“When everything is moving at once, nothing appears to be moving, as onboard ship. When everyone is moving towards depravity, no one seems to be moving, but if someone stops, he shows up the others who are rushing on by acting as a fixed point.” – Blaise Bascal

The New Testament book of James calls the true church to be a distinctively anchored stake in the ground against the onslaught of unrestrained cultural impulses. His epistle is a litany of countercultural wisdom from above. Rejoice in trials. Resist temptation. Kill hubris. Cultivate humility. Worship God not wealth. Guard your tongue, don’t slander. Seek the will of God today without presumption about tomorrow. Whew.

There is little doubt the author would be quickly cancelled if his writings first appeared on Twitter and not in a book of antiquity. He’s hard hitting and no-nonsense about rectifying early church dysfunctions. And even though it’s 2000 years old, addressing its own unique historical context, the little book of James remains a clarion call for the church in our own day to be a fixed point of reference to a world rushing toward the last days. It reveals a God honoring pattern of life for the church guaranteed to be recognizable as other-worldly.

For some observers of the distinctive church of Christ it is immediately appealing to see a community of people who persevere in difficulty with joy; who don’t worship money; who hope in God; who show humble care toward the weak, the poor and the hurting. The church that shows its faith by good works toward those in need is attractive. Faith is seen to be alive, not dead. Therefore, some may dare to hope that God is alive and draw near to Him.

For other onlookers, a church uniquely Christ-honoring in its values and morals is an offense, and on the wrong side of history. A convicting presence of light in a world that loves the darkness more. This of course brings a level of scorn. Many are “surprised that we no longer join with them in the same flood of debauchery, and they malign us” (1 Peter 4:4). More maligning is ahead for the church that stands firm in Christ.

Yet, real faith demonstrated in good works creates the platform to share the good news of our perfect Savior. The word of His cross has always been folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. It remains the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes. God has no other plan than that His church be His unique, called-out people serving in good deeds and announcing His gospel to a world that needs Him more than it knows.

James ends his letter with a vivid image of the church’s mission. Lead wanderers back to the truth and save sinners from certain eternal death. What a mission!  Who is equal to this task?  Go back to the beginning:  If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given to him (James 1:5). This is our day to be the church and His wisdom will not fail to guide us nor His grace to guard us.

With you on the journey,

Tom

God is a being beyond whom no greater being can be conceived. Every one of His perfections is infinite and none of them will ever diminish. While we cannot fully know Him now, all that He wishes us to know about Himself has been graciously revealed through the creation, the Word of God, the Holy Spirit, and most clearly in Jesus Christ. On earth we see through a glass dimly; in eternity we shall see Him as He is. Heaven will be an everlasting discovery and delight of what no eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no heart has ever imagined. God is greater than we know or can even dream.
 
What attributes we do know about Him are most clearly seen in His redemptive work on the cross. As we approach the celebration of His passion this Easter three are worthy of reflection and praise.
 
The Holiness of God. He exists in a category by Himself and is set apart from all else. Morally, He is entirely without sin or imperfection. There is no shadow of turning with Him. Good Friday is good because Jesus Christ the holy One bore the sins of the unholy; the righteous One died for the unrighteous to bring us to God. If there had been another way surely God would have devised it. But there was not. God’s holiness demanded a substitutionary atonement, and the unblemished Lamb of God took our place (2 Corinthians 5:17).  
 
The Mercy of God. Mercy is essentially the withholding of a severe consequence due to the offender. As we cling to Christ by faith God in His mercy does not count our transgressions against us. The Lord laid on Him the iniquity of us all. As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our sins from us. This is the epitome of mercy.

The Love of God. Salvation procured through the death and resurrection of Jesus is not a transactional arrangement. We bring nothing but our broken sinfulness and at our worst, He loves us. We esteemed him not, but God shows His love toward us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us. God so loved the world that He gave His Son. See how great a love the Father has given to us.
 
This is our God, revealed in the magnificence of the Easter story. The One who alone is holy, extends mercy to sinners because of His infinite love. As we move toward passion week let us prepare our hearts to worship Him. There is no one like Him. And let us invite others to come and meet Him through the Risen Savior.
 
Tom

The world is convulsing. Just as COVID seemed to be waning, war breaks out. Another massive global disruption resulting in death and destruction. We lament with the psalmist: How long, O Lord, will the wicked triumph? But in our lament, we unwaveringly affirm: For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth. Until then, we pray, we stand firm in faith, and we fulfill His command to go to all the world and make disciples.

One of our global partners shared this email from a Ukrainian pastor and colleague on the eve of the Russian invasion:

This is quite possibly our last means of correspondence for some time. War is imminent and the consequences will be dreadful. We are not leaving, how can we? As an elder in the assembly my responsibility is to shepherd at all times. It would be a terrible testimony to get up and leave. We have been preparing for this day. God is about to give us a great opportunity to show our Christian faith practically and reach out into our community with the Gospel. As we write, the military jets can be heard overhead, and we covet your prayers! We are not any braver than you – but confident we are where God would expect us to be.

