Yesterday was Ash Wednesday but thanks to icy roads, we didn’t have a service. My job was going to be imposing ashes on people as they exited the building and to say to them, “From ashes you came and ashes you will return.” Rich Villodas says, “Ash Wednesday is the annual reminder that we are far more weak, frail, broken and sinful than we think. It’s also the reminder that God is far more gracious, merciful, present and loving than we can believe.” I really love that service, because I need both of those reminders. 

None of that happened. Michigan weather don’t remind me how nice you are in the summer. I am not your friend today.

While it was snowing and icing yesterday afternoon, I was recording The Pastor’s Table podcast with Dr. Mark Quanstrom and Rev Tara Beth Leach. We talked about migraines in ministry (podcast #1) and living with someone dying of cancer (podcast #2). Ironically (maybe I should write “Typically”), I had a fairly significant migraine as we were recording. Talking about migraines while experiencing a migraine is a weird thing to do. (FYI… the podcast will be posted on March 6).

Immediately following the podcast interview, I need to move things around in Lisa’s room to accommodate a sleeper sofa so Karla (or whomever might be spending the night with Lisa) would be able to be in the room and assist her. Lisa’s legs and ankles are swollen. Karla told me she can feel the tumors on Lisa’s body growing. Lisa can barely hold food down. Last night for the first time, she started wearing the oxygen tube thing-a-ma-bob that goes around one’s nose. Karla and I prayed with her because it’s scary when you can’t breathe. The disease is progressing. Oh how I hate cancer.

Migraines and cancer on Ash Wednesday– what better reminder that we are weak, frail and broken? So often, we try to hide our ailments or brokenness or sinfulness. We paste on a smile and tell the person asking, “How are you doing?” “Fine, I’m fine.” But we aren’t fine. Migraines and cancer reveal we aren’t fine. Our world is broken. It’s full of frailties. Mine is migraines. Lisa’s is cancer. Your bug-a-boo is something else. All of us are sinners in need of a Savior. 

This Lenten Season that we have now entered is a call to look at ourselves and see that we need help. There are mountains too high for us to climb (read: cancer, migraines, sinfulness). There are valley’s too deep and wide (read: depression, loneliness, brokenness). There are circumstances that we can’t fix. Diseases we can’t cure. Sins we can’t absolve. We need a Savior. We desperately need a Savior. 

Lent is generally a time when we give up something (i.e. chocolate, coffee, social media). So that when fasting, we remember those things missed and we are likewise reminded of our need for a Savior. It’s a good 40-day practice. But can I also urge you to look in a mirror. Take a good long look. See yourself for who you really are. What you will see is that you are not fine, you need a Savior. We all do. 

Turn to Him. Seek His face. Confess your sins. Admit your frailties. There’s a Savior who is far more gracious, merciful, present and loving than we could ever believe.

Yesterday, Rev. Dr. Deirdre Brower-Latz preached at Central Church. I was not present in the building, instead, I was an on-line worshipper. But even via the internet, Dr. Brower-Latz message came through loud and clear. She did not disappoint. It was a powerful sermon. In it, she talked about a Jordanian pastor, Raja, who went to Lebanon. He was a great pastor who followed Jesus’ call. She asked us to do the same. What she didn’t tell is that Raja died tragically and five years later his widow married the best man in Karla’s and my wedding. But that’s not what captured my attention. (By the way, Dr. Brower-Latz wasn’t exaggerating. Raja was a great pastor and his widow, Seta, is a great lady).

In yesterday’s sermon, Dr. Brower-Latz asked, “If you were to preach your last sermon, what would it be?” 

Probably most folks just heard her say it and moved on. Most folks listening are not preachers. I am. It’s what I do. She captured my imagination. So, I thought long and hard about that question. It’s a good one. What would I preach, if I knew shortly after sermonizing, I would kick the bucket? What is the most important thing that I could say?

I must have some Count Nicolaus Zinzendorf in me. Zinzendorf, the founder of the Moravians, was also a pioneer in modern missions. It was Moravian missionaries that played a role in John Wesley’s sanctification experience as he crossed the Atlantic on a ship. Zinzendorf reportedly said, “Preach the gospel, die, and be forgotten.” In other words, it’s not about the preacher. Zinzendorf would be shocked by preachers today who ‘build platforms,” are known as “celebrity preachers,” and are living a lifestyle of the rich and famous. Zinzendorf would be outraged by preachers who make it all about themselves or build megachurches based on their personality. It’s all about Jesus. “Preach the gospel, die, and be forgotten.”

With that in mind, here’s my last sermon title: Forget me. Remember Jesus. When people look back on my life, I don’t want them to mention sermons preached, books and articles written or anything else. I want them to say, “Rob Prince modelled his life after Jesus. The decisions made, sermons preached and life’s purpose reflected Jesus.”

Have I done that perfectly? Of course not. Neither have you. There have been plenty of mistakes along the way and more to come (should I not croak following this posting). But I don’t ever want my preaching or life to be about me. I want it to be about Jesus. Forget me. Remember Jesus.

Monday was our house guest’s, Lisa Marie’s, birthday. She turned 58. Last year when she turned 57, we threw big shindig at the church. Food. Punch. Taco Bar. Cakes. Testimonials. Even a video clip of Mark Lowry (her favorite of the old Gaither Band guys) to sing Happy Birthday to her. We went all out. We didn’t think Lisa would have birthday #58. She did.

Lisa has been defying the odds ever since she was diagnosed with cancer in December of 2018. The doctors thought she would live 6 months, at best. Four plus years later, we were celebrating #58.

This time the celebration was more subdued. A group of folks came over to our house and had a mini-singspiration for Lisa. I’ll be honest when we were singing “Because He Lives,” I was watching Lisa. She was moving her lips, more than singing. She was not bursting out the way she used to sing the Gaither hits. Lisa was so thankful for the folks coming over– as much as you can appreciate a group of people when you were in the bathroom throwing up before they arrived and were barfing as soon after they left. Lisa loved the evening, but I was wiping away tears. Ugh. Cancer sucks. It is literally sucking the life out of our dear friend. Karla and I have had front row seats to the devastating effects of cancer.

As you may know, Lisa came to live with us permanently in November of 2021 (I wrote a book, “Got Cancer? There’s Help” about our journey with her). When she first came, of course, she was sick. Some weeks the chemo made her really, really sick. But she was still mobile, still able to get around. She is a neat freak and often she would clean our house and wash the dishes. Sometimes, only her bald head reminded us that Lisa was battling cancer. It’s not like that now. She is not the same gregarious Lisa Marie, not Pressley. She is in pain. She is taking a lot of medicine. It’s a battle of knowing how much to give her. Did I mention how cancer sucks the life out of a person? It does.

But we are not alone and neither is Lisa. Of course, Jesus is with us and so are many church folks. Besides hymn singing times, church folks have sat and cared for Lisa; brought her special treats; and spent the night so Karla can sleep. Many have sent encouraging cards, texts and voice messages. The church folks have offered her so much support. It’s living into Paul’s words to the Romans: 

For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. Romans 12:4-5. 

Lisa belongs to us. She is part of the body– the sick and dying part these days. Soon she will be seeing Jesus face to face, but before she does, she is seeing the hands and feel of Jesus at work through so many people of the church of Jesus Christ. They’ve proven that pro-life is much more than pro-birth, it’s pro-dignity at the end of life too. Thank you, Central Church. You’ve blessed Lisa, Karla and me.

A lady from our church, while in used book store, found a 1936 Central church flyer buried in a book (see above). It announced a Sunday School Rally focused on “The Causes of Crime Among Youth.” Not sure what crime youth were committing 87 years ago, but some of the subjects covered were: Why Boys are not in Sunday School; How one teacher saved 1000 boys; and last, but surely not least, “How Young People Commit the Unpardonable sin” (Yikes… I hope not). Not sure how many youth were grieving the Holy Spirit back in 1936. Apparently, it was a problem, and, from the week’s topics, it looked like it was a mostly a boys’ problem.

The flyer is a fun little blast from the past. Quaint, even. 

But it tells me a few things about Central Church in 1936.

• They were concerned for young people (it was a “youth” rally)
• They were evangelistic (the theme, The Causes of Crime Among Youth, was surely evangelistic)
• They sought excellence. (Other lessons included: How to build a Sunday School; Four Essentials to Building a Sunday School and the Sunday School teacher who succeeds)
• They set goals and made a plan to achieve it (the target: 100 souls)
• Leaders were held accountable. On the side tear-off portion of the flyer, the information collected was: the prospective youth’s name, address, age, whether they already were attending Sunday School and at the bottom, (here’s my point) the name of the “solicitor.” They were tracking which lay leaders were actually inviting young people to the rally. Interesting.

The world has changed a lot since 1936. The methods used 87 years ago, will not work today. Still a 1936 youth rally can teach us a few things in 2023:

• Without young people the church dies (maybe that’s why Central Church is in year 103 and going strong).
• Sin is real and evangelism is important. (see the above parenthetical statement).
• Wishful thinking doesn’t achieve results. (Needed are: strategy, goals, and those willing to execute the plan)
• Church members must be responsible for the growth of the church (it’s not just the pastors’ job).

Most churches understand (even if they aren’t acting upon) the truths of the first three bullet points. What seems to be missing is the personal involvement by everyday members in the mission of the church. Too often the evangelism onus is on the pastor’s shoulders. Pastors alone (even with a large staff) cannot be the sole evangelizers in a church. Individual members must be given the tools (even if it’s a flyer with a tear off accountability section) to be witnesses in our lonely world. In a previous blog, I quoted Dr. Stan Reeder, who said, 95% of Nazarenes have not led one person to Christ. Pastors can’t evangelize alone. For growth to occur, more than 5% of believers must be inviting, sharing and leading folks to Jesus! 

The numbers are numbing. Church attendance across America is in deep decline. More people than ever are stating that they are atheists, agnostics or have no particular religion. Maybe those 1936 Central Church folks were on to something:

1. Prioritize youth;
2. Recognize sin;
3. Believe Jesus changes everything;
4. Make an “all-hands-on-deck” appeal for participation;
5. Pray, plan and execute a strategy for making disciples. 

I hope in 87 years (2110) someone finds what we were doing In 2023 and says, “It’s kinda quaint, but they were being faithful to Jesus.”

I live in Michigan. It’s a beautiful state with many nice people. In 2008, 26 percent of my fellow Michiganders said they were either atheist, agnostic or “nothing in particular” as it relates to religion. In 2020 that number was 36%. (see the chart for the statistics of your state). That is a huge increase and should rattle us to our core. A 10% jump in 12 years? Social scientists say that number is on the rise. It hasn’t flat lined. In fact, thank you, Covid, no doubt that number is higher than ever in 2023.

This means, when I go to the grocery store, more than one in three people have no context, no understanding, no feelings one way or the other for the Good News of Jesus. They literally have no clue of the peace Jesus offers or the freedom that could be had. It’s sad. Terribly sad. More than sad, we believe in a heaven and hell. At least we say we do. Shouldn’t that make us consumed with a fire deep in our bones to do whatever it takes to reach these people?

If we were on a boat and it was sinking, we’d turn on the pumps or grab buckets, while trying our best to repair the hole. We’d do whatever it takes to make that boat float or to get folks into life rafts or to toss them a life preserver. We’d want to save as many as we possibly could. Shouldn’t we take the same approach to our society? Shouldn’t I care for my fellow Wolverine-or-Spartan-shirt-wearing neighbors in the grocery store?  Of course, we should. 

Want another number? Maybe it’s worse than the fact that 36% or more of my neighbors are atheists, agnostics and “nothing in particulars.” 95% of Nazarenes (so says USA/Canada regional director, Dr. Stan Reeder) have never led a person to Christ. Maybe that’s why the number of atheists, agnostics and “nothing in particulars” is on the rise. Only 5% of us are tossing out life preservers. Here are the steps to leading people to Jesus. It’s easy. 

