Pastor Joel's Mid-Week Reminders for 1/23/2012
This entry was posted on 1/25/2012 6:51 AM and is filed under Mid-Week Reminders.
'Praise
the
Lord! I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart
in the
company of the upright, in the congregation.' Psalm 111.1
Downward.
That's been the big trend in worship attendance in all
Christian
denominations since the year 2000. The corresponding trend
in American
culture is an eclectic spirituality that borrows bits and
pieces from
many different religious traditions and leans toward the
individualistic experience rather than the community
experience.
That stands in great contrast to the practice of the Bible,
whether Old
(Jewish) or New Testament (Christian). Not that individual
experience
is absent--many Psalms reveal a personal dimension, and
Jesus often
retreated to the hills for private prayer. But the practice
was for
people to come together regularly in worship as a vital
corporate
expression of praise, prayer, and fellowship.
'I will give thanks to the Lord...in the company of...the
congregation.' Corporate worship helps us to reset
our whole lives
around the compass point of God's love in Christ Jesus.
Apart from
that weekly experience, our lives are much more vulnerable
to
fragmenting into stagnant routines and daily agendas that
leave us
without direction. A loaf of sliced bread holds together
only when the
individual slices are together in the same bag. Apart from
each other,
those slices quickly dry out and become moldy.
Worshiping together each Sunday is critical to the life and
vitality of
a congregation. It holds us together in the One who
embraces our lives
with love and grace, meaning and purpose: Jesus Christ. Our
life
together at Redeemer is wholly dependent upon our presence
and praise
'in the congregation' at worship.
A HUGE
THANK
YOU to all who
helped this past Saturday with the
memorial service for Mina Lee Sandau and the reception
following! The
entire experience required the help, energy, and time of
countless
people all working together. All who attended were blessed in
worship
and fellowship, and the family was well pleased!
PIE
SOCIAL:
Our annual Redeemer Pie Social has been set for Saturday
evening, March
17 (St Patrick's Day) at 6pm. If you can bring pies, help
organize and
/ or provide entertainment, please talk with Lorene Bartell.
To the
best of my knowledge, this is once again a fundraiser for
Habitat for
Humanity's Salem chapter.
2011 FINANCIAL STATEMENTS OF
GIVING
are ready for you to find in your church mailbox.
Questions:
contact Deb Skiles, our Financial Secretary.
'CONNECTIONS', my
weekly
Bible Study for adults, meets every Sunday morning in the
Commons Room
at 8:50 - 9:45am. We read through the assigned Scripture
readings for
worship and then make connections with our daily life. A
lively,
relaxed discussion group for you to participate in!
INVITATION
TO
CONGREGATION:
Earl and Verna Dixon will be renewing their wedding
vows during
worship on Sunday, Feb. 5, the occasion of their 50th
wedding
anniversary. They invite the congregation to a
celebratory
lunch served immediately after worship.
DATES
AND EVENTS TO NOTE ~
Sunday,
Jan
29..........1pm, Disaster Preparedness follow up
training
Monday, Jan 30..........6pm,
Council meeting with
Rev John Luttman, Circuit Counselor
Sunday,
Feb 5............10am worship, with Renewal of Marriage
Vows for Earl
and Verna Dixon. Lunch reception follows.
Looking
ahead: Wednesday,
Feb 22, Ash Wednesday: Lent begins
Saturday, March 17, 6pm: Pie
Social (see
above)
April
8, Easter Sunday
**Please
see
the weekly bulletin, Spirit Call, and master calendar
for a
complete listing of dates and events.
