Jon Stolpe
Jon Stolpe
Psalm 57
This hasn’t been the easiest week for me. Without going into any major detail, I’ve kind of experienced the end of a long time area of involvement in my life this week. It’s been tough. I’ve been left with a lot to process.
Despite many of my feelings, emotions, and thoughts, I have truly been praying for God to be glorified and exalted. Interesting for me this morning, I read Psalm 57. In this Psalm, David acknowledges God and His purpose for himself despite the challenges that he is facing at the time. I want to have this kind of heart.
1 Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me, for in you my soul takes refuge. I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings until the disaster has passed. 2 I cry out to God Most High, to God, who fulfills {his purpose} for me. 3 He sends from heaven and saves me, rebuking those who hotly pursue me; God sends his love and his faithfulness. 4 I am in the midst of lions; I lie among ravenous beasts—men whose teeth are spears and arrows, whose tongues are sharp swords. 5 Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; let your glory be over all the earth. 6 They spread a net for my feet—I was bowed down in distress. They dug a pit in my path—but they have fallen into it themselves. 7 My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast; I will sing and make music. 8 Awake, my soul! Awake, harp and lyre! I will awaken the dawn. 9 I will praise you, O Lord, among the nations; I will sing of you among the peoples. 10 For great is your love, reaching to the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the skies. 11 Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; let your glory be over all the earth.
I Have A Dream
Seems appropriate today to be reminded of the words of Martin Luther King Jr.:
I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation.
Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of their captivity.
But one hundred years later, the Negro still is not free. One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination. One hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity. One hundred years later, the Negro is still languishing in the corners of American society and finds himself an exile in his own land. So we have come here today to dramatize a shameful condition.
In a sense we have come to our nation’s capital to cash a check. When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men, yes, black men as well as white men, would be guaranteed the unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check, a check which has come back marked “insufficient funds.” But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation. So we have come to cash this check — a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice. We have also come to this hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of now. This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism. Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy. Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quick sands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood. Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God’s children.
It would be fatal for the nation to overlook the urgency of the moment. This sweltering summer of the Negro’s legitimate discontent will not pass until there is an invigorating autumn of freedom and equality. Nineteen sixty-three is not an end, but a beginning. Those who hope that the Negro needed to blow off steam and will now be content will have a rude awakening if the nation returns to business as usual. There will be neither rest nor tranquility in America until the Negro is granted his citizenship rights. The whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the foundations of our nation until the bright day of justice emerges.
But there is something that I must say to my people who stand on the warm threshold which leads into the palace of justice. In the process of gaining our rightful place we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred.
We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence. Again and again we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force. The marvelous new militancy which has engulfed the Negro community must not lead us to a distrust of all white people, for many of our white brothers, as evidenced by their presence here today, have come to realize that their destiny is tied up with our destiny. They have come to realize that their freedom is inextricably bound to our freedom. We cannot walk alone.
As we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall always march ahead. We cannot turn back. There are those who are asking the devotees of civil rights, “When will you be satisfied?” We can never be satisfied as long as the Negro is the victim of the unspeakable horrors of police brutality. We can never be satisfied, as long as our bodies, heavy with the fatigue of travel, cannot gain lodging in the motels of the highways and the hotels of the cities. We cannot be satisfied as long as the Negro’s basic mobility is from a smaller ghetto to a larger one. We can never be satisfied as long as our children are stripped of their selfhood and robbed of their dignity by signs stating “For Whites Only”. We cannot be satisfied as long as a Negro in Mississippi cannot vote and a Negro in New York believes he has nothing for which to vote. No, no, we are not satisfied, and we will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream.
I am not unmindful that some of you have come here out of great trials and tribulations. Some of you have come fresh from narrow jail cells. Some of you have come from areas where your quest for freedom left you battered by the storms of persecution and staggered by the winds of police brutality. You have been the veterans of creative suffering. Continue to work with the faith that unearned suffering is redemptive.
