Christmas Eve

Join us for some Christmas Carols and the Christmas story!

Christmas Eve

Life Changing Love

When I was a young Christian it was something of an in thing to have a "life verse". A verse that was precious to you. A verse of high significance. A verse that helped to guide you or that seemed to sum up your life and your faith.

I never liked being asked what my life verse was, not becasue I was embarrassed to not have one, but because I couldn't settle on one! It seemed to me that there were way too many verses that spoke deeply to my life. Thus when someone would ask me if I had a life verse I would often respond with a qualifier like, "Well, today my life verse is...." Of course that seemed to go against the thought of a life verse and so I felt a certain amount of relief when people stopped asking that question (today they may have thought I had a form of A.D.H.D!)

Yet having said that, I find that over the years my heart does return to certain passages or verses. Three such passages are Psalm 23, Romans 8 and 1 Corintians 13. They never fail to speak to my heart regardless of my circumstances. However recently I have returned to a simple verse from the Apostle John

How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! (1 John 3:1 NIV).

When I became a Christian it was something of a culmination of looking for a father figure. My dad had died in his sleep when I was seven and from the moment I knew he was gone I had a hole torn out of my heart. I began looking for someone to replace him, but I was unable to find anyone who could. I loved athletics and turned out for teams in middle school and high school. I lived for sports, but inwardly I was always hoping that one of my coaches might be that elusive father figure to me. It never happened.

When I became involved in Young Life as a high schooler I began to hear about a father who wanted to be my father. It wasn't too long after that I gave my heart to Christ and I came into relationship with my heavenly father. It was thrilling for me and as I read in the Bible I noted the imagery of the father-child relationship with frequency. But the verse that really caught my attention was the one John penned. An old man when he wrote it (perhaps in his 90's) his heart still thrilled to think that God would lavish his love on us and call us his children. God's children!

That's my Abba, Father! There is something so simple, yet so profound in being God's child. To belong to one who will never fail me nor forsake me. One who cared so deeply for me that he made a way to adopt me into his family. I expect that as my life on this earth continues I will reflect on other passages and be blessed richly by them. But I suspect it will always be the enthusiastic, wonder-filled words of the old Apostle, that will cause my heart to soar. Maybe 1 John 3:1 is my life verse.

God loves each of us as if there were only one of us.
St. Augustine

Burn!

Just to see if you are paying attention... this is something my son posted on Deviant Art

Burn

Be Kind

"Be kind to everyone you meet, for everyone is fighting a great battle" (attributed to Augustine).

This Christmas season be intentional to pass on some "holiday cheer". Give a kind word. Open a door. Take a deep breath, slow down and don't worry quite so much about yourself and your projects. Help someone with a small task. Smile.

"Lord, bless someone through me today. In Jesus' name"

Crazy Christmas

The holidays can be a wonderful time of blessing or a very crazy time. Was the first Christmas idyllic or difficult?

Crazy Christmas

The Nativity

Check out this review of "The Nativity" by Scott McKnight for Revelant Magazine

"The Nativity" reviewed

Two Josephs

What would it be like to be used of God in a mighty way? Taking a look at two men named Joseph might give us some insight.

Two Josephs

(We'll return to Romans after the holidays)

Born for Us

God became a man for this purpose: since you, a human being, could not reach God, but you can reach other humans, you might now reach God through a man. And so the man Christ Jesus became the mediator of God and human beings.

God became a man so that following a man—something you are able to do—you might reach God, which was formerly impossible to you.

—St. Augustine

St. Augustine, Commentary on Psalm 134, 5; source: www.artsci.villanova.edu

Fully Present for Prayer

How to pray in a society that prides itself on multitasking every possible moment.
by Trevor Lee

As a child I had the privilege of spending a month on the farm with my grandparents each summer. I learned to drive a tractor, feed chickens, and herd cattle, but the most important lesson I learned came before dinner each evening. As we assembled around the table, I dreaded the pre-meal prayer. My grandpa sat at the head of the table and once everyone was seated he bowed his head and began to pray. When my grandpa prayed you knew you were going to be there for a while. He launched into what seemed like a one-hour prayer before every meal, and I would sit at the other end of the big kitchen table thinking, I want mashed potatoes.

All that changed one day shortly before my grandpa's death. He began to pray as he had so many times before, but this time I wasn't thinking about the potatoes, I was focusing on his prayer. He prayed for his family as though our well being depended on his prayer. He prayed for the kingdom of God like it was the most important thing in the world. And as he prayed he began to weep. It wasn't the first time he had cried while he was praying, and in the past I always thought it was a little strange. I don't know if it was the maturity that comes with being twelve or the Holy Spirit making me pay attention, but this time it I was moved—I wanted to start crying too. I understood that he was weeping because he cared about his petitions with a depth I couldn't fully fathom. His prayer was passionate and meaningful. His mind and his heart were fully engaged as he cried out to his Father.

Prayer should be a moving experience. It is the created entering the presence of the Creator. The image-bearers uniting with the One whose image they bear. The broken feeling the touch of the Healer. Entering the presence of the God who defies our explanation and cannot be contained should never be a boring experience. Yet it often leaves us uninspired. Why?

The answer to that question starts with a study recently conducted by researchers from the University of Pittsburgh and the University of British Colombia. They joined forces to study reading comprehension—with incredible results. According to the researchers, "The readers who zoned out most tended to do the worst on tests of reading comprehension—a significant, if unsurprising, result."

