Summer: A Destination Season

This week marks the official start of summer.  In honor of this season, I will be sharing some reflections on its significance over the next few weeks.  I want to start with an observation: summer is a destination season.  Spring and fall are seasons of transition.  They are marked by change.  The start and end of spring and fall look very different.  But summer (along with winter) is a season that stays much the same.  We work hard all spring to plant our gardens and flowers and get the lawn ready for summer.  We clean our homes to remove the signs of winter dormancy.  But once summer comes, we enjoy the fruit of our labors.  There is still work to be done in the summer.  But it is the work of maintenance, rather than preparation.

Ever since the resurrection of Jesus, we have been in the springtime of history.  We are planting and sowing, cleaning and repairing.  We are getting ready for a destination we call the new creation.  In much the same way that spring creates an ongoing for summer, we live in anticipation of the final summer.  Our labor then will no longer be in preparation, but rather in celebration of this final, beautiful season of life.  We will have arrived.  The damage of sin will be cleaned up forever.  Jesus will be there.  God will be with us.

Shaping Our Minds and Hearts for Service

During the month of June, we are practicing the spiritual discipline of service.  As with other months and other disciplines, we’re suggesting a different way to practice it each week.  Last week we asked you to practice the discipline of service by doing a “hidden” act of service - something that very few, if any, people would know you did.  We hope you’ll continue to do this as you have the opportunity.  But this week we’re encouraging you to reflect on the nature of service itself.

We believe that the Bible has the power to change us.  When we read it and meditate on it, the Holy Spirit works on our hearts and minds.  And so we would like you to reflect on the most startling example of service in the Bible - John 13:1-17.  Take a few days this week and read through this passage of Jesus washing his disciples’ feet.  Place yourself there in the story and wonder what it must have felt like.  Why did Jesus do that?  What does it say to you about becoming more like Jesus?  Read it with your family or your spouse at dinner a couple of nights this week.  Let this amazing demonstration of service shape your own heart and mind.

Wearing a Blindfold and Running

There’s a song by Elyssa Smith that was released last month called “I Won’t Break.” Some of the lyrics to that song are: “To live by faith and not by sight is like wearing a blindfold and running.” As the disciples followed Jesus during His earthly ministry, this must have been what it felt like at times. Having left their lives of fishing and tax collecting behind, they entered into something brand new. It probably felt scary and disorienting at times; yet, He had called them. There was this sense of awe and wonder as they followed Jesus and experienced the coming of the Kingdom of God. What does it look like for you today as you follow Jesus? What does it look like when your dreams and God’s story collide? You are called. You are forgiven. You are loved. Shine on.

Getting Richer By Giving More

He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.

-Jim Elliot

Jesus implies things that defy conventional wisdom.  Things like not storing up treasures on earth.  Things like not worrying about provision and finding life through death.  To discover if these things are true we simply have to do them.  It’s like testing whether a bridge will support our weight by walking out on it.  We either trust Jesus or we don’t.

One area of life where we can test the waters a bit is through generosity.  We don’t have to give everything away to see if what the Bible says about giving is true.  By simply giving a little more we can judge for ourselves if there is gain.  We can decide if being more generous makes us more joyful.  The Bible is filled with examples of God replacing our material possessions with even more valuable forms of wealth - relational and spiritual wealth - while still meeting all our needs abundantly.  The question I have for you is this: Will your life also be an example of this

Celebration of Discipline

Last month we were encouraged to celebrate recreation, relationships, creation and our vocations. It was easy to see celebration as a discipline to be celebrated. It was evident in the smiles on our church family in the video of people enjoying recreation and hobbies. Now that it is almost time to get the boat out of storage, we are being asked to practice simplicity and question our stuff? Is that something to be celebrated? 

Richard Foster’s book is titled Celebration of Discipline. How do the disciplines of simplicity, fasting, meditation and others fit with celebration? The answer is joy!!! As we seek first the kingdom of God and pursue life with Jesus as our treasure, we experience God’s goodness. Joy is finding God’s goodness. As we practice spiritual disciplines as well as engage with VBS, GEMS, children’s ministries, youth ministry, and all of our other programs, we have the opportunity to find deeper joy in our relationship with Jesus. We find good news of great joy. It is all worth celebrating!

The Discipline of Simplicity

Every year at this time we talk about “spring cleaning.”  We sort through our possessions and determine which are worth keeping and which are no longer earning their space in our homes.  The result is a barrage of garage sales and donations to Once & Again or Dibs! or Goodwill.  I’ve wondered sometimes why we don’t do summer cleaning or fall cleaning or winter cleaning.  There’s something about spring that leads us toward a fresh start.  There are things that will no longer be helpful in what is to come.  So it ends up in the trash, on a table in our front yards, or in the donation bin.

