Hearing the Music

Going Home

Jim, Addison, Kuni, Ben and I have spent the week in St. Louis at our denominational General Assembly. For Jim, Addison and I Saint Louis was a bit of a homecoming, all of us having lived there at some point in our lives. Landmarks trigger memories. Restaurants evoke reminiscence. 

Tuesday night our outgoing moderator, ruling elder Howie Donahoe, preached on Luke 23:43 "Today you will be with me in Paradise." Throughout his message he encouraged us to think about and long for heaven. This was a welcome call to remember that this world is not our home and long for our permanent home. What was interesting to me is that our current situation with regards to heaven, our permanent home, is that rather than reminiscence we operate with premonitions, or foreshadowings.

These heavenly premonitions could be a lot of things, but it certainly includes worshipping with sisters and brothers in unity of the Spirit. It includes the beauty of a Michigan summer day. We get a taste of paradise when mothers lay down their lives for their kids, when husbands love their wives. We get an echo of eternity in every act of mercy, wiping of tears; every time we fight against sin, fight injustice or cry out to our Savior. Foreshadowings of the victorious home-going that awaits us abound! Lord, give us eyes to see! 

_{Photo by Alessio Patron on Unsplash}

Ready to Assemble

Monday morning Pastors Ben, Addison, and I along with ruling elder Jim Visser and Kuni Hotta will travel to Saint Louis, MO to take part in our denomination’s General Assembly. The Assembly is a great time of worship, resourcing, reconnection with folks across the denomination, and of course, conducting business. For those unfamiliar for how the Assembly functions, Jim and the three pastors will all be attending as delegates and will have the opportunity to vote on all issues that come to the floor. In all there will be 1500+ delegates. In addition Jim, Addison and I will be serving the denomination more particularly through delegation to a “Committee of Commissioners”: Jim on Covenant Seminary, Addison on Mission to the World, and I will be serving on RidgeHaven Camp and Conference Center. These Assembly committees oversee the work of the permanent committees (boards) and report to the Assembly of any issues or challenges these agencies face.

One major topic for discussion for the assembly will be the Human Sexuality Report that was released about a year ago to address issues pertaining to LGBTQ+. Because of Covid the Assembly did not meet last year, so this report has yet to be officially received by the Assembly, but has garnered solid reviews as being both Biblically faithful and pastorally sensitive. You can read the report here. There are several connected issues that will also be discussed pertinent to the report. Your prayers are coveted for this important assembly. We will be sure to give an update in the the coming weeks.

_{Photo by Product School on Unsplash}

Freedom to Rest

The gods confound the man who first found out
How to distinguish hours! confound him, too,
Who in the place set up a sun-dial
To cut and hack my days so wretchedly
Into small portions!

- Plautus, Roman Playwright, lamenting new technologies, 200 AD

Since the fall of Adam in the Garden, humanity has been fighting itself for healthy living. A big part of this fight is finding a work/rest balance that honors our physicality along with our spirituality. In the past century Americans have seen the average number of hours per night that we sleep drop from nearly 11 hours to 7, while working nearly four more weeks per year than we did in 1979. Compound these numbers with the triumph of the digital "interruption technologies" that have so consumed so many of us, and we find ourselves overworked, overstressed, anxious, and panting with exhaustion as we make our way through life.*

But these current challenges are not unique to our present time. In fact, as YHWH begins to reforge his formerly enslaved, idol-worshipping people, he starts with two key themes: rest and worship. It is these themes that we will focus on this coming Sunday as we look at Exodus 20:22–26; 23:10–19. We may be shocked to find how relevant these 3500 year old words are!

Speaking of worship and rest, what a great week of Magnify! arts and rec camp that we had! About 120 kids and family over the past week walked through the stories of Mary and Jesus and were invited to worship Jesus and rest in him, even as Mary did. Thank you to all who participated, either as campers or volunteers. A special thanks to Debbie and Susan for their leadership. Hopefully all will get the rest they need to recover! 

_{Photo by Lucija Ros on Unsplash}