I Believe

believe pain and suffering are a part of the broken world that we live in.

I believe that, like stars require darkness to be visible in the night sky, joy requires suffering and struggle to become real in our lives.

I believe that there is no sorrow, pain, wound, or tragedy that God cannot and will not redeem.

I believe that God’s power is mostly found at the end of ours.

I believe that the kingdom of God is visible, like the glow of the eastern sky before dawn.

I believe a life lived for that kingdom is far fuller than a life lived for oneself.

I believe that the little things make a difference and that even the smallest act of kindness ripples into eternity.

I believe that each one of us was created for such a time as this.

Plan A

It feels like the last four months have been one long experience of Plan B.  Back in February we had drawn up the way our spring and summer should go.  It didn’t.  We’ve been forced to move to Plan B.  Life is like that.  Things don’t always turn out the way we plan.  Disease strikes, accidents happen, relationships break.  So we resign ourselves to make the best of Plan B (or sometimes Plan C or D).

God’s Plan A never gets derailed.  God’s original plan was to redeem a broken world and put it back together better than ever.  His plan is to gather for himself a people who will worship and serve and co-create in a renewed creation.  His plan is for you to be completely whole, restored, and made new.  That plan cannot fail.  No matter how different this feels than our Plan A, no matter how many Plan Bs you and I need to settle for, God never needs plan B.  His Plan A is guaranteed.  In fact, all of our Plan Bs are somehow woven into his Plan A.

Hoping for Great Things

After living under a global health crisis for five months, I have a question for you.  Are you hoping for good things?  Or are you hoping for great things?  The good things we hope for are a vaccine, economic rebound, and the day when we don’t have to social distance or wear masks.  I think all of us are on board with those things.  But we should also be hoping for great things.  The great things are outcomes that only God can bring about for his glory.  Things like people receiving Christ as Lord through the circumstances we’re in.  The powerful truth that God is teaching us through this time.  Things of eternal value that couldn’t happen any other way.

Whether it’s a pandemic, cancer, or any other difficult issue we face, we can hope for good things.  But we can also hope for great things.  We can expect God to move through the most difficult circumstances to do immeasurably more than we could ask or imagine.  Let’s pray for healing, protection, and eradication of this virus.  But let’s also pray expectantly that God will do great and eternal things in the very midst of these difficult circumstances.

What Makes a Worship Service

In addition to my great excitement about resuming in-person worship this Sunday, I have some nagging fears and concerns.  One of my fears is that there will be disappointment when we think back to our last worship service on March 8.  In comparison, July 26 will pale.  I’m reminded of a story in Ezra 3:11-12 as the exiles returned to rebuild the temple.

And all the people gave a great shout of praise to the Lord, because the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid. But many of the older priests and Levites and family heads, who had seen the former temple, wept aloud when they saw the foundation of this temple being laid, while many others shouted for joy. 

I suspect both emotions will be present on Sunday.  There will be great joy because we can gather once again.  There will be sadness because this is a shell of what we enjoyed pre-COVID.  I want you to know that both of these emotions are legitimate and acceptable.  It’s okay to be excited.  And it’s okay to feel sadness and disappointment.  But more than either of those emotions, I’m praying that you will feel the presence of God.  I’m praying that whether you are in the sanctuary, the gym, or your living room on Sunday morning, you will know that God is with you.  This is what makes our worship service.  This is what makes us Ferrysburg Community Church: God’s presence in our midst as we gather.

The Lord Is in This Place

Last week Emma and I went backpacking on the Pictured Rocks Trail in the Upper Peninsula.  Without reading a single verse from the Bible or singing a hymn or worship chorus, I was profoundly in the presence of God.  The green and turquoise color of Lake Superior shouted God’s praise.  A Bald Eagle flew over and reminded us of the grace and power of God.  Grand Portal point, some 200 feet above the lake, spoke to God’s vastness.  Being with my daughter for all of this reminded me how deeply God loves us as his children.

