The Bread Winner!
I like Togo’s. It's funny each time I go there, which is at least once a month, they ask what kind of bread to make the sandwiches. I didn’t realize how many kinds of bread there are! There’s tons. Since we just passed Father’s Day, when we honor dads and tell them how much we appreciate what they do and how they work to put bread on the table. I was reminded that in the old days, dad’s were called the breadwinner— a term we don't use much any longer. But Jesus is the true bread winner! Yes, He said in John 6:51, “I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.”
Jesus makes a big claim after he fed more than 5000 people in the wilderness. He said, "I am the Living bread from heaven." He is the true Bread of Life. You know, we can eat a lot of bread. Cake and cookies are so sweet. Sourdough is really good with soup. Then there's chapatti, pita, bammy, barbari, focaccia, injera, lavash, lefse, matzo, naan, and tortilla. Yum! And there's Coburg, Epi, Pumpernickel, and Rye breads. Makes me hungry! Jesus said, "I am the living bread!" Not I give you living bread.
If you think about delicious bread, He is the bread that comes from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. Eating bread takes care of our hunger for a few hours, but Jesus is forever. To eat of this bread is a figure of speech for believing, for no one eats something they're scared of eating, like, "What's that? Ee-yu!" Eating a meal implies that it is wholesome, nourishing, and good--trustworthy.
Jesus said, "This bread is my flesh which I will give for the life of the world." Jesus gave Himself as bread so that the world could live. Not only had the Father given the bread, but the Bread gave Himself. He is truly God and truly man. “Flesh” refers to His human nature. He offers His humanity, for the life of the world. Jesus looks forward to the cross where he paid the penalty for sin. In effect, He becomes the bread for poor starving souls to feed upon and live forever. Like eating bread, we trust in Him to find life. When we eat our natural bread it becomes part of us and gives us new strength and life. In the same way, when we take Jesus at His word by faith, we receive life and strength. But this life qualitatively different, because it is eternal life. Eternal life is not just life that is really long, but that which is close and intimate with God. He’s better than any pretzel you could eat, better than any pasta, better than any cake. He gives Himself freely for those would take and eat and believe. He’s the breadwinner! We become breadwinner’s when we trust in Him and eat.
Summer Fun
I have been teaching at Valley Christian through this year part time. Our school year ended May 30th. When I think of the school and neighborhood where I grew up, I find the students at Valley are very dear. They still have a sweetness and kindness though the world continues to grow hard and cold toward children. I am very thankful for these students and their openness to learn new things.
But with the end of school, I have a little more time to devote to serving my community in Sunnyvale. As Wellspring continues to grow and develop, God is doing so many cool things to teach me his love and compassion. On Tuesday during the Puppets in the Park a large group of kids and their caregivers assembled. I ran out of crafts and used every craft I had in my bag. There weren't enough crayons to go around. But the children shared, the parents waited patiently as each of the children worked, created, imagined and made stick puppets. It was fun! It was fun to see in a ;public arena where so man y diverse people coming together could ccooperate and give me a glimpse of His grace in smiling faces that weren't too upset that evrything wasn't perfectly in place.
As I saw my children running and playing in the playground, I recognized again how important that we live in community, giving and receiving, helping and being assisted, caring and encouraging.
I look forward to this summer to build community and see how God will work to develop a community that reflects His character and grace.
Sunnyvale Faire Carnival games
As the weather gets progressively better, warmer and the summer season is upon us, what a great day for a Faire! Having a picnic in our community is fun. Adding friends from the community, neighbors and more friends is more fun. Add in games like a soccer shoot, basketball shooting, toddler area, tractor run, horseshoes, croquet, miniature golf, and face painting along with a vegetarian grill and some chicken dogs, that's great fun!
We're inviting our community for the Sunnyvale Faire on May 18, 2008 from 11:30 a.m. until 1:30 p.m. Everything is free! Along with games, we'll have a brief talk, puppet show and music for the whole family to enjoy.
We look forward to meeting new friends and blessing our community with the love of God.
Egghunt Resurrection Sunday March 23
We are hosting an Easter Egghunt on March 23. We have invited our friends and neighbors and the community to come out and participate at DeAnza Park from 11:45-1:45.
