Deaf dog, bum knee and squawking birds

This is my second “Scenes from my sabbatical” and since I last wrote it has been a wild ride. Our pup Chloe came out with my wife and kids to spend some time here in Cleveland. The first night she was here she had a really rough night and we ended up in the pet emergency room (Don’t ask me how much that cost!). She was diagnosed with two ear infections, given meds and sent back to our Air bnb with us. However the next day she lost her hearing and altough there was no damage to her ears that can be seen, somthing happened. Anyone who knows me, knows that I love our pup and so this certainly was a distraction and concern and still is.

I have also been exercising more and I am not sure what I did but I started to get a painful popping on the side of my knee whenever I bent it. It has gotten somwhat better but it also has become a distraction. On top of all of that the Air bnb we rented (which we love in so many ways) had a nest of birds in the chimney that it took almost three weeks to get rid of. One time a baby bird escaped into the house! Yet another distraction as you never knew when you would hear the whole nest crying out at once.

Distractions are a part of life whether you are on sabbatical or not. The challenge is to determine how you will handle them. My first repsonse was, “Really God, I am supposed to be soaking this time in that seems to be flying by so quickly. Why would you allow this?” You can just hear the arrogance dripping from that statment can’t you?. Fortuantely God is patient with me. He reminded me ever so gently that He has given me this gift of processing these disractions now so that I can be better prepared for them as I move back into life after sabbatcial. How? Living with confiedence that God is Soverign not just saying it when it is convenient, focusing on what I can celebrate and seeking what I can learn and appreciate in the midst of the distractions.

I have about four weeks left and I am going to continue to seek His face and learn all that I can so that I can be ready to step back into my life with new energy, hopefully more maturity and deeper margin to lead and love the way He has called me to.

Scenes from my Sabbatical

How is your sabbatical going is the question I get asked frequently.  People are genuinely curious to see if what my expectations were for this time away are being met.  So, then what is my answer? 

What were my expectations?  Long days of quiet walks, readings, and adventures.  A settledness and a peace of mind knowing that I was able to step away for this special three-month break.  Has that been the case?  Yes and no.  I have certainly had the freedom to do those things, but I am learning that I have a really hard time breaking away (I hear that laughter).  Life has been harder to slow down than I thought.  There are many reasons for this. Two of my adult sons are living at home currently. I did not do a good job exiting my community responsibilities the way we did my church ones and there just always seems to be something to do. 

So, a month and half has flown by.  In that month I have had the joy of family time in larger amounts than I have had in a while, I have been getting to know John Buckley the man and not the pastor (kind of scary), I have had some of the best and growing times in my marriage and I am finally in Ohio where in three short days and halfway through my sabbatical I have found quiet.  I have hit a new stride that has allowed me to stop.  Stopping is hard but I am giving myself permission to not see productivity as only the checks on my task list but in other ways.  Sitting on the front porch and just listening, feeling, and watching.  Taking a drive with no destination in mind.  Letting my mind wander as I walk the streets of Cleveland and take in all of the new sights and sounds.  If I am honest though, I feel like what I am doing is wrong to some degree.  Why should I get the joy and beauty of this slower pace when others do not.  Then out of nowhere the quiet voice of God whispers, “My design is for sabbath”.  It convicts me that I am so driven by an agenda that I have failed to learn how to enjoy quiet and the ways I am seeing God when I just learn to breathe.  I am not sure how I can maintain this but that will show itself in time. 

My goal is to share a few of these scenes, and I hope that God will use it to help you to know how to pray for me but also to help you know Him better and build in sabbatical to your life. 

I am going to be a grandpa

We got a FaceTime call from my oldest son and his wife. This rarely happens.  We were in the middle of marriage mentoring with a couple but we knew we needed to pick up.  Our son had a health scare a few months ago so, concerned that something was wrong, I braced myself for something bad.  Instead, they informed us that we would be grandparents for the first time come January!!!!!  We are soooo excited!!!  So I am resigning my position and moving to Cleveland…..

Ok, maybe not but I am sure we will have many more trips out there and I may or may not be not so subtly encouraging them to move to PA😊.

This is new to me, so I am not going to even attempt to share sage advice about grandparenting, but stay tuned.  Instead, this is a time to reflect on the passages and chapters of life.

