Overwhelmed? In Good Company

There's plenty happening these days, which might be why today's message is titled "Overwhelmed?" Nevertheless, here are a few upcoming events to be aware of in the life of the church.

1. After church today there was supposed to be an Open House at Pastor Terry and Leah's. 6442 Tresdan Road... It has been postponed till Next Sunday.
2. The Council is seeking a Worship Commission Chairperson.
3. There will be a Fish Fry /Silent Auction / Bloodmobile, October 14, 11 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
4. Youth Group has resumed for Wednesday evenings.
5.  Pot Luck is next Sunday...
6. Oct 21 Handbag Luncheon. See Paula for details.

Terry opened our time of worship by reading Psalm 137 and the worship team then led us in several songs. The offering was taken while the worship team sang "I Am Yours, You Are Mine."

Cheryl Borndal led us in our time of bringing petitions to the Lord and then Pastor Terry brought the message.

Overwhelmed? In Good Company

Today's message will be drawn from Exodus 18. Terry stated that he wanted to make three points this morning: (1) The nature of being overwhelmed. (2) That others outside of your own circumstances sometimes have good insights for you. (3) Letting Christ reign supreme in your life.

Today's Bonsai tree was a dwarf variety of a Ponderosa Pine. It's actually an amazing, and old, tree. But many people just see it as a shrub. People often miss things that are quite special, things that might expand our appreciation for God's creation.

Today's story from Exodus is about when Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, visited Moses. In their conversation Jethro reminds Moses that is is God who brought you out of Egypt. The two are in agreement that what God has done is very great.

In the next paragraph, beginning in verse 13, Moses is taken aside for a moment of correction. After seeing Moses judge and rule for a day Jethro asks, "What are you doing? Why are you doing this?"

Often, what we think is normal is often not normal at all. Why do we do the things we do? Often we are so far off base we don't even realize it.

Moses answered Jethro, explaining his rationale for running things this way.

But Jethro states directly, "This way of doing things is not good... Listen to me. I will give you some advice, and God be with you."

Moses' father-in-law then told him to select capable men to whom he could delegate the task of resolving issues. The capable men can make decisions for anything not complicated, and the most difficult cases would be brought to Moses.

Summing Up: The Spirit of God gives gifts to each of us individually to bring to the greater whole, that we might fulfill God's purposes as a body of believers. It will not be easy, but it will be worth it.

You never know where the seeds you sow will become effective. But as it is written, "Let us not be weary of doing good."

It is an important piece of God's plan, that we learn how each of us fits into God's larger purposes. 

We Can't Help Ourselves

Pastor Terry White welcomed us with a cheerful "Good morning," and proceeded to share a few announcements.

Announcements
New Membership Classes begin February 1.
Next Sunday, February 5, will be Installation Sunday for Pastor Terry White
Also next Sunday, a Souper-Bowl Sunday Potluck... Soups, breads, bars only.

Terry read Psalm 118 to open the worship. We sang several worship songs after kicking off with "I Saw the Light." During the offering the worship team sang Oceans (Where Feet May Fail), a song about living in trust.

We then shared a time of prayer before the sermon.

We Can't Help Ourselves

Terry noted that in addition to the Membership Class for those desiring to be new members, other non-members  are welcome to join us to learn more about the Covenant Church denomination and its special role in the world.

* * * *
Next week Jeff Burton, director in the Northwest Conference of the Covenant Church, is coming for the installation of Pastor White. For the six weeks following, Terry will be preaching about family leadership, with lessons based on I & II Timothy.

* * * *

Last week we talked about how people like to identify with something bigger than themselves, and there is nothing bigger or more significant than being part of the Kingdom of God.

Today Terry wanted to visit the topic of worship again, but the wrong side of worship, beginning with Exodus 20, which is the Ten Commandments. "You shall have no other gods before Me...."

The exodus was an incredible period in Israel's history that included many miracles from the parting of the Red Sea to the provision of food every day. Despite all that, when Moses went up to the mountaintop and he delayed coming down, the people were already forgetting God, pressuring Aaron to make them a golden calf. You can find the story in Exodus 32.

Why do people have a need for something physical to see when they worship?

Terry shared how primitive peoples make little symbols for their gods. For some, these symbols are essential in some way, and when they become Christians they throw out those symbols and replace them with "Christian" symbols.

What is the function of these images? Why a golden calf?

Perhaps the golden calf helped the people feel O.K. in some way. It gave them a reference point for the confidence.

Terry then asked, "What do you require for your lives to feel safe or confident or O.K.?

He then quoted from Tim Keller's message,  The Opportunity of Disenchantment. Writes Keller:

Each culture is dominated by its own set of idols. Each has its "priesthoods," its totems and rituals. Each one has its shrines—whether office towers, spas and gyms, studios, or stadiums—where sacrifices must be made in order to procure the blessings of the good life and ward off disaster. What are the gods of beauty, power, money, and achievement but these same things that have assumed mythic proportions in our individual lives and in our society? We may not physically kneel before the statue of Aphrodite, but many young women today are driven into depression and eating disorders by an obsessive concern over their body image. We may not actually burn incense to Artemis, but when money and career are raised to cosmic proportions, we perform a kind of child sacrifice, neglecting family and community to achieve a higher place in business and gain more wealth and prestige.*

Anything that becomes more important to us than God has become an idol. These are the things that give the appearance of making our lives worth living, but which really are not.  

As Keller asserts, Most people know you can make a god out of money. Most know you can make god out of sex. However, any thing in life can serve as an idol, a God-alternative, a counterfeit god.

It's when we lose our false gods that we discover what things in our lives have become idols. It can be family or children or social standing, saving face or a career. It could be our success, or hobbies. "An idol is whatever you look at and say with your heart, 'My life has meaning.'"

Idolatry is misplaced worship. What things in life are the heart of your identity?

I'm a valuable person because ____
I'm an important person because _____

The truth is, your are valuable and important because God loves you... enough to send His Son to die on a cross for you. God loves you enough to do something about the situations you find yourself in.

Terry then read for us Isaiah 44:6-20.

Your idol can't hear you. Your idol can't see you. And at some point in time it will let you down. The worst part is it distracts us from the one thing we should be worshiping.

Terry was once a coach. His motivations were right at one point, helping his kids become the best they could be. When he was winning, all was good. But winning became his idol. And when he was losing... he began to blame his team, ceased to nurture them.

Every person in this world was made for worship. God placed this desire in our hearts. It's innate, and a basic need of humanity.

