December

Psalm 130 – “Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord! O Lord, hear my voice! Let your ears be attentive to the voice of my pleas for mercy! If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? But with you there is forgiveness, that you may be feared. I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I hope; my soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen for the morning, more than watchmen for the morning. O Israel, hope in the Lord! For with the Lord there is steadfast love, and with him is plentiful redemption. And he will redeem Israel from all his iniquities.”

Longing for the Lord’s redemption in our lives is not something new! God’s people have longed for Him to take action for them since the beginning. We have a sure hope in the Lord. Those who wait on Him will not be disappointed. Waiting is not a passive thing for us though. We continue to give up our fears and frustrations to the Lord. As we wait we hold on to the promise of God’s steadfast love. In this season of Advent as we wait for the second coming of Christ and celebrate His birth so long ago we continue to hold on to what God has done for us and look forward to what He will accomplish when He comes again.


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November

Psalm 100 – “Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth! Serve the Lord with gladness! Come into his presence with singing! Know that the Lord, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name! For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.”

November is going to be a month focused on Worship for Medford Friends Church. As we head into this time we ask that everyone be in prayer about what the Lord has done in our lives. We are going to have a special worship Sunday November 24th and we will have multiple times to share what God has accomplished in our lives. Highlighting a few aspects of worship will also be part of this time but we can use the above scripture as a starting point for our worship preparations. Spend time this week reading and re-reading Psalm 100 and consider what it asks of us.


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October

“As he passed by, he saw a man blind from birth. And his disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” Jesus answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him. We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” – John 9:1-5

This passage from John is the beginning of a story that takes a whole chapter. Jesus runs into a man who was blind from birth and is asked a question by his disciples. Jesus’ response is one that speaks to purpose for our suffering and the suffering of those around us, so that God’s work can be shown in us. Christ encourages his disciples to do the work to which they are called while they can. This month as we move into John 9 this month please be thinking about the ways that God has called you to work in the world. What people are you passing by? How might you offer light to those in darkness? What areas of your own life need to have Jesus’ healing touch?


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Seeking Peace

As we go into this fall we are experiencing the changes around us. School is starting back up, we have a change of rhythm, and the weather is beginning to shift. Seasonal changes can feel tumultuous. They are often times of stress and frustration, but they are also times of growth and opportunity. They can be a time for us to set some new goals and experience some new things or follow through on some things we have been meaning to!

One of the goals I have this fall is to spend some time in our community. I have started by spending Tuesday afternoons at the Starbucks near the church. Most of the time I just read. The last couple of weeks I have been sitting with a couple of older men in the comfy chairs in the corner of the building and we have had some really good conversation. Talking about the changes they are dealing with and how that has been a difficult thing. I am hoping that in our conversations the Lord is helping me function as an agent of peace in their lives. As you go about your life in this season how might God be inviting you to something new? What places do you need to seek peace for yourself and others?


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Hearts Bound Together

So Emily and I got married a few weeks ago! It was an amazing time of celebrating our new life together with family and friends. Thank you to everyone who came out to experience that day with us! We are blessed beyond measure by all of the support and care for us that has been shown in our time dating one another and now as we are joined together.

As we look at August it is a season of change. Time when people are looking towards school starting again for their little ones and the weather is at its hottest. We want to get out and do things but the smoke and the heat often keep us inside. Sometimes that drives people a little nuts. Cabin Fever can set in really quickly and we just want an escape from the feeling of being bound up in our houses. As this feeling starts to set in I want us to consider that it doesn’t just happen with our homes or in this season. We sometimes feel bound up in other places in our lives. We can feel that way at work or with our relationships. Anywhere we spend our time can begin to feel like this if we don’t watch for it. Church too can sometimes feel like a place where we are bound up. We might feel locked in or stuck in our relationship with God. We want to move. We want to grow, we want to explore, and we want to experience something new.

