Between the Lines - Spring 2012 Volume 2, Issue 2

8/2/2019 Between the Lines - Spring 2012 Volume 2, Issue 2

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Between the Lines is a magazine of the Journey, a ministry of Christ Church

Fairview Heights, IL. 2012, Christ Church. mychristchurch.com

Graphic Design by Justin Aymer

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great

mercy he has given us a new birth into a living hope through the

resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that

can never perish, spoil, or fadekept in heaven for you, who through

faith are shielded by Gods power until the coming of the salvation that

is ready to be revealed in the last time. 1 Peter 1:3-5

Welcome to the pages ofBetween the

Lines. We hope it encourages you,

strengthens you, and blesses you. We

hope you share it with others. And, in

the words of our devoted editor, Emily,

we hope this magazine will reach far

and wide. Our hopes are our prayers,

and we seek the Lord to guide us every

step of the way.

The Journey, a ministry of Christ

Church, is in its eighth year. The

mission of Christ Church is to connectpeople to Jesus Christ. This is what

we are about. Our Journey community

continues to grow, and we welcome

you! We are growing stronger and

going deeper. Depth is a rare treasure

in a world that aunts the temporary at

the risk of missing the eternal.

We are passionate about this mission

because we know that Jesus Christ

promised that he will return for us

(Rev. 22:7). And we also know that,

as we wait, he is not slow in keeping

this promise. He is patient with us, not

wanting anyone to perish but everyone

to come to repentance (2 Pet. 3:8-9).

You may already have a relationship

with Jesus Christ. Or, you may be

wondering about the possibility of a

relationship with him. We invite you to

join us on the pages of this magazine

with the hope that you will nd the

nugget, the treasure, which God has

specically for you.

Gods grace is found in Christ

alone. Through Christs birth, death,

resurrection, and ascension we have a

living hope. In Christ alone, we live. We

look forward to his return.

Endeavoring to learn and love deeply

and to live fully,

PS: We appreciate hearing from our

readers. Please let us know how this

magazine has touched your life. You

may send your e-mails to:

[email protected]

Dear Reader,

Mary Ann


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Between the Lines Spring 2012 Volume 2, Issue 2

Wed love to know what you think about Between the Lines.E-mail us at [email protected]

In the next issue: Creativity

This Issues Theme: Hope

Verse of the Season:May the God of hope ll you with all joy and peace as youtrust in him, so that you may overow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit(Rom. 15:13).

Meet the Contributors

Mary Ann Turneris the leader of the Journey Team at Christ

Church. A former elementary school teacher, she is the wife of Mark,

mother of two grown children, and grandmother to two precious little

boys. She enjoys great conversations, hiking with her family, and

encouraging others to grow in their Christian faith.

Sandy Dunbaris a womens retreat leader, speech pathologist, and

wife of 44 years. She has been active in womens jail ministry for 23

years and authored a DVD, Mature Hearts, offering encouragement

for seniors. A mother and grandmother, Sandy enjoys family, friends,

natures beauty, travel, reading, and telling the Good News of Christ.

Lindsay Tallman is a freelance writer whose work has appeared in

Nature, Biotech, and Commerce magazines. A wife and mother of

three, Lindsay enjoys reading, traveling, and playing with her quirkychildren. She and her family live in OFallon, Illinois and worship at

Christ Church.

Emily Climaco, Ph.D., is a Journey Team member and the volunteer

editor ofBetween the Lines. The wife of Phil and mom of Caroline, she

spends her time reading, bike riding, drinking green tea, and laughing

with her three-year-old daughter.

Marcy Bitneris a member of the Journey Team. She cherishes her

roles as wife of David and stay-at-home mom to Sophie and Jona-

than. Marcy enjoys exercising, volunteering at her childrens school,and spending time with her family. And as for me and my house, we

will serve the Lord (Josh. 24:15).

We dedicate this issue ofBetween the Lines to the memory of

JoAnn Groom (1932-2012),a beloved friend of the Journey Team who fought the good ght

and whose hope was in Christ alone.


