February 24, 2010
Anxious or Alert?
Excerpt from Luke 21: 34 - 36
"Be on guard so that your hearts are not weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of this life, and that day catch you unexpectedly . . . be alert at all times . . ."
Reflection by Anthony B. Robinson
Lord, I am a sinful man living in the midst of a sinful people. Way too much of the time I am, we are, filled with lizard-like anxiety, worrying about a future we can't control, frightened by rumors of the latest threat or menace the media is touting, or nurturing a slow-burning anger that we haven't gotten what we think is our due. And we treat our anxiety with dissipation and drunkenness. Lord, have mercy. Save us from fueling our anxiety, and instead . . .
Put me and us, Holy One, on sweet alert. Wake me, wake us, up. Wake us to the extraordinary beauty of life, to the ingenuity and goodness we encounter daily in others, to the opportunities we have to do useful work and contribute, to the mystery of your persistent grace, and to the sheer gift of being here. Make me alert like the owl, listening like the deer, and playful as a squirrel in spring. Amen.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Lenten Devotion
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Lenten Devotion
Today's devotion is very appropriate in light of the fact we are preparing for Pastor Natalie's service of installation and covenant as Associate Minister of Altoona Christian Church. The service is this Sunday afternoon at 3:00 P.M. This is a very important moment in the life of Altoona Christian Church. It is important that we each make an effort to come and experience the covenant we share. It is important to remember that each of us are called to be pastor's in the life of our faith journey. Blessings to you as you immerse yourself in this meditation.
February 23, 2010
Your Ordination
Excerpt from Zechariah 3:1-10
"The angel said to those who were standing before him, 'Take off his filthy clothes.' . . . they put a clean turban on his head and clothed him with [new] apparel . . . 'Now listen, Joshua, high priest, you and your colleagues who sit before you!'"
Reflection by Quinn G. Caldwell
Zechariah has a vision of a heavenly ordination, in which God makes Joshua high priest. It is short and sweet (seminarians planning their own ordinations take note: it is NOT four hours long), consisting mostly of a pronouncement of forgiveness for sins, a change of clothes, and a charge.
Perhaps Zechariah also witnessed another one of God's favorite ordinations to the priesthood: yours. Protestants proclaim the priesthood of all believers, which means that every person who loves and longs for God is, for us, a priest. Our baptisms are our ordinations.
In case you forgot the job description, here's what priests do:
They point to God in the ordinary things of the world, like water and bread and babies.
They say words of power to change the world, words like "You are beloved," "Peace be with you," "God bless you."
They make sacrifices to please God, like sending money to Haiti instead of going to the mall, like working in the soup kitchen instead of playing Wii all day.
They show up at births and deaths, at weddings and funerals, at sickbeds and prisons, to pray and bless and make sure the people know that they are not alone.
Here's what priests do: they help the world know that God is alive, that blessings abound, that love will win. It's what you were ordained for; now go for it.
Prayer
God, grant that I might always live up to the tasks for which you ordained me. Amen.
Monday, February 22, 2010
Lenten Devotion
I pray this Lenten devotion finds you warm and blessed as travel through the beginning day of Lent. Let us grow together each day.
February 22, 2010
Silence
Excerpt from 1 John 2:1-6
"Whoever says, 'I abide in him,' ought to walk as Jesus walked."
Reflection by William C. Green
Walking as Jesus walked sometimes means not talking about it. For Dietrich Bonhoeffer, condemned to death at the end of World War II, that reserve was important even in the hour before his execution. He did not speak the words of comfort he knew and believed. He chose rather to remain silent as a sign that he shared the helplessness of his unbelieving cellmate, a Soviet officer, also awaiting death. He did not want to offend his neighbor.
Earlier, Bonhoeffer had written, "Being spiritually master of the situation bears only the appearance of the ultimate, but is in reality something subordinate." Walking the talk of God's intimate love and solidarity was, for Bonhoeffer, far more important than talking about it, especially in circumstances where his own belief was not shared.