*http://www.christianity.com/theology/the-opportunity-of-disenchantment-11626686.html

Jesus' Christmas Message

Before the service Darlene often fills the sanctuary with music, and this morning was especially suited to the mood. Come And Worship rang out as snowflakes fell outside, adding another blanket atop the drifts already accumulated there. This was followed by O Come All Ye Faithful.

It's the Fourth Sunday of Advent. And as Pastor Brad welcomed us he shared thoughts about home and that longing for home that is within us. How our hearts long for that "safe place" that is the essence of home.

Noted: Our Christmas Eve service will be Tuesday at 4:00 p.m.

Drake led us in several Christmas hymns and then Brad lit the fourth Advent candle. Drake also sang a song for us while the offering was taken. Then we shared a time of prayer for the various and numerous needs in our world.

Before delivering the sermon our women's choir sang a special rendition of the classic Christmas hymn Silent Night.

Jesus' Christmas Message

I don't know how long you have to be away from home before you starting longing to be back home. Brad then asked us to break into small groups and discuss a tradition that is part of our family.

Home is an evocative word. Some of you can't wait to go home for the holidays. For some it is a painful experience though. There's a gap between the ideal and the reality.

Why does the idea of home touch us so much? Why do we get homesick? Why to we long for home?

Several reasons come to mind. Home is where our story begins. We get molded there. We begin to form our identity. In the Bible the home is where children are to learn about and love God. Home is supposed to be a place that is safe. A place of rest.

It is not O.K. when a home is not a safe place.

Brad cited several lines from Robert Frost's poem "The Death of the Hired Man" to illustrate how the idea of home is bound up with grace. In the poem, an undeserving old man, a former farmhand who had abandoned his work during haying season, has now returned to find a safe place to die. The farmer and his wife debate what to do, and one line tells so much of the story: ‘Home is the place where, when you have to go there, They have to take you in.’

The old man did not deserve to have this place available to him. He had fled, had left his employer in the lurch. But the wife brings mercy into the equation. Home is a sanctuary of grace.

The first verses of the Bible are about a home God made for Adam and Eve, The Garden of Eden. What made this place home for the first couple? God was there.

After the Fall, because of sin man and woman were banished from this home.

The story of Moses is intertwined with the meaning of home. It begins as a story about exile. The people of Israel are slaves in Egypt. Moses himself for forty years lives on the backside of the desert seaprated from his people. After he returns to his people he leads them in the Exodus, then spends 40 more years wandering in the wilderness. His life ends with a visit to a mountaintop where he can see the Promised Land, his peoples' homeland, but is not permitted to enter.

Psalm 90 is written by this "homeless" man.... Verse one declares, "Lord, you have been our dwelling place (our Home) throughout all generations." In God's presence we are home. There is no safe place on this earth, only God.

Psalm 91 opens with this great statement along the same line: "He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty." And Psalm 84 opens with this declaration: "How lovely is Your dwelling place, O Lord Almighty."

Our longing for home is an echo of our longing for God.

Our human problem is that we want God, but we still want to do things our own way. There is a sense in which we are all runaways, like the prodigal son. What the son doesn't know is that his father has been looking for him every day with a broken heart. God is ever saying this: "Won't you please come home."

Brad then digressed on how weddings took place in Jesus' day, highlighting most notably that between the (arranged) betrothal and the wedding, the groom's responsibility is to prepare a place for his bride, a home. In those days, however, that home was often a room attached to the family's.

This background was used to shed light on that familiar verse in John 14. "Let not your hearts be troubled. You believe in God, believe in Me. In My father's house there are many mansions." This is the King James Version, but a better translation is "many rooms.'

Jesus was getting ready to go to the cross, but wanted them to know He was preparing a place for them, a place of safety, of belonging, of identity.

Paul wrote, "You have been bought with a price..." This is the bride price. We are the bride.

And finally, the culmination: Revelation 21.... Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.

Jesus has indeed prepared a place for you.

For the Glory of God Alone

On a sunny cool August morning Pastor Brad opened the service with his usual welcome ("I'm grateful you're here") and, noting the chattering going on, said it's nice how much we all enjoy one another's company, that we could probably chat all day if we didn't start the service. He summed up the past few messages stating that we've been doing a series on the basics of our faith… Jesus alone is our savior. Grace alone is good enough. An that Elsa Holmgren would be bringing us the message today on the theme, "For the Glory of God Alone."

Announcements included the following:
1. Council meets Tuesday at 7:00 p.m.
2. Gail noted that there is a large assortment of fresh vegetables downstairs
3. It's time to sign your kids up for Sunday school.
4. Sept 9 we’ll be worshiping at the park to kick off the new year…
5. Tonight at 6:30 there is a special evening of Old Time Gospel Music with a free will offering to benefit the vulnerable and homeless of Duluth.

Darlene and brother Darrell ushered us into worship with a piano and violin medley that included Fairest Lord Jesus as an interlude.

Brad led the worship today. The offering taken, followed by a reading from John 6:35, 41-51 and a time of prayer. Brad then invited Elsa to come forward and deliver the message.

For the Glory of God Alone

I’m going to come at this topic in a roundabout way… I've been reading book about the prodigal son. It's the story of a son who asks for his inheritance in advance. The son squanders it and sinks so low that he has nothing so that he ultimately comes back and asks permission to be his father's servant. The father celebrates this son’s return and kills the fatted calf.

There is a second part to the story though. The older brother is paralyzed by resentment. He is angry that the father celebrates instead of punishing the younger son. "All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!" (Luke 15: 29, 30)

The Father says to this son “You have always been with me. Everything that I have is yours.”

Too often we do not take advantage of all that God has for us. This enormous gift of being sons and daughters of the God of the universe is ours.

The Old Testament is filled with stories where the glory of God shows up in amazing ways. The glory of the Lord appeared on Mount Sinai after Exodus. In chapter 24 it is written, "To the Israelites the glory of the Lord looked like a consuming fire on top of the mountain."  

Moses later asks to see God’s glory, and God places Moses in the cleft of the rock and passes by but it would kill him to actually see God’s glory.

The Hebrew word actually means dwelling. It is understood in Scripture as the visible manifestation of the presence of God… God who is everywhere, localized. Ezekiel writes that when he saw the glory "I fell on my face…" He was  lifted up and the glory filled the temple.

