We love this place. Friday Harbor, Washington. Yes, it is stunningly beautiful, it is also the best opportunity you will have to see Orca’s, in the wild, from land. Each year people visit the harbor with the hope that they will see one or two Orcas from the pods that call this part of Puget Sound home.

On this recent trip I commented to Cheryl, “This place is even more beautiful then I remember.” (We were last in Friday Harbor 4 years ago).

I loved her response.

“Part of what makes Friday Harbor so beautiful is that they are offering hope.”

She’s right. We actually met a family who saw their hope become a reality when a baby orca swam up to their boat. It was an amazing video. It’s also the closest our family came to an orca.

Obviously, any earthly hope pales in comparison to the hope offered to us by Jesus. This is the hope Paul wrote about to the church in Thessalonica:

“We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.” I Thessalonians 1:3

Hope is a beautiful thing.

It can give courage to the afraid.

It can give peace to the anxious.

It can give a voice to the marginalized.

It can give joy to the depressed.

Hope is beautiful.

Don’t ever lose it!

Don’t ever stop offering it to others!

The greatest difference is made through a humble heart. On Sunday I shared this prayer with my church and wanted to share it here as well (not original with me). You can listen to the message here. We often pray for the courage, resources, and power to make a difference with our lives, but we forget to pray for humility. Join me:

O Jesus! meek and humble of heart, Hear me.
From the desire of being esteemed, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being loved, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being extolled, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being honored, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being praised, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being preferred, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being consulted, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being approved, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being humiliated, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being despised, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of suffering rebukes, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being calumniated, Deliver me, Jesus
From the fear of being forgotten, Deliver me, Jesus
From the fear of being ridiculed, Deliver me, Jesus
From the fear of being wronged, Deliver me, Jesus
From the fear of being suspected, Deliver me, Jesus
That others may be loved more than I, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be esteemed more than I, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That, in the opinion of the world, others may increase and I may decrease, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be chosen and I set aside, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be praised and I unnoticed, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be preferred to me in everything, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may become holier than I, provided that I may become as holy as I should, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.

– Rafael Cardinal Merry del Val

Patriotic holidays and expressions are complicated for me. Do not get me wrong, I feel grateful for the freedoms that I have and thankful to live where I live. I enjoy fireworks, sparklers, and bomb pops, but still, it’s complicated. It is complicated because….

I am the son of a Vietnam era veteran. My dad was drafted into that war, absolutely did not want to go, and yet, served faithfully. He faced lifelong obstacles as the result of this service. His views on patriotism were complicated because of how he was treated when he returned home. I suppose he may have passed some of that on to me.

I am the pastor of a local church. I completely understand that some people love patriotic expressions in church, but my role as a pastor is to point people to Jesus.  This creates tension.  Like I said…it is complicated. I have learned to live in the tension, but I have also learned to seek compromise and build bridges whenever I can on this issue. I believe it is possible to express gratitude to God for our freedoms and at the same time point people to Jesus.   

I am the citizen of a country that continues to move away from God.  Rather than participate in a celebration, I often feel like issuing a call to repentance.  “We need to repent” does not have the same catchy sound as “God Bless America.”  Side rant: it should not be any mystery to us how to arrive in place of God’s blessing as people and as a nation. Matthew 5 outlines this very clearly. Instead of an entitled feeling that God should bless us no matter what, our nation should read Matthew 5, look in the mirror, and come back to Him. At the same time, I think it is good to celebrate the good, noble, and excellent parts of our country.  Ugh…. it is complicated.

As we enter a very patriotic weekend…celebrate, and have some fun. Understand that for some people, this is a complicated holiday and do not be offended by or run away from the complexity. It is in the complexity that conversation can take place and we can all grow. In a way, more conversation and understanding might be the most patriotic thing we do all weekend.

Liberty and justice for all.

Written in 1892, the pledge of allegiance was written to remind Americans of two great ideas that should unify us all. First, we are endowed by our Creator with certain rights, among those, liberty. Freedom to pursue our dreams and live our lives.  Freedom to make our own choices. Second, justice for all, that if your freedom is impeded, if you are wronged, every person deserves a just path to pursue in order to make things right.

Unfortunately, we have become so politicized in this country that new ideas have taken hold. Liberty and justice for all has been replaced by political victory and power. Freedom has taken a back seat to victory and justice has taken a back seat to power. The pursuit of these ideas has led to an incredible breakdown of unity in our nation. Power and control are not exactly ideas that promote or encourage unity.

Our nation has settled for less, may the same thing never be said of the church.

In every church experiencing major conflict, 2 things are true:

First, there was a time that church was unified around big ideas. Worshipping Jesus, serving the community, and teaching people to follow God to name a few.

