Autumn Has Begun... in August

This post first appeared in FCC’s blog in August of 2020.

“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”

— Matthew 5:14-16

As I am writing this on Wednesday, August 26, it has now been 24 hours since Starbucks started selling its (in)famous Pumpkin Spice Latte again as they do every year. Last year, Starbucks launched their pumpkin-flavored goodies on August 27, and the year prior it was August 28. Starbucks’ fall seasonal marketing literally starts earlier and earlier every year.

Another example of this phenomenon of seemingly inappropriate timing for dropping autumn products happened to me this weekend at Bath & Body Works. On Saturday I took a short trip to the beach, and when I got back I noticed signage near the local Bath & Body Works advertising a sale on their fall hand soaps. I tell you guys, It is a strange feeling walking by a pumpkin-scented Bath & Body Works storefront while I’ve got sand in my shoes and I smell of sunscreen.

Here’s the thing, though: I don’t mind it.

I may be in a minority with this take, but my favorite time of year is autumn. The weather trends toward becoming cooler, the world’s smells and tastes are sweetest, the imagery is full of color, and (controversial opinion) the autumn Hallmark movies are superior to the Christmastime ones.

And you’d better believe I waited patiently and eagerly in those long lines to nab a Pumpkin Spice Latte and a Pumpkin Pecan Waffle scented candle.

Starbucks and Bath & Body Works likely did not mean to be, but they were a light to me this week. Anyone with access to the news may have noticed that these past few months of tumultuous current events have not been easy on anyone, and it’s nice having a small bit of comfort in the form of sweet smells and tastes to remind us that life offers more goodness than Facebook, Twitter, and news outlets let on.

We Christians are to act in similar fashion. Oftentimes, the bad stuff in this world is the loudest and most apparent, but the world is crying out for a small bit of goodness and beauty to contrast it. We have the opportunity to be that light they crave. As Christ tells us in the Sermon on the Mount, the good that we do in dark times acts as a bright representation of our Father in heaven. We have a duty to be the “light of the world,” “the salt of the earth,” and “the town built on a hill.”

I certainly wasn’t expecting the flavors of autumn to befall me so early this year, but I am glad that they did. While the world is expecting more and more bad news, we can be that good and beautiful light they aren’t expecting contrasting the darkness.

Bible Reading: Take a few minutes to read over Matthew 5:3-16. Pray, meditate, and listen to what actions God has in store for you as you be light for a dark world.

-Travis Morrill
Communications and Facilities Administrator at Friends Community Church

Loving Others

This post first appeared in September of 2012 as a devotional from Barclay Press. To read the post on loving God, click here.

““Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.””

— Matthew 22:36-40

In today’s Scripture, Jesus responds to the Pharisee’s question by quoting the Shema with the addition of the Golden Rule (found in Leviticus 19:18). Many times the Golden Rule is spoken in the negative: “Don’t do evil unless you want evil.” In this passage, I hear Jesus speaking in the positive: be kind, give, assist, help, welcome, and love your neighbor.

Recently my wife Monica saw this lived out. A cashier at a grocery store was ringing up a customer who appeared to live on a very limited budget. The customer bought only the basic essentials in the generic store brands to save as much money as possible. She reached her budgeted total, but there were still some other items left to be rung up. The customer informed the checker she could not afford those extras. The checker finished the transaction, but then she proceeded to ring up and pay for the remaining items for the customer.

Helping others is costly, in this case for the checker as she gave up some of her own money. Sometimes it is dangerous—someone’s pride could get in the way or the act could be misinterpreted. As kingdom builders, we have decided it is worth the risk to love our neighbors because we love God and they bear the image of God. And if we truly love God, we cannot help but love our neighbor.

I pray that your heart was changed this week as you got a glimpse into my community

Prayer Suggestion: May we all join in prayer for those churches that are working to build multigenerational communities, loving others, and living their lives for Jesus.

-Pastor Rick Ellis
Pastor at Friends Community Church

Love God

This post first appeared in August of 2012 as a devotional from Barclay Press.

“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.”

