When we go to somebody for help in overcoming something, it's often just to get a different perspective.

The counselor or therapist looks at our problem from a different perspective and, through questions, helps us to see things differently. And through experience with seeing what has helped others is able to prescribe what can help us. 

The primary care physician looks at our symptoms from the perspective of having seen many people with the same symptoms, and then uses that perspective to decide whether we should be concerned, and to prescribe either medication or behavior modification that has the best likelihood of fixing the problem.

We go to the mechanic for perspective, the contractor for perspective, the accountant for perspective, the consultant for perspective, etc.

As a minister I am called upon to give perspective. My perspective as a preacher and teacher is to remind everyone how God has spoken into our circumstances. I open the scriptures to "correct, rebuke, and encourage." (2 Timothy 4:2) And my perspective as a pastor is to look at presenting problems and give spiritual direction, not always to alleviate the symptoms, but always to correct the root causes of whatever spiritual dysfunctions I see. Again, this is from my perspective.  

As I was studying for last week's message (Encouragement in These Last Days) I was living with the perplexity I hear in many people as they ask, "What next?!" Like what bad thing is going to happen next?

Just last week (feels like forever ago) there was the explosion in Beirut, reports of earthquakes all over, a hurricane, and a tornado in PA. And that was on top of the ongoing pandemic, riots, political unrest, and all the posturing of a contentious election on the horizon. It just seems like we keep getting hit with "one more thing." I even learned last week that hundreds of elephants have been dying in Botswana and no one knows why. "One more thing."

As I pondered it, something felt familiar. I looked back a few years to gain perspective, and I found a message I preached on September 24, 2017. In it I addressed the same sense of perplexity we were experiencing then. See if you remember it. I said,

"Five weeks ago we had a Solar eclipse.
"Six days later Hurricane Harvey swamped Houston.
"Two days later North Korea launched a ballistic missile over Japan.
"Ten days later an 8.1 magnitude earthquake hit Mexico.
"Two days after that Hurricane Irma hit us.
"Five days later North Korea launched another ballistic missile over Japan.
"Four days after that a 7.1 magnitude earthquake crushed Mexico City.
"Two days after that Hurricane Maria swamped the Caribbean Islands again.
"The day after that we had what seemed like a monsoon here.
"The day after that another earthquake in Mexico.
"And the whole time wildfires were consuming 2 million acres in the western United States.
"And, to top it all off, Christians were saying the world was going to end September 23rd. Otherwise known as 'yesterday.'" 

At that time we were all asking "WHAT’S GOING ON?!?!" People were declaring unequivocally that "THE END IS NEAR!!!" Many were living in a state of constant alarm. I had forgotten a lot of those things, but now I remember them. Because it was my job to give perspective then, and it's my job to give perspective now.

I said then that many of us were "emotionally multitasking," going back and forth between “WE'RE ALL DOOMED!” and just watching the latest kitten videos. Today, instead of kitten videos, it's probably trying out the latest dance moves on TikTok or whatever.

I said then what I say now. And this is why you don’t catch me being alarmed about stuff.

I believe God wants his Church to be a non-anxious presence in the community. That doesn't mean we shouldn't be concerned. But it does mean that we shouldn't be alarmed.

We need to remember that worry is a sin. I don't say that to shame you. I say it to free you. Don't give into it any more than you'd give in to lust or hatred. Confess it as sin and resist it. And then replace it with longing. 

Worry looks forward in fear. Longing looks forward in anticipation. Hope holds all things in eternal perspective. This is foundational to our faith. 

These are crazy times — and many say it’s evidence that we are in the End Times. Sure. I prefer the biblical phrase "the Last Days." It is less of a commitment to an eschatalogical framework as simply a faith statement that Jesus is coming back. The evidence for that is not how bad things are. The evidence is that Jesus left and hasn’t returned yet! When Jesus ascended into the sky (Acts 1:9) it was with a declaration that we were now in the Last Days. He would soon come back to get us.

So far that "soon" is 2000 years old. In other words, it's a really old "soon." It's a "soon" that has gone through 80 generations so far. Yet believers in each of those generations believed the Lord's return was imminent. And that's the better word: Imminent. That's what Jesus wanted his apostles to believe, and it's what he wants us to believe. So we believe. Eagerly. 

Jesus is coming back soon. It could be today. Or he might delay another day. And even if he delays another generation, we're okay with it. We don't get to know when because we don't have to know when in order to be ready when. We just have to be ready now.

Like I said in this week's message, I’m prepared to see him coming on the clouds! But I’m also prepared to steward this life for another several decades if given the opportunity. I hope to live a long life, but more than that, I hope to live life longing for the Lord’s return, so that when he appears, I leap to my feet in eager anticipation.

I do fear that some feel like the bus is careening off the cliff and they're just trying to figure out whether it’s better to go along for the ride, or jump off before impact. If I can give this counsel from my perspective: Don’t jump off. The end will come soon enough.

Instead of fearing, start longing. Instead of being alarmed, just be encouraged. Focus on that, and soon enough, Jesus will return, and your whole being will erupt in a joyful shout at the glory of is appearing!

It's good to long for heaven. And for now, it's good to long patiently. As long as the Lord waits patiently, we must give witness to the hope of our gospel for all who receive him. I am encouraged by the imminence of the Lord’s return, and yet I count each day a sacred opportunity to encourage others to give their heart fully to Jesus.

Be encouraged today with this perspective: Jesus is coming soon. And Today is the Day of Salvation.

