This is a really short post about a really great resource.

One thing that always gets me when thinking about how our faith is how there are so many other people around the world and throughout history who have been navigating the vary same faith that you and I try to understand and live out everyday. That is a beautiful thing.

That being said, we have to use our own critical thinking and knowledge of the scriptures when we encounter the thought of others. The internet is filled with bad theology, whacky preachers, and conspiratorial exegetes who can hurt our faith more than they help.

But today I want to point to a wellspring of help when it comes to digging into the Bible. The guys over at the Bible Project do incredible work explaining and animating God’s story to better connect it to our story so we can know Jesus more. So, this week, if you feel like some kind of media binge, skip Netflix and Disney+ and jump right to these guys. I’d love to know which videos you watched. I’ve seen plenty of them but its always cool to hear other’s recommendations.

Follow this link to dive right in and enjoy –> https://bibleproject.com/explore/

Zach C.

Hey all, Zach here.

I just wanted to reflect for a second on the power of encouragement. I’m not an expert on the psychology of it and I don’t have any Greek or Hebrew words to share with you today, but I do have some experience. Last week was a hard week here at LUMC. The news about Vic being hospitalized hit us all pretty hard and required some fast adjustments we had not planned for. On top of that, everyday stressors are amplified by isolation and loss of routine.

On Sunday, I came out pretty honest in my sermon. COVID-19 sucks. The whole situation is not what I want right now but I’m trying to make the most of it. One thing that was really helpful was the outpouring of encouragement that the PMT and I received following the Friday prayer vigil and the Sunday service. I personally received lots of text messages thanking me for the sermon and also emails to the whole team thanking us for the whole service.

These small digital gestures are a huge encouragement to each of us on the PMT and we are thankful that we are still able to connect with folks through the digital platforms we have available. And if I could take it a step further, I want to affirm each of you who are sending encouraging words and call out the gift that is in you to share words of encouragement in hard times. You guys are amazing. Not to make the situation sound extremely dire or anything but you are exemplifying being a light in a dark place or maybe a dark time. Either way, your words are appreciated.

We all have the power to brighten someone’s day with a note of encouragement a phone call or an email. Encouragement is something so many people desperately need but that so many rarely get. I do feel blessed by your encouragement today and I hope I can pass it on and that you find ways to keep up the good work church!

With love and thanks.

Hey all! Zach here!

Looking for some interesting podcasts in this extended time of quiet? I have got you covered my friends! I like to listen to podcasts while I walk or do chores. They give me new things to think about and sometimes just serve as the perfect background noise in a chaotic day.

Below you will find a hearty list of 10 podcasts which you can download or stream in the iTunes app on your phone or computer. Google Play and Spotify also have podcasts but personally I am an iPhone user and only have experience on the iTunes platform.

Note: I will place an (e) next to any selections that may contain profanity. You can also see this indicated next to any podcast in iTunes.

• The Robcast – Rob Bell is a former Michigan Pastor now living in California as an author and speaker. He is thoughtful and thought provoking. I have enjoyed many of his books and I find his podcasts to be excellent. Lots of them are great but there’s a mini-series called Jesus H. Christ that starts at episode 102 that I’m sure will be interesting for you. Also special mention for Episode 80 – The Endless Invitation.
• New Time Religion – Professor Andrew Root discusses faith in a post-modern and disenchanted world. He focuses quite often on teenagers and young people but has lots to say for the whole church.
• The Bible for Normal People – A great podcast with a great Bible scholar and teacher. I would just start at episode 1 and fasten your seatbelt.
• 99% Invisible – This is a totally awesome podcast about architecture and the world around us, the 99% that we don’t see. Design, process, deep thoughts on everyday things. Some of my favorite episodes are #332 The Accidental Room, #247 Usonia the Beautiful, and #352 Uptown Squirrel. Oh and also, one of the greatest podcasts I’ve ever listened to (twice!) is #389 Whomst Among Us Has Let The Dogs Out.
• Over It and On with It – Hosted by Christine Hassler, life coach and depression beater, this podcast is made up of conversations between Hassler and callers who are trying to get over emotional, spiritual, or relational hurdles. I find her insights interesting but don’t endorse all of her recommendations.
• The Joe Rogan Experience (e) – Definitely likely to run into some swearing and mature content on this podcast. The format is long form conversation with experts in a wide range of fields. Some episodes I would definitely recommend would be #1439 Michael Osterholm (Osterholm is an infectious diseases expert and discusses COVID-19 with Joe), #1419 Daryl Davis (Davis is a man we’ve heard about in sermons here at LUMC; a black blues musician who has made it his life’s work to help KKK members get out of the Klan), #1325 Dr. Cornel West (Dr. West is a professor and critic of neo-liberalism and a deep thinker on matters of life and the Christian faith), and #1368 Edward Snowden (Snowden is an American whistleblower and intelligence expert who has a lot to say about making tough decisions in the face of adversity).
• 1619 – This is a podcast about the history of Africans in America. It is produced by the New York Times and is very engaging. The stories are challenging but worth listening to.
• Thunder Bay – This is quite the series about a single Ontario town. I think this is such a well produced podcast and it highlights excellent Canadian journalism. The same producers also have a show called Crude that is all about the Canadian oil industry. Juicy stuff.
• Finding Fred – I haven’t heard it yet but I’ve got 10 episodes ready to go. I think they’re tracking down Mr. Rogers!
• Office Ladies – If you love the hit show The Office, starring Dwight Shrute, then you’ll love office ladies where Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey talk about behind the scenes details of every episode of The Office. This one is for the geeks.

