Faith Promise

When I first came to Wheatland the Faith Promise initiative was new to me. The whole idea that God would plan to bless me financially so that I would bless the mission of our church was foreign to me. I didn’t really understand what that meant initially. I heard phrases like “God will bless you unexpectedly” or “God will bless you with an unexpected windfall” in order to give it to the Faith Promise initiatives but I truly didn’t believe it. I have received unexpected financial blessings in my life but always used them for things I wanted. I had not thought of giving it away. I had always considered a surprise like that as a reward.

Bill and I prayed the first year. We agreed on a number. We put that number on a Faith Promise card and turned it in on Faith Promise Sunday like everyone else. The next week we received a check in the mail from our mortgage holder for the exact amount we put on the card. We had overpaid something when we purchased our home. It was a refund—an unexpected blessing. Some might call it a windfall. 

At first we were stunned. We were alarmed that we overpaid that much. Then, we felt alarmed that God would be meddling so intimately in our lives. I mean we love to pray for personal healing, relationship issues and stuff that needs prayer. But, when it comes to money, Bill and I usually keep that separate. Like we allow God plenty of room to lead, guide and direct us with our personal lives but not with our money. 

God challenged me and inspired me all at one time. He does that a lot. Why would God care deeply about all areas of my life and not care about our finances? We had been so careful about paying bills on time, saving for emergencies and living within our means we’d become legalistic with our money. I think we gave money the power by thinking too much about it. Moving. Purchasing a home. Selling all we had to move to Oswego. Getting a great mortgage interest. It all worked well for us. But, I think back now, we were trapped by the Money Monster. I remember thinking pretty highly of ourselves that we had done so well. We had lived frugally for so long we learned how to beat the Money Monster all by ourselves. We even compared ourselves to others by comparing interest rates. I usually felt smug as I knew we had the lowest interest rate. We had excellent credit. We were ‘golden’ our agent reminded us.

Friends, generosity is the furthest thing from our hearts when we live like this. Our God is a generous God. He created everything. It’s all his. He ‘owns the cattle on a thousand hills.’ (Psalm 50:10) God created and then he gave it away. Nothing to hold on to. God is generous to a fault some might say. Jesus in his final actions and words expressed God’s truest nature as he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. (John 19:30) Giving is what God does best. We, who are made in his image, become more like him by being instruments of his gifts, grace and generosity.

So, I have a challenge for you as we prepare for our Faith Promise weekend this year. Maybe you’re like me when it comes to praying about personal things and not about your money. Maybe you’ve worked really hard at saving, preparing and caring for your financial needs. Have you become legalistic about your income? Do you account for every penny? Do you say ‘no’ more than ‘yes’ and limit God in how your needs are met? Then, here is the challenge: pray. Sincerely seek God’s direction and voice. Listen: write down the number on your Faith Promise card. Act: turn it in. Then be faithful when you receive. Let this Faith Promise season clear out the frugal clog that’s damaging the system. We must act first. This is faith. This is how we grow. This is how we mature. This is how we do greater things than we would ever have imagined.

So come on, let’s leave the preschool fingerpainting exercises on Christ and get on with the grand work of art. Grow up in Christ. The basic foundational truths are in place: turning your back on “salvation by self-help” and turning in trust toward God; baptismal instructions; laying on of hands; resurrection of the dead; eternal judgment. God helping us, we’ll stay true to all that. But there’s so much more. Let’s get on with it! Hebrews 6:1-3 The Message

See you Sunday,
Pastor Jen

My Top Five

I felt convicted. It was the kind of conviction that inspired me to act.

I attended the Exponential Church Conference this week at Yellow Box. Church planters and multi-site church leaders from across the nation were brought together for a holy infusion and for a good kick in the pants with regards to getting the gospel message out to those who are in need of it. A question was asked during one of the morning sessions that gripped my heart.

Who are the top five people you are praying to receive Christ as their personal Lord and Savior?

I currently have a list of prayer requests I receive from dedicated prayer warriors at Wheatland. I pray for the people and needs on the list. I pray for our church. I pray to and with God throughout my day. I talk with him like he’s sitting right next to me. Sometimes I argue, kick him in the shin and run away to the laundry room to get him to stop talking. But, truthfully, I haven’t prayed diligently for anyone to receive Jesus Christ as their Savior in a long time.

Paul’s letter to the Galatians is always great salt in my wound when it comes to feeling God’s pain, especially when it comes to lost people. The Galatian church had been set free to receive an amazing gift in the gospel of Jesus Christ but they had been lured away by interesting informational things of this world like great theological debates, rational thinking and fitting into society. Like Paul, I don’t believe Jesus came to inform us. I believe Jesus came to transform us. Paul’s words always cut through the gristle of my mental acuity and linguistic gymnastics. Read this passage but hear the message as one hears a plea from a passenger in your car as you head the wrong way down a one way street:

“How can you be so foolish! You began by God’s Spirit; do you now want to to finish the work in your own power?” Galatians 3:3

The same danger lurks in our hearts and in our churches today as it did in Galatia. Charles Kraft states is this way: We are imitators of the Galatians in the American church. We practice a form of Christianity so strongly influenced by our Western Enlightenment world view that we know little else but to turn to naturalistic, human-technique-centered methods for problem solving, healing or direction. Kraft suggests that our Enlightenment progress, serving a better society and the quest of discovering underlying truth in rational order replaced the awe inspiring work of the Holy Spirit. We traded supernatural experiences for being in control. Reason became king instead of the risen Son of God. 

So what does this have to do with our Faith Promise series or our Wheatland value of Missions?

Everything. We send people and resources all over the world every year. We do that because Jesus Christ calls us to do so. Without a robust mission ministry we would be tempted to go the way of other declining denominational churches that have little or no influence in the world. As for me, and my household, we will serve the Lord! Joshua may have coined the phrase but I want to live it out every day of my life.

Leading people to the salvation knowledge of Jesus Christ has to be the main thing. We cannot fall victim to the 'gods of the age' or begin to feel like there are other things that are more important than the gospel. Discipleship is crucial for each follower of Christ. We work very hard to help Christians grow up in the gospel at Wheatland. That also means staying in vital relationships with people outside our Christian circle of influence and with people who are far from Jesus.

So, during the Advent season, I plan to help us stay focused on the main thing: the gospel of Christ. But, you don’t have to wait for me. Write down the top five names of people that are close to you but far from God. Pray for them daily and when God prompts you to do something like invite them to church or lead them into the full knowledge of Jesus as their Savior, do it!  Do not let one more day go by without adjusting your Christian perspective—that lost people matter to God and are the main thing.

Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary. Galatians 6:9 NIV

See you Sunday,
Pastor Jen

Beyond

“I’m afraid Jesus is going to call me to leave everything and become a missionary.”

I’ve heard this common phrase among Christians for most of my life. I remember missionaries visiting the churches I attended with my parents during my growing up years. They were from exotic places like Katmandu, Cairo, Dhaka or Algiers. They were nine feet tall, spoke thirteen languages and were so incredible skilled at missionary life they could construct a dwelling place with string and a paper clip. In that abode, they memorized the bible, cooked meals from scorpions or bugs, taught VBS and lead people to believe Jesus Christ as their savior with their whole heart. That’s my recollection of what I knew about missionaries or missionary life until I came to Wheatland.

I’ve travelled to several of our long term mission partners since being appointed to Wheatland in 2013. Bill and I traveled to Jordan to learn more about our efforts with meeting the needs of Iraqi and Syrian refugees. My hunches were confirmed about Christianity in the Muslim world. I learned what a MBB was and how people who follow the rules of cultural Islam can be misunderstood. I discovered many believers in Jesus underneath head coverings both in the Muslim world and in the Jewish world. But, those friends would never tell people about their faith in Jesus publicly.

