25 Mar

United in prayer

Denver, Colorado … “As COVID-19 sends the globe into crisis, it also sends us to our knees.” This sentence jumped at me from a page of an article in Christianity Today. An acknowledgement of our current predicament, it matches a call for all Seventh-day Adventists in Rocky Mountain Conference.

Last week, leaders of RMC called for our members to pause on Sabbath, April 4, to fast and pray, wherever we are. The NewsNuggets shared the call by saying: “[the] RMC team is designating April 4 as a day of fasting and prayer throughout the conference. All members are encouraged to consecrate themselves to pray for our conference, churches and communities. … Church leaders are encouraging all members during this critical time of COVID-19 pandemic to ‘take additional time for Bible study and prayer.’”

Ed Barnett, RMC president, commented, “It is my prayer that God will continue to bless you as we move through this trying time! Please use this time to spend more time in God’s Word”

Today, March 23, the officers of Rocky Mountain Conference issued a letter (read letter here) to all church members, which will be sent by regular mail. Relating to the Day of Fasting and Prayer, the leaders wrote, “If you have any extra time under our unique circumstances, please spend quality time in God’s word. It always gives hope and encouragement. We are having a special Sabbath on April 4. We have set this day aside as a Day of Fasting and Prayer for the Church in the Rocky Mountain Conference. I believe this can be a day to draw closer to Jesus and a day to bring our Conference and each member into prayer.”

Being a people of hope, may we always remember to recognize the presence of our Lord in our lives. As the psalmist wrote, “I lift up my eyes to the hills – from where will my help come? My help comes from the Lord who made heaven and earth.” (NRSV)

Rajmund Dabrowski

25 Mar

Fred, Me and the Sinking Boat

Greeley, Colorado … Are worried about your reality? A story of personal experience that brings to life the story of Jesus in a boat with scared disciples, and he calms the storm. It is told by Erik Stenbakken of Stenkakken Media. He is a photographer, videographer, and once a voluntary teacher in Micronesia. This is a story for the time as ours – when fear encroaches on our faith.

He explains, “This is the true story of me and Fred (and 8 others) who were in a sinking boat. Already sunk it once, and the situation was looking just as bad now. It’s a story of how to move from fear to peace. Setting: Ant Atoll off the island of Pohnpei, Federated States of Micronesia.

I was reminded of this story from 1988 when I read the story of Jesus calming the storm found in Mark chapter 4. That and the current coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. I felt it was time to tell the story.”

Watch video here.

24 Mar

ADDITIONAL COVID – 19 UPDATES & NEWS

Additional information on COVID – 19 pandemic can be found at the following links:

Adventist Review – https://www.adventistreview.org/covid-19-updates

Mid-America Union – https://outlookmag.org/mid-america-union-offers-encouragement-and-resources-for-covid-19/

Union College – https://ucollege.edu/covid-19

Adventist Risk Management – https://adventistrisk.org/en-us/safety-resources/solutions-newsletter/2020/march/information-regarding-coronavirus-covid19-naden

Advent Health – https://www.adventhealth.com/coronavirus-resource-hub/church-resources

CDC – https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/index.html

Colorado Department of Health – https://covid19.colorado.gov/

Wyoming Department of Health – https://health.wyo.gov/publichealth/infectious-disease-epidemiology-unit/disease/novel-coronavirus/

New Mexico Department of Health – https://cv.nmhealth.org/

Denver Department of Health – https://www.denvergov.org/content/denvergov/en/environmental-health/news/coronavirus-info.html

Cheyenne Department of Health – https://www.laramiecounty.com/_departments/health/coronavirus_info.aspx

 

 

 

 

24 Mar

Commentary – Avoiding Extremism – What does that really mean?

by Chad Stuart, for Adventist Review

 

“We must guard against creating extremes, guard against encouraging those who would either be in the fire or in the water.”—Ellen G. White.

I will forever remember Sabbath, March 14, 2020. It was the first time I‘d helped to organize and lead an entire worship service in front of empty pews. As a result of the executive order by the governor of the state of Maryland that there were to be no gatherings of 50 persons or more, our worship service at Spencerville Seventh-day Adventist Church moved from in-person worship to virtual worship. But I’ll also remember this Sabbath because of what took place after the service. We had just finished our prayer of thanks to God for the means to provide worship to so many—more than 350 people had worshipped with us online—and thanking the volunteers for their great efforts in pulling off a near seamless worship experience, when I was confronted by extremism!

Two men I had not met previously were waiting for me as I walked out of the sanctuary. Their purpose was to confront and chastise me.

