From Dr. Paul Weaver: It was great to have Mr. Jason Epps and Dr. Paul Pettit on the Bible and Theology Matters podcast to discuss their recently released book - One Body, One Soul. We discuss the topic of disability and community within the church - focusing on the challenges faced by individuals with disabilities (both physical and social). You can watch on the YouTube link below or on your favorite podcast platform.
Like everyone else, we believers can be forgetful people. We especially can forget the many instances of God’s goodness to us. What to do?
Joshua 4: 4-9 records the command of Joshua for the Israelites to set up stones of remembrance.
“So, Joshua called together the twelve men he had appointed from the Israelites, one from each tribe, and said to them, “Go over before the ark of the Lord your God into the middle of the Jordan. Each of you is to take up a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the Israelites, to serve as a sign among you. In the future, when your children ask you, ‘What do these stones mean?’ tell them that the flow of the Jordan was cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord. When it crossed the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. These stones are to be a memorial to the people of Israel forever.”
So, the Israelites did as Joshua commanded them. They took twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan, according to the number of the tribes of the Israelites, as the Lord had told Joshua; and they carried them over with them to their camp, where they put them down. Joshua set up the twelve stones that had been in the middle of the Jordan at the spot where the priests who carried the ark of the covenant had stood. And they are there to this day.”[i]
We also need to set up stones of remembrance for our family and friends in order to recognize significant events where God has proven faithful. Recently my wife and I celebrated thirty-four years of marriage. You know the old jokes; “We’re celebrating thirty-four years of being married … and thirty years of being happily married!” Or “Somehow I’ve talked my wife into renewing my contract for one more year!”
Not every married couple enjoys years and years of wedded bliss. One guy told me he was married by the Justice of the Peace, but it should have been the Secretary of War! My wife gave me a funny card one anniversary that read, “Marriage is a relationship where one person is always right, and the other is the husband—just kidding — happy anniversary!”
Why are these stones of remembrance so important? Here are three critical reasons.
I love the old hymn which says, “…Morning by morning new mercies I see; all I have needed Thy hand hath provided: great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!”[ii] Marriage is difficult at times. Various pressures pull us in all directions. Selfishness gets in the way of putting the other first. We sometimes take it for granted our marriage will go the distance. Then we are alarmed when long-time friends announce they are splitting up. In fact, a newer phenomenon called gray divorce recently caught my eye. Gray divorce is a term used to describe the growing number of divorces among older couples, typically those over 50 years old. The American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) coined the term in a study published in 2004.
The divorce rate for couples over 50 has increased significantly since 1990. In 2019, 36% of divorces in the U.S. involved people over 50, up from 8% in 1970. The divorce rate for people over 65 has also more than tripled since 1990.[iii]
My wife and I have a plaque from our wedding day with a quote and the date. I see it each time I enter my home study. Of course, I don’t always stop to deeply ponder the inscription … but sometimes I do. In Scripture, God takes vows seriously!
I love the story about the senior golfer. At 92, his eyesight grew so poor he could hardly see his drive off the tee. Searching for a friend who could help he asked, “So you golf … and your eyesight is excellent, right?”
“Oh yeah, his new friend answered … I’ve got 20/20 vision!” Both men hit their drives. The man with poor eyesight confirmed, “You saw it all the way down, right?”
“Oh yeah, I saw it perfectly!” The two old men sauntered down the fairway reminiscing about the good old days. When they finally arrived near the green the man asked, “You saw my golf ball, right?
“Oh yeah, I saw it!”
Turning to his new friend he asked, “Then where is it?”
His newfound friend sheepishly replied, “I forgot!”
We need to be more mindful people. When I stood at the altar thirty-four years ago the promises and vows easily rolled off my tongue. I was more nervous than serious. And yet, as each October 13th rolls around, I’m reminded a) I need to purchase a gift and b) God has been faithful!
[i] Joshua 4:4-9 (NIV)
[ii] Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father, Author: Thomas O. Chisholm (1923)
[iii] Shoichet, Catherine E. (2023-08-05). “More Baby Boomers are living alone. One reason why: ‘gray divorce'”. (CNN)
[iv] Numbers 30:2 (ESV)
[v] James 5:12 (ESV)
© Dr. Paul Pettit
New Podcast Interview!
Enjoyed being interviewed by Sandra Peoples from Key Ministry for our new book, One Body...One Spirit from Kregel Publications
Link: https://www.keyministry.org/church4everychild/2024/9/5/one-body-one-spirit-with-jason-epps-and-paul-pettit-podcast-episode-116
Sandra Peoples interviews Jason Epps and Paul Pettit about their book, One Body, One Spirit: Disability & Community in the Church. Hear about their friendship and how Jason's challenges with church accessibility led to them writing this book together.
Paul & Jason’s Book: One Body, One Spirit: Disability & Community in the Church
Paul’s Ministry Page: www.DynamicDads.com
Jason’s Social Media: https://www.facebook.com/jason.epps.372
Here are three dangers, which arise from this unfortunate pattern ...
Happy Day! Today, our new book One Body, One Spirit: Disability & Community in the Church releases to the public ... order your copy today! #OneBodyOneSpirit #DisabilityMinistry #5StepPlan Order your copy here ...
How can church communities, both on the congregational and individual level, address these issues? Paul Pettit and Jason Epps provide a roadmap by looking at a biblically informed solution. They survey disability in the Old and New Testaments, provide a vision for full integration, outline how to conduct a disability audit, and offer a five-step plan for how to change the culture of your church or parish.
Once again news has broken regarding the “sin” of a well-known, influential minister. This news hit me particularly hard as this is a man I’ve listened to and learned from on hundreds of occasions. Here are four reminders to take away when you hear this kind of news.
Indeed, “there is no partiality with God.” (Romans 2:11 NASB) Another popular translation of this Scripture states, “For there is no preferential treatment with God.” (Romans 2:11 PHILLIPS) It is easy to idolize and glamorize effective pastors and even men’s ministers. They often speak before large crowds. They ooze charisma and charm. They write books, produce podcasts, and oversee radio or television productions. Over time it’s easy to slip into the belief God somehow favors them, or
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