Journey On

Chapter 12

2008-08-06T11:15:00.001-05:00

Chapter 12 – Prayer
We, the human race, struggle to have meaningful conversations. How many meetings have you set through with the central topic of how to communicate? How many times have you been challenged to improve your communication skills? Communication is our greatest opportunity.

Some of the questions that float through my sub consciousness, and consciousness are:
What if I say the wrong thing?
What if I neglect something of significance?
What if I cannot engage the audience?

Wright’s approach:
“Our Father...”
Prayer between Heaven and Earth
Discovering Help in Prayer
More Pathway’s into Prayer
Getting Started
Questions to ponder on and discuss:

The prayer Jesus taught us to pray remarkably leaves out the word I and in the translations that I have read the words what if aren’t part of the prayer at all.

His prayer:
“Our Father .... (whatever translation you would like)

“...It’s a prayer about God’s honor and glory. It’s a prayer about God’s kingdom coming on earth as in heaven—which...pretty much sums up what a lot of Christianity is all about.” (pg.160)

Prayer between Heaven and Earth
“We are called to live at the overlap both of heaven and earth—the earth has yet to be fully redeemed as one day it will be—and of God’s future and this world’s present.” (pg 163) How could we possibly know how to pray? Paul writes in Romans 8:26 that God’s Spirit intercedes for us. I found this section to be intriguing. There is a statement that lingers, I don’t have words to elaborate or explain, but here it is. “...the Spirit, God himself is groaning from within the heart of the world, because God himself, by the Spirit, dwells in our hearts as we resonate with the pain of the world.” (pg 162) Sit with those words a minute.

Discovering Help in Prayer
Wright points out that “...discovering that there are ways of being helped in prayer by using words and forms written and shaped by others comes as good news...”. (pg 167) God has met me in the word authentic, there’s a part of me that wants to be right. I don’t want to be fake or futile. Humility... coming to the realization that I do not have to recreate the wheel, God has provided me, us, with many holy examples of prayer.

More Pathway’s into Prayer
“Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, have mercy on me, a sinner.” (pg 168) In the simplicity of these words there is an invitation “...a way of coming into focus, of going down deep and out wide, of concentrating on the God we know in Jesus as the one we can trust in all circumstances, and of holding before his mercy all that we want to pray about...” (pg 168)
Remove yourself, your stuff, all that you think you ought to be and hear the words of this prayer Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, have mercy on me, a sinner. What stirs inside of you? There are many such prayers that God has provided to minister to us through our spiritual journey, as you pray them listen for God’s response.

Getting Started
Pastors, mentors, spiritual directors, friends, and books are all guides that God has provided to help us, to encourage us. Use them.
As God reveals more of himself to us through prayer, our will become his will. We will find our passions become his passions, our prayers a response to his groaning through the Spirit in us.

“But for all of us, Christian prayer is God’s gift. “Through the Messiah we have access, by faith, to this grace in which we stand” (Romans 5:2). We are welcomed into God’s very presence. Like John in Revelation 4 and 5, we see through prayer a door standing in heaven, and we are ushered into the throne room.
But we are no longer there as mere observers. We are there as beloved children. Let Jesus himself have the last word: “If you, then, evil as you are, know how to five good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask him!” (Matthew 7:11)

Chapters 7 & 8

2008-07-16T01:52:00.000-05:00

SIMPLY CHRISTIAN
Chapter 7 – Jesus and the Coming of God’s Kingdom
“This is a persistent mistake, based on the medieval notion that the point of all religion – the rule of the game, if you like – was to make sure you ended up at the right side of the stage at the end of the mystery play (that is in heaven rather than hell)” (p 92)
That is probably true of a lot of our persistent religious mistakes – that they are based on medieval or past notions. The medieval notions would keep us focused on what we do and even more what we cannot do. That is we cannot conquer sin. No, we need a Savior to set us free.
We humans like to do things ourselves. It’s all about me! I can hear Joyce Meyer squawking across the stage “What about me? – What about me? – What about me?” Really, what about you? Why do you believe in Jesus? Why did you submit your will to Him? Were you afraid of going to hell or did you see your brokenness and truly seek Him as your only possible Savior? The Savior, who can break the chains, can set us free and can make us truly whole. “We are offered freedom: freedom to experience God’s rescue for ourselves” (p 92) – what an invitation!
Wright would have us see Jesus as the bridge between Heaven and earth, between human and God, between this world and God’s kingdom, between our past and our future. Look into his writing about Israel and insert yourself. (Hey, maybe this is about you!) Jesus came to show us a different way, a revolutionary way to live. The Israelites wanted a King to set them free, bring back the good old days and fulfill the prophecies. Jesus brought them the stories and healings, the message to lead them to the freedom they sought. Two thousand years later are we truly hearing the message or are we still making the same persistent mistake of looking for what we want?
Questions to ponder on and discuss:
1. Why do you think it has gone “out of fashion”, if you would, to speak about hell in our churches? Do you believe in heaven and hell?
2. Do you believe Jesus was a revolutionary? How would you describe Him if you had to write “about the Jesus of our present experience” (p 95)?
3. A new world is described in this chapter, what do you imagine when your read that we are to “work at bringing it to birth on earth as in heaven.”(p 92)?

SIMPLY CHRISTIAN
Chapter 8 – Jesus: Rescue and Renewal
The truth … the way … here someone has written the story so succinctly.
What an interesting insight into Jesus as the fulfillment of the prophecies: “Jesus seems to have combined the two interpretations in a creative, indeed explosive, way. The Servant would be both royal and a sufferer.” (p 107) The Jews wanted a king, a hero, not a martyr. How sad that day at Golgotha that it was the centurion, harden to death and suffering from his many years of killing, was one of the few who really heard and considered “maybe this man was God’s Son after all.” (p 111) Yet, here we are two thousand years later and we do believe, but still our own terms. God calls the Israelites stiff-necked and tells Moses to talk to them, least He might destroy them (reference Exodus 33:5). Have our necks relaxed any or are we still so sure of ourselves and our own ways today? ‘I am the truth.’
Thinking in terms of how Jesus thought and studied is an interesting take. Even further is the thought that Jesus was not aware of His destiny, but that through His studies He was able “to shape his sense of what he had to do.”(p 108) This gives a whole new mosaic to the pattern of call. Why would a human take on such a plan? Where would any human obtain such audacity to believe they were capable of such a task? What faith is this? The modern day questions of WWJD falls so short it seems comical by comparison of this pattern for living. ‘I am the way.’
In Wright’s context he uses this insight to help us understand why the disciples and followers of Jesus believed He was divine. This becomes so much deeper when you look at the martyrs of the following centuries; dying because they knew Christ was “the unique embodiment of the one God of Israel” (p 117).
The thought that all our sins were carried by Christ on the hours upon the cross overwhelms me. That is every sin from Eden to Babylon, to Auschwitz, to Hiroshima, to 9/11, to beyond eternity was placed within this pure sinless mind and God looked away. In all this, Christ cried out for the pain of God’s separation only. Then, He asked for our forgiveness.
How can we make sense of this? I believe it comes down to love, just as Wright says in the final two paragraphs and just as Jesus gave in His new commandment. God calls each of us to be “one of those partners in love” (p 119).
1. Can you see any parallels between the Israelites expectations for the Temple of Jerusalem and the modern expectations upon the Church of today?
2. Wright gives God’s plan to rescue the world from evil on page 108. Does this fit with your beliefs?
3. In his Option Three, Wright sees heaven and earth as interlocked. How does that look to you?

Chapters 5 & 6

2008-07-10T08:57:00.001-05:00

Chapter 5 – “God”

In the first four chapters of “Simply Christian,” Wright presents the picture of how God creates four “echoes” that resonate in each of us –

• The Longing for Justice
• The Quest for Spirituality
• The Hunger for Relationship
• The Delight in Beauty

In Chapter 5, he examines how God intersects with humans. He looks at how God’s space (heaven) and our space (earth) interact with one another. He presents three possibilities for this:

• Pantheism – The two worlds (heaven and earth) are basically the same. God is everywhere and everything. One manifestation of pantheism is multi-goded paganism such as the Greeks having a god for just about everything. This philosophy though has no room for evil -- if God is everywhere and everything, how can evil exist?
• Separation (Deism) – God is out there but completely separate from us. He has no desire for connection with us. This does not explain God’s working around us and it also leaves man devoid of hope.
• Interlocking (Theism) – The third possibility Wright expounds on is the one he supports – that God and man (heaven and earth) overlap and interlock with one another.

Here are words from page 65:
“This sense of overlap between heaven and earth, and the sense of God thereby being present on earth without having to leave heaven, lies at the heart of Jewish and early Christian theology. … for the ancient Israelite and early Christian, the creation of the world was the free outpouring of God’s powerful love. The one true God made a world that was other than himself, because that is what love delights to do. And, having made such a world, he has remained in a close, dynamic, and intimate relationship with it”

REFLECTION –
• What is there to your “story” – your faith journey – that has allowed you to see and embrace the concept of a God who strives to intersect in intimate relationship with His people?
• How does your belief in this area affect how you live? How do you carry your story out to the world?

Chapter 6 – “Israel”

From page 71 – “It is fundamental to the Christian worldview in its truest form that what happened in Jesus of Nazareth was the very climax of the long story of Israel.”

Throughout the story of Exodus, there was this going back and forth of God’s people. They would try to follow God but then they would get in the way of themselves. Self-importance would separate them from God. Their history involved moments of exile and homecoming with the Temple – the place where they saw the intersection of God and man as occurring.

God assured His people – all people – of His faithfulness to them and of final restoration of His Kingdom. But how was God going to reunite with His creation – what He loved most? He sent Jesus to intersect with us, be among us, and fix us from within by paving a way for redemption and grace. Wright attests that Jesus’ arrival was the fulfillment of God’s promise to Israel.

REFLECTION --
• How does the story of Israel relate to your own faith journey?
• How is Jesus in your life a fulfillment of God’s promise of faithfulness to you?
• What calling does God’s faithfulness to you place on your life?

Week Three Part Two - Chapter 4

2008-06-28T08:31:00.000-05:00

Chapter Four—For the Beauty of the Earth

In 2002, Julie and I renewed our wedding vows. Our original wedding day was a wet, overcast event in which two very young and “in love” people committed themselves to something bigger than they either imagined. I had just graduated from college (barely) the week before and Julie really didn’t get to plan her wedding the way she would have wanted. It was beautiful and tasteful yet it was not what she had envisioned for that special day.

So on a beautiful spring morning in an outside garden service, Julie and I recommitted ourselves to the vows we had made ten years earlier. It was amazing. Julie was stunning in a simple white gown and hair up in flowers with curls hanging down framing her deep blue eyes. Samuel walked her down from the back door of the church to the garden of tall trees that shaded the area from the morning sun. Noah carried the second ring we found for the occasion and Emma tried her best to drop flower pedals for Julie to walk on. I was a little thinner in the waste (and the hair) than I was ten years earlier. Dear friends from seminary (whom we had spent the past five and a half years living life together—see the previous chapter) were there to celebrate with us and one of my favorite professors performed the ceremony.

It was beautiful but now, six years later, the beauty of that moment is gone. We have lots of photos and videos taken by neighbors. Yet in all of the photos and all of the video, nothing can capture the beauty of that day and that moment. Even in that moment though, we were left wanting more beauty.

Wright talks about the “transience of beauty” (pg. 40). A photograph, a recording, a book, a painting, a play, a film—all of these things are flashes of beauty that fade away. Wright says that beauty always leaves us wanting more. Beauty is “the sense of longing, the kind of pleasure which is exquisite and yet leaves us unsatisfied….The world is full of beauty, but the beauty [itself] is incomplete” (pg. 40).

Wright suggests that we know, deep inside, that this beauty is fleeting and transient. But at the same time, we deeply long for a beauty that is permanent and lasting. Paul says that permanence is coming and today we see things through a dimly lit mirror but someday, “we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely” (1st Cor. 13:12). Wright says that God promises to complete what God began “The beauty of this world will be enfolded in the beauty of God—and not just the beauty of God himself, but the beauty which, because God is the creator par excellence, he will create when the present world is rescued, healed, restored and completed.”

Questions—
1. What did you experience this week (see, touch, smell, hear) that was beautiful? How does that compare with the most beautiful thing you have experienced?

2. Have you ever longed for beauty? What is it like? What is it like to experience beauty knowing that it won’t always be the way you experienced it for the moment you were there?

3. How has that beautiful thing, not lost its luster but left you longing for more beauty?

Week Three Part One - Chapter 3

2008-06-27T08:30:00.001-05:00

Chapter Three—Made For Each Other

“It seems that we humans were designed to find our purpose and meaning not simply in ourselves and our own inner lives, but in one another and in the shared meanings and purposes of a family, a street, a workplace, a community, a town. A nation.” (pg. 31).

We were made for relationships. Life together. Community. The person who avoids relationships—the loner, the hermit, the recluse—are seen as unusual because they separate themselves from that which we all know deep in our being that we need—relationships.

Thus from the most intimate relationship (marriage) to those on the largest scale (national institutions) we find the same thing: we all know we are made to live together, but we all find that doing so is more difficult than we had imagined.” (pgs. 33).

Yet while we know the importance of relationships and regardless of whether we are “extroverts” or “introverts” we all long to be known by someone, we also know that relationships are incredibly difficult. Look at any the relationships you have with your family, your friends, your neighbors and your colleagues. Failed marriages. Dysfunctional families. Betrayed friendships. Politics at work. Is any of your relationships easy? How could something so desired, so longed for and so important to understanding who we are be at the same time so difficult, so damaging, so painful and mind-numbingly hard?

“Relationship was part of the way in which we were meant to be fully human, not for our own sake, but as part of a much larger scheme of things. And our failures in human relationship are thereby woven into our failures in the other large projects of which we know in our bones that we are part: our failure to put the world to rights in systems of justice, and our failure to maintain and develop that spirituality which, at its heart, involves a relationship of trust and love with the Creator” (pg. 37).

Wright ends his chapter with hope—It is only Christianity that shows us a God that loves healthy relationships. God is in relationship with Himself—God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. God desires relationship with God’s Creation and that model of health is what God desires for us both with God, with ourselves and with one another. “The voice is reminding us of who we really are. It may even be offering us some kind of rescue from our predicament…” (pg. 38).

Questions to think about—
1. How have the following relationships formed who you are today, both good and bad—
a. Your parents or guardians from when you were a child—
b. Your siblings—
c. Your Spouse or significant other—
d. Your Friends—

2. What is the most important relationship in your life today? What about that relationship makes it so important? How difficult is it to maintain that relationship?

