Elisabet Kirkland Page 24

03 Jul

A PRACTICAL LESSON OF GRACE

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Come with me as I travel back in time. Not very far, just to 2019, pre-COVID 19 pandemic. Our lives as believers were fairly consistent and unvarying: working hard, six days a week, welcoming Sabbath on Friday evenings, and then attending church with family members and friends on Sabbath morning.

Think back to that time. What was your favorite element of the worship service? Was it the challenging discussions of a Sabbath school lesson taught by an engaging teacher? Perhaps it was seeing the children have a special part in the Sabbath morning service. Maybe the time of musical praise where you were able to lift your voice with other believers in praise and gratitude to God stands out. Or it could have been a challenging sermon from God’s word presented in a compelling manner by the preacher of the week who was often used by the Holy Spirit to touch your heart.

I suspect, however, that in your thinking you would not have come up with “when the offering plate was passed” as a significant moment of the worship service. (Post-COVID, most giving is online.) Am I wrong on this? It may seem strange, but to me this is a highlight of the worship service, and maybe the most practical. Hang on, don’t turn the page with a shake of the head, saying, “Well, he is the union treasurer so of course he feels that way!” Let me explain further.

You see, I believe tithe and offerings are all about grace. Grace? Really? Yes! Listen to what Paul writes in Ephesians 2:6-9: God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages, he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.

Plainly, God is in the business of showing you and me the “incomparable riches of his grace,” primarily through the life and ministry of Jesus Christ. He so wants us to understand that we must trust in Jesus and His mercy—grace—this is how we are to be saved! And how does He teach us? Well, one way is by spending Sabbath with Him. In so doing, we learn that by devoting 1/7 of our time (versus scratching, striving, and exerting ourselves to either work for our survival or distract ourselves through entertainment seven days a week) that true rest, peace, and wholeness can only be found in His presence.

I freely admit that I cannot take care of myself and my family with unceasing activity; rather I must rely on Him for a joyous and healthy existence. In the same way, by giving tithes and offerings, I learn God’s lesson of grace that He will take care of my material needs. I cannot adequately take care of myself with 100 percent, but He will take my lesser portion and through His blessing, provide me with all that I need.

How important is it to God that I learn this lesson? Listen once again to the ancient and well-known message of Malachai 3:10. This is what he says: “Bring the whole tithe into the store house that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven, and pour out so much blessings that there will not be enough room to store it.” Did you hear the challenge, direct from God Himself? Test me, He says … it’s the only place in His word where God INVITES me to test Him. When I hoard 100 percent of the resources God has blessed me with, I am saying that I will depend on myself, my works, to take care of my needs. However, when I return tithes and offerings to God, I deliberately place myself in a position where I must receive His blessing for my needs to be met.

Thus, I have learned that my salvation is also dependent on grace; there are no works that I can produce that will be sufficient to “provide for my salvation” any more than if I retained all financial resources and tried to adequately provide for my physical needs.

Finally, another aspect of this practice is that God trains me to live generously as a “new creation” and thus reflect the generosity of my Savior Christ Jesus. What a blessing and privilege this has been to me!

Let me share with you my personal experience. As I prepared to write this editorial it dawned on me that the divine lesson of grace in my stewardship of tithes and offerings had lessened over the last couple of years. As I thought about it, I realized that I had changed my giving process in a significant way. During COVID, I, along with many of you readers, took advantage of technology and began to return my offerings online. This was necessary because of pandemic-related church closures. Now, church services have resumed, but my new practice of giving online remained. And, I have concluded that for myself the deep impression of God’s lesson in grace was somehow lessened when I simply contributed online when paying my regular bills.

So, I have gone back to writing a check for my tithes and offerings and bringing it to God in person as part of my worship experience in church. (Yes, this is retrograde, and so I am not recommending, just sharing; and I do realize some might think that writing a check may not be the best environmental stewardship.) My point? Give some prayerful thought as to how you might adjust so to best experience the stewardship lesson of God’s grace.

I am not alone in finding joy in God’s grace of giving. In this issue you will be inspired by reading the stories of others who have learned through active stewardship that truly, “God’s grace is sufficient” not just for our daily needs but for salvation itself.

Thank you, Jesus, for your love and grace for me!

Dave VandeVere is vice president for finance of the Mid-America Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. Republished with permission from the June 7, 2023, feature story in OUTLOOK Magazine.

03 Jul

WHY I FINANCIALLY SUPPORT THE SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH

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Last year I wrote an editorial in which I set forth my conviction that returning a faithful tithe was all about grace—learning to trust God to provide for my material needs, and when He did so, seeing evidence that His grace was all-sufficient for my great spiritual need: “Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me!”

I received positive responses to the article. What I did not receive—but I know exists—was the response: “Yeah, that’s well and good, but why should I support the church organization with my tithe? The conference can’t even supply my church a full-time pastor! We have to share with another congregation or two. And when the pastor is present, well, the sermon isn’t very good. I think the money is just wasted or spent frivolously. In fact, it seems all the church cares about is money, money, money! I will just give my tithe to _____ ministry. They are doing God’s work, and my pastor isn’t doing anything—hasn’t even come to visit me!”

