Christmas 2020: "And They All Missed It"

Think back over the last 365 days, since last Christmas.  Think of all the things that have happened: a global pandemic, civic unrest, a presidential election, etc.

How do you know you were paying attention to what really mattered?

It’s easy to be distracted by what the world considers important: politics and war and wealth and the like.

But, what if God is up to something else entirely?  What if God is at work in other ways? What if you and I on our own are completely unable to tell what’s truly important from what is just distraction?

 What if you’ve been distracted this entire year and missed what’s really been happening?

 After all, when the first Christmas came it happened in a surprising and unexpected way.

 And they all missed it.

Sermon References:

•  Painting: “The Census at Bethlehem,” by Pieter Brueghel the Elder

•  Good 48 minutes BBC documentary on the painting: “Private Life of a Masterpiece: Census at Bethlehem”

•  The Little Ice Age

•  Gallup survey: “Americans' Mental Health Ratings Sink to New Low” 

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Think back over the last 365 days, since last Christmas. Think of all the things that have happened: a global pandemic, civic unrest, a presidential election, etc. How do you know you were paying attention to what really mattered? It’s easy to be distracted by what the world considers important: politics and war and wealth and the like. But, what if God is up to something else entirely? What if God is at work in other ways? What if you and I on our own are completely unable to tell what’s truly important from what is just distraction? What if you’ve been distracted this entire year and missed what’s really been happening? After all, when the first Christmas came it happened in a surprising and unexpected way. And they all missed it. Preacher: Andrew Forrest Scripture: Luke 2:1-20 References: Painting: “The Census at Bethlehem,” by Pieter Brueghel the Elder https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Census_at_Bethlehem Good 48 minutes BBC documentary on the painting: “Private Life of a Masterpiece: Census at Bethlehem” < http://www.infocobuild.com/books-and-films/art/PrivateLifeMasterpiece/episode-24.html> The Little Ice Age https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Ice_Age Gallup survey: “Americans' Mental Health Ratings Sink to New Low” https://news.gallup.com/poll/327311/americans-mental-health-ratings-sink-new-low.aspx

Making Peace with the Pandemic

What have you had to let go of this year because of the pandemic?

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I can’t put into words what the picture above means to me.

It is from Munger’s Christmas Commitment Sunday 2019.

On Christmas Commitment Sunday every year, we ask households to come forward, kneel, pray, and say:

“Lord, thank you for how you have provided for us in the year that’s past”

and

“Lord, please bless the work of our hands in the year to come.”

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IF THERE IS A MORE MOVING SIGHT IN MINISTRY THAN SEEING WHOLE FAMILIES ON THEIR KNEES IN GRATITUDE BEFORE GOD, I DON’T KNOW WHAT IT IS.

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Looking at that photo again—all those families crowded into our church—makes me want to cry:

Because it can’t happen like that this year.

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Here are some more pics that make me realize how much we’re missing out on this year. Do you see the mariachis by the red tent? Mariachis make me happy. Also, can you see the one with me praying with my family? Man how I love being able to do that every year—it’s such a powerful moment for us: “Lord, thank you thank you thank you.”

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None of the above will happen like that this year, which I think is a major spiritual setback for our community, gripped as it is so tightly by consumerism and entitlement.

But there’s nothing we can do, is there?

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Making Peace with the Pandemic

It seems almost obscene to modern wealthy Americans to state the obvious:

Sooner or later in life, you come up against something you cannot ultimately change or control.

In every individual life this is true, but this pandemic is the first such experience in generations that is true for all of us at the same time.

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So, things are different this year and there’s nothing I can do about it.

And so I’m going to make peace with the pandemic.

Things are different this Christmas than I want them to be, but that doesn’t mean that we should stop doing what we believe matters. It just has to look different.

And I’m okay with that. Really.

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Munger Christmas Season 2020

So, here is how things will look at Munger this Christmas.

