Pandemic Leads More Girls to Early Marriages

By

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December 22, 2020

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to create upheaval in the lives of schoolchildren, especially girls in impoverished areas where food and other resources are scarce.

At The United Methodist Church’s Chapanduka Secondary School in Zimbabwe’s Marange District, six girls between the ages of 14 and 17 have married since schools shut down on March 24, according to school officials.

Some were forced to elope while others got married after becoming pregnant, said Nyasha Mbofana, acting headmaster at the school.

Mbofana said that Chapanduka Secondary School has faced numerous challenges during this COVID-19 pandemic, but it is the girls who have been affected most.

“Lack of continuous and expert guidance and counseling resulted in early marriages. Many have fallen prey to rapists and abusers who are often relatives,” Mbofana said.

Shyleen Dune, 17, a student at Chapanduka, said her “heart is bleeding” as she thinks of schoolmates who have eloped in the months since lockdown. “Their bright future has been destroyed … and their dreams shattered into smithereens.”

Dune said most of her classmates don’t have textbooks and can’t afford online learning. Many can’t even afford to put food on the table.

“Hunger is threatening our lives due to loss of livelihoods and poor harvest from the past drought season. All these have compromised the good morals taught at school and at church,” she said.

Shyleen Dune, a student at United Methodist Chapanduka Secondary School in Zimbabwe’s Marange District, said she is worried about her future as schools remain closed due to COVID-19. Six girls from her school have gotten married since the national lockdown began in March. Photo by Kudzai Chingwe, UM News

Of the girls from her school who married during the lockdown, Dune said some had the blessing of their parents, but she said others didn’t and were simply choosing between starvation and marriage.

According to the United Nations’ World Food Programme, by the end of 2020, the number of food-insecure people in Zimbabwe is expected to jump to 8.6 million, a nearly 50 percent increase.

Fedelis Tutsirayi Dukwende, teacher at Chapanduka Secondary School, said the pandemic and lockdown have led to several distressing situations.

Unhealed Hurts: From Bondage to Freedom

By

Chad Missildine

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December 22, 2020

In professional sports, you are put on a list if you are injured. In life, we are taught at a young age to cover up our wounds.

Hurt, to many, is a sign of weakness. So as to not stand out in the crowd, we mask our hurts and cover up our wounds. We put a bandage on what should require attention and pretend that it will someday go away on its own.

As a result, there are a lot of folks walking around hurt. We are more afraid of appearing odd than we are of dealing with the hurts.

We wonder why people misinterpret, don’t listen, don’t understand, etc. The answer? More often than not, they are wounded and they haven’t yet healed.

Understand this truth, and you will save yourself a lot of strife in your relationships and your leadership.

Unhealed hurts manifest themselves in a variety of different ways. Just like an infection in one part of the body, an unhealed hurt can take on a variety of different life forms. For some, a wound or hurt results in a very low sense of self. When we are wounded, we blame ourselves, and as a result we feel worthless or inferior to others. This low sense of identity or self can lead a person to seek validation through others.

Other Examples of Unhealed Hurts
Teens look to a boyfriend or girlfriend to feel a sense of validation and have sexual relationships. Thirteen year olds become moms and have babies that will grow up trapped in an unhealthy cycle, all because of an unhealed hurt.

A co-worker with a wound or unhealed hurt will look to their job performance to fill the void in their life. Masking their hurts, they work themselves like crazy and never truly deal with the unhealed hurt.

Causes of Hurts and Why We Don’t Trust
Many of us live with an unhealed hurt that came from someone we trusted, like a father, mother, family member or close friend. This hurt could be the result of sexual, emotional or verbal abuse. Or it could simply be the result of someone making a mistake and simply hurting another. Rather than risk being hurt again, the one with an unhealed hurt will choose not to trust anyone else. They will cover up the wound or hurt and pretend to be whole and healthy.

Trying to Help Heal Someone Else’s Hurt
Others will try to help those with unhealed hurts. Instead of openness, we find bitterness, jaded hearts and a general reluctance to trust or open up. The temptation is to want to jump in like Superman and fix their problems. Unhealed hurts to get fix this way.

How to help heal a hurt
Listen.
Pray.
Listen some more.
Give it time.
Trust. Trust takes time.
Boundaries.

Don’t Do This
Try to fix them. You are not God. You can’t heal them.
Give a lot of advice. They don’t need to hear all your advice. At least not at first. They need to know they can trust you.
Rush it. Remember, true healing can take time. Don’t rush it.

I’m not sure where you are in life. Maybe you have an unhealed hurt. Henri M. Nouwen once said, “The first step to healing is not to step away from pain, but to step toward it.” I would encourage you to deal with the hurt and see if you can step into some healing. Will you take this step? Will you reach out and ask for help? Let us know!

Maybe you know someone with an unhealed hurt. Perhaps it is no accident that you are in their life. Reach out to them, even if it is uncomfortable. Will you be the bridge that brings them into healing? Will you sacrifice your comfort level and time to help them see healing and restoration? Let us know!

Why is it so difficult to uncover unhealed hurts so others may see them?

Joni Eareckson Tada in Need of Prayer After COVID-19 Diagnosis

By

Megan Briggs

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December 22, 2020

Author and ministry leader Joni Eareckson Tada has the coronavirus. Tada, who is in the high-risk category due to her disability and her age, tested positive for the virus, her organization, Joni and Friends, announced on Monday.

“Although this is just the beginning of the road to recovery, her spirits are bright and with treatment she is showing improvement!” an announcement posted to Facebook reads.

Tada, 71, is quadriplegic. She was paralyzed from the shoulder down when she was just 17 years old. Since then, Tada has become an advocate for people with disabilities and shares openly about how her faith in God has sustained her body and her mind. Tada is confined to a wheelchair and suffers from chronic pain. A big part of her life’s work has been spent helping others who are disabled. Tada started Joni and Friends over 40 years ago with the mission of evangelizing and discipling people with disabilities.