As a pastor I deal with peoples’ deepest heartaches and greatest joys.  I stand at bedsides and pray over new babies just born with all of life’s potential in front of them.  I also sit with couples in their living rooms and pray with them as they mourn the loss of their baby.  In the good and the bad, I always have one main goal and I want to keep that in mind as I enter this new phase.  What is that goal?  To help people in each chapter of life to focus more on Christ.  He is the one to bring to our greatest celebrations and our greatest tribulations.  Each day that is our calling as His children.  The question then is this: How are we using all that we have to invest in what He has directed us all to do?

The Christian Life is like any human’s life in many respects.  We are born, have birthdays, vacations, scraped knees, first kisses and the list goes on.  However, the big difference is that those of the household of faith know that this is just a place we pass through.  We are pilgrims, not settlers.  Our roots on this planet should be shallow knowing that our eternity is not here.  So how do we live our lives on this earth that God has placed us?  In Christ.  We allow His Word to guide us, embrace a life of obedience and make His priorities our priorities.  This is what will give us satisfaction and the ability to embrace the chapters and relationships that God gives us in a Christ centered way.

I look forward to ways that I can instill these principles in my grandchild but also in my grown children, church members and whoever God leads me to.  I encourage you to join me on this journey until He calls us home.

UPCC welcomes our newest staff member

A lot has been happening here at UPCC over 2022.  I hope to share a few highlights along with some exciting upcoming plans.  This post should be the first of many highlighting those areas.

In April God allowed UPCC to hire Kevin Bennett part time.  Kevin comes to UPCC with a lot of ministry experience as a lay leader in his former church along with helping to plant a church in Colorado.

When Kevin and his wife Jill first started visiting it was evident to us that they would be a great fit.  Their hearts to connect people to God and each other along with their desire to serve the body fit right in with the culture we are striving to develop here.

Soon after God brought them to us Kevin would listen during the God Story time, where the body shares what God is doing in their lives. He heard many tell that they were talking to people who needed a personal relationship with Christ.  He shared with me  about his past involvement in a program called The Bridge which is geared to starting conversations with people who did not know Christ personally with the goal of sharing the gospel with them.  My response was if God is in it He will bring the team together.  We should not be surprised but God brought together a team at UPCC to implement The Bridge ministry. This past fall we saw several come out to join in these conversations leading to souls saved, baptized, and joining the body.

As ministry needs began to grow along with the UPCC family, the leadership asked Kevin if he would be willing to come on staff and focus on our youth ministry along with his continuing leading of The Bridge program. 

On April 1, Kevin joined us and has fit in well.  We love having him, his wife Jill, daughter Rachel and son Jared with us as part of the family. Please join us in celebrating God’s continued goodness by bringing in the right people to help us continue our calling to Love God and Love others

You will be missed Dave

It has been a loong time since I last wrote a blog and my intention moving forward is to be more faithful as I have much to share that is happening in my life and the life of UPCC.

As I begin again my heart is heavy and yet settled. Dave Dagger, a good friend, active church member and faithful disciple of Christ, left this world unexpectantly and entered into glory on Wednesday June 22, 2022.

Dave and my family go waaaay back. On the day that we moved to PA in August 1995, Dave met us when we rolled in with a moving truck and van carrying all of our worldly belongings. My father-in-law was driving the truck and Dave could tell that he was reluctant to leave his little girl in this new foreign land. In order to help out he made a promise to keep an eye on us and he took that promise very seriously til the day he was called home. He was always one of my cheerleaders in life and ministry, helped my wife out by fixing things he knew I could never fix around the house, took my kids under his wing and played with them, checked in on them and always loved them.

Then when we planted a new church, the Dagger’s were right there walking through all of the ups and downs of a new ministry. As UPCC grew Dave became a part of many parts of the ministry from picking up doughnuts on second Sundays for church cafe time to stepping onto the deacon team. When Dave retired, he joined another one of our retirees named Rick and the two of them saved the church thousands of dollars in construction costs and had a blast doing it. In fact, working on the building was exactly what he was doing when he probably had a massive heart attack and passed into eternity doing one of the things that he loved to do.

