Today is the Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost. Rev. Benjamin Wines will bring the message, “Our Chosen Portion”. Our Scripture passage comes from Psalm 16 and our Call to Worship comes from 1 Peter 1:3-9. We will also be joined by our friends from the Olive Chapel Handbell Choir for today’s worship service.

Call to Worship (from 1 Peter 1:3-9)
Leader: Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!
People: By his great mercy he has given us a new birth
Leader: Into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead
People: And into an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading.
Leader: In this you rejoice, so that the genuineness of your faith
People: May be found to result in praise and glory and honor when Christ is revealed.
Leader: Although you have not seen him, you love him,
People: And even though you do not see him now,
Leader: You believe in him and rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy,
People: For you are receiving the outcome of your faith,
All: The salvation of your souls.

Questions for Further Reflection:
In this psalm, David declares God to be his refuge.
How does God’s presence bring joy to your life?
How does God’s presence make rest possible?

My article this week is going to be short and sweet. This coming Sunday, August 9th is the deadline to turn in Deacon nomination forms. In light of that, I wanted to just reflect for a moment on what it means to be a deacon.

We see the first deacons appearing in Acts 6:1-7. The church is in its infancy and the twelve apostles are realizing that there is more work than the twelve of them can do. So, they go out into the community and find seven people (in this case, men) and appoint them to serve their brothers and sisters in Christ. At that time, the main ser-vice that was needed was the daily distribution of food to those in need. Their service would allow the twelve apos-tles to continue to do the important work of growing the church.

So, what does it mean to be a deacon? It means recognizing that your community trusts you and repaying that trust with humility, service, and faithfulness. It means partnering with the pastor to meet people’s needs. It means praying for folks and reminding them they are a be-loved part of God’s family. It means working to foster community within the church. It means your church family recognized your gifts, sensed a call from God, and believes you could serve well. All those things may sound lofty, but sometimes all it takes to be a deacon is being willing to serve food to people.

So, if you have someone in mind that you think would be a good deacon, be sure to talk with them this Sunday and see if they would serve. If you have been approached about being a deacon, but are not sure if you’d be “good enough,” remember that all it takes is a humble spirit and a desire to serve. Pray about it. Listen for God’s voice. Respond in the way you deem faithful.

Grace and peace,
Pastor Ben

Today is the Tenth Sunday after Pentecost. Rev. Benjamin Wines will bring the message, “A Deserted Place”. Our Scripture passage comes from Mark 6:30-44 and our Call to Worship comes from Psalm 23. We look forward to joining you in this time of Worship.

Call to Worship (from Psalm 23)
Leader: The Lord is my shepherd
People: I shall not want.
Leader: He makes me lie down in green pastures;
People: He leads me beside still waters;
Leader: He restores my soul.
People: He leads me in right paths for his name’s sake.
Leader: Even though I walk through the darkest valley,
People: I fear no evil, for you are with me;
Leader: Your rod and your staff—they comfort me.
People: You prepare a table before me,
Leader: In the presence of my enemies;
People: You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
Leader: Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
People: All the days of my life.
Leader: And I shall dwell in the house of the Lord
People: My whole life long.

Questions for Further Reflection:
In this passage, Jesus offers rest to his disciples.
Why is it important for Christians to find rest?
How can we be a place of rest for other people?

Today is the Ninth Sunday after Pentecost. Rev. Benjamin Wines will bring the message, “Can We Hear Jesus?”. Our Scripture passage comes from Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23 and our Call to Worship comes from Psalm 119. We look forward to joining you in this time of Worship.

Call to Worship (from Psalm 119)
Leader: Your word is a lamp to my feet
People: And a light to my path.
Leader: I have sworn an oath and confirmed it,
People: To observe your righteous ordinances.
Leader: I am severely afflicted;
People: Give me life, O Lord, according to your word.
Leader: Accept my offerings of praise, O Lord,
People: And teach me your ordinances.
Leader: I hold my life in my hand continually,
People: But I do not forget your law.
Leader: The wicked have laid a snare for me,
People: But I do not stray from your precepts.
Leader: Your decrees are my heritage forever;
People: They are the joy of my heart.
Leader: I incline my heart to perform your statutes
People: Forever, to the end.

