Lenten Devotion

Hope to see you at the Maundy Thursday Service at 7:00 P.M. tomorrow night.  Sue Furland will be singing "Via Dolarosa" and Ron Rieckmann will be playing a Saxophone Solo. 

 

Have a blessed day, Pastor Ken 

 

March 31, 2010

Run to Win

Excerpt from Hebrews 12:1-3

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us."

Reflection by Ron Buford

Having grown up in the city, the thrill of driving across the country at my own pace was a blast! Crossing Desert Mountains at night, I looked up through my car's moon roof at what at first appeared to be a strange cloud cover. Opening the roof, I gasped and immediately wept, "Oh my God, that's no cloud cover. It's the Milky Way!"

Having only seen the Milky Way in books, I stopped almost every mile to get out in the freezing night to store up another look. And I thought of this text, imagining each star as a saint gone before us, looking down from the heavens as if above the ancient coliseum of our life's race . . . cheering us on.

So stop managing decline in your life, love, family, business, or organization. It is not God's will for you. It is not the high purpose for which you were born. Decide today to fix your eyes on the prize, the dream you share with God, and win today. Forget the past. Saints gone before us also endured great struggle without giving in to decline and mediocrity. Any idiot can manage decline. Life's great races run through momentary failure to success. Keep going.

Look to Jesus, the greatest runner of all time, "who for the sake of the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding its shame" . . . to win . . . for us all.

Prayer

Gracious God, grant me the wisdom, insight, strength, endurance and comrades to win the gold for my life, family, church, and the world, giving greater glory to you, running hard and smart to bring healing, nourishment, caring, and progress to humanity, the environment, and the spiritual life. Amen.

Lenten Devotion

Dear Faith Family:

Because of our daily weakness please remember to attend holy services wherever you are.  Take the time to step aside from your busy lives and rest in a sacred place.  Our services here at Altoona Christian Church are as follows:

Maundy Thursday Service, Thursday evening at 7:00

Good Friday Service, Friday evening at 7:00

I pray that the peace and healing of the Holy Spirit will be with you this week.  

Pastor Ken    

 

March 30, 2010

Weakness

Excerpt from 1 Corinthians 1:18-31

"God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong."

Reflection by William C. Green

There's no self-help book on how to be weak! We want to be strong and successful leaders, parents, churches, friends, partners, investors, and only the sky's the limit, as one longtime bestseller is titled.

Meanwhile, Paul declares that weakness is God's preferred way of reaching us. God wants to shame the strong, not because strength itself is shameful, but because trying to achieve that alone is a shame, much like trying to build a sand castle that waves will wash away. We're to build on a foundation stronger than anything we can make reliable and fulfilling.

Simone Weil writes, "Grace [the blessing of God] fills empty spaces, but it can only enter where there is a void to receive it, and it is grace itself which makes this void." This is another way of saying that we can't receive a gift if our hands are full. Full of ourselves and the strength we want to achieve, sooner or later we trip up and get disillusioned.

Jerusalem was full of itself. God chose Bethlehem for the birth of Jesus. The Temple was full of itself. God chose a shabby band of disciples to become the church. And so it goes, through the Cross and beyond. Weakness is a setting for God's power, next to the success we often seek on our own terms.

Prayer

Almighty God, when we feel empty and weak, may we find the fullness of your love and strength. Amen.

Lenten Devotion

Dear Faith Family:

 

I thank all of you for yesterday.  It was a day to savor.  It was a blessing to read cards, to visit and remember, to watch pictures and hear kind words that touched on all the many places of a journey in ministry that has covered so many years.  It seems like thank you is not enough but it is from the bottom of my heart.  Let us continue to share together in this most holy of the weeks of Lent and remembering who we are in our faith and to whom we are called to be faithful. 

 

Pastor Ken

 

March 29, 2010

To Save or to Savor?

Excerpt from John 12:1-11

"Mary took a pound of costly perfume made of pure nard, anointed Jesus' feet, and wiped them with her hair."

Reflection by Martin B. Copenhaver

E. B. White once observed, "If the world were merely seductive, that would be easy. If it were merely challenging, that would be no problem. But I arise in the morning torn between a desire to improve the world, and a desire to enjoy the world. That makes it hard to plan the day."

