With 95% (or so) of the funding of the Church of the Nazarene’s global operations coming from USA/Canada, it is imperative to the entire church that the USA/Canada church emerge from the pandemic healthy. The big question is: Will the USA/Canada church survive the pandemic or will we be another victim of Covid 19?

There are good signs. In spite of early fears of financial collapse caused by the pandemic (how can you raise monies if you are not passing the plates?), those worries did not happen in many places. Our people were faithful in giving. They continued to give on-line or via mail and ministry continued. Many churches flipped on the fly and started presenting on-line services and producing distance Christian learning all in an effort to kept people engaged.

There are also troubling signs. Most churches will see a decline in in-person attendance this year. Some of these declines will make the viability of the tenuous-at-best, pre-covid churches even less possible. People discovered (in their minds, at least) they didn’t need to be in the church building to get Christian content. They could get it on-line sipping coffee on their couch. They aren’t coming back. There are folks on both sides of the Covid-response debate who are not coming back. Those who determined the local church’s approach to masks, etc. was too restrictive and those who thought the local church response was not restrictive enough are not coming back. Others tired of the politicization of the US church are not coming back. The recent in-the-news fighting among the Southern Baptists and the upcoming split in the United Methodist church, splashes onto Nazarenes as we get lumped with these and other church troubles leaving more wondering about “organized religion.” Make no mistake, the Enemy is using all of these (and more) excuses to keep people away from the church doors.

Moreover, the church is getting older. The Silent generation and Boomers are the givers. Gen X, Y and Z not as much. While these groups continued to give at rates (sometimes even higher) than pre-pandemic, a legitimate question is sustainability. If they are not attending in person (and some will never come back, see above) how long until their giving also wanes?  Furthermore, when in wanes because of their lack of connection, how will that impact both the local and global mission of the church?

The Church of the Nazarene dodged the initial financial bullet of the pandemic.  But another shot is coming unless churches return to the pre-pandemic connectivity, work hard on re-engaging people to the life of the church, stress the importance of in-person connections and expand its outreach post-pandemic. Even as life becomes more “normal,” the church will not be the same as it was pre-pandemic. Those churches without a “Come Back” strategy and discipleship plan for those who return will be victims of the lasting effects of Covid-19. Those churches that are pro-active, involved, and evangelistic will survive and many will thrive. 

The Church of the Nazarene does not have to be a victim of Covid-19, but unless the church is proactive in discipleship and evangelism it will be.

When Jesus walked planet earth in the first century, the failed religious system was exposed. Jesus’ most frequent run-ins were with the people that benefitted most from that failed structure, the Pharisees. The self-proclaimed “holiness crowd” (ironic, because of their lack of holiness) were self-serving, hypocritical, arrogant, and Jesus called them “snakes” and “white washed tombs.” They would eventually be key players in Jesus’ crucifixion. These same people who were so against Jesus also went to the synagogue. All the time. Whatever their motive, they were there. All of which makes the phrase Luke uses about Jesus’ regular routine so important. Luke wrote: “As was his custom, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day” (Luke 4:11). 

Jesus didn’t avoid those who didn’t think like him or act like him. He knew the synagogue was full of hypocrites, still he went “as was his custom.” In spite of his conflicts with the “holiness crowd” and their eventual aiding and abetting in his execution, Jesus went “as was his custom.” Clearly, Jesus was revolted by their attitudes and actions (have you ever read Matthew 23?), still they sat down the pew from each other every Sabbath. The Person who need to worship the least, continued to go “as was his custom.” Jesus went because He wasn’t going for those disagreeable and disgruntled people, He attended public worship gatherings to glorify God. That should be our motivation too. 

Does the church have problems? Of course. Are their more problems in today’s church than in Jesus’ synagogue? My guess is that the people attending are not plotting your death. Still people are people. People and institutions made up of people are imperfect. In the off chance, you find a perfect church, DO NOT ATTEND IT. Why? When you show up (or if I showed up for that matter), it will no longer be a “perfect” church. Newsflash: We ain’t perfect (NOTE: the previous use of “ain’t” displays my imperfections). The imperfect gathering of people for the expressed purpose of worship didn’t stop Jesus from attending and it shouldn’t stop us. 

Bottom line: To those who have legitimate reasons for looking around the church and concluding, “these are not my people.” Don’t quit. To those of you who are feeling out of place, you are still needed in the church. Maybe more now than ever. Obviously, there are times when the environment is so toxic and anti-Christ, a person (for their own spiritual and emotional well-being) must exit, but find a new group of imperfect people that calls themselves the church to worship alongside. Your presence will make the group a little less perfect, but join anyway.  Like Jesus, make it your custom.

To the night owls who have thought I don’t need to put on makeup or wash my hair or wear pants to be a part of the on-line service: We need you in the church building (but please put on pants).

To the introverts who have discovered that watching the service on-line is better than being around people: We need you in church too.

To the disheartened who have overheard folks at a church say dumb or non-Christ-like things: We need you in church to say smart, kingdom of God things.

To the busy who have a million things going and catch the service on the fly as you’re multitasking all those other things: we need you in church with your full attention (cell phone in your purse or pocket, please).

To the horrified who have heard derogatory comments about other people (different than the majority): We need you to remind us that Jesus said he when he was a stranger (different), the ones who welcomed Him into their lives are the ones who make it to heaven. 

To the disappointed who have heard, “Money is king” or “a political party is king” or “a politician is king”: we need you to say, “Jesus is King.”

To the lonely who say, “no one thinks like me:” we need you to think like Jesus and encourage the rest of us to do the same.

To the discouraged who say the Church isn’t warm and welcoming: we need you to be warm and welcoming.

To the angry who have said, “Church leaders are (pick your term) corrupt, liars, hypocrites, prideful, inept or all of the above”: we need you to look in the mirror, see your faults, refuse to cast the first stone, and be a new, humble leader that can move away from any power-hungry, political-maneuvering, and self-serving tactics.

To those who’ve been hurt by a church and said all churches are the same: I’m so sorry for your experience. Churches are not all the same. Please come back and experience the healing waters of Jesus flowing upon you. We need you to be well once more.

To the doubters who have said, “If this is what Christianity is, I’m not sure I want it”: we need you! Jesus’ disciples included Thomas (he doubted too). Yes, we need you!

To the tired and weary who say “I can be a Christian without the church”: Jesus says, “The church was my idea, you really need to be a part of it.” And as a friend, I say, “Don’t leave. We need you. We need each other. See you soon!”

The Detroit Lions last championship year was 1957. It was so long ago, they didn’t call it the Super Bowl back them. The Lions, actually, were the “Team of the 50’s” having also won championships in 1952 and 1953. Since those glory years, the going has been rough. And by “rough,” I mean absolutely horrible. They have won exactly one playoff game since 1957. One. They’ve had great players (See Barry Sanders and Calvin Johnson). They’ve had accomplished coaches. Well, accomplished before they arrived in Detroit (See Bobby Ross and Steve Mariucci). For a lifelong Lions’ fan, it’s been a sad mix of “maybe next year” and a resignation that like seeing the Lions in the Super Bowl is like seeing a unicorn. It will never happen.

Sadly, the church in America hasn’t fared much better than the Detroit Lions. One could make the case that the church’s glory years were the 50s too. Churches were being built. Communities were glad to have them. There was honor for the clergy and the ministry of the church, even from non-church goers. The church was welcomed. Respected. People believed the Bible was true. Politicians wouldn’t dream of saying otherwise. Prayer was encouraged in schools (not just uttered before unstudied tests by procrastinating students). Church life and our culture were intertwined.

Then the culture changed (read: some changes needed to be made. This article is not glorifying the racism, sexism and the other societal ills that were alive and well in the 50s). Viet Nam happened. So did Watergate; the Iran Hostage Crisis; TV Evangelist scandals; 9/11; Gulf War I and II; the Internet; the Wall Street Crash; a twenty year war in Afghanistan; social media; continuous sex scandals inside the church; Obama; Trump and the great division of the American populace. (There are plenty of other happenings that played a role in getting here, but you get the idea: there’s been a lot of water under the cultural bridge since the 1950s). People no longer view the church with the same optimism. They no longer look at the Bible as authoritative. People think little of the eternity, instead live for the moment. No longer informed by a Truth greater than themselves, one’s personal opinion and self-first perspective is the ultimate value. 

The church has changed too. There is much more to occupy believers time. In the 50s, life revolved around church. Sunday morning. Sunday night. Wednesday Night. Sports took a back seat to church. So did most all other activities. If you even had a TV, there were only three channels. They played in black and white. It wasn’t great, static-y. Life was slower. Simpler. Moreover, today’s believers were not immune to the cultural changes. People don’t live in a bubble. They are aware of clergy abuses and the sins of the church. Some are victims. They utilize social media. They have more information. The promise of power, money and fame have become a driving factor in setting priorities and agendas inside the church, just as it outside the church. The Bride of Christ’s gown is a tattered and people see it.

The result is evident: like the Detroit Lions, the church has been on a downward slide for decades and the numbers reveal it. Every American denomination is in decline. No church is immune. Liberal churches, imitating culture with their promises of tolerance and inclusion are losing members. Conservative churches, with their condemnation and shaking fists at society, are likewise losing members in record level. Churches who have tried to ignore culture and put their collective heads in the sand are losing members too. The dam is broke. All churches are hemorrhaging people. Like the Lions, down through the years, there are a few stars in the church world having a few good years. But it doesn’t change the fact that the Church (like the Lions) are losing. Big time.

The latest rebuilding coach of the Lions, Dan Campbell, at a recent press conference used terms how he would be “changing the culture.” The Lions were going to “do things differently.” They were going to “bite off knee caps” if necessary. I don’t think opposing players need to worry about body parts, he was sending a message to his team: “It’s not the same old Lions.” Time will tell if this latest re-build is more of the same or if things will be different from the last 64 years. As a Lions fan and a prisoner of hope, I want Coach Campbell to be the answer (but I haven’t started a saving for a Super Bowl ticket just yet).

The church needs to be about re-creating culture too. Both inside her walls and outside. Changing culture is hard (see the last 64 years of Lions’ ineptitude). It takes time. It can only happen as the Church gets back to the ways of Jesus. Like Jesus with the woman at the well, we need to meet people where they are. Like Jesus’ interaction with prostitutes and tax collectors, we need to be welcoming. Like Jesus’ interaction with the woman caught in adultery, we need to speak with truth and grace. Like Jesus, it might start with a small, imperfect group (see the fraidy-cat disciples). In other words, the change that the church and world needs won’t be dependent upon the perfection of its adherents but the power of the Spirit at work in them. 

The Lions may never win a Super Bowl (it pains me to write that), but Jesus does win. He will be making all things new. He is the Victor. He will have the final word. The prayer Jesus taught us still applies: May God’s kingdom come and His will done on earth (In America) as it is in heaven. I’m a prisoner of hope in regard to the church too!  I believe Jesus wants to answer that prayer!

May it be so (and Go Lions!). 

It’s Invitation season. If you know a soon-to-be high school graduate then you’ve received one. There’s a happy smiling picture on the front (you’d be happy too if you didn’t have to carry a hall pass to use the restroom anymore) with details of the party on the back. You also know the routine. Show up at the open house (maybe there’s a tent, maybe not), there will be picture boards, trophies from the third-grade spelling bee, cake and a box for congratulatory cards. I eat more cake in the month of June than the other 11 months combined. Needless-to-say, I love the month of June! I love receiving the invitations!

Consider this your invitation for our summer sermon series based on the Book of Romans, The Gospel of God. There is no picture on the front (photos of the Apostle Paul are very difficult to come by these days). There will be no tent. No trophies. No cake. Technically there are boxes set up, but not for congratulatory cards, but for tithes and offerings (thank you for your giving, by the way!). Still, this invitation is for an exceptional summer journey.

The Gospel of God really means the Good News of God. That’s exactly what the Book of Romans is. It’s the good news story of God’s working in our lives. The Book of Romans is the most theological of the New Testament letters (bring your thinking caps and shovels, we will be digging in deep this summer). It is also the most inspiring, most promising and the most hope filled letter that Paul penned. 

