Church: Physical Presence in a Digital Age

 

“On the most elementary level, you do not have to go to church to be a Christian. 

You do not have to go home to be married either. But in both cases, if you do not, 

you will have a very poor relationship.” Kent Hughes 

  Jane and I will have been married thirty-nine years this coming July. In nearly forty years, I’ve never once forgotten our anniversary (I came close one year but fortunately my grey matter kicked in the day before). And since we began dating back in 1981, I’ve never forgotten Jane’s birthday. Since we’ve been married Jane and I have been together for every one of our birthdays and all of our anniversaries. It would take a lot for either of us to miss those important days. The list could go on and on. 

  When something is important, we remember. When something is important to us, we’re there. Let me get ahead of what some are probably thinking. “You don’t have to go to church to be a Christian.” While that’s true, if you study the New Testament I believe that you will have to conclude that you can’t be a growing or an obedient Christian without making church attendance a high priority.

  Groups of people are powerful, not just for what happens when they gather, but what that group becomes by gathering. The individuals in that group can become a movement. A force. The beginning of a change in the world. The whole is more than the sum of its parts.

  What makes gatherings so powerful? The fact that you are physically there. Since this is Packerland, which is more powerful, watching the game at home on your big screen or joining thousands of other fans even if it’s subzero at Lambeau Field? 

  Gathering identifies your priorities to others. When your neighbors and family members know you’re attending church, it identifies what “team” you’re on. If you stay home and watch online, for all they know you’re still in bed or you’re watching reruns of NCIS. If you’re gone every weekend camping or at the cabin, it sends a message of what’s important to you.

  Gathering together helps identify your priorities. For example, when you see a news notification that hundreds gathered at City Hall for a rally, you think, “Wow! That must be a big deal.” Gathering together tells the world that we are Christ-followers and citizens of heaven.

  Gathering shapes us. Like a political protest, the church gathered shapes a people. It moves us from individuality and shapes us together into a culture, a force, and a movement. A gathering of a church is profoundly spiritual. Yet, gatherings are spiritual, they’re also physical.

  When we are in heaven we will have bodies like Jesus had after His resurrection. God created Adam and Eve with physical bodies and walked with them in the Garden. At His incarnation, the Lord Jesus took on a physical body. The One who was God and was with God, put on human flesh so that He could walk with us. But it doesn’t stop there. Our Lord promised to build His church, a word that translated literally means “assembly” (Matthew 16:18). Personal connection is powerful!

  I love talking to my son Aaron via Facebook live in Taiwan, but I miss him terribly. Technology can’t begin to match the powerful impact of sitting across from Aaron and Jiayu, face-to-face, and talking with them as we look into their eyes and see the facial expressions that you can’t see via the Internet. In the same way, there’s a powerful connection made between brothers and sisters sitting near each other, singing, praying, and listening to God’s Word together. 

  There’s a powerful personal connection between a shepherd and his flock when he preaches God’s Word to those he loves and has been thinking about and praying for as he prepared the message. The Holy Spirit uniquely uses eye contact, facial expressions, and body language in both the preacher and his hearers to create a powerful connection during a sermon. A pastor feeds off the visible reaction of his hearers. A congregation is moved by the pastor’s burden over their souls conveyed in the sermon.

  I know that I speak for pastors across the globe when I say that I hated preaching to a camera during the Covid shutdowns. I missed you because I love you. Seeing the Lord work in your hearts as shown on your faces moves me to be more faithful in sharing His Word.

  The church is not a building, it’s a family of believers. While the Bible is clear that the church is not a building, neither is it nothing. It’s not just a building, but neither is it an individual believer. If the gathering of believers—committed to one another, accountable to one another, equipped by elders and pastors, following Jesus together, translated as “church” in the English Bible—wasn’t a vital part of God’s cosmic plan then…Ephesians 1 wouldn’t say that it’s the fullness of Christ. Ephesians 2 wouldn’t say that it’s the temple of God. Ephesians 3 wouldn’t say that through it the manifold wisdom of God would be made known to the world. Ephesians 5 wouldn’t call it the bride of Christ. And Hebrews 10 wouldn’t command us not to neglect gathering with other believers.

  One of my favorite stories is of a little girl whose family was temporarily living in a hotel because her Dad had been transferred to a job in a new city. The little girl often played in the hotel lobby and endeared herself to the hotel staff. One day a staff member said to this little girl, “Honey, it’s too bad that your family doesn’t have a home to live in.” And the little girl replied, “Oh, we have a home. We just need a house to put it in.” You and I are the church. We just need a building to put Grace Church in. 

  A shepherd misses missing sheep. There are many titles for the office of a pastor in the New Testament; elder, preacher, evangelist, etc. My favorite is pastor (not that anyone needs to call me “Pastor Carson”). The term “pastor” is literally “shepherd.” A shepherd is one who cares for the flock. He knows when one is missing. It’s his responsibility to care for, guard, protect, lead and feed the sheep. One of my great privileges at Grace is praying for you and when you miss, I notice because I miss you.

  If you’ve been at Grace very long, you know that if you miss a few weeks, we look for you. We want to make sure that you’re okay. It’s what the Great Shepherd has called us to and modeled for us (Luke 15:3-7). Another reason not to miss gathering together is that you’re greatly missed!

  The better we understand the significance of the church’s gathering, the sweeter and deeper our corporate worship will be. God delights to pour out His presence among His people. The Father blesses His gathered people!

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. 

Singing in the Dark

 “Music expresses that which cannot be said  

and on which it is impossible to be silent.”  Victor Hugo

  One of my favorite professors in Bible college was Dr. Edward Burckart. He was a very godly man and truly a gentle soul. Dr. Burckart was a gifted violinist and had studied at Julliard. During World War II he served in the army in Europe as a radar technician and I remember him sharing how the hymns of faith had gotten him through that difficult period of his life. 