In planning our days, confused as we are about how to spend them, we may wonder if the answer is found in moderation. But Jesus refused to criticize the woman who anointed him with lavish amounts of costly perfume. It seems that Jesus thinks we are meant to get carried away.

The Christian life is not so much about moderation. Instead, it is about rhythm. There is, indeed, a time to serve the world and a time to savor the world. To be sure, one can get stuck on one side of this dynamic rhythm, which can be about as dangerous as only inhaling or only exhaling. The dangers of only savoring the world are clear, leading to a life of self-indulgence. But just as certainly there are dangers in only serving the world. To only serve and never to savor the world is to be only the giver or gifts and never the receiver. It means that we never have to admit our need or to say thank-you.

So we are called to do both -- to serve and to savor -- not at the same time, perhaps, because that may not be possible, but each in turn at the appropriate time. Which is another way of saying that one's life depends on being inconsistent in the way all who both breath in and breath out are inconsistent.

Prayer

O God, help me both to serve and to savor -- and to know which I am called to do at this time. Amen.

 

Lenten Devotion

March 28, 2010

The Things That Last

Excerpt from Mark 12:35-40

As Jesus came out of the temple, one of his disciples said to him, "Look, Teacher, what large stones and what large buildings!"

Reflection by Martin B. Copenhaver

In New York City you can always spot the visitors. It's not from the way they are dressed, because you can dress any way you like in New York. It isn't from their accents, because New Yorkers may have grown up in Kansas or Katmandu. Rather, the telltale sign of visitors is that they are always looking up, trying to take in the tops of the buildings.

That is how I picture the disciples as they entered Jerusalem with Jesus: "Look, Teacher, what large stones and what large buildings!"

Jesus responded, "There will not be left one stone upon another," putting the temple, in all its magnificence, into a different perspective. Like all human achievements, it was little more than a sand castle that was destined to be swept away.

We are forever confusing the lasting and the momentary. When Jesus was brought before the chief priests, he was accused of saying, "I will destroy this temple that is made with hands and in three days I will build another, not made with hands." The priests were incensed: Surely no one can destroy the temple. It will stand forever. And what is this nonsense about building a temple in three days? Any temple that could be built in three days would be felled by the first brisk wind.

But, sure enough, the temple that the priests and disciples admired no longer stands. And there was a temple built within three days of Jesus' death, and it is still standing. You are part of it -- the church, a never-ending testimony to the ever-living Christ.

Prayer

Jesus, help me not to confuse the lasting and the momentary, so that I might follow you more faithfully. Amen.

Lenten Devotion

March 27, 2010

No Reservations Required

Excerpt from Luke 22:1-13

"The Teacher asks: Where is the guest room where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?" He will show you a large upper room, all furnished. Make preparations there. They left and found things just as Jesus had told them. So they prepared the Passover. (NIV)

Reflection by Kenneth L. Samuel

In January 2009, I had the honor of receiving tickets from my U.S. Congressional Representative to attend the Inauguration of President Barack Obama. Upon my arrival, I found the nation's capital in total gridlock. Streets were closed, traffic was at a standstill, hotels were booked to capacity and every restaurant in the city had a long waiting list.

On the great day of the Inauguration, after standing outside freezing at the Mall for five hours, a fraternity brother and I went on a quest to find a restaurant with less than an hour's wait time. We stumbled across an Italian bistro that would never have gotten my attention had I not been desperate. In that dark, obscure restaurant, over wine and pasta, we talked about what Obama's election meant for race relations in America, about the hope and possibilities of this American experiment in democracy. And we talked about our own personal dreams and professional ambitions. Neither our prized places at the Inauguration nor our invites to VIP functions around the city could match the special pride we felt and the powerful emotions we shared in that out-of-the-way restaurant. It was just about the only thing I did during that time that did not require a reservation, yet it was, for me, the most impactful.

In the hustle and bustle of Jerusalem's Passover Feast, Jesus directed Peter and John to prepare a place where Jesus could share the Passover meal with his disciples. Just Jesus and the disciples. Just the Master teaching his disciples how to serve and sacrifice in an intimate setting. Just an inter-personal communion with eternal consequences.

The disciples knew that the city of Jerusalem would not accommodate such a gathering, but they soon discovered that God had already prepared a host and a space and a table for them. No reservations required.

