David Bartow, Intentional Interim Pastor
church office: 410/467-8947 (Messages picked up on Mondays & Wednesdays)home phone: 610/967-3899
email: pastor@enbmc.org
We are delighted to announce that David Bartow, of Zionsville, PA, has accepted our invitation to serve as our Intentional Interim Pastor. Dave began on March 17th, serving part-time in Baltimore and part-time from his home in Zionsville. You can read more about him at the end of this page.
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May 4, 2008 ~ David Bartow, Interim Pastor
Title: The Mind of Christ
Philippians 2:1-11 is a powerful passage, but its true intent is often misunderstood. For that reason, I like to go through it somewhat backwards. I do this not because I have any argument with the way Paul wrote it; it is a beautiful passage leading to a stirring climax. The problem is that we get so caught up in the climax that we forget what came before. That is why I go through it backwards.
The passage ends with these words: 9 "Therefore God also highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."
This is the part that we remember and that stirs us. Many songs have been written extolling the name of Jesus. Some examples: “All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name,” “Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, There’s Just Something about That Name,” “Jesus, Name above All Names,” etc. I like singing those hymns. But the question that needs to be thought about is, “What did Jesus do to earn that exalted position?” Did he win an important war? Did he excel at athletics? Did he perform some great civic duty? Was he an important politician? This part of the passage begins with “therefore,” so we need to go back and see what it is there for. In doing so, we will find the answer to our questions.
The middle of the passage reads: 5 "Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, 7 but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness. And being found in human form, 8 he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death—even death on a cross."
This passage always amazes me. Jesus did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited. You’ve heard the phrase, “It’s not what you know; but who you know that counts.” We long to have contacts with people who are considered to be influential so that they can help us achieve our goals. Jesus did not. He was willing to leave behind his idealistic position with God and come to earth where there is crime, oppression, war, etc.
Not only that, instead of coming as a king, he came as a slave. He did it out of obedience and was obedient even when it led to death; even such a horrible death as death on a cross. Therefore God exalted him. Not because he was a mighty warrior or a great athlete or an influential politician, but because he was obedient to God’s way. Such radical obedience led to his death on the cross. The result was that God exalted him, he did not exalt himself. He came to serve and serve he did.
This leads to another question which to me is the real question. Why is Paul telling this to the church at Philippi at this particular time? For the answer to that question we go to the beginning of this passage which reads: 1 "If then there is any encouragement in Christ, any consolation from love, any sharing in the Spirit, any compassion and sympathy, 2 make my joy complete: be of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. 3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others. 5 Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus."
Paul’s main concern in this passage is for Christian unity. He is calling on them to be of the same mind, to have the same love, to be in full accord and of one mind. He gives some ways that this can be accomplished. He tells them to do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit. He tells them that in humility they should regard others as better than themselves. He says that each of them should not only look out for his or her own interests, but for the interests of others as well. Then he gives them a concrete example. He says, “Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus.”
The word translated as “mind” has to do more with our attitude toward God, life and others than it does with agreeing on absolutely everything. There is a difference between unity and unanimity. Just as a cast in a play, or a sports team, or a choir, etc., though made up of very different individuals, must learn to work together to produce the desired outcome, so Christians, though very different in experience and in their way of thinking, must learn to work together to be the church. While we often speak of stars in these areas, it is usually the group that works as a team that gets the best results. As someone has said, “There is no I in team.”
Jesus had an attitude of obedient servanthood, not an attitude of using his contacts or his power to rule it over others. That attitude is important in achieving Christian unity. I believe that many of you have this attitude and that is why North Baltimore Mennonite Church is able to hold together a very diverse people.
The question is: what else in this passage applies to us at North Baltimore in our day and age? One thing that sticks out for me is that Christ was obedient unto death, even death on the cross; a horrible, painful, humiliating death. What does it mean that Christ was obedient? To whom or what was he obedient: to God; to God’s way of living in the world; to both? What does this mean for us today as we seek to be obedient?
