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Advent: The Big Picture [Advent]

Thu, 23 Dec 2010 09:18:42 GMT

by Jeannette Conver

Advent: The season the church celebrates the coming of Jesus Christ. It has taken me a while to embrace this four-week time of reflection leading up to Christmas.

As a child, it was hard to tear my thoughts away from the anticipation of what gift might be under the tree on Christmas Eve, and toward dedicating time to reflect on The Gift. To be fair, I experienced many moments of awe and wonder connected with worship and participating in Christmas events—especially when I sang with the mass Christmas children’s choir at the annual Christmas program. Sometimes Christmas Day seemed like an anticlimax, and I wondered what was missing.

As an adult, it has been hard to tear my thoughts away from preparation for the perfect Christmas: Creating the right home atmosphere for my family, fixing the best culinary delights, and finding the best gifts for family and friends. Many years, by the time Christmas Day arrived, I was exhausted and numb—no longer able to celebrate the day with joy and thankfulness.

But at last, I am a convert to the idea of Advent. Here’s why:

Advent proposes a broad view of Christ’s coming, one that spans history. This is a much bigger idea to capture the imagination: Instead of focusing only on His coming as Savior some 2000 years in the past, Advent invites us to think about the work of God in Christ as He comes:

to rescue our world in the past
into our lives to rescue us today
again to finish the process of salvation in the future

Four weeks thinking about those truths is definitely time well spent.

This longer view of Advent helps me live in the moment, to look for signs of God’s presence around me. It helps me to pause and evaluate first before rushing headlong into more activity. I ask myself, “Will this prepare my heart to welcome the Holy Spirit’s work in me?” As I contemplate His second coming, I have a renewed sense of urgency to be ready for His return. By Christmas Day, I can be ready to enter into the Nativity Story with a full and thankful heart to welcome and celebrate the Prince of Peace, our Source of Joy, the Lord of Love, and the Hope of the Nations.

What Simeon Saw (part 2) [Advent]

Wed, 22 Dec 2010 12:48:24 GMT

Tucked into the nativity story found in Luke 2 is a song of praise, uttered in the temple by a man named Simeon. Simeon had been waiting on God’s promise that he would see the Messiah with his own eyes. Here, Katherine Jones concludes this retelling of that magical day:

Once inside the temple courtyard, Simeon lingered in the shadow of the colonnade to wait and watch. His gaze was drawn to the temple gates where a young family had entered. The husband was stocky, his clothing simple and homespun. He used his body to shield his wife from the jostling crowd. She carried a swaddled baby and Simeon guessed the couple had come to dedicate their child and offer sacrifices to the Lord.

A faint breeze lifted the woman’s head covering, and Simeon saw that she was very young, hardly more than a girl. Still – there was something about her that hinted at a grace beyond her years. Perhaps it was her serene posture or the calm adoration that shone in her dark eyes as the child at her breast stirred and emitted a tiny squawk.

Then a small pink fist shot from the bundle, and a frisson jolted through Simeon. There, Simeon, came the Lord’s voice. There is the One you seek.

Confused, Simeon looked at the husband, now bending over the squirming child. He was so plain and unassuming, nothing like Simeon’s vision of a Messiah. Simeon struggled to understand. Him?

No, answered the Voice. Look to the child, and you will see the One for whom you have waited so long.

The baby? Wonderingly, Simeon moved toward the couple. “The Lord be with you,” he greeted them.

“And also with you,” the man replied, polite but puzzled by this stranger’s approach.

Gazing at the child, Simeon said, “So this is the Consolation of Israel.” The man and woman exchanged glances, and Simeon held out his arms. “May I?”

The woman tucked the end of the swaddling cloth more securely around the child before placing him in Simeon’s arms. Ohhhh. He had forgotten how tiny new babies could be, how practically weightless. He folded back a corner of cloth to look into the child’s face. Awe pervaded Simeon’s soul as brown eyes fringed with spiky lashes like his mother’s gazed back at him. A warmth stole over Simeon’s body, and the swell of praise that filled his chest overflowed onto his lips. “O Sovereign Lord,” he murmured, “as you have promised, you now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all people, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel.”

