Reflections

For everything there is a season, a time for every matter under heaven, a time to break down and a time to build up. –Ecclesiastes 3:1-3

We all have had our early encounters with time. My friend often tells me a story he still dreams about at night. It is a simple story that has him running to catch his daily commuter train when he was a small boy on his way to school. The problem was that he was often late and used the train tracks as a shortcut to the station. His continuing nightmare is that he gets run over by the approaching train’s locomotive. One of the first things our parents teach us as we grow up is to be punctual–on time! Later in life we look at time as a separate dimension by learning how to plan our days, our lives. There are stationary stores full of “Daily Planners” to help us organize our time and at work or play we find people keeping time of almost everything. An Arabian saying even has it that “Time is like a sword, if you don’t know how to handle it, it will cut you.” All this suggests that we are in control of our time on this earth. But are we really?

What the Great Teacher, the author of Ecclesiastes, wants to tell us is: We are subject to times and changes over which we have little or no control and to think anything different contrasts with God’s eternity and sovereignty. God predetermines all our life’s activities. We gain this insight by faith and faith will enable us to say “Now is the Time” to do God’s work.

We declare to you what we have seen and heard so that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. We are writing these things so that our joy may be complete. –1 John 1:3-4

“Now is the time”–that’s the new phrase we are adopting at church these days as we begin our capital campaign. So often we wonder what we can do to add joy to our lives and to others’ and to further spread the gospel, and now we have the opportunity to act.

Vince and I have had a variety of church homes over the years because we moved fairly often. One of the most meaningful church families we belonged to was not even affiliated with an organized religion.

When we lived in Torreon, Mexico, for three years, we were truly blessed to be part of an English speaking Christian fellowship. We met weekly in a rented pre-school; our hymnals were cast-offs from a Methodist church in the States; our preachers were those among us who were willing to bring the message to the small group of 25 people. There were no programs to support, nor brick and mortar to maintain, and yet each of us came together joyfully to be in a “communion of saints” and to give glory to God, and the offerings were abundant and generous. The funds collected allowed our small group to support a local orphanage, to build an addition onto a local Baptist church, and to purchase bibles written in Spanish so that women in a tiny community could have access to the Word in a bible of their very own. Those same women showed me around the church that their community was building, and they were so proud of that sanctuary and what it meant for them to have a place to worship so close to their homes.

Here in Bonita Springs, our church life is much more traditional and it is very easy to become complacent in our commitment as disciples. Our situation here is different than it was in Torreon–or is it? Wherever we worship, we are called to witness our faith through support of the local ministries, and sometimes it takes a special group effort to move us from words to actions. Now is the time for us at Christus Victor to reflect on our discipleship and on the way we live and act. Now is the time to give out of gratitude to our generous God.

Sermon for  February 22, 2009 on Mark 9:2-9

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Have you ever had a perfect day or a perfect moment?  Everything around you is going right, and you are more certain of yourself and the world that you live in than you ever had been before?  Sometimes these moments come in grand events like parties and celebrations-sometimes it is a small gathering of people or even in the great release of quiet serenity.  One perfect moment that comes to mind happened almost two years ago- during my wedding.  After months of planning, trying to stay in our shoestring budget, attempting to coordinate the schedules of several family members, and worrying about the very unpredictable New England weather-Erik and I had the wonderful moment of coming together in matrimony with our closest friends and family present to witness.  It seemed perfect to us, and there was a part of me that wanted to hold onto the sure splendor of the moment.  Only bliss was present.  The worry of planning and the uncertainty of the future seemed nowhere near that beautiful day. And I have to tell you-Erik and I looked GOOD.  Our family looked good.  Everything looked great! But–the reality was that we couldn’t stay in the moment-or even in the place.  Time marched on.  We both had responsibilities, bills, tasks, plans, and callings to answer.  But it was very tempting to want to stay in the moment.

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Be still, and know that I am God. –Psalm 46:10

Be still! Those are very hard words to hear by someone who loves to talk as much as I do. I’m a college professor–I get paid to talk. Be still? How can I be still when I know what I want–what I need? Being the organizer that I am, I can make up my list of things I need, add a “Dear God” at the beginning and an “in your Son’s name. Amen” at the end and call it prayer. Answer my prayers, God. I know what is best!

Be still, and know that I am God. With years of practice, I am finally getting closer to being able to “be still.” But, I can only experience stillness by truly believing the second part of the sentence–”and know that I am God.” Turning my life over to God, trusting in God, and realizing that God is God and doesn’t need my help, causes me to “be still.”

I find that in my stillness, I am able to listen and am open to what God is calling me to do. What a wonderful gift this stillness is!

Dear God, help me be still and listen, especially when my needs are greatest. Help me to appreciate this wonderful gift.

Based on Christian principles, Habitat for Humanity calls together women and men of faith to work together across de-nominational lines, through the theology of the hammer, to build unity as we serve God.

Today, we renew our passion to work toward that day when no child sleeps on a cold floor, who goes without food to pay the rent, or whose whole family lives in one room.
Today is the time to build.

