Happy Mother's Day

Let me be the first to send out a Happy Mother’s Day greeting to all the wonderful mothers in Petersburg - and from wherever you've logged in throughout the world wide web. 

I see you rocking your baby to sleep at three in the morning. I see your tender touch as you hold her in your arms. I see you beam as you describe the way you’re sure she said, “Momma,” even though to everyone else it sounded more like, “hmbmh.” I see you making the choo-choo train sounds as you vainly attempt to slide a spoonful of mashed carrots into her mouth. You may feel like nothing more than a diaper changing machine sometimes, but you do it all in love for your baby.

I see you, young mother, getting your children up and fixing breakfast, helping them get dressed and off to school. I see you staying up late to help them with their homework. I see you getting them involved in baseball and softball and swimming and soccer and karate and gymnastics and cheerleading and dance and music and art and Boys Scouts and 4-H and all that stuff. You may feel like a taxi service many days, but you want the best for your children, and you’re there for them in love.

I see you, mother of teenagers, struggling to figure out who this person is in your home, and what he did with your son. I see you praying for her late at night when nothing you say seems to get through to her. I see you giving them more responsibilities and freedoms, yet still guarding and protecting their precious and pliable hearts. You may feel sometimes like you’re beating your head against a brick wall, but you’re not about to give up on them, you’re not going to lose them, and you’re never going to stop loving them.

I see you, military mom, unable to hold back the tears as you watch your son or your daughter march off to the unknown. I see you raising your flag and proudly standing by his side from across the ocean. I see you nervously watching the news and waiting for the phone to ring and breathing a prayer of relief when you hear her voice again. You may feel like you’re living in a surreal world, but you’re hanging in there and your love has never been stronger.

I see you, precious grandmother, raising up your grandchildren just when you thought you’d already done this once and were ready to move on to real grandparenting, where you could spoil them and hand them back at the end of a long day. I see your loving patience and your kind wisdom as you brace for the challenges today and for the years yet to come. You feel like this wasn’t what you signed up for, but your love for those poor little ones fuels you and you’re just glad to be able to do it.

And I see you, dear mother, who has suffered the excruciating heartbreak of losing your child. I see you who have grieved for your child who was miscarried. I see your tears and your pain, though more importantly, God sees your hurt and He knows the tears you’ve cried and He cares you with a compassionate, empathizing love, for He too knows what it’s like to see His Son die. 

I see you, barren woman, who so desperately wants to have a child, but it hasn’t happened and you don’t know why. I see your cries to the Lord and your frustration over His silence. May your trust rest in His unfailing love and salvation.

I see you, mother of regret, who has lived with the silent anguish of having aborted your child. O, woman, there is forgiveness and healing in the name of Jesus, whose blood shed for the forgiveness of our sins is sufficient for cleansing away all guilt and shame.

And I see you, godly mother, leading your children to know and love the Lord. I see you teaching them to honor and obey His Word. I see you displaying His gentleness and humility, His mercy and grace, His kindness, forgiveness and compassion and patience. I see you embody His servant heart in the way you interact day by day with your children. I see you longing to impress His truth upon their hearts, and I see you on your knees interceding with them before the Father in heaven. I know you're not perfect and sometimes you feel like a failure, but your love is reaching their hearts and they are growing strong in the faith, largely because of the example they see in you.

Keep pressing on, mom, and know that God is using you in shaping the lives of these precious children into the image of His own Son.

To you all, I say Happy Mother’s Day. May God bless you richly.

Loving God and Loving Others

Some thoughts from 1 John 4:20-21 as I prepare to preach this morning "Living in Love and Living Love Out."

"If anyone says, 'I love God,' and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this command we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother."

You simply cannot hate your brother and be a true Christian. Many professing Christians say they love God, but they don't love one another. And they're living a lie.

You can talk about knowing God, you can talk about being in the light, you can say you have fellowship with Him...but the proof is not in your words; it’s in your actions. Specifically, it's in your obedience to the Lord's command to love one another. You may do a lot of other things in the church, serving in various ways, putting money in the offering plate, singing in the choir, teaching Sunday School, and a host of others, but if you’re not loving one another you’re living in disobedience to Christ's command, and you really don’t know Him at all. You’re not walking in the light. You’re not in fellowship with Him. You don’t have eternal life.

