IMAGE: PHOTO OF MTA LOGO AND HOLIDAY LIGHTS
MTA Members & Friends,
2016 has been a year of change, including for the MTA. We had a successful conference in April that included the election of a new president of the MTA, Chris Bradford. We have a new member of the Board of Directors, Wendy Smith, and an expanded management group, including a new Chief Financial Officer, Drew Ostler, and a new Chief Marketing Officer, Caleb Jones. More recently, the MTA constitution was amended to allow for the election of a new CEO, Blaire Ostler. We are very excited about the expansion of our leadership team and have received an overwhelming amount of support from the association. Thank you!
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IMAGE: PHOTO OF GREENHOUSE PLANTS
IMAGE: PHOTO OF PERSON BEGGING ON THE STREET
When Joshua led the Israelites to Canaan--a land where they could settle and grow their own food--manna from heaven ceased to appear (Joshua 5:12). God didn't disappear; after all, it was God who had kept them whole in the wilderness and delivered them to the promised land.
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The approach of attesting: “Jesus understands you. Jesus will heal/comfort/lift/unburden etc. you.” can work to deceive the attesters that the burdens of others are Jesus’ to carry. This approach can, ironically, separate us rather than bind us together--because we would-be healers and healed, throw our hands up (even if in prayer) rather than extend them to another.
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Recent trends indicate that organized religion is declining in many developed western nations (source). One way to respond to trends like that is to become zealous about defending faith. This approach often has disastrous results as religious zealousness pits its own righteous desires against others (including their own). Ultimately, it divides the Body of Christ through contention. An example of this is Peter’s defense of Jesus as he was arrested. The defense of Jesus was a righteous desire. Unfortunately, his zeal that lead to contention was out of line.
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Statue on the grounds of The Bishop's Palace in Wells (photo credit: Stewart Black)
A beautiful Christmas video from the Mormon church describes a world without a savior--where we couldn’t take back mistakes; where every heartache lasted forever; where wounds never healed. Without Jesus’ acts, so the argument goes, humanity would be infinitely and permanently deficient on a divine ledger.
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IMAGE: PHOTO OF ANGEL PAINTING
On this night the universe tipped its hat to humanity. The animals, the angels, and the stars all joined in proclaiming: We hereby entrust this to you. It was on this night. Though made sure in Gethsemane and on the cross, this was the moment. Not the moment of creation. Not any other moment of any other person, prophet or prophetess. This was the moment the universe gave the torch to humanity--through the child born, the son given. And Christ responded by accepting, or taking responsibility for it all, through His life and faith in the efforts of those who would follow. And His human followers in deed will continue to carry the torch until the trust is fulfilled, or it reaches a race more worthy.
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