In the broader sense, it means that as a congregation, we work at discerning what God is calling us to be and do. Those are questions of identity and mission. In the Philippians passage, we don’t see Christ struggling with those questions. We are simply told that he emptied himself and took the form of a slave and that he was obedient unto death, even death on the cross. However in the gospel stories we are given a view of his struggle over these issues. At his baptism, a voice affirms his identity as the beloved son with whom God is well pleased. The question of identity is answered. In the temptation story, that identity is challenged by Satan and Christ is tempted to do things differently from the way God wants him to do them. Using miracles and power as the world sees it to establish God’s rule instead of using God’s way to establish it. We feel his struggle when Peter challenges his statement that he must suffer and die and be raised from the dead. Jesus says, “Get behind me Satan for you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things." We find it in his statement, “You faithless generation, how much longer must I be among you? How much longer must I put up with you?" We see it in his struggle in the garden of Gethsemane. Yet through it all he discerned God’s will and stuck to it. Part of our task in the interim is to work at discerning our identity as a congregation; what God wants us to be and to work and defining our mission, what God wants us to do.
With regard to the mission of the congregation, each one of us must discern how God is calling us to be involved in the mission of this congregation. That may take many forms. It may mean holding positions of responsibility in the congregation. It may mean simply being equipped by the congregation to carry out mission in the places where we live, work, go to school, play, etc. It may mean some kind of involvement in both for many of us.
I am going to get very specific for just a moment. It is the time of year when we work at gift discernment with the aim of finding people for the various offices in the congregation. A gift discernment form will be handed out soon. This usually causes anxiety both among those who need to make appointments and those being asked to consider taking certain positions. I would like to ask you to have the attitude of Christ as you get the forms and work at filling them out. Make this a time of discernment. Be in prayer about what it is that God is calling you to do. Don’t sign up because you feel you have to. Don’t ignore the forms because you fear you will get pulled into things you don’t really want to do. Rather, make it a time of prayer; a time of listening to what God may be calling you to do. Trust that what God calls you to do is not only for the good of the congregation, but is also the best way to use the gifts God has given you.
I call your attention to the fact that there will be two important temporary committees formed this year. These committees are crucial to the work we need to do in the interim. They are the Pastoral Search Committee and the Constitution Revision Committee. Do your best to discern whether or not God is calling you to serve on one or both of these committees.
Out of a desire for unity in the church at Philippi, Paul asked the Christians there to have the mind, the attitude of Christ. That attitude involved emptying himself and being obedient unto death, even death on the cross. Out of concern for the identity and mission of North Baltimore Mennonite, I am asking you to have the mind, the attitude of Christ, that attitude being the desire to discern and be obedient to God’s call as a congregation and as individuals in the congregation.
Hearing What’s Important
A Native American and his friend were in downtown New York City, walking near Times Square in Manhattan. It was during the noon lunch hour and the streets were filled with people. Cars were honking their horns, taxicabs were squealing around corners, sirens were wailing, and the sounds of the city were almost deafening. Suddenly, the Native American said, "I hear a cricket." His friend said, "What? You must be crazy. You couldn't possibly hear a cricket in all of this noise!" "No, I'm sure of it," the Native American said, "I heard a cricket."
"That's crazy," said the friend.
The Native American listened carefully for a moment, and then walked across the street to a big cement planter where some shrubs were growing. He looked into the bushes, beneath the branches, and sure enough, he located a small cricket. His friend was utterly amazed.
"That's incredible," said his friend. "You must have super-human ears!"
"No," said the Native American. "My ears are no different from yours. It all depends on what you're listening for."
"But that can't be!" said the friend. "I could never hear a cricket in this noise."
"Yes, it's true," came the reply. "It depends on what is really important to you. Here, let me show you."
He reached into his pocket, pulled out a few coins, and discreetly dropped them on the sidewalk. And then, with the noise of the crowded street still blaring in their ears, they noticed every head within twenty feet turn and look to see if the money that tinkled on the pavement was theirs.
"See what I mean?" asked the Native American. "It all depends on what's important to you."
What's important to you? What do you listen for? Are there times that you fail to listen to God or see what God is doing in your life because you are focused on other things that are more important to you?
Prayer
Father, amidst the distractions of the world all around us, may our ears always be open to your voice, and our eyes open to your glory. In Jesus' name, Amen.
