We are the Body

This past Sunday at church we continued on through our journey of Romans.

Romans 12:3-8

Do you use the gifts that the Lord has given to you? Are there gifts He has given you and you don't even know are there. Perhaps the gift of teaching -- have you ever tried? Perhaps the gift of encouragement -- have you encouraged someone today. Read Romans 12:3-8. Pray and ask God to show you gifts that you have that you might not be using to their fullest. Ask him to give you opportunities to use your gifts!

Praying for Eli...

A little one from our church is in the midst of condition called HUS. He is in Children's Hospital in Minneapolis right now. Our church, along with all of their family and friends from across this country are in constant prayer right now that this battle will be quickly won - and that he will get to come home soon.

I just thought I would share the link to a website that they have set up to keep us all posted; but I also wanted to pass along a passage from a recent journal entry that his parents entered. They have personally blown me away with their strength and faith throughout this ordeal.

"As we enter into day day 18 of this long battle the following verse jumped out to me tonight.Isaiah 40:28-31 Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.

This has been a very long and exhausting time for our little Eli and our family as a whole. We appreciate your comments, thoughts and prayers. God's love is flowing through all of you. "

If you want to read more from them and learn more about what is going on with little Eli you can check out this website they have set up.

http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/elisaylor

K.Olson

How Did it Happen?

While doing my study of Romans in preparation for this week's sermon, I came across something that really made me pause. I'm not sure that I'm even going to bring it up on Sunday, but it has caused me to follow a line of study personally that I think I'll write some posts about.

Paul is dealing with the fact that most of the Jews of his day rejected the gospel message. In Romans 10:18 he asks the question: Did they not hear (the gospel)? His answer is "Of course they did." Then Paul quotes Psalm 19:4: "Their voice has gone out into all the earth, their words to the end of the world."

The astonishing thing to me is that Psalm 19:1-6 is about the stars and sun proclaiming the character of God. What Paul is claiming is that by the time of the writing of Romans (somewhere between 55-57 A.D), the gospel message had been so widely proclaimed among the Jews that it was like the stars or the sun...known by everyone. Paul says a similar thing in Colossians 1:23. While there is a degree of hyperbole in his statement, it is still amazing that the gospel message had become so widespread in 20-30 years that Paul could make these statements.

It made me wonder what it was about the early church that made it so effective and powerful. What were its secrets? How did it happen? How can we recapture the power of the early church?

Over the next several weeks, I hope to share some of the things I come up with as I study the Scriptures. Then will come the adventure of seeing them come to pass in our lives together.

Staying a Family as the Family Grows

Easter Sunday someone came up to me and told me that we had served over 180 people communion that morning. I have no idea what the total attendance was, because I'm not one to count heads each week, but I know that many children didn't take communion and there was a whole bunch of little ones in the nursery. We could easily have been over 200.

It made me stop to ponder the changes that I've seen in the ten years I've been here. Frankly, there have been a lot of them. I remember candidating here in July of 1999. Pretty much the whole church was at Rick and Chris Holland's place for a barbecue. Most of us fit in the garage. At church the next day, there were lots of extra chairs stacked up in the back of the old sanctuary. I recall preaching, and getting to the end of the message and having no idea what to do next. Thankfully, we all laughed and Chris Wright came to my rescue and started a worship song. He's been a friend ever since.

Truly we were a small church family.

Things have changed, and as we have grown we have many more opportunities for ministry and outreach. I'm excited about that. At the same time, I've been pondering how to keep the "small church family" feel even as we grow. I've come up with a few thoughts I'd like you to try on for size.

Get to know your new "in-laws." Most of us have experienced someone marrying into our extended family and we know that we have a responsibility to welcome and get to know the newest member of the family. It's the responsibility of the members of the family to dispel the awkwardness that the new addition feels and start to build a relationship with them. It's the same way with our church family. As new people come, we have a responsibility to welcome them and to get to know them. Working at that has a wonderful way of turning a room full of strangers into a family.

Build special relationships, but not to the exclusion of others. In an extended family, there are always those relatives who get together and do things in smaller gatherings. Three brothers that hunt together, the aunts that get together to quilt, etc. While not excluding everyone else, these relationships are usually closer than others. In the same way, we need to foster some closer relationships with people that we "go through life with." These relationships don't really exclude others, but they recognize that you cannot be best friends with everyone.