As trite as the findings of this study are, they are profound for our prayer lives. We are left uninspired and wanting because we are not completely present with God when we pray. We thank God for the food we're about to consume, but our thoughts regress to the meeting we had that afternoon. We ask God to protect our kids while we ponder how to survive until the next paycheck. We sit down to listen to God and our minds wander uncontrollably. We lack the ability or discipline to be truly present with God in prayer. Our culture has trained our minds to wander.

One way it has done that is by demanding that we multitask. Not multitasking is seen as wasting time. Our lives are so busy that to do one thing at a time just isn't efficient. I recently noticed a bumper sticker on the car in front of me that said, "Put the phone down and drive!" But we don't have time to put down our phones, or the food we grabbed at the drive-thru, the makeup, or even the paper. We have to maximize every moment by multitasking as many things as possible. The problem with multitasking is that it trains the mind to jump from task to task. As we work on one thing our mind runs to other things that need to be accomplished. So we quit our original task to give attention to the task that just popped into our head, and the process repeats itself.

This translates into a horrible habit of being in the presence of people without being fully present. I often meet people at a bagel shop close to our church. As you approach the front of the line to order, there is a plain white sign taped to the counter that says, "Please get off your cell phone before ordering." They're asking people to give them the courtesy of being fully present for thirty seconds while ordering. Being present with others is a basic human courtesy, even if our culture has over stimulated us into forgetting that.

When we don't give people our full attention we can't truly engage them. We cannot see the pain or joy in their eyes, hear the tremble in their voice, or even remember what they said. Presence is essential in relationships, not just with other people, but with God. If we want to hear him, to be moved by the weight of our petitions, or to be awed by the privilege we have of approaching our Father, we have to be there—heart, mind, and soul.

There is no shortcut to being fully present in prayer; it is a discipline. As we begin to pray and our minds wander, we must force ourselves to come back. One method I have found helpful is to choose a single phrase that can draw my mind back to God. Something like, "In everything your attitude should be like that of Christ Jesus," or "God is merciful." Then when my mind tries to distract me from being in the presence of God, I have something I can use to coax it back.

Training our mind to focus and stay present with God is a process; it takes time and perseverance. But it is time well spent. My grandpa approached all prayer as more than a formality. He often wept because he was completely present. Being fully present in prayer increases the depth and joy of our prayer lives and allows us to enter the presence of God with awe and excitement.

(Trevor Lee is the Pastor of Young Adult Ministries at Southern Gables Church in Littleton, Colorado)

No Mistake

One of Cornerstone's couples is serving for a year in New Orleans with TouchGlobal. Steve sent us an update recently and in it he included the following story.

"I heard a story from a team member who had been here on a work trip earlier this spring. The gentleman and his team arrived in Louisiana and were assigned to gut a home owned by the Jones family in the city. The work team arrived at the site and worked hard all day.

The homeowners were extremely grateful and the team was able to interact with and encourage them. At the end of the work day the team bid the Jones's farewell. As they were saying goodbye the homeowners, looking somewhat puzzled, explained that they were not the Jones family, they lived next door. The team had gutted the wrong home!

As it turned out this was not a mistake. The homeowners explained that they had lost hope since the hurricane and had the work team not shown up to their home that day they would have committed suicide together.

This story really stuck with me, reminding me that there are no mistakes in working for Christ. If He wants us somewhere we'll end up there whether we plan on it or not. The work here continues to be greatly needed and appreciated. Pray that more teams will show up, or
better yet come on down yourselves!"

Why Go Back?

Since the day Jesus Christ was raised from the dead people have misunderstood grace as license to sin. Here in Romans 6 Paul is emphatic that it isn't. To be in Christ is to be set free from a lifestyle of sin, why would anyone want to go back to that?

Why Go Back?

Thanksgiving in N.O.

From AP news report:

Nearly 15 months after the hurricane struck, the number of Katrina victims who will be spending Thanksgiving in FEMA trailers this year will paradoxically be far higher--roughly three times greater--than it was last year.

The reason: Many people who were living with family memebers or staying in hotels at government expense last year have since moved out or been evicted. But they have been unable to return to their homes because they are still waiting for their houses to be repaired, their insurance to come through, or the water and electicity to be turned back on.

More than 99,000 families in Louisiana and Mississippi are living in FEMA trailers, compared with about 34,000 last November, according to the federal Emergency Management Agency. [Stacey Plaisance in Wenatchee World 11-23-06]

Grace Like Rain

It's raining today. A dreary gray morning with a hint of sunshine showing in the cloud breaks. I don't usually like rain (except when its white and fluffy and falling on the ski slopes), but rain is pretty amazing. I tried to recall the water cycle from my science class (which, I guess, is more of an act of a historian at this stage) and this is what I can remember.

First off, rain helps to cleanse the sky, removing things such as pollutents, dust and allergins from the air we breath. In the spring leaving a nice fragance that Glade Air Fresheners can try to imitate but will never capture.

As the rain falls its cleansing continues as it washesthe leaves of plants, but it also hydrates all living things. The nectar of life may be sweetend by grapes, but it really isn't wine. It's water. Water does not feed plants but it does make it possible for plants (and animals) to be nurished. A gentle rain becomes the moisture needed for next summer's crops (in fact wheat will send its roots down a long ways to water. A farmer once told me that when they check moisture levels in a field they hope to find moisture six feet below the surface).

As the water makes its way down through the soil it eventually recharges the aquifer which means it becomes available to farm and city wells for drinking, bathing and watering lawns.

