Elders
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Convention 2011: Bridges to the Cross
“I can be a bridge….to Jesus.” The theme of the biennial convention of our denomination, Mennonite Church USA, was Bridges to the Cross. Our Youth Group, their leaders and three “support couples” made our way to Pittsburgh, PA, the City of 450+ bridges to be part of the gathered experience called Convention. The strong theme was that of reconciliation, as found in the theme Scripture: 2 Corinthians 5:16-20. Bridges reconcile two previously separate lands to each other by spanning the gap between. As Christians, our calling in Christ is to be the bridge of reconciliation, like Christ Himself.
For youth, Convention is at once an experience of community, worship, service, introspection, learning and fun. Doing these things as part of a group of 4,000 other youth and 2,000 adult delegates is really inspiring. There were eight worship services with a dynamic worship team providing a variety of worship music types (contemporary, hymns, rap/reggae, country, and lots of Hispanic infused music). Each worship had a drama presentation by Ted and Company, prayer and reflection and a dynamic speaker. Speaker themes included Bridges Under Construction, Reconciliation, The New Has Come: Bring it On, Focus on the Cross, Be the Bridge. All were challenging and provoked both action and thought. After each worship there was time to debrief and discuss among our group.
Service was part of the experience. Thursday afternoon, our group was one of about 30 others that fanned out across the city to help local community groups and projects with “things that needed done.” Our role was to help clean up in a neighborhood that is undergoing renewal. In effect we “built a bridge” to help those who we likely would not have otherwise had contact with, showing support for their effort to rejuvenate their community. A number of the houses we worked around were vacant, others were in nice repair. Gary Hauseman nearly found himself a permanent job after cleaning up the lot of one woman. As we finished work, a neighborhood organizer gathered a group of about 50 or so in the middle of the street for a “thank you” and time of prayer while traffic had to turn and find another way.
Each day offered a wide selection of workshops (69 in total were offered, most at least once.) Topics ranged from “Long Term Mission: Are You Called ?” to “Music in the Bible” to “If Sin Were Blue, We’d All Be Smurfs” to Why Can’t Israelis and Palestinians Just Get Along” to “Does Being Mennonite Matter” and so on. There were also 18 workshops for Youth Leaders, and a similar long list for Adults and Young Adults. Our group was very engaged in taking advantage of the workshops.
Of course there was time for fun and relaxing, enjoying time together, ice cream and other treats.
The bridges that were built were spiritual and personal; they were relational and supportive. We pray that those bridges will be strong and last decades and centuries like the steel bridges of our host city. We experienced Jesus during our time in Pittsburgh.
We thank the Hope Community for their support of the Youth in making this possible financially and spiritually. Don’t hesitate to ask a youth what he or she learned at Convention.
Bill Hartman |
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Last Updated on Tuesday, 02 August 2011 19:32 |
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Channels of God’s grace and mercy
One of my favorite Jesus stories is the account of Jesus on a mount where he was seen by his disciples talking with Moses and Elisha. The story has the disciples, Peter, James and John, caught up in the glory of the moment desiring to stay there and preserve the experience. The challenge to the disciples by the voice of the Father was for them not to be captivated by the glories of this religious experience but rather to affirm the ministry of Jesus and to listen to him. The immediate subsequent context has the disciples departing from this “high spiritual experience” and encountering in the valley Jesus’ real life caring and healing ministry among the distressed and oppressed.
What I hear from the mouths and hearts of many at HCC is the desire to be the hands and feet of a ministering Jesus in the communities that we live. We are not content to simply experience times of great worship and fellowship but long to find ways to express meaningful acts of redemption and service. There are many at Hope who are already actively engaged in ministry opportunities—some in the context of HCC programs others are simply responding to the personal prompting of the Holy Spirit. As identified by our overseer Graham Cyster in his report after listening to HCC members, this desire to be active in Kingdom work also requires collaboration between leadership and HCC members to discern opportunities that God has before us. Some of these opportunities may be obvious but others may require proactive and creative thinking. Both require a heightened sensitivity to the spirit of God who desires to bring life, hope, purpose and healing to all in our community.
This past spring our family has been the recipient of much care and support from members of the community and HCC. The reality of God’s grace and strength through this time reminds me of my other favorite Jesus story. It again involves the disciples who after the crucifixion are walking back home to Emmaus in despair, hopelessness, and disillusionment. In the midst of this darkness they experience the presence of Jesus walking with them. In the midst of our own struggles and in those around us, Jesus desires to minister and bring life. Let us continue to pray that in very real ways, we at HCC may continue to be channels of God’s grace and ministry.
