Juneteenth and Father's Day

This coming Sunday is both Father's Day and Juneteenth and both holidays have powerful connections to our Christian faith.

Father's Day was brought about by a young woman in Spokane named Sonora Dodd. Since her Mother's death her Father had been raising her and her siblings. She approached her pastor about creating a day similar to Mother's Day to honor her Father and others like him and so the first Father's Day was celebrated on June 19, 1910. (You can read more here.)

Juneteenth is our newest national holiday and the event it commemorates is admittedly not something I had heard much about growing up. Many of us are aware of the Emancipation Proclamation of 1863 but it wasn't until 2 1/2 years later when the Union army marched into Galveston Texas that word was delivered that the horrific institution of slavery was now abolished. In response hundreds of enslaved people marched in celebration to Reedy Chapel where they praised God for their freedom.

For more info on Juneteenth I highly recommend watching this recently released documentary: Juneteenth - Faith and Freedom
Also, this Sunday, make sure to pick up a special 10 day Juneteenth devotional that explores the themes of faith and freedom. They will be available on the tables near the Bistro.

- Pastor Andrew

Jump on in

Our Christian faith is not less than our Sunday gathering (it's important!) but it's certainly a lot more than that! Following Jesus impacts the environment in our home, our attitude at work, and how we reflect the love of God in all that we do. The word the Bible uses for this is disciple. Being a disciple is a journey, a process by which God becomes more real and the fruit of his grace more evident in our lives.

For some people that have placed their faith in Jesus they're like someone who went to a pool party and only dipped their toe in the water. Afterwards when asked how it was they said, "It was fine." When our Christian faith is only expressed on Sunday morning, many would say the same thing, "It's fine." There's not a lot of joy in that response is there?

Let me encourage you as your pastor, Jesus didn't die on the cross for your sin and make you a co-heir with him so that you would say of your faith, "It's fine." He wants you to experience the fullness of new life and that means you don't just dip your toe in but you do a big old ugly cannon ball into the pool and bob back to the surface with a goofy smile on your face. This is joy and this is the kind of faith that Jesus invites you to experience. It's an all or nothing - jump in with a shout -I don't care what people think kinda faith.

So as Summer approaches let's not be toe dippers. Let's invite folks to dinner, pray with our kids, serve those in need, realign our priorities...and find joy. And if you see someone nervously standing at the edge of the pool, well you know what to do...give them a push.

You Are Not Alone

There are two equally important truths that you need to know about yourself.

The first is that you are completely unique. No one in the history of the world has ever had your DNA or has lived the life that you are currently living. Along with the Psalmist you can say with absolute confidence… “I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well” (Psalm 139:14).

The other truth is that despite your uniqueness the struggles you face are not unique to you. The details and circumstances might be but the core issue, whatever it is, is not. Writing to a very dysfunctional church the Apostle Paul says, “No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind.” (1 Corinthians 10:13)

Knowing both truths is actually a beautiful and freeing thing, with one caveat. You have to see them in light of your relationship with Christ and unfortunately far too many Christians do not.

Too many of us look in the mirror and we see who we are not instead of who God made us to be. We compare and contrast ourselves with others and get depressed because we’re not like them in looks, skills, influence, etc. In this way we know we are unique, but we actually wish we weren’t.

And then there is our struggles, which again, aren’t unique at all but we think that they are. Let me tell you, this thinking leads to one destination; depression and despair. As a pastor I can’t tell you how many people reluctantly, often out of a final desperation, share about their struggling marriage, financial crisis, or the grip of addiction in their lives (porn, alcohol, drugs). And the crazy thing is they think they are the only ones dealing with these struggles. Let me tell you, you are special but not that special. There is no sin or struggle that is unique to only you, but if you believe that to be true… what a horrible burden to carry!

And this is an age old trick of Satan. He will whisper in your ear a thousand times, “If people knew this about you…oh how horrible that would be.”

But that’s not true either. In fact, on any given Sunday there is someone in our church who is either dealing with or has dealt with the same sin, the same darkness, the same struggle as you. Satan doesn’t want you to know that. He’d rather you suffer in silence. He’d rather you believe your marriage can’t be joyful, your porn addiction can’t be overcome, or that your loneliness will last forever. But none of those things are true. You are not alone. Again, while you are unique, your struggles are not.

