Lots of talking about churches in Houston & if they opened up for flood evacuees. I read a post that claimed 60% of churches didn't open their doors to the needy.

1) How do they know the % of unopened churches? Was there a poll done in the middle of a hurricane with 100% participation? 
2) I know from friends with 1st hand accounts of flooding, that many church buildings we also flooded, making them unable to safely house displaced folks. 
3) Opening up a building & making space is available takes volunteers, many of whom would be concerned with their own property, or unable to travel to the building because of flooding. 
4) There are real and important liability concerns about opening a building as a shelter which must be considered. 
5) Church buildings are usually not equipped for long-term evacuee housing.

All that said, I think congregations in areas that experience natural disasters like floods, tornadoes, ice storms, wild fires and hurricanes should be as prepared as possible to host people in an emergency situation. And that includes finding out about liabilities before hand and establishing a process for deciding if shelter need to be available.
That's why I'm proud of Hillside Christian Church - Kansas City and our dedication to serving the local homeless population through Family Promise of the Northland. We are pretty prepared to house up to about 15 or 20 folks if needed. And that is because we're regularly in the business of housing folks. We have air mattresses, bedding, sleeping areas, food supplies and showers.
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I would not hesitate to open our building to those in need if we were able to help. But we are prepared for doing that, and many congregations may not be. I would urge all church-going folks to talk with their respective church councils or boards to see if there's a way they can be of good service to others during great times of need, for that is the call of Christ, and faith filled people must be responsible to that with the utmost humility.
As for now, do what you can - and that is pray for endurance and strength, & donate money to effective organizations who are already giving life-saving assistance.

Perhaps you've heard of the "Nashville Statement" this week. It is a series of beliefs laid out by a group of extreme evangelical Christian leaders, on the subject of human sexuality. If you haven't seen it, look it up and read the articles. They include distinct anti-LGBTQ statements that for some, have been received as hateful and hurtful.
I bring it up only to offer this counter narrative: LGBTQIA friends, the church doesn't hate you. The church doesn't wish you harm. When God spun the universe into existence, it was all deemed good - everything in it. in the Gospel of John we hear perhaps the most famous line from scripture, "For God so loved the world..." You've been made good, and God loves you. So do I and many, many other clergy and church leaders.
The Nashville Statement and manifestos like it do not stand in line with the narrative of God's love for humanity found in the scriptures, or the loving compassion exemplified by the Way of Jesus.
Christian friends, if we are to agree that God created and called the creation good, and if we are to hear the evangelist proclaim that God so loved the world, then who are any of us to hate the creation or any of the created? Might I suggest that in doing so, we will have abandoned the very nature of our being and the calling of God that we proclaim?
Pray our hearts will soften in compassion for our neighbors, and that our righteous indignation will be fueled against the source of all suffering: fear.
"For God did not give us a spirit of cowardice, but rather a spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline." 2 Tim. 1:7 (NRSV)

​​The total solar eclipse recently has given us the opportunity to remember the grand scope of the universe. As I looked toward the sun and the eclipsing moon, I thought about the stories of creation in Genesis. God separated the day from the night and called it good. God placed the celestial bodies in motion and plotted their paths, and put us in motion as well. 

Even in the complexity of the cosmos, God saw need to create you. And I am so glad that God did! 

From the dust of creation, humanity was formed. From the same dust that created the stars, people were given life and purpose. You are made of stardust, and placed in motion for the good work and life of faith in your creator. And God has called the creation good- and you are made good. 

As we continue to look toward the Son, and learn his path- his way- may we always remember that God's creative and merciful touch has been part of our lives from the beginning of time. And even when the skies darken and the light is blotted out, God's presence and love will remain. 

Be Excellent to Each Other! <>< Rev. Andy Beck