A Three-Hour Nap

My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken. (Psalm 62:1-2 NIV)

Everyone needs rest.  Whether it takes the form of a weekend getaway, a vacation to a distant location, or simply a weeknight at home with no responsibilities, everyone needs rest.  Often, we work so hard that we overlook one of the most important responsibilities we have:  to take care of ourselves.

By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. And God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done. (Genesis 2:2-3 NIV)

The creation story is a wonderful narrative describing God’s relationship to his creation.  Many people will emphasize different parts of the story (or, really, the stories – there are two different creation stories in Genesis 1 and 2!).  You may remember that God rested on the seventh day, thus setting the example for us that we should rest from our work as well.  As Jesus said in Mark 2:23-28, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath” (NIV).  In other words, we do not rest in order to please God by our obedience, but we rest in order to take care of ourselves – because God desires to take care of us in this way.

photo by CC Chapman
photo by CC Chapman

Earlier this week, I did something rather unusual for me:  I took a three-hour nap.  In the afternoon, after a full morning, I came home and slept.  And I slept hard.  You have to understand, I am not a napper; normally, even on Sunday afternoons, I am awake all through the daytime.  The last period of my life when I regularly took naps was kindergarten!  So when I laid down to take a nap and woke up three hours later – with a pretty foggy post-nap brain – I realized I had needed that rest.

We spend a lot of time and energy in the church on serving other people, donating goods and resources, running errands for people, loving, caring, giving, befriending, helping, … on and on and on.  And this is all worthwhile, because our call as the church is to “go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything [Jesus] has commanded [us]” (Matthew 28:19-20 NIV).  Christian faith is not idle faith.  We are interested in seeing the kingdom of God grow in our midst, and sharing Christ with others – in a multitude of ways – is crucial to that work.

Yet we must take care of our bodies and souls, as well.  It is just as important for us to allow the kingdom of God to grow within ourselves as it is to introduce other people to Jesus.  For through our personal transformation, others will see the power of God to change lives – namely, our own.  When we are healthy, then we can communicate the message of Christ clearly and appropriately.  My three-hour nap enabled me to function well through the rest of the week – not just physically but spiritually as well.

Friends, remember to care for your own selves in the coming weeks and months.  Find regular opportunities for Sabbath rest.  And then, once you have rested up, resume the outward work of the kingdom of God.

Pastor David

Inconsolable

On Tuesday morning, a gentle spring thunderstorm rolled through Mt. Haley Township.  Another round of earth-nourishing rain fell through a cool air mass that had me wearing a sweatshirt on the last week of May.  Storms of varying degrees of intensity came and went throughout the remainder of the day and into the night.  In the midst of all the rain, thunder, and wind, one thing remained constant:

Our dog Jake was terrified out of his mind.

photo by Qualsiasi
photo by Qualsiasi

We added Jake to our family about seven years ago.  He came from a rescue organization in Ohio, and his age and birthplace were unknown to everyone.  Over the years, we have come to believe that Jake may be a “Katrina dog” – that is, a dog who was born in the New Orleans area and survived the terror of Hurricane Katrina in 2005.  We believe this because he dislikes getting wet in any way and because he shows signs of extreme anxiety at the slightest rumble:  thunder, gunshots, firecrackers, or anything else that might remind him of a terribly frightening storm.

Yesterday’s storms were no exception:  all day long, Jake whined, paced, yelped, and was generally inconsolable.  By the evening, even the sound of falling rain sent him into a panic, as if he could sense that a thunderclap might come in the near future.

Tara and I tried to comfort him in different ways at different times.  But we have realized that nothing we can do – short of giving him sedatives, which we have never done – will help this poor dog survive the emotional trauma of a thunderstorm.  (Opening day of rifle season in November is another fun day for us!)

Have you ever been inconsolable due to a traumatic event in your life?  Or has someone around you experienced such emotional stress that you could not comfort him or her?  Or have you ever been overwhelmingly occupied by a burden to share the love of Christ with someone around you?

