an interesting perspective

when i was in undergrad, many moons ago, i was deeply connected to the writings of Francis Schaeffer – as were many of my peers in the 90’s.  he was strong, clear, convicting, and passionate about faith and intellectualism – two subjects that meant a lot to me, as they do today – but maybe for different reasons.  to be honest, i’ve not ventured too closely to Schaeffer’s writings in the past few years but occasionally i’ll find myself stumbling upon one of his essays or one of his infamous quotes.  a couple of days ago i came across a blog entry/post from his son Frankie which i found striking and powerful – a tone much like his father’s.  i think it’s worth a read – even if it is harsh.  take a minute to read it and wrestle with it.  is he right?  is he wrong?  are these the right questions?  as we studied in church on sunday, sometimes God calls us to enter the difficult places – or read the harsh words.

grace and peace,

mike lawrie – lead pastor, rvcc

Do Evangelical Leaders Really Believe Their Own BS?

Sorrow of the Stepped-Over One

a post by Cherie Catron, Associate Pastor at RVCC

“I live in the high and holy places, but also with the low-spirited, the spirit-crushed, And what I do is put new spirit in them, get them up and on their feet again. (Isaiah 57:15 MSG)

 

I began writing this the day before Philip Seymour Hoffman died and am always struck by the timing of life.  The opening scene of the movieDoubt begins with a priest (played by Philip Seymour Hoffman) speaking in front of his congregation. 

 

What do you do when you’re not sure? That’s the topic of my sermon today.

 Last year, when President Kennedy was assassinated, who among us did not experience the most profound disorientation? Despair? Which way? What now? What do I say to my kids? What do I tell myself? It was a time of people sitting together, bound together by a common feeling of hopelessness. But think of that! Your BOND with your fellow being was your Despair. It was a public experience. It was awful, but we were in it together. How much worse is it then for the lone man, the lone woman, stricken by a private calamity?

 

‘No one knows I’m sick.’ 
‘No one knows I’ve lost my last real friend.’
‘No one knows I’ve done something wrong.’
Imagine the isolation. Now you see the world as through a window. On one side of the glass: happy, untroubled people, and on the other side: you. 

…There are those of you in church today who know exactly the crisis of faith I describe. And I want to say to you: DOUBT can be a bond as powerful and sustaining as certainty. When you are lost, you are not alone.

Brad & I saw this performed in a small, intimate playhouse called the Loft in downtown Dayton.  It was a gripping play, full of conflicting emotions, which I largely missed as I was stuck on that first scene.  In all the church services & sermons in the last 10 years, not one spoke to that dark, lonely place I found myself in 2003.

Even today I can only tell parts of that story, much of it is still too private, too sensitive to share publicly or otherwise.  My eyes sting & my throat swells remembering what I cannot tell.  My son, my own health, my family, my closest relationships, my safety, and even my own dignity were on the chopping block daily.  But the worst, the most painful part of that year was felt inside the church walls.  I can talk about that in abstract because I attended another church at that time, and that church is no longer in existence, but then it was vibrant, busy, the place people wanted to be.

I remember my father’s rare insight, “It’s your strength that is your weakness, Cherie.” I was familiar with the great paradox of Paul’s words, “For when I am weak, then I am strong,” but I had not considered my own strength as a stumbling block.  That realization gave me permission to break down, to see the limits of myself, to depend on God in a way I had only read about in scripture. 

And I wish I could tell you it was a happy ending from that moment on.  For the next 10 months I fell at the altar of our church prayer meetings, the closing to service.  Attending bible study in a fog, unable to speak of the depths of pain I was carrying, I choked out in between sobs, anonymous prayer request for my situation. 

But I kept going, kept serving, kept moving forward each day, attending the services, the prayer meetings, the bible studies, the events, believing my church family, my community would finally come through. I pushed on, wounds so fresh that drying my eyes was a wasted charade.

Unfortunately, I walked out of those meetings empty handed, no one followed me to my car or offered to sit with me, or go to court or doctor appointments, or just take my son out for ice cream.  The only person who called to check on me was a single guy in the church looking for a date.  This community that I had given so much of myself to in the past, couldn’t handle the weak side of me.

 Along the way I began feeling jealous of the prayer chain requests, wishing my problems could be more public, more safe for sharing. I couldn’t put on the prayer chain that my 8-year-old son prays each night to die because he was in so much torment or the details of my court battles or my private health problems or my work conflicts or the breakup of my relationship with someone attending the same church.  I wished I had cancer so people would show up at my house & pray for me in droves or organize fundraisers to pay for my medical & legal expenses. 

