A Christmas Eve Message: Hold On

In his devotional book, Bread for the Journey, author and theologian Henri Nouwen reminds us of what we should do this Christmas, especially when times get tough and situations dire, as they are for many right now (by whom we stand and for whom we pray as a church). He writes:

Life is unpredictable. We can be happy one day and sad the next, healthy one day and sick the next, rich one day and poor the next, alive one day and dead the next. So who is there to hold on to? Who is there to feel secure with? Who is there to trust at all times?

Only Jesus, the Christ. He is our Lord, our shepherd, our rock, our stronghold, our refuge, our brother, our guide, and our friend. He came from God to be with us. He died for us, he was raised from the dead to open for us the way to God, and he is seated at God's right hand to welcome us home. With Paul, we must be certain that "neither death nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nothing already in existence and nothing still to come, nor any power, nor the heights nor the depths, nor any created thing whatever, will be able to come between us and the love of God, known to us in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 8:38-39).  

No matter how your life is trending right now, rest assured, Jesus is with you.  

Second Bible Verse This Week (It's Christmas!): John 1: 1-18: The Light of All People

John 1: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ²He was in the beginning with God. ³All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being ⁴in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. ⁵The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.
6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. ⁷He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him.⁸He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. ⁹The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.
10 He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him. ¹¹He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him. ¹²But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, ¹³who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God.
14 And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth.¹⁵(John testified to him and cried out, ‘This was he of whom I said, “He who comes after me ranks ahead of me because he was before me.” ’)¹⁶From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. ¹⁷The law indeed was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. ¹⁸No one has ever seen God. It is God the only Son, who is close to the Father’s heart, who has made him known.

Bible Verses This Week: Luke 2: 8-20: Good News of Great Joy ...

Luke 2: In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.’ And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying, 

‘Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace among those whom he favors!’

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, ‘Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.’ So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger. When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child; and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

Christmas Eve Service: An Open Invitation

The members of Exton Community Baptist Church would like to cordially invite you, your family, your friends and their families to our Christmas Eve Candlelight Service on December 24 at 7 PM in the sanctuary. If you are interested, please come and celebrate Jesus’ birth with us. There will be favorite hymns sung, our bell choir will perform, Scripture readings, and candles lit for the singing of Silent Night at the close of the service. It is a wonderful service and it will be more wonderful if you come. You are most welcome. We want to share our joy with you as we remember how very much God loves us all, enough to send Jesus to tell us so ... and show us how much we are all loved. 

Come celebrate!  

We'd love to have you. 

If you are hurting this Christmas season, come join us. We will stand by you in your pain, pray for you, and do our best to support you and buoy your hurting spirit this Christmas eve. You too are most welcome among us. 

Wishing you and all those you love a blessed Christmas season. 

A Reflection from Sue Hegarty, Our Missionary in Costa Rica

Next week, we Americans celebrate Thanksgiving. It´s a good moment to go over the year and
remember reasons to be thankful; I personally have many!

First, I am thankful that God has permitted me to witness God´s work here in Costa Rica and for allowing us (you and me together) to even participate in it. I hope that you are following my journals on the International Ministries website and Sue´s News for specific ways God is working.

Second, I am thankful to God for each one of you!

Do you know how much your prayers make a difference? Earlier this year, my MPT held a tea and gave out names of Costa Rican women involved in the Pastoral Care for Women program to pray for. When I announced this during a graduation celebration, one woman came to me in tears. Since a tea attendee had written who she was praying for, I had specifically mentioned the woman´s name in the announcement as an example. The Costa Rican woman felt so blessed and was encouraged to continue to wait on the Lord, feeling reassured that God was with her despite her difficult circumstances.

Another example of the difference made by partnerships was the León XIII Baptist Church building dedication held Sunday, November 10. ABC of the Great Rivers Region work teams, the Baptist Federation and the church members had worked together to complete the construction project, to make a viable building for ministry. Your financial support has permitted me to be part of this process and to widen our partnership in the area of leadership development and spiritual growth.

