Social Distancing and Drawing Near

Where I live in North Texas, we are a little over three weeks in on enhanced COVID19 precautions like social distancing and sheltering in place.  In just a few weeks time, we have had to radically alter our lives, our jobs, our shopping, our hobbies and pastimes, and our interactions with other people.  As an extrovert who thrives on actual personal interactions with other people and a pastor who loves keeping up with what is happening in the lives of my people, these types of restrictions are a serious bummer!

While I definitely feel it is important for us to observe all of the precautions health organizations are advising us, I think it is also important to remind ourselves that social distancing does not prevent us from "drawing near."  The Bible advises us that if we will draw near to God, he will draw near to us (James 4:8) and that we should not neglect meeting together with other believers so we can encourage each other during difficult times (Hebrews 10:25).

So, I just want to offer a few quick reminders about what social distancing does not mean:

• Not Relational Distancing - Social distancing does not mean relational distancing.  During this season, it is important for you to maintain relational connectedness with people around you.  Even if you cannot have physical interactions with people, it is important that we go the extra mile to invest in our relationships with other people.  Make more phone calls.  Send more emails.  Like and comment more on social media posts.  Talk to your neighbors more as you see them across the street or walking around your neighborhood.  Check in more frequently on friends and family members who are at risk or who may just need more help with navigating life right now.
• Not Emotional Distancing - Now is not the time to withdraw into yourself.  We all wrestle with emotional health issues from time to time.  Right now is a scary time.  There are plenty of anxiety producing things on the news.  Maybe you are feeling grief over the loss of milestone moments in your life or the life of someone you love.  Not being able to get out and do some fun activities may be producing stress in your life.  Perhaps you were not prepared for having kids at home around the clock and having to be a homeschooler.  Your job or financial situation may be putting added stress on you.  There are plenty of things going on right now that can put you in emotional distress.  So, make sure you let others know how you are feeling.  My assistant posted this on FB last week, and I think it is a great way to check in on your friends right now: 

Tamara Baldwin Nalls

April 2 at 6:55 PM · 

Just wanted to check up on everyone.
—————————————————————
MENTAL HEALTH CHECK-IN: I’m 💚💙💛💜🧡❤️🖤today.

💚 I’m doing great
💙 I am okay
💛 I’m okay-ish
💜 Things are tough
🧡 I’m struggling
❤ I’m having a hard time and wouldn’t mind if someone reached out to me
🖤 I’m in a bad place right now

Drop your heart color and let me know how you are doing! You can message if you're not comfortable posting.

This is a repost. Feel free to do it too & find out if anybody in your circle actually needs help badly.

Let’s keep checking in on our family and friends. We’re all in this together! Keep safe!

• Not Spiritual Distancing. Finally, social distancing does not mean spiritual distancing.  You don't have to keep God at a distance right now.  In fact, now is a great time to draw near to God.  Invest in your spiritual life.  Attend an online church service.  Start a Bible reading plan.  Take an online Bible course or Bible study.  Spend more time in prayer.  

So, while we are practicing social distancing, let's make to draw near in three arenas, outward (relationships), inward (emotions), and upward (spiritual life).

What Kind of People Ought We to Be? - Relating to Each Other in Crisis

I get it. We are living through a time of crisis unlike any of us have ever experienced in our lifetimes. In just a couple of weeks' time, COVID-19 has totally transformed our world. Who would have thought just a month ago that you would not be able to get toilet paper at the local store?  Schools are shutting down.  Sports leagues are suspending their seasons and championship tournaments so that there are NO SPORTS to watch.  Restaurants are only offering carry out service.  Movie theaters are closing their doors.  The stock market is plunging.  I mean, we're just a couple of weeks away from Road Warrior.

So, it makes sense that we are all a bit on edge right now.  The newsfeed each day seems to be getting worse and worse.  We are experiencing significant disruptions in our schedules, lifestyles, hobbies, routines, jobs, education, and healthcare. As a result, people are anxious and afraid because the world is in a time of chaos and there seems to be little we can do to control the chaos.  When we feel anxious, afraid, and out of control, we often respond to other people with anger, rudeness, and selfishness.  From what people that know are telling us, we are likely just at the beginning of this crisis.  So, if we are going to make it through this time, how should we relate to each other?  What kind of people ought we to be?

