CHURCH REPORT FOR OCTOBER 31, 2021: end of another month

Disclaimer (because someone will say something): although I am actively involved in my church, all opinions and observations are mine alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of the leadership, staff, or congregation.

CHURCH REPORT FOR October 31, 2021

Ahhhh, Reformation Day, October 31, 2021. The day Martin Luther nailed the 95 Theses on the Wittenberg Door in Germany, an event that triggered the Reformation. 

Oh, yeah, it's that other day too. Hallo...something.  More on that in a second.

Sunday Morning Adult Bible Study was back in full swing after our missionary break last week. We began the second half of Romans 8 with a section about groaning. We looked at how all creation is groaning. Next time, we'll start with believers groaning, followed by the Holy Spirit groaning. Who would have thought groaning could be so exciting? 

Pastor Dick brought the message from Joel entitled "Wake Up!" There were two parts to the book: The Day of the Locusts and the Day of the Lord. I remember telling a group of preschoolers that a locust was a grasshopper with a bad attitude. And the swarm attacking Israel was indeed that. But there was coming another swarm--the Assyrians--and they would foreshadow something even worse.

My favorite quote from the message was, "Demons don't flee at the name of a denomination, but at the name of Jesus." What a great truth! No matter what tribulation may come, we can and should walk in the power of the Holy Spirit, being filled or controlled by the Spirit day by day, moment by moment. 

photo courtesy of Alex Grichenko

In the evening, the church hosted a community event called "Trunk or Treat." We've had many such events over the years, with varying success, but this year, with our event coordinator coordinating (way to go, Chris A.!) and our elder board showing their support (hooray, elders!), the evening was a hit. The purpose, as it is every year, is to provide a fun, safe, family-friendly alternative to the usual Halloween celebrations. It could be considered an "onramp" event, a non-threatening way to welcome the community to our church. And from all indications, it served its purpose.

So October closes and November starts. And as prophetic trends unfold around us, we have to wonder if the return of Jesus is near. Stay tuned.

So, how was your church service this weekend?

CHURCH REPORT FOR OCTOBER 24, 2021: We yield to missionaries!

 Disclaimer (because someone will say something): although I am actively involved in my church, all opinions and observations are mine alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of the leadership, staff, or congregation.

CHURCH REPORT FOR October 24, 2021

In all the years I have had the privilege of guiding the Adult Bible Study, one phrase has stuck in my mind:

"We yield to missionaries."

I first heard this phrase from a fellow facilitator from the "class next door." We agreed early on that visiting missionaries would have the entire period to do a presentation to our combined classes regarding their field. 

Even though we no longer have two classes, we've continued the tradition of letting missionaries have the class. We still "yield" to missionaries.

Last Sunday, we had the honor of having John and Dee Cook with us. The Cooks have a ministry in parts of the world that, under regular thinking, would be considered dangerous. And while some would think those regions deserve to be blown up, their heart is to see the gospel spread to as many as possible. 

The challenge, of course, is with what we are doing in our own, arguably less dangerous, neighborhoods to share the gospel. it was an enjoyable, challenging time. The Cooks also took a few minutes to share in the Morning Service which followed.

Mike Bull wrapped up the book of Hosea with a topical message. In my opinion, it was an unusual approach. But, as per usual, it was a Biblical message--which is the point, right?

The morning did not end after the last song. First we had a special business meeting to talk about some property and then there was a Q&A luncheon with the Cooks.

So it was busy, active, unusual, and blessed day.

So how was your church service this weekend? 

CHURCH REPORT FOR OCTOBER 17, 2021: a word about my pastor

Disclaimer (because someone will say something): although I am actively involved in my church, all opinions and observations are mine alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of the leadership, staff, or congregation.

CHURCH REPORT FOR October 17, 2021 

At our church service on Sunday, we observed Pastor Appreciation Day. We called Pastor Dick and Becky and Pastor Norm and Jessica to the front, presented them with gifts, and prayed over them. 

I've know Pastor Dick for 30 years, give or take. I'm tempted to think of how old that
makes me, but I get a little perspective when I realize he became pastor at roughly the same time I graduated high school! He has been a faithful under-shepherd to the flock. One of my activities is archiving messages (most of which are being painstakingly digitized) and I can tell you that Pastor Dick is a man whose textbook over the decades has been the Bible He is authentic. 

I haven't known Norm as long, but in his role as Youth Pastor, it is hard to picture a time he has not been here. He is a man of vision and integrity and humor. 

So we began the service by appreciating our pastors. Last week, we had an overview of Hosea. Today, Pastor Dick opened up for us the first three chapters. It is hard to believe some producer hasn't turned this account into a full scale prime-time drama! But more than just the drama of it all is the promise of restoration and deliverance of God's people. 

In our Adult group, we finished up the first part of Romans 8. Next week, we will be having some guest missionaries speaking in our class, so we'll be taking a break before the second part of this great chapter. So thankful for this group and their insights, knowledge, and observations...born out of a desire to know Scripture better. I'm so blessed to be with these folks.

So, how was your church service this weekend?

CHURCH REPORT FOR OCTOBER 10 2021: Hosea, can you see? (groan!)

Disclaimer (because someone will say something): although I am actively involved in my church, all opinions and observations are mine alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of the leadership, staff, or congregation.

CHURCH REPORT FOR October 10, 2021

Those who are familiar with the books of the Bible, or who did "Bible drills" in Sunday School, or even those who have access to the table of contents in their Bible know that after the book of Daniel comes the book of Hosea. And since our series on Daniel wrapped up last week (I know, I know, I didn't do a church report post!), it was time to start this brand new series.

Mike Bull was our speaker this Sunday. He handled the overview of Hosea, titled, appropriately enough, "Overview of Hosea."  For those who haven't read Hosea in a while, it is the account of a prophet of God who is told to marry a prostitute as a living object lesson of Israel's unfaithfulness to God. I won't give any spoilers, but the book develops a beautiful theme of God's love and redemption in spite of the wife's sin--indeed, in spite of OUR sin--indeed, in spite of MY sin. 

Practically speaking, the overview was concise and to the point and about half as long as last week's wrap up of Daniel, which was also to the point--seriously, Mike addressed some very timely and instructional things last week--but not quite as concise. 

