January 26, 2022
Leadership Notes
Did anyone else think this last weekend of NFL divisional round playoff games was the best weekend of football, ever? Perhaps I'm going out on a limb saying that, but, c'mon, man! The fact that the Packers were summarily erased from the picture is enough for me to earn it that title. And I don't even care that Brady's team did not advance. It was a fun weekend.
Do you even care? Are you even interested? As the three females I love the most would say, they couldn't care less about my sportsball fandemonium. Which is fair.
Since I'm zooming down the highway of culturally relevant topics, instead of a moment of Spurgeon, here's a Moment of Sajak {Pat, that is}:
There's an alarming trend developing in which people are paying less
attention to celebrities who are telling them how to live. Please, folks, we
have been chosen to be celebrities for a reason. Ignore our experience and
our wisdom at your own peril.
If it had to be said, I'm glad it was Sajak.
For what it's worth, Lynyrd Skynyrd was right about Neil Young.
Am I the only one who wishes someone in the upper echelons of political power would call me a "stupid {expletive deleted}"? I would print it, frame it, and keep it hidden in a drawer. Wouldn't want to offend anyone with the language. But what a badge of honor. Life is too funny to pass up opportunities like that.
Hey, I just checked my spam email file and saw an offer to purchase Covid masks. What do you think? Should I click on it? Amazing how scammers can turn on a dime to separate us from our money and/or identity. Imagine if they worked that hard doing legitimate stuff!
Month-by-month, I wouldn't trade living in Michigan for anyplace else. Go ahead, tempt me. Give me one million dollars and see if I quit my job and move someplace else. Not going to happen. Looking out my office window at this cold, snowy day fills me with such wonder and joy. And squirrels playing…can't forget the squirrels in our backyard. Would never want to leave them. We've given them all a name. Anyway, Michigan is the best.
Pound-for-pound, the people of Covenant Church are a force to be reckoned with. Over the course of 2+ challenging years, you have stayed the course with faithful worship, vibrant prayer, and generous support for our mission and ministry. VBS resumed last summer with huge numbers of kids and volunteers. Our tutoring ministry, The Learning Cove, continues to help children in our community become better readers. You are kind, thoughtful, and accepting of differences without being disagreeable. Amen!
As we transition from pandemic to endemic, we will be a different church. I think that's true of almost every church everywhere in the U.S. There's no doubt it has changed us. What does the next chapter of church life hold for us? Only God knows, but as His Word promises, God works for good for those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose.
The other night, my wife and I were watching an episode of Antiques Roadshow on PBS. An older guy had some kind of ornate decorative bowl that had been in his family for years {What is it with people and bowls? And pillows…why so many pillows strewn about every room in the house?}. Anyway, he said he remembered as a child it being used as a "pee" bowl. I said to Lori, "What the heck? Why would they use it as a pee bowl?" From the expression on the appraiser's face, I knew she was thinking the same thing. When I was a kid, we had a "barf" bowl to keep by the bed when you were sick. But a "pee" bowl?
My wife said, "What is wrong with you? He didn't say pee bowl. He said tea bowl." To which I replied, "That's a better use, but why would you drink tea out of it?" Remember, the appraiser did give him the skunk eye. In exasperation, Lori said, "Dude, again, what is wrong with you? He didn't say tea bowl either." "Then spell for me what he said." To which my lovely and frustrated wife responded, "K-E-Y bowl." That makes more sense. I wish people would learn to enunciate better when they talk.
This is a really weird week.
Finally, this from Herman Bavinck {Dutch Reformed Theologian from a long time ago} to keep us centered and grounded in truth:
"There is one mediator between God and humanity, the true God-man
Jesus Christ. This is the heart of the gospel."
No matter what we experience or go through in life, all is well, because of this Unchanging Truth.
With Much Love and Affection,
Richard