Second, there came a time when these big ideas were replaced with power and control. Big ideas (Jesus) were replaced by lesser ideas.

A passion to worship Jesus was replaced by a passion about masks.

A desire to serve the community was replaced by a desire to see my songs sung.

A longing to teach people was replaced by a longing to get my way.

Power and control.

The Apostle Paul addressed a church division in the book of 1 Corinthians. The Christians in that church were arguing over which teacher was best. Sound silly? I am not sure it is any sillier than arguing over politics, masks, music, or seating in the church. Here is what he wrote:

Brothers and sisters, I could not address you as people who live by the Spirit but as people who are still worldly—mere infants in Christ. ² I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready. ³ You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere humans? ⁴ For when one says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,” are you not mere human beings?

⁵ What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe—as the Lord has assigned to each his task. 1 Corinthians 3

Quarreling and jealousy are described as infantile, worldly, and merely human. Later he will describe the argument as wasted work. No church wants to feel like their efforts are wasted, but the truth is, a church that is divided over the less important is engaging in wasted work. They need to keep their eyes focused on the most important. The work that really matters most.

I am concerned about the church. I am hearing about churches, almost daily, that are experiencing great conflict over mask mandates, political viewpoints, and how to engage in spending during uncertain times.  Some of these conflicts are making the worship wars of the 1990’s look like a kids water gun fight.

Repentance is needed.

Recalibration is needed.

Refocus is needed.

The church needs to focus right now, because we have a light, hope, and peace that can make a difference in our world. People will not be able to hear it if all they hear is our infighting. They will not be able to see it if all they see is conflict. We can do better.

This is a question that I am hearing people ask a lot these days. As you know, there are passionate voices on both sides. Let me start by articulating, to the best of my ability, both sides of the argument:

Pro Vaccine Argument:

1. This is a dangerous and, at times, deadly virus that is extremely contagious. We should all do our part, in the name of safety, to end this pandemic.
2. We should all want the lock downs to end and get back to some semblance of normal in our lives, for this reason everyone should be vaccinated.

Con Vaccine Argument:

1. This vaccine has been rushed and we have no idea what the long term consequences could be in 10 or 20 years.

Full transparency: I’m not answering the question, “Should I be vaccinated?” Why?

I honestly believe that this would fit in the category of what the Bible calls “disputable matters.” Disputable matters are matters where two, Jesus’ loving, Bible believing, Christians can examine the same topic and arrive at different opinions. The Bible actually has a lot to say about how we treat one another when it comes to disputable matters. In Romans 14, Paul is trying to sort out the “disputable matters” of whether a Christian should eat meat sacrificed to an idol and whether a Christian should celebrate certain festivals. Here is what Paul wrote:

Accept the one whose faith is weak, without quarreling over disputable matters. ² One person’s faith allows them to eat anything, but another, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables. ³ The one who eats everything must not treat with contempt the one who does not, and the one who does not eat everything must not judge the one who does, for God has accepted them. ⁴ Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To their own master, servants stand or fall. And they will stand, for the Lord is able to make them stand.

⁵ One person considers one day more sacred than another; another considers every day alike. Each of them should be fully convinced in their own mind. ⁶ Whoever regards one day as special does so to the Lord. Whoever eats meat does so to the Lord, for they give thanks to God; and whoever abstains does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God. ⁷ For none of us lives for ourselves alone, and none of us dies for ourselves alone. ⁸ If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. ⁹ For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living. Romans 14.

First, enjoy your freedom. Read and research. Pray and seek advice from trusted medical professionals. Decide for you and your family. Live with the benefits and with the consequences of that decision.

Second, do not treat with contempt or judge your neighbor. This has been a difficult year for everyone involved and, just like you, they are trying to make the best decision possible. Their decision on this issue shouldn’t impact the way you love and care for them at all. Paul was more concerned with how people treated each other than he was answering their question. I feel the same way.

Third, make sure you have full faith in the Lord. Disputable matters are important, but the most important thing is that we know, honor, and follow Jesus. Let’s do that well in 2021.

Fourth, enjoy the reality that, whatever you decide to do, you are probably right. 🙂

Easter is coming up in just a few weeks. You probably have some traditions that you engage with this time of year: coloring Easter eggs, family dinners, or new pastel clothes. Easter, as a holiday, brings a ton of fun and joy to families.

Easter, as a spiritual remembrance of the resurrection of Jesus, was never meant to be celebrated just one time a year. The resurrection was designed to be internalized and lived out every single day. Easter every day!  The resurrection, at rest in our hearts and minds, makes a profound difference.

Easter every day reminds us we have a savior who conquered His grave.  We live each day remembering that He is our king, and we follow Him.

