Rethink Monthly - May/June 2009 by Rethink Monthly

RETHNK MONTHLY

MESSY SPIRITUALITY | Q & A WITH DAN MERCHANT | FRESH START

RETHINKING GOD IN TODAY’S CULTURE. FREE MAY/JUNE 2009

THE CRY OF A GENERATION

PLUS: An inside look from Mike Bickle, Director of the International House of Prayer, on how the prayer movement is changing the face of our generation.

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editorial Just because I fail to put my wallet in its rightful place or because I leave my bag in the middle of our living room floor, doesn’t mean I’m lazy. In fact, my socks belong right where I left them - on the floor next to the chair in my office. I keep telling Melissa that but she doesn’t seem to believe me. Regardless, I stand by my argument: I’m not lazy, I simply forget. Let me digress. Several months ago, when moving into our new place, our new neighbor stopped by to drop off a welcoming gift. Unfortunately, we weren’t home at the time but she was kind enough to leave it at the door. The following day, in my normal hurry, I sat it in our garage, hoping for the chance to plant it in the near future. It was a rose bush. The kind that comes in a plastic bag and has a handful of branches sprouting from the top. You know, the kind that should be planted shortly after its purchase? Or rather, the kind that requires water at least once in its lifetime? Yeah, that kind. Now, it’s imperative that I remind you that I’m not lazy, I simply forget. Like the time I drove a flat bed truck for an equipment rental company I worked for who rented equipment to contractors, it wasn’t laziness that caused the truck’s boom arm to stay extended up to the sky only to rip down two electric poles, it was forgetfulness. And forgetfulness was the root cause as to why I didn’t get around to planting that beautiful rose bush our neighbor bought us.

So as you can imagine, weeks passed and it sat there. Months passed and it sat longer. In fact, it sat there up until a few weeks ago when I went in search for the occasionally used yet invaluable tool in the garage: the plunger. Now, just because my garage isn’t as tidy as it could be, doesn’t make me lazy. The unorganized look is what I’m going for - or at least that’s what I keep telling Melissa. She doesn’t seem to believe me. Nevertheless, the story must go on. In my desperate search for that invaluable tool, I came to what I call “The Corner.” You know what I’m talking about right? The dark, mysterious corner in every man’s garage where things just seem to congregate - the same place you store those nearly empty cans of paint you want to get rid of but for some reason you keep them forever. And it’s the same spot you hide those important thingamajigs that, if put anywhere else, your wife would “accidently” throw away. That’s where I found it. Tucked into the dark corner, sitting next to the plunger was the rose bush that had long escaped my memory. Except this time its contents had noticeably changed. The stubby little rose bush that we were given had started blossoming right there in the corner of our garage, still in its original packaging. I wasn’t sure if its growth was attributed to the fact that it sat for months next to the family plunger or if people were sneaking into my garage in the middle of the night, secretly spraying it with some miracle rose-growing chemical. Either way, this rose bush had experienced a radical transformation and I was pleased with the outcome.

by Bo and Melissa Lane After seeing what that rose bush looked like in the beginning and then, despite its lack of water and sunlight, seeing how it started growing into a beautiful plant, really got me thinking. Especially about all the times I’ve been through dark and dry seasons in my own life – or how Melissa and I have seen those moments of emptiness or lack of water being poured into in our marriage or ministry. That little rose bush caused me to rethink the way God works in certain areas and times in our lives. How, despite the heaviness of going through dark times, situations or even hurts, we can grow... And not only can we grow, we can flourish and bloom into something more beautiful than we were in the beginning. So, maybe it’s in those times we should start asking more questions; start asking how we can grow or how we can be pruned. Maybe God is faithful enough to meet us where we’re at, even if it’s not in the place we need to be. And maybe, just maybe, for some of us it’s time to get out of the darkness where we hide, push the smelly plunger out of the way, and show the rest of the world how we’ve been transformed. The next day our neighbor, Sharon, was outside planting flowers of her own. I asked if she would like to plant the bush she gave us in our yard – since I’m not quite the green thumb. She gladly accepted. Now, every time I walk out my front door, I’m greeted by what I call my “Rose of Sharon.” I was going to add something else to the end of this article ... but I forgot.

Bo & Melissa Lane have two beautiful kids, Benjamin and Bella Lane. Besides having the privilege of printing this wonderful magazine, they enjoy long walks on the beach, listening to Hillsong United, and will pay virtually any amount for a quality babysitter. Holla at us: boandmel@rethinkmonthly.com

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rethink monthly MAGAZINE MAY / JUNE 2009 - ISSUE 7 EDITORS/PUBLISHERS > Bo Lane > bo@rethinkmonthly.com Melissa Lane > melissa@rethinkmonthly.com MANAGING EDITOR > Shawnee Randolph > shawnee@rethinkmonthly.com SALES MANAGER > LeAnn Lane > leann@rethinkmonthly.com ART DIRECTOR > Vin Thomas > vin@rethinkmonthly.com

CONTENTS MAY/JUNE 2009

CREDITS > Cover image by Shelley Paulson. All images are property of their perspective owners and have been used by permission. We’d like to specifically thank Connie Andresen for her dictation, editing and editorial advice, as well as Elizabeth Marek who designed last month’s Homeless Community Connect insert. Thank you!

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS > Dwayne Hilty, Duan Walker, Jeff Goins, John Fehlen, Jim Moore, Jacob Ray, Joseph Fehlen, SJ Hill, Erinn Streckfuss, Rachel Brown. RETHINK MONTHLY > © 2009 Rethink, Inc. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in any renewal retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher. RETHINK Monthly® is a registered trademark of Rethink, Inc and published monthly. RETHINK Monthly® accepts no responsibility for unsolicited articles, reviews, features, graphics, or otherwise. The publisher reserves the rights to edit, rewrite, or refuse editorial material and assumes no responsibility for errors, omissions, or accuracy. RETHINK Monthly® cannot accept responsibility for claims made by its advertisers. Advertisers who place ads in RETHINK Monthly® do so with the understanding that RETHINK Monthly® will not accept responsibility for claims made by such in their ads, nor will the publisher be held financially accountable for errors in advertising (regardless of fault), beyond the partial or full cost of the ad themselves. Opinions expressed in RETHINK Monthly® are those of the writers and do not necessarily reflect the views of the management, staff, advertisers or publisher. RETHINK Monthly® is a free publication and can be picked up locally within Salem, Keizer and the mid-Willamette valley. REACH US > RETHINK, Inc PO Box 17316 // Salem, OR 97305 Phone: 503-856-4430 // Fax: 503-394-7121 www.rethinkmonthly.com www.rethinkpodcast.com After you’ve read every single word of this magazine and have shared it with all your friends and family, please consider recycling it - or add it to your collection of Rethink Monthly magazines and save it forever.

