"God Tweets"

What do you think God would say if God could tweet?

What would He post on your facebook wall?

Why would He call you???

Would He call you to tell you that you're doing a great job living your life right now?
Would He call you to tell you to step it up?
Would He call you to tell you you're going to heaven or hell?
Would He call you to ask you to do more of His work?
Tell you of His plans for your life?
Condemn you for the choices you've made?
Invite you into a relationship with Him?


Take a moment to pause and reflect:
What do you think God would say if He called you right now?







I know for certain what God would say to you.

(And I don't even know you.)

God would say,
"I love you, [insert your name]."

And God would absolutely mean it.


What would God tweet?
God would tweet that He loves you unconditionally.
That you were created by Him and built for a relationship with Him.
That no matter what you do with your free will, He will be there for you.
Whenever you ask.
The Bible is the greatest love story ever told.

In the first chapter of Genesis, when God created the first people, it says that we were created
"in the image of God."

The term in Hebrew is B'tzelem Elohim.
(And has a very specific meaning.)
You see, back then, rulers were said to be a representation of the gods that their culture worshiped. So if they were a culture who worshiped Baal, then the leader of that village would be considered to be the human tzelem of Baal. So we, then, were ALL created in the image of God, so that means we ALL are the representation of God on this earth, or have the divine spark.
[Thank you Rob Bell for your insight there. Check out his works.]

As I like to think of it (and so do many Hebrew scholars according to Rabbi Jana), our being created B'tzelem Elohim has a three-fold meaning:
1) I was created in the image of God, therefore I have infinite value.
2) You were also created in the image of God, therefore you have infinite value.
3) As a valuable creation with the "divine spark," I should try every day to live in according to the image of God.


So what would God tweet?
Well, God doesn't tweet.
But you do.

So, as you are created in the image of God,
you have the power to tweet for God.

So...

What are you going to tweet today?



Grace and Peace,

Virginia Yates

A beautiful poem to assuage grief...

Death is nothing at all

I have only slipped away into the next room

I am I and you are you

Whatever we were to each other

That we are still

Call me by my old familiar name

Speak to me in the easy way you always used

Put no difference into your tone

Wear no forced air of solemnity or sorrow

Laugh as we always laughed

At the little jokes we always enjoyed together

Play, smile, think of me, pray for me

Let my name be ever the household word that it always was

Let it be spoken without effort

Without the ghost of a shadow in it

Life means all that it ever meant

It is the same as it ever was

There is absolute unbroken continuity

What is death but a negligible accident?

Why should I be out of mind

Because I am out of sight?

I am waiting for you for an interval

Somewhere very near

Just around the corner

All is well.

Nothing is past; nothing is lost

One brief moment and all will be as it was before

How we shall laugh at the trouble of parting when we meet again!

Canon Henry Scott-Holland, 1847-1918, Canon of St Paul's Cathedral

Encouragement

“Those who are lifting the world upward and onward are those who encourage more than criticize.”

Elizabeth Harrison


Encouragement is good for the soul.
Eleanor Roosevelt once said, "No one can make you feel inferior without your own consent."

Well Eleanor, what happens when you've unwillingly given your consent and you do feel inferior?
Criticized? Mistreated? Judged?
What if the world has turned against you, doesn't want to listen to what you have to say, and you just can't feel the love?
What if being inferior is not just a state of mind, but a state of being?

That is where a healthy dose of encouragement is a life-saver.

A compassionate look, an unwarranted smile, a brief salutation an outstretched arm...
could mean the difference of life or death.

I'm not just talking physical life or death, although there may be cases of that too, as you never know what is going on in someone else's mind. For all you know, they were one small word of encouragement away from choosing to leave a hurting and troubled world.

But it's also emotional life or death. As a music director, I've been told by people who loved to sing "once upon a time" never did it again after a remark of some critical director.
Likewise, I've heard stories of singers who found their inner talent, or passion for music through some remarks of encouragement.
A kind word, a willingness to listen, to teach, and to have patience by someone instilled a spark this person's life and inspired them. Their career. Their passion. Their purpose in being.

In the Bible, Jesus uses many analogies involving plants,
seeds being planted and growing and producing fruit,
or not producing fruit.

