Nathan James Norman
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Nathan James Norman

Husband. Father. Pastor.
Storyteller. Reader. Comic Fan.
Slave of the Lord Jesus Christ.

The Orchard Church

Is Jesus Fighting Against Southern Baptist Leadership?

5/25/2022

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Is Jesus Fighting Against Southern Baptist Leadership?
 
I read through the Guidepost Solutions Independent Report on the handling of sex abuse allegations by the Executive Committee of the Southern Baptist Convention. I spent Sunday evening on it.

There was almost nothing in there surprising. Shocking, tragic, and despicable, but not surprising. I’ve been nauseous and angry over the last four days.
 
Then the question occurred to me: Is Jesus fighting against Southern Baptist leadership?
 
Let me back up a bit. I’ve served in two Southern Baptist churches since 2006. I’ve participated in state conventions, and local associations. I’ve been friends with trustees from almost every major SBC entity. I’ve had direct conversations and phone calls with a number of SBC elites during my ministry – when I feel convicted to challenge a decision or direction, I try to reach out directly.
 
I have always felt like an outsider trying to understand. I love how we have a system to collaborate in missions, disaster relief, and church planting. At the same time, though, the system of power is problematic. While SBC entity leadership says that we are a bottom-up convention (meaning the churches are the ones with the power), the reality is we are a top-down organization. Our bylaws certainly define us as a bottom-up convention of churches. But many leaders in SBC entities hold onto power by withholding information from the convention or the trustee teams. They hold onto power and control the narrative by putting friends into places of power – the good ol’ boy system. They hold onto power through the insidious SBC Eleventh Commandment, which is an informal rule that no matter how bad things get, Southern Baptists never speak against Southern Baptists. Actually, it’s not always an informal rule. I’ve seen a number of entities incorporate the rule into their employee and trustee code of conducts as grounds for dismissal.
 
(Which let’s be fair, petty vitriol over philosophy of ministry or minute points of theology should be avoided. But the eleventh commandment has silenced many from speaking up about abuses of power.)
 
This brings us to the Guidepost Solutions’ Report of the Independent Investigation . In this report we see credible and extensive documentation of the Executive Committee leadership bullying sex abuse survivors, withholding information from the trustees, burying information, and protecting powerful friends (my interpretation). We also saw reports of two past SBC presidents engaging in sexual abuse themselves. (One was characterized in the report as sexual assault. The other described as a mutual affair between a pastor and a woman he once pastored. This is still considered sexual abuse, and is illegal in thirteen states.)
 
Over the last few days, I’ve seen SBC leaders post their responses to the report. Generally, they’ve talked about being horrified, having compassion for the survivors, and wanting to work to make the SBC a safer convention.
 
Seeing these sentiments made me angry.
And I couldn’t figure out why for a day.
 
Hopefully, I’ve laid out this post well enough that you know why it made me angry. The system that enabled the Executive Committee to gaslight sex abuse survivors, protect abusive pastors, and withhold information from the trustees, is the same system that I’ve observed in other SBC entities.
 
I have no knowledge of other entities mishandling sex abuse cases.
But the same system of withholding information, good ol’ boy system of promoting, and eleventh commandment enforcement is pervasive throughout the entities of the convention. Not in equal measure, but we’re all aware of how the system works, and what we need to do if we want to climb the ladder to success.
 
While the leaders of the other entities may not have committed the evils the Executive Committee have – our overall system has led to this end. Many of our SBC leaders endorsed and supported these Executive Committee leaders outlined in the report. Instead of saying How terrible, we will work to do better, our leadership should be saying, How terrible, we allowed it to get this bad!
 
The Executive Committee and Baptist Press have apologized and repented. There’s more to do, but that’s a start.
 
There has been almost no repentance from the other SBC Leadership, and no repentance on the part of those named in the Guidestone report other than Steve Gaines.
 
For years I’ve heard from SBC leadership how we’re under spiritual attack. But maybe the attack hasn’t been from Satan. Maybe it has been from God himself.
 
Satan is involved, for sure. He has promised power and influence. He has encouraged silence and misdirection for the good of the organization. But I suspect that much of the warfare has been coming from the Lord.
 
