Then the returned exiles did so. Ezra the priest selected men, heads of fathers’ houses, according to their fathers’ houses, each of them designated by name. On the first day of the tenth month they sat down to examine the matter; and by the first day of the first month they had come to the end of all the men who had married foreign women.

Ezra 10:16-17 ESV

Today’s text is simply about obedience. And there is something so straight-forwardly administrative about it I appreciate. They were to be badal – set apart – as God’s people, so Ezra the priest set apart heads of father’s houses.

They were to represent the Name (Hashem) and Ezra made sure to designate the leaders of the committees by name (shem).

They were to abide in Yahweh’s covenant and keep His commands. So they sat down – yashab (to abide, remain, dwell) in December to examine – darash (investigate, inquire, avenge) the matter of how they had not done that. And three months later, in March, they had completed the work.

Now that I work with students at our boys’ school, I am learning more about behavior management. I had a lovely talk yesterday with someone well-versed in handling students’ obedience. She affirmed the need for relational authority. How kids will do anything for someone they believe truly cares about them.

Of course, the other side is true as well. Even with that care and relationship, repeated transgression of rules over time requires consequences. But the part that made me relax is how she affirmed as an experienced educator how they work together. Even as those consequences are doled out, the relationship remains in tact.

It reminds me of something in Praying God’s Word: “God is never unbiased toward His children. He does not momentarily set aside His parenthood to discipline us objectively and unaffectionately…The hardest decisions God ever makes in our behalf crest the highest ways of His love.” (pg 100)

Don’t you love that? He doesn’t step away from His love for us when disciplining. We aren’t suddenly someone He gives up on. Like parents setting hard boundaries with a rebellious teen, who later cry together in the quiet at night, what He does for His children is done for our best.

As God uses our current cultural climate to refine His children, let’s keep our eyes on how much He loves us.

Everything He does is for our good and His glory.

Registration for the Online Advanced Food Gardening Series ends this Saturday the 19th. From the Sedgwick County Extension Office, you can take your gardening skills to the next level with lectures, class projects and field trips.

See Wichita Art Museum’s Wooden Lecture: Alexander Calder, Large-Scale Sculpture and the Public Sphere tonight starting with a dinner at 6:15. Lecture is free and begins at 7:30.

Spice Merchant is offering a Tea and Colonial Politics Class tomorrow the 18th from 10-11 am.

Can you believe the Bradley Fair Tree Lighting is this Saturday? Come at 5:30 to see Santa, take photos and ride the horse-drawn carriage (on our Christmas season Bucket List).

If you are a teen interested in finding a job, YMCA’s Job Prep Program could be for you.

Come to Tree Top Nursery’s Christmas Ladies Night tonight from 4-8 pm. Enjoy music, refreshments, and 20% off.

Get a Grip on Pain and Inflammation class at Green Acres Bradley Fair will be this Saturday the 19th from 9-10 am.

Come to The Caffeinated Lab Class: Aeropress Basics at Reverie on Saturday from 10-11:30 to learn why it’s the best invention ever.

And Reverie’s Monthly Game Night is Saturday from 3:30-6 pm.

Do you know about City Art’s FestiFall Art Core Camp? From the 21st-22nd of November, you can learn about how cultures around the world celebrate fall. Cost is $40 per day. Great way for kids to spend some of their Fall Break.

 

Library:

Come to Central on your lunch break Tuesday the 22nd (noon-1:00) for 2016 Election Analysis. “The 2016 election cycle has been unique in many ways, and the impact of this year’s election will be seen in the days and months ahead.  Join us for a look at the results of the November election with analysis by Dr. Russell Fox, Professor of Political Science at Friends University.  Find out more about how this year’s candidates will influence public policy and shape the decisions that affect our lives.”

And see all Upcoming Events here.

 

Have a great weekend!

The sky won’t quit

Neither will all the colors

Changing

Mancala

Our friends’ backyard is charming

Fresh egg

Compassion Experience

Kids loved it

So important to understand

First time to try grass fed beef in bulk

Dessert time

Glory

 

Your 7 Days?

This will not be coherent.

 

I am having to take my thoughts and the verses popping out at me one day at a time. Ever been there? After reading this post, I’m more convinced than ever that the Church needs to be constantly reminded the battle going on right now is spiritual. We will get lost in finger-pointing and blame shifting otherwise.

