What a Church Should Live For!

It's a Sunday like yesterday (5/17) that truly keeps me going in my faith, in my personal purpose, and in my hope!

Yesterday we celebrated 3 big events:  seniors graduating, students being confirmed into their faith and the church, and several baptisms.  It would be easy for us in the church, and for me as a leader, to see these events as necessary, albeit exciting, celebration hoops to jump through--i.e. these events come around each year, and it's important we celebrate and recognize them in the church.

Yet, there is much more behind and within them to live into.  Yesterday is ultimately one of the most important days in the yearly life of Horizons!

Our graduating seniors are the fruit of many years of labor for Horizons.  They measure the time, prayer, hope, and heart poured into them over the span of several years.  They are also the future and carry with them the anticipation we have for tomorrow's light in the world.  These are our newest leaders, off to make a positive impact in the world by their faith.





Our confirmation students renew us and break our hearts open again to the excitement and thrill of a growing relationship with Jesus.  Instead of merely seeing these students being on their way to what we already have, we get the chance to see the life and light they currently possess.  Their hope for the future is what reawakens our desire and passion to continue our own growth!




And those receiving their baptisms yesterday, whether through the dedication of a miracle baby, through young children professing their faith, or through adults reclaiming the life and hope of salvation, they remind us what Horizons is all about--walking with others on their way to Christ.  We exist because of this hope, this dream, and this occasion!

So as Monday rolls around, I'm humbled, thankful, re-energized, and blown away.  In the midst of daily hurt and loss, we are reminded to put the good at the top of the stack and keep our hearts focused on the overwhelming blessings!

Praise God!


More to come!


Jason <><

Don't Let Fear Seize the Day

Sarah and I are the proud and thankful owners of an eleven year old Russian Blue cat named Gizmo.  I didn't name her.  She was a foster pet to many owners and a temporary resident of many basement bathrooms before finally ending up at my house when I was serving in Bellevue, NE.

Gizmo (we never could get any other names to stick) has been with me and now Sarah and me both for 5 years.  True to her breed, she is very affectionate, very physically bonded, and quite loyal.  She loves people, laps, petting, playing, and nearly all close-proximity attention--as long as she's close or touching, she's happy.

Like people, we assume she would also fall in line with other characteristics, given her love for people, attention, and affection.  We assume she'd be eager to meet anyone who entered the house, always be getting into whoever's faces she could, and be difficult to chase away.  In all truthfulness, Sarah and I are quite sure she actually WOULD act more like this, and that she actually COULD become a nuisance when guests come over, if it weren't for one small thing:  fear.

Also true to Gizmo's breed, she displays low capacities to accept change and does not cope well with environmental changes--whether major or minor.  Simply put, she's 100% people lover and also 100% fraidy cat.  When people come over, Gizmo instantly slinks under our bed, out of view, out of harm.  This weekend, as Sarah's and my family both poured into our house to celebrate Sarah's graduation from Physical Therapy school at the UNMC, Gizmo made no exceptions to her rule and bolted for the bed at the sound of the our first guest's voice.

Matthew's gospel, (21:23-27) captures an important moment between Jesus and the chief priests.  The priests and elders want to know what authority Jesus is claiming to have as he teaches and heals.  Jesus responds asking them to answer him first as he asks by what authority John the Baptist was baptized.  The leaders are trapped:  if they say John's baptism was from God, they fear being caught believing God was with John but not willing to believe John's words about Jesus.  Yet, if they say John's baptism was only done by humans for human reasons, they run the risk of losing credibility from the people they wish to lead.  Ultimately, they tell Jesus they don't know the answer.  Jesus responds in kind telling them they will not know where his authority comes from either.

The lesson?  It's easy to let fear get in the way of what we are truly seeking and wanting most in our lives.  The priests and elders were so afraid to be caught having made a mistake they missed a chance to grow and experience truer, fuller life in Jesus, who was standing before them!  Likewise, Gizmo grows so afraid of changing circumstances she runs and hides from the very affection she is constantly craving.

Just the same, we as people also miss out daily on the blessings and gifts we desire because of our own fears.  We're afraid to get hurt, to be taken advantage of, to look the fool or be caught in a mistake.  Instead we play silly games and hide within our comfort zones while the willing world passes us by.

This is why trust is such a holy concept and practice.  If the priests could have trusted Jesus, they would've found him to be a powerful ally.  If our cat could learn to trust the safety we have offered her in our home, she would finally get her affection tank all the way filled.  And if we as people would learn to trust that God truly is with us even when we do feel embarrassed or mistaken, I'm assured we'd only be experiencing life a little more fully!


More to come!

Jason <><

When Church Gets Good

When a family approached me recently about building a butterfly memorial garden for families who have lost children during pregnancy, I thought it was a beautiful project.  Yes, let's do this.  Yet, when asked about where it should go and how it should look, I was a bit at a loss.  Of course, because I'm a pastor I felt the need to give them sound direction--it'll be best here; it should definitely have these plants and ornaments; this is definitely the best time to plant...  Truth be told though, beyond what I thought best, I had no more wisdom or knowledge than any other, which I also let the family know.  I knew it was right for Horizons, but I also knew my own limits had the potential to limit or delay the project.

There are many instances when projects like this have come past my "desk" as pastor.  While Horizons has truly been a place of energy and innovation since its birth, many of our events, projects, missions, and activities have been pastor, staff, and official-church led initiatives.  They've been great and have contributed to what makes Horizons a great church.

Yet, what makes a church a truly worthy ministry for God's glory and the life that pours out of his grace into our lives is when every limb, every digit, every member of that church body comes alive and lives into its fullest potential.  It's a lot like our bodies when we wake up from sleep.  We certainly have the capacity to bumble around and perform menial tasks using a few rudimentary muscles and movements.  But it's not until our toes begin to flex, our ears begin to report, our eyes fully focus, all our muscles fire, and our heart picks up the pace that we become fully capable of performing extraordinary things during the day.

And so it has recently felt a lot like Horizons is moving past the phases of just waking up and now getting ready to do amazing things in its day.  The members of the body are starting to live into the fullest of their capacity.  It's awesome to see!

The family wanting to build the butterfly garden sensed their call to take that step forward.  They had permission and some general direction, and they took it from there.  Soon they asked fellow members of their BE membership class to help.  They shared their story of pain and persistence in worship.  They allocated funds for the project outside of the church budget.  They did the research for location, proper vegetation, and location.  They planned the building day and made their own invitations to the community.  And just this last Saturday (05/02), their beautiful garden was born!

It will be a blessing to see the garden become a place for mothers and families to seek peace, rest, and a place to process their losses and the hope that yet remains before them.  And it will be a blessing to watch this body of Christ continue to wake and waken each of its members and live into its full potential.  While the main messaging center will continue to provide direction and timing, the life of the body will best be seen as the members take those queues and take it from there, doing the very things they have been called to do!

The Horizons Butterfly Memorial Garden is located directly East of the outdoor Patio building.  If you are interested in being a part of the project or would like to learn more, contact Carrie.Peter521@gmail.com.



More to come!

Jason <><