The Simple Things In Life

Hello Church,

I've never been so happy to go to Target.

It's the sad commentary for these days.  Back when the world was normal, Kim would make a passing comment about having to go to Target or Wal-mart or Kroger or Jungle Jims or Burlington Coat Factory or...... you get the idea.

And back when the world was normal I would think to myself, 'you go have fun with that.'  (Actually, I might say it out loud).  The idea of perusing the aisles at a random store filled me with exhaustion and boredom.  When I walk into a store I hunt for a specific item.   I don't meander through looking at this and that with little intentions of buying anything... anyhow....

The world isn't normal right now.  Kim needs to go to Target.  I admit that I am going with her.  In some ways I feel like that dog who gets excited to get in the car and go anywhere.  I may even stick my head out the window on the way there.

These days have brought me back to the trivial things that are preferable to doing nothing.  Putting a puzzle together and taking daily walks are two other things that I have invested in these days. 

So what good is it?

We often look for God in the big, gigantic, exploding, lightning bolt moments of life.  The birth of a child; finding a soul-mate; hearing an answer to long, sought-after prayer; or realizing the purpose of our life.

But in my daily walks I am reminded of the little miracles of the season.  My tree out front is about ready to drop a million seeds.  Spending so much time helping Kim with a puzzle is actually a little satisfactory.  And going to Target reminds me I am blessed with the opportunity every day to buy whatever I need and a lot of what I want at any time with only a few minutes worth of drive-time.

These days give us the chance to see the little blessings in life and the little miracles.  Go ahead.  Stick your head out the window and revisit something trivial.

God is Good,
Pastor Joe 

The New Normal For Churches..... And One Old One

Hello Church,

Get ready for a new normal everywhere..... even church.  As we prepare to get the world moving again, much discussion is being had everywhere on how things will be different moving forward.  Certainly you have your opinion as does every other individual...... from the protesters who wanted things back to normal yesterday to those who will stay at home even when health officials will declare that it will be relatively safe to resume activities.

I believe that, somewhere in the middle, lies the answer.  At this point I believe we will need to be intentionally aware of social distancing for months moving forward (and maybe until we get a vaccine).  I reserve the right to change my belief, but that is where I am now, here, on April 20, 2020.

As such, I am putting thought into what a conversation will look like with the Worship Team at Emmanuel.  How will/can we be thoughtful about moving forward when we get the go-ahead to have corporate worship again in one room?

For some there will be this tension between staying distant and giving hugs (I am not one of those).  For others, there will be a sense of quiet relief that they do not have to feel obligated to shake hands.  Either way, we have had to rethink what it means to 'love one another' in the life of the church which has included 'stay away from me'.  It's counter-intuitive and it will be difficult to adjust.

At Emmanuel we have many options to adjust for worship. How will seating change?  How do we collect offering?  Take Holy Communion?  Do we change how the coffee bar works?  Do we even have a coffee bar?  Is this the time to really encourage on-line bulletins?  Do we have a designated cleaner to clean doors and door handles throughout the morning?  Certainly the greeting time will need to go away (or we could stand up and wave our hands as we each spin in a circle).

Silliness aside, we will need to be attentive to a changed world.  The normal, at least for the time being, is going to be a new one.

The only thing that will not change is the presence of God's Holy Spirit.  That will never change.  No matter how we gather, God is everlasting and ever-loving and ever-present and I am ever thankful.  Hope to see you soon.... especially from a distance.

God is Good,
Pastor Joe

Our Easter Lunch With A Pic To Prove It

Hello Church,

As a kid, of course, I loved McDonald's.  Every Thursday my grandma and grandpa would take me there for supper.  They would ask me every time what I would want.  Every time would be the same answer:  'amburger, ench ies and ilkshake'.....

Now I can't stand McDonald's. It's food that sits in the pit of my stomach all day.  The fries are too thin and the milkshakes are too fake. 

Fast forward to Easter Day, 2020.  Kim said we were all going out for lunch.  This, of course, could not be true because Easter Day 2020 was in the middle of a pandemic with all restaurants closed.  We soon found out the genius that is Kim Royer.  We went through the drive thru at McDonald's, parked in the lot of UDF and had our Easter lunch as we watch the thin traffic pass by us on U.S. Route 32. 

Not ideal for Easter, but perfect for Easter of 2020.  As a kid McDonald's was awesome.  As a grown-up I became wise to the more refined food of our culture.  Steak and ribs replaced 'amburgers' and loaded baked potatoes embarassed any fast food 'ench ies'.

But for this Easter, it was bliss.  I am returned to what used to entertain me.  The simpler things are not so passe for the moment.  God has reminded me to look for the small things that could bring a little joy to the day.  And for Easter lunch of 2020, eating in the GMC Terrain in the parking lot of UDF with high calorie fast food was really good.

So for this Easter season, look for the little things that bring joy.  The good Lord knows that many of the bigger things aren't possible for the moment.  So take time to be happy for the blessings of life that we used to take for granted.

God is Good,
Pastor Joe

How I Keep My Sanity Through This

Hello Church,

This is day 22.... that is, the 22nd day after I realized that this pandemic thing was serious business; the 22nd day after I realized we were going to stop having worship gatherings; the 22nd day after I started getting really concerned about how I was mentally going to handle all of this.

My job aside, I'm trying to take it as a challenge:  how do I maintain my mental stability while, essentially, being a prisoner in my own home?  Here are my thoughts.  I'd be glad to hear yours in the comments below.

- keep my mind occupied.  Dwelling on this pandemic can become depressing and even paralyzing.  So I find other things upon which to think.  I'm binge watching the new show 'Picard' (taking me back to my obsession with Star Trek).  I'm also killing zombies on my VR; planning a bike trip (the Mississippi River Trail.... 1700 miles in 20 days from Minneapolis to New Orleans); and putting more effort in being creative creating church connections. 

- keep my body occupied.  I'm planning a bicycle trip tomorrow.  Don't know how far I'll get since my body isn't currently in shape enough to go very far.  Maybe it will take me all day to go from Milford to Lebanon.  Then again, I could just go to Lebanon and call Kim to come get me.

- keep my spirit occupied.  Though I'm not completely comfortable with the podcasts yet, I still have the opportunity to think through God stuff.  I prayerfully contemplate how to bring comfort to people.  It helps me bring comfort to myself.

- catch the mouse.  My cat is too dumb to get it done.  We haven't had a mouse in this house for a very long time. 

What are your ways to stay stable through this time?  I know that some of you haven't had your days changed too much through this.  Others of you, like me, have had your routines turned upside down.  Would love to hear from you.  Either way, know that God will get us through this and it will be really good on the other side.

God is Good,
Pastor Joe