“Pastor, why would you obey the government over God?” one of the men asked. “How have I not obeyed God?” I responded.

The man then began to recite to me the fourth commandment. I told him I knew the commandment but was not sure how we had broken it. “By not worshipping,” he said.

I told him we did worship. He said, “No, you submitted to the government’s laws over God’s laws.” I asked him to show me in the Bible where I had done that. Again, he began to recite to me the fourth commandment. I interrupted him and asked, “Does the fourth commandment say at what time of day we have to worship on the Sabbath? Does it say how many have to be gathered in order to call it Sabbath worship? Does it say we can’t utilize the modern technology we have? Does it say that families that worshipped at home together this morning or with two or three other families have not honored the fourth commandment?”

This man did not have an answer to these questions. I then said, “Of course, this isn’t the ideal; but we also have a responsibility as Christians to help protect the health of our society.”

The other young man then spoke up: “But you’re showing you don’t trust God by obeying the government. God says He will protect His people.” I smiled at him and kindly asked, “Is that why you’re wearing rubber surgical gloves and didn’t want to shake my hand when I approached you? Because you’re showing your trust in God?”

They both smiled at this. But the first man was not ready to give up the battle and tried to shift the argument again. So I referenced Paul in Romans 13:1: “Everyone must submit to governing authorities” (NLT). He tried to show me how that didn’t apply in this situation. Finally, I said, “Brother, we’re not going to agree, and I have just had a wonderful worship experience, so let’s end this.” His friend agreed and said, “Let’s go.” The brother wanted to push a little more, but at last thanked me and said goodbye.

Maybe you’re rolling your eyes at these two young men. Maybe you agree with them. I’m in the eye-rolling category, until I pause and recognize that we’re all susceptible to extremism. I would define “extremism” as holding any belief that’s not in line with the clear teachings and principles of Scripture and establishing it as not only a rule of my life, but a rule others must live by as well.

From this conversation with these young men I would like us all to consider the following points:

  • When we take extreme positions, whether liberal or conservative, and hold them out to be absolutes in our lives, then we begin to try to manipulate Scripture into saying what we want it to say.
  • When we defend extreme positions, we begin to argue so adamantly that we ignore the very contradictions in our own lives of the belief we hold, like the young man accusing Spencerville church of not showing trust in God, while he and his friend wore medical gloves and would not shake hands to avoid getting Covid-19.
  • When we live by extremes, we’re willing to break the laws of God in the defense of our position. At the time of this writing, the government of the United States has asked us to help safeguard the health of our fellow citizens by taking specific measures, including not gathering in large groups; to disregard this request is to disregard Romans 13:1-5 and 1 Peter 2:13-17.
  • Finally, confronting people with extreme positions damages our witness. If I see those young men again, I will be less likely to listen to them about any other topic; how much more so if they present their views to some within the community who are not Adventist. By being good citizens of the land, we live to witness another day.

Let’s all guard against extremism in our own lives, and may we do all we can to discourage it in the church as well.

Chad Stuart is senior pastor of the Spencerville Adventist Church in Maryland.

1)  Ellen G. White, Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers (Mountain View, Calif.: Pacific Press Pub. Assn., 1923), p. 227.

2) Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

3)  Ellen G. White, Testimonies for the Church, vol. 1 (Mountain View, Calif.: Pacific Press Publ. Assn., 1868), p. 361, 362. Ellen G. White wrote, “It is our duty in every case to obey the laws of our land, unless they conflict with the higher law which God spoke with an audible voice from Sinai, and afterward engraved on stone with His own finger. . . . Those who love God’s commandments will conform to every good law of the land.”

4)  Ellen G. White, Last Day Events (Nampa, Idaho: Pacific Press Pub. Assn., 1992), pp. 138, 139. White again gave counsel on this in regard to the Sunday laws that we foresee in the future when she wrote, “The work there must be done as wisely and carefully as possible, and it must be done in the manner in which Christ would work. The people will soon find out what you believe about Sunday and the Sabbath for they will ask questions. Then you can tell them, but not in such a manner as to attract attention to your work. You need not cut short your work by yourself laboring on Sunday.” Here Ellen White was saying if the government tells you not to work on Sunday, then don’t work on Sunday; obey the law so you can have a longer time to witness. To defy government when it is not a law that forbids our worship of the Lord as we see fit, simply to prove a point of separation of church and state, does far more injury in the long run than simply heeding the law.