I’m all for reading and meditating on God’s Word.  Singing God’s praises is a wonderful way to enter his presence.  But these are not the only ways to experience God.  God is constantly announcing his presence to us.  Paul tells us in Romans 1 that God has sufficiently revealed himself to us in creation.  Here’s an invitation to see how ubiquitous God is.  Whether you are standing in a church sanctuary, along Pictured Rock National Lakeshore, or even in your backyard, you can truly say this: the Lord is in this place.

Light and Momentary

Light and Momentary

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

2020, we had such high hopes for you!  How you’ve disappointed us and let us down!  This year has not been an easy one.  We have lost a great deal due to this pandemic and the consequences of it.  Our nation has struggled with an impeachment trial, and now faces issues of race.  On top of all that, we still have a presidential election ahead of us this year.  You’ve struggled in your own personal life.  Isolation has led to depression.  We are preparing to say goodbye to loved ones in hospice.  Frustration has mounted for many people over restrictions.  For others there is fear over personal safety.  These are tough times.  But I also suspect that years from now we will talk about this year with nostalgia.  Having survived it, 2020 will hold a special, if not fond, place in our hearts.  We went through it.  We survived.  And maybe we’re even better off for it.

I suspect that the new creation will do the same thing to the pain we experience now.  Paul describes our struggles as “light and momentary.”  A few days of nasty weather on the way to a long, beautiful summer of sunshine and warm weather.  That’s not to discount the struggles you are facing.  It’s to remind you that an eternal glory that far outweighs them all awaits us in God’s presence.

Prayer of St. Francis

I invite you to contemplate and pray this classic prayer during these times and through this week.

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.

Where there is hatred, let me bring love.

Where there is offence, let me bring pardon.

Where there is discord, let me bring union.

Where there is error, let me bring truth.

Where there is doubt, let me bring faith.

Where there is despair, let me bring hope.

Where there is darkness, let me bring your light.

Where there is sadness, let me bring joy.

O Master, let me not seek as much to be consoled as to console,

to be understood as to understand,

to be loved as to love.

For it is in giving that one receives,

it is in self-forgetting that one finds,

it is in pardoning that one is pardoned,

it is in dying that one is raised to eternal life.

Juneteenth

On June 19, 1865, Union General Gordon Granger arrived at Galveston, TX and announced that the Civil War was over and that all enslaved people were now free.  This date has come to be celebrated in its contracted form as Juneteenth.  It is the celebration of of the end of slavery in America.  July 4, 1776, was Independence Day for free Americans.  June 19, 1865, began a trajectory of independence for all Americans.

As Christians, we are uniquely equipped to celebrate and appreciate freedom.  Freedom is one of the prevailing metaphors for new life in Christ.  We’ve come a long way on that trajectory of independence since the first Juneteenth.  But the events of the past few weeks make it clear that there is still work to be done.  The goal we are striving for is not a social or political one.  It is a biblical goal.  It is a vision of a day when all the saints of God reach full unity, regardless of race, color, or culture.  Then we will be truly free.

After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice:

“Salvation belongs to our God,

who sits on the throne,

and to the Lamb.”

-Revelation  7:9-10

Note from FCC Council

Hello, FCC family, 

It has been nearly 3 months since we met for corporate worship on a Sunday morning, and we miss seeing and encouraging each other in person! We thank you for your prayers for and support of FCC during the shutdown for Covid-19. As the State of Michigan loosens its restrictions on public gatherings, the FCC Council is beginning to consider the resumption of in-person Sunday morning worship services. To that end, Council has appointed a small work group of both Council and non-Council members to develop a plan for how to meet for worship on Sunday morning. The work group will report back to Council near the end of this month, and after reviewing the plan, Council will select a date to begin our Sunday morning services in-person. 

Our goal is to communicate with you as clearly and with as much information as is possible. We want you to know that our worship services will look and feel differently than they did before the Covid-19 shutdown. We will not be “going back to normal” any time in the immediate future. We understand that members of our church may have differing opinions about the shutdown and how to resume gathering, so we ask for your grace, sacrifice, and patience as we navigate through uncharted waters. It is our desire to honor God and model Christ to each other and our community at this time and in this process.

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