Southwood Lutheran Church

Youth Mission 2 of 3: Growing through Serving

Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death— even death on a cross! – Philippians 2:5-8

During our recent mission trip to Idaho 38 high school students, college students and adult leaders from Southwood contributed over 1,000 hours of service to Camp Lutherhaven and the local community of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho.

Most of the projects involved intense manual labor and were done during the heat of the day. Most of the
time was spent cutting and nailing wood, clearing a rock trail along the beach, digging a septic trench, landscaping and staining wood. Perhaps the project that we had the most fun with was the day-camp that we ran for 30 children from the Coeur d’Alene Native Reservation. For an entire day, these children got to experience Camp Lutherhaven. They played games, sang songs, made crafts and swam in the lake along the beach. Many had the time of their lives. Several of our students were paired up with a student from the reservation and acted as their “buddies” that day. There are many great stories and memorable moments from that day.

During our trip our students and adults learned what it truly means to be a servant. Many of the tasks required a humble attitude and “sharing the attitude of Jesus Christ” as the verse from Philippians encourages us to do. The service projects definitely bonded our group together and strengthened our relationships with the students from South Dakota as well. The leaders at Camp were very impressed by the work ethic and attitude of our students and adult leaders. Overall our group grew a lot in their relationships with one another, with the people we served, and most importantly in their relationship with Christ.

Chip

Men's Quartet

Watch the Southwood Lutheran Men's Quartet (Bruce Ericksen, Dean Rabel, Jeff Gronewold, Dennis Stelzer) perform our National Anthem at the Olympic Swim Trials held July 2nd, 2008 at Omaha's Quest Center. Take a good look---you might never see these guys dressed like this again.

Walk Like Jesus

Here's a little story I told our Day Campers yesterday (click here for some pictures of Day Camp). Their theme for the week is Walk Like Jesus, and I had the privilege of sharing a story with them about someone whose walk with Jesus helped me in my own faith life. It's not a very flattering depiction of me....but the unflinching truth of what I did makes the response to it all the more remarkable. So here it is....

On an overnight bus ride home from a high school track meet, my friend (who will remain nameless and blameless) and I decided to put Melody, a sophomore who seemed to us a bit of an upstart, in her place. I'm not going to sugarcoat it....the plot we hatched was just plain mean. It was intended to humiliate her....it was despicable.

We looked through our own bags and talked to some of the girls around us to assemble a goopy, sticky, messy concoction...a combination of mousse, gel, shampoo, shaving cream, Cheez Wiz, and more. Under the cover of darkness (mean, cowardly acts often require some such protection) we walked to the back of the bus and smeared the whole nasty mess into Melody's hair. We were hours from home, and she had no way to clean it out.

I told our campers this story yesterday, complete with a demonstration of the goop in the hair (on my son, a willing participant). The kids erupted in laughter at the smearing of the goop in the hair, and I pointed out that laughter was the exact response of a lot of the kids on the bus....except for Melody. I asked the kids, "How would you feel if you were Melody?" and "What would you do?" I heard lots of real answers, "I'd be mad. I'd be sad. I'd cry. I'd want to get you back."

Melody probably felt a lot of those things too....but her response to my bullying marked her as a disciple of Christ. Jesus said,

Love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst. When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the energies of prayer for that person. If someone slaps you in the face, stand there and take it. If someone grabs your shirt, giftwrap you best coat and make a present of it. If someone takes unfair advantage of you, use the occasion to practice the servant life. No more tit-for-tat stuff....Here is a simple rule of thumb for behavior: Ask yourself what you want people to do for you; then grab the initiative and do it for them! (Luke 6: 27-31)

Melody was never anything but kind to me after the goop in the hair incident. She made an effort to talk to me, to build a relationship with me, to be my friend. She invited me to her house, and over time I learned that her family did devotions together and prayed together regularly...something that was foreign to me. Looking back now, I suspect that the night she got home from that long bus ride, her parents prayed with her and for her....and maybe even for me....they were that kind of people. I’m sure they guided Melody and called her to love her enemies…even to make them her friends. Melody became one of my best friends. We talked about faith, and she helped me study the Bible. But more than anything else, she gave me a living breathing picture of what it looks like to be a follower of Christ. Her walk with Jesus changed mine, and that's what being a disciple is all about.

