Evangel Newsletter
Sharing the Good News of the Lord Jesus Christ
November, 2008
PASTORS CORNER:
I will give thanks to you, O Lord, among the peoples; I will sing praises to you among the nations. For your steadfast love is as high as the heavens; your faithfulness extends to the clouds. Be exalted, O God, above the heavens. Let your glory be over all the earth.� (Psalm 57:7-11 NRSV).
Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,
As we enter the month of November, many of us naturally turn our thoughts and prayers to being thankful to God for God�s blessings. I, too, have such thoughts and prayers, for truly God has blessed my family and me. I thank God for Sharon, and Michelle and her family, for Sharon�s parents, for my church family, and even for our new doggy, Coffee.
I want to share with you some thoughts about being a United States citizen, and why we should be thankful to God for the blessing of living in this wonderful country. But, before I share with you some of the reasons, I�m thankful for living in the good ol�
U.S of A., let me just say that the United States is not the only country blessed by God, and in some ways other countries and other people are just-as-much-as-if-not-more blessed by God, than are we.
Having traveled to various locations around our world, and having met many people from other countries, here are some of the reasons, I am thankful to God that I get to live in the U.S.A.
Political Freedom. We live in a country where each of us has the right and duty to participate in the political process of our country, without fear of reprisal, threat, physical harm, or death. While attending Central Methodist College, I along with a few other students, befriended a young man from Central America, who was attending CMC on a scholarship program. When it came the Tuesday for the General Election, we could not find our friend. He was not in class or at any of our typical hang-outs. Fearing something might be wrong, we went to his dorm room and knocked on his door. In a very soft voice, our friend asked who was there, and we told him. He said to come in and we found him hunkered down in one corner of his room. We asked, �Are you sick?� �Is something wrong?� He replied, �Its election day. In my country we don�t leave our homes on election day, especially if we are opposed to those in power.� I and my friends just laughed, and told our Hispanic friend. �Its okay. In American, if we don�t like who gets elected one year, we just vote them out at the next election.�
Travel Freedom: When I was in Israel, in 1999, I visited the Holy Land on a Christian pilgrimage. One day I, and the group I was traveling with, were taking a bus from Bethlehem to Jerusalem. For no explained reason, the Israeli government had order members of the military to set up a check point on the route. Our bus driver stopped the bus, and our tour guide told all of us, �Just do as you are told, don�t ask questions, have your passports and i.d.s ready, and be prepared to have a full search of your bags and body.� We think nothing of traveling anywhere in this great land we call America, without being stopped to be searched or questioned. In fact, we consider it our right to travel freely, how and where we like.
Freedom from Fear: In 2002, I traveled to Mozambique, Africa � a country with relative freedoms, as compared to our country. However, one day I experienced a true sense of fear � fear for my very life and the lives of my traveling companions. It is the law in Mozambique that no one is permitted to photograph any government building. As we were traveling that day, we passed a bank building, being guarded by a solider armed with an AK47 assault rifle. One of my travel companions forgot about the restriction on taking pictures of government buildings, and started to take a picture of the building, simply because of its architectural style. The solider begin to approach our van, and my friends I know the sound of �locking and loading� a rifle, and how a rifle is aimed. I feared for my life, as did our van driver, who got us out of there, as quickly as possible. Yes, there are some restrictions and limits placed upon us as citizens of our country, but, in general, as long as we obey the laws and act in appropriate ways, we need not fear our government, because we are the government � �We the People.�
Freedom to Worship: While on my trip to Israel, in 1999, I discovered just how precious is our freedom to worship, as we please, and without fear or threat. One day, on the pilgrimage, we visited a high school, near Bethlehem, for Palestinian Christians. In sharing with these young brothers and sisters in Christ, I asked a young lady (age 17 at the time) what she wanted most for her life. She replied, �I just want to be treated like a human being. I want to be able to celebrate Christmas and Easter with my grandmother, who lives in Jerusalem, without being restricted in my travels or even denied to go and visit her. I just want to worship God without being afraid for my life, and the lives of my loved-ones.�
As you celebrate Thanksgiving Day, with those you love, ask yourself, �Why should I am thankful to God, for living in the United States?� Perhaps, you have had similar experiences, as have I � perhaps not. Regardless, all of us have our reasons for being thankful to God for the blessing of living in a country where we are free � free in the political sense and free in the spiritual sense. Praise be to God!
Requested in Christian love,
Pastor Ken
|
Our Commitment to God:
2008
Our Attendance
Sunday School:
Worship Celebration:
Our Giving
Offering:
Special Giving:
Reflex:
Fundraising Dinner:
Needed per Sunday: $2,705.55
($1,606.10, General Operating Budget and $1,099.45 Debt Retirement)
Our Prayer Concerns:
Virginia Reed � continued prayers for healing .
Crystal � a young lady Linda met at Heart to Heart 19 years old battling Thyroid cancer.
Linda Shields � continued healing
Myrtle Williams �battling cancer, serious condition, prayers for healing
Please be sure and fill out a
prayer request slip for any special
items you wish the Pastor to pray
for during the week.
NOVEMBER BIRTHDAYS...
NOVEMBER CALENDAR OF EVENTS...
NOVEMBER ANNIVERSARY...
NEW QUILTING CLASS BEING FORMED...
Sandra Forbes is organizing a quilting group.�The current plan is to meet twice a month.� If you are interested in keeping the �art of quilting� alive and enjoy good fellowship then come and join in. Everyone is welcome. You may reach Sandy at 345-0651 for more information.
WEDNESDAY MORNING BIBLE STUDY 10:00 A.M...
Lawrence Holt leads the lesson, and all are invited to come.
The Kid�s Club/Club Fusion ...
Are selling beautiful fragranced Soy Candles for $10/$15.00 each. Soy Candles are long clean burning candles. This fundraiser will help send our young people to Church Camp next summer.
The High School Youth are selling beautiful and colorful �God� Creation 2009 Appointment Calendar�s� for $6.00 each...
Each week begins with a scripture reading to start your week. Example Sunday Jan. 4, 2009 �I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.� Exodus 33:19
TUESDAY MORNING PRAYER GROUP 10:00 A.M....
Everyone welcome to come and pray or be prayed for.
Choir...
CHOIR PRACTICE EACH TUESDAY AT 7:00 P.M.
Youth...
YOUTH AND KID�S CLUB MEET THE FIRST AND THIRD SUNDAY OF EACH MONTH AT 6:30 P.M.
.
Thanksgiving Dinner at Maple Street Restraunt...
Thanksgiving Day come and enjoy a delicious meal for everyone from 11:00 � 1:00 p.m. donations only.
Deer Hunter�s Breakfast served at Grace Community UMC...
4:30 a.m.-7:30 a.m. Volunteers needed to help serve and set up. Contact Craig Alderman at 345-5960.
|
|
|
