Advent Outreach

Peggy lives in Senior Apartments in Clio.  She is a missionary.   We see every member of New Wine as being a missionary to their neighborhood.  Peggy's mission field is her apartment of 100 or so residents.  This December she will be hosting a "Advent Outreach".  We will meet once a week to work on a Christmas Craft to give away to other residents, family or friends.  Amidst our project time we will share about the Advent Wreath and its spiritual significance this time of year.  She hopes to hold this gathering in the community room near the lobby with a time of prayer at the end of the crafts party.  How are you reaching out in the holiday season?   We pray the Spirit will inspire you to reach out in creative ways in this holiday season. 

New Wine Report - Nov 2013

Jesus instructed his church to not put "New Wine" into "Old Wineskins". When dreaming about a new church start-up we chose the name "New Wine" because authentic Christian community often looks very different from the "program centered church" of America today. It seems that the latest evolution of the church has produced a church full of "spectators" more than "participants".

Life giving churches today are populated with people who are doing more than watching. I certainly am not suggesting everything in the way church has been done is bad or even ineffective. But this generation is tired of too much talk and not enough action on the part of the followers of Christ.

Even in choosing our name we are trying to communicate that our intent is to change our ways. We want to be a church where everyone understands themselves to be ministers. We want to become a church where our expectation is that we all do the ministry of serving, loving, forgiving, helping and sharing.

A light for me last month was walking into the Flushing Outreach Center and seeing several of our Cell Group members hard at work. This cooperative Christian outreach is helping hundreds of needy families in our area. This is not people miles away but these are our neighbors who those serving get to know. Jim Sartor, Deacon in Training, is now serving in a chaplain's role at the center, with his main role helping the volunteers connect with those they serve by praying, sharing or connecting them with Christian churches in our town. His gentle spirit of encouragement and modeling will help these servant-hearted people be more intentional in their Christian outreach.


I had a good chance to pass on some insights and share of our experience of trying to hear the Lord in our regular "Listening Days" with our brothers and sisters over in South Haven, Michigan. They asked me to lead them in a time of "Listening" as they press ahead after the leaving of their long time pastors, Andrew & Summer Gross. Andrew is now serving in Pittsburgh as the communication officer for the ACNA. Brian Wolthuis from Holland, Michigan is now serving in a part-time roll and they have just made the move into a new worship space, an old daycare center on the back of a local church in their community. They were encouraged by our time together as it seems that the Spirit was calling their whole fellowship to a time of "prayer and fasting" as they begin this new season in the common life. I am very excited to see what the Spirit is leading them to do and become.

I began last month by attending the Diocesan Clergy retreat in Akron, Ohio. Pat Self and I stayed with my family who live close by, but we also encouraged Rebecca from central Ohio to join us. Rebecca has been a prayer partner with New Wine for several years. In a very special set of circumstances, which include a vision in a dream, we were connected. It seems that the Lord is now leading her to come alongside Anglicans in her area (she has been ministering in a Vineyard church for many years). She has exercised a ministry of prayer and encouragement in our work in Flint and I think the Lord has now connected Rebecca with the wider Anglican community which is very exciting.

Finally, last month also proved to be a great blessing to Deb and I as I took a week off to paint our home a nice bright yellow. Now known as the "Happy House on Dale Street", we had several happy and hard working members of the church join us in this project. Weeks later I am still a little sore, but we continue to pray we can be a bright spot in our corner of Flushing.

All Saints at New Wine

"All Hallows Eve", the night before "All Saints Day", is my least favorite time of the year.  So many of the Christian Feasts celebrate significant events in the life of Christ or the Church.   It would be so typical of our fallen nature that a worldly way of thinking would begin to twist something good -  "remembering the lives of faithful people who have gone before" - to something dark and even frightful and at times down right gruesome.   This fall at New Wine we have chosen to sit at the feet of saints and ask "how did they draw near to the Lord?"    Based on a book Longing For God we focused on 7 different saints.  (check out the audio sermons page at www.NewWineMission.com )  This day we truly celebrate the saints that have gone before and still teach us today.

Now we turn our sights to mission outreach and deeds of kindness and service.  Join us November 7 when we host 2 dinners at Taekens Terrace in Davison and Roxbury Court in Clio and then watch Billy Graham's last national sermon.  Call (810) 659-0432 for more information.    Our Flushing Cell group is collecting (till the end of the year) extra tubes of toothpaste for needy people in our community.  But I was reminded of the hands on outreach of the food and clothes closet that we help support when I dropped in on the FCOC last week and found several of our cell group members hard at work serving the needy of our community.  FCOC (Flushing Christian Outreach Center) served more than 149 families which is over 404 individuals in the last reported month. 

So as we look ahead, we are thinking and praying for the Family, Friends and Neighbors (FFN's) the Lord is putting in our lives this holiday season.   We are asking "For the sake of the kingdom,  how will we love more, serve more and be in the Word more?"  This was the challenge brought to us in our last listening day this Fall.  Pray we do not just listen but do what the Lord is calling us to do as we end 2013.

New Wine Report - September 2013

Life at New Wine has been good over the summer. Our last Report was end of June. July and August seem like a blur. People away on trips and the slow passing of summer included two significant departures from New Wine Mission. First we said good-bye to the Robinson Family as they moved to North Carolina for Mike to take a new JR. ROTC position near New Bern. The plus is that they are already involved in an Anglican Church - All Saints, Morehead City. They have been part of a small group with some young Marines at Camp Lejeune and just a week ago had their first cell group in their new home. Our loss but the Kingdom's gain. We also said farewell to Cameron and Hannah as they start their 3 year seminary experience at Nashotah House in MN. We will see the MacMillans later this month when they return to Michigan for a family event. We hope periodic visits will be a regular occurrence over their seminary experience. We are supporting them both in prayer and financially as a church and individually.