Kim

The Embodiment of Faith

One of the things many people notice when they take a Global Mission trip is the incredible faith they witness in the lives of the people of Tanzania and Honduras.

What is faith? The bible says that it is the confident assurance that what we hope for is going to happen (Hebrews 11:1). It is the evidence of things we cannot yet see. Faith involves trust that God is working in the unseen spiritual realm, based upon God’s past actions in the world. Those who want a vibrant spiritual life have always had to live by such faith. Amazingly, by trusting in God we are able to accomplish great things for his kingdom.

God’s word tells us that all things are possible for those with faith (Romans 8:28). Even mountains can be moved by faith (Mark 11:23). Gathering on the Greens is an example of how faith allows God’s will to be done in this world.

Last Friday, Southwood was able to “materially” help our brothers and sisters in Honduras and Tanzania. How fitting it is that God allows the poor to bless us so richly with their great faith...and then we are able to demonstrate our faith by trusting that God will provide the much-needed resources to carry out His will throughout the world.

God moved in many hearts to make Gathering on the Greens a huge success! Donations increased 20% for a total of over $35,000 to support our Global Mission efforts in Tanzania and Honduras. Special auction items this year included AIDS Orphan Scholarships in Tanzania and the construction of homes for widows in Honduras. These auctions were "won" by multiple bidders whose gifts provided for a total of 4 homes for widows and education scholarships for 7 AIDS orphans. To all those who participated in Gathering on the Greens in any way, THANK YOU for letting God use you to do his will in the world!

Todd Stark and the Global Missions Team

Fairest Lord Jesus

“And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God is its light, and its lamp is the Lamb. (Rev. 21:23 NRSV)”

Fairest Lord Jesus is a wonderful hymn about Jesus Christ. It is a great hymn to lock away in your memory so that you can draw upon it’s treasury for the rest of your life.

Fairest Lord Jesus, ruler of all nature,
O thou of God and man the Son:
Thee will I cherish, Thee will I honor,
Thou my soul’s glory, joy, and crown.

The lines provide a glorious commentary about Jesus. He who rules all nature, who is divine, yet human, is the object of our love and honor, and is the glory, joy, and crown of our lives.

Fair are the meadows, Fairer still the woodlands,
Robed in the blooming garb of spring:
Jesus is fairer, Jesus shines purer,
Who makes the woeful heart to sing.

Jesus far exceeds the beauty of the woodlands in the spring, and shines purer and puts a song in our hearts.

Fair is the sunshine, Fairer still the moonlight,
And all the twinkling, starry host:
Jesus shines brighter, Jesus shines purer,
Than all the angels heaven can boast.

Jesus shines with greater brilliance than the combined light of the sun, moon, and stars. He shines brighter and purer than all the angels in heaven. What a tremendous description of the radiance of Jesus.

Beautiful Savior! Lord of the nations!
Son of God and Son of man!
Glory and honor, Praise, adoration,
Now and forevermore be thine!

The final stanza climaxes an expression of unending praise and adoration to Jesus, the Lord of all nations. It reiterates the recognition of his divinity—Son of God—and his humanity—Son of Man—and ends with ecstatic praise for God’s gracious gift of his son Jesus Christ.

This hymn text is a beautiful commentary about Jesus. He rules nature, far exceeds the beauty of the woodlands in the spring, and shines with greater brilliance than the combined light of the sun, moon, and stars. He shines brighter and purer than all the angels in heaven. What a powerful description of the shining characteristics of Jesus.

(by William J. Reynolds, The Chorister, Jan. 2002)

The Bible on Your iPhone

Friday morning, over 100 people were in line waiting for just 40 new 3G iPhones....the first in line got there at 9:30 Thursday night (no kidding...read about it here)

If you were one of the lucky (crazy?) people who actually got one, for just $2.99 more, you can get the whole Bible (in multiple translations, no less) on your new iPhone. This is a great example of Christians leveraging technology to reach more people for Jesus! Check it out here!

The printing press was a new technology when Martin Luther's new ideas about the gospel fueled the Reformation. Without that technology, Luther's ideas would never have spread so widely and quickly...and the reformation may have never happened. How are you seeing Christians using technology today to serve God and to reach more people with the message of grace?

