Sunnyside Presbyterian Church - Stepping Stones

A Dwelling Place For God by Mary Cory

2011-08-10T05:15:00.000-07:00

Our Vision Statement is about building. It tells us that Sunnyside Presbyterian Church was built by God, and that it was built as a house of worship. We have been blessed with a beautiful building, rich in tradition and history, but also expanded and updated to meet the needs of the congregation. No matter how impressive the physical structure may be, a building is just a building unless God is there. The Old Testament scripture lesson for this week – Exodus 33:7-11 – tells us that it makes no difference where worship occurs. We can encounter God in the humblest of circumstances. Moses met God in a tent, as a friend, when He descended as a pillar of cloud. We cannot predict how God will appear to us as we move forward as a congregation, so we must be open and receptive to His guidance in whatever form it may take.

How do we make Sunnyside a dwelling place for God? Worship and praise are important, but they are not enough. Our Vision Statement tells us that we are called to build bridges of faith. We are called to connect with other people within and beyond the walls of Sunnyside to fulfill our mission.

Peter and John, in the name of Jesus, raised up the lame man at the Beautiful Gate of the temple (Acts 3:1-11). We too are capable of enacting great change, but only if we acknowledge Jesus as the cornerstone upon which we build.

· What is this Vision calling you to become?

· What images used in this Vision are familiar to you; What elements are unfamiliar?

· In what respects does this Vision call us together to greater faith and courage than what is commonly expressed in our congregation.

· What difference do you hope this Vision will make in the life of our congregation?

Built Together Spiritually by Mila Pierce

2011-08-03T06:18:00.000-07:00

In the Ephesians 2:19-22 passage, Paul reminded Gentile believers that they were not excluded and were equal in status with Jews as members of God's house. The two groups were united to form one new humanity. Jews and Gentiles had been separated by racial, religious, cultural and social barriers. These differences created large gulfs between them. Jesus bridged the gulfs, and his death meant unity for all.

In some Bible verses, the family of God is referred to as a building . This summer we have been looking to Jesus as the cornerstone, the apostles and prophets as the foundation, and individual believers as building stones. Back in Paul's time the believers, Jews and Gentiles, were being built together spiritually. This described creating the church, but not as a physical building. The church is people, individual members like you and me.

Every individual stone has a place into which it is fitted as a building is made. Every individual has an indispensable part to play in the life of the church. This was true back then and is true today. When we are built together spiritually we include millions of Christians throughout time in whom God's spirit lives.

Paul told the church in Corinth that there were different kinds of gifts, different kinds of service, and different kinds of activities, but with the same God at work. “To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.” (1 Cor 12:7) Some of the diverse gifts listed are wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing, miracles, prophecy, discernment of spirit, and tongues. Today in our congregation, we may think that individual stones (members) do not have all that much in common. We have different economic situations, different interests and obligations, and even different ethnic backgrounds. But Jesus, like an architect and builder, can take us, piece us together, and join us together spiritually in his building.

Last fall a few of us were asked to join a committee to think into the future for a vision for Sunnyside, to study scripture and then together write a vision by the time summer arrived. None of us probably had much prior experience in vision writing, but we came with our diverse backgrounds, gifts, and willing hearts to do the work we had been asked to do. As the weeks went by, we were built together spiritually and were able to study and then write and rewrite drafts of a vision for Sunnyside. Good humor, honest concern, and tasty refreshments helped us build the bridges.

As Sunnyside's future unfolds, I hope the church is a loving and caring community in which the power of the Holy Spirit is present and operates through the unique and complementary gifts of each of you. What a great thing it would be if we are built together spiritually again and again.

Questions for Reflection:

· What is this Vision calling you to become?

· What images used in this Vision are familiar to you; What elements are unfamiliar?

· In what respects does this Vision call us together to greater faith and courage than what is commonly expressed in our congregation.

· What difference do you hope this Vision will make in the life of our congregation?

We are the Temple by Bill Lamie

2011-07-27T08:02:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday’s “Call To Worship” asked the question, “What does the Holy One require of us,” and the congregational response was, “but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with our God.”

We as individuals and as a community of faith are called to recognize that the value of Salvation comes to us through the sufferings of Jesus Christ. We are called to conduct our lives as a Holy person, and we are called to Holiness so that we may reveal Jesus Christ to the world around us both near and far. As 1Peter1:15 says, “Instead, as He (God) who calls you is holy, be holy yourselves in all your conduct.” How close do we come to being holy? What are the characteristics of holiness? Is it someone who is loving, truthful, sincere, obedient, honest, God fearing?

I have often heard it said that the only Christ some people ever see is the Christ that they see in others (me). Although we are imperfect, Christ calls us to be his hands and feet, and he challenges us to reach out to our fellow man and share His blessings. He is calling us to reveal the wonder and preciousness of His Love, Grace and Mercy.

Our new Guiding Vision Statement has a “road map” attached to it. I haven’t seen the map just yet, but I am beginning to truly, and deeply appreciate the immensity of God’s call to us to be His holy temple…the place where He can dwell and reach to the world. I have faith that once we see the “road map”, it can take us anywhere God wants us to be.

Each time I read our Vision Statement, I am finding greater understanding of what is expected of me and the much-needed adjustments to my self-centered existence. Building a holy temple takes time, adjustments, and faithful staying power.

Questions for Reflection:

· What is this Vision calling you to become?

· What images used in this Vision are familiar to you; What elements are unfamiliar?

· In what respects does this Vision call us together to greater faith and courage than what is commonly expressed in our congregation.

· What difference do you hope this Vision will make in the life of our congregation?

Growing Together in God's Temple by Jenica Cory

2011-07-20T04:49:00.000-07:00

Diversity is a common subject of discussion at Sunnyside. We generally consider it to be a strength, but it is also something that we strive to improve upon. With this new vision statement, we have made clear that our vision for the future of the church involves the inclusion of all people, in our immediate community and throughout the world. While this can often seem like a daunting task (Where do we begin? How do we reach out to people we don't know? Are we really capable of being open and inclusive of everyone?), our task is made easier because we have a unifying spirit as our guide.

"In Christ the whole structure is joined together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord." What a beautiful concept - this relationship that each of us has with Christ, uniting us into a single structure. Having all drunk of the same spirit - no matter what our particular race, age, nationality, political views, or station in life - we create a holy temple and ponder God's steadfast love in the midst of that temple. And, in Christ, we do it together. He joins us to one another and serves as the deep shared foundation - the cornerstone - that allows us to utilize and learn from our many differences and unique perspectives, while still maintaining our collective identity as Christians.

With Christ as the cornerstone, Sunnyside is able to grow as a congregation. We should be emboldened and encouraged by the knowledge, as the vision statement recognizes, that the holy spirit is our guide. This allows us to reach into new areas and do new things with confidence in who we are as Sunnysiders. Similarly, the worldwide Christian church is joined together and grows when Christ is truly placed first and recognized as the foundation of all that we do.

I really love the scope of the vision statement - we want to serve people in our neighborhood, but also around the globe......from South Bend to South America. And I love that it's possible, with this unifying spirit, for Sunnyside to have that kind of impact, and to make those kinds of connections. As the author says of Mount Zion in Psalm 48, perhaps some day someone will say about Sunnyside, "go all around it, count it's [bell] towers, consider well its [gathering space]; go through its [sanctuary], that you may tell the next generation that this is God, our God forever and ever. He will be our guide forever."

Questions for Reflection:
• What is this Vision calling you to become?
• What images used in this Vision are familiar to you; What elements are unfamiliar?
• In what respects does this Vision call us together to greater faith and courage than what is commonly expressed in our congregation.
• What difference do you hope this Vision will make in the life of our congregation?

Built Upon the Rock by Amy Gardine

2011-07-13T05:36:00.000-07:00

You do remember that song from childhood, right? The one where the wise man builds his house upon the rock and the foolish man builds his house upon the sand? Then (in my favorite part of the song) the rains come down and the floods come up, and the house on the sand goes “SPLAT”! Ohhh…. as a child I used to adore that “splat” at the end! And I must admit, I have been humming that song this whole week! Mostly because I have had to think deeply and intentionally about this passage – not only having Christ as our chief cornerstone, but also having a true and unwavering faith, just as Simon Peter did.

I must say that I have always thought I understood this particular passage, but as I looked deeper into it, I began to wonder about the final verse in Matthew’s passage. Jesus sternly orders the disciples NOT to tell anyone that he was the Messiah. It seems like such a hard request. By this point in our study, the righteous have entered through the gates and the faithful have become the rocks on which the church will be built! So, why keep that a secret? Is that our call? Is that what we, as disciples, are to do? Keep it all hush-hush?
Hmmmm….

After looking more closely at the passage, I think I started to see why the disciples were to keep the Messiah so anonymous. I think that Jesus knew exactly what would happen if the revelation of his divinity came from a third party. It would be the same thing that happens when we - as humans – reveal something as a third party in our day and age. Misinformation! It is true! These men would have gone forward with information that was skewed by personal perceptions and understandings. I think that Christ understood fully that in God’s time all would be revealed. When that revelation came to light, all the world would be shaken to the foundation, leaving His cornerstone on which all else would be built. Patience and faith. These two never seem too far apart in these gospels OR in the pursuit of a missional church.

So, back to the sand. Are we ready to build? Do we have the proper ground? I believe we are ready to build and do have the proper foundation. We are called to be builders of a congregation that can withstand the storms, floods, and shifts of culture. And, most importantly, we are called to share God’s grace and love. However, we are called to first listen and wait for the revelation of God’s will. Only then, we will gain a mission built in and of God’s grace and vision.

Questions for Reflection:
• What is this Vision calling you to become?
• What images used in this Vision are familiar to you; What elements are unfamiliar?
• In what respects does this Vision call us together to greater faith and courage than what is commonly expressed in our congregation.
• What difference do you hope this Vision will make in the life of our congregation?

What do we bring with our offering? by Larry Savage

2011-07-06T07:22:00.000-07:00

The Stepping Stones Journey continues this Sunday with Jamie’s sermon on Isaiah 6:1-18 and Acts 4:32-37 “Built upon the foundations of the apostles and prophets”. In the scripture, we see the willingness of Christ’s followers to commit themselves bodily, spiritually, and materially to God’s will. Now, the question is what can we bring to the apostle’s feet?

Many years ago, in the time of Robyn and Robert McMullin, I was asked to be the liturgist for a Sunday. This “event” for me (as I am not good in the role) was pretty stressful. Dyslexic, emotionally on the edge, and weak kneed; I struggled through the service and came to the time of commitment of our offering. I had spent some time thinking about this prayer.
What do we bring with our offering?

The answer, I think, holds for us today:
“Triune God, we bring to you today part of the many gifts you have given us. For some it is the gift of wealth. For others it is the gift of wisdom, or energy, or vision, or simply the gift of being a good listener in time of need. Help us use these, your varied gifts, to lead the Christian life this week”.

We are approaching the phase in our Stepping Stones Journey in which we look at all our individual gifts. How we can apply them to the wide variety of human needs we find about us? How can we sustain ourselves in mission work that not only benefits the poor in spirit or circumstance, but also ties us more closely as a living expression of the Triune God’s will through a vibrant Sunnyside congregation?

I am expectant and confident that we will find the foundation for our future as we listen to the apostles and prophets as well as trust the gifts among us.

Questions for Reflection:
• What is this Vision calling you to become?
• What images used in this Vision are familiar to you; What elements are unfamiliar?
• In what respects does this Vision call us together to greater faith and courage than what is commonly expressed in our congregation.
• What difference do you hope this Vision will make in the life of our congregation?

The Gift of a Vision, by Ken Baierl

2011-06-29T04:55:00.000-07:00

Sunnyside Church received a gift a couple of weeks ago. It was delivered quietly, with little fanfare. The gift was a beautiful vision statement crafted by the Vision Panel – a group of Sunnysiders who didn’t know each other very well at the beginning but who were bound together by a common cause. They listened to God and did their work brilliantly. Now it is our turn, as a congregation, to build on what they have given us.

This summer we have started a Stepping Stones sermon series to reflect on the vision statement and the scriptures that support it. Last week more than 20 people gathered in the Music Room for the first discussion in the series. The conversation revolved around “Together we are called to build bridges of faith” sentence in the vision statement.

This Sunday, Jamie will preach on Genesis 12: 1-9 and Ephesians 1: 1-14 and their link to the vision statement. In reading the scriptures, I was struck by the line from Paul saying “In Christ we have also obtained an inheritance…” I feel like I inherited a lot of things from Christ, including Sunnyside Church and all of you. I am grateful for that and want to use that inheritance wisely. Reflection and discussion of the vision statement seems to me like the wise thing to do with my inheritance from Christ this summer. I hope you will join us.

Questions for reflection:
• What is the Vision calling you to become?
• What images used in this Vision are familiar to you? What elements are unfamiliar?
• In what respects does the Vision call us together to greater faith and courage than what is commonly expressed in our congregation?
• What difference do you hope this Vision will make in the life of our congregation?

