1.24.2010 Alex, Grant, and Ethan's Dedication at Church

Alex, Grant, and Ethan were dedicated at our church, Calvary Baptist Church, on January 24, 2010. They were dedicated by three of our pastors: Brian Henderson, Anne Jernberg, and our Pastor Emeritus Mary Hulst. Brian held Ethan, Anne held Alex, and Mary had Grant. The boys did fairly well during the dedication. Grant wanted nothing to do with Mary's prayer however. It was ok though. They got to meet quite a few of their new church family.


James and I took the boys to the front and had our parents come with us to be a part of it.

Other family that was at the dedication was Great-Grandpa Dickey, Aunt Marie, Uncle Doug, Aunt Kara (soon to be Doug's wife), Cousin Andrea and her boyfriend Jeremy. It was so nice to have so much family there to witness this wonderful day for us.

Here is Alex and Anne.


Grant did finally agree to be nice to Mary.


We took a bunch of pictures after the church service. Here is the Fischer family with the Fischer Grandparents.


A unique thing about my family is that we have been American Baptists for quite a few generations. Here is the 4 generations of American Baptists, with the current ABCRM president (Grandma Rigsby)!!


We had the boys passed around from lap to lap. Here is Great-Grandpa Dickey with the boys (Alex, Ethan, Grant).


He was cuddling with Alex between takes!


The boys with Grandma Fischer (Alex, Ethan, Grant).


The boys with Grandma Rigsby (Grant, Ethan, Alex).


The boys with Great-Aunt Mimi (Grant, Ethan, Alex).


Aunt Kara (Doug's fiance) got to cuddle a bunch with Alex. He fell asleep on her during the service.


Thank you to all who came to the service and/or watched the service online! We appreciate all the support that we are receiving for these boys. God knows that we need that circle of family and friends around us to keep us on the right track.

The Rock & Worship Roadshow

This is coming to the Denver Coliseum on April 9. Tickets are $10 at the door and it is open/general seating!!!!! It is featuring MercyMe, Jeremy Camp, Hawk Nelson, Tenth Avenue North, and Addison Road!!!!

Get more info at http://therockandworshiproadshow.com/!!!

Fireproof.... a highly recommended movie... coming to a theater near you!

I highly recommend watching the Videos. This is a movie I am going to go see with James!

Bob Smiley - Christian Commedian

Bob Smiley is halarious. I think you should go see this video. He is a Christian Comedian and is great!!

http://www.godtube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=155e551b44d5255333d9

Update on Sunday School

So, we went to Sunday school this past Sunday. James wasn't going to go, but the church announced our pastor candidate last week and he felt he needed to be there in case there were questions. Well, we went.

The discussion started out standard, with the opinion that we need to love everyone and that God loves every one! I agreed. However, the discussion started to peak up when someone suggested that we do not need to "evangelize." We should not try and convert people to Christianity. I sat and listened for a while. Trying to get a grip on what I wanted to say. But James jumped in first. He asked the people what they felt about Missionaries. The person said that if a missionary is going out to help build houses and help people that way, but if they are going to try and convert people, then they should not go!


WHAT?????!!!!!!??????


Ok, so I had to sit and listen for a while longer to understand where the person was coming from. They still didn't make sense, but I let a couple of others (including James) argue.


Then the topic of universalist vs. dualist views came up. Here is my understanding of them both. As a universalist, a person believes that all people go to Heaven, no matter what. A dualist believes that there is Heaven and Hell and that only those "saved" will go to Heaven. Everyone else is condemned to Hell. (As you have probably guessed, I am a dualist, and may in our class are universalists).


So, going back to the topic of living our lives as good people (from a previous post), a bunch of people in class started saying that the dualist view is a "FUNDAMENTALIST" view! (Am I a fundamentalist? Seriously?) I had to sit there and gawk. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Just because I believed what the Bible taught, meant that James, a couple of others in the class, and I are all fundamentalists. Oh boy. Do we have our work cut out for us!


Well, I finally had to speak up! I said that being a dualist is NOT bad. I am not a fundamentalist. Just because I believe that some people are going to Heaven and some people are going to Hell does not mean that I do not try and love every one of my neighbors (i.e. everyone I come into contact with.) Granted, I do not know what God is thinking, or do I even have a small incling of His power. All I know is that I need to follow the Bible and what it directs me to do with my life.


Now that I said that, we got back on to the topic of missionaries and conversion. (For some reason there are a couple of words that some people in the class think are "bad words." They are conversion, evangelical, evangelize--any of those--, fundamental, and a couple of others I can think of right now.) Anyway, the couple of people said that they don't think they need to worry about where people go when they die. They are just going to live good lives and if those people want to know, then they will tell them, but they don't care about converting them.


I then said, well, if you are going to live a "good life" you need to live it intentionally. You need to live with the intent to lead people to Christ, because that is what the Bible says to do. Matthew 28:16-20

"Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had
directed them. And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. And
Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been
given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in
the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to
observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the
end of the age."

I laid it out this way. We are called by God to believe in Christ. Christ calls us to live a life centered on Him. We, therefore, try to live as much of a good life as possible, so people will see that we are authintic, so they can wonder why, and then they will ask, and then they will want to know Christ! Does that make sense??


I think I got my point across, and I was backed up by a few people. I tried to agree to disagree with these people, but it is very hard for me to do, when I know I have been called by Christ to "Make disciples of all nations."


I had to leave before the class was over (because of choir), but I wasn't overly frustrated. I actually didn't leave with high blood pressure, but I did speak my mind, so did James. I am still concerned for a few people and for this class, but all we can do is keep working at it and keep praying that God will use us

Update on Heaven & Hell vs nothing??

Sorry, this is a bit of rant/rave, but it gets better towards the end. I promise!

