NewsNuggets Page 38

By Doug Inglish

“So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’  For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” (Matthew 6:31-34, NIV)

I suspect that like me, you find this passage challenging. It’s even more difficult to understand it in the King James Version of the Bible from which I was taught. The phrase in NIV is translated “do not worry” and in KJV is rendered as “take no thought”. I might keep the worry under control, but how do I shop for groceries if I am instructed to not think about what my family will eat?

At some level, of course, we have to pay attention to these matters. The key is obviously to not let concern over them dominate you. Believing that God will provide while you hold down a job, manage a budget, shop for necessities, and consume what you purchased is all possible. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t challenging. Especially when it comes to the big bills.

It was a challenge for my parents to put my brothers and me through an Adventist education. My sophomore year was especially problematic because my father, having left a secure job to heed the call to ministry, was in the seminary at Andrews University. My older brother was a senior and my younger brother a freshman, so having us all at boarding school relieved some pressure on the space in the one-bedroom apartment, but the cumulative expense of all that tuition and related costs was beyond what my mother was making at the university library.

How did we do it? Of course, that’s the wrong question. The right thing to ask is, how did God do it?

Not that we were not part of the equation. Dad took an overload of classes every quarter and finished in one year, so that saved a bundle. We all worked jobs at the academy and watched our food intake, which also helped. Coupons were clipped, bargains were sought, luxuries were foregone. Those things add up. But the real tangible evidence of a master plan from a place beyond earth was in how those academy bills, which piled up as the year went on, all fell aside as each child graduated.

I’ve never known a harder worker than my older brother. He would start the tractor up at four in the morning to get a couple hours of cutting hay in before breakfast, then spend the afternoon at the academy industry and take overtime hours if available. When his senior class voted to place the leftover class funds on the account of the student who did the most to work off his bill, it was just enough to pay it in full. He graduated with no debt.

I tried to follow his example. I baked 75 loaves of bread three times a week, having it in the oven before breakfast for another student to take out while I headed to class. Afternoons were at the industry and evenings I was a Resident Assistant (RA) in the dorm. What put me over the top in time for graduation was the small inheritance my grandmother left.

My younger brother worked just as hard, again in the industry and as an RA. Dad returning to employment with the conference and mom finding a better paying job were enough for them to catch up and he, too, graduated owing nothing.

We couldn’t manage those costs on our own. All the work we could find was not enough. It was the things we could not plan that fell into place at just the right time that paid the big bills for our family. All the worry we could collectively focus on the problem would never have been enough to make those things happen.

Not worrying doesn’t mean not doing your part. It means not worrying. You have to get a job, manage your money, go to the store, control your consumption, just like everybody else. But unlike everyone else, you don’t have to worry. Instead, you get to marvel.

–Doug Inglish is RMC VP for administration and stewardship director. Photo by freestocks on Unspash.

Rick Mautz – Denver, Colorado … By now, many of us have already given up on our New Year’s resolutions (if we even try at all anymore). Maybe you were too optimistic about the changes that you wanted to make, or maybe the temptations you were struggling with were just too great. Maybe, if you had just had a little support, an accountability partner, it would have been different.

What is this New Year’s resolution thing all about anyway. Most of us know that there are things we should change in our lives, things we could do better. We think about what we “should do” during the year but just don’t have the time, the energy or even enough desire, so we keep putting it off till the new year, when we think, “I’m going to do things differently this year”, or “This is a good time to make some changes”. It’s good to want to improve our lives, and to put away habits that, let’s face it, just aren’t doing us any good.

Here is an opportunity for Christians to take seriously the way we follow Jesus’ example.  It’s wonderful to have Someone walking beside you, having your best interest in mind, providing a listening ear and the support you need to succeed in those good changes that you really should make. The church should be that–a group of Christians who support each other toward a more abundant life.

If you are the one needing support, or if you feel the calling to be the supporter, I have good news for you. The health ministry department of the Rocky Mountain Conference has developed a training program for “Health Partners”. We are currently updating the training to make it even better and will present the new version at the NAD Health Summit in the month of March. Till then, you can go to www.rmcsda.org/Health and watch the training videos for free. It uses coaching skills such as active listening and ongoing personal support, including motivation and accountability training. With these simple, easy-to-learn skills, you can make the difference for anyone, even yourself or your family. When your church holds health programs, you can help the participants put this new knowledge into practice. No prior medical training is necessary, so no excuses.

May we put into practice the way Jesus ministered and allow Him to minister today through you and me.  He did more than just give information. Through the Holy Spirit, He is always available to encourage and give support.  We can be a “Christ reflectors.” We can show our world what God is like as He works through us to touch those around us.

–Rick Mautz is RMC health ministry director. Photo by Mārtiņš Zemlickis on Unsplash.

RMCNews – Denver, Colorado … We would like to welcome Elisabet (Liz) Kirkland to her role as communication assistant for the Rocky Mountain Conference. Liz has worked in the communication and visual design field for almost 20 years. Her last employment was with Mountain States Employers Council where she worked since 2007. Her roles at Mountain States included graphic designer, materials manager, and training and events specialist. She is also the founder and freelance designer for etachey Design, a branding, marketing, communication design, and training company.

“We welcome Liz to our team. Her skills in design and branding, as well as her expertise in marketing and communication training will help us to provide quality communication.  With media at the heart of social communication, our church’s output needs to be attractive and engaging. Liz will assist us with her creativity. Exciting days are ahead of our communication in RMC,” comments Rajmund Dabrowski, RMC director of communication.

