Our recent focus on the story of Nehemiah is not a mere historical study, but a reflection of our current journey. Just as Nehemiah was tasked with rebuilding, we too are in a phase of significant growth, aligning our vision with the expanding needs of our community and beyond.
Our efforts in rebuilding are not just about creating new relationships, but about fostering intergenerational connections. We are nurturing a flourishing faith that spans across all ages, shifting from a metaphor of passing the baton to a biblical concept of the body. This envisions our entire faith community, from the youngest to the oldest, working together to fulfill God’s purposes.
One area of focus is to help those who experienced or were influenced by the Jesus Movement embrace a new way of looking at a time and a generation that laid the foundation for today’s Christianity. We look to provide a bridge from the Jesus Movement people to create relationships with those in their twenties and thirties who are currently undergoing the same societal stresses and asking many of the same questions they did. The objective of the bridge is to exchange current issue-oriented debates of cultural Christianity for the pure prophetic message and the gospel that once rallied the Jesus people around Christ so that they might, together, discover a Christianity in the twenty-first century yet to see the light of day.
We are in the relationship business, rebuilding and creating new relationships among those who would not usually sit at the same table.
We’ve learned a lot from Nehemiah, who, after inspecting the walls of Jerusalem at night, developed a plan; we have an accurate picture and an executable plan.
Other similarities include:
We are just as simple as Nehemiah who moved from being the King’s cupbearer, to being tasked with rebuilding a broken world, first by having his own heart broken as he cried over the broken down walls of Jerusalem. The scriptures are clear: God wants us to sacrifice a broken heart. We cry over what breaks our hearts, and we, here at the Catch, are broken by the condition of the twenty-first-century generations and the broken world they face. It is okay to cry, but we cannot become victims. Like Nehemiah, we look toward the end of the story, and thus, find the strength to carry on through today and hope for tomorrow.
As Nehemiah’s world crumbles, he prays before beginning to rebuild. We know, as Nehemiah did, that God is the only one who can rebuild our world. Let’s remind each other to turn to Him before doing anything else in everything we do.
We are looking for unprecedented resources. Nehemiah turns to a foreign king and asks him to help rebuild his world. It was unheard of that a foreign king would play a role in rebuilding the city of God, yet he did. Nehemiah then turned to seek more volunteers for help. The priests were the unexpected resources God gave him to rebuild and defend the city. The priests were not trained to rebuild the city. So why did Nehemiah ask them for help first? The answer is simple — because they were the ones who were willing. As we rebuild our world, it might be wise not to necessarily ask for help from qualified people but to look for the unexpected people who are called and willing. The people God is using to rebuild our world are the ones who will be leading in the future.
After the city is rebuilt, Nehemiah writes down the names of everyone who helped—those who played a role in God’s work. We intentionally and personally invite you to join the MemberPartner team of influencers and trailblazers. Be one who will be leading the future.
The story of Nehemiah shows us that God does things big and unexpectedly. The same God who was with Nehemiah is with us today, and He is still doing big things. God is doing more than we could ever ask, think or imagine. I like to imagine God smiling, and I would like to see your smile as you join the trailblazers. May we write your name down as a MemberPartner? Click here to join Nehemiah’s team.
John Fischer The Catch 
I can remember years ago and still hear it now the phrase that God Works in Mysterious Ways. He knows what is best and it comes when He is ready and the saying of faith always and never lose that. Sending His Son to Save Us all was needed so much and God knew when it was time for Jesus to come. God also believes in teamwork. Major project like the wall, healing hearts around the world with all of us coming together. God knows and we need to always trust him. Take care, God Bless, and always have faith.
On the topic of brokenness and tears:
A distraught associate of the Catch community bared his anguish to this site the other day. See Burlap and tears.
A few responded to the gentleman with a sort of cyber-hug.
However, the “Nehemiah’s” leading the charge on the Catch’s wall-building program were/are silent and seem more focused on ploughing ahead without pausing for a mournful moment to express sympathetic support to the hurting soul mentioned above - and, at the same time, letting the rest of the online community see that they sincerely care.
