Book Club

Join us as we discuss

the book "Interrupted" 

by Jen Hatmaker.  

Tuesday, June 28 at 9:30am

  Westwood Baptist Church

              Room E5

We will serve snacks, coffee and tea.  

Come enjoy a great time of discussion and fellowship.

For questions, call Kathy @  360.866.6888.

Practicing Christian Hospitality

With Thanksgiving coming up in a little bit over a week, the thought of gathering is at the front of our minds. You may have plans to be with your immediate family, extended family, or close friends. Maybe you get to enjoy someone else’s hospitality. You may be hosting your 1st or 50th Thanksgiving. For some, hostessing comes very naturally (it is perhaps one of your spiritual gifts) but for others, the thought of hosting can leaves us in the fetal position with a bad case of hives. Now, what a blessing to have this gift, please write a book!!! And if you have the hives, it's likely not caused by an allergy to hosting so you should get that checked out. But, what I'm getting at is, there are some extremes regarding how we might think about showing hospitality- especially when we mistake it for social entertaining. We can easily get sucked into thinking that hosting a gathering is all about appearances. We can also become paralyzed by feeling unworthy or unable to provide what might be expected.

Let’s begin by finding out what the Bible tell us about hospitality…

-The Bible commands us to show hospitality to our brothers and sisters in Christ.

Romans 12:13- Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.

-We should also show hospitality to strangers as well.

Romans 13: 1-2- Keep on loving one another as brothers and sisters. Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it. 

-We are to show hospitality without grumbling. 

1 Peter 4:8-10- Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.

-We should consider our priorities.

Luke 10:38-42- As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”

“Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.

Christian hospitality is not solely social entertaining…it’s not about having the perfect dishes or decorating with the latest styles. It’s not about your ability to cook. It’s not about being able to hide every mess or do all the dishes before your guests arrive. These actions often enhance a gathering, help guests to feel comfortable, can express that we have prepared for our guests and value them in our homes. BUT, our hosting should not hinge on being able to fabricate perfect outward appearances and it certainly should not be our primary focus. 

Christian hospitality is quite simply “serving”. When we host with love, we are focusing on those that are gathering in. We are turning our focus to them. It’s no longer just about decorating our home, the extravagant meal we’ve prepared, or what we have to say. It’s about providing a comfortable place for others to be, accepting them, and meeting their needs. With those intentions, it is likely that God will use you to touch other’s lives. The laughter at your dinner table might be the first genuine expression of joy someone has seen in quite some time. Serving or taking a plate might be the first time in a while that someone has been shown kindness. Inviting others into your home might be the first step in the softening of a hardened heart. Do not underestimate the power of what God can do through you when you open your doors to others.  

While you are gathering this season, let it be your the intent to serve out of thankfulness to God for all He’s done for you! Allow his graciousness to drive you to host willingly, with a genuine heart, and without fear of approval!

Women's Christmas Outreach Dinner Quickly Approaching

The Women's Christmas Outreach Dinner is quickly approaching. You do not want to miss this beautiful night at Westwood. The Family Center is transformed from a gym into a banquet hall. The many talented and gracious hostesses of Westwood decorate the tables- each with their own unique and stunning styles. Most importantly, the evening provides the opportunity to turn our focus to Jesus at the beginning of the Christmas season. This year's theme is "Tidings of Comfort and Joy." 

Mark your calendars for Friday, December 4^th at 5:30pm. Be thinking about friends or co-workers you could invite and share the evening with.

Hostess sign-up will be on Sunday, November 15, at the table in the lobby. 
Tickets will be for sale Sunday, November 22 & 29, at the table in the lobby. They are $20 each. 

Childcare will not be provided that evening. 

If you have additional questions, do not hesitate to contact Michelle Williams, mwilliams@westwoodbaptist.com or 360.866.6888.

We are looking forward to kicking off our Christmas celebrations with you! 