Simply Christian Background

2008-06-26T08:28:00.001-05:00

Todd Richards provided us with a great outline/summary of how NT Wright sets up his book. Here is a good overview:

N.T. “Tom” Wright is the Anglican Bishop of Durham. He was educated at Oxford and is considered as one of the leading New Testament scholars in the world today. He is as much a historian as a theologian in that Wright believes that to understand Christianity, one has to understand the Old Testament, first century Judaism and the early church.

Simply Christian is broken up into three sections. In section one, Wright looks at four “Echoes of a voice” that each hear—
• The Longing for Justice (Chapter One)
• The Quest for Spirituality (Chapter Two)
• The Hunger for Relationship (Chapter Three)
• The Delight in Beauty (Chapter Four)

These four Echoes are “universal intuitions” that each of us hear. They have been distorted though because the Voice is heard through our own line of personal defenses that we have to protect us from the outside world. As a result, justice, spirituality, relationships and beauty have been distorted and we fill our longing with versions of the four echoes that are less than they ought to be.

Section two talks about how these four themes are ultimately answered and redeemed through Jesus Christ and this thing called Christianity. Finally, section three outlines how we live into these four themes in the day-to-day of walking with Jesus.

Week Two – Chapters 1 & 2

2008-06-18T01:34:00.001-05:00

Continuing in our study of N.T. Wright’s great work, I want to lift up some key quotes, some pertinent scriptures and some reflective questions. Enjoy and continue to share your processing with us by making comments below

Chapter One
QUOTE
“The art of being gentle – of kindness and forgiveness, sensitivity and thoughtfulness and generosity and humility and good old-fashioned love – have gone out of fashion. Ironically, everyone is demanding their “rights,” and this demand is so shrill that it destroys one of the most basic “rights,” if we can put it like that: the “right,” or at least the longing and hope, to have a peaceful, stable, secure, and caring place to live, to be, to learn, and to flourish. Once again people ask the question: Why is it like this? Does it have to be like this? Can things be put to rights and if so how?...we can say that the reason we have these dreams, the reason we have a sense of a memory of the echo of a voice, is that there is someone speaking to us, whispering in our inner ear – someone who cares very much about this present world and our present selves.” (page 8, 9)

SCRIPTURE – Matthew 5 NLT
“God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for him for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs. 4 God blesses those who mourn, for they will be comforted. 5 God blesses those who are humble, for they will inherit the whole earth. 6 God blesses those who hunger and thirst for justice for they will be satisfied. 7 God blesses those who are merciful, for they will be shown mercy.”

REFLECTION
• Where does our sense of justice come from and how do my rights fit into God’s whispers for this reality?
• Where does the life of Jesus fit in with our sense of and the fulfillment of justice?

Chapter Two
QUOTE
“’The hidden spring’ of spirituality is the second feature of human life which, I suggest, functions as the echo of a voice; as a signpost pointing away from the bleak landscape of modern secularism and toward the possibility that we humans are made for more than this.” (page 20)

SCRIPTURE – Matthew 10 NLT
28 Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”

REFLECTION
• How does your spirituality tell you that you were made for more?
• Jesus promises rest for our souls. If you experience that on a normal basis, what is it that gets you there?
• How does or should Christian spirituality affect making things right in the world?

BLESSING
My prayer for all of us today is that we would allow the voice of the One who called us and cares deeply about things being made right to cloud out the individualistic “rights” that are not from God and in fact are keeping us from living God’s Kingdom here as it is in heaven!

Simply Christian Week One - Introduction

2008-06-11T13:00:00.000-05:00

I was sitting on the back porch of a rented vacation home during the week of our United Methodist Annual Conference this week when I picked up N.T. Wright’s book, Simply Christian. I was struck by the irony of the moment. Here is a book that tries to make sense of Christianity while about 150 feet from me, men and women from western Ohio were praying, voting, worshipping and electing in “sessions of the church.” I was trying to figure out what the neighbor who didn’t rent his house out for the week thinks about this Annual Conference and even deeper about this thing called “Christianity.”

In Wright’s introduction he states that his aim of the text is “to describe what Christianity is all about.” A simple task. Or is it really?

I want to make us use our minds a little bit today and I ask you to clear from your answer slate any answer that has been given to you over the years that you don’t really believe or live yourself. Because there are neighbors who are sitting in the room next to us who are desperate to know, “what is this Christianity thing all about”.

So, how would you respond? What is Christianity all about?

When I started thinking about it, I began to put down things in a list of what makes a Christian a Christian. I had on there things like church, giving, missions, etc. as these seem to be expressions of my faith. But what lies behind those? What are the values that make a Christ-follower genuine? I think we would need to add some artistic language instead of just concrete, measurable statements. Words like “hope” and “joy” and “relationship” may be used too.

Micah 6:8 states, “No, O people, the LORD has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.”

I love this phrase because it appears on first glance to be describing activity of one who wants to follow God but if you look deeper, there are some deep heart issues to unpack.
“to do what is right” Surely, the prophet is telling the people of God to live the reality of God in their actions. He is saying that part of being Simply Christian is to have an understanding of what is the right way to live and then to act upon that understanding. In order to get here, one must be humble enough to admit that what is right is often what is most difficult. This also has an element of justice in it…naming a reality of God being a God of justice (see more in the next week’s lifeline and Chpts. 1 & 2). One question to think about for now (this is just the introduction ):
• How do my earthly decisions “right-en” things on earth?

“to love mercy” I adore this statement because it speaks directly to my heart. I cannot just DO mercy. I am asked to LOVE it. My heart should beat for mercy because my life has been caught up by God’s mercy for me. I am praying that God would grow in me a greater capacity to be a mercy-bearer to everyone I know.
• Am I growing in the amount of mercy I give those who don’t deserve it?

“to walk humbly” Could Christianity Made Simple be summed up in this statement? Would by neighbor be caught up with my love for God if I best illustrated my Christianity as a humble journey with God? Yes, we approach the throne with confidence. Yes, we know that we cannot be separated from the love of God. But, we also know that we take NO confidence in our flesh and that if anything good is from us, it has FIRST come down from the Father of Lights. The longer we walk with God, the more humble we become.
• How am I submitting my pride to God today?

This book is going to lead us down some pretty deep roads and I pray that you hang on through the whole summer.

Simply Christian

2008-06-05T09:58:00.002-05:00

Beginning Sunday, June 8th, our church is inviting its community to read through, pray through and reflect on N.T. Wright's book, "Simply Christian." Our church bookstore will be selling the book and it is available all over the internet.

Each week, I will be posting some reflections and thoughts on this web page to encourage dialog, questioning, prayer and reflection. If you'd like to submit comments, please do so!!!! Let me know that you're journeying with us, even if you never add a comment by emailing me. The reading schedule for the summer will look like this:

By June 18th - Read Chapters 1 & 2
By June 25th - Read Chapters 3 & 4
By July 2nd - Read Chapter 5
By July 9th - Read Chapter 6
By July 16th - Read Chapters 7 & 8
By July 23rd - Read Chapters 9 & 10
By July 30th - Read Chapter 11
By August 6th - Read Chapter 12
By August 13th - Read Chapters 13 & 14
By August 20th - Read Chapters 15 & 16
By August 27th - Read Afterword

I will post things on Wednesdays and our church's lifeline email will feature thoughts on this book as well. Let me know that you're tracking with us and look forward to great discussion and hopefully new lives of greater depths!

The Hike

2007-07-16T23:35:00.000-05:00

I finally made it. After 5 years and over 35 days of looking at Mt. Kernel, today was the day I made it to the top. I did not and could not have made it alone...in fact there were many times I would have been happy to quit but my friends wouldn't let me. Erin, Chris Mullenhour, Tyler Martin, Kaleb Spicer, Jake Ditmer, Kent VanFossen, Derick Latimer and Natalie Gossard were incredible teammates. WE hiked for 4 hours straight up and then straight down. It was seriously one of the most intense hikes of my life. We had a blast though. We talked a lot, we read Psalm 121 on the top, we took lots of pictures and all in all it was so worth it. Nothing could spoil it...

...until 20 minutes from the end of our hike, almost nearing the orphanage someone mentioned one of the other people that they THOUGHT were supposed to come with us but didn't. As we talked we quickly realized that him not being with us on the mountain may not have been the biggest worry. We may have left him in Tijuana (45 minutes away). It was true. Mitch Paulus was left behind.

My heart sank. As much as I was excited, I was that crushed because I SOOO wanted him to be there with me and I was responsible for leaving him. (he tried catching us as one of our Mexican friends, Balta, drove 100 miles and hour trying to catch us). I realized that my joys in life are really not joys without those that want the same for their life there too.

Mitch gave me a hard time for a while but after pampering him all night and stroking his ego with my words, he has given me reprieve. Actually, he has been more than generous and considers the conversation with Balta worth a ton.

I told him I'll hike it with him next year!

Coming Home

2007-07-16T23:25:00.000-05:00

I must first apologize for the lack of posts lately. Believe it or not, we actually get busy on missions trips and when faced with the decision of writing or sleeping or writing vs. playing with our new friends, writing inevitably lost. Lo siento.

We have been hard at it. On Saturday, we all stayed in Tijuana and did a million little but necessary projects around this home. We organized tool sheds, we fixed bikes, we deep cleaned rooms, some guys installed shower curtains, new sinks, mirrors and a bathroom overhaul, others organized and cleaned closets. It was all thankless but in it we were serving Jesus. That night, 9 of us went to the home of Nicolas the pastor here to stay for the night. I'll try to get someone to share at some point on what that night meant, but needless to say, this humble giving man opened his little home to our travelers...and in doing so became Jesus to us all. His wife, Candi served them 2 incredible meals and the kids gave up their beds so our group could sleep there.

While they were they about 15 of us drove through the Red Light District of Tijuana. I will not even try to describe it but instead tell you about what God did through it. The girls learned about what it means to be God's treasure and to never let anything or anyone lessen that and the guys learned what it means to love unconditionally, what we should be giving our lives to prevent and how to care for women in the world.

The next night, we switched. More went to Nicolas' house, the rest to the Red Zone. In the middle was the city dump, church, some hang time, and lots and lots of beans and rice.

I don't want to diminish any of those, but their stories are too grand for one post.

Our final day has been spent reconnecting with the Mexicans, processing our weeks, laughing a lot and one incredible hike. More to come later...I may write a bit on our flight tomorrow.

Dan

Friday Thoughts...From Chris Mullenhour

2007-07-14T13:29:00.000-05:00

Time has been absolutely flying by. First I would like to tell you what some of us have been working on. Kent VanFossen, Jacob Ditmer and I had the privilege to work with a group from Monroe, OH and another gentlemen (Alen) on installing solar panels for the new orphanage in Rosarito. We had to climb up onto a sloped structure and install 6 panels, then a seventh on another building and and an eighth panel above the kitchen to power the freezer and fridge. It tested us physically and mentally. But we were able to get it all done in 2 days and the new orphanage was able to use the power from the solar panels yesterday. They turned off their diesel generator and let the sun power take care of them. It was awesome. I hear that it is pretty rare for a project to be started and completed to where we can see it's benefits immediately. So we are very blessed to see that complete. God is so good. Watching all the different projects being worked on and completed has been rewarding, but watching and experiencing what God is doing in each of us here is nothing but miraculous. It is amazing what changes in you when you get away from you everyday life and go somewhere just to serve them. I feel like there are no issues in my life right now. I know they will return when I return home. But why? Why can I live here not worrying about work, providing for my family, what's on tv tonight, but I can't do that at home? That's something for me and everyone else here to figure out.

Another Day...Did you Know

2007-07-12T21:48:00.000-05:00

Did You Know...

...that your teenager is capable of using a jack-hammer to dig a trench? I saw 2 do it today.

...that your teenager can hang solar panels to give power to an 8-acre orphange? I saw one do it today.

...that your teenager can help 10 mexican kids smile by making beaded necklaces? I saw 15 do it today.

...that your teenager can build a wall that would keep the security of kids who have been broken secure? I saw 6 do it today.

...that your teenager cheerleader knows how to correctly pour the footings for a basketball court? I saw 2 of them do it today.

...that the whiny, hyper teenager in your house just volunteered to wash dishes for the entire orphanage instead of playing basketball? I just witnessed Jesus!

God has been huge here. We worked hard at the Rosarito campus, building a wall, pouring a floor, cleaning rooms, installing solar panels, doing dishes and more. We even spent some time as a group praying for the permit to come for the orphanage to be able to dig a well. God is huge and tonight we are just hanging with our new friends, sharing a bowl or two of ice cream before we head out to another busy day tomorrow. We love you and could use your prayers!

Dan

They're Here - From Dan

2007-07-11T22:40:00.000-05:00

It's been a while since we posted...here's brief run through of why:

Monday 9 am - Went to Rosarito (no phone or internet) to play with the kids and build a wall and sand walls. Loads of fun. At 5:30, we all hiked to the top of the Mt. Kernel that I've been wanting to do for 5 years...but we only made it to the peak before the peak before we ran out of water and time. We were above the clouds though and we read scripture and prayed on top as the moisture in the clouds softened the pages. When we came down, we had a quick bologna sandwich, shower and bed at Rosarito. It is awesome to sleep in the bunks of the kids who mean so much to us already.

Tuesday - We woke up early for breakfast and then spent most of the day working on random projects in Rosarito until lunch and then spent a lot of time with the kids. It was awesome to see Laura (they called her Dora) find her niche with some girls and Zach (they called him EE-Sack or Isaac) with Daniel, Jesus and Oscar. They took his digital camera and took some awesome pics. We came back to Tijuana around 5 for dinner and then we had an incredible night. After dinner, we met in my room for a time of devotion where we examined Psalm 32...the difference between living unforgiven and coming clean. We prayed and then Zach and Laura and me prayed for every traveler coming, we anointed each other and then they anointed each vehicle, room, bathroom, common space and more asking God to be the group's protection and hiding place this week. (I have been tear-ey ever since). We crashed early and then...

Today - We left early to pick up our crew of 30 today. After a fun border crossing in 2 15-passenger vans and a Suburban, we excitedly picked everyone up. And we even had a little room to spare in the cars. We drove them to downtown, gave them 3 maps and an assignment to find a couple key things in downtown San Diego before hopping on the trolley and meeting us down 5 miles from the Tijuana border. Only one group got them all done but they all look energized. We arrived in TJ around 4 and had a group time, we unpacked, we played with kids, we watched the Mexico/Argentina Soccer game, we ate incredible food and as I type the kids are playing volleyball and an incredible jam session between 2 mexicans and 2 americans just ended in the chapel. Tomorrow the hard work begins in Rosarito as we head out early.