Dale Frederick |
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Last Updated on Saturday, 02 July 2011 14:56 |
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Heaven on our hearts
Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden in Christ with God. When Christ, who is your life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory. Colossians 3:1-4 (NIV)
One of the books I’m currently reading is entitled, Heaven, by Randy Alcorn. It is a very thought-provoking book. He challenges us to seriously consider the fact that despite its glimpses of beauty, joy and blessing, the world we live in is undeniably characterized by sin, pain and hardship. More importantly, it’s not the world we were made for; it’s only our temporary home. We were made to live eternally in the presence of the living God. David praises the LORD in Psalm 16:11, “You have made known to me the path of life; You will fill me with joy in Your presence, with eternal pleasures at Your right hand.” This is the destiny and hope of those who have put their faith and trust in God and in His Son.
The King of kings and Lord of lords, the Creator who spoke the universe into existence is now preparing for His children a New Heaven and New Earth that is so glorious and beautiful that we can’t truly comprehend it. Paul declares in I Cor. 2:9, “No eye has seen, and no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love Him.” While we don’t know all the details about what our future home will be like, we can know without a shadow of doubt that it will be beyond our wildest dreams and expectations. It will be a place of light, beauty, peace, fulfilling activity, pleasures and enjoyment. There will be no pain, sickness, sorrow or sin. It will be perfect in every conceivable (and inconceivable) way.
When we’re in times of severe hardship, pain or grief, it’s easier to look forward to leaving this world behind. The reality, however (for myself anyway), is that in the course of our daily routines we spend very little time thinking about the joys and glories of our promised inheritance. We are so caught up in making a living, raising our families, church and ministry, sports, hobbies, and all kinds of other activities that we give little thought to eternity in heaven.
These things are good in their proper priority and purpose; however, we are prone to put too much emphasis and energy into various activities because we are hoping to find fulfillment or recognition through them. The enemy of our souls has convinced us that we can find satisfaction in these things, but there is a void and unfulfilled space within us that can’t be filled while we live in this fallen world. C.S. Lewis explains it this way, “If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world.” Whether we realize it or not, what we’re really seeking is the person we were made to love and know, Jesus, and the place we were made for, heaven.
So, do I have a magic formula to help all of us live focused on heavenly things rather than earthly things? No. But I do know that we all fail to faithfully live up to this calling. We’ve all probably heard the warning not to be so heavenly minded that we’re of no earthly good. I don’t know exactly what that looks like, but I can say with certainty that most of us don’t need to hear this warning. Rather, we need to continually be warned not to be so earthly minded that we’re of no heavenly good.
Paul’s call in Colossians 3:2 is a reminder and a measure by which to evaluate how we live and the decisions we make. Paul followed his exhortation to set our minds on heaven with clear directives concerning right living and right priorities as God’s children. We are to clothe ourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. We’re to forgive one another, and we’re to love one another with the same kind of love that God shows us. One of the significant ways that we focus on heavenly things is to focus on living a life of love and peace toward everyone. After all, this is how we’ll live in heaven.
Join with me in asking God to keep heaven always before us throughout our busy lives, and in so doing help us live in a way that will make the Gospel attractive to those who don’t yet have the hope and promise of eternal life with Christ in heaven.
Craig Momose |
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Reflections
This month I experience another milestone in my life. Soon after Mother’s Day my heart will have beat some 1,575,763,200 times since coming into this world. I will have existed on this earth for over 26,262,720 minutes, or 437,712 hours, or otherwise, half a century.
Christ walked on this earth for about 33 and ½ years before He ascended to heaven. That means I will have walked on this earth about 8,672,400 minutes or 144,540 hours longer than Christ walked here.
The question I ask myself is: What I am doing with my minutes and hours to do “My Father’s Work”?
When I reach heaven and my earthly eyes and the cares of this world are replaced with Godly knowledge and understanding, what are the things that take up so much of my time and energy now that I will realize were only foolishness?
What are things that I will be glad I invested my time and energy in?
I am a child of God, and I know clearly that I am to pursue heavenly treasures that never rust or perish and not earthly treasures that are so worthless and are always being lost or broken.