Doubt this response? Don’t! Just spend some time on various social media and special interest church-related websites reading editorials and comments. This is a common, and I dare say growing, sentiment. So, let’s spend some time with an event in Jesus’ ministry that Mark recorded:

Jesus sat down near the collection box in the temple and watched as the crowds dropped in their money. Many rich people put in large amounts. Then a poor widow came and dropped in two small coins.

Jesus called his disciples to him and said, “I tell you the truth, this poor widow has given more than all the others who are making contributions. For they gave a tiny part of their surplus, but she, poor as she is, has given everything she had to live on” (Mark 12:41-44).

Now why did Jesus highlight this widow who gave literally everything she had to support a religious/church structure that in many cases was corrupt and even preyed on individuals such as herself? Jesus knew this and even registered His disapproval of it:

Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes, and love personal greetings in the marketplaces, and chief seats in the synagogues and places of honor at banquets, who devour widows’ houses, and for appearance’s sake offer long prayers. These will receive all the more condemnation (Luke 20:46,47).

Yet Jesus does not condemn the widow for supporting a very imperfect system. How can this be? Maybe He should have urged her to redirect her offering as a protest, a cry for justice, or at least a plea to receive her just due of service and support from “the church.”

But instead, Jesus celebrated her! He drew a sharp contrast between her sacrifice and apparent humility and those who gave very large (but not sacrificial) gifts, and again, with an apparent lack of humility.

Additionally, it seems that Jesus loved her sincere heart. In line with what I wrote previously, the widow was completely committed to experiencing God’s grace—His provision for her very real needs—through the practice of giving to support God’s organized system of worship, marred as it was in human hands. Because Jesus called her out as a shining example, we are still retelling this story thousands of years later.

God Works Through Humans

But what about the “lousy” organization? Well, it was originated by God Himself. Aaron (Moses’s brother) and his family would be the priests. The tribe of Levite were to serve as religious ministers. Then God set up a financial structure of tithes and offerings to support the priests and Levites in their religious ministry. Interestingly, he instructed the Levites who received the tithe to participate themselves through the practice of tithing (Numbers 18). God puts forth a strong ethic: if a leader receives support from a system, they must also participate in supporting the system.

So how did this work out? Often, not very well. The divine record reveals that many times the Levites and priests failed in their leadership responsibilities (example: Hophni and Phineas). Nor would we say the Levitical system was “efficient,” at least according to our current culture. There were literally thousands of Levites. Only a handful at a time could serve in the sanctuary services. Those not serving lived in specific towns designated for them. There is no record of them being spread out evenly, providing direct spiritual leadership in every town and village. So, what did they do? It’s not entirely clear, and certainly not very accountable by today’s standards. And not all tithe and offerings were for “frontline workers” as there were certainly administrative layers in the system to organize the daily temple services, annual festivals, and, later, the local synagogues.

There were some excellent, godly, priestly leaders of course. Samuel, Joshua, and the father of John the Baptist come quickly to mind. And God did provide accountability. He intervened directly when two of the first priests drunkenly profaned their religious duties (Numbers 3). He sent prophetic warnings to Eli regarding his sons (1 Samuel 2). Inspired by a copy of the Book of the Law, King Hezekiah called the Levites together and held them accountable to rectify temple worship abuses and neglect, as part of his reform efforts (2 Chronicles 29). Finally, God plainly warned the religious leaders through Jeremiah of dire punishment that would fall; partly because the religious leaders had turned their backs on Him (Jeremiah 32: 28-33).

A perfect, organized religious system for mission and governance? No … because God chooses to work through weak and sinful human beings. And it’s the same for the Seventh-day Adventist Church today.

Following God’s example, the Seventh-day Adventist Church, called into being by His prophetic word, has organized itself with similar principles. Men and women, called by God, are employed and asked to lead in the making of disciples—the calling of individuals to new and/or deeper relationships with Jesus Christ. This includes preaching, teaching, administrating, and coordinating with fellow church leaders around the world. And the financial system of tithes and offerings is used to support those called both in our local mission territories as well as in world regions where there has been little penetration by the message God has given the church to proclaim.

Higher Standards of Accountability

Does all go well? Not always. We do hear of and sometimes witness misguided decisions, misuse of funds, unprofessional leadership, and, occasionally, even wicked behavior and attitudes. But God has also led us to higher and higher standards of accountability. Regular ministry reports and financial statements are presented at church boards, conference executive committees, and constituency meetings. Audit and compensation committees carefully review important financial and employment records. And when misdeeds or immoral actions come to light, they are dealt with appropriately. Finally, following King Hezekiah’s example, we call for ever increasing levels of spiritual, professional, and ethical behavior on the part of our leaders (pastors, teachers, administrators, etc.).

A perfect, organized religious system for mission and governance? No. But one led by imperfect human beings who God, in His incredible love and grace, chooses to work through.

So, here’s why I give tithes and offerings to the Seventh-day Adventist Church:

  • Because Jesus Christ died for me and adopted me as God’s beloved child.
  • Because I must learn to trust the reality of God’s grace; He will provide for me.
  • Because God has invited me to test Him with this specific practice.
  • Because He has fulfilled His promise to bless me when I have tested Him with this practice.
  • Because, as a leader in the Adventist Church, I have an ethical as well as spiritual duty to participate in the system that provides my livelihood.
  • Because God has chosen and called the Seventh-day Adventist Church, even though led by sometimes erring men and women, to proclaim a last message to this world.

