Room To Breathe

For 22 1/2 years, I had the privilege of serving with David B. Young at Trinity Baptist Church, Lakewood WA. Naturally, we shared many stories and one that David shared ended up becoming both an ongoing joke and one of those markers that subtly helps to keep ministry on course. The story boiled down to a person who, when addressing the "cup half empty, cup half full" scenario, said, "Don't say the cup is half empty. Say it's full!" That is optimism with blinders on.

We need to acknowledge when the cup is half empty, half full. We also need to be aware of whether it is draining, filling, or stagnant. Each calls for a different response. However, eleven months ago, we were confronted what seemed to be a shattered cup as the pandemic put an end to the comfort of routine. The cup did not appear half empty, half full, or stagnant. The cup seemed to be gone. We were left without a familiar context in which to perform.

"Necessity is the mother of invention." In the new reality of guidelines, social distancing, self-quarantine, masks, and contradictory evidence/opinions/science, we found new (to us) ways to accomplish those things that we deemed necessary. 

Our congregation had never put anything online. We did not have the experience, the equipment, or the know how. Even so, we did not miss a single week. One Sunday we were meeting in person and the next, our congregation was viewing their worship service on YouTube. Yes, it was pretty basic. A member in the Navy brought his camera over to our house while we were on vacation and video taped our son, Aaron, "preaching" a sermon while sitting on our couch. The camera battery ran out of power and a cell phone was employed to finish the job. The two recordings were spliced together and uploaded to the newly created YouTube channel for Kitsap Lake Baptist Church. That was it—no titles, no sermon notes, no music, no lighting, no explanation.

It turns out, the cup was there after all. We were still the ekklesia—the congregation/assembly, the bride of Christ, the family of God—and Jesus was still the groom and the head of the body. Our focus needed adjusting in order to recognize it. We were and still are flawed to the core, but a half empty cup has air to breathe and room to grow and, by the grace and leadership of God, we have grown. Sure, we have increased some of our technological ability—a tripod, a USB camera, a USB microphone, better lighting—but we have become more aware of who we are and what is important. Comfort, familiarity, and tradition have taken a back seat to striving to live as Jesus did—glorifying the Father, ministering to the needs of others, cherishing the fellowship, and opening our eyes to His mandate to seek what is right and just for all people.

We have a long way to go—a very long way—but we are working to stay on course and to see the cup filled. Our online services can vary, depending on circumstances, but they remain another tool to be His light in the world. Today, it is snow, not a pandemic, that is keeping us from meeting together. But, because of COVID-19, we do not have to call off worship as we provide an online opportunity for families and individuals to gather for praise and hearing from God's word. The recording was "put together" quickly, with just one person on camera, and it lacks the benefit of multiple people being involved, but it is certainly better than cancelling everything.

By the way, here is the link for February 14, 2021—Valentines Day and our first online Snow Day: https://youtu.be/mUPQTwrnVIk 

Sometimes People Leave

(It is probably "bad form" to air a grievance or complain about a problem while it is happening. I am happy to say that is not the case here. It is simply on my mind.)

It happens. People leave churches.

Earlier in my ministry, I talked another staff member out of resigning in anger. Frankly, his anger was justified and his staying only made matters worse. (Note: A disgruntled staff member does not engender goodwill in a congregation.) Following his eventual and inevitable departure, an older deacon, we will call him “Fernando Verde”, shared that he learned many years before that it is best to let someone go without trying to talk them out of it.

Since that day, I have followed that advice. The following is my policy, thanks to “Fernando”:

If/when someone leaves/resigns/quits or announces they will, I do not try to talk them out of it.

1. If you have been in prayer about it and believe God is leading you to do it, I would be working against God if I tried to talk you out of it.

2. If it is a decision you have come to on your own but without being convicted or convinced that it is God’s will, it would not be good for you to be persuaded by me if you are not persuaded by God.

Exception: I will try to talk you out of it if God clearly directs me to do it. (This has not yet happened.)

Thoughts—

It is not on me or about me. Your choices/decisions are yours. You need to own them. If you are truly following God, Hallelujah! Move on in joy! If you are following your own direction, you need to take the steps necessary to get back on course, i.e. admit it, ask forgiveness, accept forgiveness, do what can and should be done to fix it where possible, and humbly start again. And, yes, if you are following your own direction and do not believe you need to take those steps, it is better for the fellowship of our congregation if you move on.

Decisive or Divisive… or Both?

While preparing to preach a sermon from 1 Corinthians 4:20, I read the following commentary on vv.14-21. It is copied with the citation at the bottom. I think it is safe to say that the second paragraph — "Before we trace…" — would make an "interesting" discussion starter in a group representing various denominations.
____________________________

7. Fathers and children (4:14–21)

In verse 14 Paul seems to recognize that he has been verging on sarcasm in the previous paragraph, and he pulls himself up by assuring the Corinthians that he is not trying to make you ashamed, not in any wrong way. He is not averse to arousing in them a proper sense of shame,21 but here he emphasizes that he is speaking as a father to his beloved children (14).

  Before we trace the way in which Paul sees himself as a father to the Christians at Corinth, it is necessary to stress that he does not see it as an authority-position, let alone as one invested with status. He would have known the words of Jesus himself: ‘Call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven … He who is greatest among you shall be your servant.’22 The way the title ‘Father’ is given to, and accepted by, the ordained ministers of certain denominations flies in the face of this teaching. Indeed, many other sections of the church often manifest a paternalistic, over-dominant style of leadership, even if they do not use the title ‘Father’. The folk-religion which lies behind this is not nearly so serious as the unbiblical theology which gave rise to and still endorses such an understanding of status and authority in the church. This false teaching is arguably the strongest barrier to the growth and health of the church in our day. It affects church unity, evangelism, worship, lay ministry, the ministry of women, theological training. Indeed, virtually every aspect of the mission of God’s church is hampered, so long as this anti-Christian view of leadership in the church is perpetuated.