Jesus wanted followers, not partisans. He took sides on controversial issues but never tried to talk anyone out of anything. Sometimes he wept and kept silent, or pulled aside to be alone on a hill, rather than mistake himself for God and outdo himself, whatever the spiritual status ascribed him.
We can read through the words of Scripture and almost imagine what it might be like to "abide" in Jesus and to walk the love he shared. Sometimes the less said about it the better.
Prayer
Ever-present God, turn my silence into reverence. You work through me, beyond words, helping me to do what needs doing. May that be my prayer. Amen
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Faith Notes
"Faith Notes"
February 18, 2010
Dear Faith Family:
Last evening a group of faithful folks gathered in the sanctuary of our sacred facility to begin the season of Lent. Each individual had set aside time for meditation, singing of hymns, prayer and the making of commitments in connection with our 40 day journey of Lent which will conclude with the celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. We came to renew our deep connection with God's creation and to be mindfully aware of how our everyday actions affect our world.
As you take time for your meditation with our gracious God today remember how we are called to journey along the edge and to anticipate the final trip to
This is the beginning of a journey of turning back toward God. It is a time when we look at how self-centered our lives have become, when we acknowledge that we often fall short of what we want to be. It is a day when we call all of our angers, hatreds, and jealousies out from their dark corners and embrace them as part of us. Lent is also a season of healing. We open up our lives so that we may see into the depths of our souls. It is a time of confession.
I close this sharing by sharing with you the first devotion of the Lenten season. I will attempt to share a Lenten devotion with you each day for your time of meditation.
+++++++++
Bricks Without Straw
Excerpt from Exodus 5: 6 - 7
"That same day Pharaoh commanded the taskmaster of the people, as well as their supervisors, 'You shall no longer give the people straw to make bricks.'"
The other night I was watching the T.V. show, "Extreme Makeover." A couple with two children, living in a very low income neighborhood were heading up a program for children who had no where to go after school. This couple had both graduated from college. They could have gone anywhere but they made the decision to take their own children and go back to the neighborhood they had grown up in. They wanted to help the children in that place today have a chance to learn as they grew up. They wanted them to be able to make something of themselves and not be eaten up by poverty, drugs, and crime and gang wars. These two married adults with their two children invited as many as 2 dozen children into their home for this program. Their home was too small for their family. Not only was the home too small, but it was in disrepair. The walls and floor of this home were in saver decay.
Somehow this strikes me as like the Exodus story of the Egyptian taskmasters making the already hard life of their Hebrew slaves harder by telling them to make bricks without straw or to find their own straw, and yet still meet the same brick-production quotient.
In neighborhoods like the one this couple grew up in and now have gone back to in order to help the children of today, people there are often not sure they belong. They are not sure the rest of the world cares. They think maybe the world hopes they will go away. Yet this mother and father, who barely have enough to help their two children grow up healthy, reach out and continue to do parenting you and I can hardly imagine.
I can hear people saying, "They should not be such bleeding hearts. They should use their college education and provide the good life for their children and themselves and forget the rest. After all, the poor will always be with us." I think these folks are heroes.
As a society we've pretty much said to people who are poor, homeless and no not where to turn, "Make bricks without straw." Make a sane life without any of the usual supports that most of us have.
It is time to leave
Prayer
Lord, I pray today for the kids who are born with tough challenges and for the people who love them and reach out to help them grow up. Let the children and the people who reach out to them know they are precious to you. Amen.
Share your gratitude with…
Bob Gulling! A couple weeks ago Bob took the small table we use as for the alter table in the 8:15 service, home for repair. The joints in the table had become very weak and at times it was thought it might just crumble. Bob has cleaned it up and re-glued the joints. It is now like new and back in use. Thank you so much Bob.
"Creative Praying"… A Lenten time of sharing!
"'Creativity' is not a noun or even a verb-- it is a place, a space, a gathering, a union, a where-wherein the Divine powers of creativity and the human power of imagination join forces." --Matt Fox
Join us during the Season of Lent as we encounter God through our imaginations. Our goal is not to create masterpieces, but to enjoy the experience of color, texture, and God's presence! There will be two sessions offered per week to accommodate your schedules.
