not for everyone but

FOR THOSE WHO’VE LEFT THE CHURCH //

Somehow, totally unsure how, we made it to church.

This was despite 45 minutes or so of sleep, shaking all night, and (anxiety-induced) feverish sensations in the morning. Believe it or not, I’m not a legalist when it comes to attendance, and I’m a big supporter of online streams for people in tough situations.

So why did we go?

To start, from the ICU, my wife messaged, “I’m ok.” She was clear minded and said to have fun with the kids and not to come directly to the hospital. This alone was enough to reduce my worry, so we planned to visit her after church.

Beyond that, though, there are spiritual reasons why church worship matters. This list is far from exhaustive, since we’d definitely want to include things like service, justice, and hospitality, but specifically for yourself (as in, what you receive) here are some personal, felt effects:

First, peace. Sitting in anxiety never solves anything. I learned this from a church member: take one little step, do one small task, do anything. While I can’t speak for all causes/cases of anxiousness, this suggestion helped me so much. Rather than sitting still, wallowing in worry, it is better to move. Some of that peace is experienced in moving towards others in community.

Second, strength. “The joy of the Lord is our strength.” That phrase is not a platitude; it is wisdom. After all, if God created joy, then it makes sense to come to the Lord when unhappy. (Think “Blessed be…” in Matthew 5, as the crowds came to hear Jesus.) Too often, the opposite is true: When we are weak, we can be tempted to hide away, but ultimately, that robs us of joy. Instead, if we want strength in our lives, we need the God who gives us joy.

Third, love. This Sunday’s worship set focused on themes of love and eternity. I was really excited to sing these tunes. While I’ve sung those songs countless times, I’d never planned them in that manner to draw out those themes. It was a collection of songs that held deep encouragement. Few things are more enriching than remembering God’s love, which is not temporary but eternal.

Fourth, glory. While we can experience God individually, imagine what happens when those individual experiences are also collective, in the same time and space. As it’s written, “better is one day” in the Lord’s presence than a thousand elsewhere (Ps. 84:10). When those words were written, the palmist did not envision fancy church programs or entertaining preaching. The psalmist meant that the Lord’s presence was better than any other alternative.

Again, there are many other reasons, but for what you personally experience in worship, church attendance is not about legalism. It’s about peace, strength, love, and glory.

What is a covenantal relationship?

Sometimes, you’ll hear people say that a covenant is a “contract,” but that’s not really enough. Covenants are much bigger than contracts.

Very frequently, you’ll hear people talk about marriage as a “covenant relationship” or that marriage is the closest thing we have today to a covenantal relationship. I’m guessing you’ve heard things like that before.

To start, I wouldn’t correct those who use the word “covenant” in regards to marriage. This is because they probably mean it as a “serious, permanent promise” or something close to that. In that sense, marriage is covenantal in nature.

However, there is a key difference, and this leads to a definition covenantal relationships:

A mutual agreement between a higher party (sovereign) and a lower party (vassals), in which protection and provision are provided, given that the participants fulfill their obligations.

This is based upon the ancient practice of a sovereign-vassal treaty, which was common back then. In these, the agreement is weighted — not 50-50 like some contracts are, but carried more by the sovereign. That’s partly why we don’t have a fair comparison these days, since even complementarians would not say the husband is “superior” or “sovereign” in the way a king is over his people.

Now, that can sound a little bit like such a contract is tenuous or based on works, but there are some important dynamics to keep in mind:

1) The sovereign is guaranteeing here, and the sovereign has more power/ability. In other words, it’s more of a promise by the sovereign (“I will do this for you”) than a test of the subjects (“let’s see if you’re good enough”).

2) The context is a kingdom — so think of it as a “realm” in which the sovereign and subjects live.

3) Rather than thinking of this as “earning” protection, provision, or in a spiritual sense “salvation,” it is more common sense to me: If you choose to leave or betray — basically, committing treason — then these promises don’t apply to you. So it’s not about earning but not rejecting.