Rethink Monthly Magazine is proudly printed locally at Western Oregon Web Press in Albany, Oregon. Find out more about them at www.oregonwebpress.com.

messy spirituality The first time I donned my green apron as a new barista, things moved quickly. Espresso shots descended faster than cups to pour them in, and drinks that were so easy to enjoy on one side of the counter seemed to suddenly morph into complex mathematical equations on the other side. But pouring espresso shots seemed elementary compared to the most daunting of challenges: language. Never before had I given so much thought to what constituted a tall, grande, venti, or worse yet, the mysterious “short.” It wasn’t enough to say that someone wanted an Americano with white mocha syrup, an extra shot, and some steamed 2% milk. Rather, it had to be called out as a “quad grande white mocha steamed 2% Americano.” It took a while, but I learned that being a barista involved adapting to a new language and culture. Not just occasionally visiting, but actually becoming the culture in a way that made the actions and choices almost secondary. But despite the hard work of learning, I persevered. I’d spent a few years learning Greek and Hebrew. Why not barista? Little was I to know that being a barista in the community in which God was calling me and my wife to start a new church was to be my first class in missiology (the idea that Gospel becomes indigenous within a local culture). You see, language and culture run deep. Deeper than we are able to put into words. Language and culture aren’t things that you simply read about in a book or dabble in for a couple of weeks. They represent the ways in which you choose to do life. Your belief system. Your philosophical outlook on who you are and the world you live in. They determine the decisions that you make each and every day. And all too often, they happen without us being aware of them. And that’s why it becomes so troubling to conceive of a God who simultaneously is anything but human and, yet, chooses to contextualize himself in such a scandalous way as to be both human and divine. He takes up residence among us, his creation. Eats food. Listens to music. Wears sandals. Walks

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along the same road that everyone else does. And to be honest, if it were me, I would have most assuredly done things differently. Don’t get me wrong; entering the world in humble circumstances is all well and good, but he’s the creator of the universe. Why not throw a little flair into things. Maybe enter on a flaming chariot that says Easy Rider on the side. Guess that would be too easy. I had the opportunity to catch some coffee with a pastor much older and wiser than I. He has been at the same church for over 20 years and leads a faith community that has spearheaded new church plants in the past 3 years. We talked about the differences between our two cultures: him being from Arkansas and me from Oregon. We talked about what it means to be Jesus to people on a daily basis. Part way through our conversation he paused, and striking the pose of an ancient sage, he made one of those wise comments that only comes from years of tested experience, “You know Dwayne, for the past few years we have been describing church planting as a way of starting a church and reaching out to our surrounding culture. But you guys aren’t doing that. You are raising up a church with your surrounding culture.” Quite frankly, I think the first option would be a whole lot easier. In fact, it would be downright cleaner. Incarnation gets messy real quick. It’s much more sanitary to live within the confines of a Christian bubble and create artificial barriers that will prevent germs from spreading. We don’t like to say this, but we do it. Perhaps we buy interesting Christian trinkets, talk about the latest Christian bands, or just end up socializing with, you guessed it, Christian friends. All done in a concerted effort to make life within the bubble more comfortable and guarded from the world. Sprinkle in some pithy, insider Christian lingo that is sure to keep outsiders out and we effectively inoculate ourselves within a bigger, more secure bubble. And all the while, in our attempts to keep life safe and secure, we succumb to nothing more than a Christian subculture that prevents mess from entering in. Or worse yet, from good news from ever going out.

by Dwayne Hilty

Somewhere along the way we took up a mantle of defense, guarding ourselves from the onslaught of what was perceived as a detestable culture. But ironically, it is now that same culture that feels as though it is defending itself from us. Maybe it was when we assumed that the “church” existed in a position of power and prominence, as though our role were to command moral solidarity with short-sided behavioral adjustments, such as no drinking, smoking, or dancing. Perhaps it was when Christ followers stopped listening to the world around us, in effect communicating disdain and blatant hatred. Or possibly it was when our self-understanding withered and we assumed a defensive, fearful posture. And maybe, just maybe, we made our own bed of distrust when we effectively pushed the mess to the margins. Nonetheless, we ended up choosing the easy way. But what if Christ followers changed things up a bit? Took a different posture. Became listeners again. And here’s a wild one: spent more time with our surrounding culture listening to the rhythms and values that make people tick. Perhaps even popping the mythic bubble so that, God forbid, we might actually rub off on the world around us. Not as people who are better or even more valuable in the eyes of God, but as followers of this Jesus who genuinely care about the world around us. To be Christians, literally “little Christs” in a world that isn’t even sure of what it believes and, yet, is hungry for something. To be humble and respectful in a way that gives power and privilege away rather than hording it for ourselves. To wear a green barista apron, if you will, and take the time to speak a new language. Dwayne Hilty is the lead pastor at Soma: A Church of the Christ located in the Edgewater District of West Salem. Dwayne is married to Julie, has 2 energetic boys (Riley and Logan), and loves to be involved in his local community through the Polk County Service Integration Team, West Salem Neighborhood Association, the West Salem Urban Redevelopment Advisory Board. Dwayne insists that life would be made better if everyone grew a coffee plant in their backyard.

Seven Candles is the first book in a three part series: The Reclaiming of Haven, written by Melissa and Emily Boverhof

Spiritual Discernment As Christian Leadership a national pastoral leadership conference

