Welcome, Saskia!

On Sunday it was a joy to introduce and commission Saskia Kendziera as our new Children’s Ministry Coordinator.  She will be working with Lori Houskamp in our children and family ministries. Saskia, her husband Dean, and their four children have been attending FCC for about seven years. Saskia has many years of experience preparing lessons as a homeschooling mom and directing the Bible Study Fellowship children's program in Muskegon. She currently serves as a Dig leader and has led the Kid Vid station at VBS. With children in college, high school, middle school, and elementary, Saskia has a good understanding of kids. She loves how FCC values kids and looks forward to sharing her time and talents in our ministries. We praise God for leading Saskia to accept this position.  Welcome, Saskia!

Learning from St. Patrick

Patrick grew up in Britain in a fairly affluent family.  That all changed on the day that a band of Irish pirates raided his family’s estate and carried him off.  He spent his teenage years enslaved, herding flocks for an Irish landowner.  Rather than giving into despair, Patrick used this time of hardship to deepen his relationship with God.  Like the young King David, Patrick developed a deep communion with Christ as he cared for flocks and herds.  After six years of enslavement, Patrick fled to the coast of Ireland and found a ship that took him back to Britain.

After several years of studying Christianity, Patrick saw a vision of a man from Ireland who gave him a letter.  The letter was an invitation for him to return.  He did.  He went back to the land of his captors and began teaching them about Jesus.  Over the course of his life, he turned a pagan country into a Christian people.  Enjoy some corned beef and cabbage today - maybe even a green beer.  But give some thought to the man God used to bring his kingdom to Ireland.  Give some thought to the way God used deep adversity to sow an even deeper faith.  As Patrick concludes his famous prayer: “Salvation is the Lord's.  Salvation is the Lord's.  Salvation is Christ's.  May thy salvation, Lord, be always with us!  Amen.”

How Prayer Works

How does prayer work?  Is it a matter of praying hard enough or often enough?  Perhaps if we can get enough people to all pray for the same thing, then we will get the outcome we seek.  Maybe praying the right words is the trick?  Jesus said that whatever we ask for in his name he would do for us.  So maybe that’s the key.  How does prayer work?  Another possibility is adding relics and rituals.  Hang onto a cross while you pray.  Get down on your knees.  Anoint a person with a special oil.  Lay on hands.  If we intercede in the right manner, our prayers will be answered.

How does prayer work?  Others will say that it is all just psychology and metaphysics.  We are harnessing the energy of the universe and redirecting it toward a person or situation.  There’s no divine intervention.  It is just people putting their minds toward something.  So when a prayer gets “answered,” it’s more like a self-fulfilling prophecy.  How does prayer work?  I don’t know how prayer works.  I only know that when I share my needs, desires, and requests with God, something always happens.  When I place a person or situation in God’s hands, I receive his peace and he handles it.  I don’t know how prayer works.  But I know it does.

Lose An Hour

This Saturday night, an hour of time will simply disappear.  The time on your phone will go from 1:59AM to 3:00AM.  The spring time change creates a lot of consternation.  Losing an hour of sleep is a big deal!  I’ve read that traffic accidents and other fatigue-related injuries increase in the week following the start of Daylight Savings.  As a person who has a lot invested on Sunday mornings, I worry about people forgetting to set their clocks ahead and showing up for church as the service is ending.  Or being drowsier than usual during the service due to the aforementioned loss of sleep.  So I’ve come up with a proposal to do something more productive with this event - something more useful than an extra hour of light in the evenings.

I would like to propose that we can choose any hour of the entire year to “lose.”  It doesn’t have to be 2:00AM-2:59AM on March 10.  It could be that hour last summer when you lost your temper at your kids.  It could the hour over the winter when you had the accident.  It might be the hour where you said some things you regret.  The hour that you had too much to drink or made a choice you wish you could make go away.  Well, why not use Daylight Savings to remove these hours instead of an hour when we’re getting rest and staying out of trouble?  In all seriousness, God has already done this.  God has already removed our sins from us as far as the east is from the west.  He has forgotten them as if they had never happened.  Thanks be to God!

