I'm reminded of a Golden Girls quote on the occasion of Betty White's passing today...
SOPHIA: Esther Weinstock is dead. We grew up together. She was my best friend.
DOROTHY: Oh, I'm so sorry! What happened?
SOPHIA: (sarcastically) She was fighting an oil-rig fire in the Gulf of Mexico. (snapping) SHE WAS 88!
ROSE: Well, it's great that she was able to work right up to the end.
December sees not only Advent and the beginning of Christmas, but (appropriately enough) the Feast of Saint Nikolaos of Myra — aka Saint Nicholas!
Born some 280 years after Jesus in Patara, part of Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey), Nikolaos lived under the shadow of the Roman Empire during its time of transition from persecuting the faithful to nascent Christendom.
Orphaned at a young age by wealthy parents, Nikolaos received a substantial inheritance and was raised by his uncle, the Bishop of Patara.
Eventually, Nikolaos became a bishop himself, serving in the ancient Greek city known as Myra, also located in modern-day Turkey.
Ministering to the early Christian community here, he took to wearing red clerical robes.
He is said to have encouraged a culture of generosity among the people he served, saying “The Giver of every good and perfect gift has called upon us to mimic God’s giving, by grace, through faith and not of ourselves.”
Many tales surround Nikolaos’ own legendary generosity, none more poignant than that of three young sisters and their impoverished father.
In the sisters’ time and culture, they were likely destined to a life of forced prostitution, with their father unable to pay proper dowries to potential suitors.
When Nikolaos learned of this, he intervened by providing an abundance of gold to each of the girls as they came of marrying age, coming under the cover of night so as not to bring shame upon the family.
Their benefactor was a mystery to them, though the second girl, hoping similar gifts would be coming her way, allegedly set her stockings out the night before her birthday, which were in turn filled with gold.
When the final sister came of marrying age, their father stayed up all night to see who this elusive gift-giver was. Nikolaos, crafty in his generosity, tossed his final bountiful gift through the chimney so as to avoid detection.
Various miracles were also attributed to Nikolaos (and his relics, or remains) in the following centuries; he was eventually recognized as a saint, and considered a patron saint of children, sailors, merchants, thieves, and pawnbrokers!
To honor him and his legacy, people around Europe in the Middle Ages exchanged gifts on the day of his death, December 6.
In time, stories of his generosity and miracles traveled the globe. Saint Nikolaos became known to many as “Saint ‘Klaus,” …aka Santa Claus.
How do we maintain a finely-tuned conscience, honor rooted in dignity, and bold, clever generosity in these trying times?
May the spirit of Christ and Nikolaos remain with you this season as you discover your own answers to this question, inspiring you to fresh expressions of radical given-ness!
Leaders are learners; the moment you stop learning is also the moment you stop leading.
To that end, here’s a list of the books that I am currently reading while on a Staycation.
Deep & Wide by Andy Stanley — I originally read this amazing book when it first came out. I had NO IDEA that Andy’s church was birthed out of a painful church split. I find myself underlining new sentences this second time through the book with an additional ten years of leadership experience under my belt.
The Fate of the Apostles by Dr. Sean McDowell — I believe this book was McDowell’s doctorate thesis. Very detailed, weaving together all the ancient writings and historical documents we have on the original Apostles and their deaths between 30 AD - circa 90 AD.
Improvise by Mick Napier — I was fortunate to study under Mick Napier in the late 1990’s as Mick was directing The Second City’s Paradigm Lost, an award-winning, ground-breaking improvised revue starring then-unknown comedians like Scott Adsit (30 Rock), Kevin Dorff (Conan), Rachel Dratch (SNL), and Tina Fey (SNL, 30 Rock). I wrote about my experiences during this season of my life in my bestseller, Holy Shift.
The Satisfied Soul by John Piper — So, so good for my soul.
Mornings & Evenings by C.H. Spurgeon — Revisiting this old classic and being reminded again of just how big God is.
The Visual Word: Illustrated Outlines of the New Testament by Dr. Patrick Schreiner — Beautiful illustrations and fantastic summaries of each section of each New Testament narrative. A great addition for personal Bible Study.
The Emotionally Healthy Leader by Pete Scazerro — This past year I have been seeking to grow into a more healthy spiritual leader. Amber and I loved the original by Scazzero and can’t wait to feast more on these pages!
Like millions of Americans, I was flabbergasted and deeply saddened January 6th by the words and behaviors flying across social media sites and news programs.
The Washington Post had a heckuva lede in telling the story:
Every person who cherishes their democratic freedoms should feel shaken today.
This is was not democracy in action; this was an attempted coup.
I say this as a pastor and a student of history.
For what it’s worth, here are 3 Pastoral Thoughts on the Washington, D.C. Insurrection:
Like Daniel, we are exiles. As C.S. Lewis once said, “We were made for Another World.”