Prayer

Lord, we often worry about the many ways in which we are pushed out and pushed aside by the bustling busy-ness of life. Help us today to rest in the confidence that you will always open a door and provide space for us in the places where we really need to be. Amen.

Lenten Devotion

I pray that today will be a blessing to you.  Pastor Ken
 
 
March 26, 2010

We're No Angels

Excerpt from Hebrews 2:10-18

"For it is clear that Jesus did not come to help angels, but the descendants of Abraham."

Reflection by Lillian Daniel

Some people act like Jesus did come just for the angels. They act all prim and proper, and all but wear haloes to church. They act like they already have all divine knowledge ("The bible says it, that's good enough for me") and like they're already so good they could float to heaven on a cloud any day now. And heaven forbid you don't live up to their standards and beliefs.

Of course, if you were to scratch beneath that surface, as pastors often have the opportunity to do, you would know there are very few angels walking around the earth, clergy included.

We'll meet angels down the road. But beware of the person who pretends to be one here on earth.

You may think, "But I've met an angel!" We use the term to describe people who make a huge difference in our lives, who are blessings to the world. But I've never met one of those people who actually claimed the title for himself. Angelic people are the first to tell you, "I'm no angel." They're humble like that, and clear.

Jesus came for the descendants of Abraham. When Paul wrote that to the early church, he meant Jesus came for all of us.

Apparently, angels don't need saving. But we do.

So throw me in with the non-angelic crowd. Besides, they always look like they're having more fun anyway.

Prayer

God, let my spiritual role models inspire me without deflating me. Let their goodness seem attainable. Remind me of all you can do with a little imperfection. Amen.
 
 

Faith Notes and Lenten Devotion

"Faith Notes"

                                                                                           March 25, 2010         

Dear Faith Family: 

The Lord said to him, "This is the land of which I swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob….I have let you see it  with you eyes, but you shall not cross over there."  Then Moses, the servant of the Lord, died there in the land of Moab, at the Lord's command.  Deuteronomy 34:4-5

As my time with you is growing to a close I have often referred to this experience of Moses.  I had often thought how difficult it must have been for Moses to let go and know the people he had guided and loved would go into that Promised Land without him.  This last week as I was in discussion with my pastor's support group I came to one of those awe ha moments.  Moses had come to realize long before that moment God was the Promised Land.  When you arrive at that understanding it brings a peace which I am enjoying at this time of coming to the end of my full time call to active ministry with this faith community I care for so much.  Everything I have known in life has brought me to this point. 

I feel secure in this journey of life that I have lived and am living. 

I wish for you that you will continue to be transformed by your encounters with God in solitude and silence.  Those times bring peace and security. 

Try not to get tangled up in the frantic busyness of life.  Reach for a measured pace in life, taking time to notice the burning bushes in your life. 

Rather than living from a place of overstimulation and exhaustion, discover the rhythms of work and rest, silence and word, stillness and action that God has built into the universe of our well-being.

Rather then being subject to other people's expectations and your own compulsions, seek to operate out of a deep sense of God's call upon your life. 

Rather than living from a simplistic view of the spiritual life, seek to have an inside-out understanding of the shape of the spiritual journey that comes from being faithful to your journey.

Rather than arguing and fighting and trying to defend yourself against every criticism and challenge, seek time for lifting the critic and the challenger up in prayer that they will find rest in God's presence.  Always intercede on their behalf. 

Always pray for the discovering with others in the family of God the way to be open to the gift of discernments so the family of God will do God's will together.

Keep seeking the kingdom of God that is not only beyond our efforts but it is even beyond our vision. 

                                     

Your Lenten Devotion for today…  

Excitement at Being Alive in the Late Afternoon

Excerpt from Psalm 31:9-16

"For my life is spent with sorrow, and my years with sighing; my strength fails because of my misery, and my bones waste away."

Reflection by Donna Schaper

When I got to the nursing home, my 85-year-old friend was playing chess with another patient. They were both so excited that I had come that they invited me down to the new café in the facility for a vodka and tonic. It had just opened. While we were there enjoying our drinks, a very senior osteoporotic mother sat with a very junior well-dressed daughter, sighing. The mother wanted to order pancakes but the waitress said they didn't serve pancakes after 4 p.m. The daughter could not persuade the mother about the pancakes so some mutual eye-rolling and misery ensued. That's when my friend, the elder of my two dates, went over and whispered in her ear. "Have a vodka and tonic." She did. And she also required the waitress to bring syrup with it.

