Connect with Hope

• We are literally steps away from perfecting an on-demand player for past sermons and other digital content. Hopefully we’ll be able to roll it out before the end of the year.
• Did you enjoy the video announcements last weekend? Hope to do more of those in the future. It makes announcements a little less … dull.
• Student ministries here at Hope has a great blog and online presence. Start exploring here.
• I’m kind of partial, but I think the Action Method by Behance is one of the best GTD methods out there. The book explaining the method, Making Ideas Happen, is one of my personal favorites.
• How about Pastor Caroline, eh? Aside from being a professor and OBGYN, she’s also a fantastic blogger.
• Gus Gustafson recently joined staff here at Hope and I have to say, he’s fast becoming one of my favorite people on the planet. Welcome Gus!
• Trees. Giant, real, live trees. Don’t know what I’m talking about? You will soon.
• I’m really digging Perry Ross‘ paintings. And you thought he was just a talented worship leader!
• See you Sunday … Or Saturday. We wrap up the Dream Giver series. I guess you could say it’s time is “up.” Ha!

As we’re coming up on the wonderful cold and flu season, there are as many opinions on how to stay healthy, or once you’re sick—how to get well. Exercise, chugging orange juice, Zinc tablets, 8 hrs. or sleep, washing your hands, etc, etc. Regardless, I think we can all agree on one thing this time of year: people are attracted to health, but repelled by sickness.

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The weather forecast is for the potential of a light frost north of Highway 20 but I took cuttings from the coleus and basil anyway. I have enough pesto in the freezer to see us through the winter, but there are some dishes that cry out for fresh basil.  The coleus is from a plant my Grandma Boehnke grew and I’ve grown a cutting from it ever since she died.  The plants will probably be safe for another week or two if we’re lucky, but I tend to be cautious, so I took the cuttings and will throw old blankets and towels over the other herbs tonight.

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So what’s interesting at Hope this fall?

Hope is just overflowing with ministries you can get connected to. One in particular that I get passionate about is Hope’s prayer ministry. In the years I’ve served at Hope I’ve seen God do amazing things through prayer—everything from healed marriages and families to dramatic physical healings. God is in the transformation business and prayer is one of the major ways he makes that happen. Here are just some of the ways prayer happens at Hope.

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“The most godly thing you could do today is go home and take a nap!” Sounds crazy doesn’t it? But these words from a mentor of mine a few years back opened my eyes to something seriously missing in my walk with God: Rest. Finding a sense of pace and rhythm to my life. Learning to slow down. Whatever you call it, I wasn’t pursuing it. And it was killing me on the inside.

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I’ve found myself thinking about Celtic Christian spirituality recently. My interest was sparked years ago by Thomas Cahill’s book, How the Irish Saved Civilization. I love Celtic music (OK, so maybe a little bagpipe goes a long way), prayers written by Celtic Christians, and a cold Smithwicks. A family trip to Ireland several years ago increased my awareness of this way of thinking about God and his relationship with his people.

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Are you looking for community? Are you looking for ways to get connected? Well, you are not alone.

Not too many years ago, I was having a conversation with one of my closest friends who had moved from our hometown to Boston, MA. He found himself in a new community seeking to find community. I will never forget what he said to me one night on the phone. He said, “Jeremy, do you want to know what is worse than anything else? Finding yourself in a sea of people but feeling completely alone.” My friend went on to tell me that he would rather be at home with no one to hang out with than to be in the midst of people and to still feel lonely.

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Hey Sports and Outreach Fans!

It’s the beginning of the season for college and professional football, and I can’t wait to see my San Francisco 49ners tear it up this year! They looked great against the Vikings in pre-season. Of course, the new roll-out of the Big Ten schedule for 2011 has me ecstatic to see Nebraska against Iowa.  That will be a fun rivalry.

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My oldest son Dalton competed in a youth triathlon this summer. When my Mom heard about this she invited Dalton and me to come and participate in the First Annual Walnut Street Indoor Triathlon (Mom and Dad’s house is located on Walnut Street!). This past weekend the event was held and Mom, Dad, Dalton and I sat down to best each other in Farkle, Blockus and Scrabble. Dalton won (I let him!).

Before the competition began, Dalton noticed a VCR tape next to Mom and Dad’s VCR (yes – they have a DVD player, too). The label on the tape read “Dalton’s First Week.” We put the tape in and watched as my wife Wendy and I held our son for the first time, introduced him to his grandma and got into the car to drive home. I also was pleased to see that in his first week I introduced Dalton to Tecmo Super Bowl!

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Since so many of you have asked, here’s the video I used during the service from this past weekend.

If you missed out on the action, be sure to check out our sermons page and download the latest message!
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