Glendale Church of the Brethren

Now about eight days after these sayings Jesus took with him Peter and John and James, and went up on the mountain to pray. And while he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became dazzling white. Luke 9:28-29

William Loader, Murdoch University, Uniting Church in Australia write we need to be about …”making time and space for prayer and reflection is crucial if we are to know who he is and where we are going with him.”

My morning hikes in the Verdugo Hills is one of the ways I make time for Jesus in my life.  In what way will you make time for God today?

Peace,

Pastor John

Every time I go out for a morning hike in the Verdugo Hills I try to find something beautiful to photograph/contemplate.  Today I as blessed to get this wonderful picture of a “blue” bird?  Can anyone share what kind of “blue” bird this is?God has something “beautiful” for us to see/contemplate each day.  Have you identified what is beautiful in your life today?Peace,Pastor John

On my morning hike in the Verdugo Hills I spotted a deer for the first time!  It reminds me of the first two verses of Psalm 42 “As the deer longs for flowing streams, so my soul longs for you, O God.  My soul thirsts for God,  the living God.”Whenever I have gone one hikes and seen a deer, I have always taken it as a sign of God’s favor and goodwill towards me.  I pray you also will see such a sign today!Peace,Pastor John

“When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; when I became an adult, I put an end to childish ways. For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then we will see face to face. Now I know only in part; then I will know fully, even as I have been fully known. And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love.” 1 Corinthians 13:11-13

“As children we think inwardly of ourselves and look outwardly only to see who we are. Being a child resembles looking in a mirror at ourselves. The child does not take into consideration the function of the [Christian] community in creating self.  As an adult the individual recognizes that being understood, or loved, is the key to understanding, and loving. The adult [Christian] is open to others. Having gnosis [knowledge] then, without being known can leave one childish and dilettante.” Quote taken from Frist Corinthians, a commentary written by my old Seminary Professor, Grady Snyder, - Well done Grady!

It is a great day today because the wildflowers are out today along the hiking trails in the Verdugo Hills. I am looking forward to tomorrow also, Tom Martin (old seminary friend) is sharing gift of music with us in Worship.  He will be singing “The Magic of Love” which he wrote and composed himself.

  “Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.”

 I Corinthians 13:4-7

The awesome power of a Pacific wave hitting the rocks of Point Mugu is beautiful to see and even more thrilling to experience in person. To read about or witness true love is also beautiful, but to actually experience love that is patient, kind, truthful, and hopeful is so overwhelming good for us. So much of this world is arrogant, boastful, selfish, and just plain “wrong” that we can become discouraged. Yet love helps us endure all things.

The viewing will be in our community room.  It will be shown on a 100 inch screen with surround sound!  The first 15 minutes of “UP” is some the best cinema story telling in history.  The rest of the movie is also good!  Plus, we will be taking a 15 minute intermission to enjoy the world’s best pizza.

“If I speak in the tongues of mortal and of angels, but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give away all my possessions, and if I hand over my body so that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.” 1 Corinthians 13:1-3

Possessing a powerful charisma that commands the attention of everyone assembled is nothing without love. To discern the mysteries of the heavens through your knowledge is nothing without love. Even to live your life in selfless dedication, like Jesus, is nothing without love. Love (agape in Greek) is the key term in Christianity. Without love the most sought after virtues of the Christian faith are nothing.

Psalm 19:1-4a

How clearly the sky reveals God’s glory! How plainly it shows what he has done! Each day announces it to the following day; each night repeats it to the next.  No speech or words are used, no sound is heard; yet their message goes out to all the world…

All of my sunset pictures at Point Mugu are of the sun setting into the ocean - except for this one!  The warm tones of the “splash” on the rocks allows us to infer that a sunset is taking place even though we cannot directlys see it. I love the subtlety of this image!

Throughout our spiritual journey in life we seek obvious evidence of God’s activity in our world.  Yet, I believe we will find this “divine intervention” more often when we look beyond the obvious and dare to look at our world in new, subtle, ways.

The psalmist tells us that all creation constantly tells of God’s glory to the end of the earth, and yet it is unintelligible to most.  Only those who take the leap of faith and plumb the depths of God’s subtle WORD will truly understand.

Peace,

Pastor John