In preparation for our Advent series of messages I took a little trip down memory lane to reminisce about some of the greatest surprises of my life. I’ve had some very exciting as well as very sobering surprises. Allow me to share a few of the surprises I have encountered over my life time as they were shared with me or as I experienced them.

My dad when I was 4 years old: “The grain elevator is on fire, I’m going to see if I can help.”

The school secretary after I had been hit in the mouth with a baseball bat in 3^rd grade: “Oh my, that doesn’t look good!”

My mom when I was 13 years old: “The doctors confirmed I have breast cancer.”

My sister when I was 14 years old: “Mike! Brad! Help my bedroom is on fire!”

Vicki: “We’re going to have a baby!”

The doctor: “It’s a boy!”

My dad: “Mike, Grandma Altena was just killed today as she was crossing Highway 75.”

Me after I was overcome with methane gas: “Dang! I could’ve easily died!”

My mom: “The doctors have confirmed, I have stage four ovarian cancer.”

The Holy Spirit: “Leave your herds and go and prophecy.”

Vicki: “This just came in the mail; your seminary professor has approved your credo!”

And my most shocking surprises of all time. Me: “Vicki, would you be interested in going on a date?” Vicki: “NO!” Me two weeks later: “Vicki, would you be interested in going on a date?” Vicki: “NO!”

 If you have lived any amount of time then you know life is full of surprises, and so is the story surrounding Jesus’ birth. During the Advent season we’re going to reflect on Zechariah’s surprise, Mary’s surprise, Joseph’s surprise, Herod’s surprise, the Innkeeper’s surprise and the Shepherd’s surprise. And I believe you’ll be surprised by how closely you will be able to identify with their surprises too.

My prayer for us in this series is that God would grant us a fresh revelation of his surprising grace and also that we would grow in our excitement as we anticipate the surprise of Jesus’ second coming.

And like the shepherds, may we never forget the surprise of when the angel’s announcement first penetrated our hearts, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that is for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:10-11).

Maybe during your Christmas gatherings you could take a little trip down memory lane and share some of your great surprises; including the surprising times God has revealed himself to you.

Glad tidings of comfort and joy! Mike Altena

Last night I stood in an upstairs apartment in downtown Luverne and offered my sympathy to the family and friends of Tisha, a young woman who was found dead just a few hours earlier.  She was still in her bed and her mother was there with her hand on her daughter, sobbing and asking why this had to happen.  Three policemen were in the room interviewing people and documenting the prescription medicine on the TV stand and scrolling through her cell phone to gain information.  It was a very sad scene and one that made a lasting impression on me.

Tisha came in to ARC earlier this month asking for assistance with her rent and electric bill, which we were able to offer.  She and I had a good talk about life, God, and other topics, and she was very positive about her future.  She shared about taking care of her grandmother who lives in town here, and wanting to stay on the straight and narrow for her daughter, a 3^rd grader at Luverne elementary.  Being a connoisseur of cultures, my curiosity got the best of me and I had to ask, “Tisha, if you don’t mind, can I ask what is your ethnicity?”  She smiled a big, beautiful smile and proudly said, “I’m part Native and part Black.”  I noted that her speech patterns were distinctly Native, and her hair had the curl which suggested Black.  She agreed and laughed.  After that I gave her a ride to the hospital for an appointment.

Vicki Altena and Rodney Stone, my friend in town, also knew Tisha pretty well and were helping her in various ways.  There is also a family in our church who were renting the apartment to Tisha, and she talked about how kind they were to her.  Rodney is a friend of one of the Casey’s managers and had gotten Tisha a job interview there which was scheduled for yesterday morning.  When she didn’t show up, they called Rodney wondering where she might be.  He was upset with her for missing the appointment, but when he told me about the situation, I could sense he was a little bit worried, too.  Rodney was the one who called me and let me know that she had passed away.

The reason I wanted to share this story with you, the ARC family, is to let you know that there is an incredible mission field right under our noses here in Luverne.  There is a steady stream of struggling families and individuals who move here from various places and try to make a go of it due to our relatively affordable housing and good school system.  Did you know that in 4^th grade alone this year, 12 new students signed up for school on the first day of the semester?  Many of these people struggle with broken relationships and financial instability, and some with substance abuse.   All are in need of supportive, loving, godly friends who can help them make this a healthy home for their family.

