Recent Posts

A few weeks ago was school vacation week. With the school being such a large ministry of our church whenever there is a break or vacation things look (and sound) very different around the building. I thought to myself "so this is what it would be like to pastor a church without a school" the silence is nice for a little while, but then it is not long before I miss the energy and vibrancy that all those kids bring to our building. Schedule wise things usually slow down a bit during vacation weeks. We give our midweek ministry leaders a break that week and so the week is a bit less busy. This particular week was a more relaxed one for me; we had Peter Kuzmic preaching at the beginning of the week and there was not a whole lot on my schedule. It was so relaxing that I almost felt a little guilty, I thought to myself "I should be busier, there is more I could be getting done. Lord there must be some thing you want me to do that I am missing here, I mean you can't want me to be this rested, can you?" I remember telling Wendy at the end of the week how rested I felt and that we need to be more intentional about our schedules so that we can get the rest we need. Contrast that with the last couple of weeks that have been filled with meetings, events, and some unexpected items that have come up, which have resulted in some 12-14 hour days.

But, rather than feeling guilty that I was not doing enough and having a really restful time a few weeks ago, or feeling stressed out about a really busy past couple of weeks I felt the Lord speaking to my Spirit, "I give you weeks like that (restful ones) because I know that you will have weeks like this (busy ones)." I am reminded that God designed our bodies with a Sabbath requirement and contrary to what our hyper-busy culture might think, rest is not a luxury, but a necessity to be and do all that we are intended to be and do.

We are starting a pictorial directory!

Have you ever had trouble remembering someone’s name but you knew their face? Have you met someone 12 times but you still don’t remember them? Do you enjoy having family pictures around your house? Is your family bigger since the last family photo? Then we have something special for you. We are starting a Pictorial Directory for Mount Hope Christian Center. Gordon Brown will be taking the pictures for us. For everyone that has their picture taken, they will receive a free Pictorial Directory, one per family. We will have picture order forms available so that you can order pictures for yourself. You will get to choose what picture goes into the Directory. This will take place right after Church from noon-6pm in 10 minute increments on May 18th, June 22nd, and June 29th. Please sign up for a time that will work best with your family’s schedule, especially if you have younger children. If you have any questions please talk to Pastor Danielle.

Please sign up HERE!

I am sure that there are many things that you do once the Spring finally arrives. Maybe you put in some fresh flowers, spread the bark mulch, or give the lawn mower the first crank of the year. Since we moved into our home in Lowell five years ago every Spring has involved a rather unique ritual that I call "kicking the stumps." When we purchased our home the quarter acre yard was under a bed of snow. When we moved in the snow had melted revealing about two dozen tree stumps of various sizes that were left from when the previous owner had cleared all the trees a couple of years before. The stumps were not that big of a deal until I went to cut the lawn every week and spent a great amount of time going around stumps, trimming the grass around the stumps, and breaking at least one lawn mower blade on a stump. I used a chainsaw to cut down the ones that I could get at - did I mention that most of my yard is on about an 70 degree angle - and dug out some of the others. But, there were some that just would not budge so I left them. I noticed however that eventually the stumps would rot out or get destroyed by ants (which gets at my love/hate relationship with carpenter ants, but that is a story for another day). So every spring I go around and kick all the stumps to see which ones have rotted out, last Saturday I knocked out about six good size stumps.

The thing that amazes me about the stumps is that even after they have been cut off from the rest of the tree they still hold strong for quite some time, years even. But eventually, if I wait long enough, time, damp weather, and the ants will cause them to deteriorate. It makes me think about some people who look like Christians, but have cut themselves off from the tree of life, that is Jesus. They might be able to hold on for a while, but without the tree their grip will eventually weaken and the things of this world will eat away at their life. If we are not tied into the tree someday life may come along and give us a kick and we will just fall to pieces.

The Women of Faith Conference is on July 25th and 26th.

The women of Mount Hope will be heading down to TD Banknorth Garden in Boston on July 25th and again on 26th for the Women of Faith Conference. On Friday we will be meeting at the Church at 5pm and will be back that night around 10:30pm. We'll leave again on Saturday morning about 7am and be back around 6pm. Cost is $63, which includes both days of the conference and a lunch on Saturday.

We will be hearing from such dynamic speakers as Patsy Clairmont, Shelia Walsh, Nicole C Mullen, Natalie Grant and others. You can visit their website, www.womenoffaith.com for other information or contact Pastor Danielle at dchristy@mounthope.org

Please sign up by July 1, 2008.
Sign up here!

What did you think about Peter Kuzmic on Sunday? I thought his passion for his countries and God and people was so clear. Did anything challenge you?

Please help Pastor Danielle.

As Pastor Danielle continues to get to know the Children and Parents of Mount Hope please help her by completing this short survey.

PARENT SURVEY

I came across a most interesting passage this week in Judges 7:10 the Lord is speaking to Gideon about going into battle and he says, "But if you are afraid to go down, go down to the camp with Purah your servant." Isn't it interesting how sensitive the Lord is to Gideon's fears. He doesn't chide him and say, "Man this is the Lord speaking, where is your faith, get down there and do what I said!" He doesn't embarrass him or make him feel guilty for not being more mature in his walk with God. He recognizes his fear and makes provision to give him more confidence. I had a professor in seminary, Dr. Parrott, who used to tell us that our job as pastors is to "Meet people where they are at and then take them where they need to go." I think this is exactly what the Lord is doing for Gideon. And yet, sometimes the followers of the Lord can be so much less sensitive to people's fears. I don't want to be the type of person who is so far ahead of people that I am yelling back, "come on you slow poke what's your problem?" Rather I want to be the type of person, like the Lord was for Gideon, who walks beside people on the way to where they need to go.

