The Five Ws of Gratitude

Operation Shoebox gifts help needy all over the world.

Pastor Brad opened with this thought: Gratitude is something more than our circumstances. Gratefulness is a bi-product of walking with and being aware of God's presence.

Announcements
The Christmas program will be 4:00 p.m. on Sunday, December 13.
This coming Saturday we will be decorating the Christmas tree here. Join us at 9 for coffee and at ten we will decorate.together.
There will be a Thanksgiving dinner here at the church for if you have no where to go and Chef Leonard will look forward to service you. Call to give us a head count if you think you will join us.

Darlene played "Give Thanks" to usher us into worship, which was led by our youth today.

After the offering was taken, Bard invited members of the congregation to share things for which they are grateful. Many shared from the heart a whole range of matters, then we prayed.

The Five Ws of Gratitude

Instead of the who, what, when, where and why of story telling, Brad shared the Five Ws that make up that important attitude called Gratitude.

Who
Governor Bradford made the first Thanksgiving Proclamation. And every president since has issued this proclamation. But it's not just presidents proclaiming, rather many New Testament writers have instructed us to give thanks. This is God's idea.

What
What happened to Gratitude?  Romans 1:21 indicates that fallen man ceased being thankful.

21 For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.

In a world where there is such brokenness as we've seen in Paris, it is difficult. But Psalm 42 shows that this is nothing new. The Psalmist writes, "My tears have been my food day and night." But when he did not feel like giving thanks, he chose to remember God's goodness  Remember who God is. Remember how He has showered us with goodness in various ways.

When we remember, we gain hope and strength.

Brad then shared that one of the things that has occurred in our day is a sense of entitlement. Somehow, people feel they deserve more. We've become spoiled. This attitude corrupts our gratitude.

Every good a perfect gift comes from our Father. What we need to do is turn our blessings into praise, for all we have is a gift from God.

Where
In Luke 11:11-18 Jesus showed mercy to ten lepers and healed them. But only one came back to say thank you.

Brad then asked, "Will you be that one who daily gives thanks to the one who gave you life? Will you be the one who gives thanks to the One who when you were a sinner sought and found you and saved you? Will you say thank you to those who have helped you in your life journey?"

When
When did it happen?  We take so much for granted. How could we allow this to happen?

Brad cited the Prodigal son who demanded his inheritance while he was still young. "I want it now," is a pervasive attitude in our culture today.

Waiting means that I don't get it now. We used to save money and buy things we wanted after we saved up for them. Today we don't want to defer gratification for anything.

Brad then noted the other brother in the story who also had a self-righteous attitude. "Hey, I was good, I deserve more."

Why
Brad ended by stating why gratitude is so important. Jesus touched, healed, shared, gave... and when we were lost, He found us and said, "I love you." And when you are in desperate need of grace, He says, "I love you." In a hundred ways Jesus says, "I love you."

In closing we sang together the song that began our service, "Give Thanks" after which we moved the chairs and set up the volley ball net for the first time in our new sanctuary.

* * * *

Hey, the new gym floor is installed... and there's volley ball!

A Heart of Gratefulness in All Situations

Grey morning but sunny hearts in the sanctuary, which is abuzz with lively chatter as we await Pastor Brad's heartfelt welcome to begin the service. Pastor Brad opened by stating he's spent a lot of time this week thinking about gratefulness. Gratitude is important, and Brad asserted that nothing will pull us away from Jesus faster than a heart of ingratitude.

Announcement
~Valentine's Day there will be a special event from 6-9 on the 14th, with special guests, salmon from Alaska, and a wonderful meal by Micah and Leonard.
~Wednesday will be a parents night at Youth Group.

Chuck led our transition to worship with an uplifting passage from the Old Testament before singing "Worthy of Worship" with the trio. Then we all sang a set of Gospel songs and choruses from the Silver Song Book. All good. During the offering we also joined in on "And I Know."

Children ages one to four were invited downstairs for the remainder of the service as we entered into a time of prayer in which quite a few brought up expressions of gratitude for so many things.

