Big Ideas & Family Challenges: Spring Scavenger Hunt

Who else has been enjoying the sunshine?! It’s the perfect time to start looking for those happy signs of spring.

Pick a day during the next week to go for a walk and see how many of these things you can find. Keep track and let us know! What other signs of spring did you see that aren’t on the list?

  • New flowers starting to grow in the garden 🌷
  • Fresh buds on the trees 🍃
  • A lady bug 🐞
  • Easter decorations 🐰✝️
  • A mud puddle 🥾
  • Geese or ducks back from the south 🦆
  • A robin 🐦
  • Bees buzzing 🐝
  • A woodpecker knocking on a tree 🌳
  • Frogs singing 🐸🎶
  • A worm 🐛
  • Someone BBQing 🥩

HAVE FUN!

REIMAGINE WEEK TWO

download & print a PDF version of this curriculum

REREAD the big story

EXODUS 20:1-19 (Previous bedtime story: Thunder on the Mountain! Characters: Yahweh – voice & theophany, Moses, Aaron, Israelites, the Elders of Israel

REVIEW the context

God led the Israelites to Mount Sinai, and in a dramatic display of theophany (God revealing Himself within space and time), God forged a new covenantal agreement with Israel: ‘If you obey – I will bless.’ God laid out His new way-of-being in ten laws of moral living – the 10 Commandments. By following God’s law, Israel would make God known in the world and the world would be blessed for it. At the time – God’s presence was too overpowering and Israel delegated Moses as their prophetic voice.

REENTER through the 2nd story

a REIMAGINING of Exodus 24:1-18

‘Remember!’ Moses said to the Hebrews. ‘Today God gave us His Law! His way-of-living!’ The Hebrews nodded in agreement, and with one voice they shouted back: ‘Everything God has said, we will do!’ By now the sun had set. The day at Sinai had passed and the people returned to camp. Moses entered his tent with only Joshua his assistant. ‘Get me a quill and ink,’ Moses said as he lit his oil lamp, ‘and an unused scroll.’ Joshua nodded, ‘Certainly. But for what purpose?’ Moses looked towards Joshua, his eyes focused and sure. ‘I must write what God has told me. Our people must not forget.’

As dawn broke, Moses emerged from his tent, scroll in hand, and walked swiftly to the base of Sinai. He called for Aaron and the seventy elders of Israel. ‘Go and gather ropes and timbers,’ Moses instructed. ‘Have your tribesmen find twelve large pillars of stone. Today we build an altar. Today we make covenant with God!’ The elders obeyed. They piled the stones and hoisted the pillars into place. ‘Bring out the sacrifices!’ Aaron and the Levites laid the animal-offerings on the altar and immediately smoke billowed up. Moses opened the scroll and began to read aloud the laws of God. ‘Everything God says,’ the Hebrews replied, ‘we will do!’ Covenant had been made. The ceremony was complete.

Moses turned to the seventy elders, ‘Bring the roast-offering and follow me up the mountain!’ The elders paused. They looked at each other in hesitation. ‘Do not be afraid,’ Moses said. ‘You will not die.’ The elders obliged and followed their leader up his familiar path. Halfway up Moses turned to Aaron, ‘Set the meal here.’ Aaron and the elders laid a blanket over a smooth spot of stone. They placed stacks of manna- bread and the roast-offering in the middle and knelt down to eat. Suddenly – there was a blinding light! A surge of energy swept over the rock and a rumbling filled the sky. God had arrived.

The elders fell to their faces. ‘Eat!’ Moses shouted in laughter. ‘Today we dine with the Almighty!’ Hands trembling, the elders reached for the bread and roast. They dared not to look up, but could see the feet of God standing on what looked like an endless expanse of ocean-blue. When the meal was finished, Yahweh’s presence lifted. Moses spoke, ‘I must go further up and in. I take only Joshua. Aaron is in charge. Stay here until we return.’ Moses began his climb and Joshua followed. Aaron and the elders watched until the pair was out of sight, lost in the cloud of God’s presence on Sinai.

RETHINK in sacred sharing

Spend some time in sacred reflection, conversation, and listening. Use the following questions as a guide.

Q: Have you ever heard God’s voice?

Q: Have you ever felt His presence?

Q: How do you think the Israelites felt seeing and hearing God for the first time? How would you have felt?

Q: KIDS: what do you think God’s voice sounds like?

Q: Imagine being an elder on the flat of the rock when God showed up. Imagine the radiance and power described in Exodus. What does this scene cause you to feel?

Q: The elders couldn’t look upon God’s holiness or else they would have died. What, or who, has overcome the barrier between us and God?

Q: How can we approach that same God on Mt. Siani? What do you think Jesus would say to you in this moment?

RECREATE in sacred play

Spend some time in sacred play recreating the Sinai scene! Use materials from within your home to recreate the wilderness, Israel’s camp, and Mt. Sinai. Below are a list of props ideas, characters, costumes, and a general flow-of-the-story. Remember – play is spontaneous and child-led! Use the scriptures as a reference but let the children lead!

