Alpha is Coming

A moment ago I sent this email to all the email addresses on our church system... I want to make sure no one is left out so I'm putting it here too.

Sisters and Brothers in Christ in the Dassel-Cokato area!

Come to the ALPHA CELEBRATION DINNER Sunday, September 27, 2009, 5:00 p.m., and BRING FRIENDS!

Hundreds of our neighbors and co-workers need signs of God's love to get them through the weeks and months to come. They need to know that they are treasured by God and by others.

Alpha is a proven way of sharing that love.

Alpha needs your support now.

• Please give a financial gift to the "Alpha Fund" here at Evangelical Lutheran Church. About $3,000 in special gifts is needed to make Alpha possible. Just write "Alpha Fund" on the memo of your check or on your envelope.

• Please personally invite and bring friends and neighbors to the Alpha celebration dinner - and attend yourself - Sunday evening, September 27, 5:00 p.m. Personal invitations are THE way of beginning the process of godly change in the lives of those we love. We have some invitations available for you to send to friends. Let us know how many you want.

• Please consider how the Lord is calling you to personally participate this fall -- on the prayer team, in the children's program, as a group leader or helper, or in the ever-popular kitchen.

Alpha has taught me so much. I have learned that when God calls and when we leap in, God blesses us with spiritual strength that expands beyond Alpha to the rest of our lives.

If you have participated in the past, please come again. Every time I hear the teachings, participate with the leaders and the guests, go on retreat, I find God at work blessing and changing my life and others lives.

None of us are yet what God wants us to be. All of us in Alpha continue to need God's guidance, grace and mercy - please come and join with all the *imperfect people* who gather around our *perfectly loving God*.

Please don't wait another week to pray, to act, to give, to invite. Please don’t wait to find a perfect program with perfect people. You won't find it this side of heaven. Alpha is the best way at our church to share God's love with the world.

If you want to know more about what Alpha is about, go to http://www.alphausa.org/ or call us!

If you have any interest in blessing individuals and families this fall, I'd ask that you'd contact our wonderfully willing Alpha administrator, Veda Davis, at 320-286-5429 or vdavis@broadband-mn.com or the church office at 320-286-5964. You can also email me at sthorson@elchome.net. You will really help us if you'll respond to this note...

Sincerely yours in Christ,

Pastor Steve Thorson

Evangelical Lutheran Church, Cokato, MN
280 3rd St. SE, P.O. Box 448
Cokato, MN 55321

cell 763-291-3499
church office 320-286-5964
home 320-286-6169
www.equalsharing.com

I will very gladly spend and be spent for your souls. Second Corinthians 12:15

PoWeRSuRGe – the way forward
Pray Every Day
Worship Every Week
Read & Study the Bible
Serve at and beyond Evangelical Lutheran Church
Relate with Others for Spiritual Growth
Give Generously as God has first given to you

If you're not in the Dassel-Cokato area, please keep us in prayer.

Vision Raising Result 02

APPRECIATION FOR "AT CHURCH" MINISTRIES

On Sunday over 200 members and friends of our church returned forms related to our Vision Raising program. Many filled out the "time and talent" section on the back. Special thanks to the 60-70 who included answers to the questions on the front of the form...

Here are answers to the first question: What do you appreciate about our "at church" ministries. These include + ALPHA, SUNDAY SCHOOL AND OTHER EDUCATION, + FELLOWSHIP, + MEN'S & WOMEN'S PROGRAMS, + WORSHIP & MUSIC, and + YOUTH MINISTRY. We'll be considering outreach ministries beyond our church building on Oct. 12.

• Alpha - a closer relationship with our Lord & family & friends
• Alpha - appreciated videps & small groups & getting to know those small group members on a deeper closer level
• Alpha - Awesome
• Alpha - the community building
• Alpha and other programs help us understand and grow as persons & congregationAlpha led me to become a Christian
• Alpha showed me many ways to talk & pray to God. I learned a lot about myself & what type of relationship I want with God.
• Our "at church" ministries provide, and I appreciate... an opportunity to work with others for the glory of God.
• Availability for generations - youth to elderly
• Bible study
• Brings people together
• broad availability of different opportunities
• Chances for parents of young children to worship as a family and get support from other families.
• Choir - All Music - 1st & 2nd services
• Choirs & music at all services
• Christian friends worshiping, singing, praying, working
• Coffee Hour
• Easter & Christmas fruit baskets - touching lives
• everything (x2)
• Fellowship
• God's call to those of us that serve in those areas - I say Praise Him!
• growing as a Christian
• Growing in faith by plugging in and letting the Holy Spirit flow through the work
• Helps me grow spiritually
• I appreciate WELCA - the care packages they send college students are a wonderful idea!
• I am grateful for our youth ministry - our youth is our future
• I appreciate music through singing in choirI appreciate that there are many/varied ministries available
• I appreciate the women's work - quilters
• I especially enjoy the 2nd service worship service with all the music
• I have seen growth both personally and in congregation with the programs when we seemed stagnant for awhile
• I love Alpha!
• I love proclaim - they add a lot to our worship service
• I love the worship & music.
• I really enjoy the energy that is being put into our youth program. The 11:00 service is wonderful, open, friendly and full of fellowship!
• If everyone would do one thing listed on the other side, it would be wonderful and not a burden to any one person.
• It is important to act intentionally & purposefully to mentor youth, worship & welcome new members to our church. These ministries are good vehicles to practice these actions.
• Listening to music at 2nd service - worship team
• many opportunities
• many opportunities for all
• many opportunities to be involved
• Meeting new people
• Men's & Women's programs keep the glue together
  
