Westwood Message – 5/27/2010

Help Need for VBS Preparations

Needed! VBS Painters and Craft Helpers!!! We plan on meeting at the church on: Saturday, June 5, at 1:00 pm to finish drawing murals and begin painting. Also, we'll have craft supplies there to begin cutting, sorting, etc. Any questions, please contact Kris Wales or Sandy Polcyn.

Thanks for your help in advance!

Sandy and Kris
VBS Co-Captains

Dead Seas Scrolls Presentation Coming to Westwood

The Milwaukee Public Museum’s exhibit “Dead Sea Scrolls and the Bible” ends its showing on June 6. While some of us were able to see the exhibit, some were not able to see it. So, we have asked Keith Schoville of our congregation to do a presentation on the Dead Sea Scrolls in our 11:00 AM Adult Class on June 6. Keith is a retired professor from UW who taught in the field of Biblical Archaeology and has been on many archaeological digs in Israel. He will bring a great amount of insight into the importance of the Dead Sea Scrolls for understanding the Bible.

Memorial Day – A Day of Remembrance

Next Monday, Americans will celebrate Memorial Day with picnics, parades, and family gatherings. For most, Memorial Day is a work holiday. Yet, we often forget the purpose of the day.

Memorial Day was originally called Decoration Day as soldiers who gave their lives in the Civil War were remembered and flowers were placed on the graves of soldiers who had died in the war. After World War I, the day changed from honoring those who gave their lives in the Civil War to honoring all Americans who gave their lives in any war defending their country.

Since the late 1950’s, on the last Thursday before Memorial Day, the 1,200 soldiers of the 3d U.S. Infantry place small American flags at each of the more than 260,000 gravestones at Arlington National Cemetery. They then patrol 24 hours a day during the weekend to ensure that each flag remains standing. Similar activities take place in other military cemeteries around the country.

Since many Americans are not aware of the meaning of Memorial Day or just neglect remembering our fallen soldiers, The “National Moment of Remembrance” resolution was passed by Congress in December 2000. It asks for all Americans, at 3:00 PM local time, "To voluntarily and informally observe in their own way a moment of remembrance and respect, pausing from whatever they are doing for a moment of silence or listening to 'Taps.’"

Remembrance is a great idea. Indeed it is a Biblical idea. Throughout the Old Testament, God asked the Israelites to establish memorials to remind the nation of who they were – God’s people – and of how he had delivered them.

Jesus established the most important memorial of all when he established the Lord’s Supper on the evening before his crucifixion. We offer communion every Sunday in our worship service so that we remember his death and never forget that through Jesus’ death our sins our forgiven and we receive eternal life.

So on this coming holiday weekend, I encourage you to take part in two remembrances. Remember the Lord’s death on Sunday as we gather to worship, and then, on Monday, remember those who have given their lives defending our country.

Thank You From John Navis

John Navis serves as a missionary in Sao Luis, Brazil, and is supported by Westwood. In 2008, we gave a special gift of $1,000 to his ministry (one-third of our 2008 Christmas offering). He recently emailed his mother and asked her to share with us how that money has been used:

We just got the awning put on the door of the church. They were bought with the money that Westwood gave us as a special Christmas gift two years ago. It took a while to get the job done but with the most recent rains, we didn't have any rain come in. Thank Westwood a lot for me.

John Navis

Thank You For Rock River Christian Camp Donations

Thank you to everyone who contributed to the Rock River Christian Camp Pantry Days collection this year. We collected bottles of disinfectant cleaner for the camp. In addition to the individual bottles of cleaner, two bottles of concentrated cleaner were donated. Those two bottles will make into far more than the 50 individual bottles we were asked to donate. Money was also donated that will be used to purchase more bottles of cleaner.

