Thought a lot about heroic courage this week as I read Acts 5:17-42.  It prompted me to think about the heroic courage of John and Betty Stam, my maternal gandpa's brother and his wife who were beheaded because of the fact that they were foreigners and because of the fact that they were witnesses for Christ.  We don't need exactly this kind of heroic courage, at least right now.  Hopefully, we never have to have it but the fact is we do need heroic courage just to live life the way we know we should live it.  The big question is 'how do we get it'?
It is a big question and I won't pretend that I can give a conclusive or a comprehensive answer in the space of these few short lines.  I would, though, like to share an insight I gained from Timothy Keller.  In Acts 5:31, Dr. Luke uses an unusual word, a title really, for Jesus.   He refers to him as 'Prince and Savior'.  (NIV and NASB)  The RSV renders it 'Leader and Savior'.  It is the word translated 'prince' and 'leader' that is the unusual word in the Greek.  It is only used four times in the New Testament according to Keller.  One of the other places is Hebrews 12:2: "...looking unto Jesus the author and perfector...".  'Author' is the word. Interestingly, it is the same title that in other ancient Greek literature is used of Hercules and other heroes of Greek mythology.  Thus the connection with the notion of heroic courage.  Jesus had heroic courage. It was courage of a different kind than Hercules had but courage nonetheless.
One of the ways we can get heroic courage is by looking to Jesus.  Do you remember the scene in the movie, 'The Patriot', where the character portrayed by Mel Gibson in the climactic battle scene rallies the colonial army by picking up the flag that had fallen and charging back toward the advancing British troops?  The fleeing colonial army looks at his courage and it gives them courage and slowly, one by one, they turn and follow him and the tide of the battle is turned.
In the battles we face, as our courage falters, we can look to Jesus, and then one by one we too can have our courage renewed.
 

I hope that Uncle Howard and Eunice will get word that they were the topic of the blog this week.  To me the love they showed to Alan was a remarkable example of the voluntary, radical generosity that the first century Christians showed each other.  In Acts 4:32 it says, "...All believers were one in heart and mind.  No one claimed that any of his possessions was his/her own, but they shared everything they had..."  This was no law.  It was done because the Holy Spirit motivated it, so that they were not 'possessed by their possessions.'  Too many and too much we have it the other way around.  We are defined by what we have rather than by who we ARE as children of the king.
Howard and Eunice voluntarily out of love for Alan dramatically altered their lifestyle to provide a safe and happy environment for a special needs young man after his own parents were killed in a car crash.  Our whole extended family benefited by their example.
The beautiful thing about it is they probably didn't even think about it as being some kind of amazing act.  They just did it without any thought of any kind of recognition.  Alan lived the last few years of his life giving and receiving a simple and authentic love, surrounded by cousins who doted over him.  I can still see his beaming face smiling up at Howard.
Thank you Howard and Eunice for giving us a tangible example of the Father's great unconditional love for us!

Resurrection Sunday dawned bright and clear in Clear Creek County.  Our community worship gathering on this day gave us a glimpse of what could be.  Over 100 people (a mega-church for us) crowded into the historic 'United Center' in Idaho Springs!  The United Center is the former United Methodist church building.  It retains it's historic charm with some nice updates.  It is a great place for worshipping together.
A community choir sang.  We celebrated the Lord's Supper and heard a message about how the resurrection speaks into our fears and our tendency to be burdened by guilt and shame.
Earlier in the week--Good Friday to be exact--I led a memorial service for a life-log member of our community who died suddenly.  Marjorie--Chee Chee--Bell was her name.  She and her husband, Bruce had recently come back to the United Church and we had spent some time with them.  Her service was held in the school gymnasium and around 400 people were in attendance.  This was another event that gave us a glimpse of the dream of what a vibrant worshipping church could be like here in our little 'Rocky Mountain Appalachia'.
That is the news from our corner of the world this Monday morning.  Thanks for reading!!

The community of Idaho Springs and wider Clear Creek County gathered for Palm Sunday worship at the United Center in Idaho Springs.  The United Center is the former, historic United Methodist church building which has been converted into a community center of sorts.  Nearly 100 people were there--Methodists, Presbyterians, Baptists, Lutherans--we hope and pray another step toward a Neighborhood church in Clear Creek County!
We lingered for awhile on the poignant scene of Jesus weeping over the city of Jerusalem while around him the crowds were cheering, "Hosanna".  And his words of lament,  "...If you had only known...this day what would bring you peace..." (Luke 19:42 NIV)
Peace here is connected to the Hebrew word 'shalom'.  This word is a much richer, fuller, deeper word than our usual understanding of the word peace as simply, 'absence of conflict.'  It speaks of freedom from care, inner rest, a sphere of living that lifts us up above our circumstances.
I don't know about you, but I aspire to live more consistently in that inner place of calm even if the world and circumstances around me are in chaos.  Sometimes I have that.  Sometimes I don't.  It is part of the fruit of the spirit.  We hold up empty and needy hands each day and ask for a fresh filling of the Holy Spirit.
Hear this day the wonderful words of blessing God gave to Moses to give to the people of Israel:
"The Lord bless you
and keep you;
The Lord make his face shine upon
you
and be gracious to you;
the Lord turn his face toward you 
and give you PEACE.  (Numbers 6:24-27)