Also launching this week was our annual foray into "Operation Christmas Child," a ministry of Samaritan's Purse, which seeks to fill shoe boxes with small gifts  and send it to children around the world. It's fun to be a part of this ministry each year, knowing how these boxes will be used. 

Adult Bible Study went well. Lately, we've been able to finish complete sections of our outline. While nobody minds having to stop in the middle of a verse, I really enjoy being able to finish the parts of whatever segment we are exploring. Hoping this trend continues.

So, how was your church service this weekend?

CHURCH REPORT FOR SEPTEMBER 26, 2021: History is happening

 Disclaimer (because someone will say something): although I am actively involved in my church, all opinions and observations are mine alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of the leadership, staff, or congregation.

CHURCH REPORT FOR September 26, 2021

In the hit musical Hamilton, one of the refrains says, "History is happening in Manhattan and we just happen to be in the greatest city in the world." 

After Sunday, I would like to suggest that the theme of Daniel 11 is that history will be happening in the world and we just happen to be in the greatest time of all. I know, it doesn't have the same rhythm, but it's certainly true.

Pastor Dick brought the message on Sunday (two Sundays in a row!) with a survey of Daniel 11 entitled "A Storm is Coming." It is always amazing to see the details of prophetic Scriptures and how those details play out in real history. From the rise of Alexander the Great's generals to the pre-figurement of the Antichrist, there are items for which we have the benefit of historical hindsight, but which would have been impossible for Daniel to have known when he wrote. That's what makes Daniel so amazing.

Being pre-millennial and pre-tribulational in my eschatology, I really appreciated Pastor's treatment of the chapter. It was solid without being sensationalistic. And in these troublesome times, it's good to have a reminder of the hope we have in Christ's return.

Before the service, of course, we had the Adult Bible Study. Romans 8:5-8, comparing being in the flesh with being in the Spirit. Good time of interaction. And then, after the service, was the annual Church picnic. We've had to cancel it the last couple of years for assorted reasons, but it happened this time. I did not stay, but the reports coming in have said it was a success. 

Yup, we just happen to be in the greatest time of all.

So, how was your church service this weekend?

CHURCH REPORT FOR SEPTEMBER 19, 2021: A rainy weekend

 Disclaimer (because someone will say something): although I am actively involved in my church, all opinions and observations are mine alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of the leadership, staff, or congregation.

CHURCH REPORT FOR September 19, 2021

It was a rainy weekend in the city of the eagle. A steady rain. A heavy rain. A rain that made me glad that I wasn't a lump of sugar left outside on the sidewalk. . 

With apologies for that little film noir introduction, we did have a rainy weekend. It helped wash out the smoke from the air and add some much needed moisture to our drought-stricken region. It also made for a refreshing atmosphere as we headed to church.

The Adult Bible Study went well. We started chapter 8 last week and got all the way through verse 4 this morning. I know that doesn't sound like much, but the way we all like to share insights and questions, that is an accomplishment. I was given a suggestion on how to arrange the class so we can have more Bible study time, so it's something to consider.

Pastor Dick spoke from Daniel 10 this morning about the spiritual warfare that we are in and the vital importance of prayer. It is a reminder that the battle we are in is a spiritual one. Closing the message, Pastor brought up a group of folks to lift us up corporately in prayer. 

I had a good time visiting shortly with a couple of folks after the service. One asked me a Bible question during the last song--my brain went blank, but I assured her I would find the answer.  I know a few folks in our congregation that are hurting or going through some issues. One gentleman shared a difficulty he was facing. And as I was leaving, I glanced out a door and saw a couple of our ladies comforting another woman. It made me happy, but it did not surprise me either--I've seen these ladies do this before. It's part of being in a family.

Prayer, support, encouragement, and time in the Word.  What a great place to be on a rainy weekend!

And how was your church service this weekend?

NOT QUITE A CHURCH REPORT

 The last time I posted a church report, our congregation was in a "pause" because of concern about the uptick in illness. Some followers thought that maybe we were still shut down.

I'm happy to say that our "pause" lasted for one Sunday and that we were "back in business" the following week. Of course, some of our other ministries--small groups, Bible studies, and so on--have chosen to postpone until things settle down. But the Sunday Morning activities (Worship Service, Adult Bible Study, and Children's Church) are actively meeting, as are the Middle School and High School youth groups throughout the week. 

We won't go into details about the services on which we did not report, but if anyone is keeping track, our speakers have finished Daniel 9 and Pastor Dick is working hard in preparation for the closing chapters of this great prophetic book. Oh, and I had the joy of speaking on the 12th. If anyone wants to see that service, or any of the services, just visit epcbc.org.

Okay, this was brief, but I wanted to clear up any concern about why we were not posting any updated church reports.  Have a great week, everyone.

Oh, just because there was no report, we still want to ask, "How was your service this week?"

CHURCH REPORT FOR AUGUST 15, 2021: A Pause

CHURCH REPORT FOR AUGUST 15, 2021

The word "church" refers to an "assembly of called out ones." Sometimes, due to pressing concerns, the "called out ones" have to show their "church-ness" in other ways. It is not ideal, it is not preferable, and, if done too long or made habitual, it can even be detrimental to the individual member and to the local body as a whole.

But because of ongoing concerns about the appearance of covid within our congregation, the elders, after meeting and discussing and deliberating and debating, and, most of all, praying and searching the Scriptures, came to the incredibly difficult decision to pause our in-person worship service this Sunday. 

One of the "good things" that came from last year's outbreak is that it pushed us into making our services available online. It wasn't a live stream, but a pre-recorded service that we released at 10 a.m. The very first service we did, back in March of 2020 was a disaster. Not the service--it was fine. But because of the huge demand at 10 a.m. and the limits of our own knowledge of the technology, the site crashed. Ahh, memories...

Well, we still offer the services online (usually released Monday) and they serve a need for folks who cannot attend on a given Sunday or who were here, but missed the service (kids workers, service & safety team, and others--SA-LUTE!). 

So, back to the subject: last Sunday, pausing in-person service. . .