Then of course there's the runoff which goes into rivers or lakes and supports aquatic life. Including the mysterious "wakeboarder". Finally the rain returns to the ocean where it evaporates, becoming clouds and the process starts all over again.

Pretty amazing, really. Like grace.

We sing a song with the phrase "Grace like rain falling down upon me" which seems to me to be pretty descriptive. So often I take rain for granted. I probably would not do so if I lived somewhere with water restrictions due to drought. But I don't. At least not yet. So I note the rain long enough to decide if I need a rain jacket or umbrella and perhaps a change of plans. But that's about it.

God's grace is similar. It tends to fly under the radar unless I am paying close attention. Which I do when there's a major need in my life. But when life is going pretty smoothly and my mind is preoccupied I miss a lot of the little hints of grace that God drops into my life on a daily basis. Without which my life would not be so good. Thus grace, like rain, cleanses and nourishes me and gives me strength. It is good.

But there's another connection. There are times that I don't like the rain even though its a good
thing. And there are times I don't like grace. Flannery O'Connor catches what I mean when she says:

"All human nature vigorously resists grace because grace changes us and the change is painful. Priests resist it as well as others." (Quouted by Phillip Yancy, The Jesus I Never Knew)

The first time I encountered this idea was at a retreat. The speaker's text was from Genesis 32 where Jacob wrestles with God. The text says that they wrestled all night and that finally God touched Jacob's hip, putting it out of joint. Apparently this resulted in Jacob clinging even more tightly to God and, in turn, God blessing him. It seems strange but apparently it was what Jacob needed. That night God changed his name to Israel, and in case Jacob forgot and wanted to return to his "old life", his hip would remind him of the night he wrestled with God. The speaker called this somethnig like "the brokenness of grace."

The idea being that God would allow something difficult or painful to enter my life in order to change me. To remove my self-sufficiency and help me cling more closely to God. The brokenness of grace.

There are days when I would much prefer sunshine than rain. I almost always prefer gentle grace. I have to agree with O'Connor that encountering real grace, real change, can be painful. To often I prefer to be comfortable rather than Christ-like. To be happy rather than holy. Sometimes when I'm experiencing the grace that breaks, I don't think I'll survive. But I always do. And though I may not want to go through it again, I am glad for the results.

If left to myself I would have lots of sunshine and plenty of gentle grace. I would be comfortably content right where I am. Fortunately God loves me too much to leave me where I am.

Play time

Aslan leaped again. A mad chase began. Round and round the hilltop he led them, now hopelessly out of their reach, now letting them almost catch his tail, now diving between them, now tossing them in the air with his huge and beautifully velveted paws and catching them again, and now stopping unexpectedly so that all three of them rolled over together in a happy laughing heap of fur and arms and legs. It was such a romp as no one has ever had, except in Narnia.

--C.S. Lewis in The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe

"Aquinas, in his Summa divided goodness into those things that are (1) virtuous, (2) useful, or (3) pleasant. The idea that there are only three kinds of good is a radical and practical simplification for us. It implies that there are really only three reasons why anyone would ever do anything-three questions to ask: (1) Is it virtuous, i.e. morally right? (2) Is it a practical necessity-like blowing the leaves out of our gutters this time of the year? (3) Is it fun? It's this latter category that goes begging under the pressure of time.

This is not a plea for indolence; it's rather a call to "take heed to ourselves," as Paul would say. It's the only way to save ourselves so we can save others.

No one in the world can be available at all times to all people. We can't take on every task and respond to every need. Need, as such, does not constitute a call, no matter what we've been told. Sometimes we can't be available.

We take ourselves much too seriously. No monk, chained to his desk or flagellating himself in his cell, is more driven. We drive ourselves because we feel we must always be on tap, always be on the job, otherwise we're not being faithful to our task. But that's a prescription for ruin.

I run into pastors all the time who believe they're in a crisis of faith because they seem to have no love for God and for his people and can't understand their feelings. I take one look in their eyes and see great weariness. I know they don't need exhortations to more devotion, more Bible study and prayer. They need to go fishing.

It's amazing how much Charles Haddon Spurgeon got done over the span of his life. He preached thousands of sermons at the Metropolitan Tabernacle and wrote hundreds of books. Yet Spurgeon took off every summer, went to the beach and lay in the sun. When he returned to his church in the fall he was full of energy and enthusiasm and his ministry continues to this day.

Somewhere I came across the following quotation. I don't recall the author...

It is as much a command of God that we rest and relax as that we do not commit adultery. Yet sincere and godly people who would not think of lying or stealing or dishonesty, let alone murder or immorality or blasphemy, habitually and regularly violate this divine provision. They are to be found grim-lipped and devout, continually pushing themselves beyond their human limits, meanwhile quoting to themselves and others various sacred imprecations like "I'm not going to rust out, I'm going to burn out for God."

I actually heard a pastor say that one day: "I don't take vacations; I'd rather burn out than rust out for God." I sat up and stared in amazement. Burn out or rust out? Are those the only options? Isn't there a way to pace ourselves so that we do neither?

Apparently Jesus thought so. When people got to be too many and the pressure got to be too much he headed for the hills. As for me, I pick up my fly rod and go fishing."

---David Roper

Flowers of Hope by Sara Miller

Here's another New Orleans story. Enjoy!

"I have worked in disaster relief for the past six months. During this time, I have seen and heard many touching stories. But one event will forever stick in my mind.

