We begin a series this week called “Chasing the Wind - A View of Life from Ecclesiastes.” We’ll be looking at the frustration of finding satisfaction, meaning, purpose and fulfillment in life. This is a great Old Testament book filled with wisdom (my abbreviation for Ecclesiastes from here on is Eccl.). I encourage you to read this short book (As your book of the month!) in the next week or so.

As you read, you’ll come across some challenging ideas. You’ll read some verses where you’ll just want to yell “That’s not right!” Remember, Solomon (the author) is reflecting on his life, though often misguided. Sometimes he’s just sharing his frustration with life and not trying to espouse truth that we should try to live by. He’s honest with the paradoxes and mysteries of life. Remember also that you can never separate an idea in one book of the Bible from the context and teaching of the whole Bible! But as you’ll hear in this series, God, through this wise man, does give some incredible answers to life’s questions.

In my blog, I want to address a few of the hard to swallow statements that we won’t have time to address in our weekend teaching. Let’s start with Eccl. 3:19- 21: “Man’s fate is like that of the animals … Man has no advantage over the animals … Who knows if the spirit of man rises upward …” etc.

This weekend I’ll suggest a phrase that summarizes Eccl. - “I am not God.” In this text, Solomon is NOT saying we are mere animals and nothing more. Genesis 1-3 and other texts clearly show that mankind is a special creation. But we are tempted to think we can control life. This is chasing the wind and futile. In that sense, we are mortal like animals. It is an illusion to think we can control life and death reminds us that we can’t. Our bodies will die like all living beings and we can’t control that! The reality of death should cause us to pause and take reflection.

Solomon’s advises (3:22): “… there is nothing better for a man than to enjoy his work, because that is his lot.” This is similar to the phrase made popular in the movie “Dead Poets Society” - “carpe diem” or “seize the day.” Everything in this life and in the life to come is beyond our control. Therefore, seize today in FAITH (not in self fulfillment like in the movie). Use every moment to enjoy God and to serve God. Make this moment count WITH and FOR God. Or in Jesus’ words (Mt. 6:33 & 34): “Do not worry about tomorrow” but “seek first the Kingdom.” Today, live for God and with God and let go of worry and control.

Next week I’ll address the issue of eternity and life after this frustrating life. Stay tuned! In the meantime, seize the day with and for God.

Glen

The tomb is empty! Jesus is alive! May you be reminded and experience the power of His resurrection this Easter weekend!

This has been a wonderful year of teaching so far. I’m so grateful for our teaching and worship teams - they are the best! We began the year with A la Carte - A Menu for Living Well through which we were encouraged to feed ourselves from God’s Word. Then we sought to Encounter Who I AM (Jesus) through Jesus’ seven powerful “I AM” statements in the Gospel of John.

Next week (the week after Easter), we begin a new series called Chasing the Wind - A View of Life from Ecclesiastes. Ecclesiastes is one of my favorite Old Testament books because it is as relevant today as it was when it was first written some 3000 years ago (”there is nothing new under the sun” - Eccl. 1:9).

All of us want to be happy. We want to be secure and significant. We want life to have meaning and purpose. We want to wake up everyday excited about life. But if we are brutally honest, we’ll admit we can’t seem to find these things and they sure are hard to keep! These things are elusive and temporary. Nothing really lasts - beauty and health fades, money disappears, relationships end, companies go out of business and we will all physically die - you get the point.

The book of Ecclesiastes affirms that life is tough and unfair. It shows how we keep chasing after things that we think will bring lasting happiness, but our chase is actually like “chasing after the wind.” No one can catch or control the wind.

In this unfair and frustrating life, are there ANY answers at all? Yes! But they might surprise us. In this book we’ll encounter statements like this: it is good to “eat and drink, and to find satisfaction in toilsome labor.” (This will be fun to unpack in the weeks ahead!) In powerful ways we’ll be reminded that only a life centered on God brings meaning and purpose. With God, we can find happiness and satisfaction and enjoy His good gifts (like eating, drinking and hard work).

God loves us and wants us to know how to find real meaning, purpose, and happiness. Come with an open and expectant heart as we look at God’s remarkable wisdom and discover God’s ways to experience an incredible life. You might want to start reading this short 12 chapter book called Ecclesiastes. Get ready for some brutal reality and some wonderful surprises.

