My mother-in-law died on her half-birthday, January 13. 
I don't know if there's any significance to that date, but the ancients believed that a truly great person died on the day of their conception or birth. A half-birthday has to count for something. 

Jane was a great mother-in-law and grandmother. One of her grandchildren said she was the real Santa Claus. This Christmas Jane was in the hospital, and the absence of her normal pile of presents for the kids offered strong evidence for that belief. 

Jane also helped me to be less critical of people who have made bad life choices. She always saw their humanity first and was quick to offer a subtle, but obvious rebuke when I made a judgmental comment. 

The Thursday before she passed, I was able to celebrate communion with her, anoint her with oil (mixed with my tears) and pray for her. I knew in my spirit it was the last time I would see her. 

Jane was at peace. 
"It's all real." She said. God, Jesus, salvation, eternal life, forgiveness. Jane didn't list what she was referring to, but I knew what she meant. 

Jane wanted to stay in this life, but it was evident to me that God was comforting her. Revealing himself to her in ways only reserved for those in intense anguish. The peace of the Holy Spirit was almost tangible. Visible in the hospital room. 

As I (attempted) to comfort her, we spontaneously half-sung the lyrics "we'll meet again" from the Johnny Cash song. 

I love you, Jane. 
Until we see each other again in the Kingdom. 

​America has a hate problem.
 
This problem is owned by the political right and the political left.
 
As the hate problem continues to grow, we will see a rise in violence like we saw with the murder of Charlie Kirk, and the Annunciation Catholic School shooting before that, and State Rep. Melissa Hortman before that…
 
And while I believe the Church has the tools to help us out of this, we are using the hammer of Thor to try and build our own warped version of Christendom instead of the Kingdom of God. 

​The Church in America has a hate problem too.
 
The violence will only increase unless something changes.
How can America escape this death spiral of violence?
 
The solution can’t be hatred of the other side. It is very easy to demonize people outside of our political tribe, while excusing the bad behavior of people we perceive to be on our side. But for any change in America to take place, we need to first recognize the hatred within our own allies, and the hatred within our individual hearts.
 
I am a non-partisan. Not because I don’t have strong political opinions. I do. But because I am a Christian first – above all other allegiance. Consider the words of Jesus, “‘My kingdom is not of this world,’ said Jesus. ‘If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would fight….’” This means that every follower of Christ will never be truly at home in the political systems of humanity. We might have leanings and preferences, but the Republican party is not the Kingdom of God. The Democratic party is not the Kingdom of God. The United States of America is not the Kingdom of God.
 
Many Christians in America have found their identity too tightly joined to national political systems. And we participate in the GREAT PILE OF HATE that is exploding in violence.
 
Sure, we recognize the hatred when the other side participates, but we excuse the hatred on our own side and within our own hearts. Both the political left and political right are not honest about their own hate, or at the most they justify it.
 
I am going to write a sentence that will bother half of my readers:
President Trump has said hateful things.
 
Now I am going to bother the other half:
Many on the political left hate Trump supporters.
 
I could continue, and offer quotes, and social media posts, and offer detailed analysis and evidence, but let’s just be honest and move forward.
 
Just look at the murder of Charlie Kirk. Go onto social media. Find an article. I see hateful comments from the left almost justifying his assassination. I also see hateful comments from the right using this as an opportunity to demonize every elected and unelected democrat.
 
Something is broken in America when our first response to murders and school shootings is political hatred. The correct first response is grief. Grief is a process, and our response to violence does not end with grief, but if we can’t lament, the cycle of hate and violence will continue unhindered.
 
The GREAT PILE OF HATE continues to grow in America.
The political left hates Donald Trump’s hate so they feel justified in hating the hater.
The political right hate the culture shifts and platforms of the left so they feel justified in hating the ones who support the damaging platform.
 
Hate will never undo hate.
 
When you hate your enemies, it only makes the situation worse.
 
Look at the GREAT PILE OF HATE image below. As I see it, Americans are largely addressing hate with hate, which only makes the problem grow.

​The problem is multiplied because we won’t acknowledge the hatred in us. We might say to ourselves: I just feel strongly about this. This is righteous anger. I’m just really concerned.
Or we might find ourselves yelling at the news. But I think a good indication of hatred comes out in name-calling:
                        “They’re just woke.”
                        “Those bigots.”
 
