WE Believe - Column

The Greek word generally used in the Gospels for the English word faith is πίστιν which means “to be persuaded.” Persuasion implies a change in attitudes or behaviors. It is a movement of convictions based on reason and emotion.

Faith is best thought of as a verb and not a noun. Something we do and not something we have. James 2:17 tells us without action, faith is dead. Faith is a journey and not a destination. And it’s a gift from God – we can’t create it – we can only receive it and respond with it. (1 Corinthians 13:13) Faith is being persuaded to take the next step even though we don’t see the finish line. 

Risk is part of faith. To be persuaded that an uncertain future is better than a current reality. Refusing to take an adventure for something extraordinary is a guarantee for achieving something ordinary. Risking (acting on faith) means possibly losing one's footing for a moment or two; not risking means losing oneself. 

Possibility is part of faith. Being persuaded the best is still to come. Faith is believing the possibilities and not accepting the limitations. Hope is the painting; faith is the painter. 

Dependence is the beginning of faith. At times in our life we have been pushed and will be pushed to our limits. Here is the world: bad things happen and so do terrible things. We’ll discover, sooner or later if we haven’t already, that independence from God doesn’t work out. And dependence is the beginning of faith. 

Trust is the maturity of faith. The trusting disciple just doesn’t believe in God, but also believes and trusts God. The disciple trusts that God can do more with six of our days depending on Him than he or she could do in seven days independent of Him. The disciple trusts things like praying for our enemies. This makes no sense but the disciple does it because it’s God’s idea therefore it is a good idea. 

Last Sunday, The Water’s Edge, demonstrated faith. It was by far our biggest step of faith we have ever taken. A persuasion that buying land was the next step in our journey together with God. It is a risk. A big risk. A 23 acre risk. But we believe extraordinary is now a better possibility. We have faith that God has a sacred and holy use for this land. We have faith that people will get to know God and get to know God better on this ground. We have faith that new friendships will be formed and existing relationships and families will be strengthened on this land. We have faith that hurting people, marginalized people, and broken people will be served on this property. We unanimously decided to depend on God and depend on each other. And we trust that God will provide. After all, it’s His church. 

The best is yet to come… 

Craig

Announcement This Sunday on Land Purchase Recommendation

I remember sitting in our living room about five or six years ago. A few of us were dreaming about what a church could become. I don’t know if any of us fully believed these dreams would come true, but we dreamed anyway. We simply dreamed about a church that thought and acted like Jesus.

The Land at Sunset

We searched the Scriptures and discovered Jesus had a special place in his heart for children. We determined from our beginning children would be our priority. Last week I stood in front of the congregation with dozens of adult mentors and presented Bibles to thirty-five third graders. The dream is coming true. 

We learned that Jesus spent much of his time serving people. One of us said that we look most like Jesus when we serve. We dreamt of ways we could love and serve our community and the world. Last month we cancelled our morning worship experiences at Millard West and sent hundreds of men, women, and children into the community to worship God by serving people. It was God’s people being the church and was one of the great days in our short history. The dream is coming true. 

We looked at the early church in the book of Acts and observed that small groups and Christian community was at the center of their lives. We read how Jesus surrounded himself with others. We dreamed of hundreds of small groups that meet in people’s homes: learning, growing, praying, playing, laughing, crying, sharing, and caring. Dozens of small groups kicked-off last week. New friendships will be formed. People will grow in their relationship with God. The dream is coming true. 

An important announcement will be made this morning about more dreams and visions. After two years of prayer, examining thirty-five properties, negotiating with land owners, and some more praying—the Leadership Team and the Land and Building Team is ready to present a property to be evaluated by the congregation. Over the next few weeks, the congregation will have the opportunity to continue to learn, ask questions, and provide feedback to our Leadership Team and our Land and Building Team. 

The purchase of land was not something we dreamed about in the living room that night. The purchase of land is, in small part, because of necessity. The school does require us to have an exit strategy and we know of no other alternatives big enough for us to worship within miles of Millard West. The purchase of land is mostly about dreams and vision. We dream of a place where children can be developed, mentored, and coached. A place where middle and high school students want to come and hang out. A place where we can give food and clothing to those in need. A place for recovery and support groups and Christ-centered counseling. A place that the community feels welcomed and embraced. Simply, this will be a place where people throughout the metro area will worship God, connect with each other, and serve our city and the world. 

