Do Looks Matter?

"I don't care what she'll look like," the young man declared about his yet-unknown future bride. "I'll love her for who she is inside." Everyone in the small gathering of young people looked at him with distinctly unconvinced expressions. But this was a church gathering, and we all knew he was saying the spiritual thing. Such piety simply couldn't be challenged. That is, until one guy ventured what was to him a sincere question: "Yeah, but don't you want her to be hot?" 

As if something appalling had been said, we collectively turned to the youth minister, who had been quietly backing away from the conversation. With an uneasy smile, he said, "Well, you can make a pretty girl spiritual, but you can't make a spiritual girl pretty."

Everyone sensed the sarcasm in his maxim, but it didn't bring much resolution to the dilemma. Do looks matter? This question comes up a lot in my current ministry, too, usually in the form of a single friend feeling guilty for not being attracted to an otherwise worthy romantic candidate. I usually tell friends they shouldn't feel guilty for not being attracted to someone---but they shouldn't think the matter is necessarily settled, either.  Keep Reading...

Why "Not Many Should Aspire to be Teachers"

One of the things I find most helpful in Presbyterianism is the clear distinction it makes between members and office bearers.  To be a member of a Presbyterian church, one need only confess with the mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in one's heart that God raised him from the dead (Rom. 10).  In practice, this means that if you profess to believe Jesus is Lord and risen and you live a life that appears consistent with that testimony, you can be a member. of the church.

To be an office bearer, however - a minister or elder  - one has to take a vow to uphold the teaching of the Bible as elaborated in the Westminster Standards.  In other words, there is a lot more material that you need to believe, articulate and be prepared to defend in order to hold office.  That seems consistent with Paul's vision of elder; and it is also consonant with the notion that elders are to bring the congregation to maturity.  If the elders were only as mature and as informed as the average member, then congregational growth to maturity would be dramatically hindered.

Of course, this also means that ministers and elders are to be held to higher standards.  For a congregant to make a silly and incorrect doctrinal statement in a conversation over coffee after the service is one thing; for a minister to make a public statement as a minister which is wrong is a far more serious matter.   Public mistakes by ministers cannot be dealt with privately because the mistake is part of his public teaching role.  People look to the minister for a lead; and when he falls dramatically short, the implications can be very significant for the church.  I cannot deny election, for example, and expect a free pass.  I will be held to my vows, and that publicly.  In fact, I would probably be required to step down from my teaching position until such time as I was able to honour my vows with a good conscience.    Keep Reading...

What should be a Pastor’s Motto for his Local Church Ministry?