A Heart of Gratefulness in All Situations

Our goal as a church to spur each of us on to maturity in Christ. In thinking about this

What do you think is the greatest single barrier to awareness of Christ? Brad said the biggest issue for all of us is sin. The world is broken, but the problem is sin and that sin is within us.

Brad asked us to state aloud a family member we were grateful for. And then he asked about people outside our families like co-workers. And then he asked about experiences we were grateful for. And finally, what about gifts? Small gifts or big gifts...

We were then led through a series of Bible passages addressing this matter of gratitude.

I Thessalonians 5:16-18
Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

Ephesians 5:19

Colossians 3:16-17

We're not supposed to try to feel grateful. We need to remember what we are grateful for. Gratefulness will flow out of our remembering.

The word "benediction" comes from combining two words: bene and diction, which means "Good Words.

Here are three benes.

Benefit  
Psalm 103:1,2  "And forget not all His benefits."

Benefactor
There is a source of these benefits. This is God, our benefactor.

Beneficiary
The beneficiary is the recipient of these good things. In point of fact, the gifts are undeserved. We are not worthy of these benefits.

Unfortunately, we live in a world of entitlements. People feel they deserve things and instead of receiving gifts with gratefulness they complain and grouse.

Here are two more passages of value: James 1:16-17 and Romans 1:21

How do we become more grateful as a people? I believe we must train ourselves for this.

Here are things you can do to train towards developing a heart of gratitutde.

The Jews in Biblical times had two prayers they practiced. The Shema, and the 18 Benedictions, which were designed to remind us of our many blessings.

Brad asked us to reflect tonight at the end of the day on each moment of our day, and reflect on how God was present in each moment, how each portion of your day contained a blessing.

Another way is to write a letter of gratefulness to someone, then deliver it face-to-face. This can be very powerful.

Even when things are going bad we have an incredible Hope... Attitudes can be godly despite circumstances.

Parable of the Talents

A straight up blue sky and sunshine greeted us today, and Pastor Brad welcomed us with the same sonshine.

Announcements
Next Saturday will be another work day and we're looking for volunteers to help continue the work on the new building.

This summer 2015 our youth have an opportunity to go to CHIC, a Christ-centered youth gathering in Tennessee held every three years. Brooke shared a one minute clip that summarized some of what they will be experiencing. There will some fund raising events to help cover expenses for the dozen or so youth from our church who will be going next summer.

Stockholders Dinner, Saturday, November 1, 5-7 p.m.
Also, bring your shiny magazines to the church to discard instead of recycle center. This kind of paper can be redeemed for cash.

Chuck, Ken and Darlene led worship this morning. He noted that there will be a special children's church today during the service in which they would be sharing about Jonah. The song selection was heart-warming, concluding with "I'd Rather Have Jesus" which we sang during the offering.

After a corporate time of prayer and intercession, Brad led us and we concluded with the words that Jesus taught us.

Parable of the Talents

We began by hearing the reading of Matthew 25:14ff.

The story begins with a generous master who gives an immense gift. Brad explains that the "talent" is equivalent to 10,000 denarii. It's an unusually generous gift. But this is not a sermon about money. It's much more than that.

This parable raises the question, what are we supposed to do with these things that have been entrusted to us?

The point of the story is not that these people use these things for themselves, but asks them what they did with these things.

This great gift is given with no instructions. In other words, we are to take the initiative to figure out what to do with what we have been given.

In this story the first two servants are completely moved by what happened, and couldn't wait to do something with what they had been given. The third guy went away, dug a hole and buried it. The tragedy here is that he received this great gift, but from that day till the master returned his life was no different than before.

There's a difference between sins of commission and sins of omission. Since of commission are the things we do in violation of God's law. But sins of omission are equally culpable. The love we didn't share, the failure to encourage others, the failure to be grateful, the failure to help someone in need, the failure to be generous with our time or money.

In this story, there are two people who are overwhelmed with gratitude and their lives are never going to be the same.