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Hope In Christ Aloneby Lindsay Tallman

4

My grandma grew up in the Depres-

sion and the Dust Bowl in western Ne-

braska. She never earned any great

rewards or had a career of prestige.

As a young mother of three children,

she found herself suddenly widowed

with no vocation to fall back on in the

1950s. With the support of friends and

family in a tiny town, she was able to

stay on her feet and eventually remar-

ried, living a quiet and unassuming life

raising her four children and working

various jobs when needed. Im sure

her life wasnt easy, but I never heard

her complain.

Romans 12:10-13 says, Be devoted

to one another in brotherly love. Honor

one another above yourselves. Never

be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiri-

tual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful

in hope, patient in afiction, faithful in

prayer. Share with Gods people who

are in need. Practice hospitality.

My grandma was a living example of

these verses. I dont remember a single

holiday spent at her house when there

wasnt an extra chair at the table for a

friend or neighbor in need of a family.

Her home was constantly lled with

the scent of baking banana bread and

cookies that she was always delivering

to someone who could use a little kind-

ness. She believed the Word of God

was her guidebook for life, and shenever missed an opportunity to minis-

ter to both neighbor and stranger alike.

Her love for Jesus carried her through

good times and bad. She lived her life


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full of joyful anticipation with hope for

tomorrow.

My grandma was a woman who re-

fused to be dened by her circum-

stances. Instead of allowing those hard

times to make her bitter, she allowed

them to make her better. Ive often pon-dered what her secret was, but I think

it comes down to this: her hope was

found only in the Lord. Not in the things

of this world or people who may or may

not be there for her. Her hope was

found in Christ alone. When we put all

of our trust and hope in Jesus, then

we can face tomorrow without worry orfear. Then we will be able to hope with

Paul who writes, We are hard pressed

on every side, but not crushed; per-

plexed, but not in despair; persecuted,

but not abandoned; struck down, but

not destroyed (2 Cor. 4:8-9).

A few years ago, we discovered thatshe was slowly slipping away under the

grasp of Alzheimers, and this winter,

we moved her out of her home and into

a care facility. Its been tremendously

painful to watch my grandma and dear

friend slip away. As I know many of you

can relate, losing someone to Alzheim-

ers is like a slow death. While she is

pain-free and unaware, we struggle to

make sense of the loss. Ive often won-

dered why God doesnt just take her

home. And then God reminds me that

if she is still here, he is not nished with

her yet.

A few weeks after they moved her out

of her home, it dawned on me that Iwould never again walk into that house

and smell banana bread or ginger

snaps and hear my grandmas voice

call out, Well hi there, Linds. It broke

my heart. And then my mom called to

report that apparently my grandma is

up to her old tricks at the nursing home.

She spends her days visiting everyone

elses rooms to check in on them and

brings them anything they might need.

More importantly, she brings her genu-ine, radiant joy to the people there who

desperately need some hope.

A few days ago, my daughter asked

me if Grandma Jean was going to get

better. I started to reply, No, until I

thought better of it. As Christians, our

hope is in a heavenly reward and eter-

nal salvation. I thought better of it and

replied, Shes not going to get better

while shes on this earth, but when the

time is right the Lord will call her home

and then shell be perfect. And then

we both smiled. There it was, the joy

and the hope, too big to be contained

by this world. My cup overows.

May the God of hope

fill you with all joy andpeace as you trust in him,so that you may overflowwith hope by the power of

the Holy Spirit.(Rom. 15:13)


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Jesus told stories to explain truths dur-ing his life on earth, and he sometimes

uses stories to reveal truth today. I re-

cently read a beautiful novel, Stewart

ONansA Prayer for the Dying(Henry

Holt, 1999), which gave me a better

understanding of hope.

Hope is a difcult concept because Impredisposed to carefully weigh all op-

tions before risking disappointment.

