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Since the early Spring, I've been recording 5 minute weekday devotionals and posting them on our church's Facebook page and our YouTube channel. They have taken the place of these blog posts. I hope that these resources will offer you regular encouragement from God's Word.
When you think of worship, what comes to mind? Typically, we immediately think of singing followed closely by praying and listening to a sermon. All of those are part of worship, but it's a whole lot more than just what happens as a member of the congregation on a Sunday morning. Yes, we will be gathering to worship on Sunday, but not at churchOn Sunday mornings at 10:00am I will hold a Facebook Live session where you can join in as I share our regularly scheduled message. Click here to go to our home page where you'll find the Facebook link. You can always listen to Sunday's sermon once it is put up onto the church website at http://www.mvcommunitycovenant.com/weekly-message.html Gathering to praise the Lord, pray for His help and guidance, and be encouraged through His Word can be a significant source of peace - especially at times when everything we hear seems to be bad news. Be sure to take time for your own personal worship as well. This I declare about the Lord: There are a lot of challenges that we will undoubtedly have to negotiate before all of this is over. The actions we can take are frustratingly limited. However, the one thing we are in complete control of is where we will turn in our distress. Now is the time to truly live out your faith for the world to see - not in ignoring common sense hygienic practices, but by having confidence in our loving God who will never leave or forsake us.
 I've known some very smart people and I've known some very wise people - and they weren't always the same people. Sometimes I've heard it as comparing someone with "book smarts" vs. "street smarts". Wisdom really comes down to applying knowledge in a skillful way. You may have had a parent or grandparent who was always sharing different proverbs with you. These bits of wisdom can be found in Aesop's Fables, Ben Franklin's "Poor Richard's Almanac", or even in fortune cookies. And, while there's some wisdom in each of these, the wisdom that comes from God and is applied within a right relationship with Him, is always the best kind. This week, our IMMERSE: POETS reading is taking us through the first 22 chapters of the book of Proverbs. On Sunday, March 8th, we'll be talking about wisdom and the best way to be sure you're included in the list of wise people. I hope you'll be able to join us.  Speaking of this Sunday, you'll need to apply some wisdom in order to get to church on time! This weekend is the start of Daylight Savings Time which means you'll need to "Spring Forward" by setting your clock an hour ahead. If you forget, we'll be happy to welcome you to our post-worship fellowship time (with, perhaps, a little bit of friendly ribbing). Some Wise Health AdviceAs you're well-aware, the coronavirus (COVID-19) has been a major news story. Many people are feeling anxious about it's spread and unsure of what precautions to take. I encourage everyone to refer to the Center for Disease Control website https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html In addition to this information, I'd like to share some wisdom offered from my pastoral colleagues: REMINDERS TO THE CHURCH As We Respond to COVID-19 Don’t panic, but prepare. Stay informed and thoughtfully consider how you might wisely prepare for this new public health reality. Our church will be sharing ideas for how to stay informed and prepared. Remember to talk about your questions, worries, and concerns with others, learn and adjust your activity as needed, but do not be overwhelmed or driven by fear or worry. Reject anxiety and racism even as there is growing concern and heightened awareness around the way this particular virus can spread. Know that the targeting of Chinese Americans, Asian Americans, and those who have traveled to Asia and more broadly is already occurring. This harms our church and our community. Speak out and pray against this reality and injustice intentionally. Proactively learn about what the risks are and are not at this point; remember that COVID-19 overall is not thought to be especially aggressive or deadly, although it does seem to be easily spread, stay on hard surfaces for a long time, and impact certain high risk populations who have already been advised to protect their health and exposure. Consider how these facts might impact you, your family, and your community. Keep an eye on how to care for those most at risk in this season, including those without access to health care, those with weakened immune systems or underlying health conditions, those who are struggling with housing or poverty, or those without regular sanitization and health care. Watch out for and pray for those more vulnerable to public health concerns. Consider what might be needed in these communities and how to respond - donating sanitizer to your local homeless shelter, or calling and checking in on older congregants, etc. Practice smart hygiene and help prevent the spread of germs for the sake of the wider community and public health. Wash your hands frequently for at least 20 seconds; use hand sanitizer with high alcohol