What dream keeps you up at night? What dream do you dream of? It doesn't have to be something flashy. In fact, God is not flashy.

Another question: What's keeping you from being a good and faithful servant? In the story, the third man was afraid of failure so he hid it, and failed massively.

What do you want to hear at the end of your life?

The watching world doesn't care how good our worship services are. Rather, when we leave this place, will Jesus' name be lifted up? Will lonely people be visited? Will hungry people be fed?

If we use our gifts instead of burying them, we'll hear Him say those ever so powerful words, "Well done."

* * * *
A few photos showing this week's progress...

Surveying the parking lot.

The siding began going on this week.

Expressions of Thanks

It was exceedingly chilly this morning. Brad in his opening remarks shared that we will be talking about gratitude today.

Announcements
1. Anyone interested in being part of a choir for the Christmas program see Darlene.
2. Drake mentioned a men's outing on Saturday December 14 to go to Fleet Farm in Blaine. Let Drake know if you are interested so they
3. Next three Sundays the youth of church, all ages thru high school, will be practicing for Christmas program. 9:00 a.m.
4. Next week we will be collecting the Covenant World Relief soup cans.

Drake read from Ezekiel about a vision of the glory of the Lord, then led us in worship, accompanied by Darlene on keyboards.

After the offering the children carried to the front the Offering Christmas Child shoeboxes they assembled for needy children overseas.

Many prayer requests and updates regarding various concerns we have been praying for.

Expressions of Thanks

Brad said he would be making a few remarks about gratitude and then give us the opportunity to share our

He then prepared us for a verse from Paul by saying, "There are two kinds of oughts, the ought of obligation and the ought of opportunity."

For example: You ought to see Jackson Hole in the spring. This is an ought of opportunity.

We often teach gratitude out of obligation, as a duty. But obligations become a burden when it is a duty. True gratitude is of a different nature.

"Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." ~ I Thes. 5:18

Brad shared that as he thought on this theme a number of statements people came to mind. One was, "Though I lost my job this year, I am grateful that God has been with me." Many other statements were shared with similar sentiments, from a girl going through chemo, from a man with no legs.

Whatever you're going through, God knows. And being "in Christ" is the foundation of our gratitude. It is not circumstances that give us gratitude. It is being in Him that makes it possible for us to be continually grateful... in all circumstances.

Pastor Brad then read Psalm 23, focusing especially on the phrase "my cup overflows."

Rejoice in all circumstances. This is God's will for you, in all circumstances.

Brad had us talk to one another in family units (or small groups) to discuss what we're grateful for. After taking time to listen to one another, several people shared their blessings and what they were grateful for, with specific details, some of them very personal and precious.

We were then encouraged to extend this beyond these walls and share faith matters with our families at home, closing the service with Hymn 59, Let All Things Now Living.

Afterwards Chuck shared how grateful he is for partners in ministry, sharing examples of ways in which needs have been met through this past year. Chuck said that our church will rent the Washbucket laundromat in Lincoln Park to help the many young people wash their clothes for a day. Looking for volunteers to help out December 6 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. plus anyone who can help provide soap and other necessities. 

Gratitude

Loud, almost boisterous chatter filled the sanctuary before the service today, no doubt due in part to the beautiful weather this weekend and the number of worshippers with us this morning. To bring us to order Pastor Brad stepped forward and declared, “I’m grateful to be here today.” With the approach of Thanksgiving he noted that “there is a specific kind of gratitude in Christianity.” And this would be our theme today.

Announcements 
~It's been a busy week. Brad noted that we had a funeral for Joe Stapleton Thursday, a witness to the resurrection…
~Bazaar/fundraiser for the building fund, raised over $2,300. Wednesday, meal at six and Christmas program practice.
~Last week filled boxes for Operation Christmas Child… The children carried armloads of boxes to the front of the sanctuary.
~We had become aware that our American flag had only 48 stars, which means it was older than 1959. The family of Brent Lee has donated new flags for the church which were installed this morning and dedicated.
~An insert in today's bulletin mentioned Thursday's Thanksgiving meal at the church for those who would like to enjoy the holiday with company or would like a place to go. Call the church to RSVP or if you need transportation. Walk-ins will be served.

