As we at the Rochester Church strive to explore what it means to be a community, I am about to embark on a new adventure that I am inviting the families in my ministry to join with me. I want to be more intentional about engaging in dialogue about how God is working in our lives individually and as a community.
One of the ways I will be doing this is by sending out an email to several members of our ministry every week with the following question:
“What is God doing in your life today?”
All I ask is that they respond to the email. They can answer with a sentence or write a number of paragraphs. I will also ask whether if it’s ok for me to share the responses. Unless they request otherwise, any responses I am allowed to share will be anonymous and I will change any necessary details to keep them that way.
We usually don’t have a problem talking about our school activities, our hobbies, our sports teams, and other parts of our lives. For some reason, our conversations are generally absent of discussions about how God is moving in us, around us, and among us.
I will be sending these emails to parents and students. I will typically not email two members of the same family in the same week. I want to hear from as many people as possible.
In Mark 5, Jesus encounters a demon-possessed man and commands the demons out of him. After this happens, we see the following interaction between Jesus and the man:
As he was getting into the boat, the man who had been possessed with demons begged him that he might be with him. And he did not permit him but said to him, "Go home to your friends and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you." And he went away and began to proclaim in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him, and everyone marveled. (Mark 5:18-20)
I hope our families join in the conversation as we seek to go to our friends and tell them how much the Lord has done for us, and how he has had mercy on us.
shine!
Jason
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Singing with the big kids
I am cleaning up my emails and came across something I wanted to share. A group of teens led Kids' Worship earlier this Fall. The younger children at church go to Kids' Worship during the sermon in what I fondly call "Big Church."
I wanted to share some feedback we received from a few parents of the children who were in that Kids' Worship:
"I just read your note about the teen praise team that led our youngsters in kids worship last week. I was finally able to make sense of some of the conversations I’ve had with my 3 year old! I just wanted to let you know that he LOVED it! He has talked about the “big kids singing the same songs we do in big worship” for two days! "
"Just wanted to let you know that EmmaKate really enjoyed the "singing with the big kids" on Sunday. She mentioned it a couple of times throughout the day. She also told me that she would be able to sing to the little kids when she "gets bigger".
So often, I think teenagers fail to realize how much younger children look up to them. That can be a blessing or a curse.
From the comments above, it's obvious that something as simple as leading worship for children can have a huge positive impact. Both children talked about the impact of what the teenagers were doing. One even commented that he wanted to follow their example.
Unfortunately, that desire to follow their lead isn't limited to good examples. If they see teenagers doing things like texting during worship or treating adults disrespectfully, they will often seek to emulate that as well.
I am proud of our teenagers for the example they set for the children at our church in Kids' Worship. This is a good time for teenagers (and adults as well) to remember that "little eyes" are often watching us. What we say and do has an impact. We should live every moment like someone is watching.
shine!
Jason
I wanted to share some feedback we received from a few parents of the children who were in that Kids' Worship:
"I just read your note about the teen praise team that led our youngsters in kids worship last week. I was finally able to make sense of some of the conversations I’ve had with my 3 year old! I just wanted to let you know that he LOVED it! He has talked about the “big kids singing the same songs we do in big worship” for two days! "
"Just wanted to let you know that EmmaKate really enjoyed the "singing with the big kids" on Sunday. She mentioned it a couple of times throughout the day. She also told me that she would be able to sing to the little kids when she "gets bigger".
So often, I think teenagers fail to realize how much younger children look up to them. That can be a blessing or a curse.
From the comments above, it's obvious that something as simple as leading worship for children can have a huge positive impact. Both children talked about the impact of what the teenagers were doing. One even commented that he wanted to follow their example.
Unfortunately, that desire to follow their lead isn't limited to good examples. If they see teenagers doing things like texting during worship or treating adults disrespectfully, they will often seek to emulate that as well.
I am proud of our teenagers for the example they set for the children at our church in Kids' Worship. This is a good time for teenagers (and adults as well) to remember that "little eyes" are often watching us. What we say and do has an impact. We should live every moment like someone is watching.
shine!