We certainly feel the absence of these two dear New Wine families, but we have added to our numbers with several twenty something folks who have started regularly coming the past two months. This fall we are seeing Tim Goodrich step up as our new worship leader and he is doing a great job. Finding the balance of contemporary songs that speak our praise and love to God and yet remaining connected to the songs of the church in ages past is the goal. Over the summer we have seen a new Thursday Evening - Contemplative Cell group emerge. Meeting in downtown Flint at Tim's Shoe Shop they transform the space into a simple worship space for quiet evening prayer and reflection on the daily readings. Calm, quiet and sacred this hour long gathering is often completed with fellowship at a local pub. Laughter, conversation, tales true and imagined, mixed with a little theology is creating a great relational setting for a new way of doing church.

This fall we are continuing to look to do ministry around the table. Several of our cells will participate in the "My Hope America" event on November 7 hosted by the Billy Graham Association, but it is designed to be around a dinner in a home or other gathering places. We hope to host four "Matthew Parties" modeled after St. Matthew throwing a party so his friends could meet Jesus. We are also looking to go deeper with the Lord as we embark on a 7 week sermon series based on a book by Robert Foster called "Longing for God."

Finances have been tight starting early this summer. Once again we were surprised on two occasions when two families beyond our immediate church family tithed unexpected money to our work. Just when expenses exceeded income, the first check came, then just a few weeks ago the second one came again just in the time of greatest need. We can express what a blessing both these gifts have been at a time we did not know how our needs would be met. We can only receive these as a sign that we are to keep pursuing the vision of establishing a self supporting Anglican ministry which Loves People and Loves God, around the Communion Table and through authentic house church communities in Genesee County.

In the beginning of August we held another listening day. We sensed the Spirit saying keep focused on "More Word, More Love, More Service". Let me end with a verse the Lord directed me to during my quiet time that confirmed to me I was to stay the course here in Flint:

Judges 9:13 "But the vine said to them 'Shall I leave my new wine, which cheers God and men, and go to war over the trees?'" and the implied answer is "NO".

When God is at work, and I believe He is at New Wine, we are to stay the course though things are lean or our numbers thin. God is at work and He has not said pull up the stakes and move the tent. This gives me hope for the weeks and months ahead. May we see a great harvest in His vineyard.

Listening Day Summary

Started the day with Morning Prayer and the assigned daily readings:

2 Samuel 16 (Account of King David's fleeing Jerusalem after Absalom's revolt)

Act 22:17-29 (Paul's suffering in Jerusalem)

Psalm 107: 33-43 (Life changing God lifts up the faithful)

Mark 1:1-11 (Jesus' triumphant entry in Jerusalem)

From the readings we hear how the city of God, Jerusalem, holds both times of hardship, adversity and triumph. So New Wine is in a time when finances are getting tight, our membership has declined due to the recent relocation of two active families, and we seem to once again need to hear a word of encouragement from the Lord.

After over 2 hours of listening prayer time, we shared our sense of what the Spirit was speaking to us in the quiet of listening prayer. Rob Robertson shared this prophetic Word of encouragement that seemed to capture the tone of our morning of listening time:

"You are my children. I am so very fond of you. You seek me out, each in your own way, but often we do not connect. I want more than this for you, a faith that is more than form and substance, but a place where we can deeply abide together; where we can listen to each other's words, think each other's thoughts, a place to go beyond the here and now that gives you just a glimpse of eternity. My love is not dependent on your response, although even I long for your embrace. Turn to me and lean into me, feel my touch...gentle and affirming. Let me hold you and know that you are safe in my embrace. Trust me and know this is all going to work out. I have not led you to this point to abandon you, but to allow you to know me in a new way. Know that I am your God and know that I am with you...that you have nothing to fear, your provision comes through me. I will make your path straight, every obstacle I will overcome. I will show you what to do and each of you will take back a piece of the Kingdom, belonging to you as heirs to the Kingdom."

This word to go deep, to trust more, to love more and fret less resounded through several other people's reflections.

From Hebrews 4:16 we were reminded to "draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and may find grace to help in time of need". The invitation was to "come be used, come to listen, come to see what the Lord has for us."

From Psalm 107 we were challenged to "Give Thanks", for the wayward, rebellious, evil and lost will not prosper, the redeemed will see the hand of God and give testimony in the "assembly of the elders". This reminded us again of the high value we place on testimony giving at New Wine.

From Hebrews again (10:32-35) we were exhorted to "remember the former days" of God's presence and action in our midst, particularly to give us hope in our current times of struggle. We were called to not "loss the confidence" which comes from the fact that we have seen God work in the past and He will in the days to come, as lean and difficult as they may appear at the present time.

From one who was drawn to several readings in Proverbs we were warned to be wary of enticements and distractions that draw us from the things of God, particularly from our relationship with the Father. We are to seek Wisdom which begins with "the fear (reverence) of the Lord". A similar word came to one of us even after our listening day: "Keep your eyes on the prize" (which is Wisdom, Jesus, etc.) Don't be distracted by side issues (congregation size, recruitment). The line from the movie "Field of Dreams" comes to mind: "If you build it, they will come". "It" being upholding Godly Wisdom, the person of Jesus, Kingdom values of healing and restoration. This is what will draw people into fellowship.

A second warning came in the form of a question: Have you heard a hard Word? Are you listening for or willing to receive a Word of correction? We are not to just grab hold of things that encourage but be willing to hear a Word for correction.

Romans 15:4 was shared: "...whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope." Remembering God's action in the life of Israel, in the early church, and even in our own experience, helps us get through the hard or trying times we may currently be experiencing..

This call to to be people of the Word , was re-enforced in the image of Jesus being the Vine and we being the branches (John 15). If we are to produce Kingdom fruit we must abide in the vine. We abide in Jesus by being in the Word (his teaching) and doing what He commands. More Word, more love and more serving seemed to be the theme again and again.

The Spirit also spoke to us about our expectations. In 1 Kings 19 the Lord did not speak in outward big and flashy ways but in the still small voice. God does not always act in ways we expect. In this comes the warning to pray God's will and not our expectations. The emphasis here was on "listening" over "seeing". God's promise is that his Kingdom will come. God's promise is that He will be with us and never forsake us. The promises to those who abide, draw near, go deep with God are many. But those who walk in their own ways, they do not receive the grace of those promises. We are not to fret, but walk in faith that if a door closes another will open, if the Kingdom is near it will be clear by his blessing and provision.