In the book of Revelation, the glorious, risen Lord appears to John. He has a sword coming out of his mouth. He looks ready to make war. And in the next scene, we don’t see him fighting against his enemies in the world. In a shocking twist we see him battle against his own Church! In chapters 2 and 3, five out of the seven churches receive harsh warnings:

  • I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent.
  • So repent! Otherwise, I will come to you quickly and fight against them with the sword of my mouth.
  • Unless they repent of her works, I will strike her children dead.
  • Remember, then, what you have received and heard; keep it, and repent. If you are not alert, I will come like a thief, and you have no idea at what hour I will come upon you.
  • As many as I love, I rebuke and discipline. So be zealous and repent.
 
Has the decline in SBC membership and baptisms been because of our convention’s hidden sins?
Has the risen Lord been fighting against us? Rebuking and disciplining us until we repent?
 
I think so.
 
And I think God has contended against our convention by first empowering the survivor community. Then, I think God has contended against our convention by using news organizations to uncover our shame. After this, I think God awoke the churches to the hidden sins in the convention, and despite the best efforts to block us and ignore us, we prevailed to have an investigation done.
 
Never have I seen so many people, fight so hard so we would have the opportunity to repent.
 
But it wasn’t just the Executive Committee that was broken. We are broken.
 
Look, to the best of my knowledge myself and the church I serve has never gaslit abuse survivors. We’ve tried to support and resource survivors. We’ve posted the sermon “What Will Happen if the Church Ignores Sexual Abuse?” on our homepage for over four years. But even still, in response to our reading of Daniel 9 – The Orchard Church repented.
 
And we will continue to do so.
 
Because from my perspective, Satan deceived many of our leaders into sin with the promise of a stronger convention, and many took it. And the Lord, because of his love for his Church, has been disciplining us.
 
Many have done evil in the name of God.
Do not misuse the name of the Lord your God, because the Lord will not leave anyone unpunished who misuses his name (Exodus 20:7).
 
The terrifying part in all this, is that the Lord will continue to discipline and continue to rebuke until there is repentance.
 
And then – only then can we begin to bear fruit.
Therefore produce fruit consistent with repentance (Matthew 3:8).
 
We cannot move forward as a convention until we repent as a convention.
 
I plead with our convention leaders, repent. Repent on behalf of the entities you lead.
And if you have personal culpability, repent now. God is going to reveal everything that is hidden. Yes, you may have to lose your position, but you will gain a right relationship with the One who created and upholds all things.
 
It’s only after we’ve done this that we can be empowered by Jesus to fix what is broken in our convention.
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A Prayer Against Violence

5/25/2022

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Broke. Frightened. Numb. Angry. Grieved. Heartbroken. 
The terrible violence in Buffalo, NY coupled with the horrible violence in Uvalde, TX has me feeling a vast array of emotions. 

I don't know the answer to this evil. I have some steps we should explore as a national community.
​But first, I am moved to pray:

Father, 
​God of peace. God of truth. God of life. 

Why? Why? Why? 

​Not again. Not again. Not again. 

A young man targets people based on their ethnos? Men and women created by you. Loved by you. Bearing your image! 

A young man targets children. Precious little ones. Like the one our Lord welcomed. Like the ones our Lord said the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to.  

Father, are you not mightier than these evil men? Could you not stop them? Prevent them? Send someone to intervene in their lives before this happens? 

Our hands shake with grief and they ball up in rage. 

This has to stop. 
Put an end to it Lord. 
Show us the way to put an end to it.

Spirit of God, comfort the families in Buffalo, Uvalde, and beyond. 
Give them your peace, 
not as the world gives it, 
not from their current circumstances, 
but that can only come from You. 
May they feel your loving arms wrapped around them. 
May they feel your presence in their
anger, 
weeping, and
bitter sorrow. 

Father God be with the survivors, 
the children, 
the men, 
the women, 
who witness these horrors. 
Heal the wounds on their bodies, and
send your servants to help heal the wounds in their souls. 

Help us in our distress God. 
Search our hearts and reveal any evil within. 

We repent. 

Help guide our political leadership to find unity and wise laws - 
for we know you will use the law to restrain evil. 

Help guide us to our neighbors in distress. 
May we become a community again. 
Mothers to the motherless. 
Fathers to the fatherless. 
Sons and daughters to the childless. 
Sisters and brothers to all. 

Heal our land, Father. 
Change me. 
Change us. 
Change our country. 

In the Name of Jesus. 
Amen.

