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Generous through you

noreply@blogger.com (Gary Gaddini) — Thu, 29 Jan 2015 22:38:00 +0000

Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. 2 Corinthians 9:7-8

If you want to measure how much you understand grace and how much you’re living by grace, look at your giving.

I wear 2 Corinthians 9:8 on a wrist band 24/7 because I need to be reminded constantly of where my source of life and strength comes from. Notice the “alls” — “all grace,” “all things,” “at all times,” “having all that you need” — those are the promises related to the person who becomes like Jesus. What was Jesus like? He reflected God the Father; He was a giver.

The most famous verse in all the Bible, John 3:16, reflects this: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”

Until we train ourselves to be generous with our time, money, resources, and opportunities, we’re not going to be like Christ. Nothing is greater proof that you understand grace than being lovingly gracious and generous to other people and to God. If we can trust God enough for salvation, why can’t we trust Him in our finances?

The whole purpose of our Generous Living series is to equip the PCC community with teaching and tools to fuel other worldly generosity. Whether it is Financial Peace University, Discovery Bible Study, or some other aspect of this series, please know that our heart is for your freedom!

Speaking of our hearts, this coming Sunday, in our Generous Living Series, we will get to the heart of generosity in a very practical way interacting around how to be generous. The truth is, we really don’t own anything. God has loaned resources to us for 70 or 80 years. It’s all His in the first place.

God gives to us generously. Then He says, “Now as I have been generous to you, allow me to be generous through you!”

I look forward to being with you on Sunday.

I love being your pastor!

Trust Much

noreply@blogger.com (Gary Gaddini) — Thu, 22 Jan 2015 23:20:00 +0000

Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? Luke 16:10-11

This morning, pondering Jesus’ teaching (yet again!) on the stewardship of our “stuff,” (Mammon, or as the NIV translates it, “worldly wealth,” encompasses so much more than income, it the accumulation of all we own.) I was struck in this passage by a question I don’t often hear asked.

What I often hear asked of me and ask of others is the question “Can you trust Jesus with this?” Throughout our lives we will face circumstances and various dynamics that seemingly betray God’s goodness. It is through these times we make a choice to walk obediently in faith, believing God is trustworthy and will never forsake us (Hebrews 13:5). Believing that God is weaving a tapestry with our lives that most glorifies Him for all eternity. We have to trust that His providence trumps our agenda, comfort, etc… easier said than done right?

However, today I sensed the Holy Spirit reversing the syntax of my often-asked question, asking of me, “Can Jesus trust you, Gary?” Now please don’t hear what I am not saying. We are not discussing God’s love here--God loves the world! That is clear. We are discussing stewardship and if I read the passage above, let alone the whole parable the passage comes from, Jesus seems to be teaching that there is a direct correlation between our stewardship of our “stuff” and God’s entrusting “true riches” to us. (True riches would be what God deems valuable: what lasts for eternity.)

Can Jesus trust you? It is this very question which is driving us to offer Financial Peace University, and which prompts me to invite every PCC’er to the Bayview Room this Sunday at 8:55am for the free preview of the course. Childcare is provided.

Millions of people around the country have gone through Financial Peace University. They've worked a plan, rewritten their stories, and changed their futures. On average, FPU graduates pay off $5,300 in debt and save $2,700 in only the first 90 days! This class meets for nine weeks on Sundays at 8:55am. It incorporates small-group discussions that help encourage accountability and discipleship. FPU teaches members how to handle money God's ways, and His ways work!

At the end of our lives, I am sure you want to look back, in the presence of Jesus, and hear this spoken over you, “Well done, good and trustworthy servant. You leveraged all I entrusted to you, in the strength and power that was available to you, for my glory and for the good of people.” I know no better tool than FPU to help us achieve that end.

I want nothing from you, just something for you--I want for you, what I want for me: A life maximized for eternity. This weekend we will continue in our Generous Living series looking at Jesus’ money advice in Matthew 6:19-24.

I love being your pastor!

Taking hold of life

noreply@blogger.com (Gary Gaddini) — Fri, 16 Jan 2015 00:56:00 +0000

Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life. 1 Timothy 6:17-19

Taking hold of life that is truly life…Sounds inviting, doesn’t it? It is attainable and simple really, it’s just not easy!

The Apostle Paul was mentoring Timothy, a young pastor of the premier church in the New Testament, the Church of Ephesus. Many people in the port cities where Timothy was a pastor were coming to Christ and embracing new life through Him. Parenthetically, this was not solely due to Timothy’s gifting, but rather due the church’s giving. Their generosity fueled their growth.

These port cities were first century epicenters of trade and wealth. Paul, who planted many of these churches, knew that even back then, rich people faced unique challenges as they embraced Jesus as their Lord. Just like today, they were vulnerable to the dizzying effects of money -- so he gave counsel to his young protégé on how to pastor these people.

Many people assume the Bible is all about restrictions resulting in leading a boring life. Trust me when I say that God wants you to live a joy-filled, Christ-centered, eternally significant life. The reality is that every command in Scripture has two inherent motives behind it: God’s protection and God’s provision.

Everything we have is a gift from God. He’s generous, and He wants us to be generous, too. The Bible says, “A generous person will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed” (Proverbs 11:25 NIV). Doesn’t that verse just make you smile? There’s a reason why Jesus taught that it is more blessed to give than receive.

The bottom line is this: God tells us in His Word that life is meant to be enjoyed, not just endured. In the coming weeks, we will explore this reality further in our Generous Living series. I cannot wait to journey together. If last week is any indicator, God has some great things in store for us!

I’ll see you this weekend! I love being your pastor!

Luis Palau

noreply@blogger.com (Gary Gaddini) — Thu, 08 Jan 2015 20:23:00 +0000

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come. The old has gone, the new is here! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation… 2 Corinthians 5:17-18

Happy New Year PCC!

Don’t you love the thought of “new?” I still love holding babies because everything on them is so new…their little fingernails and fingerprints, the whites of their eyes and the fresh color of their iris, the beauty of their skin. The smell of a new car, putting on a new shirt, hearing from people who have had knees or hips replaced. Or think of the New Year’s phenomenon. From celebrations to resolutions, there is a fresh hope, fresh energy exerted at the thought of new.

Reading through 2 Corinthians 5, you pick up a similar enthusiasm from the Apostle Paul. Only for him, the exhilaration was surrounding the concept of new life! Wholesale transformation from the inside out! Paul in verse 17 above is saying that from his perspective, everyone qualifies for the transformational internal and eternal alteration that comes only through Jesus. Having experienced complete forgiveness, a new eternal purpose, a daily sense of God’s presence, and other worldly peace that comes only from Jesus, Paul could never look at anyone the same way again. Every person he laid eyes on was a candidate who qualified to be transformed by the power of Jesus, just as he was. He said it himself in verse 16: So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer.

My point? As followers of Jesus, saved by grace through faith in Jesus, we have not only been forgiven and made new, but we have been given a ministry. It is the ministry of reconciliation! Reconciliation means to re-establish a broken relationship. We actually have been hand-picked and commissioned by the Lord to share with a lost broken world, and every single occupant in it this incredible message: You Qualify! The God of the universe has sent me to you with a personal message. He loves you and wants you to stop running, turn to Him, be made new, and come home!

What a gift! Men and women, do we realize how spiritually rich we are? Do we understand that with this spiritual inheritance comes a sacred stewardship? For the next five weeks, we will explore these very truths in a series called Generous Living.

This Sunday, to kick off the series, we have a person who, next to Billy Graham, has stewarded this sacred ministry and shared the Gospel around the world to more people than anyone alive. (Having addressed more than 1 billion people in his lifetime.) Luis Palau will be with us sharing how we, too, can steward the life-transforming message of the Gospel. What a great way to kick off the New Year and this new series!

The ministry of reconciliation is not our ministry, it is God’s. We will, one day face God for a performance review of sorts and account for how we stewarded His ministry that He entrusted to us.

2 Corinthians 5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.

How are you doing stewarding God’s ministry of reconciliation? I encourage everyone who calls PCC home to make the next 5 weeks a priority and not miss one Sunday. I honestly believe we will never be the same. I can think of no better Sunday than this one to bring a friend, neighbor or colleague to PCC.

I love being your pastor!

Giving to Changed Lives

noreply@blogger.com (Gary Gaddini) — Tue, 30 Dec 2014 17:17:00 +0000

The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.

2 Corinthians 9:6-9

As the Christmas lights dim and we set our sights to 2015, I want to again thank you for your part in making 2014 a banner year for the Peninsula Covenant Church community.

