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Join the Journey, 3.24.19

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Question: How has your practice of prayer become a daily practice that roots you in Christ’s presence?

Answers:

  1. I am daily challenged by people at work. I always turn to God for patience and understanding and tolerance.

  2. I find myself turning to God instead of myself or others when I’m in need.

  3. My daily reading in The Upper Room. Journaling with Jesus makes a huge difference. I miss it when I don’t do it.

  4. Prayer is a daily practice that brings me closer to Jesus. As a member of the Prayer Team I practice intercessory prayers for many others in our congregation, community, nation, and world.

Sneak Peek for this Sunday

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Standing behind this man at Costco, he turned and said “We all get to wait.”  I laughed and said, “I consider it good practice. I need to learn to breathe into waiting in life.”  “What do you do?” he asked. Surprised, I said, “I’m a pastor of a local church.” “You are! I thought you must be connected somehow to Jesus. You just shine.”  “Well, thank you sir. I didn’t feel especially shiny today, so that is great to hear.” That launched a conversation that lasted about 15 minutes about his life and mine, about Jesus, and the impact he has had on our lives.  

That day I left Costco deeply thankful that Jesus shows through my eyes.  Jesus wants us to live our lives so that they carry a kind of light that is visible, a kind of hope, a kind of salt that adds flavor.  Some days I can feel like the light is dim or the salt is lacking flavor, but then encounters like this one demonstrate that God is at work through me no matter what I might be feeling beneath the surface.  

Lent is a great time of year to pay attention.  How is your spiritual life?

We take our cars in for regular oil changes or check the oil for our older vehicles, so how about using Lent to check your spiritual pulse, to “check the oil” -- how is your connection with the Holy Spirit?

If you took your temperature spiritually -- how hot are you running spiritually?  Spiritually we want to be hot not cold or lukewarm. So are you running hot spiritually?  If not, why not? What steps in Lent might you take to raise your temperature?

Jesus makes some statements in Matthew 6, talking against the practices of the Pharisees telling the people to fast and pray and give but not like the Pharisees or like those who were pagan among them did.  He uses interesting language in this section. He says, “When” not “If” you pray, give, fast. He is speaking from the assumption that they WILL fast and give and pray. He is telling them when they do this not to follow the example of their religious experts and leaders. Don’t fast, give and pray in order to be seen by people, in order to be applauded by people, in order to be rewarded by people.  Instead, he invited them and invites US to be a people who give and pray and fast in order to serve and honor God.

This is not a statement that we ought not pray or fast or tell people what we give,  in public. For example this is not a statement saying that when we are in a restaurant eating, that to pray there is somehow showing off-- nope.  Jesus is speaking against the Pharisaical practice of prayer done LITERALLY on a street corner, loudly, demonstratively IN ORDER to be applauded by people.  That’s a different world from praying for the waiter and the food at a restaurant, or praying for a friend who has told you of a need right there in the store.  Jesus says, of those Pharisees, they will get rewarded by the observers. But then says, “But you, when you pray, pray in secret and the Father who sees in secret will reward you…”  He invites his followers to pray to one who Knows them, to the “Father.” Pray not to some unknown, disconnected, unconcerned deity, but this intimately connected, loving, present, Abba Father, Papa God who sees, loves, knows and answers.  

This Lent be taking that spiritual temperature and take some steps to raise it -- to pray, to fast from something that pulls your attention from God, to give extravagantly to meet some need.  This Lent do something in secret to bring a positive blessing.


EPIK Training

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EPIK (Everyman Protecting Innocent Kids) is holding a Cyber Patrol training session - bringing men to the fight to end the demand for prostituted people.

The training will be held at 2808 NE Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, Suite N, on:
Friday, April 5, 6:30 - 9:00 pm: instruction; dinner included
Saturday, April 6, 9:00 am - 2:00 pm: mock cyber patrol and live cyber patrol; snacks and lunch included

This is a call to men to join the fight against sex trafficking. Click here to register for the training. 

CDCES Thanks You

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“When the Columbia District Church Extension Society met for its annual meeting last month, we celebrated those congregations that contributed 100% of the CDCES askings—including YOU! We are so very grateful, and we want you to know that your donations help us to administer the funds that allow us to support life-changing ministry across the district. Our projects have included a partnership with an alternative high school, strategizing creative solutions to Portland’s housing crisis, turning an unused parsonage into an intentional communal residence for young adults, and community organizing to support cutting edge ministries beyond the walls of the church building….all of this has been made possible with your help.  Thank you!” —CDCES Board of Directors

Benefit Wine Dinner

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On Saturday, April 6, journey through southern Europe with Taste of Excellence Catering and Cliff Creek Cellars. They will bring you a seven-course dinner, paired with wine, to benefit a retreat center in Portugal. The center is the vision and heart of our friends Josh and Risa Hobson.

Tickets for this culinary adventure are $89 per person and available here.

Learn more about the retreat center here.

Join the Journey, 3.17.19

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Question: Where do you think you are being called to move beyond where you are right now?

Answers:

  1. My life is in a state of change. I don’t know where I am going right now.

  2. To rest in God’s arms and feel secure through the business of purging and preparing for new roommates.

  3. More loving service.

  4. Learning to trust God in my work life, not just my personal life.

  5. Make sure that my attitude is pleasing to God - what is inside will surface.

  6. Write a book. YouTube channel with scripture. Deepened prayer.

Sneak Peek for this Sunday

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We were reading Matthew 5: 17-48 aloud during our worship design team awhile back and one of the team members said regarding the word about divorce “That sounds pretty harsh.” Indeed, everything Jesus says here can sound harsh. It was a limit setting, boundary establishing, Royal Law kind of message. He was not seeking to placate the ears of his hearers, but was establishing a new ethic around violence, sexuality, marriage, oaths, revenge and real love.

