I hope that will change with a new biography written by Jonathan Aitken entitled, “John Newton: From Disgrace to Amazing Grace.” Like most people, I knew Newton was a seafaring slave trader in his younger years and that he had a remarkable conversion experience at sea during a terrible storm, but I didn’t realize that his life was the kind of epic adventure you would normally associate with a Cecil B. Demille movie.

Aitken’s biography is one of the most compelling historical books I’ve had the pleasure to read. It is thorough, well researched without being dry, and written by a man who knows something about “being lost but found,” since Jonathan Aitken became a believer while serving time in prison for perjury in an infamous London trial. Throughout the pages of Newton’s life you are confronted with a man that knew the depth of his sin, but by God’s grace, lived to preach, write and sing about God’s forgiving grace found in Jesus Christ.

Newton was brought up by a very devoted Christian mother who catechized him, prayed with him, and forced him to memorize scripture until he was six, when she died of tuberculosis. His father, however, was a very distant and stern sea captain. Young Newton rebelled and from the period of his teenage years onward began to fight against all authority figures, often becoming his own worst enemy. By the time he reached the age of 11, his father felt he was ready to begin his career at sea, and Newton’s journey from a young seaman, to gang-pressed navy midshipman, to slave trader, to becoming one of the most influential evangelical preachers of his day began.

As a husband, friend, and pastor, Jonathan Aitken, lets you come face to face with Newton himself, since much of the book is taken from Newton’s own personal journals, which were extremely detailed, warm, and just plain authentic. It becomes painfully obvious why he had such a profound impact upon the stoic religion of his day. Although Newton was an extraordinary scholar who taught himself Greek, Hebrew and Latin, he was able to preach, pray and write songs for worship that the common man could relate to. He didn’t put on any airs, and attempted to give dignity to the lost, the least, and the last through his pastoral ministry. When his autobiography became a best seller, it just confirmed his popularity with the average working man. “Here is a man of God who knows what it is like to struggle with the flesh and temptation, and yet finds forgiveness, grace and mercy in the Lord,” said many a dockworker.

While his life was far too multi-faceted and interesting to recount it all in this review, I will mention three things that jumped out at me that I think the present church can learn from:

He was ecumenical. John Newton had a rough road to ordination in the Church of England. It took him six years of toil, because of his fondness for the preaching and evangelical leanings (enthusiasm) of George Whitefield and John Wesley. Newton was close friends with Independents, Presbyterians, Methodists, Dissenters, and Baptists. He worshiped with them often, and had no difficulty preaching from their pulpits. In fact, when he was finally ordained and given a pastorate, all the surrounding non-Anglican churches and clergy soon welcomed him, and sought to collaborate in various ministries for the betterment of the city and its people. This didn’t mean he was soft on scripture. He held firmly to his beliefs, but was able to find common ground with brothers from different traditions to further the Kingdom.

He was progressive. John Newton created many church practices that had not been a part of regular ministry in his day. He created a weekly prayer meeting that grew so large he had to utilize the great house of Lord Dartmouth (his benefactor). He created a children’s ministry (unheard of before this) that met weekly to pray, sing and learn from the Bible. He wrote songs for them to sing that would help them memorize scripture. This ministry had such a profound impact upon the countryside of Olney that many churches sent their children to this ministry. At its height it grew to 200 children! Today this may seem normal, but it was a radical invention for his day. In the established church, it was very uncommon to hear hymns in public worship. Psalms may have been chanted as part of the liturgy, but new songs set to well known melodies and accompanied in a simple fashion were considered very low-brow by 18^th century English standards. Newton, along with his troubled friend and poet, William Cowper, wrote several hundred hymns in the common vernacular that were simple to sing, easy to memorize, and yet profoundly theological and deep. They were not written for the erudite elite, but for the people in his pews. He saw music as a powerful learning tool. He took Paul’s words to “admonish and teach one another through psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs” seriously, and the church has not been the same since. Newton thought “outside the box” before the phrase had a chance to become cliché.