“This article was originally published on AdventistReview.org

23 Mar

RMC church and school closures extended

Denver, Colorado … [Updated Monday, April 6, 2020] Churches, schools, and the Rocky Mountain Conference office, will remain closed until April 30. Meeting today, April 6, in a teleconference, the RMC administrators and departmental leaders extended the closure in compliance with government decisions as the country and world are dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic. It was also recognized that this announcement is for this present time as the dynamics are changing moment by moment.

In a separate action, the RMC team is designating April 4 as a day of fasting and prayer throughout the conference. All members are encouraged to consecrate themselves to pray for our conference, churches and communities.

Commenting on the actions taken today, RMC president Ed Barnett, said that “with the local government shutting down public schools till April 30, we have decided to follow suit with our schools, churches and Conference office. We will continue to give any updates concerning closures as we move forward.”

Church leaders are encouraging all members during this critical time of COVID-19 pandemic, to “take additional time for Bible study and prayer.”

“It is my prayer God will continue to bless you as we move through this trying time! Please use this time to spend more time in God’s Word,” Barnett added.

Commenting on the challenge “to immerse ourselves in God’s Word and prayer now,” Eric Nelson, RMC VP for administration, said that “my wife and I are memorizing Psalm 91, as an affirmation of God’s promise of protective care. We are also increasing our prayer focus at this critical time for our nation and conference.”

“It is so affirming to see neighbors taking care to make sure those in need are provided the essentials that they must have. May we truly be the people of God as ministering agents to those around us who need our help. May we encourage others with the hope that God has given us in His Word,” he added.

As shared with our RMC church last week, the following comment by Eric Nelson continues as valid and important now – “Stay informed by watching news and information, including the local health authority announcements. Use common sense. We all are in this together.”

The closure of churches within RMC did not hinder the conducting of worship services on Sabbath, March 21, though in virtual manner.  Sermons and Sabbath School meetings in many locations were conducted via live streaming. Check the updated list on this webpage.

RMCNews

19 Mar

A Gift of Healing

NOTE: Under a theme of “Faith Above the Clouds,” the NewsNuggets will include a short weekly inspiration authored by pastors and writers from the Rocky Mountain Conference.

I have a small jagged scar on my right knee. It took nine stitches to close the wound. I remember thanking God for pain medication that night. While chasing a boy who dared insult my sister, my foot got in the path of swiftly moving fellow chaser and SMASH! to the pavement we went. I am proud of that scar. And of the story that lent that scar to me. 

But there is a far greater story that moves my heart to great joy. 

It is the story of a man who lived long ago and loved me more than I can imagine. He loved me so much that He chose to suffer wounds that were deep and will leave eternal scars. 

As I prep for an Easter service that might not happen in person, the hunt for meaningful material led me to this quote

“Our scars tell part of the story of who we are, what has mattered to us, what has happened to us, the risks we’ve taken, the gifts we’ve given.  And as we are reminded in the story before us in John’s Gospel, this was surely also so with Jesus. This is why Thomas insisted he needed to see, no more than that, feel the scars in his hands and put his own hand in Jesus’ side to be sure that it was him.  One would think he would have recognized him with from the features of his face or the sound of his voice, but no, for Thomas, Jesus had become something more since that long walk to the cross a week before. Jesus’ very identity was now defined by the sacrifice he had made on our behalf.  A sacrifice made most visible in those wounds that by then could have only begun to heal.” -Janet H. Hunt, Scars and Stories, Doubt and Faith

I hope that the sacrifice that Jesus offered will always ring true to our hearts. And I am eager for the one-day-coming-soon when I can hold those precious scared hands and say: “Thank You”. 

May the scars of your life make you aware of what you love and how you love.

By Jenniffer Ogden, senior pastor, Boulder Seventh-day Adventist Church; photo by Rajmund Dabrowski

19 Mar

RMC Disaster Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic

Denver, Colorado … What a year 2020 has become!   We have all read in the Bible how in the last days there will be famines, pestilence, diseases and strife (See: Luke 21:11)   The world is falling apart.   My question is this:   Are you the glue had holds your community together?   As Seventh-day Adventist Christians we believe we are to be “Serving Communities in Christ’s Name.”

How are you going to serve you community during the COVID-10 pandemic disaster?

Right now, our world, nation, state, and community are in the response phase.  Elected officials alongside with the national, state and county emergency managers have a responsibility to keep the citizens safe, secure and alive.   The next phase of a disaster is the recovery phase.   This is when the government at all levels assist the local community in recovery.   Are you ready to serve?  It is during this time that churches need to think about how to help individuals within their community.

