Early on, as we began this COVID-19 journey, I was asked to be interviewed (again) by Tim at NEU (New England Urban) Church Planting (formerly known as The Philip Center). I was grateful for the chance to share my thoughts and, of course, to talk about CPC in The Hill and our Hill community. In this interview I also spend time talking about "Strong Ties" and "Weak Ties" and how these ties are important during non-crises times and crises times (like COVID-19)––and why it is important to have Weak Ties in place before a crisis happens upon us, especially for urban/inner-city churches and churches existing in resource-lacking communities. This podcast interview is about 35 minutes long, but recaps well the issues facing Hill-like communities in the face of COVID-19. The first interview can be found here >> Church Planting among the Poor and Empowering the Poor
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This past Wednesday (8/14/2019), CPC in The Hill had the privilege of bringing its 7th 2019 Summer Park BBQ to the Trowbridge Square Park here in the Hill. I do a little park preaching before we eat. And, the people in the park come and listen: parents, adults, children, and even teenagers. They hear a gospel message that is relevant to who they are as residents of the Hill: Adults just hanging, dads making good by spending some time with their kids, moms trying to let their kids run off some energy, gang members, some homeless, addicts (maybe some selling, too), and too many unparented (wandering) teenagers. They all come and listen. This, in part, was my park sermon thas evening:
This is not a verse of condemnation. Although many, of course, read or take it this way. The verse is the way home. Yet, we can’t get there by ourselves. God is the one who gets us home. This is why the Apostle Paul continues in verses 24-25:
First, we hear in Romans 3:23 that “all” have sinned. This is good news (well, sort of). Really, though, isn’t it good to know that we all, every single individual—rich or poor, suburban or urban, suburban or . . . Hill [they laugh], politician or CEO or regular people like us—each carry the label “sinner.” And, as such, each have fallen short of God’s glory. No special people. All have sinned. All fall short of God’s glory. All–everyone needs a way home. And, so, again, this verse is our way home. How many here have had the thought that I’m not all I was created to be? [Hand up all over.] Anyone here messed up so much you believe there is no way out? It’s ruined; life is ruined; seems like there is no exit. No hope. [Hands up.] Who here has tried to fix their life and you know it’s impossible? [Many admitted to this. Hands.] Any here actually fix it? [No hands.] Well, again, this is why this seemingly rather condemning verse is good news. We know what we have fallen short of. This tells us what needs to be fixed. What needs to be restored. We are unable to fix this (as some of you have already admitted). We are incapable of restoring ourselves. So, God must do it. God has provided a substitute for us. Jesus is God’s propitiation (yes, that’s a big word, put simply, it means Jesus is) our substitute. He took our place and paid in full our sinful debt to God. And, God wants to restore us to His glory, that is, the image he originally created us for. He has provided a way home, back to that glory. Back to what we were created for. It is important to know what we will be restored to. We can’t just be restored to a better version of ourselves. Heavens, no! Because, everything about us is tainted by our sinful nature–not just the mistakes we make, but the actual, very core of our being is corrupted. A better version of ourselves isn’t what we want (really, it isn’t). This isn’t what God had in mind. Our sinful nature. This is why we fall short, for all–I say it again, for all have sinned and have fallen short of the glory of God. This is good news to us. None of us needs to question who we are: we are all sinners. None of us need question what it is we have fallen short of: all fall short of God's glory. This is our way home. So, knowing what we are restored to is very important. We are to be restored to the glory that is found in Jesus Christ. He has restored what Adam broke. What our forefathers and parents keep breaking. What we keep breaking. We need Him, first, as our substitute and, then, we begin to be conformed (restored) to the image of Christ. That is what it means to be transformed from glory to glory. But, you see, here’s our problem: Everything else about our world (all around us—the people, the systems, the government, business, advertising, the news, everything) pushes us to be conformed to this world (conformed the way they want us to be, the way it makes it all work for them, the way that keeps us all unequal) or to simply just be a better version of ourselves (that is, that version of course, that the world thinks is best) or, more likely, a better version of somebody else’s idea of glory. That is why Jesus is not only our substitute, paying for our sin, but also who we are to be like (that’s the glory we want, the glory we need restored). We are now to be conformed to the image of Jesus. This verse is good news. This verse is our way home. No American church in modern times has experienced a crisis such as COVID-19. Church services throughout our country have been and are canceling as a precaution to help alleviate the spread of this virus. Big congregations. Small congregations. All alike are canceling their weekly gatherings and Sunday services. There was almost no warning. There was certainly no training (i.e., no preparation) to move from a regular Sunday gathering to home and individual “virtual” gatherings for Sunday worship. (And, I don’t just mean how to go “virtual,” but training our people to change this habit and discipline for Sunday.) This has been a hard call, a difficult decision, for church leadership to make, including our own elders at CPC New Haven (aka 135). So, as of this Sunday, March 22, 2020, Christ Presbyterian Church in The Hill will not be holding Sunday services until the COVID-19 threat has passed. Our church, however, isn’t closed because our church is not a location. Yes, of course, we have a special place where we gather each week on Davenport Ave. Yet, we understand church is the Christians that gather. The church, our church, CPC in The Hill, is a people. In fact, this crisis shows us how important gathering together is for us as Christians—to grow in the Lord, to build each other up, to learn from the word, to develop faithfulness for times of crisis, and, of course, to give thanks and praise to “our Father who art in heaven.” In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, our governing