Five Years from Now

As we kick off the new year we're also kicking off a new period for our church, a period of revisioning.

Starting in January our sermon series in which we will intentionally ask big questions about how you see the church and where we see it going. We together will find the answer to what we want the church to look like in five years and how we will get it there.

We will answer questions like:

What does the church look like in five years?

How do you want the church to grow?

What programs would you like the church to have?

How will the church address needs in our community?

What are our church's faith pillars?

What are some things our church is currently doing that need to be reworked?

All of these questions need to be answered to become the church we want to be.  As we work through this January sermon series we will send out an intentional survey. Asking you questions about your thoughts on the future of Hurstbourne Christian Church. Please take the time to fill them out and give us as much detail as possible.

At the end of the series, we will create a vision team. That will go through those surveys and formulate a vision and mission statement that sums up what we want Hurstbourne Christian Church to become.

I would like to thank you all for your participation and enthusiasm as we create a new vision of the church together.

Black Bean Dip - Cheryl's Food Memories

January when I was growing up, was the month we cleaned out the fridge with after Christmas leftovers and it was also a celebration month. There were birthdays, basketball games (in those days I cheered for IU but I saw the light and was saved of course), and football. I loved watching football with my dad. Monday night was winding down and the playoffs were happening. Now we still watch football bowl games and playoff and whatnot and because I want to watch too we got in the habit of having grazing food so I wouldn’t miss anything thing. Here are a couple of the things I keep premade in the fridge & freezer to warm up as we want them. Black Bean Dip, and Spicy chicken wraps

BLACK BEAN DIP Created because Scott loves the Desert Pepper Trading Company brand but it was expensive and hard to find. After some experimenting we have this.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 can refried black beans

• 2 TBS tomato puree

• 1 ½ TBS white vinegar

• 1to 2 TBS chipotle chili powder (Add to taste)

• 1 chili powder

• 1 clove garlic minced or ½ tsp garlic powder

• ½ tsp onion powder MIX ALL INGREDIENTS in a bowl Store in fridge up to 1 week or to fix for immediate serving transfer to a baking dish to warm @ 300 degrees until warm about 10 minutes. *Sometimes we will put a little shredded cheese on top.

SWEET AND SPICE BACON CHICKEN WRAPS This can be done as an appetizer or on as strips from a of chicken breast just adjust time to accommodate larger pieces of chicken.

INGREDIENTS 1 1/4 pounds boneless, skinless, chicken breasts (about 4 breasts) 1 (1-pound) package thin sliced bacon 2/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar 1/4 cup chili powder (I add ½ tsp chipotle chili powder as well) PREPARE

• Preheat oven to 350F. • Cut chicken breasts into 1-inch cubes.

• Cut each bacon slice into thirds.

• Wrap each chicken cube with bacon and secure with a wooden pick.

• Stir together brown sugar and chili powder.

• Dredge wrapped chicken in mixture.

• Coat a rack and broiler pan with nonstick cooking spray. Place chicken wrap on rack (I prop up with toothpicks in the slits of the rack on the broiler pan.)

• Bake 350F for 30 to 35 minutes or until bacon is crisp. These are great hot out of the oven or at room temp an hour later. *If you are pre-making to freeze for later. Cook for only 20 minutes cool then freeze. To serve remove from freezer and put directly in oven rack cook for 20 minutes until bacon is crispy and chicken is done. I do test this with a quick read thermometer 165F

Take the Name of Jesus with You (Precious Name) - Marc's Music Notables

Names were important in the Bible. When God called Abram, he changed Abram’s name to Abraham, because “You will be the father of a multitude of nations” (Genesis 17:4).

He changed Jacob’s name to Israel (Genesis 35:10), which would become the name of God’s people. The scriptures, especially the Old Testament, often explain the significance of a person’s name, and sometimes tell the story of God changing a person’s name to fit a new calling.

Jesus’ name is the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew Joshua, which means “Yahweh (God) saves.” The New Testament gives Jesus many titles (Christ, Messiah, Lord, Master, etc.), but Jesus (“God saves”) is his name. Lydia Baxter (1800-1874) enjoyed teaching people the significance of Biblical names— especially Jesus’ name.