It's our vision, hope and prayer that PCC thrives as a community of people being changed by the love of Jesus and that because of PCC, communities around the world are changing to reflect God's values being shared by all. I am not PCC -- we are PCC -- and we all play a part in making that vision a reality.

Please watch this video of life changes, as evidence of a small glimpse of the work of God's Spirit through PCC.

Will you prayerfully consider joining the giving to changed lives, or in your current giving, share a special year-end gift?

I look forward to gathering together this Sunday. God bless you and Happy New Year!

I love being your pastor!

Hopeful and Desperate

noreply@blogger.com (Gary Gaddini) — Tue, 23 Dec 2014 22:40:00 +0000

And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. Luke 2:10-11

Merry Christmas PCC!

We are locked and loaded with Christmas Eve preparations, ready to celebrate the birth of our Savior four times on Christmas Eve. Since it is good news for all people, let’s join God in inviting all people to the gatherings! Be bold with your inviting spirit! Times and information on the four gatherings can be found here.

What’s so good about the good news? The reality of the human condition is that we need Jesus like we need oxygen. Like we need water. Like the branch needs the vine. Jesus is not merely a figure for devotions. He is the missing essence of our existence. Whether we know it or not, we are desperate for Jesus -- more desperate than we realize. I see, read of and hear the desperate cries through the headlines on my homepage, through the ethnic unrest in our communities, through the justice disparity that exists on the Peninsula and around the world, and through all the “…isms” that have become commonplace. Sin is insidious and has permeated vast aspects of our whole existence. Oh friends, I am an upbeat person by nature, but don’t mistake temperament for contentment. I am hopeful but desperate.

To have Jesus’ life, joy, love, and presence cannot be compared. To know Him as He is, is to come home. A true knowledge of Jesus is our greatest need and our greatest happiness. The very purpose of our being here on this planet, at this moment in time, taking up space and filtering air through our lungs, even reading this missive comes down to three things:

To love Jesus with all that we are: This is the first and greatest command. Everything else in life flows from here.
To share our daily lives with Jesus: To let him be himself with us. At the office, at supper, as we recreate, along the way—just as the disciples did.
To allow his life to fill ours: To heal and express itself through ours. There is no other way we can hope to live as He did and show Him to others.

As I close out 2014, my prayer and exhortation for us who call PCC home is this: Love Jesus. Let Him be Himself with you. Allow His life to permeate yours. The fruit of this will be . . . well… breathtaking.

Finally, may I also ask you to be bold in joining the PCC community asking God for His favor financially as we end this year? We need a God-sized increase this month! You can watch a short video and glean more information that will help us all pray here.

Thanks for an amazing 2014, PCC, and trust me when I say God has some amazing, faith-stretching, disruptive ventures ahead of us as a community in 2015. I look forward to worshipping together tomorrow night.

I love being your (hopeful and desperate) pastor!

Immanuel!

noreply@blogger.com (Gary Gaddini) — Thu, 18 Dec 2014 20:29:00 +0000

“Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel (which means, God with us).” Matthew 1:23

Merry Christmas PCC!

PLEASE DON’T FORGET THIS SUNDAY IS WHEN WE GATHER AND GIVE OUR ADVENT CONSPIRACY OFFERINGS!

Immanuel! God came to be with us! Re-read that line again and let it settle.

To Joseph and everyone else listening or reading Matthew’s account of the angel’s visit, they heard the Immanuel announcement in the context of the Old Testament. In the Old Testament God is so holy, you can't even look upon Him in His purest essence and live. They would have known that Moses had to hide his face when God passed by because Moses couldn't handle the full-blown presence of God. They would have known that the angels closest to God in heaven are called burning ones because they are literally aflame due to God’s holiness. They would have known that when God dwelt in the Holy of Holies in the temple that nobody was allowed in, except for the high priest only once a year.

And suddenly the angel tells Joseph, your fiancé is pregnant, it’s God’s doing and she is carrying God -- Immanuel – “God is with us.”

What is it that made the shepherds run back into the fields rejoicing? What was it that caused the Wise Men to fall on their face and bow down and worship by divesting themselves of wealth?
What is it that caused Simeon to run to the temple and take the Baby from their arms and tell the Lord -- now I can die!
What is it that in Revelation 12, caused Satan himself to do everything in his power in the heavenlies to prevent the birth of Christ?

It was this fact and this fact alone: the announcement that God is not a distant, far-off, uninvolved God. That God is not some cosmic clockmaker who just wound the world up and walked away. It was the reality that God came near; God was now with us. The Creator and Sustainer of the universe is a relational God who stripped Himself of His glory and became like us in the form of a baby, who was all God and all human yet without sin, He dwelt on earth. And He dwells with His followers today.

This Christmas as we turn our attention to Jesus, let’s not forget the intent of Jesus’ coming. Christmas is God coming to rescue us. It was an act of humility, love and sacrifice unparalleled in the history of the world. But the act did not take place in a vacuum. The act had a fierce intention to it, and the object of this act was you and me; the purpose was our rescue and restoration, to bring us back to God. Why have we lost sight of that?

Christmas is the most stunning rescue story of all time. Under cover of night, in a remote village in Palestine, in a world held captive by the dark prince, God comes to earth as a human being, a little boy. He invades the human race in order to rescue the human race. Satan was furious. He lashed out desperately to tried and stop the invasion. The angels went to war. (Revelation 12) But God could not be stopped. He would ransom and restore His beloved. The beauty of the act cannot be adequately expressed. And what are we to think of the ones God would go to such lengths to rescue, and at such a price? How precious they must be. They must be worth a great deal to him. Inestimable worth.

At least, that ought to be the effect of Christmas upon us. May this truth help us to celebrate Christmas for what it is – as a daring rescue. God with us! May we be stunned at the way God goes about things. To fall in love again with His amazing heart.

My prayer for us this Christmas season is that we would truly experience Immanuel -- God came to be with us! I look forward to celebrating with you both this Sunday and diving deeper into Immanuel through our Hark! series. And then on Christmas Eve, I cannot wait to gather with you at one (or more!) of our 4 Christmas Eve Gatherings.

Don’t come alone. Celebrating the birth of Jesus is just too good to keep to ourselves! Who is God calling you to Immanualize? To invest in relationally and invite to join you on Christmas Eve at one of our gatherings?

Merry Christmas beloved Church family! I love being your pastor!

What Child is This?

noreply@blogger.com (Gary Gaddini) — Thu, 11 Dec 2014 22:46:00 +0000

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6

It is the question of the ages, captured in the Christmas Carol’s title: What Child is this?
The carol raises the question this way: “What child is this, who, laid to rest, on Mary's lap is sleeping? Whom angels greet with anthems sweet, While shepherds watch are keeping?”

What child is this? Here’s a small sample of what’s been offered:

President Thomas Jefferson said, “Jesus didn’t mean to impose himself on mankind as the Son of God.”
Mikhail Gorbachev also brought a voice to the forum when he said, “Jesus was the first socialist, the first to seek a better life for mankind.”
Ghandi who was personally intrigued with Christ, stated, “I cannot ascribe exclusive divinity to Jesus. He is as divine as Krishna, or Rama or Muhammad or Zoroaster.”
Martin Luther King Jr. in his famous Letter from a Birmingham Jail (an excellent read I might add) wrote, “Jesus was an extremist for love, truth and goodness.”
Albert Einstein said, “As a child I received instruction both in the Bible and in the Talmud. I am a Jew, but I am enthralled by the luminous figure of the Nazarene... No one can read the Gospels without feeling the actual presence of Jesus. His personality pulsates in every word. No myth is filled with such life.”
Famed Yale historian, Dr. Kenneth Scott Latourette wrote, “As the centuries pass, the evidence is accumulating that, measured by His effect on history, Jesus is the most influential life ever lived on this planet.”
And finally U2’s lead singer Bono in a recent interview said, “The secular response to the Christ story always goes like this: He was a great prophet, obviously a very interesting guy, had a lot to say along the lines of other great prophets, be they Elijah, Muhammad, Buddha, or Confucius. But actually Christ doesn’t allow you that. He doesn’t let you off that hook. So what you’re left with is: either Christ was who He said He was, the Messiah, or a complete nutcase. I mean, we’re talking nutcase on the level of Charles Manson. The idea that the entire course of civilization for over half of the globe could have its fate changed and turned upside-down by a nutcase, for me, that’s farfetched. So I ask myself a question a lot of people have asked: Who is this man? And was He who He said He was, or was He just a religious nut? And there it is, and that’s the question. And no one can talk you into it or out of it. I love the idea of the Sacrificial Lamb. The point of the death of Christ is that Christ took on the sins of the world, so that what we put out did not come back to us, and that our sinful nature does not reap the obvious death. That’s the point. It should keep us humbled. It’s not our own good works that get us through the gates of heaven.”

