“I Feel Like”

Yesterday I drove to my mother's house in Jackson to give her and my sister a ride to the airport. 

By the time I got there, they were packed and ready to go. My sister's carry-on weighed about 50 pounds. I told her to find the strongest flight attendant and ask for help holding it above her seat. 

We drove through Starbucks, and Mom insisted on filling up my caffeine and fuel tanks. 

As we approached Detroit Metro, the topic turned towards a specific doctrine we each held. We all strongly disagreed. Conversations about doctrine are hard to have. 

I noticed something: we were all defensive of our positions and defended ourselves from an emotional point of view. Meaning our defense would start with something like “I feel” 

I don’t know about you, but my feelings are all over the map. I feel strongly about some things, but my feelings may be contrary to what scripture teaches. So, beginning with arguments based on emotions is not a great place to begin. 

If you want a strong doctrine to hold its weight, you must form your opinions around something more substantial than your feelings. 

Let me be clear: When we build our doctrine around emotions instead of scripture, we set ourselves up for all sorts of problems. People will recognize that we don’t believe in anything bigger than our religious tradition.

In our culture, people are hungry for truth and flock to things that feel transcendent or religious, but are only empty religious traditions. 

We should offer a doctrine based on scripture to our church and culture, which are desperate for the truth.

May I make a suggestion? The next time you are having an argument about doctrine, don’t say “I feel”; instead, try something like “What do the scriptures have to say?”

Bless You. 

• Pastor

A Tribute To My Mothers Character

My dad used to make ends meet by driving our Amish friends around for their errands. One day, he left the house without any cash or food.

It’s hard to imagine now, but there was a time when people didn’t carry phones everywhere. That thought—my dad out there with no money and no way to contact him—really bothered my mom. She had to do something about it.

She drove 50 minutes to Berlin, Ohio, where the Amish were attending a church seminar. When she arrived, his van wasn’t there. So she drove to the nearby Christian bookstore and walked inside.

As my dad tells it: “I could sense someone standing behind me, and then I felt a hand on my shoulder.”

“I couldn’t stand the thought of you being hungry,” my mom said. “So I brought you some money for food.”

After they had lunch together, she got back in her car and drove home.

That moment says two things about my mother: she knew my dad and didn’t need to know where he was to know where to find him, and she loved him enough to drive two hours just to make sure he wasn’t hungry.

To me, it’s a remarkable story that describes my mom's character, but to a woman reading this story, I imagine that it won't be remarkable, just familiar.

P.s. I hope my mother doesn’t read this, so don’t draw attention to it:) 

Happy Mother's Day. 

Bless You. 

Pastor

Everything Is Different, But Christ Is Not Different.

I am sitting at my sister's dining room table. I spent the week here exploring the coastal towns with her, her husband, and their three children. Tomorrow (Wednesday), I will fly back home to Michigan. 

It’s a different world here. The ocean dictates things here. The industry, the weather, the flowers. It's all very different here.

Pumping gas is different. You don’t pump your own gas at many of the gas stations. Someone comes to your car and does it for you. 

Clothing is different and made for hiking in the forests or for ocean-going people.  

Coffee is different. I am not joking when I say there are hundreds of coffee shops. They are in little drive-through buildings; some are elaborate little cabins, and some are in makeshift sheds, but they are everywhere. If you miss one, just keep going; you will pass another within a few miles. 

On Sunday, I walked into church, and the congregation seemed different. They looked like people who live on the coast. 

Then the music started, and suddenly everything felt familiar. I looked around at the people joining in the worship, and it was familiar. The pastor began to preach, and it was familiar. Everything is different here, but not Christ. Christ is not different. 

One of the beautiful things about following Christ is that he does not come to a culture and remove people from the culture but changes the person inside the culture. Bless you

· Pastor

I’ll Miss You On Vacation

Yesterday, I nearly missed my flight, but a kind Muslim woman helped me get through security more quickly, and I made it just in time. Within a few hours, I went from Detroit Metro to Minneapolis–St. Paul, and then on to Portland, Oregon.