She had authored a number of hymns, and in 1870 wrote this one. Of the many hymns that she authored, only this one survives in today’s hymnals. It calls people to take the name of Jesus with them, because it “will joy and comfort give you” (v. 1)—and because Jesus’ name serves as “a shield from every snare (v. 2).

The phrase, “Hope of earth and joy of heaven,” is worth consideration. Hope (which we have on earth) is future oriented.

Jesus gives us the hope of salvation—a vision of a heavenly kingdom which we have attained in part but will attain fully only in the future. Joy, however, is something enjoyed in the present, and heaven has already begun to experience the joy of Jesus’ salvation work. It already knows that we on earth are in the midst of learning.

Hopeful Expectation

Like many, my family gets together on Christmas Eve. Each year we gather and have a meal. After the meal is over, we open presents.

When I was a child, waiting to open the presents until after I ate the meal was hard. It was difficult to look at all of the brightly color boxes wrapped with bows and ribbons. I would scarf down whatever was on my plate. I wanted to finish quickly so I could get to opening presents sooner.

Visions danced in my head of toys and candies, just waiting to be opened. It was hard to focus on anything else.

I doubt that I'm the only child that had those expectations and for whom waiting for Christmas was hard. I was ready to rush through the traditions and get straight to the main event.

However, the traditions necessitated that I wait.

I had to wait before I opened my gifts. I had to wait until Christmas came.

Many of our Christmas traditions place an emphasis on waiting with hopeful expectations.

That is largely what our Advent season is. It is a season of hopeful expectations. We wait and build up anticipation for the coming birth of a Messiah. We sit at the edge of our seats, waiting for that final moment when Christ comes forth.

This year, as we start our Advent season once again, it is no different. We are waiting, hopeful for what is to come.

We don't just sit idly bye. We live into those expectations. We make the world into the world we hope for. We share our love with those people around us and we brighten their hearts, their minds, and their spirits. The hope that we look forward to is not a hope of the presents we will receive, but the hope of the gifts that we can give.

Those gifts are hope, peace, joy, and love.

This Advent, I invite you to come with us in hopeful expectation of what the coming Messiah will bring, not only in your life but in the lives of all of God's children.

Chicken Enchilada Pinwheels - Cheryl’s Favorite Food Memories

Christmas and Family celebrations My family is huge. Mom has siblings, Dad’s had 5 kids, and everyone had kids and so on and on. So when we would gather there would be food and more food. Scott and I moved away and we rarely got to go back for these massive celebrations but we gathered more family (by friendship) and shared the seasonal celebrations and feasts. One year I was looking for easy finger food for one of these gatherings and came across these chicken enchilada pinwheels. My boys loved them, especially my oldest. He would not merely eat them as a snack, he would make his own “burrito” out of the filling and make it a meal. There was a point that I made him his own bowl so that I actually had the ones for the party. They are so simple and yummy. They bring back times with family by friendship and little boys running a muck in the house. I hope you enjoy them too!

CHICKEN ENCHILADA PINWHEELS INGREDIENTS 

3 whole chicken breasts 

4 ounce chopped green chili peppers 

4-ounce can shopped black olives chopped 

A couple tablespoons of salsa (We like VERDE) 

16 ounces cream cheese softened -I use the whipped cream cheese 

1 ½ cup shredded sharp cheddar (I use Vermont extra sharp) 

1 cup shredded pepper Jack (the jalapeño type not bell) 

1 to 2 packages 10 inch flour tortillas

CHICKEN PREPARATION: Rinse the chicken and pat dry. 

Poach in water just covering chicken in a saucepan until tender; drain. (We’ve also use oven baked chicken breasts or sometimes leftover grilled.) 

Chop in small pieces (these can be large if you are using a food processor to combine) COMBINE IN A MIXER BOWL (OR FOOD PROCESSOR*): 

Cream cheese , chilies, olives, & cheeses (mixer on stir setting)  add chicken: mix until somewhat smooth  spread the mixture in a thin layer on the tortillas. *If you are using the food processor add chicken first then cheese, then other ingredients to keep them from getting too small) OPTIONS FOR BUILDING: • Roll the tortillas to enclose the filling.