What Child is this? This is Jesus Christ! The name Jesus is derived from the OT name Joshua which means “Yahweh God is salvation.” The name Christ means “one chosen by God to be the messiah who delivers God’s people.”

Some 700 years before His birth, God inspired the prophet Isaiah to answer this question once for all. He wrote of this Christ child being a Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

At the end of the day, while “What Child is This?” is a great question to ponder this season, a greater one is “Where will I place the government of my life?” Will I hoard authority over my life, or place as Isaiah puts it, “the government” of my life on His shoulders?

Please take some time to Hark! (to pause, listen and pay attention) both the query and its eternal ramifications. Do you have questions regarding what it would look like to have the government on His shoulders? Please visit I Am Second and listen to some amazing stories of lives that have been transformed through the power of Jesus.

Better yet, come join this Sunday as we look closer at Isaiah 9:6 and the Christmas Carol in our Hark! Series. I look forward to being together this Sunday!

I love being your pastor!

Irrational Generousity

noreply@blogger.com (Gary Gaddini) — Thu, 04 Dec 2014 21:25:00 +0000

Command those who are rich in this present world … to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. 1 Timothy 6:17-18

Merry Christmas PCC!

This Advent, as we step into the Advent Conspiracy as a community and look at 5 classic Christmas Carols in our Hark! Series, we do so with the conviction that Christmas can still change the world. If you haven’t done so, please do download or pick up our Hark! Devotional and, after Friday, please download PCC’s very own Hark! Christmas Carol music.

Stepping into this Christmas season, can I encourage us as a body? Among the many things that I am grateful for, I appreciate the generosity and faithfulness of PCC. I received the following text message this Sunday afternoon from a PCC family of 6 from Portola Valley who was planning on getting their Christmas tree after Sunday’s service but God led them in another direction. Here is what was texted to me:

Ok so as you were preaching today about Advent Conspiracy... I was thinking after church the family and I were supposed to go pick out a tree. We talked to the kids about being intentional this year and having our Christmas tree be on our living room wall with painters tape from Home Depot, our ornaments being handmade and reflecting that is on our heart to honor God to celebrate the truth of Christmas, so we can give to those more in need. Here it is, the handcrafted one-dimensional family Christmas tree that hangs in our living room! Thanks for your amazing words today and letting God use you in miraculous ways.

The kids had a blast and actually are understanding and fully on board what it's truly about. Our son said let's tape Joel and Sophia, the two orphans we adopted through Covenant Kids Congo and have been praying for, to the wall to remind us when we are wanting toys for ourselves! His sister ran and said, “I'm gonna put the first handmade gifts under the tree!” and worked all night on them.

What an amazing reflection of a family following the Holy Spirit’s leading and choosing generosity. Why choose generosity? Here are a few reasons:

God promises we’ll be blessed for generosity to the needy. Blessed is he who is generous to the poor (Proverbs 14:21).
God will be honored. He who is generous to the needy honors him (Proverbs 14:31).
God considers our giving to the poor as a personal gift to him. Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the LORD…(Proverbs 19:17 ESV).
We will reap in the same way we give. The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully (2 Corinthians 9:6).
God will enrich us to be increasingly generous. You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God (2 Corinthians 9:11).

I am sure you are like Anne and me who receive many year-end requests for our giving dollars this time of year. And at PCC, we are in need of a strong year-end in regards to giving as well. But can I encourage us all that God created us to use our skills so we have money to share — with people who can’t work or who are poor for whatever reason. Ephesians 4:28 says, “Use your hands for good hard work, and then give generously to others in need” (NLT). We’re never going to be like Jesus Christ unless we learn generosity and stop being stingy. And I’ve learned from personal experience that the more generous you are, the more God blesses your life.

Here’s to a Christmas marked by irrational generosity! I love being your pastor!

Ferguson

noreply@blogger.com (Gary Gaddini) — Wed, 26 Nov 2014 21:54:00 +0000

Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. Lamentations 3:22-23

This week, our family has watched and discussed the grand jury verdict in Ferguson and has engaged in a robust exchange of thoughts and questions. While Ferguson seems a world away, I believe this is an inciting incident exposing a deep wound that exists in our country. The family interaction has been a tremendously constructive experience for us all. Our takeaway is lament over the multiple tragedies that this experience represents.

As followers of Jesus, with a biblical perspective, we best bring an informed and wise voice to this discussion, providing hope. I was moved by our denomination’s president, Gary Walter’s words and want to pass them on. What follows are Gary’s letter for the Covenant website and then important musings.

As we gather around tables this week to celebrate our blessings on Thanksgiving, let us all pray for a God-empowered awakening and consequent reconciliation to occur in this country.

I look forward to gathering with you this weekend to kick off our Hark! Advent series. You can read all about what to expect.

It is with a full heart that I say thank you for being such a tremendous church. Happy Thanksgiving PCC! I love being your pastor!

A Pastoral Letter Regarding Ferguson (originally posted on Nov. 20, 2014)

Dear Covenant Family,

One consistent promise throughout Scripture is that God weaves redemptive purposes even out of distressing and troubling circumstances. That bedrock promise and premise means we ultimately are bearers of hope to the world. This letter is a call for all of us to seek God’s redemptive purposes out of the pain and dilemmas presented by the saga of Ferguson, Missouri.

As the grand jury finalizes its deliberations concerning the death of Michael Brown, I yearn that we not default to separate camps but instead together aspire to claim this as a redemptive moment for a better future.

I see God laying two redemptive rails to carry us forward. One is deeper awareness of pain and the other is deeper resolve for progress. Side by side God can use these rails to convey us to a more caring and just world.

Michael Brown’s death has laid open disconsolate pain. One could have been lulled into initially seeing this as a news story with a news cycle. But the persistence of voices from the streets of Ferguson, particularly from Christian leaders including from the ECC, has helped people see that in reality this is an old story within a recurring cycle. We may or may not ever know all of the facts in this case. But we do know this death of an unarmed young man is a piercing reminder that young African American men (and other young men of color) are disproportionately more likely to be arrested, sentenced, or even killed than white counterparts.

In the images of Michael Brown’s body, it is too easy to project a son, a husband, a neighbor, a student from the youth group. Have you ever picked out the cries of a loved one amid the din of the crowd? You turn immediately and scurry to understand what is going on. In the ECC, the grieving but strong voice we recognize as family rouses us to better listen, to more fully understand, and to more deeply mourn. As we grow as a multiethnic mosaic, we will see things more clearly and feel things more deeply. It is part of God’s work and mercy among us. It is happening now.

In the soul-searching taking place throughout the country, there are hints that this could be a defining moment for the second rail, namely greater resolve for progress. For example, the Missouri governor’s establishment of the independent Ferguson Commission has as its charter to conduct a “thorough, wide-ranging, unflinching study” of underlying social and economic conditions for making the St. Louis area a “stronger, fairer place for everyone to live.” That the commission is co-chaired by a respected pastor speaks to the constructive role people of faith bring in underscoring the inherent value of every person, each created in the image of God. While it is too early to tell, this and other similarly emerging efforts in other communities could be early evidence of a longed-for move toward greater systemic understanding and commitments. May it be so.

In it all, we are mindful of the very real dangers and stressful decisions law enforcement personnel are confronted with in every community every day in seeking to serve and protect. This we honor with profound gratitude. May we do our part within our communities to exemplify and promote what it means to be engaged citizens respecting the rights and safety of our neighbors. Here are tangible things I would ask from us in the coming days.

Begin with prayer: for Michael Brown’s family; for police officer Darren Wilson and family; for the witness and engagement of churches in Ferguson; for peace in the streets; for definitive progress in community reform; for Covenant churches ministering in the region.

Grow in understanding the pain. Ask someone with whom you might be inclined to disagree, “Why do you feel this way?” And listen. Find thoughtful resources looking at the depth of cross-currents and complexities from 360 degrees. Model God-honoring conversation for your children and neighbors.
And stay engaged, leaning into opportunities for progress. Take to heart that Ferguson, yes this very circumstance, can indeed be God’s kairos moment, a defining marker in time, crossing us into a fundamentally new period of more humbly and forthrightly aspiring to God’s peace and justice across the fractures that too readily divide.

