What do you think of when you see the word hospitality?  Maybe an article out of Better Homes and Gardens?  Or maybe a picture of an apron-clad mother on the cover of the Saturday Evening Post?  Whatever you think of, I am guessing you do not automatically associate hospitality with spirituality. 

      However, author Alexander Strauch gets it right when he says, "I don't think most Christians today understand how essential hospitality is to fanning the flames of love and strengthening the Christian family....  Brotherly love entails intimate relationship, care for one another, knowledge of one another, belonging together, and sharing life together.  We cannot know or grow close to our brothers and sisters by meeting for an hour and fifteen minutes a week with a large group in a church sanctuary.  The home is the ideal place in which to build relationships and closeness." 

      Certainly, what we do on Sunday morning is a cornerstone of Christian growth.  However, Strauch's assertion of the importance of fellowship beyond that which takes place Sunday morning is well-grounded in God's Word (see Romans 12:13; 1 Peter 4:9; 3 John 8).  And, to be sure, there are many ways that such fellowship takes place including small groups, men's breakfasts, ladies teas, game night, Silver Eagles, etc.  But Strauch makes an excellent point that one of the most basic ways of expressing Christian fellowship is sorely lacking in Christianity today:  hospitality. 

      Really, what could be simpler than inviting someone else into your home for Christian fellowship?  And yet, though simple, hospitality is sometimes difficult to put into practice.  When it comes down to it, we are just plain busy!  And such busyness makes getting a date on the calendar a difficult task.  Strauch indicates that a big part of the problem boils down to selfishness.  He says, "Selfishness is the single greatest enemy of hospitality.  We do not want to be inconvenienced.  We do not want to share our privacy or time with others.  We are consumed with our personal comforts.  We want to be free to go about our business without interference or concern for other people's needs."  Ouch!  I don't know about you, but for me, I find these thoughts painfully true. 

      And yet, when we do practice hospitality, it is most often a very rewarding exercise.  The truth is, I believe Renton Bible to be a very hospitable church.  But I do believe that each of us could probably use a challenge and encouragement when it comes to being more diligent to practice hospitality in our homes.  And it doesn't have to be complex, either.  It can be as simple as throwing a few dogs on the barbie and inviting someone over. 

      Who to invite?  Maybe a newer family in the church.   Maybe an older family in the church.  Maybe a single person (of any age).  Maybe a few!  Maybe a neighbor or co-worker with whom you would like to cultivate a relationship.  This last Friday we had some youth over to our place for pizza and a movie.  Nothing complicated-just an opportunity for Christian fellowship.  Sadly, we were unable to accept a recent, spur of the moment invitation for a BBQ with someone in our body.  But how great that they made the invitation!

      The truth is, hospitality, done to honor God, can serve many purposes including encouragement, relationship-building, showing care, deepening spiritual fellowship, and just good old fashioned fun.  On Saturday, we had some friends over for burgers and followed up our time with a game of Balderdash.  It can be so good just to have fun together. 

      And it is also important to note that we needn't have a "Better Homes and Garden" home to show hospitality.  Our dinner on Saturday was at a dining table sitting on ply-wood (thanks to my lack of speed when it comes to finishing home projects).  But the ply-wood floor didn't matter.  What mattered is that we were together, experiencing fellowship.

      So, as the school year comes to a close and summer begins, may each of us seek opportunities to show hospitality.  Whether it is a full-on meal, or dessert and games, may we intentionally set apart time to show Christ's love through hospitality.  And may God bless it and use it for the strengthening of His church.

      In Christ, Pastor Dan

¹¹ It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, ¹² to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up ¹³ until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ....¹⁵Speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. ¹⁶ From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.   Ephesians 4:11-13,15,16

What an amazing, powerful picture is painted of Christ's church.  The church is not about entertainment, petty attitudes, religious ritual, power-mongering, socializing or charity.  It is the body of Christ.  And Jesus is the head.  And every member plays an important part, even as every ligament plays an important part for the support and strengthening of the human body. 

It is amazing, to me, the design of the human body.  God has created us in such intricate detail that if even one of the smallest ligaments does not fulfill its role, the entire body is dysfunctional.  Some of you may remember my little bicycle accident in our cul de sac.  (I wish I could say I got my injury from a motor bike after I had just sailed over a gnarly jump that landed me in a tree.  But, alas, no, it was only me, a youth bicycle and a curb.)  Regardless, the result was a ligament that tore off in my thumb, taking a chip of bone with it. 