So what should you do?

 If you find yourself silently struggling, break the silence! You don’t have to put on a happy face and carry the burden quietly. The Christian faith is a team sport and the church of Jesus, our church, is full of people just like you who are ready to encourage, listen, and empathize with what you’re going through. So reach out, you are not alone! In God’s kingdom the way up is down. By humbling yourself, admitting your need, and breaking the silence you take the power away from Satan and make room for the transforming power of the Holy Spirit in your life.

God is in the business of transforming both our situations and our sight. He wants you to see yourself rightly, as a beloved and unique child of his. And he wants to replace your struggle with joy.

Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.
- James 4:10

* If you are ready to talk, cry , pray please reach out!

Why is it called Good Friday?

Why is it called Good Friday?
There are different theories on how it came to be called this. 

• At one point in the english language the word good meant holy.
  
  

• Instead of Good Friday, it used to be called God Friday and it got changed as the tradition moved between cultures. Kind of like the game telephone.
  
  

• It's called good because of what it means theologically. While the event is horrific, what Jesus death accomplished was history changing.

Most likely the truth is a mix of point one and three. Jesus death set into motion a new way (John 14:6) for all of humanity to be freed from sin and reconciled to God. That is truly good!

Exploring the Call

If you've been part of our church in recent months you've been introduced to a few people who feel like God has called them to serve the church in very specific ways. 

Last December we introduced Pastor Robert (Bob) Kaira who, along with his wife Caroline, are seeking to start a church focused on Ugandan Immigrants. Their gathering, Liberty House, is currently meeting on Friday's at 7 PM. 

Two weeks ago you were also introduced to Derrick Cruz and Brian Williams who have signed on to be part of a year long pastoral internship where they will be serving the church and mentored as they explore God's call on their life. Please pray for these men as they serve and seek to make Jesus known. 


This is who we want to be as church; a place were our Christian faith can be challenged to grow, where individuals take Jesus commission to make him known seriously, and a place where we can all take the unique gifts God has given us and use them for his glory. 

What about you?

The place you are, the skills you have, the relationships you've fostered, none of that is an accident. God has a unique call on your life for the season and place you're in now. If you would like to talk with a leader in our church on how to further your journey of being Jesus disciple please contact Pastor Andrew to setup an appointment.

Palm Sunday

This Sunday commemorates Jesus triumphal entry into Jerusalem and is called Palm or Passion Sunday depending on your tradition. All four gospels record this significant and prophetic event and I highly recommend you read them for yourself. You can find them in Matthew 21:1-11; Mark 11:1-11; Luke 19:28-44; and John 12:12-19. As I reread each account myself here are four things that stick out about this historic event that we still commemorate today.

Jesus fulfilled prophecy.
Not only was Jesus the long awaited King that the Jews had been longing for but his very entry into Jerusalem was just how it had been prophesied.
Zechariah 9:9 says, “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.” 
I can imagine that Jewish theologians had been trying to reconcile their picture of a King (think David or Solomon) with the idea that he would ride in on a little colt, his feet barely off the ground. Yet here he was, having given his disciples an awkward command on how to get the colt, fulfilling prophecy that had been written centuries earlier. This was a plot twist that I don’t think even Hollywood could dream up.

What’s with the Palms?
The imagery of palms was a part of the Jewish culture and often reflected honor and nobility. 1 Kings  chapter 6 and 7 record how Solomon had them as part of the sacred carvings of the temple. In Mark’s account of Jesus entry, people are spreading palm branches out on the ground along with their cloaks in what I imagine would be a sort of ancient red carpet that probably helped keep the dust down.

The significance of this honor paid to Jesus also foreshadows what is to come. In Revelation 7:9 there’s an incredible description of worship that – you guessed it – includes palm branches. So we see here Jesus is fulfilling the prophecy of Zechariah and also pointing forward to an even greater scene of worship that is to come.

Hosanna
The chances are pretty good that at some point you’ve sung a song at church with the word ‘Hosanna’ in it. As Jesus made his entry there was definitely some worship going on but what does Hosanna actually mean? It was a desperate cry from an oppressed people living under Roman rule that means ‘Oh save’ or ‘Save us now’.  He would certainly save them but not quite how they imagined.