O Lord, challenge us to move outside of our comfort zones, to work together with those who come from different places, speak different languages, have different experiences, but have the same hopes and dreams that we have for our children. Inspire us to build…homes, neighborhoods and community as a reflection of your kingdom where people of all nations and races live in harmony. Bless us in our ministry as we seek to serve you with all that we have, all that we do and all that we dream. Amen.

Rev. Lisa Lefkow is the Director of Development at Habitat for Humanity of Collier County.

St. Paul, our rural congregation back home in Indiana, dates back to 1852.

Because so many of our members are farmers, our mission statement is “Walking in faith, sowing Christ’s love.”

We will dedicate our new worship complex, costing over $3 million, next month. On January 11, we also installed our new pastor, Stephen Wood, who has a family with two young children.

A Bible verse has inspired us at St. Paul during our building program:

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. –Philippians 4:6

After many years and a failed former building program, God answered our petitions at St. Paul, and we are certain God will also keep you at Christus Victor in the palm of God’s Hand.

Jerry and Martha Wunsch are visiting Bonita Springs January through March and enjoying Christus Victor’s walk with the Lord.

For everything there is a season, a time for every matter under heaven, a time to break down and a time to build up. –Ecclesiastes 3:1-3

One of the families who woke up last Christmas morning in a home of their own is the Oscar family. Jean Oscar, his wife Guerda and their two daughters Victoria, 2, and Jeanisha, 1, once rented half of a two bedroom, one bath duplex. Guerda and Jean worked hard to fix up their crumbling unit but in order to make ends meet they had to rent out one bedroom leaving the family of four to share one bedroom. For seven years, Jean has greeted customers in the Publix deli with a bright friendly smile only to go home at night to an apartment infested with roaches. In his application Jean asked for a Habitat house “so his kids could have a decent clean place to call home.”

Now they have hope. The children now have a safe clean home in a beautiful neighborhood with a yard of their own in which to play. Because of the work of many tireless volunteers, generous donors and the hard-working families themselves, Habitat for Humanity of Collier County has carried out the gospel call to care for our brothers and sisters in desperate need. Through partnerships with faith communities like Christus Victor, last year 131 families left behind untenable conditions to move into a simple, decent home of their own. This vital partnership provides the most basic of human needs–shelter.

It seems like each day of our lives, we wait for some kind of call. A call from a loved one in need. A call about the new job we are hoping for. A call from a child for a loving touch and a kind word. Even the call of the open road.

But sometimes we get so wrapped up in expecting these important calls, we often forget who they are really coming from and what pur-pose they have in our lives (other than what we want out of them). We fail to really listen to the Creator of our past, present and future…He sends all of the calls in our lives and so quickly, as soon as we’ve received them, we take them at face value and then move on. Let us be ever remembering that there is always our Lord in every call and a greater purpose to every call that God wants us to discover!

Loving Lord, help me to not only hear your call but to listen to what it is you want for me. Your love and devotion to my life is unequal to any other and I give myself wholly to the call of your will…help me follow You in everything I do. Thank you for the unending call to be your child. I will answer if You but call my name! Amen.

Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? –1 Corinthians 3:16

I sit in quiet contemplation shutting out the noise and tumult of the outside world. Ever so slowly and with great struggle I shut down the chatter in my mind and begin to feel the presence of God with in. It is a time of giving up control, surrendering to God, and being receptive to his presence in my life.

This time of quiet and resting in God fosters a personal relationship with God and the living Christ. It moves beyond verbal communication and forms a special bond of communion with Him. I am open to His direction in my life.

As my prayer comes to a close, I return to the outside world. I find myself more centered trusting God’s presence in my life will surely guide me. I am at peace.

And let the peace of Christ dwell in you richly… –Colossians 3:15

Sermon for February 15, 2009 on Mark 1:40-45

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When I read the book of Ecclesiastes perhaps for the thousandth time I came to realize that time is indeed precious. During the course of the day, I am sure that we all wish we had more time. However, we must be honest and say exactly what did I do in the course of the day to make a difference in the lives of others.

I believe that we have been given a great opportunity to take time out of our busy schedule to make a huge difference in the lives of our church members and guests. We are being asked to expand our space and make the present working condition just a little more comfortable for work and worship within our church.

In addition to the thinking we never have enough time is the excuse of now is not the time because…the list will go on for not doing it now. Just as we found time within the day to make a difference, I chal-lenge you to turn the excuses into reasons for going forward. As the preacher stated in Ecclesiastes 3:1, “To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven.” I say that now is the time to step out on faith and let God lead your heart and mind. Today is the time to believe and put your faith into action. It is not by our own wisdom or knowledge that the capital campaign will be successful but by faith and prayer to our all mighty God that we are moving on His time.

Keep the faith, lean on God while you are doing the best work possible with the precious time you have to offer.

Have faith in God… Therefore, I say unto ye. What things so ever ye desire, When ye pray, believe that ye receive them and ye shall have them. –Mark 11:22, 24