1. Pray that the Lord would lead a non-believer to you (He probably already has).
2. Be that person’s friend. Love them. Care for them. Earn the right to share Jesus.
3. Be open to the Lord’s prompting. (The Lord will open that door, of course, Jesus will).
4. When the door is open, share your story. What has Jesus done for you?
5. Tell them having Jesus in their life is as simple as A-B-C: 
 A.  Admit you need Jesus.
B.  Believe Jesus is who he says He is: The Savior of the World.
C.  Confess your sins and commit your life to him. 
6. Pray with them. Simple is good. “Dear Jesus. Help my friend. Forgive all their sins and set them on the road of following You all the days of their life. Give them a fresh start, a new life, a hope and a future.” 
7. Don’t stop. Keep praying for this new believer. Help them. Disciple them. Keep on loving them. Answer their questions. Bring them to church with you. Set them up in a small group. 

The numbers are staggering. Wake Up my fellow believer. Get to work. Our world needs Jesus. Let’s share Jesus with our friends and neighbors! 

Proviso #1: I love our current Church of the Nazarene (CotN) General Superintendents (GS). They are all are qualified and have had distinguished ministries prior to their election as GS. Their love for the Lord and for the CotN is undeniable. 

Proviso #2: The GS life is a difficult one. It’s not a cushy job. The schedules we ask them to keep are terrible. It’s not glamorous. Those that serve in this role sacrifice much. Too much? Maybe. Thank you Board of General Superintendents (BGS). We love and appreciate you!

Proviso #3: The title seems to indicate that the following article is a little like Ecclesiastes 1:2: Meaningless, Meaningless, everything is meaningless. That is not my intention. I have hope (even if it doesn’t sound like it). This hope springs from a belief that the message of holiness is still what our world desperately needs to hear.

Acknowledging those three provisos, here’s the point:

We have elected great people to be General Superintendent. Prior to their election all have been capable, wise and independent. All have a certain amount of entrepreneurial innovation. They’ve been visionary. They’ve been wonderful servants of the Lord. You don’t rise to be a Regional Director, great pastor and Sunday School ministries director or seminary president without many gifts and abilities. 

Here’s the problem: Something happens when these gifted leaders pass through the doors of the Global Ministry Center and take their place at the BGS table. They lose something. I’m not sure I can put my finger on it. I don’t think it is intentional. Maybe it’s inevitable. Whatever the reason, they lose something.

It’s hard to be innovated and creative when sitting on a committee of six people. Prior to their election, in their various positions often they had the final word in decision making. The buck stopped with them. Now there are six people with equal input. It’s hard to be a prophetic “voice crying out in the wilderness” when you need the approval of five other voices before one can speak. The necessity (either real or perceived) to be united in all things from the BGS board room reduces imagination and originality. 

Moreover, there is a certain amount of trepidation that comes with the job. No one wants to be the GS if/when the wheels come off the church and all is not well. No one wants to make a “big mistake” (whatever that might be). Leading from a worst-case scenario mindset is not freeing. Cultural, moral and denominational shifts and movements seems to be the enemy feared, not the challenge excepted.

The subtle change from innovative leader to disaster-avoidance-manager might occur from the weight of carrying the denomination on one’s shoulders. So, instead of innovation we get inertia. Instead of prophetic wisdom, too often profit and loss seem to be the concern. Instead of vision, a level of blindness (maybe that’s too harsh), a looking back to the old ways of dealing with today’s challenges seems to takes over. The desire to be globally minded (a worthy aspiration), fails to acknowledge (like it or not) the fate of the denomination rises and falls with the health (and wealth) of the USA/Canada Church (95% of WEF comes from USA/Canada). We place a lot on the shoulders of the BGS and the weight of the job changes them.

Who will get elected? Who knows? Will it even make a difference?  No doubt, a very capable set of leaders will be elected. I’m worried that no matter how innovative and creative they are in their current capacity, when elected they will walk through the sacred doors of the GMC and they will change. But maybe not… (you see, I do have hope).

Let’s pray for the two new GSs who will be elected in just four months. Let’s pray that these two individuals will have visionary and prophetic voices that the denomination and our world desperately needs.

In June Nazarenes from around the world will gather for the 30th General Assembly. The meetings should have taken place in 2021, but our microscopic “friend,” covid, delayed our gathering.  Because of this interruption, General Superintendent David Graves will need to retire because of his age. Had the assembly taken place as scheduled, he would not have been able to serve two additional years. Covid cheated us of Dr. David Graves, which is disappointing, because he has served the church so very well. But that’s not the biggest problem with the upcoming General Assembly.

Many of our elected delegates will not be able to obtain visas. This happens every year, but this year will be especially challenging. Less international delegates mean, a more USA/Canada influenced General Assembly. The numbers are usually skewed in favor of USA/Canada anyway (because of the preponderance of North American leadership that is included in the delegate count), but this year’s assembly will be even more laden with a USA/Canada tilt. As big of a problem as this is, it’s not my biggest worry.

I am apprehensive because it seems that the church is fracturing into various camps to express their perspective upon the Church of the Nazarene. There have always been factions (not a particularly healthy admission), but in our social media age splinter groups form quicker, gather supporters more rapidly, and take on a strength that was difficult to accomplish in the non-digital age. I’m worried that the 1908ers, Holiness Partnershippers, Progressives, fundamentalists disguised as Wesleyans, the “Signs and Wonders” charismatic-ish crowd and who knows who else will come with an agenda to “change” the Church of the Nazarene. 

Change isn’t bad. The Church of the Nazarene changes every four years. We don’t believe the Manual is divinely inspired and every General Assembly, corrections are made; new paragraphs added, wording is made more understandable. Agreement and unity is a beautiful thing as together we take steps forward.

The difference is that in years past, maybe a few delegates from a district or region would get together to discuss resolutions submitted or their preferred candidate for General Superintendent. Talk among friends always happens. But in a social media age, this chatter is raised exponentially. Splinter groups with their preferred agenda are more tempted to strategically plan to “purify” the church to their liking. In essence, it moves the Church of the Nazarene away from a “big tent” family to multiple “little tents” pushing various agendas. It hinders unity and augments division. We need only to look at the United Methodists to see the results of a church that lacks unity.

People are more and more influenced by the social media vacuum in which they live. This phenomenon is true as it relates to politics, sports loyalties, and even the church. Listening and reading only those who agree with one’s pre-determined ideas, hinders diversity and unity. In Post-Christian America and Europe, the church faces enough challenges without having splinter groups disrupting unity. The General Assembly emphasis on “Jesus is Lord” should be unifying as we “Go, Follow, Worship, Share and Love.” “Jesus is Lord” is a message that must be heard by all who gather no matter the faction of which they most closely align. 

Let’s return to P.F. Bresee’s charge (and several others before him): “In essentials unity; in non-essentials liberty; in all things charity.”  A church that is not united will not survive. 

Apparently, a rodent, whistle-pig, woodchuck or if you prefer, a ground hog will awaken this morning somewhere in Pennsylvania– without the aid of weather maps, Doppler radar, wind vanes, weather satellites or balloons, barometers, thermometers, and not even the Farmer’s Almanac–  and declare whether (no pun intended) we will experience six more weeks of winter or not. Evidently, this furry creature with no college degree or meteorological credentials of any kind is the great predictor of climate happenings across our varied states. What is the basis of his potentially horrid declaration?  His shadow. The varmint awakens; ventures outside his abode; and should he see his shadow then pull out the parkas and mittens because we’ve got more freezing wintery blasts on the way. That’s it. His fearful response to his own shadow dooms the rest of us to endure ice and cold for six more weeks. Ugh!  I hate that pretentious, overgrown rat!

Are we any different from Punxsutawney Phil? I’ve known plenty of people who base their decisions on fear. Their fear-based decisions and actions occur primarily because of being afraid of the potential outcome. There is the fear of not being liked (people pleasing); fear of conflict (don’t rock the boat even if the boat is being swamped by poor decisions); fear of someone different (can’t love your neighbors if you’re avoiding them); fear of being rejected (can’t delve into any evangelism– what if the person says, “no thanks”); fear of not enough (is the recipe for greed not generosity), fear of death (leads to a conflicted and worried heart) and so many, many more fears. 

Unlike the furry, fraidy-cat-like, Pennamite, Christians know that “perfect love drives out all fear” (1 John 4:18). Believers remember Jesus’ words, “Don’t let your hearts be troubled,” (John 14:1) and “Fear not, for I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). The author of Hebrews wrote: “God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?” (Hebrews 13:5-6). Moreover, Bible believing followers of Jesus have probably heard that the Scriptures say to “fear not” exactly 365 times (once for each day of the year). In other words, Christians are to be the most fearless people on the planet. 

Sorry, O Abysmal-prognosticator-of-the-Keystone-State, I choose to not make decisions like you—based on fear. Instead, I’ll follow the faithful Way of Jesus. What would Jesus say? Where would Jesus go? How would Jesus respond? Would Jesus be generous in this circumstance? Life is a giant game of follow the Leader (although it is no “game”). My Leader does not cower to fear but is the One who left the majesty of heaven to save us from our fears and to bring us into glorious hope. Don’t follow the way of a fearful groundhog on the 2^nd of February. Follow the Way of Jesus all year long.

Here is my list of the opposite of the Fruit of the Spirit that is evident in too many Christians and too many churches:

Fearful Indifference
The opposite of love isn’t hate but indifference, so wrote Nobel laureate, and Holocaust survivor, Elie Wiesel. John seemed to indicate fear would be the opposite, since “perfect love casts our fear” (1 John 4:18). In combining Wiesel and John, we get the picture of love’s opposite. It’s an indifference fueled by fear. Instead of loving our neighbor, it’s fearing anyone different from ourselves. Instead of helping the outlier, it’s fearing they may harm us in some way. Jesus said to “love our neighbor,” we all know this. We would never “hate” them, but our fearful indifference has the same outcome.

Criticism
Too often in the church, the criticism is not “constructive.” It might be called “constructive criticism” by the criticizer, but generally it is the garden variety, old fashion criticism. Often followed by the words, “so what are you going to do about it, pastor…” Cue: Hands on hips and rapid foot tapping. One can’t be critical and have Joy too. It’s Impossible.

Pride 
Same with pride and peace. There is no peace when pride is present.

Impatience
Since patience reveals the Fruit of the Spirit, impatience is its spoiled opposite.

Complaining 
Can a person be kind and complain too? You know the answer to that.

Greed
As opposed to goodness. Goodness flows into generosity. Greed keeps anything good to themselves.

Grumbling 
I’ve yet to meet the person who is being faithful to God and grumbling too. Three words: Can. Not. Happen.

Cowardly Anonymous letter writing
 Cowardly anonymous letter writers are anything but gentle. They are BOOM! Here’s-what’s-wrong-you-or-wrong-with-the-church kind of letters. I’ve yet to read a cowardly anonymous letter that displays “gentleness.” (FYI: It’s one of my life rules– whenever I write the words, “Anonymous Letter,” I automatically must add the adverb “cowardly” before it. I once had a cowardly anonymous letter writer upset at my use of “cowardly” when referring to the cowardly anonymous letters. Suffice it to say, the coward was mad and not very gentle about it. True story).

No control 
The tell-tale sign of the spirit filled life: Is self-control present? Unfortunately, I’ve witnessed church leaders show a lack of self-control all the while claiming to be entirely sanctified. The outburst wasn’t like a Jesus-chasing-the-money-changers anger. It was more in the category of a toddler saying “I’m-throwing-a-temper-tantrum-and-there-is-not-a-single-thing-you-can-do-to-stop-me.” In other words, no control. The lack of self-control is why churches split, pastors walk away from assignments, and why little is accomplished in the Kingdom of God. 

As you know, spoiled fruit stinks. It attracts fruit flies and other pests. It’s no good. Same with these Spoiled Fruits of the Wrong Spirit. Don’t let them be a part of your day.

Bad Apples. Every barrel (read: Church) may have one or two, don’t be that one.

Sour Grapes. Don’t let the rainy days of life ruin your outlook.

Thick melons. Think: Stubborness. Be open to fresh ideas.

Boo Berries. Be a cheerleader not a grump, grouch or grinch.

Bitter Herbs.  Are herbs fruit? I don’t know. It’s my list. Don’t be bitter.

Rotten Tomatoes. Tomato is a fruit and people with rotten attitudes are no fun.

Top Bananas. You need not be first, best or champ. Be faithful.

Cherry Picked. We are all special – not one over the other. All have been extended the invitation to follow Jesus.

Lemonhead. Don’t look and act like you are sucking the life out of room. Be a joy. 