In all three of these situations, the message of Jesus Christ reaches out to us and transforms us.  Take a moment to read 2 Corinthians 1:3-11.  In this opening passage of the letter, Paul writes about the comfort of God available to those who identify with Christ.  Two truths are readily apparent:  any comfort in this world comes from God, and the comfort we have received must be shared with others around us.  Yet a third truth – having to do with enduring suffering for the sake of the gospel – captures my attention today.

Are we afflicted with sufferings for the cause of Christ?  Does our faith in Christ find expression in our lives in ways that cost us something?  Are we in need of divine comfort because we are sharing in the sufferings of our Lord?

Or do we have more in common with Jake, who reacts with fear to the world around him, even though he is perfectly safe in the care of his providers?  Do we merely wait for God to comfort us in our everyday distress?

Surely everyday comfort is important, but I believe it is more important to be in need of divine comfort because of our active participation in the work of God.  Let’s get to work!

–Pastor David

How to be a Levite

It’s 2013, and that means new things are on the horizon!  At Mt. Haley, that is very true in an interesting way.  This year, one of our focuses will be on learning more about the nuts and bolts of how and why we worship God.  Once a month, after our Sunday morning service, we will have an event entitled “How to be a Levite.”  Each of these events will give you the opportunity to learn about the various roles and responsibilities of different people in our worship services.

In Old Testament days, Levites were people of the tribe of Levi – the tribe of Israelites who were in charge of the tabernacle of God.  Moses and his brother Aaron were from the tribe of Levi, and Aaron’s descendants became priests and Levites, people who were designated for leadership in the worship of God at the tabernacle and, later, the temple in Jerusalem.  Levites play a major role in the Old Testament, beginning in the book of Numbers.  Take a look at 1 Chronicles 15 and see how important the Levites were when King David brought the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem for the first time.

photo by Xavier68
photo by Xavier68

Have you ever wondered what it’s like to be an usher or a chairperson in our worship services?  Have you thought about reading scripture during the service, or perhaps have you wanted to improve your skills?  How about participating on a newly-forming drama team or singing with the praise team?  Why do we do all these things (and many more)?  And how do we do them well, so that God is praised by all who gather for worship?

Those are the kinds of questions that this series will address.  You are welcome to attend any or all of these sessions, regardless of whether you are interested simply in learning or in future participation.  Just stay after church on the announced Sunday, share in lunch with those who stay, and then enjoy learning about our worship services!

This month, on January 20, we will focus on our audio/visual systems.  How does our sound system work?  How does the projection system work?  Why are these systems vital to our worship experience?  How can we use these systems to help people worship well?  Stay after church on the 20th and we’ll discuss all these questions and more!

–Pastor David

November Youth Update

We are BLESSED!  Today, as I watch the devastating destruction on the East Coast of our country, I feel very fortunate that we didn’t receive Super Storms off the ocean. We can deal with some rain, snow and wind.  The GOOD news, we were able to complete the raking of Olive’s yard before the weather arrived.  Took us three different days after school but the student turn-out to help was fantastic.  Thank You kids- you were great and a job well done.

Our Prayer Partner recruitment is coming.  With the addition of seven students (or maybe 5) this year, we are seeing the difference that prayer makes.  We have had our largest groups this year (20 kids) and the 6th grade youth meeting is working out well.  The 7-12 grades meet on Sunday nights and the 6th graders meet on Tuesdays @ 2:30.  We are working our way through the 10 Commandments this Fall with both groups. Plugging along with Romans on Sunday mornings.

On November 1 & 2, Shane Mudd and Isabella Krolikowski are participating in their 2nd Year of the Michigan Student Leadership Institute in Clarkston, Michigan.  I am the State Chairman of MSLI and we are anticipating almost one hundred selected students from churches across the state participating.  A great event for our student leaders in Michigan.

Our 2012-2013 Medical Release and Permission Forms have been mailed this month.  Students should have these forms completed to ride in the van plus attend all youth ministry activities.  The forms run from September 1, 2012 to August 31, 2013.  Once they are completed they are good for the year.  I am again enclosing permission slips for students who have not turned in a form when you receive your monthly parent letter.  PLEASE help us by completing these forms ASAP.

