The Loss of Two Different Influences

Many of the people I interact with on social media have expressed grief and shock over the loss of two individuals within the world of Christian writing in the last few days. In the midst of the grief, people have recounted ways in which these two giants of the Christian faith have shaped and influenced the journey they have been on to follow Jesus. Warren Wiersbe and Rachel Held Evans in many ways could not be more different. I don't know that the two of them every interacted or discussed theology. I'm not sure that either would have known the other. The followers of each would hardly intersect with one another. Wiersbe, once the pastor of Moody Bible Church and a pastor to pastors is best known for his BE commentary series. Rachel Held Evans, was a blogger and author whose social media influence caused her to reach countless numbers of people. Wiersbe was older, having lived a full life. Rachel Held Evans was younger, 37 to be exact. She leaves behind two small children.

I have benefited by the writings of both of these individuals throughout my own spiritual journey and throughout my ministry. Rachel Held Evans would have classified herself as an ex-evangelical, and Warren Wiersbe would have considered himself a staunch evangelical, they both have much to offer the thoughtful believer in Christ. Christianity has lost two needed voices this weekend, my prayer is that God would continue to raise up men and women like them who speak the truth of the gospel in love for the generations still to come.

Wiersbe taught me the importance of engaging the biblical text for oneself. He taught me the necessity of rooting our sermons and Bible studies in the written word of God if we are to properly live our lives for the living word of God, Jesus. Rachel Held Evans helped me see that even when we are burned by the church (if it hasn't happened yet, it will), God's grace is bigger than our hurt or the personalities that perpetrated that hurt. She pushed me to see that scripture tells a grand story in which all our stories find meaning and purpose. These are two voices that have impacted American Christianity in untold ways. These are two voices that I pray God replaces soon.

I could be wrong in making this next statement, but it wouldn't be the first time. The tribe of evangelical Christianity that I identify with could use more people like Rachel Held Evans and Warren Wiersbe. I'll go one step further and say that if the umbrella of evangelicalism isn't large enough to listen to these two prophetic yet different voices then I am not sure how long our tribe will survive. Any author or preacher worth a dime should help us make sense of our faith, while pushing us to explore the nuances of our faith with questions. We would do well to remember that though God has revealed Himself perfectly in His word, the Bible, and through His son, Jesus, we are not perfect people (therefore we will mess things up, get things wrong, and twist things to suit our own agendas and biases rather than God's).

I did not agree with everything that Rachel Held Evans believed or supported. I'm sure the same could be said about Warren Wiersbe. I do know that both of them loved Jesus fought for the faith one and for all delivered to the saints. May we find ourselves willing to do the same.

Join me in praying for their families during this season of loss. May God provide comfort and peace.

Losing a Friend

This week I learned that a dear friend in Alabama passed away. Todd Chambers was the dad to two of my students at the church I served while Cyd and I were in seminary at Beeson. The Chambers family quickly became close to our hearts, partly because Todd was the College and Career Sunday school teacher, which was the class that we went to if we weren't teaching ourselves.

There are many things I remember about Todd...he loved to ride motorcycles, in fact he and Renee would go on weekend trips together just riding on their Harley-Davidson. Todd worked for Alabama Power, which meant he often got called out when there was severe weather in the area. I also remember his quiet, gentle style of leadership. He was an incredibly humble person, who always thought of others, especially his family and church family before he thought about himself. Todd was a gifted teacher, though he never really thought that himself. There are few teachers that I have sat under in Sunday school class that have made a significant impact on my life, but Todd Chambers was one of them. He wasn't flashy, but he studied, prayed, and prepared like he was speaking to 90,000 people at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa. He was faithful to scripture and faithful to life. He didn't always know the answers to all of life's questions (and in my experience anyone who does is usually fooling themselves and others)but he genuinely believed that those answers could be found in a relationship with God through Jesus Christ.

One of the things about Todd's life that impacted me the most wasn't any of the things mentioned above...rather it was a deep love and affection for his wife, Renee and their two girls. Todd was a great source of wisdom for me in my own marriage and as I began those early days of fatherhood. The model that he set for others was truly a testimony to how he had grasped God's love for him and the necessity to pour that same love out into the lives of the people around him.

Cyd and I wanted desperately to try to make it back to Clanton for Todd's funeral but we just couldn't make our schedule and the girls schedule work. In fact, the Chambers were among the last people we spent time with at our home in Alabama before we moved to Statesboro. We still have pictures of all of us sitting around talking and playing with Claire in our den that pop up on the computer from time to time when the screen saver comes on the monitor. My mind has been utterly preoccupied with his family the past few days... I hurt for them and with them. Todd was a man who touched many, many lives for the sake of the Kingdom!

Todd, thank you for your friendship, your encouragement, and your example of a godly life, a godly husband, and a godly friend. You will be missed!