May 31–June 3, 2009

& THE CLASSIC CRIME in Eugene

Sponsored by The George Fox University Congregational Discernment Project

FRIDAY MAY 29 INDIGO DISTRICT 1290 OAK ST · EUGENE, OR · 7:00PM DOORS · ALL AGES

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Paul Anderson

Ruth Haley Barton

Peter Bouteneff

Registration and information: georgefox.edu/discernment

Leith Anderson

be anxious We are experiencing an economic crisis. Jobs are being lost. Making ends meet is difficult. We are in the midst of a war. Conflict grows in our relationships, which causes fracture or the end of those relationships. Health problems consume our time, energy, and resources. Addictions control our lives. Everywhere you turn, there are reasons to be worried. The message being communicated again and again is “be anxious about everything.” To be fair, all those things listed above are significant. None can be solved by a snap of our fingers, though we often wish they could. So, how do we respond in the midst of so many reasons to be anxious? As we explore anxiety, I want to acknowledge that it is a complex topic. This article can only hope to scratch the surface. I share the following thoughts not to be a quick fix but to be a start, continuation, or affirmation of a process in your life. For as long as I can remember, my mind has easily slipped into obsessively anxious patterns. An example of my internal dialog would have gone something like this: The economy is not going well and no matter what action is taken, it’s just getting worse. People are cutting back, causing companies to cut back. I could lose my job. If I lose my job, how will I be able to pay my bills? If I can’t pay my bills, I can’t pay rent. If I can’t pay rent, I’ll get evicted. Then where will I live? The economy is bad – I’m about to be homeless. That was the way my brain processed information. I thought everyone’s brain worked that way. Then one day, I shared my thought processes with someone else. Their response: “Wow – that seems exhausting.” And indeed it was. The conversation that followed began a process of movement away from constant anxiety in my life. In that process, I have learned a few things, and I want to share a piece of what I have learned, specifically about fear. Anxiety can be caused or fed by fear. I was fearful of many things. When trying to function in a world that has many unknowns, fear can become overwhelming. We ask, “What if?” or “What about?” We may try to protect ourselves by creating predictable routines or avoiding things that are uncertain. Don’t climb a ladder, and you won’t fall off it. Don’t drive in a bad neighborhood, and you won’t get carjacked. That method can work for a short time, but ultimately a new fear will emerge or something will interrupt our routine. And we find ourselves back in the same place of fear.

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Fear can even feed upon fear to the point that we forget what we were originally fearful about, and we are just consumed with a constant and abiding fear – a constant and abiding fear. That doesn’t sound very appealing does it? And I don’t think it is what God desires for us either. He wants to be a constant and abiding presence in our lives – a presence that can dislodge that fear. The first three verses of Psalm 27 remind me God is ever-present and my protector in the midst of fearful situations: The LORD is my light and my salvation – whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life – of whom shall I be afraid? When evil men advance against me to devour my flesh, when my enemies and my foes attack me, they will stumble and fall. Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear; though war break out against me, even then will I be confident. Psalm 27:1-3 TLB Those are strong words and a strong encouragement, but take a closer look. There is a progression in this description, just as there is often a progression in our fears. The passage begins speaking personally and internally; of salvation and of being a personal stronghold. But verse 2 begins, “When evil men advance.” The world has many evil people in it – people who do not have any personal animosity toward you or me but do evil things. But the passage does not stop there: “When my enemies attack.” This is personal. To be someone’s enemy, the person has to know you. You must have done something they perceived as being personally against them (rightfully or not). We have moved from the impersonal evildoer to a more personal enemy, but again, the passage continues. “Though an army besiege me.” This is serious. Now that enemy has recruited 100 of their closest friends, and they are coming against you. The personal vendetta has become huge, but there is more. “Though war break out.” Now it is not just one army but multiple armies. An entire force (a war) is coming to your doorstep. But what perspective is stated in this place and all the way along? “Whom shall I fear? . . . of whom shall I be afraid? . . . [my enemies] will stumble and fall . . . my heart will not fear . . . I will be confident [in the LORD].” From our standing before God (saved and forgiven), to an entire war breaking out against us, no matter the situation, God is bigger. Does that mean that God is going to remove all the challenges in our lives and nation so that we will no longer experience anxiety? No. Even if He did, we would come

by Duan Walker up with new things to be anxious about. Instead He invites us into intimacy with Him in the midst of those anxious times. He calls us to abide with Him. This is reflected in an often-quoted passage: Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7 TLB Another Bible version starts with similar force: “Be anxious for nothing” – not be anxious about some things or be anxious about the really important things but, “Be anxious for nothing.” Unfortunately, we may get stuck there or stop there. “Okay, I’m not supposed to be anxious . . . I need to stop that . . . I have no idea how to stop that. Now I’m anxious about being anxious.” Focusing on that bit of Philippians 4:6 alone, does not get the full picture of abiding. “Pray about everything.” What does it look like to abide with God? Pray about everything! When you are starting to worry about the economy, talk to Him. “God, I’m worried about the future. I don’t know what’s going on. If there’s something I need to do, please reveal that to me. It’s hard for me to trust You – to trust You have it all figured out – to trust You’re going to take care of me. Help me trust You more.” The more we talk to God in our comings and goings, in our sleepless nights and stressed out days, the more we will be abiding in Him – pressing into that relationship with Him. And the situations may not change and may not get easier, but what changes is us. Our response changes in the midst of those situations. “Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand.” We can replace our constant and abiding fear with a constant and abiding peace. Isn’t that a more appealing prospect? Duan Walker is the Executive Director of Mid-Valley Fellowship (www.midvalleyfellowship.org), a local Christian organization that presents a message of freedom from homosexual desire and behavior. They offer support to individuals, churches, and those facing the reality of a homosexual loved one. Duan lives in Albany and enjoys the smaller town environment and spending time with friends.

Isolated ~ Fearful ~ Confused For those with unwanted homosexual desires, who are also trying to pursue after God, these feelings have a distinct and significant presence. For pastors and ministry leaders, knowing how to support these individuals is equally difficult.

We’re Here to Help

Mid-Valley Fellowship is a local Christian organization that presents a message of freedom from homosexual desire and behavior. We offer support to individuals, churches, and those facing the reality of a homosexual friend or family member.

All communication with Mid-Valley Fellowship is confidential. 541.928.2164 y www.midvalleyfellowship.org y support@midvalleyfellowship.org

HURTS HABITS HANGUPS Celebrate Recovery

“Recovery” isn’t just about alcohol and drugs. Celebrate recovery is for all types of struggles. These may include: food disorders, ﬁnancial issues, gambling, sexual addictions, depression, divorce, self-esteem, codependency, grief, anger, abuse, smoking, etc.

Is there a stumbling block in your life that is hindering your relationship with God and others? You don’t have to walk the path alone. You can be free from your hurts, habits, and hang-ups.

Welcome to an amazing spiritual adventure.

