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Wait For It...

11/5/2015

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​An all too familiar commercial used to come across the television and when it did so, it always seemed to catch my attention. The subject would wake to a familiar aroma and wander downstairs to find that someone had made a pot of their favorite coffee. [Cue Jingle] "The best part of waking up is Folgers in your cup!".

Call me a coffee snob, if you must, but as my knowledge of coffee roasting and brewing methodologies has increased and my tastes refined, that commercial, though it may stir up a certain sense of nostalgia, creates no desire in me to put Folgers in my cup. These days I much prefer a cup made from freshly ground whole bean using the pour over method.

While you may have to wait a little longer (4 minutes to be exact) to enjoy a cup of pour over, it's definitely worth the wait. Beans ground just before brewing retain more of their natural flavor. The process allows the grinds to bloom under the hot water releasing their maximum flavor potential. Methods like French Press and Automatic Drip can leave the grounds in the water too long which causes the coffee to become bitter.

So, where am I going with this? I'm glad you asked. We can learn a lot from these coffee beans.  As we pray and ask God for His favor, we often grow impatient and miss out on something great. Going through the grinder (seasons of trial and suffering) reveals what's really in our hearts. When we feel like we're drowning in the water, when it's been so long and we don't see the end, we can become bitter. However, those of us that trust in the Lord and His timing, can rise to our maximum potential.

I will leave you with this reminder from David found in Psalm 37 (NIV):

"Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness. Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him, and He will act. He will bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday. Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him..."
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Desert Time

3/2/2015

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Perhaps you find yourself in the company of many other Christians who are currently observing Lent. For those out of the loop, Lent is the 40 day period leading up to Easter. It began on Ash Wednesday (Feb 18) and ends on Maundy Thursday (April 2), the Thursday before Easter.

The Biblical significance of 40 can be traced all the way back to the Great Flood, Moses' 40 days on the mountain with God or the Israelites' 40-year journey in the desert.  The most common association, however, is that of Jesus Christ. In preparation for his public ministry, Jesus intensified his prayer and fasted for 40 days in the desert wilderness after which he was tempted by Satan.

During Lent, many Christians choose to follow Jesus' example in practicing the discipline of spiritual fasting. This is usually done by giving up a personal luxury of some kind. For some it's a type of food, for others it's a bad habit. Some of the things I know others have given up this year include fast food, media and even facebook. This Lenten season, I've chosen to give up chocolate.

The Bible tells us that Satan approached Jesus when He was at His weakest.  Jesus, who had spent His desert time in self-denial, seeking the will of God, was able to resist Satan's attempts. That's what fasting is all about- denying the pleasures of the flesh so we can redirect our focus toward God. As we draw closer to God, He renews our strength and gives us spiritual clarity-- both helpful when Satan chooses to launch a spiritual attack.

Right now, you or your entire family feel you are under the enemy's attack right now. If you are currently going through a desert time, things can often seem dark and hopeless. Please know that it's never too late to begin following Jesus' example of self-denial. Be intentional about spending time with God. Go to Him in prayer. Seek His word. Ask for His strength and His clarity. God is there to help and so is your church family. You don't need to spend your desert time alone.

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walking and talking with god

2/2/2015

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PicturePhoto courtesy of Devyn Miller.
Recently, I had the pleasure of leading our College-Age Young Adults (The Summit) on a {dis}connect weekend retreat to Island Lake Camp where the idea was to disconnect from the virtual and physical world in order to reconnect with God and each other. The retreat was a great success!

While on the retreat we each took a prayer walk during which time we just talked with God sharing anything and everything that came to mind. We also listened and asked God to speak to us. I know God heard my prayer because He did. God spoke to me in a powerful way.

As I walked and prayed, I thanked God for the trees, rocks and animals that He created for us even before time began. Then it dawned on me. Before Adam and Eve. Before Original Sin. God created trees that would eventually give us fire for warmth and wood for shelter and tools. He gave us rocks that would be used to create cutting tools, walls for protection and from which we'd eventually learn to extract metals for tools and weapons. We'd use those weapons to hunt the animals He gifted us with. Their hides would be used to make clothing and their meat would sustain us.
 
