Connect with Hope

By Mike Housholder
Senior pastor

This weekend at worship, I’ll take you on an interesting and relevant tour of a biblical love story (and a haircut!) gone wrong between Samson and Delilah.

The failed romance between these two bigger-than-life personalities points out some obvious pitfalls for anyone in a relationship. More importantly, it challenges us as readers of the Word to ponder the motivations and definitions for love that we carry into relationships, and it forces us to ask some first-order questions about our priorities in life.

Love is a wonderful thing … until it becomes a dysfunctional mess! God has a better plan.

Come and see!

Editor’s Note: Mission Robin’s Nest is a Hope mission partner. Here’s a wonderful Hope Story from Byron and Marcene Culbertson on their recent experience serving at this children’s home in Montego Bay in Jamaica.

We have returned from Robin’s Nest, a Christian children’s home on a mountaintop outside Montego Bay in Jamaica. Although words will be a poor substitute for the real thing, we’d like to share our experience with you. We want to encourage you to step out and do what God whispers to you; because we now know He does just that with all of us.

We were assigned a bunch of pretty simple tasks, and we finished most of them with fun and teamwork. Painting, building, organizing, fixing, cleaning, and carrying 440 concrete blocks. Part of the way through, we realized these tasks were needed, but not the big reason we were welcomed there. Helping the kids with homework, playing, swimming, doing Bible studies, pushing them on swings, reading books with them; all really good stuff, but still not the big reason we were invited in. The big reason we all went and were so openly received is to share God’s love and be loved by 30 kids and about 17 staff and 9 fellow missionaries (our team). The way those kids, who were abused and/or abandoned, loved us, trusted us, treated us so special, and asked us to simply be with them was truly inspiring.

They are joyfully unaware of how little they have, and they made us joyful because we could learn so much from them. Their bright eyes and huge smiles and enthusiastic playfulness are something we carried back with us. When you are there, they make direct eye contact, sit as close as possible with you if not on you, take you by the hand to share their time, hug you with all of themselves, ask you to read with them, and touch your hair and face and hands and in my case, belly, until you just laugh. It will always stick with us how kids with so little and such painful pasts can be so happy. God is so obviously in the midst, and we have a new and much deeper faith.

Marcene was loved on by all of them, and especially 9-year-old Prince, infant Joanna, toddlers Ayesha and Aliya. We were both touched by all of them and especially Abby, Jerome, Sun, Cisco, and Sue. Byron made special contact with Damien, Demani and Obrian. My birthday was on Thursday, and all the kids took me outside like I was Gulliver and they were the Lilliputians, pushing, pulling and giggling all the way. Once outside, being blasted with flour from head to toe surprised me. It’s their way of “marking the birthday person so they all know.” Then Joyel, the co-director of Robin’s Nest, made a beautiful cake with candles and everybody sang Happy Birthday. Think I wasn’t blown away?

Jamaica is a place where the average Jamaican makes $80/week, milk costs $10 a gallon. Resorts are luxurious and provide most of the revenue to run the society. If Jamaicans have running water, showers have no hot water. Clothes are mostly hand-me-downs. Education is a privilege. Roads and infrastructure are Third World status. The geography is mountainous anywhere away from the coastline. The weather is gorgeous and the scenery is unbelievably pretty. Most vacationers never get to see the real Jamaica because it’s just too difficult. We were treated to the “real Jamaica” and some “real Jamaican love”.

Byron’s takeaways: I actually saw what I only previously heard in the abstract. An ordinary person doing extraordinary things is the reality of God’s work when we let God be the boss. He doesn’t ask us to give up what we have or to have less. He does ask us to share what He so generously gives us because all of it comes from Him through others. And we can be the others to someone else who has so much less. Not through huge, grandiose gestures, it doesn’t require a mission trip to far-off places. Just through everyday generosity and kindness and willingness to do as He says in the Bible. What I hope I left there is the knowledge that the staff and the kids are loved and that even people they don’t see all the time value them. I taught them the deaf hand sign for “I LOVE YOU”; they really liked learning it, flashing it to us when we parted. Being abandoned and abused and treated like throw-always, these kids offer such a treasure to someone who will adopt them. I pray every kid there gets to be part of a loving, Christian family.