Jason
Stuck in the middle trying to figure it out
This is a powerful highlight clip from last week's episode of Law & Order where they deal head on with the issue of abortion (You'll have to sit through a brief commercial first):
Saturday, October 24, 2009
An uncommon promise and common people
Last Sunday in our Student Spiritual Formation class we discussed Jesus’ genealogy. Our primary text was Luke’s genealogy, but we also used Matthew’s. It was interesting to hear some of the things our students observed during this study. Here are a few that I remember:
Even in something that may seem boring to many, there are a lot of things we can learn about God. In the few verses of Jesus’ genealogy we learn some important lessons. We learn that God is faithful and keeps His promises. In Genesis 3:15, God said to the serpent, “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head,?and you shall bruise his heel.” In Genesis 15:5, God told Abraham, “Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them. So shall your offspring be.”
In addition to His faithfulness, we learn that God can work through common people to accomplish His purposes. Even people who feel like they have messed up are important in God’s Kingdom. From prostitutes to adulteresses to unknown ancestors, God used a variety of people to fulfill his promises. Imagine what God can do through us if we look to Him and allow ourselves to be a part of His unfolding story.
shine!
Jason
Luke starts with Jesus and works back to Adam, and eventually God. Matthew, on the other hand, starts with Abraham and works forward to Jesus. We talked about the significance of how Luke traces Jesus’ lineage all the way back to the original man while Matthew starts with the man to whom God made promise that found fulfillment in Jesus. Luke seems to pointing towards the importance of Jesus as the Savior of all mankind, while Matthew wants to remind his readers about Jesus fulfilling the promise made to Abraham.
There are 77 people in Luke’s geneaology while Matthew has three groups of fourteen. We noted that the number seven was significant to the Jewish people as a symbol of perfection. If it’s more than coincidence, Luke seems to be saying that Jesus is perfect perfection by the use of 77 people. Matthew has three groups of double perfection. One of the students even commented about the seven days of creation.
We also noticed that Luke’s genealogy simply gave people’s names, while Matthew often provides a description of who he is talking about. Several of those descriptions point out the women in Matthew’s genealogy (none of whom appear in Luke). We find mention of Tamar (a woman who became pregnant after she posed as a prostitute to have sex with her father-in-law), Rahab (a prostitute), Ruth (a Moabite), and the wife of Uriah (Bathsheba, who committed adultery with King David).
Even in something that may seem boring to many, there are a lot of things we can learn about God. In the few verses of Jesus’ genealogy we learn some important lessons. We learn that God is faithful and keeps His promises. In Genesis 3:15, God said to the serpent, “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head,?and you shall bruise his heel.” In Genesis 15:5, God told Abraham, “Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them. So shall your offspring be.”
In addition to His faithfulness, we learn that God can work through common people to accomplish His purposes. Even people who feel like they have messed up are important in God’s Kingdom. From prostitutes to adulteresses to unknown ancestors, God used a variety of people to fulfill his promises. Imagine what God can do through us if we look to Him and allow ourselves to be a part of His unfolding story.
shine!
Jason
Saturday, October 17, 2009
A week of reading
This past week on vacation, I had the opportunity to read five books. I wanted to share with you something I learned from each book.
Raising Boys to Be Like Jesus by Sharon Norris Elliott
I was reminded of the importance of relationships. Throughout this book, the author consistently focused on the importance of character in the midst of relationships. Whether it was his relationship with his mother, his father, or others he encountered, we see an integrity and character that we all should strive for in our lives.
Have a Little Faith by Mitch Albom
Faith is more than belief; faith is action. Whether it’s a Rabbi who dedicated his entire life to one community in New Jersey, or a drug dealer and convict turned pastor, who pours his life into a ministry to the homeless in Detroit, faith is something we must live out. I was reminded that God works through the most unlikely people and faith is more about God than it is about us.
A Brief History of the Future by Jacques Attali
History repeats itself. Never before has this fact been so reinforced as it was in this book. As the author reviewed history and speculated about the next century or so, his insights (some of which are already unfolding) reminded me that history is cyclical. There is much to learn about our future by examining our past.
A Same Kind of Different as Me by Ron Hall & Denver Moore
Prejudice is alive and well I our country. While things are improving, people still judge others by the way they look. Whether it’s skin color, clothing, or the way we speak, we often jump to conclusions about someone before we get to know them. In this book, I was reminded that some of God’s greatest blessings come from our diversity and willingness to listen to those unlike us. As a rich art dealer and a homeless man develop a rich, warm relationship, God is able to work in incredible ways.
