Is the church no longer essential?

All across the nation governors have decided what essential businesses could remain open during this pandemic. They have decided that churches are not essential and banned Christians from gathering together for worship. At the same time, abortion clinics remained open as did liquor stores, pet supply stores, supermarkets and big box stores. As restrictions are beginning to be lifted, it's interesting that barber shops, tattoo parlors and other similar businesses will be allowed to reopen before churches.

Churches have responded to these restrictions in various ways. Many began airing their worship services on social media and YouTube while others held drive in worship services. In some locations, local officials even tried to ban the drive in services. The mayor of Louisville tried to stop drive in services on Easter but was overruled by a federal judge who ruled the ban was "beyond all reason, unconstitutional." Legal battles have also been held in other states.

When times get challenging people often turn to their faith for support and hope. It happens during war times, depressions, and other catastrophic events. After 9/11 many churches were filled with anxious people. However, in this pandemic the government has made every effort to keep people from looking to the church. Rather, they want people to look to the government for the answers to their concerns and fears. Every day governors and the president gets on TV to give the latest statistics and tell people what they are doing to protect them. Likewise, every day the politicians point fingers at one another blaming each other for problems they've encountered in this pandemic. At the same time, they have restricted the voice of the church. The message is clear: The government will save you; church is irrelevant.

I've been encouraged by how churches have responded. Many had never aired a worship service online before, but they quickly learned how to do so and now send their services into homes throughout the nation. Churches have developed food banks where people can drive by and pick up needed groceries and have church members leave boxes of food on their front porch. Leaders of children's ministries are ministering to children online. Small groups and Sunday school classes have learned to use social media to meet and continue their studies while supporting one another.

For years, critics of the church have declared that we are irrelevant to today's culture. Government  decided we are non-essential, but we still find millions of people are looking to the church for hope and for answers to the situation in which we find ourselves. Throughout history, many people discounted the church and governments tried to shut them down. Each of these governments failed, many have fallen, and the church lived on. Jesus said the gates of hell would not prevail against the church. Long after the politicians are out of office, the church will remain triumphant! Long after the critic's voices are still, the church will be standing tall!

Pastors, church leaders, keep up the good work. While some may consider you to be non-essential, the Lord is watching your faithfulness and is pleased.

Using your time wisely

Jonathan Edwards once wrote in his diary, "Resolved, never to lose one moment of time, but to improve it in the most profitable way I possibly can." Edwards is considered one of America's  leading theologians. He was a pastor whose preaching led to the Great Awakening, a prolific author, and for a brief period the president of what would later be Princeton University. One could say he made good use of every moment of his life.

As I look back over my life I realize I can't always say that. There have been many wasted hours doing things that were not profitable. Most of us could say the same thing. We get caught up in trivial matters, chasing the latest fads and pursuing things of limited value. We forget how quickly time marches on until we notice that much of our lives are behind us and we haven't done the things we most wanted to do with our lives.

Scripture teaches us to redeem the time, to make the best use of every possible minute. It's easy to say that we'll get to it tomorrow only for tomorrow to never come. We are to live in the moment, As one former colleague said to me, "The most important place I am is where I am today, and the most important person I can be with is the person I'm with right now." He refused to feel rushed to run to and fro but lived in each moment making the best use of that time right then.

Please don't misunderstand. This doesn't mean we have to spend every moment working. Making the best use of our time includes sitting on the deck with your spouse enjoying a cup of coffee and spending time with one another. It includes taking an afternoon to play golf with your friends. It includes taking a walk through a park or garden. It includes making time for self-care. When I had a motorcycle I would sometimes take a two-hour ride because I just needed the air.

I wonder how many are using their time wisely during this pandemic when many of us are asked to stay at home. Are we binge-watching Netflix or doing those things that we've been wanting to do for a long time? Right now, many of us have plenty of time to complete some tasks we've been putting off. Are we glued to the TV listening to people telling us how bad things are, or are we spending extra time in the Word of God learning more about God's will for our lives?

Are we taking a moment to send an encouraging email or text (or even going old-school and sending a card) to someone just to let them know we are thinking about them? One pastor said he divided his congregation into a prayer list so he could pray for each one individually. When he completed his time of prayer he would send a note to those he had prayed for that day to let them know he had prayed for them.

Are we spending time growing in our walk with God, maybe digging deeper into His Word to determine what a particular passage might be saying to us? Are we taking time to think about what the church may look like post-pandemic?

If we do even some of these things, this pandemic shutdown may prove to be profitable for us. We have this time available; use it wisely.

Laying the foundation

Obviously, each of the parables of Jesus are important. They all contain truths that we need to know if we are to live a life that is pleasing to God. However, one parable stands out to me more than the others. It is one I have probably referred to more in my sermons than any other. It is the story Jesus told of two men who built their houses, one on a foundation of sand and the other on a foundation of rock. When storms came, the house built on sand collapsed. When the same storm came upon the house built upon the rock, the house stood because it had a solid foundation. In the parable, the house represents the person's life. Jesus is teaching us that our lives need to built upon something that can withstand the storms of life.