4) Covenants in scripture have more weight than any other promise, since God vows to fulfill them; we see this in the way that even when Israel fails to keep up their end, God still remains faithful. (Of course, there are consequences when Israelites decided to “leave the realm” of God’s grace, but at the same time, God does not give up on them.)

So there’s mutual agreement, but weighted and guaranteed by the sovereign — with the idea that someone could leave or reject, and in that case, then they wouldn’t receive the benefits of protection and provision.

All in all, when we think of God covenanting with his people, we should be assured that God will do right and offer grace and mercy, should we choose to live within God’s kingdom rather than apart from it.

In response to those who say pastors should not talk about world events, such as the recent events that took place in the Oval Office:

“Ministry of the word” involves things like “loving your neighbor.”

Theology leads to basic applications, such as:

1) Tell the truth; don’t change history and reverse to say Ukraine started the war. (Nearly every political supported the original narrative until very recently.)

2) Show hospitality; do not insult a person’s attire, especially when that person is dealing with bigger issues, such as war.

3) Defend life; do not get caught up on hearing “thank you,” but show care like the Good Samaritan (who was too beat up to say thank you right away).

Now, I will say that some practical outworking of this are complex. We do not have access to all the military information, so for example, it would be careless to say all that should be in a peace deal. I agree if talking about that degree of pontification.

However, this “jurisdiction” (i.e., the event in the Oval Office) concerns about how people should talk to one another. Note how other nations expressed support, while we “kicked them out.”

Pastors can call out rude behavior without claiming to be political experts.

God of justice and mercy,
you hear the cries of the outcast and the suffering,
you see those alone and outside,
those who are strangers in their own house.

You are the God who rescues.
You set free from tyranny, and
you lead your people to peace and abundance.
You turn enemies into neighbors.

Now, we plead for the oppressed —
that you would restore strangers
as brothers and sisters in our midst,
for You alone are Lord of all.

//

Based on a concept from W.E.B. Du Bois, who wrote in The Souls of Black Folk (1903):
“Why did God make me an outcast and a stranger in mine own house?”

Words matter. They come from God, and they reveal Him to us. When we open Scripture, we encounter not only God’s words, but also repeated references to the “Word of God.” The Old Testament alone uses this phrase around 400 times (for instance, Genesis 1, where God speaks creation into existence and declares it “good”). In the New Testament, God Himself is described as the Word (see John 1:1, where the term logos—Word, idea, wisdom—is identified with Jesus). From these biblical examples, it’s clear that words lie at the center of our understanding of God.

This central emphasis on words explains why Christians go to such lengths to translate the Bible into different languages. In contrast, some other religions (like Hinduism or Islam) prefer to keep their sacred texts in original languages. But Christians believe God’s Word should be accessible to all.

God’s Word in Scripture and Beyond

We often use “God’s Word” in several overlapping ways:

1. God’s Word Refers to God’s Being

• Words aren’t just physical objects; they represent something else. In Scripture, “God’s Word” sometimes serves as a metaphor for God Himself.

• God’s communication, though, is far more powerful and perfect than ours. He cannot be contained by the words we use.

• Therefore, “God’s Word” can be used to refer to God in His fullness—His speech, His presence, and His identity. Jesus, in fact, is called the “Word.”

Even though we speak of “word” as a metaphor for God’s speech, His voice can sound familiar: in 1 Samuel 3, young Samuel mistakes God’s voice for a human one.

“When God speaks he externalizes who he is; his words represent his values, his will, and his existence. A divinity who has no will and does not reveal himself is a god that does not really exist…”

2. God’s Word Refers to God’s Action

• Words are not idle. Words inform, create, influence, and accomplish things.

• When God speaks, something happens. His Word performs actions—issuing promises, verdicts, warnings, blessings, and more. (Fretheim, Anchor Bible Dictionary, 962)

• God’s Word activates His will in the world. By speaking, God makes decisions that alter reality.