Church is outdoors every Sunday, 9 and 11, rain or shine. (In inclement weather, services will be 30 minutes.) Worried about the weather? As it says in 2 Hezekiah, “just suck it up.”

Christmas Eve is outdoors, rain or shine!

• 3:30 (kids);

• 4:30, 5:30, & 11:30 PM—all 30 minute candlelight services.

• We will be offering indoor Christmas Travelers services at 6 PM on 12/21 and 12/22 so we can record a full service to put online. Reservations required—info to come.

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Christmas Commitment Sunday 2020 (12/13)

The spiritual reality behind Christmas Commitment Sunday—namely that gratitude is the only appropriate response to all our blessings—is too important to forgo this year, though things have to look different.

So, as in years past, I want to challenge our church to thank God for his provision in 2020 and ask for his blessing in 2021—to Finish Strong and Start Well.

But this year, things will look different. There will not be regular services on Sunday, 12/13.

Instead, I will lead several brief communion services in the parking lot and the sanctuary will be open from 7:30 AM-12:30 PM for folks to pray inside and drop off their gifts.

Here’s our new plan for Sunday, December 13:
• Sanctuary open 7:30 AM-12:30 PM.

• Only one household permitted in the building at a time.

• 15 minute communion services in parking lot at 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12 noon.

We want to give folks the opportunity to pray in the sanctuary as they make their Christmas Commitment. That time kneeling at the rail is important for many of us. If you choose to do so, you will enter through the main front doors and have the whole building to yourself for a few minutes, before leaving through the coffee bar doors. There will be no one else in the entire building while your household is inside.

Of course, if you want to drop off a gift outside, you can certainly do that as well.

(As always, you can make your Christmas gift and set up your giving at www.mungerplace.org/give.)

And, I’m pre-recording a full sermon that will be online that morning as well, so be sure to catch it with your family.

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So, I’ve made my peace with the pandemic. I’m okay with things being different.

This year, a lot about the Christmas season will be different, but Christmas itself isn’t cancelled.

The light still shines in darkness.

And I’m more than okay with that.

What about you?

Munger Is Opening! (ish)

Great news—we’re going to re-open church! (ish)

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Outdoor Services at Munger: 9 AM & 11 AM

Starting Sunday, 10/4, we’re moving to a new Sunday schedule at Munger: outdoor services in our parking lot at 9:00 and 11:00 AM.

This schedule will continue through October and perhaps through November as well.

(The Sunday 7:30 AM outdoor communion service that we started in July is superseded by these later services and is discontinued. I will miss it, though—I really enjoyed being there in the early mornings with the faithful few.)

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Service Details

• We’ll be in the main Munger parking lot under the blue sky.

• Bring your own camp chair or blanket.

• Services will be 60 minutes long. I’ll be preaching every week.

• Bathrooms will be open if you need them, but otherwise everything will take place outside.

• Dress casually.

• By now, you know the Covid rules, and they apply at church, too: keep at least 6 ft apart from others at all times and wear a mask when you cannot maintain that amount of distance. We’ll have masks available for anyone who needs one.

• The nice thing about being outside is that you can position yourself as far away from others as you need—take advantage of the space. 6ft apart is the minimum, right?

• Please respect the space of others and don’t be that guy or gal who puts a chair down right next to another family!

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What About Kids?

We are offering an Outdoor Children’s Area for ages 1-pre K at the 9 AM service only. You must register to reserve a spot; spots are limited. For more info and to REGISTER, click here.

Infants as well as elementary kids get to be in the service with the rest of us!

We’re starting small this week and will add more kids/childcare options in the weeks to come.

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What About Online?

We will post an entire service online at 9:30 AM Sunday as usual; the sermon is also available from 6 AM Sunday on via the Munger website and via podcast.

Please do NOT feel pressure to attend an outdoor service if it not wise for your household to do so for whatever reason; take advantage of the online service instead.