Bill and I traveled to India with a Wheatland team. We all participated in leading an International Leadership Institute National Conference in Nellore while we simultaneously led a Women’s Conference, Youth Conference, Children’s Conference and Pastor’s Conference. We drove from the coastal city of Nellore through the central part of India to Hyderabad. I became fascinated with the sheer number of people who live in India. I was astounded by their concept of personal space. I saw things on a motor scooter that would shock and amaze you. My personal favorite was a goat wedged between two men. Bill’s favorite was two men balancing four full-sized tires on a moped. We witnessed how our Soy Milk ministry changes the lives of children. I attended the graduation ceremony of a Women’s Sewing School where a woman who could not read or write learned to do so because she saw a way to learn a trade and provide for herself and her children.

I travelled to Tanzania with a a larger Wheatland team. I had the privilege of meeting Mwenge Muyombi during his previous visit to the US. So, I knew the caliber of person we would be dealing with while in Tanzania. He did not disappoint. Neither did Africa. The ministry in Kigoma is supernatural. Widows, orphans and the elderly are cared for and Radio Joy transmits Christian music, programming and world news to almost 2 million people. Wheatland provided much of the financial resources necessary to build a community center that is truly used as a common place for Christians, Muslims and people of other faiths and beliefs.

I know our mission partner in Poland personally. He visits our home and we eat dinner together at least once a year. He is compelled by the gospel to teach leadership essentials to the next generation in Europe. He is also a unique believer, in that, he is Wesleyan in a predominantly Catholic culture. He leads a church that has needed a home for years. Many young leaders look to him for more than guidance. I consider him a spiritual father much like Dietrich Bonhoeffer was to so many of his disciples.

None of our missionaries are nine feet tall. Some speak many languages. I know for sure that none of them would ever build a dwelling place with string or a paper clip. As a matter of fact, our mission partners are regular people who love Jesus Christ and the people the serve. They struggle with personal issues with an ever-increasing faith. They overcome incredible obstacles and some live in fear of their lives. We will have the privilege of hearing from one of our missionary couples this Faith Promise season who continue to work in spite of excruciating personal tragedy. You may know of one missionary’s story of being attacked by a man with a machete in his car and lived to tell without a scratch on his body.

I was inspired by the scripture from Hebrews 6:1.Therefore let us move beyond the elementary teachings about Christ and be taken forward to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God. Wheatland has heard from many of our partners doing outstanding work for the Kingdom of God. I believe it’s time to move beyond the elementary stage of learning about the far off places through videos, pictures and visits from those who serve in the field. I believe God is calling us to go beyond. I am praying you get a Holy Spirit infusion that wakes you up in the middle of the night with your heart breaking for people whom Jesus loves in some distant land in a far away place. I am praying for your life to change drastically and that you alter your life in such a way that a missionary would want to come learn from you how you meet the needs of those you’ve been called to serve. I am praying for God to challenge us all to go BEYOND.

See you Sunday,
Pastor Jen

History of the Stained Glass Window

Have you ever looked closely at the stained glass windows in our Sanctuary and wondered what story they are trying to tell? Well, there is someone very special in our church who knows all about it. Meet Ms. Jan Keeley. It was her grandma and grandpa who commissioned the windows for the church. She has an amazing story about how her family, the Kemmerer Family, helped start the church many years ago

In 1852, the beginnings of our church started in the cozy living rooms of German settlers, like Jan’s great, great grandfather David Brown, Sr. As the humble congregation grew, Mr. Brown donated land in 1861 for a school that also hosted the little congregation on Sunday Mornings. Many years later in 1907, they built a big wooden church, but sadly in 1927 it burned down. The next year in 1928, a new brick church was built on Route 59, and Mr. Brown’s granddaughter Susie and her husband Reuben Kemmerer, Jan’s grandparents, commissioned the stained glass windows, which were dedicated in 1936.

The paintings in the windows each tell part of a Jesus’ story. The Kemmerer Family is a farming family, and the windows represent the complete cycle of farming in a Biblical way.

* In the central window, Jesus is walking through a field of wheat with His disciples as in the account of “The Question about the Sabbath.” (Mark 2:23-28; Matthew 12:1-8)

* If you look closely, you can see thistle weeds growing among the wheat. This reminds us of Jesus’ “The Parable of Weeds”. (Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43)

* In the red medallion above, seeds are being scattered as in “The Parable of the Sower” (Mark 4:1-9, 13-20; Matthew 13:1-9, 18; Luke 8:4-8, 11-15), “The Parable of the Growing Seed” (Mark 4:26-29), and “The Parable of the Mustard Seed” (Mark 4:30-34; Matthew 13:31-32, Luke 13:18-19)

* In the left medallion, the sheaf bundle of grain stalks represents the gathering of the wheat and burning of the chaff or husks. (Luke 3:17; Matthew 3:12)

* In the right medallion, the windows depict the “Bread of Life”, which Jesus called himself. (John 6:35, 48)

Back in the days of the old brick church, Route 59 was a lonely country road. As a beacon of hope, the windows were kept lighted at night to help weary travelers find safe haven from a storm. The church door was always left open, and it became known as “The Church with the Lighted Window.”

69 years later, the population of Naperville was booming, and Route 59 was no longer a quiet country road. Plans to widen the road meant that the old 1928 brick church building would be torn down. In 1997, a new church sprang up on the farm of Jan’s Uncle Earl Kemmerer. That’s where we are today, and our address, 1852 95th Street, Naperville, pays homage to the year the early church settlers began congregating in their living rooms. The windows were carefully saved and moved here.

Jan wanted to give her parents a special reminder of the old brick church building. So she built a miniature one of her own. She made every tiny nook and cranny herself, down to the cross from her mother’s jewelry on the tiny pulpit. Of course, even the stained glass windows are lighted replicas of “The Church with the Lighted Window.”

Thank you to Jan Keeley and the Brown & Kemmerer Families for sharing their legacy with us!

Faith @ Work

It’s not just about you…

Being faithful in the workplace is not a cakewalk. Dealing with wildly different personalities, working in a sometimes highly competitive environment, and often facing ethical temptations is a challenge for a Christian to live faithfully. And then there is the uncivil behavior.

Have you noticed that we seem to be living in increasingly uncivil times? Whether it is on social media, on the highway, or in the line at the grocery store, there is a great deal of rudeness that we all experience. And it also happens at work. Have you ever been on the receiving end of rude or unethical behavior in the workplace? Or, more embarrassing, have you been the instigator?

Bill Hybels, senior pastor at Willow Creek Community Church, in addressing the subject of civility in the workplace at the most recent Summit event this summer, gave 10 guidelines for civil behavior by leaders in the workplace.

1.     Set the example of how to differ with others without demonizing them

2.     Model how to have spirited conversations without “drawing blood”

3.     Never interrupt others who are talking and do not dominate the conversation

4.     Limit your volume level and refuse to use incendiary or belittling words that are guaranteed to derail a discussion

5.     Set the example of being courteous in word and deed

6.     Never stereotype

7.     Apologize immediately when wrong instead of denying or doubling down

8.     Form opinions carefully and stay open minded if better information comes along

9.     Show up when you say you’re going to show up and do what you say you’ll do

10.    Set rules of respect for everyone in the organization and enforce them relentlessly

These are good. But, being a Christian in a work environment may be about even more than just being civil or “doing no harm.” Scripture calls us to a higher goal and over the next three weeks we’ll be taught from scripture about how to navigate the workplace both to help it improve and for us to find greater fulfillment. Want to see a difference where you work? See you the next three weeks in worship.

