This Is Why Andrew Wommack Is Fighting the Cease and Desist Order

July 10, 2020

Andrew Wommack Ministries International (AWMI) is fighting the state of Colorado over what it believes is a violation of the ministry’s First Amendment rights to assemble. Additionally, AWMI feels it was treated in a discriminatory manner by the state when it was targeted with a cease and desist order.

“To me, this is a first amendment right,” Andrew Wommack told LIFE Today Live host Randy Robison in an interview. “I just think that if I continue to close down every time they [the state] say something, it’s like I’m giving up one of our constitutional rights for free assembly.”

Last week, the Woodland Park, Colorado-based ministry hosted a Family Summer Bible Conference for around 1,000 people. They were issued a cease and desist order from the state’s Attorney General’s office for violating the county’s 175-person cap for indoor events. Now, the ministry is taking legal action to fight the order. AWMI hired Liberty Counsel, a nonprofit ministry that provides legal services, to represent them.

Wommack emphasized he’s “concerned about the virus and protecting people,” but believes they took “every precaution” during their conference. In fact, the leader of AWMI believes his staff exercised “more precautions, certainly than what they’ve had at these protests,” he continued, alluding to the protests that have taken place in Colorado over police brutality and which, he believes, have been encouraged by Colorado’s governor, Jared Polis.

How Did AWMI ‘take every precaution’?

ChurchLeaders reached out to AWMI to ask about the specific precautions the ministry took during their Family Summer Bible Conference. We were informed that before the conference, the ministry ran their proposed plan for social distancing at the conference by the Teller County Public Health Department (TPCH). TPCH reviewed the plan and responded, offering some changes. According to a spokesperson for AWMI, the ministry adhered to the following protocols during the conference:

Attendees were given a health screening questionnaire
Attendees’ temperatures were checked
Social distancing was practiced between staff and between guests
Personal protection equipment was utilized (masks and gloves for employees)
Appropriate COVID-19 and social distancing signage was used
One-way traffic flow was used
Sanitation stations were placed throughout all areas of the building
Medically-approved sanitation protocols were in place

Additionally, they encouraged attendees to wear masks, but did not require them. The spokesperson disclosed many people chose to wear a mask, along with AWMI staff.

By their own admission, the only protocol AWMI chose not to adhere to was the cap on attendees. According to the spokesperson, they were not willing to tell people not to come to the conference, as “that would be a violation of our constitutional right to peaceably assemble and to freely exercise our religion.”

How Does This Scenario Compare With Protests?

Liberty Counsel has sent a letter on behalf of AWMI to Colorado State Attorney General Phil Weiser’s office to oppose the cease and desist order. The letter states the ministry has been treated in a discriminatory manner given the fact that thousands of people are allowed to protest in the streets without threat of legal action from the state, yet the ministry cannot hold its conference, unless it adheres to an “arbitrary numerical limitation.”

The letter argues that other states “have determined that churches are essential” and therefore are allowed to operate “with no numerical restrictions” so long as they follow proper social distancing and sanitizing practices. Liberty Counsel believes AWMI should be allowed to follow a 50 percent rule, wherein businesses and facilities are allowed to fill their buildings by half of their normal capacity. For AWMI, which held the conference at its Charis Bible College location that has a total seating capacity of approximately 5,000 (the auditorium seats 3,200), they were well within that 50 percent cap with their approximately 1,000 attendees.

Fighting for Your Marriage When Life Beats You Up

Nicole Hannel

July 10, 2020

In the parenting journey, just as in life, nothing is guaranteed. The unexpected happens to all of us, but there are some things that not only come as a surprise, they turn life on its head. And in those moments, marriage is often the relationship that takes the hardest hit. Divorce rates among families with disabilities, infant loss, or special needs are high, and it’s no surprise. When the rest of your circumstances demand a fight, it can be hard to stick up for each other.

So how do you love your partner well when everything else feels uncertain? The number 1 relationship counseling app shares insights from their interview with Jay and Katherine Wolf of Hope Heals.

First, choose faith not frustration. In times of upheaval, we can lose sight of the person we married, opting to focus on their flaws or our own frustrations in the relationship. Recognize the stumbling blocks couples face in tough circumstances – things like disenchantment – and choose faith in your spouse instead. Jay Wolf, father of two and husband to Katherine, who was disabled by a sudden brainstem stroke in 2008, says, “So often part of our disenchantment is that we think, ‘This isn’t what we signed up for.’ We roll over in the bed after however many years have passed, or kids have happened, or financial issues, or medical diagnoses, or whatever the catalyst is that creates change, and say, ‘Who is this person that I am with?’” If the heaviness of your circumstances has caused you to feel disenchanted with your spouse or your relationship, it doesn’t mean you have to stay that way. Intentionality goes a long way to finding that spark again. As Jay puts it, “This is your person, and you get to say, ‘I’m going to show up and learn who you are again and love this new person you’ve become.’”

Next, see potential not imperfections. It’s easy to focus on all of today’s problems, and perhaps even easier to shy away from a future that seems overwhelming, but viewing your relationship in terms of what it could be – creating a hope-filled narrative for the future of your marriage – will always leave you willing to invest more. Jay’s wife, Katherine, says, “Yes in marriage, you marry someone’s problems and their past, but you also marry potential. You marry what they could become.” Take some time to envision your relationship in five years, then use a hopeful perspective as you imagine what your bond could look like by that time.

Lastly, chase selflessness not happiness. “Expecting your marriage to make you happy is setting the bar way too low,” says Jay. “Marriage has the opportunity to make you things that are so much richer and deeper than just happy.” When life doesn’t go according to plan, it can be easy to focus inward, acting out of a desire for personal joy. But healthy marriage is about giving, and in return, receiving more than you need. That act of selflessness will ultimately result in true happiness. As Jay puts it, “With marriage, the goal should be something that is transcendent, about us getting outside of ourselves and our own feelings.” If you’re a mom who’s struggling with a diagnosis, disability, loss, grief, or an unexpected twist in your story that will alter the rest of the way, know that you’re not alone. And also know that there is support for you and your partner as you work through the unexpected times.

Lasting helps couples who feel stuck move forward together. Through a convenient and affordable app, they’re making a way for people to receive a research-backed marriage counseling program right where they are. Learn more about Lasting and the Wolf’s story below and download Lasting for free today.

This piece was originally posted on The MOPS Blog

WHAT!?! Instructions to Not Sing at Church?!

Eric Geiger

July 10, 2020

On Friday my phone started blowing up with text messages from friends, both in and outside of California, sending me links to articles where Governor Newsom, California’s governor, issued instructions for churches to not sing or chant while continuing to limit attendance of indoor gatherings. The orders immediately resulted in divergent viewpoints, adding to the increasing frustration and polarization in our culture. On one side you can hear statements like, “Why are some Christians making such a big deal of this? It is just data, right?” On the other side you can hear statements like, “This is an attack on our religious liberty!” Here is my attempt to make sense of this after living with the “no singing” instructions for a few days – something I never imagined. Something I did not even have a category for until now.

Singing is a big deal in the Christian faith.

