Clips from the Cave

This week in the Cave, we discussed one of the most famous stories in the Bible: Daniel and the Lions' Den. 

Daniel was appointed by King Darius as an administrator to keep watch over the government officials in his kingdom. Daniel was so distinguished that the king planned to promote Daniel and put him above all the other government leaders. The other government officials tried to find anything to accuse Daniel of, but he wasn't corrupt or negligent, so instead, they decided to use the law of Daniel's God against him. They convinced King Darius to make a law---a written and unchangeable law---that said that for the next thirty days, no one could pray to anyone except the king, and that anyone who did would be thrown into the lions' den. The officials found Daniel kneeling and praying to God the next day and reported him to the king. King Darius did everything he could to save Daniel, but had to follow the law and put Daniel in the lions' den. The next morning, King Darius called to Daniel and asked if God had rescued him from the lions. Daniel answered that God had found him innocent and sent His angel to shut the mouths of the lions. The king was overjoyed, and Daniel had no wounds because he had trusted in God. The king threw the men who had tricked the king into the lions' den and wrote a new law telling his entire kingdom to be fearful and reverent of the God of Daniel. 

This story is about trust in God. When Darius called out to Daniel, he did not expect an answer. Sometimes when we pray, we don't expect God to answer, either. However, God is always trustworthy and He will always answer us. Daniel knew God's Word and followed it by praying to Him despite the king's orders. 

One of our memory verses for this lesson is Proverbs 3:5-6, which says, "Trust in The Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths." 

We can't make it through life by ourselves, but we can ask God for help. By praying, Daniel was acknowledging The Lord and His presence in his life, and Daniel trusted in God to protect him from not just the lions, but the malicious people in his life. The Lord gave Daniel everything he needed to survive any challenge he faced, and all Daniel had to do was trust in Him. 

If we can show the faith and trust that Daniel had, we, too, can survive any obstacles that come our way, whether we face something as terrible as persecution or as simple as a distraction from doing our homework. 

We'd like to thank Pat N. for teaching us this week! We dearly missed her while she was away! 

Have a great week! 

Clips from the Cave

Last week in the Cave, we discussed being faithful in the face of temptation. This week, we discussed the rewards of having faith.

Daniel and his three friends agreed not to eat the king's food because it was unclean. Instead, they ate vegetables and drank water. At the end of ten days, they were healthier than the other boys, and the official in charge of them allowed them to continue with their clean diet.

Because Daniel and his friends had the courage to obey God's commands, they were rewarded with the gift of knowledge. They were given the ability to understand and learn in every area. They became the king's most trusted advisors, and when he tested them, he found out that they were ten times better than any of the magicians and seers in his entire kingdom.
In order to receive the rewards of a faithful life, we have to live it. We have to trust that God knows what's best for us and that His words are the ones we should follow. Following God's rules will earn us His blessings. They may not always be the blessings we want, but they will be the blessings we need. I'm sure Daniel and his friends would've preferred to be delivered from servitude in Babylon, but God gave them a purpose in Babylon and gave them the tools they needed to fulfill that purpose. Like them, God will provide us with everything we need to survive, thrive, and be useful in today's world.

There's another lesson to learn from this week's discussion: how to deal with speaking to people about God.

When Daniel and his friends approached King Nebuchadnezzar, they knew that he didn't believe in their God. They knew that they believed in their true God, and they were confident in His protection and guidance. However, they also approached the king with respect, because he was a powerful leader.

When we minister to others, even those who aren't powerful like a king, we need to show confidence and respect, just like Daniel and his three friends. If we can show others that we respect their beliefs but are confident in our own, and if we can show them that we are just as knowledgeable as Daniel and his friends, we can give them a good impression of Christians. We can show them that we are faithful without being close-minded; we are strong without being overbearing; and we are educated without being pompous. If we treat others with respect, they will treat us with respect, just as the king respected Daniel, and if others respect us, then we have a better opportunity to make an impact.

Another important thing to remember is to be a fire, not a flashlight.
One of the memory verses for this lesson is 2 Timothy 1:7: "For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind."
God has given us the power to make an impact on others with our words and actions, and it's our task to reach out to others---to Dare to be a Daniel.

Thanks again to Wanda N. for being kind enough to teach our class!
Have a great week!