For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in…”  (Matt. 25:35)

Tisha’s story ended sadly yesterday, but may God use this tragedy to open our eyes to the opportunity we have in front of us.  If God is touching your heart through this story and the new people you see around town, two great ways to get started are to become involved with Big Buddies (Lisa Nath) and Atlas (Vicki Altena).  There are other great organizations in Luverne looking for volunteers as well, and of course you can always invite people to your home for a meal or a life group meeting.  Let’s step out of our comfort zone, cross boundaries, and put God’s incredible love into action.

Cory Grimm

20/20 vision has evaded me since middle school.  My first pair of spectacles graced my face in eighth grade and I have been the beneficiary of optical assistance ever since.  Over the years I have advanced from prescriptions that were mostly for reading, to lenses that corrected astigmatism, to non-glare, high definition, and more recently, progressive lenses.  Some transitions have been smooth and easy, but that has not been the case with my most recent upgrade.  This is my second pair of progressive lenses and they are a challenge to get used to.  It is frustrating to spend a sizeable amount of money on a pair of glasses that I expect will help me see crystal clear only to find that my new lenses seem worse than the old ones.  The eye doctor has assured me this is normal as my eye and brain adjust to the different powers in the lens.  I have also been strictly instructed to NOT switch back to my old glasses as this will only inhibit the process.

We seem to hear a lot about vision – vision for our nation, vision for our churches, vision for our businesses, our organization, our family, our life.  We hire leaders and CEO’s that give us a vision for the future.  We elect a president that sells a vision of change.  The problem is that we hit a few bumps in the road or encounter some resistance and we switch back to our old glasses.  Fear sets in and we revert to doing what we’ve always done.

I have been pondering a phrase that the Ridder Church Renewal Team has heard many times.  “If you keep doing what you’re doing, you’ll keep getting what you’re getting.  Can you live with that?”  This quote gets me thinking not only about vision, but also acting on that vision.  Vision needs to be followed with execution.  Joel Barker has said, “Vision without action is merely a dream.  Action without vision just passes the time.  But vision with action can change the world.”

There are areas in my life where I feel as though my actions have just been passing the time.  I have lacked vision.  I wonder the same for the universal church and American Reformed.  Do we lack vision and just settle for doing what we’ve always done?  Can we live with that?  That’s not to say that things we have done in the past are wrong, but will they carry us into the future?  Are we satisfied with making good church members rather than following Jesus and making disciples?  Has our church become a place for people to stay instead of a launch pad for people to go into the world?  Are the results that we are getting from our discipleship methods, and consumerism worship, and attractional evangelism bringing us in line with God’s vision?

The end goal of the Ridder process is to have faithful and fruitful missional living both personally and congregationaly.  That is a vision I can get behind and work to advance.  It won’t be easy.  Change never is.  There will be detours and pot holes.  Things might get messy and the temptation will be to retreat and put on our old glasses, but can you live with that?

So how’s your vision?  Proverbs 29:18 warns us that “where there is no vision, the people perish”.  May we be a people whose vision is so clear that our fears become irrelevant.

Erin Jacobsma

I caught myself reminiscing of my childhood church friends the other day. While we have all scattered across the country, my church friends have always held a special place in my heart. Undoubtedly we share many great memories of heart transformation, pig piles by the bonfire, and countless other laughs we had together before we graduated. We all came from a similar mold, a comparable upbringing, and the same loving church family who helped raise us to know our Heavenly Father.  It’s interesting how we have all grown and changed into our own unique creations God made us to be. Some of us now live our disguised Christian lives as a teacher, a college professor, a nurse, a farmer, a cement pump operator, a pastor, and a children and youth coordinator. (I’m guessing you might know the last one. J) I can say for certain those mentioned above are raising their families in a similar manor – a few in the very same sanctuary and Sunday School rooms.