Positively, Paul sees himself as father to the Christians at Corinth (and particularly to Timothy, my beloved and faithful child in the Lord, verse 17) in the sense that he proclaimed the gospel to them and was, therefore, responsible on a human level for their faith in Christ. Like any father, and because children always copy their father, he has striven to set them an example in daily life of the behaviour expected of Christians; I urge you, then, be imitators of me (16). Timothy’s task was to remind them of Paul’s ways in Christ (17). This consistent example was number one priority for Paul wherever he went (as I teach them everywhere in every church, 17). It underlines the vital importance of exemplary behaviour in the daily lives of all called to leadership in the church. The Corinthians had not seen Jesus in the flesh: they had no Bible; but they had seen Paul (cf. 11:1). Many others had pointed the way to Christ,23 but he was the first to come all the way to them with the gospel: I became your father in Christ Jesus through the gospel (15).

It is, then, as their father that Paul now promises to come to them. When the father has been absent from his family for some time, he wants to come home with love in a spirit of gentleness (21), not with a rod. Many of those in Corinth whom he had brought to faith in Christ were now behaving in an arrogant and boastful way, writing off him and his ministry and causing great trouble and division in the church. Paul’s fatherly heart was deeply hurt by this behaviour and something of that pain can be gauged by his comments elsewhere: ‘My little children, with whom I am again in travail until Christ be formed in you!’24

Children often make loud claims in a boastful way: it is a reflection of their immaturity. There is a lot of talk, and not very much power to put the big words into action. So Paul ends these two chapters in the same mood as he began—with a strong (and strongly-felt) plea to the Corinthians to stop boasting and to grow up: the kingdom of God does not consist in talk but in power (20). He does not often use this phrase the kingdom of God, so common in the Synoptic Gospels; but, when he does, it always refers to fundamentals. He does not ever explain its meaning; he accepted it as the heart of the gospel—and proclaimed it day by day.25

David Prior, The Message of 1 Corinthians, The Bible Speaks Today; ed. John R. W. Stott; Accordance electronic ed. (Downers Grove.: InterVarsity Press, 1985), 67-69.

The YMPCA?

One of the benefits of living in this area is the ability to pay dues at one YMCA but being able to use any of them in Kitsap and Pierce Counties. There are currently a total of twelve facilities including camps, family Ys, etc. By and large, most folks have their favorite and that is the one they use. We have enjoyed using the "Y" but are now rethinking our membership.

Recently, "to demonstrate our commitment to our transgender community", the YMCAs of Kitsap and Pierce Counties created a policy allowing people to use whatever locker room (shower, changing, etc.) they identified with in their minds. They want us to be assured that they are taking steps to keep any sex offenders from abusing this.

Really? Consider the following: 1. The policy was created in April and only made public very recently; 2. There is no way to keep all sex offenders from abusing it, only known convicted sex offenders; 3. When a church member inquired about it just yesterday, the person at the front desk said she did not know anything about it.

A person observing this might come to the conclusion that the acronym, YMCA (Young Men's Christian Association), has secretly added the letter "P" to the middle of it and changed the formal name to the Young Men's Politically Correct Association. The "M" has apparently become just a nod to the old days when the physical body and chromosomes identified a person's gender rather than the person's current feelings.

Folks were encouraged by the "Y" to send their responses, etc. so I sent the following to the person I believe is the President and CEO of the YMCAs for the two counties:

Dear Bob Ecklund,

Please, know that you are being prayed for during these sensitive times of establishing, refining, enforcing, etc. new policies that are affected by sexual identification/orientation at the YMCA. Navigating the various laws and varying moral standards from different groups at times seems to be a "no win" situation since you can not possibly please everyone.

As a local Pastor, I understand the desire to have those who come be a reflection of the community. In the past year or two, we have seen something I did not anticipate: Lesbian, gays, and unmarried couples with children have been coming to our church. Some come into the worship service and some tend to hover outside the auditorium. In some cases, life circumstances have brought them to the church rather than a thirst for God's truth. Whatever brings them, we recognize our responsibility to love them and teach them God's truth without compromise.

It is my prayer that you will lead the YMCA to continue to be a place open to all people but without being governed or manipulated by any standards other than those God has given us in His word, the Bible.

In His love,

Jim Gantenbein

Jim Gantenbein, Pastor

Kitsap Lake Baptist Church

5802 Wilmont St

Bremerton WA 98312

(360) 373-7728

Still Learning…and Relearning

She is more than thirty-five years younger than me and, although we have never met, I hope to have the privilege some day. On her Facebook page, in the "About" section, and under "Family", is "About J_____". It simply says, "It's not." Those two words have a greater impact than the 60+ words carefully crafted for their conciseness and entered on my Facebook page. Another lesson on humility.

Last Sunday, I sacrificed my God-given responsibility to be a vessel by which God convicts and transforms His people through the preaching of His word. Instead, we had people from three different ministries share about the work they do which the church has supported to some extent. Of all Sundays, why did we have to have all those first time visitors on a day they would not even get to hear the Pastor preach? I suppose it was because God wanted them to know that this was His church endeavoring to follow His leadership…and it was not about the pastor. I do not remember the last time the people were as blessed or impacted by my preaching. I suspect it has never happened. They are still talking about it. Another lesson on humility and the sovereignty of God.

Did it make a permanent impact, that is, did it really change anyone's life? I am now working on enlisting individuals in the church who lead ministries or serve regularly in other ministries to share on a Sunday in March while I go and preach at one of the ministries that just shared this past Sunday. So, the answer must be, "Yes" because it changed me. Lessons learned.