every single injustice.

a few weeks ago rick talked about justice in his sermon. he also talked about mercy and grace, and a whole host of other things, but much of it hinged on justice.

in said sermon he also reminded me of something i knew, but had forgotten. God hears the cries of every injustice. every. single. one. he hears the cries of the hearts of his creation. 

every one of us calls out to him for justice. the blood of abel cried out from the ground. God hears us. 

it is awe-inspiring, and somewhat haunting. think of the sheer amount of injustice in the world. our God lives in the midst of that cacophony constantly. crying out to him. begging for justice. begging to be made right.

our heavenly father is the only one who can judge, and he will judge one day - sooner or later.

but the easiest thing to do upon recognizing injustice is to put our own selves in the seat of the judge. i do this far too often. i put on my judicial robe, and pick up my gavel, and i get all confused about my place in the world. no, NO. God will judge. not me.

and while i pray for those who are hurting, for those who are in situations so horrific and unbelievable that i don't even like to think about them, i'm also called to act sometimes. to put my money where my mouth is, so-to-speak. but that's not really what i want to get at right now. because we all know that already, and we're hopefully acting on it already.

what i really want to get at is something else rick mentioned during his sermon. do you pray for the people responsible for the horrific situations?

do you pray for not just the prostitutes, but for the pimps, and the clients? for the slaves AND the slave-owners? for the gang leaders? for the drug dealers? for the people committing the unspeakable acts? 

do i pray for the serial killers? for the murderers? for the rapists?

do i recognize that no one, NO ONE, is beyond God's reach? that God is big enough to reach and transform anyone. that no one is ever too far gone for him. he will go to the ends of the earth to rescue one lost sheep. do i recognize that "there but for the grace of God, go i?"

and that is where the mercy and the grace come into play. it comes through redemption, through the only one who can redeem.

i am so thankful that God is a just God who hears all of the injustices in the world. i am thankful he saved a wretch like me. and i am thankful that he can use anyone, no matter what.   no. matter. what.

xo,

katie

Enough?

I've been reading through the book of Mark and last week I read a passage that hit me in a whole new way, God used it to breathe a fresh breath of freedom into my heart and to free me from a question that nags me far too often...  "Am I doing enough?"

In Chapter 13, verses 32-37, Jesus is telling His disciples that no one knows the time of the coming of the Son of Man, so "be on your guard, keep awake."  

In verses 34-36, He compares it to a man who goes on a journey...  "It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his servants in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to stay awake.  Therefore, stay awake - for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or in the morning - lest he come suddenly and find you asleep." 

I have to admit, worry gripped me...  I wrote in my journal, "What does that mean?  How do I apply that?"  What I was really wondering was, "How do I know if I'm awake?  How do I know if I am I doing enough?"

But as I went back over the verses...  Verse 34 jumped out at me, "He put the servants in charge, each with his work"...  They weren't out saving the world, they were simply serving the Master in the way they HE, the Master, had given them serve to him...  It wasn't about the significance of the task, it was about their faithfulness to the Master in how they served him... It was about persevering in obedience.

God just wants our heart and our faithful obedience to serve Him in the work He has given us...  Maybe that's in the home...  In the workplace...  At church...  Maybe it's making a significant impact on something out in the world, or maybe it's making an impact on your children, your husband, your neighbors or people in your workplace.

The question isn't, "Am I doing enough?"  The question is, "Am I faithfully serving God in the way He has directed me?"  THAT, my sisters in Christ, is freedom!  If your heart's desire is to serve God and obey Him, trust Him to make clear the work He has for you and then go do it!  

Joyfully Free!

Sharla

Naturally Negative?!?

One of the symptoms of our sinful natures is the tendency to be negative.  Don’t get me wrong, many people I know are optimistic and if you are fortunate to have this as part of your personality, I believe you are very blessed.  However, I tend to struggle with negativity.  Whether this was learned, inherited or simply developed over time, negativity is something I have had to actively combat. 

After beginning this article in the morning, I found myself in a conversation that illustrated this point.  I was with a group of ladies and one individual (with a rather strong personality) spoke very negatively about a large community event which I had been part of and heard only good reports.  Her complaints were largely personal inconveniences and frustrations.  Rather than glomming on with my own small annoyances (which was my first inclination), I attempted to talk about the event as a whole and the positive impact it had on the community.  I found that the negativity quickly became the topic of the conversation…..so much for my leadership skills. 

That is not to say we should put on rose colored glasses and see everything as glowing.  However, when you look at the larger picture, there is much to be thankful for.  We live in a community that is safe from daily violence; we have enough food, water and medicine; we enjoy economic and political stability; and the list goes on.  When I find myself frustrated by my to-do list, inconveniences such as traffic, my own sense of self worth, or worries about situations beyond my control – I ask God for His perspective.  I am always surprised when God reminds me of all that He has done for me, all that He does for the world and the hope I have for eternity.  God tells us through Paul that in all things we are to give thanks. 

The question is do I chose to give thanks or do I glom on to negative comments, frustrating situations, inconveniences, self-doubt, worry?  There’s an anonymous quote that I am trying to practice with more regularity:  “Every day may not be good, but there’s something good in every day.”

May you find something particular good in today and in the days to come -- Cynthia

Bible Study

Except for a break this spring, I have been in Vine Life Bible studies for eight years. I took the break so that I could do a Bible study on my own about marriage. Here's how that went:

By the third lesson I thought, "Huh. I bet I could teach this!"