When the hand specialist told me I would need surgery, I asked him if I could just "let it be."  He assured me that this was not possible.  And, frankly, I found it easy to agree with him.  For even as I tried to button my clothes and grasp everyday objects, it became evident to me just how important that one little ligament was.  Paul's message to the church is that, just as every little ligament in the body has an important part to play, each member of Christ's church has an important part to play.  If we do not fulfill our roles, the body, in some measure, becomes dysfunctional.  But as we do fulfill our roles, then the body is built up.

Ultimately, the goal of "going to" church is not to experience an inner sense of personal fulfillment, though this is a tremendous by-product.  Instead, biblically speaking, we are part of the church so that we might be better prepared to serve and, together with other believers, build up the body of Christ.  Not members, not crowds, not even organizational success are the primary goals.  It is unity, growing, becoming mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

I pray that we, the elders of Renton Bible, along with our intern Joshua Williamson, will be the sort of pastors and teachers who are effectively preparing God's people for works of service.  I pray that we will do our part in the building up of the body of Christ, to be growing toward maturity and helping others do the same.

And I pray that all those who count themselves "God's people" at Renton Bible will be responsive to this instruction and will, in turn, do the work of ministry!  Given my upcoming sabbatical, it will be especially important that everyone is doing their part so that Renton Bible can not merely survive this summer, but thrive this summer.  As one of the elders mentioned, this sabbatical is a great opportunity for our body to express the fact that ministry is not dependent upon a single individual, but upon the whole body functioning together.

Borrowing from a well-known speech, "Ask not what Christ's church can do for you, ask what you can do for Christ's church?"  Together, may we build each other up in love, for the strengthening of Christ's body and the advancement of Christ's kingdom.

      Your Fellow Minister, Pastor Dan

As I write this letter, it is Monday morning.  People joke about having a "case of the Mondays."  As a pastor, I can relate somewhat to that sentiment.  However, it is a little different for me.  Sunday is usually filled with so much activity.  Yet it is truly the high point of the week.  For it is on Sunday that a week of sermon preparation culminates in the preaching of the Word.  And together with the richness of Sunday morning worship and fellowship, Sunday becomes a meaningful denouement or conclusion to the week.  Then comes Monday...and there are tasks to be accomplished, papers which need filing, different items that need attending to.  So, yes, Mondays can be, at times, less than inspiring, even as a pastor. 

However, this Monday is unique, for it follows on the heels of last night's annual meeting.  Annual meetings are not always considered "inspiring."  But I must say that after last night's meeting, I feel inspired.

Certainly, I am inspired by the shared sense of the great work that God is doing in and through our body as revealed in the comments shared last night.  When attendance is not bursting at the seams it is easy to wonder about the morale of the troops.  So, how encouraging it was to hear our members speak to a shared recognition of the important role that Renton Bible plays for the Kingdom of God.  How encouraging to hear the appreciation for the ways that God is working in and through our fellowship. 

Definitely, we as elders have sensed a significant level of health in our body.  Having contemplated most of our many ministries at our annual elder retreat, not to mention our every other week elder meetings where we grapple with more of the day to day responsibilities, we have a strong sense that we are moving in the direction that God has called us to.  Nonetheless, to have the body affirm this sense in our annual meeting is nothing short of inspirational. 

Even so, as Debb and I headed home, we had a shared impression of words which were left unsaid last night.  Both of us had thoughts that we would have loved to have shared with our body, but they remained unspoken.  With this in mind, I am thankful to have a means to express those thoughts in writing.  And for both Debb and I, the thoughts left unspoken were focused on thankfulness.  We are thankful for Renton Bible Church. 

First, we are thankful for how our body has stepped up in new ways this last year to take on new ministry opportunities.  Many of you have taken that sometimes scary step of jumping into new ministry roles.  Others of you have simply renewed your commitment in areas where you have faithfully worked before.  But we have both been inspired by the way the body has joined together, for yet another year, to accomplish the work of ministry (Eph. 4:12).  Someone asked what will happen to our ministries while we are away on this sabbatical beginning June 14^th.  But unlike some churches where the pastor is THE minister, here at Renton Bible there is such a faithful and biblical sharing of ministry responsibilities that I have absolute confidence that the work of ministry will continue on, and will continue on well, in our short absence.

Secondly, we share a sense of thankfulness for our elder leadership.  I believe that the work of the unpaid elder/shepherd is often more difficult than most people realize.  And, certainly, this year has brought it's typical share of obstacles.  But our elders have so faithfully executed their leadership roles, as revealed, in part, by the blessings of last night's meeting.  We thank God for the sense of unity in spirit and purpose that God has given our elder board.