You can join with us for "Creative Praying" on Wednesday evenings at 6pm or on Thursday mornings at 10am throughout Lent. The meetings will begin Feb 24 & Feb 25.
Sunday Night Live Youth Calendar…
I want you to thank you young people when you see them this Sunday. Last Sunday evening they made 22 casseroles for the Salvation Army and the people we serve. Outstanding!!!
February 21 SNL-plan fundraisers for Mission Omaha 2010 – Susan Huffman & Lacasta Jungling will serve a dinner of Spaghetti & Bread.
February 26-27 - 30 Hour Famine at Waukee Christian Church 6pm Friday to 6pm Saturday (6th grade and up)
February 28 SNL – Moats Family will serve the meal.
March 7 SNL – Brown Family will serve the meal.
March 14 NO SNL due to Spring Break
March 21 SNL—Ken & Deb Pickering will serve chicken fingers and French Fries.
March 28 SNL
SNL Dinners… SNL leaders and youth are looking for members and friends of the congregation to supply and /or prepare dinner for our Sunday evenings here at ACC for the months of April and May. If you would like more information about times, ideas and dates, pleas e-mail Pastor Natalie at peace.weaver@live.com or call her at 991-2359. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Natalie can use some help moving. She needs packing stuff… paper, boxes and stuff. She is moving to storage on Feb 20 and to her new apartment on Feb 27. If you can help call Natalie at 991-2359.
If you know of anyone graduating this year please contact the church office at 967-4382.
Sound Board Volunteers Needed:
Interested in volunteering to operate the sound board for either worship service on Sunday mornings contact
Easter Lilies!!! It's time to order Easter Lilies in Memory of or in Honor of your loved ones. Orders must be placed by March 21st. Each Lily will cost $10.00.
Philia
Is Greek for "Love of Friends". It is also the name of a small group fellowship with friends from Altoona Christian Church. A tentative schedule of events follows. Contact
March: Wine Tasting
Friday, March 12, 2010
7 pm
Mike &
Bring your favorite bottle of wine to share. Cheese & fruit provided.
Please RSVP to Stephanie or Natalie by Friday, March 5th.
April: Dinner
Date, Time & Location to be determined
May: Game Night
Date, Time & Location to be determined.
June:
Date & Time to be determined.
Rev
I send you a message that
Wendy and Ray Miles
A Newsletter from Doug & Elizabeth Searles… You may remember that Doug and Elizabeth visited us after their assignment in
Greetings from
Here's our latest newsletter--below.
Feel free to distribute it as you wish, in whole or in part.
If you want the pics bigger, just write and we'll send them.
If you no longer wish to be on our mailing list, please let us know.
At the bottom there are some prayer requests for the first half of 2010.
Keep lifting us up!
We're always happy to hear your news, as well. Write us, won't you?
Ever looking up!
Liz and Doug Searles in
In
A friend brought her mother an exotic plant from
The mother refused. "Seeing such a plant, people might suspect me of foreign connections. Or maybe they'll think I'm rich--they'll come and rob me."
Fears confirmed by recent history die hard, even with all the love in the world.
We are partners with Kosciol Ewangelicko-Reformowany, a marginalized and minority denomination in a land where people can be intensely private. Where we serve as mission co-workers, few names appear on apartment buzzers. When we drive friends home, we drop them at a corner--not at their door.
Even the gregarious and gifted may seem reluctant to initiate or accept the new. Putting yourself forward can be seen as patronizing or lacking in humility. While we say: "the early bird catches the worm," post-communist cultures resonate more with: "the first bird gets shot."
It's hard when every time you've tried to "let your light shine" someone has come over to blow it out, or even stomp it out with a jack boot.
The deep wounds of
PLEASE LIFT UP PRAYERS FOR OUR PARTNER, THE EVANGELICAL-REFORMED CHURCH IN POLAND:
God of all races and places, we give thanks that perfect love casts out fear. We ask for your healing of the many hearts broken by religious divides. Open doors wide to forgiveness and the light of love. Grant believers peace and opportunities to let their lights shine. Strengthen all those who nurture the tree of life, that they may display it proudly. May the fruit be abundant, in
All this we ask in your name. Amen.