Amen?

I knew it when I wrote it. Some would only read the headline. And the rumors would fly.

Today I learned of a rumor and it gives me opportunity to make the point again, so I smile and thank God for the opportunity. And I thank God that people care so much about SCC. 

The phrase? "We're closed for good." 

Like I say, I knew it was provocative, so I clarified it in the third sentence. I said, "I don't mean that like it sounds." And then I went on to explain what I meant, that God is using this temporary shut down for good. Meaning, let's look for the good that God wants to bring out of this! (I'll resist the urge to make the point again here. Just go read the full article.)

Nevertheless, some people think we have closed the church permanently. Let me correct that with two statements:

• We have NOT closed the church permanently.
• We DO plan to open the church to public services again.

We don't know yet when we'll open weekly. We're taking many things into consideration. But we do hope to hold a public worship event in the next several weeks, even if it's not yet prudent to resume weekly gatherings. (More info to come.)

So please, if you hear anyone saying we've closed the church permanently, have them read this. And then have them read the original post. It's still a message that needs to be heard.

Love,

I wrote in last week’s blog that we are “closed for good” — meaning God is doing good in us through this trial. That is his way.

I don’t know when we’ll open the campus again, but because of this trial, I have opened my heart to something better than “going to church,” and I invite you to do the same.

I believe God is purifying his Church by burning off the complexities and confidences that we’ve allowed to clutter the gospel and confuse faithfulness. Proverbs 23:1-8 is jarring but speaks wisdom to us in this time:

"When you sit to dine with a ruler...do not crave his delicacies, for that food is deceptive. Do not wear yourself out to get rich; do not trust your own cleverness. Cast but a glance at riches, and they are gone, for they will surely sprout wings and fly off to the sky like an eagle. Do not eat the food of a begrudging host, do not crave his delicacies; for he is the kind of person who is always thinking about the cost. 'Eat and drink,' he says to you, but his heart is not with you. You will vomit up the little you have eaten and will have wasted your compliments."

The Western Church has long dined with rulers and craved their delicacies. We have worn ourselves out to attract and assimilate people. We have trusted in our own cleverness and have “cast but a glance” at effectiveness, only to see it “fly off” time and time again. We have eaten the food of a begrudging host and are vomiting up what we have eaten.

Every disappointment we face in life and in ministry should remind us of the temptation of doing things by our own cleverness and for our own benefit. Such disappointments are for our good because they bring us face to face with truth.

I am renewed in my conviction that it is not our job to “grow the Church.” Jesus already told us that he would build his Church. Our job is to proclaim Christ, not our church brand, and to teach people about Jesus, not about us.

If only God would call all congregations back to this simple and pure desire! If only we would renew our love! If only we would strengthen and encourage each other to remain true to the Lord! If only we would remind each other that being the Church is about living in Christ, not going to church or promoting a church brand!

Each week I give the blessing to “go be the Church” and by that I mean to “go be followers of Jesus” together. That's it. And “together” means together with all believers everywhere, wherever you find believers! And "together" means friendship with people you can pray with and encourage to remain true to the Lord. This is much more significant than belonging to a "big church" or a "small group." It's belonging to Jesus.

I believe "Church" is getting ready to look different. It already looks different, but I believe this is opportunity to do a new thing. In fact, this is my confidence and hope, that as we currently rest from onsite gathering, God is calling us to something better than just onsite gathering.

This is good, and it’s for God’s purpose. We are being shaken so that what is unworthy will fall off. And when that has happened, let it be true that whatever remains is simple and pure and worthy of his praise.

To that end, I invite you to prayerfully consider: How best might we “fulfill the Great Commandment and the Great Commission with Great Compassion and Great Conviction” in this new era? Not as a new program to try, but as a simpler, more pure way of being the Church.

Thank you for your support!
Thank you for continuing to honor God with your finances! May you be blessed for your Generosity! We continue to receive checks from many in the mail, or by text, or online. (Please note that we now have an option for those who give online to pay the transaction fee incurred by the church so that all of your offerings goes to the church itself.)  

A few weeks ago we ran a fundraiser to help a widow in our community get a new roof. We chose to use GoFundMe because we wanted to connect as many as possible to the opportunity, believing that not only is it a gift to the recipient, but the opportunity for people to show compassion is itself a gift. We had a goal of $4,000 and exceeded by nearly $1,000 which we will apply to similar projects. We are excited to coordinate tangible help like this!

Spread the Word
The gospel provides hope that this world desperately needs. And God's wisdom speaks so profoundly into the struggles we all face. It's my joy to open scripture each week against the backdrop of current events. And I'm encouraged by many who say they are encouraged.

I want to explain this hope to as many people as possible, so I make the weekly teachings available on YouTube. But just putting a video on YouTube doesn't help people find it. I need your help.

Not everyone is called to preach or teach, but if you have social media, you have the ability to spread the word. (And if you've been encouraged by the weekly sermons, others will be encouraged too!)

So here's what I'm asking you to do: 

1. Go to my YouTube channel by clicking here. (Do it right now; it will open another window so you can keep reading this.)
2. Then, click on the Subscribe button. This is like "following" on other social media. 
3. Then click on the Bell icon. This way you will be notified every time I upload a new video.
4. Then, each time you get the notice, watch the video, click the thumbs up icon, and leave a quick comment. All of this activity helps other people find it.
5. Finally click Share and post it to Facebook or share it directly with your friends list, along with a short comment about how you were encouraged or challenged.