Right now, we are going through a storm. This pandemic has taken many lives and shut down our nation and much of the world. Businesses have closed, and some are unlikely to reopen. People have lost their jobs, and the stimulus checks they've received won't do much to keep food on their tables or pay their bills. Churches have been forced to hold their services online or in their parking lots with strict guidelines to follow. Schools have closed in most states for the year. We are about six weeks into a lock down, and people are starting to protest the restrictions that have been placed on them. Some states are beginning to lift some of their restrictions to slowly return things back to normal, but no one knows what normal will look like post-pandemic.

This storm is going to cause a lot of lives to collapse. Those who collapse will do so because of the foundation upon which their lives were based. This is true of Christians as well as non-Christians. Being a Christian is no guarantee that your life is built on something solid that will support you in a storm. Many believe that foundational rock is a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. I've preached that as have many other pastors, but I think it goes even deeper than that. In addition to our relationship with Christ we need to hold to a sound theology.

Some who love Jesus have a theology that is a mile wide and an inch deep. They may go to heaven when they die, but when the storms of life come against them they have nothing that will help them withstand that storm. They lack the theological depth they need to withstand the storm.

In too many churches, sound theological preaching and worship has been replaced by feel-good sermons and entertainment. We want to crowd as much entertainment into our services as we can in order to appear "relevant," and to ensure that people are not inconvenienced too much we end with a 10 minute sermonette that lacks any theological depth. As people drive home from the service they might talk about how good the service was or how much they liked the new worship song, but there isn't a lot of discussion about how the sermon answered some question they had or touched them in a significant way.

Many people are trying to determine how this pandemic will affect the church when it ends. I believe one of the impacts the church will feel is that people are going to be looking for churches that provide theological depth to what they are doing. People are hurting, and they are afraid. They want something solid in their lives they can hold onto when the next storm comes. I believe many will seek a place where they can get the theological grounding they need for themselves and their families.

Pastors, I encourage you to examine your messages to ensure they contain the theological depth your people need. They are trusting you to provide them with the theological truths that will strengthen them for the days ahead.

Police too often get a bum rap

A few weeks after getting my driver's license I was heading to the bowling alley. Our school had an intramural bowling league on Saturday mornings, and I was running late. The car ahead of me was going slower than I wanted to go, so I passed it nearly hitting a police car head-on. Looking in my rear-view mirror I saw the car turn around and follow behind me. I pulled in the parking lot of the bowling alley, and the police car pulled in behind me. No light flashing. As I tried to walk nonchalantly into the business the officer calmly waved me to his car.

His first question was, "Do you know what I did yesterday?" When I responded I didn't, he told me he had some dental work done. He then said, "And you almost undone everything the dentist did." Of course, he checked my license and had a little talk with me about proper passing, and he let me go. Not even a warning ticket.

A few days later I was helping my Dad when he said, "I understand you met Ralph the other day." I was hoping he wouldn't find out about that! I admitted I had and asked how me knew. All he said was, "We have breakfast sometimes. I wouldn't say anything about this to your mother if I was you."

That was over 50 years ago, but a comment on Facebook the other day reminded me of it. The person said he liked to watch  Lone Star Law and North Woods Law on the Animal Planet. These are two shows I often watch as well. He said he didn't realize how often police gave people breaks. That's because that is not the kind of police action the media likes to portray.

While there are a few bad actors in police work, these are the exceptions. Most police I've known have been solid people who weren't interested in harassing people or making it especially difficult on those they've dealt with. Most of them entered police work to make a positive difference in people's lives and to protect the public against the bad guys. Because the media is all about sensational stories, too often they want to show the police as the bad guys. They don't tell the stories about the cop crying over the broken body of a child in a car wreck or about how they have to stop a drunk from beating his wife to death.

In our community the police often buy plush animals with their own money to give to upset children after an accident or a domestic abuse situation. Some of them also purchase blankets to give to homeless people or to people who need something to wrap themselves in after an accident. Those acts of kindness never get reported by the media.

It wasn't movie stars, politicians, TV anchor people or professional athletes running into the Trade Towers on 9/11 to try to rescue people they didn't know. It was cops and fire fighters risking their lives to save others. They are true heroes.

Reading that FB post reminded me of something else from the past. When I was in high school I was a member of a Police Explorer Post led by a state police sergeant. We had the opportunity to direct traffic during major events in our community as well as a lot of other things. I learned a lot from him. After I came home from the Navy I never saw him again until a few months ago in Wal-Mart. I introduced myself to him, and he immediately remembered me. I then told him a story.

The previous summer a car traveling towards me hit a deer right beside me. I stopped to make sure everyone was OK. There were no injuries but the car was disabled. It was dusky dark with night quickly approaching. Traffic was backed up both ways, no one knew what to do. I tried to get one lane of cars moving, but no one would move. Suddenly, I remembered a  trick the sergeant taught us in Explorers when he were doing traffic detail.  I put it to work, and immediately traffic started moving. I was able to keep traffic flowing smoothly so there were no further accidents until the police arrived.

As I shared my story with the sergeant it was obvious that he appreciated that something he had taught 50 years ago was remembered by one of his scouts and put to use. We talked for a few minutes and separated to do our shopping. He died a few months later.

Don't judge every cop by what you see on TV or read in the paper. Most of them are good persons doing a tough job, a job, frankly, most of us couldn't do.

I have to say a word to pastors before I close. Just as that sergeant didn't know that something he taught a bunch of teens would be used 50 years later, we in the ministry do not know how our messages might impact someone years later. Sometimes, we might feel that what we do doesn't seem to make much difference, but we simply do not know how God might use something we did or said years later to make a difference in the lives of other people.