PROPS: Set up a space that resembles Mt. Sinai. You will need a base camp filled with tents (chairs and blankets), the altar and 12 pillars (pillows), and the mountain itself (a staircase, tabletop, or high place).

CHARACTERS: God (His voice and theophany!), Moses, Aaron, the elders of Israel, the Israelites.

COSTUMES: Use white t-shirts to outfit the elders, something loud for God’s voice and theophany (pots and pans, a blow-horn, baking sheets).

FLOW: The Pillar of Cloud led the Hebrews to the foot of Mt. Sinai. God showed up in thunder and lightning – and spoke to the Hebrews! The Israelites made an altar and erected 12 pillars at the base of camp and made covenant with God. Then Moses and the elders climbed, met God, and ate with Him!

REMAKE in a sacred meal

Moses built an altar at Mt. Sinai to perform an animal-sacrifice. They ate the roast-offering with God as a covenant meal. But there is no need for sacrifices any longer because of Jesus. If the Spirit indwells, God is present!

CHALLENGE: Make a roast! Have a BBQ! But pause mid-meal. Look around the table and see the faces of those present. If you are alone, video-call a friend. Give thanks – and acknowledge – that you are eating in the presence of God, through the Spirit, because of Jesus.

RESPOND in sacred prayer

REIMAGINE – SUNDAY – week two – APR5:2020

Just as Moses scribed God’s words to the Israelites, take a moment to listen and write what God has spoken to you. Find a quiet spot in your home and listen for the Spirit. Write what you hear.

When you are finished, return to a lit candle. Prayerfully lay your words before the flame in an act of faith. If you are comfortable, share aloud what God has spoken to you and in a final act of prayer recite God’s words to the Israelites:

‘I am God’s treasure – in a kingdom of priests’

And recite Israelites words to God:

‘What God has said – I will do.’

download & print a PDF version of this curriculum

HMCdigital Tuesday 10am Devotional – March 31, 2020

While we’re unable to gather corporately, we will be hosting various live streaming events throughout the week to keep us connected to one another. See the complete schedule here.

Gideon: Ordinary man, Big God

Devotion 1 – God can use you

Judges 6:1-16
March 31, 2020

Happy Tuesday!

Over the next few Tuesdays, I want to take us through a study of a character in the Bible that I have always been drawn to. Maybe it is because he was such an ordinary guy with normal struggles, yet through God, he did some extraordinary things. I want to look together at the life of Gideon from Judges 6-8. I encourage everyone to read that passage these next few weeks.

Have you ever felt unqualified, unskilled, or inadequate? You have been asked to do something or be something, yet you wonder deep down if you have what it takes? Maybe, you doubt your own abilities? I am sure all of us have been there at some point. I struggle with it. Truth be told, there are days where being a pastor and being in front of you to lead or teach brings back those feelings like a flood.

Yet, as we look at Judges 6:1-16 today, we will see that even though we may feel insignificant, unskilled, and unqualified, we have a big God who can and will use us to do what we consider to be extraordinary things for Him.

Starting in Judges 6, we are introduced again to the people of Israel. Life has changed for them significantly. A couple hundred years prior, they were the ones crossing over the Jordan River into this land that God had promised them. Yet even though they had (see Joshua 4) set up a collection of stones as a constant reminder to the generations that followed about who their God was, and even though they had God’s Law that was to be publicly read regularly as a reminder, they forgot their God. And as Judges 6:1 says, they were doing evil in God’s sight.

God, to get their attention and bring about change, hands them over to the Midianites for what was seven years to be oppressed. What we know about Midian was that they formed an alliance with other Eastern nations come against Israel. They had camels which gave them a huge military advantage as they could move a lot faster and further than could an army on foot. We also know that there were many of them, much like a swarm of locusts (as they are compared to in vs 5) who multiply fast and are like a thick cloud when they descend upon a land. And just like locusts who come in like an army and destroy everything in their way, this Midianite Alliance would do the same. The Midianites and their buddies would come in whenever their was a fresh crop grown and take it for themselves (picture the frustration of leaving the grocery store to have someone waiting at your car each time to take your groceries and run). Anything else that was in the land, they laid waste to. Israel was in poverty and need. They had nothing, and they were in fear. Enough so that Israel went into hiding in caves, the mountains, and anywhere else they figured they could be save to live from the Midianite Alliance.
It is in that context that the people begin to cry out to God to save them and spare them (vs 7). God hears their cries, is moved by them, and raises up a guy named Gideon to bring them deliverance. Let’s read of the first time Gideon was called on.

Read Judges 6:11-16

1) Gideon is living in fear: When we see Gideon the first time, he is threshing wheat in a winepress. This was an indicator of the fear in the land of the Midianite Alliance, and the fear that Gideon would have struggled with. Normally when wheat is threshed, it is on a threshing floor which is out in the open, on a high flat plain, with a team of oxen working on the floor, as well as many people due to the community celebration that threshing had become. A winepress however was hidden. It was carved into a rock face. It was not easily seen. And rather than being in the open, a winepress usually was in some garden or orchard setting surrounded by trees and large vegetation which kept it hidden from those passing by. It was a single person operation rather than the big deal that a threshing floor was. Wheat would have been threshed in the winepress to keep it hidden. And in that setting, a complete stranger decides to sit under a tree right next to where Gideon is hiding out, threshing his grain.