This is the principle behind the discipline of simplicity.  We let go of the things that are no longer helping us to move forward.  We sort out things that distract us.  This month we will be doing some spring cleaning in our souls to help us focus on our relationship with God.  What we discover is that when we have less we actually have more.  More peace, more passion, more joy, more of God.  This month we’ll invite you to try some practices that will create a little more space in your life - space for God. The first is to commit to memory Matthew 6:19-21.  Let these words of Jesus rest upon your heart and inform your approach.

God Works While I Sleep

I think there’s a sermon in here somewhere, but I had this great thought the other day: God never stops working.  I feel foolish saying this, but as a pastor I often operate under the assumption that God’s work happens when I am on the job.  God needs me in order to do things in our church.  I know.  It’s silly and arrogant.  But we often live our lives under the impression that God is only working on situations when we are focusing our time and attention on them.

In John 5, when Jesus was accused of working on the Sabbath, he made this statement about God: “My Father is always at his work, to this very day.”  Jesus doesn’t say that God is only at work to the extent Jesus is on the job.  God is always at work.  And for some of that work, we can join in and be a part of it.  That means that while I watch the Tigers, God is still at work.  When I’m hiking with one of my kids in the UP, God is still at work at FCC.  When you’re stuck in traffic or waiting to check out, God never stops working.  And when I go to sleep at night, the work of God continues without limitation.  It’s important to join God in his work.  It’s just as important to know that his work never stops, even when we’re not involved.

Our World Belongs to God

A Contemporary Testimony, Articles 7 & 10

Our world belongs to God—

not to us or earthly powers,

not to demons, fate, or chance.

The earth is the Lord’s.

Made in God’s image

to live in loving communion with our Maker,

we are appointed earthkeepers and caretakers

to tend the earth, enjoy it,

and love our neighbors.

God uses our skills

for the unfolding and well-being of his world

so that creation and all who live in it may flourish.

Becoming Like Jesus in Celebration

In previous generations, religion was characterized by reverence.  Perhaps some of you remember growing up in churches that were very solemn.  You sat perfectly still and wore your very best clothes.  It was all very serious.  Reverence is certainly an appropriate response to God.  But it’s not the only appropriate response to God.  There is plenty of room for joyous celebration as well.  And we see this clearly in the life of Jesus.

Jesus knew how to have a good time!  He told parables that, in their context, were hysterically funny.  He regularly attended parties.  Sometimes he would go to the homes of prominent leaders.  Other times he would go to places where prominent leaders wouldn’t be caught dead.  The Gospels state that the “Son of Man came eating and drinking.”  So clear was his penchant for celebration that he was accused of having a demon.  Any serious attempt to become more like Jesus must include celebration.  As we grow more like him, we will become more celebrative, more joyful, even more fun.

The Discipline of Celebration

There are a few things that every culture in the world holds in common.  Relationships, cuisine, and ritual are a part of every culture and civilization.  Here’s one more: celebration.  In every people group you will find some form of celebration.  We see it in birthday parties, weddings, and graduations in our own culture.  Jesus himself celebrated regularly.  How convenient that celebration also happens to be one of the 12 classis spiritual disciplines.  We experienced it yesterday as we celebrated the resurrection.  Every worship service is designed to have elements of celebration.

Throughout the month of April, we will be practicing the discipline of celebration. We’re starting by encouraging you to celebrate recreation. What do you do to rest or have fun? What are your hobbies? What helps you get away from it all and recreate? This week, make an intentional effort to recreate. Celebrate the hobbies and pastimes that give you life. We’d also like you to take a selfie picture (or have someone take your picture) while doing your recreation. Send it to office@ferrysburgchurch.com. We’ll share with the church the ways we recreate.

The Whole Week

Holy Week is bookended by two remarkable Sundays.  Yesterday was Palm Sunday when Jesus entered Jerusalem to great fanfare.  Yesterday, it was a day of victory.  Palm Sunday was Jesus’ out-and-out claim to be the promised Messiah.  Next Sunday we will celebrate the greatest victory ever - Jesus’ resurrection from the grave.  The temptation is that we can simply hop from one joyous Sunday to the next.  It’s a temptation we must avoid.

