You may have wondered whatever happened to me. I’ve been away from Washington in my hometown of Buffalo, New York. For the last week, I have shepherded my father–and mother–through the sometimes very dark tunnel of Dad’s newly diagnosed terminal cancer. Mom and Dad are in a nursing home together. It’s a wonderful gift to them, as many couples are painfully separated at this stage of life. After 54 years of devotion to one another, my folks could never survive separation. Happily, the Catholic sisters who minister to the residents at St. Francis Home are committed to keeping Mom and Dad together.

As a minister I’ve had many encounters with people at the end-of-life, and I’ve ministered to plenty of families experiencing grief following the death of a loved one. Nothing, though, prepared me entirely for this experience. I was the one to break the news to Dad that his cancer is terminal. My sisters were with me when we told our mother. My brother Paul came up from Pennsylvania with his son, Abraham, to help rearrange Dad’s room to accommodate his special healthcare needs.

Dad has made his peace with God and tells us all he’s ready to die. He’s confident the life beyond is better than this one, but Mom doesn’t want to let him go. She’s had plenty of crying times. Being deaf and wheelchair bound makes it that much more difficult for her.

My time has been spent chauffeuring Dad from doctor to doctor, hospital to hospital, and making all the arrangements for his considerable change in care. My heart goes out to families that have done this for years–it’s exhausting enough to spend just one week doing it! My wife, Cheryl, is a pediatric occupational therapist and my daughter, Anna, is a special education teacher for autistic children. Both have told me many stories of families consumed by the care of a disabled child. I always listened with as much compassion as I could muster, but it won’t be hard anymore. I’m not sure which is more demanding, the physical, spiritual or emotional dimensions. Taken together, they sap every ounce of strength!

Just before I left the Capital–on my way to a preaching tour of Southern California–then directly here to Buffalo–we had an incident outside our ministry center. A neighbor’s wife, who has advanced Alzheimer’s disease, was wandering in the middle of the busy street. I escorted her back to her condo, where a surprised caregiver realized the front door had inadvertently been left ajar. I feel as never before for the woman’s husband and her caregiver. It takes absolute and continuous attention to nurse a failing loved one.

Perhaps this is why Jesus identified the love of the person closest to us as the second of the Great Commandments. When a young man asked him of all the things God has told us to do, what is the greatest, Jesus answered, “What is written in the law? What is your reading of it?” So he (the young man), answered and said, “ ‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,’and ‘your neighbor as yourself.’” And He said to him, “You have answered rightly; do this and you will live.”

The term used in this scripture for “neighbor” means those closest to us in proximity. That would include family members. In my book on the Ten Commandments, Ten Words That Will Change a Nation, I emphasize parents are “closer” than anyone because they birthed us. Taking care of our parents not only comports with the second of the Greatest Commandments, but literally fulfills one of the Ten, to “Honor father and mother.”

It’s been hard to be away from Washington for all this time. More exciting ministry has happened on Capitol Hill in the last week than happened in the month before it. Still, while my team is busy back on our mission field, I know I’m exactly where I should be, doing what I should be doing. I’ve always preached, “God first, family second, everything else third.” I’m living–and loving–that sermon this week. Thanks for your prayers, concern and patience.

Your grateful missionary to our nation’s leaders (and this week to my Dad and Mom!),

Rob

PS. In processing my father’s impending death, I’ve made some brief nostalgic and prayer-filled pilgrimages. I dropped into the little country church where I made my profession of faith in Christ 36 years ago–check out the video I made while there. Also, check out this photo of the Jewish Temple where my family attended when I was small.

You may be one of the friends I met this weekend during my unforgettable visit to sunny Southern California. If so, you’re a gift from God to me and to my ministry team here at Faith and Action. Your interest, prayers and support of this Gospel outreach to our nation’s leaders is absolutely critical! We could not do what God has called us to do–proclaim the Gospel to America’s top elected and appointed officials–if you didn’t do so faithfully what God has called you to do.

