Soul Food

I borrowed today's title from my family devotional book proposal I just finished this morning. It's on my brain, but it fits today's post well, I think.

Yesterday was food pantry day at church. After serving a steadily increasing number of families last fall (in the 60's), we actually dipped during the holidays only to shoot up to 70+ in January. 84 families received groceries this week. We expect that our numbers will continue to climb.

But what's more amazing to me than the statistics are the transformations that take place at food pantry. No doubt about it...the gym is filled with tired faces, anxious faces, faces tight with pain or worry. But our volunteer interviewers greet each client by name with a smile and a touch of the hand, and that seems to make a difference. Yesterday Yolanda's prayers for her recipients made several cry, not out of frustration but because of the love that was being shown for them. Not just our New Life Church love, but God's love. That moves me to tears.

And I watched as volunteer Cindy pulled guest Patricia out of line to help her translate because our Spanish-speaking clientele is growing faster than we can find bilingual volunteers. Patricia, whose eyes crinkle up when she smiles (and she always shares her smiles) and who has been a regular recipient since we opened, took a seat next to Cindy, sat her toddler on her lap, and became part of a team. As I continued to seat guests at their table, I watched her grow in confidence. She's been a recipient. She knows how it feels to be on the other side of the interview, and she knows our process. She seemed genuinely pleased (not bothered) that Cindy had asked her to help and stayed long past the time she would have normally left with the promise to help next time, too.

And I experienced God's goodness when I approached Katrina, a newer pantry recipient whose English I knew was excellent. I had just seen a woman come through the registration line wrapped only in a blanket (on a miserable, cold, rainy day). Her face looked like the rain had drenched her spirit, too. I knew we had coats set aside, and I desperately wanted to get that woman a coat before the supply ran out. However, my Spanish is marginal at best, so I pulled Katrina aside and asked her to translate my request.

She quickly agreed, responding, "Do you know who I talk to about volunteering here? You guys seem like you need help, and I'd like to help." I put her to work right away, getting my blanket guest a coat, as well as a little grandma who'd just arrived from Mexico with no Chicago-winter gear at all. Katrina will also be joining our ministry team. Who knew? God knew...
"Ask and it will be given to you. Search and you will find. Knock and the door will be opened to you...How much more will your Father who is in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!" (Matthew 7:7, 11b)

To me, this is all soul food...God's Word feeds his faithful. His faithful live out those words and are equipped and encouraged to serve up a little soul food to the world. It's a good thing, a God thing.

And the blanket lady's face, when she took her spot at the interview table wearing her new coat and carrying a new purse filled with goodies (thanks to the Women's Ministry outreach), was absolutely radiant, an ear to ear grin that said, "I know I am loved." Who knew? God knew!
Amen.

Love the One You're With Women's Retreat

For more information on the Love the One You're With Women's Retreat led by New Life's Christine Bierma and Rachel Gilmore Feb. 13-14, please visit www.writerrae.com/feb_retreat.html

Announcing...The Baby Jesus

Youth Devotion for the First Weekend in Advent -- November 29 & 30
By Rachel Gilmore

No doubt, before you were born, your parents told people that you were coming. They told their parents. They told your aunts and uncles. They told their friends and neighbors. They told their co-workers. Basically, they told anyone who would listen that you were coming!

John the Baptist was Jesus’ cousin, but he also announced that Jesus was coming. John was a strange kind of guy, but he knew he was on a mission from God. That mission was to tell God’s people that Jesus was coming. So John walked around in the desert in wearing animal skins for clothes and eating locusts and honey. And over and over again to anyone who would listen he said, "Prepare the way of the Lord. Make straight paths for him!" (Mark 1:3)

People came out to the desert to see this odd man, but they also listened to his voice. To help these people prepare for Jesus, John baptized them in the Jordan River. "I will baptize you with water," John said, "but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit." (John 1:8)

John’s voice was loud and clear. People who listened to John got the message. Jesus was coming. This Jesus would save them from their sin. What an awesome birth announcement!

As you prepare to celebrate Jesus’ birth this Christmas, think about John’s voice saying, "Prepare the way of the Lord. Make straight paths for Him!" What is one way you can make your path straight (make God-honoring choices) this Christmas? Who is one person you can tell that Jesus saves us from our sins when we accept him as our Savior? Make your voice loud and clear like John’s and celebrate the Good News of Jesus!

Verses to reflect on this week:
Malachi 3:1-5 and John 1:29-34

Our Savior, Our Friend

Advent Devotion for Nov. 29-30, 2008
By Ruthann Schmudde


Malachi 3:1
“See, I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come,” says the Lord Almighty.

John 1:29
The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!”

Christmas is coming, and we will celebrate the birth of that very special baby, Jesus. We tend to think of Christmas as a once-a-year event. When it comes, we fill our minds with all kinds of stuff, what presents to buy and how to pay for them, what food to prepare and what parties we’ll go to. We get stressed so badly that sometimes we wish Christmas wouldn’t come at all! Besides that, many of us have lost at least one loved one, and our hearts are heavy with sadness.

It was always God’s plan to send us a Savior. Throughout the Old Testament God foretold that the Lord the people were seeking would come. When Jesus was born, an angel appeared to shepherds telling them that a Savior had been born, who was Christ the Lord. John the Baptist knew Jesus was the Savior because he saw the Holy Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on Him.

Jesus, our Savior, became an incredible messenger, teaching about God, love and sin. Later, He was crucified in order to wipe our sins away. If we believe He is our Savior and have a relationship with Him, we will have eternal life in heaven.