The space in between these two Sundays is what makes them so joyous and great.  Jesus didn’t just conquer death.  He first bore the sins and sorrow of the whole world.  We can’t get to Easter without Good Friday.  Without death there is no resurrection.  So as we go through Holy Week, make sure you stay connected to the whole week, not just the Sundays on either end.  A great way to do this is at our Maundy Thursday service.  Another is to spend some time reflecting on Christ’s love and passion on your own.  Having connected to Jesus’ death makes Easter even sweeter.

Spiritual Discipline of Fasting

We’re on the third month of practicing spiritual disciplines as a church family. This month, we’re focusing on fasting and its importance. Yesterday, Pastor Nate challenged us to fast for 24 hours. For some of us, this seems like an insurmountable task. We’ve simply become accustomed to eating. If you feel led to participate in the 24-hour fast this week, something I’d like to encourage you with is Romans 12. In Romans 12:1, Paul writes, “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.” When Paul writes “present your bodies,” this is connected to the idea of a living sacrifice, which calls to mind priestly service. Spiritually speaking, our bodies are brought to God’s altar. This is a reference to our entire being! When we give our bodies to God, the soul and spirit go with it. Our thoughts and our desires are brought before the Lord. When Paul says, “I urge you,” he’s reminding us that the will is to be the master over the body. The thinking of our age says that our body must tell the will what to do; but the Bible says that our will must bring the body as a living sacrifice to God. The body is a wonderful servant, but a terrible master. Keeping it at God’s altar as a living sacrifice keeps the body where it should be. May we remember this as we practice the spiritual discipline of fasting this week!

The Last Sunday of How It Used to Be

One year ago today, on March 8, 2020, we had the last worship service of the pre-Covid era.  We had no idea how radically life would change over the next few months.  When Council suspended services last March, we figured it would be a few weeks and then back to normal.  As things remained closed we allowed that it could be a bit longer.  But once things opened up, we would all be back together worshipping and sharing hugs.  The road back has been far more gradual than we suspected.  We still haven’t achieved “how it used to be.”  We wonder if it will ever be like that again.

As I think back on that last Sunday of pre-Covid, I am struck by how fast everything changed.  I had no idea!  Yet God did.  Covid has not caught God off guard.  Coronavirus is not a surprise to God.  It hasn’t sent him scrambling to accommodate his plan to this new development.  God knew about Covid from eternity.  He knew how human sin would lead to this.  And as difficult as it’s been for you and me and millions of others, God has woven this painful time into his beautiful plan.  I wonder how we’ll see this experience in another 5, 10, or 50 years?  There will be plenty of perspectives.  We may never understand why.  But looking back, I believe that we will see God co-opting the consequences of sin to create a goodness that could not have happened any other way.

Every Longing

He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end. (Ecclesiastes 3:11)

God has placed eternity in your heart; a deep longing for things that are beautiful and forever.  At the very core of our being we long for goodness, redemption, relationship, and beauty.  It’s why we are so taken by a painting, so struck by a beautiful view, so entranced by a song.  It’s why we get married and pursue friendships.  God has set a longing in your heart for the things only he can grant us.

Most of this world’s problems can be traced to our settling for cheap alternatives.  We settle for revenge instead of justice.  We settle for sex instead of love and intimacy.  We settle for something quick and easy instead of something that comes slowly but lasts forever.  So don’t confuse your longings for anything less than God intends.  And understand that when your longings are truly satisfied, God alone has brought that satisfaction.

GEMS and the Joy of Connecting

When the GEMS season kicked off last September, we weren’t sure how our GEMS ministry would help girls build relationships with one another, with counselors, and with Jesus this year. We just committed to connecting, not cancelling. Our season started with outdoor meetings and a GEMS & Grownups outdoor event. As Covid cases rose in November, we explored creative alternatives to continue our GEMS ministry. Counselors dropped off packages to GEMS with lesson materials, craft supplies and treats. In December and January, we mailed materials to GEMS and met over Zoom. Several weeks ago we prepared package pick ups for our GEMS & Gals night. Then, last Monday, we had our first in person GEMS gathering since early November. Our counselors and GEMS were thrilled to be together! 

Being unable to physically gather for several months made us cherish our opportunity to be together again. While we are thankful for all the alternative ways we found to share God’s love through GEMS in the midst of a pandemic, gathering in person at the appropriate time is a real joy. GEMS is a relational ministry and nothing beats being together. As a church family, we long for relationship, too.  As Covid cases continue to decline and more and more people are vaccinated, we can look forward to more opportunities to safely gather in person with our church family. What joy!

Black History Month

February is Black History month.  Why does Black History Month matter to a mostly white congregation in a mostly white community?  One answer is found when we start to think about the way our lives are better off for the contributions of African Americans.  Black scientists and inventors.  Public servants and advocates for justice.  Athletes and entertainers.  Innovators and soldiers.  We celebrate Black History Month because men and women of color have contributed greatly to our society.

