Joe the Carpenter

Today was the fourth Sunday of Advent. Brad greeted us and reminded us about the message Elsa gave last week about Mary. Today, Brad would be presenting the birth and life of Jesus from Joseph's point of view.

Announcements chiefly centered on the times for next weekend's Christmas services. Our Christmas Eve service will be at 4:00 p.m. next Saturday. Christmas day there will be no Sunday school and we worship here at 10:15 a.m.

We also sang Happy Birthday for Don Bodin who turned 89 today.

Darlene's rendition of The First Noel was heart-warming and a fitting intro to our time of worship and the singing of carols. After the offering and prayers, Elsa read from Matthew 1:18-25 and Ed Newman sang Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence. Pastor Brad then stepped forward wearing a carpenter's belt heavy laden with tools to deliver the message.

Joe the Carpenter

Actually, Brad didn't really preach this morning. He play-acted a role, the story of Joseph based on the Haddon Robinson's sermon titled The Neglected Joseph Davidson, which begins...

I think I had better introduce myself. My name is Joseph Davidson. Many of you already know me. I've been hanging around Christmas for a long time. But I suspect that you do not know me very well. Sometimes I feel a bit like the father of the bride in a wedding. Nobody notices him, but he has to pay for the whole affair. I know that you enjoy celebrating Christmas, but I want you to know Christmas cost me a great deal. Let me tell you a bit about myself.

Robinson's creative approach to telling the age-old story can be read in its entirety here. But to really enjoy the full impact, Brad's live "performance" is something not to be missed for the freshness and life he brings to it.

It's good to be reminded of the struggles, the doubts, the pain and confusion, the rough circumstances that were all part of the real story which sometimes gets overlooked in the comfortable surrounding of our modern world. The fresh approach is a tool to help us get through our preconceptions to the earthy realities we often miss. Joseph was real person. Mary, too. And God, creator of the universe, became a baby. When you see a nativity scene or a creche, remember, it really happened.

Raising Our Children

"I'm delighted you're here today," Brad warmly exclaimed at the start of today's service, sunshine streaming in the windows.

Announcements today included:

1. Roger DeLoach has published a book called He Calls My Name about the Christian ministry that has been occurring in our local race tracks. A fundraiser will be held at Gethsemane Covenant on Wednesday evening.

2. The building committee has scheduled a meeting for Tuesday the 30th.

3. There will be an August 2nd Open House at the Crestman's after the service. More information coming soon... In the meantime, mark it on your calendars.

4. This week's VBS was wonderful. Thanks were extended to all those who gave of their time to help make it happen.

5. And don't forget next week's fundraiser Rummage Sale next Saturday. Bring your items to donate on Friday... and your wallets on Saturday.

There was an amusing comment made when Paula requested that people bring their favorite Sloppy Joe recipes. Joe Stapleton made this amusing request: "Can't we call them something other than Sloppy Joes?"

Darlene's introit was again meaningful. Familiar lines seeped through the melodious tune... "Create in me a clean heart, Oh God, and renew a right spirit within me." After enjoying some video footage from the week's VBS experiences, the offering was taken.

Today's Scripture readings were from I Kings 17:8-16 and Galatians 1:11-24. A hymn followed and Brad took the pulpit to give the message.

Raising Our Children

Today's starting point was Proverbs 22:6, "Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it."

Brad then shared how it seems we're constantly hearing about advances in genetics so that one day we may have the ability to define our child's traits in advance by genetic engineering. Tongue in cheek, he imagined a future Kids-R-Us Catalog where we make such choices.

The reality is, that as parents we have responsibilities toward our God-given children. Brad spent this morning's time with us outlining four objectives we should strive for as we raise our children.

1) Build strong self-esteem.

Just because building self-esteem became a buzzword in child-rearing manuals these past two decades does not mean it is unimportant. Children need to know that they are valuable, both to God and to their parents.

Brad shared a story about an 8 year old boy who attempted suicide because he did not believe he had value. In fact, he believed he was the source of all his parents' troubles. Strong self-esteem is an important quality for children as they move toward adulthood. They get this through three behaviors which are within our power to give. A word, a look and a touch.

Kids need to hear affirming words. Jesus, when He was baptized, heard these words from the heavens: "This is my Beloved Son in whom I am well pleased." Our smiles, our hugs, our affirming words are vital to our children.

2) Build sense of personal confidence.