Personal Steps
I do not have answers or solutions. 
This is not definitive. But a friend of mine pointed out that bad ideas often lead to good ideas. 
So, I offer some thoughts about things we can do:
  1. Cool down the angry rhetoric. America has been characterized by rage for the last decade. There is a time for righteous anger... but not every day. This angry rhetoric more often than not using dehumanizing vulgarity or terms for political opponents. When we dehumanize people or groups, they become more enraged and act in inhumane ways. This also makes a person vulnerable to radical ideologies. We must become people who disagree with grace. 
  2. Check in on young people. Get to know people in your community. Volunteer to help out with basketball or soccer. Volunteer at the high school. Evil breeds in darkness and it cannot survive in the light. Many of these young men need people who will come alongside and support them. If healthy people aren't speaking into their lives, the monsters of this world will. 
  3. Invite young people to volunteer. This might require us to join churches or community groups first. But getting young people involved in helping others, builds their self-worth and gives them purpose. We need to invite young people to invite their friends (and acquaintances, and that one kid no one knows very well) to do something greater than themselves. 
  4. Love the young people in your life. Most everyone has young people in their lives. Maybe your own children, nieces or nephews, cousins, co-worker's kids, or people in the neighborhood. Invest time and money in them. As appropriate, send text messages, send letters, make phone calls, offer them books, ask what you can be praying about in their lives. Make some regular intentional contact so they know someone cares. 

Possible Political Steps
These are some thoughts. Maybe some of these bad ideas can lead to good ones. 
Those of you who know me, know that I am a big proponent of political cooperation. 
I also believe that one of the reasons God has given us government is to restrain evil. It will always do so imperfectly, but minimizing evil is better than letting it go unfettered. 

Here are some very flawed thoughts:
  1. Security Guard or Police at the Entrance of Schools A friend of mine in banking told me that people who are up to no good don't want to be greeted at the door. Just having a greeter can minimize people with violent intent. I understand this would be an enormous cost. And there's possibly better measures. 
  2. Mandatory classes and psychological evaluations of gun owners from 18-25. Ok, hear me out gun-rights advocates. I think this might be something both the right and left can get behind. The vast majority of these mass shootings are being carried out by young men in this age bracket. Let's do something to try and minimize access to deadly weapons to people who should not have them. In many states if young people want to get a driver's license, they need to first take a series of classes before they're allowed to take a written test and driving test. Car insurance companies require a very high premium for drivers under the age of 25. Let's face it, at 18 most of us made some pretty bad choices. I don't know of any parent who would hand over control of their household finances to their 18-year-old kids. So, let's take a page out of the traffic laws and require adults who are most prone to volatile decisions (18-25), to complete mandatory training, and complete mandatory evaluations to minimize violent people getting their hands on deadly weapons. 
  3. Make Internet pornography an opt-in service. I think pornography is a blight on human society. A public health crisis. But I know we live in a free​ country. Fine. Let's not restrict it, but let's make access to the majority of pornographic websites something a person has to opt-in to with their internet service provider, and not something we have automatic access to. It is well documented that viewing pornography rewires the brain. Over time, a porn user's brain stops associating people as people, and it begins viewing people as objects. Objects! I know this proposal is a long shot. Porn makes a lot of corporations a lot of money. But if we wonder how a person can mass-murder people, even children, it's because they no longer see people as people. They see them as things. Not image-bearers, loved by God. Objects and obstacles to be removed. Porn does that to the brain. (And no, I'm not saying everyone who looks at porn is going to become a mass-murderer. I am saying that it removes a moral barrier that can lead to dehumanizing people.)

Those are some of my imperfect thoughts. 

What other personal steps do you think people could take? 
​What are some political moves we could realistically take to minimize this evil? 

I'm going to spend some more time in prayer for my community today. 
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The Good Friday and Christian Dayenu

4/14/2022

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A traditional responsive song for Passover is called the Dayenu. It is a song of gratitude for the many blessings God has bestowed upon Israel through the historical Passover. 

I first became aware of it when listening to Exodus: An Oratorio in Three Parts, composed by David Itkin and narrated by William Shatner (yes that William Shatner). 

I have been preaching through the book of Exodus this year and right before Palm Sunday we had just experienced the crossing of the Red Sea and the Song of Miriam. And then we took a break from Exodus for Holy Week to travel forward in the narrative to the fulfillment of the Passover in Jesus. 

Part of our Good Friday service this year, we will be doing a responsive reading of an adapted version of the Passover Dayenu. Then we will do a responsive reading of a Christian version of the Dayenu. 
I have written this version and will likely revise it several times in the future. 

