One Month
It is amazing how things can change in one month
A month ago Hope Community was meeting in a rented theater space
A month ago we were eagerly awaiting our move into our own space
A month ago Hope was running around 190 in morning worship
Now,
Hope has moved into that space
We are now averaging 288 per Sunday
We have added a kids class for 4,5&K and all kids rooms are full
We are activity planning for a 2nd service in the near future as we are near capacity
We baptized 11 people in our first month and have others who wish to be baptized soon.
We’ve had dozens of new volunteers step up to serve.
And God is just getting started with us. If God could do all that in a month, imagine what He will do next!
Easter is around the corner and it will be a great celebration.
Sabbath
Are You Ready to Apprentice Under Jesus?
If you’ve joined us at Hope Community Church anytime in the past several weeks, you know how valuable we think a Sabbath practice is to both our spiritual life and our physical/mental/emotional health. And Sabbath is just one part of the bigger picture that we’re working towards at Hope.
Ultimately, our goal as Jesus-followers is to be his disciples. A better word for that is an apprentice. What does an apprentice do? An apprentice watches their teacher, learns from their teacher, and then does what their teacher does. As disciples of Jesus, apprentices of Jesus, we use scripture to examine the life of Jesus and then put it into practice in our own lives and our own contexts.
We’ve spent four weeks talking about Sabbath, learning about Sabbath, and now it’s time to put it into practice; to take one step towards a full day of rest and delight and worship. And although Sabbath is an individual commitment, as all things in faith it’s actually best done in community.
If you’re ready to take a next step in Sabbath practice, I invite you into a formation group for the Sabbath Practice. Developed by John Mark Comer and the organization Practicing the Way, the Sabbath Practice is a four week small group experience that incorporates video teaching, group discussion, and weekly application to lead you into developing Sabbath as part of your weekly rhythm.
The Sabbath Practice is applicable at any life stage and provides multiple levels of interaction. Whether you just want to learn a little more or you’re ready to completely immerse yourselves in the practice, you’ll find this small group experience provides just what you need.
Register here for more information.
Unforced rhythms of grace
The title of this blog is a line from Matthew 11:28-30 which reads
“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”
I love that line. Life is all about rhythms. My Monday through Friday I get up at 5:15. I get to work by 7. I take lunch at 11:30. I leave at 4:30. I go to bed at 10. That’s a rhythm. All of life is a rhythm; 24 hours in a day. 7 days a week. It never changes.
Last week I was on vacation and when I came back everyone asked the same question- “Did you get any rest?”
Rest is a word I’ve been thinking about alot. All of us sleep but few of us rest. Few of us get the refreshing rest the refreshes our souls. We’re busy. We’re all busy, rushing from one task to another, hardly pausing and so we rely on that one vacation a year to try and recharge. Many of us feel as though we’re are trapped on a never-ending treadmill. The problem is that’s not the way God designed it.
When God gave the 10 commandments to the Jews he set the rhythm when he said; You have six days each week for your ordinary work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath day of rest dedicated to the LORD your God. God designed it so that we would work and strive for 6 days but 1 day we would spend in reconnection to Him and each other.
Somewhere along the way something has gone wrong. Instead of walking with God, Christians have gotten stuck on the treadmill of event based Christianity. We go from one spiritual event to another. Sunday has become the main event, but if you read the book of Acts, Sunday was just the gathering of small groups who lived and loved others all week long. A time of sharing the great works of God that they had witnessed that week. a time of praise. It was not a culmination, it was a pep rally to encourage the saints and testify about God. It was a time of collective joy.
At Hope Community we are trying to regain that command of rest. We are embarking on a series of teachings on the Sabbath, so that we might bring a balance in our lives between work and rest so that our relationships with God and our fellow humans might improve. We invite you to join us.
But God
Recently, I was watching a sermon by Willie George, founding pastor at Church on the Move in Tulsa, entitled “How to Deal with Wicked People” (out of Psalm 37). There was one thing he said stuck out - “Your setbacks maybe a setup in disguise.” It made me stop the video and ponder that phrase. I’ve had many setbacks in life, but have obviously made it through them. (I’m still here after all.) I hadn’t really thought of those setbacks as a setup for what’s next.
As pondered this revelation, I began to think more about those times that I had struggled and the scripture in 2nd Corinthians 4:8-10. In this passage Paul is describing the setbacks he’s experienced. In it he says - We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; 9 persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.
Notice that in every situation he describes there is a but. Now this will sound weird but stay with me. Where you see the but, that’s where God came in. Paul was hard pressed BUT not crushed. Paul was perplexed BUT not in despair. Get it? He had tough times but because of his relationship with Jesus, he never was destroyed. In the “but” God was redeeming Paul; He was saving him to continue to do the incredible work Paul was called to do.
In the Bible we find this phrase “but God” 44 times.
Genesis 31:7 Yet your father has cheated me and changed my wages ten times. But God did not permit him to harm me.
Psalm 73:26 My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.
Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Notice how God is saving, redeeming every time?
After contemplating this, I thought about my life and how God has redeemed me. Friends backstabbed and betrayed me, but God brought new friends. Rejected by a church, but God brought me to a new one. Gossiped about, but God reveled the truth. Every time He has come through.
This is why I trust Him. This is why I believe.
I finish with my my favorite “but God” verse -
You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. Genesis 50:20
The awe-inducing faithfulness of God
Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. Ephesians 3:20
If these is a verse that describes Hope Community Church since our beginning one and half years ago it’s this one. God is doing far more than we can imagine and has been ever faithful to us. He has been faithful in bringing us new people, faithful in taking care of us financially, faithful in a great spirit among our people, faithful in providing great opportunities to serve our community in exciting new ways, faithful is granting us favor with the city, county and our facility but more importantly He has blessed us by allowing us to see people saved and changed in our midst.
Last Sunday night we had a family meeting, we have these a few times a year to talk with the congregation about what God has done and to talk about where He is taking us. What we have determined is that we will not let the lack of a permanent house stop us from fulfilling the purposes and the plans that He has for us. Here is where He is directing us next.
We will have a 2nd service starting September 11. We believe that God is going to use that service to allow us to reach more people for Him.
We added to our staff bringing on a dear friend of mine, Emily Snipes. Emily and her husband Nate are two of the finest people I know. 6 years ago we were working on a church staff together and they moved away but God has brought them back and joined them to our mission. Together with Robin, Heather, Gail, and Dana, Emily completes us and now anything is possible.
This fall we are launching 3 small groups to help with some of the biggest struggles people have in life. We are starting a Financial Peace class to help those who are struggling with finances, a marriage group for those who might need some fresh perspective on their marriage and a group on how the Biblical story fits together, so that you might have confidence that God is for you. You can sign up for these here.
We announced that we are having a prayer and Praise night on Sunday Night, August 28 at 5pm to praise God for what He’s about to do with our second service and to pray for Him to move in that service that more people might know Him as their Savior and Lord
Now how can you help?
Pray that God’s will will be done through these things
Invite anyone you know(or don’t know) that needs to connect or reconnect with God to attend one of the services on September 11
Sign up to serve somewhere in the church. We need kids, tech, greeter and hospitality team members. Send an email to emily@hopecomm.church to get started.