Musing on a Vision, by Abbe Golden

2011-06-21T11:20:00.000-07:00

The Vision Statement has arrived! Now what? Well, we need to read the vision statement over and over, much like kneading dough and letting it rise for the perfect loaf of bread. We need to pray about it, faithfully and honestly, being open to God’s will for Sunnyside and for ourselves. We need to think, discuss, and pray some more.

As I read the vision statement over and over, certain thoughts and images dance through my mind. But for this particular blog post, I would like to concentrate on the image of being called together to build bridges of faith.

We travel over bridges all the time without much thought. But there are some bridges that make us stop and think, and look. For me, that bridge is the Mackinac Bridge connecting the upper and lower peninsulas of Michigan.

Metaphorically, what can this bridge made of steel teach us about bulding bridges of faith and relationships?

1. A bridge is a connection overcoming a gap or barrier. What barriers do we need to
overcome to deepen our relationships in our church and our communities?

2. The total length of the Mackinac Bridge is 26,372 feet. How far will we have to
go to make connections, both physically and spiritually.

3. A suspension bridge, like Mackinac, is designed to move to accommodate
changes in wind, weight and temperature. How willing are we to change and accommodate to do God’s will, to push ourselves out of our comfort level, to make connections, to build bridges of fatith.

4. The bridge took 3 and ½ years to build. Sometimes good work, important work takes time. How patient are we willing to be when building bridges?

5. At one time I had the privilege to walk across the Mackinac Bridge. Being on the bridge is very different than viewing it from afar. How involved are we willing to be when building those bridges?

The Mackinac Bridge is an amazing engineering example of a suspension bridge, the third largest in the world and still the largest in the Western Hemisphere.

What bridges of faith are we being called to build and will it make people stop, think, and look?

Questions for Reflection:
• What is this Vision calling you to become?
• What images used in this Vision are familiar to you; What elements are unfamiliar?
• In what respects does this Vision call us together to greater faith and courage than what is commonly expressed in our congregation.
• What difference do you hope this Vision will make in the life of our congregation?

Conversations on Our Common Vision

2011-06-14T13:26:00.000-07:00

The Vision Panel has completed thier work on our Guiding Vision Statement (see statement on the right,) and we will spend this summer together reflecting on this statement and how it is calling us as individuals and as a congregation to engage more fully in God's mission in this place.

Please be sure to pick up a copy of the study book for this summer. (or download it here) It includes the Vision Statement as well as each of the scripture passages for the summer preaching series.

We invite you to join in conversation on these scripture passages and the Vision Statement in a variety of ways:

,Each of the Sundays of our study, after worship, you are invited to join us for a time of
feedback and reflection with the Stepping Stones team and your fellowSunnysiders.

,You are also invited to participate in an online conversation on these passages moderated by our Stepping Stones team here on the blog.

,This should be a time of personal reflection for our congregation, as individuals discern a call to greater discipleship through this Vision Statement and scriptural witness. May this resource and time also inform your personal devotion over the summer.

,There will also be cards in the Gathering Place on the Stepping Stones table that will provide space for written reflections and insights related to the Vision Statement and how it speaks to our congregation. Please place them in the box provided on the table as well.

Matthew 7:1-11, by Mary Cory

2011-04-06T06:54:00.000-07:00

It has been such an interesting Lent season as we try to discern God's word.

We have studied the beatitudes and how we can become a disciple community.
We have discussed how to be “the salt of the earth” and “the light of the world”.
We have discussed how Jesus calls us to love.
Finally, we studied how to keep our focus on God and not ourselves.

Now, on this fifth Sunday of Lent we are called to look within ourselves. Jesus asks us to “take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your neighbor's eye”.

I know how easy it is for me to see everyone's faults. I sometimes look at friends and relatives and I can't understand why they don't stop that annoying habit, try to be nicer, show more concern for others, not talk behind friends backs, on and on and on. I must admit it is so discouraging to take a step back and see that not only am I as bad as them but in some cases even worse.

We need to examine ourselves as individuals and as a disciple community. To examine our hearts and make those changes in our lives to make us the person and disciple He knows we can be. Only God is perfect and He knows just what we need to serve Him better.

As we work to draft a vision statement, we need to continue to discuss as a congregation. We need to study together and individually and we need to pray. If we “ask, it will be given; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you”. The journey we have been on for the last year has been amazing. I feel more connected than ever to my Sunnyside family. I think we have discovered much in our community of faith about ourselves and the direction this discerning process is taking us.

I feel the next step will truly be a gift from God in our journey.

The Lord's Prayer, by Amy Gardine

2011-03-30T06:44:00.000-07:00

I must admit it! I struggled with these passages and reflection questions a great deal before writing anything down. On the surface, I felt the main focus this week was to emphasize that all I do must be done in secret: pray in secret; tithe in secret; help the poor in secret; even fast in secret! I was thinking, “What if my stomach growls and I pass out from lack of sustenance? Does that draw too much attention to my pursuits?” I also wondered, “Is it bad that I appreciate a good ‘thank you’ every once in a while?” And I finally asked, “Well, how in the world do we glorify God if all of this is one big secret?” Notice the focus? Yup... all on me.

As scripture would have it, these passages were less concerned with ME and more concerned with the key component of Jesus’ lesson about The Lord’s Prayer and OTHERS. Yes, the Lord’s Prayer actually tells us how to love one another! I think I knew the Lord’s Prayer before I knew my address, but I always thought of it as a monotone prayer that stopped at praising God! When I was young, I was also often confused about all the derivations of the Lord's Prayer! I knew that in different churches we could forgive sins, debts, transgressions, or even trespasses. I knew that some churches paused after temptations. I even knew how to sing the Lord’s Prayer! Like any good piece of literature, The Lord’s Prayer could boast several forms. But only after truly breaking this prayer down can I see its beauty. The loveliness of this prayer is that the message remains the same: Come to God only; love God; and through those steps, we can truly love others.

So, where does that leave MY original discomfort? Well, the study guide asked us to look at each part of the prayer and mull it over. So, to me, I feel that the Lord’s Prayer sort of frees me up to have an open relationship with God - one that gives the most rewarding love back. And this love leads me gracefully into my love for others. It goes something like this:

“Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be your name.”
I am coming to you first, God. Thanks for listening. I know you are the Maker, but I need to speak directly to The Source.

“Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on Earth as it is in heaven.”
So… what would YOU have me do? What will be a glimpse of heaven to others around me?

“Give us this day our daily bread.”
Provide for me what I cannot on my own, because on my own I will probably mess this up. Fill me up with your holy word – strengthen me with your spiritual food.

“And forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.”
Help me to remember that what I give to others is a symbol of how great Your grace has been to me. Since you have loved me purely and justly, let me also do this for others.

“Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.”
Help me stay this course, God. I just might falter. I will need your support!

For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.”All I do is for the glory of Your kingdom. A kingdom I share in community. In that knowledge, help me love and serve with my eyes lifted upward, not inward. Let it be so...

Rules, Radical Love and Right Relationships, by Abbe Golden

2011-03-24T08:36:00.000-07:00

In reading the scriptures in preparation for this Sunday, I found the idea of rules and radical love an interesting juxtaposition. We’ve all grown up with rules, whether at home or school, and are bound by the laws of the land. And most of us are very aware of the laws and commandments of God. I like to tell you that I followed the rules when I was younger because I was (and still am) this wonderful, dutiful, responsible, respectful, loving, wonderful Christian person. Hmmm…. anybody buying this? Probably not. The reality for most of us, if not all of us, is that we learned to follow the rules so we didn’t get into trouble. Oh, sure some of them made sense and we knew some were for our safety and some were made to keep our parents and teachers sane. But did we ever go above and beyond what was required just because it might be the good thing or the right thing to do?

That is the whole point of the Matthew scripture. Anyone can follow the rules. But what happens when you go above and beyond and what’s your reasoning for doing so? When your parents gave you chores did you ever do more than what was asked of you? Sometimes you say… So was it because you had this strong moral sense of doing the right thing or was it because you were buttering up your parents to increase your allowance? Did your parents ever wonder and say, “What’s got into that kid?”

One of the definitions of radical is a person who follows their strong convictions. When do we transition from doing things because it keeps us out of trouble or provides a reward to doing things because we feel, we know, that it’s just the right thing to do? When do we start doing the things mentioned in scripture expecting nothing in return: reconcile to your brother or sister, turn the other cheek, pray for your enemies, give your cloak as well. How does this nurture right relationships with others?

Before my mother passed away she lived with me for 3 and ½ years. My students would ask me if that was an easy thing to do, taking care of her at my house. I would honestly reply that no, it wasn’t always easy, that sometimes it was very difficult. They would then ask me why I did it. My response…doing what’s right doesn’t always mean doing what’s easy.

A Gift and a Task, by Bill Lamie

2011-03-17T06:06:00.000-07:00

Although I was out of town and unable to attend last Sunday’s service, I heard from several who did attend, that the bible study was well attended, enlightening, and that there were lots of interesting questions and comments about Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. The Stepping Stones Committee has been delighted with the participation of our Sunnyside community.

Together we are moving towards more discovery, more sharing, and more listening. Together we are challenging ourselves to discern God’s vision for our church’s life and ministry.

“Together” is a reassuring word for me. After reading the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:1-12), I questioned just how far short of the eight characters of a blessed people (disciples) I was. Discipleship seems almost unreachable when I think only of myself. But if I think in terms of our Sunnyside Christian community of faith, and how we willingly share our knowledge and grace, I feel connected, and I feel hope. Larry said last week in his blog, “…I see great hope and progress.”, in our ongoing discernment process. I agree.

The “gift” of God’s grace is that we are the Salt and we are the Light. What would it be like if we did nothing but good works publicly for God’s honor? To be the Salt means that we are deeply concerned with our earth’s well being. It is about giving meaning where there is no meaning, and giving hope where there is no hope. To be the Light means to follow God, and work to bring social justice in our society, safeguard human rights, and to work for peace and reconciliation.

Our “task” and maybe our vision, is to live fully the virtues that Jesus taught us. I don’t think discipleship is meant to be easy, and there will certainly be risks involved, but when we as a community of faith take the risks together and do so for the Kingdom of God, we are salt and we are light.

Beatitudes in the Modern Day: Are We Making Progress?, by Larry Savage

2011-03-09T12:00:00.000-08:00

Last summer and again this week, I have been reading the Beatitudes with a critical awareness of what they mean today in the context of our Stepping Stones Journey.

Now, when I use the phrase “critical awareness” I have to admit that I am a pretty blunt instrument for scholastic discernment. I am very comfortable reading a shop manual for fixing something mechanical. Particularly if the manual uses large print and has lots of pictures of greasy fingers pointing at the mechanical component with which I am troubled.

But, interpreting or discerning something important like the Beatitudes as background for our Missional Transformation…that’s different. But, here goes.
Frankly, I see great hope and progress.

In the modern day, I see momentum building for change. In our community, our lives are not at risk if we raise our Christian light. Some safe guards are in place to protect those that are at risk. Are there enough safeguards? No, but we are making progress.

On the macro scale, look at the paradigm shift (not my favorite word… “big” works for me) in the Middle East! Are people putting their lives on the line to make fundamental change happen? Ask the people on the ground in Libya.

How about us at Sunnyside? How do we show our Christian light? What does it mean to be in “contrast” with our community? The concept is a little uncomfortable for me. I am a little troubled about making a big show. We already do lots of good in our local community. My participation on the Social Ministries Committee has opened my eyes to how many Sunnysiders are involved with good works locally and internationally.

Yet, we need to look at our community and the world with a commonly accepted, Sunnyside vision of what we can do to help build momentum toward the simple task the LORD asks us of us…do justice…love kindness…walk humbly with our God.

My hope is that the Stepping Stones Journey will give each of us a clearer vision of how we, as individuals and collectively, can carry our small lights forward building momentum. We must join hands in Christian community and perform acts of discipleship.

A World Cafe Winner, by Ken Baierl

2011-02-15T18:24:00.000-08:00

The congregation at Sunnyside Church rose to the occasion once again on Sunday. Most of you had never participated in a World Café discussion. The Stepping Stones team had never organized one. No one knew what to expect at the Conference on the Present. But at the end of a two-hour, robust discussion of our culture and our church, we knew each other better, we were a little smarter, and we had taken another step in our journey to discern God’s call for Sunnyside Church.

The Fellowship Hall was buzzing with conversation, as we reflected in small groups and then all-together about the challenges facing Sunnyside in today’s culture and the strengths at Sunnyside that help us deal with the issues of an exhausting, self-centered, instant gratification, 24/7 society. There were nearly 100 people around 24 tables that changed five different times in a World Café conversation. The Stepping Stones team collected nearly 50 table-top sheets with notes, drawings and doodles that captured the individual discussions. We have a treasure-trove of information from the youngest participant to the oldest. When combined with the notes from the Conference on the Past and the knowledge gained from two recent sermon series/Bible studies, the Stepping Stones team and the congregation are walking the path to discernment together. We have not arrived at our destination but I believe we are on the right track. Thank you for your participation, ideas, energy and support. More to come.

