Bethany Community Church

James 5: 1-5

James 4: 13-17

James 4: 7-12

Tomorrow, it’s back to Seattle….home at last. But this morning, I went for a little run up Mill Creek Canyon because the camp was serving an outdoor breakfast at “Inspiration Point”. The air was “cool” this morning as I ran down the path, along the stream, but I noticed then when the path ended, opening up into a field of river rock, the temperature rose by probably 1o degrees. I stopped, knelt down and felt the rocks, and realized that they, through the miracle of science, God’s design (and pure mystery for music majors), have this amazing capacity to store heat and continue to radiate it long after the sun’s gone down. This, of course, is the theory behind the “Russian Stove”, built to pour out heat long after the fire ends….a real efficiency miracle.

This seems, as I prepare to teach on Sunday, an apt illustration of what kind of posture is necessary for us to radiate the warmth of Christ to our world. Some of us don’t radiate warmth often enough because we neglect even showing up. We’re like stones forever in the shade; we have heat bearing capacity, but we’re not warmth on our own, needing His life as we do to radiate heat. Others of us show up, pulling the Bible out as we eat our Cheerios, reading a bit, and then closing it. But when we get up to go to work, we immediately forget what we’ve received. In the parable of the seed and the sower told by Jesus, this would be like the one who hears the word but immediately forgets. We’re stones, touched by the sun, but quickly retreating into the shade.

It’s the one who meditates, ponders, internalizes the living Word, spoken by the Holy Spirit to his/her heart that is like a rock basking in the sun. This is why Psalm 119 speaks of hiding the Word in our hearts, and Psalm 1 speaks of meditating on the Word day and night, and Deuteronomy 6 speaks of talking about the Word when you rise up and when you lie down. It’s this kind of openness, pondering, reflection, that causes the Word to sink into us like the sun’s heat into river rock.

When this happens, radiating heat isn’t really something we try to do…rather it becomes a part of who we are.

River Rock:
Receptive;
Radiating Reality
Right where we live

Rock on…

BETHANY WILDERNESS MINISTRY – SECOND BEACH BACKPACKING TRIP    
Saturday, August 16th to Sunday, August 17th.  Leave at 8am, return at 6pm next day.
Click Here to Register

Join us for a trip to the Washington coast for overnight camping near the ocean.  It’s an easy 1-mile round trip hike.  Register early, limited spots available.  Due to non-typical travel costs (gas/ferry), this trip will require an online payment of $40.

***Please read over the recommended gear list for this trip.

Contact: Timothy McBride

Tomorrow, it’s back to Seattle….home at last. But this morning, I went for a little run up Mill Creek Canyon because the camp was serving an outdoor breakfast at “Inspiration Point”. The air was “cool” this morning as I ran down the path, along the stream, but I noticed then when the path ended, opening up into a field of river rock, the temperature rose by probably 1o degrees. I stopped, knelt down and felt the rocks, and realized that they, through the miracle of science, God’s design (and pure mystery for music majors), have this amazing capacity to store heat and continue to radiate it long after the sun’s gone down. This, of course, is the theory behind the “Russian Stove”, built to pour out heat long after the fire ends….a real efficiency miracle.

This seems, as I prepare to teach on Sunday, an apt illustration of what kind of posture is necessary for us to radiate the warmth of Christ to our world. Some of us don’t radiate warmth often enough because we neglect even showing up. We’re like stones forever in the shade; we have heat bearing capacity, but we’re not warmth on our own, needing His life as we do to radiate heat. Others of us show up, pulling the Bible out as we eat our Cheerios, reading a bit, and then closing it. But when we get up to go to work, we immediately forget what we’ve received. In the parable of the seed and the sower told by Jesus, this would be like the one who hears the word but immediately forgets. We’re stones, touched by the sun, but quickly retreating into the shade.

There is nothing here!

