“Just then there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit, and he cried out, ‘What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth?  Have you come to destroy us?  I know who you are, the Holy One of God.’  But Jesus rebuked him, saying, ‘Be silent, and come out of him!’  And the unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying with a loud voice, came out of him.”  Mark 1:23-26

I was a mostly good, agreeable child.  I seldom argued with my parents or siblings.  I kept my room in relative order.  I did what was expected around the house.  I stayed out of trouble at school.  I feel relatively safe in making these statements since neither of my parents can refute them any longer.  However, there were a handful of times I would do something (innocently, of course) that would catch the ire of one or both of my parents and I would hear, “GREGORY LYNN HILDENBRAND!  You come here this instant!”  Extreme anger was signaled by their use of my otherwise-ignored full name.  I would submissively slink my way to the accusing parent, receive my shaming, and then whine under my breath all the way back to my room.  It was as if my parents had identified an unclean spirit in me, and this was their way of casting it out. 

In the scripture above Jesus rebukes an unclean spirit in a man in the synagogue and orders it out.  While the unclean spirit complains, it does obey the authority of Jesus and leaves.  Who is the voice of authority in your life?  My wife, children, friends and co-workers sometimes catch me showing symptoms of an unclean spirit and call me out—sometimes even using my full name.  Sometimes I will be convicted by a scripture passage or sermon.  Heartfelt prayers can set my heart right.  Sometimes I see the suffering of another and remember I have no margin to complain about my lot in life, casting the demon out myself.  Receiving a different perspective is an enlightening and humbling, if not always pleasant experience. 

What are the unclean spirits in your life?  I imagine the man in the temple to have been behaving in a clearly unruly, disruptive, over-the-top manner, perhaps spewing pea soup or some other dramatic trick I remember from The Exorcist.  But what if he was simply being argumentative, or talking over others, or complaining incessantly, or cursing, or being overly selfish or demanding or rude?  I frequently fall prey to all of these unclean spirits and I need them called out.  We need the perspective of others on our behavior.  And we need Jesus to cleanse us of the unclean spirits other simply cannot cast out. 

Tom’s sermon downtown is “Listening For Authority.”  Life worship begins at 10:00 AM in Brady Hall, downtown.  Traditional worship is at 8:30 and 11:00 in the downtown sanctuary.  Mitch’s sermon at our west campus, where contemporary worship is at 9:00 and 11:00, is “What’s My Motivation for Acting Like a Christian: Gratitude.” 

Come home to church this Sunday.  Don’t make me tell you again…

Greg Hildenbrand, Life Music Coordinator

“Jonah began to go into the city, going a day’s walk.  And he cried out, ‘Forty days more, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!’  And the people of Nineveh believed God, they proclaimed a fast, and everyone, great and small, put on sackcloth…When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil ways, God changed his mind about the calamity that he had said he would bring upon them; and he did not do it.”  Jonah 3:4-5, 10

I believe God is my rock, the never-changing foundation on which I build my life.  It is because God provides a solid center from which to live that we can weather the storms of life.  It is a constant source of comfort, repeated throughout the Psalms and other books of the Bible, that our God is unchanging and rock-solid.  And I love that about God! 

But the Bible also documents situations where God has a change of heart.  The book of Jonah tells of God’s decision to destroy the city ofNineveh. God sends Jonah to warn the people. Even though Jonah takes a circuitous route (through the belly of a big fish), he eventually goes and proclaims the warning.  And the people ofNinevehactually listened!  They repented and fasted and God’s mind was changed about destroying the city. Ninevehwas doomed, the people turned from their evil ways, God took note and the city was saved. God’s mind was changed. And I love that about God! 

There is a discrepancy between the preceding descriptions of God.  The first describes an unchanging God, one known by the staunchness of a firm, unchanging nature.  The second describes a God open to influence—one that may have a divine change of heart, depending on the circumstance.  The initial description of God is what I need when the everyday goings and comings are turbulent.  The second is the God I need when I have been hurtful and less than faithful and, well, sinful.  The fact is I need both Gods.  And the good new is, they are the same God!  The first without the second is a harsh, cold, unresponsive God.  The second without the first is undependable and flakey.  Together, they are the perfect combination of strength and grace. 