For someone who is not a Christian or familiar with the Scripture, the instruction to cease singing doesn’t sound to be that big of a deal. Some may ask, “Isn’t this simply logical because of the data that shows how singing and shouting spreads droplets in the same way as coughing or sneezing?” But for many Christians the suggestion to “stop singing” is not merely logical. It is spiritual, emotional, and convictional. The Scripture commands us to sing to the Lord and proclaim His deeds (Psalm 9:11), and Christians are compelled to sing of God’s great love so that other generations will know of God’s faithfulness (Psalm 89:1). Because of who God is, the Psalmist declared he would sing to the Lord for his whole life (Psalm 104:33). The New Testament describes singing songs of gratitude as the natural response for those whom the message of Christ dwells richly among (Colossians 3:16). And it is not just individual singing that is important in our faith; we are invited to worship the Lord together among God’s people (Psalm 95). The truth gets down deep in our souls as we sing. We encourage those around us. And we declare to the Lord how great He is and how good He has been to us.

But to view instructions to not sing as an attack on religious liberty may be a jump.

We are in a pandemic and every instruction and decision should be viewed through the lens of that context. I say it “may be” a jump because I don’t know the intentions of the people involved in the decision. Perhaps some would love to limit religious liberty, but I don’t read instructions about not singing during a pandemic when inside as necessarily an attack on my religious liberty. There are other biblical postures of worship that were not addressed in the instructions such as bowing, lifting of hands, and kneeling – because those postures are not connected to the spread of a virus. “Well if not this, then what would be an attack on our religious liberty?” some have asked. (And those asking are asking because they care deeply about the beautiful privilege we have in our country to gather and worship.) If we were asked to secure approval for the lyrics we sing, that would be a violation of our religious liberty. If we were told that singing about Jesus’ death is too offensive, that would be an attack on religious liberty. I am much more concerned that there will be attempts to redact or change the content of my faith than the postures that transcend my faith tradition. Singing and shouting are postures that occur in all types of contexts, including concerts and sporting events. Singing is not unique to the Christian faith, but singing in response to our Savior who placed Himself on a bloody cross is.

May we never take singing to our Savior for granted again.

After separating my shoulder in a mountain biking accident last year, I could not use my shoulder for several months. I could not ride my bike, could not enjoy the trails, and could not lift weights. When I was finally able to exercise again, my gratitude for my shoulder increased. As a pastor I would take a season of not singing in large indoor gatherings if it meant increased gratitude for singing in the future. As much as I miss gathering how we used to, a room filled with voices raised, I would make that trade if on the other side of this we are people who don’t take the moments of singing together with God’s people for granted.

I am not saying that I will ask people not to sing. The church I pastor is not holding large indoor gatherings at this time, and we are utilizing smaller and outdoor/airy gatherings in coming days. But I do know that one can worship through a limitation. I have seen people in our gatherings in wheelchairs, some who are unable to bow and unable to lift their hands (also biblical postures), and they have worshipped deeply. They will likely wait longer than we will to worship without their physical limitations, to the day when they see Jesus face to face.

At the same time, I love that people are jolted by instructions to not sing if the source of the jolt is feeling inhibited in expressing adoration to Jesus. May the holy frustration drive us to commit to never take singing to God among God’s people for granted again. Perhaps this moment will be the moment that God uses to birth in us a passionate commitment to soak in every second when we are able to gather again without restrictions. To be there ready to belt out praise to God when the service begins, as opposed to casually walking in half way through the second song. To sing our guts out through the last song and feel a bit bummed when it ends, instead of jetting early to secure a table at lunch.

How Jesus answered instructions to stop singing.

There was a moment when religious leaders told Jesus to tell people to stop celebrating and praising Him – or to stop singing. Jesus responded, “if they were to keep silent, the stones would cry out” (Luke 19:40). I realize that Jesus was not riding into Jerusalem in the midst of a pandemic, but I love His answer. He did not say, “Yes, I will tell people not to make any more noise.” But he also did not say, “No, I am going to insist that they keep making noise.” Instead Jesus stated the reality that He is going to receive worship. In other words, Jesus is going to be praised. He is God and from the rising of the sun until it goes down, and His name will be worshipped. We, of course, should love to be the ones who bring Him praise because He is the One who has satisfied us and our hearts are encouraged as we exalt Him.

Singing is important, but the heart is more so.

As a family we sang songs over the weekend that have declarations about singing within them. We talked about how singing is part of who we are. But, sadly, we can also sing songs with hearts far from the Lord. In the gospel accounts, Jesus said of the religious leaders in His day that “these people honor me with their lips but their hearts are far from me.” May the Lord use this season, a season when so much is being shaken and the unthinkable is happening around us, to soften our hearts for Him and towards Him. May we be people who sing to Jesus and whose hearts are in alignment with the songs that come from our lips.

This article about instructions to not sing originally appeared here.

Join the Battle—and Sing

Dan Wells

July 10, 2020

Everyone is eager to point out the current difficulties of life in a broken world. Railing against oppressive circumstances is natural. But certainly, these are not just difficult times. They are also very important times. How many of us will look back on this season and say, “I fought the good fight and was faithful to God’s calling on my life”? Isn’t that the goal?

For the Christian, life is a battlefield. Why? Two reasons: we live in a world full of the deadly effects of sin, and we ourselves still sin. So, the battlefield is a spiritual battlefield, and we are waging a spiritual war against sin. No one will emerge from this battle victoriously in his own strength. So, what help do we have in battle? We have the witness of the saints, the victorious power of Jesus, and we have singing.

The Witness of the Saints

The author of Hebrews says that the Christian who pitches an all-out battle against sin looks to others who have done it, who have fought the fight, finished the race, and entered their rest. “Since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us” (Heb. 12:1). The success of the saints should inspire our battle with sin.

Singing hymns is one of the ways we can join the battle. We remember those who finished the race victoriously and join with earnestness the battle they fought. We sing:

We bear the torch that, flaming
Fell from the hands of those
Who gave their lives proclaiming
That Jesus died and rose
Ours is the same commission
The same glad message ours
Fired by the same ambition
To Thee we yield our powers [1]

The Victorious Power of Jesus

By God’s grace, we have more than the memory of triumphant saints to strengthen our resolve. Hebrews 12:1-2 exhorts us to “run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.”

We battle sin with the knowledge of past victories that were achieved against all odds, and we fight in the strength of Jesus, the true Champion of all those victories. He was victorious in His battle against sin and death, and He promises to share that victory with us, who fight our battle against sin after His example and in His power. Again, singing hymns can help us remember these truths.

We will stand as children of the promise
We will fix our eyes on Him, our soul’s reward
Till the race is finished and the work is done
We’ll walk by faith and not by sight [2]

The Role of Singing in Battle

Singing plays a bigger part in our battlefield life than any of us realizes.

Just look to the Old Testament for stories about the role of music in worship (2 Chron. 5:12-14, 29:25-29), in comfort (1 Sam. 18:10), in ceremony (Josh. 6:4; 1 Chron. 13:8), in consecration (2 Kings 3:15), in battle (Num. 10:9; 2 Chron. 20), and in celebration (Exod. 15; 1 Sam. 18:6). God has ordained music for these things!

Indeed, music is an important part of worship in every generation, especially as it stirs hearts and reveals faith. Faithful singing pleases God in many ways.

