Middle River Church of the Brethren

Sermon link from Sunday's worship (Sept 14)...

2008-09-18T11:20:00.000-07:00

We continued our focus on Matthew 10 and the difference between disciples and admirers of Jesus. This was our second Sunday looking in-depth at Matthew 10:16-23 before we move deeper into the chapter.

Link to the sermon is here.

Please consider reading ahead in Matthew 10 for this upcoming Sunday as we welcome fire and rescue personnel to worship together with us...

Sermon link from yesterday's worship...

2008-09-08T14:46:00.000-07:00

Here's the link to the sermon from yesterday's worship.

Our focus last week and in coming weeks will be on Matthew 10, where Jesus begins to forcefully draw the distinction between "disciples" and "admirers."

This week, we focused on Matthew 10:16-23. We encourage you to read this section of the Scriptures several times (aloud and silently) before reading and considering the sermon.

Good Friday Reflections...

2008-03-22T07:42:00.000-07:00

I was given the honor and the responsibility of speaking at our local community (New Hope) of churches' Good Friday worship gathering. As I was piecing together, struggling, and wrestling with what to say (a weekly occurrence), knowing that many folks there had heard the Scriptures of Jesus' passion and crucifixion so many times before that they had become old hat, knowing this because they have become old hat to me at times, I wanted to offer at least one little twist that might plant in someone's subconscious awareness and sprout out at some point in the future.

So I'd like to share the message with you. I would love for you to engage with it, push me on it in places, or just sit and let it soak in your brains for a bit. It is one perspective among many, though at its best it can help to reveal God's truth. Here's the link to the full-text. And a couple excerpts:

We live in a broken world, a world that is very dark, but this world is not hopeless, the darkness has not won, and our God has given us the opportunity to seek the light and truth that comes from being a part of this historical people, our founding fathers and mothers are Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Ruth, Job, Nehemiah, Malachi, Bartholomew, James, Mary Magdalene, and our LORD Jesus.

On this day, a crowd gathers outside Jerusalem that quickly swells into great numbers, children dance and scream out joy, and adults lay down their cloaks. It is this man! Jesus! He has come to Jerusalem! Could this be the Messiah? The crowd shouts, HOSANNA! Praise to the Son of David! The King is coming! The King is coming! The revolution is beginning! Israel will be restored!

This is a time of celebration, of expectation. “The time of suffering has come to an end!” most people would have thought, but the disciples, if they paid any attention to the teachings of Jesus, during this loud gathering may have had something tickling in the back of their mind during the triumphal procession, faint memories of Jesus saying to them time and time and time again, “my children, I will be with you only a little longer,” and “I am going away and will be coming back to you," and “the Son of Man will be arrested, crucified, raised up.” They may carry these memories buried way back in their heads, but the memories aren’t faint because of time and things getting fuzzy, they’re faint because what Jesus has been teaching doesn’t line up with what the disciples want to hear, what the disciples have thought was the truth about the Messiah.

The temple authorities grow angry when they hear and see the children shouting Hosanna and praises to this Jesus, and Jesus calls them on the carpet, saying, “I tell you the truth, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you. For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him.” And he tells parable after parable to those gathered around mocking the teachers of the law and the Pharisees, sneering at them, exposing their self-righteousness and hypocrisy. This is NOT the Jesus meek and mild of our childhood Sunday School classes that bleeds over into our adult belief system.

When Judas betrays Jesus, the disciples cry out, “Lord, should we strike with our swords?” (they obviously didn't wait for an answer) It seems Peter had one of the swords the disciples had brought along, and Peter did what seemed natural, he struck out against the servant of the High Priest, protecting Jesus, inciting violence. And it is here, at the height of the climax, when all seems to point towards Jesus living into the destiny that everyone had planned out for him, when the disciples are using the sword that Jesus told them to get, thateverything gets turned completely upside-down for them.

In case we thought the Israelites were the only ones who could take their attention off the world and pay attention to themselves, the Roman Empire occupying them at this time was obsessed with keeping and extending what they had, and since then, the French have been obsessed with the French, the Germans with the Germans, the English with the English, and the United States with the United States; each of us in our little corner of the globe, like kids in a pre-school playroom seeing who can have the most toys at the expense of the others.

On Good Friday, we see the pinnacle of God’s great love, when on the cross, God scoffed at the power of the Romans and corrupt Israelite expectations, and in the resurrection laughed in their faces, saying “You cannot possibly stand in the way of my purposes!”... But the fact remains that for every other person in this story other than Jesus, the way things panned out was deeply confusing, even after the resurrection. Before, they thought they knew what was true, what would happen. Jesus, however, showed them the purposes of God were higher and bigger than they imagined."

Pictures Online...

2008-03-05T11:01:00.000-08:00

I (Nate) have been messing around with trying to put some pictures from Middle River onto the website here, and I keep falling on my face.

I have, however, managed to set up a few things, among those a place where you can see the pictures that have been uploaded to the internet related to our church life.

Here's a link. (click the underlined sentence to see)

And here's another. (click the underlined sentence to see)

These photos are of everything from a Children's Harvest Party to Oliver Cline's funeral to church building reconstruction to softball...enjoy!

Further thoughts and prayers on Lent from Pastor Nate

2008-03-04T05:30:00.000-08:00

Lenten Daily Prayers: The Fourth Week

You’ll become aware (if you haven’t already), that there is a significant continuing theme of repentance and lament in the readings and prayers in this journey through Lent to Easter. Some may say

“This is depressing, and therefore something more joyful and positive should be said about the human experience.”

In response, I say, “Lent is about repentance, and in order for us to sink deeper into that repentant state of being, we need to focus on lament, on self-examination, on honesty, and if anything is to be joyous, it should focus on God as our Sustainer alone.”

Lent is a time of purging, of us shedding unnecessary burdens in order to “Seek first the kingdom of God” more consistently and clearly.

So I urge you, sit in the discomfort of examination and honesty. Resist the knee-jerk happy-clappy “Christian” music of our culture during this time, and sink into the place where God alone holds and sustains you.