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When Will We Move Indoors?

We will continue outdoor services through October, and very likely through November. So, one possibility is to move indoors the first Sunday of Advent (11/29). But, as with everything else in 2020, who knows?

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What About Coffee?

At this point, it’s BYOC and BYOD (doughnuts).

Actually, it’s pretty much BYOeverything.

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Should I Attend If I’m Sick or Think I Could Be Sick?

If you don’t know the answer to that one by now, I have some magic beans to sell you for a great price.

Kristi & Jason's Private Pandemic Parade!

Because of the quarantine, Kristi & Jason had a very different wedding day than they’d planned. They cancelled all their invitations and their reservations; they asked me if I’d be willing to officiate a private wedding ceremony for them at Munger. Of course I said yes. The total congregation today at the wedding consisted of me, the bride, the groom, the photographer, and a floppy-haired urchin I enlisted as my altarboy/assistant, who ended up filming with an iPhone from the balcony.

After the ceremony, the newlyweds walked out the front steps of the church only to be surprised by a parade put on by their loved ones!  The stream of vehicles kept circling and honking and generally making a ruckus. None of us expected it, and it was such a delight!

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Jason and Kristi, may all your days be filled with such unexpected joy, and may God confirm your covenant and fill you both with grace. Amen.

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P.S. Here’s a picture of the humble officiant with his floppy-haired urchin/altarboy/assistant.

Fear Stops Here

We all know that the Covid-19 virus spreads from person to person. We also all know that each of us therefore has the ability to slow and stop its spread.

What if we could do the same thing with fear? What if we could also stop fear from spreading through our communities?

I believe that the Church in America has a priceless opportunity to step up and say

FEAR STOPS HERE.

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How Firebreaks Work

In wildland firefighting, a firebreak is a deforested band of dirt plowed through the forest that keeps a wildfire from spreading further.

The concept is simple: remove the fuel, stop the fire.

The same principle applies with fear.

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How Fear Spreads

Fear spreads from person to person, but unlike a viral infection, you don’t even have to be physically proximate with someone else to catch or spread fear—it can happen through our communication networks.

Ever felt fear after reading a headline or receiving an email?

Exactly.

Fear is contagious.

But peace is also contagious.

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Becoming a “Fearbreak”

After the Resurrection, Jesus proclaimed “peace” over his disciples.

Followers of Jesus have nothing to fear—has he not told us?

“In this world you will have trouble, but have no fear: I have overcome the world.”

— Jesus of Nazareth

Therefore each of us has the opportunity to stop the wildfire of fear from spreading beyond us.

Each of us has the opportunity to become a “fearbreak.”

Each of us can say, in the name of Jesus:

FEAR STOPS HERE.

The most important gift we can share with an anxious world is the peace that the Lord has given us.

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You Can Make a Difference

Like a virus, fear needs a host.

Like a fire, fear needs a source of fuel.

When we declare FEAR STOPS HERE, we bring God’s peace to our circumstances and communities and fear’s spread is stopped.

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We Can Flatten the Curve of Fear in Our Communities

The Covid-19 virus is here among us, and there is nothing we can do about that fact: we can’t change our current circumstances.

What we can change, however, is the future.

How we react to fear today will affect what our communities are like in the future.

During the Spanish Flu Pandemic in 1918, different cities had different responses to the influenza virus’s spread. By late September of that year, e.g., the virus was already making its way through the citizens of Philadelphia. Nevertheless, the city’s public health director refused to cancel a big Liberty parade that had been scheduled for September 28 in support of the American war effort for World War I. Over 200,000 people attended the parade.

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Three days later, every hospital bed in the city was filled, and 2,600 people died before the week was out.

In St. Louis, the city health director—a man named Dr. Max Starkloff—forced social distancing and quarantine measures as soon as the first cases of influenza appeared in the city. As a result St. Louis was able to “flatten the curve,” and compared with Philadelphia, had thousands of fewer deaths during the fall of 1918.