Where’s the victory?
The Jews had been waiting and their King was finally here! Sure he was riding on a baby donkey and didn’t have a sword, armor, or an army but he was there none the less. As the shouts of Hosanna went out, everyone anticipated what this long awaited Kings next move would be. How would he save them? Would he be like David and his mighty men? Would he be like Solomon with wisdom and riches? “Save us now”, they cried!

One week later, many of these same people who had shouted ‘Hosanna’ would be shouting ‘Barabbas’ . They would trade their long awaited King for a thief and a murderer. He hadn’t fulfilled their image of a King or brought about their idea of salvation and so they turned on him.

But God in his sovereign grace had a plan that included a vastly different idea of what salvation was to look like, one that we’ll be celebrating this coming week. I’ll leave you with these words from Revelation 7:9-10.
“After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, " Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!"

That’s my King!

COVID Update

Church Family,

As most of you know by now, masking requirements are coming to an end this coming Friday, March 11 and so I wanted to update you on what that means for our church family.

Throughout these past two years we’ve done our best to be wise but not fearful and honoring to our leaders and those in authority but not compromise our beliefs. With this in mind we will be following the lead of our Governor and local health authorities and not mandating masks be worn in our worship gathering.

It’s been unbelievably sad for me to hear stories from other churches about how masks have become a divisive issue, even causing some folks to leave their church! I’m so grateful that we haven’t experienced that in our church family but I do have one request of you as we move forward.

Please continue to be gracious and kind.

If you see someone wearing or not wearing a mask respect their decision, greet them warmly, and let’s continue to make our gatherings a place where people feel welcome.

By His Grace,

Pastor Andrew

This weekend

Dear Church Family,

Just this morning I found out that our worship leaders and one of my kids tested positive for COVID (my test was negative) which leaves us in the unfortunate position to have to cancel both our Christmas Eve and Sunday worship gathering.

One of the themes of the Christmas story is hardship. After traveling miles while pregnant Mary and Joseph couldn't find a place to stay. But... their hardship didn't take away from the joy of Jesus birth! I pray that this Christmas you and your family experience that same joy found that is found in a relationship with Jesus.

Make sure to take some time to reread the Christmas story this morning and be reminded of his grace. Blessings to you and your family and we'll see you in the New Year!

Grace and Peace,
Pastor Andrew

Afghanistan and Haiti

As we’ve see the chaos unfold in both Afghanistan and Haiti, this last Sunday we responded with a time of prayer in our worship gathering. In addition to continued prayer we also wanted to share specific ways that you can put your prayers into action for these two countries.

Haiti

The devastating earthquake has already killed over 1,400 people and affected as many as 1.2 million residents. The search and rescue efforts are also being hampered by heavy rains from a tropical storm. Not only does this feel like a repeat of 2011 but the nation was already reeling with political upheaval as their president was recently assassinated.

What can we do?

Six years ago we sent a team to work in Haiti and specifically partnered with an organization called Foundation for Peace which is led on the ground by Haitian pastor Michel Valentin. If you are looking for a way to support the communities affected by the recent earthquake we recommend and trust this organization. You can give here.

Afghanistan

As our military presence has been withdrawn, thousands of Afghans find themselves in severe danger for having assisted the U.S. military during their occupation. Not only that but in the last 20 years many women have been given opportunities that will quickly be taken from them under the oppressive Taliban regime. As a result, thousands of Afghan refugees will be arriving in our country over the next weeks and months.

What can we do?

The Bible repeatedly points the people of God to care for the immigrant and those who are oppressed, so our call to welcome and care for Afghan refugees is clear. One way that we can prepare to welcome them is to learn about their culture and religious beliefs. With this in mind we will be hosting a seminar on September 11 from 9 AM - Noon on understanding Islam. This will be led by the Al-Ma’idah Initative with the express goal of learning how to engage in friendship and conversation with those who come from a muslim background. You can signup here.

*As more opportunities arise we will be updating this page.

Olympic Prayer Guide

As the Tokyo Olympics are about to kick off we wanted to share an email from one of our missionaries. You can also support them and their team through prayer. Click/tap here to download a special prayer guide.