Confidence is inter-related with competence. As we invest in our children, to learn skills in their areas of interest, they experience the inner satisfaction that competency brings. Whether it be art, music, sports, we as parents can foster confidence within our kids by investing time working with them.

I had many stories come to mind while Brad shared, of my parents investing in me, and our support for our own children's interests. Brad share how his own father taught him important lessons as they did things together. On one occasion, Brad was trying to chop down a tree but it wasn't going well because the axe was a bit dull and the tree a bit hard, so he gave up. Brad's father came over and used this experience as a teaching opportunity. "Brad," he said with his hands on Brad's shoulders, "in the real world you're going to find that almost everything you do is hard. school, athletics, marriage, church work. It's more complicated than you think, just like that tree you're dealing with. You can decide to quit, or find a new, better approach. Son, I'm expecting you figure out a way to get that tree on the ground even if it takes all day."

Brad did put that tree down, but he took a more important lesson away that day.

3) Teach them relationship skills.

One of the bi-products of our increasingly fragmented society is fragmented families. Both adults and children are challenged by the broken relationships and fewer than ever are learning how a healthy relationship works. There is more escapist behavior than ever these days.

There's a standard line that private pilots use when the navigation gets fouled. They say, "I don't know where I am or where I'm going, but I'm getting there at a very high velocity." Many young people are entering adulthood at a very high velocity, but velocity without direction can be a very dangerous thing.

4) Establish Christian values and spiritual foundations.

There's a strange notion that we should raise our children "values free." But school and television are not values free. They tear down the values we hold and replace them with alternates. So the question is, who will impress their values on our children?

We can't disregard or neglect this important truth: parents are the primary influence on their children. Deuteronomy 6:7 says, "Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up." In other words, every experience shared with children can be a training experience."

Brad then told a story about one occasion in which a man drove by in a very chic Cadillac. Brad commented on how rich the man must be. Brad's dad replied, "That guy owes money to every man in town. He's got creditors lined up 20 deep and they're not getting their money. Yet that man's pride leads him to put on a show, but Brad, it's phony. It's phony to live beyond your means. It doesn't please God to put on an act, to pretend you're something you're not." Brad said that he can still remember the color of that car, and that influenced to this day the way he does personal finance.

The world is a theater through which we have the opportunity to teach God's values.

The world needs children with strong self-esteem, great competency, great relationships and strong spiritual foundations. Let's make a commitment to to turn it up a notch, with God's help.

Images of Light

With a little warm spell (the weather was above zero) and the sun sparkling off the new fallen snow, we gathered together for worship without Pastor Brad, who was speaking at Covenant Pines this morning. Chuck Vanderscheuren welcomed us to begin the service.

A number of announcements preceded a time of worship led by the Trio (Chuck, Dale, Ken) with Darlene on the keyboards. These announcements included:

1. Women's Bible Study begins Friday at 6:30 here at the church.

2. Though still many months off, we're planning a June rummage sale to raise funds and awareness for "Breaking the Chains," a program intended to help end human trafficking.

3. The Women's Circle is encouraging all women to participate in the "Secret Sister" program.

4. Paula also shared that the Women's Circle is making blankets for children in need.

5. Before starting his sermon, Leonard reminded us that the Valentine's Banquet will be held again this year on Feb. 14. As Scripture, and especially the Song of Solomon, declares, "the love between a man and a woman is to be celebrated."

Several sign up sheets were also presented for volunteers to help with coffee hour and for women interested in receiving the e-newsletter.

Today's Scripture readings:

I Samuel 3:1-10

John 1:43-51

After an offering and hymn, Leonard Armstrong delivered today's message.

Images of Light
Leonard began by telling how he'd discovered an interesting book by Anthony Flew, a renowned atheist who in 2004 wrote a book stating his beliefs had been altered and he was now a theist. Leonard returned to Barnes & Noble with the aim of buying Flew's book but it was no longer on the shelves. Flew, he said, felt that the discoveries of modern science seemed to leave an earnest inquirer with a single conclusion: the world was created by a Creator and did not just happen.

Leonard then shared an insight about Bertrand Russell, the 20th century's other most famous atheist. Russell's daughter had affirmed that her father's life was a continuous search for God.

The passages from which the message was drawn were as follows:

Isaiah 50:10-11

10 Who among you fears the LORD

and obeys the word of his servant?