Together, we can sow the hope of the gospel into every relationship!

Call to Prayer
As staff and overseers, we have been walking the church parking lot regularly to pray for our congregation, and for Sarasota. I believe we have only begun to see what God wants us to see in this, and I am filled with anticipation and enthusiasm about it.

He is good, loving, and powerful. And he is not perplexed or indecisive.

And so, as I wait on God, even though I am disturbed by the destruction and ungodliness I see in the world, I am not disquieted. As I measure the days, I am filled with righteous indignation, yet I trust in the Lord and am filled with love. I do not know the future, but I am confident that we must apply ourselves personally to fulfilling “the Great Commandment and the Great Commission with Great Compassion and Great Conviction.” And I believe it will look different than what we have done in the past.

I believe and pray that in these days, the name of Jesus and the grace of the gospel will become more eminent as the judgment of God becomes increasingly imminent. This is our confidence and our urgency.

May the Lord “fill the world with love joy and peace as we sow the hope of the gospel into every relationship.”

​With sober conviction and hope,

We're closed for good.

I say that in faith.

Of course, I don't mean that like it sounds. What I mean is that our campus is closed for a time, but it's closed with an expectation that good will come of it. We don't know when it will reopen, but until then it's "closed for good," even if not for long. And even if for long.

We expect that even in this, God is making things new.

I continue to have the sense that the field we've sown and reaped for 70 years, is being forced to lie fallow. I'm not a farmer so I'll let the dictionary explain what that means: fal·low |ˈfalō | adjective | (of farmland) plowed and harrowed but left unsown for a period in order to restore its fertility as part of a crop rotation or to avoid surplus production.

I asked the staff yesterday, "In what ways are we better for being closed?" The easiest answer was a renewal in our appreciation of fellowship. Absence makes the heart grow fonder. 

Then I asked, "In what ways are we worse for being closed?" This was just as easy to answer: difficulty of fellowship.

And this is no surprise. When I polled you all a several weeks ago about what you miss most, you said overwhelmingly: Fellowship. And that's the hardest thing to do online. And to be candid, I wonder if it is a pastor's job to get people to fellowship together. It certainly isn't my job to get people to eat or sleep.

At some point, as adults, we put food in our own mouths, we put ourselves to bed, and we put ourselves in proximity with others to enjoy their company. Nevertheless, many have become accustomed to the local church being their social hub, and when it's not, some of us feel a bit lost.

So yes, fellowship. 

But there are other answers to the "better/worse" questions. And not just for us as A church, but for THE Church -- the larger Body of Christ of which we are just a cell, along with all the other churches. And that's where much of my thoughts are these days.

In what ways are we "closed for good?"

Something about this shut down seems to me like God is preparing to do something totally new. And it seems like it's something that needs the "land" to rest first. Like, it's time for a great harvest, but the soil needs to become rich again. So he's causing the land to rest.

I get the thought from Leviticus 25.

1The Lord said to Moses at Mount Sinai, 2“Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘When you enter the land I am going to give you, the land itself must observe a sabbath to the Lord. 3For six years sow your fields, and for six years prune your vineyards and gather their crops. 4But in the seventh year the land is to have a year of sabbath rest, a sabbath to the Lord. Do not sow your fields or prune your vineyards. 5Do not reap what grows of itself or harvest the grapes of your untended vines. The land is to have a year of rest. 6Whatever the land yields during the sabbath year will be food for you—for yourself, your male and female servants, and the hired worker and temporary resident who live among you, 7as well as for your livestock and the wild animals in your land. Whatever the land produces may be eaten.

And then it calls for a double sabbath. In the 49th and 50th years the land is to spend two years at rest. And along with it, property is to be returned to its clan, slaves are to be freed, and debts are to be forgiven. It's huge.

It reads this way: 

8“ ‘Count off seven sabbath years—seven times seven years—so that the seven sabbath years amount to a period of forty-nine years. 9Then have the trumpet sounded everywhere on the tenth day of the seventh month; on the Day of Atonement sound the trumpet throughout your land. 10Consecrate the fiftieth year and proclaim liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee for you; each of you is to return to your family property and to your own clan. 11The fiftieth year shall be a jubilee for you; do not sow and do not reap what grows of itself or harvest the untended vines. 12For it is a jubilee and is to be holy for you; eat only what is taken directly from the fields. 13“ ‘In this Year of Jubilee everyone is to return to their own property. 

Hmm. The "Year of Jubilee." A year of emancipation and restoration. I wonder why God did that. But I also wonder why we question it.

I suspect he did it because we question it. We don't trust it. We're supposed to work, to sow, to reap. But when God told his people how to live in the land, he said, "Sow and reap! But then, every seventh year, don't sow or reap! Just trust me to do the sowing and reaping! And every seventh time you do that, do it one more year for good measure, so that at least once in your lifetime you know what it is to seriously trust me to provide for you."

Sure, we could say that he said this because he understood the land's limitations and was just teaching them to be good stewards of the land. But we could also say that he understood their own limitations (and temptations to self-reliance) and was teaching them to be good stewards of their own hearts.

I recently finished reading 1st Chronicles and 2nd Chronicles where it describes the up and down, back and forth loyalty of God's people. A good king is followed by a bad king is followed by a good king is followed by a bad king. And sometimes the good king becomes the bad king. It's very disconcerting. Finally, at the end of it, God causes his people to be forcefully carried away from the Promised Land he gave them, and back into captivity again, this time to Babylon. He warned them time and time again, and they didn't respond, so he followed through.