The Hayride at the Hyatt’s was fantastic.  There were three wagons of people, campfire, good food, good conversation and a beautiful evening.  Thank you Hyatt’s for another great Fall evening. We had a wonderful time at Grandma’s Pumpkin Patch as we bounced on the blow-up games, wandered the corn maze, fed the animals, rode on a hayride, sat by the campfire and watched the pigs race each other.   Connie then treated us to a supper of sloppy joes, chips, and donuts.   It was a great night as we finished it up with our weekly youth meeting.

We will be having a Bake Potato Bar on Sunday, November 11th to help raise funds for the Michigan CHOG Winter Retreat in December.  It begins at 4:45 PM in the Fellowship Hall, and then the youth will have their weekly youth meeting.  On November 18, our youth meeting that day will be a service project, packing Thanksgiving Baskets for families at the Aldersgate Methodist Church in town.  There is an area Thanksgiving service that evening at the Midland Christian Church on M-20, so we will not have an evening meeting.  On Sunday, December 9, we will be having a Christmas Party.  Watch for details.

Our next BIG event will be Winter Retreat on December 28-30, 2012. This event is for all students grades 6-12 and costs $105.  Registration is begins November 12 and has a $50 pre-registration due by December 8.  The final $55 balance will be due by Sunday, December 23.  Our guest speaker will be Pastor Mark Shaner and our worship leader will be John Tibbs.  Both are from Anderson, Indiana.  We will be continuing to do fundraisers in preparation for this great Church of God Winter event.

Also, you will be receiving in your church mailboxes (and, parents, through the mail) order blanks for our Gift Card Sale to benefit the Youth Ministry.  Gift cards make wonderful Christmas presents, but they can also be used for your weekly family needs, such as gas, groceries, dining out or just purchasing Christmas gifts. Please consider purchasing gift cards through the Mt. Haley Youth Ministry to help you and us.  The youth receive a percentage listed from each card sold.  All orders are due with the money (cash, or a check made out to Mt. Haley Church of God Youth) by November 25.  Cards should arrive back at the church by December 2.

Your prayers, support and encouragement are greatly appreciated and we look forward every week to sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ with your student through interaction, study, fellowship and relationship.  Thank you for sharing your son or daughter.

Love God, Love People

Pastor Jerry

On Being Ordained

Yesterday, I met with the credentials committee of the Church of God in Michigan.  This second interview was intended to determine whether or not the committee will recommend me for ordination at this November’s state General Assembly meeting in Lansing.  I received word last night that they, in fact, are recommending me for ordination, so this will indeed take place on Saturday morning, November 10.

This is a great honor for me, to be brought into the larger fold of pastors and ministers in the Church of God and in the Christian movement in general.  This comes as the culmination of a long process that began, for me, while I was in seminary in Indiana.  The process involved reading several books, taking a Bible content exam, writing theological statements on fourteen different topics, defending those statements in front of the credentials committee, and meeting with a mentoring pastor.  Also, in the next several months I will complete a LAMP (“Life and Ministry Plan”) with the help of my SHAPE (“Sustaining Health and Pastoral Excellence”) group – a group of five local Church of God pastors that meets monthly for support, encouragement, and growth.

These tasks only have meaning, however, because of the ministry that I am privileged to do with you at Mt. Haley Church of God.  It is because of this relationship between pastor and church that I do all these things – that I even pursue ordination.  The ordination of a pastor is not a rite of passage that simply makes the pastor look or feel good; it is a process that strengthens the pastor’s call, encourages him or her in the work of ministry, and validates the ministry of the local church in which he or she serves.  I will be honored to serve Mt. Haley Church of God as an ordained minister starting on Sunday, November 11.