What a wonderful time to remember our Lord Jesus who offered Himself on our behalf on the cross. Praise God who raised Him from dead and He is alive!
As the egg symbolize new life, we thank God for the new life we have in Jesus. As the eggs contain sweets, we recognize that Jesus makes our life sweet no matter how things get or difficult the circumstances are.
We pray that we can bless our community and that they will be refreshed as they join us in celebrating this life-giving event of Jesus’ resurrection.
Sunnyvale Sundays in the Park
Thank you for your prayers.
We currently meet two Sundays a month. One Sunday has an extended time for teaching at 1 pm until 2 pm at DeAnza Park Community Center. There are also activities for kids to learn and grow.
We are following the text of John's Gospel. In January, we discovered John the Baptist testified to Jesus as the Lamb of God. During election times when people are vying for the spotlight, being called a lamb may seem somewhat insignificant. Jesus didn't seek to impress people. But he was never too busy with those who may be seeking a deeper relationship and understanding.
When two of John's followers went to meet Jesus, he gave them a simple invitation, "Come and See." We also want to extend an invitation to our community to come and see who Jesus is.
We'll be at the DeAnza Park Community Center February 3rd at 1, and then February 17th at 11:30 when lunch is served and finishes at 1:30 pm.
God is good!
My last posting was in October. Even though eight months have passed by in a flurry of activity, our ministry has been going strong. This hiatus from blogging was inadvertent. From November I had taken a long-term substitute teaching opportunity while continuing to start a church in Sunnyvale by God's grace and mercies.
I found that the ministry in Sunnyvale is a deep fervent love. When I think of each of the people in my community, I smile. What a great joy there is knowing and meeting these precious people! As I see their faces in my minds eye, I am overwhelmed with how blessed I am to be part of something so significant and yet so tender.
Puppets in the Park continues. We have larger crowds. When I arrive with my sons in the park, I am lugging behind me a portable puppet stage and suitcase where puppets Ben and Akosh rest until the puppet show. The children and their caregivers sometimes announce "Puppet show" and gather before I have a chance to set up the stage. Everything is low key. There is nothing fancy. But we have fun and laughs.
Diane Lyall, the Children's Director at Trinity has been faithfully helping on Mondays at DeAnza Park with story time and crafts. She is enthusiastic and has a deep love for the children who come.
As summer vacation begins, Puppets in the Park will be covering more character topics in line with the Fruits of the Spirit described in Galatians 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control. Please pray with us that we will have a great harvest with much fruit.
Later in June, on the 24th we will be at DeAnza park with a potluck and singing, talk, puppet show and lots of fun activities from 11:30-1:30. We're calling it Summer Sundays in the Park so that residents can a fresh sip of the Spirit with Wellspring.EFC.
See you there!
Dwain
Values
I was going through some church planting studies. The Church Planter's Toolkit had some nuggets that caught my eye. In the section on “Clarifying Your Core Values,” are statements that help me understand why having a statement on values is important.
“Core values drive and shape ministry. There is a guiding force, a controlling assumption, a directing conviction behind everything that happens…. The values of any organization control priorities, provide for the foundation for formulating goals, and set the tone and direction of the organization…. For what do you want your church to be known? What should be your critical success indicators?… Values communicate what is important. Values inspire people to action. Values influence the organization’s overall behavior. Values determine the ministry vision.”
From these thoughts about values, I look at values for a church start up as not just a dream of what things can be like, but as the pathway leading beyond the horizon from what I as yet cannot see. Being from a city, hiking in the woods was new and filled with fantasy. Trying to catch glimpses of chipmunks and birds, hearing new sounds. I often left the well paved path to pioneer my own. I would not venture too far off for fear of getting lost. The well worn path was my guide even though it was not immediately in sight. The path I ventured on my own, I marked by ravines and other features of landscape. Then as the sun began to set, trotting back to the safety of the well worn path, I returned with a sense of adventure. I had new discoveries of "the untamed wild" of nature. Not having that path to guide me would require me to find other reference points that I was not sure would lead me back home. The path was my base from which I could move forward.
Our core team has been meeting to discuss and consider, what are the values that guide us. Without having public services during this time and looking out beyond the horizon, what are the values God would desire us to embrace for this work?
