Not the Study the connection

 I was talking to someone today who was asked to start a Bible Study for younger people. Evidently, the person had tried to find a Bible Study to join but it was either not Biblical or just filled with old people. At first, as someone who has more gray than he used to, I was slightly offended, but then I remembered in the past I chose not to go to a Bible Study not because of the material they were studying but because I didn't fit in. 

Church, Bible Study, and even Fellowship groups are composed of than people but relationships. The material studied is important but at the end of the day, it is people who you relate with and are, as it were, Jesus in our midst. It is relationships that draw people to God and help them stay. It is relationships that Jesus developed in his disciples. It is relationships which help us remain strong in our faith. So to encourage those relationships I wished the person God's best and encouraged them to follow through. 

Do I think that remaining only in your own type of people (young, old, etc.) is good? No, Jesus absolutely brought his disciples together from diverse backgrounds but for a time he did have them focus on people like them, Jews. However, it would grow and so I think these people will grow. Perhaps the Bible Study will always reflect who they are but I doubt they will stay only there when it comes to their lives or ministries. In other words, as long as they don't become exclusive and isolated this Bible Study might be the perfect place to develop relationships with people who are like them but push them to be more in Christ. 

At least this is my thought.  

Bible Reflections

A year ago in December, a group of us ended a four-year journey that covered every chapter of the Bible. It seemed a huge undertaking at the beginning and, at times, it seemed it would never end. However, in truth should a study of the Bible for the Christian ever end? No, but I'm moving away from my point. The point is that as every journey does it comes to an end. After a year of radical change, I'm beginning the journey again with a new group of people. As before I'm excited and now I have added some new details which for some should make the journey easier. At the end of the day, we will be reading, studying, and hopefully writing something down about every chapter of the Bible. 

There are of course books that are available on Amazon and the blog site that will publish every reading on the day it is to be read and a link so that those who want to can listen to the chapter of the Bible that will respond to that reading. As before these materials aren't professionally edited but I hope they will serve as an inspiration for others to really consider what every chapter of the Bible means to them. Yes, some chapters which will be clearer than others and some may only bring questions but those are good too. I'm sure that before I know it the second journey through Bible Reflections will be complete and I trust it will be even more rewarding. 

Consider joining us or find another application to help you grow in the Word. A warning, without the Spirit of God and His love guiding you any study of the Word will lead to pride and that is a dangerous thing. So cover your study with prayer and fill your heart with love as you begin any journey into the Word of God.

God Bless,

Pastor Charles Areson

Your hands are warm

 

I have been told many a time that my hands were warm. Usually, this happens when visiting people in the nursing home or hospital but also sometimes at church. I took it as a compliment occasionally repeating the old saying, "cold hands warm heart," leaving off the "dirty feet and no sweetheart" because that just isn't appropriate to say to someone's grandmother as it was usually an older woman who said it. I sometimes would comment that I hoped that having warm hands didn't mean I had a cold heart. Usually, the response was either a little laugh or "Oh of course not."

So why am I writing about that now? Well, because my hands are cold. Uncomfortably cold if I might complain a little. I know why older people have cold hands it is a sign that their circulation isn't working as well as it did. It happens to all of us and today it is a reminder to me that I am in fact very mortal. It is also a reminder that I could have turned the heat on in my office a couple of hours ago and didn't. 

Now to the point. Sometimes there are uncomfortable things that happen in our lives. There are times when they are big but often it is the multiple little things that wear us down. We can complain but that doesn't help. The truth is there are times when there is absolutely nothing we can do except appreciate that others aren't having to face our problems and be glad for them. On the other hand, sometimes we just need to do the thing that fixes the problem, like turning on the heat. In the latter, there is no one we can honestly blame or complain about because we have the solution, we just didn't use it until it became unbearable. 

Today, it's only my fault the heat wasn't on. Thinking about it there are other things that I can only blame myself for. So here is the solution, forget the past and do what I know to do, what I can do. 

Living Humbly and Fully

 

Your Lane

I read Nona Jones’ book, Killing Comparisons. It is her personal view of overcoming insecurities in our lives. I would recommend it for both men and women even if the target audience is women. This being said she gave a definition of humility that I loved, and yet being me I had to add to it. Humility is “living fully in the lane God has designed for you.” This means that you live what you are fully which is great in some areas but weak in others and not judging your performance by comparing it to anyone but yourself. It’s a truth we could all do well to learn from.

The one thing I want to add is, not to compare ourselves with a wrong view of who we are. For example, if you’re eighty-five years old comparing your ability to run now to the person you were when you were twenty-five years old would be wrong. It is a wrong comparison. Therefore, this is the addition I would add, humility is living fully in the lane God has designed for you today.

