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 we have as a church family. In the troubling times 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.

Every time I hear the lyrics by the artist Meat Loaf, “I would do anything for love…But I won’t do that,” I am reminded of the familiar way we talk about obeying God, “I would do anything… except that!” I will never forget a student in my youth group years ago saying she was called by God to go on a mission trip we were planning to Africa. Later, when I noticed that she had not applied for the trip, I asked her about it, and she shared all of the reasons why she felt she should not go. Most of them were very pragmatic: the cost, conflict with other things she wanted to do, not sure if she really wanted to go to Africa, etc. I remember thinking, “But you said God told you to do it!” While it is easy to pick on her, I can relate as well. Many times, I have been tempted to say no to God’s clear invitation for me to do something He asked me to do.

One of my dear friends from the Bahamas was so smitten with a high school classmate that he went to some incredible lengths to get her attention. She was not particularly impressed with him, and after going to the United States for college, she refused to take his phone calls. So, my friend got on an airplane and flew to an airport near her college, rented a car, and drove to her dorm. She was still refusing to take his phone calls, so he dauntlessly sent a note to her through a classmate walking into the dorm. He waited, and waited, and waited. Finally, she sent a note back out containing only two words: NOT INTERESTED! After all of that pursuit by him, she was not even willing to greet him in person! Well, you might think my friend would have taken the hint and given up, but I can say with great confidence that they have been happily married now for over 35 years! I think we all agree that some things worth having are worth pursuing.

Years ago, when I was a middle school youth pastor, I led a mission trip to Ocean City, New Jersey. It was one of my favorite ministry experiences because on that trip, we literally accomplished what many people thought was impossible. We were given the opportunity to paint the tallest church in Ocean City. It was a very old wooden building, and every square inch needed to be scraped by hand and sanded. Then it needed multiple coats of primer and then multiple coats of paint. I might have forgotten to mention that my crew was made up almost entirely of squirrely middle-schoolers, most of whose painting experience was limited to finger painting in elementary school.

Have you ever been concerned about a lawnmower or snowblower needing repair, only to find that it had just run out of gas? I think this is common in our daily lives as well. Like fuel in a gas tank, we eat food each day to keep us rolling through the physical and mental challenges of life. When we skip a meal or two, our bodies have a way of reminding us that we need to eat. I believe this is what Jesus meant when He made the bold claim, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.” (John 6:35 ESV) The timing of this statement was after the miraculous feeding of the 5,000, where people were seeking Jesus to get a temporary filling of their bellies. After connecting His multiplication of the fishes and loaves to Moses being fed manna from heaven, the crowd begs Jesus, “Sir, give us this bread always.” (John 6:34 ESV) Incredibly, Jesus offers them so much more than just full physical bellies; He offers to be the constant satisfaction of their deepest needs.

On Sunday, I joked about a time as a kid when my parents and brothers played racquetball, and I was stuck in the corner under a laundry basket, bored out of my mind. In the various sports that I participated in, I hated waiting on the bench for my turn to play. In life, I hate sitting still; I want to be a part of the action, not on the outside looking in. I am guessing many of you feel that way as well. The apostle Paul had an interesting way to describe this need for all of us to use our gifts, to contribute to God’s mission, to participate and not just look on from the sidelines. He taught us to, "...walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called," (Ephesians 4:1 ESV). This verse means that our daily life and actions should match the great honor of belonging to God. 

Have you ever been told, “You’re running around like your hair is on fire!" I confess that phrase has described me perfectly at times in my life. I had a friend the other day say he wants to be a fire marshal and not a fireman. He explained it like this: “A fireman puts out fires after they have started [preferably not in their own hair], whereas fire marshals go around preventing them.” I think we can all agree that we would much rather be a fire marshal than a fireman, but nearly every day the sirens of life go off, and I race to put out the latest fire. I would guess we have all experienced that chaos.

It is ironic that we talk about neighboring when many of us today don’t have any meaningful interactions with our neighbors. It is hard to love a neighbor you never see. The way our homes are built prioritizes privacy, big backyards, fences, and automatic garage doors which allow us to enter our homes without ever interacting with the outside world. On average, most people interact with their next-door neighbors infrequently, typically spending a few minutes a month with them. If we are going to "...consider how to stir up one another to love and good works," (Hebrews 10:24 ESV) it is going to require us to be intentional about how we spend our time, so we can show that real connections and real relationships matter. 

George Washington Carver was a brilliant scientist who could have chased international fame, notoriety, and wealth. Instead, he chose a quiet life focused on helping his neighbors who were mostly poor, rural farmers. He used his scientific skills to help improve their soil and crops. He woke up early, worked diligently with his hands, and deliberately avoided political conflicts and any sort of personal fame. His quiet lifestyle and deep respect for the community made him a beloved and trusted neighbor. He was a living example of 1 Thessalonians 4:11, which says, "...aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands…” In other words, be a good neighbor. Don’t give them a reason to consider you anything but a good neighbor. I think this is what it means to love our neighbor “as we love ourselves.”

During the Great Depression in the 1930s, neighbors in small towns across America organized informal "penny auctions" to save family farms from foreclosure. When a bankrupt family’s farm  went up for auction, the local neighbors would gather, agree not to bid against each other, and buy back the land and equipment for pennies on the dollar. Then they would return everything to the original owner. They took action to care well for their neighbors in a practical and tangible way. This reminds of an experience I had in war-torn Liberia, West Africa. Many people there wrestled with having enough food, but they had a wonderful saying…if one person has a bag of rice in our village, we all have a bag of rice. That type of practical care for one another is exactly what Jesus meant when He affirmed that we are called to “love our neighbor as ourselves.”