The bigger the GREAT PILE OF HATE grows, the more violence we’ll see. And that pile will continue to grow as long as we keep adding to it. It will keep growing until we can be honest with ourselves about the hate we have in our own hearts. It will become a mountain unless I change. Unless I repent. Unless I ask God to help me to stop hating, and to somehow help me to love my enemies.
 
The Church has the tools to answer this current crisis. Jesus said, ““You have heard that it was said, Love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in heaven. For he causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous” (Matthew 5:43-45).
 
How can America escape this death spiral of violence? By practicing love for our enemies.
When we stop hating the haters, we stop adding to the GREAT PILE OF HATE. But Jesus doesn’t tell us to disengage and walk away. Instead he tells us to love. Add love to the equation.
 
Do you know what happens if you throw seeds into a pile of garbage? Something miraculous. Those seeds start to grow. Slowly at first, but then faster with each passing day they can transform the refuse into life. 

​This doesn’t mean we are silent about injustices and harms. It means we need to respond differently. The Apostle Paul didn’t say to do nothing in the face of evil. Instead he said, “Do not be conquered by evil, but conquer evil with good” (Romans 12:21).
 
What are some practical steps we can take?

• Criticize your own political tribe first.
• Pray “God I ask that this politicians plans don’t go forward, but I ask that you bless him/her with a deep relationship with Jesus.”
• Pray “God help me to oppose this action, but give me your power so I can love the leader and his/her supporters.”
• Spend time with someone from a different political tribe. You don’t have to talk politics, just get to know and appreciate them as a person.

 
The only way out of this death spiral of violence is by practicing love for our enemies.
 
We need to love our enemies.
I need to love my enemies.
 
Stop adding to the pile of hate.
Sow love. 

It's nice to see some of our culture stretching into the 24th Century! 

​Father, Lord God Almighty – you are the Glorious One who keeps all his promises. We, your Church, have sinned, done wrong, acted wickedly, rebelled, and turned away from your commands and ordinances. We have not listened to your Word.
 
Father, all righteousness belongs to you, but this day public shame belongs to us: the people of the Church, the pastors, and leaders, and congregations.
 
We confess and repent.
 
We have honored you with words, but out hearts are far away. We say we love your Word, but abuse and neglect it. We ignore the innocent and have embraced sexual brokenness.
 
We confess and repent.
 
We have embraced the yeast of Herod – mixing the politics of this world into the faith that was once for all delivered to the Saints. We have confused the city of man with the Kingdom of God. We are so fearful of the future we try to impose our will on others, rather than share the good news of Jesus Christ. We are a double-minded people, swinging from one extreme to the other. Desiring entertainment over discipleship. Too focused on judgment and condemnation or not mentioning sin at all.

We confess and repent.
 
We stereotype other churches and see them as competitors instead of co-laborers in the Gospel – because we are too often focused on ourselves rather than those around us; filled with arrogance and pride instead of the Great Commission. We have been far too busy building our own empire, rather than serving in the Kingdom of God.
 
We confess and repent.
 
We applaud arrogant, proud, boastful, unloving, and unmerciful people while neglecting the poor, single people, the divorced, the abandoned, widows, foster children, and orphans.
We have made comfort our god while tolerating spiritual abuse from our pastors because they know how to twist the gospel to numerically grow a congregation. We have accepted hypocrisy while our pastors sexually abuse the flock because we are more concerned about protecting our name and our reputation than your truth, your justice, and your care for the powerless.
We have been overcome by evil and responded with fearful anger, rather than the confidence and love that comes from you.
 
We confess and repent.
 
We are obsessed with the idol of fame. We have embraced false teachings. We demean others with our words. We’re not transformed by Christ, instead we choose to judge others, and accuse others, often using deceit to get ahead in life. We’re self-righteous. Our Christian witness is tainted. We’re drifting from the Bible’s teaching. We tolerate abuse.
 
We confess and repent.
 
Now, Lord our God – who brought your people out of the land of Egypt, and who redeemed your people through the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus – may your anger and wrath turn away from your Church. Our sin has made us an object of ridicule to all those around us.

Father God, hear our prayer and petition. May your face shine upon the broken Church. Listen and hear us, O God. We are not presenting our confession and prayers based on our righteous acts, but based on your abundant compassion. Our sins are scarlet, in the Name of Jesus make them as clean as snow. Fill us with your Spirit once again so we might return to our first love and do your will.
 
