Jeff Noble's Blog, page 16

Missing nearness

“That very day two of them were going to a village named Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, and they were talking with each other about all these things that had happened.” (Luke 24:13-14)

Two men walked on the road from Jerusalem to Emmaus. Recent events in Jerusalem surrounding the Passover was the topic of conversation. It was all hard to believe. Chaos. Injustice. Mob rule. Corruption. In one 24-hour period, the man they’d believed to be the Messiah went from the acclaim of crowds to the jeering of the same under shouts of “Crucify him!”

The entire past week leading up to the Passover had been crazy. A week before Jesus had entered Jerusalem riding on the back of a donkey. “When he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was in an uproar, saying, “Who is this?” The crowds were saying, “This is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth in Galilee.” (Matthew 21:10-11)

Jesus had confronted the religious leaders directly. Their reputation had been tarnished. Two days before the Passover, the final death plot emerged and took form, aided by one of Jesus’ own disciples coming to the religious leaders with inside information about where Jesus would be the night of the Passover meal. They need to do this secretively “lest there be an uproar from the people.” (Mark 14:2)

Jesus had been captured, unjustly tried and sentenced, crucified and buried. It has been three days since. It was the only topic of conversation that made sense. And then Jesus showed up to walk with them down the dusty Emmaus road.

“While they were talking and discussing together, Jesus himself drew near and went with them.” (Luke 24:15)

Jesus asked them what they were talking about, and they responded sadly, “Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?” Then they related the series of unfortunate events that had crushed their hopes in deliverance.

Missing the nearness of Jesus

We don’t know how they missed understanding that the man talking with them was Jesus. It was supernatural. That much is clear in the text. (“Their eyes were kept from recognizing Him.”) However, while their eyes failed to grasp, their hearts kindled. They just knew something significant was afoot. They just didn’t know in those road-weary, emotion-laden moments how near God was.

Isn’t that just like us? We focus on the chaos, corruption, confusion and disappointments around us, and we miss the nearness of Jesus. It’s a strange disconnect between our eyes and our hearts. We know that one of Jesus’ names is Emmanuel – “God with us” – and yet we allow circumstances to obscure our faith sight. Like Peter sinking beneath the wavy Galilee, when we turn from looking at Jesus to the storms around us, we too sink.

It was finally revealed to the men over supper that Jesus was with them. Powerfully, it was in the very moment that Jesus prayed, broke the bread and gave it to them. At that, He disappeared. They were stunned. They held bread in their hands and a burning awareness in their souls. ““Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?” they asked one another.

Awareness of nearness displaced fear and disappointment.

There was nothing else to do but completely reinterpret everything they had been thinking about the past three days. JESUS WASN’T DEAD. HE WAS ALIVE. That changed everything. It meant there had been a bigger plan than the one set in motion by the religious leaders. It meant God was in control in spite of chaos, injustice, mob rule and corruption.

In a new moment of clarity, the cross made sense. The Messiah had to die for us to be free. Jesus had explained it to them before they recognized Him, “Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” (Luke 24:26)

These days of pandemic, politics and cultural turmoil have produced such deep rooted fear, anxiety, anger and division – not just in our culture but in our churches.

And yet…

Jesus is near. Jesus is here.

When we don’t recognize His presence, however, we cannot enjoy His assurance. When we focus on circumstances, we miss the promises of His Word in scripture.

Like the two travel-weary disciples, we also can be near Him and yet miss Him. Jesus is easy to miss if you don’t expect Him to be there. There’s a danger for us “modern” Christians. Think about it. Jesus walked with these two men, freshly raised from the dead. He was the Resurrection Life. Yet they were still living in sadness and fear and disappointment.

A recent Kim Walker-Smith song has a beautiful chorus that reminds us of the constancy of Jesus and it proclaims the necessity of our fear and anxiety bowing before Him. Even when everything “gives way,” Jesus walks with us, instructing and tenderly waiting on our moment of recognition of His nearness.

You’ve always been, and You’ll always be

The God who gives, such perfect peace

So, all my fear, and anxiety

Will bow to my God

The King of Kings, oh, my Prince of Peace

I’m not afraid, I’m not afraid

‘Cause everything gives way, when I speak Your name

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Decision fatigue

In Celebrating Sabbatical, I said, “Decision fatigue is real.” It was one of the dawning awarenesses I enjoyed basking in during my sabbatical. There were long, consecutive days where the biggest decision I had to make was what to attempt to fix that wasn’t working or what to fix that I had broken while attempting to fix it (thank goodness for YouTube). I had to make dramatically fewer decisions (and especially significant ones) over those two months, and I grew into the awareness of how tired I was from decision making.

I was both tired of and addicted to decision making. It’s an unholy coexistence.

I’m a Type A, Type 1, initiator, go-getter, status quo questioning, and coffee-fueled kind of guy. When I chose sabbatical, my status quo abruptly changed. As the quiet descended like a down blanket, I found my mind still pedaling and preparing for next as if I was engaged in a triathlon. It took almost three weeks for the mental/spiritual treadmill to stop. The funny thing was that I kept walking on it, forcing the belt’s rotation, even after it had been unplugged.

When everything stopped, one day it hit me. “I’m tired of making decisions.”

The Idolization of Decision Makers

People who will make decisions become idolized by those who won’t. The person who is able to make a wise, quick (they’re not always mutually exclusive) decision becomes the organizational go-to. I think in our church leadership, I had either anointed myself (needing to justify my existence) or allowed others to default to me on decison-making by virtue of my positional authority. I didn’t notice the danger.