So examine your life. Take a good, long, hard look at your heart. 

If this word hurts, then good. Better for it to hurt now while you can still do something about it, than for it to hurt later when it's too late. Listen, you don’t want to be deceived this whole time thinking you’re good, that you’re in...and then stand before the Lord Almighty on that day of judgment and hear Him say, “Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.” And you will say, “Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?” And he will answer, “Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.” And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life. – Matthew 25:41-46

O God, teach us to love. Forgive us for when we've failed to keep this simple, yet essential command. Help us to love one another. We can't do it on our own. We need your help. We need your love to flow through us if we're going to do this love thing well at all. Give us a heart of compassion, of mercy, of grace. Open our eyes to see the needs of people all around us who are hurting and broken and in need of your love. Give us courage and faith to step out and meet those needs. Let us do it in your name, and in the power of your Spirit within us. Amen.

Specializing in Redemption

Redeem \ri-ˈdēm\ v. To recover ownership of by paying a specified sum…to set free; rescue. To save from sin. To make up for. (American Heritage Dictionary, 1983)

It’s one of the sweetest words in the English language. A third baseman can make a throwing error in the top of the ninth allowing the go-ahead run to score. But when he comes to bat in the bottom of the inning he has the opportunity to redeem his mistake.

A student may score poorly on a math quiz, but a good grade on the final exam can redeem his work.

I recently messed up on my wife’s birthday present (or lack thereof), but was able to redeem my folly by coming through with a gift she truly enjoyed later. Not that I advocate ever messing up on your wife’s birthday, men.

These examples, however, pale in comparison to the way God has redeemed His people in Christ Jesus.

The apostle Paul stands as one of the greatest example of redemption this world has ever known. Before he was redeemed, Saul, as he was called then, was a very zealous man, rising high in the ranks of the religious elite. He had earned all of the accolades from the religious establishment and took home all of the trophies one could carry.

He thought he had it all together. And from all outward appearances from the world’s viewpoint, he did.

It wasn’t until he had a personal encounter with the risen and living Lord Jesus on the road to Damascus that he truly understood his sin and his need for a Savior. Paul’s own testimony shows what redemption in Christ is all about.

“I give thanks to Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, appointing me to the ministry – one who was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an arrogant man. Since it was out of ignorance that I had acted in unbelief, I received mercy, and the grace of our Lord overflowed, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. This saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance: ‘Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners’ – and I am the worst of them” (1 Timothy 1:12-15).

Though Paul’s former way of life seemed to be on track, when Jesus met him that day he began to see how sinful he really was. God redeemed him, recovered him, bought him back with the blood of Christ, rescued him and released him from the grip of sin’s enslavement and set him free to live in righteousness. That’s what the mercy and grace of God does in those who acknowledge and confess their sin, repent from it and turn in wholehearted faith and devotion to Jesus as Savior and Lord of their lives.

Maybe you’ve read of the death of Chuck Colson this past week. He serves as another great example of God’s ability to redeem. You probably know of Colson’s role in the Watergate scandal and of his reputation as Pres. Nixon’s “hatchet man” in the White House. But following his arrest, God got Colson’s attention. He repented of his sin and received the riches of God’s mercy and overflowing grace by trusting in Jesus.

God redeemed Colson’s life. He spent the next 40 years ministering to prisoners and their families through Prison Fellowship Ministries. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said Colson “lives on as a modern model of redemption and a permanent rebuttal to the cynical claim that there are no second chances in life.”

In 1973 the Boston Globe wrote: “If Mr. Colson can repent of his sins, there just has to be hope for everyone.” How true.

Friend, there is hope for you. God’s willing to give you another chance. Repent and turn to Jesus. He specializes in redemption.

When I Grow Up

I always wanted to be a rock star. Right after being a professional football player, that is. Growing up I dreamed of becoming the next Roger Staubach, quarterbacking the Dallas Cowboys to the Super Bowl. Turns out there’s not much interest from the scouts in balding 40 year olds who stand in at 5’10” with my shoes on, weigh 150 pounds, and can’t throw the ball more than 30 yards down the field. 