Transition to worship, led by Chuck Vanderscheuren who began by commenting on some of the things we have been learning in our adult Sunday school Bible study, then sang Life’s Railway To Heaven with Ken and Darlene, followed by one of Elvis Presley’s favorite songs, Without Him.

During the offering, the trio sang “It’s a great, great morning, your first day in heaven…”

Gratitude

Brad began his message by citing several passages pertaining to thankfulness. In Thesalonians, Paul wrote, "Rejoice always… give thanks in all circumstances."

To the Ephesians Paul wrote, "Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, 20 always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ." (Eph. 5:19,20)

To the Colossians he repeated three times, “and be thankful.”

Brad said he wanted to train us this Thanksgiving week. Normally he prefers we pay attention when he's preaching but today he invited us to let our minds drift, toward gratitude.

There are a lot of therapeutic benefits to gratitude, but Christian gratitude is more than that. Robert Roberts said there is a framework for gratitude. You can’t manufacture gratitude by willpower. It comes from a way of seeing the world.

"Bene" is the  first part of a number of key words pertaining to the development of a gratitude attitude.

Benefit… I must perceive it as a gift. As David wrote in Psalm 103…
2 Praise the Lord, 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.

“forget not His benefits.” Too often we are blind to them.

Benefactor… One who does good. You not only must believe you are the beneficiary. The good things come from a benefactor who has good intentions toward you.

The writers of the Bible has

Don’t be deceived. Every good and perfect gift comes from above. (James)

Beneficiary... One who receives the good. You are the beneficiary of the benefits of God, who has your best interests at heart.

We must believe we are receiving something that we did not earn or merit. Humility is a critical factor in being grateful. We are not entitled to a good life. It is a gift.

As a sinful human race we often feel entitled. This is one reason we see such a proliferation of lawsuits when we don’t get what we think we deserve. Brad cited several examples. A few years ago the New York Giants were sued for passing out father’s day cards only to men.

Ingratitude is not just a psychological problem. Ingratitude is a sin, the hallmark of a life opposed to God. Every moment of life is a gift of grace. Grumbling is the quintessential character of a life of ingratitude. “Do not grumble as some of them did and were destroyed…” Israel in the wilderness.

Every devout Jew would pray the 18, the Eighteen Benedictions. Bene means Good, Diction is words… Good words. To bless. To thank God.

Blessed are you, Lord, who abundantly forgives. Blessed are you who sustains the living and raises the dead.

Gratitude doesn’t come when you get more stuff. It comes from seeing reality, that everything comes from God.

Every day devout rabbis and Jews would say the 18 Benedictions. Life with God is a life of giving thanks to Him.

When the disciples asked Jesus how do to pray, He gave them The Lord’s Prayer, which is actually a concise summary of the 18.

Gratitude was an important part of every aspect of life. A devout rabbi would say a man must not taste anything without blessing God for giving it. The principle: bless God for every gift. It is a misuse of the gift if we are not thankful for it.

Light is a gift. Rain is a gift. No occasion is too menial for giving thanks.

And significantly, we should thank God for people, both those we get along with easily and those who are hard to get along with.

The task is not to try to feel grateful, but to train ourselves to see the reality that we are living in God’s presence. It is not perfect people or circumstances that will enable us to be grateful. If we have to wait for perfect circumstances, we will be waiting a long way.

It is dangerous to be grateful only when good things come our way. Being transformed by God means being able to be grateful in all circumstances. Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you.

Humility is the real key to a grateful heart. At one time a prayer that acknowledged our unworthiness of God's blessings was common, but now it grates our modern sensibilities to say we a sinners and "unworthy of these multitude of benefits."

As you make your list of things that we are grateful for, above all, thank God for the gift of Jesus….

Brad ended by giving us two experiments to conduct.