• Music - music is like a thread that weaves us all together as a body - brings us closer together
• Music is the breath of God's Soul
• Music is uplifting.
• Nate is doing a great job
• Nate's work with youth
• nothing is forced
• Open to new ideas, new people
• Opportunities for all ages/talents
• Opportunity to stay closer to members.
• Our children are our future. The more we can encourage and mentor them the stronger they will be.
• Provides and education for our children
• Quilting - meeting the needs of others
• something in my life seems to fit with it
• Sunday School & other education is vital
• Sunday worship to recharge energy & interest in projects.
• That the kids are very encouraged to bring friends for all the events, not just the "fun nights"
• that the people learn about God
• The fellowship of other Christians
• The reach we obtain through these programs
• The refreshing of common place Bible scriptures in a weekly venue.
• The worship & music
• The youth ministry has helped lead our children to God and Jesus Christ
• There is something for nearly everyone. They all enhance our walk with God and our worship experience.
• There is variety. I appreciate the people who continue to be involved and keep these programs energized
• they all add spiritual growth to our church family
• They all help with the community
• They are all needed.
• they help bring us closer to God
• they help us when in need
• They include everyone of all ages
• They reach out to our church family
• Together these ministries help each individual member grow spiritually
• Volunteerism and devotion of our members
• We appreciate each one and will uphold them in prayer...
• Well run, organized, uplifting
• Worship - great - love the proclaim band.
• 11:00 worship - Proclaim, sermon. I feel this service is more closeness to others. Fellowship afterward. Feel more united with others.
• a good variety offered to fit many needs/schedules
• Youth Ministry involved & love it
• youth ministry is strong, always been important to our church
• Youth programs get young people involved in church programs.
  

YOU CAN STILL TURN IN YOUR VISION RAISING FORM for Oct. 5 related to our "IN CHURCH" ministries. Pick one up from the church office or click here to download it (2 pages, pdf file). See the "Vision Raising" link at the top right of this blog under "More Stuff and Announcements" to see what we're doing this week and next. Thanks!

The Church at its Best

I'm sitting down in the church library with eleven others who are getting ready to be the leaders for Alpha. The group prayed for me because I have a pulled muscle, and I've been diagnosed with the beginning of glaucoma. Being prayed for is a humbling and powerful experience that I hope all of us have often! We all "stand in the need of prayer."

I'm not the leader of Alpha. The model for Alpha isn't teacher-student, but, instead, it's intended to let people honestly share together. Having a pastor present tends to be quite intimidating for some. So, instead of being in on the small group discussions, I stay more in the background until the Alpha retreat. There I take on a teaching role. During the rest of the time I make myself available, especially to the leaders, as a helper.

I love Alpha partly because I get to do what I believe I am called to do, that is, to equip and help others to lead. It's a great model of the church at its best.

Fortunately we have lots of things at our church that have that work that way: Quilting, for example, which was canceled this morning because of the cold; Faithfully Fit Forever, which was going on until an hour ago out in the sheep shack; the small groups in our Youth Discipleship Training; the Men's and Women's Bible study groups. I want to always be available for questions, and I love to share what I know, but if I'm always there for every group, how will people get a chance to practice their own Christian leadership? It's often better for me to be in the background.

I hope everyone in our church will get involved beyond Sunday morning worship. Large group gatherings require leadership from someone who is specifically trained, so that will never be "the church at its best." The church at its best is always people who know each other, talk together, pray together, and share their lives. I get a little picture of that at Alpha.

You can still come to Alpha Sunday evening this week. It's not too late. Bring a friend and come at 5:00 for supper. If you want, call the church office and let us know you're coming, but you can just come on the spur of the moment if you want.

Just Noise?

Note added Saturday noon: Yesterday someone asked what prompted me to be writing this post about Spiritual Gifts. Usually I let you know but this time I didn't. Here's the answer: We have our Alpha "Holy Spirit" retreat coming up soon, and I was also thinking about the Holy Spirit in connection with our Wednesday teaching of youth. My "introduction" got lost in the editing... Part of it ended up being put on a page dedicated to "Alpha" -- see link under church stuff at right. So it goes with blogging... I appreciate your comments, whether in person or otherwise.

Here's what I wrote Thursday -- with a few tweaks...

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Speaking in Tongues!
Miraculous Healings!
Prophecies and "Words of Knowledge!"

What are these things? What are we to think about them? Are they gifts from God or emotions running wild? Many Christians have experienced the Lord's power in these ways. Are some of us missing out?

Some of the best teaching on the Holy Spirit that I've heard is from Nicky Gumbel. Nicky is the speaker for Alpha, "a practical introduction to the Christian faith." Alpha covers many topics (see link under "church stuff"...) that I appreciate. One of the things he does extremely well is to teach about the Holy Spirit. In those teachings he leads us from the Holy Spirit's work in creation, through Old Testament prophets to Jesus and the work of the Spirit in our lives today. It's in connection with those teachings that we encounter "speaking in tongues" and the rest.

Nicky has experienced the more miraculous "spiritual gifts" in his own life and ministry but he doesn't insist that we need to have those same experiences. I think he does a pretty good job--and his British accent, humor and stories keep us interested in what he has to say. On the retreat, however, I do find it good to tweak or nudge us back to what I think are the basics of the Spirit -- the simple faith, hope and love taught in First Corinthians 13.

Speaking in tongues, miraculous healings and prophetic "words of knowledge" haven't been on center stage for most Lutherans. In fact, as Nicky says, we (and his "Anglican" denomination) sometimes forget about the Holy Spirit. That doesn't mean the Holy Spirit isn't alive and active in our midst! Wherever people trust in Jesus for salvation, the Holy Spirit, in its full biblical sense, is at work! Nicky does a good job reminding us of that in his Alpha course.

At our church, many of us first learn about the Holy Spirit as young people. We're beginning a unit (with a long break for Lent) on the Holy Spirit in our grade 7-9 Youth Discipleship Training. Just like in Alpha, we are taught about the Holy Spirit's work in creation, in the prophets, in Jesus Christ and in our lives today. But we don't tend to put a lot of emphasis on things that will immediately seem supernatural. We do mention "gifts of the spirit," but we don't focus there for long.

