The New Church of Boulder Valley

In Daniel Chapter 4 Nebuchadnezzar dreams of a great tree that shelters the whole world, but in his dream an angelic “watcher” appears and decrees that the tree must be cut down and that for seven years he, Nebuchadnezzar, will have his human mind taken away and will eat grass like an ox. This comes to pass, and at the end of his punishment Nebuchadnezzar praises God.

There is a well know saying, “Pride goes before a fall.” We see this played out in the life of Nebuchadnezzar. He is warned in a dream of his fall from power but continues to see the strength and size of the kingdom of Babylon as a reflection of his own greatness and strength. It is all about him. He is driven from his kingdom and lives as an animal for seven years until he awakens from the drunkenness of his pride and recognizes God as the source of all that is good. The Lord’s goal is that we may live forever in a state of happiness. This can’t happen if we are full of ourselves. It may happen that difficult things happen to us (are permitted only because there is no other way) for the sake of the long view: our eternal happiness.

Join us for worship this Sunday at 10:30 a.m.

In the book of Daniel, Chapter 3, King Nebuchadnezzar made a ninety foot tall gold image and compelled all to worship the image or be thrown into a burning fiery furnace. Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, given the names Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego by Nebuchadnezzar, refuse to worship any other God but Jehovah. Enraged by their refusal Nebuchadnezzar commanded that the furnace be heated seven times more than usual and that they be bound and thrown in. They were unharmed in any way.

Our ego (Nebuchadnezzaar) continues to try to turn everything and everyone toward itself and becomes infuriated when that doesn’t happen. One of the first temptations we face when we try to resist the promptings of our ego is the desire to turn the truths we know (Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego) into servants of our ego rather than allowing them to point us toward correcting our behaviors and a life of service toward others. Do we trust the Lord and His Word or do we trust ourselves and our own intelligence? Do we get angry when things don’t go our way and people don’t do what we want?

We will explore this story more fully on Sunday at 10:30 a.m. We hope to see you then!

Do you ever feel like the person in this photo… working really hard on something but it isn’t making any difference? This is what it is like when our motivation is self or ego gratification. The result is frustration rather than gratification.

In the story of Daniel there is a part of us pictured by king Nebuchadnezzar – a tyrant that wants what he wants and threatens and acts out when he doesn’t get it and lives in a state of anxiety about the future. There is also a part of us pictured by Daniel – the part of us that is calm and trusting and can make wise and loving choices when given a chance and given a voice. There is a battle we are engaged in. The battle of which one we will act from and listen to.

Join us this week as we look into how to quiet the tyrant king and let the wise and loving Daniel guide who we are going to be.

See you Sunday at 10:30 a.m.

We are beginning a six week series on the story of Daniel. It is a story of courage to stand up for what you believe in, to trust in God and the gradual development of a love in our lives that can overrule the ego that wants to control our lives and the lives of others. It is a story of how we can move from the unhappiness that comes when we let our ego rule our lives to the happiness, freedom and joy that comes when we let love from God rule in our lives.

We hope you will join us in person or online on Sundays at 10:30 a.m.

They say that old habits die hard. Perhaps it is because some of the habits we have are useful for a while in order to get us moving in the right direction. As imperfect as they may be, they can serve that use. However, at some point, when the Lord sees that we are ready, those habits can be changed or let go of so newer, more truly useful habits can take their place. Habits that are part of our new spiritual character.

Join us Sunday at 10:30 a.m. as we dig into this topic.

Life is a journey. The destination is happiness, fulfillment, belonging and being part of something bigger than ourselves–being able to use our gifts to be of service to the greater good.

We know what the journey is like because we have been on it for a long time. We know it has its ups and downs, rough patches and times of peace. And we know we have to keep working at it even when it seems like it is too much to handle or as if we aren’t getting anywhere.

Keep going. Taking it one day at a time. Knowing you are loved and are being led to greater and greater states of happiness, no matter what it might seem like now or along the way.

We hope you can be with us this Sunday at 10:30 a.m. as we gather in worship and community.

Bible stories can certainly be unusual, but they are shared because they tell a story of what is going on inside of ourselves. In the story of Jacob we read of him moving a large stone by his own strength and working for fourteen years without complaint all because of the love he had for Rachel.

This story helps us to understand that it is love that motivates us to learn and to work and to understand and to be happy. It is love that helps us to see things as they truly are. And when we are motivated by a love for what is good things start to make sense and life begins to unfold in a wonderful new way.

Join us this Sunday as we continue to dig into the inner, spiritual meaning of the story of Jacob from the book of Genesis.

We are going to be looking at a story in the Bible about Jacob. Jacob was leaving all that was familiar to him and going to a place he had never been. On the way he had a dream of a ladder or stairway to heaven. There were angels going up and coming down on it. He also received a message of comfort, that he would be blessed, not be alone, be kept safe and would return to his home some day.

Translating this to our lives? We all are on a journey. It may seem scary and worrisome to make new changes. This story shows us that if we go forward with a few simple goals in mind we will be led toward higher states of happiness and peace.

You are invited to worship this Sunday at 10:30 a.m. We hope to see you then!

What are healthy boundaries? How do we protect ourselves and feel safe and confident in what we believe and hold important, and how do we identify and respect the boundaries that others have set for themselves?  Do we unknowingly put up walls that keep us disconnected from others? What walls can come down and what walls might need to go up in our personal lives?

Let’s talk more about this on Sunday at 10:30 a.m.

There is a parable in the New Testament about a landowner who went out at 6 am, 9 am, noon, 3pm and 5 pm to find workers for his vineyard.  They all agreed to work for the same wage.  At the end of the day those hired first expected more and grumbled at what they received.

This parable illustrates a progression from an attitude of “what’s in it for me?” to one of helping with no thought of reward. We are taught that this latter attitude brings with it one of the greatest kinds of happiness we can experience.

This week when you do nice or kind things for others if thoughts of reward show up recognize them and ask for help in letting them go.  Refocus your attention on the joy your efforts might give to others and see how your heart begins to change.

See you Sunday at 10:30 a.m.