We also celebrate it because those contributions were made against the current of racism, even subjugation.  We recognize these accomplishments because, from the outset, the societal deck was stacked against them ever happening.  These men and women overcame not just the normal obstacles that we all face.  They played on a tilted field and still prevailed.  That’s why we honor these achievements. 

Yet it is perhaps even more important for us as the people of God to remember Black History Month.  It forces us to look beyond our own experience and honor the experience of other parts of God’s family.  In considering the achievements of our black brothers and sisters, we are reminded again that in Christ there is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, black nor white.  We are all children of God by faith.

Staff Transition

Yesterday we shared with you the news that Samantha Francart, our Youth Director, will be leaving FCC this summer to do mission work in Nepal.  Sam has given us four excellent years of leading student ministry and contributing to our vision.  While we are sad to see this partnership end, we are both grateful for Sam’s work and excited for the new work that God has called her to.  Sam remains committed to FCC and our students over the next several months and will step down at the end of May.

As a church, we remain committed to our students as well.  We will be working over the next several months to find a new person to lead our student ministries.  As we adjust to a new environment and the impacts of Covid, we will review this position to clarify the kind of person we want to hire and the kind of work we want them to do.  Please pray for our leadership as we engage this important process.  Pray for Sam as she finishes her time at FCC and prepares for ministry in Nepal.  And pray for our students as they say goodbye to Sam and prepare to welcome a new leader.

Decisions

We all have to make decisions every day. Sometimes they’re big decisions, and sometimes they’re as easy as which cereal to have for breakfast. Yesterday, Pastor Nate challenged us to think of a big decision that we have to make and ask for someone to pray for us as we discern God’s will in this decision. As we yield to the Lord and His timing, there are four questions I presented to the youth group yesterday that I want to challenge you with as well. When you’re thinking of this decision that you have to make, ask yourself:

1.     Am I willing to do whatever God wants in this area?

2.     Do I already know deep down what I should do?

3.     Could this be what God wants me to do?

4.     What else could I do to find out what God wants?

The first question is really a question of pride vs. trust. Do we trust that God has the best plan and way forward for us? The second question is us listening to the Holy Spirit inside of us. He will bring either peace or restlessness as we wait. The third is a little trickier, but as we look to the Word and reflect on God’s character, we’re able to understand God’s heart for us and for our paths forward. Finally, the fourth question is a reminder for us to ask others to join us in prayer over the decision. Richard Foster writes in his book on Spiritual Disciplines, “God will implant a spirit of unity when the right path has been chosen and trouble us with restlessness when we haven’t heard correctly.” As you lean into God this week for guidance, I encourage you to wait, yield, and listen for His good voice of love and guidance.

Meditation and Remembering

This is the last week that we will be practicing the discipline of meditation. We’ve suggested some different ways that you can experiment with meditation, including reflecting on Scripture and other writings, and considering what we can turn over to God and receive from him. This week we’d like you to spend some time meditating on a memory from your life. You can think about an important event in your life or simply let God bring a memory to mind. Where was God in that event? Where was the grace? How was God faithful to his promises?

Seeing God’s presence in the events in your past can sharpen your vision to see God in the present. As with all forms of meditation, God will never reveal himself in a way that contradicts the Bible. It’s always a good idea to make God’s word the litmus test. We hope it’s been helpful to spend time meditating this month. There’s no reason it can’t continue to be a regular part of your spiritual journey!

A Prayer for America

God of all the earth, who has called to yourself people from every nation, race, and tongue, we come to you on behalf of our country. We have much to repent of, much that would disqualify us from your blessing. We appeal to you not because you love America more than any other nation, but because your people, your children live here. Not on the merits of our nation, but on the vastness of your compassion.

Father, it has been a tough year - a year filled with sickness, division, and contention. As we transition from one president to another, the threat of violence looms over our country. We ask that you would calm tensions and restore civility. May we disagree vehemently but not violently. May our debating result in understanding, not hatred. We pray that our greatness would be found not only in our economy and our innovation, but in the way we defend life and take up the cause of the powerless. May America reflect your will for a nation on your earth. Inspire your church to lead the way and set the tone.

Thank you for entrusting us with freedom and opportunity. Teach us through this difficult and dark year just how valuable these are. Teach us to be faithful stewards. We have no more claim on you than any other country. But this is our country. So we ask that you would shed your grace upon us. In Jesus’ name, amen.