Raising the Roof of Faith - The Power of Community

Week Two: October 10-16

Nehemiah 3:1-12
Then the high priest Eliashib set to work with his fellow-priests and rebuilt the Sheep Gate. They consecrated it and set up its doors; they consecrated it as far as the Tower of the Hundred and as far as the Tower of Hananel. And the men of Jericho built next to him. And next to them Zaccur son of Imri built.

The sons of Hassenaah built the Fish Gate; they laid its beams and set up its doors, its bolts, and its bars. Next to them Meremoth son of Uriah son of Hakkoz made repairs. Next to them Meshullam son of Berechiah son of Meshezabel made repairs. Next to them Zadok son of Baana made repairs. Next to them the Tekoites made repairs; but their nobles would not put their shoulders to the work of their Lord.

Joiada son of Paseah and Meshullam son of Besodeiah repaired the Old Gate; they laid its beams and set up its doors, its bolts, and its bars. Next to them repairs were made by Melatiah the Gibeonite and Jadon the Meronothite—the men of Gibeon and of Mizpah—who were under the jurisdiction of the governor of the province Beyond the River. Next to them Uzziel son of Harhaiah, one of the goldsmiths, made repairs. Next to him Hananiah, one of the perfumers, made repairs; and they restored Jerusalem as far as the Broad Wall. Next to them Rephaiah son of Hur, ruler of half the district of Jerusalem, made repairs. Next to them Jedaiah son of Harumaph made repairs opposite his house; and next to him Hattush son of Hashabneiah made repairs. Malchijah son of Harim and Hasshub son of Pahath-moab repaired another section and the Tower of the Ovens. Next to him Shallum son of Hallohesh, ruler of half the district of Jerusalem, made repairs, he and his daughters.

Commentary
There are many wonderful things about the story of Nehemiah. It is in many respects a classic underdog story. You have an oppressed and conquered nation that rallies its will, marshals its resources, commits to doing what seems impossible, and then rebuilds even with the threat of attack from neighboring tribes and cities/provinces. But perhaps the greatest miracle of Nehemiah occurs in the power witnessed to in the single-mindedness of this community. Together, every household does its part to bring the wall of Jerusalem out of the ground, out of its rubble, and into formidable order. The miracle is that each household committed together, shoulder to shoulder, to get this daunting project done. It was the community, working together that did this profound thing. The rebuilding of the wall of Jerusalem was not the singular victory of a particular family that bankrolled the effort. Everyone threw down and threw in. That saints, is miraculous! And in the end, each household was able to look at the wall and say together with full ownership, “We did this!”

Questions for Discussion
1. Think of a time that you experienced the very real power of a community pulling together to do an extraordinary thing. How did people commit together to do the thing? What was the outcome? What would have happened if people had opted out and decided not to participate?
2. When you are in community, especially God’s community, how does it strengthen you and help you walk taller as a person of faith? How does this faith community challenge you to be bolder and more faithful as a child of God?
3. How do you see God at work, for the sake of the world, through the community of St. Stephen? How do you think we could be even stronger as a community?

Raising the Roof of Faith - A Holy Discontent

Week One: October 3-9

Nehemiah 1:1-2:8
The words of Nehemiah son of Hacaliah. In the month of Chislev, in the twentieth year, while I was in Susa the capital, one of my brothers, Hanani, came with certain men from Judah; and I asked them about the Jews that survived, those who had escaped the captivity, and about Jerusalem. They replied, ‘The survivors there in the province who escaped captivity are in great trouble and shame; the wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been destroyed by fire.’

When I heard these words I sat down and wept, and mourned for days, fasting and praying before the God of heaven. I said, ‘O Lord God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments; let your ear be attentive and your eyes open to hear the prayer of your servant that I now pray before you day and night for your servants the people of Israel, confessing the sins of the people of Israel, which we have sinned against you. Both I and my family have sinned. We have offended you deeply, failing to keep the commandments, the statutes, and the ordinances that you commanded your servant Moses. Remember the word that you commanded your servant Moses, “If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the peoples; but if you return to me and keep my commandments and do them, though your outcasts are under the farthest skies, I will gather them from there and bring them to the place at which I have chosen to establish my name.” They are your servants and your people, whom you redeemed by your great power and your strong hand. O Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of your servant, and to the prayer of your servants who delight in revering your name. Give success to your servant today, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man!’
At the time, I was cupbearer to the king.