It's summarized in the last chapter, 2 Chronicles 36:

15The Lord, the God of their ancestors, sent word to them through his messengers again and again, because he had pity on his people and on his dwelling place. 16But they mocked God’s messengers, despised his words and scoffed at his prophets until the wrath of the Lord was aroused against his people and there was no remedy. 17He brought up against them the king of the Babylonians, who killed their young men with the sword in the sanctuary, and did not spare young men or young women, the elderly or the infirm. God gave them all into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar. 18He carried to Babylon all the articles from the temple of God, both large and small, and the treasures of the Lord’s temple and the treasures of the king and his officials. 19They set fire to God’s temple and broke down the wall of Jerusalem; they burned all the palaces and destroyed everything of value there.

20He carried into exile to Babylon the remnant, who escaped from the sword, and they became servants to him and his successors until the kingdom of Persia came to power.

And then it says this curious thing: 

21The land enjoyed its sabbath rests; all the time of its desolation it rested, until the seventy years were completed in fulfillment of the word of the Lord spoken by Jeremiah.

Why? Was God really so concerned about the soil? Wasn't he more concerned that his people had not followed him? That they had not trusted him?

Yes, the latter. And yet he honored his own command by following through on the former. And the land was at rest while they were in captivity, all as a testimony against their unwillingness to trust him.

I have a strong sense that what the world is undergoing right now is a time of preparation. It may even be a time of God following through on his warnings. I'll let you talk to God about that for more insight. But for me, my thoughts go to isolation, competition, and an overconfidence in strategy.

• What if God is allowing congregations to feel the loneliness of isolation to highlight how lonely he is for tender fellowship between believers of all congregations?
• What if God is allowing congregations to feel divided for a time so that we can recognize the ugliness of competitions that divide the larger Church?
• What if he's allowing the fields to lie unsown and unreaped for a time so that we can see what it produces when God does all the work -- and then give him glory for that, not for how good we are at sowing and reaping?

If those things were to happen, we would celebrate that we were "closed for good," right? I'm just telling you that I believe in faith with hope that we are "closed for good."

Of course, no matter how you cut it, the Church is still very, very open. In fact, we haven't closed a single day. Not for a single minute. You can't close the Church anymore than you can close a field. It is a field. And we are the Church. But both the field and the Church can honor God with a sabbath rest. 

My encouragement to you is to receive your rest. Restore your faith. Renew your energy. Let God take care of you. And trust that God is not done with "ripe fields" but rather he is preparing the fields for a harvest greater than the overworked fields can currently produce.

Join me in that prayer. 

Amen?

In yesterday's message I talked about how I try to read scripture every day. I said that it's a practice that has fed me and kept me on track for 28 years. 

This isn't a new concept, but it can be intimidating. For many, their heart says yes but they don't know where to start or what to do.

So today I'm going to tell you what I've found helpful.

In fact, I dare say that this "daily" habit has helped me more in my faith than any other, coupled with the habit of regular contemplation. 

But first, before I explain my plan, let me say that there is not such a thing as an inspired reading plan, other than just the Bible itself.

And second, I must admit that nowhere in the Bible are we told to read the Bible every day. We are, however, told to meditate on it day and night. It is described as a lamp that helps us see the path. It offers wisdom, correction, guidance, all that. It makes us wise for salvation, so we follow it.

Third, we need to remember that the Bible wasn't written as a Bible. The Bible is actually a compilation of prophetic writings received over a period of 1500 years that were finally bound together as one book so we could have it all handy. And the chapters and verses weren't added until the 1500's. It makes it easier to reference things. Even if there are some cool connections and patterns in the numbers, it's the words that are significant, not the little numbers. So don't get caught up in having to read a certain number of chapters or verses. They're just there to help you find stuff. 

That said, I try to read four chapters a day. ​

I'm not perfect at it. But it would be impossible to overstate the help that this habit has been for me. It gives me perspective. It "lights my path." There simply is no substitute for sitting in the counsel of scripture every day.

Years ago I was looking for my own Bible reading plan, and I discovered a plan to read through the Bible in a year. It took me two and half years! I read it slowly, with curiosity. I cross-referenced freely and allowed myself to use the reading plan to stimulate my interest, and then allowed God to lead me.

After that I decided that four chapters a day was a good pattern. I decided that rather than trying to read through the Bible in a set amount of time, I would just read in the Bible every day.

I divided the Bible into four sections, and since that time I have been reading one chapter a day from each section. 

1. "WORSHIP & WISDOM" covers Psalms through Ecclesiastes. I let these chapters lead me in worship and teach me God's wisdom. I often refer to the teachings in these books to help me make wise decisions when my heart or mind would either be confused, or pulled sideways. I read through this section every seven months or so.

2. "THE STORY OF GOD & HIS PEOPLE" covers Genesis through Malachi (skipping those covered in the "worship and wisdom" section). These are the stories of God and his people, that lead up to Christ. Reading this in the context of the next two sections leads to some wonderful insights about what God was up to from the beginning. I read through this section once every two years.

3. "THE STORY OF JESUS & HIS CHURCH" covers Matthew through Acts. These are the stories of Jesus' life and the lives of his followers after he returned to heaven. As followers of Jesus it is critical that we get to know him in this way, and to learn how those first believers followed the leading of the Holy Spirit. I read through this section three times a year.

4. "THE LETTERS TO THE CHURCH" covers Romans through Revelation. This is where I learn from the apostles how to live out my faith. Technically the last book is not a letter, but it actually references letters to seven churches, and it makes sense to keep it in this category. I read through this section two times a year.