At the same time, I am committed to intentionally learning how the past week and the near future impacts those whose voices we need to listen to right now. In fact, I plan on simply quoting some of those voices, rather than sharing my opinions. If we are of the powerful majority, it is our responsibility to listen, learn all we can, and use any influence we might have for others’ good.

But we must, must hold up our shield of faith right now in the spiritual realm. That is where Believers have power no one can touch. But we will be attacked. Yesterday, my reading was when Peter declares Jesus to be the Messiah. Jesus affirms this could only have been revealed to Peter by the Father, and how upon Peter’s confession Jesus would build the church and the gates of hell will not conquer it.

This is true. We have to remember this and cling when we forget. Every time period has had atrocities. But as I learned in this study, one reason Jesus talks about difficult days being like labor pains is because it gets more intense and frequent the closer we get. We are not imagining this. And as Clint Smith wrote this morning on Twitter, “Wake up everyday and remind yourself this is not normal. This is not okay.”
It really isn’t. So we keep our eyes on Jesus. We remind ourselves that it isn’t normal and we shouldn’t make it our goal to make it okay.

Then this morning my word was the next few verses after Peter’s declaration:

“From then on Jesus began to tell his disciples plainly that he had to go to Jerusalem, and he told them what would happen to him there. He would suffer at the hands of the leaders and the leading priests and the teachers of religious law. He would be killed, and he would be raised on the third day.

But Peter took him aside and corrected him. ‘Heaven forbid, Lord,’ he said. ‘This will never happen to you!’

Jesus turned to Peter and said, ‘Get away from me, Satan! You are a dangerous trap to me. You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, and not from God’s.’

Then Jesus said to the disciples, ‘If any of you wants to be my follower, you must put aside your selfish ambition, shoulder your cross, and follow me. If you try to keep your life for yourself, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for me, you will find true life. And how do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul in the process? Is anything worth more than your soul?'” (Matthew 16:21-26)

I appreciate that Jesus wasn’t simply teaching Peter in this moment. He was genuinely seeing a dangerous trap in Peter not wanting Jesus to go to the cross. Jesus didn’t want to and someone talking him out of it was a real temptation. Then He reminds them all the only way up is down. The only way to fight is to surrender to God. The only way to keep your life is to lose it. Death to our plans is required.

Fast forward to breakfast when we were praying through some verses over our day. “You have sent us out like sheep among wolves. Teach us what it means, therefore, to be shrewd as snakes and innocent as doves.” (Matt 10:16) Oldest asked what that meant, and after my word with God, it came without much extra thought. Being prudent and wise, discerning of situations He’s put us in, but with a childlike innocence and clean hands.

Fortunately I don’t think this takes a hefty dose of additional spiritual gifts. He has told us that any who lack wisdom should ask and He will give generously to all without finding fault. And discernment? Constant practice in God’s Word. Holding onto it with all our might in these confusing times. Acknowledging others talking us into an easier path is genuinely tempting. Then laying down our lives anyway for the sake of the kingdom.

Be in the Word, friends. May it ooze out of us. Listen to an audio readings, fill our brains with Scripture-saturated music, memorize and meditate. That is how we can distinguish good from evil. And it is something up for grabs for any of His children.

Much love to everyone. I believe in us because I believe in Him and He is trustworthy.

Then all the assembly answered with a loud voice, “It is so; we must do as you have said. But the people are many, and it is a time of heavy rain; we cannot stand in the open. Nor is this a task for one day or for two, for we have greatly transgressed in this matter. Let our officials stand for the whole assembly. Let all in our cities who have taken foreign wives come at appointed times, and with them the elders and judges of every city, until the fierce wrath of our God over this matter is turned away from us.”

Only Jonathan the son of Asahel and Jahzeiah the son of Tikvah opposed this, and Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite supported them.

Ezra 10:12-15 ESV

Our assembly is obeying: making confession and doing His will. They admit they have greatly offended in this matter. However, because of the size of the group and the torrential rain, they “cannot stand in the open.”

I realize they are referring to actually standing in the outdoor courtyard of the Temple. But I find the Hebrew interesting here: We cannot (are bereft to) take a stand (amad) in the open.

 

Have you ever experienced this? Because of what goes on behind the scenes, you are bereft to take a stand in public? I ask with no condemnation as someone who, just this week, has been convicted about what I have allowed in my heart and mind and mouth. I’m simply hoping we can all relate on this.

