Haiti

In a video clip I was recommended to, I watched footage from the camera of a U.N. peacekeeper soldier standing on a street in Port-au-Prince taken only moments after the 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck last week. The lens gives a 360-degree view before centering on what was a cathedral, and while the dust is still thick, shows bewildered pedestrians on their knees, arms outstretched to the only thing still standing in this destroyed place of worship – a ceiling high crucifix.

With the picture from this video in my mind I have been reading the hourly updates posted on CNN. I was overwhelmed today reading the reports: 10:37 p.m. -- Two children were pulled alive, 8:40 p.m. -- woman in her 70s who was rescued from rubble, 12:53 p.m. -- A 2-year-old girl named Carla rescued from rubble, and on the clips go. Most one at a time, sometimes two, but always just a few. While the searchers keep searching, but we… we can keep praying, and keep giving.

Soon there may be teams that we can join to go, but right now we can give. You know may know someone (Laura Van Aken in our church community has contacts), and ADRA (Adventist Development and Relief Agency). ADRA is our faith community’s rapid-deployment emergency response organization, and with the monumental need for food, clothing and water in Haiti, our contributions are essential. Giving is simple, go to www.ADRA.org and click on the “Donate Now” icon.

The Seventh-day Adventist Church as an organization, has already given to the immediate and committed to hundreds of thousands of dollars more to help rebuild the Adventist community there (There are - 335,000 members, 473 churches, one hospital, one university, and two grade schools) rebuild so they can begin to reach out and serve the rest of their communities.

We can’t give up, shut up, or let up for the cause of Christ. Keep searching, keep giving, keep praying… in Haiti and in our community.

Sabbath School

Mrs. Cook was like the sunrise, every Sabbath morning she would walk into our Sabbath school class with a handful of felts (remember those) and a warm smile. She was short, a bit chubby, but beautiful in every way. Each Sabbath she would interrupt our teacher to steal our imaginations away to places like India, Africa, Asia, and South America and amaze us with stories of others learning about Jesus. I have been to some of those places now…and I hope Mrs. Cook and the rest of my Sabbath School teachers know… what a wonderful job they did! We have a fantastic Sabbath School leadership team here, I am thankful for them. Here is what they wanted to tell us….

Making a resolution (New Year’s or otherwise) implies that we can accomplish whatever “we” set out to do. This is probably the reason most self-made promises fail. The ‘resolvers” often announce their intentions without asking for any accountability, so with no one checking on them, the “resolver” can cheat without reservations.When making resolutions, the Bucks County Church Sabbath School leadership relies completely on God, and we have seen His blessings in extraordinary ways. Our giving to the community in food and monetary donations has tripled over the past year. Fifty-seven families were given food baskets filled with love and promises. The Christmas Giving Tree supplied five families with a total of sixteen children with items that were needed. This included at least four gifts for each child, and money for other needs –a total of $1,000 donated by the church membership. The Penny Fundraiser, a new project for local Evangelism, exceeded the goal of one mile, thanks to many prayers, preparation, and dedication. Many blessings have been received from programs which include Unity Day, The Christmas Play, Bonfire Fellowship and Heroes’ Day. Programs by Sabbath School have encouraged Baptismal Studies resulting in sixteen baptisms over the past five years, and plans are being made for additional baptismal classes in 2010. The Sabbath School Ministry is accountable to everyone attending Bucks County Church. High expectations and heavy responsibilities aiding spiritual growth of families are taken very seriously by members of The Sabbath School Department’s Leadership. It is our prayer and trust that these and additional programs will continue in 2010. With God’s direction, all members of church and community will be blessed as we “resolve to seek God in serving our community, you and your children.”

The Sabbath Department

Nervous

A decade ago I was in Reading, CA interviewing for the job of youth pastor. I was nervous, we were all nervous. It was the final days of the 20^th century… and Y2K was looming. Although more unassertive, this new year of 2010 holds just as much chanciness as the infamous New Year’s Eve of 1999.

What is it, you know… “it.” The one thing we need to know going into 2010, I believe unabashedly “it” is this:

There are precious promises in the Scriptures to those who wait upon the Lord. We all desire an immediate answer to our prayers, and we are tempted to become discouraged if our prayer is not immediately answered. Now my experience has taught me that this is a great mistake. The delay is for our special benefit. Our faith has a chance to be tested to see whether it is true, sincere, or changeable like the waves of the sea… faith strengthens through continual exercise.

We must pray more and in faith. We must not pray and then run away as though afraid we should receive an answer. God will not mock us. He will answer if we watch unto prayer, if we believe we receive the things we ask for, and keep believing and never lose patience in believing. This is watching unto prayer. We guard the prayer of faith with expectancy and hope. We must wall it in with assurance and be not faithless, but believing. The fervent prayer of the righteous is never lost. The answer may not come according as expected, but it will come, because God’s word is pledged.

Wait for the Lord, not in fretful anxiety but in undaunted faith and unshaken trust. (Our High Calling 134)