NEWS FROM SANCTUARY –

Attendance: 80 Offering: $6,300

ON NOW!! A small short term small group on “worship”. Meets Sundays immediately following worship at Sanctuary office above the WAMU Bank on 85^th and Greenwood.

Welcome Aboard: Congratulations to Summer Mohrlang as she joins our ministry staff! Summer is a Fuller Seminary graduate, an officer in the USAF, a gifted teacher and someone you should get to know.

PRAYERS –

Lord, in your great mercy, look after all those who are struggling with serious depression and mental health issues, particularly one young mother.

Christ, may your kingdom of peace rule over the shattered and violent kingdoms of this world.

God, we pray for wisdom as we consider how to vote in the coming elections.

Spirit, comfort those who have suffered losses, particularly the family and friends of the students at the University of Northern Illinois who were hurt and killed this last week.

REFLECTIONS on: Mark 6:6-13 “All Together Now!”

A number of years ago, well know author Henri Nouwen, wrote about a spiritual cycle he described as Solitude to community to ministry. This is an essential rhythm that weaves in our values of WE PRAY, WE BUILD AUTHENTIC COMMUNITY and WE TALK ABOUT JESUS IN WORD AND DEED.

Solitude – learning to be silent both alone and with others … learning to pray by both speaking to God and listening for God.  I had a great 4 day solitude experience during a very painful time a few years ago at the Downing House in Denver. Prayer. Questions. Conversations with spiritual director. It was extremely instructive – bring your needs to God. Physical health. Strategies. The need for friends to “play with”. I came out of this time determined to work on my health which was out of control. I weighed 400 pounds, was deeply depressed and had a good number of serious problems including out of control diabetes. This all led to my gastric bypass surgery 5 years ago on Feb 18, 2003. I am now 236 pounds lighter, healthier, and way more committed to playing with friends in my life.

Community – learning to live life together with others in love and unity with God as Father and all of us together as family. We are each God’s workmanship, and together the Family of God…and, God is the head of the household, guiding us in our relationships, our growth and maturity, our chores. I have told you numerous times that Nancy and I have been part of a couples group for over 18 years. The membership hasn’t changed in that time. THE ROWLAND’s may have had a  number of transitions in life, but we have community where there is love and unity… and the Scriptures shared among us, wherein we know we are loved, accepted, forgiven and grounded in lifelong, covenant relationships. We are family to each other. We’re doing that here at Sanctuary in small groups, brunches and other opportunities to build meaningful relationships…

MINISTRY – is the final movement in the three part rhythm of life. WE ARE MADE TO LIVE WITH OTHERS AND FOR OTHERS … our LIFE TOGETHER unavoidably becomes our LIFE FOR OTHERS as we all discover and gives ourselves to ministry.

As we move from SOLITUDE TO COMMUNITY TO MINISTRY, let’s take a look at a wonderful example of this movement and rhythm in the life and ministry of Jesus and His disciples…I’m going to read from Mark 6, beginning at the 6^th verse.

Mark 6:6-13 (NIV)
 
Calling the Twelve to him, he sent them out two by two and gave them authority over evil spirits.
These were his instructions: “Take nothing for the journey except a staff—no bread, no bag, no money in your belts. Wear sandals but not an extra tunic. Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you leave that town.

And if any place will not welcome you or listen to you, shake the dust off your feet when you leave, as a testimony against them.”

They went out and preached that people should repent. They drove out many demons and anointed many sick people with oil and healed them.

I want to make a few observations about this very important text:

Jesus calls people to himself to know Him and to participate in the very life of God….and we do that together and on behalf of others. To know Christ is to grow in embodying HIM. To Embody Christ means Christ-like acts of love, forgiveness and mercy in both formal and informal settings. Formal = ministries of the church. Informal= work, or even an example like Mr. Skillings from Adams Elementary School in Ballard who paid dearly for intervening in the harassment of a woman at a bus stop. He was beaten into critical condition, and is recovering slowly.

The community of the Trinity becomes the model LIFE that God offers us. The life of God demonstrated in the Trinity profoundly unified and loving and open and vulnerable. The relationship of the Trinity is unquestionably permanent. The life of the Trinity is so overflowing with love, passion, creativity and a desire to GIVE LIFE AND LOVE AWAY that the very EXISTENCE OF GOD and COMMUNITY OF GOD becomes the mission of GOD. God’s mission is CREATION. God’s mission is to include everyone in God’s loving family and for everyone to experience God’s grace, mercy and forgiveness. God’s mission is TO REDEEM AND RESTORE EVERY SQUARE INCH OF THE CREATION TO ITS ORGINAL STATE OF BEING wherein God said, “IT IS VERY GOOD” and rested.

The life of God is given to you and me in the LIFE, DEATH and RESURRECTION of Jesus Christ is at work in IN YOU AND ME TOGETHER LONGING TO RESTORE A FALLEN AND BROKEN WORLD…seriously…can you feel it??? And as we share in the LIFE OF GOD – a literal dance of love and beauty and reconciliation – we are compelled by the life of God within us to reach beyond ourselves and share the love of God where it is not known.

 So, while God in Jesus Christ call us together with Him, he also SENDS US TOGETHER in and with Him. The mission of God is the Trinity in action. The mission of the church is the Community in Action. It is never “MY MINISTRY”, it is always “God’s ministry that he has called ME and __BOB__ and __DONNA__ and __MARK__ to participate in. There is a power of us going together in UNITY and LOVE.