Welcome to each of you I met at San Diego’s amazing Horizon Christian Fellowship and Gardena’s fantastic Calvary Chapel South Bay! You’re now in our inner circle and I look forward to staying in touch with you. I’ll post regular prayer and praise reports here at my blog–and send them out in texts and E-mail. I also report to you what God is doing behind the scenes in the nation’s capital–stuff you won’t get through traditional news channels.

If you’re a long-time friend or part of another of our many anchor churches across the country, I’m grateful to the Lord for you, too. I believe in long-term, deep friendships and partnerships in the work of the Gospel. Fruitful ministry proceeds from relationship–with our Lord–with one another–and with the people we seek to reach with the life-changing Good News of reunion with God in Jesus Christ. So, get related and stay related–in prayer–and in the work in God’s vineyard!

Love and appreciate you in the Lord!

Your missionary to Capitol Hill,

Rob

CHURCHES TAKE HEADLINES

Churches are uncharacteristically in the news these days. Here in Washington it’s St. John’s Episcopal Church on Lafayette Square. Known as “The Church of the Presidents,” it’s a short walk from the White House and so has attracted chief executives and their families since John Adams. Both Presidents Bush attended. St. John’s was in the news this weekend because the Obamas attended Easter services there, the first time the First Family has been to church since before his Inauguration. St. John’s is considered one of the more “moderate” congregations in the otherwise quite “liberal” Washington Diocese of the Episcopal Church. Another notable church this Easter was Saddleback Community Church, Lake Forest, CA, where Purpose Driven Life author Pastor Rick Warren preached something like 20 services, adding a record 2400 new members to his already massive congregation. You may have seen their “Easter Connection” special on Fox News channel. I’ve been a sometimes friendly critic of Pastor Warren, but I’m looking for an opportunity to meet with him while in California this week.

There’s another church I’d like to add to the headlines: National Community Church right here in Washington. It’s the congregation I founded on Capitol Hill in 1994, as my first ministry assignment in DC. It was originally my brother Paul’s vision, but it fell to me to fulfill when he went instead to Virginia Beach instead to become the Vice President of the newly established American Center for Law and Justice. I was at that pastoral post only a matter of months when the other aspects of ministry to our nation’s leaders began to consume me. I asked my denominational authorities for permission to bring in a new, young pastor, Mark Batterson, who went on to build a dynamic and burgeoning congregation. I mention it now because I just learned President Barack Obama’s key man on faith-based outreach, the Reverend Joshua DuBoise, is now attending National Community. I also hope to meet with him about a number of things.

And, before I get off of churches, I’m making the rounds these days to a lot of great churches, large and small and in between. This Sunday, April 19, I’ll be at two dynamo churches in Southern California: Horizon Christian Fellowship in San Diego (9 & 11 AM services) and Calvary Chapel South Bay, Gardena (6:30 PM service). Both Pastors Mike MacIntosh of Horizon and Steve Mays of Calvary South Bay have visited with us here at our Faith and Action ministry center in Washington. They are both wonderful human beings and humble brothers in Christ and in Christian ministry. Check out their churches at www.horizonsd.org and www.ccsouthbay.org. Please pass the word around and come out if you’re within driving distance. If not, urge your family, friends and others who may live nearby to join me at one of these services!

Back later . . .

Rob +

Dear Special Friend,

As we approach one of the most sacred observances for Christians, Good Friday, Holy Saturday and Resurrection Sunday, you are on my mind and heart.

I’m thumb-typing on my Blackberry hand-held while sitting in a waiting room at Roswell Park Cancer Center in my home town of Buffalo, NY. My dad, Hank Schenck, whom I love deeply and to whom I owe so much, has just begun the torturous ordeal of cancer treatment. Dad is very sick. It’s even harder for him because he and my mom are in a nursing home and he told me, “I have a duty to stay alive for your mother.” They’re still in love after 55 years together.