Benediction
Christ is lifted up, above all other names; therefore go out into the world in peace, living with courage, not repaying wrong with wrong.
Christ is at God’s right hand, therefore support the weak and respect everyone, rejoicing as you serve the Lord Jesus.
May the blessing of the God of peace consecrate you, and keep you healthy in body, mind and soul and without shame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
The One who calls you is faithful, and will certainly do this!
Amen!
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April 27, 2008 ~ Becca Knight & Theo Sitther, Mennonite Central Committee Washington
Office: Days of Prayer and Action for Colombia
Title: The Calling and Our Return
Becca Knight and Theo Sitther, from the Mennonite Central Committee Washington Office, joined us today for the Days of Prayer and Action for Colombia. They shared during our Sunday School hour, as well as during our worship service. Their sermon notes are posted below, as well as the audio recording at the link above. To learn more about this important event, visit www.mcc.org/colombia.
Early Anabaptist story:
Ursula of Essen
In 1569 Anabaptists, Ursula
of Essen and her husband Arent, were arrested and tortured in Maastricht,
Netherlands. They were caught in a reign of terror conducted by the
Duke of Alva, Spanish vice-regent in charge of the occupation of the
Netherlands. Ursula, Arent and two women were imprisoned, subjected
to verbal threats and tortured in an effort to force them to reveal
names of fellow members of their growing Anabaptist congregation.
Ursula was stretched on the
rack twice and then suspended by her hands and whipped with a bundle
of switches. An older woman, one of the four, was not placed on the
rack because of her age. All four refused to implicate any fellow believers.
Each had their mouth tied shut by the executioner to prevent singing
and speaking to sympathetic spectators. Each was separately cast into
a hut of straw and burned to death.
Present-day Colombia: Germis
Paternina Fuentes
October 15, 2004. Germis Paternina
Fuentes, a 33-year-old man, is married and has three young sons and
one young daughter. He is a fisherman, a low-income artisan, and a leader
in the Word of Life Church, in the community of Rincón Del Mar. Armed
men, led by a paramilitary member known to the townspeople, took Germis
from his home, beat him, and threatened to kill him. He had to be treated
in the San Onofre hospital because of the beating. There he was once
again sought out by his attacker and threatened. Because of these threats,
his family was forced to flee. As the victim tells it:
“After stripping me
naked, they bound my hands and took me out into the street, insulting
me and hitting me with a cane rod. After fifteen minutes taking hits
with the cane, I ran out of strength, was nearly unconscious and bleeding
all over my body. … [They ordered] me to get out of town and not come
back. The people in town were so afraid of [the known paramilitary]
that no one did anything to save me
or to prevent them from mistreating me. So I took a donkey and hoisted
myself onto it as best I could …After going only a short ways, I lost
the strength to keep myself up on the animal, and fell to the ground.
When I was in the hospital my attacker ordered me to lie about what
had happened and to say that I had fallen from a horse–a story the
doctors treating me did not believe. When he learned what had happened,
the [alleged paramilitary] commander sent word telling me to return
to town. But out of fear I did not return.”
Early Anabaptist Story:
Dirk Willems
The year 1569. Dirk was caught,
tried and convicted as an Anabaptist in those later years of harsh Spanish
rule under the Duke of Alva in The Netherlands. He escaped from a residential
palace turned into a prison by letting himself out of a window with
a rope made of knotted rags, dropping onto the ice that covered the
castle moat.
Seeing him escape, a palace
guard pursued him as he fled. Dirk crossed the thin ice of a pond, the
"Hondegat," safely. His own weight had been reduced by short
prison rations, but the heavier pursuer broke through.
Hearing the guard's cries for
help, Dirk turned back and rescued him. The less-than-grateful guard
then seized Dirk and led him back to captivity. This time the authorities
threw him into a more secure prison, a small, heavily barred room at
the top of a very tall church tower, above the bell, where he was probably
locked into the wooden leg stocks that remain in place today. Soon he
was led out to be burned to death.
Present-day Colombia:
Baptist Pastor
Pastor Rosendo was threatened
by a well-known paramilitary commander called El Diabolo [the devil].