Oh well. But I could still be a rock star. In fact some of the bands I listened to 30 years ago are still touring. There is hope yet! All I’d have to do is choose an instrument, start practicing, get really good, find some other guys who are really good, land a few gigs, come up with a hit song, sign a deal with a record label, buy a bus and we’d be ready to roll. And, of course, convince my wife that this is God’s will for my life. 

How hard could that be? 

So maybe not. Who knew that God had a much greater plan in store? Being a pastor of a local church never showed up on my radar screen. But God knew it all along. And it’s a higher calling than anything I’d ever dreamed of. 

What’s fascinating is looking back at how the Lord had been preparing me for this all along, even though I never had a clue. Space prevents me from elaborating in detail, but I can tell you that God has put certain people in my life at particular times who have pointed me in the right direction. He has given me experiences and opportunities that have become useful in ministry. He has shaped my heart, transformed my will and renewed my mind to follow His lead. 

Not that I’ve responded perfectly along the way, believe me. But thankfully the Lord has never given up on me. He has always been faithful. And He has blessed richly in spite of myself. 

I love being a pastor of a local church. I love being in the place where the Lord has brought me. I love studying His Word and leading others to do so. I love preaching the gospel of Jesus and leading people to Him. I love serving the Lord and shepherding His body of believers. I love the church despite our weaknesses and imperfections. 

There are times when I realize I’m totally unqualified to do this. Often I face situations where I’m in over my head and I don’t know what to do. I feel a lot like Jehoshaphat the king of Judah. In 2 Chronicles 20 we read that some men came and reported that a great multitude was coming up against him for battle. It was an overwhelming army, and Jehoshaphat knew he was in deep trouble. 

So what did he do when he didn’t know what to do? He “set his face to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. And Judah assembled to seek help from the Lord…” (2 Chron. 20:3-4). 

Get your Bible out and read the prayer that follows in 2 Chronicles 20:5-12. Jehoshaphat acknowledges the sovereign power and rule of Almighty God. He recalls the Lord’s faithfulness to His covenant and His promise to help in times of trouble. He presents the current situation and appeals to God’s justice for the sake of His own name. He concludes by praying, “For we are powerless against this great horde that is coming against us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.” 

That’s the heart of a man who knows his own inability, but is confidently looking to the Lord’s supernatural ability. That’s a man who recognizes that apart from Christ he can do nothing, but that in Christ nothing is impossible. That’s a man who trusts not in himself, in his own wisdom or resources, but trusts fully in the name of the Lord his God. 

That’s who I want to be when I grow up, even if I never throw a single NFL pass.

The Daily Miracle

In my previous life I spent eight years working for the Rockford Register Star, the daily newspaper in Illinois’ second largest city, at least at that time. If you’ve never been around a newspaper operation, you need to take a tour sometime. And you’d better do it soon before newspapers go the way of the dinosaur. 

I worked in classified advertising as a mild-mannered sales rep. If you wanted to hawk your collection of Beanie Babies, host a neighborhood garage sale, hire an Industrial Engineer, haul trash or hold an auction, I was your guy to call. All it took was entering your information into the system, setting up the publish dates and charging you an arm and a leg for it. 

But it took someone else to “dump” the ads. I didn’t coin that term, that’s just what they called it. Every night someone had to make sure that everything entered into the system actually came out ready to print. Kind of like eating a burrito. 

Then that person hands off the ads to someone else who begins to lay out the pages together with ads, news, obituaries, stocks, weather maps, comics, crosswords and box scores. It goes from there eventually to the press room, where the press operators set everything in motion and the magic happens.

In the meantime, there’s a whole graphic design department creating retail, real estate, automotive advertisements and more. There’s a whole team of sales professionals out showing specs and making deals. There are journalists frantically gathering and writing stories, researchers digging for information, editors proofing and creating headlines, photographers capturing newsworthy moments and editorial cartoonists humoring readers with their latest satires.