Let him who walks in the dark,

who has no light,

trust in the name of the LORD

and rely on his God.
11 But now, all you who light fires

and provide yourselves with flaming torches,

go, walk in the light of your fires

and of the torches you have set ablaze.

This is what you shall receive from my hand:

You will lie down in torment.

John 1:1-9

1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2He was with God in the beginning.

3Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4In him was life, and that life was the light of men. 5The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.
6There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John. 7He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe. 8He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. 9The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world.

And John 8:12

12When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."

The Bible talks a lot about light. In Bible times, the world was darker. In contrast, today we have light pollution, almost too much light.

Even when there is no light at all, in the military we have night vision goggles so people can see when there is limited light, or none at all.

The point Isaiah makes in the passage cited is that we don't make our own light. We are to seek God's light. The false light which we create will burn out. God's light is eternal.

On the cross, why did Jesus cry out, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" It is because he was in darkness. It is in that moment of darkness that we're tempted to make our own light.

Having, creating your own light can seem good at first. But there are consequences, and there is always more to the story.

In Leviticus 9:23-10:3 we read an incredible story of the how God revealed his glory through fire that consumed an offering, initiating the priesthood. Two of Aaron's sons followed this up by putting fire in their own censers and offering them to the Lord. In God's displeasure they were slain. Leonard used this story to highlight the difference between God's light and our own.

One of the problems with making or following our own light is that we can become so blinded by it that we become deceived. We all know how it is when people choose to hear what they want to hear instead of hearing the truth, God's still, small voice.

He pointed out that one reason Madoff's Ponzi scheme succeeded is because people were so receptive to the opportunity he offered, guaranteed above-average returns on their savings. Unfortunately, in the end what is true will be revealed in God's light.

The classic passage on this subject is found in Matthew 5:14-16

14"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. 15Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.

The Gospel of John opens by noting that John the Baptist was a witness to the light, but never claimed to be the light. Jesus alone was able to say, "I am the light." (John 8:12)

Today, are you walking toward God's light or making your own light? Does the light within you point toward God?

How Do You Read It?

Despite a chill north wind, the pews were packed again for worship this Sunday. Pastor Brad welcomed us with comments about how we are created for God’s pleasure, and that worship is not just something that happens on Sunday morning. Rather, all we do can be an act of worship.

He also noted that when we are here for worship, it is not as an observer, but as a participant in an act of worship. In the midst of all, here with us, is the God who created the universe.

The story of the good Samaritan is today’s theme, and many portions of the service dovetailed with this theme, especially the blessing of our Operation Christmas Child shoe boxes which were prepared last Wednesday evening.

A whole raft of announcements should be cited as the Advent season approaches and many activities are taking place. Here are a few that were noted.

1. CHIC Fundraising Pastie Sale… Contact Eric Borndal for details.
2. Jim Fretheim, Superintendent of the Northwest Conference of the Evangelical Covenant Church will be a guest preacher next Sunday. He can be counted on for an insightful, wise message. Lunch will be served afterwards.
3. A special Thanksgiving Service will be held 7:00 p.m., November 23rd at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Brookston.
4. A special ADVENTure Sunday School will be held Dec. 7, 14 and 21 leading into Christmas, 9 a.m. downstairs for all ages.
5. The Shannons will share their home in an Open House, Sunday December 7 during the coffee hour. (5637 Bergstrom Jct. Road)
6. The Christmas Program and Dinner will be on December 14 at 4:00 p.m. Kids’ practice is scheduled for the 13th, 10 a.m. till noon.

The quartet ushered us into worship with Fanny Crosby’s “I Love to Tell the Story.” After leading us in song and praise, the children carried the Operation Christmas Child boxes to the front where they were dedicated. Operation Christmas Child is a ministry of Samaritan’s Purse, intended to bring joy and hope to children in desperate situations around the world. Since 1993 more than 61 million shoe boxes have been packed and given.

The Scripture reading was from Psalm 78:1-7. After a time of prayer, Pastor Brad presented the message.

How Do You Read It?

It’s a familiar passage, the story of the Good Samaritan. We’ve all heard it many times throughout our Christian lives. The passage is found in Luke 10:25-37.

Does gaining eternal life really boil down to being a good neighbor? Or bringing a dinner to a hungry person? Is Jesus right to say this? Is it really this simple?

Pastor Brad was striving to engage our minds because all too often we hear passages like this and it’s the same old same old. We tune it out because we already know that. The challenge is to see something fresh, and the pastor succeeded in achieving this aim.