I urge you, dear reader, to prayerfully do the same.

Dave VandeVere is vice president for finance of the Mid-America Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. Republished with permission from the April 2024 edition of OUTLOOK Magazine.

03 Jul

MANAGING EXPECTATIONS

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I had an acquaintance years ago who, upon being granted a driver’s license, received from his parents the gift of a car.

A new Car.

A new Chevy Monte Carlo, which in that era was a pretty sporty beast with plenty of power.

I, as it happened, was driving around an eight-year-old grandma car with over 100,000 miles on loan from by parents, which I had to share with my brother. And I was grateful for that.

My acquaintance was not grateful. He had dropped enough hints to his folks that he wanted a Firebird (sportier, more powerful, etc.), which they were capable of affording, and the Monte Carlo was a serious let-down. No matter how much better it was than what I had to meet my needs, he was miserable.

Lest you are tempted to think I offer up this comparison to extol my superior virtue even during my young adulthood, you have to understand why I was so grateful for that dependable but unexciting vehicle.

In preparation for serving as a task force dean in a boarding academy four states away, I bought my first car, and it was a sight worse than the one on loan to me that summer. But my dad, who could not afford to buy me any kind of car, switched vehicles with me while I and my brother worked at summer camp, so he could get the repairs needed before I left. And, even as a callow youth, I was aware that a dad like that was worth more than a solid gold Rolls Royce.

My friend had high, and unrealized, expectations. I had low expectations which were exceeded without me even asking. The reactions we each had were more the product of expectations than of the quality we had received. There’s a good lesson in that.

I have to admit, even in the matter of stewardship, the Bible can pump up our expectations quite a bit. Ask, and it will be given to you … (Luke 11:9). Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap (Luke 6:38). ... see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it (Malachi 3:10).

All well and good. I do not doubt any of those promises for one second. What I do doubt, however, is our ability to be clear on what is and what is not promised. I previously explored this topic in an article for our online publication, the NewsNuggets, and pointed out that we make a mistake assuming that the blessings are always in the form of financial increases. I don’t want to plow over that same territory again, but I think we can take some time to consider that, even when we receive financial blessings, we have to be realistic in our expectations.

I still don’t have a Monte Carlo. In fact, my current vehicle, like most of its predecessors, has more in common with the full-size Chevy my dad loaned me all those years ago than with the hot rod my friend was outright given. But here is the financial blessing: I don’t owe anything on it! I never owed anything on it because I bought it for cash. The non-financial blessings (though financial adjacent, perhaps) of my faithful stewardship, taught to me by God-fearing, frugal parents, include reasonable expectations of what I should be driving (new means “new to me”), careful planning to be able to pay cash, knowing someone who deals in salvage vehicles, and probably others I haven’t realized yet.

In particular, I want to focus on the matter of managed expectations. Because yes, the Bible that holds out all these too-good-to-be-true promises, also talks about expectations.

I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. 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 all this through him who gives me strength (Philippians 4:11-13).

When I read that passage, I get the feeling that Paul wasn’t just managing expectations; he seems to have done away with them entirely. He didn’t expect anything out of life. Whatever came along, that was cool.

You could make an argument that Job had trouble managing his expectations. He expected that God should explain everything to him about why it all went so wrong. Which, since God never did actually explain that, maybe he was expecting too much in that regard. But at the same time, no matter how much he lost, his philosophical approach to total financial ruin is the legendary phrase, Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I shall depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised (Job 1:21).

Moses could have had it all. Raised by his mother for the first few years, he was adopted into the royal family of Egypt, the most powerful nation on earth at the time, and trained in economics, warfare, philosophy, agriculture, architecture, and diplomacy. He was destined to rule. But ultimately, … when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter (Hebrews 11:24). He managed his expectations so well that he came to expect something entirely different, which was to lead his people out of the land that offered him everything. There were many bumps along the way, but he brought them there.

Paul was seemingly indifferent to financial circumstances. Job stayed grounded through gain, then loss, then gain. Moses turned his back on wealth in favor of something more permanent than even the pyramid that doubtless would have been his. What does all of that tell us about the blessings of learning to manage our financial expectations?

One of the most important mentors of my life, a man I still am in contact with, had a well-paying government job and three growing boys. When an offer that he did not seek came for him to be a Bible worker at literally a fourth of his salary, he was devastated, but knew that he was called. He and his wife sat their sons down and explained to them that daddy has an opportunity to serve the church, but it would mean giving up a lot. They wouldn’t get nice vacations, or as many meals out, or new clothes as often. The car would have to last longer, there would be fewer presents under the tree, and other things like that. When the truth was laid out, the youngest son simply asked, “But do you believe this is what God wants you to do?” When they responded that it was, he said, “Then do it.”

They did it. And it was a struggle. The bills were paid, but they were not always sure how. Bargains were discovered, help came from unexpected sources, creative meals were prepared with cost efficient ingredients. You probably know all the tricks they tried. And they prayed, and things worked out, but some days took a lot of faith to get through.

