I wrote yesterday, quoting Tod Bolsinger, that what’s in front of you is nothing like what is behind you. My friend Ray Bandi in New Hampshire, a pastor coach, wrote in response to the Finding New Ways blog from May 5:

Unfortunately, it’s easier to keep doing old ways of doing almost everything. We are creatures of habit. So we keep doing what worked … even long after it quit working.

Why do we keep doing what worked, even long after it quit working? Here’s an answer from my friend, Dr. Mike Oldham, who is also a pastor-coach. Mike quoted a pastor in Fort Collins, Colorado:

“The way things were” is becoming the new idol.

In what do we trust as believers or as church leaders? Do we trust our forms and our methods? If our trust is in something other than Jesus who can lead us into new ways of knowing him and doing ministry, we are trusting in an idol. 

Little children, keep yourselves from idols. (1 John 5.21, NKJV)

In keeping with yesterday’s observation that times are tough right now, a friend sent an email reminding me that church leaders are experiencing exhaustion and disorientation. He then quotes Tod Bolsinger’s Canoeing the Mountains:

The world in front of you is nothing like the world behind you. – Todd Bolsinger

While I haven’t read the book, I’ve seen summaries, I know its premise, and it’s a good one. Lewis and Clark were accomplished canoeists, commissioned by President Thomas Jefferson to find a water passage to the northwest coast of the U.S.

The object of your mission is to explore the Missouri River, & such principle stream of it, as, by its course and communication with the waters of the Pacific ocean, whether the Columbia, Oregon, Colorado or any other river may offer the most direct & practicable water communication across this continent for the purpose of commerce. – Instructions to Lewis and Clark

The problem, of course, is that there is no water passage to the west coast. Being an expert in canoeing is irrelevant if you have to cross the Rocky Mountains. 

When Tod wrote the book in 2018, he was writing that pastors were not trained for the cultural context in which they find themselves. That was pre-COVID! What about now??

I don’t think the “plays” we used to run are going to work, at least not in the near term. Many churches are in the process of considering when and under what conditions their members can “re-gather.” I, for one, think our church’s Zoom gatherings are at least as effective and hassle-free as trying to meet while wearing masks and practicing social distancing. I don’t know the solutions, but it’s time to think about how we are going to go forward.

Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. (Isaiah 43.18, 19, ESV)

Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: “I am the LORD your God, who teaches you to profit, who leads you in the way you should go. (Isaiah 48.17, ESV)

We’re now starting our 10th week of coronavirus isolation. If you’re like most us, you haven’t quite gotten done all the things you had hoped. June and I have found ourselves busy, but at the end of the day, we don’t feel like we accomplished all that we wanted to. 

There’s a possible answer in an article mentioned in one of Heather Holleman’s blogs. Here’s a snippet of Heather’s blog, including a quote from the article:

I love how the author explains what’s happening in our brains as we stay put in this COVID-19 world. I learn about trauma. I learn about stress. I learn about uncertainty (my least favorite thing!). Our poor brains! It’s time to rest, live in grace, and do whatever we need to do (sleep, eat popcorn for dinner) and feel what we need to feel. She puts it’s like this:

We cannot expect ourselves to function optimally during this time. Recognizing that, and giving ourselves grace in our self-talk about our perceived under-performance or our lack of energy and motivation, is the key to surviving. . . During times of survival, our expectations for ourselves and our families must be lowered. – Parasol Wellness Collaborative, April 6, 2020

That’s the key: lowered expectations! Jason Gay, humorously writing in the Wall Street Journal, said the same thing:

But here’s the thing: I don’t really mind. I’m not demanding perfection right now. I ain’t Tom Brady, people; I eat carbs. Amid unsettled times, I have settled into a peaceful groove, and the groove is called “declining standards.” I no longer expect much from the day, the week, myself, and the world around me…Please don’t worry. I’m fine and happy. I know how lucky and fortunate I am. I merely believe that the new expectation is no expectations. – Jason Gay, Wall Street Journal, May 11, 2020

Maybe that’s another reason Jesus minimized his time with the disciples during the 40 days post-resurrection. There was a lot of trauma, stress, and uncertainty. The disciples needed time to absorb what was happening. Pentecost (coming up shortly on the liturgical calendar) was 50 days post-resurrection. Jesus gave the disciples time. Time to rest. Time to reflect. Time to recalibrate. There was no expectation of production during that time.

Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest. (Mark 6.31, NIV)

Stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high. (Luke 24.49, NIV)

On January 6, 2019, I committed to publishing a blog every day. This is blog #500. As I wrote back on January 31, the miracle comes in the daily motion of writing.

It was you who supported me from the day I was born, loving me, helping me through my life’s journey. You’ve made me into a miracle; no wonder I trust you and praise you forever! Many marvel at my success, but I know it is all because of you, my mighty protector! (Psalm 71.6, 7, Passion Translation)

Psalm 71 is the psalm of old age. I’ve quoted verses 17 and 18 before. Here’s another:

Now that I’m old, don’t set me aside. Don’t let go of me when my strength is spent. (Psalm 71.9, Passion Translation)

I can’t do as much or as fast as I used to, but I’m still praying for enlarged territory. I can meet with men. I can write…another 500 blogs! (Those who blog every day say the first 1,000 are the hardest. So we’re halfway there.) Thanks for joining me on the journey. 

They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green. (Psalm 92.14, NIV)

It’s a common saying: “Life isn’t they way you’d like it to be; life is the way it is.” This is especially true these days. I’m beginning to believe that the coronavirus lockdown may be worse than the disease itself. But I don’t know. Every “expert” has a different view and a different forecast.

And for times like these (as for any other time), we have the Psalms. Life often wasn’t what people wanted then either. Here’s what I read recently:

They’ve burned it all to the ground. They’ve violated your sanctuary, the very dwelling place of your glory and your name. They boasted, “Let’s completely crush them! Let’s wipe out every trace of this God. Let’s burn up every sacred place where they worship this God.” We don’t see any miraculous signs anymore. There’s no longer a prophet among us who can tell us how long this devastation will continue. (Psalm 74.7 – 9, Passion Translation)

It feels like this now. Sanctuaries are still standing but they can’t be used. There are those who would ban religious gatherings indefinitely. It is weird when liquor stores and pot shops are essential, but churches are not. And truly, “There’s no longer a prophet among us who can tell us how long this devastation will continue.”

Here’s another part of this curse. It’s not just the churches that are closed:

Then man goes out to his labor and toil, working from dawn to dusk. O Lord, what an amazing variety of all you have created! Wild and wonderful is this world you have made, while wisdom was there at your side. This world is full of so many creatures, yet each belongs to you! (Psalm 104.23, 24, Passion Translation)

People are supposed to work, and we tell them they can’t. A friend of mine used to say (and it’s right out of this text): “Days is for workin’ and nights is for sleepin’!”

Again we wonder, Is the “cure” worse than the disease? And, how long will this devastation continue? And while we don’t know the answers, we are invited to pray with the Psalmist(s).

O God, why have You cast us off forever? Why does Your anger smoke against the sheep of Your pasture? Remember Your congregation, which You have purchased of old, The tribe of Your inheritance, which You have redeemed– This Mount Zion where You have dwelt. (Psalm 74.1, 2, NKJV)

²³  Nevertheless I am continually with You; You hold me by my right hand.
²⁴  You will guide me with Your counsel, And afterward receive me to glory.
²⁵  Whom have I in heaven but You? And there is none upon earth that I desire besides You.
²⁶  My flesh and my heart fail; But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. (Psalm 73.23 – 26, NKJV)

 

I was chatting recently with my friend Joel, and he reminded me of something I sometimes forget. I’m always encouraging people and pushing people and doing whatever I can to get them engaged in discipleship disciplines such as daily time with God and mission such as investing in others. I seem to live by Paul’s word to Timothy:

Reprove, rebuke, and exhort… (2 Timothy 4.2, ESV)

But Joel, as we were discussing the challenge of helping people in these areas, said simply:

If they only knew the joy of meeting with God every day and helping others do the same!