God continues to work. This past weekend (November 16-17) the pastor of the León XIII church and another member attended the Pastoral Care for Women retreat against domestic violence, for personal growth and to prepare themselves for ministry. We count on your prayers for those who attended this retreat, since the participants this year are mostly from marginal areas.

Thank you so much for partnering in ministry with me, both in prayer and in financial support. Not only does it make a difference in individual lives, but also in entire communities. Thanks be to God!

Sue Hegarty

(Apologies for the delay in publishing this letter. The blog writer has been quite busy with some personal matters of late and is just now catching up! J.S.)

Weekly Bible Verses: James 5:7-10: Be Patient

James 5: ⁷Be patient, therefore, beloved, until the coming of the Lord. The farmer waits for the precious crop from the earth, being patient with it until it receives the early and the late rains. ⁸You also must be patient. 
Strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near. ⁹Beloved, do not grumble against one another, so that you may not be judged. See, the Judge is standing at the doors! ¹⁰As an example of suffering and patience, beloved, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.

Forgiving the Church, a Reflection by Henri Nouwen

There are times when we are hurt by the Church, a church, the assembled body of Christ in one place and at one time. On large scale or small, through the words or deeds of a member or the collective declaration of the "large C" Church, we have been wounded. Theologian Henri Nouwen suggests we do the following to grapple with our pain in his rich and beautiful devotional book, Bread for the Journey: A Daybook of Wisdom and Faith

When we have been wounded by the Church, our temptation is to reject it. But when we reject the Church it becomes very hard for us to keep in touch with the living Christ. When we say, "I love Jesus, but I hate the Church," we end up losing not only the Church but Jesus too. The challenge is to forgive the Church. This challenge is especially great because the Church seldom asks us for forgiveness, at least not officially. But the Church as an often fallible human organization needs our forgiveness, while the Church as the living Christ among us continues to offer us forgiveness.

It is important to think about the Church not as "over there" but as a community of struggling, weak people of whom we are part and in whom we meet our Lord and Redeemer.  

This is a difficult challenge. Some of the wounds run very deep and are quite appalling. We do not attempt to whitewash any of that. Speaking simply for myself here, let me say I'm sorry for the wounds you have received from the fallible, struggling folk who make up the various churches of Christianity. I wish you well in your journey through life. I invite you to come back, to find a church community that is more supportive of your needs and through whom you may discover the balm of forgiveness that will help ease the pain of those awful wounds from the past.

Weekly Bible Verses: Psalm 98: Make A Joy Noise To The Lord

Psalm 98 ¹O sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous things. His right hand and his holy arm have gotten him victory.

²The Lord has made known his victory; he has revealed his vindication in the sight of the nations.

³He has remembered his steadfast love and faithfulness to the house of Israel. All the ends of the earth have seen the victory of our God.

⁴Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth; break forth into joyous song and sing praises.

⁵Sing praises to the Lord with the lyre, with the lyre and the sound of melody.

⁶With trumpets and the sound of the horn make a joyful noise before 
the King, the Lord.

⁷Let the sea roar, and all that fills it; the world and those who live in it.

⁸Let the floods clap their hands; let the hills sing together for joy

⁹at the presence of the Lord, for he is coming to judge the earth. 
He will judge the world with righteousness, 
and the peoples with equity.

Contribute to Philippines Disaster Relief through American Baptist Churches USA's International Ministries Effort

Super typhoon Haiyan struck the Philippine islands last weekend with devastating force.  The Philippine Red Cross estimates that at least 1,200 people were killed by the storm. That number could grow as officials make their way to remote areas made nearly inaccessible by Haiyan. International Ministries missionaries in the Philippines, Debbie Mulneix, Jonathan and Thelma Nambu, have been contacted by IM and are safe.

In response to this disaster, $10,000 in emergency relief funds is being sent from One Great Hour of Sharing (OGHS) to help victims of this massive typhoon.

“IM partners, the Convention of Philippines Baptist Churches (CPBC) and Philippine Baptist Church Development Ministries, in coordination with the Asia Pacific Baptist Aid of Asia Pacific Baptist Federation, received requests for relief in the hardest hit areas in the provinces of Capiz, Iloilo and North Negros where the majority of CPBC churches are situated,” reported Dr. Ben Chan, IM area director for East Asia, India, Hong Kong and China. “CPBC would like to assist in the immediate needs of families by providing food, drinking water, blankets and mats.  The relief operation is difficult because of roads destroyed and flooded. Many areas could not be reached yet. Also electricity and communication line are damaged. CPBC is coordinating with government officials to be able to reach the affected areas."