The Call to Prayer
Ascribe to the Lord, you families of the peoples;
ascribe to the Lord the honor due his Name;
bring offerings and come into his courts.
Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness;
let the whole world tremble before him
(Psalm 96:7-9)

The Cry of the Church
Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us

Morning (observed on the hour or half hour between 6 and 9 am)
Lord God, almighty and everlasting Father, you have brought me safely to this new day; preserve me with your mighty power, that I may not fall into sin, nor be overcome by adversity; and in all I do direct me to the fulfilling of your purpose through Jesus Christ my Lord. Amen

Prayer for the Week
O God, who before the passion of your only Son revealed his glory on the holy mountain: Grant that I, encountering by faith the light of his countenance, will be strengthened to bear my cross, and be changed into his likeness from glory to glory; through Jesus Christ my Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

The Lord’s Prayer

Midday (observed on the hour or half hour between 11 am and 2 pm)
Seek out the LORD while he is still to be found,
call to him while he is still near.
Let the wicked abandon his way and the evil one his thoughts.
Let him turn back to the LORD who will take pity on him,
to our God, for he is rich in forgiveness;
for my thoughts are not your thoughts and your ways are not my ways, declares the LORD.
For the heavens are as high above the earth
as my ways are above your ways, my thoughts above your thoughts.
Isaiah 55:6-9

Prayer for the Week (repeat from morning)

Lord’s Prayer

Evening (observed on the hour or half hour between 5 and 8 pm)
Lord, hear my prayer, and let my cry come before you;
hide not your face from me in the day of my trouble.
Incline your ear to me; when I call, make haste to answer me.
For my days drift away like smoke, and my bones are hot as burning coals.
My heart is smitten like grass and withered, so that I forget to eat my bread.
I have become like a vulture in the wilderness, like an owl among the ruins.
I lie awake and groan; I am like a sparrow, lonely on a house-top.
Psalm 102:1-7

Prayer for the Week

The Lord’s Prayer

As usual, the daily prayers are drawn from Phyllis Tickle’s Eastertide, Prayers for Lent through Easter from the Divine Hours

Some thoughts and prayers on Lent from Pastor Nate

2008-02-26T07:03:00.000-08:00

Lenten Daily Prayers: The Third Week

I found a picture on Saturday,that really captures penitence for me, so I’ll show it as a visual example to enhance the sense of desperation and crying out that is intended to accompany the season of Lent.

The Call to Prayer

Open my lips, O Lord, and my mouth will proclaim your praise.
Had you desired it, I would have offered sacrifice,
but you take no delight in burnt offerings.
The sacrifice of God is a troubled spirit,
and a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.
(Psalm 51:16-18)

The Cry of the Church

Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us.

Morning (to be observed on the hour or half hour between 6 and 9 a.m.)

Lord God, almighty and everlasting Father, you have brought me safely to this new day: Preserve me with your mighty power, that I may not fall into sin, nor be overcome by adversity; and in all I do direct me to the fulfilling of your purpose, through Jesus Christ my Lord. Amen.

Prayer for the Week

Most loving Father, whose will it is for us to give thanks for all things, to fear nothing but the loss of you, and to cast all our care on you who cares for us: Preserve me from faithless fears and worldly anxieties, that no struggles of this mortal life will hide from me the light of your love that transcends death, and which you have shown to us in your Son Jesus Christ our Lord; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

The Lord’s Prayer

Midday (to be observed on the hour or half hour between 11 am and 2 pm

I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart,
in the assembly of the upright, in the congregation.
Great are the deeds of the Lord!
They are studied by all who delight in them.
His work is full of majesty and splendor,
and his righteousness endures forever.
He makes his marvelous works to be remembered;
the Lord is gracious and full of compassion.
The works of his hands are faithfulness and justice;
all his commandments are sure.
They stand fast for ever and ever,
because they are done in truth and equity.
He sent redemption to his people;
he commanded his covenant for ever, holy and awesome is his Name.
Psalm 111:1-4, 7-9

Prayer for the Week (repeat from morning)

The Lord’s Prayer

Evening (to be observed on the hour or half hour between 5 and 8 pm)

O gracious Light,
pure brightness of the everlasting Father in heaven,
O Jesus Christ, holy and blessed!
Now as we come to the setting of the sun, and our eyes behold the evening light,
we sing your praises O God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
You are worthy at all times to be praised by happy voices,
O Son of God, O giver of life,
and to be glorified through all the worlds.
Phos Hilaron (earliest known Christian hymn recorded outside the Bible)

Prayer for the Week (repeat from morning)

The Lord’s Prayer

In case you’re thinking right now, after all these prayers, that this is ridiculous and redundant and stupid to do because “Jesus set us free to just have faith,” (I’ve certainly felt that before), I’d direct you to further wisdom from Phyllis Tickle;

“A wise rabbi once told me that it is not how many prayers we don’t say that matters to God, but rather how many we do. That is important for all of us, but especially for beginners. If this is your first attempt to return to the most ancient of Christian practices, it is wise to remember that you are entering into a discipline and that, like all disciplines, this one sits hard and heavy upon one at times. There are hours you will miss and/or some that you can’t even begin to figure out how to observe. That is all right, for either the joy will carry you into greater joy and turn the discipline into privilege, or you will find yourself simply the wiser and richer for such experience as you have had. As the rabbit said, that is what matters ultimately.”

Or, as the wise Richard Foster teaches,

“‘Prayer changes things,’ people say. It also changes us. That latter goal is the more imperative. The primary purpose of prayer is to bring us into such a life of communion with the Father that, by the power of the Spirit, we are increasingly transformed to the image of the Son.”

May you be enriched by the discipline of fixed prayer.

