St. Paul's Christian Ed

2012-02-27T08:40:00.001-06:00

lent2012

“Give it up!”

27 February

Think of someone you need to thank and write them an old-fashioned thank you note. Even if it’s just to say “thank you for being you.”

Click on the "Give It Up!" link on the left tab for today's devotional.

This Sunday, look at your life through heaven's eyes

2012-02-26T12:45:00.000-06:00

2012-02-26T12:27:00.001-06:00

lent2012

“Give it up!”

26 February

Sundays are actually “in” Lent but not “of” Lent. Sundays aren’t counted in the 40 days because Sunday is always a “little Easter.” Try shouting for joy somewhere, sometime today because it’s a “little Easter.”

Click on the "Give It Up!" link on the left tab for today's devotional.

2012-02-26T12:26:00.001-06:00

lent2012

“Give it up!”

25 February

Make time today for the one you love and for God. Each minute is a brick in your life’s bridge, not only over troubled waters and loss, but to a million cherished memories.

Click on the "Give It Up!" link on the left tab for today's devotional.

2012-02-26T12:24:00.001-06:00

lent2012

“Give it up!”

24 February

Lent is a season of repentance, of being sorry for the things you have done wrong. Note: it is not a season to feel sorry for yourself because of all the things that other people have done wrong.

Click on the "Give It Up!" link on the left tab for today's devotional.

2012-02-23T14:53:00.001-06:00

lent2012

“Give it up!”

23 February

Lent commemorates the 40 days Jesus spent wandering in the wilderness. Go for a solitary wander through your neighborhood, with no destination in mind. Notice everything. Notice yourself.

Click on the "Give It Up!" link on the left tab for today's devotional.

2012-02-22T09:16:00.005-06:00

lent2012

“Give it up!”

22 February / Ash Wednesday

Fasting is an ancient tradition. Fast from something, say wine or meat, that you would normally eat or drink today.

Click on the "Give It Up!" link on the left tab for today's devotional.

2012-02-20T13:31:00.001-06:00

Today

small things
with great love

or don’t go out the door.

Friday, February 17

2012-02-08T09:39:00.005-06:00

Two rocking events coming up

Friday, Feb. 17

Children’s Valentine’s Party

6-8pm in Guild Hall

Join us for Bible-themed games, food and fun as we explore God’s great LOVE!

for 3 y.o.–6^th grade

ROB BELL

“The Gods Aren’t Angry”

Where did the first caveman or cavewoman get the idea that somebody, somewhere existed who needed to be worshipped, appeased, and followed?

And how did the idea evolve that if you didn't say, do, or offer the right things, this being would be upset, agitated, or even angry with you?

Where did religion come from?

Join us for video & discussion @ 6pm in the parlor

*Running Time: 01:29:04.

Audio: English. Subtitles: English, Spanish.

www.thegodsarentangry.com

For more info, check out the tab on left...

Rob Bell: "The Gods Aren't Angry" Trailer

2012-02-08T09:31:00.000-06:00

2012-01-20T10:51:00.001-06:00

Good Morning Everyone,

I'd like to introduce you to

Harrison John Clark
Born January 13 at 6:59pm
8lbs 13.7oz
21 inches long

Thank you for all of your prayers, good wishes, and support! He's a big, beautiful, healthy baby boy who loves his grub, sleeps like a rock, and doesn't mind me rocking out on my guitar in the house.

Hilary did awesome! Mom and baby are healthy and well.

God is good!

-Jordan

'Beautiful Outlaw' by John Eldredge

2011-12-22T09:11:00.000-06:00

this one goes out to the 7th grade confirmation class

2011-11-17T16:17:00.000-06:00

delight

2011-11-17T09:14:00.001-06:00

loving well is the goal of the christian life.

from Peter Scazzero's Emotionally Healthy Spirituality:

As emotionally mature Christian adults, we recognize that loving well is the essence of true spirituality. This requires that we experience connection with God, with ourselves, and with other people. God invites us to practice his presence in our daily lives. At the same time, he invites us “to practice the presence of people,” within an awareness of his presence, in our daily relationships. The two are rarely brought together.

