Constraints?

I was talking with my buddy/co-worker, Pete, the other day. We were talking about a local congregation that is aging, no new members, beginning to feel financial strain, and is starting to question the need for their continued existence. Within the context of this conversation, Pete says to me, "Every congregation has to define, for itself, the meaning of success." As I thought about this, it occurred to me that this challenge is as relevant (if not more so) for growing congregations as it is for ones decreasing. So I'm asking for your thoughts: How do we at Sunshine define success? Please attempt to avoid generalized (sappy) responses like, "Do the will of God" or "Love the world", etc.

As we are seriously considering a major building project, there is a great opportunity for us all to take a moment to refocus. What is our place in God's great work? How has God uniquely equipped us as a group to function within our community? In what ways are we responding well to the Spirit's leading (what ways poorly)? If God has a Plan and God has the Power to execute said Plan, then what constrains us from a greater participation in His work? For example-the need to build a larger facility indicates a recognition that our present facilities are a constraint.

What are your thoughts?

A Quote From Beth Moore

"Your life and mine will be well lived and greatly influential if we
simply ask God to empower us to do that for which we were created."

Are You A Good Person?

Click on this link and answer a few questions to find out. Very interesting!

http://www.livingwaters.com/good/

Interested in your thoughts-

In a few weeks, meetings for the Scioto County Ministerial Association will resume. The September meeting features a guest speaker from the ecumenical organization, Churches Uniting in Christ. I cannot remember her name but I understand she holds a prominent position therefore it promises to be very interesting meeting.



The ecumenical movement involves the promotion of unity among diverse Christian groups/denominations, generally through the establishment of interdenominational organizations (e.g. World Council of Churches, in the present case- Churches Uniting in Christ).



Typically, CofC's do not think highly of ecumenical efforts. It is rare to find CofC ministers or elders involved in local ministerial associations/alliances. It simply is not an effort that we tend to think worthwhile, in fact, a good number of folks view it as counterproductive, even altogether wrong.



Why?-you ask (I know you're asking).



I believe the answer has to do with both skepticism and pride.



We are skeptical that such an effort could ever succeed. The first explanation I ever received about ecumenicism was as follows: Ecumenicism is when a bunch of churches get together and pare down their beliefs until they can all agree; what is left is not worth believing at all.



Pride comes from the unspoken notion that we have achieved a good measure of success restoring the NT church. Though no one would claim perfection, we tend to see ourselves as far closer to God's ideal than other Christian groups. So much so, we really have nothing to gain from any significant interaction with other "Christians". In fact, we run the risk of being negatively influenced by their beliefs and religious practices. [The above paragraph is a bit blunt- I am not saying many folks are actually this blatantly prideful, however, I do believe this prideful spirit is at play in the back of our collective mind]



What is lost in all this, is the quest for Unity. Unity is not highly valued in our fellowships. Historically speaking, we are the offspring of an effort for Christian unity. To once again place a high value on unity is to put pressure on other areas of conviction. Typically, students of CofC's note the contrast between the values of biblical authority and unity. In the earliest days of the Stone-Campbell Movement, both biblical authority and unity were highly valued, with unity being (arguably) the driving force.



In the present time, most CofC folks with whom I have interacted, tend to think of biblical authority and unity as competing agendas. To move toward greater acceptance of other "Christians" is to sacrifice important elements of biblical authority. We refuse to do that, therefore, unity is only possible if others become more like us.



If you have a history in CofC's, this tension between biblical authority and unity should ring familiar.

What are your thoughts thus far?

In 1 Corinthians 2:10 (NIV), Paul writes, "but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit."



This statement is made toward the end of Paul's contrasting of the wisdom of men versus the wisdom of God. Prior to this, Paul expressed disappointment in the fragmentation of the Corinthian church- folks claiming to be disciples of Paul, Peter, Apollos, or Christ. Following this segment on wisdom, Paul returns to the reality of a divided congregation, calling them worldly rather than spiritual and mere infants in Christ.



On the level of content, the Corinthians had exchanged the philosophies (wisdom) of the world for the gospel message, initially preached by Paul, later supplemented by men like Peter and Apollos. All is well- it would seem. However, at the level of process- a very different reality is evident.



Though the Corinthians were now working with Christian content- making use of Christian words and behavior. The overall manner of their interaction is not so different than prior to their acceptance of Christ. They are divided and very proud of their own particular nuance of the gospel message. They recognized slightly different emphases in the teachings of Paul versus Peter versus Apollos versus Christ. They aligned themselves with the particular expression that seemed most right and did not fully fellowship with the others. Paul takes great issue with this situation. The Corinthian church has reverted to the wisdom of the world despite engaging in strict use of Christian words and behaviors.



To back them out of this divisive situation, Paul reminds them of the circumstances of their conversion. He refers to the message he preached as "foolishness" to the Gentile worldview and "scandalous" to the Jewish worldview. His proclamation of the message was weak and fearful. Yet, against all odds, they believed. Paul is saying something like... I went down to the pond, made a poor cast with a boot tied to the end of my line- and caught a huge fish.



