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Summer 2010
Notes from Paul
June 24
Looking Forward
As we all enjoy the weather and change of pace that is summer, we also look toward September as a time of positive return and new starts. All of our lives, including church and school and work, are revving up again in the fall. There are a lot of things to be excited about. And there are a lot of miles to cover before September arrives.
Here are several things to consider as we gaze ahead:
- Sue and I are preparing to go on our study/ministry leave to Italy. I am grateful for the opportunity to study and write and even preach in Italian- and English-speaking churches. Though I will be preparing future sermons for The Chapel, in Italy I will be speaking from the Psalms and on other themes and messages that you heard this past spring.
- Sue will be writing a new yearlong Bible study for this coming year and the women’s discipleship back home. The content of her work will be from the parables of our Lord. Sue will also be leading a three-day women’s retreat in Milan.
- We are looking forward to not only serving in Italy, a wonderful yet post-Christian culture, but also to the spiritual refreshment that we get from such a leave. We will take a little R&R, especially when our daughter and son-in-law come over. The reservoir of energy and the perspective of distance will enable us to lead the church with strong vision and passion for the days ahead.
- As I prepare for future sermons, I’d like to try out an idea. I want to research and create messages that reflect the real issues that are on your heart and mind. If you would submit your themes, ideas, burning issues (personal, biblical etc.) to me at YouAskedForIt@the-chapel.org, I will try to biblically and thoughtfully deliver these messages in the second half of August. It will be a joy to connect the Scriptures with what’s on our hearts this summer.
- On another note, throughout this summer The Chapel’s high school students will be serving and growing all over the place. From south Akron to South Africa and areas in between, many of our teens will be having profound and spiritually stretching experiences. When they return to “school” this September, our students will encounter a fresh new addition to Sunday mornings. Along with the serving component (more than 200 students serving weekly in Children’s and other ministries), we will be adding an exciting new gathering for high schoolers on each campus. This will provide a vital venue of connection and biblical challenge that will be just what our teens need. We look forward to continuing the momentum of spiritual growth that the summer trips afforded and carrying that into September where our teens can experience community and service in real significant ways. Stay tuned.
- As you may recall, in January 2010, The Chapel’s trustees and staff developed a plan to become officially “engaged” to Valleyview, our sister congregation in Wadsworth. We felt this was both a divine opportunity and directly in line with our Embrace Tomorrow goals of real growth through “new lives and new places.” On July 18, the Valleyview membership will be voting to request of The Chapel that they be enfolded into our church family and ministries. At the end of this summer, we will be challenged to approve this “merger.” We will hold a few informational meetings in August and create a fact sheet to help you understand this opportunity before us. God willing, this third “campus” will provide us the site we need to effectively do ministry and proclaim Christ to another part of Northeast Ohio.
I could include many more summer-to-September stories—like the great adjustments to our Children’s area that include new rooms in Akron and fabulous security enhancements on both campuses. But this is already getting too long. So I conclude this way: As the days of summer warmly occupy us, let’s promise to continue to walk with Christ, serve and love our Chapel family and pray that the Lord would guide our paths, empower our ministry efforts and prepare us for a wonderful September.
May the Lord bless you and keep you, may the Lord make his face shine upon you and give you his peace. May Christ reign as the Lord of our lives and of The Chapel, now and always, Amen.
With a sense of joy and privilege, Paul and Sue
July 1
Reasons to Reflect—to Remember
Celebrating our nation's birth while exalting Christ who is the Lord of all tribes and nations.
How important it is for us as a church to honor our American heritage. We remember and live that out in the body of Christ that we are all under the same banner (flag) of the Lord. Distinctions of Jew/Gentile, rich/poor, male/female, American/foreigner all become very dim in the church. May The Chapel always be a place where someone from Lebanon or Korea or France feels very welcome and "unforeign" here.
I sure love our country and the many ways we reflect, or at least try to respect, moral law and even some biblical perspectives on human dignity and justice.
I love that the Statue of Liberty stands out in the harbor and says, "Come." And while our country certainly has the right to regulate the inward flow of immigrants, how morally right and healthy it is for us to reflect the biblical mandate to remember the aliens in our midst and show hospitality to strangers.
I love it that in our secular country we not only have the freedom to worship our Lord but also to practice our faith in deliberate ways. Instead of being offended or even racist toward immigrants and foreigners, as Christ-followers we can love them and build relationships with them—missional, eternal, kingdom-living.
I love that in our pluralistic society any voice can be heard and that the ones whose actions back their words validate themselves. Christ said he came not to be served but to serve. An authentic tone enters our words when we serve those in our community and country who are perceived as outsiders, on the fringe, or unwelcome—all in the name of Christ.