Again, the couple exchanged glances, and the husband cleared his throat. “How do you know this about our son?” he asked, his voice low.

Simeon smiled. “The Lord Himself has revealed it to me. But you are not surprised to hear such things, are you?”

The younger man returned his smile. “No, not very surprised,” he said. “Not anymore.”

Simeon raised his hand, as gnarled and twisted as an ancient vine. “May the blessing of the Almighty be upon you both,” he said. Then his gaze rested on the young wife, who had stood silently throughout all of this. “My dear, this child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed.” He hesitated, but then finished what he felt compelled to say. “And a sword will pierce your own soul, too.”

The girl’s large eyes widened, flashing alarm, and Simeon felt a qualm, a moment of regret that he had uttered those words aloud. But then her features smoothed, and peace settled where a moment earlier fear had lurked. And Simeon understood what he had seen in her from the first. This was no ordinary girl, but a woman of extraordinary faith. Clearly, she had spent a lifetime seeking the Lord’s face and would continue to do so. With a sudden flare of insight, Simeon knew that when the hour of darkness came upon her, God Himself would rise up to meet her there.

As He had met Simeon here, in this place.

What Simeon Saw (part 1) [Advent]

Fri, 17 Dec 2010 09:16:53 GMT

Tucked into the nativity story found in Luke 2 is a song of praise, uttered in the temple by a man named Simeon. Simeon had been waiting on God’s promise that he would see the Messiah with his own eyes. In this retelling from Katherine Jones, we are taken back to that day:

From the moment of first awakening, Simeon knew something was different about this day. He felt the change, a hum throbbing deep in his spirit, even before he opened his eyes to see sunlight filtering through the slatted window. And unexpectedly, the words of the prophet Malachi sprang to mind. Then suddenly the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come.

Simeon lay on his pallet, flexing stiff limbs, puzzled as to why this particular piece of Scripture should come to him. He’d not dwelt on it for months, even though it spoke so aptly of the hope that propelled him forward into each new day. Then his blood quickened as a new thought struck. Could today be the day? He recalled the promise the Lord once whispered into his heart – that he would see with his own eyes the Messiah before he died. But as the years crept by with no sign of fulfillment, sometimes Simeon was tempted to doubt he’d heard the Lord correctly. After all, why him? Who else had been promised such a thing? Simeon knew of many men in Jerusalem more righteous. Why should he be so blessed? And yet – the promise had settled deep into his soul. He felt it now as a strain of music faintly discerned, yet always heard.

From the courtyard beyond his window came the clatter of iron against stone and the thick aroma of freshly baked bread. It was this, followed by the rumble of his stomach, which drew him from his bed. He entered the courtyard, where he found his wife sliding rounds of bread from the clay oven. “Good morning, husband,” she greeted him with a glance toward the heavens. “I was just giving thanks that the Lord has chosen to bless us this day with blue skies instead of gray. After so many days of rain, it is as if we are experiencing His blessing.”

Simeon sank to a reclining position at the low table his wife had already set with a bowl of fruit. “Perhaps in even more ways than this,” he said.

His wife turned, face flushed from the heat of the oven. “Oh?”

Simeon lifted a fig from the bowl and held it, hesitating. His wife had anticipated such a moment as much as he had, and he longed to speak what was on his heart. But what if he was wrong? It would be hard enough to bear his own disappointment without adding his wife’s to it.

But she stood before him, waiting patiently for his answer. “I think today is the day,” he said at last.

She drew in a sharp breath. “The Appointed One has come?”

He nodded.

She lowered her head so that a strand of silver fell across her seamed cheek. “I pray that it is so.”