Old age is not for sissies. It's not that good for caretakers either. Our strength does fail. Our bones do waste away. What besides chess and vodka and humor can sustain us? I think the psalms can -- by saying what is true, by letting us prepare for the time when strength will fail. That way we don't have to put all our trust in it. Even more, God is our strength, a very present help in time of trouble, a kind of syrup that sweetens the bitterness that does sometimes fall even between mother and daughter.

I often memorize psalms, all the verses, for the time that may come when I will want something that is no longer available at the hour at which I want it.

Prayer

O God, before we lift our eyes for the last time, give us some joy, the kind that does not come by demand nor by strength but instead comes from an excitement at being alive in the late afternoon. Amen.

                                     

Upcoming Lenten services: 

 

·          Worship Services March 28^th 8:15am & 10:15am

• Maundy Thursday Tenebrae Service on Thursday,  April 1^st at 7pm

        Volunteers Needed: Pastor Ken needs 8 readers for the Maundy Thursday Tenebrae Service.

        Please send Pastor Ken an email at revkbriggsacc@msn.com or talk to him after the church                service.

                What is a Tenebrae Service? - The word 'tenebrae' is Latin for shadows. The purpose of the             service   is to recreate the betrayal, abandonment, and agony of the events, and it is left unfinished,              because the story isn't over until Easter Day.

 

 

 

·                      Friday, April 2^nd at 7pm

 

 

• Easter Services on Sunday, April 4^th at 8:15am& 10:15am
•   Easter Egg Hunt – 9:30am

 

·         Annual Easter Miracle Breakfast 9am

 

Prayers, Joys, & Concerns:

 

In our Thoughts and Prayers: Eleanor Miller; Becky & Jay Rosenberger's grandson, Nickolas Cecchi and their daughter, Angie Cecchi; Ken and Carla Briggs' grandson, Keaton Pratt and their family; Carol Genovese's sister, Georgia Kost; the Barron family and Irv's sister, Betty Darst; Joe Procyk Sr.; Marvin & Juanita Sheets; Alex Champion; Maddie Landwehr; Charlie Mayfield; Wendy Todd and her aunt, Mrs. Bristow; Doris Wolf; Les Hill;  Sheila Santos' sister, Renita Lewis; Carol Sutton; Lonita McLean's cousin's daughter, Karli Bruxboort; Connie Miers' father, Leroy Iverson;  Davier Jones, Carrolyn Stroud's son's mother-in-law, Janice Beller, Tammie Palazzo and her family; Jodi Nelson's friend, Cindy; Geneva Huston;  Jim Rose; Doug Teuber; Blaine Moats' nephew, Isaac; Paulette Craggs' friend, Sharon; Vee Rehor; Carol Nieters' friend, Phyllis, and  friends of her family, Ronnie, Amanda, and Grant Humphrey and her granddaughter's Emily friend's family; Bob Gulling; Alan Petre; Judi Webb's friend, Chuck;  Max and Madge Stillinger; Wilma Schick; the Renaud family; Barb Geissinger's cousin, Dale Swift and her mother-in-law, Jeanne Geissinger; Wendy Miles' brother, Randy Rawson, and her godmother, Ruth Carpenter; the Monk family; Jim Ludington's mother, Fern; Gracie Brown; Dani Champion; and the Thompson family.

We remember Rich Webb, Judi Webb's husband, who has been called to active duty, and we continue to remember all others serving our country.

 

March & April Birthdays: March 28^th Joey Hosier, March 29^th Kim Hulen Kennedy,

March 31^st David Miers, April 2^nd Graham Steffes-Clayton and Julie Cullinan, April 4^th Brady Beckett,

April 5^th Emsy Cullinan

April Anniversaries: April 5^th Marvin and Juanita Sheets

 

Calendar Week of March 28^th – April 4^th, 2010

(Today) Sun. March 28^th – Palm Sunday Worship Services 8:15am & 10:15am, Sunday School  9:15am,

Pastor Ken's Retirement Open House 3-5pm, SNL 5-7pm, Easter Flower Orders Due Today! Order Easter flowers in honor of our loved ones that will adorn our worship center on Easter.  Out of respect for those who have allergies to the aroma of Easter Lilies, this year we are ordering blooming spring bulb plants for Easter -Tulips, Daffodils and Hyacinths.  Each plant is $10.00.Call 967-4382 to place an order.