Brad noted that doctors do not give the same prescription to all patients. Each has different ailments which must be first diagnosed, and the remedy prescribed accordingly. There is not one answer for all. For this reason, the Lord spoke with Nicodemus about the need to be born again. To the woman at the well He offered living water, and said, “Go call your husband,” knowing her real circumstances. To the rich young ruler He said, “Sell all, give it to the poor and follow Me.”

In this story, Jesus happens to be talking with a lawyer. This lawyer knew all the right answers. The lawyer had asked Jesus what he must do to inherit eternal life. Jesus answered with a question. “What is written in the Law?” In other words, what does God’s Word say on the matter.

But Jesus went further. He also asked, “How do you read it?”

This lawyer knew all the right answers and answered correctly here. He answered: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind' and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'"

Jesus affirmed his correct answer, but added, “Do this and you will live.” In other words, like the great physician he is, the prescription for this lawyer was to put the knowledge you have into practice. Do this and you will have life. Act on what you have heard and profess, not as a way of gaining eternal life, but as a sign that eternal life has already begun in your heart.

It’s a hard pill to swallow. And for this reason, the lawyer asked another question, for the purpose of clarification. “Who is my neighbor?”

This is the context for the story of the good Samaritan. It is a brilliant setup in answer to the wrong question. The question implies that some people are neighbors and some are not.

The lawyer, who knew Jewish law, knew that there were some who were acceptable and some not. Gentiles were considered dogs. Samaritans were also among the excluded.

What happens when a neighbor is not my kind? How about illegal aliens? Or gays? We set up boundaries. But love transcends human barriers such as race, nationality, creed, sexual orientation, gender, circumstances, etc. All people who need help are my neighbors.

Love costs us. There is risk involved in helping the man in the ditch. Love doesn’t stop at convenience. To practice love stretches our capacity to love to its outermost limits.

In point of fact, you can’t do this in your own strength. Human love will fall short. The power of positive thinking is not enough. It is only the enabling Word that commands us which also empowers us to love like this. The enabling Word is Christ Himself. That kind of love has no limits.

Pastor Brad shared how he worked at an orphanage in Mexico once. He saw how the experience broke down barriers, sharing a story that setup a concept presented by Juan Carlos Ortiz called “Mashed Potato Love.” A sack of potatoes is a bunch of isolated individual spuds, but when we’re peeled and sliced and mashed the boundaries and barriers which ordinarily separate us disappear.

We can know God’s “plan of salvation” and the Four Spiritual Laws, but knowing these things is not liberating until we are changed. Christ can change us from our old ways of thinking, helping us to see with His eyes until we learn to live with His love. This is the Good News. Christ can break down the walls that separate us and make us new people where His Spirit becomes our spirit, His vision becomes our vision and His compassion becomes our compassion… and His life becomes our eternal life. This is the Gospel of the Lord.

New Life Covenant Celebrates Fifty Years

Today's service had a number of unique features that made it a very special gathering today. New Life Covenant today celebrated fifty years as a member of the Covenant denomination, though as noted in the service, God was at work in this community and in the place before that official designation.

In light of the past we were remembering, Pastor Brad Shannon opened the service citing the Scripture, "I will remember the deeds of the Lord." He also took the opportunity to remind us of the distinction between living history and dead history. The nostalgic longing to go back and recreate the past is not helpful. Rather, what is needful is to remember the past in order to propel us into the future. The same God who was active in our midst then is alive and active in our present to empower us for tomorrow.

Chuck Vanderscheuren led us in a call to worship followed by the quartet's call to worship with "There's a Welcome Here" and "Because He Lives."

Pastor Brad shared a children's moment about picking flowers. The pressed flowers of yesterday can be used to bookmark passages to help us tomorrow.

Suzi Lane, who helped make today's special celebration possible, shared some humorous anecdotes, and then read a pair of letters from former church leaders. Pastor Dunbar wrote that "our years there are remembered with fondness." And Frank Armstrong wrote about remembering how things used to be, stories, anecdotes, and reminders of the faith of the old timers. And the music.

Mentioning the music was, naturally, a perfect segway into two hymns by the Hartmark girls. The four sisters sang He Hideth My Soul, and Great Is Thy Faithfulness.

Leonard Armstrong, who spent the past two evenings (actually, more like all-nighters) preparing the remarkable spread of delicious food we enjoyed after the service, then shared the history of the church. The predominantly Swedish community settled the area in around the turn of the last century, which became a preaching point for Covenant circuit riders in the region. The Armstrong family arrived in 1923, after the great fire of 1918.

