Pastor's Blog - March-April 2021

The months of March and April, in the year 2021, bring to our minds some significant moments in time. Let me share some thoughts on these matters.

First, it has now been one year since we first began to deal with the COVID-19 global pandemic. No event in our life times has brought about such dramatic change in such a relatively short period of time. In the course of one year, our lives and culture have been changed tremendously and permanently. Over 510,000 Americans, and around 2.5 million people worldwide, have passed into eternity with COVID-19 - with over 28.5 million having tested positive in the United States (around 115 million worldwide) - our country has more deaths from COVID than any other country in the world yet we supposedly have the most advanced health care system. COVID has brought to the surface the disparities in healthcare outcomes - with Blacks and Hispanics having substantially higher rates of infection, hospitalization, and death.

Every institution of life has been impacted - the church, education, business and industry, government, nonprofits, etc. We have witnessed the greatest economic dislocation since the Great Depression. On a positive note, treatments have greatly improved for the virus, and the numbers of people who have been vaccinated are increasing. We are hopeful that the worst may be over by late spring to early summer - yet we are now hearing of numerous variants of the virus that are spreading at a much more rapid pace and may be somewhat resistant to the vaccines.

We are all exhausted from the pandemic - we all know of multiple people who have passed away with COVID - most all families have had at least one family member to have tested positive. There are post-COVID-19 complications that we are only now beginning to understand in terms of long-term and debilitating health effects. While the infection numbers and positivity rates are going down, the numbers of those passing away are increasing. Here in Kentucky - more than 400,000 have had COVID and over 4,600 have passed away. Taylor County continues to be in the "at highest risk" category, according to national designations, as this blog is prepared in late February.

Second, even in the midst of all the darkness of this one year anniversary of COVID-19, there is another journey that we are on during this period - the Season of Lent. Beginning on Ash Wednesday and continuing through the Saturday before Easter Sunday, this 40-day season is a time in which Christians spend time in self-reflection, repentance, prayer and meditation, Bible study and prayer, self-denial, and renewed reflection on the passion of Jesus in his sacrifice for our sins. While Lent may seem to be somewhat "dark" in itself because of the emphasis on moving toward the Cross and what Jesus went through, there is "light" - even in the darkest of moments as Jesus hangs on the Cross - pointing toward the hope that is to come.

Holy Week is a very important part of Lent beginning with Palm Sunday on March 28 and concluding on Holy Saturday on April 3. Good Friday (April 2) is the day that we remember Jesus actually experiencing the pain and agony of the crucifixion on the Cross. If you are following my sermon series on "Christ Speaks from the Cross," you have a good idea of the fact that even in the time of Jesus' pain and suffering, He was expressing forgiveness for those who were crucifying Him and showing concern and love for others. It was on the Cross that He took upon himself the sins of all humanity and was in that moment separated from God the Father - for the first and only time in all of history. He died. His body was placed in a tomb. And on the third day, He arose from the dead. The tomb was empty. Jesus arose and thereby conquered death - making provision for our salvation once and for all. And He ultimately ascended into heaven where He sits at the right hand of God the Father and from where He will return one day for His church. But He did not leave us without hope - God's Holy Spirit has come to us and is in us! Praise God. What a powerful message in an age of darkness and death as we have experienced over the past year of the COVID-19 pandemic! Amen!!

Third, the spring season is a time when we witness the bursting forth of God's creation - as the flowers bloom and trees put forth leaves and the beautiful colors are so abundant. Spring is a physical representation and reminder that God is our creator - and of how he renews our lives in Jesus Christ. Again, when we have experienced a year of pandemic, and as the pandemic continues at some level, God is using Easter and the spring season as a time of renewal and recommitment for His people! Can you sense it? I do. I need it. We all need it. Praise God from whom all blessings flow. May this be a season of renewal, hope, and reminder that God is in charge and that there is always hope in Jesus Christ.