It was during my first weeks working in St. Bernard Perish which is about 20 minutes from central city. I was riding with a co-worker, my eyes glued to the devastation around me. As we turned a corner, I saw a woman planting flowers around her house. I was shocked! It was as though I had been seeing in black and white, these flowers being my first glimpse of color. It was intriguing. What caught my eye next made my heart break--the unmistakable orange sign on the house indicating that it was condemned and scheduled for demolition. I cried, and then I wept. To me the flowers represented hope and new life, and I questioned how she could be so bold after suffering through so much.

For weeks afterward, I couldn't get this out of my mind. So, I bought some flowers and planted them outside of m y FEMA trailer. And do you know what? I would come home after a hard day and those beautiful flowers brought a smile to my face. It made me realize that hope is a truth. It isn't just a feeling. It isn't always logical, but it exists whether we acknowledge it or not.

This reminds me of when Jesus was talking to His disciples in Matthew 5:14-16: "You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden' nor does anyone light a lamp and put in under the basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven."

When we talk to a homeowner we hear of the hope they have now that they are one step closer to the final product. But we also hear their struggle with the question: Who would come hundreds or even thousands of miles to serve me and my community? Just like those beautiful flower s, Christians are a brilliant light in a dark world.

My prayer for New Orleans and neighborhoods all over the world is that our actions and words would surprise people. Intrigued, they will search for an answer. And do you know what they will find? That hope is a truth, that has existed throughout all time, and that they are ready to accept it."


(Taken from the Disaster Update by TouchGlobal--the compassion ministries arm of The Evangelical Free Church)

Christ Plays

In Eugene Peterson's book, Christ Plays in Ten Thousand Places He takes the title of his book from a sonnet by Gerard Manley Hopkins that says at one point--

For Christ plays in ten thousand places,
Lovely in limbs, and lovely in eyes not his
To the Father through the features of men's faces.

Peterson comments, "The central verb, "play", catches the exuberance and freedom that mark life when it is lived beyond necessity, beyond mere survival. "Play" also suggests words and sounds and actions that are "played" for another, intentional and meaningful renderings of beauty or truth or goodness. Hopkins incorporates this sense of play with God as the ultimate "other" ("...to the Father")--which is to say that all life is, or can be, worship."

Something to chew on. Food for the soul.

Enjoy!

Miss Oly

We are planning on sending another team to New Orleans to help with the ongoing needs of the people there. I thought I would share this story with you to help you understand more clearly why we are going.
Enjoy!

Tuesday's at Trinity Church are special [the church we will be assisting]. It's the day Pastor Michael Sprague shares the church's post-Katrina story and team members tell stories of meeting homeowners they've been working for. The following story was told by team member Stephanie Olivero who was with a group from the First Presbyterian Church - San Diego volunteering the week of October 22. Her team had been sent to New Orleans to gut a house for "Miss Oly."

We arrived at the jobsite early Monday morning and began working after our group grasped hands on the sidewalk and prayed for the day. Soon we were introduced to a slightly built older woman, Miss Oly, who I noticed was surprisingly full of energy and very friendly. I was drawn to her immediately, and I listened intently as she began talking about the job and her story.

She began by telling us the house we were working on was her mother's. When asked where she was, Oly replied, "Oh Baby, she's passed." Oly said it in such a way it made me feel as if her mother's passing had been years earlier and she was at peace with it now. I was surprised to find out that it had not been too long ago. Group members began to gather as Oly told her story of survival during Katrina.

Oly and her mother (she called her "Miss Theresa") had been playing cards and watching TV together at Oly's house during the hurricane. The power went out and a short time later water started coming into the house. It was rising rapidly so Miss Oly took her aging mother up the attic stairs to higher ground. She returned to the ground floor to get blankets. After seeing how fast the water was rising, she decided to get as much upstairs as possible as fast as she could. After making several trips, she went downstairs one last time to get ice cubes but found the refrigerator floating in the kitchen. She swam back to the attic door opening and tried to get back up but couldn't find the strength. She called out to her mother and Miss Theresa said, "Oh Baby, don't you drown and leave me here to die alone." With that, Miss Theresa situated her walker in such a way that Oly could grab it, then her foot, and then pul l herself to safety.

Tragedy would not go away. That night while sleeping, Miss Theresa fell through the ceiling landing in the water below. Oly woke up to see her mother lying in the water and screamed, "Hold on Mama!" She lowered a bed sheet down to her and told her to hold on to it. Miss Theresa held on for a while but went into a nervous panic. Oly pleaded with her to calm down and hang on. Miss Theresa said, "I can't do it anymore, I'm too tired. Don't save me, save your energy for yourself." Miss Theresa then laid back, put her arms by her side, and rested in peace. She knew she didn't die alone; she had Oly by her side.

Miss Oly was rescued through her attic window sometime later but was not able to retrieve her mother's body until late November. She said the most emotionally painful experience she has ever encountered was knowing she had to leave her mother to save herself.

What I will always remember about Oly is how she was filled with joy and was at peace. I figured that could only come from knowing Christ Jesus.

This is from TouchGlobal's update (the disaster response ministry of the Evangelical Free Church of America).

The Rift

Paul shows that in Jesus Christ not only is the promise to Abraham fulfilled but the fundamental rift steming from Adam is dealt with. What Christ did has universal significance. (Romans 5:12-21)

The Rift

Pooper-Scooper-Christian

A friend just walked into the office today and it was a delight to see him! After finishing up a PhD he had left on a European vacation before he makes a career move. The trip had two purposes: an opportunity to get away and travel; but also to see family in Norway. Since my heritage is Swedish there has been good natured bantering back and forth over the years ("Do you know why Jesus could never have been born in Norway? Because God could not find any wise men to the East!" Or, "What do you call a good looking man in Norway? A tourist!").