Encouragement, I believe, is one of the nourishments that these "faith seeds" need in order to survive and thrive. The best example of this is in the Great Commission passage of
Matthew 28:16-20.

(It is written in full in the previous post if you need a reminder.)

Jesus gives the disciples their "graduation speech" as he prepares to ascend into heaven.
He ends it with a word of encouragement.
"And I will be with you always, even to the end of the age."

He will be there for his disciples. With his disciples.
Until the "end of the age."
Whether that means their death or beyond is for you to decide,
but the point is that they are not alone.
They are loved enough to have their teacher, their mentor around
whenever they need help or advice or anything at all.
That is encouraging indeed!

The idea of the holy spirit is that God is within us as well.

There is a United Methodist creed from the United Church of Canada that I love and would like to share with you today. It describes the purpose of the church through encouragement well:

We are not alone, we live in God's world.
We believe in God:
who has created and is creating,
who has come in Jesus, the Word made flesh,
to reconcile and make new,
who works in us and other by the Spirit.
We trust in God.
We are called to be the church:
to celebrate God's presence,
to love and serve others,
to seek justice and resist evil,
to proclaim Jesus, crucified and risen,
our judge and our hope.
In life, in death, in life beyond death,
God is with us.
We are not alone.
Thanks be to God. Amen



Celebrate God. Love and serve. Seek justice. Resist Evil. Spread the good news.

The good news that we are not alone because God is with us.

May those words serve as encouragement for you today.


Grace and Peace,

Virginia Yates

Go make of all disciples...

The great commission.

If you've gone to church more than just on Christmas and Easter,

you've probably heard of this.

It's the "homework" of the gospels.

Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee,

to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go.

When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted.

Then Jesus came to them and said,

"All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations,

baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.

And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

(Matthew 28:16-20)

Let's put this in perspective.

1) Jesus was the disciples' closest friend, leader, and spiritual guide for 3 years, performing all these miracles and teaching them about love, tolerance, and equality.

2) Jesus riled up the Jewish leaders of the day with his "reinterpretations" of the Jewish laws and for calling them out because of their spiritual-and political- corruption.

3) Jesus was sentenced to death in the most horrendous way and all the disciples had to go into hiding so that they didn't suffer the same fate.

4) Jesus came back from the dead and showed the disciples the holes in his body where he used to be on the cross; this is what he had said would happen prior to his death.

4) Jesus is now calling all of his disciples onto this mountain so he can give them an assignment so he can ascend into heaven and leave the earth.

My, that's quite a bit to wrap your head around in the span of a few years!

It's no wonder some of them doubted. It sounds unbelievable.

But then, Jesus always did the unbelieveable.

He also did all he could to prepare them for this moment.

All throughout the gospels you hear Jesus forshadowing his death and resurrection.

Performing miracles.

Raising people from the dead.

You'd think if he could do it for other people, he could do it for himself. Right?

The most pragmatic of us have the hardest time.

And when we go through difficult times, it's hard to remember that life will ever be good again.

And when it does get better, we think it's too good to be true.

That's probably the difference between the doubters and the believers:

whether or not to accept the good when it comes.

Fox Mulder from the tv show The X-Files has a poster with a flying saucer on it and the words:

I want to believe.

It's not that the doubters love Jesus any less, I mean, they're there on the mountain top also.

Some may have a critical spirit, or they may just want to believe, but are afraid of the risk.

The risk of things being too good to be true.

It is to these people especially that I believe he especially is speaking to when he makes the next statement: "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me."

He is reminding them that because he died, he has been to where they have not been, and everything he said while he was alive is still valid- and even vindicated.

Then, he takes it one step further, telling them to become the leaders.

The spritual guides.

The friends.

It is their turn to teach the lifestyle of love, tolerance, and equality.

But it's okay, don't worry- especially you doubters,

because "surely I am with you always, even to the end of the age."

When I hear preachers talk about this part, they interpret this passage

as Jesus talking about the Holy Spirit.

And while I believe that the Holy Spirit is the force that lives within us and connects us to God,

I think Jesus means more than that.

In the same way that our loved ones may live on in our memories after they have died,

so too do I think that Jesus means that he will live on through the disciples carrying on his memory and the lifestyle of love he spent his time on earth teaching.