Experiment 1: Write a gratitude letter to someone, telling why you are grateful to God for them. Make the letter count. Then meet with them, and read it to them face-to-face.

Experiment 2: Prayer your own 18 Benedictions…. If that is too many for starters, start with four. If you do this each day this week, you will have a Thanksgiving Day filled with thankfulness.

Each day is a gift.

The Ten Lepers

Eric Borndal, who leads our youth, welcomed us this morning and led the service. This weekend Pastor Brad is on a foray somewhere in the wilderness in pursuit of morel mushrooms.

The announcements today were brief, but no less important for their brevity. Paula Saxin made two announcements. The first pertaining to a memorial for Ben next Saturday. A light lunch will be served. The second was a reminder regarding a June church rummage sale in which half the proceeds will go to the Breaking the Bonds outreach that seeks to increase awareness of and put an end to the trafficking of women. Susie Newman stood and gave practical instructions regarding the picking up of things which had been donated to the art show.

If you did not see the creativity which was on display, you missed something. There was a lot of talent on display here this past week and we're hoping next year to see even more. Thanks to all who contributed.

Darlene played a moving introit again, helping shift the mood from light hearted church business to reflective preparation of the heart and mind for worship, which today was led by Pearl, Ellie, Chuck and Ken, accompanied by Darlene.

Ed Newman led a children's moment this morning, illustrating some Biblical truths from a painting the kids did Wednesday night at Adventure Club. The project involved having each young person choose a color, choose a brush and choose a location on the painting to paint a stripe. (The image above is the finished piece.) Ed commented on his delight in watching each one choose a color, a brush and apply the paint. He noted that God, too, delights in us and enjoys seeing our choices, our creativity, hearing us sing, all that we do to bring beauty to the world.

Then Ed asked one of the children which stripe she painted, and she pointed out the stripe second from the top. When he asked if she knew who painted the other two stripes on the sides of hers, she didn't... The point was made that often unaware of how our lives touch the lives of those around us.

Ultimately, God is delighted at the various colors our lives contribute to the larger painting that is our church family. Though from our human vantage point we cannot see it, from His perspective it is a work of exceeding beauty.

Today's Scripture readings were from Acts 4:5-12 and John 10:11-18. After a time of prayer, and a hymn, Leonard gave the message.

The Ten Lepers

The passage upon which today's message was based is found in Luke 17:11-19, the famous passage where Jesus heals ten lepers. Despite the familiarity of this passage for some, Leonard brought us insights and observations that made the text fresh and alive.

11Now on his way to Jerusalem, Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee. 12As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him. They stood at a distance 13and called out in a loud voice, "Jesus, Master, have pity on us!"
14When he saw them, he said, "Go, show yourselves to the priests." And as they went, they were cleansed.
15One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. 16He threw himself at Jesus' feet and thanked him—and he was a Samaritan.
17Jesus asked, "Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? 18Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?" 19Then he said to him, "Rise and go; your faith has made you well."

In verses 12 and 13 we read that the lepers stood at a distance a shouted to Jesus. This is because in accordance with the Old Testament rules and the laws of the day, lepers could not approach people. They were unclean, and had to let it be known as such.

Leonard noted that Jesus did not do all His miracles or healings in the same way. In this instance he gave them instructions to go show themselves to the priests. When they followed His command, they were healed along the way.

One of these, a Samaritan, when he discovered he was healed returned, praising God and throwing himself at Jesus' feet.

It's a passage that contains many lessons for us, but the one Leonard effectively highlighted was with regard to gratitude.

Leonard asked two questions regarding gratitude. (1) Are we expressing it? And (2) are we expecting it?

With regard to the latter, we seldom get as much as we think we deserve. The result, if we allow ourselves to dwell on this feeling of being unappreciated, is bitterness. Expecting gratitude and not getting it will eat away at us.

It's important to talk about gratitude because gratitude has a real impact on our relationships. In this story, the Samaritan came back to give thanks not because it was a rule to follow, but because it was an attitude and an expression from his heart.