  Our Heavenly Father created music. Read the Bible and you’ll find that Scripture is permeated with music. It can be powerful medicine for our souls. As Paul reminded the Colossians believers, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God” (Col. 3:16). While Scripture must be our first resource because it’s God’s inspired Word, godly music is a powerful tool to cry out to God with and can be used to minister to our hearts.

  If you’ve been a believer long then you know that the Christian life is a journey of mountains and valleys. Mountain tops are exhilarating, yet God uses the valleys in our lives for our good, yet they’re rarely pleasant. As I’ve walked through my own valleys, God has often used music to encourage and comfort my soul. Some years ago as we struggled with our son, Ben’s epilepsy, one of my favorite songs became Ron Hamilton’s Rejoice in the Lord. 

God never moves without purpose or plan
When trying His servant and molding a man.
Give thanks to the LORD though your testing seems long;
In darkness He giveth a song. 

  Hamilton wrote that song immediately after losing an eye to cancer. He went on to use his new eye patch for God’s glory writing several albums geared to children as “Patch the Pirate.” The song is based on Philippians 4:4, “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice.” 

  Nearly every pastor goes through dark periods in ministry. I know that I’ve gone through mine. I’ve thought a few times that there must be an easier life and was tempted to leave the ministry. During one of those periods Steve Green’s song, Find Us Faithful shored up my soul. 

O may all who come behind us find us faithful,
May the fire of our devotion light their way.
May the footprints that we leave, lead them to believe,
And the lives we live inspire them to obey.

  When this pandemic first struck, I was in a terrible funk. Remember that the first news reports indicated that many were going to become terribly ill or die. I imagined losing many of my friends. I pictured burying some in our church family (wonderfully we’ve not lost a single person at church to Covid). It weighed very heavily on me and I didn’t sleep well for months. My song for that period was Twila Paris’s, God Is In Control.  

This is no time for fear. This is a time for faith and determination.
Don't lose the vision here. Carried away by the motion.
Hold on to all that you hide in your heart.

There is one thing that has always been true. It holds the world together.
God is in control. We believe that His children will not be forsaken.
God is in control. We will choose to remember and never be shaken.
There is no power above or beside Him, we know, God is in control.   

  During the past several months Jane and I have been walking through a dark valley. I’m glad that we don’t play records anymore because I’d have worn the record out. God has used two powerful songs to lift up my soul, Casting Crowns, Praise You In This Storm:

I was sure by now God, you would have reached down
And wiped our tears away. Stepped in and saved the day
But once again, I say "Amen," and it's still raining
As the thunder rolls. I barely hear your whisper through the rain
"I'm with you.” And as your mercy falls

I raise my hands and praise the God who gives And takes away.
And I'll praise you in this storm. And I will lift my hands
For you are who you are. No matter where I am.

  Praise You In This Storm was inspired by the band, Casting Crowns,  experience with a young girl, Erin Browning. Right around the time the band connected with Erin and her family, it had been discovered that this little girl had cancer and she soon died. According to lead vocalist Mark Hall, "Watching [Erin's mother] walk through this really showed me truth about my worship. Watching her walk through a real storm showed me that my worship was extremely situational.”

  Just one more…When we go through difficult times and valleys, we feel very alone. I know that I do. Sometimes the pain is so great we can’t share it or fear we’ll lose control of our emotions. During the past few months, the Lord has used Another In The Fire by Hillsong to remind me over and over again that I’m never alone. It’s based on Daniel 3 when three faithful Hebrews, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, are thrown into a fiery furnace by Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon after they refuse to bow down to the king’s idolatrous image.

There was another in the fire. Standing next to me.
There was another in the waters. Holding back the seas.
And should I ever need reminding. Of how I’ve been set free.
There is a cross that bears the burden. Where another died for me.

  Another In The Fire is the personal testimony of worship leader, Chris Davenport, after learning his son had autism. Resolving to go on, despite his feelings and trust God though he was hurting so badly. He shares, “This is what faith's all about. It’s not about a fairy tale. It's not about everything working out. It's about becoming more like Jesus, no matter the cost.” 

  I’m thankful for Christian music. Much of it puts God’s eternal Word to a melody and helps me remember His truth. It’s a well of hope for parched souls. It reminds us to trust Him and keep praising Him. It helps me to keep on singing because I know that my Father truly is in control.

 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. 

Take me out to the...church!

 “A hot dog at the ballgame beats roast beef at the Ritz.” 

                                                  Humphrey Bogart

 

It's as American as apple pie, hot dogs, and Uncle Sam. Baseball prides itself in curses, superstitions, and strange rituals. Baseball helps boys and girls pass the time in the heat and magic of summer. They can meet in dusty neighborhood ballparks to play a game or two, or watch their home team play. Some of my fondest childhood memories are of playing a game of ball in the front yard of my home in Atlanta. 

  One hundred sixty-two games a season. Nine innings per game. Three outs to end half an inning. Three strikes and you’re out. Four balls a walk. Eight playoff teams. One championship. Baseball is known for its confusing and often laborious statistics on nearly everything that goes on in the game. ERA, RBI, OPS, batting averages, home runs, steals, wins, strikeouts, saves, shutouts, walks, and hits. The complexity that comes from this simple, slow-paced game is what makes baseball beautiful. Families bond through the traditions of going to see a game, the seven-inning stretch, and the ceremonial first pitch. 

