Monday Memo

Hi Five Oakers, Here are the comments from the weekend Communication Cards:

// Thank you Pastor Henry and leadership for your sacrifice and commitment. It is noticed and appreciated. [Thank you from me and on behave our staff and leadership!]

// Great idea where the communion and light stations are now! I’ve really been learning a lot in this series. Don’t stop telling the truth. I was one of those people that thought I was a believer years ago and wasn’t! God bless this church. [We love the new locations too. Just feels better to have Communion at the center. And those candles, for me, are symbolic of the primacy of our mission so I'm glad they are so visible and so frequently used.]

// Libby, team, great job this week! Great message Henry. [Libby led Saturday night and Dan on Sunday morning. Libby wasn't feeling great and struggling with laryngitis, but she did a super job. I tried to persuade her to push through and lead on Sunday, but I'm glad she made her own choice. Dan and the team did a super job on Sunday, too.]

// We are thankful to belong to an Acts 2 church! [Me too! I'm so thankful for that. And we're an Acts 5 and 6 church, too. Far from perfect.]

// I like the notes and a lot more people seem to be using it by giving it to everyone. Good job. Did you see the article in the paper (Star Tribune) that the water is older than the sun? (See Genesis 1:1-2.) My daughter would like a series on Revelation too. [Thanks for the feedback on the notes. We are rethinking some of that.]

// Wonderful opening set. Dan sings and shares from his heart. Band and vocal, exceptional this week.

// Henry, we spent many years in a church not being fed yet not fully realizing it. We are so thankful to be at Five Oaks! Love and appreciate your sermons and how God speaks through you. [Thank you. And it's great to have you guys here and what you bring to our fellowship and our ministry!]

// Have been really encouraged/blessed by the Gospel According to Joseph series. Thank you for today’s word. [Isn't the OT great?! Love the Joseph story and hated to end that series.]

One More Thing

Hi Five Oakers, The weekend is almost here and there are a few things I want to share with you.

The Weekend

I hope your journey through Acts is going well. I know that first week was tough. I think this week and beyond is a lot better for most people's digestion.

I'm continuing the sermon I started last weekend on five invitations, but this week will focus on Acts 2. One of the invitations we'll look at this week is the invitation to enter God's story. Everything that happens at Pentecost is all according to plan and part of a larger story. The disciples are living all those prophetic words about God inhabiting his people. The implications of that are huge for us. We are living those words, too.

FYI

Lore Ferguson on "Missional Living Doesn’t Wait for Marriage: As for me and my house, we'll serve in our single years."

A few years ago, single and in my late 20s, I became convicted of the potential and value of my current living situation— the year-to-year leases, the assemblage of housemates, our mismatch of dishes and furniture. God wanted me, and wants all of us, to live with purpose and mission now. Afraid that I might let this time pass by in either purposeless and vanity or in begrudging selfishness, I created a creed for my single years.

One More Thing

I've made it known that I think putting a screen cover on an iPhone is an abomination. It's unnecessary in most cases and ruins the beauty of the retina display. I've explained how to correctly set side view mirrors for your care and my dismay when people refuse to do it because they "just don't like it." Okay, live with your blind spots. I recently ranted about keeping up with the updates on your devices so that you don't fall behind (and quit complaining about updates because they are part of life from here on in).

Okay, I have another one. If I go into your house, and you have a really nice large screen TV, but you don't have the HD package, I'm going to ridicule you. Just know that. I know, some of you don't even know what I'm talking about, and that means you are likely watching stretched out images with poor resolution and you don't even know it. Those people in your favorite TV show are not that wide with round faces. Get the HD package or, please, don't waste your money on a bigger and better screen.

Okay, enough of my rant. It truly is unimportant. But when it comes to your relationship with God, it's tragic when you and I have the potential for HD type of relationship, but we settle for something less, oftentimes not even knowing we could have so much more intimacy with God, power for mission, and joy.

When the Spirit comes in Acts, he bring the presence and power of God into the lives of the disciples. If you are a follower of Christ, you have the presence and power of God in your life. Your life has take on so much new meaning. You are part of God's story and his rescue mission. You have power.

My hope is that our journey through Acts will show you what an HD relationship with God looks like. That you will become dissatisfied with anything less than that. That you will upgrade to the HD package and live in the presence and power of Christ in you.