After about a year of living like this, during supper one evening, his middle son suddenly asked, “Hey, you remember when you guys told us that we were going to have to live with less after you took the new job?”

My friend had dreaded this moment, when the complaints would come out about how they didn’t know it would be this tough and was it too late to get the old job back, and who knows what else. So, he swallowed hard and said, “Yes, what about it?”

“When is that going to start?”

“Yeah, dad, when?” chimed in the other two.

All he and his wife could say was praise the Lord that their boys’ expectations were such that they didn’t even notice a change. Proof that people like Paul, Moses, and Job are still with us.

Faithful stewardship has many forms. Being generous to God’s work is only the most obvious form. Practicing some of the less obvious, such as managing expectations, comes with its own blessings.

Doug Inglish is RMC stewardship director. Email him at: [email protected]

02 Jul

“LIFTING HIM UP AGAIN” AT SOUTHEAST CAMP MEETING

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RMCNews – Cañon City, Colorado … The second Rocky Mountain Conference (RMC) camp meeting of 2024, the Southeast Colorado Camp Meeting, was hosted by the Cañon City Seventh-day Adventist Church in Cañon City, Colorado, June 28-30. This year’s camp was intended to be a revival of faith with the theme “Lifting Him Up Again.”

Josh Sholock, pastor of the Cañon City and Leadville Seventh-day Adventist Churches in Cañon City and Leadville, Colorado, respectively, headed the camp meeting programming. When asked what his hope for the camp meeting was, he commented, “Reading in Evangelism, Ellen G. White talks about how we need to have our camp meetings designed as times of revival, times of calling people to a commitment charge. Reading that propelled me to ask the area pastors if we could do a theme of lifting Jesus up, as if Jesus saying, ‘if I be lifted up, all will draw to me.’”

The camp meeting kicked-off June 28 with the featured speaker, Lucas Luhan, pastor of Colorado Springs South and Woodland Park Seventh-day Adventist Churches in Colorado Springs and Woodland Park, Colorado, respectively, with over 75 in attendance. He spoke on the lessons referring to pride from the story of the brass serpent from the Book of Numbers 21:7-9 in his presentation titled “Lifting Up the Serpent: Looking for the Cure.”

“This is a story of discouragement,” remarked Luhan. “Discouragement can lead to doubt when we don’t trust God’s Providence and sovereignty, and trust is a salvation issue,” he continued. “We are not yet at the promised land and still in the wilderness. The whole purpose of this weekend is to view our walk with Christ.”

There were over 125 in attendance for the main church service session led by Dave Kettleson, pastor of Colorado Springs Central Seventh-day Adventist Church in Colorado Springs, Colorado. In a witty and lively presentation entitled “Lifting Up Jesus,” Kettleson commented, “I am going to heaven and there is nothing you can do about it! I am a mess, but He is the Messiah … Christianity and salvation isn’t based on what you do, but who you know. We [Christians] have to move away from a behavior-centered religion and to a Jesus-centered relationship. Our victory is only in Jesus Christ.”

International musician, composer, and entertainer, Gale Murphy, provided the energetic and humorous musical programing and piano accompaniment for the camp meeting. Along with a wealth of story-guided musical offerings, she involved the audience by taking song requests from four attendees with the occasional assistance of talented local violinist, Kenny Orr, member of the Denver South Seventh-day Adventist Church in Denver, Colorado. Murphy left the audience with the thought, “That gift of music, that art, is a gift we get to take to heaven with us.”

“I feel so blessed to be able to come to [the Southeast Colorado] camp meeting to come together friends and hear such joyful music,” commented one attendee. “It is a highlight in our year.”

The Southeast Colorado Camp Meeting closed with a session covering Adventist World Radio’s (AWR) recent outreach efforts in the island nation of Papua New Guinea (PNG) led by Dr. Duane McKey, AWR president, Dr. Bob Peck, AWR field representative coordinator, and Amy Webb, AWR scriptwriter. Peck commented on AWR works abroad: “After these people had been helped physically, imagine how receptive they were to spiritual help.”

The Southeast Colorado Camp Meeting was supported by Mic Thurber, RMC president, Doug Inglish, RMC vice president for administration, Darin Gottfried, RMC vice president for finance, and Mickey Mallory, RMC Ministerial director. Special totes with the camp meeting’s graphic theme were passed out during the ministry booth expo and were produced and provided by the RMC Planned Giving & Trust Services team also in attendance at the camp meeting.

—RMCNews. Photos by Liz Kirkland.

02 Jul

FOUR MULTI-GENERATIONAL BAPTISMS AT CAMPION CHURCH

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Muriel Indermuehle – Loveland, Colorado … The Campion Seventh-day Adventist Church in Loveland, Colorado, celebrated four multi-generational baptisms recently.

Father and son, Darrel and Ryan George, respectively, were baptized together. Much of their family lives in the Philippines and stayed up until 3:00 a.m. to witness these baptisms with the time zone difference.

Ryan, age 11, will be in the sixth grade at HMS Richards Adventist School in Loveland, Colorado, this Fall. Ryan’s testimony is as follows: “I told my parents that I have a tug in my heart that I felt like God was telling me that now is the right time to be baptized. My dad and I have been studying the Bible together with Pastor Bizama, and today I feel like it is the most special time of my life. My dad and I are being baptized together.”

