“Out, damned spot!”

Dear Crosswalkers,

“Out, damned spot!” Lady Macbeth famously said in Shakespeare’s tragedy as she tried to wash away her guilt about having participated in murder.  For those of you who don’t know the story, it doesn’t work out so well for her as she dies, presumably by suicide, at the end of the play.  Here’s an update:  According to an article by a CNN health writer, new studies indicate that the act of washing hands can actually help people cleanse themselves of guilt and worries about the past, at least temporarily.

A study done in 2006 showed that washing hands can help people come to terms with their unethical behavior.  Now a University of Michigan research team has conducted a new study.  This study is based on the fact that the metaphor of cleansing outwardly is found across cultures as a way of dealing with the guilt we all feel inside.  One researcher on the team that studied the effects of hand washing says, “When people have done bad things, they have sort of sins or traces or residuals from the past.  By washing… the hands, there’s a sense of abstractly also washing away the past sins.” Although the study was very limited in scope, and the benefits of being cleansed of guilt were only temporary, the lead researcher still made this conclusion:  “We should also expect physical washing to remove past concerns – concerns about past decisions, or past immoral behaviors, and that’s what we were able to show.”

Interestingly, the Bible deals with is issue as well.  Holy Scripture agrees that the act of outward cleansing can serve as a physical reminder of the need we all have to be cleansed of our guilt.  Ananias said this to Saul of Tarsus, after he met the rise Lord Jesus on the road to Damascus:

‘What are you waiting for? Get up and be baptized. Have your sins washed away by calling on the name of the Lord’ (Acts 22:16).

Later in the NT, we get the more complete explanation: …Baptism now saves you—not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good conscience—through the resurrection of Jesus Christ (1 Peter 3:21 NASB).

Note this needed corrective to the recent studies.  Temporary relief from guilt may come from the act of washing, because it is natural to associate outward cleansing with inward purity.  But outward washing is of no lasting value in terms of forgiveness of our sins!  That’s why Christian baptism is not merely an outward act, but an inward reality of appealing to God for for a clear conscience – not through our own goodness or even through an honored ritual, but through the resurrection of our Lord Jesus!  We all, in a more literal manner than we care to admit, have a “damned spot” that we desperately need to get out of our life!  Only our union with Jesus in his death for our sins and his resurrection for our justification can get rid of our guilt!

All this to say we will have a great day of worship this Sunday!  We have baptisms to celebrate, which is always a joyful occasion!  Praise God!  Also we will be looking at the next Myth in our Mythbusters series, which is this:  “Christianity is just a psychological crutch for weak and uneducated people.  The church is for the dregs of society who are losers.” You may be shocked by the results of our study!!  Invite some friends and come to church this Lord’s Day!

Affectionately in Christ,

Pastor John

Something Unspeakably Sweet

Dear Crosswalkers,

 

I recently came across a wonderful interview by a man facing the end of his life.  William Stuntz is a professor at Harvard Law School who has published broadly, from the Harvard Law Review to The Weekly Standard to First Things andChristianity Today.  He has co-authored textbooks on criminal procedure, and has a book coming out this year from Harvard University Press. In February of 2008, a large tumor was found in his body. Soon his doctors found numerous tumors.  His cancer has metastasized and spread through his body to other organs, and he is not expected to live beyond 2010.  He is 52. 

 

William has a wife and family, and he is a member of Park Street Church in Boston, where he recently gave his powerful testimony to the congregation.  He was recently interviewed by Patheos, a website devoted to spiritual issues.  It is an interview full of depth and beauty. This is the last question he was asked in the interview, along with his answer:

 

Do you have any favorite quotations or favorite scriptures, when it comes to death?

 

Yes, a passage in the fourteenth chapter of Job.  The passage as a whole is not hopeful.  Job is uncertain what will happen to him when he dies.  In the end, he says that he will return to dust and there will be nothing after death. 

 

In the midst of the passage, however, before he turns to despair, he has a moment of hope.  It's a brief moment, just a couple of verses in the midst of an extended passage.  Yet he says, "You will call and I will answer.  You will long for the creature your hands have made" (Job 14:15).   

 

I find those lines very powerful.  The concept that God longs for the likes of me is so unspeakably sweet.  I almost cannot bear to say them aloud.  They are achingly sweet for me to hear. 

 

There are many passages I love, but that one in particular has grabbed hold of me.  Job's hope, it turns out, is more realistic than his despair.

