A Prophecy of Shalom

Yesterday I spent some time reading journalists’ accounts of the violence that spread across our country in the wake of the murder of George Floyd.  Lifetimes of anger at systemic injustice boiled over into violence.  Shortly after I did my Bible reading.  I read this prophecy in Isaiah 11. 

He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes,

    or decide by what he hears with his ears;

but with righteousness he will judge the needy,

    with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth...

The wolf will live with the lamb,

    the leopard will lie down with the goat,

the calf and the lion and the yearling together;

    and a little child will lead them.

The cow will feed with the bear,

    their young will lie down together,

    and the lion will eat straw like the ox.

The infant will play near the cobra’s den,

    and the young child will put its hand into the viper’s nest.

This prophecy invites us to consider a time that is coming when the powerful will use their power to protect, not exploit or injure.  Wolves, leopards, and lions will live in peace with what had been their vulnerable prey.  Shalom.  It’s easy to watch the news and quickly reach a verdict.  But I want to encourage you towards two alternatives.  First, listen empathically.  Put yourself in the shoes of another.  And second, pray.  Those two activities will bring shalom much faster than figuring out who’s right and who’s wrong.

Freedom...Earn This

As we look ahead to Memorial Day, I’m reminded of a powerful movie I saw years ago: Saving Private Ryan.  Pvt. Ryan was the only one of five brothers who had not died in World War II.  In order to keep his mother from being childless, a special operation was staged to retrieve him from the front lines and return him to the US.  The operation was incredibly costly.  Many lives were given to save his.  At the end of the movie, the captain of the operation spoke these dying words to Pvt. Ryan: “Earn this.”  

Many lives have been given over the years to protect and defend our freedom as Americans.  Men and women have gone before us that have sacrificed in ways we cannot fathom.  As we remember those sacrifices next Monday, we should also stop and hear their voices speaking to us: “Earn this.”  As Americans, we have been blessed beyond measure.  We have been entrusted with an incredible amount of freedom. The way to honor those who have gone before us is to use that freedom well.  To use it in ways that ensure justice and opportunity.  As Christians we are especially blessed to be able to worship and serve God without fear.  We can use this freedom to point people to the greatest freedom - a freedom from sin and death.  But let’s also remember that this greatest freedom can never be earned.  It is always a gift that is ours at Christ’s expense.

The True Comparison

For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. (2 Corinthians 4:17)

There’s a thing we do when we go through times of struggle, challenge, or suffering.  We remind ourselves that others have it even worse than we do.  Maybe you totaled your car, but someone else lost their job.  Maybe you lost your job, but someone else lost their spouse.  There’s always someone who has it worse.  I’m not sure comparing different kinds of suffering is a wise action.  Everyone experiences suffering in a different way.  The people and circumstances involved are never identical.  Each person’s suffering is unique to them - painful and productive in distinct ways.  

The true comparison is not between different kinds of suffering, but between our current suffering and the future glory that awaits us as God’s children.  Paul describes our present suffering as “light and momentary.”   That’s not to discount the deep pain and struggle you have experienced.  In no way do these words minimize the struggle you’re going through or the pain you feel.  Rather, Paul invites us to compare our suffering to the glory that will be ours.  He invites us to hold up our trials next to an eternity of perfect peace and complete joy.  That’s the true comparison.  And it’s true encouragement as well.  What awaits us in God’s presence far outweighs the heaviest trial you will ever face.

Speaking of joy… click below to watch the worship song from yesterday’s service.  The joy of the Lord is our strength!

National Day of (Online) Prayer

This week something huge will happen.  In some ways it’s bigger than a presidential election.  On Thursday we are being asked by our government to pray for our nation.  This is an awesome opportunity for all of us who represent the kingdom of God.  You see, prayer is something that belongs uniquely to God’s people.  Prayer is our thing.  And when our national government asks us to do our thing for them, that’s a really big deal.  Of course, we do this all the time.  We pray for our nation regularly as individuals and as a congregation.  But this time we’re being asked.

I think that followers of Jesus ought to vote.  I think that it is our civic duty as citizens of America.  But we are first of all citizens of God’s kingdom.  And prayer is an even bigger obligation than voting.  So I want to encourage everyone to pray for our nation on Thursday.  This year we won’t be able to gather to do that as in years past.  But our nation and leaders need our prayers perhaps even more than in years past.  So we will gather online this Thursday, May 7, at noon for a brief time of prayer.  Stay tuned for more information and plan to join us in prayer, and hopefully online, this Thursday.

Lessons in Providence

As Samantha shared with us yesterday, she’s learned a lot about following Jesus through this process.  So have I.  Elizabeth Kubler-Ross is famous for identifying the five stages of grief.  Over the past six months, I’ve gone through them all: denial, anger, depression, bargaining, and acceptance.  Below is a random list of things that God has taught me through this process.