If you're looking for Good Friday service ideas, please feel free to use this and the PowerPoint version in a church service without credit. Just let me know you used it. 

You are, however, not allowed to use or adapt this for any other purpose, including publication electronically or in print. 
Good Friday Order of Service
 
Opening Prayer
Opening Thoughts on the fulfillment of Passover
 
Song – Jesus Paid it All
 
Hebrew Dayenu
 
Sermon on Passover to Good Friday
The Lord’s Supper
 
Song – Above All (Old Rugged Cross Chorus)
 
Christian Dayenu
 
Closing
 
[Exit in the discipline of silence]
Dayenu
Traditional Passover Song (adapted)
 
 
How many are the abundant blessings which the Almighty has bestowed upon us?
 
If He had brought us out from Egypt,
and had not carried out judgments against them
 
it would have been enough!
 
 
If He had carried out judgments against them,
and not against their idols
 
it would have been enough!
 
 
If He had destroyed their idols,
and had not smitten their first-born
 
it would have been enough!
 
 
If He had smitten their first-born,
and had not given us their wealth
 
it would have been enough!
 
 
If He had given us their wealth,
and had not split the sea for us
 
it would have been enough!
 
 
If He had split the sea for us,
and had not taken us through it on dry land
 
it would have been enough!
 
If He had taken us through the sea on dry land,
and had not drowned our oppressors in it
 
it would have been enough!
 
If He had drowned our oppressors in it,
and had not supplied our needs in the desert for forty years
 
it would have been enough!
 
 
If He had supplied our needs in the desert for forty years,
and had not fed us the manna
 
it would have been enough!
 
 
If He had fed us the manna,
and had not given us the Sabbath
 
it would have been enough!
 
 
If He had given us the Sabbath,
and had not brought us before Mount Sinai
 
it would have been enough!
 
 
If He had brought us before Mount Sinai,
and had not given us the Torah
 
it would have been enough!
 
 
If He had given us the Torah,
and had not brought us into the land of Israel
 
it would have been enough!
 
 
If He had brought us into the land of Israel,
and not built for us the Holy Temple
 
it would have been enough!
Christian Dayenu
 
How many are the abundant blessings which the Lord Jesus Christ has bestowed upon us?
 
If He was born of the virgin in a manger,
but wasn’t baptized to identify with humanity
 
it would have been more than we deserve.
 
 
If He was baptized to identify with humanity,
but did not perform miracles and cast out the demonic forces
 
it would have been more than we deserve.
 
If He performed miracles and cast out the demonic forces,
but did not speak in parables to reveal the Kingdom of God
 
it would have been more than we deserve.
 
 
If He spoke in parables to reveal the Kingdom of God,
but did not explain the meaning of the parables
 
it would have been more than we deserve.
 
 
If He explained the meaning of the parables,
but did not confront the powerful religious hypocrites
 
it would have been more than we deserve.
 
 
If He confronted the powerful religious hypocrites,
but did not fulfill the Passover in the Lord’s Supper
 
it would have been more than we deserve.
 
 
If He had fulfilled the Passover in the Lord’s Supper,
but he did not endure the scourging under Pontius Pilate
 
it would have been more than we deserve.
 
 
If He endured the scourging under Pontius Pilate,
but He did not endure the cross for the forgiveness of sins
 
it would have been more than we deserve.
 
 
If He endured the cross for the forgiveness of sins,
but was not laid in the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea
 
it would have been more than we deserve.
 
 
If He was laid in the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea,
but was not resurrected from the dead
 
it would have been more than we deserve.
 
 
If He was resurrected from the dead,
but He did not send the Holy Spirit to all His followers
 
it would have been more than we deserve.
 
 
If He sent the Holy Spirit to all His followers,
and will not come again in power and glory
 
it would have been more than we deserve.
 
 
If He comes in power and glory,
but will not prepare a place for us in the Kingdom of Heaven
 
it will be more than we deserve.
 
 
Jesus Christ. Crucified for your sin. The remnants of bread on your tongue, to remind you that His body was broken for you. The taste of the fruit of the vine in your mouth, to remind you of his blood spilt for the forgiveness of your sin. Behold your God who died for you. Jesus Christ – the Passover lamb.
 