Love you all and thanks for your prayers.

One Full Day

2007-07-08T23:59:00.000-05:00

From Dan...
It's been a wonderful and typical first full day in Mexico...

One of the questions that arose during out team's preparation was "Are we invited down there or are we just going (invading)?" It was and is a great question, one that cannot be answered in a simple sentence but in the moment I remember saying, "You are invited not to what you think. You are invited into a relationship." Today typified that.

We began the day trying to go to church in the neighborhood next to the enormous city dump. I had researched it, talked to the pastor's wife about coming and we even drove and found it (which is a miracle since the directions said, "make a left on the next road after the blue building and if you reach one with ducks on them you've gone too far." Seriously. Those were the points of interest. Well anyway, when we got to the church, there was a note on the door saying, "Special Worship Sunday Night 6 pm." In other words, they had moved the morning worship until evening. (those pastor types, I tell you). In America, we would have yelled and screamed because we demand our churches to cater to us and so if it wasn't properly advertised using the radio, paper, internet and newsletter, we feel as if our rights were violated. We didn't have that luxury...we just turned around and headed back to the orphanage for church.

It was great. I could barely understand a word, but the 30 or so members that were there were really worshipping and engaged with the Word. I was privileged enough to be asked to pray at the end too (actually someone had to tell me in English that he had just asked me to pray in Spanish). it was fun.

Here's where the story comes together. From that point on until now (10 pm local time), we have DONE, aka ACCOMPLISHED nada, zero, nothing. No walls to build. No orphans to save. No prayer services. You see if we were to work on these days, then our Mexican hosts would too and they don't do that. They, instead watch football (soccer) (Mexico beat Paraguay and they literally had a superbowl-like celebration in the streets over a simple win...awesome), they hang out and talk, they eat, they engage with each other. And what I'm learning is that in that, they are engaging God in them and God in others. They were not rushed and neither were we. We just enjoyed.

Tonight Zach and Laura took some of the Mexican high school boys and girls to get pizza and ice cream. When I saw them after, they both were excited and I could tell that they had made connections that will change their lives. And imagine that all that happened without hammering one nail.

We were invited to relationship. We are invited to relationship. It's not about what we do. It's about Him.

Hasta luego.

Reflections on Church from Zach

2007-07-08T14:57:00.000-05:00

Matthew 18:21-22 - Then Peter came to Him and said, "Lord how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?" Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven."

Wow. Imagine your best friend (Frank) coming over to your house, getting in your purse/wallet and taking a dollar from you. You catch Frank in the act. Could you forgive him for what he did? Sure. It's just a dollar. Then you catch Frank again rooting through your handbag, with another dollar in his mouth as he's trying to close the clasp on the purse. What's this guys problem? I'd rip him a good one, and tell him to leave. Imagine Frank coming over to your house 490 times, and you catch him trying to steal a dollar each day. The Bible says our reaction each time should be to politely tell him to put it back and go in to drink some coffee or something. Forgive, forgive, forgive. What if, say, you're at a big carnival with Frank and he asks you to borrow 20 bucks to get a funnel cake. With the knowledge gained from Frank's history, I'd ask Frank if he's already taken it out of my wallet. But God tells us to give him the 20 dollars, and to trust that he'll be paying us back. Because that's what forgiveness is right? Forgiveness is totally erasing the wrongdoing that someone has caused us from our knowledge and to go on as if nothing happened. Could you forgive Frank???? Adios!

Bienvenido

2007-07-07T20:54:00.000-05:00

Welcome to our world in Tijuana! Me (Dan), Zach and Laura safely arrived this afternoon into San Diego and drove through the ritzy, Hollister-clad city of the Padres, past the numerous naval yards and into the multi-colored world of Tijuana. The first thing I always notice is sight. The yellow facades...the bright blue churches...the red political signs are just everywhere. It truly is a world that is foreign to this suburban boy, but one that has and I pray, will bring more color into my life and into my world.

Zach's Thoughts:
Everything here is pink. The walls, the ceilings, I even noticed that someone had painted a tree pink. It is driving me nuts seeing within 100 ft. of each other, the huge buildings of San Diego, and then the little fenced in buildings of Tijuana...thats all for now.

Laura's turn -
I found out that Zach sleeps A LOT! On a more serious note. I liked seeing how much things have changed since last year. Every thing looks different, and I'm noticing things that I didn't notice before. I still can't believe how happy these kids are...they are most likely 10x happier than I am, and I have 10x more things then they do. That's all really.

We'll try to share our thoughts daily and add some pics tomorrow and then when the BIG group arrives on Wednesday, I'll update it when I can.

Dan and Crew

April 8-14, Youth Ministry Sabbath Ideas

2007-04-06T11:02:00.000-05:00

In the Old Testament, God asked his people to spend 6 days working, serving and creating in ways that would honor Him. But, then, just like God the Creator did from the beginning, God asked His people to spend the seventh day differently. He asked them to make it holy. He asked them to make it restful. He asked them to remember on this day that God is in charge. This day was called Sabbath.

In order to refocus our ministry toward the Creator, Ever-Present God and not toward our efforts or schedules, we are taking the week of April 8th-April 14th as a week of Sabbath. Granted, we cannot just expect teens and families to stop living life. That isn’t the point. This week, we encourage each of you to just take some deliberate sacred times of your day and set them apart to celebrate God’s activity in your life.

The youth ministry will have no FORMAL events (small groups, Sunday School, etc) this week (although there is some fun stuff happening with our friends from Mexico). Here are some suggestions for how to spend your days as Teens and/or families in order to set apart this week as holy before God.

Please post your comments on this blog if you partake in any of these ideas.

Sunday, April 8th
Spend the day doing things together as a family after going to church. Watch golf. Hide Easter eggs. Play football in the yard. Go fly a kite. Eat a lot of food and then take the left-overs down to the Alpha Center!

Monday, April 9th
Just For Teens (JFT) – Ideas:
1. Read Esther Chapters 1 & 2
2. Instead of watching your favorite show, write 6 notes to people you would like to thank or encourage.

Families – If the weather permits, walk outside together with a football or Frisbee in hand

Tuesday, April 10th
Just For Teens (JFT) – Ideas:
1. Read Esther Chapters 3 & 4
2. Write out your favorite scripture on a note card to give to one of the Mexico kids tomorrow.

Families – Eat dinner together! Here are the rules though:
a. No phone calls or text messages can be taken or responded to
b. No TV or music on
c. Everyone needs to help clean after

Wednesday, April 11th
Just For Teens (JFT) – Ideas:
1. Read Esther Chapters 5 & 6
2. Sit at a different lunch table and while you eat, silently pray for the people at your table.

Families – Come to the Mexico Choir Dinner and Concert from 5:30-8:00 at church. After, go get an ice cream and answer this question together, “What would it look like if we lived in Tijuana with these kids?”

Thursday, April 12th
Just For Teens (JFT) – Ideas:
1. Read Esther Chapters 7 & 8
2. As soon as you get home from school, clean your room and do the dishes to serve your family.

Families – Decide as a family, who you can take a meal to on Friday night and decide what you want to fix for them. Then, call that family and let them know!

Friday, April 13th
Just For Teens (JFT) – Ideas:
1. Read Esther Chapters 9 & 10
2. Write a one-page prayer to God telling him everything that you dream of for yourself.

Families – Go take the meal to the aforementioned family (stay if that has been decided upon). Tell them that you just wanted to show them God’s love tonight. Go home and watch a movie together. Popcorn is a must!

Saturday, April 14th
Just for Teens – Ideas:
1. If possible, go for a walk at Tawawa Park and just spend some time praying for someone who is really hurting.
2. If you’ve been reading Esther, write out why you liked the book & what it meant to you.

Families – Have the parents share what they wanted to be when they grew up. Have the kids share their dream vacation.

April 7 - Reluctant Souls

2007-04-03T07:59:00.001-05:00

(submitted by Chris Heckaman)

John 11:3-6
“So the two sisters sent a message to Jesus telling Him, “Lord, your dear friend (Lazarus) is very sick.” But when Jesus heard about it He said, “Lazarus’ sickness will not end in death. No, it happened for the glory of God so that the Son of God will receive glory from this.” So although Jesus loved Martha, Mary, and Lazarus, he stayed where he was for the next two days.”

Sometime it’s hard for us to understand. Why did Jesus wait? Why didn’t He act right away when we all know if He really wanted to He could have?

He said Lazarus’ illness was so that the Son (actually Himself) could be glorified. That’s good for Him but how does it help us? God’s glory is for our good. You might say, “Yeah, I know that.” But more than just reluctantly accepting it, you can realize more so His glory is for our greatness. I think that says it best. In the end His answer will blow us away and be proven well worth the wait.

Jesus though still gets some bad press. He waited two days before leaving to go see Lazarus. It would take Him another two days to get there beyond that. He wept when He finally did get there, but it wasn’t the word for a deep cry, just a trickle of a tear from His eye. We can still think deep down he doesn’t really care, at least not enough. Mary didn’t even go out to meet Him when he arrived she was so bent.

Have you ever read the story though that closely before? Chapter 10 reveals the last time Jesus went to that region they were planning on taking Him and stoning Him. You know, it’d make me want to wait till the time was right before I went back. When Jesus did arrive did you notice He didn’t or maybe even couldn’t go into the village, but rather He stayed on the outside of the little community? Martha had to go out to meet Him. The crowd of mourners was the same crowd of previous “wanna be stoners.” Further, when Martha was told he had finally arrived, whoever told her He was near whispered it in her ear, not wanting to draw attention in front of the others. Virtually immediately after Jesus performed His miracle, bringing Lazarus back from the dead, the Jewish leaders went back to planning His demise.

Do you see? There is nothing Jesus wouldn’t do for you. Say that last sentence again, but this time out loud. Do you think it was just a little hard for Jesus to stand before Lazarus’ tomb knowing what He would encounter for Himself just a few days away? He let us as humankind taste the fruit of resurrection first. What was that like Lazarus? Even before Jesus enjoyed it for Himself. Again, there is nothing Jesus wouldn’t do for you.

Will you pray with me? Jesus, thank you. Thank you for coming to my aid. Forgive me for not thinking you really don’t care. May my devotion to you better reflect your devotion proven unto me. Amen.

April 6 - Good Friday

2007-04-03T07:57:00.000-05:00

(submitted by Dan Gildner)

Read: John 13:1-17 and John 19:16-30

Carlo Carretto wrote in In Search of the Beyond, “We are not happy because we are unforgiving and we are unforgiving because we feel superior to others. Mercy is the fruit of the highest degree of love, because love creates equals, and a greater love makes us inferior. First, let us establish three premises:
-Those who do not love feel superior to everyone else.
-Those who love feel equal to everyone else.
-Those who love much gladly take the lower place.”

I do not love when I feel superior
Like when I am forced to spend time with someone who annoys me.
Like when Judas betrayed Jesus because Jesus wasn’t living up to his expectations.
Like when I think I own the corner market on theology
I do not love.

I love when I feel equal
Like when I am working with a team or family who expects everyone to be treated the same.
Like when my sense of justice kicks in and I equate love with fairness

I love much when I gladly take the lower place
Like when I apologize even when the other person should do so.
Like when Jesus was staring at and loving two guilty thieves with a bloody crown on his head.
Like when the people I am forced to be with become Jesus and I get to wash their feet.

This day, let us reflect on where God might want to purify our love.
1. How can I get to a place (to begin) where I do not feel superior to ANYONE?
2. What causes me to feel superior?
3. How can I move from a feeling of equality to one where I take the lower place?
4. Where can I model Jesus’ sacrificial love today?

April 5 - Holy Thursday

2007-04-03T07:54:00.002-05:00

(submitted by Megan and H Kearns)

In a borrowed room he prepared a feast for his friends, he offered them himself. Around the table sat his closest friends, those whom he loved. And from this lot there was one who would betray, one who would deny and many who would flee from the events that would soon follow.

But here is my Jesus… he doesn’t run from betrayal or denial, running never enters his mind… he serves… He gets up from the table and prepares to wash the feet of the ones he loves. In those days this was a task for the lowest of servants, washing the feet of the guests on arrival. There wasn’t a servant present on this day, as Jesus got up he removed his outer garment, grabbed a cloth, some water, and served, his friends, the very ones who would quickly forget the depth of his love. The King of Kings humbly knelt at the feet of each one, they did not come to him, he went and washed them.

The humility of my Jesus the extremes of his love, astound me. He loves not because he has to; he loves because he is love. I am not sure we get this, really. He does not rationalize his love, he just gives it. He comes to wash us, do we receive him?

Just over a year ago I sat in the garden of Gethsemane. I was awestruck. I cannot explain the vastness and intensity of the Holy that surged through me. At first all I could do is look, my eyes drinking in every detail. All of my senses heightened to my surroundings. We were secluded inside the walls, allowed to just be in the garden. Overwhelming is the word that comes. I could not deny the presence of God, even as I type these words tears come, emotion wells up inside me as I remember. As I stood and looked, listened, and breathed it became very real in me that it was here that Jesus came to a place of yes. A place of yes for all I understood—but a place of yes for me became very intimate for me.

An ordinary garden, a beautiful place of surrender, I was overcome. Breathing was difficult as I started to walk across the garden. I am not sure how to make that feel real to you through words on a page. A knowing, a feeling, a touch, a sound, a smell, the wind, the sun, all of creation seemed to suddenly sing out, “He is here, it is here Jesus said yes for you, Megan.” My casual walk became almost a sprint. But as I moved I was over come with the presence of Holy. My heart started pounding the realness of the presence of God was thick, I was weak, the depths of my unworthiness overwhelming.

One of our companions stepped in front of me, wrapped me in a big hug and held me as I wept with Jesus. There were no words exchanged, words were not needed we shared a knowing place. The embrace we shared in Gethsemane, I believe, will remain with me forever. Jesus met me through the heart of another reaching out in a tangible way to show me his love for me.
Jesus has prepared a feast for you, for me, he knows our sin, he loves us anyway, he calls us unto himself. He offers us all of himself. He has removed his outer garment, prepared the cloth and the water, he kneels at your feet. He comes to wash will we let him.

This Holy Thursday… will you accept the invitation of Jesus?

