A Year of Living "The Story"

One Last Resource...

2011-12-23T09:00:00.001-06:00

A friend of mine attends Colonial Church of Edina. She passed this link on to me - and I think they have some wonderful devotionals!

I thought I'd share it with you:

http://www.colonialchurch.org/category/adventdaily/

Passing the Peace

2011-12-21T09:00:00.000-06:00

Another neat Advent devotional...
http://www.endhunger.org/cgi-bin/mojo.cgi?flavor=archive&id=20111219081323&list=advent

Sunday Recap

2011-12-19T09:00:00.001-06:00

Another wonderful Sunday (I love the Advent season...)!

The choir performed their Christmas Cantata - bells, choir, solos - beautifully done! And a thoughtful, unique program. Jennifer does a splendid job providing us with magical moments of music! Thank you, Jennifer, Choir, and Bells!

After worship was our cookie party - a fellowship hall full of amamzing treats! Cookies, reubans, shrimp, and... Egg nog!

Such joy filling our spaces - such blessings.

Transforming this Christmas

2011-12-16T09:00:00.000-06:00

Another neat devotional resource... Great for those experiencing challenges and struggles this time of year.

http://www.adventdevotions.net/default.asp

Advent Smartphone App

2011-12-15T09:00:00.000-06:00

I'm liking this one! It's great for kids - little games, stories, videos, etc. for each day of Advent!

(And fun for those of us who are kids at heart!)

“The Journey” Smartphone app is based on the new book by the Rev. Adam Hamilton, but it also functions as a standalone Advent calendar. The app, available for iPhone, iPad and Android devices, opens with seven unlocked activities for children. A new one (videos, coloring sheets, puzzles, cards, Bible quizzes) opens daily starting Dec. 1.

Following the Star

2011-12-14T09:00:00.001-06:00

As we take a break from "The Story" until January, I thought I'd post some wonderful Advent resources.

This is a devotional that you do online, piece by piece... Beautiful and peaceful.

Enjoy!

http://www.d365.org/followingthestar/

Sunday Recap

2011-12-12T09:00:00.000-06:00

Ohmygosh! What a spectacular Sunday!

Pastor Deb was here to present the check from the sale of First UMC's building - a time of honoring the heritage and ministry that the building served in that community and prayerfully passing on the gifts to be used in ministry in our now-merged congregation. Tears were shed, smiles beamed, and joy was shared at the possibilities of a future together! (And thank you to Jim T. for the kind words of thankfulness - a shared sentiment from all our hearts, I'm sure.)

The Children's Christmas Program was amazing - beautiful, funny, and so wonderful. The speaking parts were right on, the solos were perfect, and the little angels were adorable - as always! (If anyone has pictures they could share - please send them to me!)

After worship, we partied in the Fellowship Hall with a chili lunch, table games, rewards for the picture project, and making new friends. A lovely way to spend part of our afternoon!

The Holy Spirit was present in joy and laughter today! A great kick-off to the holiday season!

Don't Forget to Wish for the Best

2011-12-09T09:00:00.001-06:00

Here’s something that might bring back memories for some of us. Think back to Christmases of our

childhood: what was the symbol of all our Christmas wishes? How about the Sears Wish Book? Do you
remember it from when you were young? We would hopefully page through the giant catalogue, circle
our choices in pen, and pray that Santa would deliver our requests on Christmas morning.

The first Sears Wish Book was printed in 1933. Over time it has diminished in size and was even discontinued at one point. It was revived in 2007, but the current books are nothing in size compared to the
books some of us can remember from our youth. Children today don’t really need one. They have the
Internet and their high tech toys to cruise the information highway to identify their holiday “wants.”

But “back in the day” the Sears Wish Book helped us answer the seasonal question: “If you could have
anything for Christmas, what would you ask for?”

You may not need the Sears Wish Book today, but you have some wishes too, don’t you? Next Christmas
how would you answer the question, “If you could have one thing in the world, what would it be?”

Solomon had to answer that one. He asked for wisdom. And God gave it to him. But by the end of his
life he had accumulated more and more: more gold, more horses, more wives. He had it all and wanted
more. In the midst of all these gifts he lost sight of the Giver. He turned away from God and lost it all.

Another King gave us another path to follow. He had it all and gave it all . . . for us. In the Christmas
season, or any season for that matter, you can guard yourself from the tyranny of too much stuff by giving.
Simply give so that others can simply live. That’s what the King born as a baby in the manger did.

And my wish? That you visit the manger and find him.

Time to get BOLD

2011-12-08T09:00:00.002-06:00

Wanna follow in David's footsteps and walk closer to God?

This is a big and bold action challenge.

If you have a person or two in your life who are mature in faith and really care about you, consider meeting with them and humbly inviting them to speak truth into your life... any time. Let them know that you will seek to prayerfully listen and receive their words, even when those words are difficult.

The Trials of a King

2011-12-07T09:00:00.001-06:00

Our role in life is to point people to God by the way we live our lives, prioritize, make decisions, treat people, and speak to people. This is how we align our lives to the Upper Story. We live each day with the notion that we are to be Jesus to the people around us. This also includes how we handle life when we sin. The world is watching.
David's response to the consequences of his sin reveals the character of God. We see that God maintains God's role as holy and just. We see a gracious and loving God who restored the relationship between God and David. We see God redeeming the scandalous relationship between David and Bathsheba by placing their son Solomon in the lineage of God's son, Jesus. We see God doing this over and over again - in addition to Bathsheba God placed Tamar in the lineage, along with Ruth and Rahab.

Applications for this week:
God wants us to walk in righteousness so others can see God through us. God wants us to be like Uriah, who does right and lives his life with integrity, even when he could get away with things. God wants us to be like Nathan, who had courage to confront a friend who had taken a wrong turn. But God also wants us to be like David when we sin and hurt others. The way we respond in those times can also give people one of the best glimpses of God. God is gracious, forgiving, restores us.

Confrontations

2011-12-06T09:00:00.001-06:00

This week, in the story of David and Bathsheba, we see David commit a series of horrible sins... And later, when God sends the prophet Nathan to confront him about his sins, David simply says, "Yes. I have sinned."

No excuses. No lies. No rationalizations.

"I have sinned."

Ask yourself: How do I respond when people confront or correct me? Am I like Saul, covering my tracks? Or am I like David, listening, receiving, and repenting?

Pray this week that God will put people in your life who love you enough to confront you about your sins. Invite the Holy Spirit to soften your heart so that you will humbly receive their words of conviction and correction.

Sunday Recap

2011-12-05T09:00:00.001-06:00

What a lovely Sunday!

We started during the Education hour with Jake and Melissa sharing their life and faith story - and what a story it's been! We thank them for letting us be witnesses to their faith in times of struggle and challenge - and for letting us surround them with love and prayers! Everytime their beautiful kids come running through the church door, we are reminded that God is present - everyday.

Worship was filled with Sandy's beautiful harp music and the sacrament of Communion; as well as one more story about King David (the juicy story about Bathsheba - and the amazing forgiveness that God gives) before we take a break from "The Story" for the rest of Advent.

After worship about 16 people went out to lunch at Old World Pizza and enjoyed a meal over wonderful conversation and lots of laughter! 12 of us then went over to the AMC theatres to watch some movies! I haven't heard reviews on "Arthur Christmas" or "Happy Feet 2" yet, but "The Muppets" was a blast!

So many wonderful things happening at St. Paul's UMC - stories shared, stories read, and new stories being written! It's a blessing to be a part of this community!

Chapter 12 Reflections

2011-12-03T09:00:00.001-06:00

1. List 3-5 lessons that you can apply to your own life from the episode of David's sin.

2. God used Nathan to confront David about his sin. Has anyone ever confronted you about a sin in your life? Who has permission to be your "Nathan"?

3. Compare David's confrontation with Nathan to Saul's confrontation with Samuel (p. 133 and 115-116). What does David seem to understand that Saul does not?

4. Psalm 32 (p. 135) shows what David felt like when he kept his sin a secret. Do you have a secret sin? How does keeping it secret affect you?

5. After David's baby died, he arose and worshipped (p. 134). What does this say about the nature of worship? About David's ability to release the past?

6. King David grieved over his son Absalom's death, even though Absalom had betrayed him. Why do you think he reacted this way?

7. David was not excited to give his time, money, and effort to building a temple he would not even live to see. Is giving easy or hard for you? How can you be a more cheerful giver?

What To Do With Your "Third Week Of March"

2011-12-02T09:00:00.002-06:00

When Pope John Paul died, a man named Rogers Cadenhead quickly registered the web address
http://www.benedictxvi.com/, thinking this might be the name chosen by the new pope. When Cardinal
Ratzinger was elected Pope, he did choose the name Pope Benedict XVI, causing some to question what
the Vatican would do to get the rights to that domain name.

Cadenhead didn’t ask the Vatican for money. Instead, in a humorous manner on his blog he suggested a
few things he would trade for:
1. Three days, two nights at the Vatican hotel.
2. One of those hats (referring to the bishop’s hat).
3. Complete absolution, no questions asked, for the third week of March 1987.

Wonder what Rogers did the third week of March in 1987? Me too, but does it really matter? Most of us
have at least a week for which we’d love to have total forgiveness.

We discover in The Story that David did. One day when the army is at war, David, who is the commander
of the nation’s military, neglects his duties and stays behind. He sees Bathsheba, seduces her, gets her
pregnant, murders her husband, and tries to cover up his actions by deceiving his general and soldiers.
Then he marries Bathsheba and she bears their child.

It looks as if David will get away with all of this. But he doesn’t. God sends his prophet Nathan to confront
David by telling him a story about a poor man with one lamb. David knows something about sheep
and shepherds, so he listens. Nathan says that the poor man has a rich neighbor who needs to slaughter a
lamb to feed a guest, but instead of taking one of his many sheep he steals the poor man’s one lamb.
David is incensed and says that man should be put to death. Nathan then declares, “You are the man!”

At that moment David must have wished he had bought a domain name that he could swap for absolution.
He may have wanted to make excuses. Explain things away. Blame it on Bathsheba for taking
a bath in broad daylight where he could see. But instead of making excuses, David confesses. “I have
sinned against the Lord” (2 Sam. 12:13).

And God did with David’s sin what he will do with yours and mine. He put it away (Psalm 103:12-13).

You can do what David did. Whatever your “third week of March” might be, sit down with it, yourself
and God. Confess your sin. And then let another shepherd from Bethlehem forgive it. That’s better than

any domain name you might secure.

God's People Are Walking With Us Too

2011-12-01T09:00:00.001-06:00

In our personal deserts and seasons of waiting, we need to remember that God is with us. But we can also take comfort in knowing that God's people are walking with us too. Think about a family member or friend who is in the midst of a hard time. Pray for them. Ask God to use you as a conduit of God's love, a visible reminder that God is with them, caring for them. And ask them how you might come alongside to offer care and support.

From Shepherd to King

2011-11-30T09:00:00.001-06:00

Although Saul was tall and handsome and LOOKED like a great choice for a king, he distorted the character of God by acting in a cruel and greedy way. God replaced him with someone who would more accurately represent God's character and God's plan, but he was the last person people would have picked to be king.

God's criteria in choosing the second king was to find a man after God's own heart; a person with the same priorities that God has; someone who loves people and cares for people. If David would risk his own life to get one of his dad's smelly sheep back, God reasons, "To what extent would he go to get one of my people back?" God knows that's the kind of king Israel needs, because that represents God's heart accurately to the world.

God can use our disobedient lives as God did Saul's to work out God's upper story plan, even though we miss out on the blessings. And on the flip side, God will likely take us through a season of testing, even when we're being obedient, in order to equip us for the assignment ahead of us.

David is a good king, but that's not all there is to his story. As we have been seeing in our journey through the Old Testament, this story carries clues in it, pointing to what is yet to come: God's ultimate plan to redeem everyone. David was from the tribe of Judah, from the city of Bethlehem. The prophets in the Old Testament are going to tell us that the one who provides a way for us to come back into a relationship with God will be from the tribe of Judah, born specifically in the city of Bethlehem, and he will be the king of all kings. In addition, kings in the Old Testament are referred to as the "anointed one." When Samuel anointed David with oil (1 Samuel 16), the spirit of the Lord came upon David. As he led Israel in obedience to God's work, he was empowered by the Holy Spirit. He was the anointed one. The Hebrew word for "anointed one" is "messiah." David was the messiah in the lower story of the Old Testament. His reign points us to the Messiah in the upper story, the one who is God incarnate, who we will meet in the New Testament.

Application possibilities for this week:

* God wants to use us like God used David. God wants to use us to point others to Jesus.
* Don't underestimate the younger crowd! Remember, David was only 16 years old when God first came to him.
* God doesn't choose us by our outward appearance, but God looks into our heart.
* We need at least one Jonathon in our lives, who sees God's good plan for us and believes in us.
* If God is going to use us, it will certainly involve a season or two of testing and equipping.
* We must keep pointing people to God no matter what season we are in.

Tuesday Reflections

2011-11-29T09:00:00.001-06:00

Think about a time of waiting in your life, when you felt that God was refining (working on you, making you better) you. Reflect on the lessons you learned while you waited. Have you carried them forward into the present day? Were there any lessons you missed that God stills wants to teach you?

Reflections on Chapter 11

2011-11-26T09:00:00.001-06:00

From Shepher to King...

1. Contrast God's view of David with man's view of David. Would you say you are winsome in the world's eyes? How does God see you?

2. Who or what are the giants in your life that need to be faced with courage? How can you equip yourself to do this?

3. Think of a time when jealousy has somehow overtaken you. How can focusing on the Upper Story help you conquer those feelings?

4. Review the exchange between Saul and David at En Gedi (p 123-134). What does Saul's response to David's offer of grace teach you about God's grace?

5. "The Lord does not look at the things human beings look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart." (p 117) What words or acts of encouragement can you offer today to others (from family to strangers) based on God's view of them?

6. When David wanted to build God a temple, God redirected him, just as God sometimes constrains our best intentions because God wants us to serve God in other ways. How has God redirected you? Looking back, was this initially disappointing?

An Example

2011-11-24T09:00:00.001-06:00

Just like the people of Israel in Samuel's day and junior high school kids today, we can be prone to imitate and follow bad examples. Think through your behaviors, practices, shopping patterns, clothing choices, language, hobbies... anything you might do because someone else does it. If you identify something that is unhealthy, ungodly, or offensive, commit to ending that behavior!

Let's shine God's light from the ways we share love, hope, and grace in our lives!

Happy Thanksgiving! May your day be blessed with all that God offers you - in family, friends, shelter, food, warmth, and love!

Standing Tall, Falling Hard

2011-11-23T09:00:00.001-06:00

It would appear that when Hannah's womb is opened, it is simply a matter of a tender God working things out in the lower story for a desperate woman, which would be partly true. She gives Samuel to God, makes him a new little robe every year, and God gave her five more children. But there's an upper story going on at the same time. Samuel grows up to be a man who will deal with three distortions in Israel.

When God allows the people to have a king, that's not the way God envisioned the lower story of Israel, but it's not going to change the outcome of the upper story. Even when God allows things that aren't God's perfect will, God will still accomplish God's desire to provide a way back to relationship with God. The BEST way for people to see God is for God to be the king of Israel with no layers of management between God and the people. But God honors our free choice, and allows us to try things our way. Even when God allows us to follow God's conditional will instead of God's perfect will, which is a change to our lower story, we still have to follow God. As long as we do, everything will work out.

Saul misrepresents or distorts God. God's upper story plan is to reveal God's self as just and holy, and get us back through God's relationship with Israel. But people are going to get the wrong idea of God because Saul is misrepresenting God as cruel and greedy. Once we start messing with the upper story image of God, God steps in and stops us. God honors the lower story distortion of asking for a king, but now that it's affecting the upper story plan, God intervenes and makes a change. The upper story WILL take place.

Application tips for this week:

1. We are all representatives of God. The New Testament church is the body of Christ. We represent Christ to others. If we are the only "Bible" some people will ever read, then we don't want to distort the image of Jesus to others. This doesn't mean being perfect, it means not pretending we are! Authenticity is the mark of a true representative of Christ. Phoniness in Christians keeps people from Christ.

