Change: We Over Me

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Reading Genesis and now Exodus one of the things that is consistent is a history of and often a call by God to change.  Sometimes change comes as a consequence of impulsive action motivated by desire or fear.  Such as when Adam and Eve in their desire to be like God, chose to eat of the tree of good and evil and were kicked out of Eden (Genesis 3).  Moses life changed when he fled to Midian after killing an Egyptian in anger.  He feared that Pharaoh would kill him (Exodus 2:11-25).  

Then his life changed again when he is commanded by God to leave his safe, predictable life as a member of Reuel’s family in Midian and lead the Hebrew people out of Egypt (Exodus 3-13).  His initial response to God’s command is essentially one many of us have responded with, “Why me?”(Exodus 3:11).  In that moment he is denying the reality of who God is and his relationship to the Hebrew people.  

He is making it a me thing, when it is a we thing. Change never occurs in isolation.  God is present, family is present and his people are present.  My own experience mirrors this.  When I am attentive to God’s will and the presence of his Holy Spirit, stay mindful of my role in the family, and accept the help and counsel of the people he has surrounded me with, change occurs for the good.  When I seek to handle change through my own will and devices, it is rarely fruitful and often hurtful to me and those around me.  I have learned to accept the “we” over the “me.”


Reflections by Bob Kling

Reflecting on Genesis...A Book of Beginnings

When I see the rainbow in the clouds, I will remember the eternal covenant between God and every living creature on earth. Then God said to Noah, “Yes this rainbow is the sign of the covenant I am confirming with all the creatures on earth.” (Genesis 9:16-17)

I have been thinking about how to describe my renewed relationship with God. Renewed seems fitting considering He has never left me, yet I veered off track for a while. It was kind of like, “it’s not you, it’s me…” I digress, however, thankfully I have found my way back. With that said, I feel like a novice. Each time I read through a verse it feels new to me, I read it over again trying to find the bits I may have missed the first time. If I am being honest, seeking for deeper meaning, respecting the word of our Lord can at times feel challenging. Coming to the end of Genesis and reflecting on what we have read for the last couple weeks, the theme that keeps rising up for me is unconditional love. God loves us. All of us, the good, the bad and the ugly. On our worst days, He loves us. In this way He is never giving up on us as He did not give up on the descendants of Adam and Eve. Time and time again they choose evil over good. They think they know better, they break his heart over and over again and yet God never stops loving them. I like to think God is on the sidelines almost cheering them on, never losing sight of His vision for us. 

God is there, He is always there to forgive and heal us with His love. Through Him it would seem that we can find love and forgiveness in our own lives. As I read and pray through God there is a conscious effort to live like Him. While this is a tall order, through the deepening of one’s faith and taking God’s word for what it is, not what we think it is, we can strive to live like Him. I have noticed that my perspective has shifted. Subtle, yet in the moment when it clicked in my head, I smiled to myself, it is happening! In that small moment at 4:58am in a discussion about who should be allowed to get the Covid vaccine first I think God smiled. He gave me a little squeeze, I could almost feel my heart expand. Moments like that connect me to Him in this life, on this planet that He created. Moments like that make finding that quiet time to read His word exciting and something to look forward to rather than just another thing to get done. I hope that as time moves on that they become more frequent. I also hope that I can share this experience with others so that they too can feel His love, because it is beautiful, just like a rainbow. 


Reflections by Brianna Gibaldi

Two Simple Questions that will Change the Way you Read Scripture

The Problem: Two Polar Opposites

If you’re anything like me, when it comes to reading the bible, the pendulum of our experience with God in His word swings back and forth between two polar opposites:

Sometimes, reading scripture is a joy that we get to experience.  We come to the Word to get Jesus.  The Bible is the window through which we see and encounter God, and through it he whispers reminders to us over and over: “Look at how much I love you.  Look at all that I’ve done for you.”

We are filled with a wonder and Holy imagination because we see Jesus sufficiency as the beautiful Savior he is.  Its life giving. Transformative.  We cannot get enough, so we stay up later than we normally would just to soak in a couple more chapters.  

But sometimes that’s not what reading scripture feels like.  Sometimes, reading scripture is a task that we must complete.  We come to the Word to get information. Or worse, if we’re honest, to check the box of our reading plan for the day.  The Bible is the tool we use to justify ourselves before God, and our “time in the word” is really a way for us to shout silent appeals to him: “I’m reading again – look at how much I love you!  Look at how disciplined I am for you!”

We feel crushed by the weight of our self-justification because we know deep down it is insufficient – we are terrible saviors.  Our hearts do not feel alive.  Spiritually, nothing has changed.  It seems like so much to read, so we skim over it really quick so we’re “technically not lying” when we tell the others in our group that we read.

The Solution: Two Simple Questions

What if we could stop the pendulum?  Is it possible for our “time in the Word” to more consistently be life giving and transformative?  Absolutely.  It’s all about how we approach scripture. 

In Mark 1:15, Jesus says “The time promised by God has come at last!...The Kingdom of God is near! Repent of your sins and believe the Good News!”