You see, if God is not open to influence through repentance and the turning of hearts, then we are doomed to a life apart from God.  Our prayers fall on deaf ears because nothing we do is going to bring an intervention.  And nothing will save us from our sin—not Old Testament law, not New Testament grace.  Fortunately, our God is vast enough for every situation, and compassionate enough to bend to meet us in our need. 

Tom’s sermon downtown is “Stop & Go Christianity.”  Life worship begins at 10:00 AM in Brady Hall, downtown.  Traditional worship is at 8:30 and 11:00 in the downtown sanctuary.  Mitch’s sermon at our west campus, where contemporary worship is at 9:00 and 11:00, is “What’s My Motivation for Acting Like a Christian: Gratitude.” 

Come home to church this Sunday.  Which side of God do you need to turn to today?

Greg Hildenbrand, Life Music Coordinator

“We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.”  Romans 8:28 

It was my birthday and the second day of training for my new job inTopeka.  Carrie and I were expecting our first child in two months and life was good.  But that afternoon Carrie was admitted to the perinatal unit of theKansas Cityhospital where she worked because her blood pressure, normally low, was climbing.  Just after midnight, Grace was delivered by emergency C-section, and both my wife and newborn baby were in intensive care units, critically ill.  The timing could hardly have been worse. Among many questions, two really bothered me—why did this happen and why now? 

On a summer afternoon in 2010 my brother called to say my ever health-conscious mother was in the Emergency Room at her local hospital.  She had fallen and was confused and unable to verbalize what had happened.  It was a crazy time at work, but I quickly finished a few things, grabbed a few others and headed fromTopekatoKansas City; a trip I would willingly make time for nearly every day over the next ten weeks.  Again, two questions nagged me—why did this happen and why now? 

It is a natural inclination to wonder why life takes negative turns, as well as why those negative turns happen when they do.  These are not only unhelpful and often unanswerable questions, they can be detrimental.  When life turns tragic is generally not the time to ask “Why?”  It is the time to ask “What” and “Who,” as in “What should be done now?” and “Who can help with this challenge?”  These questions lead to action and most challenges require some sort of action.  Asking “Why” leads to speculation, which seldom solves problems; in fact, it can magnify the difficulties. One difficulty is faith-related. Asking “Why now?” implies someone, i.e., God or a devil, is purposefully inflicting this difficulty at this time in our lives.  There is plenty of fear naturally inherent in these situations without inflicting additional fear from outside. Being human comes with a certain degree of frailty and risk, which must be accepted along with the wonder and beauty.  And sometimes we are reminded that much of what normally seems important is not so important after all, and our priorities need to be rearranged. Ultimately, we need to roll up our sleeves and work with God to make the best of whatever situation faces us, hopefully with the support of family and friends.  As Christians, we are not promised problem-free lives, only to never have to face our problems alone.  We are also promised in the verse above that God will weave whatever happens into something good—maybe not what we envisioned, but something good. 

Life worship begins at 10:00 AM in Brady Hall, downtown.  Traditional worship is at 8:30 and 11:00 in the downtown sanctuary.  West campus worship is at 9:00 and 11:00. 

Come home to church this Sunday.  Why not now?

Greg Hildenbrand, Life Music Coordinator

“Very truly, I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.  Those who love their life lose it, and those who hate their life in this world will keep it for eternal life.”  John 12:22-23

I know this will surprise no one, but I am not a perfect person.  In fact, there are some things about the way I am that I absolutely abhor. I weigh too much. I do not get enough exercise. I eat too much, too often and too many unhealthy foods.  I am not a good listener—I try to finish other’s sentences and, too often, am formulating a response before they have finished speaking.  I am quick to judge, but stubbornly defensive when judgment falls on me.  This is not a complete list of my failings, but you get the picture.  And what do these negative traits have in common?  They are all my fault. The good news is, because they are my responsibility, I can do something about them. They all result from a lack of focus on something of greater importance. 