Go back to Mississippi, go back to Alabama, go back to South Carolina, go back to Georgia, go back to Louisiana, go back to the slums and ghettos of our northern cities, knowing that somehow this situation can and will be changed. Let us not wallow in the valley of despair.
I say to you today, my friends, so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.
I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: “We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal.”
I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.
I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.
I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.
I have a dream today.
I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of interposition and nullification; one day right there in Alabama, little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.
I have a dream today.
I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together.
This is our hope. This is the faith that I go back to the South with. With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.
This will be the day when all of God’s children will be able to sing with a new meaning, “My country, ’tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing. Land where my fathers died, land of the pilgrim’s pride, from every mountainside, let freedom ring.”
And if America is to be a great nation this must become true. So let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire. Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York. Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania!
Let freedom ring from the snowcapped Rockies of Colorado!
Let freedom ring from the curvaceous slopes of California!
But not only that; let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia!
Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee!
Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi. From every mountainside, let freedom ring.
And when this happens, when we allow freedom to ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God’s children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, “Free at last! free at last! thank God Almighty, we are free at last!”
What’s your dream?
What’s The Point?
I read a lot of blogs related to small group ministry. Some of it's really good stuff. One of the blogs I read is called Because Relationships Matter authored by Kathy Guy who is Director of Community at Granger Community Church in Granger, Indiana. I really resonated with a comment made in her post from yesterday:
"Doing more has come slowly and strategically in GCC Groups. We have more choices. People are really happy when they can find what they're looking for.
However, making people happy isn't the goal – it's about helping them connect to the church so they can find their way to Jesus."
In my opinion, this is the point of doing small groups. As I've wrestled through the mission and strategy of the small groups ministry at my own church, my passion is towards seeing people connected to others and to God. If our group ministry doesn't achieve this objective, is it really worth it?
I'd love to hear what you think.
Financial Battle Plan Promotional Video
In my previous post, I shared my notes from today’s message. Here’s a video that promotes this months series:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YX6EPdvI5L4&hl=en&fs=1]
This week our church started a series entitled, The Financial Battle Plan. Today’s topic was Preparing for the Fight. Here are my notes from Brian‘s sermon:
On October 27, 1929, the stock market plunged into a depression that lasted for four solid years.
Proverbs 6:1-11
1 My son, if you have put up security for your neighbor, if you have shaken hands in pledge for a stranger, 2 you have been trapped by what you said, ensnared by the words of your mouth. 3 So do this, my son, to free yourself, since you have fallen into your neighbor’s hands: Go—to the point of exhaustion— and give your neighbor no rest! 4 Allow no sleep to your eyes, no slumber to your eyelids. 5 Free yourself, like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter, like a bird from the snare of the fowler. 6 Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! 7 It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, 8 yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest. 9 How long will you lie there, you sluggard? When will you get up from your sleep? 10 A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest— 11 and poverty will come on you like a thief and scarcity like an armed man.
Week One Commitment:
I commit to attack and pay off all my consumer debt.
According to J.C. Penney, “Buying on credit is folly.”
Henry Ford defined debt as a lazy man’s way to financing.
In 1951, Franklin National Bank of New York came out with the first “credit card.”
In 1970, only 15% of Americans carried credit cards.
In order to Get out of Debt we must:
1. Humble Yourself!
2. Develop a frugal lifestyle!
3. Get off your buttocks (and work)!
As a church, we’ll be spending three more weeks talking about our financial battle plan. I plan on being there each week to participate in this planning process. On 1/25/2009 (which happens to be my parents 40th anniversary), Joe Sangl, author of I Was Broke. Now I’m Not., will be at our church and he’ll be leading a financial seminar from 1:30pm-3:30pm.
Check it out…
2009 Goals
As I stated in my previous post, I’m a very goal oriented person. So as I look to a new year, I naturally am all about setting goals. Why do I do this? Good question. For one, having goals helps push me towards progress.