Fellow Co-laborers in the Gospel,

As you know the Olympics have gone through a series of adjustments and changes during the world-wide Pandemic. With borders being closed and international spectators unable to come to Tokyo that closed the opportunity for volunteers to come and join us. So, we have had to rethink our Olympic Strategies over the past 6 months. As a result, the Tokyo Global City team felt the best and most ideal thing to do was to utilize the Olympic time frame to strengthen and expand existing partnerships and engagements for the sake of bringing the Gospel to those living in and around the Greater Tokyo Area.

During this time, our team will be engaged in several activities throughout the city. Many of these activities will be done in areas of high concentration of Japanese people with the goal to be able to follow up with Discipleship and point them toward local churches.

Attached is a prayer Guide that outlines the various activities taking place each day and pray points that you can be lifting up on our behalf. Please join with us to prepare the way for these outreach events to take place. In addition, we have created 1-minute videos with each activity leader describing and talking about the activities they will be doing. If you are interested in these videos, please let us know and we will send you a link to access these ministry introductory videos. They can be used during the day of the event or even beforehand to introduce churches to some of the Tokyo team members and those that will be leading the activities. Also, during the event we will be uploading real-time videos to our Connect2020 YouTube site to keep people informed and aware of all that is going on.

Lastly, we will be doing a close out update with a video to share what God has done during these ministry outreach activities.

Blessings,
Scott & Julie Bradford
Email

Community BBQ

Need more info?

Email us here or call the church office at 425-255-3273

Kingdom Marriage Q & A

The following question was texted in after the message on marriage this past Sunday

As a husband what are some practical ways we can be a servant leader and love our wives the way Christ loved the church?

One of the most powerful ways to do this is to know the love language of your wife. Author Gary Chapman talks about how each of us is uniquely wired to give and receive love in specific ways and he calls these the five love languages. They are: gifts, words of affirmation, acts of service, quality time, and physical touch. Without explaining these I bet you already know at least one that is important to your spouse. Most people have two dominant ones and once you know those for your spouse you can use those to help you find intentional ways to love and serve them.

For example, if acts of service is a primary love language then it would be very meaningful to your wife if you washed and detailed her car, cleaned up the house, or made a meal for her. If it’s physical touch then being intentional about cuddling on the couch, giving her random hugs, or holding her hand in public would be extremely meaningful.

If you aren’t sure what you or your spouses love language is you can take a short quiz here: https://www.5lovelanguages.com/quizzes/couples-quiz/

Now, loving like Christ is the massive challenge here! It’s one thing to learn the love languages and do things from time to time that are meaningful, it’s another to love like Jesus, sacrificially. In talking about his role Jesus says in Mark 10:44, “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” So the challenge for husbands to love like Christ is rooted in this posture, a posture that seeks to serve our wives and put them before ourselves.

The practical outworking of this is going to look different depending on the context of your home. For some this might mean before you plop down in front of the TV for three hours to watch a game, you consider whether your wife has had any of her own downtime recently. Or before you schedule a golf game with your friends, you encourage your wife to schedule some time for her hobbies and passions first. Half the battle here is with our own selfishness, so when our posture is oriented toward serving our wife our actions will follow.

Peace and grace,

Pastor Andrew

Statement on anti-Asian hate crimes

One year ago, our country saw a massive rise in anti-Asian hate crimes as COVID swept thru our nation. We collectively grieved, addressed it as a church, and prayed for our nation. Several weeks ago, coinciding with the Lunar New Year celebration, these same crimes started to rise yet again and so on a Sunday morning Lovell Davis led us as we lamented and prayed together during our worship gathering.

Last night as I read about the horrific events in Atlanta where Asian run spa’s were targeted and a number of people were killed, I immediately thought of my own family, friends, and community. Most of you know that two of my children are Chinese and I’ve observed over the years how they have been treated differently simply based on their ethnicity.

I then thought of my friends. Far too many of my Asian friends have shared stories with me of how they have been treated differently, often out of fear or hate. One friend shared with me today how when he was young hate speech was literally painted on the side of his house. I’ve also heard similar stories from some of my friends that are part of Sunset Community Church.

