Mom Did Test Positive for COVID 19

We were notified by the Home's Director of Social Work in a very matter of fact way...but what can you say or do?

From what we're hearing from the Home, mom's dementia has advanced through this. She's entirely confused but still ambulatory...which makes her a danger to other residents.

Hospice is already sending a nurse who's expected to meet with mom before the morning is out.

This is a little too much too soon, but it is life in our time. 

Mom has been in love with Jesus all of my life. You probably know the comfort that brings. 

Blessed be the Name of the Lord. 

Focusing on CHURCH as the End All, Be All

In his latest eNews, Lance made the following statement. (I think that when institutionalists use the verb, 'do' with the noun 'church,' they think they're being cutting edge, you know, keen, cool, groovy...rad! In truth, I think they're exposing their sin of Ecclesiolatry.)

Lance says, innocently, honestly and sincerely:

Whether we want to believe it or not, this pandemic is going to have long reaching effects on how we “do” church.

If you're a regular reader here, you know that I think about these things in reference to great movements in the history of the Kingdom in which God has poured out His blessing and through which the Kingdom has expanded.

'Do church.'

Is this something John Winebrenner would think about? John Wesley? Even Francis of Assisi?

Certainly, in those moments, when the Kingdom has advanced, church: the nature of the gathering of Jesus followers underwent change.

Certainly, at those times, what was thought of as 'church' took a different shape and came to be understood in different ways.

Yet, here's why I think that people like the current  holders of institutional authority in the CGGC will never be a part of a movement forward for the Kingdom:

Church was never, ever the first thing in the minds of people who were used by the Lord to advance the Kingdom. 

Taking the Church of God movement of John Winebrenner and his colleagues as an example. (It would not be accurate to number the Church of God as one of those "great" movements in the history of the Kingdom. I think, though, that the Church of God possesses much in common with those movements. And, it is familiar to most of us.)

Like the notable Kingdom expansion movements, the Church of God did think about church. It thought seriously about church...

....but the place of church, that is, thinking about the gathering of disciples and of the organization of the body of disciples...was distantly second in importance to the one concern that was central.

In the Church of God, the first, the primary, focus of the movement was, The Conversion of Sinners.

For all of these Kingdom expansion movements, this was what always came first.

The first concern, by many miles, was righteousness...

...getting people whose way of life defied, as Paul calls it in Galatians 6, the Law of Christ, to live according to that Law...

...through faith in Jesus...

...as fruit of faith in Jesus.

Were the people of those Kingdom expansion movements to try to be funky, or cosmic or groovy, or rad in their use of the verb, 'do,'...

...they wouldn't have ever thought, for a micro-moment, about the effects of events on the way they "'do' 'church.'"

Were they see the need to be hip, or is hep, their minds would have focused on what is primary in the red letters of the Bible.

They'd have talked about the effects of how we, what?...

...do discipleship?

...do righteousness?

...do obedience?

...do Jesus.

But, 'do church'? No.

And, and this is essential to what the holders of institutional authority in the Western church today get completely wrong.

Church is, indeed, important but it is entirely secondary, distantly secondary, to what is truly important.

Certainly, when people who get righteousness right live in community, the way they 'do church' will be very different from what goes on in the highly institutionalized provider/consumer mess that is the numerically declining and spiritually decaying CGGC of our day.

But, those people never think that the way to move forward is about church. Those people have always thought in terms of Jesus and connection to Jesus...

...in terms of righteousness,

...in terms of obedience,

...in terms of discipleship.

The right way to 'do church' is fruit of the way the individuals in church connect to Jesus.

---------------

After Paul challenged the disciples in Corinth to repent...and after they accepted the challenge, after they did repent, Paul explained a universal spiritual principle:

Godly sorrow brings a repentance that leads to salvation.

He adds to that a dark side corollary to that truth. (2 Corinthians 7:10)

Worldly sorrow brings death.

Worldly sorrow is what I'm afraid is being demonstrated by the holders of institutional authority in the CGGC.

They continue to think church.

They continue to think:

Not righteousness.

Not obedience.

Not discipleship.

NOT JESUS!

They are doing what people who commit the sin of Ecclesiolatry do. They worship the church, not the Lord of the church.