Bud Austin // Ministry Director

Salem First Church of the Nazarene 1550 Market St NE Salem, OR 97301 503-581-3680 // www.oasiswestsalem.com

Every Sunday Night

5pm // Dinner: pizza, chicken, or BBQ. All at a modest price. 6pm // Large Group. Join the Celebration! 7pm // Small Groups. Safe support groups. 8pm // Solid Rock Café. Most selections are free.

our daily bread I once was eating lunch in downtown Nashville with a friend. We met at an ice cream shop, but relocated to the Cheese Steak Factory (not to be confused with the just-as-delicious Cheesecake Factory) for toasted sandwiches. During our meal, my friend told me about his mission trip to Tanzania, and I mentioned some of the work that I do with missionaries. We talked about Jesus, about how God was challenging us to care for the poor, and how we wanted to serve Christ wholeheartedly for the rest of our lives. What was ironic about the whole conversation was that Jesus was sitting beside us at an adjacent table. That day, it was particularly hot in middle Tennessee. For the most part, the summers are bearable in this city, but there are a couple weeks that are really scorching, and during that time, there are at least a few days where if you step outside for more than ten minutes you’re certain to melt. It was one of those days. In the midst of our lunch conversation, in walked a man in his mid-forties. He was drenched in sweat, and the only reason we noticed him was because of the stench that wafted past us as he searched for a place to sit. He didn’t order any food, only a glass of ice water. The cook glared at him, and a few minutes later the manager came out to talk to him. Apparently, the two knew each other, because the manager told the vagrant that he could only hang out here for a few minutes, if he wasn’t going to buy anything. Yes, he understood how hot it was out there, but this is a business, you know?

As our conversation was wrapping up, this bedraggled-looking man kept catching the corner of my eye. I’m not sure exactly why, but I think it was the conviction that talking about Jesus and not doing the things that Jesus said just don’t go together for me any more. I know that it was just some guy sitting at a table beside me, and the conversation I was having with my friend was, indeed, edifying, but I couldn’t shake this thought: We love because he first loved us. If anyone says, “I love God,” yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother. (1 John 4:19-21) My friend and I said a prayer, I bade him farewell, and then walked over to the homeless man at the table. “Hey,” I said. He looked up at me and greeted me politely. “I’m Jeff,” I said, extending my hand. He shook it and muttered back his own name: “Eli.” “Nice to meet you, Eli. Hey, are you hungry?” His eyes lit up, and he said he was. I suggested a sandwich from the menu, and he eagerly consented to it. I went to the counter for the second time to order some food. The cook gave me a curious look but rang up my second sandwich of the hour. Eli and I visited for a few minutes, waiting for his food to be made. He told me that he was a musician; he came to Nashville to “make it big,” but that never happened. He ran out of money, started staying on the streets, and just never left. He still sometimes plays in bars to earn extra cash and sings karaoke for fun when they let him. He told me all the best music venues that you never knew about in the city. “Order up!” shouted the cook. I grabbed the sandwich, chips, and bottled water, thanking him. The manager eyed me, came out and said, “That’s a real nice thing you did for him.” I nodded, feeling a little uncomfortable. I brought the food back to Eli, and we talked

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by Jeff Goins while he scarfed down his lunch. He shared a few chips with me and I sipped my own water, listening to him tell me about his life. At the end of the conversation, I offered to pray for this new friend of mine. Eli agreed to it, and afterwards said, “You know... I’ve never broken bread like this before with someone else.” I chuckled, not sure if he was just saying something religious-sounding to appeal to me or if he really meant it. I pondered it for a moment and then admitted: “You know, I don’t think I have either.” I had a friend once tell me how the homeless taught him the true meaning of “Give us this day our daily bread...” To truly depend on the mercy of God for where your next meal will come from is a level of humility that most of us haven’t dealt with on a regular occasion. And yet, Jesus’ rag-tag group of followers understand the meaning of this. They had left their jobs, their homes, their families; all sense of security was thrown out the window, because of this rabbi who told them to lay down their lives, pick up their crosses, and follow him. Praying for our daily bread is more than just saying a half-hearted “thanks” at the dinner table; it is completely leaning on your Creator to alleviate that hunger pang in your stomach. But perhaps even more than that, it’s breaking bread with the most unlikely dinner guests; maybe as the Body of Christ (who was the “bread who came down from heaven”) we can feed a world that is dying of hunger, poverty, and loneliness. Jeff Goins is the director of marketing for Adventures In Missions (www.adventures.org) and editor-inchief of Wrecked for the Ordinary. You can find this and other articles at www.wrecked.org.

a place of restoration sundays • 10:30am • west salem high school www.oasiswestsalem.com

You’re not alone in the storms of Life

Wendy Bruton, MA Karen VanDerWerff, MA Individual and Couples counseling

Oak Springs counseling & evaluation

“Offering hope and understanding”

503-363-0048

Salem, Oregon www.oakspringscounseling.com

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THE CRY OF A GENERATION

Across the world, college-aged and twentysomethings are devouring pop spirituality and buzzing with obsession over the supernatural. We are “spiritual, not religious” as the popularity of movies such as The Matrix Reloaded and Lord of the Rings provide evidence of our curiosity with regard to otherworldly phenomena. We long to be a part of something bigger and better than this seemingly small and empty world. Today's young adults are seeking God, even if we don't realize it. It’s imbedded into each brain and imprinted in every soul. Many of us have rejected the organized Church because it has, in many cases, rejected us. We don't want the religion of our parents, a Christianity grounded in philosophical modernism, which emphasizes intellectual proofs and apologetics over experience. We don't want to listen to people who can quote Scripture and talk like Christians but who won't love and accept us. We refuse to pay attention to people who have been going to church all their lives with no result. We know there is more out there, we just don't know where to get it. We are the first generation to have been raised in the age of computers and technology, where it seems nothing in the world expects or requires much of us. Computer games, television and movies are fast replacing bike riding and basketball, and with each new technological advancement, greater efficiency means less human involvement and responsibility. We've been taught to be passive and oblivious, to sit back and watch life go by, and to a degree, the Church has treated us no differently. Church leaders program entertainment, incorporating drama, contemporary Christian music and games. These are meant to keep us interested and attentive, and often the message takes a backseat to the method. But we don’t want more entertainment. We are desperate to belong to something worthwhile, to make a difference in an apathetic world, to experience the God we were made to love and serve. Jesus is not just another consumer item; He is everything we've been seeking. Some ministries are doing it right. Prayer move-