When people come to you and ask, “What do you think about this… color, design, wording, timing of event…” consistently, you learn to do something crazy – you answer them. You give an opinion. Strangely, your opinion winds up becoming the decision. And so a decision is made. Events are set in motion. Things are checked off a list. Products are ordered. Etc. And the responsibility rests at your feet because you made the mistake of… making a decision.

I began to ask myself how many decisions I had been making that others should have been making without my input. How many decisions did I really need to make? What had I cultivated and enabled in our culture that led to my becoming the default decision-er? What responsibilities was I assuming (and preventing others from assuming) by making decisions?

I also began to wonder if those who make decisions confidently and thoughtfully are being taken advantage of?

It’s not just the decision, but the responsibility for the decision that is weighty. Many people don’t like being ultimately responsible.

Responding instead of leading

In addition, a constant flow of decision-making moments required me to live in response mode. I began to see that making decisions could be wrong when they weren’t necessary decisions for me to make. The fleeting mental effort required for menial decisions adds up. And the thoughtfulness required for significant decisions, when multiplied, takes a toll. When I expended constant energy in decision-making brought to me by others, I could not chart a course forward in vision and strategy. I found myself living from one needed decision to the next, filling up time in-between with routine administration, answering emails, meetings and follow-ups. Even in  the few weeks that I’ve been back in the office, I feel pulled again toward making decisions I don’t need to.

It’s extremely difficult to lead when you’re responding to others. I’ve heard it said and agree, “If you don’t make your own agenda, it will be made for you.”

The Weight of Daily Decisions

[image error]“It felt like I was reacting to external influences rather than proactively deciding anything,” said Mark Macdonald in his book Be Known for Something. He says we make almost 5000 decisions in a 16-hour day. Big, small, routine. Decisions add up. I felt the truth of it before I read it. Decision-making drains.

My friend, former business partner and college roomie, Mitch Bettis has a unique approach to eliminate one type of decision-making in his day. He always wears red socks. Bright red socks. Part of why he wears them is due to his color-blindness, but his decision to buy all red socks was essentially to eliminate the waste of time in trying to figure out if his socks matched. He reduced his daily decisions by making one overarching decision. Genius.

Did you know that former President Obama and Mark Zuckerberg basically wear the same outfit every day to cut down on making decisions? Obama either wore a grey or blue suit. Zuckerberg usually wears a grey t-shirt. As Obama told Vanity Fair in 2012, managing your life as a president requires that you cut away the mundane, frustrating decisions. “You’ll see I wear only gray or blue suits,” he said “I’m trying to pare down decisions. I don’t want to make decisions about what I’m eating or wearing, because I have too many other decisions to make.” (source)

Electronics/technology trap

During my sabbatical, as things slowly got quieter and my brain’s rotation spinned down, I noticed something. My iPhone seemed to have an invisible tether to my eyes. I found great encouragement in going for an hour or more and not looking down at my phone. I had long ago eliminated all notifications on my lock screen. I don’t see texts and such there. My phone is always on silent/vibrate, and it’s become very easy to ignore as a result. But technology trains us. Like Jim trained Dwight in The Office to reach for an Altoid at the chime of Windows starting up, we too are conditioned to reach for our phones far more regularly than we realize.

That’s a decision that begets a hundred more. Be wary. You decide to tap Instagram. You decide to “heart” an image. You decide to leave a comment on a post. You decide to open Facebook. You decide to play that game. You decide to check your email after work. Your smart phone is a decision factory. Be wary, friend, be wary.

Today’s decisions

I made the decision today to finish this blog article. I enjoy writing. I enjoy being helpful (hope this is). And I’m enjoying deferring decisions. I’m still in growth mode, still learning. I welcome your input and suggestions as to what you’ve found most helpful. In the meantime, if you’ll decide to share this post, I’d appreciate it, and it will help you become more accountable with others about your own decision-making and begin a journey away from fatigue into purposeful, paced, life leadership.

More reading

If you want to know more about decision fatigue, try these articles:

Decision Fatigue- Have You Fallen Prey To It?

“65 per cent of judges were more likely to give favourable decisions in the morning than in the late afternoon. But due to continuous decision making, they became drained and as a result, made poor decisions.” The article goes on to offer practical advice for preparing in advance so that you can ward off daily decision fatigue.
You’re facing a lot of choices amid the pandemic. Cut yourself slack: It’s called decision fatigue.

“Six months since the United States declared the coronavirus pandemic a state of emergency, millions of isolated Americans are at their wits’ end, exhausted from making a seemingly endless series of health and safety decisions for themselves and their loved ones. ‘Decision fatigue is a state of low willpower that results from having invested effort into making choices,’ said Roy Baumeister, a psychology professor at Florida State University who coined the term in 2010. ‘It leads to putting less effort into making further choices, so either choices are avoided or they are made in a very superficial way.'”
Decision Fatigue: What it is and how it’s killing your focus, motivation, and willpower

“After analyzing over 225 million hours of working time in 2017, we found the average user switches between tasks more than 300 times per day (and this was only during working hours!)” One bonus – this and other articles recommend… a nap! “Research has found that naps are like a Zamboni for our brain—clearing away the gunk that builds up.”
How to Identify When You’re Experiencing Decision Fatigue
How Decision Fatigue Ruins Your Day (and How to Beat It)

The featured image came from this great article on The Cult of Pedagogy.

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COVID Chronicles: why me

In my first post on this series, I concluded with:

I’d appreciate your prayers as I write and re-write in a way that will help, heal, bless and point us in encouraging directions. My goal is to point us past COVID to comfort and hope and to give biblical, personal and practical reasons for doing so.

In this post, I’m asking, “Why me?” (Many of us ask that question in hardship already!) I ask it from a standpoint of what qualifications do I have to speak up/out? Why do I – a pastor, fantasy footballer, coffee-drinking Trekkie, alien-movie loving, and 190-pound Arkansas native  – have a constant “burning in my bosom” to tackle the All-Pro COVID machine?