God is one the move. Let’s move with Him.
Hope Gives
Hope Gives is our monthly giving project at Hope Community. We take a $1,000 a month and do something in the community. We have supported a father/daughter dance, free swimming for 200 kids, helped provide cochlear implants for a child, held a tailgate on rivalry football weekend and a host of other things.
In May we did something different. We gave each family a $25 gift card to give away to someone they thought could use it. Now $25 now a days doesn’t seem like much money but the act of giving to someone, with no strings attached, is a huge blessing for the one giving and it’s thoughtful for those who receive it. We’ve had some great stories come out of it. Here are a few:
Gave our card to a young lady with 2 little girls, recently broke up with her fiancé and just feeling down and out. Got a big hug and shed a few tears
Gave ours to a cashier that had been sick with Covid for 2 weeks. It really put a strain on her financially. A tear may have been shed.
Gave ours to a young man waiting on cars at Taco-T, he said, “I can really use this”, and shook my hand
Gave ours to a young sweet girl that works at Menards. She held it on her chest and said thank you several times!
We gave to a lady that lost her husband 2 months ago and has a 16 year old daughter and helping with 3 of her grandbabies we all cried
We were in Walmart a few minutes ago and met a young family with 5 small children and 2 carts of groceries. We decided they could use the $25 gift card so we approached them offered them the card and explained what our church was doing and invited them to church. They were very appreciative and didn’t really know what to say other than many Thank Yous.
There are many other stories, but you get the point. That $25 is not going to change someone’s financial issues but It may solve the eternal issue. It may let them know that there is a God who loves them and was thing of them and laid them on someone’s heart who gave them the card. It maybe the card that gets them into a relationship with the God of the universe.
In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father. Mathew 5:!6
Easter 2022- The day after.
Today is the Monday after Easter and I’m tired. It’s a good tired and I know that I am not the only pastor that feels this way. Easter takes it out of us. There is the influx of the seasonal people. The joy and emotion of the day and planning and the practice to celebrate the greatest event in Christianity- the resurrection of Jesus Christ our Savior.
My church, Hope Community Church, like many churches had record attendance and that is exciting but it isn’t the point of the Sunday. The point of Easter Sunday is that same as it is for every Sunday. It is to lift the name of Jesus up and to make much of Him. Jesus said in John 12:32:
And when I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to myself
Notice the two sides of this. When we lift him up, He draws all to himself. Our one and only job on each Sunday is to live Jesus high and to make him the eminent portion of the service. Anything less then that is not acceptable. I would rather people told me they hears, saw or met Jesus during one of my sermon then hear good sermon. I want them to see Him and not me. I want them to hear His voice and not mine.
Yesterday, Heather, my worship leader, did such a good job keeping Jesus the center. Whether it was the song What I see which talks about the empty tomb of Jesus to Behold which has us worshipping the Godhead, all of it was focused on the Savior. During second service, I was watching a young boy by me that has special needs, he has a hard time not moving but when we came to the part of the song What I see that says;
Oh, Hallelujah, it is finished
See that grave, no body in it
Dead things coming back to life again
I believe there's about to be another resurrection, resurrection, oh
that boy would stop and sing with all his might those words then he would resume his movement. The kids volunteer looked at me in concern for the boy and I said to her, “don’t worry, Jesus doesn’t mind”
That’s what I want for people in our church is to get lost in the moment- to be so focused on Jesus that nothing else matters. My friend Kathy, who readily admits that she doesn’t sing well, always sings in the choir and always gives it her all for the savior. She realizes that she’s not singing to be on American Idol, she’s singing for the King of Kings, who loves to hear his people sing- good or bad.
Our Easter was very blessed yesterday. We ad a lot of people. Biggest crowd we’ve had in our 14 months of existence and while that’s exciting, that’s not my first take away. My first take away is that our folks took time to invite their friends and loved ones because they are so excited by what God is doing in our church that they want their friends and loved ones to be a part of it. I love you church and am proud to be your Pastor.
To God be the Glory!
Church secrets
It’s happened again. Another church, another pastor caught in scandal. This time the church and pastor is a church that I’ve long followed and admired. Seems many years ago he sexually harassed two women on staff and the church leadership covered it up. This story has seemed to repeat itself time and time again over the last 10 years in some of the most high-profile churches and ministries. Why? What would be the reason that a church, of all places, would keep secret the abuse of fellow believers? The answer is always the same:
It’s always about the money.
In the Gospels, Jesus often talks about money. In fact He talks about money more than He talks about Heaven and Hell. In one place He says where your treasure is, that’s where your heart is (Matt.6:21). The Apostle Paul says the root of all evil is the love of money (1Tim. 6:10). Churches and ministries keep quiet about indiscretions of their leaders in the fear that the money will stop coming and if people stop giving, how will they pay for the big buildings and big salaries? Taking care of those abused seems to be of no thought.
“The time is coming when everything that is covered up will be revealed, and all that is secret will be made known to all. Whatever you have said in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have whispered behind closed doors will be shouted from the housetops for all to hear!” (Luke 12:2-3)
The problem is that eventually it does come out and the cover up and the lie adds to the pain and misery that’s already happened. People do lose faith; they leave and they stop giving and the ministry or church is irreparably harmed and the cause of Christ is damaged. We have gotten to the point where people are no longer surprised by church coverups. The non-churchgoing world shrugs its shoulders and says “that’s why I don’t go to church.” The church comes off looking like just another corrupt organization.
During my 26 year pastorate, I have on several occasions, unfortunately, had to share with the congregation difficult news. Here’s how I handled it:
I always shared at the end of the service so that people would not be distracted during the service. The focus of the service is Jesus, not the problem.
I was always as transparent as possible, without adding further hurt to anyone.
I was upfront and clear with information, explaining it in a way that everyone could understand.
I invited one-on-one discussions to answer any questions people might have and we answered every question we possibly could without violating any privacy issues.
I listened.
I allowed the congregation to grieve the information. I didn’t shrug my shoulders and move on. These are real people with real feelings and if it involves a staff member, there are relationships involved and the pain is greater.
In the case of letting go of staff, I directed the church to provide for their transition whether they were fired or quit. They have family and it’s the right thing to do.
Failure to give complete information and allow for questions will make a congregation distrust leadership and will invite more questions of what “really happened” and “what aren’t we being told.” This can lead to an exodus of people from the church and a pulling of financial backing because people will not give money, time or effort to an organization they don’t trust.
One last note to anyone in a church: if the situation stinks, if the information feels incomplete, if it feels like leadership is not being forthcoming, ask questions and hold people accountable. Church leadership serves the congregation, not the other way around. Don’t bury your head in the sand.