The pictures attached are very small. Larger sized copies are sent via Pando. See the email with this same heading with "Photos" added.
3567s Clowns, dtd. 7-24-2009
Caption: Evangelism Week in Zelow: Clowns and John Calvin
1147s Emerging, dtd.9-2-2008
Caption: City sculpture of Poles emerging in
2219s L&W dtd. 2-5-2010
1536s Angel
Caption: Gabriel's message: "Fear not!"
Photos by Douglas J. Searles, missionary in
Prayers, Joys, & Concerns:
In our Thoughts and Prayers: Eleanor Miller; Becky & Jay Rosenberger's grandson, Nickolas Cecchi; Ken and
We remember Rich Webb,
February Birthdays: Feb. 21st Bob Kirby, Feb. 24th Dave Stuart, Feb. 25th
February Anniversaries: Feb. 21st Gordon and Nancy Gill
Calendar Week of Feb. 21st - 28th, 2010
(Today) Sun. Feb. 21st - Food Pantry Sunday Items needed are pancake mix, syrup, PB and crackers, Mac/Cheese dinners, spaghetti/sauce, soups, canned veggies, tuna /salmon, canned fruit & juices, and pasta noodles. Personal hygiene items needed: soap, shampoo, deodorant, toothpaste, diapers, and sanitary napkins. Please remember monetary donations are always welcomed at the Food Pantry too.
Sunday Morning services 8:15am & 10:15am, Sunday School - 9:15am, all ages welcome, SNL 5-7pm
Mon. Feb. 22nd- Christian Nurture meeting -6pm, Board meeting 7pm, Scouts 4-5:30pm, Den 4 Scouts 6-7pm
Tues. Feb. 23rd - T.O.P.S. 8-11:30am, CWF – 12pm, Learn/Ring Bells 7pm
Wed. Feb. 24th- MM Puppets/Youth Chimes 2-4:30pm, Lenten Study- Creative Praying -6pm,
Bell Choir 7pm
Thurs. Feb. 25th- Lenten Study- Creative Praying -10am, Den 1 Scouts 5-6pm,
Daisys 5:30-6:30pm, Tiger Scouts 6-7:15pm, Mixed Blessing Quartet 6:30pm, Choir 7pm
Sun. Feb. 28th- Sunday Morning Worship services 8:15am & 10:15am, Sunday School classes at 9:15am, all ages welcome, Rev. Natalie Ervin's Installation Service - 3pm, SNL 5-7pm
Announcements:
Sunday Night Live Dinners– Thanks to everyone who's volunteered so far to prepare meals for our SNL youth. We've had an overwhelming response that meals all the way through the month of March have been taken care of. J Even though April seems far away if you'd like to volunteer to prepare meals for the youth group on any Sunday in April, please see Pastor Natalie or email her at peace.weaver@live.com or call her at 991-2359. Any help is greatly appreciated!
Salvation Army Casseroles- Please pick one or more aluminum casserole pans and a recipe sheet. After baked, cover tightly with tin foil, & place in the church freezer. There is plenty of room in the freezer at this time. Goal for this year will be 65 casseroles. We're also in need of plastic grocery bags. There's a tall box by the Food Pantry grocery cart that these bags may be deposited into.
SNL Youth – Made over 22 Casseroles last Sunday evening. We are 1/3 of the way to our goal!!!
"PHILIA" is Greek for "Love of Friends" It's the name of a small group fellowship with friends from Altoona Christian Church. The group meets one day out of each month to join together for fellowship and fun. Our March gathering will be a Wine Tasting hosted at the Hosier's home. Join us Mar. 12th7pm. Cheese & fruit provided. Please bring a bottle of wine to share. RSVP to Stephanie or Natalie by Fri. Mar. 5th. Hosier's home address is
We hope to see you in worship this Sunday. As we begin the Lenten journey let us come to worship and join together in the journey toward Easter. You will also want to be here to hear our children sing "Father Abraham".