How does this impact my mornings when I wake up and head off to work? How does it impact my decisions each hour of each day? How does this impact the way I answer the telephone, deal with vendors, customers, employees? How am I impacted at home as I talk with my wife, decide on what to spend time, energy, money, and for what purpose? How am I impacted?
Our society often talks about having a midlife crisis. If I was looking at my life without God, then this would be a huge crisis, as the desire for meaningfulness would become so overwhelming. This is not a midlife crisis for me. It is a time to stop and reflect on my life and to see where I should change, shift, or modify my life’s focus, time, and energy.
I would suggest that we should all reflect on the gifts of life, time, and influence that God has given each of us. How are we using these gifts to impact the world we live in?
Christ came to earth as fully human and fully God (something I look forward to understanding better once I get to heaven) and in 33.5 years, He changed the future of mankind. What does my human life here on earth make a difference for? What have I done with my 26 million minutes so far and what will my next ??? million minutes be counted for?
Ed Shenk - P.S. Thanks, mother, for giving me this opportunity to be both your child and a Child of God. I am so blessed.
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Pursuit of More
How can we as a church put hands and feet to our faith that will fulfill the Gospel by making disciples and by meeting felt needs (care for the poor, sick, broken)?
Jesus presented the Gospel by ministering to the whole person: body, soul and spirit. He preached salvation, then demonstrated it by forgiving sins, healing diseases and freeing people from oppression—he restored the whole person.
Jesus, fully a man was anointed with the Holy Spirit and power went around doing good and healing all who where under the power of the devil, because God was with him—Acts 10:38.
The Acts of the Apostles also reveals ministry to the whole person. Stephen is an example of one of the deacons chosen to distribute food to the poor and care for the widows. He was filled with the Holy Spirit and moved in grace and power doing great wonders and miracles among the people. The result of this ministry (caring for the poor) was rapidly increasing numbers of disciples. See Acts 6:1-8.
Hope Community Church, we too have been given access to the same power through the Holy Spirit as Jesus, the apostles and Stephen. It is Christ’s plan to expand his Kingdom through an empowered church co-partnering with Him! Most of the biblical miracles happened on the streets and in the market places, not in the church. We too as followers of Christ are meant to be equipped for deployment. What if an army of radical Christ followers were to hit the streets, our neighborhoods and places of work doing what the Stephens, Pauls and Peters did in the early church—moving in the power of the Holy Spirit, motivated by love? Would the result be a rapid increase in disciples being added to our number?
What will it take to be deployed into the non-church places of our lives equipped to minister the way Jesus and the early Church did? Can ordinary people serve God in extraordinary ways as a people of supernatural nature and call it normal Christian living? How can we serve the needs of the poor and broken in a way the world cannot? I know I fall short of the supernatural lifestyle modeled and commanded in scripture, so I can only pursue MORE of the power and love of God in my life, such as:
• MORE intimacy to know God’s heart and His will
• MORE burden for the broken, the poor, and orphans that need a heavenly Father
• MORE Holy Spirit gifting and supernatural empowerment to minister as Jesus did
• MORE faith to pray for seemingly impossible circumstances of others
• MORE revelation – the ability to hear from God and see the needs of others
• MORE boldness to share Jesus and proclaim His name
Each of you may have other MOREs you desire to pursue God for. However, these are all gifts that can only be received through God’s grace, not by our own efforts. It is important to understand that we desire to receive MORE so what is freely given, we can freely give away. The following three postures I see as essential to receive MORE from God:
1. Surrender everything of value to Him and come to a place of emptiness. “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for they will see the Kingdom” Matt 5:3. We must come to this place of humility and weakness to realize we can only fully proclaim the Gospel, in love and power through God’s strength. True surrender can only come out of an intimate relationship, otherwise it is called religion;
2. Desire for change in our mindset (thinking)—we must know our lack in the things of the Kingdom according to scripture, then earnestly seek/desire change. “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled – Matt 5:6. “be transformed by the renewing of your mind” Rom 12:2.
3. Pursue an extravagant love affair with the Father—the only result can be giving Him the ultimate glory by honoring Him with our lives, poured out and wasted on Him as a costly perfume. “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God” Matt 5:8.
Then “GO into all the world and preach the good news to all creation…and these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons…they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.” Mark 16:15-18
Dave Stutzman |
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Last Updated on Friday, 01 April 2011 11:32 |
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