UBC Wed For Life

  God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. - Psalm 46:1 Let me tell you about a man, a woman, a child, this could be you, we don't know.   You don't know their story but what you will see is God's glory. Let me tell you about the pain, the hurt, the abuse they received from someone they knew, a family member, a friend, maybe even you. You don't know their story, what you will see is God's glory. Let me tell you about a man whom you may have heard of who Fed five thousand people, some who were children, with five loaves of bread and two fish. Remember the person who saw you and asked you for money to get something to eat saying: "can you help me please?" You don't know their story, what you will see is God's glory. You don't know who God will use to bless you. You don't know how God will use your story of what you went through but what you will see is God's glory. Let me tell you about the heart God gave you to ca...

                               What is a man? That question has taken on a significance in today’s world that many would have never expected. However, even without considering the added complexities introduced by the modern world, the question of what makes a man can still be a difficult one to answer. Different societies and cultures ascribe different responsibilities and traits to men and manhood, but there are some qualities that seem to be universal. Strength, leadership, willingness to sacrifice - no matter where you go on earth, men are usually expected to exhibit those traits. They certainly are important traits for individuals to have, but they don’t just benefit the people that hold them. They are important for families and society as a whole. If all men exhibited those traits and many of the other qualities expected of men, the world would likely be a much better place. Unfortunately, not al...

At some point in your life, you’ve probably heard America referred to as a Christian nation. That’s become less prevalent in modern times because, as the data shows,* America is growing more secular. However, in the past, it was a far more common sentiment particularly when Christians were trying to resist some national change that they felt was in opposition to Christian belief. Was the sentiment ever true? In my opinion, no, not really. It’s true that most of the early settlers and founders of the nation were Christian, but the nation was never a theocracy. It was not created to subscribe to any particular faith. That’s why the term “separation of church and state exists.” It’s also part of the reason why our constitution has the First Amendment, which guarantees everyone the right to practice whatever religion they want without fear of state sponsored persecution. The U.S. is supposed to be a nation that is not beholden to any one faith, but is instead tolerant of whatever f...

A previous blog entry put the spotlight on Elijah. Elijah was a special prophet. He along with Enoch had the distinction of being the only people that didn’t die. Elijah was instead carried up straight to Heaven. He was such a significant figure that his name was thrown out when people questioned who Jesus was. Following after a person like that has to be a difficult task, and it was the very thing that Elisha had to do. Elisha understood the difficulties that lay ahead of him. That’s why he made a very special request of Elijah before the latter was spirited away. When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, “Tell me what can I do for you before I am taken from you?” “Let me inherit a double portion of your spirit,” Elisha replied. “You have asked a difficult thing,” Elijah said, “Yet if you see me when I am taken from you, it will be yours – otherwise, it will not.” – 2 Kings 2:9-10 That was a bold request from Elisha, but one he must have known he needed granted to do the wor...

If you’ve watched the news lately, you’ve no doubt heard some story or another about conflict and unrest in various parts of the world. The U.S. is certainly no exception as there is no shortage of fights (figuratively and sometimes literally) between people with differing opinions and ideologies. Concepts like equality and equity are often at the heart of many of these conflicts. Most of us believe that in a society like the U.S., everyone should be treated fairly. The problem is that we can’t always define what we think is fair. It’s fine to say that everyone should get the same pay for the same work, however, in practice, it is rare that everyone with a certain job performs that job exactly the same and with the same quality. Some believe that all children should be given the same opportunities and shots at success. Others would argue that parents who work harder for their children’s benefit should see a result of better opportunities for those children. To them, that’s compl...

It’s been said several times on this blog that being a Christian can be hard. In most cases that comment was made with regard to the need to uphold God’s laws or live up to the principles laid out by Jesus. However, those are not the only aspects of being a Christian that can be difficult for believers. Faith is one of the most important concepts in Christianity. Belief in God is part of having faith, but we can't just say we believe. We have to show it, and that means trusting him with our everyday lives. Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; - Proverbs 3:5 Putting trust in God for everything we encounter is an active demonstration of faith, and it is important. In fact, Jesus made it clear that we are not to fret over even the basic needs of our daily lives. We should understand that God knows what we need and will provide. “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you ...

The UBC Sunday Encounters continue to explore the concept of belonging. The previous entry focused on trust and the part it plays in making people feel like they belong within groups, most notably church families. The previously referenced sermons focused on how we can build trust with the people around us. However, trust is a two-way street. It is one thing for us to be trusted by others, but for people to feel like they belong, they often have to feel like they are also trusted. Pastor Pope addressed this in a sermon that posed the question “Who Is Going With You?” He used a story from chapter 15 of the Book of Acts that involved two great figures in early Christianity, Paul and Barnabus. The two had somewhat of a dispute over Mark. On a past occasion, Mark had proven himself to be less than reliable. As a result, as Paul pushed forward on his mission to spread the Gospel, he did not want to take Mark with him. Barnabus, on the other hand, insisted that Mark be brought along...