Marcene’s takeaways: When I arrived at the Robin’s Nest, I was excited to get the projects started and completed. Give us a list of tasks and let us go. During the first day I realized it wasn’t all about completing the task, it was so much more. It was the joy of being present, seeing God at work in others and me. What I realized this week was about developing long-lasting relationships, seeing the joy in the children, working together joyfully and taking time to be still. The overall feeling of joy and appreciation and gratitude was truly amazing. I, too, pray every child gets to be part of a Christian family. I am so thankful the children have a safe place to live. What I hope I left behind is that each child knows they are loved. And know they are each loved by God. The question I was asked most by the children is “who is your boss?” My answer was GOD.  They would nod their little heads and smile. I pray that I will start living my life as I learned; putting all of my trust in GOD. I am so excited to see what he has in store for us next.

A big “thank you” to all of you who provided the great donations. What we found out talking to Matt Riley (one of the co-directors): it takes $23,000 monthly to keep Robin’s Nest going, that is in addition to the donations. All of the team members had additional luggage filled with your donations, it is a much better way than shipping, due to the import fees and cost of supplies in Jamaica. If God has put in your heart to help Robin’s Nest, Matt says service teams bringing items is the best way. If that isn’t possible, cash donations can be given through the web site.

In closing, telling you about it doesn’t even touch how this trip affected their and our lives. Please enjoy our pictures.

God is good. God bless every one of you.

By Mike Housholder
Senior pastor

Worship Preview: “And the Walls Came Tumbling Down”
Our journey through the Bible together as a church family continues this weekend with another story from Scripture that is too often ignored, dismissed, or misunderstood (by both believers and non-believers). I’ll preach from the Book of Joshua about a courageous warrior, a town prostitute, and the walls that had to fall. Come and hear all about how God defeated the arrogance of worldly “power” and “wisdom” in a victory that makes even the best Super Bowl winning team look, well, rather tame!

The 2012 Souper Bowl Food Drive
It’s here! The annual Lutheran Church of Hope Souper Bowl Food Drive happens this weekend, Feb. 4-5. I’m asking you to bring a bunch of bags of nonperishable food items (the good stuff – the food you’d want to eat) with you when you come to worship this weekend. Local grocery stories have been notified, and they’re ready – and there’s a list of the most needed food items that you can find here.

Our goal is simple and super-sized: feed all who are hungry by filling the shelves of food pantries all throughout central Iowa!

If you feel led to do so, you can also donate money to the Souper Bowl Food Drive. 100% of the money we give will be delivered to the larger food pantries in Des Moines. They prefer money over canned foods because they have the staffing and size to buy food at wholesale prices. That said, the majority of food pantries we support in small towns and rural areas don’t have the capacity to make those purchases, so they prefer to receive the food rather than money. Give food and/or money as the Spirit leads … and thanks in advance for your generosity.

Lenten Project: 40 Churches in 40 Days!
Over the past few years, Hope has donated over $1 million to construct 140+ clean water wells in villages near Ho, Ghana, in western Africa. Life expectancy rates have changed. Education levels are way up (because kids aren’t on daily four-hour journeys with their mothers to draw water from dirty rivers). Hearts have been opened, and Christianity is spreading like wildfire … all as a result of God moving through our gifts!

Now, most of these villages want to start churches, and our missionary in Africa – Pastor Sam Dunya – has trained pastors ready to go. Here’s the amazing part: to build a village church in Ghana (basically a picnic shelter), furnish it with chairs and Bibles, and build a local parsonage (hut) for a pastor takes a grand total of $4,200!

My hope and prayer is that God will work through us during the season of Lent to provide the money to start 40 new churches in 40 days leading up to Easter! Start praying about it – God is bringing his light into the darkness of this world through you!

By Suzanne Behnke
Communications editor

2012 is one-twelfth over already! Does that make you pause?

That’s a  slightly dramatic way of saying that February is here. The point is that there’s plenty going on at Hope if you haven’t considered getting connected or serving in some way this year. We want to point out five ways to live out your faith in February (alliteration intended).