They are doing what Churches of God people did, beginning about 90 years ago, when our slide into spiritual decay, followed eventually by numerical decline began.

Oh! We must repent. We must focus on Jesus and experience godly sorrow that brings salvation, not on the church to know the worldly sorrow that brings death.

The Latest on Mom...Hospice?!?!?

Mom turned 86 last month.

It has not been a good winter for her. In fact, the last few winters have been a struggle, each progressively more so.

A handful of years ago, a physical exam revealed that mom had very mild COPD. We were startled. I didn't think much of it at the time.

Mom never smoked. She never, as far as she knows, worked around asbestos. She never worked in an environment that affects people's lungs. When I was young, my dad smoked...two packs a WEEK, about six cigarettes a day, and not all of them around the house. Mom didn't hang with people who smoked. So, she didn't inhale a lot of second hand smoke.

We read recently that COPD can be a genetic thing. Who knows really.

Anyway, with each passing year, the COPD has become increasingly worse. And, apparently, as a result, mom has become increasingly susceptible to URIs. This winter, she's had one after another.

And, the COPD itself is now pretty well advanced.

Her breathing is now labored at best. Sometimes it's very difficult.

There are other ways her health is deteriorating.

She was actually swabbed for a COVID 19 test two days ago because she chronically has symptoms, because of other health issues, and she developed a fever in the range that suggests she may have contracted the disease...and at the home she's in 7 people have tested positive already.

Mom's vulnerable because, even though residents are in isolation, mom doesn't cooperate, partly because she is incredibly strong willed and, I suspect that her memory is so bad that she simply doesn't remember that she needs to stay in her room.

She's also had two incidents in which she's zoned out and become completely unresponsive and even foaming at the mouth. Epilepsy runs in her family, so these could be seizures.

So, yesterday, the nurse practitioner from the medical practice that cares for residents of the home called me while I was working. She wanted to review the latest with me.

Because I work with the public and was concerned about bringing infections to mom, and haven't been well myself, I haven't seen mom for about a month. I've been talking to her nurses.

I know mom's not well. But, as I was talking to the nurse practitioner, she began to talk about starting mom on morphine to ease her discomfort with breathing. And, it struck me: This is end of life talk!

Then she suggested taking mom off of every pill that's nonessential, and saying that mom's lack of interest in eating fits with everything else she's seeing.

Then, while my head was spinning she dropped the H word...HOSPICE. She's recommending that we consult them.

I guess I shouldn't have been blindsided.

I simply didn't realize it had gone so far.

So we called a family tele-meeting last night.

Our rule is that we will always agree about everything. Since dad began to get bad we've always been able, ultimately, to agree, and it's always worked.

Last night it was easy. We were all pretty much thinking the same thing.

We agreed to removing the nonessential pills and to consulting Hospice.

We'll call the home this morning to get that under way.

I have to admit that I'm still in shock over this.

I'm not convinced that Hospice will agree that mom's ready for their care...

...but, I also know that I'm pretty consistent about living in denial about stuff like this.

I'm off of work today simply because the vertigo takes over when life becomes to much. I'm weak and tired and emotionally and spiritually exhausted.

I've been much worse, but I'm not well. And, this could be a long haul.

Things are going on with Evie that are concerning. I work in a grocery store where germy people are all around me all of the time...

...and mom's deteriorating, and I can't visit her.

Still, we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him....

Leadership Is what Servanthood Does

Working in a supermarket these days means to embrace mayhem.

Most days that I work, I work a ten hour day and I leave completely overwhelmed. For someone my age, the work itself is physically and mentally challenging enough...

...but to realize I am risking COVID 19 infection for myself and,...

...more concerningly, risking exposing Evie, whose immune system is seriously compromised, the work is so exhausting that it is essentially debilitating.

Yet, the experience is also magnificent in many ways.

About a week and a half ago, on a day that was scheduled to only be a seven hour day, management asked me to come in two hours early. I actually showed up earlier than that.

The moment I walked through the door, I entered bedlam.

It was before 8:00 a.m., and there were long lines of frantic, agitated customers at every cash register. There was a long line at the Customer Service desk where even the manager of the store's snack bar was working to address the overflow of customers and to quell the potential riot. (Customers get testy at times like that, and anything is possible.)