Beloved Covenant community, let’s take this journey together. God is laying down two redemptive rails to carry us forward: deeper awareness of pain and deeper resolve for progress. Side by side God will use these rails to carry us to a more caring and just world.

In It Together,
Gary Walter
ECC President

Thank Therapy

noreply@blogger.com (Gary Gaddini) — Fri, 21 Nov 2014 00:30:00 +0000

Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:18

My friend and mentor Jim Burns of Homeword has taught me many lasting life lessons, not the least of which is what he calls “Thank Therapy.” I have found Thank Therapy to be nothing short of transformative in my life, as it has become a daily discipline for me. Here are some thoughts from Jim through me.

When it comes to this subject, I meet two types of people in the world. There are those who are grumblers and complainers and those who are thankful and grateful. It is interesting to note that almost universally the person who is a complainer is much less happy than the thankful person.

If I drew a straight line on a piece of paper and on one end wrote the words "grumbler/complainer" and on the other end wrote "thankful/grateful," which end of the continuum would you be closer to? The odds are overwhelming that you can measure your degree of happiness in life by where you place your mark.

In studying thankfulness I've learned a very helpful principle: Thankfulness is a key which unlocks your depressive emotions. You cannot be both thankful and depressed at the same time. They are opposite emotions. You can be sad, hurt, or angered and still be thankful; but you can't be depressed and still be thankful.

We can't make the decision about whether some of life's negative "stuff' is thrown our way; but we can decide to be thankful, even in the midst of a not-so-perfect world. It was the apostle Paul who said that we should "give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus," (1 Thessalonians 5:18). But for many of us, the attitude of thankfulness does not come easy. We've learned from our past to complain our way through most circumstances.

My initial reaction to the verse was perhaps similar to yours. “Thankfulness is fine when things are going well, but how can it be God's will for me to be thankful for my parents' Alzheimer’s, war, relationship problems, my friends who are dying, and everything else that's wrong in the world? Is this verse telling me I should rejoice and be thankful for family problems or hunger or other tragedies in life?”

No. If you look closely you'll see that Paul is not telling you to be thankful for these things; rather we are to be thankful in our circumstances. There is a major difference between being thankful for every situation in life and being thankful in those situations. He challenges us to find reasons to be thankful even in the worst of struggles.

Thankfulness is an attribute that transcends our circumstances. No matter what our circumstances, I believe there is reason to be thankful in them. Our circumstances may never change, but our attitude toward them can change -- and that will make all the difference.

Christians have a special reason to adopt the attitude of gratitude, because we know that whatever comes, our times are in God's hands. It was Jesus who said, in effect, "So don't be anxious about tomorrow. God will take care of your tomorrow, too," (see Matt. 6:34).

Thank Therapy is simply focusing on the many things in my life for which I can be thankful. Why not take a few minutes, grab a notebook and pen, and make your own list of things for which you can be thankful.

Yes, our circumstances might be difficult. But because we have a Lord who cares for every aspect of our life, we can be assured we’re not alone in our struggles.

And, can I say at the close of this week’s Gmail, “I am thankful for you and for PCC!”

I love being your pastor!

Good News

noreply@blogger.com (Gary Gaddini) — Thu, 13 Nov 2014 23:21:00 +0000

I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them. John 13:15-17

Skip Vaccarello writes a blog entitled Finding God in Silicon Valley. It is a tremendous resource I access often to find inspiring stories of how God is at work in our neck of the woods. In the past, PCC’ers Dr. John Dearborn and Dr. Paul Baba have been featured in the blog. This week, PCC is featured.

I’ll say it over and over again; serving our way into the community with good works creates good will, which allows us to best share the Good News. And the Good News is so good and relevant in our day on this Peninsula. May we never forget that!

As we enter into the Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday season, we will all have the opportunity to be Good News through serving at catalytic outreaches like our Thanksgiving Outreach, Kennedy Christmas Outreach and Advent Conspiracy.

We are also praying that we would unapologetically be good news to others in bringing them to our special Tim Zimmerman concert, weekend services and our four Christmas Eve services at 4, 6, 9, and 11pm. Oh God, allow PCC to be a community of “bringers” this Christmas Season!

Would you please take a moment and access the links above and be encouraged by the lives of John Dearborn, Paul Baba and the community of PCC? Then please take another moment and pray for us in the coming months to boldly step out with a spirit of audacious generosity in the coming weeks.

This weekend, we will continue in our In Christ journey through Ephesians looking at parenting! I promise both a ton of laughs and great encouragement to parents and us all. Want to read up ahead of time? Sit in Ephesians 6:1-4 and come with an eager heart to serve and worship God. Thanks for being Good News.

I love being your pastor!

Intimate Marriage

noreply@blogger.com (Gary Gaddini) — Thu, 06 Nov 2014 21:07:00 +0000

However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband. Ephesians 5:33

I read everything Dr. Jim Burns writes and I would encourage you to do the same. His website, Homeword, provides encouragement and wisdom for me as a father and husband. I access it multiple times a week.

A while back, I was listening to Jim and his wife Cathy speak to a room of pastors when he confessed that within the first year of his marriage, Jim had an affair. You could have heard a pin drop. You see, not only is Jim a respected and successful author and speaker in the area of marriage and family, he also has had quite a run as a pastor.

He went on saying that his affair was not with another woman and the tension grew. “Nor was it with another man.” Jim continued. “You see I was having an affair with my ministry and was giving it my best energy and time. I was finding my worth from it.”

We are called to exclusivity in marriage. That is a driving ethic of Christian marriage, but exclusivity pertains to more than relationships with other people. It also speaks to our relationships with our hobbies, our career, our toys and (can I even say) our children. (Remember, that is coming from a father of five daughters who deserve and demand much from me.)

Where can we turn to discover the tools we need for a growing marriage? We are going to address that this weekend in all three gatherings. I will be joined on the platform by Kevin and Karen de Smidt who are one of my favorite couples because they authentically and humbly strive for God’s best in their marriage in the midst of the chaos of life.

However, don’t wait until Sunday! Jim Burns, in his book entitled Creating an Intimate Marriage has a section on refreshing spiritual intimacy in marriage. He encourages creating a plan that includes:

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1) Don’t Expect Immediate Change It is very rare for a relationship to move from lacking spirituality to strong growth overnight. It takes nurturing and pruning over time to have a beautiful garden. In the same way, it takes time and careful cultivation to grow toward spiritual intimacy. So, a good place to start is by planting the seeds of spiritual growth.

2) Pray for Your Spouse This is a simple suggestion and one that is relatively easy to begin, yet one that many couples overlook. Create a daily time to pray for your spouse and your relationship. Paul’s advice to Timothy was to “discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness” (1 Timothy 4:7).

3) Pray Together If your spouse is open to it, pray together daily. If your spouse is not very spiritually motivated, then keep prayer very short and do it at a meal or another time that seems less intimidating. The saying is true: “Couples who pray together, stay together.”

4) Worship Together Regularly A natural part of growing together spiritually is worshiping together. Unfortunately, some couples don’t have the benefit of worshiping together. Perhaps one works or just won’t go to church. This is an area to keep on your prayer list; look for ways to find meaning together when you can.

5) Develop a Regular Spiritual Growth Time Together It isn’t easy to discipline yourselves as a couple to spend regular time together focusing on your spirituality. Even though Cathy and I speak and write on this subject, we have struggled throughout our years of marriage in this area. Finally, we found something that works for us. We call it our Weekly Time. It’s rather simple, and, for some it may be too short, but it has worked for us.

6) Develop Healthy, Affirming Relationships with Other Couples Cathy and I had very few role models when we first got married. We didn’t know many couples we wanted to imitate in our own marriage. One day we were talking about the need to find mentors for our marriage, and a couple from our church came to mind. They had successfully raised three kids and had been married for a number of years. We asked if we could come by and ask them some questions about building a God-honoring marriage.

If we would have said, “Will you mentor us?” they might have said, “No, we don’t see ourselves as mentors.” Fortunately, we didn’t give them the option to turn us down. We simply asked if we could get together. The mealtime and conversation was so pleasant and helpful that we asked if we could get together again sometime. Today, this couple would probably say they have been mentors to us, but it didn’t start that way in their minds.

We also believe strongly in peer relationships. Cathy and I were in a couples’ group for several years, and even though each session wasn’t on marriage, it seemed like whatever we were studying in that group came back to our marriages and families. I learned much from how other couples approached their relationships.