Something that does not seem as similar in our lives is the world we live in and are now raising our children in. Growing up my parents thought nothing of me riding my bike all over town for the afternoon, as long as I was home when the whistle blew. We didn’t have to wonder about our neighbors because we knew our neighbors and called them friends. I always thought my Sunday School teachers were a bit silly when they told me to invite my friends to come to church because all my friends already belonged to a church. Now, fast forward 25 years, and I find myself in a slightly larger community, I have had to get the plat book out to figure out my neighbor’s last name, and am faced with the sad reality that I am handing Bibles to children who have never heard the Gospel – right here in Luverne. Our world has changed.

At a conference I was at several weeks ago I heard the speaker say, “The church has never been the church in the 21^st Century.” Those words have continued to echo in my mind and have led me to wonder about many of the methods we use to teach within the walls of our church. Could it be the ways I was taught about Christ will not serve the children of today the same?

Growing up, the mission field seemed to be miles and miles away; probably because it was miles and miles away.  We sent our offering to our missionaries, who were usually across seas, and they worked with people who did not know Christ; that was my understanding of missions as a child. As an adult, I now realize our world has changed and it has brought the mission field right here to our front door within our own community.

Jesus’ instructions to His disciples, and us, were pretty clear. At the time of His ascension into heaven He instructed them to be His witness to the ends of the earth. (Acts 1:8) Just as God sent Jesus, Jesus has now sent us (John 20:21) into this world and we have been called to go and make disciples, of all nations (Matthew 28:19) including our own.

As we march forth in the 21^st Century and continue our call to live and love as Jesus, some of our treasured methods of learning may not speak to our children or nonbelieving neighbors as they once did to us. May it not be so with us that we turned a blind eye to the changing world and stayed within the comfortable walls of the church. Rather may we follow our marching orders to go and be a witness of Christ’s love in the community around us seeking those who have not heard the Good News we find in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Marching on, Becky Ossefoort

A few years ago a gal from another community asked me if I would officiate her wedding. The unique challenge for me about her request was that her fiancé was from Egypt and I wasn’t sure about his faith background. Because of personal convictions, I didn’t feel right about marrying a Christian to a Muslim. After visiting with her and her fiancé, I discovered that he had converted from Islam to Christianity. He professed his trust in Jesus for the forgiveness of his sins and that he was a follower of Jesus.

I happily agreed to marry them, although I was asked not to refer to “Jesus” in the wedding meditation for fear his parents and family would disown him. (As he shared that particular request I was reminded that the choice to follow Jesus is much more costly for some than for others).

After a few months, I officiated the outdoor wedding ceremony with many friends and family present; however, right before the reception I learned that this gal and her new Christian husband went into a large room on the upper level of the facility where the reception was being held and a Muslim Imam officiated a Muslim wedding. The husband now had a dual citizenship and a dual faith. To say the least, I felt betrayed and confused.

I share that story simply to share how the upcoming presidential election has challenged my worldview of being Christian in America. See when you and I make the choice to follow Jesus, we also become dual citizens. We become heirs to the Kingdom of God while at the same time we remain American citizens.

In past elections, it always seemed to me like there was at least one candidate to vote for who had some level of integrity and that professed on some level they would lean on God to guide them. In my opinion, this is not the case in this election, and like many of you, I am left wondering how I can, in good conscience, vote for either candidate. And also like many of you who have expressed the same feelings, I wrestle with voting for the one who is least corrupt.

I begin to wonder many things, like, if Jesus would’ve been born in America, would he even participate in the election. Is it really my responsibility as an American, or as a Christian, to vote for an ungodly leader? Would Jesus have voted for one presidential candidate or another based on who potentially could become a Supreme Court Judge in the future? Regardless of the outcome, will God’s arms be too short to save us?

Should we side with the one who wants to “Make America Great Again,” or should we declare, “Stronger Together, I’m With Her.” And when I vote, what am I actually voting for; the right to keep my guns or the right to end the life of my unborn child? Am I voting with the hope of keeping as much of my hard earned money so as to continue to enjoy the safety, benefits and entitlements of this great “promised land of opportunity”?  Would Jesus feel betrayed and confused on how living in America has distorted my understanding of the Gospel?

