Voting as a Christian
Teach them God’s decrees, and give them his instructions. Show them how to conduct their lives. But select from all the people some capable, honest men who fear God and hate bribes. Appoint them as leaders over groups of one thousand, one hundred, fifty, and ten. They should always be available to solve the people’s common disputes, but have them bring the major cases to you. Let the leaders decide the smaller matters themselves. They will help you carry the load, making the task easier for you. If you follow this advice, and if God commands you to do so, then you will be able to endure the pressures, and all these people will go home in peace.”
Exodus 18:20-23, NLT
I hear many Christians talk about why they feel our nation has become "less Christian". I hear them say it's because our president or elected representatives are leading our country in the wrong direction. Yet during our current presidential debate, all I have heard is people looking at each candidate and wondering, "could I be that person's friend?" "Do I like them as a person?"
If you really want to know my thoughts, I don't like either of them as a person. I'm sure that doesn't surprise you because that is the general consensus of Americans right now. So, people feel they have to choose between "two evils." I want to challenge you to look at things from a different perspective.
Things to Consider When Voting as a Christian:
- What are the issues at hand? Most of the debates have been focused on the candidate's character, so it is up to us to dig into the issues. The Billy Graham Association did a comparison of the nuts and bolts of the issues of each party called Democratic and Republican Party Platforms: Where They Stand on the Issues. It's a great way to get down to what each person is for.
- Where does scripture lie on each of these issues? Spend time in prayer and ask yourself, "how do these issues fit within my understanding of scripture?"
- Pray for discernment. Yes, I did say pray. We cannot separate our spiritual life from our political one. If we want our nation to become a Christian one again, we must pray over the person we elect, and we must pray for the individual who is elected every day.
Israel needed people to govern them in Exodus, so God had Moses choose people. It was a big decision. Today, we still need people to govern us. Involving God in our politics is the only way to make real, lasting change!
Please be in prayer for our nation and the upcoming election. And remember, we all have differences of opinion. It's not a reason to lose a friend.
Blessings,
Pastor Faith
Faith Parry serves as our Associate Pastor, and has been at the church since 2015. When she's not preaching and teaching, she enjoys documentaries and TV. Read more about Faith here.
The Power of Your Story
But even if you do suffer for doing what is right, you are blessed. Do not fear what they fear, and do not be intimidated, but in your hearts sanctify Christ as Lord. Always be ready to make your defense to anyone who demands from you an accounting for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and reverence. Keep your conscience clear, so that, when you are maligned, those who abuse you for your good conduct in Christ may be put to shame.
1 Peter 3:14–16, NRSV
Our Stories
Our lives are made up of stories. Stories are the way we make sense of life. Stories tell us who we are, where we have come from and where we are going. The same applies to God’s revelation to us.
Much of the Bible is story or narrative. In those stories we see God’s interaction with people and learn about God’s nature by seeing how God interacts with other people.
Stories are powerful! Your story is powerful! That’s right. Telling the story of how God has changed your life and helped you through different challenges is a very powerful thing.
Your Story is Yours
People may be able to argue with your doctrines and propositions, but your story stands tall. Why? Your story is your experience with God and your experience with God is yours. Now, to be honest, your story needs to rest on sound doctrine and be the general tenor of Scripture – no fairies, trolls or special potions.
Your story helps people identify with you in the struggles of life and God’s help in those challenges . Our stories can give people hope in their struggles.
Peter is writing to people living in what is today northern Turkey who were suffering from various kinds of persecution. The persecution and suffering happened because of their commitment to Christ and the difference that commitment had made in their lives. Peter urges them to continue to live their lives in full integrity, trusting God in the struggle. He also tells them to be ready to give a reason for their hope in Christ. In other words, be ready to tell their story.
Stories of Trust
Sunday we will be specifically looking at the stories of how we came to trust Christ in our life and so to help us tell those stories the Christian to the Core helps us shape those stories to be as clear as possible.
First, we help people understand what our lives were like without Christ. Our story could start with emptiness, guilt or selfishness. Be honest about your life at that point. Second, we need to tell how we came to Christ. Try not to use religious language, sometimes that just confuses people and creates a barrier to understanding. Then tell people what your life is like with Christ; how Jesus has helped you overcome the issues of your past. Then give people a clear and straightforward invitation follow Jesus for themselves.
I hope you will take the time to work through this section in the workbook and be willing to share your story when your group meets this week. Your story is powerful! Remember this passage from Revelation:
But they have conquered him [the devil] by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they did not cling to life even in the face of death. -Revelation 12:11
Blessings!