Sunday James and I decided to attend Sunday School (well, I told James we were going to attend.) Anyway, they were continuing to talk about the book, If God is Love (I'm going to refer to it as IGL). So, the class started out fine. Somehow they veered off onto the topic of politics, but eventually came back. I just sat and listened to the conversation for the right time to chime in. I am not sure what sparked me to start speaking, but I rebutted someone by saying something along the lines of "how can every person go to heaven if there are no consequences to actions?" James then chimed in and we started to say that belief in Christ is the only way to Heaven.

Oh no, though, that was not good enough! THE BOOK (IGL... not the Bible mind you) says that Christ isn't the ONLY way! WHAT???!!!!???? (it gets better) In the book IGL the author points out that the Bible says that Christ contradicts Himself in Luke and John as to the way of Salvation! WHAT!!!????!??!??!? I asked them to read me the passage in the book again...

Luke 10:25-28 is what they quoted. "On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. "Teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?" "What is written in the Law?" he replied. "How do you read it?" He answered: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'" "You have answered correctly," Jesus replied. "Do this and you will live."

Then they quoted John 3:16 (but i'll expand it to 3:10-21) "You are Israel's teacher," said Jesus, "and do you not understand these things? I tell you the truth, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony. I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things? No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man. Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life. For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son. This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God."

Ok... granted... I can see the assumed contradiction here. But a person has to read these two passages in different contexts and with a mind of faith. The Luke passage says to "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind." Ok... I can do that! But the Lord, MY GOD, includes the TRINITY. Therefore, Christ, is my God. (He is not the Father, but He is the Son, the Savior!!) Jesus stated that He is the only way to Heaven. John 14:6 "Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."

When Christ stated that we should follow the law of "Loving God and loving our neighbors" he did not say not to believe in Him. Loving God includes believing that He sent His Son, Jesus, to die on the cross for our sins, so we may have eternal life to be with our Father in Heaven and worship Him FOREVER! What is your opinion on this "contradiction controversy?"

I wish I could speak as well or as much as I can write, and have enough time to express what I want to say. But alas, speaking when I am frustrated is a stumbling block for me. I tried to say these things, but I was interrupted and shot down fairly quickly.

The next conundrum that came up, was "If God doesn't let everyone in to Heaven, how can He disown his own children?" The example that was gave was this... If you were a parent, could you end your relationship with your child for doing something wrong? A bunch of people around the room piped in and said that they couldn't and therefore, how could God. I, then opened my big mouth! I said, "Then you mean to tell me, that if your child kicks, punches you, verbally abuses you, and spits on you every single day, you would not tell that child to stop? And if they didn't stop, once you have told them to stop consistently, you wouldn't have to remove yourself from that toxic relationship? You could still love that child, but you don't have to accept their actions."

Oh man, that seemed to set a couple of people off. I had to admit that I couldn't be sure I could do it, but most likely I would be able to. My theory is, you can still love that child, and not accept their actions. They can "repent" (keyword) and say they are sorry and follow in the rules of the house, and then I would have a relationship with them. But if they never repented, I could not say that I could ever have a relationship with them.

The thing is God is so much more than we are. I am sure He does not like the sins we do every single day! That is why He tells us to repent, believe, and then we can have eternal life with Him.
Some in the class did admit that they could not say one way or the other if they would do that with their children, but some in the class said they would never do that. I just didn't know how to respond. What is your response? What would you do? I know that we have no idea what God would do, but what do you think about what you have been taught about God and what He would do?

So, one other topic that was brought up was the fact that there are a lot of people out there that live very "righteous" (not in a Christian way) lives. One example given was, this person has this great friend who is Buddhist. This friend has taught this person more about spirituality than this person has learned in many years of going to church.

I did not have any comment at the time, but I came up with something during church. (I truly was listening, but something the pastor said made me think of a point I wanted to make.) I wrote down my comment on an insert in our bulletin. I said that, I don't care about what other people think and teach on their way to "eternal whatever." Some people may be good, and may do good things, but our works are not what grant us eternal life! Our believe in God, and that God sent Jesus, His son, to die on the cross so we have eternal life, is the basis of OUR/MY faith. If every person has eternal life, what are we here for? Why is there the church? Didn't Christ tell us to "go and make disciples of all nations?" (Matt. 28:19). If everyone is to go to Heaven, then why would have God sent Jesus to earth? If everyone, and anyone can go to Heaven, Jesus' death was in vain.

Needless to say, I am very passionate about this subject! I do believe that God can make exceptions in any case He wants to. But, I do think that we need to follow the WORD OF GOD, and therefore we do not have to count on God making an exception for us. God created us to live our lives in love. That was stated over and over again in this class. I MUST agree with that. But I have to say, I can love, God can love, but we do not have to accept actions for which God has said are evil/bad/wrong.

Which brings me to my next point. (I know this is long, but I need to get this out.) A couple of people in the class asked the question "What is wrong? How can we, since we are not God, know what is wrong?" James brought up the 10 Commandments! These things are WRONG. (This is what Exodus 20:1-17 says)

And God spoke all these words:
"I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.
"You shall have no other gods before me.
"You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand of those who love me and keep my commandments.
"You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.
"Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates. For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.
"Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you.
"You shall not murder.
"You shall not commit adultery.
"You shall not steal.
"You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.
"You shall not covet your neighbor's house. You shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor."

I believe that doing those things are wrong. Do you? These are the guides to figure out what is wrong and what is right in God's eyes. Am I correct in that assumption?

Now there are a lot of things that individual churches/denominations have declared wrong, that may not be wrong in other churches/denominations. I think this is where LOVE comes in. I may believe that something someone is doing is wrong, and they may think it is right. We both may have scripture to back up our views. I do not have to agree with that person that they are right, but I do HAVE to love that person! God is the one who judges. I have been called not to judge. (See Matthew 7:1-5) All I can do for the person I disagree with is share my perspective, let them share theirs, listen, love, and pray that God's will is done in my heart and in that persons heart!

We are called to love God and our neighbors. We are also called to do so much more.

I want to ask you, do you believe in Christ? Do you believe God sent His Son, Jesus, to die on the cross for YOU? If you do, I pray that you are preaching and teaching to as many souls as you can reach.