Then I thought of our community. Here in Renton, people of Asian descent make up between 26-30% of the population and in our church family we have five Asian ethnic groups represented. Directly across the street from our church there are two Vietnamese owned restaurants, one of which I just ate lunch at yesterday. So the rise in these crimes is personal, relevant, and something we cannot nor should not ignore.

One thing that is made clear throughout scripture is when someone murders an image bearer of God it is a crime against God himself. Jesus himself not only reaffirmed this truth but went even deeper than the action of murder. The root of murder is fear and hate, and these find a home in our hearts long before they manifest in action. So that’s where Jesus goes in his sermon on the mount, to the heart (see Matt. 5:21-22) and in doing that he challenges us all to root out our evil thoughts before they become evil deeds.

So what about you? What about me?  Have we made room in our hearts for evil thoughts about people who have a different skin color or a different country of origin than us? Maybe your answer is, “Of course not!” I hope it is.

But what about the things you have allowed into your heart that have more subtly worked in and caused you to see an entire people group in a negative way? Many of us have been fed these things by the media we consume, the politicians we follow, and even by things said in the Church. The last one is especially grievous to me and is why I’m writing.

So that there are no questions as to where we stand, no space for this kind of evil to be comfortable in our church, and so that we may be unified, let me clearly state; there is no acceptable level of prejudice or partiality toward any people group in Sunset Community Church. As followers of Jesus the love we are to give is never to be based on ethnicity, age, skin color, country of origin, or socioeconomic status, but is freely given to all people.

And to our brothers and sisters who are hurting or fearful in this time, I want you to know that we love you. We will stand with you in your pain, we will defend you against injustice, and we will pray with you for comfort and peace.

Grace and peace,

 Pastor Andrew

Who Am I?

This last Sunday as part of our series on the Kingdom of God we examined what our inherent identity is and how Jesus restores us to who we are meant to be. Our faith in Jesus means that we now have a new identity and the Bible has a whole lot to say about what this new identity means and it’s all VERY good news!

Below are a few verse references about what your identity in Jesus means. You can download a longer list here.

The Word of God Says that in Jesus Christ…

I am faithful (Ephesians 1:1)

I am God’s child (John 1:12)

I have been justified (Romans 5:1)

I am Christ’s friend (John 15:15)

I belong to God (1 Corinthians 6:20)

I am a member of Christ’s Body (1 Corinthians 12:27)

I am assured all things work together for good (Romans 8:28)

I have been established, anointed and sealed by God (2 Corinthians 1:21-22)

I am confident that God will perfect the work He has begun in me (Philippians 1:6)

I am a citizen of heaven (Philippians 3:20)

I am hidden with Christ in God (Colossians 3:3)

In-Person Worship!

After putting a pause on our in-person worship gatherings during the Holidays we are looking forward to resuming them starting on February 7th. In addition to offering in-person worship we will also be offering Kids Ministry for ages 0-5 years old.

 With COVID precautions still in place we ask that you still RSVP for each Sunday that you plan on attending. This will help us to adequately prepare our worship center and overflow room. Please keep in mind that wearing masks and social distancing is still required.

·      To RSVP for our upcoming worship gathering please go here.

·      We use Kid Check for our children’s ministry. If you have not created an account you can do it ahead of time by going here.

Questions?

Reach out to us via email or call the church office at 425-255-3273.

Hidden Truth?

Imagine that you had complete access to the files of the CIA and the NSA. What would you look for? Maybe proof of aliens? How about those chem trails in the sky? Did the moon landing really happen? One man by the name of Edward Snowden had such access and he did look for these very things. You may recognize his name. Edward Snowden was a whistleblower who was made famous because he copied and leaked highly classified information back in 2013. So, what answers did he find when he went searching the most secretive files in our nation? There is no proof of aliens, chem trails are made up, and the moon landing really did happen. When asked why people are so drawn to believe these things, I thought Snowden’s answer was very insightful.

“Everybody wants to believe in conspiracy theories because it helps life make sense. It helps us believe that somebody is in control, that somebody is calling the shots.”

