CCC Blog

“Like a Rock”

Throughout the bible there are many people we remember for the great things they did.  David slew Goliath.  Joshua knocked down the walls of Jericho.  Elijah conquered 400 Canaanite prophets on Mt. Carmel.  But of all these great men who did great things, the greatest may be one we remember for what he didn’t do…  Joseph, the earthly father of Jesus.  Imagine Joseph’s situation.  Shortly before his wedding to Mary he finds out, from a stranger no less, that Mary is pregnant with someone else’s child.  Wouldn’t Joseph be justified if he canceled the wedding, left Mary and went off to find a partner he could more fully trust? 

Yet, Joseph is known not for any of these things he could have done, but for what he does not do.  Joseph did not run away.  Whatever hurt, anger or insecurity he may have felt, it did not get in the way from his hearing the angel of God tell him, “Don’t leave, because this child needs a father in his life and you are the one who can fill this role.”  And so he stayed… for the child’s health and happiness, if not for his own.  An infant and toddler Jesus didn’t care what kind of emotional roller coaster Joseph might have been on after the angel Gabriel sprung all of that news on him.  An infant and toddler Jesus needed Joseph to be there for him, even if he couldn’t properly say it, or understand it.  So Joseph chose to be present in Jesus’ life and to be the father that both Mary and Jesus would need.  Not only did they need Joseph, we all needed him.  Without him the story of salvation could not have been written.  Long before Jesus was able to save any of our lives, Joseph saved his.  Remember that when King Herod ordered the infant Jesus be killed, it was Joseph who sheltered and protected Jesus in Egypt until it was safe to return.  

Being a father doesn’t happen when you have your own biological child.  It  happens when we see the world through the eyes of the children you are raising.  It is to recognize their needs and to strive to meet them, even if it means sacrificing the fulfillment of our own.  And what children need more than anything is a father (and mother) present for them – there for them. 

Throughout my childhood and upbringing, my father was always there.  He organized and coached my baseball teams, kept stats for my basketball teams, took pictures at every concert and sold concessions when he wasn’t doing anything else.  He arrived early enough to watch every pregame performance of the marching band and picked me up from nearly every football practice.  He got there early for those pick-ups too.  He’d always get there to catch the last 15 minutes and all the guys learned to watch for dad’s arrival knowing that when he came practice was almost over.  A few years ago, I received an email, completely out of the blue, from an old friend.  We played junior high football together.  His dad was a big-time college football coach and a bit of a local celebrity.  I hadn’t talked with him in twenty years, but he had read something I had written about my dad’s death in 1998.  Here is a portion of what he sent me:

 …I’m sorry your dad’s gone.  I want you to know that I always looked up to him and was a little jealous of you.  He was always there.  He shared an amazing gift with you and, in a sense, with me.  My old man was always gone.  I loved him for doing something he was passionate about, but he was always at work.  I think about your pops quite often, because I’m doing what he always did.  You should know that he played an important role becoming the man and father I am today.

As much as I love hearing wonderful things about my father, this email really isn’t about my dad or his dad.  It’s about what children need – rocks of strength, support and stability in their lives.  As Joseph reminds us, having a child isn’t what makes us a parent.  True parents ask not “What is best for me?” but “What is best for the children in my life?”  Which is exactly what God – our heavenly parent did and does for us.  God walks with us, lives with us, died for us, and rose for us.  God is our rock and refuge, always there, whether green pasture or dark valley.  So fathers, make time for your children.  Be there for them.  Work hard for them and provide for their future, but not at the expense of spending time with them.  Years from now, they will remember this as the most significant thing you did.  Men, you don’t have to have children of your own to be a father.  Remember, Jesus wasn’t Joseph’s flesh and blood.  There are many children today whose own fathers can’t or won’t be the fathers they need them to be, and you may be the father figure they need.  And when you are there for them, you will be following a wonderful biblical model of fatherhood.

Blessings – Michael

“The Good Place”

I recently watched the first season of a television series called “The Good Place” which deals with the afterlife. Once people die, an architect determines    whether people end up in the Good Place or the Bad Place. Conversations among the characters revolve around why someone would be assigned to one place over another and broach significant and complex philosophical questions. 

As season one came to a close, one of the characters realizes she is actually in the Bad Place, though (spoiler alert) she thought she was in the Good Place all along. A   noteworthy observation was made that fits with themes of our reading from I Corinthians 13 this past Sunday. Motivation matters. When the character protests to the architect that she helped raise 60 million for charities during her life on earth and that this should be sufficient criteria for being assigned to the Good Place, she is reminded that her intent (motivation) was the good favor she would receive from others.  Thus, being turned inward and doing things primarily for the good feelings or accolades afforded oneself – even if, consequentially, beneficial outcomes are derived in the process – is ultimately not “good” at all. 

The Dalai Lama similarly said in a recent interview, that all suffering has as its origin individuals turned inward on themselves. When we seek to serve our own interests, the inevitable outcomes will be pain and sorrow – for ourselves and others. Perhaps not right away or in the short run.  But over time this will always be the case.

This is the essence of I Corinthians 13.  Paul says that all the talent and ability in the world – even the spiritual giftedness we have received from God, as generous and benevolent our actions may be, are nothing if not rooted in love.  Such things are as useful as a “noisy gong or a clanging cymbal” (read: not useful at all!). Love is the desired motivation. For Love is necessarily and primarily turned outward and seeks first to satisfy the interests and well being of others over its own. Love is actively and voluntarily sacrificial, seeking the best for someone or something else, regardless of the benefit it may receive in the process. 