After pandemic challenge for smaller churches

A friend asked me the other day what church service I've been watching during this coronavirus pandemic. I explained I watched 3 or 4 different services this past Sunday and had been watching a number of different ones each week. These churches are pastored by friends of mine in various parts of the country, and I doubt that I will ever have the opportunity to attend their services in person. This gives me a chance to hear my friends preach and gives me a feel for their worship service. However, that got me thinking about the churches that are not doing online services. How will they be impacted once things return to whatever normal will look like?

I would suspect that many of the churches that are not doing online or social media church services are smaller churches that lack the resources or ability to have such services. When these churches are able to reopen I'm sure that many people will gladly return. After all, they have relationships with people in these churches. But, will there be those who have found other churches online during this time that will not return to their home church? I'm guessing there will be. These smaller churches will become even smaller if that happens.

I've seen no reports on financial giving to churches during this time, but it's likely to have decreased. People are unable to physically attend, and few of these churches will have online giving options set up. Unless people mail in their tithes and offerings, these churches are going to see their giving drop dramatically. Add to this the number of people suddenly without jobs and worried about how to make their payments and buy food, and you've got even less money being given to the church. This is money that is not likely to be made up later when people do return to work and to their churches. This can have a major impact on a small church's budget.

One state convention asked people to be in prayer for their bivocational ministers. Most bivocational ministers receive a major part of their personal income through their other employment. If they are unable to work, that money is gone, and if the contributions to the church dry up their church income may do so as well.

It's entirely possible that some smaller churches will not reopen when this pandemic is over. Others will have some tough times ahead of them when things begin to open up again. Let me make some suggestions about what smaller churches can do during this time.

1) In most areas drive-in churches are permitted as long as certain guidelines are met. These guidelines are not difficult to adhere to. While this may not be ideal, it is a possibility to help your people stay connected to their church and to one another. Right now, many people's lives are turned upside-down. They need something stable in their lives, and for many that stability is found in their church.

2) Broadcasting services on social media isn't that difficult. It takes a Facebook page or YouTube and a camera to make it happen. Of course, if you can get nicer equipment you can have a much better service, but start where you are with what you have. One of the larger churches in your area who have been broadcasting their services can give you some suggestions on how to get started. If your church has a junior-high age student, he or she can probably get you set up.

3) It's not difficult to get set up to receive online contributions. Your church should have that capability anyway.

4) Pastoral care is difficult right now but increasingly important. Social distancing may keep people apart physically, but through the phone and social media we can still stay in contact with one another. People are still going into the hospital, but now they are alone. They really need regular contact. One church I know provides items each week for their children so they have access to activities and Bible stories. These can be sent through email or left on porches for the young people. Small groups are still meeting through ZOOM.

There are many stories of creative ways churches are staying in contact with their members during this pandemic. Every church needs to find ways to do this that is appropriate to them. These are challenging times the nation and our churches are going through, and I believe more challenges are yet to come. With challenges come opportunities. Make sure your church is ready.

Nerd Alert

Maybe it's the stay-at-home order related to the coronavirus that is getting to me. Maybe it's all the time I have to read and putter around the house. Maybe it's something else entirely, but I am turning into a major nerd.

I've always enjoyed the Star Wars movies. Every time a new one comes out I'm ready to head to the theater to see it, and we don't go to the movies. Of course, I've got all of them on DVD. In fact, I bought the last one on the day it came out recently. There is no telling how many times I've seen each one of them, especially since they are shown rather frequently on TV now.

A few weeks ago I told my wife I thought I would start reading some of the Star Wars books. I recently downloaded an app that lets me check out books from our library, and I noticed that there are a lot of the Star Wars books available through the app. (Unfortunately, there are very few religious and theological books.) I thought I would read them in order until I learned there are around 381 books currently available, not counting comic books. Now, some of them are young adult books and short story collections, but still.....  That's a lot of books. I don't think I'll read them all.

But, I did download one of the earlier books that took place about 25,792 years before episode 4 of the film series. That book was Into the Void: Star Wars Legends (Dawn of the Jedi). I really got into it and finished it in two days. So, I downloaded another one Star Wars: The Old Republic - Revan, which occurred about 3,900 years before episode 4. I actually read it the same day I got it. I enjoyed it that much. Since then I've read eight of them total.

The funny thing is that I hardly read fiction books, but I've really enjoyed these. I guess I've earned my nerd badge, but I don't care. I'll probably get another one tomorrow, but I don't plan on reading it that quickly. It's time to get back to doing research for the book I'm writing, and it has nothing to do with Jedi or the Force. Back to work on my book, but I will continue reading some more Star Wars. May the force be with you. 

The family of God

Churches will sometimes sing "The Family of God," a great little song that reminds us that we are part of one family. Smaller churches are often referred to as family churches, partly because they are often made up of mostly a few families and because of the closeness of the people in that church. The concept of a church being a family is a good one but only if it truly is a family.

Who is welcome into your church family? Is there room for the single person or does your church emphasize family so much that the single is sometimes made to feel incomplete unless he or she marries? Is there room for the drug addict or alcoholic who is struggling with the addiction? Is there room for the person who is same-sex attracted and trying hard to understand his or her feelings? Is there room for the single parent whose every day life is often a struggle?  Is there room for those dealing with mental illness or battling other demons we know nothing about? Is there room for a person of a race different than the majority of your church?