-Alan
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Alan Cassady serves as Senior Pastor at Navarre UMC, and has been at the church since 2011. When he's not preaching and teaching, he enjoys sci-fi movies and FSU Football. Read more about Alan here.
New Music: Say the Word
Note: Ok, I might have gotten carried away with this one. I'm a geek and I like to talk about worship, so lots of words and videos to work through this time. If you want the tl;dr (too long; didn't read) version, skip to "What on earth does this have to do with Say the Word?"
Hillsong United is getting a lot of great press right now, including a highly praised appearance on NBC's "Today Show" and the release of the documentary detailing the writing and recording of 2015's "Empires," "Let Hope Rise." It's not often that a worship band makes it into the realm of public consciousness, but the guys in United are defying those expectations right now. It's even more unlikely when you consider that they started as an admittedly rowdy youth worship band in the early 2000s.
"History" Lessons
(Can you use the words "history" and "modern worship" in the same context? I'm going to. #spoilers)
I'm 26 years old, so my time growing up in youth group (my first experience with church in general) in some ways paralleled the maturation of Hillsong United. I never cared much for them when I was a teenager - their stuff was catchy enough, but it was a little inaccessible for a kid like me. I was the only musician in my youth group, a piano player at that, and their stuff was high energy and guitar driven (My predilection for metal music didn't help either). But as I got older and developed as a worship leader, Joel Houston progressed and developed as a worship leader and songwriter as well. Over that time, shallow bouncers like "One Way" (you can click the link, but I'll warn you: it's not great. What can I say? That was youth worship in 2003) gave way to more serious attempts, such as 2006's "United We Stand" - still a high water mark for the relatively fledgling Modern Worship Movement. "United We Stand" featured songs like "From the Inside Out," "Came to my Rescue," and "The Stand" and heavily influenced the next 10 years of worship music. 2006 was the year I started leading worship seriously, and suddenly I found myself reaching for more and more Hillsong in my setlists (though I was definitely more of a David Crowder kind of guy.) (This story has a lot of parenthetical moments)
Fast forward to 2013. I stop at 2013 because that's the year that Hillsong United "grew up" with the release of "Zion," which you probably know as the album that introduced "Oceans (Where Feet May Fail)," and it's singer Taya Smith, to the world (Not to be confused with "Broceans." take the 30 seconds and thank me later) It's also, coincidentally, the year that I started working here at Navarre, and began considering ministry as a career. That last part is incidental, really, but I like the symbolism. Zion as an album was a complete tonal departure from everything the band had done in the past, while being a serious leap forward in lyrical maturity at the same time. (#spoilers: Oceans isn't even the best track on the album - that honor goes to "Scandal of Grace"). Zion showed a new dedication to creativity and maturity that has helped give the church's modern expression of worship meaning and legitimacy. That expression continued with the release of 2015's "Empires." Which brings us to the point of this whole walk down memory lane.
What on earth does this have to do with Say the Word?
(Hey, you're still reading! Or maybe you skipped here because history is boring. Either way, /highfive. )
Here's what 12 years of maturity looks like lyrically:
I lay my life down at your feet,
'cause you're the only one I need.
I look to You and You are always there
- One Way (2003)
Say the word and there is light
Say the word and dead bones rise
Every start and end hangs on Your voice
For Your word never returns void
- Say the Word (2015)
There are times that I listen to Hillsong United and am taken aback at new ways that Joel finds to say basic truth. "Your word never returns void." I love that line.
So we've been working through Christian to the Core, a study and sermon series about the core values of our faith. And while I was working through the lesson for Week 3 - Passion for the Harvest, this song kept running through my head. And it wouldn't leave. I found myself coming back to those verses, and I couldn't shake the feeling that this was something that our congregation needed to be singing. Now, if you've never had hours of your life taken from you listening to me talk about how I plan worship (my poor worship team, man), then you're probably unaware of how long it takes a song to make it from first listen to being scheduled for worship. I've got an admittedly over-meticulous process for evaluating and critiquing and preparing a song for Sunday morning worship, and it takes a long time. At the moment we've got a setlist of about 40 songs that we sing on a regular basis for Sundays. This year, we've introduced 14 new songs, 11 of which are still on that list. There are over 75 songs sitting in a spreadsheet that have been vetted and approved for potentially being introduced on Sunday mornings, and some of those songs will never see the light of day in our sanctuary.