For years this was what was meant by the glory of the Lord. But then one day there is a baby born and the baby is the radiant glory of God, in human form. Here is the radiance of the glory of God… The very same God who said "Let light shine out of darkness." II Cor 4:6

The whole earth is full of the glory of God. The heavens declare the glory of God. Paul wrote to the Colossians that all things were created through Him and for Him and that in Jesus all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell.

When Moses came down from Sinai he put a veil over his face to hide radiance. But in Jesus we behold God's glory and as we do are being transformed into the same image of Christ Himself.
This is God’s huge promise to us. “YOU will be the radiance of My glory” God says.

It is God’s gift to us… those of us who are beholding Christ are being transformed…

In His last hours Jesus prayed, "The glory you have given to Me I have given to them." (Jn 17:22) It's not because we've earned it or have done such a good job of praying for it.

If your eyes and heart are fixed on Jesus, God promises you are being made into the image of Christ. The forgiveness of sins is the first step only, not the end point. God’s aim is to make us like His firstborn son…

The cherry on top: It is not your job to make yourself into the glory of God. That is His promise. Most of us can’t lose five pounds let alone trying to transform ourselves into the replica of His glory.

Trust in Jesus and leave it there. Believe God’s promises and receive it.

Too many of us settle to serve a miniature God instead of letting this enormous God move our mountains and fulfill His grand plans for each of us.

Now You Know

Third Sunday of Easter

"Good morning! I love the chatter that takes place," Brad declared. "It’s nice to have this celebratory mood, and then we transition into worship. Next week I’m going to start a series on the book of Ephesians. Today we’ll look at what’s at stake when it comes to following God."

Announcements

1.       Next week is our semi-annual meeting. This will be an important one as the building committee presents the vision for the building project and recommendations for the near future.

2.       Last Kids Club is this Wednesday.

3.       Rummage Sale next week at Twig Town Hall.

4.       Covenant Park Bible Camp coming. Next Sunday is the last of the days for least expensive rate.

5.       CHIC is in fund raising mode. Give and pray for the kids who will be going to CHIC this summer. Starting next week the kids will be selling shares of stock as an investment in the lives of our young people.

Brad thanked Darlene for over 37 years of service playing piano here at New Life Covenant. Then Chuck shared a passage from Psalm 135 to introduce the time of worship. The trio of Ken, Darlene and Chuck sang Through It All he trio and followed with Without Him, a gospel favorite written by Mylon R. Lefevre that Elvis Presley once recorded.  Then the congregation sang several songs from the silver songbook.

As the offering was taken we were reminded that it is more blessed to give than receive and that Christ withheld nothing on our behalf.

Today’s Scripture reading was from Acts 3:12-19 which preceded a time of prayer and lifting up the many needs on our hearts.

Now You Know

Brad began by asking us to turn with him to Deuteronomy 30:11-20

In this passage Moses is at the end of his life. Israel is on the verge of entering the Promised Land, but he is aware that he's not entering in. So he gathers the people of Israel, who have spent forty years wandering the wilderness up to this point after the miraculous exodus from slavery in Egypt, and he makes a final exhortation. These are people who were not a great group. They were afraid of the pharaoh, worshiped a golden calf when they got bored at Mount Sinai, complained about their supernaturally provided manna, got jealous, were stiff-necked. In short, they were a lot like you and me.

But God loved them.God's dream for the human race, a loving community of transformed human beings, rested on this little group of stiff-necked people. And Moses realized he wasn't going to be around to steer them any more. They were going to have to "get it" for themselves. So he gathers them together for a final message to instill in them a sense of urgency for what's at stake. He distills it down to a single choice, a choice that every human being makes as much as a hundreds times a day.

"The word is very near you," Moses says. It's not up in heaven so you have to figure out how to ascend there and get it. And it's not across the seas. "It is in your mouth and in your heart so you may obey it. See, I set before you life and prosperity or death and destruction...." (read the passage linked above)

Moses is an old man, has learned he is not going into the Promised Land. So he gathers the people and outlines for them his final thoughts. Moses tells them what’s at stake. 

This is a story about a choice every human being must make every day. In big ways and small ways we make this decision. These words from Moses are God’s words to us today. There is a way that leads to life, and there is a way that leads to death.

It’s no casual thing. Moses calls heaven and earth to witness this. (vs. 19) We live every day in light of these words. 

One road is called life. Verse 16: "If you obey the commandments…" Obedience looks like this.  A. Love God   B. Conduct yourself in a wise and holy way.   C. Follow His guidelines, decrees and ordinances. Result: you will thrive. God’s blessing will be on you.

The Word is very near you and it is not difficult to understand. 

To paraphrase verse 17, if your heart turns away, it’s a loss of devotion. If you do not hear, and are not attentive to his Voice or strive to do his will, you will be led astray.

You don’t plan to offer yourself to the altars of success or any other false god. Instead, what happens is that you allow yourself to drift, to conform to this world. But disaster is the consequence, and loss... loss of blessing.

Why does Moses even bother to say this? If you were coming down a road and came to a fork in the road and it says life or death, who wouldn't choose the road marked "life"?

Sometimes, however, the things we think will lead to life lead to death. For this reason Moses is compelled to spell it out. Brad then shared story of how a ski trip cost far more than he expected. In another story he shared about talking to a man who had had emphysema and smoked his cigarette through the hole in his throat caused by his tracheotomy.

We do the same thing in our lives when we go down certain roads where we get mired because we're confused about what leads to life.

Maybe you have been dishonest in some area of your life. You know it was a decision toward death. You have to say, “God, today I choose life.”

For some of you this fork in the road involves your financial life. Giving to the poor and being generous leads to life. The clutching heart is the way of death. Is money something you use only for yourself? How does God want you to spend your resources? 

There are some choices that are neutral. But others produce life or death.

For some of you it has to do with relationships. Some of you have been gossiping. Some of you have been unforgiving. The Bible says this is a road to death.

Wedding vows and other important events need witnesses. Witnesses affirm the significance. Moses selected heaven and earth as witnesses regarding this threshold moment that would begin a new chapter in Israel's history.  “People, won’t you choose life?” Today, tomorrow and every day for the rest rest of your life.

Paul writes about these words in his letter to the church of Rome. "The nearness of God has come to us supremely in Christ, this offer of life. 

Today you can devote yourself to prayer or remain prayerless, you can be generous or horde, speak the truth or deceive. To lust or remain pure is a choice. For God’s sake and the sake of your own soul, and the people that we minister to, choose life.

