Our Life Together Vol. 5 Nr.1, January 7, 1977

The issue begins with another beautiful cover fashioned by Abbacraft. All the Promises of God find their Yes in Him -- 2 Corinthians 1:20

 Larry Clark's article about Jimmy Carter describes the way most Christians thought about him at the time. Even though one may have not voted for him, they applauded his faith. I was convinced and left my Republican Party affiliation to vote for him. But, how times have changed. The Evangelical Church can't stand him. I personally thought that he was a flawed president. He also says many things that I disagree with, but I am convinced that he is one of my brothers in the Lord. I respect him for living the gospel as he sees it.

Sonshine Household did receive the Conditional Use Permit. As their Head -- Clay Ford -- likes to say, "They were the only legal household." Certainly true at the time, but I like to remind him that the decision of the California court system, retroactively said that we were all legal.

Clay Ford writes the article on Evangelism. It is as powerful today as it was in 77. Filled with the Spirit, we go forth to share the Gospel. But, we aren't alone. We are part of a powerful community living the life of Jesus. Our community and the desire to live a life fully for the Lord was a powerful tool in evangelism. Many gave their lives to Christ because they experienced authentic Christianity.

 Joyce Clark was the Pastor's Secretary and also the wife of Larry Clark who wrote the piece on Jimmy Carter. She writes about how the love we have for one another can help us enter into the love that God has for us.

No matter what kind of community or church you have, rooms need to be cleaned and equipped. This is just the reality of living in this world.

Larry finishes his article on Jimmy Carter on a balanced note -- still true.

Ken has an insightful little article about how we are privileged to receive the promises of God. But with the privilege is a responsibility to share this with others so that they can also enter into this life.

 I personally love the column, In the Family. For those who weren't there, you can see some of the things happening in the community. For those who were there, it can evoke great memories.

 I have a vague memory of Gary. I am so glad that we had all of these little, personal stories in OLT. We were just people.

The conclusion of In the family is also on this page.

As we come to the last page, Clay concludes his article on Evangelism

Our Life Together Vol. 4 Nr. 50 December 23, 1976

I can hardly believe that it has been over a year since I have published one of these blogs. I am very disappointed in myself and will try to do a little better. I might also add that, if you are unfamiliar with this blog, it is a commentary on the publication Our Life Together. This magazine was a chronicle of the Ministering Community of the First Baptist Church of Chula Vista from 1973-1982. It also functioned as a communication vehicle for the Holy Spirit Renewal Ministries (which was known as the American Baptist Charismatic Fellowship in those days.)

One of our major ministries in the 70s and 80s was the ministry of Abbagraphics. The cover of this issue is an example of their work. I might add that we were blessed with an abundance of creative people in art, music, dance, drama and writing. Really amazing!

The primary article in this issue is The Proof of Love by Ken Pagaard (written before he changed his name to his ancestral spelling.) On this page, as he begins the article, he states that all of our possessions are spiritual -- including money. Secondly, we are only stewards of our possessions -- all we have belongs to God.

On this second page of the article, Ken discusses how we should give. There are three truths, we should give primarily -- it is the first item on the budget. We should give regularly and we should give cheerfully. It is a privilege to give, not a burden.

Mary Macagno, one of the young married women in the church provides the first article. She was the wife of Jim Macagno and was related to the Magnan clan (?) She describes her healing from epilepsy. This is a profound healing. The only controversy is her statement that most cases of epilepsy are caused by the demonic. I don't know the answer to that claim but even though some is caused by the demonic, I am not sure that all are. I also believe that we should be careful about giving away medications too soon. Nevertheless, it is a great testimony to God's healing.

The next article is an excerpt from a letter by Wes and Cheryl Brown. They have been servants many years. Wes has served as a pastor as well as President of the American Baptist Seminary of the West. He and Cheryl were active in the Holy Spirit Renewal Ministry for many years.

Larry Clark wrote a nice little article about the need for diversity in the church. One of my favorite Bible Scholars, Gordon Fee actually said the churches built on the homogeneous principle are not really Biblical churches.

Shirley McColloch was one of the leaders in the church for many years. Many others also wrote nice poems which were printed on OLT.

Ray Philips later married, and the last I knew of him was that he was flying for one of the mission agencies. He was a sober young man, deeply committed to the Lord. The basic circumstances may have changed, but the article is still timely today.

The article begun by Wes and Cheryl Brown also concludes on this page.

Then, we begin the column In the Family.

In this article, Clay discusses the need for restoration of the church. His prayer for the church is still needed. Where has the moral authority of the church gone to? We have sold our birthright for negligible political power. Where is the real power of the Holy Spirit?

Ken continues his article with the Measure of Christian Giving followed by the Motive for Christian Giving.

Ken's conclusion starts with the quote from 2 Corinthians 8 that we must first give ourselves to the Lord. He follows up his article by citing some of our needs as the year ends.