• Cut tortilla rolls into ¼ inch slices serve as pinwheels or layer on a plate with spread on each level about tortillas each group (I do this with 3 tortillas per stack)

• Spread layer repeat the place tortilla on top

• Cut like a pie for wedges to serve Store in Ziplock without cutting until ready to serve. As an appetizer or with any traditional Mexican accompaniment such as guacamole, sour cream, or salsa My family loves these and I make a large bowl and leave it in the fridge for them to smear on tortilla when they want.

Silent Night - Marc's Music Notables

There are several variations on the story of the writing of this hymn, but they all center on the little Church of St. Nicholas in Obendorf, a village near Salzburg, Austria, on Christmas Eve, 1818—and they all recount a church organ that wouldn’t play and a priest who was determined not to let the broken organ spoil the Christmas Eve service.

In one telling of the story, a band of roving actors came to Obendorf with their Christmas play, which so inspired Fr. Joseph Mohr that he wrote this song. In another telling of the story, when Fr. Mohr discovered that the organ was broken, he remembered a poem that he had written two years earlier. He took the poem to the church organist, Franz Gruber, who set it to music.

But the story most frequently told has Fr. Mohr discovered that the organ was broken. Distraught over the possibility that the Christmas Eve service might be ruined, he sat down and quickly wrote these verses—and then took them to Franz Gruber, who composed the music.

At this point, the facts are lost in antiquity—and the variations all support a central theme of adversity and inspiration and determination to save the evening. From that point the stories merge into one. Fr. Mohr did write the words for this carol. Franz Gruber composed the music. It was first sung on Christmas Eve, 1818, in the Church of St. Nicholas in Obendorf, and the original accompaniment was a guitar. All the stories agree on those facts.

Later, when Karl Mauracher came to repair the organ, he heard the story and obtained a copy of the song. As he went about his business, he made the story and song known to other churches in the region. Then a family of glove makers— the Strasser family—came into possession of a copy of the song. As they traveled through the villages in the area selling their gloves, their children would sing songs to entertain passersby and to draw attention to their merchandise—and they added this song to their repertoire. They also sang the song at the Leipzig fair, which spread its fame further.

Then, in 1838, “Stille Nacht! Heilige Nacht!” was published in a German Catholic hymnal— and in 1839 the Rainers, another musical family from Austria, traveled to New York City, where they sang “Stille Nacht!” at Trinity Church—and German immigrants brought the song with them and sang it in their churches.

By the time of the Civil War, “Silent Night” had long since been translated into English, and was a Christmas favorite in both North and South. Today it is the best known and loved Christmas carol around the world.

Jesus is the Reason for the Season - Kayla's Korner

Luke 2:11 ESV 

“For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”

Christmas is always a great way to end our long hard working year and Sometimes we get so wrapped up in Christmas shopping, the Christmas movies, and making sure our children get to see Santa at the mall. All of that is fun! I enjoy gift giving, I love to see the reaction of others when they open the gift I got them, for me that is the best feeling in the world. 2021 has been another tough year, with all the COVID still going on, and now here we are in the holiday season and we just want to celebrate with our families. Every year, my family would make a cake for Jesus and we would all sing Happy birthday to Him. That was our way of remembering Him. This year, think of some ways you can remember the birth of Jesus and how you can share that with others during all the holiday festivities.  I hope you all have a wonderful and blessed Thanksgiving and Christmas!

Growing the Church - Reece's Peace's

Last month I was scheduled to speak at our prayer breakfast. Unfortunately, do the rising COVID cases, the breakfast was postponed until November.

However, I still want to give a little information about the breakfast topic to prepare you for the November breakfast.

Here are four basic questions about church growth:

Why should the church grow?

-        For the benefit of people not attending. Our church has something special and we need to invite people so they too can experience our church.

Who do we want to join?

