Engedi

Kris and I were at Engedi Church this weekend, and it involved two days. On Saturday we had a Blue Parakeet institute/teaching day, and on Sunday I did the teaching during both morning worship services, and taught on the Triumphal Entry of Jesus.

A good time from beginning to end with a vibrant, missional and active young church. There is both global outreach and local ministries, including an arts center.  I’m confident I’ve never seen so many young adults in church services ever.

We haven’t been to Holland in a long time, so it was nice to see it again — we visited it a number of times back in the 70s! The weather — cold, rainy, some flurries of snow and plenty of wind — wasn’t accommodating but we got to wander around, and dined one evening at CityVu and the other night at New Holland Brewery.

Brian Aulick is a gifted young leader with a good theological head and he is absorbed in pastoral ministry. Kris and I really enjoyed our breakfast with Brian … we could have gone on for a few more hours. We were with Bob Wollam and others, and I got to see a friend from college (Bill Terpstra), had lunch with a young couple with three little kids, chatted with … I could go on. Wonderful people and a good model of how to minister to young adults — lots of Hope College folks.

Let me get to the substance of the talks. Blue Parakeet Saturday: this involved two topics — one on how we read the Bible, including “Five Bad Habits of Good Christians,” and then on how to read the Bible as the Story it is. At work during the day but especially in the two afternoon sessions was a discussion of the issues emerging from the Rob Bell controversy — so I addressed the big options at work among theologians and then a mild defense of a traditional view of hell.

Palm Sunday: We read Mark 11 and observed that Jesus mocked the Roman leaders — creating a powerful contrast between the “way of the chariot” and the “way of the donkey/colt.” Jesus also protested against corruption in the temple courts. I suggested that we who are his followers are called to join Jesus in mocking the powers of our day and by protesting obstacles to hearing the gospel in our culture (so I said we need to clear our courts of obstacles).

I fell privileged when I get to preach during Holy Week, and this was my first Triumphal Entry sermon ever on Palm Sunday.