Lent Daily Prayers: The Second Week

2008-02-20T21:10:00.000-08:00

The woman wiping Jesus' feet with her tears

The last two years have been a slow trip into more depth of discipleship and spirituality for me (nate). This slow trip has resulted from a deeper understanding of the Bible on my part and the realization I found there that God's people are expected to be different than the people around them. And not just different in a practice of weekly worship or inward feeling, but in central commitments and family interactions and how they see and interact with both friend and neighbor and, in the case of Lent, what part of the year is most important to them and why.

I say this because in growing up at Middle River, I knew of Lent, but it usually only brought to mind two things for me:

1) My dad went to worship services on Sunday nights during this mysterious "Lent" time, but I didn't know why, and

2) The word "Lent" made me think of "lentil soup," which I thought tasted like pureed cardboard.

Literally. That was all I knew about Lent.

But as I've grown in the past several years, I've begun to see a certain rhythm of the year (some call it the Christian calendar) that isn't centered around Mother's Day, Memorial Day, President's Day, Valentine's Day (or Black Friday, for that matter); but All Saints' Day and Christmas and Easter and Pentecost. And I've found that the two "high holidays" (or, from the root of holidays, 'holy days') of Christmas and Easter each have before them a time of preparation and penitence, a time to do something concrete that helps us to step back and take account of our lives and how they are impacting the world around us. We call them "Advent" (before Christmas) and "Lent" (before Easter). For a better understanding of the deeply countercultural approach of Christians to preparing for Christmas, check out what the folks over at Advent Conspiracy are doing.In a desire to honor these seasons, I've made a commitment to progress toward a more rooted, more ancient path of penitence in these times in the hopes that my faith will grow deeper, my actions will reflect Christ more fully, and my lifestyle will display a commitment to walking by the beating of a different drum than those around me who don't know Christ.

Just a little background for our seeking to honor Lent and through it to more deeply appreciate and celebrate Easter and the breaking through of hope and transformation out of the darkest, most unlikely circumstance.

I offer as a small worship guide for whoever may visit this site a prayer to be said in the morning, the midday, and the evening this week, as well as the prayer for the week at each stage of the day. Maybe they will help draw you deeper into the season as well. These are drawn from Phyllis Tickle's Eastertide, where she reminds in the preface of the book the reason for this observance of fixed prayer (the "divine hours") throughout the day, saying

"When one prays the hours, one is using the exact words, phrases, and petitions that have informed our faith for centuries. In addition, we are using the exact words, phrases, and petitions that were offered just an hour earlier by our fellow Christians in the prior time zone and that, in an hour, will be picked up and used again by our fellow believers in the next time zone. The result is a constant cascade before the throne of God of the "unceasing prayer" to which St. Paul urged us. The result also is the communion of the saints fully realized in words both horizontally through the ages and vertically within this day and hour. Even so, come, Lord Jesus." (xi-xii)

While I'm not so sure we should care as much about the "exact words, phrases, and petitions" side of the Divine Hours as Phyllis, especially since different cultures and peoples and different languages say different things in very different ways, I love the imagery of the "constant cascade." I am not a Christian by myself and for myself. I am a member of a global people casting ourselves down in humility at the feet of God who can think of nothing better (or more fulfilling) to do than cry, "Glory!" (Psalm 29:9)

Morning (to be observed on the hour or half hour between 6 and 9 a.m.)

Prayer for the Week

O Lord, you have taught us without love whatever we do is worth nothing; Send your Holy Spirit and pour into my heart your greatest gift, which is love, the true bond of peace and of all virtue, without which whoever lives is accounted dead before you. Grant this for the sake of your only Son Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Midday (to be observed on the hour or half hour between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.)

Bow your heavens, O Lord, and come down; touch the mountains, and they shall smoke. Hurl the lightning and scatter them; shoot out your arrows and rout them. Stretch out your hand from on high; rescue me and deliver me from the great waters, from the hand of foreign peoples, whose mouths speak deceitfully and whose right hand is raised in falsehood. (Psalm 144:5-8)

Prayer for the week (repeat from the morning)Evening (to be observed on the hour or half hour between 5 and 8 p.m.)

O God, the King Eternal, whose light divides the day from the night and turns the shadow of death into the morning: Drive far from me all wrong desires, incline my heart to keep your law, and guide my feet into the way of peace; that, having done your will with cheerfulness during the day, I may, when night comes, rejoice to give you thanks; through Jesus Christ my Lord. Amen.

Prayer for the week (repeat from the morning)

Proud of our church family...

2007-12-10T09:29:00.000-08:00

Photo Credit: Amanda Bowles, The News Leader

Especially Jean Landrum (even though her name was spelled wrong in the newspaper article), when she said that the church would have to rise from the ashes, "And we have proof that we did."

Here's the link to the Daily News Leader article, and the link to the TV3 article.

It's time to move into a different kind of challenge together, with the our focus altered from the building (meeting place) itself to what we need to focus on to be the church (a community of followers of Jesus) in the world, which is centrally about one word;

Relationship (vertical and horizontal)

Upcoming church family events...

2007-08-11T07:49:00.000-07:00

Sunday Night: August 12th, 2007 Youth Sleepout under Stars @ Doug and Rowena Myers' house

It's the big night of the meteor showers that will be most concentrated between 1-5 a.m. So high schoolers all the way down to elementary, come on over around 8 p.m. with a sleeping bag, a pillow, and some munchies for the night. For directions, call 363-5669.

Friday night: September 7th @ 6:30 p.m. Preval Meritil and Movie Night at the picnic pavilion!

Pastor Preval from Haiti will be here to share some about his homeland, one that has become special to us through our frequent short-term missions trips there. Following his message, we will be watching the movie Facing the Giants outside. So bring a blanket, some listening ears, and a willing heart to catch the stories both from Preval and another Haitian pastor Georgdanny and the producers of the movie.

Catchin' up a bit

2007-01-29T07:32:00.000-08:00

Well, let's see...a LOAD of things have happened in the past month since this website administrator caught a lazy bug with updating things 'round here!

