Overheard at Five Oaks - January 10, 2017

Things overheard at The Weekly (our weekly all staff meeting), by lurking around corners and hiding in cleaning closets, and with some help from the NSA. 

"That's not a simple question. That requires discussion." Jeremy on our upcoming icebreaker question, 'shovel or snow blower?'

"No one should have to sit in the front row." Executive Pastor Brian Burquest commenting on how claustrophobic it was to sit on the front row once people came up to celebrate Communion. The place was full. I suggested he and his family take those seats every week so that no guests are forced to. 

"It was a joy to watch how you guys love on the kids here." New born's dad walking the hall to keep his child from crying and watching what takes place in the nursery and Children's Ministry.

"Remember what your mother always said." The last point of our new social media policy for staff.

"I'm so excited and terrified at the same time." Cindy Yarington reflecting on the 9 kids' baptisms she will do this weekend in the service. 

"Jeff's coming out of hibernation to train our teachers on how to handle difficult classroom situations this weekend." Someone referring to educator, member, and Elder Jeff Jorgensen who recently donated a kidney to Mark Visness. 

"I was wondering why Henry would be using a South Park video in his sermon." Rhiannon (Children's Ministry Co-Director) on looking from the far hallway and seeing the children's video on screen during the sermon, not knowing we were using that day's Gospel Project video.

"We served 200 people lunch at Dorothy Day last Saturday." Way to go! And, thank you Tim and Cindy for your leadership of this ministry for so many years.

"That's not a simple question. That requires discussion." Jeremy on our upcoming icebreaker question, 'shovel or snow blower?'

How Who is the Answer to How in Times of Trouble

by John Eiselt

When we encounter circumstances or journey through a difficult season of life, we may experience stress, anxiety, fear and even suffering. Suffering can cause us to feel enslaved emotionally, spiritually and even physically. Often times, this feeling of enslavement leaves us feeling abandoned, or forgotten. It is times such as these that most commonly lead us to doubt and wonder if God is there, if he hears us, sees our situation and even whether he cares enough to help, guide, or save us. 

In our humanity, and frankly even more so in our Americanism, we tend to look first to ourselves, our internal and external resources for the answer. We may wonder what the best way forward may be, or how things will resolve or work themselves out, and we may even be able to derive that we can fix it ourselves. Yet even if we can, we’ve still answered these questions incompletely. 

The story of the relationship between God and his people in the book of Exodus remind us that ‘Who’ is the answer to ‘How’. God is the “Who” and the “How”.

The Israelites' circumstances were not just an opportunity for God to do miracles in the midst of an incredible rescue. It was an opportunity for him to draw his people closer to himself, to reveal himself, his character, his promises, and his deep resolve for his people, driven by his un-ending love. In fact, Moses and even Pharaoh receive the same invitation. A command and an invitation to obey God, to come know him more deeply, to walk with him personally, to recognize our part in a bigger story.

In every circumstance, we too receive the same invitation and command to obey God as the “Who and the “How” in our lives. Not as a distant, impersonal god, but as the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God makes good on his promises, the God who rescues, the God who ultimately comes to dwell with his people Christ Jesus.