Rev. Roger Jenks

"Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing. Now we ask you, brothers and sisters, to acknowledge those who work hard among you, who care for you in the Lord and who admonish you. Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other. And we urge you, brothers and sisters, warn those who are idle and disruptive, encourage the disheartened, help the weak, be patient with everyone."                                                                                                                                                                             1 Thessalonians 5:11-14

Master Plan

"The ones who disappoint you need you the most." Jack Hyles

"Do the right thing." I wish I had a dime for every time someone said that to me. I’d be a very rich woman. Doing the right thing isn’t easy. I’ve had my share of sleepless nights. I’ve wasted countless hours of my days and nights constructing lists of pros and cons. Through lengthy consultations, I’ve exhausted my family and friends trying to discover the mystical answer of doing that which is right. Discovering what is ‘right’ is too often hidden deep below the surface of the well of my selfish desire. I’ve lost more than my temper trying to draw from that well. I settle for the reflection. I am unwilling to give into what is truly required because it costs me more than I am willing to give. So, I cheaply get by with doing that is sort of right, almost right or the worst thing…what I think is right.

So, what is the outcome of my accumulated years of searching for the answer to the enigma of ‘what is the right thing?' How does it apply to the big picture whether I am single, married, widowed or divorced? Is there ever a ‘right’ answer?

Yes. There is always a right answer. You must discover for yourself that doing the right thing begins with self-sacrifice. It is situational. What was right once will not be right now so rules or legislation don’t work. Forgiveness is powerful. Wisdom is expensive. Redemption is God’s handiwork. The Spirit continues to hover above the dark waters of the human heart yearning to do the will of God as the arduous work of creation unfolds uniquely within us and we are fashioned into the men and women God longs for us to be.  

Here is a sneak peak at the early stages of the message for Sunday. 

1. Stay humble before God.

2. Do not act on your human nature.

3. Live with an accountable community of Christian believers.

4. Redemption comes from outside myself.

Read the story of Ruth for yourself. I believe the characters got it right. Their actions were painstakingly and laboriously constructed from the blueprint of our Master Architect. Their choices were part of the master plan and contributed to the redemption you and I receive through Jesus Christ. They affect you and I personally because they did the right thing.

“Praise be to the Lord, who this day has not left you without a guardian-redeemer. May he become famous throughout Israel!” Ruth 4:14

Something Greater

“Do you ever get the feeling that there’s something greater happening here, it’s like our hearts are part of a bigger story.” Matthew West, lyrics to Something Greater

I think most of us get bogged down in the day to day stuff of life and fail to see the big picture. It takes discipline to remove myself from the urgent tasks of the daily routine to get to higher ground and take a look around. The air is clear. The breeze whisks away the fog. I can see for miles above the tree line. Suddenly, the arduous climb toward the top fades into memory as I let go of the challenges and embrace the wide open landscape in front of me.

Marriage can be like a major expedition to a mountain summit. It can be too easy to get overwhelmed in the immediate crux because it’s right there in front of me. I will easily forget the big vision when I get stuck and cannot move forward or backward. The urgent demands are bred from necessity. But, I have to remember that my daily crags are part of a bigger story. I need constant reminding of the big picture. Marriage is more like reaching the summit of a single mountain that belongs to a mountain range. Marriage is never a single narrative. It’s directly connected to a long line of previous peaks, plains, hills and valleys. Those are the people, places and experiences of our life. Whom we encounter is just as important as what we encounter along the way.

We’ve been studying the book of Ruth. We discover the type of person she is in the first two chapters as her Godly character is being formed. Chapter three includes a very dramatic sequence of events that reveal the character not only of Ruth but also that of Boaz. Matthew’s gospel reminds us that Boaz’s mother was Rahab the prostitute. (Matthew 1:5) Scripture suggests Boaz was not married. It alludes to the fact that Boaz was a relative—a kinsman redeemer. He was a respected man of worth. He was an older man. Why did he remain single into his maturity? Why did he decide to make the hill climb solo? 

Tim Keller writes, “My wife, Kathy, often says that most people, when they are looking for a spouse, are looking for a finished statue when they should be looking for a wonderful block of marble. Not that you can create the kind of person you want—but rather because you see what kind of person Jesus us making.”* We are all ‘in the making.’ Jesus is at work making us holy. Remember, God’s ideal in marriage is about holiness. The chisel and hammer belong to him. The most important work is what Jesus does is within us.  We don’t even get to make the marble. He does that too!

As we gather for worship Sunday, we celebrate holy communion. We recall Jesus' arduous hill climb to Golgotha. The achievement on the mountain was preceded by a epic story that included a strategy, implementation and work that stretched across the universe to eventually include me and you. We could call it the grand saga of holiness. That would be too easy because I could leave that story out there like the story of a hill climb and never allow it to penetrate the crevices of my own heart. But, if I allow that grand adventure to seep into my heart, my soul finds refuge. In the broken places, I find Christ. His holiness fills in my vacancy. He makes up for my lack. His grace is sufficient. I remember then, as I gaze across the panorama, that I belong to the great and powerful unfolding drama of God. The person who’s been along the path with me from the beginning was Christ himself, chipping away at the marble creating a masterpiece. It’s good to be at the summit. I can see eternity from here.

“...these I will bring to my holy mountain and give them joy in my house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house will be called a house of prayer for all nations.” Isaiah 56:7 NIV

Marriage Myths

Myth: a widely held but false belief or idea.

Myths are dangerous things. They tempt us to believe anything is possible. We succumb to their power to coerce us to think, feel or believe differently. Driven or clouded by body chemistry or emotions, we tend to gauge everything on how we feel about a particular person, situation or occurrence. Myths are dangerous. They deceive us. They allow us to believe in something that isn’t real. I believe the spiritual life is all about becoming real-the real person God intended us to become. For most of us, it takes years of serious work to get to ‘real.’ But, I assure you, the journey is worth it. Just ask the Velveteen Rabbit.

There are millions of us wandering around the globe with painful yearnings that could be met if we spent less time seeking human companionship and spent more time seeking God. The illusive yet longed for love and state of fulfillment are outcomes of a right relationship with God. But, we look for them, as the song goes…’in all the wrong places.” We place an unrealistic heavy mantle onto the person we ‘love’ by expecting them to be our everything and to somehow complete us. We’ve been duped into believing we can find someone perfect that will help fill our emptiness, help define our purpose and destiny or help redeem our imperfections. There are a lot of us out there looking for a savior.

Sometimes the search for a savior is one that takes us down a road toward believing another human being can somehow save us from our current dismal situation. It’s like believing the fairytale we’ve heard a thousand times. A damsel in distress lives a tragic, unloved, unfulfilled life. Suddenly, a threatening situation occurs and she yearns for a Prince Charming to come along and save her. The prince shows up at just the right time and saves her! After a beautiful coronation and wedding, the royal couple rides off into the sunset to live happily ever after. The end.

While this dramatic story line works well for poets, authors and film makers, it’s not a plot line for living a life of grace and truth. Grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. (John 1:17) 

This Sunday we unpack some widely held myths about marriage. In their book Fit to be Tied, Bill and Lynne Hybles suggest there are four marriage myths: 1) marriage will end loneliness; 2) marriage will heal one's brokenness; 3) marriage will ensure one's happiness; 4) marriage is for everyone. I know there are many more myths. Honestly, we each inherit a lot of myth variations and deceptions when it comes to marriage and singleness. So this weekend, we’ve invited two well-seasoned professionals to share their insights with us. Pastors Terry Clark and Roger Jenks have years of experience and a wide range of insights to enrich us and encourage us on the road to living the life we’ve always wanted and having a marriage that fulfills every aspect of our hopes and dreams. See you in church.

