Your Basic Oregon Wayside and Day at the Coast

A picture really isn't worth a 1,000 words - I think that's an under-estimate. Check these out...

The first three pics are at the Hwy 34 Alsea Trout Hatchery

 

Next six pics are at a recreational area off Hwy 34 - I think it was Missouri Bend Recreational area.

Next four are at Driftwood Beach State Recreational Area. You can see it was pretty popular with the locals on Monday.

 

These last pics of of Seal Rock between Waldport and Newport. No, we didn't see any seals. And we forgot to watch for whale spouts!

 

Day in the Life

As an update, the technology demons have passed. Yea!

Renovation plans are proceeding as anticipated. In talking with Josh yesterday, he seemed to feel that we'd tear out in early September and build out the the first week in October. Any builder want to join the party?

We continue to meet as a leadership team weekly and explore what it means for our church to be disciples of Jesus. Some pretty 'heavy' conversations with 'lots of meat' on them, as I say, have happened and that's encouraging, but a little daunting. This is really happening!! We also have our first wedding this weekend as a 'church.' Be praying for these young people as they begin a new phase of life - may our community be examples to them of Christ and His church and therefore husband and wife.

We've been doing a lot of talking about what it truely means to 'disciple.' It's a daunting task! Our challenge to each other is to meet at least one person a week who does not know Jesus. This does not mean we necessarily have to haveany sort of a spiritual conversation, but it really stretches comfort zones! I find that I engage in a lot of chit-chat, but nothing that I can qualify as a full-on conversation. In order to disciple another, we must build relationship, and that's not easy if you never get past the weather or mundane observation of the obvious. How might we dare to read our Bibles together if we never go deeper than that which we can all see - if we all recognize that the apple is red, but don't explore the fruit within, we don't 'sharpen' one another through exchange of belief.

Not sure i'm making any sense, but the bottom line is that I, in particular, am pushing my comfort zone. And it's not comfortable, ironically! Hee, hee!

Technology Demons!

During my years at River Rock Pastor Jon and I often talked about "Technology Demons".  We decided that Satan had a technology division and that on big events he would send a few extra minions to mess with our computers, printers, and projectors.   Well, that division has invaded Corvallis, Oregon.

I have owned mac computers for nearly 20 years so what I am about to report makes me deeply sad...  After 4 hours on the phone with apple I regretfully must back everything up and start all over.  Since loading OS 10.7 known as lion, I have not been able to get on-line.  So I've tried everything and... NOTHING!  It still doesn't work so I'm backing up my computer.  Then while backing up my computer my external hard drive decided to stop working.  Do you see a trend.  Basically I have nearly a day into meaningless troubleshooting while my todo list continues to get longer and longer.  The "Techi Demons" are on the attack.

In all seriousness, technology problem are only the most recent "attacks" that Re:new or the VanTil's have experienced.  I've been sick for a week, other issues have taken center stage from our priorities, and I have a general feeling of exhaustion.

That being, today as I struggled through my computer woes the Joseph story came to my mind.  Specifically the statement "You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives."  It gave me peace to think that what I am experiencing as harm against me is not outside of God's concern and knowledge.  Even if the Satan has sent his whole Tech department, what is intended for harm God can accomplish good through.

So, pray for the protection of Re:new Church, the VanTil family and the whole launch team. However, ask God to work these troubles for the good of his mission and purpose in Corvallis so that many might be saved.

re:finance

As promised online giving for Re:new Church is now available using the instructions below. Please prayerfully consider how you can be part of the re:finance team and help us meet our financial goals. We are currently 1/2 way to both our renovation/set-up goal and our 3-year budget goal.

To be part of our re:finance team simply follow the directions below:


To Set up a Recurring Gift:
 go to https://renew.onthecity.org/kiosk/setup

• Enter your name, email address, phone number & click 'invite me.'
• Go to your e-mail account; click “sign up for the city!”
• Follow instructions to create a login
• Finish by clicking 'create my account'
• Sign into The City and agree to terms
• You are know a part of Re:new Church’s online campus.
• Go to Giving Tab on left and follow instructions.