That's what makes "Say the Word" so unusual. When Hillsong United released their "Empires" album last year, I vetted the few songs that stuck out to me. Somehow, I missed this one. Maybe it was the arrangement, maybe it was the placement between two great songs, maybe it was just where I was at at the time. Who knows? All that to say, "Say the Word" was never on that list. Then I heard the acoustic arrangement (linked below), and really started to listen to the words of the song for the first time. That acoustic arrangement was recorded on the mount of the beatitudes, where Jesus gave the "Sermon on the Mount" from Matthew 5. That was a very poignant realization for me, and hearing this song in that context changed my understanding.
This song says some very important things about the way that God's Word works in our lives, and I felt that it was something that we needed to be singing in this season of our lives. I can't believe I almost missed it!
Ok, I'll shut up. (Maybe.) Take a few minutes to hear the song story below, and catch the acoustic version as well.
Blessings!
-Matt
Matt Dailey serves as Worship Director at Navarre UMC, and has been at the church since 2013. When he's not leading worship and designing graphics, he enjoys baseball, comic books and team trivia (his team is nationally ranked. #micdrop). Read more about Matt here.
Having the Right Tools
Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem the Arab, and the rest of our enemies found out that I had finished rebuilding the wall and that no gaps remained—though we had not yet set up the doors in the gates. So Sanballat and Geshem sent a message asking me to meet them at one of the villages in the plain of Ono.
But I realized they were plotting to harm me, so I replied by sending this message to them: “I am engaged in a great work, so I can’t come. Why should I stop working to come and meet with you?”
Four times they sent the same message, and each time I gave the same reply.
Nehemiah 6:1-4, NLT
How many times have you heard people say, "God will never give you more than you can handle?" Personally, I hate that phrase. Why? It's not true. We have Christians all over the world that are martyred because of their faith in Jesus Christ. I'm pretty sure that they would say death is more than they could handle. I think a better phrase is, "God will always give us the resources we need to carry out the vision he has for our life."
For example, if God calls you to be a school teacher, then he is going to give you the skills necessary to teach and help you complete your schooling. But you must do your part as well. You must still work hard in school and do your best.
This week, we are continuing the Core Value of living a Visionary Life, but instead of looking at the idea of Vision, we are looking at the obstacles that will come up as we journey towards the vision God has given us. If we know obstacles are coming, then we won't be derailed when they show up. Likewise, we can be looking for whatever tools God has already equipped us with to be ready for them.
This week, think about what's going on in your life. Are there obstacles that you wish God would just take away? Is it possible that you could see them in a different light? What if God has already provided you everything you needed to work through them, you just haven't seen it yet?
Prayer:
God, there are no obstacles we confront in our lives that you have not already confronted. You have given us the wisdom and tools to be able to stand firm and overcome each obstacle. May we simply follow in your footsteps with our hearts totally focused on you, our Victor. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Blessings!
-Faith
Click here for this week's Faith Notes
Faith Parry serves as our Associate Pastor, and has been at the church since 2015. When she's not preaching and teaching, she enjoys documentaries and TV. Read more about Faith here.
Halloween: Taking it to the Streets
ENGAGING WITH OUR NEIGHBOR
Halloween offers us a unique opportunity to engage, to meet our neighbors, to Take it to the Streets and meet our neighbors. Regardless of what you think about Halloween and its traditions, we can have an open door policy that lets our community know that we are open to meeting them.
Beginning October 1st, we will have kid-friendly tracts that have a simple Gospel message and a fun game on them to complete.
Look at the simple suggestions below and take your ministry to the streets!
- Be Hospitable - Don’t just give out candy. Give out the best candy and a tract.
- Think of the Parents - consider having cider, pumpkin bread out for parents who bring their kids around the block. Make your home inviting. Consider sitting out on the drive way to be more accessible for kids and their parents, and conversations.
- Be Encouraging - comment on the kids costumes. Practice building them up with your words.
- Party - If you are into it, throw a party for your neighborhood (block party) or join one that is already planned in your neighborhood. Contribute as appropriate.
- Learn their stories - If you are out trick or treating with your kids, hang back with other parents and learn about them and their stories. Simple questions and conversations can build bridges for relationships.
- Head to the “Watering Holes” - If you don't have kids or aren't going to engage in Trick or Treating activities, consider going to the local watering hole, restaurant, or club near you. Engage with people there. Make it your goal to learn at least one person’s story, with the hope of sharing Christ with them as is appropriate. You will want to do this with others, so you don’t go it alone!
- Pay attention: Ask the Spirit to open your eyes and ears to the real needs around you - listen!
Happy Halloween, and blessings to you!
- Lori
Lori Ferguson serves as Children's Director at Navarre UMC, and has been at the church since 2015. When she's not planning or teaching, she enjoys spending time with her grandkids. Read more about Lori here.