Church at Home

We have found ourselves in a place none of us saw coming. Due to the COVID-19 virus, we all are experiencing an interruption to our normal lives. Let’s acknowledge it, together. Take a deep breath and say to yourself, “This is not normal, but this is real.” The routine of our lives has been hijacked. Our days no longer consist of going into work, sending our kids to school, getting together with friends, hitting the gym, enjoying our kid’s soccer game, or attending a church gathering (in person). The routine is gone. The simplicity of knowing how each day would play out is gone. We don’t have control anymore.

I serve as the Worship Pastor here at Crossroads Church. I love what I do. I help craft services each week with the singular goal of connecting people to Jesus! Leading the Church to a place of encountering Jesus is my greatest passion. Now it’s gone. The in-person gatherings have now become a handful of us on a stage leading to an empty room. Here’s what we believe though, God is not dependent on His Church gathering in-person for lives to be changed. Read that again. God is NOT dependent on His Church gathering in-person for lives to change. Don’t get me wrong, He loves it. It was His idea! He created us to desire community, connection, and the intimacy that comes from being together. But God is not scrambling around in this moment, pacing the floor and wondering how He can continue speaking to people. He is still in the business of changing lives and bringing hope to a world in desperate need of hope.

I want to take a few minutes and encourage us on how we can have church at home during this season. Here’s what we believe, we are the Church! The buildings we gather in are not the Church. The only reason they have any significance is because we gather in them. WE are the Church. Every time we gather, whether in person or online, we are the Church. 

Here is some practical advice on how to be the Church and gather while we are online. 

Get Up and Get Ready 

Really? Get up and get ready? Yes. I said I wanted to give practical advice. Get up and get ready. Set your alarm. Take a shower. Eat breakfast. Get your kids ready. Get up and get ready. 

Routine in this season is important. Make this a practice in your life. Don’t miss this. The most practical practices will help you with the best spiritual disciplines. You cannot meet with God if you are groggy and unfocused. So get up and get ready. Set the example for everyone around you. Say this with me, “I will get up and get ready to meet with God!” 

Gather Who You Can 

Yes, you read that correctly. Gather who you can. Whoever is home with you pull them in on the gathering. It’s not about numbers, it’s about togetherness. So get everyone together that you can. 

Here’s an idea, set up a watch party on Facebook live. Invite your friends into the chat. Share the service you are watching. Bring others into the conversation. God has designed us for community and what I call togetherness. We may not be able to physically be together, but we can still connect with each other. 

We are better together. Let’s get together for our online weekend gatherings. Bring the kids along. Let’s meet in our living rooms, online, through text. Let’s join in together and gather together. 

Eliminate Distractions

This may be the most practical and helpful thing we can do. Eliminate distractions. Turn off unneeded technology. Don’t have conversations about the day or week with those around you. Make your coffee ahead of time. Don’t be worrying about making lunch at this moment. You will take care of it shortly. Have the room cleaned and the toys and clothes put away. 

It seems so unnecessary, right? Here’s the thing, our normal is to go to a building that is already prepared for us. A team of people works to do everything they can to eliminate distractions for us. They take care of our kids, they have coffee ready, they have the room cleaned and set, they make sure we can see and hear. They eliminate as many distractions as possible so we can encounter God and connect with Jesus and His church. 

The very things distracting us will keep us from engaging with God. Cut out the distractions. We can’t hear a singular voice if everyone is speaking at once. We can’t see what we need to amongst the clutter of our lives.

Engage with the Music, Message, Prayer, and Giving 

Alright, here are my tips on this. Whatever you are watching, cast it to the largest screen you have in your house. Put it front and center. Turn the volume up and get loud! Come on somebody, can I get an amen? Sing, and sing loud. Let’s lift our voices and praise God with everything we’ve got! 

Open your Bibles and take notes. It’s one more practical step that brings spiritual discipline. Read along. Write down what God is saying. “Amen” and give feedback when something resonates with you. True story, when I run or am driving in my car I will amen and say, “Come on” to a point that resonates with me. I am sure people think I’m crazy, but I don’t care. I want to agree with the truth. 

Pray. Don’t let the person on the screen be the only one praying. Pray. Pray passionately, boldly, and courageously. Pray out loud at that moment. Pray for your spouse, your kids, your parents, your city, your leaders, and the world. Prayer has always been a corporate practice of the Church. Let’s pray together, not just listen to prayers being prayed. 

