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HaveAn
Old
Fashioned
HewYear
ByBobArthurCollectiveWriter
Wehaveallbeenwishingeachotherthefamiliar"HappyNewYear."Someofushavegrownupwiththetraditionofheartycelebrationandnewyearresolutions.ButisthereanyScripturalguidanceforourNewYear'sDaycelebrationsandactivities?WefindsevenspecifichappeningsinScripturethattookplaceonthe"firstdayofthefirstmonth."AllseveneventsarerecordedintheOldTestament.Isthereanythingwecanlearnfromthem?MostoftenwethinkofNewYear'sasapersonalcelebration;andsoitwasinseveralOldTestamentreferences.Wethinkofanewyearasanewbeginning.Partandparcelofanewbeginningshouldbethecleansingprocesstoallowforacleanstart.
In
Ezra10:I7wefindmentionofthepeopleofJerusalemcleansingthemselvesbythefirstoftheyear.Theirparticularpollutionwastheirattachmenttoforeignspouses,andtheygotridofthem.Whatforeignspousesdowehaveinourlives?Couldweperhapsbefindingourselvesespousedtomoney,ajob,familymembers,causes,ormethodsthatareleadingusawayfromourtruedevotiontoGod?NewYear'sDayisagoodtimetoridourselvesofthose"foreignspouses,"andbeopentoGod'sleadinginourlives.Wealsofindthatthetabernaclewassetuponthefirstdayofthefirstmonth(Exodus40:2,17).Whatwasthetabernacle?Itwasaportablesanctuaryabletobewhereverthepeoplewere.Dowehaveourownpersonalsanctuarythatwecarrywithuswhereverwego?Whatbettertimetoestablishinourlivesadeterminationtoworshipeverydayinourliveswhereverwego?Weneednotgotoanestablishedtempleorchurchtowor-shipGod.WeeachhaveourletterfromGodweshouldbereadingeachday,andwehaveourownbuilt-intelephonesystemtotalkwith(notjustto)God.Letusdeterminetosetupthattabernacleinourlivesanduseiteachdaywhereverwemaybe.TheNewYearisatimefornewventures.Wesometimesgetcaughtupinourroutine,andfeelquitesecureclosedinawayfromthedisturbingtempestsaboutus.NoahchoseNewYear'sDaytoremovethecoveringoftheark(Genesis8:13),andtobeginhisnewventureintothenewworld.IsitnottimeforeachofustoremoveourcloaksofsecurityandventureforthintothenewrealmsGodhaspreparedforus?EzraleftBabylonforJerusalemonNewYear'sDay(Ezra7:9)tobeginhisnewproject:therebuildingofthetemplein
continuedonpage15
2JOURNEY,JANUARY1983
JeanGralley
 
COLLECTIVEEDITOR:
PaulaJ.Schoenwether
COLLECTIVEMEMBERS:
LoniAllen,TeriAnglin,LuciaChappelle,PhilGallnitz,HasaniGough,KurtKreisler,RickO'Dell,EmestoBorgesTorres,FrankZerilli
COLLECTIVELIAISON:
TroyPerry
COLLECTIVEARTIST:
JeanGralley
COLLECTIVEWRITERS:
R.AdamDelsaugh,BobArthur,LarryUhrig,Nancy Wilson
COLLECTIVECONTRIBUTORS:
BruceHill,RichardJ.Massman,CandaceNaisbitt, JackieWalker,SteveWarren
JOURNEYisamonthlymagazineofUFMCC.ThefocusofJOURNEYistoprovidenewsandreportissuesofconcernwithinUFMCCandtheLesbianandGaycommunity.Contentsarecopyrightedandmaynotbereproducedorextenslvelyquotedwithoutpermission.EditorialOffice:5300SantaMonicaBlvd.,Suite304,LosAngeles,CA90029.Phone:(213)464-5100.Subscriptionrate$9.00peryearinU.S.,Canada,Mexico.$13.00otherareas.PublishedbyUniversalFellowshipPress.PrintedinU.S.A.AllmaterialssubmittedtoJOURNEYmustbeinclusiveofgender,ageandrace.TheEditorwillmodifyanylanguagenotmeetingthesecriteria.
