by Warren Heckman.

Thousands are all a-Twitter, blogs are bogged, and Facebook is getting an about-face by the pros and cons regarding Rob Bell’s book, Love Wins: A Book About Heaven, Hell, and the Fate of Every Person Who Ever Lived. Our Twin Cities evening news carried a big story about the forthcoming fight among evangelicals. The Minneapolis Star-Tribune ran a lengthy story on page titled, “Firestorm about Heaven, Hell blazes in Blogosphere.”

Bell has an astronomical following in the internet arena, but that hardly constitutes a measure of orthodoxy. Many groups we call cults have huge numbers in their ranks. Those of us who can rightly be called living dinosaurs, not yet extinct, have seen much of this played out before. Questionable Christian doctrine seems to be cyclical in trying to reinvent itself with heretical, unusual, and controversial interpretations of Scripture and theology. In the early years of my pastoral ministry I faced this teaching and regularly had to put on a black-and-white striped shirt and a silver whistle so I could attempt to referee accelerating anger and arguments between otherwise kind church members. To some degree, it is impossible to change certain people’s minds, especially when their convictions are so deeply entrenched.

A Google search on “universalism” brought up far more links than I had time to pursue, so I quickly decided that there are far more brilliant minds, trained theologians and Scripture expositors than myself to try and refute what I believe is the resurfacing of an old error. I strongly believe in the orthodox/evangelical teachings of our forefathers who gave the biblical teaching of hell as eternal. Yes, we grieve at the thought of anyone going to hell and spending eternity there. But in fact, I think it’s one of the strongest motivations for witness, outreach, and global missions.

Can a universalist go to heaven? That’s not really a shot for me to call. But it seems to me that if someone truly repents of sin, accepts Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, and does their best to live a godly life, I will see them walking on the golden streets someday–even though we disagree on this issue. What do you think?

Warren Heckman is the U.S. National Coordinator for Fellowship of Christian Assemblies.

by Warren Heckman.

This is a reprint from 2010, but just as relevant as ever.

We face two big things this month. First, it’s time for us all to renew our FCA listings, and second, it’s time to get all that Christmas shopping done. I’ll leave the shopping to your discretion, but I want to say a few words about showing up in the FCA Directory. Maybe you are asking yourself, “Why spend the money?”

I think I can answer that. It is my strong conviction that we need to make several commitments as believers: first to Christ, second to a local church, and third to a fellowship or community of ministers and churches. There are other worthwhile commitments, but I’ll stop with these three.

I am committed to the FCA because I need you all more than you need me. I need ministers and missionaries who inspire me, challenge me, inform me, encourage me and keep me accountable. Yes, I know we can have that without having our name in a directory, but there is something about laying it on the line, putting my name in the book that is an act of commitment to a group. I am proud to be associated with such people of integrity, faithfulness and vision for the local church and churches.

I belong to other groups: the YMCA, Sam’s Club, a frequent-fliers club, and I used to belong to Rotary. Each cost me something, but I found them valuable and profitable. As your National Coordinator for the Fellowship of Christian Assemblies, I use our annual directory constantly. I refer people to other people, I answer email inquiries, I respond to your requests for phone numbers and addresses, and I network with ministers and missionaries throughout the year.

When youth pastors, worship pastors, children’s pastors and executive pastors are listed, it is great for them to connect with one another and share ideas and activities.When I can’t find someone’s name in the directory, it’s a hunt to chase down the needed information. So, let me encourage you to get your information and payments in to the U.S. office ASAP. The deadline is only a week away-December 15. Thanks!

by Warren Heckman.

Donna and I want to thank all of you for your prayers, encouragement and concern over the past couple of weeks. My decision to walk down a steep hill in Kampala, Uganda, rather than walk around to the path was an unfortunate choice. I skidded about 15 feet, hitting the bottom with a bang, twisting, jamming, pulling muscles, ligaments, joints and really hurting my lower back. Then I looked at my right ankle and saw my foot turned around and facing backwards.

I groaned, and the pain hit me like strikes of lightning over and over. An hour later, I began my week in the Kampala International Hospital. There was surgery (I watched Dr. Mauluba put in two steel plates and screw them into my bones), followed by casting, recasting, lots of shots, unbelievable pain, uncertainty, and anxiety.

They would not let me out of the hospital until the bill was paid–about 6,000 U.S. dollars. We were not prepared for this. Missionary Ron DeVore had to scramble and try to gather up this amount, while I lay in bed Monday evening. The banks were closed by then–yikes. Bless Ron and his staff, they got the money together, and I got home to his mission about 9 p.m. (I owe Ron DeVore big-time). The doctor, on the other hand, trusted me to pay his bill. I just sent him a bank transfer of $5,000 (US).

God worked a miracle through Donna and the Raptim Travel Agency to get me on the same flights as Bob and Sue Forseth, only in first class where I could lie flat and get my leg up to prevent blood clots. Bob and Sue were like my traveling guardian angels.

So thank you, FCA family, for your prayers, love and support.  What a blessing to have friends who care.

P.S. A little business:

In my overseas trips, I often notice our missionaries are not listed in our annual FCA Directory, and they don’t have a current copy of the Directory. This means they don’t get the notice to send in their forms, or they get them too late, or their forms get lost in the mail, or they can’t download them from the Internet, etc.

Pastors, I beg you to fill out a form for each of your missionaries! We’ll soon be getting the 2010 notice this fall. Fill it out, send in the appropriate amount of money, and get them listed. Then when we all get our new directory, send one to each of your missionaries. They are doing a great job. Let’s be sure they get included in the directory.

Warren Heckman is the U.S. National Coordinator for Fellowship of Christian Assemblies. 

by Dean Merrill.