U.S. and Puerto Rico churches are asked to keep the victims, their families, their churches and the Filipino churches in the U.S. in prayer. Additional financial relief aid is urgently needed. To make a tax-deductible contribution online go to http://www.internationalministries.org/drives/16  To make a contribution by mail, write a check payable to International Ministries and write on the memo line: "OGHS-PHILIPPINES TYPHOON RELIEF.” Mail it to IM, P.O. Box 851, Valley Forge, PA 10482 or give through your church, designating your gift for OGHS – Philippines Typhoon Relief.

One Great Hour of Sharing (OGHS) is administered by the World Relief Committee of the Board of General Ministries of American Baptist Churches USA. The Committee facilitates American Baptist emergency relief, disaster rehabilitation, refugee work and the development of assistance by establishing policy guidelines and overseeing distribution of the annual One Great Hour of Sharing offering received by churches.  Learn more: http://www.abc-oghs.org/

Bible Verses This Week: Mark 9: 14-24: Help My Unbelief!

Mark 9: When they came to the disciples, they saw a great crowd around them, and some scribes arguing with them. ¹⁵When the whole crowd saw him, they were immediately overcome with awe, and they ran forward to greet him. ¹⁶He asked them, “What are you arguing about with them?” ¹⁷Someone from the crowd answered him, “Teacher, I brought you my son; he has a spirit that makes him unable to speak;¹⁸and whenever it seizes him, it dashes him down; and he foams and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid; and I asked your disciples to cast it out, but they could not do so.” ¹⁹He answered them, “You faithless generation, how much longer must I be among you? How much longer must I put up with you? Bring him to me.” ²⁰And they brought the boy to him. When the spirit saw him, immediately it convulsed the boy, and he fell on the ground and rolled about, foaming at the mouth. ²¹Jesus asked the father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood. ²²It has often cast him into the fire and into the water, to destroy him; but if you are able to do anything, have pity on us and help us.” ²³Jesus said to him, “If you are able! —All things can be done for the one who believes.” ²⁴Immediately the father of the child cried out, “I believe; help my unbelief!”  

Bible Verses This Week: Luke 19:1-10: Hurry and Come Down ...

Luke 19: He entered Jericho and was passing through it. ²A man was there named Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was rich. ³He was trying to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was short in stature. ⁴So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree to see him, because he was going to pass that way. ⁵When Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down; for I must stay at your house today.” ⁶So he hurried down and was happy to welcome him. ⁷All who saw it began to grumble and said, “He has gone to be the guest of one who is a sinner.”⁸Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord, “Look, half of my possessions, Lord, I will give to the poor; and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will pay back four times as much.” ⁹Then Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because he too is a son of Abraham. ¹⁰For the Son of Man came to seek out and to save the lost.”

Community and Mission Team First Meeting

Mark your calendars!

On Sunday, November 10, from 6:30-8:30 PM, in the church sanctuary there will be a first meeting of the Community and Mission Team. Anyone with an interest in, or curious about, outreach to our local community and beyond is invited to attend. We will be exploring the topic, What Is the Missional Church?

Among the issues explored will be "The Missional Paradigm," "Eras of the Church," "The Times They Are a-Changin'," "Becoming Missional," and "Next Steps." Lots of interesting insights for all.

Along with the program will be a variety of potential projects from which we may choose how to move forward, including material from a guest speaker.

For more information, please contact Jeff Snyder.

See you Sunday, November 10th!