Why am I qualified to speak up/out?

I’m not. Not by any cultural standard. I don’t have PhD after my name. I don’t have the seven-figure salary of a talking head on CNN or Fox. I don’t have positional power. I’m a pastor. Some would say that pastors should keep quiet.

I fear I’ll alienate someone by offering my journey and thoughts about COVID. It is surreal to consider that something that wasn’t on our radar or part of our cultural vocabularies six months ago can produce such virulent opinions which often have more heat than light.

Apparently for me, NOT speaking up/out is not an option. I’m burdened deeply for people. For the church of Jesus. Fear consumes and division prevails. We didn’t see it coming. We weren’t prepared. 2020 has been a perfect storm of cultural and global angst. As I’ve read, thought deeply, prayed, and dialogued, I ask the question that I hope other pastors are asking, “How could we have taught and preached and counseled and prepared our churches better for days of hardship, confusion and turmoil?”

I’d love to stay silent, to duck my head and keep my mouth shut. There’s certainly pressure to do so – both from within the church and outside. The amount of things I don’t say is remarkable. (Truly, you should see my Twitter drafts. I have a personal policy of letting tweets percolate for 24 hours before I post when they could be considered controversial. Half of those never see the light of day.) Whether my hesitance to speak out more is from self-control or cowardice, I’m not sure. Yet, what I see, read, and hear is added to a stew that is simmering in my heart. It bubbles. My heart burns within me.

I was reminded of the prophet Jeremiah’s ministry. God told him to say HARD things to the Jews. He was also told that they would not listen to him. That seems exceptionally difficult, a bit like banging your head against a wall. At one point, Jeremiah objected strongly about the perceived unfairness of what he was commanded to do and its results:

“You deceived me, LORD, and I was deceived.

You seized me and prevailed.

I am a laughingstock all the time;

everyone ridicules me.

For whenever I speak, I cry out,

I proclaim, ‘Violence and destruction!’

so the word of the LORD has become my

constant disgrace and derision.” (Jeremiah 20:7-8)

Jeremiah was told to prophesy judgment against Israel at a time when the nation was stumbling. Jerusalem had already become a vassal state to Babylon and experienced deportation. But the leaders wanted to resist the king of Babylon and were mobilizing the people to cast off restraints. Imagine protests in the street and the remaining people (many had been deported) going along with the leaders’ promises of independence and rejection of Babylon’s authority. Jeremiah was called to tell them that their plans were doomed. He was a Negative Nelly. No one wanted to hear that God was involved and that there was another narrative.

Jeremiah tried to stay silent. He really wanted to. But listen to what happened within him when he attempted to avoid speaking truth:

“I say, ‘I won’t mention him

or speak any longer in his name.’

But his message becomes a fire burning in my heart,

shut up in my bones.

I become tired of holding it in,

and I cannot prevail.” (Jeremiah 20:9)

It’s ironic that when he did speak, exactly what God had promised took place. The people wouldn’t listen. His message was so unpopular that Jeremiah was effectively canceled. At one point, they threw him in a pit to shut him up. In pre-social media days, it’s stunning to read that even then, a person’s messages could be “reported.”

“For I have heard the gossip of many people,

‘Terror is on every side!

Report him; let’s report him!’

Everyone I trusted watches for my fall.” (Jeremiah 20:10)

The historic role of pastors

It wasn’t that long ago from a historical perspective that pastors were some of the most learned people in a community. They were known to be articulate, erudite, rationale, community influencers that were well-versed not just in scripture but in a dozen different areas. It was pastors in the early days of the Americas that spoke words of hope and truth to colonists. They often shared news and helped interpret political movements. Pastors spoke to more people on any given week than the nation’s leaders could dream of. (As general of the Continental Army, George Washington would send circular letters, asking pastors to read them in their churches to help communicate needs of the army). The influence of pastors was directly responsible for mobilizing colonists to unite as a nation, to resist the tyranny of England, to declare independence, to abolish slavery, to commend scientific discoveries, to advocate for the poor, to establish colleges, hospitals and mercy ministries. Pastors were looked to as influencers and moral guardrails for communities.

Pastors were the leaders in the Christian movement in America (while this may seem to be a too obvious statement, hang on). As a result of Christianity’s influence on the colonies, “New England in the late 18th century had the highest literacy rate in the world at the time.” Why was that? Pastors placed undeniable emphasis on everyone being able to read the Bible for themselves, for devotion, instruction and the knowledge of God. ”

“There was a great emphasis on universal literacy in the early colonial era of the 17th century largely based on the Puritan belief in the importance of Bible reading. To this end, a 1642 New England law stated, ‘See that all youth under family government be taught to read perfectly in the English tongue.’ By 1647 the Massachusetts General Court passed the Old Deluder Act calling for the establishment of grammar schools to thwart ‘one chief project of that old deluder, Satan, to keep men form knowledge of Scriptures.'” (source)

The current role of pastor

Today, pastors are told (or intimated) to “stay in their lanes.” The only thing a pastor should speak to is the spiritual. Politics, science, health, and other -ologies and -isms are off limits. A pastor is allowed to talk about sports, provided he root on the local team (or if his alma mater is abysmally bad. No one likes an Alabama football fan as pastor outside of Alabama.)

As modern media developed, there began to be an antipathy between pulpit and press. As the 20th century progressed, the church was made to look silly by a growing army of cultural influencers in academia, science, government and entertainment. Pastors became marginalized. Particularly as the theory of evolution gained traction, they were made out to be backward, uneducated and valuable only for those who needed “religion.” Rebuffed and perhaps feeling disrespected, many retreated into the walls of their churches and christendom, and the Christian retreat from secular society became a flood. Pastors ceded influence and ground, and a secularist worldview became dominant in these key areas of society.