Your words were found, and I ate them, And Your word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart; For I am called by Your name, O LORD God of hosts. (Jeremiah 15.16, NKJV)

I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth. (3 John, verse 4, NKJV)

The fruit of the Spirit is…joy… (Galatians 5.22)

Our church has just renovated the original chapel, built by Presbyterian church planter Sheldon Jackson in the late 1800s. As part of the dedication (whenever we get to do that!), members have been invited to write a letter to be put in a time capsule that will opened 25 years from now, in 2045.

I found it to be an interesting exercise, and it affected me on two levels:

• First, what would I want to say to people 25 years from now? For me, that means teaching! What’s the most important thing I can teach them? You’ll see when you read our letter…
• Second, what do I need to do today to bring about the desired result? It provides a new focus to work we’re already doing.

So, without further ado, here’s what I wrote:

May 13, 2020

Greetings, MCPC (Monument Community Presbyterian Church) members of 2045! As we write this, we are in the middle of the COVID-19 (coronavirus) lockdown. We’re not meeting on Sundays except through our computers. For those who believe that the sole purpose of a church is to gather on Sundays, this time has been a real challenge! 

But it’s a challenge we’ve been working on. We were trying to build some things into the DNA of MCPC, and so the question I’m asking you all in 2045 is, Did we succeed?

The first thing we were working on was helping people experience God on a daily basis through time in the scriptures and prayer. People who follow Jesus have Jesus present with them and don’t NEED a weekly sermon to hear from God. They should know how to hear from God daily. So we were teaching a simple method, and some of our members were practicing this or some variation of it:

• Read a portion of scripture, maybe just one story in a Gospel, or a Psalm. Be alert for God to speak through one of the verses.
• Reflect on that thought, thinking about how God wants you to put it into practice.
• Respond to God in prayer over what God told you. Make it a 2-way conversation!
• Record the conversation in a journal. 

That’s it: read, reflect, respond, record. It would be nice if, by 2045, most people at MCPC were hearing from God that way.

Second, we wanted MCPC members to understand that they were on mission wherever they were: work, school, neighborhood, family. We were teaching that “ministry” is not something that happens only in the church when the pastor does it. Ministry is what the members do when they are modeling godly character wherever they are, making good work, ministering grace and love, molding culture, being a mouthpiece for truth and justice, or being a messenger of the gospel. (This list was borrowed from the book Fruitfulness on the Frontline by Mark Greene and incorporated into my book Everyone on the Wall. Maybe these books are still in the church library, along with a book by Mark Greene’s colleague Neil Hudson: Imagine Church. The MCPC elders were studying that book in 2020.)

Those are the two most important things we think we were working on in 2020. We pray if you’re reading this in 2045, that MCPC is a vibrant Christian community, characterized not only by hundreds gathering on Sunday, but also by those hundreds walking with God every day and helping others do the same.

God bless, Bob and June Ewell, 74 years old in 2020.

Right after I wrote that, this verse came up in my daily reading:

This will be written for the generation to come, That a people yet to be created may praise the LORD. (Psalm 102.18, NKJV)

I hope you read last week’s 5-part series on disciple-making in churches, starting with May 5’s “Finding New Ways.” I had three in mind when I started, but my friend Henry Brown, now living in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, commented:

I posted your last blog on “Finding New Ways” to my Planning and Research Committee (how Presbyterian is that name!) Hopefully it will engage us in some good discussion. Thanks for bring that to our attention. Our Pastor has already encouraged us to reexamine at our priorities.

My reaction was immediate: “Wow! Somebody actually reads this stuff, and it may help their church!” I told Henry to be on the lookout for the next two blogs, and I was so motivated I wrote two more after those two.

Thanks, Henry, and for us all: never underestimate the power of an encouraging word.

Encourage one another daily… (Hebrews 3.13, NIV)

Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing. (1 Thessalonians 5.11, ESV)

As Americans, we’re terrible at submission. We just don’t like to be told what to do. Someone posted on NextDoor that there was a hue and cry about CostCo requiring face masks (which authorities from the President on down are calling for). “I’ll cancel my membership!” “I sure hope they have them available at the door!” And on and on. It goes with the outrage I’ve written about before.