Instead of those fruits, be a peach. Cool as a cucumber. OK, technically a cucumber is not a fruit. You probably are not a botanist so does it matter? You are the apple of God’s eye. Life might not always be a bowl of cherries, but give a fig and go bananas. You’ve got a plum assignment: Love God. Love people. 

P.S. Can you tell Fruit of the Spirit sermon series is coming? It is. Starting on January 29.

What do you do when someone you care for is going through a dark place spiritually? When they use words like “de-constructing” or “leaving/losing” their faith, what’s the answer?

Love them. Don’t stop loving. Whatever you do, keep on loving them.
Remind them of the Joy in the Lord they once knew. There was joy. They know it.
Pray that the Peace of God would flow in them.
Be Patient. Don’t rush things along.
Keep showing Kindness. Don’t give up on them.
And Goodness. Just flow with good news, good things. Be positive.
Keep being Faithful yourself. Don’t get down. Keep the faith. Hold on to Jesus.
No rushing, bullying (duh) or cajoling. Think Gentleness. 
And finally use self-control. When you want to speak. Think. When you want to argue. Think. When you are starting to get defensive. Stop. Breathe. Think. Pray. Then, respond.

What’s the answer to friends de-constructing their faith? Let the Fruit of the Spirit be evident in your life. It’s the “in-it-for-the-long-haul answer, it’s not a quick fix. The fruitfulness of the Spirit of God is compelling and true.

Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. (Galatians 5:25).

Last Sunday a lady came to Central Church for the first time. Some friends had invited her. Only two problems: she couldn’t find her friends and no one knows her friends. No one. She described them to me. The guy was tall with a long ponytail. Nope, doesn’t ring a bell. I know most folks here. Not everybody, but most everybody. We’ve got a few fellas with ponytails. But none of our ponytailed gentlemen would be described as particularly tall and none have a wife by the name she gave me. I think she came to the wrong church.

Or did she?

The lady stayed for the service. The music was great. The sermon spoke to her. At the end of the service, Pastor Tyler in his benediction asked for folks to come forward and talk to a pastor if they needed Jesus. The lady moved out of her pew and walked down the aisle. She talked and prayed with Pastor Tyler and invited Christ into her life. She was planning on coming to our lady’s Bible study last night to continue these first steps with Jesus. Praise the Lord!

So, the big question: Did she really end up in the wrong church? Or did she have a divine appointment with God Almighty at Central Church? Here’s what we know for sure: God loves this dear lady. God knows all about her hurts and hang-ups. Knows her past. Knows her present. Knows her future. God loves her and she ended up at Central Church on Sunday.  Subsequently, she made a life changing choice, because Jesus changes everything (See what I did there? It’s Central’s Core Commitment #1: Jesus Changes everything). She came to the wrong church, but made the right decision. She is now a brand-new follower of Jesus. It was no accident. 

I sure hope that this week another someone will come to Central Church on “accident.” Or better yet, you don’t have to grow a ponytail to invite a friend to Central Church. Ask and they shall come. Your friends will be glad you asked and if your spouse is like Karla, you will be glad you didn’t need to grow a ponytail (she’d not be a fan of a me ponytailed). 

Never. Not in a million years. Have you said those words? Sure, we all have.  My list of “I nevers” include the following:

I never eat liver. (Actually, there is a lot on my “I-will-never-eat” list. Karla says, “I’m finicky.” I say, “I’m choosy”).
I never run out of gas again (I learned my lesson over Christmas).
I never cheer for the Ohio State Buckeyes. Never. Never. Never.
(I used to say, I would never see the Lions win a Super Bowl, but the feisty Motor City Kitties have left me hopeful for 2023). 

There are a few politicians on my never-vote-for list. There are other “nevers” too. But one thing NOT on my list is “church.” Sadly, those that say they “Never” attend church is growing (see chart). 

The numbers show a rather dramatic increase caused by the pandemic. Will historians write the death of the American Church as we know it was caused by Covid? (Listen I do not believe anything can kill the Church. Not Jesus’ Church. Even the “gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” That being said, it could very well be that the church as we had known it prior to 2020 will not survive). 

The numbers are startling.  One in three people you see say they never go to church. 43% of people under 30 never go. That is a particularly scary number in that historically the great number of those accepting Christ were under 30. Now 43% say they never go to church. When/where will they find Jesus if they never go to church?

The numbers on the chart should cause us to re-think our approach, re-imagine our message and take a good long look at what we are saying and how we are saying it. “If it ain’t broke don’t fix it” clearly does not apply. Something is broken. The way we have done things in the past, will not work today. 

I wish I had the deepest answer to this dilemma, I don’t. But I do think, we need to get back to the message of Jesus. Not backbiting. Not moral failures among leaders. Not politics. Not all the things that distract us. Keep on the message of Loving God (always). Loving People (without exception).

It’s getting back to the basics: 
1) Jesus changes everything. 
2) We Grow Better when we are together. 
3) We must be the best neighbors. 

That’s it. It’s praying that God’s will would be done and His Kingdom would come on earth as it is in heaven. It’s working like everything depends on us, and praying (knowing) that everything depends on God. 

Have you seen the pictures of the football players on their knees on Monday night, heads bowed and praying for their teammate, Damar Hamlin, after he suffered a cardiac arrest on the football field? Maybe you saw a video clip of Dan Orlovsky, former NFL player and current commentator on ESPN, praying for Damar on national TV.  

Have you ever seen or heard a TV personality breaking into prayer on a live TV show? This wasn’t the 700 Club. It was ESPN.

I never have. 
Not on a sports show. 
Not from one of the regular commentators. 

What if we did what the Buffalo Bills team and Dan Orlovsky did?  
What if we prayed like Dan Orlovsky? 

His prayer wasn’t long. It was less than a minute. He prayed for strength, healing and comfort for Damar, and peace for his family. In his prayer, he admitted to being sad and angry, but also admitted that he believed in prayer. He said, “Amen,” and his co-hosts, Laura Rutledge and Marcus Spears, both also said “Amen,” and “Respect.” Wow! National TV. Double Wow!

Did his producers know he was going to bust out in prayer? I don’t know. Did the “higher-ups” at ESPN (or even “higher-ups” at Disney Corporation, the owner of ESPN) know he was going to take time to pray? I don’t know. All I know is that Dan Orlovsky was talking about how everyone was saying they were issuing “thoughts and prayers” for Damar, and he wanted to actually pray. And he did. Right on the set of ESPN’s “NFL Live” TV program. 

What if in our workplace or school, when a co-worker, fellow employee, customer or student express distress over a problem or situation—our go-to response is not “Hey, I’m praying for you,” but instead like Dan Orlovsky said, “Could we pray about that right now?” Maybe some folks would say, “Thanks but no thanks,” but I have a gut feeling that most people who are experiencing troubles would respond the way the players on the field responded on Monday. A quick “Yeah, let’s pray!”

Listen, I don’t pretend to know how prayer works. I don’t know why God answers affirmatively to some prayers and not to others. I tell folks, “I’m in sales, not management.” But what I do know about prayer is this: God calls us to pray. In fact, the Apostle Paul says to “pray continually” (1 Thessalonians 5:17). I also know the Bible tells us, Jesus prayed. A lot. (But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed. Luke 5:16. Underlining mine). Jesus OFTEN…prayed. It makes sense that we should too.

Listen, I pray that the Bills, Dan Orlovsky’s and all of our prayers are answered. I sure hope Damar Hamlin gets better and walks out of that Cincinnati hospital. But I also hope, that you and I would boldly pray for those needs around us. 

Lord, teach us to pray like Dan Orlovsky. 

Attention Christmas Shoppers the days to get your final Christmas presents have arrived. It’s the mad rush, the final push, the “buy-that-dearest-love-one-something-anything” time. We are closing in on the infamous gift-card-remedy-hour (that’s when the $20-$500 Visa gift card recipient gets to see just how much you really love them. “You love me only $20 worth?” Sigh).  

Before meeting Karla, I would have yawned at this date and said, “What are you talking about? I’ve got until Christmas Eve at 6PM—even later if I want to do a little shopping at Walgreens*?  

Walgreens last minute shopping isn’t so bad. I’m not throwing any stones. Great grandma gets a package of extra-large depends; Uncle George gets a bottle of Listerine (make that two bottles); Mom gets cologne; Dad gets aftershave (I hope he likes Brute); and all the kids get candy (although Walgreens does have a row of toys containing playthings the likes of which no child would ever touch). Shopping at Walgreens on Christmas Eve is not out-of-the-question for the Christmas Shopping Procrastinator.  

There is no shame from me towards the Christmas Eve Procrastinator. If anything, this person is a hero. Braving tough conditions (the pressure of finding the “perfect gift” as the clock is winding down); the ability to wrestle with a 83-year-old, arthritic fellow procrastinator in Walgreens over the last lawn gnome at Walgreens (Walgreens sells lawn gnomes?); and displaying the everlasting hope that Walgreens hasn’t run out of Christmas wrapping paper and tape. “Happy Birthday” gift-bags count, right? Technically, it is Jesus’ birthday. There is no humiliation coming from this direction, my friend (Karla might have a different opinion of the Walgreens last-minute shopper, but not me).

The Christmas Eve Shopping Procrastinator is in very good company. As you know the Bible’s main agenda is to get people to repent and believe that Jesus is the Son of God, the Savior of the world; and in so doing, experience the Living Water that quenches one’s deepest desires as the new believer joins with Jesus in building his kingdom on earth as it is in heaven. As the words of the Bible are coming to a close, God almighty is doing a last-ditch shopping effort to bring into the fold any procrastinator who has read the words but not yet believed. 

The Bible has a grand total of 783,137 words (depending on the version used, of course). If one were to begin reading at word number 783,016 through 783,039 (the closing comments, in other words—“in other words” ha ha, pun intended). This is what the Bible says:

“Come!” Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life. (Revelation 22:17)

God Almighty with the last few words in the last chapter of the last book is still aiming for that last second procrastinator. “Come,” He says, “Come.” Let the thirsty receive the free gift (see what happens there? Hey Shoppers, there’s a free gift. It’s a better offer than anything at Walgreens. It’s free. Totally free. The Living Water is free!). In the closing moments, as the clock is winding down on the Bible, with the final “Amen” in sight, God makes one last-ditch effort to save just one more. “Come all you who are thirsty. Come!”

Praise the Lord!

Central Church is having Christmas Eve AND Christmas Day Service?
Yup.

Two completely different services?
Yup. Traditional Candle lighting on Christmas Eve. Unplugged Joel Close and family (and me) on Christmas day. 

Aren’t you “guilting” people into coming to church?
Hope not.

Christmas is about family.
No, actually, Christmas is about Jesus.

Doesn’t the church prioritize families and family time?
Families are important, really important, but as in all things, nothing comes before Jesus.

I don’t remember going to church on Christmas.
Christians have been meeting on Christmas Day (whether it fell on a Sunday or not) for centuries. In fact, it’s just been in the last 100 years or so, that some Christians have felt the need to NOT meet should Christmas fall on a Sunday. 

When was the last time Christmas fell on a Sunday?
2016. We had a Christmas Day service then too. A lot of people were here.

When is the next time Christmas will fall on a Sunday?
2033. We won’t be having this discussion again for eleven years (Three leap years are between now and then), and I won’t be pastoring when we do (I’m getting too old for these discussions).  

Will Jesus think less of me if I’m not there?
Nope. (See question on “guilting” people). Jesus always loves you.

Will the pastors think less of me if I’m not there?
Nope. (See question on “guilting” people). Pastors mostly love you too. 

Can’t the church take the day off when Christmas falls on a Sunday?
Help me out here…. Does the Bible say, “Remember the Sabbath and keep it holy unless Christmas falls on a Sunday or unless your kid has a soccer game at 10AM or unless you really don’t want to roll out of bed or unless…” Well, you get the idea.

Doesn’t the staff need a break?
Our staff works hard, but we are a church and the church meets every Sunday to gather, celebrate, remember and rejoice the Good News that we serve a Risen Savior. Every. Single. Sunday. (unless we are in a pandemic and the government shuts us down).

My kids will want to play with their new toys.
They will still be there after the service

I’ve got to prepare a big dinner for the family.
Plan accordingly.

I’ve got a lot of people coming to my house.
Invite them to go to church with you.

Some won’t go.
Tell them, “we will miss you and don’t let the potatoes boil over while we are gone.”