“But around the 1970s and 1980s, a new understanding started to emerge. Many book authors and pastors of megachurches started to see the role of the pastor as a chief executive officer (CEO/leader), who casts a vision and rallies and motivates people to carry on the new vision in a changed and healthy environment.”

Pastors and Christians leaders who suspected they weren’t “allowed” to speak to current or cultural issues or who were intimidated by culture, began to reproduce and model what “worked” in culture and business to grow organizations and gain influence. They replicated marketing and sociological principles in our churches in order to “grow” them. In the days of burgeoning big box stores, malls, and economic growth, pastors became organizational leaders, and the church growth movement erupted. If 7-11 can have Big Gulps, then certainly God’s people deserve mega-churches, right?

All this led to a frenetic busyness of casting vision, building Christian kingdoms, and of course, caring for ever larger flocks. What pastor had time to even consider how to influence their community’s policies or national politics? A few tried and were vilified and relegated to the fringes. A few others were successful for a longer season (Billy Graham, Jerry Falwell Sr. – and oh, how different those two were!). Most pastoral leaders simply focused on faithful preaching and teaching of the gospel, seeking humble application of the truths of scripture to the real, daily lives of their congregations.

“Don’t talk about politics”

Today, that’s not just an unspoken assumption. It’s a verbal command from some church members. Pastors should stay away from politics and cultural issues. How far we have come.

The failure to see that all of life is under the purview of the spiritual is false thinking that has infiltrated the western church. When we divide life into sacred and secular spheres, we embrace a false, unbiblical worldview. Spiritual reality is the prevailing reality.

When Jesus said, “All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth,” (Matthew 28:18), He was commissioning His disciples to go into all the world and make disciples. Essentially, He was giving them authority over every arena of life, because He had it to give. In Matthew 16:19, He said, “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will have been loosed in heaven.” That reveals some significant delegation of authority! Indeed, Christians believe by faith that..

“at the name of Jesus

every knee will bow—

in heaven and on earth

and under the earth—

and every tongue will confess

that Jesus Christ is Lord,

to the glory of God the Father.”

This means that the knees of university presidents and faculty will be grounded before Jesus’ name one day. The knees of Hollywood darlings will be dirtied before Him. The world’s richest will find that no wealth can prevent their worth from vanishing instantly before King Jesus on their knees. Politicians, doctors, youth, Muslims, Hindus, and atheists will alike ponder the glory of God in the face of Christ from their knees.

“Politics” is defined as “the art or science of government.” It has broader connotations as well (who hasn’t heard of office politics? And certainly there exist politics in the church). Politics is also defined as “the total complex of relations between people living in society, relations or conduct in a particular area of experience especially as seen or dealt with from a political point of view.” (source) And so, politics is exactly what pastors must speak to (and even practice). We are called and commissioned to speak to all of life. To make disciples everywhere, in every sphere. To seek the good of people and the glory of God in every human institution. I sincerely believe that the role of the minister is to faithfully, graciously and truthfully apply the teachings of scripture to ALL areas of life. If we believe that God is Creator, then no arena is outside His purview or rule.

The importance of speaking up

We are the in grip of a pandemic. The complexity and diversity of issues that both the virus and our responses to it have created are too many to count. Most bunker down and cocoon. No one wants to be a lightning rod. It appears that everyone who speaks up is castigated by the “other side.” (How did there become “sides” in all this?!)

A wonderful approach to dialogue is revealed in Paul’s writing in Ephesians 4. It’s one of my guides. In the context of God giving the church leaders to equip the church to serve and grow, he says that the resulting spiritual maturity and intimacy with Jesus has a benefit:

“Then we will no longer be little children, tossed by the waves and blown around by every wind of teaching, by human cunning with cleverness in the techniques of deceit.”

It’s his next admonition that applies to Christian conversation wherever we have it:

“But speaking the truth in love…”

We must speak truth… in love.

That’s the kind of person I want to be, and it’s how I want my dialogue to be shaped. I’m “just a pastor,” but I too can think. I too can read. My “think-er” is unapologetically filtered through a biblical worldview. I’m called to speak loving truth. Sometimes that will be offering counter cultural perspective and “hard” truth.

Here’s what the rest of series will feature – an overview of where we’ve been, what we’ve learned, an honest look at conspiracy theories, the role of an election year, and the danger of our over-response. I’ll be providing a list of resources as a Google doc so that those of you who want to can see some of the articles, research, statements and information that I have digested and studied since March. I provide them only in the sense of a rabbit trail of footnotes. I wanted you to know that the thoughts and conclusions that I pose have not been arrived at without deliberation, reading, and discernment. 

The overall goal is to identify and apply loving truth to a cultural narrative that seems to foment fear and perpetuate panic in the current pandemic.

Feel free to debate, to question, to ask whatever you want in the comments on this blog. I won’t be responding to comments on Facebook, Twitter, etc. I’d love for us to think deeply together and be willing to question, for good. Ultimately, our response to crises teaches profound lessons to us, if we will learn from them.

I have a lot to learn. We all do. Let’s learn from one another.

Finally, I was grateful for the advice of a friend-pastor recently who tweeted me,

“Be concerned but not consumed.”

Amen!

Why me? I like to read, research, write, think and blog. And I sincerely want to be gracious and loving even as I unpack current events with you here. I want to be helpful. I want to decrease fear and hysteria. I want to bring hope and perspective. Most importantly though, as a pastor, I want to encourage you stop, take a deep breath, and look to the God who knows you, loves you, and offers hope and peace in every arena of life, whether political or viral.

