Take A Closer Look

On a clear evening, away from the city streetlights and glare, I witnessed a beautiful sight. Looking up into the evening sky I saw dozens of stars twinkling in the darkness. As my eyes adjusted to the light, those dozens became hundreds ... there were more stars than could be counted. Looking closely, I noticed that that the sky almost had more white than black. The beauty of the stars was dazzling.

This experience speaks to a simple but great truth about life: the closer you look the more you see. It is a principle that can be applied to the community of faith.

Take Morning Star, for example. At first glance one might see a building, and attractive building both inside and out. Looking more closely you’d notice that it is a gathering place for babies and toddlers daily in a PreSchool and Child Care Center and a place of worship on Saturday evenings and Sunday mornings. Keeping a close eye on things, you’d soon notice that there are a variety of meetings, gathering and programs for youngsters, youth and adults. And you would notice that it is a place where laughter and tears are shared.

A close look would reveal something else. Morning Star isn’t a perfect place. Depending on your point of view it’s too small or too large, too traditional or too modern, too demanding or filled with too many sinners. If fact, some people see so much imperfection it gets written off as a bad deal altogether.

Now look closer, much closer, maybe even magnifying glass close. Morning Star is a Christian community gathered in the name of Jesus Christ. It is the place where believers are most likely to encounter God in action. In good times, it is a place of celebration. In tougher times, it is a place of support and prayer. It tragic times, it is the only place that offers a message of true hope. The mission and ministry of Morning Star is founded on a commitment to offer something that everyone needs: a sense of God’s presence and power, forgiveness and love.

Certainly, the church has many critics. But on the other hand the Church of Jesus Christ has no rivals.

Take a closer look and you can see it for yourself.

GOING WITH THE FLOW:

Life is a canoe trip down a rushing stream.
You can’t turn back, though you long to do so.
You can only move with the current, churning and splashing along.
But how I would like to back up stream and take another look at that breath taking view of mountain peaks, or back to that spot where the water is calm in a pond created by a family of beavers.
How I would like to get back upstream to the point before the canoe overturned and drenched me and I had to pull it up to shore and bail it out.
Back up stream, knowing in advance where the whirlpools and eddies are and the hidden rock that lie waiting to ram my shinny craft.

But life flows on.
And I must go with the flow.
Go with the openness and flexibility to what life brings.

Going with the flow is risk.
I never know when there may be another capsize.
Or even when the trip will be ended by a rock punching a hole in my craft.
But that’s the thrill of it all.
The life and death struggle to keep afloat and moving with the flow.

Moving along, the stream get broader.
I become more skillful in maneuvering the craft of life.
Going with the flow, I discover there are even more thrilling views, views never imagined.
The serendipity of it all is almost too much.
I hadn’t planned on passing through a meadow blazing with spring flowers.
Or seeing a proud buck brazing in the distance.
Or an eagle soaring overhead.
These are the extras of life.
Things I didn’t earn.
Things I didn’t count on
Things I don’t deserve.
They are gifts.
Gifts from the Giver.

I know not what lies ahead.
But I know I must go with the flow.
And I would not turn back upstream.
No. Not really, even if I had the chance.
For there are too many challenges.
Too many thrills to lure me on.
And on.
And on.
by Perry H. Biddle Jr.

New Opportunity for "Financial Literacy":

In the middle of money meltdowns, tensions over financial policies and debt ceilings and the growing number of bankruptcies, it would appear that there is a high degree of need for personal "financial literacy."

Dave Ramsey is a well know leader in this area. He is the guy with solid information about handling money responsibly, avoiding debt, and practicing generosity. His books are New York Times bestsellers, and his radio program carries the challenge of financial accountability to millions of people every day. Some of you have studied his Financial Peace University classes - and wished you had learned the basics years ago. Before you got married. Before you bought a too-expensive car on a too-meager salary.

Some folks had a vision of presenting the Ramsey materials via qualified academics and for college credit to entice young men and women to study principles of financial management early enough in life that it will make a difference for a lifetime.

The result is that Dave Ramsey's Foundations in Personal Finance is being offered online--for college credit. The seven-week course offers three credits that can be transferred to any accredited college or university.

This concept should have an appeal to high school juniors and seniors who want to get off to an early start on college credits. It should have an appeal to bring young people who want to add to their elective credits. It should have an appeal for parents who want to equip thier children with solid information they can build on for life. For both college students and even for high school juniors and seniors who can get early college credit for their effort.

The hope is that this effort creates the potential for making a life-changing difference for thousands of young people.

Check out http://rc.edu/daveramsey.

Help someone learn financial literacy.

And, if you're interested in a Dave Ramsey Financial University at Morning Star, please let me know. We have individuals who are qualified to help us host one.

Bridge to Heaven:

Several have asked for the final slide in my Sunday Sermon. Here it is. It is also in my sermon posted under "Sermons" on the Morning Star Website.
Enjoy the inspiration!

August 2011 "Sketchings"

“GOING THE DISTANCE!!”