I remember walking into a prayer meeting one night, the church building full of activity preparing for Easter events, sitting on a hard, wooden pew I cried out from the deepest part of me.  Any strength or pride I had was floating in fragments in the torrents of my grief.   And it was there that I felt the wounds of the man in the parable of the Good Samaritan.  Being stepped over was much more painful than being stepped on.  I knew what it was like to be kicked when I was down, I knew how to take being abused be it physically or emotionally, but his felt like a sucker punch inflicted by my best friend.

But in the midst of this tornado of my life, I came to know God.  Although the pain from that year is still fresh, still deep, the early morning communion with God during that time was sweet indescribably sweet. As Job says in the end of his story,

My ears had heard of you
    but now my eyes have seen you.
Therefore I despise myself
    and repent in dust and ashes.”

Even Job’s “friends” could not be depended on in his time of grief. Their help came in the form of condemnation and foolish advice, offering salt instead of salve in the deep wounds of his life.  As sad and disappointing this season was in my life, God set my feet on a course my eyes could not have imagined nor could I have dreamed.  2003 was a year of cleansing me of pride first and my reliance on things and people before Him, but it ended with an invitation to go to China, where God broke my heart for the lost.

 Last night at the prayer meeting Phyllis shared Ecclesiastes 3:11 bringing those memories flooding back,

 He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hum

an heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end
.

I write this hoping that you find encouragement in the midst of loneliness and pain, in the midst of disillusionment and rejection, in the midst of grief and loss, in the midst of sorrow and tragedy, in the midst of trials and storms.  I leave you with the closing lines of the sermon fromDoubt. 

There are those of you in church today who know exactly the crisis of faith I describe. And I want to say to you: DOUBT can be a bond as powerful and sustaining as certainty. When you are lost, you are not alone.

In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost.

 Cherie Catron

A Hoffman, Heroes, and Cancer Rambling

i have to admit that i was stunned Sunday afternoon as i scrolled through the tv channels and saw the report that Philip Seymour Hoffman had died.  i suppose i was in a state of mind that was prepping for a silly football game and cleaning the house in anticipation of hosting some friends and their kids – i just was not ready for such sad news.  and it is sad news, on so many levels.  certainly, first and foremost, it is the way he died: alone, mostly naked, with a needle in his arm, in an apartment littered with a myriad of drugs.  i went on to listen to the report and note that he had kids and a long time lover – there is so much sadness when you contemplate their loss.  

on a secondary note, he was a terrific actor who was mesmerizing on the screen.  i remember the first time i was in awe of his work. on a random recommendation in 1999 my wife and i went to the theatre to see The Talented Mr. Ripley which was made up of a cast that would go on to superstardom: Matt Damon, Jude Law, Gwyneth Paltrow, Cate Blanchett and Hoffman as the odd an interesting “Freddie Miles.”  though the movie is terribly dark and at times, difficult to watch, the acting is amazing and Hoffman was spectacular -it was clear that his future on screen would be bright, meanwhile, his life offscreen would spiral into the dark and would end Super Bowl Sunday in 2014.

though there are other sides to this story that are significant (such as the rise of heroin use, the idea that people know people that are at the end of the their rope but remain silent [perhaps there are legitimate reasons to do so], the public reaction for such a shocking report [positive and negative responses], the growing list of art geniuses that have been lost by similar circumstances, etc.) one that seems to cling particularly close to me has been the subject of “hero” – and it goes something like this (i.e. internet/social media posts) “So sad to read @ PSH, he was truly one of my heroes.  He will be missed forever.”

now my angle on this is not: “it’s ok to have heroes, just make sure they don’t have a massive drug problem” – my issue here is that we, and i’m speaking on behalf of my observations of my own context, throw around the word “hero” to people who are far off, that we will never know personally, and live relatively successful lives in the public square: actors, athletes, musicians, personalities and the like.  our idea of “hero” is attached to what we see on the screen, or the tv, in the pages of a book, or while listening to a new jam.  our projection of hero is attached to figures that always seem to do well and thrive in when the lights are turned on.

the problem here is this: life is not only lived with things are good, going well, thriving and succeeding.  when my life is good – humming along at the top – i don’t really need others to help me along – i’m doing ok and things around me affirm that.  however, when i quickly plummet to the valley of despair (and it always happens) i’m in need of help and things around me affirm that.  if my next move is to fix my eyes on those who always appear at the top of the mountain, then they do no good to my present reality.  what i need is someone who will walk with me (literally or metaphorically) out of the valley and on to better ground.  that ought to be my hero – the vulnerable one who has endured the valley and makes their life available.  the problem with so many of our present “heroes” is that we don’t know them and we never will – we see them thriving in the public square, we think they are cooking along at the top, we note that their life trajectory looks appealing, we naturally gravitate towards their excellent offering, and we find refuge in their public gifts.  