Sometimes, we expect others to thank us, to express their gratitude, and it spoils it. We can even get it into our heads that God, who owes us nothing, ought to be grateful for us and that sometimes we expect gratitude from God, who has already given us more than we deserve.

In chapter 6 of the Book of Esther, King Darius was having difficulty sleeping one night so he ordered the chronicles of his reign to be brought in and read to him. When he hears of the good deed of Mordecai who uncovered a conspiracy against the king, he asked if Mordecai had been thanked or honored in some way. It was important to show Mordecai the king's gratitude.

Leonard pointed out that God rewards us not for having followed the rules, but rather when our praise or good deeds are a generous expression of the gratitude that is in our hearts.

Paul at one point asked God to remove a "thorn in the flesh" which was problematic for him. But God did not remove this thing. Rather, He said, "My grace is sufficient for you."

Sometimes our expectations will only leave us disappointed.

Leonard then directed us to how Medal of Honor winners often achieve their awards. The classic example is a hand grenade which a soldier dives onto, sacrificing his life in order to save the lives of his brothers in arms. We learned today that the son of one of our former pastors died in Viet Nam in this manner, sacrificing himself to save others. And how like our Lord, who likewise gave His all to save us.

Leonard told an emotional personal story about his father who expressed gratitude to Leonard on one occasion and how much it meant to him. Unexpectedly, his father died shortly thereafter. Leonard was moved when in the aftermath of his father's loss many other people expressed gratitude for his father. Leonard said that even if you can't express it directly, these indirect expressions can be very powerful.

We were urged to share our gratefulness for spouses, and others. And to not expect too much in return. In this story we see that even Jesus only received 10% of the thanks which He deserved.

The message touched many, and after the service I believe there were many expressions of gratefulness conveyed.

Amazing Grace

Today was a special service with new faces leading. Pastor Shannon, Brooke and Darlene had gone to Chicago for a meeting about worship. With classic hymns and two heartfelt testimonies, many people were touched this Sunday morning at New Life Covenant.

Today’s Scripture readings were from Psalm 27:1, 4-9 and I Corinthians 1:10-18

Cheryl Borndal’s Testimony
At age 12, Cheryl received the Lord as her savior during a retreat. She was underneath a blanket with others sharing secrets. Her secret was that she was not a Christian. The Lord came to her at that time and she has been abundantly grateful for that.

Two years later her father died, which grieved her because she knew he had not been a Christian and she would not see him again. The pastor comforted her afterwards and said that he had indeed accepted Christ and there would be a happy re-union one day.

Her mom re-married and the newly blended family had eight children, including four teens. It was a great privilege to grow up in this family where Christ was so evident, working in their home. Her parents modeled a life of faith and they knew that it was God’s blessing that sustained them. “It’s not us, it’s God,” he mom would say.

She said her mom was also a woman of prayer, stating more than once that prayer was the source of her strength.

Cheryl said, “God works through our lives. I’ve learned to agree with whatever He says.”

Her favorite verse is Philippians 4:13. “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

Brady Stroschein’s Testimony
“I feel odd being here,” said Brady as he stood at the front of the church, tall and open-hearted. “I ain’t the churchy kinda fellow.”

Brady shared how as a child he was made to go to church and to sit quietly in the pew, hand folded, no clapping. His legacy included being the first child to fail confirmation in the Lutheran church where he grew up.

The life he lived was not a pretty one. “I was the guy you didn’t want your son playing with or your daughter looking at. I was the guy who ran into your car while drunk and left the scene of the crime.”

But there came a day when his life changed and he was relieved from his bondage. “We all know these people exist,” Brady said, “but I’m here to say there is hope for them.”

He was given the opportunity to change, to sober up. And today he hasn’t had a drink or drug in nine years. “I haven’t hit anyone in seven years,” he said and the two times he’s been in jail he was released right away because it was clear he was not a menace to society.

He’s grateful to God because of his new life, which included the opportunity to start a business. He used to be a bad guy, but now has a wonderful, loving wife and three kids. “Things can turn around 180 degrees in a life and you can be given a chance to help others. I’m really one of the lucky ones.”

