I have been trying for a week to find a segue from today’s scripture about the temptation of Christ, and the words I really wanted to say to you today. My message today is actually something I wrote for the district Christmas Party. They wanted each of the churches in attendance to tell, in a few words, why they had HOPE in their congregations. Well, being me, I could not keep it to a few words. I ended up writing 3 pages about why we have hope at Moreno Valley United Methodist Church. It was a message I never got to deliver. At the Christmas party we were only given a few seconds to tell about our hope…..It simply was not enough time to tell all the reasons we have hope here at MVUMC. But maybe that was God’s will because after our Ad Council meeting this week and the bleak financial news we were given, I think we need to hear that message of hope here in our own congregation.

So now here is the segue from the temptation of Christ…(it is probably not a good segue if I have to identify it as such)…but bear with me.

Our little Church faces some tough times right now. It actually has been a very dark and desert time, and we have been wandering for quite a bit longer than 40 days. We as a congregation have sacrificed for years to keep going even though we are drowning in debt. The congregational loan committee wants to know WHY we can’t keep up payments of nearly $10,000.00 per month on our various mortgages. Certainly, we need money to pay that debt…we are starving our spiritual health and integrity to pay that debt. This happens at the expense of all the plans and ministries we all would like to see in place to serve the people of Moreno Valley. So when we are tempted to do ridiculous things to raise more money just to pay off debt, we need to remember that we are not here just to accumulate “Bread” to pay our debt, we are here to live for the “words from the mouth of God.” And God tells us to serve HIM first and to care for our neighbors as ourselves.

Are we being put to the test here? Absolutely!! Are we tempted to just give up? Certainly….we are tempted! But we don’t give up because we have God’s greatest gift to us….HOPE.

AND WHY DO WE HAVE HOPE??

That should be the most ridiculous question to ask a Christian. Isn’t HOPE the basis of everything we do in our Christian walk? The hope of our salvation, our faith in Jesus Christ, the HOPE of an eternity in heaven….

But, maybe we should be more specific. You’re wondering why we have hope in our particular congregation at Moreno Valley United Methodist Church. The answer is simple…..people, and as complex as people can be:

Here at MVUMC, we are composed of just the right people God has chosen to grow his kingdom in Moreno Valley. He cleverly supplies the folks we need at every turn. Need a set built for your Christmas play? Tim and Lenny are there with great ideas and manpower! Need a slide show and sound for your Alpha outreach program? See Dick! Need a gifted unpaid Choir Director? Sissy is your go-to girl. Need talented Musicians to punch up your contemporary worship service? Call on Johnny, Al, and Alex. Do you really want an enthusiastic worship leader? Liz is just the fireball we needed! How about a great pianist for both groups??? Sio is your Man. Need creative ideas to add visual interest to an admittedly sterile looking sanctuary? See Ruth (Did I mention she also sings like an Angel?)

Did we pray for someone to teach our children about Jesus and what it means to be valued and loved by HIM? Michele and Martha do it with patience and love every Sunday in our Children’s Church. Oh, by the way, did I mention our dynamic Children’s sermons delivered with real love & laughter by Milika? What about delicious baked goods to make you feel like hanging around after service to fellowship? Linda keeps us fat and makes newcomers feel welcome. Gifted and patient teaching is provided by Jackie, Pat, and Ralph. Outreach by Miki and Ken , and music & organization by Susie. Need to unravel the most complex church finances? Chuck and Georgia work tirelessly and without recognition, to bring us clarity in our finances each month. Is someone lonely or in need? Just tell Vera and they are taken care of with love.

I could go on forever! I have only left out about 100 other people that spell hope, in capital letters, in our Congregation! The reality is that each person has a vision and is helping to build a new safe haven, a home for people in Moreno Valley and beyond.

And we are growing!! When I came here in late 2003 we had 4 kids in nursery care and NO children’s church. Our youth program was pretty small too. We now have over 25 children in Children’s church each Sunday. Our youth group is growing by leaps and bounds and fellowshipping with 3 or 4 other area Methodist churches. They are going to camp and Youth events all over the country. (Thanks, Diana!!) Our youth are becoming leaders in church and in the community.

We have small group studies. Large group worship and a Pastor who was supposed to be part time….and somehow manages to get more done in a day than any 10 people I have ever seen! We have more than 8 lay speakers who are faithful and busy learning new ways to bring people to Christ. We have a dynamic Choir that grows each season and is a welcoming place for any newcomer to our church. Our Praise leadership is exciting and provides a new avenue to reaching people wherever their walk is taking them. (BTW—-stealing this from my musician husband but..…did you know the Rock & Roll generation is now retirement age??) Contemporary Music is our music!

Our Vacation Bible School had the best attendance ever this year and those children actually brought families to our worship service! In addition, we are sharing our pastor and sometimes our choir with Grace UMC and learning from each other.