[Exit in the discipline of silence.] 
PowerPoint Slides of Both Versions of the Dayenu
good_friday_message_slides.pptx
File Size: 6605 kb
File Type: pptx
Download File

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How to Love Christian Leaders Who Abused Their Power

10/2/2019

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I am not sure how I stumbled across this message. It was likely on Twitter under the #ChurchToo hashtag. I am incredibly grateful for Diane Langberg, Ph.D., for her words of wisdom last year entitled Power, Deception, and the Church.

The entire message is worth listening to, but this quote (around the 31 minute mark) struck me as particularly timely for The Church in the Western World.

Here's some of what Dr. Langsberg said about loving Christian leaders who abuse their power:

"And yes, the abuser - like all of us - is invited to be part of the ungiven [the protective Christian community], but that only becomes possible (and hear me clearly) when the light is shining in the darkness, and the offender falls down before our crucified God knowing that it is against that wounded savior that he has sinned.  And that abuser, who gets to that place, will demand nothing from any human – no position, no place of power, no restoration, no forgiveness. He will acknowledge (she will acknowledge) the inability to live in truth, and know better than anybody else knows that they are not to be trusted and that the actions they committed are theirs and theirs alone.

This is how we love abusers: By letting them be stripped of the trappings that they have used to deceive themselves.”

It seems to me that God is in the process of purifying his Church here in America. Part of that process is bringing many forms of spiritual abuse to light.

I am largely posting this so I can find this for future use, but I hope you find it useful too.

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Pastors and Celebrity

9/24/2019

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I want to offer a word of caution to my fellow pastors about seeking popularity.

As I confessed to my congregation in my sermon last Sunday, I have sought attention and popularity for much of my life. I lie to myself, thinking that if I were more popular, I could have a better impact on the world for Christ.

If I'm honest, though, that is a false virtue I try to wrap around my self-centered quest for personal glory.

Before most of my sermons I pray, "May Christ increase, so I may decrease." I must pray this. It is not a reality of my heart, it is a plea for God to change my heart.

God says: I am Yahweh, that is My name; I will not give My glory to another (Isaiah 42:8a HCSB).

A few months ago, I read Michael York's odd, yet satisfying memoir of filming the movie Megiddo: The Omega Code 2. In it, he recounted a quote from John Updike: Celebrity is a mask that eats into the face.

I intended to post John Updike’s quote for a few weeks, and then I came to Luke 11:42-12:3 in my sermon series through the Gospel of Luke. In his famous woes, Jesus condemns the Pharisees' obsession with popularity and attention: Woe to you Pharisees! You love the front seat in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces (Luke 11:43).

I used Updike’s quote here.

So this post is a caution, but mostly for me: Celebrity is a mask that eats into the face.
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Julius Von Jan Against the Nazis

9/18/2019

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I have been slowly working my way through Preaching in Hitler's Shadow: Sermons of Resistance in the Third Reich edited by Dean G. Stroud.

Until this book, I had never heard of Pastor Julius Von Jan. He is not a major figurehead in the resistance against the Nazis. But his voice mattered.

When the Nazis began to their attack against Jews in November 1938, Von Jan spoke out against the Nazis. I have included below, some quotations from his sermon, O Land, Land, Land: Hear the Word of the Lord! Shortly after this sermon was delivered, he was dragged from his home by approximately 500 Nazis, beaten publicly by the Nazi mob, and imprisoned.

He survived the war. He is not household name. As far as I know, the only available English translation of his sermon must be purchased. And yet, his voice mattered. His courage mattered. And I think he still speaks to us today.
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Pastoral Adultery and Abuse

4/10/2018

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This is a follow-up to some of the feedback I have received over the last two weeks.
 
I believe that when a pastor commits adultery, it always carries with it an element of abuse. I have laid out my thoughts below.
 

When A Pastor Pursues a Congregant, He Abuses His Authority

A pastor is called to be the chief servant of a church. Christian leaders are given enormous power and authority so that they can serve their people. When a pastor pursues a congregant, he is misusing his authority to fulfill his sexual desires, rather than using his authority to serve the congregant.
 

Think about it like this:
Imagine you were a mid-level manager in a large corporation. A mailroom kid tells you, “You should change the numbers on the company’s tax information. It will help us make more money.” How much pressure are you feeling to do something immoral? Not much. The kid has no structural power.

Next, a fellow manager comes to you and says, “You should change our tax numbers.” How much pressure are you feeling now? A little bit more, I’d imagine.

