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Thinking about Nice this Morning After

7/15/2016

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Nice, France | Source: wikipedia
So, this is Nice, France [pronounced like "niece" for English speakers.].

One of the most beautiful places in the world. Also, one of the places in which one human being succumbed to the bestial nature to destroy many of its own species.  I  am again amazed at the direct import of this week's lectionary passages to our place and time:  
Psalm 52

1 Why do you boast, O mighty one, of mischief done against the godly?
All day long
2 you are plotting destruction. Your tongue is like a sharp razor, you worker of treachery.
3 You love evil more than good, and lying more than speaking the truth. Selah

4 You love all words that devour, O deceitful tongue.
5 But God will break you down forever; he will snatch and tear you from your tent; he will uproot you from the land of the living.
Selah

6 The righteous will see, and fear, and will laugh at the evildoer, saying,
7 “See the one who would not take refuge in God, but trusted in abundant riches, and sought refuge in wealth!”
8 But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God. I trust in the steadfast love of God forever and ever.
9 I will thank you forever, because of what you have done. In the presence of the faithful I will proclaim your name, for it is good. (NRSV) 
This is a time to mourn and grieve the loss of life, the horror (and misplaced guilt) of the survivors, and the callousness of the ones that celebrate this kind of terror.

We will be tempted as followers of God to offer empty words and vain prayers. We might be tempted to shout curses and do vindictive acts for retribution. Remember: We have nothing to offer but mercy.

Let this psalm speak for you if you cannot find the words to pray. Take Verse 8 to heart. An olive tree, twisted and gnarled by time, but still producing a soothing balm to generations in the household of God (re: all creation). This is our moment. Steadfast love = mercy = hesed in Hebrew.

​We are created for a purpose and this is it -- this is our moment of mercy.
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Ninth Sunday After Pentecost - Shepherd's House

7/14/2016

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To District Assembly and Beyond
It was good to give the first report as pastor of the Shepherd's House to the Assembly as interim since mid-February and appointed a regular pastor in mid-May two weeks before the end of our church business year. The pastors had a whole 90 seconds so I mentioned the amazing work of our worship band which sounds like a sanctified version of Steely Dan, in my opinion, the tremendous work of Hank Spaulding and a half dozen student leaders through the Campus House Churches sponsored by our congregation--six house churches with over 120 regularly involved. I also talked about sending members Dan and Coralee Behr to Asia Pacific Nazarene Theological Seminary in Manila in the Philippine islands. It's been a good year even with all of the change. Maybe especially so.

Looking forward to next week's visit from Dany Gomis, a long time friend from Senegal and current field strategy coordinator for the Africa West Field for the Church of the Nazarene. Here's a photo of us from one of our years working together, I think, in Dakar.
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We will be traveling from Indianapolis to Fostoria for a deputation service on Sunday morning. Then, back to Indianapolis for two days of meetings with compassionate ministry leaders. Afterward, we will attend the Southwestern Ohio district assembly, especially exciting as they will elect a new district superintendent. We will visit with a new missional community of several MVNU grads in the Cincy area as well as a campus ministry at the University of Cincinnati. Hopefully, we will be able to squeeze in a visit to Dayton with various partner churches.

We will bring Paul and Elizabeth Harding, former students of mine, that are preparing there for nontraditional church work and grad school in Palo Alto California, from Cincinnati to Philadelphia for a visit to the various work happening in this great city where I've sent many interns including Paul and current student and House Church/Thrive participant Kayleigh Schiro, and then back to Cleveland for another deputation service at Willo-Lake. How'd you like that last sentence? Take a breath before continuing. I will be in town for the service at Shepherd's House on this next Sunday thr 24th. I will pick up Dany in the afternoon for the Behr's home group and I'll drive him to Chicago for his flight home. Whew! What a week. I already feel tired, and it hasn't even started yet.
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Notes from Sunday
Last Sunday
Sunday Word & Table in Apple Valley
Attendance: 29
Giving: $1547


This Sunday at Church
Worship at 10am in Apple Valley
​
Readings for the 8th Sunday after Pentecost
Call to Worship: Psalm 52
Old Testament Reading: Amos 8:1-12
Epistle Reading: Colossians 1:15-28
Gospel Reading: Luke 10:38-42

​Coming Up
Home Groups
July 10 -- Metcalfes(?)
July 17 -- District Service 5p.m. MVNU Chapel

July 24 -- Behrs
July 31 -- Pizza at Shepherd's House (and Whit's afterward?)
August 14 -- TBA
August 28 -- TBA
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Eighth Sunday After Pentecost - Shepherd's House

7/8/2016

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Pastor's Note on the Police Shootings

​Violence always begets violence. This is proven again and again in the cycle of history. It's the story of humanity. The first story depicting two brothers in the Holy Scriptures ended with one killing the other. Here is the Lord's response:
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“What have you done? Listen! Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground" (Genesis 4:10 NIV) ​
The cries today should be deafening to the ears of those that claim to follow Yahweh.

It will be tempting, in the aftermath of two young black men (again) dying at the wrong end of a police officer's gun in Minnesota and Louisiana, to join a side. It will be tempting, in the grief of the horrifying attack on police keeping the peace at a protest march in Dallas, to join a side. 

This is not a war of hashtags between #blacklivesmatter and #alllivesmatter. It is an all-out assault of the Evil One upon a people that desparately need to escape the endless cycle of violence. No amount of retribution will rectify these tragedies enfolding before our very eyes.

As the church our response is characteristic of those that "share in the inheritance of the saints in the light." (Colossians 1:12) This is from the New Testament reading from this coming Sunday. It goes on: "
He [the Lord] has rescued us from the power of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins" (verses 13-14). This rescuing is our gift and our task. We as children of light are to extend the beam of this Light into all of the darkened corners of this world. 

The Gospel text from this Sunday is the well-known parable of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10. Spoiler alert notwithstanding, the parable teaches the one who is the neighbor is the one who shows mercy to the one under attack. Let us show mercy this week in our individual conversations in the aftermath of this ongoing pandemic of violence. 

NOTE: I will be traveling a lot between July 17 to July 23 with Rev Dany Gomis, the Field Strategy Coordinator for the Africa West Field and former colleague from my missionary days, as we attend meetings with supporters and ministries in Chicago, Indianapolis, Dayton, Columbus, Philadelphia. More details on Sunday.

Notes from Sunday
Last Sunday
Sunday Word & Table in Apple Valley
Attendance: 29
Giving: $1671


This Sunday at Church
Worship at 10am in Apple Valley
​
Readings for the 8th Sunday after Pentecost
Call to Worship: Psalm 82
Old Testament Reading: Amos 7:7-17
Epistle Reading: Colossians 1:1-14
Gospel Reading: Luke 10:25-37

​Coming Up
Board Meeting - Sunday (either just after morning service or just before home group)

District Assembly and Camp Meeting
July 11 to 15, Services at 7:30 p.m.
(Saturday 6:00p.m. & Sunday 5:00p.m.)

featuring David Graves & Jim Diehl
MVNU Chapel

July 17 - Rev. Hank Spaulding, preaching

Home Groups

July 10 -- Metcalfes(?)
July 17 -- District Service 5p.m. MVNU Chapel

July 24 -- TBA
July 31 -- Pizza at Shepherd's House (and Whit's afterward?)
August 14 -- TBA
August 28 -- TBA
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