Tada has had numerous health struggles over the years, including battles with cancer. In 2018, Tada announced she was battling breast cancer again after recovering from it a few years earlier. After undergoing treatment, Tada was declared “cancer free” in July of last year.

The full statement Joni and Friends posted on Facebook about Tada testing positive for COVID-19 reads:

Thank you for praying for Joni Eareckson Tada after she tested positive for COVID-19! Although this is just the beginning of the road to recovery, her spirits are bright and with treatment she is showing improvement!

Joni said, “Psalm 84:11 assures me that ‘No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly,’ and I am being showered with good courage, good endurance, a heart that sings good songs, and confidence in my good and great Savior.”

Please continue to keep Joni and Ken in your prayers as they rest at home!

Tada also posted an update to her Facebook page in which she thanked followers for all their comments expressing concern and indicating they were praying for her and her husband, Ken:

Thank you for praying for Ken and me following my COVID-19 diagnosis! As I read the many comments from friends like you, wow… I am deeply humbled that the Holy Spirit has garnered so much prayer support for us. I don’t deserve it, but I sure do appreciate it! Thank you for asking God to grant me strength, increased faith, a singing heart, and sure hope!

As I begin the road to recovery, I keep thinking of the untold numbers of people with disabilities all around the world who do not have access to medical help. I’m so grateful for my care and that I can pass the blessing on through the work of Joni and Friends.

Thank you again for your prayers – I want to be fit and ready to tackle the work of the ministry in 2021 as we provide tangible help that reaches more people living with disability for Christ!

Christian Community: Theology, not a Pragmatic Structure

By

Scott Boren

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December 22, 2020

I live in two worlds. On the one hand, I read theologians who ask big sweeping questions about God, what God is doing in our world and the call to be God’s people. On the other, I’m always wrestling with what it means to be the church in this day and how do we actually do that? I get concerned because it seems that most of the energy in the church is spent on the pragmatic questions of what we do we as church leaders. We talk a lot about How do we get people connected? What is the latest strategy for closing the back door? How do we mobilize people for outreach? These are important questions. Don’t get me wrong.

But are we so focused on the pragmatics of ministry that we fail to think much about what we are doing?

The focus on pragmatics seems to be at center stage in small group talk. Yes there are the introductory chapters in the primary small group vision texts that speak to why we should be doing community. But then 75% of the books focus on pragmatics. We all need to here the challenge to think theologically about not just why we do groups but also how we do them. Recently, Bill Search, author of Simple Small Groups told me how we need new conversations about the theology of community. I agree. Community 101 by Gilbert Bilezikian helps, but we need to help our people see a way of thinking about community so that it might penetrate how we live. It’s got to move beyond just another strategy for doing church.

In other words, we need to go deeper than the question: What is working? That question reveals that we are basing our ministry on a theology of pragmatism. There are a lot of things that can and do work in the church that have no foundation based in good theology. This is the reason I write. (Click here for a little background on why I wrote each of the books I have.) I am called to ask questions beyond that of what works, while at the same time not ignoring the practical questions either.

Justin Bieber Baptized by Carl Lentz—Wait Till You Hear Where He Got Dunked

By

Esther Laurie

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December 22, 2020

Hillsong NYC is where all the hipsters, celebrities and cool kids go to church on Sundays. By now you probably know Pastor Carl Lentz and Justin Bieber are friends. If you didn’t know, then read this and this.

The former bad boy is turning a new leaf. For those of us who have made a 180 with life choices, you know this isn’t an easy and painless process. It can be pretty messy.

In a recent GQ article titled, ‘What Would Cool Jesus Do?‘, we get a sneak peak into the world of Justin Bieber, Carl Lentz, that cool church in New York and Jesus. Yes, GQ wrote about Jesus:

“But one day, according to Carl, Justin looked in the mirror and he was ravaged by feelings of loss. He got on his knees and he cried. “I want to know Jesus,” Justin Bieber sobbed to Pastor Carl. And so together they prayed. Suddenly, Justin was overcome by the Gospel, and he said, “Baptize me.” And Pastor Carl said, “Yes, buckaroo”—he really does call Bieber buckaroo, and now you should, too—“let’s do this. Let’s schedule a time.” But Justin Bieber couldn’t be Justin Bieber for one minute longer. “No, I want to do it now.” And Pastor Carl saw salvation in Justin’s eyes, and knew that his baptism couldn’t come quickly enough.”

So what do you do when you’re Carl Lentz and need a late night baptism pool? You go to the Manhattan Hotel where Hillsong likes to rent out the pool for baptisms. But the paparazzi were there waiting for them. So Carl Lentz called “his boy” Tyson Chandler, former NY Knicks player, for a ‘Plan B’.

Carl tells Chandler, “I said, ‘Bro, I’m in a jam here. I have JB with me, he wants to get baptized.’ Chandler says, ‘Done. Easy.’ ”

The pool was closed, but the 7-foot basketball player’s custom-made bathtub was open. So Chandler’s wife grabs some towels (and makes some snacks) while Bieber hopped in the tub.

Here’s what GQ wrote:

“And that is an image that will stick with you, let me tell you: Justin Bieber, on his knees in Tyson Chandler’s bathtub, wet and sobbing against Pastor Carl’s chest, so unable to cope with being himself that he has to be born anew, he has to be declared someone entirely different, in order to make it through the night.”

Nothing Pastors Do Right Now Will Be ‘Right’

By

Geoff Surratt

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December 22, 2020

Nothing Pastors Do Right Now Will Be ‘Right’

What a crazy time to be a pastor. The only thing you can be absolutely sure of is no matter what you do, or don’t do, church people will tell you did the wrong thing. If you ask the church to abide by your state’s health orders you are bowing down to Caesar, if you ignore the guidelines you don’t care if people die. If you express support for President Trump you don’t care about character, if you disagree with Republicans you don’t care about unborn babies. If you speak about racial reconciliation you are pushing a far left agenda, if you don’t you’re a racist.

To make it even more challenging, people have more channels than ever before to express their disdain for your decision making.