As I’ve thought about my goal setting for 2009, I am challenged to identify personal goals that will help me grow – first and foremost in my path towards becoming a fully devoted follower of Christ.
I think one of the ways to help this progress is to be consistent in God’s Word. There are several great tools for helping in this. First, obviously is to get a Bible. Duh! I recommend a readable version especially if you’re new to reading the Bible – perhaps Today’s New International Version. A couple of year’s ago, I used The Message, a version by Eugene Peterson. This past year, I used the Revised Standard Version (using the studylight website). My plan this year is to use the bible reader program that is part of YouVersion.com. Along with the reading plan that is offered as part of this website, there is a place where you can journal about your thoughts and points of learning related to the passage. I have recently found this very useful as I have been reading through the book of I Timothy.
Another way of pursing this growth is to hang out with others who are serious about making strides in their own paths towards Christ. I’m looking forward to starting a new group next Sunday with a group of guys who share this desire. We will be using Discipleship Essentials by Greg Ogden as a starting point for our discussion. I’m looking forward to the accountability, fellowship, and growth that will result as this group develops.
One area where I’d really like to see some growth from a spiritual aspect is in my prayer life. I’m still figuring this out. More thoughts on this to follow.
Obviously, I have other goals related to physical, parenting, marital, financial, and miscellaneous growth, and I hope to share more of those things in a future post. But I thought it was important to lay out some of the details related to spiritual growth first.
What are your goals for 2009?
2008 Highlights
I am a goal oriented person. I set goals. I strive after them. I achieve as many as possible. This has been a busy year for me personally. Before I look at my goals for next year, I want to capture some of the highlights from a year that has been marked by transitions, new challenges, and growth. So here goes:
January –
started a marriage focused small group
took a family field trip to the Philadelphia Museum of Art
started playing the saxophone again with lessons at Providence School of Music
February –
enjoyed Isaac’s basketball season at the YMCA
saw The Bucket List – a new top ten movie for me
read Execution
March –
started in a new management position at Siemens
April –
became an uncle for the third time with the arrival of Elizabeth Rose Stolpe
read Getting Rid of the Gorilla by Brian Jones
May –
became an uncle for the fourth time with the arrival of Ashlyn Grace Anderson
went camping with my Mt. Holly, NJ buddies
June –
Leanne started a new job as director of the Providence Christian Preschool
hosted a spring recital at our house
vacationed (Ala motorhome) in Wisconsin with the Stolpe clan
July –
volunteered at our church‘s Stretch camp for middle schoolers
saw Les Miserbles at the Walnut Street Theater with my lovely wife
August –
went the whole month without watching any TV (did I mention that I missed the Olympics)
visited the Reading Terminal Market
went to the Pheasant Field Bed and Breakfast with Leanne
went to a Phillies game with some Mt. Holly, NJ friends
went family camping with the Willem, Travis, and Grover families
ran the Legs for Lindsey 5K with Hannah
September –
apparently not much happened this month – although I’m sure that’s not true
October –
vacationed in Hilton Head, SC with the Lomicka side of the family
went to Willow Creek for the Group Life Conference with my buddy Frank
enjoyed State Fair at the WST
celebrated the Phillies world championship!!!
November –
read I Became a Christian and All I Got Was This Lousy T-Shirt by Vince Antonucci
voted in historic presidential election
ran the Latrobe Turkey Trot 5K with the kids
enjoyed Hairspray at the WST
December –
wrestled through the joys and pains of launching a new small groups approach at CCV
celebrated Christmas
No wonder I feel exhausted!
Looking forward to next year…
Misty
I’m trying something new… Honestly, I’m not sure I like watching myself on video, but I had to try this at least once. Here’s a rough recording of a song I like to play called Misty by Erroll Garner originally written in 1954. I remember my dad whistling this song when I was a kid, and it has always been one of my favorite. This isn’t my best take on it, but it will do for now. Let me know what you think. Maybe I’ll post more sometime, once I get this thing figured out.
