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Visiting Churches

Reflecting on Church #31: They Must Not Care About Visitors

Be the Church Where Visitors Come Back

With our journey of visiting fifty-two churches over, I can reflect more on the complete experience. Today, I’ll add to my thoughts about Church #31.

This church pursued excellence in their service, with the effective use of technology and the professionalism of those who led us. Their example is one worthy of imitation.

52 Churches: A Yearlong Journey Encountering God, His Church, and Our Common Faith

Unfortunately, they failed in another area, a much more important one. They don’t seem to care about church visitors.

They were one of the most unfriendly churches we visited. Aside from a greeter, who talked to us when we arrived and when we left, no one else interacted with us at any time, in any way: not one conversation, no eye contact, not even a smile.

They gave us a nice performance, but ignored us as individuals, allowing us to remain all alone in a room full of people.

When visiting a church, I don’t expect members to fawn over me or celebrate my attendance, but I do expect some will acknowledge my presence.

It felt like being invited to a party and the host snubbing me. Maybe that was the problem. We weren’t invited. We just showed up.

While the service was so well done that I want to come back, the people were so distant that I can’t bear to return.

[See my reflections about Church #30 and Church #32 or start with Church #1.]

My wife and I visited a different Christian Church every Sunday for a year. This is our story. Get your copy of 52 Churches today, available in ebook, paperback, hardcover, and audiobook.

Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.

Read more in his books, blog, and weekly email updates.

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Bible Insights

Paul Talks about Resurrection from the Dead

Paul Talks to Felix

The ninth sermon in the book of Acts: Acts 24:1-27 (specifically Acts 24:10-21). Paul gives his testimony and talks about his belief in the resurrection from the dead.

Setting: A hearing before Felix in Caesarea

Speaker: Paul

Audience: Felix (the governor and judge), Jews, and Ananias and Tertullus, Paul’s accusers.

Preceding Events: Paul is sent to Felix in Caesarea to protect him from a plot by some Jews in Jerusalem who have vowed to kill him.

Overall Theme: Paul denies the charges against him and declares his core beliefs.

Scripture Quoted: none

Central Teaching: Paul believes in the resurrection from the dead.

Subsequent Events: Paul is kept in prison for two years, but is granted some freedom and has more opportunities to talk with Felix. Although Felix is moved by what Paul says, there is no record of him deciding to follow Jesus.

Key Lesson: God’s plans may not be our plans or meet our expectations of how things should happen.

We should, however, put our faith and trust in God and his plans for us. His will for our life is more important than our plans.

This post is from the series “Sermons in the book of Acts.” Read about sermon #8 or sermon #10.

Read more about the book of Acts in Tongues of Fire: 40 Devotional Insights for Today’s Church from the Book of Acts, available in e-book, paperback, and hardcover.

Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.

Read more in his books, blog, and weekly email updates.

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Visiting Churches

Reflecting on Church #30: The Bait and Switch

Avoid Creative Marketing for Your Church

With our journey of visiting fifty-two churches over, I can reflect more on the complete experience. Today, I’ll add to my thoughts about Church #30.

We also attended Sunday school at this church, the only time we did so on our sojourn. The problem was that we didn’t intend to. Their website said church was at 10 a.m., and their pastor confirmed this fact via email.

The did a bait and switch on us.

52 Churches: A Yearlong Journey Encountering God, His Church, and Our Common Faith

When we arrived a man said, “Sit anywhere” as he gestured to an almost empty sanctuary.

For the next hour, we endured a most pathetic ordeal: welcome, announcements, prayer requests, greeting time, offering, hymn sing, sermon, and closing prayer—just like at any church struggling to slog through a sixty-minute church service.

Then the speaker said, “Thank you for attending; church will start in ten minutes.” Only then did I realize we’d just suffered through Sunday school. In sales, they call this “bait and switch.” I was seething.

Exhausted after enduring their Sunday school, I was in no condition to have a good attitude for church.

Though their actual church service had many positive elements, being tricked into attending Sunday school looms as my primary memory. I will never go back.

[See my reflections about Church #29 and Church #31 or start with Church #1.]

My wife and I visited a different Christian Church every Sunday for a year. This is our story. Get your copy of 52 Churches today, available in ebook, paperback, hardcover, and audiobook.

Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.

Read more in his books, blog, and weekly email updates.

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Christian Living

Martin Luther Supported the Sacrament of Penance

But Luther Believed the Pope Had No Power Over Purgatory

Martin Luther’s second group of ninety-five theses addressed the pope’s authority over purgatory, or to be more correct, the pope’s lack of authority.

Martin asserted that the pope had no power when it came to remitting sins and their penalty in purgatory.

Though some accounts claim Luther found no biblical support for purgatory itself, as well as the Sacrament of Penance, his ninety-five theses don’t support this position.

