“Now children, listen to me: Happy are those who keep to my ways! Listen to instruction, and be wise; don’t avoid it. Happy are those who listen to me, watching daily at my doors, waiting at my doorposts. Those who find me find life; they gain favor from the Lord. Those who offend me injure themselves; all those who hate me love death.”

Proverbs 8:32-36 – CEB

My oldest daughter, soon to be 17 and one year from voting age, is coming of the maturity of forming and expressing her personal worldview. She pays attention to and comments on the news and current events. She will watch the news and react with her own declarations. Often, I can tell she is echoing something she has heard from someone else. I have decided to respect her views and give her space to sort out her thoughts, just as I try (I confess I’m not perfect) to do for all people and opinions. But, all I ask of her is that she reflects and thinks through what she proclaims before she says it. I believe the world has lost itself in the shallow end of thought—abandoning the harder, deeper logical reasoning for emotionally driven opinion. I want my daughter to recognize the facts surrounding an issue, separate them from emotional manipulation and group-think, and draw conclusions after thoughtful process. I don’t want my children to live in an echo chamber, repeating like robots other people’s conclusions. Mainly because most people no longer think through what they claim in order to recognize non sequiturs. That is, claiming two things to be true when they contradict one another. 

For example:

Valid Premise: I support my American right to choose freely without government over-regulation.

Claim 1: I don’t approve higher government forcing my municipal government to mandate COVID mask wearing when I don’t want to.  

Claim 2: I support higher government forcing certain business and entities to open when they don’t want to.

Do you see the contradiction? This seems like a non sequitur. In other words, it doesn’t make sense. However, many intelligent and respectable people, agreeing on the one premise, are making the same two claims, while others make the exact reverse of the two claims. So, rather than just repeat the two claims, or dismiss them altogether, I want my daughter to dig deeper. What is behind these passionate claims? Why are people so adamantly loyal to such a contradiction? Is it really a contradiction, or are there nuances I’m not aware of? For example, is there a difference between personal freedom and the greater good? Is there a difference between the greater economic good and the greater human-health good? And how do each of my claims reflect either my passion for economic good or human-health good? Why do so many people disagree with what I think is good and right? Are the people I’m following credible, godly, and Scripture-searching people (check your sources)? What else am I not understanding?

Is this kind of thought and reflection and value of wisdom too much to ask? How much better could our relationships and our levels of life-sapping anxiety be if we all just spent time gathering information and ideas and thinking them through instead of puffing up and spouting out conclusions that don’t make sense? How much better if we could listen to God’s wisdom, keep to the ways of God’s wisdom, watching and waiting, and finding favor with God, instead of blindly repeating someone else’s version of wisdom to find favor with people. Because God is never—never has been and never will  be—a non sequitur. Scripture is God-breathed, the breath and the spirit of God exhaled as wisdom to help us make sense of life and find God in the midst of everything. God uses a lot of breath in Scripture convicting us of the importance of thinking, searching for truth, and not being misguided by impulse or emotion or the folly of others (Wisdom Books: Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon; The Word of God through the teachings of Jesus Christ). God has given us a brain, intelligence, and the capacity for reason. It honors God and connects us with the transformational power of God when we seek wisdom through the lens of Scripture.

At the end of the day, the way my daughter votes and what she advocates won’t be as important to me as to her work of drawing on and discerning God’s truth and truth-bearers (you will recognize them by their “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control” Galatians 5:22-23).  

Note: Supporters of the postmodern construct of relativism, I see you raising your hands. Can we make that a discussion for another day?

1 Timothy 4:1-13

“Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will renounce the faith by paying attention to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, ² through the hypocrisy of liars whose consciences are seared with a hot iron…⁶ If you put these instructions before the brothers and sisters, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, nourished on the words of the faith and of the sound teaching that you have followed. ⁷ Have nothing to do with profane myths and old wives’ tales. Train yourself in godliness, ⁸ for, while physical training is of some value, godliness is valuable in every way, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come. ⁹ The saying is sure and worthy of full acceptance. ¹⁰ For to this end we toil and struggle, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe.

¹¹ These are the things you must insist on and teach. ¹² Let no one despise your youth, but set the believers an example in speech and conduct, in love, in faith, in purity. ¹³ Until I arrive, give attention to the public reading of scripture, to exhorting, to teaching. 

The resurrection happened, dawn chased away the night, and chirping crickets cracked open the morning where a tomb stood open. Empty. Crickets. There was no fanfare; no parade or party, no smoke or lights; just an empty tomb. It came and went without any human intervention or participation.