Isaiah 58:5-12

Will you call this a fast, a day acceptable to the Lord? ⁶Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of injustice, to undo the thongs of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? ⁷Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover them, and not to hide yourself from your own kin?
⁸Then your light shall break forth like the dawn, and your healing shall spring up quickly; your vindicator shall go before you, the glory of theLord shall be your rear guard. ⁹Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer; you shall cry for help, and he will say, Here I am. If you remove the yoke from among you, the pointing of the finger, the speaking of evil, ¹⁰if you offer your food to the hungry and satisfy the needs of the afflicted, then your light shall rise in the darkness and your gloom be like the noonday. ¹¹The Lord will guide you continually, and satisfy your needs in parched places, and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters never fail.¹²Your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt; you shall raise up the foundations of many generations; you shall be called the repairer of the breach, the restorer of streets to live in.

Will you be the restorer of streets to live in? 

Meditation on a Charitable Outlook toward Others by Reverend M.L. Hall

Rev. Hall's book of sermons, 1937-1938

Given in a sermon in Sabraton, West Virginia, on October 31, 1937, Reverend M. L. Hall reflected on the Christian need for a charitable approach to the varying views of others. Using the analogy of the Christian mariner, he wrote:

The Christian's conscience, like the mariner's compass, is more or less influenced by early associations. We can never permanently settle ourselves from the effects of the moral direction in which our prow was set, or the spiritual atmosphere that surrounded the laying and shaping of our keel. Because of these great channels and laws of influence no two Christians look out upon the sphere of duty from exactly the same standpoint; and we need nothing so much as charity to enable us to patiently meet and rightly construe the opinions and conduct of others, who, though perhaps equally conscious, may not be able to see eye to eye with us in many things pertaining to Christian character and conduct. 

Weekly Bible Verses: 2 Timothy 3:14 - 4:5: Equipped for Every Good Work

2 Timothy 3: ¹⁴But as for you, continue in what you have learned and firmly believed,knowing from whom you learned it, ¹⁵and how from childhood you have known the sacred writings that are able to instruct you for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. ¹⁶All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, ¹⁷so that everyone who belongs to God may be proficient, equipped for every good work.
4In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I solemnly urge you: ²proclaim the message; be persistent whether the time is favorable or unfavorable; convince, rebuke, and encourage, with the utmost patience in teaching. ³For the time is coming when people will not put up with sound doctrine, but having itching ears, they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own desires, ⁴and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander away to myths. ⁵As for you, always be sober, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, carry out your ministry fully.

Weekly Bible Verses: 1 Timothy 2:1-8: So That We May Lead a Quiet and Peaceable Life ...

1 Timothy 2 First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for everyone, ²for kings and all who are in high positions, so that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and dignity. ³This is right and is acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, ⁴who desires everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. ⁵For there is one God; there is also one mediator between God and humankind, Christ Jesus, himself human,⁶who gave himself a ransom for all—this was attested at the right time.⁷For this I was appointed a herald and an apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying), a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth. ⁸I desire, then, that in every place the men should pray, lifting up holy hands without anger or argument;

Weekly Bible Verses: 1 Timothy 1:12-17: The Grace of our Lord Overflowed for Me ...

1 Timothy 1: ¹²I am grateful to Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, because he judged me faithful and appointed me to his service, ¹³even though I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and a man of violence. But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief, ¹⁴and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. ¹⁵The saying is sure and worthy of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the foremost. ¹⁶But for that very reason I received mercy, so that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display the utmost patience, making me an example to those who would come to believe in him for eternal life. ¹⁷To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen. 

Weekly Bible Verses: 1 Thessalonians 5:14-24: Rejoice!

1 Thessalonians 5: And we urge you, beloved, to admonish the idlers, encourage the faint hearted, help the weak, be patient with all of them.¹⁵See that none of you repays evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to all.
¹⁶Rejoice always, ¹⁷pray without ceasing, ¹⁸give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. ¹⁹Do not quench the Spirit. ²⁰Do not despise the words of prophets, ²¹but test everything; hold fast to what is good; ²²abstain from every form of evil.
²³May the God of peace himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be kept sound and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. ²⁴The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do this. 

A Prayer For God's Presence and Influence

This fifteenth century prayer is found in the French Book of Hours:

God be in my head, and in my understanding;
God be in my eyes, and in my looking;
God be in my mouth, and in my speaking;
God be in my heart, and in my thinking;
God be at my end, and in my departing.

Joy, Humor, and Laughter Are Holy!

