People You’ve Probably Never Heard Of But Should: Ichabod Spencer

Mike Leake

With a name like Ichabod he has to be great.  Spencer was born in 1798 in Rupert, VT.  He was converted shortly after his 18th birthday.  He actually began his career as an educator.  In 1830 he was called to be the President of the University of Alabama.  He, however, felt that the Lord had called him to preach.  He served as a colleague-pastor of the Congregational Church in Northampton, MA.  If that sounds familiar it is because this is the same church that Jonathan Edwards served. 

In 1832 Spencer accepted a call to a church plant in Brooklyn: The Second Presbyterian Church of Brooklyn.  At the time they called Spencer they had 40 congregants.  At the time of his death 22 years later—and still their pastor—they had grown to be one of the largest in Brooklyn.  Spencer died in 1854. 

Why You Should Know Him:

Anyone named Ichabod that rocks suck wildly awesome side-burns is worth getting to know.  Apart from this, however, Spencer is known to us mainly through his two volume Pastor’s Sketches.  His Pastors Sketches is a compilation of 77 stories (from over 20,000) that he carefully recorded after visiting with members of his church and community.  Spencer had been convicted that it was his duty to visit the home of every member of his church every year.  He did this for the 22 years that he pastored the church of Brooklyn.  (A daunting task when they had 40 members—even more when they grew to one of the largest churches in Brooklyn). 

A rough estimate is that he visited over 800 people per year for 25 years of labor.  What is even more remarkable still is that he wrote out in detail every one of these visits.  He never intended to release these to the public but many faithful friends encouraged him to release them for the good of the Church.  After the release of these Sketches, Spencer’s fame grew.  He then received numerous letters—each he answered with his noted pastoral care. 

Not only his Sketches (which are available) but his model is one that should cause every pastor and every lay person pause.  He had given himself completely to the Lord’s work and gained much fruit.  His life is an encouragement for believers to be serious about our call as ministers of reconciliation (that is EVERY believers call). 

Sample:

This is a small section from The Brown Jug

“You are already somewhat advanced in life. Your remaining years will be few. You have no time to lose. You have lost enough already. If you do not become a follower of Christ soon, you never will. You have a family of children. You have never set them an example of piety. You have never prayed with them as you ought to have done. Your neglect goes far to destroy all the influence which their mother might have over them. They copy your example. God will hold you accountable for a father’s influence. You may be the cause of their ruin, because—”

“That often troubles me,” said he, (interrupting me in the middle of what I designed to say.)

“It ought to trouble you. It is a serious matter, for a father to live before his sons without acknowledging God, without prayer, without hope, just as if he and they had no more interest in the matter of religion than the beast, whose ‘spirit goeth downward to the earth.’”

“Yes, indeed it is,” said he. “And I am now getting to be an old man, I wish I could get religion.”

“You can. The whole way is clear. God’s word has made it so.”

“I will begin,” said he, emphatically. “But I wish you would make a prayer with us. I will call in Mrs. E— and the boys.”

He immediately called them.

After my saying a few words to each of them, and briefly addressing them all, we knelt together in prayer. As we rose from our knees, he said to his children, very solemnly:—“Boys, I hope this visit of our minister will do us all good. It is time for us to think of our souls.” I left them.

Read the rest…

The above sample shows how Spencer would often plead with sinners.  This would be another one of those dear saints that would help an angry and divisive Calvinist.  Honestly, the Lord will probably use Spencer’s ministry to encourage every believer—no matter his/her soteriological convictions—to be about the work of the ministry of reconciliation. 

Further Reading:

A Pastor’s Sketches: Volume 1 and 2
Much of the biographical information I found and adapted from here. 
“I Can’t Repent” is one of Spencer’s Sketches
Most of his published Sketches are available here.

Monday’s Ministry Musing: Fast Tracking Spiritual Growth and Golden Calves

Mike Leake

“When the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain, the people gathered themselves together to Aaron and said to him, “Up, make us gods who shall go before us. As for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.” (Exodus 32:1 ESV)

If this story was not so sad it would be wildly humorous.  The Israelites have been waiting at the bottom of the mountain to hear from the Lord.  They have already promised that “all the words that the LORD has spoken we will do” (Ex. 20:3).  Then Moses jaunts up the mountain to receive the word of the Lord. 

Hours turn into days.

Days turn into weeks.

Weeks turn into a month. 

Finally, the people at the foot of the mountain call together a meeting and say, “Let’s face it…this Moses chap…who really knows what has happened to him.  He’s not coming back down from that mountain.  We liked his vision, we liked his idea about being in covenant with this YHWH, but seriously guys this is taking a REALLY long time.  Can’t you just make us a god so that we can worship, we’re too tired of waiting on YHWH.” 

So Aaron follows the people and they take up a missions offering, throwing their gold into the offering plates.  When the ushers gather together they give all their prosperity to Aaron who then crafts it into a golden calf.  I assume they called this idol something similar to YHWH because they ascribe to this assemblage of metal the work that YHWH had previously accomplished.

They wanted the fruit that YHWH had promised but not the labor of trust and love that it took to see it. 

I would really like to laugh at them.  Then I realize that I’m probably somewhere amongst them–plotting out plans for church success, spiritual growth, and helping people to worship a convenient “YHWH”.  You see, I have my own little sacred cows that I have constructed under the pretext of worshipping the living God.  I have my own plans to fast track the spiritual growth of the flock that I am called to help shepherd. 

