Safely Opening Churches Following Quarantine

Safely Opening Churches Following Quarantine

Pastor Bob Tousey, MBA, MACM

I have been silently observing the debate about when and how it will be safe to open churches. I am now ready to share my thoughts. Please read the entire blog as reading only a portion of it could lead to a misunderstanding of what I am suggesting. I will first consider whether services in a building are biblically mandated and then consider whether current restrictions are appropriate.

Jesus and His disciples did not go to a building every Sunday to worship and pray. Quite often Jesus prayed alone or with a few friends. In Matthew 18:20 we are taught “for where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them”.  There is no biblical mandate for us to gather each week in a building. We do that for fellowship and corporate worship which are both very good things but not biblically mandated.

I recently heard an analogy and unfortunately, I forget where so I cannot properly attribute it, but I think it is appropriate to mention. The speaker pointed out that during the great flood, Noah did not leave the ark to go swimming, instead he waited for God to tell him it was safe. While God often protects us, He does not always do so when we are foolhardy and irresponsible. We have heard stories of Pastors who insisted on conducting services during the pandemic dying of Covid-19 shortly thereafter. We should also be mindful of God’s instruction for us to care for our flock in 1 Peter 5:2-12. We may have members of our congregation who are vulnerable to the virus and we do not want to encourage them to engage in large group worship when they could become sick.

With that being said, and this is why I said to read the entire blog post, I question the arbitrary numbers that limit church attendance. To me 10 is an artificially low number which bears no relationship to the circumstances of the vast majority of churches. Many of our churches can hold hundreds and some thousands of people. Is 10 safe and 11 unsafe in such a large facility? Cathedrals and many mega churches can hold thousands of people. Should they have the same limit as a small chapel?

I officiate funerals on a regular basis and it pains me to have a limit of 10 including myself and the funeral staff. Many times, with those limits, all members of the immediate family can not attend even though the service is being conducted in a very large room that would allow for a greater attendance with following social distancing guidelines.

Every church is different, and “a one size fits all” approach cannot be used. In fact, I would argue that such an approach is arbitrary and capricious because it does not consider the circumstances of each church. Both the percentage standard and the fix number standard can be arbitrary and capricious. While the percentage standard does consider the size of the church neither of these standards (10 or a percentage) consider the lay out of the individual churches nor the number or location of exits.

To properly determine attendance limitations, the following must be considered (1) the size of the congregation, (2) the size and layout of the building, and (3) the number of exits. Notice I say exits and not entrances as to monitor the number of people allowed into the church everyone should enter at the same location. I feel that entry and seating will be easier to control and my biggest concern is dismissal because we have everybody attempting to leave at the same time and this is why the number of exits must be taken into consideration.

Once a determination has been made as to how many people are allowed inside a church it is important for the church to establish procedures designed to keep everyone attending safe as well a plan to execute the procedures.

When establishing procedures, the church must consider the amount of time between services to allow everyone to properly exit the church prior to anyone entering for the next service as well as permitting time to sufficiently conduct proper sanitation. Therefore, service times may need to be adjusted. The church should also consider not having refreshments available as refreshments encourage people to congregate. Sanitizer should be available before, during and after each service. The church also must ensure that the church has proper procedures in place to follow social distancing guidelines. Members, staff, and volunteers should wear masks unless they are engaging in a speaking role.

Communion should also be provided in sealed containers and electronic donations encouraged. When electronic donations are not possible a box should be available to accept check and cash contributions. Procedures should be established for processing the donations made by check or cash. The use of gloves when processing is encouraged. This list is not suggested to be all inclusive but simply a place to start.

Outdoor services following social distancing guidelines should also be encouraged. Virtual services should also be continued for those who are sick or uncomfortable attending in person church services.

Movie Review: Overcomer

Movie Review: Overcomer

Pastor Bob Tousey

The Kendrick brothers hit another out of the park grand slam with this movie. I saw it with my 12-year-old granddaughter, Gabby during the Thursday night pre-opening and we both enjoyed it. We do, however, recommend that you bring a box of tissues as several scenes brought tears to both of our eyes.