Virtually everyone seeks intimacy in their lives. They want a place where people know their name. I've often said that the church should be like Cheers, the bar where whose theme was "Sometimes you want to go, Where everybody knows your name, And they're always glad you came." The church should be that place, but sometimes it's not.

We hear churches talk about being the friendliest church in town, but in my experience that isn't always the case. Too often, churches are friendly to those already inside, but they can be quite distant and even cold to the visitor or to those who don't seem to be like the "rest of us." People who are somehow perceived as different  can get the message that they aren't really welcomed. That should not happen.

In biblical times the Jews avoided those who were not Jews. The Temple had a Court of the Gentiles where non-Jews were free to come and do business, but they were not allowed in the Temple proper as it was reserved for Jews. In fact, there was a sign outside the Temple that warned of death to any Gentile who dared enter. Jews despised Samaritans even more than Gentiles. These half-Jew, half-Gentile people were an abomination to Jews. That is why the disciples were so shocked when they saw Jesus talking with a Samaritan women, but they were not as surprised as she was that He was willing to talk with her.

Awhile back I shared the story of my being interviewed by a pastor search committee who voiced near the end of the interview that I was the person they wanted to present to the congregation for their next pastor. That is, until I told them my daughter was married to a Black man and asked if they would be welcome to attend church there when they came to visit us. Obviously, he would not be welcome, and they told me they would be getting back to me. I never heard from them again.

To the extent that we allow anyone to be excluded from the family of God we do not understand the meaning of family. Whether it is as blatant as that pastor search committee or in more subtle ways, if we communicate to people that they are not welcome, we are not the church God called us to be. Truly welcoming people into the family doesn't mean that we agree with their choices they have made in their lives. It does mean that we care about them as people for whom Christ gave His life, just as He did for us, and that we want to share our journey with them.

The next time your church talks about being a family, be sure everyone is welcome to be a part of it.

When we can gather at church again

Yesterday was another Sunday with churches either having services over social media or in their parking lots. I watched 3 or 4 services, or at least part of them. I wanted to visit several churches that I didn't figure I would ever get to personally attend. They were good, but it wasn't like being personally present. One of these days we'll be able to meet again in our buildings. I expect many of our church buildings will be filled with people happy to be back and able to worship with their church family once again. I would think many churches are thinking about how to make that first Sunday back especially meaningful. I have an idea.

Why not invite people to come to church dressed like they were when they were watching the service these past few weeks? I see on many church websites a FAQ page, and one of the questions is "What should we wear?" The church usually tells them to come as they are. On that first Sunday back why not tell everyone to come like they were when they were watching the service on social media? You would probably see a lot of pajamas and sweats and bedheads, but it would be a lot of fun and create a truly memorable service.

This mandated quarantine has created a lot of stress in people's lives. People have been out of work, and for some, there is no guarantee their employer will be able to stay in business. Finances have been stretched to the breaking point for some. Parents have been homeschooling their kids and finding out how tough that really is. People need to have some fun. They need to laugh and do some fun stuff. Why not let that happen in your first worship service back from quarantine?

Baptist preacher Vance Havner said that too many churches start at 11:00 sharp and end at 12:00 dull. Let that not be said of your church at any time, and especially not the first Sunday we can meet again after this pandemic.

I know some stuffy churches will not want to do this. They will want everyone to have on their Sunday finest. I'm sure no one who expects that got up on Sunday morning the past few weeks, dressed in a suit and tie, and sat down in the front of the computer to follow the service. Their ability to worship was not impacted one bit by them sitting there dressed casually or even in their pj's, maybe with a cup of coffee beside them. God saw them attending virtual church like that, and to my knowledge was not the least bit offended.

I'm not saying to do this every week, but I am saying it might be fun and help break some of the tension that has been building up in people over the past couple of months. It also might let some folks who has been watching your service on social media, but does not come to your church, to understand that you're not concerned with the outward appearance of people, but that your church cares about the individual, the person inside who is troubled by life and all that has gone on during this pandemic.

Let me know how it works out for you when the time comes!

Healing the hearts of those around us

Much has been written in recent weeks about how the shutdown will impact the economy of our nation and its impact on churches. In most areas of the country, churches have not been able to physically meet for worship for the past few weeks. Many have broadcast their worship and sermons through social media sites while others, many smaller churches, have shut down until this is over. It's been a trying time for churches of all sizes as they have scrambled to get the technology and expertise needed to put their services on social media. Those who were unable or unwilling to make this change is hoping that things will get back to "normal" soon.

If by normal they mean doing the things they've been doing I'm afraid they are in for a shock. What they had been doing wasn't working then, and it will work even less post-pandemic. Brighter people than me are looking at how these recent events will change the church, but I think most of us feel that things will indeed change.

I'm not talking about adding more technology, although that might happen for many churches. What I'm talking about goes deeper than finding ways to get people attend church services, either in person or over social media. I'm talking about how the church will go about bringing healing to broken hearts and lives.

We've been unable to hold public worship services for a few weeks, and some churches have gone nuts. A few have disobeyed the recommendations and held services any way. There are now lawsuits against some governors and mayors for banning public worship services while they allowed customers to go into big box stores, liquor stores and abortion centers. I think some of these public officials did overstep their authority, and I'm glad to see them held accountable. The freedom to worship is a part of our constitution and cannot be ignored just because someone makes a decision to do so. We do need to be very careful that this pandemic does not cause us to lose more of our freedoms like 9/11 did.