  So I have a Major League Baseball confession to make. When I attend a baseball game, I feel kind of like I do when I go to church. A perfectly manicured ballpark has to be one of the most beautiful works of art to be found in our world. Late baseball commissioner, Bart Giamatti, was fond of talking about the unusual symmetry and beauty of the game and its parks. The simple enjoyment of taking in the confident uniqueness and beauty of a well-worn and well-kept ballpark is enough to savor. And I’ve always appreciated the fact that baseball fans are not simply drawn to the atmosphere of the event like many football fans are (for many tailgating is the main event and the game is anticlimactic). Generally, baseball fans love the game with all of its quirky nuances. This love for the game rarely begins in the abstract. There’s often a particular time, place, and person. 

  Have you ever noticed when baseball players are asked about the origination of their love of the game, often their first words are, “my dad” or at some point “there was this little park in my hometown,” catch with Dad, countless conversations, or the soil of a particular baseball diamond. 

  When you arrive at the ballpark of your favorite team, often a couple of hours early (after all, infield and batting practice possess a beauty all their own) the other people you see are ethnically, socioeconomically and culturally diverse, yet many essentially have the same story; playing catch and a sandlot in their hometown. A time, a place, and a person provide a wonderful rootedness in a transient rootless culture. It also explains why people who sit beside each other at baseball games nearly always chat. They talk about the game they’re watching and their general love of the game. No matter how different their socio-economic background they often possess a common metanarrative related to their love of the great game. 

  Yet, as much as I appreciate the inherent beauty of an empty ballpark and its idiosyncratic design, it was built for a game to be played and for stands to be filled. No other day in sports possesses the excitement and hopefulness of an opening day. Baseball season doesn’t just begin; it’s celebrated, from tiny, dusty, rural diamonds to Yankee Stadium. Unlike any other sport, the beginning of a new baseball season births a newness and hopefulness that this just may be the year for your favorite team (perhaps with the exception of Cubs fans). 

  There’s a sense, as Thomas Boswell wrote, that “time begins on Opening Day.” This hopefulness is warranted because baseball depends as much on the intangibles as it does 40-yard dash times and bench press maxes. A baseball equivalent of the NFL combine would be essentially worthless. 

  You really can measure what made Babe Ruth a great player. A baseball team’s success depends a lot on clubhouse chemistry. As you drive to the park or turn on the TV to watch your favorite team, you’re right to be full of hope…this just might be their year. 

  Personally, I love the rhythm of baseball. The uninitiated see the length of the season as a knock against baseball, but it’s that very element that makes the game such a powerful metaphor for life. A sport where one loss ruins an entire season and perfection is an attainable goal is at odds with the managed failure of our actual lives. The 2011 World Series champion St. Louis Cardinals lost 72 games that season – 45% of the regular season. 

  Babe Ruth had a .342 batting average. That means his failure average was .658. Managed failure in the pursuit, not of perfection, but greater consistency. It’s something that resonates with my own Christian walk. 

  Yet, as much as I love and enjoy baseball, it pales when compared to my love and enjoyment of the gathered church. One of my favorite moments every Sunday is walking in to our church and seeing the eternally hope-filled faces of people from different ethnic, socioeconomic, and cultural backgrounds. Ordinary people involved in extraordinary work. A group of people who’d never have gotten together if not for the fact they possess a common metanarrative as it relates to the cross and the saving love of Jesus Christ. Their stories are all different and yet at their core they’re all the same. No one begins to follow Christ in the abstract. There was a time, a place and a person when they heard the Good News and believed. Even though they may not have been cognizant of it (who remembers their natural birth?), the new birth took place. Now their lives are forever rooted in His grace. As they gather for a worship service to celebrate the resurrected Christ, they’ve struggled all week and often failed. But their goal is not perfection (their Savior was the perfect substitute in their place) just simply greater consistency. Worship is a precious gift built into the rhythm of our lives. Every weekend is full of newness and hope through faith in Jesus Christ no matter our failure. 

  Baseball isn’t heaven. It’s certainly not church, which is a glorious taste and window of heaven on earth. But I do confess, baseball reminds me of church and for that, I’m glad and say with renewed gusto, “Play ball!”

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. 

Worshiping Politics?

“For those looking for security, be forewarned that there’s nothing more insecure than a political promise.” Harry Browne

 

Did you get your chicken? In 1928 then presidential candidate Herbert Hoover promised, “a chicken in every pot.”

If you haven’t already voted, I hope you vote this Tuesday. We have a privilege in America that many others around the world don’t have – free elections and the right to vote. Yet, we must realize the extreme limitations of government to resolve core problems. That doesn’t prevent political candidates from promising that they will solve all of our major problems if elected…but have they?

We still haven’t won the War on Poverty. In 1964, President Lyndon Johnson declared an “unconditional war” on poverty. Visit any urban area in America and you’ll quickly see that in spite of Johnson’s good intentions, we’re losing the “war on poverty.” Some 40 million live below the poverty line. That works out to 12.3% of the population or one in eight Americans. In 2020, the poverty threshold for a single person under 65 was an annual income of  $12,760; the threshold for a family of four, including two children, was $26,200. Though the numbers have bounced up and down since 1964, government has been able to do little to make inroads against poverty. 2,000 years ago the Lord Jesus said, “The poor you will always have with you” (Mt. 26:11 NIV). Sadly, we do.

We still haven’t won the War on Drugs. The War on Drugs begun under President Richard Nixon continues to utilize policies of prohibition to achieve a variety of objectives. The popular “Just Say No” campaign aimed at discouraging children from engaging in illegal recreational drug use by offering various ways of saying No. The program was championed by First Lady, Nancy Reagan, during her husband’s presidency. Yet, while in 1980, 580,900 people were arrested on drug‐​related charges, forty years later that number has increased to well over a million. Nearly half a million are currently incarcerated for drug-related offenses with another 1.15 million on probation or parole on drug‐​related charges. 50,000 Americans die annually from opioid overdose.