Pastor Dick pre-recorded his message from Daniel 6, called "Trusting in the Lord." This brought back some other memories of a time that he spoke on this chapter and used an actual lion to illustrate it (I have a videotape of it).  This time, it was a timely word about trusting the Lord, even in the midst of pandemics. Pastor Dick reminded us that God brings peace when we're surrounded by lions. He pointed out that, "the banner over David's life was because he trusted in the Lord."

So the message went on at 10. And dozens of "called out ones"--some, no doubt, in their jammies or finishing breakfast or brunch, or laying on the couch with their tablet--worshipped the Lord through the Word. For one Sunday, we paused an in-person service for an on-line service. Was it preferable, was it ideal, was it the best? No, but as a good friend of mine is fond of saying, "it is what it is." 

Here's to the return of the actual assembly of the called-out ones. Pray for those who are sick with covid and pray for all of us who are sick of covid. And pray that our focus, our hope, our trust be ever in the Lord.

And how was your church service this weekend? Did you take any special measures in light of health concerns or local regulations? Let us know in the comments below (be nice! This is not the forum for a debate or argument). 

Disclaimer (because someone will say something): although I am actively involved in my church, all opinions and observations are mine alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of the leadership, staff, or congregation.

CHURCH REPORT FOR AUGUST 8, 2021: Slightly different service

 Disclaimer (because someone will say something): although I am actively involved in my church, all opinions and observations are mine alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of the leadership, staff, or congregation.

CHURCH REPORT FOR AUGUST 8, 2021

Church was decidedly different this last weekend. For one things, our Saturday evening service is adjourned until September. For another thing, many of our staff and teenagers were away for our annual High School camp. Among the missing were our song leader, most of our praise and worship team, and most of the usual men who are called upon to fill the pulpit.

Yup, you guessed it: I had the honor of bringing the message on Sunday morning! More on that in a second.

As usual, the morning began with the 9:00 Adult Bible Study. We blazed through a whole three verses from Romans 7. I love the interaction, the questions, the discussion. It's almost like gathering around a family table.

When the service started, I ran up at the last minute to welcome everyone. It's at those moments that we realize how much we depend on those who serve in various capacities, such as Dick K, who faithfully reminds us each Sunday to take a deep breath in preparation to simply surrender ourselves to God. 

Our musical guests were Dakota and his wife and they BROUGHT IT!  In this modern era of full instrumentation (nothing wrong with that), who would have thought a guitar and keyboard would bring such a blessed atmosphere to the service?

I gave the message (a link to the service is below) from 2 Peter 1:12-21 about the reliability of Scripture. There were some positive comments from folks afterwards and I'm humbled by them. 

The second worship set ended with a medley of hymns and choruses that got everyone singing and engaged. I love toe-tapping music. . .and traditional music done in a contemporary way is just exciting to listen to.

So it was a good Sunday. I have found out later that the staff, counselors, and high schoolers from camp returned safely that afternoon, with everyone accounted for and no major injuries. As a wise man once said, any camp you can walk away from is a good one. And I guess that applies to services too.

So how was your church service this weekend?

Morning Worship Service 8-8-21

CHURCH REPORT FOR AUGUST 1, 2021: Daniel continues

 Disclaimer (because someone will say something): although I am actively involved in my church, all opinions and observations are mine alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of the leadership, staff, or congregation.

CHURCH REPORT FOR AUGUST 1, 2021

Happy August! It's hot. Smoke is in the air from our annual regional fires. And did I mention it is hot?

What better place to be than an air-conditioned building for the Sunday Morning Worship Service! 

Ordinally, I would refer to the "Weekend Worship Service." For several months, we have had a duplicate service on Saturday evening. The Saturday service was started primarily in an attempt to address concerns about Covid spread. By offering a second service, it would spread out our crowd, thus reducing issues of distancing. The Saturday night service did not have a huge turnout, but there were positive comments from those who came.

But since our church has headed into youth activity season (camps, VBS, and so on), it has become difficult to staff a second service. And with camps winding up, many families are trying to squeeze in one last vacation or getaway. So the elder board decided to discontinue the Saturday night service until September, when they will reevaluate the program.

So that leaves us with Sunday morning. . .

We've been going through the book of Daniel and this week's message from Mike
Bull was from chapter 5. Mike usually does not have a title for his message, but the passage had to do with another famous account: the handwriting on the wall. King Belshazzar, at a drunken revel, sees a finger appear and write a cryptic phrase on the wall. Daniel announced that Belshazzar and the Babylonian's kingdom was at an end. And that night, Babylon fell to the Medes and Belshazzar was killed. 

Mike's style of preaching is to bring in a lot of background and then bring in a lot of application: personal, society, church, nation. One of the asides had to do with the fact that the Covid-19 pandemic has caused such division within the church at large. Vaxxers, anti-vaxxers, maskers, anti-maskers: we need to be more open and tolerant to one another. Personally speaking, I think he's right, but I can't help but feel there were a few on both sides of the debate who who took umbrage at his statements. But good preaching does that. Not that the speaker should seek to make someone mad, but sometimes, it happens. Been there, done that, bought the t-shirt.

Quick shout out to our music director Chris Alden. Week after week, the music is consistently good. Sometimes, his challenge is to find enough musicians and singers to bring it over the weekend (particularly Saturdays!). But bring it they do...and I would put our praise team against the "big boys" any day.

Being as it was the first Sunday of the month, we also observed the Lord's Supper, remembering the death of Christ on the cross to pay the price for our sins. Folks came forward to take the elements during the second worship set. Doing it in remembrance of Him!

So how was your church service this weekend?

CHURCH REPORT: JULY 25, 2021: Special VBS Edition!

 Disclaimer (because someone will say something): although I am actively involved in my church, all opinions and observations are mine alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of the leadership, staff, or congregation.

CHURCH REPORT FOR JULY 25, 2021

I'm back with a double-header! Not only a report on our Sunday services (said report sadly absent for the last few weeks, due to the proverbial circumstances beyond my control), but also a brief summation of what happened the week before at the annual Vacation Bible School.