Nearly two thousand years ago, the Apostle Peter asked that very question.  He was contemplating the fact that there is coming a day when this world as we know it will come to an end.  Look at what he says: But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare. (2 Peter 3:10)  Peter says there is coming a day when the ultimate disintegration of life here on earth as we know it is going to happen.  There is coming a day when the end of the world as we know it (to quote REM) is going to take place.

Now, I don't know if our present crisis is an indication that we are approaching that time or not.  It certainly wouldn't surprise me.  The point, however, is that any time of crisis ought to remind us that this reality and this world as we know it are not eternal.  Plagues, financial crises, natural disasters, wars and rumors of wars are all functions of the fact that this world has a life expectancy, and it will one day end.

So, in consideration of that fact, Peter asks this question: Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? (2 Peter 3:11a)  Since this world is one day going to be no more, since Jesus is coming back again, and since he will judge all of us on the basis of whether we have trusted in him and allowed him to transform our lives, what kind of people ought you to be?  Peter's answer: You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. (2 Peter 3:11b-12).

Peter's question is a great question for us to ask ourselves in the current Coronavirus crisis.  What kind of people ought we to be?  How should we respond to the challenges that we are currently facing, and especially how should we relate to each other as we navigate this crisis?  Peter says we ought to live holy and godly lives.  What does that mean?  Well, holy and godly are not character qualities that we can generate in ourselves.  The only way for any of us to be holy and godly is through giving our lives to Jesus Christ.  He is the only person who ever lived a holy and godly life.  So, the only way for you and I to be found holy and godly is through trusting in Jesus' sinless life, his death on the cross as a payment for our sins, and his resurrection from the dead to overcome the power and penalty of our sins. (If you've never done that, please contact me.  I would love to tell you more about how you can become a child of God through faith in Jesus Christ.)

Then, once Jesus changes you, you are free to live out the life that he has placed inside of you, a holy and godly life.  That's why Peter closes out by saying, Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. (2 Peter 3:18)  In our present crisis, I would like to recommend three ways that we could all grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ:

1. Extend grace to each other.  This is uncharted territory for all of us.  Your local store managers were not prepared for massive runs on basic supplies.  Your child's teacher had no warning that he or she was going to have to try to figure out how to educate your child using distance learning and online education.  The families in your neighborhood were not prepared for having their kids at home and everyone being on some level of lockdown for weeks on end.  Your pastors and churches have little to no experience with living as the church in this environment.  As a result, we're probably all going to make some mistakes.  Things are not going to go as planned.  We're not going to get it right and we probably will sometimes get it downright wrong. So, let's all extend some grace to each other.  Let's forgive.  Let's offer kindness and compassion.  Let's take care of each other.
2. Be patient with each other.  Because this is uncharted territory for all of us, we are all figuring this out as we go.  Teachers and store managers and bosses and doctors and pharmacists and government officials and public servants and pastors and families are all navigating a new reality.  And it's going to take some time for us to figure out some of this.  So be patient.  Don't get angry.  Don't yell.  Be slow to criticize or complain.  
3. Be humble.  In our present environment, being humble for me generally means, "Don't be a jerk."  Don't act like you know it all or have it all figured out.  Don't be the person who refuses to listen to the wisdom and instructions of people who know more about the situation than you do.  Don't make snap judgments based on your opinions or some theory you read on the internet.  Don't disregard the information and instructions we are being told by epidemiologists, virologists, and government authorities.  Be humble enough to submit to their leadership and authority.  And most importantly, humble yourself before God.  Take some time to pray.  Ask him to forgive us for disregarding him, and ask him to bring an end to this virus. Recognize that he is ultimately the one who is in control, and submit yourself to him.

[We would love for you to join us for worship this Sunday with The Crossroads Community Church online at The3C.online.church.]

