He Made His Dwelling Among Us

Faith & Fellowship Magazine
Written By Tim Mathiesen

November/December 2023

He Made His Dwelling Among Us

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Featured
A Joyful Noise
Faith and Fellowship Magazine, 2023-06, Dwelling Among Us
A Joyful Noise
Faith and Fellowship Magazine, 2023-06, Dwelling Among Us

Some of my fondest childhood memories are of Christmas at my grandparents’ house. We lived about two hours north of them, so visiting them was always a treat, but Christmas was the highlight of the year. My grandparents’ home was like a magnet, pulling together our extended family to reconnect with one another and to celebrate the birth of the Christ child.

Faith and Fellowship Magazine, 2023-06, Dwelling Among Us
God…in the Wilderness
Faith and Fellowship Magazine, Dwelling Among Us, 2023-06
God…in the Wilderness
Faith and Fellowship Magazine, Dwelling Among Us, 2023-06

This past summer, I did something I had never done before: on two separate occasions, I set off on a 3-day, 2-night solo backpacking trip into the wilderness of a regional state park. More than once, friends asked me, “Are you sure you want to do this?

Faith and Fellowship Magazine, Dwelling Among Us, 2023-06
God…with Us
Faith and Fellowship Magazine, Dwelling Among Us, 2023-06
God…with Us
Faith and Fellowship Magazine, Dwelling Among Us, 2023-06

During the four hundred years of prophetic silence between the Old and New Testaments, generations of people like us were waiting and wondering and hoping for something. They believed there was more to life than what they saw around them. People were hurting, fighting, not loving, not trusting.

Faith and Fellowship Magazine, Dwelling Among Us, 2023-06
God…in the Church
Faith and Fellowship Magazine, Dwe, 2023-06
God…in the Church
Faith and Fellowship Magazine, Dwe, 2023-06

Do you trust God? Your initial response is probably, “Yes, of course I do.” But what about trusting God when you don’t understand what he’s doing? What about trusting God when he asks you to do something you fear? Do you trust God then?

Faith and Fellowship Magazine, Dwe, 2023-06
God’s Blessing
Faith and Fellowship Magazine, Stewardship, 2023-06
God’s Blessing
Faith and Fellowship Magazine, Stewardship, 2023-06

I have been an Elder at Hope Community Church in Nanuet, New York since 1999. Currently, I serve as the Church Chairman. I reside in Stony Point, NY with my wife Linda, and we have three children: Collin (engaged to be married to Gianna in July 2024), Brendan (married  Katari in August 2023), and Olivia.

Faith and Fellowship Magazine, Stewardship, 2023-06
A Perfect Hallmark Christmas
Faith and Fellowship Magazine, Women's Ministries, 2023-06, Dwelling Among Us
A Perfect Hallmark Christmas
Faith and Fellowship Magazine, Women's Ministries, 2023-06, Dwelling Among Us

All five of my kids are coming home for Christmas this year; I can hardly contain my excitement! With one missionary family and two pastors in the mix, merging our Christmas schedules is challenging. It has been thirteen years since we were all together on Christmas. Admittedly, I inwardly sigh with contentment whenever I picture them all here!

Faith and Fellowship Magazine, Women's Ministries, 2023-06, Dwelling Among Us
My Journey to a Lutheran Seminary
Lutheran Brethren Seminary, Faith and Fellowship Magazine, 2023-06, Dwelling Among Us
My Journey to a Lutheran Seminary
Lutheran Brethren Seminary, Faith and Fellowship Magazine, 2023-06, Dwelling Among Us

I grew up in a culturally Christian home, but it was a home that ultimately lacked any real devotion to Jesus Christ and his Word. Nevertheless, from a young age I believed there was a God and thought of myself as a Christian, though most of my Canadian peers did not.

Lutheran Brethren Seminary, Faith and Fellowship Magazine, 2023-06, Dwelling Among Us
An Everyday Hero Joining Jesus on His Mission
Faith and Fellowship Magazine, 2023-06, North American Mission, Disciple-Making
An Everyday Hero Joining Jesus on His Mission
Faith and Fellowship Magazine, 2023-06, North American Mission, Disciple-Making

Once upon a time, my heroes had been cowboys and crime fighters. Today, they are all connected to Jesus and his mission.

Faith and Fellowship Magazine, 2023-06, North American Mission, Disciple-Making
Learning to Live Like Them
Faith and Fellowship Magazine, Dwelling Among Us, International Mission, 2023-06
Learning to Live Like Them
Faith and Fellowship Magazine, Dwelling Among Us, International Mission, 2023-06

When God sent his Son to dwell among us, Jesus not only stepped into our world as God incarnate, but humbled himself to a position where others were invited to step into his world. The baby Jesus grew up learning how to live like the people around him—how to speak, eat, walk, laugh, and pray like they did.

Faith and Fellowship Magazine, Dwelling Among Us, International Mission, 2023-06
Tim Mathiesen
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Little Ears