I trust that springtime has found you all well.  We enjoyed another great Sunday School lesson this past weekend and discussed the community project that is occurring this coming Sunday.

Whether you missed last week, or did not participate in the “Knock on Nine” event, and even if you haven’t attended Sunday School in a long time, you can still come and join our class in helping to make 2 homes in our “Mile of Grace” better places.  The Mary Virginia Thomas Sunday School Class volunteered to clean up two yards this Sunday.  The more help we have the less time it will take us – however, we have been assured of being done by 10:45 am.  Afterwhich we will enjoy a nice church picnic. 

WE ARE NOT MEETING AT THE CHURCH.  To help us, come to Helping Hands at 8:45 am.  We will have some brief instruction and then head over to our 2 projects.  Wear yard clothes, bring gloves, clippers, weed eaters and the like, plus a little picnic food and join us.  Many hands make light work!

For more information, please read the letter below and/or call the church.

There won’t be a Sunday School Class this weekend.  Hope to see you at Helping Hands.

Brian

7 Some of the people of Israel, and some of the priests and Levites, the singers and gatekeepers, and the temple servants also went up to Jerusalem, in the seventh year of King Artaxerxes.
8 They came to Jerusalem in the fifth month, which was in the seventh year of the king.
9 On the first day of the first month the journey up from Babylon was begun, and on the first day of the fifth month he came to Jerusalem, for the gracious hand of his God was upon him.
10 For Ezra had set his heart to study the law of the Lord, and to do it, and to teach the statutes and ordinances in Israel.  Ezra 7:7-10 (NRSV)

When I read these verses today and then came back to them this evening I thought of the fact that when Ezra returned to Jerusalem he wasn’t leaving a place to return “home”.  His home was Babylonia.  The Jewish population in exile was by this time well established there and Bablyonia was Ezra’s home.  He was actually traveling as a missionary to Jerusalem, which had lost its connection to the law when most of the scribes and priests were taken into exile a generation and more ago.  Then I thought about Wesley sending Thomas Coke and Francis Asbury to a New World to spread the Gospel.  That had to seem like something of an exile to these men – leaving the England they had known for a strange new land.  It wasn’t a forced exile like that of Judah, but it was a journey from which they knew they might well never return to England.

Now, we send missionaries to Europe – to England.  Just like Ezra returning to Jerusalem.

14 Then Jesus, filled with the power of the Spirit, returned to Galilee, and a report about him spread through all the surrounding country.
15 He began to teach in their synagogues and was praised by everyone.

16 When he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, he went to the synagogue on the sabbath day, as was his custom. He stood up to read,
17 and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written:
18 ”The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free,
19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” Luke 4:14-19 (NRSV) 

Too often we focus on the reaction of others to God’s message instead of focusing on the message itself.  This week’s lesson focuses on God’s calling people to Jubilee.  The verses that Jesus read from the Book of Isaiah proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor . . . of Jubilee.  Isn’t that the core of the good news?  Jubilee not once every fifty years, but forever.  Surely, this is what Jesus meant when he rolled up the scroll and said, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing”.

What about Church wide studies like the ones we’ve done the past couple of years?  What do you like or dislike about them?  How could they be improved?

Hey, what about blogging?

     I looked at our lesson for today, Service, and wondered how I was to make a connection with the above story.  Let’s say that the table that is being set is “God’s church” and each piece of “service” represents individuals and what gifts they bring to His church.  No two pieces are the same and each piece serves an individual purpose.  All are necessary, but all are different. We are given instruction and proper placement of our “service” through God’s Word.  If we come to the table without “service” it would be extremely difficult to partake of the feast before us.  The same is true of God’s church, in that, if we come to His church without “service”  we can not truly call ourselves “servants of Christ”.  Maxie Dunnam writes:  “To be a Christian person, one fully alive in Christ, is to be one whose life reflects the life of Jesus.”   Paul writes -  “ we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus for the life of good deeds which God designed for us.”  (Ephesians 2:10)  “and it is he who has given some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip God’s people for work in his service, for the building up of the body of Christ…” (Ephesians 4: 11-12) – Karen

     Maxie Dunnam quotes Second Corinthians 9:10 – “Now he who provides seed for sowing and bread for food will provide the seed for you to sow;  he will multiply it and swell the harvest of your benevolence, and you will always be rich enough to be generous.”  What a promise that is!  Our giving back to God what He has freely given to us is of such importance that it is a much written about subject in the New Testament, see, Matthew 6:21; Matthew 7:6; Matthew 10:8, Matthew 22:21; Luke 12:48; Luck 16:10-12; Acts 20:35; 1 Timothy 5:8; 1 Timothy 6:6,7; and, 1 Timothy 6:10.