For a long time I thought of hope as

faith lite, a low-calorie version of the

real thing. Since Faith is the sub-

stance of things hoped for,then surely

its more substantial than hope (Heb.

11:1, KJV). When Paul wrote, Andnow these three remain: faith, hope,

and love. But the greatest of these is

love,I found it easy to disregard hope

as a distant third (1 Cor. 13:13, NIV).

So, if love is the greatest, and faith is

a fruit of the Spirit, what in the world is

hope? Maybe its not in the world at all.

Why are you always so hopeful?

Havent you learned anything? With

these words, Jacob Hansen rebukes

himself for persistently hoping that his

small town can be saved.

In A Prayer for the Dying, ONan tellsthe story of Jacob Hansen, constable,

preacher, and undertaker in a post-

Civil War Wisconsin town caught in

a deadly diphtheria epidemic. When

disease breaks out, Jacob is suddenly

overwhelmed with duties of enforcing

the law, burying the dead, and trying

desperately to protect the healthy, evenwhile his own wife and infant daughter

succumb to infection.

After his wife and baby die, Jacobs

hopefulness seems alternately heroic

and nave. I cant imagine this turning

out well. With each page I turn, I ad-

mire his diligence to help his neighborseven as spiritual doubt creeps in, but I

also dread the day when reality sinks

in. Somehow, I want to protect Jacob

from the staggering disappointment

that will surely hit him like a load of

bricks as soon as he stops to breathe.

As I read, its a relief to mark my page

and remember that its a work of ction;

loss of hope, however, is a real condi-

tion.

Because Im naturally inclined to ques-

tioning, hope is complicated for me.

When Phil and I went through a couple

Hope

AgainstHopeby Emily Climaco


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years of infertility, including four con-

secutive failed procedures while trying

to conceive, I started to wonder if hope

was a trick. Whats the point of getting

my hopes up and being disappointed

month after month? Finally, thanks to

Gods graciousness, we were thrilledto be expecting a baby, but I still held

my breath until her

rst cry. Disappoint-

ment had trained me

to temper my hopes.

But it also taught me

the supreme impor-

tance of where my

hope is placed.

At the storys end,

Jacob resists the

temptation to kill him-

self and experiences

a powerful epiphany:

This is what youvefound outthat even

with the best inten-

tions, even with all

of your thoughtful

sermons and deep feelings and good

works, you cant save anyone, least of

all yourself. And yet, its not defeat. Af-

ter everything, you may still be saved.Your mother was wrong; its not up to

you. Its always been His decision.

Hes been working hard and working

out his salvation because faith without

works is dead, after all (James 2:14-

26). But he thinks its all on him. I be-

lieve that God is good, but Jacob hasa rock-bottom realization that whether

God is good, bad, or indifferent, God

is God. Even when Jacobs simplistic

faith begins to crumble, his hope re-

mains that evil cannot triumph over

good. This hope is the will to liveor

to die (Phil. 1:21, Job 13:15)knowing

that either way Gods got you. The end-

ing of the novel is powerfully ambigu-

ous but not hopeless.

I managed to live more than three de-

cades before infertility handed me amembership pass to the fellowship of

suffering (Phil. 3:10,

KJV). Jacob, a Civil

War veteran, is no

stranger to suffering,

but the diphtheria out-

break he endures is an

acute and furious suf-

fering experience. Dur-

ing times of suffering,

the power of hope be-

comes clearer. We all

grieve, but those who

put their faith in God

through Jesus Christ

grieve differentlywith

hope (1 Thess. 4:13-18).

I may never fully grasp

hope, but after read-

ingA Prayer for the Dyingthis distinc-

tion has become useful to me: faith is

trust we place in God; hope is divine

expectation that he has placed in ourhearts. If faith is a shield (Eph. 6:16),

hope is a special bulletproof balloon

God fashioned just for you. It car-

ries you throughbut not abovethe

suffering. And, most importantly, its

equipped with a homing device that

leads straight to the bosom of the Fa-

ther (John 1:18, KJV). We are neverdisappointed when we hope in God.