2) Gideon is an ordinary person: Notice the first words used by the angel of the Lord to address Gideon: “The Lord is with you, valiant warrior.” These were not words that would naturally be used of Gideon. Hiding in his winepress, he was anything but a valiant warrior, and as we are going to see, he was nothing but normal.

Gideon expresses his disappointment in God. This God that the angel spoke of was the One that their tradition said brought Gideon’s people out of slavery in Egypt quite miraculously maybe 300 years prior. Yet now, where was this God? Was He weak in comparison to the other gods out there? Did He abandon His people to ruin?

What happens next (in Vs 14) is quite interesting. God actually speaks, as if to answer the challenge by Gideon. Prior, it was the angel of the Lord speaking, but now the voice of God takes over. Whether the angel of the Lord was actually a physical embodiment of God, or God directly spoke through the angel, we do not know for sure. We do know that God spoke.

God says to Gideon: Go and be the deliverer of your people. Set them free from the tyranny of Midian once and for all. I am personally sending you to lead your people.

Gideon’s response (Vs 15) is one of self doubt, insecurity, inadequacy, and feeling unqualified. Gideon looked at his social and family status. Yes, within his village, his father seemed to carry some reputation and rapport, but at the end of the day, Gideon was the least of the least. His family had no real influence that anyone should listen to him. It doesn’t sound as if they had a lot of resources that they should be high on the pecking order. And beyond that, Gideon was the youngest in his family. Why would even his own family listen to him? What qualities did he have to lead the people?

3) God sending should be enough: What does God say in verse 16? “But I will be with you.” Then, He restates His command to Gideon to lead the people against the Midianite Alliance. What God was saying here was “I am sending you. I know how weak and unqualified you are. I know that you feel you don’t have the skills or the significance to do this. You feel inadequate. But none of this matters because it is me, not you. My strength, not yours. That should be enough.”

I will save what happens for later weeks, but what I will say is that as Gideon trusted God and led God’s people, extraordinary and supernatural things happened that only God could do. God was enough. Gideon didn’t have to be anything but ordinary.

So how does God want to use you today? What ways is he tapping on your shoulder today and saying “hey, I want to use you to do something amazing for me?” Maybe it is something as simple as showing the love of Jesus to a hurting, scared, and maybe even sick neighbour, but as you think about it, you feel fear. You don’t know what to say, you don’t know what to do. What could you possibly offer that could show the love of Jesus? What if your efforts are rejected? What if putting yourself out there and reaching out to your neighbour is incredibly intimidating because you are very much an introvert yourself? What if what God is asking you to do is uncomfortable?

How about us as a church? How is God calling us as a community and family to be the love of Jesus to our greater community? To be Generations Following Jesus who Gather, Grow, Give, and Go? In what ways is He calling us to meet? In what ways is He asking us to reach out? Do we feel inadequate to do what He asks?

Is God sending you enough?

Sunday Live Stream—Restore

“Restore” Romans 5:12-19 March 29, 2020

I am glad that God looks with love and pride on His creation, us, who were dented up, rusted out, and a worthless image of what we were created to be, and that He decided that we were worth restoring to who He made us to be.

Romans 5:12-19

Verse 12 introduces us to Adam.

A. We lost our innocence (Vs 12, 16, 18)
B. We gave up spiritual life (Vs 12, 15, 17)

Verses 14 and 15 introduce us to Jesus

A. Mercy and forgiveness (Vs 15)
B. Be set right / justified (Vs 16, 19)
C. Spiritual life (Vs 17, 18)

Jesus wants to restore you to who God made you to be.

Find the curriculum Pastor Dave spoke about on our REIMAGINE page

SERMON TRANSCRIPTION

I can remember my first car; I bought it in September 2000. It only cost me $200. They say beauty is in the eye of the beholder, because my first car was a big, ugly looking boat of a car; a 1983 Buick LeSabre. It was one of those old cars that those of us who grew up in the 80’s remember that our grandparents used to drive. Big cars that felt like they were floating as they drove. I lived out in BC at the time, but this car had spent the first several years of life in Ontario. Imagine what a car would look like after driving on our salt covered winter roads for several years without underbody protection. It was rusty. The rust was even getting rust! There were many places where the rust had eaten through spots in the panels. The gas tank was even rusted in a spot (so I only ever filled it half full).

If the rust wasn’t bad enough on its own, the car was also quite dented. At least two of the doors, and maybe a fender panel or two were dented in. But I was so proud of it. This was my first car. When everyone else poked fun at my dented rust bucket that shouldn’t have been on the road, I saw the potential that this car had to become a thing of beauty again. Over the next year that I drove it, I poured time, effort, and money into fixing it up. I replaced rusted out parts. I pulled out and filled dents. I sanded out rust, and in some cases rebuilt panels that were eaten away by the rust. I repainted the car. I replaced the rusted-out gas tank. I Resealed the leaking windshield. I was convinced I would restore it to what it was intended to be.