And that’s not even getting the paper out of the building. It takes an array of people to truck the papers out to the carriers, who in turn throw yours into the bushes rather than on your doorstep. Then it takes a whole army of employees in the circulation department to field your calls complaining about why your paper ended up in the bushes.

Then there’s marketing, human resources, finance and billing, administrative assistants, information tech geeks – I mean, gurus, building maintenance and cleaning people, somebody to keep the coffee fresh, and so on.  

No wonder they call it the daily miracle. Every department is dependent upon every other department. Everybody realizes this. Without working together well, that newspaper would never end up in your bushes an hour late every morning. 

Unity is essential not only in the newspaper business, but in the church as well. What do you see happen in the Bible after Jesus rises from the dead? You see the church working together. They’re dependent on each other and they know it. Reading in the book of Acts you see the church united in Christ and united with one another. 

“All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer…And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship…Now the full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul…” (Acts 1:14; 2:42; 4:32).

This is God’s design for His body, the church. This is Jesus’ plea for His followers. This is the Holy Spirit’s work in the lives of believers. Unity. Devotion. Togetherness. Teamwork. Fellowship. Being one in spirit and purpose.

“There is one body and one Spirit – just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call – one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all” (Ephesians 4:4-6). 

Why not come and be part of the daily miracle that is called the church?

The Blessing of Believing

One of the stories around Easter that almost everyone can relate to involves a young man named Thomas. Thomas is just like you and me. Not content to just believe the reports of the witnesses, Thomas had to see for himself. He wanted to examine the evidence. He would have made a good CSI detective.

You can’t blame him. He saw how it all went down. He saw the guards come into the Garden of Gethsemane with their torches and weapons. He saw them arrest and bind Jesus and lead Him away.

He was aware of the “trial” they put Jesus through. He knew how brutal a “scourging” at the hands of Roman soldiers was. He heard about the crown of thorns they twisted together and pressed upon His head.

Thomas was no dummy. When a man gets a Roman death sentence there’s no endless string of appeals and retrials. There’s no Jesse Jackson or Al Sharpton stirring up the masses to protest this great injustice.

When a man gets handed over to be crucified, that’s it. It’s all over. Death by crucifixion was the most horrible way a man could die, and the ruthless Roman soldiers were experts at putting people to death in the most horrific ways possible.

When a dead body is laid to rest in a tomb, that’s the end of story. When the stone is entrenched in place, secured, sealed and guarded by a squadron of Roman soldiers, there’s no way out. No hope for another miracle. He saved others, but now He’s gone.

So when his friends told Thomas that they had seen the Lord Jesus alive, you can understand his hesitancy to accept their report. I would have been skeptical, too.

“Alive? No way! Not after being crucified. Not with that tomb locked down. I say no way. Not unless I see for myself those nail marks in His hands. Not unless I place my finger into those marks and into His side. There’s no way I’m believing it.”

Isn’t that the doubting mind of faithless men ever since? We cry out, “Show me the money!” And refusing to believe, we condemn ourselves to a futile lifelong pursuit of something more, something real, something eternal. We search in vain for something that will satisfy the deepest longings of our heart. We seek for happiness, peace, hope, truth and meaning in life, but come up empty. We’re looking for love in all the wrong places.

Friend, may I say to you that everything your soul longs for is found in Jesus? He is the Door through which we are saved and find pasture. The devil is the thief who comes only to steal and kill and destroy. Jesus is the One who has come to give life, and give it to the full. He’s the Good Shepherd who laid down His life for the sheep.

And He not only laid down His life for us, but He also had the power and authority to take it up again. Satan has no ability to destroy Christ in death. The burly Roman soldiers had no chance to keep Him down. The stone was rolled away – not so Jesus could get out, but so we could see He’s no longer there.

When Jesus appeared eight days later to Thomas, all doubt disappeared. Thomas didn’t even need to study the case, for the very real and living presence of the King of kings and Lord of lords convinced him beyond a shadow of a doubt. All he could do was fall at Jesus’ feet and cry out, “My Lord and my God!”

Jesus responded, “Have you believed because you have seen Me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed” (John 20:29). That’s faith. That’s why we rejoice eternally in Christ. And that’s why we’re blessed.