Sunday Morning:

I'm always thankful for the Sunday Morning Adult Bible Study. About a dozen folks gathering together to plunge into the book of Romans chapter by chapter, section by section, (verse by verse, word by word, etc.). We've been unraveling chapter 7 and made it all the way to verse 10. We had some folks traveling and others back. Such is the nature of summer.

Pastor Dick was preaching today from Daniel 4 with a message entitled "God Rules." He emphasized the fact that God's sovereignty is the theme of David. King Nebuchadnezzar certainly found that out, as he was transformed into a wild beast. In the end, God's dominion is an everlasting dominion. God is in control.

Following the service as a prayer meeting in order to lift up the search process for a new pastor. I was unable to stay, but I understand it was a blessing. My own prayer is not only for wisdom for the search, but also for how the process is carried out, that there be no misunderstandings or procedural arguments.

Vacation Bible School:

August 19-23 was incredible. Our theme was Treasured (a Group Publishing curriculum). My friend Kim directed the program. As per usual, she unleashed the kids to sing some great, uplifting songs during the opening and closing. I admire her obvious love for the children and her ability to pull together all the elements. She helped me on several VBSs when I was doing children's ministries so I appreciate what she brings to the VBS table.

My primary "job" was doing the Bible story. I did some adapting each night as what was written in the curriculum book would not have worked in our situation. Brenda helped me primarily with picture taking a moral support. A few discipline problems here and there, but overall some good groups. Some of the major and minor highlights of the week:

• When describing the qualities of a king, one 7 or 8 year old said the king should be "devastatingly handsome." A kid with a vocabulary like that will go far!
• I used a puppet to play "David." His headband fell off, so I had to ad-lib a line. It worked so well that when the headband fell off in the other sessions, I just used the same line (puppets are so temperamental!)
• One of the kids gave me and some other leaders a beautiful blue polished stone.
• Another girl approached me during transition times and asked some very insightful Biblical questions. 
• There was a medical emergency on one night. There also just so happened to be a nurse and a paramedic in the building that night. What a "coincidence," huh? (sorry, being a touch sarcastic).
• Pastor Dick sat in one of our sessions. It's always great to see him at these things.
• Thursday night is gospel night. The salvation message is emphasized in a special way. 34 kids raised their hands to profess faith in Christ! (notice that I use the phrase "profession of faith." That's because kids don't always raise their hands because of trusting Christ. But God knows their hearts, even if all we can see is their profession. One of these days, I'll write more about this).
• Ice cream social for volunteers after Friday's final session. Yum.

As I write this, Kim is starting preparation for Kids Camp, which is coming up this weekend. I'm not involved in that, but to shift from VBS to Kids Camp in less than a week is a Solomonic/Samsonitic feat (I'm pretty sure I made up those words), so I'm praying for Kim and her team.

And that was the double-header of our Sunday...and our week. So how was your church service this weekend? And if you've had a Vacation Bible School program, how did it go? Let me know in the comments.

 

CHURCH REPORT FOR JUNE 27, 2021: Hot Day, Cool Service!

 Disclaimer (because someone will say something): although I am actively involved in my church, all opinions and observations are mine alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of the leadership, staff, or congregation.

CHURCH REPORT FOR JUNE 27, 2021

Another hot day in southern Oregon. So thankful for an air-conditioned building in
which the church can gather. And we were blessed to have our senior Pastor, Dr. Richard Bull speaking today. 

I like it when Pastor Dick is in the pulpit. And the fact that he is kicking us off in chapter 1 of the book of Daniel is even better!

We had a decent turnout in our Adult Bible Study, as we explored Romans 6. One of our newest group attendees made an excellent observation about the good works that unbelievers do--stating that they are "horizontal" good works, they often will benefit friends, family, our fellow man, but they cannot do "vertical" good works, those works done to please the Lord. One of the greatest blessings of our Sunday Morning study is that I learn and am enriched from the others in the group. Great way to start the morning.

And then came the service, with Pastor Dick speaking on "A Test of Character." It was a breakdown of chapter 1, with Daniel's deportation, his education in the Babylonian system, and his commitment to live for the Lord in spite of his surroundings. 

A little "behind the scenes" info: when talking about the food and diet set before the Hebrew youths, Pastor Dick had thought about showing the famous "Dinner of Doom" banquet scene from the movie Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (you know, the one where they're eating snakes, and bugs, and monkey brains, and so on!). But after consultation with wise counsel, he decided against it (it probably would have been fun for a a middle school group, though!).

The theme of focus of the message was this: "How can we live in Babylon without being a part of Babylon?  By living our inner convictions." Great lesson, great reminder.

So how was your church service this weekend?

CHURCH REPORT FOR JUNE 20, 2021: We Got Cookies!

Disclaimer (because someone will say something): although I am actively involved in my church, all opinions and observations are mine alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of the leadership, staff, or congregation.

CHURCH REPORT FOR JUNE 20, 2021

How does a nice guy like me end up with a special, hand-selected bag of cookies AND a belt-clippable tape measure that ensured me that I am loved beyond measure?

Well, I went to church on Father's Day! And there, waiting in the foyer, was a container with the aforementioned cookies and another container with a full supply of tape measures! The note on the tape measure said "You are loved beyond measure," while the other side was a quote from 1 Timothy 6:11: "But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, and gentleness." What a great way to start the morning!

After a good Adult Bible Study (in which we finished off the first half of Romans 6), my wife and I decided to enjoy the service in the comfort of the Fireside Room. Usually, there are a few other folks in there with us, but this time, we were all by ourselves. Not counting the people in the foyer. And the auditorium full of people just outside the door.

We started a brand new series in the book of Daniel. I've always enjoyed Daniel--it is a rich and exciting book. Mike Bull gave the overview of the book (in a message entitled--you guessed it--"Overview of Daniel"). He gave us a rundown of the historical background of the book and its main themes and characters. He pointed out that Daniel is often blasted by critics, but there are answers to those attacks.

Overall, Daniel considers the question of how we live faithful lives to God while living in Babylon. And of course, the bottom line of the book is that it isn't about us, it's about God. 

There was a little sadness this day as well, as one of our longstanding church members passed away after a long fight with cancer. He passed on Saturday, making the Sunday Father's Day observance a little bittersweet. The father of a friend of ours from church also passed a couple of weeks ago. I'm reminded of the Scripture which encourages us not to, "sorrow, but as those who have no hope" (1 Thessalonians 4:13).

