”All will call me blessed…” No one has been more accurate in that statement than Mary. She had told God yes to the huge announcement that she of all the young Jewish women would bear God’s son. Called “Theotikos” — “God-bearer” by the Orthodox, Mary indeed bore God, impossibly made man, within her and birthed God in the flesh through her life. She was the first God-bearer. As the priests in Israel had borne the Ark, the presence of God on their shoulders supported by the poles, so we still “bear God” in this world. The ark and the temple combined in humanity because of Mary. After Jesus came through her, we have become Him in this world. We shoulder God’s presence. He is again conceived in our hearts, “you have been born again through the imperishable seed implanted” penned Peter (1 Peter 1:23) in order to become mature in him, complete (Matthew 5:48). Do we, like Mary, remember our connection to this long history? Do we remember we are blessed?
Sneak Peek for this Sunday
There are so many things I have always loved about Joseph. First, he says nothing in the gospels. No recorded word. That’s immense. Second, he’s a strong, silent type. I don’t know what that is like! :-) He is righteous -- upright before God. He is chosen to be the earthly dad for the Son of God, that has got to merit him some admiration. Some of us guys get to be dads of all kinds of incredible kids, but there was only One Jesus. And I imagine the stress of the responsibility to raise God’s Son might have been a bit overwhelming! Yet, Joseph, he sought an out it appears not because he thought Mary had really sinned, but because he believed she was pregnant with God! It took divine intervention and a prophetic quote to convince this man Joseph not to go through with his plan. And that’s all it took. Joseph shifted gears and “did what the angel had said” and took Mary home as his wife but had no union with her until she brought forth Jesus. What a guy. How are you “Still Joseph” as events come that bring fear? How are you still him as you choose faith? How are you still him as you obey God in your life? What might it look like for you to walk alongside of Jesus as Jesus works within you?
Sneak Peek for this Sunday
When I met her she was 47, and angry, so angry. This woman had this 2 year old boy, a child who came as a surprise pregnancy when she was 45 and this notion was not well received by her heart. She as mad, still. She didn’t want him and had plotted out the next years and realized she will be turning 63 when he turned 18, and that felt ancient, like a waste, like a loss of life to her. I was a young pastor, and she my parishioner and we had many conversations about this surprise blessing, this precious rambunctious child. All those terms much more positive than she would be likely to use. How might you respond to a surprising change? The call to raise a grandchild? A surprising illness that changed everything? The loss of a loved one? A fight in a public place that left your gut feeling torn up? How did you respond? This Sunday we are walking with Elizabeth, and we can still choose to be like her as we respond to change. We can choose life, thanksgiving, hope and joy. In her we meet another response to the changes life can toss our direction. What might that look like if it was your life? All of us have stories of the season that have left us stretched. How have these stories encountered thanksgiving from your heart?
Sneak Peek for this Sunday
An angelic visitation. A dream fulfilled. Zechariah has the most amazing encounter with a messenger from God. He and his wife Elizabeth are going to finally have a baby after all these years and prayers. He’s elated right? Ready to shout the news from the rooftops. No. He questions. He doubts. He is afraid. We’re too old he quips. Fear and doubt have silenced his faith. Now, too, his speech is silenced as well. Until the proof comes. Until the baby is born. When faith is no longer required.
What prayers have you prayed but stopped listening for answers? What dreams have you set aside, doubting they could come to pass? How has doubt or fear marred the expected outcome of a situation or relationship in your life?
Find grace and strength in the story of Zechariah as we walk this slow path toward advent.
