Last month two members of our church went to an orphanage in Africa for children who have HIV and those who have lost their parents to the virus as well. There were over 20 kids staying at this particular orphanage, which was started by a woman who adopted her nephew after his parents died from Aids and she wanted to help others in the same circumstances.

We were asked to help participate in this trip in a great way. No, not by going to Africa, but by helping to raise shoes, socks, medicine and games/toys for these children. We filled at least one big suitcase, if not two with all kinds of goodies! And it seems as if the kids loved their treats!

This reminds me of a teaching from Jesus about loving all people. He says in Matthew 5:42 "Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you." And this is what we are called to do daily in our lives.

The youth group has also "adopted" a girl name Ioana. She is affiliated with Global Hope and lives in Romania at an orphanage. The proceeds that we get from selling food in the youth room go to help support Ioana, but we could always use more money. If you can help, please, we will take whatever you can give.

There are many opportunities that we have where we get to give to others who are less fortunate in necessities than we are. We just need to see these moments and seize these moments. That is the message Jesus taught and as followers of Christ we are called to action.

For me the Super Bowl is best for it's commercials. And this year there were a few good ones, but the one that I was the most excited for was the one in 3-D. Which, if you saw it, was a disappointment. Chuck on Monday night was a little better, but I was expecting to be wowed with the 3-D technology.
I guess nothing ever compares to the real thing. Usually generic cola doesn't quite taste like Pepsi. Or paper suckers aren't quite as sweet as real suckers (that one was made up). But you know what I mean. The orignal is always the best.
In Romans chapter 6 Paul speaks to us about the real thing. "1What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? 2By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? 3Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life."
You see, there are things in life that we try to put our hope in. Friends, boyfriend/girlfriend, grades, sports, music... the list could go on and on. But the only real thing that we are able to put our hope in is the Son of God, Jesus. We have been baptized into Christ and we no longer live. Instead Christ lives in us. Jesus is the Real Thing. We are the real thing with Jesus.
Are you living like you are the real thing, or are you living generically? Trying to fit in with this world, or bringing God's world to people?
I think we should stop trying to live for 3-D that always disappoints and instead live for Reality, bringing God to others.

Texting Craziness

How many of you text? I would also include myself in this group of textors, although I am a light-weight. Last week I read an article
about a girl who sent 14,528 texts ( http://www.nypost.com/seven/01112009/news/nationalnews/this_kids_a_text_maniac_149614.htm) . Now I know what you are thinking; “That is nothing. I send more than that in a year.” Ah, but this
wasn’t in a year, this was in one month! This works out to 484 texts a day or about one text message every two minutes (according to the
NY Post). Now I feel rather hypocritical saying this, because I also text and feel that there are a lot of advantages to this technology,
Marta (my wife) disagrees. But this is a little extreme. What is happening with our society? Are we becoming to detached from real
interaction?
In the book of Acts it talks about the acts of the early church, hence the title Acts (did you know that one?) This book is a book about
community, togetherness, interaction and people. This book is not about texting and the internet. It is not about anonymity but instead it
is about being known. There is a rather odd story found in Acts 5 about two people, Ananias and Sapphira. This married couple wanted
to follow what others were doing, and sell some land to give the money to the community. This was a time where people were caring for
each other, they were together and interacted as one. Many people were selling their personal possessions for the better good of their
friends and their community. No longer did they seek privacy and being unconnected, but instead sold what they had in order to connect
better.
So, this couple, Ananias and Sapphira, sold land but withheld some of the money, even though they claimed to be giving the full amount.
They talked about being united, yet they stayed anonymous. Unfortunately the story goes that they both were struck dead for their lies,
but that is not the main point. They tried to stay apart from people. They tried to care in words but not in deeds. They tried to live a lie
and they ended up getting pushed further away from the community.
Texting can be the same way. Are you avoiding someone when you text? Are you trying to stay secluded? Who can you interact with
today? Who can you be “God with skin on” to?

Pete's Summer Reading List

School is out... the pool is open and the Rockies are losing. All signs of summer approaching.