So, how do I approach my confusion around the election? Well, here it is in part, “Friends, this world is not your home, so don’t make yourselves cozy in it. Don’t indulge your ego at the expense of your soul. Live an exemplary life among the natives so that your actions will refute their prejudices. Then they’ll be won over to God’s side and be there to join in the celebration when he arrives” (I Peter 2:11-12 MSG).

In Christ Alone, Mike Altena

One of the best things about living in the Garden of Eden had to have been not making the decision about what to wear every morning.  While that thought is a bit sarcastic, it crossed my mind as I was sifting through my closet recently.  I have been purging.  Some things don’t fit; some things I am just tired of wearing.  The problem then is that my options are getting limited and it’s time to shop for some new items.  I know there are women who would jump at the opportunity to peruse the local boutiques or take a trip to the mall, but it stirs up in me a feeling of dread.  It seems like the designers cater to the junior sized models rather than the 40+ year old moms who have gone through a few pregnancies and like to eat cakes and cookies.  As much as I hate trying on clothes, it is a necessary evil to determine if sleeves and pants are long enough or if the necessary bulges are disguised.  This is a major contrast to my husband who can go into a store, find his size in the color and style he likes, and take it home without ever gracing the doors of a dressing room.  I can’t explain to you how annoying that is to someone who usually goes to the dressing room with the maximum number of items allowed only to leave with one item or less that I am somewhat certain looks okay.  There has been more than one occasion where we have had sharp words in the clothing department about whether he needed to try on his selections before checking out.  He insists that he doesn’t need to try them on, and it makes no sense to me.

Trying things on is sort of a test run.  I turn from the left to the right; look in the mirror head on and again from behind; bend over; sit down; turn around… you get the idea.  Before I decide if this piece of clothing is a viable option, I need to consider it in a variety of positions, think about when I would wear it, examine how comfortable I feel, and determine if the need justifies the cost.

“Try it on” is a phrase that was presented to the Ridder Church Renewal Team in February at our first retreat.  Whether we realize it or not, we all make assumptions and judgements about information that we hear almost instantly.  In most conversations, the person talking has 3-9 seconds to engage with the listener before we begin to make decisions about what is being said or think about how we are going to respond.  The presenters at the Ridder Retreat asked us to suspend that process, to be patient.  Instead of making an immediate ruling in our head whether an idea was right or wrong, we were asked to try it on, to listen from a place of “What if”.  “What if what they are saying is true?  What would that mean for me, for my congregation, for my community?”

Jesus also encouraged people to try things on.  In Luke 8, Jesus warns his disciples and the people to “consider carefully how you listen.  Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what they think they have will be taken from them.”  Jesus goes on in chapter 12 asking them to “Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them.  Consider how the wild flowers grow.  They do not labor or spin.  Yet not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.”  Jesus knew that much of what he was saying was challenging for the people of his time to listen to and comprehend, so he asked them to try it on.  What if what he was saying was true?

So I extend the invitation to each of you to “try it on”.  Instead of knee-jerk responses to new ideas, instead of reaching a decision within 9 seconds, instead of making judgements based on other people’s opinions, I ask you to consider.  And think about “What If”.  Erin Jacobsma

On Monday night, October 3rd, and Tuesday morning, Oct. 4th, Hurricane Matthew struck the southern coast of Haiti and destroyed homes, fields, gardens, sources of clean water, bridges, cell phone and electrical service, and many hopes and dreams.  In a country where life is already very hard, the situation went from difficult to desperate overnight.  The village where my family previously lived was right in the middle of the onslaught and dozens of our close friends were directly affected.  The village is called Ti-Riviere, which means “Little River”, and the normally small stream for which it is named became a raging torrent as something like 25-30 inches of rain fell in less than a day.  Miraculously we can now happily report that no one in the village was killed or even seriously injured!