When he came in he shared about his travels (even kindly referring to Sweden) and how the border-patrol recognized his last name when she read it. He felt like he had come home! How neat! The funny part came out when I began to kid him about being an American, who is Norwegian with an email address of black-irish! (Either a bit confused about his identity or just a good sense of humor) When I mentioned that to him it prompted another story. One day on the train he met a Norwegian man who was a pastor. They struck up a conversation and my friend mentioned that he grew up Lutheran but currently attends an Evangelical Free Church, to which the pastor responded, "Ah, yes, a good Swedish church!" Now we are talking serious identity crisis!

My friend the American-Norwegian who attends a Swedish church and "black-irish" is his email moniker. Naturally, he's caucasian. I'm sooo confused!

This is humorous, in a good-friend-kind-of-way. But for some followers of Jesus it hits close to the mark. The humor hides the fact that they actually are confused about who they are and it shows because of the hyphenated identifiers they give to themselves. "I'm an American-christian"; "I'm a baptist-christian" or "pentacostal-christian"; "I'm a christian-doctor"; "a republican-christian"; "a democrat-christian" or "christian-mechanic" ad nuaseum.

This came home to me many moons ago (that means I'm too old to remember when) from one of Charles Colson's books (don't ask which one, it was many moons ago, remember?). In it he tells the story of a Billy Graham Crusade in New York. A leading Mafia man attended and decided he would become a Christian. But not just a Christian, he would be a Christian-mobster! By golly he was going to do his job as unto the Lord. "Hey, Johnny, remember dat da boss says we gotta say grace before we bust this boobs knuckles!" (Ah, a new evangelism tool, perhaps?)

Colson's point, as I recall, was that there is a problem when a person adds Jesus to their life. When they become hyphenated-christians. We need to realize that Jesus is not an addition to life. Jesus IS life. He is the alpha and the omega. He is the way, the truth and the life. He doesn't add to life, he gives life. As the Apostle wrote

"In Him was life, and that life was the light of men." [John 1:4]

Because he is my life, I also find my identity in him. In him I am beloved. In him I am God's child. In him I am a saint. In him I have a future and a hope. In him I am a Christian.

Now I do have other things in my life. My career, my family, my hobbies. But being in him comes first and foremost. So, I'm a follower of Jesus, whose vocation is pastoring, a husband and father of two, a ski-patroler and in our dog's life, the pooper-scooper-upper. The great thing is that with Jesus as my life, I discover "life" breaking out in all these things, even pooper-scoopering.

On the outside it may look like I'm an Amercian-Swede-dad-pastor-ski patrol-pooper-scooper-christian. But the truth is, in Christ I am God's child who happens to get the other things tossed in. Even scooping poop.

"How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!" [1 John 3:1]

Enjoy!

The Devil's in the Details!

I want to know the mind of God. Everything else is detail.

Albert Einstein

Chuckles

Sue and I were headed out to do some grocery shopping when my cell phone rang. Since it was raining and dark, Sue took the call. It was our mechanic. Sue chuckled as he said, "well, first the good news." After saying they got the Volvo running he went on to say that it is on its last legs. Now this is very understandable. The car is 22 years old with over 315,000 miles on it. Of course it's got to break down. At some point you know that the next punch may keep it on the mat. Permanently. But hey, it's a Volvo! These things run forever, don't they?

Like a vet who tells you it is time to consider putting Spike to sleep, our mechanic said he would give us an extra of the part needed for it to limp through life. But for how long it would run he would not even venture a guess. We need to figure out if we can get by with our Volvo out to pasture.

What has me chuckling is that our freezer died at the end of last week. At only 15 years of age, it was in the prime of freezer-life when its compressor gave way (maybe we kept too many high fat foods in it?). Unlike Spike my fictional dog, whom I might bury in the back yard if he died, we really don't have space to bury the freezer. So it sits in our basement with the door slightly open, kind of like a CSI morgue scene. Fortunately no bugs have begun work decomposing the freezer. That would be creepy.

Now if that were all that is going on, I probably would not be writing this. But on top of a dead car and a dead freezer we have been hit by unforseen financial pressures and a family squabble on the eve of dealing with an aging parent. It's enough to make a grown man cry, or maybe chuckle. This is crazy! What the heck is going on?

As we returned from the store I had my first case of the "chuckles" I said to Sue, "We must be doing something right." You see, either it's a coincidental run of bad fortune or there's more-than-meets-the-eye involved here. I vote for the later. Personally I don't like hard times, but theologically I know God uses them to shape us into the image of Christ. Like a hammer and anvil in the hands of an iron-smith, God uses the "rock & a hard place" times to mold us.

That's why James wrote:

"Dear brothers and sisters, whenever trouble comes your way, let it be an opportunity for joy. For when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be strong in character and ready for anything."

Maybe that's where the chuckles came from? Maybe the spirit was helping me to know that this is an opportunity for joy? Yes I know that sounds saddistic, but when you know there is a purpose in the struggle and that something good will ultimately come of it, there's hope. And where there's hope, laughter is not far behind, and at the strangest of times!

Rejoice!

Paul tells the Romans that because we now have peace with God we can rejoice! (Romans 5:1-11)
Enjoy!