He was proactive. Though not an immediate movement of his ministry, as he continued to grow in grace, Newton became heavily involved in the abolition of slavery and many other causes by mentoring and encouraging Christians involved in government, trade, and social welfare; viewing the Gospel not only as the means of salvation, but in the broader sense of seeing it as the A to Z of life, which includes the restoration of human dignity.

Much more could be said about the amazing journey of John Newton, but I’ll just recommend you pick-up a copy of Aitken’s biography, snuggle up in a comfy chair, and take the time to get to know the man himself. There is great wisdom to be learned from the dead guys. I’ll leave you with the words he was quick to state whenever he had a chance: “I am a great sinner, but Christ is a great savior.” That about sums it up.

Reprinted from: Semper Reformanda

[1] Two of them are mine since I’ve recorded it twice. One can be found under the band, Bezalel, while the second can be found on my solo album, Tales of Thomas: Hymns Revisited and Remixed.

There are reasons to doubt the claims of the documentary. One big reason has to do with the statistical evidence. Jacobovici claims, basically, even though all of the names on the ossuaries (stone boxes used for housing the bones of the deceased) are common enough, it is the fact that they are clustered together that makes it likely to be Jesus’ family tomb. They focus especially on Mary Magdalene. Director Simcha Jacobovici declares on the official website as “the latest in New Testament studies” what he assumes throughout the film, namely, that Mary Magdalene was known by the same name as the one inscribed on the ossuary, Mariamne (a form of Mary.) He explains the importance of this on the website using an illustration from the Beatles: Suppose, in the future, the burial sites of George, John and Paul are found. There isn’t enough evidence to claim it is the Beatles, right? However if there’s a fourth tombstone that says Richard Starky (Ringo’s real name) then the evidence is more compelling. That is great, but the documentary’s claim that Mariamne is Mary Magdalene in itself is suspect (see the Discovery Channel website for an article about a claim that the ossuary is inscribed “Mary and Martha” not what Jacobivici claims at all)

Even if the ossuary is inscribed as the documentary suggests, “Mariamene e Mara,” the link between the two names Mariamene and Mary Magdalene, come from the Gnostic gospels, specifically the “Acts of Phillip.” The “Acts of Philip” was written much later than the canonical gospels (perhaps as late as the early third century) and is not considered to be as trustworthy. Jacobovici draws on these non-canonical writings and their image of Mary Magdalene as a powerful figure in the early church, implying that she had a “special” relationship with Jesus. The website has a blurb on a handful of these Gnostic writings and each ties in information about this important Mary in a way that is intended, no doubt, to make your imagination soar.

Fiction is fine, but when it comes to facts, the Biblical gospels are our best and most accurate source of knowledge about Jesus, not the esoteric Gnostic writings. That is why Mark D. Robert’s new book, Can We Trust the Gospels? is so timely. If the gospels really are as trustworthy as Robert’s purports, Jacobovici’s documentary has some problems. Why did Joseph of Arimathea donate his tomb, if Jesus’ family already had one? Why would the Jesus family tomb be in Talpiot, not in Nazareth? How did Jesus’ body get from the first tomb to the second? The issues are not merely logistical, for Jesus to have had a wife and family just doesn’t fit in with his life and mission, as we know it from the gospels.

Mark D. Roberts spends a good amount of his book addressing The Da Vinci Code phenomenon and its fallacies as it relates to the Gnostic writings found in the Dead Sea Scrolls and the Nag Hammadi library. For this reason I believe it will be useful to the Christian who is baffled by this noteworthy documentary. It also can equip the believer to defend the historical Jesus to non-believers who are interested and baffled too.

At the end of the day, it is better to trust what is historical and time-tested. Not what is new, exciting, and sells. Perhaps the filmmakers have followed the obvious money trail pioneered by Dan Brown ,and put their focus on catering to Westerners who have begun more and more to correlate entertainment and information and don’t seem to care much which is which.