For One More Day by Mitch Albom
You never know the last time you will talk to someone you love. Life takes strange twists and throws us curveballs. We should cherish every moment and treat it like it could be our last. Life is too short to waste time and relationships are too valuable to neglect.
This was a diverse stack of books, but each challenged me in a different way to live life more fully. May God call you to do the same.
shine!
Jason
Raising Boys to Be Like Jesus by Sharon Norris Elliott
I was reminded of the importance of relationships. Throughout this book, the author consistently focused on the importance of character in the midst of relationships. Whether it was his relationship with his mother, his father, or others he encountered, we see an integrity and character that we all should strive for in our lives.
Have a Little Faith by Mitch Albom
Faith is more than belief; faith is action. Whether it’s a Rabbi who dedicated his entire life to one community in New Jersey, or a drug dealer and convict turned pastor, who pours his life into a ministry to the homeless in Detroit, faith is something we must live out. I was reminded that God works through the most unlikely people and faith is more about God than it is about us.
A Brief History of the Future by Jacques Attali
History repeats itself. Never before has this fact been so reinforced as it was in this book. As the author reviewed history and speculated about the next century or so, his insights (some of which are already unfolding) reminded me that history is cyclical. There is much to learn about our future by examining our past.
A Same Kind of Different as Me by Ron Hall & Denver Moore
Prejudice is alive and well I our country. While things are improving, people still judge others by the way they look. Whether it’s skin color, clothing, or the way we speak, we often jump to conclusions about someone before we get to know them. In this book, I was reminded that some of God’s greatest blessings come from our diversity and willingness to listen to those unlike us. As a rich art dealer and a homeless man develop a rich, warm relationship, God is able to work in incredible ways.
For One More Day by Mitch Albom
You never know the last time you will talk to someone you love. Life takes strange twists and throws us curveballs. We should cherish every moment and treat it like it could be our last. Life is too short to waste time and relationships are too valuable to neglect.
This was a diverse stack of books, but each challenged me in a different way to live life more fully. May God call you to do the same.
shine!
Jason
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Submission and respect
Why do we have such a hard time with submission? It is a lack of respect?
It seems like our society is replete with people who don’t respect others. Think about the number of marriages destroyed because of a lack of respect. People illegally download music off the Internet, stealing it from musicians who invest their life in making music. Students cheat in school showing a lack of respect for teachers and themselves. Television, from reality shows to dramas to sitcoms, shows people treating each other with disrespect.
Paul has some advice for Christ-followers struggling with respect…
Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.
Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands.
Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, because we are members of his body. "Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh." This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband. (Ephesians 5:16-33)
Relationships are built on the foundation of respect. Respect for covenant and for the other person. This is the foundation of Christ’s love for the church.
Love and respect go together. Whether it’s a parent, a friend, or a spouse, love and respect are essential to a lasting and healthy relationship. Without them, relationships will struggle to survive.
shine!
Jason
It seems like our society is replete with people who don’t respect others. Think about the number of marriages destroyed because of a lack of respect. People illegally download music off the Internet, stealing it from musicians who invest their life in making music. Students cheat in school showing a lack of respect for teachers and themselves. Television, from reality shows to dramas to sitcoms, shows people treating each other with disrespect.
Paul has some advice for Christ-followers struggling with respect…
Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.
Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands.
Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, because we are members of his body. "Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh." This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband. (Ephesians 5:16-33)
Relationships are built on the foundation of respect. Respect for covenant and for the other person. This is the foundation of Christ’s love for the church.
Love and respect go together. Whether it’s a parent, a friend, or a spouse, love and respect are essential to a lasting and healthy relationship. Without them, relationships will struggle to survive.
shine!
Jason
Friday, October 09, 2009
Remembering Bill
This week a number of my friends are gathering in eastern Ohio to celebrate the life and mourn the death of a servant of God. Bill Covan, who was 66, passed away Tuesday morning, September 29, 2009, from complications following open heart surgery.
Bill served as the minister for the Struthers Church of Christ. I knew him as one of the co-directors for Senior Week at Northeast Ohio Christian Youth Camp.
There are a few things I will always remember about Bill...
His smile. As soon as Bill saw you, his face greeted you before you said a word. His smile would speak volumes and you could feel his warm, sincere love from a distance. I'll miss that smile.
His sense of humor. Bill was a jokester. He was always good at making you laugh or getting into mischief.