Martin Luther’s 95 Theses: Celebrating the Protestant Reformation in the 21st Century

He agreed that the Sacrament of Penance allows for forgiveness of sins to those who are truly sorry for their actions. He didn’t criticize penance.

The difference between the Sacrament of Penance and the pope’s greatly expanded extension of the concept may not be immediately apparent, but the distinction is significant.

The essential aspects of penance reside in admitting mistakes and being remorseful for them. After meeting these conditions, the priest offers forgiveness for the confessed sins.

What the pope had approved, however, was far different. He removed the elements of confession and repentance. Then he replaced them with a monetary payment.

Next, the scope of forgiveness expanded to cover all sins, not specific ones. And last, instead of addressing forgiveness in this life, the pope authorized a future forgiveness in death.

Martin made his view clear: The pope had overreached. The papal indulgences didn’t, and couldn’t, remove guilt. These full indulgences fell short of being able to reconcile people with God, which comes solely from sincere repentance.

The extent of the pope’s actual authority was limited to what he imposed, not what God established. The pope didn’t have a stockpile of eternal credits. He couldn’t subjectively transfer salvation to others.

Even if one person could go beyond what God requires, they couldn’t save their excess to use later for someone else, as some people believed.

Only Jesus can do that. And he did. He freely offered forgiveness to all who believe, without any involvement of the pope.

From this Martin concluded that the pope had no real authority over purgatory. Martin argued that if the pope truly did have power to release one person from purgatory that he should release all people. That out of love he could free everyone.

This would effectively abolish purgatory. And if the pope intentionally left people in purgatory merely to raise money, his actions accounted for nothing more than greed.

Martin did, however, identify one thing the pope could do in relation to purgatory. He could pray for the early release of the people there, an action any member of the clergy could exercise.

Prior to Martin, others had proclaimed salvation only through Jesus and questioned the pope’s authority over purgatory. They did this without being charged with heresy.

Had Martin restricted the focus to these points, he might have escaped the firestorm of attacks that followed. But he took one more step.

Read more about Martin Luther and the Protestant Reformation in Peter DeHaan’s book Martin Luther’s 95 Theses: Celebrating the Protestant Reformation in the 21st Century. Buy it today to discover more about Martin Luther and his history-changing 95 theses.

Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.

Read more in his books, blog, and weekly email updates.

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Bible Insights

The Warning Signs of a Preacher Gone Bad

How to Identify a False Teacher

Peter writes to caution the early church about false teachers, leaders who misguide, doing more harm to the church of Jesus than good. We need to watch out for them.

Here are some of the characteristics of a preacher gone bad.

False Teachers

  • Scoff at what they don’t understand
  • Act instinctively (like unreasoning animals)
  • Indulge in evil pleasures
  • Are a disgrace to the church
  • Commit adultery with their eyes
  • Lure others into their own insatiable desire for sin
  • Are greedy, cursed, useless
  • Brag or boast about themselves
  • Have twisted sexual desires
  • Promise freedom, while being enslaved to sin and corruption

I’ve known preachers like this. I’ve heard their sermons.

Whenever I hear a preacher mock what he doesn’t understand, my ears perk up. I am on high alert. Is he a false teacher? Then I look for other common characteristics:

Does his close mindedness disgrace Jesus and his church?

Is he greedy? That is, are his pleas for money insatiable?

Does he promote himself and his ministry?

Does he promise his followers freedom and then enslave them in rules?

False teachers are not someone we disagree with. Differences in opinion are fine. False teachers have identifiable traits, and I fear our church today has many more false teachers than we realize.

Watch out for them. Don’t follow them. Leave their influence at the first indication of these signs.

We’ve been warned.

[Read through the Bible with us this year. Today’s reading is 2 Peter 1-3, and today’s post is on 2 Peter 2:12-19.]

Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.

Read more in his books, blog, and weekly email updates.

Bogged Down Reading the Bible?

10 Essential Bible Reading Tips, from Peter DeHaan

Get the Bible Reading Tip Sheet: “10 Tips to Turn Bible Reading from Drudgery to Delight.”

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Peter DeHaan News

52 Churches Boxset: Discover How to Make Church Matter

The Visiting Churches Series Books 1 to 4

Visit fifty-two churches in a year? No way!

Peter DeHaan and his wife did just that. They spent a year visiting a different Christian church every Sunday: Protestant mainline, evangelical, and charismatic; Roman Catholic too.

He visited a congregation just like yours. Count on it.

52 Churches Boxset: Discover How to Make Church Matter

You’ll laugh. You’ll cringe. You’ll cry.

Church-reform proponent Peter DeHaan is a strong advocate of forming meaningful Christian community. And he shares his discerning journey of discovery to inspire ministers, members, and attendees to build personal connections that matter.