Clear Creek County Colorado is probably not a lot different than most of the country as it relates to a general attitude toward things Christian.  But since it is a relatively small county (less than 10,000 population) and since we live here and know many people, these attitudes seem more defined.
We are reading, together, Philip Yancey's new book, "Vanishing Grace".  In it he recalls an incident Donald Miller wrote about in "Blue Like Jazz".  A reverse confessional booth was set up on a college campus where Christian students confessed their sins rather than expecting it the other way around.  Largely, they were (are) sins of failing to be 'grace-filled' people.
Philip also quotes Hebrews 12:15 which in part says, "...see to it that no one misses the grace of God..."
As we walk about this space of the earth where God has placed us we realize how many people have missed the grace of God.  It has become an empowering thought for us to consider ways that just by our presence here we can be part of introducing people to this great gift.  That may mean, at times, apologizing, for the self-righteous, antagonistic language and behavior. And it may mean confessing our tendencies toward defensive, condemning attitudes that we Christians have often present to the world around us.  What an opportunity and what a challenge!!

I was thinking yesterday and again this morning about the activities and accomplishments that bring meaning and identity to our lives.  And I was thinking further about how the good news of God's love relates to the formation of meaning and identity in our lives.  Everything in the material realm which brings meaning and identity to our lives is relative.  That is to say that there will always be someone we feel superior to or inferior to.
An illustration:  I'm a cyclist.  For many years I lived and road my bike on the quiet flat country roads of rural southern Minnesota and northern Iowa.  I would rarely see another person on a bike and hardly ever anyone who was serious about riding a bike.  I rode pretty hard and fast and grew to think I was a pretty 'hot stuff' on a bike.  Then I moved to Colorado!  The very first day there a neighbor who was also a bike rider saw me hanging my bike in the garage and asked if I wanted to go for a ride with him the next day.  I said,  "sure",  and quickly found out that I wasn't such 'hot stuff' on a bike!
If we find meaning in life and form our identity on activities and accomplishments that are relative we will always be looking up or down on others and basing how we feel about ourselves and others on ever changing standards.
However, the good news tells us that we are of infinite worth to our Heavenly Father, period.  That worth is not based on what we accomplish or how we look but simply that we are and we are loved to death by Him.
This really is good news and it is the good news we are trying to consistently tell here in Clear Creek County Colorado.

Encouragement from some friends has motivated us to re-up our efforts at keeping this communication more current.  Here goes.
-an update on Kevin and Anna Trivits and Daphne and...With our agreement and blessing the Trivits have relocated to Delaware where Kevin took and associate pastor position.  We miss them and their energy and vision but the move was best for this great family.  We continue to pray and dream about another person or couple to join us in this work.
-we have a 'core team'!  We meet every Wednesday night.  We have a meal together and are currently sharing our faith stories.
-Clear Creek Neighborhood Church meets the 2nd and 4th Sundays.  We believe we are starting to build some community.
-Mary meets with two special needs young women.  They really respond to her listening, gentle approach with them.
-Bill is preaching each Sunday, still, at the United Church in Idaho Springs, CO.  The double and overlapping work of starting something new, and attempting to revitalize an existing church is full of challenges and opportunities.
The preaching at the United Church is taking us through the book of Acts.  What a great book to be in alongside our sense of being missionaries here in Clear Creek County Colorado!  A key theme (check it out) in the history of the first century church is the person and work of the Holy Spirit.  Over and over the Holy Spirit, in power, just shows up.  The exciting (and frustrating) part of the work of the Holy Spirit is THERE IS NO FORMULA.  Wouldn't it be nice if we had just the right words to say or just the right actions to take to guarantee the outcomes and results we would like to see.  So, we just pray each morning for a fresh filling of the Holy Spirit that we can see with spiritual eyes and be doing 'Kingdom' work even when we aren't aware of it.  And maybe, just maybe something amazing will happen that can only be described as the work of our great and sovereign Heavenly Father.
PLEASE pray for us here in this challenging area of Colorado as we attempt to have a spiritual influence on Clear Creek County.