With the New Year many of us make resolutions.  We visualize and verbalize the differences we want to manifest in our lives, and we commit to making this be the year we lose that weight or we repair that relationship or we become more faithful in our spiritual life.  And, more often than not, we fail—sometimes miserably and quickly. 

I believe the scripture passage above holds one of the keys to my failed attempts at change; and maybe to yours, too.  In order to achieve something new, we must let something else die.  A grain of wheat, in order to grow into what it was designed to become, must first give up its current form—to be laid in the earth and “die,” before it can move to its next stage of growth—a live, proud stock of wheat that will produce many offspring to carry its “wheatiness” into the future.  Likewise, for me to give up interrupting others, I must first give up my obsession to be heard before I’ve given another the opportunity to be heard and understood.  If I am to change my eating habits I must take a longer-term look at what and how much I eat.  Rather than seeking quick gratification I need to first consider how my body will respond to what I am about to feed it.  Part of what has become me must die before something new can take its place. 

I would like to grow into a better version of myself in 2012, but I cannot be recreated if I stubbornly hold to the way I am today. And neither can a grain of wheat.  And neither can you.  True, we are loved the way we are, but we are also called to ever greater states of being.  May this be the year we let go of the old so the new can flourish! 

Life worship begins at 10:00 AM in Brady Hall, downtown.  Traditional worship is at 8:30 and 11:00 in the downtown sanctuary.  Contemporary worship at the west campus begins at 9:00 and 11:00.  

Come home to church this Sunday.  What part of you should die in 2012?

Greg Hildenbrand, Life Music Coordinator

“He has made everything suitable for its time; moreover he has put a sense of past and future into their minds, yet they cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end.  I know that there is nothing better for them than to be happy and enjoy themselves as long as they live; moreover, it is God’s gift that all should eat and drink and take pleasure in all their toil.”  Ecclesiastes 3:10-13

Christmas, at least the traditional American version, is over.  The child has been born, the presents opened and travels concluded as we prepare for the next big celebration—New Year’s Eve.   News stories opine about the “Best of 2011.”  There will be numerous predictions for 2012 about the economy,Iraqminus US troops, global warming, and the Jayhawk football fortunes.  New Year’s Eve has become a time to party—to oust the old and welcome the new.  Unfortunately, it has also become an excuse for excesses, as have most of our holidays, where many will drink too much, eat too much, stay out too late and begin the New Year with a whimper and a headache. 

But there is something holy about the New Year and, at least in my mind, it has more in common with Christmas than just its proximity on the calendar.  Ditto for the winter solstice, celebrated by pagans for centuries upon centuries as a time of new birth.  The solstice, on December 22^nd this year, is when the sun falls to its lowest point in the southern sky and begins its annual trek to the north.  In terms of sunlight it is the shortest day of the year.  From that point until the summer solstice the daylight hours get progressively longer.  Even though the deepest part of winter may be yet to come, the lengthening days give us hope and remind us that spring is coming. 

Although some feathers are ruffled when similarities are drawn between Christian and pagan celebrations, I cannot believe December 25^th was randomly selected as the day to celebrate the birth of Christ.  It seems to me, in the absence of Biblical evidence, it has no more chance of being the actual date of Christ’s birth than any other day.  Yet, the time of year selected coincides with the winter solstice, the rebirth of the Sun, as well as the birth of a new calendar year.  God’s Son manifests in human form to bring us a new life.  New Year’s Day ushers in a new beginning.  The sun’s cycle begins anew.  Rebirth and hope.  Hope for better days.  Hope for improved health.  Hope for peace on earth.  It is a time to celebrate second chances and an opportunity to refocus our lives on change for the better. Whether we celebrate the birth of Son the birth of the New Year or the rebirth of the sun, light is returning to our world—and that is cause to celebrate! 

Life worship begins at 10:00 AM in Brady Hall, downtown.  Traditional worship is at 8:30 and 11:00 in the downtown sanctuary.  Contemporary worship at the west campus begins at 9:00 and 11:00.  Communion will be celebrated at all services. 

