"Building Bridges"

2 Thessalonians 1:1-4, 11-12

Words in italics adapted by Pam from 2 Thessalonians, using words that fit our context:

 From (Pastor) Pam, (DS) Skip and (Bishop) Karen
 To the church of the people of Gunbarrel and Niwot, in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:
 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
We must always give thanks to God for you, brothers and sisters, as is right, because your faith is growing abundantly, and the love of everyone of you for one another is increasing.

This community of faith never ceases to show its love one for the other.  We are all so grateful to share in a community whose love for one another increases day by day.  And we do so want faith in this place to continue to grow. To reach those we haven't. To be a vital church for not only today, but for a tomorrow fast approaching.

Therefore we ourselves boast of you among the churches of God for your steadfastness and faith during all your doubts and concern in this time of decline that you are enduring.

So, we will share your name with joy to others wherever we go. See how those people of Niwot UMC love each other!!  See how they share God's love as a faith community! See how they seek out and find missions near and far to help in any way they can!  OK, so their numbers are on the decline, and their concern about that is on the rise.  So be with them during this time of uncertainty and concern, O Gracious God.

 To this end we always pray for you, asking that our God will make you worthy of his call and will fulfill by his power every good resolve and work of faith, so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

We, your church leaders, therefore resolve to pray for you and to pray for this place. This special, sacred, holy place and its people called Niwot UMC... that we might fully and wholly become exactly who God wants us to be in this place, making Disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.  We are praying for NUMC. We are part of you. We can, together, the church united, do all things through Christ who strengthens us.

How does our mutual love and appreciation for one another and the church help us to build bridges into our community?  What are some bridges we are already building that we can continue?
Email me at peverhart@niwotumc.org or comment by clicking the link below.

"Building Each Other Up"

1 Thessalonians 5:9-21

Paul is encouraging the church in Thessaloniki to stay of good courage and keep the faith. He encourages them to love and care for one another, just as they have been doing. He says do not stop no matter what is thrown your way, saying  "encourage one another and build up each other, as indeed you are doing."  He uses words like esteem, and respect, and peace, and patience. He says pray and rejoice and give thanks in all circumstances.

As we move forward into planning for a new church year, it occurs to me that this scripture is a great foundational tool to refer to going forward.  We have to continue to build on the foundation of care and trust and esteem and respect that we already have for one another as we seek to be a community that lives into the UMC mission of  making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.

Therefore, we need to hold ourselves true to the promises we have made to each other to uphold the church with our prayers, our presence, our gifts, our service and our witness. When we hold each other up in respect and create a place of peace and goodness here by praying for one another, tithing what we are able to financially, showing up on Sundays regularly and working hard for the benefit of our community both inside and outside the walls on other days, we are showing God that the sacrifices of all who came before us matter. That the church of the future matters.

This year how can we build each other up in all ways so that we might build a future for this church and the community surrounding us?

"Building the Peaceable Kingdom"

Jeremiah29: 1, 4-7 (New Living Translation)

Edward Hicks, a Quaker preacher and painter who lived in the late 1700s-mid 1800s. His most famous work is perhaps the painting Peaceable Kingdom which shows a world in which animals and children are existing peacefully together.  The scripture Isaiah 11 (most recognized from Advent and Christmas readings) talks about a utopian place of camaraderie among all creatures.

In that day the wolf and the lamb will live together;
    the leopard will lie down with the baby goat.
The calf and the yearling will be safe with the lion,
    and a little child will lead them all.
7 The cow will graze near the bear.
    The cub and the calf will lie down together.
    The lion will eat hay like a cow.
8 The baby will play safely near the hole of a cobra.
    Yes, a little child will put its hand in a nest of deadly snakes without harm.
9 Nothing will hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain,
    for as the waters fill the sea,
    so the earth will be filled with people who know the Lord.

Edward Hicks' 62 versions of this painting inspired by these words visually reminds us that this is what God wants for us.  And the passage for this week in Jeremiah is in the same vein. God wants us to live peaceful lives no matter where life takes us.  The passage in Jeremiah is perhaps my favorite passage in the Old Testament.  Jeremiah was a prophet and what prophets have to tell us, we often don't want to hear, but I cannot imagine why these words would not sing sweetly in anyone's ears.

He is speaking to the people in exile. They have been sent from Jerusalem to Babylon and so life is unsettled and uncomfortable. They are not in the land of their birth but in a place that they didn't expect to go.  And they are trying to make life manageable somehow.  And this voice says to them,

"Build homes, and plan to stay. Plant gardens, and eat the food they produce. Marry and have children. Then find spouses for them so that you may have many grandchildren. Multiply! Do not dwindle away! And work for the peace and prosperity of the city where I sent you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, for its welfare will determine your welfare.”

The words of God that Jeremiah hears and shares with the people is not one of anxiety or stress or discomfort or peril, but one of hope and promise.  Build homes. Plant gardens. Eat. Find spouses. Have children. Have grandchildren.  And perhaps most importantly, seek the welfare of the city where you are... for in its welfare you will find your own.

We do not exist in a vacuum.  God clearly says to the people in exile in Babylon that despite the unexpected twists and turns in their roads, they CAN be filled with hope, they CAN be joyful.  How? By immersing themselves in good work... in the city where they now find themselves.  Making that place their own place, finding a place for themselves in their neighborhoods and seeking to make the neighborhood their own.

We are called to create a community that would first and foremost be described as peaceful. But that does not mean we turn a blind eye to unrest and protest. In fact quite the opposite. We sometimes have to create peace through standing side by side in protest with those who have been denied peace.  So peaceful community is possible. But it requires sacrifice and work. And that is what we read here in Jeremiah. The seeds of faith planted here in Jeremiah allow us to think that such a thing as the peaceable kingdom is possible.  How do we do create it?  Thoughts?  Email me at peverhart@niwotumc.org or click on the comments link below to leave a public comment.