Wednesday Memo & Weekend Message Q&A

Hi Five Oakers,

I have a few things I want to share with you.

#1 - Get a recap of the service with highlights of our prayers, readings and songs here.

#2 – Here are your comments from the Communication Cards:

• Great steel guitar sound of – Moving and Majestic. Love baby dedications. [Me too! Tons of them this weekend. Sorry, 9:15ers, but it’s too full in that service to have all those families that come for dedication fit in, so no dedications for you. I’d love to see some 9:15 folks attend on Saturday or 11am. It would be great. But I’m not asking for that if it means displacing your kids.]
• My family has been coming since last December. We are from WI. I ask God, why so far away. Since the very first time I have come, God gives me a big hug when I come through the church doors, every week. What can I say, I love your church! [Wonderful!!!]
• Henry, thank you for sharing the truth so clearly for us all. Awesome message filled with new insights for me. Dan, great job with worship! Thank you Worship Band! [Loved Dan and the band. My thanks go out to them too. The opening song for response is a Dan original you can listen to here. His new album is available here.]
• Each week is great. But thank you especially for the opening worship songs… and ambiance. It prepared my heart and mind for being here to listen to God. [The first one at the Prelude was a Dan original.]
• Nice, Dan! Thanks for clarification on what repentance really means – hits home. 
• Great music, great message. So many hearts gathered in Praise. Thank you. 
• We praise you for always keeping our family strong by putting You first! 
• Praise God for all the babies being dedicated! Great sermon – awesome worship!
• Great music! After the election I needed God’s people more than ever this week. Confusion, bewilderment, disappointment. But I remembered Jesus doesn’t take sides, he takes over. He didn’t die for America, he died to save the world. We aren’t alive for the moment, we are alive for eternity. My geopolitical footprint changed this week, my heart was freed because I know we are victorious, we know the end. And if that doesn’t give us a sense of urgency (I must share my hope!) for the lost, nothing will. I’m so proud of you for the message Henry and how you transitioned from pleasing seeker to true seekers.
• I really appreciate Dan Lukas’ voice and stage presence in leading us in worship. I love the pins-on-the-map idea. But the map need to be bigger for those of us who live and work farther away from church (St. Paul, South St. Paul, West St. Paul, etc.) [Dan says: “Several of us mentioned the same thing as we don't live in Woodbury. We're updating it for the future.”]
• The way Dan sang “Before the Throne of God” should be on the church CD. Today’s message – I get it. Not sure why I always asked the question why God choose to save us the way He did, through His son, yet I get how. Because we can understand it. [Dan says, “My guess is, when we do a hymns project this will be on it. And probably like this: http://marshill.bandcamp.com/track/before-the-throne.]
• Timely message. Very real and passionate. Thank you! 
• Henry, your passion is so contagious. Thank you! 
• Why are we omitting the third verse in Cornerstone? It’s the most powerful verse of the song?: Then He shall come with trumpet sound. Oh, may I then in Him be found. Dressed in His righteousness alone, faultless, stand before the throne. [Dan says, “It wasn't omitted, just wasn't included in the arrangement I chose for the weekend. It's a great lyric, and the song does miss a little something when the lyric is absent. Here is the arrangement we used: link.]
• It would be great to include drama (live drama) again! The services have gotten quite predictable. This would add some sparkle to worship. Please pass on to programming. [Passed it on. Thanks.]
• Why did we start five minutes early? It was awkward coming in on time, but feeling late because music already started. [We always start five minutes early. We’ve been doing this for several months. It’s a bonus for people who get there early. We want people to get their early, so this s a reward. Two-thirds of our folks come in late, and that’s not an exaggeration. It also pulls people in from the Commons so they can be present for the call to worship.]
• It’s chilly today… breezy, in fact. Brrr! [Just trying to get more people to go for coffee at the Acorn Café. You of all people might appreciate that. Just kidding. Duly noted.]

#3 - Here’s the message in 10 Tweets—Luke 19:1-10, “Out on a Limb.”

1. Zacchaeus is a comical figure to most of us who grew up in SS. But he's a man who risks a lot to see J then stakes whole life on Jesus.
2. Z's story, 3 challenges to move: from snacker to seeker, seeker to saved, consumer to contributor to God's mission.
3. Z is willing to be undignified to see Jesus. Urgent. Jesus matches his urgency stride for stride. “Hurry…I must come to you home today.”
4. Crowd's reaction points to obstacle seekers face: the religious, moralistic crowd around Jesus then & today.
5. True seekers aren't derailed that easily; snackers are. Push through & discover J is put off by moralistic more than you are.
6. Too many people who say they’re seekers are really snackers…window shoppers.
7. When I preach I'm not going to waste the true seeker's time by begging for the attention of the snacker.
8. Z's sudden generosity NOT the grounds of his salvation but the fruit of his repentance (not an action but change of mind).
9. How much MUST I give is wrong ?. We should ask, help me reorder my life to give more & more to you, your kingdom & your concerns.
10. Tragic how many spend lifetime in church without experiencing this kind of transformation. Never leave confines of grumbling crowd.

#4 – Only got one question so decided to keep it until today. Here it is: So, did Zacchaeus have to stop being a tax collector? (Since the only “right” amount was what was paid to the government.) 