Jesus’ profound, contemplative prayer life with his Father resulted in a contemplative presence with people. Love is “to reveal the beauty of another person to themselves,” wrote Jean Vanier. Jesus did that with each person he met. This ability to really listen and pay attention to people was at the very heart of his mission. It could not help but move him to compassion. In the same way, out of our contemplative time with God, we, too, are invited to be prayerfully present to people, revealing their beauty to themselves.

The religious leaders of Jesus’ day, the “church leaders” of that time, never made that connection. They were diligent, zealous, and absolutely committed to having God as Lord of their lives. They memorized the entire books of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. They prayed five times a day. They tithed all their income and gave money to the poor. They evangelized. But they never delighted in people. They did not link loving God with the need to be diligent, zealous, and absolutely committed to growing in their ability to love people. For this reason, they criticized Jesus repeatedly for being a “glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and ‘sinners’” (Matthew 11:19). He delighted in people and life too much.

Jesus refused to separate the practice of the presence of God from the practice of the presence of people. When pushed to the wall to separate this unbreakable union, Jesus refused. He summarized the entire Bible for us: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments” (Matthew 22:37-40).

…

In a healthy or mature relationship, I recognize that I am made in the image of God and so is every other person on the face of the earth. Because of that reality, every person deserves respect—that is, I treat them with dignity and worth. I do not dehumanize or objectify them. I affirm them as having a unique and separate existence apart from me.

Sesame Street: Outdoors with Jason Mraz

2011-09-19T10:52:00.001-05:00

faithful

2011-09-19T10:06:00.003-05:00

"It is good to praise the Lord
and make music to your name, O Most High,
to proclaim your love in the morning
and your faithfulness at night..."
-Psalm 92

from "Still Speaking"--the ucc devotional

Excerpt from Psalm 105:1-6,37-45

"O give thanks to the Lord, call on God's name, make known God's deeds among the peoples. Sing to God, sing praises to God, tell of all God's wonderful works."

Reflection by Quinn G. Caldwell

A couple of years ago, I was coming up out of a Boston T station and was arrested by the sight of a huge banner covering one entire exterior wall of a downtown church. It was there to celebrate the church's bicentennial: in letters that were three feet high if they were an inch, the sign proclaimed, "Celebrating 200 years of God's Faithfulness."

I remember feeling a bit convicted by that banner. The various signs and banners on my church have lots of different purposes, most of them more or less holy: some are invitational, some informational, some inspirational. But one way or another, they all have the same agenda: get people to come inside and join us. Of course, there's nothing wrong with that: I believe good, gracious, faithful stuff happens in my church, and I'm eager to have people join us in it.

But this other church? They spent a whole bunch of money on a sign that did nothing but glorify God. Nothing but proclaim, on one of the busiest corners in Boston, that God is faithful. Nothing but tell the world that God can be trusted. Seems to me the world can use just a little bit more of that.

How has God been faithful to your church over the years? What promises has God kept to your community, and how?

Who are you going to tell, and how?

tears of joy

2011-09-09T09:54:00.000-05:00

discussing "velvet elvis" last night, we shared some of those moments in life where we realize that we are part of something bigger, grander, and more beautiful than ourselves and stand in total awe at the sacredness and connectedness of it all--things like a sunset, a baby being born, the way the fog hangs on the hills in the morning, or the view from rib mountain.

we celebrate the big, extraordinary moments and the simple, everyday ones. there are miracles all around us, people and situations that are touched by God, and we are learning a little more everyday to open our eyes to them.

these are some videos that bring tears of joy to my eyes. the first two are from mr. holland's opus and the third a video a friend sent me on facebook. you can be sure as you're watching these that i'm off slobbering like a baby somewhere. man, this mr. holland stuff gets me every time!

the set up to video numero uno
mr. holland has dedicated his life to music. he wants to create a great symphony, a great masterpiece; accumulate fame and money as a great composer. but like so many great plans and dreams in our lives, he finds himself in a job he did not expect--a high school music teacher. as he builds the program, he builds family, and when his son is born they find out the boy is deaf, a terrible blow to a music man. and as the boy grows into a young man, mr. holland finds a way for his son to experience the joy of music.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e3rjthuTCFM

there is great power in love. how mr. holland delights in his son reveals in part what God is like. someone once said it like this:

"the lord your God is with you,
he is mighty to save;
he will take great delight in you,
he will quiet you with his love,
he will rejoice over you with singing."

i like thinking about those verses (check out zephaniah 3:17).

numero dos
years later, mr. holland is forced into retirement when the music program is cut. he feels that he has failed as a musician and that ultimate success has eluded him. dejected, he walks down the hallway for the last time, his family at his side.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ng3l4vEN3Dk

y tres
i’ll use the words straight from the site:

A true story

One day a son asks his father:
"Daddy, will you run a marathon with me?"
The father answers yes and both run their first marathon together.
One day the son asks his father if he wants to run the marathon with him again
and the father answers yes. They both run the marathon together again.
Then one day the son asks his father:
"Daddy, will you run the Ironman with me?"
(The Ironman is the toughest...it requires a 4km swim, 180km biking and 42km running)
The father says yes again.
This all sounds easy--but check out this video.

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=1301819980936

God is good!

life is good.

today, let’s keep our eyes open to life and celebrate it--and send a shout out to the one who created it. we have much to be thankful for...

have a great weekend

-j

food for thought

2011-09-08T15:04:00.000-05:00

Psalm 24

The earth is the Lord's

and everything in it,

the world,

and all who live in it...

food for thought
our christian books discussion group is reading "velvet elvis" by rob bell. this morning as i sat by the kitchen table, sunlight streaming in through the window, fending sully off from my coffee and breakfast, i came across this quote. i've been turning it over all day.

My understanding is that to be Christian is to do whatever it is that you do with great passion and devotion. We throw ourselves into our work because everything is sacred.

with great passion and devotion...because everything is sacred. that means all we say and do, our interactions, our friendships, our work--those things are all touched by God? conversation while walking the dogs? sitting at the table for a meal? cheering the packers on to victory tonight? you bet. let's kick it up a notch. picking up the kids from school? scrambling home to make dinner? chores? dishes? Holy. Holy. Holy. Holy. (Cubs win? Holy Cow--sorry, couldn't resist).

may each of us

slow

down

enough

today

to fully appreciate the sacred all around us.

especially in the routine,

especially in the ordinary things.

The Parable of the Weeds

2011-09-01T10:43:00.001-05:00

Today our Bible Study group is taking a look at Matthew 13. Good stuff, and reading through, I came across the Parable of the Weeds:

"God's kingdom is like a farmer who planted good seed in his field. That night, while his hired men were asleep, his enemy sowed thistles all through the wheat and slipped away before dawn. When the first green shoots appeared and the grain began to form, the thistles showed up, too.

"The farmhands came to the farmer and said, 'Master, that was clean seed you planted, wasn't it? Where did these thistles come from?'

"He answered, 'Some enemy did this.'

"The farmhands asked, 'Should we weed out the thistles?'

"He said, 'No, if you weed the thistles, you'll pull up the wheat, too. Let them grow together until harvest time. Then I'll instruct the harvesters to pull up the thistles and tie them in bundles for the fire, then gather the wheat and put it in the barn.'"

Our youth group heard an awesome message on this same passage during our return trip from Kentucky. We attended Blackhawk Church in Verona, WI. The teaching is titled, "Already, Not Yet" by Pastor Tim and I wanted to share it with you.

http://www.blackhawkchurch.org/sunday/this-weeks-message/message-archive/?sermon_id=33

May we turn our attention, energy and focus to building up the wheat in this world,
and leave the weed-pulling to God.

Enjoy! -J

Fun fact: Our kids were sitting front row, so you might hear them at some point during audience response. At one point, Pastor Tim fires up his weedwhacker. Incidentally, one of our youth, Surge, after a long week of volunteering and working and falling off cliffs, had fallen into a light doze. So I guess you could say the WHIIRRRRR of the whacker caught him a bit offguard. In other words, if you hear BZZZZT!!! followed by a scream followed by hushed laughter, that was us.

