Pastor John’s Blog

When I think of Valley View, I think a lesson for us to take from Easy Company is the power of relational trust forged over time. We all want stronger relationships, but there is no shortcut; it really only happens over time spent together.

One thing I love about Valley View is that we’re constantly looking to build community and build relationships that will strengthen our church and strengthen the love in our church. That will then open the doors for us to pour out into the community around us.

An interesting thing about chickens is that even with their heads (so far so good), they still run around like chickens with their heads cut off. Toss a grub or caterpillar in the pen, and they all chase after the lucky chicken who captured it until that chicken tires out and is forced to share. But sometimes the pursuers forget what they were chasing, get distracted and pulled in another direction. Ever feel that way? Distracted, rushing, running around chasing the thing right in front of you in that moment?

One of my favorite books about how Christians should engage with the culture is called The Benedict Option by Rod Dreher. Not “Benedict” like Benedict Arnold, but as in St. Benedict, referring to a group of monks that follow in the tradition he began in 529 AD. We usually think of monks as being reclusive, pulling away from society in their remote monastery to focus on prayer, only coming out to sell the cheese or beverages they make. And that is usually true, but Dreher observed one particular group in Italy that took a more determined approach to their mission.

We were on our way back from an early morning fly-fishing trip. It was a productive morning, both of us having caught some fish, returning refreshed from the cool mountain water and air. In the relaxed atmosphere of the single cab Chevy, the conversation turned toward spiritual matters. He, the philosophical skeptic, pondered aloud the meaning of life. I mentioned how knowing Jesus personally has given me purpose and meaning in life. His response was typical of one you might hear these days, “Yes, Jesus had a lot of great things to say, a great moral teacher.” I pushed back by sharing from my own journey. “True, He did have a lot of great things to say, but He also had some crazy things to say. For instance, I really had to wrestle with His statement, “I am THE way, THE Truth, and THE life, no one comes to the Father except through me.” That’s a pretty bold claim that doesn’t leave any middle room.”

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