-        The basic answer is anyone, but we are focusing on certain groups. The three groups that we're focused on growing are empty nesters or almost empty nesters, couples without children or with very young children, and retirees. We have the most ability to provide programming for these people and therefore can probably provide them the most benefit. However, they are by no means the only people we want to join.

How do we get new people to come?

-        It is a church-wide effort. It can't be something done by just staff or a select few members. It's something that we all need to come together to do. There are four main ways people can come to know our church. By a personal invitation, social media post, online search or research into our church, or by driving by. These four are in order from the most likely to succeed to the least likely to succeed. When personally invited, people are very likely to attend our church. Meanwhile, people who drive by often just drive by. However, they are also in order from most difficult to least difficult. It takes lots of effort to personally invite someone to come to our church while it takes no effort on our part for someone to drive by. The harder you work the greater the reward.

What do we do after they come?

-        It is important to not overwhelm visitors, but we also need to make them feel wanted. Be friendly but not overbearing. Most visitors arrive before church starts and leave immediately after, if not before it ends. When you see them it's important to ask them a few questions. Why are they here? Are they looking for a new church or are they just visiting the city? Invite them to fill out one of the visitor contact inserts and make sure you invite them to a fellowship event happening at the church later on.

The Story Behind the Hymn: ”Now Thank We All Our God” - Marc's Music Notables

Written by Alissa Davis is a Master of Sacred Music student at Perkins School of Theology, Southern Methodist University. She studies hymnology with Dr. C. Michael Hawn, University Distinguished Professor of Church Music, Perkins School of Theology.

For modern American Protestant churchgoers, the hymn “Now thank we all our God,” likely conjures up an image of a congregation singing in unison, a pipe organ blasting away at a stately tempo, and a church full of people thinking about the approaching feast of stuffed turkey with cranberry sauce. In order to understand where this hymn came from, I would like to offer a very different image: A minister and his family sing this hymn before dinner to thank God for the scraps of food they have on the table in their meager home in a desolate refugee city that is afflicted with famine and disease and war. Since the earliest projected date for this hymn is 1636 and the oldest known date is 1663, this hymn was certainly written during or soon after the Thirty Years’ War (1618-1648).

Martin Rinckart (1586-1649) was an accomplished musician who studied at the University of Leipzig and then spent most of his career as a musician and archdeacon in the city of Eilenburg during the Thirty Years’ War. British Hymnologist J.R. Watson accounts that as one of the last surviving ministers in the city, Rinckart had to stretch personal resources to take care of refugees and spend most of his time performing nearly fifty funerals per day at the height of the plague. This experience during the Thirty Years’ War had a profound impact on Rinckart’s poetry, just as it did for his hymn writer contemporaries. Lutheran scholar Carl Schalk observes that unlike the objective hymn texts of the Reformation period, the “cross and comfort” hymnody of the time reflected life situations of the people with greater metrical regularity, smoother language, and a theology relatable to everyday life.

The text of the first two stanzas are based on Sirach 50:22-24: “Now therefore bless ye the God of all, which only doeth wondrous things everywhere, which exalteth our days from the womb, and dealeth with us according to his mercy. He grants us joyfulness of heart, and that peace may be in our days in Israel forever (KJV).”

The first stanza is a depiction of a bounteous and gracious God who has blessed us and provided for us. The text is propelled forward by the phrases beginning with “who/whom” and ending in descriptors of God’s actions (anaphora):

who wondrous things has done, in whom this world rejoices; who from our mothers’ arms….

For someone in Rinckart’s dire situation, this expression of abundant gratitude might seem like hyperbole. If you don’t live in constant fear of starvation, the plague, and invading armies, you are already quite a bit more fortunate than he; and yet, he expands this description of God into the second stanza by bridging the two with similar ideas (anadiplosis) “countless gifts” at the end of the first stanza with a “bounteous God” at the beginning of stanza two.

The second stanza of the hymn moves to the future, praying for guidance and a continuation of thanks and praise:

O may this bounteous God through all our life be near us, with ever joyful hearts and blessed peace to cheer us; and keep us still in grace, and guide us when perplexed; and free us from all ills, in this world and the next.