Bring your Book of Romans Journals. Don’t have one? They are free. Get it Sunday in the church foyer, come by the church office or for you out-of-towners—contact Central church and we will mail you one. Bring a pen to write notes and circle important points. Be prepared for God to speak deep into your soul. 

This invitation is an expectation for what might happen. It’s an invitation for the summer of 2021 to be the summer that you will look back on and say, “I grew closer to Jesus than ever before in my life!” It’s an invitation to an everlasting, soul deepening journey. 

It’s also an invitation for you to be an inviter. Invite your spiritually curious friends to explore the Gospel of God with you this summer. Tell them that God is going to speak through this study. If they simply have an open heart and mind, they will hear from the Lord. Give them a money back guarantee. If your friends don’t hear from Jesus, you will give them back all the money they invested in the Book of Roman’s journal (they are free, remember). Tell them they will receive much more than a free journal, by the end of summer they just might receive a free gift from God Almighty. 

The series is called the Gospel (the Good News) of God! It’s an invitation to receive the best gift of all! For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 6:23). It’s going to be a great summer at Central Church!

School teachers will tell you that as the days get “summerier” (not a word, but you know it: warm weather, beautiful sunshine and day dreaming in full bloom) the kiddos get antsy. Students know summer vacation is soon here. No more math, science and hall passes to use the restroom. Hooray, the end is near, but keeping everyone (teachers included) focused until the final bell is teacher’s toughest challenge.

I’m discovering it’s true with pandemics too. The end is near. We all want the last 14 months to be over. We all want to “get back to normal.” (even those who didn’t enjoy the old pre-Covid “normal” want to get to a new post-Covid “normal.”). We are all a little antsy. It’s been hard on everyone. We are hitting “the wall.” A recent Washington Post article was titled For some pastors, the past year was a sign from God it was time to quit (read it: here). The article doesn’t quote any pastors from my “tribe” but I’ve heard from friends who have talked a similar talk. This year and a half has been brutal and we want it in our rear-view mirror. More than a few of us, clergy and non-clergy, are tired. Dog tired. Maybe even “throwing-in-the-towel” tired.

Take a page from Jesus’ lesson plan. When Jesus was tempted, it wasn’t at the beginning of His time in the wilderness that the Enemy came to Him. It was at the end.  “After fasting forty days and forty nights…” (Matthew 4:2). When Jesus was hungry, tired and worn out is when He was most vulnerable and when the old Snake took his best shot. Sound familiar? It should. We are nearing the end of our 14-month wilderness. We are weary, tired and like Jesus might be tempted to take a short cut to the finish line (or take an exit ramp) even though the end is almost in sight.

Can I be like a middle school teacher in the waning moments of the school year? I won’t threaten a visit to the principal’s office or detention. Instead, let me offer this encouragement: Keep going. Keep focused on finishing this Covid season well. It’s been a long 14 quarantine-y, pandemic-y, bundle of anxiety months. You’ve made it this far, don’t quit now! Take a deep, non-coronavirus-germ filled breath. Keep striving to be more and more like Jesus. Keep developing the fruit of the Spirit in your life (read especially: kindness, goodness and most importantly patience). Keep seeking the Lord. Keep falling back on scripture, prayer and Godly counsel of Christian friends. No short cuts. No sidetracks. No bursts of impatience or unkindness. Paul said it best: Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up (Galatians 6:9). The pandemic’s final bell is about to ring. You’ve almost made it through this storm. Give yourself an “A” (I’m an easy grader) and finish well!

Historically, house churches have bloomed when traditional churches couldn’t meet because of persecution or other extenuating circumstances. House churches in such times have been a beautiful expression of the Bride of Christ. The following is not an indictment on all house churches, rather it’s a simple recognition that not all house churches are created equal. If birthed under less than holy conditions than for all its promises of purity and righteousness, the “house church” can be a brief layover to “no church” for is members.

The following is the dangerous downward spiral of the toxic house church:

The Disgruntled House Church

When the establishment of a house church (with a few select friends) is because members have been hurt, ignored or simply disagreed with the majority of the church body over politics, social issues, or theological practices without attempts at reconciliation, the result may be less than ideal. It’s the same reason so many church splits end with one or both churches dying. Churches (house or traditional) started in division have short life spans. 

The Diversity-lacking House church

One of the beauties of the Church is that people DON’T have same backgrounds, educational equivalencies, and life experiences and yet find their oneness in Christ. Too often, the toxic house church (for their often-espoused liberties) are quite closed to disagreements from the dominant group think. Those with a different perspective than the prevailing view of the group need not attend. 

The Disrespectful House Church

If discontented and closed-off attitudes toward the larger church body exist a puffed-up, self-importance is sure to follow. This prideful, personal “deconstruction” of the church leads to disrespect for leaders, a disregard of church institutions and a cavalier approach to historical Biblical interpretations. The outlook often is: “My house church is doing it right. Everyone else is doing it wrong.”

The Disengaged House Church

A church disgruntled quickly becomes disengaged. The group may start with ideals of service, but disgruntled and dissatisfied people tend to be inward focused and service quickly wanes. 

The Defeated House church

The inevitable result of a few like-minded disgruntled and disengaged people meeting on an increasingly inconsistent basis is closure. Those folks who once were serving the Lord in the body fall back to the age-old line, “I can be a Christian without going to church.” While technically true (it’s the same argument that one doesn’t “need” to be baptized, because of the thief on the cross wasn’t baptized), the Church is still Jesus’ plan. Just as Jesus calls believers to be baptized, the New Testament expectation is that believers will meet together in a regular weekly gathering.

There is a downward spiral in faith when not connected (or loosely connected) to the greater body of Christ. People first drift away from the larger church body, then drift from their smaller faith body, then drift from faith altogether. Henri Nouwen was right when he wrote: “…the greatest danger for our times is separation of Jesus from the church…I’ve yet to meet anyone who has come closer to Jesus by forsaking the church.” 

Many house churches (maybe most) are wonderful expressions of the kingdom of God. Not all are toxic. But those house churches started by division will subtract from the Kingdom of God as members use the “house church” as the brief stopover before attending “no church.”

Have you noticed there are a lot of shortages lately?

Gasoline shortages are in the south. There’s shortages of lumber, shingles and building supplies. (A truck drove by me with a load of wood and I thought I will never be that rich!). Even Chick-fil-a says they have a sauce shortage (now this has gone too far! Speaking of Chick-fil-a, there is a shortage of their restaurants in Flint! We need fresh squeezed lemonade and waffle fries!).

As bad as some of those shortages are, there is a worse absence. There is a massive deficiency of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. The fruit of the spirit is missing. 

Even before we couldn’t get Polynesian Sauce for our nuggets at Chick-fil-A (to be sure, that is a very upsetting circumstance) people were angry. You’ve seen it. Furious parents yelling obscenities at their children (I’ve seen this more times at Walmart than I can count). Fuming drivers roaring into road rage (I had a guy wave at me yesterday using only one finger. I don’t think he was telling me I was #1 in his book). People are so quick to spout off their disgust on social media and no one is exempt from the vitriol postings. Never in my life have I seen such disrespect and low regard for nearly everyone. “Accuse. Bash. Condemn” are our new A-B-C’s.

We can blame bad politics, injustices, pandemics, and any other societal ills for the pervasive angst. But the real problem is a shortage of the Spirit of God living and working in the hearts of women and men. The old timers would say, “We need a Holy Ghost revival.” They aren’t wrong. We need a massive movement of the Spirit of God.  

But where do we begin? The anger and self-righteousness is so pervasive. Where does one start? How can a Holy Ghost movement sweep across the land? Should we pitch a tent on a vacant lot and start a revival meeting?  Do we buy billboards in every city posting the slogan, “Got Spirit?” Do we start a massive phone spam campaign like those who are wanting us to buy car warranties? (does anyone ever buy a car warranty from those people?). 

Let’s not do any of those things. Instead let’s pray this simple prayer: 

“Lord, start the revival in me. In me, Lord, in me. Amen.” 

That’s it. No tents, billboard or spam campaigns. Start the work in me. Make me into the vessel of your love. Fill me. Empower me. Use me.  Let us be the fruition of Paul’s prayer for the Romans: May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit (Romans 15:13). 

How will the shortage of Fruit of the Spirit be remedied?  One Fruit-filled believer at a time. Start it in me, Lord, in me. 

It’s not the government (no matter which country’s flag happens to fly over you)

It’s not a corporation.

It’s not a service organization or NGO

It’s not even a denomination.

The local church is greatest force for good in the world.

It’s the local foot soldiers in the Lord’s Army, who come together weekly for a sweet fellowship, anointed worship and spirit empowered rejuvenation. Once inspired these “boots-on-the-ground” march into our dark world wearing the full armor of God and sharing the light of Jesus. It’s the redeemed reaching the rebellious; the faithful seeking the faithless; and the liberated showing the road to freedom to the slaves of this world. It’s people filled with the love of Jesus caring for their neighbors. It’s pastors and others tending to the sick and lonely. It’s followers of Jesus sharing the love, justice and compassion that they have experienced to those who have yet to discover the transformative grace of the Lord. Then it’s coming back together in the local church as Sunday rolls into the next week to be invigorated and readied to get back into the fray once more.

Local churches are the ones following the command of Jesus to make disciples. It’s the local church that is baptizing these new followers. The local church that is teaching newbies in the ways of Christ. It’s local food pantries feeding the hungry. Local ministries that are making a difference. No other agency, program, government entity or denominational initiative is doing these things so well in so many places. The local church is the listening, learning, loving agent of Christ throughout the world. 

But local churches can be messy. Everyone doesn’t think alike, look alike, vote alike, like the same music or leisure activities. Members don’t even agree theologically always about the small stuff (the big stuff like “Jesus is Lord!” on that we completely agree!). But together, the local church says, “Let’s make our little corner of the world, a little bit more like heaven.” They pray that God’s Kingdom would come and His will done in their locality as it is in heaven. The forces of hell are putting up a fight, but the King of Heaven is greater. He empowers us collectively to break the gates of hell and rescue the perishing.  He calls us jointly to be his instrument in the world. (Notice the lack of pluralization of the word “instrument” was intentional). To be most effective, the local church must be one. One Lord. One baptism. One body. One task of winning our world for Jesus!

The local church enables us to do what we can’t do alone. We need Jesus and we need each other. When Jesus is holding one hand and our local church body holding the other, we will see the mountains of sin, injustice and corruption moved. We’ll see the evil forces flee. We’ll see God’s kingdom come.

The local church, at its best, is the greatest force for good in the world!

Colonel Sander’s mom: I’d don’t care, how good the chicken is—stop lickin’ your fingers.

Jesse James’ mom: Not just in the bank, wear your mask all over town, young man.

Charles Pfizer’s mom: The “P” is silent but you are not. Quiet down, I’m watching Wheel of Fortune (fyi… Charles Pfizer lived from 1824-1906. I’m not sure Wheel of Fortune had premiered yet.).

Macbeth’s Mom: Wash your hands (a little Shakespearian humor)

Neil Armstrong’s mom: What do I have to do to keep you from going into crowds? Send you to the moon?

Chuck Noland’s Mom (the guy Tom Hanks portrayed in Castaway): Quit complaining about being alone. At least Wilson didn’t talk back. Try quarantining with a fifth grader who has no interest in learning math and you have no idea how to teach it.

George Costanza’s mom: If you are going to be a hand model make sure you use hand sanitizer. Oven mitts and hand sanitizer. (Obscure Seinfeld referenced joke).

Mike Tyson’s mom: You think that heavyweight hits hard, wait until that lil’ nurse gives you two jabs in the arm.

Bill Gates’ mom: If you thought the Windows 97 virus was bad…

Luke Skywalker’s mom: The Pfizer is strong in this one.

Those are all dumb.  

This Sunday is my annual Tie Wearing Sunday, aka Mother’s Day. I preach in a tie to honor my mom (she liked it when I would wear a tie). Now that she’s in heaven, I doubt that she cares that I have a tie on or not. Still I wear one to remember her. Hope you can honor your mom or the special ladies in your life—one of the best ways is bring them (or join them) in church.  