Here are the basic teachings we learn about the Holy Spirit in Martin Luther's Small Catechism:

1. The Holy Spirit calls us, one by one, to faith in Christ. He does this as the Love of God is expressed in the Gospel in Word and Sacraments. The Holy Spirit also uses the sufferings of this life, blessings and the example of others to get my attention. We respond, one by one, to the call of the Holy Spirit by repenting of sins and trusting Jesus as Savior.
2. The Holy Spirit enlightens. Through hearing God's Word, the Holy Spirit helps me see my sinfulness and to believe that Jesus is my Savior. I need that enlightenment because by my own reason I am unable to truly know God or the things that He has done or said in his Word.
   
3. The Holy Spirit gathers us into the whole Christian church when he calls us one by one into fellowship with Christ and makes us into one family before God. The "gifts of the Spirit" are given so that the members of the church, like the parts of a body, may work together for good.
   
4. The Holy Spirit sanctifies, renewing me through the Word and Sacraments so I am follow Jesus as a disciple and live in the way God intended in the beginning. This life long process is shown as love grows for God and others, as I find myself wanting to live as God wants me to, striving against the devil, the world, and my own sinful human nature.
5. The Holy Spirit preserves me when, through the Word of God and the Lord's Supper, He feeds and strengthens my spiritual life, giving me instruction, guidance, correction and comfort, keeping me in God's grace.

Why don't we have all our youth speaking in tongues, doing miraculous healings and giving prophetic "words of knowledge" to their friends? What we do might seem kind of boring! Are we missing something? Maybe so, but I will say this: It's in the practical every day lives of people who love and care for their neighbors that the most precious gifts are shared. Our church is amazing in practical and spiritual acts of love. I've never been part of a more caring and prayerful church.

Yes, the Holy Spirit is alive and well in our midst--and not only at Alpha! We can and will expand our understandings. We can and will learn, and experience, more of the supernatural--especially through PRAYER. Nicky Gumbel's faithful teachings can help us. But, the basics of the Holy Spirit's work is already here: faith, hope and love. And, without those, without love, any gifts, supernatural or not, are just noise.

God's Sure Promise for You

I'm back in the office after Betty Dahlin's funeral, thinking about the second coming of Jesus. Betty is my wife Toni's dad's cousin's wife. Try to untangle that relationship! But, mostly, Betty and Toni are sisters in Jesus, even through they are part of different church families. (the funeral was over at Elim Mission Church, a couple blocks from here.)

In the end, what matters is our Lord's love for us and our need to receive that love. Those who have come to know the goodness of God through the life, death and resurrection of our Lord can trust Jesus to meet us at the end, whether at the end of our own personal life, or at the end of time. If you do not yet know our Lord personally, speak with him in prayer and ask him to come and give you the assurance of his love.

If you have questions about the truth of God's Word, do some investigating. One way to do that is through Alpha. Come to Alpha this weekend on Sunday evening. This season of Alpha is open to whoever wants to attend on a week by week basis. We will meet for potluck at 5:00, see the teaching video – this week “Who is Jesus?” – and then have a flexible time of conversation and prayer. We’ll be done by about 7:30. Whether or not you have attended Alpha in the past, this season of Alpha is open for you. If you have questions or comments, please call me 763-291-3499.

Jesus died for you on the cross and rose to give you hope. Don't let Jesus' work for you go to waste. Receive him today in prayer. Come Sunday morning to celebrate his love--or come Sunday evening to get some questions answered.

Just like the scriptures foretold the first coming of the Lord Jesus, so we can trust them as they tell us of his coming in glory. God's promises are sure. When we know them, we can live securely and without fear.

Here's a scripture from First Thessalonians 4:13-5:11 that was used today at Betty's funeral:

^4:13And now, dear brothers and sisters, we want you to know what will happen to the believers who have died so you will not grieve like people who have no hope. ¹⁴For since we believe that Jesus died and was raised to life again, we also believe that when Jesus returns, God will bring back with him the believers who have died.

¹⁵We tell you this directly from the Lord: We who are still living when the Lord returns will not meet him ahead of those who have died. ¹⁶For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the Christians who have died will rise from their graves. ¹⁷Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever. ¹⁸So encourage each other with these words.

^5:1Now concerning how and when all this will happen, dear brothers and sisters, we don’t really need to write you. ²For you know quite well that the day of the Lord’s return will come unexpectedly, like a thief in the night. ³When people are saying, “Everything is peaceful and secure,” then disaster will fall on them as suddenly as a pregnant woman’s labor pains begin. And there will be no escape.

⁴But you aren’t in the dark about these things, dear brothers and sisters, and you won’t be surprised when the day of the Lord comes like a thief. ⁵For you are all children of the light and of the day; we don’t belong to darkness and night. ⁶So be on your guard, not asleep like the others. Stay alert and be clearheaded. ⁷Night is the time when people sleep and drinkers get drunk. 8But let us who live in the light be clearheaded, protected by the armor of faith and love, and wearing as our helmet the confidence of our salvation.

⁹For God chose to save us through our Lord Jesus Christ, not to pour out his anger on us. ¹⁰Christ died for us so that, whether we are dead or alive when he returns, we can live with him forever. ¹¹So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing. (New Living Translation)

In the end, the king -- King Jesus -- he will come! Praise God! He's coming for me -- and for you.

www.equalsharing.com

Beauty and Joy in the Real World

It's been awhile since I've written!

• On Thursday evening of last week we went to the dress rehearsal of the musical "Honk!" "Honk!" is the story of the ugly duckling. Though the focus is on outward beauty, I couldn't help but think about how often we all go along with the crowd to lable and misjudge those who are different. The story is from Hans Christian Anderson and may be autobiographical.
  
• On Friday I heard a wonderful sermon from Craig Lundstad-Vogt at a funeral for James Goetz, former pastor of the church in Taylors Falls. Pastor Craig's message was based on the scripture from Romans 10:8b-17. He said Pastor Jim had "beautiful feet" because he brought the message of salvation from God's word to help people trust in the one Savior of the world, Jesus Christ. Though Jim's physical feet may have been ugly, and though he was a sinner through and through (just like me), bringing the good news of Jesus' love made his life beautiful.
  