The fact that we are having this conversation today means that the teachings of Jesus are alive and well in today's culture. Which means that Jesus isn't really gone in the same way my great-grandmother isn't really gone when I bake her super special chocolate cake, or sing my grandfather's favorite song.

He is alive through us the same way he continued to live through the disciples.

Maybe Jesus was making a prophesy:

"And I will be with you always, to the end of the age."

To me, that means that the great commission is still valid, and gives me a personal responsibility to discern the Bible and try to "get Christianity right" for the next generation.

So I will do my best to inspire others to live lives of love, tolerance, and equality.

Grace and Peace,

Virginia Yates

A Living Sacrifice

"Therefore, brother and sisters, by the mercies of God,
I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice,
holy and pleasing to God;
This is your spiritual worship.
Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind,
so that you may discern what is the good,
pleasing,
and perfect will of God."
Romans 12:1-2


Paul urges us to be a living sacrifice.
Not a dead sacrifice like the offerings given in the old testament.
But a living sacrifice.

Earlier in Romans Paul talks about the difference between the "spirit" and the "flesh."
(That is a very common Pauline theme.)
Things of the flesh are the worldly things: food, shelter, clothing, money, i.e. anything material or that is desired...selfish.
Things of the spirit are otherworldly things: your heart, soul, mind, attitude, i.e. anything not tangible that creates the complete picture of you...unselfish.

Focusing on things of the flesh will lead to sin and death.
Focusing on things of the spirit will lead to eternal life and God.

SO... when Paul says that you need to be a "living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God,"
then you are dying to your selfishness- that is what is being sacrificed-
and living a life focused on the internal rather than the external, living for others and not yourself.

Which means doing what you should be doing rather than what you want to be doing...
at least, at first.

For example, I hate waking up early. I am a night owl. I am grumpy waking up before 9 am. There are some people who do it naturally, and I think kudos to them, I'd rather be in bed.

My cat, however, wakes up very early, and gets hungry at about 6 am every day.
He persistently tries to wake me up by nuzzling my face (very cute other times of the day), nipping at my fingers, and walking on my immobile body.

I would rather sleep, but I know that it is necessary to feed my cat.
I also know that on the rare occasion I do wake up early, I actually exercise, play with my dog, eat breakfast, spend the morning in prayer, journal, and have time to get ready for work instead of skipping all that and running out the door with a piece of toast in my mouth or racking up my tab at Starbucks (even when I can't afford to go there).

However, even though waking up early is a sacrifice I make grumpily the first few days, I know God is pleased because I make time to talk to Him in the morning. I get more things done.
And I appreciate the beautiful sunrise.
The cool weather.
Having more time in my day.

The things that were once a burden because I was sacrificing sleep became a pleasure because I was focusing on God rather than myself.

By living for God, He can transform your life.
Renew your mind.
Change your heart.

Make yourself a living sacrifice, and God will show you how to truly live.


Grace and Peace,

Virginia

"Be the change you wish to see in the world."

-Mahatma Ghandi.

Now he was a world-changer.

No violence necessary, just a conviction and love for people.

One man. One action. Remembered forever.


April is going to be about being a world changer.
How can you change the world?
One step at a time.

We have the choice to love or not love everyday, every minute even.
There are people in this world who chose love when they didn't have to.
Ghandi. Martin Luther King. Mother Teresa.
John Newton (the slave ship owner turned preacher who wrote Amazing Grace).
Dick Hoyt (a man who helped his immobile son compete in amazing athletic events).
Etc.

It doesn't take being a saint to be a world changer. I bet there have been people who have made such a difference in your life that they have changed your world. If not, maybe there will be.
Through the death of Jesus, he took our sin and gave us the opportunity to be world changers.

He allowed us to forget our past mistakes, our regrets, and our barriers
and make a choice to love. To be made clean. To go forward.

How many world-changers do you know?
Would you like to be one?



If you would like to change our world, join us at 9:00 am on Sunday mornings in the SonShine room at the back of the Sanctuary for meaningful fellowship and worship.


Grace and Peace,

Virginia Yates

With 'Renaissance' comes a new beginning...

The Faith Renaissance service has a new time and date.

9:00am on Sunday mornings in the SonShine Room.

Watch the room light up with the morning sun as tranquil yet wakeful music is played
in order to help you center yourself for receiving God's word.

