theVibe 12.02.12 – Family Meeting This Sunday

 

Family Meeting

 

There’s a lot going on behind the scenes at theAlley and we want to bring everyone up to speed and hear your voice. On Sunday December 4th, at the end of each worship service (both sites) we will be having a 15 minute family meeting. Our Elders, Board and Staff will be there to talk about where we are and where we’re going. We know that 15 minutes won’t allow us a lot of time but we hope it will better prepare us all to have a great, mission focused and productive congregational meeting at the end of January. Mark your calendars and thanks for Following Jesus and Living Love with us! In the meantime, please click here to view and complete this survey so that we can get to know you better and hear some feedback from you on certain things. Thanks!

Christmas With Dignity

Christmas Party at the Shelter

Below is a quick list of some of the needs we have for the upcoming Christmas parties at the shelter.  If you can help with any of the items below or if you have questions, please let Cheryl know by completing the form below.

1. We are asking for donations of gift cards to Target or Cub. Any amount.

These gift cards will be presented to the women on December 20, and also used to purchase a gift for each child.  Deadline for giving Dec 15.

2. We need Christmas Cookies - homemade or store bought -  For December 13, Craft and Cookie Party at the shelter.

Cookies can be dropped off at church on Sunday, December 11.

3. Looking for volunteers to wrap gifts for the shelter on Monday night, December 19 @ 7.

Bring Christmas giftwrap, tape and scissors.

 

 

 

theVibe 11.18.11

theAlley’s Christmas Worship Schedule

We have two worship times on Christmas Eve:  5:00 and then an 11:00 candlelight.

The 5 and 11 will be two different services with 2 different messages.  Glory to God and peace on earth!

“What’s up with the building?” and other burning ?’s

A lot has been going on behind the scenes on the organizational side of  theAlley.  Thought I’d take a minute to update you on some of the highlights.

What’s up with the building?

Early on in 2010 we began a search for alternative locations.  We have come full circle and made a commitment to stay in our current location until at least mid 2011.  More specifically, as of this last Sunday we officially have a contract with Crossroads (the owner of our building) that carries us through April of 2011.

Did I hear that theAlley is hiring?

Yes.  We are looking to hire a part time bookkeeper/administrator for theAlley.  The position description has been written up and should be posted with the opportunity sometime within the next week.  If you or someone you know is interested, please let us know.

What’s going on in the Midway?

We will be starting a new worship site and time in the Midway area of St. Paul.  This site is planned to launch in the fall of 2010.  Just last night a site leader was identified for that site which means we are on track to see that happen.  An outside mission organization called LINC is partnering with us to support the site coordinator position and many of the other costs involved with starting this site.  You can check out more and keep up with it by going to… www.theAlley.org/Midway.

A party, an open mic and a prayer…

The next two Sundays, Easter included, we’ll be taking a little break from the book of Romans.  I’m loving the book of Romans but I could not be more excited for what’s coming in the interim!

Easter, to put it simply, we are having an all out party in honor of our risen Savior Jesus!

This coming Sunday, Palm Sunday, we are going to have a Gospel Sunday.  Here’s what that means.  We will be setting mics up front and instead of me doing all of the talking we’ll be inviting you all to come up and simply share the story of what God has done and is doing in your life.  It is a day to give Him glory.  A time to share about miracles, testimonies, prayers and victories that we have seen from our God in our lives.  There is no one like our God!

I’m praying now that God would call those He wants to be there to be there… and that He would stir up His people to share.

Part of my worship and that prayer this morning has been alongside of this song… “No one can compare with God on High”

Don’t forget Haiti

It’s been just a little over a month since the devastating earthquake in Haiti.  Over 200,000 people lost their lives to it.  Thousands more are without homes and struggling more than ever to get the basics of food, water and shelter.

When we served at Kids Against Hunger they informed us that even before the earthquake Haiti was devastatingly poor.  So much so that people would literally make mud pies and feed them to their families just so that they had something to fill their stomachs.

If they were eating dirt to survive before the earthquake, imagine the state that the country is in now.

If you have the time… check out this eye opening first hand account of the aftermath of the earthquake.

Biblical Response to Pat Robertson on Haiti

Pat Robertson on his CBN show made a comment indicating that the reason an earthquake devastated Haiti was because they had in the past, “made a pact with the devil.”  The implication of this statement being that they are being punished by God for disobeying him.

Here’s the clip…

My problem with Pat Robertson’s comments may not come from the angle that you would expect.  See, I don’t have a problem with him saying that the people of Haiti had done something to deserve a punishment from God.  What I have a problem with is his assumption that the Haitians deserve a punishment that no one else does.   I also have a problem with the implication that this earthquake is a direct result punishment of their disobedience to God.

I know that you may be reacting to my statement right now, but allow me to explain it Biblically.

You can NOT argue Scripturally that sinning against God happens without consequences.  Sodom and Gomorah, Noah and the flood, and a wandering Israel in the desert  stand as testaments to that.  Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death,” (we’ll get back to the rest of 23 later)

So, sin does deserve severe punishment.  Like it or not, it is the truth.  However, sin is not just a Haitian problem it is a rather universal issue.

Romans 2:1-5 “¹You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things. ²Now we know that God’s judgment against those who do such things is based on truth. ³So when you, a mere man, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God’s judgment? ⁴Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness leads you toward repentance?⁵But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God’s wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed.”

Note that Paul makes it pretty clear that we are ALL universally under God’s wrath.  Note also, the time in which he says God’s judgement will be made known is the judgement day.  Not an earthquake.  Not the scourge of people.

Half of the book of Job is an argument over whether Job deserved this punishment because of some great wickedness on his part.  Even there Job notes that the wicked flourish while good people suffer.  Ecclesiastes says the same.  And Jesus tells a parable of a rich man who had everything in this world, stored it in his barns but was far from God.  He was not called to account until the day of his death.

So, do we all deserve punishment for sin? Yes.

Is the earthquake in Haiti a direct result of the sins of those people?  Doubtful.

Is Haiti a nation with great poverty?  Yes.  Did God ever say that he would make those who don’t obey him poor?  No.  (in fact you could make the argument Scripturally that being poor is a spiritual blessing and not a curse.)

Is Haiti a nation that largely rejects God?  Yes.  However, lately the Gospel has been making a revival sized impact on that nation.  If you’re going to play Pat Robertson’s game then you could blame the earthquake on Satan because of the positive impact that the word of God is having in Haiti.

So, here’s the bigger truth.  We live in a broken world.  Bad things happen to good people and to bad people without prejudice.  We are not a people who deserve God’s mercy yet he has given it.

Romans 3:23-26, “²³ For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. ²⁴ Yet God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. ²⁵ For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood. This sacrifice shows that God was being fair when he held back and did not punish those who sinned in times past, ²⁶ for he was looking ahead and including them in what he would do in this present time. God did this to demonstrate his righteousness, for he himself is fair and just, and he declares sinners to be right in his sight when they believe in Jesus.“

Sin does not happen without consequences.  Yet God with undeserved kindness offered a us a hope that is beyond ourselves.  Here’s the rest of Romans 6:23 in context.

Romans 6:22-23 “But now you are free from the power of sin and have become slaves of God. Now you do those things that lead to holiness and result in eternal life. ²³ For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.”

So, let’s walk away from this with a broken heart for the people of Haiti and their loss.  Let’s pray with a hope that God would use this tragedy to His glory.  Let our eyes be opened to a true understanding of where we really stand before God and our need for Him as well as be in awe of his undeserved kindness, mercy and grace.  May that give us all hope and may that hope be carried to the people of Haiti and every nation.

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