My sister picked me up at the airport, and we drove around her hometown — the place she’s called home for over ten years now. I’ve never been here before, never seen her world in person. It’s good to finally be here. It also makes me feel a bit guilty that it took me this long to come.

It’s different than I expected. Nicer. Cozier. There’s a sense of life here. Over the phone, you try to imagine what a place is like, but a place without its people is always colder, more impersonal. It's not until you see the place with the people who fill it that it really comes alive.

Before I left, I was walking through our church auditorium, setting out microphones and trying to set things up so everything would run smoothly on Sunday — today — while I’m gone. It was quiet. Empty. Just a place. But as I stood there, I began to picture the people. The ones who fill that space with warmth and worship. And suddenly, the building felt different. Nicer. Cozier.

I felt a twinge of sadness knowing you’d all be gathering without me this morning.

May God bless you as you meet. Know that I’m thinking of you.

Bless You

• Pastor

Let Every Grocery Store Prepare Him Room

I live next to the grocery store. I call it my pantry. I am not sure if it's a blessing or a curse but it is convenient. I leave the grocery shopping to Cecilia but every few days I wander up there myself for refreshments or to restock the coffee supplies at our house. 

The first display you will see when you walk into the grocery store is seasonal. To the left there is a big display of candy. Bags of candy so big they will set you back 20 dollars and to the right there is a table of baked goods. These almost always reflect the next holiday. 

My favorite holiday is the holiday I call Halloween to Christmas. The grocery store will be filled with pumpkins and witches and ghosts, then turkeys, then Christmas tree shapes fill the store alongside cinnamon scented pine cones and boxes of candy canes. As soon as Christmas has passed the store fills with heart shapes and chocolates. If you go into the store right now everything is pastel and easter bunnies. 

The grocery store is a masterclass in preparation. 

There is an old Christmas song that sings “let every heart prepare him room”

If a silent observer could take a stroll through your heart would they find that you have created space for Christ?

Bless you

• Pastor.

Slow Is Fast.

In September, I drove to Uncle John's Cider Mill for my first bike race. It was a beautiful fall morning, and the race began on the cider mill tractor roads, then used the main roads surrounding the farm, and finished back in the orchard. It was a 64-mile race, I believe. 

It was my first race, and I was not very confident in my ability. I lined up at the very back with the slowest pace group. As the race began, I realized I was riding with people who were much slower than me. I began to work my way through the crowd of folks, trying to find people who were riding at my pace. 

As the race moved out of the orchard and onto the roads, I caught up to a gentleman riding painfully slow. He wore a flannel shirt and baggy pants.I knew that he would be riding much slower than I wanted to. 

I passed the man and spent almost the entire race trying to catch up with my group. Along the way I over-exerted myself. I dropped a water bottle and didn’t go back for it, and I injured a tendon in the back of my knee. I spent a few miles being helped by an older woman and helping her, but after a bit, the loss of the water and my knee slowed me down. 

About two miles from the finish line, I was in significant pain when someone passed me; it was the man in the flannel shirt and baggy pants. 

Bless You.
- Pastor.

Judges Without Knowledge

I was waiting in line at school when the traffic moved forward. As I took my foot off the brake, a man in a big SUV rolled right in front of me and cut me off. I would like to say that it didn’t bother me, but it did.

Rich people with their big cars think they can do whatever they want. They don’t think the rules apply to them. They don’t need to wait their turn—typical for rich people. These thoughts and more were the assumptions that I made as to why this car cut me off.

The longer I sat, the more I wanted to talk to this person, who clearly did not have common courtesy.

I slowly pulled up beside the dark SUV. In the driver's seat, a man smiled and laughed with the passengers. They thought it was funny, I thought. I beeped my horn, and the man looked over and rolled down his window.

Why would you do that I asked?

Well, I am a grandpa, and I was asked to pick up my grandkids today. I have not done the pickup line before. I didn’t know this was the line, and when I realized it, I got embarrassed and jumped into the next spot I could. If you want to go back in front of me, feel free.

We make assumptions about people every day. Without communication, we assign motives, and without understanding, we render judgment.

Bless You
Pastor

Simple Words

Once a week, I walk in the woods to be alone. I keep my phone in my pocket for emergencies or photos, but I rarely use it. This is my time to disconnect. Jesus did the same, so I don’t feel bad for what I’m about to say.