2. We need to be more like Samuel who walked with God all the days of his life. In preparation to take our story into our whole community, let's agree together that we're going to trade all phoniness for authenticity; we will not conform to the world, but be transformed by God. We will not misrepresent Christ but portray a pure picture of him that shows acceptance, love, grace, and the offer of life that is truly life!

Reflections on Chapter 10

2011-11-22T09:00:00.002-06:00

The human capacity to self-deceive and rationalize wrong-doings is staggering. This pattern cost Saul his kingship. Reflect this week on any patterns in your life where you tend to rationalize those things that separate you from God (sin). If God convicts you of an area of your life where this is happening, honestly confess and ask for God's strength to change.

Sunday Recap

2011-11-21T09:00:00.004-06:00

Yea for new members!

Sue and Denny
Chuck
Mary K. and David

Welcome to all of you - and thank you for choosing to join the family! We're delighted at the gifts, talents, personalities, and enthusiasm each one of you brings to this community!

Whenever someone new joins the team - it's like a ping pong ball being thrown into a pile of ping pong balls! Nothing will stay the same! :) New ideas, new stories, new ways of doing things, new friendships, and new hopes are brought into the circle - and we all are affected. I'm so pleased to welcome these individuals and the change they will bring!

Thinking About Chapter 10

2011-11-19T09:00:00.002-06:00

Some personal devotion questions as you read Chapter 10...

1. Hannah wanted a child so badly she promised God that she would give the child over to God. Have you ever made a bargain with God? What thing do you want the most?

2. What do we learn from Hannah about how to pray?

3. How did Eli help Samuel know when he was hearing the voice of God? How can you tell when God is speaking to you?

4. The Ark of the Covenant was treated like a good luck charm. Do people treat God, or symbols of God, like that today? What is the difference between giving God the respect God deserves, and treating a symbol like a rabbit's foot?

5. Samuel was hurt that the Israelites wanted a king, instead of remembering God was their king. Why was this such a temptation for them? When have you found it hard to trust God to take care of you?

6. Why do you think it was hard for Saul to admit to Samuel when he was in the wrong? Rate yourself from 1-10 on your ability to own up to your mistakes.

7. God repeatedly chooses the least and the last to accomplish God's will. What could God do through you today?

Giving An Undistorted View of God

2011-11-18T09:00:00.001-06:00

Ever since Peter Stuyvesant visited the Palace of Versailles the world has had a distorted view of itself.

Peter was the governor of New Amsterdam—later to be renamed New York City—beginning in 1647.
He was visiting France to discuss colonial land agreements. While at Versailles he was awed by the Hall
of Mirrors.

Peter was determined to bring a similarly amazing showcase to his city. In 1651 he founded the Peter
Stuyvesant’s House of Mirrors. He charged one Dutch gulden for admission.

This house of mirrors eventually morphed into what we know as a Fun House of Mirrors seen at many
carnivals. For a few tickets the fun begins by walking into a maze of mirrors, both convex and concave.

We amuse ourselves by looking at distorted images of our figure.
Today you don’t even have to go to the carnival for this experience. A laptop with a webcam and a silly
photo feature will allow you to take a picture of yourself that you can manipulate to look odd.

It’s all fun. But sometimes distorted pictures can cause trouble. It did in Israel during the time of the
prophet Samuel. One of the major distortions was found at the Tabernacle, that portable place of praise
for God’s people.

It was parked at Shiloh and was meant to be a clear picture of God’s holiness and grace. A system of
sacrifices had been established that foreshadowed the coming sacrifice of the Messiah. Yet anything but
holiness was found there.

Eli the priest had two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, who dishonored God in their treatment of the sacrifices
and also engaged in immoral sexual activity with women at the Tabernacle (1 Samuel 2:16, 22).
Because the picture of God they were giving was distorted, these two were killed in battle against the
Philistines. When news of their death reached Eli, he fell over in his chair, broke his neck, and also died.

Just like Eli and his sons we are representatives of God. We represent Jesus to others. You may have
heard it said that you may be the only Bible those around you will ever ‘read.’ The question is, “Are you
giving a clear or distorted picture of the One True God?”

Be a Boaz

2011-11-17T09:00:00.001-06:00

Be a Boaz. He showed compassion to a person in need. Think through the coming week and identify one or two acts of compassion and generosity that you can extend to a person who is hurting, marginalized, and in need.

(Psstt... One thing you could do? Check out the "Adopt a Family" Christmas tree set up in the entryway at church! Purchase one gift for a family member that otherwise may not have had a gift on Christmas morning... Give a little joy through your compassion!)

We're All Outsiders

2011-11-16T09:00:00.000-06:00

God again uses a lower story famine to work out God's upper story.

In the lower story, the decision the family makes to move out of Israel is a mistake, because it places them in the context of pagan worship. But in the upper story, we will see that God is going to do something through this poor decision...

Everything works out for Ruth and Naomi in the lower story, but there is an upper story going on at the same time. God is working out God's plan, not only to get Ruth and Naomi back, but to get everyone back, to provide a way.

There will be one born who will provide the way. The Lamb of God, the deliverer, the redeemer. All these Old Testament stories point to that one person. We are told he would be born out of Israel, out of Judah, in Bethlehem. Do you see where this is going?

Ruth and Boaz give birth to a son named Obed, who gives birth to a son named Jesse, who gives birth to a son named David, King David. The genealogy of Jesus in Matthew 1 says he comes from the line of David, the tribe of Judah, born in Bethlehem.

Jesus Christ is the ultimate kinsman-redeemer. We were slaves to sin, we were outsiders, we lost our inheritance in Adam, then Jesus redeemed us with the price of his life. Just like Ruth became the bride of Boaz, so we become the bride of Christ and we can say, "I am accepted" and "I know where I'm going." God uses outsiders in the unfolding of God's grand plan to redeem everyone.

Not only did God go out of his way to include a Moabite woman in the lineage of Jesus, God used Boaz's mother, Rahab. When Boaz took Ruth in, he knew what it was like to be an outsider from his lower story life as the son of a prostitute. He also knew what it was like to be accepted, not only by the Israelites, but by the God of the Israelites.

Application for this week:

There are a lot of lonely people in our community today who feel like outsiders. They want to feel accepted, they want to know where they're going but they are outsiders and feel like they have no hope. God calls us to be agents of acceptance on God's behalf.

God is calling every one of us to be a Boaz to somebody. Here are some ideas for how we can be agents of acceptance in someone's life:
* Take time to talk to a child at their level.
* Volunteer at a halfway house as a mentor.
* Volunteer in our children's or youth ministry.
* Mentor a teen.
* Go on a short-term mission trip.
* Do chores or a project for a single mom.
* Invite a single parent family over for some relaxation or even on a vacation.
* Speak encouragement to a person who is struggling.
* Invite a widow over for dinner.
* Have your family or your life group go to a nursing home and visit those who are alone and celebrate the special days in their life.
* Sit with a kid in school who is new or alone in the lunchroom.

What's the point here? There's 2, actually...

1) Align your life to the upper story of God, even when it means surrender and sacrifice, to extend acceptance to someone in hopes that God will use you to bless them.
2) God could have chosen anyone to use, and God chose some messed up outsiders. Think you're not good enough to be accepted by God? Think you're not good enough to be used by God? Ask Ruth and Rahab and think again...

God-Honoring

2011-11-15T09:00:00.001-06:00

Some personal reflections on Ruth, Naomi, and Boaz...

Reflect on some of the main characters in this amazing narrative and pray for your life to reflect some of the same God-honoring attitudes and behavior:

* Naomi: Learn from her example of faith even in the hard times, from her care for her daughters-in-law, and from her honesty about her pain and loss.

* Ruth: Learn from her devotion to Naomi, from her commitment to work hard, and from her trust in God.

* Boaz: Learn from his compassion to a person in need, from his generosity, and from his integrity.

Thank You, Veterans

2011-11-14T09:00:00.003-06:00

Another powerful moment in worship yesterday...

Our Veterans stood, their family members stood, and any who have been affected by life with a veteran stood... And we prayed for them. They were blessed and thanked for their service - as well as for all the ways their lives have been changed by their experience. They were blessed into knowing that God goes with them now, is in the memories of their time of service, is with their families in the love and thankfulness of having them home.

We prayed for all the ways their lives have been affected - the good and the bad. And we thanked them for all they have done to ensure our freedoms and life as we know it.

Thank you, Veterans. You are a blessing to all - and you don't get thanked often enough. We treasure you, bless you, and honor you - today and everyday. May you know God's blessing in each breath you take.

Thinking About Chapter 9

2011-11-12T09:00:00.009-06:00

Some reflection questions for the chapter...

1. How would you describe the relationship between Naomi and her daughter-in-law? Is there anything you can apply to your relationship with your in-laws or future in-laws?

2. Ruth and Boaz provided for Naomi. In what tangible ways can you provide for the less fortunate both in your family and in your community?

3. Boaz praised Ruth saying, "May the Lord repay you for what you have done [for Naomi]. May you be richly rewarded by the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge," (p 101). How did God answer Boaz' prayer for Ruth? How does an "others-centered" life create blessings for the giver?

4. As you reflect on times of need in your life, when have you experienced divine providence and unexpected provision?

5. Character is revealed by what we do, what we say, and often by what others say about us. How does Boaz serve as an example of a godly man or Ruth as a godly women for you?

6. The theme of redemption is found throughout this story. Compare Boaz' redemption of Ruth and Naomi to how Christ has redeemed you.

7. Faithful Boaz and Ruth were great-grandparents to King David and therefore they were also in line of Messiah Jesus. Who in your family tree has been a godly example to you? Who in your church family stands as an example of godliness?

You Don't Have To Wait To Be Accepted

2011-11-11T09:00:00.002-06:00

Anyone with college-aged kids knows the inundating routine that is college applications. Visit
campuses. Choose a few schools to focus on. Make applications. Fill out forms. Write essays.

For anyone who hasn’t “been there, done that,” the filing of the application and financial aid forms is
nothing compared to the waiting. It’s like the first time you look at your girlfriend or boyfriend and say,
‘I love you.” You’ve made the first move. And then you wait. You wait to see if they respond in turn.

For the college applicant, the end of the waiting is signaled with a letter in the mailbox – hopefully
saying “You have been accepted.”

We all have a desire to be accepted, don’t we? In fact, that desire made it into Maslow’s well-known hierarchy of needs. He theorized that acceptance is basic to our nature and to our psychological health.

Ruth had the same need as we do. She was a Moabite living in Bethlehem who we meet in The Story.
She ended up there with her mother-in-law Naomi when her husband died. And she found herself picking
up the leftovers after the harvest in a field owned by Boaz.

Boaz discovered she was an outsider—a Moabite—the same people who would oppress his nation for
eighteen years. You’d expect fireworks when they met. Instead, Boaz tells Ruth, “May you be richly
rewarded by the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge.”

His acceptance of Ruth goes a step further. Ruth finds him asleep on the threshing floor and lies down at
his feet. When he awakens, Ruth asks him to “spread the corner of your garment over me, since you are a
family guardian.” The word for “garment” is the same Hebrew word for “wings” in the blessing Boaz had
pronounced over Ruth. God’s acceptance came to Ruth through Boaz.

Your acceptance did too. You see, Boaz and Ruth had a son named Obed, the father of Jesse, the father of
David. In Matthew’s genealogy the lineage of Jesus is traced through David. Boaz is there too along with
his mother Rahab (Matt. 1:5). Yes, that Rahab. The prostitute that lived in Canaan and sheltered the
two spies Joshua sent into the land.

Actions in Song

2011-11-10T09:00:00.001-06:00

Read and meditate on Moses' song found in Deuteronomy 32. Let the message of this song move deep into your soul. You might even want to write it down and put it somewhere you will see it on a regular basis. If you are musical, you might want to set it to music. Let the message of this short song remind you of God's goodness and our human temptation to fall back into the same sins over and over.

A Few Good Men and Women - Recap

2011-11-09T09:00:00.001-06:00

In the upper story, the surrounding nations are now watching with their eyes wide open how God deals graciously and justly with the nations of Israel. They see how God disciplines them according to God's law, and how God intervenes and takes them back when they cry out for help. This reveals the character of God and sends a loud message: who would NOT want to be in a relationship with a gracious God like this?

Application:

Take some time this week to reconnect with the gracious God who walks beside you everyday. What is standing in your way?

Also, try to establish a way to bring God to the forefront of your home. How do you share your faith with your family as a way of nurturing the others in their faith walks as well?

Pray. Ask God for guidance and wisdom as you seek to reconnect in powerful ways!

Struggle Reflections

2011-11-08T09:00:00.004-06:00

Are there any patterns of rebellion and struggle in your life? What does your personal life pattern look like when it comes to sin and wandering from God? What is one step you can take to begin to break that pattern?

Sunday Recap

2011-11-07T09:00:00.001-06:00

What a beautiful Sunday!

Together, as one united congregation, we took a moment to remember the saints who have gone before us. During the sacrement of Communion, people took turns lighting candles on the altar... Remembering loved ones they have lost, or lighting a candle in honor of someone struggling now.

65 candles were lit. And it was stunningly beautiful.

So much love and celebration of life. So much remembering and sharing stories. Passing on the memories of lives well lived.

Thinking About Chapter 8

2011-11-05T09:00:00.011-05:00

Some reflection questions as you read Chapter 8:

1. God used Israel's enemies to turn them back to God. Have you ever had a painful or dangerous experience that led you back to God?

2. Deborah's military leader was named Barak, which means "lightening" or 'flashing sword." Did he live up to his name? Describe a time when fear held you back from living up to the name "Christian."

3. In the evil days after Joshua, "every man did what was right in his eyes." In a pluralistic society, why is it dangerous when everyone gets to pick their own definition of right and wrong?

4. What are some characteristics of Deborah that make her a good role model for young women?

5. The angel of the Lord greeted Gideon as a mighty warrior though he was from the weakest clan and of the least in his family (p 89). Do you tend to define yourself by your weaknesses or by the potential God sees in you because God is with you?

6. Samson's strength did not make us for his moral weaknesses. When has a strength of yours been insufficient to overcome your conditions?

7. In examining Samson's marriages, what takeaways would strengthen yours?

8. Think of some of the prayers in this chapter, such as Gideon's or Samson's. What does this teach us about prayer?

When Your Mistakes Land You In Front Of A Judge

2011-11-04T09:00:00.007-05:00

Have you ever had to own up for something you did wrong? Maybe you remember sneaking out to see an
R-rated movie and then confessing the truth to your seething parents after you crept in the house past
curfew. Or maybe, more recently, you lied to your boss and had to face the consequences once you were
found out.

We have all had to come face-to-face with an authority and own up to what we’ve done wrong. Palms
sweat, stomach twists and turns. It can feel like you’re going before the judge in a court martial.

Judges elicit a sense of fear, don’t they? They never call you in for something you have done right.
We think of them as someone who harshly tells us what we did wrong. And they seem to be everywhere
these days on television. There’s Judge Judy and Hatchett. Mathis and Christina. Judge Brown.

Then there are some judges you may not know. They even have a book in the Bible with their name on
it. Judges. These judges appeared on the scene to help sort out right and wrong. They also helped people
get out of trouble.

God’s people kept putting themselves into a never ending cycle of disobedience, discipline, declaration
of wrong, and deliverance. Judges like Deborah and Gideon and Samson helped them find their way back
to God.

What did the people do that was so bad they needed judges? Two things. First, they failed to put God first
in their lives (Judges 1:28). And secondly, they did not teach their children to know God (Judges 2:10).
These two “sins” led to their downfall and ruin.

Are you making the same mistakes they made? If so, you have a judge that can help you––Jesus.

The good news is that when he “calls” you into his office after you’ve messed up, you will look up to see
your judge’s face and see your savior there.

Battle Actions

2011-11-03T09:00:00.008-05:00

In the course of talking about Chapter 7 of The Story, God might have brought to your attention an area of your life where you have given in and stopped swimming against the current of our world. It is not that you don't care, but you are being swept downstream in the wrong direction. If you felt such a conviction, make a commitment to take specific steps to follow God's will, resist temptation, and begin your battle against this particular area of sin or apathy. Find a friend who will pray for you and keep you accountable to keep up the good fight.

The Battle Begins - Chapter 7 Recap

2011-11-02T09:00:00.012-05:00

Why, in the upper story, is God giving the Israelites the land of Canaan?