ments such as 24-7 Prayer and The Call have been hugely successful in mobilizing young people to pray for their peers and for their world. The Call DC in September 2000 gathered 400,000 youth for intense prayer and intercession in Washington, D.C. Following events over the past two years went to cities including Boston, New York, Dallas, Los Angeles and San Francisco. The songs of young adult British worship leader Matt Redman are being sung in churches across the world. A ministry called Passion has had a big impact, hosting huge conferences for college students and putting out CDs featuring twentysomething worship leaders like Charlie Hall and David Crowder. Youth With A Mission (YWAM) currently has more than 15,000 missionary workers in 135 nations. Worldwide, an awakening has begun among twentysomethings. These movements have been beneficial because they are beginning to address the needs of today's crowd. However, there is inherent potential danger in a ministry that is entirely focused on college-aged and twentysomethings. Although these movements have had success, they will flame out without the support of the older generation. The insight, wisdom and support they provide are invaluable. Just like a family unit, church communities and ministries need all different ages in its demographic to fill the many and multi-faceted needs of growth. We need older adults who love and seek God, people who can take us under their wings and say like Paul did, "Imitate me as I imitate Christ" (1 Corinthians 11:1). Any movement that does not seek the renewal of the entire Church is missing the mark. God does not want to throw away the existing Church and start a new one with a new generation; He wants to restore and heal what was broken, to "turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers" (Malachi 4:6). We have problems, to be sure, but we are looking for God. Eventually young adults will come to the Church expecting it to deliver on its promises of helping to develop a relationship with that God, and when it happens, I hope we will find Him, and an accepting community, there.

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UNDERSTANDING THE JEALOUS LOVE OF GOD | by SJ HILL

Have you ever wondered about the apparent contradiction between the “vengeful” God of the Old Testament and the gracious, loving Lord of the New Testament? Have you struggled to reconcile God’s holy anger with His boundless love? These are issues that many have wrestled with for ages. God’s “judgments” have often been misunderstood and viewed as being contrary to His sacrificial, loving character revealed through Christ. What many have failed to realize is that God has always burned with pure passion for the undivided love and devotion of His people. As the Hero and Husband in the love story called the Bible, the Lord has always been jealous for the affections of His bride. God created man for intimacy with Himself. He later chose a nation and entered into a covenant of marriage with her. He told her she was the apple of His eye and pledged to be everything to her. But that wasn’t good enough for Israel. Some time after the honeymoon, God’s beloved began to let her eyes wander. She found herself attracted to the gods of the surrounding nations and became titillated by the lure of pagan worship. Israel didn’t want to be tied down to her Husband. For her, monogamy had bred monotony. She believed she was missing out on the excitement and pleasure of having other lovers, so she went after the false gods shamelessly. Even though the Lord had wooed and pursued her, it wasn’t enough—and she broke His heart! This was never more vividly portrayed than in the book of Hosea. To graphically illustrate to His adulterous wife the pure pain and anger He felt, God instructed His prophet, Hosea, to marry a harlot named Gomer. Their marriage would be a prophetic picture of Yahweh’s relationship to Israel—acted out in a way they could not ignore. As a friend of the Bridegroom, Hosea would be more than a mere messenger or spokesman. Like the prophets before him, he would be guided by an intense, intimate concern for God’s concerns—called upon to feel what the Lord was feeling. Because Hosea would experience in the depths of his being both God’s love for and anger towards His bride, he needed to know what it would be like to be married to an unfaithful wife. So Hosea chose Gomer as his wife, and they began a family together. I honestly believe that, over time, Hosea came to truly love Gomer—this was the only way he could deeply identify with God and His feelings for Israel. One day, Hosea made the heart-sickening discovery that his wife had been unfaithful to him and had given herself to other lovers. Gomer eventually left her husband—and Hosea felt the sting of betrayal in a way he’d never experienced before.

Justifably Jealous

While the Scriptures are full of references regarding God’s love, mercy, and kindness, it’s eye-opening to discover how much they also have to say about His jealousy: “Do not worship any other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God” (Exodus 34:14). “For the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God” (Deut. 4:24). “They angered Him with their high places; they aroused His jealousy with their idols” (Psalm 78:58). But exactly what does the Bible mean when it speaks of God’s “jealousy?” How can He be the epitome of love and be jealous at the same time? To say that the Lord is jealous most certainly does not mean He’s suspicious because of some insecurity on His part. Ungodly jealousy is different; it’s the by-product of wanting to control and possess what doesn’t belong to us. It’s always demanding and actually cares very little

about the alleged object of its love. In contrast, holy jealousy is at the very core of who God is. Within the depths of His being burns an inextinguishable fire of love called jealousy. It’s a blazing passion to protect a love relationship that is eternally precious to Him and to defend it when it’s broken. Divine jealousy is that unbridled energy in God which stirs Him to take aggressive action against whomever or whatever stands in the way of His enjoyment of those He loves and desires. This has always been the real motivation behind His judgments. The severity of God’s anger is in direct proportion to the depths of His love for those who belong to Him. His anger is never irrational or unpredictable. Scripture reveals that His love for Israel was the source of His wrath. It was because He infinitely cared for His bride that He burned with holy anger against her. God manifested His wrath against Israel’s sin to bring her to a place of repentance. Beyond divine justice and anger was the mystery of His mercy and compassion. God’s anger and mercy are never opposites of each other; in fact, they are actually related. This is why the prophet Habakkuk prayed: “in wrath, remember mercy” (Habakkuk 3:2). The message of God’s anger included a call to His adulterous wife to return to Him and be saved. His call of anger was actually a call to cancel anger. It wasn’t an irrational, selfish power-trip, but rather a deliberate response to deal with the evil that was holding His bride in chains. The Word of God clearly demonstrates that anger is not an emotion in which the Lord delights (Lamentations 3:33; Jeremiah 44:7-8). In fact, His anger is a secondary emotion and never the ruling passion of His heart. His anger, instead, is a tragic necessity. God’s judgments were an expression of His deep, passionate concern for His backslidden bride. It was a compassion that transcended the most intense, holy anger; it was a love that remained steadfast in the face of human sin and weakness. And this is the splendor of God’s love that was revealed through the prophets. Again, this is beautifully illustrated for us in the book of Hosea. We discover that God instructed His friend to take Gomer back, regardless of the cost. The reason the Lord expected that of Hosea was due to the fact that He was planning to do the same thing with His wayward wife. He would pay the ultimate price to redeem her.