Within the year, the engine began the slow road to death. Aside from a brand-new engine, there was nothing else I could do. I had to park that car once and for all. But the journey of trying to restore something that was beaten up, rusted out, and worthless in the eyes of most was something I took pride in.

Today, we are looking at Romans 5:12-19. I am glad that God looks with love and pride on His creation, us, who were dented up, rusted out, and a worthless image of what we were created to be, and that He decided that we were worth restoring to who He made us to be.

Let’s read Romans 5:12-19

Verse 12 introduces us to Adam

We are introduced first to a character named Adam, the first human God created, the first human to walk the face of the Earth. This connection to Adam needs to be understood in the context of Genesis 2-3. Maybe this is something you can read this week when you have time.

Adam and his wife Eve enjoyed perfection. They walked on Earth as God’s caretakers of His perfect creation. They lived in a utopian bliss where there was no sickness, hardship of any kind, death. The garden was for their enjoyment. They had a relationship with God where He would walk in the garden, and they could enjoy His personal presence in a deeply personal way that was unhindered from any disobedience whatsoever. All was at peace. All was well. All was perfect.

Yet, something happened. Genesis 3 reads how Eve, and then Adam took a bite from the forbidden fruit that God told them not to touch, the fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. When Adam ate, he blatantly disobeyed God, and suddenly his eyes were opened to the knowledge of good and evil. Sin, defined as missing the mark, was introduced to all of creation. Romans 5:12 says that through that one act of sin by Adam, sin and the resulting death was introduced to all of creation. Romans 3:23 tells us that everyone has sinned, and as a result, missed the mark of God’s perfect and undamaged glory and honour.

We have become like my 1983 Buick that, rather then be the brand new, unscratched, undamaged, not worn vehicle that it was right out of the assembly line, was full of dents, eaten away at by rust, and a worthless representation of what it was created to be. So how do we see this played out in our lives?

A. We lost our innocence (Vs 12, 16, 18)

Prior to Adam rebelling, all of creation had no knowledge of what rebellion, or sin was. We were undamaged by sin. Yet as verses 12, 16, and 18 say, Adam’s sin spreads to everyone. No longer could Adam enjoy the perfect, undamaged creation of God, because Adam was now damaged. He could never look at life the same, or his relationship with God the same as now, rebellion and disobedience had become a part of his active vocabulary. Because of Adam, our eyes are now open to the very same sin and rebellion. We live with the same damage as Adam. As a result of that sin, verses 16 and 18 say that we are no longer innocent but are subject to judgement and sentencing as one who is guilty.

B. We gave up spiritual life (Vs 12, 15, 17)

The three listed verses all say the same thing: death came to everyone. Yes, there is the truth that now, everyone and everything would face an eventual physical death, but there is so much more to it than that. While we are yet still alive, we all face something called “living death.” We may be alive physically, but spiritually, in our relationship towards God, there is a separation or death that happened. Just as Adam was then sent out of the garden with his wife because of the sin, not to live in the personal presence of God with a pure, un-scratched, undamaged relationship for eternity, we too have seen that life eaten away from us like rust eats away at metal. It is gone. While we are alive physically, we have exchanged that eternity with God in His presence for a life of isolation and spiritual death.

But don’t sit in this place of despair long. Don’t look at the hopeless, dented, rusted out, damaged, and worthless image of the life that was destroyed by sin. Why? Because, with love and pride, God looks at you and sees a creation worth restoring. He wants to fill the dents, remove the rust, fix the broken parts, smooth out the rough spots, and restore us to like new. He wants to give us back the life we were intended to have so we can be the people He intends us to be. This is why….

Verses 14 and 15 introduce us to Jesus

The story doesn’t end with a trip to the scrap yard. It ends with restoring what was damaged and destroyed. It ends with Jesus making all things new again. As we come closer to Easter, we celebrate the fact that Jesus came to Earth to die a criminal’s death on a cross, the execution tool of the Roman Empire. But as we know with the Easter Story, Jesus didn’t stay dead, but three days later came back to life again. Through this death and new life, Jesus accomplished for us the following:

A. Mercy and Forgiveness (Vs 15)

Verse 15 tells us that there is a big difference between Adam’s sin, and God’s gracious gift that came through what Jesus did. While Adam’s sin brought death to all, God’s gift through Jesus brings forgiveness and mercy. This means that even though we are guilty of disobedience, rebellion, and missing the mark of the perfection God designed us for, through the gift of God that comes through what Jesus did, we now are subject to mercy and forgiveness.