The second stanza also employs the poetic device of anaphora by beginning each phrase with “and” in three successive phrases: “and keep us…,” “and guide us…,” “and free us….” The three verbs are arranged in an implied chronological order that leads up to the final phrase “this world and the next.”

The third and final stanza brings the hymn to a close by acting as a German Gloria Patri (Lesser Doxology), which offers praise to all Persons of the Trinity and acknowledges God’s eternal nature in the last line.

All praise and thanks to God the Father now be given; the Son, and him who reigns with them in highest heaven, the one eternal God, whom earth and heaven adore; for thus it was, is now, and shall be evermore.

Cheddar Harvest Pear Pie - Cheryl’s Favorite Food Memories

In fall, since my college days at the Purdue Ag farm, I always think of the pear and apple harvest. My days were early and very chilly as I worked along side Professor Hayden on the various apple and pear cultivars, From picking to tasting we would score them on firmness, juiciness, and taste. I learned the various components that make a great fruit for eating vs making cider vs baking. I also had a mind for if the flavor would compliment cheddar cheese as the two were frequently my snack. Especially since the apples were free to this poor college student and the cheese was cheap from the Ag farm store.  Later when I spent my first thanksgiving with my husband’s family, my father-in-love made this incredible pie. I frequently sub out apples for pears when I cannot find perfectly ripe pears. Its always so yummy I make two at a time so that I don’t have to share mine.

sMILESnBlessings, Cheryl

Cheddar Harvest Pear Pie

Ingredients for 8 Servings

Filling:

Unbaked pastry for a 9-inch single crust pie.

4 to 6 large fresh pears 5 to 6 cups

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/3 cup sugar

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1/8 teaspoon salt

Topping:

1/2 cup sifted flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup sugar

2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese (I use Vermont Sharp white)

1/4 cup melted butter

Directions

¨ Pare, core and slice pears to measure 5 cups.

¨ Add lemon juice.

¨ Combine sugar, cornstarch and salt.

¨ Mix with pears and turn into pie shell.

¨ Prepare topping by combining flour, salt, sugar, cheese and melted butter until crumbly.

¨ Sprinkle topping on pears.

¨ Bake on low rack in a 425-degree oven for about 25-30 minutes or until pears are tender and crust is crisp and golden brown.

¨ Serve warm topped with ice cream or whipped cream, if desired.

How Often Should We Read Our Bibles? - Kayla's Korner

We should be reading our Bibles every day. I know it can be hard to read every day when we have the dishes to be done, the laundry to fold, an eight-hour shift to work. Something my aunt made a requirement for me to graduate high school was to read the Bible from Genesis all the way to Revelation. Not many Christians today, can say that they have read the Bible cover to cover.

It’s honestly your choice how long you want to spend reading your Bible and meditate on it. Some spend 5 mins; others spend 20 mins. That is your decision. Pick up the Bible this month and make it a habit to read either in the morning or at nighttime. Watch your life begin to change and watch God start using you more.

Blessings Kayla Beeler

2 Timothy 3:16-17

“16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”

Two Balloons - Reece's Peaces

Two people were given balloons. They were filled with air but not helium. They were given simple instructions: don't let it touch the floor and you can't hold it with one hand for longer than a second. 

The first person began focusing their attention on the balloon, tapping it to keep it up. Tap, tap, tap, with vigilant effort they kept the balloon bouncing up and down. 

The other volunteer began to tap it, but they weren't just tapping it to keep it up. They tapped it over in the direction of a door in another room. They walked while they tapped and moved it over to another room. 

When they returned their balloon was floating high, filled with helium. 

The first person said, “That's not fair!” 

The second replied, “The instructions were only to keep the balloon in the air and only touch it with one hand for no longer than a second. I was able to follow both of those rules as I filled it up with helium.” 

At first glance, the first person’s attempt of tapping away at it can seem nobler. Yet the second person’s strategy would last far longer with less effort and would undoubtedly win the day. You can only tap for so long. 

In our lives, we try to do things the hard way, often because we think it's the only way. However, when we re-evaluate and take a step back, we can see that there are sometimes much easier and better ways to approach a problem.  