7) Develop a Plan. When a couple is living with the same set of blueprints, they do so much better. As you begin to grow stronger spiritually as a couple, you’ll want to create your own. The plan has to work for you and for your situation. One couple I know plans two marriage-focused retreats together a year. Sometimes they go away and have read books together, listened to audio programs, or follow a Bible study booklet. At other times, they attend a marriage retreat or conference with other couples.
Part of your plan might include reading one spiritually-focused book a year, and then set aside time to discuss the book as a couple. Or, you might choose to read one book a year on a marriage topic. The choices are almost limitless. Although, I’ve said it before, let me say it again, your task is to find what works for you both as a couple.
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This weekend, we will continue in Ephesians walking through Ephesians 5:21-33, the longest treatment in all the Bible on Marriage. Interestingly, it is also the most potent treatment in all the Bible on the church. Makes one think that maybe God correlates how we treat our marriages with how we treat His church! We all have room to grow in this area. I look forward to being together.

I love being your pastor!

Father's Love Letter

noreply@blogger.com (Gary Gaddini) — Thu, 30 Oct 2014 23:22:00 +0000

Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children. Ephesians 5:1

If we could understand the amount of love our Heavenly Father has for us, we would never be the same. That is the motive behind every ethical imperative given in Ephesians 5, and there are some strong imperatives in the chapter.

What does it mean to be a dearly loved child of God? I’m glad you asked! Consider the following which come from the Father’s Love Letter website. Actually, do more than consider--soak in the following. Apart from this foundation, Ephesians 5 makes no sense! Stop where you are and read what follows V-E-R-Y S-L-O-W-L-Y!

My Child,

You may not know me, but I know everything about you. Psalm 139:1
I know when you sit down and when you rise up. Psalm 139:2
I am familiar with all your ways. Psalm 139:3
Even the very hairs on your head are numbered. Matthew 10:29-31
For you were made in my image. Genesis 1:27
In me you live and move and have your being. Acts 17:28
For you are my offspring. Acts 17:28
I knew you even before you were conceived. Jeremiah 1:4-5
I chose you when I planned creation. Ephesians 1:11-12
You were not a mistake, for all your days are written in my book. Psalm 139:15-16
I determined the exact time of your birth and where you would live. Acts 17:26
You are fearfully and wonderfully made. Psalm 139:14
I knit you together in your mother's womb. Psalm 139:13
And brought you forth on the day you were born. Psalm 71:6
I have been misrepresented by those who don't know me. John 8:41-44
I am not distant and angry, but am the complete expression of love. 1 John 4:16
And it is my desire to lavish my love on you. 1 John 3:1
Simply because you are my child and I am your Father. 1 John 3:1
I offer you more than your earthly father ever could. Matthew 7:11
For I am the perfect father. Matthew 5:48
Every good gift that you receive comes from my hand. James 1:17
For I am your provider and I meet all your needs. Matthew 6:31-33
My plan for your future has always been filled with hope. Jeremiah 29:11
Because I love you with an everlasting love. Jeremiah 31:3
My thoughts toward you are countless as the sand on the seashore. Psalms 139:17-18
And I rejoice over you with singing. Zephaniah 3:17
I will never stop doing good to you. Jeremiah 32:40
For you are my treasured possession. Exodus 19:5
I desire to establish you?with all my heart and all my soul. Jeremiah 32:41
And I want to show you great and marvelous things. Jeremiah 33:3
If you seek me with all your heart, you will find me. Deuteronomy 4:29
Delight in me and I will give you the desires of your heart. Psalm 37:4
For it is I who gave you those desires. Philippians 2:13
I am able to do more for you than you could possibly imagine. Ephesians 3:20
For I am your greatest encourager. 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17
I am also the Father who comforts you ?in all your troubles. 2 Corinthians 1:3-4
When you are brokenhearted, I am close to you. Psalm 34:18
As a shepherd carries a lamb, I have carried you close to my heart. Isaiah 40:11
One day I will wipe away every tear from your eyes. Revelation 21:3-4
And I'll take away all the pain you have suffered on this earth. Revelation 21:3-4
I am your Father, and I love you even as I love my son, Jesus. John 17:23
For in Jesus, my love for you is revealed. John 17:26
He is the exact representation of my being. Hebrews 1:3
He came to demonstrate that I am for you, not against you. Romans 8:31
And to tell you that I am not counting your sins. 2 Corinthians 5:18-19
Jesus died so that you and I could be reconciled. 2 Corinthians 5:18-19
His death was the ultimate expression of my love for you. 1 John 4:10
I gave up everything I loved that I might gain your love. Romans 8:31-32
If you receive the gift of my son Jesus, you receive me. 1 John 2:23
And nothing will ever separate you from my love again. Romans 8:38-39
Come home and I'll throw the biggest party heaven has ever seen. Luke 15:7
I have always been Father, and will always be Father. Ephesians 3:14-15
My question is…will you be my child? John 1:12-13
I am waiting for you. Luke 15:11-32

Love, Your Dad, Almighty God

We are so loved! This weekend we continue in our series Alive In Christ looking at some of those liberating ethical imperatives! Parents please note- this Sunday’s message is rated PG-13! It is also National Orphan Sunday and we have some amazing opportunities and stories around foster care and adoption. I look forward to gathering together!

I love being your pastor!

Gary

Good News

noreply@blogger.com (Gary Gaddini) — Thu, 23 Oct 2014 23:04:00 +0000

Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people. Matthew 4:23

Let’s pause and reflect…What’s so good about the good news? Don’t think in generalities, please get specific. Right now wherever you are reading this, please ponder: What specifically is so good about the Gospel?

I love how Billy Graham’s grandson, Tullian Tchividjian, in his book, Surprised by Grace put it: “Only the gospel can truly save you. The gospel doesn't make good people good; it makes dead people alive. That's the difference between the gospel of Jesus Christ and every other world religion. All the others exhort their followers to save themselves by being good, by conforming their lives to whatever their worshiped deity is. But the gospel is God's acceptance of us based on what Christ has done, not on what we can do.”

This past week, I saw many expressions of what is so good about the Gospel lived out through PCC, but I want to highlight two with video links. In light of all the bad news that fills the Internet and floods our computer screens, enjoy this Good News:

1. Beautiful Day: We were Good News this past Saturday at Roosevelt School. Watch this 3-minute video and see for yourselves what Good News looks like.

2. The Sabuli Center: We are Good News in the Democratic Republic of Congo in so many ways. The Sabuli Center, which houses 70 children who have no homes, feeds and cares for them and provides an education as well for them, is changing lives. Watch this 2-minute video and see for yourselves the Good News that came to Benie.

I know I’m a pastor and you expect to hear this from anyone in my profession, but I have to tell you, the Good News never gets old! May we all be enamored daily with the Good News and ask God to make us aware of the opportunities we have to be and to share The Good News with people.

Unclear about what the good news is? Watch this 4-minute video that brings a fresh, relevant explanation of the Good News from one of my favorite authors, Dr. Ravi Zacharius.

This weekend, we will gather to celebrate the Good News! Come expectant and come ready to serve! We will look at Ephesians 4:25-31. I look forward to being together!

I love being your pastor!

Pray for your Spouse!

noreply@blogger.com (Gary Gaddini) — Thu, 16 Oct 2014 19:48:00 +0000

Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. Matthew 7:7

While in college I was given a gift that has equipped, encouraged, and empowered my marriage more than any other tool I have employed. This piece of advice has paid far more dividends than I could have ever dreamed of or imagined. If anyone ever asks me for a silver bullet to a prevailing marriage, this would be it. The advice I received was this: Pray for your spouse!

When the man who was investing in my life at the time gave me that advice, I quickly retorted, “But I’m not married!” Tim wisely exhorted me, “Gary, the reality is that your wife is living somewhere right now. Why not start NOW the habit of having a marriage centered on prayer. Imagine the honor your wife will feel knowing that you prayed for her long before you married her.”

I must say, almost 30 years since that counsel was given to me and almost 24 years into marriage, that piece of advice has not betrayed me. While Anne and I aren’t the poster couple for praying together, we work at it and are growing in it.

It’s easy to complain and make excuses for not praying, but prayer should be our first and most powerful weapon against any division within or opposition against our marriages.
There’s something intimate and bonding about praying for your spouse because only you know some of the battles that they are facing. What are they dealing with at work? What areas are they striving to grow in? How are their family relationships?

I am sure many of you reading this are in the habit of praying for your spouse but if you’re having trouble getting started, here’s a list that can be printed and placed where you access it daily.