My daughter lives and works in Dalian, China. Having been through the quarantine phase, she has to carry her phone with her wherever she goes – the phone has a tracking app which shows that she’s been in country the whole time and is not bringing the disease in from somewhere else. (And of course, she has no choice about wearing a mask EVERYWHERE.) When she posted something about the tracking app on Facebook, one of her friends went on and on about not wanting to be tracked. And, “I will not give up my rights!”

That’s an American for you. No matter that if Melody isn’t tracked, she doesn’t get to go anywhere. My rights take precedence. (Of course, in some places you don’t have any rights to start with, but that’s another story.)

By contrast, Jesus offers us the opportunity to give up our rights.

But we did not use this right…But I have not used any of these rights. (1 Corinthians 9.12…15, NIV)

Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. (Ephesians 5.21, NIV)

P.S. I, like many people, am concerned about three things:

• The coronavirus itself
• The economy
• Potential government overreach

But, like everyone else, I don’t know the whole story about any of these things, especially the first two. I may have an opinion, but my opinion shouldn’t overrule common sense submission to reasonable requests like social distancing and wearing a mask in public to protect the other person.

In humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. (Philippians 2.3, 4, NIV)

I was reading a few days ago from “God’s Loving Presence” by Ignatius of Loyola. Here’s a snippet:

I look at all the creatures of the earth and in space, and I remind myself that God created them, and continues creating them, and dwells within them.  Through eons and eons God has remained faithful to every created thing.  At this very moment, rocks and stones are solid and can be used for building because God is faithful to creation.  Plants and herbs turn to the light, grow, and can be used for food and healing because God is faithful.  Animals have sight and smell and feeling; have instincts and impulses that move herds and flocks to migrate; butterflies and hummingbirds to sip nectar from flowers—all of that because God is faithful and sustains all created things…

Then I think about myself, and I ask what this means to me.  God present at my conception;  God present at my birth and my growth into infancy… (Emphasis mine)

“God present at my conception” pulled me up short. I was adopted at birth by (then) Army Air Corps Captain Norris Ewell and his wife Rudell. I found out in 1986, at age 39, from a conversation with the obstetrician who delivered me (a long story) that my biological mother was a 40-year-old, unmarried, Army nurse. I was her first (and probably only!) child. Therefore, I am the product of an illicit affair, involving at least one, and possibly two, officers in the U.S. Army.

I’m not sure that’s as good a story as my friend, Pastor Bob Kaylor, also adopted, whose biological parents were officers in the Salvation Army (not married to each other)!

But Bob and I are in good company according to Pastor Ed Rowell who presented evidence in a sermon back in 2013 that King David was likely the product of an affair. That would explain why his brothers didn’t like him and why he was relegated to tending sheep (a low-status position). Look it up: David had two sisters, Abigail and Zeruiah (1 Chronicles 2.13 – 17), whose father was Nahash (2 Samuel 17.25, 26). Ed believes that Jesse had an affair with Nahash’s wife, producing David. Later, Jesse must have married her, and she brought her two daughters into the mix. (You can’t make this stuff up!)

But this back story sheds light on a well-known verse:

Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me. (Psalm 51.5, ESV)

We tend to spiritualize the verse as, sure, we’re all born in sin, ever since the Fall. But the language is plain, and David is saying something about himself. And he’s saying something very important: it doesn’t matter what our background is. God can and does use any of us. For that, we can be thankful.

But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead… (Philippians 3.13, ESV)

So we are convinced that every detail of our lives is continually woven together to fit into God’s perfect plan of bringing good into our lives, for we are his lovers who have been called to fulfill his designed purpose. For he knew all about us before we were born and he destined us from the beginning to share the likeness of his Son. This means the Son is the oldest among a vast family of brothers and sisters who will become just like him. (Romans 8.28, 29, Passion Translation)

For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them. (Psalm 139.13 – 16, ESV)