When police arrived to investigate several hours after his call for
help, El Diabolo was in the car with them – because he was in cahoots
with them, not because they had arrested him. Fortunately, church members
were able to help and they surrounding his home for a number of days
to ensure their physical safety. A year later, the paramilitary returned,
this time with a business man that they had kidnapped from another town.
For six months, they held this man captive in Rosendo’s home. The
paramilitary guard and the hostage lived with Rosendo’s wife and children.
They told Rosendo that they would kill him if he told anyone what was
happening. One day, the business man told Rosendo that he was going
home because his children had put up the amount that was requested for
ransom. However, his family wasn’t able to come through in the end.
The next day, paramilitary assassinated the business man.
Anabaptists come from a very
sacred tradition. We trace our faith roots back to the time of the reformation.
Only about eight years after Martin Luther wrote his ninety-five thesis,
groups of people, in their reading of scripture, started a reformation
of their own. One of adult baptism, of radical discipleship, community,
and non-violence. This identified these people, our forebearers of faith.
Out of this tradition were formed the present day Amish, Mennonites
and Brethren institutions; now known as the “historic peace churches.”
In the letter to the Corinthians,
Paul talks about the body of Christ. That there are many parts but we
are one body. A body that can only function if each part recognizes
that it is totally interdependent, one cannot say to the other, “I
don’t need you.” And from verse 25 on, it states, “that there may
be no dissension within the body, but the members may have the same
care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together with
it; if one member is honored, all rejoice together with it.”
In the accounts that we just
read, you heard stories of Christians in Colombia suffering, being persecuted
for living out the gospel, for being faithful. You heard of the pastor
and his community living in the midst of conflict and turmoil. You heard
about their continued faithfulness. The church in Colombia is suffering.
One part of the body of Christ is suffering. But are we in the United
States, the larger church in this country, are we suffering along with
the Colombians? How are we walking with them in their time of need?
Are we today a historic peace church, or are we a present day peace
church that is active and living out the radical gospel that our Anabaptist
forebearers lived out?
In Matthew 4, Jesus is tempted.
We are especially interested in looking at the scene where the devil
takes Jesus to a high mountain and shows him all the kingdoms of the
world. The kingdoms of the world. The devil tells Jesus,
“All these I will give you, if you fall down and worship me.” Luke’s
gospel tells the same story but in that, the devil says, “these kingdoms
have been given to me.” The kingdoms of the world, kingdoms of greed,
corruption, violence, war, militarism, and consumerism. Jesus rejected
all of this and he said, “Worship the Lord your God and serve only
him!”
What is our temptation today? How are the kingdoms of this world tempting us today? Is the church of North America caught in a cycle of earthly kingdoms? Are we truly worshiping and serving only God?
These are some of the questions that I think about. Why has the church
been ineffectual in stopping the war in Iraq or the genocide in Darfur
or Israeli occupation of Palestine or the decades long war in Colombia
supported by the U.S. government?
Our Colombian brothers and
sisters are calling us to return to our roots as Christians, as Anabaptists.
Ricardo Esquivia and Peter
Stuckey, leaders in the Colombian Mennonite church have said in a letter
to churches in North America,
“What the North is
sending is a message of death and destruction, amplified by the silence
of so many Christians. For this reason we are sending out this message
to the churches in the North that come from countries where their taxes
paid to their government are economically supporting, in their name,
the annihilation of the Colombian people…. We ask you for support
to transform this vicious cycle of death and destruction that military
aid produces, into a virtuous cycle of abundant life and peace.”
Colombians are today on the
cutting edge of Christian living and peacemaking and they are calling
us.
Becca traveled to Colombia
last year and she participated in a powerful event known as Pan y Paz
or Bread and Peace, which at its very core recognizes that you cannot
have peace without justice. The Colombian churches are very actively
working at peacemaking and reconciliation.