I suffer from migraines at times, and they at times are completely debilitating. Living fully on those days might be just making it through it and celebrating I didn’t throw up on the bed. If that is all I have (and it has been at times) then God is pleased. If I didn’t even make it without throwing up on the bed, if I did what I could, God would still be pleased. Why? I used what I had just to keep myself alive for the time God would use for me later. What if a better day doesn’t come, like those with live-ending illnesses? They just trust God to be there when life is over and endure until. When we consider this it may be that there are people in nursing homes or even on hospice who are “living fully” and more pleasing to God than those who are in perfect health and working. In fact, if God has called you to rest then it is “living fully” and doing that is. in God’s eyes, more important than doing any type of work. 

Going to Costa Rica...maybe?

This is my second post about my thoughts about what is happening in the new Global Methodist Church. I transferred my ordination in December from the Church of the Nazarene to the Global Methodist Church. I won't go into the reasons I chose to become GMC right now but it definitely felt right and when I talked to my mentor, a retired Nazarene pastor, about it he was excited for me. Now hearing about the decision to have our first General Conference in Costa Rica, I'm even more excited.

So why would I be? 

First, by holding our first General Conference overseas we are striving to be a truly global church. Second, by holding it in Costa Rica it will give those from parts of the world who would struggle to get visas to the USA a greater opportunity to attend. Both of these reasons I applaud. This is what I want to see in this new or maybe I should say, renewed version of Methodism.

So will I go? I hope so but a lot can happen in a year. If nothing else it motivates me to get back into studying Spanish. 

Pray for God's hand in the GMC so we will follow His guidance. 

Indiana East District Charge Conference Summary

On December 8^th, the Indiana East District met to have its first Charge Conference at the Compass Church in Selma. The evening opened with prayer by Pastor Dan Vore and a worship service led by Corinth Church in Muncie. Presiding Elder Jason Rice discussed some of the ways the new GMC was different from what had been done in the UMC and conducted the limited amount of business that was required by law. Pastor Charles of the Selma Christ & New Burlington Churches gave a short message from John 6:59-69 discussing the dangers of being offended when God was doing something new. The service ended with Pastor Jeanne from Grace Methodist and Pastor John from Trinity Church Hartford City leading in Communion, then a prayer of Commission by Pastor Damon of Center Chapel.  

Pastor Jason asked all churches to encourage their pastor to attend the first General Conference of the Global Methodist Church in Costa Rica in September 2024. The location is outside the USA thus emphasizing the global reach of the GMC and making it easier for those traveling from many areas of the world to get visas, therefore being able to participate.  

One of the more radical concepts in the GMC is that long-term pastorates were going to be encouraged and no guaranteed appointments for elders. Church leadership and the pastor can request reassignment but other than church discipline the church and pastor will stay working in ministry together. For more information on what Pastor Jason discussed, you can reach out to him at The Compass Church.

As a reminder, the first Convening Conference of the Great Lakes Region of the GMC is less than a week away. Continue to pray for all those who attend and that we will continue to follow the Great Shepard, Jesus Christ. 

Noah, why a vineyard?

 "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us" Hebrews 12:1

Most people know about the story of Noah and the flood but not so many know about the story of Noah and the Vineyard. It is a strange story with disturbing hints that are really uncomfortable. I'm not going to look at what happened between Noah and his son but instead ask a question, "Noah, why a vineyard?"

Some might say that after being in a boat with a bunch of animals and his family, he might have thought, "I need a good stiff drink." However, it takes time to grow a vineyard and it takes time for grape juice to become fermented enough to produce wine. According to my research, which wasn't deep I admit, it can take three to five years. So it took a lot of work to get that drink.

Could it have been that since he hadn't drunk in a while he got drunk and passed out before he realized what was happening?

These questions we don't have the answers to, but I will look at them in light of Hebrews 12:1. What if Noah had a problem, a weakness, and decided after everything he had gone through he had the right to indulge a little? (Sure, none of us would do anything like that, or maybe we would?) 

The truth as I see it is there are many times when we finish a big project or complete a challenging task we excuse ourselves and give in to those things which may not be the best for us. Like eating out at a buffet after losing some weight, it may not be disastrous but it works against what you have been striving for. On top of that, we often feel like we deserve to "treat" ourselves, but is this really treating ourselves or simply an excuse to give in to something we know we shouldn't do?

Noah spent a lot of time preparing to enjoy himself, but I wonder if later he wished he would have done something else? For me, this is a reminder to guard your life, especially after a victory.

Photo by Annie Lang on Unsplash