After he had eaten, Simeon ventured into the streets, his steps turning automatically toward the temple. Jerusalem was unusually crowded these days with so many brought here to carry out the letter of Caesar’s law requiring every person in his empire to be accounted for. Though usually immune to the crush of strangers, today Simeon’s senses were heightened, and he found himself studying the Jewish males in the crowd. Who might the Messiah be? Perhaps that tall young man with the square jaw and the confident stride? Or that older one, with the gray beard and wise eyes? But though Simeon kept his ear attuned to the Almighty, no Voice spoke in confirmation.

The temple on its hill rose before Simeon and as he drew nearer, the smell of roasted meat, mingled with the sharp aroma of frankincense, grew stronger. And now the conviction he had felt since awakening grew as well. Of course, he realized. Here, in the Lord’s temple, is where I will see him. Simeon’s pulse quickened as he approached the temple gates.

------------------------

Watch for part II of the story next week. Happy Advent!

Seven Final Sayings of Jesus: #7 'My Refuge' [Makeover]

Mon, 12 Apr 2010 21:40:32 GMT

Jesus shouted, “Father, I put myself in your hands!” Then he died.

Why would he choose to speak so close to the end? Why would he muster the last energy he had to cry out? Desperate and dying… but still, with his final breath. --Shouting to the invisible… Jesus entrusts his spirit, his life, and all that has given it meaning, to God in faith, even at the point of his own abandonment when the good seems so very far away.

He proclaims his faith in God and the darkness cannot overcome it. There is something more in this last word from the cross.

Do you know that what every little Hebrew child was taught to say before they closed their eyes at night, their evening prayer was--“Into your hands I commend my spirit--I put myself in your hands”

Some thirty years before in a home in Nazareth, Mary kissed her son good night and listened while he said this bedtime prayer, “I put myself in your hands.” And now that same son at the end of his ministry, on a cross, leaves his life with that same prayer.

In his final moment Jesus did not speak some lofty theological truth but a childhood prayer that still came from his heart and gave him comfort. In the darkness and confusion of our lives, the hand of God is extended for us to grasp.

You may not know where you are going.
You may not know how you will get there.
But this you can always know: His hands are stretched out to you and he will never let you go, not even when you must enter that darkest valley and cross that coldest stream.

What a victorious philosophy of life!
Do I face problems that I cannot even begin to solve? I put myself in your hands.
Do I experience sorrow I am sure I cannot bear? I put myself in your hands.

Jesus spoke this word of faith that he learned as a child at his mother’s knee and tested it in the harsh experience of crucifixion, shattering the barriers of darkness, sin, and death, and letting in the unquenchable light of life and love.

This last word is guaranteed by Jesus’ life’s blood.
The hands that stretch out to us in our darkness still bear the marks of the nails!

Pastor Jeannette Conver

Seven Final Sayings of Jesus: #6 'Victory' [Makeover]

Mon, 12 Apr 2010 21:37:31 GMT

He said, “It is finished!”

That’s all folks! Show’s over! Let’s clear the area, please, nothing left to see. Jesus has left the building.

The suffering is ended. The ordeal is finished and nothing remains but blessed peace in the absence of all sensation. But Jesus’ cry is more than just one of welcoming the end of pain-it is more than an expression of relief that death will come soon.

He did not merely say, “It is over” he said, “It is accomplished, fulfilled, achieved.” (The meaning, the sense of the words is that the work is finished or the debt is paid in full) But what had he accomplished, what had he completed with the ending of his life?

What did he achieve that transformed his very death into triumph? Well, Jesus was a man with a mission—even from the age of twelve he knew he had to follow God’s plan for his life. As he proceeded with his ministry, never once did he fail in obedience to his Father, never once did he surrender to lesser goals –not even in the pain and agony and weariness of these last hours.

He finished--he completed the work He came into the world to do—in Jesus Christ, God found us. In Jesus Christ, we have found God. Everything is done…except love. He is never finished loving us and transforming us. Only love is not done. The God who found us in Jesus Christ will never leave us. The victory of the cross is true today, tomorrow, always. It is finished!

