This Sunday is Valentine’s Day. Will our service be all about love? Nope. This is the first Sunday in the season of Lent. We will begin to follow Jesus on his journey to the cross.

The theme this Sunday is “finding our home in God’s presence.” Being rooted in our relationship with God is what helps us make sense of our lives and the world around us. “Home” is a powerful concept, a metaphor for all that is (or should be) right, safe, true, and lasting in our lives. It is in the presence of God that we can find our best and most perfect home. Continue reading

In today’s Chronological Bible reading, we come across one of my favorite topics in the Old Testament: the cities of refuge. These were six cities in ancient Israel that were set apart as “safe havens” for people who committed murder or manslaughter. Something about the conditions set forward in Numbers 35:9-34 strikes me as meaningful for our lives as disciples of Jesus. Continue reading

This week, we conclude our brief look at forgiveness, the theme of our sermon series during the season of Lent.  In Ephesians 5:8-14, we find a clear call for people who have been forgiven:  that we should live as children of light, having nothing to do with the deeds of darkness.  What does this look like, and what does it all mean?  Listen in to Pastor David’s message on this passage:

Listen now!

Romans 5:1-11 contains some of the most meaningful language in scripture:  “While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”  This passage is crucial for our understanding of how God reconciles us to himself through Jesus Christ.  What does this have to do with our journey toward the cross during Lent?  And how can it be transformative for our spiritual lives down the road?  Listen in to Pastor David’s message:

Listen now!

On Monday, April 14, at 7:00pm, we will host a “Model Seder” meal presented by a representative from Jews for Jesus.  This event is free of charge and is open to any who wish to come.

The “seder” is the organized meal which Jews have practiced every year for millennia.  This meal commemorates the Exodus of the Israelites from captivity in Egypt during the time of Moses.  It was this Passover meal that Jesus shared with his disciples just before he was arrested and crucified.

The “Model Seder” meal, presented by Jews for Jesus, is designed to reveal the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ through the sharing of the Passover seder.  We will share in elements from the traditional Passover meal (note: not a full dinner) and see how the story of the Exodus is fulfilled in the story of Jesus.  We will also celebrate the Lord’s Supper as part of this experience, which promises to be a moving, enlightening, and transformative moment in your spiritual walk!

Please come – and bring a friend!

Special note: We will give a love offering to Jews for Jesus at this event to help sponsor our presenter and the mission of this organization.

Sign up by completing this simple online form.  Or you may sign up by calling LeAnn at 989-496-9148.

More information about Jews for Jesus:

Jews for Jesus is an agency that proclaims that Jesus is the Messiah of Israel and Savior of the world. The late Moishe Rosen, a Jew who has believed in Jesus for over 35 years, founded the organization. However, Dr. Rosen was quick to point out that he did not “start” Jews for Jesus. “Jews for Jesus began about 2,000 years ago, around 32 C.E., give or take a year. Jesus’ first disciples were Jewish, and there have been some Jewish people who have believed in him ever since.”

The organization has permanent branches in eight North American cities (San Francisco, Los Angeles, Boston, Chicago, Toronto, New York City, Washington D.C. and Fort Lauderdale) as well as over 127 volunteer chapters spanning some 41 states and five countries. The group’s international branches are headquartered in Johannesburg, London, Paris, Odessa, Moscow, Essen, Rio de Janeiro, Kharkov, Dnepopretrovsk, and Tel Aviv.

To the Jews for Jesus, believing in Jesus makes sense in light of the Jewish Bible and in light of their experiences as “believers.” For those who argue that Christianity contradicts the meaning of Judaism, the Jews for Jesus say there are answers, which their representative will be happy to discuss after the presentation. Call (989) 832-3570 or visit http://www.mthaley.org for more information. There will be no admission charge.

Beneath a Veil

On this Good Friday, I’d like to share a hymn with you that has helped me center myself on the spiritual meaning and depth of Jesus’s sacrifice.  The hymn is entitled “Thee We Adore,” and the English text below is translated from Thomas Aquinas, an important 13th century priest.  Tara and I found this hymn through one of the area choirs in which we sing; the tune we sang (by a composer named Candlyn) is hauntingly beautiful.

Thee we adore, O hidden Savior, thee,
Who in thy sacrament art pleased to be;
Both flesh and spirit in thy presence fail.
Yet here thy presence we devoutly hail.

photo by Elias Rovielo
photo by Elias Rovielo

Thomas Aquinas was instrumental in the philosophical arguments behind the Catholic doctrine called “transsubstantiation” – that is, that the bread and wine of the Lord’s Supper literally become the body and blood of Jesus when we share at his table.  We in the Church of God do not believe this happens, but we can certainly agree that “both flesh and spirit in thy presence fail.”  Being in the Lord’s presence is truly awesome.

O blest memorial of our dying Lord,
Who living bread to men doth here afford!
O may our souls forever feed on thee,
And thou, O Christ, forever precious be.

