Pastor's Newsletter
April 2008
My wife can’t speak.
Scratch that. She isn’t allowed to speak. The doctor put her on two weeks of “vocal rest” to make sure she doesn’t cause any permanent damage to her voice. That wouldn’t be good for a music teacher.
Mari wants to communicate at the same rate she used to when speaking. That’s fine when she is near a computer or has a pencil and paper, but it proves a bit more frustrating when she has to resort to “charades.”
Fingers a blur… mouth quickly forming silent words… total-body pantomiming. She’s fast. She says a lot in a short period of time. Problem is, I don’t have any idea what she’s trying to communicate.
“You want me to get you a glass of water?” Furious head-shake… “No.”
“You want me to drink a glass of water?” Hands wave me off… “No!”
“Ella wants a glass of water?” Brief pause. She looks at me like I have no clue. I have no clue. She walks away, frustrated.
Being misunderstood is frustrating.
Guess what. You never have to worry about God misunderstanding you. In fact, he knows what you want more than you do. He knows what you need more than you do.
O LORD, you have searched me
and you know me.
You know when I sit and when I rise;
you perceive my thoughts from afar.
You discern my going out and my lying down;
you are familiar with all my ways.
Before a word is on my tongue
you know it completely, O LORD.
-Psalm 139:1-4
Before a word is on your tongue. Be at peace, God knows.
-Travis
March 2008
God’s Radical Rescue
During this first quarter of the year we are reading in Exodus about God’s radical rescue of the Israelites. As we began the book of Exodus, the Israelites became slaves (Hebrew: ‘ebed) and were forced to serve (Hebrew: ‘ābad)the Egyptians.
“The Israelites groaned in their slavery and cried out, and their cry for help because of their slavery went up to God.” –Exodus 2:23
The Hebrew words for slave and service come from the same root. Now, you may be wondering why I’m giving you this Hebrew lesson. The reason is because this same word (‘ābad) can also carry the meaning of worship. If you think about it, worshipping God and serving God are related.
And God said, "I will be with you. And this will be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God on this mountain." –Exodus 3:12
When God rescued the Israelites he wasn’t just freeing slaves, but was rescuing the people from bad service (to an evil king), into good service (to a good God).
This Easter we will celebrate how God has radically rescued us from being slaves to sin, through the death and resurrection of our Lord, Jesus Christ.
But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. –Romans 6:22-23
Just like the Israelites, God made you free so that you can worship and serve him. The reason our church exists is to do our part in growing servants of God by helping people Know, Live & Share the Good News.
We gather together as a large group during our Sunday services so that we can know God better through hearing his Word and sharing in praise.
Our small groups and Sunday school classes are built to help people live out their faith in small communities. It is a place to ask questions and talk about the Bible, and to put into practice God’s commands to love, encourage, and care for one another. Studying God’s word in a small community help us to live out his commands in all areas of life.
Our ministry teams are another place to live the Good News. As we grow as a church (in size and in organization!) we want each person to be able to serve in one area of ministry.
As we grow in serving God, the natural next step is to share with others our experience what we have received through Jesus Christ. God’s plan for the Israelites was for them to be a nation others could come and see in order to learn about God and how he relates to his people. God’s plan for the church is for us to be a people that will go and show others about God and how he relates to his people.
God’s radical rescue is news (Good News) to share. Ask God for the opportunity to share with someone you care about this Easter season.
Looking forward,
January 2008
Together, helping people Know, Live, & Share the Good News.
The above ten words concisely expresses the mission of our church. As our membership grows and our ministry expands (thank you God!), these words keep us focused on what is most important.
“Knowing” the Good News includes knowing both the details of Scripture and the ultimate Author of Scripture. This kind of knowledge should make it impossible to remain unchanged. As our Sunday school class has read through John, we’ve noticed that everyone who encountered Jesus was challenged and changed.
That is why individual Bible reading, Small Groups, Sunday school classes, and sermons are central to the Christian life. These things provide opportunity to know God. My hope and prayer for each one of you is that you will encounter God on his terms, and be changed! This, of course, will look different for each person. You may find in 2008 that knowing more of the Good News means…
• Trusting God during uncertain financial times
• Walking the path toward Christ-like maturity as you experience sickness or loss
• Finding new joy in granting forgiveness
• Leaving behind the destruction of a habitual sin
• Applying biblical principles to child raising
• Discovering that lessons from classic “Bible-stories” apply to your life
• Growing in appreciation for God as He picks you up after a self-inflicted fall
• Identifying new gifts as you step in a new job or ministry
• Softening your heart as you see poverty through God’s eyes
• Learning to voice your faith to friends or family
Here’s to knowing God MORE!
-Travis