Consecration Sunday

Consecration Sunday | September 28, 2016

This Sunday is Consecration Sunday, when our members and friends make pledges to support the mission and ministry of the church. 

Consecration Sunday is a bit different than previous campaigns. In fact, it's not a campaign at all. You may have noticed that you haven't seen a 2017 budget or goals for the coming year. In the past, we've tried to motivate your giving by explaining exactly how much is needed to meet the ministry goals of the church. 

This year's approach is a bit different and, to be honest, much more biblically-rooted. We're inviting you to give because, well, it's important to give. It's an important part of being a disciple because it invites all of us into the shared task of advancing the kingdom and caring for our neighbor. 

The tithe is a good example. God instituted the tithe as a gift to his people, not a burden. The tithe helps us better manage our resources, welcomes us into the joy of shared ministry, and teaches us to trust God more than we trust our own resources. The promise of the tithe is simple: "God will provide." The tithe teaches us to trust God's promise. 

I hope you'll join us this Sunday. Pastor John Propst is our special guest and the catered brunch will be down-right scrumptious. At the conclusion of worship you'll be asked to complete a pledge card and place it at the foot of the altar.

At the end of the day, your decision to give is between you and God. We trust that the Holy Spirit will guide and direct us in the decisions we make as together we Consecrate our gifts and our lives to His glory. 

Peace+

Pastor Rhodes

On Colin Kaepernick

On Colin Kaepernick | September 14, 2016

I disagree with Colin Kaepernick, the back-up 49er QB who refuses to stand for the national anthem.

Naturally I support his right to make a statement, and i don't entirely disagree with the statement he's trying to make. Sure, we need more conversation about violence and poverty and inequality. We've come a long way through the years, but way too many folks have been left behind, and their struggle is very, very real. 

And I don't mind the idea of peaceful protest one bit. It's what distinguishes us as Americans and, well, I'm proud of that part of our identity. 

And I have to admit that, as a Christian, I have to pause when a fellow Christian makes a statement about justice and mercy, the hallmarks of Judeo-Christian ethics. That's a rich part of Christian history, after all. Lest we forget, the apostles were taught to submit to governmental authority, but not when it conflicted with the way of Christ. And no Christian in the first 300 years after Jesus would have even thought to pledge allegiance to Rome. "One faith, one Lord, one baptism" was the rallying cry, not as a protest to Rome but as a reminder that our ultimate allegiance is to a different kind of king and kingdom.

So yes, I'm thankful for Kaepernick's right to free speech and this long-standing history of peaceful protests. 

But I disagree with his choice of time and space. These days there are fewer and fewer places where we Americans set aside agendas and division and speak with one voice. Divisiveness is at a chronic level. Grandstanding is all too common. The explosion of "Individual expression" is tiring. It seems like everyone wants to go viral these days, and its rarely for any reason other than pure self-promotion. 

Amidst all the disagreement and grandstanding, there remains one place where all of that is set aside, and that's during the singing of the national anthem. Rituals matter, after all, and this is one ritual that's designed to unite, not divide. It's that one remaining American ritual when we figuratively join hands and say, "we're all in this together."

I remember the outcry when Roseanne Barr butchered the national anthem during a Padres game. And I admit getting irritated when other singers have done their best to turn attention on themselves more than the star spangled banner and the corporate history/values it represents. 

Why should we care? Because it's important that we honor those moments, not out of blind allegiance, but out of a common drive to be "the land of the free and the home of the brave." 

Sure, there's a lot to protest these days. If we don't take seriously the epidemic of poverty, we're going to face some serious consequences. If we don't figure out how to prioritize public education, our community's future will be in serious jeopardy. And, yes, if we don't take seriously the fact that "black lives matter," our racial divide will become even more chasmic. 

Please, let's have that conversation. But not during the singing of the national anthem. In that moment, let's dare to stand as one. 

Peace+

Pastor Rhodes

Buying a car

Buying a car | September 7, 2016

This past Monday I helped my mom make her first car purchase since 1955. Since then, my dad had always bought the family cars, but since his death in 2009, mom has had to do a lot of things for the "first" time. 

She was so nervous and anxious, especially when she signed her name to the largest check she had ever signed. But then, almost immediately, there was a wave of satisfaction, accompanied by a great big smile and a few tears of relief. She took some pictures of her old car -- my dad's last major purchase -- and then drove her new, white, 2016 Honda CR-V off the lot. Well done, mom. You did it. 

We've entered into a season of new beginnings and fresh starts. A few weeks ago, Matt started college and Anna started high school. Fall programming at St. John's begins with a new youth minister, and last week a slew of new, wide-eyed kindergarteners walked on campus for the first time. It's all good ... but "firsts" can produce a lot of anxiety and, well, a few tears, too.

When mom took pictures of her old car, it helped me to see the importance of saying goodbye to a part of our past while anticipating the beauty of what is to come. I felt the same way when I watched Matt hug his mom one final time in the parking lot of NC State the other week. There was power in that ritual of saying goodbye .. and great beauty in watching Matt take those first steps on his own. 

If this is a season of "firsts" for you, may God use your past as a springboard to the joy and beauty of a brand new day.

"I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future" (Jeremiah 29:11). 

Peace+

Pastor Rhodes