As we journey together through unprecedented and trying times, we invite you to read Pastor Darren's weekly Facebook article below. His articles remind us that we need to have eyes of faith in order that we might be able to help others with the social justice issues of our day.   His articles rely on both scripture and research to both inspire us and embolden us to be God's faithful people.

November 20

“God’s Love, People’s Hate”

Jesus knows there is another way to respond to hateful people than to return hate. He understands that a “normal” reaction is to hate those who hate us. He knows that irritation, anger, hatred, and retaliation only fuel the fire of conflict.

There is hope for people not to be hateful and to change; and yes, there are those who will go to their graves swinging, mad at the world, or at somebody. People at odds with each other can be transformed into friends, allies or at least to be respectful. However, we also know that history can repeat itself. People whom we marginally know can wrong us again.

Fortunately, Christ can work miracles and transform conflictive relationships into peaceful relationships. Yet, sometimes and often, peacemaking takes years. It is hard to accept that if somebody chooses not to talk to us anymore, that is their choice, not ours. It does not make us less valuable in God’s eyes.

Jesus says, we should do good to those who hate you; bless those who curse you; pray for those who mistreat you. (Luke 6:27-28) Doing good or praying for those who have mistreated us involves intentionally attempting to see them through God’s point of view--to see them as a child of God despite how little they reflect the goodness and kindness of God.

Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said, ​“Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” We love the hard-to-love because it is what Christ would want us to do; it has nothing to do with what they deserve or do not deserve.

Yes, it is hard not to play their game of hate, mistrust, retaliation, or talking “stink” about each other. Such resistance does not mean we become a doormat and lack backbone, but rather, to be a strong person in control of ourselves. We can respond thoughtfully and prayerfully, and not react emotionally. We can respond to haters on God’s terms, not the world’s.

Jesus tells us not to get caught up in fighting evil or hateful people. (Luke 6:29) Often, our discipleship with Jesus is tested not so much in extraordinary circumstances with people we barely know or trust, but in everyday living. We need to resist getting caught up in fighting people at home.

God gives us the power to love the unloving, for it cannot be done solely on our willpower. Dealing with hateful people is an opportunity to look at ourselves and ask how merciful we are. (Luke 6:36) Let us do our best not to be pressured by such people, not to be crushed, or not to let them emotionally put us in a cage. Stay true to the way of loving, do not give in to hate. God’s love nourishes us--if not transforms us--each time we choose love over hate.

November 13

Pastor Darren's article is on hiatus this week.

November 6

“Do We Need a Bobblehead of God?”

We are made in God's image and therefore we are images of God, which means we are called to reflect God’s care for creation and humankind (Genesis 1:28) in how we live and act toward one another. This role that we have becomes more refined as we sense God’s presence in our own lives and follow Christ’s teachings.

So, how do we stay true to reflecting God's image? What reminders do we need? Do we need a bobblehead of God on the dashboard or the kitchen counter? Or maybe we need one of those plastic Jesus figurines that was popular decades ago. There was a song about it: "I don't care if it rains or freezes, long as I got my plastic Jesus, sittin' on the dashboard of my car."

There is nothing plastic or artificial about our image of God, who created a world that was good from the start. Before there was evil, there was goodness. Before there was Original Sin, there was Original Blessing. God and creation are good.

Imagine what it would mean to believe in the goodness in all things and in all people in today’s culture that is increasingly numb to violence, war, and hate. If we believe that the world's default setting, my default setting, your default setting, is not evil, but radical, world-altering good, what a world it would be.

It would be great if our first response to each other was kindness without reservation, giving without stinginess, and trust without fear. No bobblehead can reflect that, only us. What would it be like to incarnate the goodness that goes back to the very beginning of creation? "God saw everything God had made; it was very good." (Genesis 1:31) That is where our hope lies.

We come from a God who makes new things. According to Genesis, God created something new each day for six days. God's creative work is not finished. There is still hope for the world to return to goodness. Yet, who knows how long the world will continue groping in the dark as we struggle to live with one another with decency and respect?

Do we not all rise in the morning with the same sun? Do we not all deserve to join the rising sun of hope in our lives as we do our best to not just survive but to strive? The realization that God is good, and the world was created to be good is an invitation to find treasures in one another and treasure each other. Dave Bland writes: “Being image bearers of God is also at the heart of how we see other humans, which results in treating them with dignity, regardless of race, age, gender, social or economic status.” God is good and so should we be.

Let us be illuminating images of God’s goodness, not bobbleheads that only move when life’s vibrations are directed at us. “Our individual happy life depends on a happy humanity,” says the Dalai Lama. God is good and so should we be.

October 30

“Our Identity Gives Us Direction & Purpose”

A daughter came home complaining to her mother about how the other kids were teasing her at school because she did not have a father. The mother told her daughter that what those kids were saying is not true. “You have a daddy in heaven,” she said, “and you also have a heavenly Father who is King of all. So, what does that make you?” The daughter said, “I guess that makes me a princess.” “That’s right,” said her mother.

When we have a child or grandchild struggling with their identity, we have an opportunity to lift them up. In fact, it is good for all of us to remember God has claimed us as God’s children (1 John 3:1), or as princesses and princes. (Psalm 47:7, “For God is the king of all the earth; sing praises with a psalm.")

Nowadays, we would rather not be referred to as princes and princesses. But what is true is that we will not consistently see ourselves as God sees us unless we cultivate a close relationship with God. Knowing who we are and to whom we belong is important in living out our God-given direction and purpose. Our greatest significance is found in our identity as a child of God.

This fact needs to be our guiding light in living a purpose filled life. For example, when there are successes in our life, celebrate it, be encouraged, and receive the affirmation, but do these things out of love for God, not for personal accolades. We all like to be reassured that we do indeed live a meaningful life, but what counts overall is what we have done for God in our lifetime. We yearn to hear the words, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”  (Matthew 25:23)

This is why it is so important for us Christians to find our significance with God first. “Seek ye first the kingdom of God,” (Matthew 6:33) meaning our security is with God, not the world, or from pleasing mean kids that tease others.

In life we evolve out of our childhood self-images and into being workers for God, and followers of Christ. It is by the love of God that we are called to be members of God’s family (1 John 3). So, not only are we God’s precious children (or princes and princesses), but we are valued and treasured human beings.

It is important that we are not preoccupied by an obsessive pursuit of personal importance, because then we are apt to be more concerned with ourselves than others and drawing closer to God is more of a goal than a growing relationship.

God is most active in our lives when we seek first the kingdom of God. It is then that our direction and purpose become more easily identifiable. It is then we learn not to please a culture that has lofty expectations and harsh critiques, but to please God who loves us. The one we matter to the most.