April 4 - Psalm 51

2007-04-03T07:54:00.001-05:00

(submitted by Barbara Staley)

Journeying with the psalms this Lenten season has been rewarding. I traveled more slowly than I thought I would. Instead of covering a lot of territory, I was more fully present in every step. Psalm 51 stands out. It bites. It is David “coming clean” with God. Nathan, the prophet, has called David out after he committed adultery with Bathsheba. David confesses to God in verses three and four: “For I know my transgression, and my sin is always before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned and done evil in your sight.” We can read this psalm and focus on David and his sin and hear his repentance without being personally affected. When we read the psalms as a poetic adventure we are uplifted. But when we read the psalms as God speaking to our very beings we are made new.

Psalm 51 is God calling us out. Taking what we want and disregarding everyone else is accepted in the secular, but God does not accept this type of behavior. God will not let us forget our sin. God’s intent was not to make David miserable. God’s intent was to transform David that David would trust God enough to admit his sin. Confession of sin is not an end for God. God wants the very substance of who we are to be transformed. God longs for us to be made whole. Admitting who we truly are and confessing sin opens us to God’s mercy.

An image of a fearful, punishing God leads us to run from God’s due punishment. Nathan came as a gift to David. David would have lived his entire life running from the forgiveness of God. Instead, David accepted his guilt and pleaded “no contest” to the judge of all judges. David knew God was a just God. It is fearful when we realize that we are going to receive the punishment we deserve. If we could just pay some form of retribution for our sins and not receive punishment that would be great. David knew that with all his wealth he had no way to pay for his sin. David trusted God. He confessed. He was repentant and prayed this revelation from God in verses 16 and 17: “You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart,”

The truth is that when God speaks conviction of sin to us, God is holding out mercy to us. Mercy is God not punishing us for our sin but rather forgiving us. This is the middle of Easter week and Jesus walked on the earth to give us mercy. The cross was that gift of forgiveness. Our sins are forgiven and we do not get what we deserve.

If we live in the joy of the resurrection and the forgiveness of the cross we can trust God to confess as David did. When we surrender our egos and trust God to transform us, we can plead “no contest” with a broken spirit and contrite heart.
May you have a transformed Easter!

Love in Christ,
Barbara

April 2 - Journeying Through the Wilderness

2007-04-03T07:50:00.000-05:00

(submitted by Chuck Price)

“I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the LORD In the land of the living.” Psalm 27:13

The Christian life is not always a mountain top experience of continuous fellowship and amazing spiritual insight. In fact on our journey with the Lord, there are times when it seems that we are simply wandering around in the desert.

This can be particularly true when we are perplexed by difficult circumstances, feel betrayed in unexpected ways by trusted friends, or we are confronted with the reality of our own failings and previous wrong choices. And sometimes life is just hard.

That is when we are the most vulnerable because Satan, the enemy of our souls, wants us to doubt God by getting us to feel isolated and alone. King David certainly understood those times and he knew the importance of honestly processing his emotions in light of the truth of the Trustworthiness of God.

Psalm 27 is really a song of trust in God. In my Bible the subtitle of the Psalm says: “A Psalm of Fearless Trust in God.” And as I have read and mediated on this passage during those seasons of my life when I feel like I am wandering in the wilderness I am drawn to an overwhelming sense of worship because I am reminded of the goodness of God.

God is good! And His goodness is there for me no matter what I am feeling at the moment.

But lest we forget, at the end of this wonderful “song of trust” the writer concludes with a strong admonishment to trust the Lord. Psalm 27:14; “Wait for the LORD; Be strong, and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for the LORD.”

March 31 -Waiting’s Beauty

2007-03-28T15:49:00.002-05:00

(submitted by Lisa Heckaman)

“Wait for the Lord, be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord......Blessed are all who wait for Him.” (Psalm 27:14, Isaiah 30:18)

As we are quickly approaching Holy Week it is quite natural for us to set our sights, our focus, on the celebration of Easter Sunday...Jesus overcoming death and rising to new life. With Easter though, still a week away, I ponder what lessons God has for us in this ‘waiting’ time. As Jesus approached His first Easter each moment was significant, every movement and event adding to the fulfillment of His final and ultimate calling. What moments this week....pauses in my day....conversations.....glimpses of creation....does God want me to take notice of? What preparation does He want to do in me this week as I wait?

Last year around this time I had the opportunity to be in the Holy Land. So many blessings were showered upon me, yet nothing was as profound as what God taught me about waiting through the simplicity of two Galilean sunrises. The first morning a small group of us decided we would get up early and walk down to the Sea of Galilee to watch the sun come up. It didn't take long as I sat in the coolness to recognize my impatient heart. I was fidgety, distracted, and always thought I was ready to receive the gift before it was officially time for the dawn to give it. Rain was in the forecast. The storm clouds seemed powerful and heavy, wishing to unload the bounty of water which they carried. Faint colors appeared and hinted at the coming of day. After what seemed like such a very long time, God allowed a small opening in the sky to break for just a moment in order for us to finally see what we thought we had come for - the emergence of the sun. And then within seconds it was gone, shadowed by the clouds and rain winning out for the day. The gift was mine, but it seemed so fleeting.

The next morning the sky was clear. Again I was ready, or at least I thought. I tried so hard to stay in the moment and not become anxious in my anticipation.....to just 'be' with my God. It was easy to again recognize my struggle while sitting there waiting. I was distracted; looking so intently for the finale which I knew would still really only last for a short time. I prayed and I tried to stay, embracing the beauty which I found most brilliant in the 'waiting time'. I was embarrassed that it took so much effort on my part to keep my focus, to take in the beauty around me in the very moment I was living in.

I became amazed at what I could see. The greatest gifts for me came in the waiting time as I saw new colors develop and blend, casting their brilliance before me. The colors on that second morning were vivid and far more reaching. Geese flew across the beautiful backdrop of the Galilean morning. As light dawned the surrounding hills cast their first reflections upon the water below. And the fishermen sang. I smiled because although I knew not what they sang, the smile on their faces told me it was a song of Joy. The sun finally broke forth and I was completely captured with this truth...that ALL light......ALL OF IT, and the beauty therein, comes but from one source, the Sun. The whole of the morning pointed to the coming of the sun and its entrance upon the stage of this new day.

I left the shoreline knowing that God was teaching me a lesson about 'waiting' and how in the waiting there is such beauty to behold. I tend to look so for the results, the finale, the answers to my questions, the ending.......but when I finally get there, the satisfaction is so fleeting and then I'm on to the next thing. The most beautiful of lessons and the nourishment that refreshes my spirit comes in the moment to moment gifts that God brings to light within me as I wait, and stay, and look towards the 'Son'.....from whom ALL light emerges.

Dear Lord Help me to stay in the moment through this day. Help me to recognize all that You have to show me in the ‘now’ instead of focusing on the answers of the future. You, oh Lord, hold the light.....You ARE the light.....and I trust that You will break forth in me in due time. I praise You for the beauty which You unfold around me. Teach me to rest in the stillness of Your Presence. Amen

March 30 - Psalm 139

2007-03-28T15:49:00.001-05:00

(submitted by Cheryl Christman)

My favorite Bible passage has become Psalm 139. I find myself turning to it on a regular basis and never fail to feel comforted and encouraged by its words of comfort!

From verse 1, “O Lord, you have searched me and you know me,” to verse 24, “See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting,” it reassures me of how God watches over me in every situation.

Perhaps the most amazing verse for me is verse 5, “You hem me in – behind and before, you have laid your hand upon me.” Whoa! He goes both before me to prepare my future and then follows behind, keeping me safe from both my past and from those who follow me, looking for a way to attack and pull me back.

There is no God in any other religion who cares for us in such a personal way. As we ponder our future, I am comforted that we cannot leave God’s presence. “If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.” (Verses 8 – 10) It’s also reassuring to know that no matter where we are physically, He will still be where our loved ones are, protecting and watching over them for us. God has his own unique sense of time and space. He answers prayers before they are even uttered and can be holding and protecting people in different parts of the world simultaneously.

We are about to become grandparents for the first time. It is awesome in the true meaning of the word to read verses 13 – 16 and know that God already is familiar with this child and is watching over her. I know that my prayers for her are not going unheard or unanswered.

Praise be to the God who will not let us be alone, who watches over us and hears our every thought. Thank You for your deep and abiding devotion to us.

March 29 - The Table is Set

2007-03-28T07:08:00.000-05:00

(submitted by Paul Hohlbein)

“You prepare a table for me in the presence of my enemies: you have anointed my head with oil, my cup overflows.” Psalm 23:5

How real this scripture becomes to me when I think of Christ on the cross. On either side of Him, were bad men. One doubted who Jesus said He was and challenged His authority. The other, in the presence of the “enemy” of death, called out to Jesus and He invited him to the “table of Heaven.”

I often ask myself if I really understand what Christ has done for me. Do I really understand the price He paid? He won for you, for me, the ultimate victory. At all times, in all situations, whether with friend or foe, God’s table is always set - prepared for us to dine with Him and taste the glory of the victory He won on the cross.

Dear God, may we all embrace your goodness. May we embrace this season the total victory Jesus Christ has won for us. May we dine with the Master and experience His marvelous grace.

March 28 - Growing Together on the Journey

2007-03-27T10:26:00.000-05:00

(submitted by Chuck and Arlene Price)

“Therefore encourage one another, and build up one another, just as you also are doing.” (I Thessalonians 5:11)

God never brings people together just to benefit one person. This principle applies whether we are single or married. The Lord intends for us to learn from one another. This is particularly true of the people that are closet to us regardless if they are in our small group Bible Study, a Sunday School Class, a circle of friends, or our family.

In fact apart from the dynamic role that these individuals play in our lives we will never come to full maturity spiritually. Let alone miss out on fulfilling one of the greatest desires of the human heart which is to experience intimacy with God and with those whom we love.

Through our nearly 37 years of marriage and ministry together we have learned that although we are both believers and are having pretty much the same experiences – that does not necessarily mean that we are learning the same things at the same time. That is because God is working in each of our lives in a specific way.

That does not mean that one person is more spiritual than the other or that one lesson is more important than the other

The most important thing is that we are learning to trust God more through the circumstances, learning more of His character and seeing more of Him

Then as we share together, we learn from one another

That is what the teaching on the body is all about – one part of the body is not more important than the other. It takes the whole body working together in unity. We have learned that this lesson is true also in marriage.

The trap that Satan would have us get into is in thinking that the other person because they are not learning our lessons our way is not as spiritual. If we fall prey to this kind of thinking we will find that it destroys our unity and lessens our power together.

We are on a journey of Faith. We are on it together, so let us build one another up along the way!

March 27 - New Plans

2007-03-27T08:42:00.000-05:00

(submitted by Sheryl Ditmer)

James 4:13-17

A few years ago, my husband and I began trying to have our third child. We had given it much thought and decided it was time. With the other children, we had gotten pregnant the first month we tried. So imagine our surprise and frustration when 1 ½ years had past and we still were not pregnant. Time was slipping away. The other boys were getting older. I was getting older! The big 4 0 was fast approaching. And yes, my husband was getting older and he didn’t want to be the age of a grandpa when his last child graduated from high school.

It was difficult going through each month watching the calendar and looking for signs that I might be pregnant this time. I’m sure some of you have been there. It’s hard, isn’t it? Finally, my doctor had a suggestion that would actually give us some control - something that would allow us a much better chance of getting pregnant: fertility drugs. I remember the day well. The nurse called mid-morning to report that I could start the medication, but because of my cycle I would need to start it the next day. The next day! I was excited. Finally, the end was near. No more waiting and fretting. No more emotional rollercoaster. Then, some how, I thought to ask her, “What is the down side of the medication?” She responded, “Well, you could end up with more than one fertilized egg.” I could have more than one (two – five…) baby? At that point, it dawned on me that I needed to pray about this. I told the nurse I would need to get back with her.

I went right to the place where I have my quiet time. I prayed fervently for an answer and even told God I needed to know “today.” You know how sometimes you have to wait and wait and wait for an answer. Well, I told Him up-front this needed an urgent response. Then I opened the devotional I’d been reading. The devotion that day was all about not pushing God into following our time table, not trying to “rush” Him. That He has a plan and is working all things out for His good. Honestly, it wasn’t the answer I was hoping for. Nonetheless, the answer was obvious and I couldn’t ignore it. I couldn’t deliberately step out of His will. I called the nurse back and told her I wasn’t interested. I cried, not knowing how long (if ever) it would take to get pregnant again. I put the whole matter into His hands that day. I’m not sure why, if God was blessing me for being obedient or if He knew I couldn’t take it much longer, but we got pregnant that very month.

Whatever plans you are making for your journey, dear one, ask God what He has planned for you. His way is much better! He wants nothing more than to bless you and be a part of your life.

March 26 - Welcoming Hearts

2007-03-26T09:20:00.000-05:00

(submitted by Julie Richards)

Who did Jesus come for?

I’ve been intrigued lately that there can be a few ways to answer a question. There is our initial answer that we are quick to come up with. It may be the right answer, but it doesn’t tell the whole story. There’s more to it if we’re willing to reflect for awhile and see what God’s Spirit stirs up in us.

Who did Jesus come for? Where did He spend His time? In Luke 5:30, the Pharisees complained bitterly to Jesus’ disciples and said, “Why do you eat and drink with such scum?” Jesus answered them, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor – sick people do. I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners and need to repent.” (Luke 5:31-32) How telling!

The quick answer is that He came to save the lost, the hurting and broken. Luke describes them as sick, which aptly fits a doctor’s perspective. I wonder if in our neat and tidy boxes, where we fit all our church answers, we think of the need that person has over there. That’s the one Jesus was referring to. Once saved, always saved, and I professed my faith long ago….surely not me. Perhaps the prodigal son in his honest need has countless elder brothers and sisters who can’t imagine how they too could be fallen or lost. We safely guard that we aren’t the hurting or broken. We do all we can to show our together worlds. On the surface, we’d never say we had it all together. Underneath it, though, upon deeper reflection, we realize how much we want it to be so.

Jesus’ rebuke didn’t come to the one who admitted they had need. His rebuke was for the one who didn’t see how He could possibly be talking about them.

1 Timothy 1:15 says, “This is a true saying, and everyone should believe it: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners-- and I was the worst of them all.” A fuller picture of the original meaning of save is to rescue, deliver, make whole, heal. Our salvation is secure when we ask for forgiveness and personally accept the work of Christ on the cross, but there is an ongoing work He does in our life to heal us and make us whole.

