Happy Birthday Hope!

Hello Church,

My youngest turns 17 today.  Impossible!

It's a wonderful mystery how we do or don't pass things down to our kids.  For sure, kids learn from their parents... all the good, bad and indifferent.  However, it seems somewhat random on what kids will pick up from Mom and Dad and what they don't.  Joey, for example, took on fewer traits of mine than I would have expected, but more of Kim's traits. 

Hope, however, is her father's daughter.  Her personality, attitude and drive are very similar to mine.  She is the most pragmatic of the 5 kids and would much rather solve a problem than complain about it.  She also loves taking naps; is grumpy when she doesn't; and is okay with not being hugged.  She thinks her dad is funny; appreciates his sarcasm; and picks up on the nuances of his humor when no one else does.  She also talks to herself, sometimes with odd facial expressions..... her father's daughter.

One of the miracles that God gives us is the miracle of genetics.  The whole debate of nurture vs nature will continue forever, but watching how kids learn from parents either intentionally or not is a marvel to me and one we often underestimate.

How many of these miracles do we underestimate?

We see them every day but see them so often that we stop noticing.  Sometimes I wish we could wake up in the morning and experience the universe for the very first time and take note of what we stopped noticing.

Hope turns 17.  Tomorrow she will graduate college and the day after that she will have a family of her own.  It goes fast.  So take time and give thanks for the many miracles that pass us by.

God is Good,

Pastor Joe

Stupid Covid

Hello Church,

My doctor wants to see me again.  I don't want to see my doctor.  In fact, I should go see my family doctor, my eye doctor and my skin doctor.  It's what I call the trifecta of physical self-care.

But I don't want to.

I was doing great physically until stupid Covid hit.  I had dropped 18 pounds with my Keto diet and planning a bicycle trip down the Mississippi River Trail.  Since mid-March, however, I've been knocked around mentally, taken off my game, and thrown into a world where much of my energy has been used to adapt to a new, strange world.  I fully admit the stress has taken away my motivation to stay physically fit.  Stupid Covid.

So now I am back where I was last Fall, weight-wise.  I suddenly can't read anything on my phone or my menus.  And I am way overdue to get a skin check (my dad's side has a history of melanoma).

I know.... probably more than you want to know about your pastor, but I'm getting to my point and it has to do with how we allow stress to derail us from what is important.

God never promised us a perfect world in this life-time.  What He did promise was that He would be there to help us through it.  I understand it as a process of learning that God is above all and beyond all and no matter what happens around us, God is to be our focal point.  As such, we should be learning to stay focused on what God wants from us.  Among those things is keeping ourselves healthy physically, mentally and spiritually.  A healthy self is best equipped to be God's vessel; to do the things and be the person that God calls us to be.

So let's not blame stupid Covid.  If it wasn't Covid, it would be something else.  I need to get back on the horse and get the positive mojo working again.  And if you have been knocked around in the same way, I hope and pray the same for you.

God is Good,
Pastor Joe

Ga Ga Ball And Making Faith Stories

Hello Church,

I am saying hello from Camp Otterbein today.  A few of you might recognize the picture.  It includes one of the most popular activities of the camp.... Ga Ga Ball.

If you are interested, this link shows Ga Ga Ball in action.  I played with the family just yesterday and it brought back some memories.

It's been since 2013 that I've seen this United Methodist camp.  I came here to attend a Parents and Me camp with Hope when she was 9 or 10 years old.  The UMC has 2 other camps in West Ohio:  Camp Wesley and Camp Widewater.  I served as a pastoral counselor at Wesley a couple of different summers and attended Local Pastors School at Widewater.

So my history with church camps isn't a long one, but I don't underestimate the significance of camp experiences as part of many Faith stories.  God finds His way into the hearts of many young people, including a few camp counselors who get to develop relationship with the campers very quickly.  Songs are sung and prayers are prayed.  Among the night hikes and smores and swimming, faith is developed and it isn't unusual for kids to return from camp wanting baptized and/or to join the church. 

As you might expect, currently there is not a lot going on here because of Covid.  Normally, this camp would be bustling with kids running around everywhere.  As it is, it is just me and my 11 family members.  It's an odd feeling, but it's nice and quiet too..... and a little sad.

As I look out across the property, I wonder how many campers are missing out on the opportunity to meet God here.  I'm especially cognizant of how Covid can impact our faith development.  It makes me more aware of our responsibility as the church to keep trying to be creative in how we encourage faith development. 

So I ask for prayers for churches everywhere.  We are at a time when local churches need to culturally adapt.  Those who do will be able to get through this time.  Those who don't risk losing connection with those faith story opportunities.  Here at Emmanuel, I am pleased with how we are adapting in the areas of Worship.  However, I feel like we are entering a time when we need to start challenging ourselves to adapt in other ways.

So keep praying and let's see where God takes us.

God is Good,
Pastor Joe

Racism And My 47+ Years

Hello Church,

I guess you could say I've been lucky.  Over my 47+ years on this planet I have been able to watch the ugly issues of racism from afar, never really being forced to personally participate in the miry muck of illogical prejudices.