We still haven’t won the War against Racism. How far have we come since Dr. Martin Luther King’s “Letter from a Birmingham jail” or his historic, “I have a dream” speech? Tragically, not very far. The events of this past year clearly reveal that in “the land of the free,” racism is still a terrible blight on the American horizon. That’s because laws, social programs, and education can never change hearts. In one of the most liberal cities in America (NYC), Jews were recently attacked because they dared to support the “wrong” political candidate. It was a page straight out of Nazi Germany. According to Pew Research, 63% of Americans say that being Muslim hurts someone’s chances for advancement in our society. What social activist, Dorothy Day called “a revolution of the heart” is more like a regurgitation of the same terrible maladies.

We still haven’t won the War against Abortion. In 1980 I voted in my first presidential election. At one time I naively believed that with a pro-life President, we could end this atrocity. 12 years of Reagan and Bush were a wake-up call for me. Even if Roe v. Wade is overturned (I don’t believe it will be), it won’t end abortion. Estimates of the number of illegal abortions in the 1950s and 1960s ranged from 200,000 to 1.2 million per year. Currently, there are almost a million annual abortions in America.

While few want to acknowledge it, abortion is one of the greatest acts of racism with 40% of them performed on African-Americans. It’s no wonder that Bernice King, MLK’s daughter is opposed to abortion and believes that life begins and should be protected by law at conception.

Many other social evils could be added to this list. While as Christians, we must do what we can to combat poverty, drug addiction, racism , and abortion – the solution isn’t and never will be found in government.

One of God’s constant rebukes of His chosen people, Israel, was they're trusting in foreign governments to rescue them. Rather than trusting God to intervene for them, they reached out to evil foreign kings. God used the Old Testament prophets to continually warn them. Yet, because Israel would not repent, God finally brought judgment on them for their idolatry.

It was wrong because our ultimate hope is not in government or elected leaders, but in the Lord Jesus Christ Himself alone. Only He has the power to  meet our greatest needs of forgiveness and salvation. Only He can truly change us and our world, true heart change from the inside out.

Many in the Church and many Christians are guilty of the same sin of idolatry. We’ve deified government and worship at the altar of politics. For many politics has never been more important and has turned into the opium of the masses. As former Nixon “hatchet man” who later came to Christ, Chuck Colson wrote, “Modern history is replete with lessons about the futility of putting ultimate trust in much vaunted political systems.”

How do you know if you’ve made politics your idol? Some signs are: Your hope in life is inextricably tied to a politician or your political party winning. You look to a politician or party as a perfect savior who can’t do or say anything wrong. You side with your party on every issue by reflex without thinking through a biblical worldview. Your speech and tone in political discourse tends to be harsh and angry, rather than kind and honorable. You forget that political opponents have eternal souls, that Jesus loves them and died for them just as He did for you. You let politics steal your joy. You don’t seek to understand how a political opponent thinks. You fail to acknowledge the false idols of your own political party.

Yes, we should vote, so please vote for the candidate that best reflects a biblical worldview. Remember though that none wholeheartedly do. Most of all, remember that our ultimate hope is in our sovereign God.

I am so thankful that politics have not divided our church. Our focus must be on His eternal Kingdom, not temporal earthly politics. None of us know what will happen after this election. One thing we are certain of though is that  King Jesus will still be on His throne! His promises will remain true, His church will move forward, and His gospel will prevail. Our hope is not in who wins this election, it’s in King Jesus. Regardless of what happens this election, God is in charge and His coming kingdom is forever! 

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. 

Reopening is Right, Not About Our Rights

“The constitutional freedom of religion is the most inalienable

and sacred of all human rights.” Thomas Jefferson

“The Father of all vacations.” Now that our three children are all adults, one of the parts that I most miss from their younger years was going on vacation together as a family. Those were some of our most memorable and bonding times as a family. It wasn’t the expense or extravagance, it was being together as a family. Ask them about “a good walk,” and you may see some eye-rolling, hopefully, followed by a grin.

  In the summer of 2002, our family went to Washington, D.C., then to Philadelphia to see the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall and finally to New York City and the Statue of Liberty. I love America! I love our heritage! And I’m so thankful that those who came before us willingly shed their blood so that we have the rights that we have, rights like the freedom of religion that so many of our ancestors in Christian history and brothers and sisters around the world do not share. We are truly blessed!

  Across the country one continued protest from many churchgoers during this Pandemic has been, “We must meet! It’s our right!” While I am so thankful that we do have that right as Americans, that’s not why we’re meeting again as a church. It’s not about our “rights.” To me to meet because it’s “our right” is insensitive to the many other Christians around the world who do not have that blessing that we have in this culture and that someday we too may not have.

  We’re gathering together as a local church family because the Bible commands us to and teaches that it’s the right thing to do. Scripture is clear to be lackadaisical about consistently meeting as so many American Christians were prior to this crisis is biblically wrong.

  Please understand (and I can’t say this strongly enough). If with the coronavirus if you’re not comfortable meeting yet or have health concerns that make you hesitant to meet, you should not physically worship with us. Your health and safety is a greater priority. I’m so thankful that we live in a day where we can include those who are in that situation with technology.  

  Yet, much of the anger about not being able to physically meet seemed to be selfishly driven rather than what truly honors our Lord. It was seemingly about, “They closed my religious clubhouse…and I’m mad!”

  A vital part of our DNA at Grace Church is the humble confession that this is not OUR church. It’s the Lord Jesus’ church. We are what the New Testament calls “the Bride of Christ” (Eph. 5:22-33). He bought us and willingly died for us. We belong to King Jesus so it must be all about Him!