Cajun Cookin’ and Camp Fire Smoke - That's Mission for Me, by Larry Savage

2011-02-08T12:16:00.000-08:00

What does a Mission smell like? I understand the imagery, but the “smell” is very real to me. For me, it’s the home cooked Cajun meal served by families of the Homa Nation in Louisiana and the camp fire smoke during a youth mission trip to Heifer International in Arkansas.

You might remember the generous gift given by one of our Sunnyside families after the Katrina event. This was an important opportunity. Sunnyside organized a canvas of the storm area affected and selected the Homa Nation IndianTribe as the recipient of the grant. We organized a group of Sunnysiders to travel to the Homa Nation , to add our backs to the clean up. I wish the whole Sunnyside family could have been with us. There were so many in need. Yet, there was courage and determination within the Homa Nation. It was a great spiritual renewal for all.

At the end of our time within the Nation, we were invited to a going away dinner. Homa families brought their favorite foods to provide a real banquet. The smells of home cooked Cajun dishes and the fellowship within the tribe was a treasure.

I also had the opportunity to travel with our youth on a Mission trip to Arkansas where we did maintenance work around the Heifer International Farm. This was a different kind of focus. Painting fences and debugging gardens was the work. Time spent with our youth was the reward. Rebecca did a great job of organizing the trip and keeping the “missional” event in the forefront of the teenager’s minds…if that is possible.

I will always treasure a quiet walk with a young adult with a true Christian heart.

So, to me, the smell of Mission is very real. But, back to the figurative, I think a “Missional” church, maybe Sunnyside, may look different than it does now. Maybe our Gathering Space takes on the look of a “situation room”. The various missional activities having a space assigned for posting of recent activities, successes, assets (labor and $) in use,and key issues needing to be addressed. A center where we all can get updated on our external activities and, hopefully, find activities that are a good fit for us personally. It may not be a perfect fit but one that can take us forward.

I suspect that the eleven disciples, when challenged by Jesus to “…go and make disciples of all nations…” were very full of doubt and feelings of inadequacy Maybe, the missional spirit of a “situation room” type environment can slowly bring each of us put a toe in the water of mission.

Filling the Void by Pastor Rebecca

2011-02-06T10:38:00.000-08:00

I think it is actually pretty easy to answer the question of what kind of people our consumer culture wants us to be – on the surface it would seem that we are people who are very concerned about how we smell, how our clothes smell, how our homes smell, and how our cats smell, insecure people, people who are not satisfied with the way they look, people who find their status in having the newest the biggest and the best of whatever is being sold this year or this season, people who find their value, their self worth, in what they own or in others opinions of them.

I do believe that there is a chicken and egg thing going on here – is it the consumer culture that has shaped us into people like this, or it is our very nature as human beings that has created the hyper commercialized world that we live in?

Most of us if not all of us have a need for something intangible that we try to satisfy in less than productive ways, and often with material possessions. Philosophers and theologians have described this need in this way: that all human beings have a God shaped whole in their hearts, that we are longing for something to complete us, to help us make sense of the world, and we spend our whole lives trying to fill it with everything but God.

The 17th century philosopher and mathematician Pascal described it like this:
What else does this craving, and this helplessness, proclaim but that there was once in man a true happiness, of which all that now remains is the empty print and trace? This he tries in vain to fill with everything around him, seeking in things that are not there the help he cannot find in those that are, though none can help, since this infinite abyss can be filled only with an infinite and immutable object; in other words by God himself.

The crisis of our consumer culture today is not just about the ultra expensive, bigger is better world, it is the cheap, disposable culture as well, where we can get our fix for something new, where we can try to fill the hole with material junk no matter our income level.

How does the church provide a voice of leadership in the mist of these needs and in the midst of this culture?

Let’s be honest here – the only Christian voices in our culture today, the only ones speaking as loud as the commercials are on the television are all about telling us who is in and who is out of the boundaries of God’s love or they are preaching a gospel of prosperity that tries to convince us that God’s purpose and intention for us in the world is to have financial success.

It is hard to hear the voices from the church telling us that we are beloved children of God. It is hard to hear the voices from the church telling us that God is right here in our midst waiting for us to pay attention to how we might experience God in the real moments of our lives. It is hard to hear voices from the church telling us that it is okay to be on a search for something more and to acknowledge that we are in need not just in our bodies but in our hearts and our souls. The voices on the television are just too loud and the voices in our head can be even louder.

The second question in today’s hypothesis is who does Christ call us to be? I believe Christ calls us to be people who identify ourselves as God’s children first before we give in to who the world tells us we are. I believe that we are called to seek after real experiences of God first instead of satiating ourselves with what the world tells us we are missing.

It is important for me to say that the material world is not bad, that things in and of themselves are not the problem, and there is no better way to make that point than to remind us all, that Jesus Christ himself loved a good object lesson, whether it was a net, or a coin, a fish or a jar of costly ointment, whether it was the cool waters of baptism or the satisfying taste of bread broken and wine poured.

Christ calls us to fill this God shaped hole with these gifts of bread and cup, the questions that we are continuing to ask in this stepping stones journey is how does Christ call us to share these gifts with the rest of the world. Christ calls us to live into our baptismal identity and so we ask as well how we proclaim that outside of these walls loud enough for the rest of the world to hear.

The Church and McWorld by Mary Cory

2011-02-01T09:41:00.000-08:00

We see it everywhere, YOU need to be thinner, YOU need more money, YOU need the newest car and it goes on and on. The billboards grab your attention, television and radio commercials, newspapers and in store ads. It's all day and night, it's everywhere you turn. You're not content and we are going to tell you what to buy to be happy.

Television ads yell at you, the radio has a catchy jingle that you hum all day. Some are more subtle but they are always there.

We are told never to be satisfied. Doesn't everyone want the newest, biggest, brightest...? Most important, don't forget, “It's all about me”.

Is this the kind of person Christ wants us to be? Doesn't the Bible teach us to “clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience?” Colossians 3:12

It also teaches, “But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that.” 1Timothy 6:6-8

As Christians, we must be vigilant and keep reminding ourselves what it is we truly want. Is it the newest, the biggest, the brightest or is it a close relationship with God? Only He can satisfy our longings. “I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.” Philippians 4: 12-13

Only God can show us how to be the kind of “Christian consumer” He wants us to be.

Tired and Weary by Pastor Jamie

2011-01-31T07:09:00.000-08:00

How tired are you?

Statistics say that 77% of mothers do not get enough sleep. 62% of men report that they sleep less than seven hours a night. 45% of North Americans report that the “rush from task to task.” This is the highest percentage worldwide.

Do you ever feel that way?

In an article about busy Americans, the website Visualeconomics.com compares our lifestyle to an empty jar of peanut butter. “It's like the last dregs of a jar of peanut butter being spread over two sandwiches. (family and career) As you flop down at the end of a days work, head reeling, feet aching, looking around at how much you have left to do, you realize you have it all to do again once the alarm sounds tomorrow.”

Our hypothesis suggests: “We come to church activities weary, rattled and empty from hectic, out of balance lives...what we fail to realize is that our choices then bind us. Often our choices block meaningful participation as the church.”

Today the church faces competition for time and attention. Sports, relaxation, weekends away, working on the weekend and many other needs add pressure to our daily lives creating pressure and lives that are way over scheduled. Today the church at large sees the results of this as average attendance has dropped 15% in the last ten years.

Jesus speaks to the worry and anxiety of the disciples when he says: Do not worry about your life. Look at the birds of the air, consider the lilies. If God takes care of them, then God will take care of you. Jesus calls to us and asks us to ponder our priorities and grow in our trust.

We are learning a lot about our culture in this phase of our stepping stones journey. Our church is building unity and wisdom for the future. God is working among us. I am excited by the work we are doing together.

Rattle, Rattle, Thunder, Clatter by Amy Gardine

2011-01-24T09:11:00.000-08:00

We come to church activities weary, rattled, and empty from hectic, out of balance lives. We come with little left to give. We are free to choose in every area of our lives, but what we fail to realize is that our choices then bind us. Often our choices block meaningful participation as the church.

WARNING: This blog entry is easily distracted.

Want to hear something funny?

BING BONG… Wait! I have to get the door! It’s the UPS guy.

OK, the funny thing. Well, I am writing on the hypothesis that we come to church with little left – that our hectic, rattled, out-of-balance lives keep us from full participation in the church.

RRRRRRINGGGGGG… Hold that thought. I have to get the phone.

Where was I? Oh yeah, the reason my particular hypothesis is funny. Right. Well, maybe ironic is a better word, since I am in the middle of four huge projects and I am not really feeling very focused on church. Who am I to write about church focus?

AUUGGHHHH…. Uh, sorry. I have to get a bandage. One of the boys just fell off his new skateboard. Ooops! Do you think maybe that is going to take a doctor visit?

I’m back! I was talking about…. uh… focus. Oh, right. Focus on church. Well, in the scripture for this week, the Jewish captives are being asked to sing songs of Zion while in a foreign land!

That reminds me, I have to send some letters to two separate locations – one international. Will that take double postage or triple?

Ooops. Sorry. I got distracted again. Where was I? Only the first scripture? Wow. All right. Here is what I will do. I will quickly tell you what I know:

* I know that I am in a lifestyle of constant beeps, buzzes, rings, knocks, honks, shouts, and the occasional bruised-ego-followed-by-a-scream.

* I know that I am supposed to be singing my songs to God and remembering the goodness and mercy I have received.

* I know that God can take care of me – I mean, look at those birds of the field!

* I know I have a long way to go before I slow down, stop worrying, and start singing God’s praises.

OK, in all seriousness, the list I have made is kind of sad, isn’t it? But this is what I sometimes do in my faith. I bullet-point my obligations to God and check church off the list. On my best days I get the kids to say prayers at dinner without giggles. On my worst days, I lose God somewhere between getting the kids out the door in the morning and getting them off to bed at night. But the good news is this: God doesn’t lose us and God has designed us for more. To me, the Psalm’s reference to a foreign land is less about location and more about lifestyle. We are designed for more than a check-list. Instead, we are called to be more like the Matthew passage. Leave worrying to God – it is covered! Revisit our homeland. We need to settle down and sing not only TO God, but also WITH God. Doesn’t that sound more fun anyway? In this rattle, rattle, clatter culture, it is an obligation that brings joy

This a light-hearted song by Sandra Boynton from her Philadelphia Chickens CD. Pay close attention to these specific lines:

“…and we have to do it faster,
or it never will be done,
and we have no time for listening
or anything that’s fun.”

In this culture that speeds us up, let us slow down, focus on God’s call, and sing a new song.

Enlarging Our Comfort Zones, by Pastor Rebecca

2011-01-23T10:06:00.000-08:00

The question that I think sums up our response to this week’s hypothesis is - why not take advantage of the great we have been given of a comfortable growing vibrant community of faith and use it to venture out into our immediate neighborhood, the community of South Bend, or even our global community and be engaged in ministry in the places where we are not quite as confident about what we are doing, where we will probably make some mistakes, but where we might find some unexpected life and grace?

Why not? Well you might be shocked to know that I have come up with three reasons why we shouldn’t.

The first reason is wonderfully illustrated by the story we heard from Genesis this morning – when we venture out of our comfort zones, when we are in a place where we don’t know what exactly to expect, we get scared, we get out of wack, we make bad decisions.

Even though God has promised great things to Abraham, many descendents despite the barrenness that he and his wife have experienced so far in their long lives and a great land on which his decedents will come to live. God asks Abraham to step outside of his comfort zone in order to redeem those promises, to pick up and leave everything they had ever known. Old Testament scholar Walter Bruggeman describes this whole section of the stories of Abraham this way – that to stay in safety is to remain barren; to leave in risk is to have hope. Abraham takes the risk and we celebrate him for that and what does it give him – famine in the land of Canaan. Where is the evidence of God’s promises? Forced to leave that place to go to Egypt seeking food, he starts to panic as they are about to enter the land. He is scared, out of his element, and he asks Sarah to pose as his sister instead of his wife so that he will not be put in danger from those who would seek to take her as their own.

Now there is a whole other sermon here about women in the Old Testament and what it means to value your wife, but for our purposes this morning I want us to focus in on how Abraham allowed his fears, his displacement to lead him to such a poor decision, a decision that was in exact opposition to the promises that God had already made to him.

How often as a culture to we allow fear to keep us from believing in God’s promises? I am not going to try to convince you that there is nothing to be afraid of in the world – because we all know that is not true. I am going to argue that we often allow fears to stand in for excuses to not live up to who God has called us to be both as a church and as individuals.

I don’t want to list for you all of the things that we are afraid of, but rather ask this morning what are the things we might be doing if there was nothing to be afraid of – would we take our youth on international mission trips? Would we open our doors on cold nights like we had this past week to the homeless overflow from local agencies? Would we go out on Saturday afternoons in our immediate neighborhood knocking on doors and inviting people to join us in church the next morning?

Looking at a formidable list like that takes us to the second reason why we shouldn’t venture out beyond the comfort of our own walls and community – it is too hard. It is so attractively easy to be in a group of people who are all alike. I know that we often like to celebrate our diversity here at Sunnyside, and it is true that we represent a wide variety of political views, theological perspectives, and generations, but at the end of the day we are all pretty similar people – people that are easy to be with, people with whom we can identify.