While Mike's message wasn't directly about this, it did contain hope---hope in the great God who brought Daniel into Babylon and works daily in my life.

So how was your church service this weekend?

CHURCH REPORT FOR JUNE 13, 2021: Outside In

Disclaimer (because someone will say something): although I am actively involved in my church, all opinions and observations are mine alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of the leadership, staff, or congregation.

CHURCH REPORT FOR JUNE 13, 2021

As always, my Sunday morning began with the 9:00 Adult Bible Study. We've been going through Romans and, as I mentioned in the class, we're moving at the speed of the Holy Spirit, which means we sometimes only get to one or two verses. Discussions, questions, "rabbit trails," and laughter all contribute to what is a very enjoyable 45 minutes. But in-depth diving into the text does not always mean moving forward a chapter at a time. 

This week, however, we went a little further in chapter 6, emphasizing the point the apostle Paul makes in the chapter that we are dead to sin and alive to God. Good group too (but then it always is...shout out to the folks in the class: if you're reading this, thank you for ministering to me each week!)

I hung out in the foyer for the main service. It's always risky doing that, because there are folks chatting, visiting, or walking through. So if it's so distracting, why do I do it? Three reasons: 1) Sometimes, when I'm putting away my gear from the ABS, I don't get into the main sanctuary in time to grab a "good seat." Granted, nobody would care if I stepped over them, but I don't want to be a distraction. 2) Sometimes, I check and make sure the sound and video on our monitor screens is working right. Nobody asked me to do it, it's just something I do to report on the service from a "layman's" perspective. 3) The main reason is because I really want to get into the sermon. I take notes on the message and sometimes, I'm looking up other references. And it is a lot easier to do this when I can spread my Bible, note sheet, note pad, and cell phone with the Bible app on a flat surface, as the little tables in the foyer provide. 

In the sanctuary or in the foyer, we have a cool praise and worship team. Every week, they bring newer and older songs in what, in my opinion, is a good blend. The service is divided into two song sets, sandwiching the message in the middle. Not my favorite arrangement, but it's growing on me. 

Pastor Dick finished up the book of Ezekiel this morning with a sweeping look at chapters 40-48 in a message entitled "Holy Ground." I loved the main theme of the message; namely, 48:35 that the name of the city is "THE LORD IS THERE." God will never leave us, nor forsake us. How evident is it that I know and believe the Lord is with me?  Good application.

If I could call out one observation: this was not a deep verse-by-verse examination of the millennial temple and its worship. Obviously, because covering nine chapters in 30-40 minute time span would be extremely difficult. I also got the impression that Pastor did not want to wade into some of the controversies surrounding the interpretation of these passages. I'm not talking about compromising, but about choosing the battle to emphasize. Zeroing in on the Lord's abiding presence with His people in all generations was THE point he chose to drive home. Cannot argue with that.

Would I have tackled Ezekiel 40-48 differently? Probably--and it might have been a two hour message! But now that we are finished with Ezekiel, it's time to head into Daniel, with its dreams and visions and eschatology and all sorts of exciting stuff. I can hardly wait.

And how was your church service this weekend?.

CHURCH REPORT FOR JUNE 6, 2021: Far But Near

Disclaimer (because someone will say something): although I am actively involved in my church, all opinions and observations are mine alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of the leadership, staff, or congregation.

CHURCH REPORT FOR JUNE 6, 2021

I left the church service early (for reasons that would require another blog post (or more). But that did not stop the day from being a good one.

As usual, my Sunday began with the 9:00 Sunday Morning Adult Bible Study. I've been facilitating this group for many, many years and it is truly one of the highlights of my week. It is a semi-in-depth study, full of questions and observations. As a result, some sections take much longer than others. In our case, we are studying Romans, which is an amazing and DEEP letter. We just started chapter 6 a couple of weeks ago and this Sunday we finished with verse 5! We (and by "we," I mean "I") went a little past our time in order to finish the particular section.  When that happens, the sound of the gathering flock outside the door can get a little distracting.  And they were getting loud.

After getting my equipment packed up (I use a laptop for PowerPoint slides, plus a video camera to record the lesson for our church YouTube channel), I prepared to leave. But I was overjoyed to see an old friend pay a visit. I was also full of joy, but sadness, to be able to talk to another old friend who was back in church since losing a loved one. Lots of hugs and tears. And as I probably observed before, this is what "church" looks like.

If there is a proverbial "golden lining" to the cloud of having to leave early, it's that our church releases our services online. So as soon as it was uploaded, I watched the service from afar. 

The moderator of the elder board began by reading a letter concerning the search for a pastoral candidate in anticipation of Pastor Dick's eventually retirement. No panic, it won't be for awhile, but it is best to start the process early. 

Then came worship through song. There was a funny part (or I thought it was funny): I saw someone with very long arms and apparently sitting toward the back near the camera, raising their hands in praise and very nearly blocking the view!

Mike Bull (the pastor's son, our "assistant to the pastor," and the aforementioned candidate) was our speaker today. He continued our series in Ezekiel 38-39, the battle of Gog and Magog. There was a lot of good application and encouragement in the message. I don't agree with Mike's "take" on Gog and Magog, as he tends to approach prophetical books from a "covenant theology" framework, but I will glean the wheat from the chaff and leave the disagreements for another time and place. 

After partaking of the Lord's Supper and the second set of worship songs, the service dismissed. 

I'm fortunate to work at the place in which I also worship, so I'm usually aware of what's happening. But for those times I have to step out, I'm glad we have some modern tech to help me feel like I'm "there."

So, how was your church service this weekend?

CHURCH REPORT FOR MAY 30, 2021: DOING IT DIFFERENT ON MEMORIAL WEEKEND

Disclaimer (because someone will say something): although I am actively involved in my church, all opinions and observations are mine alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of the leadership, staff, or congregation.