Celebrating the empty tomb,

Glen

Easter comes very early this year. In fact this is the earliest date anyone alive has seen it appear and we won’t see it this early again in our lifetimes!

Easter is my absolutely favorite holiday (Second is Thanksgiving and Christmas takes third place for me). The death and resurrection of Jesus is the heart of what we believe, the core of our message and the hope of who we are. I believe in the physical death and resurrection of Jesus. I believe he’s not only alive today, but that he’s active in changing lives. He’s alive and the evidence of his powerful presence is everywhere.

Here’s how we are remembering the suffering and sacrifice of Jesus and celebrating the fact that the tomb of Jesus is empty.

Maundy Thursday - March 20th, 7pm in the Auditorium
We’ll focus on our theme for Lent which is “The Way of the Jesus - The Way of the Cross.” We’ll worship and express our hearts to God in song, remember Jesus’ last day with his disciples before his arrest and celebrate communion together. While this is our time to break our fasting for Lent, anyone is welcome to join in remembrance.

Good Friday - March 21st, 7pm in the Auditorium
We are going to remember Jesus’ suffering and death through a powerful drama called Portraits of the Passion. We’ll tell the story of the final days and hours of the life of Jesus. We’ll look at the Last Supper, the time in the garden, his betrayal, trial, beating and crucifixion.

Resurrection Celebration (Easter weekend) - March 22 & 23
The tomb is empty. Jesus is alive! We’ll celebrate the resurrection of Jesus and look at his last “I AM” statement: “I AM the resurrection and the life” (John 11:25). We’ll rejoice in song that our Savior lives.

We’ll have our four regular weekend services: Saturday - 6pm and Sunday - 8, 9:30 and 11AM. Please come to the Saturday or Sunday 8am (Traditions) services to make room for our visitors and please be a great host and park in the farthest locations to give our guests closer parking. Be on the lookout for visitors and help them find the children’s, youth or other locations.

Elements, a relational gathering, meets every Sunday night and will celebrate Easter at 6pm in Towne Hall on Resurrection Sunday.

We are alive because He’s alive!

Glen

What’s the secret to having a happy, fulfilled, successful and fruitful life? Tons of books and methods are put forth to try and answer this age old question. We all would love to know “the secret.”

One of the more recent misleading teachings about how to have an amazing life is found in the book The Secret by Rhonda Byrne. It is a book that has sold over a million copies and is one more of the New Age self-help books. Byrne claims to hold the answer to life’s deepest mysteries.

The secret of The Secret is the “law of attraction.” The Secret teaches that all you have to do is “put in your order with the universe” and ask, believe, and receive. You’ll attract (like a magnet) whatever you are wanting. You’ll be rich or get whatever you want. That’s the law of the universe. So want and ask and walla, you’ll receive.

The Secret is not THE secret. The secret is found only in the True Vine - Jesus Christ. For the last few weeks I’ve been studying and reflecting on one of Jesus’ profound “I AM” statement found in John 15:1- 8. Jesus says, “I am the true vine.” Jesus is saying two things here. He is God. And as God, He is like a Vine. It is the Vine (Jesus) who provides all that is necessary for real life. There are many powerful secrets in what Jesus is revealing. I’ll be sharing some of the amazing insights of this I AM statement in my message this weekend.

Basically Jesus is saying we are nothing without being intimately connected to Him the Vine. As branches, we must stay connected to Him (abide or remain). He is the source of all that is good and lasting. He is the one who transforms us on the inside so that we produce amazing fruit that blesses others. Note His emphasis isn’t on what we get (Byrne uses the word “attract”), but what we can give away!

Now Jesus says something very close to what Byrne says in The Secret, but it is very different. In John 15:7 Jesus says: “If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you.” Wow! That is powerful. Ask whatever you wish and it is yours. But the context is critical. Our asking is formed and shaped by the Jesus we are connected to and who lives in us. His words direct us. Our asking must be totally consistent with who Jesus is and what He wants. Also, His focus in this section has been on producing much spiritual fruit that blesses others and not on selfish wants. What have you asked for today that will be a blessing to others?

Blessed to be a blessing;

Glen