June 22, 2011

Sermon Preview: Missing Home: The Elder Brother

Posted by Isaac Hunter

We love the idea of grace, and we like the reality of grace even better, as long as it gets doled out to us and the people we like. But, grace for people on our bad list? That’s the last thing we want them to receive, at least from us.

I am not just talking about the easy/difficult cases—the proud, arrogant, judgmental, self righteous— who use truth as a weapon to wound their self proclaimed “enemies” rather than a salve to mend wounds that need tending to… I have a hard time loving them for sure… But, I’m also talking about the real people in our lives who God forgives even when we don’t want to, the people God told us to love even when they don’t love us.

I have a difficult time loving the elder brother types. This is ironic, of course, because the portion of “elderbrotherism” in me is precisely the reason for the difficulty. That Elderbrotherism, if left unaddressed, can kill a man’s soul and tear people to pieces.

This week we are going to address it.

June 15, 2011

Sermon Preview: Missing Home: The Younger Brother

Posted by Isaac

Perhaps no parable of Jesus is as well known as the “Prodigal Son.” It’s terse, beautiful, and scandalously gracious. Whether we’re drawn to the story because we find ourselves in it or because we hope it’s the kind of news that’s too good not to be true… I don’t know.

I do know that I have a hard time going a year without preaching it. Every time I study for these sermons, I find out more about God and more about me.

If you pray for this weekend’s service— which would be a kind and noble thing, I would ask you to pray about:

1. Who to bring. People need to hear the truth about God’s limitless love. I do. You do. People we know do.

2. What to do. There is a good chance you know this story—what should we do with it?

Looking forward to seeing you this Thursday or Sunday.

September 20, 2010

This Too Shall Pass

Posted by Isaac Hunter

If you are going through a rough season right now— it will pass. I know it doesn’t feel like it, but it will. If you stay close to Jesus, or use these less than desirable circumstances to get closer to Jesus, you will be glad you did.

If you are in the thick of the storm, I will be praying for you today… I will pray for the rest of you tomorrow.

2 Corinthians 4:17 For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison…

August 12, 2010

“ripped from the headlines” of my life

Posted by Isaac Hunter

In case you haven’t picked up on it yet, (and really- how could you? The media is barely covering it) it’s an election year. As is often the case during election years, much ado is made over the “Christian” vote, the intersection of faith and politics, and the separation of Church and State. What does this mean for us as individuals and as a church? What are the personal and corporate responsibilities of God’s people in dealing with the moral issues in the public square? I am not going to try to provide comprehensive answers to those questions in 1900 words or less. My goal in this article is to help us think well and graciously together.

Those questions are larger than any single policy, position, or issue. But sometimes an actual issue helps frame a conversation that can be too easily divorced from reality, so here is an example “ripped from the headlines” of my life.

A gentleman came into my office the other day and said, “What are we, as a church, willing to do to stop gay marriage?” I know this man. He loves Jesus, he loves the church, he loves people of all kinds, and he wants to honor God. I also know that he wanted Summit to make marriage protection petitions available at the church and to move us toward a more public stance on a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage. Earlier that same week, I had talked to a young man after a service who wanted to know if, as a gay man, he was “welcomed at Summit?”

See the quandary? Before moving on to the larger discussion, I do not believe homosexual activities are, or can be pleasing to God. However, people with homosexual proclivities are very much loved by God on the same basis that every other fallen creature is. So the answer to the gay man’s question is an unequivocal “yes.” There are several excellent discussions of the textual force of the Old and New Testaments regarding this issue (Richard Hays’ Moral Vision of the New Testament case study on Homosexuality, 381-406, is an excellent place to start). As a result, I do not think gay marriage (never mind the philological issue) is something Christians can or should embrace. We must speak honestly, in love, about that even if it causes all sorts of consternation. But should we speak together about it in the moral square?

