 27! Like all good Southerners, I put on a happy face and said “thank you” while I pouted to my wife about it later. Let’s just say that she was wise in how to respond to me. I didn’t see any use for these plates. We already had plates! Well, then I started to use them. I found that the semi-bowl/semi-plate looking thing was actually amazing. Do you know what my favorite dish in our pantry is now? It’s that Christmas gift! You see, whenever I actually used it and saw how it changed the way I could plate food then I realized how awesome it was.
   It’s when we see how a doctrine changes the way we live that we see more of the beauty of God’s truth. This is what good writers, preachers, and teachers do. They show us how God’s love actually changes the way we live. They say things such as, “If God’s love is sovereign then that means nothing and no one can stop Him from loving you.” Or they might say, “If God’s love is infinitely wise then that means that everything that God brings in your life will be used for you to know more of His love for you.” We often don’t feel loved because we don’t apply God’s love.
   Apply: Read books by people who show you how the gospel actually changes your thoughts, feelings, and actions. Read books by Tim Keller, Ed Welch, Heath Lambert, Kevin DeYoung, and Jerry Bridges. Find books by Sinclair Ferguson, Paul Miller, Paul Tripp, Tim Chester, and Michael Reeves. Read what John Kwasny and John Perritt have written!

How Do We Love Each Other Well During A Time Of A Pandemic?

Many of you know Andy Crouch from his books on leadership, culture, or technology stewardship. Andy always seems to put his finger on the pulse of where things our in our culture. In this timely article, Andy Crouch talks about how we can love each other in leadership during this time. Here is an excerpt:

At this extraordinary moment, local leaders — people who lead groups of 10 to 1,000 people — have perhaps the greatest opportunity to shape culture in the United States that they have ever had. This is a guide for those of us who are Christian leaders at this moment.

Shaping culture is a matter of changing “the horizons of possibility.” Culture tells us, in countless direct and indirect ways, what we are able to do, and what we are not able to do. And leaders play an outsize role in moving those horizons, especially at times of disruption and crisis. They play that role through both symbolic action — what they say, how they say it, even how they hold themselves and respond to others — and through decision-making on behalf of others.

A leader’s responsibility, as circumstances around us change, is to speak, live, and make decisions in such a way that the horizons of possibility move towards shalom, flourishing for everyone in our sphere of influence, especially the vulnerable.

With the arrival of COVID-19 in the United States, we need to change the horizons of possibility extremely rapidly in two fundamental ways:

We need to change norms of social interaction literally overnight to minimize the transmission of the virus. I will outline below what I believe are the most important steps, based on the best public information about SARS-CoV-2 (the virus) and COVID-19 (the disease). These steps feel drastic. Crucially, implementing them early enough will require tremendous leadership because they will not initially seem necessary to most of the people we lead. When dealing with pandemics, the measures that will actually make a difference always need to be taken sooner than we think.We need to redirect social energy from anxiety and panic to love and preparation. This crisis presents an extraordinary opportunity to fortify small communities of love and care for our neighbors. That will only happen if we lead in a way that reduces fear, increases faith, and reorients all of us from self-protection to serving others.

There are several reasons that now is an almost uniquely important moment for local leaders. We have become accustomed to culture being shaped “somewhere else” — by elected officials, especially national ones; by celebrities; by media. But we are dealing with a virus that is transmitted person to person, in small and large groups of actual people. This is not a virtual crisis — it is a local, embodied one. Local, embodied responses will quite literally mean life and death for people.

For the full article, click here.

Dear POPC, May I Encourage You?

It has been two full years since my wife and I arrived in Jackson, Mississippi, after spending the previous academic year in the greater Boston area during my first year of seminary at Gordon-Conwell. We came to Pear Orchard not just because of a job but because of the reputation of the church community. We went through a little bit of a tough season in Boston and what we desired most was to find spiritual refreshment in the means of grace among a loving and welcoming congregation. After two years, we have realized that we have found that in Pear Orchard.

One of the aspects that tend to stand out in Christians who believe in a robust and Reformed, biblical doctrine of sin is that of conviction. We are skilled in the art of finding out what is wrong about us. Yes, there are many ways in which we do not realize the extent in which our hearts are deceitful above all things (Jeremiah 17:9), but there is certainly a solid belief in the need to feel conviction. This often leads us to reflect critically and thoughtfully on how we do as a church. Are we welcoming to our visitors or are we stand-off-ish? Do we go out of our way to have deeper conversations with fringe attendees or do we stick to the typical, "How are you doing? I'm doing just fine; how about you?" type conversations?