Get Connected in a Group
So much of my heart and soul over the past nine months has gone into planning for the launch of a new approach to small group ministry at our church. Here's a letter below that describes what we're doing. If you live in the CCV area, check it out and consider signing up for a group to start the New Year!
Dear CCV Family,
What better way to start off your New Year than to join a group at CCV?
Joining a small group is a great way to meet people, engage in spiritual discussions and have fun! In 2009, we’re taking a new approach to Small Group ministry by moving to a semester based format. In this new format, there will be a defined beginning and end during which people can easily join or leave a group.
There are a lot of benefits to the semester format. Listed below are just a few:
- There are more opportunities during the year to join a group.
- New groups are added each semester which means more choices.
- There’s no long term commitment, if you don’t want one.
- If a group doesn’t work for you, try another.
Our goal is to help you connect with other people here at CCV and learn more about God. One size doesn’t fit all; that’s why we think it’s important to offer a wide variety of groups. Whether you’re interested in studying the Bible, learning how to study the Bible or you simply want to meet people who are experiencing the same things in life as you are, there’s a place for you.
During Sunday services the last few weeks, there’s been a sign up table in the lobby. For those who haven’t had the opportunity to stop by the table, we thought it would be helpful to send the Group Catalog to you! As you look through the Catalog (attached), you’ll notice there are different types of groups that meet every day of the week around the area. Our “Winter Semester” starts the first week of January and finishes the last week in March. Each group plans to meet 10 – 12 weeks during that time.
There’s still plenty of time to sign up, so click here to go to the CCV website to find a group. Why not sign up? It’s easy, it’s fun and it’s one of the best ways to get connected!
If you have additional questions, please contact me at 610.792.0777 ext. 207 or terri@moviechurch.com.
Happy Holidays!
Terri Stone
Director of Involvement
Top 10 List of Stolpe Christmas Traditions
From the home office in Schwenksville, PA:
Top 10 List of Stolpe Christmas Traditions
10. Putting up lights outside. This is a new tradition for me as of last year. This year I decided that it was much easier and safer to put lights on the shed instead of the house.
9. Swedish food. Korv. Swedish Meatballs. Pickled Herring. Candied Apples. Cheese. Crackers. Rice Pudding. Raspberry Creme. Spritz Cookies.
8. Christmas services. Growing up as a PK, I was always at church for multiple Christmas Eve services. This will continue to be one of our traditions. If you're looking for a service in our area – come to our church for one of the five services being offered.
7. Christmas movies. My all time favorite is – It's a Wonderful Life, but I enjoy many other ones as well.
6. Christmas caroling. This year we'll be caroling at the Colonnade in Schwenksville. It should be a great time. I'm thinking of busting out the saxophone as part of this adventure.
5. Christmas books. This has been a harder tradition to keep this year – with our busy schedules and the kids changing interests.
4. Hanging up Christmas ornaments on December 8th – my birthday. Every year the kids look forward to hearing me explain all the stories about each of the ornaments that I have received since my very first Christmas…1971 – an angel (my only year as an angel), 1972 – a horse (apparently, my first word was "orse"), 1973 – a little boy (looks just like I did), 1974 – a train (living in Illinois – we saw all kinds of trains all the time), … Now, the kids have gotten into this tradition with their own ornaments. This year Isaac is getting a Snoopy Scouts ornament to remind us that this year he started Cub Scouts. Hannah is getting a High School Musical ornament – we decorated Hannah's room somewhat based on this theme this year.
3. Driving around and looking at Christmas decorations. While it sometimes seems over the top. It's always amazing to see how people spend their electricity.
2. Family time. I am looking forward to relaxing and hanging out together as a family. This year we'll be home with just the four of us. It should be a quiet time to celebrate.
1. Celebrating our Savior's birth. Every year since our kids hit the scene, we have read the birth account as told in the gospel of Luke. When it comes down to it, this is what Christmas is all about.
So what are some of your favorite Christmas traditions?