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.

New Chapters - Kyle Mullin

One of the most important things to me is my family, whether chosen or blood. Family supports each other regardless of circumstance and when we enter new chapters of life. Yesterday during service, I announced to the congregation that Joanna and I have a new chapter ahead of us and that I will be stepping down from my FCC staff position this May.

Over the last two years, Joanna has been working toward becoming a Physician Assistant. I have wholeheartedly supported her in this, and I am proud of the work she has done in this long journey. Over the Winter, Joanna was accepted into the PA program at Augsburg University in Minneapolis, Minnesota. After much prayer, discussion, and patience throughout this process, we have decided to move to Minneapolis for Joanna to continue pursuing her goal.

We have not made this choice lightly. FCC has been incredibly supportive of us and has become a chosen family. I am excited for this new chapter for which God has prepared us, but I am also sad to leave this wonderful church and our remarkable students. I am looking forward to making these last few months exceptional for both our students and the Guatemala mission team. Pastor Nate and Lori remain deeply committed to the students of FCC and will ensure their continued discipleship. I know that God will continue to bless FCC and use each of you for His glory.

Do Something Different

On Wednesday, we will begin a season of preparation.  Lent is the forty days (excluding Sundays) leading up to Easter.  For years the Church has designated this as a time to reflect on the love of God revealed through the suffering of Jesus.  We are encouraged to recognize our need for a savior and prepare to celebrate the resurrection.  The traditional way of observing Lent is through some sort of fasting.  People give up a certain practice, pleasure, or vice for these forty days as a way for connecting to the suffering of Christ.  Over the years, this practice has devolved somewhat into a way to lose weight, cut out an unhealthy habit, or try to command the blessings of God by making a significant sacrifice.  None of these gets at the purpose behind lenten fasting.

The purpose of giving something up during this season is to remind ourselves that God gave up his Son for us.  It is a reminder we are invited into a relationship with Almighty God.  What will it take for you to remember that in a special way this spring?  It will probably mean doing something different.  It will mean breaking a pattern or starting a new one.  It doesn’t have to feel especially spiritual as long as it reminds you to move toward God and think about Jesus.  There are still a few days left before Lent begins.  It’s worth praying about how you can intentionally prepare to celebrate Easter.

Groundhog Day

There are two famous events that take place in early February: the Super Bowl and Groundhog Day.  I put absolutely no stock in a silly rodent when it comes to predicting the remaining amount of winter.  Punxsutawney Phil didn’t see his shadow, indicating an early spring.  But I’m not so sure…  Anyway, the whole phenomenon of Groundhog Day did give rise to a very clever movie.  Bill Murray is a weatherman who must relive a 24-hour period (which happens to be Groundhog Day) over and over.  The idea is that before he can move on to the next day, he needs to make some significant personal changes.  When he puts aside his selfish and indulgent ways, the loop is broken and a new day begins.

In my own life I’ve had a similar experience.  I’ve never been stuck in the same day.  But I’ve been stuck in patterns of behavior over months and even years.  For Bill Murray it took a relationship with a female co-worker to make the necessary changes.  For me, it’s been through a relationship with Jesus.  Jesus leads us out of unhelpful patterns and endless cycles if we’re willing to follow him.  Everyday is a day of growth and new beginnings.  There are no Groundhog Days with Jesus.  

On Managing Expectations

I can’t remember ever starting a football season with high hopes for the Lions. History has taught me not to be bullish on the team from Detroit. Yet as the season progressed, I found myself starting to believe. A division title and a home playoff game. Winning games in the same glorious fashion they used to lose them. By the time they finished off the Buccaneers, I was all in. I had drank the kool-aid. This was a team of destiny. Then last night happened.