• I spent Friday evening and most of Saturday with gorgeous people (in the sense of the above) at the Alpha retreat at Green Lake Bible Camp. About 20 first time participants joined about 10 leaders and helpers in sharing the beauty of God's Word and the healing Joy of the Holy Spirit. I am very thankful for Alpha and all those who make it possible in our church. Lives have been, and are being, transformed.
• On Sunday I shared two versions of a sermon I called "God is in Business" based on readings from Zephaniah, First Thessalonians and Matthew. God promises joy when we use everything God has given us for his saving purpose, multiplying God's investment in each of us to bring many others to the Lord. This in spite of the fact that God speaks harshly when we try to keep God out of what we think of as "our" business. God meddles in every part of our lives because of his great love. He wants us to share his joy!
• On Monday we met for our so called "large staff meeting." We always begin with a scripture based thoughts and prayer. This week intern Paul Gustafson read an item from the Lutheran Digest called "Welcoming the 'Strangers' In Your Life." In the article Jan Johnson mentioned a "three minute guideline": For three minutes after worship we were asked to talk to people we didn't know. Jan concludes her article by saying: "No doubt Jesus knew how awkward [paying attention to others] would be for us, so He gave us this tip, to see Him in the eyes of every stranger... (Matthew 25:31-35)." That's beautiful too!

Here's how I'd summarize the last few days: If we're looking for beauty and joy in this challenging life, we will find it as we follow our Lord!

I hope to see many of you in the coming days. Tonight our church council meets. Tomorrow evening at YDT we'll learn the amazing risk God took to save sinners by coming to live with them. We have a wedding at church on Saturday. Sunday we celebrate Christ the King. It's all challenging yes, but, as we follow our Lord each day, joy and beauty will be ours.

Any Ideas?

If there are topics you'd like to see mentioned on this blog, please comment, email or phone.
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Two suggestions received during the day today - I got an email from someone asking about the upcoming Alpha program; and Mike asked about the Truth Project in a comment. Our church's Alpha begins with a Celebration Dinner on Sunday, September 28. I'll try to get more info and put it in my announcements (see link at right). For more on the Truth Project, see my reply to Mike in the comments. (This paragraph added 10:30 p.m.)

Questions 2 & 3

My letter to the editor of the Enterprise-Dispatch comes out this morning.  It's another version of what I wrote here at my post "Replies to Bishop Chilstrom."  (The former presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America's letter "Questions for those Leaving the ELCA" was published locally on Oct. 4.)

In my response published today, Oct. 18, I answer Bishop Chilstrom's first question "What is it about sex that pushed you over the edge?" by saying "It's not all about sex."

Bishop Chilstrom's second question is "Why are you organizing new churches?"  He then says there are several other Lutheran denominations and "Surely there must be one among them that would welcome you."  He goes on to say "I suspect the only reason is because none of them ordain women... Why not drop your insistence on the ordination of women for the sake of unity with some existing church body?"

Go to my post of Sep. 2, 2009 entitled "Biblical Equality" for a bit on that subject.  Women's equality is supported in the Bible.  No such Biblical authority supports homosexual sexual activity.  Many excellent articles are the Christians for Biblical Equality website including one entitled "Does Belief in Women's Equality Lead to an Acceptance of Homosexual Practice?" by Catherine Clark Kroeger.  If we "give up" women's equality for the sake of church unity we are not being true to the Bible.

Another reason other churches are being formed is because many of the more conservative Lutheran groups listed in Chilstrom's letter do not look kindly on the full exercise of spiritual gifts.  The Alpha course, for example, and some forms of prayer ministry much needed for the healing and care of the spiritually, emotionally and physically wounded, are not welcomed in many Lutheran churches.  Do a search for "Alpha" or go to "Sozo" on this blog for more on that.  Besides that, some Lutheran church bodies are much too restrictive and formal for those of us who believe God often works in ways that are not scripted or pastor-led.  Check out Testify to the Lord and Tracing New History for examples of how the new wave of spiritual growth has a hard time being contained in the "wineskins" of traditional Lutheran church bodies.  Jesus said new wine needs fresh "wineskins" (See Matthew 9:17).

Bishop Chilstrom's third question: "What will you say to your sons and daughters, sisters and brothers and others in your churches when they tell you they are homosexual?"   That is a very important question and one that we are just beginning to answer.  The book unChristian has a chapter that explores how harmful Christian attitudes can be.  That chapter begins and ends with more questions than answers.  We must treat all people with love and respect--but, if they are pushing an agenda which stands against God's Word, then we must stand against that.  We must understand how complex and difficult this is.  We must teach the truth about God's plan--that God blesses only the male-female union with the potential for new life... but, we must welcome homosexuals into our churches with open arms.

I know of no other issue that is more painful and more difficult than this.  If a son or daughter of mine, a sister or brother or any relative or dear friend is homosexual, I cannot reject them.  I must follow Jesus heart and reach out in love and accept them as I have been accepted.   I must welcome and love and care.  And I must speak the truth in love--homosexual sexual behavior is not a part of God's perfect plan.  It falls short.  It is in the category with all the fallen and broken thoughts, words and deeds that are not pleasing to God.  But God loves every homosexual and somehow they must know that if they are going to come to the Lord and receive his forgiving and convicting love.

It's not easy and I don't have it all figured out, that's for sure.  Perhaps over time we will learn how to integrate Biblical compassion and Biblical sexual standards in a way that works for the salvation of all who the Lord loves so much.  Maybe we just need to spend way more time in prayer than in talk.

I call this blog "Sharing Ministry and Faith" because I believe that's what we do, we share.  There is one who is above all of us, and that One--God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit--that One has given us his Word--in Jesus, in the sharing of the Gospel, and in the Scriptures--as a lamp and a light to our path through this difficult and painful world. 