1. God is not so much giving it to Israel as God is taking it away from the Amorites because of their wickedness (Genesis 15:16). The conquest of Israel may seem unfair and brutal, but it reflects the justice and righteousness of God who steps in and removes detestable wickedness.

2. God wants to establish God's name, in order to give the Israelites an identity in an identifiable land, and to make God's self known to the surrounding nations.

Application for this week?

God wants to make God's name known in our community, which God does through God's relationship with us, God's church. God is inviting us to be strong and courageous as we face this giant vision!

Right now, St. Paul's UMC is living out the vision of a unified community, a community seeking to be in the Book together, a community seeking to pray together, and reflect God's glory to the world - Together. How are you living this out in your personal life - and are you sharing it with your family, friends, neighbors?

Be strong and be courageous!

Joshua Reflections

2011-11-01T09:00:00.006-05:00

Joshua teaches us three ways to prepare for battle: Be people of the Word. Pray. Reflect God's Glory.
Take a moment to think about how these steps are lived out in your daily life...

How can I go deeper into God's Word and follow it with great passion in my daily life?

What steps can I take to make more space for conversation with God in my normal day, especially when I am facing battles?

When people look at me, in a normal day, do they see that I am a follower of Jesus? What can I do to live and think in ways that will identify me more closely with the Savior?

Sermon Notes

2011-10-30T09:00:00.000-05:00

The Battle Begins: Joshua 1:1-9
Reflections by Megan Adams

Wow! We’ve covered a lot of territory in the last seven weeks! And now, after 40 years with Moses leading the (grumbling) people through the wilderness, his time has grown short. We see him pick the man he thinks can lead his people. He picks the man with great faith and trust in the Lord. He picks the man that knows God will be with them when they need to overcome the cities that are in their way. He picks the man that has shown strength and courage in the past – and is still standing with him.

He picks Joshua. Moses introduces Joshua as the new leader and says to Joshua, in front of all the people of Israel, “Be strong and courageous, for you must go with this people into the land that the Lord swore to their ancestors to give them, and you must divide it among them as their inheritance. The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” And then, Moses finally climbs the mountain to get a glimpse of the promise land… Only to find out, that because of the few times he lost trust in God – he will not get to actually enter the promise land. And here, he dies.

Now Joshua is left alone to lead the Israelites to the Promised Land. He’s to take Moses’ place. Can you imagine?! The last paragraph of last week’s chapter said, “Since then, no prophet in Israel has risen like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face, who did all those signs and wonders the Lord sent him to do in Egypt – to Pharaoh and to all his officials and to his whole land. For no one has ever shown the mighty power or performed the awesome deeds that Moses did in the sight of all Israel.”

Those are some big shoes to fill! Can you imagine being Joshua? I don’t know about you, but I would be trembling in my boots! (But remember the words of Moses… Be strong and be courageous. Do not be afraid. Do not despair… We’ll hear those again somewhere…)

Have you ever faced straight on an overwhelming challenge that just about scared you to death? If so, did you confront or retreat? This week, in “The Story” we find Israel facing an overwhelming challenge… After 600 years of waiting for God’s promise to Abraham to make him a great nation – it’s finally happened! And the people of Israel are ready to advance into the Promised Land. But there is one problem. And it’s a BIG problem. Literally! There are wicked people already living in the land and among those people are some literal giants.

The children of Israel are under a new leader, Joshua, and are back to the spot they camped 40 years earlier – before they made a colossal wrong turn. Do you remember? 40 years earlier, they had been at this same spot – able to see the Promised Land, Canaan. A group of spies had been sent to check things out – and while the land was flowing with milk and honey, as promised… There were giants in the land. The other spies said, “I don’t think so!” While Joshua and Caleb tried to convince the Israelites that with God on their side, they would have no problem up against the giants! But alas… The Israelites couldn’t be convinced. And God, dismayed at their lack of trust AGAIN, let them wander another 40 years in the desert – until all of the untrusting, grumbling generation died off.

And now? God tells Joshua and the people of Israel that it’s finally time for this generation to take the land. Take Canaan. And in this speech, Joshua is told 3 times to “be strong and courageous.” Because now is the time for courage!

Here’s where we start today: Joshua 1:1-9
“After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, the Lord said to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ aid, ‘Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give them – to the Israelites. I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses. Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from the great river, the Euphrates – all the Hittite country – to the Great Sea on the west. 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 I swore to their forefathers to give them. Be strong and be very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.’”

So now Joshua is getting his marching orders directly from God. God gives Joshua a ludicrous plan – by our standards. After 40 years of wandering, God tells Joshua to: Cross the raging Jordan River with a million people. Once that’s done, set up camp and circumsize all the adult men. Once they’re feeling a little better, have them take the city of Jericho. But don’t do it with violence – just walk around the outside walls for several days, until you’re given the signal. Then? Make as much noise as you can! The city will be yours.

Joshua has to sell this plan to the people. Be strong and be courageous.

None of this makes sense if we look at it through the lens of the “lower story.” Remember – the lower story is the actual events that are taking place… Joshua’s life is part of the lower story. Taking an entire city by whooping and hollering is part of the lower story…

But what about the “Upper Story”? That part that is “God’s Story”? What is this teaching us about God’s nature? One of my favorite quotes in studying this chapter this week, was “In the lower story, the giants are bigger than the Israelites. In the upper story? God is bigger than the giants!”

We are learning, through the story of Joshua, that God is with us when we trust, believe, have faith – when we listen for God. Following God is full of ongoing battles – everyday. And unfortunately, this will always be part of our story… Our culture is one that is constantly pushing back against the values that God tells us to hold dear.

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and mind and soul – not easy in a world that emphasizes so many other things that control our destinies… Money. Success. Power. Love your neighbor as yourself. Really? In a world where I come first? My needs, wants, desires, comfort? My neighbor can take care of themselves – right? I don’t have time for that…

The thing is, in our culture, following God first can be like a salmon swimming upstream – we can fight to survive and keep going, or we can give up and go with the flow… and eventually die. When we lose trust in God, when we lose faith , when we allow fear to control our choices… We don’t live in the light of God’s love. We forget what it is to shine and reflect God’s glory. We drown in grief and uncertainty. Life becomes something we wander through (much like the Israelites in the desert), without hope.

But this is not what God created us for! God is with us – in the darkest moments. The moments when we are most fearful and unsure of the future. God is there to guide us – we just need to do our part to be ready. We need to be strong and courageous in our lower story lives! We need to know that God gives us the ability to be strong – when we lean on God.

The book of Joshua goes on to tell us how Joshua lived in obedience to God – how he was able to lead his people through battle after battle, winning city after city, by listening to God’s guidance and following God’s plan… The book gives us three ways to follow more closely in our lives, too. 1) Be people of the Book. 2) Pray. 3) Reflect God’s glory.

First: We need to be people of the Book! The Book, meaning The Bible. We’re coming together, reading The Story together to remember what it means to be people of the Book. We’re learning, talking, discussing, asking questions, sharing thoughts and ideas around these stories together – continuing to learn about God and God’s relationship to us.

A couple of weeks ago, we were reminded that the Book includes the Ten Commandments. We were reminded that these aren’t there to punish us or to take the fun out of life – but to be guidelines for a full and wondrous life with God and our neighbors. The Bible is there for us always – to read and memorize, to grow familiar with God’s relationship with us – so that, in times of fear and challenge, we are ready to continue to follow God’s guidelines for community. We are reminded, through scripture, how to live with grace and dignity – with one another and with God.

It’s easy when times get tough, when life is uncomfortable, when we don’t know where to turn next – to forget what it is that gives us life. But when we can remember how God came searching for Adam and Eve in the Garden – even after they messed up… how God gave Abraham and Sarah a baby even after they had given up… how Isaac was rescued from death when God provided another sacrifice… how Joseph’s life of grief and pain kept being redeemed again and again, and things that were intended for evil were always turned into good… how Moses became God’s most trusted man to lead God’s people out of harm, despite his insecurities… When we can remember and point to the stories where people (people like you and me) were hurting, scared, unsure, we can be assured that God was with them in those moments – and God is with me in my dark moments, too.

God told Joshua to “be strong and be courageous” 3 times. Oh, and by the way, “Do not be afraid!” We’ve heard that before, right? The phrase “do not be afraid” appears in the Bible more than 100 times! (You could say that’s a major Upper Story theme!) The thing is: God will not have his community characterized by fear – despite the fact that we will face many fearsome moments in our lives.

How do these fears affect the way we lead our lives? Are we afraid to try new things? Meet new people? Trust others? Are we scared to share our thoughts and feelings? Do we keep our money and time to ourselves – for fear there’s not enough to go around?

God promises us, “I will be with you.” And in these moments of fear, we are called to live distinct, wholesome lives that stand out from the norms of our culture. We are called to face the giants in our lives and reflect our trust in God. We are called to choose life over fear. To choose people over fear. To choose love over fear.

What overwhelming obstacles are present in your life today? What fears are holding you back? Where is it that things seem hopeless? What giants are presenting challenges? What would it take for you to be strong and be courageous in these places? How could God’s words “Do not be afraid” be allowed to sink in?

Be strong and be courageous. Be people of the Word. Pray. Reflect God’s glory through the life you lead. Do not let God’s community be characterized by fear – but stand together. Trust God. Trust each other. Lean on one another. Be a community that can tear down walls – by standing together with voices that spread hope.

Jericho was only one of many battles for Joshua. And in the end, he won them all – and Israelites were finally home. His trust in God, obedience to all God called him to do, his strength and courage in following through – against all kinds of obstacles – made Joshua the hero he’s still known as today.

For Joshua, living out his trust in God was what “stuck” for him. He knew the Book, he spoke to God, and he let his life reflect the glory of God. What is it about your faith that “sticks” with you? What is it about your relationship with God that you could not live without?

Before Moses died, he stood in front of the people – men, women, and children, and read the Book of the Law so all could hear it and know it – so they would have it written on their hearts again. Before Joshua died, he did the same.

On one hand, they were reminding the people of something they already knew. On the other, they were challenging the people to take their knowledge out of their heads and instill it in their hearts, their souls, wherever it would land… Let the words of faith take on a life of their own.

Reminders of how to love God and love neighbor are a daily part of our faith journey – and by living by these words, we find the ability to journey through life with strength and courage.

Today, as you ponder the life of Joshua… May you discover what it is about your own relationship with God that you cannot live without… And then, may you find the strength and courage to be that in this life. Amen.

Thinking About Chapter 7

2011-10-29T09:00:00.001-05:00

Personal devotion questions to connect chapter 7 to your own faith journey...

1. What can we learn about godly leadership and succession planning as we watch the batonn passed from Moses to Joshua?

2. We often draw black and white lines when we disagree with others. Read Joshua 5:13-14. How do people today co-opt Jesus to ensure He's on "their side"?

3. God gave Joshua assurances to face the coming battles, but Joshua still had to act in faith. What battles are you currently facing? How can God's presence and promises change the way you cope with them?

4. Do you suppose God viewed Rahab as a woman of sin or a woman of faith? Who in your life needs to be viewed through "grace-colored" glasses?

5. How does the destruction of peoples and cities in the Promised Land square with God's Upper Story of redemption?

6. Observe the battle between Israel-Gibeon and the five kings of the Amorites (p 78-80). What human factors and what divine factors led to victory? What parallels can be drawn between this battle and your own spiritual battles today?

7. Joshua is known for the statement, "As for me and my household, we will serve the LORD." What habits and attitudes have you seen in other families that are good examples of leading a household in serving the Lord? How can you emulate them?

Face Your Battle With Strength and Courage

2011-10-28T09:00:00.001-05:00

When someone keeps telling you to “be strong and courageous,” you might suspect you are up against
something big. And the Israelites were.

About to enter the land that had been promised them 600 years before, they had a giant-sized task awaiting
them. Literally. Forty years earlier ten spies had come back and told the Israelites that the inhabitants
of the land were so big they felt like they were the size of a grasshopper in comparison. Fear took them
captive without a battle and sent them off as a group to wander around in a wilderness where they took
their chances against wild animals rather than face their giants.

They wandered so long that those who had grasshopper-sized faith died out. Forty years later their
children were ready to take the land. They were physically no taller than their parents had been. The
enemies in the land were no smaller than before. But the Israelites’ faith muscles had grown.

There were two spies who had reported the land was theirs for the taking. One of them, Joshua, is now
the Israelites’ leader. He was courageous. And God wanted to keep him that way. So God tells him three
times in the first nine verses of the first chapter of Joshua: “Be strong and courageous.” He also reminds
him “the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

My guess is you have a few giants in your life too. Some uphill battles that appear insurmountable. A task
demanding more than you think you have to give. One too many things on your “to do” list than you
have the time or energy to do. Unemployment is staring you down. Depression has a grip on you. Bills
have raided your bank account and left it empty. An illness hovers in your life like a threatening storm.

You’d rather just run and wander.

Instead, be strong and courageous. You have a Joshua that will lead the way. The New Testament equivalent
of the name “Joshua” is “Jesus.” And he has promised to be with you always (Matthew 28:20).
Jesus knows how to lead you through battles. He had a few of his own while he was on this earth. Enemies
attacking him with accusations (Mark 3:22). No home and no bed (Luke 9:58). Crowds and expectations
pressing in on him (Luke 8:45). The religious establishment eventually insuring he was sentenced
to a brutal death. (Mark 15:14).

Yet he took on the most barbaric giant there is, death, and lived to tell about it. He can help you do the
same. You need only be strong and courageous in your faith.

Actions in Wisdom

2011-10-27T09:00:00.000-05:00

One of the best things we can do is listen to people of wisdom and faith. In chapter 6 of The Story, Joshua and Caleb came back from their exploration of the land and gave wise counsel. Unfortunately, the people did not listen to them. Find one or two wise men or women of faith that know you well and ask for their insight and perspective on your life. Share how you are seeking to follow God and where you feel you are wandering off course. Invite their wisdom and prayerfully listen to them. Consider asking if they will meet with you on a regular basis to be a sounding board as you seek to walk with Jesus.

Wandering - Chapter 6 Recap

2011-10-26T09:00:00.004-05:00

God's GPS is instructing us on how to live life in the upper story where we find blessing and purpose. God has the whole journey mapped out, from beginning to end, and God knows the best way to get us to our destination. God is with us every step of the way, whether we're aware of it or not. When food and water were withheld from the Israelites, it was because God was testing them to see if they would trust God. If they trusted God in the wilderness, they would trust God in the final destination. Their wilderness experience was to be an indicator, a sign to the watching nations about how life works when you put trust in God, who desires to be in relationship with us. In order for God's grand scheme to work out, God's plan to get all the nations back, the children of Israel were going to have to trust God.

Application for this week:

The Christian life is like a road trip. God wants to lead us every step of the way from God's GPS. God sees the whole picture from beginning to end and God wants us to make it to the final destination and enjoy the journey, but we must trust God. When God says go left, we should go... Left! When God says go right, we should go... Right! When God calls for us to stop, we should... Stop! (Dead in our tracks.) When God tells us to go faster we should put the pedal to the metal. When God tells us to break down the barrier in front of us, no matter how big and bad it looks, we need to charge ahead in faith.

There are others in the car with us, who are affected by our decisions. They will experience the blessings of our good decisions and the pain of our destructive decisions. What choices are you making today?

Wandering Reflections

2011-10-25T09:00:00.000-05:00

Reflect on any way your life has gotten off course. Ask God to help you recalculate and get back on the right path. Confess where you have been stubborn and rebellious, and think deeply of the grace you have received in Jesus. Then, identify the ways you need to change your actions, attitudes, and motives to bring them in line with God's will for you.

Thinking About Chapter 6

2011-10-22T09:00:00.009-05:00

Some personal devotion questions to further your journey...

1. Israel's complaining is a reminder of how easy it is to become ungrateful. List five things you are grateful for. How does gratitude change your perspective?

2. God punishes Miriam and Aaron for slandering Moses. Have you ever had to deal with lies spoken against you? How did you handle it?

3. If you had been the 12 spies, how would you have described the Promised Land?

4. How many examples of answered prayer can you find in this chapter? Which most encourages you and why?

5. Moses charged Israel to keep God's commandments and diligently teach them to their children. How can you, whether as a parent, or a member of your church community, pass on god's commandments to the next generation?

6. When he passed on the mantle of leadership, Moses told Joshua to be strong and courageous. Is a lack of courage keeping you from becoming a leader?