Finally, Debb and I give thanks for the lovingkindness of our body.  I often mention the Hebrew word Hesed in reference to God's covenant faithfulness and love for His people in the Old Testament.  The word is variously translated lovingkindness, unfailing love or steadfast love.  No matter how you translate it, it refers to a love that is genuine, unconditional, and deep.  It is this love that we sense from our body, as expressed in last night's sharing.  And it is this same love that Debb and I, in turn, have for our family at Renton Bible Church.

We are thankful to be part of this fellowship of believers.  And we firmly believe that God will continue to work powerfully in and through us as we continue to seek His kingdom and His righteousness.  We look forward to continuing to serve, love and grow alongside all of you in the years to come. 

            In Him,  Dan and Debb

Have you heard the one about "old ministers"?  Old ministers don't retire, they just go out to pastor.  (Get it?  Go out to pasture/pastor.)  OK, that may be the hokiest joke I have ever shared publicly.  

However, there is inherent truth to this little joke.  Pastoral work is not retirement-focused.  Granted, some day, I will no longer have strength to continue in full time ministry.  Some day, I may retire.  Nonetheless, I didn't enter full time ministry for the sake of some future retirement.  I entered full time ministry because God called me to proclaim His Word and shepherd His flock. 

Thankfully, I am not alone in this task-for all of us have been called to proclaim His Word and to make disciples of all nations.  But I count it an honor that I should be enabled to do this work full time, through the faithful support of His people.  And, in fact, it was with the view to full time service, almost 20 years ago, that I planned my undergraduate work at Multnomah Bible College, now Multnomah University, which would be followed by masters work at Western Seminary.  This time, set apart at the beginning of my ministry, provided me with a strong foundation for a life of pastoral work.    

However, I am not naïve enough to think that what I learned in a classroom setting before I began full time ministry was all I would ever need to learn.  For this reason, I am thankful to share with you an opportunity I have been given, this coming summer, to devote myself, once again, to study.  This upcoming "set apart time" comes in the form of a sabbatical.  The notion of sabbatical is derived from the Hebrew Word, Sabbath, and God's rest on the seventh day of creation.  This principle is further applied, in Scripture, to letting the land rest the seventh year (Leviticus 25:1-5).  Historically, the first application of the Sabbath principle to a sabbatical (i.e., a time of rest from labor) was to college instructors in the middle ages.  The practice continues with college instructors today, in addition to missionaries and pastors.

For me, sabbatical is certainly about rest, renewal, and spiritual refreshment.  There are aspects of pastoral ministry that can be emotionally wearying.  However, at the heart of my hope for sabbatical is the notion of a set apart time for "continuing education," as evidenced by the number of books I plan to read during this two month time period (to view this list of books, along with a fuller description of this sabbatical, see the two page handout available in the foyer). 

For each of the eight weeks of this sabbatical, approximately mid June to mid August, I will be giving a full work-week worth of hours to study, reflection and prayer.  This Easter will mark seven years of ministry at Renton Bible, so the timing is appropriate to the biblical pattern of "Sabbath" during the seventh year.  What are the purposes of this sabbatical? 

First, it is certainly to provide me and my family with renewal with a view toward many more years of fruitful ministry.  In an age where ministry leaders "burnout", sabbaticals are a preventive measure that increases the longevity of God's under-shepherds. 

Second, it will provide me with an opportunity to refocus on my pastoral pursuit.  In the busyness of every day ministry, it is easy to let the "what" of ministry overshadow the "why" of ministry.  I trust that upon my return from this sabbatical, I will have a refocused sense of purpose as I seek to help lead this local fellowship of believers. 

Third, it will provide me with the opportunity to interact with a number of great works of Christian literature with emphases ranging from church health to spiritual growth to pastoring.  In both my ministry of the Word and my pastoral leadership, I am grateful for the wealth of resources of Godly writings, including the recent, the ancient, and those that fall somewhere in between.  As I allow such authors to speak into my life during this set apart time, I will not only be blessed, but I will be able to share these blessings with the body during the months and years of ministry which will follow. 

During this summer sabbatical, I am confident that our body will be well-cared for by both our elders and our intern, Joshua Williamson.  Joshua will take the bulk of the preaching load in my absence, while the elders will have an increased role in overseeing our worship and shepherding. 

If you have any questions about this sabbatical, please feel free to talk with our elders.  Otherwise, I do ask for your prayers in this regard, both for God's blessing on the members of our body who will take on additional ministry during this time period and for God's blessing and working in and through this time in my life and the life of my family. 

      For Christ and His Kingdom,

      Pastor Dan