Ray Ortlund, Sr. to his son, Ray Ortlund, Jr.:

“Listen, son.  Half-hearted Christians are the most miserable people of all.  They know enough to feel guilty, but they haven’t gone far enough with Christ to be happy.  Be wholehearted for him!”

That’ll preach!

That’s the name of Ray Ortlund, Jr’s blog.  And it’s profoundly helpful.  Take the two posts from today:

A cursed Christ–for Us

Orthodoxy and Love

Short.  Powerful.  Thoughtful.  Convicting.  And as I’ve said before, some of the best artwork you’ll ever see in the blogosphere.

Tonight at our evening service, a dear sister prayed for our members’ meeting next week.  She prayed for the Lord to continue to bless us with the sweet unity and peace we’ve been enjoying for a long time now.  I was moved by the prayer, and deeply grateful for the evidence of God’s Spirit among us.  There are no conflicts in the church that I am aware of.  There are no signs of division or unresolved disagreement.  It’s peaceful.  It’s sweet.  It’s not easy; we’re all sinners.  But we’re redeemed sinners and God is giving us such mercy.  Things are good–actually, much better than good.  They’re great–imperfect to be sure, but great.

That’s why it’s a perfect time to post this powerful note from Christ Is Deeper Still.  Read, pray, repent if necessary.

How to wreck your church in three weeks

Week One:  Walk into church today and think about how long you’ve been a member, how much you’ve sacrificed, how under-appreciated you are.  Take note of every way you’re dissatisfied with your church now.  Take note of every person who displeases you.

Meet for coffee this week with another member and “share your heart.”  Discuss how your church is changing, how you are being left out.  Ask your friend who else in the church has “concerns.”  Agree together that you must “pray about it.”

Week Two:  Send an email to a few other “concerned” members.  Inform them that a groundswell of grievance is surfacing in your church.  Problems have gone unaddressed for too long.  Ask them to keep the matter to themselves “for the sake of the body.”

As complaints come in, form them into a petition to demand an accounting from the leaders of the church.  Circulate the petition quietly.  Gathering support will be easy.  Even happy members can be used if you appeal to their sense of fairness – that your side deserves a hearing.  Be sure to proceed in a way that conforms to your church constitution, so that your petition is procedurally correct.

Week Three:  When the growing moral fervor, ill-defined but powerful, reaches critical mass, confront the elders with your demands.  Inform them of all the woundedness in the church, which leaves you with no choice but to put your petition forward.  Inform them that, for the sake of reconciliation, the concerns of the body must be satisfied.

Whatever happens from this point on, you have won.  You have changed the subject in your church from gospel advance to your own grievances.  To some degree, you will get your way.  Your church will need three or four years for recovery.  But at any future time, you can do it all again.  It only takes three weeks.

Just one question.  Even if you are being wronged, “Why not rather suffer wrong?” (1 Corinthians 6:7)

Ray Ortlund with a good brief meditation on the “large-hearted” and wrong-headed idea that we can be for the kingdom and not for our local churches. Read here.

From Ortlund: “We build great churches the same way we build great marriages — real commitment that makes a positive difference every day.”

What if Philippians were our only Bible?

“Let’s preach to sinners the news so good that we ourselves must struggle against the joy of it.”

Read here.

Ray Ortlund, Jr.

As you go into 2009, how are you praying? Got the nerve yet to ask God for what you really need and really long for and what would really display his glory in this God-denying world? Or are you settling for polite prayers that bore you and bore God and change nothing?

Read the brief but provocative post here.

While you’re there, check Ray’s reflection on four things he is thankful for and four things that give him concern in 2009. Here.