The Decisions You Make Affect Those Traveling With You

2011-10-21T09:00:00.018-05:00

Every parent has been there. The trip ahead is long. The travel schedule is tight. You hit the road with
a full tank, confident the plan you have crafted beats anything AAA could muster. But twenty minutes
down the highway you hear a small, squeaky voice from the backseat. The artillery begins to bombard
you. The questions.

Some you expected. Are we there yet? How much longer? Can we get something to eat?

The next barrage is unexpected. Who was the first person to decide to squeeze those things on a cow and drink whatever came out? Why does our dog get mad at us when we blow in his face but when we take him on a car ride he sticks his head out the window?

Every parent has been there. Questions from the backseat. You come to expect them. Every journey to a
destination includes them. The same is true for the journey of faith.

Just like kids on a trip we get tired of the journey. We want to know when we can stop. We get tired of
serving. We get tired of waiting. We get tired of the people we’re traveling with.

And we grumble. The Israelites did. They complained about the food, about the place they were traveling,
and about their ‘driver’ Moses.

Grumbling does not set well with God. In fact, our grumbling can lead to our wandering. When offered
the chance to leave Kadesh and enter the Promised Land, the Israelites listened to the fear-filled report
from ten spies instead of the faith-full report of Joshua and Caleb.

Kadesh means “Spring of Decision” and it was time for one. They were in the right place to make the
right decision. But the majority made the wrong one. The people wished they had died in the desert. So
God told them they would get their wish. They would wander until the unbelieving generation
died out.

And they did. They wandered in the Wilderness for forty years. And their children were impacted by
their decisions.

The decisions you make affect those around you, just like the decisions the Israelites made at Kadesh.
You can decide to grumble or be thankful. You can decide to turn away from God or turn toward God.
You can decide to wander without purpose through life or follow God’s vision for your life.
Just don’t forget that those in the backseat will be affected by your decisions.

New Commands and a New Covenant - Chapter 5 Recap

2011-10-19T09:00:00.033-05:00

A little humor? A little girl had been naughty and was sentenced to time in the corner. As she endured her time-out, her mom called to her, "Sally, are you still sitting down?" Sally called out, "I may be sitting down on the outside - but I'm standing up on the inside!"

During our journey through "The Story," instead of getting lost in the details of the lower story, we're rising up to the 30,000 foot level and connecting the pieces of the upper story in order to see what God is up to. Chapter 5 will surprise you when you see what it is going to do for us in God's grand plan to get us back.

In Chapter 5, God wants to come down and dwell with Israel. This is the big idea, the big vision of the whole story of God. The trinity of God wants to extend their community to include people. God wants to come down and do life with us. That was the original vision of Genesis 1, and this is what God is desperately wanting to do, in page after page in scripture, chapter after chapter of The Story, God wants to get us back.

In Chapter 1, sin changed everything; it ruined God's vision and seperated us from God, and really, from each other. In Chapters 2, 3, and 4, God interacted with people, but in Chapter 5 God is determined to come back down and dwell with the people. But in order for this to happen, three things have to take place:

1. The people must follow the guidelines on how to treat each other and God (10 Commandments)
2. God needs a place to stay (the Tabernacle)
3. Sin must be atoned for (through sacrifices)

What's the application for us today?

1. We must atone for our sins... Jesus' blood has already been sacrificed for us.
2. Instead of a tabernacle, we get to be the place that God can dwell.
3. In order for God to come into our lives, there have to be guidelines on how we treat each other. But trying to obey the 10 Commandments without first accepting Jesus' sacrifice, and God's place in our hearts, is no better than the little girl that was "sitting down on the outside and standing up on the inside." In order to outwardly conform to God's laws - we need to be inwardly transformed by God's presence in us!

Thinking About Chapter 5

2011-10-15T09:00:00.001-05:00

Some personal devotion questions to start you thinking about how your story fits into God' s story...

1. Moses said, "Do not be afraid. God has come to test you, so that the fear of God will be with you to keep you from sinning." Describe what it means to "fear God." How does your life show that you fear God?

2. Moses was an intermediary between God and Israel. Has there been someone in your life who prayed for you, helped you see God's will, or acted as a spiritual mentor? Would that type of relationship be a blessing to you today?

3. God continued to use Aaron, even after the Golden Calf debacle. Have you ever felt like your sin disqualified you for service to God? How does Aaron's story encourage you?

4. Moses prayed to God on Israel's behalf. Who in your life needs you to intercede for them? Make a list. Offer a prayer for them.

5. Could you be described like God: compassionate, slow to anger, gracious, abounding in loving kindness? Which of these traits best describes you? Which are most difficult?

6. God reminded Moses that children live with the consequences of their parents' sins. Identify a sin or unhealthy tendency in your own family line that still affects you. What measures can you employ to stop the cycle?

7. Moses' face was radiant because he had spoken with the Lord. What evidence for your relatonship with the Lord would others say they see in you?

The Home God Wants For His Presence

2011-10-14T09:00:00.001-05:00

It was perhaps the greatest opportunity ever. God tells Moses that he wants to come to his people and dwell right in the middle of their camp. Not on the outskirts. Not in the 'burbs. But right in the middle of where they were living.

You might wonder, "what preparations would a people need to make for God to live in their midst?" Would it be like getting ready for weekend guests or someone special coming to dinner? You feel compelled to make sure your home looks as good as possible. You want to make a good impression and you want your guest to feel welcome.

God anticipated the question and told Moses what needed to be in place for God's coming. First, God wanted to be close to them but there was the problem of sin that created a breach between them. So God provided Moses with instructions about the practice of sacrificing, offering a covering for the people's indiscretions before a Holy God. Sin is serious stuff, not to be taken lightly, and the sacrifice of unblemished animals was necessary to give the people a picture of sin.

Second, God wanted to stay close to them. Moses was given the blueprints for the building of the Tabernacle. It's a big word for "tent." A portable place of worship. Kind of a mobile Motel 6. And God wanted to camp out right in the middle of where they were camping. God wanted to be close to God's people.

But God also wanted them to be close to each other. So God declared a third thing to get ready. God gave them Ten Commandments concerning relationships. The first four commandments focus on how we are to demonstrate our love to God. The second set of six have to do with how to show love to other people. In seeing these relationships of love it was God's desire that people would come to know God too.

Jesus said the same in John 13:34 "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another... By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another."

God gave the Israelites guidelines so that, when they sought to live by them, other nations would see them as different and know they were God's people. God gave us Jesus so that, when we live like him, others will know that we are God's people.

For those who know God, God took care of our sin through the sacrifice of Jesus. God tabernacles in the hearts of those who have drawn near to God. Could it be then that the degree to which we are obedient to God in this command to love each other is the degree of God's presence we will find among us? It could be our greatest opportunity ever!

Taking Action

2011-10-13T09:00:00.001-05:00

Part of faith is taking action. If you feel prompted by God to sing in the church choir or play an instrument on the worship team, open your schedule and start practicing!

If you feel God calling you to the mission field, surrender and commit to follow. In addition, contact some mission organizations, talk to the missions leader in your church, go on a short-term mission trip, or take some other kind of action that will help you prepare.

You get the point. Surrender to the leading of the Lord, but also take action. God will do God's part, but we need to do our part. God called Moses, but Moses had to head back to Egypt and stand before Pharaoh.

Deliverance - Chapter 4 Recap

2011-10-12T09:00:00.006-05:00

A little humor for your week: Moses says, "Let my people go," and Pharoah says, "No way, Mosay," and Moses says, "Yah way!"

(Get it? "Yahweh"?! Ha ha ha.)

The Story tells us that God hardens the heart of Pharaoh. Why would God do that? God is using Pharaoh's disobedience to accomplish God's overall plan. God looks into the heart of Pharaoh and says, "Pharaoh has determined in his heart a direction in his life. He will not follow my upper story. Now, I'm going to use his disobedience to finish my overall plan." And God used his stubbornness to unleash not just one plague but ten, so that over and over again God has an opportunity to display God's undeniable power. The tenth plague not only reveals God's power but it reveals God's plan for the shedding of blood to deliver us from sin and restore God's relationship with us.

John 1:29 says, "Look, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world."

1 Corinthians 5:7 says, "For Christ, our Passover Lamb, has been sacrificed."

God was giving us one of the biggest clues so far of God's master plan to get us back and to remove the sin nature. Jesus is the lamb, without defect. It is his blood that was poured out on the cross that becomes the blood we need to apply to the doorframe of our soul.

Application: Is there someone in your life that could use the grace of God in their life? Pray for them - often. Ask God if there is a way for you to share the love of God with them... Ask God for the courage and strength to be bold in your faith!

I Could NEVER!

2011-10-11T09:00:00.001-05:00

We all have our "I could never" and "I hope God never asks me to..." moments. Where are the places you tend to resist God's call? What things are you sure you could never do? As you honestly reflect on these questions, place them before the Lord, one by one. Admit your fear and resistance. Ask for new boldness and courage to follow God, even when you feel that you have nothing to offer or that your past disqualifies you. Commit to follow God, as best you can, no matter what God calls you to do.

Wowsers!

2011-10-10T09:00:00.000-05:00

164 in worship this Sunday!

Jill did a great job on the children's chat - reminding us of the difference between "wants" and "needs". (When you're really hungry.... Do you crave pizza? Ice cream? Cookies?) But God knows what we need - and God always provides. Just as God did with the Israelites.

And the choir was Fabulous with "Go Down Moses"! Wow!

We continue to be honored and amazed at all the new faces gracing us with your presence week after week. It's simply wonderful to watch this faith family grow - with smiles, laughter, and growth in the Spirit!

Praise God!

Deliverance

2011-10-09T15:19:00.001-05:00

Deliverance - Exodus 14:13-20
Reflections by Pastor Penny

Abraham and Sarah, Jacob and his challenging twelve sons – featuring fancy-coated Joseph,
who declares about the difficulties in his life: “God intended it for good.” This week we are in
Chapter 4 of The Story, with the focus on escape from slavery for the People of God.

Deliverance seems like a rather churchy kind of word – perhaps The Great Escape would be a better way to describe the excitement and drama of this section of our history. Remember? This is our story as well as God’s story. Picture yourself in Egypt: desert, cruel tasks for you as a slave, years of your personal history haunted by old memories of lost freedom, and God’s promises – perhaps forgotten?

As always, there is a multitude of ways to focus and turn in this section of the Bible. I’m interested in the echoes of ‘hard hearts.’ I have a favorite heart-shaped rock, pulled from Lake Superior many years ago. Hearts certainly take all kinds of shapes.

The hearts in this week’s section of The Story start with heard-hearted Pharaoh.
We are told that now a new Pharaoh is in charge, who did not know Joseph. He fears Joseph’s
later generations because they’ve multiplied so. Solution to the problem: have the boy babies
killed. But God is protecting and bringing hope. Moses is born, and his mother and sister
manage to hide and protect him. He grows up educated and pampered in the royal household.

Fast forward to the burning bush, when Moses is called by God to go lead the Israelites
out of slavery. Through the 10 plagues, the amazing Passover experience and frantic escape
from what had been home. Finally, the People of God stand at the edge of the sea. It looks
hopeless. Water ahead (I’m guessing no live guards among them), Egyptian army behind –
ready to kill. And Moses tells the people: "Do not be afraid, stand firm, and see the deliverance
that the Lord will accomplish for you today…” Exodus 14:13. And that’s just what happened.

So what? This same promise is for us! God is the same throughout the Bible. We do
not have one God in the Old Testament, cruel and harsh, and a different one in the New
Testament, forgiving and loving. The church tells us that we have one God, whose character
remains the same. This God offers grace and radical forgiving love to those into whom God
breathed life. That’s Me, You, US!

How is my heart being shaped? Where and how do I open my life up to God, who
waits to offer me grace, hope, and a path through – or to walk with me through the dark valley.
As always, it’s our possibility of choosing the path we take that can make a world of difference
in how our hearts are shaped. When the Bible says “Do not be afraid, God will fight for you,”
that’s what it means. Calm down. Look up. Stand still. Pray. Worship. Sing.

We choose! God is always waiting…

If you haven’t read this chapter yet, forge ahead for the next week: The Story, Chapter 5,
“New Commands and A New Covenant”, p. 59 OR order a CD of the whole Story. I’ve been
listening to it, and I love it! (The audiobook can be found on amazon.com!)

Chapter 4: When You Are Walled In

2011-10-07T09:00:00.009-05:00

There's a wall in front of you. Behind you is a past you are running from. Beyond the wall awaits the promise of a new life. But you're not moving because there is this "wall". You feel trapped. No way out. This is just the sort of situation in which God does some of God's finest work.

You need only ask the Israelites. Behind them was a life of back-breaking work and slavery. Ahead of them was a life in the land of Promise. Behind them was the fierce army of a fanatical Pharoah coming towards them. Ahead of them was a wall. Their obstruction was made of water.

Your "wall" may be a fear of failure. Or maybe it's a lack of confidence that has grinded your progress to a halt. Or it could be merely too many problems that have piled up in front of you at the same time. And you have no clue which to tackle first.

So you stopped. And you aren't sure if there is a way over, around, or under this imposing impediment.

At this point many people panic. Anxiety coarses its way through the body, atrophies the movement muscles, and rigor mortis overtakes their resolve. Eyes which once had clear focus now only focus on the wall just inches away.

But some look elsewhere. The Israelites looked to Moses. They began belting him with blame. Have you done the same? Blame the boss. Blame a co-worker. Blame your dog. Blame God. Maybe even blame yourself? Blame all you want - but the wall still remains.

While the Israelites were body punching Moses, he opted to look elsewhere. His options? He could have looked at the enemy's army. He could have looked at the ungrateful people he led. He could have looked at the wall of water spread out before him, sat down, and given up.

Instead he looked to God. And God opened an unlikely route through the wall of water. Safely on the other side, the very wall that had halted their steps closed in on and covered the sources of their fears.

The very name of the book where we find this story serves as a reminder when we face our "walls". "Exodus" is a compound Greek word meaning "the way out". And in case you might have missed it, the way out was not a better job, a different spouse, or a victim mentality.

No, the way out is God. Next time you find yourself up against a wall try looking to God.

Forgiveness: It's Never Easy

2011-10-06T09:00:00.012-05:00

Forgiveness is one of life's hardest actions. When someone has really hurt us, it is extremely difficult to forgive. During the next week read Genesis 50:15-21, Matthew 6:9-15, and Matthew 18:21-35. Pray for the courage and strength you need to forgive those who have wronged you. Meditate on Romans 5:8 and ask God to help you understand the depth of God's grace so that you can extend that grace to others.

Recap of Chapter Three

2011-10-05T09:00:00.000-05:00

Joseph was able to forgive his brothers because he saw that God was up to something; he had captured the Upper Story, God's bigger plan. What the brothers did was wrong, but God used their sin and jealousy to accomplish God's overall purpose, God's Upper Story.

The famine would have killed the little fledgling nation of Israel naturally, but supernaturally God made a provision for their salvation by putting Joseph in the right place at the right time.

Why didn't God just thwart the famine? It wasn't time yet for the nation of Israel to take ownership of the land of Canaan. And, they needed to be prevented from intermarrying with Canaanites, so their move to Egypt got them away from the Canaanites and living amongest the Egyptians who thought it was an abomination to marry shepherds. In Egypt they were given the incredibly fertile land of Goshen where they thrived.

Joseph had 22 years of a difficult life, but 71 years of a blessed life. He saw the Upper Story and it made his life in the Lower Story richer. It made all the junk that happened to him in the Lower Story survivable.

Application for this week:
The trials we go through test us and cause us to trust God and see God's power in desperate situations, and equip us for the very thing God wants us to do that we're not yet equipped to do, so that others will not see us, but God.

Huge consequences come to us when we do things in the Lower Story to hurt other people, even though God often uses our sinfulness to accomplish God's overall will.

For those whose life isn't turning out like you had envisioned it, you need the perspective of Romans 8:28:

"That's why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good."

Try thinking on this scripture this week... Do you trust God with all the details of your life? Do you look at how you can align yourself with God's will and prompts in your life - what small changes can you make to follow a little closer to God on a daily basis?

For me, just starting to read or study God's word everyday has helped immensely! What is helping you?