From Between Heaven and Mirth, by James Martin, SJ

In some religious circles joy, humor, and laughter are viewed ... as excessive. Excessive, irrelevant, ridiculous, inappropriate, and even scandalous. But a lighthearted spirit is none of these things. Rather, it is an essential element of a healthy spiritual life and a healthy life in general. When we lose sight of this serious truth, we cease to live life fully, truly, and wholly. Indeed, we fail to be holy.

To define our term, by humor we mean "good" humor, which is defined as self-deprecatory humor, humor that encourages, or jokes that make everyone laugh and have no "victim." 

Weekly Bible Verses: Jeremiah 2: 4-13: Beware Cracked Cisterns ...

⁴Hear the word of the Lord, O house of Jacob, and all the families of the house of Israel. ⁵Thus says the Lord: What wrong did your ancestors find in me that they went far from me, and went after worthless things, and became worthless themselves? ⁶They did not say, “Where is the Lord who brought us up from the land of Egypt, who led us in the wilderness, in a land of deserts and pits, in a land of drought and deep darkness, in a land that no one passes through, where no one lives?” ⁷I brought you into a plentiful land to eat its fruits and its good things. But when you entered you defiled my land, and made my heritage an abomination. ⁸The priests did not say, “Where is the Lord?” Those who handle the law did not know me; the rulers transgressed against me; the prophets prophesied by Baal, and went after things that do not profit.

⁹Therefore once more I accuse you, says the Lord, and I accuse your children’s children. ¹⁰Cross to the coasts of Cyprus and look, send to Kedar and examine with care; see if there has ever been such a thing.¹¹Has a nation changed its gods, even though they are no gods? But my people have changed their glory for something that does not profit. ¹²Be appalled, O heavens, at this, be shocked, be utterly desolate, says theLord, ¹³for my people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the fountain of living water, and dug out cisterns for themselves, cracked cisterns that can hold no water.

Good News to Live By and Pass Along

“First of all, you have to keep unmasking the world about you for what it is: manipulative, controlling, power-hungry, and, in the long run, destructive. The world tells you many lies about who you are, and you simply have to be realistic enough to remind yourself of this. Every time you feel hurt, offended, or rejected, you have to dare to say to yourself: 'These feelings, strong as they may be, are not telling me the truth about myself. The truth, even though I cannot feel it right now, is that I am the chosen child of God, precious in God's eyes, called the Beloved from all eternity, and held safe in an everlasting belief.” 

~ Henri J.M. Nouwen, Life of the Beloved: Spiritual Living in a Secular World

“When we claim and constantly reclaim the truth of being the chosen ones, we soon discover within ourselves a deep desire to reveal to others their own chosenness. Instead of making us feel that we are better, more precious or valuable than others, our awareness of being chosen opens our eyes to the chosenness of others. That is the great joy of being chosen: the discovery that others are chosen as well. In the house of God there are many mansions. There is a place for everyone - a unique, special place. Once we deeply trust that we ourselves are precious in God's eyes, we are able to recognize the preciousness of others and their unique places in God's heart.” 

~ Henri J.M. Nouwen, Life of the Beloved: Spiritual Living in a Secular World

If this lifts your spirits, please share. 

For more quotes from this wonderful book, either purchase a copy or see: www.goodreads.com

Worship Schedule to Return to Fall/Winter/Spring Hours

Just a quick reminder that Exton Community Baptist Church will be returning to its fall, winter, and spring schedule on September 8. Sunday school will begin at 9:45 AM and worship services will be at 11 AM.

Look forward to seeing you all there! 

Jesus Calls or Where We'll Find Jesus

In Henri J.M. Nouwen's devotional book Bread for the Journey: A Daybook of Wisdom and Faith, he writes briefly and compellingly of Jesus' call to us all:

What finally counts is not whether we know Jesus and his words but whether we live our lives in the Spirit of Jesus. The Spirit of Jesus is the Spirit of Love. Jesus himself makes this clear when he speaks about the last judgment. There people will ask, "Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink?" and Jesus will answer, "In so far as you did this to one of the least...of mine, you did it to me" (Matthew 25:37-40). 