Nehemiah Sent to Judah

In the month of Nisan, in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was served to him, I carried the wine and gave it to the king. Now, I had never been sad in his presence before. So the king said to me, ‘Why is your face sad, since you are not sick? This can only be sadness of the heart.’ Then I was very much afraid. I said to the king, ‘May the king live for ever! Why should my face not be sad, when the city, the place of my ancestors’ graves, lies waste, and its gates have been destroyed by fire?’ Then the king said to me, ‘What do you request?’ So I prayed to the God of heaven. Then I said to the king, ‘If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favour with you, I ask that you send me to Judah, to the city of my ancestors’ graves, so that I may rebuild it.’ The king said to me (the queen also was sitting beside him), ‘How long will you be gone, and when will you return?’ So it pleased the king to send me, and I set him a date. Then I said to the king, ‘If it pleases the king, let letters be given me to the governors of the province Beyond the River, that they may grant me passage until I arrive in Judah; and a letter to Asaph, the keeper of the king’s forest, directing him to give me timber to make beams for the gates of the temple fortress, and for the wall of the city, and for the house that I shall occupy.’ And the king granted me what I asked, for the gracious hand of my God was upon me.

Commentary
The unique story we tell the world, the story central to our Judeo-Christian faith, is that God not only created history but is at work IN it, present to it, and accomplishing in it his particular future. He hasn’t abandoned this creation to its own devices, but promises us a particular outcome - one grounded in hope and life.

As God works in our history, God repeatedly chooses to work through human agents to get accomplished and communicated the things he needs done. God works through Noah to save a human remnant and many animals through the worst flood the world has ever seen. God uses the jealousy of Joseph’s brothers to position Joseph in such a way that his gifts for vision and organization may provide not only for the inhabitants of Egypt during a seven year famine, but for the descendants of Abraham as well per God’s promise.

And through Nehemiah and Nehemiah’s holy discontent, God works to reestablish the vision and presence of his chosen people, these Judeans in exile, to rebuild the wall of Jerusalem and in so doing rebuild the culture of a conquered people and its heart.

A holy discontent is a precious and wonderful thing and sometimes an incredible burden as well. We all know what discontent is...dissatisfaction with the way things are, perhaps our marriages, the grades our kids are bringing home, the nature of our home, how over committed we might be to various activities, or with our work lives. But a holy discontent is where our discontent over something that’s wrong in the world meets God’s purposes for the world. Think of Mother Theresa pitching her tent in Calcutta with the poor, or of Dr. Paul Farmer, a Harvard trained physician who has set up rural clinics all over the central plateau of Haiti to provide much needed health care to the poorest of the poor. In our own community, a stay at home mom named Angie Romagosa fanned her holy discontent for families in need and has taken The Sharing Center from helping 500 families in its first year of existence to almost 11,500 families last year.

Holy discontent is about God working through ordinary people like you and me the extraordinary purposes of his kingdom...where peace is central, where the poor are cared for, the orphan and widow are loved, the sick are visited, and the injustices of the world righted.

Questions for Discussion:
1. What do you hear God saying in the story of Nehemiah? To you personally? To our church community?
2. What do you think God is trying to get accomplished through Nehemiah, and why is that important to us, 2,500 years later?
3. What are other examples of holy discontent that you see in the world around you? How do these examples seek to bring God’s kingdom to earth?
4. Do you have an example of a holy discontent in your own life? If so, and if you are willing to share it with your group, what is it? What is God calling you to do with your holy discontent?

THE LONG VIEW -- "Raising the Roof of Faith"

A three year movement to grow our disciple-making

influence in this community and beyond!

Saints in Light,

As you all know, good things are in the air. St. Stephen is on fire with vitality and hopefulness, and conversations about our future in God are everywhere. Just over a year ago I walked our campus and prayed to God for guidance in the direction of our congregation. Those prayers and that conversation, along with many others, have brought us to this moment.