Whatever we do, the Word of God and the Message of Jesus' sacrificial love for sinners must shine above all. 

Let's share what the Lord is speaking to us and stumble together, often just barely seeing one step ahead... let us stumble together with much prayer toward the future God has promised and prepared.  In spite of all our failings, we can trust him to get us there as we rely on his Word.

www.equalsharing.com

What about Evangelism?

On Wednesday, at suppertime, a "sister" in Christ emailed me a comment about the draft of this coming Sunday's Vision Raising response form. (You can get a download a copy (2 pages, pdf), by clicking here.) She wondered where "Evangelism" was. After all, it wasn't listed with the other ways we work in the world. We listed the following, but not "Evangelism."

+ Befriending +

+ Corn Carnival +

+ Global Mission +
+ Outreach +

+ Social Ministry+

+ Wider Church+

I responded to that note by giving an example of Evangelism in action, about how one woman has invited people from her business to Alpha. I've been giving it more thought since then, and I realize that all of the things in the list above are actually ways of Evangelizing, that is, helping people to know Jesus and thereby be saved.

Under the category of "outreach," for example, we INVITE people to church events. When we do that, we are doing what Jesus tells us to do in the gospel for this coming Sunday: Go therefore into the streets and invite everyone you find... Matthew 22:9

Last Sunday we looked at what God calls us to do "AT CHURCH," that is, on the piece of ground donated to us by our spiritual ancestors here in Cokato.On our piece of ground we learn and grow through

+ Alpha & Sunday School +

+ Fellowship +

+ Men's & Women's Programs +

+ Worship & Music+

+ Youth Ministry+

This weekend, on Sunday, we will hear God's call to go out from here through (and I repeat!)

+ Befriending +

+ Corn Carnival +

+ Global Mission +
+ Outreach +

+ Social Ministry+

+ Wider Church+

I believe each and every one of those is evangelism. Yes, we also talk with our friends and neighbors about Jesus out there, in our neighborhoods. But that, I think, is just part of being an every day Christ follower. Unless we keep silent, each and every one of our activities will help people get to know Jesus Christ.

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There's an interesting discussion/article on "Evangelism" on Wikipedia.

How God Leads

Do you have a decision to make? Is today or tomorrow an important one in your life's journey? Every day that's true, but perhaps, like me, you have something important to decide soon.

God will guide us when we sincerely ask him, and when we are ready to listen, when we give up our stubbornness and are ready, no matter what, to do what God says.

God promises, when we want do do so, we will be able to hear his voice. God's voice is heard sometimes in preaching and teaching, but sometimes with a sort of spiritual sense. To know, however, what is God's voice and what is just our own idea, or the pressures of the world, we need help! And God is ready to help when we are ready to hear!

I'm downstairs at church listening to Nicky Gumbel teach on the topic of God's Guidance. Nicky is helpfully summarizing the way God guides us by five "C.S."s...** These are listed below in priority order. If you feel like doing something, for example, that in contradiction to God's clear commands in scripture, it is not God's Will.

How God Guides Us
The Five "C.S."s

1. Commanding Scripture - some decisions are decided because of what we learn in the ten commandments and in the commandments of Jesus (see particularly the sermon on the mount). God will not guide you in contradiction to the core commands of his Word.
   
2. Compelling Spirit - When we are in close contact with God's Word and God's People, the Lord will be at work within us and among us, pushing us, changing us so we desire to do what God wants.
   
3. Common Sense - Think about it. Weigh positives and negatives. Don't be stupid. John Stott said "God's promises of guidance were not given to save us the trouble of thinking."
   
4. Counsel of the Saints (that is, other Christians, especially those who are experienced, older or trusted with leadership) - The wise listen to advice from those they respect. We are almost never to make an important decision all alone, or with "God as one's only friend."
   
5. Circumstantial Signs - the so called "coincidences" that God puts in our path. Examples in Acts 16:7 and 1 Cor 16:19. All things work together for good with those who love the Lord (Rom 8:28).
   

Please pray tonight and in the next few days that those facing significant choices will be led by the Lord, and will step out in faith to do what He wants.
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**These five points are a very brief summary of Nicky's Bible based Christ-centered teaching. To learn more, come to Alpha, or ask to borrow an Alpha DVD or a book. You'll be glad you did.

Capsized and Adrift

The promise of God is bigger than our experience. The promise is good even when we don't think it is. God's promise does not depend on us.

This week we've been following the story of Nick Schuyler, who managed to cling the engine of his overturned fishing boat. He was rescued. But his three friends (Marquis Cooper, Will Bleakley & Corey Smith) were nowhere to be found.

On Sunday evening, in my absence, the Lord worked among the members of the Alpha leadership team to renew people's faith, hope and love. Email testimonies were shared yesterday. Other people in our church and community, however, are still feeling lost.

It's good to be rescued in this life. It's good to have our spiritual lives and "feelings" restored. But does God love us less when we are still lost or still down in the dumps?

The cross lets us know otherwise. Many times we do not feel like we are going to be safe or saved. Fortunately, however, God's promise does not depend on us. It is trustworthy forever.

Our Lord wants to gather, week after week, to remind us of his love so we do know ourselves to be loved and not forgotten. As God's love is shared in our midst, many of us will feel better... and that's good. But even if we still feel lost, God's promise is still good!

Sometimes, all we can do is cling to the promise. Sometimes that's all we've got.

Look at this wonderful blog post from Will Vaus (click colored words). He talks about how our spiritual life is like a train, with faith and feeling following the "engine," the great FACT of God's love.

I hope you'll read what he has to say. He concludes by saying:

The Gospel of Jesus Christ is unchanging, regardless of my faith or my feelings or even my knowledge about it. That Gospel is the engine which pulls my little life along, even when my faith is minuscule and my feelings constantly want to jump the track in one direction or another.

"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever." Hebrews 13:8

Hallelujah! Amen.