Next up: “Discuss, not shout. Reason, not ridicule. The dying art of thinking for yourself.”
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Celebrating sabbatical

This is the last Saturday of my sabbatical. As I journaled away this morning, I am dazedly relaxed about what I’ve discovered about myself and God, life and ministry, culture and scripture over the past two months. When I began my sabbatical, I wrote Overwhelmed, and this stuck out to me from that entry:

As I drove away from the office Thursday for the last time for two months, I fought back tears. There are many reasons, but at the root, I’m overwhelmed… I’m overwhelmed by grace. Grace upon grace.

In some respects, this was the best time to be on sabbatical – during cultural upheaval and global crisis. In others, it was the worst. People need pastors during hard seasons of life, for crying out loud. However, people don’t need me. I am supremely grateful for our church staff leading, guiding, teaching and encouraging our church in my absence. It’s humbling and affirming to see that I am not needed for God to bless and comfort His people. It’s more satisfying than a Diet Cream Soda, peanuts and candy corn to realize that I am to be simply available and that I’m not indispensable to His work.

Short-Term Reflections

I think I’ll learn more from my sabbatical the farther away from it that I am. For this Type A, Type 1, INTJ, Intellection, Strategic, Achiever, Input, Belief-er, I knew how much I needed a time of sabbatical before I felt how much I needed it. It took almost three weeks to stop thinking.

I’ve got a lot of immediate reflections that I’ll amplify later. Here’s a glimpse:

Decision fatigue is real.
Sabbath-ing can not be avoided.
Dangers in leading/following
Doing nothing is doing something.
Walking in intimacy with Jesus is life’s ultimate joy.

Yaaaay

The main thing I wanted to do with this post is simply to celebrate. I did it! I took a sabbatical. It wasn’t perfectly executed, and it didn’t involve elaborate planning or expensive travel to exotic locations. It was simply a restful, relaxing, enjoyable, reflective, reading, and slow-paced life parenthesis. I’m overwhelmed with gratitude and observations. I’m thankful for family, friends, and a church who made it possible. I am especially grateful for the wisdom and joy of being told to simply celebrate sabbatical.

What did I really do?

From other posts in this series, you’ll see a read a ton. I read helpful books, Christian books, fiction books, magazines, blogs, and even a few comic books (more on that later!). I took on some overdue home projects and even knocked out a few that I would have never done unless I’d had this time. I began writing a book about the life of Peter which I’m really excited about. After my book Super Center Savior, I knew I wanted to write another, but… life. busy. church. building. kids. schedule – you know.. all the things that led to sabbatical to begin with. You’ll hear more about progress and title and such soon. I maintained some of my regular routines and created new ones. Most importantly, I communed with God. I invited Him nearer, to which I continually heard Him say, “I can come no nearer than I came when you first believed in me.” It’s a joyfully astonishing realization. Because of His grace, He is near. Always. It is my awareness/busyness/lack of faith that causes a failure to experience the reality that He’s near (of course, more on that later).

What should you do as I emerge from my sabbatical cocoon?

If you’re just a reader of the blog, I’d encourage you to bookmark or subscribe so that you can glean more from what I learned. For family, friends, and church members (and many of you fit into all of the those categories), I’d ask you to be patient with me. I want to be both the same Jeff and a different Jeff, a better Jeff. I am flawed but full. I am overwhelmed but overjoyed. I am quietly prayerful and also crying out.

I see my reentry as being a slow ramp up. I am not returning to ministry with a “head full of steam” or “10 things we need to do immediately.” Rather, I want to listen and lean and learn. I am eager to hear from our church leadership teams about their experiences the past two months. I expect to discover numerous ways that God has been demonstrably active (can’t wait to belatedly praise Him!). More than anything, I hope to be a joyful, bold, gracious, and peaceful incarnation of Jesus. I want ease in and reflect Him with vivid brilliance. He is worthy.

Some of you are still hung up on my mention of comic books. Some are disgusted by Diet Cream Soda. Others are intrigued by the combination of peanuts and candy corn (it’s like manna). Others want more reflections now (be patient).

Still others wondered if I would return from sabbatical at all. I did too at times.

For now, I’m celebrating the completion of sabbatical (and highly highly recommending it to other pastors and ministers – if you need help communicating with your church, see this entry). Here’s my celebratory sabbatical dance:

http://www.journeyguy.com/images/2020/08/GetSwayApp.mp4

You’re welcome.

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COVID Chronicles: Comfort and hope

Soon after COVID began for us here in Virginia (our awareness of it, about March 14), I began documenting what I was reading. Not only has the COVID crisis caused global, unprecedented chaos, but it has created stark division among people. The sheer vitriol that people receive from attempting to comment or question narratives is sad to me. The death of healthy dialogue is discouraging and prevents us from discerning truth. 

What we have needed is a healthy dose of “second opinions.” There is one prevailing cultural narrative, and people who have dared to question it have been censored, had their social media accounts suspended, been ridiculed, called names, had videos removed from YouTube and been called crazy.

This pandemic has caused real grief and real pain across our world. People have lost friends and family members. Jobs have been lost. Businesses have closed, many to never reopen. Having a daily death tracker posted on all news channels and websites has reminded us of our mortality. The societal and global attention to this pandemic is unprecedented. 

Anxiety levels have continue to climb an impossibly long roller coaster mountain. The drop is coming. We know death is real, and yet the promotion of constant danger has created unrelenting fear – among Christians as well as non-Christians. 

Now more than ever, people need comfort and hope.

