Intergenerational Breakfast

This Sunday we get to do two very important things: grow deeper in God’s family and grow louder in God’s world.  Our Filter of Hope mission team will serve us breakfast on Sunday morning before the service at 9:00am.  Let’s talk about what this will do for us.  First, it will be an excellent time for all generations of our church family to connect and deepen relationships.  We will welcome preschoolers and octogenarians.  We’ll share a breakfast, share conversation, and get to know people in our church family better.  We will be growing deeper in God’s family.

The second thing this will do is support our mission team.  In April, they will travel to Guatemala to distribute water filters and share the good news of God’s love.  At the breakfast, they will demonstrate the filters, talk about the need for clean water, and share the natural ways it will allow them to present the Gospel.  There will be hands-on opportunities to see and try out the filters.  Our Kingdom Investment is contributing $1,000 to each team member.  Your donations at this breakfast will offset the remaining $1,000 that each team member is responsible for.  You will be growing louder in God’s world by supporting these 15 people who will announce His kingdom in Guatemala.  We hope to see you on Sunday morning!

Stewards of Generosity

Most churches and charitable organizations have a certain set of decisions to make.  How do we navigate being “in the red”?  What actions do we take when expenses outpace income?  Being a good steward in these situations means making tough decisions.  For the past couple of years, our Council had the privilege of a different set of decisions.  Your generous giving has not only allowed us to meet expenses, it has helped us pay off our building loan early.  It has allowed us to take previously designated mortgage money and use it to sponsor the Benchuks, bring the Gospel and clean water to Guatemala, and come alongside Love In Action.

Once again this year your generosity has put us in a position to be good stewards of a surplus.  We ended the year ahead of expenses by nearly $30,000.  The very first thing we’ve agreed to do is send a tithe (10%) to World Renew to help their relief efforts in Turkey and northern Syria.  The rest will be used toward future facility upgrades and mission projects.  We take your generosity seriously and want to be good stewards of it.  We welcome your questions and input and are grateful to be your partners in announcing God’s kingdom.

Carrying Each Other's Burdens

Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. (Galatians 6:2)

There’s a myth that’s been long associated with our American experience.  It’s the legend of the self-made man or woman.  The story portrays a person who has persevered against all odds without help from anyone.  They grabbed their bootstraps, gave them a good tug, and managed to lift themselves up.  But let me be clear: this is just a myth.  In real life, no one prevails all alone.  In real life, no one pulls themselves up by their own bootstraps or is singularly responsible for their own success.  Horatio Alger and Santa Claus are equally mythical.  We need each other.  We can’t live our best life without each other.

God in his wisdom designed us to live in community.  He made us social beings who need each other.  Our church family has a number of people who are carrying burdens right now.  Health burdens.  Grief burdens.  And we have the opportunity to help them carry those burdens.  How is God calling you to do that?  A card?  A meal?  A phone call?  A visit?  How can you carry another’s burden?  And if you are the one carrying the burden, please let your brother or sister help you with it.  Not only do you need them, you will be helping them fulfill the law of Christ.

No One Stands Alone

Note: This message is so important that I like to run it about once a year.  I think it’s a great reminder to our church family and worth repeating.

I want to issue our church family a challenge.  It’s called “No one stands alone.”  Generally speaking, we are a very friendly church.  Guests who worship with us typically report feeling very welcomed.  Every once in a while, someone slips through the cracks.  A guest exits the sanctuary, gets a cup of coffee, then stands by himself or herself for five minutes and leaves.  Ugh.  

So here’s the challenge.  Let’s work together to make sure that no one stands alone in our church.  Whether a first time guest or a member, let’s keep our eyes peeled for people or couples who are standing by themselves in our lobby before or after the service.  A simple handshake, a warm welcome, and a few questions to get to know that person will make all the difference.  In the family of God, no one should stand alone.  As an expression of God’s family at FCC, let’s come together to make sure it doesn’t happen here.

Welcome, Trisha!

At long last, we have a new administrative assistant! 

Trisha Wolovlek (pronounced “wohv-lek”) started last Monday.  Some of you have already met her.  She was raised in north west Ohio and also lived in Nevada before moving to west Michigan with her husband, Chris.  Together they have three children: Kellan (12th grade), Madelyn (8th grade), and Ella (5th grade).  They enjoy camping, boating, and being outdoors.  Trisha has worked in various administrative roles in the past.  We are excited to have her and her strong skill set on our church team. 

Welcome aboard, Trisha!