I hope you will know God's love through the cross of Christ for you. I hope you will be lifted up through that great gift so you do not feel lost. But even if you do feel lost today or tonight, God will always be there for you. He will never abandon you.

The Psalm for this coming Sunday (Psalm 22) shows this very clearly. The cry of Jesus on the cross echoes the cries of so many in this world. But God's promise remains secure:

They shall come and make known to a people yet unborn
the saving deeds that he has done.

It's God's promise we can trust. We can rely on the fact that he died and rose again for sinners like you and me--even when our feelings and even our faith go up and down like a ship, capsized and adrift on a stormy sea.

God's Will Be Done

A part of our Lord's Revelation to John the Apostle that we'll be reading at worship tomorrow morning:

21 ¹Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. ² And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. ³ And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “See, the home of God is among mortals. He will dwell with them as their God; they will be his peoples, and God himself will be with them; ⁴ he will wipe every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; mourning and crying and pain will be no more, for the former things have passed away.” ⁵ And the one who was seated on the throne said, “See, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this, for these words are trustworthy and true.” ⁶ Then he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give water as a gift from the spring of the water of life.

What does that mean?  There is a lot that can be said.  But, just to whet your appetite, here's part of a commentary by Brian Peterson, Professor of New Testament at Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary, Columbia, SC:

God will wipe away every tear (verse 4a). This is surely one of the most moving images in scripture. The connection to the former things passing away (verse 4b) is crucial here. The promise is not only that God will wipe away any tears that might happen to linger on our cheeks after that Last Day, but that God will reach back through time to wipe away all the pained tears ever shed.

God will not just comfort us and help us to forget the bad things, but God will redeem the whole sorry story of human history. This is part of the deep hope of apocalyptic texts: salvation cannot come for me, in its full sense, as long as the terrible effects of my sins continue to ripple through the world... The promise here is that the chain reaction of human sin will be ended, and all the tears will be wiped away. The tears that God must wipe away are not only the tears we shed, but also the tears we cause.

We do not need to wait until we get to heaven.  The time for deliverance is now!  Lift up a suffering friend or family member to the Lord tonight!  If you can, go to them with others that care.  Gently touch their heads or shoulders and pray that they will know how precious they are in God's eyes.  Pray God's best now.  And keep praying.  This is God's will, made possible when Jesus took our all our sins to his cross and rose victorious to give us a new life.

Will you pray with me?

Father God, come and begin wiping tears now through your precious promises.  Through your Holy Spirit, come and do your work.  Your will be done on earth as in heaven. Bring suffering ones we name before you out of the scarred past and into the light of your presence now.  Give them a glimpse of your forever and ever love.  Begin and continue and complete your healing work. In Jesus' name.

www.equalsharing.com

REAL

When people are done working for the day, they usually want to loosen up. A friend of mine told me recently that he used to loosen up by drinking. He said,

"I've always been a pretty serious person. It was fun to lose inhibitions and do and say certain things that I wouldn't do while sober. Unfortunately, the things I did and said while drunk were almost always the source of later shame and regret. Eventually, the pain associated with drinking overtook the fun -- but it took 20 years to realize it."

You may or may not agree with me, but I like to have a beer every now and then. But I don't need a drink to loosen up. Hopefully I can be loose and fun and full of God's Spirit at the same time.

God's Spirit can do some of the same things as alcohol! When the Holy Spirit first came down some of the people thought they were drunk. Besides getting happy, the Holy Spirit gives you a great group of people in your life, and, instead of forgetting about what bothers, the Holy Spirit brings healing and real joy.

"Do not get drunk with wine," we read in Ephesians 5:18, but "be filled with the Spirit." Jesus was made wine (from water!), partied and drank--i'm sure in moderation--so we can't say we must stay away entirely from alcohol (unless, that is, it's illegal or a problem for you).

But, because of what our Lord Jesus has done for us, giving us forgiveness and a forever family of friends, the Holy Spirit fills us with joy that is not false, that does not cost money, that children and youth and elders and AA members can participate in. No one needs to be left out.

Besides that, it connects us with the Truth. Unlike alcohol and drugs that can make us feel more fun than we are, more handsome or beautiful than we are, the spirit of God can make us ACTUALLY more beautiful, smarter, funnier... Ask the folks who participate in Alpha or the Prayer School to give you examples!

I think, as a church, we should do what we can to loosen up, to be more fun and less judgmental. And, when people think we're crazy or too much fun to be Christians, don't take offense... just say, like Peter did in Acts 2:14 and following...

“Men of Judea and all who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen to what I say. Indeed, these are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only nine o'clock in the morning. No, this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel:

‘In the last days it will be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams. Even upon my slaves, both men and women, in those days I will pour out my Spirit; and they shall prophesy.’

To "prophesy" means to speak the truth from God. The joy that the Lord gives is REAL, authentic. It demands honesty. But, when we know how much we're truly loved by God, we can be honest and JOYFUL, even at work!

Hope to see you in church--let's see if a smile won't come to your face and a bounce in your step... and maybe someone will think you're just a bit tipsy in the Lord.

Healing

Tomorrow evening there will be an opportunity for people to receive the love of God through personal prayer for healing. Everyone is invited. Christian healing is intimately connected with the forgiveness of sins. The road to healing often passes through repentance, so come ready for self-examination. We pray to allow our Lord to give the kind of healing He chooses, whether it is physical or in terms of relationships, and how he chooses, whether directly through a miracle or indirectly through medicine, counseling or whatever. We hope to be submissive to what the Lord wants to do in our lives as leaders or attenders. This special time of worship with a focus on healing is sponsored by Alpha.

Baptisms at Alpha

"Repent and be baptized" is the outline in the book of Acts. "Baptize and teach" is found in Matthew 28. Last night we baptized a child and three adults. Now we, as a church, have the responsibility and the delight of helping these four grow and be fruitful in faith. Please contact me if you are willing to pray for one or more of those who were baptized last night. Each has a baptism sponsor or sponsors who promised to nurture them in the faith, but they can use all the help they can get!

