Nathan E. Lewis

From swine flu

How to Catch the Swine Flu

Four Papers for St. Stephens Academy Presented by Nathan E. Lewis in March-April, 2009

The Classical School as an Extension of the Covenant Community – Space for Charity in Relationships

The Classical School as a Dispenser of All Truth – Space for Common Grace

The Classical School as a Ministry of the Church – Space for the Gospel

The Classical School as a Polisher of Christian Character – Space for Engagement of Culture

From Advent 2008 through June 2009 Nathan Lewis is preaching the texts unique to Luke’s Gospel. To listen to his sermons go to Audio Sermons. You can read his sermon scripts here. (more…)

Listen to the audio recording of this first of three presentations at Westminster Seminary in California, April 21, 2009 or read my manuscript following.

Lecture One
The Church Good for the World:
Salt and Light Metaphors Inform Church Planting
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listen to the audio recording of this second lecture presented at Westminster Seminary in California, April 22.

Lecture Two
Let it Alone for this Year:
The Patient Gardener Metaphor Informs Church Planting
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listen to the audio recording of this lecture presented at Westminster Seminary in California on April 23.

Lecture Three
The Evolution of Evergreen Church Planting
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“Parable of the Lost Sheep”
Luke 15: 1-7

Luke presents to us three parables of Jesus: The Lost Sheep; The Lost Coin; and The Lost Son. Jesus’ main point tying these three parables together is that heaven rejoices in the repentance of a sinner. The occasion for the telling of these parables was the Pharisees and scribes grumbling over Jesus, who was receiving the tax collectors and sinners. Luke writes, “the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear Jesus.” Jesus attracted sinners. Particularly his gospel message attracted them. As Jesus preached, all sin was condemned and certain hope in God was declared to everyone. These outcast sinners could not stay away from Jesus. While they listened to his every word, the Pharisees and scribes were grumbling. They believed that association with such outcast sinners would make them all unclean. As Jesus told his three parables, the sinners heard the gospel of the God who seeks and finds his lost children. They heard the gospel of heaven rejoicing over repentant sinners. This is the gospel Jesus has given to his Church in all ages to proclaim. (more…)

On this past Saturday night at Reconciliation, a worship gathering at the church I serve, a mentally challenged member requested that we pray for Captain Phillips. None of the rest of us had thought to do so. We prayed for his safety and release, awaking on Easter Sunday morning to hear the good news that he had been rescued from his captors! Now we are praying for the people of Somalia. As you may know, Islam has been kinder to them than any other entity, providing for their basic and social needs. Of course, the church of the Lord Jesus Christ, hasn’t been given the chance in recent years to express love for these people. If Somalians are immigrating to your city, then seize the opportunity to show to them the love of Christ.

Captain Phillips

The finest poem I have enjoyed this Passion week is “The Coming,” by R.S. Thomas. One of my fathers in the faith told me of it as he found it in “Divine Inspirations: The Life of Jesus in World Poetry,”. I have been holding out my thin arms but tomorrow morning strengthened by the surety of the resurrection I will raise them a bit higher and longer in praise of the One who said, “Let me go there.”

THE COMING

And God held in his hand
a small globe.  Look, he said,
the son looked.  Far off,
as through water, he saw
a scorched land of fierce
color.  The light burned
there: crusted buildings
cast their shadows; a bright
serpent, a river
uncoiled itself, radiant
with slime.

On a bare
hill a bare tree saddened
the sky.  Many people
held out their thin arms
to it, as though waiting
for a vanished April
to return to its crossed
boughs.  The son watched
them.  Let me go there, he said.

For more on R.S. Thomas and his writing, go to his site.