content as a good second option. Clean public/hard surfaces you use more frequently, and at your church/public space. Refrain from touching your face or mouth regularly, and always wash your hands before eating. Stay home if you have a cough or a fever. Think about how to share concise and accurate health information with your church and a community to help people feel prepared. Consider wise and measured lifestyle adjustments - but still live! It is wise to pay attention to these health realities, especially when you are part of communal gatherings and in public spaces. There are some good resources out there now regarding church and individual/family adjustments that are recommended - share these widely to help normalize proactive and wide public health behaviors. Continue to listen to medical professionals and public health leaders so that we can accurately adjust behavior to match the risk and reality of our public health, and also reject any sense of panic, fear, racism, or stockpiling supplies, all of which damage public health in the long run. A Few Sunday Specific Adjustments at CCC- For now, we will forgo passing the offering bags during worship and instead ask congregants to use the offering box near the door to the Sanctuary. - During the greeting, please greet your friends and neighbors, but refrain from shaking hands. - During our fellowship time following worship, be extra careful about washing you hands, using utensils to take food, and being careful in how you interact with others. We trust in a God who loves us and will care for all of our needs - including our health. While it's important to be wise in the actions we take, remember that He invites us to give our anxieties to Him rather than holding onto them ourselves. Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.  Don't miss out on our big "beat the winter blahs" Luau Potluck and Party coming up on LEAP DAY (Saturday, February 29th). Not only will be enjoy some great food, but there will be plenty of fun and games for all ages! One of our values as a congregation is building inter-generational relationships and what better way to do that than to laugh and play together?! After all, we are all ohana (family). So break out your tropical outfit and join us for a memorable evening together! Ho'olu komo la kaua (please join us)! Is Your Fruit Fresh? Our adult Sunday School class is looking at the Fruit of the Spirit as found in Galatians 5:22-23. Each week we'll be focusing on one of these nine characteristics that God promises to produce in our lives through the Holy Spirit. This week, Sunday, March 1st, we'll be talking about JOY.
Why don't you join us at 9:45 AM prior to worship for a lively conversation and some honest assessment of just how much growth is taking place in our lives.  I've known many people in my life who have suffered from depression. Some of them were going through some seriously difficult circumstances while others were dealing with brain chemistry imbalances which needed to be addressed. Most of them, thankfully, were able to get past the overwhelming feelings of despair, but not all of them. In a few cases, they gave up all hope and took their own lives. Life as broken people living in a broken world will include pain, suffering, and emotional distress. Even for those who follow Jesus, there are times in which we feel as if we've been abandoned. It's a times like this when God's Word is a real gift to us. Not only are there encouraging messages and promises that can refocus our eyes on God's presence and the hope we have in Him, but there are also books like Lamentations which can help us find solidarity in our distress. The Israelites went through horrific suffering at the hands of the Babylonians and, even though they had been warned that this punishment was coming because of their rebellion against God, it was beyond what they could bear. Jeremiah witnessed it all and puts the pain into words. Some of it is hard to read, and we may feel tempted to look away. However, the fact that God meets us in our pain - and even shares in it - makes a world of difference. And the five poems of lament which make up the book help us remember that we're not alone in our pain. This Sunday, February 23rd, we'll be continuing in our IMMERSE: POETS series by considering chapter 3 of Lamentations. I hope you're joining us on this reading journey, but take the time to read and reflect on this passage in preparation. Another wonderful resource for understanding Lamentations is the animated overview of the book found on Right Now Media and on Youtube. Here are the links to it: https://www.rightnowmedia.org/Content/VideoElement/204171 https://youtu.be/p8GDFPdaQZQ Is Your Fruit Fresh? Our adult Sunday School class is looking at the Fruit of the Spirit as found in Galatians 5:22-23. Each week we'll be focusing on one of these nine characteristics that God promises to produce in our lives through the Holy Spirit. Why don't you join us at 9:45 AM prior to worship for a lively conversation and some honest assessment of just how much growth is taking place in our lives. Hele mei hoohiwahiwa (come celebrate) at the Luau Potluck! Don't miss out on our big "beat the winter blahs" Luau Potluck and Party coming up on LEAP DAY (Saturday, February 29th). Not only will be enjoy some great food, but there will be plenty of fun and games for all ages!