Gather

Hello Sister,

If you are reading this, you’ve survived Daylight Savings Time. Whoever came up with this idea, (Ben Franklin, I’ll go ahead and call you out!!!) did not consider the way a toddler would react to an hour shift in on the clock…I won’t go on and on about this but the days are starting super early at my house. And, it was so shocking to lose that extra hour of sunlight in the evening. It seems like the middle of the night when we are finishing up dinner! I’ve been so affected by the tangible darkness that I couldn’t help but think about abstract darkness of our world today. 

The darkness can separate us. Have you ever been in complete and utter darkness? I’m talking about the tangible darkness right now. We used to play hide-and-seek as kids in my home growing up, and there was a room in the basement that had no windows. I remember being in that room with absolutely no light. It was a bizarre feeling. I remember holding my hand up in front of my face and I had no confirmation that it was still there. This utter darkness divides, disunites, and alienates us. We might enter the darkness inadvertently, we could be forced into a time of darkness, or the darkness may be rising up within us. Whatever the case, when we are in this darkness, there is sometimes no way out. There is wandering, grasping, and coming up empty. Finding the escape can be a struggle and, in fact, impossible without light.

In contrast to the darkness that drives us apart, the light can gather us together. Just the tiniest bit of light gives away darkness’s secret…that we are not alone. The obstacles are exposed and we can find others, perhaps a solution, and most importantly, Jesus, the source of the light itself. Acts 2:46 tells us about the early believers- “Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts.” These early Christians were surrounded by darkness. Jesus, the light of the world had come, but his acceptance was not instantaneous. And as the differences between the old way of worshipping and new began to grow, the believers who were part of the Jewish faith were eventually driven out by darkness. But, they had the light and they gathered to it. May we be so brave and bold as those early Christians to continue to gather around the light. 

This month will likely be full of gatherings for Thanksgiving with friends and family. Consider the light that drives us to gather together for teaching, prayer and fellowship .

Below is a Bible verse that you can post in your home to remind you of the great reasons we have to gather and be thankful. Right click to download the image.  

In Him, 

Grace

Are You In Community?

It's been a busy but energizing week at Westwood. Last Saturday we were blessed to participate in the Beth Moore Simulcast, Tuesday and Wednesday were the kick-off of our women's community groups, and Friday was the first meeting for the MOPS group. 

You guys, if you've been present for any of these meetings and events, you know what I mean by energizing!!! (Does it sound like I'm excited? Well, I'll tell you, I allowed three exclamation points to stay, and I had to delete several.) There is no denying that Jesus is meeting with us as we are gathering together as His church. 

Here are some of the words that have been repeated over and over during our gatherings this week- 

• Audacious
• Fearless
• Strong
• Thriving
• Flourishing 

Those are not boring words, no, no! They do not allow for doubt, diversion, or delay. They are about believing, becoming, and beginning. They are strong and mighty! Aaaaagh, it's just so exciting and contagious. But you know what keeps things alive and contagious...kind of like the cold kids spread to and from each other by sharing toys and sippy cups, yeah?...it takes community. It takes gathering, meeting, and sharing. And do you know what makes anything contagious spread no more? Quarantine, staying home, being alone. Alone, this excitement will die. If we keep it to our very own selves...if we hide it in our very private prayer life...if we just don't like talking to other people...If we can't bear having to deal with people who could potentially disappoint us...again...you can be sure that this thing we got going will soon die. You just can't keep it alive yourself, you gotta infect someone else. Jesus is at work in the church and let's be very honest with each other that alone we will crash and burn. Gathering together as the church is a way we can experience God's grace-

And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another- and all the more as you see the Day approaching. Hebrews 10:24. 

Come drink, if you will, from my sippy cup, and I will accept the snotty toy you're handing me and let's work to keep this thing alive! Let's spur one another on. 

If any of that makes your heart beat a little faster...I'm hoping it was not the talk of getting a nasty toddler cold (if that's what is exciting to you, let's talk...we have room for volunteers in our children's ministry). But seriously, if you've been missing any of this kind of energy in your life, click yourself right on over to our community groups page and get signed up! 

http://www.westwoodbaptist.com/women-s-life-groups

It's NOT too late to get plugged in with a community to encourage you in your relationship with Jesus. 

