Northeast Community Church of the Nazarene: 2012

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

NE NEWS - December 18, 2012

Northeast Community News –December 18, 2012

Dear Friends and Family,

In a few days we will gather and sing:

“Joy to the world! the Lord is come; Let earth receive her King. Let ev’ry heart prepare Him room, And heaven and nature sing!”

Christmas Day is coming! But instead of letting this reminder fill our hearts with anxiety and dread as we remember we have still ‘so much to do,’ let us rejoice in what God has already done! If the cookies aren’t ready; the Christmas cards go out late; and batteries don’t get bought it really will not be the end of the world! Let us do our part to prepare Him room! Let us simply join all creation and sing!

This is exactly how God ended His revelation through the prophet Zephaniah! In c. 3:14 we read, “Sing, O Daughter of Zion; shout aloud, O Israel! Be glad and rejoice with all your heart…” (Zephaniah 3:14). In our message from God this week, we examined Zephaniah 3:14-20 and read a truly wonderful prophecy of good news!

In the midst of the worst of times – a time when the larger culture had turned to evil and was doing everything wrong on purpose and would be judged for those sins, God declared through Zephaniah it would be different for the faithful. To the faithful He promises to “take away our punishment; turn back our enemy” (v. 15)! We really do have reason for joy and peace this Christmas! But that’s not all!

To the faithful, God declares through the prophet He is “with us, mighty to save us, takes great delight in us, quiets us with His love, and rejoice over us with singing” (v. 17)! As we prepare our hearts for Christmas we are reminded the God of all creation is with us through Christ! In Christ, God has come to save us, take great delight in us, quiet us in His love, and burst into song over us with singing! Wow! But that’s still not all! (Isn’t God truly amazing!)

Finally, in v. 20 Zephaniah prophesizes there is coming a time when God who is gathering will take us home! This has many meanings! Certainly, this suggests God is still actively gathering His children among the broken and hurting. The Holy Spirit continues to nudge and waken cold hearts and draw them to God through Christ. But it also means God is going to give us abundant life now through faith and belief in Christ and the through the power and presence of the Holy Spirit, and God is going to take us to heaven one day!

As we prepare for Christmas this year in a culture that seems more and more inclined to evil, let join the faithful and rejoice over what God has already done! Let us simply join all creation and sing! “Joy to the world! the Lord is come!”

NO WEDNESDAY ADULT BIBLE STUDY THIS WEEK! (BUT COME ANYWAY!)

This week we are NOT going to have a Wednesday Bible study, but we are still going to gather! Confused? Don’t be! Instead of having our Bible study, we are going to get ready for our Christmas Eve service by making luminaries, practicing, and setting up candles and whatever else needs to be done to get ready! Did I mention we were going to eat pizza, too? Yes!

Join us at 6:30pm for food, fun, and great fellowship! If you have any questions, see or contact Pastor Dan or Pastor Amy!

ALL CHURCH CHRISTMAS EVE EMPHASIS!

Have you ever heard the pastor(s) say, ‘You really ought to invite someone to church’ and thought or even said out loud, ‘But, I’m not wired to easily do that?’ We get it! We really do! But you know what? Everyone will consider coming to a Christmas Eve service. Christmas Eve is an opportunity to sing Christmas carols from our childhood and hold a candle at the end and sing, ‘Silent Night’ acapella.

Christmas Eve is an opportunity to invite someone who would never normally come to church. You can do this! The question is, ‘will you?’ This year we have printed 500 special invitations for EVERYONE to hand out! If all 50 of us took 5 invitations and handed them out we will have 500 possibilities for God to touch someone this Christmas Eve. The invitations are on the tables outside the sanctuary and on the soundboard. Hand out 5 and make a difference!

Blessings! Pastor Dan

Hello From Pastor Amy/Your Part-Time Church Secretary

My office hours will be on Tuesdays from 8am-5pm, but if you need to see me, you may want to call first. My responsibilities also include preparing our weekly program, so if you have an event that you would like to put in the program or newsletter, please feel free to contact me!

On Prayer Requests: If you have a specific praise or prayer request which you would like to appear in the program and/or newsletter, please make sure to fill out the tear-off sheet in the weekly program, or contact me at any time.

