Ensign: Remembering Tim Solberg

All ye inhabitants of the world, and dwellers on the earth, see ye, when he lifteth up an ensign on the mountains; and when he bloweth a trumpet, hear ye. Isaiah 18:3

AN ENSIGN ON THE MOUNTAINS                                                  10 April 2015

Unlike Jason Peters, my classmate whom I gave tribute to in a similarly titled Ensign on January 9, both Martha and I can claim to know the man whose name graces today's study. For he is the pastor who married us, twelve years ago. (Ok, our twelfth wedding anniversary is actually July 12, but close enough.)

Moreover if thy brother [Sarah, this does not refer to just Jeffrey! This is ANYBODY against ANYBODY else.] shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother.

I have a funny story regarding our church wedding rehearsal; when Pastor Tim got to the part where he asked "Do you, David, take Martha to be your lawfully wedded wife ... until death do you part?" I froze. Whether I was astonished that Martha had gone this far with me when no other woman had or just -- heck, I don't know what I was expecting -- I had to be called to pay attention. And say I do.

But if he will not hear [I'm not guilty of this. At least, as much anymore. Sometimes.] , then take with thee one or two more, that in THE MOUTH OF TWO OR THREE WITNESSES EVERY WORD MAY BE ESTABLISHED. 

A few years later I was serving on our church council and there was a point where it was faced with the messy task of removing a church official from his post. I still have hard feelings about this, being a new member at the time and encouraged to join and becoming a figurehead in throwing Pastor Tim out. But from his funeral notice which I have -- he died this February 12 -- he seems to have lived,
nonetheless, a full and faithful life. Would that I could say that, CAN say that, by the time I am his age (70). Still got a ways to go; the fact is, I'm not proud of something I said the other night to my kids, and I wasn't even particularly mad at them but hurt because they were holding something back from their mom, my wife Martha. I hate taking sides within my family, I hate it Hate It HATE IT.

[The capitals in the previous verse show that passage's basis on Deuteronomy 17:6, minus putting -- or even proposing to put -- the trespasser to death.]

Part of me still feels it wasn't handled right -- but then, how many church official removals do I get to sit in and give input on? On the other hand, I get to participate in family squabbles ... more than I want to -- and I feel it wouldn't hurt to take a refresher course on the conflict resolution Jesus Himself speaks of. And maybe learn how I need to deal with people better than I do.

And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church [just doesn't want to admit he's wrong, just is convinced beyond the doubt of a shadow that he and only he is right; we're not given a reason, just "if he neglect"], let him be unto thee as a heathen man and a publican.

Check out Matthew 18 after the parable of the lost sheep, verses fifteen through eighteen that I've italicized here; if there's something wrong, go meet with that person first. If you can't settle the matter one on one, meet with two or three other people and hash it out; if that doesn't settle the matter, then meet with the church (in the New Testament sense, closer to our English word "assembly"), and if that STILL doesn't bring him back around, then cut him off from fellowship. For a while.

Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

Jesus mentions "church" three times during His public ministry, twice in verse seventeen and once two chapters before in Matthew 16:18, when He commissions Simon Peter ("upon this rock I will build my church") and I find it interesting as I'm typing this that Jesus had already made the plans for what happens and how the Word of God is going to be propagated after He the Son of God is gone.

And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

The wording of 18:18 three paragraphs above parallels 16:19 I quote right above quite nicely, don't you think? Far more than any pastor or any parent or any teacher, no matter how great an influence they have been and continue to be in our lives, it all flies apart -- the assembly flies apart, the family flies apart -- if we let what we disagree with continue to define us.

If we let what is not of our Lord and our God define us,

David

P. S. I write this weekly devotional to keep in touch with you, and I hope it encourages you too. If I'm not or you want me to get lost, please let me know -- thank you!

Thank You, Lord, that we can come to You in praise and prayer and that You provide for all our needs, even the ones we don't know we have! Let us pray for the peace of Jerusalem on both sides of the fence there and around the world.

Thank You, Lord, for all of us in leadership and service here and abroad, as well as for opportunities we have and the promise of new life! I pray we all seek and have a blessed week. Amen.