One reason the Covenant church was successful in reaching Swedes was that it has historically been a missionary minded church, and was not put off by ethnic barriers. This acceptance of other ethnic groups was part of the church culture.

In 1938 a Sunday school was started, which became a stepping stone toward the eventual development of a church community here. As late as 1957 the church building had been a school. Though services had been held here, the year 1958 is cited as the starting point for Twig Covenant/New Life Covenant because it was then that the church members became offical members of the larger Covenant.

In 1972 a new addition was added, along with running water for the first time. Of the many pastors who have served the fellowship, Pastor Brad Shannon is the first full time pastor to live in the neighborhood.

Many more details were shared than this blog writer could capture in his notes, but if we're lucky, Leonard will give us still more details in a written document for posterity.

Scripture readings today:

Isaiah 28:23-29

John 15:1-17

More Memories

Vern Robertz shared next. He grew in the property adjacent tot he church and remembers walking to church on Sunday mornings. He recalled that the church had a big old wood stove which Leonard would stoke up early in the morning. Though Leonard and Signe had no children, he recalls their faithful service as Sunday school teachers. He noted Pastor Hartmark's long prayers, and how empty the church was when he and his family of fifteen children were away on vacation. He recalled for us the many duets and groups who sang, the Sunday school picnics, sliding parties. "Most of the Christian values I hold today I received here," he concluded.

A Heart For God

Pastor Brad opened by asking this question: What is our Biblical narrative as a church? He said that one character in Scripture was especially appropriate, and that was David.

David was a true Rennaisance Man. Musician, warrior, statesman and poet, he was also outwardly attractive, a magnetic man, he was featured in over sixty-six chapters of the Old Testament as well as many New Testatment passages. But what was significant about David, in God's eyes, was his heart.

The passage Pastor Brad shared today was from I Samuel 16:1-13. It tells the story of how Samuel, in obedience to God, went to tiny Bethlehem to anoint a new king. What made obedience a challenge was that Israel already had a king, and though Samuel had a great legacy, having served a lifetime as God's prophet of that generation.

He'd been sent to the house of Jesse whereupon he prepared a sacrifice to the Lord, inviting Jesse and his sons. Brad re-assembled the narrative to make it alive for us in humor and intonations that are impossible to convey here. Jesse was bursting with pride, no doubt, since one of his sons would be the next king of Israel. In typical fashion he brought forth his firstborn, Eliab, and introduced him to the prophet. Scripture relates the events thusly:

When they came, he looked on Eliab and thought, ‘Surely the Lord’s anointed is now before the Lord.’* 7But the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for the Lord does not see as mortals see; they look on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.’ 8Then Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. He said, ‘Neither has the Lord chosen this one.’ 9Then Jesse made Shammah pass by. And he said, ‘Neither has the Lord chosen this one.’ 10Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel, and Samuel said to Jesse, ‘The Lord has not chosen any of these.’

This was not the expected outcome. Samuel looked at the first and based on appearance, he felt good about this youth. But God doesn't operate this way. God's way is to break all the cultural molds. God's ways are new ways.

When looking at Israel's history, from the beginning it was so. Ishmael was Abraham's first born, but Isaac the chosen. Of Isaac's sons, Esau was the firstborn, but heel-grabber Jacob was God's chosen. And so...

11Samuel said to Jesse, ‘Are all your sons here?’ And he said, ‘There remains yet the youngest, but he is keeping the sheep.’ And Samuel said to Jesse, ‘Send and bring him; for we will not sit down until he comes here.’ 12He sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and had beautiful eyes, and was handsome. The Lord said, ‘Rise and anoint him; for this is the one.’ 13Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the presence of his brothers; and the spirit of the Lord came mightily upon David from that day forward. Samuel then set out and went to Ramah.

Culture obsesses over appearance and externals, but God says, "Not in My kingdom. In my kingdom everybody counts."

Our church may be small in stature, but we're rich in grace. God can do things here if our hearts are right.

And so, Pastor Brad outlined three of the qualities that made David's heart great.

1) Wild Abandon

David was passionate for God. Brad told the story of how David danced wildly for joy before the nation of Israel as the ark was returned to Zion, and asked, "When was the last time you jumped up and down for joy." It's not cold and calculating, it's wild and free.