Pastor Jeannette Conver

Seven Final Sayings of Jesus: #5 'Suffering' [Makeover]

Mon, 12 Apr 2010 21:35:05 GMT

Jesus said, “I am thirsty!” John 19:28
There is a kind of timelessness hanging on a cross. It is not a quiet death, over in an instant in one glorious moment of martyrdom like being torn apart by lions. He hasn’t had anything to drink since the Last Supper. Since then he has lost a lot of fluid as he sweated in the Garden and was beaten and whipped. He hung on the cross in the midday heat.

Here is God himself with desperate human need, suffering for water. Everybody is dying for a drink. None of us can survive without it. Our bodies are mainly made of water and without it we shrivel up and cease to be. Our life runs dry. But water is not the only thing that brings us life.

Each of us is thirsty for something more, something else, refreshment to transcend our physical needs, to sustain us way down deep inside. We thirst for certainty. We thirst for assurance. We thirst for meaning and significance. We thirst for peace and contentment. Our hearts are hot and dry and sometimes grow so parched we think we can no longer stand the pain. Let anyone who is thirsty come to me, he had said.

But now even this spring of life is drying up. After hearing this fifth word, you can never say that God is impervious to human suffering, unconcerned with human pain, too big to be bothered by human need. He is divine enough to forgive and human enough to be thirsty. Sweating, struggling to breathe, bent over and bleeding. Thirstier than he has ever been-- We are all dying of thirst—whether we admit or not, we are desperate for God, who we need is God—our deepest need for fellowship with him.

Here at the cross are no answers, no easy speeches, no quick solution. But here is One who has opened the way to the waters of healing.

Pastor Jeannette Conver

Seven Final Sayings of Jesus: #4 'Abandonment' [Makeover]

Mon, 12 Apr 2010 21:32:46 GMT

Jesus shouted, “My God, my God, why have you deserted me?”
Godforsaken: Not a word we use very often. Is there a time and place when even God has had enough of us, when even the immortal invisible needs to take some personal time? Was God now hiding from Jesus… or was it just that Jesus lost sight of God? When it feels like that, what’s the difference?

As darkness falls, confusion rises. Voices nearby drop away, disappear. Spectators lose interest. Now just the silent sound of hearts breaking, hope evaporating.

Of all the agony of that tortuous day-the lacerations from the scourging, the chafing of the thorns around his head, the convulsions of his tormented, dehydrated body as it hung in the heat all day—nothing reaches the depth of this anguished cry of desolation, “My God, my God, why have you deserted me?”

Jesus, who found his purpose and strength in the presence of God, who was sustained by the immediacy of his relationship with God and who endured all by the tangible power of God always at work with him, always a center of vitality and peace, found himself totally alone on the cross. Jesus, whose very being was God, found himself utterly, absolutely, despairingly, cut off from all that gives life and breath --cut off from all that gives purpose and hope --cut off from the source of his being --cut off, even from himself--plumbing the depths of the human condition to walk in the place of the utter absence of God, in the place of sinners, in the place of those who reject God.

"My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?" Why? God cannot look at him, forsakes him because of our sin. Jesus Christ was abandoned to his fate in the middle of history.   “Hello?” No reply.

“Anyone there?” Nothing answers. Just you and nothing. Forsaken. Foolish. Losing it. You have to lose your life in order to find it, He had said. He took on our sin, was abandoned and forsaken, all to save us from our sin—to save our lives.

In these words is the central mystery of the crucifixion we can’t fully comprehend, that there is no despair so deep or evil so overwhelming or place so far removed from joy, light, and love--from the very heart of God that God has not been before us, and where God cannot meet us and bring us home.