The youth did a great job with the service on Sunday. It is great to see them using the gifts that God has given them for God and to bless other people. I was also challenged by Pastor Brian's message to be a Peter, Paul, or a Barnabas to some of the youth.

Sometimes when we have a service like this some people will say, "The youth are the future of the church." And I know what we mean by that, we usually mean that these are the people who will serve as pastors, missionaries, leaders, deacons, elders, etc. in the future. But, that statement can discount a bit the role of youth in the church right now. So we bring the corrective and say, "They are the church right now." And, while that is true, I think the better statement is "We are the church, all of us from different ages, different countries, different cultures, we are the church." I love the diversity of cultures and ethnicities that we have at Mount Hope, but I also love the diversity of age groups that interact together at our church. To me the church of Jesus Christ is most fully represented by the unity in the midst of our diversity.

We have a 3 BR, 1.5 Bath, single family home in Dracut, MA for rent. It is $1800/mo, but we can be somewhat flexible, and it is available immediately. It has a fenced in back yard great for kids or a pet (we do allow pets). If you are interested, you can call me (I am currently living in Hawaii) or Dave Libby at 978-866-6853. I can send pictures.
Address is 96 Parker Ave, Dracut, MA 01826.

This past Sunday we looked at the passage in Matthew where Jesus says "ask and it will be given to you"(If you were not able to be with us check out the sermons online section). It has gotten me thinking about asking and about how little I sometimes ask God for. I mean God has given me so much and I have more blessings from him than I could count. And yet, as I get to know God even more it seems like there are somethings he is willing and even desires to give us if we will only ask. I think about so many of the healing miracles that Jesus did and how many of them were done in response to someone simply asking. Matthew 20:29-33 records the healing of two blind men who Jesus was passing by as they were sitting on the side of the road. From the account we have, all indications are that Jesus would have gone right past them had they not cried out for Him to heal them, and so he did. I wonder how many other blind men he passed by that day who failed to ask and lived the rest of their life with their blindness and without an incredible story they could have had to tell. I wonder how many blessings from God I have missed out on simply because I failed to ask. I wonder if we have missed any great things that God desires to do through our church because we failed to ask.

A women in the church would like some help around her house. One thing is she would like a rod iron railing put on her front steps, also needs somethings done in her house. Not sure exactly what she needs. You can contact me and I will give her your phone number. She does not have e-mail. She live in Billerica

thank you

I like getting into Boston every once in a while. For those of you that work there everyday and battle traffic in and out it probably gets pretty mundane. But, for me there is an energy and vibrancy to it all that you just don't get out in the burbs. I was in town today in one of those buildings that makes you feel important just by walking inside. You know the ones, they are covered in exotic colored marble, rich wood, brass, and glass. It was quite an impressive place, which I guess is exactly the idea. But as I was looking up at the ceiling in the beautiful atrium I noticed something that didn't match the rest of the decor, it was a tarp that looked much like one you would purchase for about $10 down at the local hardware store. Now I was a distance away so it could have been a tarp made of fine Italian silk, but I suspect it was made of the same polypropylene of which the tarp I throw over my firewood is made. I am sure that this is just a temporary situation to keep the passerby protected from some leak that has not yet been fixed. But, I did find it a bit ironic that as people walk below in their finely tailored clothes their imported shoes clicking away on the marble tile, that the only thing keeping them from getting wet is a cheap hardware store tarp. It reminded me of people who simply walk through life enjoying the niceties and pleasures of this world always looking around, never looking up, and never realizing how thin a line there is that separates this life from the next.

After I gathered the questions from Revolution last night it seemed like a lot of people had questions about why God lets bad things happen to children or why God allows sickness. It's a good question to think about. What do you think, why do those things exist? Why doesn't God stop those things?

I came across this verse in my Bible reading this week, "Such things were written in the Scriptures long ago to teach us. And the Scriptures give us hope and encouragement as we wait patiently for God's promises to be fulfilled" Romans 15:4. As I read it I could not help but think about so many of my friends in Christ who are in such need of hope and encouragement and are longing for the promises of God to be fulfilled. People who are struggling with a relationship, a career, a family situation, an illness, or a surgery. I talk with them and we both agree that this just does not seem to be the abundant life about which Jesus spoke. They are waiting patiently for the promises of God to be fulfilled in their life, but it just hasn't happened yet. Which is why I like this verse, because it tells me that God understands our waiting and one of the reasons he has given us the Scriptures is to give us hope and encouragement during the times of waiting.

Hospital waiting rooms can be an awkward place for people. They are crowded with people and yet you are still alone, the TV is on, but no one is paying attention, and you are left to your thoughts about your loved one while flipping through a six-month old issue of Time magazine. I have found that what most people need at a moment like that is hope and encouragement. They don't need answers and they certainly don't need empty assurances that we cannot deliver on; they need hope. I saw a sign at Lahey Clinic today that said what people in critical condition need is "realism, dignity, and love." I think those three things are important, but I couldn't help but think to myself that they also need hope. I thank God that He has given us His word and my hope is that it will provide my friends who are patiently waiting with the hope and encouragement they need to persevere through their storm.

American Home Loan Mortgage, 78 Cambridge Street, Burlington, MA 01803. Free Consultation. Victor Campana, Mortgage Consultant for residential and commercial properties, purchases, refinancing, primary residences, second homes, investment properties, cash-out for schooling, vacations, automobiles, etc. phone: (339) 234-0632, fax: 781 273-4022, e-mail: vptr2002@yahoo.com American Home Loan Mortgage Corporation, MA MB0958

American Home Realty, 78 Cambridge Street, Burlington, MA 01803. Earl Taylor, broker
116222-b. phone: 781 272-6700. Real estate sales