Highway Robbery

           By now, you are probably aware that our church was robbed sometime between 1 p.m. on Wednesday and 9 a.m. on Thursday. My first clue that something was awry when I entered the church was that the main office door was open. It is almost always closed.

           Then I could see that the window was open, the screen was on the floor, papers were strewn about, and both computers were missing. Uh oh!

           So, I looked around, only to find more evidence of an intrusion, including missing audiovisual equipment in Fellowship Hall, and significant disruption in our sacristy.

           A range of emotions gripped me in that moment: fear, sadness, disappointment, even anger. How could anyone do this to the House of the Lord?

           Well, it was another stark reminder of the type of world in which we live — one that is becoming increasingly godless: no respect, no honor, no decency.

           As I tried to process all that happened, I became more convinced than ever that we must live our faith, share our faith, and demonstrate our faith so that others who live their lives in darkness might see the light and come to the Lord.

           I don’t have any animosity toward the perpetrators. It doesn’t mean that I’m not upset, but my prayer is that they might be convicted to confess what they have done and follow the Lord.

Fallibility and the ‘Fonz’

       Most of you probably remember the hit television show, “Happy Days.” It was popular in the 1970s when I was in high school, but it depicted life in the 1950s.

           One of the more memorable characters from that series was the “Fonz” (a.k.a. Arthur Fonzarelli, played by Henry Winkler). The Fonz was the epitome of what it was to be cool in that decade — leather jacket, t-shirt, slicked-back hair. But the Fonz had a problem. He was so cool, so caught up in his in persona, that he was not able to acknowledge his own shortcomings. As you may remember, whenever he tried to say he was wrong, all he could muster was, “I was wro…” He simply couldn’t not bear to admit any fallibility.

           As disciples of Christ, we have come to realize the importance of not only admitting when we are wrong, but also confessing it before the Lord and asking for forgiveness. It is really the only way to maintain an open and honest relationship with him.

           On this Good Friday, likely the most extraordinary one we have ever experienced because it accentuates our fallibility, we take time to pause, confess, and give thanks to the Lord our God for his sacrifice on the cross, for without it, we are doomed to a future without hope.

           So the next time we reflect on our transgressions, let us freely proclaim that “we were wrong” and that we seek his forgiveness as we forgive others, not only on Good Friday, but every day of the year.

Cracking Open the Nutshell

        Welcome to Week 2 of the Nutshell relaunch. I hope you are well and that you are taking it easy during this time of slowdown and separation — which, when you think about it, is not all bad.

           Take some time to relax and reflect during this time. The pace of life will almost certainly accelerate in the not-too-distant future. In the meantime, think about reaching out to someone by phone, text, e-mail, Facebook, FaceTime, or any of a number of other social media platforms.

Prophecy or Fallacy?

            I’m probably one of the last people to respond to “what’s going around on the Internet,” but I couldn’t ignore what I was hearing about a prophetic passage from Isaiah, Chapter 26, Verses 21-22, as it applies to our current situation…

“Go, my people, enter your rooms and shut the doors behind you; hide yourselves for a little while until his wrath has passed by. See, the Lord is coming out of his dwelling to punish the people of the earth for their sins. The earth will disclose the blood shed on it; the earth will conceal its slain no longer.”

            Was Isaiah receiving a message from God about the year 2020? Hard to say with any certainty, but you could definitely make a case for a connection. Is this pandemic a symbol of the wrath of God, or is it another random event in human history? Obviously, there have been pandemics in the past, and there are almost certain to be more pandemics in the future, so is this passage addressing the current situation, or is it more likely about something in the past or in the future — or is it all of the above?

            Whatever you believe, the events of the past six weeks should certainly give us pause, grab our attention, and encourage us to ask the question, “Is God trying to get a message to us?”

            I believe that he is, but I also believe that he is looking to commune with us on a daily basis. So regardless of the situation — in both good times and bad — pay attention, and listen for the voice of the Lord. He will guide us on the pathway of righteousness.

Something to Crow About

           Speaking of communicating, the messenger can come in all shapes and sizes, Shortly after I arrived at the church office on Monday of this week, the crow was back pecking at the glass doors outside my office, but this time there seemed to be more urgency in his message. What in the world is he trying to tell me and all of us here at Oak Chapel?

           My mother used to tell me that when she was growing up, grownups would tell her that if a bird pecked at someone’s window, it meant that that person would soon depart this world. What a frightening thought!

           We also know about the rooster that Jesus described in the Gospels, saying that Peter would deny Him three times before the cock crowed a second time.

           Am I missing something here, or is this just coincidence? I don’t know for sure, but between the coronavirus and the crow, I think God is trying to get our attention. Maybe we should be listening more closely.

 Until we meet again, Blessings and Best Wishes! – Pastor John

Cracking Open the Nutshell

       With a little extra time on our hands during the current coronavirus outbreak, the newly formed Marketing and Communications Committee met online last week through an app called “Zoom.” It was a very insightful and productive meeting, and led to a number of good suggestions, including one that your Pastor resurrect a weekly missive to the congregation, so here we go…

Support for Oak Chapel

             During the current coronavirus outbreak, many of you have inquired about your continued financial support for the church, which is quite noble, but not surprising given the genuineness of your faith and the sincerity of your dedication to our church. 

            In consultation with the Finance Committee, we are suggesting that you mail your tithes and offerings to the church until we have an opportunity to worship together again and add our tithes to the offering plate in person. 

If you are a weekly donor, consider combining two or more weeks (paying a larger amount less often) so the volunteers counting and tracking the money don’t need to spend as much time at the church performing this administrative task. 

            Above all, give thanks to God for Oak Chapel! Pray for our church and our people. Be encouraged; we will be back in the pews soon enough.

Online Option

            We are planning to keep you connected through our weekly online video. Our brief 20-minute worship service can be accessed with a link that will be sent to you each Thursday or Friday for the foreseeable future. You will be able to watch on your computer, tablet, or phone. If you did not receive information for last week’s service, please let us know, and we will be sure to include in future notifications.

           Until we meet again, Blessings and Best Wishes! – Pastor John