The Shepherd's Staff -- Rev. Christine Oscar

Last week, as I was leaving for work,  i began to pray for Jacque, Olivia and the kids and for a home they were seriously interested in purchasing.  Like a flash, strong enough to literally stop me in mid-step, I visualized this giant flowing garment, gently falling over them and this house.  I somehow recognized it immediately as the "Garment of God". falling protectively over them and a newer, safer home.  It was such a gently, protective garment, enveloping the whole scene.

Does God wear silk or flannel?  Pin stripes or plaids, soft colors or bright colors?  I truly don't know.  But what I do know and believe, is in the "surroundedness: of God.

                                        "Where can I go from Your spirit?
                                     Or where can I flee from Your presence?
                                        If I ascend to heaven, You are there.
                                      If I make my bed in Sheol, You are there.
                                            If I take the wings of the morning
                                       and settle at the farthest limits of the sea,
                                 even there Your hand shall lead me."  Psalm 139:7-10

There is no place that we can go, be, or seek, that the surroundedness of God will not meet us.  Even when we are not where we are supposed to be, God is still God, and God is already there.  the garments of God gently fall over us when we need them to.  They swaddle us when we are alone, afraid and left out in the cold.  They "whisper" around us when we are hot with shame or fatigue,  they dress us up when nothing else on earth can do so.

That "surroundedness" is often what comforts and gives me a sense of safety when I feel most alone.

I can remember as a fairly young child, six or seven, having been told by my mother: "Wait until your father gets home!", that I fled upstairs.  I vividly remember literally shivering in terror.  We were all terrified of my father.  He was a man of few words with us, but quick with a temper.  Three of us suffered from broken jaws from his hands hitting us up side the head.

I remember standing before a window, seriously considering jumping.  It seemed like a much better optino than facing whatever he had in store for me.  And then, I began to talk to God.  With tears streaming down my face, I clearly remember asking God if he would be my father.  Surely, He would love me, and surely, He would not beat me.  I know that that was the very first time taht I felt the "surroundedness" of God, even though I had no such words for that concept then.  I just knew that God would protect me, even if there was a heavy leather belt in my near future.

Like the home that God is already preparing for Olivia, Jacque and the kids, the garments of God enveloped me.

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                              " When life gets too hard to stand, try kneeling."
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The Shepherd's Staff -- Rev. Christine Oscar

                                       Don't Settle

The church is a living organism. In order to live, it must be fed, cared for, nurtured, and in motion.  God is big on giving us vivid examples. like on the Day of Pentecost when the church was born.  Jesus' disciples and followers went from being singular beings, to a united and totally different organism on the Day of Pentecost.

                          "When the Day of Pentecost had come,
                                They were together in one place.
                                     And suddenly from heaven,
                    there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind,
                   and it filled the entire house where they were sitting.
                      Divided tongues of fire, appeared among them,
                             and a tongue rested on each of them.
                        All of  them were filled with the Holy spirit."
                                                Acts 2:1-3

God had no intention of letting them settle for just experiencing the Resurrection of Jesus (like that would not have been enough!).  Now the time had come for them to live it, become a new being that would truly change the world.

Don't settle for a spark, light a fire instead!  that was Pentecost, the time to go from being a fragile spark, to a living roaring fire of God.  It was time to set the whole world on fire with the Good News.

Too often we "settle" for the easy, comfortable way of doing things.  We come to church to warm ourselves a bit and then go on about our lives like nothing really needs to change.  But life is about change, we are changing from the moment we are conceived until the day we take our last breath.  It is not an option, it is the way we are created.  If we are breathing, we are changing, with or without being conscious of it.

But church needs to conscious of the need for change, conscious and intentional.  That is why we are doing intentional visioning, in order to go from being a fragile spark, to a roaring fire for God.  What is the tongue of fire that is resting upon us this Pentecost?  What languages are we called to speak to a waiting world?  How can we best witness for God in the world in which we live? 

Let's not settle, let us become alive for God.

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           Not when we had gotten it all right, but when we had gone wrong;
       Not when we knew all the rules, but when we had broken God's heart,
                  That's when Christ died for us, so we might live.

  Walking with Christ is a journey of faith, we may not know where God is leading;
We may not see a clear path in fornt of us, we may not understand our circumstances
                  We likely won't have answers to the "why" questions;
            Hardship, suffering, illness and loss challenge us and require trust;
               We won't always see God's hand, or recognize God's voice;
                WALKING WITH CHRIST IS A JOURNEY OF FAITH.

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Lord, speak to me, lead me, teach me; fill me with Thy fullness,  Thy love to tell, Thy praise to show.  Use me, even me; just as Thou wilt, and when, and where until Thy blessed face I see -- Amen
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The Shepherd's Staff -- Rev. Christine Oscar

                                  God Always Has A Plan
 
God always has a plan, always.  What that plan is going to look like "exactly" is something that unfolds in the fullness of God's time. 