1. Singing helps us remember who God is and stirs our hearts to desire Him.

Beautiful Savior, Wonderful Counselor
Clothed in majesty, Lord of history
You’re the way, the truth, the life
Star of the Morning, glorious in holiness
You’re the risen One, heaven’s champion
And you reign, You reign over all [3]

2. Singing calls to our minds what God has done.

There in the ground His body lay,
Light of the world by darkness slain
Then bursting forth in glorious day
Up from the grave He rose again
And as He stands in victory
Sin’s curse has lost its grip on me
For I am His and He is mine
Bought with the precious blood of Christ [4]

3. Singing reminds us of what God is doing now.

Before the throne of God above
I have a strong and perfect plea
A great High Priest whose name is love
Who ever lives and pleads for me [5]

4. The Holy Spirit often uses a song to rescue the tempted sinner.

Behold the man upon a cross
My sin upon His shoulders
Ashamed, I hear my mocking voice
Call out among the scoffers
It was my sin that held Him there
Until it was accomplished [6]

5. Singing gives courage to the faithful for battle, where fear is an enemy.

Fear not, I am with thee, O be not dismayed
For I am thy God and will still give thee aid
I’ll strengthen thee, help thee and cause thee to stand
Upheld by my righteous, omnipotent hand [7]

6. Music eases the suffering of this life, which is the context of our fellowship.

Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come
Let this blest assurance control
That Christ has regarded my helpless estate
And hath shed His own blood for my soul [8]

Good songs point us to Christ and sing of His death and resurrection. Further, they apply those essential truths to life and theology. Good songs declare God’s faithfulness, in order that the singer might commit himself to God’s commands. Good songs celebrate the truth and authority of God’s Word and ask that the Holy Spirit would apply it to our hearts. Good songs describe God on His throne, creating in us a hunger for future glory under the righteous reign of Christ.

What better than a Word-filled song to help us remember the love, grace, power, and faithfulness of God?

It is right to pray for an end to our present crisis. But it is good to remember that there will be another crisis after this one, and then another. Let’s train our hearts to rejoice in our sufferings (Rom. 5:3-5), and to be faithful to God in our current battlefield and in those to come. Our ongoing trials can lead us to think ahead to all that is waiting for the believer in eternity, when all suffering will cease.

This is a good time for singing!

—

[1] Frank Houghton, “Facing a Task Unfinished” (OMF International (UK), 1930).
[2] Keith Getty and Stuart Townend, “By Faith” (Thankyou Music, Getty Music Publishing, 2009).
[3] Stuart Townend, “Beautiful Saviour” (Thankyou Music, 1988).
[4] Keith Getty and Stuart Townend, “In Christ Alone” (Thankyou Music, 2001).
[5] Charitee Bancroft, “Before the Throne of God Above” (Public Domain).
[6] Stuart Townend, “How Deep the Father’s Love for Us” (Thankyou Music, 1995).
[7] George Keith (attributed), “How Firm a Foundation” (Public Domain).
[8] Horatio Spafford, “It Is Well with My Soul” (Public Domain).

This article originally appeared here.

How to Tell Your Students You’re Leaving

Josh Griffin

July 9, 2020

This one is tough: How do you tell students you’re leaving the church? There’s no easy way to break the news, but here are a few ideas to consider when you’re in this situation.

How to Tell Your Students You’re Leaving

1. Tell your inner circle first.

Gather up your key volunteers and break the news to them first; no doubt, some of them will be disappointed, discouraged, or even frustrated/angry, but they deserve to hear it from you first. They trust you, so they trust God’s Spirit in you, but leaving is difficult on everyone—and it will be especially challenging for them. Take in the moment, share in the tears, and give them the privilege of hearing it from you and first.

2. Tell the rest quickly.

Don’t make those faithful few carry it for too long—plus, once it is out there word, travels extremely fast. Have a resignation letter/statement already prepared and work with your leadership to figure out the appropriate channels for distribution.

3. Prepare for a few common questions.

It wouldn’t hurt for you to think ahead of a few questions you might experience in a follow-up meeting or conversation. A few things that we’ve been asked:

Why are you leaving?
Do you love them more than us?
So what’s the real story behind you leaving?
I feel betrayed by your decision. Can you help me understand how God led you to leave us?
What’s going to happen to the youth group without you?

4. Understand the real pain your students are experiencing.

You may be excited about your departure, but before you deliver the news, understand the genuine pain this causes many of your students. You are leaving. You are leaving us. You are leaving me. You’ve had months to process it, but they’re hearing it for the first time. Let them process the news, too, and be prepared for tears, anger, and confusion. This is a great chance to show grace under fire.

5. Give words as your parting gifts.

Instead of giving in to the temptation of taking shots when you leave, work hard to give words of affirmation and belief to the students, volunteers, and church as a whole. If the church chooses to honor you for your time serving the church, turn it back on them, and praise them for doing the work of the ministry that will long outlast your tenure.

6. Help them follow Jesus, not the youth pastor.

Sometimes, students get this confused, so point them to Jesus every day while you serve and continue to point them there as you leave. When we follow a human, only one thing is for sure: We are going to be disappointed.

Any other words of advice/experience on how to tell your students you’re leaving? Please share your tips with those that are about to tell their students the news below.

Kanye West Names Biblical Life Coach as Running Mate

Megan Briggs

July 9, 2020

Kanye West announced he is running for president. The musician and entrepreneur made the announcement on the 4th of July via his social media channels. While West has floated ideas in the past of running for president, an interview with Forbes Magazine a few days later confirmed he is serious about Kanye 2020, although he still has 30 days to make a definitive decision about his announcement.

We must now realize the promise of America by trusting God, unifying our vision and building our future. I am running for president of the United States ! #2020VISION

— ye (@kanyewest) July 5, 2020

“It’s God’s country, we are doing everything in service to God, nobody but God no more. I am in service of our Lord and savior, Jesus Christ, and I put everything I get on the line to serve God,” West told Forbes’ Chief Content Officer, Randall Lane.

The Lead Up to Kanye 2020

The rapper, whose most recent musical projects have included his Gospel-music-inspired Sunday Service performances, is making his newfound faith a core part of his campaign. In 2019, West had a conversion experience in which he was “radically saved.” West started a Bible study, led by Pastor Adam Tyson, and started taking his Sunday Service on the road. In 2019, West and his choir traveled to churches and other venues (including an Easter performance at Coachella) to perform his new music.

In 2015 while accepting an award during an MTV award program, West said he would run for president in 2020. At the time, few people took him seriously, perhaps due to the fact that he said he had smoked something before his speech. This year, however, he already has people backing his run, including his friend Elon Musk of Tesla and his wife, Kim Kardashian.

West has been vocal in his support of President Trump, but in a recent interview, the rapper intimated that he’d lost faith in the president. “It looks like one big mess to me,” he said. He also indicated he didn’t appreciate hearing about Trump reportedly hiding in a bunker during the recent protests that have rocked the nation.

Although he says he doesn’t back Trump anymore, West insists his run for president is not a convoluted effort to siphon votes (especially votes among black people) away from Joe Biden, as some have speculated. Still, West doesn’t have anything good to say about Biden or the Democratic party. “Joe Biden? Like come on man, please. You know? Obama’s special. Trump’s special. We say Kanye West is special. America needs special people that lead. Bill Clinton? Special. Joe Biden’s not special.”