The manager of Customer Service saw me walk in and asked me to grab a cash register drawer so I could run another register to help address the overflow. And, I did that.

When I walked to the front with my drawer, the first thing I noticed was one of the OWNERS of the store, helping out by bagging for one of the overwhelmed cashiers.

She stood by that bagger stand and bagged groceries for one customer after another for hours, until the full crew of baggers arrived to work their schedule.

Leadership? HA.

SERVANTHOOD!

The people who own the store may or may not be world-class business people.

But, what they are, without doubt, are people who believe in Jesus who DO Jesus-following in a way that fits the teachings and example of Jesus...

...who Himself came, not to be served, but to serve and to give His life as a ransom for many.

Linda, the owner who bagged groceries until no additional baggers were needed?

She understands, because she does...she walks...the servant walk...the JESUS walk.

And, amazingly, we who saw her serve, are now more inclined to follow.

In serving, she set an example that encourages followership.

As I live, I believe, more and more, that this leadership fad that institutional church hierarchs are chasing after is self-serving foolishness and that it will, of necessity, come to nothing.

I read the latest eNews. I read Lance's claim,

"we're being required to use adaptive leadership..."

...and, in the same moment, I wanted to scream and to cry.

Read the Gospels and show me the verses on adaptive leadership!

What the Kingdom of God needs is for its people to heed the foundational teaching of Jesus that to be the greatest in the Kingdom is to be slave of all, and to live Paul's Philippians 2 mandate that your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus who being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage, but made Himself nothing,...

...by taking the very nature of a servant.

Lance's program to practice adaptive leadership will fail. It must fail.

There's nothing of Jesus in it. The whole idea is of this world.

The church is losing the opportunity of this moment by trying to be the best church it can be and missing the opportunity to pursue the Kingdom.

What an opportunity our high holders of institutional authority in the CGGC have to follow in His steps (1 Peter 2:21)!

But, what Lance is doing, according to his own word, is practicing adaptive leadership. He's still hoping to lead, without any followership.

We all need to serve so passionately that we begin a fracas in our fight to see who can become slave of all.

What a tragedy in this lost opportunity.

God have mercy.

If You Want Something to do, Apply for a Job in a Grocery Store

In my department of the supermarket where I work, so far nearly 20% of the workers have already decided not to work until the danger of the coronavirus has passed. (Interestingly, in almost every case, under pressure from family.)

No employee of the store has yet tested positive for the virus. Certainly some, many?, will.

And, for now, at least, the store is doing record business...by a long shot.

---------------

When I read accounts early believers putting on Jesus who...

...made Himself nothing, taking the very nature of servant and...humbled himself and became obedient to death (Phil 2:5f)...

...to serve and care for people suffering in the plagues that ravaged areas of the Roman Empire, I wonder about the special and rare opportunities available to people of the Kingdom at this moment.

Certainly, you can be a good and responsible citizen of this world these days by staying home.

But, if Jesus is the Lord of your life, your   citizenship is in heaven. (Phil. 3:20)

Why not be like Jesus who left heaven to live among the people of the world to live as a sacrifice?

Why not live like our early brothers and sisters who had the same attitude as was in Christ Jesus and to live in the world to serve others?!

One way you could do that is stop at the Customer Service desk of your local grocery store the next time you shop and ask for an application. I'm pretty sure that your store has openings for temporary, part time employees.

Our store is having trouble getting the merchandise we receive from our distributor on the shelves. We're stretching our Front End cashiers and baggers' ability to serve the hoards that fill our store.

You won't get rich by worldly standards. But, you will be building up treasures in heaven.

And...

... you'll be doing the WWJD thing. (1 Peter 2:21)

A CGGCer's Commentary on Lance's Video

Gang,

A few days ago, I received an email that, I believe, contains amazing insight into the response of the people of the Kingdom...and of the people of the institutionalized church...to the challenge of the spread of the coronavirus. 

The note also contained a critique of my own ministry. 

I responded to both themes in my own email.

The note to me appears first. It is edited, primarily, to preserve the anonymity of the author. 

---------------

Bill, 

Yesterday I went to the CGGC website and listened to Lance's devotional concerning our present crisis.

I have listened to several devotionals since Sunday.  "_____ _______ Church" went live for the first time this past Sunday. I gave them an A plus for their message. 