Pastor Jeannette Conver

Seven Final Sayings of Jesus: #3 'Love' [Makeover]

Mon, 12 Apr 2010 21:30:09 GMT

Jesus said to his mother, “This man is now your son.” Then he said to the disciple, “She is now your mother.” John 19:26-27
What was his mother thinking? Watching her son dying, slowly, by degrees.” “How did it ever come to this”? “I wish I could wake up from this nightmare”? “I wish I’d never had him?”

And what about the favorite follower? What’s the point of being a disciple when there’s no master? So much for being in the inner circle, when the circle is being torn apart before you. So much for being special when all your hopes and dreams are being drained of life in front of your very eyes.

And what were the onlookers thinking? The ones whose curiosity had slowed them to a halt, to check out this first century car-crash? Thrill seekers, attracted by what the small crowd were looking at over there on Skull Hill, what was going through their minds? “Interesting action by the looks of it, always good to get the news firsthand.” Nothing like the excitement of fresh gossip!

Which of us knows what any of the rest of us is really thinking? We can barely read our own minds, let alone those of others. None of us can predict the significance of any of our moments. Take the soldiers, throwing the dice for a dying man’s clothes, salivating at the market resale value. They had ringside seats for the cosmic drama… but they were too busy living to notice.

We only know for sure what Jesus was thinking of. --He was thinking of others. Whatever Mary was thinking, she stands silent before the cross realizing that even in death Christ was more concerned with what he could give to her than what she could bring to him. The One who couldn’t forget his mother even while on the cross will never forget us, his brothers and sisters.

Pastor Jeannette Conver

Seven Final Sayings of Jesus: #2 'Grace' [Makeover]

Mon, 12 Apr 2010 21:28:04 GMT

Jesus replied, “I promise that today you will be with me in paradise.”

Talk about a death-bed conversion! For this thief, life has come into focus. Deep inside, he finally understands.

He doesn’t join the soldiers in humiliating the broken God on the cross next door. After a life spent trying to be noticed, to be somebody, he knows he is about to be nobody, to be forgotten for good. A dead fly, swatted onto the floor of history.

Yet some mysterious instinct tells him that maybe if this one on the next cross will notice him, will remember him… he will never be forgotten again. How did he know that Jesus’ weakness and vulnerability were invisibly tied to strength, to another kind of power?

You will be with me today, in a place of unimaginable beauty and peace, a place we sometimes called paradise. “You will be with me today,” says Jesus Christ, not some vague “when” in the future but, today, as if there was no doubt about it, as if we can take him at his word. The Kingdom is here and now. God’s greatness exceeded the thief’s very modest expectations—and we can see this as a simple statement of what Christ can and will do here and now if we put our trust in him, opening our lives to his presence and power.

When Jesus Christ remembers us, we can never be forgotten again.

Pastor Jeannette Conver

Seven Final Sayings of Jesus: #1 'Forgive' [Makeover]

Mon, 12 Apr 2010 21:26:18 GMT

Jesus said, “Father, forgive these people! They don’t know what they’re doing.”

Who decided on the order? Which of the soldiers thought Jesus would look best in the middle? Perhaps the two criminals were caught red-handed on their last job and had a falling out with each other. Maybe the only way to shut them up was to put the quiet guy with the messiah complex in between.

Soldiers, thieves, those hammering in the nails, those gaping at the spectacle: no one in this first Easter scene knows quite what they are doing. Forgive them, says Jesus, as the nails bite, forgive them--They don’t get it.

Of all the low-lives to be caught by the long arm of the law, these two nobodies get to hang right in the middle of history! They had never lived with Jesus, like Peter or Mary or Judas. Instead they get to die with him. No chance to give him their lives. Only their deaths.

We are ignorant until Jesus Christ appears and fills our field of vision. All of us watching, gasping, averting our eyes, wishing those weren’t real nails, that this had not been our shift, hoping we can put this behind us and move on. Trying to find words to express our feelings. Not quite sure what we are doing. Not knowing we could ask for forgiveness. Not knowing someone else has. In this first word from the cross is the truth about the full extent of our ignorance overcome by the fuller extent of God’s love.