Additionally, West indicates he wouldn’t be at all upset if the only thing he managed to do is siphon off votes from Biden and the Democratic Party:

That is a form of racism and white supremacy and white control to say that all Black people need to be Democrat and to assume that me running is me splitting the vote. All of that information is being charged up on social media platforms by Democrats. And Democrats used to tell me, the same Democrats have threatened me. . . . The reason why this is the first day I registered to vote is because I was scared. I was told that if I voted on Trump my music career would be over. I was threatened into being in one party. I was threatened as a celebrity into being in one party. I was threatened as a Black man into the Democratic party. And that’s what the Democrats are doing, emotionally, to my people. Threatening them to the point where this white man can tell a Black man if you don’t vote for me, you’re not Black.

In that quote above, West is alluding to Biden’s comment during an interview in May with The Breakfast Club. Biden said: “Well I tell you what, if you have a problem figuring out whether you’re for me or Trump, then you ain’t black.” Afterward, the presidential candidate expressed regret for being so “cavalier” with his words.

Kanye 2020: The Rapper’s Platform

West plans to run as an Independent come election time. He said, “I would run as a Republican if Trump wasn’t there. I will run as an independent if Trump is there.” And the name of his party? The Birthday Party. Yes, the Birthday Party. According to West, “Because when we win, it’s everybody’s birthday.”

What Does Worship Look Like When There Is No Singing in Church?

Jessica Lea

July 9, 2020

Should people sing when gathering in person to worship, or should they avoid singing in church because of the risk of spreading COVID-19? As churches throughout the U.S. and the world navigate the answer to this question, some are finding creative, alternative ways to express their devotion to God.

“Singing together in congregations is a practice that we dearly love and are eager to promote,” Rev. John Witvliet told AP News, “but loving our neighbor is job one here and so the time for fasting from this wonderful practice may be longer than any of us would like.”

The information on the novel coronavirus is constantly developing, but researchers currently believe one of the primary ways people transmit COVID-19 is through respiratory droplets. These are more likely to spread when people are singing. In fact, medical professionals have identified “forceful exhalation” as one of the risk factors for transmitting the virus. Back in March, 53 people contracted COVID-19 and two died after attending a choir practice in Washington State.

This week, California Governor Gavin Newsom issued an order temporarily banning places of worship from singing, chanting, and group recitation. Not all government leaders are being so direct, however. Many church leaders must therefore consider the wisdom of whether or not to allow singing in church—and if they choose not to, how else to lead their members in corporate worship.

No Singing in Church? Really?

In one sense, it is understandable why many Americans are up in arms about not being able to sing in church. Singing is powerful and emotional. Some, in fact, see singing in church as being “as important as the sermon.” Rev. Leslie Callahan, who leads a predominantly black church in Philadelphia, described her struggle with understanding church worship apart from singing: “I’m really trying to figure out what it feels like to have church where people don’t sing. It goes against, really, the heart of my understanding of what it means for us to worship together.”

Kathleen Miller, worship pastor of OneHope church in South Toledo, Ohio, echoed this sentiment, saying that having a worship band is “a big part of our church.” Miller is nevertheless scaling back the size of her church’s worship band and cutting down on the amount of time musicians will be leading worship. In doing so, she is joining other leaders in her area who are finding ways to adapt their worship services in an effort to take safety precautions.

One of those is St. Timothy’s Episcopal Church, which has been recording hymns ahead of time and then playing them during in-person services. Rosemary Cathedral, a Roman Catholic Church in the area, will have one cantor singing in the cathedral, instead of the choir that would normally be there. The Church of England has also recommended listening to a cantor as an alternative to singing.

Cornerstone the Church, a congregation in the town of Walton-on-Thames in England, is energetically embracing worship alternatives in the absence of singing along to music. “We can stand, we can clap, and there is nothing wrong with finding other ways to express yourself,” said Pastor Chris Demetriou. Another idea the church had was for members to film themselves singing at home. Church leaders then edited the recordings together and played the video at the beginning of their first in-person service since the church stopped meeting because of the pandemic.

Pastor Glenn Packiam of New Life Church in Colorado Springs, believes that even if congregations cannot sing, gathering in and of itself is worthwhile:

For those who are discouraged about it, I would say there is still something about co-presence in a space that is special. Humans are kind of seekers of emotional energy, and we need that. That’s why we want co-presence with other human beings. That’s what we’re longing for in this quarantine season.

As alternatives to singing in church, Packiam suggests praying the Psalms together (something his church has done online during the pandemic), as well as guided contemplation while listening to instrumental music. “There really is an opportunity for the body of Christ to learn from each other,” says Packiam, “because we have a treasure chest of practices that we can mine from with creativity in this time.”

Russell Wilson Is Abstaining from Sex and the World Doesn’t Get It

Carrie Kintz

July 9, 2020

Imagine you’re Russell Wilson. Super Bowl-winning quarterback for the Seattle Seahawks. Good-looking. Rich. The world’s assumption is that you could play the party scene. Be on the cover of tabloids for serial dating. Because it’s what we expect from athletes. It’s almost what American culture demands from its celebrities. And no one bats an eye.

However, if you’re Russell Wilson and you decide to talk about honoring God by not having sex with your equally famous (and good-looking) girlfriend, singer Ciara, the world may think you’re crazy.

Which is what happened this week.

On Sunday, July 5th, quarterback Russell Wilson sat down with Miles McPhereson, pastor of The Rock Church in San Deigo, CA to talk about life, faith, and football — among other things. In the course of the conversation, Wilson mentioned that he’s dating singer Ciara. Here’s what he said:

RW: We’re talking about sex. I knew that God had brought me into her (Ciara’s) life to bless her and for her to bless me and to bless so many people with the impact that she has, that I have. We’re not going to be perfect by any means. Life’s not perfect. We’re not perfect. But I know He’s called us to something miraculous and something special. I told her and she completely agreed that if we can love each other without all of this other stuff on the table, then we can really love one another.

Wilson also made it clear that God had told him to lead Ciara in their relationship. And that Ciara is totally on board with taking a sexual relationship off the table and living in a way that respects the Lord and each other. He admitted the difficulty of keeping such a promise and asked those following and attending to pray for them.

What Russell Wilson expressed is that as he and Ciara abstain from sex, they honor the Lord. They are withholding something so intimate so they can get to know one another and grow in love for one another. When the time is right — after marriage — sex can be something that they share together, totally committed to the other in love.

Abstaining is a concept the world cannot grasp. Our society is full of messages about instant gratification. Russell Wilson and Ciara are famous, rich and good looking. The world sees every opportunity for them to indulge in whatever they want, and it’s okay. Media outlets and people on social media are mocking Russell and Ciara’s decision at every turn. They don’t believe that abstaining is something that is necessary or can even happen anymore.

However, the Word of God calls those who love the Lord to walk counter-culturally. Scripture tells us about many people who had influence in their culture and with their leaders. People like Daniel, Joseph, Moses, and Paul. God didn’t let them off the hook just because they were famous or in a position of power. Instead, He held them to His standard and His word, and He walked with them.

The world will continue to be shocked, befuddled — even mocking of what the Lord asks His people to do. People are watching, and they don’t understand. For Russell Wilson and Ciara, for you and me and millions of other Christians, there is no better time to live out what the gospel means. Whether it’s abstaining from sex or ministering to the poorest of the poor, we have opportunities at every turn to live out the truth of the Lord. As we do this, let us pray for one another, that we would not fall, but that we would stand firm in our devotion.