Sneak Peek for this Sunday
Last year we looked first at this amazing research into the star of Bethlehem, the story of how the heavens are not random, but a clock that can be wound back via computers and reveal exactly what the skies above Babylon looked like in 3 BC around the time Jesus was conceived. The testimony of the heavens was so vast and particular it caused those men, schooled in prophesy through the centuries old testimony of Daniel, to depart their homeland and travel for months in order to meet this child born king. They have been famously remembered. We still demonstrate their kind of wisdom when we trust God’s word and step out to speak, to be His in this culture, to stand up. We still demonstrate their kind of wisdom as we encounter hardships as part of the journey. Their brave journey took months to accomplish. And they might have actually arrived to meet and worship the then toddler Jesus on December 25th, 2 BC, according to our calendars. That’s the date the planet jupiter stopped above Bethlehem. It seems too incredible to be true. But the heavens declare this. Come share together in this wonderful dance of the heavens and in the testimony of God’s word that God knows and cares and is working in EVERYTHING you might experience as we take this step in our slow walk through Advent…
Sneak Peek for this Sunday
“Come Let Us Adore Him!” so the carol admonished us. “Come, Adore Jesus!” That is the one overarching theme of Christmas, yet, my neighbor finished buying all her presents last Monday. We seek to please people, to behave aright, to not bring up the forbidden topics at the Thanksgiving table, to tolerate people we resoundly dislike, to put on a face of “holiday cheer,” when feeling anything but. We are to find “How Great Our Joy,” yet, find instead a great deal of stress. With losses, deaths, challenges, hurts, and arguments coming back to mind from previous holidays, it is difficult to walk into this season joyfully. For some the darkness in the atmosphere, reminds them of the darkness around their hearts. Will there ever be joy again? These realities pressed in upon us as a worship team and so in May we decided we needed to take a Slow Walk Through Advent, this year, a camino, if you will, in order to savor all the season was meant to offer. We wanted to learn to release in order to more readily embrace Jesus all through November and December. So, truly, you are invited to come adore Him, day by day, moment by moment, tough stuff alongside the easy. Let’s discover together what is possible in this season.
Sneak Peek for this Sunday
What an experience we have had this month focusing on what it means to be stewards! We heard testimony about what it means to be stewards of the gifts God has given us by Debbie Gable. Kevin Cosgrove shared how we might learn more about stewarding our own hearts, and developing a heart more like God. And Chris Brehmer challenged how we think about our finances -- to give not just a tithe of our take home, but a tithe of our before-tax income, and even give more to God than we spend on ourselves! Now that is a radical goal! What challenges! We have heard of sharing of our time and the giving of our service and the challenge to step up in our giving. Then we experienced a move of God last Sunday that was nothing shy of miraculous. So we arrive at Extravagant Generosity Sunday to fill out our pledge cards to say how we will give, share of our time, and serve God this next year, beginning January 1st. So, pray, and come on Sunday prepared to say “this is how we will be giving in these areas.” You can anticipate a great Sunday as we welcome the Inspiring Generosity Queen Cesie Delve Scheuermann to be with us. Plan to Come! Plan to stay for a Soup Feast afterward! Celebrate!
Sneak Peek for this Sunday
Chris Overstreet is an evangelist with a powerful testimony of how his life has been transformed by the power of God. At 18 years old, Chris surrendered his life to Jesus Christ and has been transformed spirit, soul, and body. Chris has lost 195 pounds and credits his weight loss to God's grace working through his life to help him make better choices throughout the years. Chris is the Outreach Pastor for Bethel Church where he trains and equips the Bethel School of Supernatural Ministry students in supernatural evangelism in Redding, CA. Chris has a passion for souls and loves to equip the body of Christ to reach the lost. His passion for Jesus Christ is contagious, and it is common for miracles, salvations and life transformations to take place as a result of Chris living his life naturally supernaturally. Chris travels nationally and internationally, preaching the good news of Jesus Christ and equipping the Church to do the same. Chris and his beautiful wife Stefanie and their young daughter named Brielle Shalom recently moved to Portland, OR to seek to bring revival to the NW. Out of a vision Chris founded Compassion to Action, which hosted its first event at the Portland Convention Center in September bringing the gospel, healing and hope to more than 10,000 people. Expect God to move.
Sneak Peek for this Sunday
You’re a priest carrying the Ark -- the presence of God -- so revered the people cannot be closer to you and the ark than nearly a mile and Joshua tells you to “Go stand in the river.” At this point, on this day, the Jordan River is at flood stage and he has said “Go stand in it.” Looking at this, both you and the other three priests carrying the Ark with you and the Ark will be rushing downstream if this doesn’t go well. Do you ask about the wisdom of this? Do you ask what the other priests say? Or do you just obey, “just do it”?