Jesus The Jealous Lover

Jesus is also jealous for our wholehearted love and devotion. This is graphically depicted in James 4:4-5. It appears from verse 4 that some within the early Church had become intimately friendly with the lifestyles of the world. To put it in James’ words, God’s people were committing spiritual adultery. James appealed to them to renounce their adultery and return to the Lord: You are like an unfaithful wife who loves her husband’s enemies. Don’t you realize that making friends with God’s enemies—the evil pleasures of this world—makes you an enemy of God? I say it again, that if your aim is to enjoy the evil pleasure of the unsaved world, you cannot also be a friend of God. Or what do you think the Scripture means when it says that the Holy Spirit, whom God has placed with us, watches over us with tender jealousy? (The Living Bible). James is emphatically telling us that the Lord will not tolerate any rivals who try to steal our affections. The fire of His love will consume everything that tries to threaten our relationship with Him. This is why it’s imperative we understand that “conviction” is really a manifestation of His burning jealousy for us, as He continually warns us of things that would seduce our hearts away from Him and destroy our lives. The Lord longs for our love and loyalty to such a degree that He will stop at nothing to keep us for Himself.

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A winner of five awards, four of them NATAS (National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences) Emmy awards for outstanding writing, Merchant recently optioned the screenplay “You Make Me Sick”, a comedy, has just completed the script “Three Sunrises”, and is now working on a companion book to “Lord, Save Us From Your Followers.” Merchant has been married for 22 years and now resides in Lake Oswego, Ore. with his wife and 2 kids. He enjoys the music of The Beatles, The Clash, and The Who and TV shows such as The Office and Saturday Night Live.

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I wrote the book between the second and third edits of the movie. A lot of people have read the book first and you get to know the people a lot better in the book. It covered what wasn’t being told in the movie. The book was really a desire to prove that those kinds of conversation are possible and there is much more in there than the documentary. We just talked. My desire was sincere. I wanted to know what these guys thought. I didn’t see it as an opportunity to tell them what I thought. I wanted to know what they thought, and was actually willing to listen to them. I was prepared to get yelled at and the fact that I didn’t is proof that grace works. You talk about America becoming too comfortable with themselves and one-way communication.

Q. A.

Do you keep in touch with many of the people you interviewed?

Not many, except for Sister Mary Timothy, a drag queen “nun,” who I stay in touch with the most. I ran into quite a few people at the Gay Pride Festival and a couple of them came to the movie that played at the Hollywood Theatre.

by Erinn Streckfuss

Merchant graduated from Pacific Lutheran University, located in Tacoma, Wash. in 1986. His greatest work, “Lord, Save Us From Your Followers” began as a documentary in which he spent over 100 hours of filming, interviewing, and crossing the country and back. The successful movie turned into a book, also written by Merchant, which serves as a more detailed version of the interviews and insights in the movie.

Q. A.

What is the difference between the book and the documentary?

with Dan Merchant

Q&A 44-year-old Dan Merchant, a native of Portland, Ore., has been in the film industry for over 20 years. He has written and produced many TV shows and segments, including Soccer Moms (pilot episode), Bill Nye the Science Guy (pilot episode), and Strange Frequency, among many others. His first book was “The Great American Stay-At-Home-Wives Conspiracy”, an entertaining and witty novel about the lives of wives and the husbands they control.

Q. A.

Any strange experiences you had during the making of the film?

The very last guy we interviewed said, “Is that it? Do you think that matters?” He just came in to have a fight. Certain people challenged us with questions. They wanted to know why they were being persecuted by Christians. One woman asked, “Do you think you’re better qualified to apologize than I am?” And I said, “Uh no.” Three or four people had more of a confrontational nature to what they were saying. Most everyone has been around a church. A couple of gay Christians. Sometimes I didn’t know what I was getting myself into, but no one really was too aggressive.

Q. A.

Nice bumper stickers by the way. Do you have a favorite?

Thanks. I don’t know why I thought it was the funniest one, but it’s the one that says “Sorry I missed church, I was busy practicing witchcraft and becoming a lesbian.” I just thought that was so funny. It’s such a stick in the eye. Also, on point, “God wants spiritual fruit, not religious nuts.” I thought that one was fairly appropriate for the times we live in.

Q. A.

Were there any of them that you hated having to wear?

None really, because the whole exercise was totally open. Every sticker on the suit is competing against each other. The point is, it doesn’t matter what I think, I want to know what you think. Honestly, desperate times require desperate measures.

Q. A.

What was the response to the bumper stickers?

What would happen, is people would come up and their eye might go to one they agreed with and they would go, “Yeah alright.” And then there eye would go over here and they would see one that they didn’t and you could see them short circuit and the wheels begin to turn. They would say, “What is this? What are you doing?” They would start talking and I would say, “I just want to have a conversation and ask you five questions.” Then we would talk for 20 minutes about all kinds of stuff. It was amazing that if the conversation was there we could have it.

Q. A.

You interview a great deal of people including Christians, Catholics, Atheists, and Buddhists. Was there a common theme that stringed all of these people together?

The thing that all these people had in common was that I wanted to know what

they thought and believed. I wanted to know what they thought and they trusted me that I wasn’t setting them up and so they opened up. It’s the difference between a sound bite and a conversation. There is so much illumination in a conversation. Sometimes when they said something I thought, “That’s a little out there.” But then I would think, “How did they get there?” I learned a lot about myself and how to share what’s important with me to them.

Q. A.

This film must have opened up other doors of conversation. Any cool stories that happened since making the film?

I screened the film at Yale Divinity School. I went down to the bar in the hotel we were staying at later that night to get something to eat and drink. I got some cake and then I asked the barmaid what I should have drink with the cake. I was going to have a whiskey, but she suggested milk. So I took the milk and she started asking me questions about why I was here. I began to tell her about the movie, but I didn’t get too detailed. So we kept talking and she eventually sits down next to me. We began talking about grace and she had no idea what I was talking about. She said, “Grace? That’s what you say before you eat.” I told her it was the same word, but explained that it had a different meaning. She shared that she hadn’t been to church since she was a kid and so I couldn’t really use the Bible to fall back on because she didn’t read that. I was trying to figure out how to explain myself. So finally, I said, “Have you seen Forrest Gump?” And she said she had. I asked her, “Remember how Jenny did awful things to Forrest and he kept taking her back. He takes her back even after she has AIDS and is about to die and marries her.” I told her that is what God is like, that is what grace is. You can always come home. I thought it was great that Forrest Gump was the common language we could find. You have to find where you can connect with me.

Q. A.

Can you give any words of advice on how to get rid of the stigma of being self-righteous Christians and how to simply go out and love people?

Show me, don’t tell me. Get out there and do something where people will look at you from 100 yards away and would know that you are doing something good for someone else and you’re not benefiting from it at all. I would also say that if the only people you are friends with are Christians, loosen it up a little bit. You are going to learn a lot about yourself from other people, even non-Christians. Don’t be scared that other people are going to rub off their “heathen” on you. If you really understand what you believe, you’re eyes can be so opened to Christ’s love for others.