Reflections on Tough Times

2011-10-04T09:00:00.000-05:00

Reflect back on your life. Where has God been at work shaping and forming you... Even in the hard times? Are there lessons God was seeking to teach you that you might have missed? Ask for eyes to see them and a heart to receive and learn. Are you facing something tough right now? If God wants you to use this experience to grow you, ask for the courage to embrace it.

What a Joy!

2011-10-03T09:00:00.002-05:00

A great Sunday indeed!

The kids sang! They did a wonderful job - loud and clear with a fun song! It's amazing how far they've come in such a short time... I can't wait to see what comes next...

It was also Communion Sunday - and what a joy to finally share in the Lord's Supper as one big family! (Thank you, bell ringers, for the beautiful music during this sacred ceremony!)

As I read and listened to Joseph's story again and again this week, I couldn't help but see God's work in our churches... So many times we've been knocked down, but everytime, God has breathed new life into these faith families. Maybe through new staff. Maybe new members. Maybe new minstries. Maybe through new relationships. However it happened, God has brought us to this place, this day, together.

Let us rejoice, that like Joseph, we have not been forgotten - but that God has been planning for a good thing to happen!

Coat of Many Colors

2011-10-02T16:33:00.009-05:00

Coat of Many Colors: GENESIS 50:20
Reflections by Pastor Penny

I’m inviting you to join me reading The Story! It’s an unusual opportunity to move through the Bible in a condensed, chronological manner.   I always find myself in the stories-- for who among us doesn’t struggle with temptation, forgiveness, and the challenge of loss? If you haven’t gotten your book yet, pick one up at church. If you haven’t quite started, just jump in. This week we’re on chapter 3, “Joseph: From Slave to Deputy Pharaoh.”

As we move from creation in the Garden of Eden, through the life of Abraham and Sarah, we now get to sit around the family table of Jacob and his twelve sons. Believe me, this is one lively group! I’ve begun to hear people say how surprised they are that these old stories are ringing true for our time. That’s how I find the Bible – it resounds with deep truth and shines light on my path. It also makes me laugh, shake my head with questions, and wonder.

I laughed when I saw the October 3rd Time magazine cover: “Why Mom Liked You Best: The Science of Favoritism.” There’s Jacob and the 12 – with Joseph standing tall in his beautiful robe. I can assure you that my sister and brother always thought I got that shining center spot. All of us deal with the very same issues that these early families of our faith tell us about.

And the same God who helps them helps us! As you read along, talk in a conversation group Sunday morning or during the week, or listen to the audio CDs, you’ll be interested in what God’s Spirit draws you to. That’s what we are promised as we listen; God comes and helps us know how to live.

                One of the key themes in the life of Joseph is found in Genesis 50:20, “Even though you intended to harm me, God intended it for good, in order to preserve numerous people, as he is doing today.” Just how does that possibly work? In a way, it sounds like God manipulating jealousy, lust, scheming for murder, lying, ETC! to make something good come in the end. But I know that’s not in the character of God, so I like the translation in The Common English Bible: “But God made it turn out for the best, so that he could save all these people, as he is now doing.” Imagine the heart of God, making it turn out for the best!

                We are invited to imagine that because the whole Bible tells us more and more about the heart of God and how God acts. 1 John 1:5 says: “This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all.” So we know that God is not using or manipulating darkness to make light. But, in God’s own way, God “turns” the situation to make good for us – for us at St. Paul’s UMC. I think of this way of understanding as living in the world seeing only the back side of a beautiful tapestry; it looks tangled, a little knotted up here and there, pattern not always clear. God sees the front side of the tapestry of our lives, which have pattern, clarity, and beauty.


                The Story helps us really see Joseph. The more I look at Joseph’s life, the more impressed I am. Maybe you had the sense that he was a puffed up kid bragging about his future possibilities, as he interpreted his dreams to his irritated brothers. But as we read the whole story he stands tall, a man of honor following the God he must have learned about at his father Jacob’s tent and mother Rebecca’s knee.

                Joseph is a favored child and his jealous brothers find a devious way to get rid of him. As he is dragged off to Egypt, things look grim. But God turns what looks like a death sentence into a chance to be useful; in slave-Joseph’s care, the household flourishes. Terrible trouble comes when the wife of the Egyptian master tempts Joseph. His answer to temptation is: “How could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?” Genesis 39:9

Joseph’s behavior opens him up to God’s best. He puts himself in the stream of God’s grace and receives a jail sentence. What? How does that happen? For his good behavior, Joseph is thrown into jail. God moves through Joseph’s life in jail. God turns this for good. BIG NOTE: Good behavior does not guarantee any kind of stress-free life. There are no Free Passes through the challenges or troubles of life. But what we do know, and see in Joseph’s story, is that God is always with us, always working to ‘turn’ any situation for good.

            Joseph’s life is full: 2 years in jail, dream interpretation, leading a nation in a challenging time, and reconnecting with the devious brothers and, finally, a happy ending. Joseph speaks the words of forgiveness and grace to his brothers – you intended harm but God turned it to good.

                So what? As we read, listen, think, question, and move forward with our own lives, what does the Joseph story have to do with us? It could be just an old story with forgotten possibilities or a new opening to deep truth and new possibilities. New possibilities for how we live as families, as we see Joseph centered on offering lavish forgiveness.

                I’m always intrigued by the new! This week I got a New poetry book by Shell Silverstein, the poems were found years after his death in 1999. Our grandchildren are enchanted with poems and drawings. One of our favorites shows the possible outcome of a hairdryer working backward -- beware the foot left sticking out. Very funny! New science offered Time magazine. “Faster than Light. A new study may upend Einstein.” The discussion unfolded:   “A finding about subatomic particles that may be moving over the speed of light…” The finding is enough to overturn a century of firmly established physics and rewrite the textbooks.”

New church! Well, why not? God is always inviting to new, to fresh possibilities. What if the life of our congregation is only just beginning? Let us find ways to believe that God will turn our present situation and do deep, lasting, permanent good. For us and for our world. May it be so!
                Does this story leave you with a question?
                Are You left with an answer?
                An invitation?
                What will you DO about that?

Next week: Moses and Freedom! Chapter 4, page 43, “Deliverance”

Trading In Your Dreams For Another's

2011-09-30T11:45:00.000-05:00

People nearing mid-life often crash into some startling and unexpected observations. For instance, we alldreamed big dreams when we were younger. But as we move at a break-neck pace through our twenties,thirties, and forties, we eventually slam head on into the realization that some of our dreams will neverbe realized.

That observation throws some people into a mid-life crisis. Some don’t make it that far with their aspirations,having already given them up somewhere along the way. Some run into conflict that makes themweary and they settle for less. Still others make bold decisions to trade one dream in for another.

That’s what Joseph did. Talk about dreams! He had some big ones. At seventeen he dreamed his tenolder brothers would bow down to him. It’s enough he dreamed that dream. What makes it worse is thathe told his brothers about it.

The older brothers already had issues with the younger son. Their father favored Joseph. He had evengiven him a valuable, multi-colored coat. That’s the modern-day equivalent of a parent of four teenagersgiving one an iPhone and the other three a stack of quarters each for a pay phone (assuming they couldfind one on their travels). The brothers banded together and tossed the dreamer in a ditch, eventuallyselling him into slavery at the first opportunity. The next thing Joseph knew he was waking up in Egypt.

From there his life was a rollercoaster thrill ride. One minute a slave. The next in charge of an Egyptianofficial’s house. The next in prison. The next in charge of the prison. Then he found himself in front ofPharaoh, called upon to interpret the leader’s dreams. With God’s help he was able to warn Pharaoh hewould have seven years of abundant crops that he should be put in storehouses in anticipation of sevenyears of famine. Recognizing his wisdom, Pharaoh put Joseph second in command of all of Egypt.

And because of God’s personal involvement in his life, he was was able to save his family. The same familythat God was building into a nation. Joseph was in position to bring his family to Egypt and give themthe most fertile land to work. And it was definitely fertile. In the time they were there they were “fruitfuland increased greatly” (Exodus 1:7).

Joseph could have lost his life getting caught up in the details of his life, chasing his dreams and desires.Instead, he chose a better story. God’s story.

You can do the same. If your life’s dream has stalled, look to God. If your dream now realized is not allyou thought it would be, look to God. He can give you another dream. A better one, not according tothe world’s standard but God’s criterion. Just like Joseph’s. Then you’ll have a story to tell.

*Taken from the resources for "The Story."

What's Mine is God's

2011-09-29T11:37:00.000-05:00

Abraham took what was most precious to him and surrendered it to God. He would not hold back even his own son.

Make a list of 5-10 things that mean a great deal to you.
One by one, offer them to God.

If it is a person, surrender that loved one to God.
If it is a material thing, let God know that God has full access to it.
If it is a talent or ability, tell God you will use it for God.

Take everything and freely offer it back to the One who gave you all you have.

Yowsers! How hard is it to freely offer everything back to God?! To truly live by "what is mine, is God's"?

I'll be praying pretty heavily on this one this week!

Recap: Chapter Two

2011-09-28T11:29:00.000-05:00

In Chapter 1 we saw that God has a vision: to be with us. The community of God wants to extend their community to include us. The main character of the entire story is God, and the primary leading characters of Chapter 1 were Adam and Eve, two people God created in God's own image. The plot in Chapter 1 thickens pretty quickly. God has a vision to be with us, but Adam and Even choose a different vision. Sin entered into their nature, and that sin seperated them from God and caused them to be banished from the Garden and access to the Tree of Life.

We also learned in Chapter 1 that sin nature is transferred to their offspring, Cain and Abel, and to their offspring, so that every person in this room is conceived in the womb of their mother with the DNA of sin that seperates us from a living and holy God. This is fundamentally our biggest problem - not our relationships, not the economy, but the underlying issue for all of it is our sin.

We learned last week that the rest of the story of the Bible, as complicated as it may have been for you in the past, is really very simple: it's about God's relentless pursuit to get you and I back. We also learned that wiping out every person on the earth and starting over with the most righteous man didn't work. When Noah and his children stepped off the ark, they took with them the sin nature they brought onto the boat, and we saw it come to light just days after they got off the boat. We learned a clue last week that if there is going to be a restoration to our relationship with God, it will not be found in people. To summarize, God wants to be with us, and at the end of Chapter 1, God makes a promise that God will provide a way for us to come back.

In every chapter of The Story there are clues as to what God's grand plan is. Notice the parallel language between Genesis 22:2 and John 3:16 - "Take your son, your only son, whom you love, and sacrifice him" compared to "For God so loved the world that God gave God's one and only son."

Abraham ascends Mount Moriah to sacrifice Isaac. Most scholars believe that the hill of Moriah is most likely Jerusalem (2 Chronicles 3:1). It is on the same hill 2080 years after this God's one and only son would be offered up as a sacrifice on a cross, on a hill, in the same place as Moriah. Except, on the day that God the Father's son was hanging on the cross and the knife was coming down, there was no ram in the thicket. Jesus was the only, the final, the ultimate sacrifice.

Do I Trust?

2011-09-27T16:13:00.003-05:00

God calls each of God's children, at various times, to follow God in ways that are risky and demand faith. Look at your life and reflect honestly on these scenarios:

**When was a time God called me to step out in faith, but I missed the opportunity?
(Confess this to God and receive God's grace to let it go...)

**When was a time God invited me to take a bold step of faith and I followed God with confidence?
(Thank God for carrying you through that time...)

**Ask God to give you a sense of where God might be leading you in the future. Commit to follow God, no matter what anyone else might say or think.

Hard stuff, huh? But important to take notice of in our lives...
I think of risks in my own life when I felt the nudge of the Holy Spirit, pushing me beyond my own comfort zone, desires, or wishes... New jobs, new towns, new loves, ways that we step out in faith to help others... God is in all of it!

Where is God leading you today?

Find Your Place

2011-09-26T16:07:00.000-05:00

Another great Sunday service yesterday! The pews were packed, many grandparents brought their little ones, Pastor Penny did a great sermon - as somebody said, "She did a great job 'channeling' Sarah!"

Remember - if you haven't gotten your copy of "The Story" for your household, we still have plenty! We want everyone to be on the "same page" - literally! So be sure to get a book from Megan!

Also, we have several opportunities to be involved and in conversation about our weekly readings - ways to ask questions, express thoughts and ideas, and learn with and through others' experiences:

**Sunday mornings, 9:30am, in the Multi-Purpose Room (formerly the Youth Room) - Andrea Larson leads a discussion about this week's reading.

**Tuesday evenings, 6pm, in the Library - Megan Adams takes you to the "Heart of the Story." This discussion encourages you to find your place in God's grand story.

**Wednesday evenings, 6:30pm, in the Fellowship Hall - Pastor Penny leads a faith conversation into The Story, discussing questions and thoughts on last week's sermon and looking ahead to this week's sermon.

Have another time that would work better for your schedule? Would you like to lead a small group? Just let us know! The more people who find a plce in the conversation, the better!

Sarah's Laughter - Week 3

2011-09-25T13:08:00.000-05:00

"Is anything too hard for the Lord?"

THE STORY – SARAH'S LAUGHTER (Genesis 18)
Reflection by Pastor Penny

I sit here and watch them go

hurry, stop them, wait, lets talk again.....

Or you may wonder if I know where they go and for what purpose. Of course I know – no secrets in this small camp, as I listened at the tent door when the angels came, I heard and saw more than most would ever dream… but I assure you that Abraham takes Isaac to the mountain -- with my agreement, no - with my blessing and agreement.

But let me tell you why I am willing to wait on God, to see what might happen with the "Great Promise Maker."

??? Did I laugh???I'm so wearily sad –

I laughed to keep the bitter tears from coming. We've waited too long to see this promise come true. We had long ago left our family home – all of those who raised us, sat at celebration tables, held our memories of how life had been. We were following the promise of God and waiting…

Month followed disappointing month, and year followed disappointing year, and I saw no promise blooming. Gray hairs came, wrinkles multiplied, some limps as my bones aged. And now a rocking chair – for me, not for a baby.

I know I'm the talk of the camp – poor Sarah, barren Sarah, must be cursed to be so childless. God has left her behind. I watch as others become round and full of life – families multiplied tents overflowing. I touch the little ones soft beautiful skin, smell that baby smell and know the waiting empty tent that mocks me.

??? Did I laugh??? I'm too sensible for this kind of nonsense.

I know how the world works, and it's too late for this kind of promise. I'm too old and so is Abraham. I know what people say: cursed Abraham, no child to call his own – no one but his employee to give his fortune and future promise to.

I'm a woman used to doing serious business, managing the camp and those who live with us. As I sort trouble through, I have the idea that Hagar, my maid, could be the one who carries our child of promise. Don't look shocked – this was a way things were done in our world – it makes lots of sense. Maybe that's what God had in mind all along.

And so I directed Hagar, my maid, to go to Abraham, to be with him and to provide the heir. I convinced Abraham and they conceived the baby I could not. As custom directed when she gave birth I was there to receive the baby into my arms. Our inheritance.

But I soon saw how wrong I had been. Her pride and superior attitude, my jealousy, Abraham's confusion. We lived together in growing bitterness and despair.

??? Did I laugh??? I'm too easily tickled! I have a grand sense of humor. Of course I laughed.

I imagine myself in the obstetrician's office with the other 20 year olds – trading tips on how to stay in shape through those last challenging months.

Or shopping at the "Lady Madonna Maternity Boutique" and as I browse through the dresses, the sales woman asking if I'm looking for something for my granddaughter – or one of the great grands perhaps… "Oh, no – for me, I'm due in the spring!"

Abraham and me attending the Lamaze natural childbirth classes and discussing if a doula would be a good idea.

I laughed because babies are not born on the geriatric ward and they are not paid for by Medicare!

I laughed because this is just plain hilarious. I laughed because according to the angel, God's promise was now in delivery mode.

And so, years later, I sit and watch – watch them go over the horizon. I know what is asked, and although I do not know how it will be answered, I trust in the God who makes the impossible happen.

The God who invites laughter.

The God who gives hope.

The God who gives life.

The God who keeps promises.

The God of the impossible.

And you? What does this story mean for you? No matter who we are, what life stage in which we sit, God has promises for us. Are we listening? How will we live into them? How will we reach for the stars and dreams God holds out to us?

Let us pray and listen together.