One of our values as a congregation is building inter-generational relationships and what better way to do that than to laugh and play together?! After all, we are all ohana (family). So break out your tropical outfit and join us for a memorable evening together! Ho'olu komo la kaua (please join us)!  When Tami and I were first married, we lived in New Britain, CT, where I was the youth pastor at the Covenant church and Tami taught school. During the six years we lived there, we had to adjust to the culture - specifically as it related to interactions with strangers. If I were approaching you on the sidewalk, the expectation would be that we would neither greet each other nor even make eye contact. Cashiers did not engage in small talk. People simply hurried along in their own cocoon separately from those they didn't already know. And if you hadn't grown up with the person or have a multi-decade history in the community, you were an outsider and probably would not be invited into their close circle of friends. Now, don't get me wrong. We had some wonderful friendships within the church and Tami's teacher friends were among her favorite people. But it was a bit disconcerting and we were ready for a change when we got called to move to Kalamazoo, MI. We immediately knew we were in a different place when we experienced strangers waving at our car as we drove past. Conversations happened with people wherever we went: at the store, McDonalds, in our neighborhood. The Midwest was certainly different than New England! However, the outward friendliness did not automatically reflect the individual's actual feelings. There were times when we discovered that it was simply the interaction that was expected - much like a mask worn to fit in. Again, we developed wonderful friendships, but sometimes we wondered how much of our conversations were just about saying what you're supposed to say. I'm not writing this to make judgments on anybody, but simply to bring up the question of honesty. There are many times when we fail to be completely honest for fear of hurting someone's feelings or being rejected by them. Certainly we need to be cautious with HOW we say things, but honesty is important, too. What about our relationship with God? Are you able to say anything to Him? Can you express frustration, anger, and confusion as easily as you can express thanksgiving, joy, and praise? This week we're beginning our next season of our three-year journey reading through the Bible using IMMERSE. This section is the POETS (Psalms, Lamentations, Song of Songs, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Job). Each week we're reading for about 20 minutes a day, five days a week. This week our reading takes us through the first book of Psalms: Psalms 1-41. This Sunday, February 16, we'll be looking specifically at Psalm 40 as an example of honestly talking to God. Be sure to at least read this Psalm ahead of time, but there's plenty of time to join us in this rich journey through these wonderful books. You can pick up a copy at church, order one on Amazon (including a Kindle version), and subscribe to the IMMERSE POETS podcast to listen to the audio version of each day's reading. Audio is also available at https://www.tyndale.com/sites/immersebible/poets-resources/ Hele mei hoohiwahiwa (come celebrate) at the Luau Potluck! Don't miss out on our big "beat the winter blahs" Luau Potluck and Party coming up on LEAP DAY (Saturday, February 29th). Not only will be enjoy some great food, but there will be plenty of fun and games for all ages!
One of our values as a congregation is building inter-generational relationships and what better way to do that than to laugh and play together?! After all, we are all ohana (family). So break out your tropical outfit and join us for a memorable evening together! Ho'olu komo la kaua (please join us)! Save the date - more details coming soon!  It turns out that we all need it! While you may never need to make a bare-handed catch of a foul ball, like Evan Longoria, there are plenty of times your peripheral vision comes in useful. Sometimes I find myself solely focused on and overwhelmed by a big problem. When that happens, I forget that God is always present and at work on my behalf. If I use my "spiritual peripheral vision" I just may see where help is being provided! This Sunday, February 9th, we'll be concluding our "20/20 Vision" series with a look at a very well-known story from the sixth chapter of Daniel. While it looked as if Daniel's commitment to honoring God as number one in his life was certain to bring his life to an end, God had other plans. I hope you'll be able to join us and be encouraged. God is always with us! IMMERSE: POETS Monday is the first day of our next Covenant Bible Reading Experience using the IMMERSE resource. This time we'll be reading through the poetry books of the Bible (Psalms, Lamentations, Proverbs, Song of Songs, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Job). We'll be reading for about 20 minutes a day, five days a week over the course of the next eight weeks. Each Sunday I'll be preaching from one of the passages we've read during the previous week.