I went to the ______ Church of _______'s site on Facebook and felt like _______ ____'s meditation was helpful.

Then I listened to Lance yesterday.  

I was disappointed, because, Lance included no scripture and reference to finding rest or hope in Jesus. 

He repeated a number of times the need to lean on each other. It is VERY TRUE, THAT WE MUST LEAN ON EACH OTHER.

But you are talking about reaching the disenfranchised... In my opinion that is not Lances strength.

Unfortunately you may be preaching to the wrong crowd.

Your message is relevant. You may be holding services for the wrong people to accomplish your objective.

I did not go to Winebrenner. ____ ______ advised me not to come.

He knew at least two things. He knew Winebrenner and he knew me. 

Choose a new audience and you may help change Winebenner.

You will not live long enough to change the Brass...

My reply:

My friend, 

Your note contains an incredible amount of insight into the events of these times.

Your big picture take: 

That it is people who turn their eyes upon Jesus and who seek their strength and comfort in the Word who walk the true path is prophetic and timely.

When I first began to describe the CHARACTERISTICS OF THE CGGC BRAND, I noted the sin of Ecclesiolatry, or the worship of the church, not of the Lord of the church. And, the CGGC has it bad...

...as you noted from Lance's video.

Curiously, almost as a deist would, Lance talks some about God and the Kingdom of God, but not about Jesus.

Lance's talk is very this-worldly, about what the church is doing, about the church reaching out, about bringing hopeless people into the church, but not about Jesus Himself.

To be fair, Lance does quote a line from "the Lord's Prayer" near the end of his talk.

Having said that, I disagree with you on who my audience must be.

I agree with you that, in all likelihood, I will not live long enough to change, as you call them, the Brass.

But, the mercy and compassion of the Lord is great. He continues to call even the "Brass" to Him.

And, that, in part, is what the Lord uses prophets for, Old Testament and New.

I believe that my ministry is to call out to the people who are the least likely to focus on Jesus and to live as if the Word is our only rule of faith and practice. 

You commentary on Lance's video vividly demonstrates how well our Brass fits that description. 

My success will be in continuing to extend God's mercy and love to the Brass, not in convincing them, though I hope some day our Brass will live as people of the Lord and the Word.

bill

---------------

I struggled long and hard over whether or not to publish this post. 

My friend's take on Lance's video is negative, but who can criticize its take away. My friend's big picture take is on point. 

What's not in Lance's video is the most important part of the video. 

In fact, it seems to me that it is what is not there that defines the CGGC in our time.

We need to repent. 

We need to put Jesus and the Word back in the center of who we are and what we do. 

Pandemics in Fiction: Dorothy L. Sayers', THE NINE TAILORS

On a very different note from what usually comes up here: If you're finding it difficult to keep yourself entertained these days, you might want to consider checking out Dorothy L. Sayers' most highly acclaimed whodunnit novel, The Nine Tailors.

Sayers, in case you don't know, was a contemporary of Agatha Christie and her main character, Lord Peter Wimsey, rivals Christie's Hercule Poirot as one of the most memorable and entertaining characters of that genre.

The Nine Tailors has been judged by many to most to be Sayers' greatest novel, though it's not my personal favorite.

Two points of interest for people who'd be reading this blog:

1. A significant portion of the novel is centered around a rural Anglican parish. The novel presents a very interesting and sympathetic vision of the positive role the English church played in everyday English life back in the day. It features, as an important character, the parish's vicar who is quirky and good hearted and committed to the Matthew 25 way of being a Christian, though in a kind and gentle way, unlike the bristly way it's normally presented here.

2. The Spanish Flu pandemic is crucial to the story and the very unusual murder solved by Lord Peter and his gentleman's gentleman, Mervyn Bunter.

Another note of interest. Michael Frost and Alan Hirsch devoted a section of their outstanding 2008 book, ReJesus: A Wild Messiah for a Missional Church, to Dorothy L. Sayers, whom they describe as living a vivid life of obedience to the red letters of the Bible. Seemingly, there's a bit of Sayers vision of Christianity in the vicar character.

Actually, it was their description of Sayers' life and faith that first interested me in her novels.

The BBC did a miniseries portrayal of The Nine Tailors in the mid 1970s, and it holds up fairly well.

You can find it on YouTube.