I love this passage from the Sermon on the Mount, not just because it contains some of the most poinient and memorable teachings of Jesus, but because it also shows his edginess, his willingness to push people outside of their comfort zones. I hear him speaking directly to me in loving critique as he reminds me that even tax collectors love other tax collectors, even Gentiles love other Gentiles. So what if you love and care for, form relationships with take risks for people who are just like you that’s a piece of cake. It is so easy even people who don’t follow our belief system can do that. What credit is it to me if I limit my world to loving the people who it is easy for me to love. I can do that without even being a part of a church.

A few weeks ago I was on my way to pick up Owen at school and ran into the Meijer over off of Grape Road. I don’t remember what was on my mind that particular day, or what made it a little different than any other day, but as I walked out I noticed women standing in the large entry way, looking out the windows and weeping. I can still remember exactly what she looked like, and I thought I wonder if she needs help. And as I walked past her I thought, maybe if I had more time today, maybe if I didn’t have to go and get Owen, honestly maybe if I were a better person, I would have put my day on hold to ask this woman what she needed and help her in whatever way I could. How many times do we walk past people in need, people who more often than not we have the ability to help just because it is easier to keep walking?

What made that day different for me was that I kept thinking about her as I got in my car and pulled away, and tried to imagine who I would be, what my life would be like if I had stopped to help her, if I stopped to help everyone I ever saw who was in need standing outside of a grocery store. First I admitted that I probably wouldn’t get as much of the things done in my life that I have categorized as being more important. I also figured that I wouldn’t be able to give as much to my family or be as much at their beck and call as I normally am, but then I also figured that if I was going to live my life helping every distressed person I met in the entryway of a grocery store I would start wearing a lot more comfortable clothing. What kind of person is unconstrained by the demands of the world and family and who just walked around helping everyone he came across in need and who wore loose fitting clothing? Then I realized that I would need to pretty much be Jesus Christ himself…and he encourages us to aspire to that to be perfect as our father in heaven is perfect

And that brings us to the third reason why we shouldn’t pop the comfort bubble and reach out to our neighbors far and near…we cling to perfection.

Clearly the perfection that Jesus describes and the perfection that we value are completely different. We find comfort in the ways we can control our lives – to be perfect like Christ means giving up control. We love and value this perfect and beautiful building – to be perfect like Christ may mean a little more wear and tear than perfection would normally stand for. We seek out perfect environments for our children to be perfect like Christ may mean that they have experiences and meet friends at church who are totally different from them. We expect people to put their best foot forward when they come to church, to be perfect like Christ may mean giving grace to another’s imperfections in his name. We come dressed in our Sunday best – to be perfect like Christ may mean that we need to start wearing more comfortable shoes when we are about the business of bearing Christ’s love into the world.

So we are afraid, it’s hard, and we don’t want to burst the bubble of our perfect world – I can’t think of any better reasons to curl up in the fetal position, cover our heads with the proverbial blanket and go back to bed and worship as some of our youth used to tell me - at the church of St. Mattress.

I know that a lot of this stepping stones stuff seems kind of out there or a lot of talk and not a lot of action or change, but the talking is good andt he listening is even better. We can’t expect all of us to be willing to break free of our comfort zones in just one sermon or even one Sunday. We are doing it together step by step, stretching it a little here and there, feeling our way towards what the new comfortable might be for us as a church.

This week Bill Lamie wrote some very compelling things about what it means to venture out of our comfort zones and he very aptly quoted from Martin Luther King Jr, and he included a quote that I think fits for this hypothesis as well as all that it is we are doing in this process: He said “Take the first step in faith. You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.”

Just take one moment to say no to the things that you are afraid of, take one step in a direction that is hard instead of taking the easy way out, just one step away from the need for things to be under control. Each of those together from all of us will get us there together, to this thing we are looking for – the place where God has called us to be. Amen.

Invading Our Comfort Zones, by Bill Lamie

2011-01-19T08:13:00.000-08:00

The makeup of our congregation is very different from the makeup of our immediate neighborhoods. We are also out of touch with the mainstream in the life of our community. There is a major disconnect here, no matter how you cut the cards. We have not looked closely at this disconnection and its implications for our future ministry and mission. This means summoning the courage to ask tough questions, probe uncomfortable ground, and be open to considering new ideas – ideas that could direct our ministry and witness to a very different place compared to where it is today.

Have you ever had that annoying, uncomfortable feeling of guilt that you are ignoring reality? Many times it is out of fear of what are the consequences to me. There is our “Comfort Zone” and it is very difficult to step out of.

During our record snowfall a week ago, I like so many of us, spent the better part of the day shoveling, pushing, and blowing. It was dark and I was nearly finished by doing a good deed, clearing both of my immediate neighbor’s drives and walks (both were out of town), when a man appeared in the middle of the street asking for help. I’m normally overly sensitive to these types that show up when we’ve had snow, but I was tired, hungry, and ready to call it a day. Relieved that he declined my offer to drive him somewhere (there probably was no “somewhere”), he asked for any donation that I could spare. I gave him what little I had in my vest, wished him well, accepted his thanks, and off he went.

I couldn’t help but wonder if God really cares for that guy as much as me or visa versa. Maybe I should have invited him into to my house to warm up or maybe I should have offered him dinner. I didn’t.

“Love your neighbor as yourself” was spoken by Christ himself. In the parable of the Good Samaritan, the first question which the priest and the Levite asked was: “If I stop to help this man, what will happen to me?” But…the good Samaritan reversed the question: “If I do not stop to help this man, what will happen to him?” God is not just referring to the people who live next to us as “neighbor”. He means all of humanity.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. courageously expanded our American values, teaching us and the world that, “The time is always right to do what is right.” I heard it said in last week’s post sermon class, that we have to take a risk(s) if we want to accomplish something really great. It seems so hard to take risk in the face of economic crisis, personal gain and intolerance, but Jesus didn’t just ask us to love “your neighbor as yourself” (Luke 10:27), he commanded us; He didn’t say when it suits our schedule, or after I’m done shoveling snow.

Dr. King once stated that, “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, “What are you doing for others?” He also said, “Take the first step in faith. You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.”

In the midst of so much suffering locally, nationally, and globally, we are needed by our “neighbors”. Sunnyside will continue to serve as a shining example of God’s love and do His work on Earth by sharing ourselves with our “neighbors”. But is it time, and are we ready to take that risk and take that step to do something really great?

No Longer Strangers and Aliens by Pastor Jamie

2011-01-18T07:34:00.000-08:00

And we're off on another Stepping Stones series of sermons and Bible Study discussions.

On Sunday we had nearly 50 people come down to the Fellowship Hall! That was amazing. Why did so many come? I think that the topic is fresh and relevant. All of us are students of the culture around us as we observe our community, our nation and the world.

We talked about the cycles in the book of Judges and the downward religious and moral spiral that the people experienced because of their sin and stubbornness.

We heard Paul's words of hope to the church in Ephesus as he reminds us that Jesus breaks down the dividing walls of hostility and brings peaceful unity to the culture. It is because of Jesus that there are no longer strangers and aliens.

Is I observe the culture it seems to me that great change has taken place. It used to be that the church and the culture were closely connected. The culture was based on the church and took its signals from the church. Now it seems that the culture is backing away from the church and indeed that the church is taking its signals from the culture.

Our culture is distracted, disaffected, divided and self-determined. It struggles with the reality of violence, terrorism, economic uncertainty and great complexity.

However, I believe that there is great hope in Jesus Christ. I am also convinced that the church is perfectly suited to speak a word of hope and reconciliation to our culture.

How will Sunnyside Church do this? Come and join the conversation...on this blog and on Sunday mornings. I am excited about our future!

Who is Your Church? Reflections by Abbe Golden

2011-01-04T09:21:00.000-08:00

We live in a culture of self-centeredness, instant gratification, and convenience. “What does it do for me?” shapes how we participate or choose not to participate in most activities, including church. Our behavior often models the culture of self-centeredness, while our witness—to understand ourselves and live as God's people called into community with one another is silent.

A very common notion of “church” today considers church as primarily a place where certain things happen: or as a vendor of religious goods and services designed to meet the individual's self-defined needs. Where these notions are primary, a congregation loses a sense of its connectedness, interdependence and community. Each of these notions leads to limited expectations and unsatisfactory participation patterns, restricting the church's vitality and witness. The future of our church depends on a shared understanding of the church as a body of people, called by God, and sent on God's mission.

As we continue on our Stepping Stones journey we will be looking at a variety of hypothesis concerning the church. The first hypothesis: Who is Your Church? Not who is the church, but who is your church? Hmmm…. interesting question. How do you see Sunnyside? How do others see us? How do you see yourself within the church?

The hypothesis contends that the notion of “church” today is a place where certain things happen: or as a vendor of religious good and services to meet the individual’s self-defined needs. So when Cindy Lou Looking- For- a -Church sits in our pew for the first time, what does she see? Does she have a check list: children’s program, check; good music program, not too wild, check; sermon, not too long, check; friendly people, check, potlucks, yum, check; Sunday School classes, check; etc. “Yes”, she says! “This is the church for me!”

What if she had a different list? Great choir, maybe I could join, check; they mentioned the food pantry, I think I could help with that, check; the sermon really touched me today, I hope to live the message throughout the week, check; the people here are so friendly, it makes me want to be friendly too, check; what a great bunch of kids, I would like to see if I can help with Sunday School classes, check; I like that they are involved with missions such as Habitat and Heifer International, what a great opportunity for me to help the community, check; etc. “ Wow”, she says, “This is a church where I can serve the Lord, a people working together to fulfill God’s vision.”

Ephesians 2:22: And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.

Reflections on the Conference on the Past

2010-10-13T05:08:00.001-07:00

Thank you to all the Sunnysiders who were able to participate in the Conference on the Past this Sunday. It was a wonderful time of celebrating the rich traditions of our congregation, naming the ways the world has changed around us, and glimpsing the future that we are being called to embrace. Here are some reflections and appreciations from the Stepping Stones Team. We would love to hear your comments and reflections on the Conference as well!

From Ken Baierl...

The Stepping Stones team did not know how the congregation would react to the Conference on the Past. Sunnyside Church hadn’t ever done this before. We shortened the worship service and lengthened adult education. We asked you to spend two hours with us on a beautiful Sunday morning talking about the past. Who would show up? Would the discussion be productive? Would the next step on our journey be a stumble? Well, about 130 people attended, the discussion was wonderful and the Stepping Stones team is energized by the response. The congregation stepped up to the plate. From the table captains, to the youth, to the multi-generational participants, everyone came ready to join in the journey to discern God’s call for Sunnyside Church. We collected valuable information and gained important insights. The Spirit is at work in this process. A successful summer bible study, followed by a successful Conference on the Past is giving momentum to our journey. Both are the result of a congregation that is ready to take a bold step into the future. Thank you. There are more good things to come.

From Mary Cory...

I have enjoyed the Stepping Stones process leading up to the Conference on the Past. Our family joined Sunnyside in 1993 and over the past few months I have learned so much about our church history and our congregation.

The Conference on Sunday was wonderful. I loved the conversation at my table (the 90's) but I really loved hearing the summation of all the tables and the comments made by all the generations present. We heard some wonderful stories about our past and heard ideas for our future. It was exciting to hear everyone talking and laughing as they remembered stories about the church building or members present or past.

We have so much to look forward to and we have a wonderful church family. With God's help we will discern our path to the future.

From Bill Lamie...

I was overjoyed by the number of members who took the time to reflect on our church’s collective past and who actively participated in the Conference on the Past. I think that our Stepping Stones Committee got exactly what we were planning and praying for, and even more.

All Table Captains did a fine job of initiating feedback that was relevant and well presented. My thanks to all who participated and shared in this important process of learning what God is calling Sunnyside to be and do. We are very blessed.

From Abbe Golden...

Without any preconceptions of how the Conference on the Past would play out, I found the conversation at the tables fascinating. Coming together to talk about our shared values and experiences formed a bond between those who have attended Sunnyside for years and those who have attended for a short time. It was fun to talk about previous events and milestones of the church. But more importantly, the information shared from table to table gave us a solid foundation to build on for discerning God’s will for Sunnyside’s future.

From Amy Gardine...

Well, the Conference on the Past is now.... well... past! And it was fantastic. Over 130 eager congregants, 18 active tables, 2 hours of amazing discussion, and countless discoveries about our shared history made the morning fly by. I must admit, as one of the Stepping Stones members, the journey to get to October 10 seemed like a walk into a dark cave! But Sunday's leap of faith helped dissipate some of the darkness and reveal just how our church has worked through the decades. As a newer member of Sunnyside, the chance to share in the common history of our church was a true pleasure. Not only did I feel more aware of our strengths, but I also felt we understood the patterns of what works and does not work for our particular church as a whole. God truly was present in our past and continues to guide our discoveries today.

Ten Year Trends by Pastor Rebecca

2010-10-05T13:29:00.001-07:00

The Conference on the Past is almost upon us, and we have been spending quite a bit of time focusing on our distant past, things that happened in this place 100 years ago or even 50 years ago. Part of our conversations on Sunday will also be about what has happened in our most recent past.