I am the Gate. Anyone who goes through me will be cared for—will freely go in and out, and find pasture. A thief is only there to steal and kill and destroy. I came so they can have real and eternal life, more and better life than they ever dreamed of. John 10:8-10 The Message

Singleness

“One clear difference between Christianity and Judaism (and all the other traditional religions) is the former’s entertainment of the idea that singleness as the paradigm way of life for it’s followers.” Stanley Hauerwas

Think about it. Jesus Christ, the founder of Christianity, was single. The Apostle Paul, the leading theologian who set the bar for how to follow Jesus Christ with your whole life and who set the pace for how the church would thrive in stressful times and in many different cultures, was single. Single adults cannot be seen as less fulfilled or lacking in some spiritual development if the two people responsible for the founding and leadership principles of Christianity were single. Yet, the church and almost every culture on the planet says differently.

Single people are constantly bombarded with statements like the following:

1. As soon as you’re satisfied with God, he will bring that special someone into your life.

2. You’re too picky. No one is perfect.

3. As a single person you can commit all your time to the church, taking care of mom and dad, job, justice issue, mission…(you fill in the blank).

4. Before you can marry someone wonderful, God has to make someone wonderful out of you!

Beneath statements like this is the underlying idea that somehow single people are deprived or live unfulfilled lives. As a pastor, I want to say, “I’m sorry.” I am sorry for what the church has said and done to make you think that you are not enough. I am sorry that the bible study groups tried to set you up on ridiculous blind dates—they were only projecting their own ideas onto you. I am sorry that the church has placed such an overt preoccupation on family, children and legacy without honoring singleness as a gift from God. I am sorry you feel like an outcast in society because within true Christian community you’re valued as a joint heir with Christ regardless of your marriage status.

Single people, you are enough. You were made in the image of God. Jesus died to bring us all into the Kingdom of God. Our Christian hope turns the church community into something profound. Our gospel beliefs create a bond with Jesus and with other Christians stronger than any other connection in the world. Our identity is wrapped up in Jesus. We are all valuable to him. We all sin and need redemption. We all can experience the amazing transformation of deep repentance which includes forgiveness and freedom. Single people, you are capable of having deep meaningful relationships with others. You have capacity to love extravagantly, openly and without regard to your marriage limitations. You are loved and lovable.

This Sunday we launch a new ministry and a new season of relationship building at Wheatland. The Big Picture: Singleness, Marriage and Me is a series that will help us discover together what it means that God created us to be in relationship with him and others. We can learn how to have great relationships whether we are single, married, divorced or single again after the death of a spouse. The Bible begins and ends with a wedding. Marriage is a big deal in the bible. So we will discover together some of the biblical precepts during this series. 'Married People' events launch September 22, 2017. Director of Children and Family Ministry, Chris Rechsteiner, along with Char and Arlyn Brower, are guiding us along the path of “Married People’ as part of Wheatland's Children and Family Curriculum. You can learn more about Married People on our new website: Wheatlandsalem.org. You can also go to Marriedpeople.org for more information. See you in church Sunday.

Or didn’t you realize that your body is a sacred place, the place of the Holy Spirit? Don’t you see that you can’t live however you please, squandering what God paid such a high price for? The physical part of you is not some piece of property belonging to the spiritual part of you. God owns the whole works. So let people see God in and through your body. I Corinthians 6:19-20 The Message

20 Year Celebration

“The Bible makes it clear that every time that there is a story of faith, it is completely original. God's creative genius is endless.”  Eugene Peterson

Wheatland Salem Church has flourished to become a global influence for the gospel of Jesus Christ from the vision given by God to a small Evangelical community of believers in 1852. Wheatland has been doing ministry for 165 years. Many have gathered to praise God and to witness to their faith over the years. We are an instrumental part of that great vision. This Sunday, a portion of our Wheatland Story will be told. We will focus on the move from the Route 59 and 95th street location to the present day location in Naperville. Twenty years ago Wheatland moved into our facility at the corner of 95th and Book.

We’ve put together a worship experience that honors God for his faithfulness to Wheatland and honors the vision he instilled into those who choose to become part of the Wheatland story. There is no greater calling for a human being than to be included in God’s great work among the nations. Heaven is filled with countless thousands of people that believed their lives mattered in the scope of God’s eternal plan for the salvation of the world. Wheatland has been and continues to be part of God’s plan.

Here is the schedule for the Sunday morning activities:

Worship leaders meet at 8 a.m.for prayer and cue to cue team meetings.

Contemporary music rehearsals begin at 8:30 a.m.

Cornerstone Choir rehearsal at 9:00 a.m.

Faithful Men rehearsal at 9:15 a.m.

WSC Bell Choir rehearsal at 9:30 a.m.

Doors open to the Community Room at 9:45 a.m

Pastor Jen opens worship with a story of faith and vision at 10:00 a.m.

Wheatland Oswego and Wheatland Naperville faith communities will unite following worship to celebrate together in one place. Some call it an old fashioned Church picnic where everyone brings a dish to pass. Others look forward to the Tailgate party. Inflatables and games will be available for the kids. Live music will be played by our own Wheatland House Band. Fans can watch the Chicago Bears game together under the big tent. More importantly, God will be there with us celebrating. He’s the real reason we’re doing all this.

I look forward to being part of this next season of ministry with you. God’s unwavering love and courageous vision for the church has not changed. Let’s honor him and continue to fulfill his plan, so that, years from now someone will tell our story too.

#changetheworld

"What do I get from following Christ?”

All of the sudden he looked at his shoes. It felt like all the air was sucked out of the room. The atmosphere became very uncomfortable. The clergyman standing in front of everyone smiled uncomfortably. He shifted his weight back and forth. He reminded me of a fourth grade boy who was asked to spell a word he’d never heard before.

The clergy leader sheepishly responded, “Well, the call to Christ is about sacrifice and service.” 

All I could think is “wrong answer!”

The group discussion went on. The defeated man left standing in the front leading the session became irrelevant. He could not honestly tell a group of seasoned Christ followers why following Jesus Christ was the most important, transformational, world changing decision a person could ever make. I personally grew more and more irritated. I hovered at the edge of anger for the rest of the meeting and am still simmering about it. As you can tell.

Friends. Knowing what we get out of the relationship with Jesus is the most important information we will ever need to know. More than that, we must comprehend it and put it into practice. Let it permeate our entire soul, mind and spirit. The Apostle Peter said it best:

But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, I Peter 3:15 NIV

Each of us will have our unique and power-filled answer above and beyond the countless theological reasons. What did Jesus do for you? Did he set you free from a life of sin and addiction? Did Jesus fill your soul so full to overflowing that he removed the isolation and longing to be loved and accepted? Did Jesus save your soul and give you an inheritance that can never be taken away? Did Jesus speak your name and all of the sudden your life had meaning and purpose? Did Jesus reveal a specific vision for your life that only you can fulfill?

Once we know what we get out of the relationship with Jesus, we are commanded to live into it with our whole heart. We are not to live half-heartedly or from day to day with nothing to show for it. Maybe that’s why I was so angry about the clergyman’s answer. Call it a righteous indignation. I believe he had an opportunity to invigorate and ignite a group of people who were trying to make a decision about a direction the United Methodist Church is called to go. He could not tell us the reason for the church’s existence or purpose. I expect more from church leaders.