As Christians, we know that there is someone in ultimate control, God. He made the heavens and the earth, he broke the curse of sin over humanity, and he will return again as both judge and restorer of his creation. The ultimate revelation of who God is came through the person of Jesus. In Jesus the truth of God was revealed and those who put their trust in him don’t have to wonder anymore about where to find it or what it is.
Jesus plainly said:

·      “I am the way the truth and the life”. (John 14:6)

·      “If you hold to my teaching…you will know the truth and the truth will set you free. (John 8:31

·      “But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth.” (John 16:13)

With all this in mind, Christians are still tempted to be drawn away from Jesus and wonder if there might be something out there, some secret knowledge that they still might learn. The amazing thing is this was an almost immediate temptation from the moment the church formed.

In the early days of the church there were various groups of people who took the teachings of Jesus and tried to add to them. These groups were broadly called Gnostics which is derived from the Greek word gnōsis, “knowledge”. Gnostics operated within the church but would offer knowledge of additional things connected to power, privilege, or even the teachings of Jesus himself.  Broadly what they did was prey on two carnal aspects of fallen humanity.

1.     While Jesus work of redemption is fully and completely enough for our salvation, we are sinfully drawn to the idea that we still have to work to earn it. Gnosticism offered ways to earn salvation apart from Jesus

2.     While Jesus made it clear that he alone is the truth, our carnal nature is drawn to offers of additional knowledge and power (remember Satan’s offer in the garden) and Gnosticism offered that.

If you were going to start up a church in the 1st or 2nd century you had to be aware of the various streams of Gnosticism because they ultimately produced a false gospel and lead people away from the supremacy and sufficiency of Christ. And you know who started a whole lotta churches during this time? The Apostle Paul. And that is why throughout his letters to the church you will find words that are meant to directly refute the teaching of Gnosticism that threatened the purity of the church.  Here’s one example from Colossians 2:8-10: 

“Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ. For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power.”

Now, every generation throughout history likes to think they have made so much intellectual, spiritual, and theological progress that they certainly couldn’t be compared to generations past, much less the ancient world of the Apostle Paul’s time. But those same two carnal aspects that Gnosticism preyed on so easily in the early days of the church, are still being preyed on today.

We still have secret societies such as Freemasonry that use the language of faith and couple it with the promise of progressive knowledge and power. And they are populated by a whole lot of Christians who have believed the lie that Jesus isn’t enough.

Moving even closer to current events, we’ve seen how the promise of spiritual protection and power by President Trump ultimately resulted in thousands of Christians believing the conspiracy that the election was stolen from him. Their shouts of adoration echoed in the crisp D.C. air, “We love Trump”. The roots of this allegiance are ancient echoes of Gnostic heresy that teach that the salvation of a people depends on more than the finished work of Jesus.

Christians today are faced with the same choice the church has grappled with since it’s early days. Is Jesus enough or do we place our hope in conspiracy theories that there is someone else out there with enough power and control to save us? Is there someone other than Jesus who can protect the church? Is there someone other than Jesus who can change hearts?

 The answer has always been and always will be, there is no one but Jesus.

Grace and Peace,
Pastor Andrew

Today's Events at the Capitol

Church Family,

By now most of you have seen the images that have come out of our nation’s capital. As our elected officials were gathered to confirm the electoral college vote, a pro-Trump mob broke into the Capitol resulting in chaos and death and our elected officials had to quickly be taken into safety.

If you’ve been a part of our church family you’ve often heard me mention how much I love the unity in our diversity when we gather for worship, and I’m not just talking culturally or ethnically. I make it a point to also mention our diverse political affiliations such as Republicans and Democrats.

As Christians we can (and we should) engage with politics while still keeping our ultimate hope in Jesus. Today’s events though are a reminder of the dangerous ground we tread when we engage with and place our hope in politics. While I don’t address every issue that comes up in our culture, I felt compelled to share a few things about today’s events.  I hope these thoughts are helpful, hopeful, and ultimately unifying for us.  

Let me first be clear, I am completely supportive of peaceful protests but absolutely opposed to riots that destroy property and harm people. My family participated in a peaceful march for racial equality with hundreds of Christians as recently as this last Summer. And whether they happen in Portland or D.C. I also have no problem lamenting and speaking out when protests turn to violence. With that in mind, today’s events speak to something that we cannot and should not ever be ok with as followers of Christ.