For instance, a police officer who says “You’re under arrest” wields authority that instantly creates a new situation. How much more when God, who has all authority, speaks!

“The word of God is always an intentional, never an idle word…The word activates the will of God; it represents a decision by God to accomplish what God wants to accomplish…Having been addressed by the word of God, that situation is decisively altered.” (Fretheim, ABD)

3. God’s Word as Revelation

• Words reveal what’s hidden. We might guess about someone’s feelings from their expression, but only their spoken or written words clarify what they truly think.

• Similarly, God uses words to reveal Himself and what is otherwise unknown.

• We know God because He chose to communicate through language. In Deuteronomy 30:14, “the word” is synonymous with God’s law and thus reveals His will.

4. God’s Word and Relationship

• Words between people establish interaction, understanding, and connection. The same is true of God’s Word.

• Through words, God addresses us, invites our response, and establishes communion with us.

In the ancient world, many peoples wrote about their gods using the idea of divine speech. For example, the Egyptians described their gods as speaking creation into being and commanding other deities. Yet, compared to these “other gods,” the God of Israel is unique:

• Yahweh speaks more often and more directly (e.g., Moses, Elijah).

• Yahweh speaks personally, establishing ongoing interaction with His people.

• In contrast to mute idols, Yahweh is a God who communicates to develop a relationship with His creation.

Through words, God reveals His intentions and invites us to respond. In other words, Yahweh’s communication isn’t merely cosmic noise—it’s relational, meant to draw people to Himself.

The Impact

Because words originate from God and carry such significance, how should they matter to us?

1. We Should Care About Words

• If God values communication, so should we. Ignoring reading, writing, or speaking essentially disregards the very means God uses to reach us.

• Words didn’t begin with us; they began with God. Respecting words is part of respecting Him.

2. Being: We Reflect God Through Language

• We are made in God’s image, and part of that image-bearing involves using words.

• Reading and writing, especially in service of truth and worship, can be an act of praising God.

3. Action: We Accomplish Tasks With Words

• Much of our work—business proposals, contracts, newsletters—depends on effective communication.

• Words shape history (think of Martin Luther’s 95 Theses or Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream”).

• Our words are not trivial; they can lead to real-world change.

4. Revelation: We Transform Culture Through Writing

• By writing, we can alter perceptions and attitudes, fulfilling our role as stewards of creation.

• Religious texts, political declarations, and social justice documents have always changed worldviews.

• Most importantly, words allow us to share the gospel message.

5. Relationship: We Nurture Connections When We Write

• As Proverbs reminds time and time again, words encourage, challenge, correct, and show love. They can build others up or tear them down. They bring life or death.

• Therefore, improving our language skills can improve the health of our relationships. Words connect us to other people, so we should care about our words and use them carefully.

Ultimately, words matter to God, and they should matter to us. When we recognize that language comes from Him and is used by Him to reveal Himself and act in our world, we begin to see our own communication in a new light. By caring about our words—how we use them, how we shape them, and how we allow them to shape us—we participate in God’s creative, revelatory, and relational work in the world.

Sometimes, books (along with movies and other forms of art) do not always “resolve” as we’d like them to, such as ending with a spiritual conversion that leads a person to faith in God. Some characters even end up in a worse state than when they started.

Especially with fiction, that lack of resolution can actually be beneficial at times — particularly if that makes the reader want resolution. In other words, if a text ends sadly, the reader might still be moved, as the “longing” for resolution has a positive effect upon the reader. 

In other words, there’s a difference between art that persuades towards wrong and art that persuades towards right. Seeing a character fail can actually do the latter, if the reader does not want to be like him/her. 

One example of this is the movie The Wolf of Wall Street, which is depressing in terms of content (so I don’t recommend for that reason), but the movie does persuade against rather than towards sin. No reasonable viewers would want to be like the main character, as he is flawed to the core and the movie shows the misery of that. But the point is that a bad character can actually make a viewer want to be good (rather than bad).