So I read those four chapters a day using three bookmarks and the ribbon in my Bible. When I finish one section, I start over at the beginning of that section the next day, while continuing on in the other sections. For example, here's what a few snapshots looks like:

Day 1
-Psalm 1
-Genesis 1
-Matthew 1
-Romans 1

Day 17
-Psalm 17
-Genesis 17
-Matthew 17
-1 Corinthians 1 (Go to next book)

Day 118
-Psalm 118
-Numbers 1
-Matthew 1 (Go to beginning of section again)
-1 John 5

Day 194
-Psalm 1 (Start at beginning of section again)
-Joshua 7
-John 9
-Galatians 6

This staggered pattern means that I will probably never read the same four chapters in a day. And it's amazing how often the daily readings interact in eye opening ways. Such is the nature of God's word.

So that's what I do. And I give myself plenty of freedom in it. Remember, the goal is to spend time contemplating God's word on a daily basis. And this pattern is a helpful guide. Make it a lifestyle habit and you will receive a balanced, ongoing experience of sitting under the whole counsel of scripture!

May God open up his word to you, as you devote yourself to him in this way.

Friday our daughter-in-law messaged us to see if they could come to our house for worship on Sunday. Of course the answer was YES!

Now, that may not make sense unless you know what happens behind the scenes these days. When we are not meeting onsite (when the campus is closed) the worship team records the service ahead of time, and then streams it Sunday as a simulated live event. So, even though I'm "on stage," my experience Sunday mornings is just like yours. Wendy, Bekah, and I sit on the couch and watch the service together. It's become a nice tradition these past several months. (Did I just say several months?!)

But this past Friday, Kailey asked if she and Micah and baby Kaiden could come over Sunday for worship. That sounded like a great idea! In fact, a couple weeks ago I blogged here about hoping to see that sort of thing happen!

She brought homemade cinnamon rolls and the six of us sat on the couches and watched the worship service. I can't say we were terribly disciplined about it. We tended to talk during it. Having people over is typically a social event and this felt like a social event. But I think if we were to do it more often, we would become accustomed to settling in and being present to it.

We gathered for worship. We raised our hands for the blessing. Then we started getting ready for lunch. I think that, to do it over again, I would ask if we could pray together when it was done. That would've been nice. Next time.

But yesterday we started getting ready for lunch. Then six others joined us for a total of twelve. We had invited them Friday, saying that we'd grill burgers if everyone else just brought something to share. We didn't organize it too much, we just let people bring what they wanted. And we ate good. Afterward we had some homemade cheesecake that Wendy had made the day before.

Then we all hung out for awhile, and eventually people went home. It was a good morning/afternoon.

I napped a little.

Then at 6:30pm we had some teens over for our weekly Bible study. We talked about the morning teaching, reading through the scriptures I had used, plus some. We talked about the challenges and encouragements of what it means to follow Christ in this. And we prayed for each other. We finished those conversations by probably 8pm, and then most of them just hung out talking for another couple hours. 

I went upstairs to join Wendy who was on her weekly Zoom meeting with her family in Oregon and Paraguay. They do that every week for at least a couple hours. I said my heys and then came back downstairs to join the other conversation. Soon enough Wendy came back downstairs, about the same time people were heading out.

Then Bekah went up to her room, and Wendy and I spent a couple hours on the couch watching our latest TV series.

It was a full day. A very full day. Our house was full. I'm a little tired, but my heart is full. 

I write all that to give a real world picture of what it can look like to open your house. Because my dream is that, even when the church building is closed, the church homes are open. And my hope is that even after the church building reopens (again), the church homes will still be open.

Most people like that idea, but don't want to do it themselves. It feels overwhelming because we imagine it as a huge thing like what Wendy and I did yesterday. And that would be overwhelming if it was every day, or if it fell to one person to make it all happen. 

But I want to put you at ease here: It doesn't have to be like that. Really, it could be a 90 minute experience with no more to eat than crackers and juice. (Seriously. I'll get to that.)

If you've paid attention to my teaching for any length of time, you've heard me cite Acts 2:42. The whole paragraph goes to verse 47. It describes how the believers related to each other after the Holy Spirit was poured out onto them. Let's read it and then :

They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. 

Can you imagine if that was our experience? Picture us doing life as a family of believers, where we spend time discussing the scriptures together, and praying together, but we also just do life together. We help each other in tangible ways, we meet together regularly in whatever we relate to as "the temple courts," we eat together in our homes, we share our lives with others and they share their lives with us. We're family. Imagine that.

Again, most of us like the thought, but pull back at the implementation. We like going to church, but going to someone's home, or having them come over to ours?! We've lost that as a culture. We're intimidated by that.

To be sure, not everyone has a hospitality gift, and this certainly is opportunity for "hosts" to shine. But you don't have to be great at hosting parties to be good at having people over for worship.

In fact, I want to dumb this down so everyone can consider doing it. Here's my handy dandy step by step guide to having people over for worship. (Disclaimer: I'm not suggesting a reckless exposure to Covid. Try to embrace the heart of what I'm saying and then use your best judgment in the application of it.)

