The good news is that we don’t have to focus on the philosophy in order to benefit from the study. Philosophy would turn our attention to the most difficult of all equations – 1 = 3. How can ONE God be made of THREE persons? We can understand 3 gods – but that’s not what the Bible teaches. We can understand one god who gives rise to other gods – again, not Biblical. But how can there be three separate persons making one God? It doesn’t compute.

Many analogies have been put forward to make sense of this. Here’s an article that summarizes them – and criticizes them. Is this Trinity like water – it can be in the form of ice, water or steam? Yes…and no. How about an egg? Shell, yolk and whites are separate parts, but they make one egg. Yes…and no. Is the Trinity like a family? Father, mother and child are three separate persons, but one family? Yes…and no. In the end, all of these analogies break down at some point. The devotions won’t be going into the philosophical theology so you might want to read the article to pick up some of that. It certainly wouldn’t hurt!

I’m toying with a couple of options for understanding. One option is to rewrite the equation. Rather than 1 = 3, how about ONE = 3? The numbers represent entirely different things. ONE speaks of God in His divinity and how His divinity is different than humanity. There is really one ONE true God. And yet when God reveals Himself to us, He does so in 3 different ways. It would be like looking at a beam of light through a prism. There’s one beam of light, but depending on where you put your focus, there are different colors that shine through.

Another option is that of a river. Say there is a large river flowing down a mountain. At some point, the river divides into three different branches. One branch goes tumbling over a cliff and becomes a waterfall. In the waterfall, we see beauty and power. Another branch flows a winding path over rocks and branches, creating rapids. The rapids speak of movement and change, for as the water runs over the rocks, it smooths and shapes them. Yet a third branch heads off to a valley, where it spreads out into a pond. It is peaceful and still, yet not at all stagnant.

Further downstream, the branches reunite. Those who encounter the river when it is united would say it is one river. Others encounter the river when it has divided into branches. They have very different experiences of the river – and might not even realize that it is the same river – until they rise above the river to such a height that they can see it united and separated. Then it becomes clear. The one river made the three branches; the three branches made the one river.

At any rate, the devotions will focus on the practical theology. If there are three, what do they do? And how do they relate to each other? If there is one, what unites the three into one? The practical theology is much easier to understand. And, in my opinion, is much more “devotional” in nature.

I hope you have been using the devotions and benefiting from them. We’d love to have you join us in our Sunday morning open discussion of the devotions and how God is leading us. We meet at 9:30 in the Gathering Place. Feel free to join us and listen in or chime in…as you feel comfortable.

If you have no idea what I am talking about when I refer to the devotions, may I suggest/request that you go to this page and sign up? You can unsubscribe at any time from within the email that you receive. But you find that you like what you receive and enjoy the journey that the devotions take you on.

I know of at least one Council member who doesn’t particularly care for the title. That’s understandable. Often, when we characterize people as “playing church,” we mean that we don’t think they are taking their faith and the cost of discipleship seriously enough. In other words, “playing church” is a judgment that they are playing games rather than taking their faith seriously.

One of the things that I don’t like about describing people as people who are just “Playing Church” is that we give the impression that people are either “playing” or they are “serious.” It’s black or white, light or dark, on or off. But that simply doesn’t fit with the reality of what the life of faith is like.

I think a better image for the Christian life is that of a journey. We are on a path toward righteousness. Some are at the beginning of the path; others are nearing the end. Some have stopped walking for a while; others are running. Some might even be turned around or have gotten off the path. But we gather together as a congregation because we all in our own way are striving to walk the path toward Christian maturity.

So, why make such a bold statement that we are going to stop “Playing Church?” Because we are. Going to stop. “Playing Church.” Inasmuch as we are pretending to follow Jesus Christ, we’ll stop pretending and admit the truth. Insofar as we are not giving our best effort, we’ll stop pretending that we are doing our best and we’ll engage in a more concerted effort toward growing in Christlikeness. Or, as the announcement will say on Sunday, we will “put an end to formalities and rituals and get back to the basics of the Christian faith.”

In 2012, we at Bethel Church are going to embark together on a journey toward maturity in our faith.

I did mention to you a video that had to do with learning to walk. You can find it here (http://www.carbonfibergear.com/ellie-may-at-5-years-old-is-the-youngest-person-ever-to-have-carbon-fiber-legs/).

I hope you enjoy the poem. I know I did!

This week during worship, we’ll ask the question, “Who really lives that way?” In the book, you’ll notice that Francis Chan gives a number of examples that illustrate in real life how people have lived out their faith. I would encourage you to read/reread the chapter and think about what life would have been like to be one of the people mentioned there.

Another option is to follow the websites. He lists three:

www.mossyfoot.com – Really? Lack of shoes and education leads to starvation? Yep. And the treatment/solution is simple and inexpensive? Yep. So what are we waiting for?

www.beumin.org (which will also give you a chance to go to http://rhemaforthenations.com/default.aspx, where there is more information)

www.thesimpleway.org – no simple solutions here…just digging in and gutting it out for the love of God and for the love of people. Crazy!

