Soulfood

This will serve as a brain dump from my attendance to the 2020 National Conference (virtually).

Day 1 October 2, 2020

Ed Welch – Come Closer
Yahweh, alone among all the gods, desires to be close to us, to be intimate with us. He not only desires to be with us, but continually calls us to draw near to Him. The centrality of God’s message to and work in Jesus is that He loves us and wants to be in fellowship with us. Father, Son, and Spirit work together to bring us in to communion with Them.

Jonny Gibson – Tabernacle as God’s Dwelling Place
The tabernacle’s purpose is to make God’s nearness to us evident to us. Yahweh says it is where He dwells with His people (29:45-46). It is described as a meeting place. We no longer have the tabernacle because we meet with Yahweh now in a Person – Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit connects us to the life of the Father by the work of Christ!

Alasdair Groves – United to Christ Our High Priest
“You can’t press too far into union with Christ.” In his sermons on John at Michiana Covenant, Dr. Wallace has emphasized the centrality of union with Christ to the whole of Christian life. All of John’s narrative of the Last Supper is saturated in the reality of our union with Christ and how that unites us to the Father. Jesus promises the Holy Spirit Who will seal our union with Christ and unite us to the Father. Pastor Joel at Heart City emphasized in his sermon on Ephesians 6 that the armor we put on is God’s armor (Isaiah 59:15-20) and we can put in on because of our union with Christ, that being one with Christ gives us access to the Father, and thus we are armored with God’s armor!

Julie Lowe – The Doors Have Been Opened: The Priesthood is for All Believers
We struggle to believe we have access to a King (because we struggle to believe He exists, and that He is truly a KING!). Can I really approach Him? My unbelief, fears, shame, pride – all these in me and more restrain my joy at being invited to come before the throne and share in the glory, even when He calls me!

Day 2 October 3, 2020

Dr. Michael Emlet – Fellowship, Nearness, and Food
All of history can be thought of in terms of meals. Dr. Emlet mentions history framed by the Passover and The Last Supper. But as Pastor Joel Irvin has put it in his preaching, the Fall is about a meal as well, and Adam and Eve ate off the wrong menu. Dr. Emlet mentioned a book about the history of the world in 12 meals.
We are physical beings, body united to soul, and when God created humans He placed them in a garden and gave them physical things, sensible and tangible, to enjoy and use for His glory.
There are moral and relational aspects to eating – indeed, the only prohibition in the garden was against eating the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, lest Adam die (lose communion with God).
At the mountain of the law, the Israelites feasted off menu and held an orgy that symbolized their rejection of God’s law and His gracious provision for them.
Eating certain foods (cf. 1. Cor. xx) can lead to divisions between people or be used to exclude others (“do not even eat with such a one”).
Besides the Passover, which was a communal meal of remembrance, there is also the peace offering in the sacrificial system wherein the one making the offering ate of it along with the priest and extended family. The Promised Land is described as “flowing with milk and honey” and many of the eschatology of the OT prophets points to feasting in the new Jerusalem.
Much of Jesus’ ministry happens around meals or food. Whether it was eating with sinners and tax collectors, turning water into wine at a wedding feast, feeding the 4000 and the 5000, eating with Simon the Pharisee, etc., Jesus’ ministry frequently involved eating and drinking (for which, recall, he was condemned by Pharisees).