Kim

Fruitful Living

This devotion appeared in my email this morning. We are about half way through our Summer Series on The Fruit of the Spirit. Take a moment during this halfway point and ask yourself: How is my life becoming more fruitful? Remember this Sunday's fruit is Kindness!

Faith@Work July 10, 2008 Fruitful Living

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law." – Galatians 5:22-23

What's the purpose of fruit on a tree or a vine? Most of us would respond, "Well, it's there for me to eat and enjoy." That's a pretty natural response. Most of us love fruit. But in nature the purpose of fruit is to help spread the seeds of the tree or vine. The purpose of fruit is to attract birds and other animals that will eat the fruit and carry the seeds and "drop" them elsewhere. Fruit fundamentally exists to multiply the plant.

This is a vitally important concept in understanding the fruit of the Spirit in the Christian life. All too often when we think of that fruit, we think of things that we get to enjoy – love, joy, peace, patience. But that would be a fundamental misunderstanding of the fruit of the Spirit. When it comes to that fruit, we are not the consumers; we are the fruit-bearers, the ones who bear the seeds of God's love and transforming power wrapped up in the succulent sweetness of a changed life.

An apple tree does not bear apples for its own enjoyment, nor does a grapevine bear grapes so that it can enjoy them. Nor do we bear the fruit of the Spirit for our own enjoyment. These manifestations of the Spirit's work in our lives are tools for mission. They are created in us by the Spirit to impact the lives of others for the sake of the Gospel.

I know this to be true in my own life. In my spiritual journey it was the fruit of the Spirit in the lives of three other guys that drew me to Jesus. Their lives were different, and I tasted of the sweetness of Jesus in them. God had changed their lives, and I wanted mine to be changed too. Because the Spirit was bearing fruit in their lives, the seeds of God's love captured my soul.

Do not miss this fundamental reality of the fruit of the Spirit. When Paul say, "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control," he is not talking about feelings that the Spirit is going to give you for your enjoyment. He is talking about the very life, the very character of Jesus Christ being manifest in your life.

Bringing It Home:
1. Whose maturing life in Christ has blessed your life? Whose maturity in faith has fed your soul? Why not let them know about it with a phone call or note of gratitude?
2. Have you been aware of God at work in you, blessing others through your maturing character? If not, spend some time in conversation with God around Galatians 5:13-26.

Prayer
Father, I thank you that my journey of faith has been blessed by the growing maturity of others. Would you help me to be a seed-bearer for you, feeding others with the sweetness of a transformed life? Help me, by your grace, to live in such a way that others sense your Spirit at work through me. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Jeff Marian
Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, Burnsville, MN

Youth Mission 1 of 3: Finding Joy in the Midst of Trial

Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. – James 1:2-4

Have you ever experienced joy in the midst of great pain, physical trial or frustration? Sometimes it seems like things happen to test us or to help us see our need for God. The first few days of our recent mission trip to Idaho seemed that way indeed. During our first three days our bus broke down three times and we spent a total of 11 hours stranded on the roadside and at a KOA in Bozeman, Montana. This was with 32 high school students and 6 adult leaders, mind you.

The beautiful thing (yes, I said beautiful) about the breakdowns was the fact that it allowed our group to slow down and relax. We were able to spend a good deal of time together and bond as a group. The amazing thing was that our group stayed incredibly positive and upbeat. People weren’t complaining and getting on each other’s nerves. We actually enjoyed ourselves and experienced joy in the midst of our stranded state because as a group we knew that our transportation situation was a minor bump in the road and that God would get us to where we needed to be. It is this faith and trust that is necessary in times of trial when our world seems totally out of our control.

The miracle of the breakdowns is that they occurred the day after our group devotional time was spent meditating on John 14:6, in which Jesus is telling his disciples that they are not in the driver’s seat, but that He is. Our group discussed the ways that we need to let go of our own agenda and cling to Jesus as the Way to life. Many talked about the need to let go of selfishness and pride. The morning after our devotional time as we were getting ready to leave the church, we noticed that the stained glass behind the sanctuary where we had our devotional time said in large letters, “I AM”. We couldn’t see it during the darkness of night, but it was clearly visible during the light of day. It was a visual reminder of God’s presence and how he pulls things together for our benefit and for His glory.