But don’t just go to gather information or even just to learn about what others are doing. Go so that you can listen to God tell you what He wants you to do.

In our worship time, we won’t focus on the dramatic examples of faith that show up in Hebrews 11 nor in the book. Rather, we’ll look to our own lives and the lives of those around us to ask, “What can God do with ordinary people in Princeton, Zimmerman, Milaca, Pease and Cambridge who want to love their neighbors as themselves?”

I realize that the last email may have been a bit much to absorb, so I’m giving you just two questions (one ONE day!) to get back to me. ONE day? Yes, because I still need to have time to pull this all together before Sunday.

So, here’s the questions. (These come from the DVD that many of the small groups are using for this week.)

1. As Christians, who do you look up to and why?

2. What kind of legacy do you want to leave behind? What do you want to be known for?

This isn’t one of those TV infomercials where I’m trying to get you to buy something. Nevertheless,

Don’t wait! Act now! Send in your snippets today!

What I would like to do on November 7 is to draw in your experiences in living the Christian faith. But rather than have you stand and give testimonies about how you are living faithfully before God, I’d like you to send me brief “snippets” describing someone that God has placed in your life who seems to have a touch of Crazy Love.

I’ve included a list from chapter 8 of Crazy Love that describes people who are “in love” (or obsessed) with Jesus. Who in your life has been “obsessed” in this way? What can you tell us about them? Would you be willing to stand up in front of the congregation on November 7 and (in 2 minutes) tell the congregation about this person? Would you be willing to take a few minutes to write down some thoughts about this person so that I can weave their life into my sermon?

I’m not looking for someone who is so extraordinary in their faith that none of us can relate to them. I’m looking for people who show by how they live that they love Jesus. If you have someone like that in your life, would you take a few minutes right now to let me know about them? Just send me an email and I’ll take care of the rest. In the email, let me know: who the person is; what category below best describes them; and a brief description/example of how they display that they fit the description.

While you’re reading through the list, spend some time asking which category best describes your own life of faith in Jesus and which category you would like to grow in.

1. LOVERS: People who are obsessed with Jesus give freely and openly, without censure. Obsessed people love those who hate them and can never love them back.

2. RISK TAKERS: People who are obsessed with Jesus aren’t consumed with personal safety and comfort above all else. Obsessed people care more about God’s Kingdom coming to this earth than their own lives being shielded from pain and distress.

3. FRIENDS OF ALL: People who are obsessed with Jesus live lives that connect them with the poor in some way or another. Obsessed people believe Jesus talked about money and the poor so often because it was very important to him. (1 John 2:4-6, Matthew 16:24-26)

4. CRAZY ONES: Obsessed people are more concerned with obeying God than doing what is expected or fulfilling the status quo. A person who is obsessed with Jesus will do things that don’t always make sense in terms of success or wealth on this earth. As Martin Luther put it, “There are 2 days on my calendar; this day and that day.” (Luke 14:25-35, Matthew 7:13-23,Revelation 3:1-6)

5. THE HUMBLE: A person who is obsessed with Jesus knows that the sin of pride is always a battle. Obsessed people know that you can never be “humble enough,” so they seek to make themselves less known and Christ more known. (Matthew 5:16)

6. SERVERS: People who are obsessed with Jesus do not consider service a burden. Obsessed people take joy in loving God by loving His people. (Matthew 13:44, John 15:8)

7. GIVERS – People who are obsessed with God are known as givers, not takers. Obsessed people genuinely think that others matter as much as they do, and they are particularly aware of those who are poor around the world.

8. SOJOURNERS – A person who is obsessed thinks about heaven frequently. Obsessed people orient their lives around eternity; they are not fixed only on what is here in front of them.

9. THE ENGROSSED – A person who is obsessed is characterized by committed, settled, and passionate love for God, above and before every other thing and every other being.

10. UNGUARDED ONES – People who are obsessed are raw with God; they do not attempt to mask the ugliness of their sins or their failures. Obsessed people don’t put it on God; He is their safe place, where they can be at peace.

11. THE ROOTED – People who are obsessed with God have an intimate relationship with Him. They are nourished by God’s Word throughout the day because they know that forty minutes on Sunday is not enough to sustain them for a whole week, especially when they will encounter so many distractions and alternative messages.

12. THE DEDICATED – A person who is obsessed with Jesus is more concerned with his or her character than comfort. Obsessed people know that true joy doesn’t depend on circumstances or environment; it is a gift that must be chosen and cultivated, a gift that ultimately comes from God. (James 1:2-4)

13. SACRIFICERS – A person who is obsessed with Jesus knows that the best thing he can do is be faithful to his Savior in every aspect of his life, continually saying “Thank you!” to God. An obsessed person knows there can never be intimacy if he is always trying to pay God back or work hard enough to be worthy. He revels in his role as child and friend of God. (Psalm 50:9-12, 14)

The Segue Team (planning, implementing and overseeing the budding small group ministry) is recommending that we as a church go through a series of messages in the fall based on Crazy Love, a book by Francis Chan. Many of us have already read the book; some have even gone through a small group discussion of it. Suffice it to say that those who are familiar with the book are very excited to have our entire congregation work through the thoughts presented there.