Verbal attacks on Sunday morning between services
Passive aggressive emails, voicemails or posts on Facebook
Tried but true gossip with like-minded church goers

And it goes well beyond the personal attacks; it is heart breaking to see people you have cared for for years not only leave your church, but act and speak in ways that are clearly not what you’d expect to see in a maturing disciple. We are seeing people mold their faith into whatever best fits their personal beliefs and political persuasion, while high profile leaders egg them on.

It is not surprising we are seeing pastors leave their churches and, in some cases, leave vocational ministry entirely. There comes a point where the hurt is too much and the disappointment is too painful. Surely you can follow Jesus without ending every day feeling like you’ve been run over by an 18-wheeler. It is easy to relate to Elijah when he ran from Jezebel.

‘Elijah replied, “I have zealously served the Lord God Almighty. But the people of Israel have broken their covenant with you, torn down your altars, and killed every one of your prophets. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me, too.”’

1 Kings 19:10 (NLT)

That last line feels personal, “I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me, too.” It was in that moment that God showed up for Elijah in a gentle whisper. Elijah wasn’t the only one left, and God was not done with him. God told Elijah to go back the way he came and he gave him important work to do on the way.

God is not done with you either. Sure, people are displeased, but that has always been the hazard of ministry. None of the Old Testament prophets won popularity contests, and Paul likely won “Most Likely to be Beheaded” at the first annual Apostle’s Conference.

The reality is God is using this pandemic to sift the church, to separate wheat from the chaff. I have no doubt when we emerge from this mess many of our churches will be smaller in attendance, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. As painful as it is, I feel like we are getting a “do-over”, a second chance at leading people toward true discipleship.

So where do we start? I wonder if we begin where the Reformers began when they looked at a church that had wondered far off the path of discipleship, the five solas of the Reformation. As a refresher, here is my crude synopsis:

Sola Scriptura (“Scripture alone”): Our faith is not based on what we think is right or what we feel is fair and just, our faith is based on careful examination of God’s will as revealed in scripture. I recently saw a comment to a pastor’s post that we pray for President-elect Biden that said, “I know the Bible says we should pray for our leaders but…” We’ve lost sight of the fact there is no “but” in that sentence. We need to return to an understanding that scripture cannot be bent to our worldview.
Sola Fide (“faith alone”): We are saved through faith alone in Jesus Christ. Our people need to understand there is no litmus test between the sinner and the cross; there is no political test to pass. Paul said if we confess with out mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in our hearts that God raised him from the dead we will be saved. Full stop. The sentence “you can’t be a Christian if you [fill in the blank]” has no place in the church. Paul’s harshest words (see Galatians 5:12) were reserved for those who created hurdles to salvation.
Sola Gratia (“grace alone”): We are saved by the grace of God alone. We have to reorient our people to the concept of true grace rather than a merit-based ladder. A grace where black and white, rich and poor, Democrats and Republicans stand shoulder to shoulder “without God and without hope”. Ephesians 2:13 (NLT)
Solus Christus (“Christ alone”): Jesus Christ alone is our Lord, Savior, and King. Our hope is not in charismatic pastors, powerful Presidents or political parties. Our hope is not in Carl Lentz, Jerry Falwell or Donald Trump. Our hope is in Christ alone. We need to help people understand that people will fail, but God will not.
Soli Deo Gloria (“to the glory of God alone”): We live for the glory of God alone. We do not live to please people, to grow churches or to obtain fame. We do not live to promote an agenda or protect a legacy. If we are truly Christ-followers everything we do is only for the glory of God. If our words and actions do not reflect glory back to God we are way off track.

As difficult as it is to be a pastor right now, I wouldn’t want to live at any other time. God is trusting us to take up the mantle of Luther, Calvin and Zwingli. To defeat anger and meanness with love and compassion. To gently lead the sheep back to the sheepfold and to once again focus on becoming the perfect bride of Christ.

This article originally appeared here.

The Sacred Work of Saying Yes to Yourself

By

Alison Cook

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December 22, 2020

The Sacred Work of Saying Yes to Yourself

The holiday season is here. Like me, your focus is likely shifting to all of the needs around you. Giving to others is important work.

But, did you know that saying yes to yourself is just as important?

Saying yes to yourself isn’t about being selfish. Instead, the work is sacred. It’s about staying connected to yourself and to God in deep and life-giving ways.

Saying “Yes” to Yourself

After counseling women for over 15 years, I’m convinced that the key to emotional, spiritual, and relational health is to STOP focusing on saying “No” to other people. Instead, real maturity occurs by learning how to say “Yes” to your own needs, wants, and values. Claiming the life God has for you doesn’t start by shutting others down. It starts by creating the space to get clear about the person God made YOU to be.

The problem is that we are often taught to shove this important work to the sidelines. We’re affirmed for responding to the needs of everyone around us. We’re not taught the importance of saying “Yes” to ourselves. Instead, we’re taught to be eternal need-meeters and people-pleasers.

But, what if you started to pay attention to the worn-out parts of yourself? For example, what if you took a moment to answer these questions:

What do you want more of in your life in this season?
Who do you want to let IN?
What part of your body or soul needs to hear you say “Yes, I am listening”?

You may have been taught that it’s selfish to think about these questions. But, nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, I believe that saying “Yes” to yourself and “Yes” to restoring the beautiful person God made is your most important job on this earth. It’s what the world needs most from you.

What holds you back from saying “Yes” to:

Caring for the parts of yourself that are hurting,
Claiming your God-given voice, and
Choosing activities that nourish the heart and body God made?

Remember, you are a beautiful soul made by creative design. You have been given the power of God’s Spirit, who lives within you, comforts you, and counsels you every step of the way. No matter how shoved aside, burned out, or put down you feel, there is a power within you waiting to be unleashed. God is in the business of restoring what he made. And he wants to heal and restore you.