Fearfully and Wonderfully

For you created my inmost being;

    you knit me together in my mother’s womb.

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:13-14)

On the Sanctity of Human Life Sunday, we often recall these words from the psalmist to affirm the value of human life.  It points to God’s knowledge and providential care of us even in the womb.  Before our eyes saw the light of day, God was shaping and forming us.  While all of this is very true, the psalmist is not just making a case for the value of unborn life.  The psalmist is reminding us that God is active and involved at every moment of our existence.

This is not just convicting information about the unborn.  It is consoling information for all of us.  We are not just fearfully and wonderfully made by God.  We are fearfully and wonderfully kept by God.  He is just as involved in your life today as he was when he formed you in the womb.  This day and every day was planned in advance by the God who formed you and keeps you.

From “I Have A Dream”

So even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream. I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. I have a dream today.

With this faith, we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.

This will be the day when all of God's children will be able to sing with new meaning: My country, 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing. Land where my fathers died, land of the pilgrims' pride, from every mountainside, let freedom ring.

Epiphany

Yesterday was Epiphany Sunday.  Epiphany is one of the lesser known days in the Christian year.  It can’t hold a candle to days like Christmas, Easter, or even Pentecost.  More people know about Hanukkah than Epiphany.  So what is it?  Epiphany has been associated with the early events in Jesus’ life that revealed him as the Son of God: his presentation at the temple, the visit of the Magi, his trip to the temple as a boy, and his baptism in the Jordan River.  The word “epiphany” means to reveal something.  This is the celebration of Jesus being revealed as God’s Son.

This day should set the tone for all the days of the year.  If we pay attention, Jesus is constantly being revealed in our lives.  We see him whenever there is forgiveness and reconciliation.  We hear him in beautiful, soul-stirring music.  He is revealed in the concern of a friend and in the sacrifice of a family member.  Wherever there is goodness, truth, or beauty, Jesus can be found.  Epiphany is not just a day to recognize the Christ.  It is a reminder that the Christ is in every day.  It is an invitation to keep our eyes open.

Your Wonderful Life

It’s that time of year when classic holiday movies are being shown regularly. Foremost among them is It’s A Wonderful Life, starring Jimmy Stewart as George Bailey. He runs a bank in the town of Bedford Falls and spends much of his life making sacrifices for other people. After years of sacrificing for others, George finds himself on the brink of financial ruin and intends to take his own life. That is when his guardian angel, Clarence, comes and shows George what the town of Bedford Falls would be like if he had never been born. The contrast is staggering. George realizes what a difference he has made in peoples’ lives.

It’s A Wonderful Life is a fictional story. In our lives, we don’t get to see the way we impact others. We don’t get that glimpse of how our families and schools and offices would be different if we had never existed. But your life does change the story. God placed you in your family and neighborhood because of His plan for your family and neighborhood. You were designed to be who God wanted in your place at this time. Your life is a wonderful life. Not just because you’ve done some good things for others, but because God meant for you to happen right here, right now.

The Two Things You Need for Christmas

There are a number of things that we believe we need for Christmas.  These needs show up in our Christmas wish lists and hopefully under the tree.  Maybe what you need is family around you or a specific set of circumstances.  But Christmas in its simplest and most powerful form only requires two things.

The first thing is Jesus.  That should be obvious.  Christmas is the celebration of His birthday.  He is the original Gift.  But Jesus alone doesn’t make it Christmas.  A second thing is needed: your attention.  Space in your heart.  Christmas is a reenactment of sorts.  We celebrate the birth of the Christ by re-living the drama of the original event.  We become the stable, our hearts the manger.  There’s no question that Jesus is present this Christmas.  The question is whether we will be present to the miracle.  Will we find the quiet space to behold Him as the newborn King?  Will we give our attention to Jesus?

Patient Endurance

Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. (Galatians 6:9)

We’ve been talking about waiting during this season of Advent.  Specifically, we are waiting to celebrate the birth of Christ.  We are also waiting for the second Christmas when Jesus will return to make all things new.  But there is a more general type of waiting that we all must do.  We wait for our prayers to be answered.  We wait for the time we’ve invested in people to produce a positive outcome.  We wait for opportunities to share our faith.  We wait for our hopes and dreams and our hearts’ desires to become reality.  But it sure is a lot of waiting.

But consider this: when we plant a seed, there is no expectation it will immediately become a flower or a tree.  There is always a period of waiting before the plant pokes through the soil.  Even when it appears nothing has happened, a lot is going on beneath the surface.  What are you waiting for today?  As you pray and hope and dream and work, don’t grow weary.  Don’t give up.  Things are happening that we can’t see.  God is at work.  And at the proper time, we will reap the harvest that God intends.