Please Update Me! We have a long, ongoing list of prayer requests. Please keep me updated. Requests will be pulled from the newsletter & program after three weeks. Thank you! Church

Office: 616-459-2773 My Contact Info: 616-514-9521 or amyorban@hotmail.com

PLEASE NOTE! Beginning January 1, 2013, all correspondence with me will switch to a new email address: aorban@nnu.edu. Please save me to your contacts, as I will be sending the newsletter and all other church information from this address. Thank you!

NEWS & EVENTS

Cookies for Christmas Eve

After our Christmas Eve Service, we usually offer cookies, coffee, and hot chocolate for those who wish to linger and fellowship. Would you be willing to bring a dozen cookies or brew some coffee? Talk to Pastor Amy or Pastor Dan.

Buy a Gift for a Child!

There are still children on our list, will you take a name? We want to make sure each child in our church receives a Christmas gift, and we are asking YOU to help. At the back of the sanctuary is a list of all the children in our church. Simply pick a name and cross it off. Then buy a gift ($5 or less), wrap it and put the child’s name on it, and place it under the Christmas tree in the sanctuary. Gifts will be handed out after our Christmas service (Sunday Dec 23rd) or you can pick them up at the Wednesday night Bible study. Please join us in making Christmas special for our little ones! The “Five and Below” store on Alpine between Target and Best Buy is a great place to find inexpensive gifts, including mittens, gloves, coloring books, and toys. See Linda Kastens or Gerry D with questions, thank you!

Wednesday Night Dinner – Christmas Potluck – December 26^th

On the last Wednesday of the month, we gather for dinner at 5:30pm, one hour before our regular Bible Study and Family Night. This month, the last Wednesday falls on the day after Christmas! The good news is that if you are exhausted and tired from Christmas events, we are having a Christmas leftovers potluck. So bring whatever is left over from your food and your energy, and enjoy a dinner with your church family! Talk to Julie Orban to help set-up or tear down. See you there!

Tithe Envelopes Available for 2013

If you would like tithe envelopes for 2013, they are now available. Starting on Sunday, you can pick them up from the table in the vestibule. Talk to Gerry Dawson if you have any questions.

Emotions Anonymous Meets Here on Tuesdays

Do you often feel nervous, tense, or bored? Do you have trouble sleeping or sleep

too much? Do you often experience mood swings or feel useless? Well, you’re not

alone. Our building hosts one of the oldest 12-step Emotions Anonymous groups in

Michigan on Tuesday nights at 7:00pm. At an EA meeting you’ll find others who have

been where you are and experienced many of the same feelings, but found help.

If you would like more info you can find a small literature rack in the corner of

the ‘Community Room’ in the basement, ask Pastor Dan, or call Helen W. (leader

of EA group), at 616-363-7347. Helen is wonderful and a joy to chat with!

Reflecting God- Devotions for Holy Living

Did you know that each quarter (fall, winter, spring, summer), our Nazarene Publishing House prints a small book of daily devotions called, “Reflecting God?” This book is a simple way to organize a time of daily bible study, prayer, and meditation around a key thought or insight in the Christian journey. Reading them each day is a simple way to draw closer to God. There is no cost, and they are located on the table outside of the sanctuary, please help yourself to one!

Postcard Greetings Now Available

Is there someone you’ve missed? Someone you used to look forward to seeing each week but they are missing? Maybe there is someone you would like to invite to church or to a potluck or to Sunday school, but you’re not sure how to go about it. Well, one possibility is to send them a postcard! We recently had postcards made and they are available to anyone who would like to send them to invite, encourage, miss, or welcome someone to the church! Interested? See a Sunday school teacher or Pastor Amy or Dan.

Girl Scouts Meeting in our Building! Next Meeting Monday January 14th at 6:00pm

We are thrilled to announce that beginning in October, the Girl Scouts program will be meeting in our building every other week on Monday nights @ 6pm. If you have a girl who is interested in joining, there is a $12 registration fee, and the group will tentatively be meeting every other Mondays of the month. Also, if parents of girls are interested in volunteering, they are also more than welcome to register to be a part of the program! Talk to Pastor Dan for registration forms!

Check out our Website – Find us on Facebook!

Here is the link:www.necommunitynazgr.blogspot.com

Please send any input or ideas to Shannen Parsaca at slparsaca@gmail.com

Check us out on Facebook under “Northeast Community Church of the Nazarene”

Want to help, but not sure how?