The priests of Joshua’s day were familiar with the Nike slogan and did not say a word but did as told. They went to stand in the river. The water was rushing in torrents, until their feet touched the water and then their feet landed not on water, not on mud, but on dry ground. A God who created all things can do ANYTHING. What impact might this have had on your faith that day? How might you have felt toward Joshua as you glanced upstream and there was this tower of water that once was the river? Stewardship is all about obedience, and obedience begins with the next step. Where is God asking you to “Just Do It!”
Sneak Peek for this Sunday
What’s the meaning of church for you? Why do you come? Why do you stay away? In this era, in this culture, at the time in life, what causes you to be involved or not be involved in the worshiping community of Westside?
Culturally we live in an era in which weekly church attendance is impossible for many -- between work, sports, family commitments, etc., it is outside the realm of possibility to get to a worship event. But what is the reason to try to come? This Sunday I witnessed one mother and daughter, standing side by side, the daughter stood on a chair, arms around one another, singing joyfully together and I thought: that’s one reason: To worship as a family. There were dads with daughters, sisters together, friends. I saw people connecting, belonging to one another and to the Lord. Last week I saw several surround a couple who were in tough circumstances, praying, hugging, crying, loving. That’s church. That’s community. The fact is: We need each other. To worship together, to stand with one another worshiping this One creator God is one way we get to recognize and experience that belonging. Come to worship: Belong.
Sneak Peek for this Sunday
Stewardship is a season when we recognize that all of us are stewards. We really know this. All of us have something for which we are responsible, whether our locker at school, or our wardrobe, our car, our apartment, our house, or whatever else. We are all stewards, managers, in charge of something. We are stewards, no denying. However we do not always live as if that’s the case, indeed, we expend much energy trying to make others responsible for our lives at whatever level. But what if- rather than the innumerable points of blame we might place on another- we simply took responsibility. What if we said — I’m in charge of this life, of my spending, of my income, of my belongings, of my life and stopped blaming another for our lot. What if we owned this foundational responsibility? And made choices based this reality. That decision would bring us straight into the world of the Macedonians and Corinthians. Paul was amazed, staggered by the Macedonians who in poverty gave exceedingly. He invited to Corinthians without excuse to live up to the promises they’d made. That was it. A steward takes responsibility and decides accordingly. How about you?
Sneak Peek for this Sunday
Tychicus. He is just mentioned at the close of Paul’s letter to the Christians living in Ephesus. He is the one sent to carry the scroll to Ephesus and read it to the Ephesian Church and go around from house to house where the various congregations of the church met and share it. But he was not only to share the letter, for Paul wrote in the concluding remarks that he would also give an update on how Paul was doing, in that Roman prison awaiting trial or death, and would, Paul said, “encourage you.” So, what’s the big deal? Well, he was a real person, with real faith, who lived in a real time and place and was a “dear brother,” and a “faithful servant,” alongside Paul. Indeed, the words Paul had written could not have had impact without him, for someone had to take the message. What might we learn about Paul by what he said of Tychicus? And how might we encounter our own lives in the work of this brother who carried the message to the people? Is there any encouragement here for us on how we are called to live out our own callings in this day? Seriously, there’s a message here. Come get a dose of encouragement and the challenge to live faithfully in the sphere of influence God has granted you. Let’s worship.
Sneak Peek for this Sunday
Sit. Walk. Stand. Three words that summarize the book written by Paul to the Christians living in the large metropolitan community with some 250,000 people called Ephesus. He wanted these believers to realize that Jesus had a higher and more powerful name than any of those powers who were named by the people. Jesus had a Name and had an authority against which nothing could prevail. He could stand. On 26th of August in worship something happened. One of the opening songs declaring Jesus as the Lion and Lamb took hold, and the Lord moved upon the people, and they shouted, worshiped, and uplifted the sovereign beauty of Jesus. As this happened there was this sense of God’s presence I experienced as authority. At that moment, nothing and noone was greater and to the core of my being I knew this. That moment, that was what it was like to stand in authority. In that place there’s nothing that can sway you. Paul invited the people into this place. “Who can stop the Lord Almighty?” asked that song on that Sunday and the answer is “No one.” Indeed. Come worship this One who calls us to stand in authority!
