Hi Ren Family,
I just wanted to take a few moments to update you on plans to reopen and other important details.
Seeking the heart of God
There is a very special online event happening tonight 7pm (June 20th) hosted by the Gospel Coalition called “A Night of Lament for Racial Justice”. This would be an excellent way to get closer to God’s heart in these matters of racial justice.
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What does God say about racism?
Hello Ren Family,
Last Sunday I shared my heart regarding the recent incidents of police violence against people of color. From what I can tell, the response has been very positive. I received more emails, texts, social media comments in the last week probably than any other week of my life. I’m encouraged by that and feel hopeful that change is in the air!
How should Christians respond to racial injustice
Dear Ren family and friends,
My heart has been heavy all week following everything happening in our nation. Another innocent black man was killed by police. Riots are happening and small businesses are being destroyed. Looting. Violence against police. Violence against protesters. Scathing political conflicts on social media related to what’s happening. Christians are divided. It’s hard to take it all in.
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A Letter to the Ren Core: George Floyd
Note: this letter was sent out to the Ren Core (Membership).
What we are seeing this week in America and around the world is historic. The merciless killing of Mr. Floyd—as you’ve likely seen with your own eyes on video—has become what some are calling “strike three”. It is the “straw that broke the camel’s back”. The outrage is not merely over the blatant police brutality against this one man but it is the countless blacks who have been victimized by police in recent years. It is an outrage not just against the crimes against blacks that were exposed and went viral but it’s the thousands upon thousands of incidents that happen when no one is looking.
Read MoreA talk about reopening
Hi Ren Family!
Today I will be taking a pause from the Ephesians teaching series to give you an important talk about reopening. As you may have noticed there is much division in the church world over this and it’s getting messy and political. I discuss the conundrum we are in, explain what reopening would mean for us and cast some fresh vision for summer church life. Watch the video linked above for all the details.
Looking Towards Summer
It’s been a couple weeks since I’ve written a newsletter. Sorry to disappear but I desperately needed some time off. Since the pandemic began I’ve been working (and thinking) at an unhealthy pace just wanting to pastor well through all this. As usual, this lifestyle of excessive mental work and no rest caught up to me and caused me to crash a bit. Some of you have been worried about me. Thanks for worrying! I’m taking it slower and feeling much better. Each day my strength seems to be increasing. But please continue to pray for me.
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Staying spiritually fed, 5 minutes at a time
Hello Ren family and friends!
What a beautiful service last week featuring about a dozen Ren people who each made home videos as a way to minister to us. I was so refreshed by it. I was overwhelmed with gratitude for the many amazing people who are part of the Ren church family. If you missed the online service you can still access it on the homepage of our website.
"Sorrowful Yet Rejoicing"
Hello Ren family!
This Sunday you are in for a special treat as you’ll hear from about a dozen Ren folks who have put together short home videos to inspire and encourage the church. I’m especially excited about this because I’m tired of watching so much of myself on Sundays. It’s like the “Scott show” :)
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A call to collective prayer
Hello Ren Family!
I am at my office and just finished the final piece for this Sunday’s service. Filming has been fun but is quite exhausting. We shot the worship Monday night. My sermon was Thursday and today I did the opening and closing pieces. I really hope everyone is encouraged by the service. I’m praying much that God would really move upon hearts as they watch.
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Practical ways to navigate the pandemic as a church
Today, as many of you are, I’m working from home. My youngest daughter is also home because her college campus at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (Troy, NY) is closed. She’s continuing her architecture studies at home and attending classes through Zoom technology. I’m now sharing an office with my wife who is a photographer. With all three of us working here, the house, which is small, feels even smaller. But we are making it work. Our older daughter is living with friends in Providence and it’s been hard not seeing her as frequently as everyone is practicing “social distancing”. My wife and I have been trying to get fresh air daily by going for a walk by the ocean at Rocky Point. Sadly, since the parks are getting closed soon, this won’t be an option. I’m really missing my normal routine of gathering with the church, having people over for meals, going to restaurants and cafes and so on. It’s a daily fight to stay positive and productive.
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Beautiful things are made through pressure
I’m sitting in my office at the church as the sun is setting over the football field. It’s been a beautiful sunny day full of hope. The highlight for me was a Zoom video gathering with some of the local pastors for prayer. What a gift to connect with them and pour out our hearts in prayer for the people we have been entrusted to pastor.
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Pray, Steep, Serve, Give, Trust, Proclaim.
Hello everyone! I have a million things to share but I’m going to try to share what’s most important. This pandemic is one of the strangest and most dramatic things I’ve ever seen in my 52 years of living. It is affecting the entire planet! Everyone has some sort of message about how we need to respond right now. The messages come from presidents and CEO’s and celebrities and NPR and pastors and Who leaders and the CDC experts and governors and mayors. We are told to stay calm, don’t panic, practice social distancing, flatten the curve, wash your hands and don’t touch your face. We are being instructed on how to stay connected through technology. Christians seem to be talking a lot about not being fearful.
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How to flourish
If you didn’t get a chance to listen to the service from yesterday I want to strongly encourage you to. It can be found on the homepage of our website. It’s a message from Psalm 46 followed by some prayers from several of our leaders. I believe it will encourage you to not be afraid.
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Deciding to suspend services
Many of you are probably asking questions about whether we will gather Sunday or not in view of the present pandemic. The governor of Rhode Island asked that all gatherings of 250+ be suspended for two weeks. In addition, Mayor Elorza asked for a ban on gatherings of 100+. In the spirit of cooperation with authority figures we have decided it’s best to suspend Sunday services for two weeks. Hopefully, we can resume meeting together by March 29th (3 weeks) but we cannot predict. Easter is April 12th so we are really hoping the suspension is lifted by then.
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How to Find the Perfect Church
As most of you probably know, September is the month when we see an influx of visitors more than any other month of the year. Easter service is the day we see the most new faces but September is the greatest month. Part of the reason lies in the fact that our city is a college town and Ren has always been a church college students have chosen. So we will see college students streaming in. September is also a month when people get back into routines and into the habit of attending church. It’s also a time when people move to the city to start jobs. For all these reasons we will see a beautiful influx of new people at our gatherings in the coming weeks. This is always exciting!
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Enjoying Prayer
Do you enjoy praying? Do you consider it one of your absolute favorite things to do? Do you enjoy gathering for prayer and worship? Pause before reading on and answer these questions honestly in your own heart.
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The Secret to Passionate Prayer
Prayer has always been an important aspect of my life since I came to Christ in 1989 and throughout my ministry. Before we started Ren in 2003 countless hours were given to bathing the idea in prayer. In 2009 prayer deepened in my own life and began to overflow to the community. What I've observed in my life and the life of the church through the years is that prayer can be a little like the waters of the sea. At times it can be dead and other times there is rapid movement. It's up and down. It's a fight to maintain a strong passionate fiery prayer life. It seems like everything in our flesh, and in this present world and in the invisible demonic realms around us, is fighting to squelch the spirit of prayer within us. I'm feeling that resistance this week.
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Something New
God is doing deep things in my heart in this season. I can feel a beautiful shift happening and an increase of hunger and thirst. I'm eager to go out into the deep waters of God. The picture that came to me recently was that we've been in shallow waters. Refreshing and real and good but shallow. And now God wants us to push out into the deep and envelop us with His glory. The plethora of promises of fullness and greater works and abundance are so alive to me right now. I just sense God drawing us into something greater.
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Refresh - changing!
For some time now I've been unsettled about the format of our mid-week gathering called Refresh.
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