However, sometimes in the aftermath of natural disasters in a developing country like Haiti there are more deaths as disease spreads, food sources run out and are cut off from the outside, and access to health care is even worse than normal.  In the region around Ti-Riviere almost 1,000 deaths have been reported already, and mass starvation is a real concern in the near future.  Cholera is also regaining the ground it had lost in the last few years as new cases pop up all around.  Another big concern at this point is shelter.  One of our friends who lost his house said, “If I have to choose between hunger and not having a home, I would choose hunger.”  Many homes were destroyed and almost all the roofs were torn off.  The typical roof in Haiti is a combination of scraggly lumber holding up sheets of tin.  No doubt a 140mph wind could tear that off without any trouble.  Though the roofs are pretty cheap by our standards, I seriously wonder how most people will come up with the money to replace them.

We have a great chance to respond, as it says in II Cor. 8:14, “At the present time your plenty will supply what they need, so that in turn their plenty will supply what you need.”  My gut reaction to that statement is to ask, “When exactly will Haiti have plenty while we are in need?”  That is almost unimaginable in a material sense, and yet just last summer we all benefitted from some of the spiritual “plenty” of the Haitian people as Zacharie came and challenged us in our faith as he visited various groups at church and got to know ARC members.  Now we have a chance to use a direct, personal connection we know in the heart of the Hurricane Matthew disaster to send aid in time of need, knowing it will be distributed with prayer and equity.

You have heard me talk about the difference between relief and development in missions, and those who have read “When Helping Hurts” know plenty about this subject.  There are times when the best way to help people is education and other forms of long-term development, and in those cases giving away food and other necessities would not be appropriate and could lead to dependence.  However, this is truly a relief situation if ever there was one.  People in Haiti need immediate help to preserve their lives, and as we have learned in the past we cannot depend solely on the big, international relief organizations to get the help where it is needed.  That is why we are so blessed to have Zacharie there on the ground and prepared to help people with food, medicine, and materials for rebuilding shelter.

On Sunday, October 23, we will take a special offering for Haiti, and the money will go directly to either Zacharie or Mission Haiti, which is a reputable organization in Ti-Riviere.  Either way your donation will be 100% devoted to relief with nothing deducted for administrative costs.  Later we will hear reports of how the money was put to work to preserve lives, and how we can help as the country transitions from immediate relief to long-term development.  Thanks in advance for your generous gift, and above all else, please continue to pray for the people of Haiti during this difficult time.

(please also remember the people of North Carolina whose homes are being flooded at the moment I am writing this article)

Cory Grimm

Hymns are better than praise songs—green farm equipment is better than red equipment—American Reformed Church is a better name than _________________ – who would make the best president—there are many things that cause divisions, hard feelings, and negative actions.

So why are we so quick to decide we know who or what is best for everyone?  We all have opinions, and that’s great until we find someone who disagrees with us.  Then we often find people who would agree with us to prove our thinking is correct.  This kind of action often causes divisions and problems which can hurt others.

Jesus prayer in John 17 was that “all of them (us) may be one.”  Jesus continued by praying, “May they (we) be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.”  Jesus had an eternal perspective for us to see.

We all need to push through disagreements because there are larger issues.  So what might be more important than green vs. red equipment?  What are things that we can agree that make eternal differences?

Jesus was born—He lived on earth—He shard God’s love with the world—He was crucified and died on a cross—Jesus rose again and defeated sin and death—and we can share this story with others who do not know.

We are people with eternal perspective, people who recognize that there are more important issues than colors or names.  We know that “God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”

I’m thankful that we don’t all think the same way.   Thank God for our diversity as a congregation.  We’re not all men, not all older, not all farmers, not all with the same talents, but we could have the same goal.  We could be a people who love Jesus and want to share that love with others.  They know we are Christians by our love, by our love. Yes, they know we are Christians by our love.  Love for each other as well as love for our neighbors, our co-workers, and for the world.

George H. Bonnema

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16-17

Bibles have been on my brain the last several weeks. We recently celebrated Bible Sunday here in church so I was busy getting those ordered and organized. (Glad Mike pulled the last one from behind his back during presentation time, because I was about to change a humiliating tone of red!) Our children continue to be great at inviting their friends to Pioneer Clubs and there is nothing like handing a child a Bible who has never had one to read at home. It always amazes me to watch how they quickly pull it in close to their heart. It’s their very own copy and in some cases I believe may be the only one in their home.