If this is the first time you have heard of Christ, knowing more is easy. Ask God to open your heart and your mind to His word. Ask Christ to come into your heart and seek Him out. Get yourself a Bible and read it. Find a church where you can express your beliefs, and yet be challenged to find the truth in the Word.

I know this took a quirky turn towards the end, but I know there is some reason for this. Some reason for the questions. I am being tested so my faith can become stronger!

By the way, I found all my Bible quotes at http://www.biblegateway.com/. I also found some references in the Bible about Hell and the Devil... Hell (Luke 16:23; Matt 5:22,29, 30; Mark 9:43,45,47; 2Peter 2:4) Devil/Satan (Job [throughout the book]; Zach. 3:1; Luke 4:1-13; Matt 13:39; John 6:70 & 13:27; 2 Thes 2:9; 1 Tim 5:15; Rev. 12:9)

Let me know what you think.... Leave a comment or email me. Thanks.

Heaven & Hell... vs nothing??

So, my Sunday school class is doing a study on a book, that I can't remember the name of. Obviously I am not taking part very much. We haven't been but twice and I have not bought the book. Anyway, one Sunday morning they brought up the topic of Heaven and Hell.

I guess it was just by the way I was raised, but I have never questioned the fact that there is a Heaven and there is a Hell... with Satan! However, in part of this book, the author(I think), a pastor, stated that he does not believe in Hell or Satan. That struck me as very odd. How can that be? If there is no Hell and no Satan, what is the evil in this world? What keeps people from just doing whatever they want because they don't have to worry about the fires of Hell?

I know that the "lake of fire" is mentioned in Revelations. Satan tempted Christ. How can a person who is theologically trained on the Bible say that there is no Hell or Satan. (Also, our church does not sing any verses in any hymns or praise songs that make any mention of Satan, the devil, or Hell.)

To go along with this, the author (or the mentioned pastor) said that he believes that Christianity is not the "only" way to Heaven. (The whole premise of the book is God is Love... in fact that might be the title.) There were many in the class that believe this too, along with the no Hell/Satan thing. It is a very, very "progressive" or liberal class and I just cannot wrap my head around some of the things they talk about.

I am finding this somewhat frustrating. Can you help me with this? Let me know where there are mentioned in the Bible these topics: Satan, Hell, lake of fire, death (in relation to hell or something like that), and anything else that might be of relevance here. Also, let me know what your church's stance on this is. I'm just curious as to your opinions. Thanks.

Young adults will leave church if they’re overlooked, study says

James found this article the other day and I believe it speaks volumes to the frustrations of the church and young adults.

http://www.bpnews.net/bpnews.asp?ID=24629

Here is a snippet then you can go read the rest on that page...

"More young adults are falling away from church and many are finding church
irrelevant to their lives because their needs are not being met, according to
new statistics released by LifeWay Christian Resources.

In 1980, more than 100,000 people age 18 to 34 were baptized in Southern
Baptist churches. But in 2005, that number fell to 60,000, which is drastically
lower considering the United States population has climbed above 300 million.

What’s the problem? Why are young adults not finding church relevant for
their lives? LifeWay Research, a department of LifeWay Christian Resources of
the Southern Baptist Convention, sought to find answers by conducting an eight-month research project which included interviews with unchurched adults, regular church attendees and church leaders from geographical regions throughout the United States. "

More thoughts on Where I think the church will be in twenty + years...

I recieved this comment on my previous post "Where I think the church will be in twenty + years..." and I just had to write my comments on it. I know I am sort of rambling here, but I have a lot of questions and a lot to discuss. Please join me in this discussion. I would love to hear what everyone thinks.

Krismisstree posted...

“Interesting...what's your take on the Hebrews 10:25 verse, then? Don't give up
meeting together as some are in the habit of doing? Do you think that command is
'covered' by meeting in small weekly groups, and not getting direct food from a
church service preaching the Word? Just curious on your take on Hebrews 10:25
and how it relates to your post.”

Hebrews 10:25 says "Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching." (NIV)

I am not suggesting that all meeting together will be stopped by what the future has in store. Today I was talking to a professor from Central Baptist Theological Seminary and he was saying that “home churches” have been on the rise. They are the people who don’t find the conventional church appealing to them, so they have a church in a more comfortable setting. That is a lot of what I mean by small family groups/Bible studies.

Church doesn't necessarily have to be a structured, liturgical style. As long as people are coming together to worship God, does He really care how it is done? Granted, there will be those that will only get their spiritual “food” from what they listen to on their I-Pods or what-have-you. If those people are to truly live in the Word of God, they will understand that fellowship is an important part of being a Christian.

They will need to have someone to bounce questions off of. However, like we are doing here, they may still not come face to face. I think eventually if they understand, and are reached out to by those that are a part of a community (whether bigger or smaller), they will join a community and have that fellowship.

I do believe that each person needs to have a day of rest. How that person chooses to rest is a part of their own lifestyle. Each person is different. In this day of age, not every person has the liberty to be off of work on Sundays. Therefore the church needs to be flexible with how they offer that fellowship to individuals. If that means that the only time someone can join in some kind of worship is with a small group, at least they are in fellowship and worshiping a God who knows all and understands.

Does that make any sense? Does it matter if someone is hearing the word through preaching or discussion? Can a discussion take place of a sermon? What do traditional sermons do for you? Do you really come away from a traditional sermon every week wanting to implement everything you just heard into your daily life? If you had to choose, which would you prefer as a worship setting... the traditional church or small family style discussion group worship?

Let me know what you think.

Where I think the church will be in twenty + years...

I must say, looking at my church today and looking at where I think it will be in the next twenty years, I don't see it being at all the same.