1. Feb. 4-5. This upcoming Saturday-Sunday is all about food, but it’s not snack time for the big football game. Instead, this is about food for other people. It’s the fifth Souper Bowl Food Drive, an effort to fill the shelves of central Iowa food pantries. Bring nonperishable food items to Hope this weekend – needed items here. One aspect of the Souper Bowl is to bring in some items that you pick up at the grocery store that food pantries most times don’t receive.  You can also consider making a monetary donation.

2. Feb. 3-4 is the Quilt-a-Thon. On Friday and Saturday, the Hope Quilters are organizing a “thon” to make blankets that will benefit patients at a local hospital. No previous quilting skills or experience is required or needed.

3. Feb. 6 or Feb. 11 is the start of Carecore training. This is a course that requires contacting Coordinator Kim Roush ahead of time. Carecore volunteers are trained to provide faithful support and assistance to those in need.

4. stART Your Month with Family Art is going to turn kids into songwriters. Space is limited for this chance to make some music for a loved one.

5. The start of Lent is Feb. 22 - Ash Wednesday. This is the season of the church calendar when we prepare and celebrate Jesus’ life and death and ultimate resurrection. Services are at noon and 7:00 pm at Hope West Des Moines.

There’s plenty more coming up in February, but this is a list to get you and your family started. Go here to search more opportunities.

By Mark Brandt
Minister of Children and Students

After Moses and the gang left Egypt, they wandered around the desert for several years before coming to the edge of the land of Canaan; the land God had promised He would give them.

In this weekend’s message, Moses sent out 12 scouts to report on the land, to see if it was as great as God had said and to check on the potential “resistance” they might encounter. So the 12 went out to take a peek.

What they saw was a land that was rich with possibilities AND some really big people that caused them to doubt God’s promise. I can only imagine the conversations between them all as they journeyed back to camp. Men that were tall became giants! Fear crept in, and they decided it would be best to NOT try and take the land. Even though God had promised this land to them as far back as Abraham, they decided to believe with their eyes rather than to walk by faith.

All of them except Joshua and Caleb. They chose to stand on the promises of God and challenge the fear and complacency of the people. They reminded them of God’s word and how he had said that He would deliver the land to them. They chose to stand when others wanted to return to Egypt and to the very people that had tortured and enslaved them for centuries!

This weekend we are going to examine what happens when we let fear and a lack of trust get in the way of God’s promises. We are often paralyzed … stuck in perpetual stillness. Afraid sometimes that God might actually come through on his promises, taking us out of our comfort zone and into a land that – while full of opportunity –  scares us into doubting not only God, but ourselves.

I believe like all the leaders at HOPE that we are called to do great things … even things as yet not seen. That is going to take faithful, and relentless reliance on God’s Spirit and leading…

We are ready to take on the giants!

by Scott Rains
Hope Ankeny campus pastor

When I was in high school, I took four years of French. I learned grammar and vocabulary, I learned to conjugate verbs. I
learned slang expressions (some of which were not part of the curriculum).

During the spring of my senior year, I went to France with our French Club. We spent a couple of weeks touring Paris, castles, cathedrals, the beaches of Normandy.

During one of the weeks, we lived with a host family.  We went to a French high school.  We watched “The Cosby Show” in French – cool, cultural stuff like that!

During those couple of weeks, in France I learned some important lessons:

I was actually learning something in my French classes at Eldora-New
Providence high school.

• It was helpful to learn the grammar and vocabulary and conjugations –
  that was helpful…if I wanted to be a tourist…
• I learned the point of studying the French language was not to do well academically, the point was not to get a good grade.
• The biggest lesson I learned was that if I became fluent in French it would be possible for me to LIVE in France.

The point was the question of “HOW DO I LIVE?”

Whenever anyone asks me if I have a favorite Bible verse, I always say John 10:10. It’s where Jesus says: ”I have come that you may have life and have it to the full.”

So many times people have this idea that a life of faith is all about rules and regulations and lists of things NOT TO DO, so that ultimately a life of faith is about experiencing as little life as possible; it’s about diminishing life.

That could not be farther from the truth! That’s exactly the opposite of what Jesus says!