Quick note: as I'm posting this, it is Memorial Day, in which we honor the brave men and women who have died in service to our country. Yesterday, I posted my thoughts on Memorial Day and what it means to me. You can check it out here: Thoughts for Memorial Day 2021

CHURCH REPORT FOR MAY 30, 2021

There are a lot of mega-churches in our country which engage in multi-campus environments; that is, one church meeting in different locations. Usually, with the aid of modern technology, the pastor and/or part of the service is live streamed to the satellite congregation(s). I'll leave it to the readers to debate if this is a good thing or not.

But it's not really new either. The church I attended in college promoted itself as "one church in three locations," which was crazy talk at the time. Of course, they did not have the video and computer technology of today, so the pastor would rotate to the different locations. By carefully staggering the service times, the pastor would finish his message in one location while the service was just beginning in the other. Theoretically, after driving in southern California traffic, he would arrive just in time to assume the pulpit in the second location (I'm not sure what exactly they did with the third location). 

So what does this all have to do with EPCBC? Nothing, except for as many Memorial Weekends as I can remember, we have been a "multi-campus" church.

Photo courtesy of Dave S.

You see, Memorial Weekend is the occasion of the annual church Family Camp and most of our congregation is away enjoying the sun, sea breeze, and sanguinity of the Oregon coast (well, okay, full disclosure...there is often rain).  They have "church" there on the coast--actually a couple of times--and it is a big event.

But for those left behind, and who are not otherwise escaping for Memorial Weekend, we have "church" at our same location, same time. Not a lot of other things: no Saturday night service. No Friday night outreaches. No Sunday morning Adult Bible Study. No children's activities. No, the 10:00 service is "it". 

My wife and I arrived, parked in front (something we rarely do other times), and were greeted by a member of our "Service and Safety Team." He introduced us to a new family. Not a lot of people around, but lots of smiles. We were spaced out across the sanctuary. Our song leader mentioned how glad he was for those who were attending, unless so many people were gone because of the rapture! He recommended, because of our low numbers, that we sing louder. And so our first worship set began.

Then it came time for the speaker. Oh, did I mention that I was the speaker? That too is kind of a Memorial Sunday tradition. With a few exceptions, I'm "holding down the fort" on that Sunday. Ahh, the tales I could tell you about Memorial Sundays past . . . .

Anyway, I broke out of our Ezekiel series to focus on Ephesians 3, talking about the mystery of the church: the fact that God has blended together Jews and Gentiles in to one Body, the Body of Christ, and all that follows in connection to that.  Second worship set, closing (I read the doxology from the end of Ephesians 3), and we were dismissed.

In a lot of ways, our Memorial Sunday service is like most of our services. People from all ages, walks of life, good and bad experiences, coming together to worship the Lord. I see the same faithful people who work hard to make sure everything goes smoothly (like the Service and Safety team). I also can't help but feel a touch of sadness for those who are battling illness or who recently lost a loved one and could not attend. Some who are absent surprise me. Actually, some who are there surprise me!

But through the whole morning, I never once think about what I'm missing at Family Camp. For one Sunday, we are "one church in two locations." And as everyone gets back, I'm looking forward to swapping stories.

So, how was your church service this weekend? 

CHURCH REPORT FOR MAY 23, 2021 (and some words of Introduction)

 Introduction:

Today, I'm beginning a new phase of my blog. Unlike the previous two (or three, or four, or whatever) phases and re-launches and renewals of this blog, I'm cutting myself some slack. I will try to post regularly, but I'm done beating myself up for not posting and then waiting for the "right time" to pick up my blogging activity, only to wait weeks or months to do a new post. 
Blogging used to be fun and I had a lot to say. I want to recapture that. Like Hamilton was told
in the hit musical of the same name, "Why do you write like you're running out of time?" I want that drive and feeling back.

So today's new feature in this blog is a brief report on the church service I attended. Why report on this? Millions around the world spend their weekends involved in faith-based activities, so why not offer my short observations about my own experience? When I was involved in children's ministries, I watched parents pick up their kids after the service and ask, "what did you learn in Sunday School today?" So this blog is the answer to that question as it applies to "grown up church."

Disclosure and disclaimer:

My home church is Eagle Point Community Bible Church in southern Oregon, where I work in a support capacity in the church office. While I have experience as a pastor in other churches, I do not now have any kind of pastoral ministry or leadership role in my church. I teach an adult Bible study and once in a while, I fill the pulpit as a guest speaker. While several people affectionately refer to me as a pastor, technically, I am not.
The reason I want to make that clear is that these words are mine alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of the pastor, elders, or other leaders and staff of EPCBC.

CHURCH REPORT FOR MAY 23, 2021

My wife and I sat in the back of the sanctuary. There is a unique perspective to sitting in the back. Except for the people to our side, I mostly saw backs and backs of heads. I saw young heads with lots of hair. I saw older bodies, stooped with age, their hair nearly gone. Some people remained seated during singing, most stood. Some had their hands lifted in worship, some did not. I kept thinking, this is a picture of what church should look like.

Pastor Dick's message today was: "God of the Impossible" Ezekiel 37. Just as God gave hope to the people of Israel through the vision of the dry bones, he gives hope to us as well. Pastor did what he does best: instill some practical reminders for daily lives.

The message was not a deeply theological or eschatological message. He did acknowledge, via Romans 11, that there is coming a future salvation of Israel, but that wasn't the main point of this particular message. He closed with Psalm 13, pointing out that David begins with the cry of "how long, O Lord? Will You forget me forever?" and ends with "I will sing to the Lord, because He has dealt bountifully with me."

Our closing song set included the Revelation Song ("Holy, Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord God Almighty, Who was and is and is to come..."). It is a favorite of mine and I can't help but be stirred whenever I sing it.

So, how was your church service today?

HERE'S TO THE QUIET MINISTRIES

Do you have any "quiet" ministries in your church?

Whether it is the quaint "sewing circle" that laughs and prays by needlepoint in the back room or the group that gets together to sing the "old hymns" for an hour, there seems to be groups that do not draw a lot of attention; indeed, many in the congregation may not even be aware of their existence. While a church's major Bible studies or children's ministries draw a lot of attention, the "quiet" groups faithfully meet week by week, year after year, contributing to the Body for the glory of God.