Liz, her husband Wandee, and their two sons Turi and Didrik are members of the Littleton Seventh-day Adventist Church. Last year, they celebrated their oldest son’s baptism and the acceptance of Jesus Christ into his life. She enjoys hiking, crafting, and spending time with loved ones.

Reflecting on her assignment, Liz says: “I am excited to join the wonderful team at the Rocky Mountain Conference office and help spread the message and glory of Jesus.”

— RMCNews

Elisabet Kirkland – Littleton, Colorado … The table spanned endlessly, draped in red and white candy stripes. Dewy potato and egg dishes gleamed amid the placid yellow glow of florescent illumination. Crock pots gathered like a small, armored division readied to thwart the delayed first-meal hunger pangs. And the sweet treats! Oh, the sweet treats. Countless pastries in pink, red, and gooey chocolate taunted both the young and the old.

It was a Sabbath breakfast potluck at Littleton Church.

The church families filed in and perused the spread. It was too early in the day for haystacks, but excitement still grew. “So-and-so brought curried potatoes! You have to try the curried potatoes,” one member hyped. Another grimaced, “I hope we have enough. I am hungry today …” There were momentary pauses in the squeaks and squeals of the children as they crept with poor stealth to the tower of doughnut boxes, giving a quick glance to make sure no adult was watching.

We lingered awkwardly beside the tables waiting for the pre-meal prayer, anxious to grab a plate and dig in. But the space-filling small talk led to a spiritual epiphany. Someone had mentioned the culinary splendor they had experienced the previous day at a baptism event held at an Indonesian Church. It sounded like a delight for the senses, albeit a spicy one. It brought to mind my own fond memories of attending the Sabbath potluck meals at my mother-in-law’s Korean church in Northern Virginia. As a designer and lover of food, I shamefully wished the time away, geeking out on the colors, textures, and tastes awaiting. Even within the Conference headquarter City of Denver, one could delight their palette at Hispanic, Ghanian, and Haitian church potlucks.

But, back to the epiphany–we decided that, in the spirit of fellowship (and a side of hunger), that we, as a community, should do some “Sabbath meal tourism.” Is there a better human connector than sharing a meal? Think of all the stories in the Gospels of tables shared and congregations with food. One of our most basic human needs is also one of our greatest bonds.

So, fellow brothers and sisters, let’s venture out and do as we have been shown. With creativity, we all can share outside of our church homes. There is so much joy and insight to be gained as we commune at the table across the Christ-centered human kaleidoscope.

Dust off that crock pot, break out that forgotten serving dish, and have your own spiritual journey “graced” by food.

–Elisabet Kirkland is a member of Littleton Adventist Church. She assists her husband, Wandee Kirkland, head deacon, at church events. Photo by Brodie Philpott.

By Nathaniel Gamble

In the animated movie A Charlie Brown Christmas, Charlie Brown asks in frustration, “Isn’t there anyone who knows what Christmas is all about?!” Many Seventh-day Adventists find themselves in a similar situation when it comes to Religious Liberty Sabbath. Most of us do know about promoting the Liberty magazine on Religious Liberty Sabbath to state and federal judges, government officials, and lawyers. But, apart from this initiative, many of us, like Charlie Brown, wonder, “Isn’t there anyone who knows what Religious Liberty Sabbath is all about?” Well, I can tell you the meaning of Religious Liberty Sabbath and why the Seventh-day Adventist Church focuses on it.

Religious Liberty Sabbath is ultimately about God and people. First, Religious Liberty Sabbath is about the kind of God who has created and redeemed us. The God of the Bible is interested in ensuring that human beings are okay, that they are safe, made whole, and truly free. There is not enough space to recount the hundreds of biblical passages that reference God’s omnipotence, but the Book of Revelation is a good example of how God uses his power. In that book, God is described as almighty, but he uses his might and power to take care of his creation, to bring sin and violence to an end and to usher in his kingdom of peace and righteousness, to save people, and to destroy religious and political oppression (Revelation 4:8-11; 11:15-19; 15:1-4; 19:1-8). Jesus imitates this divine pattern of using his power to defend God’s reputation, to save people, and to free us from sin and death in Philippians 2:5-11. Scripture is clear that God desires our freedom, which is why Religious Liberty Sabbath is a meaningful opportunity to talk about the God who makes us free.

Second, Religious Liberty Sabbath is a time to prioritize what is important to God: the ability for every person to freely choose to worship or not worship him. God desires for everyone to be free so that they can follow the dictates of their conscience by practicing their religion or no religion of choice. The Bible is quite shocking in the number of stories of God freeing people and then enabling them to use their freedom to worship things other than God.  Apparently, God cares so much about our freedom that he would rather we use it poorly than that he control us like robots that have no freedom. This is why the Adventist vision of religious liberty has always emphasized that the threat to one’s religious freedom, even someone with whom we theologically disagree, is not only a threat to everyone’s religious freedom, but is also contrary to God’s will for people. Religious Liberty Sabbath is a powerful reminder that God cares about every person’s religious freedom, and so must we.

As you make plans to observe, celebrate, and support Religious Liberty Sabbath on January 14, 2023, I encourage you to remember the God who makes you free and cherish the gift of religious freedom that he gives you and everyone else.

–Nathaniel Gamble is RMC religious department director. Photo by Sunguk Kim on Unsplash.