My friend Doug Lucas just sent this report from his visit to Trujillo, Peru, where we are partners in Project New Hope (PNH). Listen to what God is doing. THIS IS HUGE! We are partnering with Project New Hope to change a city of over a million people and God is doing AMAZING things. PNH is …

“simultaneously reaching out to 7 barrios, university students, and professionals. They’ve built 7 community centers, psychological counseling for those who need it, assistance to beaten and battered women and a medical clinic (with another one on the way), micro-economic business start-ups, and even larger business start-ups to provide jobs to those in the barrios with some of the profits being used to sponsor new leaders in local churches. One business, a snail farm, has grown so rapidly that it is now said to be the 3rd-largest snail production facility in all of South America.

They’ve got a dairy farm, a new guinea pig operation coming on line, and they do Bible story-telling (orality) like it’s going outa’ style. They teach “Character First” to every member of the staff and virtually every new worker and believer. There’s a new women’s village in the works for ladies that have been abandoned. They’re involving Peruvian professionals in reaching out to the poor in their own city, which gives them all the more help addressing citywide problems. We’ve noticed a distinct change in the people in the barrios we’ve visited.

As a result of the teaching, they seem to have much more dignity and a higher self esteem than they would have had otherwise. There are sports outreaches in the works, educational groups, kids outreaches, a new “Amigos en Accion” outreach that pulls together buddy groups, a car wash business, flower vendor carts, and even knitting groups. The list goes on. Now all this would be impressive under any circumstances. But what I have a hard time understanding is how they’ve launched all this in less than 3 years! Shew. Makes me tired just thinking about it.

Only God could have caused all this to come together in such a short time… but he chose to do all this through the hands of hard-working visionaries. Only two of these families are from the USA. The rest is being carried out by Peruvians. It’s astounding. Makes me think that sometimes we underestimate what God can do.”

Wow! If you want to be a part of our Peru team, contact Tim Coop or David Thoresen. Together to make a difference for a million people in Trujillo,

Glen

Free & Clear
Thank you for all who have participated in Free & Clear. Free & Clear is our four year project to eliminate our church mortgage debt with gifts given above regular giving. Every dollar given reduces our mortgage expense by $2.21! We want to be Free & Clear in order to devote more of our resources to direct ministry. As of this week we have received $178,600 - Yahoo! This has already helped us to reduce our debt service from 15% of our budget to 11%. We still have over 4 million dollars to pay off. 89 people have made a commitment to get out of personal debt to be free and clear - YAHOO!

Mother’s Day
We’ll be honoring not just our mothers this weekend, but all women. The Bible is full of stories of women who made a huge difference for God. Our faith rests on the legacies of both great men and women who risked all for God.

No Compromise
After Mother’s Day weekend, we start a new 9 week series called “No Compromise.” This is a study from the book of Daniel. If you have joined us doing the Book of the Month (reading a book of the Bible a month) you might want to consider reading Daniel this month or next. You can see the resource on how to do the Book of the Month on our web site.

Kenya
During Lent, those who participated gave the money they would have spent on whatever they were fasting from to help out our friends in Kenya after the tribal civil war. We sent the money to Bishop Mark Kegohi. He reported that the biggest need they face is food shortages and starvation. The funds we send were applied to helping build a kitchen. The church has decided that it needs to prepare meals for those in greatest need. Mark has noticed that many kids quit going to school in favor of rummaging for food.

Sierra Vista
The Sextons have relocated in Sierra Vista. Hugh is our site pastor there. Jesse Colburn has joined the launch team as the worship leader and associate pastor. They have had 3 significant events to serve the community. Our launch date is set for August 17th. We hope to open with two services with about 400 in attendance. Keep the Pantano Christian Church Sierra Vista team in your prayers.

Toilet Paper
Hugh Sexton calculated the distance of the 2328 rolls of toilet paper we collected and gave to the schools of the 29th Street Corridor. If we stretched out the rolls end to end it would reach from the PCC - Houghton campus all the way to Sierra Vista (70.3 miles). Maybe not a coincidence!