Oh, I've been close.  Back in 1991 my mom's 2nd marriage was to an African-american.  This stirred up some gossip in the small white town in which I grew up.  I certainly learned some things as a young college kid about who you thought you knew.  But by in large, I was off on my own, away from the small world-view of that 1,000 population village.

Fast forward to my clergy career.  Again, my 3 appointments have been very homogeneous in the way of race:  2 rural areas and my current appointment.  Born in 1972, I didn't experience the Civil Rights movement nor the hot topic of segregation.... at least I don't have any memories of those struggles.  Even if I had, the closed-in community in which I was raised would not have been impacted much in any case.

Now fast forward to this week.  On Friday there is an event that I will be attending.  If you have Facebook, you can see it here.  ORV Peaceful Witness.  An United Methodist/ecumenical event that will be a time when I will stand and let people know that racism has no place among us.  There will be signs and a quiet time of prayer and a few speakers.... an event that has been received well by the village and who will be supporting us.  I like how it has been organized and the very peaceful intent of the organizers.  It's one of the reasons I am attending.

That said, after the news I saw last night regarding a similar event in Bethel, I was taken back to my small village childhood.  It may always be a precarious situation when you stand up for what you think is right.  And if you are going to allow yourself to get into a precarious situation, you better have a good understanding of your convictions.  Good leaders always do.  Good people always do.

So if your convictions around racism are strong enough, I invite you to the event.  I will be emailing out to many of you the details of what is expected.  If you would like a copy of that info but are not on the church emailing list, email me at pastorjoe@emmanuel-umc.com and I will send you a copy.

Our world is chaotic enough right now that, after 47+ years on this planet, I feel it is time to stand up and voice my concern regarding the miry muck of illogical prejudices.  You are invited.

God is Good,
Pastor Joe

 

Our First Sunday Back

Hello Church,

Our first Sunday back in the building and it went as smoothly as could be hoped.  The Worship Team will be reviewing the morning and considering tweaks as we move forward.  

For my part, it was a tiny bit emotional to have so many gathered for worship.  Not only was it good to see faces I hadn't seen in 12 weeks, but it was good to watch you see faces you hadn't seen in 12 weeks.  The live stream was especially neat as I watched the people smile and greet each other.

I was reminded of how important Sunday morning worship is to me.  Obviously it is difficult to not take it for granted, seeing that I am to be there every week regardless if I want to or not.  However, take it away from me against my will and I find out how much I miss it and need it.  And as is the case with many of you, this is the first time I can ever recall having Sunday morning worship taken away from me for this long.

This leads me to more evidence of God's Holy Spirit, an extension of what I preached about yesterday.  The 'gathered in one place' is, of itself, a part of the Pentecost experience.  There is a Holy mystery with what happens when people of Faith gather and immerse themselves in God's presence.  The togetherness brings a dynamic that morning devotions or private prayer time just doesn't have.  I like it.  And I've rediscovered that I need it.

So for those of you who missed it yesterday, we missed you.  We are going to do it all over again next Sunday.  Hope to see you!

God is Good,

Pastor Joe

Is God Okay With Our New Normal?

Hello Church,

The lobby has been emptied.  The chairs have been spaced out.  Books have been removed and sanitizer has been bought.  We are ready.  Are you?

Some are not and that is okay.  Other pastors I speak too are also nervous about restarting in-person worship.... not because we are afraid that no one will show up, but because we are afraid that too many might show up.  It's an odd kind of anxiety to have.  Emmanuel has taken good measures to help the restart go well, but I am a little anxious nonetheless.  Guidelines have been adopted and we hope that people will respect them (click here for the new safety guidelines).

What has evolved during this time is a multi-faceted opportunity to be a worshiper at Emmanuel.  While we are limiting the seating to 50 in the sanctuary, we also have a max of 100 devices for the live-stream via Zoom.

(Click here to sign-up for the in-person worship)

(Click here to join us via Zoom livestream starting at 10:10 AM on June 7th)

I have a feeling that a multi-faceted opportunity to worship is here to stay, if it wasn't already.  True, for many bigger churches, they were already live-streaming, podcasting and you-tubing.  However, now this approach has been taken up by many, many small churches who are looking to stay connected.  And now that the technology has had to be learned and paid for, many of the reasons for not doing it have gone away.

So if you are not okay with being in a gathering yet, we understand.  We are expanding what it means to be the church on Sunday mornings.  The question is, 'Is God okay with this?'.

I believe God is okay with any mode in which His love is pronounced.  And He is okay with any kind of gathering where people of Faith join in prayer and worship.  I believe God is sensitive to the needs of those who want to stay safe or are too nervous to take risks that could affect their health.  I also believe God is glad to see people worship despite the risks.  I believe God is happy to see the Church use technology for good and not evil.  I believe God is still walking with us, perhaps especially in these days.

So let's worship Him on June 7th.  And let us say hello one another with love, be it in-person or through a screen.  Let us continue to hear the Good News and be glad.  With all that has been going on in our country these past months.... with the protests and the joblessness and sickness and all the brokenness....  we need a place and a sense of comfort and hope.  You are invited to join us.

God is Good,
Pastor Joe

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