I also want you to all mark on your calendar that next Sunday, February 28 at 3:00 P.M. there will be a very important happening in the life of Altoona Christian Church. You will all gather to install the Rev. Natalie Ervin as the first Associate Minister of this faith community. Our Regional Minister in Transition, the Rev.
Keep Dancing in the Spirit,
Ken
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Faith Notes
"Faith Notes"
February 11, 2010
Dear Faith Family:
Ash Wednesday service will begin Lent. The service will be held at 7:00 P.M. in our sanctuary this coming Wednesday evening. Please consider taking time from your busy schedules to attend this service
The Lenten season is traditionally thought to be a time where we are reminded of Jesus' life and death. It is time of self-examination and penance. In many traditions it is a time when one thinks about what one can do without. On this evening we are inviting you to begin this season of Lent in the same new way that we did it last year, while maintaining the traditional themes. We will look at the real work of Lent being to renew our sense of connection, thus restoring our dignity and calling us back to our selves, to a place where we acknowledge the invitation to choose life and our responsibility to act co-creatively with God.
Cloudy day meditations to share…
Excerpt from Psalm 115: 4-8; 16b-18
Their idols are silver and gold, the work of human hands. They have mouths, but do not speak; eyes, but do not see. They have ears, but do not hear; noses, but do not smell. They have hands, but do not feel; feet, but do not walk; they make no sound in their throats. Those who make them are like them; so are all who trust in them . . . the earth God has given to human beings. The dead do not praise the Lord, nor do any that go down into silence. But we will bless the Lord from this time on and forevermore. Praise the Lord!
I have been reminded for years that no one has seen the words, "I wish I'd spent more time working at my profession" on a headstone. I have looked through a lot of cemeteries and I have to admit I have never found those words. I have never heard anyone honored at a funeral service for the number of hours they gave to their calling.
Over the years I have had to re-think my priorities when my children would say… "I guess you will not be able to be there tonight for something or other because you have to work." Or my wife would say… "I guess you have to work tonight don't you?" And I realized it was expected that I would not have time for the family.
In this Psalm the psalmist speaks of silver and gold idols that neither speak, hear, smell, or feel… or dance; the same is true of each of us as the worship of lifeless forms diminishes our highest and deepest joy. True worship happens in the places we devote our time, money, deepest affection, and gratitude.
Are you feeling lifeless today? If so, look for lifeless idols on your calendar, checkbook, and balance sheet.
Idols take many forms, such as excessive work—even ministry work; judgment that holds on to old hurts and arguments; the striving for perfection that makes us high achievers, but perpetually dissatisfied or alone; focus on our kids at the expense of being present for a spouse; risk aversion or excessive risk-taking; abusing sex, gambling, alcohol, or drugs; fear and emotional unavailability… and so much more.
A man I know who is dying with cancer reminds all of us… the highest aim of your life and mine is to glorify God, manifesting our best as God has uniquely made and called us, generating spontaneous thanks and praise for ourselves and others… by just being. Is there time for that God creation… that spirit time… on your calendar, or are you avoiding or neglecting that person? Is your God creation time dancing with the spirit through events, relationships, and memories of the last week… or are you in a meeting or just working? More and more I ask myself these questions. Do you ask them of yourself?
God is always asking… "May I have this dance?"
Prayer: Gracious God, help me to see your spirit in each soul so I may receive from them the gift you have in them for me. Let me be able to take the time to take a twirl with you today God. Amen
"Creative Praying"… A Lenten time of sharing!
"'Creativity' is not a noun or even a verb-- it is a place, a space, a gathering, a union, a where-wherein the Divine powers of creativity and the human power of imagination join forces." --Matt Fox
Join us during the Season of Lent as we encounter God through our imaginations. Our goal is not to create masterpieces, but to enjoy the experience of color, texture, and God's presence! There will be two sessions offered per week to accommodate your schedules.
