a lot like christmas

Thanksgiving is over, but the Holiday Season has just begun! Progressive Dinner it out, and quality time together is in! This Saturday, Dec. 3 is our College Christmas Party! We’re going to get together for an evening in the Ministry Center at church to spend the evening celebrating the birth of Jesus as we connect with each other, catch up with friends, sing some Christmas songs, and eat Christmas deserts and drink Egg Nog and apple cider before finals and Christmas break. If you haven't signed up yet, email kara@graceslo.org and let us know how many are coming with you. We're meeting at 6:00PM at church in the Ministry Center in semi-formal attire. Cost is $5.00. We've made some changes from the flyer so sign up before you do another thing!

turkey day...turkey bowl

I'm getting posts from Spain now that are wondering what happened a the Turkey Bowl--it's an international sporting event! What a great time! Just so you all know, the rumors are true, I was dragged through the mud by five (you know it TOOK five to take me out!) college guys. Just wait until next year!

Of course college took home the victory with a 10-9 score. It may only be a point, but it's a point! We'll have to see if high school has it in them to take on again next year. We had parents, grandparents and a few interested church folk who turned out to cheer our athletes on and to make the day even better. This was such a fun event from challenging each other on Sunday mornings (high school, we have to give it you that you took us down in the pre-game activity!) Then we got togehter back at church for the Thanks Gathering Dinner--a record numb er of college students turned out for that too--I'm guessing close to 50.

While Pastor Tim got to take the train to Southern California to see his family, we spent 8 hours on the road getting down to Long Beach to spend time with Lisa's family. Our boys struggled with the amount of time that we spent in the car and I'll just leave it at that. We had some great time together as a family and made a 31/2 hour trip home on Saturday in tiem to rest up for church Sunday. What a great Thanksgiving time--now it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

turkey bowl edition

SUnday, Sunday, SUNDAY! Turkey Bowl is coming this this Sunday! Waht can I say, we've got tto give to the highschoolers for coming back with some serious chutspa! I've been hearing everything from our guys saying we have to split up the guys and girls because the girls won't hang, to some of our ladies who are getting uniforms together and getting ready to kick some serious butt! We had 60 sign up on Sunday with a third of our group gone for the three day weekend--between us and the high schoolers, I think we're going to see a sporting event that's only beat out in size and draw around the world by the Tour de France, World Cup Soccer and the Superbowl (I'd say the World Series, but it doesn't have the mass appeal it used to). We're also setting a collge record with most everyone whose coming to Turkey Bowl coming back for the Thanks Gathering Dinner that night.

This is going to be agreat weekend right before our Thanksgiving break!

before lance...leMond

During LeMond was...Leonard. OK, so I'm reliving Junior High fantasies of riding with Greg LeMond and winning the Tour de France. Here's the good news, being that Lance Armstrong is around 1-2 years older than me, it's a good thing I went to seminary. I would have just been beat like everyone else! After a l-o-n-g break, I have literally been gearing up to take my bike out on the road again (By the way, you can see what my bike looks like if you simply look at the guy's bike behind Greg's behind). Cycling technology has left me in the dust, so I'm getting out there old school (Steel is real, baby!), but it's time to get out on the road again. I have my new shoes, helmet & gloves and even took my Battaglin in for an overhaul, so once I've got her back, it's time to hit the road! Anyone for a ride???

operation rescue

Driving around Pismo Beach when Lisa and I were here in SLO interviewing for this position, I was struck by how many signs there are on the street-side of the off ramp that boldly proclaim, “DO NOT ENTER! WRONG WAY!” Danger signs. The good folks at Cal Trans (Thanks Gregg!) have placed those signs there to tell us that we are in danger if we proceed any further along that course of action.

We’ve been investigating Mark’s claim that this is the Great News about King Jesus, God’s Son. Last week we talked about the reason Jesus came: He came to save rebels. All of us are rebels and thus, we are in danger. While the first part of the Great News about King Jesus, God’s Son is really very bad about ourselves, the second half of the story is that God had not only set up warning signs like Cal Trans (which He’s done), but that He actually steps in to rescue rebels like you and me.