We will host a special ordination service at Mt. Haley sometime after this November’s General Assembly meeting.  There is no rush for this; we may wait until our snowbirds return in the spring.  Just as we celebrated my installation as pastor at Mt. Haley two years ago, I will be grateful to celebrate with you my ordination as a minister in the Church of God sometime in the near future.

in Christ’s service,

–Pastor David

Filling Midland’s Cup

On Saturday, September 22, five of us from Mt. Haley – four adults and one child – helped distribute food to people in the tri-county region at Dow Diamond.  In the span of six hours, we filled the trunks and backseats of cars representing about 950 families!  This massive food giveaway was organized by a group called Filling Midland’s Cup, which has grown out of the ministries of Messiah Lutheran Church.  I was impressed by the quality of the food donations that came in from individuals and groups from around the area.  People received a wide variety of healthy foods, including a good bit of fresh produce.  (I’ve never seen so many onions in my life!)

The five of us from Mt. Haley served in a variety of capacities.  Some of us were in the ballpark where people gathered to wait for their numbers to be called.  We greeted, talked with, and encouraged those who came.  We heard their stories and gave them the gift of our time and friendship.  Others of us worked in the food distribution system, filling carts with groceries, taking the carts outside to the waiting cars, and filling the cars with the greatly-desired and greatly-appreciated goods.

As I reflect on this experience, I have a few thoughts to share with you:

  1. There are many needs in our community.  I was amazed at the seemingly endless stream of cars – of people – that came to receive help with their personal groceries.  From 9am until around 3:45pm, there were perhaps one or two moments when the line of cars dwindled down to one or two.  The work was constant and unending.  When the final cars had left the distribution area, I had trouble believing that the work was really done.  I was struck by how many individuals within driving distance of Dow Diamond came for help with groceries.  That made me think:  do any of these folks live in the neighborhood of our church, so we might continue to reach out to them in Christ’s love?
  2. Some folks don’t have a car.  This is easy for us to forget, especially those of us who have a car (or two or three) and have always enjoyed ease of transportation.  Perhaps ten or twelve of the people who came through the line on Saturday did so on foot or on bicycle.  I helped a couple pack their backpacks full of food supplies and load bags of groceries onto their bicycles’ handlebars.  They made two trips before all their goods made it home, which thankfully was not far away.  Others arranged for their groceries to be driven home in volunteers’ cars.  That made me think:  what do we take for granted?
  3. Everyone was grateful.  I was blessed to serve at the main “point of contact” – where groceries and trunks met each other, where volunteers and guests met each other.  Through the span of over 900 vehicles, I never saw at individual upset, angry, frustrated, or disappointed, either with the long wait in line (several hours for some) or with the food gifts.  Some folks I saw were literally jumping up and down in excitement for what they were receiving; one lady called this “Christmas in September.”  That made me think:  how can we be more grateful on a daily basis?
  4. All of this was done in the name of Christ.  We didn’t push the gospel on people; we didn’t ask people if they knew Jesus as their Savior; we didn’t even check to see if they really needed this help.  This was a “come one, come all” event.  Anyone and everyone was invited to come and receive a blessing from God, orchestrated and organized and worked out by the hands of fellow disciples of Christ.  That made me think:  how can we continue to share Christ’s love with people in the future?

Here’s a short video about this event.  Please take a few minutes to watch it!

–Pastor David

Our Spiritual Giftedness

Last Sunday, twenty-one adults (including two teenagers) gathered in our fellowship hall to learn about, discuss, and discover their spiritual giftedness.  This was the culmination of a sermon series on that topic, and my pastor’s heart was very glad by the strong turnout and even stronger discussion we had at this “Spiritual Gifts Workshop.”  I’d like to share a few thoughts with you about the general make-up of our congregation.  (As a reminder, if you were not able to attend the workshop, please see me sometime, and we can work on discovering your spiritual gifts together!)

Our survey identified two kinds of spiritual gifts:  “working gifts,” which are gifts that we are currently using in active ministry, and “waiting gifts,” which are gifts that may need more development – or the right opportunity – before we put them into use as well.