Coming Summer Events at Westwood

• June 6 – Keith Schoville to lead the adult class in a study of the history and importance of the Dead Sea Scrolls.
• June 6 – 12:00 Noon – Keenagers Potluck at Westwood
• June 13 -- Missions Message with report on his mission trip to China by Dennis Seman
• June 13 – after worship – Graduation Reception for Karen Sippy
• June 19 –9:00 AM to 3:00 PM – Workday at Koinonia House, 111 N. Orchard St., Madison, the campus house for Wisconsin Christian Campus Ministries
• July 12-16 – Vacation Bible School at Westwood
• August 1 – 12:00 Noon – All Church Potluck
• August 28 – Westwood Festival

Living With Integrity and Forgiveness

I am in the midst of reading an autobiography titled Man From Macedonia: My Life of Service, Struggle, Faith, and Hope by Rev. Aaron Johnson with Deb Cleveland. I came across the book through a preacher friend whose wife is Aaron Johnson’s co-author.

Aaron Johnson is a sharecropper’s son from North Carolina who gave his life to Christ as a teenager, studied for ministry, and became involved in the civil rights movement under the tutelage of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. He advised North Carolina governors and served as state corrections secretary while pastoring a Baptist church. His book takes the reader to the front lines of the fight for civil and human rights in our country over the last fifty years, showing us “how human hatred and fear smells, sounds and feels-and how it feels to empower others with hope and trust.” It is a fascinating story of one man who has made a difference in our world.

I have long enjoyed reading biography and hearing the stories of great people’s lives — a few of those stories have even made their way into my sermons. As Charles Swindoll, one of our day’s great preachers, writes, “Who isn’t inspired by a man or woman who exerts phenomenal and beneficial influence? Who can read about someone’s courage to stand alone with single-minded vision amidst a slippery ever-eroding culture, and not want to emulate such a life?

This summer, I want to examine with you one of the great lives that we read about in the Bible — the life of Joseph. He modeled a life that anyone would consider great, doing so under difficult circumstances. His story occupies more space in Genesis that any other single individual, including Adam, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. His life is worth examining.

Joseph was loved to a fault by his father, hated by brothers who sold him into slavery, falsely accused of attacking his employer’s wife and put in prison. In the midst of all the mistreatment, he learned to let God work through him and rose, as Swindoll puts it, “above the all-too-common reactions of rage, resentment, and revenge.” He learned “to overlook unfair offenses, to overcome enormous obstacles, and model a virtue that is fast becoming lost in our hostile age—forgiveness.”

Aaron Johnson rose above hatred and fear in the South, just as Joseph rose above it in Egypt. We need to hear such stories, so I encourage you to look closely with me into the life of Joseph this summer. In a day when you can barely read the news without mention of another leader who has “lied,” we need to learn integrity and forgiveness from a man who modeled integrity and learned to live with forgiveness.

Ray Giles – Faithful to the End

Earlier this week, our daily prayer list at Westwood Christian Church referenced the death of veteran missionary Ray Giles. You may not know who he is and may not have realized that, although he has never been to Westwood, he had connections to our congregation.

When Westwood’s minister from 2002 to 2007, Wade Wilson, went to Ethiopia as a missionary in the 1990’s, Ray was one of his mentors. When Ray and his wife, Effie, retired to Johnson City, TN several years ago, they and my mother became friends. During the last two years of my mother’s life as she was in and out of medical facilities, Ray and Effie often visited her in her hospital or assisted living home or nursing home. When I would go to Johnson City to visit Mom, I had several occasions to visit with Ray and came to appreciate his deep faith and his kind, gentle manner.

Ray had ministries in Tennessee, Kentucky, and North Carolina before leaving for the mission field in Ethiopia. He served for thirty-two years with Christian Missionary Fellowship. Most of that time was spent in pioneer evangelism among two tribes of western Ethiopia. During the years Marxism took over the country and the missionaries were forced to leave, he served on the home staff of CMF as Field Director. When the country opened again he returned to work with the churches that had survived the Communist years. On retirement to Johnson City, he continued to be involved in missions as mentor for perspective missionaries. He was an elder and Sunday School teacher at Lone Oak Christian Church in Johnson City.