Easter every day reminds us that the same power that rose Jesus from the dead is at work in us. We are confident that we have the power we need to live the life He has called us to live.

Easter every day reminds us that because Jesus resurrected, we too will be resurrected. We are not afraid of death and live each day at peace, having hope in our eternal life.

Easter every day reminds us that our sins are forgiven. We are not far away from God, rather, He is someone we can draw close to every day for help, joy, hope, and peace.

April 4th might be Easter Sunday, but the resurrection can be observed and celebrated every day.

There has been a political divide within Christendom for years. There are more progressive believers that tend to vote Democrat and there are more conservative believers that tend to vote Republican.  Neither side can understand how the other can be a Christian and vote the way they do. It has been this way my entire life.

This is the first time I can remember such a divide over one candidate. President Trump has been the subject of much debate. Is he a Christian politician? Should Christians vote for Trump?  Is he good for Christianity? Christians will go to the mat and fight for their position on this subject. It has been ugly. I’ve seen friendships end, families divided, and the unity of the church compromised.

What has caused such a divide when it comes to the President?

While you could point to many different issues, I think it comes down to differences on political governance and personal character:

The political governance argument is that Trump’s leadership and decisions are aligned with many conservative Christian values.  He has been pro life in his judicial nominees and pro personal freedom. He has been good for Christianity. Those that argue this point of view are passionate.

The personal character argument is that President Trump has demonstrated serious lapses in righteousness and holiness. I’ve heard people say that he is immoral and possibly not a follower of Jesus. Those that argue this point of view are passionate.

The truth is that both arguments are partially correct.

You would think this truth would create some unity and grace within the Christian community. Those in the political governance camp would see and understand the concerns of the personal character group. Those in the personal character group would see and accept the position of those who appreciate Trump’s political governance. We would hold hands at the end and sing a song.

But this has not happened. Why? It is so easy. Simple. Where is the love?

Unity surrounding the imperfect will always be difficult at best and impossible at worst. Trump isn’t perfect, his policies haven’t been perfect, and his character hasn’t been perfect. Unity is going to be tough.

One of the big mistakes of Christendom has been the assumption we must have unity around one political candidate or system. If we are honest, perfectly righteous and holy has never been on the ticket. Every candidate is flawed in policy and character.

It is a waste of time insisting that Christians be unified around Trump. Or Bush. Or Obama. These are flawed leaders and there will always be arguments against policy and character that make sense to many Christians.

These disagreements should be handled with grace, love, and respect. That has been missing from our national dialogue for a long time. But unity? It is probably not happening. Unity around the imperfect is too difficult.

Unity around the perfect is a different story. When Christians are unified about Jesus, the world is changed. Lives are transformed. Families experience healing. It starts with Jesus.

His name needs to be great.

His righteousness needs to be embraced.

His way needs to be followed.

His grace accepted.

Because Jesus and His ways are perfect, unity is possible. It is needed. It will change everything.

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.  By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” John 13

Jesus knew that this was not a brand new command. There was a rich history throughout the Old Testament of loving your neighbor, treating people well, and serving others. About half the ten commandments have to do with loving others well.

So, why does Jesus call this command new?

It wasn’t new in that people had never heard of it, it was new in that not many people were practicing it. They knew they were supposed to be honest, kind, and respectful. They knew it intellectually but practically it wasn’t happening.

Sound familiar?

2020 revealed many shortcomings in our culture: we weren’t really prepared economically, structurally, or politically to weather this storm. In addition to all that, we weren’t prepared to love people in a high stress, super charged, and divided culture. It’s hard to love in crisis. We weren’t ready.

I’m guessing you’ve heard the command love one another a hundred times. You’ve heard it preached, listened to the songs, and read the devotionals. Perhaps you’ve even seen a Hallmark movie or two. Maybe it feels old. Cliché. Exactly what you’d expect a blogger to write.

Yet, Jesus says….a new command. Is it possible that our culture loves the idea of love but we don’t love the practice of it? What makes this command so new and so special is that not many people are doing it well. Are you?

I know that I am not. A quick read of I Corinthians 13 (the love chapter) leaves me feeling convicted. Love is patient (gulp). Love is kind (nervously shifting in my seat). Love keeps no record of wrongs (I’m moving on to Revelation). I have lots of opinions, thoughts, and ideas, but I have often neglected the greatest command….to love.

As we enter a new year may we embrace this new command with a passion. May we love well, show tons of grace, and treat people with respect. May we love our neighbors, friends, and yes, even our enemies. If we do, we will shine like stars in the universe, fireworks in the dark sky, and a city on a hill that cannot be hidden.

