“The Margin of Real Rest”

(By Thor Knutstad)

As I write today’s weekly blog, I am reading the comments of many disappointed people. Adults wanted a day off at home. Kids wanted a snow day from school. Many businesses and schools were closed.  People throughout our region had braced for “Winter Storm Juno” – which was ‘supposed to’ (and let me emphasize SUPPOSED TO) dump a foot or two of snow in blizzard-like fashion over the entire North Eastern United States and here in the Greater Philadelphia Region. It did not. It was a bust. In the words of teens these days, “Fail.”  Actually, “Epic Fail” seems more appropriate. In the throes of expectation and disappointment, here are a few simple observations that I have made today:

 Don’t judge what you and others don’t know.

 People really do want reasons to rest and be at home.

Don’t judge what you don’t know.  The meteorologists got it wrong about the snowstorm. So what?  99.9% of the time they actually get it very right. Maybe the fear and hype of HOW PEOPLE RESPOND to snow shows that they really do want the weatherman to be correct. This was a storm that had a lot of room for meteorological error. And maybe we should be grateful that it isn’t worse. Lives are actually saved without recognizing it. We judge and we blame for what we do not really understand or fully comprehend.  This is wrong and ought not to be. But it’s more than wrong judgment and disappointed expectations.  Many crave something that is treasured, yet not really utilized or lived out.

People want real reasons to rest and stay home.  Rest is something very foreign to our busy, pleasure idolatrous culture. We cannot sit still and just talk, laugh, read or rest.  We leave NO MARGIN for ponder, thought or imagination. Our minds are distracted by an endless array of media, sights, sounds, internet, information, to do lists, social media (yes, Facebook), tablets, movies, games, apps and smart-phones that ALL subtly deceive us into thinking we are connected to others. These tools aren’t evils, and are useful secondary things, until they are abused and distract us from primary things.  When they drive our minds and bodies away from real rest, we crave someone or something to make us rest.  We want something to be done for us because we sinfully (yes, I said that) live in modes of extreme exhaustion and the busyness of “marginlessness” (my new word).  A big snowstorm puts loved ones together with lots of food and laughter and TIME and closes the door on outside activities – ENDLESS ACTIVITIES of BUSYNESS.  The disappointment isn’t just a sign of wrong expectations.  It’s an indicator of the crave of rest.  And remember people – it’s not even February.  There’s still time for snow.  Winter isn’t over.  But make time for the margin of real rest.

On the Brilliance of Man

"I'm just a little bit worried. Do you have some sort of plan? Have you been finally defeated by the cunning of these fully evolved men?"

— from “Letter from a Concerned Follower”, by Pedro the Lion

As of yesterday, the forecast for today called for 12 to 18 inches of snow.  Bread was absent from store shelves last night (don’t ask me how I know), and local schools announced they’d be closed, even before any flakes had fallen.  Modern science is an amazing thing, and the technological tools that man has developed are wildly fantastic. 

I didn’t measure it, but I’d say we got about 1 to 2 inches of snow today, or what you might call a “dusting,” which is a little less than the foot and a half they were calling for.  How could a forecast, just 24 hours ago, be so off?  With all of modern science behind them, the meteorologists best guess was wildly wrong.

Before you get the wrong impression, I am not a science hater.  I’m not a climate-change denier.  I believe in getting kids vaccinated.  Science is a passion of mine, and I have spent years trying to inspire a sense of wonder to my students through science.  I believe that God has given us the information in the natural world, and the mental capacity to do things with it that would have been mind-blowing just 200 years ago.  God has made us pretty brilliant.

But I find a strange comfort in science getting things wrong.  With all the computer models, expert minds, and satellite images, there is still some mystery in nature.  I’m not saying that God supernaturally shifted the storm to humble the braggadocious weather men.  I suppose that’s one possibility, but more likely, they just didn’t have a complete understanding of what was going on.  And I love that.

God is so much greater than man.  His creation, whether you believe it is 10,000 years old or 14 billion, is vastly more complex than our best attempts to understand it.  It is comforting to know that the God of the universe is my father, and he remains firmly in the driver’s seat.  Throughout human history, we have attempted to understand our world.  Every generation makes advances and assumes that they are the pinnacle of knowledge.  Sometimes we forget that Proverbs 3:5 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding.”  Then 18 inches of snow turns out to be a dusting, and we are left to realize that we don’t know everything.

Jeff Hyson

What Is Good Repentance?

(By Diego Cuartas)

Whether we all use the same word to describe the need for change is not as relevant as the fact that as human beings we all understand what is implied by the expectation to repent or change. Not everything about us—our thoughts, words, attitudes or actions—is admirable! There is always room and a need for change—in this blog I will call this repentance.

I remember the days when my two brothers and I would get into playing rough and loud, and my father would warn us that if there was not a change (repentance) in our behavior we would experience physical consequences that usually involved pain. What my father was calling for was a change of our behavior at the moment. Remember the warnings you received from a teacher, your parents or perhaps a friend? Some of us have even experienced the warning offered by a law-enforcement officer while driving on a road where we ignored the law of the land!

I have personally experienced many moments in my life in which my intent to repent was very superficial at best. Perhaps with the help of others I saw that there was a need for repentance in my life, but I only pursued such repentance to please others or pacify them in some way. I knew deep in my heart that though I was modifying my behavior I had remained the same person. So my brothers and I at times were lucky to calm down and avoid my father’s punishment, but deep inside we did not want the authority of our father over our lives in that moment—especially if his authority was bringing limitations to what we considered our wants and freedom in the moment!

May I suggest that in order for repentance to be good—effective and fruitful—we will need a more comprehensive approach to repentance. Let me explain. As human beings, we constantly display behaviors, but the reality is that we are more than behaviors. We are creatures with a command center that God has made with the capacities to desire, belief and strive. And at the core of these dynamics is our capacity to treasure or worship. What is true is that our behaviors are always in sync with what is happening in our command center—our hearts. So to speak of repentance and and pursue a repentance that is good, effective and fruitful, we need to consider both the behaviors and the heart. 