- Pastor Jeannette Conver

Deep Love [Makeover]

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 13:40:00 GMT

We weren’t really prepared to do vacant lot clean-up, as we had planned to paint over graffiti – but as always, God had a plan for us…and He knew what we needed before we did; we found an old broom and 2 rakes among the debris affirming our suspicion that maybe we should pick up the lot instead of painting it! Half way through our Crosswalk project at the vacant 76 Station lot at 132^nd and Kent-Kangley, unexpectedly a van pulled onto the lot. A young man came out of the van and walked directly towards me. He had a wonderful look of surprise on his face and was absolutely beaming! He introduced himself as Ethan, a vendor that uses the lot to sell rugs. He told me that he had spoken with the lot’s owner just a couple days prior and they agreed the lot was in serious need of clean-up. Ethan had planned to sweep the lot that morning – but when he arrive, it was already done. In his words ‘It was like a miracle!’ He could hardly put into words his next question…. ‘Who… wha… whe… Why?’ He wanted to know who we were and why we had done this work. I could sense he wanted to know what we were gaining from doing this work. I had the honor of explaining that we were from Kent Covenant Church and that 65 of us were working at different locations within our community shining God’s love. He stood there for what seemed like minutes just looking at me in disbelief, still beaming and grinning from ear to ear… and he said – ‘WOW, that is so cool. Thank you very much… I’ll be sure and tell the owner about this’. Our hope is that he told more than the owner about it, and maybe we will have a chance to meet Ethan at KCC one day very soon. We have been involved in many Crosswalk projects over the past few years and each time the ‘project’ had been expecting us. This was the first chance we had to see the blessing received as a surprise. Truth be told it turned out that the greatest blessing was really ours to receive. Submitted by M.R.

Deeper Love [Makeover]

Fri, 09 Oct 2009 09:25:00 GMT

Our daughter is a freshman at a college in Lugano, Switzerland. After just one day of classes she became ill and was taken to the hospital. I made an emergency trip to Switzerland to be with her while the physicians decided what was wrong and if she needed surgery (she eventually had an appendectomy). I arrived in Milan, Italy early in the morning and eventually made my way to the Lugano, Switzerland train station where a wonderful Italian woman showed me how to ride the trains, busses, and the funiculare to my daughter’s hospital and my hotel downtown. She even went with me, saying she was just “going to the next town anyway.” She showed me how to buy tickets and how to read the maps. We never exchanged names but as we parted I hugged her and said “God Bless You.” On my overseas flight, I kept praying for God to keep my daughter safe and give her comfort because I knew she was scared. I didn’t realize that he would answer my prayers with an Italian guardian angel who would help me in a foreign country in my time of need. —S.B.

Give Forgiveness [Makeover]

Thu, 08 Oct 2009 22:26:00 GMT

This series has challenged me to reach out to my family. I felt compelled to write letters to my sisters…one sister battling with her sexuality and another sister that I have been estranged from for quite some time. I realized that the Christ I profess to love wasn’t being reflected through my words and actions. Instead it pushed my sisters away from me and from them knowing Christ through my life. My heart grew in such judgment and pride I didn’t even recognize it till I began to think “if I died, how would my family remember me?” What I saw wasn’t pretty…so I wrote letters asking their forgiveness. This small step has opened doors to reconnect as sisters and begin to mend the broken relationships. God continues to call me to have a heart of grace and compassion; my hope is that it will draw them to Christ as well.
submitted by A.P.

Embrace Eternity [Makeover]

Thu, 08 Oct 2009 15:07:00 GMT

Taking drugs and being verbally abused took my life apart. But finding new life at Celebrate Recovery has changed me. I love God more, and I've found friends. It's so nice to find love and grace in my life again.
submitted by S.F.