 

Wow.  This man has a tremendous faith, and his comfort ("unspeakably sweet"), is that God longs for the likes of you and me.  And it is so true.  God loves us and seeks us and wants to embrace us into his forever family!

UPDATES:

• FRIDAY NIGHT our school is holding a special Talent and Culture Show to raise funds for up-grading our playground:  re-surfacing/painting the black top; more tanbark; repair sprinklers on new grass area, etc.  Tickets may be purchased at the door for $7.00.  Included in each ticket price is one raffle ticket.  It is for a great cause and will be a fun show.  You are invited!!

• SATURDAY MORNING @ 8:30 a.m is our Men's Breakfast!  All men are encouraged to come for an awesome breakfast, praise music and program and fellowship!

• This SUNDAY we will continue with MYTHBUSTERS!  The myth we will bust wide open is this:  "All we need to do is live a good life and God will let us into heaven."  But how good is good enough?  Jesus told a story that will help us bust this myth!  This would be a great Sunday to invite a friend to come to church with you!  

• One last note of PRAISE:  Our Faith Promises now total $129,920!!  I praise God that Crosswalk is a church devoted to Missions!!  Now please join me in praying that God will provide what we have promised by faith to give!

Love in Jesus,

 

Pastor John 

 

 

 

P.S.  You can read the entire interview with William Stuntz for yourself here:

 

 http://www.patheos.com/Resources/Additional-Resources/You-Will-Call-I-Will-Answer?offset=0&max=1

Why Teen Girls Remain Virgins

Dear Crosswalkers,

 

Admittedly, the title of today's message is a bit provocative.  Yet it is a very real issue, and with Mother's Day coming up this Sunday, I would like to share some fascinating new research on the subject.  The bottom line is this:  Recent studies (from the Journal of Adolescent Health), indicate that teenage girls who are close to their moms are more likely to stay virgins. The key for parents, experts say, is not just talking with their daughters about sex, but being deeply involved in their children's lives.  Perhaps we can pause for the Bible's teaching in this regard:

 

Deuteronomy 6:6-9:
⁶ And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today.  ⁷ Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. ⁸ Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders. ⁹ Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. 

In other words, the Bible's focus on parenting is simple:  BE INVOLVED IN THE LIVES OF YOUR KIDS! 

Now back to the study:  The research was based on interviews with mothers and their 14 and 15-year-old girls.  It discovered that when families have meals together, when parents know where their children are, and when they know their kids' friends, it is less likely that a teenager will have sex (not to mention engage in other "at risk" behavior). They found thatmothers whose daughters were still virgins shared several qualities: the mothers strongly disapproved of their daughters having sex; they were satisfied with their relationship with their daughters; and they frequently talked with the parents of their daughters' friends.

According to the study, other factors seemed to make little difference in teen sex, including how religious the mothers were, how often they talked about sex with their daughters, or how uncomfortable they were talking about sex. Talking about birth control also did not appear to have any effect on teens' sexual behavior.  What matters most is involvement in their lives.  How do parents spell love?  I-N-V-O-L-V-E-M-E-N-T.

 

THIS SUNDAY we will continue our MYTHBUSTERS sermon series on Mother's Day with a message entitled:  "Myths About Parenting."  And as always, I promise there will be something for everyone on the special day.  Please invite your moms and daughters and all your family members to worship with you this Lord's Day!

 

HERE ARE A COUPLE OF ANNOUNCEMENTS:

• We are grateful that last Sunday we received over half the sign-ups we need for our next community outreach project:  The Sunnyvale Art and Wine festival.  There will be 150,000 people visiting over the first weekend in June!  As a church family, we want to be there and let our community know that there is a church in town with Good News for families!  Please prayerfully consider volunteering to help at this event.  Also, we are in need of $2 donations to help with water-bottle giveaways at our booth.  Please consider generously supporting this outreach into our community!

• One of our regular attendees at Crosswalk passed away this week.  Tony Nelson's funeral service is tomorrow at noon at the Lima Funeral home on the corner of Fremont and Hollenbeck.  We praise God for Tony's life and the legacy of faith he leaves.

• The Hernandez Family from Paraguay is safely back after 5 years on the mission field!  They are home for a year of furlough and we will welcome them back at our second service this Sunday!  There will be ample time and opportunities in the near future for folks at both services and beyond to bless our missionaries and hear of their adventures.  

 

 May the Lord richly bless you!

 

Faithfully yours,

 

Pastor John Christie