How powerful God’s grace and love pour into the life of the one who admits his or her need for Him! Imagine letting the walls fall down, where we can give up the pretense and say to Him, “Apart from You, God, I can do NOTHING. If You don’t heal me, I won’t be whole. If this is up to me, I’m as good as dead. In Your mercy, Lord, come do what only You can that I can’t do alone.”

Can we let Him see our need? Can we admit with Him that we have need? It’s not self-pity, it’s not self-focused. It is healing – letting God work wholeness in our deepest parts. An incredible ministry takes place when we let God enter in to our humanity like that. God reaches us, heals us, and sends us back out to reach more who are willing to let God tear down walls, reveal their need, and let Him touch them.

“How precious is Your unfailing love, O God! All humanity finds shelter in the shadow of Your wings…Pour out Your unfailing love on those who love You, Your saving justice to those with honest hearts.” Psalm 36:7,10 (NLT and NJB). The Message says, “Do Your work in welcoming hearts.”

Jesus welcomes us to come as we are. Leave the pretense behind. Let Him uncover layers and walls we’ve set up to guard or defend ourselves. Feel our need – and see that our Savior has come for you and for me. There is a work of healing and wholeness that He longs to do in the depths of our soul.

There is an epidemic of hurting people who are desperate to know they are not alone. The last words Jesus shared after His resurrection in Mark 16:15-18 were to send the disciples, His people, out into a hurting world to bring healing. “And the Lord worked through them…” (NIV, v.20) Maybe one of the ways that He does that is through our own testimony of healing. The Message writes, “Validating the Message with indisputable evidence.” What an incredible testimony, indisputable evidence, when we share that our lives have been touched and healed. Yours can too.

March 24 - This World

2007-03-09T10:02:00.000-05:00

(submitted by Dan Gildner)

Romans 8 18 I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. 19The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. 20For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope 21that[i] the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God.

22We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. 23Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. 24For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? 25But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.

Caedmon's Call wrote a song called "This World" that said,
"This world has nothing for me and this world has everything.
All that I could want and nothing that I need."

I remember hearing the lyrics above for the first time in college wondering what they were actually writing about...and then I got Tetris. Yes, my family was about a decade behind in the whole technology craze and so I had to save my own skin for my first Nintendo Purchase. I bought Tetris. I had played it at a friend's house years before but it cost like $50 then-well beyond any high schoolers salary could afford. When I purchased it from a used books store, I got it for $1.

I stayed up every night with my cell biology book next to me playing one more game and then promising to study whatever Cell Biology was (I never did figure it out after my second failed exam and subsequent dropping of the course). But I never did get to the book...or my chores...or my essential reading...or praying...or exercising...or laughing at my brother who studied...or anything else for that matter. I was engrossed with Tetris.

So I was a little bit humbled as I went to church that Sunday morning (my mom made me turn off the video game for 90 minutes that day). Someone sang, "This World" in church and before I knew it, I was a blubbering idiot in my pew. I came to realize something that shaped my life. I was spending most of my time on pursuing my wants and absolutely no time on what I needed. Tetris, just like life, has everything I could ever want from a flesh standpoint and yet has no eternal value at all. The great thing about my binging with it though was that I realized that being consumed by my desires didn't produce peace, joy, or even a greater sense of love.

Because I am learning every day that as I see pain, suffering and longing in the world I should be reminded that something in me is longing for a HOME greater than the one I can see. My feet are steeped in the crap of this world's waste and yet they are leading me to a perfect sidewalk. I was created for That World. That home. That reality that gives sense to this one. When I feel the most pressure to be consumed or to consume, maybe I need to point my finger toward Pure North and call out for Home.

March 23 - Pride

2007-03-09T10:01:00.002-05:00

(submitted by Chris Mullenhour)

One of the hardest things for me to recognize in my life is pride. This is probably because it comes in so many different forms. I do not consider myself a prideful person, yet so many of my actions and feelings state otherwise. One of the places where pride creeps up in my life is at work. I really don’t try to, but many times I catch myself thinking I’m better than someone else. Sometimes it’s because I feel I’m more educated, and sometimes it’s because I’m a Christian and someone else is not. How ironic is that? But I think many Christians face the same problem. I am very quick to pass judgment on someone because they are not Christian, and I have to remind myself that is not why I was created. 1st Corinthians 4:5-7 say’s:

Therefore do not go on passing judgment before the time, but wait until the Lord comes who will both bring to light the things hidden in the darkness and disclose the motives of men’s hearts; and then each man’s praise will come to him from God.

In 2nd Kings 19:23-29, it shows how people can lose sight of who is responsible for ones achievements. I have to continually remind myself that I am not responsible for my achievements. God gave me the abilities to accomplish these achievements. I did not do it on my own, yet at times I find myself taking credit for them when it is God I should be giving the credit to.

One area of my life where I have been able to improve is accepting help from others. I was one that would insist I could do a job on my own. If I needed help, that showed weakness. I would not let others pay for my meals or help me financially. I should be the one helping others. I realized I felt this way when I began putting myself on a higher pedestal than the other person. Again, what make me better than them?

Have you ever gotten upset at how someone else is driving? Why do you think that is? I am very guilty of this. I often find myself saying, “Who do they think they are driving that fast?” or “Where did they learn to drive?” That is my pride coming out again. I think that I’m the better driver and have never done ANYTHING to upset another driver. “I’m the perfect driver, why can’t everyone else drive like me!” I’m sure I’m the only one who has ever thought that.

Pride comes in many different forms. It is our responsibility to identify it and learn how to get rid of it. I know I need God’s help in that because again I thought I wasn’t a prideful person, but God has shown me (many ways) that I definitely have some work to do. Proverbs has many verses on pride and I’m pretty sure not one of them is positive. Be mindful of your pride and ask God to guide you out of it.

March 22 - God Has A Plan...Who's Going Lead?

2007-03-09T10:01:00.001-05:00

(submitted by Dave Bemus)

Joshua 1:9
“HAVE I NOT COMMANDED YOU? BE STRONG AND COURAGEOUS. DO NOT BE TERRIFIED; DO NOT BE DISCOURAGED, FOR THE LORD YOUR GOD WILL BE WITH YOU WHEREVER YOU GO."

Imagine 40 years of wandering in the wilderness – manna and quail, endless stop and go, waiting for the Promised Land. Joshua had endured this journey with the entire Israelite nation and following Moses’ death, he receives God’s words of promise and encouragement in a call to prepare and lead His people across the Jordan into the long-awaited Promised Land. Imagine receiving the following words of encouragement from God: “I WILL GIVE YOU EVERY PLACE WHERE YOU SET YOUR FOOT, AS I PROMISED MOSES. NO ONE WILL BE ABLE TO STAND UP AGAINST YOU ALL THE DAYS OF YOUR LIFE. AS I WAS WITH MOSES, SO I WILL BE WITH YOU; I WILL NEVER LEAVE YOU NOR FORSAKE YOU "BE STRONG AND COURAGEOUS, BECAUSE YOU WILL LEAD THESE PEOPLE TO INHERIT THE LAND...YOU WILL BE PROSPEROUS AND SUCCESSFUL. HAVE I NOT COMMANDED YOU? BE STRONG AND COURAGEOUS. DO NOT BE TERRIFIED; DO NOT BE DISCOURAGED, FOR THE LORD YOUR GOD WILL BE WITH YOU WHEREVER YOU GO." (Excerpts from Joshua 1:3-9).

Kind of gets the blood pumping doesn’t it? Now the Promised Land is in sight - the only thing that stands between you and your destination is the rain-swollen Jordan River. What would you do? I visualize myself running ahead and jumping into the river, reciting those awesome verses…knowing God will help me reach the other side…he wouldn’t let me drowned…would he?!? Thankfully, Joshua listened and waited for God to provide further instructions and the priests carefully followed God’s directions. They carried the Ark of the Covenant ahead of the people and when their feet touched the river, firm and dry footing appeared as the Jordan parted, allowing the entire nation of 2 million Israelites to enter safely.

So often the raging waters of demands, expectations and overcommitment surround us and it’s easy to run ahead of where God is working and follow our own self sufficiencies to do “God’s work”. We pray and we memorize verses as we battle the currents -- The problem is we don’t allow God the opportunity to provide the firm and dry footing he planned to provide along the way. God longs to instruct us with His Word in the busyness of our day, counseling us with the Holy Spirit or with others He appoints to help and to glorify Him. He wants to tighten the relationship with us to move forward together.

Joshua would have not been much value to the nation of Israel had he run ahead into the Jordan and drowned – we jeopardize our kingdom potential if we try to serve God in the raging waters of busyness. Stop, pray and listen for God’s instructions. God empowers us with the same verses He shared with Joshua…it’s up to us who will lead the way.

March 21 - Uncovered

2007-03-09T10:00:00.002-05:00

(submitted by Melissa Gossard)

“And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.” II Corinthians 3:18 NIV

Sometimes in order to “Journey On” there must be a cleansing, so to speak, of the heart, mind or soul - or all the above. Often our place of being stuck, not being able to move on to the next place, is because we have things covered up.

Driving around lately and looking around we see the newly, uncovered earth. The snow has melted, in some places puddles remain. There is a lot of trash; dirt lies on the pavement, patches of mud smatter the streets and parking lots everywhere. The grass is brown and the trash seems to stick like glue. When the snow was there the debris was covered, unnoticed by the beautiful yet dense blanket of ice that provided a barrier from the blowing wind.

Slowly though, the rains have come. Some washing away is occurring and we begin to see the earth just a little more fresh. Soon and somewhat painstakingly, a transformation will arise which allows all that is dirty and unseemly to blow away with the wind. The temperature will rise, more rain will come and the bright, warm morning sun will fill the days with freshness and renewal.

What covers us? What is there that is beautiful and fresh looking like a white blanket of snow? Yet found to be so dense, so heavy it is pinning the “trash” to our surfaces. Feelings, emotions, creature comforts, distractions of our culture – anything that might look ok but in fact is cold, hard to move and just simply needs the warming love of our Jesus in order to be uncovered.

Praying to identify the stale cover on the mind, the heart, the soul is the invitation to God to bring His Newness, His Glory. This invitation will possibly bring tears like spring rain to flood the soul with a cry so big and so loud it could be like thunder that will reverberate through and through. The invitation could create a steady stream of awareness with subtleties like green blades of grass that creep up when we aren’t looking.

If we ask Him, He will show what needs growing, what needs revealed. It could take awhile. It could take a lot of tears, it could mean looking in the mirror over and over again until every line, every detail of the places that do not look like God, begin to look like God because He has provided the sweet whisper of His Holy Spirit.

Just as He transforms the earth, as nature blows away and uncovers the effects of the winter months into a breathtakingly beautiful spring – He will order our next steps by blowing the fresh wind of His radiant Spirit. He will remove the cover of dirt that wants to cling and to keep us from being seen in His likeness and then the work will begin. It could hurt for a while but sometimes pain is good.

Dear ones, He is the warm, bright Son that promises transforming glory!

March 20 - Learn to Recognize

2007-03-09T10:00:00.001-05:00

(submitted by Todd Miller)

“That same day two of them were walking to the village Emmaus, about seven miles out of Jerusalem. They were deep in conversation, going over all these things that had happened. In the middle of their talk and questions, Jesus came up and walked along with them. But they were not able to recognize who he was.” (Luke 24:13-16 The Message)

Not able to recognize who He was! The man they had been following. The man who had been teaching them. The man who had broken paradigm after paradigm! And they couldn’t recognize him! Now, admittedly, other translations say that the disciples’ eyes were “holden” – that somehow God had affected their vision – but still – they couldn’t recognize Him! Hard to imagine, isn’t it?

But how often do I fail to recognize Jesus? How often do I pray over something but then neglect to see Jesus when He intervenes? How often do I pray for understanding, guidance, or clarity of thinking but then fail to thank Him for what He does for me? I am sorry to say that it is all far too often.

What do you think about when you think about recognizing Jesus? Do you recognize Him in those who love you? In those who show you grace and mercy? Do you recognize Him in the community of Sidney First?

In the past couple of weeks, many of us saw the picture of college baseball players kneeling in prayer on the field, not knowing that a horrible tragedy lay ahead of their team. Did we recognize Jesus in that picture?

As we picture Jesus on the cross, we may also see Jesus in the face of those who are hurting. The poor, the broken, the downtrodden. It’s pretty easy to see Jesus in their pain and reach out to them in response. But do we see Jesus in the face of our housewife friend caught in an adulterous affair? How about in the face of the business executive who feels trapped and continuously pushes the envelope on ethics and morals? Do we see Jesus in the pain of their faces?

Going further, do we strive to be the face of Jesus to others? And, when we do choose to be the face of Jesus to others, are we like Jesus on the road to Emmaus in that we don’t care whether the others seem to recognize Him or not? Are we happy to be their Jesus regardless of their reaction?

It may seem ludicrous that those on the road to Emmaus didn’t recognize Jesus. But, the bigger questions are, do we recognize Him, do we praise Him, do we thank Him, do we strive to show His love in all the situations we encounter? Let us pray that we do because that is what He calls us to.

March 19 - Forever Friends

2007-03-09T09:59:00.001-05:00

(submitted by Chris Heckaman)

“And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” Psalm 23

What’s the rush? So often I get caught thinking about all the things I have to do. I forget. I’ve been made for eternity and so have you.

Of course the things I need to get done are extremely and supremely important. Actually, I’m just kidding myself.

My relationship with God is forever. Therefore, I have all the time in the world and then some, some in the next.

More than wanting me to get this done for Him and that, trying to pack in as much as I can, God wants to be in relationship with me.

If something takes seven years to accomplish and two years off of doing nothing big for God, so be it. He is spending all of eternity with me. I am more important to Him than what I do.

Psalm 46:10 says, “Cease striving and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations. I will be exalted in the earth.” He is the “I” of which the verse refers. I can’t outdo God. And God will get the job done. We can relax. And enjoy the privilege of knowing Him and His knowing of us.

In John 15 Jesus called the disciples not workers, slaves, or employees, but rather friends. No rush driven by demands. Relax. Enjoy. Hang out. Hear those words, “I have called you friend.” Receive them for yourself.

One of my greatest joys is watching my kids continue to grow and develop. One night last week we were all sitting in our family room just hanging out and talking. The TV wasn’t on. No one was waiting in line for the internet or trying to get on the computer for their email. We were just hanging out and talking. And we were talking more as friends than as parents and kids. I thought to myself, “Wow, this is cool. And this is only going to get better.” Our whole life is ahead of us. It was so deeply rich. You know what? God feels the same way about us. We’re not going anywhere nor He with us. Our journey in Christ will last for all eternity.