In these hard days, who would have ever thought that 2020 would lead us here? It is astounding that names and terms like these would each in and of itself be debatable.

face masks
Dr. Anthony Fauci
nursing homes
lockdowns
herd immunity
“stay-at-home”
social distancing
quarantine
second wave

With these terms popularized, how can I as a follower of Jesus offer calm, hope, certainty, assurance and point to a God who is not in heaven stressed and worried about the current (or any) state of events?

 “A gentle answer turns away anger, but a harsh word stirs up wrath. The tongue of the wise makes knowledge attractive, but the mouth of fools blurts out foolishness.” (Proverbs 15:1-2)

Gentleness is a quality sorely needed in our cultural conversation and conduct. It’s one that is modeled by Jesus. In Matthew 11:28-29, He said, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”  

I recently read Gentle and Lowly by Dane Ortlund, and it was like aloe vera for a sun-burned mind. The way Jesus interacted with doubters and deniers was genius and gentle. He addressed each person or group in a manner best designed to expose their root hangup and urge them to faith. Certainly there were times He was firm (He told Thomas, “Don’t be faithless but believe.” He was direct (He pushed back on a doubting dad, “If you can?!”) He was harsh with the “religious” who should have known better. Yet, His invitation to “come” in Matthew 11 is so warm, hopeful and restful that it’s one I want to emulate in this extended post about such a divisive and discouraging life season for our world. I am convinced and convicted that Jesus is inviting us all to Him. The gate is narrow into His path, but walking with Jesus is better than worrying with the world.

I’d appreciate your prayers as I write and re-write in a way that will help, heal, bless and point us in encouraging directions. My goal is to point us past COVID to comfort and hope and to give biblical, personal and practical reasons for doing so.

Stay tuned for the next entry: Why me
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A note to churches: insist on sabbatical

A pastor contacted me through Facebook about a mutual connection we had. As we chatted digitally, he saw that I was on sabbatical and asked me about it. As I shared about the blessing and love that my church was showing me through sabbatical, he explained that his church had no guidelines, policies or even an idea about a sabbatical for him. He’d been serving for eight years as their pastor, non-stop.

I visited with a professor at Virginia Tech this week over coffee that I’d met at the coffee shop a few weeks ago. We connected to simply get to know one another. He was a great question-asker. As I shared about my profession as pastor, of course, my sabbatical came up. He was surprised to learn how unusual a sabbatical is for pastors. In education (at least at VT), professors can take a sabbatical every six years – six months at full pay or a year at half-pay. That was amazing to me.

The calling to serve God through serving His church is a high one. I believe consistent refreshing is both merited and needed for those in full-time ministry. This is a note to the church (if you’re a church member, make sure you surface this conversation among the appropriate leaders/teams/committees) and pastors about the importance and priority your church should place on sabbaticals for your ministers.

When I began serving our church – because it was only about six years old – it had no personnel policies, benefit packages in place. About eight years ago, I worked with some of our leaders on a “staff support” team to help them understand how to love me, our staff and future leaders. I had to initiate and nurture a culture of staff care.

Most churches won’t think of the importance of this. They have to be led to be strategic, wise, and future-thinking about personnel care, nurture and retention. I am not saying that churches aren’t loving. At all. The notes, gift cards, “preacher cookies,” movie passes, and yearly cost of living raise are all deeply appreciated by ministers. They are needed. Spontaneous acts of care go such a long way to reminding your minister they are noticed, loved and appreciated.

I am encouraging churches to remember those who serve them and to be strategic about their care. Sabbaticals are needed for those with faithful longevity. 1 Thessalonians 2:1-12 should be the heart attitude and posture of healthy church staff.

“…we didn’t seek glory from people, either from you or from others… We cared so much for you that we were pleased to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own lives, because you had become dear to us.” (6, 8)

If you’re a pastor or on church staff, you may have to lead your church (gently) to be thoughtful, proactive and compassionate towards you and your staff. This feels awkward, but it will bless you and your church. Assume no one else will take the lead on this. Don’t be embarrassed to take the lead. It is a mark of a good shepherd to understand and see that a refreshed and healthy pastor and staff will bless your church and its ministry long-term as you put good policies and practices in place. A healthy church has healthy leaders. Be healthy by being an advocate for yourself and the servant leaders who will follow you.

Jesus urged us to rest in Him. He himself practiced “getting away,” and He invited His disciples to rest during a very busy (and limited) ministry tenure:

“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28)

“Great crowds gathered to hear him and to be healed of their infirmities. But he would withdraw to desolate places and pray.” (Luke 5:15-16)

“Come away by yourselves to a remote place and rest for a while.” (Mark 6:31)

If you’ve been serving in full-time ministry for longer than five years, begin planning now. Churches, insist on sabbaticals. Ministers and members may discover that they love the season of sabbatical and the lessons learned during it as much as they enjoy being served by a refreshed leader post-sabbatical.

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A dual focus on the present and the eternal

[image error]In The Screwtape Letters, a senior demon counsels his protege about how to tempt his human. Each letter teases with C.S. Lewis’ sarcasm and wisdom as he offers profound lessons about following Jesus. In one of the letters, Screwtape writes Wormwood about how to keep his human distracted:

Our business is to get them away from the eternal, and from the Present. . . . It is far better to make them live in the Future. Biological necessity makes all their passion point in that direction already, so that thought about the Future inflames hope and fear. Also, it is unknown to them, that in making them think about it, we can make them think of unrealities. In a word, the Future is, of all things, the thing least like eternity. It is the most completely temporal part of time—for the Past is frozen and no longer flows, and the Present is all lit up with eternal rays. . . . Hence nearly all vices are rooted in the future.

