Autumn Has Begun... in August

This post first appeared in FCC’s blog in August of 2020.

“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”

— Matthew 5:14-16

As I am writing this on Wednesday, August 26, it has now been 24 hours since Starbucks started selling its (in)famous Pumpkin Spice Latte again as they do every year. Last year, Starbucks launched their pumpkin-flavored goodies on August 27, and the year prior it was August 28. Starbucks’ fall seasonal marketing literally starts earlier and earlier every year.

Another example of this phenomenon of seemingly inappropriate timing for dropping autumn products happened to me this weekend at Bath & Body Works. On Saturday I took a short trip to the beach, and when I got back I noticed signage near the local Bath & Body Works advertising a sale on their fall hand soaps. I tell you guys, It is a strange feeling walking by a pumpkin-scented Bath & Body Works storefront while I’ve got sand in my shoes and I smell of sunscreen.

Here’s the thing, though: I don’t mind it.

I may be in a minority with this take, but my favorite time of year is autumn. The weather trends toward becoming cooler, the world’s smells and tastes are sweetest, the imagery is full of color, and (controversial opinion) the autumn Hallmark movies are superior to the Christmastime ones.

And you’d better believe I waited patiently and eagerly in those long lines to nab a Pumpkin Spice Latte and a Pumpkin Pecan Waffle scented candle.

Starbucks and Bath & Body Works likely did not mean to be, but they were a light to me this week. Anyone with access to the news may have noticed that these past few months of tumultuous current events have not been easy on anyone, and it’s nice having a small bit of comfort in the form of sweet smells and tastes to remind us that life offers more goodness than Facebook, Twitter, and news outlets let on.

We Christians are to act in similar fashion. Oftentimes, the bad stuff in this world is the loudest and most apparent, but the world is crying out for a small bit of goodness and beauty to contrast it. We have the opportunity to be that light they crave. As Christ tells us in the Sermon on the Mount, the good that we do in dark times acts as a bright representation of our Father in heaven. We have a duty to be the “light of the world,” “the salt of the earth,” and “the town built on a hill.”

I certainly wasn’t expecting the flavors of autumn to befall me so early this year, but I am glad that they did. While the world is expecting more and more bad news, we can be that good and beautiful light they aren’t expecting contrasting the darkness.

Bible Reading: Take a few minutes to read over Matthew 5:3-16. Pray, meditate, and listen to what actions God has in store for you as you be light for a dark world.

-Travis Morrill
Communications and Facilities Administrator at Friends Community Church

The Day of Small Things

This post first appeared on Judy Grubaugh’s blog, A Place for My Heart, in May of 2020,

“Who dares despise the day of small things,…”

— Zechariah 4:10

Friday morning I was sitting on our back patio doing some reading when my mind began to wander, and I found myself intrigued by the vine clinging tightly to the fence surrounding the yard. As I looked at it, my mind took a trip down memory lane to a number of years ago when I purchased that plant. It couldn't have been more than eight or ten inches tall, but I thought it was pretty so I bought it and planted it near the fence in the back yard. At the time, I had no idea what it was or how it would grow. But soon it began to climb the fence and today it covers most of the fence, adding a serene beauty to the yard. 

As I sat there mesmerized for a few moments thinking about what that tiny little plant has become, it brought to mind something God said many years ago in regard to small things becoming big things. It was back in the days when God's people had returned to their war-torn city of Jerusalem after being held in captivity in another country. As they began rebuilding the temple of God, it was obvious that it didn't begin to compare with the previous temple—the one that had been destroyed by the enemy. In fact, some of the people thought the new temple was so small and insignificant that it would amount to nothing. But God said its glory would be even greater than that of the former temple. In other words, it would  have a greater far-reaching effect because his peace would be there. He then cautioned against making light of small things by asking the question: "Who dares despise the day of small things,...?"  Zechariah 4:10

While all of this was swimming through my head, it brought to mind a conversation with a friend a few days before. We had been talking about ministry and how different it is during this pandemic. No longer are we able to meet in large groups, doing the big things in ministry that we're used to doing. In fact, being stuck in our homes, we may be tempted to do nothing. But that morning on my patio God assured me that the little things we do for the glory of God may have an even greater impact than the bigger things we've grown accustomed to doing. Such a little thing may be as small as sending a note in the mail, an encouraging word in a text, a small gift dropped on someone's front porch, a phone call, or even a prayer uttered in the middle of the night when you can't sleep. It may even be a song that has blessed you. Only God knows the far-reaching effect of such a little thing in someone's life.