Those are the facts of his life. Those of us who knew him saw him as a man of deep faith who maintained his positive, loving spirit through his final months of life on this earth as he battled the cancer that invaded his body. My sister kept me updated on his health through emails from his son, and he lived through his cancer the way he had lived through the many challenges of life in the ministry and on the mission field – with a deep, abiding trust in the Lord.

The preacher of the Lone Oak church told about his passing away shortly before midnight last Sunday with “his family by his side, singing and praying with him and for him as the body died...but life, real life, continued. That's probably how Ray would have described it--such was his faith.”

I tell you a little of his story because he is one of the great saints of the church who was faithful to the end. Sometime around midnight last Sunday evening, I expect the Lord met him as he passed from this life to eternity and said to him, “Well done, good and faithful servant. Enter into the joy of your Lord.” That is the reward we all seek, so stay faithful.

Westwood Message – May 12, 2010

Koinonia House Workday

Koinonia House, the campus house at the University of Wisconsin for Wisconsin Christian Campus Ministries, will have a workday on Saturday, June 19 from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM. They need volunteers to help in multiple areas: Landscaping, cleaning, tearing old carpeting out, moving furniture, power wash the exterior of the house, and others. If you can help out on that day, put the date on your calendar and plan to work. Koinonia House is located at 111 N Orchard St in Madison.

News From Martin and Arlyn Shields

Last week we received the message below from Martin and Arlyn Shields, former members of Westwood who now live in Texas:

It’s been a while since you heard from us, but we’re still enjoying your e-mails. Thanks for including us.

I would like for you to share something very special with our friends at Westwood. Travis will be graduating from Southwestern University on [last] Saturday. Now that’s a milestone for all of us! But even greater than that: He was commissioned last week to serve in the mission field in South Africa for one year. He is so excited about the upcoming time. He will receive training in June and leave in late July/early August.

You may remember that he was baptized at Westwood, so all of you have had a part in preparing him for this year of service. Please add him to Westwood’s list of missionaries that you support in love and prayer.

We’ll keep you posted as things progress.

Would love to come to Wisconsin for a visit. As Texas heats up, all places to the north look inviting.

Love to you all.

Arlyn and Martin

Thank You Note From Wendell and Helen Smith

We wish to thank everyone for their prayers, cards, calls, and support during the past few months of our health problems. God is our refuge and strength during difficult times. We praise His Holy Name. Thank you for caring.

With Christian Love,

Wendell & Helen Smith

Upcoming Missions Presentations on May 16 & 23

Two of the missions that Westwood supports as part of our world-wide missions outreach will have representatives in our worship service on the next two Sundays to inform us about their ministries.

On May 16, Zach Fulton, the church liaison for Rock River Christian Assembly, will join us to preach and update us about the camp’s program. Zach is new on the camp staff this year, so this will be his first time at Westwood.

On May 23, Patrick Ojay and his family will update us on the ministry of Slavic World for Christ and the ministry of the Old Park Church in Ternopil, Ukraine. Patrick’s wife, Nadya, is a native of Ternopil, and they have a long history with the Old Park Church. Patrick will share a combined message and update on the ministry during our worship service, and then will also lead the adult class. The Ojay’s have been at Westwood before, so we are glad to welcome them back.

Update on The Manhattan Declaration

Last fall, I informed you of The Manhattan Declaration, “a call to Christian conscience” in our culture. It was written by a wide-ranging group of Christian leaders who “united … to reaffirm fundamental truths about justice and the common good, and to call upon our fellow citizens, believers and non-believers alike, to join us in defending them. These truths are:

1. the sanctity of human life

2. the dignity of marriage as the conjugal union of husband and wife

3. the rights of conscience and religious liberty.”

In an email report to signers of the Manhattan Declaration, I received the following information:

You [may have seen] the story of the eight nurses in New York who refused to participate in taking the life of an unborn child by abortion. They were punished, but held their ground. (Later their employer relented and even apologized to them.) Here are people who refused to render to Caesar that which belongs to God! If you didn't get to the story, please read it. More people must follow their example.