And give. Let’s never stop giving. In this season let’s be known for our generosity. Let’s give out of the overflow God is giving us. He will take care of us. Let me say that another way, He is taking care of you. Let’s lead the way in our generosity. 

Continue the Conversation 

Here’s what I want to end with. Continue the conversation with anyone and everyone you can. Remember this, we are the Church! Church isn’t a once a week gathering in a building. We are The Church. Wherever we are and whenever we gather. 

Continue the conversation with your kids. Ask them what they learned that day. Ask them how they are feeling. Pray with them at that moment. Model being the Church. You are the Church. 

Text people, host a Zoom hangout, start a Q & A on Facebook. Post your notes on Instagram. Do whatever you can to continue the conversation. Being the Church is not a one and done, once a week thing. It’s a daily lifestyle of loving God and loving others. So love others by talking about what God is speaking to you. 

When all is said and done, and we are on the other side of this, here is my prayer: God will have spoken to every one of us, and we will know what it means to be in His presence. Do not miss this opportunity to grow in your faith and grow in being the Church. Let’s continue to gather, being the Church where we are, and lifting up Jesus!

The Father's Table

THE TABLE

I grew up in a rather large family. By “rather large” I mean there were 11 kids. Yes, my parents were crazy enough to have 11 children. And yes, they know about birth control. Seriously though, you would think that by the time the fourth child came along (me) that they would have gotten the hint that we were a strong-willed, rowdy bunch of kids. My dad jokes about the fact that they kept going for the perfect child...He said it’s yet to happen.

As our family grew, our dining room table became more and more crowded. As you can imagine, it takes a large table to host 13 individuals every morning at breakfast. At some point my parents realized the need for a larger table. I guess the alternative was to stop having children, but they were still under the illusion that perfection could be achieved so a larger table it was.

It was October, and the plan for us to purchase the new table was to pick up walnuts as a family. So we packed up in the ole 15-passenger and went for it. We’d drive around and Mom would spot a walnut grove or a tree in someone's yard, so we’d stop and ask the property owners if we could pick up their walnuts. I was embarrassed as a kid because it seemed so desperate. But we did it. We picked up 20,000 lbs of hulled walnuts. We worked in the rain, in the heat, in the fun, in the exhaustion. We didn’t stop until walnut season was over. Our hands became stained, our backs hurt, and we never wanted to see another walnut tree again.

Post walnut season the new table was purchased. It was like Christmas morning at our house, excitement all around! The chairs and benches were newly stained, and the table large enough to host everyone with elbow room to spare. It was ours. The Kent family table. And we each had a place at our new table.

​THE NAME

I love going home to my parents’. The rush of childhood memories is imminent as we pull into the drive. Everything from the smell of pancakes and black Folger’s coffee to the crisp breeze in the air takes me back to early mornings, family devotionals, and movies on Sunday nights. It’s a fresh reminder of who I am: a Kent.

Names have the potential to carry weight with them. There’s power and identity in them. Sometimes we stand on the shoulders of the last generation and build. One generation builds into the next, all with the same identity found in the family name. My family name has meaning and purpose to it. It carries with it the identity of a large family, hard workers, creative individuals, and a commitment to others. We have little choice in the imposition others place on us due to our family name. I am a Kent and proud of it. My parents carried the name well.

Here’s the best part about being a Kent though: I belong at my parents’ table. Let that sink in. I always have a place at my parents’ table. I belong there simply because I am their son. They’ve never made me pay for a spot at their table. I naturally belong there because of who I am and knowing whose I am. I am the son of Bob and Jan Kent.

THE MEAL

My mom is an amazing cook! Growing up I never wondered if she was going to burn our dinner, if breakfast would be awful, or if lunch would be fast food. She always had food prepared for us.

Growing up our table hosted many meals; meals my mom would prepare for us and meals we kids would help prepare. Breakfast and dinner we would gather, as a family around the table, and share a meal together. We would talk about the activities of the day while eating what was before us. Some meals were rushed, others would linger on for hours. This was life. This was our family, sitting around the table, eating, talking, singing, reading, praying, crying, sharing news, and speaking of the future.

As an adult, I love what my parents instilled in me. Family is meant to gather and eat together. Sit. Be in the moment. Wait until everyone is finished. Be present and enjoy the food and the company of those around you.