Practically this means we move forward trusting He will provide until He clearly directs us otherwise. Keep our eyes on Kingdom values and goals. Kingdom people love, care and serve others, as we have been loved and cared for by the Father. One among us was reminded us that reaching others may be more about serving people rather than preaching at them and certainly not helped by arguing with them. How are we loving? How are we serving? How can we serve more?

Word More, Love More, Serve More.

Listening Day - Aug 17, 2013

Serveral of us from New Wine gathered for a morning of listening prayer.  We met at Mt Zion Catholic Center north of Flushing, MI.  After opening order of Morning Prayer and Bible Readings we spread out for 2 our silent retreat.  The weather was wonderful and the church was peacful and quiet.  When we returned we shared what we sense the Spirit saying. 

Over all it seemed to be a word of encouragement to keep moving forward though the time was lean and the work is hard.  I felt a good summer were capture in this phrase I wrote in my journal during the listening time:  "More Word, More Love, More Service".

Here is a prophetic word given through Rob Robertson that captures the tone.  God is so good.

"You are my children. I am so very fond of you. You seek me out, each in your own way, but often we do not connect. I want more than this for you, a faith that is more than form and substance, but a place where we can deeply abide together; where we can listen to each other's words, think each other's thoughts, a place to go beyond the here and now that gives you just a glimpse of eternity. My love is not dependent on your response, although even I long for your embrace. Turn to me and lean into me, feel my touch...gentle and affirming. Let me hold you and know that you are safe in my embrace. Trust me and know this is all going to work out. I have not led you to this point to abandon you, but to allow you to know me in a new way. Know that I am your God and know that I am with you...that you have nothing to fear, your provision comes through me. I will make your path straight, every obstacle I will overcome. I will show you what to do and each of you will take back a piece of the Kingdom, belonging to you as heirs to the Kingdom."

New Wine Report - June 2013

Its been a while since we wrote, but its not because the Lord has not been working among us at New Wine. First, we want to express our thanks for those who were praying for Jenny, our oldest daughter who lives in Nashville. She is now fully recovered from a very bad and scarey staph infection that put her in the hospital for over a week. We were all once again reminded how very fragile this life is and count every day with each other as a gift.

We are continuing to ask the Lord to give us opportunities to meet new people and, if given the chance, to share about our faith. As I had asked last time that I would specifically have a chance for "contact work", the Lord gave me a chance to catch up with the Revive Flint door-to-door prayer ministry that came to my home town of Flushing just after I wrote. I had a great morning of ministry door-to-door and for me it was a direct answer to my prayer request.

Last month I also was able to fulfill my hope to spend time outdoors this year by going on an all day hike on a Michigan nature trail. Five hours and 11 miles later, Jim Smith, a member of New Wine, and I completed a great hike on an old railroad bed trail. We had a perfect day and even better time of great conversation. We hope to add to our numbers on other such day-long hikes over the summer as Jim prepares to tackle another 4 day trek on the Appalachian Trail with his son this Fall. (Contact me if you want to join us!)

 

 

We just said our good-byes and helped the Robinson family pack up their earthly possessions and make the move to a new job in New Bern, North Carolina. We have heard that they have made it there safely. We feel good in knowing we sent them off with our blessing and better equipped to be Jesus people and mission-minded followers of Christ in a new community where people need to know the Lord. The risk of building a church that focuses on authentic intentional relationships is that when someone leaves it leaves a great hole. The "short and momentary sadness" is worth the cost in order to experience a depth of fellowship and the quality of love that Christ wants for His people. I think we can say many of us went "deep" and we are blessed because we did.

Our blessing also took on another form this month. At the first of June, for the first time since we started New Wine in 2005 there was not enough money in our account to cover all the expenses. This year the Trustees had extended, in a step of faith, the compensation afforded Deb and I to match more closely our increasing living expenses by about $1000 more a month. Just as the leaders readjusted our compensation down, we received an unexpected donation of $3000 in the mail. What was amazing is that this gift was not from one of our members, or from someone who was particularly aware of our need, but from a friend of the ministry from of all places - OHIO! :) The Lord once again showed us how faithful He is in our time of need!

Finally, we just had a first in our ministry. Last night we had a "Shoe Shop Blessing". As you might remember, Tim Goodrich, a member of our church, is opening a new business as a shoemaker. Last night we did a "Shop Blessing" based on an Anglican Service of House Blessing. You can experience this unique service and watch the 26 minute video here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?hl=en&client=mv-google&gl=US&v=Xow4Jevl-b8&nomobile=1

Pray that over the next few months the Lord will clearly guide and direct us as we enter a new season of ministry at New Wine. We really need your prayer for numerical growth and resources. We seriously covet your prayers. Please be intentional and walk with us over the next few months as you keep our needs before Jehovah Jireh, Our Provider.

New Wine Report - May 2013

I wish you all could have joined us the last few weeks in our Sunday worship times. We have had Tim, Carolann, Tyler and Hannah all join Deb and Anne to form a new music ministry team. The addition of vocals, rhythm and guitars has been a blessing. But as one parishioner said to me the other day "It was more than the music". We seem to be drawing closer or dare I say "deeper" in our times of adoration and praise. People have been sharing Scriptures, testimonies and even visions that seem to be Spirit inspired. One person shared how she had been singing all last week before the service the children's praise chorus "He's Got the Whole World in His Hands". Then in church on Sunday the image that appeared in the middle of the power point was hands holding a globe!. (Sermon Title was "Serve Locally Think Globally".)  http://www.newwinemission.com/Audio_Sermons/    A coincidence or a God-incidence?

 

We had several opportunities last month to serve locally. We joined over 800 Christian volunteers for a City Clean Up day called "Be the Church". We helped clean up over 150 abandoned houses one cold Saturday in April. Our 10 member team joined with a group of young college guys and cleaned up 11 yards. Then just two weeks later 4 of us were able to help clean up a park in our Central Park neighborhood where we meet on Sundays. We pray that helping hands will open doors for significant relationships with those around us.