Remember, we are not talking about moral disagreements or moral equivocations here; we are engaging a question of strategy. The significant thing to recognize is that you can agree on ends and disagree on means. Very good thinkers, who love Jesus very much, have agreed morally and vehemently disagreed on strategy. The means and ways that we uphold a Christian view change according to context and circumstance.

Consider what C.S. Lewis said about marriage and the state in Mere Christianity:
A great many people seem to think that if you are a Christian yourself you should try to make divorce difficult for every one. I do not think that. At least I know I should be very angry if the Mohammedans tried to prevent the rest of us from drinking wine.

Read more of ‘ripped from the headlines of my life.’

July 2, 2010

Thanks from the Hunter's

Posted by Isaac Hunter

On behalf of my whole family, I would like to thank you for your kind words, notes of encouragement, and prayers for Ava. We are very grateful.

I wasn’t going to mention anyone by name because I cannot possibly mention everyone by name… but, just because you can’t say everything nice about everyone doesn’t mean you shouldn’t say a few nice things about some. So, family members excluded (they’ve all been awesome), here is a woefully incomprehensive list of a few people whose actions over the last few days have been much appreciated.

Tim and Eleanor Tracey: They’ve got lots to do. They shelved a bunch of it. They know Josh and Lisa, and they are there with them. They aren’t trying to be important, they are trying to be helpful, which makes them… Awesome.

Kyle and Sarah Mattingly: Josh and Lisa’s neighbors. Mowing yards… fixing sprinklers, taking care of Josh and Lisa’s ancient dog… Awesome.

Lori and Hannah Groves: Princess Hannah Bannana or Hannahbina is mentioned frequently in the Princess Avabina stories… ‘cause she is one of Ava’s heroes. She is Noah’s age and she lent Ava her iPod for the week. This was very kind. Lori (Hannah’s mom) has been there every step of the way… Awesome

Allison the Night Nurse: Ava really likes her.

Dr. Pattisapu: Brilliant surgeon who did great work with the knife.

Sid Cash: Sid’s a banker and a follower of Jesus. He is the banker for Hunter Vision (and Summit’s as well). He has made sure my brothers have what they need to open the Lasik clinic every step of the way, including this one. His help and faithfulness have been key in relieving some of the Hunter Vision pressures, so Josh can get more done for the clinic and Ava. . If you have any money… you should put it in Sid’s bank, New Traditions. (I’m not joking.) He is a fine man, and I trust him.

I know there are lots of people not on this list that should be, but that doesn’t mean you are any less appreciated. If you’ve said a prayer for Ava—we appreciate it.

If you want to know what you can do next:

1. Keep praying: Josh’s Blog is the best source of information on how to pray each step of the way. The more people praying, the better.

2. Research and let Josh and Lisa know about any non-crazy (i.e. don’t write about the healing power of leaches, bathing in plum juice, or the life-giving melodies of Darius Rucker) treatments for GBM. If you know someone in the field, or you know someone who has been healed of a GBM (particularly as a child), let them know on Josh’s blog.

3. This will seem disconnected, but it is not. If circumstances were normal, I would not use this blog to direct business anywhere, but circumstances are far from normal.

You can sign up here to have your Lasik, Botox, Latisse, or cataract surgery done at Hunter Vision. Josh runs the business side of Hunter Vision. If they have more patients than they can shake a stick at in the first six months, he will have one less thing to concern himself with… that’s a good thing.

The immediate success of this new eye clinic is a minor concern compared to the enormous struggle they are dealing with right now, but the two issues are not divorced—they are intertwined.

My guess is all that comes next will be expensive. Many of the treatment options they are considering may not be covered by insurance, which means they will cost lots of money— Josh’s income is linked to the clinic. If the clinic does well, Josh and Lisa will have greater means to battle this cancer.

Plus, Joel is a genius and a highly skilled surgeon, and he will do a really good job. It’s a win-win… you see clearly and their future looks better.

Mostly I wanted to say thanks. I believe by creed (The Apostles Creed, not Scott Stapp’s band) in “the communion of the saints.” That belief has been confirmed in a thousand different ways in the last week. We are grateful.