Becca tells the story of Pan y Paz…
One of the most powerful signs
of hope that I saw when I was in Colombia was Pan y Paz. As I told the
children earlier, this was a great celebration. We marched through the
streets of the small town with balloons and a marching band and posters
with messages of peace. At the end of the parade, community leaders
read poems about peace and musicians sang about their hopes for the
end of violence. Then the church pastor invited representatives of various
marginalized groups to come forward to receive bread and other material
aid. A little boy came forward from the special needs school and a couple
came forward to represent the elderly. Then the pastor issued an invitation
to the crowd for a demobilized paramilitary soldier to step up. No one
came. The pastor called again for someone to come forward. Still nobody
came up to the stage. Then the pastor began to speak, “We want to
welcome you back into our community and help you reintegrate into society.
We have food for your families and educational scholarships as well.”
Finally, a young gentleman with one leg came forward on crutches. It
was one of the most powerful scenes that I have ever witnessed. This
man may have threatened, tortured and even killed family members of
those who were present in the crowds. Although he had lain down his
weapons, who in this community would want to hire him or rent a house
to him? And yet, here was the church, reaching forward in reconciliation
to not only forgive the man, but also to provide for his needs. I visited
several churches in Colombia that are living out this radical message
of peace. They are ministering to the displaced people who come to their
towns at the same time that they are opening the doors of their church
to demobilized paramilitary members – former killers.
In this way Colombians are like the prophets of old, like Isaiah and Micah, who looked ahead
to a day when swords will be turned into plowshares, where tools of
death will be turned into tools of life. Like the prophet Amos who talked
about the never ending flow of justice that rolls on like a river.
This is our calling, will we
return to our true Christian faith?
Today is the Day of Prayer
for Colombia. I would like to thank North Baltimore Mennonite Church
for taking part in this important day. Ricardo Esquivia has said, “Prayer
is the strongest tool that Christians have, but prayer must by accompanied
by action, the people must lead their government to sow justice and
to harvest peace.”
We urge you to have a look at the information on the resource table and think, pray
and figure out your own way to live the radical gospel of Jesus in a
world that seems to be caught in a never ending cycle of death and
destruction. We, as the church, must figure out how we can be agents
of life.
Thank you.
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April 20, 2008 ~ David Bartow, Interim Pastor
Title: A Courageous Witness
The idea of witness is important in the writings of Luke—the Gospel of Luke and the book of Acts. Luke states Jesus commission to the disciples in these words, “Thus it is written, that the Messiah is to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things."
It is interesting and informative to study the sermons in Acts—Peter’s sermon at Pentecost (2:14-41), his address to Cornelius the centurion (10:34-43), Paul’s sermon at Antioch (13:17-41), his sermon at Iconium following the healing of a cripple (14:1518), his message in Athens to philosophers (17:22-31), etc.. While they vary in content, there are some important themes that stand out in all of them. All but one mention the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus. At Iconium, Paul makes an appeal based on creation. At Athens he refers to the unknown god and one of their philosophers. There is usually a mention of the fact that the apostles are witnesses to Jesus as well as his death and resurrection. These are the things they felt important to tell people who had never heard of Jesus. They are also probably the things that Stephen would mention in his arguments with certain Jews from synagogues in Jerusalem. They are some of the things that caused his arrest. In his speech before the Sanhedrin, he criticizes the Jewish leaders very harshly. It is the harsh criticism that caused them to “grind their teeth at him.” The text goes on to say, “But filled with the Holy Spirit, he gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. ‘Look,’ he said, ‘I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!’” An obvious reference to the resurrection of Jesus, but a statement that was blasphemous in the ears of the members of the Sanhedrin. It was the last straw and the statement that triggered their action of stoning him to death.
Stephen is one of my favorite Biblical characters. He was chosen for the task of deacon—seeing that the widows were treated fairly. In choosing deacons, the apostles said, “It is not right that we should neglect the word of God in order to wait on tables. 3 Therefore, friends, select from among yourselves seven men of good standing, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may appoint to this task, 4 while we, for our part, will devote ourselves to prayer and to serving the word.” In doing signs and wonders and disputing with members of various synagogues, Stephen was going beyond what he was asked to do. That was what got him in trouble. He could have been content to just help the widows and feel that he was doing what God had called him to do. But, the Holy Spirit led him into further ministry, and he responded and did it well. He went beyond the call of duty from a human standpoint. He not only did the task asked of him, he also did things that the Apostles felt called to devote themselves to doing.