Such courage is inspiring and spurs us to pray for the Church in difficult places. Faith anticipates God’s grander purposes in times of trouble. The gospel proclaimed by faithful churches is the only hope for a world plummeting downward. We too must be where God expects us to be. The Apostle Paul instructed Titus: And let our people learn to devote themselves to good works, so as to help cases of urgent need, and not be unfruitful. Titus 3:14.

It has been a deep joy to see how the people of Calvary are stepping into the urgent needs of our local community. More than 130 grant applications have been received for the Kingdom Assignment: Marshall Fire Fund. We are now praying with, caring for, and distributing tangible relief to hundreds of our neighbors, co-workers, and friends who were severely impacted by the fire. We’re praying that each recipient will experience the love of God through a church that cares about them and find deeper faith in Jesus the Savior. 

Additionally, 45 of our members have come alongside 27 Afghan refugees to help them settle into our communities. Currently, all three refugee families are in housing, the children are enrolled in school, and many of the adults have been employed and begun to work! God has answered so many prayers, and our volunteers have served so well. Urgent needs are being met and lives are being transformed.

The Book of James reminds us that faith without works is dead. How great is it to see these examples of generous, living faith intersecting with the pressing needs of our troubled world?!  Thank you for your financial giving that makes this possible. And thank you for your prayers that these acts of service will result in spiritual life change. Let us be the Church right where God expects us to be!

Praying for you and with you,

Tom Shirk
Senior Pastor

The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. Psalm 19:1. 

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. 

The heavens exist to tell the glory of God; The church exists to show the glory of Jesus. 

My neighbor, an engineer for the recently launched James Webb Space Telescope, is so excited to receive the first images from one of the most incredible scientific accomplishments in history. The telescope is now orbiting one million miles above the earth poised to send back pictures of the universe never seen by mankind. It will deliver images of the creation which the Creator intended to display His own glory. Hopefully He gets the credit!

Back on earth, the Church has a mission to reflect the glory of our Savior who is full of grace and truth. Our troubled world desperately needs a fuller vision of Jesus; His grace through the kindnesses of His people, and His truth proclaimed through His word, empowered by the Holy Spirit. The church is God’s instrument to convey this beautiful vision of Jesus. We must not fail to do so.

There have been some exhilarating pictures of grace around Calvary in the last two months – even during local and global turmoil. Our congregation was generous in contributing over $200,000 toward the Heart of Advent during December. As a result, we’ve been able to support our ministry partners at Step Seminary in Haiti. We have also welcomed three Afghan refugee families to our communities. These families total 27 people who are being supported, prayed for, and oriented to life in the United States by three teams of Calvary members. Last Sunday we launched our Kingdom Assignment: Marshall Fire Fund, through which members of Calvary will minister directly to those impacted by the fire. Grace is being poured out through the church with the prayerful purpose that grant-recipients know there is a God who loves them, a local church that cares about them, and a Savior who will give them eternal life. Grace is a powerful witness to the glory of Jesus.

The truth of God complements the grace of God. Being gracious without being truthful is hollow; being truthful without being gracious is offensive. The Church is called to mirror Jesus by demonstrating lavish grace and proclaiming His transforming truth. God’s Word must never be abandoned or marginalized, watered down or neglected. Thankfully God’s truth can stand up against the philosophies of men who reject His authority. Will the Church stand on it? We must. When the values of our culture and the sinful desires of mankind flagrantly contradict God’s truth, will we have the confidence of the psalmist: “Forever, O Lord, your word is firmly fixed in the heavens.” (Psalm 119:89). We will. God’s truth produces freedom (John 8:31), sanctification (John 17:17), and joy (Psalm 19:8). It’s what the world needs now. We do too!

In our commitment to being shaped by the inspired Word of God, we are beginning a 15-week Mark It Up series in the book of James. Written in hard times by the half-brother of Jesus, this little letter is going to call us to live out the reality of our faith in the most practical ways. Start reading; start memorizing; and pray that we all move on toward maturity in grace and truth.

Praying for you and with you,

Tom Shirk
Senior Pastor

If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do? Psalm 11:3.
 
For more than two decades at Calvary we have taught that the needs of our cities create opportunities for the church. When peace and security go up in flames, there is a precious prospect for the church to uniquely demonstrate the goodness and kindness of God to a world that needs Him. This is our time. Our community needs our help; even more, God’s help.

We have had our share of disasters over the years. (2010 – Four Mile Canyon Fire. 2013 – Boulder Flood. 2020 – Calwood Fire. 2021 – King Soopers Shooting. 2021 – Marshall Fire). When catastrophe occurs, we move toward it. We are doing that as an organization. But each of us, individually, represent nearly 2,000 manifestations of the love and generosity of God. An engaged church can change the world! What practically can we do?
 
