TO OUR REDEEMER FAMILY - About Sunday Morning, March 15

(Redeemer)

From the Elders of Redeemer to our beloved Church family:

On March 13th, 2020, Redeemer's elders met at 7 pm to pray and discern God's will for our church in light of the latest developments in our world due to the coronavirus. (The Piippos, the Bentleys, and a few others participated remotely).

We believe that it is God's will for us to gather this Sunday morning as a community to worship Jesus Christ. 

We are also planning for a shorter service.

We recognize the risks of the exponential growth infections from the virus, especially for those vulnerable. We are thankful for our government's efforts to slow the spread of the virus. Defeating sickness is in line with the mission of Jesus, and we want to partner with that in every way that we are called to.

We are confident that our gathering is in line with the law, as we have been tracking our numbers, and can use our facilities to make accommodations, if necessary. 

We are also taking precautions that are proportional to the risk of gathering as we understand them. We have hired a cleaning service, Core Tech, that will do a deep clean of our entire facility Saturday night--this will include a sanitizing spray in all common areas, used especially for the flu season. 

We will have hand-sanitizer and extra tissues available. We will wipe down the door handles regularly with disinfectants. Our bathrooms are stocked with plenty of soap, and ample toilet paper. 

We recognize that some of us will be less comfortable with holy handshakes, holy hugs, and holy kisses, and that more of us might give way to holy nods, holy smiles, and holy laughter. 

For those who do not feel comfortable joining us on Sunday, we will be Live on our Facebook page starting at 11:15 am. Our live streaming service through Sermon.net will be available next week.

The coronavirus is not the only sickness in the land. There is an epidemic of loneliness, isolation, trauma and anxiety. We will gather this Sunday and expect that the God of all hope will bring great healing to every area of our lives. We will continue to listen for his voice and his direction regarding our Sunday gatherings, and will communicate if we feel that the Lord is leading us in a different direction in the future.

"The Fear-of-God builds up confidence, and makes a world safe for your children." Proverbs 14:26 MSG

We love you and are praying for you, our nation, and our world. 

Love, 

The Piippos, the Currys, the Angoves, the Ansels, the Bentleys, the Cowans, the Deans, the Kays, the LaRoys, and the Nutts.

A Pastor and the Coronavirus

(Redeemer sanctuary, where this Sunday I will be with many of my people.)

I have been a pastor for fifty years.

A pastor is a shepherd of people. A shepherd stays in close contact with the flock. 

A pastor loves the people. A pastor connects with the people. This includes, many times, being with them when they are sick. A pastor does not avoid the sick, or isolate themselves from the sick.

I was taught this in seminary. We all took training in caring for hospital patients. I was assigned several months in the cardiac unity at Cook County Hospital in Chicago. I will never forget one patient. He was a man in his twenties, facing life-or-death open heart surgery. I spend many hours in his hospital room - before and after surgery. He survived. We became friends. I was his pastor. I am so thankful God placed me there!

I have been called into the homes and hospital rooms of countless sick people. Sometimes I've had to wear a protective mask and gloves. The rare times I do not get close to the sick is when I am sick. I don't want to infect an already-suffering person.

I have done many international trips. Once, in India, I was speaking to two thousand people. After my sermon, I called people forward for prayer. Hundreds came forward. Then, out of the mass of bodies, a hand reached out and grabbed my hand. The hand was blotched. The fingers were gone. It was the hand of a leper.

What do I do with this? All I could think of was that Jesus got close to lepers and prayed for their healing. Am I not to do this? I had read stories of missionaries who contracted diseases and died, all for the sake of bringing Jesus to people. While the religious leaders in the time of Jesus isolated and quarantined lepers and stayed clear of them, sick people flocked to Jesus for healing and hope. A pastor is like that. This is part of my calling.

At Redeemer, we pray for sick people all the time. They come forward at the end of the service, and many pray for them. We get close to them. With their permission, we touch them. (This is called PIP - proximal intercessory prayer. See Dr. Candy Brown, Testing Prayer: Science and Healing.) 

Before and after praying for sick people, I sanitize my hands. But I am a pastor, and I must sanitize my heart as well. The prayer of a sanitized heart is powerful and effective. So, I go to my people in their need. I love them, and they need me. I've been doing this for fifty years, and am not about to abandon them now, even if they may have the coronavirus. 