Before Christ, there were many commandments and rules that faithful people needed to follow. With Christ we now have the great commandment: love the Lord with all your heart and all your mind and all your soul, and love your neighbor as yourself. 

My Hope is Built - Marc's Music Notables

Sometimes the grace of God penetrates into unlikely places. Edward Mote’s parents were hostile to religion, but while still a boy Edward became a Christian through the influence of a cabinet maker to whom he was apprenticed. As a man, he became a skilled cabinet maker with a successful business of his own.

Regardless of the claims of his business on his time, Mote always found time to worship God. He was especially interested in Christian music, and one day felt inspired on the way to work to write down a verse that came to his mind. Before the day was finished, he had completed four verses. His new hymn began with the words, “My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.”

Not long thereafter, Mote visited a friend whose wife was ill. It was a Sunday, and the friend mentioned that he and his wife liked to observe Sunday by singing a hymn, reading a scripture, and having prayer together. Mote had a copy of his hymn in his pocket, so they sang it. The friend’s wife was so taken with the hymn that she requested a copy for herself. Encouraged by her interest, Mote had copies printed—and soon found himself the author of a beloved hymn.

At age 55, Mote responded to a call to the ministry. He served out the rest of his life—more than two decades— as the pastor of a Baptist Church in Horsham, Sussex, England.

Mote may have written other hymns during his lifetime, but this is the only one in common use today

1st Chronicles 16:11 - Kayla's Korner

1 Chronicles 16:11 

“Look to the Lord and His strength; seek His face always.” 

The last few months have been hard for me. I felt like Satan was trying to tear me down anyway he could. I had two people decided to drop out of my wedding party. I was in the midst of preparing everything for vacation bible school, then I decided to get sick for a week, and finally we had people quitting left and right at work, which was making my job more difficult. Through all of this I never once turned away from God! If it wasn’t for the strength and rest that I received from Him, I wouldn’t have made it. 

Sometimes we don’t think we need God’s strength. We get in a mindset that we have it all under control and that we will keep it under control. What I think we are really missing is that God is in control! And, with his strength we can continue  His plan for our life. If you are someone like me, who always likes to take control of your life, I challenge you to pray this month for patience, and strength from God to

Creamy Frozen Lime Pie - Cheryl's Favorite Food Memories

Cheryl’s Favorite Food Memories… One of my favorite flavors is lime. As a kid we would have a contest to see who could keep a straight face and not react to the sour.  I never won, but I still love the tart sweet taste of those tiny green fruit.  I especial like key lime pie, but I’ve never been able to duplicate my favorite one from a “Stinky’s” restaurant in Florida.  However, my father-in-love had a freezer “no bake” lime pie he’d make. It is creamy and pretty fabulous, not only is it tasty but it takes hardly any time to prepare. Enjoy! sMILESnBlessings!

Creamy Frozen Lime Pie

Ingredients for 8 Servings

· 1 Prepared 8-inch (6 ounces) graham cracker crust       (I sometimes make my own & use a springform pan.)

· 1 pkg (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened

· 1 1/4 cups (14-ounce can) sweetened condensed milk

· 1 cup evaporated milk

· 1/2 cup (about 3 medium size) lime juice

· 1 tsp grated lime peel

· Lime slices, berries or mint sprigs (optional)

Directions

¨ BEAT cream cheese in mixer bowl until smooth.

¨ Gradually add sweetened condensed & evaporated milks; beat until smooth.

¨ ADD lime juice & peel; beat on medium for 1 minute.

¨ Pour into crust.

¨ Freeze 2 hours or until firm.

¨ Remove from freezer & let it sit at room temp for 10 minutes to ease cutting.

¨ Garnish with lime slices, berries or mint sprigs.

¨ Serve immediately.

Blessed Assurance - Marc's Music Notables

It might seem unlikely that a blind writer of hymns living in a slum and a wealthy woman living in a mansion would have anything in common — but Fanny Crosby, the blind hymn writer, was a humble woman with a number of distinguished friends. Grover Cleveland, who later became President of the United States, met Fanny Crosby as a young man, and they became lifelong friends.

