Calendar of Events

The 2009-2010 calendar is now up

The Rock Mission

The end and the beginning…

It’s crazy to think that we are done with a year of the Rock already. It was a wonderful year for me, I hope it was for all of you as well. The year ended with a bang- Mark Morris came and shared some words of wisdom with us two weeks ago, and the seniors said good-bye with a cook out and 16″ Softball. I really enjoyed hearing about favorite memories from the Rock as well- nearly everyone really enjoyed the Mississippi trip and/or another serve trip. I think this is a great reflection of the type of people the seniors are- finding the most significant experience in the Rock to be one of service.  Of course, this is only a break for the Rock, we will still be doing fun things all summer long (Six Flags, Ultimate Frisbee, Summer Serve Trip) so be sure to check often to see what’s happening!

Relationships 101

This week we were graced by the insight and wisdom of three couples at various points in relationships. They shared their thoughts on a variety of issues from true love to high school relationships to sex to balancing friends and dating and more. A couple of highlights from the night:

1. Set your boundaries before getting involved with someone. Be sure to know how far you are comfortable going, and share this with another person to help keep you accountable.

2. Dating in high school isn’t bad, but you need to be careful because when a relationship ends those involved are hurt. Make sure you don’t spend too much time with your boyfriend/girlfried, keep spending time with your friends as well. Make time for guys night/girls night regularly.

3. True love comes from the source- to truly understand love you must know God, the source of love. Spend time getting to know God and you’ll be better able to understand true love. Tim also encouraged us to really look at the meaning of the word “love” and be sure you are using it only when you truly mean it.

Of course, there is much more that was discussed that night and if you missed it or want to talk to someone about dating, sex, or anything to do with relationships any of the panel members or your leaders are happy to talk with you!

“Daughters of Jerusalem, I charge you by the gazelles and by the does of the field: Do not arouse or awaken love until it so desires.” Song of Sogns 2:7. 3:5, 8:4

Is it normal for people…

How often do we compare ourselves to other people? We question whether something is normal based on what other people do, but the truth is, we need to define who we are based on only two things: God and ourselves. Of course, this is easy enough to talk about, but how do we actually start living this way? How do we shed the layers of protection we have accumulated over the years? I think about the video we watched at the last Rock and I think how easy they made it look to take off a t-shirt, and I think that in life it’s not actually that easy. But then I think about taking off one layer and that isn’t so difficult. I’m okay with taking off one shirt, it’s when I am stripped and wearing nothing that I really start to get uncomfortable. In order to get rid of my layers I must first recognize what they are. I cannot take off a shirt if I don’t know I’m wearing it. So start today by looking at what the different identities you hide behind are because until you are aware of them you cannot start to take them off. But don’t stop there, if you stop there nothing changes. Start by taking off one of the layers. And then keep taking them off. I’m not going to lie here, everyone from pre-school to your grandparents struggles with this. I find that often when I take off one layer, when I stop hiding behind one thing another thing comes in and takes its place. But that doesn’t mean it’s okay for me to stop trying. I think of Jacob wrestling with the angel. I don’t know about you, but when I think of wrestling I don’t think of something that’s easy and painless, I think of something intense and difficult, and usually the person winning changes regularly. Before we can embrace who we are as individuals and as Christians, we will spend a lot of time wrestling with our layers, and sometimes we may be winning, but then the tide will turn and we’ll be on the losing side. But we have the assurance that in this fight we aren’t alone and the ultimate victory has already been won, and our complete victory lies ahead. So, don’t run from who you are, but don’t hide behind layers that don’t really define you, don’t hide behind things the world says identify you. Join Jacob in the fight for embracing a new identity, you. At the end of the wrestling match when Jacob came out victorious his old name, meaning liar, deceiver, was gotten rid of, and he was given a new name, Israel- God’s chosen one. You also have a new name, Christian. Only when you are willing to give up your other names can you truly embrace this one. But hey, I’m still working on this too.

God Bless America…

It’s easy to look at the world around us and see only what we don’t have. I don’t have the newest video game. I don’t have a big screen tv, or a really nice car, or that new dress that all the stars are wearing. When I look around me, I feel bombarded by advertisements telling me that I need this, or I should get that, when in reality, I am already incredibly rich. I am already blessed beyond that of the overwhelming majority of people in the world. I am already part of an elite 8% of the world’s population that actually owns a car (and to be honest, it’s not a bad car at all). What’s more, even if I am poor by American standards (which I am not, and I think it safe to say, none of us here really are) I am still part of the country that controls 32% of the world’s wealth, a country that is only 5% of the world’s population. I am rich, I am blessed, and no matter how easy it is for me to feel otherwise, I must conciously strive to recognize every day how blessed I truly am. Deuteronomy 8:10-14 is a warning from God to Israel, but it is also a warning from God to Americans- take a minute to read it. Genesis 12:2 says, “I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing.” When I read this I am reminded that since I have been blessed, it is not a question of should I be a blessing, but I will be a blessing. I don’t have a choice really, as a blessed person, as a Christian, the only thing I can do is be a blessing to others. In the New Testament we read a parable Jesus told about talents. It is clear from this story that when you are trusted with much (blessed) it is not so that you can store it up for the future, but so you can put it to work, use it.When you look at your life, do you feel blessed? When you compare your life to another person’s, do you feel blessed?

You have been blessed. What can you give? Who will you bless?Here is a link to a page that offers some insight to just how blessed we are.

The World as a village of 100 people.