“Although I was baptized at a very young age,” commented Darrel, “I don’t feel it was for the right reason. I feel my baptism today is what God is wanting for me, to follow him and become closer to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.”

Eileen Blood, a member of the Campion Church, was rebaptized by Eric Nelson, Campion Church elder. “I have been a member of the Seventh-day Adventist Church for many years. I have always valued my membership. However, I would like to take that a step further,” remarked Blood.

She continued, “In my mind, there is a difference to being a member of the Church and a disciple of Jesus. Discipleship is imitating the Teacher’s life, imitating His values and reproducing His teachings. The disciple of Christ desires, above all else, to be like Him in word, thought, and actions. My wish is to give my complete heart and soul to Jesus as His disciple.”

Evan Bizama was given Bible studies and baptized on June 8 by his father, Leandro Bizama, associate pastor of Worship and Evangelism at Campion Church. Evan is 10 years old and will be in the fifth grade at HMS Richards this Fall.

“The reason I want to be baptized,” remarked Evan, “is to officially be part of God’s church and family. Matias, my older brother, got baptized, and I want to follow in his footsteps. Now I feel warm all over, not just on my outside because of this water, but inside also, for I know that I am about to be baptized into God’s church.”

The congregation of Campion Church warmly welcomes each of these individuals into their church family.

—Muriel Indermuehle is an assistant head deaconess at Campion Seventh-day Adventist Church. Photos by Erik Stenbakken.

02 Jul

LEANDRO BIZAMA ORDAINED TO GOSPEL MINISTRY

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Ardis Stenbakken with RMCNews – Loveland, Colorado … Leandro Bizama, associate pastor of Worship and Evangelism at the Campion Seventh-day Adventist Church in Loveland, Colorado, was ordained June 29.

A pastor in the Seventh-day Adventist Church, regardless of gender, serves in ministry for several years before they are considered for ordination. They then go through a series of interviews and questions administered by the local conference office. That conference then sends the request for ordination to the union office leadership who makes the decision and issues the ordination credentials.

Prior to joining the staff of Campion, Bizama served as chaplain/music director/Bible teacher at Mile High Academy in Highlands Ranch, Colorado, Ozark Adventist Academy in Gentry, Arkansas, and Delap Seventh-day Adventist School in the Marshall Islands.

Bizama was joined in the ordination ceremony by fellow church staff, conference officials, and family friends. They recognized his history in ministry and his gifts. Bizama made the point that one of these gifts was important to him and his ministry: music! Bizama has a passion for youth ministry, especially through music.

Much of the music in the service was original compositions by Bizama. He is a music/theology graduate of Southwestern Adventist University and holds a master’s degree in Choral Conducting from the University of Arkansas. Bizama is constantly working on ministry projects like books or songs, in the hopes that they will inspire others to come to know Christ and His love.

The Candidate for Ordination was introduced by Diane Harris, Rocky Mountain Conference (RMC) Education director, followed by the Ministry Affirmation provided by Doug Inglish, RMC vice president for administration. The Ministry Charge was presented by Craig Carr, Mid-America Union Conference (MAUC) Ministerial director, and the Ordination Prayer was offered by Mic Thurber, RMC president. Mickey Mallory, RMC Ministerial director, presented a Ministry Welcome.

Jennifer Bizama, Leandro’s wife, is an important part of his ministry, so she was also recognized and welcomed by Jana Thurber, RMC Women’s Ministry, Prayer Ministry, and Ministerial Spouse Support coordinator.

“We, as a church body, were privileged to witness and participate in the ordination our own associate pastor, Leandro Bizama,” commented Ardis Stenbakken, Campion Church communication director.

“Ordination does not confer any special powers or abilities, but it is the Church’s way to validate a call to ministry,” she continued. “We can all acknowledge that Pastor Leandro does have a heart and soul for ministry, and we celebrate that this was recognized. We wish Pastor Leandro God’s richest blessings in his ministry.”

— Ardis Stenbakken, a former Women’s Ministry director of the General Conference, is the Campion Seventh-day Adventist Church communication director and is involved with Women’s and Family Ministries. Photos by Erik Stenbakken and Susan Inglish.

27 Jun

MOUNTAINS MOVING: GOD BLESSES CAMP AT GVR

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Charles Metz – Ward, Colorado … The Rocky Mountain Conference (RMC) Youth Summer Camp season launched at Glacier View Ranch (GVR) in Ward, Colorado, June 16. The camp theme this year is “Anointed.” Brandon Westgate, RMC Youth Department director, and Jade Teal, RMC Youth Department assistant director, aren’t hesitating to implement this in every step of camp life, including the staff member preparations.

Charles Metz, the camp’s summer program director and staff pastor, recalls the time prior to the campers arriving for the first session: “We expect campers in two days. We have all the training we need. I sit on the floor of the auditorium, surrounded by friends, new and old. It’s already 11:00 p.m. and there isn’t a dry eye in the room as we pour out our hearts to each other and to God.”