Last week, I conducted a memorial service for a lady who passed away around the holidays. I did not know her, but I knew she regularly attended our church's weekly "Ladies' Prayer Breakfast" at a local restaurant. Now while the Breakfast is listed in our church schedule and is hardly a "secret," it is not the most visible of ministries in our church. I've heard more than one of our leaders confess to not being aware of this group or what they did. The "Ladies' Prayer Breakfast" is one of those "quiet" ministries.

In preparing for the service, I learned a lot about this woman, but I also learned a lot about the Ladies' Prayer Breakfast. Family and friends testified about how important the Breakfast was to this woman and how thankful they were that she had a group of friends around her. She was not able to get out much, but someone always picked her up for the Breakfast, where she enjoyed her weekly helping of biscuits and gravy. It is safe to say the ladies at the Breakfast ministered to her--and she to them.

The catchword in many churches these days is "doing life together," growing in mutual faith and accountability to one another. Forgive the description, but it's a very "Millennial" thing to do. But as I listened to woman after woman talk about their relationship between this woman and the Breakfast, it occurred to me that this quiet ministry was already "doing life together." The group has lost three of its members in the last year. They have experienced family members go through crises. Their lives and struggles and hopes are linked in a "koinonia"--a living assembly. It is not manufactured, but very organic and real. The Ladies Prayer Breakfast does not get the attention or the focus or the promotion that other ministries get, but it is part of "church."

So what "quiet" groups are in your church? You don't have to join every group you

discover, but maybe a give a word of affirmation and an offer of prayer to its members. You may be surprised at how much these little known ministries are  "doing life together."

BIG BLUNDERS

When I was a Children's Pastor, actively involved in the wonderful, wacky world of kidmin, I was pleased with what we got to do week after week. I rejoiced in the victories and accomplishments, knowing that it is from the Lord, who used an incredible team of volunteers to help minister to the children in our church. When we had a win, it was most definitely of God and surely an "us" moment.

And if something "tanked" or "went south," well, that was all me.

But contrary to popular belief, even failures can be a measure of success, because it is in those failures that we learn. So it is in that spirit of education that I present three of my greatest blunders in kidmin. Word of warning: these are not all the "ha-ha, lol blooper"kind of  blunders, but examples of poor planning, bad decisions, or maybe even pig-headed stubbornness that led to a less than ideal outcome.

1. And the winner is. . . 
It was uniform inspection night and I needed to select the Awana kid with the best uniform, the one with all the awards in the right place. I don't remember how many contenders there were, but there were three or four who excelled. Every leader in the place knew that Bobby was the clear winner. Their eyes shifted toward Bobby. Bobby smiled self-consciously.

I picked Kyle.

At the time, I justified my selection in that Kyle was a bright kid who tried really hard every week and probably needed the encouragement. But it was my wife who summed up what was on everyone's mind: "Did you see the look on Bobby's face?"

Yeah. Without intending to, I crushed Bobby's spirit that night. While my motivation may have been good, I really needed to find a different way of expressing encouragement to someone without downplaying the clear achievements of another.

2. New Year's rush.
The first Sunday of the New Year was coming up and I had the bright idea to give the congregation a taste of the fun music we do on Sunday morning. So I asked, begged, pleaded, and cajoled the powers that be to let our Children's Church kids do a couple of songs during the Morning Worship Service. Great way to start the new year, right?

So the week before our "performance," I told the kids what we were doing. We sang our songs just like we always did, and I reminded our children that we would be doing this for our parents next week.  I looked forward to sharing this incredible blessing with our church.

But what I know now, and really, what I've always known, but somehow ignored, was that singing in children's church was far different than "performing" in adult church. Running through our songs the week before did not constitute "rehearsal." In my haste and zeal to showcase our children, I left out the three most important ingredients of a great performance: practice, practice, practice.

The results were squirm-worthy. Most of the kids stood frozen, their eyes glazed, their voices soft or silent, and their arms unable to do the motions that I and another leader were valiantly trying to coach.It was all very awkward. The audience politely applauded, but absent was the enthusiasm for what was normally a very fun, very active children's program. I mumbled something about how stage fright could often take over with kids.  But while stage fright was no doubt part of it, the failure mostly came  from my desire to rush into our first service of the New Year without taking the time to prepare the kids and help them practice.

3. A good idea at the time.
Speaking of public performances, it is not always acknowledged that programs involving kids also involve leaders. One year, as I was planning the end-of-year calendar, I was faced with three programs: our church daycare annual Christmas program, our annual children's ministry Christmas program, and the annual Live Nativity, which was sponsored by a community organization, but staged by our church. Many of our leaders were involved in all three, so I got to thinking: wouldn't it be nice to get all of this out of the way so our leaders could have most of December to relax, have time with family and friends, and not have to worry about planning and preparing and performing? So I picked the first extended weekend in December to launch our programs. Thursday would be the Day Care  Christmas program, Friday, the Live Nativity, and Sunday, Children's Ministries program. I did it for the leaders, we would get all our programs out of the way at the first of the month, leading to a care free December.

Yes, well. . . .

The Day Care and Children's Ministry programs, of course, required rehearsal (see lesson #2 above). So it took some creative scheduling to get kids and leaders into the building often enough to practice. That didn't include coming up with costuming, props, and sets for two different events

As for the Live Nativity, it didn't take as much rehearsal (it was a procession through the town and ending at the church, with no speaking role except for the narrator), but there still had to be a certain amount of coordinating shepherds, wise men, and angels, many of whom were also kidmin leaders who were quite busy with the other two programs.

To this day, the weekend is remembered with a fuzzy haze. The kids did fine (even though some of them had more than one program), but as we progressed through the weekend, the adults seemed to proportionately drag. Being outside in the cold for the Live Nativity triggered more than a few sniffles by the time Sunday night rolled around.

Having three programs almost back to back was a big investment of time, effort, creativity, and "oomph." And a word of commendation: our kidmin leaders stepped up and excelled! But as the "leader," I should have known better. Children's pastors should minister to the leaders as well. I failed to look out for the health and well being of the men and women who served so faithfully. Not only that, but parents of kids who were in multiple performances not only had multiple commitments at church, but they had school programs as well.  By grouping three events close together, nobody had a chance to catch their breath.