I have heard many comments that sound like the following:

"We need to make sure we do _______ better."

"What we're really missing at POPC is _____."

"I think we are really slacking off in [insert this aspect of the church]."

While these are very helpful and needful reflections that we need to have as a congregation, we also need to remember to bring up that which we are doing well. It might be easier for me to do because of the fact that my wife and I are still relatively new to the Jackson-Ridgeland area. Although I surely consider this church "home", I also think I can still give helpful feedback as a newer member. There are plenty of times that Paul encourages his congregations as he writes to them. In his fantastic book, "The Heart is the Target," Murray Capill writes about the importance of encouraging people in our sermons and not merely exhorting, teaching, and convicting them. After commenting that "the greatest aid to progress is genuine encouragement," Capill says:

"If we take our lead from Paul, then, we will at times tell our congregation how much we love them and how we miss them when we are away; we will tell them of how encouraged we are by their gospel work and how thankful we are for their ministry; we will tell them about what we pray for them; we will tell them of ways in which we see them as wonderful examples to others; we will publicly praise God for them and for his work of grace among them."

So please, let me encourage you.

The moment that we stepped into the doors of POPC, the pastoral staff and congregation have bestowed upon us the type of hospitality that only grace-filled believers could exhibit. You did not know us or our families. We did not go to Mississippi State, Ole Miss, Mississippi College, or [insert you college here] with any of you but you took us in as if we were closer than friends, as if we were family in Christ. We are not from Jackson or Mississippi but you welcomed us as citizens of a greater land. We came in as total strangers seeking refuge in Christ with a like-minded community.

We have been blown away at the frequent invitations from you for meals, Bible studies, and community. There have been gifts to help us move into Jackson and get settled in. There have been texts, calls, and emails that have encouraged us. There have been jokes, hugs, and prayers for us when we needed them. One would think that maybe this was merely a temporary welcome to us POPC and to the Jackson area, but we would find out over time that this was not the case. 

It seems to be that there is real fruit of the Spirit here at POPC. Genuine fruit is tested whenever visitors become members and regulars. Ever since we have become members and regulars, there has been no shortage in the amount of outreach that you have extended to us. There has been no "They have had enough of our love" attitude among you. Rather than your love having a big, bright, but short flame, your love to us has only steadily grown towards us. We do not feel like we have been kept at arms length but rather have been brought in as a father brings us his newborn child. 

Dear Pear Orchard, we have seen your love, your grace, your fervor, and your desire to grow. We have witnessed your zeal to welcome visitors. We have noticed your urgency to reflect the kingdom of heaven in its diversity. We hope you see them as well.

As an athlete who has been through two surgeries to repair bones and ligaments, it is often very difficult to see your own progression. Often times, it is the physical therapists and the surgeons who notice it in more detail as they examine you. I hope this is a helpful and encouraging perspective for you.

Do not lose your zeal. Do not fail to extend bread to the hungry. Do not give up on the wayward. Do not desert your prayer closets. Do not close your Bibles. Keep going. You are bearing fruit whether you realize it or not. Grace and I are not the only ones who notice your fruit. Often times when I am at the seminary, on youth retreats, or at conferences, we are not the only ones who brag about you but rather your reputation has extended further than we go and the people we meet praise God because of you. So please, keep standing out as Christians - people who love others in the name of Jesus. 

Coming to Jackson has been fresh balm to our souls. It has been cold water after a hot season. We have both been strengthened in the call to ministry and certainly the call to minister at POPC. Love begets love and that has certainly been the case here. Today is an age where we shy away from others when things get messy. We live as if others' mess is red paint and we only wear white shirts. You have witnessed our mess and have embraced us in response. We have been counseled, fed, taught, mentored, helped, supported, prayed for, and taken in. 

We are blessed to minister the gospel to you and be ministered to by you. Hebrews 10:24-25 says, "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." Let us keep this as our motto. Let it be a banner for us in the days to come. 

Dear Pear Orchard, please be encouraged that the Holy Spirit is at work in you.