If you are wondering where to plug in, but are not sure how, we have opportunities. Current opportunities include a soundboard worker, nursery helpers, childrens workers, potluck coordinators, visiting our shut-ins, greeters and ushers, visitor follow-ups, Sunday School teachers, music leaders, people willing to shovel snow in the winter, and much more. It doesn’t matter how long you have been attending our church, serving is a great way to honor God and get to know the people around you! If you sense a call to a specific area or need some ideas to pray about, please contact Amy Orban or Cherry Pakiela or Irene Pratt.

Upcoming Events

Dec. 19 NO Weds Night Bible Study – Christmas Eve set-up instead

Dec. 23 Christmas Sunday

Dec. 24 Christmas Eve Service

Dec. 25 Merry Christmas!

Dec. 26 Wednesday Night Dinner @ 5:30pm, regular Family Night follows

Reflections from Pastor Amy

Weekly thoughts, life-lessons, and reflections from a redeemed child of God,

a mother, a wife, a student, a sinner under the Cross of Jesus Christ, and a Pastor-in-training.

December 18, 2012

This week, it is hard to reflect on anything without doing so under the heavy shadow of the senseless outbreak of violence which slaughtered the babes in Connecticut. Most of us had that moment when we saw the news footage, but could only stare open-mouthed at the television, because it is nearly impossible to register something like this in your mind.

These are the times which make us feel that life is something like trying desperately to squeeze our feet into shoes that are too small. Like trying to jam the wrong key into the keyhole to start a car whose breaks go out anyways. Like the windows and doors have traded places and there is no roof anyways so it just rains on us all day every day and what is the point?

These are the times that make something inside of us scream and break and die. I say times, because this is not an isolated incident. Rather, it is just the latest and worst of many which have gone and many more which will come.

These thing are so big and so painful. Denial is not the solution. These things win a fast battle against denial. Acceptance? I absolutely cannot accept that catchy phrase I hear people saying which goes something like “everything happens for a reason, God is in control and everything is how it’s supposed to be.”

Really? What an insulting suggestion to a mother who just lost her child at the hands of a lunatic. No, this is all a product of irrational and evil chaos. This is not how it was supposed to be.

I don’t know about everyone else, but in the wake of this tragedy, there are some things I have not found helpful. For example, I have not found consolation in shallow attempts to explain away the problem of evil. I have not found it helpful to hear other Christians blaming democrats for taking God out of the schools. I have not found it helpful to hear other Christians suggesting that maybe this was God’s will for our corrupt culture, like we are just getting what we deserve.

I have not found the hysterical debates about more gun laws or less gun laws to be helpful, nor has it brought much meaning to the situation to try to compromise at the banning of automatic weapons. Even less helpful are those advocating that we shoot the president and members of the National Rifle Association.

My experience is that it seems to be human nature to want so badly to do something in the face of a situation like this. Everyone wants to do something, to fix something. It’s like maybe if we are doing something constructive, then it will take our minds off of the insurmountable tragedy of it all. It is much easier to do than to just be, especially when our being is torn inside out by something so terrible. Our self-will provides amble distraction from the real issue.

But you see, none of these positions and arguments and philosophies provide any real basis for making meaning out of a meaningless situation. They only provide the opportunity to chase your tail around in circles like a puppy. There are bits of truth, mixed in with chunks of distortion and topped with confusion. That is the nature of evil – irreparable chaos which cannot be sorted out or organized into a nice, understandable report. It’s just chaotic darkness.

So let’s stop making the issue something other than what it is, let’s stop denying reality. These moments bring the one question that matters in our life to the surface. Our very being hates the nature of this kind of evil, and anytime we are faced with it, we desperately search for its alternative. The alternative is Christ, and He is the only help any of us will find while walking through the carnival of horrors which is this world.

The only thing I can say with any shred of certainty in the face of these horrors is this: cling to Jesus. He is our hope, our rock, our salvation, our fortress in the time of trouble. There is only Jesus. Sometimes there is nothing else to say, except cling to Jesus.

There is no promise, at least no biblical promise, to suggest that we will somehow be exempt from suffering in this life. On the contrary, when you love God, your heart will be shattered into a million pieces, over and over and over again, by this world which He died for.