By the fourth lesson I thought, "There's NO WAY I could ever teach this. I have so much to learn about loving my husband."

And guess what? I never made it to the fifth lesson. I allowed myself to get distracted by the tyranny of the urgent.

What I learned was that I need the accountability of a group Bible study. So I have already signed up for a women's Bible study at church this fall.

I can't wait! I miss the group discussions and the great teaching. I miss being around Truth seekers. I miss hearing the hearts of other women and growing spiritually together. I miss how God leads it all!

I hope you will consider being in a Vine Life Bible study this fall. There are groups on Monday and Tuesday evenings and Wednesday and Saturday mornings. The information on each has been in the church newsletter, in e-mail, in the bulletin, etc. Women of various ages and spiritual backgrounds attend.

To register, stop by the Fellowship Hall this Sunday, Sept. 8 or use the Keeping in Touch form. If you have any questions about signing up, contact Laura Bansek (Women's Ministry Director) at laura@stonebridge.org.

- Kathryn Truden

this fall.

i am so ready for fall. so ready. growing up in pittsburgh means that i am used to fall actually being here by the time the calendar says "autumnal equinox," so i still get antsy for it every time the calendar turns to september [or in this case, is anywhere close to it!].

yes, i adore fall.

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i mean, what's not to love?

what does this have to do with anything? you ask. valid question. 

stay with me.

have you ever thought about God's grace in relation to the seasons? we could live in a world where the weather never changed at all. where every day monotonously followed the one before. where the word "season" simply denoted the changes in life, if it existed at all.

but God blessed us with changes of season. every day does not look the same. and if you are anything like me, that is a good thing. 

but not only that. not only did God give us changes in the seasons, he made them all beautiful and wonderful. he gave us constant reminders of birth, and growth, and death, and rebirth.

he didn't have to give us trees, but he did. he didn't have to give us a variety of trees, but he did. he didn't have to cause the leaves on those trees to turn brilliant colors as they age and die, but he did.

to me, fall is a reminder of so many things that we are blessed with, but don't deserve. it's easy to wish things were different - to wish things were better, or more than they are - but take a look at the many things we have that we don't have to have. the things we take for granted as just being a part of life.

God's abundant grace overflows daily, even in something as simple as the changing of the seasons.

so as you send your kids off to school, cozy up under a blanket, sit next to a bonfire, or simply notice the changing colors of the leaves, remember how much God loves you. remember that he created it all, and he made it good and beautiful. and remember that no matter what season of life you are in right now, his mercies are new every morning.

happy fall to you!

xo,

katie

Where Are You Rooted?

"Tree roots anchor the tree in the soil, keeping it straight and stable, and absorb water from the soil. Tree roots also take nutrients out of the soil and use them to produce what they need for the tree’s growth, development, and repair." (from the internet)

 

I know, kind of an odd way to start a Vine Life blog...  Why on earth do you need to know about tree roots?  But Doug's sermon on Sunday (you're going to have to stay with me a little longer for this to make sense!) reminded me of something I read years ago, "A tree draws 98% of all that it needs for life through its roots."  I'm not an arborist, so I can't completely verify that percentage, but I know for certain that roots are essential to the growth and life of a tree...  And as a believer, our root system is equally important!

 

Colossians 2:6-7 says, "As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving."

 

"Rooted in Christ..."  If I think about my life compared to a tree, I need to ask myself...  Are my roots firmly anchored in Him?  Is He (and His Word) my nourishment?  Do I draw living water from Him?  Do I trust Him to be the source of all that I need?  Or am I looking somewhere else to find life?

 

In Doug's sermon, we saw how Lot trusted all the wrong things to give him the life he desired and if you remember, when God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, it caused him a lot of misery.  And that's what happens when we root our hearts in something (or someone) besides Christ.  We may not lose our physical life, like Lot's wife, but we lose the abundant life that Jesus came to give us!

 

Let's take a few minutes today and ask God to show us if we're trying to draw life from somewhere else besides Jesus.  I think it's pretty safe to say that most of us will have some area of our life that God, our Master Gardner, will show us is in need of some serious care.  Don't be afraid to surrender that area of your life to Him and trust Jesus to be the strength and portion of your heart (Psalm 73:26)!

Happy "heart" gardening!

Sharla        

Busy

Is it possible to be busy in our culture and at peace? I wonder.

So many times when I ask my friends how they are, they say, "Busy!" with a sigh of exasperation.

It saddens me.

Much of our busyness in America is our own choice, but most people don't see it that way.

Their child simply must be in three sports and they wouldn't be "good Christians" if they didn't serve on four committees. I've been there, done that.

We have forgotten a powerful, grace-filled word: NO.

One of my favorite quotes is "The enemy of the best is the good." We choose daily between good and best (or sometimes even bad). Do we spend our time on good things or BEST things? And what are the best things?

I think they are God, my husband, my children, then the rest of life. In that order.

But I sure don't always act that way.

Jesus was busy obeying His father and doing His will. So it's okay to be busy as long as we are doing what God wants us to. Christ was purposeful and peaceful. To be at peace means we are not at conflict with God, which means we submit to His will. We recognize our place in His grand story and trust that the Author will finish His work.

I want to be like that - doing what God tells me: no more, no less. Taking on His agenda and not my own (so hard!). Saying no to the many possibilities and yes to the assignments God has clearly given me.

What are you saying no to this week? How are you choosing what's on the fall calendar?

Be busy, yes, but be at peace.

- Kathryn