You're A Priest

Overheard before the service: "My wife's here. Now I can start church."

Pastor Brad welcomed us even more warmly than the unseasonably warm weather we've had this week. Our topic today would be the second of four messages based on Steven Curtis Chapman's song, "My Turn Now." Brad shared last week how this song changed his life and this week began the service by playing it for us. Based on what Jesus has done, it's "my turn now to give my life away."

Today Brad's message would be an elaboration of this main point. There are two kinds of churches. In one kind of church the pastor is the professional who does ministry. In the second kind of church, we're all priests, all called to exercise our gifts.

Announcements included mention that Wednesday night family nights have begun and everyone is invited. Second, there will be a Hunter's Expo for men at Mission Covenant Church in Poplar on October 22 from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Chuck led us in worship after which an offering was taken. The Scripture reading was from I Corinthians 12:12-31. This was followed by a time of prayer in which we were again reminded of the many needs around us. Brad then began his message.

You're A Priest

Brad began by underscoring that this was an urgent message. It's time to stop being a spectator and to get out of the stands.

There are two kinds of people at a ballgame, the players and the spectators. Spectators watch. Their gifts don't matter. Their proper role is to watch and enjoy the game. The Chicago Cubs fan who interfered with a fly ball a few years back was ostracized for his behavior. He was not a hero.

But imagine if things changed and next spring one of the fans decides he wants to get in the game and instead of sitting back as a spectator he jumps the rail and heads out onto the field, and the other fans follow so that we have 3o,ooo people on the field saying, "We want to be players."

God does not want a church made of clergy and spectators. This is not God's plan, Brad said as he directed us to Exodus 18. This is the passage where Jethro, the father-in-law of Moses, points out that Moses alone cannot carry out all the responsibilities he is grappling with. Moses selects others to whom he can delegate some of the responsibilities of leadership.

At this point Brad commenced to ask us five important questions.

1) Do I perceive myself as a minister of Christ?
The structure in Egypt under Pharaoh was simple. There was Pharaoh and then there was everyone else. When Moses led Israel out of Egypt he followed the same pattern, until his father-in-law stepped in.

After the resurrection Peter, by inspiration, understood the new pattern for the church. We are, he writes in I Peter 2:4, a kingdom of priests. We are all, each of us, called to be a channel of God's grace to the world, not spectators.

2) Have you gotten in the game?
Have you actively stepped out of the stands to minister? God's will is for everyone to get out of the stands and to get in the game.

3) Am I growing in ministry?
God has gifted each of us in different ways. We have a responsibility to unwrap our gives.

At this point Brad told a story about Bob Nadine who as a child saw his own home go up in flames. It was Christmas and as he stood outside the house and watched flames licking the tree, he also saw the presents underneath and sprang into action, rushing in to the house to grab as many presents as he could. Perhaps the point for us is that we all have gifts and should not just let them go to waste.

4) Am I helping others grow in ministry?
Are we encouraging and affirming others who step out?

In Numbers 11, two men began prophesying and a young man ran to Moses to exclaim with concern, “Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp.”

28 Joshua son of Nun, who had been Moses’ aide since youth, spoke up and said, “Moses, my lord, stop them!” 29 But Moses replied, “Are you jealous for my sake? I wish that all the LORD’s people were prophets and that the LORD would put his Spirit on them!”

Indeed... Would that all God's people were prophets. Instead of criticizing them, Moses wished that he would like more like that.

5) Have you eliminated every ounce of pride in your life?
Numbers 12:3 states as an aside that Moses was the most humble man on earth. What's interesting is that the original word for minister in the Bible is also translated servant in other places. Spectators who want to become players are not those seeking the limelight, but those willing to serve. This is something we are all called to do and be.

Lessons From Moses On Prayer

"I'm delighted you're with us," Pastor Brad began, and on such a beautiful autumn day that felt more like summer he warmly welcomed us. The theme, he said, would be a continuation of last week, based on what Jesus said, "My Father's house shall be a house of prayer."

A few announcements were interjected before commencing the service. We were reminded that next week church begins at 10:15 and that afterwards we will all go to Twig Park for a potluck picnic. We hope you will all be there.

Also, the new church directory is almost done. (After the service your faithful blog scribe noticed a few people scrambling to get last minute pictures taken.) This Thursday a few volunteers will be gathering here at the church to assemble and staple together the directories for distribution.

After an introit by Darlene, Pastor Brad led us in worship.

Today's Scripture readings were as follows...

Proverbs 22:1-2, 8-9, 22-23

Mark 7:24-37

After the offering, and a time of prayer, Brad took the pulpit to continue his theme.

Lessons From Moses On Prayer

As with last week, Brad asked how we would rate our personal prayer lives on a scale of 1 to 10. He reminded us once again that God's prevailing power flows through those who pray.

After reading again the passage from Exodus 17:8ff Brad noted that the battle was not won in the valley below, but on the hillside, through prayer. Joshua indeed served his purpose, and did need to fight, but the battle was won on the mountain.

In short, we must seriously devote time to prayer if we would be victorious in our daily battles. This is an important business. Get out your calendars and mark them, set aside time for prayer. Moses did not lead the troops. He was away from the battle.

In our modern times we are obsesses with being productive. Producing visible stuff has value, by some standards. But what has value by God's standard? Brad tested us. Which of the following are Productive and which are Unproductive?

Work?

Watching TV?

Using large power tools?

Vacation?

Prayer?

By the world's standard prayer falls into the unproductive category, along with TV and vacation.

Too often we let the world set our agenda. To the world, prayer does not seems productive, though some try to crib this a little by saying if we prayer more, our lives will become more efficient, as if God is a button we can push to make things fall our way.

Brad reminded us though that prayer time is not wasted time. It does involve a sacrifice of time.

He told a story about a judge he knew who turned down a Federal Judgeship because it would cut into the time he spent in prayer. His prayer life was more important than career advancement.

Several points were made throughout the sermon drawn from this passage. First, that we are utterly dependent upon God. Second, that prayer takes time. Third, Moses accomplished his task with the help of some aids. Here are examples of things that helped. He went up onto a hillside where he could see what was going on. This vantage point gave him a good view. We, too, need to find ways to stay in touch with what is going on.

Brad suggested some of the following small ways we can be praying for others. We can pray for each person we meet during the course of a day. When we read the paper we can pray for those whose names we encounter there.