Throughout His Word, God is so much more interested in mercy than sacrifice. In the condition of our hearts toward Him and our neighbor than anything we can bring to Him or do for Him. Any time He asks us to take a stand in public as Believers, He will make sure it flows from His power inside us based on our love relationship with Him in private. Before we take any stand, let’s make sure we’ve been on our knees.

Our assembly proposes a solution: they return home and in each city meet with elders and judges if they have taken (are abiding, remaining, dwelling in sin with) foreign wives. The reason? To turn away the burning fury, nostril-flaring anger of Elohim.

 

I appreciate the use of Elohim in this context. Creator God. The One who knit together everyone in this situation. Creator implies dignity for creation. Every man, woman, and child made in God’s image and given equal opportunity to be brokenhearted over sin and surrender to the Most High. Because there really is wrath to avoid. Genuine love will not tolerate what mars that image of God in ourselves or others.

Believers, those of us who represent Jesus’ Beloved Bride, we have a responsibility to wash our neighbors’ feet right now. You cannot wash someone’s feet while looking down on them. The Spirit has exposed an ugly bias in my heart recently I am in dialogue with Him about regularly right now. I have to surrender it over and over until I think His thoughts about it, rather than my own.

But we must. We must acknowledge the Creator God’s image in everyone. Everyone. It is not a coincidence that the category I’m on this week in my prayer chart is Protect Us From Evil. Know our church’s heart value with which this coincides? Stay Under Proper Authority. No, we lay down our lives rather than submit to evil that goes against our Highest Authority. But, Believers, we better make sure we’re aligning ourselves under the authority God has put in our lives. He loves us too much to allow us to take on principalities and powers without His protection.

And that is what we are doing when we acknowledge Creator God in every single person. We are defying the evil that wants to mar that image. That wants to use divisiveness to carry out evil on each other. We must resist with the Gospel of Peace. Ready to lay down our lives because we’ve taken up our cross. Allowing ourselves to fall to the ground and die. Selling everything for the pearl of greatest price.

Keeping our eyes on Elohim on His throne, and serving like He did on this planet. This is our time to shine the Gospel. If our trust is in Him alone, the wrath we deserve is gone. As far away as east is from west and our Savior from the grave. We are welcomed back to Eden.

Let’s partner with Him to welcome others.

2nd Saturday coming up. Good time to think about early Christmas gifts: local and with a discount.

Are you up for Wichita Art Museum’s Trivia Night? Tonight from 6-8.

How about Art Start at 10:00 am today? Or 1:30 this afternoon?

Did you know you can get a free flu shot at Dillon’s now until November 13th?

Gingerbread Village at Exploration Place is tomorrow, November 11th, through Sunday. Make and take home your own Gingerbread House, watch various local talent create theirs, and check out the exhibits available right now at EP.

Paint Botanica is coming up next Tuesday the 15th. Join Paint the Towne and create your own masterpiece.

Come for Green Acres’ Holiday Tasting at the West Store and at Bradley Fair, both November 12th from 11-2.

Our boys’ school is going this week: Good Vibrations with Wichita Symphony. Oldest said it was great.

 

 

Library:

Keeping up with NaNoWriMo? Another writing session is coming up.

And register your kids for 2nd Saturdays of Code.

Also? A local Robotics Demonstration.

 

Have a great weekend!

Democratic process

Disguised Turkey

Dessert Happiness

Only thing better than marshmallows? Marshmallows dipped in chocolate.

Glory

 

Your 7 Days?

Then all the men of Judah and Benjamin assembled at Jerusalem within the three days. It was the ninth month, on the twentieth day of the month. And all the people sat in the open square before the house of God, trembling because of this matter and because of the heavy rain.

And Ezra the priest stood up and said to them, “You have broken faith and married foreign women, and so increased the guilt of Israel. Now then make confession to the Lord, the God of your fathers and do his will. Separate yourselves from the peoples of the land and from the foreign wives.”

Ezra 10:9-11 ESV

Well, the exiles had 3 days and they made it. They rallied together. Assembled.

They sat – yashab (to remain, dwell) – in the rechob (courtyard) of Temple. Shuddering because of the heavy rain and the matter that al – hovered over – them.