You can watch the full Q&A with Russell Wilson below.

Is the Bible Always Literal?

Davis Wetherell

July 9, 2020

The word literal is complicated. According to one of the first definitions in the dictionary, literal means: “adhering…to the ordinary construction of primary meaning of a term or expression.”

In other words, being literal can just mean saying what you mean to say, giving primary importance in the moment to what you mean to give primary importance.

Is the Bible Always Literal?

Yes, the Bible is entirely literal. But what does that really mean?

We might mistakenly replace the word literal with some other word. We might assume the Bible is entirely historical. Much of it is primarily historical, but how can Revelation, whose symbol-laden, future-tense prophecies have not yet happened, be historical? And surely we’d be missing much in our reading of the Psalms if we read them in the same way we read a biography.

When I say the Bible is always literal, I mean that it always gives primary importance to what it means to give primary importance. The Bible always and perfectly says exactly what it means to say.

And I want to argue here that the Bible is also more than literal. It is entirely literal, but it is also what I call “literal plus.”

Three Ways the Bible Is “Literal Plus”

The thirteenth-century writer Thomas Aquinas wrote:

Since the literal sense is that which the author intends, and since the author of [Scripture] is God, who by one act comprehends all things by his intellect, it is not unfitting, as Augustine says, if, even according to the literal sense, one word in [Scripture] should have several senses.1

Essentially, Aquinas is saying that since God understands everything, and in so many deeper ways than we do, isn’t it possible that when he says something simple it can also have a deeper meaning? The deeper meaning would not contradict the first meaning, but would be that which rewards further study. In this way, a single sentence could be enough for a lifetime’s worth of reflection.

Take this sentence from 1 John 4:16: “God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him” (ESV). You could spend an eternity learning more about the riches of this phrase, and in all that time you would never learn something truthful that contradicts the initial lesson it teaches.

And so every Bible passage has the truth it presents to you right away—that’s the literal meaning, and the truth that can be discovered by reflection and study—that’s where the “plus” comes in. Here are three ways the Bible is “literal plus.”

1. Literal Plus Allegorical

Remember, the Bible is entirely literal, and the Bible is also “literal plus.” The “plus” never contradicts the literal. With that said, let’s open to Genesis 1:10–13:

And God said, “Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear.” And it was so. God called the dry land Earth, and the waters that were gathered together he called Seas. And God saw that it was good… “Let the earth sprout vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind, on the earth.” … And God saw that it was good. And there was evening and there was morning, the third day.

The literal meaning is that God created the earth and the seas. God created plants and fruit trees. And He created them good. And it was on the third day of creation. That’s the literal meaning, and it is true and trustworthy.

Now let’s turn to Genesis 1:26–27, 29–31:

Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.” …
So God created man in his own image,
in the image of God he created him;
male and female he created them.

And God said, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit. You shall have them for food.” … And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.

The literal meaning is that, on the sixth day of creation, God created mankind, Adam and Eve. He created them in his image, male and female, and he gave them the land as a place to live and govern, and God gave them the plants and fruit trees as food to eat.

But there is more truth to be gained here! And so we can read allegorically. Here the allegorical truth is this: God provides and prepares life for his creation.

5 Steps to Break Ongoing Sin Patterns in Your Life

Chuck Lawless

July 9, 2020

Do you know people who struggle with recurrent sin patterns? Are you that person, even as a church leader? If so, here are some steps to breaking those patterns.

Recognize the spiritual warfare element of the struggle. Imagine a “sin line” in front of you. The enemy, the enticer (1 Chron. 21:1), seeks to draw you across the line. He makes sin look inviting, exciting, and satisfying, even as he ensnares with his messages: “Go ahead and do it, nobody will know.” “Look at what you’re missing.” “Everybody else is doing it.”

So alluring is the sin, and so loud are the messages, that we choose to cross the line.
Then, the enemy changes his approach. The enticer on one side of the line becomes the accuser (Rev. 12:10) on the other. Here’s what it sounds like before and after the sin line, when the encouragements to sin become taunts of accusation:

Enticer Accuser

“Go ahead and sin; God will still love you.” “God will never love you again.”

“Just one more time, and you can stop.” “You’ll never overcome this sin.”

“Don’t worry; God will forgive you.” “God won’t forgive you this time.”

The enemy dangles the lures in front of us, and we take the bait. Then, in a demonic twist, he turns on us and beats us up with accusations. We accept lies as truth and fall even more into sin that cannot satisfy. If that’s where you are, know that the enemy doesn’t have to win. Recognize the battle for what it is.

Pray for God’s deliverance before you face temptation. That’s the way Jesus taught us to pray (“And do not bring us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one” [Matt. 6:13]), but most of us pray about temptation only after we’ve already failed. We shouldn’t be surprised by failure if we don’t seek God’s help first.

Be honest with somebody about your struggles. That’s a risky step, but we don’t overcome sin patterns when we fight the battles alone. Ask God to direct you to someone with whom you can confess your struggle (James 5:16). Then, trust that godly love, restoration, and forgiveness will trump the power of sin (Gal. 6:1).

Focus on the glory of Christ. When we’re caught in a sin pattern, we keep drinking from the well of sin while thinking that our choices will somehow bring fulfillment – only to discover that sin leaves us thirstier in the long run. Only Christ can satisfy the heart, however. When we see Him as the priest who prays for us (Heb. 7:25) and the king who is above every power (Eph. 1:20-23), sin will lose some of its attraction.

Repent, and rejoice in small victories. That’s the bottom line, of course. We must turn from our sin, but God gives us His Word, His Spirit, and His people to lead us to victory. Each time you successfully fight through a temptation, take time to praise the Lord – and remember that every small win is one step closer to victory. I pray that victory will become real for you today.

Let us know how we might join you in prayer today.

This article about sin patterns originally appeared here.

The Three Elements to Transformation

Alisha L. Gordon

July 9, 2020

If you know anything about building a fire, you know it takes three elements for a fire to burn: a fuel source (e.g. wood, gasoline, plastic, etc.), heat (like a spark from a lighter), and oxygen. All three elements must be present for fire to exist. Remove one element, and the fire is extinguished. The same is true with transformation.

Fire is a fascinating thing; I was quite the pyromaniac as a kid. (Don’t tell my mom!) I’d stand over the stove and light paper towels on fire, watching the embers crawl up the quilted quicker picker-upper. Sometimes the fire would burn slowly, never quite making its way to my stubby fingertips; other times it would engulf into flames, sending me running to the sink to extinguish it.

One thing I remember about those childhood antics was that whatever I burned would be forever changed. There was no undoing the act of burning something by fire; you can’t “un-burn” something. When we are tried by fire, we are forever transformed.

Parenting is a kind of tried by fire process that transforms us. Like a fire burning too quickly between our fingertips, we learn to let go and let fire do what its created to do: break down and transform. We surrender; we let go and let nature have her way.

As our children grow and mature, we too undergo a process of daring surrender: our babies go from worm-like crawls to teeter-tottering walkers. Babies who once needed guarding from the things easily found at belly-level now need a new kind of protection: from eye-level coffee table corners and anything not secured to the wall with nuts and bolts.