“Brandon anoints [each staff member] with a small bottle of oil. A few others pray, bringing their requests before God to pour out His love, healing, and mercy on our friends,” Metz continued.

“Our staff bonding is vital because it’s what makes or breaks camp,” said Sarah Schneider, camp summer daytime event coordinator. “Knowing that I’m always supported and loved by my camp family gives me the courage that I need.”

Explore Week was the first session geared for ages eight to eleven. Many of the campers enjoy the rodeo, a weekly segment that has grown to take up almost two hours of kid-friendly and country-themed fun. Throughout the day, kids enjoyed delicious meals from the kitchen staff, activities led by experienced camp directors, and a nightly play based on the story of David.

By the conclusion of session, 13 campers were baptized, and several have requested Bible studies through our partnership with the Voice of Prophecy.

One camper celebrated her birthday at GVR, and told Christine Savage, the camp’s office assistant, that it was her best birthday ever. “I’m not a counselor, and I have struggled with worrying I would not be able to develop deeper relationships with the campers,” Savage said.

“God gave me a divine encounter with a camper. She shared her testimony with me … even though what she shared was difficult, what reigned true over and over again was how … she wants to use that to get closer to God. In turn, God also blessed me and used the life experiences I have been through to share what He has been teaching me about His character with her,” she continued.

Michael Blood, a camp senior boys’ counselor and first-time staff member, is challenged but excited to see where the summer goes. “God is showing me how to have patience through my campers,” he shared.

“Now, halfway through Tween [Camp Session], our summer camp team is excited to continue ministering to and ultimately having fun with our campers. Our mission statement at RMC Youth is to ‘make it easy for kids to know God.’ At each activity, roll call, and party, our kids are invited to lift their eyes to the hills, quite literally, and realize that their help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth (Psalm 121:2, NLT),” concluded Metz.

—Charles Metz is the RMC Summer Camp summer program director and a staff pastor. Photos supplied.

26 Jun

GENEROSITY AS LIFESTYLE

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Already you are well to the fore in every good quality—you have faith, you can express that faith in words; you have knowledge, enthusiasm and your love for us. Could you not add generosity to your virtues?
– 2 Corinthians 8:7 – J.B. Philips

When Paul addressed the Corinthians and all believers in the province of Macedonia (today’s Greece), he stressed the importance of adding the grace of giving, or generosity, to all they have received and accepted as their Christian lifestyle. Why was it so important for the first-century church to be generous and show extravagant giving? What were they to prove through their unselfish, generous giving?

Generosity is not natural to fallen human beings as we are selfish by our nature. Generosity must be triggered, as Matthews advocates that “gratitude leads to generosity.” 1 As creation, we received generosity from our Creator God through his Divine Generosity.2 He created the entire world for the human being and then blessed them (Genesis 1:28).

The word baruch rendered as blessing in its semantic root, means bringing a gift to another while kneeling out of respect. God showed His grace and generosity through respect towards Adam by offering the gift of stewarding his whole creation. This act of grace should stimulate gratitude in every creation. There is so much to be grateful to the Creator, from the complex flower petals and breathtaking scenery to the breath of life, intellect, senses, creativity, and everything else.

The second reason for gratitude is the Creator God’s love (racham) for his creation that never changed, though it was “wounded” by his creation’s betrayal and violation of trust. The Hebrew word pasha mainly rendered as transgression, describes betrayal through rebellion by someone “who misuses or abuses a relationship or possession.” 3 As human beings, we have abused and misused our relationship and the received possessions of the Creator, yet God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life (John 3:16).

This amazing love (racham) of God towards his creation inspired Ellen G. White when she wrote, “Contemplation of this love would uproot from the heart all selfishness, and so transform the soul that men would cherish generosity, practice self-denial, and imitate the example of God.” 4  We cannot earn, deserve, or merit any of these gifts, but believe and be generous with all the gifts we receive.

Willard and Sheppard explained, “Generosity is the natural and appropriate response of people who have been confronted with the grace of God.” 5 Generosity is not philanthropy or fundraising that is based on humanitarianism and charity through surplus. Generosity is one of the main character traits of a steward that puts the Christian on the path of transformation and sanctification. Blomberg argues that “giving is a part of whole life transformation, that stewardship and sanctification go together as a sign of Christian obedience and maturity.” 6

Froom affirms the fact that generosity and faithfulness in giving lead to “renewal of consecration and pours into the life the expression of divine favor, sanctifying power, and grace.” 7 Hence, the whole life of a Christian becomes changed, mirroring that of Christ. The whole life becomes a witness, a constant, abundant sharing of the manifold grace of God, just as Peter stated: As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God (2 Peter 4:10).

One of the greatest examples of generosity in the Bible is the generous Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37). For the Samaritan, it was in harmony with his nature, lifestyle, generosity, and the stewarding of the goods he received to intervene and help in any way that the robbed and beaten-up person needed. The Samaritan’s service was multifaceted, just as the gifts he received were. Seeing the beaten up and robbed person at the roadside, he used this gift of opportunity to give the gift of attention, time, ointment, skill, care, transport, trust, resources, promise, and the like that spoke of his character and nature. The Samaritan recognized an eternal truth that each person is a gift.