Here are a list of books I suggest giving a read this summer:
Blue Like Jazz - by Donald Miller - A great book that will make you rethink how you think.
Through Painted Deserts - by Donald Miller
Searching for God Knows What - by Donald Miller - The sequel to Blue Like Jazz
To Own A Dragon - by Donald Miller - A must read for all males!
The Irresistible Revolution - by Shane Claiborne - Only read this book if you want to change.
Velvet Elvis - Rob Bell - WOW, that is all I can say!
The Great Divorce - C.S. Lewis - one of my all-time favorite books
The Screwtape Letters - by C.S. Lewis - Opened my eyes to Spiritual Warfare
Mere Christianity - by C.S. Lewis - a deep/in-depth look at Christianity
The Narnia Series - by C.S. Lewis - give them another read, they really speak of God's love
UnChristian - by Kinnamon and Lyons - a book about Christian stereotypes and what we can do to over come them.
The Practice of the Presence of God - by Brother Lawrence - wow, this dude was cool

Books I want to read this summer:

Jesus for President - by Shane Claiborne - just seems appropriate with the election soon approaching.
The Science of God - by Schroeder
New Seeds of Contemplation - by Thomas Merton
A Grief Observed - by C.S. Lewis - gotta read some Lewis this summer
Orthodoxy - by G.K. Chesterton

Enjoy this summer and pick up a book! If you need to borrow, let me know!

Connection

I was listening to an album that I haven't listened to for a while, Switchfoot's Nothing is Sound. This song made me start to think about our society and what we spend our money on.

If you have watched tv in the past 5 years, I am sure that you have noticed a trend of using lust to sell products. Why do we do this? Why do we use something that God has created as beautiful and "in His image" (Gen. 1:6)?

Why? I think that it is because people are lonely. Jon Foreman, the lead singer of Switchfoot, puts it best in the song with; "Everyone's been scared to death of dying here alone."

We are striving to connect to whatever we can. The internet, cell phones, reality television; whatever medium you use. The main goal is to connect with someone else.

We are starving for community. We are hungry for connectedness. And to try and feel connected, we sometimes seek it out in the wrong places.

Where are you connecting? Are you feeling connected at church? Are you feeling connected with your family? How can I help you connect to the right things?

Faith without Works is Dead

"Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.' Matthew 25:34-36

This parable, as told by Jesus, is one that has been speaking to me more and more the last couple of years. For the longest time I thought that my faith was something that was personal to me, but it is more than just my faith that is important. It goes beyond my singular existence. It goes on to how I treat others on a daily basis.

As I said, over the past couple of years I have been learning that my faith is not really about me. It is about God and others. In Matthew 25, Jesus was telling a story about people's saving faith and what it looks like. And the crux of it is in the above 3 verses. It looks like service to God and others. Not service to yourself.

That is why I am so excited for this summer. We are going to be starting on some new service options on a weekly or monthly basis. It is our way to reach out to people for God's glory and I hope that you are with me to do this.

We will be heading to Urban Peak, www.urbanpeak.org , to help serve lunch to homeless teens. We will also be going to Food Bank of the Rockies, www.foodbankoftherockies.org , to help sort food for non-profits around Denver. And we will be heading back to Elmshaven Nursing Home to help with Bingo on Wednesdays.

Keep an eye on the calendar and let's start working on making our faiths more than just about us.

Our Neighbor

When I was a little guy, I loved Mr. Rogers. I loved him so much that I even wanted a "Mr Rogers Haircut" when I went to get a trim. I was obsessed.

One of his favorite phrases was "Hello, neighbor". He was seeking all of us to feel connected, like neighbors. Revolutionary thought. Or was it?

After hearing of the horrible things that have happened in Myanmar (the cyclone) and China (severe earthquake) I think of what it means to be neighbors.

A friend of mine pointed out today that we are called to look at what we consider our neighbors and expand that out. These hurting people in Myanmar and China are our neighbors just like the family living next door to me is my neighbor.

Sometimes it is so easy to desensitize ourselves from the world because it doesn't affect our lives, but try thinking about a neighbor as being someone more than the person next door.

In Matthew 19:19, Jesus reminds us that we are to "love our neighbor as ourselves". This is a big commandment. Are you following it?

Last weekend was Marta's and my first anniversary and we spent it in Colorado Springs. At one point we were walking to a coffee shop to play some Cribbage when we were asked for some money for food from someone sitting on the street. Instead of giving money, we invited Joan to come and join us at the coffee shop.

She came and we talked for an hour. I would like to say that we blessed her life, but she truly blessed us more than we blessed her. It was one of the many highlights of our 1st Anniversary trip.

Who can you bless? What neighbor can you treat as you would treat yourself?

Try it out today!