I go to the woods to get away from people. I try not to talk to anyone I pass. I stay polite but keep to myself, using this time to be close to the Lord.

Most people seem to understand. A simple smile or wave is enough, and we move on. I think many of us go to the woods for the same reason—to escape.

Yesterday was different. It was cold, but the sun was out, and the woods were beginning to wake up. I felt a little more open than usual.

I passed a woman walking her dog, and we exchanged the usual smile and wave. As I walked by, I said, “Spring is coming.” Without stopping, she replied, “Oh, isn’t it lovely to have the sun out?” I agreed. She told me to enjoy my walk, and I wished her the same.

That brief exchange stuck with me. Though we were both there to walk, not talk, a few simple words about spring brought a warm connection between us.

It reminded me of James 3:5: “How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire.” James warns of the tongue’s potential for harm, but the reverse is also true. Even small words can bring life.

This week, I encourage you to encourage someone. It could be at the gas station, at a Dr’s. Appointment, or lunch after church. Choose someone and offer a kind word. It’s easier and more powerful than you think.

Bless You

Pastor

Its Good But Is It Good For You.

A few months ago, I discovered a new brand and flavor of coffee that I really enjoy. Camerons Vanilla Hazelnut.

It's kind of expensive in the store, so I am very slow to brew much of it. However, I found a discount on a bulk purchase and ordered 4 pounds. When it came in the mail, I couldn’t wait to brew it the next morning.

When I woke up, Cecilia brewed a pot of coffee. It was so good that I decided to have some after lunch. I had some work to finish, and it was just as enjoyable after dinner. That third cup was a mistake.

I stayed up late watching TV, and my heart was racing. When I went to bed, the weight of the blanket made me feel pinned down. I tried to sleep, but it only made me anxious.

I decided to go downstairs and watch TV until I felt tired. However, I didn’t feel tired until the kids went to school the next morning. I sat on the couch, wide awake with my heart pounding, and watched an entire season of a TV show.

Take my word for it, just because something is good doesn’t mean it is good for you.

Bless you.
Pastor

The Joy Of Spring

If you have spent any time around me, you are probably tired of me talking about how great winter is. I struggle internally to deal with winter's disappearance. The long, dark nights are a joy to me. I always say December 21st is my favorite day of the year because it's the longest night. 

But I must admit. This week, when it was near 70 degrees it felt pretty good.

People were walking through town again. Twisters, our local ice cream shop, was open. There are always birds singing in Michigan, but there were many more birds out and singing on Saturday. My kids played outside for hours. I stood on the deck and drank it all in. It was like life had come back to Michigan. 

All winter, I have been burdened because Aspen seemed quiet, and there were very few days when she was chatty. As we sat around dinner on that gorgeous evening after a day filled with sun, ice cream, and tacos, I noticed Aspen just talking without stopping all evening. 

I love winter, but it's a thrill to see the joy that spring brings. During the next couple of weeks, spring will arrive, and with it, warmth. I hope that it fills you with joy.

Bless you. 

Pastor

I Am Not Strong Enough.

A few days ago I was in the office and Routt went into one of the bathrooms. A few moments later I heard him struggling to open the door. He could go in but wasn’t strong enough to open the door on the way back out.

It reminded me of a time when I was little. I was with my dad at his office, too. I entered the bathroom, and he knew the door would swell and stick during the changing seasons. He knew I would get stuck in the bathroom. He left his office and stood outside the door. He recalls hearing me try and open the door. Then He heard me say to myself “I am tough, I am tough” Before throwing all my weight into the outswinging door. It didn’t move. After that I screamed in fear for my dad, but I did not need to be afraid because he knew I was in trouble and was already there.

There are moments in my life when I realize I am not strong enough.
I will watch one of my children and think, "I am not strong enough to raise them to adulthood."
Sometimes I avoid difficult situations or blow up in anger because I fear being vulnerable. I am not emotionally confident enough to have healthy confrontation.
I often will look at my wife's eyes while she is not paying attention and realize “I am not enough”

There are many moments in my life when reality sets in, and I know I am not enough. That's a truth. I am often irresponsible, cowardly, anxious, angry, immature, or lazy. I pick a terrible character quality and embody that from time to time.

