ON MY WAY TO IOWA

I am embarking on a new thing. God is doing a new thing. I must look forward with God's love and grace as my guide! In reflecting, I was reminded of this message from my archives. 

"A New Beginning"

Scripture: II Corinthians 5:14-21

Key Verses:  ^{4 Either way, Christ’s love controls us.  Since we believe that Christ died for all, we also believe that we have all died to our old life. 15 He died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them. 16 So we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view. At one time we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view. How differently we know him now! 17 This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! 18 And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him. 19 For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. 20 So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!” 21 For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.}

Key Idea: A new beginnings is possible through the ministry of reconciliation and with God's love and guidance.  

How do I actualize a new beginning?

      By understanding that there is an avenue to receive Jesus Christ or to move forward in Christ that does not require anything but opening up to receive the gift of new life.  

      By encouraging yourself to and giving others the chance to move forward.

Think About This:   

                We have a hard time letting go of hurts, pains, frustrations, offenses so it becomes difficult for us to forgive, forget, etc…We have a hard time with reconciliation. But letting go opens your hand and life to new relationships, new ministries, a new you! 

Good News: God has given us new life through Christ and we have been given the high call to the ministry of reconciliation! With it, we CAN make a difference!

Let Go & Let God! 

rebecca fisher live!: What's Love Got to Do With It

rebecca fisher live!: What's Love Got to Do With It

What's Love Got to Do With It

"What's Love Got To Do With It" is the second single released from Tina Turner's fifth solo album Private Dancer.  It became Turner's most successful single.  The song ranked #309 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time". It also ranked #38 on Songs of the Century. It was the 17th best-selling single of 1984 in the UK. In 1993, the song's name was used as the title for What's Love Got To Do With It, a biographical film about Tina Turner's life. It was originally recorded by UK pop group Bucks Fizz, whose version remained unreleased until 2000.  In 2012, "What's Love Got To Do With It" was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. (Wikipedia.com)  

When we listen to the song lyrics, love is described as a "second hand" emotion--an emotion that comes after physical attraction. The lyric describes a person who is afraid of the fact that her perception and proclamation is not the ideal. 

Young Adults Gathered on 4/28 and we had a great time discussing AGAPEO Love. We studied and discussed Matthew and Mark located in the New Testament of the Holy Bible. We asked the question, What's love got to do with it? God, Life, our own Spiritual Maturity, the Church? So we inviting you to join in the discussion. Please post comments regularly. Here is the basic format: 

Informing Our Minds: 

agapao/agapeo /ag-ap-ah'-o/love     www.crosswalk.com

Definition

of persons : to welcome, to entertain, to be fond of, to love dearly of things: to be well pleased, to be contented at or with a thing

New American Standard Word Usage - Total: 143

beloved 8, felt a love for 1, love 1, love 75, loved 38, loves 20 Preparation for Spiritual Understanding Read Aloud Matthew 5:43-44;  Matthew 5:46; Matthew 6:24;  Matthew 19:19; Matthew 22:37; Matthew 22:39  Mark 10:21; Mark 12:30-31; Mark 12:33  Discuss for Understanding and Application:

How is agapeo described? What characterizes its behavior?

What is challenging about how Jesus describes the way we should love?

Is it possible for you to love this way? Do you want to?

Share some practical ways we can demonstrate agapeo all the time?

How will you be accountable? 

It is my sincere prayer and hope that you will grow as you read, discuss/process, and find ways to grow spiritually. If you have yet to connect with a group of young adults in Bloomington, we invite you to join us. We meet 1x a month but may do some leisure activities spontaneously. Most of us go to Fairview Church on 6th St but some who come do not--so feel free to join us. There is plenty of food and plenty of room. And--Pastor Rebecca is the Chef! If interested e-mail: rebecca.fisher@inumc.org and we'll get ya involved. 

"We Don' Talk about Religion nor Politics"

When I was growing up, I was told by some that "We don't talk about Religion nor Politics."  The advice was given me to insure that I would avoid personality and agenda clashes and "be friends" with everyone. Another saying was, "Can't we all just get along?" These were spoken by well intended folks who desired for relationships to be amiable and easy. Yet, breaking ceilings and barriers rarely is amiable or easy.

So, over the years, I avoided these discussions in the name of peace. I soon discovered that religion is about doing things religiously and politics is about how a group of people utilize power to make decisions--neither of which I am a fan. I figured out the thing about religion--I am about a relationship with God not religion so I tend to upset religious structures to make room for new people, new ideas, and new stuff. But for the politics thing, I studied the issues to find that many of the decision made by existing power structures that affect daily life are rooted in some kind of moral understanding which in essecnce is "right" and "wrong." Cross-cultural experience helped me to understand that "right" is not "right" everywhere and neither is "wrong." Realizing that where you come from, how you were raised, and bottom line what you believe informs your politics helped me to put the politics thing in perspective. Here is what I learned:


When faith meets politics the existing "power" is transformed.   

Question: How do we do our part to transform the existing power structures?

      When we stand in the Holy Spirit ready to publicly practice our faith.

      When we realize that our personal salvation means little without personal responsibility to others.

      When we make the shift from favoring those with power and begin speaking truth to power.

And, this is why I vote--to speak truth to power, to take responsibility, and to publically practice my faith.

What do you think?

Family

I want to just express my sincere thanks to God who with infinite wisdom gave me the privilege of being in the family I am in. I know that everyone may not experience the depth of love that I do in my family so my heart goes out right now to those who are lacking. Yet, I do know that great earthly family or not, God gives us a spiritual family that shines for the glory of God in the time of need. Each one of us can shine the light into someone's darkness every day. I pray to shine like my family shines as a beacon of God's grace to me. I pray that you shine like the Son! Be someone's spiritual family today.

A WORD FOR YOU TODAY ...Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it.For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry. Habakkuk 2:2-3

Weds Night Bible Study Assignment Due August 31, 2011

We've studied Jonah, and my oh my how God blessed us to learn more than we ever have in those short 4 Chapters! God pursues us and uses us sometimes even though we don't want to be used! Although we ca be stubborn and disobedient, God's is full of grace! God shows so much grace towards us and grants us blessing on top of blessing and we don't deserve it at all. Perhaps that is one of the functions of grace--unmerited favor or pardon. WOW.

Last week, you reflected on the messages you received from God through the study in Jonah. Here's what you said:

*Don't Let Emotions Keep You Out of the Will of God
*We Are Not in Control, God IS
*God is Not Going to Give Up on Us
*God Gives Second Chances
*We Have Our Idea of Right, God Has His
*Let Yourself Be Used By God
*Obedience is Better Than Sacrifice
*Follow the Path of God


So, the assignment was to write down five practical applications pertaining to what we've learned about. I look forward to hearing how you are planning on living out what you've learned or been reminded of through our time in God's Word.

Keep loving and learning,

Pastor Rebecca