One of the great resources that we have at our disposal as a congregation of the Presbyterian Church (USA) are the statistical reports available on the denomination's website, specifically ten years of stats on every PC(USA) congregation.

Sunnyside's numbers in many ways reflect trends within the larger church, but also speak volumes to the strengths of our congregation.

All of our numbers: our membership, our worship attendance, our Sunday School enrollment, our giving have been higher than average for all PC(USA) congregations. While other congregations are in gradual or deep decline, Sunnyside's ten year trends show that we are somewhat static in our numbers our membership in 2009 of 610 is relatively the same as our membership in 1999 of 605. If you dig deeper into the numbers provided though, you will find that in 1999 we has 68 children in 8th grade and below (non-confirmed members of the congregation) and in 2009 we had close to double at 128. What does that say about our recent history and values as a congregation?

One of the most interesting numbers to me is reflected in the graph that is pictured above. This bar graph breaks down our annual giving averaging it over both the membership and the number of people in worship. It is heartening to see how much giving has grown over our recent past, especially relative to those who are in active membership within the worshiping life of our congregation. To me this indicates a willingness, evening in difficult economic times, for Sunnysiders to invest themselves in the ministries of our congregation.

Before this Sunday's Conference on the Past, I would encourage you to take a closer look at all of the data provided in our Ten Year Trends to gain your own insights into our recent past, the growth we have seen, and ways that Sunnyside fits into the larger picture of the Presbyterian Church (USA).

The Bible SchoolSuperintendent's Letter, 1913

2010-09-29T08:44:00.000-07:00

The following letter and some stern directives are taken directly from the 1913 edition of the Trinity Presbyterian Church Directory. The Directory also included a letter of welcome and encouragement from the Pastor, John Burns as well as financial information about the congregation, a complete Bible School directory, and advertisements from local businesses some of which are included here.

We talk quite a bit as a congregation about how difficult it is in these days to encourage families to find time to get their children to church because of overloads of school work, sporting activities and all of the other things that take up the precious moments of our modern lives. As you read the letter below you will see that almost 100 years ago the church was saying the exact same things to parents that we say today: if you want to encourage your children in their faith you need to lead by example, to educate yourself, to participate in the worship and mission of a congregation and to make living a Christlike life a priority for your entire family. Those lessons are just as valuable if not more than what children might learn in their Sunday School class.

FROM CHARLES L. BECKLER...

Every boy or girl ought to have a religious training such as the Bible School gives. The object of the Bible School teaching is the formation of Christian character. Its influence will help to make our boys and girls better prepared for the battles of life. Every child has a religious instinct born in him and if that instinct is not brought out in the child by a proper religious training either in the home or Bible School, but is permitted to die, then that boy or girl will have a hard fight in life, with temptations and evil on every side to lure him into a life of sin.

It behooves all parents to encourage their children in anything that is for the betterment of character and true citizenship. One of the best ways to encourage our young folks to attend Bible School is to attend ourselves. We cannot expect our children to go if we do not. In these days the Sunday School has been making its appeal to the older folks and so we call it our Bible School. We believe the Bible School is a place for the training of the old as well as the young. Most of the men high in public life are or have been workers in the Bible School. Men like President Wm. McKinley, Benjamin Harrison, his grandfather Wm. Henry Harrison, Theo. Roosevelt, Justice John M. Harlan, Secretary Leslie M. Shaw, and scores of others have found their place in the work of the Bible School.

We have classes for everyone and cordially invite all the people of this community to come and meet with us. We will help you and you will help us. Our teachers are all hard workers and will give you the best instruction. Anyone coming into our school on Sunday morning will find it a very busy place—a place where the teaching of the Bible and the uplifting of humanity are foremost. "I was glad when they said unto me: Let us go into the House of the Lord."

And from the end of the Church Directory…

A NOTICE.
Please notify the pastor when any change of address occurs.
Habitual absence from church or from four consecutive Communion Services without good reason will be regarded by the session as just cause for dropping your name from the church roll.
Let everyone be faithful in attendance, and loyal and devoted to the Master and His church.

A DESIRE.
Your Pastor desires our church to be a Praying, Bible Reading, Giving, Working, Hospitable Church, with a Family Altar in every home, and every member a true Christian. Will you do your part to make it such a church?

A RULE OF CONDUCT.
I will do nothing that -will hinder my becoming Christ-like or my neighbor becoming Christlike. I will make it the all absorbing purpose of my life to do everything I can to help myself to become Christlike and to help my neighbor to become Christlike. I shall have tune, talents, energy, money, to spend only for that which will directly or indirectly advance God's kingdom in my life and in the lives of my fellow men.

Guidelines for Membership by Pastor Rebecca

2010-09-21T10:08:00.000-07:00

For many generations of Presbyterians, a mark of a healthy congregation was the vibrancy of its Presbyterian Women's organization.

Sunnyside had a long standing and effective PW group. Unfortunately, like so many things in life, it came to an end and was disbanded in 2003. People have different ideas about why PW's all over the denomination struggle two of which are the equality gained for women in the ministry and leadership roles of the congregation over the past 50 years and the necessity and desire for many women to work outside of the home.

It's hard to say really what the factors are, but they are most likely linked to some of the same reasons that so many churches are in decline as well.

As we get close to our Conference on the Past, I wanted to share with you a set of guidelines given to all Presbyterian Women pre 1980's so that they could understand their work, their mission, and their calling to be compassionate leaders in the church.

While old models of Presbyterian Women's organizations might not work for today's church, their values and priorities continue to be the ones that we value. Enjoy!

GUIDELINES FOR MEMBERSHIP

The heart of the program of United Presbyterian Women lies in the local association. Program planning must be suited to the particular needs of each situation so that the women of the church may become meaningfully involved in ministry and mission where they live.

The program of the woman's association of UPW should guide women into a fuller acceptance of responsible church membership demonstrated by a readiness for service and a wise use of time and talent.

The program should guide women to a deeper understanding of the changing nature of all communities, a re-evaluation of what it means to be a healthy community and a commitment to participate in handling such communities.

The program of the association should guide women toward an understanding of rapid change and the need for building a world community of interdependent nations acting in responsible partnership for the good of all mankind.

The recommended structure for UPW seeks to relate the study and involvement-action program of the women's association to the study and action in which the other laymen in the church are involved and to stimulate involvement-action among the total laity of the church.

It is assumed that the entire membership will meet for fellowship, inspiration, opportunities to share the experiences or to receive motivation for study and involvement, to know the general mission of the UP church and to under gird the work of the three program agencies (National Missions, Ecumenical Missions and Relations, and Christian Education) through their giving and their prayers.

It is assumed that the association will provide opportunities for its membership to study in assigned circles and in groups which come together for short or long termed periods of study and which may then dismiss to assume another aspect of the association's program.

The circle chairman has a great opportunity and responsibility for leadership. In the close fellowship of the circle it is possible to get to know the women well enough to see their needs and their possibilities, to help them participate in different ways and so develop abilities they themselves may not have realized they had.

Her concern for the growth of the women of her circle, her understanding of them, their needs and interests, her commitment to the purpose of United Presbyterian Women, will be reflected in the members. Her enthusiasm and personal joy in service will encourage and arouse her circle members to greater interest and service.

Her loyalty to the association as a whole, rather than to her particular circle, will result in increased interest in and attendance at the association meetings.
The circle chairman is an administrative officer of the association, elected by the association. She is a member of the executive committee, bringing to it the thinking and concerns of the circle. She carries promptly to the circle meeting the actions and plans of the executive committee as they make plans that really touch the lives of members. She is constantly on the alert for potential leaders to recommend to the nominating committee.

Sunnyside's Past and Sunnyside's Future by Pastor Rebecca

2010-09-14T11:51:00.000-07:00

In his sermon this past Sunday, Jamie refered to a history of Sunnyside that was written in commemoration of our 100th Anniversary. A part of that same book that was created were letters solicited from former pastors of the congregation. The letter we are posting this week comes from Ted Greenhoe (pictured with his wife here) who served Sunnyside for 8 years starting in 1937.

Our Conference on the Past (October 10th) will help us to identify the things that have been valued by our congregation over its life in this place. It is hard not to chuckle when you read Rev. Greenhoe's letter. For all of the things that have changed in the world around us, so much about Sunnyside, at least to me, seems to have remained the same.

December 19, 1969

Dear Ira,

I have your letter of December 9 regarding the one hundredth anniversary of Sunnyside Church that is coming up next year, Let me be one of the first to congratulate the congregation and the officers of Sunnyside upon reaching their maturity of one hundred years.

In answer to your request regarding my first impressions of Sunnyside when I came in 1937…

Louis Schleiger was named Chairman of the Pulpit Nominating Committee after the resignation of The Reverend Dirk Middents. One day in the fall of 1936, I received a telephone call from Louis Schleiger asking me if I would become the pastor of Sunnyside Church. The committee had unsuccessfully solicited other men prior to calling me and were now ready to accept me, sight unseen, because I had been recommended by one of the Synod staff people. It was both unusual and pleasant to have a chairman of a pulpit nominating committee invite me, on behalf of the entire committee to be the pastor of a church which I had never seen, and of course, none of the committee had ever seen me. The committee wanted me to come to the church at my earliest convenience and preach a candidating sermon… I said I would be glad to come to Sunnyside and look-at the church, and then determine whether I felt I had the qualifications for the work that needed to be done. I made what seemed to be a long trip from a rural community in southern Indiana to South Bend.

After visiting the church I was then invited to preach a sermon. There were forty people, who attended the Service of Worship on that Sunday morning. One of the women on the way out of church said to me, “l hope you will come to Sunnyside to be our pastor, but If I were you I wouldn't come. There isn’t much future here" This was not altogether encouraging to me, but in the afternoon I met with a few of the officers of the church, including Webster Gray, Joseph Shafer, Charles Becker, Fred Lebaugh and the chairman, Louis Schleiger. They convinced me that the church had great possibilities and they felt so strongly that I was qualified for the position. I went home and reported to my wife that I had a strong feeling that this was a call of God. We gave it serious thought and prayer for several weeks and finally decided to accept their call to become the pastor at $1200.00 per annum which included a rented house.

We did not come to Sunnyside until after Easter of 1937. That, spring in South Bend was cold and wet, but the enthusiasm of the little group that comprised the church was warm and inspiring. It wasn’t long before we counted 50 in the congregation; then 60; and before summer vacation began, we reached the high peak of 100 in attendance.

When I was seriously considering the call to Sunnyside, I wrote to Dr. Baillie who was pastor of the First Presbyterian Church and asked him for an appraisal of the Sunnyside opportunity. He replied saying that if a man didn't mind wearing out a lot of shoe leather (which was his way of saying "calling on the people is essential) that he believed Sunnyside church had a real future. I was determined to wear out shoe leather, and I did. From the very first Sunday that we spent at Sunnyside until the time we left eight years later, there was not a doubt but what we had heard the call of God. The congregation responded in a most generous and gracious way.

The budget of the church for the year 1939 was $3000.00, a part of which was for benevolences. But that $3000.00 represented some real sacrificial giving on the part of a small group that remained loyal to the church during the difficult years of the depression. There was never a lack of volunteerism on the part of the members of Sunnyside. Hardly a one said "no" to the invitation of the pastor to teach a Sunday School class or to sponsor one of the youth groups, or to assist with Boy Scouts, or to manage a Softball or basketball team.

Early in 1940 we established a youth church worship service. The service was broadcast over the South Bend radio station. It became a very popular program both in terms of the radio audience, and in the response of our young people. We had large public school choirs and church youth choirs who visited our church and participated in the services of worship. Through this medium of the youth church we attracted many families of the city to our church. This was before television. The young people were very excited about broadcasting the services

Needless to say our ministry at Sunnyside was an exceedingly happy one and we deeply regretted leaving a congregation that had meant so much to us through eight years.

The thing I remember most about Sunnyside and appreciated the best was the joyous cooperative spirit that prevailed. People took pleasure in doing the Lord's work through the church.

God bless you and good wishes as you begin the second century of witnessing for Christ in South Bend. In these days when so many churches are down keep Sunnyside UP!

The Rev. Theodore M Greenhoe

Building a Church by Pastor Rebecca

2010-09-08T11:15:00.000-07:00

As we move towards our Conference on the Past on October 10th, the Stepping Stones team has been doing research on the history of both South Bend and Sunnyside. The two intersected at the beginning of the 20th Century when JM Studebaker committed funds and land to help build what would become the Sunnyside Presbyterian Church that we know today.

Below is a letter that he sent to the men of the church after speaking in worship on a Sunday morning:

June 23, 1916

My dear Sir:

It was published that I was to speak at Trinity Presbyterian Church on Sunday morning last, at 10:45 a.m. I had been ill with a severe cold and confined to my house for a week, but I made a special effort to be with you, and of course, expected to see a very full house. To my utter surprise and disappointment I found very few men there, and so I requested your pastor to give me the names and addresses of those who were not present, which counted up to 46. Naturally I formed the impression that the men that stayed away were not in favor of building a new church and were not willing to make some sacrifices to get it and felt that the old church was good enough for them. Now in order to satisfy myself on this question I am sending each and every one of you this letter, and I shall ask you to reply on the same sheet and return it in the enclosed stamped envelope.