— Deuteronomy 6:4-9

This passage of Scripture is called the Shema and is part of a prayer said by Jews twice a day. “Shema” is Hebrew and means “to hear, listen, and obey.” It is the first word of this passage. The Shema is precious to the Jews much as John 3:16 is to Christians.

And there is a commandment that comes out of this prayer: love God and help others discover his love! This commandment is spoken to the community, Israel, and to the individual.

It reminds me of the phrase “It takes a village to raise a child.” We all have a role to play in our community, and it should encompass every part of our life—as we walk and as we sit, as we are awake and as we are asleep, even as we dream. The commandment determines how we think and how we talk. Our lives reflect and revolve around our love for God.

Brother Lawrence was a man who fulfilled his mundane daily duty of washing dishes in a monastery kitchen while reflecting on God’s love. In our lives there should not be a separation of spiritual life and work life—or school life, sports life, or home life. It is all connected. Spiritual life should be connected with every aspect of our daily coming and goings. Our spiritual life should dictate how we conduct business as well as how we raise our families.

Pray that all aspects of your life will be given to God and that you will be able to listen, hear, and obey when you hear his voice

-Pastor Rick Ellis
Pastor at Friends Community Church

Taste and See

“This poor man called, and the Lord heard him;
he saved him out of all his troubles.
The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him,
and he delivers them.

Taste and see that the Lord is good;
blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.”

— Psalm 34:6-8

Sometimes it can be helpful to adjust the way we live in relationship with Jesus. It takes time and practice to really get the most out of our faith.

-Micah Darden
Pastor of Young Adults and High School

Gratitude Challenge

“What you are doing is much more than a service that supplies God’s people with what they need. It is something that will make many others thank God. The way in which you have proved yourselves by this service will bring honor and praise to God. You believed the message about Christ, and you obeyed it by sharing generously with God’s people and with everyone else. Now they are praying for you and want to see you, because God used you to bless them so very much. Thank God for his gift that is too wonderful for words!”

— 2 Corinthians 9:12-15 (CEV)

Have you ever been amazed by the kindness of someone? What did it do inside of you? Maybe it moved you to tears. Maybe it caused you to smile. Or perhaps you felt compelled to tell others about what you had witnessed. What Paul decided to do in his letter to the church in Corinth was to acknowledge and thank those who he knew were living so generously. Everyone likes for their effort to be acknowledged. That may not be the reason why we do what we do, but it helps to know that our efforts were not in vain. That they achieved something. Their purpose had been actualized.

Today, I want to leave you and each member of your family with a challenge. To thank the person that invested their time, effort, money, and energy in your spiritual formation. This can be a current or former Sunday school teacher, youth pastor, friend, parent, spouse, neighbor, current or former pastor, sibling, or maybe even your child. Someone that walked alongside of you. Stepped into your story in a meaningful way and journeyed with you. Someone who taught you what it meant to follow Jesus. Let them know the outcome of their commitment to obedience. There is something about gratitude that brings wholeness to our hearts and completed joy to theirs.

The ways you can go about thanking them are many. Consider writing a handwritten note and sending it to them in the mail. Maybe you give them a call or write them an email. Post something on social media. Leave a sign on their lawn or write a note in chalk on their driveway. Maybe your kids write a note to your person thanking them for sharing Jesus with mommy because now mommy has been able to share Jesus with them. Then they will know that their faithfulness had exponential effects! Get creative with it. But make sure it is meaningful and heartfelt.

When you and your family are done thanking your people, let us know who they are! We want to put together a video montage to honor those who have so thoughtfully invested their lives. Video yourself and anyone else in your family saying two things:

1. The name of the person who you would like to thank.

2. A one sentence reason as to why you want to thank them.

So your video might sound like this: “Thank you Dave Lorenz for teaching me that true joy comes from knowing Jesus.”

Please send your video(s) to info@fccbrea.org so that they can be included in this very special video montage. We look forward to hearing about all the people that have shaped our church family!

Click here to watch last night’s family service and see a video message thanking all of our teachers.

-Pastor Tyler Lemen
Associate Pastor of Family Ministries at Friends Community Church