Bible Sunday is a special day for our first and seventh graders here at ARC. The first graders stand nervously in the front of church, excited to finally receive their very own “big kid” Bible we talk about in Sunday School and Pioneer Clubs. As I hand the Bibles to the children their wide-eyed grins make me smile. They too hold their new Bible with much tender loving care. I was told one of our first graders was so excited for Bible Sunday this year, he was heard saying “I’ve waited my whole life for this day!” The excitement is second to none!

This year was a little different for me. As both the Children and Youth Coordinator and Mom, I was able to present Evan with his Bible. He was also very excited to receive his very own copy of the Bible. When we got home he sat on the couch and said “Mom, will you read to me.” I jumped at the invitation to sit and read with him because he has been trying to get out of reading – and anything else school related – since the third day of kindergarten. When I asked him where we should start, he looked at me funny and said “The beginning! And then the whooooole thing!” Well, we did not make it all the way to the end that afternoon, but my heart was happy watching him soak in the scriptures, I know he has heard before, in a whole new way.

I was thinking about all of these events as I was evaluating some of our Discipleship Process here at ARC. During Mike’s sermons he has referenced how the people would cheer as the Word of God was opened to be read to them. Why don’t we do that anymore? While I am sure the seventh grade students were excited to check out their new Bible, the enthusiasm of the moment wasn’t the same as the little ones. When do we lose that? My heart is now a bit troubled, bothered by the thought at some point in our journey we seem to lose some of the eagerness to flip through the delicate pages of God’s Word.

Friends of ARC, may it not be so with us that God’s Word did not create enough joy and anticipation in our hearts that we tired of it as we grew older. God has created us to be lifelong learners, so may it be said of us we looked to our Bible with great enthusiasm saying “Yes! I’ve waited my whole life for this!” each and every day.

Becky Ossefoort

This past Thursday Becky and I traveled to Rock Valley to meet with a couple of young women from Justice For All who are involved in developing a mentoring program for the youth in Northwest Iowa.  When introducing herself, we learned that Noemi was born and raised in Romania before she eventually made her way to Sioux Center to attend Dordt College.

I’m always intrigued by someone who has grown up in another part of the world and now lives in America.  So in order to gain her perspective on life in America, I asked her this question prefaced by an assumption on my part.  I said, “Noemi, I feel privileged to have lived my whole life in American even though I also believe living in America has had a negative impact on my life; can you see how living in America would have a negative impact on the people who live here?

Her first response was that she was surprised by the “level of entitlement” Americans live with.  She immediately proceeded to share an example of when she was at a gathering with some youth and one of the young students was complaining that his hamburger bun wasn’t pre-cut.  She went on to share with that student that while she was living in Romania under communism, they didn’t even get to eat bread, so maybe he should be thankful for the bun he had.  And then Noemi added, “And I’m surprised by how much food American’s throw away.”

We then carried on with our conversation about the importance of mentoring in discipleship, however, I couldn’t stop thinking about all the ways my “level of entitlement” is impacting my level of gratitude.  I began to wonder about the things I complain of, like if my hamburger bun isn’t cut.  In a presidential election year, the candidates feed into our entitlement mentality by promising all kinds of free goodies with no increases in taxes.

I’ve discovered that the list of things I feel entitled to is very long; including a Christian life free from persecution and suffering.  As I continued to reflect on the impact of entitlement in my life, I realized that one of the effects on me is that I become less grateful and more crotchety.  A sense of entitlement causes me to complain more and love less.  And I find I am often like James and John who said to Jesus in Mark 10:35, “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask…”  Like James and John, I want to be in a position of power and authority rather than in a position to give my life away to helping others.

And so, just as Jesus corrected James and John, may it not be so with you and me that we would live with a sense of entitlement, but rather that we would simply be grateful for all the gifts of grace we enjoy and the opportunities to serve in God’s kingdom.  “For even the Son of man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45).

Learning to be content, Mike Altena