Mon. March 29^th - Cub Scouts 4-5:30pm, Scouts 6-7pm

Tues. March 30^th -T.O.P.S. 8-11:30am, Learn/Ring Bells 7pm

Wed. March 31^st - Puppets/Youth Chimes 2-4:30pm, Lenten Study Creative Praying -6pm, Bell Choir 7pm

Thurs. April 1^st - Lenten Study- Creative Praying 10am, Maundy Thursday Tenebrae Service 7pm Volunteers Needed: Pastor Ken needs 8 readers for the Maundy Thursday Tenebrae Service. Please send Pastor Ken an email at revkbriggsacc@msn.com or talk to him after the church service

Fri. April 2^nd - Good Friday Service on Friday 7pm

Sat. April 3^rd- Set-up for Easter breakfast/deliver donated food supplies for the breakfast to the kitchen 9am

Sun. April 4^th - Easter Services 8:15am/10:15am, Miracle Breakfast 9am, Easter Egg Hunt 9:15am

 

Announcements:

 

Annual Easter Miracle Breakfast Sunday, April 4^th, 9am
 
Take a look at what is needed in order to make our Easter Miracle Breakfast a success!!!

(These amounts will serve approximately 100 guests)

 

These items are still needed:

8 lbs each red grapes & white grapes- Need & 1 flat of strawberries- need

25 packages of sausage links (Little Sizzlers) - 11 packages donated

30 doz. Med. Eggs- 12 dz. Donated

 

These items have already been donated:

Approximately 5-8 pounds of boneless ham (breakfast sliced)

5 large pineapples & 4 cantaloupes

Cinnamon rolls/Danish

6 gal Orange Juice & 3 gal milk

12 Syrup (sugar-free too)

Clipboards will be sent around during both services to sign up to volunteer for the breakfast and to donate food supplies. Thank you in advance for all your generosity for this year's Easter Miracle Breakfast!

Please let Len or the church office know by March 28th if you are donating any food supplies, and drop off the food supplies if possible on Sat. morning between 9-11am or before Saturday, April 3^rd in the kitchen.

*Need Men on Sat. Apr. 3rd 9am to set up for the breakfast, and on Sun.  Apr. 4th to cook (7am), serve breakfast (9am), and to clean up afterwards.  Contact Len Shaw 967-4625 or  the church office to volunteer.

_______________________________

Sunday Night Live Youth Dinners – Thanks to everyone who's volunteered so far to prepare meals for our SNL youth. If you'd like to volunteer to prepare meals for the youth group on any Sunday in April or May, please see Pastor Natalie, email peace.weaver@live.com or call 991-2359. Any help is greatly appreciated!

 

Salvation Army Casseroles- WE'RE DOING GREAT! So far we have donated over 80 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.  Don't forget the plastic grocery bags.  There's a tall box by the Food Pantry grocery cart that these bags may be deposited into.

 

Summer Church Camp is coming… information is on the old alter table in the Narthex.  Look at all the camps that are available.  Deadline for registering for camps is coming fast.  The church will pay ½ of each registration fee.  If you cannot afford to send your child to camp let Pastor Natalie know. There are funds for camp.  Everyone should have the opportunity to go to camp. Summer Camp Sunday – April 18^th Come and hear Bert Burns from the Christian Conference Center speak to all of us about all the exciting camp opportunities available this summer!!!

 

Altoona Christian Church Cookbook, Vol. II -A new cookbook is being planned. The first one was done in 1990, so its time for a new one!! Please gather your favorite recipes and bring them to church or email to guenever@msn.com. There's a basket on the table in the Narthex for your recipes.  If you would like to work on this project, please contact Carol Brown at guenever@msn.com or at church. 

 

God's Coffee House - Volunteers are needed to bring snacks on Sunday mornings. Snacks such as pretzels, animal crackers and wrapped breakfast bars are encouraged, but quick breads and cookies are certainly acceptable. Following the 10:15 service, would the person who brought the snacks please clean up the table? Thanks to everyone for volunteering. If you feel you're unable to bring snacks for God's Coffee House, your financial support is greatly appreciated. There's a sign-up sheet on God's coffee House's table.