This means that we can:

B. Be set right / justified (Vs 16, 19)

What does it say here? Though we are guilty of many sins, even though we carry the damage of disobedience and rebellion in our lives, even though the dents and the rust holes are there for all to see, the gift of God that comes through Jesus sets us right before God. That gift takes care of those dents, rust holes, and damage marks in our lives. We are like new. This means that instead of facing spiritual death because of our sin, we now face:

C. Spiritual life (Vs 17, 18)

Adam’s sin brings death, but the gift of God that comes through Jesus brings the opposite, spiritual life. John 1:12 says that this spiritual life is available to all who receive Him and believe in His name. All who do this become children of God with all the rights and privileges therein, regardless of the past failures and mistakes. Regardless of how damaged, dented, or destroyed you were by sin. Regardless of how worthless you think you are, or others say you are.

As I wrap up, this is the encouragement I leave you today. No matter what you are facing today, no matter how life has beaten you down, no matter the depth of your own sin and rebellion, Jesus wants to restore you to who God made you to be. He wants to pull out all the dents from you crashing into the walls of rebellion. He wants to clean and cut out all the places where the rust of sin has eaten away at your life. He wants to fix the places where leaking into you is self sufficiency, independence, disbelief, and a lack of trust. All those places where you have been damaged, Jesus wants to restore into the image of who you were created to be: a child of God, created by Him to enjoy a perfect relationship forever in His presence.

Do you want to be restored?

Romans 5:12-19 New Living Translation (NLT)

Adam and Christ Contrasted

12 When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam’s sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned. 13 Yes, people sinned even before the law was given. But it was not counted as sin because there was not yet any law to break. 14 Still, everyone died—from the time of Adam to the time of Moses—even those who did not disobey an explicit commandment of God, as Adam did. Now Adam is a symbol, a representation of Christ, who was yet to come. 15 But there is a great difference between Adam’s sin and God’s gracious gift. For the sin of this one man, Adam, brought death to many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and his gift of forgiveness to many through this other man, Jesus Christ. 16 And the result of God’s gracious gift is very different from the result of that one man’s sin. For Adam’s sin led to condemnation, but God’s free gift leads to our being made right with God, even though we are guilty of many sins. 17 For the sin of this one man, Adam, caused death to rule over many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and his gift of righteousness, for all who receive it will live in triumph over sin and death through this one man, Jesus Christ.

18 Yes, Adam’s one sin brings condemnation for everyone, but Christ’s one act of righteousness brings a right relationship with God and new life for everyone. 19 Because one person disobeyed God, many became sinners. But because one other person obeyed God, many will be made righteous.New Living Translation (NLT)

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

REIMAGINE WEEK ONE

download & print a PDF version of this curriculum

REREAD the big story

EXODUS 14:29-31 (Previous bedtime story: crossing the Red Sea! Characters: Pharaoh, Yahweh, Moses, Aaron, Israelites, the Wilderness

REVIEW the context

The story of the EXODUS captures the imagination! Scholars debate the specifics (the number of Israelites who fled Egypt and the path they took) but the scriptures are clear: God had done the unthinkable! He brought the god-king Pharaoh to his knees. He parted the Red Sea. And He set the Hebrews free and set them to path in the wilderness. Moses was their appointed leader but his leadership was soon questioned as the Israelite rations ran out and they were hungry.

REENTER through the 2nd story

a REIMAGINING of Exodus 16:1-16

Moses stood on a hilltop and looked down at the Hebrews below. It had been weeks since they left Egypt. And they had been on the move ever since. ‘Has it sunk in?’ he turned and asked his brother. ‘What do you mean?’ Aaron replied. Moses grabbed Aaron’s shoulders and kissed his forehead. ‘That you are free!’ Moses pointed. ‘Look! The cloud – it stops!’ Far ahead of the people, the Pillar of Cloud swirled up into the evening sky, and out of sight. A Pillar of Fire struck the ground in its place and filled the region with light. ‘Tell the people to make camp!’ Moses said heading down the hill.

The rams horn blew the call to set camp. But before Moses could find his own tent – he was swarmed by a mob of people. ‘What is the purpose of leading us out here to die?!’ a shouted at him. ‘Excuse me?’ Moses answered. The man threw an empty grain sack at Moses’ feet. ‘Look at this grain sack. Empty! Look at my bushels. Empty!’ Moses looked up. He was surrounded by blank stares and hungry eyes. Men, women, children, young and old stood before him – empty sacks, baskets, and bushels in hand. ‘God should have let us die in Egypt?!’ another shouted. ‘At least we had lamb’s stew – and bread – and food!’

The mob was on the brink of frenzy when Aaron rushed in. ‘I tried to warn you,’ he whispered to Moses. ‘My friends!’ Aaron shouted over the crowd, ‘We are free! Better to die free men – than as slaves, no?! Besides. God will surely provide?’ For a moment the crowd relented and Moses retreated to a quiet place to pray. There, in the dancing light of the Pillar of Fire, God met Moses and spoke: ‘I have heard the complaints of my people. And I will rain down bread in the morning – and meat in the evening – so they may eat. And when I do, you will realize that I am God, your God! Here is what my people must do…’

Moses returned to Aaron with God’s instructions. ‘Take no more than you need. Else the bread will sour. Eat your fill. But not in greed!’ Aaron gathered the leaders of the tribes of Israel. ‘You’ve complained against God. Not us!’ Aaron said to the people. ‘But now, the path is clear. Come near to God and He will show up, and once again save us!’ Suddenly, the Glory of God was before them in the wilderness. A flock of quail flew outside the Hebrew camp. The number of birds was beyond count. Everyone had their fill of meat. And in the morning a layer of wild-bread covered the ground. Everyone ate their fill. God had provided both meat and bread. And he continued to do so – day after day – night after night.

