That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh. Genesis 2:2⁴

The people remained at a distance, while Moses approached the thick darkness where God was.  Exodus 20:21

Early on in our delightful marriage, I came face to face with the tension between “leave and cleave” (Gen 2:24) and “honor your father and mother” (Ex. 20:12). It was our first year together, as well as our first year away in Kansas at Barclay. It had been tough on us to be cut off from the people who love us. To make matters worse, Liz’s grandfather died unexpectedly a couple months before Christmas, and we were too broke to come home for the holidays. It had been Liz’s grandfather’s wish that we could come out and her grandmother generously paid for our trip. Our family dynamics were polar opposites, with her family a tight knit group of planners and mine a loose confederation of last minute decision-makers. I had no idea the amount of emotional quicksand I was walking into. My one—though unspoken—expectation was that I would get to see my parents on Christmas day. Liz’s expectation was that we were coming back to be supportive of her grieving grandmother as she went through her first Christmas without her husband. As the train-wreck unfolded I did not have eyes to see it coming. From my perspective, I felt hurt that Liz and her family were cutting straight to planning, making decisions, and pulling strings opposite of me. It soon became apparent that for the first time, I was not going to see my family on Christmas day. I felt wounded that my voice had not been heard. I remember thinking that if taking the money had come at the cost of my voice as a husband it was not worth it. After a lot of insensitivity and immaturity on my part, we eventually sat down to hash things out and make peace. Most of it boiled down to unspoken expectations. How we made decisions as a couple was still being worked out.

I learned a lot that day, about diplomacy and communication, and about grace and forgiveness. The desire to make peace often comes after bitterness and woundedness, but love calls us to a fresh start. Peace is not absent from this tension, but love is the binding force that holds a family’s paradoxes together. With God’s grace we gain eyes to see new beginnings for ourselves, as well as offer them in our families. We see how gospel order is lived out in the messiness of community. Together, we begin to practice resurrection within our families when we let brokenness die, and be born again the day after the mushroom-cloud of meltdown. The next day the yoke of love calls us back together to work through it a little bit better next time.

Prayer:

Lord, help our families be yoked together in love, that we might reveal your Gospel of Peace to the world around us. Amen.

  By James Tower

 

²² And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins.”  Mark 2:22

Over the years, I’ve been in a lot of church meetings and ministry settings in which the image of new wineskins flows as freely as bad coffee and doughnuts between services. We apply the concept within church structure, however, discussing the “new wineskins” of programs, strategic plans and denominational ideals.

I rarely hear the concept of new wineskins applied to a life, as in your life or my life.

Don’t we often try to put new wine into old wineskins when it comes to our Christian journey?

This is an example: We place a new wine of “slowing down the pace of our lives” and pour it into an old wineskin of “extreme busyness.”

The good news is that God pours the new wine of the Holy Spirit into the new wineskin of our renewed lives, and that sets us steady on our kingdom walk. But too often we reach back into our closets and pull out our old wineskin, trying to put it back on and make it work in our new life in Christ.

At a recent silent retreat, I reflected on making changes in my own life. That meant I needed to consider some things about new wine and my old wineskins. I realized there are new wines that we try to pour into our old wineskins that leave us on the verge of calamity because we haven’t allowed the Holy Spirit to give us new wineskins. These are a few examples:

• The new wine of unconditional love poured into the old wineskin of hatred.
• The new wine of worship poured into the old wineskin of idolatry.
• The new wine of humility poured into the old wineskin of conceit.
• The new wine of forgiveness poured into the old wineskin of bitterness.
• The new wine of “others first” poured into the old wineskin of selfish ambition.
• The new wine of joy poured into the old wineskin of jealousy and factions.
• The new wine of peace poured into the old wineskin of discord.
• The new wine of dependence on God poured into the old wineskin of independence.
• The new wine of “trying something new” into the old wineskin of “running through the motions.”
• The new wine of dreaming into the old wineskin of worrying.

Query:
How open am I to the new wine God wants for me and the new wineskins that only the Holy Spirit gives?

by Pastor Bob Henry

February 8-10, 2013  –  McMenamin’s Edgefield – Troutdale, OR

Click here for website

Convergence exists for the growth and creative engagement of women who lead in the way of Jesus.

