Blog

24-Hour Sabbath Challenge

January 27, 2010 | By: jennifer

I am in a Table women's Bible study, where ten of us meet every other week for dinner, study, discussion, laughter, and prayer. The last few sessions we have been discussing Mark Batterson's book The Wild Goose Chase about the Holy Spirit. Last night, we decided that over the next two weeks, we would attempt a “24-Hour Sabbath Challenge.” On any 24-hour period over the next 14 days, we are going to choose something to give up that gets in our way, makes us anxious, preoccupies our minds with needless (or negative) information, or just something that we love to do but need a break from. Some of us may give up technology, Facebook, email, texting, reading, talking on the phone, etc. I am not totally sure what I'm going to release, but I know it will involve something technological as well as something enjoyable.

Personally, as someone addicted to talk radio, music, background noise in general - all while I am doing, acting, thinking something - I feel ponderous when I read this quote: "An inability to stay quiet is one of the conspicuous failings of mankind" (Walter Bagehot - English author, critic, editor, and economist (1826-1877)). Can I live without my phone attached to my hip? How about without television? Can you live without watching your favorite show or listening to your pet station? Can we try something sacrificial for one day and see how it feels, see if we can use the time we have momentarily gained to connect with God? Here's to experimenting . . .

Jennifer Johnson serves as Publications Coordinator at CPC and is part of the Table Team

Starting Point

January 21, 2010 | By: The Table

Happy New Year! With the turn of the calendar, a fresh year full of possibility and opportunity awaits. How we invest our time will impact the world and people around us. It also determines in large part who we will become. 

In our culture, it can be hard to spend time on things that matter the most. I find it is helpful to make dates on my calendar to spend quality time with my family. Time for regular exercise also takes planning. In the same way, I also need to make appointments with God. If I don’t, other things that seem so urgent, but actually are less important, will squeeze God out.

This year, how will you set aside time for the things that matter the most? I encourage you to plan ahead or those golden opportunities to invest in eternity will slip by. Spending time alone creates space for God to enter into our busy lives. I enjoy combining a walk with prayer. As I walk, I allow my head to clear and then bring what is on my heart to God. Sometimes I pray for the people in the houses I pass by or thank God for the beauty of the natural world surrounding me. There are a myriad of ways to connect with God, but creating the space to do so takes some planning.
            
Many opportunities are available at CPC which can encourage you in your relationship with God. If you are unsure of what might be a good next step in your faith journey, I encourage you to contact one of the pastors or a CPC Spiritual Mentor. Many people have found a small group Bible study to be a place of encouragement and community. The most important appointment, however, is your own one-on-one time with God.
           
If you are new to faith, returning to faith, or exploring what you think about Jesus, Starting Point is a safe, no-pressure environment to investigate and discuss issues related to the Bible, Jesus, and Christianity. Small groups investigate the story of God from the beginning till now – and how God’s story can impact your life story. Two groups are forming during the winter, one on Wednesday evenings and one on Sunday mornings. To learn more, visit www.cpconline.org/startingpoint.

Wherever you are on your journey of faith, 2010 holds great promise and opportunity. My prayer is that this will be the year you set aside time for the things that are truly important. Doing so will change your life for all eternity.

Deb Kielsmeier serves as Associate Pastor for Outreach/Membership at CPC

Spiritual Mentorship

January 21, 2010 | By: The Table

In America, we spend billions trying to get physically fit. We hire personal trainers to work with us one on one to educate, encourage, and push us to reach our goals. When you join the gym, they tell you the key to a successful workout program is using one of their personal trainers. Personal trainers are paid to be with us at our worst in hopes that we will change. They see our weakness, but they also see what we might become if we continue to meet with them. We need people like this in our spiritual lives who have this kind of dual-vision, seeing the present and the future at the same time so that we can press on in hope. Having a spiritual mentor is a personal trainer for the spiritual journey.

A mentor can give us perspective in a confusing situation, guide us deeper into Scripture, and answer our theological questions. But even more, it is a personal relationship in an increasingly non-relational world where we are actually cared for, pushed, praised, and kept accountable.

In college, the Director of Campus Ministries took me under his wing and mentored me for several years. Through formal mentoring and just spending time together, he made a tremendous impact on my life and spiritual growth. He taught me that God is gracious, faithful, and desires a personal relationship with me. It wasn’t so much his words that taught me this but how my mentor reflected the character of God in his own dealings with me. While I think it is important for mentors to guide mentees into deeper knowledge of Scripture, the investment a mentor makes in another person reflects the reality that God is also pursuing a deeper relationship with us and is calling each of us to fulfill the purpose He has for us in His Kingdom. Without his investment in my life, I am not sure I would have cleared the hurdles of my own personal doubts that were hindering me to become what God intended.

At CPC, we have trained spiritual mentors waiting to invest in your life. Mentors meet weekly or every other week to talk about your spiritual life, study God’s Word, and pray together. God uses people to shape us and transform us “so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ” (Ephesians 4:13). The truth is that we all need mentors in our life. There isn’t one of us who couldn’t benefit from having someone walk alongside us in this journey.

Are you ready to invest in your spiritual journey? It’s time to get a personal trainer for your soul. For more information about obtaining a spiritual mentor, contact me at 952.920.8515 x308 or jamesm@cpconline.org.

JAMES MADSEN serves as Director of Community Development