                  "For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord,
                                plans for your welfare and not for harm,
                                     to give you a future and a hope.
                                      Then when you call upon Me,
                             and come and pray to Me, I will hear you.
                           When you search for Me, you will find Me;
                                  if you seek Me with all your heart.   
                                           Jeremiah 29:11-12

We have currently scheduled two Visioning Sessions.  We will seek God's plan, God's future and hope for us as a church.  Call, Come, Search and Seek.  Four steps, like the prayer in Habakkuk 2: 1-4.  Those steps are:  stand, keep watch, write down the vision and live by it.  Did you Notice that they are all action steps!

Certainly, there is always the element of waiting on the Lord,  but it is not idle waiting, it is waiting with expectations.  It is seeking, searching, standing watch, calling on the Lord, praying, writing it down, and living it with righteousness.  None of this is about "pew potatoes," this is about people who truly want to discover and live, the future and hope and vision and plan, that God has in store for us.  This is never to be about someone's personal agenda, it must be about God's agenda.  Showing up, ready to do all of these things, with open hearts and minds is essential.  Each of us must come with open hearts to the will and plans of God, if we are to grow as a church.

Numbers, time and finances may be limited, but God is not.  God not only ownd the cattle on a thousand hills, God owns the hills as well!

Personally, I come to this with a tremendous hope and sense of urgency for our church.  If we are to live out our mission to be a church without walls, then we must find God's plan on how to do that.  Since we have a passion for those in need, how do we best use our resources to make thins happen?  If we want to re-energize Worship, how do we do that?

Come and see what the Lord has in mind.


                                  Be prayerful for one another;
                 A candle loses nothing by lighting one more candle.

The Shepherd's Staff---Rev. Christine Oscar

Each year at this time, we get caught up in the hustle and bustle of Christmas.  How and when, do we make time for Christ to enter in?

          "While they were there, the time came for Mary to deliver her child.
                             and she gave birth to her firstborn son
               and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him a manger,
                because there was no room for them in the inn."       Luke 2:6-7

A scripture that is so familiar to us, that most of us could recite it by memory, and yet, so alien to the way we live our lives.  Are we any different from that Inn Keeper?  No room, so sorry, no room.

              "She brought the Word of God into the world,
               Or rather, let Him into the world through her.
                        It is not so much what we do,
                                But what we are,
           That allows Christ to live in the world."       Father Thomas Keating

How much time do I genuinely spend in prayer, study and reflection during this season of new beginnings?  How much room do I make for Christ to come anew in and through me?  If I am not making time, how am I using my time?

Granted, it is the busiest season of the year for all of us, but what is at the core of my faith?  Am I making room for Christ, am I making time to reflect on where my life is and where I really need to be spending my time and energy?  Am I giving of myself, or am I so wrapped up in the material gifts, that I forget the most important gifts are the gifts of the heart, the gifts of presence, of truly listening to those around me, of truly investing in God's people and God's Kingdom.

"It is not so much what we do, but what we are, that allows Christ to live in the world."

Advent is a time of taking inventory.  It is a time to look at where we are, and where we want to go on this faith journey.  "She brought the Word of God into the world, or rather; let Him come into the world."

How are we participating in letting Christ come into the world?  How do we prioritize our spiritual journey when the world is clamoring for us to be about the material Christmas that surrounds us?   We spend millions each year on decorations, yet how are decorating world"  How are we decorating the lives of the millions who live without any decoration in their lives?  What are we doing about providing for the poor, the hungry, the lonely, the homeless?  What are we doing about providing a way for families to make a living, so that they may decorate their lives with simple necessities?

As a Church we are doing two really important things this holiday season.  We are having a Harvest Sunday to build bags of toiletries for those in need at Exodus Homes and the Soup Kitchen.  We are also doing a World Church Sunday, where, instead of giving gifts to each other, we give the gifts of hope to those in need in impoverished countries.  Our small gifts give families food, shelter, education, farm animals and equipment.  these are the gifts of the Making Room,  May we give as if the Kingdom of God depended on it.

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                          A Stretch of the Imagination, and yet.....

I have a lot of relatives.  You may have heard of Abraham and King David.  Isaiah wrote as if he knew me personally and was telling everybody about it.  He wasn't a relative but I guess we're all related, one way or another.  Hi!  My name is Jesus.  My Momma's name if Mary.  I have a foster Dad; his name is Joseph.  I'm going with Mom to visit her cousin Elizabeth.  Mom packed enough clothes to stay for a while.  What a rough ride, swaying back and forth on this donkey!  His name is Yanni and he must be very strong to carry me and Mom all this way.  Elizabeth was so glad to see us!  she said that the little baby in her tummy was excited and started jumping all around.  she hugged Momma and said some very nice things about Mom and me.  I feel like I already know her baby; his name is John!!  He is older than me.  We visited for a long time.  After John was born, and Mom helped Elizabeth out around the house, we headed back along the dirt roads we had taken earlier, on our way back home.  More swaying.  Yanni seemed anxious to get back home; he was ready to see Joseph again.