In fact, Jesus’ congregation of friends and followers weren’t there. They were trembling together behind closed doors hiding from the power-hungry authorities too threatened by their movement to stop with killing only Jesus. I imagine they must have been experiencing a mix of disappointment, confusion and, mostly, fear. In that moment, Jesus wasn’t who they thought he was. They had given up their jobs, homes and security to follow him. What next?

If he was in fact royalty—Son of God, Immanual, the Christ, the King of Kings—it didn’t involve purple or velvet, pearl or gold. There was no royal court for the disciples’ glory. No trumpets or tambourines. No leaping for joy. No parade with soldiers and stallions.

The greatest miracle in the history of creation had happened without an audience or adoration. In his crowning achievement, God had not highlighted glory and gain but humility and sacrifice. The Son of God had been stripped of everything, dignity, clothing, flesh, friends. He was beaten, nailed to cross and bled until nothing but water ran from his body.

In his ministry, and especially during his final days, Jesus was asked over and over to prove who he was. Even the disciples desired his power to be measured by human standards of greatness. The final indignity that Jesus endured was the mocking sign nailed above his head: King of the Jews. Throughout his ministry, Jesus used every means available to show that God had sent Christ to teach a different kind of leadership. The first are last, and the last are first. One in in distress is more important than the comfort of ninety-nine. The quotient of a single human life is calculated using only one number: infinite worth.

Folks, Easter happened. The most powerful empire in the world had tried to squash it. Doors were closed and locked, a boulder rolled into place. But, the Resurrection still happened. Nothing fashioned by human hands or in the earth can stop Easter from happening: not empty sanctuaries; not a virus; not a national crisis. Let’s remember that we are Easter people everyday, and every Sunday is a mini-Ressurection. When the Holy Spirit came on Pentecost, Christ was fulfilling the promise he made to the disciples to be with them even though his body wasn’t. We have that same Spirit connecting all of us to God and one another across time and space.

Fear not Children of God! For the Spirit that God gives us doesn’t make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-control. And when it makes the least amount of sense, remember that Jesus taught us that Kingdom things will look foolish to those who are governed by the things of the world and by God. So, Easter-in-place and remember “there is one God and one mediator between God and humankind, Christ Jesus himself human, who gave himself a ransom for all” (1 Tim 2:5-6).

Rev. Ann deRosset Kovan

March 27, 2020

Jesus has always been about the “one,” about the “least of these.” Jesus teaches us to sacrifice the comfort of many for the salvation of one. This truth resonates with me as I take each tentative step into the chaotic swirl of COVID-19. The situation, warnings and protocols are literally changing by the minute. As a church pastor, I am responsible for modeling discipleship in the image of Christ through my words and deeds. So, what to do?

On the one hand, Christianity is rooted not just in the vertical axis of the cross between a person and God, but in the horizontal axis connecting people with other people. Jesus ministered to groups of people, he taught amid crowds and at small dinner parties, he had intimate conversations in the dust of the road. Scripture teaches us that we are a body made up of many parts, each part essential to the health and activity of the larger body. From the very first Christians, we have gathered in sacred spaces to share the Scriptures, prayer, song and the breaking of bread. These are the truths that fuel our need to continue to gather in Jesus’ name, regardless of warnings and protocols from the government. These are truths that have given me pause and caused me to struggle over decisions regarding our church gatherings, meetings and services.

On the other hand, given to us directly from the mouth of Christ, there is the truth of the “one” and the “least.” Is it not a better witness of Christ to consider the one person who is vulnerable and could contract a life-threatening disease in the name of resisting advisories to not meet in groups? To protect the “least of these?” Jesus momentarily leaves the crowd, the congregation, to help the most vulnerable of all.

So, when/if we decide to cancel gatherings, it is in the name of Jesus’ love for the “one.” To keep safe anyone who might become ill. We do it to save one person. If we save one person, even while the other 99 are dissatisfied because the plight of the one doesn’t concern them, isn’t it worth it?

The gift of the Holy Spirit allows us to always be joined across inches, feet, and miles. We can gather and yet not be in the same space. We can pray together and not feel the brush of another’s breath. We can pass the peace without the touch of hands. We can sing together and not hear those who are off key, like me! Just as the great cloud of witnesses surrounds us, we can gather together through an invisible connection. I believe connecting through the Spirit and not location is an even stronger demonstration of faith and trusting God with the unseen.

Canceling church events to keep just one person safe doesn’t mean we are closing the church, becoming faithless or full of fear, it just means we will find other means of connectivity. We will engage in and experiment with technology that connects us across physical distance. We will discover means to carry on corporate prayer, devotion, study and worship. We won’t get it right every time. Keep an open mind and stay tuned for invitations to engage via some new ways. I believe this is discipleship modeled by Christ, who used every imaginable means to connect with people.