This is Hope
Yesterday at Hope Community Church we finished the series This is Hope. This series focused on who we are and who we strive to be as a church. Here’s a recap:
We strive to be a church that “stacks stones.” In the Old Testament, when God would do something amazing, the Jews would stack stones at the place it happened. (Joshua 4:4-6) Then whenever anyone would ask what the meaning of the stones were, the Jews would tell the story of God. We want to be a church that continually tells the story of God, we want to celebrate the goodness of God. That’s why we cheer for the newlyweds, we cheer for the young man who placed 4th in the NRCHA youth class Celebration of Champions in the Cow horsing. In those things we see the goodness of God
2nd we strive to be a church full of Hope. Hope in a church is based on unity. We want to be unified on the major things, who Jesus is, what He came to do, and what our mission is. In the minor things we will give liberty to each other guided by the Holy Spirit. Only when we are unified will we see the glory of God
3rd we strive to be an authentic community of believers. Only through authenticity can achieve true community. Community is created as we practice the “one-another’s” toward each other. There are 59 one-another’s in the Bible. These exhortations are meant for us to put others ahead of ourselves and to show them love. Jesus said that we will show the world we are his disciples by how we love one another.
Lastly we want to be a church that breaks beyond the potential and moves into the probable. Every church has the potential for growth and health because Jesus is the one who is building His church(Matthew 16:18) therefore all churches have potential. Why don’t they? Lack of faith is one reason. God’s blessing can rise no higher then how you believe(Matthew 9:29) If a church doesn’t believe God is going to do it, then He won’t. 2nd reason is lack of obedience. When God speaks, we obey. If we don’t we are disobedient. If all a church is living for is the people they already have then they are being disobedient to the call of the great commission. If I am saved by God and part of His family, then it’s no longer about me. It’s about those who have yet to be reached. Third reason is the church follows a wolf instead of the Shepherd. Unfortunately, the church has wolves among the sheep. A wolf is someone who consistently stands in the way of the purpose of God or someone who seeks to control the church. I’ve met wolves who were church treasures, Deacons, Elders, pastors, “big” givers, wealthy, poor, old, young. They come is all shapes and sizes. These are people who stand against following God or seek selfish gain. They attempt to sway and bully people to get their way. They can be deceitful, mean-spirited. They can put on the face of an angel and stab the church in the back at the same time. Jesus said “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.” They come talking like a Christian but not acting like one. They seek their own way. They are like the Pharisees were to Jesus, resistant to the ways of the Father and Jesus said that “They are like their father, the devil.” The danger is when the church follows the wolf instead of the shepherd. When a church follows a wolf things maybe good for awhile but the ways of the wolf lead to destruction because they are not from God.
This is who we want to be.
This. is. Hope
Waiting
Waiting… I hate waiting. I don’t hate many things in life but waiting is one of those. It seems so pointless, so nonproductive, so frustrating and yet much of life is waiting. Go to the doctor’s office, you wait. Go to the amusement park, you wait and then wait some more.
According to a Timex survey, Americans wait:
on average of 20 minutes a day for the bus or train
32 minutes whenever they visit a doctor
28 minutes in security lines whenever they travel
21 minutes for a significant other to get ready to go out
13 hours annually waiting on hold for a customer service
38 hours each year waiting in traffic
= about 37 billion hours each year waiting in line somewhere.
One thing I’ve learned about following Jesus is you will wait on Him. In reading the Gospels, I realized that Jesus was never in a hurry. When told the news that his friend Lazarus was dying, he waited 4 days. When he was told by a father that the father’s daughter was dying, he stopped to render aid to a woman. He was never in a rush. Now this could be looked upon as rudeness and many times in our lives we are rude when we make others wait, but Jesus was never being rude. He knew that doing things at the right time was important. With Lazarus, He was waiting to display the power of God by raising Lazarus from the dead, same with the man’s daughter. Jesus had divine appointments that required exact timing.
In my role as a pastor and leader of a church, I have often been given a glimpse of the vision God has for me and the church, (and I say glimpse because that is all God gives, He expects me to trust Him for the rest). That vision often gets me excited and ready to move but that vision often includes times of waiting. You would think that God would want to get that vision moving to accomplish His purpose, but I have found that there is great purpose in the waiting itself.
In the Fellowship of the Ring, one of my favorite movies, there is a scene where the fellowship is stuck in the mines of Moria because Gandalf has forgotten the way to go; so they wait and they get bored and they want to get moving but Gandalf waits until he remembers. Gandalf is far wiser than any of the other members of the fellowship and he knows that to continue to travel forward, not knowing where you’re going is dangerous and can lead to more lost time. Like Gandalf, Jesus tells us to wait because He knows where he’s leading and we don’t.
I have found that the waiting serves a purpose. In the waiting, God is preparing me for the task ahead. He’s getting my heart, my character, my abilities, my maturity ready for what’s next. He’s bringing together the right people, the right resources, and the right conditions that are needed to move the vision forward, I have a situation going on right now where it’s tough to just sit still, to just be patient, but I am forced to as every door seems closed. When the doors are closed stop and wait.
Waiting does not mean do nothing. Waiting does not mean be lazy. There are still things to do in the waiting. In May of 1989, Janet was pregnant with our first child and as we came near the time of birth, we had a lot to do and just because we were waiting for labor to start didn’t mean there wasn’t anything to do. We had to get the room ready, the diaper bag packed, clothes laid out and her bag packed. When you’re waiting on God, do what you can do. Study, pray, serve people, witness - do the things you are called to do and wait for him.
One of my life verses is Galatians 6:9 it says Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Don’t give up if your waiting- you’ll miss the blessing if you do.
We are 1 year old.
At the end of 2020 Janet and I sat around a kitchen table with 3 other couples, Robin and Brian, Corey and Melissa, and Rick and Heather, and we talked jumping off a cliff together. We were going to start a church. We had 3 problems: First, None of us had ever done it, second, we had no money and third, we had no where to meet. What seemed impossible then is about to celebrate it’s one year anniversary. Sunday, February 6, Hope Community will celebrate an incredible year of God directed and God blessed ministry. In recognition of our one year anniversary we are giving away t-shirts and I was blown away that we are ordering over 300. 300 people call Hope their church . How is it possible to go from 8 people around a table to 300 in 1 year? There is only one answer. “And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” John 12:32. Since day 1 we have done our very best to make much of Jesus and to bring his hope to everyone around us.
Little did we know around that kitchen table, but God was preparing people in Princeton to join with us. There were many people looking for something new., many who who were hurt by a former church, some who dropped out of church and others who were sensing their need of a change in their lives. The Holy Spirit was at work, behind the scenes, bringing it all together. We had all the firsts last year. First Easter service, First Christmas, first baby/child dedications(12 kids), first baptisms(8), and unfortunately our first funeral. Through it all God has continued to add to our number.
One thing that we have sought to do from day 1 is to be a church FOR our community. Many churches tell you what their against but we want to be for Princeton. We want Princeton to thrive and grow and to see people positively impacted with the hope of Jesus so, that’s why we sponsored 2 free pool days (unfortunately one got cancelled due to tragedy), sponsored a huge football tailgate on rival weekend, giving food away and donating to the concession stand, sponsored the Princeton High School Tennis Team, gave money to help restore Greeks, served free popsicles at the Heritage Days festival, gave a truckload of can goods to the salvation army and provided Christmas gifts to the residents of the Waters and River Oaks nursing homes. We believe God has placed us here to do good works and to show others the love of Jesus.