The IMMERSE: POETS volume is designed to be read in larger portions. They've removed the chapter and verse breaks so that it's much more like reading a novel (or book of poetry in this case). The goal is to simply immerse ourselves in God's Word and let the Holy Spirit speak to us as He wishes to by bringing certain things to our attention. It's definitely different than an inductive verse-by-verse study of scripture. Copies of IMMERSE: POETS are available at the church for a suggested donation of $10, but we don't want the cost to keep anyone from participating in our scripture reading experience. Simply pay what you can. If you prefer, you can also purchase a Kindle version from Amazon. And I highly recommend subscribing to the podcast "IMMERSE POETS" to listen to the audio version as you read along or while you're doing other things. There are other resources available (weekly video summaries, daily audio, and more) at immerse.covchurch.org/poets/ And, finally, some small groups are forming to discuss what we're reading and how God's Word is impacting us as we read the books of the poets. I'm inviting any of you to join me at my home on Thursday evenings at 7:00 pm if you do not have a small group of your own.  Have you ever struggled with having a really big head? There are times when you slip into an attitude in which you're convinced that you're indispensable to the team or organization. You're certain that you know how everything should be done, who's right and who's wrong, and that everyone else is, at best, a lesser version of you. Basically, you start to believe your own hype. Proverbs 16:18 (MSG) says, First pride, then the crash-- the bigger the ego, the harder the fall. The important thing to remember is that this warning is true for everyone involved. Be careful not to smugly point a condemning finger at someone and then realize that pride has taken root in your own heart. No one looks good walking around with a big head ... other than me, of course ;) This Sunday, January 26th, we'll be continuing our look at the life of Daniel as he sought to live as God's representative in the very oppositional culture of Babylon. We can learn much from not only what Daniel did, but also how he did it. This week we'll be looking at Daniel 4 and a serious ego-induced fall. Take some time to read it and reflect in the coming days. I hope to see you on Sunday.  This coming week I'll be traveling to Chicago to gather with fellow Covenant Ministers from around the country. Midwinter is a time for encouragement, training, and refreshment. I'm so very grateful for the opportunity CCC provides me to experience times like this. I appreciate your prayers for safe travel and that my time away will be beneficial in every way. If you would like to get a taste of what I'm experiencing, you can check out the live stream of the evening worship services (5:30 PST) on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday by going to midwinter.covchurch.org IMMERSE: POETS Our next IMMERSE Bible Reading series will begin the week of February 10th. This time we'll be reading the poetry literature of the Old Testament. Over the course of 8 weeks, we'll read the books of Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, Lamentations, and Job.
You can pick up a copy of the volume "IMMERSE: POETS" at church for $10 or you can purchase a copy through Amazon (there's also a Kindle version available if you prefer). The benefit of using the IMMERSE volume is that all chapter and verse breaks have been removed so that our reading experience becomes more fluid and similar to the books' original form. IMMERSE volumes also contain informative and helpful introductions to each book which helps to set the context. Each Sunday I'll be selecting the sermon text from within the previous week's reading. Some small groups are being formed to enhance our IMMERSE experience.  One of benefits of having two eyes facing forward (unlike most birds and fish) is that we have depth perception. The combined views of each eye help us to determine how far away things are as well as enabling us to more easily catch a ball coming at us. But, as the above picture reminds us, we need to have our eyes open in order for it to work.
Perception can also relate to our understanding. The deeper our understanding, the more wise our actions will be. And if we metaphorically have our "eyes closed", we won't be able to fully understand people or situation. I think we all strive to have depth to our perception. This Sunday, January 12th, we'll continue with our look at how to live as a Jesus-follower in a world that is increasingly post-Christian in it's world view and behavior. God wants us to have 20/20 Vision in which we see with His eyes and love with His heart. This week we'll be looking at Daniel chapter 2. I encourage you to take some time to read it and reflect on wisdom that comes from God. I hope to see you this Sunday.  35 years ago I was a part of a little, and rather goofy, band at North Park College. We called our group "Temporal Sunburn" and we were a big deal on our little campus for a hot minute (as the kids say). During the 6 months of our existence (before I graduated and two other members transferred to other schools), we wrote around 25 songs, recorded 2 albums (cassette tapes), played 3 concerts, and sold around 200 tapes and 100 or so Tshirts.
Today we're spread out all over the country and have yet to gather for the much-requested reunion tour. And even though I haven't had much opportunity to be face-to-face with some of these guys for quite a while, the friendship remains. I'm sure that you could tell similar stories of friends from your past who you're still close with even though you don't get together often enough. What is it about friendship that creates such strong bonds? This Sunday, December 29th, at 10:30 AM, we'll conclude our series "It's A Wonderful Life Because of Christmas" by talking about being a real friend. Who needs us to be their real friend and what does that look like? I hope to see you there. (By the way, there will not be any Sunday School classes this week) |
Pastor JeffThoughts about living as a Jesus follower and life at Community Covenant Church Archives
December 2020
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