Expectations are problematic. When they are met, we feel satisfied. When reality falls short, there is pain. We bring our expectations to football teams, family gatherings, and vacations. We bring our expectations to first dates, movies, and new jobs. The older we get, the more modest our expectations tend to be. We’ve seen life fail to meet our expectations too many times to set them high.  But there is one place where our greatest expectations are promised to be exceeded. When Jesus returns to make all things new or when we join him in heaven we will discover a reality that far exceeds our greatest hopes. The new creation will never disappoint. So set your expectations sky high. In a world that regularly falls short of our expectations, we will one day inherit a world that will exceed our highest hopes.

MLK Day

Today we remember and celebrate the life and work of Martin Luther King, Jr.  I grew up in Kalamazoo less than a mile from the “color line.”  My family lived on the top of Alamo hill and about half way down the hill the population changed from nearly all white to nearly all black.  For several square miles, the north side of Kalamazoo was occupied almost exclusively by African Americans.  What’s interesting to me is that for about 50 years the north side was almost exclusively Dutch Americans.  The vestiges of this remained well into my childhood.  The Christian school I attended - one that was started by Dutch immigrants - lay right in the middle of this all-black neighborhood.  The buildings that now housed African American churches were once Christian Reformed churches until “white flight” moved them out to the suburbs. 

Then I look at the tri-cities.  For whatever reasons, there is precious little diversity in our community.  And we are worse off for it.  We are worse off for not having neighbors and classmates who look different.  We miss out an important reality of God’s family: it is made up of people from every nation, tribe, and tongue.  In the age to come you will worship side by side with those who look different from you.  So when we pray, “Your kingdom come,” we are asking God to make our lives more diverse.  We are asking for more reconciliation.  The new creation won’t look like the Kalamazoo of my childhood or the tri-cities of the present.  And one of the ways we will come to know God better is through the beautiful diversity of those who bear his image.  That was the vision of Dr. King.  A vision straight from the heart of God.

Finding Unity in the Mundane

If you've been on Facebook at all, you know there are groups you can join that share common interests. A Facebook group I joined acts as a virtual bulletin board for all things happening in the Tri-Cities and surrounding areas in West MI. There's a healthy share of business promotions, locals asking for recommendations, and, of course, memes. However, this Facebook group recently had a hyper-fixation on a particularly mundane happening: a pothole.

It started with a picture of the pothole being posted in the group, which had now become large enough for an entire recliner chair to sit comfortably in it. The pothole quickly became a sensation, sparking hundreds of people to visit, multiple news stories, and mild infamy in West MI. It gained enough traction that a Grand Haven City Councilmember responded in the very same group, citing work in motion to fill the pothole.

It's wonderfully silly what can unite people. Something as mundane as a pothole sparked hundreds of people from vastly different walks of life to experience the joy of unity in a shared joke. And where there is unity, there is holiness.

FCC's vision statement reads, "All kinds of people...becoming like Jesus."  I often have to remind myself of this truth. True community isn't dependent on sameness, as it's not hard to be around those similar to you. While there are benefits in finding a group of people to whom you can relate, only being around those who think the same, act the same, and vote the same is stifling opportunity for us to become more like Jesus.

What would it look like for Christians to be at the forefront of unity, not just with other Christians, but with all kinds of people? What if we actively worked toward unity across denominations, religions, politics, and cultures? What might it take to do this within our cities, schools, workplaces, neighborhoods, and families? I'd like to believe the answer is like that pothole: more mundane and less fantastic than we might think.

Eyes to See

Last week I used this space to emphasize the humanness of Jesus and how his experience as a human was very standard in many ways.  And yet Jesus was also the fullness of God in human form.  He was the power that called the world into existence packed into a human body.  A well-known Christmas song asks the question, “Mary, did you know that when you kissed your little baby, you kissed the face of God?”  