This all occurred prior to our bus breakdowns that day. Looking back it is easy to see how God was preparing our hearts and minds to experience the trials that we did. We were able to overcome the natural tendency to argue, complain and be negative and instead found joy (see the accompanying picture during our first breakdown). Our bus driver, Richard, later told us that all of his church trips experience bus trouble and he attributed it to spiritual attack. He said that Satan will try anything to frustrate God’s people in the hopes that it will derail them and cause them to lose focus. For us, it didn’t work. We overcame our transportation difficulties and kept our focus on the One who we were going to Idaho to serve. More details about our service will come out in my next post.

Chip

Give Me A Clean Heart

“The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart." 1 Samuel 16:7 (NIV)

God has called you into service for His kingdom. Even though you may feel that you are unworthy or incapable, God knows the true you. You may feel that you do not have what it takes to be a servant of God; self-judgments like “I’m too weak” or “I can’t do that” often hold us back from fully accepting that plan that God as for us. Fortunately, God judges us by faith and character, not by appearance. And, since only God can see what is in the hearts of us, only he can accurately judge us. We spend hours each week getting ready for work, social outings, and even worship services, but how much time do we spend on grooming our inner character? Everyone can see your face, but only God knows what is on the inside.

In the 16th chapter of 1 Samuel, we see Samuel on the search for the next king of Israel. God has told Samuel to go and see Jesse of Bethlehem: “I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem. I have chosen one of his sons to be king." (1 Samuel 16:1 NIV) Samuel sees each one of Jesse’s sons and thinks that each successive young man is the one called to be the next king; but God rejects each one of them: Jesse had seven of his sons pass before Samuel, but Samuel said to him, "The Lord has not chosen these." So he asked Jesse, "Are these all the sons you have?" (1 Samuel 16:10 NIV)

Jesse brings out his youngest son, David, who is out tending the sheep: Then the Lord said, "Rise and anoint him; he is the one." So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and from that day on the Spirit of the Lord came upon David in power. (1 Samuel 16:12-13 NIV) God knows who we really are and what He wants us to do for His kingdom. It is up to us to be sure that our hearts are ready and our character is up to the task. God will take care of the rest. (adapted from a devotion by Gary Dickinson, Ginghamsburg Church, Ohio).

Give me a clean heart so I may serve thee.
Lord, fix my heart so that I may be used by thee.
For I’m not worthy of all these blessings.
Give me a clean heart and I’ll follow thee.
I’m not asking for the riches of the land.
I’m not asking for the proud to know my name.
Please give me, Lord, a clean heart that I may follow thee.
Give me a clean heart, a clean heart and I will follow thee.
Give me a clean heart so I may serve thee.
Lord, fix my heart so that I may be used by thee.
For I’m not worthy of all these blessings.
Give me a clean heart and I’ll follow thee.
I’ll follow thee.
Sometimes I am up and sometimes I am down.
Sometimes I am almost level to the ground.

WALL-E

We took the kids (7, 9 & 12) to see WALL-E last week. If you haven’t seen it yet, I recommend it….for kids AND adults.

My 9-year-old concisely captured the core of the movie’s message when she said, as the lights came up:

It was like the robots were real and the people were fake.

The robots did seem more human than the people…and the people had lost their humanity to a life of luxury and virtual interaction. People sat in their hover chairs, completely immersed in their screens on a giant space ship cruise that was designed to keep them in total comfort....and market products to them nearly non-stop.

The movie is a cautionary tale on many levels....a 2001 Odyssey-light commentary on computers taking over our lives, the long-term costs of a consumption-based society, the effects of media and marketing permeating every aspect of our lives, and (what hit home hardest for me) the dangers of allowing virtual interaction to supersede authentic personal relationships.

Remember the great commandment? Love the Lord with all your heart, all your mind, all your soul and all your strength....and love your neighbor as yourself (Mark 12: 30-31). It's hard to really love God and love your neighbor when you spend 24-7 lounging in your hover chair plugged into your screen.

The irony of writing that last sentence on a blog, where people interact virtually rather than in person, is not lost on me. I’m logging off and getting out of the hover chair to go play with my kids.

Kim

Thanks for Praying!

