Six Days & Counting

We survived Hurricane Irene. We didn't loose power or have any windows broken, but there were trees down all over Winchester and half the town was without electricity. The wind and the rain were amazing. Gene and Patrick went for a walk twice and came back soaked.
We have six days until Sunday, September 4th when we meet with our returning students for the first time this fall, and we meet 3000 freshmen at Splash. We are printing our flyers, making our table banners, and we have our t-shirts. We are also preparing for our first Chi Alpha meeting on Tuesday, September 6th. I've planned worship, prepped the worship team, emailed our student officers to let them know their roles and Gene is preparing his presentation.
I am also trying to get Laura ready to go to college. I will be driving her down to Savannah, Georgia next Wednesday. Patrick and Aaron started school to day, and I saw a tree starting to get fall colors this morning as I walked Aaron to school. Summer is definitely over for the Breitenbachs.
I have listed below our September events. Please pray for them. Pray that we meet and retain at least 50 new students this fall, and that we meet many preChristians with whom we can begin to establish relationships right away. Thank you for partnering with us.


Pre-Splash Meeting - September 4

Splash - September 4

Religious Life Fair - September 6

First Chi Alpha Meeting - September 6

Dessert Night Study Break - September 8

Sunset Harbor Cruise - September 9

Faith & Science (Dorm Talk) - September 15

Fall Retreat - October 1

From A to B

I had the privilege of teaching at my home church here in Boston a couple of Sundays ago. I used an illustration that I thought might encourage all of you, too.

I was teaching about how God wants us to plan and dream big in his kingdom, but to hold those plans and dreams loosely, and to trust him for their outcome.

Point A is where I am today, and point B is where I want to be in the future (my goals, dreams, the person I want to be in Christ, etc.). The distance between point A and B is never a straight line with God. He wants us to dream and plan and look ahead to where he wants us to go, but getting there is never a direct trip with him. He takes us on winding roads with detours and side trips. We eventually get to point B and we get our hearts desire, but along the way he changes our hearts and lives and we realize that the dreams we made were so small compared to what we actually reach. My point B, in God's hands, becomes richer, deeper and very different than what I had planned. In fact its better, more life changing and world changing than I could have imagined.

No matter where you are on the path with God, moving toward your dreams, don't get discouraged. It's not going to be direct or instant. It's going to be a great adventure, a deepening experience, with challenges you will have to trust God for, and when you get to the end you will have changed into the person God wants you to be, and he will have given you your heart's desire. 

I hope that is an encouraging word for you all. We continue to work on preparing for the first week of school. In three weeks the students will return to Boston and we will meet all the new students that God has been preparing for us. Please continue to pray. Thank you.

True Worship Part 2

Here is part two of my thoughts on worship. This is a small part of the training material I am putting together for our students this fall. I hope these words encourage you.

Ephesians 5:1 & 2 “Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.”

Paul exhorts us to live the same kind of life that Jesus lived – a life of love. But not only should we live like Christ, but also imitate God in his love for us. And when we do this our life of love becomes a fragrant offering and sacrifice also.

Worship is more than a service we attend or a song we sing – it is a life. It is how we live every day – as dearly loved children, imitators of God, living a life of love. Our very living of life becomes true worship to God.

Paul takes us back to what Christ has done for us – he gave himself up for us. He offered perfect worship to God for us through his death on the cross. We could never do that, but now we can worship in truth through our faith in the death and resurrection of Jesus.

True spiritual worship starts in the death and resurrection of Jesus, and as we imitate God and live a life of love. This is the foundation of our true worship.