Sunday we celebrate holy communion and wrap-up the Wheatland University series. Expect to hear some invigorating, inspiring words about Jesus Christ and why we follow him. Expect to be part of a church that makes changing the world seriously. 700 widows received an amazing surprise in Ujiji, Tanzania this week because of Wheatland’s generosity. Plans are being finalized for our 20-year celebration, September 10, 2017 at 10:00 a.m.. This is an event you do not want to miss. God provided much needed cash so plans are being finalized to fix, replace and improve our facilities at both campuses. Wheatland Academy teachers were freshly anointed and prayed for as they prepare to teach more than 200 preschool children. Covenant Classical School has been in full session for weeks imparting a Christian education for 150 grammar school leaders. Wheatland Student Ministry and WSCKids ministry has set a course of being more intentional about living into our Christian inheritance every day. Christ followers who call Jesus Lord at Wheatland initiate their fall small groups, courses and classes. Expect more. I know I do. See you in church Sunday.

And don’t just do the minimum that will get you by. Do your best. Work from the heart for your real Master, for God, confident that you’ll get paid in full when you come into your inheritance. Keep in mind always that the ultimate Master you’re serving is Christ. Colossians 3:23-24 The Message

#pastorlife

“Jenny, remember this: we work six days and twenty-three hours to have the privilege of standing in front of a congregation for twenty minutes on Sunday morning to tell them what to believe about the bible and how to live out their faith. Learn everything you can about the people God gives you. It is a privilege to lead them.” Dr. Don Forsman, Tulsa, OK, 1994

Early in my career, people made jokes about pastors working for an hour on Sunday. I’ve been asked what I did all day by my own father. Most people have no idea what a pastor does until they really need one. When that moment comes, I believe we have to be ready.

Since August 1:

I officiated for three funeral services. One funeral family was from within Wheatland.

I officiated a wedding.

I helped a homeless lady.

I travelled to Nashville twice to fulfill denominational duties for the global UMC.

I attended the Global Leadership Summit.

I hosted the Tanzania Mission team at my home for dinner.

I hosted a vision cast dinner for a potential 2018-2020 project in my home.

I helped a couple plan a 50th wedding anniversary vow renewal ceremony.

I counseled several couples who are having trouble in their marriage.

I listened to men tell me their wives left them.

I heard an abused woman tell me she still loved her husband.

I helped an elderly couple make a major decision that brought them peace.

I cried with a mom who’s child is making choices that are contrary to their family belief.

These are some of the major events on my calendar. There are also daily church and weekly staff meetings. I practice the very early morning discipline of bible reading and prayer because I wouldn’t be able to sustain what I do without the empowerment of the Holy Spirit. As Dr. Forsman proscribed, I hold the privilege of standing in front of this wonderful blessed congregation on Sunday at Oswego or Naperville in the highest regard. God has blessed me to be able to work alongside some of the most talented and gifted staff people I have ever known. I look forward to our shared future.

I was writing a funeral sermon today when God gave me an insight. Faith accompanies us along the line. The line eventually represents the life we lived between our birth and our death. Pastors come alongside people during some of the most defining moments on that line. Faith is what gets us to the altar or to the side of a casket. Faith sustains us in the dark times and in times of joy. Faith challenges us to travel beyond comfort zones and to become vulnerable with trusted friends. Faith helps us persevere when it would be so much easier to give in. Faith is meant to mature and grow. It is something we share.

Why am I telling you all this? I wanted you to know what this pastor does. It’s all preparation. I pray I am ready to come alongside you during your defining moment. Each defining moment of faith prepares us for the next. Maybe I will be the pastor you need next week. Or maybe you will be the pastor I need.

Lunch with a Missionary

(The following blog is the outcome from a conversation I had while having lunch with some of our Faith Promise partners. They live in a distant land sharing Christ in a culture that has become increasingly hostile to Christians and Christianity. I am sharing a story with you. My prayer is that you are inspired to pray a bold prayer and ask God to reveal to you how you may be called to respond. Maybe it's time for you to say ‘yes’ to God.)
 

Lunch with a Missionary
Our Faith Promise partner was completely captivating as she recalled her story. “We stopped at the traffic light at 75th & Naper Boulevard when a woman drove up next to us and rolled down her window. She motioned for me to do the same, so I did.” 

The motorist shouted, "You must be special people. I heard you talk at our church this morning!"

"No.” Our Faith Promise partner responded, “We are ordinary--reeeeally ordinary people."

"You are very SPECIAL people!" The woman insistently proclaimed. More vehicles started to accumulate. People waited anxiously for the light to change.

The missionary smiled but equally insisted. "No! Honestly! We are really ordinary people being obedient to God!"

"Exactly!" The woman proclaimed as her car was absorbed into the long stream of suburban vehicles headed East in her lane, "Most people are not obedient to God!”

What I learned about Christianity in East Asia.
There are an estimated 100 million Christian missionaries serving this East Asian country of 1.6 billion people. Most live in communities where there is an environment of suspicion. This atmosphere was left behind like wreckage from an abandoned airplane crash by the former
communist regime. It's perpetuated by the current concern for cultural or what is commonly described as traditional family values.

The young are not allowed to have 'ideas.' They are expected to finish school, attend college, get a job and fulfill their duty to their family. The young must sacrifice their dreams when necessary. All income is pooled into a family fund. They must support and serve the family as
their first priority. Problems occur when someone becomes a Christian. Christian beliefs threaten family traditions when young converts will not honor family tradition but choose to serve and honor Jesus Christ.

Public shaming is part of life. It is a disgraceful and painful weapon. Christians are singled out by family members and community people not necessarily from the government. Families identify Christians and publicly humiliate them in hopes of shaming them back into the family
fold. Christians are often ostracized by community leaders who publicly identify them as people who are trying to destroy long-held cultural family values and traditions. Sometimes the persecution is so intense, teacher contracts and students visas are cancelled because they are evangelizing too successfully.

Stability is cloaked in fulfilling undefined legalism and opaque cultural traditions. Riot police are part of life. Many riots erupt but are never reported or talked about publicly. Unemployment, underemployment, land grabs, government crack downs and merchant class corruption toward the poor create daily disturbances. Minority segregation is a reality dividing ethnicities with unique languages, cultural traditions and of course religion. There are 400 Ethnic minorities in this East Asian country.

Jesus is still Lord!
The local church is thriving in spite of the persecution. Evangelism is expanding to include the Muslim population where mosques have been built in every community. Our mission partner shared she was blessed to witness young women starting house churches. “It's as if they have
no fear and many are only 21-25 years old! They've accomplished college. They've professed to follow Jesus Christ wherever he leads.” She said.

These young leaders work closely with our Faith Promise partner on a daily basis. They learn what it means to read the Bible together, sing praise songs and love, care and support each other. These zealous young disciples relocate with a vibrant faith which was fostered while
making gingerbread cut-out cookies. The simple act of decorating cookies became a way to tell the Jesus story. The college Students who help with the extraordinary ministry start house churches in the communities where they relocate. To this date, eight house churches have been
planted in other communities. There is one house church thriving in their local town led by college-aged volunteers working with our Faith Promise partner.

What can we do?
When I asked our partners what more we could do, she said, “Pray for the house churches that are an outcome of our ministry. We never expected this. Pray for faithfulness to God’s Word. Their translation is difficult to understand. Most translations use a classical language which
makes it difficult to read and use.”

This vibrant champion of Jesus continued, “Isolation is a problem for Christians and the house churches. They take an enormous risk when they share their faith. As for financial resources, we do not make long-term financial commitments. We are training them to become self-sufficient
and trust God to provide. People are very, very poor.”

Our Faith Promise partners support all the house churches in varied ways. Sometimes they financially support the pastors, pay for their rent, buy food for the congregation, pay salaries, or pay the electricity bill. All the money is pooled together for the benefit of the house churches and for reaching the community with the gospel of Jesus Christ.