There are no set rules; just be honest. Remember, God knows your needs, even before you ask Him (Matthew 6:5-14). Here is my list. You can change the name and make it yours:

10 Ways to Pray for Your Spouse:

I pray for Anne’s relationship with God.
I pray that Anne would have a soft heart toward God.
I pray that God would bless Anne.
I pray Anne and I would be unified, devoted spiritual leaders for our family.
I pray for Anne’s heart for our children to grow in wisdom and passion.
I pray for Anne to make wise choices.
I pray for Anne’s emotional, mental and physical health.
I pray for Anne to flourish in her roles and in her work.
I pray for Anne’s strength grow in Christlikeness.
I pray that I will show Anne love, honor, grace and kindness.

Remember when we pray, we are talking to the Designer of marriage Himself, the King of the universe, and the one who is fighting for us and with us.

This weekend I am praying for a tremendous experience. It all starts on Saturday at our Beautiful Day at Roosevelt. Sign up here. Then on Sunday Brian Rhen will be serving up Ephesians 4:1-16.

I love being your pastor!

Holy of Holies

noreply@blogger.com (Gary Gaddini) — Thu, 09 Oct 2014 23:50:00 +0000

Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit. Ephesians 2:19-22

In Christ, we are holier than we will ever know!

Last March when venturing through Israel, coming upon the Western Wall was quite a moving experience for me personally. At the wall, I witnessed a reverence that I have rarely seen in my life.

This moved well beyond idolatry or the empty religious worship of a relic (although I am sure that takes place at the Western Wall). What moved me were sincere Jewish people who, standing before the wall, prayed with vigor and walked in reverence. They really believed that this wall was their closest access to the Holy of Holies- -where, according to the Old Testament, was the very place God lived.

In Ephesians, the Apostle Paul captures this cultural reverence, and gives followers of Christ a new perspective on themselves and on the church. He allures to the very stones of the temple by saying to followers, to you and to me, that in Christ; we together make up the new dwelling of God. In other words, God is not confined in the Holy of Holies. Every follower of Jesus is a walking, breathing Holy of Holies.

Stop and ponder this for a moment. What an inspiring perspective that reframes our lives, relationships and what takes place when the church gathers! I love how C.S. Lewis gave voice to this perspective in The Weight of Glory: “There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal. Nations, cultures, arts, civilizations -- these are mortal, and their life is to ours as the life of a gnat. But it is immortals whom we joke with, work with, marry, snub and exploit -- immortal horrors or everlasting splendors. Next to the Blessed Sacrament itself, your neighbor is the holiest object presented to your senses.”

When was the last time you had the sense of sacredness when it comes to yourself, and others you are in relationship with, or your church?

Our spouses to whom we are married: what would it look like if they are treated with the same reverence a Jew treats the Western Wall? And our kids: how would our parenting be different if we captured this same perspective? This Sunday, when we gather with the church, please don’t treat that experience as ordinary…come to serve…and invest in people, bringing value to them.

When we gather this Sunday, we will look at one of the most powerful, life-changing prayers in all the Bible! Read up in Ephesians 3:14-21 and come expectant!

I love being your pastor!

Masterpiece

noreply@blogger.com (Gary Gaddini) — Thu, 02 Oct 2014 22:09:00 +0000

For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. Ephesians 2:10

Ever stood in front of the Mona Lisa? How about Michelangelo’s statue of David? Renoir’s Two Sisters? Van Gogh’s Starry Night? It may be amazing architecture, a never before imagined technological advancement or a natural wonder in our world, but there are encounters that are so grand, so amazing, so beautiful that they take our breath away. What’s yours?

When Paul was writing to the Ephesians, he captured a word regarding their identity that, in his day, was the word for a work of art so majestic it was pointed to when people wanted to make a case for their exceptional competence. You probably will recognize the Greek word -- it is poema. Sound familiar?

Now, keep tracking with me here -- when you think of the majesty and grandeur of God, when you are building a case for how powerful and amazing God is, what is your Exhibit A? Want to know God’s? It is you and me! Those people He has recreated in Christ Jesus. As followers of Jesus, we are the walking, breathing poetry of God! His magnum opus!

We live into that design when we are doing good, the good He had in mind long ago! Literally as followers of Jesus, God is up to something with our lives. Long ago, He created good with our names on it! This good can range from the mundane to the spectacular. (Is anything mundane to God? Even the chores we do, our everyday tasks become sacred when we offer them for God’s glory and do them with a loving, thankful heart!)

This month, we have the opportunity as a church to do good….together! If you are part of PCC you are aware of Beautiful Day. On October 18, we are engaging in our most intensive Beautiful Day to date. We are partnering with our local schools, teachers, parents and students as well as our Community Center in coming alongside teachers and classrooms to upgrade the learning environments in which students in the Redwood City public schools are educated.

All this happens on October 18 and here is what you need to know:

Access information about Beautiful Day here.
We want everyone that signs up to bring a friend that would normally say no to a traditional church gathering. Let’s get our community serving together.
We need 8 more volunteers to answer the call and shop for items that teachers have requested and/or do some chores around the classroom. Most classrooms and in the district get cleaned only once a week and deep cleaned once a year. Most teachers stay late on Fridays to clean their classrooms for the following week. This will be a Friday that they get to leave early! We have the teachers’ wish list and gift cards to do the shopping with. Anyone interested can come to the table outside the Worship Center on Sunday to pick up a wish list packet.
We need 20 more artistic volunteers to help paint. We have world maps, compasses and sundials to paint on the blacktop. These will add color to the blacktop and let teachers expand their curriculum.
We need everyone to sign up ahead of time. You can sign up online or sign up at the table on the patio this Sunday at all three gatherings.

This Sunday, we will walk through Ephesians 2:1-10 and in addition to digging into God’s word, we will hear from one of our own as she shares her masterpiece story -- the story of God recreating her in Christ Jesus. It is an incredible story.

I look forward to being together. Now if you excuse me, there are some good works, created with my name on them from before the foundations of the world were laid that I get to engage in.

I love being your pastor!

A Tribute to God and Rod Toews

noreply@blogger.com (Gary Gaddini) — Thu, 25 Sep 2014 22:22:00 +0000

He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? Micah 6:8

I have been dreading and looking forward to this coming Sunday for almost nine months, ever since Rod showed up in my office that fateful January day, sat down and said, “We need to talk!” I gulped and sat down, knowing what was coming.

That day Rod told me of a prompting Dot initially had, but he confirmed: That in the Fall of 2014, his ministry tenure here at PCC would come to a close. We talked for a half hour about particulars but to be honest my mind was not engaged. I finally voiced what was stirring within me. “Rod, I knew this day would come, and you are at least a year early!” (We had an agreement that we would visit this reality when Rod turned 85!) “Honestly though, I cannot imagine this place without you!”

Don’t get me wrong, I understand that no one is indispensible to the mission and ministry of PCC, that all of our pastoral staff (and all of our people who occupy the pews) are merely stewarding the opportunity to join Jesus in his love for and labor for His church. I get that. It’s just that I have learned so much from this amazing man. The Bible passage that is preeminent, in my opinion, describing Rod’s life, is Micah 6:8.

Micah 6:8 is such a rich and forgotten charge to us regarding God’s measure of an impactful life. What does the Lord require (the Hebrew word means to examine or to seek--“What is God seeking from you?” Micah is asking.) Don’t pass over those traits too quickly…pause and reflect with me:

Do Justice: To treat every person equally, regardless of social status or ethnicity.
Love Kindness: To never give up and love, with scandalous proportions-- grace, being nice and mercy.
Walk Humbly: To know God intimately, depend on Him desperately and be attentive to what he desires and loves.

A life fueled by God’s power and devoted to justice, kindness and humility, this is a significant life in Heaven’s eyes. I imagine in Heaven’s picture Bible there is a face that appears next to this passage and it is the face of Rod Toews. I have witnessed this man live these traits so vividly and so well. And on Sunday, I will have the honor of witnessing Rod finish well with one last service at PCC where we will endeavor to honor him and his wife Dot.

Please plan on joining us as we celebrate the Toews in all three gatherings and have a picnic lunch and program to honor Rod and Dot. We get very few opportunities to have living memorials, most of the time we voice tributes this grand to significant people in our lives at their funerals. What a tragedy. Come this Sunday and celebrate with us.

I love being your pastor!

Jesus Calling

noreply@blogger.com (Gary Gaddini) — Thu, 18 Sep 2014 23:39:00 +0000

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. Ephesians 1:3

Sarah Young is one gifted woman. Chances are you have heard about or read the devotional entitled Jesus Calling. That book is a staple in the Gaddini home.