Moses,when he climbed up on the hill, carried the staff which he had with him years before when he first encountered God at the burning bush. This staff had been transformed briefly into a poisonous snake, before he was instructed to grab its tail, whereupon it became his staff again. Wherever he carried it, the staff was a visible reminder of the power of God.

Brad asked if our minds ever wander while in prayer. A few chuckles... because who has not experienced this at one time or another. It is one of the great difficulties of prayer. He cited a quote by Henri Nouwen that our minds are like a banana tree filled with monkeys, all jumping about, quite distracting when we're trying to be still.

Sometimes we need aids to help us be still, or to feel God's presence. One man placed a chair in the room to acknowledge Jesus' presence.

The verse, "Be still and know that I am God" is our starting point.

A fourth lesson from the passage is that Moses involved other. Aaron and Hur came with him up the hillside. Brad noted that our deacons are "praying deacons" who are helping fight the battle with regard to our church mission. We ourselves can ask others to pray with us or for us.

Brad outlined a fifth lesson: afterwards the built an altar. The altar acknowledged God had been there to help them win the battle. One example of a way we can close the loop might be to write down answers to prayer in a journal.

As we face the new year, building decisions and new programs, the most important project is making God's house a house of prayer.

Celebration of the sacrament of communion followed the message.

House of Prayer

The pre-service gathering was vibrant with energy that carried over into Pastor Brad's morning greeting as he commented on this noisy and exuberant hustle bustle of hugs and expressions of warmth and welcome. Indeed there is a celebratory aspect of worship, and then there is a quieter contemplative aspect.

Brad introduced his theme for the net two weeks: prayer. "Prayer is the battle," he stated, noting that we tend to get enamored with lesser forms of power. "What if prayer itself was the most powerful thing?"

A few announcements were conveyed. On the 13th we will be meeting at the Twig Town Hall for Rally Day. Joanne mentioned that we have had an expanding Sunday School program and would benefit from a couple additional teachers. Sunday School will begin Sept 20 and run thru Dec. 13. In addition, the adult Sunday School would welcome additional teachers for four week classes. Darlene will also be leading a choir during this class time.

The quartet was joined by Levi on the drums this morning for worship. After a reading of Psalm 89 we were lifted up by the great Gospel song "Yes, I Am."

The Scripture reading after the offering included passages from Psalm 45 and Mark 7. This was followed by a prayer time, suitable to today's theme.

House of Prayer

Brad held up Philip Yancey's book Prayer: Does It Make Any Difference to begin this morning's message. Yancey tells how he has had the opportunity to travel extensively in the very darkest places of the world, places with great persecution. There is a natural inclination to help in the face of such suffering, but the single most repeated request was for prayer. "Just pray for us."

Before turning to today's text Brad asked, "How satisfied on a scale of zero to ten are you with your prayer life?" Ten would be the top end. You carve out times to be alone with God, your first instinct in times of need is to pray, and you carry prayer concerns not simply of your own but for the whole world.

On the other hand, if you find yourself largely prayerless, and your prayer life is blocked by patterns of sin or unforgiveness, if you allow busyness to make you fairly prayerless and prayer is a burden for you, then that would be zero.

Then Brad asked, "Where would yo like that number to be a year from now when we meet here on August 30, 2010? What level will you be praying at then?"

Brad was setting us up for a challenge. Brad's goal for himself and for each of us is to have a deeper sense of prayer than before. No matter what else gets accomplished, this goal will be number one.

Jesus said in Luke 19:46 that "My house shall be a house of prayer."

Brad asked each of us to do our part, not only to pray but to ask for prayer. Then he had us turn in our Bibles to Exodus 17 beginning at verse 8.

8 The Amalekites came and attacked the Israelites at Rephidim. 9 Moses said to Joshua, "Choose some of our men and go out to fight the Amalekites. Tomorrow I will stand on top of the hill with the staff of God in my hands."
10 So Joshua fought the Amalekites as Moses had ordered, and Moses, Aaron and Hur went to the top of the hill. 11 As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning. 12 When Moses' hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hands up—one on one side, one on the other—so that his hands remained steady till sunset. 13 So Joshua overcame the Amalekite army with the sword.

Beginning with this passage Pastor Brad intended to draw out five things about prayer. First, I need to recognize my utter dependence upon the power of God. God's prevailing power flows through people who pray.

This is the first time in Scripture that Joshua, who later led Israel into the Promised Land, is mentioned. The Amalekites have attacked Israel, and Joshua leads the battle. Moses, meanwhile, climbs a mountain, accompanied by Aaron and Hur, to intercede in prayer. As long as Moses' hands are lifted, the tide of the battle flows in the favor of Israel. But when Moses lowers his arms to rest, the momentum of battle moves the other direction. Upon recognizing this, Moses sits and uses the help of Aaron and Hur to keep his hands lifted for the remainder of the day.

From an earthly point of view, Joshua went down in history as the winning general. But it was only by the power of God that he won, power released through the intercession of Moses. The battle was not won in the battle, Brad said, but on the hillside.

Prayer is not an aid in battle. Prayer is the battle.

This kind of thinking has significant ramifications. What if church growth is not about strategies for growth, but has more to do with the hidden person or persons who were praying?

Maybe our church is being blessed because of those unseen lifted hands. Whatever you do, don't stop now. God's prevailing power flows through those who pray.

Brad described the manner in which the Stealth Bomber makes an impression on people when they see it. But he said compared to prayer even this is an inferior form of power. "We tend to get impressed by inferior forms of power," he said. This is nothing new. The Psalmist wrote of it in this passage: "Some trust in chariots, and some in horses, but we will trust in the name of the Lord, our God."

We trust in God, and His power is released through prayer.

Great Worship

With summer winding down we gathered again this morning for a time of worship and fellowship this 12th Sunday after Pentecost. Pastor Brad and his family were back from a Colorado camping trip and ready for the fall kickoff of a new Sunday school season coming soon. Rally Day will be Sunday September 13, with additional information to come.

Brad began by promoting his theme, based on Exodus 33, that it is not success or security or freedom that matters most, but having God's presence in our midst, whatever our circumstances.

The worship was contemporary and meaningful this morning. Brad read from Psalm 84 to set the tone. "How lovely is You dwelling place, O Lord." After the offering he also read John 6:56ff.

During the prayer time we remembered many needs in our church family. Several anniversaries were also mentioned, including Borndals (29), Newmans (30) and Olsons (52). Following two more worship songs, Pastor Brad took the pulpit to deliver today's message.