He is hard hitting especially against the culture of his time. The law-keeping leadership held to the letter but avoided the law’s intent at every level. They were freely willing to divorce their wives and remarry, for example, while considering themselves “law keeping.” Even while that very action decimated the woman’s life -- no protection, no covering, no hope, no future. They felt that oaths were fine, as long as connected to holy objects, but Jesus says otherwise.

They abusively treated others, especially the Roman oppressors, but Jesus calls them instead to “turn the other cheek” and “walk the second mile.” The meaning of this call was immense, it was a literal call to force the soldier to break the law through submission.

While this might sound harsh, it was revolutionary. And indeed, as we come to it in this era, is still revolutionary now. People love keeping the letter of the law. They love attaching themselves to one phrase or another, hold that, while ignoring what might be a greater, deeper, more meaningful point.

This is Jesus. He pushed the envelope. He was the liberal in that era. He was the progressive. He was the one accused of being a drunkard and glutton because he refused to follow the traditions of his time. What are we associated with? How are we following Him today? Do others look at us as being radicals? Are we helping to push the envelope with our culture?

In John Wesley’s time he was the radical. He was kicked out of the respectable Anglican pulpits because he was preaching in a style not appreciated -- calling for repentance and salvation, indeed! Even though it was considered vile to take the Word of God outside the walls of the church institution, that is where he took it. He preached to the poorest of the poor, those considered below the upright, wealthy church-going folk. And in doing this radical, visiting prisoners, feeding the hungry, nursing the sick to health, taking literally Jesus’ call to do so, England experienced a visitation of God, and a revival which saved it from revolution.

What might Jesus be calling us to be in this era that fulfills the spirit of what it means to be followers? How might this way look to those around us? Where is radical calling to us?

Hobsons Needing Help

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From Josh and Risa Hobson:

We are so excited we have a place to live!

This also means we have A LOT to get done before 
we have to be out of our current place on March 31st. 
 

We have several opportunities in the coming weeks for folks to come help with our moving and estate sale process. We will also be looking for childcare during many of these times. If you able to help with one or more of these, please email familiahobson@gmail.com or text Risa at 503-577-4355 so we can give you further details.

For dates and tasks, please visit https://mailchi.mp/4acb61520ee6/local-help-needed-for-move-and-estate-sale?e=19618d285a

Condolences

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Please pray for Joe Molesworth in the loss of his son, Keith, who died suddenly on Tuesday. Keith leaves behind two sons and a fiancee. No information is available yet on services.

Cards may be sent to:
Joe Molesworth
379 NE Hyde Circle
Hillsboro OR 97124

Our hearts go out to Joe and Keith’s family in this difficult time.

Celebration of Life

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The life of Justin Greco will be celebrated on Sunday, April 7, at the Edwards Center, 4375 SW Edwards Place in Aloha. The Center will be open from 10:00 am to 1:30 pm, with a service at 10:45 and lunch served at noon. You are encouraged to attend at any point that works for you.

Join the Journey, 3.10.19

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Question: What are words you associate with “masculinity” today?

Answers:

  1. Accountability, sacrifice, service, groundedness, self-control

  2. Strength, support, kindness

  3. Strong in faith

  4. Other - strength

  5. Men - strength, leader of family, heard more easily, power - say so

  6. Strong, brave

  7. Giving freely to others over their own desires

  8. “Boys will be boys”, strong, powerful

Sneak Peek for this Sunday

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Since July last Summer we have used our funds collected in our change bucket to support a mission called EPIK based in Portland which is disrupting sex trafficking around the world.  Founded by Tom Perez, EPIK and the 150 or so volunteers have been instrumental in lowering the incidences of trafficking. The Portland police are thrilled with the results. Guys encountered in the calls are forced to face the duplicity of their hearts and lives.  The lie that “no one sees” gets exposed and in the light of day some of these guys are repenting and seeking help. This is incredible. The stories abound.

Tom will be coming to share with us on the 10th of March, the first Sunday in Lent. Fitting, since in Lent we will be walking with Jesus toward the cross, walking through the most famous sermon he ever gave, which was most likely a compilation of how he spoke wherever he went.  This is found in Matthew 5-7. The beginning of this message, called the beatitudes, in Matthew 5, is famous also because it is so poetic in form. It is a series of “blesseds” which run counter to every cultural message then and now. Whereas the disciples might have been expecting a lecture on the best way to organize now that Jesus had a huge following, instead, Jesus began that the blessed ones were not the famous, popular, rich and healthy, but the “poor in spirit.”  Blessed, happy, those filled with “sheer joy” are those who are poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Jesus didn’t begin a new religion that day, instead, He challenged his listeners to join in a whole new humanity.  

As Tom encountered sex trafficking and the kind of men that created the demand, and encountered Jesus, and the kind of man Jesus was and the kind of way of life Jesus promoted in this passage, Tom became convinced that this passage was a template for a new kind of way for a man to be a man in society.  He began to see in this passage a vital masculinity unlike what was practiced nor preached in the public forum.

Tom will share into this vision from this passage today.  This is a don’t miss Sunday. Don’t miss fellowship with others.  Don’t miss the connections. Don’t miss the opportunity to worship.