Awakening Our Hearts to Faith

As people carrying the name of Jesus become increasingly fractured and antagonistic towards one another, the very unity for which Jesus prayed, the unity which he declared would be the validating testimony of His reality, becomes elusive. We who gather within the walls of Bethany don’t gather in name of John Calvin, or Martin Luther, or even in the name of Peter the Apostle, but in the name of Christ. And though the global church has been fractured, and re-fractured down through the ages, we stand in the life giving and healing waters of Christ’s life to the extent that we believe and live our lives on the basis of the most foundational doctrines which have contributed, not to the church’s division, but its unity. It is those beliefs that are found in the Apostles creed. Dating back to the earliest days of the church, this simple declaration of the faith clearly articulates what the “essentials” are which becomes the basis of our shared fellowship.

This fall, we’re considering each phrase of the creed, but not as a declaration to which we nod our heads in either agreement or disagreement. Instead, we’ll be considering these words in the light of this question: Because we believe this, how shall we live our lives? It is this bent towards responding to God’s voice, found in the ancient declarations of His incredible story of redemption that will awaken our hearts; not just to a new way of believing, but to new ways of living. I hope you’ll be joining us!

Richard Dahlstrom
Senior Pastor, Bethany Community Church

I’m in the final week of conference speaking for the summer, down here at Forest Home, a Bible Camp in Southern California with a rich history and legacy as the place where people encounter Christ. My wife Donna came down at the end of last week, stayed with me through the weekend (including our first ever encounter with a large rattlesnake while hiking), and then returned to Seattle yesterday. This camp was the place where, as a Jr. High girl, Donna received Christ. What a joy it was to walk with her to the campfire circle and stand together with her at that significant spot. Later she would tear up with happy family memories and remembrance of her roots as all the campers sang, “How Great Thou Art”, the song which is so deeply rooted in Forest Home’s history.

For myself, it’s both a joy and humbling privilege to stand in the space where Billy Graham stood back in the 50′s and declare Christ to the many couples who have come here because this is a place where Christ is declared. God did some profound things in the lives of people last week, and I hope you’ll pray with me that He continues to work this week, expecting that His faithfulness and fruitfulness will prevail as we who lead make ourselves available to Him.

Bible Camp is like any camp. There’s a zip line, swimming pool, lake, craft house, climbing wall etc. The difference is that instead just KIDS going to camp, and focusing on soccer, or math, or horses, the entire family goes to camp, and focuses on Jesus. There’s about 11 hours of direct interaction with the Bible, as campers receive teaching from the word and then break into small groups to apply the truths.

Because of the profound changes I see, I’m sitting here pondering why more people in the world aren’t willing to relieve themselves of cooking, cleaning, shopping, internet and cell phone access, all the rest of it for one week in order to, as a family, go deeper with Christ? The truth of the matter is that I can think of no better way for a family (or a couple, and yes there were single adults there too) to invest one week each year. It’s a way of calibrating, checking our spiritual compass, assuring ourselves that, indeed, we’re walking in God’s story rather than our own. People from last week made huge decisions as a result of being here: quitting 2nd jobs to choose intimacy over income; releasing bitterness; renouncing destructive patterns — all because they showed up and listened for God’s voice.

As a result of this, I’m reminded once again of just how important it is to make time in our lives to meet Christ. Yes, the week per year is excellent, and I’d recommend it for anyone. But whether or not you do the week, please, please: CARPE DEIM – seize the day. Make a little time for meeting God in His Word each day, a little time for listening, pondering, understanding. This principle of showing up is enormous.

LET’S HELP EACH OTHER!! Do any of you have resources that you’ve found meaningful for help in daily Bible reading? You’ll find a little bit about both the challenges and fundamental principles of how to read the Bible in my book, “o2″. But there are countless other resources out there. What’s been helpful for you? Please share both the challenges you face and the resources you’ve found helpful, because as I’ve been reminded this week, good things happen when we show up and allow God to speak to us.