  On behalf of all of the High School Mission Trip participants, I want to thank all of you who prayed for us during our recent mission trip to Idaho.  Your prayers were answered and here are some of the miracles that we experienced during our 10 days together:

• None of the 38 participants were injured or hospitalize
• One of our students served as a lifeguard during the week – an answer to their prayers since they didn’t have a certified lifeguard for the week!
• Despite 6 bus breakdowns, 2 buses, 5 bus drivers and 13 hours in delays we were surprisingly upbeat and didn’t miss any of our programming
• Our group contributed over 1,000 hours of volunteer service to Camp Lutherhaven, the local reservation and community
• 2 of the young ladies on our trip accepted Christ and were baptized in Lake Coeur d’Alene!
• Blood, sweat and tears were shed as we served and as God’s Holy Spirit moved in our hearts throughout the week
• Students and adult leaders grew in their relationship with God and each other.
• Our main bus driver, Richard Smith, enjoyed our group and the trip so much that he has committed to helping out with our youth group on a regular basis!

Prayer was a large part of the success of this trip. Thank you for praying for us!

Chip

Come To Me All Pilgrims Thirsty

"With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation." (Isaiah 12:3 NRSV)

The Bible has much to say about wells and they are mentioned hundreds of times. Water was a precious and sometimes scarce commodity in oriental lands and many a fierce battle was fought over the possession of wells (Gen. 26:17-21). Various words are used in the Hebrew for wells, the distinction of which is not carried over into our present translations. Among these several words for "well" there are three outstanding ones. There are first of all, man-made wells. Jacob's well was one of these. It was dug by father Jacob himself (John 4:12). It sometimes went dry in the rainless season. It meant hard work to lift the water from its depths. Its water could not permanently satisfy (John 4:13).

The second word translated "well" means a spring or fountain. It did not depend upon rainfall or surface drainage for its supply, but was fed by deep subterranean springs which kept up a constant flow in winter and in summer, in wet seasons and in drought. These wells Jesus compares to the well of salvation and to which Isaiah refers in our text. To drink of these wells means eternal satisfaction. He that drinks of that water shall "never thirst" (John 4:14).

A third well is mentioned in Scripture and means a "cistern" or a pool which collects water for a time, but soon dries up. Such wells are called "broken cisterns" (Jer. 2:13). Its water is unfit to drink and fails when most needed. Man-made wells and broken cisterns only increase the thirst, but those who have drunk of the fountain of life know true satisfaction. It is found only in Jesus Christ. "For with you is the fountain of life" (Ps. 36:9 NRSV).

"The last invitation of the Bible is to come and "take the water of life as a gift.” (Rev. 22:17).

"Come to me, all pilgrims thirsty drink the water I will give.
If you knew what gift I offer, you would come to me and live."

"Come to me, believers burdened; find refreshment in this place.
If you knew the gift I offer, you would turn and seek my face."

"Come to me, believers burdened; find refreshment in this place.
If you knew the gift I offer, you would turn and seek my face."
(text by Delores Defner)

Back Pack Update

We got an email this week from Scott Young the director of Lincoln's Food Bank with some updates on the Backpack program.

Last year at this time as the Food Bank began to look at the 2007-08 calendar they planned on serving 719 BackPack kids and their families at 14 area schools.

A year later, they are working on serving 1,495 kids and their families at 28 partner schools. They will be adding 8 LPS schools, 1 Lincoln Catholic School, schools in Beatrice, Crete, and Waverly. The Seward BackPackers have brought a Catholic school, and a Lutheran school to the fray as well.

He also told this great story:

With all of the big numbers we send around, it’s still the little things. At the end of the school year, I was invited to one of our BackPack Partner schools, where I was presented with one of those big ceremonial checks for $100. This gift was generated by Destine, a 4th grade student, who was leaving Lincoln and felt a bit of a calling to do something for someone else. With the support of her teachers, she had set up a table at an evening school event, and taken donations for the Food Bank. Destine was not a BackPack student, but she is a little girl who has faced significant challenges in her 10 years, and has some more hurdles to cross. That check adorns my office door. We can all work this summer to honor Destine’s generosity.

Learn more about Southwood's involvement with the Backpack program here and here and here and here and here.

For those of you who have been volunteering with the backpack program either packing, delivering, or distributing backpacks - what are the "little things" that keep you volunteering in this program? What have you seen making a difference? Consider adding a comment to this blog post - you just might inspire one more volunteer to get involved!