My family will not understand if I am not with them on Christmas morning.
OK, make a decision. If it is better to be with them, be with them. But we are still meeting.

Will it be a good service?
Are you kidding me? It’s going to be a great service. 

Who is leading the worship portion?
Did you forget question #2? The Close family are leading.

Who is preaching?
Again, it’s in question #2. Yours truly.

Will it be a “normal” service?
Nope. Singing carols. A little preaching. More carols. Scripture reading. More Carols. More teeny tiny homily.  More carols. And prayer… it’s Jesus birthday, of course, we are going to talk to Him.

That’s a lot– how long will the service last?
An hour, maybe a little less. You’ll be out by noon for sure.

What times are the services?
Christmas Eve is at 5PM. 
Christmas Day is at 11AM (New Year’s Day is at 11AM too).

So why are we meeting again?
How would you like it if it were your birthday and no one showed up to celebrate?

I hope you can join us for BOTH Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. If you can only catch one of those services, Great! If you can catch both, GREAT GREAT! Bring friends!!!

It’s Christmas! Jesus birthday! Let’s celebrate!

There have been at least 51 different churches in USA/Canada region that at some time in their history have averaged over 1,000 in Sunday morning worship attendance.* These churches have been labeled “COK” for “Churches of 1,000.” Of those COK and former COK churches, 19 continue to average over 1,000 in 2022. Four COK churches, of the 51, experienced its best year ever in worship attendance in 2022 (Beavercreek, OH; Oro Valley, AZ: Wooster, OH; and Crossroads Cowboy Church, AR). Of the 19 COK churches still averaging over 1,000, eight reported growth in 2022; nine reported a decline and two churches remained the same.

There have been 13 USA/Canada churches average over 2,000 in the history of the Church of the Nazarene. Only three churches currently are over 2,000 (Oro Valley; Be Hope in Beavercreek; and Bethany First Church). For Beavercreek, 2022 was the first year over 2,000; Oro Valley has averaged over 2,000 for the last two years; while Bethany First has continually averaged over 2,000 since 1982. 

26 of the 51 churches have an average attendance in 2022 that is less than half of their highest point yearly attendance.  There are 14 former COK churches that averaged less than 500 in worship attendance. Three churches average attendance was less than 200 and one averaged 90 in attendance in 2022. That particular church averaged 1450 in worship attendance in 2004. Several churches experienced steep declines during the pandemic– one church dropping 1488 and another 899 in attendance from 2019 to 2022. 

What do these statistics indicate?

1. It’s hard to maintain an attendance over 1,000 (only 37% of the COK churches have done so). 
2. It’s even harder to maintain an attendance over 2,000. Only Bethany First church has steadily maintained an average over 2000 for a prolonged period of time. Why is that? Good pastoral and lay leadership of Bethany First church is a major factor and having a college next door doesn’t hurt. 
3. Numerous factors play into the declining attendance. The pandemic, a post Christian America, church splits, church satellites organizing as separate churches; poor pastoral transitions, moral failures of leadership, change in community dynamics, etc.
4. Today’s reported numbers do not equal tomorrow’s growth and health. In fact, if anything, today’s numbers indicate the necessity to prepare for sustainable ministries with less reliance on the person occupying the pulpit. Leaders retire or change. Some fail. Wise churches are those that develop strategies for growth that are not dependent on its current pastoral leadership. 

Who cares what happens in the big churches?

We all should care. Large, strong, healthy churches are good for all the churches on the district and denomination. This is true for the financial benefits when COK churches are paying their fair share of apportionments. It is also true when COK churches are being the best neighbors in their community. It is good name association for the surrounding Nazarene churches when a large church is doing well and blessing its community (The opposite is also true. A moral failure in a large church, hurts the surrounding churches in a guilt-by-association” sort of way). Moreover, generally large churches cluster together. They might not all average over 1,000 but strong healthy churches, frequently breed other strong healthy churches. 

As life in a post pandemic, post-Christian America becomes more into focus, we need strong, healthy Nazarene churches. We need churches that the denomination can point to and rely upon to lead the charge and win the lost. Oro Valley church reported 126 conversions and bringing in 204 new Nazarenes in 2022. Be Hope (Beavercreek) did even better: 232 conversions and 187 New Nazarenes. We need churches like these and we need to go and do likewise. Strong large congregations are good for the denomination. We need more of them serving Jesus and blessing the church.

Current COK Churches averaging over 1,000 in attendance in 2022:

1. Oro Valley, Arizona (2590)
2. Be Hope- Beavercreek, Ohio (2192)
3. Bethany First, Oklahoma (2065)
4. Lakeland Highland Park (1912)
5. Wooster, Ohio (1796)
6. Grove City, Ohio (1774)
7. Crossroads, Goshen, Indiana (1665)
8. Fairview Village, Pennsylvania (1503)
9. Flint Central, Michigan (1488)
10. Cincinnati Springdale, Ohio (1468)
11. Pismo Beach, California (1374)
12. Crossroad Cowboy, Arkansas (1235)
13. Olathe College Church, Kansas (1234)
14. Prairie Heights, North Dakota (1210)
15. Richmond Southside, Virginia (1181)
16. Medford, Oregon (1080)
17. Jackson First, Michigan 1030)
18. Valparaiso, Indiana (1016)
19. Nampa First, Idaho (1003)

*A few disclaimers: 

1) These stats are for discussion purposes. They are not official stats, but taken from the Nazarene Website from churches that I recall as being over 1,000. There may be others. This is especially true if there is a church that had not previously averaged 1000 in attendance. A Top 100 list was requested, and not received; 
2) These stats do not include those churches over 1,000 that have left the denomination (I recall at least one or two such churches);
3) These stats do not include churches that no longer exist (I can think of one such church); 
4) These stats do not include churches that have (amicably or not) divided into two churches and were re-organized under separate names (i.e. College Church—Kankakee, Illinois became Gathering Point and College Church—University Avenue. Together these churches averaged over 1,113 in 2022.  Kankakee College Church at its height also averaged over 1000 in worship attendance); and
5) I’m a stats nerd. That’s why I looked into this. 

A quick perusal of the official statistics from the Church of the Nazarene website will tell you the Church of the Nazarene in USA/Canada is in a steep worship attendance decline. A historically, massive abrupt free fall. The church was already in decline for the last 10+ years, but nothing like what has happened in the last two years. The pandemic coupled with life in a Post Christian America, the very public failures of the notable Christians, the backlash against many evangelicals’ politicization and other factors have contributed to this decline.  

There are exceptions (like in most any rule). For example, Oro Valley in Arizona went from 2223 (2020) to 2590 (2022). Last year, they took in 204 new Nazarenes and their income was up $800,000. There are others exceptions too. Praise the Lord!

For every victory story, there are 10 churches (or more) in utter and massive decline. Large and medium sized churches are taking the biggest hits. Smaller churches have seen less dramatic decline but have had little attendance growth (there are exceptions too, no doubt). On the district where I serve, 17 churches (23% of the district) have an attendance 25 or less. Attendance on the district is down 2000 people in the last two years (-28%). This is not atypical. The good news (is it good?) is that giving has not experienced a similar decline. It may be off slightly in some churches, but many churches have experienced deep attendance cuts, while their income has remained steady or even increased.

What’s happening? It would appear that the nominal, non-tithing members have disappeared and the rock-solid members are coming and giving. The attendance decline could be in part because “regular attendance” is less “regular” than prior to the pandemic. “Regular Attenders” are coming less often. Instead of two or three times a month, now it’s once a month. 

Is the steady income “good news”?  It may be steady now, but how sustainable is it if those giving are older (in many cases) or if those giving are watching on-line and have kept sending in their tithe. As on-line viewers get more and more disconnected from the church will they continue to tithe with the same frequency? Probably not.

The Church of the Nazarene is not unique. This same steep decline is happening is all denominations in all places in the USA.  We are dealing with a new reality. These are uncharted waters for churches in America.

There is no one-size fits all answer, but here are a few suggestions in moving forward:

1. Move to “a circuit rider” system to save smaller churches. One pastor serving two close proximity perishes. Churches, not be able to afford a pastor (and his/her health insurance) on its own, will need to have one shared pastor.
2. Recruit second career pastors. The denomination needs to prioritize an urgent call to pray for God to call men and women who have retired in another field, yet still have energy to serve in smaller churches that could otherwise not afford a pastor. A small church might offer a parsonage or small housing allowance, while the early retiree will have a pension/health insurance to supplement his/her income. 
3. Pastors will need to be bi-vocational. Ministerial training in our colleges need to focus on teaching skills other than ministerial so that the pastor can enter the marketplace. The days of churches fully supporting a pastor and his/her family are coming to an end.  
4. Be prepared to close churches. A lot of churches. Will the 17 churches on my district running 25 or less still be around in ten years? A few will. Many will not. 
5. Use money from the sale of closed churches for non-traditional church plants. The way we have done things in the past will not work in our new reality. Some older, decrepit buildings will be difficult to unload or have little value, the district leadership will need to think creatively about these buildings usage.
6. Be open and honest with the church and pastoral staff about attendance and income declines. Shrinking large and mid-sized churches will mean the need for less pastoral staff. Cutting salaries are the most difficult decisions, but frequently it is the only way to save significant income. 
7. Pray for revival. Only God can change the current trajectory. 

There are challenging days ahead. But be hopeful. Jesus said, “I will build my church and the gates of hades will not overcome it.” That is still true in a post-Christian, post pandemic America.

*Full disclosure. In the church where I serve (Flint Central) attendance has gone up (1364 to 1488) and Income up (about $200,000); but we will experience a decline in 2023 (unless something changes in the next three months). 

The best thing in soccer (in my opinion from watching the World Cup) is when a player does something unbecoming or commits a foul.  The foul isn’t what’s great, it’s what happens next. The referee runs up to the misbehaving player; doesn’t say a word; but holds high a yellow card. If the untoward behavior was really bad, the player gets a red card and the athlete is kicked out of the match. 

Wouldn’t it be great if we could hand out yellow cards in church too? 

No words. 
Just stand before the deserving, misbehaving individual holding up the “yellow card of shame.” 

Here’s my list of deserving a yellow card church offenders:

1. Cell phone owners whose ringtones blare during a funeral service. (It’s a red card if the song is Cool and the Gang’s “Celebrate Good times, c’mon.”) 
2. People who can’t afford to tithe, but can afford luxury cars, trips, the latest designer clothes and other extravagances.
3. Drivers who don’t take turns in the duo drive thru lanes at Chick-fil-A (technically this is not church issue, but come on– It’s Chick-fil-A, for crying out loud. 
4. Anyone thinking that women preachers are less than men preachers.
5. Church members who exit because “they are not being fed.”
6. Social media users who pick fights; air grievances; and are your garden variety jerks.
7. Authors of cowardly anonymous letters
8. Any person who brings a salmon or Spam dish-to-pass to a church potluck.
9. Those who angrily complain to the pastor about the youth pastor 30 seconds before the worship service is to begin
10. Pineapple on pizza people. (not church related, but true)
11. People who complain about the commercialization/secularization of Christmas but who do not attend Christmas Eve and/or Christmas Day services (Prioritize one if not both). 

Some of those were silly, others are far more serious. I’ll not be handing out yellow cards anytime soon, but this is meant to be reminder this Christmas Season: Let’s be kind. Don’t do any yellow-card-worthy annoyances. Do nothing that would land you on the “naughty list.” Keep in mind that kindness is a fruit of the Spirit (being right and annoying is not). 

Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Colossians 3:13-15

After a two-year delay (thank you Covid) the Church of the Nazarene will finally have her “family reunion” (General Assembly) in June of 2023. All resolution changes for the Manual were due by December 1. Delegates received their housing forms for General Assembly last week. Guests can register through the Nazarene website this Friday. We are officially in General Assembly 2023 Count Down Mode. It’s just 27 weeks away. Let the speculations begin…

• Will the Church of the Nazarene pass a resolution to allow for social drinking?
• Will the church address transgender individuals? 
• Will there be a statement regarding capital punishment in the Manual? (There’s not one? Nope).
• Will the church pass a more readable and explainable Article X (sanctification)? (Please).
• Will the closet fundamentalists among us want to change Article IV (Holy Scripture)? (ugh)
• Since we’ve gone six years in-between Assemblies, will this be the year when the GMC bean-counters gets their wish for a cost effective five-year General Assembly cycle instead of the current four-year?
• Can there finally be a review process for District Superintendents? (There’s not one? Nope)
• Will there be a job description for Regional Directors? (There’s not one? Nope)
• US Presidents can serve well into their 70’s, why not General Superintendents? 
• Is it possible to have a General Assembly without any craziness on the floor– i.e. passing a resolution that defies biology? It’s happened, then rescinded upon further review.