We have also completed the process of discernment with two of our members who are seeking ordination in the Anglican Church. One is Cameron MacMillan, who has been provisionally accepted to Nashotah House, a residential seminary in Wisconsin. Jim Sartor has applied to be a Permanent Deacon and will be doing preparation locally at New Wine. We are not a large fellowship but God has given us the privilage of impacting the church far beyond our local context with potential leaders like these two men.

With mixed emotions we have learned that the Robinson family will be leaving us in June. Mike, one of our trustees, has taken a new Jr. ROTC instructor position near New Bern, NC. Anne is our worship team leader and keyboardist, and Kate has facilitated our White House Cafe (Young Adult outreach) the last two years. Cindy is a prayer warrior and exercised her extraordinary gifts of hospitality on numerous occasions over the 5 years they have been with us. We cannot help but already grieve their absence but with great joy send them off knowing we have helped equip them for new ministries in NC. They already have met some people from a new work Doc Loomis, our former Bishop, is involved with in New Bern. It almost feels like this is a "God Thing" :)

 

Several of us also attended our first annual diocesan gathering in Akron, Ohio. We were encouraged to hear how God is working around the midwest. Rob Robertson, Congregation President, said the high point was not the great worship and teaching, but came when seated in a local pub with a group of young guys all involved with leadership in our diocese. They all were deeply passionate about the Lord and reaching this generation for Christ. Rob said he was moved to tears, who, like Simeon, got a glimpse of the Lords' work and the future of the church.

We covert your prayers as we approach a season of transition. We look to the Lord to keep growing us both spiritually and numerically. Deb continues to look for part-time work that fits. I ask your prayers as I look to be more intentional in spending time doing contact work. Finally, as most of you know our eldest daughter Jenny has been very ill with a staph infection. She is doing much better, even as I write, but still unable to work. Pray for her complete and full recovery.

New Wine Report - April 2013

It is the beginning of the great 50 days of the Easter Season. We had a wonderful time of worship and celebration at New Wine Easter Sunday. We had around 27 people in attendance and we were reminded that we are "Risen People" because we follow a "Risen Lord". Risen People see life differently because we understand everything from an eternal perspective. Risen People value things that last. Chiefly we value our relationships with the Lord and each other. We also understand that Risen People are created to reproduce other followers of Christ. Thus, at New Wine our challenge and purpose is to "Love God and Love People".

Last month I attended an Anglican Church Planters Conference in Wheaton, IL. We were challenged to intentionally work on reproducing Christians and in turn churches. The Anglican "123 Challenge" is that every congregation strive to help start one new congregation in the next two years using one of three methods. The methods are one, by joining with a group of congregations in supporting a new work in the area. This is called the "Jurisdictional Method". The second is by birthing a new congregation by sending out members of our own congregations to start a new work. This is the Congregational Method. The third is called the "Pioneering Method", where you sponsor a missioner to start a new work around a target community or service.

I was encouraged realizing that New Wine is already about the business of reproducing even using forms of these methods already. We have been instrumental in helping several people enter the work of ministry in the past. Mike Cupp is currently planting a new work; Grand Rapids Anglican Church. We pray for them, advocate for them in our new Diocese and I am in a mentoring relationship with Mike as they get started. This is a "Jurisdictional" model of planting. But we are also raising up another young man, Cameron MacMillan from our midst who is just completing his Parish Discernment Process and will probably be going off to seminary this Fall. Though it is years away Cameron and Hannah are being sent off by us to do a new work either as an Apologist and Christian Writer or academician or possibly a church planter. This may fit in the Congregational model definition. And currently we are raising up Tim Goodrich, one of our own, who is looking to develop an intentional missional community via establishing a Christian business, a cobbler shop, in the heart of an economically depressed city. His vision, which we believe the Lord is giving him, is to intentionally build relationships with artisans in the city, mentor young urban students and possibly form an intentional residential community around a "rule" that mirrors some of St. Patrick's methodology while evangelizing Ireland. This is a Pioneering strategy.

Our newest cell group meets in Clio, north of Flint, at Roxbury Court Apartments. We meet on Thursday night with Sim, Fran and Peggy from our church giving leadership. Several other residents join us in our study on "Grace". Holy week they took a break from their study to host our Maundy Thursday service. Crammed into the third floor lounge we held an "Instructional Eucharist". Other members of our congregation came and we all sensed the Spirit amongst us as Christ made Himself known to us in the "breaking of the bread". This was not the first time we have held our special service offsite and at one of our cell groups. One year we actually went to the home of an elderly aunt of a member. She was shut in and Catholic, but appreciated communion being brought to her. But as we all left she was overheard saying, "Does the priest always bring his whole family with him?" We love living out of the "box" taking the church to people. Its a new way of doing church.

Holy Week 33AD

Holy Week 33 A.D.

By Rev. Dave Kulchar

In the study of the events of Holy Week, it can be confusing trying to reconcile the Gospel accounts of the timing of the events of Jesus' last week in Jerusalem. Several assumptions shaped by church tradition and practice added to this confusion. So in an attempt to understand and experience a historical and Biblical flow of this incredible week it seems right to begin by examining the Post-Exilic observance of the Feast of Unleavened Bread or "Pesach" (Passover).

This feast is a seven day festival falling on the first full moon after the vernal or spring equinox (this is important because it will set the calendar so the year and date of the events of Holy Week can be determined). This feast is the first and most important of the three great festivals of Israel. It helps Jews recount God's deliverance of His people from bondage. The paschal meal or Seder, the central event of this festival, was celebrated on the evening of the 14th of Nisan with the following seven day feast of unleavened bread observed by the children of Israel (Leviticus 23:4-5). This was a period of family gathering, remembrance, meals, offering of special sacrifices and additional ritual worship. During the entire feast normal work patterns were reduced, no leavened bread was made or eaten and two special days of rest were observed.

The first day of the feast, the 15th of Nisan, is marked by worship and the gathering of the nation called a "convocation" or "sacred assemble". No work is done on this first day, a sabbath is observed and special sacrifices are made in thanksgiving for the nation's deliverance. The last day of the feast is observed in a similar fashion while the intervening days are marked with fewer sacrifices and yet limited activities called "half-holy days".