The best is yet to come… 

Craig

My First Bible

I can think of very few things I have owned for thirty years. The clothes of my childhood don’t quite fit anymore. The footballs, bicycles, video games – they have all be thrown away or donated or are in the back of one of the closets at my mom’s house. I do have a monkey that is older thirty years. He is quite handsome, but well worn. Tall and slender. Stuffed with women’s nylons. I guess men don’t wear nylons, so the word “women’s” is a bit redundant. The monkey is in David’s room now.

I still remember the day I got my Bible. There was eight or nine of us. We were confirmed together. We graduated together. We have gathered two more times in the church: for the funerals of two boys who got their Bibles that day. Never were the words of the Bible more important than they were on those two days. The eight of nine of us were all dressed up in our Sunday best, which was most likely khaki pants, a white shirt, and a tie for the boys and some kind of long dress for the girls. We nervously stood in front of the small congregation and were presented our Bible. We were encouraged to read it and bring it with us to Sunday school and worship. 

The Bible got put away for about ten years or so. It was always available, but seldom used. This Bible travelled with me when I left my little town in northwest Iowa as a socially awkward eighteen year old and attended college at Drake University. I didn’t believe in God at the time, but taking the Bible to college seemed like the right thing to do. The Bible has lived in such places as Spencer, Iowa; Atlanta, Georgia; Dallas, Texas; and Lexington, Kentucky. 

I remember one time I travelled to Malaysia and Indonesia. We gave hundreds of Bibles, written in their language, to young adults hungry for God’s Word. They opened them with the same wide-eyed optimism that a child opens his or her first present on Christmas morning. 

This morning I’ll give away about thirty-five Bibles to our third grade students. I was looking at the Bibles the other day. They are a little more colorful and well illustrated than mine. They have sections to explain things and help apply God’s Word to our lives. But the words remain the same. 

I’ll probably say something like this on Sunday morning: Find a few minutes to read this book everyday. Read it on the days when you think you need it the least and read it on the days when you need it the most. Read it with your family a couple times a week and talk for a few minutes about what it means. If you don’t understand everything, that’s okay. Sometimes I don’t either. But keep reading. It is the best way to hear God’s voice and is the single most important thing that will help you think and act like God. And thirty years from now, you’ll still have it. 

The best is yet to come… 

Craig

40 Days in the Word

It’s a book. It’s words either mean everything or they mean nothing at all. It’s the bestselling book of our time. It’s the best selling book of all time. Never has a book been more criticized. Never has a book been more quoted. Never has a book been more turned to in a time of need. It’s part biography and history. Letters and prophecy that are simultaneously compelling and challenging. There is nothing quite like the poetry found in this book and the prose is just as brilliant. And then there is the Gospel or what the Greeks called εὐαγγέλιον. It simply means good news.

The book is, of course, the Bible. Søren Keirkegaard wrote: “When you read God's Word, you must constantly be saying to yourself, ‘It is talking to me, and about me.’” And he is correct. 

The woman sits next to her two children on a chair on the cemetery lawn. Five feet in front of them is a casket with two dozen roses on top. The pastor opens the Bible and turns to Psalm 23 and begins to read: “…and even through I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, You are with me.” The words mean everything or they mean nothing.

The man has hit rock bottom. His collection of poor choices have overwhelmed him. He has nowhere to turn. He remembers a story from his childhood. After thumbing through the index in a dusty Bible, he turns to Luke 15 and reads about a fellow prodigal who returns home and experiences the love of his father not because of what he has done, but because of who he is. Grace is the only thing he got from the story which is just as well because it was the only thing he really needed at the time. The words mean everything or they mean nothing.

During the next six weeks we will explore the Bible. 

How to learn it 

How to love it 

How to live it 

In my own faith journey, I know this about the Bible: God is always there for me. I open the Bible, read it, and something happens. Peace, comfort, challenge, hope, grace. Something happens. I also know I don’t regret a single moment I have spent reading God’s Word. And I know, from experience, my life makes the most sense and has the most joy when I live my life according to God’s Word. No exceptions. 

I invite you to join me as we spend the next 40 days learning how to read the Bible, investigating God’s Word, and experiencing what it means to apply biblical principles to our lives: as individuals, as families, and as a church. 

The best is yet to come… 

Craig

Getting Some Rest This Labor Day Weekend

Oregon was the first state to recognize it in 1887. It became a federal holiday in 1894. Always the first Monday in September, Labor Day recognizes the contributions and achievements of American workers.

