Faithfulness

“The Lord is faithful to all His promises and loving toward all He has made.” (Psalm 145:13) Faithfulness is God’s dependability in action. All the time God is allegiant, dedicated, devoted, loyal, loving and steadfast to us.

We respond to His faithful acts with words of praise and thanksgiving and by mirroring His actions. The definition of faithful is “A firm adherence to the truth; loyalty; constant in performance of duties or service.”

Faithfulness is passing along the faith – the Good News that Jesus is Lord and Savior. Though it may seem our contribution is insignificant, our faithful actions are indeed significant. Our faithful telling and retelling of the mighty acts of a dependable God is important – even critical. “One generation will commend your works to another, they will tell of your mighty acts.” (Psalm 145:4). In 2 Timothy we are reminded, “God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power of love and of self-discipline.” (v. 7) No one individual’s place is insignificant.

Day by day, by the power of the Holy Spirit, we grow in our knowledge of God’s faithfulness and the ways He faithfully works in us and through us to touch the lives of others with His love and care. God’s faithfulness to us, and ours to Him, draws us in an even deeper relationship with our Lord and with one another.

To that end we pray as did Richard of Chichester, an English bishop of the 16^th century: “Day by day, dear Lord of Thee, three things I pray: to see Thee more clearly, love Thee more dearly, follow Thee more nearly, day by day.”

All Saints and Thanksgiving Day

Following is a poem about people sitting around the Thanksgiving dinner table. For many years I had it tacked to my bulletin board. Each time I read it I think of Thanksgiving dinners enjoyed as a child with my relatives. Coming from a large family, Thanksgiving dinner shared with others always meant several rooms full of card tables and chairs. As a child I felt great anticipation for Thanksgiving Days spent with cousins. Looking around the crowd, there was always a baby or two, several children younger than me and many people older than me.

Can you recall the heads bowed around Thanksgiving tables of years past? How I thank God for my sainted uncles, aunts, father, and grandparents who are now bowing before the throne of God. These are the adults in my life who modeled faith to me. Yes, there were dozens of Christian teachers, pastors and college professors, but these are the adults who had the greatest influence. To the young child watching, they could have modeled many different behaviors on Thanksgiving Day, but they chose to model a heart of prayer, kind conversation that told me of my roots, and an attitude of serving (for some reason they did all the work but the kids got to eat first!!).

This month, on All Saints Day (Nov. 6) and on Thanksgiving Day (Nov. 24), I will quietly be remembering the saints in my life who served as powerful models of faith for me. They were the “Directors of Children’s Ministry” back then, and I praise and thank God that they had their priorities right, because I was watching. May God bless all your family celebrations in the coming weeks.

Thanksgiving Table

Heads are bowed in silent prayer
at words of grace for all to share.
Silken tresses, braids and bows,
salt and pepper, drifts of snow.
Heads so new the fuzz is there.
Heads grown old, thinning, bare.
Families gather in festive mood
to feast on love as well as food.

-Corinne Adria Bariteau

Polly Wegner,
Dir. of Discipleship

Emotions Are Raw

People have been crying more lately. Have you noticed that? As the 10^th anniversary of the horrific terrorist attack on our country approaches I see patriotism burn to the point of pain in the hearts of our nation. The memories of that day are brought back with all its raw emotion. It easily chokes us up. A tear rolls down my cheek as the national anthem is sung. I see crying on television as families retell the stories of lost loved ones...the innocent, the brave, the heroes… who are still missed terribly. Parents are hyper-sensitive as they send off their young men and women to military service. Yes, our emotions are on edge.

Jesus cried. He cried when He saw His people harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd (Matthew 9:36). He cried when He saw the pain in the lives of His friends who had suffered the loss of a brother (John 11:25). He cried when He stood looking over a sinful city, Jerusalem, which had failed to recognize Him as Messiah (Luke 19:41). I imagine He cried along with each of us on September 11, 2001 and those terrible days that followed. Jesus cries when cancer invades our bodies. He cries when our relationships crumble. He cries when our hearts are burdened with sadness and fear and the dreaded unknown.

He cries because of His great love and compassion for us as we live in this broken world. Yet His promises and His faithfulness are still true. ‘Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken, nor my covenant of peace be removed,’ says the Lord who has compassion on you. Isaiah 54:10

Is our church a place where people can experience the compassion of Jesus? Is His heart of love evident in us? Are His healing hands touching others through us? Are we willing to step out of our comfort zones, to cry with the hurting and then lovingly and practically care for their needs? How can we share the unfailing love of God and His peace at this time in history, and with individuals carrying heavy burdens? These are questions worth asking because people have been crying more lately.

May God clearly direct and bless Peace Church through our organized caring ministries. May God clearly direct each one of us as individuals to be attentive to all whom God ordains to cross our path. We are people with a hope. We are broken but claimed. Let’s share the hope, the love, and the promises of God as we extend our hand to help.