2) David's Deep Reflection

Psalm 139 reveals the kind of reflection that exemplifies David's depth. A church is not about programs, it's about deep hearts.

3) Stubborn Love

David's stubborn love for God and others are revealed in all his writings and actions. He kept loving, despite and not because of circumstances, as witnessed in his respect for Saul even while Saul sought to kill him. It's the heart of a racehorse, Brad said... a heart that keeps coming back to God.

Can I say this about New Life Covenant? Wild abandon, deep reflection and stubborn love... Eternity starts here.

At the end of the service there was much fellowship in the sanctuary and Leonard's wonderful meal downstairs. A meaningful service of remembering and looking forward.

click on images to enlarge

Abound & Abide

Winter’s tenacity was reflected in yet another windy two day blow that powdered the Northland. Nevertheless, clear skies and sunshine greeted us Sunday morning and an abundance of warm hearted worshippers gathered this morning for fellowship and to hear God’s word.

The service began with announcements, which included a reminder that next week a group from Teen Challenge will be here to minister to us through song and testimonies of God’s active grace.
Today’s Scripture readings:
Acts 17:22-31
John 14:15-21

Keith MacDonald of the Gideons shared stories with us about the valuable work that his organization is doing. Founded in 1899 in Jaynesville, Wisconsin, the Gideons now share Bibles in 80 languages and is active in 165 countries. Many stories could be shared of the power of God’s written word to meet a lost soul at a point of need. At the end of the service more than $300 was given for the printing of Bibles and ongoing work.

ABOUND AND ABIDE
Pastor Shannon began with the Apostle Paul’s exhortation at the end of I Corinthians 15, “Therefore be steadfast and immovable, always abounding…” The word abounding conveys a sense of overflow, energy, excess, excellence. Give it everything you’ve got.

God has made us in His image, and in part that means we have work to do. There is much in the Bible affirming the value of developing our skills, and using them with all of our energy. “Whatever your hand finds to do,” Paul wrote in another place, “do it with all your might.”

More of Paul’s heart was revealed in these additional passages. “I poured myself out like a drink offering,” and “I fought the good fight; I’ve run the race.”

At the end of our lives, when we meet God face to face, we’ll want to be able to say, “I’ve done the work you gave me to do.”

There is, however, a second attitude we need to adopt. Abide. “Abide in Me,” Jesus said. “No branch can bear fruit unless it remains abides in the vine.” Abide means to remain or linger, to dwell. Abiding means to live always connected with Him. Abiding produces an ongoing relationship.

Pastor Shannon bared his heart this morning. “I want to experience life deeply, but not in a frenzied, insane pace. I want a mind more formed by Scripture than by TV. And I want to lie beside still waters.”

He went on to say that he is made of two parts. One that desires to abound, to let it all out. The other wants to abide, to learn to be still and content. There is often a tension between the two. “I’m committed to this. Speak well, lead well. This is my one shot. We only live once. I want a life with no regrets. And I want my relationship to God to drive me to run harder. This is my race.”

After sharing his circumstances – trying to balance the needs of family, church, community – he asked the question, “When can I expect this tension to end?” In point of fact, it never ends until we die.

Jesus spent 40 days in the desert deeply abiding in the Father before beginning his ministry of abundant pouring out. During those ministry years He was often found in prayer early in the morning. Abiding is the key to abounding.

Life is a rhythm of abiding and abounding, though today, with our busy lives, it may be more challenging than ever.

Pastor Shannon asked a second important question we should all ask ourselves. “Who is responsible for me getting this right?” The answer: I am.

Yes, you are responsible for your life, your choices, your work. The problem begins when we become “excuse factories.”

At this point he shared a Ken Davis story about trying to get his daughter to go to bed. The story showed how early in life this tendency to make excuses can develop. Many people spend their whole lives making excuses, as if their life problems are someone else’s responsibility.

Some day God will ask us, “Did you abound in the work I gave you and did you abide in My love?” It is vital for us to become attuned to how much we’re abounding and abiding. In fact, I must become the world’s leading expert at assessing the level of abounding and abiding in my life.

There is a ton of research on destructive hurry. We live with a sense that there is never enough time. No matter how fast I run I’m always behind, always playing catch up. Even though you’re running harder and harder, something is slipping through your fingers and that something is your life.