RETHINK in sacred sharing

Spend some time in sacred reflection, conversation, and listening. Use the following questions as a guide.

Q: Looking at the story – how uncertain do you think the Israelites felt about God, their life, and their future? Rate on a scale of 1 to 10 (1 = no certainty at all, 10 = full confidence).

Q: What has your past week been like? Q: In this moment, do you feel any uncertainty about your life, your faith, or your future? Rate on a scale of 1 to 10.

Q: What has caused your uncertainty? Name aloud.

Q: Where do you see God-in-Action despite your uncertainty?

Q: What does Jesus have to say about anxiety and fear?

Q: Where do you feel the Spirit leading you or your family in these times?

RECREATE in sacred play

Spend some time in sacred play recreating the Exodus scene! Use materials from within your home to recreate Egypt, the Red Sea, and the wilderness! Below are a list of props ideas, characters, costumes, and a general flow-of-the-story. Remember – play is spontaneous and child-led! Use the scriptures as a reference but let the children lead!

PROPS: Set up a room in your house that flows seamlessly from scene to scene. Use pillows as pyramids, blankets for the sea, carpets for the wilderness.

CHARACTERS: Pharaoh, Moses, Aaron, Miriam, the Israelites, God, the Red Sea, the Wilderness. COSTUMES: Use everyday clothing to outfit your characters (t-shirts strung on heads, bathrobes, walking sticks, pots and pans, etc!)

FLOW: Pharaoh released the Hebrews. Moses – and the Pillar of Cloud and Fire – led the Hebrews into the wilderness. Pharaoh trapped them at the Red Sea – but God showed up – and parted the sea. The Hebrews went into the wild and God provided manna and quail for food!

REMAKE in a sacred meal

It didn’t take long for the Hebrews to run out of food! Without a miracle they would have starved! But God showed up and rained down MANNA-BREAD (a doughy-flakey kind of bread) and QUAIL (think, tiny chickens!)

CHALLENGE: bake some bread from scratch! Your favourite bread! If you are brave – find a MANA-BREAD recipe online and give it a try! And when the bread is hot and ready – get out the butter, slather it on – and add the bread to your sacred Sunday meal!

RESPOND in sacred prayer

Spend some time in sacred prayer. Choose a quiet and reflective spot within your home. A place where you or your family feel most comfortable. Light a candle. This will be your Pillar of Fire! And if possible, sit in a way that every face can be seen.

God did not forget His people. He provided. As the candle burns, prayerfully speak aloud both your feelings of uncertainty and your feelings of trust.

‘I am uncertain about my future. But I trust that God will lead me.’

download & print a PDF version of this curriculum

Ministry Update: March 27, 2020

I wanted to take some time to fill you in on some important updates surrounding the ministry at Hanover Missionary Church.

When will we be back?

This is a good question that I am sure many of you are asking.

First, thank you for engaging with us online these past couple weeks. It has been encouraging to see so many joining into our Facebook page, watching live on our website, or being involved in Zoom calls. Thanks for being flexible and being a part of the church community in this new way.

Initially, we had set April 5th as being the target for being back in the building. With the recent spread and growth of COVID-19 in Ontario, that is no longer reasonable. We are prepared to be out as long as needed, and our new ministry structure supports that. For the immediate future, we are planning to be out for all of April, with us evaluating our situation before the May 3rd Sunday AM worship gathering.

What does that mean for Good Friday, Easter, and other ministries?

Good Friday and Easter Sunday gatherings will still happen; however it will be online this year. We will still have a time where we will gather for worship, reflection, and celebration online, but watch for details in the coming week.

As for other ministries, we will continue to operate online as we have been, with the option of introducing more opportunities as the need and ability to do so arises. We are constantly evaluating the status of future ministry events as time passes. As things change, we will continue to be in communication with you.

While I know that some of what follows will be review to many of you, please continue to read this letter as there are some important details in here for everyone.

What is the best way to participate in the online gatherings?

We are online for all our gatherings. You can find us on our Facebook page where we will be broadcasting our events live. You can also watch our broadcast events through our website. Our Zoom rooms are done through a video chat program called Zoom. You can find out more information on our website.