We will be prayerfully considering and asking and searching the heart of God. The draft of our value statement is tentative not in the sense that we have no stand, but the sense that we seek God's finger print. Into his hand we submit ourselves according to his grace.
Value Statement
Working on the ABC’s
Authentic WorshipJesus said that the greatest commandment is “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all of your soul and with all of your mind and with all of your strength.” We believe that worshipping our God and Savior authentically engages our heart, soul, mind and strength. There are many dimensions to worship expressed in the Sunday service as well as during the week as we serve our God. Our acts of service can be an offering to God being rendered unto God and for God’s glory. We want to express our worship in fresh ways and . Our prayer is that God is exalted in everything.
(Psalm 59:16; Matthew 22:37-38; Romans 12:1-2; Ephesians 5:15-20)
Bible centered teachingThe Bible exhorts pastors and teachers to teach wisely and prepare His people for works of service. We want to be students of God’s word. We believe the Bible is God’s authoritative word. The life-giving message of Jesus is meaningful and powerful. We may not have all the answers but God’s word does. We may lack wisdom, but God’s word provides wisdom. The Holy Spirit speaks to us through the Bible to equip us for every good work. Though our culture grows further away from biblical truth, the Bible is still the most relevant document to bring absolute truth to a world that has lost its way. Our prayer is that we teach and follow God’s word in the Bible.
(Psalm 119: 11, 105; Isaiah 55:10-11; 2 Timothy 2:15; 3:16; Hebrews 4:12)
Community PresenceJesus commissioned the church to go and make disciples. Jesus said, “As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” Jesus went into the world to seek and save the lost. He sends his church to go into the world, too. We must go to them, like Jesus came to this world. We want to have far-reaching, positive impact in our community. Engaging the community for Christ, our prayer is to reach out with the hope, love, grace and truth of Jesus.
(Matthew 28:19-20; Luke 19:10; John 20:21; 2 Corinthian 5:14-16; Galatians 6:9)
Diversity with grace and truthThe Bible uses a picture to describe believers in Jesus as His body. The body of Christ is diverse. In the rich tapestry of God’s church, we are unique strands forming a beautiful whole. The Holy Spirit has equipped members of the body with differing gifts and functions so that together we may serve the will of God for the common good. In this diverse body, we celebrate our unique contributions without taking pride over one another. Rather, we respect each other, honoring one another, building up one another, and love one another as the Bible teaches. We want to be a place that accepts and welcomes all people regardless of background, social status or race. Our prayer is to be a place where people feel they belong.
(1 Corinthians 12:12-31; Galatians 3:26-29; John 13:14; 1 Peter 1:22)
Empowering followers of ChristJesus commissioned his followers to go and make disciples. Jesus trained his disciples and then released them for service. Disciples are believers who are students of Jesus, following Jesus’ example. We prayerfully labor to build disciples to grow to their potential, who have regular times in the Bible and prayer, who enjoy the fellowship of believers in the Church and share the gospel with non-believers, serving others with the love of Jesus. Effectiveness and quality for service takes place through the Holy Spirit, working together, praying for God’s power and grace to serve well, and trusting Jesus to do what we cannot do by our own strength.
(Matthew 10:1; 28:19-20; John 13:15; 15:6, 16; Acts 4:29-30; Ephesians 4:11-12; 6:19-20; Colossians 1:28-29)
Fervent PrayerJesus’ followers asked Jesus how to pray. Jesus taught much about prayer in word and action. The early church fervently prayed. The Bible states simply, “Pray continually.” As we abide in Christ, prayer is the breathing of our soul. Regarding all that we do in all our activities, we rely on our Lord and Savior and His grace. Prayer is the natural response to Him. We desire to pray in rich communion with our Lord.
Matthew 6:5-15; John 15:7; Philippians 1:3-5; Ephesians 1:15-16; 3:15-21; 1 Thessalonians 5:17)
Glorifying God through MultiplicationAs Jesus commissioned his followers to be his witnesses to Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth, we want to share God’s heart to reach out to our world with the message of Jesus. God desires to bless all people of the earth. Our God not only blesses us but calls us to be a blessing to all peoples. We will endeavor to multiply churches locally and globally. Our prayer is that God use us to make Him known.
(Genesis 12:2-4; Psalms 22:27; Acts 1:8)