A guerrilla skirmish rumbles across the North American church today. It is not a battle for righteousness or holiness, but instead a struggle over formats and styles, rhythms and volume levels, my way versus your way. Which instruments shall we use in worship? How fast or slow shall we play them? How new or old shall the songs be? Can any good thing come out of Nashville, or Mobile, or Anaheim, or Australia (or the dusty hymnal)? These questions set off fervent debate.

I love Christian music as passionately as anyone. It can be a powerful catalyst to usher God’s people into his presence. It lifted the prophet Elisha out of a bad mood (see 2 Kings 3:14-19) so he could receive a divine word for a beleaguered army. The apostle Paul encouraged us to revel in “psalms, hymns and songs from the Spirit” (Eph. 5:19 TNIV).

Then why are we arguing about them so much these days?

Well, music is one of the fine arts, which makes it inherently controversial. Music, painting, sculpture, drama, poetry-they all have few firm rules but tons of preferences. This opens up debate about what’s “good” and “bad.”

We almost never question the lyrics of a gospel song, but only its style. When was the last time you heard someone say, “You know, the third line of that new chorus we learned-is it really true? What’s the biblical basis for that concept?” Instead we consume ourselves with discussions of tempo and beat and whether the melody line is singable. The fact that music is meant to communicate an idea get lost in issues of its format.

Perhaps the reason we are having music wars in the church these days is that we have inadvertently made music more important than it was meant to be. We are placing greater demands upon this slender medium than it can bear. We are insisting, like Goldilocks, that the music must be “just right” (according to me), or else “I can’t worship.” Should I go along with somebody else’s preferences just for a song or two? No way.

God instructed us in the First Commandment, “You shall have no other gods before me” (Exod. 20:3). He was talking about more than carved statues. Anything good can be exalted into a god. Whenever we attach too much significance, attention or love to a good thing, it becomes an idol for us. Suddenly, the simple joy is gone. We start arguing. Why? Because this idol is not worthy of worship.

I am amazed at the current obsessiveness about Christian music. When two people meet and happen to mention church, the immediate question is “What’s the worship like at your church? Are you contemporary, or are you more traditional? Do you sing the Hosanna music (or Vineyard, or Hillsong)?”

And for all this attention, we are still largely frustrated. Progressives feel impatient with the slowness of change; traditionalists feel scorned and abandoned. Some churches have thrown up their hands and decided on an apartheid approach: one service for one group, another service for another.

Music was never meant to be this obsessive. As long as we keep expecting too much from music, it will keep frustrating us. It is only a means, not an end. It cannot transport the reality of revival from one city to another, for example.

Music is like technology: It makes a wonderful servant but a terrible master. Its purpose is not to make us happy or proud of ourselves; it is rather a language for us to employ in lifting up the Lord. We use it, rather than expecting it to gratify us. Does the carpenter analyze the aesthetic beauty of the screwdriver? No, he puts it to use in making a beautiful cabinet. What the tool does is far more significant than how it looks.

While once interviewing Ed Dobson, pastor of Calvary Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan, I began asking questions about his congregation’s music style, why the Saturday night service differed from the Sunday morning services, etc. He quickly brushed me aside with this overarching summary: “Throughout the whole weekend, we are simply doing one thing: We are gathering to pay attention to God. The ways in which we do that are entirely secondary.”

Let us ever remember that we are a church, not a music society. If we keep the main thing the main thing, we won’t have time for music wars. We will be too busy exalting the name and honor of Jesus Christ in a needy world.

Dean Merrill is the author of seven books, including “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry Church” and “The God Who Won’t Let Go” (both Zondervan). He lives in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

by Virginia Lynn.

“Pastor,” a desperate voice wavers over the telephone lines. “Uh, I have to resign from the elder board.”

A loaded (pregnant??) pause follows. Pastor Jack finds his voice and says tentatively, “Tell me more.”

The tension is palpable. “Amanda’s pregnant. She told us over supper,” the father continues. “I really don’t see any other option, knowing the rules for elders ordering their own households.”

This is a scene not unfamiliar to senior pastors. The young woman in question could be a junior Sunday school teacher, a newly minted worship leader, or even the best friend of the pastor’s eldest daughter.

The next few weeks and months will be spent making decisions, adjustments, and choosing private and public attitudes towards this unseemly situation.

Does anyone care about the father of the coming baby (other than to learn his identity)? Does he escape all shame? All guilt? All financial responsibility? In this era of “equal opportunity,” can an attitude of complacency toward the young man be considered fair? Christian, even? Furthermore, what kind of support is offered to the parents who are plunged into a morass of confusion and rage?

If we as church leaders fumble the ministry requirements at this moment, we will leave scars for a lifetime. My father, then in his 80’s and a long-time elder in a flagship church, wept as he related how his pastor had once made his son confess his premarital romp, which resulted in an unplanned pregnancy, to a Sunday morning congregation. He felt it was a cruel and unusual punishment for an 18-year-old. While such public excoriation may no longer be practiced, I am personally acquainted with a beautiful young woman whose youth pastor not long ago was cool to the point of hostile when he became aware of her predicament. No support, prayer or otherwise were forthcoming.

We are called to be a healing presence in a world battered by sin and evil. The story of Christ’s quiet confrontation with the uptight, sneering Pharisees and the humiliated woman “caught in the act” comes to mind. Glaringly absent was the male partner in this setting. Things haven’t really changed in two millennia.

The reaction of Christ is worth noting. He bent down and scribbled in the sand. He drew a line and then asked the accusers to reflect on their own shortcomings. Today we are likewise asked to choose on which side of the line we will stand. Will we be remembered for condemnation or grace?

Virginia Lynn is minister of pastoral care of Living Stones Church, Red Deer, Alberta.