It is human nature to satisfy our own interests first, which is why Paul speaks this way about love.  The love he references is really God’s love for us.  God is forever seeking to sacrifice Godself for our best good.  This was revealed most clearly in the gift of Jesus Christ given up for our salvation (our ultimate “best good”).  And it is witnessed countless times over, in every moment when God is patient with us and not irritable with us (though we provide plenty of reasons and occasions for God to be impatient and irritable). And in our humble acceptance of this love, we are able, by grace, to live in that love and for that love.  And when that happens???  We help build a beloved community and the Good Place is not merely something we enjoy in the afterlife, we experience it in the here and now. 

Blessings – Michael

“Introducing… On-line Giving!”

I wanted to take this opportunity to share with you something exciting now taking place at Central.  In an effort to be faithful stewards with what God has entrusted to us, we are proud to announce that we now offer some new on-line giving options.  Please note, we will still be accepting offerings and donations in all of the ways we currently do.  So if you have no interest in doing anything differently, that is absolutely fine.  But what we offering now has been a long-time coming and I want to thank the stewardship department, our treasurer and financial team, our vice-president of administration, and our church office staff for doing the lion’s share of the work to make this a reality. 

Why are we undertaking this opportunity at Central?  First, it provides flexibility for our members to give how they want to, regardless of day or time.  As our world becomes increasingly more digital, this feature allows members and friends of Central to give in ways that are more compatible with their method of making other payments.  Secondly, it will help all of us better develop a habit of giving regularly.  Online donors will be able to set up a recurring donation to the church by using a credit or debit card.  Thirdly, this allows us to connect with the next generation which is one of our core values.  We will still collect offerings the traditional way on Sunday mornings and you can certainly continue to write checks or donate cash. But younger generations are used to making payments online and this allows us to provide the means for them to be faithful stewards in a manner that is comfortable to them.  Finally, research over the last 10 years has shown that churches who embrace online giving notice an increase in consistency of gifts received, as well as in the overall amount of contributions received annually.

How does online giving work?  You will have the option of using our website (www.cccdisciples.org), clicking on “GIVE” on the homepage and registering as a New User.  You will then be able to make payments to the operating fund, building fund (capital campaign), memorial fund and any designated fund or special offering you choose.  You can also contribute with your smart phone by downloading a special App that will sync with your online account. 

In the Welcome Center you can pick up a card with step-by-step instructions for getting started.  And you may attend an orientation tutorial on Sunday June 10.  We’ll be offering the tutorial three (3) times that day: at 9:00 a.m., 10:00 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. (after each one of our services).  These will be held in the Connection Café.  Should you miss the tutorial, we will be happy to email you the step-by-step power point.  We believe that financial giving is one of the ways we express our faithfulness to Jesus Christ.  As a pastor, I believe it is the church’s responsibility to offer everything it can to help people live out that mark of faithfulness.  To that end, I am absolutely thrilled that Central is offering online giving and am confident that this is something that will benefit us for years to come.  

“The Gospel Embodied”

This weekend we wrapped up our sermon series “The Great Exchange” based on stories in John 20.  After Jesus’ resurrection, he appeared to his followers in different ways.  We spent a week each on the figures of Peter, John, Mary Magdalene, the disciples (as a group) and the disciple Thomas (in particular). Ultimately, we noted that John closes his gospel by commenting that Jesus did “many other things” that are not contained in this book (the gospel / bible)  because no book in the world could hold everything Jesus did and said were indeed everything recorded.

It is true, and something we often experience at a funeral service.  After family and friends come forward to speak words of eulogy for the deceased, I will often say something to the effect that “even if we stayed here all day and night, we wouldn’t have enough time to convey what this person meant to us.”  How do we accurately report what our dearest loved ones mean to us?  How do we accurately report the full weight of Jesus’ life on earth?  We don’t.  We can’t.  Which means that we don’t know everything Jesus said and did and will always have unanswered questions to the historical life he lived.  But what is recorded in scripture is enough to believe. 

My mother’s role in my life is a living illustration of this truth for me.  From an early age, I found it much easier to open up to mom.  I loved my dad and knew he loved me.  But he wasn’t overly warm and didn’t always express emotions of compassion very easily.  But mom???  She was warmth personified.  Mom was a “hugger” – not afraid to be physical like that.  And every time I left the house, whether it was for long trip or a day or evening out, mom would drop whatever she was doing, walk to the front door, and hold my cheeks in her face, smile, and whisper to me “be careful.”  Even today, as I near the age of 50, before she hangs up at the end of phone conversation, mom will say in hushed tones, “Slow down and get your rest.”  When I reached the high school and college years and asked my parents for advice about possible summer jobs, my mom  was always a proponent of “do-what-you-love-the-money-will-follow.”  She wanted me to find work that would bring me happiness, regardless of how much it paid.  My father, on the other hand, was of the “how-will-you-pay-for-it?” school of thought.  He consistently reminded me of the reality that there is a cost to everything in life.   When it came to sharing, I wasn’t necessarily afraid to open up to my dad, but I honestly looked forward to sharing my insecurities and vulnerabilities with mom.

I don’t intend to make my mother out to be a saint.  She and I are both too  honest for that kind of implication.  There were many times when she didn’t have the answers I was looking for.  Or when she couldn’t offer explanations that would have been helpful.  But I have never doubted her love for me.  And in the last analysis isn’t that a personification of John’s Gospel?  For God so loved the world…  Love is the essence of the Gospel.  Communicating love is essential.  Having unlimited answers and explanations is not.  Which is why John reminds us that there were “many other things” Jesus did which are not written down.  To remind us that there will always be empty spaces that our answers and explanations can’t fill.  But everything John gave us in his 21 chapters on Jesus’ life is enough: enough to generate faith in us.  Similarly, all the love my mom has shown me – and continues to show me – is enough to embody the spirit of the Gospel and sustain that faith in me. 

Blessings – Michael