(There will be plenty of other resolutions than those mentioned above, the delegate’s book of proposed changes is usually an inch thick).

And, of course, with two General Superintendents aging out (Eugenio Duarte and David Graves), the question everyone is asking: Who will be elected General Superintendent? (Maybe the question that should be asked: “Who in their right mind would want that crazy, difficult, stress-filled, hotel-hopping, away-from-home job?”)

The United Methodist Church fireworks won’t occur at the 2023 Nazarene General Assembly. (The UMC is splitting, for the most part, over the issue of human sexuality. In the last General Assembly, the delegates passed our current statement on human sexuality with 97% agreement). But are we travelling down the United Methodist road? We have generally lagged 20 years behind the United Methodists in practice and procedure. Will we eventually land where they have landed? Is a church split inevitable in 2043? Can we take steps even now stave off such eventuality. Stay tuned.

The theme of this General Assembly is “Jesus is Lord.” Everyone should be able to rally around that theme. There should be 100% agreement. We should be united in mission and message.

In the meantime, everyone who calls themselves “Nazarene” should be in prayer. The world still needs the message that the Church of the Nazarene has historically given: “Holiness unto the Lord is our watch word and song;” Making Christ-like Disciples in the nations is our strongest desire; and We are a Christian, Holiness, Missional people. Pray not for uniformity, but for unity. Pray that the Holy Spirit pours a holy fire upon us. Pray. It’s not too early to pray. We’ve got 27 weeks. Let the countdown begin.

I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought. 1 Corinthians 1:10

Bronner’s Christmas Wonderland is the world’s largest Christmas store, and is located in Frankenmuth, Michigan. It has every type of ornament and Christmas item imaginable. Jim Shore? Got it. Thomas Kincade? Got it. Hummel’s? Got them. Want a glass Big Foot ornament? They got it. Need a professional $999 Santa Suit? They got it. Must have a pink and purple unicorn stocking (what does that have to do with Christmas? I have no idea, but…) They got it. Harry Potter fans need a “Hogwarts Great Hall & Tower” for your Christmas village. For $299, they got it. How about a “Bob-Ross-with-Pallet” Nutcracker? They got it. 

Every year, Karla and I make the trek to Frankenmuth to get our boys (and their wives) an ornament for their tree (The District Pastor’s Christmas Dinner is held in Frankenmuth at Zehender’s Restaurant this coming Monday, so we will be in Bronner’s on Monday afternoon). Usually the ornament has something to do with some happening of that year. When Alex and Blaire bought their first home, we purchased an ornament commemorating that event. The year our family went to Italy, we got them ornaments in reference to that very special trip. I’m sure this year, we will get one about a baby-on-the-way. You get the idea. 

If you were to go to Bronner’s shopping for an ornament that best characterized your 2022, what ornament would you purchase? Have you had a defining moment in your life this year? Was there a special trip or a milestone of some kind to celebrate and remember? 

What if you truthfully say: “I have nothing good to remember from 2022. It’s been a hard and horrible year.” Not only was there no special trip and the kids or grandkids did nothing spectacular, but the year was full of grief and heartache. What if looking back on this year brings tears not cheers? Could you buy an ornament at Bronner’s?

Now, I don’t know if they have such ornaments (they have everything imaginable so maybe they do), but maybe your ornament would be something engraved saying: 

2022
A rotten, terrible, very bad year… 
it was for years like this…
that Jesus came. 

Maybe it’s a little long for an ornament, but it’s true. 

The Good News of Christmas, of course, has nothing to do with unicorns, big foot or anything from Harry Potter. Instead, Christmas celebrations are a reminder of the simple truth that God is with us. In good years and bad, God is with us. When on the mountain top or in the valley, God is with us. Maybe the 2022 ornament should be a mountain as a reminder that when at the top of the mountain looking down or at the bottom of the mountain looking up, God is always with us.

It takes no time to flip from the last page of Malachi to the first page of Matthew. But in that half-second page flip there are 400 years separating those two books in the Bible. 400 years of silence. Imagine that. For perspective, think from just after the Pilgrims landed on Plymouth Rock (history buffs know that was in 1620) until now… nothing from the Lord. Nothing. No oracles. No prophets. No direction. Nothing.

Today, we have the Holy Spirit. Empowering and enabling us to hear from God on a daily, regular basis. God almighty, in the person of Jesus Christ indwells in us through the power of the Holy Spirit. That wasn’t happening. Then it was silence. 400 years of silence.

Finally, the silence broke when the message came from Gabriel the angel to Zechariah. His “well along in years” wife, Elizabeth, was going to have a child; they were to name him John; and he would “make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” (Luke 1:17). And the rest is history…

After 400 years of silence, the first prophetic utterance came to Zechariah. It’s interesting what Gabriel said and what was not said in this first-after-400-years’ encounter. The Lord didn’t lay out the whole salvation plan (that would come in bits and pieces later), instead God gave Zechariah just what was needed for that moment. John would be a joy and delight. He would turn many back to the Lord. That’s all great, but nothing about Jesus. Nothing about Jesus’ death on a cross. John would be filled with the Holy Spirit even before his birth, but nothing about that possibility that we too could be filled with the Holy Spirit. Your son will be great. He’s not to drink wine. He will go with the power and spirit of Elijah. All Pretty fabulous news items, still not the whole story. The Best News, Jesus, was still coming.

God doesn’t always lay out the entire plan in our lives either. God might not tell you what’s happening in six years or six months or even six days, He gives us what we need for today. Often this is how God operates. It’s the manna from heaven for the children of Israel. It was provided for daily. Not a six-month supply. Daily. See also the Lord’s prayer: “Give us this day our daily bread.” Not tomorrow’s bread. Today’s. 

God calls us to be faithful today. Daily. Each day faithful. We are not to worry about tomorrow. Trust Him for today. Trust Him for tomorrow too. God is working. Breathe. Relax. Rest. Wait. Know that God almighty has given you exactly what you need for today!

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? Matthew 6:25-27

Thank God for All things good and pleasing.
Thank God for Blessings both warm or freezing. 
Thank God for Candies, treats, and everything sweet.
Thank God for Delightful days with plenty to eat.
Thank God for Excitement to start the holiday.
Thank God for Family who’ll soon gather this way.
Thank God for Groceries that line our shelves.
Thank God for Houses to shelter ourselves.
Thank God for Ice Cream and any other dessert.
Thank God for Jellied rolls and calories I will insert.
Thank God for Kickoffs and football on TV.
Thank God for Lions (this doesn’t rhyme because the Detroit Lions goof everything up).
Thank God for Memories of parents now deceased.
Thank God for November’s wonderful holiday feast.
Thank God for Our family of weirdos and bumpkins.
Thank God for Pies– apple and pumpkins.
Thank God for Quick little bites off the grill.
Thank God for Relish and pickles, sweet and dill.
Thank God for Sauce – from a cranberry, of course.
Thank God for Turkey – enough to feed a horse.
Thank God for Unique holiday joys and traditions.
Thank God for Various subtractions and additions.
Thank God for Wonderful days and a great life.
Thank God for X-cellent planning by my sweet wife.
Thank God for Yawning– my old body needs a nap.
Thank God for Zillions of joys bringing this poem to a wrap.

But most of all… 
Thank God for Jesus and his great love and grace.
No rhyme… just the truth!

The End.

Happy Thanksgiving!

1. Jesus (through the Church of the Nazarene) rescued our family. My alcoholic dad walked into an evening service at the Garden City Church of the Nazarene (later changed its name to Elmwood Church of the Nazarene) and the rest is history.

2. The little Nazarene church, as dysfunctional as it was, gave me a place to serve. As an 8^th grader, I was teaching Sunday school to 2^nd graders. (Granted I was the only teenager and they didn’t know what to do with me). 

3. The Nazarene campgrounds in Howell– as kids we had fun and heard about Jesus. At the campground, I had my first “real” job (mowing Mrs. Buckley’s lawn doesn’t count). I washed dishes in the kitchen during camps as a 14-year-old).  

4.  My Olivet Nazarene University education. Loved every minute of it.

5.  Met Karla while serving as a summer intern, at the Alanson Church of the Nazarene.

6.  My Nazarene Theological Seminary education. (Worked as a janitor cleaning the Nazarene Publishing House for two of those years).

7. Getting married in the Nazarene church in Westland, officiated by Nazarene pastors, Mark Barnes of Plymouth and my brother, Fred, of Union Lake.

8. Serving in six Nazarene churches (five as solo/lead pastor). All great churches in their own unique way. Alanson, Bad Axe, Metropolitan (Roseville), Richfield (Otisville), Lenexa Central and Flint Central (all in Michigan except Lenexa, of course).

9. Having my boys grow up in Nazarene children’s ministries and youth ministries. Both attending NYC. Both graduating from Nazarene institutions. (Alex from Mid America Nazarene University; Ben from Olivet Nazarene University).        

10. My parents and Karla’s dad’s funerals were in Nazarene churches (Plymouth and Reading, Michigan).. 

The Church of the Nazarene has provided everything for me. Without the Church of the Nazarene, I would not be alive (my parents would have divorced before I was born). Since I quit working at the Thom McAn shoe store when I went off to Olivet as a 17-year-old freshman, every pay check I have received (except for my part-time stint at the Knox Presbyterian Church in seminary) has been from a Nazarene institution. I would never have met Karla. My boys wouldn’t be here. I wouldn’t have the friends and colleagues that I have known. From my beginning days and until my closing breath, the Church of the Nazarene has been in every vital happening in my life.

I love the Church of the Nazarene and am very thankful for her. 

We are calling this Sunday “the Steve and Marilyn Anthony Day” at Central Church. It’s Dr. Anthony’s second retirement party (Steve retired from being the District Superintendent on the Eastern Michigan District in 2013 and promptly started serving as the interim pastor at Central Church and, after my arrival, became Central Church’s Senior Adult Pastor). After 49 years of vocational ministry, he’s retiring again. 

Of course, if you know Steve he’s not done. He has organized two Central Church Florida “snowbird” gatherings in January 2023. He is scheduled to preach at the Lakeland Holiness Camp in Florida this winter. He just preached a revival in Caro, Michigan. He won’t be done until Jesus calls him home. And good news, he and Marilyn aren’t leaving Central Church. They will probably be gone more since they won’t have official duties. They’ll stay in Florida longer. Visit family more often; but they will continue to be a part of the church. When Doc told me he was planning on retiring, I said, “OK, you can retire, but when you are here, I’d like you to do everything you were doing before you retired– only we won’t be paying you anymore.” That was not the best offer he heard that day. 

Steve and Marilyn Anthony have been a delight to serve alongside. A delight!  He has been a mentor and friend. When times get a little sticky, he has my back. When folks get a little “complainy,” he makes some phone calls. When younger staff want to try new things, he has been their biggest supporter. Steve and Marilyn Anthony are a big reason Central Church is a great church. 

This Sunday, we will only have one service at 11AM (all Sunday School classes will meet at 9:30). Orpheus Choir from Olivet will be here. Greetings will be brought by current Eastern Michigan District Superintendent Dr. Mike Kitsko and former Olivet Nazarene University President, Dr. John Bowling. Dr. Anthony will be preaching. Following the service there will be a come and go reception. A few snacks to tide you over until lunch will be served. As you say thanks to Steve and Marilyn for their service to the Lord a thank you gift card to a favorite restaurant or store would be more than appropriate). It’s going to be a big day.

The Anthony’s have been a blessing to all the churches on the Eastern Michigan District. But they have been a blessing to Flint Central Church (in my opinion) the most. Not only helping though normal pastoral transitions, he led through the near total fire of the building in 1996, the death of pastor, Dr. Gavin Raath in 2004, and for the last nine years they have been a constant, faithful example to old and young alike. If you can’t tell, I absolutely love the Anthony’s. I will miss them when they are not here and rejoice with them when they are. I hope this Sunday will be a day they will always remember with great fondness.