I share this with you because Dad’s suffering, and the struggle he and Mom are enduring, makes me appreciate in just a small way what Jesus endured for each of us in His obedience to His Heavenly Father and the plan for our salvation.

Christ’s Passion was not academic or theoretical–it was very real–and his agony was very much felt. I don’t pretend to know the scale of that pain, but today I’m just a little closer to feeling it.

Sitting next to Dad and holding his hand, looking around the room at so many who are suffering, has me pretty choked up. I’m holding my tears for Dad’s sake because he needs my strength and I’ve got lots to manage for him.

It’s harder to keep it together, though, when my mind turns to Christ. Dad has his family around him and he constantly thanks us for how we’re helping him. Jesus was utterly forsaken–by His earthly friends, in his forced separation from family, and ultimately by His Father in Heaven–all for our eternal benefit.

Dad needs prayer and the love of his family as never before and we are lavishly pouring them on him, but his suffering is also a selfless gift to me. Dad’s pain has helped me focus on the Lord, His agony, and His love. I’m trying to give a little of that back by loving Dad in return.

The greatest comfort in all of this, of course, is the hope of the Resurrection. Christ suffered and died but He rose again victorious! That’s Dad’s hope and all of ours! May these days of sorrow be swallowed up in victory! Hallelujah and Happy Resurrection Day!

Your grateful missionary to our nation’s leaders,

Rev. Rob Schenck

In real time, I’m posting this image of the beautiful worship team at Mt. Zion Christian Assembly. This great family of God in this tiny city on the Southern Tier of New York State (near PA border) has supported our ministry for 25 years. Their generosity has outdone churches yen times their size! In a few minutes I’ll preach the Palm Sunday sermon.

In real time, I’m posting this image of the beautiful worship team at Mt. Zion Christian Assembly. This great family of God in this tiny city on the Southern Tier of New York State (near PA border) has supported our ministry for 25 years. Their generosity has outdone churches yen times their size! In a few minutes I’ll preach the Palm Sunday sermon.

Some of you may have seen our reporting or the general news coverage of “PreNDA,” the Prenatal Non-discrimination Act, sponsored by our friend Rep. Trent Franks of Arizona. I know, already some have raised the question why I would show up at a news conference advocating for a particular piece of legislation when I’ve said over and over again that we are not lobbyists. Well, first, I never said never–I said we “rarely” get involved in backing a particular piece of legislation. Indeed, it has been rare. I show that our ministry has backed a specific bill only five or six times during the 15 years we’ve been in Washington. Considering that each day is filled with two or three ministry activities, that’s an infinitesimal number.

The reason I endorsed the PreNDA is because of its moral character. The bill prohibits abortion business owners from aborting an unborn child because of her sex or race. As I pointed out in my comments, while the growing diversification of American culture should be celebrated, it also brings with it practices alien to our civilization–and sex selective abortion is one. (Among some ethnic and nationality groups, second female babies and beyond are often targeted for abortion in favor of conceiving a boy.) The other has been with us for at least as long as Planned Parenthood has been around. Pastor Clenard Childress, founder of www.blackgenocide.org and our own Day Gardner of the National Black Pro-Life Union both pointed out at yesterday’s event that the vast majority of abortion businesses are located in minority neighborhoods, especially among African-Americans.

It goes without saying that all abortion is dehumanizing. Like the first great sin of this nation, slavery, abortion-on-demand reduces members of the human family to something less; something disposable. Sex-selective and race-selective abortions go one step further. They weaken the chances of the living to do anything about it by reducing the numbers in the harmed group. In other words, sex-selective abortion means fewer women able to defend their sisters in the womb. Race-based abortion does the same for minorities.

When a CNN reporter challenged our efforts as futile, I said there are some things you do based on principle. Abortion is bad enough. Sex and race selective abortion is even worse. I spoke up at yesterday’s news conference because it was the right thing to do. “Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, When it is in the power of your hand to do so.” (Proverbs 3:27)