Step by Step Instructions for Opening Your Home for Worship

1. Invite them. Just ask a few people to come over to your house for worship and lunch this Sunday. Don't look past your neighbors. Who do you know who might like to know they're thought of? Ask them to come over at 9:45AM and to plan to stay till Noon or so. Confirm with them Saturday night.
2. Plan for them. Think ahead about where people can sit to comfortably watch the service. Make sure your TV or computer is setup (https://sarasotacommunity.online.church) so they can see and hear. Have the pre-service video playing when they get there. 
3. Watch together. The service will start 10AM but the chat room will be live at 9:45. Have someone from the group leave a comment saying who is attending at your home. Then, as the service starts, let the music move you. You can either listen or sing along. Pay attention to the teaching. If asked to pray, pray. If asked to raise your hands, raise your hands. If asked to fill out a connect card and to put something in the offering, do that. You're at church.
4. Pray together. The service is usually over by 10:50. While everyone is still attentive say, "I wonder if we could take just a few minutes to pray together. I'd like to pray for our country, our city, and our church, but I also think it would be good to pray for each other. How can we be praying for each other?" Take time to talk that through. Then say that you're going to open it up for people to pray silently or out loud, and that you'll close after a few minutes. Then pray whatever you want. It can be as simple as, "Lord, thank you for our time together today, and thank you for hearing our prayers. We love you Jesus. Amen."
5. "Break bread together." This can be a full scale meal, or something as simple as eating bread or crackers and juice as you would take communion at church. Read 1 Corinthians 11:23-25, then eat together, remembering that Jesus became flesh for us so that he could lay down his life for us, and so that we could have fellowship with God and each other. Enjoy good fellowship around the table.
6. Then clean up together. You can have them hang out for as long as you want. But know that it's okay to tell your guests that you have a standing one o'clock appointment with your Sunday afternoon nap. :)

Parts of that may feel natural to you, and other parts may not, but none of it needs to feel forced. Just open up your home this Sunday to one or two others, maybe three. Ask them to come worship with you! And let's see what God does among us.

Who might you invite this week?

I was thinking this morning about my morning time with God. I've been doing it for 28 years. Sometimes I refer to it as my "devotions," but the truth is, I struggle to devote myself to it.

I do it. But I struggle to do it.

There are so many distractions. So many things I have to do. So many things that want me to pay attention to them. Some of them are worthwhile, like adding to my to do list, or responding to a text, or writing a blog or sermon. But some are worthless. (How can pulling up my phone to study a word from the biblical text turn into 15 minutes of watching videos?!) 

I grab my coffee, I pull out my Bible, open it up on my lap, and read my phone. What's with that?

I don't believe faithfulness is measured by having a morning devotion. But I do believe spending time with God every morning increases faithfulness. In fact, I would say that my best experiences with God have been connected to this habit of getting alone with him, and devoting my attention to him.

When we spend time looking into the heart and mind of God through a prayerful reading of scripture, where we examine ourselves by it, it changes how we see God, how we see ourselves, and how we see the day itself. We become more grateful, more penitent, more sensitive, more caring, more loving, more patient, all those things. We fill up with love joy and peace!

But then we fill up our minds with the news, videos, memes, grams, snaps, tweets, and TikToks. Sigh.

This morning my reading had me in Revelation 1, where John said, "On the Lord's Day I was in the Spirit," and then he describes a vision in which he hears from Jesus. It reminded me of Acts 10 where Peter was in a time of prayer and "fell into a trance" and saw a vision of Jesus. And that reminded me of Acts 22 where Paul described one time that he "fell into a trance" and saw a vision of Jesus.

I think I've always related to those things as a mystical grace that just sorta happened onto them. Maybe it was. And I don't think we're supposed to chase "trances" and "visions." But I do believe we're supposed to chase being in the Spirit.

To be "in the Spirit" is a choice that we make. It's something God invites us to, but he doesn't force us into it, or it into us. And sure, being "in the Spirit" can generally describe the life of someone who is surrendered to the Lord. We can talk about living a "Spirit-filled" life. But apparently, according to scripture, it can also describe a moment in that person's life that is uniquely "in the Spirit."

Peter, Paul, and John apparently set aside time to be "in the Spirit." I wonder if you do? Or if you will?

Today I am challenging you to do that, and I mean it in a very practical and yet spiritual way. Take time to be "in the Spirit."

1. Get alone for five minutes without distractions (set your phone down).
2. Close your eyes and quiet your heart.
3. Slow down your breathing and settle your mind.
4. If you are aware of sins, confess them and renew your love for Jesus.
5. And then, just be in God's presence. You're not there to entertain him. You're not there to say your prayers or even read your Bible. You're simply there to enjoy his presence. And to make yourself available to him for whatever he does or doesn't want to do. If he speaks you'll be okay with it. If he doesn't you'll be okay with it. Your goal isn't to get something from him, or to give anything to him. You're there to simply be "in the Spirit."

When Wendy and I were dating as long-distance high school sweethearts, we got to know each other by letters, and then by phone calls. And in the phone call stage we would just sit on the phone together, sometimes not even talking to each other, just being together. And, if I can say it this way, we were simply being "into each other."

Will you take time to do that with God each day?
Take time to be "in the Spirit" today.
I did, and it is good.

In my office I have one wall painted with chalkboard paint. The last thing I wrote on it was written March 12, the day I decided to close down our public gatherings. It reads, "May, you will not recognize us." 

On May 24 we reopened our campus to onsite worship and we did look different. Now as we close out June, we still look different. We have new faces. We're missing old faces. Everyone is still scattered sparsely throughout our large marked off auditorium. It feels like we're missing a bunch of people because they're not at 4041 Bahia Vista Street. But if you look at the sum total of people joining us onsite plus online, our "attendance" is actually double what it was this time last year.