Among the 21 people at the workshop, our top three “working gifts” were service, giving, and faith.  Service has to do with tending to practical needs that help build up the body of Christ.  Giving involves supporting the Lord’s work through generous and joyful contributions of material goods – financial and otherwise.  Faith is a gift which allows us to see what God wants and to be certain that he will accomplish it in response to prayer.

Does that sound like the Mt. Haley congregation you know?  It does to me!  I believe we are, indeed, very strong in these three areas.  The next question, then, is this:  “So what?”  How do we put these gifts to work as a congregation?  Our frequent love offerings for various ministry groups is a start; our support of different local Christian ministries each quarter is another good thing.  Let’s be thinking about how we can continue to develop our strengths as a congregation, even as we do the same individually.

On the other side of the coin, our three strongest “waiting gifts” – again, among the 21 people present at the workshop – are discernment, encouragement, and hospitality.  Discernment means the ability to distinguish between truth and error, especially when it comes to matters of faith.  Encouragement is the gift that enables us to motivate others to live practical Christian lives.  Hospitality has to do with welcoming and graciously serving guests or strangers.

Many individuals in our congregation are “waiting” to put these gifts into action.  How can we be more actively discerning, encouraging, and hospitable in our church and in our local community?  What would it look like if we were to grow in discipleship and outreach, intentionally paying attention to a development of these three “waiting gifts”?  Let’s discuss these things together as we serve in the kingdom of God in this particular place, at this particular time.

–Pastor David

Who Determines What’s Right?
photo by Marco Bellucci

Two recent stories have my attention today, and I’d like to share my reflections with you.  First, though, please know that my primary concern with these stories is discipleship and serving Christ, not politics or even ethics.

Yesterday on the radio I heard an interview of a woman named Sarah Tuttle-Singer.  She had an abortion at age 19, has become the mother of two children since then, and recently wrote an essay about her experience with abortion as a college student.  She stands by her decision to have an abortion, even though she acknowledges that it was a “very challenging, very painful process” – especially when she later became pregnant again. At the end of the interview, she commented that when a woman is considering terminating an unwanted pregnancy, “the choice that’s made has to be in her best interest and has to come from what that voice inside of her says is the right choice to make.”

This goes against a biblical understanding of how we should make our choices.

Today, I saw online a “mashup” video – a video that combines two different things or ideas.  With soft jazz music playing in the background, the video alternates between (a) biblical phrases taken from the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:1-12), part of Jesus’s “Sermon on the Mount,” and (b) video clips of Christian pastors condemning homosexual behavior and the people who practice such behavior.  (If you are reading this online, please take a couple of minutes to watch the video.)  To be fair, many Christian pastors have gone too far in condemning individuals for specific sins, specifically those in the realm of homosexuality; it is God’s place to judge, not ours.  I don’t believe people are easily attracted to Christ while being mercilessly criticized by Christians.  What disturbed me, though, about this video was its conclusion:  after showing so many pastors (and children!) preaching that terrible things should be done to gays and lesbians, the video concluded with these words:

Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 5:10 NRSV)

My interpretation was that the video was giving gays and lesbians the designation of “those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake.”

This also goes against a biblical understanding of how we should make our choices.

Please remember that I am thinking about discipleship and serving Christ, not about politics or ethics.  I am not advocating for abortion rights or gay rights; however, those issues aren’t my main concern.  My main concern is how we view scripture, ourselves, God, and the nature of righteousness.

God has given us the immense responsibility of free choice, so that we can freely know and choose to follow him.  Yet that responsibility does not translate into a self-determined righteousness that says, “I believe this choice is good; therefore it is good.”  God has also given us the immense challenge to follow and to serve Jesus Christ with our lives, facing persecution if necessary from those who do not believe in the gospel message.  Yet that call to suffer for Christ does not translate into a self-validation that says, “I choose to live my life how I please, and look how persecuted I am by people who disagree with me.”

These present-day stories about abortion and homosexuality are warnings to us who claim Christ as Lord:  Our ethical choices about life and sexuality do matter to God.  Beyond that, though, our understanding of right and wrong cannot begin and end with our own preferences.  We must strive to become more Christlike, even when that goes against what we think or feel is right for ourselves.

Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and He will give you everything you need. (Matthew 6:33 NLT)

–Pastor David

As long as we love him…
photo by theotherway

Recently, four of our congregation’s children completed their study on baptism.  These were the four who were baptized on Easter Sunday.  What a day of rejoicing that was!  In preparation for their baptisms, each student completed a study book on baptism in which they answered questions about Bible stories and passages relating to baptism.

One of the questions asked the children to read Romans 8:28 and write what it says in their own words.  Here is Romans 8:28 (NIV):

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

And here is one student’s summary of that verse:

As long as we love him, he will call us.

Take a minute to think about that statement!  As long as we love him, he will call us.  While that thought might not be exactly what Paul intended when he wrote those words, I think it’s a beautiful way of describing the relationship between our love for God and his call on our lives.  I have never thought of this relationship in quite this way, but it really interests me.  It might even help us adults answer some important questions that we face:

How can you tell if God has called you?  Well, if you love him, then he has called you according to his purpose.  It’s as easy as that!

What has God called you to do (or be)?  That’s a tricky question that each of us answers differently based on our talents, skills, interests, and situation in life.  But anything God has called us to do (or be) will be rooted in our relationship of love with him.  That’s the starting point.

Has God’s call on your life run out?  Have you completed your tasks?  Is it time to retire from the service?  No!  Remember, as long as we love him, he will call us.

God is always up to something new.  Sometimes God is making our lives new; at other times, it might be our families or our church or our community that he is calling to become new.  But we can rest assured that for as long as we love the Lord, he will indeed call us according to his purpose.  And we may be comforted to know the truth of the rest of Romans 8:28 – that in order for his purpose to succeed in our lives, God works all things for our good.  (The emphasis is on God’s purpose being fulfilled in us, not in our experience of all things working out.)

Friends, be encouraged by this child-like restatement of a scriptural truth.  Love God, listen for his call, and ready yourself for new avenues of service in his kingdom!

–Pastor David

Making a Difference
photo by star_trooper

One of our spiritual disciplines as Christians is to care for those who are in need, both within our circle of acquaintances and among strangers.  Different churches and church groups handle this type of ministry in different ways.  At Mt. Haley, we have a benevolence committee which functions as an advisory group for most of our charitable gifts to people in desperate situations.

Over time, in multiple churches, I have heard several people suggest that poverty is such a rampant problem in our society – rich though we all are, by the world’s standards – that we can never eliminate poverty completely.  People will always come asking for help with rent payments, electric bills, empty gas tanks, hungry children, and so forth.  Perhaps, though, we ourselves have asked (or will ask) for help in similar ways!  By helping those who are in need, we are putting into action Jesus’s so-called Golden Rule: “Do to others as you would have them do to you” (Luke 6:31 NIV).

Sometimes, people will cite Jesus’s words in Matthew 26:11 as suggesting that our devotion to him is more important than our care for the needy:  “The poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have me” (NIV).  But I don’t think that’s the best understanding of what Jesus meant.  He often helped the poor himself, particularly through miraculous feedings and healings.  His teachings are perfectly in line with the Old Testament standard, which I recently rediscovered and would like to share with you here.

Take a few minutes to read Deuteronomy 15:1-11, and notice how many times the words “needy” or “poor” appear.  The final verse of this passage says something startling:  “Since there will never cease to be some in need on the earth, I therefore command you, ‘Open your hand to the poor and needy neighbor in your land'” (NRSV).

Precisely because there will always be people in need around us, we should continue to look for ways to serve others.  Our work will never be complete.  Friends, don’t be discouraged by the poverty that surrounds us; instead, look for ways to be a blessing!  And don’t settle for allowing our benevolence committee to handle all our care for people in need; find ways to be benevolent yourself!  Let us each open our hands to our poor and needy neighbors, and in so doing share with them the love of Jesus Christ, which he has graciously given to us.

–Pastor David