inside
2
OldFashionedChristmas Lifelines3IwasHungry,YouFedMe 4WesternClergyConference ClergypersonDies
5
CommissiononLaity
6
Profile8BookReview
9
OurJourneyCCCC10M
CC
SanDiego11CalvaryM
CC
12
NCC13GeneralConference EasternClergyConferenceFFO
COVER:RickO'Dell
I
was
hungryandyou
fedme
byJoeMillerandJoanWakeford
GiveawayanentireSundayoffering?!?Thepreacherhadgonenuts!Whatchurch initsrightmindwouldconsidersuchathing?Andyet,thatisexactlywhatMCCAustin,TXdecidedtodooneeveninginan openboardmeetingattendedbyarecord numberofcongregationalmembers.Itwas alreadyJuly.Augustwouldhavefive Sundays,solet'sgiveourentirefifth Sundayofferingtosomeoneorsomething thatneededit.Why?Well,theBiblesays overandoverthatifwe"planttheseed" thatGodwillrichlyblessus"100fold." Here'showithappened!ForLiverpool,England,itwasan answertoaprayer,aresponsetoaheart'scry,"Giveusasmallsignthatwearepart ofaFellowshipthatisunitedinYour love."Thisprayertravelledtwoseasand droppeddowninAustin,ontheheartof Rev.JoanWakeford,PastorofMCC Austin.WakefordfeltGodwasputtinga burdenonherhearttotellhercongregationthatitneededtogivetoothersinorderto receivetheblessingsthatGodhadpromised. Wakeford,amissionaryherselfforthepast25years,feltGodwassaying,"Reachout tomissions,toareasknownasWorld ChurchExtension."Themailbroughtevenanothersignthatthisideatrulywas ofGodintheformofthepublication,
ReachOut,
publishedbyUFMCCPressas theresultofMCCPomonawhonamedthepublicationandthoughtoftheidea.MCCAustinbecameexcitedaboutthe upcoming"5thSunday"butwhoorwhat wouldwedowiththe$200-300wewould receive?Afterall,itwouldsurelybethe smallestofferingoftheyearconsideringit wouldnotbeusedforthechurch.Prayer meetingsandphonecallsbegan,service planningwasinprogress,andtheanswer came--againintheformof
ReachOut--
Liverpool,England.Liverpool,withits unemploymentratesohigh,onlyasmall group,andnobodyinAustinknewanybody inLiverpool;whywouldGodchoose Liverpool?AtelevisionprogramforUFMCCwouldmakemuchmoresense.Whetheritmadesenseornot,Godhadtoldthechurchthatwhatevermoneycameinwouldbesplit-halfgiventoLiverpoolandhalftothetelevisionprogrambeingplannedforUFMCC.WefeltLiverpoolstoodoutin
ReachOut
justasthoughithadbeenprintedforustoread.BygivingtotheT.V.program, MCCAcouldhaveasmallpartinthecallofJesusto"GoyeintoalltheworldandpreachtheGospel."So,thestagewasset!
August29th:
Thecongregationmetforbreakfastpriortoservicestoprayfor thefirst"MissionService."Therewasexcitementintheair,yet,wewerenervous -whatifnobodycomes?Whatifnobodygives?Ohwell,Godknowsbestandwefeelgood!Theservicewasbeautiful, theGospelwasreadinSpanish,Japanese,EnglishandFinnishandover90peopleshowedup.Itwasexciting.Thencametimefortheoffering.Theoffertorywas"TheBloodWillNeverLoseItsPower."Theoffering-$968!!Thejubilationalmostruinedthealreadyfrailstainedglass windowsinourlittle,veryoldCongregation-alChurchwhereweworship.Then,a membercameforthandsaid,"here's enoughtomakeitanevenonethousanddollars!"PraisetheLord!!!The"uniting"hadbeguninAustin,butwhatofLiverpool?Thepeoplein Liverpoolhadnoideaofwhatwastakingplaceseveralthousandmilesaway.MostofthemprobablyhadnoideathatAustinevenexistedunlesstheyhappenedtocatchanepisodeof"Dallas"whenJ.R.happened tovisitthestatecapitol.WhatwasevenmoreexcitingwasthatLiverpoolwouldnotfindoutuntilthey receivedthecheckfor$500andthepictureoftheAustincongregationtaken afterserviceson"MissionsSunday."Allowmeatthistimetoshareexerpts fromlettersfromLiverpooluponreceiving
continuedonpage14JANUARY
1983,
JOURNEY3
of 00

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