This video gives you a taste of Francis Chan and his heart for ministry and the church.

Welcome Video from Cornerstone Church on Vimeo.

Beginning on our kickoff Sunday, we will begin to focus our attention during the worship services to the ideas presented in the book. Our prayer is that this series of messages will really challenge us to take seriously God’s call on our lives and to ask, “Where are we at in following Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior?” Or, to ask it in a way more in keeping with the book, “How fully in love with God are we?”

More importantly, we will also be kicking off a number of small groups to “bring the message home.” We want the message and the ideas to literally be wrestled with in each one of our lives and in each one of our homes. These small groups will meet until Thanksgiving. In the winter of 2011, we will be offering more small groups focusing on a variety of different subjects.

So, what’s next? I need some help in thinking ahead! When we have done church-wide studies in the past, we have usually used materials supplied by others – including worship helps, visual ideas, etc. This time, we’re going it alone! To do this well, I/we need some help in brainstorming.

We’re looking for creative people who will be able to join together either June 29 from 9:00 – 10:30 at church or July 1 from 7:00 – 8:30 at my new house. In these meetings, I will present the overall vision for the study and begin to elicit some creative ways that we can visually draw our congregation in to the message. This may involve decorations in the Worship Center or Gathering Place, but could also be videos during worship, movie clips for during the sermon, thought-provoking items in the Gathering Place prior to worship, or…the skies the limit.

Following these two initial meetings, we will also gather on July 13th at 6:00 at the church to begin to draw the ideas together. We’ll have a potluck meal and enjoy some time together dreaming and planning.

If you are interested in helping, please let me know soon!

The game goes like this: go to the hardware store looking for help with something for which a solution has not yet been made. Ask for help. Watch them scratch their heads. Leave empty-handed. If it doesn’t seem fruitful or fun to you…make your own game! I enjoy this one. What I especially like is that often, while we’re walking the aisles, I find something that I can make work to do what I want.

OK, so you want an example. I have been missing a knob on my car stereo for years…like, at least 9 years. I decided it was time to fix it, so I went to the hardware store to buy a knob. Did they have one? No. So the game began. As I walked the aisles, I noticed two things that I might be able to make work. One was a nylon tube that I figured I could cram on to the knob holder thingy and it would be easier to grab and spin than that thin piece of metal. I also found a cork. I figured I could cram that on to the metal piece and spin it. It worked…or a day. Then it stripped out in the middle.

Anyway, I thought I would let you in on the fun…but at my expense rather than the hardware folks’. So, here’s the game: throw me a question that you would like to have answered in a sermon. It could be a passage that you don’t understand or a parable that leaves you scratching your head. Perhaps you’re baffled by a concept (grace, justice, the rapture, etc.) or are looking for advice in an area of your life. Take your best shot!

How can you get your questions to me? Well, go to pastorcal.com and leave a comment, for one. Or send me an email. If you want a low-tech solution, there is a box currently labeled The Power of One on the table as you come in the front door. Drop a question/note/comment in the box and let me help you wrestle with the concept in a sermon this summer.

One caveat: the questions are due on or before May 7. The following Wednesday, the Worship Planning Team will be meeting and they’ll want to know what is coming up in order to plan worship services.

As the old Pat Benatar song went, “Hit me with your best shot!”

• look at the basics of the Christian faith;
• investigate the reasons behind church membership;
• discuss the purpose behind what we do (and don’t do) as a congregation; and
• talk about expectations that we have for our members (and why!).

You might be thinking that the only thing we’re leaving out is the kitchen sink. But wait! There’s more! I would also like to have two discussion opportunities. I’ll arrange for there to be a light dinner so that we can eat and talk. The first one will be on April 18. While all questions will be good questions, I’d like to especially focus on the Christian Reformed Church in particular – our theology, our history and our various ministries. On the sixth (and final) Sunday (May 16), I’ll again have a light lunch available after the service. This time will be more open-ended. I will do my best to answer any questions that you have about the expectations of members OR what to do next if you would like to become a member of Bethel Church or…whatever is on your mind.

I will be sending out a letter this week to those I think are considering membership at Bethel. This letter will include more details, especially about the membership process at Bethel. If you don’t receive a letter, don’t feel hurt. Just come to Bonnie or myself and we will get you a copy of the letter.

By the way, there will be a separate class available for any youth that are interested in publicly professing their faith in Jesus Christ. If you sense that you are ready to take this official step in following Jesus, please talk to Jason Ruis or Pastor Cal.

Through the Valley to Joy