Of course, we have a giant Mortgage Debt, broken air conditioning units and massive unemployment in our Church. We are a microcosm of the world we live in today. We are a reflection of our community in Moreno Valley. We have a Mission Field filled with worried Mom and Dads, broken finances, divorce, drug and alcohol abuse. And here is the shocker…..THAT IS OUR BIGGEST SOURCE OF HOPE! Now people are seeking God! They are beginning to see the materialism and bigger house and more stuff they chased after was an empty promise. People are looking for something more to fill the emptiness left by the failing economy; they need the hope we have in abundance through Christ! Our hope lies in reaching out to hurting people in their times of real need. It is hard to look for Christ when your vision is blocked by all your wants, all your stuff!! It is much easier to find Him when you get down to what you NEED. He promises to fulfill our needs. And we promise, as disciples of Jesus, to bring that hope to a hurting world. That is what all those people I mentioned earlier promised to do for Christ, and that is our hope for the future of Moreno Valley United Methodist Church.

You cannot foreclose on God. You cannot stop His work. We will worship the Lord only. So….Get away from us Satan! We have the hope that comes from Christ Jesus, and we WILL continue his work in Moreno Valley and beyond. AMEN

Thank you!!
Denise

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What Easter means to me?

When I was growing up in Tonga, Easter meant, joining our Church Easter camp which begins on the evening of Good Friday until the following Monday evening, wearing your best clothes on Easter Sunday, enjoying delicious meals during Easter camp and sharing with others about the love of Christ. Not only that but I vividly remember that we were reminded constantly at the camp that Christ died and rose again and I enjoyed singing “Up from the grave he arose” and all of the hymns only sung on Easter. It was about the hope of things to come.

Now it is still about many of those things for me. Only now I am a father and a pastor and I don’t live so close to home, but Easter still means “hope” to me. Easter is the time we reflect on the Hope of things to come and rejoice. It’s not about being religious for me, but about the glory of a risen Savior and the hope that this brings to me in a personal way! Not hope like “Gee I hope it doesn’t rain today” but the hope that drives each person every day. The hope of something promised to me. Like the hope that my children has each year on their birthday, knowing that their mother and I will give them something special for their birthday. I have the hope of the promise of Easter. Easter means new life! I have the hope that no matter what happened yesterday, will happen today, or might happen tomorrow, it’s only a moment in what will be a glorious eternity with a real and personal God who loves me beyond all measure.

With hope come new beginnings. Easter is a great time to start new things. Nature is starting fresh so why not follow along? When everything around me is full of life, it makes it a lot easier to try something different. Is there something you’ve been wishing to do? A friend you haven’t spoken to? Sending a card to a sick friend or relative? How about a habit you want to get into, like exercising? Or maybe you want to do something for the community?

Easter is the perfect reason for tackling those things you’ve set aside. Jesus suffered, died, and was resurrected. Amen. Why not use that example and resurrect some of the things you’ve let fall by the wayside? Easter is an excellent opportunity to connect with old friends. Why not breathe new life into some old or broken relationships? Have you lost touch with people? Or have you been descended with your daily meditation? Take a walk down memory lane and see whom you’ve left behind. Then reach out during this time of new life, and resurrect some old friendships. It’s a great way to honor Jesus, and thank him for the precious gift he has given us.
Joanna Fuchs in her poem “Without Easter” sum up the true spirit of Easter

Without Easter

Without Easter,
there would be no hope of heaven.
Without the hope of heaven,
there would be no repentance,
no personal transformation,
no attempt to follow biblical principles.
Without Easter,
the world would be in chaos
and darkness.
Jesus’ death and resurrection
means we can be reborn,
to live better, to do better,
to shine light into the shadows.
Hallelujah!
Happy, Happy Easter.

By Joanna Fuchs

I sincerely wish you all a very blessed Easter.

Pastor Finau

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As we have crossed the threshold into a brand new year; the prospects of 2011 have all of us brimming with optimism! Happy New Year!! As we all share similar greetings of “Happy New Year,” one may ponder and think what necessarily does this gesture mean? Many may agree that it is a simple act of means wishing another person a happy and joyful year, but more importantly I believe that there is a revelation, a mindset, a philosophy that will govern and rule the New Year.

The New Year does promise both ups and downs, neither opposition nor conflict; however it does offer us the affirmation that through the power of the resurrected Christ, we can face EVERY opposing force or conflict with confidence that the Lord will always be with us. I pray that we may stay focus on positive aspects of our ministry and put our energy and focus on those things that are good, lovely and value. The Bible says, “whatever things are true, honest, just, pure, lovely, and good report; if there is any virtue, and if there is any praise, think on these things (Philippians 4:8).

On a joyful note, our church grew in size in 2010 and for that we are glad and grateful. And as we enter a new year I’m looking for the mighty hand of our Lord to be very mighty upon us in 2011.

In the book of Genesis, we remember that the seventh day was one of rest and completion and the eight day (with all of the drama that happened prior) represented a “new day” in a sense; a new beginning. So, let’s get ready to make this our best year yet. Let’s dream, let’s occupy; let’s expand, let’s take over (for our Lord), let’s believe, let’s pray, let’s fight the good fight of faith and let’s see the salvation of our God!

Blessings
Pastor Finau

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