Re-openings and Politics: Where Is Jesus?

Hello Church,

Over the next few days, information will be sent out about our plans to reopen the church building on June 7th.  I expect there to be mixture of reactions, some voiced and some not; some from the congregants and some from fellow clergy; some nods of approval and some shakes of disapproval. 

Whatever the case, I hope the process of reopening the building doesn't get in the way of why we are reopening the building.  This isn't a conservative/liberal thing nor is it a political statement.  I have always believed the church exists to actually be apolitical in a sense.  That is, the church has an agenda over and beyond any political agenda.  The fact that it may, at times, run alongside or opposed to one doesn't make a it a political machine.  It just makes the political scene look good or bad..... sometimes accidentally.

I've always secretly enjoyed watching people guess at my political ideologies.  True, many couldn't care less.  However, I know that there are those that do or are at least curious enough to observe my behaviors in order to try and place me in a political category.  Unfortunately, for a small percentage of them, finding a political category for their pastor will help them decide if he or she can actually be their pastor.

I am sure I have a category, but the hardcore truth is that I have made it a personal mission to focus on agendas that are Biblically-based.  In doing so, I am sure I look a bit wishy-washy in the political machine as sometimes I favor one side and then another, depending on the context and the issues.

Was Jesus a liberal or a conservative?  The answer:  who cares?  His mission to show unconditional love and actually forgive His opponents makes any so-called journalistic news network blush in embarrassment.  Oddly, this motivates me to lead the church even more so while secretly enjoying those who are categorizing me.

So we are going to open the church building.  Why?  Because we want the community to know that God is still moving among us, even as still and quiet as we have been over the last few months.  The church building is a symbol of a Faith that says God has a voice.  And the people that meet in that building is the Church that tries it's darndest to help project that Voice. 

So know that as we reopen the building, it is not a political statement.  It is a theological statement.  More than that, it is a statement of Faith.  And I would be happy to be placed in that category.

God is Good,
Pastor Joe

Sunkist, Popsicles and a Broken Window

Hello Church,

This edition is a bit late, but for good reason.  I got a call this morning that the church building was broken into.  As I arrived at the building, the sheriff deputies were in the process of catching the burglar.  Four hours later I am back home.  And this is what I learned....

His name is Shawn.  He is from out of town and was living in the shed since at least last Thursday.  To our knowledge, he had taken a pack of Sunkist and popsicles from the Youth Room fridge and nothing else.... no electronics or any 'expensive' items.  Even the chocolate Easter eggs that were still unsold remained safe in the kitchen fridge.

While this doesn't seem to make total sense to me, I do wonder about Shawn's life.  Why was he where he was?  How did he come to be at the church building?  Why didn't he take more advantage of all that was in the building?  Though it likely won't happen, I would like to hear his story.

I don't tend to feel sorry for criminals. However, I do get curious as to the circumstances that lead to their bad choices.  The fact that he only wanted pop and popsicles raises my curiosity higher. 

In addition, Mark, the window guy, mentioned the increase in break-ins over the last couple of months.  I imagine more people are more desperate on many levels.  Was Shawn a victim of Covid?  Or would he have been just as homeless otherwise?  Where was his family?  Was addiction a part of his story?  Mental illness? 

As we hear more stories as we 'uncurl' from this pandemic ('uncurl'... a reference to my Sunday Podcast that you can find here), we must be cognizant of God's desire to infuse Himself into people's stories, even and perhaps especially the very broken stories.  Not everyone will recover from the chaos of 2020.  Some may even find themselves living in a church shed.

I hope as you get frustrated with those who become desperate, you will be curious enough to be willing to hear their story.  And when the opportunity strike, let them know that God cares about their story.

God is Good,
Pastor Joe

Alaska is 'Reopening"...... Really?

I am convinced that cats think they rule the world.  That's okay.  We do too.  I recently made a Facebook post referencing the state of Alaska's 'reopening' as declared by the governor.  I found this funny.  Like 95% of Alaska cares what the humans do.  'Reopening' seems more than a bit egocentric.  So here is a funny bit from 25% of the Royer home.  Let this be a lesson regarding humility.   

Hello Humans,

God must be punishing me.  True, He created me and my beautiful fur (though He could've made it much easier to manage).  However, for whatever reason, my humans are around much more often than usual which is cramping my style.

Always before I would have my territory to myself, especially during the day when the sun would warm my favorite room.  I could lay in any of my favorite places, which is any place I so choose.  But now my favorite chairs are often taken.  And when I do get a chance to snuggle into one, a human comes and displaces me.  I give dirty looks, but to no avail as usual.  They simply don't respect authority.

They go into the food room much more often, but don't think I get any more food than usual.  I try to tell them, but again, to no avail.  Savages, they are.

Their impositions onto my space is not much more inconvenient than the noise they make.  The two females decided to do what they call 'singing'.  It's so incredibly annoying that I had a few choice words for them.  They sound awful, but don't seem to pay me any mind.  They would do well to heed my advice.  Like I said, 'cramping my style'.

Their attention to my needs are too often trumped by their own self-absorption.  They think only of themselves.  It's pathetic and a little bit embarrassing.

I may, at times, be tempted to feel sorry for them.  However, the problems they make are their own doing.  And they don't do anything to help themselves except sit around and complain about their own state of affairs.  Maybe some day they will clue in and evolve into something closer to my sophistication, but I doubt it.

Sometimes I think the humans think they rule the world.  I'll just let them think that.  It would be too much of a bother to convince them otherwise.

God is good (after all, He made me)

Dora the Cat

We don't really rule the world.  God has made us to only be a big part of it.  So the next time we want to 'reopen' anything, maybe we should first consider if it was really closed to begin with.

God is Good,
Pastor Joe

The Thrill Of Sharing A Table

Hello Church,

Lately I've been wondering how many different things we will learn out of this pandemic.  There are numerous areas of life that might be changed forever.... or not....

It seems when you are in the midst of something bad it lasts forever.  And when it is something good it goes way too fast.  This is bad.  It seems a year since I've led corporate in-person worship.  However, a year or 2 from now, when I look back, will it seem like a vast period of struggle?  Or will it just seem like a blip in time?

And what will we learn from this?

We humans seem to revert back to the comfortable eventually.  Will we once again, at some point, take for granted the privilege of giving hugs, shaking hands or sharing a table at a restaurant?  Or will we really learn a new appreciation for life that will be long lasting?

History doesn't bode well for these questions.

We wonder why Israel never learned throughout the Old Testament... from Exodus all the way through to that young squirt Jeremiah, who tried to tell the people to learn from their past.  History is repeatable.  It seems like it is a rule rather than a choice.

The Good News says it doesn't have to matter.  I think that some day we will look back and not just see the pandemic as a blip in time, but this life will be a blip in time.  It will seem like a record player skipping for a few moments with the words 'life is good', 'oops, I messed up', life is good, oops, I messed up..... over and over again.... with God being in the midst of it will His ultimate Love.

So I could encourage you to keep the record player from skipping.  However, the encouragement we get from Jesus and the lessons of the Old Testament is much more than I could ever give.  Let's keep giving it our best shot, though. 

So some day I'll be looking forward to sharing a table at Panera and you'll be invited.

God is Good,
Pastor Joe