Loving life under the sun;

Glen Elliott
Lead Pastor

Solomon, 3000 years ago said it first, under the guidance of the Spirit of God. He said that life under the sun is meaningless (vanity or “vapor”). He also said there’s nothing new under the sun (Eccl. 1:10). Sorry Dr. Jung, you were not the first to observe this.

Yet we know that life is not meant to be meaningless and the message of Ecclesiastes is that it doesn’t have to be meaningless. In fact, satisfaction (the opposite of meaninglessness) is already available to all.

You might have missed a simple word in my last sentence - “already.” Yet in the context of the teaching of Ecclesiastes, happiness or better, satisfaction is already here. Happiness and satisfaction are not things we hope for or strive for, it is something we embrace. God has already given us everything we need for life and for goodness. The blessed life is not future, but a gift given now.

God wants to bless us. He has blessed and wants us to enjoy our food, drink, spouse and work - the simple gifts of God (9:7-10). He wants to bless us so we’ll live a life of happiness and satisfaction in order to bless others! Here’s a simple but powerful equation: unhappiness leads to cursing (not just bad language but sucking life out of others) and satisfaction leads to blessing (enhancing the life of others).

Listen to the words of Thomas Merton: “To live well myself is my first and essential contribution to the well-being of all mankind and to the fulfillment of man’s collective destiny. If I do not live happily myself how can I help anyone else to be happy, or free, or wise? Yet, to seek happiness is not to live happily. Perhaps it is more true to say that one finds happiness by not seeking it. The wisdom that teaches us deliberately to restrain our desire for happiness enables us to discover that we are already happy without realizing it.”

So again the consistent refrain in Ecclesiastes: “A man can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in his work. This too, I see, is from the hand of God, for without him, who can eat or find enjoyment?” (2:24 & 25 - NIV)

Embrace God’s blessings ALREADY here!

Glen

As I prepare for the memorial service (this Friday, 10am in the auditorium), I think about Solomon’s words in Ecclesiastes 7:1-6 (NIV):

¹ A good name is better than fine perfume,
and the day of death better than the day of birth.
² It is better to go to a house of mourning
than to go to a house of feasting,
for death is the destiny of every man;
the living should take this to heart.
³ Sorrow is better than laughter,
because a sad face is good for the heart.
⁴ The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning,
but the heart of fools is in the house of pleasure.
⁵ It is better to heed a wise man’s rebuke
than to listen to the song of fools.
⁶ Like the crackling of thorns under the pot,
so is the laughter of fools.
This too is meaningless.

I’ll bet you’ve just about had enough of the positive thinking of Ecclesiastes! Can we really accept that “a sad face is good for the heart” (vs. 3)? What’s the point here? Verse 2 above helps us interpret the whole section. We will all die - period. With that reality, it should inform our daily decisions.

In poetic form, Solomon is saying that with death a reality and the brevity of life, we should take life seriously! Take that idea and every verse in the text above makes sense. Take life seriously! Make the most of every moment! In mourning we can see what’s most important. Don’t run from a confrontation. The way of fools is just that - foolishness. If we only center life on feasting and laughter and foolishness, we’ll miss the depth of life as God created it. Yes, we are to enjoy life and pleasure (8:15), but also use the times like a memorial service or a loss of any kind as a time to turn our hearts toward God.

Jana Swinney lived a great life. She touched many people. She was steadfast and faithful. She finished well. The day of her death was better than the day of her birth for she made the most of the days in between - to the glory of God. May our ending be better than our beginning! Think about that.

Glen

As dead flies give perfume a bad smell, so a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor. (10:1)

We see this all the time, especially in public leaders. All the good things one has done can be forgotten with one lie, poorly chosen words or sin. Just watch political news these days for examples.

Do not revile the king even in your thoughts, or curse the rich in your bedroom, because a bird of the air may carry your words, and a bird on the wing may report what you say. (10:20)

How many times have we said something in “private” only to have it spread publically? How many times have we wished we hadn’t said something and could “take it back?” Or how about the time you were replying to one person on email but hit “reply all” and sent a note to a ton of people with a response that exposed you. Once you hit “send” (our modern “bird”) it is out of your control.

