This summer our family leaves the church we love to study at Regent College in Vancouver, Canada. It's a bittersweet decision for us but we believe God is leading us into a season of learning and recalibration (see this sermon for the story behind this change.)

Regent College is an innovative graduate school of theology connecting life and faith in an integrative educational experience. With world-class faculty and a diverse student body, Regent College stands as a nexus of ideas, questions, cultures, and courses. Regent's interdisciplinary and embodied approach to education works toward holistic character formation within community while maintaining rigorous academic excellence. Rather than an ivory tower of abstract theological systems, Regent is a think tank of theological practice and marketplace integration, offering a wide variety of applied courses and experiential learning opportunities alongside core biblical foundations. Ideas are forced to find legs and experience is brought into thoughtful theological reflection. Regent students go on or return to careers in the church, the academy, the arts, and every corner of the marketplace.

In this message to Covenant Life Church on January 25th, I share my decision to step down from my role as lead pastor later this spring so that I can go to Regent College in Vancouver, B.C. At the church website you can read the transcript of the message and also a statement from my fellow elders.

Please keep my family and Covenant Life Church in your prayers.

A new book by my friend, Pastor Daniel Montgomery and scholar Timothy Paul Jones is at the top of my summer reading list. It's called PROOF: Finding Freedom through the Intoxicating Joy of Irresistible Grace. I love the vision for this book. Montgomery and Jones wish to re-envision the traditional TULIP that explains reformed soteriology with PROOF: Planned Grace, Resurrecting Grace, Outrageous Grace, Overcoming Grace, Forever Grace. There's often a lack of "humble orthodoxy" when it comes discussions over Calvinism and TULIP, so I appreciate their desire to avoid being argumentative and sectarian. They want to invite people into a celebration of greater joy and freedom in gospel of God's Grace.

More info: Here's an interview the authors did with Justin Taylor about why they're not trying to draw people away or toward Calvinism. You can learn more at their website and find the book on Amazon.

Where are you in your own story? Maybe you feel forgotten by friends. Maybe you have literally been forgotten or passed over or ignored at work or some other setting. Joseph's story is a reminder that God's children are not ultimately defined by the neglect, forgetfulness or sin of others--being known and loved by God is all that truly matters.

This ties into today's reading in Mark 8 where Jesus tells us to deny ourselves and take up our cross and follow him (Mark 8:34). Even if following and serving Jesus feels like losing your life, it's actually the only way to save it. There's no point in gaining the whole world if you forfeit eternal life. It's better to lose your life for Jesus then have "so called life" apart from him. It's better to be forgotten by man in a prison cell and remembered by the Almighty then free and far from the only One who can give us real life and freedom.

You can read along with others with our 2 A Day Bible Reading Plan.

Verse One (by Placide Cappeau, trans. John S. Dwight)

O holy night, the stars are brightly shining;
It is the night of the dear Savior's birth!
Long lay the world in sin and error pining,
Till He appeared and the soul felt its worth.
A thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices,
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.
Fall on your knees, O hear the angel voices!
O night divine, O night when Christ was born!
O night, O holy night, O night divine!

Verse Two (by Kevin Hartnett)

Humbly He lay, Creator come as creature,
Born on the floor of a hay-scattered stall.
True Son of God, yet bearing human feature,
He entered earth to reverse Adam's fall.
In towering grace, He laid aside His glory,
And in our place, was sacrificed for sin.
Fall on your knees! O hear the gospel story!
O night divine, O night when Christ was born!
O night, O holy night, O night divine!

Verse Three (by Kevin Hartnett)

Come then to Him Who lies within the manger,
With joyful shepherds, proclaim Him as Lord.
Let not the Promised Son remain a stranger;
In reverent worship, make Christ your Adored.
Eternal life is theirs who will receive Him;
With grace and peace, their lives He will adorn.
Fall on your knees! Receive the Gift of heaven!
O night divine, O night when Christ was born!
O night, O holy night, O night divine!

Kevin Hartnett shares, "I wrote new lyrics for verses two and three a few years ago. I did my best to keep the 'feel' of the original (English translation) but move the song to one that emphasizes the true meaning of Christmas: the coming of Christ to Earth to redeem mankind. This song has a rather remarkable history. You can read about it here. The music was written by a Jewish man who set the lyrics of an infrequent church attender. Visit Kevin's website, here.