Rejoice

Congo Vision Trip?

Over the past couple of years I've been wondering if God might want to use us in some fashion in Africa. The AIDs epidemic is leaving a staggering number of children orphaned. Natural calamities such as drought have devastated crops. People have warred against others, destroying villages and lives. It's heart-breaking! But just what could our little church do to make a difference?

I began praying and searching for what God might have for us and then last spring received an invitation for a vision trip to the Congo. The International Mission of the Evangelical Free Church of America (of which Cornerstone is a part) wanted people to see what God has done over the recent past there. Because of the political unrest in the 1990's the missionaries where forced to leave the Congo, but not God. In spite of the brutalities, including the killing of some 4 million people, the church has grown. There are now 867 Evangelical Free Churches of the Congo! Nearly as many as in the United States.

The Congo Free Churches are growing but they have asked for help. Of the 867 churches, only about 200 have pastors with any kind of training. They have three hospitals involved with medical care and they have developed an AIDs initiative to minister to those affected, especially the children. The needs are great. Do we have any resources that God might use to help them?

The origninal vision trip was canceled due to the political unrest surrounding the Congo's first democratic election in July. The run-off election occurred October 29 and it appears that maybe some stability has returned to the region. If so, the original trip will depart in January, Lord willing.

In the meantime I have been talking with Kevin Kompelein (the International Mission Director for Africa) and he's suggesting I go with him in July to see first hand how Cornerstone might be a help in the Congo. The purpose is not for us to "hand out" but to "work with". To listen and learn in order to know how we might then serve. The Lord obviously has matured the church there, but they are lacking in resources. While the church in the U.S. has lots of resources but could certainly learn a great deal about faith in the midst of persecution from the Congolese. So we want it to be a partnership.

I am sensing that God is in this, but is this his timing? Will you pray with me that God will make His will very clear regarding this vision trip? Becoming involved in the Congo would be amazing for us. But without God, it will be impossible. Fortunately, our God is the God of the impossible! Be praying and stay tuned!

P.S. Check out this link Congo Blog

God of Wonders

Can God do the impossible? Does he? Abraham would say "Yes!"
(Romans 4:16-22)

Enjoy!

God of Wonders

Stand and Fight

In my time with the Lord recently I was praying about our church. There are a number of good things going on and we have so many wonderful folks that are involved. Yet there has been a sense that something isn't quite right. Not something terrible, mind you, but just "off."

As I prayerfully pondered this I thought about Ephesians 6 and its section on spiritual warfare. I turned there and as I read I felt that the Lord was speaking to me. Paul writes

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.

He says we are to do three things.

1) Be strong in the Lord. This reminds me of David when he and his men had returned
to Ziklag only to find that it had been raided. All their families and belongings had been taken away and the men were so distraught "they spoke of stoning David; each one was bitter in spirit because of his sons and daughters. But David found strength in the Lord his God" (1 Samuel 30:6). To be strong in the Lord is to put your confidence, your trust, in Him.

2) Put on the whole armor of God. We are in a battle and God has not left us without protection. But its up to us to use it. A few verses later Paul tells us about the armor: the belt of truth--truth and truthfulness have a way of holding things together; the breastplate of righteousness--the breastplate was also called the heart protector. Guarding the heart (its emotions, impulses, desires) and lining it up rightly with God is so important; gospel footware--this implies readiness to witness, but the footware also gave secure footing. My security is in the gospel, in Jesus, not anything else in this world; shield of faith--God's promises; helmet of salvation--protecting our minds and being able to think in a clear headed , God-honoring manner; sword of the spirit--the word of God. It is critical to this battle (see Matthew 4:1-11); prayer--but of course!

A person might use the armor of God as a prayerful check-list. As you walk through the list you may also find that the Spirit convicts you of things. For example, as you pray about truth he may remind you that you weren't truthful with a friend and need get that right. Or that you have believed a lie and need to reject it, choosing that which is true. Determine to do so, or your armor may have a chink in it.

3) Stand against the schemes of the devil. So many of the devil's schemes have to do with lies. It's simple. If he can get a person to believe a lie then he can influence their life in that area. Some of the schemes the devil uses include the lie of self-sufficiency and also "the optionals". For example, that church is "optional", or that praying together is "optional". You get the idea. It's not that these things give a person eternal life, it's that they are an important part of the eternal kind of life.

As I talked with the Lord about all of this I realized that a very real possibility for sensing that something was "off" with Cornerstone was the fact that we are in the midst of a spiritual battle. It may be that we aren't "off" but actually "on" and that the demonic forces are standing against us. If that is the case, then we need to stand against them.

Would you pray this way on behalf of Cornerstone? Put your confidence in the Lord, prayerfully put on the armor of God and then stand against the schemes of the devil. Asking the Lord to bind him and to bring his schemes to naught.

Pray on!

A God Thing

Here's something from New Orleans to think about. (Author Unknown)

Coffee at CC's

The other morning I wanted to surprise my husband and take him to a new park. On the way we were going to stop at a new Starbucks. About 20 minutes later we reached the end of the road. I realized we had missed Starbucks, and I had no idea how to get to the park. UGH! My surprise was ruined. Knowing we would not find the park and still thirsty, we headed toward the Starbucks we usually visit. We were just about there, when I changed my mind and wanted to go to a local coffee shop called CC's instead. My husband was quickly frustrated at the change of plans, but drove us there anyway.