I’m beginning week six of my sabbatical. I’ve been a reading machine during these days. As I reflect on my down time so far, I believe it took me more than three weeks to STOP. To stop thinking about:

responsibility
planning
ministries
ideas for ministry
concerns
people
followup
projects
building
etc

My brain is always spinning. On the StrengthsFinder, one of my strengths is “Intellection.” It’s a blessing and a curse. I accumulate information. I study, I research. I ask why. All the time. Nonstop.

It was no surprise to me that my first three + weeks were spent telling my brain to “stop.” I grew increasingly frustrated that I could not simply look right in front of me and not think about “next.” Then the fourth week came, and things were “better.” I began visiting with some friends by scheduling some coffee moments (and even a shotgun shoot) with the caveat of “no church talk.”

Screwtape’s advice to Wormwood hits me.

“It is far better to make them live in the Future…

the Future inflames hope and fear…

we can make them think of unrealities.”

I remember setting the book down and writing simply, “Focus on two things: 1) The Eternal 2) The Present.” Here’s why a dual focus is deeply faithful:

What to Focus On

The Eternal is only what ultimately matters. None of my stuff will make it to heaven with me. My accomplishments (including my three-peat fantasy football trophy), my writings, my ambitions… none of it will be loaded into the heavenly U-Haul. People, on the other hand, are eternal. What matters is where they will spend eternity. What decides that is how they choose to respond in faith to Jesus – receiving Him joyfully in full-hearted gratitude and trust OR rejecting Him as inconsequential or unworthy of their submission. Screwtape’s warning to Wormwood reminded me to focus on the eternal – on God and His wonder and worthiness and to seek to lead others to know His love.

The Present is where I really live. Am I presently grateful? Am I presently aware of how I encourage others? Am I self aware today? I can’t change yesterday, and only rarely can I influence the “future,” but I can, by God’s grace, impact this singular moment. Right now, I’ve chosen to sit in front of my Macbook and peck out these words, for me and you, to impact my present and your present. (Strangely, you will read this AFTER my “present” has become “past” but as you read these words, this is YOUR “present.” If you feel like this is a Back to the Future moment, I do too.) The main question is what will you do in these moments to re-focus?

Peter encouraged this eternal and now perspective as he wrapped up his second letter:

“But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity.” (2 Peter 3:18)

So I’m focusing on the present. In the past few days, I’ve literally thanked the Lord for what is in my hand or within my immediate view – whether a cup of coffee, a shotgun or a river. I’ve had to do this to wrench my mind off its lust for what’s “next” or things my heart longs for. It helps to shift into current gratitude when past failures (or successes) seek to rob me of present joy.

I’m also focusing on the eternal. It helps to reflect on the reality of heaven and the wonderfully absurd and abundant promises of God about eternity. No more tears or pain? Endless joy and exuberant praise? I’m all about that! And I want to bring as many to see the love of Jesus as I can. Only their faith in Jesus will allow them to experience that reality.

“For the Past is frozen and no longer flows, and the Present is all lit up with eternal rays.” 

Further Reading

If you’ve not heard of The Screwtape Letters before, Andrew Prideaux has written a great (and recent) review here.

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Dying for the mob

The senselessness. The rejection of goodness. The refusal to dialogue. Earnest questions for understanding met by shouts. The demands. The imposition of the crowd’s will over another’s by pressure. Manipulation. False claims. Insensitivity to truth. Haste. A rush to judgment.

When a mob wins, truth loses.

And God is crucified.

Such were the conditions we find in the gospel’s accounts of Jesus before the Roman governor Pilate in the first century. (Read Mathew 27:15-26, Mark 15:6-15 Luke 23:13-25, John 18:38-19:16) It is unsettling that most of the religious leaders led and instigated this pressurized environment. There was an event on the horizon that required their haste. In their minds, there was no time for honest fact-finding or deliberation. There was no time for perspective. The eve of the Sabbath would begin at dusk, and they needed this man on the cross before then.

They knew what they wanted, and Jesus be damned, they would get their way.

Nevermind who He was. That He came to save and forgive the very things that they were doing. Their rage and frustration, their desire for power and status had erupted. The pressure valve had broken. Jesus had offended their sensitivities. His teachings had called them out. All their pent up offense and rage was poured out against Him.

Jesus loved the world so much that He received all their anger and ugliness. He took their darkness, and by His death and resurrection, gave them His light. He quieted the mob with His crucified body. He took their ire and He offered His love.

Only Jesus.

He heals. He mends. He reconciles. He comforts. He provides. He makes things right. As we release our lives and sin and hurts and shame into His hands, He crafts redemption from wreck.

“it was because of envy” (Matthew 27:18, Mark 15:10)
“the chief priests stirred up the crowd (Mark 15:11)
“I have found no grounds to charge this man” (Luke 23:19)
“Then they all cried out together” (Luke 23:18)
“They shouted” (Mark 15:13, 14; John 18:40, 19:6, 15)
“slapping His face” (John 19:3)
“Pilate kept trying to release Him” (John 19:12)
“they kept shouting” (Matthew 27:23, Luke 23:21)
“they kept up the pressure” (Luke 23:23)
“demanding with loud voices (Luke 23:23)
“and their voices won out” (Luke 23:23)
“persuaded the crowds” (Matthew 27:20)
“a riot was starting” (Matthew 27:24)
“wanting to satisfy the crowd… he handed Him over to be crucified” (Mark 15:15)

It would be easy to pour out ire on the Jews for their hatred, their contempt, their manipulation and quest to eliminate the One who challenged them. Make no mistake though. The Jews may have been the engineers of the crucifixion, but our sin – my sin – was the substance of it.