Overcomer is a story of overcoming obstacles as well as redemption, grace and forgiveness. The movie starts of with a hopeful high school coach, John Harrison played by Alex Kendrick, and his basketball team being confident of winning the state championship next season. However, an announcement that the town’s primary employer will be closing the local plant quickly dashes that dream as many of the school’s families including those of key basketball players, are forced to move to find work.

The once hopeful basketball coach becomes the reluctant coach of the school’s cross-country team. The coach does not even like cross-country but is encouraged to take on the new role by the school’s principal who does not want to cancel another program.

After agreeing to assume this new duty the coach is disappointed when only one student, Hannah Scott shows up for tryouts, and as it turns out Hannah is asthmatic. With the help of his family, a newfound friend and Hannah’s relentless commitment, Coach Harrison, embraces the challenge. As other students hear about Hannah story, she begins to attract a strong cheering squad at her competitions.

As Hannah begins to grow in her athletic ability she also grows in her faith and accepts Jesus Christ as her Savior.  While Hannah improves her athletic talents throughout the movie, she continues to fall short of a win. Then comes the biggest race in Hannah’s life where she comes from behind to close the race neck and neck with the race’s favorite. They finished with identical times and the race had to be reviewed for a winner to be declared. I’ll let you watch the movie to find out if Hannah pulled off an amazing upset. This is a must see movie and will be enjoyed by people of all ages.

Celebrating the Individual Masterpiece God Created: A celebration of life vice a traditional funeral service.

Celebrating the Individual Masterpiece God Created:

A celebration of life vice a traditional funeral service.

By: Pastor Bob Tousey, MACM

        We are each God’s masterpiece that He created anew in Christ Jesus, so that we can do the things God has planned for us (Ephesians 2:10, NLT). He designed each of us for a unique role (Erik Rees, S.H.A.P.E, Finding & Fulfilling Your Unique Purpose for Life, 2006, pg 18). It would seem that when our journey on this earth ends, we should celebrate the Masterpiece that God created, but sadly that is not often the case. We often focus on the loss that we are feeling because our loved one will no longer be part of our daily lives instead of focusing on the gift that our loved one was to us during his or her time on earth. We mourn instead of celebrating the gift we were given.

As a child I remember funerals being a gloomy event, where the focus was on the loss of a loved one, rather than celebrating a life well lived. The viewing would typically last two days after the death with the burial taking place on the third day. There was little to no laughter in the room, most people were dressed in black and weeping could be heard. The room was filled with flowers rather than memories of the life the person lived. The funeral service or mass would be very ritualistic and boring. It didn’t end there because the family was expected to wear black for an entire year to mourn. I remember when my dad died my mom had to go out and buy black clothes so she could “properly” mourn.

This ignored the Christian teaching that life on this earth is intended to be for a season, a very short season at that in comparison to eternity. Our loved one in fact does not die but goes on to eternal life. Several years ago, before his death Billy Graham reminded us of this with the words "Someday you will read or hear that Billy Graham is dead. Don't you believe a word of it. I shall be more alive than I am now. I will just have changed my address. I will have gone into the presence of God."  Ideally this should be the destination for each of us. When our life on this earth ends, we enter eternal life in which, ideally, our loved one no longer will suffer earthly pain, suffering and loss. Isn’t this something to be celebrated?

Today, the family has more freedom to choose when the viewing and service is scheduled as well as setting the tone for the event. Sometimes it is even a week or longer after the death. This allows loved ones to travel in. The family can decide how long the viewing will be often choosing to hold the viewing and service the same day. Very often an atmosphere will be created to celebrate and honor the life of their deceased loved one. There will be pictures at the viewing, if the person had an artistic gift, some of his or her creations would adorn the room or if they were competitive, trophies won will celebrate those achievements. I recently even saw the deceased’s motorcycle next to the casket and have been greeted by the deceased’s well-behaved dog who was allowed to attend the viewing.