Lord, hear! Lord, forgive! Lord, listen and act! Our God, for your own sake, do not delay, because your Church and your people bear your Name.
 
In the Name of Jesus Christ our Lord we ask you. Amen.

​February 8, 2023
 
 
Dear Orchard Church Family,
 
We have seen God’s powerful work in this church and our community over the last eleven years. It has been an honor to serve The Orchard Church as her pastor. Recently we have sensed God leading our family to another church. This week, I accepted the lead pastor position at a church in New York.
 
For this reason, I am writing to inform you of my decision to resign my position as senior pastor of The Orchard Church effective Friday, March 17, 2023.
 
This decision has been excruciating for me. I am excited to follow the Lord’s leading to my next ministry assignment, but at the same time, I have no desire to leave my family at The Orchard Church. Together under the power of the Spirit, we have seen lives transformed, and so many people brought into a deeper relationship with Jesus. You have been family members to our children and have loved us well.
 
I know many of you will be disappointed by this news. And for some of you, this will be a time of grief. I am grieving too. But I am convinced that God was working at The Orchard before I came, and he will continue to do so long after I am gone. This is his church, and you are his people.
 
In faith I can say, the best days of The Orchard Church are ahead of you.
 
This will be a difficult time for us all. Please know that I am willing to provide any assistance necessary to provide for a smooth transition. I wish I could have had this conversation with each of you face to face, but I send this letter with the desire to meet with you on your terms.
 
Because of Jesus,
Pastor Nathan J. Norman

Is Jesus Fighting Against Southern Baptist Leadership?
 
I read through the Guidepost Solutions Independent Report on the handling of sex abuse allegations by the Executive Committee of the Southern Baptist Convention. I spent Sunday evening on it.

There was almost nothing in there surprising. Shocking, tragic, and despicable, but not surprising. I’ve been nauseous and angry over the last four days.
 
Then the question occurred to me: Is Jesus fighting against Southern Baptist leadership?
 
Let me back up a bit. I’ve served in two Southern Baptist churches since 2006. I’ve participated in state conventions, and local associations. I’ve been friends with trustees from almost every major SBC entity. I’ve had direct conversations and phone calls with a number of SBC elites during my ministry – when I feel convicted to challenge a decision or direction, I try to reach out directly.
 
I have always felt like an outsider trying to understand. I love how we have a system to collaborate in missions, disaster relief, and church planting. At the same time, though, the system of power is problematic. While SBC entity leadership says that we are a bottom-up convention (meaning the churches are the ones with the power), the reality is we are a top-down organization. Our bylaws certainly define us as a bottom-up convention of churches. But many leaders in SBC entities hold onto power by withholding information from the convention or the trustee teams. They hold onto power and control the narrative by putting friends into places of power – the good ol’ boy system. They hold onto power through the insidious SBC Eleventh Commandment, which is an informal rule that no matter how bad things get, Southern Baptists never speak against Southern Baptists. Actually, it’s not always an informal rule. I’ve seen a number of entities incorporate the rule into their employee and trustee code of conducts as grounds for dismissal.
 
(Which let’s be fair, petty vitriol over philosophy of ministry or minute points of theology should be avoided. But the eleventh commandment has silenced many from speaking up about abuses of power.)
 
This brings us to the Guidepost Solutions’ Report of the Independent Investigation . In this report we see credible and extensive documentation of the Executive Committee leadership bullying sex abuse survivors, withholding information from the trustees, burying information, and protecting powerful friends (my interpretation). We also saw reports of two past SBC presidents engaging in sexual abuse themselves. (One was characterized in the report as sexual assault. The other described as a mutual affair between a pastor and a woman he once pastored. This is still considered sexual abuse, and is illegal in thirteen states.)
 
Over the last few days, I’ve seen SBC leaders post their responses to the report. Generally, they’ve talked about being horrified, having compassion for the survivors, and wanting to work to make the SBC a safer convention.
 
Seeing these sentiments made me angry.
And I couldn’t figure out why for a day.
 
Hopefully, I’ve laid out this post well enough that you know why it made me angry. The system that enabled the Executive Committee to gaslight sex abuse survivors, protect abusive pastors, and withhold information from the trustees, is the same system that I’ve observed in other SBC entities.
 
I have no knowledge of other entities mishandling sex abuse cases.
But the same system of withholding information, good ol’ boy system of promoting, and eleventh commandment enforcement is pervasive throughout the entities of the convention. Not in equal measure, but we’re all aware of how the system works, and what we need to do if we want to climb the ladder to success.
 