Since its 2004 release, Ms. Young’s Jesus Calling, a collection of 365 short daily devotionals interlaced with Bible passages, has sold nine million copies in 26 languages.

Most impressive is that Ms. Young has become a lucrative brand while granting almost no interviews and making no author appearances. Hobbled by Lyme disease and other health problems, she mostly sticks close to home. There are almost no public photographs of her, and she will not talk by telephone.

She not only exemplifies a life lived “In Christ,” on Tuesday of this week, her devotional gave voice and helped clarify for me what an “In Christ” life looks like. She writes from the vantage point of Jesus talking to his children, (a discipline she developed on the mission field called “listening prayer,” grown from the conviction that prayer is a dialogue with the Lord), ending each day’s reading with Scripture. I found Tuesday’s devotional so relevant to our current focus as a church; I wanted the PCC community to be exposed to it. Here it is:

I DESIGNED YOU to live in union with Me. This union does not negate who you are; it actually makes you more fully yourself. When you try to live independently of Me, you experience emptiness and dissatisfaction. You may gain the whole world and yet lose everything that really counts.

Find fulfillment through living close to Me, yielding to My purposes for you. Though I may lead you along paths that feel alien to you, trust that I know what I am doing. If you follow Me wholeheartedly, you will discover facets of yourself that were previously hidden. I know you intimately—far better than you know yourself. In union with Me, you are complete. In closeness to Me, you are transformed more and more into the one I designed you to be.

“What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?” —MARK 8:36

For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.
—PSALM 139:13–16

Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. —2 CORINTHIANS 3:17–18

This weekend we continue our journey through Ephesians 1, looking at Ephesians 1:15-23. I look forward to gathering together!

I love being your pastor!

In Christ

noreply@blogger.com (Gary Gaddini) — Thu, 11 Sep 2014 22:39:00 +0000

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. Ephesians 1:3

Prior to engaging with today’s Gmail, please take a moment and pray for the families and friends of loved ones who died on 9/11.

Hetty Green was known as America's greatest miser. It’s not that she was poor; in 1916 she died leaving an estate that was worth nearly $3.8 billion in today’s dollars. Yet she would eat cold oatmeal because she didn't want to spend the money to heat the water. Her son eventually lost his leg from a relatively minor injury because she took him to a number of free medical clinics instead of calling for a doctor. “How pathetic!” you say? God agrees and is extremely concerned that His children not be miserly with the riches of His character and authority that He has given us as an inheritance.

This fall, we will study together the book of Ephesians, written primarily for the express purpose of helping followers of Jesus understand the riches, fullness, and inheritance to be had in Christ. The Book of Ephesians not only teaches us how rich we are, but also how we should invest our lives for Christ's glory.

The key repetitive phrase in Ephesians (used some 32 times!) to describe our primary worth is “in Christ”. “In Christ” is Ephesians’ way of explaining salvation and its benefits for believers, while also creating an ethic for behavior that is beyond natural, God-honoring, and life-giving. Ephesians is so abounding, one commentator writes that “...pound for pound, Ephesians may well be the most influential document in history!”

Why are we studying the book of Ephesians? I’m so glad you asked! Our study of Ephesians…

* Will deepen our understanding of the Gospel: While the Gospel (the good news that new life is available through Jesus Christ) is a doorway to the Christian life, it is also the atmosphere with which followers of Jesus exist daily. The Gospel is not just something we believed to become Christians, it is what we center our lives upon and live dependently on day by day. Ephesians puts this Gospel on full display revealing the boundless riches of Christ (3:8).
* Will magnify the importance of the church: Arguably more than any other New Testament epistle, Ephesians clearly lays out how the church is central to God’s Kingdom agenda on Planet Earth. The church is placed in the context of eternity and through the church, we will discover that God’s intent is to make known His multifaceted wisdom (3:10).
* Can forever change our lives: Throughout history, theologians have alerted followers of Jesus to the power contained in this little book. As early as the 4th Century CE, Jerome stated that Ephesians is “like the heart in the midst of the body,” and writes that “Ephesians has everything important in it that you can find anywhere in Scripture.” Twentieth century theologian D. Martin Lloyd Jones states that “the peculiar feature and characteristic of the Epistle to the Ephesians is that here the Apostle seems to be, as he puts it himself, in ‘the heavenly places’, and he is looking down at the great panorama of salvation and redemption...the Epistle to the Ephesians is the sublimest and the most majestic expression of the Gospel contained within the Bible.”
* Will resonate with our twenty-first century lives on the Peninsula: Ephesians is written to ordinary people just like us! They were Christians living in the real world and they first needed to understand who they were and then how to live within their reality, just like us. Ephesians is relevant to us because it is written to followers of Jesus within a metropolitan, religiously pluralistic, hedonistic, culturally-diverse, sexually-saturated culture. In the midst of this context, rather than spewing guilt producing demands, we discover grace-filled, truth-valuing encouragement. If you ever get discouraged, tired, feel beat up, confused or lonely in your life, Ephesians is for you!

Key to our collective study of this book is engaging in what is called Discovery Bible Study. This will all be explained starting this Sunday, but can I encourage you to go to our website and learn for yourself? This weekend is also your last week to sign up for our small groups. Can I encourage you to join one? Everything you ever wanted out of church is greater experienced in a small group. Sign up here.

I look forward to gathering together this weekend…read up in Ephesians 1:1-14 and come ready!

I love being your pastor!

IJM

noreply@blogger.com (Gary Gaddini) — Thu, 04 Sep 2014 23:37:00 +0000

I, the LORD, have called you in righteousness; I will take hold of your hand… to open eyes that are blind, to free captives from prison and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness…I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them. Isaiah 42:6-7, 16

This week I was walking through Yosemite Valley with my oldest daughter for a glorious 24-hour escape into the wilderness. As we passed by a newspaper stand (for my younger readers, newspapers were the precursor to the MSN or CNN homepages!), we were jarred back into reality. Hannah read the front-page headlines of the NY Times and stated, “Look Dad, ISIS is continuing their campaign of terror, a child trafficking brothel in Thailand was broken up, and the Ebola virus is growing as a threat in Africa. What a sad world we live in.”

Her comments couldn’t be more understated. I reflected on the drive home that this is not the world as God intended -- this is the world humans, in our folly have concocted. We can all give a hearty “Amen!” to both aspects through Jesus’ promise in John 16:33 “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

True, we live in a broken world where human structures (yes, even the institution of the church!) and human beings are broken -- this causes trouble. (From Strong’s Concordance: The word trouble means "compression, tribulation" and carries the challenge of coping with the internal pressure of a trouble, especially when feeling there is "no way of escape.”) As followers of Jesus we can take heart or live with hope because Jesus’ life, death, resurrection and ascension ensure that evil will not have the final word!

I have never encountered a ministry that holds these two realities in tension better than the International Justice Mission. This past year, my 15-year-old daughter and I had the privilege of experiencing a weekend with IJM leaders and supporters for a Global Prayer Summit. As we interacted with country directors and those within the leadership of IJM, we discovered a deep joy, hope and faith within them. These traits were so abundant and super-human, it was evident that the Spirit of God was producing such fruit. They really believe that God is on the side of justice and while it is a dark world, the dawn is coming.

Sitting with them, we also discovered that they steward a deep pain, a gut-wrenching grief because of their work. For them, brokenness has names -- thousands of names of victims they have rescued. They have stared evil in the face and have personally been wrecked by it.

After that weekend I asked a representative from IJM to come and speak in the worship gatherings this weekend. We will have a vivid experience together appropriately hearing of the evil in the world around slavery and the hope we have in Jesus of doing something about it. For those stirred, the PCC Freedom Team will host a lunch after the 10:30 worship gathering to explore how PCC is endeavoring to engage locally and globally in anti-trafficking. (noon in the Back Patio, behind Room 20/Fireside)

Would you pause right now and ponder with me: What is the trouble that grips your heart like a vice? How does your relationship with Jesus who has overcome the world inform that trouble? How are you doing holding those two realities in tension?

We have an incredible year before us starting this Sunday. It would be a great Sunday to invite someone to join you in gathering with the church. Speaking of the year, if you want a list of the requests that we prayed for this past weekend, you can access those here.

I love being your pastor!