Come home to church this Sunday.  2012 atFirstChurchis calling!

Greg Hildenbrand, Life Music Coordinator

“For a child has been born for us, a son given to us; authority rests upon his shoulders; and he is named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”  Isaiah 9:6 

Every year is the same.  Well before Thanksgiving I vow to begin my Christmas shopping early and to finish before the crowds swell.  And every year I find myself in the hours before Christmas Eve still shopping, still addressing cards and still behind on other preparations.  This year is no exception, and I do not like it.  This season of joy and new birth and family and fellowship becomes a nightmare of crowded check-out lines, cranky shoppers and looming deadlines.  It is a frantic mess.  When I hear Jesus referred to as the “Prince of Peace,” I laugh.  This celebration of his birth is anything but peaceful. 

How has Christmas, the celebration, strayed so far from its origins?  Didn’t the angels sing of “Peace on Earth” in Bethlehem 2000 years ago?  Is that peace in our inner cities?  In theMiddle East?  In the stomach of a starving child?  Certainly not.  Perhaps we should consider where peace is not.  Wherever violence and chronic need and fear and uncertainty exist, there is no peace.  The least peaceful times in my life have been characterized by fear, uncertainty, anger and loss of control; times when it is difficult to maintain enough focus for even the simplest of prayers.  In the disorganized havoc of such times God is certainly present, but mostly unknown to me.  In fact, the manger scene to which Jesus was born could not have been the peaceful scene we now romanticize it to be.  But God was there; and God is here today. 

We are given the free will to turn to and acknowledge God’s presence—or not.  For me, I must quiet my mind to experience God.  Then I find peace, even in the midst of fear and uncertainty.  Most years I find that peace, if only for a moment, after the last Christmas Eve service has concluded and my world grows blessedly quiet.  When I am centered enough to experience the presence of God, there is no fear or uncertainty or need—there is only God, and that is fully sufficient.  And in those quiet times of holy peace, the child is born again.  And I know the challenges on earth will not have the final word.  And if only within, and if only for a moment, and if only for me, there is peace on earth.  It’s not a matter of whether the Prince of Peace comes, but whether we are there to receive him… 

Saturday evening is Christmas Eve.  The “Life” celebration will occur at 9:00 PM downtown in the Sanctuary.  A traditional service will be held at 7:00 PM in the downtown sanctuary.  Communion will be served at both downtown services.  Two family services will be held on our west campus at 4:00 and 5:30, followed by a contemporary celebration with communion at 7:00 PM.  Sunday is Christmas Day.  There will be one service at each campus, 9:00 west and 10:00 downtown. 

Come home to church this season.  If you cannot find peace this Christmas, look within…

Greg Hildenbrand, Life Music Coordinator

“And Mary said, ‘My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant.’”  Luke 1:46-48a

When I was in college I worked at a nursery in Topeka.  The nursery was located near the I-70 exit one would take when driving to the Governor’s mansion.  Then President Gerald Ford was coming to visit our Governor at the mansion and several of us were lined up along the split-rail fence, looking out some distance across 6^th street to catch a glimpse of the President’s motorcade as it exited off the Interstate.  We heard the sirens approaching and soon realized the motorcade was not on the Interstate.  It was on the street, barely 25 feet from where we were standing!  Of course, they passed by very quickly and the windows of the President’s limousine were tinted, but I am certain the President waved at me—not my co-workers, but me!  I felt I had been acknowledged by greatness—not because Ford was a great President, but because the person of the President of theUnited States had looked with favor on me. 

The scripture above begins a passage referred to as the “Magnificat.”  It is Mary’s response to the news of being chosen to carry, birth and raise the Messiah, and in my opinion is one of the most beautiful and lyrical passages in the Bible.  It is the song of a regular, everyday person being chosen for something unfathomably special.  Her joy overflows as she expresses amazement that of all the people in the world, God favored her.  She contrasts the greatness of God with the lowliness of her status in her world.  But there is no ego or pride in her song, only humbleness and honor. 