The friend in the mansion was Phoebe Knapp, the daughter of a Methodist evangelist. When she was just sixteen years old, Phoebe married Joseph Fairchild Knapp, a young man who went on to found the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company. The Knapps worshiped at the John Street Methodist Church in lower Manhattan, which is where Fanny Crosby also worshiped — and so a friendship was born. Phoebe, the wealthy matron, often invited Fanny, the blind hymn writer, to her palatial home.

Phoebe enjoyed music, and had a music room furnished with a collection of musical instruments. During one of Fanny’s visits, Phoebe invited her to the music room, where Phoebe sat down at the keyboard and played a tune that she had written. “What does that say,” she asked? Fanny clapped her hands in delight and said, “That says, ‘Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine!'” And so a hymn was born.

During her lifetime, Fanny Crosby wrote eight thousand hymns, many of which became famous — but “Blessed Assurance” just might be the most famous of all.

OTHER HYMNS BY FANNY CROSBY:

All the Way My Savior Leads Me

Jesus Is Tenderly Calling You Home

I Am Thine, O Lord

Pass Me Not, O Gentle Savior

Praise Him, Praise Him

Rescue the Perishing

Tell Me the Story of Jesus

To God Be the Glory

Having Faith - Kayla' Korner

Faith alone, has a big meaning. But, having faith in God is even bigger. I have always adored children, because their faith is so big and great! We as Christians should have a child like faith in God!

“Now without faith it is impossible to please God, since the one who draws near to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.”
Hebrews 11:6 CSB

2020 was a hard year! Some lost faith, some had their faith tested, and some grew their faith. When we start to slip away from our faith in God, it becomes hard to please God because we soon find ourselves living for the world rather than God. We become consumed in money, material, and pleasing people.

I challenge you all to have faith in God! It might be hard right now, but there is a light at the end of the tunnel. I challenge you all to pray daily! Pray when you wake up, before you eat, before you go to sleep.
Blessings Kayla

Epistle to the Ephesians - Reece's Peace's

Epistle to the Ephesians

               We are midway through our sermon series on the Epistle to the Ephesians. We have discussed many of the theological points of the letter in our topics during the previous weeks. We covered family and foreigners, and we will discuss how we are bound together, our peace, and being filled. However, during this break, I wanted to take a moment and discuss some of the overall background of the letter.

The Epistle to the Ephesians is a letter that Paul uses to lay out his basic outline for salvation and the theology of Christ. The first thing of note is how early this letter was written. Like all of Paul's letters, Ephesians was written before any of the gospels. The early Christians who formed the churches like the one in Ephesus could not read about Jesus’s life in the gospel narratives. The only way they had to learn about God was through traveling apostles telling stories and letters that were sent to them like the one Paul wrote to the Ephesians.

               As you read through the letters from Paul, you will find that they are not nearly as easy to understand as the gospels. They were not written in a narrative format. There is no story. While the gospels follow a natural progression, from Jesus’ birth or the start of his ministry to the cross and resurrection, the letters do not. They may start with a theological statement based on the resurrection then move on to a statement about Christ’s place in heaven before Adam and Eve’s creation. They have no problem jumping through time to make their theological point. The reason for this is that the letters are not designed to inform the reader about Jesus’s life, like the gospels, but instead to inform the reader about correct theology. They are not about what Christ did, but instead, they care about what Christ's actions mean.

               The letter to the Ephesians does just that. It makes claims of what Christ means in our lives. It spends a particularly long time talking about the connections we have as a community in light of Christ's sacrifice and resurrection. It explains how in Jesus we can come together as one in a way that we couldn’t without him, and how we can accept one another as Christ accepted us. It is a deep letter with many different turns.

The depth of this letter is why it takes us five weeks to cover the topic “No Longer Strangers.”

               At the end of this month, we will begin another series. The next series will discuss the Epistle of James. The letter from James is a fitting follow up to the Epistle to the Ephesians because of how different it is.  Often James’ theology has been seen as a counter to the theology present in Paul’s letters. Scholars have discussed in detail the differences that these two early Christians may have had. Yet, in all the ways they might seem different they both deal with the same God and the same salvation. Listen to all of our current sermon series and our following sermon series online to learn more about these two letters.