What a wonderful gift He’s given us! It is laid before us every minute of every day; it isn’t a once-a-year event. Besides having eternal life after we die, we get to talk to Him any time at all, sharing our joy or sadness. We can ask for His help and He will freely give it. He loves us more than we can understand. When you’re feeling sad because a loved one has passed on, talk to Jesus. When there are so many things to get done, ask Him to guide you. There is no friend like Him.

Prayer: Thank you Jesus, for coming to us and for dying for our sins. Thank you for loving us unconditionally. Help us to be filled with joy knowing you are always with us, not just on Christmas morning, and that one day we will be with you in heaven.

The best book I've read...3 times

I've been reading/studying this book for the past 6 months, first alone, now with my sista-friends and my small group. Each time I go through it I feel like I learn something new. Mostly, because the first time I read through this simple book I was quite sure that although I understood the words, the truths were evading me. It's a book that has shaken the foundation of my faith yet, has not contradicted a single belief I hold.

Lately, I've been reading about "The Tyranny of the Favor Line" The invisible line that tells us whether or not we've met enough of someone's expectations to merit their approval. And how, most of our lives we live knowing that this favor line exists in our relationships with other people...and how we assume that God has a favor line as well. The problem is that we never know where it lies. When everything is pleasant we don't think about the favor line much but when things start to encroach on our lives we begin to wonder how God feels about us. Does He love me? Have I offended Him?

One of the questions the author asks is, "How many of you think you pray enough? Read the Bible enough?" How much is "enough?" The tyranny of the favor line is unrelenting because it never allows us to be certain about how God feels about us. And when we are trying to compensate God for his mercy eventually we become aware that our efforts are futile because it's impossible and it leaves us guessing whether he loves me or he loves me not.

I'd love to write out the entire book but I will leave you with one of thoughts that have consumed me for the last few days, "The key to God's favor doesn't rest on what I give to God but what he has already given to me."

Let me encourage you to order this book off of Amazon and use it for your daily study. It's wonderfully challenging...and will open your eyes to discover a Savior you've never known before but who was always there. It's a great read...if anyone's looking for one.

On Connecting

As I've moved through different phases of my life, I've repeatedly felt God's call to be a catalyst for him. Sometimes it's to bring about change in a static situation. Sometimes it's just to start making connections for people. It's not always been pleasant or easy, but it's been work I've felt God has asked me to do. So I've tried to be faithful to that calling (but, if I'm honest, not always succeeding).

Yet last night I was reminded about how rewarding this God-work can be. My husband and I have been trying to start a new small group here at church for the better part of a year. After attending a small group leaders conference together last winter and talking with our small group pastor at church, we decided to take the plunge. But after much planning and expectant hoping, nobody jumped at our invitation to join us. Hmmm...

So we regrouped and re-visioned and looked to the fall, praying that we would find the people who needed to be connected. Six months later, it sure feels like God has answered that prayer. Our fledgling group has had three meetings now and seems to be getting in sync with the rhythm of group life, slowly beginning to open up and share bits and pieces of our lives and our walks with God.

But last night was our first Family Fun Night, something Dave and I really wanted to build into our small group time because we want to help our kids get connected at church, too. My daughter, in particular, is having a hard time fitting in, and I desperately want to be a catalyst for her and ease her loneliness. Last night, though, something clicked. I know because I happened to be in the kitchen when she came bounding in at the end of the evening to ask another member's daughter if she would "please, please come to Big House (youth group) tomorrow because they're doing this scavenger hunt thing and she doesn't know anyone and please, please, please could she come and do it with her so she doesn't have to go alone."

Wow! I knew what it took for my daughter to make that request, and I could see in the other girl's eyes that she was pleased to be asked because I think she, too, has felt a little out of the middle school loop. The other mom also happened to be in the kitchen, and our eyes met across the room as we smiled. I'm pretty sure we both offered up a silent prayer: "Thank you, God, for this group and these girls and your presence here tonight. Amen. Let it be!"

Before we even had friends to join us, my husband and I named our small group the Mission:Possible group, building on New Life Church's Mission statement which is to connect people to one another and God for their new life in Christ. I am encouraged that our group appears aptly named and is faithfully seeking to live out that mission one step at a time. God is good, all the time! Amen. Let it be!

Go Ahead, Love yourself

“Love your neighbor as yourself.”
Mark 12: 31

We try to show others our love and caring ways. However, there’s one person that often doesn’t get to feel your love and care, and that person is you. Did you know God wants us to love ourselves? Not a self-centered, self-absorbed love where everything is about you, but an unconditional love with true acceptance of ourselves, the way God loves us. Each of us is a unique masterpiece made by God.

We often hear negative self-talk; that’s the voice in your head that puts you down. We wouldn’t say the things we hear in our own mind to others; it would hurt their feelings terribly. But to ourselves, we might say, “You sure are stupid,” or “Look how fat you are,” or maybe, “You aren’t worth the space you take up.” Unfortunately, we might have heard these things from people that had great influence on us, like parents or teachers, and the negative seed is planted.

God doesn’t ever think negative things about us! He loves us just as we are right now, even when we make mistakes.

Let’s consciously plan to replace negative talk with positive, uplifting words. How about saying, “God loves me,” or “I am a unique masterpiece made by God,” or, “Jesus died for ME.”

When we can truly love ourselves, it will be much easier to spread that love to others.

by Ruthann Schmudde