His love for teenagers. There was never a doubt in my mind that he loved every teenager at camp. You could see in his eyes that there was a deep compassion. Some of what I learned about loving teenagers, I learned from Bill Covan.
His love for God. Bill was a man after God's own heart. His smile, his sense of humor, and his love for teenagers were all products of his love for God. Bill was a conduit for God. He not only preached God's love; he lived it.
Bill and I didn't agree on everything, but we agreed on the things that matter most: love God and love others. This philosophy defines Bill Covan. Once you met him, you knew this was a man who was serious about following Jesus.
The last time I saw Bill was this summer. He was doing what he loved doing, telling teenagers about God. I was visiting NOCYC and Bill was speaking that evening. You could see the pure joy as his smile, his humor, his love for teenagers, and his love for God were all there.
Bill has touched countless number of lives, and I am blessed to be one of them. He will be missed, but his mark will carry on into eternity.
shine!
Jason
Bill served as the minister for the Struthers Church of Christ. I knew him as one of the co-directors for Senior Week at Northeast Ohio Christian Youth Camp.
There are a few things I will always remember about Bill...
His smile. As soon as Bill saw you, his face greeted you before you said a word. His smile would speak volumes and you could feel his warm, sincere love from a distance. I'll miss that smile.
His sense of humor. Bill was a jokester. He was always good at making you laugh or getting into mischief.
His love for teenagers. There was never a doubt in my mind that he loved every teenager at camp. You could see in his eyes that there was a deep compassion. Some of what I learned about loving teenagers, I learned from Bill Covan.
His love for God. Bill was a man after God's own heart. His smile, his sense of humor, and his love for teenagers were all products of his love for God. Bill was a conduit for God. He not only preached God's love; he lived it.
Bill and I didn't agree on everything, but we agreed on the things that matter most: love God and love others. This philosophy defines Bill Covan. Once you met him, you knew this was a man who was serious about following Jesus.
The last time I saw Bill was this summer. He was doing what he loved doing, telling teenagers about God. I was visiting NOCYC and Bill was speaking that evening. You could see the pure joy as his smile, his humor, his love for teenagers, and his love for God were all there.
Bill has touched countless number of lives, and I am blessed to be one of them. He will be missed, but his mark will carry on into eternity.
shine!
Jason
Tuesday, October 06, 2009
Harwell, Albom, and faith
This is a great testimony by Ernie Harwell, the 91-year-old former Detroit Tigers broadcaster who was recently diagnosed with incurable cancer.
Saturday, October 03, 2009
Living love
This past Wednesday in ARISE Connections, we focused on the importance of love in all relationships. Here is what we centered our thoughts on:
Love…
is patient
is kind
does not envy
does not boast
is not arrogant
is not rude
does not insist on its own way
is not irritable
is not resentful
does not rejoice at wrongdoing
rejoices with the truth
bears all things
believes all things
hopes all things
endures all things.
It was evident to me that the Holy Spirit was moving powerfully in some students’ lives Wednesday. If you were there Wednesday night, take a few minutes to review the list again and ask God to continue to move in you. Think about what you heard from God and ask yourself what you have changed or want to change in light of what you heard.
If you were not there, ask someone who was how God spoke to them. Consider the list above and ask yourself which aspects of love are the most difficult for you to live out in your life.
The reality is that we all struggle with embodying authentic, God-centered love. But the good news is that love doesn’t start with us. John writes, “We love because he first loved us.” (1 John 4:19)
Let’s rejoice in God’s love for us and share that love with those around us.
shine!
Jason
Love…
is patient
is kind
does not envy
does not boast
is not arrogant
is not rude
does not insist on its own way
is not irritable
is not resentful
does not rejoice at wrongdoing
rejoices with the truth
bears all things
believes all things
hopes all things
endures all things.
It was evident to me that the Holy Spirit was moving powerfully in some students’ lives Wednesday. If you were there Wednesday night, take a few minutes to review the list again and ask God to continue to move in you. Think about what you heard from God and ask yourself what you have changed or want to change in light of what you heard.
If you were not there, ask someone who was how God spoke to them. Consider the list above and ask yourself which aspects of love are the most difficult for you to live out in your life.
The reality is that we all struggle with embodying authentic, God-centered love. But the good news is that love doesn’t start with us. John writes, “We love because he first loved us.” (1 John 4:19)
Let’s rejoice in God’s love for us and share that love with those around us.
shine!
Jason
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