We've gone Christmas caroling, several of us had a great time on New Year's Eve worshiping with Brad Huddleston and friends, we've moved from worshiping in a double room downstairs where we were packed like sardines in a can into our fellowship hall, we've talked about "The God-life" together, we asked "Where is our hope?", walked through the book of Haggai together (messages one, two, and three), we've started a new year with one another, our youth group has been growing with some tremendous kids (and we continue to meet weekly at Doug and Rowena's house, went ice skating, and to a youth worship last night), we've talked about the craving for significance in a world where we often feel insignificant, and we've launched back into the letter to the Romans that is a goldmine of instruction for passionate living in the footsteps of Christ.

More regular updates are coming, we promise!!!!

In the meantime, remember that next week (1st Sunday in February), we are starting into our new worship schedule of Sunday School at 9:30 and worship at 10:30, and small group studies following the book Growing to Be Like Christ are starting up next week as well.

Let's continue the momentum that comes from leaning on one another, challenging one another, forgiving one another, and showing the world that honest, trusting community IS not only possible, but we are pursuing it here.

Joy to the world....

2006-12-14T09:31:00.000-08:00

Christmas caroling's back!!!!

We're gonna go out twice to maximize the amount of folks' houses we get to this year.

The first time: gather at Emerson and Elaine's house at 5 p.m. on Sunday, December 17th. After caroling, we're gonna yummy down and eat some chili and cornbread together. Invite a friend if you'd like!

The second time: gather at Doug and Rowena's house at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, December 19th, and join the youth group going out to carol.

p.s. The three carolers you see just above are Brian Andes, Jeff Sheets, and John Waggy in their younger years. Aren't they just cute as a button?

Get involved!!!

2006-12-07T06:16:00.000-08:00

1. As work continues in the basement we have a need for volunteers who
are willing to strip and clean the downstairs floor tiles this Friday and
Saturday (please call anyone who may not have email and try to enlist
their help).

2. Remember to consider your ideas for the sanctuary and turn in your
written and signed survey to Nate or Cindy.

Thanks,
Cindy H

(late) thoughts on our worship gathering nov 19th

2006-11-25T06:21:00.000-08:00

Testing? Temptation? How do we know which it is? And what are the two all about?

What kinds of questions have passed through your mind since the church building fire? Have you stopped and given some time to those questions? Have you avoided dealing with some of them because they may have been uncomfortable?

Nate asked a question that may or may not have passed through your mind at worship:

Was this an act of evil to try to tear us apart as a church community? I’m not talking arson here…just taking a second to think…did the forces of evil that we can’t see, taste, touch, feel get together to try to plunge a knife into our heart as a church, try to make us throw up our hands and say forget it? Or is this a test by God to put us in a place of discomfort, a place where we need to figure out what our identity is and where our foundation is? Or is this just a part of living in a broken world where things like this happen, and our response to this thing determines who we’re going to lean on and where our treasure is? Or is it all three?

He suggested the answer isn't quite as simple as might think it should be...but isn't reality like that if we're honest? Not quite as simple or step-by-step as we might hope? Surprises us...shocks us....?

As we continued to talk about this matter, we looked at Luke 4:1-13 and talked about the experience of the Biblical character of Job...finding that the difference between testing and temptation isn't found in knowing whether a situation is good or evil, but in the intentions of those involved. God tests us, desiring to shape our character and person; that we would emerge faithful and stronger. Satan tempts us, desiring to see us fall flat on our face...laughing at us when we fail, and kicking us when we're down. And both divine and demonic purposes can be at work in the same situation! That sounds uncomfortable...

So how do we respond? Knowing we are humans, and see the incomplete picture, we pursue faithfulness. We take steps, we trust God, and we find that as we face life depending on Him, our character is strengthened, our light burns brighter, and we find life amidst the struggle...

Link to the sermon is here. (if the above stuff was confusing, you might want to grab the whole sermon to read...feel free to dive into the Bible and share if you see something different than Nate that may be challenging to yourself and others as well. email him at natedmyers@gmail.com, and we can maybe have a fun conversation around the topic!

Reflections on Sunday, Nov 12...

2006-11-13T13:50:00.000-08:00

It seems impossible to underestimate the powerful reality of worshiping and spending time together following a major catastrophe. Whether we worship and fellowship following funerals, national or global tragedies, or our present circumstance of the church fire, we send a powerful message to one another by refusing to withdraw inside ourselves; instead, we gather.

Yesterday wasn't perfect...some frustrating things stacked up on top of each other, testing patience and causing us to have to fly by the seat of our pants. We were in an unfamiliar place, a relatively unfamiliar time, with a bit different approach of worship.

But as we sat down, we could look around and see the faces of those who have stuck it out through thick and thin together so far; and read from 1 Peter 4 and Hebrews 4 the calling we are given by God to consistency in worship and consistency in lifestyle no matter what.

Two songs from our worship time should stick out to us as Biblically-driven, intensely real and intensely practical messages: Blessed be the Name of the Lord and Praise You in This Storm. To see the lyrics, click on the songs. And at the end, we sang together God Will Make a Way. Songs of trust and knowing God is faithful no matter how broken life is.

Peter reminded us to rejoice in the face of suffering, and to praise God that we bear the name (the call to faithfulness) of Jesus in any circumstance.

Nate gave a bit of an introduction during the message that looked like this:

"Before I launch into the message this morning, I’d like to let you know that, like the rest of us here, I’ve had an up and down week, mostly down. I’ve cycled through many emotions, sometimes feeling unstable and not in control of myself. I’ve tried to cope with those emotions by withdrawing from others at times, thinking I could handle these strong emotions myself, but found all that was doing was making me numb. And to tell the truth, there’s a strong voice in me telling me before I read the verses I’m going to read here in a second that God doesn’t have a ghost of an idea what He’s talking about. That God is out of touch with reality, and pain, and grief. That’s my natural human response to what I am about to read here.