Stephen’s speech before the Sanhedrin would not appear in a book titled, How to Make Friends and Influence People. He spoke the truth courageously. We would say he was a bit too harsh and perhaps he was. But, he did stick to the truth and tried to get the leaders to see how they in their so-called religious piety were actually going against God.
Those who stoned him were members of the Sanhedrin, the governing body of the Jews in the province of Judea. They wielded whatever power the Roman government allowed local bodies to have. It is important that we do not generalize and apply their response to all Jews. The Bible tends to use the term “Jews” to mean those who opposed Jesus and later the Christians. But, there was diversity among the Jews of the 1st century, just as there is diversity among Jews and Christians today. It is also wrong to generalize Jews as Christ killers. Some Jews were involved in the death of Jesus, but not all Jews and not for all time.
The passage mentions Saul—“the witnesses laid their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul…and Saul approved of their killing him.” Later in the story, Saul will become a Christian and his name will be changed to Paul. Most students of the Bible feel that his conversion began here when he saw how Stephen died. It is pretty certain that Stephen's death planted a seed in Saul’s heart that later bore fruit in the city of Damascus.
Stephen is called the first Christian martyr. The word martyr comes from a Greek word that means “witness." As people gave witness to their faith, even it if meant death, martyr took on the meaning of one who died for his or her faith. They often praised God even as they were led to their death. One church father said, “The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church.” Often during the early years of the church people were drawn to Christianity because Christians felt their faith was worth dying for. That spoke volumes to those outside the faith who tried to hold on to life no matter what and were reluctant to lay down their life for anything or anyone.
Stephen’s attitude toward those who stoned him is incredible. Instead of cursing them, he prays a prayer similar to one that Jesus prayed on the cross, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” In spite of his harsh criticism of them, he still prayed that they would not be held accountable for his death. He in effect forgave them.
What is the content of our witness in our day and age? It should at least be the message of the gospel: that the messiah suffered and rose from the dead on the third day, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations. However, just as the church added to the content of that basic message as time went on, so there might be much more that we can witness to today. Just as Stephen pointed out the error of the ways of the leaders on the Sanhedrin, shouldn’t a part of our witness be to call unjust systems and governments to task? In Matthew’s gospel, the commission is not just to save souls, but to teach them to observe all that Jesus has commanded. Certainly his anger against injustice and his compassion for the poor and oppressed should also be part of the content of our witness.
How boldly do we make our witness? Stephen pulled no punches. He spoke boldly even though it got him arrested and stoned to death. The message was so important that he was willing to lay down his life to communicate it. Are we willing to suffer, even make sacrifices in order to bear witness to Christ or to speak out against injustice or to show compassion to the poor and oppressed? Or is our own safety and comfort the most important thing to us?
Who are those who oppose us and how do they treat us? It was the Jewish leaders who opposed Stephen. They responded to his message with anger and persecution; they stoned him to death. Those who oppose us may be quite different. It may be those of another faith. It may be family members who feel we have lost it. It may be coworkers who feel we are foolish for trying to do the right thing instead of looking out for number one. It may even be other Christians who feel we are not as spiritual or theologically correct as they are. Their treatment of us may take many forms. It may be laughing at us. It may be doing things that get us into trouble with others; even with the law. It may mean they kick us out of a group that means a lot to us. They may get us fired from our jobs. Sometimes it might be a threat to our very lives. Can we be bold in the face of such treatment and stick to what we know to be the truth?
What is the outcome of our witness? On the surface, the outcome of Stephen’s witness may seem to have been of little use. Some may say he lost his life for nothing. Two things in the story seem to me to make it worthwhile. One is the effect it most likely had on Saul. I feel certain that the manner of his death spoke to the heart of Saul and planted a seed that grew to fruition on the road to Damascus followed by the visit of Ananias. The second thing is the fact that his story is included in scripture so that his witness continues to speak to people who read the Bible. He is still bearing witness over 2,000 years after the events of his story took place. We may think that our witness is not making any difference when we read our morning newspapers or watch the news on TV or just observe people in day to day living. But, you never know when a seed is planted that may later grow to fruition. You never know when you might be watering a seed someone else planted.