I have come that you may have life. When you look closely at what Jesus says throughout the Gospels, you see Jesus talking about life all the time.

Eternal life – what’s the best way to live life today, right now, in the reality of our life on this earth and what is the way to life that does not end even after we die.

“And this is the way to have eternal life — to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth.”  John 17:3

Church, the point of becoming  bblically fluent is so that we can have life!

So we can experience the kind of life God has for us – the kind of life Jesus tried to teach people and show people when he was on this earth. The kind of life that is rich, and full, and abundant, and over-flowing …

And look what Jesus saysthat  the way to this kind of life – the way to eternal life – is to KNOW God and to KNOW Jesus.

When we talk about becoming a biblically fluent church, this is a big part of what we are talking about! We are talking about digging into the stories, and then digging into them a little more, and then a little deeper – not to gather information, not to gain more HEAD knowledge …

But so we can KNOW God and have LIFE!

In the Bible, to know someone is very much a RELATIONAL reality. It’s not knowing about someone – it’s actually knowing him or her. Talking, listening to, loving him or her.

So we are going to read the Bible, and talk about what we read so that we are able to understand more and more about who God is. What is God’s character? What sorts of things would we expect God to do? And what sorts of things would we NOT
expect God to do?

When we become biblically fluent, when we get to know God more, we experience a relationship with God. And we will grow in our experience of the life God has for us.

C’est magnifique!

by Mike Housholder
Senior pastor

This week, our Bible readings take us through the central story of the Old Testament – the exodus of God’s people from slavery and oppression in Egypt to the freedom and new life of a promised land.

It is a story of good and evil, heroes and villains, mystery and adventure … but most of all it is a story of a real God who shows up and puts the dark powers of this world in their place.

The Pharaoh (Egyptian king) enslaved and tortured the Hebrews. He committed mass murder. He ignored the warnings of Moses over and over again, stubbornly refusing to acknowledge that there is a God (or that he was not it).

And that’s where the story gets really good, and surprisingly relevant for our enlightened world that sometimes falls into the arrogant trap of concluding that God is not, or that this God must align with our narrow and limited worldviews (which are a moving target).

There is a God, and this God showed up to defeat evil and win freedom for millions. If that sounds like a prelude to an even greater story that involves a Savior, a cross and an empty tomb … well, it should. And now you’re starting to see that these old stories from the beginning of the Bible have everything to do with Jesus … and us.

Come and hear all about it at worship this weekend. Bring a Bible and a few friends who are hungry for the Word!

Grace & Peace,

Pastor Mike Housholder

by Mark Brandt
Minister of Children and Students

“If  you pay attention to these laws and are careful to follow them, then the Lord your God will keep his covenant of love with you. as he swore to your forefathers.” Deuteronomy 7:12 NIV

Have you noticed how easy it is to lose focus on the things that are most important? We get distracted, daydream, get caught in a moment, whatever it is … We lose site of the path we are on only to find ourselves in situations or predicaments that don’t often end well.

Now I realize that there are some people for which this isn’t really the case. We often describe them as having amazing “attention to detail” or “laser-like focus.” Even the best of us, though, can’t avoid those moments. If even for only a short time, we all can get off track and wonder where we are, where we’ve been, or why we are doing what we are doing. Invariably though, something GRABS our attention and brings us back into focus.

Andy Stanley says it this way, “Where we give our attention will directly influence our direction.” In other words, whatever we give our attention to affects where we are going to end up. As you can imagine, this can have either rewarding and disastrous consequences. Is it any wonder then that God gave his people and us this caution in Deuteronomy a couple chapters after reiterating the Ten Commandments? God urges us to “pay attention” to the rules; to pay attention to the boundaries.

How often though do we suspend our adherence to them in moments when our attention is attracted to something that seems more important. And then we wonder why we got off track. … God is not an unfair parent with a list of impossible rules meant to constrict his children. And he is not without GRACE when we break them. God in his wisdom knows that we are an easily distracted lot and gives us reminders throughout scripture to “stick to the path.” (Proverbs 3:5-6) Why do you think that is?

