WORD

feeding . . . gathering . . . carrying . . . leading . (Isaiah 40:11)

Dearest family,

It was great to see so many of you on Sunday, almost a full house, despite the challenges of the Marine Marathon. I heard of one brave congregant who tried for two and a half hours to get to us before giving up. Full absolution is granted! I know I often say this, but I will say it again! You guys are fantastic the way you faithfully and patiently look for parking spaces on Sunday mornings. I was looking for a place at 9:00a.m. and I’m always praying that places will open up for everyone coming later! I know one feels ambivalent sometimes praying for a parking space, but I never cease to be amazed how often such prayers are answered. Someone pulled out right in front of the office door for me on Sunday before I’d even gone into deep intercession! The statisticians tell us that it is impossible to grow a church without good parking. I guess it’s more about good people than good parking!

On Sunday, my working title was “His Word – our hope” as we looked at the invitation of scripture, both Old and New Testaments, to put hope in God’s word, to expect hope to be strengthened as a result of our engagement with scripture. Get the CD for a full revision, but for this letter, I will just rehearse the points I made from Roms.15:4 which reads: “For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance and the encouragement of the scriptures we might have hope.” This is actually a digression on Paul’s part. He has just quoted Psalm 69 to proof text what he is saying about Jesus, the fulfillment of the text, and that leads him to make this comment. How helpful that he did so, because he gives us a whole sermon outline about the nature of scripture and its relationship to our hope. It is:

  1. Current: although written “aforetime” it’s a present word for us because God purposefully intended the divine explanations and experiences of the Old Testament, as well as the holy examples of its characters, to be a source of present hope to us. It is always relevant, always contemporary, always applicable, always timely. It was written in the past “to teach us” (for “our instruction”) right this moment. It is a NOW word. In Roms. 4:23-24 Paul asserts that the account of Abraham was “written not for him alone but also for us.” Peter, writing about the prophets, tells his readers that “they were not serving themselves but you, when they spoke of the things that have now been told you…” (1 Pet. 1:12) The word gives us a current hope.

  2. Comprehensible: it really does teach us. It is about our learning. The Spirit of the Word interprets it and makes it known to us. It is coherent. We really can comprehend and understand and know this hope in a way that we can be prepared, to use Peter’s words, to “give the reason for the hope” that is within us; to speak about it in a coherent and comprehensible way. (1 Pet.3:15) The word gives us a comprehensible hope.

  3. Complete: all of scripture is necessary, and all of our needs are covered. There is nothing about our hope that we need to know for victorious living that has not been spoken by God to us, recorded in His Word, and revealed by His Holy Spirit. Remember Paul’s words to Timothy about the wide ranging purposes of scripture that are intended to make us “thoroughly equipped” (2 Tim.3:15-17) It is comprehensive. “Everything that was written…” As a teaching pastor, I have always sought to ensure that our diet included the balanced nutrition of both Old and New Testament teaching. Douglas Moo, a seasoned Christian author, commentator and respected Professor of New Testament has written this: “The ignorance of the OT among believers in our day is staggering…contemplation of the OT stimulates our hope…The modern church’s impoverished understanding of the OT cannot but breed an impoverished…hope.” The complete word gives us a complete and comprehensive hope.

  4. Correct: in the next verse it says “may the God who gives endurance and encouragement…” Didn’t Paul just say that was what scripture gave? The repetition is deliberate, equating the words of scripture with the very words of God himself. This is the unchanging God who cannot lie – therefore the hope that we learn about and receive from the word is absolutely correct and true – there is no wishful thinking about it. This hope cannot be fanciful or fantastical – only faithful and true. It is the word of hope because it is the word of the God of hope. It is correct and therefore conclusive, not speculative. And because it is correct, it will challenge, oppose and correct what is false hope. The word gives us a true and a correct hope.

  5. Compassionate: the fact that “endurance” is mentioned is totally in keeping with other biblical teaching about hope (as in Roms.5), acknowledging that the scriptures compassionately address the cost and consequences of this hope, as we hold on to it in troubled and trying circumstances, in trials and temptations, in sadness and suffering. In Rom.5:4 we saw that perseverance, this endurance, produced a character that in turn produced hope. Remember that Paul complimented the Thessalonians for their “endurance inspired by hope” (1 Thess.1:3) The word gives a compassionate, consoling, comforting hope.

  6. Confirming: as well as endurance (patience) the scriptures bring hope because of their encouragement, their comfort. As we’ve seen, the record of God’s dealings with others, the stories of faith and hope that cram the pages of scripture, are written for our learning and encouragement. The scriptures of hope are the antidote to despondency and disillusion. I’ve already made reference to the account of Abraham in Rom.4 that was written for us. There we read: “Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed.” (4:18) He “faced the facts” (4:19) and hopeless facts they were, but he connected his persuasion to God’s promises; he connected his persuasion to God’s power to do what he promised – therefore he had hope. He fathered us in faith and in hope. Do you see how scriptural accounts like this promote and produce hope, confirm and consolidate our confidence in God’s future? You cannot hold fast to hope if you are not related to the God of hope of the word and the word of God that is hope. The word gives us a confirming hope.

  7. Christocentric: (Christ-centered, Christ-focused, Christ-revealing) The only reason that Paul made this aside was because he was using the scriptures (Ps.69:9) to show something really wonderful about Jesus; namely that he did not please himself, but accepted a way of suffering in order to obtain what he hoped for. When the disciples were recovering from lost hope after the crucifixion, the risen Christ did a 40 day “Here’s Hoping” series, going through the word of hope, showing the way that “Moses, the Law and the Prophets” were fulfilled in him – how messianic hope was realized. The word of hope was good! Then when Jesus ascended, the very first words spoken to them by the angels were: “This same Jesus who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.” (Acts 1:11) They haven’t even left the spot they were standing on and the word of hope breaks out, and they leave there with no other marching orders than to have hope in that which will as surely come, as when Jesus came the first time. The New Testament church, the apostolic ministry, is born into this living hope. The word gives us a Christ-centering, Christ-focused, Christ-revealing hope.