 

_________________________________________

 

 "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. Join us Friday April 16^th 7pm at the Latin King restaurant for dinner 2200 Hubbell Ave Des Moines, Iowa  50317 Please RSVP to Stephanie or Natalie by Friday, April 9^th.

Scrapbooking

The next scrapbooking event will be April 10^th 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.

                                               

Ernie Landwehr has sent the following information concerning Maddie's Cook Book that some of you contributed to.  The Maddie's Angels Cook Book is 132 pages and has notes from Doctors and other special people like you.  The Proceeds from the sale of this book are going to Fanconi anemia research.  Please consider more than one book as they make great gifts.  We did not use a standard cook book printer because they would not let us put the personal notes in it so we did all of the layout ourselves,  I think you will like it.  The Fax number on the order form is a secure one and no one sees it but me.  We are glad to take credit cards as well as your check.

 

Thank you

Ernie Landwehr

515-979-9521

 

Order by Mail:          Maddie's Angel Cook Book

                                    2106 Country Cove Ln     

                                    Altoona IA 50009

 

Email:                        ernie_landwehr@msn.com

                                    nancy_landwehr@msn.com

 

Web Site:                  www.helpmaddie.com

 

Fax (secure)              612-256-2201 

 

Name: ___________________________________________

 

Address: _________________________________________

 

City: _____________________State: ____Zip: ___________        

           

Phone: ______-________-____________

 

Number of Books  

                                   

______________ @ $15.00 =                               $_______________

 

Shipping                                                                        $5.00

 

Maddie's Angels bracelet $1 each         $ _______________

Additional Donation to help find a cure for

 Fanconi  Anemia                                                  $________________

 

 Cash                                                 Total    $_______________

 Check                                  

 Visa

 MasterCard (We do not take Discover or American Express)

 

 

Number: __ __ __ __-__ __ __ __-__ __ __ __-__ __ __ __

 

Exp. Date: __ __- __ __

 

Name on Card: ______________________________

 

You can also pick them up at Franklin Covey Store in Des Moines at the Merle Hay Mall and Sugar Shack in Altoona

 

                                               

I give you the following Holy Humor that was sent to me my June Barron.  Thank you June…

A father was approached by his small son who told him proudly, 'I know
what the Bible means!'
His father smiled and replied, 'What do you mean, you 'know' what the
Bible means?
The son replied, 'I do know!'
'Okay,' said his father. 'What does the Bible mean?'
'That's easy, Daddy...' the young boy replied excitedly,
'It stands for 'Basic Information Before Leaving Earth.'

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

There was a very gracious lady who was mailing an old family Bible to
her brother.
'Is there anything breakable in here?' asked the postal clerk.
'Only the Ten Commandments.' answered the lady.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

'Somebody has said there are only two kinds of people in the world.
There are those who wake up in the morning and say, 'Good morning,
Lord,'
and there are those who wake up in the morning and say,'Good Lord,
it's morning.'

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~


A minister parked his car in a no-parking zone in a large city because
he was short of time and couldn't find a space with a meter. He put a
note under the windshield wiper that read: 'I have circled the block
10 times. If I don't park here, I'll miss my appointment.
Forgive us our trespasses.'
When he returned, he found a citation from a police officer along with
this note 'I've circled this block for 10 years. If I don't give you a
ticket I'll lose my job. Lead us not into temptation.'

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

There is the story of a pastor who got up one Sunday and announced to
his congregation: 'I have good news and bad news. The good news is, we
have enough money to pay for our new building program. The bad news
is, it's still out there in your pockets.'

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Error! Filename not specified.

While driving in Pennsylvania, a family caught up to an Amish
carriage. The owner of the carriage obviously had a sense of humor,
because attached to the back of the carriage was a hand printed sign...
'Energy efficient vehicle: Runs on oats and grass.. Caution: Do not
step in exhaust.'

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

A Sunday School teacher began her lesson with a question, "Boys and
girls, what do we know about God?"
A hand shot up in the air.
"He is an artist!" said the kindergarten boy.
"Really? How do you know?" the teacher asked.
"You know, 'Our Father, who does art in Heaven . . . ' "

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

A minister waited in line to have his car filled with gas just before
a long holiday weekend. The attendant worked quickly, but there were
many cars ahead of him. Finally, the attendant motioned him toward a
vacant pump.
'Reverend,' said the young man, 'I'm so sorry about the delay. It
seems as if everyone waits until the last minute to get ready for a
long trip.'
The minister chuckled, 'I know what you mean. It's the same in my
business.'