Pastor's Blog - January-February, 2021

Many people are undoubtedly excited about a new year having arrived - in view of all that we experienced in 2020. There is no way to really overstate the historic nature of 2020 with all that we experienced: the global COVID-19 pandemic, a divisive and expensive presidential and national election, racial and social unrest not experienced since the 1960's, threats of extremism here at home and abroad, economic setbacks not seen since the Great Depression, and general uncertainty about the future among many people. There is a widespread sentiment that 2021 will surely be better - could it be any worse than 2020?

Let me address this important question from the perspective of our Christian faith. No doubt, the year of 2021 will bring forth its own challenges. While there is "light at the end of the tunnel" relative to the COVID-19 pandemic with the availability of the new vaccines and improved treatments, we must realistically acknowledge that the months of January, February, and March, and even beyond, will continue to be very difficult with continuing spread of the virus, high infection rates, and thousands of lives being lost. It will be mid-year 2021 before a large number of the American population will be vaccinated which is necessary to reach a point of relative safety. Even then, COVID-19 will continue to be a public health threat, but we will be able to return to a "new normal" - whatever that new normal will be in terms of all areas of life. But we hope to be through the worst of the pandemic by mid-2021. That will be a great blessing of course.

There will be other challenges as well. Many of the problems I mentioned in the paragraph will continue to be challenges in 2021 and will require our attention and work as a country - including attention from the perspective of our Christian faith. There will be the new issues arising in 2021 that capture our attention and consume our time and resources. There will be moments in time that it will seem that 2021, at least for some people, has equaled, or surpassed, the challenges of 2021. That is the course of life and goes with the passing of time.

We can look to the Bible for eternal wisdom in 2021 as in all times and for the guidance to get us through the challenges of this world. A text that comes to mind, as we move into 2021, offers hope and perspective for those of us who are believers in Jesus Christ. Read and study these words of Paul recorded in Philippians 3:13-14: "Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press onward toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."

As we move forward into 2021, dealing with COVID-19 and other challenges along the way, let's hold onto the words of Paul in Philippians 3:13-14 - "forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead..." In Jesus Christ, we are winning the prize for which God is calling us "heavenward in Christ Jesus." Amen!

Pastor's Blog - November-December 2020

The months of November and December in the year 2020 promise to be very challenging and different than what most of us have experienced. These months feature two of the primary holidays of the year. First, we come to the annual celebration of the secular holiday of Thanksgiving - scheduled for November 26 this year. On Sunday, November 29, we move into the Advent Season when we begin our annual time of preparation for the annual celebration of the coming of the Messiah - a time of preparation and anticipation to remember his first coming as a baby in a manger in Bethlehem more than 2,000 years ago. These four Sundays of Advent - November 29, December 6, December 13, and December 20 - are part of the season of preparation leading up to the Christmas Day celebration on Friday, December 25. Then just a week later, we begin a new calendar year on Friday, January 1, 2021. In sum the next two months bring a series of significant secular and religious holidays that we have traditionally enjoyed as highlights of the year in the church, in the home, in the workplace, and throughout our culture.

 

In 2020 the next two months will be much different because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Public health officials are already recommending that families make plans to not host annual family Thanksgiving gatherings because of the increased number of virus cases that are traced to intergenerational gatherings. This same advice is being given well in advance of the Advent and Christmas season because of the continuing widespread threat of COVID-19. This will impact not only the way we as families celebrate these holidays in our homes, but the impacts will be felt much more broadly. Businesses will not be able to host annual holiday festivities. Shopping patterns are being dramatically changed with the trends toward online shopping increasing significantly as a result of COVID-19. Many local businesses, many of whom depend on the holiday shopping season for their economic livelihood, may face very serious declines in sales because of the virus. Many people will celebrate the holidays in much smaller groups. And church celebrations of the Advent and Christmas seasons will be much different - we are already in discussion about this at Saloma Baptist Church.

