September 23, 2010

Kopp Disclosure
(John 3:19-21)

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Good news!

It's official!

The National Bureau of Economic Research declared (9/20/10) the recession that began 12/07 ended 6/09.

I'm so relieved.

Not.

Whoever's working at NBER must be smoking crack or working for BBPBHO who could use some slight of hand/mind/emotions/reality to counter what could be the coming doom of this idolatry on 11/2/10 or using the same kinda inane rationalizations to get Boise State in the big one.

Or maybe it's just that I'm from Illinois where you know who was a junior State Senator for less time than Larry Brown ever coached any NBA team and junior US Senator for less time than Boise State's credibility as a championship contender despite slipping past the mighty Hokies who lost to superpower James Madison a week after that.

Illinois ain't nowhere near recovery; even according to NBER.

We're still feeling our pain and can't relate to whomever's prosperity.

Or like I like to say to the shrinking core of sychophants of you know who, "I just hope he doesn't do for the country what he helped accomplish in our state."

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Parenthetically, a KDer wrote to tell me that the First Family has been sighted at an Episcopal church in DC.

He asked, "Don't you think it's time for you to retract your speculation in the first section of the last KD?"

You can scroll down (9/19) or just read the punchline that was preceded by a comment about churches not being immune to the rippling effects of our failing national economy: "I don't know if there's a connection, but it's also the first time that I've been a pastor when our country's President has never been spotted with the First Lady going in or coming out of a church on Sunday mornings. I know he says he gets text messages from pastors...on spiritual stuff but...I may be wrong but I'm beginning to think our culture takes the church less and less seriously because a new tone about worshiping in church is being sounded/shown by..."

Anyway, I thought about our First Family hanging out at an Episcopal church.

Then I wrote back, "Well, if it's like most Episcopal churches in my experience, I'm not sure it qualifies for what I had in mind."

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Getting back to our failing national economy that doesn't seem as chipper/recovered as those with less-than-credible motives are suggesting, I may be in an especially depressed part of the country but our local county's unemployment rate is still over 20% and a few churches have already closed in our neighborhood because they can't pay their bills.

Maybe my concerns are ghettoized; but checking in with peers in ghettoes like mine around America, they echo the challenges in my neck of the woods.

Attendance is down.

$ is down.

Church staff compensations have been frozen for two years; which is really a decrease when you think about it.

People keeping asking why.

While I may be wrong and have enough subscribers dedicated to pointing that out, I think the depressing/inept tone being sounded from DC is having a rippling effect on the church.

If he can't tell the difference between Allah and Father/Son/Spirit and doesn't think the church is worth his time and text messages are enough to...

I also think - and what I think may be wrong - of friends who work at the highest levels for four Fortune 500 companies.

They have told me that their companies ain't doin' a thing until capitalists guide government again.

So I don't know where NBER is coming from; but if my finger is anywhere near the pulse of what more than less people are thinking/experiencing, a positive rippling requires some "hope" through "change" at the top.

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Locally, our expansion program keeps shrinking.

Two families have lost their homes in the last two weeks (foreclosures).

Five more members have lost jobs.

People with $ are keeping it because they don't get what Jesus meant in Matthew 6:19-24.

And like me pointing a finger at you know who, finger-pointing with no regard to the logs in the eye/mirror is becoming epidemic.

In other words, this is a time of...opportunity!

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This is a perfect time to say with people who are hungry/thirsty for true hope and change, "I don't have hardly any silver or gold; but what I have I give you: Jesus!"

This is a perfect time to share space with other churches before they vanish for lack of $.

This is a perfect time for people who've "got" it to "share" it for the glory of God.

This is a perfect time to use the gifts of our generous predecessors to ease the pain of this generation with the expectation that we will do the same for future generations if blessed with restored prosperity.

This is a perfect time to start a soup kitchen.

This is a perfect time to open a clothing closet.

This is a perfect time to open the doors of the church to shelter the homeless.

This is a perfect time to differentiate what is needed from wanted.

This is a perfect time to highlight function over frill.

This is a perfect time to enflesh Colossians 3:1-3.

This is a perfect time to stop bantering and moaning about stupid stuff and get on with the real deal of enabling confident living in the assurance of eternal life through Jesus.

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I'll never forget the last great President of my alma mater telling a story that applies to times like ours.

A woman approached him and complained, "All I ever hear from the church is give, give, give..."

He answered rhetorically, "Have you ever heard of a better definition of Christianity?"

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While you'll want to check www.koppdisclosure.com over the next ten days or less for new stuff in Kathie's Korner, I'm mounting the mule on Saturday and heading to Pennsylvania to see my mom.

She's got health challenges.

No matter how providence plays out in her life, she's gonna overcome whatever through Jesus.

And as I consider the rippling effects of our nation's failing economy, people who love Jesus will overcome...

The problem is too many churches have been in a spiritual recession/depression for too long.

They think more about who they are and what they have than who He is and how He is the ultimate owner of what has been entrusted to them.

Read Romans 8.

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A story comes to mind.

A troubled elder approached his pastor and said, "We've got serious problems. Our members don't invite people to church. Our members don't give enough to pay the bills."

The pastor said, "As you know, my job is spiritual development. You'll have to bring that up with our evangelism and finance committees."

The elder returned not long after that and said, "Things are getting worse. Attendance is down. Giving is down. We might not be able to pay the staff!"

The pastor said, "Why didn't you tell me it was that serious? But as you know, my job is spiritual development. We'll have to bring up these problems at our next board meeting."

Immediately at the start of the board meeting, the elder stood up and said, "Pastor, we have a spiritual problem in our church."

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America does not have a failing economy.

America's churches don't have attendance and $ problems.

Our spiritual problem is being exposed.

2 Chronicles 7:14.

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Blessings and Love!