(Read 1 Pete 4:12-19) And just when I am about to toss the Bible down and not pick it up for awhile, I come to Hebrews 4:14-16 (read), and I find that the message is deeper than it looks at first, and I find here the example of Jesus, and my mind immediately shifts to the struggles he endured on this earth during his ministry, the pain and agony of struggling with living into his destiny while praying in the Garden of Gethsemane, the physical pain of the crucifixion, sure, but the pinnacle of that experience being the moment where Jesus stepped in the gap for the sake of all humanity, and in those moments underwent such suffering that the sky turned black in the middle of the day, an earthquake shook Jerusalem, dead people arose from tombs, and he finally cried out, “It is finished.”

And if I read that story closely, I don’t recall Jesus walking through that experience with a smile slapped on his face, dancing a two-step as he stood before Pilate or the Sanhedrin, or laughing as he carried his cross. And if the stories are true at how Peter’s life came to an end, I’m positive he wasn’t just really excited, overwhelmed with joy when he was crucified for being a follower of Jesus as well. So when Peter suggests to rejoice and praise God in the midst of suffering, I think we can come to the conclusion that he doesn’t mean deny reality or pretend like everything’s ok. And I feel confident in saying this, because this life that God has called us to is at its heart being real and honest, not running away from things that upset us, stretch us, or are painful. So what is the deeper reality here?"

The answer seems to be found in the response we are expected to give as Christians that seems to be idiotic (and in fact is) to our friends who don't know Jesus. The rejoicing we are called to cultivate is not a false exterior that denies the struggles going on in the interior...the rejoicing we are called to cultivate is a deep inner awareness that though life is broken and unexpected things happen, God expects faithfulness, consistency, and growing worship to emerge from our lives...and difficult circumstances demand that we orient ourselves properly to depend on God.

How do we respond as a people? Nate suggested two simple things that are terribly hard to live out:

1) We admit that we are powerless...that our lives are unmanageable without the relationship God created us to pursue, and

2) We believe that pursuing that open relationship with God can and will both restore us to sanity (enabling us to face life), and begin to restore relationships across the face of humanity that are broken.

The solution to the mountains and valleys of life is a God-centered existence. And in a society more and more impersonal every day, we get the opportunity to experience the potential of deep relationship, challenge, grace, and forgiveness when we (in the midst of unpredictable life) gather together as a people. You won't find that at Wal-Mart, the gas station, the movies, or listening to a television preacher. You will find it when you see me and I see you...both of us knowing each others' weaknesses and strengths as we grow to trust one another...both of us pursuing the transformed life we are called to pursue.

We need each other. Sunday was a start (with some good food to boot!).

We're meeting again this Wednesday at Emerson and Elaine's at 7 pm to pray, and will continue meeting at New Hope Community Center for at least the next month at 10 am, with our worship gathering followed by a chance to eat together and talk about who we are...

Can we continue to commit to meeting together as a priority?

Full sermon here.

For information purposes...

2006-11-10T07:09:00.000-08:00

If you're wondering if there's a central email address to reach the church body regarding offers of volunteers, monetary donations, etc, here's Pastor Nate's address:

natedmyers@gmail.com

He will make sure and centralize and distribute the information according to the responsibilities and decision-making of various leadership groups in the church.

Keep praying for us, if you would. Especially at 10 a.m. on Sunday morning as we gather in worship at New Hope Community Center...prayer is a powerful tool (and weapon!) for radically altering emotions, group unity of purpose and identity, and physical reality that is often vastly underused because we can't necessarily always see, taste, touch, or feel its results...we don't have to look far in both the Bible and our present reality to see the power and reach of prayer. It's connecting with the Creator of the Universe...how in the world could it not be powerful???

Update time!

2006-11-09T08:09:00.000-08:00

May the pictures from above not only direct us to appreciate the way in which the building served us so well for 42 years, but also to the lives represented in each picture...the first is Aaron Carper giving us a living illustration of a rooted tree in Psalm 1, and the second is Bernie Elmore and Steve Carper giving the offering to God on the Sunday in September in which we honored firefighters and rescue squad personnel during worship...little did we know what direct role they would play in our lives just a short while afterwards...

Hello to all concerned and praying for this traumatic situation in the life of our congregation...

First, a couple announcements:

We will be gathering for worship on Sunday at 10 a.m. at the New Hope Community Center (formerly New Hope Elem. ) Directly following our worship time, we will be eating together, so if you would bring some picnic-style lunch (sandwiches, drinks, chips, etc) for your family and maybe a couple extra for those who won't come with anything, that would be great. Directly following the lunchtime, several leaders in the church family will update us on business-related issues regarding what's already taken place since Tuesday morning, what will take place in the coming days, weeks, and months, and most importantly, what we can do to distribute the stress of the upcoming steps through the church family.

We are starting a bank account either today or tomorrow in the name of "Middle River Church Building Fund" if you would like to make a financial contribution in this time. If you send this by mail, send it to this address in care of:

Pam Carper
2464 Laurel Hill Rd
Staunton, Va 24401

We've also heard many offers of help of various kinds from all over the place: whether it's been the Shenandoah District of the Church of the Brethren, individual churches, individuals in general (a man from the local community just popped in and gave a check to a church member the other night), or whoever else. Things are still shaking down a bit to where we're getting a bit more firm grasp on what is necessary and what we need to do; right now the main work is with contractors of various kinds, but as soon as we get more of an understanding of what is needed in terms of more on-the-ground volunteering, etc, we'll get the word out.

With all that being said...here's a couple thoughts that may be useful for our prayers and actions:

It's really easy in smooth times to talk about the calling to pursue being involved in doing whatever is necessary for the church to thrive, but, regrettably, we often don't get the point until something catastrophic happens.

We NEED to stand together as a church family, shift priorities as necessary (sometimes painfully), and attack this challenge together.

We NEED to trust the leadership of our church to make sound decisions about the direction we head as a family (that involves listening to all, but eventually making hard decisions for the good of the whole); that's why we've called them out as leaders.

We NEED to eliminate from our vocabulary words such as "them," "they," and "those people." The church is US, and God carries high expectations for us to love one another and build one another up in this process; especially in times of disagreement. Let's disagree well, and handle ourselves as followers of Jesus are called to act, and seek forgiveness and take a shot to our pride when we fail. Let's do this together.