Question for Further Reflection:
In this passage, Jesus imagines four ways people will react to hearing the good news.
What can the actions of the sower tell us about how churches should act?

There was another point I left out of the sermon be-cause it would have taken a lot more time to set up, but I was reminded of it earlier today. So often, one of the hardest parts of “not worrying” is the “letting go” that comes with it. What I mean by that is that all of us have different stressors in our lives. For some, it’s the daily grind of working — getting projects done, emails sent, meetings attended, etc. For others it’s the strain of maintaining relationships, particularly those relationships that don’t come as naturally. Think of the coworker you don’t see eye-to-eye with but have to collaborate with, the family member you had harsh words with and don’t know how to reconcile. Of course, there’s also stress that comes with money, health issues, following the news, etc.

One of the lies we tell ourselves is that we have to hold on to all these stressors. We have to keep them close to us and we cannot let a single one of them drop cause if we do, who knows what will happen? And what that means is that we grip them tighter and tighter and tighter, the whole time wondering why we can’t relax, why we feel so off, why it feels like God is so detached. The truth of the matter is, God is not detached, but we’ve filled our hands with so many things and have refused to let go of any of them, we cannot accept the good things God offers us. We’re so convinced that we are the only ones that can hold all these things together, that when we hear Jesus say, “do not worry about your life…do not worry about tomorrow,” we can’t help but think, “That’s nice, Jesus, but if you knew everything I was holding with you’d realize I can’t afford to relax.”

I’ve told this story before, but years ago my Old Testament professor was talking to my class about our impending finals. She said she’d received emails from students talking about all the stress they were under, all the obligations they had committed to, etc. And she said that she’d emailed them back, encouraging them to find time to rest, and been met with more emails explaining that rest was not an option for them. If they did not do these things, everything would fall apart. Inspired by those emails, she took time out of our class to say to us, “I know this is a stressful place. I know a lot of you are here because you are the types who work hard, take on lots of responsibilities, and then sacrifice your health and well-being to get things done. Let me remind you that in the Creation story, God took a day off to rest and, somehow, the world kept spinning. If God can take a day off and nothing falls apart, I think you can give yourselves a break and rest. Do not worry. God is in control.” Sin lies to us and tells us that if we stop worrying, our lives will fall apart. Jesus reminds us that’s not true. So, let go of the stressors that are harming you, open your hands, and receive the blessings God offers.

Grace and peace,
Pastor Ben

Today is the Eighth Sunday after Pentecost. Rev. Benjamin Wines will bring the message, “Tomorrow’s Worries”. Our Scripture passage comes from Matthew 6:24-34 and our Call to Worship comes from Psalm 118. We look forward to joining you in this time of Worship.

Call to Worship (from Psalm 118)
Leader: O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good:
People: His steadfast love endures forever!
Leader: Out of my distress I called on the Lord;
People: The Lord answered me and set me in a broad place.
Leader: With the Lord on my side I do not fear.
People: What can mortals do to me?
Leader: The Lord is on my side to help me;
People: I shall look in triumph on those who hate me.
Leader: It is better to take refuge in the Lord
People: Than to put confidence in mortals.
Leader: It is better to take refuge in the Lord
People: Than to put confidence in princes.

Question for Further Reflection:
In this passage, Jesus tells his disciples not to worry.
How can these words be good news to people who are struggling to get by?
What do they say to those with more than enough?

Today is the Seventh Sunday after Pentecost. Rev. Benjamin Wines will bring the message, “Be Perfect”. Our Scripture passage comes from Matthew 5:38-48 and our Call to Worship comes from Psalm 112. We look forward to joining you in this time of Worship.

Call to Worship (from Psalm 112)
Leader: Praise the Lord! Happy are those who fear the Lord,
People: Who greatly delight in his commandments.
Leader: Their descendants will be mighty in the land;
People: The generation of the upright will be blessed.
Leader: They rise up in the darkness as a light for the upright;
People: They are gracious, merciful, and righteous.
Leader: It is well with those who deal generously and lend,
People: Who conduct their affairs with justice.
Leader: For the righteous will never be moved;
People: They will be remembered forever.
Leader: They are not afraid of evil tidings;
People: Their hearts are firm, secure in the Lord.
Leader: Their hearts are steady, they will not be afraid;
People: In the end they will look in triumph on their foes.
Leader: They have distributed freely, they have given to the poor;
People: Their righteousness endures forever.

