. . . navigating Sunday sickness . . .

Wow! I have never been sick on a Sunday morning since I started pastoral ministry. To wake up with a fever, chills, body aches, sore throat, and congestion was not something I welcomed... at all!

I usually wake up on Sundays at 5:30 am to prepare for worship. I get up, read Scripture - gotta get right with God - get ready, head out to grab our donuts, and pray for our Sunday gathering, and make last-minute preparations if needed. Sometimes I throw in a prayer walk!

But this Sunday I woke up and immediately reset my alarm to 6:30. However, the congestion wouldn't let me get back to sleep so I texted poor Abby. Here's the exchange:



After a few more back & forth texts, it became clear that I probably should not be going to church. In my head, I told myself, "I will preach and then go home - no problem!" Abby told me later that when she saw I had taken 4 ibuprofen she knew I shouldn't come in. Wise, our young Abby is!


I have felt so guilty this past week not being with you all in worship. But I've been reminded by those of you who have reached out that I cannot forget that even though I am a pastor, I am first and foremost a human. I suffer from illnesses just like everyone else and if I'm to set the example for servant leadership, then I need to step back from time to time to care for this body God has given me.

Speaking of the body...

The Apostle Paul speaks at length in several of his letters about the body of Christ. Christ is our head and we are all a part of his body. We all have a role to play with the various gifts we have we received. When one of us struggles, others of us step in to serve and uphold the body, especially when we come together in worship. We will be discussing how worship is an act of service next Sunday, so I don't want to get ahead of myself. But I give thanks to everyone who stepped outside their comfort zones this weekend to assist Abby as she led our congregation in worship. I am always amazed at her capabilities and am grateful for the ways in which you helped her step into my role this past weekend. I give God thanks for you!

This is what it means to be the church friend! We surround each other in love and support when one of the members struggles. Abby told me it wasn't the smoothest of services this weekend, but not every Sunday is. What matters most is when we bring all of who we are to Jesus when we gather as his body. 

. . . love puts up with all things . . .

Does it really, though?

Paul shares some deep truths about the importance of love to uphold Christian community. He says it is the basis for the church - and I totally agree. But, as I prepare for this Sunday's message I was caught off guard by one verse in the Common English Bible.

Love puts up with all things! Does it really though? The New Revised Standard translation says, "bears all things." This is a bit easier to swallow, but to put up with all things? Not so much.

I think my hang-up is that this passage is so commonly used in weddings... it's actually written to a church in turmoil, just fyi. It's in 1 Corinthians 13:7

When used in weddings, I think we can get a false sense that love, even when expressed in negative ways, should be tolerated. So I cannot believe for a moment that Paul would suggest this. Yes, he lived in a time when women were considered property and violence between humans was high, but I think his point is far removed from the love shared in marital relationships...

Instead, Paul is asserting that in those moments of turmoil and chaos in the church, the body is to rally around each other to love each other through our differences. When we talk about unity in the church, it's not about having the same political thought, or the same perspective on social issues (although we are to resist evil in all its forms, and evil is running rampant around the globe), it's about coming together and hearing each other. Yes, love requires correction when needed, but it's about understanding that we come from so many different backgrounds and experiences, that we have to be able to sit with each other, and at least attempt to see the world from different perspectives.

We don't have put up with bad behavior, or evil; these do not stem from love.  We do have to hear each other and love each other through our differences.

We must remain in God's love for us and trust that Jesus is leading us toward a future of hope.

There are things we don't have to agree on - like whether or not we can talk about baseball before church, or whether someone is a sinner because they don't like Chinese food, or whether we think a single board model of governance is better than 4 different boards...

Those are the things we put up with because one's salvation is not at stake with these.

Love puts up with the non-essential.

. . . surviving the whirlwind . . .

Wow, what a whirlwind the first week of 2020 was! I’m so glad this next week has been less eventful.

This past Friday the news blew up with news about a possible split in the United Methodist Church. What was released was a proposal and nothing more. We have nothing to fear. If you want to read about it, I invite you to read my friend Rev. Andy Bryan's blog. He knows much more than I do and comes from about 5 generations of Methodist pastors.

During this first year of the Roaring Twenties, we will be focusing on invitation.

Remember this isn't just about numbers or growing our church, this is about loving our neighbors and multiplying God's kingdom.

We live in a “new age” and inviting people into a loving community of Christ-followers is not a “one size fits all” kind of thing. We all approach the world differently and we all have varying experiences. As I’ve been preparing my sermon for this weekend, I’ve discovered that this isn’t really a new thing. I invite you to read these two very different passages in Scripture about the Disciple Philip: John 2 & Acts 8. 

See if you can see a difference in approach from the same guy! We’ll talk about it more this weekend in worship!

We are all each uniquely made in God’s image and all of us have different ways we connect to Jesus Christ. For that reason, we will have tools to help you invite people to worship, small groups, serving opportunities, and events. 

Just a heads up, the next best thing to invite someone to is The Table next Wednesday, or to the 

Pajamas & Popcorn Family Movie Night!

As we head into Sunday, think about this: who is ONE person you know who does NOT attend church or have a relationship with Jesus who you can pray for this week? If you want to think about more than one, please do – God can handle it!

Think about your “FRANK’s” 

Friends, Relatives, Associates (co-workers), Neighbors, and Kids. 

Who is your ONE?

If you are not in a Life Group right now, I highly recommend you join one or lead one. I have resources to help you start one. Small groups are my passion!

It is incredibly important to frequently talk about how God is alive in our lives. If we don't focus on our relationship with Jesus Christ, then we only know about Jesus, we don't actually know Jesus. If we don't know Jesus, then we can't talk about him with others. Life Groups help us orient our lives to God's movement in our lives. They are vital as we grow in our faith.

I'm looking forward to this year - it's going to be fantastic.

I have a feeling God is up to something good!