Names - by Kim Metzer

This year I get the privilege of being Redeemer’s last blogger of 2015.  That’s a lot of pressure!  How do I wrap up a year?  Let’s wrap up the year by looking forward to the next!

Names, specifically baby names, have been on my mind a lot the last few weeks.  While Pastor Rod was talking to us about the names of Jesus on Christmas Eve, I had on my mind the name of our first grandchild, born just two days earlier.  A lot of consideration should be put into a baby’s name as they’ll likely have to live with it their entire lives.  Our son and his wife opted to continue the family tradition of giving their boy the first name of his father as his middle name.  Our hope is that Colin Joshua will become as wonderful a man as his father Joshua Stephen.

Jesus was also given the name of His father as detailed in Isaiah 9:6; “For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”  I think we can all agree that Jesus grew up into the man His father wanted Him to be!

Being named after our father, either mortal or heavenly, is not necessary in order to aspire to be the person our earthly father hopes that we will be and our heavenly Father calls us to be. 

Becoming the kind of person God calls us to be requires discipline, spiritual discipline.  Some common spiritual disciplines are: reading and studying the Bible, prayer, worship, and learning.  If you are feeling called to become more disciplined in your relationship with God, Redeemer has several opportunities available to help you.

>    To assist you in reading the Bible in a year, there will be a weekly reading plan in each Worship Folder and on the Redeemer website.

>    To assist you in becoming a consistent “pray-er”, the movie War Room will be shown on February 6, a class on prayer will be held February 7 and Pastor Rod will have a message series focused on prayer during Lent.

>    Redeemer offers three worship times every Sunday morning (8:15, 9:30, & 11:00) as well as special worship services on Ash Wednesday (February 10) and Good Friday (March 25).  Monday evening services will resume June 6 at 7pm and will continue through August 29.

>    Opportunities to learn more about having a relationship with God are available for every age group (3 years old through adult) on Sunday mornings and for youth (5^th-12^th grades) through adult during the week.  Check the website (www.dewittredeemer.org) for more details.

My hope and prayer for each of you is that 2016 is a year of deepening your relationship with your Heavenly Father!

Happy New Year!!

Christmas Contentment - by Justin Bowman

As the Christmas season approaches, the usual items of stress and worry begin to creep into my brain.  I worry because Christmas is expensive, and I don’t have the financial resources to purchase all the items I would like to buy for the people in my life; I get a little stressed because amidst all the hustle and bustle of the holidays there are still bills to be paid and activities to attend.

A few weeks ago I had the thought: “why can’t people just be content during Christmas time?”  For me and my family, Christmas presents come down to what a person needs, or at least could feasibly use, more than it is about getting what they say they “want.”  Sure, we buy our kids an item or two they don’t know they’re getting, but mostly we get the items that can assist them as they go through their everyday lives.

Just like any parent out there, I would enjoy having the resources to be able to shower them with gifts, whether they needed them or not, because they are my children and I love seeing them happy.  However, I have learned that material items don’t always bring people happiness, regardless of their reaction to opening great unexpected Christmas gifts. 

The idea of contentment and showering people with presents simply do not go hand-in-hand.  So, I have decided this Christmas that I will choose to be content with the position in life that God currently has me in.  My corporate career may not be where I hoped I would be at this stage of my life, but nonetheless, it is God’s plan for me and I am thankful for His grace and blessings.

A Bible verse that has helped me understand the reality of contentment is Philippians 4:13: “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.”  A lot of people will use this verse to help them overcome very difficult times, or to accomplish monumental physical feats.  I recall seeing it printed on the back of a runner’s shirt during an ultra-marathon I ran years ago.  However, the proper context of this verse is to practice contentment.  Verses 11 and 12 set the stage as told by Paul during one of the times he was imprisoned.  He is reminding us that when the world has us down, we can find strength in Jesus to get us through the tough times by being content with the place we are in.  He was drawing strength from the Lord to get him through a time of great struggle in his life, not to go out and conquer the world with impressive feats and accomplishments. 

While I understand I am not in a state of imprisonment, the truth is I am not in the position in my corporate career I thought I would be 15 years ago.  As I get older I have learned to accept the reality of my life situations, whatever they may be.  I struggle with contentment more often than I should, and this verse has helped me in that struggle.  My hope and prayer is that during this Christmas season, as well as the rest of the year, you too can take solace and be content with the position in life that Lord has placed you.  After all…it is part of His plan. 

God Bless, and Merry Christmas!