This isn’t a church-shopping romp or a mean-spirited critique. Peter doesn’t rip at today’s church. Instead he offers a gift of encouragement, hope, and insight to all of Jesus’s followers. Plus, he shares astute observations and makes spot-on suggestions.

Then build on the narrative of 52 Churches with the thought-provoking follow up: The 52 Churches Workbook. In it, consider 200 challenging questions to grow your faith. Ideal for group discussion or individual introspection.

But that’s not all. Read more church encounters in More Than 52 Churches. Followed by The More Than 52 Churches Workbook. More experiences and more reflective considerations.

Read the 52 Churches Boxset for education, read it for entertainment, and read it for the vision gained only from visiting a diverse array of churches.

These books are ideal for ministry leaders, members, and spiritual seekers.

Get your copy of the 52 Churches Boxset to begin your own exploration of religious practices!

Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.

Read more in his books, blog, and weekly email updates.

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Visiting Churches

Reflecting on Church #29: Let’s Pursue a New Testament Model for Church

A Laity Led Church Service

With our journey of visiting fifty-two churches over, I can reflect more on the complete experience. Today, I’ll add to my thoughts about Church #29.

With their minister gone, church members lead us in the service, the entire service. They don’t need paid staff or a guest speaker to conduct the service. They can do this on their own. And they do it quite naturally, with ease.

52 Churches: A Yearlong Journey Encountering God, His Church, and Our Common Faith

I always appreciate seeing laity—that is, nonprofessional, nonpaid people—take part in leading a church service. It’s more personal and real, less of a performance or show.

Some churches aren’t able to conduct a service without their pastor present (or at least have a guest preacher to give a message), while others manage just fine.

Having paid staff and professional clergy is an Old Testament mode of church. It distracts us from the example set forth in the New Testament model, where we are all priests, ministering to one another.

Our churches would all be better off if we learned how to conduct services on our own, without the need of trained ministers to lead us.

Given the chance, I think we’d do just fine.

[See my reflections about Church #28 and Church #30 or start with Church #1.]

My wife and I visited a different Christian Church every Sunday for a year. This is our story. Get your copy of 52 Churches today, available in ebook, paperback, hardcover, and audiobook.

Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.

Read more in his books, blog, and weekly email updates.

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Christian Living

There’s No Shortcut to Heaven: Buying Full Indulgences Won’t Help

Martin Luther Worried That Buying Full Indulgences Served to Hinder Salvation

What most raised the ire of the Church against Martin Luther and his ninety-five theses, however, was not his claim of salvation through Jesus alone or the pope having no power over purgatory, but his bold statement that full indulgences served to hinder salvation.

False Security

Martin realized indulgences instilled a false sense of spiritual security in those who bought them. It was as if they had purchased a pass to enter heaven; they were good to go. Then they could live their life as they wanted, without regard for what God wanted.

Instead, the people’s complete trust in papal indulgences to secure their salvation removed the requirement of repentance and damned them for eternity.

With their certificate of indulgence in hand, a full indulgence, the people no longer felt a need to repent, Mark 1:15, or to work out their salvation by doing good and helping the poor, Philippians 2:12.

Martin Luther’s 95 Theses: Celebrating the Protestant Reformation in the 21st Century

Help the Poor

Jesus, however, commends those who clothe the naked and care for the sick, Matthew 25:34-40. Yet all the attention given to buying indulgences removed the focus from those in need.

Jesus didn’t say, “Sell your cloak and buy an indulgence.” (He said to “sell your cloak and buy a sword,” Luke 22:36.)

Martin noted that when people paid for their indulgences, they in effect diverted money from the poor and even the needs of their own family. Instead, they redirected it to the Church. Full indulgences had the direct impact of producing less charity for those who needed it most.

Selling Full Indulgences Fund the Church

Instead it provided more money to those in power who already had too much. The Church wanted the people’s money. They had already downplayed helping the poor so they could receive more.

The sale of indulgences advanced their unethical quest to get more of their followers’ cash.

Full indulgences were also dangerous because they encouraged complacency.

God’s work in the lives of his creation unfolds in a strange way. Only when a person feels completely lost can the light of God provide the needed illumination.

Yet the crutch of indulgences kept people from ever feeling utterly lost and in need of God. True peace comes from faith in Jesus, not by receiving absolution through the purchase of an indulgence.

Faith in Jesus

As a response to placing faith in Jesus comes the need to carry our cross to follow him as his disciple, Luke 14:27. We die to self to live for God. We deny our wishes and become crucified with Jesus, just like Paul, Galatians 2:20.

The cross of Jesus, not an indulgence from a pope, provides the way to cover our wrongs.

The German people had long lived under the financial tyranny of the Church. They sought relief. Martin’s theses demanded financial liberation and resonated with them.