And as you watch the news stories unfold, and as you go to sleep at night with images of dead little children lying on the floor of a classroom, don’t forget the Cross. Don’t forget that our God is a God of light and love and mercy and hope, a God who will gather us up in His arms. Don’t forget Jesus who wept when Lazarus was dead, Jesus who cast out the demons, Jesus who was betrayed by the people closest to Him. Jesus who got kicked and spit on and went to the Cross.

Don’t forget our God who so loved the world, that He sent His only Son (John 3:16). In Jesus, God is with us. He is with all who suffer, mourn, and question. Immanuel. He is with us.

So this week I am asking myself, what is my role, as a follower of Jesus Christ, under the shadow of the senseless outbreak of evil which took place in Connecticut?

Not, what is the role of the federal government to save the world? Not, how can I come up with an eloquent theological and philosophical response to this tragedy? Rather, what is my responsibility, right now, today?

Pray, always to pray. Pray that the comforter will comfort. Pray that His mercies will be new today for those who are suffering. Try to be the light of Christ shining in a dark world. Weep with those who weep, mourn with those who mourn. Hug my children, smell the smell of their hair and kiss their sweet skin, and give thanks.

Abide with me, fast falls the even tide
The darkness deepens, Lord with me abide
When other helpers fail and comforts flee
Help of the helpless oh abide with me…
(Sing to the Lord #584)

With Love, Pastor Amy

Wednesday, December 12, 2012

NE NEWS - December 11, 2012

Northeast Community News –December 11, 2012

Dear Friends and Family,

What a wonderful and full day we had in the Lord, Sunday! This week was the

second Sunday in Advent and Anna Boeve lit our Advent wreath after Shannen

Parsaca welcomed us and Pastor Amy called us to worship and offered a prayer

of invocation inviting God into our presence. And guess what? God came! Amen!

God’s message this week came from Malachi 3:1-5 and was titled, “Anticipate the

King.” Are you ready for Christmas? No, I’m not asking if your shopping is done

or your tree is up or whether you’re going to be able to pay off the credit card.

While all of those external things are good, the 4 weeks of Advent leading up to

Christmas is an opportunity to concentrate on the condition of your insides.

In many ways, the Advent season is troublesome. In Advent, we not only prepare

for the ‘coming’ infant birth of Christ we celebrate at Christmas, but we also prepare

for His ‘second coming’ when Christ comes to judge and take His own to heaven.

You may be ready to celebrate His first coming but are you ready for His return?

Malachi 3:1-5 has many points but three of them are: 1) God’s plan is to send

a messenger to prepare the way; 2) God’s plan is to send Himself; and 3) God’s

plan when He returns is to purify His followers and take them to heaven.

As New Testament (NT) Christians we know God has indeed sent a messenger

before Christ in John the Baptist (see Jn 3:1-3). As NT Christians we also know

God has indeed sent Himself in Jesus (see Jn 1:14). Now, I am not one to wear a

sandwich board sign declaring this truth up and down Fuller Avenue, but as a NT

Christian pastor I am 100% certain Christ is going to return to judge all humanity

and take His followers back with Him, too (see Jn 14:1-3)!

While many wonder, ‘Are you ready for Christmas?’ I am much more interested

in knowing, ‘Are you ready for Christ’s return?’ If you’re not yet trusting in Christ

for your salvation, confess, repent, and receive God’s gift of Himself this year!

Wednesday Night Adult Study!

This week Pastor Amy continues her four-week study on Advent and why we

celebrate it! Aren’t quite sure what Advent is and why we should celebrate it?

Great! Join Pastor Amy this week at 6:30pm and learn! You’ll be glad you did!

ALL CHURCH CHRISTMAS EVE EMPHASIS!

Have you ever heard the pastor(s) say, ‘You really ought to invite someone to

church’ and thought or even said out loud, ‘But, I’m not wired to easily do that?’

We get it! We really do! But you know what? Everyone will consider coming to a

Christmas Eve service. Christmas Eve is an opportunity to sing Christmas carols

from our childhood and hold a candle at the end and sing, ‘Silent Night’ acapella.

Christmas Eve is an opportunity to invite someone who would never normally

come to church. You can do this! The question is, ‘will you?’

