Covenant Presbyterian Church, PCA

The Other Day, I was at a Christian Event (not from our church), and the speaker quoted from "The Message,"  and it really got under my skin. Here is why:  

The Message is a contemporary reading of the Bible from the original languages, crafted to present its tone, rhythm, events, and ideas in everyday language.  

Now, on the surface that sounds like someone is trying to create a new translation just as the NIV or ESV have done to get God's word into God's people's hearts.  The Author, Eugene Peterson, is held in the highest of regards for his work and his passion as a pastor.  However, his work is being muddied by "how" people are using his book.  Even the title of his book is: "The Message:  The bible in Contemporary Language."  Note how it does not say the Message Bible.  Though if you google the Message it comes up as the Message Bible.  It is given status as divinely inspired when it was intended to be more of a commentary on the Bible, rather than a bible translation. 

So, it is sad to see other leaders in the faith quoting this book as scripture, leading others to believe this is the best God's word has.  When, it's not God's word.  I jokingly call it the gist bible.  It gives the gist (or main points) of what God had originally written down.  

Eugene Peterson even says himself in an article with Christianity Today:

Do you think The Message will be well suited for reading in worship?

When I'm in a congregation where somebody uses it in the Scripture reading, it makes me a little uneasy. I would never recommend it be used as saying, "Hear the Word of God from The Message." But it surprises me how many do. You can't tell people they can't do it. But I guess I'm a traditionalist, and I like to hear those more formal languages in the pulpit.

Now, I want to say that I highly recommend it for reading on tough passages, or for leisure reading, but not to replace your own bible in quiet times, or worship.  

The point of this Blog, is to push ourselves to hold OUR scriptures in the highest regard, as untouchable.  We ought to take caution when a new translation comes out, we ought to test our pastors word with the scriptures themselves, we ought to see Scripture as our sole authority.  This is what the reformers thought when the coined the term:  Sola Scriptura.  Scripture Alone.  

If we give up scripture alone to the Message, we give up too much.  We give up our authority, our guide for living, our words from the living God into a commentary on what God said.  

Pastor Ryan

Hey there-

I just wanted to share with people visiting our church site about how incredible Family Fun Nights were this summer. Every other wednesday we gathered  as a community for some delicious dinner (thank you jeannette!) and fellowship. When the clock sturck 6pm we were broken into multi-generational teams. It brought together groups of people that don't normally spend time together. The first night it was a battle to get people moving around and by the end people moved happily. Team names like "More Cowbell" and the "Oneders" were presented each week which made the competition just that much sweeter.

Pastor Ryan coined the term 'youth group meets small group' for these events and it was pretty acurate. We always started with fun games like crossword puzzles, mini golf, light saber wars, etc. Only in a church event like this could you get away with putting the words 'double imputation' into a crossword puzzle! Another favorite was the tug of war that never really happened because the rope snapped in half and everyone just fell to the ground. Truly hilarious.

Even though the games were designed to keep the younger ones involved, it ended up being a great equalizer, a chance to cheer teams on and to collect points. Once we had cheered our hearts out we transitioned over to a more serious time by singing a worship song, watching a video clip, and then discussing the theme within the team.  The night concluded with an award ceremony for the winners. Little ones got candy and the big kids got gift cards to restaurants.

I think we all strive to be apart of a church where real community happens. As Christians in this world church should be the place where we exhale and find warmth. Unfortuantely, that doesn't happen as often as it should. I'm just thankful that i got to participate this summer because it really wasn't about the competion. Nothing is cooler than looking at a table filled with people that range from 80 years old to 6 years old and seeing them engaging each other.

-random church member

Hello Reader,

I don't know if I am capable of keeping your attention for very long, but I'll just speak form the heart.  This is my first ever blog post - so please grant me grace as I grow.  

Ezekiel 3:1 And he said to me, “Son of man, eat whatever you find here. Eat this scroll, and go, speak to the house of Israel.” 

I never thought of eating a book or a scroll, but over the years I have learned what this means.  To eat a book means to really digest it, to consume it, take its nutrition for your soul, and be refreshed with it.  God obviously does this through his scriptures, but I have been nourished with other books as of late and I wanted to share them with any who would read.  

If I thought I would never eat a book, than I most certainly never thought I would ever do that with FICTION books!  For the longest time I have never seen the point of a fiction book.  If you have a story, why not tell it through a movie?  If you have facts tell them to me in a theology book.  Everything is black and white.  Right?  Well, after graduating from RTS, when my brain was full of head scratching thoughts, I wanted a break from reading complex arguments and wanted to enjoy something 'simpler.'  

So I picked up the Lord of the Rings series (beginning with the Hobbit).  I knew there was meat in these books even if they were this silly fiction nonsense.  Then over this past year I was asked to give the first Harry Potter book a try.  Well, I couldn't put it down.  I gulped down the book in a two days or so.  So I had to have the next, and the next, and so on.  I would stay up till 2 in the morning finishing FICTION books!  What has happened to me?  Am I infected with this worldly nonsense?  So I gave it up again.  Fiction needs to stay on the big screen, while true theology can come through John Calvin or some other old dead guy.  

Yet, I was then given a book to kill time on a plane written by an author Steven James.  The series of books he wrote were thrillers that involved FBI agents and serial killers.  Not the typical book a pastor reads.  But as I read them, I realized they had truly amazing christian undertones that rang loudly with me.  They spoke of the sin in the world and man's struggle with a good and great God who would allow pain to happen to his people.  I thought, man this guy is really struggling with huge topics that have plagued theologians for decades and he is doing it through a story or FICTION!  Is that possible?  

Could God speak through stories just as loudly as he does through rout theology?  And it hit me - the Bible is one GREAT story (though not fiction), about fallen humanity and a savior who dies for them.  God is the greatest story teller of all time.  Some of these fiction books with theological undertones have more punch than some of my seminary books!  

Needless to say I am now a Steven James fan.  I just read his 'Quest to Celestia"  

given to me by Steph Stauter, and I hope I don't offend anyone, but I think its a better version of the Pilgrim's Progress than Bunyan's original!  Bunyan still gets his praise, for his being the original and not a improvement on anything, but this for sure is an improvement.  James is a master story teller and I dare you to read it and prove me wrong.  Here is his blog: http://stvjames.blogspot.com/   

All in all, I have learned we can eat our books and get nutrition for our souls from many different types of literature.  As of late, my appetite has grown for these fiction books. I hope yours will too.  

pastor ryan

We decided to add this link in hopes that instead of just sharing our various activites we can offer a more personal view of our church and church family. So, starting soon Pastor Ryan and various other writers will be sharing their thoughts. Come back again soon to check it out.