Wow. Who knew?

Of course it doesn't feel that way. Only 25% of us meet onsite. The other 75% join us online, with 44% watching the service as it's streamed ("watch party" style), and 31% watching it on their own time (on demand).

If you look at the numbers we are now an online church with an onsite presence. We used to be an onsite church with an online presence. 

What do we make of this? Is it the wave of the future?

If you listen to the chatter among the experts, some say churches should prepare to not see a return to "normal" for a couple years. Others think that's ridiculous, that people are just chomping at the bit to return. And others speculate that we'll never again see the kind of onsite attendance we used to, that online is the future of the church.

Personally, I think online is the future of the church. But I also believe we'll see a renewed interest in meeting onsite as health concerns subside. And I also believe that some people will realize they like online church better than onsite church, and it won't be because they're lazy Christians.

I'll say that again: It won't be because they're lazy Christians.

For generations "church attendance" was a measure of Christian faithfulness. We knew if a person was blacksliding because they stopped coming to church. But was that really the measure of Christian faithfulness? Most of us can think of many examples of lazy Christians who attend church faithfully.

What if there's a new way to be church? Honestly, much of what we think of as "being church" is really just being part of a cultural expression of church. That's not to say it's meaningless. To the contrary, it's very meaningful. But it's not the only meaningful expression.

And I do believe Christian fellowship is part of faithfulness. I just don't think Sunday morning church is necessarily the most meaningful fellowship. It can be. I just don't think it automatically is.

Like I said, I believe many of us will return to onsite worship gatherings where we express ourselves in the ways we find meaningful, even if less populated for a time. But I think we'll also see new expressions that we should embrace and celebrate, even nurture.

• I imagine groups of devoted Christians gathering in smaller settings to pray together, participate in the worship service online, allowing it to spark discussion as they share a meal together. Like Acts 2:42, "They devoted themselves to the [scriptures], to fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to prayer." It may be that people choose this to avoid viruses. But it might also be that people choose this for its enhanced fellowship.
• I imagine people inviting their neighbors to a weekly watch party that concludes with grilled things and open conversations stirred by the weekly teachings. Unchurched and dechurched people will rub shoulders with churched people, and actually become churched people through these weekly neighborhood watch parties. And the fellowship of the newly born will be sweet.
• I imagine some individuals connecting with our church's online experience as their private devotional time because they find our teaching position helpful and our worship team's approach engaging. But they enjoy regular fellowship with Christian friends who relate to other church gatherings.  
• Finally, I imagine many will learn to relate to SCC through our online services and will join us onsite to help fill the room with the wonderful sounds of congregational singing. And their onsite engagement will continue to stimulate the online experience for others. 

Not only do I imagine that those things will happen, I pray that they will, for the sake of God's kingdom. There certainly is something to the onsite gathering that will always be wonderful. But there is something about the online gathering that onsite doesn't offer. With onsite gatherings people come to church. But with online gatherings, church goes to the people.

Let's do both. And let's do it well. May God fill the world with love joy and peace as we sow the hope of the gospel into every relationship near and far.

I wonder how you have been relating to onsite and online church? And how do you see yourself relating to both in the future? Would you please help me understand by taking a minute to fill out this survey? 

Like I do each week, I've made yesterday's teaching available in a shorter video on my YouTube channel so you can review it, but also to share with people on social media or by email. (Subscribe to the channel and click the bell icon to get notified every time I upload a new video.)

This week's message is especially important for this time. I believe God is calling us to carry the Kingdom of Heaven into the midst of the brokenness.

Often we think solutions to global problems need to be huge. I think they need to be personal. This is why you don't hear me proclaiming political or cultural solutions. That's not to say we shouldn't engage politically or culturally. To the contrary, be good citizens. But remember, we can't change the heart of a nation without changing the hearts of its citizens.

Laws may guide those with good hearts, and limit the actions of those with bad hearts. But laws don't change hearts. Likewise, protests may preach the need for change and sway decision makers, but protests don't change hearts. That's why we see such division. That's why people have more energy for fighting than or fixing what's wrong. 

The scripture that guides me is Colossians 1:28-29, We proclaim Christ, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ. To this end we strenuously contend with all the energy Christ so powerfully works in us.

The gospel is wisdom for what's broken. And it's power for what's weak.

"We proclaim Christ." Be encouraged this week to do the same. Let everything you say or post or do "proclaim Christ" as the first and most reliable solution. Carry the Kingdom of Heaven in your heart by being obedient to love, submitted to gratitude and joy, and assured by peace. Then carry it to those who are nearest you who seem to need it:

• Those whose hearts aren't well.
• Those whose hearts lack vitality.
• Those whose hearts seem disfigured and unclean.
• Those whose hearts seem trapped and oppressed. 

Pray for them. Serve them. Love them. Bring joy to them. Make peace with them. Encourage them. Lead them to faith. Encourage them to faithfulness. Be the gospel to them. Proclaim Christ. 

Who in your circle needs hope and encouragement today? Who in your circle seems broken today? Would you share this week's video with them?

Watch the video and when your heart says Amen to it, click the "Share" button and post it to your social media, or send it in a private message or email with a personal note.

If the person is a believer, they will be reminded of what's important in this broken time. If they are not a believer (or have wandered from the faith) this will tell them how they can fix what's so broken inside them!

Let's bring the Kingdom of Heaven near those who are near each of us today. Let's begin the conversation with them. 