I have yelled at God. I’ve raged against Him. For His perceived unfairness. In times of dark frustration and angst. When I see a way for Him to work, and He chooses another – or He chooses to wait upon fulfilling my very passionate pleas, I look around and find the mob and join them.

In sheer powerlessness, I have yelled with you (because you have too, haven’t you?), “Crucify Him!”

We are the mob.

But He is the Messiah.

He rises. He rises above. He first rises on a cross, beaten, spit upon, maligned and nailed. He rises above the heads of the mob, of us all. He offers us life through faith.

After our sin and rebellion and ugliness have supposedly killed Him, He rises from the grave. His rising announces our hope – that if we leave the mob and trust in Him, we may have life, answers, reconciliation, and peace in Him.

No need to shout. Only to kneel.

“If I am lifted up from the earth I will draw all people to myself.”

He said this to indicate what kind of death he was about to die.”

(John 12:32-33)

From The Passion of the Christ



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Nuff Said: The New York Blessing, George Floyd responses, questions for a new year, one word for your prayers & Joel Osteen

“Nuff Said” is a collection of articles that caught my eye on the interwebs.

The New York Blessing

This is beautiful and absolutely what the church should be doing in times of turmoil and crisis: singing praise and blessing. We have hope to offer because it’s been offered to us, through the cross of Jesus!

“In 2020, New York City became the epicenter of the COVID19 virus killing over 25,000 people. Later, our streets were filled with rage, fear and frustration crying out for justice. But, the Church rose up united to Lament, Listen, Learn and Lead in this crisis.”

George Floyd and the Gospel

[image error]This podcast is a powerful, raw and real discussion about George Floyd’s death and cultural response just days after. I have recommended it to many and still do.

From the Just Thinking website: “In a first-of-its-kind episode, Darrell Harrison and Virgil “Omaha” Walker get behind their respective microphones for a no-holds-barred, completely impromptu, unscheduled, and unscripted (no notes) discussion about how believers in Christ should respond to events surrounding the death of Mr. George Floyd at the hands of police officers in Minnesota. Buckle up.”

George Floyd and Me

This humbling article by Christian hip hop artist Shai Linne is insightful and also challenging. It’s an important contribution to our understanding of cultural context and the deep need for loving, biblical and bold communication with one another.

“Long after George Floyd disappears from the headlines, I will still be a black man in America. And you know what? I thank God for that! He knew exactly what he was doing when he made me the way he did. Despite the real and exhausting challenges that come with my outward packaging, I know that I’m fearfully and wonderfully made. And I wouldn’t want to be anything other than what I am: a follower of Jesus Christ who has been saved by grace and redeemed by the blood of the Lamb—who also has brown skin and dreadlocks and does hip-hop. And God has chosen, in his great mercy, to leverage it all for his glory. Praise be to him.”

Ten Questions for a New Year

Donald Whitney wrote this for the Desiring God website back in December 2019, looking forward to a brand, spanking new year known as “2020.” Now, with this year half over, and the general assessment being

Sabbatical reflections: the team I left behind

A pastor can’t seize sabbatical. He can only enter it with confidence in a team of leaders who will support and enable his extended absence. I’m thankful afresh for my church’s leaders. They weren’t skeptical about my embrace of sabbatical but encouraged, enabled and joyfully blessed me forward.

I’m three weeks into my sabbatical. I have reflected on what made this time away from ministry possible. I should say who. When a pastor steps away for a season, there’s a lot that needs to be done – some regular, some unplanned.

I took a long walk the other day, with no destination in mind. I laid down on a random bench beside the trail and read a bit in a book I’d brought along. I have loved doing things I don’t normally do – without a schedule or something I need to prepare for.

On the walk back, I was hit with a wave of profound gratitude for the staff team at my church. They are amazing people, servant leaders and Jesus followers. We laugh together, play corn hole together, scare one another “good morning” (ok, I do more of that than anyone), pray together, plan, counsel, evaluate and sincerely seek to lead our church family to grow daily in their affection for Jesus.

I would never feel comfortable on sabbatical without the confidence I have in these leaders. Our staff are incredible, humble leaders. They are not coworkers but family and friends. Our interns – a group of four college students or recent college grads – are also, simply… wonderful. Not only does our team make going to “work” enjoyable, they are refreshing to lead and serve our church family alongside.

They reflect Jesus to me and to our church. They are wise and gracious. We are learners together. We have tough talks on a foundation of respect and genuine love for one another. We seek one another’s good.

In addition to our staff, we have a team of elders at our church that have been humble, consistent and earnestly devoted to ensuring that our church is spiritually healthy and anchored in our love for Jesus. They have met more together in the last eight months than they normally do, and their prayers, discernment and careful discussions have blessed me and our church family.

Then there’s a team of very special people who are weekly leading our small groups. When COVID-19 happened, these leaders adjusted quickly and graciously and began leading their groups on Zoom. It was awkward and yet seamless, frustrating and yet joyful. Their commitment to lead would have expired at the beginning of May (our groups break for the summer). And yet, the vast majority – along with some new leaders! – agreed to embrace an extended season of leadership to help provide community and connection during this time of quarantine and isolation. They have been a blessing to our church!

So while I’m on walks, reading, doing home projects and a bit of travel, I do so with progressively greater gratitude. I’ve had a hard enough time releasing responsibility and stilling my busy brain and dealing with a very burdened heart (more on that later). It is these precious friends, servants and Jesus-reflectors who are leaders in my church who enable me to take this extended break. They continue serving, praying, planning, worshiping, leading groups, teaching, and discipling this summer.

I am grateful.

Also in Sabbatical Reflections

Thoughts from my sabbatical during the summer of 2020.

Overwhelmed


Sabbatical reflections: the team I left behind

View the entire series

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