This is our great challenge and consolation. Jesus comes to us in the poor, the sick, the dying, the prisoners, the lonely, the disabled, the rejected. There we meet him, and there the door to God's house is opened to us.

Reflecting further on this passage, I'm inspired to add the following.

For Christians looking to follow the two great commandments to love God and love neighbor as self, the questions arise, who are those neighbors and how do I serve them? For the answers to these questions, I suggest turning directly to Jesus, the head of the church, our leader in all things faithful, and our reliable trailblazer who has gone ahead of us and beckons us to follow. When the lawyer in Luke stand up and asks Jesus this very question, he is told the following parable. 

Luke 10:25-37 ²⁵Just then a lawyer stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he said, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” ²⁶He said to him, “What is written in the law? What do you read there?” ²⁷He answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.”²⁸And he said to him, “You have given the right answer; do this, and you will live.” ²⁹But wanting to justify himself, he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” ³⁰Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell into the hands of robbers, who stripped him, beat him, and went away, leaving him half dead. ³¹Now by chance a priest was going down that road; and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. ³²So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. ³³But a Samaritan while traveling came near him; and when he saw him, he was moved with pity. ³⁴He went to him and bandaged his wounds, having poured oil and wine on them. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. ³⁵The next day he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said, ‘Take care of him; and when I come back, I will repay you whatever more you spend.’ ³⁶Which of these three, do you think, was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?” ³⁷He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”

From this parable, we discover our neighbor is anyone who needs our help and who it is within our power to help, even an enemy as shown in the actions of the good Samaritan. From the Samaritan we also learn we should take that aid just as far as we are capable. The Samaritan undid all the harm done to the wounded stranger by both the bandits and the religious leaders. That's a powerful message. So, now we have a basic and BROAD understanding of who, thanks to Luke and Jesus. 

To put a finer point on it, we turn to Jesus in Matthew near the beginning of the book, seeking out the Beatitudes from the Sermon on the Mount (what has been termed Jesus' mission statement) where we receive some further suggestions on who we should seek out, what sort of help we should offer, and what kinds of helpers we should be. 

Matthew 5:1-12 When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. ²Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying:
³“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.⁴“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. ⁵“Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. ⁶“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. ⁷“Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy. ⁸“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. ⁹“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. ¹⁰“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. ¹¹“Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. ¹²Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

These three Bible verses leave a lot of territory to cover. It is tempting to throw up your hands and throw in the towel before you even begin, saying its all just too big for me! But, wait, here's some further help from a seminary professor I had not too long ago. He stated you need to turn to the issue that makes your blood boil, the injustice in the world that really upsets you (and falls within the parameters listed above), and act upon that in whatever small ways you can. You'll soon find that once you start, unexpected opportunities in that field will quickly crop up for you. 

Jesus calls. Jesus wants to meet you out there among struggling humanity. Will you answer? Will you take the risk and go meet Jesus?

Prayers for Our Missionary: Being Mom

Women have traditionally been given the role of caring for their children. In the womb, a child depends on its mother for sustenance and protection. From the time they are born, they possess the innate knowledge to feed from the mother, find comfort and warmth in her arms. Mom has everything son or daughter needs to survive the next 16 or so years.

 As a child grows, she or he starts to learn to care for itself. As the years pass, children can cut food for themselves. They make their own clothes, and decide whether they run a red light, or not. We are in awe when they hit milestones like graduations or get a driver's license. Moms also worry about a child hanging out with the wrong crowd, or whether they are eating right. It's in our motherly instinct to care for our young.

One of the challenges of being a Mom, is adapting as our children grow. We always will want to know where they are and what time they will be coming home. It's difficult to deal with growing teens. They still are our "children", but they want to be treated as adults. A titanic feat to achieve is discerning when and how to continue parenting a child and when to relate to a "child" as an adult. As a child grows in age, a balance in the complexity of this relationship becomes more difficult to achieve.

We want the best for our kids, so we want to be able to make decisions for them, and at some point see them making wise decisions for themselves. But, when and how does a mom let go?  There has to coe a moment when we must trust what we have done to raise our children, what we have taught them, and also depend on God's providence for them. We aren't near perfect, nor have we done everything right to rear our kids. But we have used the tools, strength, and wisdom God has provided along the way. We must trust God, ourselves, and foster their independence along the way.