There is joy in being chosen, in being recognized, in being favored.  Most of us, most of the time, lead mostly routine lives.  And then something special happens: an angel of the Lord appears, or the President waves, or a child jumps into our lap and says, “I love you, Daddy!”  And we know we are not lowly at all—we are favored!  We are treasured and loved and special beyond belief!  We have been chosen!  As this Advent draws to a close, remember the Christ-child comes for you.  “Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you (yes, you!) good news of great joy for all the people: to you (yes, you!) is born this day in the city of David a Savior…”  You have been chosen.  You, too, have received favor from God—known, loved and treasured as you are, where you are, who you are.  It is a gift.  It is grace.  It is Love.  This Christmas, why not simply receive? 

This Sunday is the last of Advent and the theme is Love.  Tom’s downtown sermon is “The Gift of Love,” based on Luke 1:39-56. Life worship is at 10:00 in Brady Hall and traditional worship is at 8:30 and 11:00 in the sanctuary.  Mitch’s west campus sermon is “Open Up Yourself,” based on Luke 2:1-7.  Contemporary worship is at 9:00 and 11:00. 

Come home to church this Sunday.  Receive God’s favor for you this Christmas!

Greg Hildenbrand, Life Music Coordinator

“The spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me; he has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed, to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and release the prisoners; to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn…”  Isaiah 61:1-2

When I consider what it means to be a Christian, a follower of Jesus Christ, I am led to what it means to love God and others.  Indeed, Jesus told his disciples the most important commandment was to love God, followed closely by loving our neighbor as ourselves.  And that leads me to consider the different forms love takes.  Certainly that does not mean we should love our neighbors in a romantic way, as we would a spouse or significant other.  Nor does not mean we are to love them as we would an infant, being available 24/7 for their every need.  On the other hand, it cannot mean loving indirectly, as we might love a book, a landscape or a television show. 

But love takes many forms and we do ourselves and others a disservice by confusing love with lust, infatuation or other fleeting emotions.  Christian love requires sacrifice and focused attention over a period of time. Everyone in our lives has needs, if only occasional needs for attention, recognition and company.  And if we love them as we should, we will sacrifice some of our time and resources to help meet their needs.  And during times of acute and critical needs, our love focuses us on them even more. 

The above passage is part of a song from Old Testament days and recorded in the book of Isaiah.  It tells us to ‘bring good news to the oppressed,’ to ‘bind up the brokenhearted,’ to ‘proclaim liberty to the captives,’ to ‘comfort all who mourn.’  These are solid instructions for loving our neighbors.  This is possible because the spirit of the Lord is upon the lover.  Certainly, the spirit of the Lord is upon us today, too, encouraging and pleading for us to love one another as Christ loved us. 

During this season of Advent, as we prepare again for the birth of Love, may we commit to opening our eyes to some of the needs around us? Yes, it may seem overwhelming. Yes, we may feel inadequate to the task.  And yes, we may internalize some of the pain and suffering of others.  But that is the nature of the love to which we are called.  We give as we are able, and we receive as we could never imagine. 

This Sunday is the third of Advent and the theme is Joy.  Tom’s downtown sermon is “The Gift of Joy,” based on Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11. Life worship is at 10:00 in Brady Hall and traditional worship is at 8:30 and 11:00 in the sanctuary.  Mitch’s west campus sermon is “Open Up Family,” based on Luke 2:8-20.  Contemporary worship there begins at 9:00 and 11:00. 

Come home to church this Sunday.  Put some skin on God’s love this season…

Greg Hildenbrand, Life Music Coordinator

“Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly. But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.  She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.’”  Matthew 1:19-21

I have always imagined Joseph as a humble, hard-working man, quietly trying to build a good and righteous life for himself.  I suspect he wanted to be a good citizen, a good husband and father, in keeping with the traditions of the time.  He spent the time expected in theTempleand tried to apply what he heard to his daily life as best he could. 