Fresh Start Market & Coffee Shop is the “evolution of the programs that already existed at the time,” said Faye Fagel, Director of the Marion County Juvenile Department. Since its creation, hundreds of youth have passed through, receiving hands-on training as baristas, gardeners, mechanics, and construction workers. “[The place] showcases the changes in kids,” said Fagel. It allows you to see juveniles differently, not just as criminals, she added. So far, the coffee shop—“the face for the juvenile department,” said Sybrandt—has met with sweet success. With a recidivism rate of 37 percent—a “pretty good” figure according to Fagel—the center has imparted relevant job skills to teenagers that are, for the most part, untrained. It has done so while still upholding accountability for one’s actions.

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Still, the coffee shop sits at a disadvantage. As a business with charitable aims, it must reach kids while toeing the bottom line.

“We need to make enough money to pay kids for their work so they can pay off restitution,” said Fagel. So far, Fresh Start is relatively unknown outside its immediate community. Surprisingly, the store experienced a seven percent boost last year, said Sybrandt, despite rumblings of recession.

Another problem affecting the coffee shop is the lack of expertise. As Fagel was quick to point out, a corrections officers trained in social services is running a business. “We need to know how to make this business operate more professionally,” she said. The constraints of government and limited resources leave little for advertising and raising public awareness. Hopefully, that may soon change. “We want to showcase what’s being done here,” said Sybrandt. “We believe most of the general public doesn’t know.”

by Rachel Brown

Marion County already had a history for implementing creative responses to deal with underage crime. At the time, alternative programs for delinquent youth provided opportunities for community service, work experience, technical education—while still paying back restitution.

“They help juveniles work of a seemingly large sum of restitution, something they would be unable or unwilling to pay themselves on their own,” said Jordan Walker, a senior from Corban College. “At the same time it gives they kids incentive to work hard by rewarding them, both by increasing the contributions toward their restitution and their own personal financial gain, for a job well done.”

Fresh Start Market & Coffee Shop

Fresh Start Market & Coffee Shop is one city’s attempt to curb the rise of youth delinquency. The idea was conceived about ten years ago, said Chuck Sybrandt, Deputy Director of the Marion County Juvenile Department.

Fresh Start

Fresh Start Market & Coffee Shop, located on Center Street, serves up more than steaming espresso and homemade goodies. In fact, the shop, built entirely out of recycled materials, features homegrown goods and crafts produced by an unusual group of artists—Salem’s delinquent youth.

Photography by: kenlinphotography.com

We’re Proud to Make A Difference. Custom Stone Creations, LLC is a one-of-a-kind fabrication company. We excel in customizing each job “precisely to our customer’s needs”. While beautiful granite, marble and quartz slab countertops are the heart of what we do, you can also come to us for fireplace surrounds, slab floors, outdoor entertaining areas, works of art and more. We’ll collaborate on anything you can imagine.

Our Commitment is to provide the highest quality products, materials and customer service and give back to the community. This philosophy is evident in our employees, and definitely affects our choice of suppliers.

16745 SE Kens Ct, Suite B Milwaukie, OR 97267 503.654.0554 www.custom-stone.us

Why do business with us? We are actively “green” researching new ways to stay environmentally conscious. Short lead times – approximately two weeks from approval to installation. We are a drug-free company. Community giving is important. A portion of each sale supports: Crystal Peaks Youth Ranch (Sisters, OR), Oregon Humane Society and the Boys and Girls Club. CCB #183781

redemption When I first found out that my husband played a CCG (Collectable Card Game), I began to worry that he was a closet gamer-nerd. At one point his Redemption card collection totaled around 5,000 plus. He would spend hours sorting these cards, and playing against grade school children at the after school program where he was a recreation specialist. Panic entered my heart as I wondered who I married. But my fears subsided when I discovered the biblical background for the game. At first glace Redemption appears to be just another CCG like Magic: The Gathering or Pokemon. However, this game reaches beyond monsters, wizards and dragons, and strives to teach, evangelize and bring families closer together. After a friend introduced, Pastor Josh Randolph (my husband), to Redemption, Randolph saw it as an opportunity to reach out to kids who attended the after school program where he worked. At the time most of the kids were playing other popular CCG games. Randolph instead taught the kids Redemption. Randolph used the game as a way to minister to the kids and teach them about the Bible. The administration of that school didn’t see it as a Christian teaching tool, so they had no objections. All they saw was a game, but Randolph saw much more than that. “I found it really neat to challenge the kids to learn the cards, and also learn about the person on the cards. To seek out what the Bible says about those people, the occurrences, and the Bible stories,” Randolph said.

The reason these cards are so effective in teaching is because of their strong biblical background and spiritual references on each card. “The thing that makes these cards different is cards themselves. The ability, the power are all based on who that person really was in the Bible. Each card includes a verse to demonstrate why that card is the way it is,” Randolph said. “The Bible is a wonderful source for this kind of game,” said Rob Anderson, creator of Redemption and founder of Cactus Game Design Inc. “It contains both very good people and very evil people. It has a wide variety of concepts, tools and artifacts that can be used as enhancement cards. It also contains a wealth of spiritual information from which all can benefit.” When Anderson first found out about secular CCGs he was intrigued by the concept of the games. “I found many aspects of the game idiom intriguing. To me, being able to create my own deck and play it against an opponent’s deck was a wonderful aspect of the game” he said. However, Anderson wanted a game that he could play with his family and one that would teach them about the Bible. Since introducing the game to grade school children, Randolph has slowly transitioned from teaching just kids, to teens, and is now using the game at his church, Bethel Baptist Church in Aumsville, as a way to minister to families. Randolph has a Redemption Family Day in the works, in which he will teach families how to play together. Randolph holds a play group at Bethel a couple times per month for children (seven and older), teens and their parents. Randolph also hosts tournaments in which anyone can attend. Randolph has had people from Medford, Ore., Yakima, Wash., and Susanville, Calif., attend his tournaments.