Kristen Jeffrey lives in Seattle, WA, with her husband, Daniel, where she spends her spare time reading, participating with the worship team at Crosspoint Greenlake where she attends, and enjoying the outdoors. She has a degree in English from the University of Washington and is currently working towards a MA in Teaching English as a Second Language at Seattle University.

“At that point Peter got up the nerve to ask, “Master, how many times do I forgive a brother or sister who hurts me? Seven?” Jesus replied, “Seven! Hardly. Try seventy times seven.”
Matthew 18:21-23 (Message)

Question for church leaders? What do you do if a formerly convicted child molester tells you he would like to start attending your church? How do you break it to your congregation? Do you let him in? Do you send him packing? Do you trust him? Do you set specific security guidelines for him, or trust that he is a changed man through Jesus? This is the predicament a local San Diego church has found itself struggling with over the past couple months, and it has reached the attention of local and national media outlets. I’m sure this isn’t the first time this has happened, and it certainly will not be the last, but it has found its way into my backyard and got me thinking about the nature of forgiveness.

The March 17th issue of the San Diego Union Tribune tells the story of Mark Pliska. When he moved to the area last December, he told the pastor of a church that he hoped to attend that he was a registered sex offender. Pliska said in an interview, “My reason for doing this was to keep myself safe and the church safe. I didn’t want to go to church keeping secrets. It takes too much energy to hide the past.”

Pliska hoped to find support, but found himself embroiled in a battle that have Christians asking the same question Peter asked Jesus: “How many times do I forgive someone who sins against me?” or in other words, “How deep should our forgiveness go?” Pliska believes the Lord has forgiven him and he wants the church to forgive him, too. In late January of this year, after visiting this particular church for a few Sundays, the pastor introduced Pliska to the congregation and asked him to tell his story. The response was so emotional and varied that Pliska agreed not to return until the church came to some consensus on the difficult issue.

Here are some of the responses:

“They don’t break the law while they’re here, and they show themselves off the property after they’re done – sure, I have no problem with it,” said one congregant who asked not to be identified.

“I would oppose that strongly,” said another local. “I would do anything within my power as a church member to make that not happen.”

“I think Jesus said we have to forgive everyone, and I would certainly welcome him into my church, but we have to be aware that he’s there,” said Julie Villano.

I’m not a member of this church, and I’m sure there are some particulars not open to the public, so I will not pass judgment. I sympathize with their concerns over safety and children, and applaud them for at least taking some measurable steps forward. After all, Mr. Pliska has been rejected outright by other churches in which he has sought refuge.

A predicament like this does, however, say much to a watching world that is quick to lay the “hypocrisy” verdict upon us whenever we act contrary to Jesus’ own ministry of reconciliation. After all, most of them are okay with Jesus, they just don’t care for his followers when we are unforgiving. I think sometimes we forget that Jesus died for sinners! The same Peter that struggled with this forgiveness question in his early ministry found comfort in the fact that the entire Bible testifies about the forgiveness found in Jesus Christ. “All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name” (Acts 10:43).

I recently wrote a review of the book, Stripped: Uncensored Grace on the Streets of Vegas, by Pastor Jud Wilhite. In it he tells many stories of God’s transforming grace that have reached people like Mr. Pliska. Jud says, “Uncensored grace is what you get from a loving God when all the religious types have gone home, and every last hope for your own effort has blown up in your face. Uncensored means that as wide and deep and high as your mountain of personal ruin might get, God’s transforming grace is always wider and deeper and higher.”
I’m not saying it is easy to forgive and forget the past. But Jesus sat and celebrated life with many not unlike Mr. Pliska, and the religious members of his day were none too happy with that fact. He let a whore wash his feet. He held a profound mid-day healing conversation with a Samaritan adulteress no one else liked. He ordained a tax collector to the ministry. To these and more, he said, “Friends, your sins are forgiven” (Luke 5:20), which includes you and me.