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What if we made the decision to flatten the curve of fear in our communities?

What if the rate of fear in Dallas became noticeably lower than in other cities because of our commitment to spread peace instead of fear?

“FEAR STOPS HERE.”

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How do we do this? How can we become people of peace? How can we beat back fear?

The foundation of peace is a decision to trust God with tomorrow and to focus on what each of us can control today.

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The FEAR STOPS HERE Daily* Checklist

When fear begins to rise within you, ask yourself the following three questions:

• Can I make it through today?

• Have I taken the OBVIOUS next step that’s right in front of me today?

• Is there an opportunity that’s opened up through my circumstances that will allow me to love God or my neighbor today?

If the answer to any of those questions is YES, then it’s time to kick fear to the curb until tomorrow.

Fear comes from worrying about a tomorrow that is inherently outside of our control.

Courage is the confidence that comes when we choose to focus only on today and trust God with tomorrow.

(Matthew 6:34.)

*Use every morning, and any other time you feel fear or dread.

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Join the FEAR STOPS HERE Campaign

• Make the decision that fear stops with you.

• Be the non-anxious presence in all of your networks.

• Create a handmade sign and post it in your window, or draw on your sidewalk, or write in big letters on your fence: FEAR STOPS HERE.

• Drop the #fearstopshere hashtag in your social media posts.

• Use Fear Stops Here as your new email signature.

• Stop FEAR and Spread PEACE.

Let me know how it goes!

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Found in East Dallas, Sunday, March 29, 2020.

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My quarantine sermon for 3/29/2020 was entitled “Fear Stops Here.”

Sermon begins at the 22:00 min mark.

Our Corporate Commitment to You During the Covid-19 Crisis

Dear [FIRST NAME],

At Future Innovations Associates (formerly Forward Metrics Corporation, an Allyn-Crane Acquisition, and part of the Squimm Group), your safety is our top priority.  This is because, if you die, we won’t get any more money from you.

I know you are surprised to hear from us, because you last used our services in 2011.  But, we have kept all your personal information on file since that time, and because our IT department wasn’t able to filter out prior customers from current customers, we just went ahead and emailed everyone in our database.  Rest assured, however, your data and privacy are important to us, in that order, with “making money from your data” in between the categories of “data” and “privacy”.  Plus, when’s the last time you heard that a company in Corporate America was hacked and that the personal info of millions of its customers was leaked onto the dark web?

This email is to update you on how we are responding to the COVID-19 crisis.  Just like you, we don’t actually know anything useful, but nevertheless we will repeat below what literally everyone in the world knows anyway:

•Our [associates/teammates/partners/ninjas or some other made-up name for employees] are being told to wash their hands;

•We are monitoring the situation closely, which you probably assumed, but we wanted to specifically tell you that anyway.

Please stay safe.

Also, please follow our social media channels, because if there is one thing that will help you persevere through these long weeks of quarantine, it’s the Instagram account of a large corporation.

Sincerely,

Blaise Unconvincingname

Senior Executive Vice President for Hospitality, Marketing, and Emails

Future Innovations Associates

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UPDATE: I kid you not: I wrote the bogus letter above and then right afterwards actually received the following email, which I’m including as an update below. Note particularly the use of the well-worn African proverb in the last paragraph. Again: THIS IS AN ACTUAL EMAIL. Some things just can’t be satirized. —Andrew

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UPDATE #2: From the files of You-Can’t-Make-This-Up, I just received the following email from Marriott, posted below. At least I know I am a "Valued Guest”.

Saturday Song: "Holy Is His Name"

Every Saturday for the next few weeks I’m going to be playing and posting a song that means a lot to me. This week’s song is “Holy Is His Name,” by John Michael Talbot. The video is below, followed by some brief remarks on why this song matters to me.

