Eric, Lisa, Gretchen, and I (the kids too) were with the wonderful people at Calvary Baptist Church on Father’s Day. We were given the chance to update them on Consumed during Sunday School. Eric & Lisa led in singing and I spoke during their morning service. If you are interested in listening to the talk you can find that link below. I am going to try and post some pictures from the PA and Ohio BBQ soon.

June 21 - Jamie Speaking on God our Father

We will be on the road this summer with planned visits to PA, NY, and OH.  And like last summer we look forward to seeing many of you at one of our BBQ’s.  The BBQs are an open house format so even if you can only be there for a little while, please stop by, grab a burger, and let us thank you for your support.  So we know how much food to bring, please RSVP by the day before each BBQ. You can do that by E-mailing us at info@consumedministries.com. Here are the specific times and dates:

PA BBQ

Date: Thursday, June 18
Time: 6:00 - 8:00
Location: S. Abington Park
In attendance: Shearers, Millers, Beavers, & Kings

OHIO BBQ

Date: Monday, June 29
Time: 6:00 - 8:00
Location: Gantz Road Park (Grove City)
In attendance: Millers

NORWICH, NY

We won’t have a BBQ but the MIllers & Beavers will participate in the Sunday morning service on Sunday, June 21.  We will also give a Consumed update during the Sunday School hour.  Looking forward to seeing you there!

Two O’clock
on a cold winter’s afternoon
Telephone rings
bringing some disturbing news
Oh my God
what do I do
Comforter, Friend
My heart needs to hear from you

Holy Spirit come
Fill this place with power
Hope…it isn’t gone
Fall on us this hour

We will wait for you
We will wait for you

Fork in the road
don’t know what to choose
Two separate paths
only one life to use
Oh my God
what do I do
Counselor, Friend
my soul needs to hear from you

Holy Spirit come
Fill this place with power
Hope…it isn’t gone
Fall on us this hour

We will wait for you
We will wait for you

Last Wednesday I began my day at the Hilton Hotel in downtown Minneapolis for the 2009 MN Prayer Breakfast. Governor Pawlenty gave a few opening remarks and a few congressmen & women read Scripture. Tony Dungy, the recently retired coach of the Indianapolis Colts, was the featured speaker. Coach Dungy is widely respected both on and off the field as a man of faith and integrity. Coach Dungy clearly communicated his love for Jesus and His desire to obey God by making this world a better place to live for troubled youth. The theme for the morning was “The Power of Forgiveness” and he did a great job exhorting us to believe in the forgiveness found in Jesus’ death and the forgiveness we should and must extend to others. But no offense to Coach Dungy, the story of a broken yet recovering family impacted me the most.

In 2003, teenager Nolan Myers was assisting stranded motorists in NC until he was struck and killed along with six others by a drunk driver. At the MN Prayer Breakfast Nolan’s mother & father spoke of their son’s death and their ongoing struggle of extending forgiveness to the man who killed their son, Mr. Larry Veeder. Nolan’s mother said her forgiveness of Mr. Veeder has been given and taken back several times over the last six years. I can only imagine how intense this battle must be. I want to think if I were the parent in this situation I would find it within myself to follow the Nolan’s example. But I don’t think any of us definitely knows how we would react until it was our journey. In the midst of this immense duel of the heart between forgiveness and bitterness the Nolan family has done an incredible thing though. They took either part or all (I can’t remember…sorry) of Nolan’s remaining scholarship money and donated it so Mr Veeder could get the proper assistance in recovering from alcohol abuse. They have publicly forgiven Mr. Veeder over and over again as well. In the last six years Mr. Veeder began attending chapel services in prison and has accepted Jesus Christ as his Lord & Savior. He currently is an inmate chapel leader and is deepening his faith in Jesus.

The story of Nolan Myers and his family’s journey through forgiveness gave me a more tangible illustration of another incredible story of forgiveness. During Jesus’ crucifixion He uttered one of the most amazing statements ever spoken in the history of mankind. Despite the mockery, beatings, unjust trials, and excruciating pain, Jesus found it within himself to utter these unbelievable words - “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.” What is even more amazing is that in the Greek the word “forgive” is spoken in the imperative mood. Jesus’ tone is so fierce it is as if He is commanding His Father to forgive them. He passionately desired for all of them - the Roman soldiers, Caiaphas, Pilate, Herod, the angry mob - to not be held accountable for this horrendous offense. Such forgiveness seems almost impossible to extend but Jesus did it and I’m pretty sure we are to do the same.

Paul, writing to the saints in Ephesus says, “be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” Forgiveness releases the offender and us from the prison of bitterness. We are freed from resentment and anger. Our extended forgiveness also provides people with what I believe to be the greatest picture of Jesus’ love and forgiveness of us.

I needed the exhortation last Wednesday from the Nolan family to forgive. I have been carrying around some bitterness from past offenders. Nothing that comes even remotely close to an offense like the Nolan’s experienced but the bitterness was there…lurking, waiting to overtake me. It feels good to release them and move on. I’m sure I will want to take back the forgiveness at times. People are bound to continually disappoint. But the same power that raised Jesus from the dead lives in me. And if He (Jesus) could forgive, then it is possible for me to wade through the complex feelings that result from negative actions or words at my expense and continue to choose forgiveness.

If you would like to read a little more about the Nolans, click HERE. That will get you started on their journey.

Over the last five years Consumed has hosted a NCAA Tournament Challenge for those that are interested. Every year the participation grows and it is a lot of fun. If you have played in the past, join up again. If you haven’t but want to get in, we welcome that. You don’t have to know a lot about basketball to play. Actually, sometimes the less you know the better you do in picking games. The winner will receive a copy of Fully Alive & Rise Up (we may have a few of those around) and a gift card to Starbucks. Here is the information:

WEBSITE: Consumed CBS Sportsline
(if you don’t have a user account with cbs sportsline you will need to create a profile - it is free and easy).
PASSWORD: abs

Good luck!

From Rob Stearns

EVERYTHING

Everything you tell me
And how you guide me
What you tell me
In the deep, dark days
And the deeper, darker nights
What you show me
When you light the heavens
Blinding out the sun and stars
Everything is everything
Your everything is my everything