  8. Communal: This is an interesting thing to note in this context. Paul is addressing people who are having a hard time getting on with each other. There is significant disunity among them. That is why the very next verse expresses his prayer that the endurance and encouragement that God gives will produce “a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ…. Accept one another….” (15:5-6) When we lose the focus, the hope that scripture exhorts us to have, our eyes will fall on any number of other things, other people, breeding discontent and disunity. Hope is a great sponsor of unity. Disunity is a sure sign that our hope is deficient. (Paul is particularly passionate here about the unity of Jew and Gentile.) This connection, between hope and relational unity in the church, is made again by Paul in Cols. 1:4-5: “the love which you have to all the saints, by reason of the hope laid up for you in heaven.” In other words, the stronger the word of hope in each believer, the more the community is “lifted above the bitterness and littleness of secondary controversies.” (Moule) One of the key fruits of a shared hope is harmony. The hope that strengthens the communion of the individual believer’s life, is the same hope that will consequently strengthen the community of believers. The word gives us a communal hope.

Hoping this is encouraging your hope!
Stuart

http://www.christourshepherd.org/pastlet.htm (and follow links to download MP3 audio of sermon)

Announcements

ONE NIGHT OF PRAYER: The next Care Company Night of Prayer will be on Saturday, Nov. 6th. Please join us in the Christ Our Shepherd sanctuary from 7- 9pm as we join in prayer for the needs of our churches, ministries, and neighborhoods.

THANKSGIVING BASKETS: There are a number of ways to serve those in need during this holiday season. If you would like to participate in Care Company’s Thanksgiving drive by putting together a basket of food items, contributing financially, or volunteering your time on Nov. 20th to help us assemble and deliver the baskets, contact ben@carecompanydc.org.

WOMEN'S MINISTRY : Upcoming events

  • Book Club - The next book club date is Monday, November 8th! Watch the women's yahoo group for more details.

  • Saturday Supper - Our next Saturday Supper will be November 20th, 6-8 pm. We'll be having an "Operation Christmas Child" shoe box packing party! Bring Indian food to share with each other and watch the yahoo group for more info on what to bring for the Operation Christmas Child.

  • Monthly Friday Night Bible Study - we are meeting on Friday, November 12th at Subuola Kujore's house to continue our study on "God's lovingkindness". Join us from 7-9 at 1412 Massachusetts Ave. SE, 20003. See the women's yahoo group for more information and call Subuola (202-321-4134) or Anne Bradley (228-806-4916) with questions.

HEALING PRAYER TRAINING: There will be a Healing Prayer Training course in 2011. An introduction to healing prayer will be held on Jan. 15, open to everyone, and the Level 1 training (open to all attending a homegroup) will be held on Feb. 19, Mar. 5, and Mar. 19. Email Deborah if interested, deborah@christourshepherd.org.

BAPTISM: We will have a Baptism service on Nov. 14. Contact Bo in the church office if you are interested in being baptized, bo@christourshepherd.org.

COMMUNITY PRAYER GROUP: There will be a group gathering monthly for dinner and to discuss and pray through the issue of community in the body. The next meeting will be on Monday, Nov. 15, 6:30-9pm. RSVP to Nancy Chan if you are interested in attending, nchan@gmail.com by Nov. 12.

SAMSON MEN’S MEETING: Men, you are invited to join other men for a weekly Tuesday evening gathering from 7:30 -8:30 at COSC. E-mail matthew.tropiano@navy.mil for more information.

C.S. LEWIS INSTITUTE: hosting two seminars in November with Michael Ramsden:

  • Nov. 12—“Apologetic Evangelism Program: Faith, Fact or Fantasy?”

  • Nov. 13—“Affluenza: The Effects of Affluence”

For more details, visit www.cslewisinstitute.org.

Bulletin Board
Postings not officially sanctioned by COSC.
Ads will be posted for up to 4 weeks. After that time period,
please contact the church office to see if space will permit the
ad to remain posted.

HOUSING AVAILABLE: Mid-Jan 2011, 1 BR in 4 BR apt. with 2 shared baths in Arlington, 2 blocks from Rosslyn Metro. We are 3 youngh professional women/grad students (& 2 cats) looking for a 4th female roommate. Easy access to I-395 and I-66. Garage parking available (for a fee). $960/mo. + cable. Contact Jamirah, jhamirah@gmail.com.

HOUSING AVAILABLE: 4 fun, friendly people in their early 30s, looking for CF for a room on Capitol Hill, near 7th and MD, NE. One block from Stanton Park, 10 min walk to Union Station or Eastern Market. $650/mo + util. Looking to fill room by Nov. 1. Contact Molly, mollyjmalone@yahoo.com.

VOLUNTEER: After school Boys house, called the 859 House, has (4) four computers that need updating and checking for virus. The house is located at 19th and I Street NE. If interested, please contact Dorothy Logans, dorothy.logans@gmail.com or 206-683 -3326

Worship Team
Monthly Gathering | Tuesday, November 9th | 7:30 pm - 9:30 pm We need you!

Even if you are not sure you want to join the team, we would love to get to know you and worship with you. Bring your voice or your instrument, and feel welcome to worship with us.