He knew. God, in His infinite greatness, knew. He knew that after the fall, we'd need all this to survive. We were created to remain in an ever intimate bond with our Creator and all the rest was created for our benefit. But, in our brokenness we rejected His love and in the ultimate act of rebellion we used the very life sustaining gifts of creation that He had given us to take the life of His Son sent to reconcile us to Him for eternity. The cross. The nails. The crown. The spear. How dare we? Shame on us!

That's when I lost it. I began to weep bitterly and asked God for forgiveness of my part in the mutiny. I prayed God, who is faithful to forgive, would find it in His heart to shine His Grace and Mercy upon our undeserving generation.

If you've never taken a prayer walk as a family, I'd strongly recommend you give it a try. Take a quiet walk around your neighborhood or at a local park. Talk with God. Listen. See what He has to say. Then sit down as a family and discuss what God might have said to each of you. Spend some time disconnecting from the world so you can reconnect to God and each other.

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Jesus over everything

1/5/2015

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It's a New Year and I've spent some time reflecting over the events of 2014 and have been praying about what God would want 2015 to hold for me, my family, Mountain View Church and the teens and families of Mountain View Student Ministries.

Mountain View Church has been going chronologically through the Bible in an all-church study titled The Story. As we've been reading about God's Messengers to His people- the Prophets, I couldn't help but notice the Prophets are repeatedly calling God's people to repentance and holy living.

I believe that God wants 2015 to be the year that our students band together and exclaim in one voice, "I choose Jesus! Over this world. Over my pride. Over success. Over failure. Over sin. Over fear. Over struggles. Over life. Over death. I choose Jesus over everything!"

We have already sensed the Holy Spirit moving in Mountain View Student Ministries and have been obediently following His call. With renewed passion, faith and dedication, our ministry is committed to partner with families as we relentlessly pursue our calling and mission- To Know Christ and to Make Christ Known!
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Broken

12/1/2014

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PicturePhoto Credit: Quasimondo via Compfight cc
I wrote the following monologue as I was thinking about all the promises that are often made but seldom kept. Broken promises can leave us feeling frustrated, disappointed and angry,  This Holiday season, I pray we can all take some time to remember the fact that we serve a mighty God who ALWAYS keeps His promises.

We celebrate Christmas because the birth of Jesus marks the fulfillment of God's greatest promise-- a Savior come to deliver us from our sins and reconcile us to God with the gift eternal life.  And that is something truly worth celebrating.


Broken
A Monologue by Rob Brower
(Approaching counter with package) Number 99? Did you call number 99? That’s me! Finally. Boy, it seems like I was in that line forever, I mean look how long it is! Now, I’ve waited in some long lines before but this one takes the cake. Remember when Call Of War 5 came out for X-Station? I actually camped out in that line for 48 hours but at least I had a sleeping bag. But this… this was not expected at all. Let me ask you something… is it always like this? No? Just the time of year I guess. What? Oh sorry. I almost forgot. Yes. Yes, you can help me.

You see, I got this (Places package on counter). Actually, it was given to me just last week and I was hoping to get it fixed. Why? Because it’s broken, of course. Where? (Pointing) Right there. If you look closely you can see. I mean, it’s a small break but it’s broken all the same so I’d just like to have it repaired.

No, I didn’t break it! Of course not! As far as I can tell, it was broken long before I received it.  Like I said earlier, I’ve only had it for a week. Surely, it’s under some sort of guarantee. No?!? There’s no guarantee on these huh? Wow. That’s surprising considering how valuable they can be. 

Fine, what’s it going to take to get it fixed? (Removing wallet) Just give me a figure. I’ll pay. What do you mean you can’t repair them? Am I in the wrong place? Is there somewhere else I need to go? (Gathering package) If you’d be so kind to point me in the right direction—oh, I see. (Setting package down) they’re not repairable at all.

(Getting agitated) No. No I don’t want another one. This. This is the one I wanted. This was very special to me. The person that gave it to me, they mean a lot to me and I just wanted to have it fixed.

Look, is there someone else I can talk to? Because I’d like to file a complaint. You see this is actually the second one given to me this week. The first one broke so they gave me this one.