4 Ways to Keep Developing Your Kids while on Lockdown

With the ongoing spread of COVID-19 and the implementation of protocols to help "flatten the curve," many families may find themselves with a lot more together time with no real plan for what to do.  If your children's school determines to temporarily suspend on-campus instruction for an extended period of time, you may be wondering what you can do to help occupy all that extra time on their hands.  In addition to just keeping them busy, effective parenting means helping them to grow and develop.  

If you, like the Kemp household, are not ordinarily a home-schooler with a good handle on how to do that already, here are four things we are implementing to keep everyone happy and progressing while we are on lockdown.

We always feel like it is a good idea to look to Jesus as our model for life; so, let's do that with this situation.  There's really only one verse in the Bible that tells us about Jesus' key developmental years after age 12.  Luke 2:52 says, And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man (ESV).  Luke says there were four areas that Jesus grew in from the time he was 12 years old until he was an adult: wisdom, stature, favor with God, and favor with people.  Those four areas form the basis for our strategy for developing our children during the lockdown and daily activities to facilitate that development.

Wisdom - Luke says that Jesus grew in wisdom.  There are a lot of things that go into being a wise person, but for our purposes, we have chosen two things to help our children grow in the area of wisdom.  One, each day they must do some educational activity.  They can read a book, work on math facts, study spelling, learn about another country or culture in the world, or simply keep up with work that their teachers will likely soon start sending out to them.  There are also a lot of museums, zoos, and musical groups that are currently offering free online experiences that your kids might enjoy.  Two, each day they must do some creative activity.  Play a board game. Put together a puzzle. Learn to sew. Bake some goodies to share with the rest of the family or a shut-in neighbor. Do an art project.  Practice their instrument.  Sing a song.  Have a campout in the living room, complete with a tent, s'mores, and some scary stories.  Today, my girls are doing an in-home beauty day, fixing each other's hair, doing makeovers, and practicing new make-up techniques.

Stature - In other words, Jesus grew physically.  So, each day, make sure your children are doing some physical activity.  Have them walk/jog around the block, throw a ball in the backyard, play outside in the rain, get on the treadmill, play some "indoor volleyball" with a balloon, do some simple calisthenics, pretty much anything that works up a sweat.  If you are okay with the kids jumping on the furniture, one of my kids' favorite games when they were young that got them up and moving was "the floor is lava."  If they are doing something that actually gets their heart rate up, 30 minutes should suffice.  If the activity is a little more laid back, push it to an hour.  We also don't want this time to become a time of developing some bad habits, so we are having a scheduled time for everyone to be up, cleaned, dressed, and at the table ready for breakfast.

You also want to do your best to make sure they are eating healthy foods while they are stuck at the house.  While options at the grocery store may be more limited currently, the produce section at our local markets appear to be abundantly stocked right now.  In running to the store for toilet paper, milk, bread, and eggs, make sure you also pick up some apples, oranges, asparagus, or broccoli.  

Favor with God - The current coronavirus crisis is actually a very important time for your children to grow in their relationship with God.  Right now, there is a lot of fear spreading throughout the world, and children definitely pick up on the fear they sense in us and others.  The antidote to fear is faith, so make sure you are not neglecting this area of your child's development.  We are requiring our kids to do one spiritual activity each day.  Teach your kids how to have a daily time of Bible reading and prayer (a quiet time).  Give them a memory verse to work on.  This week, our church is memorizing 2 Timothy 1:7: For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.  Once they have memorized a verse, have them spend time meditating on it, which is simply extended time thinking about the verse, what it means, and how it applies to their lives.  Turn on some worship music to listen to as they are stuck at home.  

Favor with man - The last area of Jesus growth was in the area of relationships with other people.  Jesus said that our love for one another is the evidence that we really are his disciples.  So, each day, we want our kids to do one others-focused activity.  In the practical world of our household, that is going to mean doing some chore to help out around the house.  That can be cleaning a room.  One of the great ideas my wife came up with years ago was to create a notecard for each room of the house listing out each of the things that need to be done in that room for that room to be considered "Mom approved." Whatever way you work it out, more people at home for long periods of time is going to mean there are more chores to be done.  So, develop a system where everyone can pitch in.

