Discipleship

Redeeming the Summer

The summer, as we all know, is a complete change of course for most people. Daily life changes significantly, especially for kids and stay at home moms. No more school, time at the pool, travel, spending hours outside in the sun. For some the days of summer are truly lazy, hazy and sometimes crazy.

 

So why this post? To redeem the summer spiritually. If you are like me, the summer has a way of rattling us from our disciplines of good eating, exercise and sleep patterns, worship attendance and small group participation. It happens, we all know it, so how to we keep from slipping in our attention to the things of God during these warmer days? I have a few suggestions:

1. Play outside with your kids and talk about creation and its Creator. Talk about the beauty, the differences, the variety, the magnitude, the creativity of God's world in which you play. Talk about our bodies and how God uniquely crafted them. Talk about how God made our bodies to experience the world, to serve others, to care for others. Spend time with your children in prayer thanking God for al these things.
2. Have evening devotions with your family. The summer can often be a time when families share more evening meals together. Right after dinner, talk about the day and what happened. Then read scripture, or from one of these books, then pray together around the table before heading back out into the neighborhood.
3. Go for a morning walk in a local park, or forest preserve, or where you are on vacation. Take the time to intentionally slow down, being quiet as you listen to God in prayer. Take in the world around you and listen to what God is saying about himself, about you, about the church, about relationships in your life.
4. Take an afternoon to serve in a local ministry. Perhaps at the church cleaning, picking up or sorting, perhaps in a ministry we support. Give your time and back to helping ministries this summer, a time when volunteerism drops off significantly.
5. Read a book with a close friend or spouse. There are several short books of the Bible you can read together, discuss and pray over. There are a list of recommended books here that you can check out from our library, or pick up your own copy from Amazon.
6. Entertain another family from church or your neighborhood. Welcome a neighbor to your home for a grilled meal and get to know them a little more. Ask about their family, their history, where they grew up, what they like to do, their hopes for their kids or their career. Listen more than talk, then pray for that person or family during the next week.

There are countless other ways that we can engage differently this summer and redeem our time, perhaps this has jogged your own memory. If you have an idea, post it below or email it. Email it to your group this week and encourage others in your circle of influence to do the same! Redeem this summer spiritually, don't let it slip away!

Juliet: A Dialog About Love

Juliet: A Dialogue about Love" is scheduled to be presented on Friday and Saturday, February 6 and 7, 7:00 pm at NPC. We encourage you to come and bring members of your small group. Drip coffee will be served after the play, no other refreshments will be served.

There will be a 'talk back' with the actress after the show.  She'll change out of her costume and come back to the Worship Center.  She welcomes the opportunity to do this. This is a dramatic presentation of a woman, her children, and the time when they were in a Communist prison.  It is also shows the love she has for her husband, her children and for God.  She asks questions of God such as: Where are you? Why is this happening? 

There may be a need for some people who attend to "decompress" following the show.  Those who experience the play may need some time to regroup, talk it out, and resolve our own feelings. We want to encourage you to take your group off site to a coffee shop or someone's home. There will not be a place at NPC to linger as custodians will be getting the church ready for the next day. If you are compelled to discuss, please be considerate of the tear-down and custodial teams, especially on Saturday evening. Thank you.

 

What to Expect:

• an informational display will be in our lobby which will help explain the political conditions in the Romania/Hungary area during the time of the play (circa 1956 - see timeline below). 
• a documentary video about the author will be running in our lobby (possibly at two locations)
• attendees will be held in our lobby to review the material until showtime.  This will provide for a greater understanding of the play's setting.
• A short introduction/announcement will be made in the lobby prior to letting anyone into the Worship Center
• There will be a "talk back" session following the play with the actress (approximately 20 minutes) concerning the play, the author, the actress, etc.

Historical Context:

Juliet's husband was a Hungarian Reformed pastor, who felt called to minister deeper inside the Communist block after Hungarian revolution of 1956.  He moved his wife Juliet and their seven children further east into Romania, a direction no one was traveling at the time.  Sure enough, he was almost immediately arrested and sentenced to 22 years in prison.  His wife and their seven children were evicted and sent to a prison camp in the Danube delta.  This play is her story, beginning when she wakes up to find herself prematurely placed in a morgue, which is essentially a pile of bodies.