1. Why were you not in church on Sunday morning?
2. Do you conscientiously approve of building a new church?
3. Are you willing to make personal sacrifices in order to get a new church? That sacrifice means that you should do all in your power and ability to give what you can towards the building of a new church.
4. Do you approve or disapprove of building the new church on the corner of Washington and Frances?
5. Do you approve or disapprove of changing the name of Trinity church to Sunnyside?
6. Will you pledge yourself to do all you can in support of the new church?
7. Do you expect to retain your membership in this church?

Now I shall expect and answer from your. Please remember that the interest that I am taking in this is for the good of yourself and your family and is for the interest I take in God's work, as I believe that a new church would give you and incentive to do better Christian work.

Hoping I will have a prompt answer, I am

Sincerely yours,
JM. Studbaker

Sunnyside has built physically may times in our history, most recently just 5 years ago. This Stepping Stones journey that we are on is about building a church in a different way, but many of Mr. Studebaker's questions may still apply: What does it mean for each of us to be committed to sacrifice on behalf of Sunnyside's ministry? What does it mean to be a church in this neighborhood? What does it mean for each of us to call ourselves Sunnysiders today?

Save the date, October 10th, to learn more about Sunnyside's history and how it might shape our future!

The Potter and the Clay by Barb Wirt

2010-09-05T16:21:00.000-07:00

We continue in our attempt to discern God's will, God's direction, for our future through scripture. Today we traveled with the prophet Jeremiah to the Potter's House. There we found the potter reworking an earthen vessel that he felt was marred.

With a reminder that God is the potter and we are the clay we considered how God is reworking, reshaping us as individuals and as a congregation at Sunnyside.

We acknowledge that the earthen vessel of our lives at times has felt marred - maybe even cracked.

We compared the "doom and gloom" message of the Old Testament with the message of "love and grace" in the New Testament. Acknowledging that both are an important element of our faith heritage.

At the Potter's House Jeremish has a visual lesson in how the potter can shape and reshape the clay.

In the same way God,the master potter, can shape and reshape God's people.

While the skill of the potter can improve the outcome of even inferior clay, we who are made in God's own quality image need to remain pliable to the molding of the master potter's will.

This pliability may become more difficult as we grow older and more set in our beliefs.

Changes are evident in the neighborhood surrounding Sunyside. The demolition of the former St, Joseph Medical Center buildings are a notable example. What new areas of co-operation and ministry does that call us to?

The Stepping Stones discussions havel led us to voices of inquiry regarding new ways that God might be calling us as a congregation.

Jeremiah 18 The Potter and the Clay by Pastor Rebecca

2010-09-01T08:08:00.001-07:00

My mother still has bowls in her house that I made in the high school pottery class, I took my senior year. I loved the concept of being a potter, loved working with the clay and loved creating something beautiful and functional from a lump of dirt.

While we learned many styles of pottery, my absolute favorite was working with the potter's wheel. The most important step in starting a pot on the wheel is throwing it on the wheel and getting it centered each time. I was never very good at this part. I was great at pulling it and shaping it, but never had the upper body strength that it took to get it perfectly centered on the wheel.

I will never forget calling over my art teacher, a burly man with huge strong hands, to ask him to center my pot. I know it was not the case, but he did it with such ease that it seemed as though the clay saw him comming and moved itself into the center in anticipation of his touch. I spent so much time pushing and pressing on it without sucess and my teacher could just gently press into the pot to the perfect spot.

I understood that he was stronger than me and had thrown hundreds more pots than I had ever done, and so it was a moment of grace for me that he was always willing to give me help when I needed it.

This image of the Potter and the Clay in Jeremiah is an ancient yet timeless one for God's ability to shape and center the world which God has made. I always like to remember my art teacher when I read this passage from Jeremiah and I consider a God who with the slightest effort can right the world, can center the pot. The world moves in anticipation of the movement of the spirit, just as the clay seemed in move in anticipation of my art teacher.

As we do this work of discernment and transformation, we should remember that the work of centering the clay, of focusing our ministry is not ours alone. We are encouraged to call the spirit over to help us out, knowing that it is the effortless work of God that will guide us. We will push and pull, shape and create, but it is God who will center our creation.

Saul becomes Paul by Pastor Jamie

2010-08-29T11:05:00.000-07:00

It’s been quite a journey!

We began June 27 with the burning bush and Moses’ call to lead the Hebrews out of slavery to the Promised Land. It was just an ordinary day. Moses was simply going about his business tending the sheep of his father-in-law Jethro. God appeared in the fire and called out: “Moses, Moses..”

Today we finished this part of our journey with the call of Saul and Ananias. Jesus calls: Saul, Saul…” while he is on his way to arrest and persecute Christian believers. Ananias is also called by name and sent to the house on Straight Street where he is to minister to Saul who has been blinded by a flash of light.

Moses responded to God’s call by asking if God could send someone else. I’m not eloquent he explained. God still sent him.

Saul responded to the call by saying: “Who are you, Lord?” But God still sent him.

Ananias first responded to the call by saying: “Here I am, Lord!” But when he found out that he was to go to Saul he responded: Are you sure you know what you’re doing? God still sent him.

I am grateful for this Stepping Stones journey. I appreciate the involvement and interest. We have averaged nearly 30 people in Bible Study each week. Our wonderful leadership team is guiding this journey with creativity and faithfulness. I am excited about the future. Thank you for your participation.

In the sermon this morning I pondered a couple of questions: What if God’s call to the future surprises us? What if we are uncertain about what we hear? How will we respond: Please send someone else? Who are you? Are you sure? Or will we say with confidence and trust: Here I am Lord!

Of course we all want to say “Here I am Lord!” But remember, we will discern and follow this call as a community, listening, pondering, praying, and following together.

The Conversion of Paul- Acts 9:1-20- By Amy Gardine

2010-08-25T09:54:00.000-07:00

It hardly seems possible, but our Stepping Stones Bible study is coming to a close. It has been an amazing journey to discern God’s call for our congregation, our community, and our world. But I found this week’s passage to be somewhat curious. In Acts we witness the blinding of Paul; the calling of Ananias to step outside of his biases by laying hands on Paul for conversion; the scales falling off of Paul’s eyes; and (this part I love) the exotic locale of STRAIGHT Street in Damascus! I adore this amazingly powerful story of using all men to do the work of God – sometimes when others do not see how or why. Paul’s misled ways are literally “made straight” through his experience with Christ. Not because of the street name, but because of the change in Paul’s heart. But how can such powerful and drastic change be expected of us? Will we, too, have this dramatic and compelling message sent to Sunnyside?

As I reflected on this passage, I tried to apply this story to my own journey in the church. I remembered my earliest moments of awe and respect for God, then compared it to the story of Paul. I must be honest. I did not get blinded by Jesus or pray intensively for three days. And, although my contacts feel pretty awful sometimes, I did not have scales fall from my eyes. I also did not have one person who aided me in my love of God. Instead, I was surrounded by a community of believers who would guide me and direct my path. My moments of awe rested in the shafts of sunlight that used to fall across the choir where my mother sang beautiful hymns of praise. So what could I take from Paul’s story? Perhaps, I am more like Ananias – being called to go against the current. Perhaps, I am needing to shut out the voices of doubt, fear, and disdain to embrace all people. Perhaps, in my desire to be God to the world, I am being called to look at all parts of the church – from the most amazing changes to the most subtle. Because this is the way to begin a church: as a body of believers. No part left unknown. This is the way to share with the world the power and love of God.

Inquiring of God by Pastor Rebecca

2010-08-22T19:27:00.000-07:00

Have you ever noticed in the church that we often give people things to do, but we spend very little time talking about why we do them, or why we do them a certain way. If there is something that I can easily just send an email about asking someone to do something, I am more likely to do that instead of having them to come and meet with me to talk about the theory or the meaning behind what I need them to do, to talk about the different snags they might hit along the way so that they will be prepared for them and maybe to talk beyond what it exactly it was that I originally asked them to do empowering them to be creative in their work for the church.

This story from the 18th chapter of Exodus tells us that after Moses chose all of these men who would help him with this work, that he gathered them together and taught them what he knew and how to judge over the people. I would have loved to have been there for that training event: Moses sharing what God had told him, talking through different situations or cases that might be brought before them, exploring together how they would interpret the laws of God so that they each had a solid foothold in the mind of God, but that they also had the confidence and empowerment to know that they were called to be creative in their interpretation and application of the law. They were sent out to do their work, but they took with them a shared vision of who God wanted them to be.

It is certainly the hope that at the end of this stepping stones process that more of us will be out in the world living out God’s mission in this place but the goal as well is to come to a shared vision of what we are to be doing and who we are to be in this place.

The sharing of that vision will only come if we are willing to put in the time it takes to create it, to talk about it with one another, to think creatively about what it is we are doing in this place and how more of us can be engaged in doing it.
Moses could have gathered these men together and told them to just use their common sense in judging over the people, but if that was the only resource or guidance that they needed, what was the point of identifying themselves as the chosen people of Yahweh. It was not their common sense that they needed to rely upon but rather a sense of God and a sense of what it means to be the people of God together.

That is what we are doing together in this process. Not just sitting around and hoping that one of us hears the voice of God at some undefined point, but that we will gather together and talk about who we know God to be, who we have been in this place already and how we can better reflect on God’s mission and live here as recognizable people of God, with each one of us taking on the responsibility for this work, with each of us sharing a vision and sharing the load. And we will know when we are doing it the right way when our backs start to hurt.

Jethro’s Advice to Moses Exodus 18: 13-27- By Ken Baierl

2010-08-18T06:07:00.000-07:00

What I love about this week’s sermon and Bible study passage is that it sounds like a day in the workplace. I think everyone will be able to relate. The story includes making an organizational chart, developing job descriptions, delegation of authority and project management.

Moses was spending all day and night serving as judge in settling disputes among his people. His father-in-law, Jethro, saw what he was doing and said, “What you are doing is not good. You will surely wear yourself out, both you and these people with you. For the task is too heavy for you, you cannot do it alone.”

Jethro seems like a wise and caring person who gave good advice. Moses obviously trusted Jethro and followed his advice. I think the key element in this story is trust. Moses trusted Jethro, he trusted God and he trusted the people that he appointed as officers. That trust allowed everything to work.

As we at Sunnyside Church take our Stepping Stones journey to discern God’s call, we need to trust God and each other. I can already see the trust building as we come to the conclusion of our summer Bible study. I also think this story tells us that we should not take on large tasks by ourselves. That is why it is important for the entire congregation to walk this journey together. I’m looking forward to the sermon and discussion on Sunday.

Jesus in the Garden by Pastor Jamie

2010-08-15T12:58:00.000-07:00

Last evening I went to the Chicago White Sox—Detroit Tigers game at US Cellular Field with my son Andy and his friend Amanda. We had a wonderful time together. Andy is a White Sox fan and Amanda is a Tigers fan.

Midway through the second inning four young professional men took the empty seats right behind us. As the game went on I couldn’t help but overhear their conversation.

While they were having a lot of fun together, they were also talking about a variety of issues and concerns. Their conversation touched on one man’s addiction to gambling, another who was struggling with a relationship and a third who was unhappy in his job. They were honest and direct as they challenged one another.

The men talked on their phones with numerous friends who were elsewhere in the stadium or at home. They drank a number of frosty drinks and became louder as the game continued. Eventually they joined some friends elsewhere in the stadium. Suddenly our section was a lot quieter and more peaceful.

This afternoon as I have pondered the Scripture text for this morning, the sermon, our Bible Study and this blog entry I have thought about these men and the sense of community they shared together.

In the midst of 37,000 spectators, these men seemed to have a valuable sense of community. They listened, laughed, supported and encouraged each other. They did the same thing with their friends on their phones.

This morning we heard the story of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. He went to pray in the moments before his arrest. He took disciples to be a support for him. He was brutally honest with God. He accepted God’s will for his life. (and death.)

As we continue on our stepping stones journey of discernment, we learn from this story of Jesus life.

 We are growing in this garden time of pausing, praying, listening and discerning.
 We do not travel alone, but share this journey with one another.
 We can be direct and honest with God in our prayers.
 We are called to discern God’s will to be done and not our own.

Jesus rose from his garden prayer and faced his future with courage and peace. May we rise from this time of preparation and face our future call to mission and ministry with the same courage and peace!

Luke 22:39-46 Jesus Prays in the Garden- By Abbe Golden

2010-08-11T08:21:00.000-07:00

Obviously this passage is about prayer and I am sure many of us would consider prayer one of the principle ways we discern God’s will. But what can we learn specifically about prayer from the time Jesus spends in the garden? This week’s passage is more familiar to us than the last few. But sometimes that familiarity makes us think we have heard it all, we know it all. And yet I find that the Bible always has something new to teach us no matter how familiar the passage.