There are no doubt more foul-ups throughout the 15 years I served as a Children's Pastor. I did not always make the best or wisest choices and sometimes I charged forward with an idea that really needed more refinement or wise counsel. The mistakes were there, but they carried with them important lessons that made our victories and accomplishments that much sweeter.

Did you have any notable blunders in your children's ministry? What did you learn? Respond in the comments below.

NOVEMBER MUSINGS #2: THAT TAPE

In this valiant attempt to bring clarity to the November presidential election, I struggle with a lot of things. I've already shared in a previous post about my overall struggle regarding the real potential to tick everyone off. But the other challenge is that there are so many elements on which to shine a light, which one do I tackle first? Let's go to the tape. . . .

The tape, of course, is the revelation that Donald Trump bragged to (then) entertainment reporter Billy Bush about his ability to "have his way" with women (yes, I'm being diplomatic about something that at best was a rude, crude description and, at worst, an admission of possible assault). The exchange was caught on tape and recently released. Mr. Trump has characterized it as "locker room talk" and apologized. Many GOP lawmakers, evangelical leaders, and a host of others have repudiated the candidate. And, of course, in late breaking news, a few women have said that Mr. Trump's statements were not words only, but actions. To be fair, their accusations have not been substantiated, and Mr. Trump denies them, but they are certainly a cause of concern.

Three trains of thought come to mind:

We can't easily dismiss the claims against Donald Trump
So why did this 11 year old tape take so long to surface and why did these women wait until now to reveal Mr. Trump's treatment of them? First of all, regarding the women, it is not uncommon for a victim to remain silent. Some of it is born out of fear, some of it is embarrassment, some of it is a certain amount of self-doubt (did I somehow encourage this? was it my fault?). I would hope we've come far enough of our understanding sexual assault that we not dismiss these accusers out of hand. And I have to admit (with my limited knowledge), nothing the women have said so far sounds in-credible. It all sounds very consistent with Donald Trump's public personality and, yes, with his "locker room talk."

Which leads us back to the tape. What was on the tape was disgusting. Deplorable. Degrading. We can dismiss it as "locker room talk," but let's face it: the behavior it describes and even the language that is used is unacceptable.  But some of my conservative, Christian friends have said, "it's not that big a deal. Why are we condemning him for something he did  eleven years ago? He has apologized, so we should forgive him and move on."

Yes, I agree whole heartily we should forgive Donald Trump. But "moving on" might be a little more complicated. I can forgive the drug addict who steals my electronics to feed his habit. But I won't leave him unsupervised in my house. I will look for signs of continued drug use. I will love him and encourage him and rejoice in his victories. But unconditional forgiveness is not blindness. Or naivety. Yes, I forgive Donald Trump. But it took him eleven years to "confess" his sin (and only because the tape surfaced) and there have been no indications that he is a different man than before. Maybe he is. But we only have his public personality to evaluate and they suggest (not prove) he may have the same attitudes toward women as he had eleven years ago. Moving on is not so simple.

This could be a set up
But let's take a look at the other side of the coin. Aside from his "locker room" tape, there is no solid evidence to substantiate the claims of Mr. Trump's accusers. And while I prefer to give victims the benefit of the doubt, yes, some women do lie. We cannot blindly reject the idea that this could very well be a set up. NBC has had the "locker room" tape for eleven years, but during the entire run of the hit series The Apprentice, it never saw the proverbial light of day. While there are certainly legitimate reasons why the alleged victims may not have spoken out for eleven years, the fact is, they are only speaking out now, during a critical election season. The timing is more than convenient. Saturday Night Live brilliantly nailed this in a sketch portraying the Clinton campaign celebrating, with Hillary Clinton unable to contain her delight over this damaging revelation.  So there exists at least the possibility that these allegations are unfounded. Until more substantial proof surfaces, the question will remain unanswered.

What all this says about media and society
However, another troubling part of this whole thing  is the sudden focus on morality in our society.  Hey, I'm a stuck-in-the-mud, old fashioned values, Bible-believing Christian, but I get a little distressed when I hear representatives of the liberal left pontificate about the terribleness of Donald Trump's tape. Whenever Christians speak out against sexual situations or obscenity on television or movies, they are widely condemned as prudes, Puritans, or Pollyannas who want to destroy our civilization by imposing their narrow view of what is right or wrong in society. Meanwhile, we are treated to all types of  depictions of immorality, a great deal of which involves the degradation of women. It seems more than a little, I don't know, uhhh--hypocritical?

And then there are the athletes and celebrities who make fun of Donald Trump by saying that he's probably never been in a locker room, because men don't really talk that way in locker rooms. I beg to differ. The expression "locker room talk" existed before Donald Trump's apology and has always meant the kind of crude, bragging conversations that usually center on women. In some cases, it's little more than tall tales, but regardless, some men really do talk that way.  Let's tone down the feigned shock. If every newscaster or celebrity had tapes of their off-camera words and deeds, it would be quite a revelation to a lot of admirers.

And yes, NBC fired Billy Bush for his role in the "locker room" tape, but I noticed it did not prevent them from putting him on the Today Show in the first place. Only when they were stuck between exposing the "terrible immorality" of Donald Trump and showing their own media personality involved in the same thing did they take action. What else could they do?

Suddenly, prominent people who have never regarded the Bible as anything special are pulling out quotes to inform us all what "good Christians" should think about all this. While I'm glad to see anyone reading the Bible for guidance, I fear that many of these folks don't really give a flying care about what the Bible says; rather, their main goal is to maybe point out what they perceive as hypocrisy among Trump supporters. Where is the tolerance? Where is the very Biblical and Christian virtue of forgiveness? And that is an ongoing irritation, not only in this campaign, but in society overall: people who don't believe the Bible trying to convince the faithful about what the Bible says. Just something to think about.

Please do not take my comments as a rejection or endorsement of either candidate. Like many Americans, I'm struggling with this election. These posts represent what one of my teachers called, "thinking through my keyboard." I welcome your comments, but name calling, foul language, or general mean-spiritedness will not be allowed. Good points made logically and consistently (with maybe a dash of humor) goes a long way, even if you disagree.

And remember: no matter what happens in November, Jesus is still King of Kings and Lord of Lords!

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