• 1958 - Reverend Ferenc Visky, Andras' father, is sentenced to 22 years in prison.
• 1959 - His mother, Julia, and her seven children are deported to a gulag near the Danube delta, in a place known as Latesti.
• 1964 - Julia and the children are released early in the year;  Ferenc was released in the summer.

Christmas Season Information

We've mentioned this in worship services each week, but just as a reminder, and to put the information right in your hands, here is the Christmas Season Information for our coming weeks at NPC.

Listed on the sheet are special events and our Christmas Eve service times. Feel free to print copies of the sheet, or email a link to your friends and neighbors.

NIV Study Bible

The NIV Study Bible has been around for several years offering students of the Word of God greater clarity in the use of words, ideas, themes and contextual information.

Over 20,000 notes are the handiwork of the same translation team that produced the NIV translation. The same exacting, conservative scholarship that brought you today's most read, most trusted Bible translation went into creating the most celebrated, widely used Bible study notes in existence.

NIV Study Bible Link

ESV Literary Study Bible

The ESV Literary Study Bible combines thousands of insightful notes with the complete ESV text, the new Literary Study Bible will help you understand God’s Word more fully, in all its richness and beauty. You’ll explore in detail the Bible’s story lines, complex characters, historical settings, literary genres, motifs, theological themes, imagery, and important terms, making the Bible come alive with greater clarity and impact.

ESV Study Bible Link

ESV Study Bible

This fall, Crossway books will be releasing the ESV Study Bible. In order to help people better understand God's Word and the context in which it was written including its people and places, Crossway has worked with several scholars to capture text, notes, maps and more to help readers engage with the text.

With completely new notes, maps, illustrations, charts, timelines, and articles, the ESV Study Bible was created by an outstanding team of 95 evangelical Christian scholars and teachers.

ESV Study Bible Link

NIV Life Application Bible

Another resource you may want to consider this summer in your study of God's Word is the Life Application Bible.

In the newly updated version, the NIV Life Application Bible has over 300 new Life Application notes, nearly 350 note revisions, 16 new personality profiles, updated charts, and a Christian Worker's Resource have been added. The Life Application Study Bible not only explains difficult passages and provides valuable background on Bible life and times but also shows how God's Word speaks to every circumstance and situation of life.

NIV Life Application Bible Link

Summer Plans?

Thought about your summer yet as it relates to your small group? Will you continue to meet? Will you change up your studies? Will you engage in service together as a small group? Host a Backyard Bible Club in your neighborhood?

If you're planning on a study, I recommend to you "Never Beyond Hope, How God Touches and Uses Imperfect People" by J.I. Packer and Carolyn Nystrom. The book is for those who may struggle with their spiritual failures or doubts: "Can God use me?" "I want to serve God, but I frequently fail!" This book can be a good reminder that God uses and touches sinful people. He always has and he always will. Chapters include Samson, Nehemiah, Simon Peter, Jonah, Martha, and Jacob.

It is always a good idea to continue reading scripture, however! Sometimes we think that we need to do a book study in our small groups, but the most beneficial practice we can engage, is that of reading scripture to, and with, one another. Consider as a group what book(s) you might read together, pouring over the pages each week, meditating on the words and images, memorizing passages, and capturing a fuller understanding using a commentary or study guide.

The Church Library

If you are looking for resources for your small group to study, and are not sure about which resources to pick up, try browsing our church's library down past the coffee bar from the main entrance. The library has been maintained to provide good resources to our church's members and friends.

Visit the library and review the books here on a Sunday, or during the week. It will help you save some money on books that maybe you have heard about, but are not sure you want to go out and buy a copy.

Check here for some recommended books for your personal growth and/or group study.

We'd Like Your Help, Please!

If you use one of the studies or guides, please consider writing a short review of the material and email it to me. We'll post it under a new category called "Reviews". This can help other leaders evaluate if that book or study is a good one to include in his or her small group.