Defeating Fear of the Coronavirus

(Holland, Michigan)

Have I ever felt afraid? Of course.

After our twin son David was stillborn, and our surviving twin Josh was fighting for his life, I had moments of fear. Fear is the emotion a person feels when facing something bad that is happening or is about to happen. Fear is the emotion I feel when my well being, and that of those I love, is threatened.

To fear is to feel unprotected.

Today a tiny virus is expanding its kingdom of fear, with mighty human institutions bowing before its path. What shall we do? Keep following normal precautions, such as sanitizing your hands, often. If you feel sick, stay home, isolated from the public. Follow guidelines like these.

Beyond that, what can I do? Here is where I have found my faith functioning as a shelter in the storms of life.

Consider Jesus' disciples, in their fishing boat, on the Sea of Galilee. A "furious storm" assaults them. The waves are sweeping over the boat. And Jesus is sleeping.

I think of my trip to India. I'm riding in the back seat of a car, being transported from Hyderabad to Kurnool. A five-hour car ride, that brought me a lot of fear. Many times I thought the driver would hit another car, or go off the road. To me, his driving was reckless. I was dead tired from a long flight, but could not sleep. Several times I turned to look at my Indian friend who invited me on this trip. Each time, he was sleeping like a newborn baby. Obviously, he had no fear.

Unable to take the storm any longer, Jesus' disciples - experienced fishermen - woke Jesus up, begging for help. Jesus wakes, and asks them, "Why are you so afraid?" Had I been in that boat I would have answered, "I'll tell you why. We are going to drown!"

Jesus responds by getting up and rebuking the wind and waves, as if they were demon-inspired. Upon which the waters calm down. Jesus' disciples were amazed, and ask, "What kind of man is this?"

When our son Joshua was going under, I prayed and told God, "If you will allow him to live, I shall never have such fear again." Josh lived. And while I have had bouts of fear since then, I remember how Jesus brought Linda and I through this terrible storm.

What kind of man is this, who is with us in the furious storms of life? His name is Jesus. And we are His followers, people of faith, who love Him, and in whom He works all things together for good.

Depleted Leaders Over-rely on Outside Sources

(Oak tree in my backyard)

In the 1980s, when I was in the end stages of writing my doctoral dissertation at Northwestern University, I was at a point of burnout. Whatever creativity and energy I had were gone. I couldn't see the forest for the trees.

One day, as I was walking across campus, one of my professors saw me and asked, "How is the paper going?" 

"Not well," I responded. "I can't see clearly any more. I don't know what to do next."

Immediately he said, "You need to take two weeks off and get away from it."

I took his counsel. During the two week hiatus the creative juices began to flow again.

I have never forgotten this. It applies to our spiritual lives as well.  

Years ago God called me to take several hours each week alone with him, praying, listening, and discerning. When I do this, I become less dependent on outside sources to inspire me because of what God is doing inside me. Other voices are at times helpful, but rarely do they assist me in the unique day-to-day challenges of ministry in my church family, which demand creativity and discernment.

Burnout-busyness is the enemy of this. The busier a pastor gets, the more they rely on outside sources to do the job of discerning for them, because they lack the needed inner resources. Ruth Haley Barton writes:

"When we are depleted, we become overly reliant on voices outside of ourselves to tell us what is going on. We react to symptoms rather than seeking to understand and respond to underlying causes. We rely on other people’s ministry models and outside consultants because we are too tired to listen in our setting and craft something that is uniquely suited to meet the needs that are there. When we are rested, however, we bring steady, alert attention that is characterized by true discernment about what is truly needed in our situation, and the energy and creativity to carry it out."
- - Barton, Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership: Seeking God in the Crucible of Ministry, p. 121)

***
My first two books are...

Praying: Reflection on 40 Years of Solitary Conversations with God (May 2016)

Leading the Presence-Driven Church (January 2018)

I am now writing...