My parents weren’t perfect. Like all of us, they had flaws. But if I had to pinpoint the key to their success in raising a faithful family, it would be: consistency. My folks were consistent. We knew where they stood and they didn’t waver. They were the same at home, in church, and at work, wherever. 

Jesus held first place for them. Nothing came before Jesus. Nothing. We didn’t miss church. I don’t think any of us kids questioned whether we were going to church. That was never an option.  We were going. If you were sick, I mean “near death bed” sick, then you could miss. Other excuses like sporting events, sleep over at friends, staying up too late on Saturday or just wanting to sleep in—were never good reasons. Church doors open? The Princes were there. 

They consistently worked around the church. Mowed grass. Cleaned the church. Served in whatever capacity was needed. Taught Sunday School. Led groups. I remember my dad filling in for the preacher when the pastor called in sick one Sunday. They participated in whatever was the latest church growth fad. Evangelism explosion. Knocking on doors in the neighborhood. Handing out tracks. You name it. They were all in. Moreover, they never spoke poorly of the pastor or others from the church. Our church growing up was far from perfect, but my folks didn’t complain about others (at least not in front of us). 

My folks were consistently generous too. They were regular tithers. After we were out of college, their tithe became 15% of their income. I think when they passed they were giving 20% to the work of the Lord. That is before their special offerings. In the old days, Nazarenes took lots of special offerings: Thanksgiving Offering. Easter Offering. Prayer and Fasting offering. Alabaster offering. Bible College offering. Seminary offering. World Mission radio offering.  When a missionary was passing through; or special revival meetings were held; or support of the camp grounds was needed, they would give in those offering too. If the church needed a new roof or if the furnace went out—they “dug a little deeper” for those special needs. 

Consistent in priorities. Consistent in service. Consistent in giving. 

If America used to be considered a “Christian nation” and now it is “Post Christian,” some wonder how did it happen? When people talk about the rise of “nones” (those who claim no religious preference on the census reports) or the lack of participation in worship services or the waning finances in churches today—I wonder in part if that is because of what has (or has not) been modelled at home. Whatever happened to a consistent walk with Jesus? I know that’s not the complete answer. It’s too simple.  I know plenty of good parents whose children have made lousy choices. Still, the consistent godly walk before our kids and grandkids is a major factor in determining the spiritual trajectory of those who come behind us. 

Let us be consistent in our worship, in our service, in our giving. Can we be as bold as the Apostle Paul who told the Corinthians, “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ. (1 Corinthians 11:1)

Two weeks from today is Thanksgiving. 
Two weeks to get the house ready for company.
Two weeks before the Lions lose to the Bills. (Oh me of little hope)
Two weeks before you eat too much turkey, cranberry sauce and pumpkin pie.
Two weeks before you see some family and friends

What will you do with these two weeks before Thanksgiving?

Complain about the election?
Blast the politicians for whom you didn’t vote.
Show contempt for the direction our world is going?
Rage against the bad drivers
Nit-Pick the preacher’s sermon (hey, that’s hitting a little close to home)
Criticize often.
Grump. Grump. Grump.
Whine about gas, food and just-about-everything-else prices.
Nag those you live with about socks on the floor, dishes in the sink or any number of things (Hey, who ate my last Nestlé’s Crunch bar?)
Worry always.
Moan and Groan. Groan and Moan. Moan. Moan. Moan.
Murmur against those with hair colors that seem unnatural.
Mutter about older people with whom you don’t understand.
Fear the future.
Babble on and on about the good ol’ days.
Lament about all the things you don’t have.
Notice all the things bad people do have.
Constantly Condemn.
Denounce. Denounce. Denounce.
Slam whomever for whatever. Whenever. However.
Judge first.
Apologize last. Maybe never.
Be angry.

 
Neck stiff.
Ears deaf.
Eyes closed.
Shoulder chipped.
Stomach knotted.
Hands clenched.
Lips vile.
Tongue lashing.
Fun forgotten.
Joy gone.
Hope lost.

Or we can…

Be thankful always (Ephesians 5:20)
Be Patient in affliction (Romans 12:12)
Be gentle to all. (Philippians 4:5)
Be filled you with all joy and peace (Romans 15:13)
Rejoice with those who rejoice (Romans 12:15) 
Love our enemies (Matthew 5:44)
Pray continuously (1 Thessalonians 5:17)
Give Generously (Psalm 37:21)
Reach unity (Ephesians 4:13)
Hold unswervingly to the hope we profess (Hebrews 10:23)
Hunger and thirst for righteousness (Matthew 5:13)
Spread the aroma of the knowledge of Jesus everywhere. (2 Corinthians 2:14)
Always trust
Always Hope
Always Persevere (1 Corinthians 13:7)

Given those choices. 
I’ll choose the later ones. 
I hope you do too.

No matter who wins or who loses tomorrow’s mid-term elections our future is secure because of Jesus and nothing else. The Apostle Paul put it this way: Our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body. (Philippians 3:20-21).  My passport may say, “USA” but my citizenship is in heaven. I’m just passing through this old world trying to take as many people with me to heaven as I “eagerly await” His return.

Tomorrow night, the supporters of all the candidates will be “eagerly waiting” the election results. Will the evening end with balloons and confetti or somber concessions? My wife, Karla’s post-election, pre-party question: What does wear to such a gathering?

We need not wonder about clothing choices as we “eagerly await” Christ’s return. Upon His return, there will be a party, for sure. Yet, as we wait, Paul gives us fashion tips. Fashion tips? That’s right. Paul gives we who are living in Post-Christian America,”eagerly waiting” clothing instructions (that’s very appropriate for post-election parties too). In Romans, he writes: The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. (Romans 13:12) Then two verses later, he tells us “clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ.” (Romans 13:14). He spelled out his best clothing option even more clearly to the Colossians (and us), “as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. (Colossians 3:12-13 underlining mine).

After all the votes are tallied, no matter who is elected, and as we wait our Lord’s return, here is our fashion statement. Wear the armor of light in our dark world; be so connected to Jesus it is as if you were actually wearing him like your favorite outfit; and always (whether your preferred candidates win or loses) wear the Christ-like attributes: compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.

Until that great and glorious Day of His return, we are Christ’s heavenly ambassadors on planet earth no matter what party is in power. Dress like it. This has nothing to do with red hats or blue scarfs, it has everything to do with acting like Jesus at all times and through all circumstances.

In three days, it will be November 6, 2022. Less than 72 hours from when you are reading this little article, it will be…

Funday. Thanks to Daylight saving fall back day. You get an extra hour to sleep. Hooray!

Bunday. Free breakfast. Not just Buns. Pancakes. Eggs. Bacon. Yum! Yum! 9:30AM at the Peak.

Hunday. Not the car company (Hyuendai? Hunday? You say “toe-ma-toe,” I say “toe-may-toe”). No free cars. But our new (to us) electric carts will be in use to bring in those folks with trouble walking into the building from the Peak/Parking lots to the Main Building. 

Stunday. You will be amazed at how great the Pre-School areas look! Stunning! Tours and prayers after the 11AM service.

Nunday. Sure. Nuns are welcome.

Gunday. Nope. No guns please.

Oneday. What I keep saying about the Lions and the Super Bowl. Oneday. Oneday. Oneday.

Tonday. If I eat too many pancakes at the yummy breakfast. Thanks again Deb Pruitt!

Runday. Run to Jesus, but please walk in the hallways.

Shunday. Avoid all gossip. Elude all negativity. Sidestep any unwholesome talk. 

Punday. Need an ark built?  I Noah guy. Hahaha.

Dunday. That’s what we will be saying around 12:30 or so. After you’ve toured the new preschool area or offices and prayed, prayed, prayed for those newly renovated areas.

Monday (too late)

SUNDAY. The Lord’s Day. The Great Day. The Free-Breakfast Day. The Closing-of-Dnow-Weekend Day. The Baptism-at-Central Day. The One-Service-at-11AM Day. The Dedication-of-the-New-and-Improved-Pre-School-Area Day. The Dedication-of-the-Offices-Too Day. The Day-You-Should-be-in-Church Day. The Get-Your-New-Central-Swag Day. It’s CONNECT SUNDAY (formerly known as ALL-IN Sunday)! 

Hey… I am so stinkin’ biased, but as I begin my 10^th year (wow… time flies when you are having fun. November 1 was our 9^th Anniversary. Nine years done, 41 to go if I’m going to pastor until I’m 100), I must admit I love our church. The pastoral staff and church board make this a great place to minister. We have such wonderfully engaged people who truly love God and want to see His Kingdom come and His will done in Flint as it is in heaven. That prayer is achieved as we recognize that Jesus changes everything; we grow better together; as we are the best neighbors. God is up to good things at Central Church!  Come this Sunday, Funday, Bunday, Hunday, Stunday, Nunday, Gunday, Oneday, Tonday, Runday. Shunday. Punday, Dunday… but not Monday (that’s too late). 

Since today is Halloween, I give you these ten verses (please insert your name when a Biblical name or place is given):

Genesis 15:1: “Do not be afraid, _______ (Abram). I am your shield, your very great reward.”
Genesis 21:17: “What is the matter, _______ (Hagar)? Do not be afraid; God has heard ….”
2 Chronicles 20:15: “Listen, _______ (King Jehoshaphat) and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem! This is what the Lord says to you: ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s.”
Jeremiah 46:27: “Do not be afraid, _______ (Jacob) my servant; do not be dismayed, Israel. I will surely save you out of a distant place.”
Joel 2:21: “Do not be afraid, _______ (land of Judah); be glad and rejoice. Surely the Lord has done great things!”
Luke 1:13: “Do not be afraid, _______ (Zechariah); your prayer has been heard.”
Luke 1:30: “Do not be afraid, _______ (Mary); you have found favor with God.”
Luke 5:10: Then Jesus said to _______ (Simon), “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will fish for people.”
Luke 8:50: Jesus said to _______ (Jairus), “Don’t be afraid; just believe, and she will be healed.”
John 12:15: “Do not be afraid, _______ (Daughter Zion); see, your king is coming,”

The personalize version of those aforementioned verses are still true. My friends, hear this from the Lord: DO NOT BE AFRAID. Someone has said that the words “Fear Not” appear 365 times in the Bible (once for each day of the year). I haven’t counted them, so I will assume it’s true (or close enough). Whether there are 365 daily reminders or not, the message repeatedly given in the Bible is this: DO NOT BE AFRAID.

We are living in such fearful times. There’s more fear now than ever in my lifetime. People are…

• afraid of the tanking economy; 
• afraid they can’t afford the basics of life
• afraid of what will happen to your 403b; 
• afraid that the opposing political party (not yours) will win the election; 
• afraid that Russia might use a nuclear bomb; 
• afraid of anyone not like themselves; 
• afraid of getting sick; 
• afraid of getting old; 
• afraid of being alone; 
• afraid of crowds; 
• afraid for your children; 
• afraid that the world is changing into something they do not like; 
• afraid of so many, many things. 

Followers of Christ should be the least fearful people on the planet. Read that last sentence again. Slowly if you must. Followers of Jesus know their future. Followers of Jesus know that God wins in the end. Followers of Jesus know that He is with us wherever we go. Followers of Jesus are never alone. Followers of Jesus are infused with the Holy Spirit’s power. Followers of Jesus are children of the King. Followers of Jesus know He is coming again. The Psalmist said it best: The Lord is with me; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me? (Psalm 118:6)

Hear those repeated words again, this is no trick. It’s all treat on this Halloween and every other day of the year: FEAR NOT!

When they said, “There is no toilet paper because of the pandemic.” 
I said, “No problem. Grandma always said “I could use the Sears and Roebuck catalog in such emergencies.”  (Of course, granny didn’t know that one day paper catalogs would only be found in museums).

When they said, “This pandemic has caused a silicon chip shortage, which has left thousands of trucks parked all around Flint.” 
I said, “I’m glad those empty parking lots are being used.”

But when I walked into Walmart yesterday morning, two years and seven months after the Pandemic started, only to discover there was not one Hot Tamale candy in the store, I said, “OK this pandemic blaming business has gone too far.”