Mom won't be at college to wash his clothes. She won't know if she is eating to much junk food, nor will mother be able to force the child to go to church when he or she is away from home  -- choices they will need to make for themselves, some good and some not.

Pray for Sue, as she raises Katy, with all the demands of a mom, with the normal challenges brought on by the teenage years, with the added demands of living in a culture and country other than their own (Sue's and Katy's).  Pray for Katy as she grows from being a child to being a teen, and into a young woman. Pray for wisdom and the Fruit of the Spirit for both of them.

Ask God to give Sue and Katy good friends, counselors, and the tools they need to be Godly women. May they honor God in all they say and do.  May they bless each other and also others. May God use them as a living witness to the mothers and daughters they will be ministering to in Costa Rica.

Miriam Chacon-Peralta, Mother and MPT Member

Weekly Bible Verses: Matthew 5:14-16: Let Your Light Shine!

Matthew 5: “You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. ¹⁵No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. ¹⁶In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.

Weekly Bible Verses: 1 Kings 21:1-21: You Have Sold Yourself to Do What Is Evil

1 Kings 21: Later the following events took place: Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard in Jezreel, beside the palace of King Ahab of Samaria.²And Ahab said to Naboth, “Give me your vineyard, so that I may have it for a vegetable garden, because it is near my house; I will give you a better vineyard for it; or, if it seems good to you, I will give you its value in money.” ³But Naboth said to Ahab, “The Lord forbid that I should give you my ancestral inheritance.” ⁴Ahab went home resentful and sullen because of what Naboth the Jezreelite had said to him; for he had said, “I will not give you my ancestral inheritance.” He lay down on his bed, turned away his face, and would not eat.
⁵His wife Jezebel came to him and said, “Why are you so depressed that you will not eat?” ⁶He said to her, “Because I spoke to Naboth the Jezreelite and said to him, ‘Give me your vineyard for money; or else, if you prefer, I will give you another vineyard for it’; but he answered, ‘I will not give you my vineyard.’” ⁷His wife Jezebel said to him, “Do you now govern Israel? Get up, eat some food, and be cheerful; I will give you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.” ⁸So she wrote letters in Ahab’s name and sealed them with his seal; she sent the letters to the elders and the nobles who lived with Naboth in his city. ⁹She wrote in the letters, “Proclaim a fast, and seat Naboth at the head of the assembly; ¹⁰seat two scoundrels opposite him, and have them bring a charge against him, saying, ‘You have cursed God and the king.’ Then take him out, and stone him to death.” ¹¹The men of his city, the elders and the nobles who lived in his city, did as Jezebel had sent word to them. Just as it was written in the letters that she had sent to them,¹²they proclaimed a fast and seated Naboth at the head of the assembly. ¹³The two scoundrels came in and sat opposite him; and the scoundrels brought a charge against Naboth, in the presence of the people, saying, “Naboth cursed God and the king.” So they took him outside the city, and stoned him to death. ¹⁴Then they sent to Jezebel, saying, “Naboth has been stoned; he is dead.” ¹⁵As soon as Jezebel heard that Naboth had been stoned and was dead, Jezebel said to Ahab, “Go, take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, which he refused to give you for money; for Naboth is not alive, but dead.” ¹⁶As soon as Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, Ahab set out to go down to the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, to take possession of it.
¹⁷Then the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying: ¹⁸Go down to meet King Ahab of Israel, who rules in Samaria; he is now in the vineyard of Naboth, where he has gone to take possession. ¹⁹You shall say to him, “Thus says the Lord: Have you killed, and also taken possession?” You shall say to him, “Thus says the Lord: In the place where dogs licked up the blood of Naboth, dogs will also lick up your blood.” ²⁰Ahab said to Elijah, “Have you found me, O my enemy?” He answered, “I have found you. Because you have sold yourself to do what is evil in the sight of the Lord, ²¹I will bring disaster on you; I will consume you, and will cut off from Ahab every male, bond or free, in Israel;