With the advent of webcast ministries, and the ever popular I-Pod, I think the Church is going to have to figure out how to reach those of this technology savvy world. We are a society of constant motion and multi-tasking. Churches may find they have members who want to listen to the weekly sermon while riding mass transit to and from work. In the working world it is also a known fact that the younger generation has strong ties to family. We’re seeing more and more where families spend their weekends together, not in church. Making church services available anytime will provide the desired spiritual lessons people are seeking on their terms not on the terms of the church. Along with this, churches need to be open to giving up the traditional Sunday morning worship for a more family friendly evening session

The "old" way is dying, and that may be bad or it may be good. There will still be those who will need to attend a church in a "church building" but I see more people getting their spiritual fulfillment over the internet. Churches are going to have to start sharing their buildings, or selling them to move to smaller, more environmentally friendly buildings, so they have less to maintain on their own. They will not always have the monetary funds to keep a church building up and running. Churches will have to choose between having a great, nice, huge, archaic building, and having a meaningful and productive ministry to the world. Christians will have to figure out how to reach the world and those who are lost through alternate means.

The sense of community that a church provides will have to be broken down into smaller groups. I don’t see the huge gatherings of people coming together but a couple of times a year (i.e. Christmas, Easter, and a couple of other special days.) Sermons are going to have to be extremely relevant to a person’s everyday life, or they will get bored and go someplace else for advice. Small “family” group Bible studies focused on relevant issues may be the main source of religion for many people.

Pastors may have to change tactics in the way they work. Bi-vocational pastors may become the norm. If the church as we know it now still exists, the standard sermon will have to be altered to a way that makes people think and want to come back that next week to hear more (Isn’t that the ultimate challenge now?!)

People are less and less willing to give up their money to an entity in which they don’t feel connected closely to. Church giving is down in almost every single church in the United States. However, when a crisis comes along, people will give up their Starbucks for a week to help out. For example, when the tsunami hit on Dec. 26, 2005 in South Asia, churches came together and gave millions upon millions of dollars to the cause. When Katrina hit the Gulf Coast, churches gathered together money, manpower, and supplies and contributed to that cause. Mission opportunities will need to be available for people to attend. This will need to be spearheaded by mission-minded people. Churches will have to be willing to reach out to other churches and become communities with other churches to make these options viable.

As for mega-churches... I think the gigantic, make-me-feel-good, not have to think because I am being told what to think, churches are going the way of the smaller Bible studies and smaller, more connected churches. However, each church has to find its niche market (to use business terms) and appeal to the people that will support it. Each age group and ethnic group will have to be satisfied and that means each church will have to be different. Churches will have to understand that they can’t reach everyone, but they can help those people they don’t appeal to find a church that does appeal to them. Therefore, churches need to be connected to one another through the wider church community.

Honest to God

"We avoid Lent and Holy Week because it isn’t a happy and uplifting time—but to be honest, neither is most of life. Sometimes we come to church all scrubbed up, dressed nicely, with smiles on our faces, and when people ask how we are, we reply that everything is fine and we even boast how wonderful things are—but it is all a lie. Life is not always uplifting, or wonderful, or pleasant, or joyous—but we have been taught the lie that for spiritual people like us, it must be so. So we become play actors, hypocrites—telling ourselves that by lying, we are having faith, and that if we lie enough, the bad things will fade away, like a dream upon awakening." -Rev. Ken Collins

Read the rest of this essay at http://www.kencollins.com/hope-23.htm. It is very interesting!

Challenge for Lent

Scripture for this Ash Wednesday.

If you are to fast for these 40 (actually 49 till Easter) days, take head to what Matthew says at the end of this post.

Listen to the words of this hymn "Lord, Who Throughout These Forty Days":

Lord, who throughout these forty days for us did fast and pray,
teach us with you to mourn out sins and close by you to stay.
As you did hunger and did thirst so teach us, gracious Lord,
to die to self, and so to live by your most holy Word.
And through these days of penitence, and through your Passiontide,
forevermore, in life and death, O Lord, with us abide.
Abide with us, that through this life of doubts and hope and pain,
an Easter of unending joy we may at last attain!

Words by Claudia F. Hernaman

"Blow a trumpet in Zion; sound an alarm on my holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble, for the day of the LORD is coming; it is near, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and thick darkness! Like blackness there is spread upon the mountains a great and powerful people; their like has never been before, nor will be again after them through the years of all generations." Joel 2:1-2

"Yet even now," declares the LORD, "return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; and rend your hearts and not your garments." Return to the LORD your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love; and he relents over disaster. Who knows whether he will not turn and relent, and leave a blessing behind him, a grain offering and a drink offering for the LORD your God? Blow the trumpet in Zion; consecrate a fast; call a solemn assembly; gather the people. Consecrate the congregation; assemble the elders; gather the children, even nursing infants. Let the bridegroom leave his room, and the bride her chamber. Between the vestibule and the altar let the priests, the ministers of the LORD, weep and say, "Spare your people, O LORD, and make not your heritage a reproach, a byword among the nations. Why should they say among the peoples, 'Where is their God?'" Joel 2:12-17

"Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. Working together with him, then, we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain. For he says, "In a favorable time I listened to you, and in a day of salvation I have helped you." Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation." 2 Corinthians 5:20-6:2

"Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. "Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. "And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you." Matthew 6:1-6

"And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Matthew 6:16-21

Listen to the words of the hymn "Have Thine Own Way, Lord!":

Have thine own way, Lord! Have thine own way!
Thou are the Potter, I am the clay.
Mold me and Make me after they will,
while I am waiting yeielded and still.
Have thine own way, Lord! Have thine own way!
Wounded and weary, help me, I pray!
Power--all power--surely is thine!
Touch me and heal me, Savior divine!
Have thine own way, Lord! Have thine own way!
Hold over my being absolute sway!
Fill with they Spirit till all shall see
Christ only, always, living in me!

Words by Adelaide A Polland

"Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin! For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you may be justified in your words and blameless in your judgment. Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me. Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being, and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart. Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones that you have broken rejoice. Hide your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit. Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will return to you. Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, O God of my salvation, and my tongue will sing aloud of your righteousness. O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise. For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it; you will not be pleased with a burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise." Psalm 51

This says it wonderfully!!