It seems the poor pandemic gets blamed for everything these days. Supply chain shortage? Blame the pandemic. Rising costs? Blaming the pandemic. Church attendance has dropped off a cliff in America. Blame the pandemic. Bible reading is down. It must be the pandemic. Prayer is not happening. Three words: Blame. The. Pandemic. But is the pandemic the cause of this rapid decline? I’m not so sure.

Yesterday I also went to the dentist. Not because of my love for Hot Tamales, I hadn’t been there since 2019 (don’t @ me… I’ve had some bad dental experiences). Was this going to be another bad experience? No sooner had I sat down in the dentist’s chair, the song over the intercom was, “Another One Bites the Dust.” I kid you not. Yikes! I wanted to run, but I stayed. My dentist is nice. Although this Prince needs a crown. Ugh. Maybe it was the Hot Tamales.  

In my head, I’ve blamed the pandemic for my dental visit hiatus. But the truth of the matter is: I don’t like going to the dentist. I’ve had some bad experiences (Did I mention that? Ok, good. It’s true). I didn’t want to go, even though I knew I needed to go. I know all about good dental hygiene. I simply used the pandemic as my excuse. 

All polling data confirms what we all know: Church attendance, Bible reading and prayer are at all-time lows. Maybe folks are like me and the dentist. They know life’s better when they go to church, read their Bible and pray, but they aren’t doing them. Maybe it’s been convenient to use the pandemic as an excuse. Maybe once out of the habit of these practices, it was easy to quit doing them all together. Maybe they’ve convinced themselves, that on-line church is just as good (Psst… it’s not); that Bible reading and prayer are optional (Psst… they’re not); and that the pandemic has revealed that there are far too many hypocrites in the church (Psst, that one is probably true, but like the old joke says, we can always use one more– Place a smiley emoji here).  

Let’s not blame the pandemic for every societal ill, and let’s not use it for an excuse. Let’s determine that our spiritual well-being is up to us. Pandemic or no pandemic. When able, I hope you will return to the to those spiritual practices that bring strength, hope, power and love. I hope you see things as the Psalmist did three thousand years ago, when he wrote: “I rejoiced with those who said to me, “Let us go to the house of the Lord.” Psalm 122:1

Maybe you’ve heard it said, “Take your Bible into the voting booth.” The sentiment is: we need to vote our moral convictions. For me, living in Michigan, that means a NO VOTE on Prop 3 that would legalize abortions and allow many other things of which I would not agree. 

OK, that’s great take your Bible into the voting booth.  Amen. Amen.

But how about taking your Bible with you….

• When going to work or school—Our Bible (and our understanding of the Truth of God) should affect the way we talk and how we spend your time 
• When on social media and scrolling endlessly through Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or Tic Toc
• When shopping on-line or in a mall. How we spend our money is important.
• When commenting to those you disagree with on social media.
• When filling out your taxes. No short cuts, little white lies or “overlooking” a few things.
• When talking with your spouse, children or parents.
• When dealing with people you disagree with on politics or life choices

Don’t just take your Bible with you in the voting booth. Let your Bible guide in all the endeavors of your life.

Is “taking your Bible with you” too overwhelming to imagine? There are 66 books and two testaments to research. Maybe it’s too much to thumb through in a voting booth. What would happen if we just said, “let the Sermon on the Mount be our guide.” Take the Sermon on the Mount into the voting booth and every where else? Still too much? Let’s make it even easier. Let’s begin with just the first third (roughly) of the Sermon on the Mount. Let’s just master Matthew 5, before moving on. If we just focused on Matthew 5… 

• We’d see that the people blessed aren’t the high and mighty or the powerful and rich, but the poor in spirit, the meek, those that mourn, the peacemakers, the persecuted and those that hunger and thirst after righteousness
• We’d be salt and light in our dark world (NOTE: Not “salty.” There are too many “salty” Christians, which has the opposite effect Jesus was endorsing.)
• We’d be careful about the names and labels we put on people (Includes those who have wronged you) 
• We’d work to be reconciled to those of whom we have something against (this also includes those who have wronged you)
• We’d know that adultery isn’t just the behavior but adultery includes our lustful thoughts and what we put into our mind (hello Instagram and Tic Toc). 
• We’d know how much God values our marriages and how important it is to watch what we say and the vows we make. (Whatever happened to keeping those words, “for better or worse”?)
• We’d learn we have to turn the other cheek when wronged and not seek revenge.
• We’d be generous. Want my jacket? Have the shirt off my back.
• We’d love even our enemies. (That includes loving all those who have reached completely opposite conclusions about life, politics, the Bible, sexual identity, abortion rights, you name it).
• We’d be perfect as our father in heaven is perfect

That’s just Matthew 5. Let’s work on all of those things. Let’s take all of those admonitions into the voting booth and work place and school. When you’ve achieved Matthew 5:48 (“Be perfect, therefore, as your Heavenly Father is perfect”), then we will move on to Matthew 6. 

P.S. It might take a while.

Do you remember in Proverbs 6 where the Lord says there are six things God hates, no make it seven? Well, there are the six things I hate, no make it seven.

1) I hate snow in October. “You live in Michigan,” they say. “Expect snow,” they say. “If you were in Florida, it would be hurricanes; in California, its earthquakes; but you live in Michigan. It snows.” “They” (whoever “they” are) bring me no comfort.

2) I hate political ads. Someone please put an end to the commercials where one candidate is in a 1950’s black and white photo of him/her looking like Sir Graves Ghastly (You had to grow up in Detroit in the 60’s and 70’s to know him. Trust me, it’s not a good look), while the other candidate is in a beautiful, colorful, Glamor-shot pose, grinning from ear to ear like her/his rich Uncle George died and left him/her all his loot. Next commercial is the same dance, only the candidates switch places. Ugh! Enough already!

3) I hate inflation. Did I tell you that my Donna’s donut now costs a buck ninety-five? One donut? Not a half dozen. One. Pretty soon I’ll have to take out a loan to get my Sunday-morning-sugar-fix. 

4). I hate how angry people seem to be these days. We’ve got this one life to live. Why be angry? Why go through life with a chip the size of Montana on your shoulder?  Why not look for the good in people? Why not assume the best? Why not exchange angry words with kind ones? Why not return curses with blessings? Why not choose to exhibit the Fruit of the Spirit? Why not be, you know, Christ-like!!!

5) I hate how focusing on things I hate turns me into a (pick one): complainer, grumbler, whiner, moaner, malcontent, nitpicker, fault finder, or unhappy grouch. I’d rather be known for the things I love than the things I hate.

6) I hate lists of things I hate. I know what you are thinking… how ironic.

and the one you’ve been waiting for…. Drum roll please… #7: I hate that too many Christians are living defeated lives. Too many good folks focus on the problems and all the things they hate (see above), instead of the God’s love. They’ve become all the things listed in #5 (also see above). Usually the hate-inducing things/people are circumstances over which they have no control. They can’t change it. They just hate it. Often these defeated followers of Jesus are more discipled by news channels who tell viewers who to hate, how to hate, and when to hate, rather than Jesus who tells us who to love (everybody); how to love (by all means necessary) and when to love (all the time). Instead of hate lists, Paul wrote:  Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. (Philippians 4:8)

There are plenty of things to complain about in this old world, but instead let’s “fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith!” (Hebrews 12:2) 

For a person on death row the word “execution” means the end is near.
For a person in leadership the word “execution” means without it, the organization’s end is near.

There are times when leaders (church leaders included) need to pull the trigger and execute a plan. Dr. Gregg Chenoweth, at ONU’s recent trustees’ meeting, quoted an old saying attributed to Machiavelli: “A wise man does at the beginning what a foolish man does at the end.” 

It’s all about Execution.

The wise person, on perceiving a problem or becoming aware of an impending issue, will do what needs to be done to soften the problem’s impact. After some reflection and planning, the wise person will quickly and decisively authorize a plan to accomplish the desired solution to the problem or at the very least mitigate its affect.

The fool, on the other hand, becoming aware of a problem will delay, dilly dally, ponder, think, stew, form committees, contemplate a little more and otherwise waste time. Naturally, the problem grows unchecked. Finally, when immediate action is absolutely unavoidable, the fool will act. 

What could have been solved easily and quickly is now a life-and-death struggle. 

In the life of the church, it’s easy to put off for tomorrow what could be done today. Don’t upset the apple cart, someone might say. Don’t risk it. Play it safe. What will those “paying the bills” think? Don’t take chances. Don’t execute any change until absolutely necessary. I’ve seen a fearful lack of execution on all levels in the church– local, district and global. 

Here’s the problem: if we don’t change, we die. (I’m talking changing methods not message). Orthodoxy changes not. Orthopraxy may adjust as culture and society changes. “Why we do what we do” does not change. “How we do it” has to change if we are to remain relevant and effective. 

Wonder why churches and denominations are dying? A failure to define and execute a plan to overcome today’s challenges. Thinking yesterday’s methods will work in today’s world is a recipe for tomorrow’s demise.

Paul’s words to the Corinthian church should be ours: “I have become ALL things to ALL people so that by ALL possible means I might save some.I do ALL this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings” (1 Corinthians 9:22-23 CAPS mine). Why the caps on ALL? To emphasize we must reach ALL people, doing whatever is necessary in these challenging days, “for the sake of the gospel.” In other words, we must EXECUTE a plan of action. Try. Take Risks. Maybe fail. Try again. Try again. Try again. Until ALL know.

That’s why I love that CENTRAL CHURCH has taken time to define our Mission and Core Commitments. Our Mission: Connecting People to Jesus. Our Core Commitments: 1) Jesus Changes Everything; 2) We are Better Together; and 3) Be the Best Neighbor.

Now let’s reach ALL for Christ!

In 8 months, the Church of the Nazarene will be electing two new General Superintendents at the General Assembly in Indianapolis. What kind of leaders do we need?  Here’s my attempt to describe the perfect General Superintendent (GS).

The next G.S. must be like…

1. The James Webb Space Telescope. This telescope has caught a glimpse of Earendel, the most distant star known in the universe. We need a leader that can see things far, far away and use that knowledge to help navigate our future.

2. The 1915 Çanakkale Bridge. Located in Turkey, this is the longest suspension bridge in the world. The Church of the Nazarene needs a leader who can bridge the divide between boomers and Gen Zers; Pure Wesleyans and American Holiness Movement adherents; USA/Canada and the rest of the world; allies and partners; liturgy and Pentecostalism-ish; first world and third world; NBC and NTS; black and white; English and non-English and every other gap in our church. Is there a person alive who can bridge all these gaps? Probably not, but wouldn’t it be nice if there were such a leader.

3. Tesla. The automobile company is known for innovation. The Church of the Nazarene sometimes feels like a 1957 Studebaker. An out-of-date jalopy that looks nice in museums but can’t keep up with today’s technology or life in the modern world. We need innovative leaders not people who get elected and quickly fall into the same systems, biases and mindsets.

4. Breville Juice Fountain Cold Plus Juicer. This machine is purported to be the best machine for squeezing juice out of a lemon. The Church of the Nazarene will need such tenacity as dollars dry up from old, dying churches in the USA/Canada. With the aging USA/Canada church supplying 94% (at least) of the World Evangelism Funds (WEF), the new GS will need to squeeze as much missional life out of each dollar raised.

5. Graphene. This is the strongest substance known to mankind. In these challenging times, we need strong leaders. Stronger than ever. These new leaders need to know who we are and why we are the way we are; then have the strength to articulate this at District Assemblies, pastor’s gatherings, various mission fields and in all publications. 

All of the aforementioned items are new (or new-ish). The Church of the Nazarene facing the future needs an equally fresh renewal. We need new ideas, new methods, as we preach Jesus and make Christ-like disciples. But above all the landmarks and gadgets, let’s elect the most Jesus-like ordained elders we could possibly find. This individual might not be leading a great church, region or institution, instead we find him/her feeding the hungry, caring for the outcast, and loving the unlovable. Let’s locate the elder who seems the most likely to wash the feet of a traitor and notice the pennies of a widow. Let’s pray for a leader who waits by the road longing for the long, lost ones and shows mercy to the curmudgeons who have stuck around brooding. Pray that we find, elect and give the keys to 17001 Prairie Star Parkway, Lenexa, Kansas to leaders who look a lot like Jesus.

Spiritual Renewal is done. Dan and Denise Boone are driving back to Nashville. Jon Nicholas and the band are back in Warren. Our children’s workers are heading to Indiana for a wedding. Deb and Roy Pruitt who provided our wonderful free meals, hopefully have their feet up and are relaxing. Our facility crew are getting the rooms ready for Sunday School. And you and me?  What’s next for you and me?