Great Worship

Brad said his theme this morning would essentially be this: what does it mean to be a worshipping community? Today's message began with Exodus 33:1-6.

1 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Leave this place, you and the people you brought up out of Egypt, and go up to the land I promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, saying, 'I will give it to your descendants.' 2 I will send an angel before you and drive out the Canaanites, Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. 3 Go up to the land flowing with milk and honey. But I will not go with you, because you are a stiff-necked people and I might destroy you on the way."

4 When the people heard these distressing words, they began to mourn and no one put on any ornaments. 5 For the LORD had said to Moses, "Tell the Israelites, 'You are a stiff-necked people. If I were to go with you even for a moment, I might destroy you. Now take off your ornaments and I will decide what to do with you.' " 6 So the Israelites stripped off their ornaments at Mount Horeb.

God has made an offer to His people, and when you think about it, He has given them everything they could have ever wanted, freedom from Egypt, guidance, success, protection, and now they were about to enter a homeland flowing with milk and honey. "But I will not go with you." God says in verse 3. In other words, "You get everything you've always wanted, but you just won't have Me."

Many churches would actually accept this. Not Israel. They wanted God's presence.

Have you told God that above all else you want to live in His presence? Do you want to live day by day, moment by moment in the presence of God?

This is not mindlessness, which is so very common. For example, have you ever read a page in a book and when you got to the bottom of the page you didn't know what you just read?

After a humorous personal anecdote Brad admitted that he doesn't always live with God's presence, sometimes rushing through prayers in order to get to other things he wants to do. He emphasized that we can't allow ourselves to live a life of mindless drifting.

This led us into Jacob's dream in Genesis 28.

After Jacob had left home he stopped for the night in a certain place. While sleeping he had an incredible dream of a stairway leading to Heaven, with angels ascending and descending, and God, looking down upon him from above, blessed him. Brad noted Jacob's response. "Surely the Lord is in the place and I did not even know it!" Jacob understood he was in the presence of God, and exclaimed, "How awesome is this place!"

What Moses and Jacob had, God wants all of us to experience, to see and know God's awesome presence in this place.

We're not to be just spectators either, Brad urged. He then gave an overview of a typical Sunday morning service here, and how we can get more engaged and experience more of God through our worship.

Usually there is a somewhat festive mood in the sanctuary with hugs and warmth. As we settle, we need to take a moment to still our hearts, prepare our hearts.

Prayer time is for all of us. Use that time for personal prayer, he said. It is not spectator time.

In the passage from Exodus 33 we see Israel gathered at the Tent of Meeting, but only a few enter in. Our worship is for all to participate in.

Did you know there are 41 Psalms that command us to sing to God? This is why singing is a part of our worship. The offering is also a part of our worship. As we give we can also be praying that God will do something great with this gift. And even announcements give us an opportunity to pray.

And when we learn together, that's an act of worship. Moses tells God he wants to know more about Him. It is a desire we can all have. And right now God is longing to reveal Himself to you. At the climax of this story in Exodus, after Moses had seen God like he never had before, it says he bowed his head toward the earth and worshipped. Moses poured his heart out to God.

Well, we're going to do that right now... Be open to God speaking to you, and as Moses did we're going to respond to God.

Getting In The Game

"Good morning. I'm delighted you're here today." Thus began Pastor Brad's opening remarks on this, Transfiguration Sunday. He told us how Peter, James and John went to the mountaintop with Jesus whereupon the Lord was transfigured before them. They had a glimpse of who Jesus is. The net result was a desire to stay on the mountain, even build a monument. But the reality is, Jesus doesn't stay in one place and to be with Jesus meant having to move down from the mountain to be where He is moving.

Announcements

1. There will be an inquirers class soon for those interested in membership. New members will be inducted Easter Sunday.

2. Wednesday evening there will be an Ash Wednesday service at 7:00 p.m preceded by a supper at 5:30. Lent is a time of new beginnings.

3. It is time to think about VBS and we are seeking two co-leaders. Contact JoAnn Winship.

4. JoAnn also shared that the women's Bible study is meeting at the church here 6:30 p.m.

5. Ruth Anne Schelinder noted that the annual meeting is approaching. The search committee is seeking to fill a several positions on the board including deacons and a treasurer.

The quartet of Chuck, Darlene, Dale and Ken opened the worship time with a rousing "Heaven On My Mind." Chuck read from Psalm 51 and we entered into a time of congregational singing.

Pam Johnson read today's Scriptures, II Kings 2:1-12 and Mark 9:2-9.

Getting In The Game

Pastor Brad began his message by having us read from Exodus 18. He said today's message was urgent, that he was calling us to come out of the stands and to get out onto the field.

He then told about a playoff game between the Yankees and possibly the Orioles in which Derek Jeter hit a long fly ball. Just before it fell into the Oriole outfielder's glove a kid in the the stands reached out with his glove and caught the ball, which was then ruled a home run.

A debate ensued as to whether the 12 year old kid had the right to interfere with the game. But the real point of the story is that there are two kinds of people in the world, the players and the spectators. Brad used the story to say we're really all called to be players, to be down on the field, not sitting up in the bleachers.

"Imagine that it's opening day at the new Twins Stadium, whenever that is," Brad said. And then imagine that before the game begins a bleacher bum climbs out of the stands and goes out onto the field. And then more follow, and these others do the same till there are 30,000 people out on the field.

Brad said there is a fundamental and tragic misperception about the nature of the people of God. In point of fact in the kingdom of God it was never intended that we should just be spectators. Yet this is how a lot of Christians think. The clergy, pastors, priests are the players. Lay people are just spectators in the stands.

In Exodus 18 we see the beginning of this new notion of sharing in the work of God, and not just being watchers.

13 The next day Moses took his seat to serve as judge for the people, and they stood around him from morning till evening. 14 When his father-in-law saw all that Moses was doing for the people, he said, "What is this you are doing for the people? Why do you alone sit as judge, while all these people stand around you from morning till evening?"
15 Moses answered him, "Because the people come to me to seek God's will. 16 Whenever they have a dispute, it is brought to me, and I decide between the parties and inform them of God's decrees and laws."
17 Moses' father-in-law replied, "What you are doing is not good. 18 You and these people who come to you will only wear yourselves out. The work is too heavy for you; you cannot handle it alone. 19 Listen now to me and I will give you some advice, and may God be with you. You must be the people's representative before God and bring their disputes to him. 20 Teach them the decrees and laws, and show them the way to live and the duties they are to perform. 21 But select capable men from all the people—men who fear God, trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain—and appoint them as officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens. 22 Have them serve as judges for the people at all times, but have them bring every difficult case to you; the simple cases they can decide themselves. That will make your load lighter, because they will share it with you. 23 If you do this and God so commands, you will be able to stand the strain, and all these people will go home satisfied."