Dave was a constant encourager in a quiet, unassuming way. A few brief words spoken and a pat on the back. The legacy he leaves us to follow is a call to grow daily to be the man or woman of God that He desires us to be. Dave remained teachable and was still growing in how best to love his wife, parent his adult children and lead his grandchildren. In church he served behind the scenes, loved on all with equal quiet care and strove to know Christ better.

If we know Christ then this is not “good bye” but “see you in a while.” Let’s honor Dave by living life using his example as our guide.

What has been happening at UPCC through Covid?

I have only written once or twice over the last year or so. I would like to blame Covid but there have been many factors that have led to my absence.  We have had some intense family and ministry challenges that have, honestly, paralyzed me in many ways. God has been gracious and even though much of these still linger I am confident that He will guide us through them.  Over the next year I hope to share more about my journey and the lessons God has taught me but for now let tell you about the wonderful things that God has been doing here at UPCC.

242 Community Church is two years old.  What a blessing it has been to see our church plant get started and take off.  God has not only established this church, but it has grown as new folks have found their way into membership, folks have been saved, elders established, and the church is looking for a bigger space.

New staff hired.  In JanuaryI wrote about our new full time staff member Derek Whalen joining our team.  What a blessing he has been as he has jumped into loving this flock and, with a similar passion, invested in helping to make disciples.

Another new staff addition is Nate Sims.  Nate is a CRU missionary and a military chaplain along with being a husband and father of three, so his time with us is limited.  Fortunately, CRU encourages church partnerships and Kingdom building.  This philosophy of ministry has allowed us to work together as Nate leads our youth ministry and is learning the ropes of church life as a ministry assistant. 

Community opportunities galore:  Doughnuts and coffee to the school district teachers and staff, Community Day, First Monday Meal, Fallfest.  All of these events and many others have given us the opportunity to be the hands and feet of Jesus to the place our church calls home and beyond.  This has allowed us to literally interact with hundreds of our neighbors and given us the chance to show them Christ’s love. 

Counseling Center started.  A leadership structure was established, a group of counselors was trained, policies were put into place and lives have been impacted. 

We have for years seen God putting the pieces into place as we noticed the huge need for Christian counseling in our church and valley.  Now we have finally seen it all come together in His timing.  Currently we are only counseling within our church family as we iron out the wrinkles, but plans are being laid for much more, as God allows.

The best is yet to come.  We are not sure what battles we will be facing or what kind of warfare looms in front of us, but we are confident that God has much in store for UPCC.  It has been a joy to be a part of helping to lead this amazing body and I look forward to sharing more of what God is doing as we journey forward. 

Ten thoughts on Mental Health from the heart of a pastor

We just had our Mental Health Sunday this past week at our church.  It was a great morning as we strove to help people know that there are help and resources available.  I wrote out a few thoughts as I contemplated the journey I have been on with so many in my world.  Knowing my time was limited, I condensed it down to ten statements that came from my heart and experiences.  Little did I know how many people would be impacted.  Since I have been asked by so many to pass along my list, I decided to make them a blog.  I am not going to unpack them each here, but I will probably expand on some in future blog entries that I find strike a chord.  Of course, you can always reach out to me and I will be happy to explain them.  My desire is that you will find hope and help in these thoughts.

• Don’t think that you know exactly what someone else is going through.
• Don’t neglect your other children, marriage or family.
• Don’t fail to take time to breathe deep breaths.
• Know this will probably be the new normal.
• Take time to mourn what you planned your life would be.
• Know that you cannot fix it.
• Know that you can offer resources and encouragement, but you cannot force.
• Listen, pray, and seek.
• You will make mistakes, but you are not defined by them.
• Know that God truly and deeply loves you and your loved ones.

Let’s start a revolution!

Harsh comments, scowling faces, hopeless eyes.  As I walk around my area I daily encounter people who say, look and act this way.  Why?  Take your pick.  Racial tension, politics, Covid, etc…  The heaviness of these topics and more seem to be weighing down the citizens of our world.

My question then is what are you doing?  Are you one who is living in fear, anger, and frustration?  Have you lost hope?  I want to make a radical proposition.  Would you be willing to join me in starting a revolution?  I am not suggesting that we take up arms and overthrow anything.  I am saying that it is time that those of us who call ourselves followers of Christ should step up and make a change. 