Or, at least, they did not openly share any words of comfort on the very forum which is supposed to draw generations together through empathy, understanding, technology, and relational exchanges.
Perhaps something was privately said to the grieving man or lovingly imparted to him from the Catch’s leaders or prayer-partners (aside from the community) but we may never know.
But, with all of the talk about meeting the needs of the community and beyond, being in the relationship business, boots on the ground, and building a cyber-church that connects individuals in 153 countries, etc., etc., etc….
When all of that ignores and/or overshadows the publicly-expressed sadness of a parent in grief or other shattered individual, it makes me question how connected or personally concerned the “Nehemiah’s” of the Catch are to those whom they task with the expansion of their cyber-church.
Romans 12:15 – Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep.
1 Cor. 12: 26 – If one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.
I guess that will always be the one advantage a brick-and-mortar church has over an online gathering. We can hug and hold, weep and laugh, talk and listen, touch and be touched, and genuinely experience the three-dimensional warmth of another’s presence, along with the Lord where two, three, or more are gathered…
Shalom, Peace…
Bob your comments are right on, I too am watching for compassion from the Catch Community. When a parent loses a child to suicide the whole community should be offering condolences. My wife was suicidal for the first 25 years of our marriage and I never knew. Had she done that , i would have been devastated.
Bob I hope that your comments have results. So far the Nehemiah and the wall Catches are definitely visionary but there appears (If one goes by the comments) little reaction, not even agreement or disagreement.
John and Marti are there comments on other platforms?
/
Hi Peter, and thanks for “getting” where I’m coming from.
I was reflecting on the testimony at the bottom of the Catch authored the other day by Patrick Klever (A Civil Engineer Looks at Nehemiah).
Like him, I discovered the online daily devotionals from The Purpose Driven Life prior to John taking the helm and followed the online transitions from church devotional through to John’s eventual blog (the Fischtank) and up to the current iteration of The Catch.
Prior to all of that, though, during the 90’s I got really soured on churches and their smiling well-coiffed leaders and promoters of prosperity gospels and nodding congregants whose mantra was garnered from Jerry Maguire, “Show me the money!” followed by, “Praise the Lord!”
So, I said no more and strove to retain my faith in Jesus and live life as a Christian outside the church building despite knowing I was violating Hebrews 10:25.
I half-heartedly searched for another church but clung to the belief that God’s grace would take care of me and my family and that Jesus would never abandon us even though we abandoned His church body.
He’d see us through one way or another.
It wasn’t until I read Rick Warren’s book a few years into this new century that I was convicted (and comfortable, I might add) with rejoining “the flock.”
Between the time I quit the physical church and returned, God had brought friends into our lives who attended a well-grounded, straightforward, unpretentious church which was what I was longing for.
We became regular attenders of that church which was nurturing and challenging and inspiring for both spiritual and personal growth.
While I don’t believe John’s phrase had yet been coined, we tried to live the “Gospel of Welcome” as best we could.
All was good, or at least it seemed so.
It was around 2007-2010 when politics plainly invaded our congregation and our pastor was asked to run for the state legislature.
He had mixed feelings about it but was eventually persuaded into thinking that his presence (and votes) in the House of Representatives would be of far greater benefit to our community and state – and would probably create a bigger impact for the Lord’s service, too – as well as thwart those “evil liberal democrats'” agendas.
Well, most everyone in our church somehow became mesmerized and fell into lockstep behind the new course our leadership was taking and before long, the republican way was the Christian way – take it or leave it.
A few people left for other churches but most of our closest friends became more vocal and rabid about political issues than they were zealous about Jesus’ Way. To them, Jesus’ Way (not to exclude Truth and LIfe) was the republican way and vice versa.
Although they didn’t seem to realize it, they made others feel that to disagree with them was to oppose God’s will in every aspect of good Christian counsel and crusade.
