In one of Jesus’ first healings in the Gospel of Mark, he touches a man with leprosy. Because of the condition, the man would have been considered unclean and un-touchable. He would have likely been isolated and forced to practice “social distancing measures” because of his disease. Not only would he have suffered physically from leprosy, but also emotionally from being alone. This passage reminds us how important and connecting the touch of another person is…. ]click View Post above to continue reading]
Need a good book? - Staff picks, Pastor Stuart
Toxic Charity, by Robert D. Lupton
This was an eye-opening and convicting book. All my life I have known and been taught that we should help others in need. As a youth and adult I went on many a mission trip and participated in many organized acts of service. I always assumed that everything we were doing was completely helpful to the people we were pausing our schedule to help. But perhaps what we were doing and giving wasn’t the most helpful. Perhaps, maybe sometimes, we might have been doing some harm unknowingly. That’s why this book is so helpful. Its subtitle is “How Churches and Charities Hurt Those They Help (And How to Reverse It).” It provides real information about what we do and the effects we have. Even though it makes you say uh-oh at times, when you read that something you’ve done that wasn’t helpful, it is a much-needed guide for how we can truly love our neighbors and follow Jesus’ teachings. Convicting, yes, but in the end inspiring. And the changes it encourages will bless us in return.
The church staff are pulling some books from our Church Library and putting them on a table in the Fellowship Hall. Please come by (8-3:30 Mon-Fri), choose a book(s) you would like, write your name on the card along with the date, and return it within 3 weeks. It’s a great time to READ!
Mid-Week Bible Study – Ephesians 5:21-6:18
Very interesting verses to read and think about this week. Some of them are inspiring, while some of them are very uncomfortable and have been used to justify cruel behavior in the past. But they're in there, so as responsible Christians today, we should read and study them. We'll talk about what they would've meant when they were written in the first century, and what we can learn from them today. (In short: we should be nice to everybody no matter what!)
Click here to watch (or see below).
Click here to read Ephesians 5:21–6:18.
Mid-Week Bible Study – Ephesians 5:8-21
Our Bible study verses this week encourage us to live as children of light, to act wisely, and to shine God's light into darkness so that the truth can be exposed. Beautiful, convicting, and powerful!
Click here to watch.
Click here to read Ephesians 5:8-21.
Mid-Week Bible Study – Ephesians 4:22–5:2
This week's Scripture passage talks about behaviors we should stop (put off) and ones we should practice (put on) when we clothe ourselves with the righteousness of Jesus. Even if we already know it, we need reminders not to be dishonest, violent, rude, etc., and instead we should be kind, helpful, and compassionate.
Click here to read Ephesians 4:22–5:2.
Bible Verses to Read - Ecclesiastes 3:1-8
The beginning of Ecclesiastes 3 is a beautiful poetic text that speaks to the full range of the human experience—the good and bad, life and death, laughing and crying. It reminds us that life does not stay the same season forever—every season changes. This passage speaks to those of us who are struggling with—or breaking under the weight of—anxiety right now. Breathe deeply. This too shall pass…… [Click View Post above to keep reading]
Mid-Week Bible Study - Ephesians 4:1-16
As we move into chapter 4 of Ephesians, this week's passage encourages us to use whatever gifts that God has given us to help strengthen others as we all grow in Christ-like maturity. We talk about what maturity looks like, and what character traits Paul says we should have to be worthy of our calling.
Click here to read Ephesians 4:1-16.
Mid-Week Bible Study – Ephesians ch. 3
In chapter 3 Paul talks about a mystery that's been revealed, and how he's been called to "the administration of God's grace." Now that we know the mystery, that is our calling too! That's what we're thinking about in our discussion this week. Read Ephesians 3 here.
Mid-Week Bible Study – Ephesians 2:11-22
We continue reading through the book of Ephesians during the week. We finish chapter 2 this week, and hear about some of the incredible effects Jesus had to bring people together. Anyone is invited to watch, read along, and offer thoughts or questions in the comment section. Tune in each week around Wednesday afternoons as we read what Paul wrote to the Ephesians and to us about what God has done and how we should live in response.
Mid-Week Bible Study - Ephesians 2:1-10
We continue reading through the book of Ephesians during the week. This week we’re reading Ephesians 2:1-10. Watch, read along, and offer thoughts or questions in the comment section. Tune in each week around Wednesday afternoons as we read what Paul wrote to the Ephesians and to us about what God has done and how we should live in response.