 

One example of the resulting change is the way we will be doing the Prison Fellowship Angel Tree in 2020. In prior years (we have participated in this outreach ministry and mission for the past 15 years or so), we have purchased one toy and one clothing item for each of the participating children of an incarcerated parent in the state prison system. In 2020 Mrs. Karen Reynolds and I have been working with Prison Fellowship, and the Angel Tree mission project will be done virtually this year. We will not have direct contact with the children during the holiday season. Rather than our purchasing and delivering gifts, we will conduct a fundraising campaign and ask people in the church to "adopt" an Angel Tree child during the Christmas season at $40 per child. Prison Fellowship will then be responsible for getting a Walmart Card to the child's guardian in that amount along with a Bible and other Christian material promoting the Good News of Jesus Christ. This is being done this way in part because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Be in prayer for this, along with our other Christmas ministry and mission projects which will be further outlined and discussed during the month of November and into December.

 

So you see that Thanksgiving, Advent, and Christmas 2020 will be different than in prior years. We will not be able to do everything that we have previously done in prior years - such as the annual Holiday Dinner (celebrating both holidays) and Hanging of the Greens Service. Some families will not be able to have large gatherings that have been traditional at Thanksgiving and Christmas. It will be tempting to just conclude that "it just doesn't seem right...how can we get through the holidays the way things are..."

 

Let me suggest a few things to consider even in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic:

  • Take a moment and consider how truly blessed each of us are - even in the midst of a pandemic. Sit down, take a piece of paper, and write down all the many ways that God is blessing you and moving in your life. Look at the words of the hymn "Count Your Blessings" - and "name them one by one."

  • Compare our situation in 2020 to that of our grandparents and great grandparents - they went through World War I in 1916-1918, Spanish Flu Pandemic in 1918-1919, Great Depression from 1929 until the late 1930's, World War II from 1945-1949, etc. Say a word of prayer of thanks to God, again, on how blessed we are and how fortunate we have had it in comparison to prior generations. Quite frankly, being asked to wear a mask, or having to change our holiday activities, or maining a six feet social distance, pales in comparison to what was faced by the "greatest generation" in going through the Great Depression and fighting World War II.

  • If you are not able to gather together in large family gatherings in 2020, then take time to visit with family members via Facetime, Skype, Zoom, Teams, or other interconnecting technology. Use social media to connect. Send texts, emails, and make phone calls. While it may not be the same, God has given us multiple technologies to connect together. Let's use them in creative ways to gather as families and friends in these days.

  • As far as as our church, we are staying connected via Facebook Live streaming, weekly videos, Flocknote messaging, email list serves, Zoom, and creative use of other technologies. This year, we will be distributing an online Advent devotional guide that will have Bible studies, devotions, family studies, and extra material. It can be accessed by computer, smart phones, iPads, or other devices. Materials can also be copied.

  • During the Advent and Christmas season, we have the extraordinary opportunity to share the Good News of the coming of Jesus Christ into the world. Our church will be participating in the Lottie Moon Christmas Mission Offering for International Missions, Toys for Kids financial donation, Prison Fellowship Angel Tree (see above), the WMU backpack project for local school children, and other Christmas outreach. Become involved in supporting these mission projects designed to give of ourselves in Christian love and compassion, in the name of the name of the Babe of Bethlehem, to others. Take time to share the Good News of Jesus with someone who is unsaved and unchurched during this season.

  • Choose someone in the church family or in your neighborhood who may be shut-in, or who may not have much family living locally, and make an effort to make their holiday season special. There are any number acts of Christian love and compassion that can be shared to show that they are loved - and in doing so, you are acting in the name of Jesus Christ.

I hope that my point is evident by now. While COVID-19 may change the way in which we are able to celebrate the holidays in 2020, we can make an effort to create new traditions and go the extra mile in helping others. And as we do that, we will find that our disappointments in not being able to do Thanksgiving and Christmas in the same way "we've always done them," we will discover new and fulfilling ways of putting the "eyes and ears, hands and feet of Jesus" to our faith during this very special season. That is my prayer for all of us who are a part of the extended family of Saloma Baptist Church. May God bless you in this season of the year.

Pastor’s Blog – September-October 2020

From Labor Day forward in 2020, we will find ourselves in the midst of a presidential election as well as races for the United State Senate, United House of Representatives, state legislatures, and numerous other state and local offices around the country. As is the case every four years, the presidential race will set the tone for the election cycle in general. The outcome of the presidential election generally has some impact on races down the ballot. It will be of interest to find out whether that will be the case when we wake up on Wednesday, November 4 – the day after the general election. The 2020 election cycle will be hard fought and exhausting over the next several weeks.