Here’s a thought, maybe what we get to know about God now isn’t even to be compared with what we will get to know about Him later. And consider this…Do you think you will know everything there is to know about Him the second you wake up in heaven, or maybe, just maybe, by year 110,098 in heaven you’ll wake up and discover something new, fresh, and absolutely wonderful?

“I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” As broad as is the horizon of our God is the wideness of His grace to want to know and enjoy us forever. Stop hurrying and learn to dwell now.

March 17 - Giants or Promised Land?

2007-03-09T09:57:00.002-05:00

(submitted by Erin & Dan Gildner)

Read Numbers 13:17-14:9

Up to this point the people of Israel had seen ten plagues come and go, they had seen the water of the Red Sea part for them to cross and than collapse on top of Pharaoh’s army in the nick of time. They had seen water flow from a rock…TWICE, had manna every morning and even quail, and to top it off, they were following a pillar of fire at night and a pillar of smoke in the daytime that showed God’s real presence leading them. It seems that God had done some amazing things to teach the people about Himself and who He is, to build their trust in Him. There were lots of bumps along the way and more whining than a class of preschoolers.

Now here they were, facing a new challenge. They were literally at the doorstep of the Promised Land, what they had endured all that time and pain to get to. Moses sends in twelve spies to scope out the land. They return all agreeing that the land was amazing, all they had hoped it would be and more! But there was a huge “but” that was keeping them from moving into the land. Ten of the spies report of huge people who lived there, fortified cities and even that the land “devours those living in it” (13:32). Their focus, after all that God had already taken them through, turned back to themselves and their weaknesses and inabilities (13:31, 33). They had already been defeated, even choosing to go back to Egypt!

I don’t know about you, but every time I read this passage, I want to jump into the pages of my Bible and fling my Bible at these people. Don’t they get it? Back to Egypt? Are you serious?

But another voice is heard. Caleb and Joshua stand up to tell the people that they can get their Promised Land because God was going to lead them to “swallow them up” (14:9). All the people of Israel had to do was to please the Lord…by not rebelling but believing (14:8-9). But they reverted back to being slaves again, slaves to their giants of self-doubt and focus on their own weakness.

Like the Israelites we use our past, our weaknesses, our inabilities as an excuse to _______, you fill in the blank. So we believe a lie, that it can’t be done. The strength of the giants and cities was real, but what they didn’t see was another reality—that God was already making provision for them to take the land, taking away the protection of their enemies.

What is your Promised Land? Where is it that God is trying to take you that you are struggling to get to? What is your attitude that keeps you from getting there, your “but”, your giant? What lie are you believing? Or like Caleb and Joshua, do you have the attitude that God will swallow up your giant? Are you choosing to believe and move forward or is your own disbelief, self-doubt or insecurity holding God back? Yes, I think we hold God back from experiencing our Promised Land. God has already shown Himself strong in your life, like water from the rock or the parting of a sea or answered prayer. Believe again. Funny thing that when the Israelites finally did go into the Promised Land (40 years later), the first battle they had and won was the battle of Jericho, where the walls crashed down when the people yelled. Do you see God’s provision?

March 16 - Phil 4:6

2007-03-09T09:57:00.001-05:00

(submitted by Eileen Hix)

Have you ever wanted to help someone? Not just wanted to help but felt overwhelmingly that you could do something, anything to help? Then you find out that you can’t. What a feeling of helplessness.

I often think that God can use me to help and that is great but sometimes God needs me to pray and leave it all up to Him. Is God asking you to pray and let Him help? Is he asking you to get out of the way and let him perform His Miracle?

Philippians 4:6 says Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your request to God.

Paul is saying that we have to turn it all over to Him - to let our problems be His problem! How big is our God that he is able to take our problems-all of them.

Sometimes it is hard for us to give it over to God but I know he could handle all of it! But then what do I do? What is my part of the problem? Aha my part is to pray, my part is to learn to sit in that place where I can really leave it in his hands. I am not good at sitting and sitting quietly is an effort. Wow what a peace to find when you really wait in that quiet time.

A peace that transcends all understanding.

March 15 - Psalm 20:7

2007-03-09T09:56:00.000-05:00

(submitted by Erin Gildner)

Psalm 20:7—“Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.”

I have never considered myself a particularly controlling person. But ever since Caleb has been born, I have found that my biggest struggles as a mom are in my inability to control him in one way or another. I’m the kind of mom that has outlet covers everywhere, safety locks on cabinets and safety knobs on door handles. I try to give a “controlled freedom” of sorts. But I’m starting to understand what my mom and dad experienced when I was Caleb’s age. I was hit by a car once, fell under a car twice, almost lost my eye in a bicycle accident, had countless bumps and bruises and scrapes, and went to the emergency room two other times from accidents while playing at church. I’m starting to understand just how much they have had to trust in the Lord just for my life.

I’m starting to learn this lesson also. About a month ago I was having a nice impromptu lunch with a friend in my kitchen. I had been working on our finances earlier in the morning and had a mess of papers spread out on the table. I noticed that a paperclip had slipped down under the table. I left it there, tired of constantly crawling into tight spaces to retrieve lost objects…or people. “I’ll get it later,” I thought. “Later” came. After a series of attempts Caleb realized he wasn’t going to get the attention he wanted during lunch, so he resigned to playing by himself and soon he ended up under the kitchen table. Soon I noticed that it had gotten rather quiet and in a split second I remembered the paper clip. For some reason the outlet cover under the table was off and when I looked, Caleb had the paper clip half an inch away from the outlet.

Have you ever had the terrifying realization of a “what-if”? Have you ever felt like all you do is ultimately useless in protecting your loved ones? Psalm 20:7 talks about trusting in chariots and horses, which in our world is trusting in outlet covers, fences, and anything we try be in control of on our own power. We like controlling our environment, our children, our job, our relationships, our bodies, and even our hurts. Chuck Price wrote the devotional on March 5 and he talked about how God is in charge of our growth, He is in control. Do you realize that we have a good God? Even during the excruciatingly painful experiences. Our good God is in control of your life and has your good in mind.

In my story with Caleb the reality of my children and loved ones literally being kept in God’s care, in the palm of his hand, under his wings (Psalm 91!!) hit home. We feel we are in control of what happens to us in so many ways and we try to trust God for so much. Funny how one mommy who is careful about her curious child and always keeps outlet covers on can be so close to catastrophe.

What do you try to control? What do you hold tightly in your hand, unwilling or unable to release to God’s control? Do you really think God is good? Do you recognize His hand in your life, your children’s safety, your finances, your spiritual growth? Do you trust in the name of the LORD our God?

March 14 - Running Without Legs

2007-03-09T09:54:00.002-05:00

(submitted by David Porath)

We are going to start this off with a little exercise. You do not have to participate, but I hope you try it.

Get off your chair and get on the floor. Go ahead, no one is looking. Sit cross-legged, Indian style, whatever you used to call it as a kid. What? Can't do this and see your screen at the same time? If you have a laptop, unplug it and bring it down to your level. If you are on a PC, use the printer or double your screen size. I promise, this will only take a minute.......

Now that you are in the position, put your arms to the side, push your fanny off the ground and lock your elbows. How long can you hold this position? Ok, relax and take a break. Just for a few minutes though......

Ok, long enough. Now go to the edge of the room you are in and get into the same position. This time when you push up, push forward at the same time scooting your body across the floor WITHOUT USING YOUR LEGS. That last part is key to this exercise. Some of you nimble, flexible and strong people may not have a problem doing it at first; however, do it a couple of times. Feel the burning sensation yet?

I see this exercise everyday of my life. No, I do not do it. I would look like Hulk Hogan if I did. This is what Justine does anytime she wants to get from A to B if she is not in her wheelchair. The thing that amazes me is the speed and grace she does it in. She can get from one side of our house to the other pretty quickly.

Justine constantly tells us that she cannot run. We try to see it a different way though. How many people can do what she does with her arms? She can fly around in her wheelchair pretty good too when she wants to. It is like she is running without legs. The rest of her body is making up for what her legs cannot do. She does not realize it yet though. All she sees is what is in front of her; what her young mind comprehends.

My spiritual life is like that a lot. I really know that I am limited in a lot of aspects many of my friends and peers are not so limited. Sometimes I feel like I am limited in what God has in store for me, or better yet, what I think He has in store for me. It is really hard for me to remember that God has given me my own unique gifts He wants to use for me to do His purpose. I think that I get overcome with my own shortcomings that I forget to look at the strengths that have been molded into body, mind and soul. Just like the uniqueness of Justine's physical makeup. Sure she cannot run, but man, can she move. If that is not a living miracle, then I do not know what is.

James 4:7,8,10 "7Submit yourselves, then, to God.... 8Come near to God and He will come near to you.... 10Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up."

Submission is never an easy thing. Not to your parents, you’re friends, your wife, and your kids, not to anyone. Especially God. Submitting is letting go.... of everything. Lose control. I need to submit my shortcomings, my lack of gifts I wish I had and even the gifts I know I have. I have to be near to God in everything. My prayer time, studying, my family, even work. If I do that, He will be closer to me than ever. Can I humble myself enough though? I am reading a book called "The Mind of Christ." In it, the author says that self-interest is "the essence of sin... because self-interest is diametrically opposed to the character of God." Can I give up this life and world of self-interest? Can I humble myself enough so that all I do is because it is God's will for me to do it and not my own? Submit, come and humble. Three steps, one answer.

If my family and I can learn do this we will be running full speed to eternal life. We won't be worried about how fast our legs or wheelchair is going. We know that Jesus is running right beside of us all of the way. He may never heal Justine physically to walk here on earth but I tell you what, He has her running full speed towards His loving arms right now.... even without legs.

March 13 - to new heights

2007-03-09T09:54:00.001-05:00

(submitted by Barbara Staley)

We visited my paternal grandmother almost every Sunday. That was OK but not as special as extended visits in the summer. My Grandmother lived on Filburn Island and I thought that the island was a very special place on earth. It was always an adventure to spend a week with her. Most times my grandfather would leave and go to his tile shed in Anna. When he left I knew we would have fun. She would put her rowboat in the water and we would travel to Blackberry Island where we picked the most scrumptious blackberries in the world. We laughed and talked and sometimes were just still in the quietness of Lake Loramie.

Wintertime meant ice fishing. I would always freeze and run back to the house where my grandmother had hot cocoa. I would sit beside the wood stove and watch her as she made noodles or whatever was on her agenda for the day. She taught me to make noodles and to peel a potato around and around producing on long continuous peel. I cherish the richness of those days. But I have found that my grandmother was just a taste of what it is like to love God and hunger after time with God.

Lent is upon us and I normally seek out a devotional that I hope draws me closer to God. This summer I experienced a silent retreat at the Abbey of Gethsemani where I prayed and sang the psalms along with the monks who lived at the Abbey. Every two weeks they pray and sing though all one hundred and fifty psalms. Praying the psalms is the Lenten discipline I have chosen. Now, the psalms touch wonderful emotions in me but this Lent I want to be especially sensitive to the psalms that are difficult. Psalm thirty-eight is an example. It reads “There is no soundness in my flesh because of thine anger; neither is there any rest in my bones because of my sin”. My intention is that God and I will have long conversations as we row over to Blackberry Island. I will be alone with God and know that God and only God can tell me the real truth about myself. The revelations will be painful at times, as well as uplifting, but I trust God will draw me ever closer. I want to wake up on Easter morning transformed.

I do not know what your Lenten journey looks like, but pray that you are traveling to new heights of love with God. Wouldn’t it be great to wake up on Easter morning so very extra full of God’s presence?

In the love of Christ!

March 12 - Mary Poppins

2007-03-09T09:27:00.000-05:00

(submitted by Bert-the chimney sweep)

I recently re-watched Mary Poppins several times over and was struck by something totally new. The first 100 times that I watched and danced (because who can sit still when the penguins are dancing with Dick VanDyke?) I saw the film as a story of how Mary Poppins blew in from the sky and brought laughter, playfulness and a bag full of mysteries to the children (did you know that the one who played Michael died at age 21 from pancreatitis), and colorful songs like "A spoonful of sugar", "Stay Awake" and "Supercalifragilisticexpialodocious."

But when I watched it the other day twice, I had new eyes in which to see the true story. The story this time was about Mr. George W. Banks, Jane and Michael's dad!

You see him walk into the first scene, precisely when he should, singing the lines "A British bank is run with precision. A British home requires nothing less! Tradition, discipline, and rules must be the tools. Without them - disorder! Chaos! Moral disintegration! In short, we have a ghastly mess!"

You see him always in control of what he wants to be in control of, that is, until Mary Poppins arrives. Then, a transformation occurred. In order to process this a bit, let's skip forward to the end of the film.

Mr. George W. Banks, when facing the reality of losing his job because of his unruly children (meaning: you are a bad dad), for the first time in his life does not know what to say, so he blurts out a Mary Poppins word, tells a joke and then skips home singing (off-key mind you), "A spoonful of sugar."

Is this the same man? What happened?

Ezekiel 37 says "The hand of the LORD was upon me, and he brought me out by the Spirit of the LORD and set me in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. He led me back and forth among them, and I saw a great many bones on the floor of the valley, bones that were very dry. 3 He asked me, "Son of man, can these bones live?" I said, "O Sovereign LORD, you alone know." Then he said to me, "Prophesy to these bones and say to them, 'Dry bones, hear the word of the LORD! This is what the Sovereign LORD says to these bones: I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life. I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the LORD.' "

Here's how I see the life-entering process of one George W. Banks:
1. I don't need to change. My way of thinking is best.
2. It's ok for my family to change, as long as they keep me happy (without headaches)
3. The minute the change begins to affect how we spend our money or time, I will attack the one or the thing that has caused the change and try to take back control.
4. When I fail to regain control, I can choose to either become more embittered or embrace the breath of life that has been hounding me.
5. It's ok to not always be in control. I can trust that which has been stirring in me.
6. Flying kites may be more important than toppins.

What's your story of transformation? What are the steps that God used to breathe life into you? Was your process similar to George? Were are you today? Maybe the winds changed years ago but now you are seemingly walking face-first into the headwinds again. Embrace with me, the Spirit of God. We can trust Him.