So I have been struggling trying to answer the question of why people should belong and be members to a church and to a Region. This doesn't directly address regions, but it does address churches and "Christians." Please read and let me know what you think. It was written by Laura Roberts and is posted on her blog with the link http://madenoughtopray.blogspot.com/.

Here is the reprint!!

Discipline

There's been a bit of a dust-up over on Boundless Line lately, regarding a pretty great summary of Mark Dever's view of church discipline. The usual comments ensued -- you can't kick people out of church for sinning! We wouldn't have a church! Doesn't the Bible say, Judge not, lest you be judged? Who are you to say what is a bad enough sin to kick people out? Since when is "membership" a biblical concept anyway? Etc. etc.

It seems to me, in my experience with these kinds of discussions, that people's misunderstandings about church discipline fall into a few categories:

1. They don't understand the nature of the Church.

2. They don't understand the nature of church membership.

3. They don't understand the seriousness of sin.

4. They don't understand the nature of church discipline.

Let's start with the first one. People who get their knickers in a twist about church discipline often seem to view "church" as an activity for people who call themselves Christians -- something they do on Sundays and Wednesday nights, a group they're a part of by choice, but nonetheless and organization that doesn't necessarily have the right to make any claims on their lives -- maybe slightly more that their book club or union or Facebook group, but not much more. They come to Sunday services to get blessed or "be fed" spiritually.

But what is the Church, really? Two things: 1) the Church is true followers of Christ everywhere, at all times throughout history, and 2) the Church is the local gathering of Christians in particular times and places. Paul's letters, for example, are written to both groups -- the church at Rome in the 1st Century A.D. and by extension to all believers everywhere at all times. Let me emphasize what I think is an extremely important point: if you are a Christian -- a genuine follower of Christ, not just a "Christian" by default -- you are, by necessity, a member of the first group. All believers at all times in all places are members of the first group. But the first and second categories were never meant to be thought of separately. Read Paul's letters and see if you think that the pioneer of the early church had any category in his mind for a person who was a Christian but not a part of any local church. (I'll give you a tip to save you a little time: he didn't.) It's not optional for a follower of Christ to be consistently out of fellowship with a local body. In fact (brace yourself, people, this is pretty serious), I would go so far as to say that if you steadfastly refuse to join yourself with a local congregation of believers, you are in serious danger of revealing that you are not a follower of Christ at all. And now I'm just going to back away... slowly... slowly...

That leads to the second misunderstanding. There is a whole group of folks in the church, as I mentioned in my previous post, who glance through their Bibles, don't see the word "membership," and conclude that any formal affiliation with a church is unnecessary at best and unbiblical at worst. First, I have bad news for those people -- the word "trinity" isn't in the Bible, either. Ruh-roh, Raggy.

Second, there is substantial evidence throughout the New Testament that the pastors of the early churches kept very precise, formal records of the believers they had charge of. I would basically defy anyone to do a careful study of the Jerusalem church in the book of Acts, the job description of an Elder in the pastoral epistles (1 and 2 Timothy and Titus), and Hebrews 13 and come away with the idea that it's cool for a believer to sorta hang out on the fringes of a church and never commit to it.

Side note: one of our teaching pastors, Daniel, tells a pretty great little story at the beginning of our membership classes about a guy who falls in love with this amazing, beautiful girl, spends all his time with her, can't shut up about her... and then three years later, they're still dating, but not married or even engaged. Of course she's frustrated, all his friends are saying, "What are you waiting for, dude?" but he keeps telling her, "We don't need to get married to prove I love you, right, baby?" Well, obviously the story is about us and the church. Of course we don't "need" to join a church to prove we love it, but we also can't reap the benefits of commitment unless we're actually committed!

Well, what are the benefits of commitment to a church, i.e. formal membership? First off, when a church admits you to membership, they're saying, "We testify to your salvation. We believe and acknowledge that you are a Christian." (Incidentally, this is one of the reasons why walk-the-aisle, sign-the-card "Baptist" membership is so pernicious -- if your pastors don't examine you and make sure you're actually saved, how on Earth can they be accountable before God for your soul?) What a precious testimony this has been in seasons of doubt! I have often countered the lies of the enemy and of my sinful heart about my salvation by saying, "No! 417 other people, including my pastors, daily witness to my salvation! They see fruit in my life! They believe I am a Christian!" Second, formal membership provides a structure of accountability in a way that mere attendance cannot. You are consciously, intentionally placing yourself under the authority of your pastors, and humbly opening yourself up to be held accountable to a life worthy of the gospel. You're also taking on the responsibility of bearing the burdens of your brothers and sisters in the church and being willing to call them out when they sin as well.

Speaking of sin... Sin. I'm always surprised to read the "Dear Boundless" letters that deal with couples having sex or living together outside marriage -- the writers almost always characterize their behavior as "mistakes" or "slip-ups" or "crossing the line" or some other such convenient phrases; rarely does anyone write in and say, My boyfriend and I have been violating the standards of a holy God every Friday night for three months. We've also been dragging the name of Jesus through the mud by our behavior, and we'd like some advice on how to stop being an offense to the Gospel...

But that's just what sin is -- defiance against the rightful Ruler of the universe. Listen, I don't know if you know this, but God, as the Creator of all things, has the right to rule the universe as he wishes. You don't go to Iran, dance around on a picture of Muhammad in a town square in a bikini, and then think you're going to get away with it by calling it a "slip-up" when somebody throws your butt in jail. Sin is a serious, serious matter -- why would we look at our brothers and sisters in the church falling into persistent sin and look the other way? We should feel shame at the thought of standing idly by while those who bear the name of Christ deny him with their actions when we could do something about it!

And that's just what church discipline is, people. Church discipline, at heart, is the Body of Christ refusing to allow the beloved children of God continue in sin unchecked. It is a reminder to those who have ignored the Spirit's whispers that danger lies ahead.