Maybe you can relate to Thomas’ initial doubts. But please don’t stay there! See for yourself that Jesus is alive. Need a personal revelation? Then come join us Easter Sunday morning at 10:45. Come and see, believe and be blessed!

The Cleansing and Refreshing Forgiveness of Christ

It’s not my favorite thing in the world, but yesterday I mowed the yard for the first time this spring. A few days later than most of my neighbors, but done nonetheless. The first of some 30-40 times this year, I suppose, although I’m not one of those guys who mows his yard every three days. I had a neighbor like that in Ridgway. His lawn looked like a golf course. Mine always looked like it needed to be cut.

Really I’m just glad my mower started. It didn’t want to, and flat out refused, actually. The thought momentarily crossed my mind that perhaps I could get out of mowing and hire someone else to do it. Until I did the math, and even paying $3.95 a gallon for gas is still much cheaper than paying somebody to mow. And buying a new mower, well, that’s not in the budget, either.

Then I remembered that last year when the Bolen threw a fit, my neighbor came over and jump-started it. So I dug out a set of jumper cables and basically forced my lawn tractor into submission. Kind of like how I wish our puppy would learn to stay down off the kitchen table. Not that I’m thinking of using jumper cables to do the job, though.

This year, however, I’m teaching my 12-year-old son to mow. Yesterday he got his first lawn-cutting experience in by taking a few laps around the yard, and did a pretty decent job. Now we’ll see if his mother will let him take a turn with the weed eater.

Perhaps one of the reasons I’m not terribly thrilled with mowing the yard has to do with seasonal allergies. Someone suggested I wear a mask when I mow, but that just doesn’t look cool. Another reason is all the dust that kicks up and cakes from head to toe. Maybe if I took better care of the lawn there wouldn’t be as much dust, I understand. But it is what it is. I just don’t like to be all itchy and sneezy (my spell-checker says this isn’t a word but I’m using it anyway) and covered in dust.

So the first thing that happens when I finish mowing is that I go take a shower. There’s nothing like rinsing and cleansing all the grime away. It feels revitalizingly good. It’s refreshing. Amy lets me back in the house. 

And isn’t that like what happens when we let the Lord Jesus Christ cleanse us from the grime of sin in our lives? The dust of disobedience covers us from head to toe, and our souls itch to unload the guilt and shame of our sin. But when we repent from our sins and turn to Jesus, He forgives our sins and cleanses us from all unrighteousness.

King David, as well as anyone, knew what it was to be guilty of sin. Adultery. Conspiracy. Murder. By his own account he said his bones wasted away, he felt the Lord’s hand heavy upon him, and his strength was dried up as in the heat of summer.

But he also knew, perhaps better than anyone, how good it was to be forgiven. When he confessed his sin to God and did not cover up his iniquity, he found this to be true: “Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered” (Ps. 32:1). You can read his passionate prayer of repentance to the Lord in Psalm 51.

He was refreshed in body and soul. And God let him back in the house.

Friend, can I lovingly urge you to do the same? Don’t pretend that you haven’t sinned. Don’t try to cover it up. You can’t fool God. You need the cleansing that Jesus alone offers. His blood shed on Calvary is the shower of forgiveness that washes away our sins. Yes, even your sins can be blotted out, removed as far as the east is from the west. You can enjoy times of refreshing from the presence of the Lord.

The songwriter says it well:

   My sin, O the bliss of this glorious thought
   My sin, not in part, but the whole
   Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more
   Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul

Come to Jesus, and see how good it is to be forgiven.

Acknowledging God as Creator

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1).

One of the most essential, foundational, universal truths exists in this first statement in the Scripture. This fact is as non-negotiable as water is wet and as chocolate pie tastes yummy. The Lord God Almighty created the heavens and the earth.

Every building has a builder. Every novel has an author. Every piece of artwork has an artist. Somebody had to make that chocolate pie. And creation has a Creator.

Of course the Bible is unmistakably clear about this. Not only in Genesis but throughout the Scripture this truth is affirmed in numerous ways. You simply can’t believe the Bible and not believe God is the Creator. Let me offer a brief sampling:

“You alone are the Lord. You made the heavens, even the highest heavens, and all their starry host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. You give life to everything, and the multitudes of heaven worship You” (Nehemiah 9:6). 

