Announcements
Labyrinth
Questions--
The
labyrinth at the church is in bad need of some TLC, as well as
individuals willing to invest some time in ongoing maintenance. The
session is trying to determine how best to be good stewards of the
labyrinth. If you're willing to be part of an effort to maintain the
labyrinth, please get in touch with Keith.
Community
Kitchen Spot
There are a lot of hungry and
homeless children of God and the community needs some help feeding
them. If you would like to help out, please bring the following
items to church this Sunday & put them in the grocery cart.
Spaghetti Noodles
ZIPLOCK SANDWICH BAGS
BROWN PAPER LUNCH BAGS
# 10 CANS VEGETABLES
COFFEE CREAMER
CEREAL
CANNED TUNA
NAPKINS
METAL FORKS / SPOONS
New
Hope News
Sunday
School—This Sunday, the adult class will finish our study
of Revelation (I'm serious this time). We'll pick up in chapter 21.
Pray
For:
Norma
Capone
Connie
Robinson
Mary
McMillan & John L. Wright
Egypt.
Syria. Afghanistan. Pray for peace.
Links
Keith's
Random Thoughts
The Gospels tell an amazing
story. In the midst of the desert, John the Baptist announces that
something amazing will happen, that a movement will begin, that
hearts and minds and imaginations will be captured by what God is
about to do.
And then Jesus shows up and
shatters every expectation that the people have for how God acts and
works and loves and cares. Jesus shows up and listens to the poor
and heals the blind and makes room for children. He confronts the
religious leaders of the day and calls them hypocrites. For
disciples, he calls men whom the world has already judged as
unqualified for such work. He eats dinner in houses no respectable
person would enter. When surrounded by large crowds, he teaches
about how hard it is to follow him faithfully. When given every
opportunity to escape execution, he embraces it.
Aspiring leaders in today's
world don't follow his model. They don't embrace suffering and
humility. They don't choose the least qualified assistants. They
don't spend their time with people whom the world thinks don't
matter.
And yet, when Christ ascends to
heaven, rather than collapse, through the power of God the movement
sweeps across the known world, transforming 11 uncertain men into
dynamic proclaimers of hope and grace. The men and women who
followed Christ become the first fruits of a movement that is still
changing the world today.
Only God could have done this.
I fear that the church today
doesn't always rely on God. I fear that we're so certain of our own
knowledge, so determined to do things well, so comfortable in our
buildings and history and tradition that we've stopped recognizing
our daily need of God's grace and our dependence upon his love. Do
we cling to the hem of Christ's robe? Do we fall at the foot of the
cross? Do we flee from sin and run to God? Are we transformed anew
each morning, called into the light of his grace and living from our
principle identity as children of the living God?
May we hear the voice of God
calling us today, and may all the competing voices fade away as we
focus on how lovely God is. May that be enough, and may it drive us
out into the world to love as we have been loved.
Text
for this Sunday
9
You should pray like this:
Our
Father in heaven,
help
us to honor
your
name.
10
Come and set up
your
kingdom,
so
that everyone on earth
will
obey you,
as
you are obeyed
in
heaven.
11
Give us our food for today.
12
Forgive us for doing wrong,
as
we forgive others.
13
Keep us from being tempted
and protect
us from evil.
New
Hope on iTunes
Keith's
Blog
& Devotionals
for your Kindle
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