Our Final Commissioning

Nate talks about European mayonaise during our commissioning!

Last Sunday, we were commissioned at Parkview Community Church, our home. It's been really special for us to be commissioned at 3 churches these last few months - at my home church in CT, Nate's home church in MN and now our sending church. We really feel blessed and supported and loved as we go out.

Nate and I found Parkview back in early 2008, at the suggestion of our WorldVenture recruiter, Phil. He had attended Parkview when he lived in the Wheaton area and knew the church had a welcoming community, solid biblical teaching, an outreach focus and a heart for missions. All of that turned out to be true. Since coming to Parkview 4 years ago, we had the opportunity to perform in Children's ministry skits, sing on the worship team, join a small group, help facilitate bible discussions for new believers, and lead a men's morning bible study (that was Nate, of course). I was baptized at Parkview as a believer in early 2009, having previously been baptized as an infant. We were married at Parkview, we are members there, and now we are being sent out from there. It has a really special place in our hearts.

Chuck prays for us

This past Sunday, we sang on the worship team for the last time - very bittersweet! Then Pastor Chuck Howard, who oversees Parkview's missions efforts, invited us back up on stage. He allowed us to share a bit about the needs in Austria and then he encouraged us with the Great Commission, reminding us that we go out with Christ's authority and that Christ will be with us. He then prayed for us. It was really wonderful to get to share a bit of who we are with the church and to know that they will faithfully pray for us and support us on this journey.

Thank you, Parkview, for welcoming us in 4 years ago and walking with us through this journey!

Beginning to Mourn

There is something very powerful for me about worshiping and singing in a large crowd of believers. Hearing a cacophony of loud voices all praising God together transports me to imagining what heaven will someday be like, when we are all be praising God together, thousands upon thousands!

This past Sunday, I began to mourn the loss of these experiences. Evangelical churches in Austria are small, typically 25 - 50 people. When we live there, it will be rare that we will have the opportunity to worship in a large crowd in our "heart language" of English like we get to do every week now at Parkview. As we were singing a song this Sunday that was especially powerful for me, I was moved to tears thinking about how much I will miss that worship experience.

There are many exciting things about moving to Austria and the work we will be doing. But there will also be many sacrifices. This is one that I will miss very deeply.


'Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders. In a loud voice they were saying:
   “Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!”

Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, saying:
   “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!”'

- Revelation 5:11 - 13

Spending Less...Impacting More

As the holidays are approaching, this time of year typically means being bombarded with advertising campaigns and the pressure to spend, spend, spend. And to a certain extent, I'll bet that 2009 will not be too much different than years past. However, I have been pleasantly surprised that a different message has broken through the clutter of communication - the message to spend less this Christmas.

In the last few days, I have come across a few different pieces of communication that are striving to get out a different message this Christmas, one that encourages Americans in particular to go against the norm and spend less this year. A video and compaign that I was especially impressed with and convicted by is the Advent Conspiracy (see the video!). Our church, Parkview Community, is promoting and participating in this campaign. Today, I read a great blog entry by our Executive Pastor on a related subject...read his thoughts here.

Reading and watching and hearing this new message has been encouraging to me, but it is also raising a lot of questions in my mind. It leads me to go back to the fundamental question of whether or not we should give gifts are Christmas. Is giving gifts to loved one a good way of showing love to them? If so, when are we going overboard? How much is too much? Coming from a family who loves giving gifts and being a person who really loves to give and receive gifts, it would be hard for me to cut this out of the holiday as a way of celebrating. This year, I hope I will be an especially wise steward of our finances...spending some money on gifts for family and friends, being creative in how I spend those funds and giving a lot of time/energy/money away to those who need it more than we do.

What do you think about giving gifts at Christmas? Share your thoughts!

Baptism Photos

Here are photos from my baptism this morning. I was baptized by Susan Shelley, the children's pastor at Parkview. She and her husband, Marshall, have become friends of ours because they lead the 20-somethings group at the church and a few months ago, Marshall became Nate's boss at Christianity Today. Before I was baptised, I read my testimony to the congregation.

Thanks to those who came out to watch! There was a row of 8 people right at the front, cheering me on :) It was a very memorable, spiritual, blessed moment for me and I'm so thankful for the opportunity. It's also fun to reflect on the fact that in less than 5 months, another big event in my life will take place on that same stage!



Susan talks about how she knows me.


I share my testimony.


I am fully immersed!

Baptism

OK, my turn! Nate is clearly beating me in the race to see who can write on our blog more :) But it's not a competition, so...

This Sunday, I am getting baptized! I know, I know...you are probably thinking, "Bethany, why haven't you been baptized yet, if you have been a Christian for so many years?" I actually was baptized in my church in Connecticut as an infant many years ago. And since then, I had never really given it a second thought or been confronted with the challenge or opportunity to be baptized as an adult believer. I always assumed that I had been baptized once and that was enough.

A few months ago, Nate and I began to learn more about becoming members at our church, Parkview Community. We have really enjoyed and been blessed by our experience there and we hope to make it a longterm home church for us. However, we also found out that in order to become members, each of us needed to be baptized as a believer. All of a sudden, I was confronted with a decision. Did I want to be baptized again? Did I think and believe this was ok?

The issue of baptism has never really been one that I consider "major" in the realm of theological, divisive issues in the church. There are people on both sides of the fence - believers' vs. infant baptism - and I believe both sides are well intentioned and have good, biblical support for their beliefs. And even though I have decided to be baptized as a believer, I do not lose respect for anyone who leans the other way.

At the same time, going through this experience has definitely produced joy, excitement and a new sense of involvement related to the baptism issue. I am excited to publicly declare my faith in front of my church. It is a bit intimidating and that is good - it is pushing me to do something out of my comfort zones and there will be many more times where God will push me to do uncomfortable things! This is just one small step. I also believe the symbolism of full immersion baptism of a believer is so powerful - the water washing away my sin is a very tangible experience of God's grace in my life. I am also excited to celebrate my baptism and salvation with Nate and several close friends on Sunday, along with our church family.

Thank you, God, for the joy and grace-filled experience of baptism!

sunday morning thoughts

The Pastor of our church (Parkview Community Church) has been teaching through Galatians "recently." We are in chapter 5 and the well known section of "the works of the flesh are (list of bad things) but he fruits of the spirit are..." I have been blessed by Ray's handling of this text.

Today's sermon was on the second fruit of the spirit. The fruit of the spirit is JOY.

I had a new perspective connection related to this, and the more I think about it the more simple it seems. But I have begun to realize that a life lived by the spirit will produce joy. I think I can unpack why this is a little more of a realization.

For most of us it is easy to connect some of the other fruits of the spirit with the life of the spirit. We talk a great deal about love displayed as we live by the Spirit. So much of caring for people in our community is motivated by the love of the Spirit. This is considered our primary reason for engagement. We point to scriptures like 1 Cor. 13 and point to the centrality of love as a motivation.

Patients, kindness, goodness, gentleness, and self control all have external components that are easier for us to look at them and say, "wow that girl is so kind, she must be walking in the Spirit." but I am not sure that 'seeing' someone joyful is as quickly connected with the life of the Spirit.

But joy is something that we should seek and something that is just as vital as a product of the life of the Spirit. Deep seated fulfillment and trust that God is in control is central to our experience of the Christian life. Piper has made great strides in bringing this to the attention of our generation. The joy that the life of the Spirit produces will carry us through hard times and is as central to the christian life as any of the other fruits of the spirit.