How does God rescue rebels? Mark tells us Jesus has to die. (Mark 8:31) The ‘must’ here means “necessary for great certain ends.” It’s not just that Jesus will die, but he’s saying it’s necessary for him to die! Jesus had to die! Jesus’ crucifixion was not accidental. Jesus’ crucifixion did not take Jesus by surprise. Jesus’ crucifixion was not for us to feel sorry for the pain he experienced. The cross is so important to Christian believers because it is the lifeboat by which we are saved. This is how Jesus rescues people!

The first thing we see about Jesus dying is that God was angry. (Mark 15:33) Darkness was a sign of God’s anger and judgment. For example, we’re told in the book of Exodus that God sent darkness over Egypt so Pharaoh knew God was punishing for not letting His people, the Israelites, leave Egypt. You might not like seeing that the God of the Bible gets angry, because for us anger is usually somewhat unpredictable, wild, associated with a quick temper. But God’s anger is different—it is his settled, controlled, personal hostility to all that is wicked and sinful. A righteous God has a right, even a need to be angry with all that is evil, wrong and rebellious.
Isn’t it Great News that evil matters to God!! God does not turn a blind eye to wrong in the world. Rebellion matters to God. What Hitler did to 6 million Jews matters to God, terrorism matter to God, Sept. 11 matters to God, school shootings matter to God, Parents abusing their kids matters to God, rape matters to God, Cheating matters to God, Lying matters to God, selfishness matters to God, Deceit matters to God, adultery and sexual sin matter to God, greed matters to God. Not only does evil and sin, or rebellion matter to God, but he has the power to punish rebellion. This darkness Mark records shows us God’s anger and his punishment of rebellion.

That’s why Mark tells us that Jesus was abandoned. (Mark 15:24) At the heart of Mark 15 is the message that while many people died from crucifixion, Jesus suffered like no one else. As God’s Son, who had known a relationship with God from eternity past, He was abruptly and totally separated from God’s love and fellowship on the cross. God is punishing His Son. What Jesus is saying here is, “God why have you rejected me? Why have you thrown me out?”

Why is Jesus being punished? Why would God do this to His son? So we can be rescued! You see, the Bible says that between us and God is what is called ‘the record that stood against us.” (Col 2:14) God can see every moment of our lives—every thought, word, or deed that we ever have or will commit. Our sin cuts us off from God; We face abandonment; We are utterly forsaken. But this is what happens on the cross. As Jesus hung on the cross there was no barrier between him and God. Jesus always perfectly obeyed God, He always pleased His Father. While on the cross, Jesus took my sin upon himself. Not only that, but through the cross Jesus transfers His perfect record of righteousness to us giving us, not only a clean slate, but a positive account of righteousness with God!

Because of this, we can now be accepted by God through His Son! God was angry. Jesus was abandoned. We can be accepted.

hoedown 05!!

Wow! Or...I should say, "YEEEE HAWW!!" This year's Hoedown was a great time. I've never felt so good about looking so dumb in my life--I actually dreamt (or was it more of a nightmare??) about going the wrong way in the hand over hand pull all night on Saturday!

Many thanks to Christal and the rest of our leadership team who put so much time and energy into making this a reality. Thanks again to the Kokkonen's for hosting us and for cooking us up some great BBQ burgers. SO many people put out a lot of effort to make this event happen and I think it showed.

There were some of you who wondered if P. Steve would really get out there and dance--all I can say is, I was doing the "Funky Cowboy" as good (or bad!)as anyone out there! (I don't have any photographic evidence--did anyone get a pic to help me prove this??) If you have any pics from the night, shoot me an email so we can get them to our media team to put together a slide show of it all. I had a chance to meet a bunch of you and to hang out in way that's hard sometimes on Sunday mornings.

It was so great to see people interacting and laughing and getting to know each other out there on Saturday night--it makes me glad that we only have to wait a few short weeks until the Turkey Bowl on November 20th! I'm a little jealous of Alex and watching him walk away with that iPod, but now he can enjoy his music as he strolls across Cuesta's campus.

I never thought I'd say this (I hate country music!), but I can't wait to do this all over again! What did y'all think? What was your favorite part of the night? Did you meet anyone new? WIll you be there for the Turkey Bowl?