We are women who lead others in following the way of Jesus. We come together to connect, encourage, and empower one another. We lead in a variety of ways, in a variety of settings, from a variety of theological traditions. We come together to learn from one another, build friendships, and explore our experiences as women leaders together.

For more information on Convergence contact Kate Pattison

February 18-20 – Crossroads Community Church, Vancouver, WA

Click here for website

Mission ConneXion Northwest is the “Great Commission in action!” Sponsored by churches from the region, it is a two day event challenging the Church to fulfill the Great Commission. Its three-fold purpose is to inform, celebrate, and challenge people of all ages to get involved in missions by sending, praying, giving and going.

During Mission ConneXion Northwest, people of all ages participate in a variety of missions-related experiences: Dozens of missions agencies host exhibits providing information about work being done — and needing to be done — in countries around the world; Keynote addresses are delivered by world-class speakers; Workshops offer a wide variety of topics ranging from visionary and inspirational to very practical.

For more information on Mission Connexion contact Rick Williams.

Although Christ proclaims, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God,” too often we see the children of God embroiled in destructive conflict and controversy.

Has there ever been a meeting, family, community, nation, or even a person truly free from conflict?

Who has not experienced rancorous divisions among fellow Christians?

Who does not know families who have gone through difficult divorces or suffered from family conflicts?

Who has not seen the effects of political or international conflict?

We can shrug it off, saying such conflict is “normal” and do our best to survive it. But in reality conflict often leaves behind enduring damage – severed relationships, broken ties, people left scarred and embittered.

Should we Christians not do better than this?

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could respond to conflict in gracious and constructive ways? Might we learn how to handle conflict so as to build relationships rather than harm them?

As Quakers/Friends, we believe it is possible – that we can learn to see conflict as a way to minister to each other and to glorify God. We can harness conflict as a transforming power toward growth and healthy change.

That is why every January the Northwest Yearly Meeting observes Peace Month. This year’s theme is Conflict Resolution. Whether or not we are involved in war, we all have conflicts in our lives–but how do we deal with conflict? How do we resolve conflict in a manner consistent with our faith? There are many layers of conflict resolution, and although we can’t learn all there is to know about resolving conflict in a month, we hope to at least open up the conversation.

Join us each Sunday as we look at these topics:

• January 6: Internal Conflicts
• January 13: Conflicts within the Family
• January 20: Conflicts between Groups
• January 27: National, International & Global Conflict Resolution

Anticipation grows within us. The day of Your incarnation is near.

There is no war nor division in the world that is beyond Your capacity to heal. The day of Your incarnation is near.

There is no hatred in the cosmos that cannot be transformed by Your forgiving love. The day of Your incarnation is near.

There is no social ill, relational breach, nor systemic evil that will not dissolve at Your touch. The day of Your incarnation is near.

In this final week of Advent, we sing with the prophets. That One will come who will bring the shalom peace of God to all human conditions. In this final week of Advent, we shout with the children. Prince of Peace, quiet a world screaming in pain, and hungry for your Presence. In this final week of Advent, we pray with believers around the world. Master of hearts, bring harmony to the discord between us and those unlike us.

Prince of Peace, we recognize that You are the God who alone can bring restoration to a fallen planet. Your capacity to restore broken relationships, communities, nations and ancient rivalries is boundless. Come, restore peace to our hearts today, and intervene among our restless human family. Lord, make us instruments of this same transforming peace wherever we go.  With the ancients who awaited You, we say “Prince of Peace, plant the seeds of Your coming restoration in our hearts. After Your likeness, make us your Peacemakers.” Amen.

 

One of the best ways to prepare for the very special season of Advent is to “get in touch with ourselves.” It may sound odd, but one symptom of our contemporary lives is that we can often be quite “out of touch” with what is going on in our very own hearts.

We begin our Advent, right at the time our Western culture begins Christmas preparations (department stores seem to start earlier each year). It is a busy time, and our heads are filled with details to remember. And, it is a time of emotional complexity that is part of this holiday season – with all of the expectations and challenges of family and relationships: who we want to be with and who we struggle to be with. So, our hearts are a bit tender, if not completely defended from experiencing anything deeply.

We are about to hear some very powerful and stirring readings from Isaiah, the Prophet. We will re-enter the ancient tradition of a people longing for the coming of a Savior. We may remember the days of our childhood when we longed for Christmas to come, because it was a magical time of receiving gifts.