99% of the time, church discipline does not involve "excommunication." Usually, the preaching of the Word, worship, the sacraments, and community life are the means the Lord uses to discipline his people. Occasionally, a brother or sister will have to call you out for a particular sin. Less often, someone will have to be confronted in love by the pastors if they continue to live in unrepentant sin. Usually, that person will repent in the course of one of those events. If not -- if that person continues to refuse reconciliation and ignore the pleas of his brothers and sisters, acting like he is not a believer -- then the church is to treat him in the way he is acting! The problem is, people see Paul's command to the Corinthian church to treat the adulterous man in their midst "as an unbeliever" and think that means they kicked him out. But doesn't your church welcome unbelievers? Don't you pray that unbelievers will show up? Don't you invite unbelievers to your services?

Church discipline is a beautiful ministry of the local body; I for one am blessed to be a part of a congregation that has the structures for church discipline in place --it reminds me of both the grace and the judgment of God. I pray that I never have to be placed under formal discipline by my church, but I know that my fellowship with them is part of what ensures that I never will!

10 Facts You Should Know About American Baptists

This is published by the ABCUSA and is useful to understand me and my faith. I may not agree wholy with everything that is put for in these 10 facts, they are a foundation for my beliefs.

The 1.5-million members and 5,800 congregations of American Baptist Churches USA share with more than 43 million Baptist around the world a common tradition begun in the early 17th century. That tradition has emphasized the Lordship and atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ, believers' baptism the competency of all believers to be in direct relationship with God and to interpret Scripture, the importance of the local church, the assurance of freedom in worship and opinion, and the need to be Christ's witnesses within society. The following facts are representative of the tradition and practice of American Baptists.

1. American Baptists believe that Jesus Christ is Lord and Savior, and that the Bible is the divinely inspired word of God that serves as the final written authority for living out the Christian faith.
American Baptists celebrate the fact that belief in Jesus Christ assures salvation and eternal fellowship with a loving God. The events of the first Easter week are the cornerstones of our faith: the death of Christ, in which He took upon Himself the sin of the world, and the Resurrection, which gave proof of His triumph over sin and death. Holy Scripture always had been for American Baptist the authoritative and trustworthy guide for knowing and serving the God who is revealed and Creator, Savior, and Advocate.

2. For American Baptists the local church is the fundamental unit of mission in denomination life.
Baptist roots date back four centuries to a people seeking the opportunity to worship God as individual members of freely organized and freely functioning local churches. Baptists always have maintained the need for autonomous congregations, responsible for articulating their own doctrine, style of worship and mission.

3. American Baptists partake of two ordinances: believers' baptism and The Lord's Supper.
Baptism, an act of full immersion following Christ's example, is undertaken by those spiritually mature enough to understand its profound, symbolic significance: resurrection to new life in Christ. Through The Lord's Supper, or Holy Communion, the bread and cup that symbolize the broken body and shed blood offered by Christ recall God's great love for us-just as they did for the disciples on the eve of Christ's crucifixion.

4. American Baptists believe that the committed individual Christian can and should approach God directly, and that individual gifts of ministry should be shared.
American Baptists hold that all who truly seek God are both competent and called to develop in that relationship. They have rejected creeds or other statements that might compromise each believer's obligation to interpret Scripture under the guidance of the Holy Spirit and within the community of faith. American Baptists also celebrate the special gifts of all believers, testifying that God can use each of us in ministry.

5. American Baptists take seriously the call to evangelism and missionary work.
American Baptists worldwide mission work is a response to Christ's call to "make disciples of all nations." Through the efforts of our missionaries in partnership with others, ministries of evangelism, healing, education and development have made Christ's love know in the U.S. and around the world.

6. American Baptists support religious freedom and respect the expressions of faith of others.
As a people whose forbears came together in response to intolerance, American Baptists have cherished freedom and pursued it for millions around the world. Manifestations of that ideal include supporting separation of church and state, advocating for people everywhere to be guaranteed the right to worship free form discrimination, and lifting up respectful dialog and a healthy means to understanding.

7. American Baptists acknowledge that God's family extends beyond our local churches, and that God calls us to cooperative ministries.
Early Baptists saw that the effectiveness of their ministries would be greater through cooperation with other believers. Today within our American Baptist regions, churches work with each other and with denominational staff and in local and regional ecumenical arenas to increase the vitality and scope of their ministries. That outreach extends worldwide through our relationships with Baptist World Alliance, the National Council of Churches of Christ, the World Council of Churches and other groups.

8. American Baptists have been called to be Christ's witnesses for justice and wholeness within a broken society.
American Baptists have been led by the Gospel mandates to promote holistic change within society, as witnessed by their advocacy of freed African Americans following the Civil War, the Civil Rights Movement, women in church and societal leadership, ecological responsibility, and many other issues. While not all of one mind as to how to deal with challenges, American Baptists do affirm the need to follow Christ's example by being actively involved in changing society.

9. American Baptist Churches USA celebrates the racial, cultural and theological diversity witnessed within its membership.
American Baptist Churches USA today is the most racially inclusive Protestant body. Represented in our churches are equally diverse worship styles, cultural mores and approaches to Scriptural interpretation. The resulting challenges and opportunities have made us stronger - through fellowship, respect, mutual support and dialog, all based on a belief that unity in Christ involves growth and understanding.

10. American Baptists heed the biblical call to renewal and the need for a vital witness in a new millennium.
As people of faith, American Baptists seek renewal and revitalization. Informed by their history and tradition, motivated by contemporary needs and challenges, and strengthened by God's leading and example and sacrifice of their Savior, American Baptists seek to bring a transforming witness to an uncharted future.

Respect for Differences

This is from Rudy Antle's blog, AntleHope. I found this interesting.

I heard an interview where Catholic author George Weigel discussed what is needed for inter-faith dialogue between Christians and Muslims. See the transcript here. Weigel said:

The prerequisite for serious inter-religious dialogue is a frank acknowledgement of differences. Tolerance does not mean ignoring differences, as if differences don’t make a difference. Tolerance means engaging difference with civility and respect, but with a clear understanding of your own moral values as applied to politics, and why they’re worth defending.