Having said that, I am reminded that in many places churches have been banned from meeting for decades.  Most people agree that in such areas the church is growing. They are not growing because their leaders have mastered the "10 Principles of a Growing Church." They are growing because they are touching the hearts and lives of the people around them.

I think one of the things that will happen to the future church is that we are going to move from a Church Growth Model with all its formulas to promote larger churches to a healing model where the church is reaching out to a hurting and confused world. We often talk about servant leadership, but the emphasis has often been on leadership. I think the emphasis is going to shift to servant. I sit here in my study and look at two bookshelves filled with books on church leadership and management, and I have a feeling that these books are now obsolete as we move into a new world of church ministry.

This will be a world of healing, not strategies. It will be a world in which we offer hope to people, not 10 things they can do to improve their lives. It will be a world where the church extends grace to people, not condemnation. Instead of the church planning how to get more people in the building, we will be planning on how to equip people for when they leave the building. I see the church as a place where missionaries are raised up, not to go into other countries but to go into their own communities to bring healing to hurting people. The first century church had nothing to offer people but Jesus, and they found He was enough. Today's church will find out the same thing.

If your church is sitting back waiting for things to return to "normal," you may find you will be waiting for a long time. I have the sense that God is about to do a new thing, and He will do it with those churches that share His vision for healing those whose lives have been broken. After all, these are the ones for whom His Son, Jesus Christ, gave His life.

The consequences of our choices

One of the privileges we have living in America is that we have the freedom to make choices about how we live our lives. We are free to marry the person we want to marry. We are free to do with our money what we want (after taxes of course). We can choose  the types of careers we want, where we want to live, and how we relate to other people. What we cannot do is avoid the consequences of those choices, and every choice does have consequences.

During my seven decades I have observed a lot of successful people. I realize there are many ways to define success, but I am talking about people who are genuinely happy, enjoy good relationships with other people, are financially secure, have an enjoyable career and seem to enjoy life. They may not have the biggest house in the city or drive the fanciest car or have the perfect body or wealth beyond compare, but I don't consider these things to be true measures of success anyway.
I have also observed a lot of people who are very frustrated with life. They are always broke, their marriages are struggling as are their children. They hate their jobs, where they live and pretty much everything about their lives.

The difference between the two groups of people is often very easy to spot. Those who are successful have taken responsibility for their lives. Many successful people I know have had to overcome difficult odds. They may not have been raised in the best of circumstances or received the best education. They often worked minimum wage jobs to support themselves and their families, but they found ways to advance their careers. They would do whatever it took to overcome the challenges the past may have held for them because they were determined that they would not let the past determine their future.

Those who are not very happy with their lives also made choices. Many of them chose to be "perpetual victims." They always have someone or something else to blame for their problems. They complain they never had a chance; the deck is stacked against them; the little man never gets ahead. Nothing is ever their fault. They refuse to ever accept responsibility for their current circumstances.
Both groups of people made a choice. One group chose to take responsibility for their lives; the other group chose to blame others for their problems. Consequences followed each choice.

Of course, one of the primary choices we each have to make is whether or not we will accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of our lives. In this case, there is no choosing not to choose. Anyone who makes that choice has chosen to turn away from God. I urge each of you who reads this, if you've never invited Christ into your life, do so today. You will find that it is the greatest decision you will ever make!

No matter where you are today in your life, it can get better. If your life is good, it can become great. If your life isn't what you wish it was, it can improve. You just have to make the changes necessary for it to get better. The choice is yours.

Has God failed you?

We sometimes meet people who explain they left the church or stopped believing in God because in some way God failed them. Perhaps they had been praying for something and didn't get the results they wanted. Maybe something occurred in their lives that scarred them deeply, and they believe that if God was real that wouldn't have happened. In some cases something occurs in the church that should not have, and it causes some to doubt the existence of God or, at least, the relevance of the church. It might be that people seemed to promise more than Christianity can provide. I hear some preachers virtually tell people if they will give their lives to Christ that all their problems will be over. I think most of us who are Christians for any length of time know that isn't true, but for a new believer they may not handle it well when they realize that storms come in the lives of Christians and non-Christians alike.

Christian apologist Ravi Zacharias wrote a book titled Has Christianity Failed You? It is a really good book and one I highly recommend. Towards the end of the book he writes, "You have realized that Christianity has not failed you; God has not failed you. It may be that the church has failed you, since it is comprised of human beings just like you, people who often fall short of their own standards and do not always live up to the beauty of their faith and of their Savior."

As a retired pastor and judicatory leader I hate to admit that the church does sometimes fail people. God may get the blame, but too often the church doesn't do what it needs to do to serve people well. I know there have been times when I was not there for people the way I should have been. I've hurt people with my words and my actions. There have been times when I've been a poor example of a follower of Christ. But, my failures and those of other believers, should never be put on God.

When the church has not been there for you, God has been there. When the church has said and done things that were hurtful, God was there loving you. When the church failed to hear your cries for help, God heard them. I've been a Christian for nearly 50 years, and I can honestly say God has never failed me, and He's never failed you either.