Who’s NOT coming back to church? That’s the big question many churches are asking these days as life is slowing getting back to normal. Some of those who aren’t coming back have…

• gotten used to watching on-line.
• used the pandemic as opportunity to shop around for another church.
• extreme health risks and are still uncertain of the safety of gathering in crowds.

But the majority of the non-returners (from my observation and conversations) are those who have concluded that the Church offers no reason for them to return. If the Church is the Bride of Christ (it is) then these folks are heading to divorce court. The reasons for this divorce (in their minds) are irreconcilable differences. The Church has (pick your poison) become too political (a valid complaint), not political enough (a valid complaint), full of hypocrites (true since the earliest church: see Ananias and Sapphira, in other words, a valid complaint), not relevant (often true), and an assortment of other reasons (my personal favorite: the preacher stinks). Many of those complaints are legitimate evaluations of the most recent Americanized version of the Church and its preachers. 

Still I can’t divorce her. Here’s why: If Jesus is the Bridegroom and the Church is his Bride, and if Jesus is living in me, then how in names of all the fake and phony prophets (too numerous to count) can I divorce the Bride? I am called to love her (warts and all). Yes, she has problems. She’s not perfect. Far from it. The Church includes me and (this is not breaking news) I am far from perfect too. (I can show you emails and/or the social media posts from folks vouching for my imperfections). Still, if Jesus loves the less-than-spotless Church, then I had better love her too.

Like in a marriage, I am called to love the Bride and help her in any way that I can. Like a dress maker or beautician who readies a bride for her wedding, we are called to beautify the Bride through our loving actions.  The Bride of Christ is not looking like a beauty queen these days. As a result, it’s our job not to abandon her in her time of need but to seek her beauty once more. Make her better. Pray for her. Notice her shortcomings (not turning a blind eye) but determine to be a part of the solution in a godly, fruit-of-the-spirit kind of way (not in a pot-shots-on-social-media-while-slamming-the-door-behind-us sort of way). We must elevate and edify her, if we want her to bloom once more.

Divorce her?  It’s not an option, not as long as the Bridegroom is living in me.

My neurologist’s office is a stone’s throw away from the Planned Parenthood clinic in Ann Arbor. I arrived early for my appointment yesterday, so I drove by the clinic. It hadn’t opened yet. There was an unmanned mini van parked on the road covered with messages about abortion not being the answer. A small yard sign in the bushes out front urged people to not talk with the protesters. It was too early for protesters. Too early for ladies making that difficult decision that led them to this building. I was saddened as I drove through the circle drive outside of the clinic.

I tried to imagine all the women who have entered scared, worried, regretful, heartbroken, and hurting. Some probably thought that abortion was their only option. Many come alone. I don’t know anyone who looks forward to entering this place. I tried to imagine all the little lives, precious and loved by God, fearfully and wonderfully made that will never breathe, smile and experience life on earth. 

The parking area was empty. It was just me and Jesus. I prayed that God would comfort the ladies who were grieving and overwhelmed by their decisions. I prayed that a loving follower of Jesus would come along side these women and shower them with love of a forgiving Savior. I prayed that abortion would end in our land. There are so many factors that contribute to women entering this place, I prayed that God would help us and forgive our sins. I prayed and prayed and prayed.

Sometimes that’s the best thing we can do.

After my appointment, I drove back to Central church. The Peak (our gym facility) parking lot was filled. On Wednesdays, Central church hosts the Genesee County Health Department as a vaccination clinic. 1200 people (or so) entered our building, greeted by the prettiest greeter (it was Karla), passing a sign inviting them to Central church, and ready to get vaccinated. 

Most people coming to this clinic are happy to be there. Maybe nervous about needles (no one likes to get a shot); maybe concerned about the possible side effects; still they are glad to be there. They would exit our building with a Band-Aid on their shoulder and hope that the pandemic is one more shot closer to being over. 

Again, I prayed.

I prayed for all who entered that they would be well. I prayed for the volunteers inside. I prayed that the vaccines would work. I prayed that the pandemic would end. I prayed for those who have decided that vaccines are not best option for them at this time. I prayed for comfort for those families who have been so terribly affected by Covid—either through loss, loneliness, depression or some other hardship. I prayed and prayed and prayed.

Sometimes that’s the best thing we can do. 

Yesterday I drove by two clinics. I’m no doctor. As such, I can’t give medical advice (should you get a vaccine? Ask your doctor), but spiritual advice. If given the chance, I would tell the ladies exiting the first clinic, “God loves you.” And I’d tell those exiting the second clinic, “God loves our world.” And I can pray. That’s what I did. I prayed for both clinics and the people entering and exiting. That’s the best thing I can do.

Upon entering Karla’s car this week, I counted that she has eleven face masks in her vehicle (not counting the package of disposable facemasks). Eleven. The number of disciples after the demise of Judas and before the addition of Matthias. E-Leven?!

I can assure you she is not Hyrdra (this is a reference to the Greek mythological creature that had nine heads). Even if she was some sort of socially distancing Hyrdra, she’d still have two masks to spare. I asked the logical question: Why does anyone need eleven facemasks in their motor vehicle?

Karla’s excuses (I mean explanation) included: some masks are her mom’s (legitimate excuse), some masks are for friends (the disposable ones) and the majority are waiting to be worn based on the outfit she is wearing. Apparently, the facemask is a fashion statement. Who knew? I grab a facemask based on which one looks the cleanest. Color, fancy designs and/or gospel messaging are not a deciding factor. My thinking in picking a face mask is: “This one doesn’t look like I used it as a Kleenex, in a war zone while cleaning my vacuum cleaner. I’ll take it.” 

File the previous few paragraphs under the heading: The Difference Between Men and Women in a Pandemic.

Why write about my wife’s eleven facemasks? No matter which hill you stand upon in the Great Pandemic Facemask Debate, we are all getting tired of wearing masks (I heard that “Amen.”). But here’s my desire and prayer: Long after the pandemic is in our rear-view mirror and masks are no longer required, may we also leave behind some of our other mask-wearing ways. I’m not talking about the cloth that covers our nose and mouth, but the masks we wear when we are not being our true selves. The masks we put on when we say, “We’re fine,” when we are hurting and need a friend. The mask we wear when we try to fit in with the crowd, and the other mask we put on when around our Christian friends. The mask that tries to communicate, “I’ve got everything together,” instead of the reality that is “I need Jesus.”

People have been wearing masks to cover up their true self long before Covid. Let’s remove those masks and be like Jesus. Paul’s instructions to the Galatians: All of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus (Galatians 3:26-27). Moreover, when life gets back to normal (and it will one day) instead of masks, let’s wear the attributes that Paul gave to the Colossians: As God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience (Colossians 3:12). 

Putting on Christ and wearing the attributes of Christ-likeness is what our world needs most—pandemic or no pandemic.

Death is our greatest foe. We don’t like it. We don’t even like saying the word. Instead, we will use a variety of terms to describe death without saying the “D” word. 

Passed on, 

croaked, 

kicked the bucket, 

passed to his eternal reward, 

met his maker, 

checked out, 

pushing up daisies, 

called home, 

was a goner, 

bit the dust, 

gave up the ghost, 

left this world, 

no longer with us, 

bought the farm, 

with the angels, 

time was up, 

cashed in, 

crossed over Jordan,

withered away, 

gave it up, 

that’s all she wrote,

went to be with Jesus,

it was curtains, and 

promoted to Glory. 

I’m sure there are more ways to say it. We know it our head the cliché about death and taxes. We all have an expiration date. We can know it intellectually. Still, we humans try to avoid it. 

Maybe that’s why I love Easter (He is risen!) and why I love the meaning and symbolism of baptism so much. Easter tells the world that Jesus has defeated death (He is risen, indeed). Baptism tells the world that death has been defeated in us. Baptism is an outward sign of an inward grace. We were dead. Now, thanks to the Resurrected Lord, we are alive! Paul said it this way in Romans 6: We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. (Romans 6:4). 

We enter the waters of baptism as people sinking deep in sin. Death’s reality is only a matter of time. We are doomed, drowning in the all of life’s turmoils. In baptism, as the water is applied, it symbolizes that in Jesus we have new life! Jesus has washed our sins away! Death and sin have lost their power over us. We have a new community in the church and a new reality of life everlasting. I just love baptisms!

It’s news so good that we need to share it. That’s why we have public baptisms. We want the world to know, we have decided to follow Jesus. I’m a new person. The old is gone the new has come. Shout it from the mountain topes: Jesus has made me new!

It’s not too late for you to be baptized this Sunday at Central Church. If you have had a change of heart, bring a change of clothes with you on Sunday. Call the church and speak to a pastor today. We’d love for you to share what Jesus has done in your life in getting baptized this week!

Family: Is she dead?

Doctor: I’m not a medical examiner. She’s not dead, but she doesn’t look good.

Family: Are you telling us, she needs to be on hospice care? Keep her comfortable until she dies? Is that it, doc?

Doctor: I’m not a palliative care specialist either. I’m saying there’s a chance for her to survive but it won’t be quick or easy.  Radical surgeries and treatments will need to take place, and even then, there is no guarantee she will make it.

Family: What kind of surgeries are we talking about?

Doctor: Well for one there is a heart problem. It’s divided. It’s divided on so many levels. For her to get well, unity must happen. Someone Great once said, “If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand.”

Family: Can’t you just fix it, Doc? Open heart surgery. Sew it up and make it better?

Doctor: It’s a big procedure. This heart condition didn’t happen overnight, and won’t be cured with a snap of the fingers. 

Family: What’s the remedy?  

Doctor: She needs to change her intake and training. A steady diet of the Fruit of the Spirit is the best medicine. The fruit of the Spirit each day keeps the carnality away. Instead of attacking her own, she needs to exercise patience, practice understanding and have a daily workout of prayer. 

Family: She’s lethargic, empty or maybe “stale” is the word.

Doctor: Not surprising. Does she talk about the “good old days”?

Family: All the time. She’s not the fireball she was in her youth. She tells when she would be showered with blessings. That doesn’t happen anymore. 

Doctor: A fresh anointing of the Spirit is the best medicine. But that takes confession of one’s failures and admitting short comings, that’s a remedy that is hard to swallow for many.

Family: That will cure what ails her?

Doctor: That’s a start. The daily infusion of the Holy Spirit and the cleansing power brought is the answer to many of these issues. She will also need a Ponce de Leon treatment administered as soon as possible

Family: Ponce de Leon? 

Doctor: Surely, you’ve noticed, she’s not getting younger. Like all things, there is a life cycle in churches and if a youth movement doesn’t happen soon she will die. It’s only a matter of time.

Family: We have noticed, how do we say this?  She’s not cool. At least not as cool as other places and that’s probably why her youth is fleeting.

Doctor: Pardon me for saying, but your attitude is part of the problem. Who needs cool? She doesn’t. Skinny jeans and smoke machines aren’t the answer. Instead of cool, she needs to get warm. Friendly. It takes empathizing with today’s youth, and recognizing the complexities of living in today’s world. It’s welcoming all saints and sinners. It’s being a family again. Not a perfect family, whose family is? But a satisfying, loving, serving, forgiving family. 

Family: Are you saying, she needs a makeover?

Doctor: There’s no question she needs to be made new. But I know a Specialist, we call Him “the Great Physician,” He specializes in revitalizing dry bones and springing life from barren ground. 

Family: Will she make it, doc?

Doctor: I guess that’s up to you. The Great Physician can make it happen. Will you allow the healing and help to begin?

In Bible times, discerning God’s will was easier than today. I’ve never… 

• heard God’s audible voice like James, Peter and John (see Matthew 17:5)
• seen God write on the walls. (See Daniel 5). 
• received an angelic message like so many people in the Bible.
• had a donkey talk to me. Not an actual donkey, anyway. I’ve had a few people that one could argue had donkey-like attributes, but never had an encounter like Balaam in Numbers 22.
• experienced a vision or dream where I could outright proclaim was a message from on high and not the pepperoni pizza from the previous night.
• walked with Jesus. Literally. In Galilee. I was born approximately 1950 years and half a world away to hear with my own two ears the words written in red in my Bible. I haven’t been able to ask Jesus a direct question– like the Pharisees, the disciples, Pilate and even the devil—and receive a direct answer.

