Reformation Day at The River Academy

Did you know that October 31st is two holiday's in one? I'm sure you are all aware that Halloween is celebrated on October 31st but did you know it is also Reformation Day? I hear you asking, "What is Reformation Day?" It is the celebration of the Reformation which began in the early 1500's and ended up birthing the Protestant church movement. Martin Luther did not intend to break from the Catholic Church when he posted his 95 Theses to the church doors in Wittenberg, Germany in 1517. The Lutheran tradition began in 1520 when Martin Luther and his followers were excommunicated from the Catholic Church by the Pope.

The school Sue teaches at and that my kids attend, The River Academy, makes a big deal out of the day. The entire day is devoted to education about the reformation which climaxes in a period feast and game playing. There is archery, sword fighting, jousting and the children love it. The picture I have posted is of Sue and the girls in their costumes at the beginning of the day. Sue is a Lady in Waiting, Katie is a laundry maiden and Stephie was a beggar. They each won awards, Katie received a third place ribbon for her whole wheat bread and Steph received second place in the elementary ages for best over all costume. The best thing is they had fun!

A Thousand Questions

I first watched this video a few weeks ago in one of the many online services I scan each week. I found myself in tears by the end of this video. We're going to share it this week in our service as we celebrate our denominations 100th anniversary. The Church of the Nazarene began with an emphasis on meeting physical and emotional needs alongside the meeting of spiritual needs. May this video break your heart and move you to action and the fulfillment of God's redemption for this broken world.

Kids in service

The picture to the left was on page two of yesterday's Wenatchee World newspaper. Here is the caption that was included in the paper. "Camille Poe, 10, stuffs a sack into a garbage bag held by Katie King, 11, while a group of young people from a service project day camp put on by the Wenatchee Church of the Nazarene clean up Lincoln Park Wednesday. The group of more than 20 children has made lunches for the Hospitality House, flower planters for Haven of Hope, put on a program for residents of Blossom Valley Assisted Living, stacked clothes for a clothing giveaway, and will make care packages for the military today."

It's novel to see your child in the paper but it's much more satisfying to see young children getting outside of their natural human selfishness and serving others. A great big thank you to Karla for putting together Summer Day Camp and leading our children's department with her tireless energy and enthusiasm.

It's been a very busy last few weeks. Winding down to the end of Pastor Tom's sabbatical. I've been doing my best to keep my head above water so have not had time to make any blog posts.

Today, I thought I'd share the best instrumental on Bass guitar that I have probably ever heard. Enjoy.

Family Portrait

We haven't had a family picture in a long time. It was very over due. The girls are growing up so fast. I'm not one of those cheek pinching parents yet but I sure want to be.

Quietness can be scary

My family has been doing a lot of traveling the first half of the summer. I have been left at home alone by myself quite a bit while my wife and daughters visit family and friends. This week my girls are spending time with my parents in St. Maries, ID. Sue is at training in Moscow, ID for her new teaching job that begins in September. My solitude has allowed me a lot of time to think deeply. I am not a naturally introspective person so it is beneficial for me to have times of solitude in my life to think.......and to listen to God.

Jesus exemplified a life of active ministry to the masses and also to needy individuals. But he also modeled the human need for solitude and silence. There were many times when Jesus withdrew from the crowds (Matthew 14:13, Luke 5:16) and even his disciples at times to commune with God.

What about you, how long has it been since you had a quiet evening without TV, music, phone, internet or companionship with other people? Is it possible that God's voice is drowned out by all the noise we surround ourselves with? Go ahead, give it a try. Spend an evening of quiet with God and see what happens.

Total surrender

Most of you already know that my Lead Pastor is on sabbatical for the summer so I am the acting Lead Pastor for 3 months. Of course that means a lot of increased responsibility and the opportunity to experience some things I've never done before. One of those things has been preaching. I feel okay about the sermons for a guy that has had no real training, but I am under no allusions. At best, I am pretty rough and I don't want to talk about the worst. The interesting things is that somehow God uses my humble sacrifice. I guess it's that upside down thing at work again that seems to exemplify the Kingdom of God. God can use each of us in ways that we would never imagine if we would only give Him the opportunity. What are you holding back from God?