Think of it this way: behaviors are indicators (or the fruit) of what is really happening in our hearts. 

Good repentance will always require that we consider a journey into our hearts by using the path that our behaviors afford us. Let me illustrate through a personal simple journey:

I am making statements that are not my real opinion in a given conversation with a friend.

I am sensing that what I am doing is not sincere and therefore fake.

I am experiencing the guilt that comes with this moment.

I am now considering why I am doing this. Why am I not saying what my sincere opinion is?

As I follow the path of my behavior, I start noticing some desires, beliefs and agendas seeded deep in my heart.

I am noticing that I desire acceptance, not rejection; I see that there is also a belief in my heart that says, “You will not be safe if you tell the truth” and another one that says, “You will miss life if this person rejects you or disapproves of you.”

As I keep following the path into my heart, I also see that my agenda is now to control the conversation in order to secure the outcomes I really want.

Can you see it? In order to experience repentance—change—in who I am, I will need to consider both my behaviors and my heart. Good repentance then will lead me to explore and understand my behavior in light of my heart. Furthermore, good repentance will probably translate into addressing the wrong (idolatrous) desires, beliefs and agendas that rule my heart.

Good repentance is not something that happens in a vacuum. And it is not something we do within the confines of our own understanding and wisdom. A bigger, wiser and holier being than us will have to be our reference point and helper. In order to treasure or worship what is truly good and admirable we will need a transformation that only God can offer.

Stay tuned. Good repentance is possible! 

Would the World Notice if the Church Ceased to Exist?

(By Nate Howard)

Imagine...

Tomorrow, you awaken to find ShopRite has disappeared — along with every other grocery store! What if the police department was no more? What if, heaven forbid, chocolate ceased to exist? What if technology as we know it, including the internet, cell phones, even electricity, vanished without a trace?

It’s hard to imagine survival without life’s so-called necessities. But here’s a more challenging question: What if all Christian churches disappeared? What if Living Faith Alliance disappeared? Would it make any difference if we didn’t exist? Would anyone notice?
God imagines His church to be a world-changing church — that our presence would be felt, that people would know we exist. God said, "I made the whole house of Israel and the whole house of Judah cling to me, that they might be for me a people, a name, a
praise, and a glory." (Jeremiah 13:11)
God intends the life of Jesus in His people to significantly alter the world. That’s what we want as well. We’ve set the course of LFA to be in pursuit of the life-changing presence of Jesus, impacting
South Jersey one life at a time.
The 5-year goals we have embraced (see the front cover) describe the kind of impact we imagine, not just as one church, but as a number of networked churches — call them church plants or multisite.
We want to engage our world, intentionally talking with our friends about the Gospel, experiencing the joy of watching them become Jesus followers, connected in true community, living a
purposeful life of mission.

Look again at the graphic. Do you see the five essential practices we intend to grow in? It really does start with you and me. So as we begin this new year, the questions facing each of us are:
‣ What values need to shift in our life?
‣ How must we change?
‣ What will God need to do in you and me for us to become the
church God envisions?

I hope you can see there is an urgency that each of us connect with
God. That’s why we are beginning 2015 with an all-church week of
prayer. Please use this guide to enter in to the life of your church.
Set aside this week and let your faith rise to grasp what God has
for us.

A CHRISTIAN “FISH” on YOUR CAR?

It was the day before the moving van arrived to take us from Minnesota to Massachusetts. At the dining room table were two movers, wrapping and packing the last of the kitchen in layers of paper. My husband, definitely an A-type, was in the eaves of the attic directly overhead, struggling to remove a youth bed mattress so he could take it to the dump. The new owners were to arrive in two days and he was determined that everything should be perfect.

All was going swimmingly when suddenly, without warning, my husband’s foot and leg crashed through the ceiling overhead --- the freshly painted ceiling, I might add.

Dead silence. Everything stopped. All four children froze. The two packers were fixated on the leg. I just stood there with my mouth open, cringing in anticipation of how my dearly beloved might choose to comment on this latest catastrophe. More silence.  And then, blessedly, he burst into wild laughter, and pulled his leg back out of the wreckage, and he and the cursed mattress came back downstairs where we were all helplessly doubled over at the memory of his leg waving around through the dining room ceiling. And one of the men summed it up. He said, “Yep, Doc --- that’s a hundred dollar hole!” (1965 dollars!)

So how do you think God would really like us to react when we are stopped in our tracks by some unforeseen and decidedly unpleasant surprise, or some obnoxious person, or the failure of something we really, really wanted to succeed? 

Back in the ‘70s a Christian music artist, whose name I have forgotten, shared a few thoughts in the middle of his excellent album. He reminded us about the shock-absorbers in our cars, and how they made the ride smoother and more comfortable for us. And he said that he was pretty sure that God wanted us to be His shock-absorbers. He said that when something hits us, we have a choice. We can always bounce the bad right back at someone else, and let the anger start a new journey bouncing off who knows how many people in its journey. Or we can  react in a way that pleases God, and stops the damage, and we can let it end with us. We can be God’s shock-absorbers. 

If we are to be the light of the world, then there really isn’t any place for yelling and screaming, or nasty hand-signals to the driver who cuts us off, or snarky comments to the clerk who offends us. We can really never know the life circumstance of that other stranger who treats us poorly, or what awful distraction may be causing what looks to us like rank ignorance. Even when faced with a direct confrontation there are almost always ways to defuse it without anger and retaliation. We do need to be God’s shock-absorbers, as much as we can, in this angry world. 

It’s not easy for everyone. Some of us may have grown up with pretty short fuses. Some of us may even be a little proud of the way that we’ve taught people to treat us carefully and sort of walk on egg-shells around us. But that isn’t God’s way. Jesus didn’t teach us to be that way, and we know it. 

       “You are the salt of the earth, but what good is salt if it has lost

    its flavor? Can you make it salty again? It will be thrown out 

    and trampled underfoot as worthless.

        “You are the light of the world – like a city on a hilltop that cannot

    be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket.

    Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to 

    everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine

    out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.”

                                                                                                           Matthew 5: 13-16, NLT

Norma Stockton

The Donkey, The Elephant and The Ladybug

(By Lois Robinson)

What a weird title for a blog, huh? Well, keep reading and you will find out the reason why I chose it.  It all started back in the first week of December when I was feeling pretty low. I actually felt abandoned by God a few times during the week as well. I was dealing with some significant health issues, family issues and the like. You may be able to relate to what I am talking about.

Then, something really strange happened at the end of that week. I pulled into my driveway and there, hanging on the wrought iron lawn ornament, was a red letter with a heavy plastic donkey tied to it. I thought, what in the world! I took it into the house, opened the letter and saw in addition, two WaWa gift certificates.  As I began to read the letter, it described how my King, King Jesus, came in a very unexpected way, and He road that donkey into difficult circumstances. He too will show up in my circumstances in unexpected ways and will ride that donkey into my difficulties. Oh my, I began to weep and weep.  It was like my Jesus reached out to me and gave me a huge hug. That is the picture of the Body of Christ. Someone, His people, saw my affliction, purchased the items, wrote the letter, pointing me to my King. Praise God for hearing my cry.

These tangible acts of love continued throughout the entire month of December. I couldn’t believe it. There was a beautiful basket full of healthy organic food products along with another gift certificate to Applebee’s. I was so moved and taken aback. Included was a large, heavy plastic elephant with large strong tusks, representing strength, with a handmade ornament. On it was written out Joshua 1:9 about moving out in battle. Not to be afraid but to be strong in the Lord. Once again, my Jesus came and wrapped around me, through the tangible actions of His people. Another package contained a beautiful picture of humming birds and how God cares for each one. Another gift certificate to my favorite food, Chinese:) Plus, a cute little Lady Bug stuffed animal. The people involved have no idea the TREMENDOUS impact you had on my life and the timing of it was absolutely amazing.

Little did I know, there were going to be some very difficult issues ahead the last week of December into January involving very close friends of mine, friends that are like family.  It was and still is in a crisis state. I made it a point to keep the Donkey, the Elephant, and the Lady Bug propped up in front of me by the TV. The letters were there as well. The family felt led by God  to do an intervention for a younger sibling heavy into substance abuse, eating disorder and mental illness.  We would read those letters, with the sister’s name inserted, declaring God’s plan for her life. Amen. We would look at those animals. Knowing that Jesus, our King was riding that donkey right into the middle of those/these difficult circumstances. The image of the elephant reminded us of the book in the bible, Joshua 1:9, to be strong and of good courage. The little Lady Bug, well, she reminded me that someone cared enough to bring her to my house and say, “Hey:) you are loved and not alone.”

There you are, the story of the Donkey, the Elephant and the Lady Bug.

How To Create Habits for Your 2015 Resolutions.

Before we end the year 2014 I would like to recommend Joe Carter's blog on how to create patterns in your life--which is essential to any New Year's Resolutions. Carter is one of the editors for the Gospel Coalition and an author. Don't get discourage if you have not met your past resolutions. Today is a new day and God can make grace abound to you in whatever area of your life you are seeking to experience change in. May He aide you and sustain you! To read Carter's blog click here.

Diego Cuartas

My Jeans Are Not My Worth

When I go away on a trip, I like to pack so that I will be prepared for anything. And I like to pack waaaay in advance.

If I was able to do things in my ideal way, I’d have everything neatly laid out in my suitcase 2-3 nights before the typical night-before packing job. It stresses me out to pack the night before a trip...so I like to do it way ahead of time. I like having time to think about what I forgot, make lists, and wash my favorite items so that they can all come along.

My husband is the complete opposite. He, as well, prefers to not pack ‘the night before.’ What he chooses to do instead, though, is to pack 5 minutes before we leave. THAT SAME DAY. Whereas my clothes have sat neatly stacked for 3 nights in the suitcase, his get shoved in, pretty much on our way out the door. No thought to how clean his clothes are, no preference to any particular pair of jeans. If we’re going for 3 nights, he might bring 2 shirts. I, on the other hand, would typically bring 6. I enjoy packing all kinds of items ‘just in case’ to keep me happily ready for any situation, be it 80 degrees or 40. He’s fine no matter the circumstances in whatever shirt he happened to grab.

All this to say: his method is unbelievable to me. The end.

So anyway, we went on a trip to visit my sister a couple of months ago. When it came time to get dressed for church, he probably wore the same jeans and shirt he had worn the day before on the roadtrip there. I, on the other hand, was in a quandary. I had carefully planned and packed my outfits for each day we’d be there. I had tried on various outfits for Sunday in the packing process and had opted for a dress. However, while getting dressed, I remembered that her church was alot more casual than I was used to, and I suddenly realized that the dress would be too formal. So I threw together another outfit. (By ‘threw together,’ I mean I deliberated between various options for 30 minutes).

It wasn't what I had pictured myself wearing on Sunday morning. It was fine, because I had obviously prepared for such a thing to take place by packing several nice sweaters ‘just in case.’ But it wasn't what I had planned. And do you know what I ended up doing for pretty much the whole time we were at church? Glancing down at my clothes. Deliberating about whether my outfit looked good or not. I even went into the bathroom...not to USE it...but to look in the mirror. At my outfit. I did one of those ‘jump up and down a few times to try to see the bottom half of yourself in a small mirror’ type of numbers.

Ridiculous.

When I find myself in a situation like this, there are so many options for what I conclude. One option could be that I could not even notice that I'm inordinately thinking about my apparel. I could consider it normal, find nothing strange with the fact that the constant background thought as I chat with my sister’s church family is what I'm wearing. Or I could solidify my anal commitment to pack my suitcase 3 days ahead. I could vow to always be even more prepared, and I could freak out if ever I have to <gasp> prepare the night before.