Some people have had those things happen. Not me. I do believe God wants what’s best for me (insert quote from Romans 8:28 here). God has a plan and a future for me (insert Jeremiah 29:11 here.). Clinging to those verses while realizing that God hasn’t directly voiced his plans to me through any of the above methods, allows me to conclude that God is not like an architect. He’s more like a football coach.

Architects draw up blueprints (FYI… I thought if we wanted one of our boys to be an architect, then we would have to name him “Blue.” Blue Prince –blueprints… get it?  Karla didn’t think it was funny either. Our sons’ names are Alex and Ben and neither one of them is an architect. I rest my case.). Architects draw up blueprints and builders follow them to the letter. Blueprints (for the most part) are inflexible. If the builder doesn’t follow it exactly there could be big trouble. The goal is to build a strong, beautiful building. If the architect is competent, following the blueprints precisely is the way to achieve that goal.

Football coaches draw up game plans. The good coaches know that a game plan must be flexible. If the defense lines up all of their players to stop the run, let the quarterback throw the ball. If the defense is expecting a pass, let the QB run it. The game plan might change as the circumstances of the game changes. Game plans change in mid-game, if needed, in order to win the game.

God is more like a football coach than an architect. God leaves room for wrestling over a decision, reading Scripture, talking with trusted Christian friends, using our brains, and seeking His peace in prayer. The plan for your life might not include a hard and fast decree (like in an architect’s drawings), instead it might be more flexible with two equally good options. God promises to help you discern the game plan and move confidently forward in either endeavor. 

When making big decisions you might not have an angel telling you to high tail it to Egypt because a crazy king wants to kill your baby (like what happened to a young couple from Nazareth years ago), but as you earnestly seek the Lord’s direction, God’s peace will come. Paul knew this to be true when he wrote to the church at Philippi these words: Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7

There is a word for experiencing a “peace that passes all understanding” and enjoying the adventure (sometimes unknown) along the way. It’s “faith.” Faith that Jesus will get you across the goal line as you hear those glorious words, “Well done my good and faithful servant.”  With that game plan, you cannot lose. 

Jesus said, “Love your enemies” (Matthew 5:43). 

No Joke. Love your enemies. Before voting on the appropriateness of Jesus command to “love our enemies” (FYI…there is no vote. Jesus said it. Period.) can we answer the big question: Who is our enemy?

Internationally, our enemies have been Russia (we’ve never trusted those guys); China (not sure we can trust those guys either); and Iran (terrorism’s #1 sponsor for years). There’s probably a couple of other countries in the mix, but for simplicity sake, let’s stick with Russia, China and Iran. Jesus says, “Love them.” No problem, Jesus! It’s easy to do. I love Russian, Chinese and Iranian people. They aren’t their government. They are people. Let’s not blame innocent people for the bone-headed decisions of their governments. Loving them is relatively easy. “I love my enemies,” I say, as I firmly pat myself on the back.

But what about the “enemies” that we don’t label as “enemies”? These folks go by different labels, such as: liberals, conservatives, progressives, fundamentalists, Vaxxers, Anti-Vaxxers, BLM protestors, MAGA supporters, Republicans, Democrats, Mask-wearing sheep, Covid-Super-spreaders, LBGTQ+ supporters, LBGTQ+ “what-do-all-those-letters-even-mean?” wonderers, etc. Pick your hated label bearer and sneer.

We don’t like what they are supporting or doing. We think that they are wrong. Biblically wrong. We think we are right. Biblically right. We hate everything about them. We hate how they think. We hate how they behave. We hate the positions that they hold. We don’t trust them. They have secret meetings. Hidden agendas. We think they are hurting our country, church or future existence. If they get their way, we are all in trouble. We might not publically state that we hate them, but we hate them all right. Maybe we wouldn’t kill them, but we hate them. We don’t want them showing up at our parties wearing T-shirts or hats supporting their views. We don’t want them living on our block putting up yard signs and flags. We don’t want them in our church touting their false perspective? Why would they be in our church? They clearly can’t love Jesus.

Jesus said, “Love your enemies.” He wasn’t simply talking about international politics and people we would never meet. He was talking about that guy down the street with the sign in his lawn supporting the groups we don’t like. He was talking about the lady singing in the choir on Sunday and attending opposing political rallies on Monday. He was talking about that (you choose): Double-mask-wearing-full-of-fear-Dr-Fauci fan or Only-wearing-a-mask-if-skiing-or-robbing-a-bank extremist. Jesus point: Love all of them. Every single one of them.

Loving people that hold a different view than me is hard. Loving people in the church who say, do or believe things different from me is downright awkward. Loving people, who might not be labeled as “enemies” but I treated them as such, is much harder than loving our stated (but never seen) international enemies like Russia, China and Iran.

Wouldn’t it have been better if Jesus would have said, “Be sarcastic, mean, and rude toward the people you don’t like, just don’t say you ‘hate’ them.” Or “Don’t call the people you hate “enemies.” Give them a different label, but keep on hating.” Or how about, “Love your enemies if there’s an ocean that separates you both.” At the very least, Jesus could have said, “Try to stomach your enemies and avoid them whenever possible.” We could probably abide by those rules. But love them? Really love them? Love them like I love my kids or grandkids? Love them like I love a long-lost friend? Who can do that? Not me. I hate those guys. Only Jesus can love like that.

Jesus, help me to love my enemies (no matter how I label them).

Oprah interviewed Prince Harry and Meghan on Sunday and 17 million people in the USA watched. Ever since, Karla has been anxiously waiting for Oprah’s interview request since she is also married to a Prince. Our wedding (33 years ago tomorrow) was a slightly less formal affair than Harry and Meghan’s nuptials. Oprah hasn’t called, but if she does this is what I will tell her:

1) Our Prince story did not begin with kissing a frog. I was a summer intern at a church in Alanson, Michigan. She was the summer Pellston Airport station manager for Simmons Air. No frog smootches were involved, but I did ask for the pastor’s permission to ask her out (thanks for saying yes, Rev. John Carr). 

2)  Our Prince marriage did not include castles. We’ve lived in an apartment, three parsonages, three homes owned by us (well, owned by the banks) and one borrowed condo for six months (thanks Jeff and Paula). Houses don’t matter. A home matters. I’m thankful that we’ve tried to make our house a home where Jesus’ love reigns. 

3)  This Prince has never garnished the reference of “your Highness.” Karla has called me many things in our marriage, but “Your highness” isn’t one of them. My memory isn’t always great (she may say, “Hey, you big dummy, don’t you remember when…”), but I don’t ever recall a time when she has called me an untoward name, nor I to her. (The “big dummy” reference was a joke). 

4). This Prince isn’t a great rescuer of damsels in distress. Once Karla had a flat tire at VG’s Supermarket. She should have called AAA. Instead, she called her Prince, who promptly put the spare tire on incorrectly. Before arriving at the tire shop, the spare tire flew off the chariot (a 1997 Mercury Villager) and landed in the tire shop lawn. Our mini van laid stranded on Center Road, a hundred yards away. Please refer to the above statement on “no untoward names” and be more impressed by Karla’s great restraint. 

5) Our Prince marriage did involve slaying the three-headed-dragon. Every healthy marriage must slay the three-headed-monster “me, myself and I,” so that “we, us and ours” remain.

5)  Our Prince marriage isn’t a fairy tale. No matter what you may have thought about Oprah’s interview with the Royals, one thing became clear: Married to a Prince is no fairy tale. Karla would agree. Our marriage didn’t begin with “Once upon a time” and it hasn’t been “happily ever after.” There have been joys and sorrows (more “joys” for sure). There have been ups and downs (more “ups” for sure). Life hasn’t always been a picnic, but neither has it always been a famine. It’s been life. In our lives together, we’ve determined to face each challenge hand-in-hand, trusting Jesus all the way!  

Every marriage (Prince Harry and Meghan’s, Karla and me and everyone else) would do well to live by this verse pulled out of the middle of the love chapter: Love does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.  1 Corinthians 13:5

Hey Oprah, we are available!

The new Detroit Lion’s football coach (you get 10 extra credit points if you know his name) said something often said about doctors and pastors, but he was talking about football coaches. He said, “You’ve gotta be able to listen to other people’s opinions and you gotta take it for what it is. And you know what? You may not agree with it and it may not be the right answer, but you take it in anyway and you listen to it.” (Detroit News, March 3, 2021). He’s right. To be a good coach, doctor, pastor or follower of Jesus in any way, we’ve got to be a good listener.

Listening is a skill not everyone has acquired. I’ve heard it said, “God gave us two ears and one mouth for a reason. We need to listen twice as much as we talk.” That’s probably not the reason our anatomy’s configuration, but we do need to listen more.  It’s hearing the other’s story; putting ourselves in their shoes; and imagining life as they have experienced it. When we do that, our perspective may change. Like the coach said, in the end we still might not agree, but as we listen to the stories of others, we non-verbally communicate that we care. People may not need our opinion, but they do need for us to hear them.

God is a good listener. Over and over again in Scripture, we are told that God hears us and hears our prayers. God hears all prayers– even the dumb or lazy or contrary prayers. Still God listens. Listening is a part of loving. When Jesus was standing in the cemetery as Lazarus laid dead in the grave, he began his prayer this way: “Father, I thank you that you have heard me.”(John 11:41). We should be continually grateful that God hears us when we pray. Moreover, in our desire to be more like Jesus, in light of this reminder of a God who hears, we must hear and see the needs around us too. God listens. We should listen too. 

The 2020s may go down in history as the decade of noise. Everyone is talking. Few are listening. Everyone has an opinion. Everyone knows what’s best in just about any given situation (no expertise required). And most everyone loves to share their “expertise” and opinions. The volume rises (both in noise level and social media posts), as people perceive that they are not being heard. Let’s not add to the overwhelming volume of chatter. Instead let’s listen to those with whom we agree and disagree and go first (not to social media) but to the One who hears all our prayers. The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles. Psalm 34:17

By the way, listen up (pun intended)! The Detroit Lions Head Football coach is Dan Campbell. 

Important information before reading below: English 101. The word “Try” can be a verb as in: “I know I can jump over this puddle if I try.” “Try” can also be a noun. “I made the jump on the seventeenth try.” “Trying” is an adjective too: “My failed attempts and wet pants from jumping the puddle was trying my patience.”

Try, Tried, Trying 

At one church I pastored, we tried to have a “Single Mom’s Day.” The day was designed to help alleviate all of the troubles a single mom might have. We advertised all over town that we had free oil changes for her car; laundry facilities; free haircuts for moms and kids; free counselling; play activities; a prayer room; and plenty of free food. He had lots of volunteers to make it happen. The whole shebang. We had everything we needed for a great day… except single moms. One lady showed up. One. We tried.

Those same volunteers, came back with a new idea. “We want to try a Biker Sunday.” They rallied the troops (mostly the same people from our failed Single Mom’s Day). We got the word out to the Biker bars: Games. Prizes and of course plenty of free food. The whole shebang. The day for the Biker Sunday arrived and it rained cats and dogs. Only a small handful of Bikers showed up. We tried.

Those volunteers were relentless. They wanted to do another Biker Sunday the next year. “It rained last year, pastor, let’s try again.” “Biker Sunday 2.0” was on. Those same volunteers and the same massive organizational effort was given to get the word out and have a great day. The big Sunday came and, believe it or not, it rained harder than the previous year (what’s harder than cats and dogs”? It rained “elephants and rhinos.” Even fewer bikers showed up. We tried.

Did I say those volunteers were relentless? “Let’s give it one more try,” they said. “Surely it won’t rain us out three years in a row.” Biker Sunday 3.0 was a perfect day. Hundreds of bikers showed up. There was plenty of food, games and prizes. Best of all, dozens of people accepted Christ. The first three failed tries were worth it. I’m glad the volunteers kept trying.

We would all agree this year has been trying. It has tried our patience. Tried our endurance. Even tried our faith at times. Trying times call for the followers of Jesus to keep trying and giving the “ol’ college try.”

Are you dealing with trying people? Irrational people? Keep trying to be kind. Have you tried to love an unlovable person? Keep trying. Tried to forgive? Keep trying. Is hybrid school trying your fortitude? Keep trying to be focused. Are you wanting to throw up your hands and quit? Keep trying. Don’t stop trying. The verse that kept those volunteers going when Single Mom’s Day and Biker Sundays failed is a good verse for us. Galatians 6:9: Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.