March 10 - Growing Up

2007-03-09T09:24:00.000-05:00

(submitted by Melissa Gossard)

11 When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child. But when I grew up, I put away childish things. 12 Now we see things imperfectly as in a cloudy mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity.[b] All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely. I Corinthians 13:11-12

She was here just a minute ago...I know she was...there were lots of questions...lots of worries...there was control...or was there?

It was 1993. Mike and I were getting ready to move our family to Sidney from Lima. Our house wasn't quite finished yet so that meant for the first 2 months of Kindergarten our 5 year old would go to work with Mike, then to the unfinished house where the school bus would pick her up, then at noon when the bus dropped her off at the house I would drive down to Sidney to pick her up. We went through all the scenarios if by chance mommy wouldn't be there when she got off the bus. Traffic on I-75, bus arriving early, unexpected delays - you name it, I conjured it up. You know - all those what ifs! All those things unseen but imagined – as if I could control the world, childishly thinking God’s job was mine. I would make safe the world my child lived in…

It was last weekend. Mike and I in Ohio, our 19 year old traveling in icy conditions on a highway headed north to Rochester, NY. She called, “Mom, will you pray for us? – we need safe travel, going 20 MPH and we need to stay alert.” The old panic immediately drifted into my mind. But instead of conjuring, I prayed. I shared with Mike. In the meantime a friend called, we prayed. I called another friend, she prayed. My Jesus made safe the world my child lives in…

I like to think I have “grown up” during these years. Do you ever feel childish? Do you act in ways that proclaim self-centeredness and being in control? Be honest with yourself; look in the mirror, ask God to give you clarity. Ask Him to lead you in the ways of truth, maturity, self-denial and His guidance. I could no more control the what ifs and the unknowns when she was 5 then I could control that snowstorm she was in the other night. The places He has made clear in my life during these years have allowed me to be a “grown up”. Each place I have traveled on my journey only becomes clear because the ONE Who knows me completely loves me completely and promises perfect peace.

She was here just a minute ago…ahhh…she still is…held by Him…questions being answered…no worries…all is in control…He says so!

Journey on fellow travelers…be a Grown-Up!

March 9 - The Journey in the Olives

2007-03-08T08:49:00.000-05:00

(submitted by Julie and Todd Richards)

The Mount of Olives stands to the east of Jerusalem and has both historical and future significance. In 2nd Samuel, the Mount of Olives is where David retreats to and weeps over his son Absalom’s rebellion. It is also the place where David receives the provisions he needs for the next leg of his journey. In Zechariah, the prophet says that God himself will stand on the Mount of Olives and oversee the defeat of evil and the restoration of Jerusalem. Zechariah 14:8 says that on that day, “Life giving waters will flow out from Jerusalem.”

It is on the Mount of Olives that Jesus has spent time talking with and preparing his disciples for what is to come. The disciples knew this was the place where God would stand as God defeated the enemies of God’s chosen people. Jesus though, experiences the Mount of Olives like his kin David.

This particular night was unlike any other. Jesus has just washed their feet, talked about his body and blood, and revealed that one of them will betray him. It is the middle of the night. Jesus takes with him, Peter, James and John. Mark 14:33 says that Jesus was deeply troubled and distressed. He tells his disciples, his three closest friends that, “My soul is crushed with grief to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me” (v.34). He then goes off by himself and prays, “My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine” (v.36).

Jesus is scared and anxious. Big time. Real honest feelings, raw emotions. He knows what is about to happen to him. He knows that he must be handed over to the authorities and “carry his cross” (or better, our cross). He knows that he will die a shameful and violent death at the hands of the people he loves. He is divine enough to know it is for the best, the greater good and greater glory. We miss something very significant, though, if we don’t see, in this moment, Jesus’ humanness. Yes, Jesus is Divine; He is perfect. But he is also fully human, yet without sin. He feels human emotion and human need. If he doesn’t, how can he truly understand us?

The pain of the moment is so real, he is looking for an out. A loophole. A way to escape the coming storm. “If you can take this cup from me, Father…” not because he doesn’t want to obey God or that he won’t follow where God leads, but because he is crying out and hurting. It isn’t sin to feel emotions. God made us to feel—be fully alive—and in tune with our whole heart. The Psalms are famous for letting us cry out with our hearts, but here we see it reaffirmed by Christ himself. If you ever needed an invitation to feel what stirs in your heart and know that God hears and cares for you, you’ll find it here in the anguish Jesus shares with the Father.

Hebrews 4:15 says, “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin.” The New Jerusalem Bible words it this way: “For the high priest we have is not incapable of feeling our weaknesses with us.” He feels it alright. Scripture says he is in anguish and crushed with grief. Ever been there?

We tend to overlook this passage in light of Paul’s admonition in Philippians 4:6 to, “be anxious about nothing but in everything, through prayer and petition, present your requests to God.” It is a great passage but often misquoted and misunderstood. “Be anxious about nothing” sounds straightforward—that we shouldn’t allow stress and anxiety into our lives. In the Greek though, the emphasis of the verb tense means that God doesn’t intend for us to stay in an ongoing state of anxiousness. God recognizes our weaknesses. God helps us in our weakness and tells us how we can pour it out to him in prayer. This is what Jesus does in the Mount of Olives. Jesus is visibly anxious and stressed and scared about the next few hours. He feels it. And he prays.

Notice how he ends his prayer, “I want your will to be done, not mine.” He doesn’t stay in the depth of his grief, he surrenders it. He has lived it, felt it, and grieved it, (as opposed to denying it, burying it, or stuffing it under the rug)…and then he gives it over. Sometimes, in the midst of the storm, the only thing to do is surrender. Jesus’ life of prayer and ministry has been all about surrendering himself to the will of his Father. Everything is done to glorify and exalt God above himself. His pleasure comes in serving God above everything, even his own life and will.

Here is a lesson from the Mount of Olives—Victory comes through surrender. Jesus, in the midst of his fear and anxiety, in raw authentic honesty, places himself at the feet of God by surrendering himself to God’s will. Maybe that is the journey. Maybe the journey starts, continues and ends there, at the Mount of Olives where we give up ourselves to the Victor and bathe in the life giving waters of God’s will. No matter the storm that comes, no matter the pain, no matter the price, God gives comfort and life to those beaten down by life and surrendered at God’s feet.

March 8 - New Perspective

2007-03-07T10:48:00.000-05:00

(submitted by Beth Abbott)

Psalm 18: 16-17, 19
He reached down from on high and took hold of me; he drew me out of deep waters. He rescued me from my powerful enemy, from my foes, who were too strong for me. He brought me out into a spacious place; he rescued me because he delighted in me.

I found this passage a few months ago as I started looking at areas in my life where I wasn't experiencing freedom. For me, a couple of things that are truly hindering my walk with the Lord are pride and unbelief. My lack of self-confidence and not living as if I believed what He says is true brought me to a point of feeling paralyzed in my relationship with God and wanting to run from any areas of service I once felt passionate about.

It was at that point when I realized I needed to stop and gain a new perspective – my God is BIG and He wants me to believe Him and take Him at His word. He wants all of me and won't let me be comfortable with something less. As I called out to Him, acknowledging my need for Him because there was nothing I could do to get out on my own, He reached down into the pit I was in, took hold of me and pulled me out. It is a daily battle for me to believe the truth of who God is and to use His promises to overpower the lies and thoughts that want to infiltrate my mind, but when I call out to Him He is there reminding me how to stay in the spacious place. I'm so thankful this is a journey and that He is gracious enough to continue to hold on even as I struggle maintaining this new mindset. The unbelievable part for me is that He does this not out of duty, but because He delights in me and desires for me to grow in this journey we're on together. God is so good and I am so thankful!

My prayer for us this season is that we would put our faith in the One who is faithful and cling to and put into action the truth that will change us forever.

March 7 - Maintaining Momentum

2007-03-07T06:04:00.000-05:00

(submitted by Chris & Lisa Heckaman)

“Make ready the way of the Lord.” Matthew 3:3

Right from the very beginning, the life of faith was meant to be lived as journey.

Abraham got the call to embark on a monumental trek, “to a place he did not know.” Faith may still feel like uncertain and uncharted charted territory to you. It may loom large, very, very large on your horizon. For him, faith was simply learning to live into a growing relationship with God. Getting on the journey was showing faith. It’s not something we have. It’s something we walk, daily step by daily step.

The Israelites, who called it "wandering," were in essence on a journey. Only until they reached Mt. Nebo, a high place, did it all come into focus and they were able to see the sacred plan.

The disciples were called to "come and follow," i.e. to journey. Following means to keep in step, right behind, as someone takes the lead out in front on ahead.

The early church, called by Peter in one of his epistles as “sojourners,” were forced into exile due to the persecution of the Romans. Always on the run, many thought it was so unfair. God was using their movement to spread the word. They were still on the journey.

Jesus is the journey. In John 14:6, when He says that He is “the way,” it is the Greek word for road. Jesus was the movement that changed the world, meant to be lived and experienced in the context of purposeful motion.

How can you and I, therefore, keep forward progress going? Put another way, how can you and I maintain momentum in our walk with God?

When we stop and pull to the side of the road our faith stops. It becomes mere wandering instead of sacred plan, exiling instead of sojourning, dying instead of rising.

Have you ever been on an Emmaus Walk Retreat? Did you know we hold them here at our church every few months? Are you a part of a Journey Life Group? Have you taken the Journey Study? Gone to Mexico on a Missions Trip?

What is the next step for you in your daily set of steps?

March 6 - A Close God

2007-03-06T11:46:00.000-05:00

(submitted by Sheryl Ditmer)

“I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.” Ephesians 3: 16-17.

Scripture tells us that as believers Christ dwells in us. It says that as soon as we acknowledge our belief and need for Him as our savior, he takes up residency. We also know He is every where, all the time. He is omnipresent. Thus, He is in us and around us, whether we are in Sidney, Tijuana, or Cap Haitien.

Yet, we journey through most (if not all) of our daily activities not sensing His presence. Why is that? Is it that we don’t have enough faith that He truly is everywhere? Is it that we don’t believe He loves US that much? Is it that we lack the discipline of knowing how to dwell in His presence? Or is it we are just too busy to even think about it?

Henry Nouwen writes, “Through contemplative prayer we can keep ourselves from being pulled from one urgent issue to another and from becoming strangers to our own heart and God’s heart. Contemplative prayer keeps us home, rooted and safe, even when we are on the road, moving form place to place, and often surrounded by sounds of violence and war. Contemplative prayer deepens in us the knowledge that we are already free, that we have already found a place to dwell, that we already belong to God, even though everything and everyone around us keep suggesting the opposite.”

Can it be that easy? Is it just a matter of prayer? I’m thinking, in most cases, the answer is YES. Mind you this is not the kind of prayer where you give God a list of requests, but the kind where you listen, look, feel and open yourself up to Him. It is a state of mind and yes it is a discipline you have to learn. The good news is it can be done and it makes a huge difference.

I encourage you today, where ever you are journeying, to go with God. He is closer than you know and more than willing to go through your day with you.

March 5 - Growing on the Journey

2007-03-02T11:22:00.000-05:00

(submitted by Chuck Price)

“For it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.”
Phil 2:13 NAS

The Christian life is a journey of following Christ. As we journey with the Lord we are continually learning and growing and there are numerous lessons that He teaches us along the way. One of the most important lessons that I have learned is that God is the one in charge of our growth which means:
• He chooses the lessons
• He chooses the methods
• He chooses the timing
I don’t know that I always like that so much. Many times the lesson that God selected was not the one that I thought I should have been learning at the moment. I would also quite often pick different ways to receive those lessons. And I would almost always prefer different timing.
“Not now Lord, I am too busy and I have too much to do and besides that I am too young to deal with this now. Particularly since I am already dealing with Rheumatoid Arthritis which is not yet under control! ” That was part of how I felt last summer when I was diagnosed with prostate cancer.
But then I remembered it was God who chooses the lessons, methods, and timing to grow my faith. I was in the center of His will and I could trust Him even if it did rearrange what I already had concluded should be my schedule and priorities.
The principle is: God is the one who causes the growth in my life and He uses the laboratory of circumstances to produce that growth. It has been a great season of growth as I have seen the Lord in new ways and experienced the ministry of a caring and loving church family that has taught me even further lessons about God’s grace. And I am reminded of Philippians 1:6, “For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.”

March 3 - The Blessing in Touch

2007-03-01T10:52:00.001-05:00

(submitted by Eileen Hix)

Scripture: Mark 10:16 And he took the children in his arms, put his hands on them and blessed them.

This scripture follows the “let the little children come to me” passage which has always been an important scripture to me. It is the way God made me; I feel the need to point the way for children to come to HIM. To show children of God’s great love for them - what an amazing gift to be able to share His love! In Mark 10:16 it specifically says Jesus took them in his arms and He blessed them. I think that speaks to the importance of touch and how much people need to feel touched. There is a whole communication that takes place when we shake hands, hug, touch an arm; each of these shows a different level of love and care.

When I was blessed to go to Haiti, I know the difference in the communication I got to have when I touched people. When you rub a child’s back and they wiggle when you stop so that you will rub their back more, that shows how much they were needing the love and affection they were getting. I have been overwhelmed by the way most of the world lives. I knew how people lived but there is a huge difference in knowing and feeling how they live - knowing that you cannot make a big difference but feeling that you have to make a difference. There is always a difference when you TOUCH someone else’s life. You do not have to go to Haiti to touch the lives of those around you. Just reach out your hand…and bless.

March 2 - Toenail Clippings and Love

2007-03-01T10:51:00.001-05:00

(submitted by Todd Miller)

Key Verse: "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” (John 13:34)

What is it that other people do that really wigs you out? What behavior on their part moves you to the proverbial "breaking point"? Come on. We all have it. What’s yours?

Is it the guy who takes 47 items through the express lane at Wal-Mart and then stops to choose seven candy bars and two tabloids on top of everything else? How about the out-of-control toddler at Olive Garden? The relative who still laments decisions they made 57 years ago? The spouse who trims their toenails and leaves them on the arm of the couch? The teenager who doesn't listen to a word you say? The parent who still tries to control you … on your 68th birthday? The guy sitting next to you on the airplane who apparently had nothing to eat except pinto beans for the last three days?

An ongoing part of the Christian journey for me is reminding myself that none of us is perfect. I want to reach the point where I do not see the imperfections in others without also seeing my own. Or, better yet, where I just see another of God’s children.

On thing that really drives me nuts is when someone changes "the plan" at the last second. Even more so when their change affects me but they don't let me know about it! But then I think of the times when I have done that to others. And I start to understand that, even though the other person's gift for planning may not be the greatest, the root to my negative reaction is my issue with feeling out of control. It’s my imperfection that's a problem – not theirs. The more I realize that, the less wigged out I become and the closer I can get to where God wants me to be.