We NEED to lean on God in this time...the most obvious way we can do this is through a commitment to prayer; individually and together. Those who gathered last evening to pray together experienced a powerful sense of unity and identity...let's not walk away and forget that goal we are called to. Consistency in prayer and unity will define us into the future. Will we continue to gather together in prayer even when it seems tedious or like hard work? If at all possible, let's plan on getting together into the near future at 7 p.m. on Wednesdays to pray together. The locations may vary; we'll stay updated.

Doug Southers, a good friend of the congregation, fellow mission-worker with members of our congregation in Haiti, and a man who has earned a reputation as a straight-shooter, called on Tuesday evening and said this: "You're gonna find out what you're made of through this." A high calling to pursue. Together.

Some thoughts on Romans 12:9-16 in light of yesterday...

2006-11-07T10:12:00.000-08:00

Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer...rejoice with those who rejoice, mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another.
-Romans 12:10-12,15,16

We face a challenge as the people of God in the next few days, weeks, months, and year. God's people have always faced fundamental choices, but it often isn't until catastrophic situations take place that the deep need to make sound, consistent, and faithful choices that protect the identity of the family of God, the calling to be in unity as a body, and the calling to be rooted first and foremost in the pursuit of God is felt. We will face the constant temptation to be fragmented by the difficult decisions we must make; as well as face the constant, deeply-shaping beautiful opportunity to depend on one another and confess our powerlessness without God to sustain, empower, and heal us.

The process has already started. We will gather tonight at Emerson and Elaine's house just down the road from the church to pray at 7 p.m. Tentatively, we will gather for worship at the New Hope Community Center (old New Hope Elementary) on Sunday. More info soon.

How do we face life? Here's a segment from last Sunday's sermon:

"We slow down. One guy I know said it like this: 'We don’t just fly at 560 miles an hour in our 747, miles above a grove of fruit trees and look down and say, “My, what an impressive grove of fruit trees.” Instead, we land the plane and walk through the grove of trees and stop here and there and linger, inhale and smell the fruit, pick the fruit and eat it and savor the beauty and the sweetness of the grove.' In other words, we meditate on these words. We don’t rush over them."

Our rootedness in God can enable us to see the sweetness of a people gathered together in the name of Christ...not afraid to bring all that we are to the table in prayer and dump it down and say, "God, we can't handle this ourselves. We are powerless, identity-less, vision-less without you."

Let's reject the temptation to fragment right now; and daily. Forcefully. Let's embrace unity and our identity in Christ. We don't deny the grief, or the struggle; we honestly face it...

Further Reflections on Transformation

2006-10-30T06:58:00.000-08:00

Romans 12:3-8, 1 Corinthians 14:3

Our worship focus yesterday morning focused on taking an honest look at ourselves (one of the hardest things we will ever do), recognizing our natural position (part of the problem in the world), and moving beyond our flawed humanity to pursue transformation in Jesus. The link to the sermon is here.

We heard a short story and conversation from Donald Miller in his book Blue Like Jazz that set the table for our approach, and then considered Paul talking about spiritual gifting in the section of Romans we were investigating...

Maybe the thing we can carry with us from our worship (knowing how forgetful we all are...as well as how busy we are!) is this: verse 1 of chapter 12 roots us in giving us the aim for our life: the whole of ourselves given over to God as an act of worship, verse 2 calling us to the renewal of our minds, and verse 3 calling us to kill pride and cultivate humility in the footsteps of Jesus. Following Jesus can seem very complex in today's world. This simple approach in the beginning of chapter 12 can cut through all the layers and help us restore simplicity in our lives.

Give God all of your life...that your life may shine brighter and brighter each day. Kill pride and self-centeredness and instead cultivate humility in the footsteps of Jesus; recognizing that as you pursue this goal, you will find things flowing out of your life and gifts you would have never known were possible in you...these are the spiritual gifts. We don't have to define them rigidly, we simply have to cling to Christ and trust God in the details.

What is our goal as a church community? Simply surviving, or committed to thriving? We need commitment: to one another, and to Jesus, if we want to thrive.

The process of transformation...

2006-10-28T12:35:00.000-07:00

Romans 12:1-2, Jeremiah 31:31-33

In our time worshiping together last Sunday, we moved from the command we are given to be transformed to looking at some practical steps to make that command a reality in our lives...how we can be faithful to Christ in the details in order to form us for the big moments.

We also continued to work with the goal of our lives, and what it might be vs. God's goal for our lives; is our goal to form and be "good people," or is it to form and be people that are being transformed...who see their lives as a work in progress and never give up growing and pursuing God?

To illustrate this point, Nate wrote on one side of a chalkboard: What are the things a person would need to understand (or steps they needed to go through) in order to become a "Christian"?

Our answers were: follow rules, ask forgiveness, repentance, believe with all your heart, be faithful/thoughtful, can't do it ourselves, know you're loved, and need to know Jesus.

Nate raised the question: Is it possible to know all of these things (able to understand them) and not be a follower of Jesus? He thought so...what do you think? Do you have friends or neighbors who "know" these things and have no real desire to follow them?

Next, Nate flipped over the chalkboard and wrote another question:

What ideas would a guy need to agree with or what steps would a guy need to take in order to fall in love with a girl? (or vice versa)

Some of our answers for this were: be with her/spend time with her, get to know her, commitment, look inward rather than outward, and the question of one person; Are there steps?

The most glaring difference between the two sides of this chalkboard were that one (the "Christian" side) focused more on concepts, things, or steps to do, while the other focused much more on the reality that relationships aren't exactly a scientific process. How does this match up with how Christianity is more often presented today?

And if Christianity is primarily about a relationship with God, then how can we order our days to carve out a space in our lives to spend time with God/get to know Him better...assuming this is what God desires from us?