I’d also include another category: art that persuades towards neither. Some of that is neutral (e.g., an abstract painting), and some is intentional, meaning that it tries to minimize right and wrong (such as an R-rated comedy). This is also why a funny sitcom can lead a person to sin, if it minimizes wrong behavior with humor, more so than an R-rated war movie, which shows the pain of sin. They lead to different effect within the viewer.

For our purposes, I mostly want to point out that a “bad ending” doesn’t end with the character; it continues in the reader’s mind. So it’s the “takeaway” that can make art good or bad for a reader. In short, I think of it this way: What does the text, or other form of art, make the reader want?

I recently taught on the “fallibility and sufficiency of the body” — basically, a biblical theology of body. The audio of that is available here: https://soundcloud.com/joelpeterjupp/fallibility-sufficiency-of-the-body

A student asked in response what I thought about tattoos. Here was my answer:

Good question.

While I’m not a tattoo expert — I don’t have any myself (haha) — my personal sense is that the meaning of tattoos has changed over time.

According to my view, the Old Testament prohibition was more about signifying identity with a people group. So Israel was prohibited to show that they were set apart from the other nations.

Nowadays, tattoos have meaning, but usually for personal or artistic expression, not communal identity. 

I can image some tattoos could be wrong, but as I read the New Testament, that would be a matter of personal conscience and motive. For example, the “wrongness” could be because of why the person got the tattoo — e.g., “My body isn’t good enough, and I need to impress others.” or “I know I should give money to the poor, but I’d rather ink myself to be cool.”

Personally, I take a cautious approach in two senses: (1) I think less body modification is better than more and (2) I try not to judge others on an issue that is less clear, in the spirit of 1 Corinthians 10:23-33.

Yesterday, I was asked how we’re doing with Ginny’s health, as we have tentatively paused treatment while we wait to start a new one in a few weeks.

It helped me to write out my thoughts, so I thought I’d share this with you also, since I know so many of you care:

We live in a tenuous position every day, as we have for several years. Meaning, we never really know what will happen. We know that any day could mean another hospital trip, and perhaps that is the last one.

As you already know, cancer itself doesn’t always cause death. It’s often the many effects — such as a blockage that leads to sudden trauma. From dehydration to low blood pressure to low oxygen from covid to unrelenting pain, Ginny has experienced a wide range of these life-threatening effects.

Over the years, we’ve been through so many close calls — more than I can count — that I cannot dwell on the “worst case.” There have been so many perilous moments that I have to trust again that God will protect again. I won’t list all of Ginny’s dangerous episodes, but it’s a pretty extensive list.

The main reason I wanted to write is because I wanted to clarify this: The way I’ve been feeling — and the way I often think about it these days — is that I am in the “presence of resurrection.” That’s the phrase I often repeat to myself. I feel like that describes it best.

Because yes, there is the pounding drum beat, which seems to ever intensify, but at the same time: I see God’s healing through experimental medicine; doctors pray with her and extend her life; Ginny gathers hidden strength (such as to offer some motherly advice to our daughters); we rise to face another challenge; we find strength beyond what is rational; we receive help from friends, family, even strangers; and in so many other ways.

So I am an observant of not only death but life.

As hard as things can be, I have the privilege to watch a disciple of Christ follow in his footsteps. On a daily basis, I see valor in the midst of battle and grace in the midst of adversity. While we would never choose this journey, we yet receive blessings in the midst of it.

“Make us worthy, Lord, to serve our brothers and sisters throughout the world, who live and die in poverty and pain. Give them today, through our hands, their daily bread and through our understanding love, give peace and joy. Amen.”

Blessed are the poor.
For theirs is the Kingdom of God.
Blessed are the hungry.
For they shall be filled.

(Common Prayer, Midday Prayers, June 2)