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Every Saturday for the next few weeks I’m going to be playing a song that’s important to me. This is “Holy Is His Name,” by John Michael Talbot.

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When the Angel Gabriel tells Mary she is going to be pregnant with Israel’s Messiah, she sings this song. The music is from John Michael Talbot, but the words are from Mary herself, as given to us in Luke’s Gospel.

I sing this song every year during our Lessons and Carols service after Christmas; I think its power comes from the way Mary so perfectly understands what the coming of the Messiah means to God’s people:

He has cast down the mighty in their arrogance

And remembered the meek and the lowly.

It’s not Christmastime, but I think we could all use a bit of Christmas cheer right now.

May this song bless you as much as it blesses me.

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Holy Is His Name, by John Michael Talbot

Verse 1:

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,

and my spirit exalts in God my Savior.

For he has looked with mercy on my lowliness,

and my name will be forever exalted.

For the mighty God has done great things for me,

and his mercy will reach from age to age.

Chorus:

And holy, holy, holy is his name.

Verse 2:

He has mercy in every generation.

He has revealed his power and his glory.

He has cast down the mighty in their arrogance,

and has lifted up the meek and the lowly.

He has come to help his servant Israel;

he remembers his promise to our fathers.

How to Parent During a Pandemic

First disclaimer: I don’t know anything. Not only am I not a parenting expert, I’m not even the best parent in my house! But, I am trying to figure this out just like you, so I humbly offer some thoughts below.

Second disclaimer: I am a Christian, and so my advice will obviously come from a faith-based perspective. But, because I believe God created families and that all happy families are alike, I think the advice below should broadly apply to any family in these times. And, if your family isn’t religious, now is a good time to begin to question your previous assumptions.

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Put Your Oxygen Mask On First - Focus On Your Spiritual Life First

As parents, we MUST cultivate our own spiritual life first, before anything else. The most important thing we have to offer our children is a non-anxious presence. In a time of fear, it is important that we give peace to our children, but we can only give it if we have it.

Now is the time for us to rise early in the morning to pray and be still. Now is the time for us to read our Bibles daily. Now—more than ever—is the time for us to resist the urge to reach for our phones first thing in the morning before we’ve done our time in silence, prayer, and scripture.

Parents, our commitment to the daily disciplines of the Christian life is what will take us through this crisis.

If you are not practicing the actions above, you need to start.

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Tell Your Kids The (Partial) Truth - Do Not Ever Lie

Our children need to be able to trust us, and the cultivation of trust is one of parenting’s essential responsibilities. Therefore, it is vital that we do not lie to our children.

• Do not say that they are definitely going back to school;

• Do not say that no one we know will get sick;

• Do not say that their birthday parties are definitely going to happen as planned;

• etc.

An entirely appropriate response to our kids’ questions is, “We don’t really know at this point.”

It is also entirely appropriate to share the partial truth with children. They don’t need to know everything, but they do need to hear the truth from us. Knowing what to tell them and what to withhold requires wisdom, of course, which is why it’s so important that we cultivate our own spiritual lives. See above.

Some examples:

Don’t say: No one we know is going to die.

Do say: Jesus tells us not to be afraid, even of death. If someone we love dies, we will see them again in Christ.

Don’t say: Your birthday party will be fine.

Do say: We will definitely find some way to celebrate your party.

Don’t say: Everything will be okay.

Do say: People have made it through—and thrived in!—much harder things before.

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Give Your Kids a Daily and Weekly Schedule and Rhythm

Routine gives children (and adults!) something in which to trust. Even though all of our kids are now homeschoolers, this new reality doesn’t mean they don’t need clear bedtimes, breakfasttimes, lunchtimes, and playtimes.

Some suggestions:

Bookend your days with prayer. I will be leading a live online prayer service at 7 AM and 7 PM, M-F. (The service will last no longer than 15 minutes.) Please join.