Pray. We can pray for all the material needs for thousands of people who have lost so much. Pray for relationships that will be stressed because of these losses. Pray for those delivering aid. Pray for housing provisions. Pray for spiritual awakening to happen in our cities. What if a revival broke out in 2022?
 
Be present with people. Those who suffer losses need safe places to lament and grieve. Be there, not to give advice, but a listening ear and empathic heart. You might say, “Tell me about your experience with the fire.” Or ask, “How has the fire impacted you?” Then listen well. Weep with those who weep. Presence is a gift.
 
Give. We have opened Calvary’s Benevolence Fund on our website and will distribute these resources as generously as we can. But look for ways you can contribute to the needs of others struggling with the loss of everything. Clothes, water, tools, computers. Other great organizations are also serving the needs of our community and are worthy of your help.
 
Serve. Bring a meal. Help provide childcare so parents can fill out huge amounts of paperwork. Support the debris removal process. Volunteer with one of the relief organizations recently mobilized to serve our community. The list is endless, and the journey will be long. But we were saved to serve. This is a call to action.
 
Over the last week we have heard from Calvary families who have lost everything in the Marshall fire. Here are some of their comments:
 
“We lost everything; but we are safe. It’s just stuff; it can all be replaced. God is good and He has been holding us fast in His unwavering arms. His promises are true, and we are clinging tightly to them. We are blessed beyond measure!”
 
“As we opened the car door to leave our home, sparks were flying into the car! God was so good to us to protect us; we got out just in time. He’s so good!”
 
“I have a new life verse, and I can say with Paul, (Philippians 3:8): I have suffered the loss of all things! But God is so faithful!”
 
Who speaks this way after losing every human possession? People who know God and are surrounded by His grace in their time of need. God ministers to the hearts of suffering people whose eyes are toward Him. He gives spiritual comfort and assurances to those who trust Him. 
 
You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. Isaiah 26:3.

And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:7.
 
Their faith builds our faith. Yet, many people in our community don’t possess these assurances; they are searching for God’s peace. As we serve our cities, may the God who loves them make Himself known through the kindness of His church. And may thousands of our neighbors come to treasure Jesus Christ as their greatest possession.
 
Praying with you,

Tom Shirk
Senior Pastor

Soon after Thanksgiving I make an annual pilgrimage to the crawl space in my basement to extract priceless containers of accumulated ornaments and strings of lights. The weather gave me no excuse to postpone the inevitable, so before I even had a turkey sandwich, I was decking the halls, and roof lines, in preparation for another festive Christmas. With one exception, Lucy prefers I not climb a ladder. The deed is done; it looks just fine. The house is ready for Christmas. Now all we need is snow.

Decorating the outside is one thing; preparing our hearts for Christmas is another. Crowded calendars; heavy hearts; financial pressures all threaten the divine invitation to “Worship Christ the newborn King”. While the carols beckon us to “come and adore Him”, our souls may be too weighed down to see Him. Or worse, the traditions and trappings of a culturally conditioned Christmas might obscure the eternal realities of the incarnation of Christ. What must we remember to celebrate a Christ-centered Advent this year?     

Let’s recall Jesus came to experience life as we know it. From our study in Hebrews, we learn that “since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things… he had to be made like his brothers in every respect.” He knows what it is to be human as we are. He knows the trials of life. He lived in this broken world. Oh, how far He descended to experience life on the earth He Himself created. “Thou didst leave Thy Throne and Thy kingly crown when Thou came to earth for me.” Worship Him!

Further, His coming to earth had a supreme purpose: to make a full and final atonement for our sins, and to deliver us from the power of sin and death. Miracle of all miracles He took our place and bore God’s wrath so we might be forgiven. “Mild He lays His glory by, born that man no more may die. Born to raise the sons of earth, born to give them second birth.” Adore Him!

Finally, let us remember that He is the same Immanuel, yesterday, today, and tomorrow. He is God with us. Sympathetically so, as our great high priest, faithful and merciful. “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” (Hebrews 4:15, 16.)  Glory to God in the highest!

Early Church Father, Gregory of Nazianzus (329-389 AD), preached these fitting words on December 25, 380 AD, in the Church of the Resurrection in Constantinople:

“What He was, He laid aside; what He was not, He assumed. He takes upon Himself the poverty of my flesh so that I may receive the riches of His divinity. Therefore, let us keep the feast, not after the manner of a heathen festival, but after a godly sort; not after the way of the world, but in a fashion above the world; not as our own, but as belonging to Him who is ours; not as of creation, but of re-creation.”

Let’s get ready for Advent on the inside. May the Joy of Christ be yours in fullest measure. Merry Christmas.