I love it that we have the freedom to spread the love and Good News of Christ with whomever crosses our path. And as our path is becoming increasingly crowded with foreigners and immigrants, may we welcome them and see it as a divine opportunity to share Christ with the world on our doorstep.
Happy 4th of July Chapel family! Happy birthday America!
Pastor Paul in Italy 
What fun and a privilege it was to preach at the Chiesa Stadera Sunday morning. As you can see from the photo, as usual I was overdressed for church. I also had a jacket, but took it off for the heat. The congregation was so friendly and receptive. As they are mostly new believers, they were very spiritually hungry and attentive to the Word. Speaking of young--watching Italy lose in the World Cup last week (with thousands of depressed Italian fans in the public square, it was like being at a Browns game) reminded me of something church-related (surprise, surprise right?). The same national team that won the entire World Cup four years ago was summarily dismissed in the first round. Why? One big reason was they haven't been raising up younger players. The team this year was rather old and "over-experienced" (read slow and tired). As a country and soccer culture, they have rested on their past and been lax in raising a new generation of soccer players.
We as a church and staff must continue to work and pray toward getting younger. That means worship services that praise our Lord in languages and styles that communicates to young people and young families. That means our Children's and Youth ministries must be nothing short of excellent. That means we (Sue and I are certainly in this group) must go out of our way to welcome the younger ones and their differences. We have to make it top priority to lovingly introduce the next generations to Christ in a clear timeless way. We must get younger or we all lose.
That's all for now. Keep readin' them Psalms. And keep sending the You Asked For It sermon ideas.
Our prayers are with you and thanks for yours!
Paul And Sue
July 8
From Judgment to His Grace
You probably haven't thought about it all week, but it is staring us right in the face as we read Psalm 75. It's not a very comfortable subject but it is a biblical reality. That there is in fact a "day" of judgment is both a sobering fact and an inescapable one. The psalm hits us with phrases like "it is I who judge rightly," and (get a load of this one) "in the cup of the Lord is a cup full of foaming wine…all the wicked drink it to its very dregs." Whoa, that sounds serious!
It is! It grabs our hearts and makes us think soberly about our lives…and certainly about the lives of others. Right?
Though, it speaks of the "wicked" as being the subjects of God's judgment. And though we tend to think of the wicked as those "nasty" people who make the headlines and are much more evil than us. Truly, as the Bible says, we are all naturally unrighteous and prime candidates for judgment.
So, if God's judgment is certain then what effect, if any, does it have on our responsibility toward others? It is rather easy to become self absorbed when thinking about judgment. That's rather understandable. But what about others? What effect does it have on my heart to think of family and friends, and those who are not in Christ?
If I am not careful I can become immobilized and silent because the subject is appalling and painful. And yet, even as this psalm moves toward worship, so I can have confidence in our just and loving God. For though our God must administer justice in a moral universe, he takes "no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live" (Ezek. 33:11). So we pray and point others toward a merciful God who's name is Jesus.
God's calling and ours to others is to turn with humility and gratitude to the grace of Christ who took on our judgment for us! Judgment is escapable, a "death" sentence avoidable all because Christ took on divine judgment for us. Now that's a cup worth drinking!
July 15
God's Will Be Done
Sunday is a big day for our friends at Valleyview in Wadsworth. They are prayerfully deciding what is wise, what is best, what the Lord desires for their future as a congregation. Do they remain an independent congregation or do they formally request to become a part of The Chapel?
As you may recall, in January The Chapel’s trustees and staff developed a plan to become officially “engaged” to Valleyview. After assisting them in various ways for the last several years, we felt this was a God-given opportunity. It even fit with our Embrace Tomorrow goals of real growth through “new lives and new places.”
If Valleyview requests to become a part of our ministry family—as a sort of third campus—shortly after that we will be challenged to approve this merger. We will hold informational meetings later this summer and a fact sheet will be created to help you understand this opportunity better.
God willing, this Chapel “site” or third “campus” will provide us the venue we need to effectively do ministry and proclaim Christ to another part of Northeast Ohio. In the meantime, we pray for our friends in Wadsworth, that they may sense God’s leading in a clear and unified way.
July 22
The Gospel—Something We Believe, Not Just Do
What is the gospel? For some in our society, the gospel conjures up ideas of old-fashioned, fundamentalist religion—an outdated way of faith that speaks of rules and is out of touch with current culture.
But that is not the gospel, is it? It is good news for all who receive it. In many ways the notion of the gospel turns on the issues of believing and doing. Is the gospel a message we believe? Or is it something we do?
In its simplest form, the gospel is summed up by the Apostle Paul’s words in First Corinthians: “Christ died for our sins, was buried and rose again.” So central to the gospel is the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. Implied is the fact of our sins (the reason Christ died) and the effect of our sin (death and mortality, what the Lord’s resurrection won victory over).