I have another option, though. I can tune into my thoughts, focus on what’s going on ‘inside of me’ and start to ask questions of myself. I could examine what I’m valuing and why. For example, these are helpful questions for this situation: ‘Why are my clothes so important to me right now?’ ‘Is it in balance or excessive that I'd be peeking at my boots from different angles throughout the whole service, trying to catch a glimpse of myself in the windows as I play with my 2 year old afterwards, and jumping in the bathroom?’ ‘What am I wanting my clothes to do for me?’

If I answered those questions right now, on the spot, I'd say: My clothes are so important to me right now because they're not just simply covering my body. They've come to mean something more than that in this moment. Next, it’s pretty excessive that I'd be so consumed with my clothes. I could be focusing on the people around me, focusing on God and what His thoughts are in this moment, but I can't because I'm lost in halfway paying attention to what’s going on and mostly contemplating the way my jeans enter my boots. And lastly, if I were honest about what I want my clothes to do for me, like I said, they're not just providing covering anymore. I’d say that I am wanting my jeans to provide me with worth. I want my clothes to prove I'm valuable. I want them to give me significance and security.

In this situation, the clothes have become all about my worth. I’m internally asking the question, ‘Am I good enough?’ I’m not sure that in and of myself, that I'm good enough, that I'm valuable enough to be approved of, to be wanted, to be accepted. I feel that my clothes need to save me. They determine if I have worth or not. If I’m a loser or not. If I’m significant, valuable and safe.

The truth is that clothes can never do that for me. A word I've learned over the past years is that my clothes can become for me a ‘False Savior.’ They might promise me safety, security and worth when I carefully lay them out 3 nights before the trip, or when I see them in store displays, or when I see someone else wearing something and I think, ‘I need to buy that.’ But they never deliver. There’s never a lasting safety, an unchangeable worth afforded to me. The significance they assure me they’ll bring is a shaky confidence that leaves me silently obsessed instead of having my eyes open to what God is doing all around me.

Anything can become a False Savior. It happens to us all the time, in all kinds of everyday  situations. Something (in my case, it’s often clothes, food, a relationship, the goal of having people like me, people’s opinions, and so on) tells us that if we have it, we’ll have the good life. Our lives will be ideal. But I’ve found that it’s never really true. It never really gives me what I want it to.

Think about it. What does that typically look like for you? What are things that you trust to make you feel significant? What promises to bring you safety? What becomes more than just itself and starts to define your worth for you? And does it ever deliver??

Maybe this New Year can be a year where we take more steps as a Church to intentionally turn away from what has falsely promised to give us significance and safety and fall on the Savior who alone can deliver what He promises.

Sarah Howard

Christmas 2014

(By Thor Knutstad)

Dearest Friends and Family,

Setting the context for the famous passage of Isaiah 53 that describes in detail the prophetic suffering and crucifixion of the LORD Jesus, Isaiah 52:7-10 is a beautiful backdrop for Christmas. Let me “decorate” the setting for you:

How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring Good Tidings, who proclaim salvation and say “Your God reigns!”  With shouts of joy, they will see it with their own eyes.  Burst into songs of Joy, for the Lord has comforted His People.  The Lord will bare His Holy Arm in the sight of all the nations and all of the ends of the earth will see the salvation of our God.

For some of you, that may seem like a lot of Old Testament Bible. You may be waiting for key words like Christmas, baby Jesus, family, manger and Bethlehem.  But if you look more closely and reread the passage, it doesn’t look so ancient in list form.

Good News

Peace proclaimed

Good Tidings

Proclaim Salvation

Shouts and Songs of Joy

The Salvation of our God

For any of you that have ever read one of my past annual Christmas letters, you know I will always proclaim to you this Good News, or in New Testament terms, The Gospel.  The apostle Paul, who once was a murderous persecutor of Christ, made it his mission to tell others about Jesus being the Messiah (the Christ, the Anointed One).  He once said that Jesus’ death and resurrection was of First Importance (1 Corinthians 15:3-4).  But Easter only follows the Incarnation of Christ Jesus.  Incarnation means “in flesh”.  It amazes me that we forget the fact that ‘God became flesh in Jesus’ coming as a humble child and selfless servant.  The Lord God, who reigns over Heaven and Earth, came to us as a man.  In an act of mercy and grace, Jesus shows up to bring salvation – as a humble, loving, despised, suffering man. (Isaiah 53)  Creator God lowered Himself to our level, to die for us and save us from sin. (Philippians 2: 1-11)  Then he conquered death by rising from death.  He rises OVER DEATH; His resurrection – defeating all of sin and death.  Victory.

If I had spent the last few paragraphs updating you on our lives, it would not have been a good investment of my words.  So I preach and proclaim this Gospel first.  As for the Knutstads, we are all well.  Early 2014 began with me and Lisa forming our covenant of marriage and bringing together our sons Jordan (20), Bryn (14), Jadon (12) and Elijah (8) into one blended, Christ-following family.  As Lisa and I quickly approach a year of marriage soon, we are truly grateful.  Our sons really love and enjoy each other and get along very well.  Each brings joy to us.  

Jordan is diligently working now and serves on a church worship team band as a keyboard player.  Bryn will finish 8th grade this year and is an avid lover of hunting and competitive airsoft play, aspiring to be a soldier.  Jadon wowed us with straight A’s first marking period and was very successful in both cross country running and soccer.  Elijah played soccer too and just had his 2nd grade Christmas concert where he sang with his classmates so confidently.  Lisa balances the tremendous task of working from home full-time as a Clinical Data Coordinator with taking care of our home and all of us.  Besides being a wonderful wife and mother to all our boys, Lisa also loves on her friends, takes pictures using her gift of photography and serves at Journey Church.  As for me (Thor), I continue to serve in ministry as the pastoral counselor to three churches in Limerick (PA), Langhorne (PA) and Vineland (NJ).  I am grateful to be entrusted with the hurts, struggles and relationships of so many people.

Life has changed a lot for all of us, but we are thankful to our Lord for our family and friends (YOU!) and we wish you a Very Merry Christmas and a Blessed 2015.  May the LORD be known and make Himself KNOWN to you in a whole new way!  God bless you dear family and friends as you celebrate the Savior, the LORD Jesus – who has defeated death and will wipe away every tear.  What JOY awaits!