A new year full of opportunity to practice a new command.

One of the qualities I observed about my dad when I was growing up was he was always trying. He’d enroll in Dale Carnegie courses, Marriage Enrichment, or Zig Ziglar. There were different diets and exercise plans. He learned Greek, picked up Chess, studied the book of Romans, enrolled in college courses, and read the complete works of Shakespeare.

He continued to try.

Life had not exactly been easy for my dad. Home life was at times difficult. In his young adult life he was drafted into a war that left permanent physical and mental challenges. These challenges took a toll.

He continued to try.

Trying is a noble quality in a person. It requires a level of grit and determination to refuse to accept the deck you have been dealt. To refuse to accept your present reality as your permanent reality. To refuse to simply throw in the towel.

We have been dealt a difficult hand this year. You might wonder what you can do during this season of difficulty. Today, I am remembering a lesson I learned from dad years ago….

You can try.

You can try and learn a new skill.

You can try and pick up a new hobby.

You can try and enroll in an online course.

You can try and master a book of the Bible.

You can try and learn a new language.

You can try and make a difference.

You can try.

Should a Christian vote for Donald Trump? This was the subject matter of a debate I recently watched between two evangelical leaders. It was filled with passionate exchanges and was well debated. That being said, it left me wondering if this is a conversation we should be having at all. I have always shied away from telling or even intimating to people how I vote and I’ve certainly never articulated to people publicly how they should vote. My reasons for staying clear of this conflict are simple:

I don’t want to indicate that a human leader is the answer. I am reminded of a story from the Old Testament (I Samuel 8) when Israel asks God for a human king. The intention was that God would be their king but they wanted to be like the neighboring countries and have a human king rule over them. This was God’s response:

Samuel told all the words of the Lord to the people who were asking him for a king.  He said, “This is what the king who will reign over you will claim as his rights: He will take your sons and make them serve with his chariots and horses, and they will run in front of his chariots.  some he will assign to be commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties, and others to plow his ground and reap his harvest, and still others to make weapons of war and equipment for his chariots.  He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers.   He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive groves and give them to his attendants.  He will take a tenth of your grain and of your vintage and give it to his officials and attendants.   Your male and female servants and the best of your cattle  and donkeys he will take for his own use.   He will take a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves will become his slaves.   When that day comes, you will cry out for relief from the king you have chosen, but the Lord will not answer you in that day. 1 Samuel 8: 10-18

We are not Israel and we are not electing a king, but this text teaches us an important truth: human leadership will often let us down. Why? Because they are humans. They have flaws, weaknesses, shortcomings, and sin. Pastorally, I never want to intimate to people that a human leader is the answer. I want to spend my time on Sunday morning pointing people to Jesus. A leader worth following, listening to, and worshipping.

I don’t want to indicate that there is a fully righteous choice. The moral flaws and failings of our candidates have been well documented. It would be easy for a follower of Jesus to identify the public sin of either candidate. An endorsement of a specific candidate can easily be seen by our community as an endorsement of their sin. I’m not at all interested in endorsing sin. Instead I point people to Jesus, in whom there is no sin, and encourage them to follow Him.

I don’t want to hurt Christian influence: Whatever influence I have in this world (which isn’t much), I want to use it to make Jesus famous. Make His grace clear. Make His ways known. Neither Trump or Biden can save a person’s soul, forgive their sin, or give them eternal life. Jesus can and will when we point people to Him. I am not willing to give up my ability to influence someone toward Jesus in order to influence them toward a political candidate.

I don’t want to hurt Christian unity. I am reminded of Jesus’ high priestly prayer before He want to the cross:

“My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message,  that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.   I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one—  I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. John 17

Unity is a big deal and unity is something that should be protected. I have democrats, republicans, and libertarians that attend the church I serve. I have been alarmed this election cycle by how many people in the American church are willing to set aside unity in the name of politics. Political ideology has become a test of fellowship for many and for some a test of our salvation. I agree that political matters can be very important, but there is something that is even more important. Faith.

The Apostle Paul will pick up Jesus’ argument in Romans 14 when he teaches about not quarreling over “disputable matters.” Not disrupting the unity of the church over matters of opinion. While it can be difficult to figure out which political matters fit into the category of disputable, I think most people would agree that many or most are, in fact, a matter of opinion. Paul will write:

Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification.  Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All food is clean, but it is wrong for a person to eat anything that causes someone else to stumble.  It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything else that will cause your brother or sister to fall.  So whatever you believe about these things keep between yourself and God.  Romans 14: 19-22

Vote wisely. Engage politically, but engage in a way that honors and upholds unity. Honors and upholds mission. Honors and upholds Jesus.