Blessed are the merciful

Mercy is a quality that sets the Christ Follower apart from legalism and religiosity. It is a way of living and loving that honors God and shows respect for our humanity.

Mercy means that I will be patient with those who seem differnt from me. Mercy means that I will forgive the fallen. Mercy means I will help the hurting. Mercy means I will be kind to my enemies.

Why do we do this? What is the point. Well you will need to check out the worship services this weekend on Sunday or a week from Thursday. Also download the podcast and share it with someone. There are some good reasons to show mercy. God has shown us mercy, I know that I will need mercy in the future again. I will be happier (happy are the merciful, Jesus said). Others will get to know a God of mercy instead of some of the out of touch images of God portrayed by the anti-faith movement. And finally the best reason is that it is the right thing to do. Keep joining us as we study through the Beatitudes of Jesus.

Finally, happy thanksgiving. It's my favorite holiday and I will be enjoying it with family and friends. I hope you will too. Share it with someone who is hungry, lonely, or thirsty. Help us with our food bank or the social ministy.

Keep Thankfu.

Life is a Journey

It is exciting to hear stories that people are telling me of how they are sharing their faith. The wristbands, the Harley Raffle tickets, the Christmas 365 theme are just vehicles to share the story. This year began as a journey of the heart. I wanted to have others join me in really trying to live out the words of the angels at Christmas. Words spoken to the shepherds. They were ordinary men who received an extraordinary message. "We have good news of great joy which shall be for all people." That was the message. Live out the message of Christmas all year was my dream to inspire others to join me on the journey. Now Easter is just past and people are still wishing me "Merry Christmas." Thank you!

The famous picture here of the Road to Emmaus and the walk where Jesus appeared to some disciples who were depressed from the loss of their master is a good reminder to all of us on the journey. After Jesus left them they said to one another, "Didn't our hearts burn when he opened the words of scripture to us?" People feel the warmth of love, generosity, acts of kindess, and caring when you share - when you love - when you live the good news. Believe me, there are plenty of people who will just go to work, or go to school, or go to the gym, or go to some civic group, and live their life trying to be good or do good. That is not what Jesus was teaching. Jesus was teaching a revolutionary way of living. He was teaching his followers to learn to love as God loves. To be the message - to be the good news - to be Him in the way we approached people.

I spoke with a traffic cop the other day in Chicago and said, "Thank you for doing what you are doing. Some of us are really appreciative of the risks you take and the courage you demonstrate to keep us safe." She said to me, "You know, no one ever says that to us. Thank you for saying something." How easy was that?

When Jesus begins to disciple us, we become the change the world needs. Let Jesus meet you on your Emmaus road and talk with you about His love and power to change human life for the better. He wants you to be a part of it.

Also tell your friends to call us at church, stop by B&J Cafe, ReMax, see Norma Sabie at WLOI office, or stop at I Steet Tavern to pick up tickets for the Welcome Home Soldier Raffle and Habitat project. Live the good news, my friends. Be the Good News. Happy Easter Season and, yes, Merry Christmas too.

Kindness from Patience

Love is patient and kind...that is not always easy to live is it? How do we live that out with the toxic person whom we have tried and tried to deal with and yet have failed to find a way of relating to? Sometimes it's easier to be kind to a stranger than people in our own family. We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials for we know that they are good for us - Romans 5

What? How can that be? Paul continued, they help us learn to be patient. And patience develops strength of character in us and helps us trust God more each time we use it until finally our hope and faith are strong and steady.

I am not a patient person by nature. I can be patient in a crisis but in dealing with people I find myself struggling when I think, "Why don't they get this?" Now is a word that is so prevalent in our vocabulary. This week we are talking about acting with patience and kindness. Sometimes there are divine interruptions in life which will slow us down. Carpei Deim (Seize the Day) is a good phrase to remember. Sometimes the time to act is now. Don't over think - act. Be patient with your appointments, your to do lists, and your agenda. Maybe God has someone in mind for you to help - to be kind toward - to lovingly assist.

Kindness always requires something else besides patience. It means risk and it requires a cost. Who in your world needs you to take that risk of exhibiting kindness and love? Will there be a cost associtated with it? I spoke to a friend who shared a story about a man he knew who was bitter about his wife leaving him. He was filled with anger and rage. His anniversary was coming up and he seethed with anger toward how this woman ruined his life and livelyhood. His friend suggested that on the anniversary he consider working at a local soup kitchen - to convert his anger into kindness and love. He did it.

After going to the soup kitchen and serving the needy his whole attitude changed. He was filled with mercy and said he would do it every year on that day. What can being patient with ourselves and others and acting out of kindness do in some of the most difficult and bitter situations of life. God does work miracles of love 365 days a year.

40 Days of Love For Christmas 365

Lent is a season to give up and take on. I'm giving up a couple of things, soda and deserts - the second is harder than the first. I'm taking on an extra thirty minutes of prayer time each day. That is the plan. Beyond that I invite you to join me as I blog the journey of Lent. We are doing a program at Bethany called 40 Days of Love. It's a program developed by Saddleback Church but it is offered to help us grow in loving God, loving others, and loving ourselves. Really, life is all about love. If we don't learn that we have missed the whole point. In fact the Bible says that "God is Love." The very essence of Love is what God is.
What is your highest aim in life? Your greatest goal? Complete this sentence...My major life goal is ... How would you finish that sentence. What I suggest God's guidance would be is to love. Love God, love people, and love yourself. Jesus suggested that it wasn't just to love those who love you. As he said, "Even the pagans do that." Our aim is also to love the unloveable. Where do we begin. That is the invitation to you. Join me on the Podcast, which you can download, stop by the blog, and if you can come to be with us at Bethany we meet on Thursdays at 5:30PM for a Simple Supper, 6:00PM for a DVD presentation, and a small group time after that. If you miss Thursday join us Sunday Morning in the ARC at BLC during the 9:15AM hour for the DVD and small group time.
In addition to this we will include the study on the blog if you want to listen to the Podcast and read over the notes from our discussion. I'm excited about this Lenten study. If you live in LaPorte check out our billboard on Pine Lake Ave. as you drive south (right by Anderson Automotive and Philipps 66). We are excited about what our 365 Team will be cooking up in the near future too. Have a great day.

Christmas 365

Dear Friends of the Bethany Blogosphere,

Winter is not quite over and I fear that even with cross country skis the attempt to keep Christmas alive may fade as spring looms on the horizon. Don't let it happen. The "Spirit of Christmas" is the "Good News of great joy which will be for all people." We need good news desperately and what a great opportunity is just within sight. Forty Days of Love is coming!

Forty Days of encouraging one another to love God and each other. Forty days to focus on loving those around us for the sake of Christ. I'm looking for some folks who will step up and help shape what Christmas 365 will look like and what ideas can inspire us. Do you want to be a part of that?

It all starts February 25th with Ash Wednesday services at 4:30PM and 7:00PM. We are going to talk about what love can do. We are also working on an amazing idea that could raise $30,000 to $40,000 for Habitat for Humanity and be a phenomenal Christmas present to the community. Watch for the information on this and how you can be a part of it. I was recently a part of a national conference call discussing 365 Club. There are over 11,000 members of that group now on Facebook. We are looking for ways to inspire people towards acts of generosity and kindness all year long. Check it out and watch for information coming out on this.

Don't forget to sign up NOW for Forty Days of Love. You can sign up online right now by email at contact@bethanylaporte.org or use our contact page on the web site and indicate you want to be a part of a group. Leave your email or phone and someone will contact you.

Stay Well - Seize the Day,

Pastor Denny