Yes, I have prayed prayers that didn't seem to be answered, and there have been times when I've wondered where God was as it seemed I was all alone. Later, virtually every time, I've looked back and realized God had been there all the time doing things I was not aware of at the time. Often, those times it didn't seem my prayers were being answered the results, when they did come, often were more than I had asked.

Please don't turn your back on God because the church falls short sometimes of being what it should be. Be assured He is very present in your life working out His will to help you become everything you are meant to be. There may be times we don't understand, but one day we will. In the meantime, stay close to God. He will never fail you.

Praying for your pastor

A few years ago I wrote a book called The Healthy Pastor: Easing the Pressures of Ministry. In the book I discussed several pressures that ministers face and how to deal with them in a healthy manner. Having served as a pastor for 14 years I knew most of them by experience, and I had seem some of them take friends of mine out of the ministry. However, there is nothing in the book that discusses the pressures pastors are feeling today due to the coronavirus.

How does a pastor minister to his or her congregation when they cannot even gather for worship on Sunday morning, when patients in hospitals or under quarantine at home are not allowed visitors, when funerals are limited to 10 people, when spouses are diagnosed with the virus and cannot be with their spouse who is dying of the disease and not even able to attend the funeral, when people are frightened and confused with all the contradictory information being given out, and when people who live alone have no one to spend their days with? Pastors are asking these questions on social media trying to find out what other pastors are doing. Many of them feel hopeless in trying to provide any pastoral care at this time.

Last week I called a pastor friend of mine just to ask how he was doing. When he asked if I wanted anything I explained I just wanted to check on him to be sure he was doing OK. He seemed quite appreciative to have someone who understood some of the pressures he was feeling check on him.

There has been a lot of discussion about the pressures first responders and medical personnel are dealing with during this pandemic. They are truly heroes. But so are the pastors, the funeral directors, the nursing home workers and others who are working to bring comfort and hope to people. I read about a funeral director who stopped at a house for a few moments to allow a wife to view the casket of her husband. Both had been diagnosed with coronavirus. He had been admitted to the hospital; she had been sent home. He passed away, and his wife of several decades could not be with him as he died nor attend the funeral. The funeral director stopped to let her see the casket before going to the cemetery. In his role he had seen a lot of pain, but nothing prepared him for the agony of this experience.

I saw on the news a nursing home for Alzheimer's patients that had been struck by the recent tornadoes down south. Before the tornado hit, the patients, who had been put to bed for the night, had to be moved to a nearby hotel. Imagine their confusion being awakened in the middle of the night and moved to a new facility they had never seen. I've tried to imagine the workers trying to remain calm and yet faced with a very difficult task knowing a tornado was bearing down on them. The building suffered a great deal of damage from the tornado, and without the quick action of the workers there some patients may have lost their lives. All this on top of working closely with co-workers and patients in the midst of a pandemic.

We see who the real heroes in the world are today, and they're not the overpaid athletes who kneel during the playing of the National Anthem. They are not the Hollywood elite who thinks the world revolves around their opinions. They are not the media moguls who decide everyday what news the people are entitled to hear and the spin they will put on that news.

No...the heroes are those who are face-to-face everyday with the hurting, the scared, the sick and the dying. Underpaid, understaffed, under-resourced and, too often, unappreciated, they are the ones making a difference in people's lives. They are saving lives and giving hope and comfort to those who need it most.

Our pastors and chaplains are among that group of heroes. Please be in prayer for your pastor and all pastors across the nation as they seek to fulfill God's calling on their lives during this difficult time. Call them from time to time just to check to see how they are doing. When this is over it might be good to give them some extra vacation time to clear their minds and refresh their spirits.

As we pray for our pastors, let's pray for all those on the front lines battling this disease. They are paying a price, and they deserve our support, our prayers and our appreciation.

Spending Easter at home

Yesterday was the first time we have not spent Easter with family. I'm sure many of you could say the same thing. We facetimed our daughter's family and received pictures from them of the kids looking for Easter eggs in their yard. We talked with our son and heard about his Easter day with his kids. My wife fixed a wonderful Easter dinner for the two of us. It was a good day, but it wasn't the same.

I watched a couple of Easter services. One was our local church which was well done. The other was Franklin Graham speaking from Central Park in New York. Behind him were the tents his ministry had provided to be used for a portable hospital to treat patients with the coronavirus. I thought they made a wonderful backdrop for his message of hope and forgiveness.

So many churches have been quite active in responding to this pandemic. Churches, both large and small, have made sure people had food. Some have been busy getting food for those who cannot get out and placing it on their porches. Many have made concerted efforts to check on those who live alone or might be more susceptible to the disease. I called one pastor to check on him. He didn't answer but called me back in a few minutes. He explained he was on the phone with a lady who lives alone and has health issues. It was her birthday, and he wanted to wish her a happy birthday and make sure she was doing OK. That story can be told thousands of times across the country. Some churches have worked to provide PPE for hospitals and first responders. Prayer drives around hospitals have occurred in different places organized by local churches. Churches quickly moved to obtain the equipment and knowledge to be able to livestream their services to offer hope and encouragement to people. Many churches are engaged in ministries we never hear about.

Some people criticize the church saying it does nothing for people, but this crisis certainly proves otherwise. The church has been active as the hands and feet of Jesus Christ. It has been doing exactly what Christ called it to do: to love our neighbor as ourselves and to do unto others what we would want them to do unto us.

