A Little Child Shall Lead Them

This child's drawing was so pure and loving that it captured my attention as I thought about Transfiguration Sunday and the beginning of Lent this week. Some people are giving up pop or chocolate for lent but what about fasting and praying for the poor, the homeless, the oppressed. Kids get it. They want to help other people. Mission is just natural to them. We can learn a lot from them. Lent is a call to fasting and prayer for mission. Not a mission to force religion on people but to love in genuine ways like Jesus. He loved because he overflowed with love from God. People believed and followed because they new that this kind of living would give them new life and new energy. Join us this lent by listening in on WIMS radio in Michigan City, downloading our podcasts, or picking up a CD or typed copy of the messages. You can also join us in feed the hungry by being at Bethany on Thursdays at 5:00PM or by making a tax deductible contribution to the ministry of Bethany. Let's be on mission this year and learn together how to think globally and act locally. Let the Child of Bethlehem now lead us as our brother to become more and more like him in loving the world for God.

Cleaning Up Our Act: Forgive Us Our Debts

This mikveh in the above picture (baptism of purification) was located to the south of the Temple in Jerusalem close to the Huldah gate. It dates to the time of the Temple during the life-time of Jesus and the Apostles. It was covered up by dirt for centuries until it was discovered and excavated.

"Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us." Is the focus for next week. In Hebrews 12 it says, "Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles us. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us." What are these hindrances? Our sins, our debts, our transgressions are the hindrances for our relationship and connection with God and each other. Forgive us as we forgive others is what Jesus is commanding us - to forgive as we have been forgiven. How do we prepare for this step of forgiveness?

1. Search. We can begin by searching ourselves carefully (Psalm 139:23-24). Take the time to regularly search your life and behavior.
2. Surrender. We give up hiding our sin and repent of it before God.
This was the meaning of baptism. A dying to sin - or drowning of the sin in pools like the one in the picture.
3. Seek to make amends. Whenever possible we need to make amends with those we have hurt or harmed. If we do not our repentance is hollow. God knows we need to try to take the step of healing in our lives.
4. Share in the forgiveness that God offers in Christ.
5. Start over again. We need to repeat these steps often.

For some further reading look up these passages: Luke 19:8-9; Hebrews 4:16; Romans5:1; James 5:16; Hebrews 10:22-25. If you were baptized as a youth it is always good to renew that covenant and commitment. If you have not now is a good time to take that step of commitment. We are all in need to a daily renewal of the promise of baptism by the cleansing power of Christ's sacrifice for us. Blessings on the journey.

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.

Light in Darkness

I led the funeral for a woman today that few attended and where no one quite knew what to say. It was sad to see so few. Even greater sadness that so few could express anything good to say. She left her wealth to charities and those will benefit but the legacy she left was that of a cantankerous woman who few really knew. Relationships - people become our legacy. People that God loves and we can love. My message to the people there was to live with love. Love through the barriers of crusty hard souls and soft pliable souls open to love. Love those around you, love those you do not even know, love the beautiful and the less than lovely, love those you are close to and those you have a hard time relating to - just love.

Your light brightens a dark world. Today was beautiful and sunny and as the wind wiped through the small group that stood around the casket near the mausoleum next to Pine Lake I shed a tear for the loss of love when a person has only a marble tomb to speak for them. Let your love do the talking. Wendell Berry wrote, "There is a day when the road neither comes nor goes, and the way is not a way but a place." This place speaks out for love as though there is no tomorrow. Let that light break through and shine. Be the love - don't just do loving things.

Get Ready For Christmas

I watched the Dow plunge another 600 points yesterday, the attacks in India were still headlines, people look to our President elect to solve a host of problems, and the job market is just plain scary. Is there any good news out there? The Good News, with a capital G and a capital N has been there for two millennia but we fear what is going on right now rather than looking with trust and faith to the consistency of God and the promise of a present and future guided not by markets and malevolent dictators but by the Christ. Christmas is about Good News. Good News announced to shepherds and wise men, to Kings and cattle, and to star gazers and carpenters. It is good news for everyone.

Over the next few weeks we are going to explore what the Good News is and what it means for us. One thing is for sure Christmas is less about consumerism and more about Christ. This week we will pick up the theme Get Ready for Christmas. We will explore three ideas: 1. If Christ brought us Good News we should know what it is. Read Psalm 107:2 and Philippians 4:4; 2. We need time to tell others the Good News. Read Matthew 11:28; 3. We need to share the Good News “on purpose.” Read Luke 2:15. Good News is not wrapped up in warm fuzzy stories that warm the heart. It is news that remains consistent dependable over the eons and stirs hope and faith in the midst of massive world troubles.

I will explore these three themes and make a few suggestions on how to live the Good News this Christmas season. We are putting ads in the Herald Argus over the next few weeks so you can point to those to tell a friend or neighbor about it. We can also run off color flyers for you to share with others if you like. Just give us a call or stop by the church office to get a few to pass out. We will also be decorating the sanctuary and hallways on December the 10th at 6:00PM with sloppy joes, chips, and hot cider and then try to make quick work out of decorating. As the saying goes, Many hands make light work. C U in church!

GIVE THANKS, GIVE BACK!

At the Thanksgiving Eve Worship Service, we will be giving out food certificates to attending persons in need of Thanksgiving Meal assistance.

Come, join us in worship. Give thanks... and if you could use a little help with paying for this years Thanksgiving meal, let us know. We want to give back in honor of the many wonderful blessings Bethany has realized in 2008.

God Bless and Happy Thanksgiving!