• Seasons of success don’t belong to me.  They are a gift from God.

• I don’t have to be afraid of God’s will.  What is good for Sam will also ultimately be good for us.

• My primary responsibility is to love and support people.  This is more important than directing programs.

• God is an amazing provider of resources, opportunities, and people.

• The most important person in our congregation is Jesus.

  
  Click below for another installment of FCC @ Home.  See what your church family has been up to!

Spiritual Family > Social Distancing

My heart breaks when I think of people who have been cut off from their social networks.  It’s more than just cabin fever. It is social death for many people. If your primary social network is work, being laid off and unable to enjoy fellowship at the office or plant is difficult.  If your primary network is a club or recreation league, social distancing makes it easy to lose your sense of belonging. It’s hard to not see your friends and classmates at school too.

When you belong to a spiritual family like FCC, the bond is not broken so easily.  Our staff, council, and LifeGroup leaders are working hard to make sure you know you belong and are connected.  Even then, there is something that makes spiritual family different than other social connections. Spiritual family isn’t based on shared interest, employer, or classroom.  It is based on an eternal Father and his only begotten Son. Social distance is no distance at all for God to cover. Jesus has already bridged a much bigger gap. We’re in this together, brothers and sisters!  To see how some of your sisters and brothers are navigating the shelter-in-place, click below.

Communion

It was the week of March 8.  The elders began the week discussing how to serve communion in a way that would be more sanitary.  We ended the week deciding to cancel church altogether. Communion is a very tactile, hands-on sacrament.  That’s part of what makes it so powerful. On Maundy Thursday we celebrated the Lord’s Supper for the first time since the coronavirus threat became real.  Of course, we couldn’t do it together in the sanctuary. We had to do it in our own homes. Despite not being able to see each other, there was still a strong sense of communion with each other as we shared this meal.

Communion is even bigger than just our church family.  When we take the bread and juice, we are communing with the people of God at all times and in all places.  We are connected to the Ephesian church that Paul started on one of his missionary journeys. We are connected to St. Francis’ church in Assisi and John Calvin’s community in Geneva.  We are communing with our brothers and sisters in China, Iraq, and Rwanda. The Lord’s Supper not only connects us with Christ, it connects us with God’s entire family. Maybe after the experience of last Thursday we can understand that a bit better.  Click below to see how our church family had communion on Maundy Thursday.

Deliver Us from Evil

As a church family, we've been focusing on different parts of the Lord's Prayer throughout the season of Lent. As we enter into this final week, we're focusing on the portion of the prayer where Jesus prays, "deliver us from evil." This word "deliver" can also be translated as protect, rescue, or save. Paul uses a similar word in his letter to the Corinthians. 2 Corinthians 1:10 says, "He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us again. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us." As we come together to pray, let's pray with faith and expectation. He has delivered us in the past and He is still faithful and will deliver us again! 

The Father's Guidance

The Lord’s Prayer is a beautifully crafted and easily accessible prayer to pray… except for one small phrase.  “Lead us not into temptation.” It seems very odd that we would need to ask God to not lead us into temptation.  It seems like he would do that automatically.  Why would he intentionally make us deal with temptation or trial?  To deal with this tension, Pope Francis changes the phrase to read, “Do not let us fall into temptation.”  Other traditions have changed it to say, “Save us from the time of trial.” All these are attempts to make sense of a prayer request that seems to misunderstand who God is.

As we focus on this part of the Lord’s Prayer this week, I believe that the gist of this teaching is Jesus reminding us of a powerful truth: unless God leads us, we will always fall into temptation and worse.  This part of the Lord’s Prayer is a plea for God’s guidance in our lives. We are asking God to lead us and guide us, to give us wisdom and discernment as we go through life. We are praying with the old hymn: “Lead me, guide me along the way.  For if you lead me, I cannot stray.” Click below to watch a short video with a few more thoughts on the Father’s Guidance.

The Father's Forgiveness

There is a litmus test for forgiveness.  There is a way to tell if a person has been forgiven - even a way to tell how much they’ve been forgiven.  Jesus shares this indicator with us when a woman sneaks into a party and begins washing his feet with her tears.  We learn that this woman had lived a sinful life. She had made choices that were immoral and deviant. She had to sneak into this party because she never would have been invited.  When the host objected to this turn of events, Jesus said, “Her many sins have been forgiven - as her great love has shown.”