The first day of the feast begins on the night of the 14th of Nisan with the meal. This night is the actual time of Passover events described in Exodus 12:6. In the Hebrew reckoning of days the new day begins at sunset. Hence, the meal is the initial celebration of the first day of the feast. This pattern of marking of days beginning at sunset was later mirrored by the early church which began its Easter celebration with the Easter Vigil on Saturday night at sunset. Preparations for the Passover meal of remembrance could take several days but an official period of preparation began the evening of the 13th of Nissan through the full day of the 14th. The "Day of Preparation" therefore spans two days which is important to remember when reckoning the Gospel accounts of Holy Week.

The Day of Preparation begins on the evening of the 13th when the house is cleaned of leavened bread. The head of the family ritualistically searches the whole house by candlelight and the leavened bread is consumed, sold, or burned by morning. The paschal lamb is killed in this period as well, but not till the evening sacrifice of the 14th.

The year old lamb was to serve a company not less than 10 and no more than 20 because it must be totally consumed at the paschal meal. A representative of the company takes the lamb to the temple on the day of preparation at the evening sacrifice (normally 2:30 in the afternoon) and offers the blood, the fat and other parts as a sacrifice on the temple altar only an hour later. The butchered lamb was then taken home at dark and roasted. Great care is taken to keep the meat pure and no bone of it was to be broken. When the lamb had been roasted the meal of remembrance begins.

According to John 19:31, in reference to the timing of Jesus death on the cross, the apostle wrote:

"Now it was the day of preparation, and the next day was to be a special Sabbath."

This description, "a special Sabbath", meant that the Feast of Unleavened bread, a movable feast according to the phases of the moon, would have to start on a Saturday, the Jewish day of rest and worship. Because this is an astronomically calculable event, one can mark back the time in the Jewish calendar to the time of Christ and observe which years during His life that the 15th of Nisan fell on the Sabbath. Using Stephen P. Morse Jewish calendar calculator (www.stevenmorse.org) for the years between 28 A.D. and 37 A.D. (a reasonable period of estimating Christ's death), one can observe the following facts in this period (the years 3788 to 3797according to the Jewish calendar):

6 times Pesach started on a Tuesday

1 time on a Sunday

2 times on a Thursday (30 A.D. and 37 A.D.)

2 times on a Saturday or Sabbath (33 A.D. and 36 A.D.)

This means that to fit into John's description of the timing of holy week, Jesus must have died in the years 33 or 36. A case for 36 A.D. is weakened because we know from other historical writings that Pilate was called back to Rome in 36 A.D. and Herod Antipas was preoccupied that year with a regional conflict with the Nabateans. These facts makes it improbable that either or both of them were in Jerusalem if Holy Week took place in 36 A.D.. Even if they were present that year this would leave little time for the two to have had any additional friendly relations after the events of Holy Week as indicated in Luke 23:12 since Pilate would in short order return to Rome.

The arguments for 33 A.D. are much stronger as one attempts to date Jesus' death according to other evidence in the Scriptures. Luke remarks that Jesus was "thirty years of age" when he began his ministry (Luke 3:23). A close examination of synoptics seem to indicate that Jesus' ministry lasted at least three years. Significant Biblical scholars believe that Jesus was born 3-2 B.C.. Herod the Great died in 1 B.C.. This means Jesus begins His ministry around 29 A.D.. This then means Jesus was 34 to 35 years old when he died in 33 A.D.. (Note: There is no year "0" in the B.C. to A.D. transition, therefore one loses a year in the counting of age.) This, of course, strongly supports a 33 A.D. dating.

On first reading the synoptic accounts of Holy Week, there seems to be a discrepancy in the description of events. Matthew, Mark and Luke all report that Thursday is the "first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread" when the disciples meet in the upper room for the first time (i.e. Mark 14:12). Also many in contemporary Christian culture, because Jesus remarks "I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer", teach that Jesus was celebrating the "Seder" meal with them that evening. This would suggest that he initiated the meal of the new covenant in the midst of the Seder meal.

We must keep in mind that all the events of the feast make up the Passover remembrance. The term "first day" is the 13th Nisan beginning with the search for the leavened bread. In Mark 14 the gospeler comments that this "first day" is when it is "customary to sacrifice the Passover lamb" which meant this was the day of preparation. Jesus had made arrangements for the disciples to celebrate the Passover which was over a week long. He chose a location in Jerusalem itself, in a second story guest room located near the Temple. Jesus appears to demonstrate a "word of knowledge" that the disciples will find the proprietor of the upper room carrying a pitcher of water, which is typically a woman's task, in Mark 14:13. At sunset Thursday night Jesus gathers with his disciples as the day of preparation begins. The first action of the Passover remembrance is to search for and consume all leavened bread. In Jesus' mind, and the minds of the disciples, this is the beginning of the Passover experience. It was tradition that the eldest son would fast on the day of preparation until the Passover meal on the evening of Nisan 14. Jesus eats the bread and drinks the wine initiating a new covenant meal and then begins his fast.

Imagine now in an atmosphere of preparing the upper room for the Paschal meal and for the week of subsequent feasting and celebration that Jesus prepares them in a humble act of serving them by washing their feet. One can envision in this ceremonial washing Jesus' actions alluding to the second major sacrament of the church, water baptism. In his washing his disciple's feet Jesus was not just cleaning their bodies but their very souls.

One might argue that with the room being prepared for the Passover meal, Jesus might have celebrated the "Seder" early, but the central symbol, the lamb, would not have been sacrificed yet. It seems likely that preparations for the meal to be held on the following evening were being made, the table set, and the other symbols except for the lamb were gathered. John even suggests that some thought that when Judas left during the meal he went to purchase items needed for the feast, when actually he went out to meet with the Jewish authorities to betray Jesus (John 13:29). Assumptions about Judas' leaving infers that the meal they were about to partake Thursday night was not the Seder meal, but the evening meal of the first day or preparation day when the leavened bread is consumed.

We also know that early Friday, the Jewish leaders did not want to enter the Roman garrison, for fear of being made "unclean" and therefore unable to "eat" the Passover meal which they would have been partaking of that evening, Friday the 14th of Nisan (John 18:28).

