WHY SEND NEWSLETTERS?

     “City Lights” is a publication of the Bronx Household of Faith. It’s a newsletter for current and former members, as well as for friends and supporters of our church.
     You may know people who carry on the tradition of sending Christmas newsletters to friends and family around the holidays. I know it’s not Christmas now, but I wanted to ask: Why do people do that?
     I think it can be a good idea. Sometimes, it’s true, these letters can err on the side of being unrealistically and unhelpfully positive. I think that, as Christians groaning for Christ’s return, we should feel freer to describe some of the hard things we need God’s help with. We don’t need to just lay out plans and list
accomplishments.
     But I digress. I was saying that sending such “newsletters” can be a good idea. In the age of Facebook, it might seem unnecessary to send out newsletters. And yet many still find it worthwhile. Why?
     Two possible reasons come to mind:
     1) Sending a letter to family and friends in particular (as opposed to the whole world of social media in general) is a way to remind ourselves that there are people—actual people—beyond our own circle, who care about us and about our story. And it’s sure encouraging to have that reminder.
     If you have people to send your Christmas letters to—people who will enter into the joys and sorrows related in your annual update—you are incredibly blessed. How many people and families, I wonder, have virtually no one to send such an update to?
     2) I think a second reason why writing and sending updates about one’s family or, in this case, one’s church, still rewards the effort, is because writing enables us to assign some rhyme and reason to our experience. It forces us at least to try situating our random and scattered experiences and endeavors into some framework or meaningful narrative. Writing an update encourages us to articulate not just what our lives contain, but what our lives are about. This benefits not only the sender—but also the recipient, who should care not just what a growing family looks like this year, but what they’ve lived through and learned from this year.
     These are just opinions, but they do relate to two reasons why, despite having missed several “issues” this
year, I remain committed to sending out BHOF’s City Lights regularly:
     1) The truth is that no Christian—and therefore no church—is alone. And we shouldn’t try to operate alone, without the prayers and support of others. God has saved us and sent us into particular areas—sometimes very isolated areas—but he almost always gifts his people the fellowship, camaraderie, and encouragement of believers elsewhere. We see examples of this dynamic all over the New Testament. In Colossians 1, we read that Paul and Timothy are laboring in thankful prayer constantly for the church in Colossae. The Colossians, for their part, have sent Epaphras with loving greetings to Paul, Timothy, and the others with them. By the end of the letter, Paul commends his letter courier, Tychicus: “I have sent him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are and that he may encourage your hearts” (4:8).
     “That you may know how we are and that he may encourage your hearts.” Sounds like a good reason for a newsletter, don’t you think? The gospel, everywhere bearing fruit and increasing, creates bonds of affection and care that warrant updates between believers, pastors, and congregations. We should want to know and make known what God is doing among us and others. And in this very communication, our hearts are encouraged.
     In the age of the internet, where communication is so easy yet so impersonal, let’s send each other messengers “that you may know how we are and that (we) may encourage your hearts.” If you’re a recipient of City Lights, please let us know ways we can be praying for you and/or be encouraged by God’s work in your life and church.
     2) Writing about the goings-on in BHOF is also one way (for me at least) to intentionally connect the details of our life here with the bigger story of the gospel, which has come to us, “as indeed in the whole world it is bearing fruit and increasing” (Col 1:6). Paul cannot help moving from the specifics of God’s work among the Colossian church (1:3–14) to the supremacy of Christ over all the Church—indeed, over the whole world (1:15–20). But this supreme Ruler and Savior—and the salvation wrought by his blood—brings Paul back down to the Colossian church with renewed encouragement and exhortation: “And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven…” (1:21–23). Paul writes to the Colossians for their benefit and for his own joy. But in doing so he places his story and theirs in the context of the global gospel.
     And this is part of how he is able to encourage them to not give up, right where they are.
     I pray that these newsletters can be a small part of encouraging you to not give up, right where you are.
     We can easily lose sight of the big picture and the big story. Writing (and reading) about our own lives and churches is one way to work at seeing our stories through the corrective lens of the glory and goodness of Jesus.
     So I hope that as you reflect on this gospel that is bearing fruit and increasing even here in the Bronx, you would be “strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy; giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins” (Col 1:11–14).

CITY LIGHTS & CHRISTMAS

The name of this newsletter has been “City Lights” for decades. It’s based on Matthew 5:14–16: “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your
Father who is in heaven.”

Churches are supposed to be different from the world. Our good works are meant to shine like a light into the moral and spiritual darkness that surrounds us.

Christians, in other words, are supposed to be different than we used to be. Our good works are meant to shine like a light—by contrast to the moral and spiritual darkness that used to define us.

“And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God” (John 3:19–21).

Sadly, this is often not the case for professing Christians or for churches bearing the name of Christ.

Selling Half a Jesus

“Easy-believism” refers to peddling or buying into a false spirituality. It’s a spirituality that says “Believe!” but never “Repent!” It offers a place in the kingdom without teaching the ways of the kingdom. It says “Hope in heaven!” but not “Live for God!” It invites you to celebrate Christmas without calling you to take up your cross.