As I walked up on the sidewalk, I noticed a cell phone upside down on the curb. I stepped over it while saying, "Hey, there's a cell phone on the ground." In all honesty, I probably would have walked past it. But my husband went back and picked it up. The display read "7 missed calls." We looked through the numbers missed and decided to call the most recent missed call. A guy answered and said "You found my phone!" We told the man what coffee shop we were at and he met us there. He thanked us for finding his phone. We also had an opportunity to share with him that we had moved to town to help with Hurricane Katrina relief, and that we are working through Castle Rock Community Church. As we walked away, my husband said, "That was a God thing." My thoughts exactly. It was no coincidence that we left at the time we did. It was no coincidence that we could not find the Starbucks or the park. It was no coincidence that I chang ed my mind and we went to CC's coffee shop. And it is no coincidence that we parked in the exact spot that we did. I have no idea what effect us finding the phone or talking to that man had. But I do believe it was a "seed" planted in his life.

Life lesson: When God interrupts you, when you are running late, when things aren't going how you planned, when you can't find your destination, look for the divine appointment God has set before you. Forget your schedule, look for the person sitting beside you and be sensitive to what God wants you to do. There's a divine appointment waiting for you!

Seasons

Fall is such a glorious time of year. As I write this I can see our big maple trees with their leaves at various levels of change. I don't see any leaves showing off their vibrant green from the summer, but there are still clusters of dull green in the midst of of the golden colors of fall. They are quite beautiful this year and have begun to carpet our lawn with those leaves they have dropped already.

As I have watched the colors of this fall, it has caused me to think a little about seasons. Spring is the season of new life and hope. Summer the season of developing fruit and vegatables. Late summer and early fall the season of harvest. While winter is the season of rest. Did you realize that the seasons reflect the cycles of grace, not only in nature, but in life? The seasons are the annual cycle whereas the 24 hour period we call a day also reflects the cycle of grace.

Like the calendar year which begins in the middle of winter (the season of rest), the day starts in the middle of the night (also the season of rest). The morning is the time of waking to find that life is already happening around us, like spring, and then we move into the "fruitful" period of the day. Coming home in the evening to relax (the "fall") and then sleep. The cycle of grace begins again.

It's interesting to look at the cycles of grace that God has built into the world and to see how we fight against them. We "force" plants to flower and bear fruit at times other than their normal cycles. We make people stay up all night working so that others might be able to run to the store to get something. We have a hard time with grace. Not just saving grace ("I'm too proud to receive something for nothing!") but living grace. Perhaps that is why God said that on one day of the week we are to refrain from work. Perhaps he knew that without his clear direction we would run ourselves ragged?

Sabbath is part of the cycle of grace for living. But unlike time and the seasons, it's a cycle that we can participate in or not, based on our choice. Most of us opt out of it. A simple definition of the term "Sabbath" is "Stop!" Stop working your fingers to the bone for one day. Stop chasing money or projects or distractions. Stop long enough to realize that your value, your worth, as a person is not dependent upon how much you do, own or work. You value is in being. You are valuable because God created you.

Personally, I like harvest time. I want to bear fruit all the time. No breaks. No rests. No let downs. I mean, if I were really spiritual it would be like that, right? If I abide in Jesus, the vine, I'll bear much fruit (John 15)... all the time. I suppose it partly depends on which definition of fruit you use, but even the vineyard goes through the seasonal cycles of grace. Even Jesus got away for rest.

Try taking a sabbath this fall. A day (or a part of a day) where you just stop. Don't plan anything. Just let the day happen. Enjoy the colors of the leaves. Take a nap. Enjoy a hot cocoa. Curl up in Abba Father's lap and just be. Maybe He will whisper in your ear, "Now that's more like it!"

Enjoy!

Leave a Comment

Part of living in community is the willingness to receive feedback, comments and critique. Fortunately a friend let me know that because of my settings people would need to become a member of blogspot in order to leave a comment. My mistake! I've since changed the settings so that you may leave a comment regardless of being part of blogspot. Write away, post those comments, and enjoy!

Abraham

He may be long gone, but his influence isn't. He's called the Father of the Faith for good reason. His faith came first, then came works, circumcision and finally (430 years later!) the law. In Romans 4 we learn that we are made right with God the same way he was. Who was this man?

Abraham

You Have A Calling!

Have you wondered about what God might have in store for you regarding world mission? Have you wondered how your calling might fit into that? Intervarsity's mission conference, URBANA will focus on that this December. This event occurs every three years and has been going on for over 60 years.

Over 20,000 people will attend from around the world, and you could be one of them. Check it out! But be careful, it just might change your life.
Urbana 2006

Making Peace

Here's a thought provoking article about the Amish response to murder and what it might teach about making peace. Whether you agree or disagree, give it a read and give it some thought. Enjoy!

What if the Amish were in Charge of the War on Terror?

Wildfire

Paul has spent two chapters painting a clear picture of why God's wrath is being revealed. Here he explains how God has dealt with it. Good news from Romans 3:21-31.

Wildfire

The Butte

I live in an area of the Inland Northwest called the Palouse (Pah-loose) after a tribe of Native Americans that once lived here. It's a place with rolling hills and fertile farmland. Lots of farmland. People from the coast often lament the lack of trees and water when they visit, but as is so often said about the desert, the Palouse has a beauty all its own. It's just that, like the desert, it can be easily forgotten.