Luke states that Jesus withdrew to the Mount of Olives as was his custom. This implies that it was his habit. He didn’t seek God just because it was a critical time in his life but He seeks God on a daily basis. The definition of habit is a behavior pattern acquired by frequent repetition. How many of us have made prayer a habit?

When Jesus prays to the Father he prays “not my will but yours be done.” He is willing to accept God’s answer no matter how painful. Are we willing to accept God’s answer?

During this agonizing prayer Jesus is given strength by an angel. Perhaps this is why Jesus wants the disciples to stay awake and pray. He knows they are going to need strength to endure the next few days and the future.

Physically we get strength from a daily intake of food and water. Perhaps our spiritual strength comes from a daily intake of prayer.

The Broom Tree by Pastor Jamie

2010-08-08T09:54:00.000-07:00

A seminary classmate of mine tells the story of taking a risky call to be pastor of a new church development in California. “It turned out badly,” he said. “The project tanked and I went into a deep funk. I felt like a failure.”

Another classmate of ours said to him, “You need a Broom Tree. Let’s go up to Bass Lake. Together they climbed Half Dome, a challenging peak in Yosemite National Park. The friends helped each other ascend the steep stairs and reach the summit. At the top of the peak the scenery was beautiful. The conversation was holy. God was present. “So much for fear of heights, or feeling like a failure.”

This morning we heard the story of Elijah sleeping under the Broom Tree. He was running in fear for his life. But there God reached out by feeding Elijah and preparing him for the journey to Mount Horeb. At Mount Horeb God showed Godself to Elijah in a stunning moment.

There was an earthquake. But God was not in the earthquake. There was a wind. But God was not in the wind. There was fire. But God was not in the fire. Finally there was the sound of sheer silence. It was then that Elijah heard the call of God with clarity on where to go and what to do.

Sheer silence. A still small voice. As we listen to the silence we hear the call of God.

This may be a hard concept. But ponder this. Silence takes our attention away from ourselves and helps us focus on God. Silence stops us from telling God what to do so that we can hear God telling us what to do.

I sense that this stepping stones journey is our Broom Tree. A time for Sunnyside to pause, be fed with Scripture, prayer and conversation and listen to the voice of God calling to us from the silence and guiding us into the future.

Elijah Meets God at Horeb - 1 Kings 19:1-18 - by Amy Gardine

2010-08-04T06:06:00.000-07:00

Wrestling angels, talking donkeys, and witches… oh my! Yes, it is true that the summer Bible study passages could be likened to a journey into OZ at some points! But these scriptures are so much better, and this week’s account emphasizes why.

This week Elijah, fearing for his life, retreats to the wilderness – alone and willing to die. As he sits down under a solitary broom tree, we see that he is not only running from the threats of Jezebel, but also his own thoughts. He is filled with self-doubt! But Elijah has done something brilliant here. He has retreated! Whether this is instinctual or a back-up plan, Elijah has found a place of protection and in this place he receives mercy. As Elijah sleeps, God sends an angel to provide him with food and drink two times. Miraculously, this nourishment is enough to sustain him in his 40-day pursuit of God!

After Elijah arrives at Horeb, God puts on quite a show: mountain-breaking winds; shuddering earthquakes; and roaring fires descend on Horeb. These are acts that would surely awaken a soul! But the Lord did not appear in these acts. Instead, God came in the stillness, bringing answers, peace, and assurance. In the quiet moments with God, Elijah gained more than he could have believed possible.

How hard is it for us to find that retreat? That silence? With an overflowing calendar, three boys who could rival the cacophony on Horeb, and a to-do list that seems 40 days and 40 nights long, I sometimes feel I am overwhelmed, too. I just want to chuck-it out the window and ask God for a do-over. But this scripture is reassuring to me. Elijah did not have to look far. He simply sat down and rested. For me, this is why this week’s scripture is so much better than that Hollywood trip to OZ. I am NOT being called to run down some golden path. Instead, I am being called to stop long enough to re-discover mercy – for me and others. After that, I can feed on God’s word, full enough to make the journey and peaceful enough to listen for what lies ahead. In our journey to discover God’s call for Sunnyside, I believe the first step is actually not a step, but a seat. It is a call to find our “broom tree” where we can quiet our hearts and truly hear God’s plan.

Saul Goes to a Witch to Seek Discernment by Pastor Jamie

2010-08-01T11:16:00.000-07:00

I have two things to confess to you this afternoon.

First, in 25 years of ministry I have never preached on this passage from 1 Samuel 28:3-25 before.

Second, when I saw it on the list of potential passages for our our summer Stepping Stones Series, I didn't remember it. Last week was probably the first time I read the whole story.

But I have thoroughly enjoyed pondering this amazing story:

--King Saul worrying about overcoming the Philistine army in battle.
--How he prayed to God for guidance and direction and how God was silent,
--How Saul disguised himself and sought assistance from the Witch at Endor who was able to bring up the dead prophet Samuel,
--How Samuel spoke the truth to Saul about his future and a new future for Israel,
--and hhe witch cared for Saul with compassion and hospitality!

This is an unusual, quirky and odd story.

But it is fascinating as it encourages our congregation in this time of discernment for the future.

--Will we be able to be patient...waiting and listening for God to guide our steps to the future.
--Are we listening the voices of history and tradition which have asked these same questions in the past?
--Can we hear what the world around us saying to the church today?
--Are we open to hearing God's voice in unconvential ways?

I pray that our answer to each question will be Yes!

Saul and the Medium at Endor- 1 Samuel 28:3-25- by Mary Cory

2010-07-28T09:05:00.000-07:00

This week we study the amazing story of Saul and the Medium at Endor. We see what happens to Saul when God's will is known but not followed.

Saul has been directed by God through Samuel. Time after time, Saul has let God down by not obeying His voice. Saul has not been the most dependable person in completing God's will. He has often left the job partially finished. How often have we done the same? We think we've done SOME of what we should do-- that's good enough.

With no one to turn to and an attack by the Philistines imminent, Saul visits a medium even though he knows he should “not turn to mediums or seek out spiritists” (Lev. 19:31). He asks that she call up Samuel from the grave so he can tell Saul what to do. Samuel's answer is simple: the Lord has turned away from you because you did not obey his voice. Saul and his sons will be killed in battle the next day.

God gave Saul so many opportunities to do His will but Saul always fell short. He tried to explain away his disobedience, but God knew his heart and knew he was only sorry because he had been caught. Have you confessed from your heart and not just because you have been caught? God gives us every opportunity for a fresh start. He is always there wanting us to complete His directives and follow His path for us.

Our Stepping Stones bible study is a wonderful way to discern God's path for us individually and as a church.

Different Eyes by Pastor Rebecca

2010-07-25T12:25:00.000-07:00

Today we slogged through the strange and often ignored story of the seer Balaam and his faithful donkey. If you have not read this story for yourself already, I encourage you to do so. It is well worth the read.

This morning in worship and in the Bible Study we talked quite a bit about the paths that we choose as individuals and as congregations, and how we can get into a rut or commit to a plan that might not always be God's hope for us. We talked as well about how we need to be willing to be shocked by something (like a talking donkey) in order to make a change in direction.

We heard author Frederick Beauchner's reflections on this mysterious speaking donkey. He writes “whereas people as a rule see only what they expect to see and a little more, animals, innocent of expectations, see what is there. The next time the old mare looks up from her browsing and lets fly with an exultant whinny at the empty horizon, we might do well to consider at least the possibility that the horizon may not be quite as empty as we think.”

We also talked more in the Bible Study about another interesting way to read the story of Balaam, and I would like to share that here for those who were not able to join us:

Balaam was much more than a man with a donkey, he was a renowned ancient seer - a man with the ability to bless or curse with just a word from his mouth. He was also a Canaanite, not a part of the people of Israel who were on the move into the promised land. And yet he loved the Lord, the God of Israel, and spoke with God often. He declares to others that it is only the words of God that he is able to obey, nothing else.

King Balak, who has sent for him, has asked him to come and curse these Israelites so that they may not overcome the land. And all three of the times Balak's servants come Balaam refuses, even refusing gold and silver from the King. But after talking with God, the decide together that he should go and see the persistent King in person, though God reminded Balaam to only do what God told him to do.

Then we can jump right over the story of the Donkey and the Angel and start back up at the place where Balaam reaches the King and he is shown three times from different vistas the enormity of the people of Israel. Three times Balak tells him to curse these people. Three times Balaam prays and asks God for guidance. Three times at the direction of God Balaam blesses them again, showing his faithfulness to God.

This is interesting because the story of Balaam and his Donkey on the road, the anger of God, his violence against the animal and the intentions of the Angel to kill him seem totally out of place in the rest of the story.

A number of Biblical scholars have suggested that because Balaam was outside of the accepted community, even though he faithfully obeyed God, even though he brought blessings to the people of Israel, that people of faith became more and more uncomfortable with the strength and abilities of this outsider. This story could very well have been added later to discredit him as an UN-faithful, outsider.

This is an important aspect of discernment that we are called to keep in mind in our Stepping Stones journey together: are we willing to hear voices that come from outside our community? Will we hear the voice of God from our fellow Presbyterian brothers and sisters in Wabash Valley who are also engaged in a time of discernment? Will we hear the voice of God from other Christian traditions that our also seeking to do God's work in this place? Are there ways that we might be guided by other faiths in understanding who we are called to be? Are we willing to learn from others and acknowledge that others outside of our community may have faith to share and ways to help us change direction for the better.

This journey is getting more interesting for all of us as we continue to be engaged in God's word. Let us also be ready to be engaged in God's WORLD as we move ahead in prayer and discernment.

Balaam and the Donkey – Numbers 22:22-40 – By: Bill Lamie

2010-07-21T05:37:00.000-07:00

As we reach the mid-point of our summer Bible Study, we continue to see that God makes his direct will be known in the most unbelievable ways.

In the case of Balaam, he not only is commanded by God via a nocturnal dream, but is “preached” to by his donkey, and then confronted by the Angel of the Lord with sword drawn. I think that most of us, when confronted in the same ways, would have sworn never to violate God’s commands ever again. Sign me up for Team GOD!

Balaam, on the other hand (who was considered the most influential soothsayer of his day), is the classic example of a person who knew the right way, but choose to reject it to pursue worldly lusts. God “used” Balaam for the good of Israel, saving the nation from extermination, even though He knew that Balaam was evil. Peter wrote in his New Testament letter about the “character of false teachers”, and uses the account of Balaam as an example. So did Balaam just not understand the meaning of God’s grace? Were the temptations too much for him to follow God’s will? Didn’t God give him every opportunity to follow?

How often are we tempted, distracted and misdirected in our lives, stepping off the path that God intends for us to follow? Do we need for God to send us a shocking sign that He is calling us? I believe that God is always there to lead us back on the right path if we stray, but we have to follow His lead.

Our summer Bible study is a gift that I am very thankful for. It is a wonderful way to learn of God’s calling within our own Sunnyside Church learning community.

Upside Down Blessings by Pastor Rebecca

2010-07-18T10:49:00.000-07:00

This journey of discernment that we are on is not just about our own personal lives of faith, but also the life of our congregation.

One of the other things that my General Assembly committee did last week, that I am sure no other GA committee has done before, was to go on a field trip to visit with two local congregations who are growing both deep and wide in the Minneapolis area.

First we drove out to the suburbs to visit Christ Presbyterian Church, which has a total membership of over 5000, 9 pastors on staff and at least 1000 youth participating weekly in programs with a budget of 14 million dollars. As we walked into the building the 55 members of our committee were more than impressed with their beautiful facility and the thoughtful and perfectly timed presentation given to us by their pastor of over 20 years and two of his colleagues. They loved it. And I have to be honest that I enjoyed it as much as the rest of them. I honestly took pictures of their bulletin boards to be able to show Jamie when he is back from vacation, and I grabbed as many of their very glossy brochures in the lobby for each specialized ministry in which they are engaged as I could without looking too suspicious.

At the end of the presentation several people asked the pastor if they could go into the newly renovated sanctuary, and I was so pleased with his answer. He told them that they were welcome to go and check it out, but that it really is only a room…that the heart of who they are happens outside those walls. Clearly by almost anyone’s measure this congregation was blessed in their ministry.

Then we drove back into the city, to Kwanza Presbyterian Church in urban Minneapolis. As we drove into the neighborhood and up to the church, I could hear people in the bus around me commenting that this was going to be a totally different experience. We walked into the building over beautiful art that had been painted on the church sidewalks, past bulletin boards that needed quite a bit of updating, through the unairconditioned sanctuary into a small meeting room at the back. The pastor was a little late and he had no power point slides to show us, but he talked to us about the growth that they are experiencing and the ways that they are touching lives in the community. Of their 225 members 33 of them joined in the past year. Even though their annual giving is under 250,000 a year, they are engaged in compelling work in cooperation with other local organizations. This includes starting a women’s center for women trapped in the sex trades in cooperation with the University of Minnesota, and an urban community garden in the vacant lot next to the church in cooperation with the Science Museum of Minnesota.

He told us compelling stories about how their congregation was vital to their community. Certainly as well, maybe even more so as they struggle to help those who have been pushed to the very bottom of the community, this group of believers was blessed by God in their work together.