This Sunday, we welcome our friend Dr. Joseph D’souza from India. Joseph and his ministry has been a catalyst for many good and vital gospel endeavors that we are part of as a church family. We believe in the gospel, that Christ is the Savior. Therefore, in India, there are efforts in church-planting, training for pastors, education for Dalit children, school construction, and empowering women with skills and a sense of worth. The gospel is about believing the good news of Christ and then allowing that to affect the way we live and treat others and begin reversing the curse of sin.
Sunday I am preaching in Milan, Italy, another land that has been greatly influenced by the gospel. But over the generations, the good news ceased to be something one truly believed but instead was just a social action or a cultural flavor. As a result, today I am in a society filled with good social institutions and hospitals, many with the names of saints attached to them. But for the most part the churches are rather empty. The gospel must always be something we believe, not just do.
July 29
Community
Maybe we don’t stress it enough. It is our second of three core values at The Chapel. It is what often goes missing in religious circles that stress individuality and “personal” relationships with Christ.
It is community. That vital aspect of “one another” that we are built for and the church is designed to foster authentically and deeply.
If you think about it, community per se is rather inevitable. We go to school where we often are encouraged to try to work together. We come from families, some less dysfunctional than others. We work at jobs where competition and undercutting are often more prevalent than cooperation and teamwork. We live in cities and in a country where “us” refers usually only to those who think like us politically and “them,” though fellow citizens are usually seen more as enemies than allies. Where’s the community in that?
So, back to the body of Christ. Because like it or not, the community we experience on a regular basis is often less than uplifting and perhaps rarely a godly experience. That’s where the church fills the gap.
As The Chapel is your spiritual home, do you have community here? Certainly there are many informal communities in our fellowship. There are also many deliberate and formal community groups here. If you are not a part of a Sunday or home group (ABFs) or involved in our women’s or men’s ministries, why not make it a priority to become a part of one of these communities this fall? You will find friends and Christ there.
August 5
This Great and Inspired Hymn Book
“Sing to the Lord a new song,” the psalmist tells us. We are beginning to wind down our “Summer in the Psalms” series. Did you enjoy reading through this great and inspired hymn book? Some of you told me how you have been reading the Psalms together each day as a family. I know that some were even inspired by the biblical psalms, to write their own 
personal psalms to the Lord. Very nice. I have even heard of a few—creative musician-types, I guess, write music to several of the Psalms. We ought to have a contest (a sort of “American Idol” Chapel-style) and hear all the different … um … maybe not.
If you think about it, the idea of “group” singing (psalms or otherwise), outside of church it is a rather strange concept. At sporting events in some countries (English rugby matches for example) the crowd sings together. (I guess OSU fans sort of do it with the “Hang on Sloopy” bit.)
Yet we take it quite for granted that when we come together as the church we will sing together as one. But really it is quite a wonderful, unifying experience. With all of our different voices and pitches, we sing the same words, the same message to the same One. Out of a common experience of Christ’s saving grace, we, with our varied pasts, sing in harmony great praises to our God.
I am encouraged by the words of Dietrich Bonhoeffer: “The early morning belongs to the Church of the risen Christ. At the break of light, it remembers the morning on which death and sin lay prostrate in defeat and new life and salvation were given to mankind … If we were to 
learn again something of the praise and adoration that is due the triune God at the break of day—then we would also begin to sense something of the joy that comes when night is past and brethren who dwell together in unity come together for common praise of their God, common hearing of the Word, and common prayer.”
On this final Sunday that Sue and I will be singing in a foreign tongue and looking forward to returning to our church family in common worship, I am reminded of the words of Ambrose, Bishop of Milan (4th century):
To Thee our morning song of praise,
To thee our evening prayer we raise,
Thy glory suppliant we adore
For ever and for evermore.
August 12
A Big Family Indeed
Whether you’re relatively new to The Chapel or have been coming since the 1930s, you will quickly realize that this is a very unique church. In our mood, in our heritage, in our emphasis on grace and even in our size, The Chapel is really one of a kind.
Regarding our church and size, a quote from About.com: Cleveland-
Akron's megachurch, The Chapel, has been reaching out to the Akron area for over 70 years. They added a Green location in 2003, becoming "one church with two locations."
I was interacting with a friend recently about megachurches in general and The Chapel specifically. We agreed that there could be a tendency for the very big church to be everything from impersonal to shallow to non-specific in its convictions. No argument here. If we are not careful, in our efforts to attract the masses and even “win” them, we could become very “thin” in both our message and our relationships.