The Samaritan’s generosity was part of his changed personality since he embraced the wounded Jew and did not try to avoid him as the Samaritan women did at the well (John 4:9). Religious, social, ethnic, gender, etc., differences were wiped out by knowing the giver and recognizing the gifts. In addition to his character, personality, and lifestyle, even his worldview changed. He was looking each day for a new divine appointment. This is exactly what a generous lifestyle looks like. This lifestyle is up and outward-oriented. The generous person views possessions as temporary and sees themselves as part of God’s story. They look at others to see their needs and pair those with the gifts they can share. For generous individuals, people matter and do not include personal gain. To be generous toward others, one must first experience God’s extravagant love, grace, compassion, and generosity.

“The act of generosity,” Shinabarger writes, “means that we choose to liberally share with others without any personal gain. If you build a life that is separate from people who experience great need, you will always struggle to be a generous person. In large part, the people closest to us determine what we desire. So, surround yourself with people who are in need, and you will desire to meet needs. Surround yourself with people living in excess, and your desires will become even more excessive. Generous people live in community with people who benefit from their generosity, which makes for a fuller life for the giver.” 8 This last characteristic of genuine, generous Christians is that they will live surrounded by those they serve.

Jesus dwelt among us (John 1:14) among those on whom he came to bestow his gifts. As excessive sharers of God’s manifold grace, our place is in the communities where we can freely share His gifts at every step. This means we will generously use the gift of opportunity and divine appointment to share our material, intellectual, emotional, social, financial, spiritual, and other gifts with those around us. We haven’t yet reached the level of generosity that the churches in Macedonia reached, Israel in the wilderness, or even the poor widow in the sanctuary. We were not told yet to cease bringing and using our gifts, and we have not yet given all we have on the altar to the Lord. Is it affluence, consumer culture, the influence of advertisements, convenience, or perhaps our selfish, unconverted, and unchanged nature that is in the way of generosity? One is sure that a fully generous lifestyle is, for many Christians, still a high goal to be reached that extends even to growing the Kingdom of God and finishing the work that he has bestowed on us as Christians.

In the book Becoming a Level 5ive Multiplying Church, the writers take generosity yet another step further when they write: “Most Level 1 churches would be characterized as consumers rather than producers. Their lack of generosity in releasing people and resources on mission is not due to their lack of compassion and heart. Instead, it’s the practical ramification of continually living within a scarcity culture. Leaders live in fear of the future rather than energized by its opportunity.9

Is your lifestyle primarily spiritual, characterized by scarcity, anxiety, and little faith, or do you believe in the God of the universe, who demonstrated real generosity by giving His Son for you and promised to have rivers of living water (John 7:38) flow out of your life?

Anton Kapusi is the church growth director for the Kentucky-Tennessee Conference of Seventh-day Adventists and former lead pastor of Pueblo First Seventh-day Adventist Church.

 

1  Matthews, J. (2017). Stewardship: Motives of the Heart. Pacific Press, p. 76.

2  Wainwright, W.J. (2005). The Oxford Handbook of Philosophy of Religion. Oxford University Press, p. 287.

3  Bentorah, C. (2020). Racham – The Love that is Beyond Love, Travelers Rest. True Potential Inc. p. 81.

4  White, E.G. “God’s Love Unmeasured.” Signs of the Times, February 5, 1894. Par.6.

5  Willard, C. and Sheppard, J. (2012). Contagious Generosity. Zondervan. p. 37.

6  Willmer, W.K. Ed. (2008). Revolution in Generosity. Moody Publishers. p. 45,

7  Froom, L. E. (2012). Stewardship in its Larger Aspect. Pacific Press. p. 45.

8  Shinabarger, J. (2013). More or Less: Choosing a Lifestyle of Excessive Generosity. David C. Cook. p. 248-249.

9  Wilson, T., Ferguson D., and Hirsch A. (2015). Becoming a level 5ive Multiplying church. Exponential.org. p. 122.

26 Jun

BECAUSE HE GIVES

In

It’s a touchy subject. In our culture, it is considered impolite to ask people about their salary, their savings, or other matters of personal finance. Because it is, well, personal. It’s not anyone else’s business.

There are exceptions, of course. You discuss those matters with other people when you take out a loan, apply for a credit card, plan your estate, or set up a retirement account. We get past the awkwardness because it’s usually a discussion with a representative of an organization we chose to help us with a specific situation, instead of a close friend or relative. In fact, you might choose to get insurance from a relative stranger over working through your nephew the insurance agent specifically because you don’t want to disclose the value of your home to someone in the family.

Since the subject of me and my money is taboo for discussions with my friends and family, we get uncomfortable when the church wants to talk about stewardship. These are my friends, and some of them might even be actual family. Besides, I get along well with the pastor, so why meddle with that relationship by talking about my money?

Okay, I acknowledge all of that. But I do so in my capacity as the stewardship director of the Conference, who is responsible to talk about that touchy subject with people whom I consider to be friends. Friends who are involved in the same mission with me to tell the world about Jesus. And my responsibility to address this topic is not to the Conference who hired me to do it. It is, rather, to God who called me into ministry that I am responsible.