  To be candid, it’d be easier to not meet. If it’s about convenience, we could sip coffee and eat Kringle (this is Wisconsin) in our pjs in our family rooms. It can’t be that the worship team, preaching or even the building is so special. There are much better worship “productions” at the click of a keyboard or with the turn of a channel. Why is gathering physically together important? (FYI: These are not in any particular order).

  God wants us to worship Him! That should amaze us! Remember that our awesome God is surrounded by all of the angelic host of heaven. It would be perfect worship. All nature worships God. If we human beings won’t, Jesus said that even the rocks will cry out in praise (Luke 19:4).

  Of all of His creation, it’s staggering that our Heavenly Father longs for us, His Imago Dei, with all of our imperfections, to worship Him. Nothing replaces the beauty of coming together to worship Him with others who also have His Spirit within them through the redeeming work of salvation.

  Worshiping is a response of humble gratitude for His love. Knowing God as He’s revealed to us in Scripture stirs in us a heart of thankfulness expressed in worship that brings Him glory. The Spirit motivates us to long to come together with our brothers and sisters to honor the Savior.

  Coming together is one of the best places to grow spiritually. The focal point of local church ministry is to clearly teach God’s Word. In what’s known as “the Pastoral Epistles” (1 and 2 Timothy & Titus) are overflowing with instruction for churches to make the Scriptures the priority in the church. The pulpit is not the place for political or psychological talks. Pastors are commanded to “preach the Word” (2 Tim. 4:2). While Christ-followers must study the Word on their own, learning under the sound teaching of church leaders is imperative for one’s spiritual growth (1 Pet. 2:2). There’s something about in-person focused attention surrounded by likeminded believers that makes it more effective.

  It’s the place where we are to use our spiritual gifts. The weekly gathering is God’s avenue for believers to utilize their spiritual gifts. At salvation, God gifts every believer. The local church is the place where believers can and should practice those gifts. The Bible knows nothing of church sitters or spectators who show up for a weekly show. Jesus designed His church to be a place for us to participate together by utilizing our spiritual gifts either in a public setting or privately with other believers. 

  It’s the place where we connect in Christ’s love. The phrase “one another” occurs 100 times in the New Testament. Some 59 of those are specific commands teaching us how to relate to each another. We’re to love, encourage, comfort, pray, forgive each other to name just a few. In our time together the Lord teaches us to love those that in our sinfulness, we’d never like. It’s an ongoing work of His grace. Apart from in-person gatherings, it’s easy to succumb to the Americanization of privatizing our faith or keep it segregated to a small portion of our life.

  God uses our gathering together to reach our world. Jesus said our world will know we’re His disciples by our love for each other. As we love each other, His light shines from our Christ-honoring love. Because it’s so unusual, it draws others to Christ. Everyone is looking for a place to belong. Whether people admit it, they long to be loved. When we commit to fiercely love each other by covering even sins with love and readily forgiving each other, God’s love shines brightly through us. Yes, love can be demonstrated via technology, but it’s not the same. How healthy would a couple’s marriage be if it were only a “technology relationship?”

  God is in control of this Pandemic! It often takes a shaking up of our world to force us to evaluate what’s essential and what’s merely traditional. Technology is here to stay and a tool we should use wisely. In the coming days there will be needed evaluations and with it changes on how churches minister. As the Bible clearly reveals, in-person gatherings at some level are essential. Please pray that we are wise as a church family as we seek to move forward for His glory because this truly is His church!

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. 

Making "Family" Time a Priority

“There are far better things ahead than any we leave behind.”

C. S. Lewis

Have you made any New Year’s resolutions? Some people come up with very unconventional ones. Here are some of my favorites: *Wave to fellow motorists at 4-way stops. *Collect airsick bags from every major airline. *Randomly sew one sequin onto every piece of clothing you own. *Try extreme ironing. *Knit more sweaters for freezing trees.” There were some though that I thought were worth considering: *Get your photo taken in 5 interesting places. *Make a new friend a month. *Try a new food each week. Can I suggest an important New Year’s resolution? *Determine to attend church more faithfully this coming year.

  The data show that even committed Christians are attending church less often. Now please understand, merely attending is never the goal. Yet, attendance is often a sign of something deeper. So, why are even committed attenders attending less often? Here are some of the reasons.

  Greater Affluence. More money gives more options. There are simply more affluent people than there were decades ago. Personal disposable incomes are at all-time highs. Those with money have options. Technology options. Travel options. Options for their kids. Affluence is one of the factors moving them further away from a committed engagement to the mission of the local church and fuels some of the others reasons below.

  Higher focus on kids’ activities. A growing number of kids play sports and many of them are playing on teams that require travel. Many of those sports happen on Sunday mornings and parents choose sports over church.

  More travel. Travel is on the rise both for business and pleasure. More families of various ages travel for leisure, even if it’s just out of town to go camping or to a friend’s place for the weekend or a weekend at the lake. When people are out of town, they tend to not be in church.

  Blended and single-parent families. Fortunately, more blended families and single-parent families are finding a home in the church. But how does this translate into attendance patterns? When custody is shared, attendance for some might be 26 Sundays a year. Then, single parents are more likely to miss church with a sick child or because they lack access to reliable transportation. Sadly, those who want to go to church just simply can’t.

  By the way, our church’s location essentially requires a vehicle to attend. It’s an act of love and service to Jesus when others with reliable transportation help out those who don’t have transportation.

  Online options. More churches have a social media presence (we livestream ours). There are pros and cons to online church but there’s no doubt that churches with a strong online presence have seen it impact physical attendance. The bottom line is that anyone who attends our church has free access to our online services…and online church is here to stay.

