Good Thursday Afternoon, Everyone! Right now, if you are real quiet, you can hear the hustle and bustle of choir members packing their bags and getting ready for their big weekend at Lake Junaluska. They are quite excited to go for a weekend of retreat, relaxation, and rejoicing! Our prayers are with all of those who are going. We pray for a safe trip, a spirit-filled weekend, and a safe return home. HOWEVER, not ALL of us are going all retreat, so we promise to have a great worship service this weekend!! We plan to introduce a new song to you, written by Rhonda Vincent and the Rage, entitled "You Don't Love God, If You Don't Love Your Neighbor." Many thanks to Jeff Knight and Anita Knight who helped us with the accompaniment. Here's a sample of what you will here... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WMPZ-hvwqwgAlso, the worship service for Sunday will focus on Jesus' teaching in Matthew 22. He teaches a lawyer (and us) that the two greatest commandments are LOVE GOD and LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR. Jesus quotes two verses from the Old Testament... Deuteronomy 6:4 and Leviticus 19:18. It is interesting of the 600 laws in the Torah, these are the two. Deut. 6:4 would be pretty obvious for any good Pharisee, but Leviticus 19:18 is a little obscure, hidden in the fine print. We will talk about how Jesus lifting this text to the forefront of the Torah shapes how we live as Christ's Disciples. We will also unveil your answers to the question asked last week... "Where have you seen God in the life and Glencoe, and what difference did it make in the community." You will be impressed with your answers, and it will help us shape our future. Attached is the bulletin for Sunday so you can see other announcements for the coming week. Prayer Request Update.... Kay Tingen remains at Moses Cone Amelia Friddle is at home continuing her chemo treatment. See you Sunday! In Christ, Pastor Ed
 I'm trying to do my updates a little earlier in the week, so how about 12 hours earlier than usual! Hey, it's a start. :-) Here is a group picture of all the children and youth who went on the Maize Adventure last week! 24 people in all!!! What a great Sunday!
This weekend, I encourage all of you to attend Charge Conference at Morehead UMC on Horse Pen Creek Road, Sunday at 2pm. This annual event sets the course for our church for the coming year. We officially submit our officer's nominations, set the salary for the pastor, and report to our District Superintendent, Duke Ison, what we plan to do in the future to make disciples of Jesus Christ. Randall Cox will be making a presentation, so please come to encourage him and one another. There will also be vibrant worship and sharing with other UM congregations. In preparation for Charge Conference, I would like to ask all of you to answer this question before Sunday... "Where have you seen God in the life of your church and what difference did it make in your community?" Please E-MAIL your response to me ASAP at edmckinney@alumni.duke.edu. The key is to answer BOTH parts of the question. On Monday and Tuesday of this week, I attended Duke Divinity's Convocation and Pastor's School. This annual event is a continuing education event for many pastors to hone their skills and gain knowledge on worship and Scripture. This year's convocation was entitled "Drawn into Scripture: Arts and the Life of the Church." I attended four outstanding lectures by premier musicians and a novelist that practice their craft within the Christian tradition as theologians, worship leaders, and faith disciples. I also took a seminar called "Poetry, Prose, and Performance" which discussed the importance of using the right words to convey the sermon. I come from these events inspired and ready to preach on Sunday! (If only I knew what exactly to preach on.) :-) Nothing to fear! The key text for Sunday is Matthew 22:15-22. A passage where Jesus utters those famous words, "Render unto Caesar that which is Caesar's, render unto God the things that are God's." These words are often quoted when talking about giving to the church verses paying taxes. However, the text goes much deeper than that. What if I say, "I believe that it ALL belongs to God, not Caesar!" Where does that put our allegiance to Caesar, to government, to culture? We as Christians have a dual-citizenship. We live in this world and we are citizens of God's kingdom. How do we balance our allegiances when sometimes the earthly kingdom and heavenly kingdom seem so diametrically opposed? That question will keep you awake at night. Other News: Game Volunteers and Trunk-Or-Treaters are needed for the Harvest Festival on October 28th! Sign up by speaking to Lori or signing the sign up sheet in the Narthex. Also, everyone bring a real pumpkin so a kid can make a jack-0-lantern. The Garden Outlet has pumpkins for $5! What a deal. Support the Claeys as they move to their new location behind Gastown. Brunswick stew is the weekend of November 4 and 5. Please get your orders in. I just took an order for 8 quarts! Also, we need cookers on Friday and sellers on Saturday. See Bob Ballew for Friday help or Latina Dixon for Saturday help! Coming in November. Small Group Study: Christmas Is Not Your Birthday by Mike Slaughter. Christmas has been hijacked and exploited. We have professed allegiance to Jesus but celebrate his birth with a frenzy of materialism. Christmas is not your birthday; it’s Jesus birthday! This study will help you reclaim the broader missional meaning of Jesus’ birth and experience a Christmas season with more peace and joy than any toy or gadget could ever bring. Days and Times to be determined. You have a preference on day and time, e-mail me now at edmckinney@alumni.duke.edu. Prayer updates: Kay Tingen is at Moses Cone Hospital. Amelia Friddle went home today after spending about a week at Morehead Memorial. Linda Hawk continues to improve following knee surgery. She is at home in Elon. We are blessed to have such a wonderful church! Hope to see you Sunday! In Christ, Pastor Ed
You want to follow Christ, and not look back: remember that, as you walk in his footsteps, you will be irresistibly drawn to share, and to a great simplicity of life.
Perhaps you could place these Gospel words on the wall of you home; they come straight from the heart of Christ: "Whatever you do to the least of my brothers and sisters, you are doing to me!" (Matthew 25:40)
Who will give the best of their creative gifts so that suffering throughout the world may be alleviated, in places where there is sickness or hunger or appalling housing conditions?
Who will understand the cry of all those living in the "land of the shadow of death?" (Isaiah 9:1, Luke 1:79) Who will be a ferment of trust and of peace, so as to break out of a spiral of hatred and fear between individuals and peoples?
Forgive and Forgive Again
You want to follow Christ, and not look back: are you going to make your way through life with a heart that is reconciled, even amid the most crippling tensions? Suppose people distort your intentions. If you are judged wrongly (Mt 5:11-12) because of Christ, forgive. You will find that you are free, free beyond compare. Forgive and then forgive again. That is the highest expression of loving (Mt 18:21-22). There you make yours the prayer of Jesus, “Forgive them, they do not know what they are doing” (Lk 23:34).
You forgive not in order to change the other person, but simply to follow Christ.
You want to follow Christ, and not look back (Luke 9:62): will you dare to put your trust in the Gospel time and time again? (Mark 1:15)
Will you keep setting off anew, drawn on by the One who walks quietly beside you, never imposing himself? The Risen Christ is present within you, and goes before you on the way.
Will you let him place a source of refreshment in the hollow of your being? Or will you blush with confusion, and even say, "I am not worthy to be loved by him?"
What is fascinating about God is how humbly he is present. God never punishes, never wounds our human dignity. God does not extort our obedience. Any authoritarian gesture would disfigure him. The impression that God comes to punish is one of the greatest obstacles to faith.
Christ, 'poor and humble of heart' (Matthew 11:29), never forces anyone's hand.
If he imposed himself, who would dare invite you to follow him?
In the silence of your heart he whispers, 'Don't be afraid, I am here.' (Matthew 14:27)
Recognized or not, the Risen Christ remains close to every person, even those unaware of him. He is there in secret.
A fire burning in the human heart, a light in the darkness (John 1:45), he loves you as you were his sole concern (Isaiah 43:4). He has given his life for you (John 15:13). That is his secret.
|
RSS Feed