Finally, the CEO calls you into his office and says, “You should change the tax numbers.” How much pressure are you feeling now? It is probably enormous. Will you lose your job if you refuse? How will you provide for your family if you lose your income? And even if you keep your job, how could you ever get a promotion after you refused?
 

There is a similar pressure on a congregant when a pastor pursues and pressures her for sex. She loves her church. She has built a network of friends and family. The pastor baptized her children. Maybe he baptized her! And he speaks for God every single week!
 

When a pastor or Christian leader pursues one of his flock for sex, he is abusing his authority for his own sinful gain.
 

When A Pastor Commits Adultery with a Person Pursuing Him, He Abuses His Office

I imagine most people understand and agree that the previous scenario is predatory.
 
The disagreement comes in a situation where a congregant, or non-congregant sexually pursues a pastor. One could argue: While it is still wrong for a pastor to commit adultery with a person who is sexually aggressive with him, there is no abuse involved.
 
I disagree.


Think about it like this:
Jimmy has a major addiction to painkillers. He goes to his neighbor and asks for money, so he can buy the painkillers. The neighbor knows he has a problem, but gives him some money. Is this wrong of the neighbor? Absolutely. The neighbor is enabling Jimmy to sin.

Next, Jimmy asks his friend to swipe some of his grandma’s prescribed pills. His friend does so and gives them to Jimmy. Is this wrong of the friend? Absolutely. The friend is stealing and enabling Jimmy to sin.

Finally, Jimmy makes an appointment with a medical doctor. Jimmy goes into the appointment and offers to pay the doctor $5,000.00 in cash for a year’s supply of pain medication. What should the doctor do? He should refuse, and offer a variety of options to help Jimmy break free from his addiction.

But what if the doctor agrees? The doctor takes the money and writes him a prescription. Is this wrong? Of course. Is this an abuse of the doctor’s role? Absolutely. Is the doctor’s sin more grievous than the sins committed by the neighbor and friend? Certainly.
 
Why?

Because the doctor is not just an average man. He is a man who was licensed by a state after earning a medical degree from an accredited university. He is a man who has taken an oath to “first do no harm.” He, better than most, understands the physiological harm Jimmy is causing to himself, and the social harm he is causing to those around him.
 

In the same way, a pastor is not just an average man. He has been ordained by a congregation, which is not a conferring of authority, but a recognition that God Himself has called this person to guard, lead, and feed the flock of Christ before the foundations of the earth.
 
Just as a doctor should not receive bribe money from an addict, neither should a pastor receive adulterous advances of anyone. His job… His calling requires him to recognize that such advances are symptoms of sin. And like a good doctor, he should refuse the advances and speak of healing, forgiveness, and fulfillment that can only be found in the Lord Jesus Christ.
 
If a pastor or Christian leader commits adultery with a person sexually pursuing him, he is abusing his office.
 

Conclusion

The Apostle Paul commanded young Timothy, “Don’t accept an accusation against an elder unless it is supported by two or three witnesses. Publicly rebuke those who sin, so that the rest will be afraid”
​(1 Timothy 5:19-20 CSB).
 
Thinking my way through these issues has terrified me. I love the Lord, my wife, my children, and my church. I never want to bring shame to them by my actions. And, like all callings, I recognize that I am ill-equipped to do what Christ has called me to do. So, I fearfully pray that God the Holy Spirit will guard me, because I know I am not beyond the sin of adultery – which carries with it a greater violation for pastors.
 
So please pray for me and pray for your pastors.
 
Mostly, though, pray for those who have been abused by pastors – that they might still follow after Christ, find healing in him, and enjoy the fellowship of a church.
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An Open Letter to Frank S. Page

3/28/2018

25 Comments

 
Dear Dr. Frank S. Page,
 
I am writing this letter for a number of reasons. First, it is to express my deep disappointment in your moral failing. Second, it is for the benefit of the church I serve, that they might follow Christ more closely. Finally, it is for the benefit of my friends and family who do not know Jesus.
 
I am a Millennial pastor serving in a small church in Northern Michigan. I was not raised in the SBC but having been serving in Southern Baptist churches for the last twelve years.
 
I can only assume from your follow-up statement to your first resignation that you mean adultery when you say “personal failing” and “personal indiscretion”. If this is the case, please clarify your sin. We live in a culture that uses language to minimize sin. Adultery is not an affair, a fling, or a personal indiscretion. When we minimize sin, we minimize our need for the Savior.
 