After all, you may just be the “one” being saved.

Pray for Those Who Persecute You

“Bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.” – Jesus Christ, Luke 6:28

I’m like every other human being: there are people in this world that I have a hard time loving. They evoke emotions of disagreement, dislike, disdain, disgust, and potentially hate. The root is generally because they’ve hurt me or someone I love, or because they hold an opinion I disagree with, or because they are just plain offensive and destructive to others. They are people whom I view as not making the world a better place. So, how is it that I can obey Christ’s command to love, bless, and pray for them. And why?

First, I must humbly recognize that what they are to me, I am to someone else. Jesus teaches that those who hold a prejudice or judgement against someone else need to turn the mirror on themselves. When we are critical of a tiny thing in someone else, chances are good that that same thing exists in us on a larger scale. A splinter is a small piece of wood and a log is a bigger piece of wood. I don’t believe Jesus used two things of the same substance to make his point in Matthew 7:15. How can I be mad at someone else when I have the same shortcoming? I was upset recently about someone huffing in a slow checkout at the grocery store. Surely, I have huffed in a checkout line before. I was heartbroken over a friend standing me up, but then thought about how I recently forgot about an appointment I had with another person. We could go on and on….

Second, there is a benefit for ourselves. God created us to be in love relationship with God and others. We are wired to flourish when we connect in life-giving ways with others. When we hold grudges, foster feelings of revenge and retaliation or let our negative thinking about others spin out of control, we are diminishing our own life. When I pray for someone I hate, a miracle happens. I begin to see them as human with needs and desires just like I have. Where a bitter root had been forming, seeds of compassion, love, and mercy are planted. Compassion, love, and mercy lead to empathy and an openness to understand the other person. When I am open to understanding them, I learn. When I learn, I grow in the way God created me. I become closer to God and others. This is God’s plan for all of us. This is the secret to a rich and purposeful life!

Show me someone who is happy with the increased hate crimes and violence inflicted on innocents in our country. Who is satisfied that our country is essentially split down the middle on important issues with the space between filled with bullying, scorn, criticism, prejudice, and even rage? Who likes the rise of blood-spattering battles over statues, walls, and guns? When there are two sides who are just as unwaveringly passionate about their point of view as the other…is it possible that half of America is totally right and half is totally wrong? No! If we pray for the person we disagree with, and try to put ourselves in their shoes, our eyes will be opened and we will gain a deeper wisdom.

So, pray for that government leader, that political candidate, that climate activist, that white supremacist, that neighbor, that teacher, that coach, that relative….yes, even that huffing mad person in the check-out line. I promise your life will be better for it, and you will make the world a better place.

“I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner beings, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s hold people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.” – Ephesians 3:17-19

(Painting: Unity by Diane French)

I’m not going to lie or sugar-coat. This past week at Salkehatchie Summer Service was tough! Salkehatchie is a faith-in-action youth mission of the South Carolina Conference of the United Methodist Church that sends high school and college age students and adults to camps all over the state to improve the living conditions of underprivileged families. Our site—the home I and my team of 10 youth and one other adult leader were working on—was in terrible condition. The wood foundation was eaten up and crumbling from termites. Rooms were sagging, the beams and joists underneath so destroyed that the plywood subfloors were carrying the full weight. The house was infested by spiders, and probably held together by cobwebs. Having a kitchen drain pipe totally clogged for at least a year (I didn’t want to know for how long) the three elderly sisters had to carry a bucket back and forth outside for cooking and cleaning. The kitchen was covered in filth and grime. Black soot from the fireplace they use to heat their house blackened the den and mingled in grease from the kitchen. I didn’t know whether to gag or cry, so I did both. Any of these could be found in any of the Salkehatchie sites, but the grand scale and combination in this home were the most challenging I’ve ever seen. On Friday, other people at the camp asked us, “Did you finish?” Well, that depends what you mean by finish. Did we accomplish the essential purpose of Salkehatchie—to make the house safer, warmer, dryer for the homeowners—in a way that the love of Christ was shared? Yes! Did we leave the condition of the house better than we found it? Yes! Did we build a Christ-centered relationship with the homeowners? I think so. Did I get to know and love the youth serving with me? Yes! Were we satisfied that everything that needed to be done was done? No. Were there still collapsing floors and holes where you could see the ground? Yes. Were we able to install laminate floor or decorate a bathroom? No. Did we leave a single room that we felt was across the board to a standard we would want for people we love? No.