This year we have printed 500 special invitations for EVERYONE to hand out! If

all 50 of us took 5 invitations and handed them out we will have 500 possibilities

for God to touch someone this Christmas Eve. The invitations are on the tables

outside the sanctuary and on the soundboard. Hand out 5 and make a difference!

Blessings! Pastor Dan

Hello From Pastor Amy/Your Part-Time Church Secretary

Please Update Me! We have a long, ongoing list of prayer requests. Please keep me updated. Requests will be pulled from the newsletter & program after three weeks. Thank you! Church

Office: 616-459-2773 My Contact Info: 616-514-9521 or amyorban@hotmail.com

NEWS & EVENTS

Work Day Thank You!

A group of workers showed up at our last work day to lend a hand in the maintenance of our building and grounds. While you may not see it, there are a lot of people who tend to our church and help make sure everything is taken care of. Thank you to everyone who showed up to help!

Buy a Gift for a Child!

We want to make sure each child in our church receives a Christmas gift, and we are asking YOU to help. At the back of the sanctuary is a list of all the children in our church. Simply pick a name and cross it off. Then buy a gift ($5 or less), wrap it and put the child’s name on it, and place it under the Christmas tree in the sanctuary. Gifts will be handed out after our Christmas service (Sunday Dec 23rd) or you can pick them up at the Wednesday night Bible study. Please join us in making Christmas special for our little ones! The “Five and Below” store on Alpine between Target and Best Buy is a great place to find inexpensive gifts, including mittens, gloves, coloring books, and toys. See Linda Kastens or Gerry D with questions, thank you!

Tithe Envelopes Available for 2013

If you would like tithe envelopes for 2013, they are now available. Starting on Sunday, you can pick them up from the table in the vestibule. Talk to Gerry Dawson if you have any questions.

Emotions Anonymous Meets Here on Tuesdays

Do you often feel nervous, tense, or bored? Do you have trouble sleeping or sleep

too much? Do you often experience mood swings or feel useless? Well, you’re not alone. Our building hosts one of the oldest 12-step Emotions Anonymous groups in Michigan on Tuesday nights at 7:00pm. At an EA meeting you’ll find others who have been where you are and experienced many of the same feelings, but found help. If you would like more info you can find a small literature rack in the corner of the ‘Community Room’ in the basement, ask Pastor Dan, or call Helen W. (leader of EA group), at 616-363-7347. Helen is wonderful and a joy to chat with!

Christmas Eve is Coming! Want to Help?

We are already planning our annual Christmas Eve Service. We are already planning our annual Christmas Eve Service. We need lots of helpers! We need people to read, light candles, help set-up and decorate, sing, and create the luminaries we set up along the sidewalks. If you want to be a part of this, talk to Pastor Amy or Pastor Dan. Don’t forget—this is also a great time to invite someone to church!

Reflecting God- Devotions for Holy Living

Postcard Greetings Now Available

Girl Scouts Meeting in our Building! Next Meeting Monday December 17th at 6:00pm

Check out our Website – Find us on Facebook!

Here is the link:www.necommunitynazgr.blogspot.com

Please send any input or ideas to Shannen Parsaca at slparsaca@gmail.com

Check us out on Facebook under “Northeast Community Church of the Nazarene”

Want to help, but not sure how?

Reflections from Pastor Amy

Weekly thoughts, life-lessons, and reflections from a redeemed child of

God, a mother, a wife, a student, a sinner under the

Cross of Jesus Christ, and a Pastor-in-training.

December 11, 2012

I came home from church on Sunday with a full belly from a delicious potluck, and with very tired kids who immediately curled up to take naps. I considered doing the same, but was drawn to warm up a cup of leftover morning coffee, and spend some time in the Word and in prayer.

I hadn’t talked much with God this week, and I don’t know that it could have been any other way. I was not refusing to speak to God, and while I was angry, the anger wasn’t directed at Him. It just seems that there are those times when there are not words, times when the most I can do is sigh, and look up, and ask why. And God is present, like the perfect friend who sometimes knows when it is better to just be quiet and be present rather than making me talk about it.

This week we were feeding the ducks at the park when I got word that someone we have known for several years had died of a drug overdose. His girlfriend found him, dead that morning. He was someone who we have seen in times of the most terrible sickness from addiction, and in times of recovery and freedom. Over the past couple of years, it has been a real source of hope and blessing to see him grow in health, physically and mentally.