The service whether religious or not can also be used as a time to celebrate the life lived.  While most of the services I conduct are Christian, I have on occasion lead a service for a family who preferred to celebrate the life without religious references. Unless the family is asking me to do something that would violate my convictions, I am more than honored to help the family obtain closure in a manner that they are most comfortable. Whether the service is Christian or non-religious we can always celebrate the life. I find that celebrating the life is consistent with Christian beliefs as God as created each of us to be a unique individual and the celebration of life honors the masterpiece God created. This takes a little more time than it would if I just simply read from a prayer book. I need to speak to the family and learn about their loved one. This can involve a phone call, multiple phone calls, a visit to the family home, a meeting in a diner or at the funeral home. I have done each of these. Sometimes it takes a few minutes and sometimes the better part of a day, but my philosophy is to do what it takes to minister to the family and help them heal. I often arrive at the funeral home early or even the night before the service to meet extended family and friends to view the pictures and get a better sense of the life the person lived. I encourage family and friends to speak at the service if they are comfortable doing so and if they are not but want to share something, I will offer to read it for them. I also provide the family with a copy of the service so they can read it later or keep it with mementos of their loved one’s life.

The religious portion of the service contains uplifting scriptural readings and prayers followed by short explanations of comfort and often will connect the reading to the deceased’s life. I will typically use a poem to transition from the religious portion to the celebration of life portion of the service. The idea is to honor the way the deceased lived and assist the family with closure.

Movie Review: Unplanned

Movie Review: Unplanned

By: Bob Tousey, MACM

Normally, I will view a movie on its opening day so that my review can be out early, but this was not the case with Unplanned. As much as I hate to admit it, I had reservations about watching this movie as I was not sure I was strong enough to handle some of the more graphic scenes. However, this morning God clearly placed it on my heart to watch the movie and I am glad I did. There certainly were scenes that made me uncomfortable and some that even brought a tear to my eyes but that is what makes it such a powerful movie. The story it tells is an important one and I pray that those who need to see it will see it.

The movie is based on a true story about a former Planned Parenthood clinic Director, Abby Johnson. Abby was raised in a conservative Christian home with staunch pro-life parents. Her husband was also pro-life. Abby was very transparent in her story sharing that in her early years she had two abortions herself. Abby rose from the ranks of a volunteer at Planned Parenthood to one of its most successful clinic directors. In fact, shortly before her transformation she was named Planned Parenthood’s Employee of the Year. Her career with the organization appeared to be on the fast track until she questioned some goals that were established to double the number of abortions performed. She was reprimanded for questioning the goals but went back to work the next day more determined to carry out the mission of the organization. This determination all changed when Abby was called into a procedure room to assist with an abortion and she watched it on the ultra sound. What she saw changed her life forever. She not only left her position as clinic director, but she became an avid advocate for the pro-life movement.

The scene with the ultra sound hit home with me as my conversion from pro-choice to pro-life came as the result of an ultra sound. Although mine was not viewing an abortion. Mine came about when my wife was twelve weeks pregnant with my daughter, who is about to turn 29. I accompanied my wife to the ultra sound appointment and when I saw my daughter moving, I knew she was not a clump of tissue, but she was a baby, my baby. In a matter of seconds, I knew I could no longer support abortion.

I encourage you to see this movie. The story is one that we all must understand. I encourage you to also read my blog post “Healing: Mark Bradley Morrow, Post Abortive Father.” This tells Mark’s story of 4 abortions, a vasectomy, 1 adoption, 2 reversals, a miscarriage, and 2 beautiful babies.

Iron Sharpens Iron: The importance of mentoring

Iron Sharpens Iron: The importance of mentoring

By Bob Tousey, MBA, MACM

           When we think of mentorship the biblical verse that often comes to mind is Proverbs 27:17 (NIV) which teaches that “as iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another”. For teams to be strong it is important for senior members of the team to take time to share their experience and wisdom with junior team members. For this to work it is equally important for the junior members to be humble enough to accept the guidance of their mentors.