What is our attitude to those who oppose us? Whenever we face opposition the natural reaction is usually either fight or flight. We tend to either resist often vilifying the one who opposes us, or simply do our best to avoid them. Can we bring ourselves to the point where we can bless those who oppose us whether they are of another faith, are of no faith, or are Christians who differ from us theologically? Stephen prayed that the Lord would not hold this sin against them and left it in God’s hand. Can we simply make our witness and then leave things in God’s hands when there is no response or even opposition? In an interview on TV Billy Graham was pushed as to whether or not he believed that Jesus is the way, the truth and the life, and that no one comes to the Father but by him. He replied, “Yes!” Then he was asked if that meant Jews and Muslims were going to hell. He responded, “That’s God’s call, not mine!” We are called on to witness and leave the outcome in God’s hands. It is not our place to judge others. We are to love them and witness to them. God is the decider of their destiny.
How is God calling us at North Baltimore Mennonite Church to bear witness? What is the content of our witness? Are we ready to listen to God and bear witness through word and deed to God and what God is doing in the world? Are we ready to face opposition and stick to the truth no matter how risky it is without judging those who oppose us? Can we forgive those who harm us?
A key for Stephen was that instead of looking at the angry faces before him, he gazed into heaven and saw God. Are we able to focus on God instead of the evil around us? Are we able to leave the outcome in God’s hands? I close with a quote attributed to Mother Teresa.
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MEET OUR PASTOR
David Bartow began as our Intentional Interim Pastor on March 17, 2008, and will be serving at NBMC for one year. Dave was born and raised in Goshen, IN, where he attended Eighth Street Mennonite Church. In 1961, he graduated from Goshen College with a BA in Math and
Physics. From 1961 to 1964, he served in the MCC Pax program in
Hong Kong. From 1964 to 1967, he attended Mennonite Biblical Seminary
in Elkhart, Indiana. Dave graduated with a BD degree in 1967.
While at seminary, he met Rebecca Grossnickle who was a student at Goshen
College. Rebecca was born and raised in Myersville, MD, where she
was a member of the Grossnickle Church of the Brethren. Dave and Rebecca were
married on December 24, 1966.
In July of
1967, Dave and Rebecca moved to Philadelphia where he served as the administrator of
the Crossroads Community Center for 3 years. In August of 1970, they moved
to Zionsville, PA, where Dave began serving as pastor of Upper Milford Mennonite
Church, serving for a total of 30 years.
In 1993, Dave says he experienced a mid-life crisis. Spiritual Formation became his
path through that crisis. In August of 1999, Dave took a week of training
for intentional interim ministry that was sponsored by Eastern District
and Franconia Conference.
In October,
2000 he accepted a position as half-time chaplain at Frederick Mennonite
Community. Dave served in that position until his retirement on May
25, 2006. While serving half-time at Frederick, he also served
as interim pastor for two congregations: Oley Valley Mennonite
Church (Feb 1, 2001 - Dec 1, 2002) and First Mennonite
Church, Allentown (Oct 1, 2003 - Jan 31, 2005).
Since retiring
on May 25, 2006, Rebecca and Dave have been active at Upper Milford Mennonite
Church. Dave worked as a volunteer
at Frederick Mennonite Community, singing in their choir, teaching a
weekly Bible Study and preaching one Sunday a month. In February,
2008, he accepted our call to be the Intentional Interim Pastor at North
Baltimore Mennonite Church, beginning March 17.
During Dave's
years in Pennsylvania, he served on several Eastern District and General
Conference committees. Eastern District service has included: Peace
& Social Concerns Committee; Student and Young Adult Services Committee;
Crossroads Board of Directors; District Vice President and President;
Shalom Committee (Joint Mennonite & Presbyterian Committee on Peace
and Justice issues); and Ministerial Committee (on which he still serves).
General Conference service has included: Peace and Justice Reference
Committee; Call to Kingdom Commitments Committee; and Mennonite Biblical
Seminary Presidential Search Committee.
We are blessed and honored to have Dave and Rebecca joining the fellowship at North Baltimore Mennonite Church. We welcome you to join us, also, and see what God is doing in our midst!