Please check out the page on what is happening at Peace on September 11 and invite others you know to join us.

See you in Church,

Polly Wegner

Director of Discipleship

pwegner@peacelutheran.net

Seeker to Soaker

People today who have questions about faith, questions about the Bible’s message, or are desiring a stronger spiritual life are often called “seekers”. Christian churches work to attract people who are seeking because we have the eternal answers they are looking for. There is a real need for Christian education at a basic foundational level because that is where seekers, children, and many Christians are at in their spiritual lives.

However, it is important for all of us to move from seeker to “soaker”. A disciple immerses him or herself in the Teacher’s words. A soaking follower is familiar enough with Scripture to speak words of faith and hope. A Scripture soaked individual knows and shows the God we believe in.

Please continue to invite seekers to Peace. Walk the journey with them through basic Bible classes. Then challenge them and yourself to continue to soak in God’s Word through a number of Bible classes or small groups that strive to deepen, stretch and equip believers for discipleship in this world.

Classes for all ages and stages are held year-round at Peace. This Fall be watching for new Bible studies and opportunities to soak and grow, to be all that God has set us apart to be in this time and place. If you have comments or questions regarding adult ministries, small groups, areas of service, or membership at Peace, please call.

See you in Church,
Polly Wegner, Dir. of Discipleship
pwegner@peacelutheran.net
303-424-4454

Peace In the Community Feedback

The initiative "Peace in the Community" concluded Easter Sunday, as we encouraged Peace members to take their small groups, board meetings, and other church-related activities out into the community for the month before Easter, inviting others around them to Peace's Holy week worship opportunities. We would like to hear stories of your experiences as you invited people to worship with us during Holy Week. We had many visitors on Sunday and some of them were here because you asked them. Your stories will encourage others to step out in faith and invite someone to church, so tell us about it!

How Valuable are You?

“You have been bought and paid for by Christ, so you belong to Him –
be free now from all these earthly prides and fears.” 1 Corinthians 7:23

How much do you think you’re worth? Not your net worth but your self worth. Don’t ever confuse your valuables with your value as a person. What determines value is what Someone is willing to pay for it. You have been bought and paid for by Christ. How much does that make you worth? The Bible says you belong to God. God exchanged His own Son for you! The cross proves your value. Jesus didn’t die for junk. You are incredibly valuable. Nobody has ever paid a greater price than God paid for you. Luther said it this way: “All this He does only out of fatherly, divine goodness and mercy, without any merit or worthiness in me. For all this it is my duty to thank and praise, serve and obey Him. This is most certainly true.”

Happy Easter,
Polly Wegner
Director of Discipleship

Introduction to Christian Spirituality

Generally speaking, spirituality is looked upon favorably by our culture today. We humans recognize that we are more than mere physical matter that exists in this human form for a brief amount of time only to return to the Earth when we die. We sense that there is a deeper, spiritual part to who we are; a part that can’t be seen, heard touched or measured, and yet is essential to making us who we are; a part that continues to exist even after our hearts stop pumping blood through our arteries and veins; a part that connects us to a spiritual something or someone who is beyond this world. Different people have different ideas of who or what this something or someone is – the big man upstairs, the spirit in the sky, extraterrestrials, Allah, God, the “force” – but the one thing that all would agree upon is that this spiritual something or someone is behind everything that is going on in this world, and that in order for us to reach our full potential as humans, it is essential that we are in some sort of relationship with this someone or something.
Recently I spoke with a girl who shared with me that she had planned to go on a three week fast during which she would only drink water. Three weeks! That’s a long fast! When I asked her why she desired to do so she told me (and I’m paraphrasing here) that she needed to figure out some things in her life and that this fast would give her an opportunity to do some soul searching. She seemed to be implying that by performing this spiritual discipline (fasting as a practice is based upon the idea that there is more to us than our flesh and bones which require food for sustenance – a spiritual side.) she would be able to look inside herself and find answers to her life problems. Popular spirituality often focuses on the power within, self-actualization, self-enrichment and self-empowerment through the proper spiritual exercises. However, this view is a quite different from Christianity’s view of spirituality.
Now I am by no means opposed to an individual taking time to be introspective and look within. In fact, I believe this is a crucial part of Christian spirituality. But where I believe popular spirituality differs from Christian spirituality is in what one expects to find when they do this soul searching. Popular spirituality looks for answers and spiritual power from within, but Christian spirituality is very skeptical of anything our soul tells us. As Jeremiah 17:9 says, “The heart is deceitful above all things.” Why this drastic difference? Why does the Bible promote such a seemingly pessimistic view of the human soul/heart? It’s because of the understanding that humans in and of themselves are spiritually corrupt – that ever since the fall into sin the human heart has been the source of evil, not holiness (Mark 7:14-23). Spiritual power in the Christian view is a gift to be received from without – from Jesus and the Holy Spirit who come to us through God’s Word.
With this being the case, why is it beneficial for an individual to look inward? Because when one looks within and compares their heart/soul to the standard set by God in His Word, he sees his own wretchedness and is shown the importance of looking to He who is the source of spiritual power and enlightenment – Jesus and His Word. Christian spirituality begins, continues and ends with Jesus.
As I continue with this series on Christian spirituality I hope to show how God uses various spiritual disciplines such as prayer, meditation and fasting to give us His spiritual power and wisdom.