In case you are wondering, no, I am not going to endorse any candidate for United States President, or any other public office, in this blog, or in the context of my role as pastor of Saloma Baptist Church or as a minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. While I have been active in politics, and even more in the advocacy and development of public policy, I have never felt it appropriate to use the position of pastor as a means of advocating for a particular candidate or a particular political party. I fully realize that others in the ministry would disagree with me on that decision that I made years ago, but it is a decision that I made early in my call to the pastoral ministry and one that I have never felt I should change. 

That does not mean that I have not personally supported candidates for public office at the local, state, and national office. As most of you are aware, I served on the staff of a member of the U.S. House of Representatives for three years – early in my tenure as pastor of Saloma Baptist Church. I served as chair of the Education Transition Team for the Governor-Elect in 2003. I have been humbled to serve on a number of state, regional, and local boards and commissions. Active advocacy for certain public policies has been a part of my entire professional career. 

As a pastor, I have spoken out on a number of important issues that have a moral aspect to them, and I have not hesitated to work to influence local, state, and national officials to make decisions that are in keeping with our values as Christians. That is a part of my calling and a part of the prophetic work of ministry – including the call to speak truth to power when necessary. Sometimes, it is necessary to take a moral stand on given issues even when the moral position is not necessarily popular with the culture at large, or even with some in the church. Following the example of Jesus, we can assuredly be “salt of the earth” and “light of the world” while maintaining a positive and humble witness for our Savior and Lord.

This year’s election, unfortunately, will most likely be one of the most divisive and bitter in our modern American history. The widespread availability and use of social media gives rise to unfounded conspiracy theories that are gaining footholds in the mainstream of our political discourse, and many people increasingly choose which online media sources they will read and believe – i.e., they choose to read and believe those which reinforce their preconceived biases and ideas. Debates become little more than shouting matches, and candidates seem to choose to mouth falsehoods more than meaningful policy proposals. Personal attacks are the order of the day – and candidates’ family members are subject to vicious slanderous and libelous onslaughts.

So, this brings me to this point. What should we as believers in Jesus Christ do about all of this? First, we must be involved. Second, we must vote. Third, we should be praying for all the candidates for public office and their families. Fourth, it should be our expectation that candidates will tell the truth and that they will engage in positive campaigning. Fifth, we should let all candidates know that they cannot automatically expect our vote as Christians – just because the candidate is of a particular political party. Six, it should now be apparent to us that character does in fact matter for those whom we elect to public office. It matters in other professions – why should it not matter in public office? Seventh, a candidate should be judged by whether he or she will work to unite people, or is that candidate one that simply campaigns on the basis of dividing people and demeaning people. As Christians we are called to bring people together and to build bridges across lines that have historically divided us – we should reflect that part of our faith in the way we vote and the way we live. Eighth, we should hold our candidates for pubic office, and those who are elected, accountable to work to improve the quality of life for all people – not for just a few – no group of people should be excluded – Jesus died for all – and we should work to improve quality of life and opportunity for all.

In closing, let me offer another very important point. Much too often in American history, we have misplaced our loyalties – by apparently believing that a particular political party or ideology will bring about the Kingdom of God. Much too often, Americans have turned to elected officials with the expectation that those officials, and the particular political party they represent, will bring about the Kingdom of God. That is wrong! As Christians we are citizens of the Kingdom of God – and that citizenship cannot be abdicated to a political party or ideology – we will always be disappointed when we are guilty of placing our trust in political leaders and parties to bring about God’s Kingdom. 

The Kingdom of God is spiritual and eternal – and based on our faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. The kingdoms of this world are material and temporal. When November 3 comes around, vote for the candidates of your choice. Make an informed choice. Pray about your vote. But remember that you are voting for a human being to run a particular political office. May God bless you as you make important choices – and may He guide us and keep us in all things.