     The subjects of stewardship and tithing are ones that can be uncomfortable to discuss in an open forum.  I believe that is why we are given our church packets and asked to take them home and open our hearts to Him through prayer.  There, we can ask for His guidance and have trust in our Father that, when we give with a generous heart, He will accept our gifts and, as He assures us in Second Corinthians 9:10 – “add a little something to it!” – Karen

     Worship is not optional, it is a commandment. “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.” Exodus 20:8 – This is not to say that we are only to set aside one day for worship, but rather it is the opportunity for the church to celebrate together and gather strength and support in one another’s arms, praising God and saying “Hallelujah” and “Amen” together.  It offers Christ the opportunity to walk amongst us loving us as a whole body, His body.   I believe that when the early churches read Paul’s letters that they actually felt his presence amongst themselves.  Do you feel the presence of our Savior when His Word is spoken from the pulpit?

     Consider this…what if the day you decide to not be present is the day that God has a very special purpose for your life and the life of His church?  We all have reasons to be absent from our church worship service from time-to-time – but do we take the time, when absent in body, to become united with our church family in worship and prayer during our scheduled worship services?  

     Maxie Dunnam asks – “Have you ever experienced a deeply moving worship service?” – I say – “Let’s share!” – Karen

After reading today’s lesson, I came away with a clearer sense of how God views “His people” and how we should see our relationship with Him – royal and holy.

If we are “one body” then I thought about what we “bring into the body” to sustain nourishment and life.  With our physical bodies, we go out and bring into ourselves food and drink to maintain our energy, essentially life itself.  The same is true with the body of Christ, the church…we need to “go out” and bring into the body that substance which nourishes it – without continual nourishment, it dies.  If we only desire to maintain this “body”, the church, by letting it feast upon itself, it will wither and become lifeless. 

The opening scripture today – 1 Peter 2:9- says that we are chosen, a royal priesthood, a holy nation. I view royalty as “putting on the crown of glory” – and, as we all know, our crown is a crown of thorns.  We can acknowledge Christ’s suffering, or we can put on that crown of thorns, share in his suffering and “go out” and “bring in” that which will sustain His church.  Indeed, it will take “sacrificing” our time and talents, it requires that we reach out and “speak the truth” – being guided by the Holy Spirit.  We are not alone in this commission – the Holy Spirit is ready to work miracles within each of us to show to the world God’s grace and glory!  Yes, our crown has thorns…but no crown of gold could shine brighter then when we “go”, boldly trusting God’s will.

Look for your miracle today! – Karen   

In today’s lesson, What Defines Christian Community, Maxie Dunnam says that there is “no such thing as solitary Christianity.”…and “there is no true Christianity apart from the church.”   He also reminds us that Jesus’ life and ministry were never “private” matters; he lived his life for others…that although our “Christian faith and experience must be personal, they cannot be private” especially if we truly live to follow Christ’s example.

 He goes on to further discuss how we become a true Christian community and refers to the need to become “obsessed” with God.  “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.” Mark 12:30 

I personally like the way he defines this obsession as a “God addiction”.  When I thought about the principals of any addiction, and applied them to my relationship with God, I came up with these thoughts:  1) He is something that we can never get enough of; 2) He is something that we can’t live without; 3) We need Him to get through our day(s); 4) We are physically and psychologically dependent up Him; and  5) He is a power over us which we have no control over…when we choose to live for Him.

When we live joyfully in a “God addicted” community, loving, showing hospitality and kindness, sharing, caring, and bearing one another’s burdens, the magnitude of His grace is revealed.  So my question is this –  Are you committed (bound or obligated –Webster’s Dictionary)…or are you addicted (being physically or psychologically dependent on something – Id)? – Karen

Knowing — and doing — God’s will.  The second part of that equation is equally important.  The author quotes Paul from the 7th chapter of his letter to the Romans to illustrate the frustration we all experience in knowing what is right, but doing what is wrong.  How did Paul deal with this issue?  How do you deal with it?