“Christ was an educator, and his ministers, who represent him, should be educators. When they neglect to teach the people their obligation to God in tithes and offerings, they neglect one important part of the work which their Master has left them to do … ” (Ellen G. White, Testimonies for the Church, Volume 5, p. 256).

So, there it is. My Master left me a work to do, and part of that work is educating people about tithes and offering. You know, stewardship. And not me only, but all who would bear the title of minister, whether employed as a full-time pastor or not, have this responsibility. If we represent him, we have an obligation to tell others the wonderful news that everyone who comes to Christ is called to be involved in the mission, and that part of that mission is accomplished by the joyful giving of those who are called.

I can’t imagine any of Christ’s followers who would say they don’t desire to be like Jesus. If we take His name by calling ourselves Christians, it is understood that we want to follow his example, do what he did, be like him. And what is at the core of who God is and what he is like, whether in the person of the Father, Son, or Holy Spirit?

“For God so loved the world that he GAVE … .”

The very nature of God involves giving. He gave us life, gave us a planet to inhabit, gave us his Son to redeem us. He continues to give us sustenance, relationships, hope. He will soon return to give us a way out of this mess we have made of all he has given.

God loves, so if you want to be like him, you must love. God forgives, so if you want to be like him, you must forgive. God is patient, so if you want to be like him, you must be patient. Whatever he is, if you want to be like him, you must also be that.

There is no denying that along with all of these and so many other attributes, God gives. It naturally follows then that if you want to be like him, you must give.

My fellow ministers in the various departments of the Rocky Mountain Conference take their responsibilities seriously, so we are putting out this issue of Mountain Views on that very touchy subject of money. It is our prayer that you can experience the joy of generosity in part so that we might all know that in giving, we become more like our Father. There are many reasons for us to give, but the best one I can think of is because he gives.

Doug Inglish is RMC stewardship director. Email him at: [email protected]

26 Jun

REFLECTION ON INDEPENDENCE DAY: JESUS AND AMERICA’S MIXED HISTORY WITH RELIGIOUS FREEDOM

In

By Nathaniel Gamble

Freedom is one of the most precious values for the United States. Americans value their economic, political, intellectual, and religious freedoms as the American dream, believing such freedoms safeguard their abilities to chart their own courses, plan their own futures, and share their own beliefs. Americans have fought and died to safeguard these freedoms since the founding of our nation.

The American concept of religious freedom—namely, the freedom to be religious or abstain from religion according to the dictates of your conscience—was founded on the biblical idea of justice. The founding fathers and mothers of this nation wrote very little specifically about religious freedom. Instead, they tended to write about religious freedom in light of justice and other freedoms, because they saw religious freedom as part of a cluster of rights and values.

Several biblical passages were marshalled and commented on by the architects of the United States from the 1760s through the 1790s, but the most popular passage was Exodus 23:1-9. In these verses are listed several key ingredients to constructing a safe and cohesive society: do not lie or serve as a false witness to help a guilty person (verse 1); do not blindly follow the crowd to determine justice and do not favor a poor person in a court case (verses 2-3); when dealing with your enemy, return their animals to them if they wander off and help them if their animals have fallen under a heavy load (verses 4-5); do not favor the rich in lawsuits and have nothing to do with a false charge or executing an innocent person (verses 6-7); do not accept a bribe, because this is a perversion of justice (verse 8); do not oppress a foreigner, because you were once foreigners in Egypt (verse 9). Much of Exodus 23:1-9 deals with court systems and establishing fair jurisprudence, which helped early Americans flesh out what it means to pursue justice and guard each other’s religious freedom.

Despite this profession of faith in religious freedom, however, the American experiment began with a checkered history in terms of the safeguarding of that freedom. Several of the original thirteen colonies supported state-sponsored churches into the nineteenth century, with New Hampshire holding out until 1817, Connecticut until 1818, and Massachusetts adopting this approach as late as 1833. Up until that time, Baptist and Methodist ministers had to pay taxes that went directly to their Congregationalist counterparts, and they were often jailed for protesting such state-sponsored religion.

The first Jewish synagogue in the United States was the Touro Synagogue in 1762 (the congregation was started by Sephardic Jews in 1658). Nevertheless, it is telling that the synagogue was built in Rhode Island, a colony started by Roger Williams as a haven for people to practice their own religion without fear of intolerance or molestation.

And while early Philadelphia claimed to be hospitable to Islam, most Muslims in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries were slaves from Africa—and slaves who gathered for religious purposes were outlawed in the city of brotherly love during this time.

The purpose of pointing out this discrepancy between the American ideal of promoting religious freedom and the American practice of (often) failing to protect it is not to attack the United States. Contrary to revisionist American history, there is much to love and appreciate about the United States. But the most patriotic action Americans can do is identify where America has failed to uphold its own ideal, so that we don’t fall into the trap of thinking that America will save us.

Seventh-day Adventists would do well to pay attention to what excited the early Adventists about religious freedom: according to Exodus 23:19-20, it is God who ensures the religious freedom of his people. It is good to base religious freedom on the human practice of justice. It is better, however, to base religious freedom on Jesus as the one whom God has sent us to lead us into the promised land.

—Nathaniel Gamble is RMC religious liberty director. Photo by Liz Kirkland via Adobe Firefly.

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