Question for Further Reflection:

In this passage, Jesus gives his disciples a simple command, “Be perfect.”
How can we take a command like that seriously?
And how does a command like that change the way we view the world?

The next three Saturdays (July 11th, 18th, and 25th) are going to be wonderful times here at Hope Valley Baptist Church. Starting this Saturday, July 11th, we will be hosting Vacation Bible School from 9:30AM – 12:30PM. These will be days filled with fun, learning, and fellowship for the kids in our community! We’ve got games lined up for them to play, crafts ready for them to assemble, missions projects for them to participate in, and, most importantly, Bible stories for them to hear that all tell them one very important thing—God loves them!

Our theme for this year is “God’s Toolbox: Built for a Purpose.” Each Saturday, we’re going to be exploring a different theme with the kids, reminding them that they have been made by God to do good things for other people. The themes include phrases like, “God created me,” “I am equipped,” “I am strong,” “I can help others,” and “I can build God’s Kingdom.” I love these themes because it tells the kids who come to our VBS that they are already a part of God’s kingdom. They are already a part of God’s plan for the world. They can already live like God wants them to live and do the things God calls them to do.

There are several things you can still do to help out with these Saturdays. The first is to pray. Pray for the kids that are going to be coming to the church these Saturdays. Pray that they would have fun, make friends, and learn more about God. Pray for the volunteers as well, that we would be able to help disciple these kids and show them what faith looks like.
The second thing you can do is to reach out friends, neighbors, and family members to invite more kids to come! You can register on the church’s website or you can call up to the church office to let us know you’re coming. Also, kids can drop in on any Saturday, so if a kid can only be here on the 11th and 25th, bring them on!

Finally, if you have the time, we can always use more volunteers to help out. Whether that’s walking around with the kids, helping the various stations prep for them, or helping to clean up throughout the day—there’s always work to be done. If you are planning to volunteer, please try to be at the church by 9:00 AM each Saturday.

I’m looking forward to these next three Saturdays and all the things God has in store for these children and for us as a church!

Grace and peace,
Pastor Ben

Today is the sixth Sunday after Pentecost. Rev. Benjamin Wines will bring the message, “Different Priorities”. Our Scripture passage comes from Matthew 5:1-12 and our Call to Worship comes from Psalm 15. We look forward to joining you in this time of Worship.

Call to Worship (from Psalm 15)
Leader: O Lord, who may abide in your tent?
People: Who may dwell on your holy hill?
Leader: Those who walk blamelessly, and do what is right,
People: And speak the truth from their heart;
Leader: Who do not slander with their tongue, and do no evil to their friends,
People: Nor take up a reproach against their neighbors;
Leader: In whose eyes the wicked are despised,
People: But who honor those who fear the Lord
Leader: Who stand by their oath even to their hurt;
People: Who do not lend money at interest,
Leader: And do not take a bribe against the innocent.
People: Those who do these things shall never be moved.

Today is the fifth Sunday after Pentecost. Rev. Benjamin Wines will bring the message, “Eldad and Medad”. Our Scripture passage comes from Numbers 11:24-30 and our Call to Worship comes from Psalm 104. We look forward to joining you in this time of Worship.

Call to Worship (from Psalm 104)
Leader: O LORD, how manifold are your works!
People: The earth is full of your creatures.
Leader: These all look to you to give them their food in due season;
People: When you give to them, they gather it up;
Leader: When you open your hand, they are filled with good things.
People: When you hide your face, they are dismayed;
Leader: When you take away their breath,
People: They die and return to their dust.
Leader: When you send forth your spirit, they are created;
People: And you renew the face of the ground.
Leader: I will sing to the LORD as long as I live;
People: I will sing praise to my God while I have being.
Leader: May my meditation be pleasing to him,
People: For I rejoice in the LORD.

Question for Further Reflection:

In this passage, God’s spirit falls freely on whoever it wants to.
How does God continue to surprise you in your own faith journey?
What does this radical freedom say about God’s character?