Make every Sunday a celebration. Every Sunday is Easter, and you should worship and celebrate as such in your house. [Need a place to go for online worship? We’d love to have you join us at Munger.]

Celebrate and observe special days. Make sure that birthdays and anniversaries and national holidays and special days of the Christian year (Good Friday, Easter, Pentecost, etc.) are somehow different in your house.

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Pray Together

I realize that many of us feel totally inadequate and uncomfortable in leading our families in prayer. Guess what? Get over it. We don’t have the luxury of those emotions any more.

My suggestion: get the whole family to kneel together at the side of the bed before bedtime. Read a psalm and give God thanks for the day.

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Play With Your Children—ESPECIALLY Dads and Kids

Playing with our kids—particularly if it involves us getting down on the floor with them—is one of the ways we increase their trust in us. When we actively join in their play, it makes them feel safe and secure.

This is true for both moms and dads, but I think it is especially important that fathers spend time playing with their kids.

(I realize that some of us are single mothers, and I know that you are doing the best you can. Don’t give up!)

As a father who’s been sequestered at home this past week, it has been very easy for me to work all day long and, though my kids are close, not really spend any time with them outside of meals. And yet I know that when I take time to deliberately join their games, I see an immediate difference in my children’s demeanors.

If you have not played much with your children before, now is the time to start.

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Let There Be An Embargo on Virus Talk During Dinner

Our kids need a respite from our (understandable) obsession with virus news. Keep the dinner hour free from pandemic palaver.

(This one has been hard for me!)

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Practice Bottom-Up Thinking

Top Down Thinking: We start with the idea of PERFECTION and then look at our circumstances—we’ll be miserable.

Bottom-Up Thinking: We start with the idea of NOTHING and then look at our circumstances—we’ll see how much we have for which to be grateful.

As wealthy Americans, we are experts at Top Down Thinking, but it isn’t helpful. It’s time for us to learn another way, and teach it to our kids.

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These next months will be the most formative in our children’s lives. How we parent our children during this time will determine whether they grow unto adulthood strengthened or weakened because of this pandemic. I know that’s a lot of responsibility! But, it’s true.

Here’s the good news: Parents have raised children literally in every single situation in human history. Our grandparents and great grandparents lived through the Great Depression and the Second World War, and they were strong because of those difficulties, not in spite of them.

It will be difficult to parent during this pandemic, but we can do it!

How to Beat Back Anxiety and Dread

I’ve read too many disaster novels, and at times in the past week my imagination has got the best of me; I’ve had moments of rising anxiety and even dread.

I don’t know the future any more than you, but I know this:

Fear and dread do not come from God.

Fear is always our fight, and these days it will be more important than ever that we beat it back.

Here’s what to do.

Do Literally Nothing

When the anxiety is rising, one of the best things we can do is literally nothing:

Sit still. Turn off your phone and everything else. Be silent.

I find that just sitting still for about 15 minutes is an effective first step of breaking out of the anxiety trap.

Tell Someone Else

Fears become weaker when they are shared aloud. Just a simple text or phone call or word to another person can be helpful. “Hey, I’m feeling a fair amount of anxiety right now—will you pray for me?”

Name Your Fears, Specifically

Like a noxious mold, fear grows in darkness. Most often, our fears are vague and nameless. When I force myself to say out loud exactly what it is I am afraid of, I find that my fears shrink, rather than grow. When I shine a spotlight on it and pin it down, it takes away some of its power.

Remember being a kid in the dark in your room at night? That nameless dark shape in your room which could be a ravening monster seems a lot less scary when you shine your flashlight on it and see it was only your old rocking chair.

Recite Scripture Aloud

God’s words have power! When we say them aloud, it’s like the darkness gets pushed back a little. Start with something simple, like Psalms 23 or 46 or 121.

(By the way, this is why scripture memorization is so important—we need to keep these words close to our hearts.)

Name Your Blessings

It’s good to force yourself to recite aloud all the reasons you have to be thankful in that exact moment. Force yourself to always name at least 10 blessings.

