Birthdays come in all types of celebrations, some are wild and crazy, some are full of fun and are themed. Other birthdays are a pure landmark of accomplishment and of course there are the birthdays where one feels like they can’t possibly be that old because they have much more to accomplish. My grandma turned 98 on Saturday and feels as if that is awful to live to that age, yet she gets around with a walker and loves to have someone stop by and visit with her. (She also is planning on having a really big party in two years). My mom turned 66 yesterday and is enjoying good health, family and friends. Our neighbor, Dwight, turned 58 on Tuesday and celebrated another year of life. He is fighting through a second round of cancer ever so slowly, but he was able to reach another milestone marker of his life. And there are also the birthdays for young people, who so anxiously look forward to their birthdays with long-awaited anticipation for their big day. For each one of us, a birthday may mean something different. But, in every case, God blesses us with continued life so we might walk with Him, share the message of his love, and serve others through his name.

3We also celebrate the birthdays of our baptisms. The Bible states, …for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.      (1 John 5:4-5)  Will we overcome the world? Will our faith serve to light the path for others so they might also see God’s love and believe that Jesus is the Son of God? There are so many trials and tribulations put before us. Yet through steadfast faith and endurance we grow in Spirit through those times so that the path along our journey is made more fulfilling.

To all those celebrating birthdays, may God’s love shine on your day and continue to grant you good health, happiness, and peace.   Enjoy the celebration! May you also use the gift of another year of life to continue to grow in the knowledge of God’s word.

Wendy Saathoff

My wife and I recently went to Atlanta, or should I call it Hot-lanta. Oh my, it was so hot and humid that you could boil an egg on the ground, so we were indoors most of the time. Atlanta is actually a wonderful city, full of great food and places which are on a road named Peachtree for some strange reason. The Georgia aquarium is the best. It has spectacular exhibits. It is one of the best aquariums I’ve ever seen. Bernard Marcus, the founder of the aquarium and co-founder of Home Depot, really made something to enjoy and marvel at. There were so many kids there enjoying the place. I think Bernard intentionally catered toward kids. So much laughter I heard. So many smiles and enjoyment I see on kid’s faces. So much excitement as kids went through all the exhibits. I even think the aquatic fish and mammals enjoy seeing the kids just as much as the kids see them. Then I remember there was another guy like Bernard.

A good crowd of children started rushing toward this one man and the disciples tried to push all of them away from the man Jesus. He said don’t push them away, let them all come to me. No one should deceive the children. Whoever does so will be punished worst than you can ever imagine. Jesus loved to tell stories to the children. He wanted to show them the wonders of the world and heaven just like Bernard wanted to show the beauty of the sea to children. We are all children of God. Sometimes we get wrapped up into the world that we forget to become like children as we see the beauty and wonder of this world and heaven. We are so busy running around that we don’t see all the beauty around us in our daily lives.

I think it is wonderful if you ever get the opportunity to work with kids. Just like Jesus, you can show how awesome life and this world can be if you take the time to do so. I think every opportunity you get to teach kids something is a gift from God. Kids come into this world with no pre-judgment and just a heart to learn and grow. It is a beautiful thing and God intended it to be that way. I think God didn’t want to exclude the adults from this either. Come before Him with the heart of a child and you will learn many great things. God always cares and loves your heart and character. So go out there and experience the wonders of life and God. Rekindle that kid inside of you.

In Christ,

Stan Yee

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Sometimes a word is worth a thousand pictures, like the word “vocation.” We use vocation as a mere synonym for “occupation, “ but originally, “vocation” came from the Bible, in the form of the Greek word ”kaleo” meaning literally, “to call by name, to summon or invite.” When we speak of our vocations, we are saying that God calls us to our place of work.

Jesus made an important theological statement when he took up the carpenter’s hammer. He was saying your job in the market place is no less sacred than my job as a pastor. In his earthly ministry, Jesus had your kind of job and he had my kind of job, and he glorified God in both of those jobs. So can we!

Martin Luther made exactly the same point when he toppled the rickety medieval notion that nuns and monks were doing holier work than homemakers and shopkeepers.

Let me leave you with this great thought from John H. Jowett:

“The Lord throws a halo over common toil. Even Christian people have not all learned the significance of the angels’ visit to the lonely shepherds. Some of us can see the light resting on a bishop’s mitre, but we cannot see the radiance on the ordinary shepherd’s staff. We can discern the hallowedness of the priest’s vocation, but we see no sanctity in the calling of the grocer, or of the scavenger in the street. But the very birth-hour of Christianity irradiated the humble doings of humble people. When the angels went to the shepherds, common work was encircled with an immortal crown.”