            With much Love,

                Thor, Lisa, Jordan, Bryn, Jadon and Elijah

This Ordinary Adventure : Being called to stay

  A familiar scene plays out before me. A missionary stands up and shares their story about being called to a distant land and people, the crazy circumstances that lead to them follow Jesus to the other side of the world and the miraculous occurrences that allowed them to do so. Having grown up a pastor’s daughter, attended Christian school for thirteen years and Christian college for four years AND regularly attended church, I am “used” to hearing these stories. However, they never get old or cease to amaze me. As the person speaks I feel as though I experience a Walter Mitty type zone out as I envision myself playing with orphans and feeding the hungry. I can share my gospel story with such eloquence and fluency (in another language no less) that people are moved to tears and I am no longer awkward. This is all in a days work on my adventure with Jesus. 

    Usually after these moving experiences as I come back to reality, I feel discontent. Especially in college, my posture before God would evolve something like this. “God I am open and willing to go anywhere you want me to. Home is where you are.” Silence. “I am willing to risk it all like the missionary said and to leave my family and friends”. More silence. “Have I mentioned I like adventure God?” Finally I would resort to being that little kid in elementary school who desperately wanted to be called upon to give the right answer with their hand up waving franticly. “OOOOOO pick me. Pick me!” 

    After college, I looked into doing an internship overseas and an extended missions trip that ended up not working out. Everything I looked into came to nothing. I came home. For a while I was devastated and feeling like a failure. How could I make a difference if I was here especially when I didn’t want to be? It was during one of my rants before God that he reminded me of something I prayed a few months previously. “My home is where you are God.” I had said that assuming that he would take me anywhere BUT home. “Really God? How could it be your plan that I would lead an ‘ordinary’ life? Isn’t there ‘more important/significant’ work to be done than just an 8-5 job?” 

    I wrestled with those questions, but it was clear that I was going to be here in Vineland for a while so I tried to put myself into it by investing in relationship with family and working hard. It wasn’t until I was venting to one of my good friends on the phone about how hard it was to stay put and how I wanted to go and do bigger and better things that I received some clarity. She prayed over me, “Jesus, show Sophia that you are the same. You are the same God that works miracles in the lives of people whether she goes or stays.” 

   It clicked for me after that prayer. It isn’t all about me. God doesn’t need me to do great things for him, but he allows me to come with him as HE does great things. Therefore, I don’t have to be in control. If He is at work, then no matter how seemingly ordinary the circumstance, it is significant and important. If the emphasis is on him then it doesn’t matter where I am. 

    This is particularly freeing news to me as a new mom when most of my days seem ordinary. In the mundane moments I am reminded that I can be fully present and engaged now and HERE in Millville because:

- GOD IS GREAT: So I don’t have to be in control. 

- GOD IS GLORIOUS: So I don’t have to fear others. (I don’t have to make my life sound more epic for fear of what people think.)

- GOD IS GOOD: So I don’t have to look elsewhere for my satisfaction. (I don’t have to wait until “ bigger and better“ things happen to prove this. He is good regardless).

- GOD IS GRACIOUS: So I don’t have to prove myself. (I don’t have to do more in order to be good enough. I am good enough because of Jesus.)

-- Caesar Kalinowski, The Gospel Primer

Finally, GOD IS HERE: So I am home.  

Sophia Howard

Christmas: Jesus Came to Trade Places with Us!

(By Diego Cuartas)

A reality that is central to Christmas is that Jesus came to trade places with us.

There is a story, found in Mark 1:40-45, which tells of a man who had leprosy and was healed by Jesus. The story actually indicates that the man was labeled "unclean" because a person with leprosy, back in that society, was considered defiled and unclean. A person with leprosy was pretty much considered an outcast and was avoided by others. To touch someone with leprosy was to become unclean.

Perhaps there are things in your life that you or others consider "unclean" or undesirable to say the least. Things that make you isolate from others or hide behind some reality or behavior that helps you, in your mind, look better or more presentable to others. What is that thing you wish was not part of who you are?

So Jesus, the Son of God, enters our world, in the most humble possible way, in order to get close to the leper, close to you, and close to me. He gets so close that he is willing to "touch" what others reject in us. So in the story, Jesus touches the leper with great compassion and responds to the request the man made: "if you will, you can make me clean." Jesus addresses the man, touches the man and says "I will, be clean!." This is exactly what Jesus wants to do in your life and mine. He is close, he wants to touch the places that are broken in our lives and with great compassion wants to release the willingness and power to heal us. That is pretty close, isn't?

Have you ever been touched (impacted) by someone that deeply and that compassionately? This is one of many stories where Jesus, the humble Christmas Savior, moves towards the underserving and yet in need as he compassionately considers their condition. Where in your life would you like Jesus to touch and alter your reality?

I can't help but tell you that it gets even better! Let's recap first: Jesus came into this world. He got pretty close to the leper man. He is attentive to his request. He stretches out his hand and touches him and willingly heals the man. Boom! The guy is made clean. No more rejection. This man has been reintegrated into social life miraculously--not to mention, his sickness is gone! But there is one more thing Jesus does. Jesus asks the man keep this quiet and to fulfill the requirements expected before the town leaders. The man couldn't help it but go about telling everyone about this miraculous encounter with Jesus. As a result, Jesus is hindered from entering the town and remains in the place of the leper experiencing seclusion. 

Jesus will do the same for you! He entered this world. Came close to you in fleshly form. He is willing to touch the undesirable realities of your life. And he will even trade places with you. Well....he actually did it already, at the Cross! Learn from the rest of the people in the story. They went seeking Jesus even though he took the place of the leper. They looked for him because they learned that only such PERSON would dare to touch the "unclean"!

If he touches you, you will never be the same.

May that happen in your life this Christmas!

