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1 Timothy is a New Testament letter of advice from the Apostle Paul to a young pastor by that name. The last bit of advice in the book begins “Turn away from godless chatter.”

Upon reading this we may ask “And what IS godless chatter?”

It’s wise to seek precise definitions. But the instinct to begin with that question reminds me of a man who asked Jesus…

“what must I do to inherit eternal life?” “What is written in the Law?” He replied. “How do you read it?” [The man] answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.” But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” (Luke 10:25b-29)

Instead of answering the man’s question, Jesus shares about a ‘Good Samaritan’ (and two other men who don’t help a person in need as the Samaritan does). Jesus finishes his parable by posing a question to the Questioner…

“Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” (Luke 10:36)

In other words, Jesus turned his questioner from considering “who is my neighbor?” to “what does it look like to act neighborly?”

The fact that we would ask “what godless chatter is” or “who my neighbor is” may serve as a helpful Diagnostic– that we want to justify our current actions rather than repent and strive for a purer, more loving course of action.

Life’s many complexities occasionally make it difficult to define what is and is not “godless chatter.” But I believe we may find answers in another letter from Paul.

Since all human language begins with thoughts in the speaker and results in thoughts in the listener, consider Paul’s words on thinking…

“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable–if anything is excellent or praiseworthy–think about such things.” (Philippians 4:8)

Time is precious, friends. The words we hear and share shape us and the world.

So may you constantly participate in God-filled chatter.

Today Renovation Community is known as some sort of weird Church/Mission hybrid. We’re part church, with Sunday worship services and an old-fashioned church building. But we’re also part Rescue Mission, helping society’s Under-served and Overlooked by offering showers and laundry facilities, a small clothing and food pantry, counseling, occasional short-term housing, resourcing with governmental Housing connections, offering below-market rent to ethnic minority churches, providing temporary employment, hosting a summer day-camp for low-income families, and on and on it goes.

Renovation Community officially “launched” to the public in October 2018 after an awkward public closure and restart process. Like a sapling sprouting from a decaying tree’s stump, the church I began pastoring here in June 2013 slowly passed away and gave birth to something new.

Although it wasn’t my intention when I arrived, I’d led our congregation down a path to constantly interact with society’s Hurting, Broken, Run Down, and Ignored. Their lives were damaged by poverty, mental illness, addiction, and sin.

We became a community that *needed* and was *committed to* Renovation.

The passing public may have assumed a name change on the sign indicated a new church in the building. In some ways, that’s correct. Much about Renovation Community was new. But MUCH MORE of Renovation Community is old… about 58 years old.

Technically, our current church name is a DBA (“Doing Business As”). It best fits who we are now and what we do. But in the eyes of many government entities (and even our denomination), we’re really the same church that started in 1964: Wedgwood Church of the Nazarene.

Yes, our name and many daily functions changed significantly. And our attendee demographics *definitely* look different. [Out of frame in this photo was a woman who’s been sleeping in her car in our parking lot. She and her dog walked in front of us right before we snapped the picture! :)]

But Renovation Community is still integrally connected with almost 60 years of church history in our Wedgwood neighborhood.

For 35 years Reverend Bill Bowers served here as pastor from 1971-2006.

His wife Jane, and his daughters Susan and Sarah Bowers all faithfully served alongside him. Pastor Bowers oversaw many building expansion projects, strived to serve his congregation as faithfully as he knew how and, with Jane by his side, raised his daughters in the same Parsonage where Kelly and I now raise our boys.

The Wedgwood neighborhood (especially the area immediately surrounding our church building) has changed considerably over the years. I’ve tried (and often failed) to lead our church into those changes.

Bill and I met my first year as a pastor here.

And at that first meeting, what might you expect a man with 35 years of senior pastor experience would say to a kid pastor drowning in a sea of mistakes in the very place the older man had invested decades of his life??

His words permanently seared into my memory, not because of their harshness or critical spirit, but because of their grace and humility…

“I don’t think I could make it as a pastor nowadays. Everything’s changed so much. I don’t know how you young pastors manage it.”

He said something very similar the second time we met.

The Bowers family left a few years before I arrived. But after that first meeting, I knew I wanted them to attend with us again. But the Bowers don’t know how merely to “attend” a church. No, they can do nothing less than *fully invest themselves* in their church home. That’s precisely what they’ve done for several years at their existing congregation; to leave that church and return to ours would only harm the other church. So they’ve remained faithful to their current church family. But I ALWAYS remind them they’re welcome back any time! 😉

Committing to one pastorate for 35 years is rare in today’s church world. I know God calls some pastors to short tenures. But I also know some pastors leave prematurely because long tenures are INCREDIBLY difficult.