Say the Names of God Aloud

In times of worry, my wife has found that saying the names of God that we find in scripture has made a difference. In fact, she keeps a list of God’s names in the NOTES section in her phone. Some examples:

Lord, you’re the Creator.

You’re the Alpha and the Omega.

God, you’re my rock and my fortress.

Jesus, you are the bright morning star.

Lord, you’re the Lion of Judah.

Etc.

Be Disciplined In Your Disciplines

This is not so much a technique to help when you are in the midst of fear, as it is a way of preparing yourself to live with less fear generally.

Just as an athlete or musician doesn’t decide in the moment of performance and pressure to succeed, neither does a disciple of Jesus. Rather, we prepare to succeed by committing to healthy habits. The athlete and the musician practice; the Christian prays.

Re-commit now to the basic disciplines of the Christian faith: Sunday worship, morning and evening prayer, etc.

One key habit: Don’t reach for your phone first thing in the morning—rather, first reach for the Bible or just sit and be still. The news can wait.

Fear is never from God. If you are feeling fear, know that it is a lie from Hell to plague you.

“In this world you will have trouble, but have no fear: I have overcome the world.”

— Jesus of Nazareth, John 16:33

I Have Become a Televangelist

A few weeks ago I decided that a quarantine was inevitably going to come upon us, so I bought a bunch of home video equipment that would allow me to broadcast from my home office.

Tomorrow, I make my debut as a televangelist. [3/15/2020 at 9:30 AM, CDT—here’s the link.] Unfortunately, I don’t think I’ll be buying a private jet any time soon, so I have a long way to go in my new career.

I’ve done a few live test videos so far, and everything seems to be working perfectly, though the lights make me sweat! The photo above is from this morning and is an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the glamorous life of a startup televangelist.

I’m planning on releasing as many videos and blog posts as I can crank out in the coming weeks, so stay tuned.

Pray for me!

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[Here’s a screenshot from a video I did this morning. From the viewer’s perspective, everything looks pretty good.]

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How to Watch

We’ll be using Facebook Live. Here’s the schedule for Sunday, March 15, 2020

09:30 AM - Live Music

10:00 AM - Live Message

1. Watch at www.mungerplace.org/watch. We’ll post some documents with the scripture passage and song lyrics there as well.

2. Login to Facebook and watch at the Munger Place Church Facebook page.

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The Equipment I’ll be Using

• 13 in. Macbook Pro

• iPhone XS Max

• iPhone X

• Shure Portable Videography Bundle with SE215 Earphones and MV88+ Video Kit including Digital Stereo Condenser Microphone

• Professional Grade Lavalier Lapel Microphone Omnidirectional Mic with Easy Clip On System

• Neewer 700W Octagon Softbox Continuous Lighting Kit

All Public Worship Services Temporarily Cancelled at Munger for Sunday, 3/15/2020

We are *temporarily* canceling all public worship services at Munger Place Church on Sunday, March 15, 2020.

Here’s why:

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“Doing Nothing” and Staying Home Will Make a Difference In Our Community!

What the research and expert opinion shows is that the single most effective way to slow down the spread of the coronavirus is to practice social distancing, i.e., to stay home. [More info here.]

We are at a tipping point in our city with regard to the spread of the virus, and we have the ability to slow its spread by “doing nothing”!  That is, when we stay home, we make a difference.

 This Is About Our Hospital System and About Loving Our Neighbors

We know the virus will spread, and many of us will get sick.  The concern I have (after reading lots of reports) is lessening the strain on our hospital system, so that the people who are sick or injured from whatever cause will have a safe hospital bed in which to be treated and recover.

This is not about you or me avoiding getting sick—this is about us caring for others and thinking proactively about our hospital system by deliberately slowing the virus spread, thereby keeping more people healthier longer.