Good Enough: Thoughts Inspired by Frozen

I never thought I’d say this when I first saw the movie Frozen, but I think I’ve reached a saturation point with good old Elsa and Ana. Can any other moms of small people relate?!? I cannot walk through Target or Walmart anymore without my daughter’s little eagle eyes spying out every single little knick-knack that has those two displayed on it. The screeching starts: “Mom! Mom! There’s Elsa! Mom! There’s Ana!!! That’s me! That’s me!” We play alot of pretend in our house (my daughters are 2 and 4), and the majority of the time, we’re pretending to be ‘The White Elsa’ or ‘Little Ana.’ Hence, the excited shrieking of “That’s me, that’s ME!” in Walmart.

    My 2 year-old, Bethie, actually talks about Frozen so much, and pretends to be Elsa so frequently, that I was actually starting to feel a little concerned. This past week, it felt like every conversation, every sentence out of her mouth ended up returning somehow to this now-epic kid’s movie.

    When I noticed this, my next thought was: ‘Is Frozen all she thinks about?? Does she just replay scenes of the movie all day in her mind? How much of her mental capacity is consumed with it? I’m not so sure this is a good thing anymore.’ Those thoughts led straight into worry. So one night, I started sharing my concerns with my husband.

(...just a little thought for anyone out there who is like me and don’t naturally realize this helpful thing: when you get that feeling of a vague, somewhat foggy-type worry floating around in the back of your mind, and you know it’s there, you can feel it, but you haven’t pulled it to the forefront of your mind and examined it, I think that you’ll be doing your emotions and your spirituality a huge favor to use the energy it’ll take to bring that sucker right out into the light and examine what it’s saying and how it’s affecting you. A great way to do that is to talk it out with somebody. Anyway, that’s just today’s free tip. The end.)

So there I was, talking about the all-consuming influence of Frozen on my small friend, Bethany. As I talked, I realized that I had already made some conclusions about what her obsession meant. I had concluded that:

• I should’ve done a better job as a mom. I shouldn’t have let her watch Frozen. I should’ve done the same things with my second daughter that I did with my first. When my older daughter was two, she had never seen anything like Frozen; when she pretended, she would constantly want to play Mary and Joseph making the trek to Bethlehem, looking for a place for their baby Boy to be born. Her mind being constantly occupied with thoughts of the birth of Jesus was not really a concern to me, as you can imagine.

• Because I hadn’t ‘been vigilant enough,’ and because I ‘didn’t foresee’ that the fun moments of enjoying the cuteness of a movie together would so affect my daughter and dictate the course of her 2 year old thoughts, her future would be negatively affected. She wouldn’t have the same advantages in life that her sister has. She wouldn’t have a soft heart to God. She wouldn’t be as intelligent. And so on and so forth.

As I talked out those deeper conclusions, I could start to sense how God-less my conclusions were. I was concluding that for my daughter to experience good things in life, I had to be good enough. I had to perform well enough to merit a good future for her. But do you know what the truth is, though?? I can never, ever, ever be good enough as a parent. It’s not like if I was just a little more strict, or a little more discerning, or a little more engaged with them, then they’d have a good life. No! I’m not even close to ‘good enough,’ and my job has never been to be good enough. My job is to call out for and fall on the mercy and grace of THE LORD as I try to parent the way He’s called me to.

So then, what do I do when I’m concerned about a direction my daughter is going? Oh, how I love the answer to that question! I can realize that realizing something is a little bit off in her life is a gift from God. He’s allowing me to see it to move me. He doesn’t do it to condemn me for not being good enough or to reveal how I already ruined my chances for the future. He is pouring out His grace to move me today to step in and gently direct her onto another path. He’s using me, as her mom, to introduce salvation to her. She’s two; she doesn’t know anything yet. She doesn’t know what she should focus on. She doesn’t know what is valuable for her to contemplate. She needs me to guide her, and God is graciously helping me see one area where I can do that.

I could be caught up in a cycle of perfectionism: ‘Ah! I didn’t do good enough! How did I miss this?!? Now bad things are going to happen!’ But as I talked it out, I saw that I have another option. I can be thankful for God’s guidance for today. I don’t have to make conclusions about the past or the future, except that I can fully lean into His care for me and my children. Because it has never been and will never be about how good I am. It will forever be only that He has been and will always be good enough. Thank you Lord!

Sarah Howard

“I will if” vs. “I will because”

(By Nate Howard)

God is forever reshaping us, like an expert potter. And since God is very relational (think: Trinity), one area in which He is continually attempting to change us is the basic way we relate to each other. Here’s an example to think about. In relationships, is your posture, “I will because” (which is covenant thinking) or “I will if” (which is contract thinking)?

When I’m in the mode “I will if,” I’m looking to the other person to meet certain conditions and IF he/she does what I require, then I WILL act on their behalf. It’s like we have this unwritten contract, I WILL be good to them IF … 

When I’m in the mode “I will because,” I’m not looking first to the condition of the other person (if they are good, bad, worthy, unworthy, etc.). Rather, I look elsewhere, like, perhaps, to my promise to them, or my promise to God. Then, I WILL be good to them BECAUSE my eyes are on something other than them — I do that because that’s my covenant.

I believe if you look at most troubled relationships, you will find “I will if” thinking. Let’s change that and become a church that cooperates with God’s reshaping agenda of the way we do relationships! And I WILL stay in relationship with you, not IF you meet my expectations, but BECAUSE He has called us to be together. 

God With Us

Every year, I get to listen to the outrage about the “War on Christmas.” 

We are besieged by those anti-Christians who want to wish us “Happy Holidays” instead of “Merry Christmas”!! Nativities are torn down by raging atheists who replace these sacred scenes with generic Holiday Trees! A quick Google search reveals websites, movies, and articles dedicated to fighting this holiday menace and putting Christ back where He belongs!

My problem with this so-called war is not that we shouldn't keep Christ in Christmas. My issue with the war is that it can’t exist. A war is between two powers, each of whom have a chance of winning. Do human ideas stand a chance against the power of the Creator of the Universe? God is big enough to handle naysayers and opposition. He doesn't need to be brought back into anything; He is already there.