While the leaders of the other entities may not have committed the evils the Executive Committee have – our overall system has led to this end. Many of our SBC leaders endorsed and supported these Executive Committee leaders outlined in the report. Instead of saying How terrible, we will work to do better, our leadership should be saying, How terrible, we allowed it to get this bad!
 
The Executive Committee and Baptist Press have apologized and repented. There’s more to do, but that’s a start.
 
There has been almost no repentance from the other SBC Leadership, and no repentance on the part of those named in the Guidestone report other than Steve Gaines.
 
For years I’ve heard from SBC leadership how we’re under spiritual attack. But maybe the attack hasn’t been from Satan. Maybe it has been from God himself.
 
Satan is involved, for sure. He has promised power and influence. He has encouraged silence and misdirection for the good of the organization. But I suspect that much of the warfare has been coming from the Lord.
 
In the book of Revelation, the glorious, risen Lord appears to John. He has a sword coming out of his mouth. He looks ready to make war. And in the next scene, we don’t see him fighting against his enemies in the world. In a shocking twist we see him battle against his own Church! In chapters 2 and 3, five out of the seven churches receive harsh warnings:

• I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent.
• So repent! Otherwise, I will come to you quickly and fight against them with the sword of my mouth.
• Unless they repent of her works, I will strike her children dead.
• Remember, then, what you have received and heard; keep it, and repent. If you are not alert, I will come like a thief, and you have no idea at what hour I will come upon you.
• As many as I love, I rebuke and discipline. So be zealous and repent.

 
Has the decline in SBC membership and baptisms been because of our convention’s hidden sins?
Has the risen Lord been fighting against us? Rebuking and disciplining us until we repent?
 
I think so.
 
And I think God has contended against our convention by first empowering the survivor community. Then, I think God has contended against our convention by using news organizations to uncover our shame. After this, I think God awoke the churches to the hidden sins in the convention, and despite the best efforts to block us and ignore us, we prevailed to have an investigation done.
 
Never have I seen so many people, fight so hard so we would have the opportunity to repent.
 
But it wasn’t just the Executive Committee that was broken. We are broken.
 
Look, to the best of my knowledge myself and the church I serve has never gaslit abuse survivors. We’ve tried to support and resource survivors. We’ve posted the sermon “What Will Happen if the Church Ignores Sexual Abuse?” on our homepage for over four years. But even still, in response to our reading of Daniel 9 – The Orchard Church repented.
 
And we will continue to do so.
 
Because from my perspective, Satan deceived many of our leaders into sin with the promise of a stronger convention, and many took it. And the Lord, because of his love for his Church, has been disciplining us.
 
Many have done evil in the name of God.
Do not misuse the name of the Lord your God, because the Lord will not leave anyone unpunished who misuses his name (Exodus 20:7).
 
The terrifying part in all this, is that the Lord will continue to discipline and continue to rebuke until there is repentance.
 
And then – only then can we begin to bear fruit.
Therefore produce fruit consistent with repentance (Matthew 3:8).
 
We cannot move forward as a convention until we repent as a convention.
 
I plead with our convention leaders, repent. Repent on behalf of the entities you lead.
And if you have personal culpability, repent now. God is going to reveal everything that is hidden. Yes, you may have to lose your position, but you will gain a right relationship with the One who created and upholds all things.
 
It’s only after we’ve done this that we can be empowered by Jesus to fix what is broken in our convention.

Father, 
​God of peace. God of truth. God of life. 

Why? Why? Why? 

​Not again. Not again. Not again. 

A young man targets people based on their ethnos? Men and women created by you. Loved by you. Bearing your image! 

A young man targets children. Precious little ones. Like the one our Lord welcomed. Like the ones our Lord said the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to.  

Father, are you not mightier than these evil men? Could you not stop them? Prevent them? Send someone to intervene in their lives before this happens? 

Our hands shake with grief and they ball up in rage. 

This has to stop. 
Put an end to it Lord. 
Show us the way to put an end to it.

Spirit of God, comfort the families in Buffalo, Uvalde, and beyond. 
Give them your peace, 
not as the world gives it, 
not from their current circumstances, 
but that can only come from You. 
May they feel your loving arms wrapped around them. 
May they feel your presence in their
anger, 
weeping, and
bitter sorrow. 