The word for time in that verse is not the Greek word chronos, which refers to time as a measurable resource in minutes and seconds.

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Instead, the Greek word is kairos, which means a fixed moment in time, or an opportune moment. 

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Every time we open our bible, we are opening ourselves up to enter a Kairos moment. We’re giving God the opportunity to break the Kingdom of God into our hearts a little more by bringing us to repent of our sins and renew our belief in the Good News.

Question #1:  “What is God saying to me?”

Every time we get into God’s Word we can have a kairos moment. Even though at times His voice can seem louder than others, God is always speaking to us.

The first side of the Kairos circle is REPENT. Repentance is an internal change, which is a process. Here we ask ourselves the question, “What is God saying to me?”  

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As you’re reading, take the time to observe what the text is saying:

  • What does this passage say about who God the Father, God the Son, or God the Holy Spirit is, or what He is like?

  • What does this passage say about what He has done, is doing, will do, or can do as Father, Son, and/or Holy Spirit?

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Next, reflect on that truth:

  • If that is true, what does that mean for you? 

  • ware you in light of that? 

  • Does your life’s patterns reflect a belief in that truth? 

  • If not, what do you need to start, stop, change, believe, or reject in light of the truths in this passage? 

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Discuss your observations and reflections with trusted friends who are following God alongside of you. 

Discussion is the hinge between repentance and belief, and the bridge that moves us from internal transformation to external obedience. 

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Question #2:  “What am I going to do about it?”

Belief leads to external change, which is a process.  Here we ask ourselves: “How do I respond to what God said to me?  What am I going to do about it?

Have a plan.

What would the next day, two days, week, etc, look different if you lived as if you believed what you’ve reflected on?What would it look like to start, stop, change, or believe what it is you feel God is telling you to start, stop, change, or believe?

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God shapes us best in community, so use the mechanism of community for accountability. 

Share what God has said to you and what you’re going to do about it with your MC/DNA group members.  Give them a simple question to ask that will remind you how you’ve decided to act in light of what God has said to you. When they ask it, they’re demonstrating they love you enough to remind you to conform your life obediently in response to God’s prompting.  NOTE: If you are a group member, don’t just focus on the details of the plan when you circle back to your friend: I.e., “How many times did you pray this week?”  Instead, get to their heart: “How has your heart’s desire for scripture been this week? Is it changing?”  The goal isn’t self-led religious devotion, it is Spirit-led demonstrated faith!

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Put Your Faith into Action

Now that you’ve observed what God is saying to you, reflected on how that applies to your life right now, discussed it with your MC/DNA members, articulated a plan, and sought accountability, the last one is simple:  ACT! 

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Put the plan into action and step out in faith.  In the next day, two days, week, etc., continually pray for the Spirit’s prompting, presence, and power as you seek to live obediently to what God is saying to you through his Word..  Self-initiated behavior change is incredibly unsustainable. You’ll burn out and shift back to neutral.  But when the Spirit of God speaks to us through the Word of God, and empowers us to live in light of that – that's transformative and life changing! 

By: Jacob Helmeczi

Diagrams and concepts taken from Building a Discipling Culture by Mike Breen.

Wonder and Holy Imagination

“At that time people first began to worship the Lord by name.” 

When we read the Bible it is very easy to get lost. We can get lost in the details. Lost in our bias. We can get lost in things we have previously learned or expectations we have. It is easy to get lost. As we start our efforts to read through the Bible in a year as a church may I make an invitation to you as a fellow traveler. What if we made great effort to anchor ourselves in reading the scriptures with fresh eyes, with wonder and holy imagination, considering the possibility that we just might be able to encounter and enjoy the living God through his Word in a new and vibrant way!

In Genesis 4:26 there is this line that has sparked in me some wonder and Holy imagination, “At that time people first began to worship the Lord by name" (Gen 4:26). Some translations interpret it “seek the Lord” or “call upon the name of the Lord”. Regardless of how your text reads consider this.

The descendants of Adam didn’t have a bible to read. All they had was the stories their parents and grandparents had told them, the general revelation of life in a world that was breaking apart, and a God that was committed to pursue them and be known by them. And yet, they knew who God was and sought to worship him. They new him by Name. Personally. Intimately. Experientially. There was no religious law, just a desire for relationship and worship.

And here is the point. The entire story of the Bible from beginning to end is much less about what we should do and far more about who God is and what he is like. This does not mean that our action is not important. It is! But what we do, or how we act, flows out of who we are. And who we are is only rightly defined when we encounter who God is and what he is like, because we are created in His image.

So here is the invitation. What if we resisted the urge to get God neatly figured out and embraced the idea of the Bible that it is revealing to us, in a living, breathing story, a God who is a mystery that is inviting us to know him intimately and fill us with wonder and Holy imagination. As we read, the goal is not to increase our knowledge about biblical facts, timelines, and events (though this will happen), but to encounter the living God who offers us delight and joy as we enjoy him and get to know who he is. Oh that God would fill us with wonder as his Spirit teaches us about Him through his word.