You can join with us for "Creative Praying" on Wednesday evenings at 6pm or on Thursday mornings at 10am throughout Lent. The meetings will begin Feb 24 & Feb 25.
Sunday Night Live Youth Calendar…
February 7th With the Souper Bowl of Caring Luncheon you helped the youth raise $148 for the Southeast Polk Christian Food Pantry.
The Super Bowl Party at Natalie's House was a great success.
February 14 SNL- Making Salvation Army Casseroles
February 21 SNL-plan fundraisers for Mission Omaha 2010 – Susan Huffman & Lacasta Jungling will serve a dinner of Spaghetti & Bread.
February 26-27 - 30 Hour Famine at Waukee Christian Church 6pm Friday to 6pm Saturday (6th grade and up)
February 28 SNL – Moats Family will serve the meal.
March 7 SNL – Brown Family will serve the meal.
March 14 NO SNL due to Spring Break
March 21 SNL—Ken & Deb Pickering will serve chicken fingers and French Fries.
March 28 SNL
SNL Dinners… SNL leaders and youth are looking for members and friends of the congregation to supply and /or prepare dinner for our Sunday evenings here at ACC for the months of April and May. If you would like more information about times, ideas and dates, pleas e-mail Pastor Natalie at peace.weaver@live.com or call her at 991-2359. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Scrapbooking- This Saturday Morning!!!
We're having Scrapbooking Sat. Feb. 13th beginning at 9am in the Fellowship Hall. This is a great time to work on any hobbies you might have from card making, knitting, and beading to actual scrapbooking as it is fellowship time too. You can come and go so if you can't be there right at 9am, come later. We'll stay until we are tired which is usually around 1:30-2pm. If you want to stay later, you are welcome and we might stay there with you. If you have never scrapbooked before, but are thinking it would be fun to learn, bring some pictures, scissors and adhesive and we'll get you started. If you just need to sort your photos and put into books, but don't want to scrapbook, here's your time for motivation. Come and join us and if you know of someone else in the area who would like to scrapbook, bring them along or tell them to come join us.
I've moved! Michele
Natalie can use some help moving. She needs packing stuff… paper, boxes and stuff. She is moving to storage on Feb 20 and to her new apartment on Feb 27. If you can help call Natalie at 991-2359.
If you know of anyone graduating this year pleas contact the church office at 967-4382.
Sound Board Volunteers Needed:
Interested in volunteering to operate the sound board for either worship service on Sunday mornings contact
Easter Lilies!!! It's time to order Easter Lilies in Memory of or in Honor of your loved ones. Orders must be placed by March 21st. Each Lily will cost $10.00.
Philia
Is Greek for "Love of Friends". It is also the name of a small group fellowship with friends from Altoona Christian Church. A tentative schedule of events follows. Contact
March: Wine Tasting
Friday, March 12, 2010
7 pm
Mike &
Bring your favorite bottle of wine to share. Cheese & fruit provided.
Please RSVP to Stephanie or Natalie by Friday, March 5th.
April: Dinner
Date, Time & Location to be determined
May: Game Night
Date, Time & Location to be determined.
June:
Date & Time to be determined.
New Members…Last Sunday we welcomed five new members into the life of Altoona Christian Church. We are excited to have with us on our journey of faith… Ken and Deb Pickering, Natalie Ervin, Lacasta Jungling and Susan Huffman.
Your Prayers are needed…
Ellis continues to be in the hospital in
The
Madge and
Les Hill continues to gain strength in his recovery.
We keep Fay and Jerry Harding in our prayers as they move to a new residence this week.