The counterfeit spirituality of easy- believism has been on the market—in assorted editions—from the very beginning of the church. It’s a lot easier to mass-market Christmas trees than crosses.

But Jesus doesn’t peddle easy-believism. He doesn’t cash those checks.

That’s because he does not intend on short-changing those who look to him for grace. God’s unmerited favor is a package- deal, because it comes through his Son, who is Lord, not just Savior. We don’t deserve to be pronounced guiltless when we trust in God’s Son, but we are! We also don’t deserve to be called into the service of God’s Son, but we are! It’s all grace—but it’s all- encompassing.

To receive the invitation to come be forgiven is also to obey the command to come be changed. To grab hold of the Savior by faith is to bow the knee to the King in repentance.

Which brings us to Christmas.

Cross-Shaped Christmas Lights

From the moment of his birth, Christ’s death and resurrection came into view.

The Christmas tree—casts a cross- shaped shadow.

We couldn’t celebrate the baby laid in the manger if not for his body laid in the tomb. His birth as the son of David, from the womb of Mary, finds its purpose in his bursting from the tomb—when he’s declared with power to be the Son of God (Romans 1:4).

And this Son of God has sent the light of his gospel into the world to create a people marked out by the obedience that comes from faith—City-Lights, born-again children of God shining a spotlight on the goodness, grace, and glory of our risen Savior.

Christians—are to shine a spotlight on Christ and his cross.

Believer in Jesus, does your life shine a light on Jesus? We do this in many ways. Mostly in small ways and by small steps: asking forgiveness, asking for strength, asking for wisdom; showing up, singing
praises, sticking with each other; doing our chores, holding our tongues, helping our
neighbors, praying for our bosses; loving and leading our children, serving our spouses;
speaking about Jesus.

Our light shines, but it flickers. We never outgrow our need for grace. By grace God gives the increase for those held fast by and holding fast to the Word of life. Would you pray with us for what we need from him in this upcoming year?

Growing knowledge of the Word of God,
Growing submission to the will of God,
Growing dependence on the grace of God,
Growing love for the Son of God,
Growing affection for the people of God,
Growing concern for the enemies of God,
Growing passion for the glory of God.

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:14)

Merry Christmas from BHOF!

Jordan Roberts

Cover Image Design: Naomi Cusimano

          We describe the mission of our church this way: “To make, mature, and multiply disciples of Jesus Christ.” We’ve known other churches who use this as their mission statement, and we thought it was a good summary of Matthew 28:18–20: “And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.’”

          Hopefully you can see the connection between our mission statement and Jesus’s climactic instructions to his Apostles, the initial members and appointed leaders of the New Covenant church. (The “multiply” part of our mission statement refers to our commitment to raising our children in the knowledge and ways of the Lord [Eph 6:4] and to our desire to see evangelistic churches established among more and more people groups). We see Jesus’s words here as summing up the reason God has sent his church into the world. Our “mission” as it relates to the world around us is focused on proclaiming the things this passage emphasizes: the authority of king Jesus; the gospel call to repent, believe, and be baptized; the sufficiency and authority of Scripture for every area of faith and practice; the presence of Christ through his Spirit until his return. Proclaiming these things and instructing others in them, with the desire to see more and more people following Christ, sums up our church’s mission.

          But…our mission does not sum up our identity or our calling as a church. In other words, there’s more to being a church, to being a Christian, than “doing ministry” or being “on mission.”

          That’s because before we are disciple-makers, we are disciples ourselves. Ours is not fundamentally to proclaim, but to believe. Ours is not primarily to teach, but to learn. Ours is not mainly to make disciples, but to be disciples. Of course, these things should never be separated, but they should be distinguished—much like a house and its foundation cannot be separated; still, the integrity of the foundation merits primary attention.

           Our commitment to following Jesus cannot be boiled down to activities aimed at getting others to follow him. He is worthy of our worship and sufficient as our heart’s desire—regardless of whether anybody else joins us or not. We are subjects in Christ’s kingdom, by the grace of God. We are recipients of the gospel that brings salvation and of the baptism that marks us out as God’s beloved and holy people. We are in the process of learning to observe all that Christ has commanded. We are invited and compelled to trust in and rest in the powerful presence of the Holy Spirit, the down payment of our inheritance.
           All this is to say that we have been called to worship Jesus Christ as Savior, King and God and to call others to do the same. The disciples worshiped before they were commissioned (v. 17). Our “mission” statement focuses on the latter—to make, mature, and multiply disciples—but this will shrivel up if it is not an outgrowth of the
former, more foundational calling of every Christian: to be and be maturing as a disciple of Jesus Christ.

          So what about you? Are you a worshiper of Christ—not just in public, not just in private—in the personal and in the public sphere, are you living and growing as a disciple of Christ, your Savior and King? Regardless of whether anyone joins you or not?

          And if so—will you also heed his call to try to get others to join you? Are you seeking and striving and praying to participate in the mission of Christ’s church: to lead others to faith in Jesus, baptism into his church, and a growing understanding of his Word and his ways?

Are you a disciple?
Are you making disciples?