Pastor Sara

Volunteer Spotlight

Check out this story by Heidi Longe, one of Southwood's Clinic with a Heart volunteers. This was the Volunteer Spotlight for Clinic With a Heart's 3rd Quarter Newsletter. Learn more about Clinic With a Heart.

“Last month at clinic we had 2 patients who spoke Vietnamese, and we did not have an interpreter. The intake volunteer did the best she could, but indicated to me that it may be very difficult for the physician because the patients spoke very little English.

I have spent a lot of time with my friend Lis's mom (Be) who speaks Vietnamese and lives in Oregon. I knew that Be often took her family to the doctor and interpreted for them. I found Be's phone number and called her from my cell phone to ask her if she would interpret over speaker phone for us. She was happy to help. So, when Dr. T was ready to see the two Vietnamese women, I put Be on speaker phone all the way from Oregon. We even called her again when the patients went through checkout.

It was great listening to them talk back and forth in Vietnamese. After we were done, the 2 women practically pulled the phone out of my hands to thank Be. They were so grateful to be helped! They continued to thank me as they checked out. We could not help them with everything, but they were very grateful!

The next week, Be came to Lincoln to visit us and said that she really enjoyed helping them over the phone. She still remembers the women's names and wanted to know how they were doing. It is so nice to be able to pull everything together to help the patients at CWAH.”

Heidi, Southwood

What a great reminder of the kindness our volunteers give to our patients. Thank you!

Heidi Longe is also Southwood's new Clinic Coordinator - if you would like more information about volunteering at Clinic With a Heart contact Heidi. Heidi takes over this position from Jo Sheets who has coordinated Southwood's clinic night for more than two years. Jo has been a dedicated and passionate leader, and we thank her for all she has given to bring hope into the lives of many, many people (patients and volunteers). The coordination of Southwood's clinic is being handed off from one faithful leader to another. Thanks Jo and Heidi!

Southwood volunteers staff the clinic on the third Tuesday night of every month. Consider devoting some of your time to volunteering in this way - it is an experience in "reaching out" right here in our community.

Pastor Sara

VIDEO of the Week: Parenting

In this video Dr. Cloud and Dr. Townsend talk about setting boundaries with teenagers. They answer the question: How late is too late?

We're real people - a simple solution doesn't often work for our deepest struggles and questions.  Tune in each week on Tuesday to watch a series of videos by Drs. Henry Cloud and John Townsend.  Here you will find advice from seasoned leaders about everything from parenting and marriage, to spirituality, goals, and leadership.

Multiplying Money

Yesterday we saw money multiply! We started out with 85 children and gave each of those 85 children 4 quarters, for an initial investment of $85. By the end of the day that money had more than tripled. Here's how:

Each child received a card like this -

We gave those quarters to them as a gift. We talked about the ways in which they could spend those quarters and then I invited them to consider donating them to the food bank's backpack program.

Many (but not all) of the kids took me up on that invitation depositing all four quarters in the offering basket. The decision was left up to the kids as to how to spend the money. When the morning ended we had $97.65 in quarters, dimes, nickels, and pennies, and $195 in ones, fives, tens, and twenties, for a grand total of $292.65. Wow!

Here's my take on it. Remember the story of the feeding of the 5000 from the gospels? One small boy gave up a fish and a few loaves of bread and Jesus was able to use that to feed a multitude. Now perhaps the miracle wasn't a magical multiplying of bread and fish - but maybe it happened more like what happened at Southwood today.

Maybe, after one small child was willing to give up of what he had, a parent was inspired to do the same. The child dropped in 4 quarters and the parent added a $5 bill. Maybe another couple of children visited Southwood with their grandparents and the grandparents saw those children selflessly adding their coins to the food bank collection and grandma and grandpa added a $20 bill. Or, maybe an older brother saw a younger sibling adding 4 quarters to the pot and so they thought to add a dollar or two of their own in order to "outdo" that younger sibling.

I wonder if the true miracle started with a child's generosity which inspired the generosity of a gathered congregation. Regardless of how it happened (in our story, or the feeding of the 5000) it could only have happened with Jesus being present in the hearts of those who would give. As we heard yesterday, generosity is not about money, it is about mercy.