So here's a thought:

"I have come to believe that the sooner we embrace this reality (relationship-focused rather than rules-focused), the sooner we will fall in love with the God who keeps shaking things up, keeps changing the path, keeps rocking the boat to test our faith in Him, teaching us not to rely on easy answers, bullet points, magic formulas, or genies in lamps, but rather in HIS guidance, HIS existence, HIS mercy, and HIS love. The Bible is NOT a self-help book; it is a collection of 66 letters, histories, praises, laments, wisdom, pain, joy, life, death, faith, unfaith, and the daily reality of the human struggle.

And that is a RELATIONSHIP, and RELATIONSHIPS are defined by the reality that they are NOT set in stone; they change you, if the relationship is real and defining for your life."

Afterwards, we talked about the reality that the most glaring indicator for us of where our priorities lie and our goals reside is in what we DO and how we HANDLE ourselves in the world. Because if this business of God's redeeming the world is the most important thing this world has ever known or seen, then we order our lives around it. And the most practical area this is represented is when we link up with other followers of Jesus with the same goal: the church.

So this raises another major issue: if God's goal is to transform us, then that necessarily includes our hearts, our motivation, and our will. Are we walking the (sometimes tough!) road of trading in the empty motivations and will of our former lives for the motivations, will, and pleasures God desires for us?

Or, Have we ever gone to work as a servant of Jesus, believing it to be our duty and THEREFORE WE MUST DO IT, but longing to go back to our own REAL interests and pleasures the moment our work was over?

How can we clear out room for God to transform THIS area of our lives? We face choices every day...therefore while we're out working or going to school or doing our hobbies or whatever else, how can we make the choice to pursue transformation...to put one foot in front of the other (even when we don't want to)?

If we want ourselves, we choose ourselves…we just must know where that path leads. If we want life, God is asking of everything from us, and you know the passion we have for acquiring things, pursuing comfort, a little more cash? This new life, this new heart, this transforming life God will give us will cause us to WANT to do these things for Him!

The link to the sermon is here.

On the call for nonconformity...

2006-10-16T12:21:00.000-07:00

First things first: if the word nonconformity is a bit out there for you as far as understanding its meaning, take a little detour to dictionary.com and check it out. Or email Nate. Or call him. Or call Cindy Thornton. (just kidding about Cindy) :)

Yesterday, we plunged into Romans 12:1-2 together...if you wanna read the sermon, go here .
This section of Scripture may be the most central batch of Scriptures for us today, because it makes us aware of our temptation (to look as much like others as possible), and calls us not to some specific goal that is easily achieved without much work, but instead to a lifestyle of actively being transformed until the day we leave this Earth.

We dealt with some hard questions, such as:

Why is Christianity so often as an unattractive religion when Jesus, the person on which it is founded, is considered to be one of the most compelling and attractive figures in the history of the world (even by critics of Christianity)?

Why can folks call themselves “Christian” and never set themselves apart from the rest of the folks around them who are bored, cynical, and headed nowhere as if being a Christian held no way to escape that reality?

Why can professing Christians talk about “their faith” as if its a phrase they’ve gotten bored with rather than a story of something profound, mysterious, life-changing, and beautiful?

Why can’t professing Christians seem to discuss their “faith” with anything near the passion, enthusiasm, or imagination they have for hobbies, sports, celebrities, films, or music?

Those seem to be very important to keep going in our minds, as we all have unique temptations according to our unique created nature to be aware of...as well as many temptations we all share. How can we flip around the temptations to focus beyond the temptations themselves and on towards growth?

And would you agree that where we live, we often think of church as forming us to be "good people," and that that goal is inadequate (read: unfaithful) for the life God has called us to (transformation)?

Next Sunday, we'll talk about some of the nitty-gritty ways we can make this transformation work on the practical, daily level; cause it's important to keep the goal in front of us...but equally important to be willing to link up and wade through the muck along the way!

And remember, where was the only situation in the gospels where the same word is used as the one Paul used for transformation? Maybe the picture will provide a hint.

Imagine the reality that this explosion of light is happening in your life as you pursue Christ!

Some thoughts on Sunday's (Oct 8) Worship....

2006-10-10T10:40:00.000-07:00

This Sunday was the third straight worship gathering where we've investigated the deeper, more rooted nature of a disciple of Jesus (and the need for a strong community that trust one another to maximize growth)

Two Sundays ago, we looked closer at Psalm 1; where we are called to chew on God's Word, to delight in it...and as we progress in this, we gain the qualities of a tree with a strong root system; that bears its fruit in season, whose leaves do not wither before their time.

Last Sunday, we investigated the rhythm of the life of a disciple of Jesus:
1) the importance of withdrawing (the discipline of meeting to worship on Sundays to center our lives on God) to be with Jesus and others following the same path.
2) trusting God enough to be naked and unafraid in his Presence (figuratively speaking :) ), where Jesus names us and calls us into a life we could never have imagined before.
3) sent out by Jesus on an inner and outer journey to put into practice what we have learned in his presence.

And the cycle repeats itself.

So this Sunday, we focused on three points of emphasis in the life of a disciple of Jesus that are called to define (and simplify) us.
1) proclaiming good news
2) confronting evil, and
3) being a force, an agent for healing in our world

The link to the sermon is here.

And the question is always relevant for us to chew on, pray over, and put into practice: In what way does your life bear the mark of Jesus’ call to communicate good news (in word, in deed, in growth in Christ)? To confront evil (idolatry in its various forms, evil in yourself, in the church, in the world)? To be a presence for healing (willing to suffer with others, to endure conflict and set an example as a maturing Christian, to pray for others)? Where is your weakness? Where can you grow?

In the area of the call to confront evil, we looked at the life of Oscar Romero. Here's a link for you to read about his life.

Some thoughts on Sunday's (oct 1) worship...

2006-10-03T08:09:00.000-07:00

We talked about our initial experience or perception of God we carry when He meets us in life...and the reality that though God meets us where we're at, he always calls to to go further...

What does this look like in the life of a disciple? I suggested it's not unlike that of a wave washing onto the seashore that spreads out over the surface of the sand, then retreats back to the larger body of water, and then is sent out again.