A World of Difference

In 2018, over 3.5 billion people gathered to watch the most viewed sporting event in the world: the World Cup. This year, it is expected that even more people will watch the World Cup currently unfolding in Qatar. With 32 countries competing for a single trophy, it is a beautiful picture of how many different cultures, languages, and traditions exist. Despite all these differences, they are all united under the common thread of soccer.

This spring, FCC has an incredible opportunity to engage in cross-cultural work through a mission trip with Filter of Hope. There may be many differences between West Michiganders and Central Americans, but we have a common thread that connects us as well. The differences in language and culture are overshadowed by the fact that we have the same Creator, the same need for a Savior, and the same claim to God’s gift of grace. Not only that, but we are able to work towards a common goal of having access to clean water. This work will change the lives of people who live half a world away but are much more like us than we may realize.

As you pray about how you can be involved in our work with Filter of Hope, know that you will make a world of difference in the lives of those who are not that different from you or me. To learn more about this trip, go to www.ferrysburgchurch.com/trip.

Putting Our Money Where Our Mouth Is

It’s been said: “Show me how you spend your money and I’ll tell you what’s important to you.”  The way we use our money is a telling statement of our priorities.  If I claim that saving money is important to me, but put nothing in an investment account, I’m fooling myself.  If I tell you that I’m committed to living within my means, but rack up credit card debt, it’s not very congruent.  We may talk about aspirational values.  But our actual values are revealed in the way we spend our money.

Yesterday our Council shared the proposed 2023 financial plan with our church family.  A church financial plan is also a statement of our values and priorities.  We say it’s important to announce God’s kingdom.  But what does our budget say?  Next year’s financial plan includes over $145,000 that will go directly to announce God’s kingdom.  Over 25% of our budget will go outside of our church walls to bless the world around us in Jesus’ name.  This doesn’t even include the use of our building for community events or the special offerings that we take for community organizations.  Twenty five cents of every dollar you give goes directly to support God’s work outside of FCC.  I’m very proud that we are putting our money where our mouth is.

On Disappointment and Faith

In the mid-nineties, singer and songwriter Tori Amos released a song entitled, “God.”  So far, so good, right?  A secular artist singing about God.  However, this song was not an expression of praise, but a lament of disappointment.  The opening lines that get repeated throughout the song are, “Sometimes, God, you just don’t come through.”  Before we go into defensive mode, let’s acknowledge that it’s felt like that.  Sometimes God doesn’t seem to come through.  We prayed and prayed and nothing changed.  Evil prevails.  Tragedies happen.

There are times when things seem so obvious to us.  Everything we know about God would all but guarantee a certain outcome.  We put the signs together and what God is doing and how he’s working seems crystal clear.  But then it doesn’t happen.  It doesn’t materialize.  God didn’t come through… at least not in the way we thought.  I believe that we can be disappointed without losing our faith.  We can be upset with God and still be every bit his child.  It would be easy to cite how God’s ways are higher than our ways.  But sometimes God’s higher ways are still disappointing to us.  Sure, it will all make sense someday.  But until that day, we can keep our faith and be disappointed at the same time.

Voting Is Spiritual

Ferrysburg Community Church is a church of all kinds of people.  It’s something I love and value about our church family.  But it does present some challenges as well.  Take voting and politics, for example.  I’m told there was a day when church people earnestly sought their pastor’s wisdom as they considered how to vote.  Today a lot of people evaluate their pastor based on his or her perceived political inclinations.  All that to say: I have no plans to tell you how to vote.  I probably err on the side of not saying enough about political things.  As we tip-toe through this minefield in conversations with our church family members and in our Sunday gatherings, I have one main fear: voting will become separated from our faith and our relationship with God.  It will be something we do as an American, but not as a Christian.

When you go to the polls tomorrow, you will be carrying out a very spiritual activity - something just as spiritual as going to worship yesterday.  Deciding how to vote is a hugely spiritual process.  It is an expression of your values, your understanding of God, and how you read the Bible.  It is the result of prayer and the guidance of the Holy Spirit.  Regardless of which party you lean toward and which candidates you vote for, going to the polls is a profoundly spiritual experience.  As a church of all kinds of people, we will vote in all kinds of ways.  However, as your pastor, it is my prayer that each of us will engage in election day as a child of God, led by his Spirit.