The intimacy of the Last Supper demonstrates how closely food and fellowship are related, both horizontally between man and man, and vertically between God and man. After his resurrection, Jesus proved his humanity to the disciples by eating.
Look up, look down, look around
“Taste and see that the LORD is good” Look up: Eating reminds us of God’s goodness. When we prepare food for each other, we are serving as a priest. Look down: Food is meant to be enjoyed. Hobbits know this! We have freedom to enjoy God’s good gift, rather than seen as an enemy or struggle. Look around: In our eating together we can come together or intensify disagreements and isolation. In our eating we can engage with one another and fellowship (we do this well at Michiana Covenant!).
Do we generally eat together or by ourselves? Do we use eating to get to know people, or to fill our stomachs?
Do we use meals to build relationships? Eating together often forces us to reconcile to people with whom we have to eat (within families, etc.).
The Last Supper – we do not get a better Christ in communion, but we sometimes get Christ better – we taste and see His love and grace and desire for fellowship with us. Christ stands at the door and knocks, that He may come in and *eat* with us – feeding us with Himself!
Discerning the body, unworthy manner – Paul is not saying we have to make certain we have confessed every sin within us – but rather that we consider our relationships with our fellow believers, whether we are in right standing with one another – go to your sibling and be reconciled to him or her before coming to the table!
2 Samuel 9 – Mephibosheth and David – “is there anyone left in the house of Saul to whom I can show kindness?” The lame man, condemned by his relation to Saul – hears “do not fear” and “you shall eat at my table always” for the sake of Jonathan. God looks at me, his enemy, rightly condemned, lame in all ways, and says “for the sake of My Son Jesus, eat at my table always.” Tears. Thankfulness. Grace upon grace. Lord, thank You for your mercy to me, a sinner.

Paul Miller – Making Our Churches Houses of Prayer
The church is first spoken of in Genesis 4, as those who called out to God. Then there is Solomon’s prayer in 2 Kings, and Isaiah’s speaking of the temple as the House of Prayer for all nations. Jesus tells the parable of the 2 men who went to the temple to pray – because the temple is thought of in Jewish minds as a house of prayer. Paul going to Philippi looks for the place of prayer.
There is no spiritual gift of prayer – praying is inherent to Christ’s people. It is the life of conversation and the way we are attentive to Christ and His Spirit as a body.
We need to pattern and structure our lives around prayer. Prayer is attending to the mind of Christ. We “hunt for magic,” for the pixie dust of God’s touch that enlivens our lives.
Prayer comes naturally when we see our lack, when we have a poverty of spirit. Lack of prayer is lack of belief of our need for God. We don’t pray because we feel self-sufficient.
Prayer is a re-enactment in our own lives of the death and resurrection of Christ – dying to the flesh and resurrecting the spirit.
Dying and Rising – the pattern for Christians. Hebrews – being made perfect through suffering. 2 Corinthians – in our affliction others are comforted, as in Jesus’ affliction we are comforted. This is a fellowship (koinonia), sharing, drawing into, union with Christ and one another. We go down into suffering and are raised into glory – and glory *is* fellowship with God the Father, by the work of the Son, in the Holy Spirit.
Suffering is not sought after, but we can endure it patiently when it comes because of the hope we have. But we also should not flee from suffering. We don’t revel in suffering – we use it to learn, to grow, to become more empathetic and compassionate to others, but we don’t embrace it or seek after it.
The ancient pagans believed that life was hopeless, but they taught that you could get through it by sticking with your tribes and minimizing suffering for yourselves. Post-Christian culture secularizes the hopeful optimism of Christianity and repackages it as hope in progress, hope in human goodness – which is a false hope. Post-Christian culture flees from suffering and looks on it as evil, and hopes in human ability to overcome suffering rather than enduring patiently and trusting in God’s goodness. This provides a false hope which always disappoints.