For those who might insist that Maundy Thursday night was the Passover Meal, this would mean that Friday was the 15th of Nisan. This did not occur during the years Jesus might have been executed (see list above). In the end, the timing of John's account collaborates with the Jewish calendar and the synoptics' description of Thursday being the "day of preparation." At first it appears that the synoptic accounts conflict with John's claim when John reports that Friday was the "day of preparation" (John 14:19), but remember this Jewish "day" overlaps Thursday night and Friday daylight hours. Thus, in 33 A.D. with the 15th of Nisan falling on a sabbath, the day of preparation took place Thursday night and Friday daylight, and all four Gospel accounts line up.

Several other interesting events line up with the dating of the week in this manner. On the "Great Sabbath" which is the Sabbath before the feast begins, worshipers read from Malachi 3:6-4:6 which reminds them to be pure before the Lord, follow Moses' teaching (which includes keeping the Passover) and to give tithes and offerings to God. On this Sabbath day they were instructed on how to observe the feast in the coming days. This "Great Sabbath" would have been Saturday the 8th of Nisan in 33 A.D. (see chart below). One could presume that Jesus and his disciples who were on route to Jerusalem, would honor the Sabbath and not travel on this day. Then "six days before Passover" ( John 12:1) they arrived in Bethany and had dinner with Mary, Martha and Lazarus whom he had raised from the dead. This would have been Sunday the 9th of Nisan. This dating means that Jesus' triumphant entry into Jerusalem was really "Palm Monday". One might be tempted to be disappointed upon the discovery that this dating challenges the widely held tradition of a "Palm Sunday" entrance into Jerusalem. Disappointment is short lived when one sees that in 33 A.D. Monday was the 10th of Nisan. This day holds significant Biblical meaning in the celebration of the Feast of Unleavened Bread.

In Exodus 12:3 the Lord instructed the Jews to select an unblemished lamb to be the "Korban Pesach" or Passover Lamb on the 10th day of the first month. In the Lord's perfect timing then on Monday the 10th of Nisan in 33 A.D. each family was selecting a lamb from surrounding flocks. This very day Jesus is selected by the multitude and hailed as the King of the Jews. It is noteworthy to remember that Bethlehem, Jesus' birthplace, was where many of the flocks for sacrifice where pastured. Jesus, the Lamb of God from Bethlehem, is chosen by the multitude's acclamations as the Messiah, the anointed or "chosen one". Little did they know that Jesus was being chosen by them to be "the perfect sacrifice", selected to die for the sins of the whole world. Even one of Jesus' enemies would unwittingly say "You do not realize that it is better for you that one man die for the people than that the whole nation perish." (John 11:50)

During the feast the selected lamb is then presented four days later for sacrifice on 14th of Nisan and it blood is poured out in remembrance of its substitutionary death on behalf of the first born of Israel. The killing of the lamb normally took place at the time of the daily evening sacrifice (2:30p.m.) but in 33 A.D. the lambs were offered 2 hours earlier. This was the practice when the feast began on a Sabbath so as to avoid a needless breach of the Sabbath prohibitions.

The earliest written gospel reported that Jesus was nailed to the cross around 9 a.m. on Friday (Mark 15:25). Mark records his nailing occurred at the "third hour" which is counted from sunrise, approximately 6 a.m.. All three synoptics report that at "about the sixth hour, darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour (Luke 23:44)." Thus, at the very time, 12:30 p.m., the lambs were killed and their blood, fat and entrails offered an hour later on the altar, Jesus was dying on the cross outside the city walls of the Holy City. There must have been some commotion in the temple when darkness fell at mid-day just as the lambs were being brought to be sacrificed. Then a short time later when the blood and entrails were being offered, the veil into the Holy of Holies was torn in two and an earthquake struck and rocks were split asunder (Matt. 27:51).

John reports that because it was the day of preparation the Jewish authorities did not want the bodies of the crucified left on the crosses during the Sabbath (John 19:31). They asked that the legs of the "criminals" be broken which they did for the two thieves. Death on the cross was a long torturous process. Death generally occurred not from loss of blood but by suffocation. If the victims could no longer lift themselves up by their pierced extremities they could not breath. Thus to break their legs, the soldiers would cripple their victims ability to help themselves breath and they would die more quickly. When the soldiers came to Jesus he had already stopped breathing and they pierced His heart with a spear to assure themselves that he was dead. Pilate was surprised that Christ was already dead. Jesus probably succumbed due to the severe lashing he received before the crucifixtion which weakened Him to point he could barely walk due to pain and the loss of blood . Yet in a case of sacred irony, like the Paschal Lamb, not a bone was broken on this "Korban Pesach".

With only a few hours of daylight left, as the butchered lambs for the feast were taken from the temple to be roasted for the evening ceremonial meal, Jesus' body was taken down and hastily placed in a new tomb. Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus, members of the Jewish council, the group that condemned Jesus, were moved to quickly deal with his body. There was no time to return him to Bethlehem his ancestral home or Nazareth his boyhood home. Instead a new tomb outside the holy city, believed to be a few hundred yards from Calvary, is where his body was laid to rest. Apparently unknown to the women, Nicodemus, a wealthy resident of Jerusalem, brought 75 pounds of spices and burial linen in which they wrapped the body (John 19:39). After seeing what must have seemed like Jesus' enemies laying his body in the tomb, the women purposed to do their own ritual of burial by preparing their own spices. So Luke tells us that they left the tomb Friday night and prepared more spices for his body and would return after the Sabbath to complete the burial process (Luke 23:56). It was then when they found the tomb empty.

Luke also reports that the disciples "rested on the Sabbath in obedience to the commandments." (Luke 23:56). This means that after the events of Good Friday all the disciples could do was gather in confusion and grief and rest. Presumably they gathered in the room that Jesus had helped them prepare for the Passover meal. Instead of feasting on the Seder meal they now wept over the death of their friend and leader. Surely as they grieved, as they feared for their own lives, they began to make plans for a quick departure from Jerusalem on Sunday the day after the Sabbath. On Saturday they could hear the trumpets sounding in the Temple nearby announcing the thanksgiving offerings sacrificed at the start of the Feast of Unleavened Bread while thousands swarmed the temple for the convocation which the disciples dare not attend out of fear of the Jewish leaders and Roman authorities.