Renovation Community’s spiritual and physical foundations were built by spiritual giants who worshiped and served here before me. And I never take their efforts for granted.

To the entire Bowers family,

Thank you.

And thank you for honoring us with your presence again last Sunday.

Politics matter.

The issue of “who’s in power” matters, especially for any of society’s most vulnerable people groups. Governments make literal life and death decisions with ramifications that can reverberate throughout centuries of human history.

And yet, I believe “human history” as we currently know it will be only a short blip in view of Eternity.

The One who drafted the universe with a word reminds me to view drafters of legislation with proper perspective. My earthly nation may view me as one of its citizens for my lifetime. My elected officials will come and go. But my truest citizenship resides in a Heavenly Kingdom. And my King’s throne lasts forever.

Publicly proclaiming my true King and His eternal Kingdom does not minimize earthly governments’ power to help or harm our world (or my responsibility to help). It merely reminds me that when the expectations of my Heavenly King are different than those of my political leaders, I must always follow my King.

And if my King calls me to ‘love my enemies and pray for those who persecute me,’ how much more should I love and welcome those who hold differing political views from me?

And that’s a message I felt my neighbors should see this election season. If I could explain one thing about Renovation Community’s Sunday gatherings to passersby this week, I’d say “you’re welcome here no matter your vote.”

I recently helped someone over several months. We didn’t interact much, but they do regularly read my online posts and texted this:

“Chris, thank you so much for everything man! …I have so much respect for you and what you’re doing at the church! Your approach to ministry has truly revived my faith in the church!”

I’m a better writer than leader. No one’s knocking on my door to learn Renovation Community’s Church Growth strategies. Given our commitment to serve society’s overlooked, under-resourced, and mentally ill, we may never be the favorite ‘go-to’ church for stable middle class families looking for an “awesome children’s ministry.” And, no matter how much we work on our building, it may always look old.

AND THAT’S ALL OK.

Seriously. It is.

Praise God for the pastors with tremendous leadership capabilities who can help churches numerically grow. Large churches with large budgets can help others in ways we never could.

And praise God for churches that can help middle class families meet God and find a church home.

But I need not imitate people entirely different from me, with different gifts and passions. God didn’t uniquely create me only for me to clone myself into someone else.

The same is true for you.

Learn from others. Try ideas that worked for them. Grow. Put yourself in challenging situations to see if you have more in you than you realized. Wisely weigh others’ counsel.

But don’t be someone God never intended.

God put others in your life that you may help them and LEARN from them, not BECOME them.

When you strive to follow God faithfully in all areas of your life, others will benefit. I trust God had a plan in mind when He allowed my path to intersect with this other person’s path. God knew I (a pastor with limited natural leadership abilities who oversees a small church) could help this person in ways a ’10-talent’ leader of a mega-church never could.

So just imagine the missed opportunity to impact this person’s life if I’d been serving Christ somewhere I didn’t belong, striving to be someone I’m not.

Be who God created you to be, as faithful as you know how to be. And watch God use you in ways beyond your wildest dreams.

For a while now, every 4:00pm Renovation Community service has been a Dinner Church Service. And we always end every service with Communion. So lately I’ve pondered the connections between church and meals.

Ancient Christians often included meals with worship. And the Bible uses “banquet” or “dinner party” language to describe reunion with God, God’s Kingdom, Heaven, etc.

Imagine viewing every church service like a banquet or dinner party…

Like a weekly Thanksgiving feast, we gather in gratitude for Christ our Redeemer. Like an Easter luncheon, each week we celebrate Christ’s Resurrection that brings us life.

Like the prophets invited to eat the scroll and book containing God’s words (Ezekiel; John the ‘Revelator’) and remembering His words are “sweeter than honey” (Psalm 119:103), we meet to feed on God’s Holy Scriptures.

In Communion, Christ invites us to feast on the “Bread of Life.” And as we drink from the Communion cup, which Christ famously said contained His “blood,” we drink with solemn joy. For Scripture reminds us “it is the blood that makes atonement for one’s life” (Leviticus 17:11).

And just as banquet attendees drink their fill of delicious drinks, we’re invited to “be filled with the Spirit” (Ephesians 5:18).

If our final union with Christ looks like a ‘marriage supper of the Lamb’ (Revelation 19), then church services are a foretaste of a blessed eternal Banquet in God’s unimpeded presence.

Yes, I think “banquet” or “dinner party” is an apt analogy for any church service regardless of denomination, style, or size.

And, you know, there’s one rule that’s ALWAYS true with dinner parties…

The guest list makes all the difference.

So Christian friends,
I hope you’re inviting the right kind of people.

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“Then Jesus said to his host, “When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or sisters, your relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”” (Luke 14:12-14)