Because you have used terms that our entire culture will interpret as adultery, I am responding to your resignation with that assumption.
 
At the very least, I call on you to prorate any monies and benefits you received from the SBC (including travel, meals, conferences, etc.) from the time this relationship began. Please return these funds to the Cooperative Program. Both of the SBC churches I have served in have given faithfully and sacrificially to the CP. My current church is in desperate need of a larger sanctuary. We are growing in leaps and bounds. It is difficult for us to see our massive need to serve more people with the gospel, then look at our giving over the years and see that some of those funds have been used to enable you to lead us while committing grievous sin.
 
Please return the funds.
 
More importantly, if indeed you have committed adultery, your sin goes far beyond adultery. Because of your power, authority, and influence, it is sexual abuse. Perhaps it is not sexual abuse that is illegal but remember that the law is the absolute bottom of morality, not the top. Just because something is legal, does not mean it is moral or acceptable in God’s eyes.
 
King David sexually abused Bathsheba. He used his power to have sex with Bathsheba. When Nathan the Prophet confronted the king, Nathan said the rich man devoured the lamb. While we are not given insight into how David and Bathsheba’s sexual encounter played out in the bed chambers, God – speaking through the prophet – was very clear. What David did in taking the lamb and devouring it was abuse. In a very real way, David destroyed Bathsheba.
 
I found it ironic that on the same Sunday, a popular pastor in America described his sexual abuse of a teenager as a “sexual encounter” our small church was wrestling through 2 Samuel 13 – the rape of Tamar.
 
As we discussed this difficult topic, I communicated to the church that we would not sweep sexual abuse claims under the rug like so many organizations and churches have done. Instead we would immediately separate the accused, contact authorities, and communicate what was happening with the church congregation.
 
Part of my hope with this letter is to bring to light sin so that the congregation I serve does not have to fear that I, or other leaders in the church, will ignore or minimize sexual abuse.
 
While I pray for you and your family’s well-being and healing, I hope the public consequences of your sin are severe. So severe that generations of pastors understand that sin is not worth it. God told David, “You acted in secret, but I will do this before all Israel and in broad daylight” (2 Samuel 12:12). While there is forgiveness to be found in Christ – there are consequences in this life. It is the entire point of 2 Samuel 12. Forgiveness with consequences.
 
Other than answering and repenting of your sin, please do not enter again into public ministry. You can serve the Church in many wonderful ways, behind the scenes.
 
On a final and personal note, you know that pastoral ministry is hard. It is becoming increasingly hard. You have made it harder for all of the SBC churches you were supposed to be serving. Your sin terrifies me. Not because it is so foreign and unthinkable, but because it is very near to me. While I have never committed physical adultery or fornication, I know that I very well could do so. I know that sexual sin frequently comes knocking on the door of my heart.
 
So, I too need to repent. I repent in the hopes that I will rely on the strength of God the Holy Spirit and not myself. I repent, trusting that the sacrifice of Christ is not only enough to forgive me of my sins, but to keep me from falling.
 
And I repent in the hopes that God will somehow use this fallout for His glory, for your good, and that many sons and daughters will enter into the Kingdom of God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
 
Because of Jesus,
Pastor Nathan J. Norman
 
njn (at) nathanjamesnorman.com
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Higher Love

3/3/2017

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#higherlove
Just before the 2017 Academy Awards, Oscar winner John Irving encouraged artists who received an award to use their speeches to talk about their political platform. While I find intermingling entertainment with overt political messages to be frustrating, it isn't morally problematic.

But then he made the following two statements:
1. "the creative community has an obligation: to be intolerant of intolerance."
2. "In our community, tolerance of intolerance is unacceptable."

I understand the sentiment. And if I'm being honest, it is how I want to operate. I want to love the lovely, accept those who accept me, and befriend those who think along the same lines as me.

John Irving doesn't expound on what intolerance of intolerance looks like. Is it merely speaking out against anyone's ideas who don't match with his own values? Maybe. Or is it more along the lines of "hating the hater"? I don't know.

I have no doubt, Mr. Irving's intentions are honorable: defend the defenseless. Don't let those with power bully the weak. Don't allow hatred to win the day!
And again, while Mr. Irving's values likely differ from mine on a number of issues, the sentiment is very appealing to me.

