Recent Posts
Christmas Stinks in the Spiritual Suburbs
If left to my own devices, I would choose to live either in the woods or in the heart of downtown Chicago. I’m drawn to the extremes. Alas, God has plunked me down in the suburbs - the middle place where there is neither the tranquility of the forest nor the urban hum of human activity at its most intense. At least I get to serve at a great church here in suburbia!
While I’ve embraced living in the physical suburbs, I try to avoid the spiritual suburbs at all costs. Where are the spiritual ‘burbs?!
Fresh Fruit in December
December isn’t really fruit season in Illinois. Long gone are the days when plump local berries and ripe apples cascaded in abundance at our local farm stands. But, even on these cold, short days, a different type of fruit is still in season: Spiritual fruit!
While we’re just wrapping up the pledge phase of our Hearts Ablaze Campaign,* this coming Sunday, we’ll share the exciting news of what our congregation has pledged in Sunday’s worship service. I don’t know what the number will be yet as I type this in the wee hours of Friday morning, but I do know that there have been all kinds of healthy signs of generous and sacrificial giving along the way. For example:
Kids as young as six, and senior saints well into their 80’s, and all ages in between have made pledges...
Bread and Water
About a week ago, the Holy Spirit brought Ecclesiastes 11:1 to my mind. It’s a verse I had memorized at a bible study a decade earlier but hadn’t thought about much since. It reads,
“Cast your bread upon the waters and, after many days, it will return to you.”
At first glance, it’s a strange and cryptic verse. A Hebrew proverb of sorts that doesn’t immediately connect with our modern mentality. But, if you substitute “money” for “bread,” the deeper meaning and significance begins to emerge.
Did Anything Happen This Week..?
Many of us exercised our right to vote this week Tuesday, and somewhat surprisingly, the results of the Presidential election came in swiftly and overwhelmingly: Donald Trump will be the 47th President of the United States of America. Reactions to this reality are all over the map in the USA. Some of us are ecstatic and hopeful. Some of us are aggrieved. And, no doubt, reactions within our congregation are similarly all over the map. However, I’m happy to report that around Elmhurst CRC, things have been pretty calm, sane, and peaceful this week. There is one major reason for this: We have a vision that drives us that is higher and transcendent of current politics, no matter what their state.
The 10-10-80 Rule
Over the years, a number of well-intentioned parishioners have asked me some version of this question: “Does the Bible teach that I have to tithe?” This question is usually accompanied by wondering, “And does that mean tithing on my gross income or net?”
The Bible definitely talks quite a bit about the practice of tithing, which can be simply defined as offering “1/10th of one’s produce or earnings.” It was part of the Law of God given to ancient Israel to offer a tithe of their livelihood for the worship life of the nation (tabernacle, temple, priests). It's not a big shocker that Israel often failed to do this. Also not a big shocker that the American church also comes nowhere close to collectively tithing on our livelihoods despite the fact America is the most successful and generous nation on the planet.
Take Dead Aim
“Take dead aim.” That was the catchphrase of my high school golf coach who was obsessed with transforming his scatterbrained young charges into focused, intentional athletes while hitting every golf shot.
When it comes to our Hearts Ablaze campaign at church, we’re trying to follow the wisdom, “Take dead aim.” The main goal is not about dollars and cents but about coming together as a community so that more and more kids and grownups can have a “hearts ablaze” experience with Jesus. That’s a picture of the future that we can achieve only with 100% participation by each “All In” member of our congregation. And if we achieve that level of participation, God will be honored, and the dollars will work themselves out.