One beautiful thing about this feeling of being bound up is that when it comes to the church, we are. We are bound together in love. Christ has called each one of us to this community for a purpose. To work and grow together in the love of God for the glory of His name and in His Kingdom. As this feeling of cabin fever sets in, don’t run from it. Take time to ask why you might be feeling the way you are and ask if it is because Jesus has something more for you to experience. Ask Him what that experience is and how He wants you to pursue it. Are there others in your community that can help you seek it and grow towards it together? We are called to be working together to carry whatever burdens the Lord has placed on us. No matter where you are, if you are feeling bound up, we can help you grow and move towards the goal that God has in store for you. So, how can we help?


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Changing Lives

I just recently got back from a short-term mission trip to Mexico. We build a home for a single mother and her three children. It was an amazing week of working with great people and helping the Lord change this family’s world for the better. Spending time playing and building with the family was so worth it. Knowing that they have a safe place and a solid roof over their heads is a comfort. As much as building the home changed their lives it changed ours as well. We came to recognize how blessed we are and what opportunities we have been given. We give back because of all that Jesus has done for us and in so doing help to magnify His name and Kingdom in our world. Because Jesus has changed our lives, we work to help Him do that in other’s lives. It is Jesus that inspires and enables us to do these things. When we allow Jesus to change out lives we end up moving more and more closely towards the heart of God for those around us. Why is this? Because our will and being begin to reflect that of Jesus.


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Summer Time!

As we head into this season many of us find ourselves very busy! We have school finishing up, we are looking into trips and visits, we are worrying about when Fire Season will start, and we are trying to get outside to enjoy some sunshine and clean air while we can. “Strike while the iron is hot” is an old saying that means go while you can, do while you can, or get while you can. It encourages us to take advantage of the right conditions. Often in life we want to wait until we are ready to take the shot but we often don’t feel ready when the conditions are right. Waiting to go until we are ready to go often means we miss our window of opportunity. This summer as things start to heat up, I encourage you to “strike while the iron is hot.” To take the opportunities that come your way. God is giving us moments to share His love and His kingdom with those around us. Are we going to take that opportunity or wait until we feel ready and possibly miss our chance?


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Drying Out

We are approaching summer. Also known as Fire Season here in Oregon. As we do I want us to remember the potential for dryness around us and the possible wildfires that can happen. We are aware of the need to be careful of a stray spark or lighting strike or some other accident. We are always sure that human error can sometimes start a fire. Occasionally there are those who go out and will intentionally start a fire. All of the things are dangers but in most of them it takes the right set of circumstances for a wildfire to spread. You may be wondering where I am going with this, but just stick with me!

Just as with the danger of fire season approaching, we start noticing how dry it is we can also take note of spiritual dryness in our society (and sometimes ourselves) preceding times of a Spirit led revival. While for a regular wildfire it takes the right circumstances to spread a spiritual wildfire can spread even across oceans of water. God’s movement and activity may be mysterious to us but He is still moving! Our society may seem dry right now, but maybe God is preparing us for a spiritual wildfire unlike anything seen in our world before!


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EASTER!

This is the month! This is the month! We get to celebrate the resurrection of our Lord!

As we prepare for our Easter Sunday celebration this year we would love to have you join with us in prayer for our neighborhood. Take some time each week to do this. We are so blessed to be planted where we are because there is such opportunity to share God’s love with those around us. Let us seek God’s will for our community as we look forward to this great celebration!


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Change of Plans

“Man plans and God laughs.” – Yiddish Proverb

We had a plan. It was a good plan. I liked the plan. However, God decided to change our plan! We were going to host the Southern Oregon Area Meeting on February 27th but with the weather that we had been experiencing we decided to reschedule the meeting. Our area will still get together and hear about what is going on in our Yearly Meeting. We aren’t sure when, but it will happen.

I say that with full assurance that it will happen. Because God changes our plans all the time and it always works out in the end. He does good things in His own time. He plans and follows through even when it means our plans fall through. God is the one who is in control and this is just another reminder of that. “We aren’t sure when, but it will happen” is a good mantra for us to hold on to as Christians. It is a perfect summation of the hope that we have in Christ’s return. We don’t have to know when God is going to act or how God is going to take care of a situation to be sure that He is present and moving. Maybe a fitting response to the proverb above would be “God acts and Man praises.”  When our plans change due to God’s orchestration of our lives we can respond in praise or petulance. I hope that in this season of changing plans we are flexible enough to praise God.


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