Surprises in Casting

2011-09-23T09:34:00.000-05:00

When the Last in Line Gets Chosen for the Team

The casting agent enters the room with her top picks for the show’s leading man and lady. The new serieswill follow the spellbinding story of a clan that builds a powerful, world-impacting family tree. This isthe pilot, and it is crucial to make the right call on the individuals who will fall in love and launch thisKennedy-like family of influence and fame.

Producers and writers alike have waited breathlessly for this moment, the moment when who they haveenvisioned as the leading characters will be finally realized in an actor and actress. But when they turnto see who has been tapped for these most special of roles, the thud of their collective jaws hitting themajestic mahogany conference table muffles their mutual groans.

There before their wide eyes, instead of the expected vibrant, young couple with gleaming white teethand tanned and toned bodies, stand a 75-year-old man and a 65-year-old woman. Not what they hadpictured for their production.

And yet, this is what God has chosen. God's screenplay called for a couple to launch a new nation, onethat would impact the entire world. As God would say, a nation through whom “all the nations of theearth would be blessed” (Genesis 12:1-3).

Abram and Sarai stand there, adorned perhaps by dusty old robes and crowned with wispy white hair andloosely fitting skin and as befuddled as anyone else. God chose them to begin a nation. An unlikely pair,especially after factoring in the fact that Sarai was barren. How could God expect to start a nation with awoman who could not bear children?

To complicate the story line, it will be 25 more years before they actually have their child of promise. Bythat time Abram and Sarai will be 100 years old and 90 years old, respectively (and their names will bechanged to Abraham and Sarah). Perhaps Social Security checks will help this special couple decoratethe baby’s tent and they’ll be able take naps when the baby does. And the rest, as they say, is history. God'sstory.

God picks people you and I wouldn’t necessarily select to take part in his story. In fact sometimes we areshocked who plays the starring roles in his stories. Unlike the way we do business, God taps people, notmerely because of their abilities, but for their availability. God searches for people who are open to beused by him. Since God uses only those who are willing to be used for God's purposes, there is no doubt thatit is God who is doing the the wonder- working. Let there be no doubt, throughout history God is the onemaking things happen.

That’s good news, isn’t it? In the business world, you may not have a great pedigree. In academics, youmay not be a Rhodes Scholar. You may not have a lot of money and you may have average looks. But youmay be sitting in a pretty good position to be a top pick for God’s work.

A Walk with God

2011-09-22T11:05:00.000-05:00

Take a walk outside and notice the beauty of what God has made. Look at the intricacies of a leaf or the expanse of the sky. Thank God for making this amazing world. As you walk, seek to talk to God as though you were two friends walking in a garden. Tell God about your life, feelings, joys, and fears. Ask God to help you learn to walk with God each and every day.

Recap: Chapter One

2011-09-21T16:54:00.000-05:00

Quote of the day: "It says that God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep and he pulled out his brains and made the woman. That's the way my wife's version reads."

Recap of Chapter One:
God created the world with the grand vision of dwelling together with us in the world. It is God's supreme passion to be with YOU.

God gave us freedom of choice. Adam and Eve chose out of the freedom of their will to eat of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, thus ruining God's vision of dwelling together with us.

Sin was deposited permanently into the nature of Adam and Eve, a virus seperating them from God.

God banished Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden and set angels to guard it, in order to keep them from the Tree of Life, which would sustain life forever. Without access to this tree, they would eventually die. We think God is being cruel by letting us die. But it's actually an act of God's grace to keep us from being able to sustain our life forever in a state of sin and hatred (thus seperated from God).

Man's choice resulted in seperation from God, and it broke God's heart. The "rest of the story," the entire Bible, tells us of the relentless pursuit of God and the extent to which God will go in order to get us back.

The flood is God's first attempt to go to great measures to get us back. But it doesn't work because it doesn't deal with our sin. Sin goes into the ark with Noah, and it disembarks with him (Genesis 9, not in The Story).

Application:
YOU are the point of The Story. When God replaced Adam and Eve's fig leaves with garments of skin, God gave us a clue as to how far God would go to fulfill God's supreme desire to restore a relationship with us. Even when we are ashamed and feeling vulnerable, God covers us in order to restore our relationship with God, but covering us requires the shedding of blood. We are invited to soak in the fact that the God of the universe wants to be with us more than anything on earth, literally.

Reflections on God's Love

2011-09-20T16:57:00.000-05:00

Take time this week to meditate on the depth of God's love for human beings. Why would God keep pursuing us even after we have rebelled and rejected God? How can you express thanks for God's seeking love? What can you do to celebrate the good news that God pursues you, even when you are not embracing God's will and desire for you?

Welcome!!!

2011-09-19T16:18:00.000-05:00

Wow! Yesterday was a day full of blessings and new life! We welcomed our new members from First United Methodist Church of South St Paul - and what a celebration it was!

We hung the banners that were a gift from First UMC - a reminder of their beautiful stained glass windows, and of their long and amazing history.

We made room - moving over in our seats (179 of us filled the pews!), parking on the street, sharing a smile and a "welcome." We introduced ourselves and made new friends.

We all began our journey through "The Story" together with our new books!

(Thanks to our Memorial gifts, each family, each teen, and each 3rd-6th grader will receive a copy of "The Story" as a gift from our church. Praises to God for the ability to do such a thing!)

We all recited the new member vows together - as we became one congregation, on this special day.

And of course... we celebrated with cake!

A spectacular way to kick off our new year of ministry!

Great Beginnings - Week 2

2011-09-18T16:05:00.000-05:00

THE STORY - Great Beginnings (Genesis 1-8)
Reflection by Pastor Penny

"1 How well God must like you – you don't hang out at Sin Saloon, you don't slink along Dead-End Road, you don't go to Smart-Mouth College. 2 Instead you thrill to God's Word, you chew on Scripture day and night. 3 You're a tree replanted in Eden, bearing fresh fruit every month, Never dropping a leaf, always in blossom."
--Psalm 1, The Message

There are so many ways that the Bible invites us into the story of our lives. The scripture says it helps us to know how to live by guiding us into the right paths. Wonder how we started out? Just open to Genesis and begin to read.

We begin as the beloved friends of God. The Bible holds our story in ways that let us know how deeply we are loved, how we make dangerous choices, and how God reacts to our disobedience. One of my favorite ways to tell this story is from: YHWH is not a Radio Station in Minneapolis, by Craig McNair Wilson*. (I neglected to give him credit in the sermon.) Here’s my adaptation of his version:

God created the world in wonderful ways – speaking into shape all we see as lovely: sun, moon, stars, mountains, seas, maples-changing-color, ferns, and Star Gazer Lilies. There were underground utilities, snow never fell on the sidewalks and the pets were incredible (as you can imagine!). On day 6, things are not just ‘good’ but “very good.” As God breathed life into Adam and Eve, created in God’s image, God told them to be creative, make a family, and manage the wonderful place - But to stay out of the Banana Grove. It wasn’t that there was anything wrong with bananas – God just wanted to see if they would obey or decide for themselves what was good.

One late morning, as Eve was playing with the pandas, she heard a voice; it turned out to be a banana salesman who said: “You got any bananas?” She replied, “God told us not to touch the banana tree. How about a pomegranate, or some granola?”

“Nope,” he insisted, “I’m a banana man myself, I’m not myself unless I have some every day. I used to be God’s number one man, till I got as smart as God and got kicked out of the organization.”

Eve replied, “Well, God said…”

“Ha!” hooted the Banana Salesman. “God just wants to keep you away from the neighbors’ garden—it’s greener than Eden. And God knows that if you eat the bananas you’ll be as smart as God is.”

And so, because it was long past lunch, because the bananas were right there, and because she was curious about those neighbors, Eve reached out and helped herself. Yum! She picked a huge bunch of ripe yellow bananas and took them home to Adam. Pealed one for him, smiled and handed it over. Big Banana Party – pealing, eating, till they heard God’s voice.

They began to run, knowing how sad God would be. But as they tried to make a quick escape they tripped and fell in all the banana peels. That’s where God found them.

Today we are still slipping because we want to be as smart as God. That’s where God has found us – slipping and falling in the banana peels of our disobedience, laziness, anger, selfishness, stinginess, etc.

It’s very important for us to know just how God acts when God’s friends – we -- walk away from the friendship. We have God’s reaction to the disobedience in Genesis 3:20-24; it’s The Story, page 6, bottom paragraph. There are a number of amazing things God does in response to the disobedience of Adam and Eve. Yes, they receive consequences but God also acts in strong ways to protect them.

First, (my very favorite), is that God makes clothes for them. God doesn’t dump them out in the cold without protection, but we get the picture of something handmade by the master craftsman—a gift from someone who knows them inside and out.

Second, they are taken from the garden. How’s that good? It’s away from the place of even more temptation and eternal trouble. As they would have had the chance then to touch the other forbidden tree, the Tree of Life. To have lived forever in their disobedient way, would have been even farther than God’s best for them.

Third, there’s a guard to keep things the way God knows they should be. An angel, with a flaming sword, is placed in front of the garden gate, just in case the temptation to return is too strong. It’s another way they are kept in a safe place by God.

As we all read The Story I’m glad we’ve had a chance to bless the experience together and begin to draw on this great resource for our future together as a new congregation. We are accepting God’s great invitation to learn and to grow together.

__________________________________

What’s next??? We get a little glimpse in The Story page 12, “God promised the impossible to Abram, and Abram watched as the impossible occurred.” Next week, first person narrative: “Sarah’s Laughter”

This Week’s Aside
What about the things I don’t agree with or wonder about? I’m sure we could all find a reason to stop reading. There’ll be ‘too something’ for all of us.

Timeline: Look at the timelines as suggestions, although the later ones are certainly close to dates when things probably happened. The Story says these are approximate.

Gender Language: I’d like to re-write the whole book to make the language stop reflecting God as having gender. Methodist churches use either NRSV or The Message – both of which are translated, paraphrased, to give us accurate understandings of God as being above gender. Male and female are created in God’s image, so please try to tune out the male pronouns.

*Resource: YHWH Is Not A Radio Station in Minneapolis: And Other Things Everyone Should Know. Craig McNair Wilson. 1983

A Sneak Peek at Chapter One...

2011-09-16T11:56:00.007-05:00

God’s Great Passion is to Be With You

Some movies start at warp speed. Case in point: Star Trek. From the opening scene to the end it barely
lets you breathe. If you slipped out for popcorn you were sure to miss something important.

Some think that the way to maximize the movie-going experience is to be in your seat at least 20
minutes early. Never done that? Then next time you go to a movie look around and spot the person that is in the prime seat—dead middle, eye level with the center of the screen. That’s what 20 minutes early gets you. Popcorn and drink in hand, nothing will move this person from their secured spot for the duration of the movie.

That’s where you need to be for God’s story. Its opening scene also starts with a relentless pace that
doesn’t let up. The first line reads, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth”
(Genesis 1:1).

Right off the bat we find the main character in the story is not you or me. It’s God. And the rest of
The Story will unfold out of the nature and person of this character. Just ten words in and there is enough action to leave you breathless.

It doesn’t take long to find out what God’s great passion is. Birds? Nope. Animals? Not quite. Sun, moon or stars? Bright guess. No, in Genesis 3:8 we find that God is walking in the Garden with Adam and Eve in the “cool of the day.” Sounds nice if you are in a hot, humid climate, doesn’t it? And yet the “cool of the day” is not the focus.

God is, and he is near. He is right with Adam and Eve. And he is right here with us. His simple vision for his creation was to spend time with them every day, to take a walk with them. God’s supreme passion is to be with us.

Some of you have lived your life with the idea that God is some angry cosmic kill-joy who sits in the
heavens and watches you, waiting for you to make a mistake so he can zap you. Or, you feel he is distant and doesn’t care or has simply forgotten you.

But from the beginning he has shown us this is not the case. He wants to be with you. He has not
forgotten you. In fact, this might be the perfect time for you to go for a walk.

Writing Your Chapter Into The Story of Life

2011-09-14T11:45:00.001-05:00

If you think Genesis is just a band from the ‘80’s . . .
If you think it was Dr. Dolittle who took two of each animal into a big boat . . .
If you think an epistle is a woman married to an apostle . . .

. . . you may need to know more of The Story.

You may be a bit intimidated by the Bible. You’re not alone; many people are. And no wonder, its pages mention odd names like Jehoshaphat and Nebuchadnezzar. It contains accounts from places you probably never heard of, like Sinai and Samaria. And it seems to be made up of a lot of different, seemingly unrelated stories. But it really is one big, exciting story.

You can see it easily if you open your Bible to the beginning and then flip all the way to the end.
The first words found in Genesis 1:1 read: “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.”
Then, if you turn all the way to the back of the book, Revelation 21:1, you find, “Then I saw a new
heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away . . .”

In the beginning God is creating the heavens and the earth. At the end he is creating a new heaven and
a new earth. So the big question is this: “What on earth happened between the beginning and the end of the Bible?”

If you can answer that question you will have uncovered the one seamless story of God.

Why not read God’s story with your family this year? Studies indicate if the extent of your child’s exposure to things of the faith is a only weekly visit to church or Sunday School, the likelihood is very great that when she graduates and leaves home her relationship with the Lord will turn cold.

However, if you as a parent engage your children in the experience of reading and discussing the Bible, chances go up astronomically that they will remain strong in their faith after leaving home. You don’t have to be an expert or have all the answers. You just have to be willing to experience it with them.

Get involved in The Story of God. It will forever transform your life and your family’s life. Every day God is seeking to guide you, forming sentences that flow into paragraphs that over time write the chapter of your life––a life committed to knowing him better.

Will you choose today to take your life chapter and make it a part of the Big Story of what God is
doing on earth?

Taken from "The Story" resources, Zondervan 2010

A Great Start to the Year!

2011-09-12T14:59:00.000-05:00

Rally Sunday was yesterday - one of my favorite Sundays of the year!

Our kids come back from summer vacations, our adults become more involved once again, our schedule is back on track, everyone's telling stories from their summer... It's new beginnings and celebrations - just the way we like it!

And this year, we had 155 in worship - a new Rally Sunday record!

As many of you already know, we are also widening our church family this coming week as we welcome the members from First United Methodist of South St Paul! This Sunday will be their first official worshipping with us as we all become ONE NEW CHURCH. Fabulous!

So, just a reminder, with so many new bodies in the building...
* Be sure to leave parking spaces for our newcomers (Mike and I, and Pastor Penny and Eric will be parking on the street).
* Scootch over in the pew - and get to know your neighbor!
* Be sure to grab your nametag and introduce yourself (feel free to use Pastor Penny's favorite phrase, "I don't believe we've met, my name is...").
* Invite new friends to classes or groups, to fellowship or out to lunch!
* Smile! God is blessing this church in amazing ways!

And remember, this Sunday we begin our journey into "The Story" as well - be sure to come and get your book!

The Story - God's and Our's

2011-09-11T21:41:00.003-05:00

“Every part of Scripture is God-breathed and useful one way or another –showing us truth, exposing our rebellion, correcting our mistakes,
training us to live God’s way.”
--2 Timothy 3:16, 17, The Message

“THE STORY -- GOD’S AND OUR'S”
Sunday Reflections by Pastor Penny

Church Signs:
(under a huge snow pile) “Whoever’s praying for snow: Please Stop!”
“Google Doesn’t Have All the Answers”
“The Bible is For Everyone to Read: Tech Support Provided here 10:30 Sundays”

That’s us! We are Tech Support for the Bible. I’m so excited – one of my very favorite ways to know about Jesus’ love for us is to listen to the stories in the scriptures. Maybe you’re like me, I have old Bibles, new bibles, I’ve got one in French and a few in the most modern English; some are easier to understand than others.

The point of the gift of the Bible to each of us is to know and to understand the story, and to follow it to deeper life, more joyful and more hopeful, more the life God wants to give us. Which is why we are going to spend this year following "The Story," a chronological telling of a condensed version of the story of God and God’s people. We’ll go from Genesis through Revelation and there will be lots of Tech Support!

Maybe we think only Seminary grads really ‘get’ the story. But I found that even in Seminary there were lots of things I didn’t find out. I always seem to want to know the rest of the story, the footnotes, the Google answers – I call it the ‘behind the page’ details. I understand better now that the Bible is not about sifting through details or getting an A on a test. I see the Bible as God’s love letter to us – it sure sounds different when read that way!

