As a kid, I came up with the big idea of being a trash can for Halloween. To make the costume, I cut out the bottom of a brand-new Rubbermaid trash can (sorry, Dad, if you are reading this) and made a hat out of the lid. You might think it was cute, but it proved to be pretty dumb, because as people threw precious candy into my trash can it just fell on snowy, wet ground. I don’t recall ever feeling more like Charlie Brown than I did at that moment…I can hear myself grumbling, ”Good grief!” At least I gave some people a good laugh that night, even if it was at my expense.

I love the quote from Oscar Wilde that says, “Conversation about the weather is the last refuge of the unimaginative.” Sometimes the weather is just the easiest thing to talk about – and Northeast Ohio gives us plenty to discuss. I am working to grow in my ability to have conversations that scratch below the surface of life and get to the heart of it. Obviously, when we first meet someone, it is a bit unusual to dive deep into the caverns of their life, especially when it comes to faith and details of their relationship with Christ. In my experience, it usually takes time before we feel comfortable sharing those intimate aspects of our lives.

Baptism was the topic of discussion in the “Dare I Ask?” Wednesday night series a few weeks ago. We explored a variety of great questions. What is baptism? Why do we baptize? Why do we baptize the way that we do? Who can baptize? What if I was baptized as an infant? Do I need to be baptized again? What if the person who baptized me had a moral failure? The discussion was meaningful, insightful, and like all of the “Dare I Ask?” sessions, was very helpful for those of us seeking to grow in our understanding of what we believe. 

When life gets difficult it has a way of revealing our true colors. A retired science teacher at the Holden Arboretum patiently described to me the science of what really happens when leaves “change” this time of year. Those bright green leaves in spring and summer are full of chlorophyll, which is continuously produced and broken down, making the leaves appear green. This time of year, as the days get shorter and cooler, the green chlorophyll pigments break down, exposing the colors of the leaves. The colors were always there; they were just under the cover of the green chlorophyll. Under duress, their true colors are exposed. As you notice the change in the leaves this autumn, I want to encourage you to remember that difficult experiences in life can expose who we truly are and it leads to something quite beautiful. 

There are plenty of reasons to be anxious today: global uncertainty, information overload, economic pressures, loneliness, chaos in our country, and fear of the unknown to name just a few. Many feel like Charles M. Schulz when he wrote, “I have a new philosophy. I'm only going to dread one day at a time!” Anxiety has reached epidemic proportions. God’s Word gives us some clear directives as Christ followers about how we can deal with anxiety in our lives and thankfully, no “dread” is required.

The word “sorrow” describes in one little word some of the deepest emotions we can feel. It is defined as a feeling of distress caused by loss, disappointment, or other misfortune suffered by oneself or others. Although we rarely use this word these days, we certainly understand the feeling it describes. Darrell Evans wrote the song “Trading My Sorrows,” and it contains a beautiful, biblical image of what happens when we share our sorrows with God. We can find that they are overcome and eclipsed by His sovereign grace.

I am delighted to invite you to participate in one of the most important aspects of the health and future of our church, the appointing of Elders.

At Hope, we consider it a joy to be an Elder-led church. We depend upon a plurality of qualified and competent leaders to help us live out our calling in Brunswick and beyond. I believe that our Elder board is one of the greatest assets that we have as a church family. In the troubling times that we live in, I agree with Dr. Howard Hendricks who writes, "The greatest crisis in America is a crisis of leadership, and the greatest crisis of leadership is a crisis of character." When it comes to appointing Elders, the Biblical standards for leadership and character are set very high.

We have been discussing the end times at Hope Church recently. For some of us, this cannot come fast enough. For others, it no doubt provokes feelings of fear and anxiety. I think it can be helpful to remember that God is being incredibly patient, but His patience has an inevitable ending. Let’s remember, God is not slow, but His timing is perfect.

When we were living in warmer climates (like California and the Bahamas), and visited Ohio in the winter, we often made a Walmart pitstop to pick up a cheap jacket or gloves to help us temporarily weather the weather. This worked fine on our brief visits, but when we made the move to live in Ohio, we needed an altogether different strategy. The first winter we had was unusually cold and snowy, and some friends encouraged us to ditch the cheap stuff from Walmart and invest in well-made winter gear designed for the weather here. The weather is no big deal when you have well-made gear. In Psalm 139, we are told that God custom-made us, and He did a good job when He did.