Jesus was not just Lord at his birth, but throughout his life.  While Mary did indeed know, so many people did not.  So many people completely missed the fact that Jesus was God in flesh.  People who knew him from a young age and people who had just found out about him alike failed to see the glory of God in Jesus.  Religious leaders who studied the Scripture and prayed fervently for the coming of the Messiah failed to see that Jesus was the answer to their prayers.  But what about us?  Do we see the amazing power of what we celebrate?  Do we grasp the marvelous thing that happens at Christmas?  When we have eyes to see this, it will take our breath away.  It will bring us to our knees in worship.  Eyes that see Christmas for what it truly is are eyes that cannot stay dry.  May we have eyes to see this Christmas.

I Wonder About Christmas

Christians throughout the centuries and around the world have professed these words: “I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary.”  I have trusted these words and the truths they represent from the first time I heard them.  And yet, there is a lot to wonder about here.  I wonder what “conceived by the Holy Spirit” means and if Mary experienced this or just became pregnant.  I wonder if Mary had morning sickness, odd cravings, or heartburn during her pregnancy.  Did she have a touch of postpartum depression after Jesus was born?

I wonder about Joseph.  He had to be the earthly father of God’s Son.  No pressure there!  I wonder what it was like to change the diaper of God’s Son or burp him after a feeding.  I know the song says, “No crying he makes.”  But was Jesus a fussy baby?  When did he start sleeping through the night?  I realize that it seems a bit sacreligious to ask these questions.  It feels a little too earthy and common to wonder about God’s Son this way.  But that is exactly the good news of Christmas.  The Son of God didn’t just become like us.  He became one of us.  He took on all aspects of our reality.  He took the form of a servant.  And not just a servant, a helpless little baby.  The Word became flesh.  And it was a word we can understand.

When Ideals Become Experiences

Last Spring, I led a mission trip of 15 FCC members to Guatemala. In more ways than we initially thought, this trip would become a profound embodiment of service, faithfulness, and stepping beyond comfort zones. Immersed in a culture rich with history and warmth, we discovered or were reminded of the essence of selflessness through service. Working alongside each other with translators to install water filters and share the Gospel, we recognized that true service isn't solely about giving; it's about humbly learning from those you serve.

Faithfulness took on a new dimension as we navigated challenges and uncertainties. Amid cultural differences and language barriers, we leaned into discomfort. In doing so, we found a connection that transcended cultures through faith and by being human. Every interaction reinforced the notion that a smile, laugh, and encouragement through prayer is a universal language, binding us in a tapestry of humanity.

But perhaps the most transformative aspect was the opportunity to push beyond our comfort zones. Stepping onto unfamiliar soil, we were pushed to confront preconceptions and biases brought from West Michigan. Adapting to new customs and environments fostered personal growth, expanding our understanding of compassion and empathy. While many Americans are materially rich compared to Guatemalans, we often are poor regarding social connection. The Guatemalans we worked with may have been materially poor, but they were relationally rich.

In Guatemala, Christian ideals ceased to be mere principles; they became lived experiences. It wasn't just about the work we accomplished, but the hearts we touched and the connections we forged. We return to Guatemala this Spring, and you are invited to come and experience God’s power from a brand-new perspective. If you have questions about the trip or would like to sign up, please contact Kyle Mullin.

Advent for All

I was reminded of something powerful and beautiful yesterday at church.  My kids were home for the holiday weekend and attended worship.  They came home talking about all the people they had conversations with, all the folks who greeted them and welcomed them back to their church home.  These people have watched my kids grow up, prayed for them, and even taught them in Sunday school.  Their lives are much richer for these older adults being a part of it.  As I get older and connect with the younger generations, I am blessed as well by gaining the insights of their fresh approach to life.  For all of these reasons, we value intergenerational relationships.  They make us stronger as a community and more like Jesus.

Next Sunday morning at 9:15, we will have a chance to connect across the generations as we prepare for Christmas.  We will share a light breakfast, then work together on an Advent activity.  Kids and parents will be able to glean from the wisdom and experience of older generations.  Adults will experience the excitement and Advent anticipation of children, seeing Christmas through young eyes.  If you’re looking for a way to prepare for Christ’s birth, this is it!