Welda Koenig ends this issue with a little story about the difference between what Jesus gives and what Santa gives. Welda and her husband Bill still live in Chula Vista.

Our Life Together Vol. 4 Nr. 49 December 16, 1976

This is a real nice cover. I like the statement, "Beneath the breast of Jesus beats the heart of God."

Ken starts the article discussing how central the Incarnation is to a proper understanding of Christianity. He starts in the Gospel of John where Jesus is asked by Philip to show him the Father. Jesus answers by saying, "He who has seen me has seen the Father." This is a good article on the subject.

Then there is an announcement of the children's dance program to be performed on Christmas Eve.

Shelly Hendrickson wrote a nice little poem about surrender to God. Almost every issue I marvel at the people who were a part of the Community in those days. Shelly is still in the local area. I see her every once in a while.

The major article on this page is Clay's writing on The Mission of the Church: The Church as a Counter-Culture. This is partly a rationale for living in community as we were doing. His statement, "We are to live in the church and go into the world instead of living in the world and going to church," gets to the point. We are to live different kind of lives. Clay and I don't live a communal life-style any longer -- and don't want to -- but the principles expounded are still a major part of our lives.

Ken also completes his cover article on this page.

Larry's article is an exhortation to "hang in there." When we are growing in the Lord, it may seem that everything is getting worse, but this is temporary. He uses the example of Jesus being led into the desert to be tempted by Satan immediately after being anointed by the Holy Spirit. Larry is talking about some specific situations, but I can certainly attest that it was during the difficult times that I grew most rapidly. Even though I really like good times, they aren't usually times of major growth.

Clay's testimony is just wonderful. As we like to say, "There are no coincidences." These kind of stories were not unusual in those days. I still think that is meant to be normal Christianity.

Earl Kuester of Gardena was one of the circle of pastors who were growing as part of the Charismatic Movement. He presents a mini-book review about a writing on the "proofs" of Jesus as the Messiah. I never read the book. Whether I read the book or not, I know that Jesus is the Messiah, my Savior and Lord.

Pat Vos (no Frehafer) is one of my friends on Facebook. She is still working with the Lord. Her testimony is similar to the one from the last page. God was alive and working in our midst. 

The issue closes with a Christmas Poem. Roger Jump was one of the ministers who worked for the Region.

Our Life Together Vol. 4 Nr. 48, Dec. 9, 1976

I really like the cover. Evil is the reverse of Live. Then the theme scripture surrounding those two words. Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil. Rick Warren wrote "The Purpose Driven Life." Jesus also lived a purpose driven life -- he destroyed the works of the devil.

Ken Pagaard wrote the cover article. He started with the theme verse and then moves into the purpose of the devil. John 8:44 says that Satan is a destroyer of life -- a murderer from the beginning. Jesus reverses this by giving us the gift of life. Jesus not only surrendered his life, but he also gives us new life. Satan is a deceiver and liar; Jesus is the way the truth and the life. Satan is at work in the darkness; Jesus is the light of the world. This is a great article on what Jesus did for us as opposed to what Satan's plans are for us.

While Larry Clark's article is about the legacy of Jesus rather than the purpose of Jesus, the theme is very similar. Jesus sent us the Holy Spirit to give us life and to empower that life. The purpose of the legacy of Jesus intertwined.

For those of you who were around at this time, read the In the Family -- interesting.

Clay Ford continues his series on Ephesians 4:11-12 by discussing the Pastoral Ministry. He discusses how he really became aware that the traditional pastoral ministry -- visiting, counseling and calling on the sick -- usually reserved for ordained clergy, is really the ministry of the family. Of course, here, by family, he is discussing what we had in the Ministering Community. We had 13 communal households that lived like a family. We also had many non-resident households that functioned as an extended family. Yet, I believe that what Clay discovered is still true even in congregations without the Community. The church is a family and all of us must function as a family. This is a word that still works today.

Gerald Pearce writes about learning to become compassionate rather than judgemental. He uses the book Please Get Your Hands Off My Throat, by David Wilkerson to demonstrate the point. Here again, the point made by Gerald, and I suppose also by David Wilkerson, is still timely. I remember Gerald. He came to the church for years. The last time I saw him, he was attending First Baptist Church of National City. I haven't seen him for years.

I like the little piece by Cindy Hazard. I have no idea where she is now. She used to be a member of the Oaklawn House. She also went in the same van as I did on one of our long trips. One of those really nice people that have just dropped out of your life. Normal, but sad.

I suppose that Larry Clark put together the Points to Ponder. He was always active in providing quotes of conferences. They certainly don't need any commentary. They are all from National Leaders at the time.

Ron Alsop was the leader of one of the non-resident households. This article is a reflection of one day, one meeting. We are guilty, we are forgiven -- then let's live for this day. Ron and his wife Judy are still active in ministry. I haven't seen them for some time but they are Facebook friends, so I get to keep up with them.

