There's No Place Like Home!

“There’s no place like home.”  Dorothy

  Dorothy was right! It doesn’t matter whether it’s a mansion or a shack. There really is no place like home. Jane and I have just spent four weeks in what many call “paradise.” The beach and ocean were only a few miles away. The weather tropical. Yet, I found myself, particularly toward the end of our time, longing to come home. And it didn’t hurt that as we prepared to leave, Hurricane Dorian was looming as an uninvited guest.  

  It’s hard to believe that I am now in my 32^nd year as your Pastor in Burlington. In 1988 we loaded up our car, a moving truck and our then two very young children, left Detroit and moved to Burlington. The community was smaller then and had much more of a small-town feel.

  The next day as I went to open a bank account at what was then the Bank of Burlington, the woman at the front greeted me with, “Oh, you’re the minister that moved in last night.” There wasn’t a single traffic light and seemingly endless one-way streets. Getting lost both in town and on surrounding country roads was a fairly normal experience. The only fast-food restaurants were Hardees and McDonald’s.

  I grew up in Atlanta, worked in Chicago and ultimately moved to Burlington from Detroit. The smallest places I’d lived in were LaCrosse and Danville, IL (communities of 50,000). The small-town atmosphere was a big shock for me. I’d always qualified myself as a “big city” person.   

  Woody Allen once quipped, “If you want to make God laugh, tell Him about your plans.” Jane and I were originally on our own five-year plan. In fact, it was more foolish than that. As we were praying for a church and place of ministry, the one place that we told the Lord that we didn’t want to go was – Wisconsin. But in our great “wisdom,” we capitulated and determined that we would come and stay for “five years” and then look for greener pastures in another state and in another church.

  Are you like me? More times than I can remember, I’m so thankful for the prayers that my all-wise Heavenly Father didn’t answer. Because we fell in love. We fell in love with you as our church family! We fell in love with this community! And God gave us two of His greatest blessings – peace and contentment.

  Like many pastors, there were calls of inquiry from other ministries. One, back in the Detroit area, was very strong and tempting. But Jane and I never had peace about relocating. Or, the timing was just wrong. And so because we did not believe that we had marching orders, we stayed and stayed and stayed. Looking back now over three decades, we see so clearly that our Heavenly Father is so much wiser than we are. Doors and relationships have been built both within the church and outside of the church that rarely happens in short term pastorates. Unless the Lord has other plans for my life, this will be my last senior pastorate. Though I am approaching my 60^th birthday, I feel very much like Caleb, who as a very spry 85-year-old, spoke of seeing God’s faithfulness for the past 40 years and had mountains that by God’s grace he still wanted to take for God’s glory (Joshua 14). In many ways I feel as if our ministry is just beginning here and there are many mountains to take by His grace and for His glory.

  To be very honest, it would be very hard to leave this community. This is our home. You are our family! This is where our many friends are.

  Jane and I can well relate to the ministry of John and Mary Fawcett. John was born in 1740 and was orphaned by the time he was 12.  At the age of 16, he heard George Whitfield preach and became a Christian. When he was 25 (and had just wed his wife, Mary) he was asked to serve as the pastor of a small church in Wainsgate. The people of the village were all farmers and shepherds, very poor, most of whom were unable to read or write.  They were not able to pay much, and most of what John received as wages came in the form of wool, potatoes or other produce. When John and Mary began having children they found it difficult to make ends meet. After serving at Wainsgate for 7 years, John received a call from Carter’s Lane Baptist Church – a very prestigious parish that would be able to provide him a much larger salary.  John decided to accept the position.

  The Fawcett family packed up their household belongings and prepared to move. The day came and the congregation was in tears as John and Mary prepared to leave.  Mary is quoted as saying, “I can’t stand it, John! I know not how to go.”  John responded, “Lord help me Mary, nor can I stand it! We will unload the wagon!” And John is recorded to have said to the crowd gathered around them, “We’ve changed our minds! We are going to stay!” They unpacked the wagon and let the church in London know that they would not be accepting the position.

  John Fawcett then wrote this hymn to express his thoughts and those of his wife to the church and community they’d chosen to serve. After his sermon the following Sunday, John shared a hymn that he wrote that expressed their hearts. You may know it, Blest Be The Tie That Binds.

Blest be the tie that binds
Our hearts in Christian love;
The fellowship of kindred minds
Is like to that above.

Before our Father’s throne
We pour our ardent prayers;
Our fears, our hopes, our aims are one,
Our comforts and our cares.

We share each other’s woes,
Each other’s burdens bear;
And often for each other flows
The sympathizing tear.

When we asunder part,
It gives us inward pain;
But we shall still be joined in heart,
And hope to meet again.

  The Fawcetts continued their ministry at Wainsgate for 54 years with John passing from this life to glory on July 25th, 1817, at the age of 77.

  Jane and I do not know God’s plans for our future or our church. Yet, if the Father would let us finish our course here at Grace and in Burlington, we would consider ourselves very rich and very blessed! 

Can we help you spiritually? Can we help you know Jesus better? Please check out more resources on our church's web page, Gracechurchwi.org. Or, call us at 262.763.3021. If you'd like to know more about how Jesus can change your life, I'd love to mail you a copy of how Jesus changed my life in "My Story." E-mail me at Carson@gracechurchwi.org to request a free copy. Please include your mailing address. 

"There's no place like home."