Waving Confederate flags, Jesus 2020 banners, and political signs to the cameras while forcefully desecrating a place of government cherished by millions is not how we will reach the world for Christ.
”Do not put your trust in princes, in human beings, who cannot save.
Blessed are those whose help is from the God of Jacob,
whose hope is in the LORD their God.”
(Psalm 146: 3 + 5)
What happened on January 6th makes self-professing Christians look crazier than Mike Tyson in a Spelling Bee.
Gen Z was just handed yet another pitiful example of what happens when you mix politics with religion: you get politics. You want to know why the younger generation has stopped going to church? It’s because they’ve been to a church.
There is a difference between making a point and making a difference. Wednesday’s actions did neither.
With so many entertainment and news options offered by whomever we choose to follow on social media / radio / streaming news services, we now live in a time where we can self-isolate within a chosen media echo chamber.
False narratives are unhealthy (and ultimately are what led religious people to crucify Jesus!). Rhetoric is not just empty words; the Scriptures warn us over and over about how the tongues has the power of life and death.
"Do not call conspiracy all that this people calls conspiracy, and do not fear what they fear, nor be in dread. But the Lord of hosts, Him you shall honor as holy. Let Him be your fear, and let Him be your dread.”
(Isaiah 8:12-13)
Let’s choose our fears wisely.
The more you pursue an idol, the less it delivers and the more it demands.
Let’s choose conversation over condemnation.
Jesus said His kingdom is not of this world, for if it was His servants would fight (John 18:36).
Peter struck out with sword, but Jesus said, "No more of this!" (Luke 22:49-51).
Love is:
• patient
• kind
• does not boast
• not arrogant
• not rude
• not irritable
• not resentful
• does not rejoice at wrongdoing
• bears all things
• believes the best
(1 Corinthians 13)
As a pastor, I was disappointed seeing social media responses in the Insurrection’s aftermath from Christians: conspiracy theories, leaps of logic, trumpeting freedom of speech over loss of life.
As a father of three African-American children, I cringed.
The ugliness of white privilege was emerging from within public, online posts from Christians.
The Facebook comments I was reading were coming from my own friends.
Please, please, pause and reflect before posting about any correlations with last summer’s racial tensions.
As Jesus pleaded with the Father, in your anger you know not what you are doing (posting).
Please consider taking some time to try and understand why your African-American and Muslim friends are seeing January 6th’s words and behaviors through a different lens.
We can all make room for more historical education and understanding and empathy in our lives.
Maintaining a posture of humility and teachability is a prerequisite for following Jesus.
In closing, thank you for being open to hearing my thoughts.
I am not perfect.
I am not infallible.
By the grace of God, I am who I am today.
For my part, my door is always open for conversation and understanding.
In Christ, the best is yet to come!
2020 has been the most complex year I've ever experienced as a lead pastor.
Last night, I was talking with my wife about our emotional health as we approach the end of the year.
"I just feel so broken," she shared with honesty and transparency.
Turns out, we all feel like we're running on empty.
You are not alone.
A 2013 study from the Schaeffer Institute reports that 1,700 pastors leave the ministry each month, citing depression, burnout, or being overworked as the primary reasons.
According to the study, 90% of pastors report working 55 to 70 hours a week, and 50% of them feel unable to meet the demands of the job.
Brian Dodd states that pastoring has one of the top three suicide rates of any profession.
He admonishes congregation members for not supporting their faithful leaders.
He claims that complaining, often inconsiderate members increase the stress and expect too much of their pastors.
Reasons for Pastoral Burnout
Some of the common causes for pastor burnout are:
Scott Sauls said that oftentimes, pastors feel “lonely” within their own communities.”
“Case in point, 2020,” he said. “You've got this dynamic where reality is 70% of pastors right now around America are looking for another job.”
Because of the pandemic, many pastors feel “ghosted” by their congregations, the pastor said.
“Our people feel like they're still with us because they see us and hear us from their living rooms, and yet, we just have this complete void of relationship,” he explained. “Oftentimes, people treat the church as a consumer good, [but pastors] see the church as our family ... so the dynamic of loneliness and isolation is amplified in a time like this.”
The current “negativity of environment” is often “taken out” on caregivers like pastors and therapists, Sauls contended.
“It really is the perfect emotional storm right now for pastors,” he said. “Fighting against isolation is utterly essential.”
Need A Lift?
I don't claim to have all the answers, but I do know based on these stats and my own experience in 2020, we need each other.
You can't do life and leadership alone.
Even Jesus did ministry with a team!
I would be honored to welcome you to our weekly online Coaching Cohort -- for a limited time at no cost, no strings attached.
Like you, I'm concerned about pastors and leaders feeling isolated and alone.
Let's change that.