Technology and Spiritual Formation

How God Changes the Human Heart: A Phenomenology of Spiritual Transformation)

You Have Authority Over Any Storm You Can Sleep In

(Linda gave me this, for Christmas)

If I wore a badge and a uniform and was hired to serve our community as a police officer, then I could stop traffic. I would step onto the street, wearing my uniform and badge, raise my hand, and traffic would stop, without even saying the word "Stop!" I could do this because I had real authority.

Because of the authority conferred to me, I would not be in some big inner panic about this. I wouldn't be wondering, "How could this traffic be halted!!!" I'd be at peace about this, precisely because, in this situation, I had the authority to stop traffic when needed.

Jesus had authority. Matthew 8:23-25 reads:

²³ Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him. ²⁴ Suddenly a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. ²⁵ The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!”

Jesus is sleeping through the "furious storm" that whipped up on the Sea of Galilee.

²⁶ He replied, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm.

Bill Johnson says: “Jesus released peace to the storm. How do we know He had peace? He was sleeping. You have authority over any storm you can sleep in.” 

²⁷ The men were amazed and asked, “What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!”

Even more amazing is the reality that Jesus confers his authority on all who follow after him. That's you, if you are a Jesus-follower. (See Luke 9 & 10, for example.)

To learn more about this kind of authority read: I Give You Authority: Practicing the Authority Jesus Gave Us, by Fuller Theological Seminary Professor Charles Kraft.

Big Brother Bans Religious Symbols in Quebec

If we who are "religious" in America fail to speak out on our rights and beliefs, we'll be another Quebec. (We are now heading in that direction, to the failure of the American Consumer Church.)

See nytimes, "A Quebec Ban on Religious Symbols Upends Lives and Careers."

Watch for Christians using hidden symbols as ways of recognizing each other, like the sign of the fish in the early church. 

The Leader's Greatest Task

(Manistee, Michigan)

I am re-pondering Eternal Living: Reflections on Dallas Willard's Teaching on Faith and Formation. In his reflective essay Alan Fadling writes:

"Leadership is too often an effort to pump something up rather than letting something flow from within us. What if leadership were one of those things that flowed like rivers of living water through the opening of our simple trust in Jesus (Jn 7:38)?" (Kindle Locations 2733-2734)

The real need for pastors and Christian leaders is to develop their inner lives. They need to live connected to Jesus. Instead of trying to make things happen, God-happenings in the human heart produce things.

"There may be no greater leadership task than tending one’s own growing life of communion with Jesus." (Kindle Locations 2731-2732)

Trust As the Cure for Anxiety & Fear

(Downstairs office in our home)

(I'm re-posting this for someone.)

I bought a new chair for my home office. I had the previous chair for twenty years. I trusted it. I knew it would hold me. Therefore, I felt no anxiety when I thought about sitting on it. 

Trust and anxiety do not live together. The more trust, the anxiety. To purely trust would be to be anxious for nothing. It would be contradictory to say, "I trust the chair I'm sitting in, but am afraid it won't hold me." Where there is trust, there is no fear.

There are objects of significant trust, and objects of insignificant trust. Objects of significant trust affect us; objects of insignificant trust have no effect. I may not trust the motives of the present King of France (nonexistent anyway), but my mistrust does not cause me anxiety or fear, because I am unaffected by his actions. I place no trust in the present King of France. But, my mistrust of our economy can cause me to wonder whether or not I will have sufficient funds to meet my needs in retirement. 

This can breed anxiety and fear. To not have control over an object of significant trust causes fear. The more a person needs to be in control the less their capacity to trust. The person who is mostly filled with anxiety and fear is the person who does not *trust, or whose trust is misplaced. 

There is a cumulative effect that results from a lifetime of trusting in God. A psychological confidence, a certitude, emerges. It is like the confidence one gains as a result of sitting in the same chair for twenty years, and finding that, through it all, it still holds. This is not illusory. I have met people who experience this. I have been at the bedside of these God-trusters as they lay dying. You have to be there to see the reality of this. 

The one who places their trust in God experiences less anxiety. Therefore...

Trust in the Lord with all your heart. Don't lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge God. And God will make straight your paths.
- Proverbs 3:5-6


 
*I recognize there are clinical, neurophysiological conditions that cause anxiety and fear. The antidote for such conditions may be medications. But even when medications stabilize a person's moods, issues of trust may remain. Medication will not help a person when the only chair they have keeps breaking.