            The power of mentorship can be seen in Exodus 18:13-22 (NIV). In this passage Moses father in law, Jethro, observed Moses hearing disputes of the people from morning until evening. When Jethro inquired why he was spending so much time hearing these disputes, Moses replied these people have come to me to seek God’s will. Jethro admonished Moses that this was not good, it was too heavy a burden and would wear him out. Jethro then goes on to advise him to find other capable and trustworthy people and allow them to hear the minor disputes pointing out this would free Moses to hear the more difficult disputes. This advice resulted in disputes being heard in a timelier fashion and Moses did not wear himself out by hearing all the disputes himself. Moses was humble enough to follow the advice of his father in law and adopted the system he suggested. 

In a future post I will discuss the importance of delegation as I see too many leaders who fail in this task but today, I will focus on the importance of mentorship which is a valuable developmental tool. Early in my career I was taught that the first responsibility of every leader is to groom his or her successor. This is what keeps an organization healthy and when done properly allows for an orderly succession plan, which prevents chaos when a leader leaves the organization because there is already someone ready and able to fill the outgoing leader’s shoes. It also helps the organization grow. As the more junior members of the organization grow through mentorship, they can begin to assume more responsibilities which free up the senior members of the team to spread their wings a bit by taking on other new and innovative tasks, which can improve the organizations overall effectiveness.

            Too often I see organizations stagnate because of the lack of growth and worse yet fall apart when a leader suddenly leaves and there is no one ready to assume the mantel of leadership. It is important to prepare for the unexpected as it can occur. We must remember that leaders can be tempted away from an organization with more lucrative offers and even if they are not, they can become disabled and or worse yet die suddenly. When this happens there is a big hole to fill when no one has been groomed to take over. So, begin now. Mentor the next generation of leaders. This will keep your organization healthy and more effective for many years to come.

Movie Review: I Can Only Imagine

Movie Review: I Can Only Imagine

By: Pastor Bob Tousey

        The Mercy Me song “I can only imagine” has always had a special place in my heart and very often I will use its lyrics when delivering a message at a funeral to illustrate that while we are on this earth we can not possibly imagine what Jesus has prepared for us. So, when I heard about the movie I was excited. I am happy to say I was not disappointed. While the movie has a slightly different plot than I imagined when I first heard about the movie my heart was touched as I watched the story unfold.

        The plot centered upon the story of song writer Bart Millard and his family as he was growing up. His parents divorced, and he was raised by an abusive father. If anyone is sensitive to scenes of domestic violence the movie may not be an appropriate choice for you. However, it delivers a message of redemption and grace. As Bart matures into a young man and sets out on his own to pursue a musical career, he and his dad are estranged. However, his dad is diagnosed with cancer, begins to read the bible and is transformed into a loving and kind man. The two eventually reconcile and his dad’s transformation was the motivation for the song “I can only imagine”.

        There are other story lines in the movie which depict Bart’s wife’s life long love of Bart, Bart’s struggle in showing his love back. The movie also depicts the struggles the band Mercy Me faced in their early days. All in all, it is a wonderful and enjoyable movie which I highly recommend. While this review shared some details, there will still be many enjoyable surprises for you as you watch this movie. Go ahead, buy some tickets, you will be glad you did.

Will this be the last Christmas: A wooden cross on the highway

              

Will this be the last Christmas?: A wooden cross on the highway

Pastor Bob Tousey

        A few weeks ago, I was a passenger in a car traveling on northbound Interstate 95 approaching the exit for Route 100 in Howard County, Maryland. As I was looking upon the grassy median, I started to wonder—why wasn't there a wooden cross situated on the side of the road with my name on it? I realize to some; this might appear to be a strange question-- mainly since I am alive, and a wooden cross often represents a scene of a fatal car accident. Being alive at that moment, for me, was indeed a mystery.