In these trying days, try, try, try again. Keep on trying! Don’t ever stop trying to live into God’s glorious future. Who knows the harvest may soon come if you give it one more try. Keep on jumping the puddle—you’ll make it to the other side!

With the Covid nightmare end in sight (no, we are not out of the woods, but, yes, the end is coming) the Big Question people are asking is: When can we get “back to normal?” By that phrase, they mean: When can we stop wearing masks? When can we hug our grandchildren? When can we go to a ball game? Sit in a crowd? Not be socially distant? Be normal

This may surprise you: I hope we don’t go back to normal. I’m not talking about masks or crowds. I’m talking life

For many people, “normal” wasn’t good in 2019. Pandemic shutdowns and the quarantines of 2020 simply exposed the ugly truth that “normal” wasn’t working. Talk to any social worker, school psychologist, pastor or just about anyone else, and they will tell you that 2020 has been mentally and spiritually taxing on everyone. More than likely, you know someone who committed suicide in the last year. Read that last sentence again. That is NOT OK. Some of those individuals, concluded that the pressures of this world were too much, may have been pushed over the edge by the events of 2020. But they probably didn’t get to their mental state solely based on the events of the last year. More than likely, in 2019 and long before, they were walking toward this lonely destination (most suicides happen when the people are alone). “Normal” wasn’t working for them and 2020 exposed it. 

It’s not just the tragedies of suicide and a lack of mental health awareness and care that have exposed the fallacies of the old normal. The angst that led to the capitol building insurrection; the racism that George Floyd’s death sadly once again revealed; the societal trajectory toward godlessness; and the reality that social media has made us both more informed and more isolated than at any time in history– all show the old “normal” was not working. 

As more people get vaccinated and the pandemic restrictions loosen, let’s determine to not go back to the way things were.Instead, let’s do all we can to notice God’s children who are lonely in the crowd. Let’s hear the ones who have been shut down, shut out, and shut up by the old normal.  Let’s care for those whom society has missed.  Let’s keep pointing all to the One who said, “See, I am doing thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.” (Isaiah 43:19). Let’s not go back to the old normal, let’s work for a new, better, hope-filled normal.

P.S. If you know someone struggling with life today, don’t wait for a vaccine. Call, text or (heaven forbid) visit. Sit with them. Listen to them. Cry with them. Point them to Jesus. 

Hear ye! Hear Ye! The Princes are now sleeping on a king!! On Tuesday, Karla and I put together a new king bed, box springs and mattress. This was no small accomplishment given our ancient history.  As we were gathering the 107 pieces to assemble the aforementioned king size bed my mind went back to two previous occasions and shuddered:

The Great Entertainment Center Fiasco of 1988. As newlyweds, we had decided to purchase an entertainment center to hold our wedding gifted TV and VCR. It was mass produced of questionable quality, pressed wood, and assembly required. Sadly, the photo on the front of the box did not match the assembly instructions on the inside of the box; neither did the number of screws match the number of holes to place such screws; and the phrase “some assembly required” should have been replace with “mechanical engineering degree from MIT required.” All of which produced our first post-wedding day spat. 

The Wallpaper Debacle of 1990. The parsonage for the Bad Axe Church of the Nazarene was a curious abode. The most interesting feature was a six-foot underground hallway connecting the church building and parsonage. This hallway also meant the parsonage basement was the church fellowship hall and the parsonage first floor, half bath restroom often served as the restroom facility for the church’s fellowship times. With such usage, Karla decided the restroom needed a wallpaper upgrade. The tiny little restroom (think: phone booth size) was more crooked than anyone in Washington. In other words, the project was small but tricky. The job consisted of baptizing the wallpaper in the upstairs bathtub, then delivering it to the main floor restroom (without dripping glue on the green and gold circa 1964 shag carpet). As the duly appointed wallpaper runner in this process, I was rarely successful. The wallpaper was either too wet, too dry or had ripped in transit. We learned this important fact that day: Wallpaper projects account for 68% of divorces in America (That’s a number I just made up). Thankfully, our marriage survived the Bad Axe restroom wallpapering project of 1990.  

From those two projects early in our marriage, we learned to stick to the things we know best. Karla handles small home improvement projects. I preach. We’ve kept this rule, until the 107 Piece King Bed Construction Project of 2021.

We laid out 106 of the 107 pieces (one washer was a no show). We assembled the necessary tools: a provided Allen wrench and another thing-a-ma-bob (sorry for the technical jargon). We took a deep breath and began. What happened next might be considered a miracle on par with the splitting of the Red Sea. There were no disagreements. No tears. No items thrown in disgust. The bed, box springs (no assembly required) and rolled up king size mattress, which came in a tiny box, and exploded into king size following a few snips of the plastic wrap, were all in place. Easy Peasy.

I did not sleep on the couch (neither because the project was incomplete nor by upsetting my bride with my handy man ineptitude). Instead, we slept in our new Prince worthy king-sized bed. 

The 107 (technically 106) piece King-size Bed Project of 2021 proves:

1). Karla has learned great patience during our soon-to-be-celebrated 33-years of marriage.

2). Rob has learned his best attributes are encourager and final bolt tightener. 

3). God still work miracles.

I can’t say with certainty that there was divine intervention in our bed assembly project, but I am praying for far greater miracles in your homes. This last year has been difficult on our families and marriages. But know this: God loves you. God loves everyone under your roof too. God still works miracles. It doesn’t take 107 pieces (106 technically) to figure that out.

Usually in the season of Lent, Christians’ fast. We give up things like chocolate, Facebook or coffee. Little did we know mid-way through Lent 2020, we’d give up things far more important than sweets or soda. We stopped meeting together. Stopped seeing each other. Stopped so many things at the beginning days of the pandemic. We sat home on Easter Sunday. Thanks for nothing Covid-19! None of those things we stopped doing were on our fasting list on Ash Wednesday 2020. As we embark in a new season of Lent, maybe in our pandemic-fatigued minds we are thinking, “Lent 2021– Let me count the things I’d gladly give up.”

Let’s give up: masks, social distancing, Zoom meetings, on-line learning, hybrid school schedules, and all other things “Covid” for Lent 2021.

Not so fast (pun intended).

Obviously, we aren’t out of the Covid woods. We still have a few hurdles to jump before this race gets back to normal. Instead of dropping our guard, here are a few suggestions of things we could give up in Lent 2021:

Fast from jumping to conclusions.

Fast from skipping gratitude.

Fast from running our mouths before using our ears.

Fast from stomping on people’s feelings.

Fast from hopping to negative talk.

Fast from leaping to one’s favorite news channel.

Fast from flying off the handle.

Fast from bouncing our initial thoughts on social media.

Fast from shooting ugly looks at those who happen to disagree with our opinions.

Fast from firing off gossipy or rumor-mongering emails 

And while we’re at it: 

Fast from always expecting to get our way.

Fast from limiting what God can do.

Fast from all those things that get our eyes off Jesus. 

Instead let’s win the race and do what the author of Hebrews calls us to do (in the Lenten season or not): 

Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us,fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

(Hebrews 12:1-3)

Lent 2020 didn’t end nearly was well as we had hoped. Lent 2021 might end far better than we imagine if we keep moving upward with our eyes fixed on Jesus.

If Shakespeare were writing in 2021, maybe his famous line would read: “To Vaccinate or not to Vaccinate?  That is the question.”

I have friends (people I love and care about) who have said, “I can’t wait to roll up my sleeve.” I have other friends (people I love and care about) who have said, “I’m going to wait. I’m going to see how this plays out. I’m in no hurry.”

People ask me my opinion on vaccinations. “Pastor, should I get the vaccine?” I get asked this a few times a week (PLEASE NOTE: I do not have a medical degree or a degree in immunology, I was a psychology major who went on to get a Master of Divinity degree). 

I have searched the scriptures (not medical journals). The only thing being shot in the Bible are arrows. The only needles are the ones “rich people can’t go through the eye of” according to Jesus.  The Bible doesn’t mention Covid, worldwide pandemics or anything close to what we are experiencing. So which is it?  To vaccinate or not to vaccinate?

Like in all things medical, you need to talk to your doctor. Again, that’s not me. Although I have a dear friend, going through cancer treatments, who frequently refers to me as “Dr. Rob” and, just as frequently, she calls her oncologist “Pastor So and So.” Neither of us mind the mix up, but no one should expect me to give medical advice, and I don’t think her Hindu doctor is going to be preaching in a Christian church anytime soon. 

I’ve been vaccinated. All pastors in Genesee County are eligible. The county health department has deemed pastors as essential workers (duh!). Many (not all) of the Central Church pastors have received their first injection. Hopefully this will allow us to get back in hospitals and nursing homes to pray with folks. Hopefully, it will allow us to minister and shepherd our flock the only way I know how to do it: Loving God and Loving people. 

I look forward to the day when all people will feel comfortable coming back to church. I can’t wait. There are some of our folks who are in the super high risk category that have legitimately stayed away, watched on-line, faithfully sent in their tithe and have tried hard to stay engaged. Oh how I love and miss these people. Even before Covid, I was not a hugger. I’m more of a slap-you-on-the-backer. But I’ll be tempted to give hugs– of the big bear variety—when I see them again. Face to face. Moreover, I can’t wait to hear a church full of people singing the praises of Jesus once again. I can’t wait for folks to invite their friends to church and see those friends become fully devoted followers of Jesus. I just can’t wait.

I’m not sure when/if you should get vaccinated. That’s between you and your doctor. As your pastor, I can’t wait to see your smiling faces.  Until then, Grace and Peace, my friends, Grace and Peace!

(Disclaimer: I’m not really a doctor, but I do know a thing or two about injections )

As more and more people are getting inoculated with the coronavirus vaccine, consider me an injection expert. I haven’t received the vaccine yet, but over the last ten years (thanks to my light and momentary migraine troubles), I estimate that I have had over 1,250 injections. Botox and Xiomin injections (30-40 shots every three months in 8 out of the last 10 years); monthly Aimovig doses; and 4 or 5 Benadryl injections per month add up to being poked a lot. This is not counting a few flu shots, blood draws, IV treatments, and other random jabs I’ve received in the last decade. Pin cushions have got nothing on me. 

Except for the injections that I administer myself (Aimovig and Benadryl), I’ve never watched a needle go in my arm, leg or head. Instead, I look away, close my eyes and often sing (in my mind– singing out loud would give my health care worker a headache). So when it’s your turn to roll up your sleeve, try singing. It can’t hurt. 

Just in case, you don’t know any appropriate hymns for such “sticky” situations (pun intended), here is my Covid-19 Vaccine hymn sing suggestions:

Before receiving the injection (possibly to your healthcare professional): Softly and Tenderly.  

While getting injected: Be Still My Soul or Cleanse Me.  

If the health care provider makes three attempts to vaccinate your arm: Holey, Holey, Holey (extra “e” provided)

The two words you DO NOT want to be used in describing your inoculation site: Deep and Wide

If the nurse has to use a tourniquet: Blest Be the Tie that Binds

Post vaccination: There is Power in the Blood

If the clinic doesn’t except your insurance and wants compensation:  Jesus Paid It All

Once we are in post vaccination world again: We Gather Together

Of course, If the conspiracy theorists are right and this vaccination is deadly, then maybe we’ll be singing:  When We All Get to Heaven. (That’s plain silly, not the hymn, conspiracy theories).

Unlike my previous 1,250 shots, I am looking forward to getting the vaccine (but I still won’t watch it go into my arm). Also unlike my other injections, this one is as much for others as it is for me.  As we all know, Covid-19 has changed everything—pastoring included. Pastors have been shut out of hospitals, nursing homes and in many cases simply interacting with people. I’m hoping an inoculation will allow me access to help, pray and point people to Jesus. Not quite as dramatic as Neil Armstrong’s famous quote on the moon, still I am hoping for: “One small poke for man, one giant leap toward normalcy.”  

