Thoughts and Musings from My Faith Journey
Jenny will be preaching tomorrow morning on the Gospel of Matthew 4.12-23 with a sermon titled “Ordinary Growth.” The other two scripture readings will be Isaiah 9.1-4 and 1 Corinthians 1.10-18. The choir will be singing “Arise, Shine” and “Firm Foundation.” The congregation will be singing “Jesus Calls Us,” “Lord, You Have Come to the Lakeshore,” and “I have decided to Follow Jesus.”
“If things brought happiness, the U.S. would be a delirious nation.”
— Lee Sankey
The board of trustees met yesterday and, among other actions, approved the conversion of the lower level of the southeast sanctuary stairwell into an “infant soothing room” as part of our continuing efforts to be more welcoming to children and their parents. An “infant soothing room” is what used to be called a cry room.
Via Tony Wood who must have somehow sensed that I needed the reminder:
“… numerical growth [in the church] should not be overemphasized. … An increase in quantity does not automatically bring an increase in quality. A larger membership does not necessarily represent a correspondingly increased commitment to Christ. Almost always the creative, dedicated minority has made the world better.”
— Martin Luther King, Jr., “A Knock at Midnight”
Pastor Eduardo Bousson, a good friend of Jenny and I and Washburn University Campus Minister, will be preaching this Sunday while our family is attending my Grandma Neuschwander’s 90th birthday celebration in Tribune, Kansas. His Text will be John 1.35-42. Brian Walker knows Eduardo and is very excited, you should be also.
We, as a congregation, have again been given the honor of hosting Coffeyville’s Martin Luther King Day Celebration. PINCH released provided the following press release:
People for Institutional and Communal Harmony (PINCH) is sponsoring a Martin Luther King Day Celebration at 10:00 AM, January 17, 2011, at the First United Methodist Church at 10th and Elm Streets in Coffeyville, Kansas.
Mr. Myron Kelso and Mrs. Sandra Simpson will be soloists and students from local schools and churches will be participating in the program.
Jesse Myles, the Diversity/At Risk Programs Coordinator for the Midwest Equity Assistance Center in Manhattan, Kansas, will be the featured speaker.
A light repast of soup/chili, dessert, and hot beverages will be served at the conclusion of the program. The community is invited to attend this event.
A freewill offering is requested.
Larry and Nancy Wright will be leading a book study on the book: Doing Justice in a Purple Congregation, by James R. Ryan. The study will begin on Tuesday, January 18, 2011, at 5:15 pm and continue every week for three weeks (four weeks in all). Chapters 1 and 2 will be covered at this first session. You can find a description of the book at the Colorado Council of Churches website. Please let Larry or Nancy know if you plan to attend but haven’t signed up yet.
Via Sojourners:
“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”
— Martin Luther King, Jr.
Due to inclement weather Choir Practice tonight has been canceled. The Vision Team will still be meeting at 5:15 pm in Room 102.
The youth went to Incredible Pizza in Tulsa yesterday following the 10:50 worship service. Everyone had a good time, but we forgot to take pictures.
Tony Campolo has an article called “What’s Wrong with Darwinism” that details the true ethical dangers of Darwinism. These ethical dangers have long concerned me* and, to the best of my knowledge, were a concern of the earliest fundamentalists.
*My theological beliefs aren’t threatened by the theory of evolution, if evolution is true, it’s simply the method by which God created the world, if it’s not true science will eventually move onto another theory.
I found a welcome mat and borrowed some shoes from Bennett and Emma Thompson. In case you’re wondering the shoes (from left to right) belong to Bennett, Emma, and me. Thanks Emma and Bennett.