We know at least for two disciples, one named Cleopas, an early escape was made from the Holy City mid-morning Sunday the 16th of Nisan. They were headed for the village of Emmaus, only seven miles from Jerusalem (Luke 24:13). The women had reported that the tomb was empty, but they did not stay in Jerusalem to investigate further. This was the 2nd day of the feast, the day called "morrow after the Sabbath" where the firstfruits of the spring barely crop are cut, prepared and dedicated to the Lord (Leviticus 23:9-14). The first sample of the crop is given to the Lord as a thank offering for His provision in the wilderness and His provision in the promised land. Jesus, who declared Himself to be the "bread of life", now showed himself to the women, the 2 on the road, and then to the rest of the disciples to be the firstfruit of the grave or as Paul writes:

"But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep." (1 Corinthians 15:20)

Jesus, unbeknownst to most of the Holy City that year, had fulfilled all that the Passover feast was meant to foreshadow. Jesus had accomplished the ultimate deliverance of all people, everywhere, in every age. Therefore, the church regularly confesses "Christ the Passover is sacrificed for us".

In summary, the chart below lists the days of the week and a brief description of the events surrounding the days of holy week and the Feast of Unleavened bread as they would have occurred in the year 33 A.D. Using the Gregorian Calendar (western calendar used by most of the world today) the first Easter was April 3, 33 and Good Friday April 1st. According to Acts 1:4 we know that Jesus visited the disciples on several occasions in Jerusalem and the Galilee after Easter Sunday. According to Acts 1: 3 Jesus' resurrection meetings took place over forty days until he ascended into heaven on Thursday, May 12, 33. Using this same calendar year, the second major Jewish festival, the Feast of Pentecost began on the 6th of Siven or Sunday May 22, 33. This feast is when the Jewish people would return to Jerusalem in thanksgiving for the spring harvest 50 days after the start of Passover. The Jewish nation would mark with a daily ritualistic prayer and an offering of an "omer" of grain each day from the first day of Passover to Pentecost. They began the counting of days on the second day of Passover, Nisan 16, the day Jesus rose. "Penta" means 50 from which the feast derived its name. Unbeknownst to the Jews that year, they were counting down to the birth of the church. Thus, Sunday May 22 was the date the church was filled with the Spirit and sent out on mission. It was probably from this time on that the church began returning from their mission work and began gathering on Sundays, the day of resurrection, for celebration, breaking of bread and worship.

Holy Week 33 A.D.

Nisan   week day                         notes

8      Saturday     "Great Sabbath" in synagogue, Passover instruction (no travel)

9      Sunday       Jesus stops at Mary & Martha's (6 days before Passover)

10    Monday     Triumphant Entrance late in day - day the lambs are selected

11    Tuesday     Jesus clears the Temple and curses the fig tree

12    Wednesday    Fig tree observed, observes widow in Temple, Mt Olives visit

                               Dinner at Simon the Leper - Judas meets with Chief Priest

13    Thursday     Day of Preparation, Starts at sundown - Upper Room Dinner

14    Friday        Jesus arrest & trial - Lambs sacrifice at 12:30pm

                          Jesus crucified & buried - Seder Meal at Sundown
15    Saturday    Special Sabbath "High Day" and Passover Convocation
                          No work or travel - Many sacrifices offered in temple
                          Chief Priest asks Pilate to post guards & secure tomb

16   Sunday       2nd Day "Morrow after the Sabbath" - Cutting Barley Sheaf

                          Easter - Jesus appears to women, 2 on road, 11 in upper room

17   Monday     3rd Day - Half Holy Days

18   Tuesday     4th Day - Half Holy Days

19 Wednesday 5th Day - Half Holy Days

20 Thursday    6th Day - Half Holy Days

21 Friday        7th and Last Day - Convocation & special sacrifices

The gospel power and impact does not rest on precise accuracy of these dates or that the events of holy week absolutely occurred in 33 A.D. in this fashion. Yet logically, the coming together of the gospel accounts and the calendar events, as suggested above helps bring clarity and a deeper sense of historicity to the Biblical record and may very well be the timeline for Holy Week.

New Wine Report - Feb 2013

January was marked by several new beginnings for New Wine Mission. First we moved our Sunday location to "nesting" inside Riverside Tabernacle Assembly of God. This was a simple 3 block move but has proven to be a blessing.

First, besides a bright and clean new meeting space (large Sunday School room that can seat 40 to 50 people) we have access to several other important amenities. The most important is nursery and childcare for children up through 5 years old. We meet at the same time as Riverside who has between 200 and 300 people on a Sunday. We also have internet access and very close and clean handicap accessible restrooms. We are already forging new relationships with the people at Riverside and it will be exciting to see how this develops into ministry partnerships.

 

Secondly, last month we began two new Parish Discernment Committees (PDC) for two men seeking ordination. We have actually done other PDC processes for Micah Chisholm and Michael Cupp who are already ordained and now serving in other communities. Our first two came from ministry outside our fellowship. Our newest candidates are from our own fellowship. Cameron MacMillan is considering the priesthood and Jim Sartor, the permanent deaconate. Pray for these men and our fellowship as we seek the Lord's direction on these issues.

Thirdly, Tim Goodrich returned to Flint after being away much of last year being trained as a shoemaker. Tim has returned and is starting to set up a shop here in downtown. His hope is to develop a "Missional Community" around this trade while mentoring other young artisans. People from New Wine are in the process of helping this enterprise get started. Pastor Dave and Tim made a trip to West Virginia to pick up some equipment. They both felt the Lord's provision and hand on the adventuresome journey. Tim already has a friend who is showing interest in this work and ministry. The key is listening to the Lord. Start small and allow the Lord to add the increase. If you are interested in knowing more about this unique work and model (much like St. Patrick) please contact us.

We also started 2013 with a listening retreat. A more detailed account of this event is posted on our blog. It was clear that day that the Lord was calling us to go "deeper" with him in the new year, as well as to be "bolder". Deep and Bold are the words the Spirit was speaking. We have had many reports among the congregation of ways the Lord is driving this home. Our bookclub small group ordered a book by Mark Batterson entitled "The Circle Maker". After the books arrived they noticed a backcover subtitle which read: "God Honors Bold Prayers and Bold Prayers Honor God." We are praying God will help us heed His invitation to go Deep and be Bold this year.