As a public school teacher, I face some strong opinions from some fellow believers who see public schools as places where God has been “removed.” I always answer that God is as present in public schools as He is anywhere else. I see God’s presence every day as I teach. Last week I faced a tough and potentially dangerous situation in my job, and the support I received from my kids and co-workers was full of the grace and presence of the Almighty. He hasn’t been “removed” from anywhere; He can't be.

In fact, I find myself doubting God’s power at times, more often than I like to admit. I have had a tough couple of years, and I want answers. I want to know my purpose, my future, His plan, and I want to know it all RIGHT NOW. I take this prolonged waiting period as a sign that God has given up on me. The Truth of His unchanging power and love and goodness escapes my limited understanding. 

During this Advent season, I have been thinking a lot about hope and waiting in darkness. Israel waited in 400 years of silence before the birth of Christ, the Redeemer. And when He did arrive, it was in human form as a “regular guy” from Nazareth, living a modest life as the child of a carpenter. Thirty years of God dwelling among us before He began His public ministry and ultimate mission.

Did the waiting mean God wasn't there? 

Of course not. It was all part of the Plan to save us.

One of Jesus’ names is Immanuel, meaning God With Us. This prophecy from Isaiah 7 is a part of the Christmas story that we return to every year during this season. It would do us good to remember this fundamental Truth year round. God with us.

In modern culture. In our jobs. In our trials and joys. With us, everywhere and always.

Nancy Vasquez

What Joseph Taught Me About Manhood

When you think about it, of all the characters in Christmas story, nobody gets the shaft more than Joseph. Jesus is the birthday boy and has the whole "long-awaited-Messiah" thing going for him, so naturally he gets most of the attention. Mary is the one giving birth to him in a dirty barn surrounded by horse poo, so we can all agree she earns her stripes with that performance. But after that, our supporting cast is rounded out by an angel, pagan stargazers from the East, a bunch of guys hanging out with sheep in a field, two old people, and a local ruler with a really, really bad case of Christmas humbug. We don't even get a quote out of Joseph. All things considered, the fact that that we don't hear more about the man who would one day help raise God Incarnate is stunning. 

Consider the following:

• When Mary tells him she's pregnant (and he's not the father), he doesn't leave her. He does this primarily because he dreams that an angel tells him everything is fine. And we've all been there before, right?
• For nine months, Joseph bears the public shame of being betrothed to a woman who's already pregnant. Imagine if word got out that your husband was a pedophile 9 months before you got married, and you still agreed to marry him. This is the awkwardness and shame Joseph had to live with (unfairly, mind you ) for 9 months.
• During this time, Joseph doesn't have sex with his wife, even after he marries her, until after Mary gives birth to the baby. 
• Joseph walks for five days from Bethlehem to Nazareth with a pregnant woman in tow aboard a stinky donkey. How has no one made a road trip movie about this yet?
• Out of options and probably getting yelled at by his now very pregnant wife, Joseph delivers Mary's baby in the previously mentioned dirty barn surrounded by horse poo.
• I've met men of few words in my life, but the next time we see Joseph, it's 12 years later and he still hasn't said anything. At this point I just want to hug the guy. If ever there was someone who needed a drink and a fishing trip, it was Joseph.

Seriously friends, this is the stuff comedy routines are made of. 

Which is what makes me so curious about Joseph. He's the father of God, but not really, but sorta. What's he thinking? Feeling? What can we learn from Joseph, the man of few words and few appearances despite having such a crucial role?

As a man, I am reminded of a simple, timeless principle: show up for work. God called Joseph, and he answered. He doesn't get much glory, he doesn't get much honor, but he does the job God called him to. This is what "showing up' looks like in my life today. I am reminded to stop expecting everyone to notice how great I am and focus on the task at hand. And God, in his mercy, tends to work things out from there, always for my benefit and never for my harm.

I don't know what happened to Joseph, or why his story was lost to history. But someday, my story will probably be lost to history as well. And what will matter then will not be how great I was, how many giants I'd slain or how many wars I fought. What will matter is how I did my job as a husband. As a father. As an employee to provide for my family. As a friend to those who needed it. This, friends, is a legacy. As the Christmas season steamrolls on, let's keep in mind that our most precious gifts to those we love will not come in boxes or bags. They will not remember those gifts. But they will remember what you did and how you treated them. 

Let's tell good stories together, Church.

Dominick Baruffi

Why Taking Antidepressants Was the Strongest Thing I could Do

This week I want to point you to a blog Diana Lauren recently shared in her personal blog page. I believe her story can be a source of encouragement to many, who perhaps have found themselves facing similar struggles at some point in their life. Or perhaps you know someone who currently is. Two important aspects you will glean from her blog is that neither labeling someone based on their struggle is fruitful or helpful nor offering them platitudes while bypassing their bigger story or experience in life. To read Diana's blog click here.

Sincerely,

Diego Cuartas

Ask, Seek and Knock: An Antidote to Lust.

(By Diego Cuartas)

I am so thankful for how simply Jesus offers us a reason to pray. There are 3 action words (verbs) that describe one and the same thing: ask, seek and knock. In these three words we find the simple revelation of what we can do when we experience desires or deep needs. Prayer, according to Jesus, is where we need to begin as we experience personal need or that deep, ongoing desire we call lust.

Before we consider Jesus' teaching found on Matthew 7:7-11, let's make sure we are on the same page with regard to the word I am using here--lust. Lust does not refer only to sexual desires we may have. Lust is a strong desire for something. So lust can take us on any given day to desiring more food, a better car, the phone upgrade, a relationship, admiration, power, sexual fulfillment or a certain position. The list goes on as long as any desire we can list. Elsewhere in the Bible (James 4:2-4) we learn that often times we don't have what we want because we don't ask or because we ask for the wrong motives.

In Matthew 7:7-11, I find two key realities we can consider to address our lust and even our personal needs (two different realities here). Consider what Jesus says:

 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent?  If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!”

The first reality is that Jesus promises to those who actively ask, seek and knock that they will receive something in return. It is as if Jesus is letting us in into his heart and revealing the fact that he wants us to ask, seek and knock.