This has relevance in other situations as well: political discussions between Republican and Democrat friends; theology differences between different Christian denominations; policy issues within religions denominations; or in disagreements within a church.

You find “politics’ in every organization, even a church. Good people disagree on deeply held issues. To often, though, we avoid discussing issues where we know there are strong disagreements. We don’t want conflict, and we end up shrinking from true dialogue.

Using Weigel’s formula for serious dialogue above, here are some suggestions for engaging in true dialogue with respect for each other.

· Frankly acknowledge that differences exist. Ignoring them is like trying to cap a volcano.

· Know that differences matter. If you strongly believe something, you don’t want to just be told that it’s OK to disagree and let’s move on. That is effectively saying your beliefs don’t really matter. They matter to you.

· If your beliefs and values matter, you want to defend them--respectfully. In Weigel’s interview he links this defense to reason, not emotion. Reasonable dialogue involves civility and respect; and it seeks to find common values that enable us to live and work together in harmony.

· Respectful and reasonable dialogue means discussing issues, not people. Another author I’ve heard recently said that “refuting” an argument “doesn’t mean reject strongly or angrily. It means to argue successfully against. . . . It involves rational discourse.”

We may differ on various issues, but if we can agree on certain values we can still live together in peace. You may not be able to find peace with everyone (you may want it, but they may not). Even then, Paul’s advice in Romans 12:18 applies, “ If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.” Respect for differences and for each other makes it work.

Why have Revival? Why not Renewal?

These are the words from Rev. Duane Eastman, pastor of First Baptist Church of Lamar, CO. This was printed in the FBC Lamar newsletter The Messenger.

Last year Myrna and I enjoyed a rare Christmas with our grandsons in West Virginia. We never dreamed that we would celebrate Christmas in Lamar in 2007. It's a new experience for us, and that is good! That's because Christmas is about how God comes to us in the new.

There is a lot of talk these days in evangelical churches about revival. When I asked a colleague what he meant by "revival" he responded by expressing a longing for a movement of the Spirit of God as in the days of Jonathan Edwards, Charles Finney, or Billy Graham. Sometimes we long for the "good old days" of the Spirit, as if God is not as powerful now as He was in the past. It is a spiritual nostalgia myth to believe that if we go back to doing things as they were done back then, we will experience the same kind of spiritual awakening, i.e. "the good old days." But for the believer, the good days of the Spirit of God are always right now.

The word "revival" does not appear in the Bible. "Revive," as in "to resuscitate," appears only four times-all Old Testament references. To return to the nostalgic past has never, ever been the way of God. While it is the natural way of mankind it has always been a barrier to our experiencing the new things God is doing. The Israelites failed to see Jesus for who he was, because of nostalgia. They were trapped into seeing the status with God defined by the "good old days" of temple worship, military might of David's throne, and possession of the land. That nostalgic memory blinded them to the vision of God's kingdom and purposes as fulfilled in the church.

In contrast to "revival," the word "new" appears nearly 200 times in the Bible with significant emphasis on concepts such as new hear, new covenant, new people, new way, new teaching, new wine, new wine skins, new commands, new creation, new self, new order, new name, new birth, new heaven, new earth, new song, etc. In Revelation 21:5 is the final proclamation: He who was seated on the throne said, "I am making everything new!" Obviously, to understand the church in the paradigm of the old, as a modern equivalent of ancient Israel, is a critical mistake. in the same way, to try to return the church to what it was in the past is also a mistake. too many things are new. Virtually every facet of our social structure (government, education, community, family, corporate business, etc.) has gone through a major revolution. Accordingly, it seems that instead of praying for "revival" we should be seeking "renewal."

To suggest the use of "renewal" instead of "revival" is more than semantics. It is a critical awareness of the radical nature of the New Covenant initiated by the birth of Christ. He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit (Titus 3:5). Renewal is a return, but not to the forms or formulas of the past. It is a return to daily dependency on the Holy Spirit, who always leads God's people into the realm of the "new mandate." Renewal means that the focus is not on the way things were, but on the humbled hear and transforms it into a heart for God. Renewal means to trust God, not our habits. Renewal means to respond to all situations for a heart that is motivated by love.

It seems appropriate that only a week after we celebrate the birth of the Savior that we enter a new calendar year.

Love lives and thrives on the vibrant, fresh edge of life.

James and I went to a marriage seminar called "Marriage - How to Make a Good One Better" the other day and we really, really liked it. It gave us a lot of valuable information and has made us understand each other so much better.

Rev. Dr. Ray Lincoln was speaker at the seminar. The words that I am going to put here are his, and something I suggest everyone who is married take to heart. I must suggest if you ever have a chance to take one of Dr. Lincoln's seminars, you should do it!

Nutrients to Grow Your Love-
The Way to a Better Relationship
The growing edge of your mind is the exciting frontier of your own world. It is where ideas are born and love is kept fresh and new. So, keep mentally fresh; learn more about yourself, your spouse, your world, and God. Read; study; get informed; explore! Fill your inner life with a lot of joy-passion and/or excitement-and it will change the nature of your outer world, keeping love vibrant. Live on the edge!

Dull people are never good lovers. Dull minds are poor meeting grounds for hungry souls starved by the routine boredom of daily grind. Freshen up the cutting edge of your life. Put some thrill back into living. Do exciting things; explore the vast unknown world out there that holds the power to renew your spirit and your mind. God gave it to us for this very purpose and we pay a price when we neglect to enjoy God's gifts. Love is not an emotion to be protected lest it be lost. It is a living, fragile dynamic to be risked in the thrills and bumps of life.

Grow your life and love; the alternative is deadly! Don't get so caught up in the demands of living and working that life itself passes you by and routine causes you to lose life's sparkle.