 In the images I witnessed today I saw two flags moving side by side as rioters forced their way into the Capitol building. One was a confederate flag; a sign of rebellion, racism, and revolution. The other was a flag that bore the name of Jesus alongside of the name of Trump. Just as flags are created to do, these both declare allegiances. In the case of the confederate flag, I can think of no American icon more racist and harmful than that. In the case of the Jesus/Trump flag it was not just alarming but completely blasphemous.

Religious power is an alluring thing and what the Jesus/Trump flag reflects is a blurring of the lines between our Bible based faith and a nationalistic ideology. This is called Christian Nationalism. Christian Nationalism is the view that the ways of Jesus can be accomplished primarily by political means grounded in a uniquely American identity. Christian Nationalism, however, offers a path to corporate righteousness that minimizes the Gospel of Jesus and elevates political power. It seeks to blend American identity with our identity as sons and daughters of Christ, so that one is not discernable from the other. Christians Nationalism sees any threat to political power or influence as a threat to the Christian faith and any threat to a political leader as worthy of revolution. It is this ideology we saw on display today and it’s what’s continued to fuel things like unfounded conspiracy theories and support of ungodly behavior from our President.

Let me be clear, this ideology is antithetical to the ways of Jesus and has no place in our church family. Throughout history whenever the church has hitched itself to political power it has subsequently unhitched itself from the gospel.

So how should we respond?

First, we need to both pray against the deception of this thinking and just as importantly prophetically speak against it. 1 Timothy 6:20-21 says, “Turn away from godless chatter and the opposing ideas of what is falsely called knowledge, which some have professed and in so doing have departed from the faith. “ If you have indulged in divisive political rhetoric, I say this with all love, stop it now. Ask the Holy Spirit to align your heart and your emotions with his will and his ways. Ask him to show you where you have condoned or even justified behavior from our President that is not in line with the Spirit of God and repent.   

Secondly, remember the Gospel. Roman 1:16 says, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile.” It’s the gospel of Jesus that we put our hope in, it’s the gospel of Jesus that creates lasting transformation in our hearts, communities, and country. And it’s the gospel of Jesus that needs to be proclaimed and demonstrated over and above any political ideology or affiliation. When the church stays in step with the ways of Jesus, she becomes a beacon of hope, a bearer of peace, and blessing to the nation. Doesn’t that sound like what our country needs right now? 

As we move into the unknown future let’s double our efforts in prayer and let’s renew our commitment to be led by the truth of Jesus and Jesus alone.

By His Grace,

Pastor Andrew

P.S. Questions, disagreements or concerns? Now is not the time to let outside pressure lead to inside division so let’s talk. You can call or email me to setup a time to connect.

Christmas Eve In Your Home

This year our Christmas Eve celebration will take place in your home. We have put together a special celebration with carols, scripture reading and more that you can make part of your Christmas celebrations.

There are two times you can join in: 4 PM or 7 PM

The video stream will be available on this page or on our Facebook or Youtube pages.

Please plan on joining us, share with your family and friends, or even host a watch party.

7 PM Service

Celebration and Vision

If you weren’t able to make our Celebration and Vision night meeting we wanted to share two portions of that meeting below.

First, check out our year in review video below. As challenging as this year has been, God has truly been faithful and his grace has sustained us in amazing ways. After watching, then listen to the audio that Pastor Andrew shared where he lays out three areas of focus for the coming year.

In-Person Worship Pause

As we’ve been monitoring the situation in our community and evaluating the new restrictions mandated by the Governor, our leadership team has decided to pause our in-person gatherings from now through the end of December. We do not make this decision lightly as we are trying to walk in wisdom, and faithfulness in this unique time in history.

One of the things I’m blessed to be able to say is that even when our church hasn’t been able to meet all together, we have not ceased being the church. You have served, stayed connected, and led your families in worship from home. You have voted in an election, lamented and prayed for racial justice, and reached out and served your neighbor.

We have all been feeling a rollercoaster of emotions during this season and it’s in these times that our faith is tested. But as Philippians 1:6 says, I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. We’re all in this together so hold on in courage, engage with wisdom, and in faithfulness stay connected to Jesus and the church.  

Please let us know if you are in need of anything, whether it’s a phone call, finances, or toilet paper. We will continue to be the church and I hope and pray we’ll be able to gather together again in early January.

 If you have any questions or needs please reach out to me or our leadership team.

God bless you,
Andrew