***
My two books are:

Praying: Reflections on 40 Years of Solitary Conversations with God. 

Leading the Presence-Driven Church.

I'm working on:


How God Changes the Human Heart

Technology and Spiritual Formation

Then, God willing, Linda and I will write our book on Relationships.

Fear

Our Home

(I'm re-posting this for someone who asked.)

Fear is a lie.

For the most part.

Most things I have feared never came to pass. In that sense, fear is a lie.

There are real fears. Some things we were made to fear. This is how God designed us. This kind of fear protects us. These are rational fears.

But many of our fears are irrational. Yet the emotion of fear is just as real. The more fearful a person is, the more they interpret the events of life through the lens of fear. They are dominated by mistrust, controlled by self-preservation. 


One thing I do to combat fear (yes, I can get fearful) is meditate on biblical truths. The more I read and say them over and over, the more they descend from my mind into my heart.

As the apostle Paul said, "Whatever is good, whatever is true, whatever is beautiful, think on these things." (Philippians 4:8)

Read these words. Take them in. Memorize some of them.

33 Verses to Remind Us - We Do Not Have to Fear:

1.  “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.  I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10

2.  “When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.” Psalm 56:3

3.  “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7

4.  “Peace is what I leave with you; it is my own peace that I give you. I do not give it as the world does. Do not be worried and upset; do not be afraid.” John 14:27

5.  “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” 2 Timothy 1:7

6.  “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.” 1 John 4:18

7.  “When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought joy to my soul.” Psalm 94:19

8.  “But now, this is what the Lord says…Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine.” Isaiah 43:1

9.  “An anxious heart weighs a man down, but a kind word cheers him up.” Proverbs 12:25

10. “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” Psalm 23:4

11. “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9

12. “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” Matthew 6:34

13. “Humble yourselves, then, under God’s mighty hand, so that he will lift you up in his own good time.  Leave all your worries with him, because he cares for you.” 1 Peter 5:6-7

14. “Tell everyone who is discouraged, Be strong and don’t be afraid! God is coming to your rescue…” Isaiah 35:4

15. “Do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear.  Life is more than food, and the body more than clothes.  Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds!  Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?  Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?” Luke 12:22-26

16. “The Lord is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear?  The Lord is the stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid?” Psalm 27:1

17. “Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall.” Psalm 55:22

18. “Immediately he spoke to them and said, 'Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.'” Mark 6:50

19. “Be strong and courageous.  Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” Deuteronomy 31:6

20. “'For I am the Lord, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.  Do not be afraid, for I myself will help you,' declares the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.” Isaiah 41:13-14

21. “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” Psalm 46:1

22. “The Lord is with me; I will not be afraid.  What can man do to me?  The Lord is with me; he is my helper.” Psalm 118:6-7

23. “Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe.” Proverbs 29:25

24. “He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.  He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” Mark 4:39-40

25. “The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them.” Psalm 34:7

26. “But even if you suffer for doing what is right, God will reward you for it. So don’t worry or be afraid of their threats.” 1 Peter 3:14

27. “I prayed to the Lord, and he answered me.  He freed me from all my fears.” Psalm 34:4

28. “Do not be afraid of them; the Lord your God himself will fight for you.” Deuteronomy 3:22

29. “Then he placed his right hand on me and said: 'Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last.'” Revelation 1:17

30. “Jesus told him, ‘Don’t be afraid; just believe.’” Mark 5:36

31. “And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love.” Romans 8:38-39

32. “The Lord your God is in your midst, A victorious warrior. He will exult over you with joy, He will be quiet in His love, He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy.” Zephaniah 3:17

33. “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.  I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”…He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.  You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday.  A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you…For he will command his angels concerning you, to guard you in all your ways…“Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.  He will call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him…” from Psalm 91:1-16

Character (Now For Something Completely Different)

(Glen Arbor, Michigan)

When I was a boy I remember being encouraged by my parents and teachers to watch the first presidential debate on TV. I don't remember what it was about. Probably, I was bored. But I was told this was an historic event. So my family and I settled down in our living room and watched John F. Kennedy debate Richard Nixon.