In 2022 we believe that the best is yet to come. Here are just some of the things we have coming up.
We are partnering with and supporting the Lance family as missionaries to South Africa
We are starting Hope Gives, a monthly outreach that will give up to $1,000 to individuals or groups that are in need or serving the needs of Princeton.
Lastly, we are continuing to stay open to God’s leading in looking for our new home. We need a base of operations, somewhere to put down roots.
This is how God works: He calls people to participate in what He’s doing and then he blesses it as we are faithful to His vision. Here’s to year #2
Spiritual growth
Lately, I've seen many people talk about wanting to grow in their relationship with God and they start asking about devotion plans, study Bibles and the like. All those things are good but may I suggest you start with 1 thing. Get 1 thing down then move to the next. For instance if you aren't praying regularly, start there. Write down your prayer needs and pray intentionally on them every day.
If you’re already intentionally praying, start reading the Bible for 10 minutes a day. Why 10 minutes? If you are doing zero then 10 minutes is alot. When you get that down increase the time you’re reading and it will soon become a habit and may I suggest that you get a physical bible to do this in.
Spiritual growth is not about how many things you do it’s about being with God the Father. In Psalm 46:10 we are told to be still and know that He is God. We get so focused on doing that we forget being present. God wants relationship with you and any relationship is about who you are more then what you do, so relax in the knowledge that God loves you for you and not because you read the whole Bible in one year.
Reading the Bible in one year is a noble goal but living out the Bible 365 days a year is what God intends. In Matthew 12:50 Jesus says, “ For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”
Rest child of God, He has no test to pass, no reading assignment, no grading scale. You are His and He is your God
The Blessings of 2021
Last week, I spent some time detailing the things that I learned from 2021. ( part 1 or part 2).so I think it appropriate to detail the blessings I received One of the things I detailed that I learned this past year is that God’s grace was even bigger then I could comprehend. I’ve though often of the verse from John 1:5 that says about Jesus “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.” When you are in trauma or distress, the darkness seems crushing. You feel alone but many times this year light crashed through that darkness just when it seemed that darkest. So I want to detail out some of the light that crashed through.
1) My family
I’m not the only one who suffered trauma. Janet hurt as much and sometimes more then I did but her resolve never wavered. She never lost faith in me. Never wavered that we were on the right path. She held my hand and kissed my cheek. My kids and grandkids were rays of grace and light. Loving me and encouraging me when I needed it. I am also forever grateful for my extended family, my brother and sisters, my brother in laws and sister in laws, cousins, my aunt Helene and uncle Jim, nieces and nephews, and my son in laws parents, Bill and Chris, who have reached out to strengthen and encourage at just the right moments.
2) My friends
My friends were agents of grace in this past year. Crying with me, encouraging me, joking with me. I do not know where I would be without you. You made the darkness flee. You helped to refresh the soul and show me the possibilities of the new path God had us on and as I look back this year, I see that you were right most of the time. Thank you for dragging me along and helping me find purpose.
3) My Church
I can’t say enough about the people of Hope Community. You have done more then you could imagine to bless me and honor me. What started as 65 people in a living room has now grown to more then 200 in one year is a testament to What God is doing in our midst and you inviting your friends who were looking for something different. 2022 is going to be even better.
4) My job
When I quit the church on December 14, I had no job lines up. I had no idea what I was going to do next. I was offered a job at the Wabash County Health Department by my friend Judy Wissel, who is the administrator. I hadn’t held a job outside the church in 20 years and I was a bit apprehensive but I needed the work. I started December 28, 2020 and it has been a blessing and God dent. The people I work with are the best. People like; Candi, Laura, Audra, Megan, Liz, Barb, Tina, Tristan, Christy, Rhonda, Rachelle, Tonya, Cassie, Nancy and my boss Kendra. These ladies accepted me and made feel at home. I look forward to coming in each day and interacting with these fine people. They have provided laughter, joy and allowed me to heal and to serve them. I have enjoyed each one.
This year really was the embodiment of Romans 8:28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
What I can now say with experience is that if you are going through a hard time, remember it’s only a season and that God will sustain you through it
I will end with a lyric from a song that has ministered to me this year. It’s called Peace of Mind from Above and Beyond. It says;
I lost all the riches, the diamonds in the mind
It turns out that this was the best thing to ever happen to me
Errors and glitches, what a way to find
That such hurt can bring you a greater peace of mind
I am at peace and you can be too. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
Things I've learned in 2021 - Part 2
As I look back at this year, here are some of the things I’ve learned in this crazy and chaotic year.
1) Grief is deep and it’s doesn’t always have a funeral
When a person experiences a loss, we experience grief. Grief is a necessary part of living. There are 5 stages to grief; denial. anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. All of these stages are needed for us to fully heal from any loss in our life. There is no order to the stages, nor is there any timeframe. We all travel through grief differently. When a loved one dies, there is a sense of finality at the close of the funeral; a release of tension. However, when we experience loss of relationships there is no funeral. When I have counseled with people who have experienced divorce this is how they describe it- a funeral except the body is walking around. There’s no finality, no resolution. This is the kind of grief I experienced in early 2021. I saw them but I was cut out of their lives. I wept for 3 months. I cried more at the beginning of 2021 then I ever have. Every worship song I would listen to would bring me to tears. I could even say the name of the church without feeling like I wanted to cry. My grief was no joke!
So what moved me out of this state? Hope. Hope is such a powerful concept. I’ve always had hope of brighter tomorrows. I am an optimistic person, who looks to what’s next. I’m fascinated by discovery, I’m drawn to exploration. I tend to think the best is in front of me not behind me. I’m not nostalgic in any way, so when we launched Hope Community Church I was drawn to see what could be accomplished. I saw the possibility and God showed us His glory. What I now see is that there were a group of people that wanted something different, something real, something authentic and when Hope moved to Princeton, they came and they brought their friends and it continued to give me hope and once again I could see the possible, I could see what’s next. I will be forever grateful for the people of Hope that allowed this broken guy to work out his grief in their midst
2) Forgiveness is tough
After what I went through at the end of 2020 (see part 1) I really found it hard to forgive some people. Now I’ve preached on forgiveness many times and have implored people to forgive others when their hurt and I’ve forgiven lots of people in my past but this time it hit different. I don’t know if it was the betrayal, the loss of friendships, the unfriending, the ignoring or what but I really had to work at forgiving people that I felt harmed me or my family. During this year Matthew 6:14 has rattled around in my brain it says “For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.” I tried and I declared it but it still flickered because I hadn’t snuff out every ember. It threatened to turn to bitterness that’s why I had to fight. Fight every day to see others in the light of Christ. When I began to remember that these people were my brothers and sisters in Christ I started the path of forgiveness. I then began to pray for them and tried to remember the good years and that people shouldn’t be defined by 1 decision or 1 moment. That’s when forgiveness took hold. Do we have a relationship. No but that isn’t where forgiveness leads. It leads to healing in my heart. The rest is up to God.