Maybe you’re caring for a child with developmental delays or other health challenges. You know that every milestone counts. Both experiences cause fear and trepidation in us but yet, we find a way to transition, to surrender daringly, from one season to the next. We do not force our new walkers to remain on their bellies out of fear of their newfound accessibility, do we? We do not bridle the tongues of non-verbal children who muster up their first word. God forbid. We learn to encourage their wobbly stances and new utterances because we know that their transformation is essential for their growth.

This transformation is the result of God’s grace and our willingness to surrender daringly.

And many times, we don’t even realize we’re doing it.

It is a process where we make strides to let go of our preconceived notions of self and others, so transformation can occur; we beat back the insatiable desire to impose our will on others, to control the inevitable, to extinguish the fire God put in our bellies, to let God be God.

And this transformation does not stop at us. This fire God has placed in us is transferable and contagious; it is not to be hidden under a bushel where the lack of oxygen will put out its flame, but available for all to see what God can do when we just surrender daringly. When we choose to let the fire fuel our ability to love without limits and let love consume like a fire, we see the beauty of surrender. We brave the unknown for the possibility of transformation in the darkest of places.

To surrender daringly is to forgo our own desires for the betterment of another – trusting that God is, in fact, fighting for us. Jesus declares that all who [surrenders daringly] because of Him will find the very life we are hoping to keep safe and secure. All the elements we need to tend to the fire in us, our fuel source (our hearts), heat (righteous relationships with other moms), and oxygen (the Holy Spirit within us) creates the perfect condition for a fire of transformative love.

This piece was originally posted on The MOPS Blog.

How to Protect Your Summer Vacation

Chris Wesley

July 9, 2020

A few years ago, I made the mistake of planning a vacation right before a middle school work camp (or was it planning the work camp after vacation?). The week before any youth ministry event is filled with last minute details, phone calls and emails. I had volunteers, parents and vendors contacting me when I should have been enjoying the beach with family. Let’s just say I came back from vacation in need of another. Whatever you do, protect your summer vacation.

Your rest is important, and one of the best ways you can refresh yourself is through vacation especially if it’s in one of those affordable maldives holidays. For some of you, the perfect vacation is on the beach, for others, it’s in the mountains, and for some of you, it’s just catching up on all four seasons of Arrested Development. No matter where you go or what you do, it’s important to protect it, and you do that by:

Turn It Off: It’s hard to turn off all the noise going on in your life. Vacation is the perfect time to disconnect from work and the rest of the world. That might mean turning off the computer and putting down the phone (after you read this post … of course). While it feels weird not to be connected, sometimes we need to disconnect in order to slow down, breathe and refocus.

Get Ahead: Preparing for vacation is like a squirrel getting ready for the winter. To get ahead means creating margin so that you aren’t worrying about that PROJECT or MEETING. Getting ahead means creating a work pace that allows you to slow down instead of stopping cold turkey. It also means putting a plan together for when you walk back into the office. To get ahead means scheduling out your time and prioritizing your tasks. Delegate to your team, and then walk away.

Set Boundaries: Not everyone is going to know you are on vacation, and not everyone will respect that. To protect your vacation, you need to set expectations. That means giving a list of reasons for when you can be contacted. It also means dictating how to be contacted. For example, I tell people that if they really need to touch base with me to text, “Call me now.” If I see anything else, I tend to ignore it. Provide limits, and you’ll communicate how your rest is important to you.

Protect your summer vacation and you protect your:

Family
Health
Margin
Time
Soul

Don’t waste it by taking it for granted. Plan it out, communicate that you are unavailable, and rest away.

What’s your favorite vacation spot? What do you do to rest and relax?

Leaders Need God’s Vision of the Church

Toni Ridgaway

July 9, 2020

Practical idea: Pastor Derwin Gray takes the Biblical images of the church seriously. Why not compare his list of church distinctives to your church programs?

Free Kids Lesson Package: “Some Assembly Required”

Daniel So

July 9, 2020

Free Kids Lesson Package

From CMD, “Teach kids that God wants to build something awesome with their lives.”

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.

The Irony in the Quest for Equality

Constantine Campbell

July 8, 2020

Facebook friends will immediately flee and label me a bigot just for the title of this piece. Most of them will not read what we have to say because they can reach their conclusion simply on suspicion that we might be on the wrong side of marriage equality. A great irony is embedded in that fact. And it’s an irony we must understand.

Prejudice

The heart of the irony involves prejudice. According to the Oxford Dictionary, prejudice is a “preconceived opinion that is not based on reason or actual experience.” Prejudice is the enemy of equality since it is an a priori judgment about someone just because of, say, the color of their skin, their religion, their gender or their sexual orientation. If you see an African American walking down the street and automatically think he must be a violent gangbanger, that’s prejudice. If you see a Muslim and think she’s a terrorist, that’s prejudice. If you oppose gay marriage and are immediately named a bigot, that’s prejudice.

Prejudice is wrong and very often ignorant, and Christians are often guilty of it. Have Christians been prejudiced against gays and lesbians? Absolutely. Do we need to repent of that prejudice? Absolutely. Every man and woman has been created in the image of God, and is deeply loved by him, regardless of his or her sense of sexual orientation. Christians have no right to mistreat gays and lesbians because we know that, apart from the grace of God, we are all guilty rebels before him—as guilty as anyone else anywhere else.

But now the tables have turned. Christians are the new targets of prejudice. If we oppose gay marriage, we are automatically bigots.

How did that happen?

Marriage Equality

The movement for marriage equality did two extremely clever things. First, it used the word “equality.” Who could be against equality? Only bigots. There it is—if you’re on the wrong side of “equality,” you must be a bigot.

A bigot is “a person who has very strong, unreasonable beliefs or opinions about race, religion or politics, and who will not listen to or accept the opinions of anyone who disagrees.” In other words, a bigot is someone who is strongly prejudiced. As soon as “equality” was introduced into the discussion, the quest for marriage equality was viewed alongside the Civil Rights Movement, women’s suffrage and so on. Anyone against such positions is simply wrong. End of story.

The second clever thing the movement did was to assume the conclusion in the premise (also known as “begging the question”). That is, by calling gay marriage “marriage,” the conclusion has already been reached. We are then only talking about whether gay marriage should be equal to heterosexual marriage. Once the conversation begins there, there’s no way for us to oppose the idea of gay marriage and win.

The real question is, “Should we redefine what marriage is?” That is the fundamental question, since marriage has traditionally been understood to be an exclusive union between a man and a woman, who are not directly related.

The movement for marriage equality was clever not to frame the discussion in terms of “changing the definition of marriage,” because that would surely meet greater resistance than pushing for “equality.” Instead, pushing for marriage equality already assumed the conclusion in the premise: a homosexual union is a marriage.

Bursting the Christian Subculture Bubble

Mark Etheridge

July 8, 2020

When you walk into a Christian bookstore, you’ve probably noticed all of the “Christian” merchandise the store offers. Perhaps you were even surprised at what all they did offer. As you make your way up and down the aisles, you will notice a variety of t-shirts, CDs, books, bumper stickers or even some “testamints.” It’s really the Christian hub for any good Christian who wants to separate himself from the world and demonstrate to his lost friends that he is a “real” or “sold out” follower of Christ. Or is it?