Others-focused activities can also include people outside your household.  We want to maintain safe protocols as far as social distancing, but we don't need to just become hermits with no concern for others.  Have your kids check on their friends and their friends family members to make sure they are doing okay.  If they discover someone has a need that your family can help with, by all means do so.  One of our local nursing homes has requested people to write letters and cards to their residents who are no longer able to receive visitors.  This would be a great project for your kids to tackle.  Also, make sure you check on elderly neighbors and family members and those who are at risk.  Your family could make grocery runs, help with yard work, walk a dog, etc.

Finally, parents, the best way for you to instill these four habits in your kids is for you to model them.  Make sure you are developing in wisdom, stature, and favor with God and people as you are encouraging the same things in your kids.  If we do so, we will come through the lockdown, not just surviving, but growing and improving and healthier.

ON MISSION CELEBRATION

Since Saturday I have been in deep East Texas at the On Mission Celebration.  Nearly sixty churches have been participating, hosting twenty people working in missions in some capacity.  By this evening I will have spoken five times to seven different churches.

My message for them has been about how they can be involved in church planting.  Church planting was not necessarily on their radar, but they have responded really well to my encouragement.  

I have enjoyed getting to spend time here.  Deep East Texas looks very much like where I grew up in Southwest Arkansas.  One of the churches I spoke at reminded me of my own home church.

But, I gotta say, I sure will be happy to be back home to my sweetheart and the kids.

Christmas and Connecticut

This week, I was meditating on the account in Matthew of the angel's visit to Joseph to tell him of the pregnancy of Mary and the coming birth of God's Son.  In particular, I was considering the two names that are given to the Messiah in this account.  The angel told Joseph that the baby would be called "Immanuel" meaning "God with us," a name indicating who the child is.  Then, Matthew tells us that when the child was born, they gave him the name "Jesus" meaning "He saves," a name pointing to what he will do.  

I was thinking on these two names and, in particular, what they tell us about the incarnation, Jesus' coming to earth and taking on flesh to become a human being, in preparation for my message this week.  You see, Christmas is about way more than a baby in a manger, surrounded by his mother and father, cute sheep, a lowing cow, some shepherds, and a few kings bringing gifts, while angels sing, and a star overhead serves as a spotlight to illuminate the whole thing.  The biblical message of Christmas is much grittier, much more real, and in many ways, much uglier than our traditional images of the nativity.

So, as I was nailing down some of the applications of the biblical message, the message struck home in a very real sense today as I received word of the Connecticut school shooting.  Already questions are coming in like, "How could someone do that to little children?  What kind of monster must this guy have been? What is our world coming to?"  And it is precisely those questions that the Christmas story answers.  

So, as you deal with the horror of yet another school shooting and process it all in your mind, let me give you a few of the thoughts from the Bible's message about Christmas.

1. Human sin is a really big deal.  It is such a big deal that God came to earth in the flesh to deal with it.  He didn't whitewash it, overlook it, or just sweep it under the rug.  He came to a broken, messed up, hurting world to deal with our sin.

2. God takes the brokenness of the world personally.  The incarnation is about God coming in person to fix what we have broken.  He came to earth, became one of us, lived our life, and died our death to pay the price for sin.  The author of Hebrews says that we have a high priest who can sympathize with our weaknesses, who understands our hurts and pains and sufferings.  God takes the hurt of our world personally.

3. We are incapable of fixing what is broken in our world and our own lives.  God had to come to earth to save us because we could not save ourselves.  There is no government program, no human initiative, no amount of moralizing, no new set of rules, no social strategy that can fix sinful condition of our world.  We cannot fix ourselves.  Only Jesus can save.

4. There is a penalty for sin.  Don't forget, Jesus was born to die.  From the moment he came to earth, he was destined for a cross, because sin must be atoned for.  There has to be a sacrifice for sin to be forgiven.  God does not just overlook sin.  He deals with  it.  He pays for it.  He dies in our place.