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by Shawnee Randolph This year the Redemption National Tournament will be held in California. It’s the first time in 15 years that it has been on the West Coast. Many of the teens that play in Randolph’s play group are excited to attend. Randolph would love to teach people from other churches how to play so that they can start their own play groups. He said, “It’s always been a goal of mine to expand to other churches and Christian schools so that there becomes a link or connection between kids and families no matter what church they go to. It’s fun to meet and play against new individuals. That’s why the tournaments are so much fun; there’s always new people coming to play.” Randolph has thought outside of the evangelism box and has used this game to get kids and families interested in God. “Redemption tends to be a nice foot in the door, when it comes to telling people about God, or the Bible. It’s not threatening, it’s a game, but it has a deeper meaning,” he said. While I am not totally convinced that my husband is not a gamer in disguise, at least I have a really good Christian excuse to tell people. If you’re interested in getting more information about this game or how to start a play group of your own, email Pastor Josh Randolph at josh@bethelaumsville.org. Shawnee Randolph is a freelance journalist and the managing editor of Rethink Monthly magazine who lives with her husband near Salem, Ore. She graduated in May 2008 from Corban College with a Bachelor of Science in English-Journalism. She currently works as the Office Administrator at her church. Shawnee has been working along side her husband in youth ministry for four and a half years.

salemhouse fprayer The Salem House of Prayer is a city-wide, multi-denominational 24-hour worship and intercessory ministry to the body of Christ in Salem and the surrounding areas. Our goal is to build a “corporate altar” of night and day prayer where we may stand before Jesus, uniﬁed and strengthened in our unyielding love for the worthy Son of Man. It’s a place where the ﬁrst commandment, to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength, is put into practice.

We believe, as many of you do, that Salem must have a “corporate altar” of unceasing prayer if we are to truly expect to have a habitation of the Lords presence. That alone will transform our cities. We believe it so much they are laying down our lives for it. This is a call for help. Our troops are thin. They are tired and weary, but they are more determined than ever.

We are asking you to come and sign up for daily or weekly prayer: speciﬁcally between the hours of 12 a.m. to 6 a.m. We need pray-ers. We appreciate all the wonderful e-mails. We greatly value all the words of encouragement and the pats on the back that have over and over kept us going. But now we need you. We need your human body in the prayer room, coming and praying on a predictable schedule. We need you to literally sign up for prayer.

We love you. We need you. We appeal to you. Please come.

open24/7 // salemhouse fprayer.org Prayer Room: 260 Liberty St NE • Salem, OR • 97301 • 503-589-9176 MailingAdress: PO Box 13502 • Salem, OR • 97309

it just takes one Have you ever heard the phrase “everybody matters” or “it just takes one?” A lot of people talk about the value of each individual, and how they are important. I recently had the opportunity to experience this first hand. Casino Road Ministries, an organization I am involved with, started a new homework club at one of the large apartment complexes next to our church. The management of the complex asked us if we could start helping students with their homework, and we ,of course, could not say no to such an invitation to serve. Flyers were hung, invitations were sent out to more than 250 apartment units, and we had several adults ready to help. We were excited about filling the complex’s main office area with many of the children that live there. We knew we had so much to offer this community, and with great fanfare we opened the door. Our worst nightmare happened… one second grade girl was dropped off by her older brother. One student. That’s it. I helped her for an hour and gave her as many goldfish crackers as she wanted. After the session, we all went home. It was the finest hour of my life, but I left desiring more students. Calls went out and more flyers were hung throughout the apartment complex in the next few days, “come to the Homework Club!” We expected more students this time so we added another volunteer leader. It is hard to think that we could go downward from the day before, but we knew that all things are possible. However, no one showed up. We are a society that is affixed with numbers, and the more the better. Everyone wants to know: How many Facebook friends do you have? How many followers do you have on Twitter? How many people showed up at church for Easter? What is the profit of your organization? When no students showed up, it seemed a slap to the personal ego.

When we look at Christ, we have such a fascination with the multitudes that surrounded Him. We forget that there was always one person who “touched” Him. On the way to heal a little girl with the crowds pressing in, it was one lady in need who got His attention. In a house that was packed to the brim, it was one man who caught his eye. At a pool with many that were hurting, one invalid felt His touch. In the field with thousands gathered that were really hungry, it was one little boy that offered Him his bread and fish. One by one He touches each and every one of us in the same way. He expects us to do the same. This still doesn’t negate that the one child who showed up is demoralizing. I began asking myself questions. Why aren’t they(the kids), with us (the adults)? The solution to get them to us seemed a hard one to crack. Should we send more flyers, make more calls, talk to teachers, or maybe have an open house? Getting the children in the building was so much harder than we thought. Further review raised another question. If I truly care about the one, why are the adults not where the children are? You see, this problem was hard to identify, but the solution was an easy one. We needed to bring ourselves out to them. We could do that in three easy steps. #1) get up #2) walk outside #3) look for the one. Most community groups, businesses, churches, neighbors, and would-be friends would rather wait until someone comes to them. We sit around and wonder why no one calls, writes, or comes by. We ponder how we can get “that one person” into our building to sell them our goods and great products that will hopefully change their lives. Christians usually ask, “How can we get people to our church?” Or they say “If my friend showed up on Sunday that would help him so much.” The better question to ask, because it goes against the establishment and traditions, is “How can we get the church to the people?”

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by Joseph Fehlen Simply get up and walk outside, then when you are there, look around for the one that is in need of the love of Christ. Now for Christians, it is not really an option for us to wait for them to come to us. Jesus instructed all of us to “Go into all the world.” We are asked to get up and go out from the One we serve. He modeled this so well by always going to the people. He never had a house to lay his pillow. He never had a building to hang his walking stick. He never had business cards to tell people his office hours. He just got up, walked outside, and looked for “the one.” Let’s stop asking, “How do we get people to come to us?” and start asking “How can I get to them?” Back at the homework club we did what only seemed obvious to do. We left the office and went outside to the playground. Suddenly there were children everywhere. There were at least 100 children throughout the complex grounds. They approached us and, we had a great time with them all. As we were playing, I noticed a little girl kicking a ball around. I walked over and noticed that it was the same little second grader that I had helped with math, spelling, and reading. She greeted me with a huge smile and began to tell her friends with great excitement that they could get help with their homework, and could eat all the goldfish crackers they would like. The next time no one comes to your event, go out and play basketball or some other activity. Because I went to school that night, a little girl was “my” teacher. One does matter and I just met her. Joseph Fehlen is the Lead Pastor of South Everett Foursquare Church in Everett, Wash. He is a married father of five kids, two of which are foster kids. You can serves as a barista at the local Starbucks.

The bi-weekly RETHINK Podcast features a few local guys who discuss local news and events, issues - both spiritually relevant and non - and entertainment that matters to your life.