We have the same kind of complicated expectations when we think about what it means to be blessed as a congregation…blessed is the church with no typos in its newsletter, blessed is the church with the very charismatic pastor, blessed is the church with the most children in its Sunday school, blessed is the church with the most beautiful sanctuary, blessed is the church with the most organized committees.
It would be my hope that by using these words of Christ to discern God’s call for our congregation, we might try to count our blessings in unusual, maybe upside down ways.

I have shared that the work that I did at GA was unlike anything a committee of theirs had done before, and as we move forward in our work on this journey that we call our stepping stones you are going to hear that kind of thing a lot- that we want to go about being in ministry in different ways than we might have ever done before. That might make you a little anxious, and it probably should. I’ll remind you that Jesus was all about making people a little anxious and turning things on their heads…blessings and all.

As we count our blessings and seek new ways to be present in this community as a community, may we be merciful to one another, may we hunger for the call that God has for us, and may we trust in the presence of Christ to guide us on this journey.

The Beatitudes-Matthew 5:1-16- by Larry Savage

2010-07-14T07:54:00.000-07:00

What an excellent start we have made on our 10 bible passage journey. So far, we have seen: Moses challenged by God to bring the Israelites out of Egypt; Zechariah and Elizabeth blessed with the long awaited birth of a very special child “John the Baptist” who would precede Christ; and Jacob who would form the 12 tribes of Israel from which Christ would be nurtured.

Next we shift from the Old Testament to the New Testament and begin to see a subtle change. Matthew’s Beatitudes differ from Old Testament emphasis on: following Jewish law, living a moral life, and receiving blessings and prosperity in the present. The New Testament emphasis changes to God’s desire for us to have a “conversion of the heart”, receive blessings of the spirit, and take up the mission to be the salt and light of Christianity.

As I read these first lessons taught by Christ, I am struck by the profound vulnerability we must accept: to be open, thoughtful, flexible, courageous, respectful, and humble as we discern our next path.

Late Night Wrestling By Barb Wirt

2010-07-12T04:19:00.000-07:00

Do you ever wake in the morning entangled in the bed sheets and clutching your pillow. Maybe, like Jacob, you've experienced some "Late Night Wrestling". Sometimes issues/problems that can be ignored during the day surface during the night when we're free of the activities and noise and activity.

Jacob is returning to face Esau, his estranged brother. With good reason he is fearful of what this meeting will be like. That trickster Jacob not only tricked his older brother into giving him his birthright, he also tricked his dying father who's sight was failing into giving him the Blessing that was really for Esau.
As he sleeps alone on the river bank he is challenged by an unidentified opponent. Was it Esau who had come out to over power him? Maybe it was a robber finding easy prey in this man sleeping alone.

The wrestling match continued through the night ending in a draw. Increasingly we sense that the unidentified opponent is actually God. Unable to overpower Jacob he dislocates his hip. Refusing to identify himself he never-the-less grants Jacob's request for a blessing - this took considerably more effort than the blessing he tricked his father into giving. God then changes Jacob's name to Israel - for he has struggled with God and prevailed. Jacob is left with a limp, but he has also received God's blessing.

As we talked in the Bible Study following church, we all face struggles, even the church struggles at times. Decisions to take out a mortgage and enclose the courtyard required some serious discussion/wrestling. Members felt that the decision was only made after everyone was encourage to have input- made to feel that they were part of the decision. The same was true of deciding to build The Triumph House. Both were bold steps.

Why did God choose to wrestle with Jacob? Maybe because that is a very one-on-one type of match.

It certainly put Jacob up front and personal with God.

Life is good at Sunnyside - The mortgage was paid off early. The Triumph House was blessed today.

So what is the challenge? That, my friends, is the question. What is God calling us to wrestle with now?

We have received God's blessing in the past! How is God waiting to bless us in the future?

Jacob Wrestles with An Angel- Genesis 32:22-32- By: Abbe Golden

2010-07-07T06:59:00.000-07:00

Our stepping-stones journey takes us next to the story of Jacob wrestling with an angel. I don’t usually associate wrestling with angels. Usually I think of angels as something peaceful and comforting. But this is a major struggle with Jacob ending up with his hip being put out of joint. So why did this wrestling match occur?

In the end Jacob states that he has seen God face to face, so there is no doubt that God has called Jacob. But why did Jacob wrestle all night? Was Jacob just another reluctant participant in following God’s will? Maybe. But the scriptures state that Jacob prevailed against the angel and for that the angel grants Jacob’s request to be blessed.

As we journey along with each other, at times. it may seem like we are in a wrestling match with God and perhaps even with each other. Let us prevail in finding God’s will and be blessed by God.

Waiting in Silence by Pastor Jamie

2010-07-04T12:13:00.000-07:00

Last evening our family enjoyed a wonderful 3rd of July together.

About 9:30 we started a fire in our backyard and sat together in lawn chairs. Peter set off a few small fountains (fireworks.) We watched our neighbors shooting fireworks high into the air. It was relaxing and a lot of fun.

And it was loud!

At times it felt like the ground was shaking beneath us. The booms were loud and clear. Our dog Molly snuggled up close as the sounds made her nervous. We covered our ears and marveled at the noise as well as the beauty of the colors shooting high in the air.

In this morning's sermon as well as our Stepping Stones Bible Study afterwards, we reflected on the moment of worship when Zechariah entered the sanctuary of the temple to burn incense before God. He met an angel who brought the news that he and Elizabeth would finally have a baby--John the Baptist--in their advanced years.

Zechariah couldn't believe it. And so his voice was taken and he was mute for nine months.

Nine months of silence! Perhaps it was difficult. Perhaps it was wonderful. Perhaps Elizabeth enjoyed the quiet. Perhaps she was desperate for Zechariah to say something...anything.

But that silence and its ending brought forth the incredible news of the naming of the son who was promised. "His name is John," Zechariah declared. He would be the forerunner of the Messiah who would proclaim the mercy of God.

As we step on these stones toward the future of our church, this story encourages us to recognize these steps:

1. Prayer is the beginning. Zechariah, Elizabeth and the whole community prayed. They prayed for their whole lives. Their prayer was honored and answered. We are called to pray as individuals and a community for discernment, guidance and direction.

2. Silence is good. The 9 months of silence resulted in beautiful words and trust in God's guidance. While we may be tempted to jump forward to specific answers and vision for Sunnyside, it is healthy for us to take time to wait on the Lord, and listen to the voice of the Spirit as well as one another.

3. Trust that God will accomplish God's purposes. Nothing would stop God from accomplishing mercy and grace through Jesus Christ. Likewise, God will accomplish God's purpose through our church.

On this 4th of July evening, the noise will probably be louder than last night. I hope it will be a reminder to all of us to pause and be silent before God, listening to the still small voice of the Spirit and the loud boom of God's call.

The Birth of John the Baptist Foretold- Luke 1:5-20- By Ken Baierl

2010-06-30T10:17:00.000-07:00

I loved the discussion about Moses and the burning bush but now it’s time to begin thinking about the second lesson in our summer Bible study – The Birth of John the Baptist Foretold (Luke 1:5-20). Instead of a burning bush we have an angel appearing in front of Zechariah to deliver God’s message to him. Once again, like Moses before him, there is fear, disbelief, doubt and even suffering (Zachariah is struck mute) before understanding and accepting what God was telling him to do.

It dawned on me that neither Moses or Zechariah were looking for God’s call at the time they received it. We at Sunnyside Church are actively asking God for it. Maybe that will make us better prepared to see, hear, understand and believe it when it comes. The Bible study this summer is the first stepping stone of our journey. I believe it is already helping. I’m looking forward to the sermon and discussion on Sunday.

Turning Aside by Pastor Jamie

2010-06-27T11:33:00.000-07:00

Last evening I welcomed youth and adults from Pine Street Presbyterian Church in Harrisburg, PA. They are on their way to Chicago where they will devote a week to urban ministry. They spent the night in our building, sleeping on the floor and the couches in our youth rooms.

Meeting and greeting these youth was a nostalgic experience for me as I remembered the early days of my own ministry when I led similar youth mission trips. They appreciated our comfortable building and the warm welcome they received this morning from our community of faith.

I was struck by the connection which took place in worship. While these young people were embarking on an experience of Christian service to people in need, we began our Stepping Stones journey of faith to seek and discern God's call to missional transformation...a vision for the future mission of Sunnyside Church. It was a wonderful connection!

Today we heard the story of Moses and the burning bush and how the normal and ordinary experience of his routine was transformed into an extraordinary moment of God's call. The beautiful dirt of Mt. Horeb became holy ground as God called Moses to go to Pharoah and save the Hebrew people from slavery and oppression.

There are three concepts I'd like to point out from the story and invite your reflection and conversation.

1. God initiated everything that happened while Moses responded. So what is God initiating among us today? How do we experience and hear God's call? What will be our response? Remember: God has a mission and is looking for the church to participate in that mission.

2. It was when Moses turned aside and focused on the burning bush that God spoke his name and called him to service. We tend to sometimes cover our eyes and ears to the signs of call in our lives. This summer we have the wonderful opportunity to pause, reflect, study, listen and hear God's call to our church. How can we turn aside in these days and listen carefully and intently?

3. God's call to Moses was specific, direct and bold. Go to Pharoah and tell him: "Let my people go!" It will take time and patience to discern God's call for Sunnyside. But it will be specific, direct and bold. In what ways can we discern this call and hear God's direction?

This is not a nostalgic experience, but an opportunity to peer into the future and listen for God's words: "Sunnyside! Sunnyside! Go and....?" Together we will discover the call that God is initiating.

Moses and the Burning Bush- Exodus 3:1-12- by: Leslie McKillip

2010-06-23T06:43:00.000-07:00

Reading this passage, I was struck by the fact that God chose a burning bush to get Moses’ attention and by the fact that Moses chose to take a closer look and see why the bush had not burned up. It made me wonder just how many people today would be curious enough to get closer and how many people would run the other way. I’m not sure what that answer would be for me. Sometimes I pray that the resources God uses in my life would be more obvious to me like a burning bush because I don’t always hear His whisper in my ear. I do believe that being asked to serve on the Stepping Stones committee and then being nominated to co-chair were both “burning bush” moments. I had served in several large volunteer chair positions and vowed that I was not going to chair anything else for a very long time. I’m so glad that I said “yes” to the Stepping Stones! Now as Bill and I prepare for a move that is both exciting and bittersweet, I will do what Moses did and trust God and know that He will be with us along the journey. After all, God didn’t ask Moses to do it alone and as Sunnyside travels along its journey to discern God’s will for our church, we can all be burning bushes through our many voices and experiences.

We pray for life! by Pastor Rebecca

2010-06-10T10:54:00.000-07:00

How do you know when a church is dead or alive? There is a church that I pass every Sunday on my way to Sunnyside that looks dead to me. Sometimes I even forget that it is a church. Low and behold, every December, Christmas decorations appear on its front door and banisters. Maybe there is still a church worshiping there, or maybe someone in the community just thinks that a church should be decorated for Christmas.

For so many years our motto at this congregation was "The Spirit is Alive at Sunnyside!" How do we know that our church is alive? How do we know that the Spirit of God is at work in the things that we are doing?

I don't exactly know the answer to those kinds of questions for certain, but I will tell you that I have felt the spirit of God, felt the liveliness of our congregation this week more than I ever have before.

Every morning this week I have left home an hour earlier than usual in order to pick up one of our youth and get to the church before 50 Sunnyside children (and even some friends from our community) and adult & youth volunteers have descended on the church for Vacation Bible School. Did you know that we have not had VBS at Sunnyside for over 10 years!

Many parents have been dropping their children off and driving directly to our Habitat for Humanity House up the street on Campeau, spending the morning working on the roof, siding and porches for Triumph House.

Right around 11:00 a.m. every day another group swings into action in the kitchen, packing lunches and feeding the crew at the work site.

I have left VBS twice this week to go up and work for the afternoon myself on window installation and more siding and have been so moved by working along side Jeremy and Miriam, as well as laughing and spending time with Sunnysiders in pursuit of such a inspiring goal.

On Monday evening, once I finally returned home from VBS, the house build, and a meeting with our Stepping Stones team, I sat down and reflected that while I didn't get to answer many emails that day or take care of so many of the things piling up on my desk or on my to do list, I was engaged in hands on ministry and mission with more Sunnysiders of all ages from 3 years old to 70 years old all in the scope of 12 hours than I ever have before.

The Spirit of God may be a hard thing to pin down some days, but I am sure that it was only by the power of the spirit, that is indeed alive at Sunnyside, that I was able to keep moving through all of that work.

Each morning the children open and close their time at VBS with prayer. While some of them ask me to whisper words for a prayer into their ears as they speak in the microphone, we have some that want to pray on their own.

On Tuesday afternoon, one of our Preschoolers asked if he could pray, and in his small but clear voice, he prayed "Thank you God for today, and thank you for life. Amen."

We thank God for life...for the life of this congregation...for the lives that we are impacting this week...for the life that God has called us to embrace into our future as a church family together. Amen!