Yesterday was not the Easter many of us have known in the past, but it didn't change the reality of the Easter message. Our Savior is alive! It is through Him that we find hope and peace in trying times. It is because He lives that we can experience forgiveness and salvation. It is because of Him that the church is reaching out ministering to people during this crisis providing the spiritual and physical things they need to survive this.

The story about the coronavirus that is not being told

Every night the news stations focus on the numbers of people identified as having the coronavirus and the number of deaths that have resulted from the disease. It has been labeled a worldwide pandemic. Millions of people have lost their jobs as businesses have been closed. Stay-at-home orders have been issued across the US and around the world. But, there is one aspect of this situation that has received little notice. The number of domestic violence cases has dramatically risen.

The NY Times reported that domestic violence cases have increased by 18 percent in Spain, and there has been a 30% increase in France since the coronavirus pandemic began. Another report claims that China saw their domestic violence reports triple in February. Across the US most states are reporting higher than usual numbers as well. We must remember that these are only reported cases; much domestic abuse never gets reported.

Those who deal with domestic violence are not surprised by these higher numbers. Any time, such as holidays, when families are together more than normal there are more reports of domestic violence. They say governments should have expected this when they began mandating that people stay at home and prepared for it. Unfortunately, like the coronavirus itself, most government agencies were not prepared for spikes in domestic violence cases.

A young woman who is a Facebook friend of mine is home from college. Yesterday, she put on her page a post telling people that if they are dealing with domestic abuse they should text or message her asking about her yellow cat. If she receives a message like that she will stay in regular contact with the person to ensure things are OK. If the person asks about how her black cat is doing, she will immediately call the police.

Many of you are checking on your neighbors, friends and persons within your congregation to make sure they are doing OK in the midst of this health crisis. If you know people who might be dealing with domestic abuse I encourage you to check on them as well. You may consider creating some type of code like my friend did to give people a way to safely contact you and ask for help.

How will doing and being church change?

The Sunday after 9/11 I told our congregation that we would never again see the America we knew on 9/10. I did not know what changes would occur after that terrible day, but I knew that changes would come, and I felt that many of them would not be for the good. Of course, we've seem many changes, especially for those who travel. There have been changes in the way some view Muslims. Security is tighter especially around government buildings and at major sporting events. I think many people feel less free and less safe than they did prior to 9/11.

Now we have a pandemic that has shut down much of the nation and the world. The loss of human life continues to mount. We've seen how ill-prepared we were for such an event at both the state and federal level. Many of us have been ordered to remain at our homes unless we go out for work or to purchase essentials. Huge numbers of people have filed for unemployment, and the federal government has passed disaster relief bills that will send checks to every American home further draining the nation's economy. The stock market looks like a roller coaster with its wild swings. We're not allowed to gather in groups of more than 10 people in much of the country, and then we have to stay six feet apart. A video yesterday showed police handcuffing a father in front of his kids because he didn't maintain proper "social-distancing." Most small businesses have been ruled non-essential and forced to close. Some of them will not reopen. Churches have been told to not hold services. While a very few have refused to comply, most churches that can are live streaming their services over social media. Many smaller churches do not feel they can do that and have canceled their services for now. It will be interesting to see how many of them will reopen after this is over.

It will be interesting to see what changes will occur with churches when this pandemic ends. Will they return to business as usual, or will this impact the way they do and be church in their communities? Smarter people than me are trying to figure that out.

It will be interesting to see how our economy changes when things begin to go back to normal, and what that normal will even look like. How many businesses will survive? How many will return to their full workforce, or will they retool and begin to do things differently? My auction business has been shut down since this started. I'm anxious to have an auction, but I know that some auctioneers have been doing on-line auctions since the pandemic hit. As I read some of their comments, they have found that their businesses have done well with online auctions. Since these types of auctions require less people and set-up time, their costs are less as well. Will other businesses find the same thing is true for them, and will this have an impact on the number of people who are able to return to work?

I may be surprised, but when this is over I believe we will find ourselves in a "new normal." I expect there will be some changes that we may or may not expect, and that some of them will not be positive ones for many of us. I hope I'm wrong.

One thing that won't change is the way politicians will exploit this. Democrats who have been in office for 40 years place the blame for all this on Trump, who has held office for three years. A stimulus package intended to help the ones who lost their jobs couldn't be passed until it was filled with the pork the politicians couldn't get passed any other way not caring that it drove up the cost of the package by obscene amounts. While people were waiting for assistance, the politicians had to debate and compromise delaying the help the stimulus package was meant to provide. Of course, everyone pointed to everyone else as the culprit behind the hold-up.

As I've observed our nation during this crisis I've noticed how people have come together to help one another. I've seen the medical people day-in and day-out place themselves in harm's way to treat their patients. I've seen volunteers deliver packages of food to the porches of the elderly and the quarantined. I've seen people lined up showing their support for the health care workers. Last night, churches in our community had a prayer vigil at our local hospital. They came together to drive around the hospital and pray for the workers and patients in the hospital. I've seem so many good things happen and a level of cooperation and compassion that we don't often see anymore. Unfortunately, I've not seen that from many of those holding political office. I will remember that in November.

One other thing hasn't changed in all this. God is still on the throne. He has been a source of comfort for many families during this pandemic. He has been with our loved ones in the hospital when we were not allowed to be with them. He has been a faithful companion to all those who have looked to Him for guidance and support. I so wish one of the things that would happen when this is over is that we as a nation would once again turn back to Him.