As we have gone online, we have discovered some of our technical limitations. One of those limitations is that our physical website (www.hanovermissionary.com) can only handle a certain amount of online traffic at once. When it hits its limit for traffic, the technology parking lot becomes full, and no one else can come in and park for our service. Just as we would want to create physical space in our parking lot for people, we need to create virtual space for people on our website. Otherwise people can not watch and participate. If you, or your spouse, or your children have a Facebook account, please watch our service through our dedicated Facebook page. We want to leave our website open to those who have no other option. If you do not have a Facebook account, but are able to sign up for a free account, please do. If you need help, please contact one of us, and we would be happy to help you in the sign-up process. (You can find a tutorial here on our website.)

What about giving to the weekly offering?

With our weekly physical meetings stopping, the opportunity to participate in the weekly offering looks different.

Even though the physical, in person ministries have temporarily stopped here at HMC, ministry is still active and happening. There are still ongoing expenses and financial needs to be met so that we can continue to be on mission for Jesus in our community.

I am sensitive to the reality that there are many reading this notice who would normally want to give to help support the ministry of HMC, but your income situation has changed, and you are now unable to give. Please do not hear me pressuring you to give. We (as HMC) need to be sensitive to the situation that some of us may not have a steady income at this time of economic uncertainty.

I am also aware that there are some of us who are able to count on a steady income in this time, and may have the ability and resources to give a bit extra during this time to help us continue to pay our bills. As the Lord leads, would you please consider what you may be able to give in this time?

If you can give online by credit card, please consider doing so. On your web browser, go to tithe.ly or download the tithe.ly app for your smart phone. Through that website/app, you can give directly to HMC. If you need any assistance, contact the office.

If you still wish to give by physical cheque, please call the office to set that up. Marie has requested that you call on Monday or Wednesday.

How can we love our community?

There are some amazing new opportunities we have to be a blessing to our community.

1) Benevolence Fund: Community Aid – During this pandemic, a number of people inside and outside our church family are going to be in need. If God has given you the ability and desire to share with others, you can donate to HMC and designate your gift to “Benevolence Fund: Community Aid”. You will receive a donation receipt, and the funds will be distributed according to HMC policies. Please consider these gifts to be above your regular offerings. If donating through Tithe.ly or the church website, this designation is now an option.

2) Grocery drop off – We have been approached by the medical community in Hanover about if some of our people would be willing to provide assistance to those who are in isolation and can not leave their homes by delivering pre-paid groceries from the grocery store to their front steps. We do have people within our congregation willing to do this, and we have willingly taken on this new way to bless our community. However, if you are willing to volunteer to help with this, please contact myself at the office (519-364-1823 Ext 30 or dave@hanovermissionary.com).

3) White Ribbon Campaign – We have been asked to be a part of a community initiative to show our support and love to the healthcare workers who are on the front line of the COVID-19 crisis. As a sign of support, people are being asked to tie white ribbons to a tree, bush, porch railing, etc… at your home. We think this is a great idea as a church, and we already have one up at the church building. Our challenge for this week is “how many white ribbons can the HMC community place outside this week?”

I know that there has been a lot of information for you to read today. Thanks for taking the time to read through all of this. As always, if you have any comments, questions, or feedback, do not hesitate to contact myself, the office, or one of the other pastors.

Know that we are praying for you and are happy to serve you in this time.

Glad to be part of this family!

Pastor Dave

Cooking with Kristina – Rustic Bread

Thursday, March 26, 2020

Adding some fun to your week as Pastor Kristina shares some easy cooking ideas!

Rustic Bread Recipe

3 cups flour
1/2 t yeast
1 and 3/4 t salt
Mix these then add

1 and 1/2 c water
fresh or dried herbs or get creative.

Mix well with wooden spoon (a very wet spoon helps) add a bit more water if needed. Cover well. Leave it alone for 12-24 hours.

Heat oven to 450 F Heat dutch oven (I didn’t do that…but I did put a tiny bit of spray in the bottom because it sticks a bit sometimes. With very wet hands transfer the dough to the dutch oven.

Cook covered for 30 minutes then uncovered for 15 more.

Take out of the pan after a minute or so or it will get soggy.

It has a chewy crust but the inside is perfect so even if it feels hard to cut it is worth it!

Enjoy!

Tune in next Thursday at 6pm for another recipe!

HMCdigital Tuesday 10am Devotional – March 24, 2020

While we’re unable to gather corporately, we will be hosting various live streaming events throughout the week to keep us connected to one another. See the complete schedule here.

Tuesday, March 24 – LIVE at 10 a.m. with Pastor Dave

A Zoom Room will open following each Tuesday devotion. To sign up, please pop over to our ZOOM page. A link will also be posted on Facebook that you can follow to join in.

“Defining Moment” – ESTHER 4:13-14
Devotional – Tuesday March 24, 2020

What is your defining moment?

If you are into Hockey, or are older than I, you likely have heard the name Paul Henderson. Paul is an icon in the hockey world, and a local boy as well! A bio reads that Paul, from Kincardine, was a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He learned how to play hockey in Lucknow. A left winger, Henderson played 13 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Detroit Red Wings, Toronto Maple Leafs and Atlanta Flames and five in the World Hockey Association (WHA) for the Toronto Toros and Birmingham Bulls. He played over 1,000 games between the two major leagues, scoring 376 goals and 758 points. Henderson played in two NHL All-Star Games and was a member of the Memorial Cup-winning Hamilton Red Wings team as a junior. Not a bad resume overall.