Saying Yes to God

When Jesus encountered a sick man laying by a pool, he asked him a simple, but profound question: “Do you want to be well?” (John 5:6)

If you are like many women, you might feel hesitant as you consider this question. Part of you cries out, “Yes!” But another part of you might feel any of these ways:

Shouldn’t I always sacrifice for other people?
It’s selfish to want to feel better about my life.
It’s wrong to pursue dreams held within me.

In fact, most women think that saying “Yes” to God means saying “Yes” to helping other people. For example, you might already be praying, “God help me to be more loving and kinder toward that challenging person. I know that’s what you want from me.”

But, what if saying “Yes” to God also means saying “Yes” to helping the parts of your own soul in need?

This way of thinking might go against your nature in so many ways. Instead of turning toward the weary parts of yourself desperate for your attention, you listen to these voices instead:

Just bury it.
Focus on all those needs over there.
You’re not worth the time.
You don’t have the time.

But, refusing to pay attention to the voice of your own needs and areas of pain is soul killing. And the people in your life need a woman who is moving toward healing. They might not like it at first if you start taking time for yourself. But, trust me, they’ll adjust.

Learning to say “Yes” to yourself starts with listening to the needs of your own body, heart and soul, not just to the needs of other people. Listening to the voice of your own needs can be painful and scary at first. It takes courage and commitment. It takes showing up for yourself when much of you would rather just stay in denial. But, if you can learn to turn toward yourself when you notice the tug of pain, anger, or longing, you’ll start to train yourself that you are worth healing.

Remember, as you commit to taking time for yourself, you can bank on certain outcomes. For examples, God always says “Yes” to the following, as you set time apart to connect to yourself and to his love:

Drawing close to you when you draw close to him (James 4:8).
Completing the good work he started in you (Phil. 1:6).
Setting you free from guilt and shame (Gal. 5:1).
Bringing more love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, goodness, and self-control in to the depths of your being (Gal. 5:22-23).

Learning to say “Yes” to yourself goes hand-in-hand with saying “Yes” to God’s hand reaching out to you. And, as you say “Yes” to yourself and “Yes” to God, the yes that you say to other people will shift for the better, too.

“How can you draw close to God when you are far from your own self?” —St. Augustine, Confessions

Questions to Ask Yourself

Over this coming week, I invite you to take a step toward saying “Yes” to spending just 20 minutes a day by yourself with a journal. If you have to hide in a closet or in your car to get privacy, that’s OK. (We’ve all been there!) Use the following questions to guide you:

1.) When you consider the work of saying “Yes” to yourself, what do you feel inside? It might feel exciting, selfish, or even a bit frightening. Pay attention to what you notice without judgment. Write down what you feel in your journal or share it with a friend. Invite God into your honest experience, too.

2.) Consider these sentences:

God made you whole before the world hurt you.
God called you good before shame entered in.
God named you beloved, before parts of you were taught to believe otherwise.

Notice which word or phrase stands out to you. Which phrase calls out to your soul? Why do you think that is?

3.) Do you believe God is for you? If not, where did that other message come from?

4.) What comes up inside of you as you consider Jesus’s question: “Do you want to be well?”

5.) This holiday season, what is one way you could say “Yes” to yourself each day?

This article originally appeared here.

Free Album Download: “Simply Adoration” by Joshua Fraser

By

Daniel So

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December 22, 2020

Free Album Download

From NoiseTrade, “This is the first album of my Simply Adoration series. Each song praises an attribute of God through melodies, and the in-the-room quality brings you into God’s presence.”

Download this 10-track album and play it while doing your personal devotions or during a prayer gathering at your church.

Get Download Now

Resource provided by NoiseTrade

Download Instructions: Follow the on-screen directions at the download site to download this resource.

Should a Woman Be Allowed to Preach?

By

Perry Noble

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December 21, 2020

This is an article of clarification, not one for argumentation. I am simply answering a sincere question we occasionally receive: “Should a Woman Be Allowed to Preach?” If, after reading, you do not have the same conclusion as me on this issue then I am perfectly fine with that, and hope you will be as well. As Augustine once said, ““In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; in all things, charity.” I do not have a problem with women preaching the Gospel because Jesus did not have a problem with them doing so.

Should a Woman Be Allowed to Preach?

It was women that were first commissioned by Jesus to preach that He was alive after His resurrection.

When the Holy Spirit fell on the believers in Acts 2:1-4, Scripture clearly says He filled everyone in the room, and they all began to declare the Gospel.

If your blood is beginning to boil and you are screaming, “What about what Paul said?” I would ask you the same thing. If we take the totality of everything Paul said in all of his letters, and then also look at the fact that he mentioned women and their actions/behavior in the church—we would find that he speaks about the issue five times (at the most, depending upon interpretation).

One of the things I am learning when reading the Scriptures is, even though I believe every word of it is true and can be fully trusted, there are passages that had more relevancy at the time they were written than they do today.

(For example—Deuteronomy 25:11-12 speaks to the issue of how to deal with women when it comes to an incredibly sensitive issue; however, that’s not a verse we quote or put on coffee mugs today!)

So while I acknowledge Paul addressed the issue on a limited basis, I really do believe that to base our view of women on these few passages means we have to ignore an enormous portion of Scripture that validates the preaching, teaching and leadership of women.

Deborah (Judges 4-5—if God allowed her words to speak to us, can we not allow women to speak as well?).

Esther was clearly put in a position of leadership (and had a whole book named after her!).

In Acts 21:8-9 we see that Phillip had four unmarried daughters who prophesied.

Paul clearly says in Romans 16:1 that Phoebe is a deacon (leadership position) in the church.

Then there was the amazing husband and wife team of Priscilla and Aquila. (If women were always supposed to be silent in every situation, then why does Paul mention her name specifically on three separate occasions in his writings? If it was all about the men then why not just leave her name out altogether?

I’ve often heard people call these ladies “exceptions”—but I see them as examples as I honestly do not believe women are forbidden to preach the Gospel.

(And, just a side note, so many of the people who hold the anti-woman preacher viewpoint grew up in church where the Sunday school teachers were mostly … wait for it … WOMEN! Good gosh, if it were not for women there might not even be a church!!!)