Jesus commanded us to love one another -- his greatest commandment in fact. But how can I do that if all I see are the imperfections in others? What if my eyes are those of suspicion, contempt, and prejudice instead of love, compassion, and grace? What if all I see is the wall that I have built between them and me? I struggle with this every day. I have a long way to go in order to consistently live out unconditional love for all others.

It may seem relatively easy to live out our faith when we're surrounded by it in a faith community. But things change when we're on the "outside" and that person cuts us off in traffic. Or our well-pedicured but sloppy spouse leaves their toenail clippings on the couch (I am not talking from personal experience, mind you!) Or our regret-filled Aunt Eunice relates her story for the 43rd time ... that day. Those are the times that test our transformation in Christ!

Jesus reminded us that none of us is without sin. We all carry imperfections and we all make mistakes. Yet He loves us just the same ... exactly as He commanded us to fully love one another because of who we are in Him. I need to live true to that commandment and it can't be done with a cold or suspicious heart. It can only be done when I allow God's love and grace - both so freely given to me - to flow through me and on to others.

March 1 - Draw Near

2007-02-28T19:57:00.000-05:00

(submitted by Paul Hohlbein)

Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. (James 4:8) I am always amazed how quickly I forget this verse. How quickly I ask the question, “Where are you God?” How hard I look for some sign to serve as a witness to me of God’s presence. The Psalmist in Psalm 139: 7-10, declares that there is on place where we can go to be separated from God…Thank you Jesus! Jesus “drew near” to us by leaving Heaven, being one of us, and them conquering the cross.

I hope you and I this Lenten season can grasp the remarkable access Christ’s death and resurrection gives us to our God. We need not hope God shows up where we are. Rather, we need to seek Him, draw near to Him, wherever we are…and there, HE WILL BE!

Dear God, teach us to constantly draw ourselves into your presence. Help us not to look for You after we “arrive,” but rather, “go with you” in every circumstance. May we learn to make you our constant companion.

Feb. 28 - Snow and God

2007-02-28T07:58:00.000-05:00

(submitted by Cheryl Christman)

Matthew 6: 26, 27 “Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?”

The sun is shining brightly on 15 inches of snow and three foot drifts. The temperature is in the teens and the wind chill is below zero. But I’m sitting in my cozy sun room watching as dozens of birds visit our triple-cylinder bird feeder.

Yesterday afternoon I watched as they battled 30 MPH winds that made them hover midair like wounded helicopters until they had to retreat to the nearest tree cavity. They were tenacious, though, and returned at the first sign of calmer winds. I worried about them during the evening as the storm progressed into a blizzard.

But this morning the sun came out and so did the birds. I have counted eleven different varieties so far, one I had not seen before. They are covering the feeder, the ground below, and the nearby bushes, waiting their turn to reach food. I am once again filled with amazement as I ponder God’s providence for these little creatures. Each variety is a different size, a different color, has different markings, and a different song. And yet He has predetermined their needs and designed them to be able to weather difficult circumstances and conditions that could destroy larger, stronger creatures. Yesterday, they were battling for their lives. Today they are singing beautiful songs.

Life’s struggles can be overwhelming. We often feel like we, too, are caught up in a powerful blizzard, blinded and unable to see any farther than a few steps in front of us. It’s at these times that we need to stop struggling and fighting against the unseen foe and take refuge in God’s powerful yet comforting arms. He cares for the birds and He will take care of us, too.

Feb. 27 - Walking Through Mud

2007-02-26T14:04:00.000-05:00

(submitted by Chris Heckaman)

If you do what the LORD wants, he will make certain each step you take is sure.
The LORD will hold your hand, and if you stumble, you still won't fall.
Psalm 37:23-24, CEV

Well, we're back. From a blizzard to 90 degree heat all within 24
hours, priceless! Haiti still calls me. I see so much of God there.
Our work in partnership with Living Hope Missions continues. The church and community development in the village of Pistere continues to grow stronger. The school we sponsor and feeding program is thriving. All the loans we funded that were paid out to help local businesses were paid back to be lent out again. The journey continues.

We helped build a kitchen for the school this year. Got a good start
one day. Had to come back after a night filled with rain the next.
Couldn't make it back in our vehicles though, too muddy. We had to hoof it on foot. Parking the trucks by the side of the main road, we got out with boots and slickers, to make the muddiest trek of our lives.

Trudging through inches of mud for 1.75 miles is an experience. Can't keep good footing. Your center of gravity is always sliding. You use muscles you never knew you had in ways you never knew you could. We
carried our packs and equipment ourselves. They were heavy burdens.
But upon final arrival, we had our most productive day of ministry and
by no coincidence the most rewarding. Teamwork was running high.
Children's smiles were extra wide.

Getting back to the compound at night, it was interesting. One by one as we shared in our evening devotions, we were asked, "When did you feel closest to God?" Hands down, "When I was walking through the mud," people replied.

Journey on Sidney First...even in the mud. It is worth it! So what if you get a little dirty. We're human. We will. We'll fall down sometimes too. We did. Muddy, sweaty, hard, slippery, it is the journey. And yet, it is where God will meet you the very most.

What is the mud you are having to deal with right now? Will you trust God enough to see Him in it even more? In the mud that you can't wait to get out of and wash off, you'll find more of Him.

Feb. 26 - Journeying on…

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(submitted by H and Megan Kearns)

KEY TEXT: 1 Corinthians 13, focus 13:4-7

“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is no self seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.”

Wow when I first read these words I thought, “How in the world am I going to be able to love like this?” I’m very self-seeking; in fact I am way ok with everything being all about me and H is ok with everything being all about him. God however has challenged us here in a big way over the years.

H and I have traveled many roads together. There have even been times that our agendas have taken us ‘off road’, and though this looked to be adventurous at the time, it wasn’t what God had for us. Oh, we have some stories to tell and some scars to show. We have tested our love, and often it has failed. But through these experiences we have been brought to an understanding that is only through God that we love. Sounds so ‘Bible,’ doesn’t it? Regardless it is truth.

We have realized life is always in motion, moving from one season to another, always compelling us to ‘journey on.’ This realization has brought this scripture to life. What we experience as we grow becomes part of who we are. All of it lingers in some respect or another. As we learn to accept the words love always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres, God reveals and allows more of him in our lives.

Our God just wants to love us. Sit with this scripture, let the words sink in then listen for what God is saying to you.

Feb. 24 - God's Presence

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(submitted by Barb Staley)

God said, “My presence will go with you. I’ll see the journey to the end.”

The Message Exodus 33:14

Moses has just had a reality check. He had led the people into a desert place. Moses was getting used to the place where they were camped. Moses spent time with God and was making the best of an unsettling situation. Now, God tells Moses to pack up the tent and move again.

Moses says to God “Look, you tell me, ‘Lead this people,’ but you do not let me know whom you’re going to send with me. You tell me, ‘I know you well and you are special to me.’ If I am so special to you, let me in on your plans.” The Message Exodus 33:12-13

God certainly is not predictable. God is always changing my plans. It seems that when I get too comfortable, God moves me to a new adventure. Exodus tells us that God talked face to face with Moses. Moses lived in prayer even though he called it conversation with God. In difficulties, Moses had no trouble talking to God. In difficult times, we have no trouble talking to God. Life teaches us to pray.

Our prayers may be spoken or silent. They come from our minds and hearts. We need help and we seek relief. God is open to prayers of desperation, but God wants us to pray in all things. The only way we learn to “pray in all things” is just do it. This calls for a new mindset and opening our senses to God. If we only see God in very limited places such as worship or music, we put ourselves and God in a very comfortable box. If we have our definitions of what is sacred and holy, we miss the sacred and holy in the secular.

This is my Father’s world and all that is in it. God wants us to be conscious of God everywhere. In the workplace, in the sports arena, in the grocery shopping and especially in the mundane. If we transform our thinking to include the secular as holy space, we are in the presence of God at all times.

The presence of God is everywhere but you miss God if you do not take time to be conscious of the sacred in the secular. An awareness of sacred spaces is the beginning of deep prayer and intimacy with God. Prayer is not just given to you; you have to find time for prayer.

God desires to go with us just as God went with Moses. When we are empty there is no sacred in the secular, and life becomes very challenging. But, God wants to fill us to overflowing. Prayer is essential for our bodies, our minds, and our souls. Prayer is essential for relationship with God.

As we journey through Lent, can we make our moments sacred? God makes the living sweeter when God journeys with us. Can we think of ourselves as being a sweet aroma in the nostrils of God? Can we see the world thought the eyes of God? Can we listen to the world as God listens? This is prayer.

Be prepared for God to interact with you in prayer. You will see poverty; hear the cry of hurting people, and struggle with your understanding of the economically depressed and the uneducated. You will be able to feel the helplessness of the powerless, and God will give you the wisdom of the holy

Feb. 23 - Loving Others

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(submitted by Chris Mullenhour)

KEY TEXT: Philippians 2:2-4, 4:9

THOUGHTS:
God has been showing me the importance of relationships when it comes to sharing Jesus with others. Have you ever gone up to a stranger and tried to tell them about your faith? If you haven’t, can you imagine what it would be like? I’ve never tried it, and I can’t even imagine how I would go about doing it.

Now imagine that you are that stranger. An unknown believer comes up to you and starts talking to you about Jesus Christ. Would you feel like they are an encyclopedia salesman trying to sell you something you’ll never use? Would you feel like someone was trying to take your money by getting you involved in the latest pyramid scheme?

So how do we go about showing others what we have experienced and the gift we received by accepting Jesus Christ? How do we get someone to see that our heart and intentions are pure?

I believe it’s by building a relationship with that person. Getting to really know that person and letting them get to know you. I’m pretty sure that every one of us already has a good relationship with a non-believer. It may be a family member, a co-worker or a friend. I can think of a couple people in my life that don’t know Jesus Christ. What have I done about it? Nothing. And I feel ashamed for it. What is holding me back? What is my level of care for these people if I don’t share with them. I have the perfect tool to love them to God and I am wasting it…. our friendship. For so long, I’ve been trying to figure out how I can reach non-believers. God told me to just open my eyes, I already love them. Now invite them.

I pray that God will give me the strength and wisdom to do what He made me to do. And I pray the same for you.

Feb. 22 - What's In a Name?

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(posted by Steve Abel)

KEY TEXT: Genesis 32:22-32

THOUGHTS:

Here we find Jacob, a man known for stealing his brother’s birthright, marrying two sisters because he didn’t get the one he wanted to begin with, and having a very treacherous relationship with his father-in-law. He finally pays his debt to his father in law and leaves for home in the Promised Land and ultimately a confrontation with his brother, Esau. He sends gifts to his brother to try and smooth things over and make peace, but on the way home he has a strange encounter.

During the night he sends everyone across the river and stays alone on the other side and a man comes and wrestles him until dawn. Jacob wrestles with this man and finally the man strikes Jacobs hip and asks to be let go, and Jacob refuses unless the man blesses him and reveals his name. The man blesses Jacob but never discloses his name. Many people see this “man” as different things, a real man, an angel, or God Himself, but in some way the man represents the presence of God.

This passage is frequently used as a lesson on fervent prayer, wrestling with God through the night with God over some issue until God decides to bless it. I think that we miss the grander picture with that interpretation. What is going on is that Jacob is using the tricks of his normal, old life, as a trickster, a person who did whatever was necessary to get his way. This is the attitude that he carries into the wrestling match with God. He believes he can, by his own strength and power, manipulate God into giving him the blessing, but what happens? God cripples Jacob for life, reversing the very strength that Jacob has come to rely on. He is now completely dependant on God, he cannot do life on his own. God still blesses Jacob but leaves a mark and reminder of what the blessing required.

How many times do we wrestle with God and try to get things done our own way and God has to smack us a good one just so we will listen again and realize that we NEED HIM? At times our very strengths are the things that hold us back from knowing true dependence on God.

Jacob’s name is also changed. Name change signifies something drastic or significant happening in one's life. Abram's name is changed to Abraham for example, to signify the covenant with God. Saul’s name is changed to Paul to signify drastic life change from persecuting Christ to loving Him and calling all people to His Name. Jacob’s name is changed to show a change in his character. All his life he struggled with men, and he struggled with God about what he wanted, the wrestling match symbolizes his entire life. That is why his name is changed, because he is now man relient on God who must trust Him and does.

God wants to use us, just like He wanted to use Jacob, but we have to get to a place of dependence on Christ. We are new creations, the old has gone and the new has come. Allow God to change your name, let Him make you new and full to live into the life you are called to live.

Day One - Waiting for What

2007-02-21T09:10:00.000-05:00

(submitted by Dan Gildner)

Key Text: Psalm 27:13-14

13 I am still confident of this:
I will see the goodness of the LORD
in the land of the living.

14 Wait for the LORD;
be strong and take heart
and wait for the LORD.

THOUGHTS

It's the beginning. The first day. The party has begun. The countdown has started...but for what? Whenever I think of Lent, I think of sacrifice (all those years of giving up chocolate which honestly wasn't much of a sacrifice for me, gummy bears on the other hand would have been torture). I think of a journey too. The journey of Christ toward his eventual death.

But I also can't help to look past some of the darkness of lent in order to see the Resurrection which culminates the journey. It is the final party and to me, it is what gives this journey of sacrifice its proper motivation. The disciples were constantly asking, "When Jesus?", wondering when the power of God would trump the power of men, waiting for the day when their faithfulness to Him would prove fruitful. And then He rose.

Could it be that the promise for our journeys (uphill and downhill) is not something but instead someOne?

These verses remind me that when I lay my life down for the sake of God's Kingdom and for the sake of others, that my groaning for something better really needs to lead me to a yearning for my Savior God. A more beautiful, intimate relationship with the Almighty God is on the other side of the journey, past the rolled stone and way worth any sacrifice that I may give.

REFLECTION:

-Can I lay aside the "things" I want from God for the simple pleasure of knowing God better?

-How can I begin this journey toward Jesus in a way that reflects my sincere desire to know more of my Creator? Are there actions I need to take on? Are there thoughts I need to let go of? Are there expectations of God that have blinded me from seeing the true promise?

Welcome

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As we cover our hands, feet and ears from the cold wind and snow, may we also open our hearts, ears and minds to the work of God's Word in our lives. Thanks for journeying on with us toward our One Great God. Official posting with begin February 21st.