Easter Season

I wish Easter season had the same kind of build up to it that Christmas season does...but it doesn't. The coming of Spring is a nice thing and helps, but we all know that there is so much surrounding the Christmas season to make it special that Easter just doesn't stack up.

That isn't really acceptable because Easter is really the high point of the Christian experience. No Easter, no salvation. And so for me it isn't OK to let the Easter season just sort of happen. At the same time Lent has gotten kind of twisted into some formalities that seem a bit out of touch and are adhered to by people in a seemingly less than authentic way.

That is why I am making Easter something special for me this year with a special emphasis on prayer and fasting. Fasting brings my body into subjection and prayer keeps me connected with my Savior. I am going to be doing an audio devotional on our Church website www.harvestcomchurch.org as an encouragement to the process.

I hope you will by these or other attempts make Easter a special season of the year. He is risen!

Change Brings Change

I was visiting with my friend Timo who is all about Church Planting in Berlin. His church, Pankow FeG, just moved from their one and only location to a location that is maybe 4-5 blocks away. They had been in their original location all of their 5 + years and so I am sure it was difficult to move. But one thing that stood out to me was that Timo has been reminding the folks that while it is a new location, other things will undoubtedly change as well. A new place will mean new folks checking them out. Their new place is near the bus/train/tram lines and so there will be a new crowd of people passing by on a daily basis. The Church will change, and not just because of a new location and new surroundings, but because the people will also change and that brings an unsettledness, but also a lot of opportunity. May we always be willing to change for the sake of the Kingdom, and for the sake of the glory of God.

Winter Retreat

We are getting closer and closer to number 7, our seventh annual Winter Retreat out at Camp Lebanon. I love our retreats at a lot of levels, but let me use our core values to be more specific.

• Changed Lives - when we talk about changed lives we are specifically referring to the change that happens as people pass from death to life, or from not having a relationship with Christ to having one. Of course being out at Camp isn't specifically evangelistic, but it is a place where people can see and sense the love of Christ. I know we have had people warm to the things of Christ because of being with us out at Camp. And if people are getting right with Jesus then they are becoming more attractive to those who do not yet have Jesus in their lives.
• Overflowing Relationships - This is the core value where we hit a home run every year! Relaxed time to simply be with people. If the Christian life is really more caught then taught, then this is a time that goes to the top of the list in helping form the life of the Christian. It is good stuff, and no one who has been out there has complained that they didn't have the opportunity to get to know people better.
• Responding to God - Worship in all its fullness is spectacular as we are in a great setting, unencumbered by all else that demands our attention. Can you focus on our God at the Winter Retreat? I think you will find it to be so.
• Equipping Followers - Growing as followers of Christ is to know Him and experience Him. We have had a fantastic line up of speakers guiding our learning each year, and this year is no exception. Steve Sanchez is going to be a good one...maybe even a 'best ever'. If you love to be challenged then prepare for it because its coming!

February 4-6...it is going to be great!