| April 24, 2013 | |
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CONTENTS
Finding a voice
Morning prayer
Gathering the nations |
Jonathan Stauffer giving an Earth Day sermon at Westminster Church of the Brethren in Westminster, Md.Photo by Lisa Blevins
 A Global Food Crisis Fund Foods Resource Bank growing project near Stauffer's home town of Polo, Ill.
Photo by Howard Royer
 A conversation about childhood poverty atChristian Citizenship Seminar 2013.
Photo by Rachel Witkovsky
| Finding a voiceBy Jonathan Stauffer
I came to Brethren Volunteer Service looking for something meaningful to do. Caretaking God’s Earth and finding practical ways to live justly were my passions, so it was fitting to feel a nudge from God toward the Church of the Brethren’s Office of Public Witness (formerly Peace Witness Ministries).
I began work on issues related to environmental stewardship and poverty. I was first asked to help coordinate the Annual Conference Query: Guidance for Responding to the Changing of Earth’s Climate . Over time, I learned to view this issue and others from a Christian perspective by working alongside faith leaders who strive to promote justice and the common good.
In early 2012, Congress began debating the Farm Bill. Having grown up on a family farm I understood the basic purpose of the bill, and was able to advocate on issues concerning nutrition, land conservation, and rural economic development. Digging deeper into the legislation, its impact on food policies, farm systems, and anti-hunger programs in our communities became clear.
Messenger magazine seemed like the perfect outlet for all this newfound information, so I submitted "Why Our Roots in the Land Still Matter," for the July/August edition. My hope was that the article would promote a broader discussion within the church about the hunger crisis, personal food choices, our dwindling rural communities, and reconnecting to God’s Creation.
Congress failed to pass a comprehensive Farm Bill last year, but the Church of the Brethren’s new "Going to the Garden" initiative is very encouraging. Brethren congregations may apply for grants funded by theGlobal Food Crisis Fund to build community gardens--a perfect way to transform our talk into action.
As I conclude a year and six months of service, I now have a deeper understanding of how our stewardship connects to the well-being of our neighbors and all Creation. I have learned more about my faith in Christ from looking at Scripture in new contexts, and I’ve done my best to apply those faith values through thoughtful action. I have also come to understand that it’s one thing to believe in a value or ideal, but entirely another to live it--just as Jesus calls us to do.
To apply for a "Going to the Garden" grant for your congregation, visit www.brethren.org/goingtothegarden . To support the Global Food Crisis Fund, the Office of Public Witness, or Brethren Volunteer Service, visitwww.brethren.org/give .
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www.brethren.org/youthsunday |
Morning prayerBy Michael Himlie
God of many wonders,
You are so strong yet so gentle.
You have a place for us all.
You know our every move and watch over us.
Call to us as we strive to grow closer to you.
We all yearn for your power and glory
To reign over us.
Show us that power so we can be more like you.
Help us to grow in your glorious image.
We pray this in your name.
Amen.
This is one of several worship resources for National Youth Sunday 2013, available atwww.brethren.org/youthsunday.
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At Pentecost we remember the gift of the Holy Spirit, burning in our hearts.
Photo by Mandy Garcia
 A gathering of modern day saints at Strengthening Your Small Congregation Seminar 2013.Photo by Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford
www.brethren.org/pentecost
| Gathering the nationsBy Josh Brockway
"For the promise is for you, for your children, and for all who are far away, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to him" (Acts 2:39).
An encounter with God is never easy to explain. Words are just not enough to describe the heart of such an experience. But Luke, master storyteller that he is, has left us clues about the disciples' encounter with God at Pentecost—especially questions that surfaced afterward: "What just happened?" “How can I understand what they are saying? We don't speak the same language!" It’s only when Peter finally stands up to speak that it all begins to make sense.
Peter’s sermon, presented to an ignited crowd murmuring around him, begins not with Jesus, but with the prophet Joel. "In the last days it will be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh" (Acts 2:17). So rather than a remnant of late-night celebrating, Peter proclaims the spontaneous, multi-lingual babbling of Pentecost as the fulfillment of early prophecies of the Hebrew Scriptures.
According to Peter's sermon, this transformation of the Spirit is not limited to only the disciples, but is available to all who are baptized in the name of Christ. That day in Jerusalem began the fulfillment of God's promise to gather all the nations. The spiritual transformation of Jesus’ followers at Pentecost, launched by the gifting of the Holy Spirit, was the beginning of a new people in the name of Christ.
Pentecost is often described as the birthday of the church. Part of that emergence is the impulse to gather people--all people who have been baptized--as fellow disciples of Christ. This act of gathering is essential to the life of the church, and a vital community of faith is one that gathers people together and equips them for the ministry of God in the world. Living into the gift of Pentecost--into the work of gathering--the church grows in its witness to the Christ proclaimed in Peter's sermon, for the gift of the Spirit is open to all whom God calls.
This piece is excerpted from the Pentecost Offering sermon starter. Read it in full, as well as several other worship resources, at www.brethren.org/pentecost .
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 www.brethren.org/basinandtowel
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"To pray means to recognize our relationship with God. Prayer is the attitude and act of humbly acknowledging that there is someone far greater than we are to whom we submit our will. Prayer is a vital means by which God reveals and guides us through a life of spiritual attentiveness and discerning prayer."
--Stan Dueck in "Prayer: The Heart of Transformation," published in the most recent edition of Basin and Towel .
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 | Do you have a story about how you or your congregation practice stewardship? E-mail it to mgarcia@brethren.org !
eBrethren: stories of Brethren stewards, is produced every other week by the Church of the Brethren's donor communications team. Send feedback to mgarcia@brethren.org or call 847-742-5100 ext. 361.
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Watch for our next issue on May 8, 2013! |
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