People who attend the local house church that meets in our Faith Promise partner’s home are mostly people who teach English or attend college. Many Christian missionaries are from Africa: Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, and Zambia are represented. Other countries such as Japan, South Korea, Russia, Inner Mongolia, Singapore, Britain, The Netherlands, and New Zealand are represented.

What does Wheatland actually do?
We support ‘reeeeeally ordinary’ people who are obedient to God. We agreed to be part of what God called these Faith Promise partners to do years ago. We actively engaged with what they were doing in the field. It’s certainly a God-thing that Wheatland help plant churches when we committed to save infants! This particular Faith Promise partner was obedient to God by moving to a foreign country and accepting abandoned babies. Some babies were abandoned because of circumstances we don’t understand. Some were abandoned after a doctor proclaimed the infant as blind or deaf.

Our mission partner passionately explained, “We do what Jesus called his disciples to do: reach the ‘lost.’ These babies are loved, nourished and taught Christian values. They are given a second chance at life. A Christian foundation of love provides a safe place for these special
children to thrive. They are accepted into our temporary mission home until they are fitted into homes belonging to their forever family.”

“We pray that each child is eternally saved. We pray the families that adopt them are God's choice. Not every adoption attempt is successful. A family may not accept one of these children. Some inquisitive parents that come to adopt leave empty handed. We know it’s not right. Not right for them nor for the child. Not all adoptions are successful on the first try. These children know what it means to believe. We can see Jesus in them. There is a significant difference in their disposition.”

Wheatland is an awesome church! We believe the best witness for the gospel of Jesus Christ is a transformed life. There is so much more to do. We can have even greater impact in the world for Jesus Christ. What would it be like if we took becoming a world changer seriously ? Imagine the greater things God has called us to do. What is God calling you to do? Where is God leading you? What wrong in the world keeps tugging on your soul? Is there an issue that ignites your passion to actually get involved and do something significant with your life? Are you searching for or running from God?

“So if you’re serious about living this new resurrection life with Christ, act like it. Pursue the things over which Christ presides. Don’t shuffle along, eyes to the ground, absorbed with the things right in front of you. Look up, and be alert to what is going on around Christ—that’s where the action is".           Colossians 3:1-2 The Message

No Secrets to Success

There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure. Colin Powell

Recently, I meandered through an airport bookstore while I waited for a connecting flight. I was amazed how much stuff was jammed into one of those little stores. All the food items from bananas to Z Bars were strategically placed at eye level. The walls were plastered with flashy magazine covers touting the greatest business or management insights collected from top names in industry. I have a tendency to flash-read the articles while paging through the magazines. Most of the time, the articles summarize the 'top ten' things or the 'fantastic finds’ creating the illusion that leading during tumultuous times can be accomplished in effortless, simple, easy ways. The slick packaging reduces enormous human endeavors to the sterile academic environment. What the printed stories often leave out is the blood and guts of how the wisdom was actually gleaned or the cost of having such incredible business acumen.  

There’s nothing like the wisdom of shared experience.

The biblical account of the rise and fall of the Shepherd Boy-Musician-Warrior-Superstar-King could be read like one of those biographies available at the bookstore. Each chapter of 1 & 2 Samuel recounts the rise of King David’s kingship, first over Judah and then over all Israel. As a bonus, those action-packed chapters also include the major challenge to David’s superstar role—his own sins. I wish I could summarize it and make it easy for you. But, then I would leave out all the blood and guts. God has a way of applying his word to our daily lives with personal precision. There is a big difference between reading scripture and a biography. I believe we can be tempted to create messages that minimize the impact of scripture by trying to be like those slick magazine articles. I just won’t do that to you.

David was successful. God blessed David. God’s blessing allowed for great military advances which expanded the Kingdom of Israel. Some very saucy narratives are sprinkled in-between the expansionist military success stories. One scenario from 2 Samuel 9 includes what I consider a shrewd political move by David. The king invited the crippled son of his best friend to live with him in the palace: "to dine at his own table.” Mephibosheth was Jonathan’s son and the grandson of Saul. Inviting the remaining remnant of the enemy to live within the palace was pure genius in my mind. “Keep your friends close—but keep your enemies closer.” Thanks Sun Tzu. The second divulgence from 2 Samuel 11 is so brilliantly written I fear we lose the impact of what really happened. Chapter 11 is blood and guts—pure and simple. Hearts were broken. Careers and lives were eternally affected. The complex reality of human depravity all but destroyed the shining career of a hopeful superstar and left many who rode on his coat tails wondering what could have been.

Been there. Done that.

The blood and guts is what makes this narrative so applicable in every age. I wish this drama had a story book ending and everyone involved lived happily ever after. But, that’s not the case. The temptation may be to single out the ‘greatest moments’ of David’s life and career and only identify with David's success. But, I believe God also wants us to identify with his lowest moments. The ‘top ten things you need to know’ or the ‘fantastic finds’ are discovered during the deepest, darkest valley moments. These are often the ones that create the greatest impact because they are deeply personal. We can identify with moments like these because we trudged through them ourselves and lived to tell the story.

So, settle in. Sit back in your chair. Allow the Spirit free access to your mind, heart and soul as you read 2 Samuel 9-12. Create your own article. I’ll look for it next time I’m at the airport.

Going through the motions doesn’t please you, a flawless performance is nothing to you. I learned God-worship when my pride was shattered. Heart-shattered lives ready for love don’t for a moment escape God’s notice. Psalm 51:16-17 The Message

Carpe Diem

"But if you listen real close, you can hear them whisper their legacy to you. Go on, lean in. Listen, you hear it? - - Carpe - - hear it? - - Carpe, carpe diem, seize the day boys, make your lives extraordinary.” Robin Williams as John Keating in Dead Poets Society.

I sat at the edge of my seat. The runners were called to take their mark. Commentators bantered with each other in subdued tones as camera angles were adjusted and focused onto one runner. All the world watched as the runner expected to win prepared for the race. The crowd hushed, followed by a moment of stillness and then it happened. The runner expected to win the 400 meter hurdles did the most unthinkable but very human thing. He lifted his head a split second before the starter gun was fired.  False start. He was disqualified. Inconsolable, the runner everyone expected to win dropped to his knees, covered his face with his hands and cried. Devastated. 

Restart. It’s hard for me to comprehend how those elite athletes managed their emotions let alone the adrenaline rush that had already hit their system. But, the remaining runners were called back for the restart. The commentators identified the obvious opportunity that opened for the other runners.  The restart was successful. The race progressed perfectly and the winner of the 400 meter hurdles was an American named Kerron Clement. Sometimes the best or chosen athlete doesn’t always make it to the podium.

Circumstance can become the revolutionary catalyst for a champion. 

Things happen. People act like human beings. Situations develop. All of the sudden, it’s your turn to accept or decline the opportunity given to you.  In quiet moments, you may have day dreamed about what it would be like to get the opportunity or perhaps secretly you hoped for it. But, deep down, you never really imagined it could happen. Then, unexpectedly, as all the world is watching, the very thing you dreamed and hoped for is offered to you. (okay, maybe not the whole world is watching…but it can feel like that!)

Champions seize the opportunity.

Champions know what it takes to triumph through the gauntlet of relevant emotions as they erupt. They know how to regulate body chemicals like adrenaline, norepinephrine and cortisol even as they explode and compete internally challenging our clarity of mind. Champions guard against guilt or shame sabotaging their performance. They operate with a clear conscience and accept the truth that someone else’s failure can become their opportunity to rise. All of this and more can happen in seconds! Friends, it is for this moment we train and when this moment arises, we need to seize it!