May God irradiate your humble doings with light from on high!                                      

See you on Sunday.

Still in one peace,

Pastor David J. Jensen

Let Me Live Grace-fully                                                                    

Thank you, Lord,                                                                                       

   for this season
     of sun and slow motion,
       of games and porch sitting,
         of picnics and light green fireflies
           on heavy purple evenings.
             and praise for slight breezes.
               It’s good, God,
                 as the first long days of your creation.

Let this season be for me
   a time of gathering together the pieces
     into which my busyness has broken me.
      O God, enable me now                                                                           
         to grow wise through reflection,                                                                 
          peaceful through the song of the cricket,
            recreated through the laughter of play.                                   

Most of all, Lord,                                                      
  let me live easily and grace-fully for a spell,                                                      
   so that I may see other souls deeply,
     share in a silence unhumed,
      listen to the sound of sunlight and shadows,
       explore barefoot the land of forgotten dreams and shy hopes,
         and find the right words to tell another who I am.

SUMMER / GUERRILLAS OF GRACE / TED LODER

On Sunday, Vikki spoke about being blessed role models. Reflecting on her sermon theme, here are....  

Some questions to think about as you start your week...  

· Who do you watch? Who watches you? How does this affect your behavior? Or, does it? Do role models really make a difference?

· Jesus says in Luke 14:11: “For all who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted." What does being humble mean to you? Have you known a person you considered to be “humble”? What characteristics did they have? Why is it difficult to be humble in our world today?

· Do you feel welcome at God’s table? Why or why not? If you were to imagine God’s table, what would it look like? Would you be comfortable? Why or why not? Does this image of God’s table look anything like the tables you sit at? Why or why not?

· How is Jesus’ teaching in Luke 14 related to the words of MLK, “I can never be what I ought to be until you are what you ought to be”? What one small change can you make in your daily life to open up the table and level the playing field?

I am a slow reader. Maybe it is the artist part of my brain that likes to picture everything I am reading. I can see the characters and it takes me time to get to know them and hear their voices in my head. This morning, I sat glued to my kitchen chair, not able to attend to anything but finishing my summer read titled “The Help” by Kathryn Stockett. The story takes place in Jackson, Mississippi in the early 1960’s. The “Help” are the black women who worked as maids for the white women of the south. It is a powerful story of how far we have come in the last 40 years.

I was a little sad when I turned the last page. I felt as though I had grown to love the ladies of the story and had come to look forward to my daily walk with them. Their stories and wisdom had become a part of me. One of my favorite quotes that made me stop and say a silent “amen” is when Aibileen says to Minny: “All I'm saying is, kindness don't have no boundaries." Now that is the gospel truth isn’t it?!

It seems we are in another ugly election climate with strong opinions on both sides of every issue. The lines in the sand are being drawn. Sharing my beliefs and opinions is important, but it also makes me weary. Standing strong is hard. The women of “The Help” illustrated that very well. But they also showed how a little kindness and understanding can be the very tools you need to change the world.

There is another book that I like to read and walk with the characters daily; The Bible. It gives me all the tools I need to change the world one kindness at a time.

Jeremiah 9:23-24 (emphasis and italics mine)
23 This is what the LORD says:
"Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom
or the strong man boast of his strength
or the rich man boast of his riches,
24 but let him who boasts boast about this:
that he understands and knows me,
that I am the LORD, who exercises kindness,
justice and righteousness on earth,
for in these I delight,"
declares the LORD.

Abba, Thank-you for the ancient & modern stories that reveal your truth. May we find ourselves lost in the pages of your word. May the wisdoms you share become a part of our being so that we may boast that we know you and take delight in your kindness, justice and righteousness. Amen

Julie Weldon

Changes are hard. Whether they're exciting changes, or painful ones they're often difficult. Change can make us feel like a fish out of water. We can feel out of control, and incapable of dealing with what's at hand. But there is always security, peace and rest with our Savior. No matter what, no matter the weather. It can be hard to remember in times of uncertainty and change. But he's always there offering it to us, wanting us to rest in Him.

"I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O Lord make me dwell in safety." Psalm 4:8.

Dear God, 

I pray that you would help us to turn to you and rest in your peace and security no matter the circumstances in our lives. Help us to trust You God. Amen.

Amanda Jensen

“Each of us, famous or infamous, is a role model for somebody, and if we aren't, we should behave as though we are -- cheerful, kind, loving, courteous. Because you can be sure someone is watching and taking deliberate and diligent notes.” - Maya Angelou

On one occasion when Jesus was going to the house of a leader of the Pharisees to eat a meal on the sabbath, they were watching him closely. Luke 14:1

Who watches you?  Who do you watch? Who are you a role model  for? Who is a role model for you? Jesus was being watched very  carefully one night at a big dinner event. The religious leaders wanted to see if he followed the rules. But then Jesus turned the tables and watched them.

