Sing is a frequent command in Scripture. And it is a command that hasn’t been particularly easy to assimilate into a year of pandemic with an airborne illness. To accommodate for the pandemic, our church has shortened the service, moved the singing to the end of the service, and removed a couple of songs to…
Living in the midst of a pandemic has been difficult. Leading in the midst of a pandemic has been harder. Trying to stay on the focus of the mission God has for the church in the midst of a pandemic has been the hardest. The local church by definition is a gathering . . .…
At the end of the day, the church needs no defense. We are not a self-justifying institution like a bowling alley, a shopping center, or a restaurant. Commercial institutions must justify themselves with sales. If they do not sell stuff (goods or services) then they have no reason to exist. But the church exists because…
The church has been a stable influence on culture down through the ages. To be clear, the church has changed in traditions and in externals, but her mission has remained the same! We still proclaim a risen Lord. We still proclaim love for God and love for our neighbors as ourselves. We still gather together…
I have been wondering for months now why people do not just keep others more informed about their journey with COVID? Why do people who get COVID seem to go silent? Why do I not know more about the personal side of walking through the illness. And then I got it. I didn’t feel like…
There is a phrase from Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech that has resonated deeply in my soul. As a person that grew up in a very homogenous white farming community in Michigan, I only had the thing I read to go on. I read the speech in high school. And this…
God has shown himself to be faithful over all the years of ReCAST Church. He has provided us with staff and volunteers to meet needs. It has been amazing to watch him provide. Right now, our staff looks very different than it looked a year ago. We have added Spencer Valeri as our Associate Pastor…
Doldrums is a word that is used to describe a strip of ocean about 300 miles wide to the north of the equator where there is little to no wind. Sailors in more wind dependent times knew to avoid navigating into this area of the globe. Ships that wandered into the doldrums ran the risk…
Dads and husbands, this blog is for you. Wives, moms, and singles are encouraged to listen in. This is a season for men to step up! This is not a time to “support” your wife in all of her hard work trying to figure out what SHE is going to do with your kids for…
Quarantine has caused us to redefine many things. For example ‘social’ in the phrase “social distance” means something like “unsocial.” And the ‘distance’ in that same phrase means 6 feet. But there is one word that is close to my heart and close to my area of expertise that I have seen shifting over the…
This week will be my 42nd and final sermon in the book of Romans. I have been committed to preaching through books of the Bible since I began my role as the church-planter and lead pastor of ReCAST Church over 10 years ago. Since the start, we have been through the books of Genesis, Joshua,…
I watched enough of the democratic national debate yesterday to know that it wasn’t anything new. I confess that I enjoy political debates and have an interest in the direction of our government. If I had to guess, I would say that I follow politics more than the average person. But from what I see…