Mr. Pliska is an older man that has served his time, sought therapy, feels profound guilt and remorse for his sins, and is a member of a weekly support group. “I’m just looking for a fair shake and a chance to start a new life,” he said. “That’s all I’m looking for. I hope the community is willing to do that.” I don’t have all the answers, and I’m sure I haven’t thought through all the implications of this matter, but I hope that if someone like Mr. Pliska were to call me on the phone and ask if they could worship with me on Sunday, my church could pray with Jesus: “Father, forgive us our trespasses, as we also have forgiven our trespassers” (Matt. 6:12).

Until now, the grace of God is not one of the things that have crossed my mind when considering Vegas.

In his new book, Stripped: Uncensored Grace on the Streets of Vegas, Pastor Jud Wilhite shares compelling stories of renewed lives that he has witnessed while pastoring Central Christian, one of Sin City’s largest churches. While our culture looks at Vegas and sees the epitome of sin, God looks at Vegas and offers love, grace, mercy and restoration, according to Pastor Jud.

Stripped has been one of the most personally convicting books I’ve come across in quite a while. Like most Christians, I admit that my beliefs and behavior do not always walk hand-in-hand. I’m a hypocrite and sinner. As a Christian, I boldly confess that salvation comes by grace through faith in Christ. Our God is gracious and desires to see mankind repent of their ways and trust in his son. And yet I often write people off as hopeless, beyond saving. Thankfully, Jesus does not see us this way. And Pastor Jud’s stories are proof positive of this.

You think your counseling ministry is hard. Try adult entertainers, drug dealers and thieves, teenage junkies, and more. Pastor Jud is in the trenches and the stories of God’s uncensored grace have thankfully not just stayed in Vegas, but are reaching the hearts and minds of other Christians which can only bring encouragement.

Jud quotes Irish rock star, Bono, discussing the radical nature of God’s grace:

This idea of “holding out for grace” permeates every page of this book. Above the author’s office, hangs a giant wide-angle photo of Las Vegas with the words, “Grace City” emblazoned across it. It’s a bold way of stating that everything is redeemable through the love and power of our God and his amazing grace. Check this book out. It’ll do your heart good.

Author: Brian Thomas is the Director of Music and the Arts for Kaleo Church in San Diego, CA. He also owns and operates the Christian worship label, Semper Reformanda Records.

I recently came across a great book by Abbie Smith called Can You Keep Your Faith in College?, Abbie gathers together 50 college students to write essays on college life as a Christian. They openly discuss the ups and downs, pressures, perceptions, and challenges that a Christian college student faces on campus. The fact that this subject is written by actual college students living in the academic trenches helps to give this book credibility. I’m sure parents, pastors or professors could write a helpful book on the “dangers of college life”, but it just wouldn’t carry the weight and urgency that come from hearing from your own peers.
I think most young men and women cannot wait to get out of the house when they graduate from high school. The idea of calling your own shots is alluring, but it also comes with an incredible amount of responsibility - and this is something that is learned by experience. I found most of the writers that shared their experiences in this book to be extremely open about their struggles and sin, and I found this refreshing and not something you read too often in Christian literature.

In my favorite essay, Regrets and Grace, Sara T. mentions how she experimented with things she had never done before and is now living with the shame and guilt of her sin. Most of her peers told her that all religions were the same and not to worry about it, but Sara came to see the clear difference between Christianity and all other religions – and that difference is grace. She mentions that the best gift she could take away from her college experience was coming to grips with the grace she had received in Jesus. Other religions base their experience with God on a “If I do this, then you will do that,” or “If I say this, then you have to give me that” basis. But our Father in heaven’s kindness does not work like this:

“When the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of our righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy” (Titus 3:4-5).

I am going to use this resource in my college ministry and I would heartily recommend this book to high school or college students, parents, and churches that minister to college students. College life may challenge your faith, but it is also a great opportunity to deepen your faith as you come into your own as an adult.

Brian Thomas is the Director of Worship and the Arts for Kaleo Church in San Diego, CA. www.kaleochurch.com

“Contextualization is the work of presenting and practicing the Christian faith in such a way that it is relevant within the surrounding cultural context” (read the full article here)