Jesus taught us that he is the Bread of Life (John 6:22-59).  When we share at the Lord’s table, we are reminded that he is true food and true drink.  And when we gather at the foot of the cross, we are reminded of the truth behind the meal that we share:  the bread and wine remind us of the great price Jesus paid so that we might have forgiveness and relationship with him.

Fountain of goodness, Jesu, Lord and God,
Cleanse us, unclean, in thy most cleansing flood.
Increase our faith and love, that we may know
The hope and peace which from thy presence flow.

Jesu, short for Jesus, is the source of all hope and peace.  His blood is a “most cleansing flood” that can wash us clean from sin through faith and love.  This season is a powerful time to remember, to wash, and to remain quietly in his presence.

O Christ, whom now beneath a veil we see,
May what we thirst for soon our portion be,
To gaze on thee unveiled, and see thy face,
The vision of thy glory and thy grace.

Our hope is always for a future with Jesus Christ.  When we stand at the foot of the cross, at the tomb containing Jesus’s body, we wait for a yet-to-be-revealed future.  When we see the bread of the Lord’s Supper hidden beneath a cloth, we yearn for the time when we can see Christ face to face.  Until then, we thirst, we hunger, we meditate, we draw close to Christ, we hold vigil at the tomb.

I’ll see you on the other side.

–Pastor David

On a Journey

As we move forward in the Christian season of Lent (called “Focus 40” in the Church of God), I find myself captivated by the theme of journeying.  Several of my friends in ministry, who are scattered around the country and the world, are going through different kinds of “wandering” in their own lives.  Some are anticipating a move to a new ministry location, some are expecting a baby for the first time, and some are embarking on new and intimidating adventures in their current locations.

photo by Lain
photo by Lain

When I think about the people of Mt. Haley Church of God in this context, I realize that we too are in transition; we too are on a journey.  This church is settling down into a rhythm with our current pastoral staff.  We have experienced a tremendous mission trip to Guatemala and are continuing to reflect on the impact of that journey.  We are learning the importance of active growth in our own personal faith, and we are seeing the joys of ministering with our youth and children – even though that too is a call to active involvement in ministry.

Everywhere we look, we see signs that the life of faith is a journey.  This is especially on our minds in this season of Lent, in which Christians of all nationalities are journeying toward the cross.  In a deliberate, careful manner, faithful believers just like us are considering their need for a Savior, for redemption, for hope, for Christ in their lives.

In this we are not alone.  Our biblical ancestors in the faith were wanderers, most notably when the Israelites wandered through the wilderness for forty years on their way to the Promised Land.  Later in their history, Israel and Judah each were taken away into exile because of their sinfulness and betrayal of their relationship with God.  Even in the beginning, when God called Abram to leave his home and follow him, we see a clear example of wandering in faithfulness to God.  As the Israelites repeated for generations afterward, “my father [Abraham] was a wandering Aramean” (see Deuteronomy 26) – and that defines us and gives meaning to our own periods of wandering.

Wherever you find yourself on the journey of faith, remember that you are not alone.  Take full advantage of the remainder of Lent (which this year lasts all the way through March) to focus on how God is calling you to draw closer to him and to his church.  Know that I am praying for you and that I am always available to walk with you, wherever you are!

–Pastor David

Ash Wednesday Service

What is Ash Wednesday?  Why are we having a church service on that evening?  Isn’t that something that only Catholics do?  Pastor David, do you really expect us to put dirty ashes on our foreheads?

Those are all good questions, so don’t be afraid to ask them.  I’d like to try to answer them now for you so that you have a better idea of what this experience will be like.  To my knowledge, Mt. Haley has not had an Ash Wednesday service in a very long time, if ever, and certainly not in the past few years.

photo by The Cleveland Kid
photo by The Cleveland Kid

Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent, the season preceding Good Friday and Easter.  Typically, Lent is understood as a forty day period, the same length of time that Jesus spent in prayer and fasting in the wilderness before beginning his ministry (Luke 4:1-13).  Therefore many Christians will dedicate the period between Ash Wednesday and Easter to prayer and fasting.  (That is why people often speak of “giving up something for Lent.”)

Ashes are a biblical sign of mourning and repentance (Job 42:3-6).  Also, ashes remind us that we are dust and to dust we will return (Genesis 3:19).  That biblical truth is found in the midst of the story which explains why people die:  death is a direct result of our sinfulness.  So in the period of time that precedes Easter, Christians remember how our sinfulness separates us from God.  Only then does it make sense to celebrate Jesus’s resurrection on Easter Sunday:  he has conquered sin and death, and those who are in Christ experience victory over both.

I challenge you, then, to begin the season of Lent by coming to worship God at 7pm on Ash Wednesday, February 13.  This type of service is practiced by many different Christian groups, including but not limited to Roman Catholics.  We at Mt. Haley will not put ashes on our foreheads, but we will reflect on our need for repentance and forgiveness.  My prayer is that this service will help us enter a reflective state of mind throughout Lent, so that we might remember the beauty of Maundy Thursday, comprehend the magnitude of Good Friday, and celebrate wholeheartedly the victory of Easter Sunday.

–Pastor David