Bottom line—there are over 7 BILLION people on the planet and over half of them do not know Jesus. I think our focus should be on the fact that someone is trying to reach them rather than telling them they can’t because they do not have the proper body parts!

Should a Woman Be Allowed to Preach? Let me conclude this article by once again saying I will not debate this, nor will I allow a theological cesspool to form on my FB page. This is simply my statement, and my focus at this point is NEXT SUNDAY.

Once again, you do not have to agree with me on this. This is an open-handed issue that I love to discuss but refuse to end a friendship over.

The Truth About Passionate Worship

By

David Santistevan

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December 21, 2020

Worship.

How would you define it?

Hearing that word almost creates confusion.

It has become so many things. Songs, services, singing and industry.

Records, sold-out shows, iTunes charts and royalty checks.

Jobs, productions and emotional feelings.

But what is it … really? More than anything, we need to get this right. Worship is foundation—it’s the rock that everything is built upon.

As leaders, we can never tire of hearing this. We can never graduate from the heart of worship. There are no bigger and better things.

Christ is all—His worth, magnified in our hearts and in the hearts of the people we lead. Seeing Him clearer, knowing Him deeper.

Let’s ask some pointed questions:

When was the last time you were really desperate for God? Where you felt like you really needed Him?

Do you remember a time when your desire to know Jesus was stronger than your desire for anything else?

Have you ever felt the fire that Paul felt?

“Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ” (Phil. 3:8).

Is Christ so valuable to you that everything else seems like rubbish?

Free Kids’ Lesson Package: “Prayer Warriors”

By

Daniel So

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December 21, 2020

Free Kids’ Lesson Package

From CMD, “At the end of his life, King David praised God in the presence of the people. Kids will learn that when they talk to God they should praise him for who he is and thank him for all he has done. 1 Chronicles 29:3-13, 20-28, David’s Prayer.”

This lesson package includes:

Make It Stick! Parent Sheet
Memory Verse
Skit
Object Lesson or Kids Sermon
Large Group Lesson
Small Group Discussion
Large Group Game
Take Home Activity

Get Download Now

Resource provided by Children’s Ministry Deals

Download Instructions: Follow the on-screen directions at the download site.

Hillsong UNITED Performs ‘Street Called Mercy’ Where Jesus Carried His Cross

By

Megan Briggs

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December 21, 2020

Hillsong UNITED visited Israel earlier this year and crossed many, many things off the Christian bucket list.

First there was singing “Oceans” overlooking the sea where Peter would have been called out by Jesus “upon the waters.” There was also “Say the Word” from the mountain where Jesus preached the beatitudes.

The following video is another one still: “Street Called Mercy” from Via Dolorosa.

The video features scenes of a barren street, “with ruins and vandalism around,” heading toward the Dead Sea, and Via Dolorosa, the street that is “widely accepted as to where Jesus walked carrying his cross on the greatest ever journey of Mercy.” The theme behind the video is the juxtaposition of “the struggle of life and the Mercy of God.”

Wrapped up in scarlet kindness
You welcome the sinner home
Now I breathe in the air of heaven

Well done, Hillsong UNITED. You used your time in Israel well, and we are blessed by it.

Lauren Daigle Saddened by Sean Feucht, New Years Rockin’ Eve Controversy

By

Emily McFarlan Miller

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December 21, 2020

New Years Rockin' Eve — Lauren Daigle accepts the artist of the year award during the Dove Awards on Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2019, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)

(RNS) — Christian pop star Lauren Daigle is responding to Louisiana news reports that she had been removed from the lineup of “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve,” the iconic musical countdown to the New Year on ABC.

The move reportedly came after New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell raised concerns about Daigle’s appearance at Sean Feucht’s “Let Us Worship” rally and concert last month in the city, where Daigle lives and “New Year’s Rockin’ Eve” plans to film its countdown for the Central time zone.

Feucht’s event in New Orleans’ French Quarter did not have a permit and violated public health guidelines in place to prevent the spread of COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, according to the mayor. The event put New Orleans residents in danger and threatened the city’s progress in combating the pandemic, she wrote.

But, Daigle said in a statement Thursday evening (Dec. 17) to the New Orleans Advocate, she had never been confirmed to perform on “New Year’s Rockin’ Eve.”

“I would have been, and still would be, honored to represent our city on New Year’s Eve and although I was aware of discussions regarding my involvement, an offer was never made,” she said.

“I have wept, pleading for this chaos to dissipate and for harmony to return. We need unity when people are desperate, suffering, starving or out of work,” she added.

A source close to the production of “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve” confirmed Daigle’s statement to Religion News Service, saying she had never been part of the line-up for the broadcast.

In a letter to Dick Clark Productions, published by New Orleans radio station WWL, Cantrell wrote last week that she could not “in good conscience” support Daigle’s involvement in its broadcast.

Earlier this week, Daigle, a two-time Grammy Award-winning singer, also performed her crossover hit “You Say” on the season finale of NBC’s “The Voice.”

“She harmed our people, she risked the lives of our residents, and she strained our first responders in a way that is unconscionable — in the midst of a public health crisis. This is not who we are, and she cannot be allowed to represent New Orleans or the people she willfully endangered,” Cantrell wrote.

The event was part of the controversial “ Let Us Worship” tour, a series of “worship protests” led throughout the pandemic in cities across the country by Feucht, a failed congressional candidate and worship pastor associated with Bethel Church in Redding, California.

A video tweeted Nov. 7 by Feucht shows Daigle singing the hymn “Great Is Thy Faithfulness” at the demonstration in New Orleans. Nobody appeared to be wearing masks or social distancing.

A column about the event days later in the New Orleans Advocate noted Daigle’s appearance and asked, “What in God’s name were they thinking?”

After speaking with Daigle, Louisiana Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser has said the whole thing is a misunderstanding, according to local media reports.

Daigle was not officially part of the event and is not responsible for the crowd of a few hundred people who gathered in the French Quarter, Nungesser told WWL.