Clips from the Cave

This week in the Cave, we'd like to thank our wonderful Sunday School superintendent, Wanda N., for teaching our Sunday School class! We had a lot of fun discussing the lesson with her and appreciate her hard work!

This week, we discussed the Scripture of Daniel and his friends refusing to eat King Nebuchadnezzar's food. The king wanted his future servants to eat the same food he ate, just like the rest of his servants. He appointed one of his officials to watch over the young men and give them meat and wine. It's important to remember that the Babylonian food probably didn't hold up to Jewish standards; it may not have been clean, it may have been sacrificed to idols, and it was probably a very different cuisine than they were used to. So Daniel and his friends told the official that they didn't want to eat the king's food. Instead, they asked for vegetables and water. The king's official was afraid to give it to them because, if the king saw that they were unhealthy, the official would be killed. But Daniel challenged the man to compare him and his friends to the other young men after ten days, and the official agreed. After ten days, Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were healthier and stronger than the others, and the official agreed to allow them to permanently eat their chosen diet rather than the king's food.

This section of the story of Daniel is important because it's another example of how Daniel and his friends stood up for their beliefs despite pressure from others. They knew that the king's food would be unclean and that eating it would be to go against God, and they chose to do the right thing rather than the easy thing.

This verse is all about temptation. We are tempted by many things in life that seem good to us, but really they are nothing more than distractions and best and sins at worst. Temptation makes us think we are receiving a banquet, when in reality, we are weakening ourselves.

Our society places emphasis on money, power, violence, drugs, immorality, and other harmful things or actions. The media pounds images into our brains of who we should be, how we should act, what we should say, and how we should live. However, the fast, glamorous, and often self-destructive lifestyle portrayed in movies and on TV is not the lifestyle that God wants for us.

In our first week of studying Daniel, we learned that sin separates us from God, and while it isn't a sin to make money or or watch violence on TV, it is wrong to let the temptations of the world distract us from our real goal.
A stone that is thrown and a word that is spoken cannot be taken back. God takes our sins away, but if we give in to temptation, we can damage ourselves and others, just like the young men who were weakened by eating the king's food. Violence, immoral acts, harsh words, and abuse of power, among other things, are all damaging actions that cannot be undone, and they weaken everyone they affect.

Temptation will weaken us, and the only thing that can strengthen us is God. He is our real goal. If we keep our eyes on Him and His kingdom, we will be able to resist temptation, no matter how great it is. Because no matter how great the Devil, our sins, and Temptation may be, God will always be greater.

In the Methodist church, we believe in sanctification. This means that, even though we will never be perfect, we must always keep striving to be more Christlike and holy in our words and actions, because only in striving to be like Him will we ever be able to keep on the path He laid out for us. Just as Peter tried to walk on water and failed when he took his eyes off Jesus, we will try and fail, and be saved by Jesus just as Peter was.

But if we keep our eyes on God, no temptation will truly weaken us, and we will be able to overcome many obstacles without fear, just like Daniel and his three friends in Babylon.

Have a great week!

Outward Appearances

But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” ---1 Samuel 16:7

On Sunday, two of my church family members, gave me a super awesome hat. I love hats, and they know I love hats, and they found one for me that looks like a monkey, and the monkey lifts its arms when you squeeze one of the dangly ear flaps. Well, as soon as they handed it to me, I put it on and I wore it for the rest of the day, including Sunday School. Since it's a silly hat (to match a silly person), I half-expected a judgmental attitude from some of my church family members (or at least a facepalm and a good eye-roll).

But the judgment never came. To my surprise (and delight), several members of my church family came over and helped me "test" my monkey's dance moves. The rest either smiled or simply didn't bat an eye. After all, they've known me my whole life and are used to my antics.

Another thing that surprised me on Sunday was the number of compliments my brother received on his Star Trek: Enterprise uniform. No one judged him for his attire, either. No glares, no derision, no cries of outrage.

To be honest, I didn't expect anyone to get upset over my brother's outfit. I know that my family has the full support of my church family. They accept us for who we are.

Brother Ken and I were talking the other day about how everyone has to make their own decisions, and I mentioned that we're all different. We agreed that the differences of the members are what make the Methodist church so successful. Since our founding by John Wesley, the Methodist church has drawn diverse groups of people from many different backgrounds with a wide variety of ideas. Our ability to work together and respect and love each other is what makes our church successful. That's what makes our church grow, reach out, and last. Our unique and special congregations are what make our denomination unique and special.