Bible Verses to Read - James 1:27 and more
“Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” – James 1:27
Caring for orphans and widows is a common instruction in the Old Testament. In a patriarchal society, orphans and widows on their own would not have had the means to provide for themselves without a male head of household. They are mentioned often in the Bible because they were among the most vulnerable people back then. Immigrants are also listed alongside them as another vulnerable group (see Jeremiah 7:5-7). Part of what it means to be people of faith is to help and care for those who are at risk or in need. This is rooted in God’s own identity: Deuteronomy 10:17–19 shows that God is deeply concerned for anyone who is vulnerable, especially orphans, widows, and foreigners.
During normal times, our church does a good job of honoring God’s concern for and commands about those who are in need. That inclination has served us well now, because we were ready to step up and reach out to folks when the pandemic shutdown began. Not only are orphans, widows, and immigrants still vulnerable, but now there is increased risk for the elderly and for folks with other health conditions. Even simple things like going to the grocery store can carry the risk of infection. Hopefully one result of this virus time is that we as a society are more mindful of people who are in need or at risk. Hopefully in the future we as a society will think about who might be hurting, or suffering, or lonely, and what we can do address the problem. It is also my hope that our church can help show society how to do that well. We’ve been at it a long time, because it has been God’s command for millennia.
A few weeks ago, a law professor at the University of Michigan named Len Niehoff wrote, “If we view ourselves as besieged victims who need to go into hiding, then we will cultivate fear and hoarding. If we view ourselves as a community working hard to protect the most vulnerable among us, then we will cultivate courage and helping. Mindset matters.” That sounds like the mindset that God’s people have been developing since the Old Testament. May we continue to cultivate that within ourselves, and be a true example to others how and why we do it.
Mid-Week Bible Study - Ephesians ch. 1
This week begins a reading through the book of Ephesians with its first chapter. (Click here to read.) Watch, read along, and even offer thoughts or questions in the comment section. Tune in each week around Wednesday afternoons as we read what Paul wrote to the Ephesians and to us about what God has done and how we should live in response.
Collected Thoughts on “Quarantine”
A Poem for the Days
From the book To Bless the Space Between Us: A Book of Blessings, by John O’Donohue
This is the time to be slow,
Lie low to the wall
Until the bitter weather passes.
Try, as best you can, not to let
The wire brush of doubt
Scrape from your heart
All sense of yourself
And your hesitant light.
If you remain generous,
Time will come good;
And you will find your feet
Again on fresh pastures of promise,
Where the air will be kind
And blushed with beginning.
Bible Verses to Read - Exodus 16:1-18
These verses take place when the people of Israel were wandering through the wilderness. Maybe we can relate. The wilderness is a place of isolation, a place of uncertainty, and a place where we lack things we need. We don’t know how long our season of wilderness wandering will last. We may wonder if there will ever be an end to it. And like the Israelites, we will get very weary during the journey.
But the Bible has many examples of the wilderness being a place where people meet God in the midst of their desperation. Over the centuries, countless monks and nuns have gone out to the desert in order to more fully connect with God. Is it possible that here, in our time of solitude, we might encounter God in new ways?
And moreover, God continues to provide in the wilderness. Just as manna from heaven came every day to feed the wandering Israelites, we continue to pray and trust that God will provide our “daily bread” as well.
A Thought, a Prayer, and ways to offer Comfort
Mid-Week Bible Study - Galatians ch. 6
Since we can’t meet in person on Wednesdays to study the Bible and talk about what it means for our lives, Pastor Stuart will be posting mid-week devotional videos. Here is the first one, an overview discussion on the book of Galatians about how to treat others. Read Galatians 6 here.
A Poem for the Living of These Days
Psalms of Lament
We regularly enjoy reading and singing from the book of Psalms to help us rejoice, praise God, celebrate, and give thanks. But not all of the psalms are joyful. In fact, of the 150 psalms, about a third of them are psalms of lament. Written by real people going through real struggles. So they express worry, uncertainty, sadness, and desperation as they sing and cry out to God. Maybe the psalms of the lament are more pertinent to us now than ever, as they echo the feelings we are having… [Click “View Post” to read some.]