Instead, the singer explained to him she had been riding her bike nearby when she heard people praying for hospitality workers and stopped to join them, he said. She then was invited to sing.

In a written statement, the lieutenant governor described the mayor’s actions as “retaliation” against Daigle and fretted that they could cost Louisiana the opportunity to be part of “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve.”

“In the long run, this action will not only hamper any efforts for New Orleans to recover from the pandemic, but also every city in the state which offered to host the event, and the state as a whole,” Nungesser said.

“New Year’s Rockin’ Eve” does plan to include the Fleur de Lis drop at midnight Central time in New Orleans as part of its broadcast, according to a source close to production.

Daigle reiterated Nungesser’s version of the events in her statement, noting the presence of uniformed police officers at the event. When asked to sing, she said she felt music could serve a “higher purpose,” giving people encouragement, hope and joy.

“I’m disappointed that my spontaneous participation has become part of the political discourse and I’m saddened by the divisive agendas of these times,” she said.

“Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve” has been a New Year’s staple since 1972. Now hosted by Ryan Seacrest, the 2021 production — without its usual live audience — will feature more than five and a half hours of music from artists like Jennifer Lopez, Billy Porter and Cyndi Lauper.

This story has been updated with responses from Daigle and a source close to Dick Clark Productions.

This article originally appeared on ReligionNews.com.

GCC Pastor Accuses Journalist of Lying About Outbreak Reporting

By

Stephanie Martin

-

December 21, 2020

Following her report about COVID-19’s alleged continued impact at John MacArthur’s Grace Community Church (GCC), investigative journalist Julie Roys is facing criticism from a pastor at the California megachurch.

Early Sunday, Roys published an article titled “Members of John MacArthur’s Church Say They’re Being Pressured Not to Report New COVID Outbreak.” In it, she details an interview with a church leader and shares social media posts describing active coronavirus cases within the congregation. When a Twitter user asked elder and Pastor Phil Johnson to explain what was happening at GCC, he replied that Roys “is lying” and prints “scandalmongering twaddle.”

Julie Roys Describes Denial & Coercion at GCC

A GCC leader who requested anonymity told Roys that numerous new cases of COVID-19 have been linked to recent gatherings at the Sun Valley church, yet staff and members are being urged to keep them quiet. The leader, who himself is symptomatic, said he felt pressured to attend in-person gatherings at GCC and is now “paying the price” health-wise. He described a mostly mask-free campus, attendees sitting close to one another, and a leader—MacArthur—who continues downplaying COVID-19 as just a flu.

“I spoke with multiple members of GCC this week who said they were scared of speaking out about the outbreak for fear of retribution,” writes Roys. “Some said they feared losing their jobs. Others said they feared being ostracized and losing their community.”

The journalist shares several recent Facebook posts—with names often blurred for privacy—from church members who’ve tested positive for coronavirus. One reveals that “a lot” of members of the church’s Filipino ministry are symptomatic, including a leader and member who’ve been hospitalized. Dr. William Varner, a professor who leads a GCC fellowship group, posted on December 16 that he has COVID-19.

A blogger known as “Modern Day Zorro” details a December 8 GCC Christmas party that allegedly led to seven coronavirus cases. When Roys asked her anonymous source about that account, he confirmed the party occurred but added, “John (MacArthur) will never admit that number. I have no doubt that it is true, but any church leader who publicly affirms that will be looking for a new job.”

Phil Johnson Takes Issue With Article—and Its Author

On December 18, GCC Pastor Phil Johnson tweeted about recent deaths in his family that weren’t COVID-related but “were made nightmarish by tyrannical restrictions.” He adds, “So please don’t @ me with relentless told-you-so Tweets about the current rise in COVID cases. The vast majority WILL recover.”

Asked about news of an outbreak at GCC, Johnson responded, “Well, for one thing, Ms. Roys is lying. Not only did she NOT contact me for comment; she blocked me months ago on social media. (I’m not complaining; I’m happy not to have to read her scandalmongering twaddle, and I rarely do, even when someone sends me a link.)”

“Not lying,” Roys replied, sharing the email she’d sent GCC, requesting comment. When she didn’t receive a reply in her admittedly tight time frame, she proceeded to publish, saying she felt obligated to so do before Sunday’s services “so GCC members could make an informed decision about the risks of attending.”

Although Southern California is currently the pandemic’s U.S. epicenter, Los Angeles County has lifted its ban on indoor worship. Though officials still recommend meeting outdoors, they acknowledge that recent Supreme Court decisions have prioritized religious liberties.

MacArthur, who has said “there is no pandemic,” sued the county and state after being fined for violating virus-related restrictions. He encouraged pastors to fight to remain open for corporate worship, calling it essential.

During a recent Q&A session at GCC, Roys reports, MacArthur indicated that COVID-19 vaccines were “all about money” and “two massive corporations becoming more wealthy than you can even comprehend.”

For the United Methodists’ Relief Arm, 2020 Is One Long Emergency

By

Linda Bloom

-

December 21, 2020

In a year when one disaster seemed to follow another, the United Methodist Committee on Relief’s longtime investment into the training and support of church members who respond — both in the U.S. and globally — is paying off.

As directors of UMCOR and its parent agency, the United Methodist Board of Global Ministries, learned during their annual meetings, UMCOR currently is working 38 active grants of $19 million in the U.S. and has supported responses to 99 unique emergencies so far in 2020.

“If that sounds like a large number, it is,” said Lara Martin, interim director of U.S. disaster response for UMCOR.

The pandemic was both a complicating factor and “a silver lining” as online presentations were perfected for disaster response training events at the conference level. In the end, UMCOR was able to conduct 72 mostly remote trainings that reached 1,287 individuals, Martin told the relief agency’s directors during their Oct. 28 virtual meeting.

Two other significant milestones were announced Oct. 28, then celebrated at the Nov. 12 meeting of Global Ministries’ board of directors.