Remember the story of the tortoise and the hare? It involves a challenge thrown down by the hare for a race between himself and the tortoise. Of course, it seems like a sure bet that the rabbit is going to win. Speed is not the main asset of a turtle. So when the race begins the rabbit takes off. The hare is so far out in front. His confidence is beaming. The race surely has already been won. So the hare decides take a break, to step out of the action and to take a nap.

But things are far from over. The race hasn’t been won. The tortoise doesn’t stop but plods on with the slow, methodical, deliberate steps that are his forte. He’s in this race to win. He knows that in order to win he must plod on, step after step. You know the end of the story. The turtle proves victorious over the over-confident and foolish rabbit.

This story can be an image of our Christian walk. Our getting to the end means faithfulness in our following of Jesus Christ. It means persistence in staying in the race with our fullest effort. It means keeping our eyes on God’s vision for us and refusing to let circumstances determine the outcome.

Now let me follow that by saying that our goal as Christians is to grow our faith and confidence and trust so that we can keep going. The “prize” that we’re after is the high honor of serving our God out of the deep roots of faith that join us to Jesus, the Christ. Our dream victory is simply being faithful step by step over the long haul to the calling we have to become more and more like the Spirit of God that fills us.

If we’re intent on doing that, we have some steps to take to get going. If we’re going to move from standing still and getting this “race of faith” underway, we need to deal with those old familiar, “who, what, where, when and why” questions.

Right now, I’d say, that the most difficult of those questions before us is the “when” question. As individuals, and perhaps ever as a congregation, we have all kinds of thoughts about where to go; what to do; with whom to do it and why. But in order to get out of the box, up to the starting line and on the way, it is the “when” question that has to be figured out. When is the word of procrastination. When is the element called indecision. When, when put into motion, is the door through which we will need to pass if we are to move from where we are today to where we want to be tomorrow. When is the key question to be answered before we can be fully on the road toward the “prize” of faithfulness in our calling as children of God.

When is a serious question as we consider our relationship with Jesus the Christ. When is a serious question as we plod along step by step through life. When is a serious question in putting down deep roots of faith.

When are you going to get back to consistent regular worship with God’s family? When are you going to break the habit of sitting at home with the Sunday paper and a cup of coffee? When are you going to get things straight in terms of generosity and really being a good steward of the resources God has given you to manage? When is Christ going to truly become the captain of your life? When is prayer going to become as natural as breathing and as frequent as your next breath? When will you finally decide that you’ve waited long enough on the fringes of the Christian life (the hare’s nap???) and that it’s finally time to jump in with both feet and see what Jesus Christ wants to really do in and through you for the rest of your life? When are you going to start to take seriously the responsibility you have as a partner and member of the Body of Christ where all parts must work together for Christ’s work to be done in mission and ministry.

As far as your relationship with Jesus Christ, when is a question you need to take seriously. When is Christ going to truly become the captain of your life? When is prayer going to be something as natural as breathing and as frequent as your next breath? When will you finally decide that you’ve waited on the fringes of the Christian life long enough and that it’s finally time to jump in with both feet and see what Jesus Christ wants to really do with the rest of your life?

Answer the “when” question with Christ and you will begin to see some exciting things happen as you move faithful step by faithful step along the road St. Paul calls the “race (of faith) that is set before us.” Exciting things will start to happen for all of us because you’ve made a new commitment to the work of the Body of Christ and our movement toward the “prize” of mission and ministry. Exciting things will start to appear as we persist in not being detoured by circumstances, but only focusing on God’s work through our hands in mission and ministry.

Joining you in the race!

T. O. M.

Invitation to shared book reading

At the meeting on Monday, July11, the Morning Star Congregational Council agreed to read the book "Power Surge: Six Marks of Discipleship for a Changing Church" by Michael Foss. Our goal is to have some outside perspectives to guide discussion our discussion. Our hope is to have a common point of reference as we face how Morning Star is affected by the changing landscape of North American religion. This common "book club" activity" will provide a common perspective in order that our planning, discussions and actions can be more proactive than reactive.

Anyone is invited to join in the reading process. We'll be reading a couple of chapters a month. When we are all done, there is likely to be a congregational discussion for all who have read the book. And, as always, you can share your responses, ideas and opinions in the "comments" section of this blog.

You can find the book on line (even in Kindle format). Amazon.com also has some used copies available.

Happy reading!

The Role of Clergy:

Another area of change in the fact of North American religion has to do with the role of clergy. During the era of North American Religion (the era that most people over 40 grew up in), clergy tended to have three roles: chaplain, scholar, and part of the authority structure of the town or community. Note that neither “leader” nor “congregational leader” is on the list.

As the era of North American religion draws to a close, however, and as we seek to shape a new era, clergy take on roles that have strong leadership components in order to equip congregational disciples to identify and make progress in facing the most pressing problems and deepest challenges. Furthermore, clergy are teachers of the faith and mentors in faith development for the larger faith community.
As we move further into a new era, more and more ministry will be carried out by well equipped disciples freeing clergy to equip, train and mentor those whose lives are being molded and transformed by God’s Spirit.

In the new era, the church will begin to more closely reflect the Biblical (particularly Acts 2) norm of ministry – believers tending to believers thereby living out the principle of “the priesthood of all believers.”