So, please, allow me to rewind time for just a moment as I explain an incident that occurred on  October 8, 2017, at about 8:30 p.m. On this evening, I was driving my car on 95 North. All of the sudden, for reasons unknown, my car went out of control (we have since learned my front driver's side tire blew). The next memory is of a paramedic treating me. It all happened in a matter of seconds, I had just gotten on 95, and I was traveling at the posted speed limit, and the road was clear. Despite traveling the speed limit and having a clear roadway, my car was spinning out of control, and my last memory was a white SUV passing me. My only thought was "this is not going to end well." I do not recall impact or being extracted from my car, but I do recall that brief moment of clarity in the ambulance.  This brief moment of allowed me the opportunity to identify a familiar face of the paramedic treating me.  I recalled her face from my previous ministry as a Chaplain for the Howard Country Fire and Rescue. Just as quickly as I regained consciousness, I lost it again, only to wake up at the University of Maryland Shock Trauma.

As I had awakened again, I was greeted by a Maryland State Trooper.  I was very disoriented, but the conversation with the trooper I recall very well.  The trooper commented that he was happy to have the ability to speak with me. You see, the trooper explained that from the appearance of the accident scene he did not think I was going to be alive.  From the pictures, it was evident this accident was significant, but fortunately for me, I only sustained six broken bones, and I was spared from having any permeant injuries. The best news of all is that my injuries did not require surgery. However, my injuries were severe enough that I was admitted for five weeks of medical treatment and rehabilitation. 

After speaking to my pastor  on the phone, I explained to him that Jesus stood between me and the tractor trailer. My pastor being the clever and quick-witted person that he is stated, "You should have let Jesus drive." If, I may, please let me share some of the history of my pastor's statement.  For those that are not familiar, this accident was not the first time I had dodged death or serious injury. You see, twenty years earlier—just a few miles away from the above location on Route 100 West, I was travelling in a car on westbound route 100, and I saw a car from the eastbound side jump over the median and into westbound traffic. My initial thought was that death was on the horizon, so I closed my eyes, I held on tight and uttered to myself, "Jesus, help me." Jesus responded by diverting the collision and my life was spared. As I describe this experience, I always refer to Carrie Underwood's song, Jesus take the wheel, and fortunately for me "Jesus, took the wheel." Jesus is the only way to explain how this potential tragedy was avoided. My testimony concerning this experience is available on You Tube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AabAbkWSamI.

I must wonder--why God chose to spare me on multiple occasions, yet others are not so blessed. I may never know the exact reason why, but as we are taught in the Book of Job, only God sees the whole picture and has a complete understanding of His plan. Often, we may never understand why life unfolds the way it does, but I have to remember that God has a plan and a purpose for my life, and all of our lives. All I can do is be open to that plan and be willing to do what God calls me to do. I pray each day for the Holy Spirit to guide me towards that plan and for the ability to carry it out in a manner that honors and glorifies God.

I began this story by sharing how God has shown me grace and mercy throughout my life. I am far from a perfect person and have fallen to temptation, but each time God has extended me grace. For this, I am eternally grateful. I recognize that each day is a gift from God and that I must treasure it as such. May God bless each of you reading this, and I encourage you to improve those strained relationships in your life and to use this Christmas season as a time to repair those relationships, while you have the opportunity. Most importantly, invite loved ones over, hug them, and tell them how much you love them. One thing I realize, more so, than ever is that this life can change in a second. Don't live it with regrets, because you never took the opportunity to repair those relationships. I say this with all sincerity that you cannot take life for granted because this might be the last opportunity you have to celebrate Christmas with them. Celebrate the birth of Jesus by reconciling with others, show them love and grace. God bless each of you and have a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

Movie Review: The Case for Christ

Movie Review: The Case for Christ

     I had the pleasure of viewing the movie “The Case for Christ”, which is based on Lee Strobel’s, bestselling book of the same name.  The movie was very well done.  The acting was excellent, the plot interesting and frankly much better than I was expecting.  I read the book and found it interesting and enlightening. However, when I first heard it was being made into a movie, I frankly expected a boring documentary that was heavy on detail and low on entertainment.  Happily, that is not the case. 

    The movie is rated PG, primarily due to the medical description of the crucifixion and incidental smoking.  If your children are mature and have an interest I would not hesitate to recommend that you allow them to see it with you.    