The denomination’s Abundant Health campaign, led by the Global Health unit of Global Ministries, exceeded its goal of reaching 1 million children with lifesaving interventions between 2016 and 2020. “Through the support of our donors, partners, and board members, we reached 1,075,732 children by the end of September 2020,” the Global Health report said.

Affiliated with the United Nations program, “Every Woman Every Child: The Global Strategy for Women’s, Children’s and Adolescent’s Health,” the Abundant Health campaign focused on communities, primarily in Africa, with high child mortality rates from preventable causes.

An Africa agricultural program is in development, a follow-up to the first-of-its-kind agricultural summit in January 2019 sponsored by Global Ministries and UMCOR, with representatives from all African countries where The United Methodist Church is in mission.

During that summit, Sierra Leone Bishop John K. Yambasu, vice president of Global Ministries, said the church in Africa has the potential of becoming self-sustaining if it develops its vast land into viable commercial enterprises.

Yambasu died tragically in an August car accident and the program will be named in his honor. An initial agricultural grant of $300,000 for Sierra Leone is expected to be approved at the December UMCOR board meeting.

Sierra Leone Bishop John K. Yambasu speaks during the United Methodist Africa agricultural summit Jan. 13-16, 2019, in Johannesburg, South Africa. The United Methodist Board of Global Ministries is recognizing the late bishop’s support of agricultural mission work by naming a new agricultural initiative after him. File photo by Eveline Chikwanah, UMNS.

The mission agency’s work in disaster relief, health and sustainability continues even in the face of budget cuts and staff reductions over the past few years.

Former SBC Pres. Signs Statement on SBC’s Failure to Acknowledge Systemic Racism

By

Adelle M Banks

-

December 21, 2020

(RNS) — New Orleans pastor Fred Luter, the only Black person to have served as president of the predominantly white Southern Baptist Convention, has added his name to a statement on justice and repentance released Friday (Dec. 18).

The “ Justice, Repentance, and the SBC ” statement comes as Black Baptists and others continue to object to the rejection of “critical race theory,” a set of ideas about systemic racism, by the six white SBC seminary presidents.

Luter joined more than 230 other signers of the statement, which was issued on the 155th anniversary of the proclamation of the 13th Amendment, which officially abolished slavery in the U.S. It had more than 230 signatures by noon Eastern on Saturday.

Initially issued by 20 Black and white SBC leaders, the statement said the SBC, having “injustice towards African slaves at its very core,” cannot ignore its history on race. It urged “collective repentance” for the mistreatment of people of color and the “systemic injustice” in SBC churches.

The statement said the SBC had made progress in becoming more inclusive, but “some recent events have left many brothers and sisters of color feeling betrayed and wondering if the SBC is committed to racial reconciliation.”

It said, “Some in the SBC appear to be more concerned with political maneuvering” than racial diversity and suggested the SBC had been “co-opted by outside political forces.” Those who have spoken out about systemic racism, it noted, “are labeled as ‘Marxists,’ ‘Liberals,’ and ‘Critical Race Theorists,’ even though they are theologically orthodox and believe in the total sufficiency of Scripture.”

Some of the signatories previously signed an October commitment by leaders in Deep South cities to “work for justice to right past wrongs.”

Since the seminary presidents released a statement Nov. 30 that declared critical race theory to be incompatible with the denomination’s faith statement, several prominent Black leaders and their churches have criticized their position, with some moving to break ties with the SBC.

On Dec. 11, the Rev. Marshal L. Ausberry Sr., president of the National African American Fellowship of the SBC and the denomination’s first vice president, asked for a meeting with seminary presidents. Five days later, the Rev. Ralph D. West announced he was withdrawing his Houston megachurch’s affiliation with the nation’s largest Protestant denomination. On Friday (Dec. 18), Pastor Charlie Dates said his Chicago church was leaving, calling the seminary leaders’ action “a final straw.”

Also on Friday, the denomination announced SBC Executive Committee President Ronnie Floyd has set an early January meeting with officers of the African American fellowship, the Council of Seminary Presidents of the SBC and SBC President J.D. Greear, who has affirmed the seminary leaders’ statement against critical race theory.

“Southern Baptists have acknowledged and spoken very clearly about the roots of our convention and against the sinful rot of racism that has no place, no welcome, and no future in the SBC, biblical Christianity, or the Kingdom of God,” said Floyd.

Floyd cited the denomination’s 1995 resolution apologizing to African Americans for “condoning and/or perpetuating individual and systemic racism in our lifetime” and its 2000 faith statement that notes: “In the Spirit of Christ, Christians should oppose racism.” But he added, “now it is time for us to focus on our actions” and relations.

“Without relationships and conversations, we will not understand each other,” Floyd said. “Until we repent and change the way we are looking at one another, talking to one another, and treating one another, spiritual revival and awakening will not come.”

Greear also commented Friday on the continuing debate, calling on Baptists to “carefully and soberly” consider the “Justice, Repentance, and the SBC” statement. He reiterated in his blog his stance on critical race theory while also discouraging name-calling in the midst of vigorous debate.

“We recognize that though worldly philosophies like Critical Race Theory arise from worldviews in direct conflict with our own, there are often things we can learn from questions raised and observations made,” he wrote. “We must not default to labeling believers who parse certain questions differently ‘Marxist’ or ‘racist.’ This uncharitable spirit is not only intellectually lazy, it is a sin against the body of Christ.”

Though the signatories of the “Justice, Repentance, and the SBC” document signed their statement “With Hope,” they also appeared to issue a warning:

“Future cooperation remains possible and preferred if we commit to biblical justice and repentance in the SBC,” they wrote. “However, if these commitments are not upheld, then it will signal to many in the SBC that cooperation has already ceased to exist.”

This article originally appeared on ReligionNews.com.