Aaron Sironi – Drawing Near in Unity
The intimacy of the Last Supper in John. Jesus is talking to the disciples about his Father, and then he switches to speaking to his Father about his friends. He prays for *me* and his prayer for me is for *unity* with my fellow believers.
We are surrounded by conflicts, strife, dissension – and too often we are in the middle (the cause of) those conflicts, strifes, and dissensions.
How seriously do I take unity in the body?
Jesus sang the Psalms of Ascent (120-134) from his earliest childhood. Psalm 133 – “Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell together in unity” was a prayer he knew intimately. The implicit message of the psalm is that brother don’t always dwell together in unity (David of all people knew this!) and so it is good, special, a delight when we *do* dwell in unity.
Why is unity so hard? Obviously, it takes more than one person to have unity – it is silly to talk of having unity with oneself. We fight against unity because unity requires us to seek the good of others before ourselves.
What is unity? Psalm 133 – it is like oil running down the beard, down Aaron’s beard, running down on the collar of his robes. This is precious oil, fragrant oil. It confers glory, anoints and consecrates. It makes him attractive. Aaron is the high priest, the representative of all the people. In the high priest, the people are presented to God and God’s presence is conferred to the people. Representative, presented, presence.
The air we breathe, the environment we live in, glories individual expression and sees unity as having value only if it affirms individuality above all else.
What is unity? Psalm 133 – it is like dew on Mt. Hermon, which falls on the mountains of Zion. It is a lush, wet environment blessing an arid environment with its life-giving water. Unity meets the needs of the needy from the abundance of the rich. Mt. Hermon is very different from Mt. Zion and things look very different from Mt. Hermon than they do from Mt. Zion. And Mt. Zion is nonetheless blessed and refreshed by Mt. Hermon.
Jesus is the bigger mountain, the one that gives of itself to bless us. He didn’t just pray for unity, he made it possible by uniting us to himself by faith! Our union with Christ gives us union with one another. Thanks be to God!

Steve Midgley – Finishing Face to Face: The Priesthood Fulfilled in the Book of Revelation
Revelation 7 – God draws his people…
…close to one another – so be humble. Comprehensive scope of God’s chosen people – every tribe, every tongue, every people, every nation. We associate ourselves based on what we look and sound like – but this is not God’s purpose in making us different.
…close to the throne – so be servants. We are created to serve God and one another. Obedient service is an act of love.
…close to Himself – be comforted. We shall receive all we need, will no longer have any lack, will be filled with living water. Rev. 7:15 the word shelter is the same word for tabernacle! He is so close He wipes the tears from our eyes.

Book Haul:
Created to Draw Near: Our Life as God’s Royal Priests by Ed Welch
Weep with Me: How Lament Opens a Door for Racial Reconciliation by Mark Vroegop
God Does His Best Work with Empty by Nancy Guthrie
Enough about Me: Find Lasting Joy in the Age of Self by Jen Oshman
A Small Book for the Hurting Heart: Meditations on Loss, Grief, and Healing by Paul Tautges
J-Curve: Dying and Rising with Jesus in Everyday Life by Paul Miller
Is It Abuse? A Biblical Guide to Identifying Domestic Abuse and Helping Victims by Darby Strickland
Caring for the Souls of Children by Amy Baker
I Still Do: Growing Closer and Stronger Together through Life’s Defining Moments by Dave Harvey
Dark Clouds, Deep Mercy: Discovering the Grace of Lament by Mark Vroegop
The Art of Turning: From Sin to Christ for a Joyfully Clear Conscience by Kevin DeYoung
Abuse: Finding Hope in Christ (Gospel for Real Life) by John Henderson
Building Bridges: Biblical Counseling Activities for Children and Teens by Julie Lowe
On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness by Andrew Peterson
North! or Be Eaten by Andrew Peterson
A Bird, A Girl, and A Rescue by J. A. Myhre
A Forest, A Flood, and an Unlikely Star by J. A. Myrhe
A Fever, A Flight, and a Fight for the World by J. A. Myrhe
The Moon is Always Round by Jonathan Gibson
WonderFull: Ancient Psalms Ever New by Marty Machowski
Truth We Can Touch: How Baptism and Communion Shape Our Lives by Tim Chester
Growing Together: Taking Mentoring Beyond Small Talk and Prayer Requests by Melissa B. Kruger
The Beautiful Community: Unity, Diversity, and Church at Its Best by Irwyn L. Ince, Jr.
Aliens in the Promised Land: Why Minority Leadership is Overlooked in White Christian Churches and Institutions by Anthony B. Bradley