Love is the litmus test of forgiveness.  People who have experienced the power of forgiveness cannot help but love.  They love Jesus most of all because they know what he has done for them. But they love others as well, because love spills out in all directions.  This week we are praying, “Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.” God has indeed forgiven our sins. And so perhaps a fitting paraphrase is, “Increase our love for you and for others in a way that is consistent with how much we’ve been forgiven.”  Click below to watch a video from Pastor Nate on this part of the Lord’s Prayer.

The Father's Provision

When I recorded this video last week (please click below), I had no idea how quickly things were going to change. Last week, we were reading about how Italy was being quarantined. Today, we're wondering what life will look like here in America. In the midst of this chaotic and confusing time, God is still in control. He is not surprised by the coronavirus. He is not hiding out somewhere waiting for it to end. He is here with us. During an uncomfortable time, He can provide comfort. During a time of questioning, He can provide peace. During a time of fear, He can provide joy. God is our provider; He is trustworthy and unchanging. As He provides for the sparrows and the lilies, He will continue to provide for us.

Whoever 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."

Surely he will save you
    from the fowler's snare
    and from the deadly pestilence.
He will cover you with his feathers,
    and under his wings you will find refuge;

Psalm 91:1-4 

The Father's Kingdom

I remember hearing a story about a Cambodian man who felt God’s call to minister to Cambodian peasants who had been pushed off their land and forced to live in camps outside of town.  These camps were in swamp land and lacked sanitation. The people had no access to healthcare and rarely found enough to eat. This missionary spent the first few years working to improve conditions.  He drained the swamp (literally!). He helped people build homes. He brought in doctors and dentists to provide medical care. When asked how he knew to do all of this, here was his reply: “In the age to come, people won’t live in swamps without roofs, medical care, or food.  So I just tried to make the camp more like God’s kingdom.”

This week we are praying for the Father’s Kingdom. We are praying, “Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”  Perhaps the best way to start is by imagining a challenge, obstacle, or struggle once heaven has been poured out over it. What is different for this person when God’s kingdom comes upon them?  How does this situation change when heaven floods into it? Jesus invites us to pray his glorious future into our difficult present. Click the button below for a short video explanation of how to pray for the Father’s Kingdom.

The Father's Character

In any conversation it’s crucial to know who we are talking to.  We talk differently to our friends than we do our spouse or our boss or our teacher.  It makes a difference! When we begin our prayer, Jesus wants us to be crystal clear about who it is that we’re praying to.  We are praying to our Father. Isn’t that amazing? Naturally, Jesus could claim God as his Father. But Jesus is not just telling us about his prayer life.  He is telling us how we should pray. We get to call God “Our Father.”

But Jesus also reminds us that he is a different kind of Father.  He is in heaven. Not only is he as close as a father, he fills the universe with his presence.  He is a Father who can do immeasurably more than we could ask or imagine. Don’t just spend time in prayer this week.  Spend some time this week reflecting on the amazing Father to whom you are praying. For a short video with a few more thoughts, click below.

Everybody's Job

We have to choose our battles in life.  It’s impossible for everyone to be good at everything.  In fact, it's impossible for anyone to be good at everything.  The same is true for organizations like FCC. Try as we might, it’s impossible for a church to do everything with complete excellence.  We have to choose what we’re called to focus on. At FCC, we have chosen to be a church that is excellent at welcoming guests and visitors.  We have decided that God is calling us to be great at letting people know that they are welcome and wanted here. And we’ve invested heavily into being great at it.

Over the last couple of years we have formalized the welcome process.  We have established teams of people who are trained and commissioned to greet people.  We recently held a welcome training workshop to equip people. We even have a new Welcome Center where guests can stop and receive a gift.  But let’s be crystal clear about this: welcoming people to FCC is everybody’s job.  That unfamiliar person standing in the Commons after the service is your responsibility.  The man or woman you don’t recognize isn’t waiting for a welcome team member to say hello.  That man or woman is waiting for you to say hello.  This job belongs to all of us.

From Samantha Francart

If you were at church yesterday, you probably heard about the upcoming changes. I’ve been accepted to squad lead a group of 18 to 20-year-olds on a program called World Race Gap Year. This is something that has been on my heart for a while, and as I began pursuing what this might look like for me, doors that I couldn’t open on my own began flying wide open. I will be leaving for this 9-month trip at the end of August. I plan on finishing out the school year here at FCC, and over the next couple of months, FCC will start the process of hiring a new Youth Director. 

 It’s hard to find the words to explain to you how thankful I am for the opportunity to have led the student ministries here at FCC for the past couple of years. I am so grateful to this church family for all of your encouragement and support!

 On this journey, as God has led me closer to His heart, what I’ve discovered more than anything is that it’s all about Him. Every breath, every thought, every word. He is worth everything. Every decision, every action, every step. He desires to guide; we simply must choose to trust, listen, and obey. I’m finishing out this year full of joy for what God has already done and full of hope - confident expectation - for what He will continue to do!