Father God be with the survivors, 
the children, 
the men, 
the women, 
who witness these horrors. 
Heal the wounds on their bodies, and
send your servants to help heal the wounds in their souls. 

Help us in our distress God. 
Search our hearts and reveal any evil within. 

We repent. 

Help guide our political leadership to find unity and wise laws - 
for we know you will use the law to restrain evil. 

Help guide us to our neighbors in distress. 
May we become a community again. 
Mothers to the motherless. 
Fathers to the fatherless. 
Sons and daughters to the childless. 
Sisters and brothers to all. 

Heal our land, Father. 
Change me. 
Change us. 
Change our country. 

In the Name of Jesus. 
Amen.

Personal Steps
I do not have answers or solutions. 
This is not definitive. But a friend of mine pointed out that bad ideas often lead to good ideas. 
So, I offer some thoughts about things we can do:

1. Cool down the angry rhetoric. America has been characterized by rage for the last decade. There is a time for righteous anger... but not every day. This angry rhetoric more often than not using dehumanizing vulgarity or terms for political opponents. When we dehumanize people or groups, they become more enraged and act in inhumane ways. This also makes a person vulnerable to radical ideologies. We must become people who disagree with grace. 
2. Check in on young people. Get to know people in your community. Volunteer to help out with basketball or soccer. Volunteer at the high school. Evil breeds in darkness and it cannot survive in the light. Many of these young men need people who will come alongside and support them. If healthy people aren't speaking into their lives, the monsters of this world will. 
3. Invite young people to volunteer. This might require us to join churches or community groups first. But getting young people involved in helping others, builds their self-worth and gives them purpose. We need to invite young people to invite their friends (and acquaintances, and that one kid no one knows very well) to do something greater than themselves. 
4. Love the young people in your life. Most everyone has young people in their lives. Maybe your own children, nieces or nephews, cousins, co-worker's kids, or people in the neighborhood. Invest time and money in them. As appropriate, send text messages, send letters, make phone calls, offer them books, ask what you can be praying about in their lives. Make some regular intentional contact so they know someone cares. 

Possible Political Steps
These are some thoughts. Maybe some of these bad ideas can lead to good ones. 
Those of you who know me, know that I am a big proponent of political cooperation. 
I also believe that one of the reasons God has given us government is to restrain evil. It will always do so imperfectly, but minimizing evil is better than letting it go unfettered. 

Here are some very flawed thoughts:

1. Security Guard or Police at the Entrance of Schools A friend of mine in banking told me that people who are up to no good don't want to be greeted at the door. Just having a greeter can minimize people with violent intent. I understand this would be an enormous cost. And there's possibly better measures. 
2. Mandatory classes and psychological evaluations of gun owners from 18-25. Ok, hear me out gun-rights advocates. I think this might be something both the right and left can get behind. The vast majority of these mass shootings are being carried out by young men in this age bracket. Let's do something to try and minimize access to deadly weapons to people who should not have them. In many states if young people want to get a driver's license, they need to first take a series of classes before they're allowed to take a written test and driving test. Car insurance companies require a very high premium for drivers under the age of 25. Let's face it, at 18 most of us made some pretty bad choices. I don't know of any parent who would hand over control of their household finances to their 18-year-old kids. So, let's take a page out of the traffic laws and require adults who are most prone to volatile decisions (18-25), to complete mandatory training, and complete mandatory evaluations to minimize violent people getting their hands on deadly weapons. 
3. Make Internet pornography an opt-in service. I think pornography is a blight on human society. A public health crisis. But I know we live in a free​ country. Fine. Let's not restrict it, but let's make access to the majority of pornographic websites something a person has to opt-in to with their internet service provider, and not something we have automatic access to. It is well documented that viewing pornography rewires the brain. Over time, a porn user's brain stops associating people as people, and it begins viewing people as objects. Objects! I know this proposal is a long shot. Porn makes a lot of corporations a lot of money. But if we wonder how a person can mass-murder people, even children, it's because they no longer see people as people. They see them as things. Not image-bearers, loved by God. Objects and obstacles to be removed. Porn does that to the brain. (And no, I'm not saying everyone who looks at porn is going to become a mass-murderer. I am saying that it removes a moral barrier that can lead to dehumanizing people.)

Those are some of my imperfect thoughts. 

What other personal steps do you think people could take? 
​What are some political moves we could realistically take to minimize this evil? 

I'm going to spend some more time in prayer for my community today.