Well that should get you started on your audio adventures. I’d be interested to hear about the podcasts you’re listening to and if there’s any good ones I haven’t heard.

All the best!

In this post you’ll find some handy internet resources (and more) to enhance your study of the Bible.

Good morning everyone, Zach here. As we’ve been adjusting to this new reality of quarantine and physical distancing I’ve noticed, as I’m sure many of you have, that there’s almost too much free time at home! Who would’ve thought? In this short period (which has felt pretty long) I’ve already lost interest in looking at screens. I tried to play a video game last night and it was about as exciting as scraping the bottom of a well-burnt pot!

I wonder if any of you are getting there as well.

So, I thought today I would post something inspired by my ongoing work with our high school students. We are currently digging into the Old Testament book of Esther. It is a short book, but don’t let that fool you. We’ve already spent over 7 hours together on Zoom plumbing the depths of what the story has to offer.

You might be thinking that sounds like quite a long time. Because it is. But! I want to give you some resources today that will enrich your own study of the Bible and help you dig into what may appear to be a short and straightforward story, gospel, epistle, or piece of wisdom. Even after 7+ hours of Esther we have two more sessions on the calendar. If you can believe it, there’s still more to explore.

So how are we doing it?

1- Bibles. Yes Bibles! Plural. With many different translations available, it can be interesting to compare how different translations render the same text. For example:

The differences aren’t stunning but take some time to ponder to yourself how you understand words like ‘testify’ or ‘witness’. Do they feel different to you? Does one resonate differently?

You may have different translations available in physical copies at home and it could be a neat exercise with children to compare different translations and see if they can spot the differences.

Try it with Psalm 23 or with the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:1-12) or the whole Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7) if you’re really keen 😉

If you don’t have lots of Bibles at home an easy and accessible way to compare translations is through Bible Gateway.

2- Commentaries. A commentary consists of notes about the biblical text explaining what’s going on. Sometimes focused on historical context, theological insight, languages, or contemporary issues in the text a commentary is an excellent way to become more familiar with a particular text.

You can get commentaries in book form that focus on specific books of the Bible like this one and you can find others that look at larger sections like these ones.

The internet also has lots of free commentaries. Check out here for a pile of options for commentaries. I will say that on the internet you might have a hard time finding recent stuff but there is still some treasures to be dug up from old commentaries.

3- Study Bibles. These are kind of a step up from your standard Bible because they have built in commentary notes that help to explain the text. The one I consistently use is the this one. It got me through seminary! A study Bible will often include maps or timelines that help to make sense of the stories we read.

4- Concordance. This is not a kind of grape. A concordance is a collection of every word in the Bible and its location. For example, if you want to find every use of the word ‘love’ in the Bible, a concordance will locate each one with a chapter and verse reference. An activity to try with kids might be to choose a word, like ‘love’ and find ten times where it is used. A concordance will also help you find words you maybe don’t expect to be in the Bible like ‘ostrich’ or ‘cheese’. Seriously. They’re in there. Click here for one of my favorite online concordance resources. But if you’re committed to physical books you can check out this one.

This should give you enough to get started on a deep dive into the Bible. I’d love to hear if you’ve found these resources helpful or if you have other things you use to enrich your study of the Bible.

If you’re having trouble with any of the links or just aren’t sure how to navigate the tools, feel free to give me a call at 519-326-2727 and I’ll do my best to help you out.

Know that in this trying time you are being prayed for and thought of.

Take care of yourselves and each other.

Zach C.

Well hello everyone! Contrary to what the title suggests, this is not a test. Here at LUMC we are firing on all cylinders while we learn how to transition from relational, person to person pastors to operating on the internet for the foreseeable future. This blog is just one of the ways we will be bringing you content for reflection, spiritual growth, faith formation, inspiration, challenge, and hope. This is also a place where we will provide necessary community updates on how we’re all doing.

We’ll be sure to let you know when a new post goes up on All Things LUMC on Facebook. 

Other ways we have been connecting online have been through Zoom for Bible Studies and other meetings as well having our Sunday services live streamed through Facebook live and at the Mennonite Home.

Your pastors are still working hard to serve you and are available if you need to chat, or would like to pray, or if you need other assistance we will do our best to help out. Call us at the church at 519-326-2727.

For up to date information on the COVID-19 situation, visit Canada.ca.