In one moment I went from happy duck-feeding with my boys, to drug overdose death, and back to happy duck-feeding with my boys, only now with tears and anger in the cold wind.

Why, God? Seriously.

The last time I saw this man was on a warm day in October, while I was out for a walk with the boys. He was outside of his house with a friend, and they were washing their cars. He told me he had received a call from God to be an evangelist, and he was on his way. His friend smelled like booze, and I hoped I was wrong. We chatted and I said something about bringing them dinner sometime, in somewhat of a hurry to get away from a situation I didn’t entirely trust.

I guess my instincts were right. It’s been awhile, but I guess booze still smells like booze, and someone on dope still looks like someone on dope.

I have no idea what drives people back into addiction after they have tasted freedom. I have been there too, and I still have no satisfying answer. Like dogs who return to our own vomit, we are.

In these times, my heart shrinks into something cold and small, and I just don’t know what to say, I don’t know what to pray. Every effort to articulate what is in my heart feels mostly just like sand running through my hands. I’m just tired. I look at God and He looks at me, and we just shake our heads together, and that’s about what my prayer life amounts to.

And I am angry, in fact I’m really angry. But at this point I know enough to know that anger directed at God is misdirected. This God who looks kindly on the lowly, this God who provides the life raft to sinners, this God of third and fourth and fifth and twentieth chances.

How many times before this overdose should this man have died, but was protected by this God? We have no way of knowing. No, this God is not unfair; rather, this God who is full of grace and love weeps with me.

To watch the broken fall away - not just addicts but all sinners of all forms - to watch them fall away into the abyss while still keeping out of the pit yourself is sometimes like surviving a massive scale earthquake or other natural disaster. Scrambling desperately out of a sinking pit, fortunate enough to be one of the ones who finds something to grab onto. There is no joy, there is no pride, there are no thoughts of being sure that you are good enough to not fall into the abyss too. There is no I-told-you-so, there is no sense that somehow we are immune. There is only the realization that this thing is powerful to the point of death, that it wants to kill us. There is only terror, and a shell-shocked gratitude, combined with the realization that all is grace upon grace. And with tear-streaked cheeks you lift tired, shaking, weak hands in the air, praising God for the gift of another day of freedom, and O God have mercy.

These are the times when we pray Come Lord Jesus, come quickly. Come thou long-expected Jesus. And in the meantime have mercy because we are so, so tired.

And again, Jesus is just there. I see Him in the people around me. They way my mom just stays near and waits for me to talk. The way a friend shows up with a hot cup of coffee and tears. The way my husband is quiet but his hugs are a littler tighter than usual. The emails and prayers and friends who know the hell of addiction all too well. The way the ones who have made it pour into meetings like clinging to a life raft. The way it’s always okay to add more tear drops to the old wooden altar on Sundays. The way the church of Jesus gathers under the Cross on Sunday morning, bringing all of our tears and joy and worry and all of the heavy things we carry.

So God remains patiently by my side, and finally I’ll talk about it a little today. Little by little we will talk more and more. In the meantime, there is a set of missing footprints in the sand of my life, while He once again carries me along. There are times for just receiving, for being still though it storms, and knowing that He is God. (Psalm 46:10).

I have no eloquent theological explanation for these things. No neat and tidy perspective which cleans it up to make it less ugly. Sin is just chaos, plain and simple.

The addict who suffers and finally dies from addiction typically would want nothing more than for others to find the freedom of recovery, for others to seek out the freedom which the dead could not hang onto. This is what we pray for, that those who die serve the purpose of leading some of us to get well, or to cling to the freedom we have already found. Sadly, the opposite is often true, and the face of death by addiction serves only to lead many further into the abyss of the hopeless. It is a vicious cycle, one only broken by grace and desperation.

The suffering are everywhere, even if you do not know the signs to see them.

Don’t forget them in your prayers.

With Love, Pastor Amy

aorban@nnu.edu/616.514.952

Tuesday, December 4, 2012

NE NEWS - December 4, 2012

Northeast Community News –December 03, 2012

Dear Friends and Family,

What another glorious day we had in the Lord, Sunday! This week was the first

Sunday in Advent, so after Pat Parsaca gave us our announcements, Tracy Tamm

began our worship with a special Advent reading while Valda Einis lit the first

candle representing hope! What a blessing! After Pastor Amy Orban delivered

God’s message we closed by celebrating the Lord’s Supper as a Church Family!