As adults, we have to ask ourselves: “What is it I long for now?” The answer won’t come easily. The more we walk around with that question, and let it penetrate through the layers of distraction and self-protection, the more powerfully we will experience Advent this year.

“What is it I long for now?” – what a great question for this coming Advent Season. I pray you will join me in letting this question penetrate us through the distractions of self-protection in the coming days and weeks. Maranatha! – Come, Lord Jesus!

Since she was a little girl, Bonnie-Jean Brown has been collecting nativity crèches, that’s over 30 years of collecting.  In recent years it has begun to weigh heavy on her heart that so many of these works of art sit hidden in boxes as she no longer has enough space to display them all.  As she says,

“The nativity story is not mine to hoard and keep hidden in boxes.

It is a story to share with the world.”

Last year Bonnie-Jean presented the gift of her nativities in a display for her congregation, Silverton First Christian Church.  This year she will present this gift to our congregation.

Bonnie-Jean has over 65 nativities from all over the world, in all sorts of artistic styles, and in all different sizes – from microscopic to mantle size.

She considers it an honor to set up her display for our worship experience on Sunday, December 16 and for the Silverton Christian School children on Monday, December 17.

It is a display that will warm the hearts of many.  A truly remarkable display of the true meaning of the season.  Don’t miss it!

Building on the energy and enthusiasm of past year’s advent giving, the Social Concerns Committee has arranged for opportunities to bless several organizations in Silverton and Mt. Angel which serve our friends and neighbors in need.  Many members of our meeting have volunteered with, and in some cases been assisted by, these agencies.

Each week of Advent different local organizations will be the recipients of our giving.  Through this mode we can bless many people in need by taking advantage of the structures in place at these various nonprofits and businesses.

In addition, the Social Concerns Committee will continue their work to help families in need of support with utilities, rent or other critical expenses through the distribution of funds specified in our budget for that purpose.

First Week of Advent – December 2nd

A Time of Hope – Once again our friend Helen Thomas who works at the high school with homeless students has helped us with an idea that will meet a big need for these and other young people. This week we will collect restaurant gift cards and certificates to be distributed to hungry kids. Purchase cards or certificates from local restaurants (fast food is fine) in small denominations that would cover the cost of one meal. We will distribute these to Helen for use with her students; the YMCA for use with kids they see in need at the swimming pool; and the Fall Line/Video Exchange businesses where they help to mentor and sometimes “parent” so many middle school students.

Second Week of Advent – December 9^th

A Time of Love – Silverton Area Community Aid provides hope to many in our town by offering food assistance. We have gotten word that the usual provider of meat products is unable to give the turkeys that they have supplied in past years. There is a need for as many as 300 turkeys for the holiday food boxes that SACA distributes later this month. Bring a frozen turkey or a bag of potatoes this week and along with other donors in our community we will fill the freezers at SACA.

Third Week of Advent – December 16^th

A Time For Joy –The McClaine Street Clinic in the HI-School Pharmacy complex meets the pressing need for low cost or free care to people who qualify for the Oregon Health Plan. Many of the clients here are barely able to afford their basic necessities and almost all are families with young children. This week bring disposable diapers of any size or brand that the clinic can then give out to their families with infants and toddlers. (We gave this item once in the past. When I delivered the diapers they filled a large storage closet. A week later I heard from the staff that they were all gone and had met a huge need for clients of the clinic.)

Fourth Week of Advent – December 23^rd 

A Time of Peace – St. Joseph Shelter in Mt. Angel provides temporary living space for people who need a place to get back on their feet. This ministry is currently undergoing a large remodel which will add seven living units for families. The director of the shelter has asked that we adopt one of these units and outfit it for use. Please take one of the cards describing the household items that are needed, then purchase that item and bring it this week. We will box up the contributions and have them ready to put in place when the shelter opens the new units in the spring.

 

The social concerns committee will give you regular reminders about these giving opportunities.  If you would like to also make a financial contribution toward supporting the living expense needs of members of our meeting during this Christmas season, you may do so by designating your gift to the social concerns committee.

…God loves a cheerful giver [!]  2 Corinthians 9:7

If you were in church on Sunday (11/04/12), Pastor Bob mentioned the book and documentary “Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide.”  You may find out more about the movement by clicking HERE.

Here is a video of the closing song from Sunday “A Man of No Reputation” by Rich Mullins, performed by Rick Elias.