God’s Magnificent Mirror (new series)
New Series: God’s Magnificent Mirror
Proposing that our faith is only as robust as our understanding of how THE LORD views Himself.
Week 1: Moses meets his Maker and asks some pertinent and penetrating questions.
The answers reveal much about God’s Self Image.
Self Image
Is not the fact that we care about how we are “viewed” by others and by ourselves yet another “Echo of Eden”? Not only does it sound an echo, it also speaks of our being made in the image of One Who Loves Himself Perfectly Because He Is Perfect and Completely Loveable. He is Perfection personified. He is Love alive. Now all this is flowery and lovely and certainly appropriate, but there is a practicality which we must not miss:
HE TRUSTS HIMSELF COMPLETELY.
I’ve been wrestling with God for 60+ years and the match continues. I need to continue to grow in my desire for Him to prevail and “pin me” in completely humiliating fashion for me. He will win thus, for the outcome of the match has already been determined. And in my defeat comes my victory, for when He is done with me He will pick me up from the mat and carry me to the victory stand and place a crown on my head. He will declare that because of how HE VIEWS HIS KINGSHIP I receive the crown of life and fullness of joy and “royal heredity.”
All because HE LOVES HIS MASTERY OF SPACE, TIME, ETERNITY AND ALL THAT IS NOT SPACE, TIME OR ETERNITY.
Because I join with another David declaring that “I am a worm and not a man,” I am most astounded that my defeat unto death of self on God’s grappling ground will result in the bestowing of Jesus’ Perfect Righteousness upon me. Because…
ONLY HE SEES HIS HOLINESS FOR ALL IT IS, AND THAT HIS PEOPLE, TO TRULY BE HIS PEOPLE SO THAT HE MAY “WALK AMONG THEM,” MUST ALSO BE HOLY.
Amazingly, that’s my story. What’s yours?
News & Announcements:
- Prayer gathering @ church Wednesday @ 7:00
- Advocate Bromenn Partners in Prayer for April: Addiction Recovery Unit (ARC)
- Softball Season Starts @ Six Wednesday, Champion Fields
- April 29th “Dietrich Bonhoeffer: A Christian Response to Adolf Hitler?”
Broadview Mansion (home of Immanuel Bible Foundation) 1301 S. Fell, Normal
Sunday, April 29th @ 6:30pm (Doors open at 6pm). Joe Thomas, Assistant Professor of History of Christianity at Urbana Theological Seminary, will present this amazing story of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Christian theologian and German pastor, and how he impacted World War II. (Drama by actors from Jacob’s Well.) - The Spencers Have an Idea…
All young couples (let’s say 35 and under) are invited to their pad (that’s cool lingo from the 60’s) for an evening of food and fun and fire (yippee!) on Friday, April 27 @ 7:00. If you are over 35 and want to attend, just go; I don’t think they’ll be checking ID’s. Bring an hors d’oeuvres or dessert if you can. - Sunday School Teachers Needed!
The summer schedule for Sunday School teachers is currently being put together and there is a need for at least 2 new teachers. If you are interested and/or willing to to serve in the way, please contact Cary at carybhendricks@gmail.com.
A Note from Navajo Country
Three of our own from The Jake left this week to visit Navajo Country and explore the possibility of partnering with those in the community to plant “community gardens” of sorts. We wanted to share Andrew’s recent blog post from the trip. Notice, we didn’t say *he* wanted to share it with you. But, he did make it public on his blog, so we figure there’s not much he can do about it!
If you would like to read the post in it’s entirety (it’s much funnier and more enjoyable in its entirety), go here.
From “Holy crepe! Wrong airport!”
WE’RE ON THE LAM FOR A FEW DAYS. NO AUTHORITIES ARE hot on our trail, however; just life and responsiblities. I’m in the air with two guys from my church, Tate & Jon, heading to Navajo Country in Arizona…
Jon is leading our trio while Tate and I follow along. Jon’s been to this area of the country numerous times, and has a heart for working with the Navajo people. He’s also the fella that led the trip to the Basque region of Spain that I went on a few years ago. He and his missus just had baby recently, so I know he’s probably feeling some ambivalence about heading out for a number of days. I’ll just assume he’s out to rediscover bachelorhood and cut loose. That’s probably how he rolls.
Tate is a bit unknown to me, but he came bearing snacks and sock monkeys, so I’m willing to cut him some slack. He’s also about six times better looking than Jon or I, so it will be a relief to not have to endure all the lacivious stares that typically burden me so.
Me? I’m just here to play the heavy. Grump, curmudgeon, professional wet blanket – that’s my purview. Oh, you’re having a good time? Think something is “fun?” No. None of that. Go sit in the car Tate, because WE ARE NOT HAVING FUN and THIS IS NOT AWESOME …
There’s a lot of issues within the Navajo nation that make it a tough place to grow up, both for plants and humans. The hope with these gardens is to build something that can provide some nourishment, encouragement, motivation, a bit of beauty, and ideally be an ongoing benefit to the locals. We’re hoping something takes root. (You knew that pun was coming, right?)
Seriously … If you would like to read the post in it’s entirety (it’s much funnier and more enjoyable in its entirety), go here.
Read More
Wardrobe Change…
“We shall be like Him.” (I John 3:2)
Bullfrogs and butterflies have both been born again.
(from a song by Barry McGuire)
We’re Going to Keep Thinking Expansively…
about the
RESURRECTION!!!
Expansive. Here’s a good exercise: find Bible verses/passages which teach the assertions below…
So, we maybe too blithely proclaim: “He is risen; He is risen, indeed! Happy Easter.”
His “risenness” is absolutely the best thing we have going for us, now and forever. It’s the stamp of approval by The Father that His Son completed the Redemptive Rescue Mission. It’s the re-creative act of the Holy Spirit upon dead and rotting flesh to not only bring it alive again, but to do so in such brilliant manner as to assure that all aging, all pain, all discomfort, all limitation of time and space are removed from the formula. It’s the promise of the Son, the Shepherd, to His flock.
Jesus is now the Firstborn over all creation; unless we are of the generation which will never see death because He has returned, we (the Redeemed) will go through the same quickening as He. Thus, we will be able to eat and drink (yea!), appear and disappear at will (fun) and otherwise defy the laws of physics (who knew?)
The there’s the wardrobe: we will be clothed in garments of glory which will be unendingly in perfect style (no need to shop?). If there are hand-me-downs, they will come from those we absolutely adore.
News & Announcements:
- Prayer gathering @ church Wednesday @ 7:00
- Advocate Bromenn Partners in Prayer for April: Addiction Recovery Unit (ARC)
- Softball Season Starts Soon See Stuart
- April 29th “Dietrich Bonhoeffer: A Christian Response to Adolf Hitler?”
Broadview Mansion (home of Immanuel Bible Foundation) 1301 S. Fell, Normal
Sunday, April 29th @ 6:30pm
(Doors open at 6pm).
Joe Thomas, Assistant Professor of History of Christianity at Urbana Theological Seminary, will present this amazing story of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Christian theologian and German pastor, and how he impacted World War II. (Drama by actors from Jacob’s Well.) - The Spencers Have an Idea…
All young couples (let’s say 35 and under) are invited to their pad (that’s cool lingo from the 60’s) for an evening of food and fun and fire (yippee!) on Friday, April 27 @ 7:00. If you are over 35 and want to attend, just go; I don’t think they’ll be checking ID’s. Bring an hors d’oeuvres or dessert if you can.