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Photo by: Julie Crask


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In Christ alone my hope is found;He is my light, my strength, my song;This cornerstone, this solid ground,Firm through the fiercest drought and storm.

What heights of love, what depths of peace,When fears are stilled, when strivings cease!My comforter, my all in allHere in the love of Christ I stand.

From In Christ Alone

Words and Music by Keith Getty & Stuart Townend

Copyright 2001 Kingsway Thankyou Music


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I headed out of the house this morning

for a pre-dawn run with my iPod in hand.

The crisp 22-degree temperature quicklyawakened me. My head was lled with

worries about my family, my aging par-

ents, and a friend in need of prayer. The

weight of these stressors felt heavy on

my shoulders. I hit play and was off,

shufing into the darkness. Mercy Mes

I Can Only Imagine began to play in my

ear.

Surrounded by your glory, what will my

heart feel? Will I dance for you, Jesus?

Or, in awe of you, be still? Will I stand in

your presence, or to my knees will I fall?

Will I sing Hallelujah? Will I be able to

speak at all? I can only imagine!

Worries temporarily displaced, I began

to sing. Hands in the air, belting out in

harmony, I plodded on. Windows and

Walls by Mark Harris played next. If

Jesus means anything at all, there will

be evidence between our windows and

walls. On and on I ran, singing, praying,

and listening. I returned home, ve miles

done and my God-rell complete. Hoperestored.

For many years, God has been my

Low On Hope?

GodOffers Rellsby Marcy Bitner

source of hope. In early 2003, after

giving birth to a stillborn baby girl, I

didnt think I could go on, yet God was

there to restore me in the days that

followed.

I am holding you by your handI, theLord your God. And I say to you, Do

not be afraid. I am here to help you

(Isaiah 41:13).

Two more pregnancy losses and he

was still there, assuring me that his

plan was far greater than mine.

For I know the plans I have for you,

says the Lord. They are plans for

good and not for disaster, to give you a

future and a hope. In those days when

you pray, I will listen. If you look for

me in earnest, you will nd me when

you seek me (Jer. 29:11-13).

I leaned on God again as our familylived through three deployments. We

struggled as a family in two locations,

but God gave us hope. I prayed, face-

down in my Bible, on many days. In

addition to my own life at home as

Mom+Dad, I was co-leading an Army

battalion Family Readiness Group

of about 400 families and 400 singlesoldiers. There were more prayer re-

quests than I could keep up with.

I prayed, Show me the path where

I should walk, O Lord; point out the

right road for me to follow. Lead me by

your truth and teach me, for you are

the God who saves me. All day long Iput my hope in you

(Psalm 25:4-5).

Mentally, emotionally, and physically


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exhausted during these times, I clung

to God as my source of hope. Com-

forter. Wonderful Counselor. Prince of

Peace.

As I sit here today, I still dont have it all

gured out, and my journey is far fromperfect. I need a God-rell each and

every day. I cherish the words of Paul:

We can rejoice, too, when we run

into problems and trials, for we know

that they are good for usthey help

Relationships. This is the bottom line blessing of the Journey [magazine] touching my heart. Whetherreading an article penned by a dear friend of many years or by a sister-in-Christ I have yet to meet, theHoly Spirit teaches me and knits our lives together. Gods Word is proclaimed as Truth, life applications aretransparent, and encouragement is provided. I savor the words of Between the Lines as God uses them tostretch me and bind my heart with others.-Gail, South Carolina

I love the quality of the Journey magazine. The illustrations on each page really enhance the message. Sogood. Im eager to read the rest of the issue.-Barbara, North Carolina

I look forward to getting my Between the Lines magazine! It always has something that relates personallyto me. The authors share honest stories about their own journeys that inspire and encourage me. They sharethe gospel of Christ without being judgmental or critical; I feel acceptance and hope rather than fear ordespair when reading it!-Nancy, Michigan

[Between the Lines] is an awesome, inspirational, and very easy reading magazine. I enjoy reading it becausesome of the writers relate to me in my daily living. The magazine brings in Bible verses with these stories,which reminds me how God has blessed me in so many ways. . . . I then enjoy passing the magazine on to myfamily or friends.-Roberta, Illinois

Thanks, Readers,for These Encouraging Words!

us learn to endure. And endurance

develops strength of character in us,

and character strengthens our con-

dent expectation of salvation. And

this expectation will not disappoint us.