The power of God was a work in creating belief in the Corinthian hearers. This is what Paul means when he speaks of starting out in the Spirit. The message (by the Spirit) had mastered the hearers, creating belief and binding them together in fellowship. Unfortunately, over time, the Corinthians believers began to master the message, falling back into some old, familiar patterns of interaction. The end result being a fellowship no longer bound by the power of the Spirit but rather bound by the power of men.



All that is good about being a Christian, being a member of a congregation, is brought about by God's Spirit at work in us.

Guilt and Grace

by Max Lucado


Sometime ago I read a story of a youngster who was shooting rocks with a slingshot. He could never hit his target. As he returned to Grandma’s backyard, he spied her pet duck. On impulse he took aim and let fly. The stone hit, and the duck was dead. The boy panicked and hid the bird in the woodpile, only to look up and see his sister watching.

After lunch that day, Grandma told Sally to help with the dishes. Sally responded, “Johnny told me he wanted to help in the kitchen today. Didn’t you Johnny?” And she whispered to him, “Remember the duck!” So, Johnny did the dishes.

What choice did he have? For the next several weeks he was at the sink often. Sometimes for his duty, sometimes for his sin. “Remember the duck,” Sally’d whisper when he objected.

So weary of the chore, he decided that any punishment would be better than washing more dishes, so he confessed to killing the duck. “I know, Johnny,” his grandma said, giving him a hug. “I was standing at the window and saw the whole thing. Because I love you, I forgave you. I wondered how long you would let Sally make a slave out of you.”

He’d been pardoned, but he thought he was guilty. Why? He had listened to the words of his accuser.

You have been accused as well. You have been accused of dishonesty. You’ve been accused of immorality. You’ve been accused of greed, anger, and arrogance.

Every moment of your life, your accuser is filing charges against you. Even his name, Diabolos, means “slanderer.” Who is he? The devil.

As he speaks, you hang your head. You have no defense. His charges are fair. “I plead guilty, your honor,” you mumble.

“The sentence?” Satan asks.

“The wages of sin is death,” explains the judge, “but in this case the death has already occurred. For this one died with Christ.”

Satan is suddenly silent. And you are suddenly jubilant. You realize that Satan cannot accuse you. No one can accuse you! Fingers may point and voices may demand, but the charges glance off like arrows hitting a shield. No more dirty dishwater. No more penance. No more nagging sisters. You have stood before the judge and heard him declare, “Not guilty.”

Burning Bushes

by Shannon Ethridge

“When the LORD saw that he turned aside to look,
God called to him from the midst of the bush and said,
‘Moses, Moses!’ And he said, ‘Here I am.’” (Exodus 3:4)


When I was a junior in high school, I was involved in a deadly auto accident. On my third day of class, as I made the ten-mile drive to school, I took a minute to apply my lipstick using the rearview mirror to make sure I put it on straight. Turning my eyes back to the road, something passed in the periphery of my vision. I felt something bump my car and thought that I had accidentally hit a stray farm animal. A split second later I had the horrible, sinking stomach feeling that something much worse than a cow or goat had been hit.

I was undamaged, in part because I’d put on my seatbelt. Wearing a seatbelt was rare for me as a teenager, but something I’d thought to do that morning. Later inspection of my car showed that I had been miraculously protected.

Unfortunately, my worst fears were realized when I saw the curly headed woman lying face down in the grass beside a mangled bike. Once the paramedic arrived, after what seemed to be an endless wait, I was told she had died on impact.

Anguish, despair, guilt and condemnation washed over me for hour on end. This was someone’s daughter, sister, wife, mother and it was my fault that she died! I was raised in church. I believed in God. But how could I ever be forgiven for something like this?

Later that same evening I was told that the woman’s husband wanted me to come to his home the evening before his wife’s funeral. I was utterly terrified.

As I walked toward the home of Gary and Marjorie Jarstfer, I felt as though I was about to meet a firing squad. But instead of receiving harsh, unkind, unforgiving words I was scooped into the warmest embrace I could imagine. Gary and I wept together. Afterwards he told me what kind of woman Marjorie had been kind, gracious and a faithful believer in Christ.

Marjorie was a woman whose walk with the Lord was so close that she had been telling Gary that she knew she was going to be called home. I was amazed. I couldn’t imagine that kind of intimacy with God. I was further astounded when Gary told me that he was passing Marjorie’s legacy of being a godly woman on to me. His deeds in the years that followed proved the truth of his words to me: “I want you to love Jesus without limits, just like Marjorie did. I want you to let Him use you for His glory, Shannon.”

While I will never be glad of the accident, it was my burning bush experience. God gained my attention through impossible circumstances and held onto me with His love and mercy.