This page contains the completion of the articles written by both Ken and Clay. Of course there is also a happy heart -- with a happy face. 

Our Life Together Vol. 4 Nr. 47 December 2, 1976

The cover sets the stage for Ken's lead article on the healing of the lame man at the pool of Bethesda which is found in John 5.

Ken wisely lays the groundwork; healing occurs when one wants to be healed. I do question the statement that 80%of all illness is psychosomatic. Of course, this is written in the 70s! I do agree however that we deal with not only physical illness but emotional and spiritual components to that illness. We are all complex individuals. Actually this is a very practical exegesis of the problem of healing. It is basically still applicable today.

Larry's article on Words of Appreciation is still timely. I don't think that we fully understand how to appreciate people in our congregation, or to accept a compliment. We seem to feel that if we give someone a compliment, that we think that they are just performing; remember it is all for the Lord. Then there is the person who sings well and someone compliments them. "Oh, it wasn't me! It was the Lord." I always tried to tell the people in the choir that when complimented just say, "Thank You!" Certainly Larry is right, we are trying to do these things for the Lord. Yet, it is nice to be appreciated.

The picture looks a lot like the Sonshine household (or was it earlier when it was Skyhill Ct.?) I see Clay, Cheri and their kids; Kerry, Carolyn Farrer and child. Most of the household has been cropped out. Clay really has written a nice article on the importance of family -- not just the nuclear family, but the church as family. I think that this was the strong point of our Ministering Community. No, I don't want to go back -- but the seven years that I lived at Westby Household was a major high point of my life. 

Bob and Irene Biccum were members for a few years. They were among the real old (probably late 50s or early 60s -- seems young now.) I believe that they were originally from Canada. They held no "position" in the church and they weren't in one of the residential households. They were strong members of the church.

Bobby Dyal wrote a lot for OLT. They were usually like this, short little articles. He was another of the old ones. Patty Hendricks -- I remember her -- whatever happened to her? I don't know who Steve Spohn is. Then of course "In the Family" always brings back memories to me.

One of the amazing things at this time was the size of the Basic Principles (New Members) class. We had several of these classes every year. I eventually became one of the teachers of this class. These were such exciting days. Something was always happening. 

Janet Scott is discussing our Halloween festival. We didn't call it Halloween -- it was an alternative. We continued to hold alternative festivals for years. They took many forms, but they were always great times.

Danny Stolebarger found it! I was always jealous of his ability to grow facial hair. He could have a beard one day, shave the next and have another beard the next day. I could go weeks without shaving and no one noticed. I still like keeping up on him and his family through face book.

Our Life Together Vol. 4 Nr. 46 November 24, 1976

This is the Thanksgiving issue of 1976. It is hard to believe that this was 38 years ago. Clay Ford in his article talks about the Mission of the Church in the last quarter of the 20th century. It has come and gone. How quickly the time passes.

The issues of submission and obedience became quite controversial during the latter period of our community but Ken Pagaard provides a helpful exposition of the difference between a submissive spirit and legalistic submission. He provides examples when the Christian really can't submit, yet they can maintain a spirit of submission -- humility. Ken states the rebelliousness is, "Pride (which)is the refusing to bow before man or God. It is our own willfulness, the big 'I'. It is what Lucifer expressed in the heavens and what Adam and Eve insisted on in Eden."

The small article by Grace Cleary is a nice word on the hope which comes from God's grace and forgiveness. 

This is the first article on The Mission of the Church by Clay. This article really just begins to discuss the various views that exist as to the mission of the church -- or if there is even a contemporary mission.

I liked McFoone's guidelines for the Thanksgiving meal -- although it might bring on an attack of guilt. 

The report on the Mid-America Conference on the Holy Spirit is interesting to me. There are many names of people that are no longer with us but were important during this period of renewal. I remember most of them. 

I am also awed by those on the planning conference for the Kansas City Celebration. Of course the celebration itself will be discussed in later issues, but it was a major event in the Holy Spirit, Charismatic Renewal of the 20th century. I was there!

This page starts the "Quotable Quotes from the conference. The picture of the great men planning for the Kansas City Celebration is awesome.

Larry Clark was so faithful on providing the "Quotable Quotes." I remember Lynn Buzzard. He spoke at First Baptist the following year. He was funny -- I didn't know that Attorneys could be funny. 

My report on the Here's Life campaign is glowing. I (we) were quite excited about the results. The call center was in a local real estate office and was provided by Art Alari (I thought of him because today is his birthday.) But, my heart is saddened by the realization of how empty the long term results of the campaign were. I'm sure that some people became followers of Christ and have followed up until this day -- and that makes it worth it -- but, the results were not really what we hoped for.

Linda Coale was a good writer. She was always able to come up with a short article that had pithy teaching. 

The conclusion of Clay's article is on the page followed by a plea for subscription renewal. As expensive as the publication was in those days -- I'm glad we aren't doing it now.