For we know how dearly God loves

us, because he has given us the HolySpirit to ll our hearts with his love

(Rom. 5:3-5).

Almighty Father,I put my hope in you.

If youve been encouraged by Between the Lines, please help us to spread the message

of Gods hope to women far and wide. New readers can subscribe to the free quarterly

magazine at www.mychristchurch.com/thejourney.

Let us know what you think about Between the Lines! Drop us an e-mail message at

[email protected].


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My friend, a young mother grieving the

death of her husband, writes an e-mail

and asks this: What does it mean to

have hope in the Lord and what does

it look like? The question beckons an

answer. A few days pass. I think and I

pray. I offer these word-pictures remi-

niscent of the gospel stories of Jesus:

It looks like peace in a storm, or like a

child in her fathers strong arms.

Later, I nd myself alone with my

thoughts and the Bible, my heart griev-

ing too. I move further past the storiesof Jesus calming the storm and calling

the children to himself. To truly answer

her question, I need to get to the part

of the gospels that tell about Peter and

John running to the tomb where Jesus

was laid after his nal moments on the

cross. The tomb is empty. Jesus Christ

is risen, just like he said. There, at thetomb, I nd the answer to her question.

What does hope look like? Hope looks

like the empty tomb. Jesus Christ is our

living hope! (1 Peter 1:3-5).

Could it be that simple? Yes, it can and

it is. I crave the simplicity of Christ.

WhatDoes HopeLook Like?by Mary Ann Turner


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Nothing else seems to satisfy the long-

ing of the heartof my heart. What

about you?

My friend asks another question,

Sometimes I think I understand, but

then, because I have hope in other re-

lationships, I wonder if it takes away

from my hope in the Lord?

Again, alone with my thoughts I ponder

this. I have not worn the shoes of this

woman, my friend. I want my words to

be seasoned with truth because truth

will always settle over us like the morn-

ing dew settles on the earth. It watersus and encourages growth.

I write more: Hope in relationships is

not certain, but that does not mean we

should not hope to experience the joy

of relationships. Its just that there are

no guarantees in earthly relationships.

I do think that God gives us the desireto share our life with others. We are

created for relationship. That desire, or

hope, is a good thing. Does this take

away from our hope in the Lord? It is a

possibility, a very real possibility. If we

hope in earthly things as if they are cer-

tain or as if they can sustain us or do

for us what only God can do then, yes,it can take our focus off our one true

living hopeJesus Christ.

I continue writing, revealing the hard

lessons of my life, Through the years

God has taught me that he wants all

of us, not just a part of who we are.

He wants us to relax and rest in him.We cannot expect from people what

we should only expect from God. The

challenge is to wait upon him; not to

get ahead or to lag behind, but to be

in sync with him. But, even if we make

mistakes or grow weary in waiting, he

is still our living hope. Hope always

rescues us. God is patient with us, he

loves us, and he will never leave us.

Jesus Christ is coming back for us.

That is biblical hope. And biblical hope

is certain. Its sure.

I look back over my friends e-mail, andI see the answer in black and white.

She writes, I have hope in the Lord to

get me through each day and hope that

I will have eternal life with him.

She had answered her own question.

Simply. Beautifully. I see a woman

clinging to the only hope that lives and

loves and never lets go.

What is our reason for praise?See verse 3.

What shields us until the time ofChrists return? See verse 4.

What is the result of our trials?

See verses 6-7. How are we called to live?

See verses 13-21.