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

People want the front of the bus, the back of the church, and the
center of attention.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Sunday after church, a Mom asked her very young daughter what the
lesson was about. The daughter answered, 'Don't be scared, you'll get
your quilt.'
Needless to say, the Mom was perplexed. Later in the day, the pastor
stopped by for tea and the Mom asked him what that morning's Sunday
school lesson was about.
He said 'Be not a afraid, thy comforter is coming.'

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The minister was preoccupied with thoughts of how he was going to ask
the congregation to come up with more money than they were expecting
for repairs to the church building. Therefore, he was annoyed to find
that the regular organist was sick and a substitute had been brought in
at the last minute. The substitute wanted to know what to play.
'Here's a copy of the service,' he said impatiently, 'but, you'll have
to think of something to play after I make the announcement about the
finances.'
During the service, the minister paused and said, 'Brothers and
Sisters, we are in great difficulty; the roof repairs cost twice as
much as we expected and we need $4,000 more. Any of you who can pledge
$100 or more, please stand up'.
At that moment, the substitute organist played 'The Star Spangled
Banner.'
And that is how the substitute became the regular organist!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Give me a sense of humor, Lord,
Give me the grace to see a joke,
To get some humor out of life,
And pass it on to other folk!

 

CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY FOOD PANTRY

NEWSLETTER

 

                                                                                                          March, 2010

            Dear friends:

 

            Did you know that two-thirds of all the greatest deeds ever performed by human beings – the victories in battle, the greatest books, the greatest paintings and sculpture - were accomplished by people over 60?

 

            To quote one elderly gentleman, "I am no longer amazed.  Old age is ready to

undertake tasks that youth shirked because youth thought those tasks would take too long."   The Bible has recorded the lives of dozens of older people who, in their later years, heard and responded to God's call.  The message is:  It's never too late.

           

            Many elderly people love to garden and have time to tend it.  Consider expanding it to include vegetables for the food pantry.  Our clients love the fresh produce.  It's never too late to get involved in accomplishing something that eases the burdens of others.

                                                                           So, let us begin!

                                                                           Christian Community Food Pantry

                                                                       

                                                                   - - - - - - - -  - - - - - - - - -

 

 

In February of 2010, 135 families were served at the Christian Community Food Pantry – 279 adults and 157 children totaling 436 individuals.  One hundred thirty-five boxes of food was given totaling 3,597 pounds, and 135  $8.00 Fareway vouchers  to be used for perishable items such as eggs, butter,  milk, etc. were handed out.

 

Also given is meat such as pork patties and/or venison, which is not included in the poundage.  Personal items such as toothpaste, toilet tissue, shampoo, etc. are also given,  Laundry detergent is given to clients every other month.  Children's diapers are provided when we have them available.  Rent assistance checks for $608.00 were written as well as $250.83 for utility assistance.

 

An item especially needed in the pantry this month is shampoo.

 

A BIG Thank You to those of you who are faithfully providing food, personal items and rental/utility assistance for adults and children who live in the Southeast Polk area.  Many, many are unemployed, permanently disabled, waiting for food stamps, widowed or going through a divorce.   There are many that have extended family living with them because of the economy.   Please keep all these persons in your thoughts and prayers.

 

                                     

I hope to see each of you in worship this Sunday as we begin Passion Week.  I know you will enjoy seeing the children bring in the palms at the beginning of the service.  There will be meaning music brought to us by our choir and bell choir.  It will be a special time to encounter God.  It is a time to invite new folks to worship.  

Maundy Thursday Tenebrae service will be an impressive, meditative service of the recreating the betrayal, abandonment, and agony of the events of that day. 

The Good Friday service on April 2^nd 7pm will be another opportunity of meditation.           If you would like to help lead this service you may also send me an e-mail.  The Bell Choir will be an important part of this service.

Easter morning will be a grand celebration.  The 8:15am service will be an inspiring time of worship.  The Miracle Breakfast beginning at 9am will be a celebrative time of breaking bread and eggs together.  I expect over 30 members of my family to be here to worship with us.  I look forward to this time of celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ and the promise of eternal life to each of us.  The Easter Egg Hunt starts at 9:15am.                Kids… remember to bring your Easter egg baskets!