Normalcy is coming. More and more of us are being vaccinated every day. In the meantime, keep praying for everyone in our covid-19 world, including: our government leaders, healthcare professionals, essential workers, and all those most vulnerable. Keep praying for the sick and remember those families that have lost loved ones. Whether getting a vaccination sooner or later, keep singing. Maybe during this time between inoculations-for-all and back-to-normal life, the best song we could sing is: Tis so Sweet to Trust in Jesus!  Our ultimate hope is not in a vaccine, but in Jesus! 

This really isn’t a political post, so please don’t read it that way. It’s written to my follow believers no matter how they voted and which party (if any) they support.

Like you, I have seen over the course of the last several months Christians behaving badly. This was most recently demonstrated over and over again in the news clips of people storming the Capitol Building some carrying Jesus banners, crosses and wearing Christianese paraphernalia. I have seen videos of pastors praying for curses to be brought upon those who disagreed with their political view. Some Christians, even well-known Christian leaders, have been guilty of spreading false rumors. Others have called for insurrection and extoled the use of violence in the name of Jesus. I’ve seen white supremacists and those blatantly exposing racist attitudes declaring a devotion to Jesus (sometimes in the same sound bite). If Jesus were still in the grave, he’d be rolling over. Instead, surely Jesus is disgusted by what has been done in his name by a few nut cases and a few whose eyes are no longer fixed on Him. 

Here’s the problem, like you and me, my non-Christian friends and acquaintances have seen this unsurely business too. They have seen the minority of Christians behaving badly, thinking this is all of Christianity and have said a big “Thanks but no thanks” to anything related to Christians. If we define “Christian” as being a follower of Christ, then we need to start acting like Jesus. We need to modify the campaign slogan of four years ago. Let’s “Make Christianity Christian Again.”

Let’s preach, teach and live out the lessons of Jesus. Let’s pray for those who disagree with us (our enemies). Let’s refuse to curse those who curse us. Let’s be peacemakers. Let’s love people—all people. Let’s not be afraid to eat with the “tax collectors and other sinners” of our day. Let’s be a good neighbor. Let’s not cast the first stone, and yet still be bold and loving enough to say, “Go and sin no more.” Let’s bring healing and help. Let’s be quick to forgive and quicker to seek forgiveness. Let’s be slow to speak, slower to anger and slowest at being first. Let’s pick up the basin and towel and serve. Let’s remember to also pick up our cross daily. Let’s be like Jesus. Let’s Make Christianity Christian Again. 

Usually I take this space to offer an encouraging word; maybe a light-hearted little piece; or a commentary on the church. Following yesterday’s images from Washington D.C that were broadcast across the country, as a pastor (not as a politician), I am compelled to offer this:

America is divided. Like never before in my lifetime, we are not a “united” state. My heart is heavy and sad. In the midst of such chaos and turmoil, there can be a few things on which followers of Jesus agree. Such as:

• What happened at the Capitol Building yesterday was a disgrace. 

• Yesterday’s events have once again exposed that we have problems in our country. Lots of problems. Problems that will not go away overnight.

• Violence is not the answer to our many problems.

• Jesus is correct when he said in Mark 3:25, ^“If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand.” Houses, churches and/or countries in this context are all the same. Division leads to destruction.

• The answer to our world’s greatest problems is Jesus. We have just celebrated the season when we had the audacity to believe prophet Isaiah’s words considering the Babe of Bethlehem:  For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6).

Given the above facts, can we, followers of Prince of Peace, join together in praying for our country? Jesus called us to love and pray for even our enemies. Such a call includes praying for the following people…

• Those with whom we disagree
• Those who voted differently than us
• Politicians and leaders on both sides (all sides) of the aisle 
• Those who were hiding in offices as rioters stormed the Capital Building 
• Those who were doing the storming 
• The police officers who were trying hard to protect and serve
• Our children who watched yesterday’s unfolding drama and today are wondering about the country we will one day hand over to them 

My heart breaks for our nation. Our greatest weapon is prayer (Ephesians 6:18). So let’s pray. Our greatest attribute is love. So let’s love one another (John 13:34). Our great temptation will be to take our eyes off Jesus and onto something or someone else. So let’s keep our “eyes fixed on Jesus the author and perfecter of our faith” (Hebrews 12:2). 

Will America recover from this divisiveness? I do not know. Will Jesus be Lord when all is said and done? Yes, He will! 

These passages have always been true, but they hit closer to home to this preacher and maybe you too: 

Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.”Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow.” (James 4:13-14). For the first time ever, we can truly say: Hindsight is 2020. In looking back on 2020, what priorities have been revealed? What we thought was important may not be that important.

Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. (2 Timothy 4:2). Preaching in 2020 qualifies as “out of season” preaching. Two thirds of the crowd are sitting on a couch watching the sermon. Have seeds been planted? Are they growing? The preacher doesn’t know. It’s out of season. Great patience and careful instruction are needed more than ever.

The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone.”  (Genesis 2:18). Which is worse: dying from a virus or dying from a lonely heart? Loneliness is real and heartbreaking. Too many have died alone or mostly alone. We need each other more than ever.

Mourn with those who mourn. (Romans 12:15). The preacher says, “Amen.” The funeral is over. Now what? There’s nothing magical in the sliced ham and cheesy potatoes served at a funeral dinner. The unspoken message in our eating with relatives and lifelong friends is closure can happen, life moves forward and Jesus is with us. 

In the midst of a very severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. (2 Corinthians 8:2). The pandemic has revealed both sides of this literal coin. Givers give and greedy don’t. Money has little to do with this equation. Jesus was right (duh). You can judge a person by their fruit. 

Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching. (Hebrews 10:23-25). Please note this observation has been confirmed repeatedly by on-line worshippers. They sense it. They know it’s happening. Their hearts are growing colder. They don’t like it or want it, but a fade is occurring. How can it not? We need each other to avoid critical attitudes, vacuumed opinions and self-focused agendas that grow when we are absent. We need each other to spur one another on to love and good deeds. Our gathering is indispensable but must be safe.

So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him. (Matthew 24:44). The cliché is wrong. Death and taxes are not the only certainties in life, Jesus’ return is certain. Jesus is coming again. The Day is approaching. Am I ready? Are you?

This list could be longer, but I pray 2021 will call me to:

1. Prioritize Jesus (pandemic or no)
2. Be Faithful in preaching no matter the season.
3. Come alongside the lonely or mourning.
4. Be Generous no matter the bottom line.
5. Have an unswervingly commitment to our indispensable gathering
6. Be ready to see Jesus whatever may occur in 2021

Whatever happens in 2021, I want to be faithful, generous, and ready.

One of the necessary ingredients of a good Christmas Eve service, in my opinion, is when a powerful soloist sings, “O Holy Night.” It’s not Christmas Eve until I hear, “O Holy Night.” The song contains these words:   

A thrill of hope the weary soul rejoices
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn!

This year has produced more than a few weary souls. I’m one of them. You probably are too. We are all weary. But the good news as we celebrate Christmas Eve 2020 is that “yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.”

We have hope!  Jesus has come! Rejoice! Fall on your knees and hear the angel voices!!

O Holy Night was originally written in French. An American abolitionist and Unitarian minister, John Sullivan Dwight, brought it to America in the 1850’s. The song became very popular in the north prior to the Civil War where the third verse rang very, very true. 

Read the lyrics from the last verse. Take them all in. Let these words swirl in your mind and heart. Imagine living in pre-civil war America and singing out these words: 

Truly He taught us to love one another
His law is love and His gospel is peace
Chains shall He break for the slave is our brother
And in His name all oppression shall cease
Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we,
Let all within us praise His holy name 

The powerful message of the third verse was a needed reminder to the abolitionists in the 1800’s and it’s a needed reminder to our 2020, covid-weary, grief-stricken, election-depleted, social-unrest-burdened souls.  Jesus still calls us to love one another. His law is still love and His Gospel is still peace. Jesus still breaks the chains of oppression for everyone is still our brother and sister!  Yes, in 2020 and in every other year, let all within us praise His Holy Name!

More than ever I need the powerful message of Christmas!  My weary soul needs to hear the Good News!  Rejoice this Christmas Eve, my brothers and sisters, rejoice! For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn!

According to the latest General Secretary report, there are 4,544 Churches of the Nazarene in USA/Canada and 23,508 Churches of the Nazarene in the world. There are 2,313,216 members in the Church of the Nazarene worldwide (615,610 USA/Canada). You can see the full report here

USA/Canada saw a 1.58% decline in membership in the last year (7.83% decline in the last decade). Every other region has seen double digit growth in the last decade:

Africa                          +56.07%

Eurasia                        +64.48%

Asia Pacific                 +19.27%

MesoAmerica            +31.13%

South America          +37.94%

USA/Canada has more money, more resources, more clergy, and yet we are sliding down the wrong side of a slippery slope. In fact, USA/Canada has 58.6% of the ordained elders in the world (10,927 out of 18,641)—but accounts for only 18% of the conversions (40,696 of the 225,324 conversions) in the last year.  If you are keeping score at home, the conversions to elder ratio in USA/Canada vs. Africa is not even in the same ballpark. In USA/Canada there are 3.72 conversions for every elder, and in Africa there are 39.8 conversions per elder. USA/Canada received 20,401 new Nazarenes last year or less than 2 per elder. Eurasia received 23,161 new Nazarenes with only 905 elders (25.59 new Nazarenes per elder). I could go on and on but you get the picture.

It’s not all on the ordained elders. We are Protestants after all, and we firmly believe in the “priesthood of all believers.” Our culture is changing. All denominations are down. There probably isn’t a simple answer to fixing this dilemma. Still the stats don’t lie. Moreover, if the experts are even half correct, the pandemic has made things worse, not better for our pastors. If USA/Canada clergy were having trouble reaching the culture pre-Covid, what will happen post-covid? If USA/Canada clergy had a burnout problem pre-2020, what will happen in 2021?  The outlook might seem as dire as those aboard Apollo 13, and my fellow Nazarenes might want to say, “Lenexa, we have a problem.”

But Instead of crying out to Lenexa, maybe we should cry out to the Lord. Jesus tells us to pray for the workers in the harvest field (see Matthew 9). Usually, we assume that’s solely a call for more workers, but we already have plenty of workers. Instead of more, could we pray for renewed passion, wisdom and strength for the workers we already have? We need encouraged pastors. Could we pray for an army of encouragers to come alongside our weary pastors? 

To see a turnaround in the USA/Canada numbers we will need a renewed spirit, a fresh fire among our pastors and laity alike. We need men and women captured and inspired to live out and share the good news. The harvest is still plentiful, but our workers are weary. Pray that the Lord of the harvest might revive us once more.

Prior to 2020, I would have given the following definitions to these words and phrases:

Covid-19: Code name for the attempt to obtain a conspiracy video after the first 18 spies failed

Quarantines: When Quaran-children get a little older

Lock down: The deadbolt is at the bottom of the door

Sorry, no toilet paper: Why the mischievous youth group members didn’t go to the youth pastor’s house on the night before he/she returned from vacation

Superspreader: Someone really good at making peanut butter and jelly sandwiches

Socially distant: Staying away from Facebook or Twitter

Sports bubble: The new Bazooka gum flavor

PPE: What the mean consonants called the non-potty trained vowel

ZOOM: The sound I formerly made when running (now it’s more like “putt putt putt”)

You’re on Mute!:  What the sound guy said when I accidentally stepped on his pet ferret

Flatten the curve: A new workout regimen designed to get rid of my extra ten pounds

Phone…  Keys… Wallet…  Mask: A new Hokey Pokey type of dance move

Pfizer: My brother Pfred’s name Pfor his Pfamous Pflaming Pfajitas

Curbside pickup: A project to “Keep America Clean”

Distant Learning: Back row students

Asymptomatic: If I would have known, that it was a thing to not look sick, act sick or in any way seem sick, but still be sick, I would have claimed being asymptomatic for every disease known to man in high school.

Elbow Bump: What happens when you are too wide for a narrow passageway

Contactless Delivery: When a new mom loses her vision aids before the baby arrives

Amazon: Of course, I knew what Amazon was before 2020.  But we didn’t know that Jeff Bezos would personally thank Karla for being an overly frequent customer. (That did not happen).