The second bit of exciting news comes from England. Weeks ago, a group of British pastors and Christian leaders, including the former Archbishop of Canterbury George Carey, posted on a website a condensed version of the Manhattan Declaration. They called it, appropriately, the Westminster Declaration. In the first week they had 5,000 signatures. As we write, they have close to 50,000! This is extraordinary. The church in England has not, in recent years, distinguished itself by giving Christian witness on public moral issues. So this was welcome change and big news - all inspired by the Manhattan Declaration.

Around the world we're getting similar reports of the Declaration being picked up and circulated. It has been translated into a number of foreign languages.

You can electronically sign The Manhattan Declaration at this website: http://www.manhattandeclaration.org. As of yesterday, 444,187 people have signed it. You can read and sign the full declaration at the website and read other news about what is happening in the U.S. and around the world as a result of the declaration. The goal of the drafters of the document is ”to build a movement - hundreds of thousands of … Christians who will stand together alongside other men and women of goodwill in defense of foundational principles of justice and the common good.”

WHAT ON EARTH IS GOD DOING IN THE CHURCH?

I meet monthly with a group of church leaders in which we have a presenter speak on a topic of interest to the group, which is then followed by some robust discussion. This year our theme has been “What On Earth Is God Doing In…” The presenter speaks from both Biblical and practical material to what God is doing in the topic of the day.

During May I will be speaking to the group on the theme “What On Earth Is God Doing in the Church?” There is an abundance of material on the theme, and I will probably share some of the ideas I present to them in future columns. For now, I have been reflecting on two pieces of information that I read recently about the church’s contemporary circumstance that serve as a starting point for me as to what God is doing in the church.

Some of the facts that research (from the Barna Group and others) reveals to us about the church in the United States can be quite alarming. I prefer to see the circumstances the church faces as challenges that the Lord can lead us through. Here are some of those facts:

• Since 1990 in the US, about 2,000 churches are planted each year, while 4,000 churches close each year.
• Since 1990 the US population has grown by 60.5 million people. If the average church plant weekly attendance stands at 1,000; we would have to plant 60,000 churches just to keep pace!
• Churches lose an estimated 2,765,000 people each year to nominalism and secularism.
• Only 21% of Americans attend religious services every week.
• Of the 6,500 languages in the world, 4,400 have NO portion of Scripture.
• Of the 16,000 people groups in the world, 6,600 of them are unreached.
• 1700 pastors left the ministry every month last year
• 50% of those entering the ministry will last in the ministry less than 5 years
• 7 churches started last year...every day!
• 11 churches closed last year...every day!
• Every second a person who does not know Christ dies. Every second! That is 86,400 every day
• 2.75 billion people in the world have never heard of Jesus

It is no wonder the church is on such a rough path when you consider the seven faith tribes identified by George Barna:

• Casual Christians — people who profess to be Christian but deny the power thereof. Two-thirds of all Americans represent "casual Christians."
• Captive Christians — those who walk the talk. They represent one-sixth of the adult population.
• Jewish people make up roughly 2 percent of the adult public.
• Mormons comprise slightly less than that, "though its adherents are strikingly unified in their ideology and practice."
• Pantheists (Buddhism, Hinduism, New Age, etc.) are also slightly less than 2 percent of the public.
• Muslims make up about one percent, but are "growing in number." [Two million of the six million Muslims are American converts to Islam.
• Skeptics — atheists or agnostics, nearly 11 percent strong, "are, in essence, religiously irreligious."

How do we reach these people when evidence suggests the church is on decline in America? It is true that the church is doing many good things and in some areas – such as church planting – the church is making progress. Yet overall, we are losing ground.

A group of Christian colleges that train people for ministry in both church and non-church vocations is taking a positive step in this regard. They are asking their administrators, faculty, staff, students, trustees, alumni, donors, and other constituents to “ask the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into his harvest field” (Matthew 9:38). They have taken up the motto “Just one more”; pray for just one more.

Jesus preceded his call for his disciples to pray by saying to them, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few.” That is still true, perhaps more true today than it has been. Yet, even though our Lord is the same, we have neglected his command to pray for workers. Will you and your church take up the challenge? Will you begin to pray daily, regularly for just one more?