Who wrote the Bible? -Reece's Peace's

Recently I had a friend ask me, “Who wrote the Bible? Jesus made it appear or something, right?”

He didn't have much of a religious background and was having a debate with one of his co-workers. Both of these men were confused because no author was listed on the title page.

I'm sure he thought the answer would be short and succinct, but the answer I gave was not. There is no “author” of the Bible because the Bible is not really one book.

The word “Bible” comes from the Greek word “ta biblia” which means “the books”. The Bible is more like a library than it is a singular book. It is a collection of religious texts that for many years were considered individual works on their own. The Bible as we know it today was the product of editors combining many religious texts together years after the final book of the Bible was written.

It can also be difficult to find out who authored each individual book contained in the Bible. Several books make no mention of who their author is. The first five books of the Bible have been traditionally thought to be authored by Moses: Genesis, Exodus, Deuteronomy, Leviticus, and Numbers. However, nowhere in those books does it say that Moses wrote them and many scholars doubt that he did. This makes it hard to ascribe an author to them.

Likewise, in the New Testament, the Book of Hebrews was traditionally ascribed to Paul. However, the book itself makes no mention of Paul being the author. Additionally, it is written in a completely different style compared to Paul’s other books. This makes finding a true author almost impossible.

The idea that we could put anyone's name or even a complete list of names as the true authors of the Bible is impossible. My friend at this point asked me, “So, is God the author?”

Even that is a bit of a stretch. The Bible is about God and inspired by God, but God doesn’t always direct the written words of the Bible. Occasionally God does dictate words that are written in the Bible. The clearest example of this is the Ten Commandments. They are God’s words told exactly from God’s mouth to Moses to us.

However, in many other places, we are told God’s words in summary through the interpretation of the prophets. An example of this would be in the messages from Isaiah.

Even further removed from the direct word of God, you have writings that are only inspired by God. The books of Psalms and Proverbs are an instance of this time of revelation. The authors of these sections did not hear the word of God but were instead inspired by God’s Spirit.  

God is the driving force for the Bible but, in many cases, God is not the direct author.

In summary, we don't know who many of the people are that authored the books of the Bible and scholars spend a lot of time debating who the authors might be. What we do know is that the Bible itself is the inspired word of God. It is a wonderful book for us as Christians to find meaning in our lives and guidance when we need it. The more you know about the Bible, the more it reveals God’s Spirit.

Hopefully now if a friend asks you who authored the Bible you can give them a much longer answer than they expected too!

Caprese Salad- Cheryl’s Favorite Food Memories…

 I remember walking through my Daddy’s garden and him handing me a tomato fresh off the vine. I would bite into it like an apple. It was the yummiest and messiest snack. Oh so good.  Grandma Grace had this small herb patch that she would send me out to snip fresh herbs for whatever was being cooked that day. I adored the smell of the basil and rosemary. Many years later my father-in-love, Richard, loved to cook and he brought these two memories together. It’s one of the simplest things he ever taught me to make, Caprese salad.  It seemed that two of my favorite childhood memories burst to life when he taught me how this oh-my-goodness-so-easy salad was made. He also created yet another food memory when he introduced me to balsamic vinegar. I am not quite sure how I survive before knowing about this wonderful flavor in my food. I hope you get to enjoy this summer along with me and get an opportunity to take a walk in the garden and enjoy a red ripe tomato.

Caprese Salad (pronounced “cah-preh-zseh”)

Ingredients

3 vine-ripe tomatoes cut into 1/4-inch thick slices (I prefer Roma or Caprini),

1 pound fresh buffalo mozzarella, 1/4-inch thick slices

15- 20 leaves (About 1 bunch) fresh basil

Balsamic Vinegar for drizzling

Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling

Coarse salt and pepper

Assemble your salad.

On a large shallow platter or on individual plates.

Layer alternating slices of tomatoes and mozzarella, adding a basil leaf between each.

Drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil, balsamic and season with salt and pepper, to taste