Who’s story is it?
#1) God’s story – referred to in our book "The Story," as the “upper story.” This is the stream of action that helps us to understand how God loves us, who Jesus is, how The Holy Spirit helps and guides.
#2) It’s also our story, for each of us is in this adventure, and is called the “lower story.” This is where we find ourselves and others like us who struggle with anger, loneliness, and rejoice in surprise and grace.

One key to understanding is to know that this is a faith book – not science book, not history book, not cookbook. We look here for truth about God and about ourselves. The Bible describes itself as “God-breathed.” So we have in our hands just what we need to be helped in our lives. You might ask:
1) What about the parts I don’t understand? There are always those, just look for what The Spirit of God wants to show you, to point out, to have you see or remember.
2) What about the parts I don’t believe? Reading the Bible isn’t a loyalty test; it’s an invitation to possibility.
3) Aren’t I just going to find boring rules to ruin my fun? I’ve been really helped by coming
to understand that the boundaries God sets are to guide us into the best life.

Any conversation about faith comes down to the: So what? What do I do now? If the Bible is a guide for my life – how do I get guided? If it’s a hope for the journey, how do I see that hope and feel helped? There is one key ingredient that each of us need to bring to this journey for it to do much good. Time. In many ways, time is the element most precious in our lives.

And what does all this have to do with St. Paul UMC’s new congregation – our merged faith community? I see us as having a deep need for a huge dollop of “Hope-for-the-Merger” in our transition time. Here’s one of my struggles for hope.

As an Arizona girl, I’m used to seeing green year round. Those of you not native desert people don’t realize that if you live with a family of gardeners – my grandmother and my mother -- your world would always be green, front and back yards: 5 grapefruit trees, dozens of amazing Queen Elizabeth rose bushes, walls of flowering jasmine, ranunculus, pansies, Etc!

Imagine my challenge coming here, a new bride with the hope of her own garden. We came in June, and it did look very green. But there is that long, long time of white, frozen waiting. One of our neighbors, a Minnesota gardener, took me under her wing. Carol shared plants, showed me how to work the rich earth and was a great encourager in such a new, unknown place.

So now, after many years as a gardener in this solidly, stubbornly zone 4 MN, I still wonder if ‘it’ will work. With hope, I’ll go spend my gift card at Bachman’s and buy the generous amount of bulbs it will cover. I’ll get Eric to help dig the holes 12” deep. I’ll stir in Bone Meal, a generous Tablespoon per bulb, and then arrange all those unappealing looking bulbs; some you can’t even be sure you’ve got their heads up. Finally, I’ll dump all the dirt back in and water. And wait.

The hardest part of that wait is in the middle of the winter. I’ll look out my living room windows and give a long steady gaze out onto the –20 degrees. I’ll wonder that anything good could possibly happen. It seems impossible! In February, late February, I’ll go see if there is the smallest, tiniest, tip of green. Maybe it could be my favorite: Estella Rijnveld – a parrot tulip, fringed petals with wild red/pink splashed on white. They won’t bloom till May, there’s plenty of time to wait and trust.

So much of our lives are like this. We are in a waiting time.
We don’t see bloom right away.
We plant things that don’t look like they have much potential.
We don’t want to wait.
We wonder if the wait could possibly be worth it.

The Story is God’s and Our's, in it we can come to understand how we are loved and surrounded by God’s best intentions for us, as we are “trained to live God’s way.”

Easter Baskets

2011-04-13T20:03:00.000-05:00

Our last Wednesday evening Lenten dinner and service project was tonight - and with a crowd of helpers!

We enjoyed one last spectacular dinner, provided by the Baker family...

We assembled Easter baskets for the kids at Lewis House...

(This is only half the baskets! We had so many donations of items, we were able to do another 15 baskets! We had 37 people stop in for dinner and the project... So baskets will be delivered to the Eagan Lewis House AND the Hastings Lewis House!)

And we laughed, and talked, and prayed for the blessings in our life - and the many ways we can share those blessings with others!

Lent has been a time of sharing "God's love in a practical way" this year - through all our small actions, we hope others will know that they are loved, by us and God.

Thanks for all your help, St. Paul's!

In the News!

2011-04-12T12:34:00.001-05:00

Spring-Cleaning Redux: Unload Extra Stuff with Mendota Heights-Area Charities, Sales and Sites
Part two of this three-part series tackles what to do with your unwanted items after spring cleaning.

This series is meant to psych you up, spur some action and help you come to terms with your new, clean space.

Once you’ve gained the motivation to part with your items, you have to decide what exactly it is that you’d like to do with them.

The Money Hungry:

If you’re feeling the need to get paid for your efforts (or just need some money to buy new stuff) you can choose to get rid of individual or lot items on Craigslist, eBay or Amazon. While it’s free to post items on Craiglist, there are fees for selling items on eBay and Amazon. However, for antiques or big-ticket items, a posting on those sites is likely to yield a larger audience.

If you’re in need of a major purge, holding a garage or yard sale can be just the ticket. According to a survey of over 3,000 people conducted by yardsalesearch.com, over 75 percent of people walk away with more than $100 after from their sales.

Nancy Kane, of Mendota Heights, is more experienced in secondhand sales than most. She’s been in charge of the twice-yearly rummage sale for St. Paul’s Methodist Church for 30 years. According to Kane, the best-selling items at their sales are vases, dishes, books, children’s toys and items that look like they might be antique (for the treasure hunters among us). At the spring rummage sale last weekend, the line of people ready to purchase stretched around the building before the doors had even opened.

The most successful garage sales all have traits in common. They’re held during prime season: April through September. At the St. Paul’s Methodist Church rummage sale, Kane guessed that the good turnout was impacted by the early date. Right now shoppers are still excited at the prospect of secondhand goodies, whereas in the fall, folks can get a little garage sale-weary after seeing the orange signs all spring and summer. Garage sales should start early in the day, beginning at six or seven in the morning. Afternoon sales should be accompanied by “everything must go!” discounts. Finally, all successful sales are preceded by successful advertising. Craiglist, yardsalesearch.com and your local Patch event calendar are all easy places to reach your target audience.

The Karma Hungry:

If you’re not concerned with the potential financial capital from your spring cleaning, perhaps you’d benefit from the good karma acquired from donating your items to those in need.

“If it’s just sitting and not being used, someone could use it. Think about it that way. Especially in our society with the number of people who don’t have jobs, there are a lot of people in need,” said Kane.

Items can be dropped off at local charities, such as Neighbors, Inc. in South St. Paul. Other charities, such as the Courage Center, Epilepsy Foundation of Minnesota and The Salvation Army can arrange for curbside pickup of your donated items, saving you energy and time.

Freecycle allows you to post individual items for people nearby to claim and pick up. You aren’t allowed to put a price tag on these items, but can easily find an appreciative new owner for old things.*

The Leftovers:

Items that no longer work, are not worth donating or are just trash must be disposed of. As you sort out which items should be thrown, recycled or brought to the Dakota County Recycling Zone in Eagan, Environmental Specialist Renee Burman has a couple of recommendations to ensure that you’re properly chucking your unwanted items. “For those people not sure what belongs in the trash and what can be recycled or reused, the county offers a great online resource—the Recycling and Disposal Guide. It’s easy to find—just go to the Dakota County website, and search Recycling and Disposal Guide.

For those without access to the internet, they can call their city or Dakota County at 952-891-7000 with their recycling questions, according to Burman.

*The original version of this story included The Twin Cities Free Market as a resource, however, residents from Dakota County may not post items on this site.

This article is courtesy of http://www.mendotaheights.patch.com/, and author Nix Wurdak

Lenten Wednesdays

2011-04-07T12:18:00.001-05:00

We are having such a fun Lent at St. Paul's Church showing God's love to others in practical ways!

Our first Lenten Wednesday, we assembled and packaged 300 sandwiches to take to Simpson Homeless Shelter - a lunch for their clients to take with them for their day.

Our second Wednesday was snowed out...

Our third, we made 62 care packages for the teachers of Garlough School (a local magnet school that is known to have more needs than some of the other nearby schools). We thought with all that is going on in politics, government, and the media - these teachers needed to be reminded of how much we appreciate what they do!

And last night our Lenten service project was filling gift bags with the things that make for a good birthday party: balloons, cake mix, frosting, candles, plates, invitations, banners, noisemakers, a card, and Target gift cards!

We filled over 20 bags and will be donating them to Emma's Place (Emma's place offers permanent, affordable housing for homeless, low-income families. It has thirteen three- and four-bedroom townhomes for single parents with three or more children.) for kids who may not get a birthday party otherwise...

We had 30 people come share dinner, a devotional, and put together the bags - and all with laughter and joy at being together and sharing our blessings with others.

What a great way to end a busy day!

"Feed My Sheep"

2011-04-05T15:17:00.000-05:00

March was Minnesota Food Share Month - a month organized by the Greater Minneapolis Council of Churches. It is an opportunity to be more than generous, as every pound of food we contribute and every dollar we offer is multiplied by the generous contributions of Minnesota corporations.

It is our chance to be part of a miracle, much like the 5 loaves and 2 fish that was multiplied to feed thousands! It is a chance to "feed God's sheep."

Jesus says, "I was hungry and you fed me." To which someone asked when had they ever seen him hungry? He answered, "Whenever you feed the hungry, you are feeding me."

Jesus is hungry in Minnesota today, tomorrow, and into the foreseeable future. Please be as generous as you can be, so those in whom Jesus lives and those whom Jesus loves can have something to eat.

Miracles can happen. A spirit of generosity can grow. There is enough for all of us, if we have faith.

Minnesota Food Share month has come and gone - and our church donated 222 lbs of food! Let's keep the generosity flowing - today, tomorrow, and always!

Most of this article was quoted from "A Note from Grant" in the March edition of "Faith Works," published by the St. Paul Area Council of Churches.

Israel Trip - Day Nine - Extra

2011-03-25T11:38:00.001-05:00

Dear family and friends...

This evening after dinner, we met together as a group for the last time. Penny talked about using our senses as we worship...and asked us for ideas to make the space we were in feel more sacred to us.

We rearranged the chairs in a circle, found a table to put in the center, covered the table with a shawl someone had bought, and lit a candle in the center. Someone placed a Bible on the table, and tangerines and an orange.

Then Penny asked us to tell something that made us feel Jesus in our midst on this trip...Communion on the Sea of Galilee and in the Garden, singing with people from many places at St. Anne's, walking in the places Jesus and his Disciples walked, praying in holy places, meeting the people of this country, and learning to care about them.... Many of us had tears in our eyes. We aren't the same people we were before we came here....we've been changed.

We sang "Let Us Break Bread Together," shared Communion one last time and sang "Amazing Grace."

Some of us are leaving early in the morning....some WERE going on to Egypt, but couldn't,and their plane leaves for home Saturday afternoon.

Our group started out as several groups: some of us from St. Paul's UMC, some from Lac Qui Parle Lutheran Church in Dawson, Minnesota, and several people who worshipped in Christian churches where Terry was pastor. In 10 days we've come to really care about each other, and it's sad to say goodbye. We hugged, got a group picture, and cried a little more, too. It's been an amazing journey...VERY emotional and spiritually filling.

Love,
Dawn and Chuck

Israel Trip - Day Nine

2011-03-25T11:32:00.013-05:00

Dear family and friends~

After breakfast, Eric and Penny asked us if we wanted to go for a walk with them in the Armenian Quarter. When we walked out to the street, there was a marathon going on! The first picture is of some of the runners, with Israeli soldiers near the barrier.

That was the direction we wanted to go, but we couldn't. So we walked down David Street and wandered around for awhile.

We ended up near St. Mark's Convent, site of The Upper Room and The House of Mark. The second picture is of the sign near the door.

The third picture is of the door and decoration.

Everywhere we look in this city we see ANCIENT places. It is amazing!

A brief history of Jerusalem, from one of our tour leaders: During its long history, Jerusalem has been destroyed twice, besieged 23 times, attacked 52 times, and captured and recaptured 44 times. The oldest part of the city was settled sometime around 4000 BCE, making Jerusalem on of the oldest cities in the world.

Love,
Dawn and Chuck

Israel Trip - Day Eight

2011-03-24T09:21:00.000-05:00

Dear family and friends~

Another early start today, from the Gloria Hotel.

After breakfast, we walked through the narrow streets of Jerusalem to the Western Wall...a very holy place for Jews. Prayers are offered silently, out loud, or written on slips of paper and placed in the cracks of the Wall. The left side of the Wall is for men only...women pray on the right, and there is a divider between the two sides.

The Wall was where Chuck had a mission to complete. His good friend, Tom, is Jewish. Chuck asked if he could bring Tom's yarmulke (skullcap) with him on this trip. Tom said he would be honored. Chuck said it was he who would be honored. So we brought his yarmulke and his prayer. Chuck bought a beautiful prayer shawl for Tom. Today he put on the yarmulke and shawl, and placed Tom's prayer....and his own prayer...in the wall. The picture is of Chuck at the Wall.

I placed my prayer in the Wall, too. It was an emotional experience for both of us.

We went next to the Dome of the Rock, which was the site of the original Temple of Jerusalem. It is now a Muslim holy place, and the building is not open to tourists...only the area surrounding it.

We went to the Church of St. Anne...mother of Mary...and grandmother of Jesus. The church was full of people, and they were all singing together. When one song ended, someone else started another. Someone in our group started singing “Amazing Grace”, and everyone joined in. It was beautiful.

Right next to the church is the Pool of Bethesda, where Jesus met the man who was unable to walk. The man said “I have no one to help me into the healing waters of the pool.” Jesus told him, “Take up your mat, and walk.” He was healed.

We continued on to the Via Dolorosa (the way of suffering). There are 14 stations along the way...each showing part of Christ's suffering and death. The last stations are in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre (also called the Church of the Resurrection). The site is venerated as Golgotha (the Hill of Calvary), where Jesus was crucified, and is said to also contain the place where Jesus was buried (the sepulchre). The church has been an important Christian pilgrimage destination since at least the 4th century, as the purported site of the resurrection of Jesus. The second picture was taken inside the sepulchre.

We headed to Papa Andreas' restaurant for lunch, and said goodbye to our guide, Tony. He has taught us SO much, and we're all sad to say goodbye. The good news is that he may be in Minnesota in 2012, so we'll get to see him again. Now we have two people we care about personally in Israel...Tony and Ihab. We pray that they, and their families, will always be safe.

Love,
Chuck and Dawn

Israel Trip - Day Seven

2011-03-23T09:10:00.001-05:00

Dear family and friends~

First of all, we're all fine. You may have heard that there was an explosion in Jerusalem. It was near the main bus station, just outside the Damascas Gate of the Old City. We didn't hear the explosion, but we heard the sirens.

We are staying near the Jaffa Gate, in the Christian Quarter of the Old City.

We started our day at Kibbutz Almog. After breakfast, we got on the bus and drove to Jerusalem. We started our tour at the Mount of Olives. The first picture is of an ancient olive tree at the Mount of Olives.

It's such an amazing feeling to be in the places we've read about in the Bible...the Mount of Olives, the Garden of Gethsemane, Jerusalem. The hills are steep, the paths narrow, and there are so many people doing the same thing as we are...walking in the footsteps of Jesus.

We shared Communion in the garden. Terry read from the Bible, then said a prayer. At the end of the prayer, each of us spoke the name of someone in need of prayer. It was a very emotional experience, and many of us left with tears in our eyes.

We continued toward Old Jerusalem, and saw the Holy Steps. These steps have been here since Jesus' time, and it is said that Jesus walked there.

We entered the Old City through Jaffa Gate. After checking in to our hotel, the Gloria, we went on a walking tour of parts of the city. We met Tony's (our guide) father-in-law in his tailor shop on St. Mark Street. He told us about himself, then spoke The Lord's Prayer in Aramaic...Jesus' language.

It's been an intense day. We're all tired. It rained this morning, and was a little chilly. The sun is shining again. Tomorrow: more parts of the Old City of Jerusalem.

Love,
Dawn and Chuck

Israel Trip - Day Six

2011-03-22T12:32:00.001-05:00

Dear friends and family~

We've had a full day. Up early, breakfast, then on the bus to Masada...one of Herod's fortresses.

We took a cable car to the top, and toured the partially restored fortress. The view is magnificent. Masada is also the place where a group of Jews died rather than allow themselves to be enslaved by the Romans. The first picture is us with Israeli soldiers.