A living example of God’s amazing grace, Brady closed by stating, “Don’t give up on the rotten guy down the road.”

Shhhhh... God Is Speaking

Notes from our Christmas Eve Candlelight Service

"The invisible, intangible God has made himself visible and tangible in Christ." ~ Carlo Carreto

We were ushered in to Christmas Carols by the Felix Folks. The service began with a moving rendition of O Holy Night by Dana Stroschein. Scripture readings from Isaiah 9:2-7 and Luke 2:1-20 set the tone. After carols, prayers and special music, Pastor Brad opened his heart to share a special message: Shhh.... God is Speaking

Sometimes when people speak they give little clues that indicate this is important. Examples include the teacher who states, "This will be on the final." Or while you are watching television, the beeping sound with scrolling words, "We interrupt this program..."

Pastor Brad has been talking lately about the kingdom of God. God wants to speak to the world about what matters most. And God has spoken to the world through the Christ. As Scripture says, God speaks to us through His son. (Hebrews 1:2) He is the exact imprint of God's very being.

"This is what I am like," God is saying. "If you want to know my heart, my character, my nature... look at Jesus." What God thinks and feels is revealed in Jesus. If you want to know the heart of God, the place to begin is with the life of Jesus.

And here's what you'll find: not just a wise man (though He is), not just a wonderful person (though He is). God became a real human being.

He is a big God, but He speaks in a quiet voice, not a big voice.

Why would God come as a baby instead of with a big splash? Kierkegaard told a story about a king who loved a poor woman who lived in a hovel. He wanted badly to show his love for her, but feared he would overwhelm her if he came in his regal splendor. He traded his palace for a hovel and his robes for rags in order to approach her without frightening her off. The story serves as a metaphor for how God reaches out to us in Jesus as detailed in this beautiful passage from Philippians 2:5-11

5Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: 6Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, 7but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross!
9Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, 10that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

God set aside His glory for ragged sin-filled peasants like you and me.
God in Jesus is speaking to the world.


The author of this blog had been told that the Christmas Eve Candlelight Service at New Life Covenant was a very special service. And indeed it was. Merry Christmas and blessings to all.

God’s Daily Manna

Pastor Shannon returned this week saying, “If I could begin with a theme, it would be gratitude. I am grateful for you.”

The two texts that formed the basis for this Communion Sunday message were taken from the Old Testament book of Numbers, chapter 11:4-15, and from Luke 17:11-19. The foundational idea behind the message was the importance of recognizing who God is and what He has done.

Luke 17:11-19 tells the story of Jesus’ healing of ten lepers, but only one came back to thank Him.

Numbers 11:4-15 is an account of Moses’ meltdown during the Israelites’ wanderings in the desert. In this passage, Moses is harassed by the discontented rabble. The were weary of eating manna, the miraculous food that appeared each morning.

The rabble, whether in olden times or today, seems to be comprised of people with a low threshold of discomfort and a high propensity to complain. Another problem… the rabble never leave. They want to see you fail. They are so focused on the pastor or leader that they can’t see God.

The word “manna” means, literally, “What is it?” It is not an uncommon question.

“What is it that’s going on here?” and, to God, “What is it you have for me?”

The answer to these questions is found in the Gospel of John chapter six. The true manna from heaven is Jesus.

What is the Lord Jesus Christ doing today… in your life and in your church? This is the correct question. What counts is today. Some people are preoccupied with the future. Some are preoccupied with the past. But the only place where you find manna is now. The manna is only in the present.

In modern times, life goes very fast. The pace of life used to be much slower. Let’s not let the present slip away from us, or get so caught up in the past or future that we neglect this most important thing: today.

What is it that you will be about… in your life? In this church community?

Pastor Shannon closed by returning to his original theme of gratitude. “It breaks my heart that only one of the ten lepers came back and gave thanks.”

We proceeded, as a church family, to celebrate the Lord’s Supper.