from the VCC Newsletter on 3/16/2020: Coronavirus, Courage, and Christian Mission.

From the earliest days of the church the church understood that life in Christ was more than life here and now. This liberated the church to be courageous in the face of death unlike any other religion in history. The people of God were convinced that to live was Christ but to die was gain. This was not some haphazard caution to the wind, it was not a lack of respect for the precious gift of life, but rather it came from the deeper conviction that eternal life was at stake. Not their own eternal life, which was secured in Jesus, but the eternal life of those who were perishing around them. The thought of others dying and facing a Christless eternity drove them to be courageous, confident that losing their life now so that others might live eternally was worth the risk. 

One of the reasons that there are Christian hospitals today was that the early church led the way in caring for people in times of plague, disease, disaster, and uncertainty. They were not afraid of dying from disease, if that meant they might share the gospel with those who were dying. There in a person's greatest hour of need countless Christians gave their lives for the sake of the gospel. Likewise in times of famine Christians were known not for hoarding to survive but saving for sharing, until they had nothing left. Remember that when Elijah was held up in the home of the widow that it was her willingness to share her last morsel with the prophet that ultimately saved her life and the life of her son. God blessed them not for hoarding but for sharing even though they were not Israelites. The history of the church has been “they loved not their lives, even unto death.” 

So here we are in a crazy time of people hoarding, running amuck in fear, worried about the Corona Virus 19 (CoVid19). The stores are already out of hand sanitizer and toilet paper. (It’s not a stomach virus, so why are we out of toilet paper?)  My point is that panic has set in and the passing of misinformation is dangerous. So let me be clear, masks do not keep you from getting sick. They keep you from passing your sickness. It stops your germs when coughing and sneezing from spreading your infected droplets. It does not filter out airborne viruses from reaching you. If you put a mask on and you can still smell your dinner, proof that it’s not keeping things out, only in. The best solution for stopping the spread of viruses is still washing your hands (20+ seconds), and covering your mouth when you sneeze or cough with your elbow, not your hand. 

So then, as much as I hate getting sick, my real question is, what should we do? First we should pray. Pray for healing, pray for the stop of the virus spreading, and pray for all of this to stop. 

Second, we should ask God what he is doing and join him in his work. So that might mean we attend to those who are ill, so that we can be the hands and feet of the gospel to those who are sick. Sometimes faith is spelled R-I-S-K and the risk is real. You might get sick! 

And what if the threat actually becomes life and death? What do we do then? The answer is we do what we are continually doing even before the covid19, we die to ourselves. Do we close down services? Probably not, people need comfort in times like that, but you might need to refrain short-term because of your health. I urge you to be wise and to be innocent of evil. Do the right things, get rest, be kind, don’t hoard, don’t spread misinformation, and be helpful to others. And as you go, make disciples of Christ from among the lost whom you serve in their hour of need. 

Grace and peace,

Hal  

From the VCC Newsletter on 3/9/2020: Relating to Money (Part 2)

It is true that tithing is the first subject of shaping our relationship with money, it is called the first fruit, meaning that we begin there. So before we do anything else, we must glorify God by our tithe (10%) which supports the local church and the pastoral staff. But, how else do we mature in our relationship with God through our money management? 

Believe it or not, what we do with the remaining 90% is just as critical as what we do with our first 10%. It is possible to tithe and still run our lives in a very materialistic way. To avoid that, we have to begin with the end in mind. We must ask ourselves, “What does God want to accomplish through me?” It could be that God is asking you to support a missionary, or to give to the poor. It could be that you need to have emergency money lying around just for helping people as God shows you needs around you. It might be to sponsor a child in another country. There are any number of good works that one can participate in, but the goal isn’t good works, as much as it is joining God in what he is doing. You get to play on God’s team. Your management of that 90% should always follow God’s lead, the same way your management of the 10% does. This means you may need to adjust your lifestyle, your wants, etc. But if we want to mature in our relationship with God, we must join Him in what he is doing-  we must be a steward of what God has given us. We have to let God take control of 100% of our money.

You might be thinking this isn’t possible. But, do not be fooled by the fallacy that one must meet a certain standard of living- and from that, base your finances around that standard. Let me say, if you really are on a very tight budget, it may be that you start with the tithe. That is a great place to start! Then, as your income grows or changes, you can ask that same question, “What does God want to accomplish through me?” And you can follow His lead, giving Him authority over that 100%. 

When you begin with the end in mind, you will find great freedom in a world of materialism. You can do it! You can free yourself from the grip of materialism. You can experience the power of God in your finances. You can choose to serve only one master.

Grace and peace,

Hal

From the VCC newsletter on 3/2:Relating to Money (Part1)

One of the most uncomfortable topics for a pastor to talk about is the topic of money. Yet, if a pastor is to be faithful to teaching the Bible, the truth is that Jesus said more about our relationship with money than other topics. In the Bible, money is like a spiritual thermometer for the health of our relationship with God. Most famously, Jesus told his disciples that no one can serve both God and mammon because no one can have two masters (Matthew 6:24). Scripture goes on to say that the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. While that verse is often misquoted, to say that money itself is evil, the real point is not the money, but rather the attitude of the heart. Who or what do you love? 

The challenge of Jesus is not to live in poverty. In fact, many of the Bible’s heroes are persons of great wealth, having been prospered by God, and having reaped a blessing from sowing in righteousness. The money itself is just a tool. The relationship to the money simply tells us in whom we have placed our trust. When we put our trust in something other than God, it generally shows up in our finances. We call this relationship with money stewardship. 

In church circles, when you say stewardship, most people think of giving. While giving is a part of stewardship, it is really a small part (10% to be exact). But what we do with the 90% is just as important as what we do with the 10%. The tithe is considered the first fruit (meaning the first thing). Then, the 90% should also be spent in a way that pleases and honors the Lord. From this 90% we set aside savings for a rainy day, we feed our family, we put a roof over our heads, we give gifts of love, we help those in need, we clothe ourselves and our loved ones, and provide for the general welfare of our family, including saving for the day when we can no longer provide for ourselves by working. We actually teach a whole class on these budgeting skills called Financial Peace University. In fact, we will be offering the class again beginning Friday, April 24 at our community center.  The point is that how we handle our money either makes us a good and faithful steward or an unfaithful steward. For this reason, it is imperative that we manage our money well. Moreover, our relationship with money tells us more about our spiritual health than any other outward indicator. 

So, if a stranger, who knew nothing about you, took a quick survey of your expenditures what would they conclude that you love most? Would it be entertainment? Would it be your family? God? Food? What would they conclude that you love most?  What evidence would there be that you are a spiritually mature person? Would there be evidence that you are a spiritual person? These are important questions that we all need to answer if we are going to grow in our relationship with God. Next week, I will talk more about how to make a plan to mature in our relationship to God (and money).

Grace and peace

Hal