Christ the King Sunday

This coming Sunday has come to be known as “Christ the King Sunday” in liturgical churches.  It is the last Sunday before the Advent season.  Unlike many parts of the church year, Christ the King Sunday is relatively new.  It was instituted in 1925 by Pope Pius XI.  It was his response to two things that were happening in the world.  First, life was growing more secular.  More people were beginning to doubt the deity of Christ.  This day was instituted to help restore people’s faith in Christ as the Son of God.  Second, dictatorships were on the rise in Europe.  Several years later World War II would begin.  Christ the King Sunday was a bold statement that Jesus was the true ruler of the world.

As we move toward this Sunday, Pope Pius XI’s observation remains valid.  Secularism has continued to rise.  There are tyrants in different parts of the world.  Even our own politicians make grand claims.  But Jesus stands above the fray, fully God and fully King of the world.  With all the uncertainty in the world today, the reality that Christ is the King is something worth celebrating.

Thank You, God, for Trouble

I’ve been told about a minister at FCC many years ago who was known for a rather negative outlook on life.  He was a pessimist and found joy in low supply.  So it was true to form when he preached a Thanksgiving sermon entitled, “Thank you, God, for trouble.”  Long-time members of FCC have recalled this sermon with amusement.  I have no idea what he said or meant to say by this sermon.  But I think we can redeem it as an appropriate way to give thanks.

When I think about the moments that have changed me for the better and called forth the best from within me, at least half of them are troubling moments - Oh-No moments.  For whatever reason, God has used difficulty and adversity to forge the new person I’m becoming.  Failures have been some of my best teachers.  I suspect I’m not alone in this.  I’ll bet that you’ve grown more from mistakes than victories.  Chances are that God has used the most challenging moments in your life to mold you in the most profound ways.  So maybe it’s okay to thank God for trouble.  (But let’s do it with joy!)

An Extra Hour

Saturday night we gained an extra hour by setting the clocks back.  This got me thinking about having an extra sixty minutes and what we do with them.  I’ve used this extra hour differently over the course of my life.  A few times I’ve used it in ways I’d rather not get into.  But mostly I’ve either stayed up later or cashed in on an extra hour of sleep.  

What’s interesting is that we can be pretty specific about how we would spend extra money.  If I gave you $100 and asked you how you planned to spend it, you could give me a pretty concrete answer.  But if you were given an extra hour one day, how would you use it?  Can you answer that question in specific ways?  I’m guessing that’s a harder question.  Hopefully most of us have some idea about budgeting our money.  But time is a very valuable commodity too.  It is well worth budgeting the resource of time.  As we move toward the holidays, it might be worth a look at how you budget your time.  Are you in the red?  Are you being generous with your time?  Are you making wise investments?  Each of us has a different level of income.  But when it comes to time, our “income” is the same - 24 hours a day for each of us. 

Always Reforming

In addition to Halloween, tomorrow is also Reformation Day.  It’s a day when we stop and appreciate our heritage as protestant churches.  We recommit to the principles of “only Scripture and only grace” as the means by which we know God and are saved.  There was a slogan that came out of the Reformation, especially in our Reformed tradition: “The Reformed Church is always reforming.”  It’s been true in some sad ways.  It seems like Reformed churches regularly reform themselves into new, break away denominations.  It’s unfortunate that we reform ourselves at the expense of unity.  But it’s been true in many more wonderful ways.  We’ve kept our minds open to new methods of being the Church and carrying out God’s mission.  It’s reminded us to keep thinking through the practical issues of how we worship and structure our churches.

So here’s what this means to be a Christian in a Reformed expression of the Church: you should expect change.  If we are always reforming, then we are always changing.  Of course, the foundational truths of God’s Word never change.  God is always the same.  But as we come to new understandings of how to apply that unchanging truth to our world, we will have to change.  It’s not always easy.  Yet as a Christian Reformed Church, change is in our DNA.  It shouldn’t take us by surprise.