What You Do

I know it's time to write my annual report for the church's records. Every year it's a challenge for me to get to that because of the press of every day ministry needs and the need to prepare for what's coming next. Looking back is necessary, I guess, but usually not something for which I have a lot of energy. In fact, just keeping up with current programs & those in need of care leaves little time to think beyond this week.

How then, do innovations happen? How have Alpha, the thrift store, the new food shelf and the upcoming Truth Project and so many more exciting ministry and mission opportunities come into being? Not through central planning! Not from this desk or this office! Most of the good things that have happened are due to the Holy Spirit stirring in the hearts and minds of people like you.

My job, as I see it, is to keep preaching and teaching the Word of God and to keep us focused on the CENTER of God's Word -- the life, love, death and resurrection of Jesus. Your job is to step out in faith. Innovations, mostly, are in your job description, not mine...

Don't forget -- your job, as non-clergy, is as big as the world. Don't wait for me! Y'all are way bigger, and much faster, than me. 2008 proves it. I'm sure 2009 will do the same.

God's Sort

A swirl of ideas someone else put together... not me... I don't have a cat.

Good evening! How was your day? I'm praising God right now that He sorts through messes of ideas and possibilities makes things a whole lot clearer! 

After I got off the school bus this morning, my mind and my plans were like the picture posted on this page... but God has worked all out for His Glory and our good! Thank you Jesus!

As we move ahead into 2015, there is a swirl of good options that the Lord lays before us. As a local church body, we are going to have some choices to make. Will we act more as individuals or will we follow God's call to work and play and learn and serve together? And, if we do act as a team, what will we do? Will we sponsor an Elijah House prayer ministry training course? A conference led by Karl Kruse? Alpha? Love INC? More partnership with Freedom Church?

As we pray, the Lord will sort it all out. He always does when we trust in him. He did that yesterday and today. And he will do the same in the days to come.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
and do not lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will straighten your paths. Proverbs 3:5-6

www.equalsharing.com

What About This?

One of the Bible passages assigned for Sunday, May 16, begins like this:

"One day, as we were going to the place of prayer, we met a slave-girl who had a spirit of divination and brought her owners a great deal of money by fortune-telling. ¹⁷While she followed Paul and us, she would cry out, ‘These men are slaves of the Most High God, who proclaim to you^* a way of salvation.’ ¹⁸She kept doing this for many days. But Paul, very much annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, ‘I order you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.’ And it came out that very hour" (Acts 16:16-18).

What are we to make of this?  The Apostle Paul released a slave from bondage!  But look how he did it!  It was an act of powerful deliverance.  Just by speaking, in Jesus' name, the powers of God were released and the "evil spirit" that was binding that young woman and annoying Paul--that spirit left her "that very hour."  This upset not only the spirit, but the owners who were making money at her expense.

What are we to make of this "supernatural" stuff.  Are there such things as evil spirits?  I wrote about this just after midnight yesterday in a post entitled "Reasonable But Beyond Our Sight."  Jesus dealt with the spiritual world on a regular basis during his ministry.  The first Christians did too.  Can we easily just ignore it?  I don't think so.  I think it is good to be aware.  Not to be "impressed" or obsessive about evil and evil spirits, but, not to be ignorant either.

We Lutherans have pretty much lost any awareness or belief in the powers of darkness.  It just seems so spooky and unreal.  Normally we push it aside as unenlightened, superstitious, a relic of pre-scientific times.  I'm not sure that is wise.

We ought to be aware that many Christians are continuing, or reclaiming, the ministry of deliverance similar to what Paul did in Acts 16.  I came back to the church and heard my initial call to the ordained ministry through a "charismatic" church and conference.  I've seen the fruit of programs like "Alpha" that include teachings about the supernatural.  That's part of what we've been learning and praying about at the prayer school this week.  This wing of the Christian church is reclaiming a part of our Christian heritage that has been covered over for a very long time.  I'm still processing what it means for me.

Here's a small part of what we learned today.  I think it is a very interesting theory.  See what you think.

Until about 325 AD Christians regularly experienced miracles, healings and deliverance from the powers of evil.  This changed when Christians made a compromise with the Roman Empire.  The church was institutionalized and was given political authority but at the same time took on some non-Christian qualities.  For example, from that time and after the major Christian festivals were connected with pagan holidays.  This seemed to be connected with the end of supernatural ministry among Christians except in isolated areas far from Rome.  The Irish benefited from the miraculous missionary work of Saint Patrick, for example, who, according to what I learned today, was not a part of the Roman Catholic Church.

Okay... take a deep breath... there is more...

According to what I learned today, the "pagan" influence, tied with some of the institutions and traditions of Christianity, not only tied the hands of "ordinary" Christians (non-clergy), reserving ministry for just a few, it also brought actual "strongholds" of evil spirits, such as the "spirit of divination" referred to in Acts 16 into the mainstream culture of the church.  These spiritual forces of evil--which are named in the Bible--have inhibited or limited the Christian experience of the gifts and fruit of the Holy Spirit, making the church lack joy, love and power.  In the end, these things have made the church into a self-serving institution.

That's just a bit of the theory we're learning here.  I'm not sure what to think.  But I have seen evidence of God's power at work in prayer in ways that can't be explained by mere positive thinking.  I have also seen people suffer terribly from what seems to be organized and powerful evil influences.  So, I will continue to learn, and continue to pray.

And (another deep breath here!), when I see someone suffering under what just might be an evil spiritual influence, why wouldn't I do as Paul did, taking the authority of Jesus to bring peace and freedom to one of God's beloved children?  Or do I think I'm so much wiser and sophisticated that none of this "supernatural" stuff could really be true?  If we are dedicated to setting people free from physical slavery, why not from spiritual or emotional bondage?  After this week of prayer school, I think I'll be ready, when it seems clear enough, to take action instead of standing meekly by.