Two generations have called St. Stephen home and have raised their children in the faith of Jesus here. As we look towards a future of growth and vibrancy, it is apparent that our best days are not a thing of the past, but a future accessible to us on the horizon. If we are to be a church that rises to the challenge of these best days, then it makes sense for us to prepare for the future God is bringing to us.

In every time and place the mission of the church has been that of making disciples of Jesus...followers who live to bless the world with the hope and love of Christ. As a congregation we exist to "love, lead, build and send disciples for the mission of Jesus in the 21st century." This is our own unique articulation of the church's perennial call to disciple the world. Over our 36 years of life we have lived out this mission and have exemplified the values of vibrant worship, life-giving relationships, missional living and giving, and households alive in a resurrection faith.

The "Raising the Roof of Faith" Campaign is about people transformed and unleashed in the power of Jesus. It is about discipling both those who are already a part of the movement that is St. Stephen Lutheran Church, as well as all of those God will call to us so that his mission in the world can be fulfilled. As we dive into conversations about generosity over the coming month and as we are challenged as a congregation to own this future, even with our pocketbooks, my challenge to all of you is to remember that what we are doing is only secondarily about buildings. It's primarily about people.

Two true stories from our own community: The first has to do with a 15 year old teenager who has come to call our community in general and Solid Rock in particular, home. Her name is Bailey Dunn. She came into the influence of our church through Connie's Music Camp and over the years has transitioned from a child participant into a youth leader for the week. over the years she has made relationships of faith in Solid Rock that have led her to single critical decisions: that of baptism. If you look at the life of this young woman and the journey she has been on, you can see God's fingerprints all over her life, and this congregation had the privilege of being a part of that. This is what it's all about folks!

The second story is about Dick and Tina Langlotz. Tina came into our life because of the invitation (you know: AND next week? Bring a friend!) of a member to a Christmas Eve service. How did Tina know the member? They work out at the same gym and take gym classes together. Two months ago, at the age of 70, I had the tremendous privilege of baptizing Tina. It was a thing of power and beauty, and know that Tina, Dick and I all had a hard time getting through the baptism without outright weeping. Powerful!

Let us never forget our reason for being here. Our buildings, strategies, and even our giving are simply responses and vehicles through which God is doing wonderful and amazing things in our midst. God is on the move here. He's on the move transforming us in the life of this congregation. And He's going to do even more as we intentionally engage "Raising the Roof of Faith"!

From the Swenson-Reinhold's family room, God loves you and I do too!

Pastor Nathan

Lenten Reflection - Day 40: by Marie Buss

READING: Mark 14: 12-31

Sometimes it's hard to be faithful disciples. As hard as we try and as much as we believe, sometimes we still mess up. It's amazing to believe that Jesus still loves us. Jesus ate meals with sinners all through his ministry, but can you imagine sitting down to your last meal knowing the person sitting next to you would betray you that very day? What about going through your last day of freedom having your best friends telling you they got your back and would be with you every step of the way knowing full well that you would end up on your own?

There's a song out there by Ray Botlz titled "Does He still feel the Nails." Although I'm not THE disciple who turned Jesus over to be crucified, and I'm not THE disciple Jesus said would deny him three times before the sun rose, sometimes I'm the disciple who makes a bad decision or doesn't voice my beliefs. That's when I think of this song and the lyrics "Does he still feel the nails, every time I fail" it straightens me out a little. With this kind of guilt on our consciences, it is so wonderful to know we have such a freedom of forgiveness and know that no matter what we did or did not do that week, we can still count being invited to have supper with our Savior.

Dear God¸ thank you for your Son and for the forgiveness that came with his death and resurrection. We stumble sometimes and we know that it hurts you to see us act this way. Help us to live as Jesus taught us. Amen

Lenten Reflection - Day 39: by Clara Oostenbrink

READING: Mark 14: 1-9

My spiritual story was not an epiphany, but rather a journey of growth and understanding. Born and raised in a Christian home, I always believed and loved God; but somehow felt that there was something missing. Perhaps it was the “warm and fuzzy feeling” that so many Christians have. In my youth, I didn’t have the opportunity to develop my faith through SS or Bible study due to the lack of teachers.