  The cultural disappearance of guilt. Growing up, I felt guilty about not being in church on a Sunday. The number of people who feel guilty about not being in church on Sunday is continually shrinking. I regularly meet people who haven’t attended in months but LOVE our church. It doesn’t bother them to miss services for months at a time.

  Self-directed spirituality. People are looking less to churches to help them grow spiritually. Today it’s rare for a parent to go to a doctor’s office without having first googled the symptoms of a child’s illness and a recommended course  of treatment. And then, when was the last time you bought a car without thoroughly researching it online? In an age where we have access to everything, more and more are self-directing their spirituality for better or for worse. Add to that, another characteristic of the post-modern mind is a declining trust of and reliance on institutions. Though a true church is about relationships and is a family, in many people’s minds, it is seen as little more than an institution.

  Failure to see a direct benefit. People always make time for things they value. If someone isn’t making time for church, that says something. Those who are haphazard in attendance just don’t see a direct benefit or a value in attending week after week. It’s why we must be committed to having worship that has true value, even if they fail to see it.

  Being satisfied with attendance, not engagement. You will find that those who are most engaged – those who serve, give, invite and are in a Grace group—are our most frequent attenders. The Bible knows nothing of a believer who just attends. Ephesians 2:10 is clear – we are saved to serve the Lord. Much of that happens within our spiritual family. It’s a vital part of being a Christ-follower, using your gifts to serve the Lord.

  So why should you choose to be more faithful in your church attendance in 2020? It’s this basic. It’s nearly impossible to grow spiritually without faithfully attending worship services. Each week we serve a spiritual meal in our music, preaching and Grace groups. Each week there are opportunities to serve and give. Each week there are opportunities to pray for or with someone. Nearly every week you’ll have moments of being spiritually uncomfortable (yes, you read that correctly). Spiritual growth doesn’t happen in comfort. Either God’s Word or serving or even interaction with someone will make you uncomfortable. God planned that for our good! It’s in discomfort that we look both inward and upward. None of us are easy to love, yet God chose to love us. We grow as we let Him love our brothers and sisters in Christ through us.

  The teaching of God’s Word is a scalpel to our souls (Hebrews 4:12). I can’t tell you how many times in sermon preparation tears flow as I’m convicted by God’s truth of sin in my own heart. God loves me and He loves you so much that He wants us to grow spiritually. It’s why He convicts us so that He can cut away at the cancer in our souls. It’s hard for that to happen though if you’re not here.

  Church means getting together with other believers to worship Jesus, to hear the Scriptures together, and to encourage one another in the faith. The local church is a family. It’s worshiping with others, praying for others, hurting with others, serving others, being involved in the lives of others.

  It’s virtually impossible for any of that to take place…if you’re not here. Please make faithful attendance one of your resolutions for 2020!

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 is no "I" in worship

“Real, meaningful worship with God's people is not optional. It's not a suggestion. It's not a take-it-or-leave-it proposition. Worship on the Lord's Day should be the crowning joy of our week.”

 John MacArthur

  Be honest. Is worship with God’s people one of the biggest joys of your week? Do you anticipate worshipping with your church family? Is it a highlight of your week…or is it obligational? If you find that worship for you fits in the sphere of “duty” for you, why is that?

  It is true that worship should be a “holy habit” for the believer, yet if we are coming to worship God with our brothers and sisters in Christ, shouldn’t there be a sense of excitement? Shouldn’t missing worshipping with our church family bother us and not instead fill us with a sense of “freedom,” like we played hooky from school and got away with it.

  Currently, Jane and I are on vacation. We’ve been anticipating this time away for months. During the last few days before we left, I frequently found myself distracted with thoughts of warm, sandy beaches and times of rejuvenation. Can you imagine how frustrating our vacation would be if we hadn’t prepared? Hadn’t planned ahead? Think of all the other things we plan ahead for, from work to school, even going to see a game.

  Have you ever had a family reunion and everyone is given details of what to bring – but there’s seemingly that one relative who never comes through. They come for what’s in it for them. They may even complain about something that they don’t like, yet they came unprepared, expecting everyone else to provide for and give them a satisfying experience.

  Mark it down! The number one reason a Christian leaves a worship service dissatisfied has little to do with the service, music, preaching or the congregation. The problem is that they came unprepared.

  When we come to worship as consumers rather than humble worshippers, the result is that we end up judging, criticizing or merely going through the motions. We’ve not prepared our hearts. We’ve not come spiritually hungry. We haven’t prayed for God to do a work in us through the worship. If we don’t have a song in our heart as we walk in, we won’t have one in our mouths during the service or leave with a full heart.

  Much of the contemporary church teaches that worship is for spectators, not participators. One feels as if they’re attending a professional concert or show. To sing with a “normal” voice is nearly gauche. If you look around, you’ll often find that while everyone is standing, no one, other than those on the platform are actually singing. Yet, Scripture says that we’re to “make a joyful noise to the Lord.” God is more concerned with our hearts than our talent. Worship means you’re actually “worshipping. While we want to do things well and with excellence, God isn’t impressed with a Grammy quality performance. We’re singing to our Heavenly Father, we’re singing with and to each other. Disengaged worship isn’t worship. If we’re disengaged from the very focus of our gathering and the Person we’ve come to honor, we might as well not even be present. Showing up physically is not a substitute for being spiritually or mentally absent.

  It’s because of this that we’re concerned about the acoustics in our new building, and not just the sound quality coming from of the platform. We want to make sure that we can hear our brothers and sisters worshipping alongside us. It’s why we believe that the right lighting is important. We participate in singing when we can hear and see each other. If the lighting for the congregation is low, but is bright on the platform, we’re subtly communicating that a performance is taking place. We fail to communicate that the worship by singing should include everyone present.