THE FATHER’S TABLE

I believe our Heavenly Father has a table as well. At this table we, who bear His name, have a place. We gather and share a meal together, with the Father at the head sharing His goodness, mercy, grace, love, peace. There is laughter at the table as the dishes are passed. We share about our day, our brothers and sisters encourage us, and the Father wipes our tears. He invites us to gather around and share with Him all that He has prepared for us. We come together because He has invited us, and we are His.

There are no limits as to who is invited or how many may come. It was not built by us. We did nothing to earn a place. We didn’t pay for the table, the meal, or our name. Our Father made the table. Our Father prepared the meal. Our Father made us His children through His son Jesus. We simply accept the invitation and come.

I like to imagine that our corporate gatherings, “Church,” are His table moments for us here on Earth. We gather because He has invited us. “Hey, come share a meal with Me. Come. Sit. Enjoy what I have prepared for you.” He invites us into a conversation with Him.

“How’s life? What’s been going on? How is the job I gave you? How is the family I have placed around you?” You can almost hear Him saying, “Why didn’t you bring them? They have a place here too.”

We gather around the table, but we often sit there acting like there is nothing set before us worth having. We fail to feast on His goodness, mercy, love, and grace. We act like we already have all we need. We pretend He is not even there. We gather. We sit. We endure the hour and fifteen minutes gathered around the table, and we can’t wait to leave and get back to our lives. And the whole time our Father sits there, excited that His children have come to share in what He has prepared for us.

What would our table moments look like if we came with a proper perspective and healthy expectation? I imagine excitement, joy, laughter, wonder, amazement, and transformation. I imagine a heart of service toward our brother or sister in the row, an understanding that all belong here regardless of (insert whatever your bias is), and an excitement to bring anyone and everyone with us! We gather together, as brothers and sisters, and eagerly wait to see what our Father has prepared. Our expectation becomes one of constantly knowing He will show us more of who He is and who we are in His eyes.

Everything changes when we understand we are sitting at the table of our Father; a Father who prepares the absolute best for His children and desires for us to just sit with Him. He never leaves us hungry but always leaves us wanting more. And in the midst of our apathy, He continually says, “I love you. Are you listening? I love you. I love you for no other reason other than I just love you.”

Worship with Your Whole Heart

"I give thanks to you, O Lord my God, with my whole heart and I will glorify your name forever. For great is your steadfast love toward me; you have delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol." -Psalm 86:12-13

The Psalmist says that he gives thanks with his WHOLE heart! Compartmentalizing and thanking God in part is not an option for David. If we hold back a portion of our heart as we approach the Lord with thanksgiving, we are clearly communicating that we disagree with or do not appreciate something that has taken place in our lives. That is the root issue—sometimes we believe that we would be more effective “gods.” We buy in to the lie that we know what is best for us. As a result, our worship is half-hearted...crippled.

So here is the question- If our WHOLE heart is required to be biblically, and truly grateful, then what is the condition of our hearts? Are we worshiping and thanking God with a heart that has been beat down, ripped apart, broken, poisoned, abused, or mishandled? God is the one who has the ability to restore the condition of our hearts. If we allow Him to, then we are able to truly love and thank Him with our "made WHOLE again" hearts. So as we grow in faith, in order to experience the fullness of gratitude, the challenge is to give God space to work in us...to restore what needs restoration, to heal what needs healing.

Space means solitude, silence... The distractions of our fast-paced way of life make connecting with God nearly impossible. How can we engage with God if we are always connected to a million other things? God is omnipresent, we are not. I would challenge you to make an intentional decision to disconnect, so that you can connect with your creator, savior, and friend. Put down the phone, the computer, or whatever is keeping you connected to thousands of people and intentionally create space for God to speak to you.

God's love for us is steadfast; it will never change, it will never fail. And if that is not enough to evoke worship in our hearts, the last part of Psalm 86:13 says, "you have delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol."  Sheol is death or Hades. David understood it to be a "place of darkness to which all the dead go, both the righteous and the unrighteous, regardless of moral choices made in life, a place of stillness and darkness cut off from life and from God." For those who believe in Jesus, they have been saved from Sheol-- from darkness and separation from God. So THANK HIM! With your WHOLE, healed heart. He is worthy of praise and gratitude.