3) My anger has another level and it scared me
It was my anger that started this mess. I’m not one that is prone to anger, I don’t have an anger issue (according to my therapist) but as I moved through my grief I hit the anger stage and I didn’t experience normal anger- I experienced an anger, that for the first time, made me seriously think out doing bodily harm to another human being. One individual had so disgusted me and revolted me that I was on the border between dislike and hate. I have never hated anyone but this individual has gotten me the closest to that line that I have ever been. This individual had lied, deceived, manipulated people, made accusations and to top it all off had gone after my children with lies and innuendo , with the intent of causing me problems in my family. I was beyond furious. Later, after I left, more accusations made their way to me. This individual was trying to weave a narrative that tried to ruin my legacy, my integrity and my anger burned even hotter. I have never been that angry in my life.
So, where is that anger now? Gone. How? Jesus working through my wife, my family, my friends and my church helped dissipate that anger and see it for what it really was- a prison of my own choosing. I was so focused one that one individual, that I was missing the good in my life. At the end of 2020 my oldest daughter gave birth to my newest granddaughter. She is precious. One look at her and my heart melted. Many times when I got all in my head my daughter in law would send me pictures of my oldest granddaughter, Ella. Looking at those two, made realize that this individual wasn’t worth anymore of my time or headspace and I let it go.
4) Grace is amazing but not if it’s cheap
Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the German pastor who lost his life to the Nazi’s for opposing Hitler defined cheap grace as “ the grace we bestow on ourselves. Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline, Communion without confession...Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ, living and incarnate.”
That’s not the grace that I have experienced this year. One of my favorite moments of the week is Sunday mornings at 7:30am. That’s when a bunch of guys, around my age, get together to load in the equipment we need for church on Sunday’s. What takes place for that hour that we setup and connect the equipment is priceless. Guys like Jerry, Dennis, Clark, Kevin, Rick, Scotty, Jeff, Chad, Andy, Caleb, Tim, and Mark share, laugh, talk and generally have a good time talking about our week, kids or whatever. It’s an hour filled with grace and I have encountered so much healing from that one hour on Sunday. That one hour never fails to get me ready for what is to come in the service and when the day comes that we no longer have to load in I will miss it. Because of the grace that I have experienced, it’s allowed me to show that grace towards others. I am a better man because of that one hour.
5) Lastly, I learned my wife is fierce and I’m loved
We’ve been married for 32 years!! That’s a long time. My wife has always loved me, she may not have liked me sometimes , but she loved me. This year I saw the depth of that love as she fiercely stood by my side. One of the reasons I was ok resigning is because she was adamant that I no longer subject myself to being beaten down. There were times in the last year that i would have to calm her down (lol) she would be so angry for me. I sometimes forget the toll that pastoring takes on my family. They don’t always like being in the fish bowl. Sometimes I wonder if they resent it. My family means everything to me and I am protective but I also am adamant that I will allow nothing to come between us. In 2020 we had some squabbles and i sometimes said things that hurt them and made them mad and I have to apologize for it because I don’t want there to be a gulf between us. Some of the best moments I ever have are with them. I love them with my whole heart. I’ve had to get used to a new dynamic in my family. For the 1st time not all of my family go to the same church as I do. That’s been a difficult adjustment this year but I refuse to allow that to harm my relationship with them. This is what God does with us. He allows nothing to get in the way of loving us. The Apostle Paul noted this in Romans 8 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
I have learned alot this year. As I said at the beginning it’s one of the hardest and best years I’ve had. I’ve grown through it and I’m even more optimistic about the future.
To my wife and family: I love you with all of my heart and being
To my friends: You are the absolute best, I couldn’t have made it without you!
To Hope Community: I love you and the best is yet to come
To Vertical: I will always love you and pray that God shines His grace on you.
Things I've learned in 2021 - Part 1
Every year I take some time at the end of the year to consider what I’ve learned. It is always my hope to not repeat the mistakes I have made in the past year. Unfortunately, I’m not always successful at it. This past year has been, on one hand, one of the most difficult I’ve experienced and on the other hand, one of the best. It’s funny how life is sometimes, that things can be devastating but good can come from it. For example, in this year I lost friendships, my church, my spiritual family but I gained new friends, a new church and a new spiritual family. It reminds me of Romans 8:28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. I truly felt this verse all year.
To really understand the things I learned this year, you have to understand the seminal event that both plagued me and motivated me in 2021- The reason I left the church I pastored for 19 years. That moment, at the end of 2020, devastated me and shaped my 2021. I remember vividly my last moment standing before that congregation, I did something which is so not me. I wept, I cried hard. My heart was broken. I was walking away from the church that I loved, the church that I raised my kids in, the church that was like family. Why did I leave? I told the congregation on that day that I was tired and that God had told me it was time to go but that wasn’t the full story. I was tired. I was tired of the fighting and arguing that had been going on for the prior 2 months. I was tired of the ugliness of it all and so, in my spirit, on a cold Monday night in late December, God spoke to my heart and told me that it was ok to leave and that I needed to move on.
Some of you may be wondering why I’m bringing this up. You might say; It’s been a year already and you’re in a new church, what good would it do now? The good it does is to help me fully heal. I have never spoken publicly as to why I left. I’ve shot down some rumors and many have speculated but I haven’t spoken it publicly. So why now and not earlier? A few reasons:
Early on I was grieving and anything I said then would come from that place. When I look back at some of the blogs I wrote earlier in the year, many of them came from that place
I’m no longer angry. I was angry for a long time. My thoughts were dark and scary and anything I would have said would have been from that place of anger and I would have lost all of my credibility. A few things came out and my good friend and fellow pastor, Joey called me on it and I deleted some posts. He truly was looking out for me during this time and was definitely Heaven sent.
I wasn’t able to talk about it. During the first 3 months of the year I was under a non-disclosure agreement. In order to get my severance, I had to sign an agreement to remain silent. I have never heard of a church using such agreements. Businesses use them all the time to protect trade secrets. What I have learned since signing is that the churches that use them, do so to control the narrative. In this agreement I could not speak against any elder and was prevented from sharing any secret information, namely about the large increase in salary’s that was enacted. (I still have that agreement that I signed)
So why did I leave? First it starts with me. On Tuesday, October 27, I stood before my staff and yelled and swore at them and then preceded to hit a white board with enough force that shook the wall. I was mad, frustrated, and pissed off about what I believed was the lack of effort of some staff members and all that frustration boiled out. I didn’t apologize to them for that for a week. Within the week, the elders got involved, I was suspended and that’s where the wheels came off. I don’t blame them for getting involved but there was one among their number that had a different agenda then the others. Over the next 2 months were some of the most contentious meetings that I have been in and even though I had apologized publicly and many times privately to what I had done, it was used like a hammer to beat me into submission. These meetings got so bad that 1 elder was voted off the board because of “conflict of interest” because he continued to demand answers as to why things were being done the way they were and in protest one staff member resigned, but I still held out hope that it could be fixed.