The Apostle Paul seized his opportunity and seriously trained to become a witness for Jesus Christ. Paul's rise to the podium was an ascent of submission and surrender. His words of truth written to the early Christian communities were a direct result of his personal descent toward holiness and humility.  Paul had firsthand knowledge of what it meant to be a devoted, connected and generous Christ follower.  Words like grace, salvation and faith took on new dimension when combined with the significance of Paul's personal journey.  He experienced devastating loss and ultimate triumph because of his relationship with Jesus. Paul’s most influential letters were written from prison or captivity. It is when Paul is in the darkest of chambers that the light of Jesus Christ burned brightest. Carpe diem, Christ followers, carpe diem!

‘You are saved by God’s grace because of your faith. This salvation is God’s gift. It’s not something you possessed. It’s not something you did that you can be proud of. Instead, we are God’s accomplishment, created in Christ Jesus to do good things. God planned for these good things to be the way that we live our lives.’ Ephesians 3:8-10 CEB

We Are Not Afraid

“You may choose to look the other way but you can never say again that you did not know.”― William Wilberforce

There is no fear in love. Perfect love casts out all fear. I John 4:18

I know very little about refugees. I don’t have any friends that are refugees. Before Bill and I visited Jordan last January, I basically got my information about refugees from the media. I’d already made up my mind about how I felt about people immigrating to the US following the catastrophic attacks in Paris. I watched several news shows about the migration of Syrians to Europe and the tragic stories of families lost at sea running from the atrocious actions in their country.  I’ve traveled to the Middle East on numerous occasions. I love the people and the culture of the Holy Land but felt that the US needed be cautious about allowing large numbers of people into our country. The depth of my knowledge could’ve filled a thimble. 

While in Jordan working with Syrian and Iraqi refugees, I received an invitation to attend The GC2 Summit hosted by The Billy Graham Institute. The GC2 moniker is a symbol for The Great Commandment and the Great Commission. Both initiatives were entrusted to followers of Jesus Christ. I invited a few of our staff members to attend the conference with me. The general response was overwhelming. The organizers moved the conference venue to Community Christian Church in Naperville to accommodate those willing to take a full day to learn more about refugees and wrestle with how God may be calling the church to respond. You may watch video from that conference here.

Major Evangelical partners for the event included, The Billy Graham Center for Evangelism (BGCE), the Humanitarian Disaster Institute at Wheaton College (HDI), and LifeWay Research. The gathering on January 20, 2016, focused on equipping Christians and churches to connect with and serve refugees and refugee communities both domestically and internationally. This event featured top speakers like Rich Sterns (World Vision), Bill Hybels (Willow Creek Community Church), Rick Warren (Saddleback Community Church), Christine Caine (A21), Stephan Bauman (World Relief) and many others who used biblical principles to help Christians and churches better understand their responsibility to show and share the love of Jesus Christ to refugees and their communities. On December 17, 2015, over 100 denominational, network, and non-profit leaders signed the Christian Declaration on Caring for Refugees: An Evangelical Response as a first step toward answering the call of Jesus Christ and this humanitarian disaster.

I felt Christ’s call to do something. It was His voice speaking to me as I listened to each speaker challenge me. My first priority is to learn the facts and then share them with others. I believe it is the Holy Spirit’s role to ignite a passion within you for lost people but you must decide for yourself to step up and do something. The July message series is titled 'We Are Not Afraid'. We will discover biblical refugee stories, learn more about refugees and pray about what we believe God is calling us to do in response to the refugee crisis. There are several events planned to help equip us during the sermon series. Wheatland has partnered with World Relief to offer two options to learn directly from the experts. Bring your favorite international dish to share with others at the forum where World Relief representative Keith Draper, our own Faith Promise partners from Jordan and our resident scholar/theologian Corey Ashley will be available so we can ask real questions and learn together. 

July 10, Oswego campus will host a World Relief Experience Day with Emily Gray, the Executive Director of World Relief. Invite friends to attend and learn with you. 

July 17, Naperville campus will host a World Relief Experience Day and International Potluck Forum with Keith Draper. Invite friends to attend and learn with you.

World maps will be present at both locations during the month of July. You can learn more about our Thumbprint Project here. "It may be more dangerous to be a woman than a soldier.", UN Force Commander Major General Patrick Camembert. Learn more about women and children in crisis. 

Some people may question why we are venturing into such a controversial topic this summer. I believe it is God’s call for us to pay attention to our neighbors. After all, isn’t our Wheatland Salem vision statement to Love God, Love others, Change the world? See you Sunday as we kick-off our We Are Not Afraid month!

Stay Hydrated

He turns a desert into pools of water, a parched land into springs of water. Psalm 107:35 ESV

Most of us have the luxury of being able to fill a glass of water from the tap and drink it. Some of us can pack a glass full of ice and get cold water from the dispenser located on the outside of our refrigerator at home. I guess it’s a first-world problem when we complain about the icemaker freezing up or if we recognize the little red light reminding us the water filter needs to be changed again. I bet you could tell me a story of how refreshing a cool drink of water felt on a hot day after mowing the lawn, riding rollercoasters all day at a theme park or after playing soccer for hours during a weekend tournament. Isn’t it interesting how parched we can get while just lying on the beach or fishing for hours from the boat? 

Every summer we hear harrowing reports from people who miraculously emerge from being lost in the wilderness. Try to imagine the astonishing effects of water as it quenches a shriveled body that has been wandering in the desert for days. Intense feelings of desperation and then exhilaration come to mind. The human body cannot go very long without water. Our lives depend on it. Thirst signals us when we are depleted. It is the body’s early warning system. We can feel tired, cold all the time and lose our mental concentration. Dehydration can be dangerous over time. We put our major organs at risk and the complex systems designed to keep us humming along at optimum health become stressed or irritated without sufficient water. But, we don’t have to wander in the desert to experience dehydration. Physicians and researchers tell us many of our chronic physical ailments are due to insufficient hydration. I’ve known more than a few people who returned from the doctor’s office visit disappointed because their physician told them the solution to their problem was to drink more water. So, let me encourage you to listen to the doctor. Drink more water.

The wilderness can be a desolate place filled with chaos and danger. But, it’s not limited to a geographic location. The bible refers to the wilderness as a spiritual metaphor where people learn to trust and rely on God. I've felt isolated and desperate more than once as I wandered through a spiritual wilderness on my own. But I can assure you the wilderness can also be a place of spiritual refinement and where we can find God. I know I did. My time in the desert taught me many things. For a refreshing perspective, I included a video from Ray Vanderlaan titled Walking with God in the Desert. ***  Ray is one of my favorite biblical scholars and teachers. I met Ray in Israel while I was teaching about the variety of Temple stones at the base of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. I hope you learn something rejuvenating from Ray.

Sunday is the last message from the Summer Survival Guide Series titled Stay Hydrated: the Practice of Being Present to God. We will celebrate baptisms at both campuses this weekend. How refreshing. Isn’t God good? See you Sunday. Stay hydrated.

***https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8AjnnhKVqsw

Hello Stranger

1. Are you a natural at beginning conversations with people you do not know? 
2. Can you talk about issues rationally, defend your beliefs, and be open to the perspectives of others among strangers? 
3. What is the most important thing you learned from a child, teen or young adult you do not know?
4. Would your loved ones describe you as someone who listens well to others?
5. Whose advice do you follow?
6. Would your friends describe you as a good friend, and introduce you to their other good friends?
7. How have you made amends toward an individual or a people group you misjudged, hurt or harmed, even if unintentionally?
8. Have you ever been prompted to talk with a stranger and ignored it?
9. Do you look for opportunities to talk with people about your practice of Christianity?
10. Do people earn your trust or do you offer it freely?