     The movie is a true story which occurred in the early 1980’s.  The styles depicted in the movie, Lee’s Z-28 Camaro, and his love of Schlitz beer sets the scene well. 

     The movie has a great plot revolving around Lee’s family and work life.  There is a sub plot involving a police shooting and there are scenes of the realistic struggles in Lee’s family life.  The characters depict real people who care for and love one another.  While Lee gets emotional at times there are not any bitter adversarial scenes that would make a viewer uncomfortable.

     Lee Strobel was an award winning investigative reporter and legal editor at the Chicago Tribune and a devote atheist.

     Lee’s journey begins while he, his wife and young daughter are in a restaurant celebrating his recent promotion to legal editor. His daughter begins to choke.  Fortunately, there is a nurse nearby who provides emergency assistance and saves his daughter.  As Lee’s wife thanks the nurse, she responds that Jesus’ had a hand in this as she and her husband had plan to eat at another restaurant but they felt the need to eat at this one.  This comment had a profound effect on Strobel’s wife and caused her to explore Christianity and eventually give her life to Jesus.  Having a born again Christian wife did not sit well with Lee and he began a journey to prove that there was no reasonable basis for Christian beliefs.

     Lee’s journey included him seeking out leading experts in archeology, history, theology and medicine. The experts included a fellow atheist, a Catholic Priest and Protestant scholars.  Lee realized that the true question revolved around the Resurrection. If the Resurrection occurred as believed then there was a solid basis for Christianity.  If it did not the whole basis for Christianity is destroyed. 

     While the movie is not as detailed as the book, it does provide the key facts to support the Christian belief in the Resurrection.

     The title gives away the ending as Lee concludes that the argument for Christianity is strong and gives his life to Jesus.  He has retired from journalism and now is a teaching Pastor, teacher and writer.

    This movie is very well balanced.  It provides Christians with a road map to strengthen their faith.  Agnostics some points to consider and I believe atheists will enjoy the plot and how it is presented.  I highly recommend this movie for everyone. I consider this the best movie of its type. God bless and have a great Easter.

Movie Review: The Shack

Last night I had the pleasure of watching the movie premiere of "The Shack", which is based on William Paul Young's novel of the same name. 

"The Shack" tells the story of a fictional father, named Mack, who is struggling with the brutal murder of his young daughter, Missy, while on a family camping trip. One touching moment in the movie was the night before her murder when Missy asks Mack to pray with her to Papa.  Papa is the family's affectionate name for God the Father.

While the family is a church going Christian family and has the strong support of their church community, Mack is very angry with God and his older daughter, Kate, blames herself for the tragic death of Missy. 

While the rest of the family is away Mack receives a mysterious invitation to the Shack in which his daughter was killed and it was signed Papa. 

He decided to make the trip and spends a fictional weekend with the Trinity. While there was considerable artistic license taken in portraying the Trinity, the story of the weekend teaches some very important lessons.

One of the lessons is that God is a loving God who is pained by human suffering.  That there are times we must go through pain in order to grow and become the person God intends for us to be.  There is a scene were God the Father is encouraging Mack to forgive Missy's murderer.  You can see how this is obviously painfully for Mack.  This was, however, very necessary for his own healing and for him to eventually help his older daughter, Kate, free herself for the guilt she felt over Missy's death.

We also learn that we can accomplish things with Jesus walking beside us that we could never accomplish on our own and that the Holy Spirit is there to guide us.  We are also shown examples of free will, reconciliation and that Heaven is a beautiful place in which there is no pain, no suffering and no words that mean goodbye.

After the fictional weekend, we see a miraculous change in Mack's life and how he is able to help Kate release herself from the blame that she carries for Missy's death. This change results in the family once again being joyful and using their joy in the face of tragedy to glorify God.

The key to enjoying this movie and getting the most out of it is to realize that it is a work of Christian fiction and not a theological work that claims biblically accuracy.  Those who have read my reviews in the past know that I have been critical of other movies that stray from the truth of the Bible. The distinction is that those movies attempted to present themselves as an accurate portrayal of biblical stories.  The Shack makes no such attempt.  It is a fictional movie with an inspiring message.