Learning is the potent wind of change that blows over our lives stimulating us all to new things - making us fresh and exciting in all we do. Stop learning and the edges of your life begin to shrink and the green leaves turn brown as you fade into a long autumn of diminishing motivation. In this context it is not without meaning that this withering is called "fall." The learning edge of life is where our attention must be focused if we are to achieve a refreshingly exciting love.

One more important thought. Love is a life force. Any life force that is not nurtured and fed with atrophy and die. For loves ultimate health feed it a variety of nutrients.

Those nutrients are:

• Joy
• Hope
• Peace
• Kindness
• Patience
• Understanding
• Longsuffering (This smooths out the rough places. God's health packet contains a supply of it for emergencies)
• Goodness
• Loads of appreciation and love shown in what we do, and always in our words, is dessert for the human spirit.

Other nutrients are found in the Bible!

• 1 Corinthians 13
• Romans 12
• Philippians 4

Keep House for the Lord

“This is what the LORD Almighty says: ‘Give careful thought to your ways. Go up into the mountains and bring down timber and build the house, so that I may take pleasure in it and be honored,’ says the LORD ‘You expected much, but see, it turned out to be little. What you brought home, I blew away. Why?’ declares the LORD Almighty. ‘Because of my house, which remains a ruin, while each of you is busy with his own house.’” Haggai 1:7-9

Housework! I hate the word. Actually, loathe is probably the optimal word. I do not like to dust, vacuum, clean the toilets, or even do the dishes. But, like I told my sister the other day, I do the housework because it keeps everyone happy. I notice that things go so much smoother around my house when it is clean. My husband comes home happy and we can go out, have fun on a Saturday, instead of doing the work that I should have done during the week.

My piano students even notice when I don’t clean the house. They are five and seven years old and if I haven’t dusted in a week, or two, they point out that the piano feels funny (aka dusty). My student last night was even drawing pictures in the dust when I went to answer the phone. I was so embarrassed. I wanted a do-over. I wanted to be able to dust and get my house cleaned before they came over. But, I did not spend my time wisely, and the housework went undone.
Do you ever wonder what God thinks of your house? Is it pleasing to the Lord’s eye? Does it have too much “stuff” that you never use? Could that “stuff” be given to someone who has never had something like it? Or, is your house falling apart? Do you keep the floors, walls, ceilings clean and void of cracks and holes?

Have you thought about your church in the same way that you think about your own house? Your church should be God’s house. Does the Lord’s house get the same respect as your own?
This past Sunday, November 11, 2007, was Stewardship Sunday around the ABCUSA. Many people spent the month prior to Sunday thinking and praying about what they can do and give to their church to keep it running and out of debt. Then they made pledges and gave what they could to their church. According to ABCUSA General Secretary Roy Medley, United Mission (UM) giving is leveling off from its sharp decline, but is not near stopping in its decline. Giving in the local church usually, but not always, reflects the UM giving.

If you decided to give to your church in this next year, did you do it with the idea in mind that your church is God’s house? I know that if I, and all others in my church, gave comparably as much to God’s house as we spent on our own houses, in “housework” and in money, our church would not lack funds or workers for special projects and other “housekeeping.” I know very few people who actually like doing housework, but I do know that not enough people pitch in to do the housework for God.

Take time to speak to the Lord. Listen to what the needs are for the house in which God lives. It may not be money; it may be volunteering to teach, filling in for a sick janitor, or helping repair a leak in the roof. Whatever it may be, take time to do God’s house work. Take pride in where the Lord lives. Don’t let God’s house become something less than your own house. The care you put into the house of God will translate to visitors as care for the members and people of the church.

Prayer: Lord, help us to listen for the call for help. We know You take pride in Your house and Your people, so help us do the same. In your precious name, Amen.

A must read!

Any Christian should go and read this blog. Make sure you have a tissue in your hand.
http://www.challies.com/archives/articles/dr-criswell-longtime-pastor-of.php.

Bad News and Good News

Good news and bad news. I will start with the bad news first. My mom told me on Wednesday that my Grandpa Dickey was diagnosed with prostate cancer. Since he is over 70 they will not operate. He will be going to Sioux Falls to where my aunt Donna is a nurse and works in the hospital, to get a second opinion, just to make sure. I hope that you will keep my family and Grandpa in your prayers. It is much needed at this time!

Now, for the good news. I have been in Grand Junction all week long, and it has been wonderful. I really think I know what I am supposed to do for this time in my life. I am going to stay right where I am and enjoy working in a job I love!

Wednesday evening and all of Thursday we went through a workshop called Healthy Congregations. I was a lot of information thrown at me at one time. I don’t know how much if it I will be able to put into practice at my church but I guess I will work on it. The whole premise of the workshop is to create a congregation that is “healthy.” This does not necessarily mean that it has to grow, but it is a way for conflict and all that to be dealt with on a civilized and Christian basis.

One of the main points was that each person in a congregation should focus on improving self, and when one does that, it in turn will help improve the whole. For example, most churches will experience a time of high anxiety from time to time. This anxiety can come from many sources. Such sources can be positive or negative; losing members, losing a long time pastor, money problems, issues involving sex/sexuality, staff conflicts, growth, worship styles, etc. These factors can contribute to the whole becoming anxious and possibly arguing, and even eventually dividing.

This does not have to happen though. A church can work through these anxious times and be a healthy church. Like I said at the beginning of the last paragraph, each person needs to focus on improving themselves, and in turn the whole will be better. This example was set by Jesus himself. If you look at the story of Jesus, he taught (Matthew 22, Mark 4, Luke 6, etc) and was a leader (Mark 1, John 6, John 10, etc) for the people. However, he took time to got to the mountain and pray and get away to reflect. He made time to reconnect with God and make sure he was focused on God’s will (Mark 6:30-33, Luke 4, Luke 22:39).

I must cut this short, but I really feel that this, if put into practice, can help any church. I have to finish this for now, but I will write more tomorrow on the rest of the Gathering.