REGISTER NOW to join us this Tuesday, 10am EST on Zoom.
Three of my children are African-American.
Before they entered my life, I did not fully understand.
Now when I see the news, their faces always flash through my mind.
It could be MY son or MY daughter.
It's personal.
None of us with white skin have pain because of our skin color.
My friends with different skin have stories. If you don’t know this get to know some folks.
Race conversations are uncomfortable but we need fearless leaders, especially in the church.
Ahmaud should be celebrating 26 today.
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I knew Darrin Patrick when I was a church planter assessor for Acts 29 Network years ago.
His understanding of the Gospel sharpened me in ministry and life.
I was stunned by the news today of his death.
I am praying for his family today.
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Ravi Zacharias' battle with terminal cancer is coming to a close.
He is a giant of Christian Apologetics.
His books line my bookselves.
It's been a heavy day with the weight of reality in the news.
One day we will read Death's obituary:
He will wipe away every tear from their eyes
and eliminate death entirely.
No one will mourn or weep any longer.
The pain of wounds will no longer exist,
for the old order has ceased.”(Revelation 21:4, The Passion Translation)
When you have 5 children who all love to wake up at the crack of dawn, you go to bed early like I do.
I was sound asleep last night, sawing logs, when my wife's cell phone buzzed.
It was around midnight, I was groggily awakened, and my Dad (who lives in Cleveland) wanted to talk:
"Jon, I have some bad news," he began.
"I know you were at The White House last week. Turns out you may have been exposed to that Coronavirus that's all over the news by someone at your Washington briefing.
You should go and get tested. You might have a lethal disease.
Maybe you need to self-isolate for 14 days. This virus is killing people.
Okay, well, that's all. Have a good night!"
Turns out I was not exposed to the Coronavirus.
But I can't blame my Dad for being anxious.
Everywhere you turn, people are talking about the coronavirus.
The evening news is trumpeting The End Of Civilization As We Know It.
There’s a lot of panic.
In some ways, I think the viral fear about it may be worse than the virus itself.
Don't get me wrong: If you are above age 60 or have underlying health conditions, there is reason to be alert to this virus.
But let's not lose our dang minds: God is bigger than the coronavirus. Don’t be afraid.
You have permission to not freak out about coronavirus.
Yes, we all should step up our hand washing game and listen to health professionals.
But God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and love and of a sound mind. (2 Timothy 1:7).
Some of you need to sit back and take in the big picture.
Don’t over-react. Don’t under-react. Just experience God’s peace and walk in wisdom.
Here's what the Scriptures tell us about the season we're in:
You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday. A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you. (Psalm 91:5-7)
No evil shall befall you, nor shall any plague come near your dwelling; for He shall give His angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways. (Psalm 91:10-11)
Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life? Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest? (Jesus in Luke 12:25-26)
Peace I leave with you; My peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. (Jesus in John 14:27)
I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world. (Jesus in John 16:33)
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Every church leader longs for their people to not just buy into the unique vision God has for their church, but to actually own the vision personally.
When volunteers choose to make the ministry their ministry, when ordinary people attempt extraordinary steps of faith for the Lord, and when the hearts of people in your church beat faster dreaming about what could be and what should be, the Kingdom of God moves forward faster!
At Life Church, the vision is to Reach the Lost at Any Cost.
We are all about Jesus - dangerously, obsessively, undeniably Jesus.
Our tribe is willing to do the things nobody else is doing in order to reach the people nobody else is reaching!
Jesus spoke all these things to the crowd in parables; he did not say anything to them without using a parable.
(Matthew 13:34)
Jesus always taught using stories that people could understand.
The Son of God connected spiritual truths with sticky stories that anyone could remember and connect with.
Since God created us with minds that are hungry for stories, I say why not reach people far from God by leveraging the Star Wars stories with the Christmas story?!
For example, our current outreach series is Star Wars Christmas - We're sharing the story from a long time ago in a Bethlehem far, far away!
When we first attempted this ambitious approach to sharing the message of Christ back in 2015, God gave us favor with the Associated Press and our reach was extended as far away as Time Magazine's Money, USA Today, and The Washington Times!
When D.L. Moody was attempting to reach street orphans in Chicago with the Gospel back in the 1800's, he did something extraordinary: He rented a Saloon for Sunday School on Sunday nights! To get children in the door, he offered free candy, pony rides, and pennies. And his outreach methods worked!
The only pushback Moody received was from religious people. Moody's response is my motto:
"I prefer the way I do evangelism to the way you don't."
What excites me most is seeing our Lifers own the outreach and running with it!
Nothing brings a bigger smile to my face than hearing stories of Lifers texting friends and talking about Star Wars at work as a bridge toward a Sunday invite.
Every invitation is an opportunity.
Every opportunity is one step closer toward the Gospel.
And making heaven crowded is our endgame!