Are You In a Relationship?

Dear Sisters,

As a woman of a certain age, I grew up in a time when technology was in its infancy… when a teenage girl’s dream was a pink princess phone in her bedroom with her own telephone line.  I would talk to my friends for hours on the phone and when we weren’t on the phone, we were hanging out together, in person, face-to-face.  We didn’t watch much TV (black and white of course) since we only got four channels and that was when the reception with our bunny ears was good!  We invested ourselves and our time in relationships with others.

Don’t get me wrong - I like my cell phone, computer and cable TV as much as the next gal.  But I have come to realize that as my tech time has increased, I have become relationally lazy, not only with family and friends, but with God as well.  I have been thinking a lot about relationships lately and what it means to me as a wife, mother, daughter and friend. I believe God has placed this on my heart and has done so for a reason.  It is to remind me that as a Christian, I am called to believe in Him and be part of a community that belongs to Him.  I am to be in meaningful relationship with Him and those around me.

The thing is, meaningful relationships can be messy and inconvenient, especially with other humans.  It is so much easier to text than pick up the phone and talk.  Or send an email instead of going out for coffee.  And I wonder how many times I have missed an opportunity to be a blessing to someone else because I just didn’t have time.  The truth is, I make time for what I want to make time for and not what God wants me to make time for.  I have made my agenda more important than His.

So, I am challenging myself and challenging you to reach out to one person each week in a way that will provide an opportunity to strengthen a relationship in a personal way.  This could be as simple as a phone call to a friend, a walk with a neighbor or a hand written note to encourage someone going through a difficult time.  Or what about taking time to talk to someone at church who is alone?  God has created us to be relational beings in need of acceptance and belonging.  We need others as much as they need us.  I am looking forward to seeing what God has planned for us!

“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit.  Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.”

Philippians 2:3-4

In Christ, 

Susan

Rounding Up the Bitter Root

            I’m starting a study on the book of Hebrews for the summer and the first lesson was reading the entire book of Hebrews straight through for an overview. As I was reading for general themes, there were several verses and ideas that I KNOW are going to be convicting as I dig a little bit deeper. One particular verse that I just can’t shake out of my brain was Hebrews 12:15. “See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.” I was really struck by the words, bitter root.

            Bitterness is like a root, isn’t it? It doesn’t always show up on the surface as harmful right away. It can hide right below the surface for a long time, begin to grow, then take hold, and finally choke out the good. I am not a gardener (I can keep a succulent alive, but that hardly counts) but I do know what it looks like when weeds take over what was once well tended and it ain’t perty.

            Without naming any news stories specifically, I have felt a bitter root growing in my heart about many current issues in our world. There are a lot of commentaries, a lot of ways to feel, and many ways to react. I see reactions and replies that I would put in the “bitter” category, if not “hateful”. I often don’t react publically, but I do have a reaction in my heart and in my home. And upon closer evaluation, some of my reactions have been with bitterness and NOT with grace.

            Sometimes (let’s be honest here…often…maybe even always???) my flesh and my being have fallen short of even knowing how to react, what to say, and especially what to do. So, now what? Well, this verse from Hebrews points out that my heart’s reply can be with bitterness or with grace. Luke 6:45 reminded me, “What you say flows from what is in your heart.” I am desperate for my words to be healing, for my life to speak what Jesus wants. I long for His grace to heal the spirits’ of those who are hurting; AND I long for His grace to heal my heart of bitterness so that I do not make the wounds worse. I’m looking for Jesus to spray some round-up on my heart. I want to react in such a way that grace and healing will flow and that my bitterness will not cause trouble…more specifically, dissention, bickering, falling-out, and pushing away.  And 2 Corinthians 12:9 reminds me that His healing is just what I need.

Jesus, Your grace is sufficient for me, Your power is made perfect in my weakness. I need your healing and for Your love to take-over my thoughts. I pray You would help me to not fall short of offering Your grace, and that my actions and reactions would not cause trouble for those who need you. Help me not get in the way of the work You want to do through me.

In Him,

Grace