In the passage Jethro, the father-in-law of Moses, after observing Moses' leadership style, suggests that the power be spread out so as to involve the people. Moses listens and it becomes the beginning of God releasing His work of ministry to and through the people.

The rest of the sermon we were asked to consider five questions. These questions will reveal something about how we see ourselves and our role in the church.

Question 1: Do I perceive myself to be a minister of Christ?
Prior to the exodus from Egypt, the pattern of leadership with exemplified by Pharaoh. The power resided in the this one man. Brad jovially shared the slogan from the PGA Tour, "You Da Man," which indeed was what Pharaoh was.

Moses led the people out of Egypt and now he was "Da Man"... but God had an alternate structure in mind. As a result of Jethro's wise counsel, we see the beginning of the release of ministry to the people. And in the New Testament this comes to flower with all of us being priests and ministers, no more distinctions between the top dog and the rest.

The point Brad wanted each of us to get: "I am a vital channel through which God directs His life to others and to the world."

Question 2: Have I gotten in the game?

Are you actively serving the body of Christ and the world?

A guy named Greg Ogden wrote a book called The New Reformation in which he said there are two kinds of churches, the pastor centered churches and the people centered churches. God's will is for the people to get in the game and do the work of ministry.

Brad shared how Chuck V. has been ministering at the Salvation Army, and how meaningful it has been. Spectators tend to simply sit in the stands and just cheer or boo. Now is the time to use our spiritual gifts.

Question 3: Am I growing in ministry?

Too often, in pastor centered churches there's a player and a bunch of spectators who get stagnant. Here in Exodus 18 we see that the people were standing around from morning till night. But when people get into the game, they begin to solve problems. The corollary question here is, "Am I more, or less, motivated to serve the body of Christ today than a year ago?

Question 4: Am I helping others grow in their ministries?

Or to put it another way, are you helping people to discover and release their gifts?

Brad poked a little fun at Eric Borndal whose Christmas tree is still up as we approach March. Imagine, however, if not only the tree were up but there were still unopened presents beneath that tree. What if Eric's mom had given a very special present which was specifically for him?

Well, in point of fact God has given us gifts. It would be as foolish not to "unwrap" and use those gifts as it would be to leave Christmas gifts unopened beneath our trees. Within the context of the body of Christ we can help each other open and use our spiritual gifts.

Question 5: Have you eliminated every ounce of pride in your life?

What appears to to be a question somewhat sideways from the rest turns out to be particularly pointed as Brad reminds us of the spirit of Christian ministry. We were invited to look at Number 12:3 in which Moses is acknowledged as the meekest, most humble man in the world.

Moses could have been a "top dog" or carried himself like a big guy. But instead he knew he was called to be a servant, and he looked to one who was greater than he.

Brad pointed out that the Greek word for minister is diakonos or "one who serves." The word actually refers not to individuals but to all of us as a group. We do not come here to be spectators, but to be players.... and in the Christian life to be a player is to be a minister, or rather a servant to the body of Christ.

Finishing Well

Sunshine on a chilly February morning, but lots of warmth in our sanctuary today as we prepared to celebrate another baptism, which always seems to bring out a little extra passion from our pastor Brad Shannon who welcomed us by noting today’s theme, Finishing Well. “None of us run this race alone,” he said. “As those who follow Jesus we do this together…. It’s not how you start, but how you finish.”

After announcements – a board meeting Tuesday evening, and the Valentine’s Banquet postponed till next Saturday – an Introit was played (Crown Him With Many Crowns) and Pastor Brad read to us Psalm 150, with its exultant celebration of music and song, “Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.”

A youth group from River Falls Covenant in Wisconsin had spent the weekend here with our youth. Two musicians, Ryan & Tyler, shared a song, followed by a time of congregational worship. The baptism of River Lee Strom came next, with special music by Ed Newman, O Love That Will Not Let Me Go. Brad reiterated a recurring theme from his ministry: “We’re in this together.”

After the children were dismissed, Eric Borndal read from the Scriptures: II Kings 5:1-14 and Mark 1:40-45.

During the time of prayer we remembered Leonard Armstrong who was hospitalized Friday evening while in the process of preparing his gift to the church, our Valentine’s Banquet, now postponed a week. Leonard joined Lillian Peterson at St. Luke’s Hospital, with Lillian having fallen on the ice while retrieving mail.

It was also noted at this time that a donation for $100 had been made toward a professional quality food processor to help Leonard and our other kitchen services contributors. The target is $300 if you wish to pitch in and upgrade our kitchen.

Finishing Well

Pastor Brad began by reading portions of Hebrews 11, initially pertaining to Moses in vss. 23 and following, but noting that many others have demonstrated their faith throughout history.

1Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. 2Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

The message, in a nutshell, was this: "Just keep running. Just don't quit." But his sermon elaborated. He began by asking how many of us run for exercise. "Anyone tempted to quit?" he then asked. Laughter followed because that's the nature of running.

With marathons you especially see this pattern. In the beginning there's a kind of a high, a runner's high. All is well. How long this high lasts is directly related to the runner's condition. Brad jokingly said he lasts about seventeen steps.

Once the run begins there is a sequence that follows. After the initial exhilaration, there comes the laborious part, followed by exhaustion and fatigue. Then there's the wall. To keep going requires determination, and those who determine to finish must keep going.

The start is fun, finishing is hard. Finishing well is glory.

It's a metaphor for our Christian walk, of course. And to this end Brad asks, "Will you run the race to the very end? Will you finish well? Will you remain steadfast?" And once more he affirms, "Just keep running."

Returning the the life of Moses, around which our recent messages have centered, Pastor Brad picked up the thread of the story where Moses and Aaron finally believed that God indeed would do the amazing thing of liberating Israel by their hand. (Exodus 4:31)

In chapter 5 of Exodus, we see that, like the marathon runners, they begin boldly, with confidence. "Let my people go," Moses exclaims to Pharaoh.