Use this time wisely

It's been a long time since the nation, and the world, has slowed down like it is right now. Most of us have been told to stay in place, and with few places to go to, there's not much reason to go out anyway. My wife and I are in the "high risk" category, so we've been staying at home with the rare trip to the supermarket or to grab something to eat. We are seldom eating out much right now, but I will occasionally go out primarily to help some of the local businesses have some money coming in.

A lot of people are growing frustrated with the limitations that have been placed on us. Rather than getting upset over something we have no control over, it would be far better to determine how to best use this time that is given to us. The Bible tells us in Ephesians 5 to "redeem the time." That means that we are to use our time wisely.

Rather than spending your days laying on the couch binge watching Netflex or Hulu, spend this time reading good books, reading the Bible, praying, and listening to what God might be saying to you. It's possible He's been trying to get your attention for some time, but you've been too busy to listen. Well, you're not too busy now, so spend some time with Him. You can also listen to good podcasts and live feeds that encourage and bless you. They were be more profitable that listening to 24-hour news channels that have nothing positive to tell us.

I began the year reading through the New Testament for my morning devotional. During this downtime in everyone's life I finished that and started studying the book of Ephesians for my devotional time. In addition, I've read 24 other books this year. My wife is ready to buy stock in Amazon or cut off my membership! I'm trying to find a publisher for a book I've completed, and I'm working on another book. With the nicer weather my wife and I spend some time on the back deck enjoying the sunshine and one another. If it gets too hot, or we've been in the sun long enough, we move to the front, shaded porch. Most days I call or text 2-3 people to ask if they are doing OK and if they need anything. We go for walks.

Because the libraries are closed in our area I downloaded Libby, an app that lets people check books out of their library. The app is free and works great. You can check out up to ten books at a time for 14 days, and you're able to renew them. They also carry audiobooks which some people prefer. This app has helped me not have to pay for all the books I've read this year!

Have you been wanting to research some topic of interest? This is a great time to go deeper into some subject you find interesting. Several of the books I've read this year were purchased for research for the one I'm writing.  Of course, the Internet can provide a lot of useful information you can use in your research, and this downtime gives you extra time to look for that information.

Most of us assume that church (and life) will look different after this is over. Now is the time to reflect on what that might look like. I know of at least one live streaming event that will address this coming up soon. Earlier this week I had a conversation with a pastor who is asking what the future holds for the church as we move past this crisis. He and his staff are spending some time trying to figure out what that future might be and how they can prepare for it.

This can also be a great time to declutter your office, closets, garages and basements. These are things we usually say we want to do when we get to them. I don't know of another time when you can better get to them.

When this is over, and it will be, you don't want your greatest accomplishment for this time to be that you saw every episode of The Office. Use this time wisely. Spend time with God and with your family. Invest in yourself and your interests. Allow yourself to relax and refresh.

What will it take?

This past week two pastors, that I know of, were arrested for holding worship services despite the ban in their states against gatherings that contained over 50 people. One pastor was in Florida; the other in Louisiana, both states hard hit with the coronavirus. Of course, they are claiming religious discrimination. The Louisiana pastor claimed that his church was being persecuted for its faith. While many churches have begun live streaming their services and finding other ways to lead services and minister to their members and community others have determined to remain open.

I must admit that when I first heard governors asking churches, among many other gatherings, to close I was resistant. My daughter called saying their church had decided to follow the recommendations to close, and I told her that if I was still pastoring I would not close our services. However, when we began hearing how rapidly the disease was spreading and the numbers of deaths I soon changed my mind.

For the past three weeks we have not left our house except for absolutely necessary trips to the supermarket, to the bank, or, very seldom, to patronage one of our restaurants. Other than the supermarket, we seldom leave our vehicle. When we are in a public place we maintain at least a six foot separation from everyone else. I am the only one who actually goes into the supermarket, and I wear gloves the entire time I'm in the store. Staying at home and social distancing when we are outside have both proven to slow the spread of the disease. Those who refuse to follow the instructions are putting people at risk. In the case of the two churches mentioned above, they are putting their parishioners at risk and everyone with whom they come in contact. They are also extending the time those of us who are trying to follow the rules will have to remain in place as well.

I've had auctions scheduled which I've canceled until this is over. There are a number of things I would like to do, especially now that the weather has improved, but I won't because I want to stay safe and keep my loved ones safe as well. The Golden Rule tells us to treat others as we would like to be treated. I wonder how these two pastors relate what they are doing with that mandate.

The projected numbers of deaths from coronavirus is staggering. Maybe by being willing to use the common sense God has given us, listening to those who are on the front lines fighting this battle, and following their instructions that number can be dramatically reduced. Is that not worth a little inconvenience?

This is not a matter of religious persecution; it is a matter of public health. It is also a matter of loving other people enough to do everything in our power to protect them from this horrible disease.

No one is preventing a church from broadcasting their services, and such services have been seen by millions of people over the past few weeks. I've watched services from several churches and have been encouraged and blessed by them.

As I write this, over 5,000 people have already died in the United States. The projected number of deaths is expected to be much higher. What will it take before we practice the habits that have been proven to slow the spread of the disease and prevent needless deaths from occurring? If we claim to be pro-life, then let's be pro-life for all people.