On Sunday night, December 13 we held a congregational meeting that was long, contentious and heart breaking. I watched as several families got up and left, shaking their heads on the way out. Plenty of blame can go around but needless to say we failed at representing Christ that night. Unknown to most people there is that I almost quit in the middle of the proceedings. During one exchange, what I had done during the staff meeting in October was brought up again and I had had enough. I grabbed my resignation and was headed to the podium when I was grabbed by one of the elders and he pleaded with me not to do it. We talked for a bit and I put it away. At the end of that meeting, I was fully prepared to work at reconciliation and I believed that the congregation was there as well. We ended that night in prayer at the alter and it seemed like we had taken a first step back from the brink. I went home cautiously optimistic and worked on a few things that I could present to the elders in our meeting the next night that I believed would help the church move forward. It was the events of the next night that would cause me to resign.
As we opened the meeting the next night, several elders were gloating about how well they had handled the meeting the previous night, saying they had received feedback from a few about how well they withstood the “onslaught” of the dissenting members of the congregation. Needless to say, I did not agree with their assessment. The mood was definitely not one of reconciliation. At one point the dissenting members were derogatorily called a gang and the pastor that had resigned was called out as the leader of the gang. Many of the members of the “gang” were long-time members of the church, longer then the elder who said it. They had sacrificed, served, wept and prayed over their church for years and all they wanted were answers and for them to be called a gang hurt my heart. As the meeting progressed, I gave my list of things that I thought we had to do to right the ship. While speaking about these things, many were nodding their heads in agreement. When I finished, one elder asked me if I was done then proceeded to rip every proposal to shreds, even though he had not prayed or took time to consider them. (Interesting enough, after I left many of those proposals were put into place). He proceeded to call me a liar and question my integrity all while the other elders sat by and never said a word. It was at that moment that I realized that I was done. I sat back in my chair, resigned to the fact it was over.
I went home and talked to Janet. Told her what had happened and we discussed it, fighting back tears. I went in my back yard, sat down, drank a beer and prayed. I asked God, out loud, to confirm what I felt in my heart and He did. I went in and went to bed and slept the best sleep I had gotten in 2 months.
The next day I resigned.
Tomorrow in part 2 I will share the things that I’ve learned in 2021 and what God has been teaching me.
Why I'm Optimistic for the future of Hope Community Church
Optimism: hopefulness and confidence about the future or the successful outcome of something.
“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.”—Romans 15:13
1) Because I’ve seen God do it before
I have been privileged to watch God build His church. From my spot I’ve watched hundreds baptized into the faith. I have watched people get excited about what God is doing in the church that they have given their life to and have watched marriages and lives restored and I believe He will do it again. Why? All throughout the Bible, God repeats the blessings from one generation to another. Location doesn’t matter to Him. If He did it in one place He can do it in another.
2) Because God wants to save people and still is.
The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. 2 Peter 3:9
3) Because of the people I work with
I am blessed at Hope to work with two close friends, who get what ministry is and are committed to seeing lives change.
Robin is one of my closest friends and a excellent Pastor. When the leadership at her last church hurt her bad, she almost packed it in and walked away from her calling; but through a lot of prayer and time with God, He has renewed her spirit and set her on another path. She is a strong woman of faith, who desires everyone to know the love that the Father has for them. She is such a excellent counselor, bringing practical experience and spiritual wisdom into each encounter she has with someone. As Hope impacts the Princeton area she will be able to come along side people who are struggling in their relationships and life.
I also get to work with another close friend in Heather. Heather and I have worked together for over 10 years and she is one of the finest worship leaders I know. When I approached her about leading worship at Hope she immediately said yes, in spite of having an amazing opportunity to lead at one of the larger churches in Evansville. When I asked her why she told me that she wanted to be able to reach the communities she lives around. Heather understands how music plays a vital role in helping to heal hurt. Having went through several painful experiences she leaned on God and her love of music to get her through the tough times. As she chooses music, she is always pointing people to God, helping them to see that he can be their restorer, healer and friend. She knows this because she has experienced this.
4) Because of the people God has brought to the church
God has been bringing together a diverse set of people, who are tired of church as usual. Most of them have had negative experiences in church and they want to make sure that doesn’t happen to others. There’s the former youth pastor, who just desires to see people know Jesus and jumps in to help in spite of the junk she went through in her former church. My friend Brian, who is a man of integrity who cares deeply for the church because 12 years ago Jesus changed his life. There’s the dentist and his wife who jump in and do whatever is needed, including vacuuming the kids area.
These people he has brought, so far, are real about their failings and put on no pretense. They long for the presence of God and want others to experience it as well.
5) Because negative thinking gets you nowhere
It would be easy to lay down and complain about all the wrong that has been done, and I’ve done my share of that, but that gets no one rescued from a Christ-less eternity. All that negativity does is allow the enemy to win. So I will use all my strength, all my mind and all my love to see the people of Princeton impacted by the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Why? Because they need it and I am called.
Update: 6 months in
Six months ago Janet and I, along with 3 other couples, envisioned and launched Hope Community. It was envisioned to be a place that brought the hope that is found in Jesus to everyone we came across and 6 months in that’s what’s happening. We have seen God move in great and interesting ways. We have found his favor with the board of the theatre, as we have formed a mutually- beneficial relationship that has helped us meet in a great location. We have seen Him in the faces of the people who come; the couple who’s been out of church for 15 years, the young woman who has finally found a church home, and the couple who has finally agreed on a church to attend. Each one of their stories encourages us.
Many years ago I started to understand my calling from God. My calling has led me to three rural churches in need of fresh vision and life. I am a builder, that’s what He called me to do. On the enneagram I am a 3. That means that I am driven, ambitious, and driven for advancement. When I was in the corporate world this was very much me and it translated well into my first three churches. All three were struggling when I got there and I dove in head first. When it comes to the operation of a church I’m a bit OCD. All I do is think about the church, it’s needs, it’s goals, it’s numbers. I’m a guy that’s driven by numbers. If you would’ve asked me, in my last church, where we were at giving wise this year vs last I could have told you without looking. I knew the numbers inside and out. When we entered our relocation and building project I knew every detail, every cost because I was obsessed with getting it right because we had one shot at it. That obsession though, led me to a tight rein on things. I work hard and have a real problem with people who i perceive that don’t. I have always thought that to be the same as stealing. If you work you should earn your pay, especially in the church. I also had a real problem with people I believed were trying to hijack the vision of the church. In some cases I was correct and those people were, in other cases I wasn’t. They were well meaning people who wanted to add value to the church. This ticked people off and I have made my share of critics.
But now, I’m in a much different place then I ever have been. For most of those years I have tried to achieve great things. I worked hard, prayed hard and sacrificed and it was all worth it but now I find myself being less obsessed and I’m happier for it. I still am working hard to help the church grow but it’s more open handed then before. Right now we have about 200 people that call Hope Community home. They are 200 glorious people, full of life, fun, doubt, and hurt. They are not unlike the hundreds in my past three churches, all filled with great people who love Jesus.
I have been privileged to see God move in such wonderful ways in my 25 years of ministry. I’ve seen 1000,s give their lives to Jesus. I’ve participated in hundreds of baptisms, married hundreds of couples and been blessed to sit by many saints as they drew their last breaths before Heaven and I can tell you one thing; Jesus is worth all the pain, heartache and frustration that comes with life and ministry. I thought at the end of December that I was done with ministry but God has showed me in these last 6 months that He’s just getting started with me again. He has greater things to show me and greater things to do through me if I just listen to Him.