Now, at the same time, without going into detail, I was going through some bitter and confusing personal issues which eventually landed me in jail and almost ended my marriage, my career and, even, my life.
After making restitution and having been thoroughly and painfully released from my dragons scales by Aslan Himself (I assume you know what I mean); humiliated and humbled and still raw; with my ever-loving patient faithful wife still at my side, we continued going to this once-lovely welcoming church only to be increasingly ostracized and shamed and glared at suspiciously.
Our home group/life group allowed us into their houses but kept us at arms length, and let us know in no uncertain terms how pathetic I was.
I could understand them casting a wary eye at me but poor Paula, who was dealing with a lot of personal emotional pain – her oldest sister and father had recently died, her son was deployed to Iraq, her husband messed up big time – also suffered from the fall-out from my castigation.
None of her good friends prior to the incident reached out afterwards.
And while she tried contacting them, they just couldn’t seem to find the time to chat or get together.
She was shattered.
We already weren’t good republicans in our church’s book and now, well hell, we’re obviously not even good Christians!
But we were good financial supporters so they’d tolerate us if they must.
Thank God for John Fischer and the Fischtank and, eventually, the Catch!
We left our physical church – again – but discovered a sanctuary in John’s writings and found hope in his visions of an online Church where everyone would be welcomed regardless of past misdeeds or misunderstandings, political bents, religious upbringing, generational differences, etc.
So, here we were, without a physical Church and no one to break bread with. Even so, however, we were inspired daily (and sometimes pleasantly amused) by an easily readable, authentically honest, plain and simple, instructive, welcoming online devotional > blog > message/sermon written by John Fischer.
In fact, over those early years, there was an intimacy one sensed that made you feel personally connected to John himself and other fellow readers, often shared through comments and replies, phone calls, and/or through the U.S. mail.
There was a sense of belonging, acceptance, and empathy along with a plan for gradual growth that would bring others to the banquet table where fellowship would be honest and unrestricted, and followed up on.
There was (what appeared to be) a genuine one-on-one, or at least the budding of a fledgling relationship that would blossom into a flourishing fruitful family tree.
I was so confident in John’s vision that I became a MemberPartner and answered the call for regular financial support as well as emergency donations when it looked like the Fischer family might have been evicted from their home, or some other monetary need.
We sent Christmas cards and other seasonal greetings or gifts.
That’s what friends and family do, right?
We did that for a while anyway, and then stopped.
Something changed… but for the better?
I suppose it could be me but something had altered the trajectory of the Catch and it seems to be influenced by a big-business ethic that counts the numbers rather than the personal ministry that counts the individuals themselves (ala Burlap and tears).
Lot’s of tedious and repetitive corporate blather has recently been written on this forum (and in newsletters) while the simplicity of “The Gospel of Welcome” and plain talk has been lost to the backwash of business-speak.
The once life-sustaining prose of the PDL, Fischtank, and early Catch appears to be evolving into something more impersonal and disconnected and even somewhat soulless.
I’m having flashbacks of alienation, and I really hope some clear-headed right-thinking soul among the Catch “Nehemiah’s” will help others in the Catch leadership remember (or learn about) its roots; and let God water the tree rather than trying to bury it in a bunch of horse shi* – which is good for fertilizer but can just as easily kill when applied too much or too vigorously.
I still pray for John’s success but no longer feel we’re included with his vision. I believe I must steel myself and go back to a physical church community where disappointment and heartbreak may loom, but at least there might be a flesh-and-blood soul (or two or three) who may become a friend or may need a friend, and where fellowship with one another isn’t strained or left hanging for a word of solace, comfort, praise, commendation, or correction.
Neither Paula nor I have much time left in these “mortal coils” so it will be nice to have friends – Church friends – to support the survivor and our kids.
I want to end on a happy note and, perhaps, others reading this will note what it means to be a community from this example:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pAGchFBz1PU
Shalom, Peace to you Peter and Jane my friends…
🙂