Like Moses, the Lord called and equipped someone who would never have imagined being in a place to do something wonderful for God.

Like me, Moses had been responsible for someone’s death. Moses fled to the desert only to experience a surprise encounter with the King of Kings. A bush that burned, yet was not consumed, caught Moses’ attention. He turned to God, was equipped to minister, sent back to the land of his people’s captivity, then led them to freedom.

God used something that had been tragic as a catalyst to bring Moses to a place where he had a divine encounter that changed the course of two entire nations. Israel was freed and Egypt lost its slaves.

As dramatic as Moses’ story is, your burning bush doesn’t have to be a tragic experience. It could be something as simple as the majesty of seeing a hawk soaring in the sky, the beauty of a sunset’s reflection in a lake or even the sound of a baby’s giggle. Whether profound and tragic or simply delightful, whatever turns your heart and mind to the Lord is your burning bush.


This Week
Ask the Lord to show you His perspective on the circumstances of your life. Look at them as “burning bush” experiences, and let the Lord turn your tragedies into areas of strength and ministry.

Prayer
“Lord, please help me to respond correctly to the attention-getting devices that you have allowed in my life. Turn my eyes to you, so that I love you without boundaries and walk fearlessly before you. Amen.”



This devotional is based on Shannon Ethridge’s testimony from
Completely His: Loving Jesus Without Limits.

God, Hear Their Prayers!

The following is a letter written by one of the family members of the 5 week old who died last week. The family is trying desparately to get the truth out there so I asked permission to post this letter here on the blog in the hopes to get more people praying and spread the truth according to the family.

Jennifer




Hello, Everyone,

We request your prayers for our family. We have had a horrible tragedy in our family and a travesty of justice which needs prayer. My cousin, Ashley (Huff) Ferguson and her husband Miles were on vacation in Myrtle Beach, a sort of family reunion with all the Ferguson family. They had a new baby Mylee Grace 5 weeks ago. Miles was in the hotel room with Mylee when she asperated (got food into her lungs/breathing area) and stopped breathing. He took the baby, running and screaming for help, to Ashley and the family outside, while trying to get her to breathe again. Ashley just graduated from nursing school and started CPR while they called the squad. Mylee was flown to Columbis, SC where she had no brain activity and was on life support. The hospital called the police because they felt it was shaken baby syndrome. The Horry County Sheriff's Dept. in Myrtle Beach came to the hospital and arrested Miles for assault and battery with intent to kill.Anyone who knows Miles and Ashley and all of the Huff and Ferguson families know that they are Christian families and the most kind, compassionate people in the world. Miles would NEVER do anything to harm anyone, much less his own daughter!!! The authorities have it all wrong. His mug shot is being shown and people are commenting on websites and news media that don't know him that he should be killed for murdering his daughter, who passed away yesterday.Our family is not sleeping at all and all of us are trying to find a way to right this grave wrong against a young man and family who are going through so, so much.

Please pray!!!!
Teresa

Work in Honduras

Hey everyone. Thanks for reading the two blogs I got to write in Honduras. Sorry it was only two. The computer lab at Baxter closed at 5 in the afternoon and we were rarely back before then. Anyway, I wanted to thank everyone again for their prayers for a safe and productive trip. Both prayers were answered. I just hope I gave something back to the people in Honduras of equal value of what I gained from them. I am not sure that is possible. I grew so much in a week there. We in the United States tend to put ourselves first, but there is something amazing about putting yourself into the position of a servant of God. Over the next few weeks, I am sure you will be hearing stories and seeing pictures of the trip from all of us, but let me give a rundown of the work we did in Honduras:

Thursday- Bagged food to be distributed

Friday/Saturday- Worked on a paved drive for the boys' home

Sunday- Attended church at Mateo/visited Valley of the Angels

Monday- built a house in Mateo for a single mother and her children/hung out with local kids

Tuesday- Worked at the church at Mateo/worked on building a septic tank for Mateo C of C

Wednesday- Completed a house near Mateo started by a group from Arkansas/worked at Mateo C of C the rest of the day

Thursday

Lord,

Continue to be with our group as they travel home. We pray that their flights and the drive home is safe. We pray that there are no or at least minimal delays, so that they can get home to see their loved ones. We thank you for their hearts and the work that has been accomplished in your name.

In Jesus' name we pray,

Amen

Wednesday Evening Prayer

God, bring our team home to us safely and full of your spirit. Make it so that the stories they have to tell us when they come home, stay with them forever and cause others to gain a desire to become missionaries.

Thank you so much for answering our prayers and especially the prayers concerning our missions team. We look forward to seeing their faces back in Ohio once again. We totally expect to see a little something different on those faces this time, though. Lord, we believe they've seen YOU while being busy for you. We are expecting to see a kind of radiance about them that only comes from being with you, Lord. How exciting?!

Thank you for loving us. Thank you for adopting us. Thank you for never leaving us!

In Jesus name we pray, Amen.