Sneak Peek for this Sunday
If you were writing an important piece of literature that would be read by the elite of society in the highest echelons, and knew that women were devalued in the culture (treated as objects, property), children considered disposable by others and slaves viewed as inferiors, how would you write? Would you choose your words carefully, diplomatically? Would you address first those who believed they ought to be addressed and gently challenge their societal beliefs? How might you write this challenge to the ways and times of life around you? When writing to those who had bowed their necks to Jesus in Ephesus, Paul was writing into a such a culture. And yet, when writing about how these believers could actually live out their lives, decided, boldly to address what his readers would view as the lowest, the least, the silenced in their society first. Paul put women, children and slaves first in his epistle. Today we can read past this, ignoring his boldness, but then? Boldly Paul said women, children and slaves had voices, had the ability to choose, were equally valuable, equally worthy in this new Kingdom. Their lives mattered. They made a difference. All bore allegiance to Jesus. Get a drift of that! Come to worship!
Saved by Grace: Rest in it
When Paul went to Ephesus it was a time of great revival and transformation. People repented en masse. The bonfire that burned belongings was purported to amount to 50,000 days wages. Miracles happened among them. Demons were ousted. Life came into that place. Here in the 2nd chapter Paul describes the “before and after” picture of their lives. Here’s what your lives looked like before, and here’s what they look like “after.” In that is the work of Grace. How have you experienced God’s before and after in your life? What used to bind you, deal death to you, trip you up that no longer does? Jesus deals a real deal unlike any other. Today we will hear this in a remarkable testimony. Come worship!
What was Lost is Now Found
I was standing in line, freezing, outside of the kiosk at Bridgeport Mall to order something for dinner. I had been stuck three hours at the Apple Store, and while my computer rested in the warm building, I was standing, shivering in line behind this guy ordering lots of burritos. While we waited we chatted, teeth chattering, and discovered we were both clergy, and that I knew and had worked with his predecessor at MacLaren Youth Authority. Chaplain Sean Page is a delightful, vibrant light at MacLaren, and a joy to meet. Therefore, I’ve wanted you all to meet him too. He is coming to share about his work and about the fact that there are many kids who have lost their ways and need the chance to meet the Father. God had already been working in my heart about volunteering at a prison, but had not found a way. Then Sean was in front of me, and God opened this really BIG DOOR. Meeting the youth there in MacLaren has been so impactful. God has worked in my heart and given opportunities for His Word to impact their lives. Don’t miss the opportunity to meet Sean and hear God speak through Him.
Ephesians: The Prayer - Rest In It!
The words Paul employs in prayer for the people in Ephesus are powerful. They are dynamic. There is a sense that he knows exactly what needed to be written for them to hear what they too could pray for themselves. We are learning to sit, to “rest” in what God has provided for us -- that we are chosen, adopted, born into God’s family, redeemed, saved, and seated with Jesus in the heavenly realms, indeed, sealed by God’s holy spirit. The list of what God has accomplished is impressive. And to note that where we have been seated is above every rule, power, authority in ANY age. This is quite a statement especially to a people living in a place replete with demonic forces. What Paul said was that there’s nothing to compare with Jesus. There’s no power stronger. So often in our lives we allow all kinds of powers to dwarf God, but in actuality, nothing is bigger, NOBODY is bigger than Jesus. Come sit in the powerful gift of the provision of this Heavenly Father, this Lord, through the person of Jesus. Come receive. Come experience. Come be filled. This Sunday we are just going to practice that very thing as Josh Hobson, a friend of Westside, leads in worship while Pastor Brian is in England.