  1. The Community of the inner circle:  Church family members who are elderly, are caretakers, have health issue such as respiratory system or heart.
  2. Phone calls every day or daily to check up on them
  3. Can the church purchase food items, etc.?
  4. Hospital or nursing care facility visits— are not allowing visitors but you can call them.
  5. Prayer
  6. The Community of the larger circle:
  7. Who within this community are the elderly or shut ins, caretakers, those who have health issues, parents with children home from school, restaurants and other such businesses workers?  The members of the church who have not attended lately.   How can you support these groups?
  8. Can church members volunteer to pick up prepaid ordered supplies from stores?
  9. Be watchful of all those around you.
  10. Prayer
  11. The Community of the greater circle: How can you support the community as a whole?
  12. Register with 2-1-1 in your community online or call. (Each State has 2-1-1)
  13. Register with Spark the Change in Colorado website
  14. Organize groups to volunteer:   Call your local food bank/pantry to see what is needed.
  15. Prayer

Each State has a Department of Public Health with website and a Facebook page.   Please check these sites for correct current information for your State.

Colorado: Colorado Department of Public Health: https://covid19.colorado.gov/

Hotline:  877-462-29911

Facebook: Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment

New Mexico:   New Mexico Department of Public Health: https://nmhealth.org/

Hotline:  855-600-3453

Facebook: New Mexico Department of Health

Wyoming:  Wyoming Department of Public Health  https://health.wyo.gov/

Hotline:  888-996-9104

Facebook: Wyoming Department of Health – PHEP

Please, DO NOT VOLUNTEER if you are over 65 years of age or have a health condition that makes you more susceptible to the COVID-19 vises.

One of my favorite songs is by Matthew West is “Do Something.”   Part of the lyrics are:

If not us, then who
If not me and you
Right now, it’s time for us to do something, yeah
If not now, then when
Will we see an end
To all this pain
Oh, it’s not enough to do nothing
It’s time for us to do something

Cathy Kissner; photo by iStock Photo

19 Mar

RMC Planned Giving and Trust Services: responding to COVID-19 with good sense, not panic

Denver, Colorado … For most of us, this is an entirely new situation. The closest I ever personally experienced was a round of flu that hit Indiana Academy my freshman year, resulting in soup lines in the dormitory to accommodate all those who were down, including myself.

But here I am, apparently healthy, but taking precautions to stay that way. Almost certainly the same ones you are taking, so there really isn’t any point in reciting them. The interruptions are a nuisance, but I am grateful that so far, my family and I are healthy.

The Planned Giving and Trust Services Department is also taking precautions. Until further notice we will not be doing in home visits. If your documents are ready to sign, you will be contacted about how to go forward signing them yourself. Unfortunately, we can’t guarantee that the place you would normally find a notary will be open, and we are not encouraging anyone to seek out witnesses for their signatures, so in all likelihood most of you will choose to just wait.

We understand that waiting can be a risk. If you have more than minor changes to make, or if you don’t have any plan in place at all, by all means call us. I check my phone messages, as do all of our staff, so we can respond and figure out a plan forward that will suit your needs.

Mostly our department is working remotely, and we are staggering our necessary trips to the office to have as little face to face contact as possible. Thankfully we have technology that allows us to work in this manner, but efficiency is definitely affected. So we want to thank you for your patience.

Every day I get informational emails about the COVID-19 virus from my insurance agent, my bank, my internet provider, my dentist, to list a few. I follow the news closely enough that none of them are going to tell me something I don’t already know about how to protect myself. My response is usually along the lines of, “All I want from you is cell phone service, so stop trying to play my doctor!” But I hope that this information about how we are going to be operating through this outbreak will actually be useful to you in knowing what to expect and how to plan.

We will keep you in our prayers.

Doug Inglish for The Planned Giving and Trust Services Department Team; photo by Unsplash photo

19 Mar

Campion Academy student uplifts friends in prayer during social distancing

Loveland, Colorado … The extended spring break and social distancing, due to COVID-19 didn’t stop Milka from connecting with her friends and uplifting them spiritually. Last Sabbath, March 14, Milka, junior at Campion Academy, spent the morning calling some of her closest friends to pray for each one.

 

“My family has been going through a rough time,” she explained.  “I woke up Saturday morning thinking that as much as I’m going through a rough situation, I know that my friends have situations that need prayer too.”  She took the time to listen to her friends share their requests before praying with them. “My friends have been praying for me, and I thought it was time for me to pray for them as well,” she explained. 

 

One of the friends she called, Melody, shared, “I was just sitting in my kitchen eating and I got a call, and Milka asked me if she could pray for me.  I’ve never had that happen to me before. It meant a lot to know that someone actually cared enough to call just to pray. The fact that she still called even though she’s going through a lot, showed she cared about me and my situation.  It was admirable, and it made me want to reach out to others to pray for them too.” 