“And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ”. 

Day of Jesus Christ?!?  That’s might be take awhile.  “As for this return of Jesus, we aren’t sure when that’s going to happen”.  Let me help you out, Lord.  I think I can fast track their spiritual growth.  I’ve written these really helpful articles on my blog…

—

Lord, Your people are in your hands.  You hold them with an immovable hand.  Your arm is not too short to save.  Mine is.  When I think that I know better, when I am tempted to construct my own sacred cows help me remember that the only thing that brings us to completion is the finished work of Jesus.  Yes, finished work of Jesus.  You don’t need my golden calves.  You don’t need anything from me.  Yet, you bid me come and die.  May I follow you even if at times it looks like I’ve been slaughtered on a scary mountain. 

Proverbs for Christian Blogging: Not Joining an Ambush

Mike Leake

I have found that Proverbs is one of the most helpful places to turn for help in Christian blogging.  The Proverbs frequently help us in our communication with people; both fools and the wise.  Hopefully Christian bloggers write to edify the wise.  Sadly, Christian blogging is often hi-jacked by the fool.  Therefore, Proverbs is one of the best places to turn for help in online communication.  To that end this begins a lengthy series (going through every applicable chapter of Proverbs) to find help for Christian Blogging.

#1 Christian Bloggers Should Not Join an Ambush For Traffic Gain

    My son, if sinners entice you,
        do not consent.
    If they say, “Come with us, let us lie in wait for blood;
        let us ambush the innocent without reason;
    like Sheol let us swallow them alive,
        and whole, like those who go down to the pit;
    we shall find all precious goods,
        we shall fill our houses with plunder;
    throw in your lot among us;
        we will all have one purse”—
    my son, do not walk in the way with them;
        hold back your foot from their paths,
    for their feet run to evil,
        and they make haste to shed blood.
    For in vain is a net spread
        in the sight of any bird,
    but these men lie in wait for their own blood;
        they set an ambush for their own lives.
    Such are the ways of everyone who is greedy for unjust gain;
        it takes away the life of its possessors.
(Proverbs 1:10-19 ESV)

It may seem like a stretch to call the worst of watch bloggers “those whose feet run to evil and make haste to shed blood”.  But calling everybody to “accountability” and trying to torch Christian believers seems to me to be very similar to what is being discussed in this Proverb. 

If we are not careful as Christian bloggers we can be tempted to “walk in the way with them”.  Our hearts can be tempted towards the “unjust gain” of increased blog traffic.  Controversy sells.  It sells in linking to controversial stories and sites.  It sells in engaging controversy and writing about it.  But at the end of the day the traffic gained from throwing our brothers and sisters under the bus will “take away life”. 

Of course there are debates that need to be had.  There are discussions and even controversial ones that must take place.  It is not wrong to get blog traffic as a result of a thoughtful, gracious, and helpful piece that deals with something controversial.  What is wrong is joining in an ambush for the sake of blog traffic. 

1:15 says, “my son, do not walk in the way with them; hold back your foot from their paths”.  Decide for yourselves if this is a stretch, but I think this Proverb is telling us to simply not play the ambush game (neither as a fellow ambusher or as one trying to lay a snare for the one doing the ambushing).  Just walk away and go a different path—even if its rough, rugged, and filled with the hard labor of cutting out your own path to finding an audience.

You can gain a quick following by being a controversy seeking and controversy centered blogger, but at the end of the day it reeks of death and not glory.  I’d rather have a small blog that is life-giving rather than a highly visited tomb. 

7 Reflections on #T4G12

Mike Leake 1 Comment

First of all I am thankful to my wife and church family for giving me the opportunity to attend this event.  It was a blessing to me and a great encouragement to my soul; both as a pastor and as a believer.  The speakers were faithful, the worship was wonderful, the fellowship enlivening, and the books were many.  I will not go into specifics as to what a particular speaker said, etc. but ere are a few things that I took from the conference. 

1. I have been underestimating the power of the gospel.  I need to stop it.  It’s not that I’ve been trying to “add” to the gospel.  It’s just that I have been silent or neutered in speaking when I should have been bold and confident in the Lord’s power.

2. I need to get over myself. 

3. God is really really amazing, and really really powerful, and really really a bunch of others words that cannot adequately describe how GOD, God is.  (I know that sentence didn’t make sense—but the only word to describe how ___ God is, is to use His own name).  He is sufficient.  He is worth every ounce of difficulty.  He is the point. 

4. I am to passionately labor with every bit of energy that I have within me to make Christ the only boast of this generation.  I am invited by God to join with Him in His task of creating a people from every people group.  That’s an awesome and joyous task. 

5. Jesus paid it all.  He really is going to keep me.  Yes, I labor and do it passionately and prayerfully.  But He is mighty to save!  Though many can take this statement the wrong way—it is helpful to my soul to know that I can missionally and pastorally screw up and Revelation 21-22 is still going to be a reality.  I don’t want to mess up.  I want to be faithful.  But the blood of Christ frees me up to just live. 

6. My task=be faithful to what God has called me to.  I don’t need to strive to anything other than faithfulness. 

7. There is nothing quite like being passionately involved in praising and worshiping God with 9,000 other passionate worshippers.  Heaven is going to be amazing (understatement of the millennium).