“This is what the Lord says…It is I who made the earth and created mankind upon it. My own hands stretched out the heavens; I marshaled their starry host” (Isaiah 45:11-12).

“Through Him all things were made; without Him nothing was made that has been made” (John 1:3).

“You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being” (Revelation 4:11).

The list could go on and on. Read through Job 38-42. Read Psalm 136. Read Isaiah 40. Hebrews 1. Colossians 1. Romans 1. God is not only the Maker but also the Sustainer and Sovereign Ruler over His creation.

Personally, I take great comfort in knowing that we’re not just here by chance. The God who set the world in motion and keeps it going is the God who has a purpose and plan for every one of us. He’s the One who loves us and gives new, abundant and eternal life to those who repent from sin and trust in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.

But even those who aren’t convinced that all Scripture is “God-breathed” really have no excuse for rejecting this truth. I once heard a preacher on the radio explain it something like this: Look at the watch you’re wearing. Think about every piece of every part that went into making that watch. Before that watch was ever made, imagine if every single piece that it would take to make that watch was lying out on a table. Then imagine if you put all of those pieces into a Ziplock baggie.

How long do you suppose it would take to keep shaking that bag until suddenly all of the parts came together, assembling themselves in the form of that watch to create a timepiece that began ticking and kept perfect time? Not likely! But isn’t that something of how you have to explain the existence of the universe apart from a Creator?

Don’t you just know it somewhere in the depths of your being that there is a Creator – as you stand along the shore of the ocean stretching out so vast and mysterious before you? As you gaze into the sky on a cloudless night and are mesmerized by the multitude of stars and wonder what’s out there. As you plant the tiny seed in the ground and watch it grow to harvest. As you witness the birth of a baby, a new life conceived in the womb and now taking his first breath in the world.

If you’re honest with yourself, that’s got to resonate in your soul. God has made it plain. There is no excuse for not acknowledging Him by honoring Him and thanking Him. I think I’ll acknowledge Him now as I enjoy a piece of chocolate pie!

Serving Jesus Willingly

I want to first of all say thanks to everyone who came to the showing of “Courageous” last Friday night. I told you it was a powerful film. That makes three times I’ve seen it now, and I believe it hits home a little harder each time.

Let me also say thanks to a terrific group of volunteers from the church that made this evening possible. From the ladies working the kitchen to the childcare workers to the greeters and usher and counselors and everybody in between, thank you for caring about families in our community and serving Jesus willingly by serving others.

Speaking of serving Jesus willingly, let me introduce you to a man named Sam Winger. For 21 years Sam has willingly served the needs of the needy in the name of Jesus through Serving Jesus Willingly Urban Ministries in Springfield.

Our church had the pleasure of getting acquainted with Sam this past weekend. On Saturday we had a group of nine children and seven adults participate in Children’s Ministry Day. Our team’s ministry assignment for the day was to work on site at SJW on South Grand Ave. The day consisted primarily of sorting clothes for give-away, dismantling and disposing of an unsolicited organ donation (the kind with keys and pedals, as opposed to say a heart or kidney or something), eating lunch, which was the days’ highlight for some, and doing yard work. 

We were paired with another church group from Medora, IL. Together, and with the children doing most of the work, in just three hours we filled nearly 40 yard bags with leaves, sticks and thousands upon thousands of sweet gum balls. 

Can I just say how encouraging it is to see so many children getting involved in such meaningful service toward others? It wasn’t just our group. We were one of about 50 churches across Illinois participating in this event. Nearly 700 children and their adult leaders (many parents) spent Saturday making blankets for crisis pregnancy centers, playing games with residents at nursing homes, collecting canned goods for the hungry, delivering food to firefighters, making cards for the elderly and much more. If you’re tempted to look down upon today’s youth, you should have been there Saturday! 

But perhaps the best thing about the whole day for us was meeting Sam. I don’t have room to tell you much, but I will tell you that Sam’s heart for helping others puts mine to shame. At 75 years of age he doesn’t have to do this day in and day out. As a widower he doesn’t have to put the needs of others first. But he does, and does it willingly. There’s always a song in his heart and often on his lips. 