When he noticed how the guests chose the places of honor, he told them a parable. Luke 14:7

Jesus is good at finding “teachable moments.”  Not everyone likes what he has to say though.  He says sit in the back, not at the head table.  He says let those who aren’t invited to the party in and give them the seat of honor.  Then, you will have lived honorably.  Jesus tells us how to be a role model, or how to model the role he is teaching us to fill.  And, it’s quite a counter-cultural role.  Can we look to the lost, the least, the young and the invisible to be our role models?  Can we lift them up and learn from them?

I know a young woman in her twenties who takes seriously listening to God, serving with her life and being a faithful follower of Jesus by taking risks, going out of her comfort zone and asking a lot more questions than giving answers.  She’s a role model for me.

Role models come in all shapes and sizes, ages and locations.  We don’t have to know someone for them to impact us.  We can be a role model to people we’ve never met or are likely to meet.  When we try to live the way Jesus teaches, we know that others are watching even though they might not even realize it.  Putting others first, learning from those who are different or younger than us and not puffing ourselves up are great ways to start being a Jesus role model.

Jesus ends the story by saying, “And you will be blessed…” Luke 14:14  His teachings aren’t to make our lives difficult – Jesus wants us live blessed!

More Jesus, less me,
Vikki

 2 Timothy 4:1-22

“In the presence of GOD and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearance and his kingdom, I give you this charge; Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage – with great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.”

Preach the Word! This has always brought visions of the man who stands atop a plastic container at the Rockies games and shouts to people going into and coming out of the game. He shouts about repentance and going to hell if we don’t change our ways. To be honest it has always turned me off of the term preaching or evangelizing. I thought this until I heard from my brother a saying of St. Francis “Preach the Gospel everyday, and sometimes use words.”

This was what I thought a follower of Jesus would do… and would say. But, I found out a few years later that St. Francis did not exactly say this J. What he said, or actually what he wrote, was in Chapter XVII of his rule of 1221. St. Francis told his friars not to preach unless they had the proper permission to do so. Then he added, “Let all the brothers preach by their deeds.”

And I think this is even more wonderful than what my brother had told me he thought St. Francis had said. It is important to preach the good news verbally, but it is even more important to preach the gospel by our actions, through our hearts, our minds, and our strength.

The word preach (preached, preaching) is used 52 times in the bible. The word heal (healed, healing, heals) is used 152 times in the bible. Jesus preached. He preached to the 5,000, to the 4,000, and he preached to individuals and small groups. But Jesus did more than preach with his words. He preached with his heart, he preached with his mind, and he preached with his strength.

If words are what you feel will heal, then use them. But if words cannot heal, then tears, or a hug, or a kiss, or holding a hand, or even just being there silently will evangelize even more than you will ever know. AMEN!

Precious Father, Loving God, Holy Spirit, help us to preach with more than our words. Help us to preach with our hearts, with our minds, with our strength. LORD, provide us with words, but please LORD in every case, even with words, let us preach by our deeds! AMEN!

Jim Dietvorst

On Sunday, Pastor Dave’s sermon subject investigated the idea of relating to people of other religious backgrounds….Lots to think about there! We were blessed to have Danny Daniels share his musical gifts, in Randy and Ed’s absence. What a voice he has, literally and figuratively.

Eternal God, whose image lies in the hearts of all people, we live among peoples whose ways are different from ours, whose faiths are foreign to us, whose tongues are unintelligible to us. Help us to remember that you love all people with your great love, that all religion is an attempt to respond to you, that the yearnings of other hearts are much like our own and are known to you. Help us to recognize you in the words of truth, the things of beauty, the actions of love about us. We pray through Christ, who is a stranger to no one land more than another, and to every land no less than to another.
~World Council of Churches, Vancouver Assembly, 1983250

Some questions to think about as you start your week…
· Let us always remember that if we can fully understand God, then God is not much of a God after all (Isaiah 55:8,9.)

· How might you better come to know the living Jesus so that when given the opportunity to share him with someone else, you are prepared to do so? Do you desire to practice a higher level of spiritual formation? What prevents you from doing more scripture reading, prayer time and acts of service?

· Have you ever talked to a person of another religion? If you have what was the experience like? How might we pray for rich experiences with those of other walks of faith?

· Why did Jesus come for the entire world (John 3:16)? What does it mean that “…God so loved the world ...?”