The second reality is that Jesus points us to the character of our heavenly Father. By comparing our heavenly Father with our earthly fathers, Jesus assures us that our heavenly Father is good and knows how to "give good gifts" to His children--especially to those who ask! This reality in and of itself can offer us comfort. Our asking is met by someone who has our best interest in mind.

One of the benefits of bringing our needs and lusts to our heavenly Father is that we will be more prone to align our heart's direction with His will for us. Asking, seeking and knocking will also prevent us from rallying our own resources or strategies to supply for our own needs and lusts at whatever cost.

What a loving act on Jesus' part to give us exactly what we need to address our needs and lusts: three active imperatives in the present time that are applicable at any moment of our lives--ask, seek and knock!

Interesting that Jesus also gives us in our English language an acrostic to easily remember what is best for us to do regarding our needs and lusts: A.S.K. (ask, seek and knock!).

What are your personal needs or lusts today? First A.S.K.

Christians Don’t Always Look Like You

I’ve always been fascinated by subcultures.  As a child, my dad was really into Christian rock music.  While much of it was admittedly pretty lack-luster, it was the subculture I was raised in, going to music festivals and listening to Petra tapes in the car.  By high school, I was solidly into the “underground Christian alternative music and skateboarding” subculture.  Sure, it was a niche group, but it actually existed, complete with it’s own magazine.  I suppose it was it’s own subset of the  “underground music and  skateboarding” subculture.  (Does that make it a subsubculture?)  Anyway, I was also into the “hiphop” subculture a little, as well as the “youth group coffeehouse” subculture.  

As I grew into adulthood, my ties to these subcultures faded, and were replaced by new subcultures.  I consider myself a part of the “tech nerd” subculture, among others, and I enjoy finding and identifying subcultures that I’m not a part of.  It’s sort of my own little Audubon Society for subculture spotting.

In the American church, and in our own church, there is no shortage of subculture.  Form the “Duck Dynasty loyalists”, the “mainstream quasi-hipsters”, and the “social libertarians”, to the “Bible-study intellectuals”, the “uber-conservative Christian right”, and the “red-letter liberals”, our culture is full of subcultures.  And this is reason to celebrate.  

The fact that we serve the same God, read the same scriptures, and are so very different from each other says something about our Father.  It can also teach us something about grace. And it’s not always easy.  

What comes easily is deciding to what degree someone is a follower of Jesus.  Things like, “well he goes to church, but he drinks,” and “he votes differently than I do, so he must not be a true Christian,” tend to roll off of our collective tongues.  Does God feel this way, or does he accept each of us as we are?  Some Christians smoke, some go to movies, some are racist, some are gay, some drink, some sin more than you, some sin less, some curse, some aren’t very nice.  The hardest part of this for me is that, when people do things that I don’t think are very Christ-like, it’s much easier to judge them than to love and accept them.  

The wide range of subcultures in the church should underscore what a loving and graceful God we have.  We all have our messes.  The beautiful thing is that God meets us in our messiness, embraces us, and moves us toward holiness.  Not in a get-yourself-together sort of way, but in a real way.  In a way that serves others, clothes the poor, loves enemies, shares Jesus with the lost.  That’s the type of subculture I want to be a part of.

Jeff Hyson

Slowing Down to Relate May Cause You To Push Social Media Aside.

Ed Welch offers a helpful perspective regarding how the use of social media forces us to relate at a pace that is not fitting to our humanity. At our church, we have been focusing on 4 values we are encouraged to pursue these days:

• Spend less
• Worship fully
• Give more
• Love all

In order to implement these values we may need to consider the pace of our relationships and what may be substituting what Welches calls "slower relationships" in our lives. Click here and read Welche's blog. I hope it helps you assess what dynamics or attitudes may need to change in your life in these days so at to love others well.

May God bless you,

Diego Cuartas

Why Conspire?

For the last few weeks our church has been discussing “Advent Conspiracy” and how we as followers of Jesus are called to live especially during the Christmas season. There are four themes or practical applications: “Worship Fully, Spend Less, Give More, Love All” and it has all the feelings of idealistic change and charging in and living radically and getting caught up in the something big. (Obviously I am exaggerating wildly so I’d recommend you check it out for yourself.) My life and schedule are a little chaotic right now and carrying around a growing baby inside me doesn’t help so maybe that’s why it all sounded overwhelming and, frankly, unappealing to me. Something along the lines of, “Ughhh, I just don’t have time to radically change the entire landscape of Christmas commercial culture right now. Maybe next year.”

It all just seemed a little too big to carry home from church and do something with, until I started thinking about it.

Strangely enough, when I started considering the implications of “spending less” and “giving more” and the impact on my schedule and priorities this holiday season, the first emotion I felt was RELIEF. As if for the first time ever, I realized I had a choice in how I spent my time and money from Thanksgiving to Christmas. It almost felt euphoric, like a kid running out of school on last day of class. I felt FREE. If Christmas is all about Jesus and Jesus cares like crazy about people, could that mean I am free to care about the things on my heart - on Jesus’ heart - at Christmastime and not a set schedule of obligations I have to follow?

I don’t mean to imply that every past Christmas season has been a list of tasks I begrudgingly accomplish. But I do mean that there’s something about taking authority over my choices that I didn’t feel I had before- the ability to say no to things that don’t matter and say yes to the people to do matter. For example, I love giving gifts that make people feel known and loved. But often times, that means I drive myself crazy trying to find sales in order to afford more lavish gifts instead of something smaller or simpler. What really matters is loving that person well and that doesn’t need to include them feeling “spoiled” by the amount of money I spend on them.

This season, my “Advent Conspiracy” change might be as small and simple as taking time to catch up with a friend over hot chocolate or planning some extra movie nights with my family and a little less time spending a fortune on Christmas cards. That’s okay, because what I am most excited about is a newfound perspective that allows me to see this Christmas full of joy and cheer and as the celebration that it truly is. 

Jessica Noblett