Prayers, Joys, & Concerns:
In our Thoughts and Prayers: Eleanor Miller; Becky & Jay Rosenberger's grandson, Nickolas Cecchi;
Ken and
We remember Rich Webb,
February Birthdays: Feb. 18th Michael Hosier, Feb. 19th Ryan Jackson and Mark Reis, Feb. 20th
February Anniversaries: Feb.14th Doris and
Calendar Week of Feb. 14th – 21st, 2010
(Today) Sun. Feb. 14th - Happy Valentine's Day!, Sunday Morning Worship services 8:15am & 10:15am, Sunday School classes at 9:15am, all ages welcome, SNL 5-7pm
Mon. Feb. 15th – Worship Committee meeting 7pm, Scouts 4-5:30pm, Den 4 Scouts 6-7pm
Tues. Feb. 16th - T.O.P.S. 8-11:30am, Learn/Ring Bells 7pm
Wed. Feb. 17th- M&M Puppets and Youth Chime Choir 2-4:30pm, Ash Wednesday Service 7pm
Thurs. Feb. 18th - Den 1 Scouts 5-6pm, Daisys 5:30-6:30pm, Tiger Scouts 6-7:15pm,
Mixed Blessing Quartet 6:30pm, Choir 7pm
Sun. Feb. 21st - Food Pantry Sunday Items needed are pancake mix, syrup, PB and crackers, Mac/Cheese dinners, spaghetti/sauce, soups, canned veggies, tuna /salmon, canned fruit & juices, and pasta noodles. Personal hygiene items needed: soap, shampoo, deodorant, toothpaste, diapers, and sanitary napkins. Please remember monetary donations are always welcomed at the Food Pantry too.
Sunday Morning Worship services 8:15am & 10:15am, Sunday School classes at 9:15am, all ages welcome, SNL 5-7pm
Announcements:
Sunday Night Live Dinners– Thanks to everyone who's volunteered so far to prepare meals for our SNL youth. We've had an overwhelming response that meals all the way through the month of March have been taken care of. J Even though April seems far away if you'd like to volunteer to prepare meals for the youth group on any Sunday in April, please see Pastor Natalie or email her at peaceweaver@live.com or call her at 991-2359. Any help is greatly appreciated!
Salvation Army Casseroles- Please pick one or more aluminum casserole pans and a recipe sheet. After baked, cover tightly with tin foil, & place in the church freezer. There is plenty of room in the freezer at this time. Goal for this year will be 65 casseroles. We are also in need of plastic grocery bags. There is a tall box by the Food Pantry grocery cart that these bags may be deposited into.
Congratulations Lin Shaw, he brought in 12 casseroles today.
"PHILIA" is Greek for "Love of Friends" It's also the name of a small group fellowship with friends from Altoona Christian Church. The group meets one day out of each month to join together for fellowship and fun. Our March gathering will be a Wine Tasting hosted at the Hosier's home. Join us March 12th 7pm.
Cheese & fruit provided. Please bring a bottle of wine to share. RSVP to Stephanie or Natalie by
Fri. Mar. 5th. Stephanie and Mike Hosier's home address is
Women of Faith – Over the Top March 12-13th, 2010 Vets Auditorium Fri. 10am-3:30pm & 7-9:30pm and Sat. 9am-4pm. Tickets available for $79. Please contact Stacey Lilly (LCC) for tickets 967-2558.
I share with you this story posted by Kim & Patrick Bentrott after they returned home from
All has fallen silent in my parent's farmhouse in
It has been one week since we stepped off the plane into the arms of stability. Friends and family greeted us as we walked in a sleep-deprived daze off the tarmac after our flight touched down in
We wrapped ourselves in their warm clothes, fed ourselves with the food they shared, slept in their beds, bathed in their showers, warmed next to their fireplaces, played and visited in their living rooms. Our children were outfitted from head to toe in clothes, shoes, car seats and toys by the generosity of many.
In the last week we have reunited with a whirlwind of family and friends. There are too many people to thank, an overwhelming array of generosity spilled upon us, staggering displays of love and support. In the midst of it all, our little family tries to fabricate something of a routine. We've waded through sniffles and diarrhea while adjusting to a drastic change of temperature and the shocking availability of convenience.
We still live completely in the moment, unsure of a future as far ahead as a week and hesitant to look back at the past in our wake. It is easier to focus on the cries of our hungry child or catching up on the life of a long-missed friend than to let thoughts waver out of the here-and-now.