Don't forget the "chores"! We are not a theater that puts on a weekly show for the entertainment of others. We are a family of people that, among other things, meets together to worship God once a week. As a family, there are things that need to get done. Just like at home there are mundane, sometimes unpleasant, tasks that need to be done. As family members, we pitch in and help. It is part of the deal.

Part of maintaining that "small church" feel means committing ourselves to servanthood. To doing things that need to be done even if we don't feel like it at the moment. In a strange way, it's doing those things that make a church "ours" and change it from being something we attend to the family we belong to.

Need some examples?

• How about doing something about the garbage next time you notice it overflowing? (See what I mean? It's just like home.)
• Did you notice a bunch of rocks on the sidewalk? The broom is between the doors. (See me if you don't know how one works.)
  
• What about the nursery? What kind of family member says "I don't like kids. I won't help watch them once or twice a year."?
• What about picking up the paper you notice on the floor?
• Maybe you can stick around to help clean up when people are done drinking coffee on Sundays?
  

An old John Denver song includes the line, "It's the little things that make a house a home." Well, its the little things done by each of us for others that makes a church a family. Sometimes as a church grows we forget that and wonder where the "family feeling" went. If you've felt that way, let me suggest that you stick out your hand and find out who your new "in-law" is, get together with some favorite "relatives" and do a "chore" that needs to be done. You'll be amazed at the result!

Wear and Tear

"It is finished!" is what they said when the saw was finally still, the hammer put away, the paintbrush cleaned, and the polyurethane dried. (See blog post of February 4.)

The trustees definitely celebrated this accomplishment at their first meeting in February. In addition, they couldn't help but think of Bill Hansen, their head trustee, who did not live to see this. Bill, a man with a servant's heart, had spearheaded much of the work that was done to build this new complex containing a spacious gym and fellowship hall, beautiful new tables, classrooms newly painted, carpeting clean and fresh, bathrooms and fountain polished clean, a shining kitchen filling the air with delicious smells, and most importantly a sanctuary filled with men and women, youth and kids, lifting their voice in praise to the God who gives us life.

I wonder what Bill would say now if he walked around to survey the building and assess its needs. Would he see the the finished brightness or would he be distressed by the obvious "details of trusteeship" and see only the:

• Fresh black heel scuffs on the gym floor?
• The dings in the sheet rock in the hallway?
• The nail hole behind the information center?
• The damaged wall on the left side of the stage?
• The rust on the floor in the far corner of the Cedar room?
• The crayon marks on the table in the nursery?
• The fingerprints on the entrance doors?
• The packed snow on the doorstep of the east entrance?
• The garbage can full of dirty drink cups and paper plates?
• Dust in the sound booth?
• Library books spilling out of the book return basket?
• The empty "candy drawer" at the Information Center?
• The coffee stains at the Welcome Desk?
• Chairs in the sanctuary weaving oddly askew in a none-too-perfect arrangement?
• The refrigerator "packed" to the max?
• The toys scattered in the nursery?
• The water splashes around the drinking fountain?

No, I don't think so, not at all! Bill would see each little mar as a sign that this building is throbbing with life and fulfilling the job it was designed to do.

• The black heel scuffs on the gym floor are proof that Gary's class was having a good time.
• The dings in the hallway are proof that a large crowd was filling the corridor on Sunday morning.
• The nail hole behind the information center was made to hang the deer head during the Northwoods Revue and would soon be used to display something else.
• The damaged wall on the left side of the stage was rubbed raw by the suspenders of our energetic drummer during a performance to a packed house.
• The rust on the far corner of the Cedar room is only proof that Debbie's class had a successful craft and the cleanup mop spilled a bit of moisture under the cabinet. It will wear off.
• The crayon marks on the table in the nursery was made by a happy three year old designing a work of art.
• The fingerprints on the entrance doors were made by the 75 kids racing to catch the bus after Release Time on Wednesday morning.
• The packed snow on the doorstep of the east entrance was tromped down by the 168 entrances and exits in and out of the prayer room during winter snows during a week of prayer.
• A garbage can full of dirty drink cups and paper plates is proof of the expanding youth activities on Wednesday evenings.
• Dust in the sound booth is a result of the magnetic draw to "little particles of nothing" when music and life is pulsing through those electrical wires.
• Library books spilling out of the book-return basket only indicates that someone was reading inspirational literature.
• The empty "candy drawer" at the information center is proof that kids love to be loved.
• The coffee stains at the Welcome Desk were made by the jostling crowd after church, talking, laughing, building a brotherhood and family of believers.
• Chairs in the sanctuary weaving oddly askew in a none-too-perfect arrangement means that each chair was warmed by a worshiper several times this week.
• The refrigerator "packed" to the max with foodstuff is in anticipation for the next youth fundraiser.
• The toys scattered in the nursery are for the "church-of-tomorrow," the little ones who are always welcome.
• The water splashes around the drinking fountain are a symbol of people who are not just thirsting for water, but thirsting for righteousness.