Maybe we can learn from the big spiritual event in the life of Jesus prior to the crucifixion. What happened on the Mount of Transfiguration was bigger than the feeding of 5,000 people and even raising Lazarus from the dead. If Moses (dead and buried for 1300 years) and Elijah (not dead but gone for 850 years) are hanging out with Jesus, then that qualifies as a really big deal. It’s spiritual renewal on steroids.

Peter, who had gone up on the mountain with Jesus, James and John and had a front row seat to the happenings, was wanting to build a retreat center and stay on the mountain forever. But Jesus doesn’t have time to answer Peter’s missing-the-point request. Instead, God Almighty made a booming declaration, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!” (Matthew 17:5). Bad English alert: Clearly, there ain’t much things bigger than that. 

How does Jesus respond to this proclamation? He doesn’t flex his muscles or bask in the announcement. Instead, to the now-face-in-the-dirt disciples, he said, “Don’t be afraid,” and proceeded to head down the mountain.

What awaited them at the bottom of the mountain was as far removed as possible from what had taken place at the top.  There Jesus was confronted with the gritty, life dilemma of a frazzled dad, his demonic son and the nine powerless disciples who had not been on the mountaintop with Jesus. Jesus went from Moses, Elijah, and a Booming Heavenly Voice to a kid full of the devil and lousy followers. Whew. Talk about a change of atmospheres.

Following Spiritual renewal week, maybe what you are facing (at work, school or home) is a change of atmosphere too. Your situation might seem as distant from our Spiritual Renewal “mountain top” as what was happening in Matthew 17. If you are going from a “Transfiguration mountain-top experience” to a gritty, messy home, work or school situation –what do you do? Or back to the original question: What’s next?   

Let’s do what Jesus did. Jesus stepped off the mountain, walked into the mess and brought hope and peace. Let’s do what the song we learned in Vacation Bible School years ago told us to do. Let this “little light of mine” shine. It’s not to be hid under a bushel the song says. Neither should this little light of mine simply shine and enjoy the sunlight, where it makes no difference if it is shining or not (read: sitting around enjoying the glow of spiritual renewal or in Peter’s case, building a retreat center on the mountaintop). This little light of mine is meant to be taken into the darkness. It’s letting our little light shine into gloom, loneliness and busyness of this old world. It’s going and doing where Jesus would go.

What’s next after Spiritual renewal? It’s you and me following Jesus down the mountain and into our messy, needy world. It’s obeying God Almighty from the mountaintop, “Listen to him!” Additionally, James reminds us, “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says” (James 1:22). It’s letting our light brightly shine—that’s what’s next.

“Spiritual Renewal” can be summed up in this verse: “Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls.” Jeremiah 6:16

It’s a great verse, right? 

At Olivet, a statue has been commissioned (and paid for by a donor) to be placed in the quad looking toward the chapel. At the base of the statue will be the words from Jeremiah 6:16. The point being made: Olivet’s students are at a crossroads, if they look toward Jesus and walk in the Jesus way, they will discover peace and rest for their souls, hearts and lives. It’s a wonderfully hopeful verse.

The first part of that verse, that is.

I didn’t put the rest of the verse 16 in the quote above. I’m pretty sure Olivet isn’t sticking it on the statue either. The last part of the verse is not inspiring. It’s heartbreaking. It reads: But you said, ‘We will not walk in it.’

In other words…
But you said, “Thanks but no thanks.”
But you said. “I’m doing it my way.” (Frank Sinatra might have sung it first, but he’s not the last)

It’s Saul “who set up a monument in his own honor.” 1 Samuel 15:12
It’s the rich young ruler who “went away sad because he had great wealth.” Matthew 19:22
It’s Demes who “loved this world” and deserted Paul. 2 Timothy 4:10

It’s you and me when we know the way and refuse to walk in it. 
It’s you and me when we need to forgive and we say, “never.”
It’s you and me when we greedily hang on to what “is ours.”
It’s you and me who are instructed to love one another, yet refuse to even talk with one another.
It’s you and me who stubbornly dig in our heals and say, “unless I get my way, Lord, I’m taking my ball and going home.” 

It’s Christian people who find themselves defeated because they knew the good way, but didn’t walk in it and instead of rest, they find turmoil in their souls. Don’t be that person.

You know the good way, walk in it and you will find rest for your souls.

Woody Allen is credited with saying, “80% of success is showing up.” (some sites have him saying 90%). When it comes to Spiritual Renewal Week 2022 with Dr. Dan Boone, here is my quote (it won’t show up on famous quotes websites): “100% of full engaged people will benefit from Spiritual renewal week at Central Church.” Or flip this quote around and it’s equally true: “100% of those not showing up to Spiritual Renewal services will receive zero blessings from the week.”

Brené Brown said, “Courage starts with showing up and letting ourselves be seen.” Regarding Spiritual Renewal Week 2022, it could be said: “Real Heart transformation starts with showing up and letting the Lord be active in our heart and mind.” 

Singer James Taylor once told an audience, “I can’t thank you enough for showing up. It’s not the same without you.”He was right. He would have been singing to an empty auditorium. In some respects, the Holy Spirit could say the same about next week to us. 

All of this to say, Spiritual Renewal Week 2022, is about showing up. Being ready and open to God’s working in our life and in our church. 

If Moses chose to ignore the burning bush, he might have died as an Egyptian fugitive on the back side of the wilderness. Instead, he showed up and history was forever changed.

If David chose to not take his brothers their lunches and had not seen Goliath and heard his taunts, the mammoth Philistine might still be standing in the Valley of Elah (although he would be very old). Instead, David showed up and history was forever changed.

If Nehemiah chose to not worry about the broken walls around Jerusalem, he would have died a nameless official in Susa, Persia. Instead, he showed up… and you know, history was changed.

Showing up. Being full engaged. Listening and doing what the Lord asks of us is the recipe for a great Spiritual Renewal Week. I hope you have cleared your calendars and plan on being at all the services this week. 

Will attending Spiritual Renewal Week 2022 change the world?
It might change your world. 
It won’t change anything in your world if you don’t show up.

Will you look back on Spiritual Renewal Week 2022 as a pivotal moment in your family’s lives? 
It’s possible.
It’s impossible if you don’t show up.

Woody Allen, Brene Brown and James Taylor were mostly right, showing up is biggest hurdle toward a Spiritual Renewal deep within your heart and life. Jesus, most importantly, said it this way, “Seek and you find” (Matthew 7:7). In other words, “Show up!”

You remember the childhood rhyme and pantomime:  Here’s the church (Hands Clasped with fingers touching one’s palms). Here’s the steeple (index fingers pointed up and touching), Open the doors (thumbs are the doors) and see all the people (palms up and wiggling fingers which represent the church full of people). 

Post-Covid there is a slight variation. There is still a church (hands clasped but fingers are on top as the “the roof of the church”). There is still a steeple. You still open the doors, but there are no fingers (no people) inside. As a kid, we’d play the game that way and recited this rhyme (to the irritation of my mother): “Wonder where the people are? They’re across the street at the corner bar (Our hands once again clasped with fingers wiggling and wobbling). My mom was not amused.

No one is amused by the church attendance numbers, post-covid and are asking, “wonder where the people are?” Most churches have less in-person worshippers than before the pandemic. Pew Research found that only 2/3 pre-covid attenders have returned (see the research here). Of those 2/3 returning attenders, many are not returning to the same attendance pattern as before the pandemic. Where have all the people gone? 

There are probably several answers to the question: some people used the pandemic as an opportunity to shop for a new church; some are still cautious about covid; some regular attenders have died; on-line viewing is favorable to busy schedules or introverted ways; fewer people are visiting churches; and some, frankly, gave up on the church.

Most churches have examples of all of the above reasons. Anecdotally, it seems most folks missing-in-action are for a hybrid of reasons. Most non-returning attenders, would not say that they have given up on God (a few have). In fact, most non-returning attenders would not say that have given up on the church (a few have). Instead, they are just are not attending in person with the same consistency and regularity they once did. 

In the past, sickness didn’t keep worshippers from church. They still came unless they were running a high fever. Now, who wants to sit next to a person coughing and sniffling throughout the service? If they’re from a family, if one kiddo is sick the whole family stays home. In fact, if a person has been around someone sick (even if that person didn’t test positive for covid), they stay home. Just in case they may be contagious too. If on Sunday afternoon, they are to meet up with an immune-compromised or elderly relative, they stay home. They don’t want to catch something at church and bring it back to their loved one. Few thought in those terms, pre-Covid. People just went to church never worrying about the germs that might pick up and pass on. 

Pre-Covid the average “regular attender” worshipper attended church less than two times a month. Those numbers were trending south even before the pandemic. When I was a kid, our family attended church every Sunday unless on our death bed. Counting two weeks of vacation (see next paragraph) and maybe a sick day (maybe), we probably averaged 49 Sundays a year in our local church. Those days are over.

On vacation back in the day, we’d still attend church. Preferably, it was a Nazarene church (or closest thing to it). We’d take the bulletin home to prove our faithfulness to the pastor (under the guise of “Hey preacher, maybe you can get some new ideas from this church we visited on vacation.”). My wife’s family even attended Sunday School on vacation. That doesn’t happen anymore either. Folks on vacation might (emphasis on “might”) watch or listen to their home church service while driving, at their camp-sight, hotel room or relative’s house. Out-of-town visitors with no connection to the church are as rare as an attendance board in the foyer. 

If one was running late in the old days (by “old days,” I mean before March 2020), the parishioner drove fast. Pulled into the church parking lot barely missing a couple of teenagers who were sneaking out of the service. Rushed in. Took a back-row spot sometime between the third song and the passing of the offering plates (remember when we used to pass… offering plates, communion trays and “the peace”? No more.). Now if one is running late, the go-to response is, “I’ll catch this week on line.” No need to rush around like a maniac. 

Bad hair days; no clean clothes; early football games; late activities on Saturday night; busy week ahead; and a million other reasons are enough for folks to stay away from church on a Sunday morning with the understanding they can catch the service on-line. Such occurrences happen with far greater frequency than before Covid. 

Wonder where the people are? They are all over. Complaining about his reality doesn’t help. Brow beating current in-person worshippers will only lead to less worshippers. The answer to this dilemma is a simple one: Keep being faithful. Keep praying. Keep singing. Keep preaching the Word. Keep participating in the sacraments. Keep serving in the community. Keep loving your neighbors. Keep being the church of Jesus Christ, and the gates of hell shall not prevail. 

Lastly (most importantly), keep the welcome mat out for the not-as-frequent-as-they-once-were-attenders. When they walk through the doors, don’t say things like, “Where in the world have you been?” or “look what the cat drug in.” Instead say, “Glad to see you. Hello dear friend.” If you are a hugger, give them a hug. A fist bump will work too. Pray that while in the worship service, they will encounter God and recall all that they have missed since the last time they were in-person in church. Pray that God will strike a holy fire within them. Pray that the church will once again be filled with people, filled with the Holy Spirit, determined to reach our world with the love of Jesus.

Spiritual renewal with Dr. Dan Boone, Jon Nichols and the Woods Band is T minus 6 Days Away (there are also children’s workers and the pre-school and nurseries will be open).

Here are the steps for a great movement of God:

1.  Clear your calendar

2.  Plan on being at every service.

3.  Pray Samuel’s prayer: “Speak Lord, for your servant is listening.”

4.  Anticipate that God is going to speak directly to you.

5.  Sit down front (eliminate distractions)

6.  Sing every song, like you’re the only one in the room (hand raising is optional, but encouraged).

7.  Bring a Bible or have a Bible app open and ready. If you are a note taker, bring a notepad.

8.  Make a deal with God, if he speaks you will quickly move forward to an altar to pray.

9.  Make another deal with God, you won’t leave the altar until the matter with Him is settled.

10. Bring a friend (tell your friend to follow steps 1-10 too).

Imagine if every pastor, every board member, every Sunday School teacher, every small group leader, every musician, every singer, every usher, every greeter, every single person (man, woman or child) who calls Central Church “home” followed the steps listed above—we would have a mighty movement of God. 

It’s simple. 

Ten steps to a powerful movement to God.