Ezra repeated what they likely already had heard: They had maal – acted treacherously – and taken foreign wives. I thought it was interesting taken here is yashab again – to sit, remain, dwell

And that’s the core issue isn’t it? To remain and dwell in our sin. To stay connected to what broke us, to run back so we can abide in our disobedience rather than abide in Him.

Oh but you’re gonna love the solution: Make confession and do His will. Confession here isn’t what you might think it means. There is no groveling implied in the Hebrew. It is todah – thanksgiving.

 

And do His will? Will means favor, delight.

Obeying God in this way comes from a thankful heart for all He has done for us. And from that place it is a pleasure to obey. It is in response to the One Who has done it all.

 

And this One’s delight? For His people to badal – separate, distinguish themselves. To be different.

Oh, but praise, praise, praise Him that difference is from the heart. It absolutely involves changing our mind and going a different direction – the opposite way of our sin. But the source of this is internal. It comes from the Spirit in our lives as Believers. When we’re tending to these tender whispers in our own lives we have so much less desire to dive in to others’. All we can see is the growth we need and compassion for our fellow, needy saints.

I watched a beautiful portrayal of this sort of confession this week. The women of our church assembled – rallied together – and representatives from various stages of a woman’s life took the microphone and gave the rest of us an example of this Thanksgiving Confession. It was praise combined with heartfelt fears and struggles and outright agreement with sin. The Spirit’s presence was palpable.

 

What if we all lived in this way? With a heart of gratitude that takes all fear out of agreeing that our sin is sin. And a delight to, together, sense where He is at work and join Him in doing His will.

It seems to be how Shalom can visit our weary planet.

Coming up at Watermark: Chris Bohjalian will be sharing about his latest novel The Guest Room tomorrow, November 4th, at 6 pm.

Also call 316.682.1181 to be put on a waiting list for the Creative Writing Workshop with Sam Weller on Saturday, November 5th.

And don’t forget Saturday Storytime with Melissa most weekends at 10:30.

This Saturday the 5th from 6-10 pm, join other high school students for the return of Teen Sketch-A-Thon at Wichita Art Museum. This free event includes guest artists, music, food and art making. Register here.

Do you know about Be the Bridge? Here are the Top 10 things anyone should know who seek to build racial reconciliation.

Super cute: Make Your Own Pokemon Plushie from 3-5 at TISSU Sewing Studio. Class limit is 10 students. Register for tickets here.

Come to Central Standard Brewing this weekend for Reggae Sunday from 11-2.

Johnson’s Garden Centers has their Christmas Open House beginning today, November 3rd. It kicks off tonight with Ladies’ Night from 5-8. Enjoy 20% off regularly priced items, discounts throughout the weekend, and free demos.

Winter Wednesdays at the Zoo have already begun this week. Enjoy $3 admission every Wednesday now through February.

Check out November Creature Feature at Great Plains Nature Center this Monday at 1 pm to learn more about Hibernation.

Join the class Understanding Your Symptoms at Green Acres West tonight at 6:30.

The Parasites Class is going to be at Green Acres Bradley Fair this Saturday the 5th from 8-9 at Breakfast with Matt.

Come to Whole Foods Tuesday the 10th at 6 pm for a Bike Walk Wichita Workshop: Debunking the Winter Funk

 

Library:

November is Kansas Reads to Preschoolers month. Jump in for the Teddy Bear Picnic Kick-Off Saturday at 10:30 at Evergreen. Bring your preschooler and their teddy for a picnic and storytime.

Register for tonight’s Advanced Microsoft Excel class at Central at 6 pm.

Come to Evergreen Saturday the 5th at 2:30 for a reading of Iktomi and the Boulder.  “Celebrate Native American Heritage Month with stories and crafts based on Sioux and other Native American tribes.”

Don’t miss The Big Read Author Event: Sam Weller this Saturday from 7-9 pm at the Eugene M. Hughes Metropolitan Complex, 5015 E. 29th St. North. Wichita gets to host such phenomenal talent.

And see all upcoming library events here.

 

Have a great weekend!

Nerd Day

Costume Day

The boys’ school won a healthy living grant to make their own yummy snacks

One of hub’s students brought these. A family friend makes them. Incredible, yes?

Treat Street at our church

Sling shot ninjas

Lucy and the Football kick

We like food

Our neighborhood rocks

Glory

 

Your 7 Days?