Then you have the rest of the day to go forth and share the love of Christ
as you go about finishing your weekend!

~~*~~*~~*~~

We also have changed our praise team practice schedule in response to the other changes.

We will be practicing on the last Sunday of every month from 2-5pm.

There you will get the music set for the next month and each week
will be selected from the music practiced at that rehearsal.

There will also be a brief weekly run through after the Tuesday night discipleship classes for those who want to participate in that week's worship service.

Once the set list is figured out, I will begin posting on this website each set list for the upcoming month so that anyone who wants to join may have a chance to begin practicing before we get together so that the rehearsal runs smoothly, or if you miss the Sunday practice, you still have a chance to participate with independent practice.


We are actively looking for more praise team people, singers and instrumentalists,
to enhance the wonderful, albeit small group we currently have.

Quality is always better over quantity, however if you are seeking a church and like contemporary Christian music then this is the place for you to be, since we would like to have a big enough group so that we are not hurting if someone cannot make a particular Sunday.




So please, if you are seeking then maybe we are the answer.
We welcome you to come and give us a try.
Enlighten your faith with our service, because our service is more than just the run-of-the-mill service, it's an experience. A way to get closer to God through your creativity.


I look forward to seeing you.

Grace and Peace,

Virginia Yates

"I'm too busy."

That is the number one excuse I hear for people not doing something- especially in church.
Even if they like to do whatever it is, even if the commitment is minimal,
people will only do what they really want to do.

Here's a great message about commitment and busyness from the book "The Treasures of the Transformed Life" by Rev. John Ed Mathison, a 40-day study that our whole church is doing:

"One of the top reasons people give for not going to church is that they're just too busy.
The reality is that we live in a busy world. And everybody in the church is busy, too. Let's look at the story of Mary and Martha to put things in perspective. It's found in Luke 10:38-42. Jesus was traveling with his disciples, and a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister named Mary, and when Jesus arrived, Mary planted herself at the feet of Jesus and hung on every word. Martha, on the other hand, was the more industrious of the two. Verse 40 tells us that she was worrying over the big dinner preparations. In the midst of all her rushing around, she became frustrated with her sister, and said to Jesus, "Lord, doesn't it seem unfair to you that my sister just sits here while I do all the work? Tell her to come and help me."
But Jesus didn't tell Mary to help her sister. Instead, he rebuked Martha: "My dear Martha, you are so upset over all these details! There is really only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it--and I won't take it away from her."
There's simply no excuse for being too busy. If you're too busy to study God's Word and to pray, then you're too busy. If you're too busy to come and worship together as God said to do, then you're too busy. And when you're that busy, there's no telling what you're missing out on."

That doesn't mean do what you don't want to do, or go to church because you feel you have to.

It's all about priorities. And joy.

You should be excited to go to church!
You should be breathless to hear the wonderful things that God can and will do in your life!

You should want to spend time out of life's busyness in a place where you can be restored!



That is my prayer for you this week. That you find a place where you can be renewed.


Grace and Peace,

Virginia Yates

I want to walk as a child of the light.

Good morning and happy 2010!

This Sunday is crisp, clear, and cold, but a day to be thankful for.

As we begin this new year on Epiphany Sunday, the day we celebrate when the "we 3" kings followed the star to give gifts to the baby Jesus, we come into a time of hope.

And light.

Our sermon today is all about light.

Light is needed for sustenance and only very few creatures live fully in shadow.
Plants grow towards the light.
Plants grow fuller and richer with light.
Even my sister was told to go outside more for vitamin D and other
health benefits that only light can give.

We each have a light inside of us.
We also have a star we can choose to follow.

How are you going to spend this new year?

Are you going to follow the "light of the world?"
Are you going to live in the light?
Are you going to be the light to someone else?

Living filled with and surrounded by light brings hope.
Brings joy, peace, and love.

Perhaps your world is filled with darkness and you cannot see the light.
Maybe you have been told you cannot have the light.
You can.

There is a place where the light shines and the darkness cannot overcome it.
This is a place where we want to help nourish your light.

As we begin a new year filled with new choices, may you choose light over darkness.
May you choose hope over despair, joy over sadness.

May you choose love, so we may all live in a world of peace.

Truly,

Virginia Yates