Answer: Not sure. Actually, collecting more than they paid out is not the issue since the system required a tax collector to collect more than he paid. It’s what capitalism is built on. But the system itself encouraged price gouging of a sort. The perception of being a “collaborator” was most troublesome. It’s a good question, but I don't know if we can know the answer. I don’t think Jesus ever addressed it in the Gospels.

#5 – I’m looking forward to the Visionary Marriage conference this weekend. Hope to see you there. It’s not too late to register.

#6 – Got this in an email regarding one of the lines from this coming week’s passage: “Wow. Have fun w/ this… :o) But those enemies of mine who did not want me to be king over them—bring them here and kill them in front of me.’” Thanks, I will. Come and see.

Blessings, Pastor Henry

Wednesday Memo

Hi Five Oakers,

I have five things I want to share with you.

#1 – No matter what your political leanings, here’s a word we can all agree on regarding politics and politicians (look closely and don't assume you know what it says):

I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity. This is good and pleases God our Savior, who wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth. For there is only one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and humanity—the man Christ Jesus. He gave his life to purchase freedom for everyone. This is the message God gave to the world at just the right time. (1 Timothy 2:1-6; NLT)

#2 - Get a recap of the service with highlights of our prayers, readings and songs here.

#3 – Do you think you might be interested in writing Group Life lessons? Come to an information meeting this Sunday morning. Email me for times.

#4 – Here are your comments from the Communication Cards:

• Excellently done, Pastor Henry. Loved it.
• Thank you, Pastor Henry, for the new way of looking at these verses. [Scripture is amazing!]
• Kara rocks. Glorious is glorious. [Loved the part she led and her harmonies.]
• Great message Henry, thank you! 
• Thanks for speaking the truth in love last week (and always). 
• Thanks to all volunteers/staff that make “church” possible and effective! Great job Pastor re: Christian character in voting and not being divisive on the delicate issue! 
• Peace to you all. Love, peace, happiness. 
• I like the subdued worship. Nice change for the opening even though Tim normally a morning, lets-get-going kinda guy. Thanks for the reflective music. Thanks for the sobering message. It corrected, readjusted some of my thinking Henry. 
• Excellent message Henry! Perfect!
• Great list of the 10 commandments – important to remember when voting.
• Thank you Henry for the clarification at the beginning of today’s message and for recognizing there isn’t one way to vote that is the Christian way! Love the education you’ve provided on these issues, last few weeks. So thankful for this church and how it has taught me how to live with God in my heart – everything else works itself out when our foundation is God! My daughter loved fifth grade kid’s church last week! She is learning (and teaching me) the books of the bible. 
• Cornerstone – Christ is Lord of all even elections. I am far less apprehensive about voting Tuesday after today’s message. I will be mindful of the 10 commandments of voting and remember that no matter who is president, Jesus is still (and always will be) the Kings of Kings. 
• Amazing commandments! I pray people remember them and act in them! 
• Is it possible to use the picture in picture feature on the commons TV’s to show the slide during the message?  [I don’t think so with the current technology we have. And if we had the technology, we’d have to have someone run it for every service (I think). Dan Lukas, what do you think?]
• Seriously – can we just say good morning to each other! My least favorite part of the service. [Oh how I wish I could convince you of its importance. We came to the conclusion that the old way of doing greeting was too lame to keep doing it that way. If you missed my post about it, please take some time to read it (here and here. It may not convince you, but that’s why we do it.]
• When can we have communion passed in rows again? It’s been awhile and is nice for those who can’t physically go up and for those who really aren’t comfortable going up who still want to participate at least once in a while. Can we at least do it once a quarter that way? [We are going to come up with a plan to get Communion help for those who have trouble making it to the station. I think that's what you’re asking. That may include doing a quarterly passing of Communion. Thanks for the idea.]
• Hi, you sent us a thank you (thanks!) but it had our names wrong.
• Just wondering why we don’t have dramas during the services anymore, and if they will ever bring them back?  I miss them! [Hard to say exactly. It's been a long time since we did regular dramas as part of the message. I can say that once we stopped using them regularly, it became harder and harder to maintain a team for doing dramas.]

#5 - I love that you guys get so jazzed about me simply teaching the Bible. I treasure that in you. We really can't figure out life on our own. What a privilege to have in our possession God's message to us!

#6 - Here’s the message in 10 Tweets—Luke 20:19-26, “How to Vote on Tuesday”

1. The Bible informs everything we do, including our politics and how we vote.
2. They're not asking about taxes in general but about one particular tax: tribute tax.
3. Jesus asks for a particular coin that has Caesar's image & inscription: Emperor Tiberias Son of the Divine Augustus Chief Priest.
4. When they produce it, incriminates them. No pious Jew would carry that coin into the temple.
5. The contrast between Tiberias & Jesus could not be any clearer. On the cross Jesus gave up all power/riches for you!
6. He was a king without a penny to his name for your sake. He took the rejection...we deserved for pursuing recognition...instead of God.
7. Render=give back. “Whose image? Well then, give that blasphemous coin back to him if he wants it.”
8. "But give to God what is God’s. Whose image is stamped on your life?"
9. Vote (and live) reflecting God’s image stamped on your life.
10. Check out the 10 Commandments for Voting & a great quote from N.T. Wright here.

God bless you all, Pastor Henry