Pastor Joel's Mid-Week Reminders for 5/24/2011
This entry was posted on 5/24/2011 6:10 PM and is filed under Mid-Week Reminders.
'Keep
your
conscience clear...' 1 Peter 3.16
Conscience.
Defined by the trusty dictionary as "a knowledge or sense of
right and
wrong, with a compulsion to do right." This is a revealing
definition,
because conscience involves more than a sense of right and
wrong; it
also means public behavior--doing the right thing, doing
good, acting
on our principles and ethical standards.
And where does this 'compulsion to do right' come from for
us as God's
people? As with all things having to do with Christian
faith and life,
it comes from the example of Jesus. In our Gospel reading
for Sunday,
Jesus says "If you love me, you will keep my commandments."
By this
Jesus is talking about not just the standard 10
Commandments, but the
whole expression of our lives as we live them out in love
for God and
for people.
In a culture and world that suffers from self-absorption and
extreme
individualism, our opportunities to 'do right' towards
others are going
to be many. With the power of the Holy Spirit--the Spirit of
Christ--at work within and
among us as a Christian community, we know that the best way
to live
for the Lord is to love others, not with a murky kind of
'anything
goes' approach, but with the clarifying power of Jesus' own
words and
deeds to guide us.
VOLUNTEER
LABOR NEEDED UPSTAIRS: There is still
much work to be done upstairs. If you can help, please talk
with Al
Binder, Randy
Giesbers, Eric Westerfield, or others on our Properties
Board. You
don't have to be skilled--much of the work can be learned and
mastered
quickly. Our thanks to all who have put in many hours of
volunteer
labor helping
to complete these projects!!
NEW
ADULT SUNDAY CLASS: During Easter
season, I'm
leading a Bible study that focuses on the assigned texts for
each
Sunday of Easter. Together we discuss the riches of our new
life in
Christ as we grow in our understanding of what the
Resurrection
means...what lies ahead after we die...how we can live in such
a way
that we witness the joy and hope of being Easter Christians.
Join us
in the Commons Room each Sunday from 8:45 - 9:30am. Coffee
and
refreshments are available.
NOTICE FROM OUR
NOMINATIONS COMMITTEE:
"The nominating committee has been hard at work over
the past
several
months
identifying potential candidates for the 5 officer positions
(President, Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary, and
Financial
Secretary) in preparation for our June congregational election
meeting. If you are interested in the possibility of serving
in one of
these capacities, and we have not yet spoken with you, PLEASE
contact a
member of the nominating committee as soon as possible: Paul
Schutz, Al
Binder, Pam King, Diane Brauer, Jim Baker, Pastor Joel. We do
not want
to leave anyone out, and since both men and women are eligible
to serve
in any of these positions, all are welcome! We look forward
to hearing
from you."
FRIDAY
MORNING BIBLE STUDY
CLASS has decided
to wait until
September to re-convene.
Questions: contact Bob Kosta or Glenn Edwards.
DATES
AND EVENTS TO NOTE ~
Tuesdays at
12:45pm....Women's Bible Study
Sunday, May
29..........Blood Pressure Clinic
after worship
Sunday, June 5...........Sunday
School Picnic
June 27 - July
1.........Vacation Bible
School
August
14.................Outdoor worship and
Summerfest
**Please see the weekly
bulletin, Spirit Call, and
master
calendar for a complete listing of dates and
events.