Pharaoh, ruler of the world's greatest empire, is not impressed. Moses adds a "Pretty please" to the somewhat confrontational dialogue, and Pharaoh indeed responds by making life tougher for the Hebrews. Instead of supplying straw for their quota of bricks, they must now gather their own straw, with no diminution of the quota.

This is where Moses hit the wall. The Hebrews he had come to liberate were less than encouraging, a little more obstinate. To paraphrase, their response to Moses was, "You have made our fragrance stink."

Here's where we get tempted to quit. It seems like we're alone, that it's just us against the world. Moses was left alone with Aaron, with Pharaoh and Egypt and his fellow Hebrews against him. But Moses was not alone. And we're not either.

Moses turns again to the Lord. In chapter 6 God speaks to Moses: "Now you will see what I will do to Pharaoh... I will make Myself known..." What's more, God has not been indifferent to the suffering of His people. He has heard their groaning.

If you're going to persevere in this race, like Moses you will have to persist in prayer. Moses, every step of the way, kept turning to God. He begins, continues and finishes in prayer.

Brad then told two stories from the life of Jesus which were especially amusing because of the way Brad makes them relevant to our contemporary situations. The point of each is that God cares about us, our needs, our circumstances, and we are to seek him, with persistence.

Turning now to each of us, Pastor Brad asked, "Can you identify the greatest need in your life right now? Make a commitment to persevere... to pray saying, 'I'm going to do what Jesus commands me to do, no matter what.' Draw a line in the sand. Will you do that with me today?"

At this point, Brad revealed his motivation for being so passionate about this theme. "I can't have friends falling off the side of the road." His heart was thus opened up to us with that wide transparency so needed in our world today.

"Just keep running," he implored. "Don't quit, friends."

Amplifying these thoughts, he states that the church needs to be a place where we encourage one another.

Ultimately, however, the Bible is not a book about our persistence. It is a revelation of God's persistence. He will not give up on you. As it is written "I will never leave you, I will never forsake you."

This is the word of the Lord.

Not Gonna Do It?

With the sun illuminating the sanctuary, Pastor Brad welcomed us in his usual warm fashion. Today, he said, the theme would be about saying "yes" to God's call. His message would address five objections that we often raise, but this was the main point he planned to make: The ultimate reality of who we are is no longer defined by our limitations. Instead of focusing on what we can't do, our focus needs to be on God and what He can do in us and through us.

Announcements:

1. Be sure to sign up for the Valentine Sweetheart Banquet if you plan to come. (Editor's note: if you are not planning to come, you should.)

2. Susie stood and pointed out the new wall hanging that the children created in Adventure Club, noting that every picture tells a story. Be sure to ask the children of our church family what their stories are about.

3. Building committee meeting Thursday evening.

4. The Christmas ornaments were fun to make and Paula said they will be doing them again on February 21st here at the church.

Chuck then read a moving passage from Matthew that closes with the statement, "All who touched Him were healed." It was a special lead in to the quartet singing "He Touched Me" followed by a very nice worship time.

Pastor Brad read from Exodus 3 and 4 to prepare us for the message.

Not Gonna Do It?

Brad began by sharing what he considered one of the most profound statements about the human condition by someone he admired from the first time he saw him. Most of us know him. He loves to sail, is in tremendous physical condition and eats unbelievably healthy food. His name is Popeye the sailor man. Not sophisticated or educated, just a pipe smoking, tattooed sea faring sailor.

When he was sad, or when he made a mistake, or when he felt inadequate... or when he was called on to do something he didn't feel capable of doing, he always said the same thing. "I yam what I yam, and that's all that I yam." It's the sad lament of the human race. In other words, don't get your hopes up.

After sharing his own shortcomings, Brad said it would be easy to excuse one's inadequacy by saying, "I yam what I yam." But God doesn't let it rest there. He has a purpose for our lives. This becomes Brad segue into the story of Moses.

Moses had fled Egypt and was living on the backside of the desert when one day he noticed a burning bush. The bush caught Moses' eye whereupon he turned aside to check it out. Moses could have walked past and missed it. But as a result of this turning aside, history was changed.

How about you? How are you at turning aside? That is, how do you do when it comes to turning aside to listen to God? Whether at home at the office, we can "turn aside" to appreciate moments of listening to God during the day.

In Exodus 3 God shows Moses His heart. God says he has heard Israel's weeping and seen the suffering of His people. And he lays out a plan with Moses at the center of it.

Moses objects. Who am I? I am not adequate. And I am a fugitive, and a murderer... I am not the guy.

God stays with it and says, "I know who you are. I created you, and I know everything about you. Your shortcomings are not the ultimate truth about you. I will be with you."

Brad noted that many of us are in the same spot as Moses. God has a purpose for us, but we have objections. One of our shortcomings is that we do not understand God's grace. Often we're still beating ourselves up for past failings. God says, "I know who you are and it doesn't matter."

After Moses encountered God in the bush his next question was "Who are you?" God replied, "I am who I am." There are no layers of bureaucracy with God. God desires to be known and invites us to know him.

Next, God turns Moses' staff into a serpent, then tells Moses to grab it by the tail. Despite Moses' natural inclination to run from a snake, at God's command he takes hold of it and it turns back into a staff. There are two Hebrew words that could be used that mean grab or take hold of. The first describes a somewhat calm action. This is the verb God used. The second means to snatch it with force. Exodus records that Moses grabbed it in this latter manner, not exactly what God intended.

Then Moses was instructed to put his hand underneath his cloak, which when pulled out was leprous. God restores the hand, and seems to be saying, "I will do amazing things with these simple things."

Pastor Brad showed how this has always been God's way. A few loaves and fishes feed five thousand. Five talents are multiplied extravagantly. A mustard seed fills the whole earth.

So, what's in your hand?

Moses still was not ready, however. "Whoa, I have never been eloquent," Moses told God. But God replied, "Who made mouths, Moses? I made your mouth. I can fill it with amazing words."

Brad said this exchange seemed to foreshadow the spiritual gifts of the New Testament. Are you using your gifts?

Moses still balked. "Please pick someone else," Moses said. God showed mercy by bringing in his brother Aaron to go along. This is a picture of the value of community. We do God's work together.

Who's your Aaron?

An interesting thing about the story here is that while Moses goes on to liberate his people, you never find out what happened to the burning bush. You find out what happens to Moses and Israel, to Pharaoh and his soldiers, but what happened to the burning bush. Pastor said, "I believe it's still burning... and God is waiting for people who will turn aside. I think God is waiting for that right now.

The celebration of the sacrament of Communion followed.