When we started reading Seeing Gray in a World of Black and White: Thoughts on Religion, Morality, and Politic, by Adam Hamilton, several people noted that another “Grey” book was popular. I haven’t read the other book, Fifty Shades of Gray and neither has Jenny Rae Armstrong over at Red Letter Christians. Nonetheless, she’s written a good post about some of the implications of its rise in popularity. Her post, “Fifty Shades of Broken,” is here. She raises the excellent question, “And this is sexy why?”
Cast Party
Two days ago (Sunday, July 29, 2012) we hosted and sponsored the cast party for the Coffeyville Children’s Summer Theatre in fellowship hall. It was a great outreach opportunity and we were blessed. We’re looking forward to next year.
The Creed Explained — Part 1
Today I received a request from someone whom I won’t name—but whose initials are MKTB, for Mary Kai Taylor Brandenburg—for a number of expository posts on The Apostles’ Creed. This is a great idea, but I’m wondering if it would be better to discuss the more detailed, and explicitly trinitarian Nicene-Constantipolitan Creed instead. The Nicene-Constantipolitan Creed is the long creed we sometimes use in church in place of The Apostles’ Creed. I’ll be praying and thinking on this and hopefully, I’ll begin tomorrow when I’m back in the office.
Church Office Closed Tomorrow
Jenny and I are going to take a Sabbath tomorrow and Holly is out of town. Therefore the office will be closed, but we’ll reopen Tuesday with regular hours throughout the remainder of the week.
What is a Holy Kiss?
Last week, someone anonymously placed a card (like those we used for question and answer Sunday) in the collection plate asking what a “holy kiss” is? They also listed several scripture references where the term appears. This is an excellent question, and I’m glad that it was asked, but I’ll save it for the next question and answer Sunday. If it was your question and you don’t want to wait until then just let me know and I’ll go ahead and give you an answer.
New Text Message Number
Disclaimer: if you don’t send me text messages then there is no need for you to read the following, you’re welcome to, but it may be somewhat confusing.
On the back of the bulletin you’ll find cell phone numbers for Jenny and I, the parsonage phone number, and now a number to use for texting me with a 620 area code and a 464 prefix. If you call this number all you’ll get is my voice mail box, but if you send me a text, I’m able to respond using the alpha-numeric keyboard of my iPod rather than the numeric only keyboard of my phone. You can send me texts at my cell phone number, but I may very well respond from the new number. This applies only to me, and not to Jenny because she has more patience then I do.
Pray for Aurora
From United Methodist News Service:
“AURORA, Colo. (UMNS)—As Aurora and people everywhere reel from the July 20 shooting that left 12 dead and dozens injured, The United Methodist Church is sending messages of hope and healing into the community. The church is placing a full-page ad in the July 23 Denver Post, declaring: “Our thoughts and prayers are with the people of Aurora. Through the darkness, we come together in search of the light. The people of The United Methodist Church join with all of those affected by this recent tragedy. To understand. To heal. To find hope.” The ad will also appear in the Aurora Sentinel on July 26.
In addition, people are invited to post prayers for the Aurora community on a prayer wall on Facebook. The ads and call to action were developed by United Methodist Communications, the denomination’s communications agency.”
$358 for Pack Their Packs
So far, we’ve collected $358 for Pack Their Packs in the last three weeks. I’m hoping we can make it to a total of $500 this Sunday.
Consider Wesley: God is Love
“God is often styled holy, righteous, wise; but not holiness, righteousness, or wisdom in the abstract, as he is said to be love; intimating that this is … his reigning attribute, the attribute that sheds an amiable glory on all his other perfections.”
— John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the New Testament, 1 John 4.8
I’ve long known that Wesley considered love God’s reigning attribute, and on a gut level, I’ve always agreed with him on that., Now I have a reason to believe it not only in my gut and in my heart, but also in my head.
A tip of my hat to Hal Knight for pointing out the above quote and for the title of this series of posts.
A Rich, Full Morning
I had a great morning at work today. I got to spend time helping to proofread a friend’s book; handed out two sacks of groceries and two Bibles; helped someone avoid having their electricity turned off; visited a beloved parishioner in the hospital; unloaded a pallet of backpacks for Pack Their Packs; and still, none of those things were the highlight of my morning (which can’t be mentioned because of confidentiality issues). Some days the work of a pastor seems unbearably difficult, but on other days it is a blessing like no other, including both works of mercy and works of piety all in one, slightly chaotic, job description. On such days the only proper response is praise.
18 Kids Today
We didn’t have all of our regulars today, but we still managed a total of eighteen kids ages 12 and under at our two worship services today. It was also wonderful to watch the kids in the 10:50 service bunny hop up and down the main aisles to Lord of the Dance.
Great Plains Annual Conference News
Delegates to the South Central Jurisdictional Conference unanimously approved the creating of the Great Plains Annual Conference by the union of the Kansas East Annual Conference, the Kansas West Annual Conference, and the Nebraska Annual Conference. Even though the plan had been previously approved by all three annual conferences, it had to be formally approved Jurisdictional Conference.
Bishop Scott Jones (our current bishop) has been assigned to the Great Plains Episcopal Area (which consists of Kansas and Nebraska, just like the new conference will). Kansas East, Kansas West, and Nebraska will continue as three separate annual conferences for the time being with a uniting conference in 2013.