I don’t mind sharing these things about myself because I know this is universal. There are moments in your life where you don’t measure up to the task. You are not strong enough.

When these moments of realization come, it's a good reminder not to fear but to call on God for help because he already knows you need help and He is near.

Bless you.

Pastor

Consider The Bird Feeder.

I visit one of our lovely little parks every week to stroll through the woods. The area has many beautiful trails, but my favorite is Harris Nature Center. I enjoy going there and letting my kids play in the small park while I lie on my back, gazing up at the trees. I love watching the wind sway the tops of the white pines. 

I initially wanted to walk to escape my racing thoughts and anxious feelings for a while. Once I started walking in the woods, I felt a wave of calm wash over my mind. I would stand on the riverbank and watch the birds or sit quietly enough to hear the sound of the water flowing beneath the ice. 

One day, while at the Harris Nature Center, I watched the birds feed on the bird feeders. There were hundreds of birds of many different species. I was reminded of the passage in Scripture where Jesus talks about the anxieties we face from daily provision. 

He said, "Don’t worry. Consider the birds. They don't worry, yet they are fed. Aren't you of more value than they are?" 

Now there is healthy anxiety that helps us get organized and come up with a plan, and then there is crippling anxiety that does not make sense. I don't pretend to understand the crippling anxiety. 

However, regarding our daily anxieties, we all benefit from sitting and watching a bird feeder.

Bless you 

Pastor

Has Any Of This Helped?

Last February, I sat in the high school gym with my dad, feeling troubled. He noticed and asked if I was okay. I admitted I was bothered. He began reflecting on aging and his life’s work.  

He asked, "Do you ever wonder if anything you’ve done has helped?” I replied, "Dad, you’ve helped so many people."  

We watched girls compete in a cheerleading competition. He noted that many might have heard him speak at Camp Barakel. I agreed.  

After the competition, a woman in her 50s approached, saying, “Ken Pierpont, you were my youth pastor." They chatted, and I told my dad he had helped her.  

I stood in the cold parking lot, wanting to stay close to him. He spoke of the blessings of good work, a good wife, and good kids. He urged me to be faithful to ministry, my wife, and my kids.  

Today, on the anniversary of his death, I reflect on who he was and know for a fact that his life helped me.  

Bless You.  

Pastor.

There Is Someone On The Stairs

I was asleep, and my wife grabbed my arm and shook me awake. “There is someone on the stairs,” she said. My heart raced and my fear of having to confront a home intruder was now a reality. I have always wondered if I would react with bravery or if I would cower in fear. 

In the moment I sprang into action. I grabbed a piece of equipment to defend myself and sent Cecilia across the hall into the children's bedrooms to make sure they were all in bed. I did not want to mistakenly surprise one of my children coming up the stairs. 

Cecilia gave me the thumbs-up that the children were in bed, and I slowly stepped around the corner to the stairs, fully ready to engage the intruder

There was no one there. "Cecilia, did you hear someone come into the house?" "No, I thought I heard a weird noise on the stairs," she said. 

We live in town and have an old house. We often hear weird noises in and around our house, but there is a big difference between a weird noise in the house and an intruder. 

Now this story is just something silly I wanted to share with you but there is a good reminder about how important words can be. 

Bless You. 

Pastor

Be Aware Of Your Influence

For Christmas, Laela bought me a giant bag of 8 o’clock coffee beans. I thought it was sweet that she knew I enjoyed 8 o'clock coffee and that she bought me a gift with intention. 

This morning, as I wandered into the kitchen before the light of day, I opened the cupboard. There was my big bag of coffee, and a thought came to me. 

8 O’clock coffee is ok, but it is not remarkable in any way. Why is it one of my favorites? As I stood waiting for the beans to grind and fall into their little basket, I thought about it for a moment. I realized that I think 8 o'clock is great because my dad told me it was. He acted like it was the best coffee in the grocery store. I know that growing up my dad made his decisions based on the things he could afford, but my dad behaved as if 8 O’clock was the finest coffee in the world. 