Because God realizes that wandering off the path never ends well for us! And he wants us to make a plan to stay on the path so that when (not if) distractions vie for our attention, we can avoid the pitfalls that come from wandering. You see, no one wakes up and says, “I really want to SIN today! And BOLDLY too!” That would be silly thinking. But how often do we consciously make a plan not to?

“Pay attention” God says, so that it will go well for you. Wise words and a great reminder for me this week as I am into Day 18 of my reading the Bible in a year… There are a lot of things attempting to distract me today; Cubs rumors, Tebow talk, finishing the novel I am reading. Those are just the “harmless” things. Let’s admit it: There are SO many things that the devil wants to use to distract us; to keep our focus off the one true source of Life. Make a plan to keep your focus today! And make a plan to make a plan tomorrow … There is a battle being waged for your attention, and you have the tools to win!

“Let your eyes look straight ahead, fix your gaze directly before you. Make level the paths for your feet and take only ways that are firm. Do not swerve to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil.” Proverbs 4:25-27

FOCUS

Today as you go about your daily routine or activities, take a moment to remember the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. This is a federal holiday to recognize the man who pursued justice, love and peace. If you are looking for ways to serve the church or community, please go here.

Martin Luther King Jr. was a civil rights leader who was assassinated in 1968. The following are excerpts from some of his speeches or well-known quotes:

- “I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit together at the table of brotherhood.””

- “I know you are asking today, “How long will it take?” (Speak, sir) Somebody’s asking, “How long will prejudice blind the visions of men, darken their understanding, and drive bright-eyed wisdom from her sacred throne?” Somebody’s asking, “When will wounded justice, lying prostrate on the streets of Selma and Birmingham and communities all over the South, be lifted from this dust of shame to reign supreme among the children of men?” Somebody’s asking, “When will the radiant star of hope be plunged against the nocturnal bosom of this lonely night, (Speak, speak, speak) plucked from weary souls with chains of fear and the manacles of death? How long will justice be crucified, (Speak) and truth bear it?” (Yes, sir) I come to say to you this afternoon, however difficult the moment, (Yes, sir) however frustrating the hour, it will not be long, (No sir) because “truth crushed to earth will rise again.” (Yes, sir) How long? Not long, (Yes, sir) because “no lie can live forever.” (Yes, sir) How long? Not long, (All right. How long) because “you shall reap what you sow.” (Yes, sir)”

by Mike Housholder
Senior pastor

Sometimes it’s nice to walk along the beach, warm ocean waves slowly trickling up and over our feet. Much of the Bible is like that – an easy and gentle journey with God, filled with stories of comfort and peace.

Then there are times when reading the Bible feels more like surfing a tsunami, with stories so rough and difficult to read they might leave us wondering for a moment if it’s spiritually safe to take this ride … hold on!

Abraham wanted a child, waited most of his life for one, and then God told him to treat his child like a sacrificial lamb. In Genesis 22, a tsunami hit Abraham. His faith was about to be tossed around and tested on a massive wave that few, if any, others in the Bible would feel or endure.

Abraham loved Isaac, like all good fathers love sons. So when God instructed this good father to surrender his son (Genesis 22:2), it had to come to Abraham as an absolute shock. In the end, of course, we discover that God never had any intention of letting young Isaac die. Something deeper was happening here.

While the good ending helps, still this particular story has overwhelmed a lot of good Bible readers for centuries. For that reason, some Christians choose to skip right over it, because they aren’t comfortable with the role God plays, or the apparent willingness of Abraham to follow through on God’s stunning command.

Take a closer look at this old story with me, however, and you will find a pure and holy God who stands consistently (here and throughout Scripture) against hurting a child in any way. You will also find a relevant application in this inspiring story for anyone (and perhaps that one is you) who ever feels like there’s no way out of a seemingly impossible situation.

Never give up on God.

I’ll preach on these things this weekend at Hope, as we continue our 16-month journey through the Bible. We’re purposely starting off 2012 with seven weeks of some of the most difficult stories in Scripture to read and comprehend. Rather than avoid these big, challenging “waves,” we’re diving in.

After all, a walk on the beach is fine, but every once in a while, it’s good to take our faith for a ride. See you at Hope this weekend …

Surf’s up!

Pastor Mike Housholder