now don’t get we wrong – this does not mean that i don’t love certain actors, musicians and artists.  i have a deep crush on the likes of Gwyneth Paltrow, Bono, Harriet Wheeler and Nick Hornby and they have given me great joy along the way, but to call them my hero seems to miss the point.  i don’t know them, i’ll never meet them, i’ll never have the chance to connect with them and share my hurts and my dreams, i’ll never have their cell number on my speed dial, they’ll never take my call or return my email.  this does not make them bad or insignificant – perhaps their art makes them admirable – but they probably ought not to be our heroes, i’m not sure that’s what they want either.

i’ve had a hero or two in my life along the way.  one was a friend named Ken West who worked his entire adult life pouring his life and energy into students and families – even though his body was getting beat down by cancer.  Ken lost his life a number of years ago and his loss has been great in my life – yet, i still function out of his worldview: love people, love God, nothing else matters.  when i met Ken, he had been diagnosed and was given a year to live.  he knew a ton of people and was beloved by the masses.  i still remember wondering why Ken would want to know me – he was short on time, he had too many people to spend time with and he was extraordinarily busy.  yet, he reached out to me, poured into me, walked with me when i found myself in the valley and celebrated with me when i reached the top.  he outlived his one year prognosis, but eventually lost the battle.  he is my hero: i knew him, i loved him and he loved me.  his impact on me was beyond his public view – it was deep and personal and continues to challenge the way i live each day.

i will certainly miss Philip Seymour Hoffman and his amazing art and i will always admire his gift to the world.  but he can’t be my hero – it’s not point of having a hero.  i hope that people are able to connect with someone along their way that effects them in their valleys and on their mountain tops, i hope that people are able to gravitate towards people who are seen beyond their public displays, and i hope that people will recognize that they too could be someones hero by honest investment.  perhaps our artists are our heroes because there is no one else who can fulfill our needs.  if that is the case, maybe we need to be heroes to others as much as we need to find heroes for ourselves.

 

grace and peace,

mike lawrie, led pastor RVCC

 

cold and complaining

 

over the past few weeks, we here in southern Ohio have been playing this funny game called: school or no school (or at the least, delayed school).  each day we all wait patiently by the phone anticipating an automated call from our district telling us the plan for the following day – some days, the call comes in one way, then in the middle of the night another call comes in and changes the previous call.  as soon as the call comes in, we announce to our kids who cheer as if Christmas was upon us once again.  meanwhile, the parents scramble feverishly to make arrangements – again – for our little ones to keep them safe and sound in the midst of the cold and snow.

to be honest – for some, it has been difficult to deal with this.  there are real issues at play here, namely: lost work = lost wages.  in no way shape or form do i discount this truth and i’d like to think we can find a resolution for these friends.  yet, beyond the real issues at stake here, most of us simply find ourselves in the “put off” or “change our plans” category.  certainly we have to rethink our day, but there is a solution and we make it happen.  we accept our normal rhythm of school and work, but we manage when that rhythm gets thrown into cahoots – we get by, and all is well at the end of the day.

however, the complaining seems to continue and often finds itself in the media and on social media.  i know i’ve felt a few things and even uttered a few things – as if i thought my two cents could solve anything.  nonetheless, i’ve played that “complaining” card.  but after thinking about this, i find myself coming back to something that showed up in my sermon last Sunday about the life of Samson.  at one point after one of Samson’s crazy adventures of crushing a thousand of his enemies, he cries out God, “You have given your servant a great victory.  Must i now die of thirst and fall int the hands of the uncircumcised (Philistines)?”  simply stated: Samson complains – big time – to God.  “you don’t do enough for me!” “you don’t give me what i want!” “you are so inconsistent: you help me then you abandon me!” “why do you treat me this way?”  it would be easy here for God to let him have it – perhaps it’s what he deserves – but God doesn’t.  instead, he offers mercy and compassion.  the text goes on to say, “then God opened up the hollow place in Lehi, and water came out of it.  when Samson drank, his strength returned and he revived.” (Judges 15:18, 19)

i believe our calling in life is to be God-like, that is, to act like God did/does in similar situations.  i don’t want to be a complainer – i want to be a provider of grace and peace.  instead of dumping on people who make the hard decisions in the name of safety for our kids and community, i want to be a dispenser of mercy and compassion.  as Christians, it is our opportunity to respond like God instead of reacting like complainers.  will you join me in this venture?  i hope so.