How should we love? See verse 22.

What stands forever?

See verses 24-25.Dig into the Word of God. Write the

verses on index cards to carry with you.

Place them on the mirror or put them in

your car. Pray for understanding be-

fore you read Gods Word. As his Word

washes over you, you will be drenched

in hope.

ENJOY1 Peter 1:1-25


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REDUCE get the digital version via e-mail at mychristchurch.com/thejourney

REUSE pass along this issue to a friend when youre nished

RECYCLE toss in a Paper Retriever bin at Christ Church

Youve probably heard the saying that God answers prayers with yes,

no, or wait. We asked members of the Journey Team to tell us about

a time when God answered a prayer with Yes! Absolutely! Right away!

Here ya go!

HOPEdoes not disappoint!

I prayed or a person to come into my lie to help

me with my spiritual walk. God answered that prayerwith a big yes! and sent my angel Sharon to guide me.

That was thirty years ago!-Chris Phillips, grandmother with a grateful heart

I wanted God to speak to me and give me a message or

blessing. He said, Ive blessed you with close Christian

riends who lit you up and comort you when you need it. Iknow that my riends are a git rom God.-Betty Nelson, seamstress, mom, and grandmother

One night in a campground in the middle o nowhere,

my son Marcus came down with croup. We didnt have a

humidifer and had no idea what to do, so I asked God to

help me. Suddenly, there was a downpour, and the humiditycalmed my sons coughing enough that he was able to

breathe easily.-Laurie van Hoof, photography lover and mom of three

. . . Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of

God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit

who was given to us .(Rom. 5:5)


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While we in America are still among

the most blessed people on the face of

the earth, we are keenly aware that the

economic downturn has negatively im-

pacted all of our lives to some degree.

From pain at the pump and over-

stretched budgets to the despair left inthe aftermath of devastating natural di-

sasters, feelings of hopelessness sur-

face even among the most committed

followers of Christ.

In the midst of challenging uncertain-

ties, do we believers really have hope?

The answer is a resounding Yes!Christians have the assurance that we

serve the God of hope (Rom. 15:13).

Pauls prayer is one of great encour-

agement: May the God of hope ll you

with all joy and peace as you trust in

Him that you may overow with hope

by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Here, the God of hope offers two

priceless giftsjoy and peacesome-

thing that the world cant give nor take

away! He adds they will not come from

our own strength but by the power of

the Holy Spirit along with an overow!

Wowwhat an incredible offer! How-

ever, there is one condition . . . as we

trust in Him.

Trusting God should not be difcult

for a Christian, right? Wrong! Many

struggle, thus experiencing a lack of

hope. As a result, believers often feel

like the psalmist who questioned, Why

are you downcast, O my soul? Why

so disturbed within me? He then an-

swers, Put your hope in God, for I will

yet praise him, my Savior and my God

(Psalm 42:11).

The acrostic below can help us remem-

ber why we can put our trust unfailinglyin this God of hope:

Help. God is our refuge and

strength; a very present help

in time of trouble (Psalm 46:1,

NIV).

Omnipotent. And I heard . . . the

voice of a great multitude . . .

saying, Alleluia! For the Lord

God Omnipotent reigns! (Rev. 19:6,

NKJV).

P

eace. Peace I leave with you;

my peace I give you . . . do not

let your hearts be troubled and

do not be afraid (John 14:27).

Eternal. The eternal God is our

refuge, and underneath are the

everlasting arms. He will drive

out your enemy before you, saying,

Destroy him! (Deut. 33:27).

While volumes have been written onhope, the Word of God provides a

place to anchor our souls in the midst

of challenging times. Lets choose to

trust in our wonderful God of hope!

Sandys Mature Hearts, a DVD offering

hope and scriptural promises for our

beloved seniors, can be found atmajor online retailers such as

christianbook.com and amazon.com.

The God

of Hopeby Sandy Dunbar


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Documents

Between the Lines - Spring 2012 Volume 2, Issue 2