Saturday, September 19, 2009
4th Grade Field Trip
Andy's trip to the State Capitol... they don't call it capitol hill for nothing!
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Ezekiel and the Valley of the Dry Bones
[caption id="attachment_442" align="alignright" width="339" caption="Ezekiel preaches to a tough audience.... "]
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Cool title... I just need a sermon. Sunday I'll be looking at the message of Ezekiel... now here's a guy that God really messed with! "Eat this scroll", "Lay on your side for a year", "Shave your head", "Eat this over a fire of human dung"... what was he thinking? Of course, Ezekiel being the faithful prophet of God that he was... always did just as God commanded. (Actually he did protest having to eat his meals cooked over human poop, so God made an allowance and told him that he could use cow manure instead... I'm still not sure that was any better, though.)
Anyway, as eccentric as Ezekiel was... what was his message? I love the task he was given in ch 37... "Go and preach to a bunch of rotting skeletons in the valley of dry bones." Woo hoo! I've preached before some dead audiences before, but THIS is ridiculous! Actually it was a huge object lesson for Ezekiel and for Israel. God is giving the people a message of hope in the midst of despair and telling them that He can bring forth life from their destroyed and "dead" nation. And if God can bring life to dead bones, and if God can bring life back to Israel after their total and utter destruction... wonder what else He can do?
Thoughts for Sunday???
[/caption]Cool title... I just need a sermon. Sunday I'll be looking at the message of Ezekiel... now here's a guy that God really messed with! "Eat this scroll", "Lay on your side for a year", "Shave your head", "Eat this over a fire of human dung"... what was he thinking? Of course, Ezekiel being the faithful prophet of God that he was... always did just as God commanded. (Actually he did protest having to eat his meals cooked over human poop, so God made an allowance and told him that he could use cow manure instead... I'm still not sure that was any better, though.)
Anyway, as eccentric as Ezekiel was... what was his message? I love the task he was given in ch 37... "Go and preach to a bunch of rotting skeletons in the valley of dry bones." Woo hoo! I've preached before some dead audiences before, but THIS is ridiculous! Actually it was a huge object lesson for Ezekiel and for Israel. God is giving the people a message of hope in the midst of despair and telling them that He can bring forth life from their destroyed and "dead" nation. And if God can bring life to dead bones, and if God can bring life back to Israel after their total and utter destruction... wonder what else He can do?
Thoughts for Sunday???
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Labor Day Weekend "Kicks-off" FALL at Washington Street
I love Labor Day weekend! What could be a better way to honor all of those who work day in and day out all year long to make our country what it is... what could be a better way to celebrate our jobs and thank God for the jobs we have... than to take the day off?! I think its a great idea and we should do it more often (hear that, bosses?) And Sunday morning was such a special time to be together as a church family. There seemed to be a special air of excitement about! Labor Day weekend always brings visitors our way... some newcomers and many old friends who come to town just for a short visit. I'm told that unless you're a dove, it's a great time to be in Lincoln County! I wholeheartedly agree. And with the "kick-off" of College football also this weekend, you can just tell that Fall is around the corner... although the temperature has yet to dip low enough for it to truly feel like Football season.
With Fall comes more opportunities for new beginnings at church as well.
Our Share Groups got off to a great "kick-off" Sunday night. Thank you to all of our group leaders for the wonderful hosting job they did and for all the scrumptuous ice cream which was served! I am looking forward to our first Share Group meeting THIS Sunday night. With that, the time of our services are again being adjusted to accomodate people's schedules.
Beginning THIS Sunday, the evening group will meet at 5pm for a devotional and prayer in the auditorium. Most of our groups will be meeting Sunday evenings at 6pm, including a Share Group for parents of teens in the youth group meeting which will meet at the building.
Along these lines, let me remind you of the challenge I made to us all on Sunday. Let's be on the lookout for ways that we can help encourage and "connect" folks... maybe folks who have been sick, out of town, or otherwise not in worship. Make a special effort this week to drop them a note, give them a call or just drop by to let them know that they are missed. Over the next few weeks on Sunday nights, we'll be exploring ways we can help more people "connect" to our church family and most importantly to God! Thank you again for letting me serve in such a loving, church family!
With Fall comes more opportunities for new beginnings at church as well.
Our Share Groups got off to a great "kick-off" Sunday night. Thank you to all of our group leaders for the wonderful hosting job they did and for all the scrumptuous ice cream which was served! I am looking forward to our first Share Group meeting THIS Sunday night. With that, the time of our services are again being adjusted to accomodate people's schedules.
Beginning THIS Sunday, the evening group will meet at 5pm for a devotional and prayer in the auditorium. Most of our groups will be meeting Sunday evenings at 6pm, including a Share Group for parents of teens in the youth group meeting which will meet at the building.
Along these lines, let me remind you of the challenge I made to us all on Sunday. Let's be on the lookout for ways that we can help encourage and "connect" folks... maybe folks who have been sick, out of town, or otherwise not in worship. Make a special effort this week to drop them a note, give them a call or just drop by to let them know that they are missed. Over the next few weeks on Sunday nights, we'll be exploring ways we can help more people "connect" to our church family and most importantly to God! Thank you again for letting me serve in such a loving, church family!
Saturday, September 5, 2009
Jeremiah
Jeremiah is famously known as the "weeping prophet" but why? I just finished reading through Lamentations (which most ascribe to Jeremiah) and Brad did an excellent job last week preaching from Jeremiah itself. What a dismal message the poor guy had to deliver! Wow...
Still, I've got an affinity for the guy. Here he is... a prophet of God... called to preach God's Word to the doomed nation of Judah and he hates it! He absolutely hates his job. No matter what he does, he can't win. When he preaches what God wants him to... the people hate him. But when he doesn't, he can't stand himself. There's a "fire in his bones" that he just can't contain. The only thing Jeremiah hates worse than preaching God's Word is NOT preaching God's Word.
I guess I've had those days... certainly not to the degree Jeremiah did. Still, I've got to admire him. Here he is preaching away... for 40+ years... and nobody ever listens. The people don't listen. His family doesn't listen. The kings don't listen. At one point the king even burns all the man's sermons and he has to start all over! There are times when I feel like nobody is listening to what I'm saying... and yet Jeremiah pressed on. He was faithful. He kept preaching... in season... out of season... despite hardship... despite persecution... despite apathy and despite outright hatred. (you'd cry too if it happened to you!) He kept on. A good example to consider, I think.
Still, I've got an affinity for the guy. Here he is... a prophet of God... called to preach God's Word to the doomed nation of Judah and he hates it! He absolutely hates his job. No matter what he does, he can't win. When he preaches what God wants him to... the people hate him. But when he doesn't, he can't stand himself. There's a "fire in his bones" that he just can't contain. The only thing Jeremiah hates worse than preaching God's Word is NOT preaching God's Word.
I guess I've had those days... certainly not to the degree Jeremiah did. Still, I've got to admire him. Here he is preaching away... for 40+ years... and nobody ever listens. The people don't listen. His family doesn't listen. The kings don't listen. At one point the king even burns all the man's sermons and he has to start all over! There are times when I feel like nobody is listening to what I'm saying... and yet Jeremiah pressed on. He was faithful. He kept preaching... in season... out of season... despite hardship... despite persecution... despite apathy and despite outright hatred. (you'd cry too if it happened to you!) He kept on. A good example to consider, I think.
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