So yeah, of course, the trustees are gratified to see the pulsing signs of life. We will just keep fixing every spot, each scuff, the bumps, those drips. God is definitely using this place, and we will do are best to take care of it.

"Oh no, we are NOT finished! Out comes that hammer, out comes that saw, and let's see, where did they put those paintbrushes?

Contributed by Doris Yoder, trustee

Who Is My God?

We live in a land of endless choices, where we can fashion most things to be the way we want them to be. Just think about how the decisions we make have become more complicated:

• Coffee: It used to be either black, with cream, or with sugar. Then they added decaf. But now, you have to decide what type of coffee "obsidian, java, hawaiian, etc.", what flavor creamer, whether you want a latte or an espresso...
• Television. I won't even mention the different types of TVs, but think about the programming that is available. If you don't like what you are watching, press a button and find something you like. If you want to watch it later, push record and "presto" you can watch it when ever you want.
• Toothbrushes. Why are there so many kinds?

My list could go on, but you know what I am talking about. These choices are created by companies looking to segment the marketplace to make room for their particular product. It gives us, the consumer, a chance to tailor things to exactly how we want them. It's kind of like a mailing I received from a store recently. It was a "flip book" where you could change the hair, face and shirt to find the combination that you liked best.

I think that this flip-book living spills over into our religion sometimes. Instead of searching to discover who God is and developing a relationship with Him as he really is, we fashion our own "god" to meet our preferences and needs. We take a little of this or a little of that and make our own god. It's a little like playing with Mr. Potatohead, only with a halo.

Some people's "god" is like a rich uncle who, if asked in just the right way, might get them out of a jam. For others, "god" is a loving teddy bear who gives everyone a warm feeling. For still others, "god" is a cruel tyrant who allows suffering to run amuck in this world. Some people have the god who only likes classical music, or the god who helps them stay motivated to make money, lose weight, whatever.

Why do we do this? I believe that the heart of it is rebellion against God himself. We would rather be in control of God than have to submit to the fact that He is our maker and we are responsible before him.

I struggle with idols, too. Sometimes in my sermon preparation I am studying a passage that makes me extremely uncomfortable. God has revealed who He is in the Bible, so when that revelation runs contrary to what I desire God to be like, I have a decision to make: I can either submit to who God truly is, or I can form an idol...a caricature of God...that makes me more comfortable.

Over the years, I've discovered two important truths. First, God is good at smashing idols. He refuses to be Mr. Potatohead. When they have formed in my life, God works through my circumstances to demolish them. He wants to be worshiped for who He is. Second, the aspect of God that I "dislike" is actually beautiful. As I begin to see Him more clearly, that facet of his nature becomes incredibly endearing to me.

I've taken to asking God to reveal more of Himself to me, and to point out the smallest of idols in my life that would detract from His glory.

How about you?

The Eye of the Tiger

He sat in my office the other day with a steely determination that brought goosebumps. "Pastor, do you have any idea how many hurting people I know? I'm going to singlehandedly force you to open the door." (The rear of our Sanctuary opens into the Fellowship Hall. The two rooms are divided by a twenty foot high folding door.) There was no hint of pride or arrogance. He understood that salvation is a work of the Holy Spirit. What I saw was a passion for the gospel and a determination to do whatever it takes to reach people for Christ. He would pray, he would build relationships, he would share his testimony, explain the gospel and exercise a holy boldness in order to see people discover a relationship with Christ.

He came close to the words of Paul in Romans 9:1-2. Paul found himself in constant internal agony because of the people he knew who hadn't turned to Christ. He was willing to do anything that people might come to faith in Christ.

Do you have that passion? Where does it come from? How do you develop it? We'll talk about it this Sunday.

What would happen if the whole church had that passion?

The early church did...and they turned their world upside down.