The Gift of Giving - by Kelvin Fizzell

This coming January, I will celebrate 8 years of being a staff member at Redeemer Church. During that time, I have been privileged to share many different experiences with members of the congregation. As we move through the Christmas Holiday season, a time when we celebrate the greatest gift ever given to humankind…the birth of Jesus, I would like to reflect on the generous nature of the Redeemer congregation. Being a staff member affords me the opportunity to personally witness acts of giving and sacrifice of all kinds…giving that goes far beyond a financial contribution. Now don’t get me wrong, financial support is critical to many aspects of the ministry work that is accomplished through outreach activities at Redeemer Church. But, the very core of this support goes much deeper than a cash offering, a check, or an electronic funds transfer. It goes to the very heart and soul of a group of people who have a deep rooted desire to serve and give to others…to those who are in need on some level. Redeemer congregation members purposefully look for ways to serve…through simple acts, such as warmly greeting new people who come to Redeemer Church for the first time on a Sunday morning…preparing a meal for 100 people at Advent House…visiting the sick and shut-ins who are isolated from everyday life…skillfully using a sewing machine to create clothing or stuffed animals to bring a little joy to someone who is searching for a glimmer of hope…meeting weekly with others to offer prayer on behalf of individuals who are struggling with significant life issues…donating to provide a dresser full of baby need items to a young mom who doesn’t know where else to turn for help…helping to gather enough food to fill 100 Thanksgiving meal baskets for families that otherwise would not be able to share a traditional holiday meal together…to shopping for Christmas clothing and gifts so families can experience the true giving that Christmas represents…and many more ways too numerous to list them all. 

Do you have a desire to serve…to reach out and impact the life of another person…to give in a way that truly reflects God’s gift to all of us…the gift of Jesus? Then I invite you to come to Redeemer Church, get involved, and discover how your gift of giving can be nurtured and grown.

2 Corinthians 9:7 ESV “Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”

Social Media - by Rod Kalajainen

I understand the value of social media to enhance ministry in the 21^st century.  Our staff utilizes several different on-line and social media tools to get our message out – to parents, teens, kids and the community.

I have a Facebook account and I check it periodically for messages and to keep up with news from family and friends.  I seldom post…it’s not my thing. And I read very few of the articles or watch the videos that others post.  I don’t have the time to commit to lengthy on-line sessions.  But there are some things that fascinate me about this communication tool.

The language that people use and the pictures they post interest me.  Have you noticed how often the words “awesome” or “amazing” are used?  It seems that everyone’s child, spouse, friend, neighbor, and dog is “amazing.”  Every activity, sport, project, and recipe is “awesome.”  It almost seems that nothing or no one is good or even ordinary anymore.  Instead, we’re all extraordinary!

I’m also intrigued by the “selfies” that people post and the continually changing personal photos that seem to invite responses such as “You’re so beautiful!”  “Very pretty!”

I’m currently reading a book called Narcissists Exposed by Drew Keys.  In it he talks about the narcissist’s constant need for excessive admiration.  And I wonder how Facebook and other social media contribute to this growing personality disorder.

Personally, I believe that despite all the positive benefits of social media, there are also some unique dangers. And one is the danger of falling into narcissism – of using Facebook, and other connecting services, to promote yourself and to expect that everyone is interested in you…essentially assuming you are the center of the universe.

I think it’s something many people do. Facebook, for a lot of adults, has become a place where they can remake their identity; make people think things about them or about others that aren’t necessarily true. Sometimes I wonder whether the intent of some people is ever to consider or encourage others...or just talk about themselves.

The Bible says to us in Philippians 2: 3-4:“Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others.  Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.”  How often do we use social media to promote ourselves rather than others?

Another of my concerns about social media is time wasting. Our society has this dying need to always be contactable; the thought of being disconnected is so strange. Not having phone reception can become catastrophic. How many times do you check Facebook in the morning before reading your Bible?

Third, I am convinced that social media also poses limitations on relationships. Written words can lack the meanings we intend; we can use it as an online space where we sort out our problems or where we can quickly share our opinions and gossip. Facebook has come to redefine what it means to be friends with someone. Now we distinguish between ‘friends’ and ‘Facebook friends’.  It’s important to remember how much more satisfying real face to face friendships are, and they should have priority.

However, social media is also a great gift, if used properly...if we use it to relate to people and share with them rather than to just report to ‘our audience’ things about ourselves.

“You are the light of the world – like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see…”  Matthew 5:14-16

Social media can be used as a unique opportunity to live louder for God. So often the letters in the New Testament begin with verses like these: “Everytime I think of you, I give thanks to my God.  Whenever I pray, I make my requests for all of you with joy.” Philippians 1:3-4

Facebook could be a useful prayer tool, a means to see what people need prayer for. And not only praying for them but letting them know that they are remembered with joy.  

Eye for an Eye - by Suzie Unruh

The other day I was talking to my oldest son, Steven, about patience, forgiveness and holding on to grudges. I mentioned how the phrase an “eye for an eye” is no way to live. He said, “Yeah, if everyone lived that way, then everyone would be blind.”

How true! The fact of the matter is that no one is perfect; we are all human and make mistakes. God took me, a blank canvas, and gave me the chance to make a difference. Holding on to past hurts, pain, and grudges is not how God intended me to live. Every moment of everyday I have a choice to change - to love, to forgive, to learn. Letting go sometimes is not easy, but if it wasn’t for my struggles I would have never found my strengths, how I want to change the world around me. For that I am thankful.

We all have the opportunity at any moment to change, to forgive, and to choose happiness. Today I choose to live how God intended, to make a positive impact on my life, my family and the people around me.

Talking with my son that day, I discovered two things. One, I am proud of the young man he is becoming and two, I will not become blind – I will choose to forgive.