That was September 26, 1960. Today things are different.  We should pray for parents who have to figure out how to shield their kids from the amoral catastrophe. We should, as Scripture tells us, pray for our government leaders, especially that they would have moral integrity. We should focus on character before charisma.

Allow me to present you with something different. A different world. An alternative kingdom. Another path. It's given by New York Times writer David Brooks, in The Road to Character. 

Character. 

Brooks begins by making a distinction between two opposing sides of human nature, He calls the two sides Adam 1 and Adam 2. 

Adam 1 does things that strengthen his résumé. Adam 1 strives to have high personal status and win victories.

Adam 2, on the other hand, wants to embody certain moral qualities. Adam 2 has a non-self-promoting sense of right and wrong. Adam 2 not only wants to do good, but to be good.

Adam 1 self-promotes. Adam 2 sacrifices self in the service of others.

Adam 2 lives in service to a transcendent truth that is bigger than himself or herself.

Adam 1 wants to conquer the world; Adam 2 wants to serve the world.

Brooks writes:

"While Adam 1 is creative and savors his own accomplishments, Adam 2 sometimes renounces worldly success and status for the sake of some sacred purpose. While Adam 1 asks how things work, Adam 2 asks why things exist, and what ultimately we are here for. While Adam 1 wants to venture forth, Adam 2 wants to return to his roots and savor the warmth of a family meal. While Adam 1’s motto is “Success,” Adam 2 experiences life as a moral drama. His motto is “Charity, love, and redemption.”" (Brooks, Kindle Locations 81-85)

Adam 1 lives by a utilitarian logic; viz., the logic of economics. Effort leads to reward. Pursue self-interest. Maximize your utility. Impress the world.

Adam 2 upside-downs the logic of Adam 1. Brooks writes:

"It’s a moral logic, not an economic one. 

You have to give to receive. 

You have to surrender to something outside yourself to gain strength within yourself. 

You have to conquer your desire 

to get what you crave. 

Success leads to the greatest failure, which is pride. Failure leads to the greatest success, 

which is humility and learning. 

In order to fulfill yourself, 

you have to forget yourself. 

In order to find yourself, 

you have to lose yourself. 

To nurture your Adam 1 career, 

it makes sense to cultivate your strengths. 

To nurture your Adam 2 moral core, 

it is necessary to confront your weaknesses." 

(Kindle Locations 90-95)

Our narcissistic culture applauds and feeds Adam 1, while dismissing Adam 2. The media over-feeds on Adam 1 types. Adam 2 types were not made for consumption.

"We live," writes Brooks, "in a society that encourages us to think about how to have a great career but leaves many of us inarticulate about how to cultivate the inner life." 

We live to satisfy our desires at the expense of developing a deep, moral life. 

"We live in a culture that teaches us to promote and advertise ourselves and to master the skills required for success, but that gives little encouragement to humility, sympathy, and honest self-confrontation, which are necessary for building character."

Our culture judges people by their abilities, which define a person's worth. In America, Adam 1 increases, while Adam 2 decreases. Thus, most live satisfied with moral mediocrity.

Adam 1 lives for "résumé virtues"; Adam 2 lives for "eulogy virtues." Brooks writes:

"The résumé virtues are the ones you list on your résumé, the skills that you bring to the job market and that contribute to external success. The eulogy virtues are deeper. They’re the virtues that get talked about at your funeral, the ones that exist at the core of your being— whether you are kind, brave, honest or faithful; what kind of relationships you formed." (K63)

A eulogy-virtuous person has been freed from self-promotion. "Sometimes you don’t even notice these people, because while they seem kind and cheerful, they are also reserved. They possess the self-effacing virtues of people who are inclined to be useful but don’t need to prove anything to the world: humility, restraint, reticence, temperance, respect, and soft self-discipline." (K160-162)

Adam 1 is morally dis-integrated.

Adam 2 has character. This is important, isn't it?

(God is still working on my own spiritual character development.)

***

My two books are:

Praying: Reflections on 40 Years of Solitary Conversations with God

Leading the Presence-Driven Church

I am writing...

How God Changes the Human Heart

Technology and Spiritual Formation

Linda and I will then co-write our book on Relationships.