 

grace and peace,

mike lawrie

begin

 

begin.

that was the name of a song a dear friend wrote and performed at my wedding in 1997.  it was an instrumental piece – played only on a hollow-body guitar – and it’s soft tone and warm sound filled the sanctuary as our parents and grandparents found their seats up front. i immediately enjoyed it – listening from a hidden vantage point.  i particularly liked the fact that it had no words though the story it told had made a point: begin. new. afresh. go. walk. 

as i sit at my desk at work and peer out the window i see my town – covered in a beautiful fresh coat of pure snow.  the trees have that quality that AnselAdams captured so well and the ground wears the powder like a velour blanket.  it’s been snowing since last night and the skies have yet to empty yet, even as continues, i keep dwelling on the idea of “beginning.”  somehow, this snowfall, serves as a reminder of things being made new – perhaps its the fresh feeling of the snow or that the old canvas looks entirely new.

so – begin.

each year presents an opportunity to begin.  last fall i presented 2 goals for RVCC: 1) Standards and Expectations and 2) The Next Level.  the first was simply a conscious decision to be objectively focused.  it had become clear to me that in order to thrive in the next season of ministry, RVCC would need to thoughtful, consistent, measurable, and definitive.  as the church continues to grow and move and reshape, it is right that there is an agreeable order to help us navigate tomorrow.  without it, individualism and disappointment, can take over.  our community church needed to recommit her focus on community and increasing our awareness and devotion to building a framework of standards and expectations would allow us to grow.  the second goal, the Next Level, was a desire to see all (existing and new ideas) to push forward and increase and mature.  if we could honestly evaluate where we were, we could then look ahead, and create opportunities to advance one more step.  it was my goal to help each ministry area identify honestly where they were at, to help establish standards and expectations, and help them process in order to take another step to the next level.

it is safe to say we are plodding along this endeavor.  our teams are working passionately, our leaders are working fervently, and our church is benefiting from it.  we are far from done with those two goals – perhaps we will never be done and will hold fast to them for a long time.  

i believe that honest functioning churches begin with honest functioning leaders.  our senior leadership team (AP’s – associate pastors) has been been deeply committed to our two goals for some time now.  we have taken the past few years to study and contemplate the notions of spiritual leadership and spiritual discipleship – which has caused us to be introspective about our calling as pastors.  it has been humbling and that humility has allowed us to lead with a fresh vision.  our studies have allowed us to know ourselves in sincere ways and has reminded us that we have to cling tightly to the Lord as we move forward.  our studies together have also allowed us to rethink our goals for our ministry areas.  there is a renewed sense of vision which has lead to our desire to see each ministry area grow and thrive – even to newlevels.

last week our AP’s each completed an evaluation which focuses on personal growth, present ministry assessment, and future goals.  i am in the process of reading, evaluating, and processing these findings and working with each leader to create honest and thoughtful feedback as well as appropriate goals for the upcoming year.  i covet your prayers as we walk down this path – i am confident it will benefit us all.

which leads me back to the first word – begin.  this process feels new and fresh.  i am ready to begin and so our your leaders.

grace and peace,

mike lawrie

up and running – the adventure continues…

 

 

i love Eugene Peterson’s the Message – for a thousand reasons – one simply being it seems to add a myriad of brilliant colors to the familiar paintings found in the Text.  the retelling of Romans 8:14-15 is particularilly nice:

God’s Spirit beckons – there are things to do and places to go!  This resurrection life you received from God is not a timid grave-tending life.  It’s adventurously expectant greeting God with a  childlike, “What’snext Papa?”

“What’s next Papa?” has a curious ring to it here and now at River Valley Community Church – we, the senior leaders, are neck-deep in that question.  we’ve understood for some time that “what was next” had a lot to do with ourselves, our own spiritual development, our own tangled messes, our own doubts, our own beings, our own understandings of the world and our God.  yet we always knew that season would cease and a new one would present – in time.  well, now seems to be that time.

each year we have a church-wide gathering in the Fall entitled – Next Steps.  this is a time for those who desire to physically and spiritually move down their faith journey and find ways to use their passions to serve the church and the kingdom.  this year, we are attempting to reach out to all those who call RVCC their home to join us – ALL.  this in itself, is a daunting task – to find each person and invite them.  but i believe it matters – that ALL are there to hear our convictions and celebrate the expectant adventure that has been provided.  

i’ve never cared about numbers – but i do hope that many attend – not for my glory – but for the kingdom.  this little community has been granted an opportunity and i wholeheartedly want to participate in it.  i pray – sincerely – that we are full to the point of overflowing.

humbling thought

i just read a passage by the late, great Brennan Manning, who wrote:

“When the religious views of others interpose between us and the primary experience of Jesus as the Christ, we become unconvicted and unpersuasive travel agents handing out brochures to places we have never visited.”