How do I know all this?  I don’t.  There is very little written about the earthly father of Jesus, but what is written paints a picture in my mind consistent with the above description.  The fact that he finds his fiancé pregnant, not by him, but still intends to dismiss her quietly rather than make a public spectacle, indicates to me a quiet and humble man.  The fact that he had the above encounter in a dream with an angel and obeyed seems to describe someone faithful, discerning and obedient.  I doubt he aspired to raise divinity, but when called to do so he obeyed.  Personally, I shudder to think where I might be if I acted on some of my dreams—probably behind bars somewhere… 

But Joseph had a role to play, if one with few speaking parts.  Most of the glory would go to the child and the mother, but someone needed to support the family.  Someone had to shepherd the mother and child intoEgyptto flee Herod.  Jesus would need a male figure to teach him a trade and model what it meant to be a man in first centuryJudea.  But Joseph is seldom mentioned as part of the story of Christ, and never after Jesus was twelve.  Was Joseph alive for the crucifixion?  Alas, we are not told. 

There are undoubtedly many unsung heroes, unnamed people who played various and important roles in the growth and development of Jesus—not unlike in our churches and communities.  What gets done, gets done because faithful people see a need and step in to do what they are tasked and gifted to do.  It’s always been that way.  It always will be that way.  Joseph receives three brief mentions for what was certainly a difficult, heart-rending and life-consuming role.  Should we expect more for our faithful service? 

This Sunday is the second of Advent and the theme is Peace.  Tom will preach downtown, where Life worship is at 10:00 in Brady Hall and traditional worship is at 8:30 and 11:00 in the sanctuary.  Mitch will preach at the west campus, where contemporary worship is at 9:00 and 11:00. 

Come home to church this Sunday.  Maybe it’s time to find your role in the church.

Greg Hildenbrand, Life Music Coordinator

“The point is this: the one who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the one who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.  Each of you must give as you have made up your mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.  And God is able to provide you with every blessing in abundance, so that by always having enough of everything, you may share abundantly in every good work.”  2 Corinthians 9:6-8

For most of us, there is a direct relationship between what we give and what we receive.  Farmers and gardeners know this well.  If they do not plant in the spring, they do not harvest in the fall.  The lessons of sowing and reaping are less obvious to us today, since few of us grow our own food.  But not too many generations ago, inadequate attention to spring planting could mean starvation the following winter.  Demonstrations of sowing and reaping are all around us, as the decisions of the past manifest their consequences today.  We have sayings that speak these truths: The chickens come home to roost.  We get what we deserve.  There’s no such thing as a free lunch.  But the time that passes between cause and effect makes the relationship cloudy and easily overlooked. 

Paul addresses the concept of sowing and reaping in the scripture above, noting you must sow in abundance to reap in abundance.  And those who receive in abundance are expected to share abundantly.  If we believe this only applies to crops, we miss the point in a serious way.  We sow many seeds throughout our lives—seeds of kindness, of hard work, of love and of generosity.  So, if on this day of Thanksgiving, we are not receiving that which we most desire—be it kindness or love or material needs—maybe we should take a hard look at the seeds we’ve sown.  The writer of the book of Acts attributes Jesus as saying, “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35b).  Perhaps we could also say, “It is required first to give in order to receive.”  Obviously, there are those in life circumstances who need assistance in sowing, and that is where and why the rest of us must share our abundance.  Ultimately, our bounty is not ours anyway, but God’s. 

Finally, in the words of two great prophets of the last century, “…and in the end, the love you take, is equal to the love you make.”  May you share the abundance of a bountiful harvest this Thanksgiving.  And if your bounty is not what you desire, begin sowing for next year’s harvest.  May you have much to be thankful for. 

This Sunday is the first Sunday of Advent.  Tom and Mitch will begin an Advent sermon series entitled, “Open Up.”  This Sunday’s sermon title is “Open Up Expectations,“ based on Mark 13:32-37.  Tom will preach downtown, where Life worship is at 10:00 in Brady Hall and traditional worship is at 8:30 and 11:00 in the sanctuary.  Mitch will preach at the west campus, where contemporary worship is at 9:00 and 11:00. 

Come home to church this Sunday.  Wishing you all blessing in abundance!

Greg Hildenbrand, Life Music Coordinator