I’m writing these witty little musings (well, ahem…”witty” in one writer’s opinion), while sitting in the back of the sanctuary listening to our bands, orchestra and singers practice. This Sunday we are singing “Joy to World” and a few other carols. I also was able to hear the soloist for our Christmas Eve services singing “O Holy Night.”  Two words: Wow Weeeeeeeee!

Hearing the carols being sung has reminded me how much I need carols this year. Maybe more than ever, I need them! I want to “go tell it on the mountain” to our pandemic-y world that in spite of all that we have endured in 2020, we can still be faithful, joyful and, yes, triumphant!

I’m not creative enough to be on Tik Tok.
I’m not cool enough to be on Snapchat.
I don’t take enough selfies to be on Instagram (much).
I’m not political enough to be on Parler.
I’m not crafty enough to be on Pinterest.
I never find what I’m looking for on YouTube.
I’m not thick-skinned enough to spend (too much) time on Facebook.
I’ve heard too many scary stories about Tumblr.
I’m not looking for a job, no need for Linkedin.
As for Twitter– I’m mostly there to get my breaking sports news.
Is My Space still a thing? Never mind, I was never musical enough for My Space.

Social media may or may not be your thing (IRONY ALERT: You may be reading this via Facebook or Twitter). If you’ve spent time on any of the listed sites you’ve probably been offended, harassed, disappointed, frustrated or even tempted to lose your salvation once or twice. I’ve known “Christian” people who have started affairs on social media, ended friendships over on-line posts, and have willingly participated in gossip, rumor mongering and angry rants. The Ten Commandments have been broken millions of times thanks to social media.

Still there are some redeeming qualities in the social media world. I like wishing people happy birthday and seeing prayer requests from friends. I like looking at pretty decorations, funny videos, photo accomplishments and seeing how children are growing or succeeding in life. It’s not all bad.

This week, I asked a few “Facebook people” from the church to “share” the worship service onto their timeline. My current sermon series is taken from The Message version of John 1:14. It’s called “…and Moved into the Neighborhood.” Like nosy
neighbors, the sermon series is trying to decipher who exactly is the flesh and blood Word who’s moving into the neighborhood. Last Sunday’s message was “the Savior moved into the neighborhood.” The sermon was going to end with a call to salvation, so I asked people to share it. A few did.

This week, I received a text from a person who shared the service. They wrote about a relative from across the country, who hasn’t been in church in years, who watched and then started asking spiritual questions. Sharing the service got the come-to-Jesus ball rolling. Others have told similar stories when they have “shared” services on line.

Awesome, right? So what if we all shared the services more? It’s an easy thing to do.

During this time of quarantine and social distancing, what if God used social media to draw people to himself. As our stuck-at-home friends and family are glued to their phones and computers these days, what if God took this time of isolation to touch people who might otherwise not be reached. I’m not suggesting anyone become some kind of on-line Bible bully and use social media to beat people over the head with their big King James. Simply post: “I love my church! You might too! Check out this week’s service” then “share” the worship experience onto your timeline. Who knows? Like the guy who texted me this week following his relative’s first steps toward Jesus, maybe you’ll be saying, “I’ll be sharing the service “religiously” from now on.”

Advent is the time of waiting and expecting the arrival of the new born King. December 2020 is the time of waiting and expecting the arrival of the coronavirus vaccine. This is not to say a Pfizer vaccine is on par with our Savior, instead it’s asking the questions: Could the collective feelings of the first century be similar to those we are experiencing in the 21st century? Could Advent 2020 bring us closer to the ideals of an Advent season? Advent is characterized by words like patience, longing, hoping and yearning— words that most Americans don’t like to experience and try to avoid– and yet all these attributes have been thrust upon us as we wait for an effective vaccine in the pandemic.

Like before Jesus was born, the world is in crisis. Darkness seemingly has gained the upper hand in many corners. Grief and fear abound. Paul reminded us that in the first century, “in the fullness of time,” Jesus came. God’s timing was perfect then. God’s timing is still perfect. What’s the difference between then and now? God is with us. Jesus has come. The Holy Spirit can empower us. We are not alone in the pandemic as we wait!

In the season of Advent, we not only remember Jesus’ first coming to Bethlehem, but we look forward to His second coming. We are in an “already but not yet” time. Jesus has already come. His Kingdom has already been established, but it has not yet been fulfilled in His second coming. In these waning days of 2020, likewise we are in an already, but not yet time as it relates to the vaccine. The vaccine has already been made and delivered, but people have yet to be vaccinated. Like in the season of Advent, we need patience. Like in Advent, we are hopeful.

If the experts are correct, and if the next six weeks are the most challenging days of the pandemic (the darkness before the dawn), let’s determine to keep our eyes on Jesus. Let’s resolve to trust more, love more, and serve more. Let’s pray more and check in on each other more. Let’s be hopeful and patient as we minister and carry on the work of Christ! Let’s put into practice the attributes of Advent more than ever.

Our ultimate hope is not in a vaccine (even one with a 94% efficacy); our hope is in the Lord. As we wait, in an Advent season or not, in a pandemic or not, with John the Revelator let our prayer constantly be, “Come, Lord Jesus, come!” (Revelation 22:20)

Thanks to Covid, 2020 will go down in history as one of the worst years in a century. For Detroit Sports’ fans, that would be true even without the pandemic. Look at these sad facts:

The Red Wings had their third worst record in their history. Their HISTORY!!! This past season they were the worst team in the National Hockey League by far. I need a bumper sticker that says, “Go Red Wings… and take the Pistons with you!”

The Pistons were so bad that the new General Manager got rid of all but four players from last year’s team. Only Blake Griffin, Derrick Rose, Sekou Doumbouya and Svi Mykhailiuk are holdovers from last year. The GM probably would have gotten rid Blake Griffin if not for his ginormous salary and probably would have traded Sekou Doumbouya and Svi Mykhailiuk if anyone could have pronounced their names.

The Tigers had the third worst record in the Major League Baseball. Their pitching was atrocious. I expected a call from Al Avila (the Tigers’ General Manager) asking me to suit up and join the team. I’m 57, haven’t pitched since little league and still have a better arm than some Tigers.

The Lions? The Lions always stink. They have won exactly one playoff football game in my lifetime. One! Did I mention that I’m 57? They haven’t won a championship since the Eisenhower administration. Now they have fired their coach and general manager. Next year begins yet another “rebuilding year.”

I can’t discuss the Michigan Wolverines without sobbing uncontrollably. This week Kirk Herbstreit, a former Buckeye quarterback and ESPN sports announcer, suggested that the Michigan Wolverines will fake having a Covid outbreak to not play Ohio State. The “fake sick trick” got me out of a 10^th grade chemistry exam, but is Coach Harbaugh using it for the Michigan vs Ohio State game? That loud noise you just heard was Bo Schembechler rolling over in his grave. Aaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!

2020 has been bad for all of us, but for the Detroit sports’ fan, our favorite teams have made this bad year even worse.

Why tell you my woes? Listen, I’m as big of a sports fan as they come. Glance in my office. I have an Al Kaline signed jersey and all sorts of sports memorabilia. If Karla would have allowed it, our boys would be named “Isaiah” and “Thomas” after the Pistons’ Hall of Famer. I proudly wear my teams’ gear—even when they stink. Once when living in Kansas City, I was wearing a Lions t-shirt at the supermarket and the snot-nosed sophomore bagging my groceries said, “You’re probably the only guy in Kansas City wearing that t-shirt.”  I said, “Listen, kid, I’d be the only one wearing a Lions t-shirt in Detroit too.” I’m a die-hard!

But sports are sports. They are just games. It gives us something to talk about other than politics and the weather around the water cooler. There’s always next year. New players. More games. Life is much more important than sports. Paul (using a sports analogy) sums up my point. He wrote:

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.  1 Corinthians 9:24-25

Let’s keep life in perspective. In a rough, pandemic filled year—keep striving after Jesus. Determine that 2021, in all the ways in which you can help it, will be better. Don’t sweat the crowns of this earth that don’t last, compete to get the prize that will last forever. How do we do that? Love God. Love People! If you consistently are loving God and people, it won’t help your favorite teams to win any more games, but you’ll be the winner.

When all is not well
When all is not right
When life is tiring, exhausting, frustrating
When avoiding people is easier than interacting with them
When staying in bed all day seems like a reasonable desire
When lonely
When surrounded by grief
When prone to wander
When feeling insecure, increasingly irritated and overwhelmed
When people are hidden behind their masks— Who are they? What are they thinking?
When people are suspicious, a coughing shopper is like starters pistol
When people disappoint with gossip or smugness or pettiness or meanness
When I am smug or petty or mean or any of those things I despise
When life seems like it will never be the same
When life is not fun… not fine… not fair.

Jesus came.
Jesus experienced all of our emotions.

Jesus knows…
Our sorrow
Our sickness
Our suffering
Our grief
Our frustration
Our loneliness
Our wounds
Our fears, doubts, depression, worries, and pain.

He came; He lived; He died; He rose and He calls us.
In spite of our all our unwanted baggage
…and having nothing to offer.
He calls us to join Him.
It’s not an escape
It’s not a free pass to miss the sufferings around us
It’s an invitation to join in the sufferings around us.

But not as before.
Not trapped. Free
Not afraid. Hopeful
Not weak. Strong
Not forgotten.
Loved.
Embraced.
Empowered.

Here I am Lord, send me!
Send me to those who are just like me– people in need of you
Send me into the messy world for whom you came
Send me to sow your hope, peace, joy and love.
This Advent season, Lord, send me.

What do you call it when these Flint Central ladies (Mrs. Bradley, Mrs. Daly, Mrs. Fyock, Mrs. Metzger, Mrs. Willyard and Miss White) march down 6th Avenue on the fourth Thursday in November?
Stacy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade

Thanks to Covid, what is the most popular side dish this Thanksgiving?
Masked Potatoes.

Why was Pastor Joey insulted at the free turkey giveaway?
Someone gave him the bird.

What hymn was Nate Degner singing when the turkey escaped?
His Eye is on the Sparrow

Why did Pastor Jon Livengood turn red?
He saw the turkey dressing

What does Pastor Jon Gildner call his brother when he falls asleep after Thanksgiving dinner?
His Napkin.

When Megan Cousins asked the sweet potato if it was tired of the Lions losing, what did it say?
Yes, I yam.

How did God save Daniel in the Lions’ den?
God placed a goal line between Daniel and the Lions. The Lions never crossed it.

Why didn’t Pastor Wendy season the Thanksgiving turkey?
There was no thyme.

What part of the turkey does Mark Routt, Landon Fee and Tyler Chapin eat every year?
The Drum Stick

How did Bethany Hack win the fight with the turkey?
She knocked the stuffing out of it

What did Gary Queen serve for Thanksgiving dinner after he sat on the sweet potatoes?
Squash.

What did Pastor Anthony say when he was asked to say grace at Thanksgiving Dinner?
Grace.

What kind of music was Pastor Enosh playing when the Pilgrims arrived?
Plymouth Rock

Why did Pastors Todd and Roshanda call the police on the turkey?
They suspected fowl play

What did the turkey say when Pastor Don Phillips went turkey hunting?
Quack, Quack!

How is Covid and a Turkey similar?
To save your neck you have to socially distance (People from the virus; the turkey from the axe)

If Pilgrims travelled on the Mayflower, what do our Olivet Nazarene Chenoweth Award winners travel on?
Scholar Ships.

What happened when Deb LaVictoire’s cranberries became sad?
They turned into blueberries.

Why did Kristen Bedell, Sue Weinand and Dean Weir (Central Church’s finance secretary, business manager and church treasurer) advise the church to not buy the Thompson Ranch Turkey Farm Restaurant on Hill road?
They thought it would gobble up our savings.

How is standing in Pastor Rob’s backyard this spring and on Plymouth Rock in 1620 similar? (Hint: Karla’s middle name is May). Both times you’d see Karla May’s Flowers.

What Thanksgiving treat is most popular in Children’s Church?
Pastor Janet’s Crayon-berry Sauce

What did Jordan Loudermilk say the day after Thanksgiving?
I liked the leftovers before they were cool.

What did Justin Hilliard get when he divided the circumference of the pumpkin by its diameter?
Pumpkin Pi

Why was Karen Donaldson’s Thanksgiving soup so expensive?
It had 24 carrots.