There seemed to be three movements (circular) in the formation of the disciples:

1) to come and be with Jesus (withdraw)

2) being named (the inward journey)

3) being sent out (the outward journey)

If you didn't buy into my approach, or still have further questions, the sermon is posted here . Feel free to cut it from the webpage and paste it into your word processor to reflect further.
In what way does your life reflect or not reflect this rhythm of discipleship?

And for further reflection: here are the questions I asked at the end of the message that would be great for us each to think about as we pursue Christ:

In what ways are you resisting what God is naming and seeing within you?

How would you describe your understanding of the meaning of your life, and how that affects our church community?

In what way does your life bear the mark of Jesus’ call to communicate good news (in word, in deed, in growth in Christ)? To confront evil (idolatry in its various forms, evil in yourself, in the church, in the world)? To be a presence for healing (willing to suffer with others, to endure conflict and set an example as a maturing Christian, to pray for others)? Where is your weakness? Where can you grow?

p.s. New pictures posted from the youth's FD homecoming dance. They look nice all dressed up, don't they? :)

Some thoughts on this morning's worship focus

2006-09-24T18:49:00.000-07:00

After trying something new this morning in using the ancient discipline of lectio divina, did you find it a hard way to read Scripture? Did it strike you as way of reading you could think about adding to your devotions?

The first few times I (Nate) tried this practice, I was skeptical, to be honest. I thought it was kind of hokey; like I can take whatever meaning from Scripture I want. But it's grown on me, and helped me to see that Scripture isn't meant to be read as a textbook, but as a guide, and something to engage our whole being. Psalms 1, I think, is full of tremendous words and phrases we can let roll around in our heads as we live: meditate on God's law, delight, trees by streams, bearing fruit in season, not letting leaves wither, way of the wicked will perish, way of the righteous will prosper, and more.

And I like the image of two paths; one that tempts us to surface life apart from God, the other a deep life of purpose and meaning. And maybe a cow chewing its cud isn't such a disgusting image to think of; lectio divina is going deeper with God's Word and letting it change our heart as we focus on it. Any comments?

Here's a link to the lyrics to the song Doubting Thomas by Nickel Creek we listened to this morning. Again, this was a song I was skeptical of in the beginning that is cutting through the layers of my heart the more I listen. It is a heart-felt prayer to God that deals with doubt, trust, and struggling with life. You may notice he starts off with "I took a promise," moving to the struggle of knowing "I can't keep my promises" and concluding with "I'll take your promise." He's not afraid to engage the struggle, it looks like to me, and ultimately places the situation in God's hands; "I'll take your promise." I'll trust you with this life, God. Seems to be a good example for us.

And here's a page where you can listen to the song. For free! Partway down the page on your left, you should find the "Doubting Thomas" link. Just click on it and it should play.

And not to make the post here too long, but the song might carry more weight to you if you get a glimpse into the life of Chris Thile (the author of Doubting Thomas), who was just recently married and his wife left and initiated a divorce almost right afterwards. The song "Somebody more like you" gives some insight into his anger and confusion from this on the same album. From everyone I know, he's a committed follower of Christ, but I don't know the details; all I can say here is that something like that would certainly toss one's life in turmoil!

Timely words from a wise leader...

2006-06-28T08:17:00.000-07:00

Here are some thoughts from a pastor of a relatively new church plant out in Portland, OR. How do his thoughts affect yours about where we're seeking to grow as a church community?

two years plus and counting...

yeah... two years plus and counting. That's about how long it takes for us all to figure out that there simply isn't any way for a church community that inhabits the sphere of reality to match up to the one that inhabits our hopes and dreams.

Two years plus and we begin to see that yes, we all hurt each other. We all disappoint one another. In fact, it's tough to spend any time at all in close proximity to someone, and not be disappointed at some point. Two years is more than enough to learn that...
More than enough time to find out how tough it is to put yourself out there to a community and not get the response you'd hoped or wished for, even if that response might have been perfectly reasonable... or unreasonable as our expectations often get.

Two years is a long time to hang in there, whether we're right in the thick of things, or hanging back on the fringes... whether we're trying hard...or not. Just long enough to set in stark contrast the differences between the church of the mind and the church we actually create.

Not thinking of anyone in particular- I promise. Just praying for our community as a whole tonight. Feeling the need- like there's some choppy water around the corner. Praying for patience with one another, for longsuffering with each other's faults, even those of the people with the title of pastor or elder. Praying for hearts that love the Body of Christ, even with its rough spots and see that facing this life and all the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune is always better with community, and so that community is worth working for, praying for and sacrificing for... even if it lets us down and disappoints us.

Just praying...

from the blog of Bob Hyatt here.

Thanking God for the big things and the small things...

2006-06-12T13:24:00.000-07:00

Our church community Sunday celebrated some important decisions and important lives. The two ladies immediately above here, Wanda Helmick and Tammy Seay, along with Sierra Keefer and Virginia Shull, made a public commitment in view of our church and society that they were followers of Jesus Christ through baptism. In addition, Phyllis Whetzel committed herself in membership to the community. Each of those decisions represents a tremendously high calling, a serious covenant, and a reason to rejoice!

To be honest with you, I (Nate) suffered from terrible butterflies the night before this Sunday for several reasons:
1) These ladies were my first EVER to baptize, and
2) I knew they would remember this day the rest of their lives, and I wanted them to remember it in a GOOD light afterwards. :)

By the grace of God, things went smoothly on Sunday (with the exception that I dunked EVERY part of Tammy but a little ring on the back of her head), and God was glorified. Another small event in the history of the world that (providing that these women live into the seriousness of their commitment) sends shockwaves out starting with their immediate family and friends and church community and beyond. I don't think we're even at the point where we can comprehend what God's going to do through them and us as a church as we pursue Christ together. Pretty incredible stuff.

Thanks God.

First post

2006-03-27T09:49:00.000-08:00

Seeking to be a light in the Valley...