5. God is merciful.  In situations like this school shooting, we are all quick to line up to say how despicable such an action is and how the shooter deserves to suffer the judgment of God.  I do not for a minute deny that is true.  But what we sometimes lose in offering those verdicts is the fact that we all deserve God's judgment.  None of us are righteous, not even one.  None of us do what is right.  None of us seek after God.   We all, like sheep, have gone astray; each of us has turned to his own way.  Our righteous acts are like filthy rags before God.  The only  hope for any of us is not that I am any better than the guy who pointed a gun at innocent children and took their lives, as if my horrible, wretched sin were a little bit better in God's eyes than his.  The only hope for any of us is that God has mercifully and graciously provided a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.  And only through him can I be forgiven.  And only through him can our world be fixed.

We need a Savior.  We need God with us.  We need Jesus.  We need Christmas.

My New Five Fingers

Many of you have asked about my new Vibram Bikila LS Five Fingers.  The Five Fingers are a unique shoe designed to mimic the feel of going barefoot.  The Bikila is the running model of the shoe, and the LS means it has laces.  I have a very wide foot, so the laces give me a little more room in the shoe.  The normal model has an elastic bridge with a velcro closure.  I found these to be a little too tight for my foot.

Today, I went for my first run in the Five Fingers.  I got the shoes on Friday, and had been anxiously looking forward to my first run in them.  Because they imitate the feel of running barefoot, the Five Fingers are supposed to cause a more natural foot strike when running, striking first on the forefoot rather than the heel.  This creates less trauma on the body and produces fewer running related injuries. (Okay, that's a greatly  abbreviated description of what barefoot running is supposed to do, but that will do for this blog.)

Today, I ran the majority of my run in my old pair of Asics.  I will say, I love these shoes.  They have been my faithful companion as  I have  finally gotten my butt back in gear  and back into the world of running.  They are light and comfortable, and I've pounded a lot of pavement in them.  But, I've put way too many miles on them, and it was time for a new pair of running shoes, so I made the switch to the Five Fingers.

I only did the last 7.5 minutes in my Five Fingers today.  I am allowing my feet, body, and running motion to gradually adjust to the new feel of running in them.  So, here's  my initial evaluation.  The feel of running nearly barefoot was incredible.  My feet were very light without the weight of a large, padded running shoe on them.  I run on pavement, and my feet were not at all uncomfortable.  I had  a good feel of the road beneath my feet, but I did not cringe at the rough surface of the road.  Having my toes free allowed them to splay as I ran giving a great sensation of being able to  "grip" the road.

Running on my forefeet also gave me more of a feeling of springing as I ran.  Even though I had the Five Fingers on at the end of the run, I was able to speed up my pace.  I also had increased my running intervals today, but still had energy at the end of my run.

I will say that it takes some time to get used to the forefoot strike.  After years of running more on my heel, this takes some adjustment.  It's not bad at all, it is just going to take some time to get used to.  Also, years ago I had a serious fracture of my right leg.  This caused my right leg to turn out slightly more than my left.  As a result, I had to concentrate a little more on getting a good forefoot strike with my right foot.

The greatest sensation from the Five Fingers was after I finished my run.  Ordinarily, when I finish, my  calves are aching, I have some pain in my feet, and my lower back is aching.  Today, I had none of that.  I got home and feel great. Now, bear in mind that I only did 7 1/2 minutes in the Five Fingers, so my evaluation may change with more time and miles beneath my feet.  But so far, I am loving them!

Prayer Please

I'm sending out a request for prayer to all our friends.  Please pray for our house in Sherman to sell.  We have been trying to sell our house for the last three years, without much progress.  We have made several updates and have lowered the price three times, but still no real offers to move ahead with.

We live our lives each day in Anna.  We work there.  Our kids go to school there and are involved in numerous after school activities.  We lead Journey Groups there.  We are actively involved in the community there.  Our house in Sherman has really become nothing more than a hotel that we arrive at late most nights only to crash and get up and get going again the next morning.

The driving and the late nights keep us exhausted at all times.  We have almost no down time and little time that we get to just chill with each other.  Keeping the house meticulously clean and ready to show at all times (which we aren't always able to do) is another source of exhaustion for us.  And, the rising cost of gas makes driving back and forth, sometimes more than once in a day, a real budget strain.

So, I'm issuing an all call for prayer, serious, constant, persistent prayer.  My mantra right now that rings through my head all day is: "God, please let our house sell."  I'd love to have some of you agreeing the same thing for us.