Peace in the Community Intro

Starting Sunday, March 20th and continuing for the month leading up to Easter, Peace launches a new venture called Peace in the Community. The idea behind Peace in the Community is quite simple – we would like for as many of our ministries as possible to conduct their regularly scheduled meeting time somewhere in the community. Do you have a Bible study that usually meets at Peace on Sunday mornings? How about meeting at a local coffee house? Do you have a small group that ordinarily meets in a home? How about a local restaurant? Or what about a board meeting at a local pub (Just like Lay Ministry did in January!)? This is a simple and effective way for Peace to be a Christian presence to the world around us. There will be fliers promoting Peace’s Holy Week events available in the office so that when your group goes into the community you can easily invite those you encounter (and maybe the next people to visit the table you were at?) to our worship services. We strongly encourage you to participate with us being Peace in the Community this year. Be creative with the places you choose to go and be sure to share your stories with the church office. God bless you as you serve as a light to the world!

Coming Up Sunday, February 6, 2011

Time to take off the floaties...

Recently, as this Texas girl has been learning to ski, I’ve had some flashbacks to some of my earliest memories, especially where my parents were trying to teach me something, such as how to ride a bike or how to swim. As my husband waits patiently for me to carefully (therefore, slowly and timidly) make my way down a run skiing, I think back to my parents and learning how to swim. I would start on one end and they would be a few feet away, slowly backing up so I would have to swim a little farther each time, but never too far that if I started to freak out they wouldn’t be right there to catch me. Skiing’s the same way now, 20 years later. Now (even as much as I want to) I don’t ski between someone’s legs or on a rope to guide me like the little kids do, I do have to experience it on my own, or else I'll never get it. Andy waits for me, skiing a little farther and farther down so I don’t stop, but keep going instead. Yet, even though he is challenging me in my fear (heading straight down a mountain going 100mph), if I were to fall or something, he would be right there to help me up.   Just knowing that helps in my confidence to even try.

Crazy enough, God is the exact same way, but even more so. He so desires us to have this incredible life and relationship with Him. Throughout our life situations and circumstances he is pushing us and breaking us to bring us closer to him. It seems so hard at times, like the end goal is impossible. We just want to quit – give up. We don’t want to go on, because really, is it even worth it? God however, is standing right there as the ultimate parent, the ultimate Savior.  We may fall, yes, but he is right there to pick us back up and tell us to keep going. He sustains us. He gives us strength. He allows us to carry on, even when the “impossible” looms in front of us.

^“11 I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. ¹² I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. ¹³ I can do all this through him who gives me strength.” 

Phil. 4:11-13

May our God of salvation, strength and contentment be ever so present in your lives, so that you may rejoice in his ultimate comfort and provision. 

Coming up Sunday, January 30, 2011

Coming up Sunday, January 23, 2011

"See I am doing a new thing."

“Forget the former things;
do not dwell on the past.
See I am doing a new thing!
Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the desert
and streams in the wasteland…
To give drink to My people, My chosen,
the people I formed for Myself
that they may proclaim My praise.”
Isaiah 43:18-21

This Bible verse caught my eye for a couple reasons:

1. Especially at New Year, I get excited for new beginnings and the thought of leaving the past in the past.
2. At Peace there always seem s to be a sense of change in the air, not change regarding our Unchangeable God, but new spins on presenting the eternal Word and engaging believers in living out our faith.

“New” often means challenging and risky. I am a traditional girl myself and change is hard and sometimes uncomfortable for me. But if a new change will reach those not being reached by the church today, if it means my children’s peers and my grandchildren’s friends will know Jesus, then I welcome change for their sakes. I already know my Savior… they don’t. Might a new change be God’s way of “making streams in the wasteland to give drink to His people”?

Whether we are a person who embraces new things as exciting opportunities, or a person who dreads even more change and what it will mean in our life, (I’m a little of both), we all can agree that God leads or allows new situations in life. “See I am doing a new thing.” Sometimes it brings fear and discomfort. Sometimes it brings hope and confidence. But each new path has been lovingly and carefully chosen for us to take by a God who knows our today and our tomorrow. Can we walk with trust the new path He bought us to? I hope so.

Polly Wegner
Dir. of Discipleship

Coming Up Sunday January 16, 2011

Coming Up Sunday January 9, 2011