Updates

2011-08-19T11:40:00.001-05:00

CHECK OUT THESE UPDATES FOR THE FALL SEASON:

CHRISTIAN BOOKS DISCUSSION GROUP
LIFEGROUPS
RECOUNTING ASP ADVENTURES (TALES FROM OUR ROCKIN' YOUTH MISSION TRIP)
KID'S SUNDAY SCHOOL
THE SUNDAY EXPERIENCE
CONFIRMATION NEWS NEWS NEWS
AND LASTLY (BUT NOT LEASTLY), OUR BOLD & FEARLESS YOUTH GROUP!!!

"The Lord your God is with you, He is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you. He will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing..." -Zephaniah 3:17

from the rooftops

2011-06-27T08:25:00.002-05:00

We'd like to send a SHOUT OUT to Wausau Breakfast Optimists for their awesome support of our trip!

Thanks also to Jake Riiser and Kimpossible Doescher for helping out with field maintenance at the baseball tourney at Doepke Park this weekend. Way to respresent!

Devin Kell stepped up to the plate and absolutely rocked the scoreboards. Heard only great comments and compliments on your work this weekend. Great job, bud!

What a great start to the week!

Blessings,

J

youth trip

2011-06-16T10:36:00.000-05:00

Heading out to NOAH'S ARK at 7am.

Pack a water bottle, sunscreen, towel, extra clothes and whatever spending money you want to bring.

We don't leave till they kick us out! (...hopefully that's not earlier than when the park closes)

See you bright and early!

spontaneous dance party, baby!

2011-06-07T08:29:00.000-05:00

Is there anything better than large groups of people having fun and spreading joy?

Check out this video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WkBepgH00GM

extravagant love

2011-03-24T11:40:00.000-05:00

ordinary

things

with

extraordinary

love.

"Mostly what God does is love you. Keep company with him and learn a life of love. Observe how Christ loved us. His love was not cautious but extravagant. He didn't love in order to get something from us but to give everything of himself to us. Love like that."
-Ephesians 5:1-2 (MSG)

matthew 5:14-16

2011-03-24T09:07:00.000-05:00

Dear God,

Let us praise you in the way you love best by shining on those around us.

Let us preach you without preaching, not by words but by our example,

by the catching force, the sympathetic influence of what we can do,

the evident fullness of the love our hearts bear to you.

Amen.

God's Gift of Play and Playfulness

2011-01-11T15:43:00.000-06:00

The World Needs Play

What do most Nobel Laureates, renowned creative artists, and successful entrepreneurs have in common? They PLAY throughout their lives.
87% of parents believe PLAY contributed to their success as adults.
Play is so important to optimal child development, it has been recognized by the U.N. High Commission for Human Rights as a right of every child.
Play is essential for developing our sense of equality, connectedness, and concern for others.
"You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation." -Plato
"Play is the highest form of research." -Albert Einstein
Playing outdoors instills in children a sense of peace and being at one with the world.
In studies, anxiety levels of children who played dropped by more than twice as much as those who did not.
"Play shapes the brain, opens the imagination, and invigorates the soul." -Stuart Brown, MD
"The debt we owe to play of the imagination is incalculable." -Carl Jung
89% of pediatricians believe play helps kids from becoming overweight.
90% of teachers believe physically active children are better able to learn and are better behaved in the classroom. -Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
Play builds strong family bonds and encourages open expression of feelings.
"Play is one of life's fundamental principles as basic and necessary as sleep and vitamins." -Stuart Brown, MD
Play has been scientifically proven to create neural networks and help resolve cognitive difficulties.
"Imagination is more important than knowledge." -Albert Einstein
"Children are the world's most valuable resource and its best hope for the future." -John F. Kennedy
"To get the full value of joy, you must have somebody to divide it with." -Mark Twain
"Man is most nearly himself when he achieves the seriousness of a child at play." -Heraclites
"It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men." -Frederick Douglass
"We don't stop playing because we grow old. We grow old because we stop playing." -George Bernard Shaw