Confronted by such poverty was painful and upsetting, even for Salkehatchie. I have decorative candles worth more than the total value of food in that home. I have a cooler worth more than the air conditioning in that home. I have a watch worth more than all the technology and communication devices in that home (which were no more than an old landline phone). I have hanging ferns worth more than the combined wardrobe of the three elderly sisters that live in that home. A single set of towels from my linen closet is worth more than the combined total of decorative items in the home.

We were so focused and driven to get as much as possible done in that home, that I lost site of the joy that we seek to foster on a Salkehatchie site. I was so driven to keep everyone on task that I missed out on the teenage-fun-crazy-shenanigans that usually typify a Salkehatchie site. Mix all these things together with an inordinate amount of teenage drama and lack of sleep, and you have a very tough week.

Right now, I’m not sure I will ever go back to serve at Salkehatchie. If asked today, I would probably say no. I question my ability to lead youth, to have fun in ministry, to recognize that I am but one instrument in God’s toolbox. I will continue to pray for perspective, the passage of time, and God’s revelation leading to discernment.

Learn more about Salkehatchie:

http://salkehatchie.org

During the next week or so, you may see social media posts from me celebrating a huge milestone in my life: Ordination in the United Methodist Church. I hope you will be inspired and affirmed to take risks, be adventurous, and embrace change to respond faithfully to whatever God is calling you. Over the years, I’ve shared highlights and successes along my journey.

But don’t be fooled. Like many of you, it is hard for me to share the snot, scabs, and mess of my life. It is important to me that you know my journey of following God’s call, out of a successful and lucrative career, into a vocation of pastoral ministry, has had as much sweat and tears as smiles and peace, and as much stumbling and crawling as leaping and dancing. I’ve even found myself in the fetal position a few times. I grieved missing my nieces and nephews growing up because my seminary and ministry schedule didn’t allow for weekend family gatherings. I cried over friendships that, unurtured, drifted apart. I repeatedly felt like a bad mother for missing special moments and school functions while away at seminary. I was crushed by the fear and anxiety of not being approved at every step of this Ordination process. I was stretched thin as thread, unable to please everyone, and almost quit. I was pressed by tension and strain at home as my husband and I struggled to make finances and schedules work. I have known the raw pain of being left out (few people want a pastor around during social time). I staggered nerve-frayed and gasping into restorative retreats of solitude and silence. Generously poured over this cocktail of despair, was ever present shadow of doubt and niggling feelings of worthlessness, not-good-enough, less-than, I-can’t-do-it. Not served neat and stirred, but shaken and disturbed.

The treasure of this trove of emotional oddities is the truth of God’s promise to see us through, to make good out of our messes, and to be made strong in our weakness. This is the pearl that I get to share. Take it with you; you will need it for your own journey.

Now. Let’s celebrate!

2 Corinthians 12:9 My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.

Philippians 4: 12-13 I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation . . . . I can do everything through him who gives me strength.

1 Peter 5: 10 And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.

Romans 8:28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

I workout regularly, mainly training for triathlon races, which involves swimming laps, running and cycling. So, I spend a lot of time in the pool, on my legs, and on my bike. I have been blessed to have enjoyed good health and physical wellness. What things have hampered me–injuries, soreness–I’ve been able to treat and rehab and keep on going. However, after I broke my foot in a car wreck three years ago, I became empathic of what it felt like to be disabled and immobile. I hope to never take my physical ability for granted ever again. Because of this consciousness of my wellness, and its vulnerability to disruption, I say a prayer before every run, swim, or bike ride.

Recently, I agreed to help a friend who asked for some bicycle training and nutrition advice. She isn’t looking to do any races. She just wants to feel better. She asked if I knew anyone who could help her. She was surprise when I told her, “I can!” I explained to her, that, as a pastor it is my calling to care for the whole person–mind, body, and soul. Jesus came as Human-Divine, God-enfleshed, and sits on the throne at the right hand of God as Human-Divine, God-enfleshed. So, it follows that our human bodies are important and valuable to God. Shepherding people in the care of their physical health is as important as leading them in spiritual growth and discipleship. I decided I would share this prayer with her, and hope that becomes her prayer with whatever adaptations she wants to make.

Because I also care about you, I’m going to share it with you too:

Gracious and Merciful God, we thank you for this day, that we awoke with the miracle of breath and beating heart. We thank you for the will, the motivation, and the ability to move our mind, body, and soul today. Help us in our fitness, that we would come to resemble more closely the human form that you originally created us to have. Bodies that worked and walked and tended creation. Help us to be mindful of your presence with us in the things we hear, see, and smell as we exercise. Keep us safe, may we not push our bodies too much or too little. In Jesus’ Name we pray, Amen.