“There’s no place like home…”

                Dorothy

  For some very blessed people, Dorothy was right. I hope my now adult children always feel that way about coming “home.” Jane and I work at it. We seek to have low expectations and respect their adulthood, yet not lose who we are. It’s a tension…and I’m not sure we always do it well.

  For the past several weeks our home has been abuzz because Aaron and Jiayu are home with us from Taiwan! Excited? Anticipating? Planning? Working? Even a little nervous? Yes, all of the above and so much more.

  We’ve never really interacted with Aaron and Jiayu as a married couple. Add to that, though we continually stay in contact with them via Skype, emails and texts – it’s not like being there or having them here. Then, though we’d love to have them here, they’re adults and need to make those choices for themselves. More importantly, they need to be sensitive to God’s plan for their lives, not ours. But we greatly miss them and are so thankful that they worked it out to come and be with us. This week, too, we’re are making Jiayu’s first ever American Thanksgiving! So, we’ve got just a little bit of pressure.

  Did you know there are several homecomings in Scripture? Jacob went home to Canaan. Naomi returned to Bethlehem. Absalom went home. The Prodigal finally went home to Dad. The Jews returned to the land after the Babylonian captivity. Like today, all of them were fraught with emotion.

  One of my favorites is when Joseph sent wagons back to famine devastated Canaan to bring his father, Jacob, to what was going to be his final home – Egypt. What a scene it must have been! A son that was thought dead was alive and now the second ruler of Egypt.

  During this time of year some of us will be going home or we’ll have now adult children returning home. The holidays are approaching — it's the most wonderful time of the year! Or is it? During this season nostalgia and sentimental memories are all around us. At times those memories buoy us, bringing joy as we recollect times gone by. Sometimes a fertile imagination can sabotage us, as we attempt to make them like something out of a Hallmark movie or Norman Rockwell painting. For most, the holidays are an assortment of emotions. So, how can we keep the joy in the season?

  Remember, first that they are “holy days” not just holidays. At Thanksgiving who do we really thank? God. At Christmas, who’s birth are we celebrating? When New Year’s rolls around…Who is it that gave us another year? It’s not, “what do I want out of the holidays?” It’s “who does God want me to be?” Or, “How can I best honor the Lord during this season?” If I truly believe that God has given me the greatest gift already, His Son and my salvation, then I should be the most thankful and joyful person because of what I’ve already received.

  Some sadness is normal. In every home, there’s an empty chair. For some, it’s still warm with a recent loss of a spouse, parent, or another loved one. Others will work through the empty chair of a broken relationship of a divorce, wayward child or divided family.

  If you're dealing with loss, take time to reflect on the gifts, even in loss your Heavenly Father has for you. Remember, “We rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope” (Romans 5:3-4).

  Lower your expectations and idealism. Nothing says Merry Christmas like having a meltdown or biting someone’s head off. Hopefully, that won’t happen. While the season will hold many beautiful moments, it also includes cranky kids hyped up on sugar; tired parents who stay up too late assembling toys and stockings. It probably will include a few ornery relatives who find some sadistic thrill from stirring up trouble, whether its politics, or how last year’s pumpkin pie was better, or just a little black raincloud of negativity.

  So, plan for a disaster or two to invade the season, yet determine to not create or encourage an environment that accepts it as normal or makes it worse. A snide comment is usually best ignored. Only do triage if there’s a need to do triage. Seek to keep the vital and maybe favorite traditions while releasing the rest. After all, too much doing leaves little room for enjoying.

  Focus on the greatest gift and the joy of giving. As a believer, I’ve already received the greatest gift I’ll ever receive, what Paul called “the inexpressible gift” (2 Cor. 9:15). This year’s must-have toy is next year’s rummage sale item. Teach your children to value what money can’t buy. Get creative with those ever-growing Christmas lists. Perhaps agree to draw names or to give to a charity of choice.

  One of my greatest gifts that always nearly causes me to spring a leak each year is when Jane hands me an envelope letting me know that she has donated to help someone or some organization in my name. I’d much rather have that than one more sweater.

  Celebrate and Connect. Laugh loud and hard, grin from ear to ear. Relish every blessing. Take a holiday from any pressures, problems or worries. Join with others celebrating God’s many gifts and even the simple wonders of life. Fill your time so full that there’s no time to complain or criticize.

  Care about others. One of the most fulfilling things we’ve done as a family is to go and carol a shut-in or someone we know will be alone during the holidays. The memories you make by caring for others will be greater than any gift you’ll receive.

  Reconnect. Use this time to reconnect with those you may have lost touch with through the year. Personally, I love those Christmas letters that are included with a card. It’s an opportunity to update friends and loved ones on your family. I love it when it includes a photo showing how the kids have grown or a new grandchild. Share blessings that bring hope, not bragging to somehow show how much better your kids are than their peers.

  Stop and spend some quiet time. As your recuperating from too much turkey, use that quiet time to draw you closer to the Lord in a new way so you might experience anew what the angels announced a couple of thousand years ago, “Peace on earth and good will to men!”

Can we help you spiritually? Can we help you know Jesus better? Please check out more resources on our church's web page, Gracechurchwi.org. Or, call us at 262.763.3021. If you'd like to know more about how Jesus can change your life, I'd love to mail you a copy of how Jesus changed my life in "My Story." E-mail me at Carson@gracechurchwi.org to request a free copy. Please include your mailing address.