It's easy to have a moment on Sunday where we feel inspired, but then wake up Monday and start looking for the next moment of inspiration. Today, I'm asking you to fan the flame of yesterday's inspiration so that it is Today's inspiration. Let it be said that when we come near anyone, "the Kingdom of Heaven has come near."

Today, carry the Kingdom of Heaven into the midst of brokenness.
Today, heal the sick.
Today, raise the dead.
Today, cleanse the leprous.
Today, drive out demons.
Today, let's fix the brokenness.

​Amen?

Yesterday I spoke about how we can choose peace. I started by saying how tired I am of all the conflict, but that I'm inspired that we can choose peace. 

Within two hours I was standing outside a restaurant in full embrace with a black man, both of us weeping. 

I asked him how the message came across. He said he's tired of everything being about "black and white." He told me, "We need to be concerned about people, not the color of their skin. We need to have empathy for each other." I couldn't agree with him more.

In life, when there is conflict and a door opens that allows us to escape that conflict, I am inclined to walk through that door. Most of us are, to some degree.

Sometimes that door is labeled "distraction." We can escape conflict by just distracting ourselves with humor, or Netflix, or ice cream, or whatever. That's not really escaping the conflict, it's just delaying it. And letting it get infected.

But sometimes the door is labeled "rebuke" and "correction" and "repentance" and "forgiveness." We should always choose that door when we see it. And when we do walk through that door, we should close the door behind us.

Many of us don't keep it closed though.

Think about where there's been broken trust in your life, and how easy it is to revisit the conflict whenever it feels more familiar than whatever other discomfort you're facing.

Someone hurts you at work, so you come home and remind your loved one of the time they hurt you. It's a familiar conflict. You know that you will win this argument so you open the door and pull the offender back into the room. Even though you've already forgiven them. It feels ugly but somehow it feels secure. You at least know how it ends.

We do this at a societal level too. And each of us is prone to interact with the things of society at a personal level. We pull out past offenses because the new offenses feel unstable. 

And then we fight.

One person says, "Black lives matter!"
Someone else answers, "ALL lives matter!"
And the fight is on.

But we're not stupid. Every single one of us knows what both sides mean by it. Every single one of us. But it's a familiar fight so it's more comfortable than other conflicts. It feels ugly but at least we know how it ends.

My friend with black skin told me that we just need to be about people, not about whether they're black and white. He said we need to be about empathy, not about picking sides. And everything in me said amen to that. 

But then he told me that he lives scared. 

I don't. I mean I wonder if times might change to where I need to be scared. But I don't live scared.

He said whenever he's around white people he has to make sure that he smiles and keeps his palms facing outward. No possible show of aggression. If he's angry about something he's not allowed to let it show. If he's insulted, he's not allowed to let it show. If he's just not feeling happy, he's not allowed to let it show. He's tired of being scared of scaring white people, or giving an excuse to people who want to do violence to black people. He's tired of it being about black and white. He's tired of being black where it's about being black or white. 

He was caught off guard by his emotions. The tears burst and he apologized. But then he just let go. And there we were, a black man and a white man, standing on a sidewalk crying. My back was to the street. I wondered what people were thinking. He always wonders what people are thinking.

I asked him, "As a black man, you drive into our mostly white neighborhood, pull into the driveway of this mostly white family, you get out of your car and walk up to our door and walk into our house without knocking?"

I felt like it was a question but it wasn't. It was just empathy. And he cried very tired tears. He is always making sure that no one sees him as a threat. Smile and wave. Say something funny. Even if you're not happy. Even if there's nothing funny.

I reminded him that he's a good man. I said, "But if you're around a 75 year old white woman who isn't sure who you are, you'll do whatever you can to make sure she feels safe around you, because you're a good man." He said, "Yes, of course." But he's just tired.

Finally I reached out and pulled him into my embrace. I had wanted to do it sooner, but wanted to let the conversation mature. I wanted to hear everything he had to say, but then it was time. 

We held each other tightly, there on the sidewalk, in front of the plate glass windows of the restaurant where we had just eaten and joked and laughed together. And there we wept...

We held each other tightly and he thanked me. He thanked me for being "family." I told him I loved him. He told me the same.

We got into our respective cars. I broke down and wept more. He probably put himself together and found his composure again. But I felt his pain. I'm not sure I've felt it before.

And then I watched "the black man" drive through the parking lot. I told Wendy and Bekah, "And everyone right now is noticing a black man driving through the parking lot." That would be so tiring.

We all know what the phrases mean. We're not stupid. Whether the phrase is "black lives matter," or "all lives matter," or "blue lives matter", someone is just saying, "My life matters." And really they're asking, "Does my life matter?"

We can all argue semantics. We can all argue logic. We can all go tit for tat. We can all try to pull people back into past conflicts where we feel like we will win. It's familiar there. We're all so smart. So why are we so foolish?

This isn't about winning, this is about loving others as God has loved us.

I am pleading with all who are on the side of peace, all who are on the side of love, all who are following the way of Jesus, to make sure you're fighting the right fight. Let's keep this about loving people because they're people, and working hard to have empathy for each other, in the name of love, because we've been loved. 

For that reason I am choosing to carry this response in my heart. I said it yesterday but it needs to be more than a statement in a sermon. I am carrying it at the surface of my heart so that it overflows easily onto the heart of anyone who wonders if they matter -- whether black, brown, blue, or all. And I would encourage you to do the same, saying it generously, as if spilling forth from a heart overflowing with the love of God: 

"Your life matters."