A friend recently shared pictures with me of their family's awesome rowing adventure. When I looked closely, I saw something about their trip that would have really frustrated me. I noticed that they did not get to participate in the rowing, rather their paid guide did all the work! I am sure there is an explanation, but if I went on a white water rafting trip, and was not allowed to get an oar in the water, I would ask for a refund! Some of you can relate – we like being engaged, having a purpose, and participating in the goal. The same concept applies to the Church. As the apostle Peter put it: “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms… If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ.” (1Peter 4:10-11 NIV)

I am guessing that most people have experienced having a little trouble staying awake while driving. As the miles roll on, you feel your eyelids getting heavier and heavier. You slowly find yourself drifting off the road and bouncing on the rumble strips, which are cut into the asphalt to wake you up before you hurt yourself or someone else. Sound familiar? I have a few favorite “staying awake” strategies: drinking buckets of coffee, having the windows open and AC on even in the middle of winter, chewing on…anything. You get where I am going. Staying awake is difficult sometimes, but staying alert is essential to the safe operation of a motor vehicle. We hear a lot about distracted driving – cell phones, heavy eyelids, and the movie theater-sized screen in the center of some cars’ consoles all contribute. We understand what it means to be distracted.

One of the most fascinating descriptions of Satan in the book of Revelation is that he is our great accuser – he keeps record of our wrongs, he lies to us and says that we are unlovable, unredeemable, and that we always fall short. This is why I love the truth in Psalm 103, where David assures us, “For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us.” (Psalm 103:11-12 ESV) Satan says we have gone too far, we are unforgivable, and we are a lost cause. David reminds us that if we come to God in a spirit of repentance, we can always find His steadfast love.

There are some interesting fears out there with very scientific-sounding names: arachibutyrophobia (fear of peanut butter sticking to the roof of your mouth), hippopoto- monstrosesquippedaliophobia (ironically, the fear of long words), nomophobia (fear of being without a mobile phone), anatidaephobia (fear of ducks watching you), and pogonophobia (fear of beards). Psalm 91 addresses some less obscure fears which have plagued humanity for all time.

What do we do when we realize we have really messed up, and our decisions have harmed those who are closest to us? What do we do when the accusations stick and we find ourselves caught amid the consequences of bad decisions? Psalm 51 gives us one of the most beautiful images of repentance recorded in all of scripture. We remember David’s sultry affair with Bathsheba – the unexpected pregnancy, the betrayal, the attempted cover-up, and the dreadful murder of Uriah. This story feels more like the script for a blockbuster Hollywood movie than one about a man God used so mightily. The villain of this story is King David, the commander who made a series of tragic decisions. The beauty of Psalm 51 is that we get to see his process of restoration.

It is a little ironic that a shepherd like David declares in Psalm 46 that we ought to “be still.” As I understand ancient agricultural practices, I feel like being “still” was one of the primary parts of a shepherd’s job description. So if anyone knew the benefits of being still, it was David. Through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, he declares something wonderful and profound. From the voice of God, he writes, “Be still and know that I am God.” (Psalm 46:10 ESV)

One might guess that David wrote these words from Psalm 34, “I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth,” in a season of life when things were going well. We find it easy to celebrate the goodness of God when life is good. Actually, David was writing during an incredibly difficult time in his life – a time of incredible pain, loss, and isolation. He was still able to declare later in this wonderful Psalm, “When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles. The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.” (Psalm 34:17-18 ESV)

About 15 years ago, my family and I attended a family reunion at a campground in Ludlow Falls, Ohio. We were staying in small wooden cabins. A nasty storm blew through town around midnight. Then a very loud siren began to blare. Ally and I had recently watched the movie Twister, and the last place we wanted to be during a tornado was in a rickety, old, wooden cabin. We quickly gathered up our daughters in their PJs and rushed to a nearby bathroom made of cinder blocks and cement. We were joined by many of my extended family members in our bathroom refuge, soaking wet and in our PJs. It was quite a scene – the sirens kept blaring, and we were bracing for what felt like an inevitable storm. All we could do was wait and pray.

The Shepherd’s Psalm (Psalm 23) is without question one of the most quoted and inspirational passages in all of scripture. I personally find great joy in the fact that the word “pastor” is closely related to the word “shepherd.” This passage reminds me the Lord is my “pastor,” the ultimate version of caring for me. I love the lines we sing from the song, You've Already Won, “I’m fighting a battle, you’ve already won. No matter what comes my way, I will overcome.” Jesus, our Good Shepherd, gives comfort and protection, because He is able to repel our greatest enemies.

This summer, I want to invite you to join me on a journey through the Book of Psalms. This wonderful collection of inspired poetry is a gift to us as we strive to know God intimately, and it can be a wonderful experience to share together. C.S. Lewis describes the pain of not being able to share delightful things like the psalms with others: “ I think…

One of the most painful moments of my life was surrounded by what felt like a total failure. I was a freshman Bible student at Cedarville University, and had been asked to serve as the freshman class chaplain. The job was to help run the freshman class chapel services, and it would allow me the opportunity to preach God’s Word to my classmates. To be honest, I allowed homework, the fun of college, and everything else to get in the way of preparation for my first teaching. When the day came I was completely unprepared. I still vividly remember standing in front of a thousand peers and having nothing to say. For those of you who know me, you know that was a unique situation!