Ever wished for the good ole days? Listen to 7:10:
Do not say, “Why were the old days better than these?” For it is not wise to ask such questions.

And my all time favorite that I’ve tried to take to heart is found in 7:21 & 22:
Do not pay attention to every word people say, or you may hear your servant cursing you- for you know in your heart that many times you yourself have cursed others.

We all are tempted to pay too much attention to what others say about us. Why give others power over us by listening to their curses. And often others say things they don’t really mean, yet we take them to heart. The curses of man (anything said and done to rob us of life and satisfaction) will never match the blessing and grace of God. May we learn to listen to what God says about us and find satisfaction in Him alone and not in what others say.

If you have time, you might want to look up a few more gems in Ecclesiastes - 5:1 & 2; 10:4; 8-11; 11:4; and 12:12b.

Have a great week under the sun,

Glen

Let’s look at Eccl. 7:16-18 (NIV):
Do not be overrighteous,
neither be overwise-
why destroy yourself?

Do not be overwicked,
and do not be a fool-
why die before your time?

It is good to grasp the one
and not let go of the other.
The man who fears God will avoid all extremes.

Some folks who act like super-saints are very annoying. Like the driver of a car with a zillion religious bumper stickers who drives like a demon from hell. I am cautious around folks who super-spiritualize everything like “God told me to park in that particular place.” I’ve heard people say that the Spirit told them to do something that was clearly against scripture. When confronted, they just claim they heard God and obeyed. “Overrighteous” people can be judgmental and just a bit arrogant. Some fans are just too fanatical and obnoxious. I am a “fan” of God, but I don’t want to be an obnoxious fan.

Overrighteous and overwise folks have a problem - pride. It is inevitable. The root of all sin is pride. Pride is a focus on me. “See God how super holy I am! So God, you owe me blessings!” How foolish. God is never a debtor to us. Overwickedness is also a life of pride - I’ll do whatever I want for my benefit.

In context Solomon reminds us that our ability to be righteous is limited. We can never do enough for God. For sure our wisdom is limited. All striving is doomed. So don’t overdue it! Going to church more or serving harder will just wear you out. But don’t be a fool either and give up and indulge in evil. The main thing is to respect (fear) and trust God. In Him we find rest from striving that will never yield satisfaction. This weekend I’ll be teaching about rest. We can rest because of grace. We’ll never be good enough to earn God’s favor - that’s why we embrace grace! We rest in a good God who wants us to enjoy Him above all things. Let’s not miss that in being overrighteous or overwicked.

Living life “under the sun”:

Glen

¹⁰ I have seen the burden God has laid on men. ¹¹ He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end. ¹² I know that there is nothing better for men than to be happy and do good while they live. ¹³ That everyone may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all his toil-this is the gift of God. ¹⁴ I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that men will revere him.

Verses 1-8 that precede this are about a time for everything - a superb poem. Please take time to read it. As a child of the 60’s it takes me back to the Bird’s “Turn! Turn! Turn!” (1962) written by Pete Seeger (Can you hear me singing it?).

What’s the point of the poem? We are reminded we can’t control the time or the seasons or events of our lives. We are not God! God created life with these seasons of war and peace, weeping and laughing, searching and giving up, etc. So in verse 11 we are reminded that “everything is beautiful in its time.” The message: sit back and enjoy the movements of the seasons and events.

But God also created us with “eternity” (literally “an age”) in our hearts. In this sense we are not like animals. We yearn to know how it all fits together and how it will all end. But we really can’t fully fathom the past and we sure can’t figure out the future. Only God knows how it all fits together. Verse 14 suggests that God wants us to realize we can’t know everything or why this or that happened when it did in order to remain dependent on God for TODAY!

So, instead of missing the “now” in our worry about the future, Solomon encourages us to be happy and DO GOOD (vs. 12). See the ordinary activities of life like eating and drinking as a gift of God. Behind every activity in life is God who is present and wants to lead us to make the most of every moment.

Wow, do I love this book. I’m blown away by its wisdom. If I can only learn to live in the moment, see God in every ordinary event or conversation and enjoy life as a gift from God. What a challenge but also what a hope.

Living life “under the sun,”

Glen

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

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 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