It’s All About Confidence!

Dear Crosswalkers,
During the past four decades, the Gallup Organization has evaluated the public’s confidence in various public institutions. Their most recent survey on this matter showed that Americans are continuing to slowly lose confidence in churches and various religious groups.  For many years, churches were among the most revered organizations in the land (in fact topping the list some years).  Sadly, we are now in a situation where less than half of all adults (48%) have “quite a lot of confidence” in churches.  It used to be that 75% of American adults had a high degree of trust in religious institutions.  Why has this happened?

The answers are surely many.  Certainly the growing secularism of the culture in the US has played a major role in the decline of trust.  The highly publicized abuses in the Roman Catholic church have left many feeling shocked and betrayed.  Militant Islam has definitely had an effect on those who indiscriminately lump all religions together.  And then, honestly, in the evangelical church we have had our share of periodic scandals.

From a leadership perspective, the effect of losing people’s confidence is devastating.  People need to have confidence in their church family if they are to effect meaningful change in people’s lives and in their community.  At Crosswalk, we have worked hard to earn your trust.  We are not perfect.  But we will strive to be people of integrity, reliability, and trust in all our endeavors.

Of course, it all begins with our confidence in the Lord.  The NT says this about the ministry of the apostles to the churches: “We are confident of all this because of our great trust in God through Christ.  It is not that we think we are qualified to do anything on our own. Our qualification comes from God” (2 Cor 3:4-5).

This Sunday we will look at a fascinating passage in our Heroes By Faith series.  We will answer this question:  How can we have a faith that blesses others, now and after we have passed from this earth? See you Sunday!

Love in Jesus,

Pastor John Christie

UPDATE ON FACILITY NEED
We are beginning a new fund to repair our parking lot, which needs to be repaired and recovered as it is posing a tripping hazard for our members and guests.  We have already received $2,700 into this fund from last week’s email appeal, and this Sunday we will make special mention of it.  Please consider a gift to this much needed project.  We will need $19,000 to do the minimal repairs, and nearly $30,000 to do the complete job.

IF YOU CAN HELP WITH THIS PROJECT, PLEASE EARMARK YOUR CHECK OR YOUR ONLINE GIFT (at crosswalkchurch.com) “Parking Lot” and we will put it to good use.  Many thanks to those who have already contributed!

IMPORTANT UPCOMING DATES!
This Saturday @ 8:30 a.m. we will have another great Men’s Breakfast!
Aug 28 – Women’s Brunch in our gym – this Sunday is the last day to purchase tickets
Aug 29 – All Church Picnic at Las Palmas Park
Sept 26 – CROSSWALK’S MILLION DOLLAR CELEBRATION with a catered Lunch after worship!  This will be an awesome celebration of what God has done through us during the past 10 years!

The Akedah – Life’s Greatest Test

The Akedah – Life’s Greatest Test

Dear Crosswalkers,
In our series, Heroes By Faith, we come this Sunday to the Greatest Test of Faith in the entire Bible.  Historically, it has been known as The Akedah.  Akedah is the Hebrew word which means “to bind” or “to tie up.”  It is used in Genesis 22:9 of Abraham binding Isaac to offer him as a sacrifice to God, in obedience to the divine command.  According to the story, Abraham sets out to obey God’s instructions without questioning.  This is significant because earlier, when God was going to destroy Sodom, Abraham questioned God relentlessly!  Now, he simply trusts.  After Isaac is tied to an altar on Mt. Moriah, the angel of God stops Abraham from going through with the sacrifice.  Then Abraham discovers a ram caught in some nearby bushes, which sacrifices the ram in Isaac’s stead.

This is one of the greatest acts of faith of all time.  Yet it is a tremendously controversial passage.  Rabbi Yosef Ibn Caspi, who lived in Spain, early in the 14th century wrote what many hope to believe, namely that Abraham’s “imagination” ran away with him, and fooled him into believing that he had been commanded to sacrifice his son. “How could God command such a revolting thing?” asked the rabbi!   We will see how and why this Sunday!

Love in Jesus,

Pastor John Christie

UPDATE ON FACILITY NEED – CAN YOU HELP?
I have written about the great need to repair and resurface our parking lot as it is a liablilty issue.  The tree roots have broken through and created a significant trip hazard.  We would hate to have anyone fall in our parking lot and hurt themselves.  We have received 4 of 5 bids for the job, and basically the cost will be $19,000 to do what is minimally needed, and $30,000 to do the complete job including repairing the cement curbs.  Obviously, we would like to do all we can.

These are troubled times, financially.  Crosswalk Church is feeling the pinch, just like many of you are.  But if you can help with a SPECIAL GIFT at this time, it would be most appreciated and it would greatly benefit our ministy to our own family as well as guests.  We want to be a safe environment for everyone who sets foot on our campus!

IF YOU CAN HELP WITH THIS PROJECT, PLEASE EARMARK YOUR CHECK OR YOUR ONLINE GIFT (at crosswalkchurch.com) “Parking Lot” and we will put it to good use.  Many thanks to those who have already contributed!

The Summertime Blues

Dear Crosswalkers,

I’m writing this from Redwood Christian Park on our last full day of Church Camp.  It has been a fantastic week, with many Crosswalkers in attendance.  Camp has been a great cure for the Summertime Blues.  But earlier this week, some news brought some of those unwelcome blues back into my life.