In short, I just wanted to thank my church's congregation for loving and accepting my brother and me, and I just wanted to let you all know that we love and treasure you as well.

------Rachel

Clips from the Cave

This week in the Cave, we began working out of our new Sunday School books. For the next few weeks, we'll be learning how to Dare To Be A Daniel. Dare To Be A Daniel is a program sponsored by the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, and it's designed to teach kids how to stand up for what's right.

This week, we followed the beginning of Daniel's journey and learned about the Babylonian takeover of Israel. After conquering the Israelites, the Babylonians wanted to make a show of their power by kidnapping young men from powerful families and raising them to be Chaldeans. Chaldeans were the sorcerers or wise men of the Babylonian nation. King Nebuchadnezzar gave the boys Babylonian names, instructed his servants to give them Babylonian food, and taught them the Babylonian language and culture.

The Hebrew culture and the Babylonian customs were completely different. The Babylonians didn't worship God; instead, they worshipped Baal and their king. The Babylonians didn't consider certain animals to be unclean the way the Hebrews did, and they also ate foods that had been used as sacrifices to idols.

Yet Daniel and his three friends were brave. Their faith in God was stronger than their pressure to conform to the ways of their captors. Daniel and his friends stayed true to their ways and did what God wanted them to do despite the wishes of King Nebuchadnezzar, and because of their strength, they earned his respect and survived their years in captivity under God's protection.

Sometimes, the modern world is not a Christian place. People, especially teenagers, are under pressure to conform to a certain image. Girls are expected to be "sexy," and boys are expected to be "strong." People are expected to be competitive and to be the best at everything they do. They're expected to chase "the almighty dollar," and they're expected to live the fast-paced lifestyle that's the hallmark of the world today. There's pressure to do drugs and alcohol, pressure to dress and act certain ways, pressure to support certain causes while denouncing others, and pressure to make poor choices. Many people today don't live a godly lifestyle---and they don't expect or teach others to as well.

Yet as Christians, it's our responsibility---our duty---to live the life that God wants us to lead. Sometimes this means denying peer pressure and ignoring harmful influences. Sometimes it's scary or even dangerous. Often, it will take us down a path that we view with uncertainty. We'll face the risk of being criticized by others. But all of the obstacles and all of the risk will be rewarded in the end, because leading a Christian life is more important and more fulfilling than any worldly praise.

Have a great week!

Stronger By Fire

This Saturday, July 19th, is an important milestone in the life of our church. Two years ago this Saturday, our little church encountered a big fire. During a storm, lightning struck the steeple and set it ablaze. The firefighters did all they could to rescue it, but the fire was too intense for it to be stopped; it could only be controlled. In the weeks to come, many members of our church family searched the wreckage for anything, any part of our spiritual home that we could save. Many of us cried and we felt that the loss was as profound as losing a part of our families.

For many of us, it was losing a part of our families. Most of our members have attended our church for many years. Many, like me, were raised in the church and have never truly known any other. Many of our members remembered the construction of the building we lost; they raised tobacco and saved their money to pay for windows, pews, and other necessities. Their children were raised in the church and they saw dozens saved during the Great Revivals.

My brother and I have attended this church our entire lives. My parents and grandparents attend this church. Generations of my ancestors before me have attended this church, people whose names I hear and respect, but never had the chance to know. When the fire took our building, it seemed like I had lost the last remaining physical tie I had to them.

Yet our church lived on.

We saved whole windows and broken glass; we saved stained hymnals and burnt pages of the Bible; we saved the bell and the cornerstone.

And most importantly, we saved each other.

Two years later, our church family is still together, back on the same ground, with a new building to call our spiritual home. The windows are back, the love is back, and the people are back.

With a little help from the Lord, we are made stronger by fire.

Worship by the Water

                                                                                

On Sunday, July 13, Summit UMC had a church service at Freeman Lake in Elizabethtown with our sister church, Stephensburg UMC. 

The picnic was a great event for our church. It was a chance to meet up with the members of the other church on our charge, it was a chance to get to know our new pastor better, and it was a chance to enjoy God's creation together. 

Brother Ken told the Parable of the Sower and encouraged us to continue working with the good soil as we watched the waves and geese on the lake. It was a truly a blessing to be there with everyone from both churches. 

Thanks to all who attended with us!