You know, I remember getting these as a kid and some of them would wind up broken but for the most part they’d stay intact. It seems like they were made differently back then. But now… you know what I think it is? It’s the fact that people just don’t care anymore. These are supposed to be special. They’re supposed to mean something but when you just make millions of them like you’re trying to flood the world with them, they become sort of meaningless and trivial. And if they can be broken this easily what’s the point. Why would I want that?

Listen, I’m sorry I know it’s not your fault and I apologize if I’ve taken anything out on you. You didn’t deserve that. So what are my options again? Right. It can’t be fixed. I can get another one but that wouldn’t come with any sort of guarantee either, right? So we’d be right back at square one. (Sigh)

Well, I guess there’s not much I can do. (Leaving) thanks for your time. Sorry for all the trouble.

(Turning back) No. I tell you what. Why don’t you just keep it… I mean, what am I going to do with another broken promise?

Lights out.

You may download, print, duplicate, distribute and perform the Broken monologue with permission in your church service or youth event as long as writer credit is properly given. If you decide to perform it, please e-mail me the specifics, link to video, etc. so I can be praying for you and see how God was able to use us to advance His Kingdom.
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A thankful heart

11/3/2014

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In college I was more than an avid rock climber.  In fact, my entire spring semester class schedule was built around my love of climbing.  It was like playing a giant game of Tetris trying to squeeze all of my classes and labs into the beginning half of the week leaving me with four days off every weekend to climb but somehow I succeeded.

On one climbing trip to the Lake Chelan area, my climbing partner and I were installing a new climbing route when the unexpected happened.  From some 35 feet in the air, off the face of a rock wall deep in the wilderness of the Okanagon-Wenatchee National Forest-- I fell.  Luckily, I landed on my feet and somehow managed to not break any bones.  I had severe rope burn on my hand, under arm and neck.  My back had hit the rock face on the way down leaving a fairly deep scrape.  I was in shock.  I was bleeding.  I was hurt.  But, I was also alive.

 I have a lot to be thankful for.  We all do.  If your family is anything like mine, however, you're preparing to go from a busy Fall into an even busier Holiday season.  In the hustle and bustle of all the gift-buying, gift-giving, gift-returning and re-gifting, between all of the meals that we'll be sitting down to enjoy, it's easy to lose touch with the reason for all of this commotion.
In Psalm 9:1 the Psalmist boldly proclaims "I will give thanks to you, Lord, with all my heart;  I will tell of all your wonderful deeds."

I know this isn't always easy to do.  Especially during times when it feels we don't have anything to be thankful for.  In these times we have a tendency to focus on the negative.  Instead of thanksgiving, our words turn into grumbling, complaining and bitterness.  Sometimes the very things we choose to complain about are the things we should be thankful for.

That climbing fall left a scar on my back-- an ugly, jagged reminder of a mental mistake that I once made.  I used to wish that it would disappear.  I was self-conscious about the way it looked and hated it.  But today, I am thankful for that scar.  You see, if my back hadn't hit the rock, pushing me away from the wall, my head surely would have.  If my head would have hit that rock wall, I might not have been here to tell you this story.

Like the Psalmist, I too will choose to proclaim,  "I thank you, God, with all my heart, that you allowed my back to take the collision that day, so my head wouldn't have to.  You, great Lord, have saved my life...  I thank you, God, with all my heart, that You allowed Your Son to take the punishment that day, so I wouldn't have to.  You, great Lord, have saved my life, indeed!"

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time keeps on slipping...

10/6/2014

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Time seems to be an extremely precious commodity these days.  If your family is anything like mine, you probably don't have enough of it. Between sports practices, school events, social activities and church events your calendar is probably pretty full.  Author and speaker Brené Brown says, "Exhaustion has become the new status symbol."  So what can you do to help combat this?  First of all, pause and take a deep breath.  Know that things will get better and we're here to help. 
 
Our ultimate goal is to partner with you to help your child undertake the mission "To know Christ, and to make Christ known".  As we communicate various youth events throughout the year, the last thing we want is to add stress by overloading an already busy calendar.  We design our events to nurture students Spiritually, Intellectually, Emotionally and even Socially.  Please know that you have our permission opt out of any of these events. Studies show that the greatest impact of Student Ministries is made through consistent attendance over a period of time, however, they also show that the greatest influence on a child's life, positive or negative, is made at home.

