Pastors in Crisis - Covid-19

I walked into the door of my home and the rant began, "Why is that game out? Why are there dishes in the sink? Girls, can't we keep this area in order?" Silence........... All three scrambled off to their rooms. The house was quiet. No one was within a mile of me. I headed down to the basement to decompress.

It was not long before my wife came downstairs. "The girls are upset. They don't understand why you are so short. You need to talk with them." At first, I responded as my regular resistant self but as I started to think through it, I softened. (You may not know this, but the daughters I am speaking of are all young adults.) These ladies are mature, very kind-hearted and engaged.

The next morning I called a family meeting. I began with an apology. They quickly forgave me like hundreds of times in the past. I began to unpack my frustrations and pressures from this crisis. Once I was able to get it out and share it with them, the stress started to go away. I asked my daughters to pray for me. Once again, we were partnering in ministry together as we had done many times before.

Reflecting on what happened this Monday, I felt that it would be a good time to appeal to you to pray for your pastor. I have learned how to get out of some of my emotional junk through the twenty-eight years of ministry, but I am here to say that the best out there still have feet of clay and were not prepared for this.

I watched one guy online the other evening appeal for offerings for his church. He looked like he was in pain. I could sense his stress building. I could sense the pressure he was experiencing. The reality is that no pastor was prepared for the events of this week. Most of us did not sign up to be an online, cookie-cutter speaker. It is quite the opposite for most. Living in the world of tv screens and video lenses is terribly uncomfortable. (Try looking at yourself in the mirror for fifteen minutes, talking to yourself!)

Here are a few things to do for your pastor this week.

1. Pray for him. You can pray that he will do the very things he is asking and encouraging you to do. It is an easy thing to do! (Don't do as I do, do as I say.) You can also pray that he will find rest during the storm. I know several guys who are not sleeping well.

2. Encourage him. Use words, texts, memes, and notes to encourage. Support what he is doing, and thank him for the effort he is putting in to be an effective shepherd. I know our staff has worked harder in the last two weeks than any other time I have seen in my years of being a pastor.

3. Don't be critical. We are all incredibly self-conscious in these moments. Most pastors can't compete with TV church. Keep the correct perspective. This is an opportunity for the church to realize that the meat and bones of true community is interpersonal connectivity. Be a grace dispenser, not a digital commando.

What to Talk to Your Children about Through Covid-19

I can remember some awkward moments explaining reproduction to my son. He was looking for me to give him direction. I did the best I could, using the least amount of details, yet giving the basic outline. I think that the age-old adage "answer to their satisfaction" could be in play.  It is important to speak regularly with your children about what is going on in the world and how it affects them. Covid -19 provides unique challenges to talk to your children regularly. Here are three points to remember.

1. We serve a sovereign God. Sovereignty simply means that God is in control. We believe that the Bible teaches that God is in control all the time. This has a calming, assuring and focusing effect on people. Proverbs 15:3 tells us that "the eyes of the Lord are in every place," and that "whatever the Lord pleases, He does, in heaven and in earth, in the seas and in all deeps.

I would suggest turning to passages like Colossians 1:16-17 which states, "He is before all things and in Him all things hold together." and Romans 8:28 "we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God." These are verses of assurance concerning who is in control over this world.

2. We are not to be afraid. Explaining to your children some of the life-altering events that you have been afraid of may prove to be comforting. I have been through several things that have had devastating effects on my journey. Take the time to sit down and talk through fear. Where does it come from and how do you grow in faith when fear overcomes you?

Use verses such as Psalms 56:3 which states, "when I am afraid, I will put my trust in you". I find Philippians 4:6-7 to be particularly helpful. It tells us to "be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God."

Remember that fear does not come from God but rather from the evil one. II Timothy 1:7 states, "for God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline."

3. We are to make the most of every opportunity to use our time for God. Ephesians 5:15-17 helps us know how to live in days like these. Paul says, "therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time because the days are evil." You can encourage your children to make the most of this opportunity through spending time with God and family.

There are countless ideas on how to grow closer to God. I would start by engaging in family devotions. This can be a time where you grow closer to God and one another.

I recently spoke on the topic. You can see it online at www.columbusroad.org to hear more.

Opportunities During the Coronavirus

Okay, it is time to write out some thoughts I have been having over the last few days.

 I have sat in on my share of emergency meetings, discussions, and cancellations this week. I just had to inform a college soccer team that their spring season has been majorly altered. Many have expertise in these kinds of areas and I have learned a lot in a very short amount of time. I am not going to talk about hoarding toilet paper or sanitation practices. What I would like to write about is the opportunities right before your eyes. So here we go... 5 opportunities during the coronavirus.

1. This is an opportunity for your family to slow down. Living life at a breakneck speed should not be an issue any longer. Everything is being canceled and for a long time. Never in my life have we been able to push the reset button. No excuses now, it is an opportunity to get your marriage, family, faith, and free time back!! Amazing.

2. It is an incredible opportunity to spend family time. All the things you have been wanting to do can now happen. Game nights, eating together, learning something new, household projects, can all be family building exercises. Most people should be incredibly happy that they will be spending more time together. Is this true of you?

3. Your children can be children and learn to "just play".  Sending your child to go play in the back yard is a thing of the past. I am optimistic that people will go back to "old school" ing it and encourage and teach them how to play. This would be a great time to have a media fast. Who knows how this event could reset our culture!!

4. It is an opportunity to purge from the addiction to sports.  In my opinion, "sport" has replaced a lot of the top priorities in life. Marriage, family, friendship, church are often replaced for the priority of being entertained by a sporting event. People may start to see that watching someone live their life isn't as good as living their own.

5. It is an opportunity to reject fear and trust in God. No one gets out of this life alive. This is a fact. Living a life of fear is so exhausting. This is an opportunity for you to trust God for your life now and in for eternity.

There are many more opportunities that I am thinking about but here is five for now.