As I began scooping the grinds into my coffee filter, I realized that my dad's desire to romanticize and find joy in every part of life has influenced me, down to what I think of as good coffee. Now, my children assume 8 O’clock is good coffee only because of my dad's influence on me. 

Be aware of your influence and live every mundane moment as a joyful adventure. You will change generations. 

Bless you. 

• Pastor

It’s Not Hard To Encourage Folks

When I was a kid, there was a lady in my church. She was not an especially beautiful person. She did not have much money or hygiene; she was in a wheelchair, so it was hard for her to take care of herself. 

Every Sunday, she would come up to me and shake my hand. When my hands were cold in the winter, she would say the same thing every time she shook my hand. “You have cold hands; that must mean you have a warm heart”

I often think it's hard to encourage someone, but as the woman who had nothing proved to me, it takes nothing more than a kind word that doesn’t really make sense to encourage someone for a lifetime.

Bless You
Pastor

Good Fences Make Empty Churches

There is an old saying, “Good fences make good neighbors.” This is popularly attributed to Robert Frost. It's from his poem “Mending Wall.” People say this as a way of saying that good boundaries are healthy and good. 

I don’t digress. I believe people should have proper boundaries. I do have a problem with this, though. First, I believe Robert Frost was saying this tongue-in-cheek. I don’t think he saw any practicality in the fence between his neighboring property. 

Second, I think many churches sit empty on Sunday mornings because they are more concerned about their boundaries than about being a good neighbor. Rules for this, rules for that. They would site them as proper boundaries, but really they are just protecting themselves from any risk when dealing with people. 

Our mission at FBC Williamston is this: “We Help People Follow Jesus”.  If we are going to help people follow Jesus, there is an element of risk to that. We cannot insulate ourselves from danger without isolating ourselves from the very people we are trying to help.

Think about this today. 

Bless you

• Pastor. 

The Greatest Gift

This year, I bought an advent book to read to my children, though my reading has been inconsistent. Despite that, Cecilia and Laela have taken the time to engage with the stories and pray with the kids.

Last night, as it was getting late, Aspen asked me to read. The first question was about the greatest gift each child had received. They answered, and the story then discussed the greatest gift of all: Jesus. Gunnison exclaimed, “He died on the cross for our sins,” Lately he has grown a lot in understanding and has been asking many questions. Yesterday he asked how God lets bad people into heaven. 

Laela, baptized as an infant, recently asked about believers' baptism, and I hope to baptize her and a few others next year. I believe my children's desire for spiritual growth comes from their Sunday School teachings.

Each night, I pray for my kids, that God would bless them, and the birth of Jesus reminds me that He has already blessed them and the blessing is theirs to receive. 

Thank you to all the teachers in our church for faithfully telling the story of the greatest gift ever. 

As a dad and the pastor it's the greatest gift I will receive this Christmas. 

Bless you. 

• Pastor 

A Wonderfully Wretched Christmas.

Dec 11, 2024

When I was young, my dad decided to leave a mainline denomination and start a church. As a result, he was without a regular income, and we spent many years with very little money.

I remember one year. We were renting a beautiful home under one condition. The man informed my dad that when the house sold, we would need to move quickly. The house did sell and my dad wanted to be a man of his word so he packed up and moved on the day we were supposed to. Even though we had nowhere to go. We moved to a shack that our Amish friends owned. 

My dad eventually found an apartment to move us into. It was too small for all of us and I can remember my dads discouragement and feeling ashamed of himself because he was not “providing” well. 

Here is the funny part. That Christmas in that tiny apartment was one of my favorites. It was cozy and we had a tiny Christmas tree I can still hear Christmas with Jullie Andrews playing as my mother made cookies. I remember all getting the flu that Christmas

It was a wonderfully wretched Christmas.

Christmas time brings with it the pressure to perform. To be some sort of holiday magician and put on the holiday of the century for your kids. Don’t forget that what what you might perceive as a holiday nightmare your Children or grandchildren may hold near and dear to them long after you have passed. 

This Christmas set aside the anxiety and create nostalga.

Bless you. 

• Pastor.