Galatians 6:9

"Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up."

Happy Independence Day!

"Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people he chose for his inheritance."  Psalm 33:12

What a great privilege it is to live in a nation in which we are free to practice our Christian faith, free from persecution and threats of violence, or worse.  This isn't so for tens of millions of people around the world. 

Liberty is a gift from God.  We are called to preserve and defend it for future generations.  "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."

May we always prove worthy of God's blessings for our lives and our nation.  May God continue to bless these United States of America!

Relationships: Like Jesus Does

"[...]Not only are relationships more important than money; they are also more important than tasks.  Jesus' life is filled with encounters that show how he balanced the needs of people and the tasks before him:

• While being pressured to hurry through the crowds to see Jairus's daughter, who was near death, Jesus stops to give a shy woman the opportunity to voice her faith (Mark 5:21-43)
• When the disciples tell some parents that Jesus' schedule won't allow time for their children to be in his presence, Jesus says, 'Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them' (Mark 10:14)
• Jesus and his disciples plan to get away from the crowd, only to have five thousand men meet them at their place of quiet retreat.  As the day gets late, the disciples show Jesus the logic of sending the people away to buy something to eat.  But Jesus says, 'You give them something to eat' (Mark 6:37)
• Jesus' disciples are shocked to find him taking the time to talk to a woman beside a well in Samaria (see John 4), because other teachers in Jesus' day thought themselves too important to speak to women in public.

- Tom Holladay, The Relationship Principles of Jesus (pp. 35-36)

Ask yourself today: How do the choices I make in my life compare to the choices Jesus made in his time on earth?  What do my choices say about how I value relationships?

What's Most Important?

"[...]One of the most noticeable things about Jesus' interactions with others is how people loved to ask him questions.  Crowds press in with questions; Jesus' disciples call him aside for questions; and those who disagree with Jesus try to trap him with questions.  It's easy to dislike this third group, and it often seems as though Jesus is wasting his time when talking with them.  Doesn't he know that their questions are just thinly veiled attempts to trick him into saying something they can use to accuse him?  Yet he patiently listens to their questions, and he answers them one by one.

This day the questions are coming fast and furious.  One group asks a question about paying taxes; another group launches into a series of questions about marriage.  Jesus' answers are brilliant and right to the heart, as always, but it seems that maybe it's time to move on and talk to some who are more open to what he has to say.  Then a teacher from the edge of the crowd asks a question with a slightly different tone.  There seems to be a genuineness to his question not heard from the others.  He simply asks, 'Of all the commandments, which is most important?'

In Jesus' answer is the most important statement about relationships you'll ever hear.  As Jesus speaks, he leaves no doubt as to the value he places on relationships:

'The most important [commandment] ... is this: ... Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your sould and with all your mind and with all your strength.  The second is this: Love your neighbor as yourself.'"  (Mark 12:28-34)

- Tom Holladay, The Relationship Principles of Jesus (pp. 25-26)

Got Relationships?

This month, our Bible study will be based on Tom Holladay's The Relationship Principles of Jesus (available for purchase here if you're interested!) to coincide with our series Got Relationships?  It's Complicated at Walnut St UMC.

Our meeting this month will be held Sunday, July 7 at 6 PM in the lounge.  Bring a friend!

Hebrews 4:16

"Let us then approach God's throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to to help us in our time of need."

Hebrews 13:8

"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever."

Back to the blog today after what has been a very hectic last few weeks.  We're going through a lot of changes right now - good changes (moving into our new house), but changes nonetheless.  Change equals activity and busy-ness.  Things have been crazy lately and I have to admit - I have not been as consistent in my daily Scripture reading as I would have liked to be.  I've been busy...maybe too busy?

This morning, I read Hebrews 13:8 - "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever."  What a great reminder - our timeless, eternal, unchanging King is always there for us; always waiting for our return with open arms when we've become distracted in our daily hustle.  We can be grateful for the rock-solid foundation His grace and love provide.  Always.

Ephesians 2:13

"But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ."

What Does Love Look Like?

"If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.  If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.  If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.  Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.  Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

[...]And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love."  1 Corinthians 13:1-7, 13

Walk On Purpose!

"The ways of the Lord are right; the righteous walk in them."  Hosea 14:9

"Give careful thought to the paths of your feet, and be steadfast in all your ways."  Proverbs 4:26

On Relationships

I know a guy whose friend Mark died last week at the age of 48 of a massive heart attack.  I knew Mark, though not well...he was more acquaintence than friend to me.  But I knew a little about him.  When I saw him, Mark was always smiling and laughing, and always quick with a joke.  He was a hard worker.  He was reliable and trustworthy.  He loved his family.  He was a good friend.

We were standing in the driveway talking to my friend the day after Mark died.  He was so clearly shaken and upset...he choked up several times talking about it.  One thing he told us really stood out to me.  He said, "Mark was such a friendly, nice person.  You could tell he really cared about people.  Sometimes I think that's why God put Mark in my life...I haven't always been that way."  I can relate.  Maybe you can too.

My wife and I went to Mark's calling hours last night.  Afterward, we agreed that the world would be a better place if there were more people like Mark in it.  I kept thinking about what my friend said...and how it applies to each of us.  God put us here, and God gave us relationships and each other.  What we do with these relationships is a sign of the strength of our Christian faith.  In his book The Relationship Principles of Jesus, Tom Holladay writes:

"[...]In the beginning, God created you for relationships.  He made you to relate to him and to others.  Miss out on relationships, and you're missing the core reason for which God put you on this planet.  And in the end, nothing is more important, because nothing will last longer than relationships.  Your relationships with God and others will last all the way into eternity..."

How perfect.  How true.  May it someday be said of each of us, "You could tell he (or she) really cared about people..."  This is such an important part of God's will for our lives.  One that we would be foolish to overlook.

"Jesus said, 'The first in importance is, ‘Listen, Israel: The Lord your God is one; so love the Lord God with all your passion and prayer and intelligence and energy.’ And here is the second: ‘Love others as well as you love yourself.’ There is no other commandment that ranks with these.'”  Mark 12:29-31 (MSG)

Tiffin Tower Cookout!

Here's a reminder to mark your calendar for Friday, June 14 from 5:30 to 7:30 PM for the Tiffin Tower cookout!  We'll take a grill, hot dogs, chips and water down the street to host a cookout for the residents.

More on this to come in the days to follow...

"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”  Acts 1:8