God is moving! Can you sense Him? I pray you respond as He calls! Amen!

Blessings! Pastor Dan

Hello Everyone!

This week God’s message came from Jeremiah 33:14-16 and was titled “Anticipate the Promise.” It is good for us to examine what Advent means to us today, and we will be spending these weeks leading up to Christmas talking about it. This week we started by examining God’s faithfulness to His promises as revealed in scripture, and the incredible hope that God’s faithfulness gives to us who believe in Jesus Christ. God continues to offer each and every one of us an invitation to live into the hope of His promises to us.

Have you noticed lately that it is not “normal” in our current culture to live the Christian life?

When Jeremiah’s words were first spoken, the first listeners lived in a culture that was used to sin and evil. Their government officials and even their religious leaders set the tone for a culture which was corroded by sin and idolatry. Sin was the general rule. So while many centuries have passed since Jeremiah’s time, our culture is not so different – sin is still the general rule.

This is the first point: no matter how much the world around us tries to make a sinful life out to be “normal” and inconsequential, sin is never God’s normal. Sin will always bring pain and break us off from relationships with others and with God. Sin will always hurt.

This is why it is so important for us to look to God and the Bible for our source of normal! As Christians, our God sets the standard, not our culture. When God created the world, He looked around at what He had made, and in Genesis 1:31a He said that creation was GOOD! This is the second point: the goodness of creation is what defines normal.

Before our first parents chose to reject God, life was good. Sin was not a part of the plan, it crashed into the world when Adam and Eve rejected God, and it has turned the goodness of creation upside down ever since. God’s original plan for our normal lives was one of goodness, of abundant life – abundant relationship with Him, others, and all of creation!

Through Jeremiah, God says that He will turn this upside down world of sin right side up again. He will restore goodness. He will provide a leader to stand in the gap caused by sin. Into the culture where sin is normal and where people have rejected God, God makes this incredible promise to the people, saying “the days are coming when I will fulfill the gracious promise I made to the house of Israel and to the house of Judah.”(v14)

What does this mean? It means that God Himself is sending a new leader, a savior to the people who will work to reconcile the broken world to Himself. This is the third point: God is restoring the normalcy of goodness!

But the people of Jeremiah’s time still had to live in the broken world, waiting and hoping for the fulfillment. Jesus had not yet come to them. God promised, and yet life with sin as the norm was still part of every day life for them. The promise then, was an invitation from God to trust Him. They had to face a lot of uncertainty while they waited on God to come through – and He did!

It is God’s faithfulness revealed in the Bible through the people of Israel which allows us to rest in the hope that God will continue to be faithful to his promises, specifically the promise that He will come again – the second advent. God was, is, and always will be faithful to us.

So just like the people in Jeremiah’s day, we are called to live into the hope of God’s promises – the ones already fulfilled, and the ones yet to come. Perhaps this is the fourth point, that He is inviting us to receive the hope of the gospel, today and forever!

So how does one go about living out the hope of God’s promises? We can really complicate this stuff. We can make it sound like more stuff to do, more effort trying to be being better people.

But for the people in Jeremiah’s time, God simply invited them to trust Him to make all things right. You see it had nothing to do with their own merit! They had turned their backs on God, yet He STILL promised to redeem them. He invited them to trust that He would be faithful, that He would do all the work necessary to bring about their redemption. He would save them. He would send a Messiah. He would repair our relationship with Him and with others. He would restore the goodness which sin had stolen away. He would fill us with His healing love.

To be clear, the gospel of Jesus Christ is something to be received. We are all sinners, make no mistake. Salvation is grace freely offered, grace which none of us deserve, we are not good enough. It is not another list of rules to follow. It is a gift which God has prepared our hearts for. And then He calls to us, drawing our attention to Him, so that we might turn and receive the gifts He has already prepared for us.

God is inviting us into His work of restoring the goodness of creation. God is inviting us into His work of restoring US. The whole Christian walk is a process of healing, healing from our lack of love, healing from the ugly sin-world we live in and contribute to with our own sinfulness. He is inviting us to let go of our sense of normal, the broken one – in exchange for a new normal – HIS normal. His normal is for us to be in relationship with Him!