The same thing is true about you too. God has amazing things He wants to do in your life, if you just let him. You don’t have to be a pastor or work in a church for this to happen. You just have to be willing and you too can see the miracles he does every day. I have always been optimistic about life and I am optimistic about the future of Hope Community, just like I was optimistic at 1st GB in Rochelle, Illinois, Corley Chapel in Graham Kentucky and at Vertical Church in Fort Branch, Indiana. Why? Because I have seen Him do it again and again. I will push and I will build the church of Jesus Christ because that is what HE called me to do.
Jesus said: I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it.
All of hell should be on notice. God is moving through his church in Princeton and we are coming to reclaim territory that was stolen.
Thoughts on the church Pt 3 (power)
In the Star Wars movies evil is defined as the pursuit of selfish desire. It is exemplified, in the movie, by the pursuit of power born out of self-ambition. Lord Acton, a English historian, is famously quoted as saying that;
Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely
Certainly, we see this played out in our government, where people cling to power and seem to do anything and say anything to hold on to their position and power. I’ve seen this played out in business, large and small, where an up and comer will do anything, say anything and step on whoever they have to to rise in the organization. Sadly, this has happened in churches, large and small, all through-out the 2000 year history of the church. One of the earliest attempts of gaining power in the church is in Acts 5.
A man named Ananias and his wife, Sapphira, likewise sold their farm. 2 They conspired to secretly keep back for themselves a portion of the proceeds. Acts 5:1-2
According to Acts 4 several wealthy members of the church were selling property and giving the money to the church so that the needs of people were met. Ananias and Sapphira decided they were going to sell their property so they could be influencers and receive praise like the others. However, unlike the others they decided not to give it all but would lie and say they did. That way they would get the praise and still have some money left over. It ends badly for them as God reveals it to Peter and they both keel over dead for their treachery. The moral of the story is that God doesn’t take to kindly to people who seek power and influence in the church.
My first exposure to the pursuit of power in church came when I was a kid and my dad was the pastor. It showed up in the monthly business meeting. Many years ago someone, somewhere decided that the church should be structured along the lines of the U.S. Government and use Robert’s Rules of Order to govern the church. This has proven a disaster in many congregations. Why? Because the people who have been around for years and know how to work the system control and run the church. This method of governance is wholly unbiblical. The only instance we see of a congregational meeting in the New Testament is in Acts 6, where they select deacons to serve the widows of the congregation. In those meetings, I saw self-important people who liked reminding everyone how much they gave and how long they had been there. I saw such worthy arguments such as, carpet color, plastic vs dishes, unplug the refrigerator or keep it plugged in None of which mattered and only seemed to further divide the congregation. The pursuit of power was on display.
Jesus told us that it shouldn’t be this way with us. In Matthew 20:25-28 it says;
Jesus, knowing their thoughts, called them to his side and said, “Kings and those with great authority in this world rule oppressively over their subjects, like tyrants. 26 But this is not your calling. You will lead by a completely different model. The greatest one among you will live as the one who is called to serve others, 27 because the greatest honor and authority is reserved for the one with the heart of a servant. 28 For even the Son of Man did not come expecting to be served but to serve and give his life in exchange for the salvation of many.
Jesus’ model would be servant leadership. You lead by how you serve. I know too many who want position long before they serve. One time I had a young lady come to me and tell me she believed that God was calling her into the ministry in the area discipleship. Although she had virtually no experience in this area, as we talked I saw that she was sincere and had prayed long and hard about it. I suggested to her that the best place for her to start is by gathering a small group of 5-8 people and begin discipling them. She refused this idea telling me instead that she believed that she was supposed to be on the stage in front of people speaking. She wasn’t ready for this and I rejected this idea and to this day she still doesn’t like me. She wanted position without the work. She wanted power.
I’ve pastored churches as small as 60 and as large as 1000 and I have seen this scramble for power rear it’s ugly head time and time again. I would see it in the singer, who wanted to sing in front of the crowd but wouldn’t attend when they weren’t singing. I’ve seen it in the man who makes a big deal about what he gives. I’ve seen it in the lady who runs the kitchen at fellowship dinners, making sure everyone knows she’s in charge. I’ve seen it in pastors, who want title and a bigger office. I’ve seen in church members who constantly bring the pastor something from their trips or always tries to buy him lunch so that they can tell him what they want. I’ve always told any staff that has worked for me to be careful of the first person that wants to be your friend. They sadly, are the ones who have agendas in church. Friendships happen organically not because of your position.
“There is always a guy.”
This statement was said to me by a fellow pastor. We were talking about the issues that each of us were having in our respective churches. His meaning was that most of the problems a pastor had in church were because of some guy or some group. I have pastored 4 churches now and in each church there was a
”guy.” They were usually the ones who were the influencers, the ones who others looked to for the yea of nay. Most times I have found them to be more trouble then blessing. In my first church the “guy” was named Jim. Jim was one of the deacons and Jim was a good “guy".” “He loved Jesus, loved the church and worked hard to see the church move forward. Before I started pastoring, the church went through a split and Jim worked hard to see the church continue. I found him to be a great asset to me and he and I are still friends today.
In my second church, it was a group of guys. The deacon board. 3 of the guys were from the same family, two brothers and a son. The other a used car salesman. They specialized in saying no. They didn’t want to see the church change. Were not interested in growth. Wanted it to stay exactly like it always was. Only the son got that things had to change because they were dying. I got voted out of that church by 1 vote at a business meeting after people showed up who hadn’t been at that church in years.
In my last church there was a guy. A guy who sought influence and position. He was good with words and easy with a joke. He could get stuff done but tried too hard to get close to me. He had a agenda and sometimes my vision and his agenda clashed. In the end that guy tried to wield influence over me that I couldn’t accept so I left. Trying to leverage my position for power is not how I pastor and not how the church should be led. Leaders in churches must be servants above all else.
So, why does that happen in churches? The same reason it happens everywhere else. James, the bother of Jesus, tells us,
What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don't they come from your desires that battle within you? James 4:1
We desire to be in charge. We desire to get our way. We think we have the best ideas. We want what we want and we will do anything to get it. All of us can be susceptible to do this at our jobs, our church or in our families. We want power and power tends to corrupt.
Thoughts on the Church Part 2c (politics)
The third big social issue that the church struggled with in 2020 was politics. I have always been a political nerd. I love the debates, I like the process and I usually stay up late on election night to watch the returns but not this time. I was so put off this time around. On one side you had a 78 year old pre-dementia patient that couldn’t find a complete sentence with a flash light and on the other a huge narcissist who was morally questionable and a terrible communicator. Couple that with a national press corps that were dishonest cheerleaders makes the 2020 election one of the worst spectacles we’ve ever had in the history of this country. The repercussion of that election will be far-reaching.