Finally, we started off February with a visit from our Bishop, Roger Ames. We had a blessed Sunday with three confirmations and Rev. Pat Self being publicly received into ACNA via the Charismatic Episcopal Church. Roger also prayed over our new gathering space and spent some quality time building relationships with our leaders. We are blessed to be under Godly leadership and look forward to partnering with him and the Anglican Diocese of the Great Lakes for many years to come.

Listening Day - Jan 2013

Listening Day Reflection - January 2013

Each time we have gathered for a "Listening Day" in recent years the Lord seems to leave us with several key images or words. As we have started this new year, two words seemed to be recurring in the Bible passages and conversation we shared in our reflection times on Saturday, January 5th. The two words were: "Deep" and "Bold".

"Deep"

After our first quiet period where we were asking the Lord to speak to us on a more personal level, the first idea shared was of being "Shut In With God". The idea of taking time like we were at the Listening Day and spending intentional alone time with the Father is to be a common practice among us. Luke 6:48 was cited where Jesus exhorts his disciples to dig a "deep" foundation to build our life on. This invitation to go "deep" was affirmed by several others who hear the call for us to return to our "first love". It seems that the Spirit was inviting us to pursue after God in the coming year with the excitement and passion of our first love, but not just at a superficial level. We are to go "deeper" with God. Another image shared that had a similar theme, was a call to come dance with our Heavenly Father. Someone shared that they were given Jeremiah 10:23 which says that our steps are ordered by God. Its is delightful to imagine the Lord sees our life in Him like being a dance partner with us who together are creating a beautiful waltz. When done right we move in tandem. We speak in tandem. We work in tandem to accomplish something that is beautiful and good. Good dancers must spend time together in order to establish a deep and strong relationship that produces a dance that looks seamless and effortless.

The call to love God deeply was met with a second call to love deeper. Two individuals were led to 1 Peter 1:21-22 which exhorts us to "love one another deeply, from the heart". We were reminded that this was not just to be with words only but in deed. This call to all who were present and the churches we are members of, was to take our love for each other to a deeper level. This should make us consider what does it mean to "love deeply"? Perhaps it means to be more aware of each others needs. It probably means we are to give more of our time and of ourselves to each other. It certainly means we are to be quicker to forgive and reconcile with each other when we offend. We are to understand that even our hardships, struggles and testings, like Peter's, are meant not just to shape us, but are also meant to allow us to "return in strength" to our faith community to help others in their time of need. (Luke 22:31-32) The question is, will we heed the Spirit's call to go deeper with God and deeper with each other in 2013?

"Bold"

The second word was "boldness". This word seems to be the main idea that was expressed after our second time of listening when were were specifically asking the Lord to speak to us as a church. June Olsen was not able to be with us at Covenant Hills but was praying at the same time at her home. Listen to the prayer the Spirit placed on her heart:

"Good morning Lord. 'This is the day that the Lord hath made, let us rejoice and be glad in it!' Help us Lord in this special listening time to employ the talents and gifts you have given us. To use them for the growth of your body among us. May we be so filled that there is no choice but to speak your given words and with boldness do whatever your bidding. Come Lord Jesus!"

She was drawn to a passage in Hebrews 4 which ended with verse 16: "Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need." This was just what we were hearing at the camp at the same time of her prayers.  

Luke chapter 11 recounts Jesus' teaching on prayer. In this passage we are to be bold like the man who asked for three loaves of bread when a visitor came unexpectedly to his home. Jesus encourages us to "Ask" and "Seek" and we will find. The word that day seemed to be that we were to be bold and ask for the full measure of what we need and to be specific. We felt that in 2013 we need to boldly ask the Lord for 10 new people to join New Wine on our mission. We ask this not to be just be transfer growth, those who are already believers, but we ask that we might see new births happening in our midst. In this part of our time of reflections we sensed we were to be bold and confident in prayers.

We are also to approach 2013 with boldness and confidence in what we are doing. The Lord encouraged us with passages of promise like Isaiah 35 where it says:

"The desert and the parched land will be glad...be strong, do not fear; your God will come...gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away."

The Spirit seemed to be saying that even though our "body will be changing" this year that the Lord approves of our "mission of belonging". A mission which is about helping people build relationships with God and with each other. As we send people out, God will help us raise up new people and leaders to take their place in the ministry of New Wine. An image of a flock of geese flying in formation was shared. In this image was the idea that in our midst the Lord was calling each of us to take our turn in leading at the point of the "V" and to prepare others to take their turn at the lead. Ephesians 4: 11-16 was given as a reminder that the Lord will raise up apostles, prophets, evangelists and teachers among us. We will not be lacking in that which is needful. This is particular poignant in the fact that this year two from our midst are exploring holy orders. The number of leaders both lay and ordained being raised up from our small work is a extraordinary and we need to be encouraged! Though small we pray we shall not shrink back, but boldly move forward mentoring and discipling new leaders.(Zach. 4:10) The challenge this year will be, are we willing to fully give ourselves to the work of ministry in our house churches, our Sunday celebrations, and in the giving of our time and treasures?

We are always encouraged when the Lord uses our "Listening Days" to speak to us individually and corporately. Yet the ultimate challenge as we get better at listening to the Lord is not just being "hearers of the word" but to be "doers". In 2013 will we love more deeply as well as pray and act more boldly? Time will tell.

Sunday Move! Janurary 6, 2013

We are moving our Sunday gathering place to Riverside Tabernacle.  This is only 3 blocks north of our old location.  Just a 5 minute walk. 

Riverside Tabernacle Church 
 429 Nb Chavez Dr, Flint, MI 48503

New Directions are posted on our website:  www.NewWineMission.com

Enter off of Northbound Chavez (right turn) into
the church driveway.

Travel under the overhang.  These front doors are not normally open.

Drop off riders at the main lobby entrance.    This is between the main auditorium and the education wing.     Handicap Parking is available here.

 Park in the back parking lot.  Look for a New Wine Greeter to direct you to room M104.