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March Newsletter
(Click here for the entire March 2008 Newsletter)


Wolfhart Pannenberg, one of the great theological minds of the 20th century grew up in an atheistic home and was an atheist early in life.  He finally converted to Christian faith because for him it was the only reasonable
explanation
for the radical reversal of these reasonable men and women who were facing irreversible realities of life.  It should have ended on Friday, but something happened! 

            Peter, laboring under the crushing weight of his own guilt, had it lifted by the risen Jesus himself that day on the beach (John 21), and Peter became a bold and fearless witness to his risen Lord.  The risen Lord reversed the irreversible.

            Mary Magdalene, heavy with grief, encounters the risen Lord at the tomb.  She is comforted by the risen Jesus and becomes one of the first bearers of the good news. (John 21)  The risen Lord reversed the irreversible.

            The risen Jesus appears to the two unnamed disciples walking the road to Emmaus, probably just trying to get away from it all.  Their despair is lifted and they race off to Jerusalem to tell the others.  (Luke 24)  The risen Lord reversed the irreversible.

            The risen Jesus appears to the whole group of disciples hiding out in an upper room trying to figure out how to escape the same fate of Jesus.  He showed them his wounds and let them touch him so they could know for sure. The risen Lord reversed the
irreversible
.

            And then there was Paul, heavy-weight
persecutor of the early church, who was trying to eliminate the early Christians.  He has an encounter on the road to Damascus of the risen Christ, and from that moment on spends practically every waking minute of the rest of his life carrying the good news of Jesus Christ to the ends of the earth. 
The risen Lord
reversed the irreversible.

We all live with our share of irreversible things that can paralyze us and prevent us from living fully in the moment; things before which we feel powerless, except to sugar coat them over. 

            The gospels tell us that the great stone that covered the opening of Jesus' tomb had been rolled away.  That is what God does.  God rolls away the stones of the irreversible things that have damaged us so that we might have access to the risen Lord.

            Peter could not go back and undo his betrayal, but the risen Lord forgave him - the stone of guilt was rolled away. Jesus reversed the irreversible.

            The disciples could not go back and undo their cowardice, but the risen Lord extended his grace - the stone of cowardice was rolled away. Jesus reversed the irreversible.

            They could not just buck it up and magically wipe way their sorrow and despair, but the risen Lord brought them assurance and hope - the stone of grief was rolled away.  Jesus reversed the irreversible.

            Paul could not undo the persecutions, suffering and even death he had brought to early Christians, but the risen Christ empowered a transformation in his soul that changed him forever - the stone of his former misguided life was rolled away.  Jesus reversed the irreversible.

            The risen Christ stands before you and desires to roll back those stones of heart-aches and heart breaks that ensnared you; those irreversible things that enslave you and beat you down.  Through the risen Lord, God has even rolled back the ultimate power of death and hell itself.  Trust Him!  Believe Him!  Live for Him!  He is risen!  He is risen indeed!


 
The Way of the Cross with Kendra Thompson

Just a block away from my bike ride
destination, I noticed another cyclist beside me. I
recognized him as Tony Cooper, the owner of Eco-Thrift, who I was on my way to interview. When we arrived Tony dragged an old sofa out for us to sit on. We sat outside in the sun as I asked him a few questions about the philosophy behind Eco-Thrift. Here’s what he shared with me.

Eco-Thrift was born out of a lifelong philosophy: to get full use out of things before we throw them away and to prevent useful items from ending up at the landfill.

“Is it sustainable?” is an important question that impacts the life and spirit of Eco-Thrift. One of Tony’s main critiques of our consuming systems is that they operate under a linear model when our environment is a circular system. In popular manufacturing practices we eventually run out of raw materials, creating a toxic environment in the process.

Tony is motivated to running a store that reflects our circular ecology. For him it means conserving materials – reusing everything that comes into the store, even if it is not in
resale condition. It means conserving energy, because even if there is no shortage of materials, it takes energy to manufacture new things. Tony buys into windpower for the store and the Eco-Thrift truck uses bio-diesel.

“So, what’s the advantage of shopping here?” I asked.  Tony reminded me that, besides “Unique
Repeats” which benefits the Poudre Valley Hospital, Eco-Thrift is the only other local thrift store. All others are run by corporate headquarters and funds go to charities outside of Fort Collins.  At Eco-Thrift proceeds go back into the local community toward awareness education on reuse and energy efficiency.

The goal at Eco-Thrift is to be a “zero waste” store. Tony informed me that fifty percent of clothing he receives cannot be resold. However, Tony has connected with a Health Clinic in Greeley where the clothing can be reused. The clinic serves migrant workers who, because of the conditions of their work, have to dispose of their clothing everyday. Eco-Thrift provides these workers with clothing that can be worn in their work conditions.

Eco-Thrift is a small business run by the owner and a handful of volunteers. There is a
continual need for more volunteers. On Palm Sunday, 15 of us from Shepherd of the Hills spent the afternoon sorting and boxing to help Eco-Thrift in their upcoming move to 208 N. Howes Street. (The store will open at the new location on April 1
st.)  I was very impressed with our group – and so were Tony and the volunteers! The youth and adults worked exceptionally well alongside one another and really made a dent in the daunting task of moving a crowded thrift store into an even smaller space.

It is my hope that when you’re done reading this, you will be encouraged to do one of three things:
(1) Donate unwanted furniture, clothing, sporting goods, electronics or housewares to Eco-Thrift,
knowing that these items will definitely be reused.
(2) Volunteer at Eco-Thrift. There is an ongoing need for the donation of time and energy. (3) Shop there! You are guaranteed to find buried treasure. And know that your proceeds are going right back to the store and into community education. Feel free to chat with Tony or a volunteer about Eco-Thrift at: 484-4224 or find them, as of April 1, at 208 N. Howes. You can also check them out (and retrieve a coupon!) on the web: www.eco-thrift.com.

Kendra Thompson, Parish Associate  kendra@sothftc.org (970) 482-9692


Newsletter Archives

March 2008 Newsletter
February 2008 Newsletter
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March 2007 Newsletter
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Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church
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1200 South Taft Hill Road
Fort Collins, CO 80521
(970) 482-9692
office@sothftc.org

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