Labor Day Parade, New York City

It means something different today than it did one hundred and twenty years ago. Today most consider Labor Day weekend the end of summer, the start of football season, an opportunity to get a few things done around the house, or a long weekend. The aroma of grilled hamburgers and hot dogs is more prevalent on Labor Day than any other Monday of the year. Parks are filled with people. The kids enjoy a day off from school. 

The English word labor is from the Latin word laborare. It means manual or physical work. To toil, struggle, have difficulty. We can understand why a woman having a baby is called labor. We can also understand why coal miners and steel workers and railroad builders used to march in parades in early September. The industrialization and modernization of America happened because of their sweat. 

Jesus was aware of labor. Physical, emotional, relational, and spiritual labor. He knew life wasn’t easy. It wasn’t easy for the people he related to in the Middle East twenty centuries ago and life remains a challenge for people today. We are tired, stressed out, hurting, over-committed, under-resourced, facing difficulties, lonely, and struggling. Many of us are like this some of the time and some of us are like this much of the time. 

Jesus makes an invitation us: Come to me. All of you who labor and carry heavy burdens. If you are tired or burned out, come to me. And I will give you rest. (Matthew 11:28)

Balance and Harmony

The Greek word Jesus uses is ἀναπαύσω which is a little different than our word rest. Rest to us might be laying on a couch in front of a television or dreaming of being in a cabin in mountains or by a lake. Webster even describes rest as “freedom from labor.” Jesus didn’t see rest as inactivity, rather he uses ἀναπαύσω which implies balance, especially in life’s essential areas of imagination, physical wellness, mental wholeness, relational harmony, and spiritual solidarity with God. Jesus is not promising us life is going to be perfect, but he is promising us his presence and his participation in our lives. 

This Labor Day weekend, take Jesus up on his offer. Slow down a bit. Realize life isn’t about what we do, but who we are. Go to him. Pray. Give him some of your hurts and some of your burdens. Read a few chapters of one of the Gospels. Journey with Jesus and accept his gifts of balance, harmony, rest, and grace. 

Happy Labor Day, 

Craig

Strategic Matters

A few weeks ago, our youngest son, David, was leaving his class in the Frog Pond. He was one of 31 soon-to-be kindergarteners. I remembered back 5 years when our total population of children birth to fifth grade was less than 30 students. In a month or so, 35 third graders will be receiving their Bibles and starting a Bible mentor program with an adult. The Children’s Ministry Team has great things planned for the remainder of the year: The children will be doing the 40 Days in the Word Campaign alongside the adults. They will serve kids in Africa by participating in Operation Christmas Child. They will serve older students and adults at The Water’s Edge by preparing and performing a Christmas musical. I am so grateful for all of the volunteers who serve our children. You are investing in people important to God and people important to many of us. Parents: if you have questions – email nancy@watersedgeomaha.com. She is on our staff to serve you.

I used to be a youth minister. It’s been over 12 years ago. Wednesday night my oldest son, Benjamin, will start youth group! The youth ministry is ready to launch. We have over 30 adult leaders, with about half of them being new, who will mentor and serve our middle and high school students. The youth will also join the adults and kids with the 40 Days in the Word study. If you have a middle and/or high school student and want more information on the weekly gatherings or summer mission trips send an email to chad@watersedgeomaha.com.

This fall WE will have over 25 adult small groups. Many of these are new and others are accepting new people. Small groups are a great way to create new friendships, strengthen existing relationships, connect to God, and apply biblical principles to our lives. Over 75 new people have signed-up for a small group in the last few weeks. All groups will launch the week of September 9th. I encourage you to register for a group on Sunday morning or email jill@watersedgeomaha.com. 

Sunday, August 12th, was one of the great Sundays at The Water’s Edge. Over 350 of us served two nursing homes: The Lighthouse and Good Samaritan; three local ministries: Release Ministries, the Hope Center, and Together Omaha; two elementary schools: Rockwell and Willowdale; a 5K race: the Boxer 500; and at Millard West High School by assembling health and hygiene kits and welcome bags to teachers. We most look like Jesus when we serve. 

Construction on the Ministry Center is progressing well. A dedicated group of workers is making this possible. We are looking at moving in early October. You will also be hearing a lot from the Capital Campaign Team in the weeks and months to come as we seek to fund the Harrison Street property this fall. These are exciting times and I’m grateful to be on this journey with you. 

The best is yet to come… 

Craig

WE Serve - An Amazing Day

WE cancelled our worship services last weekend and worshipped God by serving and loving people in Omaha. Here is what happens when a bunch of ordinary people combine their resources with an extraordinary God!