Our message is clearly the biblical gospel—that we are both beloved and terribly wayward before a holy God. That Christ died for our spiritual brokenness is both the initiation and termination of our message and our lives! In between is the entire Bible story of salvation—that we live in a broken world that God will one day restore. And in the meantime he longs to use us, his church, to bring life and hope to this painful and confused planet we live on. That is far from a shallow message. That is why we labor intensely from the pulpit (and classrooms) to teach the profound message of the entire Bible. It is our goal and prayer that we are not merely informed, but truly transformed by biblical instruction—transformed and empowered to live lives that will deliberately bring the holistic hope of Christ to each of our worlds.
Now, to the charge of superficial relationships in the megachurch. Potentially, a real problem. Which is why we stress so vehemently the need for community within the larger context of the worship services. For all ages, we offer smaller groups that emphasize personal relationships, relevant biblical instruction and even outreach projects that can bond the group while bringing Christ to the world. If you are not part of a group, please consider joining one (your entire family can!). This fall we are starting new home groups for adults; the teenagers are rebooting for significant relational ministry; and Chapel Kids ministry is over-the-top meaningful and fun for the kids. No one who is a part of The Chapel’s community ministries would ever call us superficial or shallow.
So, we are glad you are at The Chapel. More than just a place to come and experience, we are a family. A big family indeed. But a family where everyone is loved and everyone is needed. Welcome to The Chapel where Christ is King and people are family.
August 19
FYI
In our day of texting, don’t you love how so many words are abbreviated? R U aware that u can use just 1 letter 2 communicate many words?
FYI, in case u were wondering, I am not a huge fan of video preaching. Now I know that many good and growing churches use that on a weekly basis. But it’s just not my cup of T. I prefer to have godly and strong campus pastors share the preaching load like Pastors Platek and Castelli. Now I am a big fan of leadership. That is y at times I will choose to use a live video format so that I may communicate to the entire Chapel family all at once. It won’t be 2 often though. Y not? C reason above :-).
BTW, I am a lifetime fan of Chapel Kids’ ministry! The first ministry Sue and I experienced together as college students was that of teaching 3rd graders at The Chapel. What fun. And what a healthy challenge. We sure had to know r stuff. I believe that class helped us develop a lifelong love and commitment to biblical discipleship. U may be wanting a similar experience. AAF (gotcha on this one—as a matter of fact), we have a significant need for kids’ workers on Sunday morning. Talk about a win/win—our high priority for excellence in kids ministry and your desire to be spiritually challenged in a meaningful ministry. Pls consider being a part of this gr8 ministry. The impact will be amazing.
DUR (that’s do you remember) when I asked for questions and issues as
end-of-summer sermon fodder? Today we begin U Asked 4 it. U all sure like “end times” subjects! The final 2 messages will deal with Christ’s return. This first 1, we will deal with many of our favorite preoccupations—ourselves! Narcissism will be our topic and Genesis 3 will be our passage. Come with questions as we will even have a brief chance for Q&A.
TAFN. LOL, PP (Pastor Paul)
August 26
Only As Strong As...
I have heard this phrase uttered in various different ways: “a church is only as strong as...” And then any number of good comments or hobby-horses follow. So let me have a crack at it and hopefully no hobby-horses will gallop in.
The Chapel is only as strong as...
Our Kids ministry. As we love on our children, disciple them in Christ, and make new families feel welcome and confident as they drop their kids off, we will be developing a very strong and healthy church. Thanks for your response to the need for many workers this fall. We still have many openings for ministry in this vital area. Thanks for considering.
Their men and the seriousness they have about spiritual things. I am grateful for the many godly men that I have the privilege of working with on the Trustee Board and the Pastoral Staff. Men of The Chapel, please take your calling from Christ to serve and lead and follow him very seriously. This September you have the opportunity to spend some time in solitude and fellowship with other men at Camp Carl. You can choose either weekend; September 10-11 or 17-18.
Its mission and commitment to bring the love of Christ to our neighbors close by and around the world. Thanks in a big part to our assistance and love at Leggett School, they have vastly improved in their overall rating within the Akron Public Schools! And throughout the world our commitment of vision and mission dollars is huge in making The Chapel a strong missional church.
Its love for and adherence to the Scriptures. In our classrooms and in our homes, among adults and those younger, many of you teach with love and clarity the message of the Bible for those in your fellowship. Thank you. Be assured that our commitment to biblical proclamation in the pulpit is as strong as ever as we seek to encourage and equip you, the body of Christ, while proclaiming the Gospel in all its implications.
Its heart for the Lordship of Christ. Our strength lies in our love and unadulterated commitment to Christ as our Lord and head of the church. This will show in our integrity, in our demeanor of joy and humility, and in the way we treat and love on one another in Christ’s body.
“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might” Ephesians 6:10
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