God’s Good Word

By

Jonathan Cruse

-

December 21, 2020

God’s Good Word

At some point in your schooling, you have probably come across the handy diagram that explains the various components of a strong, dramatic narrative. It’s a little line that begins steadily with the exposition, takes a vicious turn skyward with the conflict and rising action, reaches its peak with the climax, and then gently descends with the falling action and denouement. In the worship service, the blessing and sending are like the denouement. We are coming off the mountain of the Lord where we have fellowshipped with God Himself (Isa. 25:6; Hebrews 12:22). As we come to the conclusion of our meeting with God, we receive a blessing, or a benediction.

What exactly is the benediction? The benediction is not simply a way to close the service. It’s not a final prayer. It’s not a simple farewell—a way to say “goodbye, come back next time.” Nor is it simply a “good word” from the pastor to the congregation. It is far more than that. In the benediction, God blesses His people by confirming that His name is upon them for good in Christ, and thereby strengthens them to serve Him in the week ahead.

Name Above All Names

What’s the connection between benedictions and names? We’re given a clue by looking at perhaps the most popular benediction in all of Scripture, the Aaronic blessing in Numbers 6:22–26:

“The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, ‘Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, Thus you shall bless the people of Israel: you shall say to them, The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the LORD lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.’”

In this benediction (and others) we see that God’s good favor and pleasure are said to rest on His people. This would continue to be a part of covenantal worship both in the Old and the New Testaments. Many new covenant benedictions show up at the close of letters or sermons that were meant to be read publicly in the church’s worship service.

If we go back and look more closely at that Aaronic benediction, we find that something puzzling shows up at the end. God says that in pronouncing the blessing, the priests will “put My name on the children of Israel, and I will bless them” (Num. 6:27). This summarizes for us in what way we receive God’s blessings: precisely by receiving His name. It is hard to explain the theology behind names in Scripture, but in essence everything that made a person who they were was believed to be packed into their name. If you knew a person’s name, you really knew them. You knew what they were about, what made them tick, what their weaknesses and strengths were.

Likewise, throughout Scripture we see that God maintains the honor of His name, for His name is who He is (Ex. 20:7). At the fiery bush, God connects His name to both His characteristic of faithfulness and His attributes of eternality, omnipotence, and independence. Thus, during the days of David and Solomon, God established a temple for His name (1 Kings 5:5), and later He puts His “name there forever” (1 Kings 9:3). God is so zealous about maintaining the holiness that is His name that He threatens the death penalty for anyone who would profane it (Lev. 24:16).

And yet it is this very name that God speaks upon us in the benediction. This name is so marvelous, so majestic, so holy and sacred, yet He gives it to us frail and feeble creatures. And it’s the very thing we need! Recall that the hallmark of the faithful line of Seth is that they are those who “call upon the name of the Lord” (Gen. 4:26). Likewise in the New Testament Peter preaches that Jesus is the only way to the Father, for “there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” To be saved we must have God’s glorious name, and in the benediction we shown that the very thing we need God gives us. Hughes Oliphant Old writes, “[The benediction is] a blessing that seals the Church in the name of the Lord. In giving us His name He brings us into His care and gives us a share in the household of faith.”[1]

Who God Says We Are

Is there any greater comfort or assurance than knowing we share God’s name? When we belong to Christ we have that name “Christian” stamped on our hearts, and God will indeed save the one who knows, or who bears, His name. The heathens and the ungodly of this world do not receive God’s benediction. Only those who by faith come into the house of worship receive God’s blessing. Those who have His name have Him.

All week the world around us gives us a name. Maybe the name is “fat” or “rich” or “smart” or “funny” or “not good enough” or “not as bad as that guy” or whatever. The world is feeding us lies: telling us who we are, who we should be, and what matters most. And yet a grand and glorious purpose of worship is to wash that away and give us a different—and proper—view and outlook on everything, including ourselves. A major point of the worship service is to teach us who we really are: those who are called by God out of sin, cleansed by His gospel and freely forgiven, led by His word, and invited to feast with Him at an eternal meal. And if all that doesn’t reorient us entirely, if that doesn’t teach us that we belong to Christ and not to our sin, then God does this one final thing: He gives us His name.

Recognize that in worship benedictions from the minister are not prayers to God where we request something from Him; they are proclamations from God where we are told what we have already received and who we truly are.

So Send I You

We do not receive God’s immense blessings to hoard them to ourselves, like some miser. God blesses us in order to strengthen us for the week ahead, for the work ahead—that is, for the gospel work that is ahead of us. If worship is about showing us who we are in Christ, then we will see that it comes with a calling, or a task. Just as there was a task for the very first humans, redeemed humanity has one as well. James K. A. Smith writes,

“The end of worship is bound up with the end of being human. In other words, the point of worship is bound up with the point of creation. The goal of Christian worship is a renewal of the mandate in creation: to be (re)made in God’s image and then sent as his image bearers to and for the world.”[2]

We still have work to do. We are to go and make disciples, to live as salt and light, and to be holy as our heavenly Father is holy. It’s a lot. But what God calls us to He equips us for. Bryan Chapell explains, “The benediction is the promise of blessing for the tasks God calls his people to do”; thus it “is often followed by a charge (e.g., ‘Go in peace,’ or ‘Go now and serve God in this way with confidence that He goes with you to help you and to bless you’).”[3]

Is this not a fitting conclusion to the story of worship that God has just told us? It really means that the story is not over yet. Our corporate communion with God is interrupted with six days back in the world. But even so, in this break in between, we truly go with God. We go with His name—the blessing that will bolster us to accomplish the commission He gives us. And though this benediction and commission are spoken by a minister, they are the very words of God. In our worship, He gets the first word and He gets the very last. And each word is one of grace.

This post has been adapted from Jonathan’s latest book: What Happens When We Worship, available now at ReformedResources.org.

Notes

[1] As quoted in Jon D. Payne, In the Splendor of Holiness (White Hall, WV: Tolle Lege, 2008), 103.

[2] James K. A. Smith, You Are What You Love (Grand Rapids: Brazos, 2016), 88. Emphasis original.

[3] Bryan Chapell, Christ-Centered Worship: Letting the Gospel Shape Our Practice (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2009), 254.

This article originally appeared here.

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