 

as i pause and contemplate this idea, i am humbled both as a leader of the church and as a follower of Jesus.  i do spend ample time reading others who talk about Jesus and give insight to text and culture – the slippery slope is to spend more time with these interesting minds and their words then to spend time with Jesus and his words – which leads us to gather in small circles and discuss authors and criticize their opinions rather than to spend time with people and display the compassion of Jesus.  

i am humbled by this thought and don’t want to be a travel agent handing out brochures to places i’ve never been.  may God use this thought to move me back to his Word for understanding, back to my knees for humility, and back into my neighborhoods with compassion.

 

mike lawrie

lead pastor, rvcc

spring, explanations, and updates

 

spring is upon us – and to that we say, “amen.”  i know that it has been some time since our last entry to this blog – it seems that there was a time out during Lent and Easter regarding social media.  however, that time has past and now we are back at it.  this sunday evening we will be gathering at the Church for a Town Hall Meeting – here we’ll discuss finances, needs, and vision.  if you call rvcc your home community, please join us at 7 for an important discussion. 

as for now, here is a wonderful prayer for spring:

A Springtime Prayer

 

Ever renewing and energizing Creator,

come, stir in my dormant spiritual limbs.

 

Wake up my tired prayer.

Revive my weary efforts of care.

Sing hope into my discouragement.

 

Wash my dusty, drab attitude

with the cleansing rains of your vision.

 

Go deep to my roots and penetrate my faith

with the vibrancy of your grace.

 

Shake loose the old leftover oak leaves

of my tenacious ego-centeredness.

 

Coax joy to sprout from my difficulties.

 

Warm the buds of my relationships

So they bloom with healthy love.

 

Clear out my wintered debris

with the wild breeze of your liberating presence.

 

Nudge me, woo me, entice me, draw me to you.

 

I give you my trust and my gratitude

as you grace my slowly thawing spirit.

 

Light-filled Being, my Joy and my Hope,

Let the greening in me begin!

 ~ Joyce Rupp

Jesus Walks…

 

perhaps this next statement will seem odd or even egotistical – but hear me out: i’ve really enjoyed the sermon series we are in right now, Jesusly Walking – Following the Steps of the Messiah During His Last Week on Earth.  i have really felt God’s leading in my life as we’ve navigated through this Lenten season and i have found my self, time after time, humbled before Him.  the Person of Jesus has captured my spirit and i find myself intrigued and challenged and hopeful and blessed and longing for more witheach passing day.  

not long ago i came across  an excerpt from a sermon delivered in the early 20th century – it seems fitting to share it with you.  for those who would like to follow this series, please check out the link below and download the mp3’s.  

http://www.rvcc.net/pages/currentseries.html

One Solitary Life

Here is a man who was born in an obscure village, the child of a peasant woman. He grew up in another village. He worked in a carpenter shop until He was thirty. Then for three years He was an itinerant preacher.

He never owned a home. He never wrote a book. He never held an office. He never had a family. He never went to college. He never put His foot inside a big city. He never traveled two hundred miles from the place He was born. He never did one of the things that usually accompany greatness. He had no credentials but Himself…

While still a young man, the tide of popular opinion turned against him. His friends ran away. One of them denied Him. He was turned over to His enemies. He went through the mockery of a trial. He was nailed upon a cross between two thieves. While He was dying His executioners gambled for the only piece of property He had on earth – His coat. When He was dead, He was laid in a borrowed grave through the pity of a friend.

Nineteen long centuries have come and gone, and today He is a centerpiece of the human race and leader of the column of progress.

I am far within the mark when I say that all the armies that ever marched, all the navies that were ever built; all the parliaments that ever sat and all the kings that ever reigned, put together, have not affected the life of man upon this earth as powerfully as has that one solitary life.

Dr James Allan Francis in “The Real Jesus and Other Sermons” 1926

 

sunday night live – feb 24

SUNDAY NIGHT LIVE – this sunday, feb 24, at 6:00 pm at the church. this week will be led by Marty Ford – so it should be pretty awesome! come learn, laugh, grow and celebrate!