Parents, I hope this was a good opportunity for you to talk with your children about what it means to give to God. You might ask questions about why they did or didn't give, or talk about your own giving, or even find ways as a family to practice generosity together.

As you practice generosity in your own life, I pray that you will know that Jesus is working within your own heart and whenever that happens it is a true miracle.

Pastor Sara

HEAR it on Sunday. USE it on Monday.

The reward of responsibility – 2 Corinthians 9:6-15
By Rev. Bryan Findlayson, Lectionary Bible Studies and Sermons, Pumpkin Cottage Ministry Resources.

There is an interesting principle in the scriptures which is often misunderstood. It is the principle that faithful service receives God's reward. At the most basic level believers often think that faithful service here on this earth will be rewarded in glory with God's bounty. "God will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness" in eternity, depending on the worth of your service here on earth. "In my house there are many mansions" describes a scale of reward based on faithful service. Although an interesting idea, it is far from the truth.

In fact there can be no greater reward than union with Christ. There is no greater reward than knowing Jesus as our friend, and that reward is freely given on request. What then is the reward of faithful service? The principle of reward in the scriptures is a simple one. Those who act responsibly are rewarded with greater responsibility. God makes grace abound in us that we may abound in every good work, v8. The store of seed is increased to enlarge the harvest, v10. We are made rich that we might be generous, v11.

This is not the rather flawed notion that when we give away a dollar we get two in return. Rather this concerns the spiritual resources that are ours in Christ which are increasingly available to us as we use them wisely and well. If we are found trustworthy in little things, then we can be trusted with greater riches, Lk.16:1-18. As we "walk by the Spirit", "keep in step with the Spirit" (cooperate with the Spirit's renewal through faith), then increasingly we will not "gratify the desires of the flesh". On the money front, selfishness subsides and generosity increases. It is then our prayer "give us this day our daily bread" can be answered. Greater resources will be directed our way to use toward the realization of the Kingdom of God.

Questions to think about:

1. Why was Paul so focused on the collection for the "saints"?
2. If generosity derives from the heart, how do we prompt generosity?
3. What value is there in the use of our resources if use or non use has no bearing on our standing in the sight of God?

If you didn't get a chance or want to hear it one more time, listen to our guest preacher's (Pastor Roger Sasse) sermon "The secret of a five letter word that begins with “M” and ends with “Y”.

Community

I saw this great quote today:

For more on this quote - Check out this post. At Southwood this makes me think about small groups. Keep in mind the Small Group connection event on September 21st at Noon in the fellowship hall.

If you've never been in a small group before, or if you're looking for a new small group this event is for you. Come and connect with new people. You just might find yourself caring about them more than you should!

Pastor Sara

What if Church was Illegal?

What if it was illegal to worship? What if the government said that "this" particular church is the only one you are allowed to participate in? What would you do? Where would you turn?

Check out this Frontline video entitled Jesus in China. There are about 4 different segments, (all available at the link above.) This would definitely be worth your time to watch. As you do think about the question above - which church would you be a part of, the state sanctioned Christian Church or the Underground House Churches?

A devotion I read this morning said this:

One of the keys to a healthy, vibrant and flourishing congregations is the shared willingness to take risks and make incredible personal sacrifices.

Even among Jesus and his disciples, there was a tension between fidelity to the task and fear of the consequences. There was always a question of power and position. Jesus continued his journey to Jerusalem even as some of his disciples wanted to stay in the safety of the outlying areas. Jesus reminded them that their purpose was mutual service and not positions of power and authority. The disciples watched as Jesus was willing to suffer and die to further the Kingdom of God.

Risk taking and sacrifice have always been at the heart of Christian cross bearing.

Then Jesus told his disciples, "If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit them if they gain the whole world but forfeit their life? Or what will they give in return for their life? Matthew 16:24-26

Where would you go to church if going to church was illegal?

Pastor Sara

Dancing with the World

So there's this guy Matt...and he's traveled around the world 3 times...he's a bad dancer, but he dances everywhere he goes....and people have started dancing with him.

I got goosebumps watching this video ....go ahead...watch it.

I don't know why Matt does what he does, but when I look at this video, I see a guy bringing joy to all the people he meets....all over the world...and sharing that joy with many, many more people. As followers of Christ, how can we share our joy with people with a contagious enthusiasm like Matt's? Here's the back story on Matt.