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I Do NOT Want You to Come to Church

For the first time in my entire pastoral ministry, I feel that the most faithful leadership I can show and the most love of my neighbor I can practice is to tell you not to come to church this Sunday.

NOW Is the Time to Act

 This is a temporary measure because NOW is the time to slow the virus.  Once it breaks out among us in as severe an outbreak as in Italy, e.g., it will be too late.

This Is Not About Giving Into Fear

It is not giving into fear to be prudent.  Fear and panic is buying all the Doritos at the grocery store and stocking toilet paper for the next 4 years!  Prudence is the opposite of panic—prudence is boarding up your windows when the hurricane is coming.  Prudence is preparing for the future.

How You Can Make a Difference

You know that I’ve committed to be candid with you, even if what I have to say makes people angry.

The following is what I strongly believe:

Out of love for our neighbors, we need to cancel our travel plans and our social activities immediately.  I am doing this personally.

We want to slow the spread of this virus, and that is how to do it.  Don’t wait for anyone else—LOVE GOES FIRST.  Do it now.  It is not brave or loving to persist with normal social activities.  Life will resume and life will go on, but NOW is the time to act.

By definition “too early” is “not too late.”

Here’s What Our Church Will Be Doing

 We will resume public worship services ASAP.

In the mean time, our Munger staff is working hard to prepare to deliver content to our people on a regular basis.  We will definitely do a livestream of some sort on Sunday morning, March 15, 2020.  Stay posted for the exact details.

In addition, we are making plans now to best care for the poor and vulnerable among us who will be hit hard financially when they miss work, etc.  More details to follow.

There IS No Reason to Be Afraid

 Friends, preparing and prudence are not panic.  They are wise.  We have no reason to be afraid because Christ is King.

Here’s What I AM Asking Us to Do:

1.      Spread this message.  Tell all the Mungarians you know that church is temporarily cancelled for this Sunday.  Tell everyone you know to stay home.

2.     Spread PEACE through your networks.  We have no reason to be afraid—Jesus has overcome the world!

Love and courage,

Andrew

P.S.  If I am wrong about this, then we’ll all be able to laugh at my expense in a few weeks.  I’ve never wanted to be more wrong in my life!  If I’m right, however, but refuse to take responsibility to act, that will also be clear in a few weeks, and God will hold me accountable for my leadership failures.

Here's What We're Doing at Munger About the Coronavirus

At all times, we want our folks to feel as safe as possible when coming to church; in times of crisis and with fear whispering in our ears, it’s more important than ever that the Church comes together on Sundays.

No one knows the future, and no one knows exactly how the Coronavirus will affect our city.

That being said, there are some prudent steps we can take to be prepared, starting this weekend.

Here’s What We’re Doing at Munger About the Coronavirus:

• All doors will be propped open, so no one will have to pull on a doorhandle.

• Instead of passing the offering plate, we’ll have big offering baskets near the exits into which folks can drop their offering. (Giving online is always an option!)

• We will NOT be serving doughnuts at our morning services.*

• We will not pass the peace or shake hands. Elbow bumps it is!

• We will clean and disinfect all surfaces after each service.

*Don’t worry, in place of doughnuts we’re going to have individually-wrapped treats of some sort for those of you who can’t sit through church without a treat! And, because our local doughnut shop depends on our church’s business, though we will not be actually asking them to make our usual order, we will keep paying for it for the time being.

Here’s What You Can Do To Help

• If you’re sick, stay home!

• If your children are sick, please keep them at home.

• Bring your own hand sanitizer. (We have supplies for a couple of months, but our suppliers are unable to restock at this point, so if you bring your own sanitizer, it will help our supplies last.)

• If you’re not sick, come to church!

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No one knows the future, and we are all in the hands of God. But that’s always true, isn’t it?

We have an opportunity here to show our neighbors the difference faith in Jesus makes.

Let’s do it.

Don’t be afraid; just believe. (Mark 5:36)