Before I close I want to thank all of you for your cards, memorial gifts for Jeff (which will be sent to the Diabetes Association in his memory), and all of your prayers.  We have truly felt your prayers and support and are so grateful for them.  We also thank all those who have sent greetings for my retirement.  We look forward to visiting with many of you Sunday afternoon as we celebrate together.    

 

Keep Dancing in the Spirit,

Ken

 

 

Lenten Devotion

Dear Folks:

 

I hope you take some solitude time each day to let the spirit wash over you, heal you, refresh you.  There is so much in this world to stress us and bring uneasiness into our lives.  We constantly meet up with people who have more power that we have.  How will they use that power, that authority:  will they diminish us, exploit us, use us, get rid of us?  We learn to be cautious, put up defenses. 

 

And then we come before God, a God of power and mystery.  How will he treat us?  Will he punish us, destroy us, take away our freedom?  Based on our experience, any of that is certainly possible, maybe even probable.  That's why we need so reassurance: "Relax.  In that moment of solitude you connect again with God and you will remember again that God's generosity never gives out... the God of Grace, this God of love will make it all right.  

 

Take time to share in today's devotion...  Ken

 

March 24, 2010

Expectations

Excerpt from Luke 18: 31- 34

"But they understood nothing about all these things; in fact, what he said was hidden from them, and they did not grasp what he said."

Reflection by Anthony B. Robinson

With Holy Week coming soon, it's pretty easy to listen in on this kind of story, where Jesus tells the disciples that soon he will be betrayed and suffer, be nailed to a cross and die, and after three days rise again, and think, "Dumb disciples, why don't they ever get it? Why couldn't they hear what he told them so plainly and not once but three times?"

I'm not sure the disciples were dumb, or at least that I am any smarter than they were. There are lots of times when I've heard only what I wanted to hear, not what was being said. And there have also been quite a number of times that I've been working with congregations, especially ones where people are angry and frightened, and I've noticed that our capacity for hearing what's being said or seeing what's going on can be just about nil. Truth can be spoken over and over and we just don't seem to hear it. Strange.

So why did Jesus bother? Why did he tell them what was about to go down? My hunch is that somehow, later, they would recall his words. They would say, "Remember? Oh, now I get it." And what exactly would they get? That when our plans and predictions go bust and our expectations aren't fulfilled, God is still God. God is still working and is able to bring about God's purposes in spite of, sometimes through, our sin. Just because what we thought would happen or should happen doesn't, it doesn't mean the whole story is over. The story is God's story, bigger than we can grasp, better than we can imagine.

Prayer

Forgive us, Lord, for the times our hearts go hard, the eyes of our hearts are closed and the ears of our hearts are stopped. Keep working with us, leading us on, healing our hearts and opening our eyes and ears to your grace. Amen.

   

Lenten Devotions March 22nd

March 23, 2010

Whose Name?

Excerpt from Psalm 20

"Some take pride in chariots, and some in horses, but our pride is in the name of the Lord our God."

Reflection by Quinn G. Caldwell

Psalm 20 is a prayer for victory over one's enemies in war. I understand that on the surface, that may not seem to have much import for your daily life. At least, I hope it doesn't; if you have enough enemies that you need to pray this prayer, I feel bad for you.

But, even if you're not leading an army into battle today, there's a question from this Psalm worth asking: do you take pride in God's name?

At our baptism, we are formally adopted into the family of Jesus Christ, and we take on his name. Like one half of a couple taking the other half's name when they get married, like a new baby taking on her parents' name, at baptism, you take on the name of God, which for us is "Christ" But how many people who know you would, if asked to name you, describe you with that name as readily as your first and last names? If the answer is "Not many," then may I suggest it may be because you don't introduce yourself that way as often as you might?

Now look, I don't go around to cocktail parties shaking hands and saying, "Hi! I'm Quinn Caldwell, Christian," and I don't think you should, either. I'm just asking how many people know whose name you bear besides your own.

Prayer

God, save me from being one of those annoying people who refer to themselves as "Christian" every third word. But grant that I might find ways to introduce myself using your name just a little more often. Amen.