But then the Apostle Paul comes along:
Do not be conquered by evil, but conquer evil with good. (Romans 12:21)

Paul, under the inspiration of God the Holy Spirit, tells me I can't do shady business to beat an even shadier businessman. I can't spread malicious gossip to hurt a person who hurt me by spreading malicious gossip. In the same way, I can't beat intolerance with intolerance.

Worse still, Jesus comes along:
You have heard that it was said, Love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, (Matthew 5:43-44 )

This is a higher form of love than romantic love. A higher form of love than friendship. A higher form of love than a family's love for each other. This is divine love! Unconditional! And sadly, utterly impossible for me or anyone else to actually achieve.

So, I ask for the help of Christ to do within me what I am not able to do myself. No one can love their enemies. No one can seek the good and betterment of people who who have hurt and abused us. It is divine love that accomplishes this. It is the sort of self-sacrificial love we saw in Christ.

I cannot settle for a lower form of love that only loves those who love me. I am trying to follow Jesus. And to follow Jesus, is to do what he did: sacrificially love our enemies.

Pray with me:
Father God,
Maker of heaven and earth,
and of all things visible and invisible.
There are many people I do not like,
If I am being honest, I want their lives to be ruined.
I confess to you this is hatred.
Please forgive me.

Lord, Jesus Christ,
by whom all things were made:
Thank you for loving me when I was your enemy.
Teach me to walk in your ways.
Teach me to love in truth,
and seek the good for those who hate me.

God the Holy Spirit,
Lord and Giver of life,
change me heart.
May I not love merely with words or speech,
but with truth and action.
I ask all this in Jesus' Name.
Amen.

#higherlove
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What Effect Will the 2016 Presidential Election Have on the Sovereignty of Christ?

11/2/2016

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What effect will the 2016 presidential election have on the sovereignty of Christ?

None.

The election, like many before it, has prophets working hard to convince the public we are in the midst of an apocalypse: "Vote for my candidate, otherwise the earth shall crack open and hell-fire will bubble over onto you and your children and your children's children."

It is true that elections have consequences. And these consequences are rather high. So the apocalyptic language feels true.

If I am being honest, I also feel the pull. My heart teeters on the edge of being completely convinced of the message.

But this is a confusion of the City of Man for the City of God, as Augustine put it. The City of Man is coming to an end, but there is an enduring City - an eternal Kingdom - which is here now, and is coming in power. The eternal City of God cannot be stopped nor its purposes thwarted.

The ultimate power is not in the U.S. presidency. The ultimate authority and direction for the course of human history does not depend on the outcome of the 2016 election.

I have found myself in the Scriptures even more in this season, because my mind needs to be renewed. I need to be reminded by the prophets of the One True God, over and against the prophets of the false political gods, that Christ is sovereign over all.

Below I have compiled a brief list of Scriptures I have found challenging and comforting during this season:

Psalms 20:7-9
Some take pride in chariots, and others in horses, but we take pride in the name of Yahweh our God. They collapse and fall, but we rise and stand firm. Lord , give victory to the king! May He answer us on the day that we call.

Hebrews 12:28-29
Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us hold on to grace. By it, we may serve God acceptably, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.

Isaiah 31:1-3
Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help and who depend on horses!
They trust in the abundance of chariots and in the large number of horsemen.
They do not look to the Holy One of Israel and they do not seek the Lord ’s help.
But He also is wise and brings disaster.
He does not go back on what He says;
He will rise up against the house of wicked men and against the allies of evildoers.
Egyptians are men, not God; their horses are flesh, not spirit.
When the Lord raises His hand to strike, the helper will stumble and the one who is helped will fall; both will perish together.


Hebrews 13:14
For we do not have an enduring city here; instead, we seek the one to come.

John 18:36
“My kingdom is not of this world,” said Jesus. “If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I wouldn’t be handed over to the Jews. As it is, My kingdom does not have its origin here."

Habakkuk 3:17-19 (Read the Whole Book)
Though the fig tree does not bud and there is no fruit on the vines,
though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food,
though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls,
 yet I will triumph in Yahweh;
I will rejoice in the God of my salvation!
Yahweh my Lord is my strength;
He makes my feet like those of a deer and enables me to walk on mountain heights!


Psalms 33:22
May Your faithful love rest on us, Yahweh, for we put our hope in You.

Revelation 22:20
He who testifies about these things says, “Yes, I am coming quickly.” Amen! Come, Lord Jesus!

Which Scriptures have you found comfort in during this season?


Scripture References from the Holman Christian Standard Bible.


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