officials have requested (and in some places, mandated) that the American people shut down as much as possible, at a minimum, for a two week period to prevent a spike in the spread of COVID-19, which would overwhelm our medical system. The City of New Haven has banned gatherings of 10 or more at this time; and our CPC leadership has made the decision to do just that. This is a reasonable request. Having to worship as the scattered church rather than the gathered church for a couple of weeks, in light of these extraordinary circumstances, is not an assault on the church. And, again, this shows us why it is so important to meet together before crises arise! Now, it is an opportunity for us to show solidarity with our neighbors and exhibit concern, not only for those most vulnerable to COVID-19, but those with other medical conditions whose care would be compromised if the medical system is overwhelmed. This is also a good time to identify with brothers and sisters in the Lord around the world, who, because of persecution, have never experienced (or rarely experience) the freedom to gather openly in large groups. This week (and perhaps for weeks to come), as we gather in our own homes, knowing that brothers and sisters around the country are doing the same, we can remember, also, those who are persecuted as though we, too, are persecuted with them. Perhaps we can get a small glimpse of their difficult experience of corporate worship—where they don’t have a five-day work week, weekends off, or the freedom to gather together at all. Important Note: I will be posting on Facebook, emailing, texting a link or a PDF (and a word document) to our church family a one page order of service that CPC in The Hill may use for family worship at home. Thank you all for your patience. If you need anything (we will try to help) or even for prayer, please contact me via email @ [email protected] or IM me anytime. Sincerely, in Christ, Pastor Chip PS Please utilize this Bulletin for family or individual worship this Sunday
Last spring the PCA's MNA (that's Presbyterian Church in America's Mission to North American division & ministry) interviewed us CPC folks up here in SoCT. CPC in The Hill was privileged to get a nice full piece in their Fall issue of "Multiply." Read about Mission Anabaino (our church planting collaborative) and about CPC in The Hill (on page 3) . . . and some great pictures, too. Fall issue of MNA's "Multiply" >> Click here
I had the privilege to be interviewed by The Philip Center for one of their podcasts. The kind host let me muse and ramble on about the Hill, our CPC in The Hill church plant and ministry, and my philosophy of ministry among the poor. The interview is about 53 minutes in length (good for running, walking, driving, or the gym!).
On Sunday, I began my sermon with a story about my basic training in the Air Force. I had been out of high school about a year and needed to do something about my future, so I went to an Air Force recruiter to inquire about enlisting. One thing I had to do was lose some weight to qualify. I was a bit husky (the older euphemism used of plump short guys). I had to get down to 160 lbs. I did. So in June of 1977, I shipped off to to Lackland AFB in Texas for basic training. Earlier, for the Children’s Message, I told the kids about some of my high school soccer history. At our school there were only two sports options, ballet or soccer. Well, I wasn’t going to do ballet, so soccer it was. But, I was very short and kind of husky. (See why Ballet would never have worked.) But, I wasn’t a runner. Certainly, not as fast as other guys my age. But I trained and trained, practiced and practiced. And, sat on the bench the whole first year. So, I practiced all summer on my own—and low and behold, I made varsity the next Fall. The coach said, “You’re not as fast or long winded as the others, but you leave it all out on the field like no one else.” (The lesson for the kids was along the lines of living life fully, etc.) This also set up my Air Force illustration for the adults later as I began my sermon. Back at Air Force basic training, one thing we all had to do was run a mile under a certain time to graduate. The day came and we lined up as a squad to run our mile. The bulk of us did it in formation—yes, it took me some extra commitment to keep up, but I wasn’t going to let anyone think my size or even my husky-ness would slow me down. Most of us finished in well under the time. A few stranglers came in a few moments later. But there was one guy way behind. He was a big guy and heavy (can’t say husky for a tall male). Odds were, he wasn’t going to make it in time. So a few—three if I remember—of us got back up, although already exhausted, and started running and caught up to him on the track. We ran with him, all the while, encouraging, “You got this,” “Don’t you dare give up,” and the like. I ran most of his remaining yards (one full round the track) backwards, encouraging him to keep it up. I was not going to let him fail. He didn’t! This story was the point I was to draw out of Judges 2, the text of my sermon (the application, the call to the congregation). Leaders don’t let people fail. Leaders leave it all on the field to ensure no one fails. This is my leadership role here at CPC in The Hill. I’ll leave it all out on the field to ensure (or at least to do my best so) no one fails. This is the kind of leadership church needs. This is what our kids need (I pointed back to where the kids sat for my children’s message). This is what our Hill neighbors need, church leaders that leave it all on the field of service so that people in the Hill won’t fail. Whatever God has given you isn’t for you, that is, if indeed God has given it—talent, schooling, a job, blessings, whatever—it is always for others. This is how God's kingdom works. This is how Christian and church leaders understand who they are and how God equips them for others; giving whatever it takes (to the best of our ability, through God’s grace and enabling) to ensure others don’t fail. Especially not failing in their walk of faith and in their service for church. *Of course I made it work more directly in view of what God was doing to ensure His promises to Abraham (i.e., that all the families of the earth would be blessed) are fulfilled through Israel. As gentiles, we can be thankful that He did. So, He raises up leaders . . . |
Wasted Blogger, Chip M. AndersonI am the pastor and church planter for Christ Presbyterian Church in The Hill; a flawed practitioner of Wasted Evangelism. I am learning about Wasted Evangelism through my experience in The Hill and through the good people of CPC in The Hill. Archives
April 2024
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