Remember who you are!

noreply@blogger.com (Gary Gaddini) — Thu, 28 Aug 2014 22:26:00 +0000

My family and I were having a wonderful, albeit sweltering, day this summer on vacation in Mexico. Our agenda was to venture deep into the heart of Puerto Vallarta and explore a bit. As we were driving, my daughter Elizabeth said “Look, Dad!” pointing to a billboard. In Spanish, appeared a seemingly handwritten message to my family, and to me personally. “Recuerda quien eres,” the billboard read. “Remember who you are!”

It is a message I desperately need to renew my mind with daily. It is the last statement I leave Elizabeth with when I drop her off to school on Thursday mornings after our weekly date. And I believe it is a message that is pivotal to each person who calls PCC home. What we see, hear and think can be so limiting when it comes to perceiving accurately, eternally. In my opinion, one of the greatest benefits to following Jesus is that living into His definitions is liberating and life-giving!

What follows are 12 truths I am committed to reading through every day for the rest of 2014, to remind me of who I am. Will you join me?

In Christ we were chosen by God before creation. Eph 1:4, “God chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world.”
In Christ we are loved by God with an inseparable love. Ro 8:38-39, “I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
In Christ we were redeemed and have been forgiven for all our sins. Eph 1:7, “In Christ we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses.”
In Christ we are justified before God and the righteousness of God in Christ is credited to us. 2 Cor 5:21, “For our sake God made Christ to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”
In Christ we have become a new creation and a child of God. 2 Cor 5:17, “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” Gal 3:26, “In Christ Jesus you are all children of God, through faith.”
In Christ we have been raised and seated in the heavenly places even while He lived on earth. Eph 2:6, “God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.”
In Christ all the promises of God are Yes for us. 2 Cor 1:20, “All the promises of God find their Yes in Christ.”
In Christ we are made holy and faithful. Eph 1:1, “To God’s holy people in Ephesus, the faithful in Christ Jesus”
In Christ everything we really needed will be supplied. Phil 4:19, “My God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”
In Christ the peace of God will guard our hearts and minds. Phil 4:7, “The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
In Christ we have eternal life. Ro 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
And in Christ we will be raised from the dead at the coming of the Lord. 1 Cor 15:22, “For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.”

See you this Sunday! I love being your pastor!

Fight On!

noreply@blogger.com (Gary Gaddini) — Thu, 21 Aug 2014 21:34:00 +0000

But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses. 1 Timothy 6:11-12

Before I begin this week’s Gmail, two important matters:

Carl Johanson, founder of PCC, passed away on Tuesday. Carl was a visionary and prayed daily for PCC well into his mid 90’s. Most of you don’t know him, but all of us who call PCC home are experiencing the ripple effect of his life.
We prayed for 300 backpacks and God raised up 700! Over 7% of Redwood City elementary school kids will start school with a backpack and supplies because of the generosity of the body of Christ and the leadership of Angie Ibarra! Way to go!

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As summer winds down and we look ahead towards fall, can I ask you a question? Are you ready to pick a fight?

Around PCC, we have two major seasons, the summer and then the rest of the year! We are currently finishing the architecture of the season that will run from Labor Day to Memorial Day. Prayers are going up, metrics are being laid down, and dreams are arising. Our desire for PCC is not where we are headed, but who we are becoming! What type of person do we intend on being come Memorial Day 2015? What character growth do we want to see? How does each of us want to grow in our Christ-likeness? How central do we want Jesus to be in our life and in the relationships that matter most to us?

The delta between PCC today and PCC on Memorial Day boils down to this question: What are we willing to fight for? What good fights are we willing to engage in?

In his letter to his key protégé Timothy, Paul admonishes him to completely shun passivity and choose his battles wisely. Consider with me the simple progression of 1 Timothy 6:11-12.

Flee: The journey starts with running from or continually fleeing from things toxic to our spiritual growth. The original Greek verb Paul uses is the word we get fugitive from. Some things in our lives are not to be fought; they are to be run away from.

Pursue: As fugitives we don’t just run from something, we run towards God. Specifically, we are running towards the spiritual values of righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. This is captured in the command pursue, which has the sense of continually be pursuing. So we know that the Christian life entails continually fleeing and continually following.

Fight: Then we are called to fight the good fight. Implied is that there are some fights that aren’t good for us. Christians are notorious for fighting battles that simply just aren’t worth it! When we squabble over preferences, when we focus on and fight about specks in others’ eyes, neglecting the care of the log in our own, when we play “morality police” for a world that doesn’t hold to the similar Authority of Scripture that we do…friends, these just aren’t worthwhile fights! Good fights entail fighting for our character, fighting for the glory of God in our relationships (whether friendships, marriage or family relationships), and fighting for Kingdom justice, the Great Commission, the fame of Jesus and the eternal destiny of God’s creation. In short, a good fight is the fight for righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. As a matter of fact, those character traits don’t come without a fight!

As we prepare for a new ministry season, I don’t want any of us to be delusional regarding spiritual growth. None of us will wake up on Memorial Day 2015 and “magically” be Christ-like. I know of no eternally rewarding pursuit that comes without a fight and without the wisdom to discern what fights are the good fights worth fighting.

PCC, I often describe us to others as the scrappers! Now before you take offense, let me explain. We are a church of fighters. Sixty-two years ago, we were birthed from the fight in a disciple of Jesus disguised as an insurance salesman and his wife, who were entrusted with a vision for what is now the Peninsula Covenant Church. Every building we have on our almost 15 acres was fought for. Daily around the world, a team of PCC missionaries are fighting for the eternities of people. Here on the Peninsula, as I pray over the weekly prayer cards, I see people fighting against disease, against complacency, against discouragement and depression, and through grief. I see people fighting for marriages, character, and the renown of Jesus in their lineage, workplace and neighborhoods.

I am anything but a USC Trojan fan--I abhor anything USC as a matter of fact, but to borrow from them I say to you today, whatever fight you are in, (and unless you are dead, you are in a fight!) FIGHT ON! It’s worth it!

This weekend, we are going to discuss this a bit more as we look in our Heroes series at David and Goliath. I have to tell you that I was completely upended in my preparation for this and look forward to walking through this account with you and having us all discovering critical fresh aspects that are relevant to our fight! Want to read ahead? Sit down and read 1 Samuel 17!

I love being your pastor!

Encouragement

noreply@blogger.com (Gary Gaddini) — Thu, 14 Aug 2014 23:13:00 +0000

But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness. Hebrews 3:13

In lieu of the news we have faced this week regarding Robin William’s tragic death, I wanted to remind us all of lessons learned this past weekend regarding God’s design for Heroic Friendships. Please don’t hear what I am not saying. There are no simple answers for depression or mental illness. A colleague, who pastors a tremendously vibrant, large and growing ministry at First EV Free Church of Fullerton shares his story with depression and in doing so, chronicles probably the most holistically informed approach to depression here.

Certainly within the church, we need to grow in sensitivity to, awareness of and ministry to those who are suffering from mental illness. Every Sunday as PCC gathers, we have people attending who are battling depression, have lost a family member to suicide because of depression or are walking alongside loved ones who are battling depression or some form of mental illness.

We weren't made to live life alone this is where the heroic friendship shared between David and Jonathan is relevant! From their heroic friendship we learned of four aspects which God purposed for everyone to experience in community. All week long Anne and I have been discussing these as they pertain to our marriage and parenting, but I also intend to review these with the few men in my life whom I share a heroic friendship with. Here are the four aspects of their relationship:

Vision Casting: 1 Samuel 18:3-4 And Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as himself. Jonathan took off the robe he was wearing and gave it to David, along with his tunic, and even his sword, his bow and his belt.

Truth Telling: 1 Samuel 19:1-3 Saul told his son Jonathan and all the attendants to kill David. But Jonathan had taken a great liking to David and warned him, “My father Saul is looking for a chance to kill you. Be on your guard tomorrow morning; go into hiding and stay there. I will go out and stand with my father in the field where you are. I’ll speak to him about you and will tell you what I find out.”

Heart Healing: 1 Samuel 20:17 And Jonathan had David reaffirm his oath out of love for him, because he loved him as he loved himself.

Soul Sharing: 1 Samuel 23:16 And Saul’s son Jonathan went to David at Horesh and helped him find strength in God.

Human beings are complex creatures and we may never know all the factors that cause someone to feel or act in a certain way. The good news is that God, who created us as complex creatures in a complex web of relationships, became one of us and lived among us. He knows what it's like to be human. He suffered and was tempted in every way we are and yet was without sin. Jesus knows what you are going through.

This weekend we continue in our Heroes series looking at the life of Miriam. I look forward to worshipping together!

I love being your Pastor!