Many of the things I’ve listed above contribute to what is termed the “Christian Subculture.” While these things are not inherently bad, I often wonder what kind of witness they are to the outside world. I would even argue that many of these things are attractive only to Christians, and confusing or even repelling to others regarding what it means to be a follower of Christ. Let’s be honest: The Christian subculture is a bubble. And Jesus calls those who follow Him to live among those in the culture, not to create a subculture to protect ourselves from the outside world. One area in which the church must fight against this subculture mindset the strongest is its ministry to students. Here’s a few practical ways to fight against the current of the Christian subculture in your student ministry:

Do What Is Best, as Opposed to What Will Keep You Busy

We often mistake busyness for godliness. However, this is rarely an accurate assessment. We have become great at keeping our student ministries busy in hopes that it will “keep them away from the world.” Yet, this philosophy focuses on the external actions as opposed to the internal desires of the heart. This strategy also neglects the command of Jesus to “Go” (Matt. 28:19). A student’s heart will not be changed just because he attended every youth event the church hosted this year. Instead of simply trying to make our students busy, we need to focus on the best way to teach our students the gospel, and how they can in turn live out the gospel in their sphere of influence outside of the church.

Equipping Students to Be on Mission

Another danger of the Christian subculture is the focus on simply keeping students “safe” and how it doesn’t actually teach them to engage the world with the gospel. If a student in our ministry knows Christ personally, she has the ability to share this message with others. Instead we often short-change our students by simply taking them to Christian concerts, taking them to the latest Christian movie, or hosting fun events at the church. Now I’m not opposed to any of the examples just listed, but if that’s all we’re doing, we are doing our students a huge disservice. How tragic it would be for a student to come through our ministry and never engage in the mission of Jesus? Challenge your students by teaching them, and then show them how to fulfill God’s mission for the world outside the church walls, and outside of the Christian subculture.

Smashing the Idols of Culture Idolatry

An idol is anything that takes the place of God. It’s not limited to the wooden statues we saw people bowing down to in the Old Testament, but anything that is esteemed in the place of God through our affections and desires can be labeled an idol. Alvin Reid has properly termed the Christian subculture as “idolatry.” Our culture of Jesus has become more important than the actual Jesus we are called to worship and obey. Reid says, “We are not to be like the world. But our [Christian] subculture is definitely not making us more like Jesus.” We can’t assume effective disciple-making is a result of Christian music, cliché slogans or youth group events. We must recognize the culture we have created for ourselves has become idolatrous, and we need to smash the idols we have created. It’s not a quick fix, but it’s a process that begins with a desire for students to know Jesus in an authentic way. Truly knowing Jesus results in a life that is transformed (cf. Rom. 12:2), which means living a life on mission outside of the cultural idols of the Christian subculture.

With these principles, I hope it will help you think through how you can smash the idols of the Christian subculture in your own life, and in the lives of those in your student ministry. I’m obviously not saying you need to go out and burn all of your Christian t-shirts (although it may not be a bad idea to burn some of them). But understanding and then implementing changes strategically into your ministry to align with the mission of Jesus is the goal. As mentioned earlier, the Christian subculture is a bubble. But it only takes a small pin to burst a bubble. Be that pin. Burst the bubble, and by the power of God’s Spirit, let your students live out what God has created them for.

Why Following God’s Will Isn’t Supposed to Be Easy

Steven Furtick

July 8, 2020

“We went into the land to which you sent us, and it does flow with milk and honey! Here is its fruit. But the people who live there are powerful, and the cities are fortified and very large … we can’t attack those people; they are stronger than we are. All the people we saw there are of great size.”
Numbers 13:27-28

The Israelites had finally reached the Promised Land. But it wasn’t what everybody thought it would be.

There was a reward. But there was also opposition.
There were grapes. But there were also giants.

So they came to the conclusion that this couldn’t be what God was calling them to do. This couldn’t be God’s will, because God’s will had to be easier than this.

We tend to think the same way. Many people consider opposition a sign that they must not be in the will of God.

We think the Promised Land is where the blessings are going to be. Being in God’s will is where life is supposed to be easy. Therefore, battle, opposition, struggle and enemies must be a sign that we aren’t in the right place.

But apparently a sign of God’s will is not the ease with which you obtain it. Apparently, the very sign of the Promised Land is giants.

Conflict.

Opposition.

In other words, being in God’s will doesn’t guarantee a tension-free job. Or a conflict-free marriage. Or a trouble-free life.

In fact, the very presence of tension, conflict and trouble could be a sign that you’re right where you need to be.

You might be thinking that you’re not in God’s will right now. You’re going through all this fighting, and it shouldn’t be like this. It must mean you’re in the wrong place.

Not necessarily. It might mean that you’re in exactly the right place. I doubt Satan is going to put up a fight to keep you from doing what you shouldn’t be doing.

What if you changed your perspective and saw what you’re facing as a sign that you’re exactly where God wants you to be, because giants live in the Promised Land?

That doesn’t make it easy. But remember:

There was opposition for the Israelites. But there was also a reward.

There were giants. But there were also grapes.

A sign of God’s will isn’t just the opposition you’re facing. It’s also the fact that with God you can actually overcome it. And the reward that you will get for sticking it out will far outshine any opposition that you’re facing.

Want more? Check out our series Grapes & Giants: A Walkthrough of Ephesians.

5 Ways You Can Innovate (Even in an Old Church)

Thom Rainer

July 8, 2020

The organization I lead is 121 years old.

My sons tell me that the company is about my age. The organization has experienced many successes in its history, but, like any company with a lengthy history, it tends to gravitate toward status quo.

Innovation thus becomes the exception rather than the norm.

Though I would never say we have “arrived” in our cultural innovation, I must say that I have never been more encouraged. The present is healthy, and the future is very promising.

The past six years have been a journey toward greater innovation.

I am still learning many lessons, but I have five key lessons I have learned thus far.

1. Speak to the need to innovate often.

I keep the need for innovation as a constant issue before our organization.

Our particular company has been especially impacted by the move from print to digital. We could not and cannot afford not to innovate.

2. Give concrete examples of innovation barriers.

The organization does not merely need to hear about the need for innovation; it needs to hear specific stories of barriers to innovation.

For example, the silo structure of our organization has been an impediment to cross-divisional cooperation and innovation. Though we still see great value in the strategic business unit model, we now form teams across divisions on major projects. Thus, the organization sees clearly the old barriers and the new opportunities for greater innovation.

3. Articulate a preferred future.

Those few words are often used to describe the casting of a vision.

In our innovative future, I speak often about our becoming the leader in providing digital content in our industry. The more I speak about that preferred future, the closer I see it to becoming a reality.

SCOTUS Ruling Approves More Exemptions to Birth Control Mandate

Stephanie Martin

July 8, 2020

In a 7-2 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday upheld a regulation allowing employers with religious or moral objections to restrict access to birth control through the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The SCOUTS ruling, a victory for the Trump administration and the Catholic charity Little Sisters of the Poor, weakens the so-called contraceptive mandate, which has faced years of legal challenges.

The Obama-era ACA required that employer-provided health insurance plans cover birth control at no cost, classifying it as preventative. Although churches were exempt, nonprofit groups including hospitals and universities weren’t, even if they objected to contraception on religious or moral grounds. The Trump administration said requiring coverage imposes a “substantial burden” on some employers’ religious rights.