Richard Swenson writes that we are so addicted to speed that even our language reflects this constant preoccupation. Our language is marked by phrases like time crunch, fast food, rush hour, frequent flyer, mass transit. We send packages by Federal Express, use long distance called Sprint, pay our bills with Quicken, schedule appointments with a day runner, diet with Slim Fast, and swim in trucks made by Speedo.

The pastor ended his message with a construct to help us visualize the paradigm we operate in. Picture a grid with four quadrants. The upper half is high energy, the lower half low energy. The left half is positive, and the right half is negative.

The upper left quadrant would be characterized by positive high energy activities, such as creativity, passion and productivity. The lower left quadrant is characterized by reflection, solitude, resting in God. These are all positives, and a healthy life is a rhythmic cycle of movement between these two quadrants.

The upper right quadrant is high energy but negative. In this section we see fear, anxiety. The lower right quadrant would be low energy negatives such as depression, sadness, grief.

Life is short. We need to take time to abide if we are to abound.

A Healthy Fear

Today is the Fourth Sunday in Lent. Pastor Brad introduced today's service by reminding us that Lent is a time for taking a good, hard look at the cross and what it cost Jesus to bring us back to God.

After a time of worship, today's Scripture readings were from Psalm 23 and Ephesians 5:8-14.

The sermon this morning was taken from ideas conveyed by Psalm 103. After reading the psalm, Pastor Brad shared with us details about the CN Tower in Toronto. The 1815 foot structure is the world's tallest building. To get to the top visitors ride a glass elevator that is on the external part of the building so they can see the city as it drops below them. Upon arriving at the top, visitors are greeted by a glass floor so that you feel a quick rush, sweaty palms and a moment of fear, all the while utterly safe.

By way of contrast, consider the Grand Canyon. A six thousand foot drop at some points, with no glass floors, there is real danger here. Park officials acknowledge that four or five people die every year from falling over the edge. There really are good reasons to have fear when standing near the edge.

What is God like? A lot of people say he is more like the CN Tower than the Grand Canyon. He is impressive, but not really dangerous. "Then I made the mistake of reading my Bible," Pastor Brad said.

Right from the beginning we see fear of God in the story of Adam. In Exodus, the people of Israel were well terrified of God when He appeared on the mountain. Job, too, declared, "I am terrified of His presence." In Isaiah 6, the prophet records his vision of the high and holy one, and writes, "Woe is me, I am undone."

Some say God is good, therefore he would not want us to feel afraid of Him like that. Or they might note that the New Testament shows a different face of God in Jesus. Jesus, they notes, reveals that God is full of Grace.

But consider these words from Jesus: "I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after the killing of the body, has power to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him." ~ Luke 12:4-5

Many more examples can be cited. The fear of God is not just a matter of reverence and awe.

A. W. Tozer noted that in the old days people of faith served God with fear, terror and dismay, sinfulness and guilt. The self assurance of modern Christians is "evidence of a deep blindness of heart."

At the Grand Canyon, people who fool around near the edge can literally die. God, too, is dangerous.

Why does the Bible say that the fear of God is good?

Exodus 20:20 offers an answer to this question. "Moses said to the people, 'Do not be afraid. God has come to test you, so that the fear of God will be with you to keep you from sinning.'"

When you fear authority, your better self comes out. The fear of God is a healthy, restraining force for good. People who fear God do what is right.

Of course all these passages lead to another question. If God is so fear inspiring, why would I want to get close to Him?

This question brings us back to the text, Psalm 103.

1 Praise the LORD, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name.
2 Praise the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits-
3 who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases,
4 who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion,
5 who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.
6 The LORD works righteousness and justice for all the oppressed.
7 He made known his ways to Moses, his deeds to the people of Israel:
8 The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love.
9 He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever;
10 he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities.
11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him;
12 as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.
13 As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him...

When you come to God humbly, He showers you with benefits.

Have you ever taken the Jumbotron Test? The Jumbotron at the Target Center in Minneapolis is a giant live action screen. Now imagine the Target Center is filled with people and across the screen is playing all of your thoughts, words and deeds of the past week. How long before that Jumbotron has displayed something you are ashamed of?

This isn't an imaginary exercise. God sees your Jumbotron. He knows your whole life. But the Pslamist understands that God is like a waterfall of mercy. His mercy cascades over us.

Those things in your soul that you wish weren't there, that are holding you back... give them up to God. Let His mercy roll over you like a waterfall and you, too, will declare, "Bless the Lord, oh my soul."

The service ended with a very special time of communion.