Reformation Day

500 years ago Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses to the door of the church in Wittenberg.  In many ways, we’ve romanticized this event as a guy standing up for his convictions and making some needed change.  The reality is that this simple act touched off a firestorm of pain and change.  Martin Luther was forced into hiding for fear of his life.  Wars would be fought because of this event.  Thousands of people would be put to death because of this event.  It tore Europe in two.  The Reformation was arguably the most significant event of the last thousand years.  We have the privilege of benefitting from the Reformation without paying the price for it. 

As we remember Martin Luther and the Reformation, I hope it puts into perspective some of the struggles we face as God’s people today.  There is a fair amount of division in the Church.  Our own denomination is wrestling with issues that are significant and weighty.  But these issues and their fallout pale in comparison to what happened in the 1500s.  The Reformation also reminds us Christ’s Church will survive even the most difficult of times because it is built on Christ himself.  As the old hymn says: “Elect from every nation, yet one o’er all the earth; her charter of salvation: one Lord, one, faith, one birth.”

He Reigns

One of the most beloved and beautiful statements of comfort and peace is the first question and answer of the Heidelberg Catechism.  The question is, “What is your only comfort in life and in death?”  The answer is that I belong, body and soul... to my faithful savior Jesus Christ.  Far be it from me to be critical of this wonderful formulation of faith.  But I think that this question and answer makes an assumption that we need to acknowledge.  It assumes correctly that Jesus is the best person to belong to.

He is.  Here’s why.  Jesus reigns.  Jesus is Lord over all things.  He is Lord of all places.  Jesus reigns in the darkest night.  He reigns in the midst of pain and in the midst of joy.  He reigns during a pandemic.  He reigns as humans scratch and claw for power.  Therefore (and the catechism goes on to say this) Jesus is capable of making all things work together for my salvation.  It isn’t just that we belong to Jesus.  We belong to the Lord of the universe.  He reigns.  And that is why it is so awesome to belong to Him.  

The Power of "And"

I recall a leadership seminar where the presenter suggested using the word “and” in place of the word “but”.  Used this way, “and” kept the conversation going and opened up new possibilities for dialogue.  Not bad advice.  I’d like to suggest using “and” in place of a different word: “or”.  We live in a culture that requires us to reject one thing in order to hold onto another.  Our culture gives us just one brush to paint people, events, and ideas.  A person is good or bad.  An event is understandable or terrible.  An idea is brilliant or foolish.  

I think this binary way of thinking is partly responsible for the divisions we face in our country and even in the American Church.  Perhaps it would help if we used the word “and” instead.  While sin is always wrong, the people who commit sins are both sinners and saints.  There is evil in the best of us and goodness in the worst of us.  Most ideas have some merit and  some weaknesses.  It doesn’t make every idea worth pursuing or every person worth trusting.  But maybe if we started looking for the “and”, we would come to understand each other a little better.  We could disagree without malice.  We could reach different conclusions with common respect.

Presence

When a birthday or a holiday draws near, it can be difficult to think of good gift ideas for the people around you. Do you get them something new at the risk of them not liking it? Do you get them the same thing from years past? While gifts come and go with years, there is one gift that stands the test of time. That is the gift of presence.

Part of the culture in FCC Student Ministries is a mentor program where high school students choose an adult from FCC to walk alongside them during a highly formational time of their lives. While this adult may impart wisdom or experience to their student mentee, the biggest gift they can offer is their presence. The impact of having caring adults present in the life of a teenager goes far beyond the time that student is in high school and is also one of the biggest factors in students maintaining strong faith as adults.

Jesus was the perfect example of God’s presence. Even the name “Emmanuel” carries the meaning “God with us.” As Jesus is present in our lives, adults can be present in the lives of younger generations and be a Christ-like influence on our students.

Extension

No single person can be everywhere or be good at everything. In fact, none of us are called to be everywhere and do everything. You probably aren’t called to go to Nicaragua or work in prison ministry or share the Gospel with Muslim people groups. But isn’t it great that some people are? Isn’t it awesome that families like the Holtrops and the Admiraals and the DeLanges are called to go to these places? By supporting them, we can extend our reach and participate in God’s kingdom in a multitude of ways.

This coming Sunday we will vote on calling Becky Tjapkes to be an extension of our ministries as she shares God’s presence and hope with people at the end of their lives. Becky is a hospice chaplain. We have the opportunity to partner with and support her by being her calling church. We will vote on this during the service on Sunday. In extending her a call, we will be extending our impact - and God's grace - beyond ourselves.