Our next stop was Qumran...the place where shepherd boys found the scrolls...books of the Bible...now called the Dead Sea Scrolls. The second picture is Cave 4, where many of the scrolls were found.

We floated in the Dead Sea, and now we are at Kibbutz Almog for the night. The third picture is of floating in the Dead Sea.

Tomorrow...Jerusalem.

Love,
Dawn and Chuck

Israel Trip - Day Five

2011-03-21T14:17:00.001-05:00

Dear family and friends,

This morning we met for a discussion with Rev. Dr. Mitri Raheb, pastor of Christmas Evangelical Lutheran Church, and Executive Director of the ICB, of Bethlehem. (He was born right across the street from where Jesus was born, and his family has been in Bethlehem for a long time.)

We also toured Dar Al Kalima school and wellness center. It is a place for Palestinians in Bethlehem, Christians and Muslims, to go for physical and mental wellness. They've recently started a program for girls' sports, and have an excellent girls' soccer team.

After lunch, we saw the wall that separates the West Bank from Israel. We traveled through the checkpoint to Jerusalem, and visited the Shrine of the Book, the Jerusalem Model, and Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial.

The Shrine of the Book was built to hold the Dead Sea Scrolls. The scrolls are written in Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek, and generally date between 150 BCE and 70 CE. Tomorrow we go to Qumran, where the scrolls were found.

The Model of Jerusalem is a 1:50 scale model of the city of Jerusalem as it appeared during Jesus' time. The first picture is of the Model.

Our final stop was Yad Vashem...Israel's official memorial to the Jewish victims of the Holocaust and was established in 1953. The origin of the name is from Isaiah 56: “And to them will I give in my house and within my walls a memorial and a name (Yad Vashem)...that shall not be cut off.” It was a moving, and very powerful memorial. Very sad... There is also a memorial to the children who died in the Holocaust. Inside the names of the children are read. There are five candles lit, but many mirrors make it look like many candles.

The second picture is of a young man in our group from St. Paul's UMC...with some of the young Israeli soldiers.

Tomorrow...the Dead Sea.

Love,

Dawn and Chuck

Israel Trip - Day Four

2011-03-20T14:12:00.012-05:00

Dear family and friends~

After breakfast, we went to the International Center of Bethlehem, for a tour and discussion led by Hussam, a Christian employee of the center. He told us what life is like living in the West Bank. He has lived in Bethlehem all his life (28 years).

The ICB is attached to the Christmas Evangelical Lutheran Church. The pastor, Mitri Raheb, is the executive director of the center. Following Sam's message to us, we went to worship at pastor Mitri's church. The first picture is of the ceiling in that church. In Arabic calligraphy it says “Glory to God in the highest, peace on earth, good will to men.”

The service was fascinating! The service was done in Arabic for the most part. We were given a bulletin in English, and some of the songs sounded familiar, but we were lost some of the time. There was a Japanese American United Methodist group from California. Several in their group, including their pastor, spoke in English...telling about the pain in their hearts for the people of Japan. They also sang “What a friend we have in Jesus” in Japanese. Between verses, pastor Mitri read letters from their sister church in Japan. It was very touching.

After lunch, we walked through narrow streets of the Old City of Bethlehem to Manger Square and the Church of the Nativity. (The lines were long, so we left and went back later.) We went to Herodium, where an archaeological dig is uncovering Herod's home on top of a man made mountain. The view was really something...you could see for miles.

Then we went to Shepherd's Field in Beit Sahour, near Bethlehem. We sang together in the chapel there. The second picture shows a painting in that small chapel.

Then we went to a cave where the shepherds may have sought shelter in their daily lives. We returned to the Church of the Nativity, and saw and touched the Bethlehem Star. The third picture is of the Bethlehem Star which marks the place where Jesus was born.

We've had a long day, but it's been so interesting and meaningful. The three groups that make up our tour group are really starting to meld.

Love,
Dawn and Chuck

Israel Trip - Day Three

2011-03-19T14:06:00.001-05:00

Dear family and friends~

We've had quite a day! After another delicious breakfast at St. Margaret's Guest House, we rounded up our luggage and got on the bus.

Our first stop this morning was the Greek Orthodox Church and Mary's Well, where the angel Gabriel told Mary about her pregnancy. There was a service going on. It was so interesting to watch and listen. Mary's Well is down some stairs inside the church.

We then rode down through the Jordan Valley, and inside the West Bank (through a checkpoint) to ancient Jericho to see the tel of the oldest city ever discovered. There were archaeologists working when we were there. (A tel is man-made hill.)

We traveled on through the Judean desert to Bethlehem. This evening we ate dinner at Il-Illiyeh Restaurant at the International Center of Bethlehem (ICB). Tonight we stay in Bethlehem, at the Grand Hotel.

There is a small percentage of the population who is Christian in Bethlehem. Most of the others are Muslim. Tomorrow we'll go to Christmas Evangelical Lutheran Church.

The pictures are of Ihab, our driver (you can see Pastor Penny sitting in the bus) and Tony, our guide.

Ihab is an AMAZING driver! We have a 60 foot bus, and the streets in the cities are narrow and twisting! Tony really knows the Bible. He quotes scripture from memory, and tells us Bible stories that allows us to relate to where we are.

Love, Dawn and Chuck

Israel Trip - Day Two

2011-03-18T13:58:00.001-05:00

Dear family and friends~

We got up at about 6:00 am, freshened up, and had a breakfast of pita bread, slices of turkey, tomatoes and cucumbers, and a warm hard-boiled egg.

The first picture is the view from St. Margaret's Guesthouse terrace. You can see the city of Nazareth.

We were on the bus by 8:00.
Today we toured the Galilee region. We drove through Cana (where Jesus changed water into wine), then on to the Sea of Galilee. We went to the Church of the Beatitudes, in the area where Jesus preached: "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth".... We walked down a path toward the lake, where Jesus may have walked, to the Chapel of the Primacy of Peter. What an amazing feeling to think that Jesus was RIGHT there.

We traveled by bus to a kibbutz*, where we got on the Jesus Boat and sailed out into the Galilee. Our guide Tony explained the importance of that lake in Jesus time, and everything that Jesus did there. When we were out in the middle of the lake, they stopped the boat and we had Communion. It was a powerful, and very emotional experience.

We had lunch at the kibbutz*. Our last stop of the day was Capernaum. There have been archaelogical digs which have exposed homes from Christ's time. We saw Peter's home, where Jesus healed Peter's mother-in-law and others. The second picture is of one of the excavations, with Peter's home (beneath the church) in the background.

There is a beautiful Catholic Chapel built over Peter's home. The center of the chapel is open to the view of Peter's home below. There is a synagogue very near, too. The foundation stones are the same ones there during Jesus' time.

Tonight dinner at 6:30, then time to be together with the group. Tomorrow: Bethlehem.

Love,
Dawn and Chuck

*Kibbutz - A collective farm or settlement in modern Israel.

Israel Trip - Day One

2011-03-17T13:53:00.001-05:00

We have a group of 15 people from our church, currently traveling in Israel! Our Pastor Penny, her husband Eric, and their dear friends, Terry and MaryLou are leading the trip through the Holy Land.

Here's our chance to keep up with what they're up to! One of our beloved church couples is sending daily updates. I'll post those updates here so we can follow along!

We made it!

After a VERY long flight from New York to Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv, Israel, we landed at 1:30pm Israel time. We boarded our bus with Tony (our guide) and Ihab (our driver). We drove to Caesarea, and saw ancient Roman Aqueducts near there.

Tonight we are staying in Nazareth. We're all very tired. We had a wonderful dinner here tonight: homemade chicken noodle soup, hummus with various salads, chicken and potatoes, and sweet tangerines for dessert. Time for a shower and some sleep.

Love,
Dawn and Chuck

God's $15

2010-12-28T12:55:00.002-06:00

God’s $15 - Mari's Story

Knowing that I tend to over-think and over-analyze most everything I do, I decided to act, impulsively if necessary, in putting my $5 of God’s money to work. Nevertheless, as fine opportunities presented themselves, I found myself in the midst of contingency planning during the past few weeks, over-planning my responses to each.

Shortly after being given the $5, the on-line “Give to the Max Day”celebration of GiveMN.org occurred in support of the many nonprofit organizations in Minnesota. So, I donated my usual year-end contribution plus 50% more plus an additional $5 of God’s money to one of my favorite charities. Donations given above usual contributions were matched, so that incentive, in addition to the worthy work of the organization, provided an easy basis for giving. I called this opportunity Plan A because it felt great to double the $5 for a good cause... But there was an aspect of passivity to the giving. I was satisfied with Plan A, but decided to be watchful for a Plan B opportunity.

Plan B presented itself when a friend, who is a special education teacher, told me of her plan for some of her senior students. To help celebrate and remember their senior year, she was starting a scrapbook project with them. Supplies were needed. So, I happily donated $5 to the cause. Plan B was just as satisfying, if not more, as Plan A. Still, I decided to be watchful for a Plan C opportunity because, although I’m willing to help friends when needed, it was her idea. (I told you I tend to over-analyze most everything.)

I began to wonder if a Plan C would present itself (and how much in $5 opportunities this project was going to cost me) - when it occurred in the most unlikely of circumstances.

The buzzer rang at the outside door to my work office area on a Friday afternoon at about 5:00 pm. I’m rarely in the office at that time, but I was finishing work from an all-day board meeting and preparing work for another board meeting scheduled for the next day. Tired, weary, working by myself in the large building, and not expecting anyone, I toyed with the idea of not answering the buzzer. After some thought, I did respond and a woman identifying herself as Evangelist Bettie requested time to discuss her very important version of God’s work. Now, I really wanted to send her away – I was tired after a long week and in no mood to talk with anyone.

For some reason, I let her in. She rushed past me to place a manilla folder on the office counter, and then handed me a simply-made flyer from the folder (which contained, I noticed, a few dollar bills mixed with the flyers). She breathlessly began her spiel of how her church organization of 25 people in Brooklyn Center is collecting money for holiday fruit baskets for a growing list of people in need – more than they could handle.

I was totally puzzled by her request, because solicitors are rare at the office - especially since my office is in St. Paul (not even close to Brooklyn Center) in a nondescript office building on a secondary street... I queried her about making cold calls and going from office to office to solicit funds and found myself admonishing her about being inefficient in her fundraising efforts. (Remember, I was tired.)

She responded by saying that she gets in her car and the Lord takes her to whoever might have $5 to spare. I looked at the flyer and noticed the request for $5 for a fruit basket for a family in need. It was as if the Lord was flashing a blinking neon sign saying THIS IS YOUR PLAN C!

I explained to her about the St. Paul’s UMC project and gave her $5. Evangelist Bettie was convinced that it was the Lord’s guidance that brought her to my office. She requested my business card so I may have further contact with her. (Maybe we will talk about fundraising tips – tips which she may not need.) She seems to have a Contact who knows much more than me about who has $5 to give.

Mari

Plan D: Get a $10 refund from God or St. Paul’s.

Lewis House

2010-12-23T14:11:00.001-06:00

"The St. Paul's United Methodist Men's group, during this Christmas season of 2010, made the decision to contribute funds towards the purchase of children's toys and clothes (pajamas) in order to provide these gifts to the children staying at the Lewis House over the holidays.

The Lewis House offers a safe home for abused women and their children. UMM sincerely believes that these children were likely not going to recieve any presents for Christmas and it is our thought that our gifts certainly can bring some joy to these children and their mothers."

Dick R.

And I have it under good authority that a LOT more than $5 per person was contributed! Our Men's group has been a wonderful blessing to the Lewis House. Wonderful job, Men!

Mary

2010-12-23T08:17:00.000-06:00

"Mary's world was surely as turbulent as ours, and the future must have looked grim and foreboding. And yet she brings this total offering of herself to God and to whatever God has in store for her. She is a model for our time of one who demonstrated complete trust in God when the world around her seemed to be gripped by fear and uncertainty. Perhaps she found this deep trust in God because she practiced walking in God's presence everyday. Can we remind each other that we too walk in God's presence every day?"
--Reuben P. Job, "When You Pray"

Mary reminds us what it means to trust in God with our whole self - our whole life.

We're not alone - we walk this journey together!

So as Christmas comes close... let us celebrate together! Let us trust in the greatest gift of all - that God loves us and is with us.

Need Ideas?

2010-12-22T13:32:00.000-06:00

"Here's another idea for those who have not yet spent their $5. It would especially help if a couple people want to put their money together.

The Sibley High School librarian could use $$ to help buy books for the Kindles she has in her library (very popular program)."

Check out the Mendota Heights Patch article about this cause!

Thanks, Carol, for the heads up!

An Update

2010-12-21T13:07:00.010-06:00

On eo four church members graciously used their $5 to provide a Christmas gift to a neighbor child (not knowing if they celebrate Christmas or not - but being sure to invite them to church). Sometimes, even with the best of intentions, our prompts towards a life with God may not be taken... But between respectful people, can still be the start of a relationship!

Here was the response to the gift:

"Well, as I thought, my neighbors don't celebrate Christmas or any other holiday. I know this as they did respond by typing out a short letter stating such. However, interesting statement at close.... "I pray that you understand and respect our beliefs. You are a blessing for reaching out to us." I find it encouraging that they took time to give me a personal response with a firsthand delivery and will continue to pray for their household and maintain whatever contact I am able."

Remember - all we can do is plant a seed. We're just helping God out! So don't be discouraged - rejoice in a new relationship!

Kiva.org

2010-12-18T13:23:00.006-06:00

"We finally spent our $5. We even added some. It sounds like a worthwhile cause.
Merry Christmas!"

Beda and Tom L.

Here is the link to the Kiva.org microloan they sponsored: Meloma Group.
Feel free to follow the progress!

Fundraising Update

2010-12-17T13:16:00.005-06:00

"I've been busy baking cookies this week, and I'm now up to $325 in donations. Thanks again for leading the effort at the church."

Jill E. and Family

They plan to donate the money to the Missions Team at St. Paul's UMC. Nice work, guys!

Gifts of Grace

2010-12-16T08:51:00.001-06:00

"We long for a world where righteousness is at home.

It is a world envisioned by the prophets and saints of every age. It is a vision that is reflected in Mary's song and is still the prayer on the lips of the faithful everywhere. We yearn for a world where justice, fairness, equality, goodness, integrity, and well-doing are modeled in industry, government, school, home, and individual life. Deep in our hearts we know that it is a way of living that will result in a deep sense of well-being and peace for everyone.

However, much as we would like to, most of us do not have the wisdom or the power to transform the world. But we do have the wisdom and power to permit God to transform us. In our lives, and now and then in the world where we live, righteousness will be at home.

You and I can become those persons who carry these gifts of grace to the world."
--Reuben P. Job, from When You Pray

A Celebration Update

2010-12-15T13:54:00.000-06:00

This past Sunday, following worship, many of us joined together in the fellowship room for peanut butter sandwiches (with ALL the fixins), cake, and a chance to share our "Living A Better Story" experiences. I thought for sure our small turn-out, due to the snow storm, would keep people from staying and telling their stories... But NO! People were jumping at the chance to tell where God led them with their $5!

Let's see, here's some summaries of the cool things we heard people did with their $5:

Kristi A. bought wool socks for a homeless man - and was happy to hear him tell her the next day, "My feet stayed warm all day!"

Jo B. was buying mittens for her 'bell-ringing' granddaughter and in the process saw another bell ringer without warm gloves - so bought her some, too! She was so excited, she wanted to know why Jo did such a nice thing and when Jo told her, the woman asked what church Jo was from!

Janet C. bought a bag of groceries for Neighbor's Inc - a hungry family will have a nice meal thanks to that purchase!

Carol R. bought a 95 year-old grocery bagger, at the store, lunch!

Corrine S. gave the money to a young girl (the granddaughter of a friend's care-giver) to buy her grandma a Christmas present!

Jeanette W. and her daughter, Maggi, decided to give theirs to Jeanette's office "Adopt a Family" project. When Maggi gave money to the project, other office workers were inspired by her generosity and gave more! The family they adopted would have a wonderful Christmas!

These are a few stories... and some of the ones already on the blog were told to the group as well. What a wonderful sharing of so many acts of generosity - many of which included the story of why we were doing such things... That we were inspired by our church and the love of God.

This week, we're going to take some time during the fellowship hour to tell more stories! So if you missed last week, please plan to stay and hear more tales of inspiration and generosity!