It’s a process of returning to God’s goodness, and it’s one that won’t be complete in this life. It won’t be complete until Jesus comes back again. But it starts when Jesus calls us – when He calls out to the sinner – saying won’t you turn to me? Won’t you receive eternal life from me? Won’t you receive forgiveness? Won’t you repent and let me be Lord of your life?

It starts the first time we say yes to His invitation. It continues when we keep saying yes, again and again, every day. Do you hear His invitation? Have you answered it? You will never regret surrendering yourself to Jesus and allowing Him to consume your heart with His perfect love!

Wednesday Night Adult Bible Study

Last week we began a four-week journey of Advent leading up to Christmas! Maybe you aren’t quite sure what Advent is and why we celebrate it? My favorite question in the world to answer is the one which asks – so what, why do we care? Join me this week at 6:30pm and bring your questions for a time of discussion and Bible study!

With Love, Pastor Amy

Hello From Pastor Amy/Your Part-Time Church Secretary

Please Update Me! We have a long, ongoing list of prayer requests. Please keep me updated. Requests will be pulled from the newsletter & program after three weeks. Thank you! Church

Office: 616-459-2773 My Contact Info: 616-514-9521 or amyorban@hotmail.com

NEWS & EVENTS

Church Work Day—Saturday December 08th

The trustees will be holding another church work day on Saturday, December 08th from 8am-12pm. Anyone who wants to help can simply show up, and they will put you to work. There is always lots to be done, from painting to cleaning and raking leaves and more. Many hands make the work lighter, so come help take care of our building and grounds! Talk to Theo Orban if you have any questions.

Northeast Community Christmas Potluck – Sunday December 09^th

Our next potluck will be Christmas themed, and will take place downstairs in the fellowship hall immediately following morning worship on Sunday December 09th. All children who attend will receive a special Christmas gift. Please bring a dish to pass if you are able, but there is always a ton of delicious food to go around, and everyone is invited to stay and eat! Talk to Cherry Pakiela if you can help set-up or tear-down.

2^nd Annual Thanksgiving Potluck Awards

Last Wednesday we had our 2nd annual Thanksgiving Leftovers Potluck and the

competition was tough! We had entries in the main course, soup, and dessert

categories, and after much laughter and a vote we decided the contest as follows:

• Best Presentation of a leftover – Kamrie Beck with her peppermint pie with leftover mints she crushed and folded into her pie.

• Most Unique use of a leftover – Pastor Amy Orban with her ‘mysterious but

delicious casserole’ which included turkey, steak, brown rice, and roasted potatoes and Italian dressing topped with sliced red apples, roasted garlic, and mozzarella cheese.

• Hardest to Explain leftover – Julie Orban for her delicious use of beans to

make a yummy soup!

• Best Tasting use of a leftover – Janie Hathaway with her turkey and gravy

concoction poured over baking powered biscuits.

While each winner received a token prize for their efforts, we had other entries

that were equally yummy and creative! Naretta made a caramel chocolate cream

pie of sorts that was delicious and Hillary Hiaeshutter created her own category by

bringing her leftover birthday cake, which, was also yummy. Thanks to everyone who participated or came to eat! We had fun, laughs, and good conversation. Hope to see more of you next year!

Buy a Gift for a Child!

We want to make sure each child in our church receives a Christmas gift, and we are asking YOU to help. At the back of the sanctuary is a list of all the children in our church. Simply pick a name and cross it off. Then buy a gift ($5 or less), wrap it and put the child’s name on it, and place it under the Christmas tree in the sanctuary. Gifts will be handed out after our Christmas service (Sunday Dec 23rd) or you can pick them up at the following Wednesday night Bible study (Dec 26). Pleas join us in making Christmas special for our little ones! The “Five and Below” store on Alpine between Target and Best Buy is a great place to find inexpensive gifts, including mittens, gloves, coloring books, and toys. See Linda Kastens or Gerry D with questions, and thank you for participating!

First Friday Chinese Lunch – Dec 07 @ 11:30am

We continue to meet on the first Fridays of every month to enjoy lunch and fellowship at the Hibachi Grill on Alpine. The food is cheap and delicious, and no reservations are required. Everyone is invited, and everyone is invited to bring friends! Questions? Talk to Tracy Tamm.