Survivor

The theme for the winter retreat was Survivor, and we certainly had to survive some cold weather! Luckily (I think) the kids didn’t seem to be affected by the below zero temps as much as the adults. We had a number of challenges including a freezing game of capture the flag and a very tasty baby food challenge (for some reason people didn’t seem to enjoy the baby food that much though…) The two teams: Team Mukwanago and Team Eskimo competed very well against one another and the winner came down to the last challenge when Team Eskimo pulled out the victory by only 50 points (each challenge was worth at least 100 points, so 50 is not that much). Saturday afternoon was spent outside in the freezing temperatures tobogganing, snow tubing, and playing a fierce game of broomball. We spent time talking about Peter and how our lives are a lot like his life and what we can learn from him because of this. Following each “tribal council” the students were sent to “exile island” for a time with God. They were encouraged to reflect on a specific question but also to just spend the time however they felt would be most beneficial to their relationship with God. I am sure the students that were there would love to tell you all about their favorite part! Don’t miss the pictures from the retreat here.

This little light of mine…

I keep coming back to this idea of being a light in the darkness. Last night we talked about how John the Baptist was preparing the way for the true Light to come and how when we start a revolution it is about bringing our single light and helping to turn on more lights as we go. Have you ever been someplace where they do a candle lighting ceremony? As you stand in the dark holding your unlit candle only one person has light, the leader. That person then lights another person’s candle, then they each light another candle, then those four light four more candles, those eight light eight more candles, and in a very short amount of time all the candles are lit. A revolution is like this, it begins with you having your light and then lighiting someone elses candle, then both of you light another, and your light grows exponentially. I’m not good at math, so I’m not going to try to do any here, but in just a few short passes you have reached a hundred people. That’s what I think most revolutions are, one person ready to take action and bringing another person along and they bring more and grow and grow. Sure, we may have the chance to be like Telemachus the monk who changed 80,000 people at one time, but more likely, we will create change one person at a time. I also think of the disciples. God trusted a group of 12 guys with the most important message ever- the resurrection Christ and forgiveness of our sin. Christianity started with 12 men, now there are billions of Christians. But remember, like with John the Baptist, like with the disciples, our revolution is not about us, it’s not about changing things for our sake, it’s about being change to create change in the name of Christ, for Christ’s sake. Are you willing to go to those around you and light their fires or are you going to hide your light under the bushel?

God in the Hard Stuff

Have you ever heard the story/poem called “Footprints”? It’s pretty cool.  

Footprints 

One night I dreamed I was walking along the beach with the Lord.
Many scenes from my life flashed across the sky.
In each scene I noticed footprints in the sand.
Sometimes there were two sets of footprints,
other times there were one set of footprints. This bothered me because I noticed
that during the low periods of my life,
when I was suffering from
anguish, sorrow or defeat,
I could see only one set of footprints. So I said to the Lord,
“You promised me Lord,
that if I followed you,
you would walk with me always.
But I have noticed that during the most trying periods of my life
there have only been one set of footprints in the sand.
Why, when I needed you most, you have not been there for me?”The Lord replied,
“The times when you have seen only one set of footprints in the sand,
is when I carried you.”

-Author Unknown

 Why do I share this with you? Well, in thinking about the story of Esther, I am struck by the absence of God’s name or any reference to God at all. It initially appears that this story about the deliverance of the Jews, about a young girl who chooses to do the right thing despite the personal cost, occurs without God’s working. However, when we look at the entire story and how it unfolds we see that from the time Esther was born through to the very moment the Jews are delivered from certain death God has played a very important, though initially missed part: God is the only one who could have orchestrated the specific set of events that occurred in such a fashion that Esther was in a position to save the Jews. It reminds me of this poem where the person walking thinks God is absent, but really, when he appears most absent is really when he is most needed, most involved, most powerfully working. Are you going through a hard time? Are you wondering where God is? Do you feel that God has abandoned you, that you are making it on your own? Take a moment to consider God’s role in the lives of Esther and the anonymous poet. Is it possible that despite what you think is God’s absence he really is present?  When you think about the story of Esther it becomes clear how intricately woven every aspect is, from Esther’s birth to the demise of Vashti to Esther becoming Queen and even Mordecai’s refusal to bow to Haman. Every piece of this story is needed for the events to work out. How is this part of your life maybe a piece of the story? Can you think of anything that God might be preparing you for right now? What challenges are you facing that might be molding you for your future? Remember, no matter what is going on, no matter how far away God may seem, no matter how certain you are he’s not there, his hand is guiding every moment of our lives and forming us into the specific “story”, specific person, he wants us to be. I hope this offers you the same hope it offers me in the struggles we face.

Me and Brad Pitt

Last night we talked about how well we really know God. I used the example of me and Brad Pitt. I know quite a bit about Brad Pitt, but I don’t really know him. In contrast, I also know a lot about my close friends, but what I know is more about who they are instead of just what they do. Our relationship with God is a lot like this. We can know a lot about God, like knowing the Ten Commandments, knowing about the Plagues, knowing how many books are in the Bible, knowing a lot of Bible stories, but not really know God. To really know God we must know Jesus his son by opening up our hearts to him and we must spend time with God. When we do this we change. It’s like you and your friends. If you are only nice to someone because your mom said you had to be or else you would be grounded that person isn’t really your friend. But, when you are nice to someone because you want to be they are a real friend. You do what you can to make your friends happy and not make them sad and/or angry.  When you live obeying the rules and learning the stories of the Bible because it’s what you are supposed to do, it’s like being nice because your mom said you had to. It’s not real. However, when you really know God you want to do what makes him happy (following the “rules”) and avoid doing the things that make him sad/angry (sin). As long as you are doing things out of obligation and not out of love they are actions without value. So, do you want to know God? Or are you content to remain unaffected, at a distance, like me and Brad Pitt? Do you want to care what makes God happy and sad and angry or do you prefer not caring and continuing what you are doing? Do you know God or do you just know ABOUT God?