And let me say the center of why he is so willing is Jesus. His mission is to bring Christ, “the hope of glory,” to those without hope. His statement of faith goes like this: “We believe that Jesus is the Son of God, that He died to save all mankind from their sins, and that He is our only Savior…” That’s why Sam does what he does. 

Then talk about serving! Sam gives away clothes, food and household items and provides emergency help as needed. He also gives away Bibles, prays for his community, leads men’s Bible studies, and looks for every available opportunity to spread the Good News. Each month his ministry serves some 200-400 people in Springfield. 

Serving. Jesus. Willingly. 

I’m also glad Sam came to worship with us in Petersburg Sunday morning. He shared more of his love for the Lord and his love for others. I hope it becomes contagious. I need to get infected with this kind of love, and I pray it for the church as a whole. I think we’re getting there! Maybe the children will keep passing the bug around! Maybe the movie night volunteers will keep it going. Let’s keep serving Jesus willingly!

Tornado Hits Close to Home

Last week’s tornadoes in Southern Illinois hit a little too close to home. Our former home, anyway. Prior to moving to Petersburg in August last year, we lived in Ridgway, IL, the “Popcorn Capital of the World,” home of the Dinger baseball bats, and a town now recovering from the devastation an EF-4 twister left behind as it quickly roared through the village early last Tuesday morning.

Most of the media coverage appropriately focused on Harrisburg, where six people were killed, over a hundred injured and hundreds of homes and businesses damaged or destroyed. I did not personally know any of the deceased, but some of my pastor friends in Harrisburg conducted their funerals over the weekend.

Ridgway is about 20 miles east of Harrisburg, a town of about 900. Nearly half of the village’s 400 structures have been damaged or destroyed. Thankfully no lives were lost. The house we used to live in was not damaged, but homes only a block away suffered great loss. The local hardware store was demolished. And a particularly visible and majestic landmark, St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, was practically reduced to a pile of rubble. 

As far as I’m aware, the building with the painted mural highlighting the Ridway Eagles’ 1973 State Basketball Championship – the year in which they defeated the Porta Blue Jays on their way to the title – still stands. Just thought I’d let you know.

The St. Joseph’s church was like the Titanic, magnificent in appearance and seemingly indestructible. If you have a chance to go online to view some of the pictures of this church building, try to find what it looked like before the tornado inflicted its wrath. It’s hard to believe it’s gone.

On one hand a church building is just a building. It’s a structure made of brick and mortar, wood and stone. It’s a lifeless piece of property.

But on the other hand, any church member will tell you there’s an undeniable emotional and spiritual attachment to the building. For many in the heavily Catholic community of Ridgway, their own forefathers erected the walls of that building with their blood, sweat and tears. Many have sacrificed financially and physically to maintain and improve the building. Generations of family and friends have been baptized there, raised there, married there and buried there. It’s more than just a building.

Personally, many of the friends I had in Ridgway were Catholic, which may come as a shock to some old-school Baptists and to hardline Catholics! But I say that to say that I hurt for them in this loss. On Sunday I had the chance to speak on the phone with my friend Stephen Beatty, St. Joseph’s priest. While he understands the sorrow this tragedy has brought upon the members and the community, he’s also very encouraged the church will emerge stronger than ever. As he said reflecting on recovery efforts, “The church is not the building. The church is the people going around picking up bricks.”

True indeed. Our God is a God who brings good out of trouble. He is a Shelter in the storm, a Refuge for the hurting, a Healer of the broken and an ever-present Help in time of need. Friend, may I say that whatever storm you’re going through today, look to the King who sits enthroned above the raging rapids, the howling winds and the fiercest downpour. He is the faithful and Almighty One who gives strength to His people, turns their mourning into dancing and clothes them with gladness.

Yes, weeping may endure for the night, but joy comes with the morning (Psalm 30:5). That storm hit pretty close to home, but God’s strengthening His people, drawing the lost to seek Him, and getting the glory through it. May His name be praised!