Ministry can be easy -- Even as simple as last week when we distributed marketing materials for our Green Bean Mission to Greenwood. And, it is in the going that we find unity and love…Paul’s letter to the Ephesians tells us that the church achieves unity and maturity when we fully “equip the saints for acts of service”. And, we go empty handed. Not with budgets, programs, gospel marketing plans…but with love. God is pure, white-light-love, many people respond to God’s love for them by accepting Christ and by embracing you and me and all Christians as brothers and sisters in Christ…by becoming adopted members of the family, just like you and me.

At the same, time God also gets rejected. Not all of our efforts to love and include work.  Just like God, we get blown off sometimes. Other times, in spite of our best efforts we stumble over each other … or even hurt or disappoint those who we are seeking to serve. None of that is an excuse to not try…or to stop working for the kingdom. Don’t be discouraged by rejection or interpersonal problems with your kingdom co-workers. These are part of the business. Rejection and problems with others are powerful in bringing us back to solitude and then to supportive community. These issues alert us to our needs. We have to learn to dust off our sandals and move on when we hit snags in community and in ministry. That’s not an act of blame or retribution, it’s just a reality check.

In the end, the Mark’s story tells us that the DISCIPLES went out in TWO’s and that many did believe the message of God’s OUTRAGEOUS and EXTRAVAGANT LOVE … and that people were healed left and right. The proof of solitude’s value and the authenticity of community is not INTERNALLY found. The proof is in the SIGN AND WONDER OF Divine Love coming through you and me in ways that DRAW OTHERS INTO THE LIFE OF GOD. How powerful is your solitude? You can tell by how effective your efforts in ministry are. How authentic is a community? Check and see the percentage of those who are going in ministry and CHECK THE FRUITS of their ministry. Jesus said very clearly of his followers,

“You shall know them by their fruits”. And our fruit will never show unless we go. All of us are in a transition in our lives here at Sanctuary. Some are hurt and confused by issues in life. Some feel under-informed and somehow not yet able to dig into ministry and leadership. Some are fearful about the future and finances and time crunches and family. NONE OF THOSE ISSUES THAT WE HAVE WILL EVER BE ADDRESSED OR EVER GET FIXED BY SITTING AROUND AND PROCESSING HUMAN EMOTIONS. THE ONLY WAY TO MOVE ON IS TO MOVE ON TOGETHER IN MINISTRY

The staff and council of this body are your leadership team. They love you. They are called and passionate about leading. They love God and listen to God. They are practicing solitude, community and ministry. And, they want to include you and equip you and release you…LISTEN TO THEM AS IF GOD IS THE VOICE YOU ARE HEARING AND FOLLOW THEIR LEAD.  THEY WILL TAKE YOU INTO GREAT MINISTRY TOGETHER.

And, no matter how you are feeling, don’t succumb to being a lone ranger. We cannot make it on our own. Life and ministry are hard work. Growing in Christ doesn’t happen without solitude, community and going out in ministry together in Jesus’ name. We need each other!

DON’T TRY TO DO THE JOB ALONE LIKE THIS POOR FELLOW DID.

Listen to his labor and industries insurance claim letter…

To: the Department of Labor and Industries:

From: Joe the Bricklayer.

RE: More information on trying to do the job alone.

I am writing in response to your request for additional information for my insurance claim. In block number three of the accident claim form I wrote, "trying to do the job alone" as the cause of my accident. You said in your letter that I should explain that statement more fully. I trust the following details will be sufficient.

I am a bricklayer by trade. On the date of the accident, I was working alone on the roof of a new six-story building. When I completed my work I discovered that I had about 500 pounds of brick left over. Rather than carrying the bricks down by hand, I decided to lower them in a barrel by using a pulley which was attached to the side of the building at the sixth-floor level.

Securing the rope at ground level, I went up to the roof, swung the barrel out, and loaded the bricks into it. Then I went back to the ground and untied the rope, holding it tightly to insure a slow descent of the 500 pounds of bricks. You will note in block number 22 of the claim form that my weight is 150 pounds.

Due to my surprise at being jerked off the ground so suddenly, I lost my presence of mind and forgot to let go of the rope. Needless to say, I proceeded up the side of the building at a very rapid rate of speed.

In the vicinity of the third floor, I met the barrel coming down. This explains my fractured skull and collarbone. Slowed only slightly, I continued my rapid ascent, not stopping until the fingers of my right hand were two knuckles deep into the pulley.

By this time, I had regained my presence of mind and was able to hold tightly to the rope in spite of my pain. At approximately the same time however, the barrel of bricks hit the ground and the bottom fell out of the barrel. Devoid of the weight of the bricks, the barrel then weighed approximately 50 pounds.

I refer you again to the information in block number 11 regarding my weight. As you might imagine, I began a rapid descent down the side of the building. In the vicinity of the third floor, I met the barrel coming up. This accounts for the two fractured ankles and the lacerations of my legs and lower body.

This second encounter with the barrel slowed me enough to lessen my injuries when I fell onto the pile of bricks, and fortunately, only three vertebrae were cracked.

I am sorry to report, however, that as I lay there on the bricks in pain, unable to stand, and watching the empty barrel six stories above me, I again lost my presence of mind, and let go of the rope. The empty barrel weighed more than the rope so it came down upon me and broke both of my legs.

I hope I have furnished information sufficient to explain why the stated cause of the accident was "trying to do the job alone".

You get the Point, don’t ya?

Now, go out and MAKE IT a GREAT WEEK!!

Much love,

Dr. Randy L. Rowland

2854 NW 59th Street

Seattle, WA  98107

USA

206.953.0909

www.sanctuarycrc.org