If we stay in the present, stay in "survival mode" we can better ignore our transient lifestyle, ignore the fact we continue to live out of a suitcase, sleeping our children in one house after another, introducing them to a new sea of faces everyday. We can ignore that we live completely on the generosity of countless friends and relatives who open their homes, their pantries, their closets to us, wrapping us in the security of their love. We can ignore the guilt that we've abandoned our friends and partners in their greatest hour of need, the anxt that comes from not being busy in the work we have done for the last year and a half, the restlessness of having to wait for official documents and a restructured plan to get back to the business at hand in Haiti. So we stay in the present.
Staying in the present, we don't stop to contemplate how different this world looks from the one we just left. Manicured lawns, lights glowing from every window in 2-story houses, fresh and drinkable water gushing from every tap, neat rows of traffic pushing the speed limit over the highways and overpasses, neatly stacked fresh produce of every color and flavor piled in sparkling grocery stores bragging a dozen varieties of each choice of food or cleaning product, sterile skyscraper hospitals where the norm is running a dizzying array of exams to nail down the most precise diagnosis.
Patrick and I have both sworn we've felt aftershocks—in
We've skirted away from quiet. With quiet brings the realization of where we are and where we aren't. With quiet comes the flashbacks to scenes of places changed forever, faces lost under the rubble and faces who survived and are left to rebuild their lives.
I find myself trying to remember each face, each mannerism, each talent of friends lost to the earthquake. The number of funerals to attend is too countless to conceive, so there will be none. So instead we go through the roll-call of students we will no longer teach, community members who will no longer lead, patients we will no longer treat, children who will no longer grow, mourning not only their lives but the impact that they were sure to make on their communities, mourning the talents that fall useless to the days ahead.
I mourn Madam Pastor who left 2 children and a high-energy husband behind. She helped augment my class lectures by her own experiences, brought children in for evaluation from her community in City Solei, asked advice on the medicines she had at her disposal for which to treat others.
I mourn Darlene who was the first medical student to take me by the hand and offer me friendship. With a smile she was the first to welcome me in a time when I felt completely out-of-place a year ago. While sure I was failing as an English-speaking teacher barely functioning with a teen-aged translator and a medical curriculum, she took me by the hand at the CONASPEH congress and insisted that I march with her and her classmates during our demonstration march through the streets of
I mourn Beatrice and her smart sass from the back row, always having the right answers, always impatient for the rest of the class to catch up with comprehension. I remember our day driving into her neighborhood to treat a few people in her community she had concerns about. Outside of class, she was always begging me for a pill to make her fat, laughing when I called that magic pill "more food."
I mourn Miss Altena and all the meetings we had planned, all the new ideas we'd shared and her endless kindness. On the day of the earthquake, hours before her death, she had walked into my clinic, given me a hug and welcomed me back from holiday break.
So many faces. I struggle to remember each one because there won't be a service with flowers, eulogies, and elaborate burials. The loss is too large. The mass graves too full.
From this overstuffed couch in
After a week in
We'll have to push aside the guilt of having the luxury of removing ourselves from the rubble and struggle to sit in the land of plenty and convenience, creating space for healing. We removed ourselves to take care of our family. We did so out of necessity. We do so in order to better serve in days ahead.
So we'll face the quiet, drudge up the images, remember the faces, cry the tears, and question the heavens. We'll humble ourselves to be the recipients of good-will and charity. We'll heal ourselves and our family.
And then we'll organize. Plan. Rebuild. Join forces. Get to work. Because the longer we are away, the harder it is.
Please remember to contribute to "Week of Compassion" today.
"Blessed are your eyes because they see, your ears because they hear! In truth I tell you, many prophets and upright people longed to see what you see, and never saw it; to hear what you hear, and never heard it" (Matthew 13:16, 17).
I know they are saying we will have snow before Sunday. I hope it will not impede us from gathering for worship on Sunday morning. Last Sunday was a great encounter with the spirit and we were blessed with new comers Talana & Kingston Holman, Erica Palmer and children and the Hock family was back with us. It was also exciting to have
Keep Dancing in the Spirit,
Ken