As you know by now, a federal district court judge named Vaughn Walker ruled that Proposition 8, which defines marriage as the union of one man and one woman, is unconstitutional.  Two years ago, you may remember, California’s Supreme Court ruled that denying same-sex couples the right to marry was in violation of the state constitution.  So those who believe that marriage is properly between a man and a woman patiently followed the democratic process by gathering enough signatures to place an amendment to the state constitution on the ballot.  The voters strongly affirmed that marriage should be defined as the union of one man and one woman.

Again, the opposition turned away from the people and to the courts.  In this case, one man, Judge Walker – an openly gay federal judge – dismissed the hard work of so many, will of the people of California, and over five thousand years of human tradition!  It is a sad but remarkable example of judicial overreach, which is becoming more and more common as our county is becoming more and more polarized.

How should we respond?  Well, the Bible’s teaching regarding marriage is crystal clear, and because we love all people we should rightly wish society to reflect what is best for our national community.  Of course the legal battle will continue.  Those who carry the biblical standard will not give up easily.  Hopefully, our biblical heritage will prevail, and hopefully it will do so in a way that shows love and grace to gay people.  We do not want anyone alienated from the good news that Jesus came to bring.  However, if the biblical definition of marriage does not prevail, there is no need to panic.  The church of Jesus has endured much worse than this!  Perhaps God’s purpose is for there to be a clear distinction between his church and the world, between truth and falsehood, the secular and the sacred, light and darkness. Our challenge is to stand for our biblical values while showing great love and respect for all people.

Which brings us to this Sunday.  People of faith know this world is not their lasting home.  We are strangers and sojourners on this planet.  We learn this from Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, as well as from the New Testament.  The ultimate cure for the Summertime Blues is to know that God is still ruling this universe, and that our real home is with him!  This Sunday, we will continue our study on the faith of Abraham, who was looking for his eternal home.  We will also celebrate the Lord’s Supper, which is meant to be a sample of the promised heavenly banquet.  See you there!

Love in Jesus,

Pastor John Christie

What We REALLY Love

Dear Crosswalkers,
According to a recent study, as much as people love money, we love something else even more: security. According to a 2009 survey by the Pew Research Center, 59 percent of U.S. adults prefer a job that offers better security over one that offers higher pay but less stability (33 percent). Researchers insist this value isn’t driven by the current economic crisis, either. A General Social Survey in 1989—a year of economic expansion—produced similar results.  We crave security more than success!  What we REALLY love is security!

The shocking reality is this:  The God who made us calls us to forsake our earthly security for the sake of heavenly security.  God calls us to let go of our imaginary securities and embrace the adventure of faith!  God calls us to leave our sense of security and follow him on a journey of faith!  This Sunday we will focus on the father of all who have faith, a man named Abram.  Later, his named was changed to the more familiar Abraham.  God called Abram to leave his home, his culture, his roots, his belief system, his country, his security; and to go to a place where he did not know the language and where would forever be a stranger in a strange land.  It’s an amazing story of faith!  This would be a great Sunday to invite a friend or family member to come and worship with you as we begin to look at the faith of our father Abraham!  SEE YOU SUNDAY!

Love in Jesus,

Pastor John Christie

Black Sheep Ride In this Sunday!

It’s a Matter of Perspective

Dear Crosswalkers,

Recently, I came across some great puns regarding romance.  At first, they were from the perspective of someone who has been hurt in a relationship.  But then there was added the perspective of someone who was optimistic about the relationship. The optimist is in italics.

What happens when you fall in love with:

A chef? (You get buttered up.)  Or, how about, “He spices up your life”?

A chauffeur? (You get taken for a ride.) Or, how about, “In his eyes, you take a back seat to no one”?

A gambler? (He cheats on you.)  Or, how about, “He bets his Heart on you”?

A telephone operator? (He gives you a phone-y line.) Or, how about, “You always have a special connection”?

A garbage collector? (He dumps you.)  Or, how about, “He refuses to let you go”?

A clockmaker? (He two-times you.)  Or, how about, “He always makes time for you”?

A pastry cook? (He desserts you.)  Or, how about, “He spends all his dough on you”?

A shoe salesman? (He walks all over you.) Or, how about, “Your sole is lifted up”?

An artist? (He gives you the brush.)  Or, how about, “He gives you a peaceful, easel feeling”?

A jogger? (He gives you the run-around.) Or, how about, “He’s there for you when you’re run down”?

I hope these were good for a few chuckles.  There is a lot in the Scriptures that require perspective.  For example, this week we will look at the faith of Noah.  From one perspective, the flood was the terrible judgment of God on a depraved human race.  From another perspective, it was a demonstration of God’s patience and love for all people and an awesome act of salvation for a man and his family who had discovered the grace of God.

This Sunday we will look at Noah’s faith, and be blessed with a new perspective of the power of faith in the face of adversity.  I hope to see you then!

In other Crosswalk news:

This week we are mailing out our mid year giving statements with a full description of our financial situation after 6 months of 2010.  When you receive your report, please join me in praying over our financial situation.
Sunday will be the last day to sign up for our Wild Wacky Sports Camp for Kids!  Please sign up your elementary age kids and grand-kids, and then join us in prayer that the Lord would honor this Crosswalk Outreach Event!
Some wanted to know the cost of the two facility projects we are hoping to complete this year.  Resurfacing our Gym floor will cost $12,000.00.  We are waiting on our second bid and will get a third bid before we are able to ascertain the cost of what is a more significant and immediate need:  the repair and sealing of our church parking lot.  I will keep you informed as more information comes available.  We praise God for our church family, and for generous people who care and share!!
Love in Jesus,

Pastor John Christie