Why do we have to take a census anyway???  Here we go again, back on the dirt road heading for Bethehem this time.  I'm getting bigger, bet I weigh at least six pounds!  Mom's putting on weight too!!  Poor Yanni.  Jospeh walks beside him, encouraing him.  I hope this isn't a long trip 'cause I'm getting sort of cramped in here.  Can't we stop here?  I need to get out of here!!  Please find a place for us to stay...are we there yet?

Ooooh..everything is so warm and peaceful.  Mom is dozing, cuddling me close to her heart.  She's got me so wrapped up I can't even move my arms.  Why do they keep looking at me?  I mean,  they knew I was coming soon.  All I can see is animals and hear chewing, chewing, chewing.  Sheep, goats, cows.  I don't mind sharing this straw with time.  Actually, I guess they shared it with me; they gave me a bed to sleep in.  At night when it's dark, the sky is so clear that I can see the stars.  There's a really big one over there - it looks like it's shining right at me!!  I can hear singing up there!!  One day some men came to visit us.  They had on nice glittery clothes and crowns.  And they rode on camels!  They brought us some nice presents.  Another time, some shepherds walked over to see us;  they seemed to happy, so kind.  I liked them a lot!  A little boy came and played his drum for me.  The music was so sweet that even animals were dancing and swaying.  wish I could sing...

When Joseph said it was time to travel back home, we packed up and Momma and I rode once again, while Joseph led the way.  Actually Yanni already knew the way, but Joseph said that we had to go to Egypt first; then later, we headed for a little town called Nazareth.  It was fun riding on top of the donkey; Momma let me hold reins with her.

I have good memories of my youth.  I just loved the outdoors, the rivers and creeks; Joseph taught me how to send a pebble across the water, making ripples along the way.  That's sort of like peace and love, isn't it?  Love someone and they, in turn, pass it on, and on..   I helped take care of the animals; chores, you know.  Joseph would take me fishing; I'd sit by the water and watch the fish swim freely.  I'd rather watch the fish than actually catch them on a hook.  They're my friends, but Joseph reminded me all the time that fish provide us nourishment.  Enjoyment.  Nourishment.  Respect.  It seems like all part of a plan.  The birds would glide through the air flying where they choose.  They never seemed hungry; never go without food.  Sometimes, a bird would land on my shoulder; he wasn't afraid of me, he'd eat right out of my hand.

Joseph is a carpenter and has his own shop.  I watch him owrk and am learning the trade, too.  He just finished making a new table for the family.  My brothers are growing up as fast as I am and take up lots of space.  Boy, could we get into mishcief!  Sometimes my brohters would disagree with me; mock me.  We didn't always get along.  My sisters stayed busy helping Mom with sewing and cooking.  Mom and Joseph started us out reacding as soon as we could learn the Jewish alphabet.  They said that the Scriptures may seem old but have a way of teaching us, even now.  It's amazing that what was true in the olden days seems to be rue now.  Not everyone believed what they read, but it made sense to me.

I loved my parents.  They took good Care of me.  One time when I was twelve years old, we traveled in a caravan along with other families to the temple to celebrate a Feast.  It took days to get there.  It was really something!  There were teachers there who were so interesting.  They let me ask questions and yet they were so shocked when I was able to answer them back.  It was as if they were listening to me!  The next thing I knew, Mom and Joseph came in and scolded me right in front of everyone; "why hadn't I come along with them when they left to return home?"  I just don't get it.  They should have known all along that I belonged to my Father who had sent me, that I was doing what He told me to do.  Mom was kinda quiet all the way home.  Joseph, he's a quiet guy anyways.

I'll be thirty years old soon and have learned a lot from watching Joseph at work in his shop.  He mad e everything by hand; a labor of love.  though meek and humble, he took his work seriously.  I've learned to be a carpenter, too.  There's just something about wood and nails....

Submitted by Barb

                              Encouraging Predictions for 2011

With all the problems the World is facing, it can be unsettling to the mind.  Here are ten predictions that are true!  It's great to remember Who is really in control, and that "the Word of the Lord endures forever."  (1 Peter 1:25)

     >  The Bible will still have all the answers.

     >  Prayer will still be the most powerful thing on Earth.

     >  The Holy Spirit still moves.

     >  God will still honor the praises of His people.

     >  There will still be God-anointed preaching.

     >  There will still be singing of praise to God.

     >  God will still pour out blessings upon His people.

     >  There will still be room at the Cross.

     >  Jesus will still love you.

     >  Jesus will still save the lost when they come to Him.

                                  submitted by Lorrie Buchanan

                                     The Birthday of a King

                In the little village of Bethlehem ther lay a child one day,
       And the sky was bright with a holy light o'er the place where Jesus lay;
                    Alleluia, O how the angels sang, Alleluia how iran!
      And the sky was bright with a holy light; twas the Birthday of a King.

          Twas a hymble birthplace but oh how much God gave to us that day.
            From the manger bed what a path has led, what a perfect hly way.
                     Alleluia, O how the angels sang, alleluia how it ran!
    And the sky was bright with a holy light; twas the birthday of a King! Our King!

It was early in the morning when God created all the good and beauty,
It was early in the morning that a baby cried in a manger.

O God, You send this child into our midst to make
Your presence among us tangible, visible, rtouchable.