What prompted me to think about this was that my wife and I drove 10 miles out of town to Kamiak Butte for a bit of a hike. The north face of the butte is covered with pines, brush and a variety of plants with the neat affect of causing me to feel like I'm in the mountains instead of the rolling hills. As we hiked I was telling the Lord how much the mountains mean to me and how they minister to my soul. There's just something about the wilderness that I find soothing, like the ocean is for many of my coasty friends.

When we crested the butte I had a wonderful view over the Palouse and something came to mind about how there is only one other place like it in the world according to geologists. And that place is in France. That gave me reason to pause. Here I am in a place that has a beauty unlike anywhere else in the world (except a region in France) and I was grumbling about it not being the mountains.

The Spirit of God began to whisper to me. It isn't wrong to enjoy the mountains or for them to hold a special place in my life. But too often I overlook the wonder of where God has me at the moment. Perhaps I need to find the joy of where I am?

But where I live is where my struggles live as well. That's one of the reasons the mountains are so refreshing. When I'm in the mountains I leave those struggles behind. When I'm skiing or camping I don't think about the financial pressures or the people that get under my skin. It's truly a get away. But a "get away" becomes a "return from" at some point and that's when I can struggle.

What I came away with from my encounter with the Lord on the butte is that here on the Palouse there really is much to enjoy. An amazing variety of shades of green in the spring. The golden hues of grain in the summer. The brilliant colors of fall and the wonder of a fresh snowfall in winter. I just need to take a moment and look.

The same is true for my life in general. Yes, there are difficult people, but I also have a lot of wonderful people in my life. Yes, I need to take out the garbage, but the garbage indicates that God is still providing. I just need to take a moment and look.

Now on iTunes

Now you can automatically download to your ipod using iTunes!

iTunes One-click

Enjoy!

Exclusively Inclusive

Paul wraps up his argument that all have sinned and makes his transition to the next part of the good news: because all are in the same sinking boat, all have access to the same rescue. It truly is good news!

Exlusively Inclusive
(Romans 3:9-24)

Is God Fair?

In Romans 3 Paul addresses some charges that have been leveled at him. The underlying theme is that Paul is misrepresenting the character of God and thus brings up the question, is God fair? Though not exhaustive, hopefully this sermon gives you some good food-for-thought. Enjoy!

Is God Fair?

Subscribe

Subscribe here or scroll to the bottom of the page and click on the podcast button!

Privileged People

Here's the fourth message in the Romans series. Paul is working his way to the main point that regardless of how we compare with each other, all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God... even the privileged.

Privileged People

Good People

In Romans 2 Paul moves on from talking about "bad" people to those who would be considered "good." While the bad people know what they are doing is wrong, they are at least consistent when they encourage others to do the same. The "good" people however, think that because they say what others do is wrong, it excuses them when they do the same things. Check out Paul's answer to that!
Good People

Bad News

This is the message on the second half of Romans 1. It opens with Paul saying that the wrath of God is being revealed against all ungodliness. Which is why the gospel is needed. Check it out.

Bad People

Cider Press

Over the past few months I've felt under pressure on a variety of fronts. It seemed as though whenever I turned around there was some kind of problem to deal with. Sometimes it wasn't a bad problem but in fact something good. Yet it came with its own version of "positive stress." When a friend asked how I was doing I described how I felt by comparing it to an apple in a cider press. Getting squashed but hopeful the resulting cider will be good.

Two of the pressures included my kids. One had surgery and the other was to leave home for the first time. Both were good things, but they came with their own measure of stress. Fortunately the surgery went well and my son is healing in a good manner. As for my daughter, her leaving home meant traveling to Australia. Her first international trip and all on her own. I am excited for her and this new stage of life, yet it was also difficult to let go of my little girl. She arrived safe and sound (in spite of going through LAX) and is loving all-things Australian.

It was in the midst of the stressors, perhaps at their peak, that I was spending time with the Lord and reading in Matthew 4 about the temptation of Jesus. Talk about a time of stress! He was in the wilderness without food or companions for 40 days and Satan shows up to tempt him.

As I read the account I paused to prayerfully consider what the Lord might want me to learn from Jesus and how he handled the stress. As I looked at his responses to Satan's temptations some things struck me.

"Man does not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God." Jesus truly meant this. That life is lived fully only when a person is in intimate, conversational relationship with God. This means listening to God. Something I don't do very well, but especially when there's pressure.

The next thing that I noticed was that when Satan tempted Jesus to prove his identity by throwing himself down in order to get the Father to protect him, Jesus said "don't put God to the test." Now I realize there are a lot of ways to put God to the test but I think that the main point is that a person is trying to make God do something. For me that temptation occurs in prayer. I try to use the right words or say the right things in hopes of getting what I want. This attempt at manipulating God gets ratcheted up when the pressure is on. Which is not to say that I should not pray during hard times, just the opposite. But that when I pray I need to simply ask. Honestly, straight-forward, ask. In doing this I communicate my desires to God but without trying to manipulate him. Its respecting who he is.

Finally Satan gets right down to it and promises Jesus the world if only he will submit to and worship Satan. Jesus' response? "Away from me, Satan! For it is written: 'Worship the Lord your God , and serve him only." Worship, then service.

In my journal I wrote these four things out as an acronym to help me remember it: Listen; Ask; Worship; Serve (L.A.W.S.) Kind of corny, perhaps, but it has helped me in the past month to get my focus where it needs to be when I feel the cider press pushing on me.

First Impression

Here's the first message of the series I'm doing from Romans. As Paul introduces himself to the believers in Rome he makes it clear that he is passionate about Jesus Christ and the job that Jesus has given him to do.
First Impressions