In my view this movie was well done with wonderful acting and tells a compelling story of grief and healing. It demonstrates how healing can be used to glorify God.

Some have criticized the movie as suggesting that it ignored the wrath of God.  I did not see it that way. While talk of hell and damnation were missing, I didn't take that as a suggestion that hell does not exist. Rather that it was omitted because it was not consistent with the story's message of love, forgiveness, redemption and healing. There are other platforms where the discussion of God's wrath would be appropriate, this in my opinion, was not such a platform.

What I particularly liked was that The Shack emphasizes the Trinity.  While there is considerable artistic license taken with the portrayal of the Trinity, which some might take issue with, I am pleased that the Trinity was not ignored. I was also pleased that the movie acknowledged that the Trinity is three in one, an important theological concept which is easily misunderstood.  In my next blog post I will discuss the Trinity for those who wish a deeper discussion of this important theological concept.

My bottom line take away from this movie is similar to the take away I got after reading the Book of Job for the first time.  God's knowledge is infinite, while ours is limited.  There are times that we must be brought through pain to achieve what God has planned for us and which allows us to better glorify God.

I was also encouraged that our faith can not be based on what happens in the lifetime we have on earth.  The ultimate blessings that God has planned for us, His children, occur in our eternal life, not in our earthly life.

Overall, I was very pleased with this movie and feel it will provide Christians with a great way to open up discussions regarding pain and suffering.  It will also force those of us in ministry to be more prepared to discuss the difficult questions regarding why God allows pain and suffering.

9/11/2001: Remembering Captain Danny Levy and all the heroes of 9/11

Fifteen years ago today the world stopped turning.  Many people left their homes that morning, kissing their children and their spouse good bye, not realizing it would be their final kiss in this life time. Their family's life was about to change forever.  Others suffered from 9/11 related cancer and died years later but the events of 9/11/2001 certainly changed their lives and the lives of their families forever.  Today I am remembering one of those who contracted a 9/11 related cancer and was lost 13 years after that tragic day.  Captain Danny Levy of the Plainview Volunteer Fire Department. Captain Levy spent weeks after 9/11 working to recover the remains of those lost.  First lets recall the events of that day.

At 8:46 a.m. EST the world changed forever when a plane struck Tower 1 of the World Trade Center in New York City.  At 9:03 a.m. the second tower is hit. At 9:37 a.m. another jet crashes into the Pentagon. At 10:03 a.m., a plane headed towards the White House or the United States Capitol Building, crashed into a field near Pittsburgh.

Deaths that day approached 3,000 with over 6,000 injured.  Included in those numbers were 343 firefighters responding to the World Trade Center.  This was the largest number of casualties for F.D.N.Y. in any one day.  Even today, fifteen years later, the causalities mount as brave men and women are still dying from 9/11 related cancer.

This hits home because as a young man I was a member of the Plainview Volunteer Fire Department. My brother is a past Chief of that Department and responded to the World Trade Center on a mutual aid.  We were fortunate my brother survived and is fine today.  Another member of our Department eventually succumb to 9/11 related cancer his name is Captain Danny Levy.

Danny Levy has a unique story.  He was a veteran of the Israeli military and joined the Plainview Volunteer Fire Department in 1999.  He loved the United States and its people. He wanted to make a difference.  Danny was a man who put others before self. He made many trips to ground zero to work recovering victims.  He told family and friends that if before 9/11, he would have known he would have developed a 9/11 related cancer that would take his life, he would have still made those trips.

Captain Levy was a dedicated man, a hero, one of many.  I choose to write about Captain Levy this year as he is a man I got to know after 9/11. When I would visit the Plainview  Volunteer Fire Department on my trips home and Captain Levy was always welcoming. In spite of his suffering he always had a smile on his face and a good word for all. Captain Levy was a fine human being, a true inspiration and a wonderful leader.