On Becoming a Gracifist

Yesterday in our worship service, Pastor Jeff Boersma invented a new word: Gracifist.  He was preaching about Jesus’ teaching to turn the other cheek. Jeff wondered out loud if following this teaching made him a pacifist.  Jeff suggested that rather than being a pacifist, he was a gracifist. I love this word! Let’s unpack the difference between a pacifist and a gracifist.

A pacifist is a person opposed to war under any circumstances.  A pacifist resists all physical violence. Pacifism refuses to get involved by being a conscientious objector.  A gracfist, on the other hand, may or may not choose to go to war. But in either case, a gracifist will love their enemies.  A gracifist will actually seek the good of their enemies. Not because the enemy deserves it, but precisely because they don’t.  That’s what makes it grace. Gracifists return insults and offenses with kindness and generosity. A gracifist will forgive you quickly and without condition.  But the most important thing about a gracifist is this: they can give grace freely because they have received grace freely. The grace of God that is ours in Jesus Christ is at work in our lives.  Gracifists have been forgiven, loved, and shown kindness by Jesus when we were his enemies. Jesus is the ultimate gracifist. And we are becoming like him. Guess what that makes us?

Looking for Heroes

Deep down, I believe all of us are looking for a hero.  We long for someone strong enough to rescue us, defend us, and be our champion.  We look for someone noble enough, virtuous enough, and consistent enough to rely on.  But our search for heroes leaves us with few, if any, options. We look to professional athletes and celebrities and find people who do some special things, even heroic things.  But there are no heroes on the field, court, or in Hollywood. We look to people in political leadership and find people caught up in a system that doesn’t allow them to be heroic.  There are no heroes in Washington DC or Lansing.

Teachers, mentors, coaches, and relatives can make a huge difference in our lives.  They are living examples of some of the best parts of humanity. But they still fall short of hero status.  My friend and Bible Scholar, Rev. Gerrit Koedoot, once said to me, “There is only one hero in the Bible.” It isn’t Abraham, Joseph, Paul, or even David.  In the search for heroes, Jesus stands alone. Only he can answer our hopes and fears. If you look for heroes anywhere besides Jesus, I promise you disappointment.  But look to Jesus and you will find the world’s one true hero.

Super Bowl Religion

Each year it seems the Super Bowl gets bigger.  It has become more of an event than a football game.  And not just in Miami or whatever city it is played in.  There is a Super Bowl party in every tenth household. For many people, this is the only football game they watch all year.  Except that they aren’t really watching the game. Mostly, people are catching up with old friends or making new ones. Perhaps the only time they bother to look at the TV is for the commercials and the halftime show.  More than a football game, it’s a chance to make the weekend last one more night.

I recognize that a life of faith can deteriorate into a Super Bowl Sunday.  Instead of making a relationship with Christ the main thing, we can get caught up in the fellowship, the music, or the positive environment.  In a free society like ours, there is a lot of icing on the cake of faith. We are free to enjoy the fringe benefits. But we must never mistake the commercials for the game.  The best parts of religion can never replace the best part - the new life we have in Jesus and the abiding relationship we have with him.

The Fruit of the Spirit: God’s Work, Not Ours

Yesterday during our worship service I challenged us to identify one fruit of the Spirit that stood out to you personally.  It may be a quality that you struggle with. It could be one that you are intrigued by or simply want more of it. We were encouraged to pray this week that God would develop that fruit in our lives more fully.  Here’s the list: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.

I’m convinced that neither you nor I can generate any of these qualities within ourselves.  They’re called the fruit of the Spirit for a reason.  They’re not the fruit of you or me.  God produces these things in our lives.  Our job is to cooperate with God’s work. Our job is to pray and be open to how God will generate and develop this fruit.  It takes the pressure off, doesn’t it? Less pressure. More fruit.

Isaiah 26:8

During the service on Sunday, the group that went to Passion had an opportunity to share about our experience. The message from John Piper is what resonated the most with me during the conference. He focused on Isaiah 26:8, which says, “Yes, LORD, walking in the way of your laws, we wait for you; your name and renown are the desire of our hearts.” In this verse, the desire of our hearts is twofold: God’s name and His fame. One part of this is personal; the other part is global. As we walk in relationship with God, we are to desire a deeper personal relationship with the Lord. We are also to desire that He gets the fame – not us. John Piper said, “Our desires make clear what our God is.” Our desire for God should be the sustaining act that drives all other desires. Do you hunger for more of God in your life? Do you hunger for more of God in our world? Nothing is more important in your life than your desire for God. His name and his renown are the desire of our hearts!