However, the worst part in my estimation is how Evangelical Churches and Christians jumped on the Trump bandwagon. Exit polls show nearly 80% of white evangelical voters voted for Trump. They did so in spite of his unfamiliarity with the Bible, his divorces, his vulgar rhetoric and his association with porn stars. White evangelical leaders were often filmed praying over the President. While praying for the President is important, it took on the appearance of a staged event for the consumption of his voting block. Is Trump a Christian? I don’t know but the scriptures do tell us that will know them by their fruits. (Matthew 7:16) At times some of his fruit seemed spoiled.
Support from Christians took on a almost cult-like obsession; at times he was looked upon as the great savior of religious freedom. There were several things that his administration did that supported religious freedom, which was good but to say that the President was the protector of religious freedom is pure rhetoric. Trump was fixed on only one thing- the economy and it was what he was good at. My vote for him was largely based on the fact that he was a business man and we needed to get the economy going but I would cringe every time he opened his mouth as to what insult might come out. As time went on I was put off by his antics and his ego. When the pandemic hit I would watch his daily press conferences and hope that he would just let the experts talk. Now to be fair he received the worst and most biased press coverage of all time and democrats acted horribly during his time in office but he at times was his own worst enemy. In 2020 I did vote for him because in my estimation the other choice was no choice at all.
The problem with White evangelical Christians in 2020 were they seemed to echo what Trump was bad at. Attacking those who disagreed, spreading falsehoods, conspiracy theories, and being generally argumentative. Fake news was all the rage and it was often difficult to separate fact from fiction but what shouldn’t have been difficult was to follow Mark 12:31
‘You must love your neighbor in the same way you love yourself.’ You will never find a greater commandment than these.”
If the church is supposed to be the soul of the nation I think we performed rather poorly. Instead we replaced being the prophetic voice of the nation with a version of Christian Nationalism.
Christian nationalism is the belief that the American nation is defined by Christianity, and that the government should take active steps to keep it that way. Popularly, Christian nationalists assert that America is and must remain a “Christian nation”—not merely as an observation about American history, but as a prescriptive program for what America must continue to be in the future. Christian nationalists do not reject the First Amendment and do not advocate for theocracy, but they do believe that Christianity should enjoy a privileged position in the public square.
This view that the United Sates was founded as a Christian nation is a misunderstanding of history. The first settlers did come here seeking religious freedom but the founders of our country ensured that this nation would be religiously neutral. Why? Because they had come from European countries that had official state churches and they knew that when the church is made the official church, oppression happens and the church stops being what Christ intended. They wanted people free. Free to exercise their religion or have no religion at all.
In 2020 there were many pastors out there who stood up in pulpits and said that if you vote Democrat you can’t be a Christian and in one case a pastor told anyone who was not a republican they should leave his church. There are pastors today who continue to peddle conspiracies in the pulpit about the election. The white evangelical church has become too entwined in the GOP. We, too often, are looking at our faith through the lens of our politics instead of the other way around. The Republican party will not save us. Donald Trump is not the savior, he’s not Jesus. This country needs more of Jesus not more of any politician and yet much of the Christian right believes that we have to get the “right” people elected and we will be fine. The issue is what happens when there isn’t the “right” candidate like in 2020 when the either choice was bad?
We must get the church to return to being the prophetic voice of the nation. Let us return to praying for our leaders, whatever party, but calling them out when their policies don’t align with the Bible. Let us stay away from personal attacks remembering that everyone is loved by God and made in His image and worthy of dignity. Let us be examples of good behavior and good speech, online or in person. Let us fulfill Matthew 5:16
So don’t hide your light! Let it shine brightly before others, so that your commendable works will shine as light upon them, and then they will give their praise to your Father in heaven.”
And then maybe people will listen when we stand up to talk about how the path to real freedom is Jesus.
Thoughts on the Church part 2b (racism)
Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, Daniel Prude, Rayshard Brooks, These 4 names were unfortunately infamous during 2020 not for what they did but for what was done to them. All four were killed by law enforcement in the summer of 2020 and their deaths sparked protests, rioting, looting and violence. All four were African-American and when they were killed some of the worst comments online were from Christians.
I have a friend, who’s African-American and he and I texted through much of the summer about the comments that were being made. He was heartbroken how so many Christians, some who he called friend, could not empathize with what was going on. Their callous comments and argumentative tone hurt him and kept him from church for much of the year. He was not alone. Several others I talked to felt the same way. There was the mother of 3, the man with 2 sons, the mother and the grandmother who all felt hurt and dismay that people, who would confess to be Christians would ignore the basics of compassion and empathy. One man told me how hard it was for him to tell his kids that once again a person who looked like them had been killed by police. I struggle to understand this fear of encounters with the police. Last week I was pulled over and never once did I lothe my encounter with the officer; In fact it was a pleasant experience because I didn’t get a ticket.
I don’t know enough about each case to judge one way or another and really that’s not my job anyway. My job as a follower of Jesus is to pray for and have compassion on those who are struggling. My job is to “mourn with those who mourn.” (Romans 12:15). However, that is not what I saw on social media through much of the summer. I saw Christians get in arguments about the guilt of the individual, question the integrity of those who argued back and be gall around tone deaf about what was going on. Several times I pled with people behind the scenes to remove posts they made and responses that just continued to hurt people. I asked folks not to respond to clueless and hurtful people and to show grace to those who weren’t getting it. One of those times I had a hour long conversation with a mother who was fearful for her husband and three kids and was openly wondering how Christians could act this way.
The Church in America has had a long and dark past when it comes to racism. During slavery in the south, preachers would go to plantations and preach to the slaves that God wanted them in slavery and that they were to obey their masters because the Bible said to. Churches taught how Whites were superior to other races and were favored by God and that holding people as slaves was morally right. Religion was used to justify man’s inhumanity to man, not the first time it’s happened nor sadly will it be the last. 1.6 million people died changing this situation but it didn’t end there. In the ensuring years white Churches in the south would preach against the co-mingling of the races, against inter-racial marriage, about the necessity of segregation and the denial of civil rights to people based on skin color. Many Christian men found their way into organizations such as the KKK to fight off “progress.” Dr Martin Luther King once said that
“It is appalling that the most segregated hour of Christian America is 11 o’clock on Sunday morning”
Racism is a sin, it’s a sin against God , who created mankind in His image and endowed them with His spirit. What the Christians I saw online failed to recognize is that no matter what the circumstances of these cases were, Jesus loved Breonna, George, Daniel, and Rayshard and died for them. Sometimes we get so caught up in the issues surrounding one of these killings that we fail to empathize with a family that’s suffering. I didn’t know any of these folks who were killed but I know my friend who sees these things and it reminds him that people who look like him are getting hurt. I can show him stats that says that white people are killed by police more often then blacks but does that help my friend? Does that make me a good friend? Does that fulfill my mission to “morn with those who morn?” No of course not
Christians, we have to stop arguing about who is right, that’s for the justice system to decide. We have to start standing up for our brother’s and sisters of color and we have to sit with them when they hurt. There are a lot more nuances to all of this then can fit in one blog but when things like this happen can I suggest that we pray and empathize with those who are morning and make our churches a place where people feel loved no matter what color their skin.