Here are some things you can begin doing right away:
  • Pray.  Pray for wisdom and guidance as you undergo this difficult, exhausting, sometimes frustrating but extremely rewarding job called "Parenting".  Also, pray for the leaders that are here to walk beside you and your child.  Know that we are praying for you as well.
  • Read the newsletter to familiarize yourself with our current curriculum and upcoming activities.  This will better prepare you for Faith Talks with your student and keep youth events from sneaking up on you.
  • Follow up with your student.  After Sunday classes, engage your student about "The Story".  If you're not sure what to ask, Discussion Starters are included in each week's bulletin.
  • Maintain a Master Calendar.  Have one calendar in the house that tracks all of the school, youth, family and social events.  When scheduling conflicts arise, help your student decide which events they'll do.  It's OK and often healthy to say, "No" to things.

    and finally...
     
  • Ask for help.  We know it's impossible to be in two places at once.  If you find that the only reason you're saying, "No" to a youth event is transportation issues, call or email (preferably sooner than later) and we will try to help coordinate a ride from a leader or another parent.  (They were headed here anyway).  Remember, we're here to help. After all, it does take a village.
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happy Cinco de... mustache!?!

5/5/2014

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Last year about this time, several student leaders shaved their facial hair into exotic looking mustaches.  When I asked about it, I was informed that Cinco de Mustache was a fun, long-standing tradition at Mountain View Student Ministries.  "Cool," I thought, "I'll have to participate next year so I don't feel so left out."

Fast forward one year.

Imagine my surprise when I arrived at church Sunday morning only to find that no other members of Student Ministries decided to participate this year!

The thing about mustaches is when everybody else is wearing one, they're cool.  When you're the only one... not so much.  Anyway, I hope you're all enjoying a happy and safe Cinco de Mustache!
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defeating diabetes

4/18/2014

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Today I was diagnosed with Type II Diabetes.  I guess I could say, "I am a diabetic."  I could.  But I refuse.
  
There are many true statements I could make to define myself-- I am a Christian.  I am a husband.  I am a father.  I am a brother.  I am an uncle.  I am a friend. I am a Pastor.  I am African-American.  I am Korean.  I am an American.  All of these labels are a part of me.  They help define who I am.  I wear them proudly.

The same does not go for Diabetes.  I will not wear it's label nor let it define me.  It is a disease.  It's something I'll have to deal with.  A momentary setback. 

With medication, healthy diet and exercise along with the love, encouragement, prayers and support of my friends and family, I am going to kick Diabetes' butt!

So, Diabetes, get ready.  You've got a fight coming the likes of which you've never seen.  We've got this.  If you see me shaking, it won't be because I'm afraid but probably be from low blood sugar.  Which is easily fixed.  If you've got "dukes", Diabetes, put 'em up 'cause here we come!

More than conquerors

What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 
As it is written: “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” 
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 8:31–39 (NIV84) 
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Spiritual Vacation

6/21/2013

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Today, my family and I began day one of a week-long vacation.  We'll  be spending our time in Eastern Washington visiting my in-laws.  If  your kids are anything like ours, they're sleeping longer, playing more and  trying to make the most of each and every sun-filled day.
Summer months can be a great time for  teens to invite their friends and build ministry momentum as we ramp up for the Fall but, unfortunately, most ministries tend to see a dip in attendance due to vacations or extended-length family activities during these longer days.  
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Many families tend to prioritize relaxation and entertainment over church or church-related activities and the students we are used to seeing week in and week but disappear during the Summer but faithfully return in the Fall.  
Unfortunately, this can send an unintended message to teens that  "God Stuff" is seasonal.   Additionally, teens (and adults alike) can miss out on important relationship-building opportunities which may lead  to Spiritual Lethargy.

If your family is going to be taking a hiatus from church this summer, I strongly recommend being intentional about spending some time together, as a family, in the Word and in prayer for one another.
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    Rob Brower is the Student Minister at Mountain View Church in Tumwater, WA where he lives with his wife and three kids.

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