We have all heard the teaching of Jesus, “Blessed are the peacemakers…” That sounds good, but when you are in a struggle with a neighbor over your property line it is difficult to be a peacemaker. In fact, I have sometimes been just the opposite when it comes to my neighbors. It is easier to pick fights than to be a peacemaker. God’s Word teaches us something that can be quite powerful when it comes to conflict with a tough-to-love neighbor. "A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger." (Proverbs 15:1 ESV) I believe God calls us to be the type of neighbor who chooses a gentle, humble approach to defuse disputes and daily friction before anger escalates.

When we talk about the “Art of Neighboring,” we often think about ways we can serve our neighbors through hospitality and kindness. I was reminded recently that another powerful way we can care for our neighbors is to choose to speak the best about them. In the book of Exodus, we are taught through Abraham’s failure that we should be careful about speaking the truth to them. Specifically, we are taught: "You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor." (Exodus 20:16 ESV) I believe being a good neighbor means actively protecting the dignity and reputation of those around you. At first it might seem to be a strange thing to care about, but I have noticed that my neighbors have the tendency to “pick sides” like a World Cup fan. Who are you cheering for, who are you cheering against? In the end, we can cause a lot of pain through a little gossip.

From the moment I began preparing for our recent sermon series, “The Art of Neighboring,” I was shocked by how many opportunities God has given me to connect with those who live around me. The part that is convicting to me is the fear that I have allowed my agenda to eclipse His desire for me to care well for my neighbors. I have sensed, as I have interacted with many in our church family, that you can relate to me in this area. Several of you have shared stories of neighbors going through crises that remind us of how temporary life is. I do not want to assume I will have a “better” time to connect with them; I want to take the time to engage today. So the commitment I have made is this – if God opens a door, I do not want to be the one who closes it. When we studied the Good Samaritan, these words from Luke 10:33 (ESV) stood out to me, "But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion."

I enjoy boating in all of its many different forms – sailboats, speedboats, and my tandem kayak. I love getting out on the water when I am able, especially with those that I love. When we lived in the Bahamas, I had the joy of being with Bahamian friends who were extremely experienced boaters. A topic that often came up, especially in the shallow Caribbean sea, was coral reefs that were right under the surface of the water that could tear the hull of a boat apart. Almost all of my Bahamian friends could share a personal experience of themselves or someone they knew, having a painful encounter with a coral reef. Interestingly, Jude warns his readers that there are destructive “hidden reefs” (Jude 1:12) in their churches hiding under the surface of ministry, that could cause them and others incredible harm.

The past few Sundays we have been focusing on growing in our ability to care for our neighbors through a special sermon series called, “The Art of Neighboring.” I am motivated to take this more seriously by outspoken atheist Penn Jillette, of the magician duo Penn & Teller. In a video blog after one of his shows, he made a statement that I cannot ignore. He described a man who came up to him after a show to share a bible and talk with him about faith. In response, Jillette said,  “I mean, if I believed, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that a truck was coming at you, and you didn’t believe that truck was bearing down on you, there is a certain point where I tackle you. And this is more important than that.” 

My Ohio driver's license gives me the legal right to operate a motor vehicle. It confirms that I have met a set of criteria making it appropriate for me (under the right circumstances) to operate a motor vehicle. It grants certain rights and privileges, but it does not permit me to do things like speeding, distracted driving, or dangerous driving. It is a license, but it has limitations. Jude, when he wrote his brief letter to all faithful Christians, warned that when we understand that we are saved by grace, we must not treat that grace like a license to live however we want. This is what was happening back when he penned the book of Jude, and it is certainly happening now.

We have all had the experience of handing someone cash and watching them awkwardly check the bill to attempt to confirm that it is not a counterfeit. According to the Federal Reserve, “It is important to know what the security features are in genuine currency, because if you end up with a counterfeit note, you will lose that money. A counterfeit note cannot be exchanged for a genuine one, and it is illegal to knowingly pass counterfeit currency.” So the best solution for knowing the fake thing is to know the real thing really well. I think this concept is also key to our ability to spot what Jude warns of as the dangers of individuals sneaking a “counterfeit” version of faith into the church. He writes, “For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.” (Jude 1:4 ESV)

This summer in these weekly emails, I intend to continue exploring the sweet little book of Jude. The book of Jude contains an incredible sense of urgency. Imagine receiving a text from a neighbor casually asking how you and your family are doing, then the next thing you know, they are at your door yelling, “Get everyone out of the house, I saw smoke, your house is on fire!”

While it is common these days to talk about investing your money well, it is probably more important to talk about how we invest our time. I love the moment recorded in scripture where Jesus had just finished preaching, and His disciples were surrounding Him in order to keep away those who might infringe on His busy ministry. The disciples thought they were doing their jobs by being good bouncers and protecting Jesus’ time. When Jesus noticed what they were doing, He told them to let them through. “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 19:14 ESV) Jesus said they were not an interruption to His ministry; they were His ministry! I love the truth that all people, even children, are worth investment.

Dear Hope Family, 

This week, in our Sunday services, our Pastor of Worship and Creative Arts, Tyler Richards, shared that his wife, Sandra, has received a promotion through her work, and they plan to move to Alabama in early July. Tyler’s last day on staff will be June 30. We will dearly miss the Richards family. We are grateful for Tyler’s leadership over the past four years, and we wish him and his family well as they make this move. We look forward to a special reception to honor the Richards family on Sunday, June 14, after the second service.