 

Milka strongly believes in the power of prayer. “There are situations we go through that we can’t do anything about except pray, but prayer means a lot,” she said.  “I knew God had used me in a special way, even though I may not ever fully realize how my prayers will impact my friends.”

 

With the constant stream of confusing information and worrisome stories regarding COVID-19, it is easy to feel helpless and overwhelmed. Milka set a perfect example for all of us, in taking the initiative to reach out and offer support to her friends. Her actions not only helped her put her own struggles in perspective, but also started a chain reaction of friends reaching out to friends. 

 

How can you be like Milka?

 

Jill Harlow; photo supplied

19 Mar

Commentary – To your health

Charles Dickens famously wrote, “It was the best of times; it was the worst of times.” Am I the only one who thinks we are currently living in the craziest of times? Opinions on the current fiasco we face vary widely, and I am not about to enter that realm in this post.

What I do want to focus on are some steps we can all take to minimize the impact of the coronavirus COVID-19 on us individually, no matter what others may or may not do. I decided to write about this in a post devoted to CPR – Conflict Prevention & Resolution, because challenging times can negatively impact relationships at work, at home and everywhere in between.

First off, please fight the urge to panic. While we surely must take this virus seriously and exercise due caution, it might help to remember that in 2010 60 million Americans got the Swine Flu, and most of us barely remember that “catastrophe.” Again, please err on the side of caution, but I hope to share better advice than to stock up on five years-worth of bottled water and three lifetimes worth of toilet paper, as some seem to be doing.

In terms of fighting off the virus, let me share what I believe to be some commonsense thoughts, but as we all know, common sense is not always common practice. Also, since I am not an expert in this field, I’ll ask you more questions than I will give advice.

First, this might be a great time to take stock of your physical condition. Are you getting adequate rest? Are you exercising 3-4 times per week, both for strength and cardiovascular health? Are you eating a proper and immune-building diet? I recently listened to Brain Maker by Dr. David Perlmutter. He makes a compelling argument that the state of your gut will dramatically impact your overall wellness. Based on the Standard American Diet, often abbreviated as SAD, most of us have severe problems in this area.

How are you doing in your mental health? Are you focusing on positive inputs, and limiting negative ones? It is certainly not my place to judge, but research is clear that an overabundance of negativity will result in poor health. Are you spending copious amounts of time watching the news, learning every detail possible about the scourge that has befallen our world? How much of your life do you spend watching crime dramas depicting murder and all sorts of mayhem? Again, I have no intention of playing God and telling you what you should or should not watch. Just realize please that what you put into your mind will affect you positively or negatively.

On that note, are you spending time learning new skills such as a foreign language or playing a musical instrument? In my youth, I was taught that we only have a limited number of brain cells and that they do not reproduce. Modern science has put that notion in the grave. Your brain is malleable, and with the right inputs and stimulation, you stand a better chance of having a healthy brain leading to an improved immune system and even of warding off Alzheimer Disease.

We are hearing so much these days about “social distancing,” but that is dangerous in and of itself. While we may benefit from “physical distancing,” or “proximity distancing,” we need to interact frequently with others if we are to maintain a healthy state of being. Oh, I know people can be a challenge at times. That’s why I write this blog post. But unless you are among the very few who are real hermits, please do not disregard your social life. You need others, and they need you.

Next, how are you doing spiritually? I remember how, after 9/11, people went to churches and other houses of worship in droves. After the initial shock wore off, those numbers dropped precipitously.  You may choose to ignore this aspect of life, but if you ask me, that would be a serious mistake. Why not use this present crisis to explore where you are Spiritually, by whatever definition or means you choose? Are you living as you want to live? Only you can answer that question.

And, lastly, how about your emotional state? Times like these are obviously stressful, and if we are not careful, they can turn us into emotional wrecks. So, the next time you’re feeling all is doom and gloom, I challenge you to ask yourself how many people on this planet would trade places with you right now? You take their problems, and they take yours? If you’re honest, the answer would likely be in the billions. That should not make you feel any better about your current state, but it does add a bit of context to it, don’t you think? Trust me, this too shall pass, and life will go back to normal – at least until the next calamity comes our way.

Ron Price MA is a member of RMC Executive Committee from Farmington, New Mexico. He has spent over 30 years as a mediator helping people resolve their differences with others. Read his blog at www.PlayNiceinYourSandbox.com; photo by Get Stencil

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