  Our church must sing because our regenerated hearts can’t help but echo the Word that God has given us new life in Christ. Whether those songs were written hundreds of years ago or last week, they should echo Scripture. If there’s any place where Scripture should literally reverberate, it must be in our church’s songs. God’s Word alone gives life. We sing with together because it helps us see that our hearts’ praises, confessions, and commitment are shared – that we’re not alone. Sometimes we need to pause and just listen, thanking God for the voices around us!

  God gave us emotions. Sometimes tears stream down my cheeks as I sing with my spiritual siblings. Singing is how we engage together our emotions and affections with God’s Word. As we sing, it’s hard to remain emotionally disengaged. As the sense of smell can evoke strong associations and memories, the sound of music evokes and provokes the heart’s joys, griefs, longings, hopes, and sorrows. Singing is the way that we grab hold of God’s Word and align our emotions and affections to His.

  Singing in worship is an act of obedience. We gather and sing because we’re commanded to (Eph. 5:19). Like telling the truth, loving our spouse and children, or loving our neighbor as ourselves. These may seem like bold statements, singing though is a tangible expression of loving the Lord with our whole hearts and selves, and loving our neighbor as ourselves. 

  And singing is a privilege. It’s a foretaste of heaven. One day (I hope soon!) every tribe, language and people will sing as one family before the throne of the Lamb. Until then, we’re a microcosm of that day in the unimpressive form of congregational worship. As we anticipate the matchless glories of heaven with Jesus, there’s immeasurable value in our singing together now on this temporary earth. When we sing together, we witness that we’re loved, forgiven and accepted by God. For those who don’t know Jesus who visit our churches, or our own children who’ve yet to believe, as we sing together of God’s grace, it’s a powerful witness.

  So please open your mouth and sing. Make a joyful noise. Sing from your heart to our awesome God because the most beautiful instrument in a worship service is the sound of God’s forever family singing together! 

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. "

How to Prepare for Sunday Worship

“Fruitful and acceptable worship begins before it begins.”

Alexander MacLaren

When something is important to me, I prepare. I love to fish. I don’t seem to get enough opportunities but I love to fish. There’s just something exciting about seeing your bobber go down or feeling a tug, and then to fight to reel him in. I hate it when I know that I have to finally leave. I’ll think and talk about that fishing trip for days, even weeks to come.

  But when I feel like something is an obligation, I procrastinate. I’m nearly listless. I shuffle around and get ready at the last minute. I often plan an exit strategy on how to leave as soon as politely possible. I go through the motions, but I really don’t want to be there.

  Periodically, I’ll be invited to some social event where I don’t really know anyone and may not be particularly close to the person who invited me. But I feel obligated, so I go. I try to not complain to Jane, who often is dragged along with me. Checking my phone is gauche. Reading a book is just rude. So I try to appear interested, while in the back of my mind I’m wondering how long before I can politely escape.

  When it comes to Sunday worship, most of us fall into one of those two categories. For some, it’s important and something they anticipate. It’s a highlight of their week. For others, it’s an obligation. The sooner, it’s over, the better. They look for a reason to either not go or to escape quickly.

  Often you can look at someone’s face and know which category they fall into, particularly if you’re part of the worship team or preaching. If someone is an unbeliever or an easily bored young person, it’s not surprising to notice that worship isn’t something they particularly enjoy. What’s disconcerting is to see a believer with a look of boredom or worse, disdain. One wonders what’s going on in their heart when worshiping God or being with His people is something to endure, not enjoy.

  The Christian life, in many ways, is lived from Lord’s Day to Lord’s Day. Corporate worship and being with our spiritual family is a high point of our week and the constant rhythm of our lives. We dare not “neglect meeting together, as is the habit of some” (Heb. 10:25). There’s nothing as meaningful, rich, and glorious on earth as a church family gathering together to worship the Lord. Most Christians believe this. But does it translate into our practice? Or, is the moment we’re sitting in the service the first time we’ve thought about corporate worship in our week?

  If corporate worship is as significant as the Bible tells us it is, then shouldn’t we prepare for it? Can you imagine the worship team just showing up and it’s obvious they haven’t practiced? Or, the pastor stands up to preach and says something like, “I’m not sure what I’m going to talk about today. I think I’ll talk about _______.” If preparation is essential for the leaders in worship, isn’t it essential for the participants? How can we prepare for worship?

  Prepare your heart. Remember, when you were growing up and your Mom told you not to eat junk food or it would ruin your dinner? Come to worship hungry. Feed your own soul during the week with private worship and even family worship, knowing it will help get your juices flowing for more spiritual food. Ask the Lord to lay His hand on the leaders as they prepare, and then to feed your soul and the souls of those around you. Don’t let Satan distract you with a petty, critical spirit over an off key note or an error in the bulletin or a song that perhaps you’re not familiar with.  

  Practice quietness beforehand. After you sit down, take a moment to pray and quiet your soul. Our world is loud and busy. To spiritually dine takes contemplation. It’s why quiet and the call to worship is important.

  Be a little boring. Go to bed at a reasonable time on Saturday night. Sleepy heads make for foggy minds and drowsy worshipers.

 Plan Ahead. Lay out your Sunday clothes and those of your family on Saturday night. Know where your Bible and other materials you might need are. Gas the car and clear the seats for the family. Get up at a decent time so you don’t have to rush, or worse, come in late. Leave home with plenty of time to spare. What does it say about our values when we’re early for a movie or ball game, yet late for worship?

  Anticipate it with joy. Cultivate a kind and joyful spirit on Sunday mornings. If it’s the highlight of our week, let’s act like it. Talk about how wonderful the day will be, wake the kids up with excitement. Turn on Christian music for the whole family to listen to. Put a smile on your face. Refrain from turning on the TV or catching up on Facebook on Sunday mornings. We’re so easily distracted. Safeguard your soul.