Instead of adopting the same harsh comments, scowling faces and hopeless eyes that we see around us, how about if we do the Biblical things that we should be doing. 

These actions that were not radical before are now.  This revolution has us focusing on opportunities to share the Gospel, live focused on Christ and impact people as we go about our daily routines. Let’s start speaking words of greeting and encouragement.  Let’s start smiling and laughing as we sit down to eat our meals.   Allow your eyes to shine with hope and anticipation of all that God has promised and fulfilled. Listen better, pray more, and look for any chance to do good.  Watch less news, stay off social media and stop allowing the devil to get a foothold in your mind.  These are all practical ways that we can start a revolution for God’s honor and glory.

Will you join me?  Will you choose to embrace His hope during these dark days?  Will you become a revolutionary?  How about you start by simply starting to say hi again and give a wave.  You got to start somewhere😊. 

UPCC welcomes its newest full-time staff member

The journey to find a man to step in after Bryan Raught left to lead the 242 Community church plant has not been easy.  Along the way God has provided several interim men that have all blessed UPCC with their different gift sets and abilities.  Our desire though has always been to have a full-time staff member to help us carry out the mission and vision of the church in our area and around the world.  After a lengthy process of interviewing several candidates, God has answered that prayer and brought Derek Whalen to be our next full-time staff elder. 

Derek is no stranger to UPCC as his parents were founding members of the church. As he and his family came to visit, they got to see the changes, growth, challenges, and adjustments that were made as the church went from brand new to now 11 years old. 

Derek is wrapping up his pastoral ministry in Ohio where he has been serving for over 10 years.  His experience in admin, heart for discipleship and love of teaching and preaching God’s Word will help Pastor John as they plan out and lead, along with the other Elders, the next steps for UPCC. 

Please pray for Derek and Christy as they seek to sell their house in Ohio, find a new one in our area and Christy looks for a new job. The Whalen’s three children are all out of high school and will not be moving with them as they each pursue the paths God has for them. 

Once again, we excitedly welcome the Whalen’s and hope that God gives us many years of ministry together in the valley and beyond for God’s honor and glory. 

How to let Covid destroy the church

Now that 2020 is almost over, vaccines for Covid have been developed and are starting to be distributed, there seems to be hope that 2021 could be better. As we all look back, we will certainly find much that we wish we would have known better, responded differently to, or even avoided altogether.

We have certainly not escaped Covid’s reach yet and I believe we are now more than ever in dangerous waters and could easily see the church continue to suffer from “Covid Fatigue.”  In talking to many of my pastoral friends to get their input I have come up with three things that are sure to destroy your church as you wrestle with Covid Fatigue.

Blame the leadership. Since every church leader took advanced degree classes in Pandemic Preparedness, it only makes sense that they should have known the right protocols, resources and mitigation steps that would ensure that no one contracted this disease.  It then makes complete sense that if you really want to destroy the church, blame them for anyone who got Covid, steps they took that you did not agree with in dealing with this disease, or dealing with this situation in any way that is less than perfect. 

Pick a side.  Covid has raised what I call “Covid shaming.”  It is the practice of blaming someone for whatever they did wrong that led to them getting Covid.  Then you have the people who think that Covid does not exist and any steps taken to prevent it are just brainless and socialistic.  So, pick a side.  If everyone in church picks a side to Covid then we can fight it out and may the best man or woman win. 

Take your eyes off Christ.  It cannot be true that God is Sovereign or that His Kingdom work can go forward during Covid.  His commands to evangelize and make disciples cannot be carried out in a pandemic, so Christ must have failed you.  Stop looking to Him for answers and find someone that really knows what they are talking about.  Preferably someone that you can agree with on every point without pause. 

Practice any or all these steps and you will mostly certainly be able to watch the church smolder and burn.  Destruction not from outside sources but from arson. 

I hope that you see my jesting in much of my conversation, but as a weary pastor I can tell you that all of these are at play. 

God will not only sustain His church but has and will see it expand during this time in our world’s history. I encourage all of us to remember that the devil, not Covid, is our enemy.  Let’s all get on bended knee and seek His face.  Pray for wisdom, discernment, and unity.  God has and desires to continue to guide us to even better days ahead. The best way to get there is to stick to the basics and practice the greatest command.  Love God and Love others!!