Yet that is not what Paul is remembered for. His career was defined by the goal he scored on September 28, 1972, to win the Summit Series for Canada. In a series of national pride where Canada was challenging Russia in hockey, Paul not only tied up a game in the series, but went on to score the winning goal in three more games after. It was Paul who scored the winning goal with 34 seconds of play left to win the tournament for Canada. It is the most famous goal in Canadian hockey history and was the defining moment for a generation of Canadians. Decades later, Henderson remains a national hero.

What is your defining moment?

In the Bible, we are reminded of a young woman named Esther. You can read the book in one sitting (just ten chapters) that chronicles her life. Her life story revolves around a defining moment.

Esther was a young Jewish girl who found herself living in the Persian Empire. The king at the time was a man named Ahasuerus, who had a temper, and had just removed and exiled his wife for not responding to his selfish, chauvinistic, or demeaning demands. Wanting to find another wife who would now be queen, he has his attendants go out into the empire and round up the most beautiful young women to be taken into his harem where they would undergo beauty treatments and essentially audition for the role by meeting his every demand. Esther was the one who really caught his eye and gained his favour. He selected her to become his new wife, the queen. It is important to remember that at no time, did she ever reveal she was Jewish.

She had an uncle named Mordecai who had saved the king by reporting a plot of a planned assassination by two of his own servants. It was this same Mordecai who later on, got the anger of the king’s second in command, Haman. You see, Haman demanded that when he came by, people would bow to him. When Mordecai refused, it infuriated Haman, enough so that he devised a scheme that involved him deceiving the king into permitting the complete extermination of the Jewish people from the empire.

The only person who could save the Jewish people was Esther, whom the king and Haman had no idea was Jewish. She had the ability to go to the king and personally fight for her people. The only problem was that no one entered the king’s presence without an invitation, and if Esther entered his presence uninvited to bring this injustice to light, if the king didn’t extend his sceptre as a sign of welcome, she would be executed. It didn’t matter that she was the queen and his wife. She only came to him when he wanted her. The king had not invited her to come to him for the period of time ahead before Haman would act on his evil plan. The life of Esther was on the line, and she was scared to act.

Yet it was in that moment that her uncle spoke to her of stepping out of fear and into a clearly defining moment for her. He said (Esther 4:13-14):

Mordecai told the messenger to reply to Esther, “Don’t think that you will escape the fate of all the Jews because you are in the king’s palace. If you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will come to the Jewish people from another place, but you and your father’s family will be destroyed. Who knows, perhaps you have come to your royal position for such a time as this.”

The story from here is that rather than run in fear, Esther steps out into a defining moment in her life, and as the queen. She puts her life on the line to speak to the king, and in the process saves herself, her people, and ends the terrible plot of Haman. This week read the book of Esther for the rest of the story. It is quite amazing!

Esther stepped into a moment that would truly define her. What is your defining moment?

Today is a defining moment for us who follow Jesus isn’t it? Our lives have changed a lot in the last couple weeks. How we meet as the church has changed. How we live our daily lives have changed. Many of us are working from home, if we are working at all. We are all keeping our distance from others, staying within our own homes, and living in isolation. People are struggling with being apart.

People all around us are fearful. As the numbers of those who are infected raise, and the government comes down with more protectionary measures that affect our lives, our families, our ability to live and provide, the anxiety and fear climbs.

People around us are losing their jobs. People around us are unable to go out to get themselves food and provisions. People are worried about loved ones getting ill.

The reality is that there are a lot of challenges in front of us that could cause us to retreat in fear, rather than be who God has called us to be. What if this is our defining moment as the people of God, as followers of Jesus, as the church? While it threatens to drive us further apart and hold us back from being what we think is the church, what if this whole time is what we need to actually define us? What if this is our defining moment as the church to step out and be who God is calling us to be to a hurting world clearly in need?

Yes, we have natural fears and anxieties. Yes, there is a lot of unknowns that are in front of us. Yes, we may even be confused about how we can even be the church in these days. Yes, we may even doubt that we can share the hope of Jesus because we are all so isolated (or so it seems). But what if this is actually our defining moment to share the hope, light, and love of Jesus Christ, all be it in a new and different way?

Remember that while our methods may change, the message is still the same. As I said yesterday, how we do church looks different, where we meet looks different, but the church will still be the church. Regardless of how we say it, we are still all about Jesus Christ.

Also, in this time we are even seeing record high engagement with our church. People are searching for hope and peace in this time of uncertainty and anxiety. And the best news is that we have the Lasting Hope and Calming Peace that people need. I read a quote yesterday by a local Christian pastor, leader, and blogger. He said “in the midst of crisis, there is an opportunity to share the hope that comes through Christ to millions that weren’t interested in the conversation just a few weeks ago.”

What is our defining moment?