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.

Happy are those who mourn...

Last week we talked about the attitudes of happiness that Jesus teaches in the Sermon on the Mount (or the Beatitudes). Eight positive statements about choosing God's way to live life. In this second attitude adjustment Jesus reminds us first of all that life is difficult and the to mourn is a part of life. He doesn't try to explain suffering but he tells us how to deal with it.

First, know that God is with us. (Psalm 34:18). God is aware, God cares, and God will help (Job 13:27, Nahum 1:7, Hebrews 4:16).

Second, let go of hurt (Isaiah 43:18). So often we repress hurt, rehearse it, and resent it. Jesus invites us to release it (Psalm 10:14).

Third, Jesus invites us to rely on God's resources. What happens many times is that humans turn to alternative hurt relievers: drinking, drugs, entertainment, thrills, and many other escapes. What God tells us is to try His way: a. Take time during your day to listen for His voice; b. Spend time in the Word and let it comfort you; c. be with God's people - healing nutritious helpful people; and d. receive the indwelling of the Holy Spirit (Romans 15:13).

What can you do today to help? Three things will help deal with grief, sorrow, and pain.
1. Invite the Spirit of the Living Christ to dwell in your life now.
2. Connect with/or connect more deeply with the church family.
3. Give yourself away in service to others - stuff, things, material goods will ultimately mean nothing but people matter to God and will ultimately bless you and heal your hurt.

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.

What is "Daily Bread?"

Daily bread, most of us don't think much about it in the United States. Yet, pockets of extreme poverty exist in our country and weekly we have a stream of people who come by BLC for the necessities of life. Their stories can break your heart. God has given us ability to address this in the Lord's Prayer.

Jesus tells us to pray,"Give us this day our daily bread." As he tells us this he is saying so much more. First, bread represents the necessities of life and not frivolous luxuries. Second, it represents the Word of God - Jesus said, "We do not live by bread alone. but every Word that proceeds from the mouth of God." The third thing it represents is our fellowship as the body - called the church. Fourth, it represents saving grace show to us by God in His Son. Each phrase of the Lord's Prayer is packed with meaning and depth. Christianity is not about ritual and rules - it is about real people seeking a relationship with the eternal and learning to care for our neighbors as we do ourselves. Asking for daily bread means so much when we seek not only our bread (with all its meaning) but seeking bread for those around us who have great need.

As we consider the unemployed, the uninsured, the homebound, and the homeless we have so much that we can share. This week asks the question, "What is our daily bread?"

Blessings on the journey,

Pastor Dennis

PS - For those of you in deepening your discipleship let me remind you about the Spiritual Coaching/Direction I am offering this fall. Email me or call me if you are interested. also check out http://www.rbc.org/odb/odb.shtml

"You can't build a reputation on what you're going to do." Henry Ford

It is time to take action. Discipleship has often been compared to taking a walk with the Lord. How are those walking skills working these days? Do you feel spiritually fit? This fall I am launching a discipleship program for six to ten individuals who want to become more spiritually fit. It will be convenient, in depth, and challenging. It will also be something they can do themselves and with others. It is as old as having a spiritual director. Thomas Merton once wrote: Spiritual direction is, in reality, nothing more than a way of leading us to see and obey the real Director — the Holy Spirit hidden in the depths of our soul. (Thomas Merton, Trappist monk, USA) It is as new as Spiritual Coaching a new form of disciple making.

You can be one of the first to sign up for an eight to twelve week session where you will do independent reading, phone direction and encouragement, and participate in "call-in" classes with others who are taking this walk. Jesus said, Follow me and I will teach you to fish for people. We will learn the importance of community and of personal satisfaction - they are not mutually exclusive. Take advantage of this new program and you will also receive a free gift for starting out. I will share with you how we will approach this process of energizing growth and spiritual development. You will discover new insights and be a part of a Biblically grounded God directed experience. Sign up begins today! Contact me by calling BLC 219-362-3312 or visiting the web site: www.bethanylaporte.org

I will share more insights on this as the weeks progress. Hope your spiritual walks go well this week.