You may be surprised. God may grow that little thing to be a big thing, just like that little plant in my yard. What little thing will you do today?

-Judy Grubaugh
Women’s Ministry Speaker at Friends Community Church

Check out FCC’s Women’s Bible Study messages every Tuesday for more from Judy and other speakers. Click here to listen to past messages.

The Best Way to Brew Coffee

“There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord.”

— 1 Corinthians 12:4-5

Anyone who loves coffee knows that there has been a centuries-long debate about the best way to brew it.

Many coffee-drinkers are perfectly content with using a Mr. Coffee machine or a Keurig to quickly prep their morning brew. Others believe that intentionality is key, and the best way to brew is with a French press or a filterless glass pour-over system. A lot of folks in Europe believe that espresso shots are the way to go, while American coffee drinkers like to enjoy a prolonged multi-sip experience every morning (hence the invention of the Americano espresso drink while American soldiers were stationed in Italy during World War II).

Perhaps even more controversial is the debate about whether or not to put additives such as cream or sugar into coffee (or how much is acceptable). I personally enjoy my coffee black but will add a small bit of cream every once in a while if I’m feeling a little bold. This act could be considered anathema by some. And don’t even get some of us started on so-called abominations like coconut milk lattes or (ugh) frappuccinos!

After years of coffee-drinking and debates, I finally decided to take a pilgrimage to Hawaii and seek guidance from a credible expert on the subject. Hawaii is the only state of our union with enough rain, humidity, and rich soil to grow coffee beans, so naturally the people in our nation most knowledgeable about coffee will reside there. 

While on the island of Kauai, my wife and I decided to take a quick tour of the Kauai Coffee Estate, the largest coffee farm in the United States. I was elated to hear that our tour guide previously lived in Seattle, the birthplace of Starbucks, so she just had to have the best knowledge about coffee. Finally, I was going to get some answers!

After a detailed explanation of all of the ways to brew coffee (percolator, cold brew, Keurig, etc.) our tour guide finally discerned the answer for us: the best way to brew coffee is… the way you like to brew it.

WHAT?!? There is no single best way to brew coffee? How could she brush aside centuries of verbal warfare so simply? I was both amazed and aghast! That is, until I remembered what Paul taught the Corinthians about Spiritual Gifts (which you may remember from Pastor Micah’s recent message about the church and our gifts).

Similar to the coffee debate, there has been much dialogue in the Church over the use of our gifts given by the Holy Spirit and which gifts are best, but the Apostle Paul puts all debates to rest with a simple comment. To paraphrase 1 Corinthians 12:4-6: “If a gift is from the Spirit, then it’s good.” 

Our gifts are meant to aid us in serving God. If we are serving God, then we are using our gifts properly, and however we do so is good to God. To God there is no “best” way, so for God’s people there is no reason to boast in our abilities but reason to encourage each person’s unique contributions.

Even though I was initially taken aback by our tour guide’s conclusion, I left that estate on Kauai with a new appreciation for the diverse ways to enjoy coffee. Don’t let the people around you put you to shame for the way you enjoy coffee, nor for the way you serve God. If done with the correct spirit, it is good.

Click here to take a free Spiritual Gifts survey as a jumping-off point to see how your unique abilities can help show Christ to others. (After taking the test, make sure you take personal inventory and ask those close to you to see how God is moving through you.)

Are you looking for ways to serve, give, or connect with FCC? Click here to check out serving opportunities in our community, or click here to see the different connection ministries FCC offers.