When on my own for the very first time, I felt I couldn’t do it alone and needed God’s help. I started reading the Bible, not fully understanding what I was reading, but this faded over time. A new friend asked me one day if I had ever invited Jesus into my heart. I was surprised and confess, even a bit offended, as I considered this a very private matter between God and myself. I had never heard about this, and didn’t think it was necessary, as I considered myself already a long time Christian. When I realized that she was serious, she then asked me if I wanted to do it then. I was sure I had nothing to loose, so, we prayed and I received Jesus in my heart.

As time went by, I became very involved in Church, yet my search continued, until 15 years later, when someone shared BSF (Bible Study Fellowship) with me. She stated that “It was the best thing she had ever done for herself”.

BSF is an in depth, Interdenominational Bible Study, it requires daily study. Almost 400 ladies meet studying one book of the Bible per year. The Bible became alive for me! It has given me a greater understanding of God’s will and allowed me to develop a personal relationship with Him by getting to know Jesus Christ in all of His fullness. I have now great happiness and inner peace, and have finally developed that” fuzzy feeling” by building a personal relationship with the Lord, through studying His Word. Today, I can say that “BSF is the best thing I ever did for myself”. I realize also the importance of inviting Him into my heart; not only had I everything to gain, but also so much to loose. I have a passion to serve Him and receive great joy in spreading the Good News.

My husband, Johan, has also joined the BSF men’s group, and spiritually we are now on the same wave length. What a Blessing!

Lenten Reflection - Day 38: by Johan Oostenbrink

READING: Philippians 2: 5-11

I grew up in Holland, in a large family where Bible reading was custom at meal times and going to church was a must, even twice a day, when I was a kid. I would define faith in my earlier life as: starting to believe in God on my own and being more conscious of the fact that God had a personal interest in me and purpose for me. This awareness started to develop when I was probably 14 years old or so.

During the years following I questioned many things, for example what the future would hold for me, and I was thinking of noble causes for which God could use me. How would I fit in his plan and how would I get there. Through the course of high school and college, these questions never got clearly answered so I let life run its course, and accepted whatever would come my way. This led me to serving 2 years in the “Peace Corps” in Cameroon, and spending another 3 1/2 years in Brazil. I didn’t worry much during those years, though I was curious what the future would hold. Until one day in Brazil, when I decided to quit working on farms, a job in the irrigation field became reality. There was excitement, thankfulness and a lot of change in my life. I was growing up fast and found Clara, my wife, and we ended up in California a few years later and eventually moved to Florida.

I have worked many years for the same company in different fields, but ended up in sales 9 years ago, living in Florida and working in the Great Lakes area! It comes with a busy schedule and ‘pressure’ to reach sales goals.

About this same time I joined BSF Bible Study. It has greatly helped me to apply the Bible to my life, guide my life and keep it balanced between work, family and time devoted to church. I used to travel on Mondays, but since BSF was on Monday night, I would now leave on Tuesday and there was little interference with my work. BSF has two objectives: for a person to develop a closer relationship with God, and to help out in your local church, which led me to teaching a Sunday school class. As Lutherans we believe in the priesthood of all believers and I see the need to be part of that. In my travels there are also many opportunities to share my ‘faith’ with others.

I would say that ‘faith’ today is based on trust and obedience. I came across the following verse today, while preparing for Sunday school, which applies to my life though I am a sinner like anybody else. “Continue to work out your salvation because it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose” (Philippians 2:13).

Lenten Reflection - Day 37: Viviana Rey-Palmer

READING: Psalm 31: 9-16

But I trust in you, O Lord;
I say, “You are my God.”
My times are in your hand;
deliver me from the hand of my
enemies and persecutors.
Let your face shine upon your
servant;
Save me in your steadfast love.
Psalm 31; 14-16

Why do I not question God’s existence? I stand back and I evaluate my body. I contemplate
-how perfect my hands grasp;
-how perfectly my legs walk;
-how perfect my rational thought process is.
And I know God is. I live my life everyday with a strong faith in God; and as a result there is no single moment that stands out.