  Whet your own spiritual appetite. Read and prayerfully think through the Sunday morning text earlier in the week. We should seldom be surprised at the passage we hear preached. Working our way through a passage before the worship service provides a more fertile soil for the Spirit to work.

  Converse on the ride. On the way to church talk about the passage being be preached. Talk about the things of God. On the way home, use the discussion questions on the insert to more deeply interact with the message. 

  At the worship service, we’re meeting with our Heavenly Father and our brothers and sisters. Shouldn’t the worship be a highlight of the week? It’s a time to re-charge our souls for the coming week. It’s an opportunity to glorify God and minister to others. Yet, because it’s a weekly activity, it’s tempting to let it become routine. One of the ways to ensure that it’s not is to prepare our own hearts and minds for corporate worship each week. 

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.

The regularity of irregularity???

“On the most elementary level, you do not have to go to church to be a Christian. You do not have to go home to be married either. But in both cases if you do not, you will have a very poor relationship.” Kent Hughes

  It’s an area like so many in our culture, even in the Church, where the abnormal has become the normal. In the “normal” Bible-believing church, it’s estimated 30% will miss each Sunday. Church attendance…worship has become a matter of convenience rather than commitment. A new term has developed to designate this group. They’ve been dubbed the “semi-churched.” These are believers who show up some of the time, but not every Sunday. They’re on again/off again, in and out, here one Sunday and then gone for two. It’s disastrous to our personal spiritual health and our church family’s spiritual health. It’s either because we don’t know our Bibles, or worse, we don’t take them seriously. Jesus’ worship habit was to attend a weekly worship service (Luke 4:16). The focus of the New Testament is the local church, so much so that nearly every New Testament book was either written to a local church or a pastor. Jesus loves the church. He died for it. If we love Jesus, we won’t be satisfied with “liking” the church, we’ll love what Jesus loved. If you love someone, you want to spend time with them. You’re not checking your watch, wondering when your time will be up or jump at any excuse to skip. Missing church is not parole from some weekly obligation, it’s missing out on the weekly family reunion. It should bother us, no, it should grieve us to miss being with our spiritual family. Hebrews 10:25 is crystal clear and rather pointed, “not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” Gathering every Lord’s Day with our church family is one of the vital parts of being a growing, maturing Christian. So ask yourself a few questions…

  Have you made going to church an inviolable habit for you and/or your family? You know how you wake up in the morning and think “maybe I’ll make french toast this morning”? That’s not what church attendance should be like. It’s not to be a “if the mood feels right” proposition. Now many of us didn’t grow up this way. I know that I didn’t. As a teenager, I was often the only person attending church from my home and I had to rely on others to give me a ride to church.

  Yet, I know of individuals who are more faithful in going to the gym than many Christians are in attending the worship services of their church. And if one member of the family is sick, then the whole family will often stay home. Can you imagine calling up your employer and telling him, “Listen, my son has a cold so I won’t be coming in today”? In some homes going to church is up for a weekly democratic vote, “Do you kids want to go to church this week?” An education has temporal benefits yet I can’t imagine a parent putting school attendance up for a vote or making it optional.

  Do you plan ahead for Sunday worship? If you rush around Sunday morning trying to find clothes and shoes, and your Bible – it’s not going to prepare you for worship. If we want to be ready for work or school, we go to bed at a decent time. We also give ourselves plenty of time so that we can arrive on time, even early. We arrive anticipating being touched by God’s Spirit and having Him work in our lives. We don’t rush in at the last minute and then rush out with the final “Amen.”

  Do you plan your schedule so that you can minimize being absent from church on Sunday? If you happen to be on vacation, what a great opportunity to worship with other believers from other parts of the country. Most of us don’t skip meals when we’re travelling, why would we skip a spiritual meal? But if Sunday is the weekly family reunion and we truly value our spiritual family, doesn’t that suggest that we should make a real effort to be around on Sunday. If you’re going to be out of town to visit family, why not take Friday off so you can be back on Saturday night? If we are stewards of the time that the Lord has entrusted to us, then we need to re-evaluate a common assumption that Friday evening through Sunday evening are ours to do whatever we want wherever we want. It’s almost impossible to grow in love for Jesus, for your church and minister effectively in your church if you’re regularly not there.

  Do you love the Lord and your church family sacrificially? True love is rarely convenient and often costly. To be with your church family, you may have to limit your plans for Saturday night. It might mean asking your boss to please not schedule you for Sunday morning. Most employers willingly put up with a lot worse than an employee who wants attend church (hangovers, domestic crises, etc.). Use Saturday to catch up on your chores, sleep in and unwind. It may mean telling an obsessed coach that your children will either miss certain games or be late. It’s doubtful that your child is the next Aaron Rodgers or Gabby Douglas but they are going to be the parents of your grandchildren. They are going to be the greatest spiritual influence on them…and they’re leaning it now…from you and what you value.

  If attending church is really a hassle for you and something that you endure, not enjoy – have you considered that maybe you’re not a Christian? Does going to church every week make you a Christian? Absolutely not. Does missing church half of the Sundays in a year make you a non-Christian? No, but it does make one wonder. It’s this simple – God’s people love God and love to be with God’s people. They love to sing praises. They love to hear His Word taught and be fed from the Scriptures. Casual church attendance is usually a sign of spiritual immaturity at best and unbelief at worst. Whenever God calls people out of darkness, He always calls them into the church. If the Sunday worship service is the community of the redeemed, what does your weekly pattern suggest about where you truly belong? Does it indicate that you really love Jesus?