-Travis Morrill
Communications and Facilities Administrator at Friends Community Church

Pure Joy

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”

— James 1:2-4

When people talk about classic dystopian fiction, typically two comparable novels come up as examples: George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four (published in 1949) and Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World (1932). 

Nineteen Eighty-Four (probably the more famous of the two) describes a world in which a totalitarian state run and surveilled by the evil, all-seeing “Big Brother” lies to its citizens and forces them into submission through fear. Brave New World (my personal favorite of the two), on the other hand, depicts a world in which access to pleasure and easy escapes from life’s hardships turn its citizens into apathetic-yet-productive members of an uncaring society.

Brave New World is finally being released as a television show in the next few months, but Nineteen Eighty-Four is likely more famous because of its many movie, TV, and radio adaptations throughout the past few decades. That said, it can be argued that the situations described in Brave New World’s society are more likely to happen in real life. 

We, all of humanity as a whole, simply tend to be more willing to accept distractions and escapes such as those in Brave New World than the hardships described in Nineteen Eighty-Four. I don’t know about you, but I would absolutely take a Netflix binge or a trip to Disneyland over spending time thinking about an imminent financial problem or health scare. Obviously it’s easier for us to seek escape or distraction from the hard stuff than face it head-on, but life’s times of trouble will always be there no matter what we distract ourselves with. Luckily, the Bible gives us some encouragement for when life gets hard.

Besides the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7), the book of James is probably my favorite passage of Scripture. James gives some of the best practical advice on how to do Christianity and be like Christ while acknowledging that doing so can be difficult at times.

In the first chapter, James tells us that we should consider ourselves fortunate “whenever [not ifever, but whenever] we face trials” because the long-term rewards we receive for doing so are perseverance and maturity. The only way we can fully and perfectly achieve this reward of maturity is not by escaping or distracting ourselves from hardships, but by accepting and embracing them.

Of course sometimes it is appropriate to seek refuge or escape from a toxic or dangerous circumstance, but if we are to follow the Bible’s advice on embracing and learning from what life throws at us, then we will receive the practical rewards that James promises us. It is in embracing and learning from our hardships that we can mature and avoid the uncaring world described in Brave New World.

-Travis Morrill
Communications and Facilities Administrator at Friends Community Church

The Phases of Our Faith

“No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

— Romans 8:37-39

Over the last month or so, I have noticed many people asking (whether in personal conversations or in social media posts) about the state of people’s faith. Some are wondering if they are the only ones who are just having the hardest time finding joy amidst the current state of the world, and others are feeling like they’ve never felt the Lord so near. It reminded me of a really hard season I went through when I was in college; something about being at a Bible College really emphasized the times in my life when I had doubts in my faith or felt distant from God. I would get so wrapped up in my Bible classes, my chapel and church attendance, and all the other things that my schedule was full of that I often lost sight of God in the middle of my messes. During this time, God spoke to me in a really profound way and it actually inspired the meaning behind one of my tattoos, which is what I want to share with you today as an encouragement.

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Photo by Katie Newton

I once had this extremely spiritual moment with God when I stared at the beauty of a full moon. Its radiance was captivating, the detail was breathtaking, and I couldn’t believe I had so often overlooked this wonderful creation. It was in that moment that I saw God as Creator and the Author of Life. Other days (or months, seasons) it is difficult to see God as that same big God who reigns over all the world, or as a God who is capable of owning the entire universe and still wants to know me. But that’s when these phases come in; similarly, it’s not always the full moon that I see. Somedays the moon appears as just a small crescent in the night sky, and other days the fog overtakes the sky and I don’t even know which direction to look for the moon! Even still, I know and trust that the full moon is there in its entirety.

God is big enough and works in ways that are beyond my comprehension, and this serves as a reminder to trust that when I only see and experience God as a “crescent” in my life, the nature of his fullness is still there. Whether God feels near or distant to you in this trying season, I hope you can trust that he has never left your side!

-Katie Newton
Worship Leader at Friends Community Church