Right up until the end Captain Levy was a firefighter, a teacher and a caring human being.  It is fitting that his final Facebook post just hours before his death was a picture used in firefighter training his comment "If you can read the smoke, than you know that this room is about to ignite any second now, so, jump or die burning."  Ironically, his final message was one designed to save the lives of his brother firefighters.

In the years to come I will try to put a human face on the tragedy of 9/11 and hope that we truly never forget.  God bless, Captain Levy and God bless all the heroes of 9/11.

Fathers as Leaders

Fathers as Leaders

This article is dedicated to my Dad

Fred L. Tousey

1915-1967

Gone way too soon but remains an inspiration.

Two years ago I wrote a popular article entitled “Fatherhood: The Sad Reality of the Absentee Father.”  That article discussed the adverse effects of a fatherless home.  Today’s article will consider why fathers are so important and how fathers can be more effective leaders in their families.

In the Sad Reality of the Absentee, we noted that former Maryland Governor Bob Ehrlich’s often recalls his many visits to the state’s juvenile and adult correctional facilities and how the majority of the inmates were males from fatherless homes. This observation finds support in a 2007 article by then Maryland Delegate, now State Senator Joanne C. Benson in which she noted that 85% of youth in prison are from fatherless homes.  Other startling statistics noted by Senator Benson include that 63% of young people who die by suicide, 71% of high school drop outs and 75% of all adolescent patients in chemical abuse centers are from fatherless homes.  Senator Benson observed that young men are in desperate need of positive role models and the presence of strong focused men in their lives.  She also noted this is not to say females or mothers should not be part of the equation.  Had it not been for the strong presence and influence of the female, more children would have fallen through the cracks. I experienced this after my dad died prematurely. Fortunately I had a strong mother who filled in the cracks. However, she was not able to role model how a man leads a family nor how he treats a woman.

Now that we have established the critical role a father plays in life of his children we can consider how a man can be a better and more effective leader and role model.

Many people misunderstand what a leader is.  Some feel a leader should intimidate others and bark orders.  This however is not biblical leadership and it is not the way God commands men to lead. Domestic violence and abuse is not biblical leadership.  

How then does God command men to lead ?  Let’s examine Ephesians 6:4 (ESV) which teaches us “Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.”  Adam Clark in his commentary relating to this verse states “…Parents are called to correct; not to punish, their children. Those who punish them do it from a principle of revenge; those who correct them do it from a principle of affectionate concern.”

In that leadership should always have love as its foundation we gain further insight on how to lead in 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 (ESV):

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.  Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

What we see in these verse is that God calls men to be patient, kind, trustworthy and instructs us not to easily anger.

As leaders, fathers must be humble and willing to allow the members of their family to use and develop the gifts God has given them.  This requires that men delegate some of their responsibilities to those family members who are gifted in those areas.  Fathers must also be willing to admit fault when they are wrong.  Fathers need to be servant leaders, leading by example rather than by command.  Fathers must also be able to resolve disputes by consensus rather than by edict.

It is essential for fathers to take the spiritual lead in the family.  Fathers should humble themselves by getting on their knees and praying in front of their family.  Fathers need to attend worship with the family.  Fathers must make every effort to live a Christian life and when they fail to do what is necessary to make things right.  Most times the recovery from failure is a more important lesson than doing it right the first time. 

Fathers must honor their wives. They need to show appropriate affection to their wife and children.  Fathers need to publicly demonstrate appreciation and respect for his wife’s role in the family.  Fathers must also publicly recognize the achievements of the members of his family.  Fathers must remember the words of Proverbs 20:7 “The righteous who walks in his integrity— blessed are his children after him!” and demonstrate integrity in all that he does.

This article is not intended to be an exhaustive analysis of how God calls fathers to lead but is intended to plant a seed that hopefully will promote further study and discussion.

Dads remember we are not Supermen.  We cannot do this alone.  Seek out other Christian men to provide counsel and guidance.  I belong to a Men’s group at church and this has been a valuable resource to me.  Each men is at a different stage in his walk and come from diverse background.  This diversity in experience and background provides a wonderful resource and has certainly helped me grow as a man.  God bless and happy Father’s Day.