They understood it. It became their manifesto against the Church’s corrupt money grab.

Luther’s 95 Theses

What most of the German people didn’t grasp, however, was Martin’s call to be crucified with Jesus. The people rallied around a vision of financial release from the Church’s practices, thanks to some of Martin’s theses.

As a result, the other theses accompanied them. This pushed the group of ninety-five theses forward, even if the people didn’t understand them all.

Though Martin understood his 95 theses, he had no idea of the problems they would cause.

Read more about Martin Luther and the Protestant Reformation in Peter DeHaan’s book Martin Luther’s 95 Theses: Celebrating the Protestant Reformation in the 21st Century. Buy it today to discover more about Martin Luther and his history-changing 95 theses.

Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.

Read more in his books, blog, and weekly email updates.

Categories
Visiting Churches

Reflecting on Church #28: The Allure of Christian Mystic

Embracing Tradition and Worship Ritual

With our journey of visiting fifty-two churches over, I can reflect more on the complete experience. Today, I’ll add to my thoughts about Church #28.

Steeped in ritual resulting from centuries of carefully protected tradition, the spiritual mystery of this tiny liturgical church presented me with an enigma I’m yet to fully comprehend.

52 Churches: A Yearlong Journey Encountering God, His Church, and Our Common Faith

With worship that both confronted and comforted me, I have much to contemplate as I wrestle with confusion over its practices that are so foreign to me. I call it Christian mystic.

I remind myself that different isn’t a bad thing. It’s actually good if the result draws me closer to God. This church did that for me.

They left me in awe of who he is and amazed at the diverse ways we can worship him. My admiration, however, didn’t end with the official service, the Christian mystic approach to God.

Though it only lasted an hour, the informal gathering afterward continued for another ninety minutes, as we immersed ourselves into community.

I learned much about the people and this church, enjoying our conversation and all they had to share.

These are good folks, fellow pilgrims who enjoy being with each other. I know that I must return for another visit.

My plan was to never tell people at the churches we visited that we might come back. And for fifty-one churches, I never did. However, I do tell them I’ll be back—just that it won’t be for quite a while.

We have twenty-four other churches to visit first.

[See my reflections about Church #27 and Church #29 or start with Church #1.]

Followup: My wife and I did indeed make a return visit to this church. Much of our experience the second time matched our first visit. The one key difference is that there were about four times as many people in attendance the second time.

My wife and I visited a different Christian Church every Sunday for a year. This is our story. Get your copy of 52 Churches today, available in ebook, paperback, hardcover, and audiobook.

Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.

Read more in his books, blog, and weekly email updates.

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Christian Living

The Latter Years of Martin Luther

Martin Luther Wanted to Work Within the Church to Bring About Change but They Kicked Him Out

Martin Luther intended to work out his ninety-five theses within the Church leadership. However, once the masses read and heard them in their own language—through no fault of Martin’s—an internal Church discussion became impossible.

A revolution brewed. The people, poised for change, saw to that. But the leaders of the Church had a different reaction. They saw Luther as a threat. His views opposed them, their power, and their profit motives.

Martin Luther’s 95 Theses: Celebrating the Protestant Reformation in the 21st Century

Yes, Martin wanted a reformation. But he wanted it to occur in an orderly fashion, to work within the Church and discuss his concerns with its leaders. He loved the Church and desired to remain part of her.

He never planned to create a new church and certainly never wanted a Lutheran denomination named in his honor. To him there was one church, the church of Jesus, which Martin sought to fine-tune.

Later Luther would seek to reclaim key doctrines that had fallen away:

  • biblical authority,
  • justification by grace through faith alone,
  • preaching the good news of Jesus,
  • the true meaning of communion,
  • the priesthood of believers,
  • faith in Jesus, and
  • the universal church, as well as others.

He also began to question the addition of new practices that lacked biblical support. These included papal infallibility, the practice of Mass, penance, and indulgences.

In addition, he objected to the absolute authority accorded to the pope, along with the secularization and corruption of the Church’s upper leadership. To communicate his concerns, Martin spoke often and wrote volumes about these issues.

Luther didn’t desire to leave the Church, but to correct her errors. For several years he and his followers toiled to do just that. They believed their efforts would restore a pure Christian community.

He persisted despite the Church’s personal attacks on his character. Their opposition escalated to physical threats on his freedom and risks to his very life. Even after his church labeled him as a heretic and expelled him, he still hoped-for reconciliation.

Read more about Martin Luther and the Protestant Reformation in Peter DeHaan’s book Martin Luther’s 95 Theses: Celebrating the Protestant Reformation in the 21st Century. Buy it today to discover more about Martin Luther and his history-changing 95 theses.

Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.

Read more in his books, blog, and weekly email updates.