How is Pastor Rob’s Thanksgiving Jokes and butter similar?
They are both on a roll. (“No, they are not,” groans Pastor Tyler)

What did Pastor Rob say when all the other pastors begged him to quit telling these terrible Thanksgiving Jokes?
I can’t quit cold turkey.

OK, yes, I can. You may stop your groaning.

And stop groaning about Thanksgiving 2020. This Thanksgiving may be different than in most years, but Jesus is still King! We all have blessings we can count! And we can always be thankful for Jesus and His great love!

Praying you and you your family have a blessed Thanksgiving Day.

My degree from Olivet Nazarene University was in psychology. I knew I was going to be a pastor but I’d joke, “I wasn’t a religion major because I couldn’t afford the pocket protector” (it was a jab at my perception of the nerdy-ness of most religion majors). Truth was, sporting a big afro on my 105-pound frame, I was easily the biggest nerd on campus. My elevated nerdy-ness aside, the plan was to go to seminary all along: not because of the high cost of pocket protectors, I wanted a discipline outside of religion before heading off to Nazarene Theological Seminary (I still think that was a good plan, I’m not sure, if given the chance, I would be a psyc major again, maybe English, business management or even computer science, but I digress).

Following my time at seminary I was awarded an M.Div. or a Master of Divinity. My formal training title is Rev. Robert S. Prince Jr., M.Div.  Don’t be too impressed. Honestly, I am not a “master” at all. These days my M.Div feels much more like a Master of Dividedness. Maybe more accurately, my degree should be a N.Div—Novice of Dividedness.

I am so incredibly saddened at divisions within churches. I am heartbroken over the reckless use of social media to demonize those with opposing views. I am dismayed that politics and masks have divided people. Worse than a couple of decades ago “worship wars” or two generations ago “carpet wars,” the divisiveness within today’s church is playing right into the Enemy’s slimy hands. Will the remnant of Christians that remain in the next generation look back on these years with disgust and say, “The body of Christ was divided over politics and masks? Masks? Seriously? Masks?!” 

Every pastor I know has tried to navigate through these divisive waters. It’s as if we are in a contentious hurricane on a flimsy surf board. The task is not just “not easy,” it’s impossible. Often it feels like we are going it alone. Like Peter in the Sea of Galilee, some of my colleagues have sunk in this storm. The gale force winds of dissention were too much. 

What’s my advice to the beleaguered and battle weary pastor? Listen to Jesus. Is he saying to you what he said to sinking Peter so long ago?  Matthew recorded the events on the stormy Sea of Galilee. Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?” (Matthew 14:31). There has been plenty of times in stormy county of Genesee (my home county), Jesus has “reached out his hand and caught” me and said the something similar about my flimsy faith. Jesus will see us through this storm. Don’t doubt. Hold on to Jesus for dear life (literally).  Grab ahold. Don’t let go. Jesus will keep your head above water, if you don’t let go. Make 1 Thessalonians 5:21 your survival tool: “Hold on to what is good.” All storms pass. This one will too. Just hold on to Jesus.

(Honestly, I tried to have a “Top Ten” blessing list, but I couldn’t cut out any of these happenings, so you get a top eleven blessings that I am counting in the pandemic this thanksgiving season.)

11. Picking the locations for two billboards in the upcoming Christmas season proclaiming the message of John 1:14. Billboard #1 (at Bristol Road): The Word became Flesh… (with a nativity scene pictured), and Billboard #2 (between Hill and Fenton Roads): …and moved into the neighborhood (with some iconic Flint pictures). Look for the billboards on Southbound I-75 beginning on Sunday, November 29.

10. The 2020 High School graduates paid a price for graduating in the Covid year. A lot of wonderful things were cancelled, but our church had a long car train that delivered a bag of goodies to our grads and a yard sign for their front yard to say, “Congratulations.”

9. The new sound system in the sanctuary. Last week, was its inauguration. Four words to describe it: Wow! Wow! Double Wow!!! But even better than the new speakers, cameras and projectors is our team of faithful volunteers and their great leader, Jordan Loudermilk. Usually the tech people only getting noticed if something goes wrong, but 99% of the time everything goes great and it’s because of their diligence to excellence!

8. Partnering with Flint Township. During our divisive national election, Central Church provided gift bags to the poll workers in our building and bottled waters and pre-packaged snacks to voters. We were thanking everyone for participating in the voting process. We love our neighbors!

Central Church is also teaming with Flint Township and the Meijer corporation hosting a Free Flu Vaccine clinic. (Happening TODAY, November 19 from 2PM to 6PM). We want our neighbors healthy!

7. Scholarships to Olivet Nazarene University! We loved having Arlene Chenoweth in service as we announced the newest Chenoweth Scholarships. This scholarship fund, which began with an initial investment of $165,00, has given out over 200 scholarships, with more than $200,000 awarded, and (here’ the cool part) there is even more money in that fund ($191,305.91) than when we started!  Wow! This summer, we also established the Marilyn Faris Scholarship. Education major, Kelli Randazzo was the very first recipient. 

6. Missions. Missions. Missions. When the Covid shut-downs started in the spring, Central Church’s medical missions team was in Panama. The Panamanian government also was shutting down and cancelled our last remote clinic day. What did the team do?  They held a medical clinic for the hotel workers where teams have stayed in nearly all of the trips. What wonderful servants of the Lord!  Also during the pandemic we gave $10,000 to Nazarene Compassionate Ministries following the devastating Beirut, Lebanon explosion to rebuild some Christian schools.

5. Wonderful unity in the pastoral staff and church board! Our pastors have made thousands and thousands of contacts during the pandemic. Twice a month they’ve attempted to contact every family that attended (signed in) last year at least three times. They’ve have all worked incredibly hard in trying circumstances. When the District cancelled its pastors retreat, we had our own in Traverse City. Dr. Dan Gildner (Jon’s brother) led us and it was rich and wonderful! Just before Covid shut down the world, Pastors Jon Gildner and Tyler Sauer, added the title “Executive Pastor” to their job description. They are terrific and lead our staff well!  

Honestly, our pastors wouldn’t be half as good without our assistants in the office. They are terrific too!  (No, my assistant Deb LaVictoire did NOT edit this list and add the previous sentence, I, Rob Prince wrote it with my own hand, read on…) Speaking of awesome, the Central Church Board led by board secretary, Mr. Larry Weber and church treasurer, Dean Weir, is a wonderful group of people. Every one loves Jesus, loves Central Church and are extremely supportive of the pastoral team during this very strange year. 

4. Food Distribution every Tuesday and Friday helping hundreds of local families. Central Church has distributed (hold on to your hat) over 600,000 pounds of food in five months!  There are nine such pods in Flint, but Central Church has disseminated 33% of the food. WOW!

3.  Our facility crew for keeping our building clean and virus free (as much as we are aware, we have not had a single case of Covid from anyone in the building). Facility crew = heroes!

2.  Eliminating over 9 million dollars in medical debt for 7,200 families in 9 counties in southeastern Michigan! The best way to be Jesus in a pandemic? Help eliminating crushing medical debt for thousands of people! This will go down as one of the most exciting things that any church I have pastored has accomplished.

1.  The many people who have found Jesus and/or have moved forward in their relationship with the Lord during this time. People finding Jesus is always #1. It’s why our church exits!

Central Church is blessed. I am blessed to be the pastor of this wonderful church. As I begin my eighth year of ministry, I have a lot for which to be thankful, even through a pandemic!

The Church Growth Movement can be summarized in two words: Numbers Matter. The more noses in the pews and nickels in the plate, the more successful are the church and pastor. The mantra: “We count people because people count.” Additionally, the Church Growth Movement promoted the notion that churches grow best as homogeneous units. That is churches grow bigger and better when people with similar background, socio-economic status and/or skin color cluster together. Grow a crowd where everyone looks the same was the goal. But is that the description of the church or a political rally?

Numbers didn’t seem to matter to Jesus. He frequently refused to do the popular thing, in order to do the right thing. Often those on the receiving end of a Jesus miracle were told NOT to tell anyone. He seemed to be more (or at the very least as much) interested in the twelve who gathered for the last supper, than the 5,000 who benefitted from the free fish and bread lunch. Moreover, the picture of heaven with “every nation, tribe, people and language” (see Revelation 7:9) standing before the throne tosses homogeneous units onto the trash heap of bad ideas. 

Maybe the best outcome of the pandemic is to put a nail in the Church Growth Movement coffin. Tabulating numbers in a pandemic is impossible. Who really knows who is being impacted by a church on-line? Three of the twelve people in my current church membership class have barely been in the church building. They started “attending church” in earnest when the church went virtual. Yesterday a lady, who had been “attending” church on-line since March, was in the church building for first time.

If attendance and dollars aren’t the best indicators of the health of a church, what metrics should be used? (True confession: I still look at attendance and offering totals. You can take the kid out of the church growth movement, but you can’t take church growth mentality out of the kid. At least not easily).

The church is to be a fulfilment of Jesus’ prayer that the Kingdom of God would come and God’s will might be accomplished on earth as it is in heaven. It’s doing the things Jesus did– caring for the sick and lonely. It’s being the best neighbor. It’s fulfilling the great commission of baptizing and teaching the ways of Christ. The church doesn’t have to be “cool,” but instead should strive to be warm, inviting and safe. But how do you count “warm”?

When the pandemic is done (and it will be done), when people are healthy again, let’s make our churches healthy too. Our metrics for success must shift from butts in the pews to hearts in discipleship, hands in service and voices in kindness and praise. Counting hours of service, discipleship and prayer groups started, baptisms, people helped, individuals involved in ministry are just a few countable ways to better determine the church’s effectiveness and health. Church health is more important than church growth. Let’s let  Jesus worry about any future church growth and let the church endeavor to be faithful. 

Rest in peace Church Growth Movement. The new church health movement will strive to be more like Jesus!

I’m theoretically switching internet providers and yesterday I received the new modem which provides fast home internet (theoretically). It’s a little white box about the size of an Oreo cookie package. There are indicator lights to let me know if it’s plugged in and operating. Theoretically, one plugs the gizmo (I hope my technical language is not confusing you) into a wall outlet and before you could say, “Goodbye Comcast,” the great world wide web is throughout the house (this is what the friendly sales representative presumably from a call center located near the Taj Mahal assured me). 

The use of the word “theoretically” in the previous paragraph is because I have yet to find a spot in my lovely 1687 foot ranch where the signal strength is above “Weak,” and most usually it is considered “Poor.” There are five different options of signal strength—Great (apparently your home must be located directly underneath a cell tower to achieve this level of internet strength): “Very good” (your home’s proximity to the aforementioned cell tower must be about the distance a kindergartener can throw a Frisbee against the wind); “Good” (you must be able to see the cell tower from your back porch); “Weak” (if the wind is blowing in the right direction and if the sun is shining and if the cell tower does not have any birds sitting on it, then you may for a brief passing moment have a “Weak” signal in your home); and “Poor” (this is the status that we “enjoy,” which is great to hear if you are asking your doctor “What are my chances to develop bubonic plague?” but not–so-great if you are asking your little white internet provider gizmo the strength of your internet signal). 

I tell you my internet gizmo woes because I wondered: What if we had a little thingamabob (sorry, more technical talk) that determined the strength of following after Jesus throughout the rooms in our house? How much is Jesus influencing these areas of our lives?

For instance, Is Jesus the Lord of my….

• Living room? Does my TV viewing glorify him?
• Kitchen? Does the talk around the dinner table indicate our love for one another?
• Office? Is my computer safe from harmful websites?
• Bedroom? Does my marriage reflect the words “Holy Matrimony” for better or worse?
• Bathroom? Do I allow the Spirit to shower over me his presence in all areas of my life?
• Basement? Are the things I keep stored away—burdens, hurts and unforgiven pains or is it filled with blessings and memories of the times when God carried me through the storm?

Would an imaginary “Jesus indicator Box” reflect a Great, Very Good, Good, Weak or Poor presence of Jesus in your life?  My prayer is Paul’s prayer to the Ephesians: 

I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. Ephesian 3:16-17

May Jesus’ power be at work deep within our hearts, so that whatever room in which we find ourselves the “Jesus Presence Indicator” would be “Great.”