Author Archives: Clark Bunch

In Christ Alone

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First published in 2001, In Christ Alone has become one of the favorite hymns of all time by several metrics. In Christ Alone is considered a credal hymn expressing faith in the crucified and risen savior.

The song has been recorded and covered many times. The first version below features Adrienne Liesching and Geoff Moore. (I was a big Geoff Moore and the Distance fan back in college but that’s not important right now.) This video displays the brilliant lyrics for your consideration. The second video is a live performance by Keith and Kristyn Getty. Keith Getty and Stuart Townsend are the original co-authors.

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UPDATE: It has come to my attention this my second post by this title. This post from 2009 is all about the lyrics with a link to the video. All four verses appear in their entirety with my commentary added afterward.

A Hero

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This song is apparently five years old but it’s only been in the past 12 -18 months that I became familiar with it. With Easter coming up in a few days, it’s one of my favorites right now.

(Just a Few) Things Jesus Said

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In preparation for the Passion week and Easter, I’ve been preaching a series of sermons on things that Jesus said. Before we started, a 4-part series seemed like a lot. Now I almost wish we had started in January!

Most of these are taken from the Sermon on the Mount as recorded in the Gospel of Matthew. They all try to cover too much ground for a single sermon, but let’s be honest: Jesus said some good stuff! I hope you enjoy.

Love Your Enemies 

Lay Up Treasures in Heaven 

Build Your House on the Rock 

Whoever Receives You Receives Me

Blogoversary 8

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I have to admit that it caught me off guard. If WordPress hadn’t congratulated me I might have missed my own blogoversry (blog + anniversary).

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In 2014 I published Six Years at the Table. That post does a good job telling the backstory and sharing some interesting facts. At that time, we were shy of one million views. As of 3/3/2016 the two blogs together (The Master’s Table and My Other Blog) have seen 1,066,005 views and the total number of posts is 1857.

Today I blog less and have diverted some time and energy into other things. I pastor a small SBC church and my sermons are posted on their website. I write once a week for our local paper and do not duplicate that same content here. Blogging has changed since our launch in 2008; there are more personal and collaborative blogs today than ever before and social media, such as Facebook and Twitter, have brought more voices into the conversation.

The Master’s Table gives me a larger audience than I could reach otherwise. My blog friends in Canada, Israel and Australia know what I’m talking about. I enjoy writing on several different platforms. I also enjoy the seminary classes I take with other local ministers, church staff and lay church members; I enjoy teaching Sunday School and leading prayer meetings in addition to preaching sermons. Ministry happens simultaneously at the local, regional, state, national and international level. The church has been tasked to carry the Gospel to all people and nations. The internet offers tools and resources that make the world a smaller place. But we can’t reach around the world and neglect our neighbor across the street.

The goal has not changed; to be God honoring and Christ centered. Those words are posted prominently on the masthead as much for my benefit as yours. Here’s to another eight years, and the changes they will bring. Long live the blog.

What is the Deal with Aramaic?

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Screenshot 2016-03-03 at 10.43.04 AM‘Tis the season when various broadcast networks and cable channels will start showing Bible films even if they don’t offer religious programming the rest of the year. Look for The Passion of the Christ, Jesus of Nazareth and, for reasons I never understood, The Ten Commandments on a t.v. near you. If you have never seen The Passion of the Christ (2004, directed by Mel Gibson) be prepared for subtitles. The dialogue of the entire film is spoken in Aramaic. Continue reading →

Taming the Tongue?

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Screenshot 2016-02-24 at 9.44.56 AMJames 3:1-12 is a well known portion of scripture about the mighty fires set by a small tongue. We put bits in horses mouths and rudders on great ships to steer them, and the tongue is a small member as well that boasts of great things.

The ESV and NIV subject headings title this passage Taming the Tongue. I prefer the NKJV headline, The Untamable Tongue. James doesn’t give a command to tame the tongue or instructions on how one might do so. He actually writes that “no human being can tame the tongue.” He compares blessings and cursings coming from the same mouth to a spring that gives fresh and salt water, concluding that “these ought not to be so.” He does not say, however, that anything can be done about it.

Your thoughts?

 

Bible Gateway Plus

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Everything that has been available for free at Bible Gateway will stay that way, and they promise it always will. But after “many months of planning, coding, and beta testing” Bible Gateway Plus is now live.

This blog post explains everything the new service makes available, and the list is pretty extensive. You can try the new premium service free for 30 days by clicking here to register. After the free trial the ad-free service is only $3.99 per month.

 

Two Sermons and an Editorial

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Screenshot 2016-02-11 at 9.39.22 AMFor those of you looking at the website, you know that lots of stuff hangs out in the sidebars. Some of that content is updated daily. I don’t post as often to the blog as I used to because much of what I write is on my church website. The Unity Baptist RSS feed shows links to recent posts at the top of the left-hand sidebar. You see those links if you visit The Master’s Table. I also realize many followers subscribe using feed readers or through email. Those folks will never see any content that is not posted.

So this is kind of like a Read & Share File for my own stuff. These links are to the two most recent Sunday sermons and a newspaper editorial from about a week and a half ago. If you have read them already or follow both blogs, great. If not, just FYI.

The Heart of Man, Feb. 7th sermon 

The Heart of God, Feb. 14th sermon

God’s Great Love, newspaper article, Feb. 6th 

Decision America Tour

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Screenshot 2016-02-13 at 7.54.17 AMFranklin Graham is traveling to all 50 states and holding prayer rallies at each state capital. Graham is well known for his work with Samaritan’s Purse; he joined the organization in 1974 and became president in 1979. He is now also the president and CEO of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA).

The Decision America Tour 2016 is not a campaign for any political party or candidate. Continue reading →

Jesus Wept

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When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. –Matthew 9:36 

Jesus had a soft spot for people with a sad story. Even when he and the disciples were trying to get away from it all, he would sometimes stay behind and send the disciples ahead. Like Jeremiah, he wept over the city of Jerusalem: “And when he drew near and saw the city, he wept over it, saying, ‘Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes.'” Luke 19:41-42 

And the shortest verse of the Bible? John 11:35: “Jesus wept.” His friend Lazarus was dead, and Mary and Martha whom he also loved were grieving. He was about to bring Lazarus back. Did he mourn for Lazarus, or weep out of empathy for the other family members?

A man moved to tears by his compassion and concern for others.

Perhaps not manly, but very godly.