Summer travel puts us into contact with strangers. Most of us will have a one-time encounter with people at the campground, airport or gas station and never think twice about it. Other times, an unknown person can make a lasting impact on our lives. Uninvited guests can upset everything or they can become a welcomed intrusion. We can be introduced to way more than we bargained for when we are open to strangers. I believe Abraham and Sarah had no idea what was about to take place as they offered hospitality to three strangers who visited their camp. The Lord God was at work building a foundation of faith that would change their lives forever.

Imagine what may happen if your next encounter with a stranger garnered eternal significance. Whose life could be altered toward Kingdom building goals? What might God begin in you? Connected, devoted and generous Christians understand that every encounter can have the potential for eternal significance. Join us Sunday for worship or attend a small group. Invite your dad to come with you for Father’s Day. It is a day of celebration. We honor the great men in our lives and will hear more about Abraham and Sarah. Maybe you’ll meet someone you don’t know along the way and your life could be changed forever. See you Sunday.

"Is anything too hard for the LORD? I will return to you at the appointed time next year, and Sarah will have a son.” Genesis 18:14 NIV

Get Lost

Bill and I watched an episode of Man vs Wild last night. A guy by the name of Bear Grylls got lost with his camera crew in the Red Rock country of Utah. The scenery was spectacular. Bear gave us an up-close and personal 60-minute survival course on how to overcome the obstacles of being lost for several days in the remote area of the Mohave Plateau. Bear instructed us as his survival expert audience. His purpose for this extreme classroom experience was to equip us so we could survive in these extreme conditions for days as we meandered our way back to civilization. This episode included biting a live Garter snake in two and using it’s guts for fishing bait. Extreme, yes, but that’s what life is all about in the wild.

Most people hate getting lost. Unexpected delays, remote detours or wrong turns down one-way streets can escalate rapidly into emotionally charged situations.  I can vividly recall stories of getting my head ‘bitten off’ for merely suggesting what direction we should go. Few of us want to back-track fifty miles of interstate because we missed the turn. Married couples have fought about which direction to take since we emerged from caves, so this is nothing new. Have you ever stopped to think about why we wig-out when we get lost? It may have something to do with our vulnerability.

Vulnerability is the state of being open to injury. Being vulnerable makes us susceptible to being wounded and leaves us open for attack, criticism and temptation. So, how we deal with our own vulnerability depends on how we are equipped to deal with situations that emerge in real life not just extreme conditions. Life is unpredictable. We cannot control anyone or anything. As followers of Jesus, the only control we are authorized to develop is self-control. So, developing a sense of peace and calm in the middle of a tense situation or extreme conditions takes practice. In order to get to the expert level—we need to put ourselves into harms way so we can practice what we learn and be tested.

Abraham and Sarah

Two characters in the Old Testament carry as much clout as Abraham and Sarah. The stamina of these two old people is truly inspiring to me. I can only imagine how these two fought with each other daily about the obstacles they faced. God is too loving and compassionate to give a blow by blow account of the behind the scenes look at their travels. I could only imagine the reality show of what life was like with these two biblical heavy weights on the road. I can totally relate to them. As someone who’s been married for almost nineteen years, I know how selfish I am. I know how controlling I can be and how much I try to avoid being vulnerable. I love having my way or discovering the winning answer. Sometimes I want to put my ideas on a banner and run down the middle of the road claiming to the world I had one good idea. I am tempted with the notion that just once I could shout, “I told you so!” I believe I could sit and drink iced tea with Sarah. We could talk. We could laugh. Sarah is known for her laughter.

Imagine how getting lost can actually build our faith in God. It helps us practice the art of being vulnerable. We can become open to outcomes we could not imagine without God. Faith in God helps establish where exactly our help comes from and how living out faithful obedience can be the most exhilarating way to live life in the extreme conditions we face daily. Eugene Peterson writes about faith in this way: The fundamental fact of existence is that this trust in God, this faith, is the firm foundation under everything that makes life worth living. It’s our handle on what we can’t see. The act of faith is what distinguished our ancestors, set them above the crowd. (Hebrews 11:1-2 The Message) Abraham and Sarah are certainly distinguished. They are credited with righteousness because they trusted God and headed out in a general direction. They were open to outcome. Eventually, God made a covenant with Abraham that continues to effect us to this day. 

Get lost and get off the beaten path is the third Summer Survival Guide practice we will talk about Sunday. The story of Abraham and Sarah might also inspire us to soften our hearts toward those who are lost and don’t know it. The job description Luke identified for the Jesus comes to mind: For the Son of Man came to seek and save the lost. (Luke 19:10 NIV) So, go ahead and get lost. Try something new. Be open to an outcome only God could imagine. You might be amazed what happens along the way. See you Sunday.

Active Rest

Active rest was infused into the fitness industry years ago. Active rest means that during your exercise or workout, instead of sitting on a bench to rest, you are doing one of three things: (1) stretching, (2) hydrating, (3) fine tuning your form. Active rest is sometimes referred to as active recovery which means you are improving your body while you're working not just after.

What we do during our rest time matters whether we are exercising or taking a break from our labors. I don't believe for one minute God intended people to just sit back and do nothing for Sabbath. I learned from a great teacher in Israel that Sabbath was meant to 'soak in God's Word and presence with your family.' WOW! Now that's a lot different than 'refrain from work.' As I listened to the teacher share his insights, I imagined my family gathered together at a meal. We shared personal stories of triumph and challenge anticipating input from the people gathered around us. We also read God's Word and learned to apply God's thoughts and standards to our situations. It is easy to envision but magnificently unrealistic in my situation. I have some training to do if I truly want to honor God with my rest.

One way to interpret the Creation story is to think of the Sabbath Day as the ultimate pinnacle. Sabbath can be the summit where we connect with God and a sense of accomplishment for all our labor. Genesis 2 records it this way: By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work.  Then 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 2:1-2 NIV)

The WOW Factor

The summit is a place of active rest and where we can experience 'the WOW factor.' We can take it all in. Physically, our body is stretched. We become acquainted with an intense need for oxygen and we are very much aware of the vigorous labor required to reach the summit. Mentally, our heart and mind may engage with the breath-taking view from the summit. The expansive beauty of the surroundings can fine-tune our emotional, psychological and intellectual status. Spiritually, some people discover they experience an awakening or much needed sacred reset. The summit can help us accept reality. Our triumphs or challenges are small things in comparison to the great things of God.

To journey beyond the summit would be impossible without hydration. Water replenishes the complex system of the human body. Elite athletes and weekend explorers alike empty water containers or guzzle Gatorade restoring balance to the body's depletion. Water has enormous significance in God's Word. Water wipes out the sin of the earth in Noah's story found in Genesis. Water is divided for Israel's crossing from slavery and separates them from the Promised Land in Exodus. Water cleanses mundane things like cups and makes them holy in Leviticus. Later in God's epic narrative, water becomes significant to followers of Jesus as an initiation into the New Covenant. Remember your baptism and keep it holy. 

Survival Practice #2 is the practice of saying no.

Redeem your Sabbath time this summer. Determine now to say no to mindless scattered wandering through the weekend or long-anticipated vacation. The summer months are prime time for us to rest, relax, and refresh. Be intentional. Find meaning and purpose in accomplishments before moving onto the next. Take a second look at things that may have turned out differently than you expected. Treat your vacation as holy time to draw closer to God and perhaps find a way to include Sabbath practice more frequently into your life. God knew from the beginning we would be tempted to define our worth in our accomplishments. God's desire is for you and me to draw closer to him and experience his love for us as sons and daughters. From the summit of his loving presence, everything pales in comparison and we can bask in his 'WOW factor.'

“Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy." Exodus 20:8 NIV