In any case, I will always preach Jesus first.  I won't get sidetracked from the shining center of the Christian faith: Jesus Christ and his love his grace and his peace.  This area of the "supernatural"--which Martin Luther knew was real--it can be overemphasized.  We always need to focus on Jesus first.  Every prayer, every act of charity and service, every part of daily life, AND every release from bondage--every good thing comes because of what He has done in his saving death and victorious resurrection.  Nothing good comes from me.

As always, I encourage you to respond.  Part of the purpose of this blog is to share so you, my brothers and sisters in Christ, can correct me, push me, and share your own questions, so together we can serve our Lord. Comment below or talk with me in another way.

May the peace and power of our Lord Jesus and his Holy Spirit be with you always.

www.equalsharing.com

Trust to the End

Right after Jesus admires the widow who put everything in the offering (yesterday's gospel), and immediately after the disciples admire the building in which the offering was given:

Look, Teacher, what large stones and what large buildings! (Mark 13:1)

Jesus says:

Do you see these great buildings?
Not one stone will be left here upon another;
all will be thrown down. (Mark 13:2)

Jesus then goes over to the Mount of Olives, the easternmost of the three main hills in Jerusalem, across the valley and about three hundred feet higher than the hill where the Jerusalem temple was being reconstructed at the time.  At that point, most likely among gravestones*, Jesus gives a special teaching there to a few of his disciples.  You'll find it recorded, with slight variations, in all three of the "Synoptic Gospels," in Matthew 24, Mark 13 and Luke 21.

This special teaching is called the "Olivet Discourse" or "The Little Apocalypse." We'll read the first part of it next Sunday. In this section Jesus reveals what will happen in in the future.  Jesus has already told them that the temple will be destroyed--this happened about 40 years later in 70 A.D.  Now he goes on to tell them about other future events--events that some present day Bible teachers seem to understand down to the last detail.

Most of the events described in Mark 13 and parallels in Matthew and Luke are horrible.  So much the better for preachers and authors who like to scare people.  It's great material for best selling books and profitable movies.  I remember being very interested when The Late, Great Planet Earth came out in 1970 from author Hal Lindsay and publisher Zondervan. More recently I've read through the Left Behind series of books.

Personally, after some study, I'm not much impressed with that sort of thing. When I look at the Bible for details about the future I get lost. Trying to stitch together chapters and verses from parts of the Bible that are the very hardest to interpret** seems a losing game to me.  It's way over my head.  If you want a pastor to go into detail about the end of the world, you'll need to find someone else.

So what do I think about Mark 13 and the other end of the world parts of the Bible?  My thoughts are very simple. These simple thoughts just make me want to trust God and keep on living and loving God's way as long as I can.  Here are a few things that have been helpful to me.:

1. There will be an end!  We don't know when, but we shouldn't pretend that things will go on as they are forever.  If we're not "ready" to meet the Lord by knowing him personally through Jesus Christ, we ought to seek him now.  Come and talk with me or with someone else who does know the Lord so you can come to trust his amazing love.
   
2. God will bring the end. Though I can't understand all the details, God is the Alpha and the Omega.  Just as God is the creator God is also the one who will bring everything to an end.  
3. I can trust that the end will be under God's control.  It's good to know that so I do not panic when things look bad. Someday, when things can not get worse, it is God who will intervene and bring the painful history of this world to an end.  And if things don't get that bad in my lifetime, if the world continues past my 60, 80 or 100 years of life, the "end" will be at my physical death.  I can trust God for that too.
   
4. Until the end, as long as can, we keep helping other people trust God though Jesus Christ.  Instead of getting too wrapped up in speculations--not even Jesus knows when it will all end--it's better to focus on doing what God's people have always done--trusting God's gift of love through Jesus Christ and letting others in on that same gift.  As it says in Mark 13:10 -- the good news of Jesus will be made known until the very end!
5. Finally, we can trust that the end God brings will be a very good thing!  Here are some clues:
   

verse 8: ...This is but the beginning of the birth pangs.
verse 10: ...the good news will (or must) first be proclaimed...
verse 11: ...do not worry beforehand about what you are to say...
verse 13: ...the one who endures to the end will be saved.
verse 20: ...he has cut short those days (of suffering)...
verse 21: ...I [says Jesus] have already told you everything.
verse 26: ...Jesus (a.k.a. "the son of man") will be coming in clouds with great power and glory
verse 27: ...he will... gather his people (his elect)...
verse 31: ...heaven and earth will pass away, but my [Jesus'] words will not pass away.

Last week we talked about a widow who gave everything to her Lord. This week a couple from our church will renew their wedding vows, pledging their all to each other. These are signs and symbols of the trust and commitment God desires of us. We don't need to stop doing these things when things seem to be crashing down on us, or when things seem to be getting worse and worse.  Jesus assures us, in the end he will be in control. So get to know him well, and then trust him for all things.

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* The Mount of Olives was a graveyard even in Jesus' day--today there are thousands of graves on that site.
** These parts of the Bible that I find the most difficult to understand are parts that fall under the heading of apocalyptic literature.  These parts are found in places like the Little Apocalypse (in Matthew 24, Mark 13 and Luke 21), in books like Daniel, Ezekiel and Revelation and passages from other places in the New Testament like First Thessalonians.

www.equalsharing.com

Recognition

Got an email from W asking me who I might recommend to receive recognition as a "Super Volunteer." I spoke to CL today who has put herself out over and over again on behalf of KA. I stopped by the new food shelf and saw WM & the M brothers and others working. WM is an entrepreneur for the Lord. The brothers M host the Bible study & donate so much of their time and resources. AS serves as a financial coach for several people. Then there is the Alpha crew, the Quilting group, Parish Nurse, befrienders (official and unofficial), kitchen volunteers, worship & music volunteers, church council & committees, office/mailing/compiling volunteers, youth and children's ministry volunteers. And that's just those who volunteer through our church ministries. We could look at community too! How do I pick? We have a wonderful church! Maybe someone should be recognized who NEEDS recognition! I hear there is a scholarship attached!