Justice Clarence Thomas Praises the Plaintiffs

Pennsylvania and New Jersey had argued that an existing opt-out provision to the mandate was sufficient. But the Little Sisters disagreed, saying any use of their insurance plan for contraception—some of which are abortifacients—violates their beliefs.

Justice Clarence Thomas, in the majority opinion, cited the 1993 Religious Freedom Restoration Act, saying the government may craft both religious and moral exemptions. He praised the plaintiffs, writing, “For over 150 years, the Little Sisters have engaged in faithful service and sacrifice… But for the past seven years, they—like many other religious objectors who have participated in the litigation and rulemakings leading up to today’s decision—have had to fight for the ability to continue in their noble work without violating their sincerely held religious beliefs.”

Justices Samuel Alito and Neil Gorsuch wrote a concurring opinion, stating: “The Court has held that there is a constitutional right to purchase and use contraceptives. But the Court has never held that there is a constitutional right to free contraceptives.” Alito argued that Thomas’ ruling should have gone farther, saying states will now claim that today’s ruling is “arbitrary and capricious.” Two liberal justices, Elena Kagan and Stephen Breyer, ruled with the majority but said lower courts might still take issue with Wednesday’s decision.

Sister Constance Veit of the Little Sisters maintained it was “unthinkable” for her group to follow the mandate, saying, “We believe in the dignity of every human life at every stage of life from conception until natural death.”

Carol Tobias, president of National Right to Life, said on Wednesday, “We are pleased that the U.S. Supreme Court recognized the importance of protecting conscience rights.”

Poor Women Will Suffer Most, Say Dissenters

Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Sonia Sotomayor dissented, with Ginsburg writing, “Today, for the first time, the Court casts totally aside countervailing rights and interests in its zeal to secure religious rights to the nth degree.” Female employees, she adds, now must “fend for themselves.”

Abortion proponents say poor women will be disproportionately impacted. “Religious liberty is a fundamental right, but it does not grant a license to discriminate,” says the ACLU’s Brigitte Amiri. Today’s ruling, she adds, “will exacerbate existing inequalities, falling hardest on people with the fewest resources and people of color.”

According to government estimates, up to 126,000 women could now lose employer-based contraception coverage.

Christian Pakistani Man Shot to Death for Living in Muslim Area

Jessica Lea

July 8, 2020

A Christian man who was shot in early June for purchasing a home in a Muslim neighborhood in Pakistan has succumbed to his wounds. Nadeem Joseph died nearly a month after he and members of his family were attacked on June 4, 2020. Salman Khan, one of those who attacked the Pakistani Christians, is reportedly still at large.

“Nadeem Joseph was sprayed with bullets few weeks ago [sic] just because he purchased a house in a Muslim area and his neighbors didn’t tolerate the presence of a non-Muslim in their neighborhood,” said Pakistani activist Rahat Austin on Twitter. “He remained admitted in the hospital & died during his 5th surgery on June 29, 2020.”

Nadeem Joseph was sprayed with bullets few weeks ago just because he purchased a house in a Muslim area and his neighbors didn’t tolerate the presence of a non-Muslim in their neighborhood.

He remained admitted in the hospital & died during his 5th surgery on June 29, 2020 pic.twitter.com/lMziS666Nk

— Rahat Austin (@johnaustin47) June 30, 2020

OpIndia reports that while he was hospitalized, Joseph explained in a recorded message, “I purchased the house in TV Colony a month ago. I still have to make the full payment, but Salman Khan, a Muslim man who lives opposite my house, wasn’t happy about it. He started harassing us and asked us to leave.” When it became apparent that Joseph and his family would not leave, Khan and his sons attacked them.

Nadeem Joseph and the Persecution of Pakistani Christians

One month before the attack, Nadeem Joseph, age 50, purchased a house for 600,000 Pakistani rupees (about $3,600 U.S. dollars). The residence was located in TV Colony in Peshawar, which is the capital of Pakistan’s Khybar Pakhtunkhawa province. Asia News reports that Joseph and his family moved into the residence in late May.

According to International Christian Concern (ICC)—which reported that Joseph died on June 30—after Joseph and his family moved in, the neighbors started harassing them. This intimidation included driving loud motorcycles by the house, damaging the doors of the residence, and calling the family “chooras,” a pejorative term meaning “untouchable” or “dirty.” It is not clear how many neighbors were involved in this harassment, but reports agree the main perpetrators were Salman Khan and his sons (of which there were four, according to The Christian Post).

Khan and his sons repeatedly harassed Joseph from the time he and his family moved into the neighborhood, telling him the area was “for Muslim residents only” and that he needed to leave. According to OpIndia, Khan saw Joseph and his family as enemies because of their faith, and he told them they would face “serious consequences” if they were to stay. Asia News says another possible reason why Khan saw Joseph as a threat is that the Khan family was trafficking cocaine.

Shortly before the attack, Khan gave Joseph a 24-hour ultimatum to leave, after which he and his sons returned to Joseph’s home with guns. When Joseph saw the weapons, he called the police, and that was when the attackers shot him and two other members of his family.

Khan and his sons shot Joseph twice in the stomach and shot his mother-in-law in the shoulder. ICC reports that Joseph’s brother-in-law sustained an injury as well, apparently in the leg. The victims reportedly received no help from their neighbors, but called an emergency number and were then transported to Lady Reading Hospital, where Joseph made a report to the police.

OpIndia says Joseph believed he was in danger even after the attack. “I am feeling scared even in the hospital,” he said. “I fear my life and my family.” The police arrested some members of Khan’s family, but Salman Khan himself escaped. Christian activist Khalid Shahzad told Asia News at the time, “The main offender is still at large. Law enforcement agencies must do everything possible to capture him and bring him to justice.” The Centre for Legal Aid Assistance and Settlement (CLAAS), a Christian charity that supports persecuted Christians in Pakistan, says that Khan is currently at large and the police are still searching for him.

Widespread Persecution of Pakistani Christians

Open Doors ranked Pakistan as number five on its most recent World Watch List, an annual report that ranks countries based on severity of Christian persecution. Pakistan receives this high ranking primarily because of “Islamic oppression,” particularly as demonstrated by the country’s harsh blasphemy laws and the treatment of Pakistani Christians as second-class citizens.

One of the most highly publicized examples of such oppression was the case of Asia Bibi, a Christian Pakistani woman who was arrested in 2009 on charges of blasphemy (which is punishable by death). She spent at least nine years in prison and was cleared of charges in October 2018. However, Bibi was almost sent back to death row after Muslim extremists rioted in protest at her acquittal. Even after the court reviewed Bibi’s case and acquitted her once more, it looked doubtful as to whether she would make it out of Pakistan safely. Bibi finally escaped to Canada, where she was reunited with her husband and children. Nevertheless, this is just one example of an extended ordeal that has a happy ending; there are many other stories of the suffering of Pakistani Christians.

CLAAS-UK Director Nasir Saeed says, “Atrocities against Christians continue to rise in Pakistan, and law enforcement authorities hardly take any action while the government turns a blind eye to all these atrocities…Such hateful treatment towards non-Muslims in Pakistan is now an everyday matter.”

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