To Make a One Time Gift:
Go to https://renew.onthecity.org/give

• Click “Continue to Online Giving”
• Follow Instructions

Thank You for your gift to Re:new Church

Re:everything

“For God so loved the Kosmos (universe).”  We are used to hearing, “For God so loved the world.”  Not that there’s anything wrong with that, it just doesn’t capture the totality of God’s love or concern.  It doesn’t completely capture the fullness of God redemptive plan.  I think it’s easy to minimize what God is really up to in this world.  We may think, “God’s concern is with human beings and their eternal destination”  and you are right.  But is that the full extent of God desire for the Kosmos?  Is that the extent of the power of God’s grace at work in this world?  I believe that God’s concern covers all things in this universe.  I believe that God’s Grace affects everything in our life and in the Kosmos.  In Colossians 1 Paul speaks of this purpose and desire when we writes about Jesus:

¹⁵ He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. ¹⁶ For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. ¹⁷ He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. ¹⁸ And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. ¹⁹ For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, ²⁰ and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross. 

God’s concern is for everything.  The scope of his redemptive plan is in regards to everything.  Astronomy, marine biology, sex, relationships, plants, animals???  God created it, God loves it and God is reconciling it to himself through Christ.  Art, music, business, money, government???  Yep, God has something to say about it and a vested interest in it.  Video games, rap??? Maybe... This is a joke.

The point is, the good news about Jesus Christ affect everything. God loves the Kosmos completely (he created it and has authority over it) and by virtue of that, cares about everything in it and has something to say about it.  

re:everything

Morning Thoughts from Renew Church

Oswald Chambers has done it again.  Here are some of my thoughts concerning what I read this morning. 
Have a great day,
Josh



“Jesus says - ‘Go steadily on with what I have told you to do and I will guard your life. If you try to guard it yourself, you remove yourself from My deliverance.’ The most devout among us become atheistic in this connection; we do not believe God, we enthrone common sense and tack the name of God on to it. We do lean to our own understanding, instead of trusting God with all our hearts.” - Oswald Chambers

How guilty I am of making my best laid plans and then calling it God’s will.  Instead of trusting in God I lean on my own understanding of things instead of living out Proverbs 3:

5    Trust in the Lord with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
6    in all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make your paths straight.

This then begs the question, do I really trust that Jesus will deliver me, will guard me, will make my paths straight?  Or do I, down at my core, merely trust myself and the plans I have made?

Jeremiah 1:8 says “8 Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you,” declares the Lord.”  As we travel through the trails of our trek through life, who are we trusting in?  Will we remember that God has rescued us and will continue to rescue us and for that reason he is trustworthy?  Or will we continue to make our decisions based on our education, reasoning, wisdom...  our common sense and “tack the name of God on to it?” 

Do not forget the words of Psalm 27:
1    The Lord is my light and my salvation—
whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life—
of whom shall I be afraid?

He is trustworthy!  You can lean on him!  He will deliver you!  No need to fear.

A New People-Group

I was introduced to a new people-group last night at a baby shower for my neighbor. They're called "Football Wives." You can't pick them out of a crowd in any way, but they have a unique attribute that very few folks in the nation (I speculate) can claim.

Our neighbor is the operations guy for the football team at OSU which makes his wife "The wife of the operations guy for the football team at OSU." Now, that distinction does not have anything unique that any other married couple does not have. What makes this different is the strange and wonderful bond that these 'football wifes' have. So track this with me... these women are thrown together not by any commonality except the occupation of their spouses - still not an unusual thing. Their families go through stressful times as a result of the jobs (referring now to the football jobs), there's travel or times of separation, there's a rhythm of life that comes with the family member's job. Still nothing unusual.

But let's take the job of a tax accountant - that's easy to compare as they both have seasons that are stressful and take them away from their families. Same with any family in sales, or construction. or... But during these times when the spouse is committing great amounts of time to the job, how often does it happen that the spouses are able to gather and 'do life' together? These 'football wives' are brought together weekly to watch the games with their kids and the other wives - I'm envisioning a weekly play-date on a very strange magnitude. These women have walked beside each other during the times when it's most stressful on the family to have the spouse 'away.' They've celebrated births, deaths, sickness, victory, defeat on every level as a group. THIS does not happen for 'accountants wives!' Could you imagine families hanging around together while the spouse is hammering out taxes? Or making a business deal, or laying a foundation? It's not going to happen! I often get thrown into the 'pastor's wife' group, but it sometimes feel more sympathetic than supportive. Not to complain about my role in the family, but more to expose what a wonderful bond these women have.

I don't feel like I'm saying it very clearly. These women I was with last night appeared to have an amazing connection to each other not because they chose to be together, but yet love each other deeply - which is a very uncommon thing, really. I was very honored to be able to step in for just a brief time to share their lives - for this I want to thank you, ladies.