Speak Sweeter [Makeover]

Thu, 08 Oct 2009 14:46:00 GMT

Last Sunday (9/20), when Pastor Jeff asked us to text someone during the wrship service, I sent a "Thinking of you, Love, Mom" message to our estranged daughter. She responded "thanks" AND came to a family get-together 9/26!
Joyfully submitted by E.P.

Love Deeper [Makeover]

Thu, 08 Oct 2009 14:44:00 GMT

After reading the Live Like You Were Dying study guide in preparation for our small group, my husband and I and two grandsons visited the train show at the museum in Auburn. During our time in the museum I noticed a woman talking on her cell phone who seemed very upset. We continued our visit to the museum, but as we left, I noticed the same lady outside again talking on her cell phone, even more upset. She disconnected her call as we passed. I had this almost uncontrollable urge to pray with her. I sent my husband and the boys on, turned around and said, "May I pray with you?" The woman almost fell into my arms, crying "please!" I prayer for her right there on the sidewalk. Before Live Like You Were Dying, I would have passed her by, missing an opportunity to share what turned out for me to be a very powerful moment.
submitted by S.P.

Open Perfume Bottles [Makeover]

Wed, 30 Sep 2009 19:14:00 GMT

After having the privilege to preach this past Sunday, I’ve been thinking more and more about the message and the challenge. In case you missed it, it was the third message of the Series “Live like You Were Dying.” The topic was “Love Deeper” and I followed the story of Mary anointing Jesus’ feet with expensive perfume (John 12:1-8). The sermon points were:

Do the unexpected
Do the unaffordable
Do it NOW!

The challenge of the message is to “open perfume bottles” (see story in John for the reference!) on people that God is putting in your life, this week.

I also asked the congregation for stories about unexpected grace that were done to them. I had several great responses, but couldn’t get to everyone.

Janelle Reber didn’t get a chance to share, but did email me a great story and gave me permission to share it with you:

This isn't a huge example, pretty simple actually - but looking back it was incredibly meaningful to me. As a newbie at Kent Covenant, and new to Christianity - folks at KCC offered to bring us meals and throw us a baby shower when we adopted our first child - our son Tyler. I kept declining because we were able to provide what we needed for him ourselves. But they wouldn't take no for an answer and I began feeling it was rude to refuse. It now stands out as such an extremely touching memory for me. In hindsight I realized that it wasn't about meeting our physical needs - for baby clothes or food - it was about meeting our need to be part of a church family, to be loved by sisters in Christ. And though it was hard to swallow my pride and accept these gifts of love and feel worthy of them, it also felt very good to have this extended family that just wanted to celebrate this incredible blessing with us. I learned a lot through that experience. It made me want to make others feel the way I felt. And it grew my faith in helping me understand what God planned for the Body of Christ to be to each other. I was very thankful that God had pulled me into a relationship with him and into a family like Kent Covenant.

So…how are you doing on the challenge this week?

If you’re having a hard time finding someone to bless, try the people who are closest to you…perhaps your family. We often take our family members for granted, but aren’t they just as deserving of our acts of grace and kindness? Brothers and sisters, moms and dads, husbands and wives – you can all start this with each other!!

Pastor Dan

Welcome To The KCC Blog [Read Me]

Tue, 28 Jul 2009 00:32:00 GMT

The KCC blog is organized around five strategic principals that permeate our mission through 2013.

Makeovers: Empowering sold-out followers of Jesus who are being shaped by the Bible's priorities.
Multiplayer: Connecting people with the living God and with each other.
Doubleshot: Freeing and restoring people to live out their God-given potential.
Wireless: Without walls, connecting and meeting the needs of people in our community & the world as the hands & feet of Jesus.
Blended: Reflecting and celebrating the diversity of our community.

The website redesign is focused on giving folks who have never attended KCC a chance to look around, get to know us virtually and get involved at the intersection of their gifts and lives connecting in ways that meets the worlds deep needs.

Blog entries are reflections written by KCC staff members, Leadership team and thought leaders. Interested in learning more? Contact Pastor John Hamblen.